Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice Sequel Bundle: 3 Reader Favorites

by Linda Berdoll

  They continued to play the quote game, but Darcy proved the victor. Lizzy laughed, conceding defeat, and then arose to walk among the flowers. Darcy sat in complete contentment watching his lovely wife in the moonlight.

  “When Jane and I were younger, we would sometimes steal out at night when all were asleep. We would lie on a blanket under the stars and talk about our dreams.”

  “What do young girls dream of?”

  She giggled. “Handsome princes on gallant white steeds charging in to whisk us off to crystal castles with spires reaching to the heavens.”

  “Alas, my steed is black and Pemberley has no spires. Pity that your dreams have been dashed.”

  “Well, at least the handsome part is true so I shall endeavor to overcome my acute disappointment.” She had picked several fragrant buds, tucking them in her hair and at her bosom. Lastly she snipped a strand of jasmine, weaving it into a garland. She approached her husband, still sitting on the fountain’s edge, and crowned his head with the aromatic adornment. “Now you are a prince,” she teased. “Two out of four is tolerable.”

  Darcy clasped her legs to pull her onto his lap again, but she danced lightly away, tinkling laugh ringing. “If you desire to whisk me away, my prince, you must catch me first!” She gave a merry chase but his longer legs proved his asset, and he caught her at last.

  The devious gleam in her eyes should have warned him. He leaned down to kiss her but she moved in quickly and securely caught his lower lip with her teeth. She nibbled tenderly, running the tip of her tongue along his lip, sucking slightly. Her hands were not idle, firmly stroking up his inner thighs and over his hips, fingers barely brushing his most sensitive regions.

  Darcy had never experienced anything like it. How did she know to do this? From you, came the answer. She was intoxicating and he was instantly aroused. His befuddled mind relaxed his grip and she scurried away, dashing down the path toward the house, effervescent voice floating back to him, “Revenge is sweet, beloved!”

  He groaned in misery then laughed, remembering his satisfied gloating at lunch and in her dressing room. He followed slowly, needing the distance to restore his irregular heartbeat. When he reached the terrace, he could see her moving about in his study. He entered and she was standing placidly by his desk, an expression of contrition on her face, although with Lizzy, penitence was as equally suspect as naughtiness. She came to him, softly placing tiny hands on his chest, and in a little-girl voice asked, “Still love me?”

  “More than ever,” he answered, bestowing a kiss to her forehead, cheek, nose, chin, and finally her lips.

  She smiled brightly. “This is your study, is it not?” He nodded. “I wondered if it was, when I was here in September.” She flushed in embarrassment. “I did not read anything, but I saw papers with your handwriting and your seal. I could picture you sitting at that desk, working. It’s a beautiful room, William.”

  “Have a seat, Elizabeth. Since we are here, I have something to discuss with you.” She did as he asked as he retrieved the envelope given to him earlier by Mr. Taylor, and then he sat beside her, taking her hands. “I recognize that discussions of my wealth are uncomfortable to you, my love, and I appreciate that as it is further proof of your true reasons for marrying me.” He smiled at her.

  “Nonetheless, we cannot ignore the facts nor can I discount my responsibilities to you as my wife. When I was in London last, I had my solicitor draw up legal documents regarding my will and settlement for you. That is what is in this envelope. The exact details can be deliberated later. The gist is this: When I die, a settlement of thirty-thousand pounds will be yours, along with a yearly income of three-thousand pounds. Pemberley will forever be open to you as your home, as will Darcy House in London. Ownership of Pemberley will pass to our eldest son with further details regarding future children to be decided when the time comes.”

  Lizzy was stunned. Darcy smoothed her cheek and kissed her softly. “For the present, since I selfishly intend to live a very long time to love you, I have set aside a monthly allowance for your personal use. The intention is not to prohibit what you spend but to render easy access to funds as you need them without requiring you to solicit me or Mr. Keith. The bills will be kept in a locked box in that cabinet over there. If at any time you need or want something beyond what monies you have available, you must only ask. Do you understand so far?” She nodded, speechless.

  He continued, “Household funds are in a separate account. In time Mrs. Reynolds and I will teach you how it all operates. As I have assured you, dearest, I am making no demands. Pemberley is a very complicated estate and it will take you time to learn it all, if you even chose to do so. All you must understand now is that any decorating you wish to do or furniture you wish to purchase, that sort of thing, is not a personal but a household expense. The monies are limited; I am not the King after all!” he laughed. “However, you would have to be excessively extravagant to seriously jeopardize the estate.”

  “Lastly, you are aware that I have a decorator arriving next week, which should be Wednesday. On Monday I have arranged an appointment for you with a dressmaker in Lambton. Her name is Madame du Loire, and she has fashioned many of Georgiana’s gowns. Mrs. Reynolds suggested this course. I hope it meets with your approval, dearest?”

  “William, I truly do not know what to say. You are so conscientious and far too generous! You continually stagger me with your ability to contemplate my needs. Thank you!”

  “Elizabeth, you flatter me with your kind words. Business I comprehend easily. Women’s necessities are still much a mystery to me. We must educate each other. As always, Mrs. Reynolds and Georgiana, when she returns later this month, will be your principal resources. They know what is available in the region and what should be obtained from Town. Now, enough of that!” He stood up briskly and locked the envelope safely in his desk. “I am overcome with the urgent yearning to unwind with my wife in our sitting room. To hold her in my arms reminding her of my fervent love, devotion, ardor, and happiness. Shall we, Mrs. Darcy?”

  When Lizzy entered their sitting room, comfortable and resplendent in her nightgown and robe, Darcy was already reclining on the chaise lounge before the fire. He had an open book in his hand and momentarily did not hear her, so engrossed was he. She smiled. He had finally given up reading the book he had labored over during their engagement and had succumbed to the reality that reading was out of the question for the time being. It was refreshing and heartwarming to see him content and able to relax.

  She settled herself between his legs, back tight against his chest. He entwined his legs with hers and hugged her close, one arm over her shoulders with a hand resting between her breasts. He kissed the top of her head and told her he loved her. Lizzy could honestly say she had never been happier in her entire life. He began reading aloud and his melodic voice soothed her.

  Darcy became aware that his wife had fallen asleep when he asked her a question and she remained silent. “Elizabeth?” he whispered, but there was no response. It was not precisely the ending to the evening he had envisioned, yet oddly the fulfillment of having his wife’s warm body in his arms was intensely gratifying in its own way. He held her for a long time, until the fire had died to embers, listening to her breathe and feeling her vitality. Carefully as not to wake her, he carried her to their bed. He stretched out beside her, marveling how even in her sleep she came to him, nestling close.

  * Homer, The Iliad

  ** Homer, The Odyssey

  THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS passed in much the same manner. Lizzy and Darcy were together almost twenty-four hours a day, and they were incredibly blissful.

  While they lounged in bed on their second morning at Pemberley, their fourth day of marriage, Lizzy confessed with some embarrassment her actions the previous morning when she had awoken without him by her side. He laughed out loud, which she considered blatantly unfair.

  “Forgive me, beloved; however, I had this vision of you running through the
halls in your nightgown. I venture to speculate that any fright I might have given poor Marguerite yesterday would pale in comparison to the panic amongst the house staff at that sight!”

  “You beast!” and she hit him with a pillow, which led to him grasping her wrists to stop her, which lead to them kissing several times. When she came up for air, she continued the topic. “I was going to apologize for accidentally pushing you into the doorway yesterday, but now that I think of it, it was your entire fault anyway, so I shall not.”

  “How do you reason it was my fault?”

  “You should never have left me in the first place!” she declared with a pout.

  “You have set the standard, Mr. Darcy, by being entirely too wonderful, so your desertion was an overwhelming shock. My feeble wits could not handle it and I acted precipitously. Your bruises are therefore the penalty for your cruelty. Nonetheless, I shall be magnanimous and will even kiss your aches away. Turn over,” she commanded.

  She actually was surprised and remorseful to note a small bruise over his mid-spine, which she dutifully kissed. However, she was more taken at the pleasing sight of her husband’s backside. Using all the strength she could muster, she massaged his shoulders, back, and derriere. Darcy moaned with pleasure, his eyes closed. Elizabeth, for being so delicate, had incredibly strong hands.

  As expected, her innocent conduct eventually took on a decidedly sensual flavor. She straddled him at his waist, sitting on his bottom, directing her attentions first to his shoulders, massaging as hard as she could. He tried to caress her knees but she slapped him and told him to behave, earning a chuckle. For thirty or so minutes, she diligently applied herself to kneading and manipulating every muscle. Darcy slipped into a daze of relaxing euphoria, unaware, for a time, of Elizabeth’s presence. That was until she scooted off his bottom to his legs and began squeezing his rump and thighs. Her strokes gradually turned from firm and deep to soft and caressing. She traveled over and under his hips, down outer and up inner thighs. His breathing changed from deep and relaxed to sharp and fitful.

  He rumbled her name deep in his throat, begging, and she ceased, lying fully onto his back and kissing the nape of his neck as she ran her fingers through his hair, before meeting seeking lips as she rolled off. Darcy gathered her into his arms, passionately kissing her with a ravenous hunger. He pulled away and met her eyes, those beautiful eyes that had intrigued and captivated him almost from the first moment he saw her in Meryton.

  “What you do to me, love. So beautiful… exciting… precious. My wife, my only love, my soul.” His endearments and declarations were incessant as he kissed her eyes, lips, nose, cheeks, chin, and neck. They made love slowly initially, quickening as their mutual passion grew.

  Darcy whispered words and phrases of love in a pattern that would become very familiar. Like a dam overflowing, words poured from his lips, verbalizing his emotions and burning need. “God, love… I never dreamed loving you would be so… spectacular, exhilarating! Your skin… like silk… your hands, Oh Lord, your hands, Lizzy!… touching my skin… it is electric, flames… burning my flesh… shivers through me…” He moaned hoarsely, voice low and grating. “Your scent… I am delirious… your moans and sighs of pleasure… for me… my love… mine always… only!”

  The pace accelerated, Darcy stridently moaning as he loved her. “Elizabeth, I love you… God how I need you! You squeeze me so tight… your legs, your arms, your body… made for me… love me, my darling! Now!”

  Coherent language was lost as passion overcame them both with uttered cries and whimpers, shudders through every nerve and pore. Total abandon and uninhibited release. Two individuals joining as one. Souls combined in the purest expression of love. For timeless minutes they merged and were no longer separate.

  If the journeys varied, the destination was the same. It was a beautiful period of discovery for them both. As they explored each other’s bodies and grew daily more aware of their own sensibilities, their intimate relationship blossomed into a fullness and union of souls unreservedly profound. As the initial days turned into the first week, the last vestiges of any embarrassment or awkwardness totally disappeared. At times they were playful. Other times they were serious and tender. Sometimes they were swept away with their passionate hunger. Yet always they were moved by the melding of their spirits, the harmony, and the love that defied logic by growing deeper with each passing day.

  Once they emerged from their chambers, it was rarely with any particular destination in mind. They simply wanted to be together. Their keenest desire was to learn more about how the other thought and felt. The intimate nature of their communication evolved as they each had suspected it would once they were married.

  Darcy no longer suffered the pain of his loneliness and grief. Wounded areas of his heart were unearthed and healed, some of which he was ignorant even existed. The past no longer haunted him, and he was able to remember and share the happy memories without the instantaneous ache of sadness overwhelming him.

  As for Lizzy, she gave herself to him wholly. Her rigid independence, self-reliance, and need to prove herself all shattered before the force of his love. To be essential to another human being, to be vulnerable, to have another assign themselves generously and selflessly is the ultimate expression of true love, and they understood how lucky they were.

  Most days they moseyed around Pemberley. Slowly Lizzy began to acquaint herself with the manor’s layout. Darcy was correct in stating that it really was not that confusing. The hallways were set up in a linear fashion and the rooms universally square or rectangular. Perhaps not overly imaginative, but it was easy to navigate. By the end of her first week as Mistress, she was confident enough to wander on her own around the main floor, which she did on those few occasions when Darcy was occupied with a business matter. Nonetheless, she was constantly amazed and, frankly, significantly intimidated by the vastness of the house and by the plethora of art, furnishings, history, wealth, and beauty that Pemberley housed. The more she saw, the more she was awed by the responsibilities her husband carried on his broad shoulders.

  The staff was mysteriously everywhere and yet unobtrusive at the same time. Lizzy never once actually witnessed a maid cleaning, yet the manor was spotless. A footman materialized magically when Darcy needed one, then vanished as speedily. Darcy greatly impressed Lizzy by knowing the names of each of them, always making eye contact, and unfailingly inserting “please” and “thank you” into each command. The staff’s devotion to their master and to Pemberley was apparent in their manner and in the pristine condition of the house.

  Lizzy had learned much about the estate’s interests during her engagement. Darcy’s pride and pleasure regarding Pemberley were unmistakable. Unwittingly, conversations about his home, both then and now, had given Lizzy tremendous insight into the business affairs that her husband managed. She knew that his income stemmed not only from Pemberley itself but also from investments, trade, and industrial and commercial enterprises in England and abroad.

  Nonetheless, the bulk of the estate’s income came from agriculture, livestock, cotton milling, and horse breeding. The farmlands were extensive and offered varying produce, including fruit orchards and grains. Two mills used the power of the River Derwent and modern technology to process the grains and shorn wool. Livestock consisted primarily of sheep with a few goats and wandering fowl. The wild game was generally left unmolested except for the occasional hunting parties Darcy allowed and, of course, for their own table.

  Her husband handled all of these aspects of Pemberley’s business efficiently and dutifully. However, Lizzy had rapidly established that his heart lay with his horses. Darcy was a horseman through and through. He confessed to her that, if it were possible, he would happily consign all his responsibilities to someone else and immerse his energies into breeding and training the fine horses of Pemberley.

  Thus it was on Lizzy’s second day that Darcy enthusiastically escorted her to the stables. The complex that acco
mmodated the horses, carriages, and equipment, and the massive staff necessary was only slightly smaller than the main house. It too was a marvel of exquisite architecture and craftsmanship. At two stories high, the building could easily house all the staff, store the equipment and numerous carriages, and shelter the horses. A high arch facing south opened onto an enormous courtyard amid the complex where the animals were groomed and cared for. The thoroughbreds were separated from the working horses, each with their own handlers and grooms.

  The weather had taken an abrupt turn for the worse. Ominous clouds hovered on the horizon, and Darcy assured Lizzy that it would snow by that evening. Despite the cold, the grooms went about their duties. They acknowledged Darcy’s presence and, as always, Darcy addressed each of them by name.

  Lizzy did not ride and was actually quite frightened of horses in general. That was not to say she did not value the beauty and majesty of the species, and it was immediately apparent even to her uneducated eyes that the thoroughbreds of Pemberley were magnificent. Darcy seemed intimately acquainted with each one of them. Parsifal, naturally, had the best stall and was visited by his master first. Treats were given and he was again introduced to Lizzy, who overcame her fear enough to stroke his soft nose.

  Darcy knew of Lizzy’s apprehension, so he thought it best to take her to the new colt first. Who could not fall in love with a baby? They arrived just as one of the grooms was about to feed the young animal. Darcy assumed the task and encouraged Lizzy to assist him. One look into the playful, sweet face of the foal and she was captured. Before long she was kneeling in the straw, Darcy beside her, holding onto the makeshift milk bladder and nipple while the colt suckled. It was a fantastic experience. Despite all expectations to the contrary, Lizzy bonded with the foal and would become a frequent visitor. She named him Wolfram, after Wolfram von Eschenbach, the poet who wrote Parzival from which Darcy had taken Parsifal’s name. This brought a huge grin to Darcy’s lips and filled his heart with joy.