Darcy gave her half a smile and reached out to hook a strand of hair behind her ear. Elizabeth fought the urge to kiss the palm of his hand. In the past, she would not deny her impulsive nature and would enjoy the pleasure of his touch, but this was a Darcy she did not know. “You noted my reluctance to speak as such?”
Elizabeth allowed herself the simple pleasure of leaning her head into the touch of Darcy’s hand before saying,“I am afraid, Sir, there is very little about you of which I take no note.” She automatically gave him a teasing smile.
About that time, the dog returned from the water’s edge, bounding up and sniffing at Darcy’s legs. “May I?” He indicated the stick, and she nodded in affirmation. Darcy picked up the stick, teased the animal with it, and then tossed it out for the spaniel to retrieve.
“Go, Hero,” she instructed the animal before it took off to capture the “prey.”
Darcy’s voice rose in inflection,“Hero?”
“From Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing,” Elizabeth stammered.“During our courtship, we once exchanged the lines between Benedick and Beatrice. It seemed only appropriate,” she bantered, and Darcy felt himself warm to her expression.
“Obviously, like its Greek name, the animal loves the water.” He returned Elizabeth’s teasing tone.
“As long as she does not find a Leander and choose to drown herself while chasing the waterfowl.” Elizabeth tried to continue her light repartee with him; she remembered she originally won Darcy by engaging him.“Of course, you warned me as such when you talked Mr. Harvey into selling Hero.”
He asked innocently,“I gave you Hero?”
“One of my wedding gifts.” She offered Darcy a winsome smile.
“I understand from Georgiana I also gave you a gun. It seems I need to find more personal ways to celebrate our marriage.” He looked at Elizabeth closely.
Elizabeth laughed spontaneously. “Actually, along with my horse, the gifts were of what I asked. I never wanted the jewels or the fancy gowns. Hero is a good companion on my walks. I wanted the horse to be able to ride out across the estate with you.”
Darcy wanted to see what else she knew so he asked, “Do you believe Mr. Shakespeare chose Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso as the basis for Hero’s and Claudio’s characters?”
“It seems to me Spenser’s The Faerie Queene is more likely the source.”
Darcy smiled with her response. “Delineating Claudio and Don Pedro could come from Bandello’s La Prima Parte de le Novelle.”
“I am afraid I am not familiar with that particular piece.” Not wishing to demonstrate her lack of a formal education, Elizabeth dropped her eyes. Then she recovered her voice, afraid to let the moment pass. “Nothing and noting—so much convergence on these words. Shakespeare recognized and reveled in the possibilities.”
“Noting—observing—understanding and misreporting.” Darcy moved in a bit closer where he could see only Elizabeth’s face as he spoke. “I noted her not, but I looked on her,” (1.1.158) he quoted Benedick’s line about Hero.
Elizabeth feigned innocence. “The sweetest lady that ever I looked on.” (1.1.181)
“She is too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise.” (1.1.165) Darcy enjoyed the recitation.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, wondered about his choice of quotes. Could it mean Darcy thought her below him? “It is the perfect play to teach how some people trust what they see rather than what they believe in their hearts or know in their minds. I once foolishly judged you on visual proof—my tendency to see in others whatever character and experience I am predisposed to see.” Elizabeth hoped her words struck a chord with Darcy.
“Neither Claudio nor Benedick really see Hero, do they? Are your words a warning to see beyond what others offer?”
“Society often leads one to think subjectivity of perception as acceptable, while, in reality, adhering to convention can distort a person’s views.” Elizabeth resisted the urge to caress Darcy’s face as she spoke.
“I suppose there is some peril in noting incorrectly,” he offered as he searched Elizabeth’s face for some familiarity besides the images of her found in his dreams.“Are you well—I mean, with the child?” he finally asked. Slowly, he placed his hand on the swell of her abdomen.
“The changes are becoming more evident.” Elizabeth rested her hand on top of Darcy’s; the corners of her lips turned up briefly. If her Darcy made this gesture, it would be a very intimate one, but with this Darcy, there was an oddity. Uncomfortable with the intensity of his look, Elizabeth raised his fingertips to her mouth and kissed them lightly. “It will be several more months,” she laughed lightly.“Can you wait that long?”
He sounded a bit petulant when he said, “I do not like to wait; patience is not one of my virtues.”
“Well, it is one of mine,” she giggled lightly. “I have many things to do before the arrival of our child.” She held his hand in hers.
“I do also.” He looked away.“There is something of which I would like to speak. I was thinking of taking Georgiana to London for an abbreviated season before your lying in. That would mean your being here alone.” Darcy waited to see Elizabeth’s reaction.
“Fitzwilliam,” she gushed,“has Georgiana agreed to this?”
“My sister knows her duty to her family.” Elizabeth watched the warmth he displayed a few moments ago retreat; Darcy now offered her a lecture on familial duty. “My sister and I understand each other. Georgiana will do what is expected of her. My sister’s world is different from what others may surmise.”
Without thinking about her response, Elizabeth said, “Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes, misprising what they look on.” (3.1.51)
Darcy asked incredulously, “Then you believe my sister will refuse?”
Elizabeth blushed.“Georgiana will do her duty; however, as your wife, I hope you will not force her to do so.”
“You may say such things; our match brought you the security you did not have before.”
Immediately, Elizabeth was on her feet. “Please tell me you do not believe that is why I married you.”
“I have been told otherwise.” Darcy moved quickly to dominate over her stance.
“That is not what I asked.”
“I have no waking memory of our relationship. I must base my opinions on what I know.” He forced Elizabeth to turn and look at him. “I must give Georgiana a chance at securing a suitable match. I hoped as my wife you would support me on this matter.”
“If the suitable match is a man my sister can also affect, I will be happy to support you.” Elizabeth squared her shoulders to let him know she would not relent. “However, if Georgiana is not happy, I will be less inclined to see things your way, Sir.” Elizabeth turned quickly and strode away, not bothering to fix her hair or to replace her bonnet. Hero darted past Darcy’s legs, nearly knocking him off balance, scrambling after her mistress.
“No waking memories,” he mumbled to her retreating form, “none, whatsoever.” Despite feeling agitated because of the confrontation, Darcy smiled from looking at her. Elizabeth’s auburn curls bounced as she walked away, and Darcy tried to suppress an urge to touch her hair and to revisit the feel of their entangled hands.
CHAPTER 16
“A scheme of which every part promises delight
can never be successful;
and general disappointment is only warded off
by the defence of some little peculiar vexation.”
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813
“I have come to abduct you, my Husband.” Elizabeth appeared before Darcy’s desk.They maintained a level of civility the last two days, although strained by their heated discussion that fateful afternoon.
“I am quite busy, Mrs. Darcy.” His voice held a sense of frustration.
Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest and gave him a look of like interception. “First, I know my spontaneity drives your need to cont
rol your universe crazy, Fitzwilliam, but you did express a desire to get to know me better. I wish to show you some of the things I value in our life together. Please come with me; the curricle awaits.”
Darcy leaned back in the chair to examine this woman who was his wife. A smile betrayed his amusement when he looked at her.“You said first. Am I to assume you have more than one demand of me today?”
A laugh escaped her lips. “Second, you promised to call me Elizabeth.”
“So I did, Elizabeth,” he emphasized the last word. “Is this really necessary?” Darcy leaned forward and looked at the papers on his desk. “I have many things to address here.” He picked up a stack of papers to highlight his point.
Elizabeth splayed her fingers and leaned down on his desk. “Fitzwilliam, our life together—the one in which we raise our child—should supersede any of these issues.” She gestured to the papers. “These will wait for a few hours; people’s feelings cannot be placed on hold.What is it to be, my Husband?”
Darcy knew she tossed down the gauntlet. Elizabeth asked him what he valued most: the estate or their marriage. Darcy’s natural instinct told him to choose the estate; it was an area within his control—his wife was a different story. In the short time since his return to Pemberley, Darcy’s emotional bond to Elizabeth Bennet Darcy ran the gamut of highs and lows. A smile began to creep into the corners of his mouth. He enjoyed how Elizabeth refused to back down when she believed strongly in something—how her eyes locked in on his and told him stories he never heard. “I will get my beaver and coat,” he said at last.
A like smile erupted from Elizabeth as she said, “Thank you, Fitzwilliam.” She rushed from the room before he could change his mind.
Outside, Darcy handed her into the curricle. Elizabeth adjusted a blanket across both of their laps before he took up the reins. “The weather in Derbyshire is more temperamental than it is in Hertfordshire; it changes as often as I change my mind.” She tucked the blanket in on the far side of Darcy’s lap, forcing her to lean across his body to do so. With her mouth only inches from his, Darcy fought the impulse to kiss her, but Elizabeth’s presence sent a rush through him.“Is that better, my Love?” she asked as she again looked deeply into Darcy’s eyes.
“I am well, Mrs.—I mean, Elizabeth.”
“Good.” She adjusted a blanket across her own lap.“I would not wish you to return to the troubles which beset you of late.” Turning her head to take in his profile, Elizabeth laced her arm through Darcy’s as he picked up the reins. As he flicked them across the horse’s hindquarters, she called, “Hero, come.” The English Springer spaniel leapt into the vehicle and curled up immediately at Elizabeth’s feet.
“The dog gives you great pleasure?” Darcy said with some finality.
“The man who gave it to me because he knew I never had a pet of my own gives me great pleasure.” Again, Elizabeth’s closeness sent a shiver through him.“Are you chilled, my Love?”
Her concern for him seemed genuine. “I am fine. I just did not expect such frankness.”They sat looking deeply into each other’s eyes.
“I would prefer if we could be truthful.We do not have time to play games.We are married and must establish a life together at Pemberley; yet, we must do so under absurd conditions. Many of the assumptions we previously put aside may resurface. We both once misconstrued the essence of each other; we have not the time to hide our feelings.We may not like many of our encounters, but we have no real choice, in my estimation.”
“You are a very astute woman, Elizabeth.” Darcy forced himself to look away, having become lost in her eyes.“Where would be our destination for the day?” He tried to sound casual.
“I have something I want to show you, which I hope will please you.” Elizabeth snuggled in closer to him to feel his warmth. “I want to return to the glade behind the stream where we talked the other day.”
“We return to the scene of the crime?”
Elizabeth dropped her eyes.“I am sorry we argued; I should guard my tone.”
“But not your sentiments?”
“You know me. . . .” She stopped, and a nervous laugh escaped. “That is just it; you do not know me, do you? I have a tendency to speak before thinking. I would not say my objections changed, but I would change my approach. I should use a feather but instead use a hammer.” Darcy chuckled with her metaphor. “Our disagreements are part of the legend of our courtship.”
“I assume you refer to my first proposal?” Darcy’s statement came out as a question.
“Ah, our infamous time at Hunsford. Do you remember that day?”
“My sister tells me I insulted you?” Again, the question returned.
“You were very fluent on your trials in overcoming my family connections. I took offense because you separated my dearest Jane and Mr. Bingley.Toss in the lies Mr.Wickham fed me, and we were nearly in a state of fisticuffs.”
Darcy stopped the curricle.“You jest?”
“We agreed to be frank,” she answered quickly. “I certainly considered striking you for a few brief seconds. I kept your letter where you defended yourself against my misplaced accusations. You are welcome to read it if it will help you recover some of that time.”
“I will believe you for now.”Then he flicked the reins again to see where the day would lead.
“Let us stop here,” Elizabeth said softly at last, turning the blanket back. Darcy came around to help her from the curricle. He lifted her by the waist while she supported herself by placing her hands on his shoulders.When he placed Elizabeth on the ground in front of him, he hesitated in withdrawing his hands. Her hands now rested on his chest, and she moved in instinctively to be closer to him. “You are exceedingly handsome, my Husband,” she said as she caressed Darcy’s cheek.
“It pleases me you are trying to make my transition easier.” Darcy found he once again became lost in her eyes. He held Elizabeth there next to him, unable to move. Darcy wanted to kiss her, to take his rights as her husband, but a part of his brain demanded he wait. No doubt Elizabeth would not refuse him; her eyes told him as much, but it was indubitable for him to do so without some affection for the woman. He could feel the tension between them growing so he did the gentlemanly thing: He took her hand and kissed the back of it lightly before hooking her arm in his.
“Is our destination close by?” he asked to try to distract his thoughts from kissing Elizabeth’s lips and from caressing her body.
“Very close.” She motioned toward the tree line. Elizabeth led him to a small glade behind the tree line created by the natural bed of the stream leading to the lake. “I hoped to find something more hidden, but when I saw this glade from the uppermost windows of Pemberley, I knew it was the one.”
“The one?”
Elizabeth pushed back the low branches and stepped into the open. Darcy followed but stopped short. “Elizabeth,” he gasped,“when—how?”
Before him stood a field of wildflowers. Many fledglings in their growth—but all of them with heads turned toward the sun. Darcy took a few steps forward, looking about him in disbelief. “The clearing—your mother’s favorite at Hunsford—you honored me when you shared it. After your first proposal and the letter, I wanted to bring something of you home with me.” Elizabeth’s voice was soft and inviting. “I thought I would never see you again; you left Rosings before I did. I returned to your mother’s clearing and cut many of the flowers. I dried some for a sachet, but for many of them I took them for the seeds. I planned to plant them in the fall at Longbourn, but then you returned to me so I brought them here.
“In November and December, I came here often, bringing the seeds with me. I scattered some every time there came a snow or a rain. I even elicited Mr. Howard’s help. Some of the tenants helped plant the seeds; some even furnished seeds.With your disappearance, the field became a place of solace—a place where part of you could be here with me at Pemberley.” Elizabeth tried to search Darcy’s face to judge his reaction to what sh
e told him. “I have a hedgerow of yellow rosebushes on the back side of the field because you gave me yellow roses when we married. It has a long way to go, but do you not think it to be beautiful?” Elizabeth waited impatiently, trying to steel her nerves.“Please say something, Fitzwilliam.”
Darcy closed his eyes and drank in the emotions coursing through him. For a brief, fleeting moment he saw Elizabeth turning round and round in a field of wildflowers. Her rich, mellow eyes sparkled and filled Darcy with happiness. He loved Elizabeth. The realization of admitting his feelings flashed through his being; no more would he say he loved her eyes or loved how she spoke her mind; no longer would he think of his feelings being only a strong attraction; he loved Elizabeth. The memory clearly played across his mind. Darcy turned back to her; tears misted his eyes. He had trouble separating the memory of that moment from the real woman currently standing in front of him. He took Elizabeth in his arms. “You did all this for me?” He seemed surprised by the depth of her devotion to him.
“We could not return to Rosings with Lady Catherine’s objections so I thought I would bring Rosings to us—to you. It is one of my favorite memories of our time there. Georgiana helped, too.” She rushed through the words, afraid to let him respond. “She was always jealous you shared your mother’s clearing with me. Now we can enjoy it together. Would it please your mother?” Elizabeth asked innocently.
Darcy pulled Elizabeth’s head to his chest as he looked around at the early-blooming flowers. “It is a great gift you give me and Pemberley,” he whispered in her ear. “It would astound my mother you would think of this.You say we can see the field from Pemberley?”
“From the baby’s nursery it is quite obvious. I thought it would be a good story to share with our children.” She wondered how Darcy would react to her reference to children, indicating she wanted a future with him. All he did, however, was stroke her head and kiss her forehead. They stood as such, her hands caressing the muscles of his back within his waistcoat and Darcy holding her tightly to him.
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