When he returned to London after months away and trials within their separation, his reception was more than he could have dreamed of. The self-possession employed to prevent launching into his arms the second he walked through the door did not inhibit radiant joy from infusing her face. Major General Randall Artois had never been so happy. Less than a week later he proposed; his happiness lifted to rapture when she accepted. With the date set, Major General Artois anticipated the future with the same calm assurance that had been a comfort all his life.
Until, that is, he kissed her for the first time.
He had never doubted the passion lurking inside Kitty, even during the early months of their friendship when she was emotionally guarded. She was too alive, too bubbly not to have the potential for wantonness. That natural aspect of marriage was important to him and he considered Kitty’s animation as another positive sign.
Then, the day of their engagement, after the congratulations were exhausted, he finally found a moment to be alone with his betrothed. They were only in the small garden at Longbourn and his only intention was to steal a chaste kiss. And in the end that is all it was. A slow, regulated, closed mouth kiss with their hands clasped together between their bodies.
Randall was utterly shaken by the sensations provoked! He was far from an innocent, knowing the joy of a woman’s touch from a relatively young age, but never had it felt like this. And that was merely a kiss! In the six weeks since, she had grown bolder, while he grew increasingly rattled. His innate patience had deserted him to be replaced by vivid images of them together, teetering restraint, and an aching yearning to possess her. Every ounce of energy went into dampening his need and the physical arousal experienced nearly all the time—this from a Major General well into his thirties!
Staying away for two weeks had been a choice made to curb his passion and regain clarity. Yet before a handful of hours passed he realized the danger was worse than ever.
He leaned against the wide tree trunk with Kitty weakly sagging onto his chest, her breasts agreeably squeezed to the point of nearly spilling out of her décolletage. Discipline learned over years of military service was harshly brought to bear to avoid plundering her body right there and then.
Suddenly the wisdom of whisking her away seemed poor indeed. She engaged his lips forcefully in a kiss more intense than he intended and grazed her fingernails over his scalp while running through his hair. He groaned and his knees weakened in response. Then, God help him, she pressed her entire body onto his with a wiggle he assumed was unconscious, although maybe not, targeting a certain part of his anatomy that definitely did not need to be encouraged at this point.
Fire radiated in a piercing arc from groin to every other part of his body, a fierce growl emitted as he deepened the kiss far beyond what her innocence deserved. He grasped onto her bottom, every sense of decency gone in blinding surges of desire, holding fast with the dim hope that pressure would alleviate the painful need.
He was wrong, of course. But before he could assimilate that fact, and before morality and gentlemanly behavior restored a modicum of lucidity, she started rocking her hips and releasing soft gasps into his mouth. Randall stiffened, hands stilling where they held her derriere, surprise startling him into coherency. In all his struggles it never occurred to him to consider that she might be feeling the same uncontrollable passions.
Bursting with delight, he shoved the final vestiges of gentlemanly concern away and decided if giving her this gift eased her ache for him, he would happily comply. He readjusted his hips, one hand still cupping her bottom to aid her unsure movements with subtle guidance while the other lifted one leg over his waist, and met her writhing with counter-pressure. So lost was he in observing the beauty of her impassioned face, listening to her pants and moans, and absorbing her shudders of release that his throbbing need was momentarily forgotten.
She sagged into his arms and he held her tight, hands caressing over her back as her trembling ebbed and breathing normalized. He whispered into her hair, “I love you, kitten. Always. You astound me with your innocent needs and trust. I am honored by your faith, my respect and love stronger each day.”
“That was… amazing,” she interrupted his assurances, lifting to stare boldly into his eyes. “Better than I imagined or have felt in my dreams of you. And I know this only scratches the surface of how it will be when we are completely together.”
Randall’s eyes widened with astonishment. “You… imagine us? Dream of us… together?”
“Does this shock you, Major General?”
Her satisfied smile and husky timbre sent fresh jolts of desire through his body, making speech difficult for several moments. Then he grinned lasciviously and pressed her into his swollen groin. “I am surprised I suppose, but pleasantly so. I want you badly, but did not anticipate the same in return. I am not sure what to say, Kitty, other than that I love you so much it hurts.”
“Your misery can end soon if you wish, Major General. I will be staying at Netherfield for a few nights at the behest of Georgiana. We have so much to catch up on. But once that is completed, I could, well”—her eyes lowered, a blush spreading over her cheeks—“it would be easy to slip into your room.”
“No,” he wheezed, swallowing the lump in his throat and willing his brain to lead rather than his overactive libido. “No, Kitty. God help me, I have never wanted anyone more than I want you right now, right this very second. The thought of you being in the same house with me, abed, in nightclothes…” He paused, looking away from her lustrous eyes and face still radiating with sexual heat. “Quite frankly I think it may well be more than I can bear. Have pity! Do not tempt me further. As it is I will need to drink myself into a stupor at the pub tonight to prevent banging your door down.”
“I like that vision. So manly and romantic.”
“Are you enjoying my suffering, Miss Bennet?”
“I am offering you relief from your suffering, Major General, as well as mine. This”—she pressed against his straining groin, Randall groaning and buckling slightly—“was not enough for me and it was no help to you at all.” Then she grew serious, the teasing lilt gone from her voice as she clasped his face in her hands. “I am tired of waiting. I want to be your wife now, Randall, not a week from now.”
“We have waited this long. What are a few more days?”
“An eternity.”
They stared at each other. Kitty’s eyes were firm and resolute. Randall’s were a bit wild. His will was wavering, badly, and her next words did not help his stability.
“You believe in fate. Fate brought us together. Fate kept us faithful to each other while separated. Fate has now brought me into your bedroom, so to speak. How can we ignore fate after she has been right all along?”
“I will lock my door,” he offered feebly.
But Kitty just smiled, lifting on tiptoes to kiss him slowly, after whispering, “No you won’t.”
And he knew she was correct.
CHAPTER NINE
Mysteries of Love
Georgiana’s soft knock upon the door was answered with a rushing swing before her knuckles finished rapping. In less than a heartbeat she was gathered into Kitty’s arms.
“I tarried, but you are dressed for bed and have completed your toilette, I see.” Georgiana laughed, pulling away although still affectionately clasping Kitty’s shoulders.
“Faster than you, Miss Darcy. If I was not so anxious to gossip and be a silly girl for one night I may have snuck out to see my handsome fiancé!”
“In your bedclothes? How utterly shocking and improper, Miss Bennet. Fortunate that he is out with the men presently so you could not act upon your scandalous inclinations.”
If only you knew, Kitty thought, laughing gaily at Georgiana’s tease. The two linked arms and walked to the sofa before the fire. “It was only a momentary thought. I am not so shameless as to risk Mr. Darcy’s censure or my fiancé’s displeasure,” she said nonchalantly.
&nbs
p; “I rather doubt your fiancé would be displeased to see his beloved in her bedclothes. Quite the opposite sentiment is more likely the case.”
“My! Listen to who speaks of intimate sentiments!”
“It is the natural way of such things. Although hopefully your trousseau consists of nightwear a bit more stylish than that,” she indicated Kitty’s robe of thickly quilted velvet with a high collared and plain cotton gown worn underneath.
“Oh my, yes! Mama nearly fainted when seeing the pretty, lacy slips Lizzy gifted me. I daresay I never would have braved purchasing such garments. Yes indeed, even I blushed and demurred!” Kitty asserted at the unbelieving expression on Georgiana’s face.
“It might, therefore, be wise to don the nightgowns for a few nights before your honeymoon so you will not be too uncomfortable with your new husband.”
“I have taken your wise advice ere you rendered it, dear Georgiana. I too pray that prior application will benefit. And as to being uncomfortable in regards to new husbands, my experienced sister has been preparing me. Her advice is far better than Mama has given, I am relieved to say.”
“Well, this is profitable information. I will know who to ask when time to acquire my wedding trousseau and prepare for a wedding night.”
“Oh really? So tell me, Georgie, who is he?”
“Who is who?” Georgiana calmly bent to pour tea into two cups, only the faintest smile and rosy cheeks belying her aloofness.
“Some gorgeous Italian, I imagine,” Kitty went on dreamily. “Or perhaps a Frenchman with dark eyes and a poetic accent. I shall divine the truth in time!”
“You are ridiculous, but I have missed you terribly despite your penchant for over dramatics. I can assure there is not a single Italian or Frenchman to tell you of.” She handed the cup to Kitty with a sincere smile. “Two spoons of sugar and a spot of cream as you like it.”
“Oh, Georgiana! It has been far too long! We have so much to catch up on and so little time before I shall be parted from you.”
“And so happily parted that you will undoubtedly not think upon me for weeks. Or at least I would hope your mind consumed with pleasanter thoughts.” Again that impish lilt that had Kitty searching her friend’s face in wonder, but Georgiana continued before Kitty could inquire. “That is why I invited you to stay with me here at Netherfield. Not for clandestine engagements with fiancés, no matter how handsome. I shall be watching you, Miss Bennet, so control your impulses!” She sternly shook her finger at Kitty, who pretended to bite the digit, bringing on a fresh case of giggles. “You must share all that I missed. Letters, even those as diligent and comprehensive as yours, do not tell all.”
“My letters must have been painfully dull compared to your adventures, more than half of which I am sure you never enlightened me of.”
“Absolutely not! Letters from home staved off my homesickness, which did threaten to overwhelm at times no matter what adventures I was having.”
“Ah, to see such exotic places as Paris and Rome.” Kitty sighed.
“You will travel far and wide in due time, Kitty. Major General Artois is a man of the world and financially prosperous. He will delight in squiring his beautiful bride to military galas at every capitol of the world.”
“When he is not engaged in armed battle or getting himself wounded, you mean.”
Georgiana clasped her friend’s hand, squeezing to comfort. “Was it so horrible? When he was injured and beyond your reach and knowledge? I knew you kept it light for my sake, which you should not have, but I could discern your distress within the lines and words.”
Kitty shook her head, smiling slightly to offset the threatening tears. “He made light of it so I endeavored to do the same. And of course he is now as hale as can be.” Then she released a short laugh, meeting Georgiana’s gaze and speaking with her typical humor. “Is it not the height of irony that after years of swooning and dreaming of soldiers in their smart red coats, imagining the life as an officer’s wife one of honor and dazzle, that I never thought about what a military man actually does for a living? And now I have secured an officer, much to my mother’s endless verbal delight, and I am terrified amid the exalting happiness!”
“Life definitely has a way of surprising us, I will concur.”
“There it is again! That inflection of something more behind your careful words. Georgiana Darcy, you must spill all!”
“Well, if all is on the agenda for tonight perhaps we should call for more tea and cakes and get started posthaste!” Georgiana laughed giddily, every trace of reserve erased. “Very well, you have gleaned my hidden secret thoroughly for one who has not seen me in months. I had no idea I was so transparent! Although Lizzy was peering at me strangely, so I must conclude that love is indeed visible upon the skin as the poets declare.”
“Aha! I knew it! Who is he? Where is he now? And does he have a most marvelous accent and speak phrases of love in mellifluous French?”
“Stop! One question at a time! Our discussions must have order or we will merely be talking one upon the other. My story of romance needs to wait until Lizzy arrives. No sense repeating it all twice. You tell me more of your courtship with the dashing Major General.”
“But that is unfair! You know of my romance and yet I am to die of curiosity waiting for Lizzy?”
“Patience is a virtue,” Georgiana piously intoned. “However, I would not wish for my dear friend to die. That would be most discourteous of me. So here, I shall give you a name and you must content yourself with that.” She paused, dramatic flair always a subtle Darcy trait, then spoke with the rich tones of one violently in love, “Mr. Sebastian Butler.”
Kitty gasped. “The composer! Truly? But I thought he was merely a friend? You were so specific. Oh my! This is a tale indeed! How did you…?”
“A hint only, I promised, to prevent your perishing!” She laughed, clasping onto Kitty’s hand, her smile radiant. “It is a fabulous tale, Kitty, and I shall do it justice. But first, you. We must somehow manage to cover the past months apart before dawn. Major General Artois would be most vexed with me if his bride approached the altar with purple circles under her eyes from lack of sufficient sleep!”
“If I must sit in suspense I shall, Miss Darcy. But so you know, it is torturing me!”
“Your pain will diminish as you wax eloquent about your true love. Go on. When I left for Europe you were deeply in love, we all knew it, except for you, foolish girl. Tell me of his letters. I wish for details!”
And with a great deal of giggling and exclamations, Kitty told of her strange reluctance to trust a man who, by all outward appearances, was wonderful. She read a few of his letters aloud, having brought them to Netherfield for just this purpose. She told of how her heart gradually opened while he was away, finally admitting to the fullness of her love when the message arrived saying he had been wounded. The agony of waiting, of not knowing, was terrible, but it had served to strengthen her resolve and secure her heart.
“What a difference just a year makes,” she said introspectively. “When Mr. Falke abandoned me I thought the pain more than possible for a heart to bear. My affections for Mr. Falke were real, I know that. I may be fickle to a degree, but not so nonsensical as to fabricate emotions where none exist. Certainly I never experienced an attachment to a man before him. Yet I can now comprehend the variance in my emotions between the two. The heartache and vision of Mr. Falke’s face are detached, whereas my Randall is firmly entrenched.”
“My dearest Kitty, dare I say how altered you are from the girl I met three years ago without offending?” Georgiana spoke with tones of warmth and pride, Kitty blushing at the recollection of how frivolously she once approached life. Lydia’s influence greatly attributed to her shallow attitude, as the stabilizing influence of Georgiana Darcy had positively aided her comportment. Nevertheless, traumas of life and passage of time were the main contributions to forming the woman who was days away from being a wife.
“No offense,
Georgiana. It is simply the truth. Dare I say that we have both altered over these years of our friendship? Tribulations of the heart proficiently temper one, do they not?”
“Indeed. Oh yes, Kitty, I know precisely what you mean.”
“Oh! Of course you do! And how thoughtless of me to forget! Foolish, scattered Kitty yet rears her vapid head! Please accept my apologies, my friend. I speak of past affairs that are sure to revive thoughts of Mr. Wickham, even though I know you have asserted no lingering affliction, and compound the insult by brainlessly forgetting to inform you of a matter that personally affects you!”
“Kitty, you must calm yourself. I assure you once again that Mr. Wickham’s name and memory afflict me not in the least. Surely you must know this? After all, if you can so readily distance your emotions after a year, how much easier must it be for me after five?” Georgiana laughed, shaking her head at her distraught friend. “Besides, I was not referring to Mr. Wickham. In fact, that man did not enter my mind! You are silly at times, my dear. Yes, still quite ridiculous!”
“If not Mr. Wickham then I am doubly curious to hear of your romantic entanglements. I shall accede your label of silly and ridiculous gladly in hopes that it will not distress you too greatly when I report that my sister Lydia and her husband will be arriving any day now. The family was informed not two days ago that they planned to attend my wedding. Frankly, most of us wish it were not to be, although it will be nice to see Lydia after so long a separation. Are you distressed overly, my dear?”
Kitty’s inquiry was met with slightly raised brows but no other sign of agitation. “No, I am not distressed. I am sure it will be moderately uncomfortable, but then again I rather doubt it requisite for me to interact with either of them, is it?”
“I see no reason, other than simple politeness if encountered in the crowd. They will be dwelling at Longbourn and the plan is to keep mingling to a minimum.”
The Trouble with Mr. Darcy Page 14
