by Wells, Linda
“So do I, but this is my morning to torture you, and you have put me in the perfect situation to continue.”
Smiling, his gaze took in all of her face. “Do with me what you will.”
Almost instantly, he was moaning again. She kissed him and then suckled his lower lip, gently caressing it with her tongue while tangling her hands into his hair. Darcy’s shiver and groan was music enough, but his head fell back, leaving his exposed throat vulnerable to her caress. Sliding her mouth down to taste his Adam’s apple, she settled in the tender hollow below to lick and nibble. He gave up all pretence of resistance and letting go, he melted back onto the pillows, only to feel her tongue slip over his chest to tease slowly in tighter and tighter circles, his sensitive, puckered nipples. She nipped him and the jolt shot from his chest directly to his groin.
His hands slid over her bottom and down her back again, “It is my turn now.” He growled and taking control, scooped her onto his lap.
“Will …”
“Shhhhhh. My turn” Leaning back against the pillows, he cuddled her, wrapping her up in his arms, and caressing her face and back while gently, but relentlessly, stroking his lips over her soft welcoming mouth. He felt her relaxing into him and he trailed his lips back down to her throat, finding the spot below her ear that brought both of them so much pleasure. She moaned softly, and his arousal grew harder. “Lizzy …” He whispered warmly in her ear, then returned to his task, now moving his hand to caress over her breasts, and heard her moan become a whimper as he tweaked the nipple. Darcy smiled against her skin; meandering his kisses down to her shoulder while slipping his hand between her thighs. “Oh, dearest, you are so wet for me.”
Turning to lay her against the pillows, he bent to kiss her warm open mouth before sliding backwards to kiss his way down her belly and at last taste the sweetness of his wife’s desire. She sighed as Darcy’s tongue endlessly lapped and teased, and his lips suckled her just as she had done for him. Her back arching, Elizabeth’s hand found his. Their fingers entwined and gripped tightly as he brought her closer and closer to the brink of passion. His eyes never left her face. Her every expression, the sound of her moans and the movement of her body pressing against his hungry mouth thrilled him until unable to hold back any longer, he returned to her mouth, kissing her deeply.
“Love me.” She begged when he let go.
With one long thrust they were joined and moving steadily together, feeling the familiar, comforting, and unendingly welcome thrill of merging again into one body. The warmth of the room and sweetly scented air surrounded their rocking forms as they strove to become as deeply connected as possible. Darcy hovered above as he moved, staring down into her eyes, and at last gave into passion and thrust deep and hard, relishing the incredible tight feeling of her embrace, and willed her to come with him. Elizabeth held his bottom and pulled him closer. Darcy groaned, loving the feeling, and giving in completely to her urging hands, dropped down upon her. Resting his face on her shoulder, he held her tight in his arms while his hips moved, deeper, faster. Elizabeth legs wrapped around his waist and she gasped as fulfilment overwhelmed her. With her clasp, he lost all control and bellowing, shot over and over into her trembling, beautiful body.
Breathing heavily, Darcy slowly returned from oblivion to the sound of her giggle. He lifted his head and laughed. “What on earth have I done to you?” His eyes were so happy, and hers were alive and dreamy all at once. Her entire body was blushing and his smile widened as again, she gasped and shook. He kissed her. “Lizzy! What a lover I have in you!”
Finally she found her voice and touched his face, “Oh Will, I love you.”
He tried, and failed, to contain his pride, “Ah yes, I thought you might.” He looked from her laughing eyes to her mouth and grinning he kissed her, and then kissed her again. Turning onto his side, he found the covers and curled behind her. Darcy whispered as he drew her into his arms, “My sweet love …”
Her eyes closed. “You felt so lovely, Will.”
“So did you, my dear Lizzy.” He listened, but there was no response. She was curled beside him, grasping one hand to her breast. “My sleepy love.” Closing his eyes, he pulled her close and caressed his hand over her belly. He paused, and catching his lip in his teeth, he pressed his palm to the swell, measuring it, comparing it to his last touch, and smiling, fell asleep.
Chapter 37
“Barnes tells me that Martindale was at his door within hours of your visit yesterday, demanding to know what I was about.” Darcy shifted in his saddle and looked out over the land while a satisfied smile played upon his lips.
“I am just glad that he was not home when we arrived to tour the house. Darcy, you could have told me I was in the middle of a dispute with your tenant. Although admittedly, I hardly felt that I was visiting a tenant’s home. I was stunned by the size of his … your property. It was like looking at Longbourn or better.”
“Better. Mr. Martindale has become quite wealthy working for me.” Darcy cocked his brow at his friend. “However, I did not expect you to run off to see the property yesterday. What did I say to you? Only that the Leetsdale farm may be coming available, and it might be suitable for your temporary purposes. I expected to accompany you.”
“I am sorry; I probably made a mess of things. You know what happens when an idea pops into my head.” Bingley sighed. “I just … It had been such an emotional conversation. Jane and I needed a destination, and I wanted it to be somewhere … significant.”
“It was significant, to me at least. You served warning to a difficult tenant that I will have no compunction to replace him when his lease is fulfilled if he does not fall in line. And all accomplished without me having to visit, although … I will go tomorrow after he has had a chance to stew a bit. He is invited to the ball, and it would not do at all to have my dancing interrupted by a shooting. I intend to be dancing a great deal, and a limp would not be pleasing to my wife’s critical eye.” His lips twitched.
Bingley laughed and threw up his hands. “I do not recognize you, but I have not been with you when you are actually working before.”
“You were here last spring. And I was working.”
“Yes, but … it was different. You were different, Darcy. I cannot put my finger on it.”
Darcy drew a deep breath and returned his gaze to the fields where his gamekeeper was seeking out coveys. “Hopefully it is a favourable difference.”
Hurst studied him. “Well, you are older, wiser … I believe that marriage has been good for you.”
“That is has.” Darcy murmured.
“Even if it has aged you a bit.” Hurst winked at Bingley when the familiar glare settled on him. “It happens to the best of us. I daresay Mrs. Darcy would call what is in your brow character, and we know how she enjoys sketching characters.”
“That is correct! And your hair is showing increasing character! Married life has certainly done something to you! Has Elizabeth been scaring you with wild ideas? Has the Bennet in her blood been driving you mad?” Bingley chuckled when the glare moved to him.
“You are one to talk about a Bennet sister’s behaviour.” Darcy growled as he thought of the months of hurt his wife carried at Jane’s hands.
Bingley immediately sobered. “Forgive me, Darcy. I miss joking with you, surely you are better used to it now, with Mrs. Darcy by your side?” Darcy’s glare softened and Bingley’s relief was clear. “Ah, there you go.”
“What did I say? Marriage is good for him. He has learned to forgive offenses.” Hurst smiled encouragingly.
“Some offenses more than others.” Darcy looked at his downcast friend and regained some of his humour. “I am regretting my invitation already. How long were you to stay? Until we find you an estate? Well then, we cannot go today as my family is arriving. Tomorrow morning, my friend, we are going to find you a home. And we will bring the entire male population along to do so. My wife will kill me.” Darcy smiled.
“My goodne
ss, we did not even last three days before he declared us to be overstaying!” Hurst cried.
“I do apologize, Darcy. I should not be surprised at your reaction to my flippancy. I am fortunate that you invited us at all. And I am aware that part of our purpose for coming is to find a home, far away from Longbourn.”
“Well, we have identified some more suitable properties to visit, Bingley. We will find you the ideal estate.” Darcy said encouragingly.
“I am becoming increasingly nervous of being a landowner.” Bingley said softly. “I do not know if I am cut out for this. Not at all.”
“Then you must decide if leasing is your destiny. There is no shame in it; you easily could have kept Netherfield, were it not for its location. It was an ideal estate; you would simply need to be careful with your investments. Or you could become a tenant farmer on a large estate, of course, that would not be the same, it does not carry the status of being a gentleman. But it would give you the income you need, and the experience of actually operating a property before you spent your father’s money.”
“All wise ideas, but you know that I cannot follow them. I must purchase lest I have my ancestors haunting my dreams forever. I know my duty.” He smiled and winked. “Thank you for the offer, though. I think that you would be an ideal master.”
Hurst snorted, “What happened with your tenant? Why would he risk losing such an ideal situation to someone like Bingley? Surely he would not wish to be on your bad side?
Darcy shrugged. “He knows that I am a fair master and that I am willing to work with anyone who is under my care. He was looking for better terms on his next contract, most likely. They have all been paying attention to the home farm. The improvements we have tried here are proving fruitful, and Barnes will demand that all of Pemberley comply next season. They will share in the bounty, but I will be earning much more. But in the end, it is my land, my ideas, my investment, my rules.”
“Ruthless.” Hurst smiled.
“No, practical. I have a feeling that if this war ends, the landowners who are not prepared will see their tenant farmers taking advantage. They are well-compensated already, but as they hire the people who work for them, those men could be cheated. My concern is for the men who have nothing.”
“Rather egalitarian of you Darcy. I do not remember this side of you before.” Hurst looked him over curiously. “You truly are different from what you were when we last met.”
Bingley nodded and pointed at his brother, “I agree. What happened to my taciturn friend in such a short amount of time?”
Darcy stiffened. “You do not see me performing like a fool, do you?”
“Not at all, I imagine you are as deliberate as ever, but you perform differently, even if your thoughts are the same.” Hurst rubbed at his chin and then chuckled, “However, you could have knocked me over with a feather to hear you refer, even obliquely, to your marriage bed. A bawdy remark while in your cups, a circuitous reference to sexual congress in general, perhaps, but directly implying your relations with your wife …”
“I did no such thing!” Darcy barked.
“Rubbing? What exactly was being rubbed and who was performing the service?” Hurst prodded him. Darcy said nothing, but his frown deepened. “And what of that display in the drawing room? I thought that the ladies’ eyes would fall from their heads and I would be gathering them up as they rolled about the floor! Even Miss Darcy was amazed. I take it that you do not usually hold Mrs. Darcy so …”
Immediately Darcy stopped the subject. “No, I do not hold her so close in public, however she was deeply distressed and I will never leave her to suffer, I do not care who I offend. Not in my own home.” His eyes had taken on a furious, possessive glare and Bingley felt the full force of it.
“I apologize again for the distress caused by my wife and sister.”
Darcy let down slightly. “Your wife … You must understand, my wife has felt inferior since childhood. She always will, no matter what I say. She will never forget that she was the unwanted, ugly daughter. Jane’s uninformed disdain just made it so much worse.”
“Jane was hoping to speak to her privately this morning and apologize. And I am hoping that we can repair the damage. It is not just what happened between the sisters, it is … I was wrong before to say that I regret marrying her, I do not. I … I truly was drawn to her like no other before. I tried hard not to act hastily for once in my life. I tried to consider it carefully. But I suppose that between her hopes and my … inability to hold back …”
“At least you are talking now.”
“Yes.” Bingley sighed and shrugging; smiled a little.
“Perhaps it was not the love match you supposed. Perhaps it is friendship, above a marriage of convenience, but not … what I share with Lizzy.” Darcy cursed his tongue as he fumbled for a way to reassure his friend. “If it turns out to be the former, then you join the vast majority of married men in the world and it is no great tragedy, is it? Do not look to my situation as your high water mark, or Hurst’s or any other man’s. Your marriage is unique, and you must decide what makes you happiest. Both of you do.”
“What is this claptrap about your having regret?” The three men turned to find Richard sitting on a horse, leaning forward comfortably on his saddle.
“These sudden appearances are really quite annoying, Richard.”
He just chuckled at Darcy and looked back to Bingley, “How long have you been married, Bingley?”
“Six months.”
“Good Lord.” Richard snorted. “Regret at six months. Boo hoo. You haven’t had enough time together to let the ink dry on your marriage contract!”
“He makes a good point there.” Darcy smiled at the surreptitious wink he received from his cousin before he launched on with his speech.
“How many disagreements have you suffered with your Elizabeth, Darcy?” Richard saw his eyes roll and nodded. “Too many to count? Well, I have been married a month, and I tell you, that lass I took to my side has a temper, and we have had at it at least once a day. Varying degrees of course, but we have not been shy, and … I am sure you will agree, as a consequence, we have a much better and happier understanding of each other. Hurst, how many fights have you had?”
“I crawled into the bottle to avoid them.”
Darcy observed the smiling man. “You crawled out of the bottle so you must have had a few since then.”
“They are tempered now.” He laughed. “We have years of companionship to draw on, and now our disagreements are over Caroline.”
“There you go. Do you fight about each other so much anymore, Darcy?”
“No, we tease and become annoyed, but it does not last. And we dearly enjoy making things well again.” Richard grinned and laughed. Darcy frowned at Hurst’s raised brow and looked to Bingley. “So you have disagreed with each other … twice?” Bingley nodded.
Richard looked disgusted. “Regret. My foot. If you have regret, go on and find yourself a courtesan. You can afford it. Or I can point you to any number of tavern wenches who will gladly serve up more than ale. No muss, no fuss. Just wash off their god-awful perfume before you walk in your front door and buy a box of skins to tuck in your saddlebag.”
“It is so nice to see you again, Colonel.” Bingley managed to smile. “But I think that I prefer Darcy’s counsel to yours.”
“Hmmmph.”
Darcy turned his horse and held out his hand, the cousins leaned toward each other as they shook. “It is more serious than a little disagreement?”
“Of course, I will fill you in later.”
“Elizabeth?”
“You would have been proud.”
“Good girl.” Richard smiled and letting Darcy’s hand go, sat up in the saddle. “Well, I wanted my mount with me so I rode beside the carriages.” He rubbed his horse’s neck fondly. “And of course I could not resist letting her go once we entered Pemberley. The groom said you all were out here somewhere, so I came out to alert you of our
imminent arrival.”
Darcy looked up at the sun; it was not even noon. “You are early.”
“Aunt Catherine has been itching to come here for weeks; she was like a rabid dog, barking at everyone to leave at dawn. It was all they could do to keep her from hitching up the carriage herself, Father said.” He laughed. “They were at Gladney by nine, so … We fed and watered them, but that did not take long. And then I told Sophie that I would ride. I will apologize to her later on my knees. Can you imagine sitting with Aunt Catherine on a long carriage ride?” Richard shuddered and then beamed all around. “They will be along soon enough, I doubt that …” He noticed Darcy’s gaze had settled on the distant ridge, a caravan of carriages was reaching the summit along Pemberley’s drive. Immediately, he kicked his horse and started for the house at a breakneck pace. Richard turned his mount and was right behind him, followed by the other startled men. “Well, there you go. Time to play host. Speaking of entertaining visitors; how’s your port supply, Cousin?”
Darcy called back to Bingley. “Remind me to speak to Evans about hiding the key to the cellars.”
“I do not require a key.” Richard shouted over the thundering hooves.
“Remind me to speak to Evans about putting an armed guard on the cellars.” Darcy’s smile grew, and nudging Bruin, he quickly had them all outpaced.
“hmm.” Richard considered Darcy’s rapidly disappearing back as he slowed his tired stallion. “I should have brought my sword along.”
GEORGIANA SIGHED to herself, wishing she was back inside of the house. Listening to Caroline talk about the wonders of London and the Season was doing nothing to increase her desire to ever participate. Maybe I am not entirely dissimilar to my brother. Glancing at Caroline she looked down at her feet. But if all of the ladies are like Miss Bingley, I can see why he avoided it. No wonder he chose Elizabeth.
“Oh, pardon me; I did not see you there.” Louisa nearly stumbled over a man kneeling on the ground and writing in a book.
“Forgive me, madam. I did not hear your approach.” Ferguson rose to his feet and nodded, touching the cap he wore and looking down.
