“Mr. Darcy, perhaps if you could just direct me back to Hunsford, we could discuss this tomorrow. I believe I made a mistake when I left the house and perhaps I should return.”
Mr. Darcy tied his horse to a nearby tree, then turned back to Elizabeth, his expression serious but his eyes playful.
“I think perhaps we were meant to meet in this small meadow, Miss Bennet, shrouded in moonlight with the smell of wildflowers in the air. Can you think of a lovelier location to tell me your answer? For if you refuse me again, I will at least have the memory of this perfect night to sustain me. And if you say you will consider my offer, it will only make the words all the sweeter. Now, I must ask you, Miss Bennet… what is your answer?”
Elizabeth did not know what came over her, but all at once, she was consumed by the desire to kiss the gentleman, and she allowed that desire to take control of her senses. Lizzy closed the space between him and stood up on the tips of her toes to give Darcy a quick, soft kiss. As soon as she did it, she felt embarrassed and ashamed, but when she looked into his eyes, she could see that he did not mind. In fact, Mr. Darcy wrapped his strong arm around her waist and pulled her even closer, then kissed her slow and sweet, sending the sensation of desire all the way down to her feet.
Much to her surprise, when he pulled away from her, he took off his jacket and laid it down on the ground underneath a large shady tree. The stars and the moonlight twinkled through the leaves, casting his face with such a brightness, Elizabeth found it impossible to look at anything else. With a gentle hand, Darcy helped her down to the grassy and leaf-covered forest floor, then ran his fingers along up her left arm, across her collarbone, then back down her right arm. She knew she should resist, but all of the resolve she might have had before that stemmed from the way she detested Mr. Darcy had long since melted away.
“Did you find anything in my letter that persuaded you to change your mind about my offer?” Darcy asked as he kissed Elizabeth’s cheeks. She felt the warmth of his touch spread throughout her body and it made her shiver.
“Mr. Darcy, I believe you made your offer with sincerity. But I do not see how we can be together when you are still bound to a promise made to Anne de Bourgh. Think of what people will say if you abandon her. Think of your reputation and...”
But Darcy did not allow her to finish her sentence. Instead, he untied the laces of her cloak and let it fall away.
“The only thing I am thinking about right now, Elizabeth Bennet, is you.”
Darcy rested his hand upon her leg, then slid it down toward her ankle, pulling it up slowly so he might see her long, soft legs. Lizzy looked away, afraid that if Darcy saw the desire in her eyes, he might think her too desperate. Instead, when she at last relented and looked back at him, his expression mirrored her own, which made her feel stronger. She no longer felt guilt over their affections, or that their behavior was wrong, but instead, she was consumed with a passion for Mr. Darcy unlike anything she had ever imagined possible.
“Oh, Mr. Darcy… I do. I mean, I will, consider your offer, that is. I just need some time to speak to my father.”
He laughed softly as he slid away her skirt, then untied her corset, leaving her practically bare in front of him.
“Sweet Elizabeth, perhaps we might avoid speaking of your father at this moment? It makes it a bit more difficult to give you the attention you so deserve.”
Lizzy could not do anything more than listen now, so she nodded as he began to kiss his way down her stomach, his hands gently squeezing her breasts as he did. She moaned, louder than she intended, and hoped that there was no one passing by on the path who might hear her and come investigate. But only the darkness surrounded them and Elizabeth discovered that she preferred it that way. In the dark, she could touch the respected gentleman in ways she could never if they were bathed in sunlight.
As Mr. Darcy kissed his way back up to Elizabeth’s lips, she reached down and let the back of her hand brush against his strong, pulsing manhood. She wanted to see him, to feel him, but she knew she could not ask for such a thing, not now. But then, as if he anticipated her thoughts, he leaned against her hand just a little bit harder. This time, they both moaned in the pleasure they brought to one another.
“Oh, Elizabeth,” Darcy whispered as he kissed her forehead. When he was sure she was well and truly distracted, he began to explore her womanly depths. Lizzy’s entire body shifted at his touch and she shivered with the same desire he had introduced her to the night before. She had never been so desperate to experience something for a second time in the whole of her life.
As Darcy slipped two fingers into her welcoming womanhood, Lizzy let her hand travel past the waist of the gentleman’s pants and finally felt his powerful heft for the first time. Her own sex ached for him in a way she did not entirely understand, but she knew what she needed and it was him.
They continued to to touch and trace and stroke one another until suddenly, at the same moment, they were overcome by the pleasure they found in their closeness. Elizabeth rolled and rocked, her eyes blinking as wave after wave of delight swept her away. She could see on Mr. Darcy’s face that he had reached the same apex as her. There was a sparkling sheen of sweat across his forehead that made him look as if he’d just been working in his own field, strong and exhausted, and Elizabeth found it intoxicating. Without thinking, she leaned up and kissed the droplets away from his skin.
“You are an angel, Elizabeth. I hope you know that,” Darcy whispered. Elizabeth felt the blush climb to her cheeks.
“I am simply a woman in love… I believe so, that is.”
Darcy laughed and took her hand in his, then kissed the top.
“You are going to keep me guessing as long as you are able, are you not, Miss Bennet?”
Lizzy brushed her lips across his, then kissed him on the cheek.
“Until the very last moment, Mr. Darcy.”
Elizabeth crept through the front door of the Collins’s home in the hopes that Charlotte and Collins had already retired for the evening. Instead, she heard her cousin’s voice from the drawing room.
“Elizabeth… please come here.”
She thought, perhaps, she might be able to run up the stairs and shut her bedroom door behind her before Collins had a chance to stop her. But she would still have to face the same problems tomorrow, for she could not live the rest of her life hiding at Hunsford. She even considered crawling out of the window in her room, yet if she broke her leg, she would only be trapped at Hunsford that much longer. Her only choice was to speak to Collins and pray that he did not suspect what she had done.
Elizabeth walked into the room where her cousin had a book in his lap, but did not appear to reading it.
“Yes, cousin?”
He pointed at the chair across from him.
“Sit down, Elizabeth. We must speak.”
Lizzy revisited the idea of running, perhaps out the front door instead, but she felt as if she were frozen to the chair. She remained silent, waiting for him to say what he meant to say.
“I know what you’ve been doing Elizabeth, and if you continue, it will be the ruin of our entire family.”
Elizabeth’s face turned a sickly shade of green and she cast her glance down to the floor.
Oh, goodness, she thought in a panic, what will I do now? What will I do now?
14
A Visitor at Longbourn
Elizabeth had returned to Longborn days ago, but had yet to hear a word from Mr. Darcy about his promise. She knew that his words were true and that he wished to marry her, but wishes would not protect Elizabeth nor her family from the gossiping of Mr. Collins. Of course, if Mr. Collins intended to spread the word about his suspicions to Lady Catherine De Bourgh, the whole of Meryton would hear of them in short order. It was more than Elizabeth could bear. Even the memories of Mr. Darcy’s sweet letter and his gentle touch were not enough to assuage her fears.
Several more days passed and the entire Bennet household
was more than aware of Lizzy’s nervous behavior. It was rare for her to chatter on endlessly nor run from room to room without purpose, but that was precisely what she did, and it was not long before she drove both her parents to the brink of madness. Even her father, who gave Lizzy the most room to behave as she wished inside the walls of Longbourn, felt that he might lose his wits entirely should his daughter continue to behave like her younger sisters.
Elizabeth had just walked past his study for the eleventh time that morning when he was at last forced to put his foot down.
“Elizabeth Bennet, if your intention is to wear a path in the floor outside of my door, then you must surely be close to accomplishing your task! Would you please come in here and sit down at once?” he shouted.
Lizzy took a deep breath, at once aware that her erratic behaviors were more obvious to her family that she first realized.
“Of course, papa. I am sorry to have disturbed. If you would prefer that I return to my chambers, I am willing…”
Mr. Bennet did not allow Elizabeth to finish her sentence.
“Lizzy, come now. Sit down and tell me what is troubling you. I would prefer you do so before the sound of your feet pacing on the floor drives the entire household mad.”
She knew she could not avoid her father now, so Lizzy did as he asked and took a seat across from where her father sat, reading a book. At first, neither of them spoke, as if they were waiting to see which of them might break first and begin the conversation. Yet, Elizabeth knew this game well and she also knew that it was hers to lose. Only a few more moments passed before her father gave in, as she expected.
“Elizabeth, dear, ever since you returned from Hunsford, you have been acting strangely. Since you are the only one in this house I can count on to be sensible, I would prefer that you tell me what is troubling you so that we might face it together.”
Lizzy was overwhelmed by the urge to embrace her father but knew that would only cause her to cry, which would then draw her mother and sisters, and the resulting spectacle was clearly not what Mr. Bennet had in mind. Instead, she took a long, deep breath, and prepared to tell her father almost everything that had transpired with Mr. Darcy while she stayed at Hunsford.
“Papa, I am sorry to have kept this from you, but now I must tell you before it overwhelms me entirely. You see, papa, I…”
But once again, Elizabeth was interrupted, this time by the housekeeper, Mrs. Hill.
“Yes, Mrs. Hill? What is it?” her father asked with a growing impatience.
“Sir, sorry to disturb you, but you have a visitor.”
Mr. Bennet’s brow furrowed with curiosity.
“A visitor? Who might it be, Mrs. Hill?”
The housekeeper paused for a moment before she answered, as if she were surprised she were even saying the name.
“Mr. Darcy, sir. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy has asked to speak with you.”
All it took was the mention of his name for Elizabeth’s heart to leap into her throat.
He’s here, she thought. At last… he’s here.
Elizabeth ran from her father’s study with an unladylike speed, something she was sure to hear about later from her mother, to try and arrive at the door before the rest of her family. It was with great disappointment that she saw her mother and youngest sisters had already trapped the gentleman in a circle and were assaulting him with questions.
“Whatever brings you all to way to Longbourn in the dark, Mr. Darcy?” Lydia asked.
“May we get you some tea, Mr. Darcy?” Kitty interrupted.
Mrs. Bennet waved them both away.
“Pardon their behavior, Mr. Darcy. They are quite enamored of guests. So, Mr. Darcy, what brings you to Longbourn at this late hour? Shall I have Mrs. Hill get you some tea?”
Jane and Elizabeth both did little to contain their laughter, yet all Mr. Darcy did was nod with an air of politeness.
“I do apologize for the hour, of course, but I was in town on unavoidable business and was unable to return until now. Mr. Bennet, might I speak with you for a minute?”
Mr. Bennet gestured for Darcy to join him in his study but Mrs. Bennet took hold of Mr. Darcy’s arm with haste. The gentleman almost fell to the floor at her sudden grasp.
“Surely you are not here to speak to my husband about business! Whatever you wish to say, Mr. Darcy, it can be said over a cup of tea in the sitting room?”
Elizabeth looked to her father to end the madness that her mother was encouraging, but she knew quite well that once Mrs. Bennet set her sights on something, she could not be stopped. Lizzy’s father simply shook his head. Darcy, however, searched Elizabeth for a savior.
“Mama, please. Mr. Darcy just arrived. Must we overwhelm him so?”
Even as the rest of the Bennet women hurried him into the sitting room, Mr. Darcy stood firm and turned to Mr. Bennet.
“Sir, if I may. I was in the city meeting the gentleman in charge of my accounts. He was also in possession of one of my mother’s most treasured pieces of jewelry, her wedding band. I bring it today to show you that I, with my entire being, wish to marry your daughter, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. If she will have me, I will give her this treasured band, along with my whole heart.”
The room became heavy with the silence of both the unanswered question and the total surprise of Mr. Darcy’s proposal. It was not so long ago that Elizabeth professed her extreme disdain for the gentleman to anyone who might hear and now… he proposed marriage? They all turned to Mr. Bennet who, to Elizabeth’s great shock, did not seem to be disturbed at all.
“Mr. Darcy, I think it quite honorable that you came to me for my daughter’s hand but I think as we are all quite away, my dear Elizabeth will have the final say in who she marries. If it is my permission you want, you must get that from Lizzy, but if it is my blessing you would like, then indeed, you may have it.”
Without a thought for propriety, Elizabeth threw her arms around her father and kissed him on the cheek.
“Oh, papa. Thank you. Your blessing is important to me.”
Mrs. Bennet let out a great haughty huff from next to the fireplace.
“I suppose my feelings do not matter in the slightest then. Perhaps I should dine with the chickens or the horses. They might find my advice worthwhile, as my daughters see no further use for me.”
Elizabeth decided it better to indulge her mother than cause an argument.
“Of course, your opinion matters. If you do not believe that Mr. Darcy is a worthy suitor, mama, then we can just tell him to return to Pemberley and…”
All of the color disappeared from Mrs. Bennet’s cheeks.
“No! What I mean to say is, no. Mr. Darcy is a more than acceptable suitor for you, Elizabeth. I believe it would be a most sensible marriage.”
Lizzy could see that her mother was doing her utmost to hide her joy, but she could hardly blame the woman. Even as she looked upon Fitzwilliam Darcy, her intended, her love, Elizabeth could not believe how lucky she was.
She could not believe that she would soon be Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy.
The rest of the household had long gone to sleep following the excitement of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s engagement, but Lizzy was still so full of joy, she could not will herself to calm and drift off herself. After hours of staring at the ceiling, she finally realized that her attempts at sleep were futile. She tried not to disturb Jane as she slipped from her bed and put on her housecoat and slippers, then snuck from the room with as much silence as she could muster. When she glided into the hall and saw only a few of the hall candles remained lit, Lizzy used the comforting cloak of darkness to make her way to the kitchen. On evenings when she could not sleep, she would often alight to the kitchen for a cup of milk and a piece of Mrs. Hill’s delicious breakfast bread.
Elizabeth turned the corner into the hall and all at once, ran directly into Mr. Darcy, who was leaving the kitchen himself, a piece of bread and a cup of milk in hand.
“Miss… Elizabeth,” he stum
bled, “I hope I did not disturb. I was having difficulty sleeping and thought a small meal might aid in my rest. Can I assist you with anything?”
Lizzy did not know what came over her, but she suddenly found herself reaching out to touch the handsome gentleman’s cheek. She let her fingers trace along the lines of his jaw and allowed herself a moment to appreciate how strong and gentle he was at the same time. Darcy reached up and placed his hand over top of Elizabeth’s, causing a shiver to travel from her hand all the way down her back.
“Oh, Elizabeth, my sweet girl, I love you,” he whispered into her ear. Just the sound of his words caused Lizzy to collapse against him. Darcy caught her in his strong arms, then held her close, before he picked her up in one quick motion. Before she knew what was happening, her gentleman carried her over a pile of tablecloths in the corner and set her down with the greatest of ease.
“Fitzwilliam, what if we wake the household?” Lizzy asked out of propriety, though her desire was quickly taking control over her good sense.
“Now that you are mine, Elizabeth, I would be willing to wake the world if it should make you happy.”
It was all she needed to hear to wake her body from the dreamstate it had been in until that moment. Elizabeth lay before him, allowing him to do as he wished, desperate for him to do so. Darcy kissed her with the softest of touches, then traced his fingertips from the knape of her neck, down her chest, and along her stomach. A fire burned within her with every breath, his fingers causing her to moan quietly. Darcy pressed against her with greater fervor and suddenly, she felt the heft of his manhood pressing against her leg. It only made her desire him more, desire the feel of him against her… perhaps even, inside of her.
All of her concern about being discovered disappeared entirely and she did not so much as whisper an argument as he began to strip away all of her clothing. Darcy took in her entire form, kissing and tasting her bare skin with every piece of dress he peeled away. Elizabeth was almost surprised when Darcy’s lips returned to her own and enveloped her in a long, passionate kiss. Every time he kissed her, it was like the first time, and it only made her desire him more. He explored and experienced her entire body, which made her grasp at his clothes and try to tear them away as well. She wanted to feel her skin against his own; the desire was almost too much to bear.
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