Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (105 page)

“More . . .” Elizabeth moaned. 

“Oh yes . . .” Darcy rested his forehead on hers and moved slowly.  “You feel so good . . .” He knelt back on his heels and held her hips.  “Look at you . . .” He whispered while he watched them unite.  “My beautiful Elizabeth Rose.” His fingers rubbed gently over her mound.

She shuddered and reached up to caress his face as he smiled down at her.  “I wish that you could see your eyes.” 

“Everything is in
your
eyes, love.  I think that you have been wanting me all day, too.” He pressed down on her belly and felt his penis moving within her.  “Ohhhhhh.” 

“More Will, more . . .”

Darcy’s eyes closed as he thrust deeply.  “I am not going to last . . .  I have been thinking about this far too much.” 

Elizabeth gasped while he rocked faster and faster.  She reached up to pull him into her arms as their bodies joined again and again.  “ohhh.”  He grunted as the incredible tension built and at last broke, flooding over them. 

Darcy’s eyes opened with the taste of Elizabeth’s kisses on his lips, and finally finding his breath and his voice, he beamed, “I love being married.”

Elizabeth laughed as he pulled her upright and hugged her.  “So do I.”

 After fixing their clothes, they settled into each other’s arms, watching the flames and sipping the wine.  Eventually they managed to rouse themselves from their warm peaceful state. 

“Tell me about this picnic you have arranged?”  Elizabeth set down her empty glass and started to reach for the cover on one dish. 

Darcy tapped her hand and shook his head.  His eyes were bright and twinkling again.  “Everything has an order, love.” 

“Oh dear.”  Elizabeth stroked her hand over his smooth cheek.  “I have missed this dear man.” 

Darcy kissed her hand and clasped it to his face.  “I have missed my playmate, my Lizzy.”  He kissed her lips and looked at her seriously.  “I know that we have months of challenges ahead.  But I also know that neither of us can carry the burden alone.”  Elizabeth’s eyes fell and he raised her chin up.  “I will make a bargain with you.  When you begin to feel overwhelmed, tell me and I will try my best to relieve whatever it is, and . . . I will tell you if my chest hurts so you will not have to ascertain that my heart is still beating.” 

 “Oh Will!” 

Her distress was palpable and he hugged her to him.  “I knew that was what you were thinking.  You have been dwelling on it since you heard how my father died.” 

“Does it hurt often?” 

“No.”  He smiled at her worried eyes.  “I swear.”  She said nothing and he rolled his eyes. “I swear!” 

“Very well.”

“You do not trust me.”  He said sadly.

“Yes I do!” Her eyes flashed and narrowed even more as he laughed. 

“Fine, you do.”  Leaning forward, he took the lid off the top of one bowl.  “Next order of business, open your mouth.”

“Why?”  She said suspiciously.

“You just said that you trust me, are you going back on your word so soon?  Why, Elizabeth Darcy!”  His lips twitched as she glared.  “Open.”  Elizabeth opened her mouth and Darcy placed a yellow fruit on her tongue.  Her eyes widened as she chewed. 

“What was that?”  She got on her knees and leaning on the table looked curiously over the array.  “Will?” 

Laughing, he groaned and joined her.  “Pineapple, from the conservatory.  I have been trying to take you there for weeks.”

“This was my surprise?”  She gingerly picked up another fragrant piece and savoured the flavour.  “Well you should have dragged me there!  I would have gone in a second if I knew . . .” She stopped as he held up another odd fruit.  “What is that?”  Elizabeth saw how happy he was and a becoming blush suffused her face.  “I believe that you were doing this at the Netherfield ball.”

“Yes.  I could not take you to my bed to relieve your worries then, but I promise you, dearest, I surely thought about it that night.”  His smile grew and he popped the piece of banana into her mouth and kissed her warm cheek. 

“May I tell you a secret, Will?”

“Of course.”  Darcy took a bite of pineapple and Elizabeth laughed, kissing off the juice that dribbled down his chin. “In my heart of hearts, I wished that you had taken me upstairs.” 

“
Now
you tell me.”  Darcy groaned and laughing, he hugged her.  They heard servants in the hallway and the sound of Georgiana’s voice asking for their location.  They exchanged resigned smiles and moved to sit up on the sofa and as the door opened, Darcy leaned and kissed Elizabeth lingeringly once more.  “I will have this rug taken upstairs and I will show you what I had in mind at the ball.” 

Elizabeth laughed and seeing Georgiana peeking into the room whispered into his ear, “And I will take
you
to
our
bed.”

Chapter 32

“W
hat a lovely day!”  Elizabeth looked out at the gardens from the sunlit morning room.  “It gives me hope that spring will come again.  I wonder what lurks beneath the soil.”  Turning to join Georgiana at her sewing, she pulled the workbasket forward and rooted around.  “I think that I will try stitching some daffodils on this next gown.  How are you coming along?”  She looked up when she found the shade of silk she was seeking.  “It is not so difficult, is it?”

“No.”  Georgiana carefully unpinned the pattern from the fabric she had cut.  “I have not really made too many clothing items.  I have made a few collars for Fitzwilliam, but they are not too good.  He keeps them, I think.”  She looked up when Elizabeth laughed. 

“I have no doubt that he keeps them.  He confiscated a pair of breeches that I made when I was your age from my father.”  She cut a length of thread.  “I will have to ask him to model them sometime . . .  They are truly awful.”

“Really?”  Georgiana watched her expertly thread her needle and set about making her flowers.  “I just have not had much occasion to make clothes, I embroider handkerchiefs . . .” 

“Do you?”  Elizabeth set down the baby gown and again rooted around in the workbasket.  “I knew that I saw one of these in here.”  Finding a gentleman’s handkerchief, she looked again and spotted a bit of cotton and a little lace left over from some old project.  Georgiana watched in fascination as Elizabeth folded the cloth and within minutes, held up a doll, complete with a bonnet and face. 

“Oh!”  She cried and took it from Elizabeth.  “How sweet!”

“It is not much, but Jane and I always made up some of these to give to the tenants’ daughters at Christmas.  And of course we spent much of our sewing time making baby clothes for the tenants and poor.”  Tilting her head, she watched Georgiana touching the stitched face.  She seemed to be struggling to find her words.  It reminded her of Darcy, so relying on experience; she went back to her work and waited patiently.

“I cannot stop thinking about the baby you found in Lambton.” 

“Yes, it is very sad.” 

“Mrs. Hawes said what would become of it.  It was true?”

“Of course.  She had no reason to mince words; she certainly would know the fate of abandoned children in this area.  I have heard that many do not survive the trip to London.  It is a shame that the trip must be made, but I suppose there is no foundling home in Derbyshire?”

“I do not know.  Fitzwilliam has not spoken of it.”

“I do not think that Fitzwilliam ever had much reason to, his tenants’ well being was his concern.  And he is just now becoming comfortable with understanding his role as master.  He was shaken with the discovery, just as I was.”

Georgiana played with the doll, and addressed its smiling face.  “Mrs. Hawes spoke of fathers demanding that their pregnant daughters leave home?”

“Yes.” 

“He could have done that to me.”

“He could have demanded that you marry someone of his choosing, he could have sent you away to give birth and then found a suitable home for the child, he could have simply let you remain here to give birth and let you live with the shame for the rest of your life and never marry.  And yes, he could very well have sent you away from Pemberley forever.  You are at last fortunate not to have sisters.  Their futures would be tied to yours by association.  Because he only had you to consider, he was free to decide as he did to give both you and the child a chance at a good life.  Now perhaps you might understand his anger and despair over your absence of remorse and in light of his mercy.”

Georgiana caught Elizabeth’s unblinking stare and feeling the heat of her protective stance, looked back to the doll.  “He showed me mercy.”

“He would never say that, and an expression of gratitude for saving you is the last thing he wants.  But I want it for him.  Do you understand what he has done for you?” 

“I do not think that I truly appreciated everything until I heard Mrs. Hawes railing against these girls.  She is correct, I was taught better.”  Georgiana heard an exasperated sigh.  “I think that if Fitzwilliam had married Anne, Aunt Catherine would have insisted that I be sent away somehow.”  Georgiana looked up at Elizabeth and saw her eyes close in agreement.  “I suppose that any wife of his would.”

“I can only speak for myself, Georgiana.  He asked me to trust him.   I am so very glad that I did, for so many reasons.”

“But you agreed to help him, without knowing me or anything.” 

“I love him.”  Elizabeth smiled.  “Even then when I barely knew him, I trusted him.”

“But how is that different from me trusting . . . him?”

“You may say Mr. Wickham’s name before me, Georgiana.  I am not your brother.”  She saw the relief that brought her and began stitching again.  “Admittedly, Fitzwilliam’s proposal was a shock and my agreement to it was unfathomable . . .”  She looked up thoughtfully.  “I was swept off my feet by a handsome man, but it was a man whose respect I wished to have nearly from the moment I met him.  His proposal expressed feelings for me that he understood and I barely recognized, but what he asked of me was extremely serious.  I felt the sincerity of his proposal.  We did not run gaily off to Gretna Green to be married and to consummate a physical relationship without thought.  We very soberly went to my father and then separated nearly immediately for a week.  That separation nearly tore my heart out and naive fool that I was; I did not comprehend what I was feeling.”

“What were you feeling?”  Georgiana was leaning forward and listening raptly.

“I was terrified, of course, but I think now that I was loosening the tight grip I had been holding over my feelings for him.”  She smiled softly.  “Since how could I ever be chosen to be his?  I dared not even dream of it, so I hated him instead.”  Elizabeth saw Georgiana’s astonishment and laughed.  “Love is a complicated emotion, don’t you think?”

“Yes.” 

“Have you thought of your feelings for Mr. Wickham?” 

“I . . . I cared for him, but I do not think it is love like you describe.”  She stared up to Elizabeth.  “I do not know!”

“Well, care for him is better than fear.  And considering how you lived with him, it is almost required.  Indifference is unlikely.  But love?”  Elizabeth shrugged.  “I doubt it, but until you fall in love for the first time, with the right man, I do not think that you will truly know.”

“Your father did not want you to marry Fitzwilliam.”

“Not because he was unsuitable.  He had other reasons; it was very difficult at the time.”

Georgiana said softly, “And because of me, you cannot be with your father.  Fitzwilliam is not the only one who has done things so that I can be saved.”

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, “I will see Papa soon.  But I appreciate that you are starting to feel empathy for others. That is very encouraging.”  Setting down her sewing she stood and turned away to wipe her eyes and look at the clock.  “Now where is that brother of yours?  We have to leave for the dower house soon.” 

The door opened and Darcy appeared.  “I have been waiting for you.”  He consulted his watch and held it up to her.  “Did we not agree to leave at ten-thirty?”

“No, at a quarter-of.”  Elizabeth smiled and approaching him, closed up the watch and straightened his perfect neck cloth.  “Do not tell me your mind is slipping at your age?”

Darcy kissed her lightly, “I hope not.  Come along, we should not keep them from leaving.  Are you certain that you do not wish to come, Georgiana?”

“I already said my goodbyes yesterday.  And this will give the two of you a chance to be alone.”  Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged glances as Georgiana blushed.  “I know that I interrupted you yesterday.” 

“We were just . . . talking.”  Darcy cleared his throat.

“Telling riddles.”  Elizabeth nodded.

“Yes, of course.” 

The three of them felt the discomfort of the moment and Elizabeth took Darcy’s hand.   “Shall we?”

“Yes.”  Darcy sent a backwards look at Georgiana and they left the room.  Immediately he bent down, “Did she know what . . . do you think that she knew we were . . . intimate?”

“Perhaps she saw us kissing before she entered?  I suppose that our faces
were
open books.”  She whispered, “The air was thick with passion, Fitzwilliam.”  Elizabeth met his eye for a moment and blushed just as deeply as he did. 

“Oh Lord . . .”

“Well . . . look on the bright side.”

“I cannot wait to hear how you manipulate this.”  Darcy sighed. 

“She knows that we are fond of each other.”  She squeezed his hand when he snorted.  “Better?”

Raising her hand to his lips he kissed it.  “No, but I will live with it.” 

“IF I NEVER SEE ANOTHER TREE again it will be too soon.”  Christmas groused as he and Wickham walked alongside Pemberley’s drive.  He shifted the sack on his back and glanced at his companion.  Wickham’s eyes were scanning everywhere, looking for some sign of protection that his letter might have inspired.  Instead Pemberley was peaceful and vulnerable.   “What are you looking for?”

He started.  “Nothing.  Just looking.  I grew up here, after all.” 

Christmas watched him suspiciously.  “Don’t go getting any funny ideas.”

“Such as?”  Wickham stopped and dropping his bag threw open his arms.  “I brought you to Pemberley; I told you where to hide.  Go on, carry out your murders.  You don’t need me anymore.  Get your damned brother out of Newgate and leave me alone.”