Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (140 page)

Bingley raised his glass and took a drink.  “Well as a near brother, I certainly agree to that!”

ELIZABETH OPENED the door to Darcy’s study and paused as the sound of men’s laughter filtered down the hallway.  She spotted Mrs. Gaston and looked at her inquiringly.  “Billiards, madam.”

“I did not realize Mr. Darcy was entertaining.”  The disappointment was clear in her voice; and looking down at the note in her hand, she slipped it into her bodice.  

“The colonel appeared about halfway through your calls and that is when the game was proposed.  And you know that colonel and his fondness for Mr. Darcy’s wine . . .” Mrs. Gaston clucked.  “The master was already feeling mighty sore from that swordfight he had going on this morning. Too much, too soon.  With those two egging him on, he will not be long for the world tonight.  And you have dinner at Matlock House . . .”

Again the sound of laughter attracted their attention and measuring it, Elizabeth shook her head.  “No more drinks.  Please tell Lowry that he might want to find that his wine supply is low?”  She raised her brows and Mrs. Gaston smiled approvingly.  Elizabeth fixed her dress and patted her hair, then set off to find the men.  The voices grew more distinct as she approached, and, she noted, Darcy’s was rare, and quite soft.  “Roped into it, I fear.”  She appeared in the doorway and took in the room.  Bingley and Richard were resting heavily on their sticks watching Darcy attempt to take a shot.  As he looked down, she saw the expression in his eyes and the mask he wore.  He was very unhappy. 

“Come on, it is an easy shot, why I could . . .” Bingley stopped when he saw Darcy’s face lighting up.  “Elizabeth!”

“Mr. Bingley.  I thought that you were delivering a letter to my sister?”

“Carriage trouble . . . I will go when called.”  He smiled happily at her. 

She strolled in and watched her husband straighten slowly, using the table and the cue as aids.  “I see that you have been . . . relaxing?”  She lightly touched the nearly empty decanter of port and looked around to see another nearby.  Elizabeth checked the watch pinned to her gown.  “I was only gone a few hours.”

“Four!”  Richard cried.  “Your poor husband has been beside himself.”

“Hullo, Lizzy.”  Darcy said softly and watched her circle him and come to a stop. 

“Hullo, Will.”  She stood before him, reading his eyes and shaking her head.  “You were supposed to be resting after your exercise this morning.” 

“I tried, but I could not sit still.  I hated being helpless.”  He caressed his hand through her hair and saw how tired she was.

“He came willingly, Elizabeth.”  Richard said a little loudly. 

“Willingly.”  Bingley echoed.

“Willingly?”  She tilted her head.

“I was a good host.  Just like you were to all of those busybodies you dealt with for entirely too long.”  He smiled a little when he saw her nod, and was glad to feel her supporting arms around his waist.  “You see, this is what I wanted to do for you.  Was it worthwhile, do you think?  Or was it an exercise in futility?”

“Oh no, it was certainly worthwhile.”  She leaned into him.  “I sincerely hope that it is not repeated.  We must lock the door so they cannot return.”  Darcy nodded vehemently and she laughed softly.  “Thank you for sending me your note,” Darcy’s colour heightened and he bent his head to hear her whisper, “I could not have survived the last hour without you.”

His head popped up and he demanded, “Why in heaven’s name did you not want me with you from the beginning!” 

Elizabeth groaned but could not escape his iron clasp.  “Can you ask no other question?” 

“I will stop asking when I have a satisfactory answer, Elizabeth.  It was all I could do not to defy you.”

“That would have defeated the purpose of the exercise!  None of these women were supporters of mine.  These were the ones who either coveted you and were disappointed, or simply loved the scandal and wanted to look at me.  I had to prove myself as mistress, and that I was worthy of the title.  Other women would not have respected me if you were always hovering by my side and frowning at them.”

“But I would have been supporting you.”

“I know that, and you know that, but it would have been interpreted as you were watching to see what I would say and cover up my mistakes.”  Darcy’s brow creased.  “Dear, I am supposed to be the stupid country girl who does not know how to behave, and you would have been supposed to be embarrassed by me.”

“That is absolutely ridiculous!”

“Spite is not reasonable, dear.”  She sighed and they relaxed, absolutely ambivalent to the two men watching them in fascination.  “I think that I did fine.  Some of them were actually nice.  Not everyone will like me and I can live with that.” 

“I like you.”  Darcy bent his head and barely refrained from kissing her.

“I like you, too.”  Elizabeth smiled at his struggle.  “Next time, I will not be so independent.” 

“Obstinent, you mean.” 

“Your wife is particularly spirited today, Darcy.”  Richard observed blearily.

“It is not just today, this is the normal state of affairs in our household.”  Darcy’s lips lifted in his slight smile and he braced himself.  “I bear it with equanimity.” 

“Fitzwilliam Darcy!”  Elizabeth fingers itched to pinch something. 

“Is that the best you can do, love?  I am disappointed.”

“Just wait until we are alone . . .”

“Will I still be disappointed?”  He whispered in her ear.

“What was that, Darcy?  I did not quite catch it.” 

Elizabeth turned to look at Richard suspiciously and seeing him blink slowly, she relaxed a little.  Darcy hugged her and she turned back to him and raised her voice.  “Now then, you fell off a cliff four weeks ago.  You invited that maniacal fencing master into your ballroom again this morning.  This is not the time to be carousing with the boys.”  

“Brothers.”  Richard muttered and slapped Bingley’s back.  “Eh?”

“I am hardly carousing.  I am just discovering a long abandoned set of muscles about my person and you caught me with my guard down.”  He chuckled with her smile and drew her against his chest.  “A dose of your wicked tincture and I will be fine, I think.  Now, what can I do to make
your
recovery complete?” 

Richard cleared his throat.  “Ah, Darcy, some decorum here . . .  What would Aunt Catherine say?”

“You are drunk, Richard.  You are imagining things.”  Darcy smiled down into Elizabeth’s eyes.  “Is he not?”

“Imagining.”  Bingley agreed.

She studied him and reached up to caress his face.  “I am glad that you are not drunk.”

“No.  I only want to feel that way if you are, too.”  His eyes twinkled and she laughed. 

“Come on, take your shot!”  Bingley demanded.  “We have money riding on this!”

“How much?”  Elizabeth let go, much to Darcy’s disappointment, and turned to the table.

“Five pounds each.”  Richard smiled and snorted.  “ooooh, look at that glare!”

“I have already won twenty from them, love.”  

“But if you finish this game you are free to send these two home; take your medicine, and go rest until dinner?”  She heard him chuckle.  “What say I finish it for you?”

“Ahhhh you have probably taught her everything you know, sh’not fair, Darcy!” 

Darcy laughed at Bingley and gave over his cue.  “No, no, I have never taught her a thing.  We spoke of it once, but never had time to follow through.” 

“Now you have your opportunity to instruct me, sir.”  Elizabeth stood before the table and turned to look back at him as she bent, “Now, this is your stick?”

“Cue.”  Richard called.

“My mistake.”  She leaned further.  “Like this, Will?  Would you show me how to . . . what is the word?  Thrust?”

“Strike.”  Bingley corrected and waved his hand while looking to Richard.  “She does not know anything!” 

Darcy stood behind her, her bottom pressed to his thigh, and he helped to adjust her hold.  “There love, you just draw back and poke it quickly, there, let the stick just slide between your parted fingers . . . practice a little, so you get the feel of it moving . . .”

“Oh, I feel it . . .  A smooth motion?”

“Hmm, yes, let it roll along your hand, grip it, but not too tightly.  Of course, you do need to stroke it forward with some force at the proper moment.”  Darcy’s nose was just above her hair and he breathed in her perfume.  She could feel his erection rubbing against her bottom and heard his breathing hitch.  “Do you understand?”

“I think so.”  She said softly.

Richard looked her over, “I think she has the position Darcy, go on then!  Give it the old heave-ho!”

Elizabeth erupted into giggles just as Darcy began to laugh and rested his forehead on her neck.  She drew back and struck the cue ball, delivering a glancing blow and barely moving it two inches.  Everyone groaned.

“Aww, you just nudged it!  You have to plunge your stick forward, Mrs. Darcy.  Give it a good hard shove!”  Bingley gestured with his arm and sighed.  “Women were not meant for billiards, they are too gentle.” 

Darcy’s hands caressed her waist briefly and letting go, they both straightened.  She turned and looked up to him while handing over the cue.  “I am sorry, dear.  Did I lose your turn?”

Darcy’s eyes moved from her lips to her eyes.  “I am afraid so, we will have to practice this more often.” 

“Practice now, we do not mind watching!”  Richard poured out the rest of the port and raised it in a toast.  “Rather novel.” 

“No, no.  I have been embarrassed enough for one day.”   She slipped her hand into Darcy’s.  “Since we must go out for dinner, perhaps you should lie down for a bit, dear?  You look a little unsettled.”

“That is because he lost!”  Bingley laughed.  “Ah, we are sorry, Elizabeth.  We dragged him in here.  I daresay he has had enough exercise for a while.  Well, I should probably find my . . . carriage.”

“I daresay.  Perhaps you could help him with that Richard?”  Darcy picked up his coat and nodding to the men, they walked to the door.  “We will see you at dinner.” 

“Carry on!”  Richard saluted.  “Come on Bingley; let’s get you on home to your lady love.”  The two men set off for the foyer and left the Darcys alone in the room with the faint sound of Bingley asking who had won the game drifting down the hallway.

Darcy laughed and turned to take Elizabeth’s hands in his.  “If I could, I would be carrying you up the stairs right now.”

“If we were in our room, I would be tearing off your clothes.”  She tugged at his neck cloth and he growled as she led him forward.  “Come along, Mr. Darcy.”

DARCY LAY ON THE BED, his legs dangling over the edge, his trousers and drawers down around his ankles and his arm draped across his forehead.  Elizabeth lay sprawled beside him on her stomach.

“zounds.”  He whispered.  Elizabeth giggled and smiling he turned his head to find her facing him.  Lovingly, he rubbed his hand over her bare bottom.  “
That
was . . . fevered.”

“Two minutes?”

He snorted.  “I think that we did better than that.”  Again his hand rubbed her bottom and he smiled at the enticing shape fondly.  “ohhhh love . . . We must take advantage of this position often.”  Laughing, she turned and curled against his chest.  “I was so miserable waiting for your visitors to stop coming, and then . . .”

“Richard.”

“He has much on his mind.  Believe it or not, he may have drunk the better part of the port, but he was not drunk.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”  Darcy laughed and kissed her hair.  “Bingley is.  It is a good thing that Richard can escort him home.  Perhaps he will be sober by the time he reaches Meryton.”

“Sweet man.  I think that he is nervous.”  Elizabeth whispered.

“mmm.”  Darcy kissed her hair and closed his eyes.  “I am so incredibly sore.” 

“You overdid.”

“Only the fencing, this . . . this was wonderful.  Do you know how many times we have . . . enjoyed each other since we came to London?” 

“I am afraid that I have lost count.”  She snuggled into him.  “I believe that you would think that a good thing.”

“I do.”  Darcy turned and lying face to face, he kissed her nose.  “I discovered that the muscles used for lovemaking are not the same as the ones needed for fencing.” 

“Oh, I do not know about that.”  She reached down between his legs with a smile.  Darcy’s eyes widened and she kissed him.  “Shall we rest a bit before going to dinner with the family?” 

“I have no desire to see anyone else today.”  He growled and nipped at her lips.  “More interlopers cutting into my time with you.” 

“But if we see them tonight, perhaps we will not have guests tomorrow.”  Her hand caressed over him suggestively, “Unless you want to?”

“No, madam.  I most certainly do not.”

“BECKY, I KNOW that you are chaperoning, but I need to speak to Miss Bennet.  Will you give us some leeway and let us talk privately if I leave the doors open?”  Bingley’s friendly green eyes smiled at her, and the young maid who had accompanied them readily agreed, and even walked to the opposite end of Netherfield’s foyer to sit down.  “Good girl.”  He winked and turning to Jane, took her hands.

“Mr. Bingley, this is entirely improper.”  Jane said a little nervously.  “We should have waited for Mama and my sisters to come home from Meryton.”

Bingley interrupted and spoke as sternly as he could muster.  “I have been absent for ten days, have you not missed me?” 

“Of course I have!”  Jane cried.

“And yet, here we are.  I have arranged quite stealthily for us to be completely alone and you are only seeing the disadvantages!  I was quite pleased with myself!”

Jane put her hand to her mouth and laughed.  “Mr. Bingley!  You hardly arranged anything, how could you have known they were away?”

“Easily, I was passing your aunt’s home when I saw your mother and sisters exiting their carriage.  ‘Aha!’ I cried, and knew that you remained behind.  The rest was formulated as I went and fortunately, your father blessed my scheme.  Oh Jane, I missed you terribly and I have so much that I want to say to you, but saying it at Longbourn just is not the same.  You see, I want to be quite persuasive and I know that I am rather poor with my presentations at times so I thought to make the atmosphere quite . . . impressive.  Are you impressed?”