Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (99 page)

“No, no.”  He pressed a kiss to her lips.  “You never withdrew from me.  I knew what was wrong.  When I withdraw I shut everyone out.  I deserve your nudges.  And you love, are not used to being in this position of not being able to care for someone you love.  No determined walk will take you to Longbourn.”

“No, it is much more than three miles this time.”  She said softly and met his serious gaze.  “I know, Will.  I accept that.  My place is here now and I am forever grateful that it is.”

He thought of whom he was meant to marry, and it appeared in his eyes as he whispered and brushed her hair from her face.  “As am I.”  

Elizabeth wondered at his expression while she spoke, “There is nothing to be done about Papa.  Aunt and Uncle wanted me to know, and I respect his desire to keep me in the dark.  I am grateful that you prepared me for the news.  It was simply a shock to have it confirmed so soon upon learning the truth of his plans for what my life might have been.”  She looked down and played with Darcy’s neck cloth, and without thought, she untied the knot and pulled it away.  He drew a soft breath and bit his lip as her fingers moved to tenderly touch the skin of his throat.   “It is just a shame that my courses arrived at the same time and rendered me . . . miserable.” 

“Sleepy.”  He smiled when her eyes flashed.

“
That
is Mrs. Reynolds’s fault.  She had the laudanum in my tea before Judy even brought it up.”  She raised her chin and kissed his nose.  “Next month I will be prepared and you will not have a comatose wife on your hands.  Notice how I am awake?  It is because Judy took over and cared for me as I instructed.”   

“I think that it did you some good.  As much as I missed you, you needed to rest.”  He halted her protest with a stern look and a gentle kiss.  “I have not told you enough how much I admire you.” 

“You tell me every day.  My head should be four times its size from your compliments.”

“Hush.  You, love, have been untiringly positive, determined, strong . . . so very dear.”  Her cheeks pinked and he reached up to touch the warmth.  “Never could I have survived a week here without you by my side.”

“Well, that is true enough.”  Smiling a little she kissed him.  “Tell me again how wonderful I am.”   Darcy chuckled and hugged her tightly.  “I think that with the new maid in place, we will be fine in Scotland.”

“I do, as well.”  Scooping her up into his lap they kissed again.  “And I pray that Georgiana’s revelations are permanent.  At least in regards to you, dear.” 

“Did she speak as we predicted?”  He nodded and watched as her fingers eased open the buttons on his waistcoat.  “You are not feeling guilt now, are you?”  Seeing his frown, she tapped his lips.  “NO.  That girl has a long way to go before she earns back your respect.”

“I know; I know . . . I saw a glimpse of the sister I remembered and . . . I wondered if it was sincere.  How terrible is that?”

“It is not terrible at all; you are at last looking at this objectively. 
That
is what will keep you strong.”

“Like you are.” 

Elizabeth met his eye for a moment and returned to his buttons.  “Did she speak of the baby?”

“Yes.”  He sighed.

“That is a good thing, she is acknowledging it now.  It is real.”  She pushed his coat from his shoulders and sent his waistcoat with it. 

Darcy smiled when her fingers went to work on his shirt.  “Do you know what else is real?”  

“Hmmm, besides the stick jabbing at my bottom?   Do you become aroused every time I sit on your lap?”  She laughed at his sheepish grin.

“Yes, I do.   However as you are undressing me, I think that I am to be excused.”  Elizabeth startled and her hand went to her mouth when she realized he was sitting with his shirt open.  Darcy laughed.  “What is on your mind, Mrs. Darcy?” 

“Oh Will!  What has become of me?”  She blushed but still ran her palm through the soft curls blooming over his chest.

“I think that you have missed me as much as I have missed you,” He looked down at her fingers tracing his nipples.   “I was going to suggest that if you were up to it going out to play, but it seems you have other ideas.” 

“Play?”  She found his twinkling eyes watching her.  “Ohh, where?”

“I have something special to show you.”  His mouth twitched up when she raised one brow.  “I
do
.”

“Does it reside in your drawers, sir?  Because I have gazed upon that sight many times and I admit to never seeing enough.  In fact, I have been quite bereft of it.”  Wiggling her bottom he laughed and stayed her hips. 

“Who is doing the undressing, Mrs. Darcy?”

“Blame the ill effects of the laudanum.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“Well . . . fine then, I own to . . .” Her hands moved over his chest to his shoulders and she kissed his throat.  “Blame my incredible desire for you that I notice comes at this time of the month.” 

Darcy’s arms closed around her and opening her nightdress, he nuzzled her shoulder.  “I would prefer to blame your desire for me that comes to you daily.”

“I think that is precisely where the blame belongs.”  She sighed with the feel of his lips wandering her throat and whispered, “Let me write to Mrs. Monroe and be done with it.”  Darcy groaned.  “It will not take long, I have already bathed so all I need to do is dress and we will be off.” 

He regarded her seriously, “You have undressed me.  We are not going anywhere.”

“We cannot remain here, Will.  I am sorry for leading you on.  Show me your surprise.”  He could feel the heat of her embarrassment as her blush reddened her face.

“Very well.”  Leaning back on the bed, he dragged her on top of him.  “There.” 

“Will!”  Elizabeth looked down and received a kiss.  “I cannot write from this position.”

“What a shame.”  Darcy’s mouth moved to her ear.

Stopping his nibbling, she held his face in her hands and looked down into his warm eyes.  “I will feel better having this off my mind.” 

Rubbing his hands up and down her back he smiled up to her still-blushing face.  “I will feel better when we are walking and my temptress is at least out of reach.  Unless you would prefer sightseeing?  I
do
have something in my drawers for you . . .”  He pinched her bottom and grinning when she yelped, watched her leave to sit at the writing desk by the window.  Darcy rolled onto his side and propping his head up on his hand, tried to distract himself from thoughts of his wife back in his arms.  “I was thinking of Georgiana, she had claimed she would be fine here on her own if we felt the need to go anywhere.”  Elizabeth met his eye and he laughed.  “I see that you agree.  Would Jane like to come here and . . . No, she is not a companion.  Forgive me.  She is going to London to shop with Mary.”

“You were thinking of someone to keep Georgiana company?”  He nodded when she looked back up from her letter.  “Someone we could trust before this baby comes.”

“Yes, another person to let in on the secret.  That is the problem.  I hate having to rush Aunt Susan’s visit to Town to return here, but . . . maybe we should take Georgiana with us?  But that has so many dangerous chances to have her discovered by the ladies you know will be calling on you.”  Looking down at the counterpane he traced over the pattern, “I am being selfish, wanting to foist Georgiana off on someone else . . .” 

“That is not what you are doing.” 

“What am I doing, then?” 

“You want to give her a friend, one who is not torn between comforting you or her.”

“Is that what I have done to you?  No wonder you needed to cry.”  He laughed mirthlessly and rolled onto his back to stare at the canopy. 

Elizabeth finished her letter and sealed it.  “I will not even address that.  Remember, guilt is not acceptable here.”  Wadding up a sheet of paper, she threw it at him, striking his nose.  “Ha!”  Instantly he sat up and whipped it back at her, bouncing the ball off her head.  She leapt to her feet and snatching a throw pillow from the sofa came after him.

Darcy’s hands went up to fend off the strike of her weapon and grabbing a pillow from the bed, whacked her in her stomach.  “WILL!”

“You started it!”  He declared and jumped to his feet to strike her bottom.  Elizabeth aimed for his legs and missed.  “Ooomph!”  Darcy gasped and doubled over.

“What did I do?”  Elizabeth dropped her pillow and helped him down to the bed.  “Will?”

“I am fine.”  He said quietly.

“Oh heavens!  I’ve killed you!”  She lay down beside him and wrapped her arms around him tightly.  “I am so sorry, I am so sorry . . .” 

“You did not kill me.”  He drew a long breath and blowing it out, opened his eyes to see her face hovering above.  “A little lower though and I might rethink my charge.”

“Oh Will!”  She held his face and kissed him.  “What did I do?” 

Darcy reached up to touch her face.  “You just grazed a very sensitive place.  Believe me, Elizabeth, if you had hit home, I would be curled in a ball and sobbing shamelessly, and no man would think to abuse me over it.”   

“Let me see.”  Before he could even think to protest she was up on her knees and had his breeches unbuttoned and her hand in his drawers.  He jumped and she glared at him.  “Stay still, sir.  I will not harm you again.”

“I pray not, you hold Pemberley’s future in your palm.”  Deeply interested, he watched her examination and sighed with her gentle touch.  “Ohhhhh, that is nice . . .  Have I said how much I have missed you?”

“Once or twice.”  She met his loving eyes and returned to her examination.  “Hmmm, no bruises . . .”

“noooooo.”

Her busy hands opened up his breeches fully and then tapping his hips, he lifted his bottom so she could pull them down to his knees.  Darcy kicked off his shoes and she removed everything.  Elizabeth looked him over and purred as she massaged up his stomach and down his legs.   “That is better.  No wonder you look so fine on top of a horse.”  Elizabeth rubbed and he groaned as her hands spread his legs apart.  “You grip its flank so well with these . . . absolutely magnificent thighs.” 

“I would like to grip you with my thighs, Lizzy.”  He reached to touch her breasts exposed by her open gown and pulled her up to lie on his chest, “I want you.”

 “Oh . . . I want you, too.”  Darcy’s fingers entwined in her hair and pulled her head down to meet his lips, holding her there while his left hand caressed up her nightdress and reached her thigh.  Elizabeth drew away from his kiss.  “Will . . .  I cannot, it is not yet over.” 

He touched her hair and ran his hand down her shoulder.  “I know, dearest, I know.   I just miss you . . .  Please do not be shy.  It is just me.  Nobody fearsome at all.”  Darcy held her cheek in his palm and drew her face back to his, tracing his tongue over her lips and kissing her.  “I just want to love you.”   

Elizabeth sighed against his ear while his mouth wandered over her throat.  “I want to love you, too.”    She felt his head nod, and knew he was disappointed from the way he continued to caress her body possessively.  “Perhaps there is something else I could do . . . something I think I am brave enough to try now . . .  After all, I
did
undress you . . .”

“What is that?”  He smiled when she looked up and he saw a sparkle in her eye.  “Lizzy?  What are you up to?”  She kissed him and before he could respond, she had disappeared, slowly dragging her mouth down his chest, pausing to taste his navel, and worked down to nuzzle his thighs.  “And what do you wish to do down there . . .  ohhhhhh.”  Elizabeth’s soft tongue was savouring his jewels.   His head fell back as he whispered, “Do not stop, Lizzy, please . . .”  Her nose brushed against his hardening penis.  “Oh . . . just look at you . . .”  Seeing her beautiful eyes watching from behind his erection was indescribably arousing.  He reached to caress her hair and Elizabeth held his gaze while he stared in utter fascination as her tongue slid down and then up his shaft.  “ohhhhhh, more, love, more . . .  Lizzy!”  He cried when she nearly swallowed him.  “ohhhhhh, yessssss.”  He moaned and gripped the counterpane with both hands, never tearing his eyes away from the glorious sight of Elizabeth’s ruby lips embracing him.  Her tongue was at work, doing heaven knows what, swirling around him, sucking him hard and then gently, a master loving her work.  Darcy panted and groaned, “faster love, oh faster . . . now slowly, slowly . . .  Oh make it . . . last . . .”  Her head moved and she added her hand, holding him steady, rubbing, pumping him as he groaned louder.  “Kiss it,  Lizzy . . . kiss . . .” He licked his lips and begged, “Kiss
me
.” 

Elizabeth climbed up his chest and kissing him, whispered, “Shall I return?  I would like to bathe you some more . . .  I think that we have found something we both enjoy very much.”  Her hand caressed over him. 

Darcy’s eyes were dark and he lifted his head, trying to reach the lips that hovered just above his.  Their tongues touched and slid together, tasting each other until impatient, his arms crushed her down onto his chest and he took possession of her mouth.  Darcy clasped his hand over hers, and pumped it up and down as he suckled her tongue, kissing her, wanting her to feel the same passion he was.  Faster and faster they stroked until at last he tore his mouth from hers, groaning with the sudden powerful rush as he exploded in her grip. 

“Lord help me . . . Ohhhhhhhhh.”  He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut as his body shook.  Darcy swallowed and rested his head back on the mattress, utterly spent.  “Thank you . . . thank you, thank you.”  Elizabeth’s giggle forced his eyes open.  “What did you do to me?”

“I loved you.”  She kissed him softly before sitting up to go find a cloth.  He caught her hand before she could rise and staring at her wordlessly, lifted her fingers to his mouth to kiss.  Blushing, she kissed his hand.  “I will not be a moment.”  His grip loosened and she returned to wipe his stomach and chest. 

“I am grateful that you bludgeoned me with the pillow.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened and laughing, she kissed him, rubbing her nose to his as she finished and he took the cloth from her hands to toss aside.  “I hope that we can come to this point in a less painful way next time.”