Truth about Mr. Darcy (14 page)

He laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I am always eager to tease you, dearest, but I confess to being quite curious about the young lady who has finally managed to captivate my infamously imperturbable cousin.”

Smiling wide enough to show his dimples, Darcy hastened to Elizabeth’s side. “Elizabeth, please allow me to present my uncle and aunt, Lord and Lady Matlock, and my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Henry, Richard, it is my very great pleasure to introduce Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire.”

Lady Matlock smiled kindly. Her husband addressed Elizabeth stiffly. “Miss Bennet, allow me to offer my congratulations to you. My nephew has been rather negligent in his duty, I am afraid, and saw fit to inform us of his engagement to you only the other day. If you are truly all he claims, I daresay you will find much happiness in your union.”

Elizabeth understood him. The earl did not yet know her, and despite whatever Darcy had told his family, his uncle would reserve judgment on her. She chose her reply carefully. “Thank you, Your Lordship. Your nephew and I have already shared much happiness. He is one of the most intelligent men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, to say nothing of his kind and generous heart. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have earned the affection and esteem of such an excellent man.” She exchanged a look of affection with Darcy, who moved even closer to her and brushed her hand with his own.

The affectionate action was not lost on Colonel Fitzwilliam, who grinned at having caught his reserved cousin performing such an impropriety in front of his parents. Never before had he seen his cousin so besotted with a woman. Now that he thought of it, he could not remember
ever
having seen Darcy besotted with a woman. He observed Elizabeth with interest while his mother engaged her in conversation.

Though his cousin’s fiancée had seemed somewhat reserved at first, she was now listening with rapt attention to Lady Matlock as she related some story about her own courtship with the earl. Elizabeth leaned in then and, smiling archly, said something that caused the older woman to laugh. The earl merely harrumphed, but his twitching lips indicated his amusement.

By the end of the visit, it was obvious to Darcy his relations were impressed by Elizabeth’s wit, candor, and keen intelligence. It pleased him beyond measure to see that even the earl did not remain unaffected by her charms. The older gentleman had become more animated as the hour wore on; his eyes turned often upon Elizabeth with interest and, perhaps, even a touch of admiration.

Darcy saw them all to the door with regret. He kissed his aunt and slapped Richard on the shoulder. Before Lord Matlock quitted the house, he took his nephew aside and muttered, however grudgingly, “She’ll do, she’ll do.” A small, satisfied grin played upon the earl’s face as Darcy bid him a good evening.

***

Dinner that evening passed in much the same manner as breakfast. Mrs. Bennet and her youngest daughters talked of the success of their shopping trip and of the vast number of new gowns they had ordered, while Elizabeth sat in mortification, and Mr. Bennet silently laughed at their silliness. Darcy, as could be expected, could find nothing so humorous in the scenario at his table, especially given how Georgiana and Jane seemed to glance repeatedly at Elizabeth throughout the meal, with expressions of concern. It was not until the very last course was taken away that he discovered, through Mrs. Bennet’s loud ranting, their trip to Mrs. Duval’s shoppe had not gone at all as they had anticipated.

After the meal, while the Bennets retired to the music room, Darcy summoned Georgiana to his study under the pretense of discussing a minor household matter. In actuality, he was anxious to hear her own account of the visit to the modiste. It infuriated him to no end to learn of such an affront to his beloved Elizabeth, and it had, in fact, taken all of Georgiana’s powers of persuasion to convince Darcy not to leave the house at that very moment for Mrs. Duval’s residence in order to personally reprimand her for the outrage that had been perpetrated at the hands of her staff. Instead, he paced in his study for a full quarter of an hour, attempting to regulate his temper before rejoining his guests. By the time Darcy entered the music room, Georgiana was immersed in her playing on the pianoforte, entertaining the Bennets with a lovely piece by Handel.

Darcy searched the room for Elizabeth. He discovered her standing apart from her family at one of the large windows overlooking the street; her distress was obvious by the manner in which her hands twisted the material of her gown. Greatly affected, Darcy joined her. “You have been very quiet tonight, my love.”

Elizabeth turned to him and gave him a half-hearted smile. “I am fine, Fitzwilliam. I am only a little tired. I was thinking of retiring soon. I am afraid I will not be suitable company tonight.”

Darcy’s brow furrowed. “I was hoping to have a moment alone with you, Elizabeth. We have not yet had any time to ourselves today, and I find myself desirous of your presence.”

Elizabeth lowered her eyes. “And I am very much in need of yours,” she murmured as she took his hand between both her own.

Darcy glanced about the room. All her family appeared to be well entertained for the moment. “Will you come to me tonight?” he whispered as he moved a curl from her face. “I have some matters of business I must see to in my study. I will be there until very late. Please say you will come.”

His eyes beseeched her to agree, and without so much as a second thought, Elizabeth nodded.

It was just past one o’clock in the morning when Elizabeth finally joined Darcy in his study. She found him seated behind his mahogany desk, going over pages of documents. When his gaze lit on her, he laid them aside and smiled. She ran to him, and in the very next instant, Darcy pulled Elizabeth onto his lap and enveloped her in his arms, cradling her in his embrace. She sighed as some of the tension from her unpleasant day melted away.

“Fitzwilliam,” she murmured as she circled her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in the fabric of his cravat. “I have missed you.” She could not help but inhale his distinct, masculine scent. He smelled wonderful, like sandalwood and black pepper. How she loved the smell of him and the feel of his comforting presence!

“And I, you,” he murmured as he placed a lingering kiss upon the curve of her neck. “May I take your hair down?”

She inclined her head, and Darcy removed the decorative pins from her dark locks. As he pulled out the last pin, Elizabeth’s hair fell like a rich veil to well below the middle of her back. His breath caught, and he buried his fingers deep within the silken depths of her curls.

Elizabeth snuggled against him, breathing deeply as she enjoyed the feel of his fingers moving through her hair. She found it soothed her, just as it had when her maid would brush her hair many years before, when she was still but a girl. Before Elizabeth could stop herself, she almost shyly asked Darcy whether he would mind performing that same task for her now.

He was pleasantly surprised by her request and most eager to comply. He hastened to retrieve a beautiful silver-plated brush he had only recently purchased, engraved with an elegant, flowing
E.D
., from a locked drawer in his desk. He took a seat closer to the fire and settled Elizabeth upon his lap, this time with her back to him, as he ran the brush through her curls with care.

Elizabeth relaxed under his tender ministrations, and her gaze began to roam over the many objects in Darcy’s study. It occurred to her then that this was his inner sanctum, his refuge, much the same as her father’s small library was to him. She could not help but admire the understated elegance of her future husband’s good taste.

“You have a wonderful home, Fitzwilliam. It is tasteful and refined while being comfortable, and not the least bit ostentatious. I know I am going to enjoy living here very much, but only because you and Georgiana will be here, as well, and I shall be able to awake every morning in your arms. Apart from the theatre and the opera, I confess London society holds very little allure for me. I believe I will need to seek refuge in your excellent library quite often, sir, preferably with you to keep me company.”

Darcy placed a lingering kiss upon her hair and said, “
Our
library, Elizabeth. It is now
your
home, as well, and you can change anything you wish in order to make yourself more comfortable.”

She shook her head. “I have no wish to change anything, and until we are happily married, I shall be perfectly content with being no more than a guest in
your
home.”

Darcy placed the brush upon an end table and shifted so he could look deeply into Elizabeth’s eyes. He caressed the softness of her cheek, his voice tinged with emotion as he whispered, “In my heart, Elizabeth, you are already my wife. Surely, you know that?”

Her breath caught in her throat as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Cradling his face in her hands, she drew his mouth slowly toward her own, stopping just short of their lips touching. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam,” she whispered. “You can have no idea how very much I was in need of hearing you speak such words to me tonight.”

Their lips met with a tenderness that soon threatened to overwhelm them both, and as Elizabeth felt her body begin to tremble from the strength of her emotions, Darcy lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the fire. He laid her with care upon the carpet, where he joined her after removing his waistcoat and his riding boots. Then he began to work the buttons on her gown free, his gaze never leaving her eyes, not even for a moment.

Once Elizabeth was fully unclothed, her curls framing her face as she lay before him upon the carpet, Darcy took his time to tease her body with his lips, his tongue, and his hands, lingering along those areas of her flesh he knew to be most receptive to his caresses. Not until after Darcy heard her soft cries and felt her body begin to writhe under his touch did he dare permit himself to give any thought to his own ardor.

Darcy traced her nipple with his tongue as he massaged the small, sensitive pearl between her thighs with his finger. She was slippery and wet, indicating her readiness just as much as the muffled sounds Elizabeth moaned against his lips. Darcy pulled his head back and stared at her, mesmerized, unable to tear his gaze from her beauty, longing to bring her over the edge and into the abyss of ultimate release. Suddenly, Elizabeth’s back began to arch, and her lovely body shuddered violently as he brought her to her completion. When she stilled, Darcy returned his mouth to hers as she assisted him with the buttons on his shirt and breeches.

He entered her slowly and began to move with smooth, long strokes he knew would encourage Elizabeth’s desire to build again quickly. As he increased his rhythm and felt the delicious heat begin to supplant every other awareness, Elizabeth matched his frenzied movements with her own, drawing small grunts of satisfaction from Darcy every time they met.

They pushed their passion for each other ever faster, ever deeper until, with one final thrust, they spiraled into a pulsating oblivion of insurmountable pleasure.

They lay spent, languid and content in each other’s arms, their limbs entwined as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Elizabeth ran her fingertips over his bare chest as Darcy’s hand played with her hair. She gazed up at him and noticed a distant look in his eyes. “Fitzwilliam?” she asked softly.

“Mmm?”

“You seem far away. Is everything well?”

Darcy placed a lingering kiss upon her swollen lips and stroked her arm. “Yes. I am very well, my love. There is nowhere else I would rather be.” He tightened his hold on her and settled into silence once more.

Though Elizabeth did not doubt the sincerity of his words, she was still not convinced his mind was completely free from anxiety. They remained silent for a while. Finally, Elizabeth said, “Your family seemed very nice. I especially liked your aunt. She is a very clever woman, and I enjoyed talking with her very much.”

“Yes, she is. I believe she liked you, as well, as did my uncle, though I doubt he is ready to admit as much.” Darcy laughed. “I believe you impressed him far more than he ever anticipated. I was very proud of the way you handled yourself with him. He can sometimes be difficult.”

Elizabeth smiled somewhat sadly. “I gathered as much by his speech today, but I can hardly blame him. It is obvious he loves you a great deal and is only trying to protect you. For all he knows, I could be a fortune hunter interested only in Pemberley, your annual income, and your position in society. He is right to be cautious. You know you would do no less for your sister.”

Darcy’s brow furrowed. After several minutes, he asked, somewhat hesitantly, “Did you enjoy your shopping excursion with your family and Georgiana today?”

Elizabeth grew pensive. “It was fine, Fitzwilliam. I very much enjoyed spending time with your sister. She is a remarkable young woman.”

Though Darcy was pleased to hear she liked spending time with his sister, he was not convinced Elizabeth had enjoyed herself otherwise. In fact, he knew it to be quite the opposite, and he longed to speak to her of what had really taken place at Mrs. Duval’s shoppe. Darcy had thought Elizabeth had seemed rather subdued when she and Georgiana had arrived back at Darcy House that afternoon, though she did appear to recover quickly enough, enchanting his relations with her wit, her vivacity, and her natural grace. After speaking with Georgiana after dinner, however, he had a much better understanding as to why she seemed out of sorts.

Throughout the rest of the evening, Darcy had watched her closely, looking for any further signs of distress or melancholy, but, if there were any, Elizabeth—whom he had never known to dwell upon the negative—endeavored, however unsuccessfully, to hide them. If given a moment alone, he had hoped she might open up to him, confide her feelings and her hurt, but, even now, she appeared to have little inclination to do so. If anything, she seemed to be taking comfort from his presence and his love, and for that, Darcy found himself ever grateful.