Page 44 of Sketching Mr. Darcy
A round ten o’clock, long past his usual morning hour, Darcy woke, still wearing a smile of contentment.
He enjoyed the ball more than he expected, but he remembered little beyond Elizabeth’s smiles, her glances, and her face caressed by falling snowflakes and lit by a streetlight, her eyelashes covering her sparkling eyes when he bent to touch her lips.
He shivered at the memory and became amused at his own childish reaction.
He had come to admire Elizabeth during the last months, and he admitted his growing attraction for her in the week since she became his wife, but his feelings had changed and grown with a haste that almost troubled him.
He knew that he was deeply in love with his wife, and he was not certain whether that was a good or a dangerous thing; regardless, he could not fight it.
He had never experienced such feelings before.
He had felt attraction at times, and he had enjoyed the pleasure of being in the intimate company of beautiful women.
Yet, the joy and delight of tasting Elizabeth’s lips for a moment or touching her warm, silky skin under her sparkling jewels aroused in him senses he did not recognise.
As he briefly closed his eyes, he indulged himself and imagined her in utter abandon to his impatient and greedy kisses, her lips releasing a moan of delight as his hands caressed her softness and—
Darcy startled at the sound of a strong, demanding bark. He smiled and opened the door. Elizabeth was scolding Lucky, but his appearance drove the dog towards him immediately.
“I am so sorry. Lucky seemed to feel your every move, and he is such a beggar for your attention!”
He was delighted to meet her warm smile and flushed cheeks. He petted the dog and smiled then moved closer and took her hands, looking into her eyes.
“Good morning, Elizabeth. Did you sleep well, I hope?”
“Yes, very well… I was a little tired, but I truly enjoyed the evening. I just finished writing my ‘thank you’ note to Lady Matlock.”
“Ah, yes, the note—I forgot about it. Well, there is no wonder you were tired. You danced every set. But I imagine that usually happens to you.”
“Well, not quite… There have been occasions when gentlemen were scarce, and I happened to remain without a partner.” She held his gaze daringly, their hands still entwined, and her right brow rose in challenge while a teasing smile twisted her lips.
He laughed. “You cannot still be upset with me for that unfortunate evening. Rest assured that I have blamed myself many times since that rude comment. Surely, my regrets have washed away my faults! Pray, tell me: What may I do to gain your forgiveness?”
“Well, your breaking the rules by dancing with your own wife twice in one evening was an excellent start! I can safely say that you are very close to the redemption point, Mr Darcy.”
She laughed too, and he suddenly released her left hand, slowly removed a lock of brown hair from her temple, and then caressed her face gently.
“Your eyes are sparkling again, Elizabeth…” he said, and her laughter vanished as she av erted her eyes from his heavy, dark gaze. But her right hand remained in his.
His voice turned lighter as he continued, pointing outside the window. “Georgiana and Mrs Annesley are still asleep, and I imagine breakfast will be quite late. Would you like to join me for a short stroll in the park? The weather is beautiful.”
“Yes, I would like that very much.” She replied with such haste that it brought another smile to his lips. “I shall be ready in a moment.”
“Excellent! I suggest leaving Titan and Lucky at home. They can play in the back garden.”
***
Elizabeth hurried to dress. He wishes to walk alone with me. Not even the dogs will join us. She was not certain whether the prospect troubled or pleased her, but she admitted to herself that she was eager to be ready, and her heart began to race.
A few minutes later, Darcy offered her his arm while he instructed Stevens to take care of the dogs and to tell the others that they would return shortly.
Elizabeth felt equally lighthearted and uneasy as she tightened her grip on his arm.
Since the previous evening, she could not put aside the sensation of his lips on hers.
She had never imagined that a man’s hands or a mere kiss could arouse such feelings inside her.
His small gestures—holding her hands, touching her skin while caressing the jewels, his stares, smiles, teasing or compliments—threw her into a tumult of sensations and questions difficult to answer.
They had been married for six days. She had slowly adjusted to her new life and new home.
She had become closely acquainted with Georgiana and even with him.
He had been kind and considerate, and they both had put effort into making the marriage work.
But it was much more than that: he often behaved as if he were…
courting her…in a way she had not been courted before .
She had never kissed another man, nor held another man’s bare hand.
But Charlotte had been kissed twice by two gentlemen—one, two years ago and another, last year—and she told both her and Jane that it was not remarkable, not different from pressing one’s own hand upon one’s own lips.
Elizabeth cast a glance out of the corner of her eye.
Her husband had barely kissed her. She was not even certain it was a real kiss, but it surely did not feel like pressing her hand to her lips—not at all.
“Elizabeth, is anything wrong?” She realised that he asked her something and she missed it.
“No, forgive me…everything is fine. The weather is beautiful indeed—”
“I asked whether you have news from your sister. When do they arrive in Town?”
“I only received one letter from Jane three days ago. They should leave Longbourn today or tomorrow, as far as I know. To be honest, I am a little worried, but I know my uncle and aunt are there, and I trust them completely. Nothing can go wrong with them.”
“I am sure there is no cause for concern. The weather has been quite bad lately, and the mail sometimes has great difficulties.”
“You are probably right. This view is just wonderful,” she said, looking around. “I always loved the trees covered in white fresh snow when I was home—I mean at Longbourn.”
He covered the hand resting on his arm with his other hand. “I trust you will love Pemberley, too.”
“Oh, I am sure I will, and I confess I look forward to seeing it. My aunt said it is truly the most wonderful place she has ever seen. I suspect she insisted on my marrying you only to be able to see the interiors of Pemberley.” She laughed then felt his grip tightening and turned to face him.
He looked concerned, but she smiled daringly and held his gaze.
“You already knew my aunt insisted on my accepting your proposal…but now I am very glad she did. ”
His face lit a little, and his lips twisted in a hidden smile.
With horror at her wanton thoughts, she found herself wondering how it would feel for those lips to press harder and longer on hers, and she knew she turned crimson.
But he replied lightly, “Mrs Gardiner is a wise lady—very wise indeed. I would be delighted to have her as a guest at Pemberley.”
“You are very kind. My aunt would be honoured by your words.” She paused a moment then continued in excellent spirits. “With that, you are completely forgiven for calling me barely ‘tolerable’ and refusing to dance with me, Mr Darcy.”
“You are generous indeed, Mrs Darcy,” he replied, equally amused.
They walked in silence for a while then he spoke in a serious tone.
“My mother always wanted to have a school in Lambton for all the girls in the neighbourhood. She said that learning the basics of reading, calculating, music, cooking, and sewing would help the girls support themselves and perhaps be wiser in choosing their husbands. She thought it was unfair that girls after childhood had no other interests than to find a man to support them, which was why they often fell for some unworthy man who treated them horribly.”
Elizabeth watched him, so surprised that she had nothing to say. That Lady Anne would have such concerns for the girls in the county and that he—the master of Pemberley—seemed to give sincere thought to that idea, was truly astonishing.
“Unfortunately, my mother was not strong enough to finish what she planned. During her last years, she spent as much time as possible with Georgiana. She suffered deeply knowing she would soon leave her daughter at such a young age. My father and I joined them as much as we could when she was in Brighton. The sea was beneficial to her health for a while. Cold winters from the north kept her mostly inside, but she loved Pemberley very much and could not stay away long. I remember playing with Georgiana in the snow—she was four or five years old—and mother watching from the window…”
In the empty park, with few visitors occupying the frozen pathways, Mr Darcy—the most severe man she had ever met—spoke to her about his mother, his voice heavy with emotion. She felt her eyes stinging with tears as she entwined her fingers with his.
“I look forward to seeing Pemberley,” she whispered.
“And I look forward to showing it to you,” he replied, and her heart began to race again. “As soon as the weather improves, we may discuss leaving town. I do know you wish to spend time with your sister and relatives. And the Season will open in March and—”
“Oh, we should not worry much about the Season. I would just like to see what might happen…with Jane and…” She stopped, but it was clear to both that she referred to her sister and a certain gentleman who was momentarily out of town.
“Well, Pemberley is a very large estate. It can easily accommodate many guests, and I am sure your family would enjoy it, too. I know Bingley and his sisters always have.”