Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (67 page)

Elizabeth peeked up from her hiding spot to find Darcy staring down at her.  “You are blushing.”

“So are you.”  The passion in his eyes became warmth, and he bent to kiss her.  “Why are you suddenly so shy, love?  I have a theory, but I may be completely wrong.”

She closed her eyes. “I am afraid that everyone who looks at me will know what we have done.”  Darcy’s laugh made her mouth drop open.  “What is so amusing?”

“I was correct.”  His reaction had the desired effect, and he loved seeing the vulnerability give way to curiosity in her eyes.  “Dearest . . . That ring on your finger proclaims to anyone who sees it we have been
occupied
for some time now.  And may I add, so have every married and not a few unmarried people in this establishment.”  He kissed her cheek as her face coloured a deeper shade of red.  “But I know that inns were not the ideal places for our first times together, and I promise, at home it will be better.  There are many wonderful places for us to explore where nobody will find us.” 

“Truly?”  The twinkle in his eyes brought forth a laugh of relief. 

“Silly woman.” 

Darcy watched her gaze move to his mouth and obliged with a lingering kiss.  He traced his tongue over her lips and cheered inside as she melted into him. 

Elizabeth sighed.  “What has become of us?”

“I do not know, but I love it.”  He smiled, touching her face and playing with her gown while she straightened his neck cloth.  Their eyes met and they kissed once more.  “I suppose it is time.”

“I suppose.”  Elizabeth moved away, and went to put on her coat and gloves, and locate her reticule which had found its way to the floor when Darcy began chasing her around the small room.  Bending to retrieve it, she gasped a little, and touching her stomach for a moment, straightened and turned with a smile, walking back towards where he was donning his coat and hat.  Darcy stopped and watched her.

“What have I done to you?”

Elizabeth looked out into the hallway at two men passing by and spoke softly.  “I am fine.”  Darcy’s face clearly reflected his utter disbelief.  “I am . . . I will be.”

“Oh, Lord!” 

“Fitzwilliam, hush!  It is just that . . . the balms I could use are packed away in the other carriage and . . .”

“Balms!”  Heads turned.  Nearly whispering, he looked at her worriedly, “Balms?  I had no idea I had hurt you so terribly, dearest.  I am so sorry.”

Elizabeth ached to see how deflated he was, since they awoke he had nearly been floating.  “You are a particularly big man, Fitzwilliam.”

His cheeks flooded with colour and his eyes went to his boots.  “Not that big.” 

“A
stallion
.”   She whispered and nudged him with a smile.  Darcy shot her a look, but the twitch of his lips gave away his pride.  “Aunt Gardiner told me that it would be a few days to grow used to you, and to learn to enjoy the pleasure.”  His eyes widened again and she groaned.  “Yes, I felt pleasure!  You silly man!”

“But not like mine.”  His shoulders drooped. “It was not wonderful.  I am sorry.”

“Shall I have to pinch you soon, sir?”  Displaying her fingers and a menacing glare, she soon had him smiling again.  “It
was
wonderful, I
did
love it, and I
do
want to find every place of privacy Pemberley can afford us.”

“Oh.”  His smile grew and he took her hand.  “Well . . . it took time for us to learn how to kiss . . .”

“And we certainly have that mastered.”  Elizabeth leaned on his shoulder.  “Are you better now?”

“Yes, love.”  Once more he took her into his arms and would not let go until he felt her body relax into him.  “There.”  Darcy said softly.  “Now, we should be on our way.”  Elizabeth walked before him, and ducking his head beneath the low doorway, he followed her down the narrow crooked stairs to the ground floor, and out to the waiting carriages.  He cast an eye over the grey sky once again, and was glad to see a spot of blue between the clouds.   “Just a few more hours of riding and we will be home.”

“I would say fourteen more hours and you will introduce me to our new bed.”  Elizabeth murmured as she stepped up into the carriage.  Startled, Darcy stared after her as she settled primly onto her seat, picked up the rug for their legs and looked at him expectantly. 

A slow smile spread over his face and gripping the handhold, he climbed in beside her.  “May time fly, Mrs. Darcy.”  

                              Chris Doyle @ dreamstime.com

“LOOK ON THIS SIDE.”  Elizabeth turned from the window on her right where she had been admiring the seemingly endless walnut groves and a herd of deer pawing at the ground beneath the spreading boughs, and joined her husband at the left side.  He smiled when she leaned on his shoulder, and moving carefully, he sat on the opposite seat so they both could clearly see the view.  “Watch, it is coming.” 

Elizabeth saw his expectant and eager smile, and biting her lip, looked away from him to the window.  “What am I . . .?”   She gasped and both hands went to her mouth.  Darcy let go an audible sigh, and turned to watch her.  The stone facade of Pemberley was bathed in the glow of a single shaft of sunlight breaking through the clouds.  The reflection had an almost ethereal effect upon the mansion, seemingly placed purposely in a blanket of cotton like some child building a village out of model houses.  “Is that real?”  She whispered and looked up to him when the turn in the drive took them away from the ridge.

Darcy took her hands and nodded as it came back into view.  “Of all this, you are mistress.” 

“Oh, heavens.” 

He laughed and started to reassure her when suddenly the horses pulling the carriage picked up speed.  Elizabeth, not expecting the movement, fell forward and Darcy caught her up in his arms and pulled her onto his lap.  “I have you!”  Chuckling, he kissed her.  “I should have warned you, but I have not been here for so long . . . and I am afraid that I was distracted by the view.”  He smiled into her eyes.

“What happened?”  Safely embraced, she leaned on his shoulder and saw that they were moving rapidly down towards the valley where Pemberley House sat. 

“I do not know how or why this happens, we certainly do not train them for it, but for some reason, every team of horses seems to take its head when we reach that part of the drive.  Maybe they spot the house and know that their warm stalls and a good feed are waiting for them.”  He smiled when she laughed.  “I suppose we are all anxious for the same things, man and beast.” 

“You do not let them run the whole way?”

“No, they will relax soon.”  He lifted his chin to the slowing scenery, “You see?  It is happening already.”

“I have so much to learn.”  She spoke pensively and he hugged her, kissing her hair.  Looking back up to him, she found his blue eyes watching her.  “But I know that the staff will help me.  I am not alone.”

“Precisely.  Mrs. Reynolds will love you.”

“How do you know?”  She smiled.

“Because I love you.” 

“And that is all it takes?”  Darcy nodded, and at last they emerged from the forest and onto a straight drive set between rows of elm trees curving around to the side of the house.  Through their bare branches, she looked upon the lake, spotting small ripples playing across it from the cold winter wind.  “How deep is the water?”

“Hmm, in spots quite deep, that was a ravine that was flooded when a stream was dammed a century ago.  It is clean, and provides the water for the house.”  He pointed. “If you look carefully across the lawn, you can see a bit of a depression in the snow?  It is not visible when the grass is growing, but there are pipes beneath the ground, leading to a cistern near the kitchen.”  He saw her surprise and warmed to his subject, speaking proudly.  “We are one of the few, and certainly amongst the first, to experiment with water being available throughout the house.  Well, at least on the ground floor.  If only we could find a way to lift it higher.” Becoming lost in thought, his eyes swept over his home.  Elizabeth studied him, it was the first time she had seen this side of her husband.  It was a new facet and instinctively she knew that this one, the master of the estate, was one he would love to share with her. 

“I would appreciate you teaching me all about these things, what makes the estate run and your plans for it.”

Surprised, he looked back to her.  Pleasure and admiration filled his eyes.  “You would?”

“Yes, I was not just making conversation when I asked of Pemberley before.  If you do not mind speaking to me about it . . . I know that my concern should be the household and the family, and you have your house steward . . .”

“No, no, I . . . I had no idea that you would even care to know such details.”  His smile lit up his eyes.  “Why am I suddenly not surprised that you would?”

“I am not the woman you expected to marry.”  She looked down to where his hands clasped over hers.

“No, you are not.”  He spoke softly.  “Not at all.”  They looked at each other and the carriage passed through a gate into a courtyard, at last coming to a full stop.  Darcy started when the door was suddenly opened and Elizabeth blushed, jumping up from his lap and hurriedly fixing her coat and hat.  Sending her a fleeting smile, he stepped down and nodded to the footman then turned back to the door. 

Elizabeth closed her eyes but before she could so much as begin to think of a prayer, her hand was tugged and she found herself pulled forward and taking her first step onto Pemberley soil.  She looked up to the remarkable edifice.  Darcy tucked her hand onto his arm and she turned to see him watching her carefully.  “It is . . . not Darcy House.”

“No.”  His lips twitched.  “It is not Netherfield, either.” 

“No.”  She whispered and they started walking towards a sheltered side entrance.  They moved across the gravel to a stone courtyard, swept clear of the light snow that covered the path.  A fountain that probably filled the area with life in warmer days sat empty and forlorn.  Stone urns, likely bursting with colourful flowers in spring, were equally stark and covered for winter.  The heels of their boots echoed as they crossed, and brought no comfort as she became increasingly nervous about what she was about to see inside.  The great wooden door opened and warmth touched their faces.  Darcy paused, and without warning bent and scooped her up into his arms. Elizabeth gasped.

“You did not think I would take a chance of you tripping over the threshold did you, love?  I want us to be blessed with good luck in this home, too.”  He laughed and beaming, carried her into the house and down a dark panelled hallway towards a bright light at the end. 

Elizabeth, whatever she had been thinking the interior would be, was wholly unprepared for the sight that greeted her.  To one side of the suddenly spectacularly open space there was a line of servants, the men in livery, the women and girls in matching gowns and caps.  Before them stood two more women, well dressed, one smiling widely, and the other, a young girl, staring in astonishment.  Darcy paid none of them any heed but strode into the middle of the great foyer, and Elizabeth suddenly found herself being spun around as a swirl of impressions filled her mind.  The magnificent marble floors, the enormous staircase, walls painted floor to ceiling with masterful murals, two enormous chandeliers, furniture, artwork, tapestries, colours and beauty that she could never have dreamed existed outside of a palace overwhelmed her senses.  Open mouthed, she held onto Darcy and at last looked to her anchor, who was watching her reaction and smiling. 

“Welcome home, Mrs. Darcy.”

“Oh, Will.” 

She closed her eyes when he came to a stop and brushed his mouth to hers, then kissed her gently, murmuring against her lips.  “And how do you find Pemberley, my dear Elizabeth?”

“It is beautiful.”  She smiled and began to laugh.  “I do not know what to say.”

“That is a first, I think.”  He pursed his lips, but he was clearly bursting with pride, and at last, set her down. 

“Are you provoking me already, sir?”

“We are home, love.  I will provoke you to the end of my days.”  His eyes were alive with sheer joy and taking her hand firmly in his grasp, led her to the two women. 

“Welcome home, Fitzwilliam.”  Susan beamed.

“Thank you, Aunt.”  He smiled and looked to Georgiana, who was staring at Elizabeth.  His smile faltered, but he turned to his wife.  “Dearest, may I introduce you to the two other women in my life?”  Elizabeth smiled and nodded.  “Mrs. Harding Darcy, my Aunt Susan, and my sister, Georgiana.  This is my wife, my Elizabeth.”  Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed it.  “I cannot express how happy I am to bring her home.”

“My husband is particularly silly today.”  Elizabeth blushed with his praise.  “Has he always been so glib?”

“If he has, I have never heard it.”  Susan smiled warmly at her nephew and when he opened his mouth to protest, closed it when Elizabeth squeezed his fingers.

“Mrs. Darcy, my husband has . . . well his praise for you is as limitless as his good heart is warm.  I am truly honoured to meet you at last.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Darcy, I feel the same honour.”  Reaching forward, Susan took her hand and spoke sincerely, “I have hoped for my nephew to find joy in his marriage, and if this remarkable smile is any indication, I believe he has succeeded, or rather you have, my dear.  I would say I have not seen this young man for twenty years.”