Chapter 1.7 #5
It was dawn, and the rain had stopped when a slight movement in the room awakened her.
She did not open her eyes, but she wondered why the maid had not retired as she promised.
Freezing, she felt somebody sitting next to her on the bed, taking her hand gently then placing a soft, light kiss on her forehead.
She did not move nor even breathe; she knew it was him, and she did not dare guess why he was in her room again and what he would do next.
For an instant, the realisation of what would happen if somebody found him there struck her, but she put the thought aside as quickly as it arose.
His fingers were still holding her hand, and all her blood seemed to race to that precise point on her skin.
She felt his gaze travelling over her face, and then she felt him lowering over her again, his fingers tenderly playing with a lock of her hair.
She could not pretend she was asleep any longer; she wanted to see him.
She opened her eyes, and before he had time to recover from the shock of being discovered, she smiled at him, their fingers still tightly together.
“Mr Darcy, why are you not sleeping, sir? It is almost morning.”
In the light of the fire, she saw him frown, his face turning pale; he looked mortified, and it was a moment before he could speak, desperately attempting to remove his hand from hers and rise from the bed.
“Miss Bennet, please forgive me. I should not be here…It is only that…I checked on Georgiana, and I could not rest until I was certain that you were well, too. I thought the maid was still here, and I wanted to ask her…and when nobody answered my knock, I could not restrain myself from entering. Please forgive me…I have no excuse for my scandalous behaviour.”
Her heart melted, and she wished for nothing more than to caress his handsome face and tell him how happy she felt that he—the most proper of men—had broken the rules of strict propriety because of her and could not sleep until he was certain she was well.
She did not dare do so but she did dare something else: to choose honesty instead of the demands of decorum.
She was not offended by his care; she was grateful to have him there, and she intended to show him that.
She also wanted him to stay a moment longer.
The harm had been done anyway. What would another moment cost?
“I asked the maid to retire earlier. She had been most dutiful, and I was feeling very well indeed, so there was no need to keep her awake.” She struggled to explain as she gathered all her courage to continue.
“Sir, there is nothing to forgive; I know there is no excuse for your being in my room at this hour, as I have no excuse for allowing you to stay. However, I want to thank you for your care and concern. I am feeling very well indeed,” she repeated, then added teasingly, “And I certainly hope you will finally get some rest, too. It would not do to for you to become ill from lack of sleep.”
An expression of heartfelt delight lit his face and softened it; Elizabeth was certain he was more handsome than ever. She was no longer cold, yet she quivered when she felt his fingers returning to caress hers.
“Thank you, Miss Bennet,” he whispered. “As for my becoming ill, there is no need to worry; I am better than I have been in the last many years.”
“As am I,” she whispered, her eyes gazing steadfastly into his.
“I shall leave you now,” he said after a long moment. “However, Miss Bennet, I hope tomorrow we will have the opportunity to talk again…and if the weather will allow us, there are some places I would like to show you—together with Georgiana, of course.”
She dared to presume she knew what he wanted to tell her and did not have the confidence to do it.
How could she make him understand he had nothing to fear?
Was she not eloquent enough in showing her feelings?
After all, she had admitted him to her room in the middle of the night with not a single word of censure. Was that not proof enough?
“Mr Darcy, I will look forward to anything you would like to show me…or tell me.” She blushed, mortified by her desperate audacity in encouraging him. Her reward was immediate as the light smile on his lips told her he understood her meaning.
“Thank you, Miss Bennet. I also look forward to tomorrow.” He lifted her fingers to his lips and touched them briefly, while his eyes caressed her with breathtaking tenderness. He rose from her side, and with a slow pace and a last look, he finally left.
She sighed, and then she placed her lips on her own fingers, on the same spot that had touched his lips. The gesture made her want more, and until she fell asleep again, she wondered about the feeling of his lips upon hers.
∞∞∞
Darcy closed the door to Elizabeth’s room with great care, peering down the hallway to see whether anyone was around. It was empty and silent as was the entire house.
However, in a dark corner of the hall, hidden from Darcy’s vigilance, a pair of inquiring eyes watched in shock as Mr Darcy exited the room that was occupied by Miss Elizabeth Bennet.