Chapter 3.24
Earlier than any evening before, without even troubling to invent an excuse for Georgiana, Darcy led his wife to their apartment. He felt relieved, though exhausted, and needed the comfort of Elizabeth’s tenderness.
Stevens and Sarah helped each of them prepare for the night in their own chambers.
After a long day, Darcy needed a shave and a bath, to wash away the tiredness and the dirt that burdened him.
There were details that he had found out regarding Lord Walford’s parties that horrified him.
Things nobody who attended spoke openly about, but still gossip escaped to the outside.
As much as he tried to think of a quick and convenient resolution, it was hard to achieve one.
Even if the rumours were true, they were difficult to prove.
Surely the children had been brought to the house with their families’ approval and by hosting them, Lord Walford was not breaking any law.
For the children to complain about any mistreatment was unlikely, even if someone did succeed in speaking to them.
Judge Darcy could request some explanation from Lord Walford if there were reasonable suspicions, but the sordid affair could last longer, and the children would be in even greater danger.
And even if somehow the children could be taken from the earl’s property, where should they be taken?
Under whose’s responsibility? What would their families have to say on the matter?
His head was aching, and he struggled to put aside his worries, if only for the night. The next morning, he would speak to the Matlocks again.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was expected to return home that very night, and he looked forward to sharing his concerns with him. There was nobody that Darcy trusted more to discuss even the most horrendous notions.
On a more positive note, in two days they would be celebrating their two month anniversary, and the Bennets, the Bingleys, the Matlocks and the Gardiners were all expected at a dinner party.
A dinner party which he had succeeded in keeping a secret from Elizabeth, having Mrs. Talbot’s complete support and everyone else’s cooperation.
The image of Elizabeth’s eyes sparkling with astonishment and joy and her face brightened from happiness was enough inducement for him to spare no effort in his plans, despite the unexpected turmoil they had been forced to endure in the last few days.
“Do you need anything else, sir?”
His valet’s voice brought Darcy back from his musings. He brushed his fingers over his shaved face, then through his hair and breathed deeply.
“No, that will be all. I shall ring for you in the morning. Good night.”
Stevens exited without the master even noticing him. Darcy was already stepping towards the adjoining door, anticipating the scent and the image of his wife, waiting for him.
However, instead of Elizabeth, he saw Sarah, arranging Elizabeth’s nightgowns on the bed, next to several large towels. The maid startled at his entrance and quickly excused herself.
“Mrs. Darcy is still in the bath…I will let her know that…”
“That will not be necessary, Sarah. You may retire now, Mrs. Darcy will ring for you in the morning.”
Sarah hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded. “Very well, sir. As you wish.”
“Sarah?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Is everything settled for the day after tomorrow?”
“Oh, yes, sir! Just as you requested.”
“Very well. Good night.”
“Good night, sir.”
The maid left, and Darcy locked the door behind her. He smiled at his own gesture; nobody would dare disturb them. However, he wished to be certain nevertheless.
With a house full of people for the next month, he must learn to always lock the doors when he wished for some privacy with his wife. The Bennets were far from being discreet, and he could easily imagine Mrs. Bennet barging in on them when they least expected it.
Darcy heard Elizabeth calling for Sarah, and he grabbed the towel, walking towards her in silence. He stopped to look at her, mesmerised. She was sunk in the bath, with her hair lifted in pins and tied with a white ribbon.
When she noticed her husband, a small cry of surprise escaped from her lips and she quickly crossed her arms to cover her chest. Then she relaxed and smiled at him in a tender invitation, and Darcy moved closer.
“I hope I did not startle you, my love. I dismissed Sarah for the night.”
“You surprised me, but that does not mean the surprise is unwelcome,” she teased him.
He was wearing trousers and a thin shirt, opened at the top to reveal his neck.
“I would be disappointed to know otherwise, madam,” he said, then kneeled near the bath.
Their gazes locked; his eyes darkened, and a smile twisted his lips. His fingers caressed her face, wet and warm, then his lips captured hers.
As the kiss deepened, his hand slid into the hot water and his fingers found her soft breasts, claiming them tenderly. Both moaned within the kiss, at the same time.
His left arm encircled her shoulders and his right hand travelled lower, along her belly, her hips, her thighs—then slipped between them.
Her body shivered in anticipation, even before she felt his caress inside her.
She fought for air and his lips withdrew to allow her to breathe and moan in delight.
He spread soft kisses across her throat and shoulder, then trapped her mouth again with his own, just as the sensuous pleasure from his strokes shattered her entire being.
Gently and tenderly, he kissed her face again, allowing her to breathe. His hand still rested on her warm softness and he began caressing her legs again.
“Oh, Fitzwilliam…” she whispered.
“It is time to leave this bath,” he said hoarsely, gently pulling her out and wrapping her in the towel, then carried her into the bedchamber and placed her on the bed.
This room was darker, with only two candles and the fire burning.
He pulled the sheets aside, then dried her skin with another towel, inch by inch.
She closed her eyes and abandoned herself to his ministrations.
She heard him removing his own clothes but did not open her eyes until she felt him lean over her.
He lay above her, supporting himself on his elbows, then smiled as he caressed her face.
“I cannot decide if I prefer to see your beautiful face in the candlelight or the daylight, my beloved. I have admired and touched and caressed and kissed every inch of your body, and I still want more…I am yearning for you in every possible way.”
“I have felt more delight than I imagined to be possible, and I still want more…” she answered.
She pulled his head closer to her and whispered, her lips daringly fondling his earlobe.
“Sometimes I feel ashamed of what I feel and how I behave, but there is nothing that I want more than to feel it again. My heart and my body are craving for your love, all the time...”
“Never be ashamed of receiving my ardent love, or of returning it, my dearest Elizabeth.”
His lips, his tongue, and his whispers started building a fire inside her again.
Then her mouth was suddenly freed, as the kisses lowered.
He tasted and savoured every newly revealed spot, making Elizabeth shiver at each touch.
He explored the beauty of her breasts, tantalising each one with kisses and strokes, which became more and more eager, conquering her body.
She opened her eyes and met his dark gaze, making her tremble.
Her face and her body arched toward him.
He stroked her legs, then gently pulled them apart before slowly lifting them around his waist and, leaning forward a little, found his way inside her.
She gasped, feeling him strong and deep, slowly taking possession of her being.
He kept gazing at her, while his thrusts became longer, slower, more powerful.
His hands caressed her shoulders, her arms, her face, then brushed over her breasts and captured both as his thrusts increased.
Elizabeth cried out again, biting her lips as she tried to move with him. Her arms and legs gripped strongly around him, pulling him closer and deeper.
He bent to steal a kiss, then his hands returned to the sweet possession of her breasts, and his thrusts grew harder and faster.
Her thoughts vanished, lost in the whirl of sensations that made her head spin and her heart beat wildly.
Their moans, their moves, their passion were perfectly matched and they were incapable of stopping. Elizabeth struggled to open her eyes to meet his gaze.
Eventually, after a time that seemed as long as an entire night, they reached their fulfilment together, in a final fierce shattering that left them utterly consumed in their bliss.
For a long moment, they remained in complete silence, with their bodies still united in a tight embrace.
Then he whispered, “If I were to tell you again how much I love you, the words would be empty and meaningless in comparison with what we just shared, my dearest Elizabeth.”
“I trust we no longer need words for our love, my beloved husband. You must not tell me anything, as you have already shown it to me so many times! I have you in my mind, in my body, in my heart and you are mine as much as I am yours.”
She was right once again. So he only kissed her hands and pulled her closer to his chest, while they struggled to find some rest. Words were useless.