Wasn't planning on writing again so soon, but this little one-shot came to me when I heard the
Neil Sedaka song Laughter in Rain. So I listened to it over and over again as I wrote this (good thing I like the song). It doesn't hurt that Mr. Darcy looks especially good when he's been rained on (at least he did in the movie) but I digress. There will be some reference to scenes in the a fore mentioned P & P 2005 film. As always, I'm not Jane Austen, so all her characters and stories belong solely to her.
Laughter in the Rain
They had been married a mere week; and having spent that time at the townhouse in London, he had originally made plans to take her on extended honeymoon to Spain and Italy. However, she had told him that while it was true, she would like to see the world with him by her side, she would rather start her new life as Elizabeth Darcy at Pemberley for the present. He could never say no to her and besides, he longed to be settled at his boyhood home and was elated that she wished that for herself as well.
So after drafting a short note to Mrs. Reynolds (his housekeeper for more years than anyone dared remember), of their impending arrival, the two set off for a leisurely carriage ride to Derbyshire, stopping once along the way at an inn somewhere between the two places. The post had not made it to the estate before they did and Mrs. Reynolds was quite surprised to see them, but she was also glad to once again make the acquaintance of the young lady who had pulled Mr. Darcy out of his melancholy of the prior summer. And it pleased her as well, that Mrs. Darcy wanted to be ensconced at Pemberley so soon after the ceremony. She could not imagine Miss Bingley turning down an excursion all through Europe!
As one might expect, the newly wed couple were hardly seen by anyone for quite a few days after they had come home to Pemberley.
But one day, Elizabeth arose early and upon seeing the sun shine brightly on the lush landscape below the balcony of the master bedroom, decided that it was time for William to take her for a stroll around Pemberley's great gardens, as she had only seen them briefly before. It did not take much convincing on her part; (though try as he might to tempt her with ideas of other activities more to his liking). She promised him that she would gladly entertain his suggestions later on if he would but grant her this one request now.
In actuality, he did not mind showing her the gardens and grounds of their home; he wanted her to see the diversity of flowers and trees, many of which his mother had been instrumental in having been planted there. And he found, much to his delight, that there was something very freeing about being able to walk around the park, without the need for chaperones as was the case during their engagement. They smiled easily at each other, held hands with fingers intertwined; and every once in awhile Mr. Darcy (who was known to be unfriendly, reserved and severe among those of his circle in London) would hinder his wife from going any further by standing in the path to give her a kiss on the cheek or forehead and on several occasions, her lips. To this, she would reward him with a smile that lit up her whole face. They continued this way for quite a while and cared not who might see them.
(The servants might whisper among themselves at the change that had come over their master; for a couple of months prior to his surprise engagement to this heretofore unknown young lady, his mood had been most morose. But they would all certainly agree- it was good to see him enjoying himself).
The sun had been cooperating with their walk, but then, quite unexpectedly, the heavens opened and it started to rain. He began to guide her towards the house, but she had other ideas and pointed to a big tree nearby whose branches hung quite wide around, surely they could take cover there?
He had not been too certain of this but then as she led him under the cover of the branches and leaned back against the tree, he saw the benefit of such a thing. He moved in closer and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, followed by soft kisses that he trailed down her neck and stopped only when he got to her lips. Their breath was getting ragged and he knew that even under a tree in a rainstorm such as was happening around them, it was not a place for such intimacy.
"Ahem." he said, stepping backwards, breaking the spell.
Lizzy grinned at him and seeing something that amused her, laughed outright.
"Well now, Mrs. Darcy, are you laughing at me?" he said, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably as there was a smile on his face as he said it.
"Yes my dear, you are most thoroughly soaked." She touched his hair and tousled it, spraying water everywhere.
He could not help but smile, loving the carefree way of hers that had totally captivated him.
But all of sudden, the smile that she had worn disappeared and he could not help but worry for a moment.
"What is it Lizzy?" he asked her, concerned.
She shook her head as if to dislodge the thought, but as she looked at him; (and now that he had a more serious appearance on his face she could not miss the connection) she remembered how he had looked that day in Hunsford when he had tried to propose the first time and had failed miserably.
"It is nothing," she said, her voice low.
"Tell me, love." he looked hopefully at her and just as he could not refuse any request she made of him; she also could not refuse him.
"It is just...looking at you now, it reminded me of Hunsford. It had rained that day too, do you remember?"
Of course, he could remember, he thought to himself. No matter how much his life had improved since that awful day; he could not forget how after she had taken cover from a sudden downpour, he had proposed to her in a must insulting way. He had been arrogant and conceited and proud. He shivered but it was not from being soaked.
"I am sorry," she told him, "I do not wish to remind you of anything that brings us pain."
"Do not be sorry," he answered her, honestly, "If you had not told me all that I needed to hear on that occasion, I doubt very much we would be standing here today."
She smiled, tentatively at first; and then more broadly as another thought formed in her head.
"I should not tell you this, because I would not want you to become proud again," she said, grinning.
He looked at her, not understanding.
"When I think back to that day; I do not hear the words that you said, I only see you standing there, in front of me." She closed the space between them and cupped his face with her hands, as he had been known in recent days to do to hers. In his mortification of how he must have appeared to her on the day of his first proposal, he tried to look away so that she might not see the regret his face must surely be conveying, but she would not let him.
"You are quite handsome, husband. Even if I could not at that time be prevailed upon to marry you; even I would have allowed how perfectly dashing you are." she gave him a quick grin. Now she had his full attention as he stared at her, having never known she had found him so; or at least, she had never told him it in such a forward manner.
"I also remember that you appeared sad when I would not accept your hand." she herself almost looked near tears at the remembrance of this, "thinking on it now makes me want to show you how much I ardently admire and love you."
He tried to stop her, "Lizzy you don't have to..." but she put her finger to his lips.
"And you were angry too; well, we both were, were we not?" she had never been so angry at another person before or since that occasion. Before he could answer, she continued.
"But then, right before you left; it seemed like you were going to kiss me?" She had actually forgotten about that; the way he had looked at her lips and moved his head towards her, but at the last second, he pulled away. She remembered feeling disappointed but not understanding why.
She looked at him, "Were you, did you think that you might?"
It was something he had never discussed with her; certainly during the engagement would not have been the time to broach such a subject and afterward; he did not wish to remind her of what a cad he had been.
"I wanted to." he told her now, admitting what he himself knew to be true, "I'd had dreams of it. But no, I would not have ever taken such liberties without your permission."
She was still looking at him, and feeling emboldened by the fact that she was his wife now, she stared into his eyes, and then for a moment, dropped her gaze to his lips and back up again; much as he had done all those months before.
"You have my permission now sir." she told him, with twinkling eyes and a slight hint of pink in her cheeks.
"I thank you." he told her, bowing slightly, feeling as if he might possibly be the happiest man alive. He truly was grateful to have received the love of the woman who stood before him.
"Are you as bewitched as you were when you made your second offer?" she asked him, changing the subject to safer memories.
" I dare say, more so." he allowed, and he showed her just how much more so as he took advantage of the permission granted and kissed her rather soundly.
The rain had stopped by then, the sun came back out; but there were two newly married people kissing under a tree at Pemberley who failed to notice it.
The End