18th August 1811

The following morning, Elizabeth was first to enter the breakfast room. She was at the buffet when Darcy entered, but he stopped abruptly in the doorway. "Elizabeth, I did not anticipate you to rise again so early."

She smiled, but a blush formed upon her cheeks, as she remembered her actions from the night before, What am I to do? Act normally after he has seen me come undone? She pondered, but concluded that was the only way forward. "Good morning William, I had a wonderful rest and woke up refreshed, the room is so comfortable."

"I am glad you are finding it to your liking," he smiled, but Elizabeth could see that he was not his usual self. Had being in her presence after the previous night affected him also? Of course it had, for he was equally uncomfortable as she was, and both were fighting their embarrassment.

Trying to keep the conversation flowing, Elizabeth managed to continue her discourse, "I would doubt you would find anyone on this earth, who would not find them to their liking. Such luxury and comfort and the atmosphere is so calming, such a fine resting place."

"If you think they are fine, you should see the mistresses rooms, but I do not think it would be a good idea to show you at present."

"Why ever not? I would love to see them," she said.

"Because… I would not be able to get the picture of you in that room out of my head, and to have that in my mind and not in my bed, would be too much to bear. When I gaze upon you in those rooms, it will be as my wife and nothing else," he cooed, as he walked towards her.

Elizabeth could feel his energy the closer he got, she felt her guard weaken as he stood before her. She had to give some sort of response, the only thing on her mind was why hadn't he asked her? She knew he wanted to, so why was he waiting. "But you have yet to ask," she said shyly.

"I am glad you said yet, for it will happen… soon, my love. As I have already said, we will both know when the time is right."

But the time is right, William. Can you not see it? Can you not feel my love for you? Ask me now! she pleaded silently.

As the rest of the party entered the room, each broke from their own thoughts. Darcy pulled out the chair to his right, offering it to Elizabeth, as he wished for her to be close to him again. As she took her seat, he caressed her arm with his thumb, rubbing up and down her bare skin in a slow gentle tempo. A salacious little private moment had been had between them, without the rest of the occupants in the room noticing. Elizabeth looked up at him, when he took his place and witnessed a glimmer of a smile form on his face, when he glanced momentarily back at her. She blushed as she realised he was playing with her, hoping to get a reaction. So Mr Darcy, it is like that now, is it? she pondered, thinking of how she could retaliate.

"So, did you manage to get the boat out of the outbuilding?" she asked, hoping that he had arranged for the watery excursion. Darcy smiled and pointed his knife, which he was holding, in the direction of the window. As Elizabeth looked out across the lawns, she could see the row boat on the lake, a footman was aboard arranging something.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, "I cannot wait! But what is he doing?" she puzzled. Darcy looked out and stated that he was covering the boat with a couple of blankets, so as not to chance splinters. Cushions were also being added for comfort, so that if she cared, she could lay down and relax, whilst he rowed the length of the lake.

"I think I will need to change my clothes, for this dress is not appropriate for such an activity," she stated, knowing exactly how to pay him back for the audacity of touching her in such a way.

As they finished their meal, Elizabeth returned to her rooms and went to her trunk, which had not been moved from the corner of the room. She pulled out her waistcoat and breeches that she had the insight to bring with her and placed them onto the bed. As she was busying herself, her aunt came into the room to ask what she was doing, but stilled when she saw the garments on the bed. "Lizzy, surely you cannot be serious in wearing those? What will people think of you?"

"Aunt, he is taking me out on a boat. I cannot get into it with all the material a dress possesses, it would hinder my step and I may end up falling into the water. Also, if I were to fall overboard or the boat capsized, at least I wont drown with the weight of several yards of soaked fabric wrapping around my legs. The breeches are the best option, there is no one here that will object, surely you and uncle will not and I know that William will be fine, he will see the logic in my choice."

"I can see your point, but Lizzy, it shows everything."

"Everything? I am sure I will be fully covered, I have even taken to wearing stockings, which I do not usually do this time of year."

"And what is that?" Mrs Gardiner said, pointing to the waistcoat, "I hope you are wearing something underneath it."

"I have adapted one of my dresses and made a shirt like garment for underneath, it will look well enough, please do not fret."

When she changed, she looked at herself in the mirror. Gazing back at herself, she did not know what to think, for she looked like a dandy.

As Elizabeth descended the stairs after changing, she saw Darcy in the vestibule. As he turned towards her, he dropped the small wicker basket that he had been holding and gaped at her. Elizabeth looked up from the items that had spilt out onto the floor to his face and laughed.

"Whatever is the matter William, you will catch flies if you are not careful," she teased, as she watched the man in front of her regain some sense and closed his mouth.

"Erm?.. I… Err?.." is all Darcy could sound.

"Oh dear, it seems you have lost your tongue. I hope not as I have taken quite a fancy to it recently," she giggled, as she walked by.

Darcy could do nothing than let out a whimper when she brushed against him with her hips. "Are you not coming William? I thought we were going for this excursion."

"Yes," he said clearing his throat, "It is just… Elizabeth, you cannot go out looking like that," he stuttered.

"Why ever not? I am not getting into the boat in a dress, I will fall and if I were to fall into the water, it will weigh me down. Do you wish for me to drown?"

"Of course not, it is just… Oh Lizzy, you asked me if I was coming and I may well do, in my breeches," he gasped, as he looked down at her nether region. "Fff! They are flap open breeches! Dear god!" he groaned under his breath.

"Do you want me to change?" Elizabeth asked, on seeing his total lack of control.

"No! Just let me get used to it. Good god Lizzy, I cannot keep my eyes off of you," he said as he walked towards her. However, Elizabeth thought she would be escorted outside, but Darcy pulled her into the library and into their corner of the room.

"What are you doing? We should not be in here," she said, as he dragged her into a small secret room hidden by an invisible door in the bookcases. She found herself in a small enclosure of around ten foot square, made from bookcases, sat in the corner was a comfortable chair and a small wine table, where three nondescript books sat.

"No one will know we are in here," he stated, as he moved closer to her. Elizabeth's blood started to pump, as she saw the look upon his face, for she had never seen him so aroused. He brought his lips down to hers and kissed her as he had done the day before, his tongue had traversed her sweet mouth once more and Elizabeth was happy to oblige with her own eagerness. She could feel his hands upon her breasts, now desperate to caress her unrestrained bosom. "You are not wearing any stays!" he gasped.

"No," she managed to breathe out in between heaving breaths.

His hand moved downward, towards her pudenda and rested on the waistband of her breeches. Dare he touch her there? Would she be repulsed? He looked into her eyes, pleading for admittance and as her eyes fluttered closed, she nodded her head slightly to welcome his advances. She could feel his fingers tremble as he unfasten the button on the top right, then the middle, but kept the far left fastened. It was enough for him to slide his hand in and make contact with his universe.

Elizabeth gasped at his touch and Darcy groaned at her wetness, for she was soaked from their initial passions. She had to hold his arms for fear of falling, once he started his ministrations of her femininity. His fingers flitted through her folds and encircled her sensitive spot, a sensation that Elizabeth knew, but discovered was so much more intense, when left to another's charge. His actions were well calculated and eager, but he did not wish to stop, even though he was so desperate to taste her. His desires for her juices overflowed, as her scent penetrated his nostrils, awakening his baser instinct. Finally, he brought his hand up to his lips, where Elizabeth witnessed him sucking his fingers. "What did you do that for?" she questioned in a heady state.

"I wanted to taste you, Lizzy, your sweet nectar beckons me further, for it must be a love potion and I am spellbound. Let me kiss you there, let me bestow such feelings and desires you can never imagine."

"Yes. Worship me, take what I give freely."

As he dropped to his knees, Elizabeth felt the last button at the flap loosen and her lady parts were exposed to him. He gazed upon her femininity, as though it was a painting framed by the fabric of her clothing, before he pulled her to him and into his face. Darcy instinctively run his nose along the front of her crease and breathed in her fragrance. His groan was quiet, but did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth, who let out a small victorious 'yes'. Memories of her dream at Longbourn flooded her thoughts, how he had worshipped her then felt nothing like what she was experiencing now. She had only imagined how it would feel, but it was only a fraction of the sensations she was appreciating at that moment. "William, I am close, she cried out as he continued to flick her bud with the tip of his tongue.

He could feel her legs buckle and managed to keep her standing, as he pushed her back against the bookshelf and his hands assisted in supporting her body, as she climaxed in his face. Darcy slowed his oral movements, in order to feel the slight repetitive twitches of her inner spasms upon his tongue. He longed to push his fingers into her core, but also knew that he had to hold back for he surely would take her complete, if he were to experience the sensation of her warm wet softness of her inner depths. Almost at breaking point he pulled away, hoping a distance would calm his ardour, before he erupted in his breeches. He stood and looked into his lovers eyes, which were still full of want, he was still full of want. "Lizzy, I need to sort myself out, you should leave," he stated, before he lost control, grabbed her and ploughed his cock into her core.

"Why should I leave? Do you not wish me to help?"

Darcy could not say no. He unfastened the flap to his breeches and placed her hand under the hem of his shirt, which had been tucked into the waistband. "Feel me, stroke along its length." He breathed. He felt her gently pull at his boy and removed it from the confines of his clothes, he hissed as he saw her hand run up and down its shaft. As he got his handkerchief ready, he warned her of the imminent ejaculation, for he was not sure she was aware of it. However, as he was about to expel, she fell to her knees and took him into her mouth. As her lips covered his tip, Darcy groaned loudly and pushed his hips forward and so immersing himself deeper into her mouth, where he shuddered his release. Elizabeth did not know what to do, so she just swallowed it, hoping it would not do her any harm. Darcy fell to his knees and kissed her over and over again, I love you so much Lizzy, please marry me, I will not take no for an answer," he pleaded.

"Yes, oh yes darling, of course I will. I love you so much William," she cried.

Darcy picked her up in his arms and sat down in the chair with her curled up on his lap. She spied his locket and pulled it out to look at it once more. Such a detailed intricate design on the casing, not giving any indication as to what lay inside. She sighed as she remembered the day that it had fell from her hair, then remembered something. "Father's flask!"

"Do not worry over that, I still have it. It was a very valuable piece of the puzzle, which led me to you."

"How so? It is just a silver hip flask," she said, puzzled at how he could surmise her name from such a basic item.

"It may well be just a silver hip flask, but it has your father's monogram engraved upon it. Bingley finally worked out to whom it belonged to."

As Darcy gazed at Elizabeth handling his locket, he noticed her breeches were still undone, where he could see his love's womanhood and the dark thatch of hair that covered it. "You have a very pretty fanny, Lizzy," he murmured.

"Oh!" she blushed, "Are you allowed to say that?"

"Why ever not? For it is pretty and sweet, just like its owner," he said, as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Oh!" she said with a degree of shyness. "Not that I wish to change the subject or indeed move from your embrace, but we will be missed if we do not make haste and go outside," she said, but added after a pause, "Can we keep our betrothal to ourselves for the moment? If uncle knew you have proposed, then he may wish to leave earlier than the end of the week, for he will not want for me to be under the same roof, if there is an understanding."

"I think that is best, I can return to Longbourn once you depart from Matlock, do you know if your father will be back from Bath by then?"

Elizabeth did not have a clue, for there had been no word from him since a few days after he left, to say he had arrived safely. Then she realised something, "Father usually gives uncle total control over my guardianship, whilst we are away, he has a letter to state that fact. I doubt father realised that I would wish to marry at such a time, so did not put in any clauses, so it is assumed, by his omission, that uncle has the power to give his consent."

"I will ask at the end of the week then, I want you for as long as possible."

After calming sufficiently to continue the day, they left the confines of the secret room and made their way outside, where they spotted the Gardiners across the lake. Eager to get into the boat, Elizabeth dragged Darcy along by his arm. Seeing her urgency, he laughed and quickened his pace. As they carefully sat down, in the hopes to not rock the boat and capsize, Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh.

"Are you comfortable, my love?" Darcy purred.

"Yes, exceedingly, I am very comfortable and content with life," she smiled, gazing up at him from her recline, "I love you so much, William."

This declaration brought a grin to his face, for he was at that moment in heaven, or as close as he imagined it would feel like. "You know you have made me the happiest of men, Lizzy, our marriage will be a happy one."

"I know it will be, it is a shame we will be so far from my family though," she pondered aloud. "I will miss Jane terribly."

"She can visit, they all can, but not right away, I wish to have you to myself for at least a month."

"And what should we do during that time?" she asked salaciously.

"Firstly, I will lock you in my bedchambers, where I will make delicious love to you for at least a week, before we are ever to set foot downstairs. Then I will take you in every room in this house."

"Well, you have almost had me in the library, there isn't much left to do," she chuckled.

"It was a miracle that I did not completely take you, I was fighting the most intense feelings I have ever had, I nearly lost control, as I watched you take your pleasure," he stated, but then his expression changed to that of guilt. "I thought I would never compromise a maiden, I thought I had enough willpower to stay off any amount of baser instinct, but you took me by surprise and I could not fend off my animal urges. Please forgive me for my actions this morning, Lizzy."

Elizabeth sat up from her recline, "No! No! Do not blame yourself, William, for it was as much my fault as yours. I should not have teased you with what I am wearing. I knew before I put it on, that you would have some sort of reaction to it, I didn't think it would be so intense, for the both of us."

"But I have compromised you," he said, now deflated.

"And I have taken liberties also, it goes both ways. You did not wish for me to kneel down before you, I did that of my own choosing."

Darcy went to gaze down at his fingers, which were now twiddling into a tangle, but stopped when he noticed Elizabeth's breeches. "Dear God, Lizzy! Your breeches have a wet patch!" he groaned.

"Oh no! Do you have a handkerchief?" she said, panic stricken.

"Yes, but it has my seed on it, you cannot use that! Here, take the napkin from the wicker basket," he said, as he handed her the small hamper.

"Oh, strawberries, were you going to feed them to me?" she smiled.

"Well… yes, there is a rather secluded spot, where I was going to stop and feed them to you. So no eating them now," he laughed, but stopped in order to watch as she tried to discretely dry herself with the napkin.

"That will have to do, I must say that these breeches are very well designed, it is a shame women are not allowed to wear them, for they are rather comfortable and not so hot as a dress in this weather."

"You will permanently have a wet crotch though," he groaned again, thinking of putting his head between her now slightly splayed legs. "Lizzy, do you have to lay like that? You have no idea what it is doing to me."

"It will dry quicker, William, just revert your eyes, maybe concentrate on where you are rowing, if you are indeed rowing," she said, as she gazed out over the water and surveyed their having only moved fifty yards. "Do you think we will get to the secluded area before dark?" she giggled.

Darcy took to rowing the boat as fast as he could, but in doing so, one of the oars came detached from the rowlock and drifted into the water. "Shit!" came a rather angry Darcy.

"Do not swear!" Elizabeth chastised, but all too soon broke her feign shock by giggling like a child.

"Wait, I think I can reach it," he said as he bent across the edge of the boat, but all too soon, he lost his balance and fell into the water with a splash.

"William!" Elizabeth shouted, as she sat up from her slumber.

"I am fine, Lizzy, I am not hurt," he cried out as he grabbed the oar and tried to clamber back into the boat. However, his weight was such that it pulled the boat down so that the Gunwale was level with the water. Elizabeth could feel the boat turn and did not have enough warning to hold on, so as the boat tipped, she slid across, giving more weight to that edge. Within a matter of seconds, the boat turned and Elizabeth fell into the water.

"Lizzy!" he gasped as he took in a mouthful of water from the splash. Darcy could not see her, so dived under the water, but as he did, she came up for air with a splutter.

"William! No!" she cried, but she was relieved when his face appearing not ten inches from hers, with sodden hair that had glued itself to his face.

Darcy wrapped his arm about her waist and they clung to each other, but it was only a few seconds before neither could stop laughing. Mr and Mrs Gardiner saw the whole thing from across the lake and had rushed to the water's edge to help.

"Are you injured?" Mrs Gardiner shouted across.

"No, just rather wet, aunt. I think you need to get help for I do not think that I am decent enough to get out of the water."

"Whatever do you mean?" Darcy said, but looked down into the shallow water and noticed her shirt was rather paper thin and showed her nipples through the sheer translucent fabric. "Fuck Lizzy!" he exclaimed under his breath, so that only she could hear.

"Yes you can, William, but not until we are married," she giggled. This made Darcy roar with laughter, but all too soon he had pulled her down into the depths of the water to plant a kiss upon her lips, before they emerged again, giggling like children.

They knew they could not frolic in the waters for long, so Darcy grabbed Elizabeth by the waist and pulled her to the lakeside. By the time they reached dry land, Mrs Reynolds was waiting with a blanket." Mr Darcy, whatever were you thinking of?" she chastised, "The poor thing will catch a chill."

"What? It is the middle of August, I am sure Miss Bennet quite enjoyed cooling off," he stated still in great humour.

Mrs Reynolds, however, was not best pleased. She marched Elizabeth into the house and up the stairs to the cream rooms, where she had organised for a hot bath to be prepared. On her instruction, she insisted that the lady take a nap after her bathing, to rest her bones.


Elizabeth woke and dressed in time for dinner. Having spent best part of the afternoon in bed, she felt very well rested. Dinner was a lively affair and many stories were told of how Elizabeth, as a child, resembled that of a tomboy. Darcy thought of how she had grown up, being allowed to act as that of a boy, then realised that she was still of that mind, for surely that would be the reasoning behind her breeches.

As the evening drew on, the party made their way to their bedchambers. Elizabeth anticipated Darcy coming to her that night, but was not sure how to act. He had taken liberties during the morning, but then she had allowed him. Would he continue his attentions, once they were in the privacy of her bedchambers? She realised that as he was not aware of her knowing his presence the previous two nights, she had to allow him to decide what to do.

19th August 1811 ~ Sometime After midnight

Waiting in the darkness, Elizabeth finally fell to sleep, but woke at around three in the morning to a light snore, sounding from the corner of the room. As she turned in her bed, she saw Darcy sitting in his chair with only his breeches and shirt on, for he was bare footed and his neckcloth was missing. God, he looks divine, she mused.

Without even a thought of propriety, she got out of bed and walked over to him. Wishing to be closer, she sat down upon his lap and curled herself up into a ball. This woke Darcy, but he was rather bemused as to what was happening. "What! Where! Lizzy, what are you doing? Dear god, you are naked!" he growled.

Elizabeth did not respond, but wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him like a clinging vine. Darcy tried to remove himself from her embrace, but she was having none of it. "William, do not let me go."

"I am sorry, Lizzy, for being in your room. I must admit that I have taken to sitting in here at night, since you arrived," he confessed.

"I know," she whispered.

"You know? But how? You have been asleep have you not?"

"No, I have not, I was awake for most of it," she said, glad that the dimness of the night disguised her blush.

"But… yesterday?" Darcy gasped.

"Yes, I was awake for some of it, I am sorry, I should not have done what I did, but could not help myself."

"Oh my darling," he said as he held her in his arms. "I do need to go, for I will surely finish off what I started this morning," he said as he picked her up and placed her back onto the bed.

"William, please…" she pleaded with outstretched arms.

Darcy was in a dilemma, he wanted to stay. The woman whom he was in love with was laying naked on the bed, beckoning him to join her, but to do so would put her into such a dreadful position. Could he walk away? Should he stay? He did not know what to do so stood gazing upon her for what seemed an eternity.