A/N: Hello my dear readers (all 15 of you, I love you very much!). Here we go again! Thank you for the support! And never forget: you are free to speak your mind!
Chapter 10
"I do not wish for you to think ill of me." Lizzy's voice was muffled against Darcy's chest.
"And pray tell me, why do you have the impression that I would do such thing?" Darcy was holding her tight against him. Their bare skin touching was exquisite.
"I understand that for you, what we have just done is considered to be the act of a depraved or wanton woman. And I am no such thing . . ." she said sadly. "My life here is so confusing."
Darcy pulled back a little so he could face her. "Do you wish to know what Mr. Fass and I have done these days past?"
"Yes. . ." Although Fass had already told Lizzy about his time with Mr. Darcy, she wished to hear his version of the events.
"He taught me about your science; he said I was quite good with engineering and that it would be helpful to you." He smiled at her whole-hearted grin. "And I also watched a lot of your movies."
"They are not mine. . ."
"I understand you did not make them, but you brought them here, so they are yours," he said caressing her cheeks with the back of his hand. "I wished to learn about your society's rules."
"Was it helpful, Mr. Darcy?"
"Indeed, it was. I understand you much better now, and I find you even more special." He was now caressing her lips. "I have a proposition for you."
"And what would that be, Mr. Darcy?"
"When we are alone, I propose that we act upon your societal rules. Any place that it is just the two of us, we will behave as if you were still at home."
"Are you suggesting that I could do or say anything I wish to, anyway I wish to, without risk of losing your good opinion?" Lizzy glanced at him suspiciously.
"Indeed, that is exactly what I am suggesting, Miss Bennet."
Lizzy's eyes shone with contentment, she would finally be able to let herself go sometimes, without fearing the disapproval of others, she would, even if it was just for brief moments in time, be free again. "I would like nothing better! Oh, from now on, you must not call me Miss Bennet when we are together, it will be just Lizzy."
"Only if you also cease calling me Mr. Darcy," he teased.
"And what shall I call you then?"
"By my name, Fitzwilliam."
Lizzy beamed at Darcy and gave a gentle kiss on his lips. "All right, Fitzwilliam. It's a deal!"
Darcy felt an instant response to his body from the touch of her lips. His desire for her was so intense it was impossible to not act upon it. He placed both hands upon her cheeks, kissed her thoroughly, and quickly rolled her to her back so he could pin her to the bed. His eyes darkened with desire and he looked deeply into hers as his body moved on top of her. Lizzy moaned loudly as he opened her legs to enter her once more. This time, he was moving slowly, savouring each emotion that played across her beautiful face. He wanted to celebrate their newly formed agreement and to make sure Lizzy felt as much happiness as he did. Even at this unhurried pace, he could not hold on much longer. He buried his face in the pulse point at her neck and paused.
Her fingers tightly grip his dishevelled curls. "No," she pleaded. "Do not stop."
And so he does not, sometimes going faster, sometimes slower. She says nothing but her body's responses, her half-stifled moans, and her soft gasps as he again and again goes deep inside her are the most eloquent words he has ever heard.
Suddenly her fingers dig hard against his back, she locks eyes with his as if to a mooring and her body talks to him more loudly than before. He quickens his pace as Lizzy finds her release and he soon follows her into oblivion, her name on his lips.
As her world begins to refocus, Darcy rolls onto his back pulling Lizzy with him. She smiles against his chest noticing his sleepy eyes.
"Why don't you take a nap while I cook for us?"
"I do not wish you to leave. . ." His baritone voice purrs into her ear.
"Come, get under the sheets and I will be back very soon, with something for us to eat." Lizzy stands, wrapping herself in a robe draped over the back of the bedroom chair, and leans down to kiss the cheek of a half-asleep Darcy.
~wa~
In truth, Lizzy needed time alone to think through the events so far. She had only met Darcy a couple of weeks ago; and yet their acquaintance was so intense that she had already let him bed her. Deep inside, she always knew that from their very first encounter, if he wanted her, she would let him have her. He is so easy to talk to, intellectually curious and with such an improved mind. Of course, I would be attracted to him, and he is Fitzwilliam Darcy, after all! Oh my God! I just had sex with Mr. Darcy!
And what sex! Lizzy had known the pleasures that being with a man could bring, but with Darcy, it was much more than anything she had ever experienced. His wide hands holding her in place and his demanding mouth were her undoing. She closed her eyes and felt a familiar ache return to her womanly parts. Oh god, I could have him again right now! She flushed at the thought of a sleeping Darcy naked in her own bed.
Although lust was controlling much of her mind, she was still able to evaluate the consequences of this morning. She was concerned if his behaviour towards her would change. He did say he would not and she was relying on it, for she already considered Darcy as a good friend, just like Paul. Maybe he could sustain a physical relationship with her. Lizzy was aware of men's tendency in this society of seeking professionals to attend to their "gentlemanly" needs. Surely Darcy was no different; his skills were very developed indeed to not be.
Adding to all that, there was the fact that Darcy knew her story, knew the truth. He was the only person in this land that had such extensive knowledge of her home and it had not driven him away. On the contrary, it seemed to make him more willing to be a part of her life.
Yes, he will not run away now. It will be an arrangement with mutual benefits; he will learn incredible things and I will have a chance to act under my own rules. With such a resolution in mind, Lizzy prepared a generous tray so they could have picnic in her bed.
"You cook very well, Lizzy." Darcy said while caressing her naked back after their third lovemaking session. "I became very fond of Italian cuisine during my Grand Tour."
"Italian is my favourite, Fitzwilliam," Lizzy said with a somnolent voice, now the sleepy one.
Remembering his original mission this day, he said, "You do know that I came to see you for a gentlemanly reason, I needed to share information with you. But you drove me to distraction." He grinned searching for his discarded trousers. "Here it is," Darcy handed Lizzy a paper. "This is a letter from my friends in town, requiring you to visit Oxford as soon as possible."
When he returned to bed, Lizzy sat between Darcy's legs, her back against his chest, with the letter in hand. He encircled his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. She then read the letter out loud.
London, 11 April 1811
Darcy,
Our friends request that Miss Bennet should visit Oxford as soon as possible, for they have many questions about, well, everything. It is quite annoying to deal with the elders amongst us behaving like giggling schoolgirls.
I am willing to pay all expenses for you to bring the woman as soon as possible. Although I have no money, I can always sign a debt paper with no due date, of course.
Your friend,
Henry Tilney
"I like Henry─," Her sentence was immediately interrupted by Darcy.
"Excuse me, what did you just call him?" He tightened the grip on her waist, forcing their bodies into full contact.
"I am sorry." Although he spoke playfully, Lizzy could sense a small annoyance in his tone. Maybe he is a little jealous, she smiled to herself. "As I was saying, I like Mr. Tilney. He seems to have a humorous personality."
"He does love a joke." Releasing his hold slightly, he placed several kisses down her back. "Do you have a preferred date for us to go?"
"Oh, you do not need to escort me, Mr─" Darcy nipped her neck to reprehend her use of his more formal name. "I am sorry, Fitzwilliam. You need not go this time, the distance is too far, I do not wish to keep you and your friends separated for so long."
"I will have none of it! I am going, I told you this before, I will be here for you whenever you need me, or do you not wish for my company?"
"Of course, I wish for your company! You make me feel at ease."
"So, it is decided. We will go together, in your car." He grinned. "I will not argue with that, at all. How long will we take to travel a seventy mile distance?"
"Oh, so now you want to use my car, Fitzwilliam." Lizzy turned around to kiss his cheek. "I calculate that we would take about two hours. And you may decide when we shall leave."
"I have some business to conduct in Town which should be addressed soon. I can leave tomorrow and return by Monday. We can leave for Oxford the following day."
"That is excellent. Thank you very much." Lizzy turned around to hold him. "If it was possible, I would heartily lend you my car for your journey, but I cannot spare Fass at the moment, and you cannot drive the car. I am sorry."
"There it is! Another thing I need to learn." Darcy held Lizzy tight against him breathing her in.
~wa~
The days after Darcy's departure to town were calm ones. Lizzy resumed her now delayed schedule. Being an extremely organised person, she had created a series of fluxograms or block diagrams considering all her ultimate goals for this world, and the resources needed to achieve them.
Actually, Lizzy had three clear objectives, which were improvement in communication, improvement in medicine and improvement in the way of life. All three had a common resource that needed to be developed as soon as possible, a sustainable source of electricity. She decided to use her upcoming visit to Oxford to discover the best location to start her experiments with eolic energy and was considering how to persuade the scholars there to study the mass production of crystalline silicon. Sure, it will be easy, once they see what a solar panel is capable of. . . The difficult part will be convincing them of the diabolic side effects of charcoal and oil. Even with the odds against her, Lizzy was very optimistic about the acceptance of her propositions.
The biggest problem lay with the medicine improvement. The key to her success in that particular field was highly elaborate chemical syntheses, which would take enormous amounts of her time to be completed. There was the possibility to give the Cambridge fellows some protocols, since she already had plans for Oxford, but it would be necessary to provide oversight through every step of said process. I really need to establish myself somewhere, for the electricity thing, and once there, find someone who will work with me directly.
However, no matter how hard she wished to get started on her plans for the future, for the moment she had obligations to the people of Meryton. Lizzy performed some previously scheduled visits including a very interesting one to Longbourn.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Brandon. I hope you and the Colonel are well." Lizzy was trying, and almost failing, to hide the amusement she was feeling now that their names had a double significance.
"Oh, Miss Bennet, 'tis such a pleasure to have you here. We are fine, very fine." Elinor was glowing with happiness. "I summoned you because I suspect that I may be with child!"
"So, let us discover if it is true! This is such good news!"
Lizzy used a beta hCG [1] test she developed while on this Earth. After obtaining Mrs. Brandon's blood, they had a cup of tea while waiting for the results.
"I do hope that I am with child, Miss Bennet. How wonderful would that be, Brandon would be delighted." She sighed dreamily. "He wished for a child. And my sister will be in seventh heaven! She just became Mrs. Bertram, you know. Marianne married Mr. Tom Bertram last winter."
"She must be very happy to be a new bride!" Lizzy tried to extend the subject of their conversation, for she felt an overwhelming desire to know all she could about the Austen characters of this world.
"Indeed, she is! Tom has changed so much. He was so reckless before his accident, but now is all that is kind and good. He loves my sister dearly; he would do anything for her. Marianne feels very fortunate to have found such a partner, but I tend to agree with Tom when he says that he is the fortunate one."
Lizzy's heart warmed with this confession; when she had first read 'Sense & Sensibility', she felt Marianne's struggles very deeply, but, in this world, the lady had a met a beautiful fate. "I am sure both of them are very fortunate to have each other."
"I agree, Miss Bennet." Elinor played with her cup anxiously. "Can we know the result of your test soon?"
"Indeed, we can." Lizzy rose to retrieve the test. "I am happy to inform you, Mrs. Brandon, that you are with child! Congratulations!"
Elinor sobbed and embraced Lizzy tightly. "Oh, thank you very much, Miss Bennet. This is blessed news!"
Lizzy was so deep in her thoughts that she almost did not hear Georgiana, who was walking back to Netherfield after visiting Meryton, calling for her.
"Oh, Miss. . . Lizzy! I am so pleased to have met you here. I have dearly wished to have more interesting conversations with you."
"And nothing would make me happier, Georgiana. Are you free this afternoon? Shall we go to my humble home?" When the young girl agreed with her suggestion, Lizzy took Georgiana's arm as they headed to her car.
As the young and imaginative girl that Georgiana certainly was, she found the car ride nothing but pleasurable and amusing. To Lizzy, the young lady's reaction was without a doubt stunning for though she had suffered an immeasurable, traumatic event, she still had a little flame from those dreams only the innocent ones had. Lizzy had expected Georgiana to continue to be somewhat subdued as she seemed to be in their previous encounters, but in the face of the new, the only thing she could see in the girl's eyes was hope and wonder. Lizzy understood, in that moment, Georgiana only needed a helping hand to nudge her, someone she could trust and she would emerge from her cocoon as the magnificent being that she really was. Lizzy recalled her promise to Darcy in that life changing morning that seemed so long ago, and she would do anything to help this girl now sitting beside her.
Once they arrived at her cottage, Lizzy showed Georgiana her house and explained a few unusual items the girl pointed out. As Georgiana's curiosity just seemed to increase, Lizzy wanted to introduce the girl to her workplace. She had a good feeling about the best way to help Georgie get that darkness out of her heart.
"Come, Georgiana, I will show you my laboratory. No one has ever been there except for Fass and me."
Lizzy unlocked her ship and stepped in, inviting Georgiana to join her.
Georgiana was astonished for she never had even imagined a place such as that. "Good Lord, Lizzy, this is incredible!"
The laboratory was all white and clean. There was a strong white light whose source Georgiana did not understand. It was much different from candlelight. She saw a white board with a lot of writings she could not understand and lots of light grey boxes symmetrically aligned on the left side wall. Looking up, she discovered the source of the intriguing light. It was coming from a long trail that ran through the ceiling. Lost in her observations, she was called back by Lizzy's voice.
"Indeed, it is," Lizzy said proudly, observing Georgiana's reaction to her ship. "Do you wish to see what I do in here?"
Georgiana beamed and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please!"
Lizzy showed her friend all of the functions of her lab and tried to explain in simple terms what she did there but soon discovered that such superficial explanations were not enough for Georgie. I guess the intelligence trait runs through all the Darcys blood, she mused.
It had been almost an hour since they entered the laboratory. Georgiana was in awe, wishing she could be part of it. She gathered all her courage and asked, "Lizzy, can you teach me how to use all of this? Can you teach me science, even if it is just for the little while I am here?"
Lizzy raised her eyebrows, surprised by such request "Of course I can, Georgiana! We shall be the best pair of women in science." And I was right in my assumption earlier. What will help this sweet girl is improving her mind, and she has the potential for greatness and to go far.
~wa~
Darcy was already tired of dealing with his steward. Sometimes the man seemed to be totally alienated from the circumstances around his land's problems. Good Lord! The man cannot accept any new approach to handling my land. He will be the death of Pemberley if he does not change.
Although he respected his steward very much having known the man since he was a child, the world was changing, and Darcy would not allow Pemberley to suffer any harm. If a day came when his loyal employee needed to be replaced, he would do so and support this man and his family for the rest of their lives.
He sought a bottle of spirits to ease his mind and settled into one of the armchairs before the fire. Yes, the plantings were struggling because of a dry spring, things did not look very promising, but Darcy would not be defeated by this setback. He would do some research and find a way to weather this rough period. I am sure Fass and Lizzy can help me with that.
Lizzy. Just the mention of her name stirred a fire inside of him. He voraciously recalled every moment of their most improper encounter the day before he left for Town.
He woke to find her arm draped across his chest, snuggled into his body seeking his warmth. He reached out to gently brush back her dark hair, which in her slumber was covering her face and much of the pillow. He began to trace the contours of her neck ever so softly with his knuckle, then her ribs, her waist. What he had once only dreamed of, he now had come to know so intimately . . .
Darcy closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the chair. I should not have done what I did. This is not how I was raised to act! Darcy frowned in utter disappointment with his behaviour. He did wished to let her be free around him, but it was no excuse for taking her the way he did. I took advantage of her fragile state. I took her as if she were a courtesan.
Darcy stared at the amber drops in the bottom of his glass as he swirled them around and feeling a wave of guilt overtake him, poured himself another glass. How am I supposed to face her again? He groaned out loud. Bedding was a grand mistake and must cease as fast as it began. I will go to her and explain that I am the one at fault, that I was the villain in this scheme. She has no part in it! I will tell her that I hold her in high regard. How could anyone not? She is all that is kind, caring, beautiful. . .. Yes, exquisitely beautiful, especially when her lips are red and swollen from my kisses, her cheeks flushed with desire and. . . For the love of God, Darcy! Get a hold of yourself, man! Darcy emptied his glass with one long gulp. He was already hard and became disgusted when he realised that he was unconsciously touching himself.
As it seemed to be the only way to get his mind out of his dilemma, Darcy drank what remained of the bottle of brandy in mere moments. His throat burned. But it did not help, for his mind kept replaying those forbidden scenes over and over and over again. When his memories at last began to dull, he considered what he must do. His last thought was that he would apologise to her and that he would respect her even more from now on. Yes, that is it.
The next morning Darcy's valet found his master passed out in his study in front of the dying embers, an empty crystal glass lying at his feet.
(A/N)
[1] A quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) test measures the specific level of hCG in the blood. A blood sample is usually taken from a vein. HCG is a hormone produced in the body during pregnancy and appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception.
Hey there! Now we have a confused Darcy, a potential scientist Georgiana and a chatty Elinor. . . Leave your thoughts! Love&Hate as always!