Chapter 18

The time before the wedding passed quickly. Georgiana and Lord Dunmore came from Derbyshire, and Darcy's cousins Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam and Lord and Lady Matlock also attended. The Sedleys had invited them to stay at Netherfield, and it was a convenient place for daily visits to Longbourn. The Sedleys were disappointed to hear the Mr. Bennet would be marrying again. It was very likely that his wife, at only age twenty-seven, might have children, and if they had a son it would take Longbourn's inheritance away from Jane. Mr. Cranfield, however, could not care less. He had an estate of his own in Staffordshire, and did not need Longbourn. As long as he had Jane, he was content, and he told his sister and brother-in-law so in no uncertain terms. He was so stern that they did not dare to bring it up again.

Elizabeth had insisted on wearing the golden dress that she had worn at the ball at Dunmore Manor. The dress held good memories for her, even if the evening had ended badly. She remembered Darcy's eyes when he beheld her in that dress, and wanted to see the look again when she walked up the aisle.

Darcy had arranged for a trip to the Lakes for their honeymoon, for he remembered that Elizabeth had said she always wanted to see them. He had arranged with Georgiana that Melody would stay with the Dunmores while he and Elizabeth were gone. He was not used to being away from his daughter for so long, but realized that even if they brought Melody with them, the girl would most likely end up being bored. This way, she could stay and play with her cousin Aileen, with whom she had become good friends.

Finally, the day arrived, and Darcy waited with excitement at the front of the church across from Mr. Cranfield. Bingley had agreed to stand up with him (although Mrs. Parkinson had not been invited). Darcy could not remember ever feeling the exultant joy that he felt now. Had his life really been so gloomy and lonely? How had he survived so long feeling dead inside? It seemed as if the time before he knew Elizabeth was another life, another person.

She entered, wearing that golden dress that she had worn at the ball where he had almost ruined everything. She was on her father's right arm, and Jane was on his left. Mr. Bennet led them both up the aisle to stand by their prospective grooms. Then Sir William led Charlotte up the aisle after them, and gave her hand into Mr. Bennet's.

The ceremony passed in a haze. He knew he responded where he was bid, and when he was instructed to kiss his bride, he did so with a warm feeling overflowing his heart. Had he ever thought he could be so happy? He knew he had not.

Elizabeth looked just as happy. Lady Lucas and Lady Sedley together had organized a wedding breakfast at Netherfield, but Darcy was eager to be off on their journey toward the Lakes. He had arranged their journey to be leisurely, not travelling too far each day. They were to stop at his favourite inns on the way, and he had contracted with the innkeeper to clear out the entire inn that night, so they would have it to themselves. He did not want to spend his wedding night with others in the building.

Elizabeth was eager to be on her way, too, but still wanted to say goodbye to her family and friends. She knew Jane and Nicholas would be close in Staffordshire, but it would be some time before she saw her father or the Gardiners again. Mr. Darcy had said that he needed to visit Rosings Park in the spring. He had not been there for over a year, he said, and usually went annually. They would have to pass through Hertfordshire to get to Kent, and so they could visit Longbourn then.

Her Aunt Gardiner had had a talk with her and Jane while they were in London. They had no mother to do so, and she wanted them to be prepared. After imparting the basic facts, she continued, "Physical love is a beautiful thing between a husband and wife, when they love each other. I know Mr. Cranfield and Mr. Darcy both love you very much. Do not fear your responses to their attentions. It may feel as if you are being overwhelmed, but there is nothing wrong between a husband and wife when they share the marital bed. There is nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing wrong with feeling desire for your husband. Indeed, he would probably be pleased were you to show it."

All three ladies felt embarrassed by the discussion, but at least the sisters felt reassured afterwards.

Elizabeth was looking forward to her wedding night. She was not frightened at all. Aunt Gardiner had told her there would be some pain, but she had reassured Lizzy that Mr. Darcy had been married before, so he would know how to minimize it and be gentle.

When she and Mr. Darcy finally entered the carriage to begin their journey, they sat so that their shoulders and thighs touched, and held hands.

"My dear Elizabeth, you looked so lovely in your wedding gown," he said.

"And you look very dashing today, Fitzwilliam," she replied with a coquettish smile.

"Thank you, my dear. I have been waiting all day to do this." He leaned forward and touched his mouth to hers. It was different from all the kisses they had shared during their engagement. All of those had been chaste, a mere press of lips to lips. But in this kiss, Mr. Darcy moved his lips against hers, moving his tongue across her upper lip. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, and his tongue entered her mouth. The caressing feel of moist flesh on moist flesh filled Elizabeth with a feeling she had never had before. She felt hot all over, and there was a tingling between her legs that had never been there before. Boldly, she moved her tongue forward until it touched his. Darcy groaned, pulling her against him until she was practically in his lap. She felt a hard protrusion under her bottom, and knew it must be what her Aunt Gardiner had told her about, when a man desired a woman. She was thrilled by this knowledge, and continued to kiss her husband back with little skill but much enthusiasm. Finally, with another groan, he set her away from him.

"I think you had better sit on the opposite seat, Elizabeth," he said.

"But why? I was enjoying that so much!"

"I know. And so was I – too much. If I do not want to take you in this carriage, we will have to wait to kiss again until we get to the inn."

Elizabeth blushed, understanding him, but secretly she was curious. "It can be done in a carriage?" she asked.

Darcy groaned again, then laughed. "My dear, it can be done practically anywhere."

Elizabeth could not wait to learn, but for now she would be good. She sat on the opposite bench and did not touch him again until they reached the inn.

Elizabeth was surprised, but pleased, to see the inn empty of people except for the innkeeper, who welcomed them hospitably. He showed them to their rooms and said that supper would be served in their private sitting room in half an hour. Elizabeth therefore had time for her maid to change her clothes into something more comfortable, and Mr. Darcy went into his room to do the same. Elizabeth hoped they would not maintain separate bedrooms. She had looked forward to sleeping next to her husband.

The dinner was delicious, a veritable feast of steak and kidney pie, roasted chicken, boiled potatoes and carrots, fresh bread, beef stew, fish, and blackberry tarts.

"Goodness! Did they think to feed an army?" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"I think they anticipated my appetite," Darcy said, but he winked and Elizabeth thought he might be referring to something else. She blushed and her body grew warm again.

Fortunately, they both ate quickly. Elizabeth was eager to experience everything her aunt had told her about, and now that Darcy had kissed her in such a delicious way, she knew tonight was going to be wonderful. Clearly Darcy was thinking the same thing.

"Are you ready to retire, Elizabeth?" he asked.

It was barely dark out, but Elizabeth did not want to sit about reading or talking. She nodded. "Just give me twenty minutes," she said.

He nodded, bowed over her hand, and went to his room, presumably to prepare himself.

Her maid helped her put on the scanty and diaphanous nightgown that Aunt Gardiner had helped her choose. She had been scandalized at the time, but now she was looking forward to what Darcy would think when he saw her in it. She was wondering whether she should get into the bed to wait, when he came in. He was wearing a wine-coloured robe, and she wondered if he was naked beneath it. He stood a moment, his eyes taking her in, before he reached her and pulled her into her arms. "You look delicious, my love," he said.

She laughed. "Delicious?" she teased. "You want to eat me, sir?"

"Oh, I do," he said. She sensed a double meaning there, but was not sure what it was. Before she could think further about it, his mouth was on hers, and they were kissing again as they had in the carriage. If anyone had told her about it before, she would have thought that having someone else's tongue in her mouth would be disgusting, but truly it was the most delightful feeling she had ever had. She finally had to break away to take a breath, and he pulled back too, breathing hard.

"May I take off your nightgown, Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Only if you take off your robe," she said. "Ever since you carried me inside from the lake incident, I have wondered what you look like."

He looked surprised. "Then I shall assuage your curiosity."

He helped her pull off her nightgown and then took off his own robe. He was naked underneath, as Elizabeth had hoped. She finally got to see all the wonderful sculpted muscles on his chest and arms and thighs. She reached out to touch his chest, but he grabbed her hand in his, stopping her.

"Perhaps we should go to the bed," he said.

"Of course," she said, moving toward the bed and climbing in. He climbed in, too, on the other side, but left the blankets and sheets drawn back so they could see each other. He set her hand back on his chest. "Now you may touch me."

She was very curious about the male form, and it was that as much as desire that led her movements. She touched his chest, neck, and arms, but bypassed his prominent erection. She was not brave enough to touch that yet. It looked very large; too large to fit inside her.

"It will fit," he said, clearly reading her thoughts.

She blushed, but felt reassured. She reminded herself that he had been married before, that this was all a natural process, and she should not fear it.

"Now it is my turn," he said in a husky voice, and leaned forward to kiss her as he smoothed his hands over her breasts and fondled them. He moved his lips from her mouth down to her throat, and Elizabeth moved her neck to the side so she could feel him better. His kisses moved down her throat to her chest, and then his mouth captured a nipple. She moaned in surprised pleasure as his tongue laved the areola, turning it to a hard bead. It felt so good, but her other breast began to feel neglected. Hardly had the thought entered her mind, when Darcy moved his mouth to the other breast and began to give it equal attention. Even as he alternated licking and sucking both of her breasts, he moved his hand down her flat stomach until it rested between her thighs. Without thinking she spread them so he had better access. She felt a pleasure down there that was almost pain, it was so intense.

He moved his fingers up and down the outside of her entrance, on those delicate folds she had only ever touched while washing. The pleasure increased, and when Darcy's mouth left her breasts, she cried out in disappointment.

"Just a moment, my dear," he said. "You will enjoy this even more."

He moved down until he was between her thighs. She could not even feel embarrassed that he could see her so clearly down there. She was feeling too much. She felt his hot breath against her folds, and then his lips and tongue were on them. Elizabeth let out a moan of pleasure that was so loud surely the innkeeper had heard it, but she did not care.

"Oh, Fitzwilliam!" she cried. "What are you doing?"

"Do you not like it?" he asked, raising his head.

She put her hands through his hair and shoved him back down. She could feel him chuckling against her wet flesh, but did not care so long as he continued. "Oh, keep going, please!" She felt as if some great pleasure was coming, but she did not know what it was.

He licked her folds until he reached a point at the top of her entrance, and touched a place so sensitive that Elizabeth writhed with the pleasure of it. He pushed a finger into her channel, and began to move it in and out, while he licked and sucked on that tiny spot that Elizabeth had not even known she had. The pleasure built and built until Elizabeth's whole body was wracked with spasms. The pleasure coursed through her body until she thought she could not take it anymore. She thought she might have been screaming, but was not sure. She lay, panting, in the aftermath, not quite sure what had happened. But then Darcy was there, kissing her lips, and she could taste herself on them. She felt something probing at that sensitive place, and then he slid inside slowly. Elizabeth felt some pain, but she was so relaxed from her pleasure that she really did not care. She put her arms around Darcy, wanting to give him the same pleasure he had given her. He moved slowly and gently at first. "Are you in pain, my love?" he asked.

"No, it does not hurt, Fitzwilliam," she said.

He leaned down to kiss her. "Good." Then he began to move a bit faster and harder. A few minutes passed and although the sensation was strange, she began to enjoy the feeling of his hard erection sliding inside her, thrusting in and out. She felt a beginning of pleasure creep up on her again, but then Darcy sped up suddenly, held himself deep inside her, and she felt a liquid heat fill her. He shuddered and then collapsed on top of her, careful not to crush her with his weight.

She hugged him close to her, close to tears. She had not imagined she could feel closer to him, but she did. This act had united them as nothing else had.

"I am sorry," he said, still breathing hard as he moved off her to his side of the bed. "It has been a long time."

"Why are you sorry?" she asked. "That was surely the best experience of my life, Fitzwilliam!"

"I wanted to give you your pleasure again, but I could not last."

There was silence for a moment, then she asked, "It can happen twice in a row?"

He gave a low chuckle. "It can happen as many times in a row as you want, in a woman at least. Men need some more recovery time. I am afraid I am not a young sprig any more, my dear. You will have to wait for tomorrow night for another showing. Or at least until the morning."

"That is just as well. I do not know if I could handle such pleasure again so soon."

He chuckled again, then drew her into his arms. They relaxed like that for a few minutes, then Darcy made to rise.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He looked surprised. "Back to my room."

"Oh. Well, I was hoping – that is, I wanted to share a bed with you. Sleep with you, if – if you wanted to."

He looked thoughtful. "It had never occurred to me. Now that you mention it, though, I would love to sleep with you through the night. Perhaps we can share the master bedroom at Pemberley."

Elizabeth was pleased. She pulled him back down to the bed, and curled her body into his. "I love you Fitzwilliam," she whispered, right before she slid into sleep.

"I love you too, my dear," he whispered back. "You are so very beautiful."