Elizabeth smiled at his good humor and continued walking to the edge of the small plateau and gazed down at the meadow.
Darcy watched her for several minutes before calling to her, "what has you so transfixed, Elizabeth? What do you see?"
She turned from the view and approached Darcy with an impish grin, "I see", she said, "two handsome centaurs galloping across the meadow heading for a great palace called Netherfield. Charles and Fitzwilliam are their names and my life will never be the same."
Darcy smiled at her fanciful description of when she had first laid eyes on him.
"Of course," she added, "at the time I was reading a book on Greek Mythology so you must forgive me for allowing my imagination to run a little wild."
Darcy pulled his beloved into his arms. "Will you kiss me, Elizabeth?"
Her response was immediate, "with the greatest of pleasure, my lord," she said softly. She began with a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth followed by a more insistent nipping at his lower lip. Darcy closed his eyes, willing his body to remain quiet. She continued her light kisses until without warning she pushed his cravat down and pressed her mouth against his throat, feeling the pulse of his life's blood. Darcy shuddered and she raised her head and smiled with feigned innocence. "Had enough, my lord?"
"Never," he rasped. He gripped her none to gently and took her mouth into his and for the first time forced his tongue into her mouth in a rough penetration. He felt her tremor and pulled back for a moment staring into her eyes looking for a sign of fear. When he saw none he took her lower lip into his mouth and brushed his tongue against it. He moved to her upper lip and repeated the motion before taking her mouth again and slowly forcing her lips apart and inserting his tongue into her mouth. This time he was rewarded by her tongue meeting his in a slow dance. He felt her knees buckle and he tightened his grip moving his hand up and down her body clutching her so that her body melded into his. Her hands were now tangled in the curls at the nape of his neck and he went a little mad. His hand moved up her rib cage until he felt the side of her breast. She groaned and he knew he had to stop but his desire had taken a physical form and he wanted nothing more than to penetrate her and give them both the pleasure their bodies cried out for. It was this thought that brought him to his senses. He was thoroughly ashamed that he could contemplate taking this woman in the manner of a field animal.
He pushed her away still clutching her shoulders and gasping for breath. "You have undone me, Elizabeth," he managed. "You will be my wife in six weeks time. If you argue with me, I swear I'll take you by the hair and drag you into the first cave I can find. There are caves in Hertfordshire, are there not, my love?"
Elizabeth struggling to control her own breathing, said, "if not, we shall have to dig one of our own." She grew serious and Darcy saw the start of tears in her beautiful eyes, "I love you so much, Will, and it's so painful. When I can't see you...when I can't touch you...I'm in utter agony. I know I'm happy, but I don't feel happy. All I feel is this longing to be close to you. And now you going off to Town for a week...I don't know how I'll survive. I will miss you so."
He half expected recriminations for what he had precipitated and felt his own tears for her generosity in not blaming him for his lack of control. Darcy took her into his arms kissing away her tears murmuring in the softest voice what her words meant to him, thinking of all the lonely years he had endured praying that one day he would find such a woman who would love him with a passion that would match his own. She had opened herself to him with such honesty and freedom, with such trust that he ached with his love for her.
They remained in a close embrace for several minutes murmuring words of comfort to each other. He could feel her struggle to control her emotion until at last she asked him in a reasonably steady voice why he would be away so long.
"I have papers to sign concerning our marriage which your father will also have to sign. I have to get a special license so I can marry my dearest love in Hertfordshire." He kissed the tip of her nose, then sighed and said, "And I have to arrange for money to be delivered to Wickham every month." At Elizabeth's look of surprise, Darcy smiled wryly. "I can't let him rot in Debtors prison. I simply can't. English law can be so unforgiving and makes little sense at times. How can a man pay off his debt if he's deprived of work? Thank heavens he has no family or they would be suffering with him."
"Is it in your power to free him?"
Darcy nodded. "But not just yet. I want him to fully understand just how his life will be if he doesn't change his ways. I will give him a Pound a month to spend for his wine and some decent food and in return I will receive a report on how he fares. At the end of six months I'll decide whether to have him freed or to continue his punishment."
"You're very kind."
Darcy chuckled, "Richard says I'm soft in the head. But enough of Wickham. I'll be taking Thomas with me. He will be fitted up with a gentleman's wardrobe. That will be my gift to him for all the years he was so faithful to me. And then I plan to speak with a business acquaintance of mine. A tradesman who just might be able to help our wayward lovers. Several years ago Charles and I formed a partnership with a couple by the name of Gardiner who have a wonderful shop in Cheapside." Darcy had absently pulled his watch from his pocket to check the time so was unaware of the look on Elizabeth's face until he replaced the watch.
Elizabeth's amazement was acute. "Edward Gardiner? He sells jewelry and objet d'art? In Cheapside?"
Darcy nodded in confusion. "Do you know of him? Have you been to his shop?"
"He's my uncle!" She cried, hardly able to process this information. "But I don't understand! Jane and I wrote Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to tell them of our good news and they wrote back and offered their congratulations but never said a word of your connection. How can this be?"
Darcy mulled it over for a moment, then laughed, "well, Charles and I are silent partners, after all. I suppose they felt it best not to mention our business connection until given our permission. Would I be correct in assuming that they know Miss Charlotte Lucas?"
"They know her very well. She's even stayed with them on several occasions. I cannot believe this!"
Nor could Darcy believe this kind of luck. When Thomas had mentioned possibly emigrating to the Caribbean Darcy had remembered a conversation with Mr. Gardiner about wanting to expand his business to more exotic jewelry and objet d'art. If he remembered correctly, he was sure that Mr. Gardiner had mentioned the Caribbean. England was growing curious about other parts of the world and he was sure there was a market for anything from such an exotic part of the world. And with so many English colonies spreading throughout the Caribbean, there was a market for anything European.
Darcy had planned to speak with Mr. Gardiner when he went into London to begin the process of procuring all the marriage contracts. That Elizabeth and Jane could attest to the integrity of Charlotte Lucas was an unexpected boon. He had yet to talk to Thomas about his future but time was beginning to run short. He had learned a valuable lesson today. Thomas and Charlotte could not repress their feelings for each other for much longer. He himself had reached a breaking point today and would not wish that agony on anyone. As it was, the coming week without seeing Elizabeth or holding her would be a strain not only on Elizabeth. There were times lately when he almost wished he was more like Wickham and could take his pleasure wherever he could to ease his own pain.
As he explained his tentative plan concerning the future of Thomas and Charlotte, Elizabeth grew excited. "Could this be possible? Could it really happen?"
"Thomas is a very clever man, as I've said before. For most of his life he's been surrounded by some of the greatest pieces of art in the world. I'm not sure how most of my servants spend their free time but I'm sure it isn't spent in a museum or an art gallery. But that's exactly how Thomas wiles away his time. Even at Pemberley I've seen him study a painting for hours at a time, memorizing the brush strokes of a particular artist. He's particularly enamored of Vermeer at the moment, as I am. As for stones, he can easily differentiate between a diamond and a paste at a glance."
They couldn't talk much longer as the Bennets were due to dine at Netherfield that night and he had kept Elizabeth to himself for too long already. He would not want questions to arise that he might not be able to answer with a clear conscience.
He sighed, as they walked slowly back to Longbourn. He understood fully what Elizabeth meant when she said she knew she was happy, but didn't feel it. This longing for consummation of their love was exhausting. When they reached Longbourn he took her hand in his and gently kissed it. "Try not to be late tonight, sweetheart. I already miss you." He bowed and made his way to the stable. He handed the boy a few coins and thanked him. Mounting his horse he made his way slowly back to Netherfield thinking about the day when he and Elizabeth would become one in every way. It could not come too soon. He just hoped that Mrs. Bennet would not raise too many objections. If she did, he'd have to scare the hell out of her. He smiled at the thought.
Mr. Bennet was such an odd mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve and caprice, that Darcy found his company both interesting and amusing. On the other hand, Mrs. Bennet was more difficult to endure as she was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. She had not ever considered the possibility that her least favorite daughter had actually captured the fancy of a man of Darcy's stature. It took her several days after the announcement of their engagement for her to accept that her daughter would soon become the mistress of Pemberley. What exactly Pemberley was, she knew not but soon enough word began to filter in from various sources who had been so fortunate as to see the grounds of that vast estate. Her excitement began to grow as the full implication of the riches her dearest Elizabeth would soon possess gripped her imagination. Her nervous condition usually reserved when she was discontented now had a new channel for her nerves. According to Georgianna, who had perfect pitch, Mrs. Bennet's voice was now an octave higher and the bottles and flasks at Longbourn were in danger of popping their corks.
Georgianna was thrilled for the three couples and silently prayed that she would eventually find the happiness that was so obvious on their countenances. She had taken note of how difficult it seemed for the three couples not to find an excuse to touch their future mates even if it was just in passing and discreetly brief. She was vocal in her adoration of Elizabeth and at least once a day told Darcy so. She especially liked the way Elizabeth teased Darcy in a droll way that never failed to bring a smile to his face. She had also noted how Elizabeth stared in admiration at Darcy whether he was glaring or jousting with Richard. Darcy made her laugh and it was obvious that Elizabeth loved her brother for the man he was and not for his possessions. Georgianna had never been so happy.
As expected, the three couples thought the idea of a triple wedding to be sensible and unique. Darcy, Richard and Anne shared the same relatives so what could be more perfect than to have them all come together on one joyous day? Darcy and Bingley, the closest of friends would now become brother's in law. How better to celebrate than to share their wedding day.
The evening following their decision to have a triple wedding and just two hours after Darcy and Elizabeth returned from Oakham Mount the party from Longbourn enjoyed the hospitality of Netherfield and Mrs. Bennet's excitement grew as she loudly assessed the size of the rooms and the value of the furnishings. She moved to the subject of flowers for the church and how many would be needed. Next came talk of how many people would fit in the church and how many cakes she should have prepared for the festivities which would follow the wedding. Eventually she got to the subject of the fabric and colors of her daughter's gowns and how long they would have to remain in London for all the shopping that would be necessary. All of this Darcy listened to with half an ear and a nervous tension.
Once she got to the color of Darcy and Bingley's wedding coats, Darcy began to stiffen though he kept eating at a regular pace and managed to swallow without choking. When she finally pronounced that Bingley and Jane would marry in November and Darcy and Elizabeth would be married in January, Darcy knew it was time to end this nonsense. He gently laid his utensils on his plate and took a sip of wine, then turned his full and undivided attention to Mrs. Bennet.
"We have all agreed to be married during the first week of November," he said to the woman who would soon be his mother-in-law.
The room grew silent and Mrs. Bennet blinked rapidly staring at Darcy. She spared a look at Mr. Bennet who looked on with interest.
Richard decided to speak up, "I'm afraid, Mrs. Bennet that my General is insisting that I be back with my regiment by the middle of November. As a matter of fact, he will be here for the wedding to ensure that I fully understand his orders. He threatens to demote me to private fifth class if I don't."
Anne rolled her eyes and Darcy threw his cousin a warning glare.
"It has always been," Darcy added, "our fervent wish that Richard and I be wed on the same day."
"Indeed," Richard said, "a cherished dream since childhood. I can't tell you the many nights we lay under the stars and spoke of our wish to be wed on the same day."
Darcy narrowed his eyes and threw his cousin another withering glare.
Beside him, Elizabeth began coughing into her napkin and Georgianna giggled.
Anne further explained in a somewhat shaky voice that Elizabeth would need some extensive shopping for clothes more fitting for the harsher weather of Derbyshire, and of course Georgianna and she would show her the best shops and point out all the articles and gowns she would need to take up her position as the mistress of Pemberley. "This will bring us up to the end of November at which time their party will journey to Pemberley. Elizabeth will be very busy during the holidays."
All through these explanations, Mrs. Bennet sat in a silent daze seemingly unable to speak. When she was at last able to speak she violently objected. "But I we must go into Town to buy their wedding gowns. This will take time. All the preparations...all the lace and ribbons...I was thinking of satin..."
"Mama," Jane said, addressing her mother, in her gentle voice "neither Elizabeth nor I require special gowns for our weddings. We are not royalty, after all, and do not require anything out of the ordinary. We have many frocks that will do."
"Jane!" Mrs. Bennet snapped losing patience, "you don't what you're talking about. My nerves! I can't take much more of this...I ..."
"The truth is, Mrs. Bennet that I have been too long away from my estate," Darcy interrupted. "I must be back at Pemberley before the Christmas season starts. Then, with the weather so unpredictable, I could not promise that I'd be able to return before Spring sets in. I would not wish to take the chance that your lovely daughter might have second thoughts about such a neglectful suitor."
Mrs. Bennet's eyes flared wide as Darcy's meaning penetrated her dismay and greed. Elizabeth glanced sideways at her very attentive suitor and smiled.
Finally Mr. Bennet spoke up. "Fanny," he said, "since you sat town to dinner you have referred to your nerves, by my count, exactly six times. The possibility of you mentioning them six times an hour for the next four months is too awful to contemplate. However, I believe I can take it for six weeks. That settled, our daughters will marry in six weeks time.
Darcy took pity for his beloved's mother and offered her a crumb. "Of course we will all help you with the planning of our weddings, Mrs. Bennet, and I give you my solemn vow that when the day is over, your name will be on everyone's lips as the greatest hostess Meryton has ever seen." That said, he took another sip of wine and finished his dinner. All things considered, he thought, it had gone well and he was content.