Chapter 16

Darcy moved Elizabeth more fully onto his lap. His manhood straining upward eagerly. He could feel the heat of her through his breaches. As the carriage rocked he thrust upward in time. Creating frinction. She gasped and he did it again, mummering her name and how he adored her. Rubbing her as he pressed kisses onto her eyelids. He pressed her down on him with his hands at her waist as he thrust upward with the motion of the coach. Her breath came in quick little pants. He groaned as she wiggled on his lap. He wished to fill her, to pump into her relentlessly. To feel her wet with desire on him. He wanted to see himself burried into her. He wanted her to cry his name out.

Darcy awoke with a start. He was immediately aware of the errection he sported in his pants. He glanced around guiltily at his travel companions, relieved to see both were still sound asleep. He reached for one of the discarded books and held it open over his lap as he tried to calm himself down. Elizabeth mummered in her sleep and her tongue flicked out over her lips. His manhood was aching and he could feel his balls tightining, he knew the single wrong thought would have him releasing in his pants. He focused on Mrs. Wiffle and slowly he felt his errection begin to subside. His balls were painful, but he was no longer in danger of coming. He discretely adjusted himself. He caught sight of Elizabeth's hand where it rested on the coach seat and the vision of her small exquisite hands wrapped around his aroused manhood exploded into his brain. His breathing became harsh and he wrestled with his mind to picture something else, to not imagine what her innocent touch would feel like. By force of will Darcy got himself back under regulation. He was breathing hard and he felt like he had just engaged in an aggressive bout of fencing. He knocked on the roof of his coach and as soon as it slowed, he leapt out the door. He waved off his driver, telling him hoarsley that he wished to stretch his legs briefly. He had just turned to pace off again, when he heard Elizabeth's voice calling him. He turned to the carriage and caught sight of Elizabeth in the doorway.

"Is anything wrong?" she asked him anxiously.

"No. I just need to stretch my legs," he said, his breathing more normal after his bout of pacing.

"May I join you?"

"Always," Darcy said and stepping to the carriage he, rather than hand her down, put his hands on her waist and lifted her down.

When her hand settled on his arm without him offering it, he wanted to shout in victory. Surely if she acted in such a manner as to naturally take his arm without any prompting, it meant her regard of him was increasing, that she would at least consider him.

"You looked distressed," Elizabeth said. "Is their anything I can do to offer you relief? I dislike seeing you so agitated. You have gone out of your way to assist me and I am sure you had other things to do."

"My plans were not so very different," Darcy said. Silently he added that, his plans were more likely to succeed now then they were at Rosings he hoped.

"How much further do you suppose we have to go?"

"We should be there tomorrow. We will cross the Scottish boarder soon. We won't make it across today, but early tomorrow."

"And you think if this gentleman can be persuaded to marry me, I should accept? " Elizabeth asked him.

"It won't take any persuading. I think that if it is what you decide to do, you should. I would like to believe that I would encourage you to do what you want rather then what I want," Darcy said. "But if you have concerns you would like to talk over, I would be pleased to listen to them."

"I am afraid that it will be impossible for me to love him. I do not know him and I had thought perhaps it was a possibility before, but how can I marry this man if I cannot give him my heart? " Elizabeth asked in agitation.

"I ask you to please give it a chance. Do not say no yet. Please. Just wait one more day. If you feel you cannot accept the marriage offered then I will come up with another way to help you. Just please, " Darcy said, "one more day. "

"If you think I should, just tell me what you want me to do. I trust you. If you believe I should marry him, I will do my best to bring myself to do so." Elizabeth said. He had not told her why he wanted her to marry in Scotland but she had sensed that she do so was important to him. She wanted him to tell her that he wanted her too, or she did not think she could bring herself to do so now that it was not the same distant possibility it had been in the garden three days ago at Camwood.

"I cannot tell you. I am not an impartial observer. It has to be your choice Elizabeth," Darcy said. He wanted to tell her that she absolutely should accept the offer of marriage that would be extended to her.

"How can you be so sure he will be willing to marry me? I have thought about it and it seems unlikely. "

"Because I know him. He would give up everything he has to be married to you," Darcy said with conviction. "Just trust me."

Elizabeth nodded and deciding to change the subject she said, "Mrs. Wiffle seems intent on giving you quite the flamming character yet again."

"I noticed," Darcy said wryly. "I wish she would be less verbose about it. I have never blushed so much in my life. Nor had I realized just how much her cousin shared with her."

"Her pride in you is evident and her praise well earned," Elizabeth said smiling at him.

…

Darcy settled into his chamber at the inn. Tomorrow he would confess his adoration and love to Elizabeth and ask her to become his wife in front of a parson and witnesses. If she agreed, because of Scottish marriage laws the deed would be done, they would be married. If she requested time to think about it, he would give her that time and when she was ready to answer he would ask her again in the same manner. He prayed she would say yes. He had fallen even further in love with her as they traveled. A life without her was not something he cared to contemplate. He had planned on asking her at the church by his estate, but her anxiety about a possible marriage had been clear. She had not been as anxious when he had first made the suggestion at Camwood. He had determined that he would instead ask her at the first church they came to in Scotland. He hoped the fact that he was no longer a stranger to her would ease her anxiety about potentially marrying a man she did not know, but was uncertain how she would react to the knowledge that the only candidate he had in mind was him.

Darcy considered what he wanted to say. He wanted her to know he ardently admired and loved her. He did not want her to think that he only ask out of obligation since it was a member of his extended family that's actions caused her reputation to be compromised. Had it been Maria Lucas on that post coach he certainly would have arranged to have her retrieved and found a gentleman he could pay to marry her, but he would not have chased after the post coach with the desperation he did.

...

"Welcome to Scotland," Darcy said as he peered out the window. Seeing a church in the distance, he turned to Elizabeth and said, "Would you like to stop and stretch your legs? We can look inside one of the Scottish churches where eloping couples marry."

"I thought in Scotland couples that eloped married over the anvil, by a blacksmith," Elizabeth said.

"Many do. But they can also be married in a church by a parson. Blacksmiths are not the only ones that preform wedding ceremonies in Scotland," Darcy said with a chuckle.

"I should like to see one of the churches," Mrs. Wiffle said speaking up.

"Yes. I imagine we won't stumble onto any eloping couples but it would be interesting to see," Elizabeth agreed.

Darcy knocked on the top of his coach and it came to a halt. After exiting the coach he offered his arm to Elizabeth and escorted her inside, with Mrs. Wiffle, a broad smile on her face, trailing behind. The parson came forward to greet them.

Taking a deep breath Darcy dropped to one knee and grasped Elizabeth's hands in his, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. You are my heart and soul. I have behaved in ways in the past that cause me great shame, but I intend to do better in the future. If you would allow it, I would dedicate my life to your happiness. I love you more then words can say. Our marriage can be whatever you choose. You have enchanted me and tempted me. Please allow me the privilege of being your husband, of having the right to protect and care for you. I know your honor would not allow you to break your word about an engagement, so will you marry me and become my wife today without one?" When Elizabeth did not respond right away he quickly added, "If you need time to think about it I can wait as long as necessary and will ask you again when you have decided. You do not have to answer now. It is your choice. I would rather see you happy then miserable tied to me in marriage."

"Yes," Elizabeth said softly. "I did not think I could marry when in Scotland because my heart was no longer completely mine to give. It has been changing it alligance to you. I cannot say I love you as I ought yet, but I can say that yesterday I became aware that I was in danger of failing in love with you. I will be your wife."

"Do you take this woman as your wife?" the parson asked Darcy.

"Yes. I love her dearly," Darcy said rising to his feet.

"Then I pronounce you married," the pasrson said with satisfaction. "Come, sign your names and I will prepare a paper for you."

Darcy leaned forward and kissed Elizabeth's forhead and whispered, "Thank you, Elizabeth."