Chapter 21

Elizabeth blushed as she glanced at her husband as he escorted her to the breakfast parlor. She had fallen asleep while he had talked to her last night. He had assured her he did not mind and that he had enjoyed having her with him while they slept and asked if she had pleasant dreams, seemingly focused intently on her response. Elizabeth had stuttered out that they were very pleasant. She had not confessed the shocking and wanton dream she had. She did not recall all of it, but she knew she had dreamed of being touched by him in her woman's place and in her dream she had wanted more. She had dreamed about her husband whispering tenderly to her as she writhed with previously unknown pleasure. Even knowing it must have been a dream bought on by the effects of her over indulgence and not real, she was still embarrassed by it, especially in his presence. She had not known that alcohol could bring on such fevered imaginings and decided to abstain from champagne in the future. As much as she would like to feel the sensations again, she did not want her new husband to think he had married a wanton, though if alcohol brought on the dreams it did, she could better understand why her youngests sisters enjoyed indulging so much. The dreams it caused were unsettling and confusing, even if they were enjoyable, she thought as Darcy seated her, before going to fill a plate for her.

Darcy could tell from Elizabeth's response that she was embarrassed by her dreams, but was uncertain if that was because she did not understand what had happened, or if she was embarrassed he had touched her as he had and therefore did not want him to do so again. He had hoped that by introducing her to part of the marital bed while she was partially asleep, she would not be afraid to be touched by him in the future when she was fully awake, since she had said she wished for a true marriage. As he filled her plate, he thought to himself that seducing his gently bred wife was more difficult then he had anticipated.

…

The five days of travel passed without incident and Darcy was surprised by how much he enjoyed the conversation of Elizabeth's uncle. It was hard to believe that the man could possibly be related to Mrs. Bennet. At their final stop before London the party separated, with Bingley escorting Gardiner and Jane in his coach to Gracechurch street while Darcy, Elizabeth and Bennet travled in his to Darcy House. Col. Fitzwilliam rode head on horseback. Upon arrival in London, Darcy and Bennet signed Elizabeth's settlement papers. Bennet was astounded by just how generous Darcy was to his bride.

"The codicil you had added to your will that day was to bequeath one of your holdings to Elizabeth before you were even married to her?" Bennet asked in shock.

"Naturally. I wanted to do what I could to protect Elizabeth, even if an accident befell me enroute to Scotland," Darcy said. "If she had refused me once in Scotland I did not planned on changing the bequest. Of course now that she is married to me I can do more. I plan on signing that particular estate over to her, to use as she sees fit. If you predecease your wife, it can be used to house her mother and any remaining unmarried sisters without affecting our children's expected inheritance, or if Elizabeth would prefer otherwise she can use it another way and I will provide an alternative living situation."

"This is more then generous," Bennet said looking over the settlement papers.

"It is no more then she deserves," Darcy said firmly. "She is my wife, by agreeing to be such she has gifted me with the greatest treasure, the right to protect and care for her."

…

"Mrs. Darcy," Col. Fitzwilliam said with a wide grin as he escorted Georgiana into the drawing room. "Has that clod you married abandoned you already?" he asked her teasingly.

"He and my father had buisness matters to attend to," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Leaving me to contemplate that I did not quite understand what I was getting into when I agreed to marry Fitzwilliam in Scotland. Luckily my courage rises with every attempt to intimidate, though being mistress of this is rather intimidating."

"Well allow me to present one of the major boons of agreeing to marry Darcy, your new sister Miss Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana this is the sister you have always wanted, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. She is not prone to the brooding moods of your brother and will make you far more pleasant of company then he ever has."

"Richard! Fitzwilliam is the best of brothers, " Georgiana said softly in rebuke.

"Yes, colonel you won't fool me or Miss Darcy," Elizabeth said with a grin. "I have heard him referred to as the best of brothers from more then one source. Though I find my new sister to be the most reputable of them. In turn I imagine she, like my Jane, is the best of sisters."

"Thank you Mrs. Darcy," Georgiana said shyly.

"None of this Mrs. Darcy business. We are sisters now, please call me Elizabeth or Lizzy," Elizabeth told her gently, realizing that her new sister was painfully shy.

"I would like that, Lizzy. Please call me Georgiana."

"I have heard you are very accomplished," Elizabeth said with a smile directed at Georgiana.

"Not so very," Georgiana said modestly.

"The only talent I can lay claim to is being a great walker, so to me you are a fearsome creature with manifold talents. One that can draw, paint, sing, speak multiple languages, and has something in her air and manner of walking," Elizabeth said with a playful, exaggerated air.

"I play the piano forte," Georgiana admitted with a giggle.

"Do you have a favorite composer?" Elizabeth asked, drawing her into a conversation about music. The two chatted happily and by the time Darcy and Bennet left his study, Georgiana was comfortable and treating Elizabeth like a long lost friend.

...

Darcy and Elizabeth had been summoned to join the Earl and Countess of Matlock, for dinner that night. Darcy had elected to extend the travel out to five days rather then four so that an easier pace could be utilized. It also meant that they arrived early in the day, before luncheon, in London as oppossed to late at night. Col. Fitzwilliam had ridden on ahead of the party to inform his parents and Georgiana when Darcy and his wife would be arriving. He then brought his ward to meet her new sister at Darcy House from Matlock House. Since when he had first told his parents of the elopement, his mother had insisted that Georgiana and her companion stay with them on the off chance Lady Catherine showed up at Darcy House. In addition to Georgiana, he also brought an invitation to dinner.

"If you don't accept their invitation to dinner, my parents will simply show up here. Do you want to put your new wife in the position of playing hostess for her first dinner with no time to prepare menus and such?" Col. Fitzwilliam asked Darcy quietly so as not to disturb Elizabeth and Georgiana's conversation.

"Of course not. I was just looking forward to having my wife to myself for dinner," Darcy uttered back softly.

"I beg of you, do not repeat that comment to my father," Col. Fitzwilliam said dryly.

"What did he say?" Darcy asked with a sigh.

"He told mother that Georgiana had best stay with them a bit longer even if it meant he had to mind his language in his own home so you could spread your wife out on the table and feast on her for breakfast. He also gave his opinion that you would want to have amorous congress with her in any room without Georgiana walking in and being shocked."

"Good god," Darcy said. "I had thought to have Georgiana stay at Matlock House for a few days while Elizabeth settled in here, but perhaps I should not."

"He knows to be circumspect around Georgiana. Besides my mother is there, he is not going to enage in the behavior he did when she was out of town last time," Col. Fitzwilliam assured him.

"I should hope not," Darcy said grimly.

Col. Fitzwilliam gave a shrug in response. He had long since given up apologizing for his father's behavior. In retrospect it was his raunchy behavior that was the reason they had not invited Georgiana to join them on their breakfast call to his father when the countess was last out of town. The countess had gone to visit an old friend and Richard had felt obligated to check on his father's welfare. He had confided to Darcy that his father had claimed the night before he planned to lie in state with three harlots in his bed while his wife was gone as if he was a young man again. Darcy had joined his cousin to check that the old man had not killed himself in pursuit of his amorous congress. He had not been able to imagine the scandal if the earl had. They had arrived at the same time as David, Col. Fitzwilliam's elder brother, the viscount. All three had been surprised to find the Earl eating his breakfast with obvious enjoyment, practically moaning over it. Darcy had wondered if a new cook had been hired and the earl had said, "Plenty to go around when I am done. Go fill your plates. " Col. Fitzwilliam and Darcy had exchanged a confused look since the sideboard was full of the same things the earl had on his plate. When the earl had set his fork down and had started to grunt and say, "That's the ticket! All the way in. Mermaid's tits you've got it. Deeper. I'm about to come. Keep sucking my prick, feels so frigging good."

Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam had turned from the sideboard, plates half full in disbelief. They both realized at the same time that the Earl had one of the prostitues from his night before, servicing him under the table while he ate. To make matters worse the next words out of the Earl's mouth were, "Now take care of the boys while they eat," to the female under the table and then to them, "I've got two more upstairs that can see to the other two of you while she takes care of one of you. She can get you in deeper then the other two but they can still get your prick going and make you enjoy yourself."

Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam had been in the process of decling when, the viscount sat down, unbuttoned his breeches pulled out his cock and said, "Get right in here and make sure you play with my whirlygigs while my roger is getting wet."

"Guess how many times I managed to find release last night?" the earl had demanded with a chuckle, while the viscount reached under the table. Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam had turned and left without a word. Neither had been able to look at each other for fear of laughing, in part horror, part disbelief in what they had inadvertently walked in on, as they left Matlock House. Both agreed that if the earl did kill himself with his pursuits, it would serve him right and that the viscount could deal with it, they were decidedly done checking on the Earl's welfare.