The Prince of Pemberley

by Moira Bianchi

Elizabeth and Darcy form a bumpy pen friendship when teenagers but as they reach adulthood, life pushes them apart. When they meet again after almost two decades, they are both married but as it's a truth universally acknowledged, as well as feared, that fate has its twisted ways to dispose of people's lives, they can't resist each other. Modern, adultery, love beyond measuring.

17. Book 2 - Chapter 8 plus

Hello, hello

We have a popular anecdote here in Brazil that says 'He who is alive, tends to show up again', something like 'look who crawled out of his grave.' Well, here I am.

For the ones who contacted me, I explained I gave up posting this story all together due to lack of feedback. It takes a lot of work to post and I felt like I was throwing my good work away if every 5 days or so 1000 people read it but only 5 left a note.

You see, 'The Prince' is so very dear to me because it took me a long time to make this story work, to make it interesting and hot and heartfelt and palatable and convincible. I think it is darn good. Along the way, I searched and read about low rate of reviews in FFnet and it is probably my fault –so it said in the article- but even so, it hurts.

The Prince is in (yet another) revision to be released in kindle, iBook, e-book and paperback this month – should be today, October 23rd my mom's bday, but the cover art is not yet finished. Hopefully it'll come out next week. It has been revised, got a few extended scenes as the 'whisky lesson', a lovely adorable fulfilling (for the ones who have been reading the story so far) prologue and will be sold for the same cost as my other books, each part released two months after the previous. I was hoping to release book 2 around Christmas so you'd have company and excuse to escape the boring relatives who come to visit…

If you leafed through what is posted here, the first chapters of each book are still intact, the others were abridged. Today I post an abridged version of the rest of book 2 because I think you deserve to know how things go down the drain before the sun starts shining for Lizzy and Darcy again. This is really long, three chapters combined. Maybe it can help you think me less bitchy, childish, silly... Whatever else you're thinking.

In my blog MOIRABIANCHIdotCOM you will find info and links on this book and my other works such as another short story in this universe besides 'Hungover'. 'Indulgence' is also included in book 3 (as Hungover is) but modified to fit how the characters grew throughout the development of the story. ALSO, I have been bold enough to write Regency. Oh, Gosh, I'm so insecure… I had never written it so far because being Brazilian it felt odd to write historic England but a story kept nagging me, then another and I ended up with 3 short ones that I don't know exactly what to do with just yet. Anyway, it's on the blog.

'Check the blog!' is a joke I have with my friends.

Enough blah, blah, blah. Here comes HRH The Prince of Pemberley, ladies and gents.

M.

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Chapter Eight plus

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The fifty trillion cells in Elizabeth's body reshuffled themselves incessantly as she tried to deal with the truth; the files Darcy had on her husband opened a can of worms that consumed her. He had read that before he contacted her, and still he wanted to build a new life by her side. It was incredible how discreet he had been, not a single comment slipped his mouth, not even about her need for condoms.

An empty marriage. She had been gullible enough to live one.

That couldn't be, her marriage was real. Her children were real. How she felt towards her husband was real.

Or was she refusing to acknowledge the obvious?

She practically convulsed as her body responded to "The subject halfheartedly does his job, frequently placing the blame in his lower staff if a procedure has complications. See attached: Neves case, Silva boy case, Souza woman - deceased."

Elizabeth had lost her appetite and her energy to exercise. She frequently felt nauseated and her daily migraine felt each time worse, her synapsis connecting and disconnecting remembering small details and clues further humiliating her.

"Subject does not fake his battle to climb ranks in the Navy. Money is a huge part of his daily conversations, often offers side procedures not covered by the Navy standards charging the patients in cash. Has two savings accounts that no one accesses besides him, both united sum up to R$ 360.000,00 (nearly 100.000,00).

Notorious philanderer, vasectomized shortly after daughter was born. Has had a yearlong affair with fellow officer (of higher rank, daughter of a São Paulo Congressman) Maria Reis who set up an apartment for them. Subject was reported shopping for furniture with Ms. Reis soon before her father was accused by the São Paulo state biggest newspaper of embezzlement."

When it came to his days in Los Angeles with her younger sister Lydia, Elizabeth willed her brain to order her eyes to not recognize any letter and she leafed through it without reading. Curious as she might be, there were some things better left unsaid, unknown, hidden.

Elizabeth once read that 'hind sight is twenty/twenty.' Had she never sensed any of these flaws in Wickham? When they almost split because of his distance and her loneliness, when there was no joy in their relationship, why didn't she give more importance to her emotional suffering? "Because I tend to overlook problems finding an easy fast solution, afraid to be consumed by anxiety, giving power to my inner saboteur." She blamed herself. She had been disregarding her instinct by creating soothing voices inside her head that told her she loved Wickham and they had a beautiful family.

They did have a beautiful family. That she built by herself.

There was no denying their relationship was the absolute pits. It no longer mattered if Darcy had been the catalyst of her divorce; Wickham had been duping her for years already.

From the day she got the file to the day Wickham returned home, she had less than a week to digest the information, calm down avoiding saying things she wouldn't be able to take back making accusations based on anger and build up an inner loving adult to look after her best interests.

All that without bringing Jane into the turmoil even though she seriously considered asking her best sister to schedule her an appointment with her shrink.

Neither could she discuss the dilemma with Darcy who daily called her.

xxxx

'Are you ready, Babe?' Wickham asked entering the bedroom. 'Let's go.'

'Just a sec.' Elizabeth answered.

'Who was it on the phone?' He asked checking his image on the floor mirror.

'Jane.' She answered from the bathroom while applying lipstick.

'At least it wasn't FitzDick…' He muttered sourly. 'What did Jane want? Didn't you tell her we are late?'

'We are not late, George. It's barely ten.' Elizabeth sighed checking the contents of her small purse and walking towards the door. 'Jane is coming with us.'

In spite of how hot his wife looked inside fitted dark jeans, black pumps and a strapless peplum top, Wickham frowned. 'Why?'

She shrugged.

'Tell her Denny is coming.' He said ushering his wife out of their room and into the hallway. 'I don't want any more drama.'

Elizabeth stopped midstride and turned to him. 'Why you make it so fuc-'

'Mom?' Tom asked from his bed.

Wickham bristled. 'Don't go.'

She sniggered. 'Right. I won't answer my son because you are in a hurry to meet your friends at a bar.' She shook her head. 'Yes, my love?' She said returning to her son's room.

While she cuddled their son before going out for the late party, Wickham fetched a beer and sat heavily in the living room. It seemed lately that Elizabeth was making an effort to annoy him. Since he arrived home the day before, they had been fighting as much as over the phone.

He loved his beautiful wife who was as hot as headstrong. This night out dancing with his friends would help her relax; they would have a few beers, share a few kisses and when they returned home he would make love to her. That ought to tame his sassy girl.

xxxx

'I don't like when you mention the damned guy all the time, Babe.' Wickham said frowning. 'That's unladylike.'

'I don't talk about Fitz all the time.' Elizabeth seethed closing the front door behind them. It was three thirty in the morning and she was exhausted. The club had been crowded, the music loud, the group of friends obnoxious and her heart heavy.

Each day she felt more confused, anguished and vulnerable. If only her husband paid more attention, he wouldn't keep pushing her limits.

'You talked about the fucktard the whole night. It embarrasses me.' He complained furiously and waved at Reynalda who appeared on the kitchen door with sleepy eyes.

She pressed a smile and mouthed 'Good night' to Rey. Her husband wasn't sniffing anything after all; he was just concerned about his own image… Disheartened, she stopped by their children's doors to check on the sleeping angels before continuing to her room.

As soon as she entered, he continued. 'I don't want to hear his name anymore, find another idiocy to talk about.' Wickham sat on their bed to take off his shoes. 'It's better if you cut relations with him completely.'

Astounded, she stopped midway to her dresser to rest her clutch.

'I'm sure Denny and his bride noticed you have a sick interest in the rich fucktard.' Wickham said. 'I'll never hear enough of this.'

'Excuse me?' She asked feeling her throat constrict.

'Fitz.' Wickham mocked making a face.

'That's why Denny was especially annoying tonight? Your little friend saw it fit to fight for his bro?' She asked with her hands on her hips. 'Was he defending you?'

'What's wrong with that?' He asked peeved.

She squinted. 'Since when do you need help?'

'He listens to me.' Wickham said.

Elizabeth felt her blood boil. The stupid arguments and annoyance she felt during the evening with his friend's haughty behavior had consumed her patience. 'When you complain about me? Or when you boast about new cunts?'

'Men talk about women.' He said shaking his head at her silliness and rose to go to the bathroom.

With her husband turning his back to her, Elizabeth passed beyond frustrated and let her nerves get the best of her. Her inner turmoil and tiredness made her realize that her marriage was resumed to petty arguments and it flashed the red light in her head. 'Do friends keep score of their cheating?'

'Are you accusing me?' He poked his head from the bathroom door. 'Or are you excusing yourself?' He came back to the room, his shirt untucked and stopped in front of her fastening his pants' fly.

She blinked. 'What do you mean?'

'I can see what is there between you and the rich dickhead. You are different, more beautiful. You were all keyed up when he came here the other day.' He accused pointing at her.

'He is my friend.' Elizabeth said hating herself for repeating the same god-awful excuse.

'Friend and lover?' Wickham insisted.

She took a sharp intake of breath.

He grinned viciously. 'You don't have any answer besides 'yes', do you?' He looked intently at her while she stared at him with a surprised expression on her cute face. Wickham had been preparing to have this conversation with his wife for a while. People stray from time to time; he knew that better than anyone. Of course, he hated the idea of his wife with another man (even though he was sure there had not been sex involved), but he was willing to forgive and forget if she took the blame and worked to rebuild his confidence in her.

'I can count how many affairs you had in these last sixteen years.' She sidestepped in cagey defiance.

Wickham was actually surprised that his wife had any idea of his pastime. He considered if once they solved this, after the make-up sex, he would have trouble dealing with her resentment. 'Admit it.' He ordered. 'You are smitten with this Darcy.'

She could explain that Darcy's pull was too strong to fight, it was a window to the past, it was like finally coming back home. She could say how Wickham's absence had made her unhappy and the discovery of his many shenanigans had hurt. She could also say that with her age, she couldn't afford to let the promise of true committed love pass her by once again. However, saying all those things would be pouring herself out to someone she considered incapable of understanding.

'It's a dead end, Elizabeth.' Wickham urged her.

'Divorce, then?' She bit the inside of her mouth and held back the fat tears threatening to spill.

xxxx

"Come on, King… pick up the phone…" Elizabeth fidgeted with the small crowns hanging from her necklaces. She had been dodging Darcy because her home and mind were in such turmoil she avoided talking to anyone. But five days after that fateful night when she asked for a divorce, she needed the reassurance only Darcy could give her.

As usual, he didn't take the call. She called once more in case he hadn't realized his silenced phone was buzzing, but as he didn't answer she gave up. Still there was half an hour to her next class and she was loath of facing twenty young adults uninterested on extinct pandemics, one of her favorite short-term courses. Elizabeth tried to find in her the pleasure of teaching a subject that inspired her, in spite of her life's mess.

Things were so crazed that not even work could give her any solace.

Miraculously, the new students were a good crowd and helped improve her general mood. As she gathered her tablet and put the tote on her shoulder, her phone buzzed showing Darcy's half smile on her screen. Surrounded by students, there was no way she could inconspicuously take a call in English, as much as she wanted. She cut the call and let the students walk with her to her office planning on calling him back as soon as she was left alone. But before that, he called again.

"Fitz!" She said in a low voice waving the students goodbye.

"Hello, my love." He said in a happy voice that she selfishly considered a betrayal. If she was this upset, he couldn't be cheerful. Even though he didn't know about her problems yet.

"I called you two times before my class." She complained. "Did you ignore me?"

By her tone, Darcy realized something was afoot. "What's wrong, Lizzy?"

She sighed, closed her office's door and walked to the window trying to find words.

"Please, tell me." He said when her silence stretched. "What is it?"

"I'm divorcing George." She bit her lip.

"Good God, yes!" Darcy thought wanting to clap loudly but she obviously wasn't in the mood to celebrate. "Tell me everything."

Elizabeth told him an abridged version of the Saturday evening's fight, Sunday's tsunami with the kids and Monday's parents' calls. She felt lost and deep down still wondered if switching husbands was the right thing to do after all.

"How are the children?" Darcy asked.

"Oh, Fitz, I feel so guilty." Elizabeth whined. "They are confused and hurt. When I came back from a run at the beach and found them crying because I wouldn't let them live with their dad anymore, I felt like I could die there on the spot."

"Bloody wanker." Darcy muttered. "Have you talked to the lawyer yet? Do you want to forbid him to see the children?"

"No…" She sighed. "I don't know."

"Wait." He said and after a second, she heard him talk to someone else. "Lizzy, I have Dr. Woodhouse here on the other line; she'll give your number to her Brazilian lawyer. Do you have time for a meeting tomorrow morning?"

Elizabeth shook her head 'no' and pressed a wrist to an eye. "No, I have courses to teach."

"When is your break?" He asked.

"Just a sec." She walked to her desk and checked her printed schedule for the next weeks. "I'll have forty minutes at ten am." She said and heard him make arrangements with the other phone call.

"The lawyer will meet you in your office, ten o'clock tomorrow morning." He said.

"Thanks…" She answered. "But… Fitz?"

"Yes, my love?" He said cursing his wife for spying on him and his business for not allowing him free time to fly to Brazil. All Anne's mother needed was to know he was supporting Elizabeth through her divorce.

"Is this the right thing to do?" Hurt and in need of shelter, Elizabeth asked her friend, not her lover.

Darcy felt his heart stop for a moment. If she was unsure that divorcing the swine was needed, what else could he do?

"My children are so scared. I'm trying to be strong and not project anything on them, avoid manipulating the way they see their father, but Tom looks at me like I'm a witch…" She said incapable of holding her tears. "And they've been having nightmares…" She sniffed. "I already overindulged them with gifts and there's still three weeks to Christmas… I need help."

"I'm coming to you." He decided on a whim. Let his team deal with the spies and the business. She sounded absolutely forlorn and in need of a friend – the best friend she had.

"No." She said dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "Don't. Your presence here would make things worse. George's mom accused me of cheating on her perfect son for money; my mother is half-mad at me for losing the charming doctor son-in-law and half-ecstatic because I'm preying on a millionaire. That's you." She said not expecting him to answer. "If you showed up here, who knows what could happen."

Darcy rose to stare at the city's landscape from his office's window thinking she was right, his presence in Rio would make things worse for everybody. Of most things in the world, he abhorred feeling helpless. There had to be something he could do.

"I want to turn into a bear, hibernate for a year and wake up when this mess is solved." She sighed, her eyes still leaking. "If only I had a clone…"

He chuckled. "How many days until you come back to me, Bart?"

"The longest two and a half months of my life!" She said exaggerating. "Next month my kids have a party at a friend's farm, two hours from Rio. I didn't want to let them spend a week away but now I can't find courage to deny them anything. Also Jane will ditch me for Graham and I'll lose the only support I have."

"You have me." He said hurt.

"No, I don't." She sniffed. "You can't come to me, we can't be together and you are not mine."

Darcy didn't like her tone. "I need time, Lizzy. I have a lot to deal with."

Elizabeth blinked several times to think fast, her heart speeding so much she could see her chest move on her office's windowpanes' reflection. "I'm such a fool!"

"Lizzy, are you there?" He asked when she didn't answer immediately. "Lizzy?"

"I'm here." She mumbled. "Gullible fool!" She chastised herself.

"I said I need time. Did you hear me?"

"Take your time, Fitz." She answered feeling her eyes sting from the tears threatening to spill again.

"Excuse me?"

"You have all the time in the world, Fitz." Elizabeth said angrily. "It's your life."

"No." he said. "It's our life. I explained to you that things wouldn't be easy for me, even though I'm already taking care of my lose ends. You are upset-"

"Damn right I'm upset, Sherlock!" She roared. "My family is destroyed, I'm gathering the pieces here and all you have to say is 'give me time'?"

"I have a lot to say and would like to go to you." He started but she groaned loudly. "Bart…"

"Later, Fitz." She said and hung up seething.

Without her permission, her eyes spilled more tears than she ever thought possible to produce. Salty drops of desperation and remorse that wrecked her body. It was luck she only had office work that day or else everyone would notice her puffy eyes.

She had stupidly agreed to change her life for a man who didn't make her a priority. Bitter and hurt, she wanted to suddenly see Darcy's hidden agenda, realize that he only considered her a sidechick, even though she knew there had to be a lot of trouble to separate two fortunes.

Considering she had already started her divorce process, she was on the verge of being free for a man who could only give her half of his time. He was married and had to act the part for as long as this 'time' he needed lasted. A few months, years, more?

Time would pass and she might become an afterthought – if she wasn't already one for him. A hot ass he fucked when she willingly went to him: delivery mistress, fresh from Brazil, directly to his doorstep for only two weeks at a time, free of costs.

In the middle of her bitter haze, her phone beeped and she reached for it.

"I love you"

Elizabeth read Darcy's text making an effort to clear her eyes as a new onslaught of tears started.

"Not enough to ask for a divorce now"

She typed but didn't send. Instead, she stared at his words feeling devoid of warm feelings for him at the moment.

"k"

She answered a few hours later realizing the only real and present truth: she was about to face abysmal lows and even hardest comedowns alone.

xxxx

By the end of January Elizabeth was starting to work around her children's confusion making sure to spend as much time with them as her office hours allowed. As she had only three summer courses to teach at the National Institute and they were on vacations, Thomas and Cassandra spent the day visiting their mother's job – something they always loved to do. With the daylight saving time, they could enjoy at least three hours at the beach every afternoon after Elizabeth came from work, further patching their relationship.

Darcy still called her every day, and still apologized for not coming to her even though she begged him to stop. The divorce process started, Elizabeth discovered herself in need of focusing and forget about lovers, promises of eternal love or a new life somewhere far. Reality was harsh and she had to face it. Alone. For company, she only had the necklaces and the ring Darcy had given her, her endless source of fidgeting as coping mechanism.

The other parents from the kids' school were either familiar with the excruciating divorcing period or sympathetic with it, so they helped as much as possible. The week long birthday party at the friend's farm was a good escape for the three of them. Four actually since Reynalda had been very moved with the divorce as well and without Elizabeth's request, offered to accompany the kids to the farm. The splitting genuinely upset Reynalda who grew really fond of the Wickhams for offering shelter when she deeply needed.

On the verge of being completely abandoned, Elizabeth received an invitation to present her research at a conference taking place in Brasilia. "Finally the planets have decided to help me!" She thought accepting immediately.

When she told Darcy about it, he surprised her saying he would meet her there. Another city where they weren't known or expected was the perfect place to meet.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked. "Are you coming to Brazil?"

"I'm booking a ticket now." He said, eyes intent on his laptop's screen. "No direct flight, I'll have a layoff in Rio… Wait, I can get a São Paulo layoff as well."

"Wow… it would be great to see you, King." Elizabeth sighed looking at the sky as her kids build sand castles. It was already seven pm and they were still enjoying dusk at the beach, waiting the street lamps come to life signalizing their late afternoon fun was ending.

"It will be great, Bart." He ascertained her.

Two weeks later, Darcy boarded his white horse on the form of a thirteen tons airliner to rescue his lady. To avoid unwanted attention, he flew to Brasília directly from São Paulo and arrived the same day as Elizabeth, only hours apart.

The reunion was much awaited and dreamt about. When she arrived, Elizabeth checked in the room the university had booked for her and went directly to Darcy's, without even entering her assigned lodgings. She knocked on his door excitedly shifting from foot to foot.

He opened the door and his heart skipped a beat before picking up speed. Apart, they were weak and vulnerable; together they were strong enough to fight for each other.

Elizabeth abandoned her medium spinner behind and jumped to hide her face in his neck. Inhaling his warm scent and feeling his strong arms around her waist was exactly as arriving home after facing a storm. She didn't cry, didn't even want to: she just felt safe.

Darcy kissed her ear, reached behind her to bring her luggage inside, closed the door behind them and leaned on the wall to let their bodies remember how good it felt to be together.

'Thank you for coming.' She whispered.

'That's where I belong.' Darcy tightened his arms around her waist. 'How are you?'

'Hurt and terrified, yet relieved.' She said tilting her head back to look him in the eyes. 'Do I make sense?'

He nodded. Although he craved her lips, he didn't make any advances before she did, determined to respect her boundaries. 'The children?'

'At the farm with Reynalda and their friends.' Elizabeth combed his hair.

'I didn't have time for a haircut.' He excused himself.

She shook her head. 'You look as hot as always…'

They shared a small intimate smile.

'I took the kids to the farm personally and stayed for a day. Really nice place.' She said.

'As nice as Pemberley?' Darcy asked raising his eyebrows.

She chuckled. 'No.'

'Will Tom and Nanda like to live at Pemberley?' He asked expectantly.

'I guess… It'll be a big change for them. They are city children.' She leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips.

'I'll make any changes they want.' He smiled enjoying her small kisses. 'Do they hate me already?'

'They don't know about us.' Elizabeth closed her eyes for an instant resting her forehead against his cheek. 'George spared them.'

'I can't wait to have you three with me.' Darcy said. 'Diana and Sally, all of us together.' Elizabeth smiled shyly. 'You are thinner, my love.' He caressed her cheek.

She shrugged. 'Don't feel like eating much.'

He pressed his lips together and shifted to let her lean on his chest. 'It will pass, Love.'

'Not soon enough.' She bit her lower lip. 'Sometimes I think I won't manage.'

'Yes, you will.' He arranged a lock of hair behind her ear. 'You are the strongest woman I know.'

'And somehow it makes you horny.' She grinned and lowered her hand to touch the hard-on she accidentally felt on her thigh when she shifted her weigh from one high heeled foot to another.

He blushed lightly. 'It's been seventy eight days since I last saw you…' He smiled sideways.

'Lucky you I need comforting so bad.' Elizabeth glued their mouths and let Darcy love her the way he knew so well, the way it made her feel so good.

xxxx

'It's amazing you're not dead of boredom!' Elizabeth said entering the big hotel suite with Darcy behind her. 'You didn't even snooze during my lecture.'

'It was very interesting, Dr. Bennett.' He said smiling at her teasing and getting busy with the air conditioning remote control to raise it as high as it went. February in Brazil's capital meant 35°C but very low relative humidity what made it feel even worse than Rio de Janeiro's 42°C.

'I was so tense before starting… the crowd of colleagues, you watching me…' Elizabeth kneaded her neck and winced. 'I'll book a massage.' She said siting on the bed and reaching for the phone. 'Do you want to have one too?'

He shook his head 'no' checking his e-mails on his phone.

'I wish I had booked massages at Bastet...' She said dialing the reception. Darcy understood most of her Portuguese conversation arranging the service. 'Done.' She sighed. 'That resort was so fabulous, imagine the massages and treatments it offered. And of course, you paid for the best package...'

'Money is of no importance.' He said distractedly.

'For you? Of course not.' She chuckled and reclined against the crispy white pillows kicking off her high pumps.

'We can return there if you'd like.' He raised one eyebrow and stood by the table to empty his pockets.

'I bet you inherited a pretty reasonable fortune and you doubled it in what? Twenty years?' Elizabeth smiled sideways at him.

'Eighteen.' He said frowning. 'I invested a lot to modernize the company...' He scratched the back of his neck. 'And it took me a while to find the right pace. I don't have business insight sharpened enough to make revolutionary deals. After a few tough years, I realized I needed to surround myself with competent men good enough to complete me.'

Elizabeth watched him speak with his eyes downcast and her heart warmed to him. 'Why are you excusing yourself, King?'

He frowned, pursed his lips and looked at her. 'I don't know. Am I?'

She nodded smiling condescendingly. 'You don't need to explain anything to me. I think you are great, no defects whatsoever!' She said and laughed as he smiled with closed lips. 'Seriously, I think it's amazing you took over the business. You could make spending the fortune you inherited your goal in life, but you made it bigger. You are amazing.'

Darcy looked at her thinking how different she was from Anne and Lady Catherine who always pinpointed his flaws before congratulating him on his victories.

Elizabeth puckered her lips and twined a long lock of hair around her finger. 'Just out of curiosity, we're talking here about... Millions?'

Darcy smiled charmingly at her curiosity. 'Billion.'

She raised her brows and her mouth formed an 'o'. "Shit, he's a billionaire? This is so out of my league... I can't deal with that... Can I?" Swallowing her discomfort, she asked derisively: 'Only one?'

He smiled shaking his head. 'It's not exactly tangible. The company has assets and investments; it's a large net worth. Let's say that if you don't find a job in England that pleases you, you don't need to submit to anything.'

'I'm not living off your coins bin, Scrooge McDuck!' She imperatively raised a finger at him.

He laughed and shook his head. 'I know. I meant you could start your own research lab.' Actually, that idea had occurred to him a few minutes before while he listened to her discuss passionately her professional ideas with the fellow colleagues after her amazing lecture.

'Oh my God!' Elizabeth uttered. 'Really?'

He shrugged and sat on the foot of the bed while she rose on her knees with the excitement.

'I always wanted to build an educational program focused on the dangers of infectious diseases...' Elizabeth said dreamily.

'That's your PhD research, isn't it?' He asked.

She nodded. 'More or less, yes.' In the middle of her daydream, she tilted her head to one side. 'Wait. How is that not depending on your money?'

Darcy shook his head smiling and chose a side escape. 'Georgiana told me about your ideas, I loved them. When you decide to make it work, do it.' He said simply.

Elizabeth fell back on her haunches. 'Do you talk about me?'

'Yes.' Darcy combed his slightly too long hair with both hands. 'She knows we'll marry as soon as we can.'

Elizabeth winced. 'Does she think I'm a slut?'

'Of course not.' He frowned deeply. 'She thinks we'll be great together.'

Elizabeth twisted her lips to a side. 'I like Georgiana, she's a dear.'

'She likes you too, a lot.' Darcy said nodding.

'I would hate if she thought badly of me.' Elizabeth continued.

'Why would she think that?' He frowned again, slightly upset with her vision of their future marriage.

Elizabeth shrugged. 'I'm divorcing my husband and disrupting my home for a leap of faith...'

Darcy raised one eyebrow. 'You don't believe I love you? That I'll divorce Anne?'

'I do.' She moved forward and kissed his lips lightly. 'But this is a huge step. Before reading those files I was still unsure. Not because of us, but my children...' It took her a few moments to notice his deep frown. 'Oh shit!' She pulled a face. 'I planned to tell you this differently.'

'Speak.' Darcy ordered, both confused and mad.

'I read the files you have on George.' She raised her hand to him. 'Don't freak out! I had to pressure Weston a lot to persuade him to show me the files.'

Darcy's scowl deepened and Elizabeth knew Weston and her were in trouble. Swiftly she moved to seat in his lap and kissed his face until his frown subsided. 'King, please don't leash on my friend's son. We ganged up on him and she played the girlfriend-of-a-married-man card. He was very unsure about it, I insisted a lot.' She said holding his ears and looking directly into his angry eyes. 'You offered to show me the files once, remember?' She asked but as he barely blinked, she moved his head up and down into a nod. 'I could have asked you to give them to me. I didn't because I suspect you wouldn't have showed me the whole thing.'

'No, I wouldn't. There are some things you don't need to know.' He said through his teeth.

'No, Fitz... It was good to know all George's shit. I hate to be left in the loop.' Elizabeth paused. 'I can even fill in some blanks your people let loose. When the Maria woman planned to live with him, we were almost splitting. I thought he begged me to take him back because he loved me but I guess it was when he found out her rich family was broke. I gave our marriage another chance because Tom was little. Soon after, I got pregnant with Nanda. We had talked about another child... a new baby was much needed in a way.'

She rose from his lap and walked to the fridge to get a water bottle, took a sip and restarted. 'Please don't leash on Weston. I pushed and he believed I would protect him because his mom said I have power over you.' She chuckled humorlessly. 'What an overstatement!'

'You do have power over me.' Darcy muttered. 'Only not over my business.'

She blinked. 'Don't harm the boy's career, King. As a personal favor to me. It's nice to know I have an ally in your company...'

'You don't need that.' He barked.

'Of course I do. I'm the outsider, the social climber taking you off a stable influential marriage for an adventure on the other side of the world.' She shrugged. 'Who knows how that could affect your company?'

He shook his head. 'Gardiner betrayed me and broke the contract he signed.'

'Please? Can't you overlook his misstep since it gave me a boost towards divorce?' She asked seriously.

'I'm not sure what is more infuriating, Lizzy: an employee breaking a contract, a personal assistant betraying me or you needing a boost to ask for a divorce after we made plans.' He ground his teeth trying to control his anger.

'I was even feeling guilty until your last reason.' She chuckled shaking her head. 'I'll ask Reynalda, the only employee I have, to give you enough reason to ask for a divorce!'

He pressed his lips together. He had already explained his reasons to her and she shouldn't doubt him anymore.

'Ok.' She said noticing his bad mood wasn't going to be easily dissipated. 'How about this: I offer to make it up, since I have power over you and all. Maybe if I succeed, you'll soften with the boy on the professional level.' She posed the water on the table and sashayed to him. 'Silence means you are actually upset...'

Darcy wanted to let himself go but the betrayal made him very angry.

'I want to offer...' She tilted his head up to her when she stood between his legs. 'As an olive branch...' She lowered her head and kissed him. 'A blow.' She whispered in his ear and he raised his hands to hold her hips. 'So you can overlook my curiosity.' She said on his lips before a series of short sexy kisses.

'Politeness obliges me to accept your offer.' He answered and she laughed. 'But this was the last time you moved behind my back. Agree?'

xxxx

Elizabeth and Darcy were comfortably laid side by side in his Brasilia hotel room's bed enjoying their last hours together. In a funny embrace with Darcy on his back and Elizabeth laid on her side as close to him as possible, her face hidden on his neck, nose breathing him in, both his arms free but one of his legs locked between both of hers; they fought the bitter taste in their mouths with the impending separation.

Although his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, his hand held her wrist as her fingers played with his chest's hair and in his mind Darcy considered these last days with Elizabeth. She seemed better after spending the week with him; she smiled more and ate regularly. Her ribs were still visible when she moved but she only had two migraine crises. It would be a lot easier if they didn't live so far apart.

His phone beeped breaking his line of thought.

'Who bothers us?' Elizabeth mumbled in his neck.

Darcy raised an arm, folded it back to caress her hair and reached for his phone with the other. 'It's Graham.' He chuckled. 'Look at this!'

She grudgingly unglued her nose from his warm neck to look at an adorable picture of the happy trio, tanned and smiling in front of a Mayan pyramid. She smiled and Darcy passed to another picture of Julia in Graham's arms in the sea caressing a dolphin. 'Oh, I bet he regretted that!... I can see the tantrum when they didn't let her take one home!' She chuckled and returned her nose to his neck.

He sighed, locked his phone and adjusted in bed holding her butt to bring her even closer to his side. 'These days here were very productive, don't you think?'

She chuckled. 'Judging by how much time we spent here in bed?'

'No…' He chuckled too. 'We talked to the lawyer, discussed your next steps, your lectures were a success, I managed to have a few video conferences… And of course, spending time together.' He turned to hold her face, her eyes still closed. 'Promise me you'll take better care of yourself until we meet again in a month?'

She pursed her lips. 'Tomorrow I'll be back at my personal purgatory… at least I'll get to hug the kids.'

'You need to eat better, return to your exercises.' He kissed her eyes. 'You are thinner, Bart.' He caressed her sides letting his fingers outline her ribs.

She sighed.

'When you arrive in London, come see me at the office. I'll wait for you.' He said planning to schedule a specialist appointment to tame her migraines.

She raised her brows, surprised by his request. 'At your office? Shouldn't we hide our love away?'

He shook his head and blew air from his nose annoyed. 'Come to me. I'll deal with everything else.'

She rose on her elbow and reached the water bottle on the nightstand, took a sip letting her sight float to the vast South Lake outside their window.

'What is it?' He asked crossing his arms under his head and admiring her curves against the sun coming out of the window, her ring shedding tiny rays of light around her hand.

'I wish you wouldn't leave me in a few hours.' She rested the bottle on the table again. 'Silly, right?' Elizabeth lowered her head, her hair hiding her face.

Darcy's heart broke seeing how sad she was. Although a very strong woman, Elizabeth was suffering with her divorce and, he suspected, from the delay of his.

'Soon, Bart.' He frowned. 'Soon.'

xxxx

Elizabeth arrived at the posh building's front desk feeling a little subdued by the environment. With lots of shining stainless steel, white marble and bright lights, Darcy's London offices' lobby seemed like a sci-fi movie set.

'Good afternoon, I'm expected at Derbyshire Holding.' Elizabeth said to one of the girls behind the tall desk. 'Elizabeth Bennett.'

The pretty girl barely looked up from her computer screen. 'Which department?'

'The Board.'

That caught her attention. 'A valid ID, please.'

'Here it is.' Elizabeth handed her the university ID card, the only British document she had.

The girl entered her name on the computer and reached for the phone to make a call. Soon after she started fidgeting, rummaged her drawers until she found a yellow badge even though there were many white ones neatly spread over the desk, and rose. 'Please, ma'am. This way.'

Elizabeth tilted her head, the girl handed her the ID and the badge before walking to a different set of elevators to the left of the principal row of eight stainless steel doors with flashing displays on top. Exclusive elevator to the board and after a swift ride, the doors opened to an enormous and even more intimidating lobby. In the middle there was a massive black and oak desk from where a senior very well dressed and thin woman sat with the phone glued to her ear. The woman raised her eyes and looked at Elizabeth over her small rectangular spectacles.

'Yes?...' She asked carrying the 's' long after it was necessary.

'Good afternoon. Fitzwilliam Darcy is expecting me. Elizabeth Bennett.' Elizabeth said in a smile thinking what Jane could do with such a space. Her sister surely would design something much more beautiful.

The woman looked derisively upon Elizabeth and, without taking the phone off her ear, pointed at the stuffed chairs with the pen she was holding. Immediately after, she nodded, murmured an agreement and scribed something on the small pad on her desk.

Elizabeth felt her blood boil. The thin witch who had tiny rhinestones on her spectacles was probably the one who told Anne she was at Pemberley. She squinted and fished her phone from her purse taking a few steps into the lobby.

"Pick up the call, King, just this once…" She sent Darcy direct vibes as she unlocked her phone and speed dialed him. "Hi!" She said relieved when he answered the second ring.

Darcy smiled at his phone. "Lizzy!"

"If you are busy, we can meet later. I have a full schedule and-" Elizabeth said.

"Are you close by?" Darcy frowned.

"I'm at your lobby. Look-" She started again and noticed the woman raise from her desk exactly as a door opened and Darcy came walking in long strides.

'Oh!' Elizabeth cut the call.

'Hello, Elizabeth. How are you doing?' He came closer.

She smiled. 'I'm actually a little busy myself. I have classes in a few hours and if you can't see me now-'

'Who said I'm busy? I was waiting for you, there's an order to send you directly here.' He frowned.

Elizabeth raised her brows and averted her eyes to the secretary.

'Err… Sir, I didn't…' Mrs. Clavis tried to explain her haughty behavior.

Elizabeth turned to her with a manicured eyebrow raised. 'Are you implying I lie?' She defied the woman. 'Or maybe that I misunderstood you when you pointed at the chairs without acknowledging my presence?'

'No, ma'am.' Mrs. Clavis frowned and stiffened her back.

'Hold my calls, Mrs. Clavis.' Darcy ordered and the older woman nodded. 'And send Weston Gardiner to my personal conference room. Lizzy?' He pointed the way and Elizabeth walked before him balling her hands.

'Fitz, this was the woman who gossiped on us, wasn't she?' Elizabeth asked as soon as she heard the door close behind her.

'I don't know, Bart.' He said pressing his lips together to hold his smile. She was beautiful in a blue mid-floral skirt, black cardigan and pumps, her hair up in a ponytail. To his eyes, she looked like she had regained some weigh, her face seemed healthier.

'Do this old bat follow you around, didn't she work in Manchester?' She pointed at the door making a derisive face. 'Did you do her?'

Darcy frowned.

Elizabeth freed her hair to stop the mild migraine threatening to start. 'I would think you lack taste if you did.'

Darcy chuckled and hugged her thin waist. 'Hello, my love.'

'Hi.' She smiled back and crossed her arms behind his neck. 'I hate your secretary.'

'Ok.' He lowered his head to kiss her mouth.

They heard a knock on the door and both took a step back.

'You sent for me, sir?' Weston Gardiner asked poking his head inside the office. 'Lizzy! Hi!' The young man said smiling.

'Hello!' Elizabeth smiled. 'How are you doing?'

'Come in.' Darcy said and pointed at the chairs for Lizzy to choose a seat. He sat beside her and Weston sat opposite them. 'Gardiner, I want you to repeat what we discussed last month.'

Anne Gardiner's son blushed violently. 'Whatever information you need, Lizzy, you can ask but before answering I will talk to Mr. Darcy about it.'

'Like asking for permission?' She raised her brows.

Darcy tilted his head to the side. 'Like asking my opinion on the matter.'

Elizabeth considered the situation for a while. 'Weston, you are an accomplished hacker, aren't you?' She asked and Darcy could see she was up to no good.

'Well, I can't say that…' Weston said glancing from Darcy to her.

'How much money do you make here?' She asked and the boy stuttered. 'Maybe you could work for me and I'd be the one to approve whatever order he gives you…' She pointed at Darcy and smiled.

'That'd be all, Gardiner.' Darcy said and rose. 'Thank you.'

Weston walked to the door and waited until Lizzy sent enough kisses to the young man's mother before he left closing the door behind him making an effort not to grin.

'Excellent sense of humor.' Darcy muttered lowering himself on the chair beside her.

'Thank you!' She smiled brightly.

'I'm creating a protocol for him to follow.' He leaned back on the chair, turning it slightly to face her and forced hers towards him. 'If you plan to make him breach security again, it's better if I'm aware before he commits a crime.'

'Oh, crime…' She rolled her eyes. 'Come on.' Elizabeth arranged her legs to rest between his long ones stretched in front of him.

'He signed contracts to work here and went against what he agreed.' Darcy raised his eyebrows at her.

'Because I asked him to.' Elizabeth said. 'I don't work here-'

'Exactly.' Darcy said.

'But he knew we were close-' She continued.

'He couldn't know how close and it's not of his concern who I have in my intimate circle.' He cut her.

Elizabeth sighed. 'I already said I'm sorry. And you accepted my excuses.' She smiled sideways glancing at his crotch.

Darcy grinned. 'Still, Gardiner was out of line. I didn't fire him because it was you, because it helped me and because you begged me to give him a chance. But he should have been fired.'

She massaged her scalp with her ten fingers. 'Will you need my excuses again?' She asked sarcastically grinning at him.

'Yes, please.' He chuckled. 'Migraine?'

'Only a phantom.' She blinked. 'My days have been pretty hectic. The kids are staying with their father this weekend.'

'Again already?' Darcy asked and nodded back when she did. 'Are they excited?'

She shrugged. 'He fills them with pizza, movies, TV until two in the morning…'

'I guess they did.' Darcy chuckled. 'Reynalda?'

She shrugged. 'She's with them but she's not me. They obey her to a certain point but Reynalda can't overrule George.' Elizabeth turned her head to look at the window.

Darcy nodded studying her face.

'It's all very new to them. His house, his rules. He let them decorate the walls of their room with tons of stickers.' Elizabeth pursed her lips and raised her brows. 'I never let them do it, they loved to do it.'

'Only one room for both of them?' He asked.

She nodded. 'I visited the place. It's nice, big windows, beach front. Has catering and cleaning service, standard serviced flat.'

'You didn't tell me you visited Wickham.' Darcy tensed and sat up.

'Just did.' She averted her eyes to the side. 'You probably already knew since you have me watched.'

'I don't have you watched.' Darcy replied.

She shrugged and reached for a pen rested on the table to fidget.

He squinted and waited in silence until she decided to speak. Each second she took, his apprehension grew and he was more certain something had happened.

'He invited me to take a look at the place before the children first stayed over. I had to check on the lodgings he had set up…' She blinked fidgeting with the pen. 'Their room has two beds with underbed storage drawers plus a dresser and a foldable bed for Reynalda. TV of course.' She waited for Darcy to make any comments but he kept scowling. 'He came on to me.' She averted her eyes to him.

Darcy's insides churned but still he waited for her to speak.

'I pushed him away, nothing happened.' Elizabeth said. 'It was mostly unpleasant.'

'You'd have told me right away if nothing had happened.' He barked. 'Did he kiss you?'

She nodded and started pen clicking, a small telltale of her inner turmoil.

'Did he touch you?' He insisted.

Elizabeth blinked wondering why she mentioned it to Darcy. 'Yes, but I got away.'

Darcy groaned.

She wasn't being candid to her friend but to her lover, that changed everything. 'Nothing happened, Fitz. He cornered me, we kissed, he grabbed my boob and I pushed him away.' She explained trying not to let him notice how upset she was admitting this to him, how confused she was with their situation. 'It was… Unexpected and uninvited.' She said resuming the pen clicking. 'He called me, I went there, he was alone and showed me around. We talked about what the kids would need and stuff. At first, when he cornered me and asked for a kiss, I guess I let my guilt trick me into remembering the history we shared.' Elizabeth spoke averting her eyes from Darcy to the city outside the window. Cars, black taxis, red buses and people so tiny downstairs, everything so quiet. 'I was surprised by how disgusted I felt with his heavy breathing through his nose after the kiss, you know?' She looked at Darcy and fanned her nose. 'Even though the way he caressed my breast over my shirt was something I always liked, it felt invasive, nothing like what we share…' She sighed and clicked the pen a few times searching for words to describe no preliminary Wickham could try would feel as good as Darcy's who had shown her the real pleasure in fore playing. It had been the memory of Darcy's caresses that had awakened her to what she was letting Wickham do and she escaped his embrace. He still had tried to shove a hand inside her shorts, but she managed to stop him.

'The swine harassed you?' Darcy frowned so deep Elizabeth felt her own migraine start. 'Did he touch you under your clothes? Force you?'

She shook her head and, leaning closer, kissed the side of his mouth. 'No. Nothing happened.' She caressed the line between his eyes. 'Calm down.'

'Did you cheat on me?' He asked in a low voice.

'No!' She chuckled and sat back. 'That would be the ultimate irony! Cheating on the lover with the ex-husband!'

Darcy's frown deepened and he glared at her furiously.

Elizabeth expected him to answer her tease but he refused to say anything and walked to the window to look outside.

'King, this is one of those times when you have to tell me what you're thinking. You can't mull things over and utter a sentence a week later.' She said exasperated. 'Talk to me! Babble!'

He turned to her. 'You want me to babble.'

'I want to work this out with you.' She sighed. 'Aside from a kiss and a boob caress nothing happened. And would never have happened because after you, I don't want any other man. You know that. Don't shut me out!'

Then it hit him that yes, he had shut his ex-wife out. First because he didn't want to upset Anne with minor disagreements when she was still convalescing, them because it was easier, finally it was common, routine.

Elizabeth moved closer and hugged him from behind. 'Love, he probably tried to seduce me so I wouldn't take half of his secret accounts… George mostly thinks about himself.'

'True.' Darcy groaned and kept stoically looking ahead in silent for long moments, arms crossed high on his chest while she hugged his waist. 'You can't keep hiding things from me, Lizzy.' He warned. 'I need to know these things.'

'Don't you have goons following me?' She defied and took a step back releasing him.

He shook his head and turned to her. 'When you're here, you have personal security because I don't want you neither harmed, nor watched. Since you know about them, they won't be so discreet anymore.'

She sighed. 'It was of no big deal, King. I swear.'

'Please, let me know when you decide to do stupid things.' He asked.

'Ask for your permission?' Elizabeth hissed.

He stared at her silently defying her to disagree that visiting her ex-husband alone was pretty stupid. In reality, now he was on his toes and actually considering having her watched all the time.

After a few moments, she groaned and he nodded.

'Will you give Graham the letters Julia sent him?' She asked changing subjects, reached inside her purse to get a small stack of heavily colored drawings, put it on the table and leaning on it raised her arms to Darcy. Reluctant to let such a heavy subject die so easily, he approached her so she could hug and kiss him again.

Darcy nodded. 'Of course, even though it will make him sad. He misses the girl. And the mother.' He caressed Elizabeth's neck with both of his hands. 'Why doesn't Jane want him to visit them in Brazil?'

Elizabeth shrugged. 'I guess she doesn't want to give Juju the wrong idea. If he stays over, she might see him as a father figure. That's why she always avoids dating. I understand her, she's had enough heartbreak.'

'Your sister is not a china doll.' He made a face.

Elizabeth pursed her lips. 'She was hurt enough times to be skittish of your womanizing cousin.'

'He's a good man and want a serious relationship with Jane, but she is playing with his heart.' Darcy left her arms to start the coffee machine. 'She agreed to a week in Mexico and led him to believe they had something.' He put a capsule in the machine, started it and took a deep breath to inhale the warm aroma.

'Jane is most surely not playing with Graham!' Elizabeth bristled. 'She doesn't trust him.' She pushed from the table and walked to Darcy.

He turned and extended the tiny espresso cup to her. 'Why not? Did he ever give her reason to doubt his intentions?'

Elizabeth took the coffee and sipped gingerly while Darcy turned to the machine again to make another. 'No...' Lizzy bit her lip. 'But you told me–'

Darcy turned back to her sharply. 'Don't say you told anyone, especially your sister, what I told you in secret.' He seethed.

Her eyes widened. It seemed this day she was completely wrong to him. 'No... Well... Jane is my closest friend…'

'Lizzy! Bloody hell!' He said both to her and to the machine he had forgotten to stop, and his espresso was now watered. He cursed under his breath, discarded the ruined cup and started the machine once more.

'I didn't tell her anything specific, we were chatting one day and I made some comment on his ways...' She mumbled.

Darcy shook his head.

'I didn't lie!' She excused herself, her eyes downcast. 'It was long ago, before we even got together!'

'But you influenced her opinion.' Darcy sipped his coffee feeling peeved. 'He'll end up having enough of this dance and move on.' He muttered observing Elizabeth as she sipped from her steamy cup. 'I have to watch what I talk to you about.' He mumbled.

'No!' Elizabeth complained. 'No more crappy relationships I have to read reports to discover secrets.' She pouted. 'I won't have that anymore.'

He sighed. 'Love, fix this mess. If Jane doesn't want anything with Graham, she should make it clear.' He bossed her. 'Tell her to come clean with him.'

Elizabeth felt crossed as a schoolgirl who was summoned to the principal's office. But Darcy was right, it was a mess and Jane was coward enough to run from a real love story with Graham. Left to her own devices, she would play for a while and find some excuse to jump out, much as she was already doing.

Also, Darcy's disapproval of Jane hurt Elizabeth. They never liked each other; she concluded sipping her coffee in a deep frown. Minutes passed as each mulled in their heads the pain and delight to be together. 'King?' She asked resting her half empty cup on the table.

'Yes, love?' He finished his coffee.

'Let's start over?' She proposed and he frowned. 'I was dreaming of seeing you again and we have been trimming ends since I arrived. It's this office.' She cringed. 'Let's go somewhere else?'

Darcy chuckled and shook his head. 'Promise me you won't go behind my back either corrupting my staff, bad-mouthing my family neither visiting your ex-husband alone?'

She sputtered. 'Don't patronize me as if I were a child!'

He raised his brows and pressed his lips to contain a smile.

'Fine, jerk.' She walked around the table to grab her purse and leave. 'Keep your silence.' As she leaned forward, her skirt outlined her butt.

'Ah, this arse!...' Darcy whispered walking slowly towards her. On the way, he stopped to lock the door and when they met halfway he extended his arms to caresses her derriere. 'I spend my days worshipping this arse.'

'Silly old man!' She sniggered and tried to free from his hug.

'Really a masterpiece.' He murmured on her neck.

She giggled moving past him and he took the opportunity to lift her skirt. She yelped and jumped but he pulled on it and brought her closer to caress her cheeks. 'Fitz, stop that!'

He smiled contently, never averting his admiring eyes from her, and shoved her panties in the crack.

'Hey…' She protested weakly and looking over her shoulder noticed the bulge in his pants. One big hand caressing her round butt, the other touching himself as a clear invitation, he tilted his head to the table.

'Door?' She asked.

'Locked. No one will bother us.' He whispered.

'Won't we be heard?' She insisted.

'Keep quiet.' Darcy ordered and freed his dick. It was a pleasant sight for both of them. She could see his magnificent hard member being teased by his skillful hand and he had the other equally skillful hand on her ass. She bit the inside of her mouth, took a half a step aside to lean on the table and give him a chance to caress her pussy while jerking lightly.

'I do this often.' He said intent on her. 'Wank dreaming about this arse.' Baldly, he deftly passed a finger along her bunched panties between her cheeks and her hole. 'No other arse is this magnificent.'

She gasped. 'You stare at women on the streets, you pervert!'

He smiled, released himself completely and lowered her panties enough to bare her butt. Licking his lips, he took a seat and forced her knees apart.

'Better view?' She asked sardonically and looked away at the city glad there were no other buildings or else they would be making quite a show.

'Exquisite.' He answered and restarted jerking off. 'The best.'

'Isn't this a waste of a horny pussy and a hard dick?' She asked hardly keeping together. Aside from missing him, the situation was way too sexy to resist.

'Are you horny, Bart?' He raised his slanted eyes to her face.

She blinked slowly as he moved his finger from her hole to her pussy flittingly, back and forth, barely touching any specific point but arousing her everywhere. 'Can't you tell?' She murmured back.

Satisfied with her response, he used only his middle finger to masturbate her gingerly. As she moaned deliciously, he averted his eyes from her ass to her face and nodded. With a few more caresses to her warm pussy, he left her, rose from the chair to open his pants, readjusted comfortably in his chair and wiggled his fingers to call her to his lap. 'Come.' He said making her tremble.

Elizabeth, who watched his movements over her shoulder drinking his actions greedily, stepped out of her panties, straddled his lap backwards, held his chair's arms for support and let him guide her by the hips.

'Do as you please.' He murmured and she chuckled as they connected. 'Use me, Bart. You are my temptation. My obsession.' He babbled as she moaned and wiggled around his dick. 'I am at your mercy.'

Using the table as leverage, Elizabeth moved and bobbed on his shaft, letting him guide her on occasion but mostly taking charge. Darcy rolled the chair back a few inches forcing her to lean forward. Watching it, hearing her moans and feeling her warmness around his member, his mind drowned in a pool of lust.

'Grab my boob.' She moaned. 'And my clit.'

He did as ordered pushing her bra up to knead a sensitive nipple while caressing her engorged clit. It wasn't long before she felt her ovaries respond to what she had been craving since they had last done it and her cummed sweetly. He followed.

Elizabeth was still impaled on him and breathing erratically but she had to chuckle when he gingerly patted her clit.

'Good girl.'

'Shut up, prick!' She said.

He laughed looking down at her. 'I love you.'

She smiled pressing her lips and closed her eyes and stood. 'You feel for me, I feel for you.' She said between deep breaths, her eyes still closed. 'There's my divorce, your wife, my kids, your girls, the ocean. There's just too much baggage.' She sighed.

'Patience.' He begged refusing to be saddened after what they had just shared.

Elizabeth shook her head and checked her watch. 'I have to go soon. I'll have classes until eight and then dinner with the group.'

'Diana is here but I'll make an effort to go meet you.' He answered what he thought was an unspoken invitation.

'Don't.' She twisted her nose. 'It's a PhDs' thing.' She lied not wanting to mix his daughter in their life and Darcy frowned. 'Wake me up for breakfast?' She kissed his lips lightly.

He kept silent.

She sighed. 'I need to rest after this…' She explained smiling saucily.

'I'd rather see you later today.'

'Breakfast?' She insisted. 'In bed?'

xxxx

Darcy would rather be taking a shower to go meet Elizabeth either for dinner with her friends or her bed, but of course she was right and it wouldn't be very smart for them to be seen together again that day. He was happy as a bird in his apartment's shower alone and after a light meal with his oldest daughter – if she dignified him with her company – he would turn in early.

Their perfect afternoon gave him a lot to think about. Her ex-husband, Graham, Jane and of course, Elizabeth herself. He didn't even want to jerk off so not to lose the memory of their passionate encounter.

Darcy left his closet in his pants, socks, shoes putting on a shirt planning on convincing Diana to have dinner with him. It would be a quick meal and after that he considered paying Elizabeth a surprise visit. If he managed time correctly, he would arrive there as she returned from meeting her friends.

'You seem happy.' Anne said from his bed where she was rested against his pillows.

Mastering his reaction enough to deny her the pleasure of catching him unawares, he shrugged. 'You arrived, then. Diana said you might meet her tomorrow.' He said buttoning his shirt in front of the mirror. He had hoped she wouldn't bother to show up, he certainly wouldn't be home if he knew she would.

'Is Eliza in town?' She asked in a sneer.

Darcy raised his eyes to look at her through the mirror. 'Yes, she has classes.'

Anne nodded and he busied himself in his drawers searching for a watch.

As usual, his silence gnawed at Anne. Involuntarily, her lips puckered, she blinked a few times and her shoulder twitched as she arranged her old-fashioned cardigan over her breasts to find patience but failed. 'It's incredible. That little tramp has no shame.'

He turned sharply to her. 'I forbid you to refer to her in this tone.' He barked. Dammit, just a few minutes before he had been in such a good mood, so satisfied, thinking about calling the lawyer to further arrange things.

Content to have pushed the right button, Anne got up from his bed. 'How should I refer to a skank who opens her legs for married men?'

'Anne, stop.' Darcy lowered his voice menacingly.

She first puckered her lips and blinked, then smirked at his ire. 'A married skank who offers herself-'

'I told you to shut it!' He shouted betraying even himself. His well-trained self-control never allowed him to lose his right so easily. Having the entire Elizabeth earlier that day took him off balance, he felt intoxicated, out of his mind.

'Dad?' Diana asked from the door, frightened.

'Go away Diana, this is between me and your mother.' Darcy said mastering his emotions. This was the night; time had come for him to end his marriage once and for all.

Anne grinned cynically, again losing the battle against her nervous tick. A lip pucker, a long blink, two fast ones and a shoulder twitch later, she spilt her venom. 'No, stay Diana. You'll want to know what's going on here.' She said, her lips almost giving in to the frenzy in her chest. She hadn't planned on pushing his button in such a way, it wasn't very often that one saw the cold Fitzwilliam Darcy so upset.

'Anne.' He scolded her.

'She does! She's a young lady already and must know about tramps seducing married men.' She said faking a smile and feeling her shoulder twitch violently.

Darcy squinted at his wife barely recognizing the woman he had once loved and married. In front of him was a sad copy of her mother; reduced to cruelty and subdued by her nerves. 'Protect your daughter.' He cautioned her again, already seeing everything in various shades of red.

Either for stupidity or bad strategic planning, Anne sniggered and pushed harder. 'Protect who?' She chuckled. 'Are you ashamed the Brazilian skank warming your bed?'

Diana gasped widening her eyes.

Darcy shook his head. 'My daughter doesn't need to be aware married women have affairs with her own mother's staff.' He barked angrily. 'Gardener, physiotherapist, driver.'

Anne's face lost its color and her legs faltered. Almost convulsively, she felt the string of involuntary motions play havoc on her body: blinks, twitches, puckers.

'Young men.' He continued in a lower voice staring at Anne.

At first, Diana thought her parents were having another fight that would end with him shutting himself in his office and her complaining about him for days, but she had never seen things escalate to such level. 'Brazilian skank' was obviously Elizabeth, Diana never liked the disrespectful way they talked about her father's friend even though she didn't particularly like the woman. 'Married woman who have affairs with the help'… Was her father talking about her mother? The young woman covered her mouth with a hand and blinked furiously.

'Go away Diana.' Darcy reassuringly said coming to the door where his eldest was standing. 'I'll come to your room and we'll have a talk later.' He ordered, kissed her forehead and closed the door when she left in a daze.

He steeled his self-control and turned to face his soon-to-be ex-wife.

xxxx

Elizabeth felt great, especially because of the exciting afternoon with Darcy. She hadn't lied when she asked him to let her rest. Their afternoon had been too intense on every term possible. Their conversation had been tense and the sex overwhelming. She actually needed time to digest what had happened and wrap her mind around the idea of being the other woman, the one who waits for the married man.

Secretly, she expected a surprise booty call either late night or early morning, she craved for a lazy missionary love session. But he didn't show up or call her since she left his office. Twenty for hours after she caved in and called Darcy when she had a coffee break.

'Hi!' She said in a smile, her heart fluttering when he picked up the call.

'Hello, my love.' Darcy breathed, basking on the sweet sound of her voice.

'You sound awful.' She giggled. 'Woke up late? That's why you didn't have breakfast with me today?'

'No. Hardly slept.' He mumbled scratching his eyes.

She frowned. 'Sick?'

'Divorcing.' He answered simply.

Elizabeth was muted. Of all the things in the world he could say to her, 'divorce' was not what she would have expected.

Darcy waited for her to manifest any response, positive or not, but she kept completely silent. He knew the call hadn't been cut because he could hear the university surrounding her. 'I want to see you, but I don't know how I'll manage.' He finally said; his voice sounding aged. 'We absolutely can't be seen together, I don't want you involved in anything abhorrent.'

She was still mute.

'My lawyer, your lawyer's boss, will come up with something.' He raked his hand through his hair. 'Are you listening?'

'Yes.' She finally whispered.

Her silence came with the realization that their lives were starting a complete turn. The previous chapter was being soundly shut and the new one held all the possibilities.

Darcy wanted to hug and kiss her. He wanted to find in her the solace from the maelstrom he had entered the night before. 'I'll let you know how I'll be able to see you.'

'Fair enough.' Elizabeth whispered nodding stupidly.

'I love you.' He said almost as a plea.

'I love you too.' She answered unhinging him.

Elizabeth cut the call before Darcy could say anything else, guiltily glad for having the vicious grip around her heart being loosened. Now she was allowed to say she loved him, and make plans, and make daring bets on the future.

xxxx

Darcy went missing for two days after that call.

The third night, she went straight to the desk when she arrived at the hotel. Disappointed at the simple small envelope with no thoughtful gift, she considered calling Gardiner's son to ask him to ask Darcy to call her. The silly idea carried her from the elevator to her room where she opened the note and was astonished to find a key card inside.

He had once sent her the same cryptic note and it made her equally sad and excited to hide in the shadows. It wasn't him who had written the room number on the note attached to the card, but she could feel in her excitement that he was close.

Her legs were suddenly faltering and she felt unsure of what to do. She hoped with all her forces it was him and that he had finally come to see her but could the frumpy woman be trapping her? "Stop tripping and go shower!" She admonished herself thinking that after a day of long classes and endless rain anyone needed dolling up.

Under the water, she couldn't relax. Her body thrummed with the possibility of seeing him, she greeted her teeth and mulled in her head what would happen next in their lives. Carefully she did a light makeup; half blow dried her long hair and spent a few minutes deciding what to wear. What was appropriate for the day you decide where the rest of your life will go?

Realizing she was stalling, she put on a cute shirt dress the kids had customized for her at the last school's Mothers' day. Childishly she felt that their tacit presence on the cute flowers drawn around the 'MOM²' print would help her be more rational than emotional; as if carrying their names inked on her feet wasn't enough. Ballerina flats to cut her knees some slack, a shiny lip gloss, her purse and the note with the card inside: 'Let's go. Man up, Elizabeth.' She murmured to herself as she let her room's door lock behind her.

At the penthouse, the key card opened the last door on the hall, a posh suite of such a nice hotel her PhD grant couldn't afford. She was tentatively walking inside, still holding the door opened in case she needed to flee when Darcy came from the bedroom to check on the noise. Inside her, everything collapsed instantly seeing him for the first time as a (almost) free man. Elizabeth had thought that she had merely been missing him but in fact she was anticipating the moment where she would get to have him for herself. She released the door, let her purse fall on the side table by the couch and locked him in a tight embrace when he opened his arms for her.

Darcy had been inside a meat grinder since that fateful afternoon when she arrived in his office. From that lust high he had been riding one overwhelming emotion after another without getting any breather. He felt and looked exhausted, wearied and the anticipation of worst times ahead made him feel even worse. Seeing Elizabeth was a welcoming pit stop.

They hugged for long seconds, having a lot to say but no words to convey anything.

When her heart calmed, she leaned her head back from his neck and kissed him. It was the first kiss of the rest of their lives, the freedom kiss, the one she didn't feel guilty for craving.

'How are you doing?' She whispered pecking the sides of his mouth, remembering perfectly well how she felt when she had been in his shoes just a few months back.

'I'm better now.' He answered with his eyes closed, basking on the scent of green tea on her hair, rosewood and mint on her neck. 'Is it a new perfume?' He asked.

'I indulged in some shopping yesterday.' She shrugged.

'I like it.' He buried his nose behind her ear. 'I missed you.'

'Tell me everything.' She asked.

He fetched his glass of whisky from the bedroom, she declined one for her in favor of occasionally sipping from his and they settled on the couch kicking off their shoes. Elizabeth entangled her legs on one of his, the other he stretched over the coffee table, opened one arm so she could glue to his side and sighed.

'What happened to your knee?' He raised one eyebrow as his hand caressed it. 'Taped again.'

She shrugged. 'Never mind. You look so tired, King…' She caressed the grey hair in his sideburns, his slanted eyes droopier than usual. Frequently Elizabeth wondered if he shaved more than once daily because his face was always smooth, now she was sure he did. The five o´clock shadow in his cheeks and jaw enhanced his tiredness.

'I haven't been sleeping well.' He pressed his lips together.

'I remember how it feels…' She leaned in to kiss his jaw as he sipped his whisky.

'Taste this brand, please.' He asked failing to sound seductive instead being plainly plaintiff. He pressed a smile as she winced.

It was a very strong spirit, as strong as the question she needed to ask. 'The girls?'

Darcy took a long time to speak. 'I had a serious talk with them last night.' He shook his head. 'They are confused but resigned. Both are smart and intuitive, they could see we had not been a couple for a long time. Sarah cried a lot but ended up agreeing it is for the best. Diana…' He sighed.

'She didn't accept the divorce?' Elizabeth asked grooming his hair.

'She was there, Lizzy.' He said and she frowned. Darcy turned his head to look directly at her. 'Diana heard the fight.'

'Oh!...' Elizabeth pressed her lips together and cringed. 'Was it bad?'

He nodded. 'I lost my temper and said horribly abhorrent things. My daughter had to listen to me accusing her mother of having affairs with her grandmother's staff.'

'Oh, Fitz…' Elizabeth's face fell. 'Poor girl. I guess no one had any idea Anne sought company outside the marriage?'

Darcy snorted. 'Anne doesn't deserve your kindness, Bart. Diana also heard her address you in a very despicable manner.'

Elizabeth gasped.

'Oh, bloody hell!' Darcy let his head fall back against the couch's upholstery and closed his eyes. 'I was going to call Dr. Woodhouse that night; I was determined to start the divorce soon. We were devising a plan where the whole thing would be dealt by the lawyers; it would be a clean break.' Elizabeth caressed his neck with the back of her fingers and let them rest inside his opened collar. 'I was going to take the girls to Pemberley and explain to them about us, Georgiana was coming to help me. And then, that night after we had the most wonderful afternoon at the office, Anne arrived at the apartment without notice making vile accusations, offending you. I couldn't control my nerves.'

'The bitch!' Elizabeth cursed and he chuckled. 'I can imagine how Diana sees me now. A whore who destroyed her parents' marriage.'

'Skank.' He said looking at the ceiling, his fingers tracing circles on her back. 'Anne called you 'skank'.'

She puffed air. 'What a mess.'

He nodded.

After a few moments of silence where she played with his shirt's buttons, Darcy raised his head with difficulty as if it weighted much more than the average five kilos.

Elizabeth reached out for his glass. 'What now?' She sipped the strong drink and winced again.

He chuckled taking the glass from her. 'This is different from what I served you so far.'

'Desperate times require strong drinks.'

Darcy nodded amused and kissed her eyes.

'Tell me.' She urged him.

'Paperwork, a few more fights that hopefully will be dealt by the lawyers, time required by the law.' He said combing her hair out of her face. 'The day you called me I had just left Woodhouse's office. It was the first meeting with Anne's lawyer and mother.'

'She took her mother to her divorce hearing?'

He nodded. 'It's good that Woodhouse is so assured of herself and has a great staff. Knightley is here, he is of good help.' He said and Elizabeth raised her brows. 'When I thought the fight was escalating to incivility that night, I called Woodhouse and she asked who Anne's lawyer was. Ah, Lizzy… Anne's nervous ticks escalated when I asked her that. I feared she would have a stroke.'

Elizabeth cringed. 'Oh, fuck. With Diana in the house?'

He let his head fall back again.

Observing him, she could see how upset he was. Elizabeth was still dealing with the aftermath of her own personal hell when she didn't have his company for solace like he was having her at the moment. 'You know?' She whispered. 'I know what you're going through and I wish you had been there for me when it was my turn.'

He opened his eyes instantly. 'I couldn't.'

'I know.' She pursed her lips. 'Still.'

They were silent for a while

'Her private detective didn't give her anything. I guess she wanted to have proof we had an affair.' He said.

'You have proof of hers but she has nothing on you.' She snorted.

'I'm very ashamed to say that I used the proofs I have.' He raised his head for a sip and let it fall back again. 'Her mother wanted to call the shots at the meeting, determining what we would do to stop the divorce nonsense and I had no patience left. Even though Anne begged me not to say anything, I let Woodhouse show the evidence my rats had collected these past years.'

'Shit!' She clicked her tongue. 'Ugly…'

'Not proud here.' He mumbled.

Elizabeth sniggered. 'I can imagine when it comes to money…'

'We have a pre-nup. She can't fight much.' He said emotionless.

'Georgiana?' She asked.

'Arriving tomorrow to help me. If the girls want, we'll go to Pemberley for the weekend.' He said.

Elizabeth felt a pang in her chest. She was not invited and she knew why but he hadn't considered spending time with her, neither including her in his plans. Of course she had ditched him when she was going through a similar nightmare but it wasn't in his face.

He groaned loud. 'I hate when you're here, so close and still out of my reach.' He maneuvered his arm from hugging her to hold her face and kissed her with the intensity of his frustration. 'This is the last time.'

She blinked furiously at him. 'I think I resent you.'

He shook his head. 'Don't feed this rubbish in your head, Lizzy. We knew things wouldn't be easy.'

She closed her eyes and he studied the carefully designed make up line on her eyelid. 'It's fucking awful.'

'It's just starting.' He kissed her closed mouth. 'Knightley will protect you, that's why Woodhouse had him there. Anne won't come close to you or the kids.'

Elizabeth was taken aback by his words and opened her mouth to speak but he touched her lips lovingly.

'I promise.' Darcy said.

She blinked a few times. 'I can guess where your mind's at.' She said squinting.

'I doubt.' He leaned forward and rested the almost empty glass on the table. 'You overthink and waste time with bullshit.'

Disregarding what his jibe did to her chest, she continued. 'You are considering if it's worthwhile. Moving Heaven and Earth to end a marriage just to start another.'

Darcy looked at her seriously. 'You are totally wrong, I assure you. My mind is in a much more agreeable place. I have the pleasure of seeing your beautiful face and am on the verge of seeing it grow older each year, for the rest of my life.'

'Fuck you!' She slapped his arm and tried to untangle her legs to move away from him.

He chuckled. 'Come on, Bart!' He leaned over to lock her in his embrace. 'It's just us. Let's not taint what we have with rubbish.'

She sighed. 'We're knee high in shit.'

He nodded. 'Speaking of knees, what happened?' Darcy leaned back and traced the Kinesio tape stripe on the base of her knee.

'I must have bumped on your desk's drawers the other day.' She said and winced when he squeezed her trying a makeshift examination.

'Hurts that bad?' He frowned.

Elizabeth shrugged. 'Negandi will see me tomorrow afternoon.'

He raised his eyebrows.

She shrugged again. 'Routine. It was scheduled since last month. Coincidence I got this discomfort now.'

'I'd like to accompany you to this consult.' He asked.

'But you can't.' She made a face.

'I can't…' He nodded. 'Maybe I can come up with something.'

Elizabeth shook her head and reached his chest buttons to open a few. 'Nah…' She considered this scheming to meet degrading and humiliating. He was right, she was feeding rubbish but the resentment was threatening to grow in her chest. The buttons opened, she snaked a hand inside his shirt to caress his chest and ribs.

'You don't want me to come?' He asked caressing her thigh above her knee, the tip of his fingers inside the hem of her shirt dress.

'It's that…' She bit the inside of her mouth.

'What?' He pressed.

'I'm still the other, and I hate it.' She said and continued before he could protest. 'I know, we're working on it but I don't need this. Go about your day; spend time with your sister and daughters and horses and farm and whatever.' Elizabeth couldn't avoid the derisiveness in her tone, even if feeling like a bitch. 'I have a lot to study; this module of classes is dammed hard. We'll have a couple of visits to Royal Free Hospital coming soon and I need to prepare. Charlotte is already hindered in Paris; I have to keep on top of my game.' She said and let her hand wander down his stomach to his happy trail. 'When it's possible, we'll make the most of our time together. Ok?'

'I'm not sure if you're trying to seduce me into submission or dismissal.' He invaded her dress to knead her thigh a lot higher than her knee.

'It's of no importance.' She smiled sideways and captured his lips in a kiss. While her right hand held his neck, she left got out of his shirt to touch his pants. 'Do you need something blue?' She teased him when she didn't find him hard.

He snorted.

'Aren't you the lucky guy?' She smiled and grabbing the hem of her dress, pulled it over her head revealing a set of turquoise lace boy shorts and bra.

'That's a different shade, isn't it?' He teased reaching for her breasts.

She sighed and leaned back to almost lying down bringing him with her. 'Are you complaining about my shopping?'

'Absolutely.' He kissed her bra before shoving his hand under it to free her skin. 'In fact, I'm willing to pay for your indulgence.' He kissed her nipple. 'I loved the perfume, this lingerie…'

She let her hand find his dick again and now it was perfectly firm, ready for her to shove a hand inside his pants and caress its head. Darcy arranged his member to the opposite side Wickham used to. Even though Elizabeth didn't have the habit of invading Wickham's trousers as she did Darcy's, sometimes it confounded her. That moment, in the middle of the torment they were facing, Darcy and Elizabeth needed the solace of each other's passion, not Wickham's vile ghost; so she pushed him out of her head and concentrated on Darcy's lips and raspy beard on her sensitive breasts.

He wanted her to straddle him, but her knee didn't allow it. They moved to the bed and amid whispered love promises, they had the lazy missionary she had been dreaming for the last three nights.

xxxx

Before flying to Pemberley the next morning, Darcy sent Elizabeth a new phone with a disposable number so they could talk whenever they wanted. The lawyers advised them against texting, but if they could be discreet, the phones were a good choice.

To Elizabeth's surprise, Darcy answered the phone when she called. His regular phone was still kept in silent mode and he still screened the calls but 'Elizabeth's phone' was different. She mocked him saying he feared the batphone since Darcy had gotten her a sleek red smartphone that he always answered.

They talked every night when he told her how he was dealing with his daughters and sister, also about his ex-wife and mother-in-law's reactions to the terms of the divorce.

Elizabeth was facing eventful days in the PhD program and they both agreed to meet at the end of the following week, a day before her departure to Rio. She considered it useless for him to rent another room at the same hotel since he had a way to enter using a back door, so he would visit her in her room using the key card she gave him and later asked for another at the front desk.

Practicalities solved, Elizabeth dived into her research hoping to distract her discomfort with their precarious situation.

xxxx

After a day cramming, Elizabeth had taken a revigorating bath but still felt antsy, frequently looking between the TV that didn't hold her attention, the bedside clock and the hotel room's door. But that chain of actions didn't make Darcy arrive sooner.

Long forty minutes later she heard the electronic lock's dull click and the heavy door start to move. She turned off the TV and jumped to her feet.

'Hello, Love.' Darcy breathed in a clipped smile. He was tired and stressed out; the vision of Elizabeth in a crispy white bathrobe coming his way was exactly what he had been looking forward for the last week.

'You took forever to arrive…' She complained in a soft voice coming close to his arms.

He stopped by the round table to empty his pockets but it was covered in books, notepads and her tablet haphazardly balanced over the mess. Darcy turned his neck one way and another searching for a safe place to put his wallet and phones just as she arrived close to him, hugged his arm and stretched her neck to kiss his lips. He half turned his head puckering his lips to kiss her back and took a few steps towards the big window to use the small table by the stuffed chair.

'Where are you going?' She asked clasping his arm and pulling him back to her.

'The chair...' He answered thinking he could seat comfortably with a glass of whisky in his hand and his woman in his lap.

'No.' Elizabeth shook her head and pushed him into bed where Darcy fell heavily with an 'Ooof'. She climbed over him, her hands on each side of his head and lowered to kiss his face. 'Please, be in the mood…' She whispered in his ear.

In a moment they were entangled, the musky smell invaded his nostrils in such a powerful wave that, for him, it felt like the whole room was perfumed of Elizabeth. He moved faster, his weigh on his knees and one hand while the other pleasured her until she tensed up, stretched her neck thrusting her head back and her inner walls closed around his shaft. He pumped three times, two more and exploded within her as she started to relax.

His wrist and knees hurt a little so he got out of her and fell to her side, staring at the ceiling. She turned and touched her nose behind his ear.

Darcy took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart, passed one leg over hers and held her hips. they were finally together, free to enjoy each other without the ghost of their failed marriages behind them.

Several minutes afterwards, as she went for a shower, he walked slowly to the bathroom and leaned on the door frame. 'I need to make arrangements for the children's vacations here at Pemberley.'

Elizabeth was testing the shower temperature with her hand and didn't turn to face him. 'It's a bit early for them coming, you've just filed your divorce.'

'No. I've already asked Woodhouse to arrange everything, she says is manageable. I need a date to book the tickets.' He said. 'I want you to stay the month so they can start adjusting. Can you get the time off work?'

'I can try…' She made a face.

'Does Reynalda have a passport?' He asked.

'I'm not sure.' Elizabeth entered the shower. 'Not even sure she'll want to come.'

'Huh.' He joined her in the shower. Reynalda not coming could be a problem. Frankly, he was a little intimidated by the tall Amazon warrior-like bald black woman who knew Elizabeth better than he did but Elizabeth and the kids depended on her and Pemberley could use a good housekeeper. 'What about your job?' Darcy asked a few moments later. 'Have you checked the possibility of transferring?'

'There isn't any.' She said and stepped aside so he could shower. 'I can get a full fellowship though.'

'To study?' He asked.

She nodded. 'PhD and Postdoc. I'd still get the grant but I'd be in a paid leave of absence for a few years. Five or six.'

'I see.' He said expectantly. By the tone she was using, it was clear she didn't consider it a good choice.

'It meant I would return to give back what I learned. I'm a federal employee after all.' She stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. 'There's also EuroDoc but I'm not sure I can apply… Would you like to move to Brazil in a few years?'

'I considered going now.' He said taking the extra towel she offered him. 'But it seems stupid since you'd be coming here often.'

'We need to discuss our possibilities before I make an official request at the Institute.' She said and he nodded, his lips in a thin line. 'Look, about July…'

They started a lengthy discussing about the practicality of uniting their families sooner than later, whether it was wise to do so or wait.

Darcy finished the discussion with an imperial 'I insist and you will bring them to me' to which she laughed and he had to remind her against the wall just how much he would miss her until July.

From then, it was only three months until they started the rest of their lives together.

---

end of book 2

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I sincerely hope you liked it.

Book 3 starts with the (impending doom) of a month in Pemberley uniting their families.

It's a bumpy straight road to HEA. It's not easy, book 3 is the biggest, but they are together.

Is it too much to ask for feedback? (chuckling here)

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See you,

M.