Chapter 15

Caroline Bingley had rather hoped that the curiosity of the entire party would be awakened by Mr. Clifton's asking to speak to Charles privately upon their return to Netherfield. But all assembled were still so jubilant over the news of the engagemet of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, that Mr. Clifton and Caroline were barely noticed.

And of course, since they were not yet formally engaged, there was no announcement to make upon Mr. Clifton's return from the library, where he had spoken to Charles about his intentions to court Caroline. Alex merely nodded and smiled at Caroline, indicating by his demeanour that Charles had been agreeable to his request. Charles himself, however, did cast a somewhat suspicious glance in Caroline's direction. He sincerely hoped his sister was not trifling with Mr. Clifton's affections. Mr. Clifton's behaviour during their conversation had been odd, to say the least. He seemed ill at ease, stammering as he spoke, and was incapable of looking Charles in the eye. Perhaps he truly had feared a negative response to his request.

It was quite late, close to midnight, when the party retired for the evening. Elizabeth blushed when Mr. Darcy, in full view of all their family and friends, tenderly kissed her hand before bidding her good night.

Both Darcy and Elizabeth had difficulty falling asleep that evening. Each of them was acutely aware that the other slept just two doors away, and Elizabeth found herself wishing that there was some way for her to see him now, when all others in the house were asleep. She wondered how it would be when they were married. Would her rooms adjoin his, would he come to her when he desired her company, would it be too bold of her to go to him? For she had no doubt that there would be times she would desire to to lie with him, as she desired that even now, and they were not yet married.

Might they share a chamber, she wondered, so that she could sleep in his arms every night? She remembered how wonderful she had felt when he held her, how affected she had been by the heat of his body and his masculine scent. How much more delightful it would be now, when she wore a thin nightdress rather than the cumbersome layers of clothing women wore during the day.

Darcy's thoughts were remarkably similar. His beloved slept just steps away from him. If we were married, he thought, I might slip out of my room and knock on her door. Would she welcome me?

He knew that she would. He had felt her pleasure that afternoon when he had held her, when he kissed her. Her body was so soft, her demeanour so compliant.

But no, he thought. I would not have to go to her, because we will share one chamber, as my parents did. I could not bear to sleep apart from her; I do not know how I will bear it tonight!

His restlessness was overpowering, and he arose from his bed and went to the door. He could not resist opening it, and peering outside, his head turned in the direction of Elizabeth's bedchamber.

It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the relative darkness of the hallway, but the thin stream of moonlight from the window at the end of the corridor was enough to illuminate Elizabeth's figure. She had stepped out of her room and was looking in his direction. She was in a pristine white cotton nightdress, her hair loose and streaming down to her shoulders, and he had an overwhelming impulse to sweep her into his arms and carry her into his bedchamber.

"Lizzy?" he whispered, and when she heard his voice, she rushed to him, and settled herself into his arms.

"William," she said. "I find I cannot sleep."

"Nor can I," he replied simply.

"William," she said plaintively. "We have foolishly kept ourselves apart from each other for so long. Why must we persist in this now, when we have come to an understanding?"

"What is your meaning, Elizabeth?" he asked, knowing full well what her meaning was, but wanting to hear it from her own lips.

"Come to bed with me, William. I need to lie in your arms tonight, just this one night, and then I will be satiated until we wed."

"But I will not be, Lizzy. I fear if we indulge ourselves this night, I will never be able to sleep alone again."

She sighed in exasperation. "I offer myself to you, Sir, and you refuse!"

"You know this is how it must be, Elizabeth," he said gently. "I want nothing more than to lose myself in your embrace, but I must exercise restraint for both of us."

"You must think me truly shameless," she said.

"No, no," he said. "I love you all the more for it. Knowing that you want me as urgently as I want you..."

He trailed off, unable to stop himself from pulling her body to his in a tight embrace.

"Will you kiss me, then?" she asked. "Improperly?"

"As improperly as possible, under the circumstances," he answered.

He did not kiss her lips at first; rather he put his mouth to her neck, after he pulled at the ties closing her nightdress. It fell open exposing her throat and a good part of her bare chest, and Darcy moaned at the contact with her warm flesh. Her body was unclothed under her nightdress, and he cupped one firm breast through the thin fabric with his hand, gently kneading it.

She responded by placing her hands against the seat of his breeches, pressing him to her.

"Please William, I am begging you. Take me to bed."

He began to run his hand up and down the length of her thigh, finally sweeping up the hem of her nightdress so that he could feel her bare skin. He stroked the inside of her thighs, his hand straying higher and higher, until finally his fingers touched her warm, moist femininity. Her arousal was undeniable, and Darcy, lost to all reasonable thought, lifted her into his arms and carried her into her bedchamber.
"It seems you will have your way with me after all, Miss Bennet," he said, as he lay her upon the bed.

"William, I do not want to force you to do something you find unacceptable."

He looked at her seriously.

"Lizzy, if it were just you and I, with no one else in the world, it would matter not what we did tonight. Our love is unshakable, and we will spend the rest of our lives together. Of that I have no doubt.

"But I have the trust of your father, and I do not want to betray that trust. We provide an example, I believe, to our younger sisters. And as for Bingley, he cares for you as much, perhaps even more, than his own sisters, and I know how strenuously he would object to my compromising you in any way. I love you so much, and I have waited so long for you, and as difficult as it is, I can wait a few more weeks."

He lay beside her and held her against his chest, his arms encircling her.

"Oh, William, when you explain things so sensibly..." she sighed.

"I can kiss you, though, Elizabeth, and hold you until you fall asleep. Will that suffice for now?"

"I suppose it must suffice, William," she said. "But tomorrow we shall be in the park, quite alone, and I do not promise I will not try to shake your resolve!"

"Let us see, then, if I can kiss you to sleep, Elizabeth."

"That seems rather unlikely, William! I think you shall only succeed in awakening my passions!"

Darcy kissed her. Rather than building to a crescendo, he kissed her lips most passionately to begin, then more gently, depositing soft kisses all over her face and neck. Holding her close, he massaged her back, his lips brushing the top of her head.

"Close your eyes, my beautiful love," he whispered. "I will be here for you until you fall asleep, and I will wait for you downstairs in the morning."

Elizabeth had never felt so cherished. "I trust you implicitly, William, to do what is good and right," she said.

You trust me more than I trust myself, he thought, as his soothing kisses and gentle caresses lulled her to sleep.

When he was certain she was in a deep slumber, he settled her on the bed and covered her sleeping form with a lightweight blanket. She looked so lovely, so sweetly content in her repose, that it took all of his resolve to force himself to leave the room and return to his own bedchamber.

He had resisted an almost overwhelming temptation this night. Tomorrow they would be alone once again, and they would have to find some way to relieve their frustration without violating the high standards he had set for himself.

Elizabeth and Darcy were the earliest risers at Netherfield the next morning. It was their hope to enjoy a quick breakfast, then elude the rest of the party so that they might be alone for some hours. The earlier their walk took place, they thought, the less likely anyone else would venture outside and come upon them in the woods engaged in activities which, of necessity, had to be conducted in private.

They were already finishing their breakfast when Jane and Bingley entered the dining room.

"The two of you are certainly up early," Jane said with a teasing smile.

"We decided some early-morning exercise would be most beneficial," Darcy said blandly, causing Bingley to gaze upon him suspiciously. He had never known Darcy to be one who arose early to ramble through the woods, not even when he was at Pemberley.

"Perhaps Jane and I might accompany you," Bingley said, a wicked gleam in his eyes, and Jane kicked him under the table.

"No, Charles, the baby will be awake soon, why do we not linger over breakfast while it is quiet?"

Bingley glanced with amusement at his wife, who usually acquiesced to anything he proposed.

"As you wish, my dear," he answered, with a look that let her know he was fully aware of her motivations.

"Really, darling," she said, after Darcy and Elizabeth left. "You are most unsympathetic to Mr. Darcy, who clearly wants some time alone with my sister!"

"Ah, Jane, because of Darcy and his machinations, I was forced to wait far longer for your affections than I might have had he not interfered with our courtship. He is very fortunate to have won your sister's hand in light of his previous actions, and you must forgive me if I wish to plague him just a bit. It is all in sport, I assure you!"

"Just try to remember that you may be plaguing poor Elizabeth as well, Charles!"

"You are far more clever than I in pointing that out. If your sister shares even half your passionate nature, it may be cruel indeed to not allow her time alone with Darcy. However, Elizabeth is my sister as well, and as she has no other brothers to protect her, it falls to me to keep Darcy in check! I hope that my expressed wish to join them in their walk will remind him of the possibility that someone might come upon them here at Netherfield when they do not anticipate it."

"How quickly you forget, Charles, how we treasured our own time alone during our courtship!" And how well we utilized it, she thought.

"That was different," he responded, as men have always responded to such a statement since time immemorial.

Chapter 16

Darcy hastened away from the house with Elizabeth, walking so quickly that she was forced to implore him to slow his pace.

"Can you not keep up with me, Lizzy?" he teased. "You, the most excellent walker in all of Hertfordshire?"

"Your legs are far longer than mine, Sir!" she said petulantly.
"I am far too impatient to walk more slowly, Lizzy," he said, lifting her off her feet and tossing her easily over his shoulder, without slowing his stride for even a moment.

"Where are you taking me, William?"

"I shall let you know when I come upon the proper place, Lizzy."

"The proper place for...?"

"For the private expression of my ardour."

"Oh, that does sound promising, William! And here I thought you wished to restrict us to the sort of chaste kisses we have seen Mr. Clifton bestow on Caroline Bingley."

"Impertinent woman!" he exclaimed, giving her bottom a light slap, a most convenient maneuver in her present position, draped over his shoulder.

"I fear if you walk much farther we shall soon be in Meryton, astounding the local populace with the spectacle. The very proper Mr. Darcy carrying his bride-to-be over his shoulder in a most barbaric manner!"

"Oh no, Lizzy, Meryton is far too public a place for what I have in mind for you this morning. Ah...here we are...," he said, discovering a grove of woods far in from the path. It was unlikely anyone would come upon them here.

He set her on her feet, removed his overcoat and spread it out on the grass under the tree.

The two of them sat on the garment, and Elizabeth looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" she said.

"Well..." he repeated softly.

"I await your instructions, Fitzwilliam!"

He began to unfasten her pelisse, which he removed and folded neatly.

"Lie back comfortably, my love," he said. She reclined against the tree, and he tucked the folded pelisse behind her head to serve as a makeshift pillow.

He just looked at her for some moments, allowing his eyes to pass over the length of her body. When his eyes at last returned to her face, Elizabeth was startled at the intensity of his expression. His eyes, always so dark and expressive, now seemed to be looking into her soul.

She reached up to him and began to untie his cravat.

"Will you not remove your coat?" she said.

He did so, then assisted her in removing his cravat. Wearing just his shirt and breeches, he wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

"It is my intention this morning, Elizabeth, to touch you intimately, while being careful to preserve your virtue until the night of our wedding. Is this acceptable to you?"
Her eyes twinkled. "I rather wonder, Sir, how intimately you can touch me whilst preserving my virtue! The two objects seem rather at cross purposes, do you not think so?"

"I see," he replied.

"What is it you see?" she asked impertinently.

"I see a young lady who takes delight in teasing me, even when I am endeavouring to be serious!"

"Not at all, William! I am merely seeking clarification of your seemingly ambiguous statement."

"Ah," he said. "Perhaps my clarification must come in the form of actions, not words, Elizabeth." He was gratified at the flush that spread downwards, from her face, to the revealing neckline of her dress.

He kissed her lips, in a most unhurried fashion.

"Shall we attempt to discover, Lizzy, how far we may proceed without irrevocably compromising your virtue?"

"Ah, William, you have revealed your intentions. You have no qualms about compromising my virtue, as long as it is not 'irrevocably' compromised?" She smiled at him flirtatiously, compelling him to kiss her once again before responding to her question.

"I would not say I have no qualms at all, Lizzy, but I have come to the conclusion that if we do not allow ourselves some small relief, we will both be driven to distraction!"

"Very well, Sir. I await your attentions," she said.

He began to explore her curvaceous body with his hands, caressing her face and neck, then that part of her chest which was exposed by the daring neckline of her dress. His hand dipped inside the bodice, and he cradled her breast, one finger teasing the already erect nipple.

"Am I correct to assume you enjoy this, Lizzy?" he asked, his hand crossing to the other side of her chest to attend to the other breast.

Then, with both hands, he eased the neckline down so that both breasts were fully exposed. He suckled one breast, then the other, his hand gathering up the hem of her skirt and petticoats to expose her to the waist. He stroked the inside of her thighs, nudging them open, so that he might stroke her in such a way that she was soon crying out in pleasure.

Upon hearing her sighs and moans, he positioned his body atop hers, rubbing his erection against her, his hips moving in slow circles.

"How does that feel, my Lizzy?" he asked.

"Heavenly," she said. "But I must feel you, touch you, as well, William! Please?"

At first he refused. "I cannot...I cannot trust myself, Lizzy..."

But Lizzy would not be deterred. She reached between them to unfasten his breeches, then lowered them past his hips. She took his engorged manhood into her hand and guided it between her thighs.
"Please, William! Rub against me there. Oh yes...yes...just like that!"

Darcy began to realize through the haze of ecstasy he was experiencing that it was quite possible for them to reach the peak of satisfaction without technically taking Lizzy's virginity. Lizzy's fingernails were digging into his bare bottom and she was urging him to thrust against her. He slid up and down between her thighs, making sure to position himself so that he might stimulate her as well.

It was fortunate that it was so early that no one else was in the environs of Netherfield woods, as Elizabeth's cries as she took her pleasure were most enthusiastic and vocal. Darcy generously waited until she had reached completion before he requested her to close her thighs tightly so that he might take advantage of the added friction to precipitate his own satisfaction.

They lay entwined, their clothing in total disarray, for some minutes, both of them out of breath from the exertion.

"William...I have never felt anything like that before...never."

"You have never...had that sort of satisfaction, Lizzy?"

"Well, I have...oh, I cannot speak of such things."

"You can speak to me of anything, Elizabeth. I will ask you frankly, have you ever pleasured yourself?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Far more frequently since I have known you, Fitzwilliam. Thinking of you has always been stimulating."

"Even when we first met?"

"Not immediately, no, but...oh, do not make me speak of this!"

"I demand you tell me," he said, propping himself up on one elbow and smiling at her. "When, specifically, did you begin to find me stimulating?"

"At Rosings. And I hated you for inspiring such improper feelings!"

"You hated me for many reasons, Lizzy, but I am not disturbed at learning of this particular reason!"

"You need not look so smug, Sir!"

"I want you to pleasure yourself every night, Lizzy, until we marry. And think of me while you do so."

She began to rearrange her clothing to cover herself, and he swiftly grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"No, not yet, Lizzy. I have not finished with you."

She gazed at him quite brazenly, and languidly positioned her hands behind her head, which had the effect of elevating her breasts most enticingly.

"So beautiful," he said, leaning over her to place a soft kiss on each breast.
He moved down the length of her body, spread her legs and knelt between them. He placed his hands under her knees and moved closer, placing her legs over each of his shoulders so that her legs dangled behind him.

He felt her trembling, half in anticipation, half in fear of the unknown.

"Lizzy," he said softly. "You asked me about improper kisses, do you remember?"

"Yes," she said doubtfully.

"I am going to kiss you now, most improperly."

"You are going to kiss me...there?"

"Yes. Do you trust me, Lizzy?"

"With my life, Fitzwilliam."

He nodded in satisfaction, then kissed the inside of each thigh repeatedly, moving from side to side, higher and higher, until she was aching for his lips to touch her most sensitive spot. She could almost feel his lips there before they actually touched her, and once they did, the effect was electrifying.

He pulled her closer so that his mouth was positioned at the juncture of her legs, and he licked her with the lightest of strokes, parting her nether lips with his fingers. He dipped the tip of his tongue inside her, and her response was so immediate and pronounced that he slid one finger inside her, thrusting it in and out slowly, as he licked her.

Her enthusiastically vocal response to his tender attentions was so arousing that, after he brought her to completion with his tongue, he straddled her waist, intending to rub himself between her breasts until he was satisfied. He was most pleasantly shocked when Lizzy urged him closer so that she might take him in her mouth.

She hesitated, uncertain of how she should proceed, then began to gently suck him. She watched his face; his eyes were closed, his expression one of sheer ecstasy. Taking encouragement from this, she took him deeper into her mouth and was rewarded by his heartfelt, rapturous moans.

Feeling himself losing control, he shook his head.

"No, Lizzy, no...I cannot..." and he withdrew from her mouth, spilling onto her neck and breasts.

He lay atop her, clutching her to him.

"Lizzy, my beautiful...perfect...how I adore you."

Utterly content, they lay in each other's arms for half an hour, barely speaking.

Darcy finally asked, "Lizzy, do you regret...?"

She smiled.

"No. No...it is not as if my virtue has been irrevocably compromised!"
"Minx!" he exclaimed, kissing her again.

I am the luckiest man in all of England.

"Come," he said, helping her to her feet. "It is time for us to return to the house."

And sadly, he thought, to forced propriety.

As though reading his thoughts, Lizzy put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Just five short weeks, Fitzwilliam, and we will be bound to propriety no longer."

"Unfortunately, Lizzy, five weeks seems very far away right now."

"It will pass quickly, love. Shopping, wedding preparations..."

"I leave that to you, Lizzy. I shall occupy myself readying Pemberley for my bride."

"How so, William?"

"By making our bedchamber so enticing a place that you shall never want to leave it."

"I dare say that your very presence will be enticement enough!"

"Elizabeth, I cannot express how much that means to me, as at one time not so long ago, my very presence was offensive to you."

She was about to make a flippant reply when she saw the contemplative expression on his face and reached up to touch his cheek.

"My feelings for you now, William, are so very different. I long for your presence, every moment of every day."

"Thank you, Lizzy," he said simply. "I love you so much."

"It is nearly noon, William. I am afraid we really must return now."

"One more kiss, Lizzy?"

"Just one?" she asked with a happy smile.

"Just one for now," he replied. "It is a long way back to the house!"