A/N: I realize that it seems Elizabeth and Darcy being together may seem a sudden thing. In my editing I shall try to show some interaction between the two of them which will explain their growing fondness for the other, but you must understand that Darcy was already half in love with her before he left Netherfield, at this same time in the original he proposes to her! Elizabeth in mine has not heard Wickham's lies, and therefore the only thing she can hold against him is her supposition that he pushed Bingley away from Jane, something she does not know as fact.

Chapter 16

The meal was eaten with her husband asking how her day had been. She mentioned staying with Mrs. Cosgrove, but dared speak no further. Afterwards they retired to the sitting room and Collins began reciting from his sermon he had been working on, a topic Lady Catherine had mentioned to him. It seemed all Collins' sermons were related to topics Lady Catherine held dear to her heart. Elizabeth studied his features as he read to her, noting his thinning hair, his long, babyish face, his rounded middle. Heat flushed her body as she thought of Mr. Darcy in contrast to Collins. She had never felt that heat with her husband and wondered if it were something usually absent from the marriage bed.

As they walked up the stairs Elizabeth mentioned having a headache, hoping he would take the hint and not visit her. He patted her hand, kissed her forehead, and said he hoped she felt better in the morning.

A sudden shame crept over her as she closed the door behind her. He was kind to her, if not passionate. He had never said a cruel word to her or treated her cruelly. How could she contemplate having an affaire de coeur?

She lay in bed, thus, trying to talk herself out of doing this unspeakable thing, but when she heard the clock strike 11:30 she quietly rose from her bed, as if some unseen force were directing her, dressed herself, and crept quietly out of the house. No one had heard her, and she met no resistance as she made her way to the prearranged destination.

The night air was cool, the sounds around her much different than those during the day. Great pools of shadow lay upon the road and she tried skirting them, afraid of what might be lurking there. Her heart skipped several beats every time she heard a rustling in the bushes, or thought perhaps she had seen someone or something peeking out from the dark shadows. Finally, she arrived at the spot where only a few hours earlier she had kissed and been kissed by Mr. Darcy.

Darcy was waiting for her with his horse nearby. She came to him, stood before him, offering herself silently to him. Without a word he helped her up on the horse, then climbed up behind her. He set his horse in motion, going at a considerable speed, through the brambles and trees, down a darkened road, dismounting to open gates as they made their way further onto Rosings lands. They passed through a small wood before they came upon a clearing with an abandoned cottage in the center.

He directed the horse towards the back and dismounted, then helped Elizabeth down. As she stood before him he took her in his arms, hanging onto her as if she were anchoring him to this world. He stepped back, took her by the hand, and led her inside.

The cottage smelled of dust, mold and the general air of disuse. "This is the cottage my cousin told you about," he answered the question in her eyes. "It has not been lived in for over a year." He led her through the back kitchen and down a hall into a bedroom. There were a few pieces of furniture left, table, some chairs, a nightstand, but nothing else. The room he led her to was dark and she could not make out anything within for the window was shuttered and let in no light. Suddenly a small flame appeared and Darcy began lighting candles which had been placed around the room.

The effect was magnificent. Elizabeth immediately felt as if she had been transported to the heavens and was now resting among the stars. She turned her body, trying to take in all the room at once. Darcy strode slowly to her, his features relaxed, his lips smiling. She had never seen him so handsome. He cupped her face in his hands and lowered his head until their lips met. He placed the gentlest kiss on her mouth. It had been a chilly night, but the both of them together, surrounded by the candles, didn't feel a bit cold.

He lowered her to the nest of blankets in the center of the room that he had prepared and made love to her, awakening sensations within her body she didn't know were possible. She felt, for the first time in a long while, completely alive. He was tender with her, slowly educating her on the act of romantic lovemaking and she a willing pupil. It wasn't long before she began exploring his own body, which was in direct contrast to her own. Where she was softness and curves, he was hardness and edged, like a sculptor. When they were both spent he draped his body over her own to help keep her warm, and began playing with the curls of her hair.

"Oh, Elizabeth, I have imagined doing that for quite a while," he whispered into her hair.

She smiled and turned to him, his face lit up with the most beautiful grin. "I must confess I too have been thinking of you."

A sudden sadness clouded his eyes, "I must leave soon."

The words echoed within the silence, bouncing within her head. What had she expected? He could not stay here, he had other demands on his time; a large estate, business, his sister. Of course he would leave, but this night she would forever cherish.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Would that be wise?" She wondered if they dared to.

"I must see you again, please say you'll come again. We could meet tomorrow night, again, and come here."

She turned her head away so that he would not see her indecision. "When do you leave?"

Darcy shifted so that he loomed over her, his hand caressing her bare shoulder, kissing where her skin turned to goose flesh. "Three days my cousin and I leave for London. I have already stayed longer than I usually do."

Elizabeth bit her lip, nodding her head. Darcy smiled, kissed her mouth, and she felt his arousal grow large along the back of her thigh. It wasn't long before he was making love to her again, this time faster and she relished at the sensation of his body on top of her own, his focus on her and her alone, the lights reflecting in his eyes like a thousand twinkling stars.