Chapter 28

I couldn't bear to spend our first night together at a hotel and couldn't ask Bing to give up his holiday home or share it with us ("Ew!" as both Bennet sisters declared), regardless of how significant Elizabeth and I both felt it to be. It was just a fancy house on the beach, but Elizabeth wouldn't let me buy her another one just for one night. I argued we would probably use it, and I could certainly afford it, but she seemed to find the idea just as distasteful as spending our wedding night under the same roof as Jane and Bing. At least I could be certain she wasn't marrying me for my money. I can't imagine Caz ever refusing anything like that kind of extravagant expenditure on her behalf.

So, instead, Elizabeth had negotiated with her mother that all the official speeches and traditional moments would be over before sundown so we could have some ubiquitous sunset photos on the beach and then drive 3 hours and start making significant memories in my family home in Floreat. It meant so much to me that she was willing to move into my life and it meant everything to me that we would take this step together in my home, in my bed, where I felt most at ease. I couldn't wait to get there. The added bonus of a 3-hour drive in the Maserati with her hand in mine most of the way didn't hurt either. I just had to endure a few hours of being stared at, poked, prodded, slapped and hugged by a lot of people I neither knew nor cared for. Totally worth it. I wasn't planning on doing this wedding thing again any time soon, if ever, so I could endure it.

The three-hour drive is over faster than I expected. I pull into the verge space, habitually checking the windows and look across at my wife. She was watching me patiently, still in the beautiful wedding dress, beneath my suit jacket which she had drawn over her like a blanket as the temperature dropped. Her eyes are a little sleepy, driving any kind of distance is a powerful soporific for her, but there is a contented hunger in her eyes and her smile is a little mischievous when she reaches a slender hand towards me to tug me to her. Her fingers curl around the nape of my neck as she lifts her head to position her lips against mine. "You are beautiful," she whispers to me before she kisses me, and I chuckle into our mingled breath. "I think that's supposed to be my line," I whisper back before I deepen the kiss. Eventually we make it into the house, and I remember to sweep her into my arms before we cross the threshold. I don't put her down until we are in the middle of my, or rather, our, bedroom. "I am going to run you the bath you requested, my love, so you can soak for as long as you like, while I get all our things from the car."

I give her the space we both need, and unpack the car to my satisfaction, using Georgie's shower for myself. When I re-enter our room, I can hear her humming to herself in the bath. I'm no longer sure what I should do at this point, or whether I should dress, but after lying on my bed completely naked and feeling like an idiot, I decide I should put on some clothes. I can only find the pants of the striped satin pyjamas she had chosen for me, laughingly calling them my trousseau, so I put them on. The sounds of a bath emptying and bathroom cupboards opening and closing indicate she is almost ready, so I stand mutely by the bed, checking my phone, feeling completely tense and anxious. I am looking at a blank screen having turned my phone off when I hear the door open a crack. She is peering out, her eyes moving from the bed, where she expected me to be, to where I am standing a few feet away.

She is wearing the top half of the set, the buttons done up loosely, revealing a shadow of skin below her collarbone, and the length of her long legs, out of proportion to her diminutive height. She is wholly familiar and yet completely alien to me in this moment. I am frozen half in wonder, half in panic. I see her anxiety disappear at this and I realise she is happy that we are both as nervous as each other. Despite our obvious physical attraction and affection, this moment is incredibly significant for both of us. I am grateful for the conversation Errol had with me during our marriage preparation, as it gives me something practical to anchor my physical desires on and reminds me that our relationship is not dependent on the outcome of this first encounter. It is a gift that we will have the rest of our lives to open, explore and enjoy together. Nerves are to be expected, but fears should be banished. We will become one and grow together in every way from this day forward.

We slowly come together and meet in the middle. The room is softly lit by the moonlight filtering in from the window and once the bathroom light is off and my eyes adjust, her skin seems to glow in the reflected light. There are few words, as we slowly begin to explore each other. We are familiar with our touch, and gentle at first. As our passion increases, we tumble inelegantly onto the bed. I am almost overcome at her trust in me when I confirm at every new step I take, her willingness to follow and it is overwhelming when she reciprocates with equal fervour as she takes delight in my body, comfortably taking control so I can surrender completely to her desires.

She is more lovely than I could have imagined – honest, generous, warm and mischievous, especially in the awkwardness. There are moments of levity as we adjust to unfamiliar movements and begin to adapt to each other's desires, but there is no ridicule, or judgment, only surprising joy as we start to learn how much pleasure is to be found in the giving of it, as in the receiving. Our first time together exceeded any expectations I had and gave me the promise of even more, as we continue to get to know each other, for the rest of our lives.

She stirs in my embrace, whispering words of love and devotion as she settles against me. She fits so perfectly, moulded against me in the fierce embrace that is my only possible response. I have never felt so happy, and there are no words left.


AN: So that's it. Thanks for reading along. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I do like my Aussie Darcy and Elizabeth, and I'm happy I was able to create a story in a modern setting that stuck as close to the essentials of cannon as I could, and felt as natural and unforced as possible, IMHO. I guess the next step would be to flesh out the minor character's stories better, but that involves much more effort than I can afford at the moment. See you next time. I do have an unfinished fantasy mash up that might get another look in, now that I have this story out of my head, but a major redraft of Sufficient Encouragement now awaits. Thanks again for being here. JVK