Chapter 13

Elizabeth waited eagerly for Fitzwilliam's note. It arrived the next day. Sarah gave it to her mistress when they were safe in the privacy of her rooms.

My darling E, it said,

Everything is in readiness. The house has been cleaned and is ready for habitation. Would you meet me there tomorrow at 11 a.m.? We can spend at least a few hours together before having to return for supper. The address is 127 New Berkshire Street. It is out of the way of the road, behind a lane of tall bushes. Wear a veil so no one recognizes you.

I await you eagerly, my love,

F.

Elizabeth memorized the address and then burned the note. She had saved all of Darcy's previous letters in the locked drawer of her desk, but saw no use in risking everything by keeping the address. She wrote Darcy a note back, agreeing to meet him at 11. Vincent should have gone to his club by then, and would not be around to question where she was going. Now she just had to think about how she was going to get to New Berkshire Street. She could not take the Carlisle carriage. It was out of the question. Could she hire a handsome cab? But she equally could not have a handsome cab arrive at the stairs of the house in Mayfair. Perhaps she could pretend she was going for a walk, and take a cab a few streets down? The problem with that was that she always had to take a maid or footman with her when she went on a walk for the sake of propriety.

She decided to ask her maid.

"Sarah," she said carefully. "I am going to meet with Mr. Darcy tomorrow." She looked at her maid carefully to see if there was judgment on her face. But Sarah only smiled.

"Are you, my lady? I am glad you are finding some happiness."

Elizabeth smiled, relieved. "Thank you. As am I. But I am having trouble discovering how I shall get there without notifying Vincent or any of the servants. Have you any ideas?"

Sarah mulled it over a for a minute. "Perhaps we could say you are going for a walk. You and I could go down the road and hire a hackney cab."

"I thought of that; but then you would have to wait around while Mr. Darcy and I were together." She blushed.

"I would not mind that, my lady," said Sarah earnestly.

"Yes, but I would."

"Then what about this," said Sarah after another moment of thought. "You could say you are going to visit friends down the road. No one need know that you are going beyond Mayfair. You have plenty of acquaintances in this part of town, do you not?"

"That is true." Elizabeth thought about it for a minute. "I would not have to say which acquaintance it was. If Vincent asks one of the servants, they will simply tell him I went to visit someone in Mayfair. I would not need to bring a maid or footman on such a walk. He could not be suspicious of that.

"But it will soon become a regular thing, or at least I hope so," she suddenly added. "I did not think of that. Can I make the same excuse so many times?"

"Lord Carlisle does not pay much mind what you do while we are in London, though, does he, madam?" asked Sarah hesitantly.

"No, that is true. Still, I will have to be careful." She sighed. "It is unfair that there is such a double standard. Vincent can visit his mistress whenever he wishes with impunity, but women are expected to stay pure. It is not as if he even cares about the women he lies with," she said scornfully. "It is different for Fitzwilliam and me."

"I am glad to see you happy again, my lady," said Sarah earnestly. "You may count on me to help you however I can."

Elizabeth laid her hand on the maid's arm. "Thank you, Sarah. You have indeed been a blessing to me."

Elizabeth went to bed that night eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

It was easy to do as Sarah suggested the next day. At half past ten, she descended the stairs in her ornamented dress and made a vague comment to the butler on what a beautiful day it was and how she would enjoy her visits, then sailed out of the house. She only walked until Carlisle House was out of sight before she hailed a handsome cab, keeping a veil over her face so she would not be recognized.

It took twenty minutes to arrive at New Berkshire Street, which looked like it was a row of houses occupied by painters and starving artists. The little two-story house was, as Darcy had said, half hidden behind tall bushes. She paid the cabman and knocked at the door. Only a minute passed before the door opened and she was pulled inside and found herself in Darcy's strong arms, being kissed passionately.

"Ah, my love," he said when he finally broke the kiss. "I am so glad you were able to come. Did you have any trouble getting here?"

"No. I think Sarah and I have our strategy planned out. How long have you been here?"

"I arrived about an hour ago. I did not want anyone to see us arrive together."

"That is a good plan. I had not thought of how I should get home, though," she said. "Will it be safe for me to hail a cab in this part of town?"

"I have already ordered a handsome cab to come pick you up at 4 to take you back to Mayfair. But this part of town is perfectly safe," said Fitzwilliam. "This house is the place where a sculptor lived until he finally was forced by penury to move out. It is mostly artists in this sector."

Darcy had lost his train of thought, for Elizabeth was up on tiptoes, placing kisses on his jaw, cheek, and neck. He began to breathe heavily.

"You undo me, my love. But let us get to a bed first," he said.

"Yes, a bed," she repeated, feeling a little bit of nervousness along with her eagerness. She was hoping she could please Darcy. She had never been able to please Vincent in bed. Over everything, however, she wanted to show Darcy her love, and the uniting of their bodies was the ultimate way to express that.

Darcy took her hand in his and led her down the hall to a small bedroom with a bed that looked just big enough for both of them. Elizabeth gazed around her and found that the room was rather bare, except for the painting of a landscape over the fireplace, and a mirror on the opposite wall.

Darcy at once began untying his cravat, and Elizabeth removed her bonnet, then gloves.

"Let me undo your buttons, my love," Darcy said.

That was something else Elizabeth had not thought of. It often took some work to get her into the extravagant dresses Vincent chose for her. Fortunately, without Sarah there, Darcy was able to help.

He kissed his way down her back at each button he undid and she shivered at the sensation. Once he had unbuttoned her, she was able to do the rest herself, and she undressed until she was down to only her stockings and chemise. She had never wanted Vincent to see her naked, but she wasn't with her husband now – she was with the man she loved, and she wanted him to see all of her.

She stripped down to nothing, and then reclined on the bed to watch as he finished disrobing.

He was truly a glorious specimen. He had strong, muscular thighs and arms. His toned chest was covered in a light patch of curly black hair to match that on his head. He was aroused, and Elizabeth quailed a little at the sight of his erection. He was larger than Vincent, and she knew it was going to hurt. Still, she hid all her misgivings, and resolved to enjoy what she could.

Darcy turned to look at her, his eyes sweeping over her with appreciation, but then he frowned, coming forward to touch her arm. "You are bruised! Did he hurt you?"

Elizabeth had forgotten all about the bruises on her arms where Vincent had gripped her too tightly the other day. "It does not matter, my love. I am not in pain, and I do not wish to discuss him today."

"Very well," Darcy said, as he got into the other side of the bed and drew her into his arms. "You are beautiful, Elizabeth,"

"So are you," she replied breathlessly. She was growing aroused at the mere feel of his strong muscles against her soft curves, and she hardly knew what being aroused felt like. It was a new sensation for her, but a welcome one.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her neck as he ran a hand down her arm, then covered her mouth with his. They kissed passionately, and the tip of his tongue touched her lips. She opened her mouth and accepted him into her mouth, tentatively touching his tongue with hers. He groaned and covered her breast with his big hand, fondling and shaping it, then teasing the nipple with his fingers until it was puckered with her desire. Elizabeth moaned into his mouth when he moved to her other breast and give it the same treatment.

"Oh, Fitzwilliam," she panted. "That feels wonderful!"

He looked tenderly into her face. "I want to give you everything you deserve, Elizabeth. I want to give you pleasure."

Elizabeth was about to assure him that he was, when he moved his head down to her chest and took one of her nipples in his mouth, at the same time as his finger touched her core, which she realized was wet. She moaned loudly instead of being able to say anything.

His lips and tongue laved her tender bud, while his finger moved up and down her moist folds. She had never grown wet down there before, and supposed it must have something to do with her arousal. Darcy spent several minutes giving attention to her breasts before he pulled away. Elizabeth almost cried out with disappointment, but he had moved so that he was down on the end of the bed and he was looking between her legs.

"What are you doing, Fitzwilliam?" she asked, flushed and panting.

He kissed the inside of her thigh. "I want to give you pleasure, my love, but I have never done this before, so you must tell me if you like it."

"I am sure I will like anything you – Ah!" She let out a cry at the last because Darcy had taken his tongue and licked her sensitive folds from bottom to top. He spent a minute moving his tongue over her as she writhed and moaned, until he finally settled upon an exquisitely sensitive spot at the top of her folds and sucked upon it.

Elizabeth's back nearly bowed off the bed as she cried out with the pleasure of it. "Oh, Fitzwilliam! Oh, Fitzwilliam! Please!" She did not know what she was begging for; but she was sure he knew, and that he would give it to her.

Darcy moved his hand to her entrance, and pushed a finger into her channel. He moved it in and out in a rhythm at the same time as he sucked upon her sensitive bundle of nerves. She became louder and louder as a pleasure she had never known existed rose in her, then crested, launching her into a world of pure sensation. She was aware of nothing for several long moments, and then she found that she had relaxed down onto the bed and felt perfectly sated, as if nothing could bother her ever again. Darcy was lying beside her once more, and she took him in her arms.

"Oh, my darling," she panted. "That was wonderful. Thank you so much."

He was kissing her ear and neck. "I enjoyed it," he said huskily. But she could sense that his body was rigid with tension. She could feel his hard length against her thigh.

"Now you must have your pleasure," she said.

"Elizabeth – are you certain?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Of course!" she said in surprise. "I want to love you in the most tangible way possible."

"Then I would be happy to make love to you, my dear," he said with a smile.

He moved to get between her legs but Elizabeth stopped him, suddenly remembering something. "Just a moment, Fitzwilliam."

He looked up at her. "Yes? What is it, Elizabeth?"

"Is there a way you can make sure I do not get with child? I would love to have your child," she hurried to add, before he could take it the wrong way, "but Vincent has not lain with me in months. He will know it is not his child if I conceive. Besides, I fear for any child that would have to live with him as a father."

Darcy frowned as he always did when her husband was mentioned. But he soon smoothed out his visage. "Yes, there is a way. Do not worry, Elizabeth. I will always take care of you."

She smiled and lifted her arms to him to accept him into her body. He lay between her thighs and put down a hand to guide himself into her channel. She tensed, expecting it to hurt; but to her surprise, he slid in easily, the moisture of her body making his entry pleasurable rather than painful. She moaned as he filled her up and began to thrust.

She held him close to her as he moved in and out. She reveled in his heavy weight atop her, the scent of his warm flesh and spiced cologne. He moved his head so he could kiss her as he thrust, and she accepted his kisses eagerly. They only added to her pleasure.

Her body was too relaxed and replete for her to have another orgasm, but she still felt all the pleasure of having the man she loved possess her. Darcy moved in and out of her for a long time before he finally lost the rhythm. Elizabeth heard his breathing change, and then his hips moved erratically for a moment before he pulled out of her, and with a cry, spilled his seed upon her stomach.

They lay together for a long time, limbs entwined, until their breathing evened out. Then Darcy finally raised up on his arms. "I should get something to clean us up," he said, then rose from the bed, coming back minutes later with a moist cloth. With it, he wiped the seed from her and himself.

"Thank you, my love," he said, as he lay down next to her again, wrapping her in his arms. They were both still naked.

"It is I who should thank you. You showed me a pleasure I had not known existed," she replied, kissing his chest.

They lay that way together in a sort of bliss, until Elizabeth found herself dozing off into a nap, still held in Darcy's strong arms.