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Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments! I apologise for the longer than anticipated break - I hadn't meant for it to be quite so long!
I hope you like the next instalment. Again, please forgive any formatting issues, these sites seem to jumble when I copy and paste from MSWord.
As always please, leave a comment of your thoughts on this new chapter :):)
Chapter 9
The moment their gazes collided, it felt as if everything around them faded away. The air felt charged and she felt a pull towards him, not able to understand her feelings, Elizabeth was about to look away, but then he started to move towards her, and her breath hitched. How did he always have the power to create this reaction in her? She much preferred men like the Colonel, who were easy to laugh with and had a calming demeanour. The very opposite of the man standing before her.
" Fitzwilliam!" Georgie gasped happily, noticing her brother and rushing over to him. He bowed as the ladies stood and curtsied in return before resuming their seats.
"What has you so excited? I only left you this morning." he said teasingly to Georgiana, who gave him a quick hug then returned to the table. She always worried greatly when he went away, but he supposed that had to be from the loss of both their parents so young.
"Is everything all right, my boy? We expected you to be gone a couple of days at least!" asked Lord Matlock rising from his seat, his concern written across his face, as Lady Matlock began to walk towards her nephew.
"I did not mean to cause any concern, all is well." he assured them. "The axle snapped on the carriage, and we were not so far that we could not turn back. We returned back to Darcy House an hour ago." he shrugged bending to kiss his aunt gently on her cheek. She stepped back beaming at him.
"I am glad you are come back! We were just having some afternoon tea and I have ordered enough for an army as usual! Where is Hugo? Did he not wish to join us?" she questioned.
"Yes, well…" he looked at everyone present. Elizabeth did not miss that his gaze rested on her sister Jane a fraction. Did he still prefer Jane over her?
Giving herself a mental shake, she returned her attention to Mr Darcy and Lady Violet, watching as he bent to whisper something in his aunt's ear, causing her to laugh loudly and swat his chest playfully.
"You told them! I told you that I have done that jump many times before and that has never happened! I cannot believe you told them that I was thrown from my horse! You know what you are Fitzwilliam? You -"
"Hugo, I did not tell anyone of your accident." he said, turning to speak to his brother and trying not to laugh.
Lady Matlock, noticing her younger nephew's blush, reached to pull him down so that she could kiss his cheek. "Oh, Hugo! Do not worry we have plenty of scones and strawberries to sooth your embarrassment."
"Your cook made her famous scones? And you're only telling me this now!" Hugo asked, his gaze immediately focusing on the table. And then remembering himself he bowed to everyone, walking to claim a seat near the Lord Horatio and Miss Bennet, his earlier embarrassment forgotten.
"Fitzwilliam, you had best come and get one, before they're all gone!" said Lord Horatio walking over and clapping him on the back proudly to which Mr Darcy flinched. "What will you do regarding your matter of business?"
"We shall still be going but it is not so urgent, it cannot wait a day. I had hoped to go today so that we would be back in plenty of time for the ball on Friday, but that is just me being overly cautious." he said walking over to where Elizabeth was sitting, intently watching their exchange.
As he drew near, she found it hard to focus and only vaguely heard the conversation about her resume but could no longer make sense of what was being said. Today Mr Darcy wore mostly black, his linen shirt, snowy white and his waistcoat a deep grey, making his eyes appear almost crystal blue in colour. When he stood before her, he reached for her hand and bowed over it, placing his lips lightly upon her gloved hand.
He held her gaze until he was once again standing straight and turned to his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam who had been watching them with an amused look upon his face.
"Richard," he nodded.
"Darcy, I have to commend you on your timing. I was feeling quite outnumbered without you and Hugo. The ladies were extracting all manner of embarrassing tales from me!" taking a seat Mr Darcy, eyed his cousin shrewdly before casting his glance about the table to land on his sister's.
"Is something amiss, Fitzwilliam?" asked Ella, innocently.
"Hmm." he said, appearing to take great care in his next words. "Exactly how embarrassing, Richard?"
"Well, Miss Jane had been quite keen to hear about the demonic rabbit…" he revealed, a twinkle in his eye as he looked over to Jane Bennet, whose head had shot up at the mention of the rabbit once more.
Elizabeth watched as a look of confusion passed across Mr Darcy's face, before realisation dawned on him and threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. His laugh was a deep, rich, throaty sound that Elizabeth found herself smiling in reaction to it. "That rabbit was the most vicious little thing! But that was not my fault, it was Ella's."
"It was not!" she said, in indignation. "I told you to set it free, thank you very much!"
"Only after I had discovered it and it's devil spawn which had infested the whole left wing of the house." He said arching an eyebrow at her, with a chuckle.
"Who knew rabbits multiplied so quickly?" she said, with an embarrassed shrug.
"But we were all made to believe you had done something with it to frighten your governess?" Elizabeth questioned Mr Darcy. He simply frowned and shook his head but said no more. "I must also ask what made the rabbit demonic, I believe Jane is most curious."
"I really am very intrigued, Mr Darcy," she said, looking at him from across the table.
"Aside from its feral behaviour, if I recall it was three times the size of a regular rabbit, all white, with fangs and red eyes! And no, I assure you that is not an exaggeration." he said, at the disbelief and horror in their eyes.
"Not that rabbit again! I hated that thing, but I have to vouch for Fitz. It was not him that is responsible for 'hell's minion' and its brood. I swear it hissed my name once…" said Hugo, with a dramatic shiver. "Ella has always tried to convince everyone that it was Fitz's fault because she knew Mrs Reynolds, our housekeeper would not reprimand him for it."
"Oh really, Hugo? Just wait…I shall have my revenge." Ella taunted, as she poured herself some more tea with a menacing smile on her face.
"Calm down you two! We have guest's present" said their aunt, struggling to appear cross. "Richard, can I borrow you a moment?" his mother requested although, the Colonel knew he did not really have a choice in the matter.
"They're practically family!" argued Hugo.
"God help them!" mutter the Earl.
Rolling his eyes affectionately, the Colonel stood, "My mother always was about as subtle as a bull in a china shop." he chuckled, excusing himself.
Elizabeth was still watching the Colonel go over to his mother, when she felt Mr Darcy lean a little towards her. "I hope my family were not about to drive you to the mad-house, before I arrived." he spoke in gentle tones.
Turning slightly, she spoke with mischief sparkling in her emerald gaze, "Not at all. I found the conversation quite enlightening; I can assure you."
Mr Darcy chuckled again, the corners of his mouth quirking slightly. "I fear that is cause for concern, Miss Elizabeth."
"Really? How so?"
"Well, if your sanity has survived thus far, it could mean one of two things… you are either immune, or you were not sane to begin with!"
"But then, by your reasoning, the same could be said of you too!" she countered.
"Touché, Miss Elizabeth." he said, with a full-blown smile that revealed dimples on his cheeks and stole Elizabeth's breath away. She swallowed convulsively and wet her lips. His eyes dropped to where her tongue had just darted out and his smile slowly faded. Her heart raced, he wanted to kiss her again…
"Fitz, are you going to join us for a walk about the garden?" said Hugo, not bothering to hide his knowing look as he nudged the Colonel who gave him a look of reproach. Elizabeth drew back mortified.
She was so absorbed in trying to regain her equilibrium she failed to notice, Mr Darcy was now standing before her and offering his arm.
She gazed up at his face, his eyes still shone with the promise of something she did not quite understand. With a barely audible sigh, Elizabeth tried to steady the fluttering in her stomach as she stood and placed her hand lightly upon his elbow, the heat of him penetrating through her gloves and branding her skin.
Lord and Lady Matlock decided to stay behind with Georgiana, as the Colonel escorted Ella, Hugo escorted Jane with Mr Darcy and Elizabeth trailed behind them. Elizabeth watched him, as they all progressed deeper into the garden, the others now quite a distance ahead. Mr Darcy carried himself with a lazy confidence, she smiled at how a week prior, she would have called it disdain. He put forward such an uncaring mien, when in actual fact, she beginning to learn he probably cared far too much.
"Are you satisfied with what you see, Miss Bennet?" he said playfully, but with something more serious lingering in the depths of his gaze.
Elizabeth held his look bravely for a minute, before allowing herself to look away. "I am still trying to decide, Mr Darcy," she answered honestly. "You are quite difficult to read."
Fitzwilliam was pleased by her answer, as he did not want her to be able to read him. If they were to take this further than a basic friendship and desire, she was bound to get hurt. He could not offer her love; he would not have his mother and father's history repeat itself. One would always leave the other in the end. At least with a friendship, whoever is left behind can grieve the loss and then eventually move on once the mourning period was through. So, why then did he feel a small pang of hurt and disappointment too?
"I should be disappointed if I were so predictable and easily read." he said, making an effort to keep his tone light.
"Yes, but that does not mean that I am afraid of a challenge. I do quite enjoy solving a puzzle." she opposed, smiling brightly up at him.
Looking ahead he noted that they were now looping around to head back towards the patio.
"I have not had a chance to speak with you properly, to see how you are faring with all this?" he asked softly.
Caught off guard by his sudden change, she hesitated a moment before she answered. "I am well. I suppose it had to happen one day." she shrugged, running her gloved hand over the petals of a white rhododendron shrub.
"You did not imagine marrying for love?"
"I am not so naïve. I am aware that, not all marriages are love matches. I sadly only have to look at my parents' marriage to know that." she said, before pausing to bend to smell a red rose, they had always been her favourite. "But, then, I have also witnessed to my aunt and uncle, who are very much in love and they wed twelve years ago!" she said, watching him.
"Miss Bennet, I want you to understand that our marriage will have the things that are most crucial. Love cannot always be enough to keep a happy marriage, but you will have my friendship, respect and protection. You will want for nothing, and I already know that we will have plenty of passion, as I am sure you feel the desire between us whenever we are in one another's company." he paused his steps when Elizabeth stopped once more, blushing prettily but frowning too.
"You are saying we shall simply be friends, who have married?" she asked, bravely trying to plaster a smile to her face. It was one thing to know they were not marrying for love, but another thing entirely to have your betrothed tell you that he willneverlove you.
She heard him curse under his breath, too quietly for her to hear exactly what he said, before he cast a look around and then pulled her after him into a small cope of trees and out of sight. Elizabeth let out a small squeak as he walked her backwards until she was up against a tree.
Mr Darcy stepped forward and put one hand on the tree, inches from her face. He trailed his forefinger down her cheek, across her jaw. Elizabeth's heart began to flutter once more. She felt a stirring within her and looked up, startled by the sensations he was awakening within. He was looking down at her, with a knowing look in his half-lidded gaze.
"What you are feeling right now is desire, Elizabeth." he said, "This is more than simply just a friendship."
Fitzwilliam did not know what he was trying to achieve, Elizabeth had just acknowledged exactly what he wanted their marriage to be. So, what was he trying to prove?
"No, but it is not love either." she said breathlessly, squirming under his touch. Suddenly he moved and used his hips to pin her to the tree, bending his head as if to kiss her, but at the last minute changing his mind and bit her neck. Not hard enough to bruise nor leave a mark but enough to cause a gasp to escape her.
He soothed his bite with his tongue, as Elizabeth whimpered, a small mewling sound angling her neck to give him better access, "How I should love to show you how powerful desire can be…" he said, stepping away from her. She flushed instantly.
"How prettily you blush, I wonder how much of your delectable skin it covers," he mused, with a small groan before giving in, he placed a hand at her waist and pulled her to him for a hot searing kiss that devoured and dominated her, before melting into something softer. Closing her eyes, she lost sense of her surroundings, of anything but his lips on hers. She moved her hands up to rest on his chest, grasping at the collar of his coat. Wanting to feel his body against hers again but not able to think clearly enough to know how to achieve it.
Fitzwilliam, brought his hands up to cradle her face, pulling back to stop the kiss before he got too carried away, looking down at her, still dazed from their passionate embrace.
"Miss Elizabeth, we should be making our way back, I am sure they will be wondering where we are by now." he said gently, she simply nodded, incapable of anything more and allowed herself to be led back towards the patio. She hoped by the time they arrived she would not feel so overcome, otherwise Elizabeth would surely be able to tell something had happened between her and Mr Darcy …