“Special licenses are expensive.”
“I believe you said that you had a few pounds in the bank. Did you gamble away your fortune while you were in Scotland?”
“No, I am not a gamester, but I think your suggestion of having our banns announced in the village church is the right one. If we set a date for after the first of the year, that will give us ample time to make arrangements. You may wish to go up to London for your wedding clothes, and there is much to do to prepare for the wedding breakfast.”
“After the first of the year? This is quite a change from the man who carried me to his sofa. Where has all that passion gone?”
“I can assure you I do not want for passion. If you knew what my thoughts were, you would run from the room.”
“I know what your thoughts are, and I am still here.” She gave him such a flirtatious smile that he felt his manhood rising, and so he crossed his legs, causing Lizzy to start laughing.
“Have you no compassion, you heartless wench?” he said amused, but uncomfortable.
“I do have compassion, and so I suggest that we marry in three weeks after the banns are announced.”
“That will not work because it will bring us to within a few days of the next full moon. Surely you do not want your husband to leave you so soon after we are married.”
“But you will always leave me for two days every month, and I will always be there to welcome you back.”
“Very well,” Darcy said, nodding his head in acknowledgment of her commitment to him, and after some quick calculations, he added, “shall we say December 24th?”
“Yes, I like that. You first told me of your other incarnation on the eve of All Saints’ Day. It is fitting that we should marry on Christmas Eve. There is a symmetry in that.”
“Now that we have set a date, please tell me what you would like as a token of my love. My mother’s ruby ring, my grandmother’s emerald necklace? Perhaps while you are in town, you will want to go to a jeweler and pick out a diamond ring. I shall get whatever you wish.”
“I would be honored to wear your mother or grandmother’s jewelry, but I have no need of diamonds. However, I would like something. A dog. Actually dogs.”
“Do you mean a Scottie like Magic, except better behaved?”
“No, a Scottie is too small,” she said, ignoring his cutting remark about her little terrier. “I was thinking about male and female Newfoundlands, not from the same litter, so that they may breed, and I must insist that David and Goliath have no say in the matter.”
“Newfoundlands? They are enormous. But if you come and sit on my lap and give me a kiss, I will agree to your request. However, please do not think that you are fooling me as to the reason for you choosing Newfoundlands. You are trying to protect me, so that if anyone should report a wolf sighting, you would be able to produce one.”
Lizzy leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Lady Helen told me about how you were discovered by the poachers, and if you did not have Wolfie, who knows what would have happened. So, yes, the ring is negotiable; the dogs are not. As for sitting on your lap, I cannot, sir. You are not the only one who can sense things. In your present state, if I were to sit on your lap, I might risk my maidenhood.”
“You need have no fear of being deflowered by me—not tonight anyway—but if you think you are leaving this room without kissing me, you are mistaken.” Darcy moved so quickly that Lizzy had no time to flee. As he lay on top of her, she quickly settled into his rhythm. From the pleasure it gave her, she understood the freedom from society’s constraints that he so enjoyed when he was in the wild, and she decided that for a little while, she, too, could be free.
Lizzy stood still as Mr. Darcy returned her curls to their rightful place, and before tucking her lace back into her dress, she attempted to tie his neckcloth in the same way that Mercer would have, but her hands were not yet steady. If Mr. Darcy had not rolled off of her, she doubted that she would have stopped him. If the warmth she was feeling throughout her body was the result of his hands and lips, she could only imagine what it would feel like if he were to use everything in his arsenal, and the thought caused her to giggle.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked as he motioned for her to turn around so that he could make sure that her dress was not a wrinkled mess.
“I should be thoroughly ashamed of myself,” she answered. “Although you did not act as a gentleman should, you showed more restraint than I did.”
“I did so for selfish reasons. When you and I come together as man and wife, we will not be listening for servants or a sister, and our time together will not be measured in minutes, but hours.” Lizzy remained silent. “You have nothing to say to that?”
“What can I say? You can sense how I feel, and so you know that I find it to be an excellent plan,” Lizzy said, blushing. “However, what I can tell you is that I love you more than anything in both your incarnations because you are a good man. I could not ask for better.”
Darcy pulled Lizzy into one last embrace and held her there so that she would not see his tears.
Chapter 25
For ten minutes, Jane and Charles had been watching Mr. Darcy pace back and forth in front of a window in the breakfast room. Jane had twice offered to prepare a plate for him, but he had declined and resumed his pacing. After seeing the look on Darcy’s face when Lizzy entered the breakfast room, Charles jumped up, went over to his friend, and started to pump his hand.
“You are engaged. I am sure of it. When you said you would not ride this morning, I knew it was because you were waiting for Elizabeth. Welcome to the family, Darcy,” Charles said and then slapped his friend on the back.
“Lizzy, is this true?” Jane asked. She had been anticipating this event for months, and she was not going to count this chick before it hatched.
“Yes, it is true.” Lizzy hugged her sister. “Mr. Darcy and I are engaged or will be as soon as he can talk to Papa.”
“Is it too early for champagne?” Bingley asked.
“It is never too early for champagne,” Darcy answered, grinning from ear to ear, and a bottle was sent for.
“Mama will be very pleased,” Jane said. “I daresay she will be ecstatic.” She raised her glass to toast the happy couple.
Lizzy looked at her betrothed to see his reaction to Jane’s reminder that Mrs. Bennet would soon be his mother-in-law. She still blushed with embarrassment at the memory of her mother’s performance at the Netherfield ball, and she would never forget the look on Mr. Darcy’s face when her Mama had blurted out that Jane’s anticipated engagement to Mr. Bingley would throw her four daughters into the path of other rich men.
“Perhaps it would be best if I went to Longbourn alone and spoke with my parents. In that way, it will not be such a surprise.”
“It can hardly be a surprise, Elizabeth. I have been sitting in your parlor for the past six months. My attentions were too marked to be interpreted in any other way, and since I was not asked by either parent to leave Longbourn at any time during that interval, I imagine I will have their blessing. Besides, I want to share our good news with everyone. So shall we go to Longbourn this morning?”
“Yes, but you do know that my mother will be…”
“Exuberant,” Darcy said, finishing her sentence. “Yes, I expect as much, and I have come prepared. If your mother grows too shrill, I have little pieces of cotton in my pocket to protect my ears,” he finished in a whisper.
“Shame on you for saying such a thing about my mother.” But Lizzy started laughing. “All right then. We shall go to Longbourn, but you cannot say I did not warn you.”