The hunger in Darcy’s eyes was tangible.
“I should have thought that by now, such an answer would have been obvious,” he whispered as he leaned in to press his lips against hers, lightly at first, but her responsiveness to him soon spurred him to deepen his kisses. Slowly, his arm began to encircle her waist as he drew her against him, his other hand cradling the back of her head.
Her knees became suddenly weak, and Elizabeth slid her hands to Darcy’s shoulders to steady herself, rejoicing in the sensations he was able to stir within her. She knew she should not be permitting him to take such liberties with her within full view of the house, but his mouth, then traveling down her neck, was exquisite in its distraction. Elizabeth soon found it impossible to think of anything beyond him. She was, therefore, at a loss when she felt Darcy suddenly release her and step quickly away. Her eyes met his briefly with a look of bereft longing before Jane and Mr. Bingley were upon them.
With a smile, Jane left Bingley’s side and went directly to her sister. Lost in her own joy, she had not seemed to notice Elizabeth’s discomposure.
“It is too much! I do not deserve it! Oh, Lizzy, why is not everyone as happy?”
Elizabeth followed her gaze to Bingley, who was receiving Darcy’s heartfelt congratulations with obvious pleasure, and smiled. “Oh, Jane! Certainly, if you do not deserve such happiness, I cannot think who does. I am so very pleased for you.” Elizabeth embraced her sister with warmth. They were immediately joined by the gentlemen so Darcy could kiss Jane’s hand while Bingley joyfully shook Elizabeth’s, claiming the right of a brother.
The foursome wandered for some minutes together in happy conversation until they were joined by Charlotte Lucas, who had come to visit with Elizabeth. Bingley, who was most anxious to call upon Mr. Bennet, and Jane, to go to her mother, left Charlotte with Elizabeth and Darcy. It wasn’t long before they, too, returned to the house for some refreshment, where Charlotte heard Mrs. Bennet’s effusive raptures over Jane’s betrothal to Bingley, Elizabeth’s courtship with Darcy, and, more discreetly, Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins.
To that unfortunate gentleman, residing in the same house with Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet’s pronouncements were nothing short of a punishment. Mrs. Bennet, who had until only very recently been so encouraging and supportive of his suit with his fair cousin, was now fawning over the other gentlemen in the parlor with unabashed enthusiasm, Mr. Collins all but forgotten. Bingley’s smiling face and obvious success with Jane only served to remind him of where he had so recently failed. He could not like it one bit.
Mr. Collins looked resentfully toward Elizabeth, who was engaged in conversation with Charlotte while Darcy observed her with undisguised admiration, and a bitter taste rose in the back of his throat. On the other side of the room, Lydia and Kitty burst out in raucous laughter, their mirth-filled eyes fixed upon him. Mortified, Mr. Collins abruptly stood, readying his escape.
In the very next moment, he was startled to see Elizabeth making her way toward him with her friend. While she said very little, Mr. Collins found Miss Lucas to be a most amiable lady, readily engaging the clergyman in pleasant conversation for nearly a quarter of an hour. As she rose to take her leave, she extended an invitation to dine with her family that afternoon. This was most fortuitous, indeed, as it provided an immediate reprieve from the company of his fair cousin and his esteemed patroness’s nephew. With great eagerness, he accompanied Charlotte to Lucas Lodge.
Much to Mrs. Bennet’s vexation, as she still had three perfectly good daughters yet to be spoken for, Mr. Collins did not return to Longbourn that evening until very late, just as the family was retiring for the night. He was gone shortly after breakfast the following morning, much to everyone’s surprise and, once again, not to return until the Bennets were on their way to bed. When the third day afforded much the same routine, the inhabitants of Longbourn were at a loss as to where Mr. Collins could possibly be spending his time. Not until Elizabeth paid a visit to Charlotte at Lucas Lodge several days later, was light shed upon the subject.
“Engaged! To Mr. Collins?” Elizabeth stared at her friend in shock.
“Why, does it surprise you, Elizabeth, that Mr. Collins should manage to procure any woman’s good opinion simply because he was not so happy as to succeed in procuring your own?”
Elizabeth hardly knew how to answer her.
“I see what you must be feeling,” her friend continued, “especially since Mr. Collins was only lately paying his addresses to you, Elizabeth.” Charlotte sighed. “I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask for only a comfortable home, and considering Mr. Collins’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced my chances of happiness with him are as fair as most people can boast upon entering the marriage state.”
Elizabeth was at a loss. “Undoubtedly,” was all she could manage. She had always known Charlotte’s views of matrimony did not necessarily coincide with her own, but to accept Mr. Collins—to pass the rest of her life in his company and as his wife—was incredible to her. She could not imagine enduring such humiliation and sacrifice simply to secure such a future for herself, yet it was an opportunity Charlotte seemed eager to embrace. How could her friend, whom she had always valued for her good sense, sentence herself to such a fate with a man whom she could never completely esteem?
As Elizabeth walked back to Longbourn, her thoughts gradually drifted from Charlotte and Mr. Collins to Darcy and herself. How fortunate she was to have engaged the affections and admiration of such an intelligent and worthy man! He had cared for her, ardently, these many weeks, and yet, she had been blind to it until only recently.
Elizabeth found herself wondering what a future with him might be like. No doubt, much more palatable than a future in Mr. Collins’s society! Her mind wandered to the intensity of Darcy’s penetrating eyes and the way he could evoke a passionate response from her body without ever having touched her. It made her shiver.
Though she found such intimate interactions with Darcy to be more exquisite than anything she had ever dared to imagine possible between a man and a woman, there were other aspects of their relationship that also brought her unparalleled gratification. She had found a source of immeasurable satisfaction in Darcy’s insightful discourse, and in his keen interest and knowledge of world affairs. Indeed, in the last month they had passed many enjoyable afternoons and evenings in one another’s society, discussing books and music, philosophy and history—even travel. And, though Elizabeth had not yet been given much opportunity to venture farther than London, she had still managed to impress Darcy considerably with her extensive knowledge of America and its lucrative investment opportunities, information she had gleaned from extensive reading and from conversations held with her father and her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London.
The more time she spent with Darcy, the more Elizabeth was forced to admit she would, most likely and quite soon, be in very great danger of finding herself in love with him. It unnerved her. She had always relied upon her own liveliness of mind and independence of spirit to provide her with ample sources of enjoyment, but now she found herself coming to depend more and more upon one very particular man, whose society, she happened to find, was far superior to that of every other gentleman of her acquaintance.