He gave her a sidelong look. “Terribly. I believe I shall require a great number of kisses to recover from the experience.”
“Fortunately, I believe that you know where to find them, sir,” she said.
“Your perception astonishes me, Miss Bennet,” he said, rising to move behind her chair. As she looked up at him, he bent to give her a series of slow, gentle kisses.
“Is that better, Mr. Darcy?” she asked archly as he released her mouth.
“Not yet.” He proceeded to feather a series of kisses behind her ear, traveling slowly to the nape of her neck which had so enticed him when he first saw her in the vineyard earlier. She shivered as he moved his lips ever so slowly along the length of the back of her neck and the soft skin exposed by the neckline of her dress, and felt a need she could not understand growing within her. Darcy could clearly sense her growing tension, and when he finally allowed his mouth to approach hers again, they met with a deep hunger that could not be denied.
The sound of laughing voices raised in lively conversation began to intrude, and Darcy jumped back, straightening, just before the room was invaded by Georgiana, Kitty, and Mary. Georgiana stopped short when she saw her brother, then rushed to embrace him. “Fitzwilliam! I did not expect to see you so soon! What a lovely surprise!”
“You are looking very well. Your visit seems to have agreed with you, my dear,” he replied.
“I have had the best time! You know Mary and Kitty, don’t you? We have had such fun. Mary likes to practice a great deal as well, and we have been helping each other with our music, haven’t we, Mary? We’ve prepared a new duet that I think you will like.”
“I am very glad to hear it. Georgiana, would you care to greet your new sister?”
Georgiana’s eyes grew wide. “Lizzy!” she squealed, throwing her arms around her. “At last! Oh, I’m so happy for you both! I’ll be so glad to have you as a sister. It will feel like getting a whole family of sisters,” she said, glancing at the others.
She continued to chatter on to Darcy about everything she had done during her visit, with assists from Mary and Kitty. Darcy gave Elizabeth an inquisitive but not displeased look as he took in his sister’s altered behavior.
As dusk was approaching, Darcy, whose good temper was starting to fray from the social demands of the Bennet family, took the opportunity to ask Elizabeth to walk out with him, which she gratefully accepted. They were mostly silent as they walked; after all the emotions of the day, Elizabeth felt more agitated and confused than happy, and Darcy found he had much to think about. At the top of a rise which would afford a view of the upcoming sunset Elizabeth led them to a small arbor with a rude bench carved from a fallen log. She settled herself and invited him to do the same.
“Georgiana seemed in a remarkable mood this afternoon,” Darcy said thoughtfully.
“I had been under the impression she tended to be quiet and shy, but we have seen very little of that here, to say the least. Of course, I have not spent as much time with her as I expected, since she and my sisters have been so taken with each other—to the benefit of all three, I might add—but she has been quite talkative and playful since she settled in.”
“That is indeed remarkable. Although she was quite animated as a child, after our father died she seemed to become more serious, and since the events of last summer, has been somewhat withdrawn as well. Perhaps she needed to escape from all the reminders of the past.”
She considered this. “I think the company of girls her own age is helpful as well. Perhaps she tried too hard to be an adult before she is ready. She also spoke to me about Wickham at one point; I was impressed with her insights into the situation.”
“I confess I am relieved to hear she talked to you about it; I have worried she keeps too much of her feelings to herself.”
Elizabeth smiled. “She worries about you, as well. I think she may be feeling relieved she can turn over the task of worrying about you to me.”
“Shall you worry about me, then?” he teased.
“I am certain the occasion will arise at some point.”
He shifted closer to her and gathered her to him so her back rested against his chest. She leaned her head back against him, enjoying the comfort of his closeness.
“Have you thought any further about the question of our wedding?” he asked, playing with her fingers.
Elizabeth sighed. “A little; it is confusing, though. There is much to be said for next week, yet at the same time I know how much needs to be done before I could leave Longbourn… it is an intimidating concept. There are many farewell calls I will need to make, as well as all the preparations for moving.”
“Would you prefer to wait, then?”
Elizabeth hesitantly asked, “Would you mind terribly if I did want to wait until after Jane’s wedding?”
He gently kissed her hair. “My love, as long as you marry me, all else is unimportant.”
“Thank you for understanding. So, Bingley could be willing to be imposed upon to delay their trip a week—perhaps we could accept that offer and marry just before they leave. It would need to be a small, simple service, but I am not sure I would not prefer that in any case.”
“I would much prefer it that way, if I have a say in the matter. I have spent enough time dreading just standing up with Bingley.”
She leaned her head back to look up at him in puzzlement. “Why would you dread that?”
“I always dread being in large gatherings of people—had you not noticed?”
Elizabeth shook her head as she took his words in.
“I always thought it must be embarrassingly obvious how I feel—I speak to no one, I attempt to stay as far away as I decently can, I leave as soon as I can—I would rather be any place in the world, as long as there are fewer people there. I confess I am surprised you did not know.”
Suddenly a good number of things began to make sense for Elizabeth. “I had noticed you kept somewhat apart, but I am afraid I quite misinterpreted it.”
“Pray, how did you interpret it, then?” he asked with some amusement.
Elizabeth found she would really much rather not tell him that she had thought him exceedingly proud and disagreeable. “That is of no matter, now that I understand better.”
“No, now I am curious as to what you were thinking, my sweet Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and gave a sigh. “I fear it does not reflect well on me, although I suppose it should be no surprise that I misconstrued yet one thing more about you. Very well, I thought you felt we were all beneath your notice.”
Now it was Darcy’s turn to look surprised. He said slowly, “I suppose it is little wonder, then, that you thought me so arrogant.”
Hearing a degree of pain in his voice, she hastened to add, “But that was only when I first knew you. Your behavior at Pemberley showed me you were nothing of the sort, and I never saw any evidence of it in Kent, either, now that I think on it.”
“You never saw me in a large gathering at Rosings or Pemberley. You may feel differently when you have.” His voice was guarded.
She turned to face him. “I shall feel no differently at all,” she said, and to punctuate her statement she raised her head and brushed her lips lightly against his.
As she withdrew, he immediately placed his hand behind her neck and drew her back to him for a much deeper, more lingering kiss. As they broke off, he said somewhat ruefully, “This may be a very long two weeks.”
Elizabeth found herself with an unwontedly serious reaction to his comment. In two weeks he will be my husband, she thought. In two weeks, we will be alone together and he will not stop with kisses. She felt a peculiar lurch deep inside her at the thought of the unknown. Before Darcy could note her change in mood, she said lightly, “Patience is a virtue, Mr. Darcy.”