Posted on Monday, 16 July 2001
Elizabeth Darcy reached up to touch a stray curl on her sleeping husband's forehead.
She smiled lovingly as she thought how much his hair curled about his face when it was damp.
Her mind strayed back to their days after their engagement.
Mr. Darcy had gone to London to make ready his house there so that the staff would be ready for them when they arrived after the wedding.
Elizabeth had been sitting in the window seat looking out into the garden when Jane and Mr. Bingley strolled into her view.
For a few moments they sat down on a bench and chatted but soon Mr. Bingley rose and took her sister's hand kissing the fingers as he did so.
Jane arose and for a moment they kissed tenderly.
Elizabeth knew that her sister and her love stole kisses frequently and she was happy for Jane.
She wished that she could feel free to allow Mr. Darcy to kiss her as well but she must not in any way let him think that she was at all like her sister Lydia.
Though she longed with all her heart to feel his lips on hers she had so far kept him at arms length.
She must not allow her inner feeling to take charge of her head and let her kiss him with the ardor she felt each time she thought of what it would be like to give way to her great love for him and throw caution to the winds and kiss him ardently.
Each time she felt herself weakening she thought of Lydia and her pawing and kissing Wickham when they were at Longbourn before leaving for the north.
She knew that Darcy's aunt Catherine would be expecting such actions from her and she would not in any way give that Lady the satisfaction of saying, "I told you so, she is but a peasant doing anything that she can to entrap my poor nephew."
Elizabeth giggled at the thought of Lady Catherine Debourgh lurking in the hedgerows waiting to pounce out at the first sign of a stolen kiss between herself and Mr. Darcy.
She knew it was absurd, but servants were always watching and gossiping.
She knew that the servants between her own home and the Lucas' talked frequently about what went on in their households.
All was that was needed was for one houseboy or maid to tell another about any improprieties which might be overheard by Sir William or Lady Lucas and duly written about to Charlotte. Mr. Collins would of course make all haste to report to her ladyship.
Mr. Darcy smiled as he listened to his sister Georgiana play a delightful happy air on her pianoforte.
He had noticed that since his engagement to Elizabeth Georgie's happiness showed in her music.
What was his beloved doing at this time, he wondered, was she thinking of him.
How he would like to take her in his arms and kiss her over and over again on the morrow when he and Georgie returned to Herdfordshire for the wedding.
He knew that as hard as it was not to do so, he had to contain himself. He must never do anything to make her believe that he in any way was like George Wickham. He must never act like a seducer of young women as George was.
His Aunt Catherine too he knew was expecting, not him but his dearest Elizabeth to be a seducer. She was already convinced that that was the only way he could have become engaged to Miss Bennet.
How she had worked trying to convince the rest of his family to scorn them and refuse to accept his wife.
Poor Aunt Catherine, he thought, every letter you wrote, every vicious word you uttered only made them more anxious to meet my Elizabeth.
Georgiana grinned as she watched her brother pace the floor waiting for Mr. Bingley to come down so that they could leave for the church.
Today was the wedding day and she could not remember ever being so happy. She dearly loved Elizabeth from the day she met her and was overjoyed when her brother Fitzwilliam announced that he was to marry Elizabeth Bennet.
At last Mr. Bingley arrived but said that his sister Caroline was not yet ready so they would have to wait.
"I don't know about you Bingley, but I am going to the church now, I will not be late because your sister can never be ready on time."
Turning to Georgiana he said, "Are you ready dear, we must leave for the church right now if we are not to be late."
"Wait, Bingley cried, your are right Darcy. I shall go with you and Miss Darcy. Caroline and the Hurst's can come in my carriage, Let us be off now."
"Alberts, he shouted as they went down the hall, please inform my sisters that I have gone to the church with Mr. and Miss Darcy."
As he climbed into the carriage he said with a grin, "I can well imagine Caroline's reaction when she finds that we have gone on ahead."
He was very right about his sister and the expression on her face throughout the ceremony gave no question that she was seething at being left to come with her sister and her brother in law instead of with the grooms' party.
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy stayed at the reception following the nuptials only as long as was correct.
Mr. Darcy wished to get to London before sundown so they were on their way within two hours.
Elizabeth smiled as she gazed at the moonlight pouring through the window of her bedroom at Pemberley as she remembered the fortnight after the wedding.
Mr. Darcy had wished to go to Pemberley within two days of their arrival in town but business with his attorney and an overabundance of invitations from family and friends to dine and play cards, and a night at the theater had kept them there two days over a fortnight.
Now they were here at Pemberley and so glad to be here where they could have some privacy.
As she gazed at the husband she remembered how she had kept her feelings for him in check before their marriage. She chuckled softly to herself as she thought about the night Fitzwilliam had confessed to her of how difficult it had been for him not to take her in his arms and kiss her breath away during their courtship, and his laughter when she told him she had felt the same but was fearful that he would think she was as wild as Lydia if she allowed it.
How they had laughed together when he told her that he had felt the same fearing she would think him as bad as Wickham.
Smiling as she recalled the wedding night and each night following she thought' "It was all worth it, it was indeed."
Her husband stirred as she giggled.
"What is it my love, he asked sleepily, what is so amusing."
"I was just thinking dearest, of how we were so correct in our courtship and now that we are married we have not spent a night apart. How unconventional we have become, Darcy. Society expects us to keep separate beds but here we are doing just what they would consider inappropriate."
"Yes, indeed her replied, kissing her ardently, but I would much better like to stay here rather than making another trip since my wife is so wide awake yet."