I will always love you. I trust you with my life, my virtue, my body, and my heart! You have nothing to fear from me and I fear nothing from you. All I fear is distance between us." She began planting kisses all over his face, his arms now tightly around her waist. "I beg you, my love, do not push me away!"
"Elizabeth," he groaned, responding blissfully to her kiss, relief palpable as a tangible barrier in his soul surrendered. The power of their love crashed over him anew, and for the first time, it wholly dawned on him what it meant to love her and to be loved in return. The veracious definition of Two Shall Become One , as she had embroidered on the bookmark for his birthday, was suddenly clear.
The following weeks of their betrothal were a liberating experience for him. Their solitary moments together were brief and stolen but imbued with a heightened communion without the guilt of before. Darcy was always a gentleman, never crossing any permanent lines of propriety, but no longer so rigid or afraid to express his attraction to her. Oddly, the license to exhibit their passion for each other in regulated ways made it easier to control themselves overall. Additionally, the bridled but playful physical indulgences taken enhanced their communication and strengthened their commitment. By the time they were officially declared husband and wife, they were so intertwined and attuned that taking the final step of consummation was effortless and rapturous.
Now, Lizzy sat at Darcy's desk in the combined library and study of Darcy House, lost in pleasant memories as she dazedly peered out the tall window facing the garden, an enormous lilac bush gently swaying in the breeze.
"There you are." Lizzy glanced up at her husband as he entered the room, a ready smile on both their faces. "No one knew where you were hiding. Are you well, dearest?" He stooped for a brief kiss but she grasped his face in her hands, halting him for a consuming exchange.
"I am fantastic, my heart, and even more so now that you are home."
"That is quite the delightful greeting. May I assume, therefore, that you missed me terribly?" He lifted a brow, and she laughed softly.
"I pine for you if you are gone from my presence for more than a minute. All day is tortuous. Now hush and kiss me again, husband."
Some ten heavenly minutes later: "Why were you sitting here in the twilight staring out the window?"
She snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder. They sat on the sofa, having transferred there for comfortable cuddling and kissing. "I spent the afternoon familiarizing myself with the house and ended here. I believe Mrs. Smyth has decided I am mad."
"Why do you say that?"
Lizzy laughed. "She caught me opening cupboards in one of the guest bedchambers and offered to help me find whatever I had 'lost.' I tried to explain that I was simply acquainting myself with the rooms, but she persisted in questioning me. I finally gave up and left, but every time I turned around that tall footman--Hobbes is it?--was lurking, pretending to not be watching me. So I retreated here."
Darcy was frowning. "This is unacceptable behavior. They have no right to question you or follow you. I will speak to Mrs. Smyth and Mr. Travers straightaway."
"No, William, please. If it becomes an annoyance, I shall deal with it. For now I think they simply do not know what to make of me: ushered in fainting and green, sleeping all hours of the day, hardly showing my face for two days, and then finally appearing only to peak through cupboards! Gracious, even I am beginning to believe I am mad!" She laughed, but he was still frowning.
Lizzy rubbed a finger over the small creases between his brows, smiling impishly. "I know how to cheer you up, Mr. Darcy. Before you arrived I was reminiscing of how you so brazenly took advantage of my innocence in this very study."
Darcy guffawed and coughed. "Really! Perhaps you are going mad, Mrs. Darcy, or becoming feeble minded with
"Elizabeth," he groaned, responding blissfully to her kiss, relief palpable as a tangible barrier in his soul surrendered. The power of their love crashed over him anew, and for the first time, it wholly dawned on him what it meant to love her and to be loved in return. The veracious definition of Two Shall Become One , as she had embroidered on the bookmark for his birthday, was suddenly clear.
The following weeks of their betrothal were a liberating experience for him. Their solitary moments together were brief and stolen but imbued with a heightened communion without the guilt of before. Darcy was always a gentleman, never crossing any permanent lines of propriety, but no longer so rigid or afraid to express his attraction to her. Oddly, the license to exhibit their passion for each other in regulated ways made it easier to control themselves overall. Additionally, the bridled but playful physical indulgences taken enhanced their communication and strengthened their commitment. By the time they were officially declared husband and wife, they were so intertwined and attuned that taking the final step of consummation was effortless and rapturous.
Now, Lizzy sat at Darcy's desk in the combined library and study of Darcy House, lost in pleasant memories as she dazedly peered out the tall window facing the garden, an enormous lilac bush gently swaying in the breeze.
"There you are." Lizzy glanced up at her husband as he entered the room, a ready smile on both their faces. "No one knew where you were hiding. Are you well, dearest?" He stooped for a brief kiss but she grasped his face in her hands, halting him for a consuming exchange.
"I am fantastic, my heart, and even more so now that you are home."
"That is quite the delightful greeting. May I assume, therefore, that you missed me terribly?" He lifted a brow, and she laughed softly.
"I pine for you if you are gone from my presence for more than a minute. All day is tortuous. Now hush and kiss me again, husband."
Some ten heavenly minutes later: "Why were you sitting here in the twilight staring out the window?"
She snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder. They sat on the sofa, having transferred there for comfortable cuddling and kissing. "I spent the afternoon familiarizing myself with the house and ended here. I believe Mrs. Smyth has decided I am mad."
"Why do you say that?"
Lizzy laughed. "She caught me opening cupboards in one of the guest bedchambers and offered to help me find whatever I had 'lost.' I tried to explain that I was simply acquainting myself with the rooms, but she persisted in questioning me. I finally gave up and left, but every time I turned around that tall footman--Hobbes is it?--was lurking, pretending to not be watching me. So I retreated here."
Darcy was frowning. "This is unacceptable behavior. They have no right to question you or follow you. I will speak to Mrs. Smyth and Mr. Travers straightaway."
"No, William, please. If it becomes an annoyance, I shall deal with it. For now I think they simply do not know what to make of me: ushered in fainting and green, sleeping all hours of the day, hardly showing my face for two days, and then finally appearing only to peak through cupboards! Gracious, even I am beginning to believe I am mad!" She laughed, but he was still frowning.
Lizzy rubbed a finger over the small creases between his brows, smiling impishly. "I know how to cheer you up, Mr. Darcy. Before you arrived I was reminiscing of how you so brazenly took advantage of my innocence in this very study."
Darcy guffawed and coughed. "Really! Perhaps you are going mad, Mrs. Darcy, or becoming feeble minded with
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