“Love life and Elizabeth, Fitzwilliam.” She kissed his cheek; as she turned to leave him and rejoin the others, Georgiana pivoted toward him with one last remark. “Did you know, Brother, the Greeks did not extol a man's accomplishments upon his death? They simply asked one question of his family and friends: did he live his life with undying passion?” She gave him her own version of an enigmatic smile and left.
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As the evening wound down, Darcy offered a toast to Elizabeth. “To my wife, Elizabeth Bennet Darcy, a woman of unexpected wit, a devotion to her family, silent courage, and strength combined with innocence and sweetnessâI learned from you how to be a brother, a man, and a husband. Soon I will learn to be a father.You are the love of my life.” Her eyes welled up; there was a time when
Elizabeth looked for loveâa fiery cannonball of emotions; now she knew true love, deep compassionate loveâa consistent flame, which never burns out.
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When the others retired for the evening, Darcy and Elizabeth sat together in the drawing room; he reclined against the back of a settee with one leg stretched out and the other dangling to the floor; Elizabeth lay back against him, lounging lazily between his legs where she could easily touch his face and feel his warmth. He held her head to his chest and kissed the top of it as he rubbed the side of the arm, which she laid across his chest. She stroked his chin line and periodically lightly kissed his neck. The fire was burning down, but neither of them wished to move, fearing the spell would be broken.
“Are you truly happy to be a father so soon, Fitzwilliam?”
“Of course, Elizabeth, dare you ask?”
“We have been together for such a short period of time; I feared you would think it too fast.”
Fascinated by the fact she was with child, he reached out to place his hand lightly upon her stomach. Looking deeply in her eyes, he said, “Georgiana said earlier I gave up everything for her and for Pemberley. The truth is I gave up some of my youth to know true happiness. My blessings are just coming closer together than I expected.” He offered a soft chuckle to lighten the moment.
“What if our child is not a son? Would a daughter disappoint you?”
“There was a time I felt anything but a son would be settling for less, but I will admit to seeking the approval of Cassandra Gardiner more so than her brothers. I would walk across England for one of her hugs. Holding her in my arms yesterday evening as she fell asleep offered me such ease. Having three females in my household would be a blessing. I remember how little Georgiana looked as a baby; I was afraid to even touch her at first, but my mother taught me to hold her and to look upon her. She would wrap her hand around my finger and hold on so tightly I knew she asked me
to protect her from harm.”
“You will be a phenomenal father, Fitzwilliam.”
“You taught me to love spherically, Elizabethâin several directions at once. I learned so much about love from you.”
The open professions of Darcy's love moved her, and she rose up to where she could press her forehead against his and caress his cheek. How quickly his passion rose the first time they lay together surprised her, but her equally passionate response she found more astounding; British women in fine houses were not supposed to feel about their husbands the way she felt about Darcy. Marriage was to be a convenience, not a time of seeking pleasure from one's true love. He gave her a liberating freedom, something she did not expect from a man who once seemed so haughty and reserved; Elizabeth could not think of anything but the
real love
she held for this man. Darcy treated her as no man she knew treated his wife. He gave her the right to be herself and to demand his love when she needed him.
“Elizabeth,” she felt the familiar shift of his body telling her he wanted her. She snickered with the knowledge of his desire.
“Fitzwilliam, I told you the bed at Kensington Place had special appeal.” She began to tease him with kisses across his chin while rubbing her lips across his mouth.
“May we conceive other children there?” Darcy's voice betrayed his thoughts. She silenced his lips with a fervent kiss, drawing near to him and responding to his passionate touch, which searched her hips.
“Elizabeth,” a moan started in the back of his throat,“you have no idea what you do to me.”
“You, Sir, have no idea what I want to do to you.” Elizabeth giggled, as the moan became a distinct groan; the passion she now recognized as being the man she loved. Her mouth found Darcy's as she slid up his body, and his arms encircled her.
“Lizzy ...” he began.
“Good ... I love it when you call me
Lizzy
.”
RESOURCES
Austen, Jane.
Pride and Prejudice
. Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Press, 2005.
Beckinsale, Kate, John Corbett, John Cusack and Jeremy Piven.
Serendipity.
Directed by Peter Chelsom. Simon Fields Productions, 2001
Graves, Beverly: Commentary.“People to Meet from the Obit Page.”
Suburban News Publication.
February 9-16, 2005.
Shakespeare,William.
Much Ado About Nothing
, act 5, scene 2, lines 57- 68. Edited by David Bevington and David Scott Kastan. New York: Bantam Classics, 2005.
Copyright © Regina Jeffers 2009.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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eISBN : 978-1-569-75246-3
Library of Congress Catalog Number 2008906996
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