Darcy was so happy. This was what happiness was.
Music began. It was a familiar air from Handel’s Messiah. The sound was rich and complex. Georgiana sat at the piano with Mr. Peake next to her, his leg propped up on a small footrest. He sat in a position where he could serve to turn the pages of music.
Georgiana had been separate from male company for so long — as soon as he and Elizabeth were married he must contrive, though it may be easy with Elizabeth’s help, to introduce her to appropriate men. Good God, one day his sister might marry. Such would have been a tragedy for him before he had Elizabeth to fill his house. He would have made himself to think happily upon the event no matter what.
A matter for the future. Darcy’s mind wandered. He had woken fairly early, and the alcohol left his head spinning. He closed his eyes and drifted.
“Youdidavoid the company.”
Darcy blinked open and grinned at Lizzy.
“I am proud of you. You attended to the company and talked happily for quite a while. The neighborhood has quite forgiven you yourfirstnight.” Elizabeth plopped down on the sofa next to him, with a mug of hot cocoa spiced with rum cradled in her hand. There was a lilt in her voice from the punch and wine. “I must ask you a question, Fitzwilliam—” She laughed. “I still delight to name you that. Though I feel a little like Georgiana.”
Darcy blanched. “Do not saythat. I will then think of Georgiana each time you call meFitzwilliam.”
“Noooo!” Elizabeth giggled. “Terror and confusion.”
Helplessly Darcy imagined himself engaged in marital activities, Elizabeth moaning his name,Fitzwilliam. And then a thought of his sister involuntarily coming to him.
“Pray tell.” Elizabeth giggled and her cup shook, though she didn’t slosh any of her chocolate onto the saucer. “Which thought gives your manly face that disgusted expression?”
She giggled far more when she had drunk a bit more than one glass. He felt fondness and tenderness. Elizabeth was so perfect, so beautiful, so completely his. She loved him, and she would depend upon him in the future. Till death do us part. It made him more of a man. “I adore you.”
“What thought! I demand satisfaction. No distractions!” Elizabeth grinned happily at him. From the way her eyes dropped to his lips, he thought she was imagining their long kisses.
Darcy self-consciously looked around the room. There were too many other people. Maybe they could find later tonightsomewhereto hide for a little while. “I cannot recall what I was thinking.”
Elizabeth huffed with a wry turned up expression of disappointment.
Darcy poked her. “Don’t be disappointed, thinking about you made me forget.”
“Flattery will not give you ‘scape frommyinquisition!”
“I do notwantto escape from you.” Darcy caught her eyes and looked into them as he replied in a low voice.
“Oh my.” Elizabeth’s face flushed. She leaned towards him as though to kiss him, and he saw that disappointed realization in her eyes when she recalled the presence of other people in the room. She looked at them, frowned, and sipped her milky, alcohol infused cocoa. “I recall: I was to ask you. A serious question indeed. You must make an account for me.Whendid you first come to love me?”
“I hardly know, I was in the middle before I realized my true danger. It crept up upon me, our every encounter adding to my appreciation of your charms.”
“No, no!” Elizabeth punched her free hand in the air and sat higher, pushing up one of her most charming features in a way that added to Darcy’s appreciation ofitscharm. “That does not satisfy. There must have been some moment when you first had an inkling.”
“I believe it was that first night we met, when you walked away — you were wearing a neatly cut yellow dress, and you had given me a righteous set down which I entirely deserved, and then as I admired your backside…” Darcy paused dramatically as he looked for some reaction from Elizabeth.
“You expect me to beshocked? I admire your backside quite often.”
“Nay.” Darcy grinned at her pearly smile. “I did not expect to be shocked — I was seeking to be complimented by you.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“As I watched your finely clad backside walk away from me that night, with a slight sway to your hips which I could not look away from, and I knew I had suffered defeat during our argument, I thought to myself,that is a damned fine woman.”
“Swearing in front of a lady?” Elizabeth giggled, and her free hand leapt forward to touch his hand. “Iknewyou admired me from the first. It was why you were so insistent on telling me that I couldn’t trap you. You were frightened of the bait my neat backside offered. You needed to be careful to avoid the parson’s mousetrap.”
“I never have been happier to be disappointed in my plans.”
“I am aparticularlyfine disappointment.”
“And, my darling, when did you come to realizeyouloved me?”
