“You called me my darling! You haven’t said that before.” Elizabeth looked at him with shining eyes and a brilliant smile.
“I haven’t? You aremydarling. My dearest darling.”
She settled the cocoa and its saucer on the sofa next to her cautiously, and then leaned up to give Darcy a brief kiss, ignoring the other people in the room. Fortunately they had decided to ignore the lovebirds cooing at each other.
“You must yet answer my question.” Darcy paused, and leaned forward to give Elizabeth a quick kiss of his own. “My darling.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I shall become a puddle of melted butter if you continue to speak to me in that manner.” She picked up the saucer and took a sip of her cocoa. “Let me consider? — itcertainlywas not the first night.” Elizabeth grinned, with a mouth that begged to be kissed. “I hope you do not mind, but even if you do, I shall be laughing about that story for many, many years.”
“So long as you are laughingwithme, I shall be satisfied.”
“Always.”
Darcy looked at her eyes. She looked back. His heart started to beat. She smiled.
He knew they could not be too intimate in this group. Self-consciously Darcy broke their gaze. Mr. Bennet sat on the opposite side of the room talking to Lucas and Bingley. Elizabeth’sfatherwas in the room.
When Darcy broke their eye contact, Elizabeth looked down with a small seductive smile. “I think it was that day you escaped hunting with Bingley to pester your sister at Longbourn—”
“My care for my sisterdidmove you.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “Nothing of the sort — it is cloying. You are too present with Georgiana. You did somethingelse. You picked up Anne in your arms as she squealed and ran to you, and you swung her about. Youneverlook so handsome as you do with that little child.” Elizabeth pressed her hands on her suddenly flaming cheeks. “It is an image that will be with me till the day I die.”
“Oh.” Darcy’s voice lowered. “I had realized she was an attractive prop — she is exceedingly attached to you also, we werepartnersin seducing you.”
“My, my.” Elizabeth flapped her hand in front of her face and then drank the rest of her cocoa, putting the cup to the side. “Have you any notion what you do to me when you look like that.”
“Yes.” He deepened his voice further. “Do you have any notion what you do to me when you smile in that way?”
“What way?” She smiled at him, in that way, making Darcy’s stomach leap. He felt a complete happiness come over him, and he just needed to smile.
“You ought to know,” Darcy said, “I remember that day clear. The way you picked up Anne and held her enhancedyourattraction. You shall be a fine mother.”
Elizabeth looked down, with something like shame. “I was trying to look maternal.”
Darcy laughed. “We both wanted the other to like us. Even before we really understood.”
“I dearly love you.” She smiled at him.
“I love you as well and deeply.”
They both still glowed when the carriages took them apart. A few weeks more and he would be united forever with Elizabeth Bennet.
Chapter Eighteen
Elizabeth shivered as she lighted from the Bennets’ carriage in front of Netherfield on the last day of the year. The sun had not yet risen, but rays of light over the horizon glinted off a few white fluffy clouds high in the air. The crisp air was filled with the baying of hounds, the stamping and braying of horses, and a cold wind penetrated through her heavy winter coat and made her nose redden.
Bracing.
Most of the gentlemen were already gathered and mounted on the lawn in front of Netherfield. They sat on their horses, with gloved hands clinging to leather reins, as the horses stamped and stomped against the cold. Footmen circled about delivering crystal glasses of whiskey and porcelain cups of cocoa or coffee for warmth against the cold.
Almost two dozen men on horses waiting for a few stragglers. Tomorrow was the New Year, and Bingley was hosting a great hunt for the gentlemen of the neighborhood and a grand dinner afterwards for the ladies. Elizabeth had not needed to come so early, but she wanted to see Darcy off, before spending the day in conversation with the ladies who were descending upon the house.
As Elizabeth glanced around she saw that Georgiana was out as well, smilingly talking to Mr. Peake who sat on a grey gelding he had borrowed from Bingley’s stables. It surprised her how well he took to managing the horse. He could not have much opportunity to ride in London. Mr. Gardiner loved to fish and enjoyed shooting, but the fox hunt was too much of a young man’s game for him. But Mr. Peake had grown up in Derbyshire and worked on Darcy’s massive estate for five years before he took his position with her uncle.
Elizabeth’s eyes surveyed the lawn, seeking her prey.
There he was.
