“Ah, I see.I am confusing you,” Elizabeth said softly.
Darcy looked back at her, his expression still cautious.“Somewhat,” he said lowly.
“Is it unwelcome?”she asked.She moved away from him and began to pull her arm from his.
“No!”He grabbed her hand with his free arm and pulled her back to him, her body crashing against his.
Elizabeth laughed merrily.“So you like it when I sit near you?”
“Yes,” he answered quickly, as if he were afraid she would edge away again.
“Do you like it when I take your arm?”
“Yes.”
She saw his jaw flexing now and held in her laughter.She should not tease him so, but it was in her nature.“Do you like it when I rest my head on your shoulder, or should I not crowd you so?”
Finally realizing he was being teased and recovered from his embarrassment, he raised her hand to his lips.“You may rest your head on my shoulder any time you wish.”
She smiled again and he said haltingly, “Elizabeth, I must ask.Where has this new boldness come from?”
She was surprised at the directness of his question, then thought she should not be—after all, he was Mr.Darcy.
“I was reflecting on our… relationship last evening, and I came to some favorable conclusions.”
“Oh?May I ask what conclusions you came to?”
She took a deep breath.“I realized that this was real.”
“Real?”
“Yes.It had all had a dreamlike quality to it until yesterday.A pleasant dream, but a dream nonetheless.When you told me we had been observed in the garden, I realized I was not just flirting on a holiday.”Her voice softened.“I was being pursued by an honorable man with honest intentions.”
He kissed her hand again.“And that is why you are sitting so delightfully close to me now?”
Elizabeth blushed as he teased her.“Yes, it is.”
“So I should gather that you are amenable to the honest intentions of an honorable man?”
“If you are the man,” she said softly, eyes on her lap.
“Elizabeth, you are cruel.”
Her head snapped up.“What?”
“To tell me such things when I can do nothing about it.”He turned and met her eyes and her breath caught at what she saw there.
“Oh.”
“Indeed.”
The curricle ahead of them had just rounded a corner.Darcy looked about, saw they were alone, and drew the horses to a stop.
He turned to face Elizabeth fully.He placed one hand along the side of her face, reaching from behind her ear to beneath her chin.“Elizabeth, if you do not want me to kiss you, stop me now.”
She swallowed and looked up at him, her brown eyes sparkling brightly.He leaned toward her, ever so slowly, and pressed his lips to hers.He pulled back and looked at her, and seeing her eyes half closed and a dazed expression on her face, he kissed her again, more strongly this time.
Finally, he pulled away, smiled gently at her, and set the horses to walking again.Elizabeth merely stared ahead, saying nothing.Darcy was rather smug that he had made her speechless, but his pride in his achievement shifted to wonder when she once again threaded her arm through his, then snuggled in close and rested her head on his shoulder, a soft sigh of contentment escaping her.
