“I’m not certain repeated amounts of time sleeping in the same bed is going to make anything easier, Lizzy,” he said in a scratchy voice.
I liked that scratchy voice. “Oh, I suppose I had not thought of it like that. Will it be more difficult for us to resist if we’re close?”
He scratched the back of his head. “Just so, yes.”
“Well,” I said, thinking that over, “that seems frightfully inconvenient. But I suppose we shall simply have to find ways to travel that accommodate such things, then. I shall go back to Longbourn, wake early, come here to you—”
“Oh, don’t be daft, I’m not letting you walk back in the dark threemiles,” he said. He eyed me, seemingly wavering. “Oh, hang everything. What does it matter? Come on, then.”
“Come on?” I said.
He took the lamp and left the sitting room.
I followed him.
We went down the hallway to his bedchamber, and he ushered me inside and tugged the door closed.
“The servants are all asleep by this time of the evening, usually,” he said. “I have not been disturbed by anyone since Wickham leaves any of these nights.”
“That’s good,” I said.
“Did you think this through?” He pinned me with his gaze.
“What do you mean?” I said.
“Well, if you came in here, and I was abed, you were going to… what? Unbutton your dress, remove your stays, climb in against me wearing only your shift?”
I shrugged, not denying this.
He sighed. He turned away from me, undoing his cravat.
I reached back and started on my own buttons.
He turned around, stripping off his jacket. “You’ll need assistance?”
“Maybe with the laces of my stays,” I said. “I can undo buttons, Will.”
He nodded, concentrating on his waistcoat.
I watched him. I shouldn’t have, perhaps, but I was curious. I had never seen a man without clothing. It was rare that I saw men in their shirtsleeves, truth be told.
He didn’t take everything off. He was still in his trousers when he looked up to find me gazing at him, but he had removed everything up top except an undershirt, which was rather sheer, through which I could see the places that his dark hair decorated his chest. I was rather mesmerized by that.
He swallowed. “Well, then, thatlookupon your face, Lizzy,” he said in a strangled voice.
“Apologies,” I said. I had removed my outer layer. I stepped out of my skirts.
He swept me from head to toe, his eyes drinking me in. “You look delectably tempting,” he murmured.
“I need…” I turned around so that the laces of my stays were accessible.
He came over to me, fumbling with the tie of the leather strap. “What sort of knot is this?”
I giggled.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, Lizzy,” he breathed against my shoulder.
“Just kissing, I think,” I said, turning to look at him.
