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Darcy had no idea what went on behind the closed doors of other couple’s bedrooms. But he doubted that many new brides would do as he asked. But he had married a woman beyond compare. She threw the sheet back and walked over to join her husband. Brave, proud and very naked. Fitzwilliam Darcy knew he was the luckiest man in the world. He leaned down and kissed his wife before unexpectedly leading her to the small bookcase in the corner of the room. He reached up to the very top shelf and took down an old book with a plain cover.
Returning to their bed Darcy shifted the pillows around and then sat with his back against the headboard. He laughed at Elizabeth’s gasp as he patted the space between his legs. Gingerly she shuffled into place and then leaned back against his chest.
“Another situation I had not imagined.”
Darcy’s hands were safely around her waist but both were very aware that she was naked in his arms.
“Would I be correct in saying that you love learning new things, gaining knowledge of the world?”
“Most certainly. To me it was a way that my uncle would show me respect.”
Darcy put the book in her lap.
“Would you like to learn with me what this book teaches?”
Elizabeth opened the first page and dropped the book in shock. Her squeal of ‘William’ was stifled as she had her face in her hands. He waited for her to gather herself.
“William, I only got married seven hours ago. This revelation seems like the sort of thing to save for the second day of marriage.”
Darcy laughed at her amazing composure. They spent the next hour flicking through the copy of the Kama Sutra. Neither of them read Sanskrit so they were reduced to looking at the pictures.
“You bought this when we became engaged?”
“I did. I had heard of this book at the club. The first versions were written more than 2,000 years ago. It is famous, or maybe more accurately notorious. I bought it six weeks ago and I put it up on that shelf out of the way.”
“You did not read it?”
“No. Remember, only one more experience than you. I thought about how you love to learn and so I decided to buy this for us. We will learn together.”
They never did eat dinner and were completely starving when they finally awoke the following lunchtime.
Three nights and days of marital bliss came to a sudden halt when Mary’s letter arrived at Darcy House. The groom from Longbourn told the butler that he had been instructed to hand the letter to Mrs. Darcy by Miss Mary herself. He in turn understood the urgency and notified the couple. The expected arrival of her courses meant that Elizabeth and William were dressed and reading in the library when they were notified on the arrival of a groom from Longbourn. Elizabeth opened the letter with dread, only happy that there was not a black border to the note. Her head sank when she read it and wordlessly passed it to her husband. She had the unchristian thought that she was glad she had not known of this the week previously. It would have been typical of her family to ruin her wedding. She shook her head and thought of how to deal with the matter. Fixing it seemed beyond her at present.
“William, what is the phase of the moon?”
Startled at her question Darcy thought for a moment.
“The full moon was three nights ago.”
“So it is bright enough for the groom to continue to Brighton?”
Darcy saw what she was thinking.
“We will send an additional groom with him, both for security and to ensure he does not doze off. They should reach Brighton by first light.”
“Good. I will write an additional note to my father telling him to pack and immediately return to Longbourn. With an early start, he should reach there late into the evening but will avoid being delayed by the ban on travel on the Sabbath. Can we leave early tomorrow morning?”
“Of course we can. We should be at Longbourn before lunch.”
Once the groom from Longbourn was fed he departed on a fresh horse, accompanied as Darcy had outlined. They had money to rent rooms for the weekend allowing the horses and themselves to rest before returning on the Monday morning. Elizabeth’s new maid and Darcy’s valet were packing ready for the journey in the morning. Finally, the couple had a chance to consider the message and the consequences.
“If what your sister writes is true then there is some deceit at play here. They did not elope to Scotland and she does not have your father’s permission. There may be the appearance of a husband and wife but I do not believe it to be legal.”
“Why would an officer take such a risk?”
“A question I cannot answer. As Miss Mary writes they are on a ship to Spain. There is nothing anyone can do. The marriage will have been consummated and he could be in Spain for years. It might have a shabby beginning but when they return there will be nothing to gain by examining their courtship too closely.
“If he had been posted somewhere in Britain, or had been an officer of the Militia, then we would have more choices. But as I stop and think about it, they are married, or so they will claim, and the marriage will still be consummated. For better or for worse, your sister Lydia is married.”
