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"You must own that when a man wishes to spend his wedding night apart from his wife, and then the night after that thinks she should share a room with his sister, that perhaps something is amiss, no?" she said, blushing furiously, but she was clearly determined to say her piece, and his love for her burned brighter than ever.

"It was not my intention for it to be construed that way," he said.

"I see."

"I—" She wasn't going to leave it be. He knew that well enough "I love you, Elizabeth. I hope you'll remember that and know that I would never regret marrying you."

"Oh," Elizabeth said, now apparently lost for words herself.

"And you do not love me. No. Don't deny it or apologise. It is what it is. I have accepted that our marriage has not begun in the way I might have liked."

Elizabeth paused and then frowned. "So you are angry with me, and that is why you stay away."

He sighed. "No, this is not some sort of punishment. I just..." It had seemed so logical and reasonable in his head. "We have not begun as a passionate love match, and so I thought it better to wait until we could be in our new home. Until perhaps—" Your feelings have changed. You've fallen in love with me, he thought.

He couldn't say such things to her, even if it was what he hoped.

"Until..." Elizabeth prompted.

"Until we knew each other better," he finished lamely.

"I see."

◆◆◆

Elizabeth pondered his words for a few moments.

"Just because you want us to get to know each other better doesn't mean we have to remain entirely apart, does it?" she said, finding it hard to discuss such a topic. "I mean, it might be rather counterintuitive if we avoid one another in order to get to know one another, no?"

"You're probably right," Darcy said, and he looked as though there was something he wasn't saying.

She was glad he wasn't regretting the marriage, but she didn't want to feel as though they were strangers.

"It is late," Darcy said, glancing at the clock. "If we want to make an early start in the morning, we should probably get some sleep."

Elizabeth nodded. He was right, of course, but she wasn't sure how she was going to sleep lying in a bed with him only inches away.

"I will go downstairs and make sure everything is arranged for the morning so we can leave early," he said, "and give you time to get ready for bed."

"Thank you," she said, appreciating that thought.

As he went to the door, rather surprisingly carrying the tray with him, she said, "Wait, I... I understand what you're saying, but perhaps...a kiss? We are married, after all."

Was she begging her husband for a kiss? It seemed ridiculous, but she did not want to go to bed in this awkward state of politeness.

Darcy cleared his throat, looked down at the floor, and then said, "Yes, I suppose that would..." He trailed off, and his eyes met hers. A shiver went through her body.

He put down the tray and stepped towards her, almost as though they were about to begin a dance. Then he lowered his lips to hers, and she felt as though she could never be parted from him.

◆◆◆

Darcy had kissed her because she had asked him to, and how could he possibly say no to that?

But then he left, swiftly taking the tray with him.

Did she know what she had asked of him? Did she know how hard it was to walk away from her?

But he was sure he was right, that their relationship would be on a much more solid foundation if they knew one another, if she felt something for him.