Darcy Saga 01 Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy (39 page)

Thus it was that for the subsequent month or so, the Darcys could be found in the courtyard on clear days with the smallest and sturdiest curricle in the carriage house and two of the six horses deemed by Darcy and Mr. Thurber, the head groomsman, as the most steadfast, unflappable, and manageable. Darcy and Mr. Thurber were both impressed at Lizzy's bullheaded stubbornness and inexhaustible application. Within days she could competently navigate up and down the lengthy avenue before Pemberley. Darcy hovered close by on horseback as he trailed her about, prepared to physically launch himself onto the out-of-control vehicle if necessary; however, that never occurred.

The unpredictable weather did not allow for consistent application to Lizzy's lessons, but by the end of January, Darcy deemed her adequate. Once Darcy and Mr. Thurber jointly declared Lizzy competent, Darcy graduated to teaching her how to handle a phaeton. The phaeton, although larger than a curricle, was still rather small. Darcy made it abundantly clear to his wife and to the entire stable staff that Mrs. Darcy was never to be allowed to commandeer a phaeton on her own; however, he reasoned that if she could adequately drive the larger vehicle, then a curricle should offer few challenges.

For the following two weeks, between sporadic storms, Lizzy devoted her energy to conquering the unwieldy carriage as well as her own rising temper. Darcy was the soul of patience; however, he was also exorbitantly comprehensive and privately harbored continued feelings of unease at the whole concept of her driving out, alone, with a curricle.

"No, Elizabeth. You must keep a tighter grip on the reins. The animals will not respond appropriately if you do not command them." His large hands clasped hers and squeezed painfully to exhibit, for the hundredth time, the force necessary. Lizzy gritted her teeth and pressed her lips to halt the sharp retort she wished to make. "Always you must retain focus and use every muscle of your arms and shoulders. You are not naturally as strong, thus the greater the need to concentrate and exert yourself." He frowned as he adjusted the leather straps about her gloved fingers.

"This is nonsense, William!" she snapped. "I will not be taking the phaeton, only the curricle, which I drove perfectly. This is just a waste of time! You are stalling and purposefully finding fault. You do not want me to succeed, do you?" She glared at him and he glared back.

Normally, Darcy loved her spirit, but right now he only experienced a tremendous urge to bend her over his knee and paddle her. Instead, with effort, he took the reins into his hands and coldly intoned, "Very well, Mrs. Darcy, let us go back," and without further conversation he briskly slapped the horses' rumps and hastened down the avenue to the stable yard. He pulled to a skidding stop and vaulted out, striding with contained fury to Mr. Thurber and leaving Lizzy sitting on the seat.

She bit her lip, remorse at her outburst warring with her aggravation. Darcy was intently speaking with Mr. Thurber, who glanced blandly at Lizzy as he nodded his head in agreement with whatever his master was requesting of him. Lizzy climbed down by herself and waited with growing vexation. Mr. Thurber left with a flurry of activity ensuing at his orders while Darcy stood with rigid back to his wife.

Within minutes, several grooms had hitched the curricle and saddled Parsifal. Darcy swung onto his stallion's back in one powerful motion, settled, and only then looked to Lizzy. His countenance was calm but stern, eyes a deep blue and jaw set. Lizzy knew this look, and it was not a pleasant one. She flinched briefly and then collected herself and met his glower full on. His eyes narrowed dangerously, grew even darker, and his jaw muscle contracted with a spasm.

"Go ahead, Elizabeth," he demanded with a gesture at the curricle. "Drive. Down the lane toward the road. Speedily as you can. Go!"

Lizzy was seething. She would show him! She took her time, breathing deeply to calm herself, careful to check the horses and hitch and rigging as taught, sitting attentively with feet planted, and grasping the reins firmly before she flicked them and gave the command. She sedately and adeptly steered the twosome in two circles about the large front courtyard, studiously avoiding Darcy's stare, before she urged the animals to a trot down the boulevard. She cautiously picked up speed. Darcy had previously drilled into her the law, as he saw it, of maintaining a slow pace. However, he had just told her to go faster, so she urged the horses into a moderate canter.

The sensation was exhilarating! Although the curricle was not truly moving very fast, the flow of the chill wind on her face as the scenery sped by was enlivening. She laughed. Suddenly, the sharp staccato blast of a gunshot erupted to her right and Lizzy yelped as several events occurred simultaneously. The horses reared slightly in fright and then leapt forward with a jolt into a run; her own shock caused her to loosen her grip on the reins momentarily; and the jarring from the bolt ahead nearly unseated her as she rapped her head smartly against the metal sidebar.

She saw stars and gasped in a moment of panic, but she rapidly recovered as the instruction drummed into her by Darcy assailed her consciousness. She locked her legs and arms, violently clutched the reins as she leaned slightly into the forward momentum of the animals' panicked direction, and eased back on the reins firmly but gradually. Vocalizing the calming words Darcy had taught her, she increased the pull on the horses as they swerved and lunged ahead.

She began freshly to panic as her efforts seemingly had no effect when two facts invaded her awareness. One was the imperceptible slowing of the horses' pace and the other was her husband racing along beside the curricle. Just as Darcy twisted precariously out of the saddle to grab one of the bridles, the horses precipitously skidded to a stop. Lizzy was thrown abruptly forward, sheer luck and clenched legs keeping her from toppling over. Only Darcy's superior horsemanship kept him from plunging off Parsifal, and even in Lizzy's state of breathless distress, she was awed at how fluidly he handled his mount as he righted his body and spun about. He was at her side and dismounted before she had even taken a breath, heaving her out and into his crushing embrace in one expeditious move.

Lizzy began to tremble hysterically but before she could relax into the sturdy grip of her husband, he pushed her away, grasped her upper arms roughly, and shook her until her teeth rattled. "Do not
ever
make me do something like this again, Elizabeth Darcy! Do you hear me?" His face was black with anger, but tears were in his eyes.

Lizzy's mouth fell open in shock and her mind could not comprehend the whirling emotions as his mouth descended onto hers in a bruising kiss. The kiss was brutal and thorough, albeit short, and then she was enfolded in his arms and pressed tenaciously into his hard chest.

The sound of a horse's hooves barely registered as her sobs and gasps mingled with the wheezes resonating through his shirt. "Is all well, Mr. Darcy?" Mr. Thurber inquired. Darcy nodded and waved a hand, unable to speak, and the wrangler retreated.

"You..." she sobbed, "you... did this... on purpose?"

His intonation was weary when he finally spoke. "I needed to show you how dangerous it can be, Elizabeth. I am sorry." His voice caught and he swallowed. "But you were not taking this seriously enough." He gently fingered her chin and lifted her face to his, raptly examining her eyes. He was emotionally spent and it showed in his gaze. Lizzy nearly collapsed as a torrent of shame rushed through her. She wanted to hide and cry some more and beg forgiveness and then kiss him, but he suddenly released her and she swayed.

"Climb back in, Mrs. Darcy," he demanded curtly in a tremulous rasp. "Take it back to the stable." He remounted Parsifal and looked at her with glazed eyes and a wan smile as she gaped at him. "Like falling off a horse, my love, you must get back on immediately. Hurry up, but be careful. I shall be waiting for you in our chambers. I need to kiss you and hold you for several hours to overcome the fright you have given me." With a last weak smile and a blown kiss, he heeled Parsifal and took off across the meadow in a blinding flash.

For the first time in her marriage, Elizabeth was afraid to approach her husband. Certainly not because she thought for one second he would harm her, but due to her acute shame and fear of seeing disappointment on his face. Therefore, she did not hurry as he asked, but dawdled in the stables, sluggishly climbed the staircases, and entered their bedroom subdued and stealthily. He stood with an elbow propped on the mantle and staring into the fire and twiddling an empty glass in one hand, the other in a fist over his mouth. His torso was bare although, oddly, he still wore his breeches and boots. She observed him silently, detecting no overt tension or anger but rather weariness. She could not see his face until he suddenly sensed her presence and turned.

All she saw was love. He glowed as he did immediately after they made love, the expression in his shining eyes one that she recognized as pure joy and adoration. He placed the glass on the mantle and, without a word, held his arms open. In a flash and with a sob she was there, holding him as he held her, with tenderness and belonging. He sat onto the sofa, cradling her on his lap and soothingly caressing her back and shoulders as he unpinned her already partially loose hair. Neither spoke, Lizzy trembling with unshed tears as he purred placatingly.

Twining fingers through her hair, he tasted her lips, feathering and delicate. With immeasurable patience he began unbuttoning her gown, baring her to his airy touch. He had never undressed her so slowly. It was unfathomably erotic yet tranquilizing at the same time. She relaxed into his body, hands lax as he stirred her senses. For endless minutes he focused on her bared breasts, arousing her gradually with fingers and then mouth.

He clasped her body to his and with balletic grace fell to the bearskin rug. He stretched beside her, examining her face as he resumed the caresses to her chest. Elizabeth never felt as beautiful as she did when William stared at her. His eyes pierced her soul, love and transcendent admiration naked. Words were unnecessary and they uttered none. Passion coursed through her as a torrential wave, every touch rocking her with heat, yet she was mesmerized by his eyes, his face in total so enchanting.

Raptly watching her, he ran his hand down her abdomen and hips, divesting her of the dress completely. With his eyes never leaving her face, even when she closed her eyes in rising euphoria, he allowed his fingers to play over her supple flesh. With nothing but his masterful touch he roused her, lovingly bringing her to utter fulfillment until she cried his name, begging him in desperation to stop before she died.

Immediately, he crushed her shivering body to his. "Oh, my God, William," she spoke shakily, "I truly think at times I shall perish from the power of what you do to me!"

He kissed her forehead, speaking softly, "I will never let you die, Lizzy, not from pleasure or anything else. Without you I cannot survive."

She smiled into his crystal eyes. "Nor I without you, best beloved."

Darcy's "test" did accomplish the goal of proving to him that Lizzy could handle herself in the little carriage. He accompanied her about for the next two weeks as she ventured further afield until he was comfortable with allowing her to wander off alone.

Nonetheless, on the day in late February when she wheeled off to visit Mrs. Harriet Vernor, a mere five miles away, Darcy was beside himself for the entire four hours she was gone. He paced in his study, found endless excuses to wander into the main parlor so he could peer onto the drive, and finished not a stitch of the work piled on his desk.

When she arrived home, flushed and glowing from satisfaction and a delightful afternoon with her friend, Darcy marched her immediately up to their chambers. In general a man of few words, Darcy had recognized that the preferred method of alleviating his tribulation and expressing his devotion was to simply hold, kiss, and tenderly make love to his wife. Since he did this remarkably well, Elizabeth had no complaints.

Aside from such upsets as curricle lessons, one other ball in late February, and the few sudden minor troubles about the farms, life for the Darcys followed a relatively predictable routine every day. Lizzy and Darcy were both historically early risers, Darcy especially so. His normal pattern prior to matrimony was to wake just after dawn and go for a long ride. This activity was replaced by an exceedingly more pleasant one: waking his wife shortly after dawn, generally in a state of partial arousal, and making love. After that, they would contentedly snuggle and doze before rising for a leisurely breakfast in their sitting room. Perhaps twice a week, as weather permitted, Darcy would leave his deliciously satisfied wife in resumed slumber and take Parsifal for a vigorous race across Pemberley's vast pastures, returning for breakfast.

Mid-morning was passed in his study attending to various business matters, while Lizzy either sat reading nearby or met with Mrs. Reynolds while Georgiana was with her tutor. Darcy, to his pleased surprise, preferred to have Lizzy sit with him and discuss the business at hand. Initially it had not occurred to him to share the minute details of the estate management with her, not because he doubted her intelligence, but simply because he had never talked to anyone about his affairs, except Mr. Keith, of course.