Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (4 page)

“So their behaviour is expected to be horrendous.”  She said bitterly.  Darcy had no response for that and remained silent.  Elizabeth shook her head.  “I suppose that I have never looked at them through another’s eyes before.  Everyone here knows them so well, but you . . .”

“I am sorry if I have offended you.”

“No, you have simply brought me more things to contemplate.”  She looked up to see that he had surreptitiously dabbed at his eyes, and noted that he had kept her handkerchief, placing it inside of his coat.  The gesture was very touching.  “Are you clear on your itinerary?”

He drew a long breath.  “I will leave for London within the hour.  It is not a long journey, and I should surprise my staff in time to share their evening meal.”

“Your sister is not there?”

“No.”  He said quietly.  “She is at Pemberley.  I hope very much that you like her.  She is very shy.”

“I imagine that she is very accomplished, hearing Miss Bingley’s praises.”  Elizabeth smiled.

“Miss Bingley’s word must always be taken with a strong measure of caution.”  Darcy advised with the slight smile.  “However, I am very pleased with my sister’s skills in several areas.”

“Perhaps she might teach me?”  She was glad to see his eyes light up. 

“I think that she has much to learn from you, Miss Elizabeth.”  He leaned towards her and spoke earnestly.  “You must know how much I admire you.”

Her mouth opened in surprise.  “Thank you.” 

“I will visit my solicitor and have the settlement prepared, and purchase the special license for your mother’s pleasure.”  Elizabeth closed her eyes.  “It is not an imposition.”

“It is an outrageous expense.” 

Darcy smiled.  “We can bear it.”

“We?”  Elizabeth felt her hands being grasped and watched Darcy’s thumb gently caressing hers. 

“We.  I will return within a week.  I will write to you with my plans as soon as I know them.  I am sure that my solicitor will be able to accommodate me, but I will not be able to meet him until Monday morning.  In the meantime, I will draft the document, and prepare the staff for their new mistress.  I am sorry that you will not have time to purchase your wedding clothes in advance of our marriage, but I will arrange for a modiste to come to Darcy House . . .”

“Sir, that is truly not necessary.  I do not need new things.”

“I believe that your mother will disagree strongly with that, and I do as well.  You deserve everything that a new bride should expect.  The speed of our union is no reason to deny you your due.”  Darcy raised her hand to his lips.  “I look forward to bringing you to London and showing you around.  You have visited before?”

“My aunt and uncle live in London.  I hope that they will be able to come to the wedding.”  He nodded and she continued.  “And your family?”

“I hope that my cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam might come, however I do not anticipate any others.” 

“They will be displeased.”  He nodded and said nothing more, but noted how her shoulders slumped with his silent agreement.  Squeezing her hand, he let go and moved back against his seat. 

The carriage drew up to the front steps of Netherfield and they disembarked.  Upon entering, Bingley appeared and looked from one to the other.  “How is everything?”  He asked cautiously.

“We have Mr. Bennet’s blessing.  I am leaving for London as soon as my valet can pack a few things.  Miss Elizabeth will remain here one more night, then she and Miss Bennet will return to Longbourn as planned tomorrow.”  He turned to her.  “Please excuse me.  I will see you before I leave.”

Elizabeth and Bingley were left in the awkward silence of the entranceway.  “I . . . I will await Mr. Darcy in the library, sir.”

“Of course.”  Bingley nodded and as she turned to go he stopped her.  “May I wish you the utmost felicity, Miss Elizabeth?  Darcy is my greatest friend, he is an exceptional man.”

“I thank you for your assurances, Mr. Bingley.” 

Elizabeth entered the library and stood alone in the centre, wrapping her arms around herself and wondering for the millionth time that day what she had done.  Darcy appeared in the doorway a quarter hour later, and she was unmoved.  He was struck by her small lonely figure, and how her hands slowly rubbed up and down her crossed arms.  Quietly he stepped onto the thick carpet and advanced unnoticed until he touched her shoulder.  When she turned, Darcy slipped his arms around her waist, drawing her to him. 

Gently caressing some stray curls on her forehead, he looked into her eyes, and was gratified to feel her relax with his touch.  Wordlessly he lifted her jaw and kissed her.  With that slight meeting of their lips, the powerful connection was forged again and both of them gave into the need to relieve the incredible stress of that morning.  Elizabeth melted into him, and Darcy kept his hand on her jaw while wrapping the other firmly around her waist to draw her closer.  Their mouths caressed over and over.  Tenderly, he touched his tongue to her parted lips, slipping briefly between to taste her.  If it were not for his supporting arm, she would have collapsed to the floor.  Darcy responded by pulling her closer within his encompassing embrace.  The slightest moan escaped her throat, and it was all he needed to give in to his desire to deepen the kiss, exposing to her how passion feels.  Unconsciously, Darcy was teaching what he hoped to receive someday.  Her trembling brought him back, and he slowed his caress, moving gently across her lips to kiss her cheek, her eyes, her ear, and then one last soft kiss to her mouth.  He rested his forehead on hers and they remained silently embraced.  Elizabeth felt his body trembling just as hard as her own, and it reassured her more than anything.  Gradually they calmed and Darcy opened his eyes to see hers still closed, and her mouth so beautifully flushed from his touch. 

“I promised myself that I would only accept a man who would respect me and care for me.  I . . . I trust you to do both, Mr. Darcy.  I suppose that I really have been hoping for your approval since that first night. Jane told me that you were not as bad as I wished to think after you wounded my vanity.  She saw you clearly, but I refused.”

“Why?”  He asked, and willed her eyes to open.

“Because you were . . . I think I believed that if I dared to like you, I would only be left disappointed when you departed.”  Elizabeth could not look at him, could not tell him what she really thought the first time she saw him, but she could sense his focussed attention and feel his increased grip. 

“I thank you for at last answering my question.”  He paused and spoke softly, “I would kiss you again, but I think that it would be imprudent.  I do not want to leave you now.”

“I do not want you to go.”  Elizabeth whispered, and at last looked into his soft, worried eyes.  “What a change a few hours can make.”

“And a few kisses.”  Darcy caressed her face with the back of his fingers. “I should go.”

“Yes.”  Elizabeth rested her head on his chest.  “Be careful.”

“I will.”  He held her closer and kissed her hair.

“You should go.”

“Yes.”  He sighed and let go, stepping away to hold her hands.  “Thank you for this honour, Elizabeth.  Please do not change your mind while I am away.”  He smiled a little.  “I might be forced to try and relax you again.”

“Is that what this was?”  She blushed.

Darcy heard Bingley cough from the doorway, turned to see him, and looked back to Elizabeth.  “Please do not change your mind.  I will write to you at Longbourn.”  He squeezed her hands and stepped away.  “Thank you.”  He turned and left the room.  Elizabeth watched him go, and her arms rose to embrace herself again.

Chapter 2

 
“A
hhh, excellent!”  Wickham gathered his winnings and grinned.  “This will take care of me for a good long while.”

“Where have you been these past months?”  The man to his right asked and blew smoke from his cigar into the air to join the rest of blue haze in the fetid room.  “We have missed you.”

“I haven’t missed you.”  Another growled.  “Too much of my money is in your hands.”

“If you cannot afford to play, then give up your seat.”  Wickham smirked.  He looked to his friend.  “Been north for a bit, I found a lady friend to keep me company.”  The men around the table laughed. 

“Young?  You like them young.”

“Fifteen.”  Wickham’s brows rose and he flashed his teeth with their cheers.  “Excellent, though . . .”  He looked around the room at the prostitutes hanging around the men.  “It will be good to be with a woman who knows her business.  Innocent and shy can only hold your attention so long, she never did like it, or learn to do more than close her eyes and lay still like a board.”

“Ah, no joy in that.”  One spat and got up to fill the chamber pot.  “I can see you moving on.” 

From outside the room they heard a deep baritone asking loudly, “Wickham, George Wickham, has anyone seen him?”  Instantly Wickham stood and stuffed his pockets with his winnings.

“Good evening gentlemen.”

“Where are you off to, then?”

“I hear a voice calling my name, and I do not care to answer.  Another evening lads.”  He nodded his head and strode quickly to the door then paused.  A tall man, well-dressed, stepped in and scanned the room.  Wickham slipped behind him and out.  His companions watched and laughed, while the stranger studied all of the faces.  “Anyone seen Wickham?  I was told he was here.”

“Wickham?”  One of the men called out.  “Just missed him.”

“Had an appointment.”

“Where?” 

“With Prinny, I think.” 

The room erupted into laughter and the tall man strode forward, grabbed the jokester by his filthy neck cloth and stared into his eyes.  “
Where
?”

“I . . . I dunno!  Gone out, how should I know?”  He gulped and felt the cold fury in the gaze, and breathed again only when he was dropped.  The men at the table all felt the power of the man as he scanned them all.

“Anyone have anything to say?”

“No, sir.”  They chorused.  Without a word, the man spun and strode out.  “What the devil was that about?  Who was he?”

“I’d say that
was
the devil.”  The man with the twisted neck cloth rubbed his throat.  “Wickham better keep a few steps ahead of that one.” 

Wickham wasted no time moving away from the tavern and quickly blended into the crowd before the man he had crossed could exit and spot him. 
London is not safe
.  He groaned. 
What is he doing in this part of Town?  I was sure that I . . .
  Caught up in his thoughts he ran straight into a soldier.

“Watch out!”  He snapped and pushed him back.

“Watch out yourself, I . . . Denny?”

The soldier peered at him and broke into a wide smile.  “Wickham!”  Grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously, he laughed.  “Well met!”

“What brings you into the bowels of London?”  Wickham smiled and looking behind him; followed his friend into a tavern filled to bursting with men in red coats. 

“A few days off duty, we came from our winter quarters in Hertfordshire.”

“Is that so?”  Wickham glanced out the dirty window to the street and saw the tall figure of his nemesis passing.  He pulled his hat down and turned away.  “Tell me, do they need any new recruits?  I came into a bit of money, how much does a lieutenancy cost?” 

                           Photographed by Bedford Lemere & Co, 1898

DARCY AWOKE from his contemplation of Elizabeth’s handkerchief when the carriage came to a halt in front of his house in Park Lane.  Seeing the familiar arched windows of the ballroom and entries to the home, he tucked the precious square of cambric into his coat.  Parker, his valet; gathered up the few belongings that were inside and waited for his master to descend to the walkway before following.  A footman, his eyes wide with surprise, rushed from the front door to bow and welcome him home.  Darcy nodded and stepped quickly inside, paused for a moment scanning the space, then focussed on the arrival of his housekeeper and butler.

“Sir, forgive me, did you send word that you were to travel to Town?”  Mrs. Gaston asked and watched the maid who was taking his hat and gloves.

“No, my arrival was the decision of a moment.”  Darcy shrugged from his coat and clasping his hands behind his back, looked to his butler.  “Lowry, has my cousin Fitzwilliam been visiting?”

“As a matter of fact, he is here now.  He is within the library.  I did not think that you would mind, he arrived only an hour ago, sir.”

“No I do not mind, the colonel is always welcome to stay.”  Darcy began to step away then turned.  “I imagine that you are preparing some sort of meal for him, I would appreciate sharing it.  I will have notes written and to be delivered to addresses around Town within the hour.  Please have a boy ready to take them.”  He started off and was halted by Lowry. 

The elder man spoke diffidently, “Sir, may I ask, how did you detect the colonel’s presence?”

Darcy’s lips lifted and he waved his hand towards a tray laden with an assortment of carafes.  “Either my cousin is in residence or you are sampling the wine cupboard. I trust that my staff would never steal from me.”  He nodded and moved down the hallway to the library, leaving his senior staff exchanging glances.  Entering, he heard an explosive sneeze emanating from a tall wingback chair near the fire, and just caught the sound of his cousin setting down a glass.  Darcy closed the door quietly.  “Comfortable, are we?”