The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy (42 page)

He had never seen anything so beautiful; if he died at this moment he would be a happy man. She sat over him, naked, hair down, flowers framing her face, looking like some kind of nymph. Her smile was seductive, amused, and tender all at the same time. She pressed her soft body against his and slid onto his erection.

Elizabeth looked down at her husband as she sat atop him. She began a slow slide along his length and put her hands under his hips to pull him closer to her. Darcy tipped his head back and closed his eyes, a smile on his lips. She rode him for a short time, listening to the soft moans that came from his throat when she changed pace or kissed his neck. When she sensed that his ascent was too quick, she pulled away from him.

He opened his eyes reluctantly but eager to continue their activities. She knelt before him once again, that single stocking enticing him to no end. He gently and playfully pushed her onto her belly and set about kissing her. He paid special attention to kissing her rear, letting his tongue explore the joint of cheek and leg where only before his fingers had roamed. He ardently admired her bottom, was seduced by her rear cleavage as it emerged from her low back, curves rising like low rolling hills.

“You have the most perfect ass,” he said as he kissed her cheek, then licked it with the flat of his tongue. She laughed and looked at him over her shoulder.

“It’s been called many things, but never perfect,” she replied. He shook his head and pushed himself onto her back.

“But has anyone else ever known it as well as I have?” he smiled. He lay over top of her and pushed his leg between hers. “Has
anyone
ever known your body as well as I have?” he asked her huskily, nuzzling her neck.

“No,” she answered in a whisper. “Nobody has ever known me as well as you. Not even myself.”

He rolled her to her back and engulfed her in a deep, passionate kiss. He was done with play and exploration. He wanted to bind her to him in soul and spirit forever. She shared his fervent kisses and twisted her legs in his. He enjoyed the sensuality of her hips rising to meet his. He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, and her lips. Her ankles rested inside his calves and his hand rested on the lace top of her stocking, caressing and gripping her thigh.

“Elizabeth.” Her name bubbled from his lips unbidden, pushed out by the sheer amount of joy in his chest; there was no room left for air. She smiled under his vocal caress and tightened her arms around him.

“Yes, Will, I’m your Lizzy,” she whispered breathlessly in his ear, perilously close to her own peak. He thrust himself into her with joyous abandon, his breath coming in gasping half-laughs, half-sobs. He let himself go, completely heedless of who might hear. The bed creaked and groaned. She dug her fingers into his low back and arched her torso into his.

She cried out as she cascaded over the edge of orgasm, her mind too preoccupied with pleasure to formulate any actual words. All he heard was her sharp intake of breath and then an exclamation that sounded like “OH!” and then she was pulsing around him, writhing beneath him, inviting him to join in her pleasure.

He clung on for a few seconds more before reaching his own climax. When he did, he found it in a shuddering, crashing paroxysm of pleasure buried deeply inside her, flowers crushed as his fingers tightly gripped her hair.

“Lizzy!” he exclaimed loudly. He had never before been so compelled to express his pleasure vocally, to let her hear how much pleasure she brought him. Upon reflection later, he supposed it had to do with the sheer, shout-at-the-top-of-your-lungs, lunatic joy he was feeling. But at the moment, he really was beyond coherent thought.

***

Having slept very little on their wedding night, Darcy and Elizabeth slept in the next morning. It was 9 o’clock before either of them even stirred and another hour before they rose. Mrs. Reynolds had ventured to attempt to rouse them but retreated upon hearing the unmistakable and unguarded sounds of lovemaking when she approached their door.

Elizabeth lay back against the pillows, smiling in cat-like satisfaction. Darcy leaned against the post at the foot of the bed, a similar expression softening his features as he faced her. She gently placed her foot against his chest and he stroked her ankle absently.

“You will wear me out, woman,” he said softly. She chuckled quietly and pulled one of the scattered flowers from under her hip. She perched the withered, broken thing jauntily behind her ear.

“You’re a very chatty lover, you know. You go two days without saying anything and as soon as we start, you’re making speeches. It’s quite amazing,” she teased him. He smiled.

“Perhaps I have an oral fixation,” he suggested. She laughed and he stroked a hand over her calf. She agreed that indeed he had an oral fixation but as it was a very pleasurable obsession
,
in which he had just indulged
, she forgave it.

“We really should get up, we have guests,” she said without making any move to get out of bed.

“Yes. You first,” he replied with a languid smile. They looked at each other for a few more moments and then both laughed. “We’re hopeless,” he grinned.

“We do have to catch a flight this afternoon,” she said. “Are you ever going to tell me where we’re going?”

“It’s a surprise. I’ll tell you that it’s a four hour flight. I’m sure you’ll figure it out when we get to the airport. Have you packed a bathing suit?” he smiled.

At the sound of a rap at the door, they both hastily put pillows over their bodies.

“Yes?” Darcy called, annoyed.

“Get the hell out of bed, you two!” came Richard’s voice. Elizabeth grinned while Darcy scowled. “It’s not like you’ve never done it before!” Richard continued.

“I hope you slept well,” Darcy called and smirked.

“Damn good of you to put me right below your room!” he called through the door. “I understand that you are very charming, Lizzy. You have some fine assets that my cousin admires. I believe I could recite them, if you like. Where shall I start? With her fine eyes? Or her lovely
...”

“Enough! We’re on our way,” Elizabeth laughed. Satisfied with his taunting, Richard left. He enjoyed giving Darcy a hard time; it was one of his favorite pastimes. But in truth, he’d heard very little of their activities, having spent the night in Caroline’s room down the hall.

Reluctantly, Darcy and Elizabeth rose and dressed to meet their guests for the wedding brunch. While Darcy was normally fastidious about his grooming, his languid mood this morning overcame him. He did not shave. He pulled on a t-shirt and jeans and was content to appear barefoot. Elizabeth ran a careless brush through her hair, aiming mostly to get all the flower petals out. She slipped into a pair of jeans and put on Darcy’s suit shirt from the previous day, tucking it halfway into her jeans and rolling up the sleeves. They shared a final lingering embrace before they exited their room.

They entered the dining room, Darcy’s hand resting possessively on Elizabeth’s shoulder, thumb stroking the back of her neck. Most of their guests laughed, either privately or outright, at the completely besotted expression on Darcy’s face. They were forgiven their rudeness in oversleeping and they circulated through the room together, hugging and greeting their guests.

Try as he would to maintain his dignity, Darcy was unable to stop touching her. He held her hand or let his hand rest on her waist as they walked about the room. When they sat at their table, he put his hand on her leg. He brushed her hand when passing the butter dish. Finally, he stopped trying to suppress his desire; he put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her to him for a lingering kiss. She smiled under his lips and there was a little murmur of “awww”s in the room
,
and one snort from Richard
.

“Thank you,” he whispered against her lips, smiling.

“For what?” she asked.

“Everything.”

Elizabeth stepped onto the deck of the yacht with a sense of wonderment. She had been surprised indeed to learn that the first five days of their honeymoon were to be spent sailing in the Greek islands aboard the
Star Gazer
, a fifty-foot yacht owned by Thanos Latsis, a close friend of Darcy’s. They were greeted warmly by Thanos and his wife, who introduced them to the crew. Both Darcy and Elizabeth experienced a little shiver when she was introduced as “Mrs. Darcy.” Thanos winked and grinned then, with warm hugs and a gift of champagne, he left them. They waved as the ship pulled out from dock into the sinking sun.

Darcy stood by the railing with his arm around Elizabeth, watching the mainland grow smaller as they sailed away. She nestled her head into his shoulder and he stroked her arm. The sun cast a golden glow on them, warming them despite the wind.

“Do you remember my telling you about an uncle who runs around his estate in nothing but trainers?” Darcy said into her ear. She smiled and nodded. “That’s Thanos. He’s not technically an uncle but he was very close to my father. I was sorry that he couldn’t make it to our wedding.” He paused for a moment.

“My father would have loved you,” he said quietly. “And I think you would have liked him.”

“Tell me about him,” she said, snuggling into his arm.

“Ah, my father was a complex man,” Darcy laughed quietly. “He was conflicted. He was a proud aristocrat but also had a strong work ethic. He couldn’t stand the idea of having so much money and not earning it or putting it to good use. He wouldn’t hear of me not having a profession, even though financially I would never need to work. Luckily I shared his work ethic or we would never have gotten along. As it was, we got on admirably. I respected him a great deal, even when I was thumbing my nose at him by racing. And I think he was secretly proud of me for it. He taught me a great deal about being responsible and protecting those I love.”

“How did he meet your mother?” she asked, encouraging him to tell her more about his family.

“They met on a bus in San Francisco, believe it or not. He was on business there and she was studying music and she was always in the same spot on the bus when he got on. They would look at each other and nod or smile and then after a few stops he would get off and she would go on to wherever she was going. He spent the whole summer looking at her but never spoke to her. Then one day, he stayed on beyond his stop and got off at hers. And he was in love before he knew it.” He looked down at her and smiled. “It seems to run in the family.”

“It’s a very romantic story,” she smiled.

“It quickly got very ugly as his family did not approve of her. She was American, for starters, and wasn’t rich either. She had no notable connections, nothing to recommend her to an aristocratic family. But my father was quite a bit older when he met her and he knew what he wanted. It was the only time in his life that he completely disregarded everything his family said and did what he wanted to do. He married her after knowing her for only six months. He was forty-seven and she was twenty-three. I came pretty quickly after,” he laughed.

“And they lived happily ever after?” she smiled.

“Well, not exactly. There was quite an age difference and my mother was very young.” He took a deep breath. “And a lot of eyebrows were raised when little blonde-haired, blue-eyed Georgiana was born to her brunette, green-eyed parents a full eleven years after I was.” He bit his lip contemplatively. “My father loved them both as much as ever but I think he always harbored a doubt. I don’t know the truth of it and I don’t want to.”

Elizabeth said nothing, shocked by this revelation. Darcy continued.

“In any event, if she was unfaithful, I never saw any sign of it. My parents were always loving and completely in love with Georgiana. She was such a pretty little baby; I adored her. I would bring her flowers and frogs, things like that. My mother would accept all my gifts enthusiastically but she must have tossed them out the window as soon as I was gone,” he laughed. “My father carried her around and kissed and coddled her. My mother’s death devastated him but Georgiana still made my father smile.” He paused and looked back to Elizabeth. “Yes, I think he would have liked you very much. He loved a pretty woman with a lively mind.” He kissed the top of her head and hugged her more tightly to him.

“I think your father sounds very much like you,” she said, turning to face him. “Quiet, reserved, knows what he wants, generous to a fault and, one would assume, very dashing. I should think I would have liked him very much.” She smiled and kissed him. Then she said, “I’m very sorry that you lost both your parents. I can’t imagine what it must be like. And I know it’s no substitute but my parents like you very much and they’ve taken Bingley in as their own. I’m sure they will do the same with you.”

Darcy laughed softly and kissed her forehead. “Yes, I’m looking forward to getting to know your parents better. It will be good to feel like a part of a family again.”

A bell rang announcing dinner and Darcy took her hand and led her to the dining area, where a candle-lit table had been prepared. The chef appeared briefly to ensure that everything was satisfactory and they thanked him gratefully for such excellent fare. After dinner, the captain attended them briefly to go over the itinerary for the next five days.

They retired early and resumed their marital activities with enthusiasm.