Struck even through the waves of delightful sensation running through her by the oddness of his demeanor, she twined her arms around his neck. Just before she drew his face back to hers, she whispered, “I never did. I want to be with you, William.”

He nibbled at her lip, then released her just long enough to throw off his cravat and coats. He lowered himself onto her as if to claim her body with his and kissed her demandingly before moving to explore her face and neck with his lips. When he reached her ear, he murmured, “Elizabeth, if you do not find a way to remove your clothing very quickly indeed, I will take matters into my own hands, and I do not guarantee that they will be wearable when I am through.”

Her face lit with amusement. “It is quite unclear to me, sir, how you expect me to do anything of the sort when you persist in lying on top of me.”

He rolled off her obligingly, but did not free her until his impatient hands had the opportunity to reacquaint themselves thoroughly with the curves of her body. Seeing his eagerness, she turned to allow him to unfasten her dress. He struggled with the tiny buttons manfully for several long moments until he gave in to his threatened impulse and pulled the sides apart by force.

“William!” she exclaimed, startled by his action. “I do not have that many dresses with me on this trip!”

He nibbled on the nape of her neck as he undid the ties of her corset. “Buy more,” he instructed succinctly.

Afterwards, she lay in his arms, breathing hard, and overwhelmed once again by the pleasure he could give her. An upwelling of tenderness for him filled her, a sense of gratitude for their having discovered each other against all odds, and she gently smoothed back his hair. She was aware that something had been troubling him earlier; she did not know what it had been, but the lines of concern were erased from his forehead now. “I love you so,” she whispered impulsively, and his arms tightened around her.

“My beloved Elizabeth,” he replied. “You never cease to amaze me.”

A smile curved her lips. “Oddly enough, I believe that I could say the same about you.”

He kissed her forehead gently, thinking back on his earlier feelings. The pensive look on his face caught Elizabeth’s attention, and she asked, “Is anything the matter, William my love?”

He twisted a lock of her disheveled hair around his finger thoughtfully. With a sigh, he admitted, “There are times at which I need you so much that it worries me.”

“That is a sentiment that I can certainly understand,” said Elizabeth feelingly, “since it is one that I share.”

“Do you?”

She raised herself on one elbow to see him better. “Yes, I do,” she said slowly.

He cupped her cheek with his hand. “I did not know,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “I cannot say that I am sorry to hear it.”

“Misery loves company?” she asked with a smile.

“Your company is all I want.” He paused for a moment, then added, “If only we could go back to Pemberley, just the two of us, I would be quite content. I wish that everyone would leave us alone—your father, my cousin, your sister, Wickham, even the staff here.”

Elizabeth muffled a laugh in his shoulder. “Especially the staff here—what will they think of me, appearing out of nowhere and leaving a trail of torn clothing behind me?”

“They will adore you, just as I do. Well, perhaps a little differently. They will think you a great improvement over the mood that I was in during the spring—I doubt they would care if you shredded every item of clothing and drapery in the house.”

“Pardon me, sir; I do not believe that I was the one doing the aforementioned shredding!”

“You drove me to it,” he said, kissing her lingeringly. “Besides, it will provide you and Georgiana with something to do tomorrow. There is nothing that Georgiana loves so well as shopping—she will be delighted to help you choose a new wardrobe.”

“Oh, dear,” said Elizabeth with amusement.

“I suggest that you choose gowns that are easy to remove,” he said. “It may promote their longevity.”

She stopped his mouth in his favorite manner.

*   *   *

After breakfast Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam departed for Gracechurch Street. Georgiana, as Darcy had predicted, was enthusiastic about a trip to the modiste, and although it hardly seemed a priority to Elizabeth, she was willing to admit that remaining in the unfamiliar town house all day while awaiting news was likely to be unpleasant. The stores that Georgiana patronized were of a higher quality than those Elizabeth had visited with her aunt in the past, and she became concerned over the expense as the number of items Georgiana insisted she needed continued to mount. Marrying her was already likely to cost Darcy a considerable sum to settle the affair of Lydia, and she was disinclined to spend more of his money than was needed. Georgiana did not know how to comprehend Elizabeth’s reluctance, and eventually decided to leave it to her brother to explain what would be necessary to her in her role as Mrs. Darcy.

When they finally arrived back at Brook Street in the late afternoon, the gentlemen were still not returned. This delay caused Elizabeth some anxiety, and she proposed a walk in Hyde Park to distract herself, but Georgiana was tired after their day on the town and preferred to remain quietly at home. Elizabeth tried to quell her restlessness, but was relieved when Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam finally appeared, both showing evidence of having had a fatiguing day indeed.

Darcy’s face brightened when he saw Elizabeth, and he took a moment to take her hand in his and to whisper a private greeting. Sensing her impatience, he suggested that they confer immediately, for which he received a grateful glance.

“I am happy to be able to report that we believe that we have located Wickham, and presumably Lydia with him.” Darcy seated himself beside Elizabeth. “I believe the intelligence we received today to be reliable, and had it not been so late in the day already, I would have tried to meet with them today.”

“He fails to mention, Mrs. Darcy, that it was the general consensus that it would not be for the best for him to meet with Wickham personally,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam, handing Darcy a glass of port. “I must compliment you for your influence on him. He took the decision relatively graciously.”

“Fitzwilliam, is this really necessary?” said Darcy tiredly.

“I know that you would much prefer to do it all yourself, so yes, I believe it is necessary. In any case, the plan in fact calls for me to meet with Wickham, hopefully tomorrow morning, and…”

“I still do not like this part,” Darcy interrupted with irritation. “I conceded to it this morning, but it is against my better judgment, and I still may not permit it, especially now that I know the area of London concerned!”

“And you say there was consensus, Colonel?” asked Elizabeth lightly. “It sounds rather more like a battlefield!” Recognizing that they were on sensitive ground, she slipped her hand into her husband’s for a moment, but when she tried to draw away, he tightened his grip and would not release her.

“It had its moments,” Colonel Fitzwilliam conceded. “We took the liberty of bringing you into the plans, the suggestion being that you accompany me in hopes of convincing your sister to quit her current position. Since she is not acquainted with me, I could hardly ask her to leave with me, and it was your father’s opinion that she would be more likely to listen to you than to him or Mr. Gardiner.”

“That is a slight distortion, Fitzwilliam,” said Darcy. “In fact, Mr. Bennet was threatening to remove her bodily if she did not agree, and since this did not seem conducive to a successful resolution of the situation, your involvement was proposed. I think, though, under the circumstances, it would be wiser to send Mr. Gardiner.”

Elizabeth said slowly, “Obviously, I am not aware of all of the ramifications of this business, but if there were to be a way in which I could be of assistance, I would be appreciative of the opportunity.” She turned to look at Darcy with anticipation.

“Elizabeth, your sentiment is much appreciated, but this is a very disreputable part of town that we are speaking of, and I am concerned for your safety,” said Darcy, plainly having to force himself not to completely forbid it.

“Given that I am expected to be able to face Napoleon himself, not to mention those mad Americans, I believe that I can manage to keep your wife safe in the middle of London, Darcy,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam mildly.

“You are only one man, Fitzwilliam. It is hardly the same thing.”

“What, then, if you send someone with us?”

Darcy shook his head. “I do not wish to have anyone more than necessary aware of this.”

“Why not send Wilkins, then? Certainly you can trust his discretion, and he no doubt already has a good idea of the matter. He always seems to know everything that happens. I should not be surprised to discover that he could tell us what the Prince Regent ate for breakfast this morning.”

Darcy looked stormy. “I will consider it. Enough of this for now.”

*   *   *

Darcy was eventually brought to agree to abide by the original plan, although it took a great deal of persuasion on the part of his cousin. En route to Wickham’s lodgings the following morning, Colonel Fitzwilliam took the opportunity to explain his strategy to Elizabeth. “You may hear me say some things that surprise you, but if you can bring yourself to make the appearance of agreement, it would be helpful. It is important that we convince Wickham that this matter is not as urgent to us as he would like to believe, and that may involve a little, ummm, bending of the truth on my part.”