They regarded one another in the mirror for a moment, then Elizabeth smiled and placed her hand affectionately over one of his, and was rewarded by the warm look in his eyes. He looked devastatingly attractive unencumbered by waistcoat, tailcoat, and cravat, his shirt open slightly at the neck, and she found that her mouth was becoming dry.

He ran his fingers gently through her hair as he had so long desired to do. “You look very beautiful tonight, my love,” he said softly. He gathered her hair in his hand, and, moving it to one side, leaned over and gently kissed the nape of her neck.

It was unfair that his every touch had such power to stir her, she thought as he moved his lips along her exposed neck. Sensation built up in Elizabeth as he enjoyed the taste of her delicate skin. His mind tried to leap ahead to all the other ways he planned to enjoy her, but he firmly reined himself in, the only visible sign of his struggle being a slight tightening of his hands on her shoulder. With deliberation, he gently moved aside her robe to expose part of her shoulder in a symbolic disrobement, attending carefully to see how she responded. She remained still, but in the mirror he could see that her lips were parted, and he could feel the shallowness of her breathing. Pleased, he allowed his lips to explore the area his fingers had discovered.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, was astonished by the sensations he was creating. She had thought herself already aware of how powerfully his touch could move her, but as he had slipped his fingers under the edge of her nightgown, the depth of her awareness of his touch had threatened to overwhelm her. She gripped the arms of her chair, and Darcy, sensing her response, allowed his lips to linger in the hollows of her shoulder.

She shivered, and he raised his head to look at her in concern, hoping she was feeling no fear. His eyes silently asked her for permission to continue, and in response, unable to tolerate being only the passive recipient of his touch any longer, she turned her head and drew his mouth down to hers with a hunger that could not be denied. He tasted the delight of her lips, and incapable of being as patient for her touch as he wished, drew her to her feet and into his arms. She felt a shock at her awareness of his body against hers, augmented by the absence of his coat; now she could feel the shape and strength of his broad shoulders, and it aroused her profoundly and made her long for more.

“Elizabeth, my Elizabeth,” he murmured as he once again took possession of her mouth. As if able to hear her desires, his hands slid down to the belt of her dressing gown and untied it with fingers that felt suddenly clumsy. Unable to deny himself, he slipped his hands between her robe and her nightgown and caressed her back, delighting in the feel of the nooks and crannies that the fine fabric did not disguise.

With a moan of pleasure, she arched herself against him. He continued to stroke his hands along her body, exploring curves he had only dreamed of. There was no more room for fear; she felt driven by pure sensation. She whispered his name in a plea for she knew not what, and, sensing her surrender to her own desires, his own self-control slipped even further. He stepped back just far enough to lift the robe off her shoulders and let it slide to the ground, allowing him to admire her form, little disguised by her nightgown.

The scrutiny of his eyes was not enough to meet Elizabeth’s longing. Feeling momentarily bereft of his touch, her instincts led her to run her hands down his chest, arousing him powerfully, until, no longer able to resist his own need to feel her touch, he covered her hands with his own and slid them under his shirt. Hearing her gasp, the thought penetrated his passion-hazed mind that perhaps he had pushed her too quickly, but as her hands began their own delightful exploration, it became clear the only shock was one of intense pleasure. Elizabeth, stunned by the intimate sensation of his warm skin under her fingers, let her hands explore his back as she pressed herself against him, her body craving the pleasure only he could give her.

The sweet torture of her touch aroused him even beyond what he had expected. His need for her grew as he felt her soft body against him, and, knowing he could wait no longer, he gave in to temptation and finally let his hands move upward and untied the drawstring of the last remaining impediment to his beloved Elizabeth.

*   *   *

Darcy awoke the next morning to a pleasant feeling of warmth. His heart stilled as he saw Elizabeth’s sleeping face next to his, a small smile of contentment curving her lips, and her dark hair spread across the pillow and drifting onto his chest. It is not often one has the opportunity to see one’s dreams turn into reality, he thought dreamily. With his eyes he traced the lines of her beloved face, and thought how privileged he was to be able to wake up with such a bewitching woman beside him.

Falling asleep with her in his arms had been quite extraordinary as well, he thought. His mind drifted to the events of the previous night, and he smiled to think of the delight they had found together, the intense pleasure he had taken in helping her to discover the surprises her body had in store for her. Her responsiveness had been everything he hoped for and more, and it was with the greatest of satisfaction that he recalled their explorations and how they led to the moment when her desire and pleasure had equaled his own. The look of wonder on her face after he had satisfied her was one he would never forget.

Even more powerful was the knowledge that they now truly belonged to one another. After all the misunderstandings, the pain, and the separations, Elizabeth was finally his, and there could be no going back. No more fears she would somehow disappear if he said or did the wrong thing—now, if they had a conflict, they would have to work it out together, for better or for worse. Having Elizabeth to share his life was the greatest gift he could imagine.

Her eyes fluttered open as he watched. She colored as she realized where she was, and how comfortable she felt with her limbs entangled with his. It was a moment before she felt ready to meet his eyes, but when she did, she found them full of warmth and affection.

“Good morning, Mrs. Darcy,” he said softly, the appellation a reminder that he could expect this pleasure for the rest of his life.

“Good morning to you, Mr. Darcy,” she responded with a sleepy smile.

“Indeed it is a very good morning,” he agreed, giving her a light kiss.

She nestled closer to him, astonished anew by the exquisite sensation of his skin against hers. What a night of discovery it had been for her, as Darcy had tantalizingly led her each step of the way to places she had never dreamed of. To think that she had believed that she had already experienced the deepest extent of desire! Nothing had prepared her for what he had unleashed in her, or for the pleasure and satisfaction that followed. Her eyes grew dark with the remembrance of it.

His awareness of Elizabeth’s body against his was rousing similar feelings in Darcy. His hand, seemingly of its own accord, began to slide along her curves. Their eyes met, sharing messages between them, until their mouths joined with a deep passion. He experienced not so much a gradual building as a sudden onslaught of desire, as if the satisfactions of the night before had never existed, and he could tell from her response that she was feeling a similar intensity. His need communicated itself to her as he pulled her to him and captured her mouth with a burning urgency that matched her own, and Elizabeth saw there were yet more new experiences in store for her.

Epilogue

It was snowing very lightly when they left Pemberley for Lambton. After several days of poor weather kept them restricted indoors, Elizabeth was longing for a chance to set foot in the outside world. Mrs. Gardiner had expressed an interest in visiting one of her Lambton friends, and Elizabeth was interested in finding some new millinery, so an outing was decided upon. Darcy decided at the last moment to join them, though how much was due to a desire for the company of his wife, and how much represented an excess of exposure to the post-Christmas exuberance of the Gardiner children could not be said.

The Darcys had visited Lambton on several occasions since their return to Pemberley. Although the Darcy family never before favored Lambton with their custom, Elizabeth had early established a preference for the small market town owing to her previous familiarity with it. Her inclination was reinforced by the friendly behavior of the inhabitants, who took personal pride in the new Mrs. Darcy as the niece of a former Lambton resident, and, should anyone in the town have forgotten that she had met with Mr. Darcy on more than one occasion in their village, any number of people would have reminded them of the fact immediately. The value of a mistress of Pemberley who brought her family to their village could not be underestimated, either.

Certain of the village residents had therefore seen it as their business to find out more about the goings-on in the Darcy family, and, in cultivating their acquaintance with members of the staff at Pemberley, had been able to report back that Mr. Darcy was considered to be exceedingly enamored of his lively new wife, and much more cheerful and less proud than was his former wont. This intelligence being spread rapidly throughout the town, Mr. Darcy was bemused to discover that he was being greeted with smiles of amused indulgence from the villagers whenever he accompanied his wife to Lambton. Though he professed bafflement with the change, Elizabeth suspected that he surreptitiously enjoyed being the recipient of this kind of attention, so unlike any he had received in the past.