I'm very pleased to tell that this story was chosen as an exemple on a study case for a doctor's thesis! How cool is that?
The interaction, the theme and the P&P handling fit on what the specilaist wants to focus. Yay!
Not intentionally, but very timely, here's the third and last part of this Regency chapter. It's all about romance and love and...
Well, hope you enjoy it.
Nine ways to live Pride and Prejudiciously
WIP, modern (mostly), adult (you know me...), fun, fluff, heart healing stuff.
read chapter 7- part II
or START from CHAPTER 1
read chapter 7- part II
or START from CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 6
IV-Oldies but goldies _ PART III
‘There’s been so much hope filling me since the bookstore...’
‘Hope?’
‘That your feelings may have changed since Easter.’
She blushed and looked away. One moment before she was ready to fight, now... ‘They have changed.’ Lizzy returned her eyes to him.
Darcy raised his brows. ‘For the best?’
She nodded, cheeks flushed to strawberry red. ‘Completely different.’ She whispered hearing her friends coming closer.
Although they waited still a quarter hour, only when he handed her in with a splitting smile he felt something pressed in his palm. ‘It doesn’t have to be like that.’ She whispered.
Inside the cabin, as the coach started rocking, he used his top hat as disguise to inspect the gift: a small golden knot pin. Darcy raised his eyes to her and noticed it must have been holding the scarf over her shoulders.
They exchanged promising looks over the book she pretended to read with Charlotte.
That evening at Northanger Abbey, their first in the ancient property, Darcy kept Lizzy distracted as he was waiting for her when the girls arrived downstairs for dinner.
Even though they took part on the chatting about music, she did sing when she was relentlessly asked to take to the pianoforte as he turned pages for her, it was his company that she had by her side.
And it was in his ear that she voiced her concern on Tilney’s interest on Charlotte.
‘I do think he is rather partial to her.’
‘As I am to you, Lizzy?’
She blushed. ‘You do spend too much time with Mr. Tilney, Fitzwilliam.’ Lizzy accused. ‘This funny expression is very similar to the ones he makes.’
Darcy raised his brows. ‘So you pay attention to the man’s features?’
‘I’m telling you he is very partial to my friend; she is young as my sisters…’ Lizzy sighed. ‘I may have been mistaken, but she seemed to evade me when we arrived here but I don’t think she understands his intentions.’
‘Maybe he doesn’t have clear intentions yet.’ Darcy rolled his shoulders, eyes on Tilney laughing at what Charlotte said with widened eyes. ‘He merely enjoys her company. Ladies’ imagination ran fast from friendship to matrimony.’
She gasped. ‘Who said anything about matrimony?’
He was also surprised. ‘Are you still worried about compromising situations?’
‘We are here in his estate, such a grand manor of gloomy atmosphere that she reads about in novels…’
‘I see you read those silly books too.’
‘Fitzwilliam!’
He laughed for he was happy in being there with her. ‘I believe I can confide in you again. And again, would be very obliged if you didn’t comment a secret.’
‘Of course.’
‘Eleanor loves a man her father does not approve the match, and Tilney expects his visit during our stay. That might be the only compromising situation you might encounter here, my Lizzy.’
She blushed at the endearment. ‘I thought she was interested in you…’
‘No.’ Darcy smiled sideways finding it rather encouraging his beloved Lizzy showing jealousy.
‘Why would General Tilney not want his only daughter to be happy?’
‘The man is second son who would never inherit a fortune.’
‘Oh!’
‘Do not worry, Lizzy. Such an unfortunate predicament shall not befall on you.’
‘Fitzwilliam…’ Lizzy shook her head. ‘Thinking that way, you should have the good luck of falling for a lady who comes with a fortune attached.’
He shook his head. ‘That is not my case, I know for sure.’ Darcy tilted his head. ‘And it is not necessary at all.’
A warm kind of excitement took Lizzy over.
The next morning, as they roamed the vast gardens walking two by two with Eleanor alone in between the couples, Lizzy noticed, Charlotte and Tilney were very good friends.
‘Are they courting, do you think?’
‘As I am courting you?’
A smile. ‘I am serious, Fitzwilliam.’
‘As I am, Lizzy.’
He itched to steal another kiss, even if fast. A small hand kiss wouldn’t do, he wanted another kiss on her lips. Maybe it was too early to renew his offer, but he felt he was on the right way this time.
Northanger Abbey among his good friends, the Tilneys, made it easier for him to gain Lizzy’s confidence and win her heart little by little.
‘Ah, here I find you!’ Darcy bowed very gentlemanly, Lizzy turned from the big library window to face him.
‘I am watching the storm.’ She pointed the night. ‘Is it not mesmerizing?’
‘After such an animated discussion you had with Tilney a few moments ago, I considered you would be reading by his side at the couch.’
‘I don’t understand, sir.’
‘’Sir’ again?’
‘Mr. Tilney is very charming; we talked at length about Fordyce’s Sermons, a favorite book of my sister Mary.’ Lizzy let out a giggle. ‘He is to be a clergyman, you know?’ Darcy nodded, face still crumpled. ‘His opinions are so agreeable! I can only compare him with my cousin Collins!’ Another giggle.
Darcy pressed his eyes hearing her speak about another man who offered for her, compliment his friend with enthusiasm she never used with him, but oh, the devil! How mirth agreed with that handsome face of hers.
‘And Charlotte’s father is a clergyman too, she can quote Fordyce but it is so different from Mary, Fitzwilliam, one might think she talks about another book completely. Eleanor could not understand why my sister would be so fastidious about religion and Henry tried to explain-’
‘Henry?’ Darcy raised his eyebrows, hands clasped behind his back.
‘He gave me leave to use his first name…’ Lizzy bit her lip and blinked slowly. ‘Extended the same courtesy to Charlotte.’
‘I see.’
She tilted her head to a side; the moonlight gave her an aura that almost calmed his heart. ‘Careful, Fitzwilliam, one who does not know you might misinterpret your reaction as jealousy…’ An arched eyebrow finished the tease.
‘One would understand me correctly.’
‘Really?’ Her mouth raised at the left corner. ‘Why would that be, sir?’
He pointed at her. ‘Sir.’
‘Huh?’
‘You use ‘sir’ to talk to me, but ‘Henry’ for Tilney; spent the evening laughing with him instead of choosing to stay by my side at the couch where your tea cooled down.’
‘On the corner?’
‘Yes.’
‘Away from the group?’
He raised his shoulders and tilted his head.
She giggled. ‘Henry has a funny expression just like that, Fitzwilliam!’
He groaned inwardly. When this woman wanted, she could be impossible.
‘It is so amusing!’ She held her hands together over her bosom. And so handsome with his face in a serious expression letting her know how aggravated he was because she chose to spend time away from him. ‘I consider myself lucid, you know. If I didn’t, I might flatter myself considering you brood for me.’
‘You know it is all for you, Lizzy.’
A sassy smile grew slowly on her lips. ‘My being happy upset you?’
‘That was not the reason.’
‘Me enjoying the evening with friends you consider the best of people made you uncomfortable?’
‘Please, Lizzy.’
‘Enlighten me, Fitzwilliam, for I cannot-’
Taking her by surprise, he swiftly moved closer to rest his hands on the windowsill by her sides trapping her in his embrace. She gasped; he lowered his head to almost touch their lips. ‘You enjoy the ladies’ friendship, that allows you Eleanor’s brother’s company. But my Lizzy, you are not careful with my heart. I have made my affections clear yet you choose to ignore me. And then bestow attention on Tilney.’ His eyes burned as much as her cleavage moved in fast breaths. ‘Either you talk to me in actions or you want to punish me for what was passed last Easter. Either way, it is heart wrenching for me to witness your attention drift away.’
His deep voice so close, strong body almost weighing down on her, so ensconced in the back of the library as they were, Lizzy let herself go. In an almost feverish state, she held his jacket’s lapels for leverage, closed her eyes, rose on tip toes and placed a light kiss on the side of his lips.
Darcy wasn’t expecting such a response – he hoped for it, but didn’t expect. His heart leaped, a smile grew, arms held her close to him. ‘I ardently love you.’
Her fine eyes slowly raised from his lips to meet his gaze. ‘I… I think…’
A brief closed-lipped kiss silenced her. He could wait to hear her certainty; time was on his side.
‘Should we not return to the others?’
‘I’ve shared you with them too much already this evening.’
‘Fitzwilliam…’
‘Excuse yourself; let me show you the Abbey.’
Lizzy bit her lip feeling very tempted to let him show her whatever he had in mind, but her friend was very young and very naïve. Would she leave Kitty or Lydia alone with a handsome charming gentleman? Well, with Lydia it would be Tilney at risk and to be true, Charlotte did seem to find ways to vanish from her sight from time to time.
Eleanor didn’t seem to oppose very much to her brother’s affections, and who would? Charlotte was a charming girl.
‘Please, Lizzy.’ Darcy insisted.
Reluctantly she nodded.
Roaming the big house counting on his arm for support and hearing Darcy tell her the Abbey’s medieval story, Lizzy couldn’t shake off the gothic ghosts Charlotte kept babbling about.
‘You think there are secrets here?’
‘Surely. Many I’d say.’
‘Charlotte is convinced there are ghosts and vampires.’
Darcy laughed.
‘Henry said so.’ Lizzy bit her lip. ‘He said there are several kinds of vampirism.’
‘I believe he implied family grieving.’
‘But the place does spook us in a night like this, storm outside and this cold wind. The moon must shine on the river...’ She mused. ‘It’s full moon quarter.’
They climbed the steps slowly and as they reached the second landing, they both started to feel sorry for having to say goodbye for the night.
‘It does.’ He said and she turned to look straight in his eyes. ‘My room faces the river.’ She blushed. ‘It’s up on the third floor, higher than the treetops and the stone keep.’
‘Oh, what a view it must be...’ She bit her lip.
‘Do you want to see it?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Enter your room at this hour? After dinner?’
‘During the day you can’t see the moon.’
She shook her head, he chuckled.
‘But what if someone sees me, Fitzwilliam?’
‘You’ll be compromised?’ A smile. ‘Come on, we’ll take care.’
They sneaked up the side stairs giggling as children stealing rolls from the kitchen and as soon as they closed his door behind them, they heard his valet.
Darcy pressed his finger to his lips, she nodded holding his arm. ‘It’s fine, Evans.’ He tried to keep a steady voice pushing the girl behind his back. ‘I’m still sleepless, you can go. Good night.’
‘Won’t you want help changing, sir?’ The man’s voice came from the side door near the window where a shadow threatened to erupt from the threshold.
Lizzy felt her knees jiggle. What if he changed clothes while she was there? He was so handsome...
‘No, it’s still early.’ Darcy answered raising his voice in a tone of finality. ‘Thank you, good night.’
‘Very well, good night, Mr. Darcy.’
They waited without moving for a few moments until there was no more noise coming from the changing room.
‘Come, Lizzy, the balcony is over there.’ He whispered reaching behind him to clasp hands with her. ‘You’re shaking!’ A chuckle.
‘It was so close!’
‘He’d never rattle on me.’
‘Still!...’
At the balcony, they awkwardly stayed side by side admiring the magnificent park under the light of the moon until Darcy vanished inside and returned with two small wine glasses.
‘Oh, thank you.’
‘It’s really a dream coming true having you here with me.’ He smiled and sipped the liquorish beverage.
‘’Tis just for the moonlight.’ She teased.
‘Like a spell.’ He leaned to steal a kiss snaking an arm around her waist to bring her so close to his chest it was impossible to keep any resemblance of propriety. At first, they touched lips but he cajoled her to open her mouth and allow him to taste her flavor.
It seemed strange, it warmed her in spite of the wind and the storm, even the occasional raindrops that reached her skin, but it was oh so amazing!
And his kisses traveled her face, her ear, soon reached the column of her neck.
Before she knew, her scarf and his jacket were on the floor.
The next night it didn’t rain, the moonlight was brighter and the kisses a little bolder. Sassy, she perched on the ledge of his room’s balcony.
‘I’m in your hands.’ She teased in a smile holding his shirt.
'You’re safe.’ He murmured close to her ear.
She trembled. ‘You could easily tip me over.’
‘I only have the intention of making you fall there.’ He motioned with his head towards the bed, she blushed. ‘Nowhere else. Your life and virtue are safe with me.’
‘Even if your lips caress my cleavage?’
‘I’m only following the trail you left me when you perfumed yourself, minx.’
Lizzy gasped. ‘Can you tell?’
They chuckled, aware they were playing with fire.
‘Shsh!’ Her dainty fingers pressed over his mouth. ‘If someone hear us and show up on that window-’ She pointed up. ‘-or that one-’ She pointed down ‘- I’m compromised!’
‘No one will show up, this side of the house is only used by guests the family utterly trusts.’ Darcy said with hooded eyes trained on her lips and bosom.
‘You are an utterly trustworthy gentleman, I suppose.’ Lizzy teased caressing his jaw.
‘At your disposal.’
‘Your hand traveling up my stocking is no cause for alarm, then?’
His fingers closed on her thigh just over her knee. ‘I love you, Lizzy. Most ardently.’
‘I know.’ A kiss and said leg slightly raised to rest over his thigh. ‘I love you too.’
He smiled so brightly it seemed the moon disappeared to give way to the sun. Finally, the time had come, she was his and he was hers. ‘Allow me to write to your father asking permission to marry you.’
She jerked her head back, blinked, lips apart to breath.
‘Please?’ He begged, she nodded.
In an easy movement, he got her in his arms and deposited her on the huge bed, took off his coat and shoes and laid beside her to resume the kisses.
‘May I?’ He asked with fingers on her dress’ ribbon.
Lizzy thought that loosening up the bodice wouldn’t be a sin bigger than sharing caresses on his bed, so she nodded. But the kisses escalated, he lost the vest, she the dress and the corset was opened to her ribs when they stopped breathless. The petticoats, those were tangled over her knees.
The third day of moon admiring at his room’s balcony, he brought her a thin funny looking crystal glass with bubbly white wine. ‘Taste this.’
‘Oh, wow!’ She giggled cleaning bubbles from her nose. ‘It’s delicious.’
‘Tilney and I bought it together from the same corsair years ago, it’s French champagne.’ A handsome smile decorated his face and warmed her heart. ‘I’ll serve on our wedding breakfast.’
‘Fitzwilliam!’
He grinned taking off his jacket and cravat. ‘Tilney offered us this bottle when I told him the good news.’
Lizzy frowned. ‘You betrayed our secret! Now he will tell Eleanor and Charlotte, they’ll be cross I didn’t say anything even though we spent the day together exploring the house and talking about all kinds of ladies’ trinkets…’
‘Whatever could be defined as ladies’ trinkets, my love?’ He asked still grinning. ‘Georgiana might like to discuss this as well.’
‘Huh.’ She grumbled. ‘Traitor! Now everybody knows I come here at night. How will I face them tomorrow?’
‘No!’ He shook his head offended and handed her his glass to disentangle the garments. ‘Your visits are ours alone; I will never talk about this, Lizzy.’ She was still suspicious. ‘Tilney went to the village with me to procure the express that took the letter to your father, to my solicitor and I took care of a gift for you.’
‘You already sent word to Meryton?’
‘Yes, it must reach Longbourn tomorrow morning, early afternoon the latest.’
She bit her lip.
‘Second thoughts?’
‘No...’ A sigh. ‘Only imagining my mother throwing a fit and writing aunt Phillips who is waiting my return in Bath.’ She took a big sip of her glass. ‘Is Gretna Green too far?’
He chuckled. ‘Yes. We agreed on no compromising.’
‘Huh.’ She took a big sip from his glass too so they’d be even.
‘Here’s your gift.’
‘Oh, thank you... I don’t have anything for you, Fitzwilliam.’
A kiss and he exchanged the parchment wrapping for his glass. ‘I thought you’d be more comfortable here with me in this.’
She blushed, he was almost naked: pants and shirt with top buttons opened, nothing else.
‘Should I?...‘
‘Please.’ He smiled.
Maybe it was the moon, the champagne and her imagination together but to her his smile seemed of a rogue nature. The most handsome perfect valuable trustworthy rogue there could be. Weren’t those the worst kind?
In his dressing room, she saw drafts of the letter he sent her father, such respectful love words… Plus the letter to the bishop procuring the special marriage license and one to his sister. It was so touching, her heart swelled. The whole atmosphere of that sojourn in Northanger Abbey was inebriating. Opening the gift, a shudder ran through her: he had commissioned her a negligée, a very revealing one.
 |
| Ives Chancey - Undine rising from the waters |
She returned to the room with nothing under the negligée holding it against her chest. ‘Do you-’ She swallowed. ‘Do you like it?’
‘It’s perfect.’ He whispered offering his hand, she took it, they held each other close and kissed like never again the two bodies could be separated.
She was nervous, he could tell. The devil take him if he was not taken aback by her boldness! His Lizzy was perfect, all loveliness and handsomeness in a single woman made only for him, solely for the purpose of completing his life. The letter should be really close to her father, he had already instructed his solicitor to make arrangements for his wedding, they were alone, she was in his arms…
From there where they stood holding in the middle of the room, he took her to the bed, fingers always exploring over the thin garment.
The candleholder was forgotten over the mantle; their bodies were bathed on shadows making their languid movements acquire a poetic scene.
She raised her arms to take away a few hairpins that pinched her head when she laid against his pillow and he drooled over the image of her breasts.
A deep groan, his big hand covered her left breast and lips touched the right one. ‘So beautiful.’
‘Fitzwilliam!’ She gasped, knees clasped as if to hold in a feeling impossible to handle. ‘This-’
‘One day you’ll be in my bed without anything hiding your beauty, my love.’
She moaned.
He kissed the breast he held. ‘So perfect.’ His leg forced to gain space between hers allowing her to feel the hard volume in his breaches.
Intrigued, she wriggled against the mattress, he groaned again, captured her mouth in a searing kiss and the hardness against her leg was more perceptible.
‘Where does this goes?’ She asked in a soft voice lowering her hand to touch him without notice.
Catching him unawares, he didn’t have time to prevent the touch or make it more agreeable to both – not that it displeased him. In fact, it was a true dream realized to have an intelligent beautiful wife who was also a passionate minx in his bed.
‘I’ve seen you arranging it when we’re alone here at night.’ She whispered as he kept silently holding his teeth together so fiercely she could see his jaw’s bone through his skin.
‘Let me show you.’ He took a deep breath, entwined his big fingers with her delicate ones and over his breaches caressed his length. He groaned, it twitched, she blinked feeling her mouth water.
‘It’s warm…’
‘Very.’
‘Can you control it?’ She whispered.
He shook his head putting more strength on the hold of their fingers around him. ‘You can.’
A few moments passed in between wet kisses and bold caresses, very wet and very, very bold.
‘This is a sin.’ She moaned in his opened mouth.
‘Yes.’ His other hand never left her breast.
‘Am I compromised now?’
‘Yes, but our marriage will only be consummated when this-’ He gave himself a final squeeze with their entwined fingers before traveling between her legs over the negligée. ‘Goes here.’
A delicious long moan, her back arched raising from the mattress offering her chest to his mouth, the perfume of her body took him over and before he knew, his hand disengaged from hers to explore on its own.
The feel of being invaded by a single phalanx made her utter a cry that would have resonated in the room if he hadn’t been expecting to kiss her silent. ‘Calm down, my love.’
‘Oh, please. What is that?’
‘I could just taste you here.’ He let the tip of his finger caress her clit, she begged in a long incoherent moan of someone who had no idea of what she felt. ‘Where?’ He teased in a sly smile. ‘Here?’ And he did it again.’
‘Tell me, what is this?’ She clasped her legs together.
‘Open, let me explain.’ Her particular rogue smiled sideways.
Her breathing would never be the same, forever she’d need more air than there was available in England. But she tried, still clasped her legs together, still held his hand in both of hers, still stared at the shadows the moon and the candles played in the ceiling.
‘I should have asked you to compromise me sooner.’
He chuckled.
‘How could I know?’
‘Girls are not supposed to know.’
‘Men do?’
‘We have to, otherwise how would a perfect rose like you consider giving me a second chance?’
Lizzy turned to lay on her side and look him in the eye. ‘If you had explained this before, you wouldn’t need a second chance!’ He laughed, held her face for a kiss, she blushed seeing the stain in his breaches. ‘When will it be different? I mean, you won’t waste your…’
‘Our wedding day.’
‘Ah.’
‘And when-’ She stopped asking sassy questions, looked at the closed door. ‘Did you hear it?’
‘Yes.’ Darcy rose. ‘Dress up, take my robe from the dressing room.’ There was someone on the stairs.
‘I wonder if it is the Abbey’s ghost.’
‘Shshsh!’
In his travelling coat, Darcy stepped outside his room barefoot, cautiously looked around, jumped when Lizzy grabbed his waist from behind and again when suddenly Charlotte appeared on the darkened third floor stairs.
‘Miss Charlotte! What are you doing here at his hour?’
‘I…’ The girl stammered. ‘I only wanted to investigate…’
‘She believes my family has a horrible secret.’ Tilney’s voice was heard loud and clear from somewhere close. 'She believes my father killed my mother!’
 |
| Bookstore at Vendata temple |
Bertha woke up with a sassy warm smile on her lips feeling the sandpaper tongue of her parents’ cat on her face. ‘Are you hungry, Ginger?’ She yawned petted the fat feline thinking a long soak bath scrubbing the right places would do her much good.
---
Lottie paced her living room, cell phone against her year, teeth clamped, ire burning her patience. ‘Pick up the phone, you-’
“Hello?”
“What do you want, Bertha? Ruin my life?”
“Ouch, Lottie! Why are you yelling?”
“You invaded my dream!”
“I, what?”
“My belladama dream! You hitchhiked my dream, you messed it up, you wanted to control what I did with my partner!”
“No!...”
“Yes!”
“Did I?”
“Don’t you remember being my chaperone and controlling the time I spent with the hot old-fashioned guy in love with me? I kept shaking you off, but you never took the hint! He wanted to marry me, we were supposed to live a love story for a few more days but you meddled in and cut it short!”
Bertha didn’t know what to say.
“How did you manage such a mess?”
“Have no idea, you are the fake witch. I just came to visit my parents, but they left for the weekend so I took the tea to relax and-”
 |
| business Korea |
“Oh. My. God. You’re here in Merrytown.” Lottie cursed under her voice. “This must be the reason.”
“What do we do now?”
“You must have used your last portion, so I’m safe. Get out of my dreams, Bertha!” Lottie yelled again. “I should never have given it to you in the first place!”
“I’m sorry, I just-”
Bertha stared at her cell phone not believing her calm and controlled longtime friend had disconnected so rudely. Belladama dreams were serious business, it seemed.
~ continues ~
A.N.- This chapter was updated in June.2019 because as I revised, it seemed to me that Darcy was a bit too harsh. Just a few lines were changed, very subtle but capital. M.
A.N.- This chapter was updated in June.2019 because as I revised, it seemed to me that Darcy was a bit too harsh. Just a few lines were changed, very subtle but capital. M.
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