My blog spent a week bugged, half of it under www.moirabianchi.com.br and it sucked! Excatly as book 3 came out... Oh, what a sad coincidence... At least now it's all solved.
Well... This chapter shows how the whole book will come out... A whole lotta love!
Again, both Amazon and Smashwords will probably give you even more as free sample, but here this is it...
BOOK 3
PARTNERS
Previous chapter
CHAPTER 2
The Kingdom
There was a lot of planning; a lot of explaining; a lot of packing; a lot of crying, howling and meowing as Yoda and Shoyu were boarded at the vet and mostly a lot of anxiousness controlling when July finally arrived and with it, the visit to Pemberley.
During the unsettling June when both
Wickham and Anne tried their best to waste Elizabeth’s peace of mind, she discovered
meditation and returned to acupuncture to align her chakras and cope with what the
planets were keeping in store for them. Sarah and Cassandra were lovely girls
who Elizabeth thought would welcome the marriage but Diana and Thomas were
another kettle of fish. Diana was skittish and Tom was jealous, protective of
his mother.
As the plane prepared to land in Manchester
where Darcy was waiting, Elizabeth practiced her breathing exercises. Inhaling
by her mouth and closing one nostril at a time to exhale. Once, twice, five
times. Even if she breathed in and out another twenty times, Darcy’s nude
magnificence would still intrude her mind. The eminence of meeting him again
after a trimester messed up with her.
Juggling three kids, a sister, a
housekeeper, six big suitcases, five inflight bags and a stroller was not easy
but as soon as they reached the sliding doors, Elizabeth could see Darcy’s
anxiousness fade into a big tight lipped smile. Until his beguiling slanted
eyes focused on her face and new hair. He frowned even though the smile never
left his mouth.
The three children were very happy to meet Sarah
and Graham giving Elizabeth a few seconds to greet Darcy without having to
share his attention.
‘That’s new.’ He said caressing her three
inches shorter and a few shades lighter hair, the amethyst earring moving
delicately.
‘It was too long.’ She shrugged and rose on
her toes to kiss his cheek. ‘And the highlights make me look younger.’
He pressed his lips to contain the smile
threatening to explode on his face. ‘Finally.’
She hugged him and nodded with her nose
glued to his neck. Finally July had arrived and they would be together for a
month. A whole month.
‘Lizzy!’ Sarah shrieked. ‘What happened to
your hair?’
‘Didn’t you like it?’ Elizabeth released
father to hug daughter. ‘Are you cutting class, missy?’
‘Just two days… I’ll return to school Monday
morning but Dad said I can come every weekend while you’re here!’ The girl
smiled. ‘I love the color but you cut too much!...’ Sarah said in a pained
expression running her hands on Elizabeth’s tresses that now reached mid
shoulder blades.
‘Hair is like grass, Sally. It’ll grow back
in a blink!’ Elizabeth smiled.
‘It was really long, Sally.’ Jane said and
leaned demurely to kiss Darcy’s cheek.
‘Here!’ Cassandra said excitedly touching
her mother’s ribs.
Darcy crouched down smiling. ‘Hello, doll.
How’s your wrist?’
‘So much better!’ The girl gave him a
serious nod making her hair bounce. ‘I’m back on my skates, I brought them!’
She grinned.
‘Your pretty hair is shorter too, isn’t it?’
He asked the toddler.
She blushed and looked down. ‘Mommy made me
cut it… she said pretty small girls have hair skimming their shoulders…’ Cassandra
half complained half regretted.
‘Mommy is a pretty girl, isn’t she?’ Darcy
asked brushing the girl’s bangs out of her eyes and she nodded. ‘She’s the
prettiest girl I know.’ He said and the girl giggled. ‘She must know about
pretty girls’ hair…’ The toddler gave him a Lizzy smile, the one he used to get
inside girlish letters and his heart warmed. He kissed her forehead and with an
arm around her rainbow poka dotted legs, brought Cassandra up in his lap as he
stood. ‘What about you, mate?’ He smiled at Elizabeth’s son inside a Manchester
City jersey.
‘Fine.’ Tom nodded sadly. ‘Mom gave me a
pill.’
‘Are you ill?’ Darcy ruffled the boy’s hair
as Cassandra hugged his neck.
The boy shook his head. ‘Sick of
travelling.’
‘I’ve got something to cheer you up.’ Darcy
said and chuckled when Tom’s green expression alighted seeing the soccer Champions’
League match tickets he had produced from his pocket. ‘Let’s go home.’
Bags here and bags there, who would ride
where, long minutes discussing the logistics of the crowd fitting three cars and
they were moving. It had been years since the girls were that young and they
were never as loud as Tom and Cassandra, especially with the addition of an
excited Sally, but Darcy felt very cheerful with the noise. He drove with
Elizabeth by his side while Tom, Reynalda and Cassandra on Sarah’s lap occupied
the backseat chatting animatedly, planning what they would do on the first week
everyone would spend together. The two following weeks would take Elizabeth
from them as she had to attend classes and the last week would bring them all
together once more.
When Darcy parked by the front door, the
driver had already arrived with the bags and Graham was only minutes away with
Jane and Julia. Taking advantage of the kids’ hubbub, Elizabeth hugged Darcy’s
waist and handed him a small keychain.
‘What’s this, Love?’ He asked rolling the small
stone tube on his fingers.
 |
| tiger-tiger |
‘It’s a dzi
bead.’ She said showing him hers hanging from her neck. ‘A Tibetan amulet.
We both have the ‘Heaven and Earth’
bead, it purifies obstacles, aligns elements, attracts luck and repels evil.’
She said seriously.
‘Bart, you’ve been meditating too much.’ He
smiled patronizingly at her.
She squinted.
‘Look at these gardens!’ They heard Cassandra
squeak. ‘I wish we had brought my bike!... Let’s have a picnic, Sally? I have
my dolls!’
‘Do you want me to use this?’ Darcy asked
trying to keep serious.
‘You have no idea how hard it is to find
these in Rio.’ She raised her brows and nodded vehemently. ‘And it’s not cheap
either. We need protection, King.’
He nodded inspecting the stone, an arm
around her waist as she kept one around his.
‘You’re making fun of me.’ She accused. ‘Jerk!’
‘Fine. I’ll use it if it’s important to
you.’ He fished his keys from his pocket and attached the bead’s string. ‘We’re
together now, relax.’
‘I hate you.’ She said squinting and he had
to lower his head to kiss her lips.
Since she stepped out of the restricted
airport area he had been controlling himself, the last rocky month made them
both ache for the other’s reassurance. But before his lips touched hers, she
turned her face to the side and tilted her head to where the children were,
their curious eyes intent on them.
Darcy sighed. A cheek kiss it would be. Sarah,
Thomas and Cassandra blinked but Darcy and Elizabeth were saved from any
inquiry by Diana showing up on the front door.
Introductions were made; she kissed
Elizabeth’s cheek, ruffled the kids’ hair but kept her face almost frozen,
incapable of digesting the onslaught. Her father’s house was being invaded and
she was helpless, as lost as a pet when owners bring home a new baby. Her
mother had admonished her against Elizabeth, forewarning that the Brazilian skank would pounce on him
as soon as the marriage was broken. And here she was, with her children, maid,
sister… Quietly Diana observed when the boy moved closer to her father and
whispered something to him that made him frown and shake his head with a sad
expression.
‘I do have horses, though.’ Darcy said and
the boy smiled. ‘I guess we can buy bikes…’ He said. ‘But a dirt bike…’
‘Don’t fall for that, Fitz!’ Elizabeth
shook her finger at them. ‘Diana, protect your father.’
Diana smiled surprised by the mentioning of
her name. Considering herself a silent bystander who witnessed the Brazilian
crowd take advantage of her father, she was genuinely pleased to be remembered.
‘Tom, I already told you dirt bikes are
prohibited.’ Elizabeth said carrying her purse and two inflight bags from the
car.
‘But mom, if I don’t try it I’ll never
learn how to ride one.’ The boy whined. ‘Video games are also not allowed…’
‘If you play for a whole daylong, yes it’s
not allowed.’ Elizabeth shook her head and smiled when the maids came to help
her. She greeted them all with a handshake and indicated where the bags were.
‘We’ll see into it, mate.’ Darcy whispered
to Tom who smiled.
‘What is this? A mutiny?’ Elizabeth shouted
as she moved past them on her way inside the house. ‘Tell them about the secret.’
She said knowing it would kill Darcy’s element of surprise and he shook his
head at her.
‘Is it candy?’ Cassandra asked jumping up
and down.
‘Popsicles?’ Julia asked running from
Graham’s hand to hug Darcy’s leg.
‘A horse show?’ Tom smiled expectantly.
Darcy shook his head again. ‘You’ll see.’
---
Darcy had everything planned meticulously.
Graham and Jane would take Anne’s room – now a guest room once her things were
delivered at Rosings, Diana and Sarah each had their own rooms. Elizabeth’s
kids would take the guest room attached to his and the lady in question, the
one who inspired his life for the last years would finally occupy his bed’s
left side.
To his abhorrence, his careful plans were
thwarted. The maids had to hurry from room to room carrying bags and linens,
rearranging the already prepared beds as he stood in the middle of the hall,
petrified and magnificent as the Colossus of Rhodes, arms crossed high on his
chest and legs apart.
Tom wouldn’t sleep with his sister for the
world. She had nightmares and screamed, talked to her dolls and kicked the
whole night. He was given the family guest room.
Elizabeth wouldn’t let Reynalda sleep at
the servants’ quarters for the world. She was family and didn’t speak English
enough to chat with people.
Cassandra wouldn’t sleep far from her
mother. Or Reynalda. Ever. Neither for the world or the universe.
And worst, Elizabeth wouldn’t sleep in his
bed.
‘I can’t hop into your bed.’ Elizabeth
touched his arm. ‘Not yet.’
‘Huh.’
She pressed her lips together. ‘You know
what?’ She looked at him through her lashes. ‘I brought workout clothes hoping
you’d let me try your rowing machine…’ She smiled.
“Good
God, the lioness.” Darcy felt his loins twitch and
in his head he lowered his arms, whisked her in his lap and trotted to his
bedroom. But in reality they kept in the middle of the hall as hell broke loose
around them. ‘You use it naked.’ He said seriously. ‘It says on the manual.’ Elizabeth
laughed and hugged his waist; he uncrossed his arms to hug her back. ‘Please,
stay with me.’ He insisted in a whisper.
‘You know it’s too early.’
---
Two days later, Elizabeth wished she had
shocked their kids and stayed in his bed.
Life at Pemberley house needed her full
attention even though she hadn’t moved in yet and only few people knew for sure
she would eventually. Reynalda didn’t speak English enough to be left on her
own, the kids needed help settling down and she wanted them to like Pemberley
so she made an extra effort.
Sarah missed her and she spent time
chatting with the girl about innumerous silly subjects, from school to boys,
from hair products to video games.
Cassandra had a medical appointment in the
city and Elizabeth asked Sarah to tag along so they could do some shopping
after the consult fearing her Indu-British doctor would want to put her
daughter back in a cast and that would certainly start a tantrum.
Thomas was mostly outside enjoying that
much space for the first time in his life, as well as soccer pals in the driver
and guards who he persuaded to play on their free time.
Diana was still shying from Elizabeth and
it was unsettling. They
had barely chatted, Elizabeth had only met the girl twice and resigned to
giving time to time, she refused to force a relationship.
One
afternoon when miraculously she could disengage from everyone, Elizabeth
considered going for a power run and when casually passing by Darcy’s den’s on
her way upstairs to change, from the opened door, his velvety strong voice
caught her attention and she didn’t resist looking inside to blow him a kiss
but his deep frown made her stay: father and older daughter were having an argument
over a party the girl had been invited.
His
daughters, as her own kids, were caught in a divorce that shattered their world;
with teenagers, such a change was tantamount worse. Elizabeth felt guilty and
still over indulged her babies on occasion; it was only natural to indulge her
step daughters as well.
Two
women against Darcy, one who looked like him, another looking so fucking hot in
denim shorts, he had no chance of resisting, they didn’t even need to argue for
long. A face splitting smile on her face, Diana left them with her phone in her
ear, talking in animated rushed tones.
‘That
was unfair, Lizzy.’ Darcy ran a hand through his hair, the other on his hips. ‘She’s
too young to go out alone and come back at one in the morning!’ He shook his
head. ‘Eleven thirty was her limit.’
‘It’s
summer and she’s a teenager almost on vacation.’ Elizabeth smiled.
‘You
want to seduce her.’ Darcy accused.
‘I want
to seduce her father!’ Elizabeth sashayed closer to him and he took a few steps
towards her.
‘He is
very keen.’ Darcy whispered on her lips a second before they finally shared a
series of proper kisses. She was ensconced inside his arms hugging his waist,
one hand inside his pants on the small of his back. He engulfed her in his big
frame, one arm securing her waist and pressing her into him, another on her
shoulder blades to hold her head and caress her ear with his thumb. ‘Let’s go
upstairs.’ He urged and she nodded, turned on and moist already.
Wasting
time on one last kiss before trotting up the stairs, they heard an awful noise
of something heavy rolling down the stairs followed by a piercing cry.
Desperate,
Elizabeth ran to the hall to see Cassandra sprawled on the floor with a large plastic
storage box’s lid beside her.
‘Oh my
God!’ Elizabeth kneeled on the floor beside her daughter while Darcy frowned
fishing his phone from his pocket to call an ambulance but something caught his
eye: Thomas standing at the top of the stairs with his hands on his hips and
lips pressed together, another big lid beside him. And worse, Julia was near,
wide eyed and with a lid of her own.
‘What did
you do, Thomas?’ Darcy asked the boy and Elizabeth looked up at him peeved that
he talked to her son in that harsh tone. A second later she looked at the boy at
the top of the stairs and understood.
Tom
shook his head. ‘Nothing. We were trying to bobsled down the stairs and I told
her this lid wouldn’t be good enough.’
‘We had
to try…’ Cassandra whined slowly sitting up.
‘You’re
too stubborn.’ Tom took a seat on the first step. ‘I said we need a carbon box.’
As the
brothers started discussing the mechanics of stairs bobsledding, Darcy touched
Elizabeth’s shoulder and tilted his head to a side.
She
averted her eyes from him to her daughter and he shook his head.
‘She’s
fine.’ He whispered and without further encouragement, she rose to her feet,
took his hand and they walked back towards his den since the stairs were now
compromised.
The den
was the obvious place anyone would try if they noticed they were MIA so she pushed him forward and as
they heard someone call ‘Mom…’ they hurried inside the first door available. It
was a small sitting room that was obviously not used regularly and smelled
faintly of dust but the door didn’t squeak when Darcy closed it behind them.
Giggling
she pushed him against the wall by the door and attacked his mouth hungrily.
His hands snaked inside her top and expertly hiked up her bra to knead her
breasts, making her moan in his mouth.
‘Shhh,
be quiet.’ Darcy whispered waking in Elizabeth the need for revenge.
She
snaked her hands downwards, one inside his pants waist, another cupping his
bulging dick, effectively making him groan. She chuckled and he reciprocated
with a hand inside the back of her shorts.
‘Do me!’
She whispered heatedly, her hand closed around his wood and moaned feeling the
paper thin skin slid around the solid center. He chuckled feeling very turned
on by her urgency. The sexual tension of being in the
same house but not touching after anticipating these vacations together for a
longtime was unbearable and she needed the release only he could give her, even
if in rabbit mode. ‘I’m
always staring at your crotch! I beg you, please cock me.’ She breathed.
‘That’s raunchy.’ He complained amused.
Elizabeth sighed
exasperated. ‘Please love me intensely because I have a yearning in my very
core.’ She groaned in a ragged breath.
Darcy chuckled. ‘It’ll be my pleasure.’
She stole the air from his lungs by kneading
his dick and balls inside and outside his pants; he craved to feel her ‘pretty
little thing’ smearing his fingers. Greedily he tugged on her shorts button to
open it and invade her panties but before he touched heaven, another piercing
cry reached them.
And this one was followed by another that
Elizabeth recognized coming from Jane.
---
Around the
dinner table, the animated noise of a full Pemberley was very unsettling. Although
Darcy was happy with Elizabeth’s presence after such a long wait, he was used
to quiet lone meals when he would be left to his own thoughts. The last family
meals this dining room had witnessed consisted on halted conversations and long
stretches of silence. Now the table burst with laughter and voices chatting, an
occasional whine over vegetables or a chastising.
Graham’s
impression of a caring father was very amusing to watch, the way he fed baby
Julia her peas while she only spooned mashed potatoes or checked the band aid adorning her forehead was
particularly entertaining.
‘I’ve
never seen a vegetarian child come from a meat eating home before.’ Darcy said
watching Julia nibble on a baby carrot. ‘Didn’t she eat chicken tenders at Disney?’
‘She
eats fish or chicken if you force her.’ Jane looked with adoring eyes at her
daughter and boyfriend competing to win the carrot nibbling contest.
Elizabeth
nudged Darcy. ‘Rabbits!’ She said and he pressed his lips together. ‘I like
rabbits. They are cute animals. Can be fierce too, if urged.’ He nodded. ‘I’d
like to meet a rabbit.’ She insisted.
‘Do you
have rabbits here?’ Cassandra asked hopefully.
Darcy
shook his head no.
‘They
were scared away; you made a lot of noise this afternoon.’ Elizabeth bounced
her legs under the table and Darcy rested a hand on her knee to calm her, he
was barely keeping it together as well. It had been almost three days since his
love arrived in his house and still he hadn’t had her naked yet. There was
always one of the kids wanting to talk to her, a phone call for him, a bad
dream for Cassandra, Tom’s need for his mother, Jane and her professional views
of the house, one thing or another. Even so, it was very alluring to know she
was as turned on as he was.
‘Why is Diana
gone missing?’ Cassandra asked looking dejectedly from her peas that refused to
disappear from her plate to Julia’s birthday cake on the side board waiting to
be served as dessert.
‘She didn’t
‘go missing’, you silly! She went
out.’ Tom rolled his eyes.
‘She had
a party.’ Sally said.
‘You’re
too young, sweetie. Your father is right.’ Elizabeth touched the saddened girl’s
hand.
Darcy
reached out and scooped half of Cassandra’s peas as her mother was distracted.
‘She’s
only two years older than me.’ Sarah whined.
Cassandra
looked sideways at her mother barely disguising her joy in being relieved of
the offending green food.
‘Diana
is also too young.’ Darcy groaned munching Cassandra’s peas.
‘Oh
please, not again!’ Elizabeth poked him in the ribs. ‘She’s 17! That’s the age
for parties! Don’t you remember what it felt like? Only twenty eight years ago!...’
‘Huh.’
 |
| gigabiting |
‘A
driver took her and will bring her back; the party is at the club. What could
happen?’ Elizabeth sipped her wine.
‘It has
only been twenty four years for you.’
Darcy squinted at her and he could see she was fuming at the age reference. ‘Have
you forgotten how boys are at seventeen?’
‘How are
we at seventeen?’ Tom asked.
‘Grosse, I bet.’ Cassandra grumbled.
‘Unstoppable.’
Graham pointed at Tom and Darcy pointed at Graham, giving Elizabeth the stinky
eye.
‘Oh,
alright!’ She threw her hands up. ‘I’ll go get her at half past midnight. Is it
better? I’ll take full responsibility.’ She said, deep down fearing what the
repressed girl might be up to. She had specifically warned Diana against booze
and greedy boys in what she hoped was a cool conversation, but with teenagers
one could never know.
‘Fine.’
Darcy nodded. ‘And I’ll take full responsibility for Tom’s motorized dirt bike.’
‘Yes!’
Tom pumped his fist.
Elizabeth
shook her head vehemently. Her legs started bouncing again. ‘That’s unfair! You
know he’s been dreaming about this.’ She cautioned Darcy.
‘Indulging
your child is unfair, huh?’ He raised his brows and took a healthy bite of
food.
‘Ah,
lovely Reynalda!’ Graham greeted the housekeeper who came into the room. ‘What have
you got there, my dear? Is it what I hope it is?’
‘Chicken
pie.’ Reynalda smiled. ‘Didn’t you ask for it?’
Graham
sighed slowly. ‘Madam, I’ll double whatever salary my boring cousin offered
you. Please come to my house and help me care for these two beautiful ladies.’
‘No!’
Elizabeth shouted.
‘Good
luck breaking these two apart, Graham.’ Darcy chuckled.
‘Are you
jealous?’ Elizabeth pinched his cheek.
Secretly,
Darcy was but not of her love for Reynalda. He was jealous of his cousin whose
work permitted him to spend several weeks in Rio whenever he wanted, who often
went to his sister-in-law’s house for dinner and was intimate enough to be
indulged by her housekeeper. Darcy’s housekeeper-to-be.
‘Don’t
be, boss.’ Reynalda said, answering their heavily accented chat in Portuguese. ‘I
have something for you too.’ She smiled and took the tray the maid behind her
was carrying.
Darcy’s
mouth watered as he looked at the steamy dark balls in front of him. ‘What are
these, Mrs. Rey?’ He asked making Elizabeth smile at his addressing of her
housekeeper.
‘Feijoada fritters.’ The beautiful and
intimidating woman said in a smile. ‘The best way I could make do. You have different
beans here, and your collard is also not the same. But I think they taste good.’
‘Someone
has been pretty busy.’ Elizabeth poked Reynalda’s arm and she giggled.
The tall
black warrior was feeling very awkward after the serious conversation Darcy had
with her when they arrived. He offered her the post of housekeeper and with it
came several implications. Reynalda would need to master the language fast, she
would run a house ten times bigger than Elizabeth’s apartment in Rio, the
family she would take care of would double and she would have seven employees
to order around. Aside all professional requirements, she also would have a
house of her own to start from scratch. To help Reynalda, Darcy had chosen the
maid Elizabeth liked best – Hill, the one that had attended her on her last
visit to Pemberley. To persuade Reynalda, he had presented a big paycheck that
was already pretty generous in pounds, and converted in reais it was four times higher, almost three times what she made in
Brazil. And it was effective immediately to help Elizabeth get ready to move
and start running Pemberley house as the new mistress liked.
After
the hearty meal, they sang happy birthday to a grinning baby Julia, the big
family went outside to finish their wine at the balcony and Elizabeth lost
Darcy to Tom who excitedly made plans concerning the previously forbidden
motorcycle for hours.
---
Darcy’s chances to spend time alone with
Elizabeth were always scarce. As he spent the day outside with Tom, Cassandra
and Julia riding horses or their new bikes with a delighted Sarah as company,
Diana mostly locked in her room, Graham and Jane taking care of the crowd,
Elizabeth studied. Her PhD’s counselors demanded bigger advances both in her
research and essays so she needed to cram.
Although
the soccer match and the bike helped Darcy bond with Thomas, it also tied them further
preventing him to glue to Elizabeth. They had nice man-to-man chats on both
occasions, shared male moments such
as rooting for the same team, fitting the dirt bike in the back of Darcy’s Range
Rover and bringing it home or horse riding.
Darcy
hadn’t driven a motorcycle since his teenage years but was glad to see that he
still remembered how to do it and took his time teaching the boy. To his
surprise, it not only caught Graham’s attention but also his daughters when
they returned for the weekend.
The group scattered around the grounds
enjoying the day, from his den Elizabeth heard Darcy calling out for her. She
hurried to the door and spotted him in a run with their four kids trailing
behind him and Graham with Julia on his arm.
‘Shall we?’ Jane asked behind her.
Elizabeth jumped and then nodded. ‘Sure.’
They linked arms and skipped a few steps to
synchronize their strides as they used to when children.
‘Tell me how much you will charge to make
this old-fashioned castle into a home, sister architect.’ Elizabeth smiled.
‘Oh… I already have incredible ideas!’ Jane
grinned. ‘So many possibilities to such
a big house… Fitz is really loaded, isn’t he? This many employees must cost a
fortune here in Europe.’
Elizabeth nodded in a serious expression. ‘He
is always surrounded by staff, either here, in London or his offices... It’s so
different from us.’
‘Graham also has drivers and housekeepers… but
Fitz has a freaking horse barn and you’re not intimidated!’ Jane squeaked.
Shrugging, Elizabeth kept the seriousness. ‘He
always had that; we talked about it in letters... Not that this many people
around is not unnerving sometimes…’ She let her eyes lock on his impressing
figure walking several meters ahead of them. ‘How does Graham live in London?’
‘He has a housekeeper that helped raise him,
his mother orders the woman. Here in Manchester he stays with his parents. We’re
having lunch there this week so I can meet them.’
‘You’ll meet mother and nanny together?’
Elizabeth gasped. ‘Imagine meeting mom and Rey at the same time!’
Jane made a pained expression.
‘How will this work, Jane? Will you take
Julia with you?’
‘I don’t know, Beebe.’
Elizabeth frowned but her sister kept
silently staring at their feet as they walked in sync. ‘Cassandra is basically
taking advantage of Fitz when he lets her-’ Elizabeth smiled at her sister. ‘But
Julia is pretty comfortable in Graham’s shoulders, I can see it!’
Jane nodded. ‘She likes to play giant.’
‘And your boyfriend is in love with her…’
‘He wants to be her dad.’ Jane mumbled. ‘Officially.’
‘Really?’ Elizabeth halted making Jane
stumble forward. ‘Oh my God, Jane! What did you say?’
Jane smiled shyly and shrugged. ‘Maybe you
could check my planets and tell me what to do?’
Darcy looked over his shoulder and urged Elizabeth
breaking the sisters’ conversation. When they arrived at the barn and
approached the group, the women found the two smaller girls on the men’s shoulders,
the seven of them intent on one of stalls as caretakers moved hurriedly around
them. Elizabeth frowned moving closer, blinking to adjust her eyes after
walking under the summer sun and suddenly understood Darcy’s cryptic hints for
the kids since they arrived.
‘Is she giving birth?’ Elizabeth whispered
in awe as a beautiful mare with a huge round belly paced her stall slowly.
‘Yes. That’s my new stallions’ first colt.’
He answered holding Cassandra’s ankle, brought Elizabeth’s back to his chest
and hugged her shoulders with one arm. ‘I’m hoping for a red one, like him.’
‘Is he here?’ She whispered and leaned back
surprised when the big animal lied down abruptly and whined.
‘That’s probably him.’ Darcy said as they
heard an answering neigh.
The foaling wasn’t
quick and they stood unmoving for the whole time, even the kids quietly whispered
questions. Except from Darcy and Graham, it was the first time they watched nature
enfold in front of their eyes as the mare foaled her baby practically alone. The
enthralling moment the white socked red foal stood in his uncertain long thin
legs brought tears to their eyes and they cheered to the admonishing of the
caretakers.
Darcy had to
insist to move them all outside the barn and wait for mother and baby take
their first stroll. Cassandra and Julia wanted to pet the red colt thinking it
was one of their cartoons’ characters and cried feeling hurt when it was not
allowed.
As the group
watched the new born follow its mother’s tits around the pen, Elizabeth watched
Darcy. He had known about the impending foaling and planned to take her
children to watch it. They were city children; of course they would love to
witness such an exuberant spectacle.
 |
| mangalargamarchador |
“Our life together might work, after all.” Her romantic side swooned. His care for
her and her entourage endeared him to her but also pierced her heart. He was so
close and yet, under the surveillance of his teenage daughters and her young
children, he was still out of her reach. There was no denial that the distance
offered her the perspective to see how perfect he was. Tall and strong, an extremely
able lover, polite, in love with her and… rich. Jane was right: who has a horse
breeding barn a mere kilometer from his house?
Would she have turned
her life around for him if they had to struggle to make ends meet every month?
On their walk back
to the house, Nanda on his shoulders still excited about the colt she wanted to
name ‘Cherry Sparkle’, Elizabeth walked by his side and snaked a hand inside
his shirt to caress his lower back.
‘Thank you, King.’
She smiled fondly at him. ‘You’re the best.’
‘Did you like the
surprise?’ He bent to let a squirming Cassandra down making Elizabeth’s hand move
to hug his waist and straightening up, he concentrated on her pretty face.
‘Oh my God!’ She
smiled, her mouth in parenthesis. ‘It was unforgettable… You rock my world; you
do know it, right?’
He hugged her
shoulder and in spite of the babbling children around them, they made love
through long stares and big smiles as they used to before his birthday in Paris,
two years before.
Unbeknownst to
them, Diana who walked behind the group, noticed the exchange with a frown as
deep as her father’s. She had never seen her parents exchange PDA’s and she had
never thought of her father as someone’s love interest. But there he was,
walking in front of her with Elizabeth’s hand inside his shirt and their faces
so close they were practically kissing.
It happened often,
this close proximity, this whispering and smiling. Diana was surprised,
betrayed and jealous. She began to resent her own mother who was never this loving
with her father, rarely fought for her against him or her grandmother and let
their family break. Most of all, Diana felt confused.
---
‘Let’s go!’ Darcy
called out from the door that evening.
‘My women are
already in the car, William.’ Graham said in a silly smile. ‘I’ve got two now! I
even have a pink booster seat!’ He chuckled happily. ‘I’ll meet you lot at the
restaurant.’
‘Fine.’ Darcy
grumbled. He had four women and a lad now, he would probably need a bigger car
to take his family out. As it was, Cassandra would be riding on Sarah’s lap
again and Darcy considered if the girl would be sad if there were seats for the
four of them. ‘Lizzy!’ He called again.
Elizabeth left his
den frowning, balancing her bag on her shoulder and a phone in her ear as she
hurriedly walked towards him.
‘Hurry up, the
kids are impatient!’ He said admiring her slender figure in boot cut denim,
wedge sandals, purple top making her curves even more enticing and a colorful
maxi necklace.
“Oui, oui, Feuillide.” She said
on the phone. “La prochaine semaine.”
Making plans for
the next week in French? Darcy raised his brows as she passed him by. ‘I’m
screwed!’ She whispered.
‘We’re leaving, Mrs.
Rey.’ He called out chuckling and closed the door behind him.
Elizabeth still
chatted in French for a few more minutes as he drove out of Pemberley. When she
finished, the raucous of noise started immediately.
‘We’ll need a
bigger car.’ Darcy mumbled and she laughed reaching out to caress his neck.
‘It seems I’ll
meet you guys in Paris next week.’ She said.
‘Will you mom?’ Cassandra
bounced on Sarah’s lap.
‘Yes, baby. But not
for Euro Disney, I’m sorry.’
Elizabeth said turning backwards to face the packed backseat. Tom sat behind
Darcy, Sarah and Cassandra in the middle and Diana, intent of her many
messaging apps, behind her. ‘My counselor wants to see me. She says I’ve been
quiet for too long.’
‘Good for us.’
Darcy smiled. He was about to face worst times than this last week when he
barely laid a hand on his soon-to-be wife. She was fleeing to London for her
classes leaving Graham and Jane to help him entertain the five kids at Euro Disney, then some London tourism
for children without his daughters.
‘I think I’ll leave
for London a day earlier.’ She pressed her lips together. ‘If I’ll be spending
a few days in Paris, I’ll need to spend more time in the library to prepare my
essays.’ She looked outside her window thinking hard. ‘Maybe the hospital’s
library…’
If Darcy believed
in her crappy planets and zodiac, he would say it was an alignment. ‘Maybe I’ll
go with you.’ He said seriously. ‘I have to check on the business, I’ve
neglected the company for too long.’
Elizabeth turned
her head to face him and saw in his eyes what he meant by neglecting. ‘You
should.’ They nodded at each other silently communicating through smiling eyes
even though their faces were impassive. ‘Rey, Graham and Jane will take the
bunch alone…’
‘Tom and I made
plans to ride to London; he is not comfortable with flying again.’ Darcy said
and Elizabeth could see from the corner of her eye that her son breathed
relieved. ‘I’ll ask my driver to take them. You and I can fly.’
‘Ok.’ She said.
‘I don’t want to endure
a three hours’ ride in a full car.’ Diana complained.
‘Two, Diana.’
Darcy answered. ‘You can fly as you usually do.’
Her father’s
indulgent answer made Diana feel a little left aside.
Roger Hodgson
started singing on the radio and Elizabeth clapped happily. ‘Supertramp, Fitz!’
They shared a smile and sang along for most of the song to the amusement of
their children. During the bridge while there was a ‘nana nana nana’ Elizabeth leaned to her right and reached out for
the steering wheel’s radio controls. ‘Please, do the radio voice…’ She asked
through her lashes as she lowered the volume.
He laughed. ‘Hijacking Manchester W540, this is the Lamb Tone.’ He said with mirth and the children cheered form the backseat. ‘This is the Prince of Pemberley. The one
and only.’
Diana looked up at her father laughing as
he drove with curious eyes, these days had been very confusing. Who was this
man in her father’s skin?
Her sister elbowed her. ‘Didn’t I tell you?’
Sarah grinned. ‘I told you!...’ She nodded vehemently.
Darcy reached out and held Elizabeth’s hand
as he drove to the restaurant, relaxed and good humored, discussing which
eighties’ band had sax or other wind instruments, playfully fighting with Elizabeth
about the music each liked best; their children in the backseat either
bickering at each other or giggling and it felt normal.
Possible.
It felt like home.
---
Let's us both know that we still love still one other
Ain't it strange and wonderful
That we, that we, we're still friends...
---
didn't I say? Luuuuve!
 |
| makeagif |
---
