 
# An Ardent Affection

### A Full Pride & Prejudice Intimate Variation

## Grace Reeve

### Contents

An Ardent Affection: Part 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

An Ardent Affection: Part 2

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

An Ardent Affection: Part 3

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

An Ardent Affection: Part 4

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Acknowledgments

About the Author
An Ardent Affection

Copyright © 2018 Grace Reeve

All rights reserved.

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No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of Grace Reeve, except for small quotations used for book reviews.

  Created with Vellum

# Dedication

For EJR, who never stopped believing

# An Ardent Affection: Part 1

# Chapter 1

Elizabeth Bennet had never ever thought she would be where she now was. Diana, her abigail, had just finished lacing up her corset and Elizabeth was now standing in front of the mirror to finish the exciting process of dressing for her wedding.

_Her_ wedding. Who would have ever expected that Elizabeth Bennet was going to marry one _Fitzwilliam Darcy_? A man who, as her mother was proud of saying, made "ten thousand a year" and had a large house in Derbyshire. In other words, Elizabeth was making a _very_ good marriage. So good a marriage that she was undeserving, no matter what she had declared to Lady Catherine on that fateful day. Regardless of Lizzy's worth in the matter, nothing could keep her mother from boasting of the match's charms to all of her friends in Meryton.

Moreover, Elizabeth was marrying Darcy for _love_. Elizabeth could only imagine the screaming from her mother had she known how _in love_ with Darcy her daughter was. In love with the man, not his money.

Elizabeth liked to think she would have loved Fitzwilliam even if he was as poor as she. Had her scant fifty pounds a year dowry been an incentive and not a pittance to him, she would love him as well as she ever did.

If he'd been the hand in the stables, perhaps? She might have liked to sit and talk with her stable hand just as much as her rich society gentleman, were that stable hand the man to whom she would soon be wed.

The money meant nothing to her compared to the man himself. Elizabeth supposed this was the truth of the matter. Though no matter _what_ she said, she couldn't convince her mother of that fact. Which was fine. It was all fine and well. For, her mother wasn't marrying Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth was.

Elizabeth would be the one to spend her life with him. To walk down the aisle later that morning. To clasp his hand in hers. To murmur their respective vows. To leave the church as man and wife. To travel back here to Longbourn for the wedding night.

The wedding night! How her cheeks reddened at the thought of her much anticipated wedding night.

She had more than an inkling of a notion of what happened between a man and his bride. She was rather well read and certain volumes that should perhaps have been considered inappropriate for a young lady to read had revealed to her the technical intricacies of wedding nights.

He would remove his clothing. Perhaps hers, although that wasn't necessary. He would lift her shift and insert his... his _manhood_ into the space between her legs.

It would likely hurt. It must. It defied all logic if it would not. There would be blood on her sheets after he claimed her virtue. The servants who tended her room the morning after would see. Would _know_.

She would be a woman. _Darcy's_ , as it were. He would claim her in a way no other had ever, would ever.

The thought both scared and excited her.

She loved her Mr. Darcy with all her heart, but the thought of submitting to his desires, his pleasures... it was enough to find her overcome! Even with some knowledge of the endeavor, it was a frightful business.

And yet... There was something in the way he kissed her, in those rare, short moments when the eyes of her chaperone were less than watchful. It excited her greatly. His hands... How they would sometimes grasp at her gown in their embraces. It was almost as if he _needed_ her, and being needed by such a man? It was a heady feeling indeed.

Why once, in the garden just outside when her mother was slow to join them, her Fitzwilliam had encircled her waist with one of his strong arms, pulling her impossibly close and kissing the very breath out of her! It was all so romantic, like some of the novels Elizabeth enjoyed reading.

She could feel such kisses deep inside her. In her belly, tickling her down between her thighs. In the place where he would, on their wedding night, thrust himself.

It made her breathless to think of such things. It was improper, she knew, for a woman to fixate on the flesh, but when she was to be marrying such a handsome specimen, how could she not?

Lizzy felt faint. Perhaps it was her corset at blame, perhaps not. She supposed, as her mother's daughter, she could lay the blame on her 'poor nerves', but she wasn't quite as eccentric as all that.

Being the wit her father purported her to be, Elizabeth had no other recourse than to believe that she was all excitement at the prospect of her wedding, of being married, and all either entailed.

Excited _and_ frightened..

That night, she and Fitzwilliam would sleep in the guest room at Longbourn before carrying on to Pemberley in the morning. To her new home.

She'd soon be the mistress of Pemberley. Polluting the shades in any manner she saw fit. She wondered, facetiously, when they could expect a visit from Lady Catherine. Such a horrible woman, a visit wasn't to be borne. Though she supposed she shouldn't have to bear it, given her soon-to-be aunt's words to warn her from marrying Mr. Darcy. The thought brought a smile to her face that she had to dismiss to Diana.

Her abigail simply shrugged her shoulders, disguising a smile of her own. Likely at Elizabeth's own exuberance. Since Diana was to accompany her to Pemberley, Lizzy supposed she'd hear of Lady Catherine soon enough.

Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. Such was to be her name after the morning's services. How it would ruffle the feathers of more than a few society ladies, and not just the odious Lady Catherine. Lizzy did not care what they thought, but she did like how how the new name sounded. It well suited her.

She couldn't imagine loving another the way she loved her Fitzwilliam, and taking his name was the first of many steps she would take to become his wife.

The others would be taken that night.

Diana tied the ribbons of her petticoat and walked across the room to fetch the gown.

Her gown was new. She'd embellished it herself, had sewn tiny beads onto the hem that she was going to take special precautions so as not to cake it with mud on the way to the chapel. There were a few buttons at the top, securing it on her person, and she'd used a lovely lace for the sleeves and neckline.

The skirt was long and flowing. She hoped her almost-husband would like it. Would like her in it.

She felt as though she was as silly as Kitty or Lydia, wondering if she would look well in a gown or not.

It _was_ her wedding gown, though, so she supposed she was entitled to a bit of vanity.

The abigail slipped it over her head, straightening the skirt and making sure the hem itself was straight as it floated down over her body.

The buttons were soon slipped into their holes and Lizzy was able to admire herself in the mirror.

The dress lay very well on her body. Her bosom, especially, looked pert and plump, while the collar made her neck look long and swanlike. She was pleased with how the gown had turned out. The pearls at the hem caught the light just _so_ and truly made the entire gown glimmer in the sunlight.

"You look lovely, Miss..." Diana said, folding her hands and gazing at her reflection. "An angel. A vision. Mr. Darcy will be blinded by your beauty."

Lizzy laughed. "I certainly hope not. I will need him to be able to walk me out of the church after the ceremony."

Diana smiled. "I suppose you will. I'm sure your betrothed has the good sense to avert his eyes from such blinding beauty."

Elizabeth laughed once more. "I'm so happy you'll come to Pemberley, Diana."

Diana's eyes sparkled. "I'm more than happy to be of service to you, Miss Bennet." She cupped her hand over her mouth, making as if she were whispering. "Soon-to-be-Mrs. Darcy."

Lizzy's face reddened, but she was soon giggling like a child as her abigail led her to her seat at the vanity to do up her hair.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted their gaiety.

Mrs. Bennet entered, with a crow of what was presumed to be pride at Elizabeth's appearance soon following. "Oh Lizzy! You look ravishing! Mr. Darcy will be beside himself!"

Lizzy smiled warmly at her mother, wondering if this last spoken sentence would be the only one she agreed with for the entirety of their conversation.

Her mother fussed around the room, straightening the bric a brac, fluffing the pillows, tugging at the curtains and running her finger along the shelf in the corner. "You'll need to dust that, Diana." Never mind that it had only just been dusted that morning and Diana was no longer Mrs. Bennet's to direct.

Mrs. Bennet finally took a seat on the edge of the bed, smoothing her skirts about her legs as she got comfortable.

Sensing the discussion that was surely on the horizon, Elizabeth began to steel herself for what was to come.

"Come now, dear. Come have a talk with your old mother..." Mrs. Bennet patted the bedspread in indication that Elizabeth should come and have a seat beside her. For a talk that would, no doubt, leave Elizabeth with more questions than answers, the foremost of which was what her mother could _possibly_ be thinking.

"This is a matter that should be kept between a mother and a daughter. Off you go, Diana."

Lizzy's abigail curtseyed and left the room, her eyes appropriately downcast as she closed the door behind her.

Once the knob had clicked into place, Mrs. Bennet turned towards Elizabeth, her mouth pressed in a thin line. "Now, Lizzy-dear, I'm afraid I've left this to the last possible minute because well..." she trailed off, only to begin again in a flurry of emotion. "My poor nerves! You have no idea how they plague me. I've had all the planning to attend to with Jane's wedding and now yours. I might have forgotten a few minor details, but that's to be expected. I am but human, Lizzy. And no one knows what I suffer, with my nerves!"

"You've done a wonderful job, mamma. Jane's wedding was a spectacular success. As I'm sure mine will be." Elizabeth reached for her mother's hands, clasping them tightly in her own. "Now, I'm sure whatever you've forgotten cannot possibly cause too much of a calamity."

"Well. Brace yourself, my dear. Because I am come to tell you what you should expect on your wedding night."

Alarmed, Elizabeth attempted to school her features, but she needn't have bothered. Her mother was continuing forth, regardless of any emotion of her poor daughter's.

"Now, it's a rather... silly business really. Wedding nights. You'll learn to at least become accustomed to your husband's attentions. They won't always be so very uncomfortable. He likely will remove his breeches. All the way down to nothing at all, I am afraid. He will place that part that makes him man into yours that makes you woman.

Lizzy opened her mouth, but her mother shushed her before any words came out. "Now, there's no clearer way to put it, I'm afraid. If you're lucky, you be with child soon enough and he'll leave you alone. More or less. It helps, I've found, to lie back and think about all the lovely dresses and gowns you'd like to have."

She sighed here, gazing off into some distant dress shop only accessible by entering her mind and side-stepping all her nerves, none of which Lizzy was wont to do were it even possible. Elizabeth's eyes were certainly opened. But not into the mystery of her own marriage, into the mystery of her parents'.

"Of course, with a husband such as you'll have, you won't have to dream about all the lovely gowns and dresses. You'll have them, won't you? Perhaps his nighttime passions won't be so very difficult to endure after all." Her mother reached over and squeezed her hand. "I am so very proud of you, Lizzy. Such a good marriage you've made."

She could only smile, reaching for her mother's hands and pressing kisses to each of them. "Thank you, mamma."

She could hardly tell her mother that Mr. Darcy's nighttime passions would likely be more than endured. Elizabeth could not imagine Fitzwilliam being content to take his passions while she dreamed of gowns and dresses.

She was not certain of this fact, of course. But she had reason, now, to believe that his passion ran a bit hotter. And though perhaps it was unbecoming in a lady, so too did hers rise when she merely thought about her wedding night.

"I really must go now and finish getting ready myself. It wouldn't do to see my daughter marry the richest man in Derbyshire if I'm not properly dressed for the occasion!"

Elizabeth rose, kissing her mother good-bye and walking her to her bed chamber door. Mrs. Bennet hesitated once at the door, running her hand over the door frame and then turning to run her hand over Elizabeth's cheek. "You make a beautiful bride. You'll make an even more beautiful wife."

"Thank you, mamma," Elizabeth repeated, feeling her stomach flip a little as her mother left the room.

She supposed it truly _was_ a milestone. She would leave this room a maiden and enter it once more this evening with her husband.

And then tomorrow morning, she'd leave it innocent no longer.

Her heart began to pound as there was a soft knock at the door once more. Diana poked her head in. "Are you ready for me, miss?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I am, Diana."

She walked towards her vanity and sat down, allowing her eyes to close as Diana began to brush her hair.

"I'm going to put it up with some of these flowers I found blooming in the garden," Diana said softly, her fingers combing through a particularly stubborn knot.

Having curly hair had been the bane of Elizabeth's young life, but she'd found it a blessing once she was out and attending balls. It was very easy to make one's hair look becoming if it already had a curl in it.

And Elizabeth's hair had quite a _lot_ of curl in it.

After much brushing and combing and picking through the knots, Diana was able to pile the lot on top of Elizabeth's head. Hair pins came next, tucking each tendril into place. It looked lovely, but it needed something else. Something Diana had already prepared.

Only a few more hair pins later, and all the lovely flowers were secured in place.

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat when she gazed at her reflection. She looked like a wood nymph. Wild and untamed, and yet refined.

She didn't claim to know the innermost workings of her Fitzwilliam's mind, but she knew enough about him to know that he would adore the way her abigail had styled her hair.

"Diana! It's beautiful!"

"You are a lovely bride, Miss," Diana replied, standing up just in time to go answer the knock at the door.

Elizabeth turned, grinning widely when Jane ducked her head inside.

"Jane!" Elizabeth held out her arms to her sister. "Or should I say, Mrs. Bingley?"

Jane's normally lovely face had the glow of someone with many wonderful secrets. Lizzy only hoped she had time to learn them all.

"Oh Lizzy! You do look beautiful! Diana's really done quite well with the flowers..." Jane's hand lightly touched some of the blooms, careful to preserve them so they would not fall out before the ceremony. "You make a lovely picture. Your Mr. Darcy will be quite pleased."

"Do you think so?" Lizzy asked, turning to check her reflection once more. "I can only hope."

"Oh, Lizzy. He worships the ground you tread upon. If you could only see him the way I do. The way he trips over himself to make sure you are comfortable."

"I do believe if I saw that, I might not love him," Elizabeth teased. "A man of that height who trips over himself!"

"You would love him more, silly!" Jane insisted. "If you saw how much he loves you."

A warmth bloomed deep inside her. Too-tight stays and hairpins aside, she really was quite content.

That is, until Jane's warm smile became more mirthful.

"Dearest sister, I daresay I spied our mother leaving your chambers before I was able to make my way here myself."

"Indeed she did," Lizzy admitted.

"I do hope what she said was a help to you??" Jane asked, her countenance refreshingly hopeful.

Lizzy sighed. "I believe I'd have been better off without speaking with her on the subject," she admitted.

Jane's head tilted in sympathy, and Lizzy felt free to roll her eyes in exasperation. It had been rather difficult not to whilst her mother was still talking.

"Lizzy, it really is lovely, between a husband and wife. When you're with someone who's as patient and kind and caring as I'm sure your Mr. Darcy is."

"And your Mr. Bingley as well?" Lizzy asked knowingly. As knowingly as she could muster, given she only had the details that Jane wasn't too shy to share via letters.

But then again, Jane had surprisingly not been shy in her sharing.

"My Mr. Bingley as well," Jane agreed. "Now is the time, dear sister. Ask me anything your heart desires."

Lizzy had lots of questions, but decided to ask the one most pressing to her mind. "Will it hurt?"

Jane's hand squeezed hers comfortingly. "Only but a little. I'm sure your husband will be gentle with you. It feels strange, though! Once he is... inside." Her sister's cheeks were crimson, but she continued talking all the same. "Charles asked me over and over again if he was crushing me!"

Lizzy had to smile at that. "Why would he be crushing you?"

"Because he is..." Jane mimed a little for her understanding. "He is on top of me."

"So it is not like the horses, then?" Lizzy glanced towards the windows in the direction of the stables and then back at her sister once more.

"Not unless you'd like for it to be!"

They both had a good laugh at that. Lizzy couldn't imagine asking Fitzwilliam for something such as that.

All in all, by the time the carriage came to take her to the church, Lizzy felt much more relaxed about her wedding night.

# Chapter 2

It was during the carriage ride back to Longbourn after the ceremony that Elizabeth Darcy was able to have her first long look at her husband. _Her husband_.

His dark eyes were cast down in his lap, where he held tight to her hand in his. She could still taste his kiss on her lips and the thought thrilled her a bit more than it should have so early in the day.

His dark curls looked impeccable, save for one that seemed not to follow the rules the others had set. She longed to reach up and straighten it. To touch every hair on his head. To discover whether they were soft or coarse.

She'd expect they were soft. They gave the appearance of softness.

She was still admiring her husband's profile when he looked up. Abruptly. His eyes caught her gaze and the result was very nearly scorching.

The corners of his mouth quirked upward in that subtle way he had. " _Mrs_. Darcy?"

Her cheeks reddened, the heat rising in them as she looked away, down into her own lap, where her other hand remained, clutching her skirts anxiously. "My husband?" she countered.

A sound rose, seemingly from the depths of his soul. It rumbled through his chest as he clutched her hand in both of his, bringing it up to his lips and pressing soft kisses there. "I do so adore being yours, Elizabeth."

"If we are being frank, isn't it _I_ who is yours now?" she asked. The response was merely meant in jest, but it appeared to take some of the light from his eyes. He deflated significantly before straightening his back once more. Her heart clenched in regret for having said the words, but there was no way to take them back now.

"I suppose, technically, this _is_ the way the vows are written. Obeying her husband is the virtue of a good wife, is it not?" he asked.

"I don't suppose it's a difficult vow to follow, provided one's husband is agreeable. If he isn't barbaric in his demands."

"I have no intention of playing the barbarian, Elizabeth."

"I am glad to hear it, Fitzwilliam."

"My sister calls me William," he said gently.

"And mine call me 'Lizzy'," she replied, smiling. A counter offer to his gentle suggestion.

"I would defer to 'Lizzy' if you would only do me the same honor."

"I'm not sure 'Lizzy' suits you, William," she teased.

His face split into the boyish grin that she'd only be fortunate to see a handful of times. She aimed to see it more often now that she was his wife.

"I think _Lizzy_ suits me very well," he murmured, pressing his lips to her hand once more. This time, he turned it, so her hand was open. He kissed her palm, then each one of her finger tips. She thrilled at the soft brushes of his lips and the way his breath caressed her skin.

"William..." she breathed, allowing him to pull her over flush against his side. One strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. The other trailed up her lace-covered arm, over her shoulder and along the column of her throat. She could not help but lay her head down on his shoulder

He'd never touched her so intimately before. He'd never had an opportunity. Save for that day in the garden, when his kisses had stolen her breath.

She swallowed thickly as his fingers reached her chin, trailing along her jaw until he cupped her face, tilting her mouth up toward his like a goblet he would like to sip from.

And _sip_ he did.

His lips took hers. His mouth plundering her own in a show of passion unlike any she'd seen from him until now.

The unbridled emotion translated through his touch. His fingers softly and gently held her still as his lips and even his tongue sought pleasure in hers.

He went slowly, as if making sure she could keep up. His lips pulled and plucked hers, making soft sucking noises in the relative quiet of the carriage.

The quiet struck her as odd. There was no clip clop of horse hooves. There was no rattle of wheels.

There was, however, a polite tapping at the window. It pulled William and Lizzy from their reverie. They had arrived at Longbourn.

While locked in a passionate embrace that likely everyone waiting to greet them could see.

Her husband's face reddened considerably, but Lizzy refused to be embarrassed. They had only just been married. A newly married husband and wife were entitled to a few moments alone before they had to greet their guests.

She squeezed his hand and he nodded to the footman waiting outside the carriage.

The door was opened to mixed giggling and applause, although Lizzy rightfully assumed the giggling sounded loud only because of the proximity of the younger guests to the carriage.

Lydia and her husband were also in attendance, albeit the latter in a much more subdued manner than the former. Lydia was, in a dreadful show of what Lizzy understood to be jealousy, telling anyone who would listen that she found Lizzy and Darcy's wedding to pale in comparison to her own. Lizzy simply could not find reason to quarrel with her youngest sister, for she was much too happy to care about what Lydia found well about her nuptials. Wickham glanced round the yard, finding the trees more interesting than the Darcys' exit from their wedding carriage.

The newly-married couple greeted everyone in attendance, and Elizabeth's cheeks truly hurt from smiling by the time she was able to cease her perpetual merriment.

Her husband's tight-lipped demeanor, however, had returned. After having been in his acquaintance for some time, Elizabeth was more inclined to label her William as shy and reserved, rather than conceited and arrogant. As such, his countenance had become dear to her. Especially in its current state.

She smiled up at him. "I do love you so, Mr. Darcy."

The smile he gave her was like opening the shades after a long night. As if the sun were shining just there across the horizon. Not blazing yet. Not blinding. Just a sliver of light in the middle of the dark.

In a word, it was lovely and Elizabeth was finding reasons to love each and every one of William's smiles. Especially if it was directed at her.

And they often were, she was discovering.

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__________

* * *

The rest of the day itself passed on in an infuriatingly slow manner. Each meal was each a terribly long and arduous affair, especially when newlywed husband and wife only wanted to retreat somewhere to be alone.

They were finally permitted to retire to bed after the sun had set and most of the guests had gone.

Diana entered, presumably to assist Elizabeth in her toilette as best as she was able with William pacing across the room.

She had only just taken Lizzy's hair down when he crossed the floor, clearing his throat loudly enough for both women to glance over at him.

"That will be all, miss," he said cordially, nodding curtly and even bowing in response to Diana's quick curtsey on her way out of the room.

Elizabeth gazed at him in bewilderment. "I've not gotten changed yet, William."

" _I_ will assist you, darling wife." That smile was back. The boyish, mischievous one.

"Have you ever done so, sir?" she asked, smiling up at him as he approached her from behind.

The question must have startled him, for his jaw dropped as he stammered, trying to think of something to say.

"I had assumed as much," Elizabeth replied. She didn't elaborate further, but the hurt must have shown in her eyes, for William noticed it.

"I have not done... what I am about to do with you, my beautiful Elizabeth. I have never lain with a woman as a husband does his wife. I will do that for the first time tonight. With you.

Elizabeth swallowed thickly, pressing her lips together. "Mr. Darcy. We've been married for barely half a day, we've known one another barely a year. Anything that transgressed before our meeting isn't something with which I concern myself..."

She felt his lips on her jaw then, one arm wrapping itself around her waist. "You may feel free to concern yourself with anything regarding me, Elizabeth. All that I know, is in theory and theory only. There were a precious few volumes available on the subject... I confess to reading them all."

Such volumes had also found their way into her own possession, and she readily told him so, watching as his shoulders relaxed, his expression melding into his boyish, mischievous one again.

His smiles were sweet, but they paled in comparison to the way his kisses felt. He trailed them down her jaw, down her neck around to the nape. And, once her skin was sufficiently tingling, she felt his hands on the buttons of her gown. His fingers touched her with purpose, a purpose most decidedly different from any that had touched her before now. Her maid, her sisters, her mother... all of these hands touched her with care. Her husband's hands touched her with something deeper. Something more. Lizzy could feel his touch even through all the layers covering her body, such was the way he handled her.

He popped the buttons open one at a time, deliberately slow as though to fuel her anticipation.

Lizzy's cheeks reddened, her face growing hot. She'd never undressed in front of a man before. Let alone been undressed by one.

William's touch was gentle and he soon had her gown unbuttoned and was in the process of lifting it over her head. He then carefully folded it, laying it gently in her open armoire.

Her petticoat was next, his fingers tugging at the ties and loosening them sufficiently. It, too, was lifted over her head to join her gown in the armoire.

She felt almost breathless. His hands moved softly over her arms and shoulders, his lips seeking out the newly-exposed skin to brand as his own.

She felt him pulling at the laces of her corset. She let out a gasp that gave him pause.

"Are you well, Elizabeth?" he asked, dropping his hands from the laces at once. They came to rest on her arms, squeezing slightly.

"Indeed, Fitzwilliam, I have never been better." She smiled at his reflection in the mirror. "I am very well, sir."

His brown eyes, normally warm, darkened considerably. "You needn't call me sir..." His fingers were tugging at the laces on her corset once more.

"How shall I address you?"

"By my name, for with you, like _this_... I have no titles other than that."

Elizabeth inhaled sharply, more able to do so now that her corset was fully loosened.

She gulped in lungfuls of air, as she was wont to do when the restricting garment was removed. Although, this time, there was a great deal of giddiness involved as well. For when he was finished, and her corset came away, and there she was, in naught but her shift and stockings.

He lay her corset on her dressing table and bid her to sit upon her chair.

Kneeling in front of her, he took her left foot, rubbing his thumb along the sole firmly before following the length of her leg up beneath the hem of her shift. He held her gaze as he undid her garter, placing it upon her dressing table before he rolled the silk stocking down her leg. Fingers brushed against her skin, delighting her with the barest of touches.

The act, in and of itself, was the picture of impropriety. But, with him gazing up at her like he was, almost in near desperation, propriety was somehow the last thing on her mind.

He repeated the act on the other leg. Then he rose before her, reaching for his own clothing. He shrugged off his coat to lay across the back of her chair. She stood, wearing only her shift, as she was, and reached for it herself. "Allow me, William."

He smiled. "Have _you_ done this sort of thing before, Elizabeth?"

"I have not, but I should hope my husband will lend his insight..."

"I shall try, though I fear my good wits left me the moment you touched me."

Fitzwilliam aided her when it was only strictly necessary, to undo this button or that one, bending at the waist to remove his stockings, leaving himself in his shirt and breeches.

There they stood, in definite states of undress, glancing nervously at the bed.

Lizzy found it difficult to find her breath, especially when William reached out for her hand.

She took it and there they stood for a few moments more, hand in hand, at least until she tugged on his slightly, leading him towards the bed.

It had been turned down for them, and she climbed into the familiar sheets. He followed, sitting up long enough to remove his shirt. He tossed onto the floor, to her delight. It was surprising, to say the least, to witness this wild side to his behavior. To see one who was once so buttoned up shed his inhibitions in the presence of his new wife was, in a word, exhilarating. His hands moved under the blankets and removed his breeches. Those joined the shirt on the floor and he lay back on the pillows.

Lizzy couldn't help but take in his appearance. His unruly curls had become even more so due to the hurried removal of his clothing. He had dark hair on his chest, tapering off as it went down his belly, disappearing beneath the sheets.

"Does my wife approve?" Fitzwilliam asked, the slightest show of arrogance was not at all as abhorrent as it once had been

"She does," Elizabeth replied, pulling the blankets up to her chin.

He watched her curiously as she wriggled about, undoing the ties on her shift and slipping it over her head. She tossed it with some veracity, hoping it would land with William's things on the floor beside the bed.

His look of curiosity turned to one of wonder as she moved closer to him.

"William?" She murmured, reaching once again for his hand. "I'd very much like to learn all about what you read..." She smiled coyly. "I'm hoping for a more _intimate_ lesson, however."

The air seemingly rushed from his lungs as he rolled over to meet her. His lips pressed firmly against hers. She could feel the roughness from his unshaven face as it rubbed against her. His lips were hot and insistent. His hands were surprisingly chaste, one remaining entwined with her own while the other slipped beneath her back.

He broke off the kiss for only a moment. "I want nothing more than to please you, fair Elizabeth."

"I am certain I will be pleased."

He looked at a loss for a moment before reiterating. "I _want_ to please you, my darling. You'll tell me, won't you?"

Her brow furrowed. "Wha--"

"You'll tell me? When I please you?" he asked again, his tone knowing and urgent. "For I have thought of little else."

His fingers skimmed the skin from her thigh to her belly, making her ache in some dark secret place.

She nodded, tilting her head to kiss him once more.

The ache wasn't unpleasant. So perhaps this was to what he was referring.

His palm cupped her breast, pushing it up as he balanced himself over her. His thumb began to slowly circle the peak. With every brush of his thumb, the ache grew more persistent, to the point where she could keep quiet no longer.

A soft moan broke through her lips and she pressed her thighs together.

"William," she murmured. "Yes... that pleases me..."

His resulting groan only made her ache all the more.

"Oh, _good_ ," he whispered, his hips rutting gently against her thigh. She could feel his hardness as it dragged slowly over her skin. His... manhood... felt bigger than she'd been expecting. She was still all nervousness when it came to the thought of him... _pressing..._ into her.

But he seemed in no hurry, so she was not going to be the one rushing things.

He lowered his head, his tongue sliding wetly against her nipple. A whimper forced its way through her lips. Whatever she had been expecting concerning her wedding night and her husband's nighttime passions, this was above and beyond anything she had thought.

Lizzy found there was no need for rushing at all.

# Chapter 3

Her husband had quite a talented tongue, Elizabeth was discovering. Contrary to her first introduction to Darcy's tongue at the Meryton ball, she found she quite enjoyed its antics now, upon much closer inspection.

Of course, if he had done at the Meryton ball what he was doing now, she might have slapped him. However, it was wholly appropriate now that they were married.

Her entire body had erupted in gooseflesh, despite being completely covered up by the bedclothes. Her hands, with which she'd once wondered what to do, were buried in her husband's curls, though in a quite different manner than she'd imagined in the carriage. They held him fast to her breast, where William was really making himself quite busy. He flicked the tip of his tongue over the stiffened peak alternating between such ministrations and using his tongue in a broad and flat swipe. It was all very pleasing, if Elizabeth did say so herself.

Every brush of his tongue made the space between her thighs ache. She longed for _something_ without knowing exactly what. It was fine, however; William seemed to know, and was hellbent on giving whatever it was to his wife without delay.

He rose slightly, switching to her other breast and abandoning the first to dry in the cool air. Lizzy glanced down at it, the nipple pink and stiff, darker than normal from all of her husband's attention. Attention he was now laving upon the opposite side, suckling upon it, yet somehow quite _unlike_ a babe would.

Her hips rocked up, seeking out their desires in the air and, unsurprisingly, finding nothing.

William was still rutting against her side, his attentions to her bosom never faltering, even though he seemed to be suffering from the same affliction as she.

He grunted his frustration against her breast, making her grip him all the more tightly against her. His curls were soft in her hands as she'd thought earlier, like silk between her fingers.

He only slowed his ministrations once, and that was to shift around in his current position. He rolled upon one side to drape himself across her. William's fingers trailed down from her breast. They danced over her belly, making her giggle before continuing down further still.

He released her breast, his lips popping softly as he did. Nuzzling his nose over the still pert peak, he murmured against her skin. "I would very much like to touch you now, Elizabeth."

"Aren't you touching me?" she asked, breathless as he continued the gentle torture with his nose. "It certainly feels that way."

"I'd very much like to touch you _here_..." His fingers hovered over the source of her warmth, his heat covering her skin and only making her ache all the more. "If I may?"

She could feel something slippery there, and she wondered absently if she'd wet herself while he'd been preoccupied with her bosom. She expected not, however, for it didn't _feel_ as if she had. It only felt slick. "Oh..."

"Oh? Would you mind, dear Elizabeth?" She could hear the smile in his tone, the gentle teasing that they gave one another.

She nodded. "I'd like that very much."

"Oh, good," he murmured, his hand softly covering her mound and gently squeezing. He touched her like this for a few moments, likely getting her used to the contact before he went further. He was still very much the gentleman with whom she'd fallen in love.

Before long, his fingers slipped between her folds, two only, sliding in the wetness she'd noticed before. She worried at first that he might recoil, but was pleased to discover quite the opposite. The slickness coating his fingers seemed to excite him.

He moaned softly against her breast, sucking rather roughly and making her gasp.

William apologized immediately, pressing soothing kisses against the affected area, before moving up to her lips once more.

He moved his fingers down, causing her hips to rock forward as she chased his touch.

She was acting very much the wanton, but Lizzy found she didn't really care. Not with William. Not here, in their marriage bed.

"I want this to please you, Lizzy," he murmured. "I know it's supposed to hurt, but I don't want to hurt you ever, my darling."

"I'm sure eventually..." she replied, fully intending to continue on and ease her husband's worries. To soothe the fear that was making his brow furrow so intensely.

"Allow me to prepare you?" he pleaded, his index finger moving around her opening. She nodded once and exhaled deeply as he slowly pressed one finger inside her.

She squealed, though not in mirth or joy. Her walls clamping down around his fingers as a painful jolt shot through her body.

He removed his hand immediately, shushing her and kissing her forehead. "It's alright, darling. I apologize."

Lizzy felt at a loss, how would William ever fit that... that _part_ of him inside her if he couldn't even fit his finger?

Every married woman did this. Every single one. Why couldn't she?

"Don't fret, I have another idea," he assured her, moving up to lay beside her.

She was on the verge of asking him just what his idea was when she felt his fingertips brushing against her yet again. Her muscles tensed, but no further attempts at penetration were made.

She could hear him humming softly, the tip of his nose brushing against the shell of her ear. "Try to relax, Lizzy."

"William?" she asked, reaching down to tug his hand back up to her breasts once more. She wasn't able to grasp him, however, not when his fingertips began caressing her so very gently. His lips brushed against her earlobe, sending shivers of pleasure down her body. It was as if where his lips were and where his fingers pressed were somehow connected.

His wonderful fingers began to draw small circles, swiping deliciously over that nub at the crest of her womanhood. Each movement compounded the achingly pleasing sensation. She found herself moaning his name very often indeed.

The very action only served to spur him onward.

His fingers swirled and circled the nub, rolling it between the two dexterous digits. Lizzy's legs shook and her hips canted relentlessly up towards his palm. She rather hoped she wasn't hindering him, but she found she couldn't stop moving. William didn't seem to mind at all, at any rate. Every reaction she gave him just seemed to excite him all the more.

Elizabeth began to plead with him. "Please, please..." As before, she wasn't sure for what she was begging. Relief, perhaps?

She didn't want him to stop, but she didn't know what else she was to say, so she simply repeated her pleas over and over again.

Finally, William moved his hand, fingers stroking around that most sensitive part of her. It was not very long before she felt herself falling over the edge of something wonderful.

Her hands reached for him, closing over his forearm, holding him fast in place until she found herself quite undone.

He kept going, kept pleasuring her (because she knew now that this was what he meant by 'pleasing her'), until she could take no more. She pulled his hand away and panted out her exertion into the air.

His mouth found her skin once more, kissing down her jaw and making her skin tingle wherever he touched. His hair was mussed in an exceptionally thorough manner, looking utterly unkempt and unruly.

"Oh William..." she murmured, her face reddening as she realized just what had transpired. Her husband had brought her pleasure using only his hand. Using only two fingers! He'd stroked her body in a place she wasn't aware could bring such heights of sensation.

She was aware of _some_ heights, of course. But having never experienced them for herself, Elizabeth found she was very impressed with her husband's skills. His skilled fingers. And his skilled tongue, which was currently hiding within his skilled mouth.

William smiled fondly, chuckling as he moved to lay beside her once more. His fingers trailed down her belly to cup her again.

She felt too almost _too_ much sensation now in his touch, but the intrusion of one of his fingers no longer pained her as it once had.

"Was that pleasing to you, dear Elizabeth?" he asked, moving his finger in and out of her opening.

She felt drenched down there. When his finger retreated, only to return with a second finger, she felt herself grow even more so.

"Yes, yes..." she replied, rocking her hips up to better meet his hand. With two fingers, he pressed in and out of her. Again, she expected at least a small amount of pain upon their entrance, but was amazed to discover that the sensation was, in fact, very _good_.

Jane had been correct, it did feel strange to have something inside her like this. She could only imagine how it would be once _he_ was fully inside her.

William seemed to enjoy it when she moaned, so she relaxed a little more and let herself enjoy his attentions, trusting that he would not hurt her if he could help it at all.

His fingers moved inside her, crooking somewhat. Elizabeth curled her toes into the sheets of the bed, her thighs and hips tensing as he stroked her from within. The action reignited the flame that had only just been extinguished. She felt the aching burn begin to grow once more. She was no longer forming words, simply panting and groaning with every twitch of William's fingers.

She thought that perhaps she might be approaching the precipice once more, but her husband stopped when she was just shy of the edge, allowing his fingers to slide out of her as he shifted his weight over her again.

William sat back on his knees before centering himself over her as he leaned down to kiss her lips.

She could feel the stiff evidence of his arousal as he pressed himself against her body. He deepened the kiss, moving to kneel between her legs.

Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what she should be doing with her legs, so she simply shifted them to accommodate his new position between them.

"Are you well?" he asked, his hands moving to grip her hips as he pulled her down the mattress towards him.

"Oh, I am very well, Fitzwilliam."

"I'm going to..." he trailed off, his cheeks reddening. "This might hurt a bit... I don't want to harm you, Elizabeth, so if you wish for me to stop, I will."

She shook her head, leaning up to kiss him once more, the excitement was too much for her to feel any fear now. "No, I don't wish for you to stop."

He shifted once more, rocking his hips into hers. She could feel his manhood, stiff between his legs as it bumped and prodded against her.

"You're so warm, Elizabeth," he murmured. "So very warm."

Unsure of how to answer him, she simply laid back among the pillows. Her breath rasped out every time he prodded into her already sensitive parts. Her gasps grew louder when he lined himself up, pressing just the tip into her body.

There was a slight stinging. Not enough to cause her alarm, however.

She reached up, tangling her hands in his hair once again as he moved forward slightly. The more he entered her, the more potent the sting was, to the point where tears pricked her eyes. By the time that had happened,however, he was already seated fully inside her. It really was not as bad as she'd feared.

He kissed her forehead, her lips, her cheeks. "Are you still well, my darling?"

"I am," she replied, bracing herself for more pain as he pulled back. She was surprised to find that the stinging had actually subsided. He moved more, pushing his hips forward and back. In and out.

She could feel every inch of him, could feel the depth he was plundering her when their hips met. She could scarce find her breath, gulping in air by the lungfuls when he murmured in her ear. "Breathe, sweet Elizabeth..."

Breathe she did. She even started to feel a bit of the tingling she'd felt before. The sweet pull of pleasure that had her eyes fluttering closed. The very same which had her toes curling.

He moved with such force that the bed itself was squeaking.

Muttering his apologies, he fumbled slightly with something below the sheets. It was a sharp movement, one which disengaged him from her body with the utmost speed. Elizabeth felt something wet and hot splash across her stomach and the knowledge of what it _was_ dawned on her a few seconds later.

"My apologies, I..." William's arms were shaking as he pushed himself up into a seated position. "I believe I have made quite a mess..." He reached across her, searching for something, and finding a few of the folded handkerchiefs Elizabeth kept in her bedside drawer. He used them liberally, swiping them across her belly and cleaning his release from her skin.

"Your mess is forgiven," she said sweetly.

"I did not imagine you would want to be with child so soon after our wedding," he said in way of explanation. "I was not entirely sure if--"

"Children would be lovely. Let us have a gaggle of them, William."

The smile that shone through on his face could end a long winter. It soon became another of Lizzy's favorites.

She inhaled deeply, relaxing back against the pillows for a long moment.

There was a salty scent in the air, one Lizzy wasn't entirely familiar with, but it was not wholly unpleasant either. It mixed with the smell of his sweat and cologne, leaving a scent memory that was _entirely_ her Fitzwilliam.

He slid down into the sheets beside her after he had sufficiently cleaned up. Lizzy took the time to glance down at the sheets beneath her, finding not a red stain like she'd been expecting, but merely one which was pinkish with a bit of red towards the center.

"I was expecting there to be more blood," she mused to herself, and she supposed, to her husband.

"Would you rather if I'd ravished you the second we retired?" he teased. "If I had not taken my time with you, I expect there would have been more."

"Not at all. I preferred the things you did very much."

"I am very glad to hear it," he replied, rolling closer to her and wrapping her up in his arms. "I preferred them as well."

"You certainly did," Lizzy replied, turning to kiss the tip of his nose. "I daresay you liked them more than I. Except I fail to see how that would be possible."

"I enjoy your reactions," he said. "Sometimes more than I enjoy my own. So you are not wrong, dear wife."

"And I was all nervousness. Thinking that I must submit to you and _your_ pleasures... that my body now belongs to you."

"If anything, Elizabeth - dear, sweet, _beautiful_ Elizabeth - it is _I_ who belong to you. You may use me as you desire,for all I want is to hear my name upon your lips... in varying degrees of excitement."

"William," she murmured, low and quite breathlessly. "You shall hear it often, I daresay."

"I should hope so," he whispered. "I do love you, darling wife. I only want happiness for you. To be the cause of that happiness is my dearest wish."

Elizabeth smiled. "It is my duty as your wife to make certain of the fruition of all of your dearest wishes, so I am really quite bound, am I not?"

His answering smile made her feel quite warm indeed. "Just so long as this duty of which you speak is one of love, I fear I cannot complain about it."

"I love you with all my heart, you dear man."

Fitzwilliam kissed her then, a languid sort of gesture, one which lulled rather than stoked a flame. She had not realized how truly exhausted she was until that moment.

What with the wedding, the reception, the meals, and not to mention their nighttime escapades, Elizabeth found it rather difficult to keep her eyes open a second longer.

Her husband pulled her into his arms and she rested her head upon his shoulder, hoping that indeed, every night would be as happily exhausting.

# An Ardent Affection: Part 2

# Chapter 1

With the final legs of their trek to Pemberley behind them and the glorious estate peeking through the trees at them in greeting, the Darcys' carriage was nearly home. With it, the Darcys themselves, fresh from their honeymoon trip to Bath and more than ready to begin their normal, married lives together.

Elizabeth, in particular, was anxious to familiarize herself with her new home. Having seen it only once before, months earlier, it wasn't as fresh in her memory as she wished it to be.

Her mouth fell open as the entirety of the house came into view, a gasp breaking the silence as she squeezed her husband's hand in excitement. "Oh, William!" she murmured. "It's just as I remembered it..."

"I wish I could have been the one to introduce you upon your first visit," he replied. She could hear the pride and happiness in his voice, a smile all but audible on his lips as he spoke. "To have been the one to see your face the first time you walked its halls..."

"It's likely just as well, darling. I might not have walked them at all if I had known you were present. I was all embarrassment once I saw you."

" _You_ , all embarrassment? Might I remind you of the state of my person when I happened upon you in the gardens?"

Elizabeth smiled devilishly. "No, you mightn't, I remember full well myself. You were in a state, weren't you? More disheveled than I've ever seen, if I recall correctly..." She turned to gaze up into his dark eyes. "And yet, likely the most handsome I'd ever seen you, up until that time."

"Elizabeth, I was not decent," he teased. "Assuredly not for receiving guests such as yourself. And besides, I recall you averted your eyes."

"Ah yes, but now that we are married, I can confess to not averting them as quickly as I likely _should_ have."

Fitzwilliam's cheeks pinked and he leaned forward, closing the distance between them with ease and comfort that came from the entire month as a married couple in Bath, in which he'd done nothing but admire and worship his wife.

His blush was too dear to Lizzy to wish away, and so she cupped his face with both hands as his lips sought their pleasure from hers. Hers parted slightly, the barest brush of tongue on lips made her feel weak in the knees although she was seated.

Even after a month as his wife, he still could make her heart feel aflutter with the barest of touches. The honeymoon was not yet over, it seemed.

"Perhaps I should like to see you similarly disheveled. I may insist that you show me the place you swim, William. I should like to see it."

"It is only a pond, Lizzy, but you shall see it. You shall see every inch of your new home, if you so wish it."

"Every inch? You swear it?" she teased, her hands roaming from their previous positions upon his face to explore the warm expanse of his chest. The softness of his shirt, the crispness of his cravat. "Will I be able to explore every inch of this pond?"

His lips popped as he kissed her. "I will send the servants away for the day if it is what you desire, my darling."

"I simply desire to be with you, William."

"You already know I would give you anything, Lizzy."

"Well then, perhaps one day soon, I should like to swim... unless you feel it too undignified for a mistress of Pemberley. If it should pollute both the forests surrounding my husband's fine home as well as its shades, I shall put it from my mind at once."

"If a mistress of Pemberley wishes to swim, then a mistress of Pemberley shall swim," he promised. "Nothing you could ever do would pollute the shades of _our_ home, dearest Lizzy."

The carriage rolled to a halt and there was a slight thump as the footman dismounted to open the door for the newlyweds.

As soon as they stepped out onto the stone pathway, they were greeted by the staff. And what a large staff it truly was! Elizabeth felt out of breath after greeting them all.

Everyone was very interested in exactly who was the woman who had so enthralled their master, so it was understandable just how much they wanted to speak with her--even if she had just taken a rather long journey to be here.

A few amongst them Elizabeth remembered from her first visit, Mrs. Reynolds especially. She was embraced by the latter, who was so excited to have a new mistress of Pemberley at last.

Elizabeth could feel her husband's eyes on her the entire time, even as the two of them were ushered through the front doors. He kept glancing over at her, as if trying to ascertain her reaction to each and every part of the grand house. Of her new home.

Her hand was tucked into the crook of his elbow, his other hand covering it as he led her through the rooms. His gaze constantly flitted down to her, to make sure she was still just as happy as she was a few seconds before.

He was very doting, her new husband. It was something she truly noted while in Bath. He was seldom happy unless she was happy.

It was a rather good thing that she was nearly always joyful in his presence, for she wouldn't know what to do if she were the cause of her beloved's sorrow. Wouldn't that be the pitiful, never-ending cycle? But, as it was, husband and wife were never forced to see what such a cycle would include.

She squeezed his arm as they continued to make their rounds through each room.

Her new home is indeed large, but it is lovely. As it contained her William, so it was perfect.

As they were shown into one of the sitting rooms for tea, she could hardly contain her mirth. "Pemberley is perfect, Husband."

"I know not for how long I've dreamed of hearing you utter those exact words, but I am pleased to have had this dream come to fruition."

The tea was lovely. Elizabeth even sampled one of the cakes upon Mrs. Reynolds' insistence that they had been made specially for the new mistress. They were, of course, delicious.

"I fear I may become a spoiled wife yet, Mr. Darcy," she mused as she nibbled at the delicacy. "Especially if you insist upon catering to my every whim."

"If you do become spoiled, I will have achieved my aim. However, given your insistence on teasing me at every turn, I highly doubt you could ever become so, Mrs. Darcy."

"No, I suppose not," she agreed, smiling over at him as the tea trays were taken away. "I do suppose I should like a tour of the grounds at your earliest convenience, however."

"I believe one could be arranged as early as tomorrow," he said, returning her expression. It did her well to see such brightness on a countenance she once thought broody and storm-filled. "I would attempt it today, but I happen to know there is someone who would enjoy taking dinner with you this evening..." he trailed off.

"Would a tour of the grounds really take so long as all that?" Elizabeth asked, with clear intent to vex him.

"My personally-guided tour, would indeed. And you might be very tired upon returning, for all the exercise is sure to be exhausting."

Lizzy pressed her lips together in an attempt to hide her glee, but as tended to happen in such instances, Darcy saw right through it.

He leaned over, kissing her fully on the lips and in such a manner as to make her belly flutter with promise.

Lizzy giggled against his mouth and broke off the kiss early. "Mr. Darcy, you cannot kiss me in that manner in the middle of the afternoon. Think of the servants... think of the scandal! Such impertinence!"

"I believe I married you so there would be no scandal," he teased in return. "Otherwise, I am certain everyone would have something to say of our activities in Bath." He raised his eyebrows knowingly before addressing her once more. "Speaking of impertinence, _Mrs. Darcy_..."

She could have sworn that his voice lowered a few more notes than was strictly necessary, but Elizabeth wasn't one to complain about such things as the timbre of her husband's voice. Especially when it pleased her so to hear it.

"You would have all of your staff know how you love me?" she asked.

"I would have all of England know how I love you, if I had my way," he countered, kissing her again.

His lips moved against hers, tongue flicking out to part hers as well. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, making her skin tingle with the sensation his affections often brought.

She felt her back press fully against the rear of the couch and she was forced to break away from his mouth as her corset constricted her range of motion. "I'm afraid you'd find me quite overcome if you keep up, William."

Her hand went down to smooth the front of her dress, and though she did not expand on her reasons, he seemed to understand all the same. His favored activity in Bath had been thinking of ways to get Elizabeth out of her corset regularly. Often as soon as she was laced into it.

Unfortunately, they couldn't spend their days in Pemberley as they had done in Bath. Not all of them at any rate. From what Elizabeth understood, William had estate-owner's business to attend to. Business he'd been very slack in running since their nuptials.

Elizabeth straightened herself slightly, inhaling deeply as William nuzzled her throat.

"We might have to forego your formal attire when we take a tour of the grounds, Lizzy..." he murmured against her throat.

"There's a scandal if I ever heard one," she replied, reaching up to stroke the back of his head.

"Is it really a scandal if no one is around to witness it?"

"I know not, Mr. Darcy, for all the scandals I've ever witnessed were of course... _witnessed_."

He smirked and pressed a kiss to her throat. "Then I suppose I've answered my own query."

"I suppose you have," she said.

His lips found hers once more. This time, he was nowhere nearly as aggressive as before, but no less affectionate. He pulled at her lips, plucking small kisses as his hand roamed up over the bodice of her gown, smoothing up her abdomen before cupping her breast softly.

Of course at that moment, there was a clicking of shoes in the hall, the chatter of two of the staff, maids apparently, as they approached the door.

William ended the kiss, none too willingly, his fingers stroking the underside of her breast before he ceased touching her altogether.

He sat back on the couch, his arm draped behind her, visibly pouting as the maids collected the teacups and pot.

Lizzy almost laughed aloud at him as they left the room. "You look like a child whose plaything has been taken away."

He arched an eyebrow in her direction. "You are no plaything, Elizabeth. You are my absolute favorite."

"Favorite what, William?"

"Just that. My favorite."

Her heart warmed towards him in that moment. Not that it could get any warmer, but it somehow attempted as such.

"I love you, Fitzwilliam," she murmured.

"I love you, Elizabeth," he replied in kind, taking a deep breath and pushing up and off the couch. "Come, my darling wife."

"Where are we off to?"

"There is someone who has been very _impatiently_ awaiting your arrival at Pemberley," he said with a smile.

"Someone other than you, dear husband?"

"Indeed," he said cryptically, holding out his hand. "I do believe Georgiana was in dire want of a sister."

Elizabeth's face lit up at the mention of Darcy's younger sister. "Oh, Georgiana!"

"Come, she'll be taking her music lesson just now in the front parlor, I daresay our arrival merits an interruption."

"I thought for certain she would be there to greet us when we arrived, and had assumed she was away from the home when she did not appear," Lizzy said as they made their way down one of the grand halls of Pemberley.

"Aye, yes. She wished to be here, but she as is apparently dreadfully behind on her studies, her tutor thought it best to continue those until their logical completion today..."

Lizzy knew her husband well by now, and she'd say that William wanted to interrupt those studies as much as Georgiana did.

"Well I suppose that's for the best. For I haven't heard of a more accomplished young lady than Georgiana Darcy..." Elizabeth said softly. "Why, I daresay I haven't met more than six or seven young ladies of such accomplishment."

Fitzwilliam smiled proudly at the mention of his sister's accomplishments. "She's been practicing the pianoforte since your last meeting with her. She so desires to play for you. And with you, should you be so inclined."

"I am not at all accomplished at the pianoforte, as I'm sure you well remember," Elizabeth said only partially in jest.

"I do not remember it that way in the slightest," Darcy said, smiling down at Elizabeth. "As I recall, no one sang finer nor played better than my beautiful wife."

"I might suggest you call for your doctor as your ears warrant his attention badly, in that case."

# Chapter 2

At breakfast the following morning, Lizzy's thoughts were seemingly in every place at once.

As Lizzy was to understand it, she could feel free to take the first meal in her bedroom if she so chose, but she rather liked eating here in this one, with its cozy interior and beautiful furniture. Georgiana had, of course, joined Elizabeth and William for their morning meal in the breakfast room.

Lizzy was starting to believe that the whole of Pemberley was indeed perfect on its own, separate from its lovely inhabitants. Not to suggest that its inhabitants weren't lovely and perfect all on _their_ own either!

The love Elizabeth felt for her husband was compounding each and every day.

The love she felt for her new sister was multiplying in kind as well. Georgiana was a delight. A wit if there ever was one. It was no wonder Mr. Darcy wasn't immediately charmed by Lizzy upon their first meeting, with Georgiana as the standard to which he could compare any other woman..

Elizabeth knew that her Mr. Darcy had grown to adore her in a very short amount of time following their first meeting, but that was neither here nor there.

Fitzwilliam had assured her that Georgiana was seldom without a smile, and this morning was no different.

"What are your plans for today, Elizabeth?" Georgiana asked as she nibbled on toast.

"Well, I seem to recall your brother wanting to tour the grounds with me," Elizabeth replied, sending a smile down to the other end of the table where Fitzwilliam was reading the newspapers he had sent in from the town.

The corners of his mouth twitched, but no smile was forthcoming. This was unsurprising, seeing as it wasn't proper for him to be eavesdropping on other conversations.

"Ah, so I'll likely as not be without you until dinner again?" Georgiana asked, her eyebrows raising. "What with you both being newlyweds and all, I suppose you'll want your privacy."

She was teasing, but the girl had no way of knowing how truthful her words were.

"I have lessons until mid-afternoon, and I'm afraid my music practice is not to be missed either... if I'm ever to become so accomplished as to feel comfortable playing in public," she said, continuing her thoughts. "Unless you and my brother want to dine alone..."

"I would be delighted if you would join us for dinner once again," Elizabeth replied firmly. Their evening meal on the night previous had been a joy indeed, and she did not want her new sister to feel unwelcome in her home, now that Elizabeth was mistress of it

"Perhaps one day, when my brother has finished giving you tours of our lovely home, you and I could play something together on the pianoforte?" Georgiana asked, glancing at once at Lizzy, but also down the table at her brother.

"Georgiana, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you thought ill of me for keeping my wife so very occupied," he drawled.

"Aye, indeed," she said, a small smile forming on her lips as she engaged her brother. "You're a selfish one, William, for engaging your wife so completely."

"I've been nearly thirty years without her. I hope you would forgive me e for wanting her all to myself at least a little bit longer." Fitzwilliam winked at Elizabeth and she couldn't help but smile.

"Truly, your brother is correct, Georgiana," Lizzy replied, a teasing tone taking over. "I'm sure he will grow tired of me soon, and then I shall be all yours."

"Preposterous," William countered. "Perfection is something of which one never tires."

"I am far from perfect, dear husband."

"I would disagree. I find you as close to it as anyone could be, Lizzy."

Lizzy giggled. "I daresay we are embarrassing your sister, Fitzwilliam."

Georgiana shook her head. "Nay. I don't believe I've seen my brother in such high spirits in a long while. There is nothing embarrassing in that, dearest Lizzy."

While they all finished their breakfasts in relative silence, Elizabeth thought back to the last time William had used that word. _Perfect_. He'd uttered it up at her the night before, as they were falling asleep, quite tangled in each others arms.

_" You're perfect, Elizabeth," he murmured, his arms wrapping around her body to pull her close to his chest._

_She lay her head down against him, his heart thudding out his love for her right beneath her ear. "You say that too often, William. I worry you might truly believe it."_

_" But I do. You are not perfect by the definition, Lizzy, but in regards to myself. You are perfect for me. That is what I mean when I say it."_

_She sighed happily, thoroughly satisfied both with his explanation and with their activities for the night. "And you, William, are perfect for me as well."_

_His hand trailed a path up and down her naked back, leaving her skin to tingle in its wake. His fingers traced a line up and down her spine. "I am happy to hear it. I do strive to be."_

Her stomach was fluttering with nerves and happiness by the time the meal had ended, for she knew what enjoyments lay ahead for them today. She was nervous about being outdoors in less clothing than normal, but it was with her dear husband, and so it didn't seem it would be too much for her to bear.

Or to _bare_ , as it were.

Georgiana finished her breakfast and with a quick kiss for her brother and a curtsey for his wife, she was gone and out of the breakfast room, on her way to the library for her lessons.

"So, dear husband... are you still feeling in a mood for _swimming_ later?" Elizabeth asked coyly. She knew full well he was.

"I believe I might be," William replied, folding his paper and placing it on the table. "And I also believe that if I want to get any reading done in the future, it will have to be when I'm alone. For I find your beauty too intoxicating to pay attention to ought else."

"Hmm," Elizabeth mused. "I suppose if we are to accomplish anything, we will have to take up hobbies that are wholly unconnected, because I fear the same. If I am in the same room as you, husband, I won't ever finish another novel."

"And wouldn't that be a shame?" Darcy asked, chuckling. "Especially since I believe you will find our library full of novels. Any your heart could possibly desire, in fact."

"I will not be in need of them if you are around," she said. "I fear I shall grow quite boring and dull indeed."

"I look forward to the same, but for now, I fear, I must leave you for a few hours. There is pressing business to attend to and if I want an afternoon free for _swimming_ and lazing about with my wife, I'll need to see to it immediately."

Shivers of excitement ran through her body as she thought about the activities to come. And also, if she was being honest, about having a few hours just to herself to explore her new home.

"And just how _immediately_ is immediate?" she asked, rising from her chair and walking over to where he was lounging in his.

"As soon as I leave this room, I'm afraid."

Elizabeth hummed, reaching forward to run her fingers through his hair. "So it leaves me to reason that if I don't allow you to leave this room, you won't have to begin your work?"

William smiled, rising up from his chair to tower over her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "My darling and vexing wife... how will I ever do anything but gaze upon you?"

He bid her to sit, and so she did, resting her rump on the dining table as his hands slid down over her shoulders, fingertips dragging over bare skin and inducing goosebumps where he touched. He brought them around her front, ghosting over the bodice of her dress and causing her nipples to become quite stiff.

She inhaled sharply and he smiled. "It wouldn't do to get carried away by our passions so soon in the day, Lizzy."

"It wouldn't?" she teased. "After midday, however, all is well?"

He bent down to kiss her lips, lingering for just a few seconds longer than she had anticipated he would with the servants and his sister in such proximity. "After midday, all is indeed well. But for now, I must go. So that all the quicker I can return to you."

He took her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips before turning to take his leave of her.

He paused at the door for a few seconds, his eyes intense on hers, and then he was gone.

Lizzy exhaled audibly, her hand coming up to rest upon her heart.

Oh, how wrong mother had been, implying that a husband's passions were something to be merely endured. How lovely it was to enjoy every second spent in her husband's company! How very lovely indeed!

Elizabeth stood upon shaky legs and began to make her way towards the door as well. She paused to right an empty teacup she'd overturned and to give Fitzwilliam time to make his way down the great hallway. It wouldn't do to leave a few paces following him only to repeat their passionate performance in the hall where everyone could see.

It wasn't that they had no control over themselves, it was simply an extended honeymoon. Or that was what Elizabeth believed.

Surely Jane and Charles had at least acted this way, at least somewhat. It was likely why no one had been invited to visit their home as of yet. Elizabeth supposed it was that, as well as Mrs. Bennet's frequent correspondence, that likely gave Jane no reprieve or time to mourn her own absence from home.

Lizzy chuckled to herself. Pemberley was quite far from Longbourn. It was true that she did miss her sisters and her parents, but at the same time, distance, like absence, makes the heart grow fonder. he didn't know what she might do if Mother lived as close to her as she did to Jane.

Thankfully, she was never to find out.

Elizabeth finally ventured out into the empty hallway, deciding to at least enter every room on this hall to inspect it. She was mistress of Pemberley now, and this slow and careful exploration was the only way she wouldn't find herself getting lost at every turn.

The first room she opened was a drawing room. It had a rather tall ceiling and paintings on the walls. Paintings that looked to be Mr. Darcy's hunting dogs. She did carry a partiality to them, and they to her.

They were handsome dogs. Well trained.

According to her husband, he once spied her playing with them when he was staying at Netherfield with Mr. Bingley, during Jane's convalescence. It was one of the moments where he realized his growing ardor for her.

She smiled up at the paintings, looking around the drawing room with much interest.

It didn't look to be in use. It was tidy, but there was no sign of anyone having been in there to do much more than clean.

It was a lovely color, a pale green with gorgeous rugs on the floors. There was a writing desk. Bookshelves with nary a thing on them, not even a speck of dust.

It would do nicely for a study or a sewing room, if it wasn't already in use for something else.

She would have to inquire of her husband if it was already spoken for. She would need a room to receive her guests. This one was as lovely as any.

Sighing, she took a seat in one of the high-backed chairs. "Just lovely..." she sighed, leaning back on the chair and resting her head upon the tufted cushion.

She must have fallen asleep, because before she knew it, she was being shaken awake by William.

"Elizabeth, I've been looking for you. It's nearly time for lunch."

She smiled up at her husband. "Is it now? I was just admiring this room..."

He looked around, chuckling before holding out his hand to help her stand. "Admiring it so much, it put you to sleep, did it?"

"No, no... I must have been tired," she replied, reaching for something to steady her as she stood. "But I was thinking..." she trailed off. "Does this room have any use?"

"Not yet, but I can sense my wife has something in mind."

"I'd like to use it as my sitting room, perhaps to receive guests?"

"This one?" he asked, looking around. "Of course. You can have your pick of any of the rooms here, Lizzy, I assure you."

"I like this one. The color is complementary... and the paintings are--"

"I can have them replaced," he said quickly. "If you don't--"

"I do though. I adore your dogs, Mr. Darcy. Almost as much as I adore you."

He smiled. "You know, Beatrice is due another litter of pups in a few weeks. Perhaps you would like to pick one to raise?"

Lizzy smiled. "I would love that, William." She hooked her arm in his.

"Not more than me, I hope?" he asked, clearly joking.

"Never more than you."

"Good, good," he said, offering his arm and gesturing towards the door. "Shall we, my dear? Lunch, and then _swimming_ awaits."

Lizzy smiled up at him, loving the boyish eagerness that had claimed his countenance. "Lead the way, darling."

# Chapter 3

At the first knock she heard, Elizabeth hurried to the door of her bedroom, full of flushed eagerness.

She was wearing one of her afternoon dresses, but had forgone her corset.

_And_ her stockings.

It was all very exciting.

She couldn't recall a time where she'd left her rooms wearing any less. It might have happened when she was a small child, but never since she'd been grown. Her two youngest sisters had tended to run about the second floor rooms in little to cover themselves save their shifts, but that was different than that..

Her husband was all smiles, offering her his arm as they made their way down the hall and towards the entrance.

"Are you wholly prepared for _swimming_ , dearest Elizabeth?" he asked, the giddiness apparent in his tone. He had a blanket casually folded over his other arm, to afford them a place to sit once they arrived at the lake, she assumed.

"As prepared as I can be for _swimming_ \-- and as under prepared for receiving guests as I possibly could be. I should hope none arrive unannounced," she murmured softly, laughing at the thought.

"No visitors would make the misstep of descending on Pemberley so soon after our return," he assured her.

They chose to walk out to the lake. As it was a lovely, warm day, there was no need to bother the stable hands to bridle any horses. Her husband promised to carry her back himself if their excursion proved too exhausting for her to return to the house on her own.

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to anticipate. She knew that no actual swimming would be taking place, but she wasn't entirely certain about any additional plans her husband might have for her. She knew there would be plenty of kissing. And that he had been the one to ask her to not wear her corset beneath her gown. That did sound promising.

The walk was agreeable. Her husband pointed out various trees and paths that he enjoyed as a boy. It was lovely to learn new things about him. To imagine him as a young boy. With Wickham, she supposed, playing and doing all sorts of things boys did.

All thoughts of her unfortunate brother-in-law left her head when they arrived at the lake, however.

It was simply beautiful. More than the pond he'd waved it off as the day previous.

"Oh William..." she murmured, her hands clutched to her chest as she surveyed the waters. She could feel a gust of air ruffle her skirts as her husband spread out the blanket on the ground.

He motioned for her to sit with him, and she did, adjusting her skirts so as to better and more comfortably take in the view.

_And_ to better and more comfortably accept the kisses her husband bestowed upon her nearly the second she'd gotten settled.

"William..." she hummed, turning towards him and leaning into his arms as he moved closer to her.

"Elizabeth, you have no idea how often my thoughts meandered to this very moment during the course of the morning," he whispered. "It was a terrible drudge to get any work done."

All questions as to how they would spend their afternoon left her head at once. She and Fitzwilliam were united in their desires.

She laid back flat on the blanket, taking him with her. She could feel the hard press of him against her hip even through her skirts.

Taking pity on him, she reached down to rub him through his clothes like he had liked and encouraged in the past.

"Elizabeth," he groaned, his head falling to her shoulder, his lips making their way to her throat.

They remained like that for some time, his lips brushing over her neck, and her fingers teasing him in his breeches. He moaned softly, the sound rising, audible even over the croak of the frogs in the lake. It was somewhat humorous to Elizabeth that swimming hadn't even come up since they'd gotten here, not even in jest. All pretenses about the reason for their journey outdoors had been abandoned the second they'd arrived.

Not that she had imagined it would be any different. Her belly tightened at the thought of what was to come, a sweet ache filling the space between her thighs.

His hands tugged insistently on her skirts, pulling them up and over her hips so he could have easier access to what was between them.

She loved the way his fingers felt against her fevered flesh. With their month of married bliss to explore one another, William could now easily find all the places that gave her pleasure without sparing even a look at what his fingers were doing.

And he could bring her to the peak of pleasure that much more quickly, too. This was not to say he did so straight away every the time. He'd sometimes chuckle and remind her of a lady's patience being her virtue as he drew out his attentions nearly to the point of madness.

She'd told him him that he made her feel like anything _but_ a lady when he touched her so.

And then his eyes would darken and he'd give her anything she wanted.

Marital relations were nothing like Elizabeth had presumed they'd be.

She was already slick from anticipation as his fingers moved over her with practiced ease. She reached for the buttons on his breeches and found them, tugging on them until the fall front came away and she was able to wrap her fingers completely around his length.

He panted her name into her ear as she slowly began to move her hand. The manly scent of him wafted up to her nose and made her shudder with desire.

Her body ached for him, and while she wasn't sure exactly _which_ marital activities her Mr. Darcy wanted to partake in when they were outdoors, Elizabeth knew what _she_ wanted. Her husband was, after all, forever begging her to take whatever pleasure she desired from him.

She entertained the possibility of doing just that. Of hiking up her skirts to straddle him as she pushed him back down onto the blankets. Taking him deep within her depths and riding him like one would ride a horse.

She wondered if William would enjoy that. He repeatedly assured her that he wanted only her pleasure before anything else. What would he think about her doing what he asked and taking it from him so wantonly?

She found his lips and kissed him, moving her hand slowly so as to not bring him off sooner than she'd like.

He seemed to sense her plans because his own fingers slowed between her legs and she moaned softly at their absence. He brought them up to his lips, sucking them into his mouth as his eyes watched hers.

"What are you thinking about, Lizzy?" he asked, nearly breathless with want as she continued to use her hand upon him.

"I am thinking about what sort of mischief you'd like to get up to, William. If I should simply take what _I_ want from you..." she spoke her unchaste thoughts aloud and a devilish grin overtook her face. "What would you think of that, dear husband?" she asked.

He blinked a few times, his mouth falling open. "I... I... I believe I would enjoy that immensely."

She wasn't surprised by his admission, but she _was_ surprised by how quickly he moved to bring it about.

He lay back as though he had so soon guessed the trajectory of her desires, , his chest heaving as he reached up to unbutton a few of the buttons and yank his shirt up and out of his breeches to give her more room.

" _Please_ , do take what you want, Elizabeth," he murmured.

Spurred by his positive reaction, Elizabeth gathered her skirts in her arms without sparing it a further though. She lifted one knee to climb astride him.

It took some maneuvering at first, but she was able to work his now staggeringly hard length into her body with minimal guidance. His body shook with pleasure and his eyes looked as if they didn't know whether to slam shut or stay wide as they lock on hers.

He chose wide, it would seem, watching her as she began to squeeze her thighs and bounce up and down astride him, rocking against him as instinct guided her.

Her name was there on his tongue as he moaned out his pleasure to the lake and the hills surrounding them. There would be little to disguise their activities if anyone should happen upon them, but Elizabeth simply couldn't care.

Her breasts ached from bouncing so, so she reached up to cup them, to hold them in place.

Mr. Darcy took that as a cue to reach up and offer his own hands, and she utilized them deftly.

He teased her nipples easily through her thin gown, making them stiff and pointed in no time.

"Oh... William..." she whispered, feeling a spike in her pleasure with every brush of his thumbs across her bosom. Her body clenched around him, no longer feeling strange as much as it felt good.

So very good.

Too good to be borne.

She could feel the beginnings of her paroxysm begin to quiver through her lower abdomen.

His hips began to chase hers, to return her thrust for thrust. His hands moved down from her breasts to grip her hips and hold her in place. Chasing his own bliss, she assumed, given how purposeful his countenance was.

"Elizabeth, you feel so warm... so good... so lovely..." he murmured.

She leaned back, feeling him press against something deep inside her. Something that made her yelp with pleasure and try to move faster. To get more of it somehow.

"Darling, if you keep that up, I'll... I'll..." His eyes squeezed shut. "I won't last..."

"It's alright," she cooed, reaching down to cover his hands with hers. Her breasts were still aching, but her touch seemed to urge him on. "I want you to have this, William... _Please_..."

She could feel him tensing. His teeth went down into his lip when he found his release, his breath coming out in sharp puffs.

"Oh William," she murmured.

His release was hot and sticky, and as he slowly pulled her down against his chest, she could feel it dripping out of her.

"Elizabeth..." he whispered. "You are everything lovely. And beautiful. And wonderful. _My_ _Elizabeth_..."

"My Fitzwilliam..." she murmured.

"I'm sorry you haven't... I so wanted... I wanted to bring you off, darling..."

"It's alright," she assured him. "I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Couldn't you?" he asked, grinning mischievously.

"What?" she was barely able to ask before she was rolled over onto her back on the blanket. Her skirts pushed up to her hips as he lowered himself between them.

When she felt his mouth kiss along her inner thigh, she froze, wondering what on earth he could possibly...

"Oh..." she moaned, letting her head fall back on the blanket. "Oh, William..."

His tongue slid over her sex, making her legs jump and quiver.

"Oh William..." she repeated. It was all she could do. All she could say to keep from screaming loudly enough to draw the servants from the estate, as far as it was.With every brush of his tongue, she ached all the more.

He was so slow and deliberate with his licks, too. He worried that nub there between her legs, worried it back and forth and up and down.

She knew she should be scandalized. This wasn't the sort of thing ladies and gentleman got up to. His mouth shouldn't...

"Oh... God... _Fitzwilliam_ ," she murmured, her hand reaching down to bury itself in his curls. To keep him there, pressed against her. To push that glorious tongue of his just _there_.

She would have her pleasure in a few short moments if he kept this up.

"William..."

He hummed against her, as if she tasted heavenly. As if she were some sort of cake or other delicacy. Or more. As if she were ambrosia, fit for the gods and no one else.

He began to speed up his ministrations. Her belly tightened uncomfortably as he flicked her over and back again, swirling his tongue around the sensitive nub until she could take no more. She groaned loudly, nearly screaming with relief as William used the tip of his tongue on her sex, lapping at her as if he were a cat and she a saucer of milk.

He hummed as he slowed, and she had to pull him back when it became too much. The tremors themselves had her mewling anew, as though perhaps she was the feline in this instance after all. He grinned at her from between her legs. "Did you enjoy that, darling?" He licked his lips and pushed up on his hands, tugging down her skirts so she was decent once more.

Well, she certainly _wasn't_ decent, but at least she wasn't exposed any longer.

"I should slap you for that," she teased, reaching for him and tugging him close for a kiss. He tasted like _her_. "Oh, you smell like me," she murmured.

"I know. It's lovely..." he replied.

"You are terribleness itself, Mr. Darcy."

"No, I am not. I am simply a husband who has pleased his wife. Nothing terrible about that at all," he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her once more.

"I _know_ I won't be able to walk back to the house on my own now."

"Not to worry. I feel invigorated. I shall carry you as promised," he said, laying back on the blanket and gazing up at the sky.

Lizzy moved in close beside him. "I do love you, William."

"I do love you, Lizzy," he replied with a happy sigh. "We'll have to go swimming another day, won't we?"

"Oh yes. We have the rest of our lives for that."

# An Ardent Affection: Part 3

# Chapter 1

Elizabeth Darcy yawned as she made her way down the long corridor towards the breakfast room alongside her husband. Her hand felt heavy where it rested on the crook his elbow.

"Are you well, Lizzy?" he asked, half expectant, half-mirthful. They both knew the likely reason for her current bout of exhaustion. For _all_ her recent bouts of exhaustion, even. Their nightly activities behind the closed doors of Lizzy's room were as frequent as they were enjoyable.

Elizabeth had felt rather the wanton as of late. She couldn't seem to get enough of her husband. And he, most fortunately was more than happy to oblige his wife.

"I'm _very_ well, William," she replied, a smile gracing her lovely face as they approached the breakfast room.

"Perhaps, given your current state, tonight, I should... keep to my own room?" he asked, his eyebrows raised slightly to show his concern. "You have been rather weary these past few days. I would hate to continue to be the reason for that weariness."

"I'm not weary," she said, waving off his concern. "I am merely living. And you, Fitzwilliam, are the reason I am living. Not the other way 'round."

He could scarcely keep the smile from his face, but he didn't make much of an effort on that endeavor. He was positively beaming by the time they took their seats at the prospective ends of the table in the breakfast room.

Georgiana arrived mere moments later, glancing at the both of them and chuckling to herself.

"I daresay, the two of you are making every attempt to remain newlyweds for your entire union, are you not?"

Fitzwilliam chuckled, shaking his head before addressing his wife. "Dearest Lizzy, I do believe my sister has implied the two of us are silly."

"We _are_ silly, William. It is an apt observation."

"If we _are_ silly, Sister, it is because we are happy," he replied, plopping a generous dollop of marmalade onto his toast. "Deliriously so."

" _Deliriously_ , my goodness," Georgiana teased. "I should only hope to find someone to make me so 'deliriously' silly as my brother has become."

"You should hope for it, Georgie," William insisted, referring to his sister by her nursery name and causing her to blush scarlet.

"You are even more impossible than when you were mooning after her," she insisted, pouring herself a coffee.

"I never mooned after Lizzy," William protested.

Elizabeth beamed, realizing she was seeing a rare moment of sibling fellowship that was likely not oft repeated since they two had grown.

"You did moon after her," Georgiana insisted. "He was fit to be tied, Lizzy. You broke his heart."

Elizabeth felt a sudden pang of affection for her husband and suddenly wished he was closer to her, so that she might reach out and touch him, to o assuage any notion that she would ever do such a thing again.

"I was indeed impetuous," she conceded. "And as unmannerly as your brother was, I was just as unmannerly to him."

"I hurt your feelings, and deserved all that came to me," William assured her.

"It all turned out for the best," Georgiana said, lightening the mood considerably as she reached for a piece of toast. "A better match I certainly couldn't see. For either of you. You are allied in your silliness. You deserve each other."

The last part was a jab for certain, but Lizzy agreed. She couldn't imagine a better husband for herself than Fitzwilliam Darcy.

They finished their meal in good humor, all rising to go their separate ways following: Georgiana, to her lessons, William to his duties, and Elizabeth, to her sitting room. She was planning to pass the first morning this week in relative silence, as she had no callers scheduled.

It was a blessing, she was sure of it, and she aimed to take full advantage. She stifled a yawn as she went on her way.

She was fatigued almost daily but she suspected, as did her husband, it had to do with the nightly visits from him.

She supposed, at this point, it was less _visiting_ and more that her husband was forgoing his own quarters altogether in favor of hers.

A smile passed over her lips the more she thought about it. A husband was supposed to have his own quarters, and a wife hers, but William had spent every single night in Elizabeth's rooms since they were wed.

More often than not, he took over for her lady's maid, undressing her and brushing her hair. His fingers had become nimble and lithe while loosening her stays, delicate as they removed her chemise, baring her to his gaze.

His own nightly routine wasn't all that difficult to learn. And, while Darcy enjoyed when Elizabeth undressed him, he preferred to be the one in the position of servitude. It suited Elizabeth just as well, especially given how prone she was to fits of exhaustion lately.

She tried to remember at what hour she and William had finally gone to sleep the night previous, as that could be the reason for all of her yawning this morning

It couldn't have been too late at night, she pondered. The moon wasn't even visible in her window, which meant that it was before midnight for certain. And they hadn't risen until a knock sounded on her bedroom door, well past dawn.

She shouldn't be so drained, by all accounts, even taking their nightly activities into account.

More curious still, were the aches and pains she'd been having as of late. She'd been loathe to mention them to her husband, but she was starting to think they should call for a doctor. At least to put her troubled mind to rest.

She swallowed thickly as she reached her sitting room, pulling open the door and sighing happily as she strolled inside, all thoughts and worries briefly forgotten as she took in her surroundings.

The paintings of Mr. Darcy's dogs were still here, but a fresh coat of paint and new paper had made the walls look decidedly more feminine. The bookshelves had been partially emptied so she could fill them with the books she'd bought in Bath. Novels, poetry, the likes of which she'd never been privy to at Longbourn. All of the new volumes looked bright against the older volumes still housed here.

She quite liked the contrast. Old and new. It was a bit like Pemberley and its inhabitants. Pemberley being the old, and the inhabitants being the new.

She settled herself upon the settee. All the furniture had been recovered, much to her delight. Even though she'd insisted to her husband that the existing fabrics covering the furniture would surely suffice her purposes, he'd sent away for samples from London and insisted she have them made over as it suited her. She'd chosen soft blues and greens, to complement the paintings on the walls and the new paper.

The entire room felt more airy now. Larger, if possible. At least when the light was being let in. The maids hadn't been in to open the curtains, so Elizabeth took it upon herself to complete the task.

She'd no sooner pulled one side of the drapes across the large windows then the overbearing weight of her exhaustion began to overtake her. Wanting to finish the job, she persisted until all the drapes were open and the room was filled with sunshine.

Of course, being weary as she was, she soon found herself sitting down once more upon the settee, a book open across her lap even though the prospect of reading it was at once too encompassing a task.

Her head lolled and her eyes closed, unable to decipher the words in the text in front of her as she fell asleep.

# Chapter 2

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open some time later. She knew not how long she'd been sleeping, only that her husband was presumably finished with his duties for the day and the sun was now setting in the west.

She blinked herself awake and smiled warmly at her husband. "Good afternoon, dearest love."

"You'd better wish me a good evening as well," he teased. "Have you been asleep all day, Lizzy?" He had knelt down in front of her, one hand on her knee, the other on the arm of the settee. He looked almost out of place there, kneeling before her like a servant would have done.

She suppressed the urge to tousle his hair, to run her fingers through his curls. It likely wasn't the time nor the place for such frivolity. Especially when any servant could walk in on them at any moment. She wasn't sure why, but this made her want to do it all the more.

Goodness, but she had a wicked streak.

She stretched her arms as best as she could and nodded, yawning mid-nod. "It certainly appears that way, William."

"Are you _certain_ that you are well?" he asked, repeating his question from that morning.

"I'm _very_ well," she replied once more, reaching down to cover his hand with hers. "I'm only tired."

"You're absolutely _certain_?" he reiterated. "My darling, I only ask because you've slept through and missed lunch. If you are not able to receive adequate rest during the night, I would gladly take to my own rooms. I would hate to be the cause of your exhaustion..."

"You are not the cause, William. Your appetites are surely welcome, how can you even question? It is I who cannot get enough of you," she reminded him, lacing her fingers with his as she coaxed his hand up further on her thigh. "Or have you forgotten what sort of lovely mischief we got up to last night? Remarkably at my own insistence, I believe,"

The corners of his mouth quirked upwards, but he pressed on.

"Lizzy, perhaps I should sleep in my own chambers tonight... to better give you a chance to rest."

"Perhaps," she agreed languidly. "But if you do, you _must_ oblige me now."

She raised her eyebrows knowingly, suddenly not caring for propriety any longer. Her body cried out for his, yearned for his touch. His very knowledgeable touch which often gave very pleasing results. After all, the doors to the room each had a lock.

He glanced around. "Here? Now? Lizzy, truly I..."

"Only if you feel inclined, husband." She grinned flirtatiously and he met her gaze with a smile of his own, mischievous and impish. "You might lock the doors, however..."

"My dearest Lizzy, I am always inclined... but are you certain you feel up to it?"

"Perhaps not a _full_ romp as is usual for us."

"Only a partial romp, then?" he teased, standing to cross the room. He checked both of the doors, making doubly sure they were locked against any surprise guests. Then he returned to Elizabeth, kneeling at her feet once more. "Three quarters of a romp, mayhaps?"

"How does one achieve three-quarters of a romp, William?" Lizzy asked.

"Allow me to demonstrate, my dear."

His fingers gripped the hem of her skirt, pushing it up over her knees. Lizzy aided him by widening them a bit further apart to give him better access.

She thrilled when she felt his fingers slide up the length of her leg, along her stocking-covered calves and beyond. He toyed with the fastenings on her garters, undoing them and rolling down her stockings to bare more of her skin. He did this before moving up, up, up beneath her petticoat and chemise. She jolted when his fingers met bare skin, tickling her thighs as he moved just a bit further.

His fingers found her there, bare and hot. The slippery wetness of her arousal already coated her.

Elizabeth's breasts felt heavy in her gown, the tips of them already tightening from William's touch. They ached so much that she dare not touch them directly. Just the feeling of the fabric dragging over them was nearly enough.

William's fingers dragged over her aching core, her toes curling in her shoes as he slowly swiped back and forth.

His other hand squeezed her knee as he smiled up at her. "How's that, my darling?"

"More," Elizabeth whispered, her hips rocking down to meet his hand. He pressed both fingers into her opening, moving them in a come hither motion as she moaned softly into the room.

She wondered if she should stifle her sounds somehow, but one look at William had her banishing the thought.

His eyes were dark, nearly black. Like they always were when they were together like this.

She loved the way he looked when he was reckless with abandon. And to be able to drive him to such ecstasy without even touching him, well... it gave her a heady sort of power indeed.

"Oh, William..." she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as he grunted softly against her knee, lowering his head until he was nibbling softly at the bare flesh there.

"More?" he murmured, making her nearly cry out with anticipation as he slowed his movements.

"Please, yes," she replied. "Oh William... _please_..."

"Tell me," he whispered softly. "Tell me how you feel, Lizzy... how I make you feel."

"So... " she moaned. "So good, William. You give me such pleasure , you're so good to me."

He rucked up her skirt more, ducking his head beneath it as he worked himself up between her legs. He peppered kisses there, moving until he was nosing against her. The ache she felt at the apex of her thighs was almost too much.

He wriggled his fingers sparingly as he ducked his head further beneath her skirt, all the way up to where he was touching her. He pressed a kiss just _there_ , making her shiver.

The ache was nearly unbearable now. She begged him for more, desperate for sensation. Begged him for things that they'd only talked about, but never had done. She begged him to use his mouth _there_.

She might have blushed for her demands, but her body cried out so for his. Oh, but he made her feel so wanton.

His tongue flicked out, sliding along her folds until it found the nub there at her crest. She could feel her muscles clamping down around his fingers as he began to slowly swirl the tip of his tongue around the swollen bundle of nerves.

"Yes, just there," she gasped. "Oh, William."

Her toes curled again in her shoes as he took to slowly lapping at her sex. The warmth spread in her extremities and she had to bite down on her lip to keep from screaming and alerting the entire house to their activities.

He languidly stroked her most intimate of places with his tongue, humming here and there and making her feel as if she were the most delicious delicacy in all the world.

William grunted against her, causing a slight vibration to tingle up her entire body.She gasped in response, her thighs clenching slightly. So, after a brief pause, he did it again.

Her nipples were tight, almost painfully stiff as they rubbed against the insides of her chemise, helping her along as she moved closer and closer to release.

He fluttered his tongue against the nub, alternating between swirls and flicks, as if he were gauging which she preferred.

Her body tightened, her muscles seizing as he brought her closer. He was moaning against her body, and she dug her fingernails dug into the fabric of the settee where she was seated.

Sensation burst from her sex, waves upon waves of pleasure crashing over her as she whimpered and jerked. Her hips seeming to move of their own accord as William began to slow his ministrations.

Her body felt utterly wrung out when he finished, resting his head against her thigh. She could feel his breath, hot against her sensitive skin and making her quiver and twitch with every pulse of pleasure.

"William," she murmured, her eyes still closed as she groped for his hand.

He was using it to climb out from under her skirts. The first sight of his face, covered in perspiration and, likely,her own arousal made her grin like mad. "William... you scandalize me."

He chuckled. "You certainly didn't seem too scandalized whilst I was beneath your skirts, wife."

William rested his head upon her knee, breathing heavily as he calmed himself.

"I wasn't... I was behaving like quite the wanton," Lizzy teased. "But now, I am properly ashamed of my actions." There was a twinkle in her eye that likely let William know she was only joking.

But he pushed up onto his knees regardless. "Elizabeth," he kissed her lips, leaving her own taste behind on them. "You are my wife. And a wanton one at that... but you are never to feel ashamed of what we do together," he kissed her once more. "Because like everything else you do, it is beautiful."

He pushed up to stand. "And I shall not hear any more nonsense about embarrassment. You are a beautiful, vibrant woman and I am lucky to have married you."

"Imagine my luck to have married such an understanding and placating husband," Lizzy countered, reaching for his hand as he helped her to rise.

Unfortunately, she was forced to sit back down immediately, her vision swimming as she brought a hand up to her face. "Oh my..."

Her previous fears began to resurface, dragging her down through the hazy, post-coital bliss far sooner than she would have liked. She wasn't sure what was wrong. Something was, however. She hadn't ever felt this way before in her life. Not ever at Longbourn. And certainly not since she'd come to Pemberley six weeks before.

_Six weeks..._

Suddenly, it was clear. The exhaustion, the aches, the tightness in her chemise and stays.

"Darling?" William was all seriousness all of a sudden. "Darling, I'm going to call for a doctor."

She found herself nodding. "Yes, I think that would be best."

She had a feeling she knew exactly what was wrong.

And it was nothing wrong at all, now that she thought about it. But a doctor _would_ be necessary.

# Chapter 3

A servant was promptly sent to fetch a doctor. The only one who wasn't looking properly worried was Lizzy

She tried to calm him down but, without informing her husband of her suspicions and running the chance of leaving him disappointed if she happened to be wrong, there wasn't much to be done for his current state.

Darcy was loathe to leave her side, but she'd sent him away to wash up and return to her. In the meantime, she prepared for the visit from the doctor.

The doctor soon came and went, a smile on his face upon leaving her bedside. He promised to return in a week's time for another visit to check on her wellbeing. _And_ that of her unborn child.

She was ecstatic, but Darcy was still pacing in the hallway.

The doctor must have told him he could return to the room, for scant minutes after the physician had gone, her husband appeared.

He burst into the room in quite a state of worry, his eyes searching hers imploringly as she pulled on her dressing gown.

"It is as I expected," she said brightly. "We are to have a little stranger joining us in eight months' time."

William's face went from worried to confused to enlightened to joyous in rapid succession.

"A little stranger? Are we truly--" He looked ready to throw open the windows and announce the happy news to the world

"We are, truly," Lizzy replied, barely able to contain her mirth any longer. If he'd asked, she'd have allowed him to shout their happy news to anyone who wanted to listen.

"How... when... How did this happen?" he asked, his eyes finding and holding her gaze.

His hand slipped into hers, squeezing as she laughed.

"I believe you know exactly the way in which things such as these happen, Fitzwilliam," she teased. "But as to the 'when', I believe it happened not long after we arrived at Pemberley."

" _A child_..." he said rapturously, gazing at her in awe. "It's no wonder then, how you've seemed weary, my darling. And here I was, pushing myself on you. You shouldn't be..."

"You no sooner pushed yourself than I pulled you close," she remarked, arching an eyebrow. "The doctor explained all of that. 'Tis to be expected. Although, we'll have to be careful from now on."

"Of course, my darling... my _darlings_ ," he corrected himself, falling to his knees before her once more. He ran his hands over her still flat stomach. He was prostrate in such a way as to find her laughing once more as she remembered the activities they'd engaged in hours before. He'd been on his knees then as well. She rather like the way he looked, worshipping her as he had.

She'd have rather liked to have been able to better see him, without her cumbersome skirts in the way. To have been able to run her fingers through his hair.

Perhaps they could engage in similar activities again soon. Now that she knew she'd be needing more rest, she'd be spending more time in bed.

She chuckled to herself. Somehow, she was fairly certain that this hadn't been what the doctor had prescribed, but as long as she got enough sleep each day, there was no harm, was there?

"You know... I'm to be in bed longer each day," she said, trailing off.

"Quite." he replied. "That is, I should think so."

"You'll have to... visit me in my chambers more often," she said, eyes glistening.

"It should follow as such, since you'll be _here_ more often."

She arched an eyebrow. "William. Our particular activities this afternoon... I'd very much like to partake in them again. Perhaps even... reciprocate for you?"

"Lizzy," his face reddened. "Lizzy, we cannot..."

"Why not? I thought we weren't to be embarrassed by our actions in our marriage bed, William?"

He smiled, leaning up to kiss her cheeks. "My darling, nothing would please me more than to please you all day long, but you need your rest."

"Quite. And I'll be getting a lot of in in bed."

"Not if I'm in here with you, you won't be."

"What if you came in... and woke me up from my naps every afternoon?" she asked, smiling innocently. "And then, you could... we could..."

"But if you start falling asleep in your sitting room again..." he warned.

"I'll spend more time in bed, William."

"Good. I'm enormously glad to hear it. Now, let me go fetch your dinner. I'll feed it to you here, Mrs. Darcy."

"Oh, Mr. Darcy. You do spoil me," she said, laughing brightly.

"I only wish you'd let me spoil you more," he countered.

"Well, in a few short months, you'll have an entirely new being whom you can spoil to your heart's content."

He grinned widely. "Who's to say my child's mother won't have something to say on that subject as well? I daresay this child may be the happiest in all of England."

She could barely conceal her mirth as she allowed happy thoughts of motherhood to wash over her. "I daresay you are correct, William."

# An Ardent Affection: Part 4

# Chapter 1

"Oh, I do hope he's not much longer..." Georgiana said softly, as if she were trying to keep her worries to herself. She needn't have bothered. Elizabeth was already worried herself. Still, she found that she could keep calm if she could comfort someone else.

"Georgiana..." Elizabeth said softly, allowing a gently teasing tone creep into her voice. "The sun has not yet gone down. Your brother still has time to return to us before the evil darkness of the night swallows him up forever."

Georgiana turned, her brow furrowed as she reached for Lizzy's hand. "Lizzy, _really_. If something were to happen to him, would you not feel terrible for having made fun at a time such as this?"

"Nothing's happened to him, Georgiana. And I know this for certain, because if it had, I should faint dead away. And here I am. Alive, awake, and well, if rather exhausted from the wait."

Miss Darcy rolled her eyes and propped her head on her hand. "Your positivity can be absolutely draining, dear sister."

"Well, it's good that the day is nearly done, then. We'll all get a good night's sleep, will we not? You, me, and our dear Mr. Darcy, who I'm certain will be arriving shortly, all apologies."

Elizabeth set her embroidery hoop down on the table beside her. Georgiana's had long ago been abandoned. The younger girl had been nearly beside herself with worry ever since Mr. Darcy had not arrived for dinner as expected. His business in the town must have been harrowing indeed, to have kept him this late.

They were both, fortunately, spared from worrying much longer. Soon, there was a loud commotion downstairs which sent Georgiana to the large window in Lizzy's sitting room. The sun was setting, orange on the horizon, and Elizabeth saw her sister-in-law sigh with relief at what she saw in addition to the sunset.

"There he is now, my brother..." She turned to grin at Lizzy. "Late as sin, but he is here."

Elizabeth extended her hand towards Georgiana. "Didn't I predict that this was how it would happen?"

"Aye, Lizzy. You did." Georgiana hurried towards her, taking her arm and helping Lizzy to her feet, reaching out her hand place it gently on Lizzy's rather rotund belly. "It's a good thing too, I was worried the child would come when his or her father wasn't here to properly greet the little stranger."

"Well, now you have worried for naught and where has it gotten you?" Elizabeth asked, laughing softly as Georgiana hurried from the room.

Elizabeth leaned against the doorframe when she got there, letting out a long shuddering sigh of relief. She often found herself in the position of helping others to calm themselves when she herself was almost dead from worry, so Georgiana had helped her more than the younger woman had known. Especially considering Elizabeth wasn't to worry herself under any circumstances.

And William really was very, very late.

Lizzy wished she could run down the hall and launch herself into his willing arms, but she was much too round to perform such acrobatics as of late. Much too round to even hoist herself from a sitting position without aid, even, what with eight and a half months of a Darcy child in her belly.

She did, however, make her way down the hallway to the front hall, pausing at the top of the stairs and pondering the possibility of waiting for him to make his way to her..

Elizabeth heard the rumble of his voice in the hallway and decided to go to him after all, getting so far as the first landing on the stairs before he saw her and halted her progress.

"Oh no, my darling, let me come to you," he called, taking the stairs two at a time to reach her before she could so much as set foot on the next step.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, gingerly kissing her lips. "Elizabeth, my dear, dear wife. I do apologize if I've worried you..." He peered into her eyes.

"Oh, she wasn't worried, brother," Georgiana said as she began to climb the stairs, although she took them only one at a time, unlike her brother. "She knew you'd be back. If I wasn't more sensible, I would swear you two had some kind of mystical connection."

William smiled fondly at his sister before turning his gaze back to his wife.

Lizzy threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and keeping him close. "I am happy to see you home."

"As well as I am happy to _be_ home, dearest wife," he said, chuckling at her sudden and exuberant show of affection.

Lizzy could just see Georgiana's smug expression as she flashed it at her on her way up the stairs.

"I'm retiring to bed, I will hear all of your travels in the morning, William," Georgiana replied.

"In the morning, you shall," William promised, smiling after his sister as his wife was still clinging to the front of him. "As for _you_ , darling... I believe you've had a harrowing evening and are in need of rest." He rested his hand briefly on her belly.

"Will you accompany me?" she asked, her eyes wide as she released him and placed her own hand on the crook of his arm.

They began their slow ascent of the stairs and he nodded. "I will _accompany_ you there. But I make no promises as to whether remaining there for the whole night You need your strength, dearest.." The last words were murmured in her ear so the staff standing at the bottom of the stairs wouldn't hear.

"I would implore you to consider it," she said, just as softly before raising her voice once they'd reached the top of the stairs and turned the corner. "I may have been more worried than I let on to Georgiana."

"I thought you might be," he said as they continued on in their slow pace. He took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "I tried to return as soon as I could, but the roads were simply not having it."

"I understand," she assured him as they turned to walk down the long corridor towards her bed chambers. "But I still wish you would reconsider staying in my rooms tonight..."

"Let us make our way to your chambers first, and then, you can decide whether or not you'd like me to stay longer. How's that, Elizabeth?"

She glanced up at him, her gaze heated and longing, "That's all I ask , William."

# Chapter 2

"You'll stay to help me undress, won't you husband?" Elizabeth asked, smiling as Fitzwilliam acquiesced.

"You know very well I can deny you nothing, dearest wife," he replied, dropping a kiss to the back of her hand.

"That may be true, but _we've_ certainly been denying _ourselves_ for these past few months... have we not?" Lizzy asked, quirking her eyebrow quizzically.

"It was for the good of your health," he reminded her. "Have you not been sleeping better without me in your bed every _single_ night?"

Elizabeth sighed in resignation. "This is very true, but at what cost, William? I've been so _very_ lonely."

He tilted his head sympathetically. "As have I, Elizabeth, but it will all be over soon." He bent to press a kiss to her forehead. "Do you truly want me to stay and help you undress?"

"I really do..." she replied, standing slowly to allow him to assist her. "Come closer and help."

She took the pins out of her hair with little help from him, shaking her long tresses down over her shoulders and reaching for the brush on the vanity.

As she ran the brush through her hair, he approached her, tentatively reaching for the ties on the back of her gown. He untied them, then loosened them enough to pull the gown up and over her head. She'd had to let her gowns out considerably to make up for the swelling of her belly as their child grew, so this had become more and more of ordeal each time he'd helped her undress.

After the gown was off and draped over the screen that served to divide her room, he untied her petticoats and draped those over her gown. Her abigail would have to come in to fluff and store them properly, but for now, as they weren't wrinkled up on the floor, they would be fine.

Lizzy sat down upon the stool and lifted her swollen ankles into her husband's lap. His eyes ran up the length of her leg just the same as he had when she'd been thin and not so... _with child_. She delighted at how her form still seemed to excite him.

"So you approve of the changes, husband?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "I was quite worried that you'd not want me after I'd filled out so."

"Nonsense," he said, pushing her chemise up over her knees. He reached for the fasteners on her garters, unclasping them and pulling them down her legs ahead of her stockings. He left both on her vanity table and slowly rose to his feet again, taking her hands and tugging her up to stand with him.

His eyes were dark as he pulled up on her chemise, much to her surprise. She'd simply expected him to tuck her robe around her shoulders and kiss her on the forehead. But there was something about the look in his eyes excited her and she raised her arms obediently. He tugged the chemise up and over her head, baring her to his gaze.

He reached out to press his hand over her belly, smoothing over the swell and smiling. "You are truly a beauty, dearest Elizabeth."

"You think so?" she asked. "Even when my belly is swollen with your child?"

"Especially so," he replied, dropping to his knees before her. He pressed soft kisses across the skin on her belly. Even over the spot where her navel had once been, which was now smooth, if slightly discolored.

"You'll spend the night with me, husband?" Lizzy asked.

"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked, kicking off his boots before she'd even answered him.

"Don't you want to?" she asked, even if she knew the answer.

"Of course I do, Elizabeth," he murmured, pushing up to his feet. "I meant... would it be safe for the babe?"

"I'm nearly to term," Lizzy reminded him. "Very little could go wrong now even if it wanted."

"Then I'll stay..." he said softly, his hand smoothing over her belly.

Standing nude before her fully clothed husband had Lizzy slightly desperate for more, so she simply reached for him, popping open the buttons on his shirt as a clue that he should join her.

"Impatient little thing, aren't you?" he teased, reaching for the knot in his cravat.

"If I am, it is only because it's been months since I've had you in my bed," she reminded him as she backed up to sit upon the bed.

"I hardly need to be reminded..." he said, tossing his cravat over his head and starting in on the shirt buttons next.

Lizzy watched him from her perch on the bed as, inch by inch, his skin was revealed to her. She felt almost as nervous as she had that first night, nearly a year ago.

Her mouth went dry at the sight of skin she hadn't seen in months. At the tiniest view of the dark hair on his chest, her heart began to beat rapidly in her own.

Once the shirt had cleared his head and landed on the floor with his cravat, she began to feel a dull throbbing between her legs.

He reached for his breeches next, unbuttoning and pushing them down his legs. His stockings followed and were left draped over his boots as he began to slip out of his underclothes.

Finally, he was completely bare before her. She reached for him.

He was already primed. Already ready for her.

Even so, she wanted to reach out and touch him like she would have done to ready him. Wrap her fingers around his member and stroke him until he made that low, growling sound that she so adored.

"Are you certain everything will be fine?" he asked, licking his lips and glancing down to where he was hard and stiff already. "I'm sure your hand will suffice..."

"I don't wish for you to do anything you're not comfortable with, William," Lizzy murmured.

"Perhaps just your hand then, my sweet?" he asked, reaching for said hand and enclosing it in his. "I will enjoy it just as if I were to lie with you."

"As will I," she assured him, running her hand over the smooth side of his hip as he drew closer.

He climbed up onto the bed, towards the pillows, and held out his hand to help her there as well. A part of her was disappointed that lying together was not meant to be. Who knew when next the chance would present itself once the baby was here?

Lizzy supposed it would happen when it would, and not a second before.

She relaxed back onto the pillows, determined to enjoy an interlude with her husband while she still could.

He kissed her first. His lips brushed tentatively over hers just as they had upon their very first encounter. She could scarcely catch her breath for the expectation that he'd steal it away in but a moment's time.

He didn't steal it in any certain terms, but simply brushed soft kisses over her lips in such a way that had her body thrumming for more. For a simple soft touch from him.

She allowed her own hands to glide freely over his skin, from his hip up to his chest. She tangled her fingers in his chest hair and slipped them free once more, only to slide them back down to his hip.

Finally, he tilted his head down, slotting his mouth over hers and making her gasp. He swallowed the sound and deepened the kiss at the same instant.

His fingers slid up her jaw and into her hair, brushing it back from her face as his lips moved softly over hers. "Lizzy... how I've missed you," he murmured.

"I've missed _you_ , William," she replied, surprised at how her body reacted as if they had never been apart.

Her breasts very nearly ached for want of his touch as he slowly glided his fingertips over the swell of them. He dragged fingertips over her nipple, making her quiver from the sheer pleasure of it all before he hefted her breast in his hand.

She'd grown here as well; her breasts now full and round where upon before, she'd simply had an ample bosom. Now, it was quite nearly enormous.

He teased the nipple between his finger and thumb, making her breath rasp out sharply.

"William..."

He hummed in reply and deepened the kiss once more. "Oh Lizzy..."

She rubbed her thighs together to try and quell the ache. This didn't work, only left her feeling more and more on edge. She silently prayed that his hands would begin to wander lower soon.

William tilted his head and Lizzy felt the tip of his tongue slide into her mouth. She met him stroke for stroke with her own tongue, feeling his sharp intake of breath. Lizzy felt light headed, nearly dizzy with desire. She could only imagine that William must feel the same, given the sharp pokes to her distended belly from the evidence of his arousal.

She allowed her hand to begin stroking his chest once more. She could scarcely breathe. Her mind was so aflutter with thoughts of him and what they'd do together. What they had done in the past.

"Oh William..." she murmured. "How I've missed this."

He hummed in reply before speaking. "As have I, my darling..." His hips canted forward, trapping his erection between her belly and his. A soft whimper resounded from his throat and Elizabeth greedily swallowed the sound.

"I hope you'll stay the whole night," she whispered.

"Try and force me out now," he murmured, laughing softly. "You won't be rid of me Elizabeth."

"I wouldn't wish to be..."

They didn't speak much afterwards, for his hand was soon dragging down her belly and towards the source of her ache.

Lizzy let out a sigh at the feel of his fingers skimming over her sex. For so long, she'd had nothing at all, not since she couldn't take care of herself. Her belly was too large, too distended to do much of anything on her own these days.

And she'd _so_ wanted... nay, _needed_ someone to take care of this.

Better late than never, she supposed, moaning outright as his fingers breached her sex.

Two fingers slid in the slickness that was dripping from her body. He swirled two fingers over the tiny nub at her crest, making her toes curl into the sheets with every sharp circle.

She thought she might very well come off in his hand right then, but he slowed his ministrations, a smile forming against her lips.

"Not so fast, my darling," he whispered.

"You like nothing more than to tease me, William," she murmured.

"And you love it," he replied, sealing his lips over hers to stifle her moans. He slipped his fingers down from her nub to slid through her swollen folds. Pressing two fingers up into her body. He kept her pliant and thoroughly pleasured as he slowly stroked up into her.

She could feel his fingers, every glorious inch of them as he stroked her from within.

"Fitzwilliam..." she hissed into his mouth, her voice muffled as he continued to kiss her.

He found that spot within her, the one that never ceased to make her squeal when he pressed against it. She could feel the pleasure all the way down to her toes as he began to pick up the pace, finding the rhythm he preferred. _Just_ slower than what she preferred, but as she had previously stated, he did so like to tease her.

Her hips moved in time with his hand, trying in vain to speed his ministrations, to no avail. William wasn't one to be rushed. He merely chuckled and kept at that pace. Too unhurried for her to find release, but just fast enough to keep her moaning as his thumb found her nub once more.

He swirled around it, keeping in time with his slowly moving hand.

Lizzy was surprised to feel herself building all the same. She allowed her head to fall back on the pillows behind her in order to give herself over completely to her husband's leisurely ministrations.

He bent over her, nuzzling her breast softly and making her keen as his lips found the stiffened peak. His tongue fluttered over the taut flesh, forcing a moan to burst forth as he began to softly suckle at her swollen teat.

Her pending release felt like a whisper in the back of her mind, a soft but persistent whisper that kept growing louder just by the slightest increments.

William released her breast with a soft pop, leaving the skin damp as he moved to her other side.

She whimpered as her nipple stiffened almost painfully in his absence, the chill in the air keeping it tight and pronounced as he began to suckle on the other one in kind.

The warmth between her legs spread and spread until she couldn't take it anymore. Her release washed over her in a hot wave of pleasure, her body wracking with spasms long after his fingers stopped caressing her.

He smiled down at her fondly, sucking his fingers into his mouth with a soft hum.

"I too, _have_ missed this, dear wife," he murmured, his mouth coming down on hers before she could catch her breath.

"And I have missed _you_ ," she emphasized as her hand grazed over his bare skin until she could sufficiently wrap it around his member.

He was stiff and straining in her hand. His skin was warm, nearly feverish with desire as she stroked her fist up and down his smooth shaft.

"Elizabeth..." he gasped, his own head falling back to the pillows as he surrendered completely to his wife.

She focused on his breathing, listening to how it quickened when she tightened her fingers a certain way. He so rarely allowed her to do this, so intent was he on her pleasure. It was a treat to be able to do something for him and only him.

"Darling..." she whispered, bringing her thumb up and over the tip, smearing the fluid she found there.

His hips chased her hand whenever she stroked it up, simulating the sexual act with her closed fist. His breath was coming out in sharp pants as he took his bottom lip between his teeth to keep from crying out.

"No, darling... Let me hear you," she pleaded, a smile growing on her lips as he acquiesced, moaning loudly into the empty room. His voice, usually never loud even in anger, reverberated around the room, bouncing back to her ears as she slowly increased her pace.

"Oh Lizzy," he cried. "Lizzy, Lizzy..."

Hearing her name on his lips in the throes of ecstasy was a heady feeling indeed. Elizabeth felt powerful as she pushed up to a seated position, kneeling as comfortably as her protruding stomach would allow and bending over his prone form.

At the first brush of her mouth against his member, he nearly flew off the bed, but as she slowly pressed soft kisses to the swollen head, he inhaled sharply. His lips parted and he nodded nearly imperceptibly, his breath huffing out in a sigh of relief as the blunt tip passed through her lips.

She thrilled. He'd never allowed her to do this for him, no matter how many times she'd begged. At the first swirl of her tongue, he let out a sound that, at first, sounded like a groan of pain.

She nearly stopped, but his hand appeared, resting on the back of her head. He didn't press her down, merely kept it there, encouraging her to continue.

She licked him one more, tasting the fluid that leaked freely from the end of him and finding it deliciously salty.

He grunted as his hips twitched and she took that to mean he'd like more of the same.

She began to slide her tongue over him, bobbing her head slowly to simulate intercourse as she took the head of his member in and out of her mouth.

"Lizzy," he rasped, his fingers tangling in her hair. "Lizzy..."

"Hmm?" she asked, releasing him with a soft pop. She felt him twitch in her hand as her breath swept over him.

"I want..." he looked in definite pain now, frustration. "I want _you_."

Lizzy nodded, unsure of how they were going to navigate this with her belly so large and encumbering. Still, she was willing to try.

He pushed up on his knees, settling between hers. Noting how her breath hitched and quickened uncomfortably as he pressed into her from this angle, he pulled out once more, brow furrowed as he thought.

After what felt a long time indeed, he coaxed her over onto her belly, pushing up onto all fours. She gasped when she felt him pressing against her sex once more.

"Lizzy?" he murmured in question.

"Yes," she replied, pushing her hips back in permission. "Yes."

He filled her smoothly in one stroke, his hips meeting hers.

She sighed in relief as he pulled back, pushing forward once more. Still experimental, but it felt nearly as good as it did when he was atop her.

His fingers tightened on her hips as she rocked gently back to meet him.

A snap accompanied his next thrust and it forced a moan from her lips that never seemed to stop once he found his rhythm.

"William!" she gasped, her fingers gripping the sheets beneath her as her toes curled from the sensation.

"Oh... Elizabeth..." he said in reply. "My darling... I'm afraid I won't last."

"That's alright, my dear," she assured him. She dropped her head to bear down against his hips, to let him know that she wanted him to feel as good as he'd made her feel. That she wanted the tension coiled tightly in his body to release.

She could hear the sound of their skin connecting, the sound echoed through the room with her husband's soft grunts of pleasure.

She wanted to curl up in this feeling forever, as _that spot_ within her began to hum, to buzz with sensation. Elizabeth's breath caught as she felt her body begin to shudder once more. She felt her walls clench, clamping down on William as the pleasure radiated from where they were joined.

"Ohhh..." she moaned, her eyes fluttering closed as pulses of pleasure spasmed through her entire body. She felt William's pace falter and his breath stutter in a soft hiss between his clenched teeth.

He cried out as he found his own release, but the sound, the sensation, it was all caught up in her own body's reaction to a second, more profound paroxysm.

He disengaged from her soon after, rolling over onto his back and panting up at the ceiling.

Lizzy pushed up on her elbows and, with some difficulty, placed her feet on the ground beside the bed. She stood and made her way across the room for a cloth with which to clean herself thoroughly.

After she'd done so, she went back to the bed and climbed under the covers with her husband once more.

A thin sheen of sweat shone on William's forehead as Lizzy rolled over to join him, her body humming with the leftover pleasure and making her feel quite warm and sleepy indeed.

"William," she murmured.

"Oh, Lizzy," he turned towards her, a look of worry on his countenance as his eyes skimmed her all over, searching for signs of upset or illness. "Are you well? I did not hurt you in my exuberance, did I?"

A chuckle bubbled up from her belly and she shook her head. "Good Lord, William... Of course not."

"Oh that's happy news," he said, looking at once relieved. "I couldn't bear it if I had."

"I would have stopped you if I was in any pain or strife, William. But you should know that you have caused me neither since we've been married."

"That is the happiest news, indeed," he said, smiling widely as he leaned over to kiss her. "How is the child?"

"Not kicking my innards for once," she said with a laugh. "I do believe we might have rocked him or her to sleep."

He laughed at that, relaxing back against her pillows. "Oh... I certainly have missed your bed, Elizabeth."Lizzy thought to swat his shoulder for that comment, but he continued. "I don't have nearly as many backaches as I do from sleeping alone."

"Oh William..." she said, curling up against him. She coudln't tuck herself under his arm as she used to, so she merely pressed her backside against him, curling her legs up beneath her belly.

William adapted accordingly, turning round to wind around her, his nose in her hair as he inhaled deeply. "Shall I stay until morning?"

"Please do," she whispered. "I sleep all the better when you are here."

He hummed and nodded. "Then I shall stay."

"Good. Then I shall _sleep_."

"Don't tell me my staying away has affected your rest, dearest."

"It hasn't" she assured him. "But I should like you to stay tonight at the very least, husband."

"I will stay. And you will sleep. Both of you..." he said, smoothing his hand over her belly to include their unborn child in his decree as well.

She laughed. "I think you will find announcements of this sort mean nothing to an infant, Fitzwilliam."

"Are you suggesting that our child will be the picture of disobedience?"

"I'm saying we shall have the child we deserve."

"Then yes, we shall sleep. Because if what you say is true, we shall never sleep again once our child is born."

She laughed softly and waited for him to blow out the candles and settle down behind her once more, his hand resting gently on her belly.

# Chapter 3

Elizabeth woke up the next morning to something that wasn't wholly unexpected, but was a surprise nonetheless.

She'd been dreaming, quite pleasantly, about taking the rowboat for a turn around the lake on the grounds. However, as the dream had progressed, the lake had swollen greatly, to the point of flooding. This, of course, left her swimming towards the great house for shelter.

Upon awakening, she still assumed she was swimming. She struck out her arms accordingly to help along in the endeavor, catching Fitzwilliam in the nose and causing him to awaken with a start and a shout.

This, of course, brought her out of her dream quickly.

William sat up, nursing his sore nose as she readily apologized, but upon taking in her surroundings with a clearer head, she thought with some great embarrassment that she might have relieved herself in her sleep as a result of her dream. The sheets all around her were soaking wet.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that this was not the case at all. More fluid gushed from between her legs upon rising to her feet, so she soon realized that her waters must have broken.

She glanced up at William, with quite some excitement. "Call for the doctor, William. The baby is coming!"

She began moving about the room as her husband moved to summon someone to fetch him, as she had to find her shift. Her current state of nudity was no state at all to receive a doctor.

She only got as far as pulling the gauzy garment over her head when the first of the pains came upon her. She found herself quite perplexed upon its end. How was she to endure more of this?

She found her dressing gown and had only just slung it over her shoulders when William returned, face flushed with excitement as he took in the state of the bedroom.

"Shall I call for the abigail, darling?" he asked.

She nodded at once. "Yes. Diana. And please... send word to Jane?"

She knew her sister may very well not make the journey in time to witness the birth, but she'd feel better knowing her dearest Jane was on the way to her.

He agreed, stopping only to press a rushed kiss to her temple. "I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you too," she replied. "But if you remain, I fear I may have harsh words for you, so please..." she gestured towards the door with a tired smile. "Until next I see you, darling husband."

"And you, darling wife." His gaze was warm, but his eyes were worried.

Elizabeth shooed him off and made it as far as the footboard of her four-poster bed before the next pain came to her.

She hoped everyone hurried along as much as this child seemed to be.

After many hours of crying and pain and thinking that this wasn't something she'd ever want to undergo again, her son was born.

The sun was just setting in the west as Jane, who had joined them but two hours before, brought the squalling infant to meet his mother. Elizabeth had almost had to be restrained to keep from standing up and going to him while he was being thoroughly cleaned and looked over.

"See now, there he is!" Dr. Rubens said jovially from his place at the bottom of the bed. "Now do try and be still, Mrs. Darcy."

She didn't answer, for she had in her arms the very definition of love at first sight. The person who'd originally spoken the words must have been thinking of the love a mother felt for her child upon their first meeting, because truly, as she looked into the bright red screaming face of her son, she knew there would never be a greater love than this.

"Oh, Jane..." she said, tears dripping down her cheeks as she gazed down upon him. "Have you ever seen a more beautiful sight?"

"Only once," Jane replied, smiling widely as Diana wiped the sweat from Elizabeth's brow and brushed her hair from her face.

"He's quite the handsome little fellow," Diana said softly, gazing down at him. "Takes after his both of his parents, I'd wager."

"I think he looks just like William," Lizzy breathed, looking up into Jane's face. "Do you think he could...?"

"Better not, Mrs. Darcy," said Dr. Rubens from the foot of the bed. "It's been my experience that the fathers are better kept from the birthing room. Besides, we'll have you cleaned up here in no time."

She was disappointed, but nodded all the same.

"If you can bear to part with him, I'll take him out to meet his father," said Jane, holding out her hands for the babe.

Elizabeth nodded and handed over her child, letting herself lay back against the pillow as she waited for the doctor to finish his job.

It took nearly another half an hour before she was deemed as good as could be, considering the circumstances. The bedding was changed beneath her with some help from the doctor and Diana, who somehow managed to roll her in such a way so as to cause no discomfort to Elizabeth's rather sore body.

Soon enough, she was propped up on pillows, her hair braided and back from her face. The door to her chambers opened and William came in, cradling their firstborn in his arms.

The look on his face was all jubilance and glee. "My darling," he whispered, carefully handing her the baby so she could cuddle him once more. "My darling, look what you've done..."

"What _we've_ done," she corrected him.

"I may have had a hand in making him, but you brought him here," he said, tears glistening in his eyes as he reached to brush a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"Isn't he perfect?" she asked, brushing her fingers over his head as he began to root around on her fingers.

She pulled him up to her breast as Diana had shown her, opening the front of her gown to allow him to latch onto her painfully sore breast as William carefully dragged his fingers over the back of her neck in a very soothing gesture.

As their son ate, they just looked at him, drinking in the precious moment that was like no other before. And likely wouldn't come to pass again.

"You may sit down with us, William," she insisted, smiling as he tentatively sat upon the mattress beside her.

"I feel I may break him," he said, gingerly moving closer. "He's so small."

Elizabeth nodded. "So small, and yet so perfectly made."

Fitzwilliam ran his fingers over the edge of the blanket wrapped around his son. "Bennet Alexander," he said softly, the question in his eyes. Though she barely felt it possible, her heart swelled with more joy.

"Bennet Alexander _Darcy_ ," Lizzy confirmed. "He has his father's nose and strong jaw... I can tell he'll be a rather successful sort as well. He's also got your frown."

William sighed happily and leaned over to kiss her cheek. She turned to meet his lips with her own.

"I love you," she breathed.

"And I love you, too."

# Acknowledgments

I'd like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to Myranda for her support and guidance while writing this short story.

Also, to D and C, for encouraging me in this endeavor! I would never have tried without your help!

# About the Author

Grace Reeve is a new author of intimate and sensual Jane Austen Variations. She is a nearly lifelong reader of Austen's works, and even focused exclusively on them while attending college. She enjoys a good cup of hot tea on a cool day, long walks outdoors, and curling up with a good book.

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