"Charles, will you stop that?" Darcy glared at Charles. His friend had been spinning the coffee spoon over and over again for the last 15 minutes.

"Will, I have something to tell you," said Charles after a sharp intake of breath.

Darcy raised his eyebrow. Charles Bingley was anxious? So unlike him.

"I'm going to ask Jane to marry me."

"And you think she might refuse you?" Teased Darcy.

"Will, please! Of course not!" Charles laughed.

"Then why all this spoon spinning?"

"I'm happy, I'm anxious to see her, I want to marry her, now. I'm just so excited that I don't know how to wait for her to come."

Darcy extended his hand to shake his friend's. "That is a wonderful decision. I'm sure that you two will be immensely happy." Charles smiled broadly. "Thank you." "Did you think about where you are going to live?"

"I have to discuss this with her but I know that she wants to work with Dr. Durham. We will look for a new house where we can settle down. And you?"

"I'm already settled," Darcy responded innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about." Charles was referring to marriage, not to a new house.

Darcy grinned broadly. "We'll see."

"Oh, Elizabeth!" cried Jane when Pemberley's house appeared in front of her eyes. "Look at this place! It's incredible!"

"Big, isn't it?" Elizabeth bit her lip, her apprehension growing as they approached the building.

Jane noticed it. "Get that silly expression from your face, Elizabeth Bennet. Don't tell me you are scared of all this."

"I am not!" Elizabeth was suddenly panicking as things that she had never wanted to think about before came to her mind. "I mean, it's HUGE! This is a MANSION! It's like ... Manderley! And Will is rich and there are so many things I don't know and I'm not used to! He has servants for Christ sake! How am I going to live with this? I never, I ..."

"Liz, breathe!" Jane stopped her. "Don't be ridiculous!"

Elizabeth inhaled deeply and calmed down. "I'm such an idiot."

Jane patted her sister's hand. "Yes, you are. Look, Mrs. De Winter," she pointed at the two handsome gentlemen that were standing by the entrance of the house, "there's Max waiting for you."

Elizabeth laughed and slapped her sister's arm.

The car stopped in front of the main door and Charles and Darcy walked closer to greet them, each on one side of the car. Jane and Charles lost themselves in a passionate embrace and Darcy stood in front of Elizabeth, smiling, so calm, so relaxed and so damn handsome that suddenly she was calm too. He stepped closer, touched her cheek very gently, whispered a 'hi' before kissing her lips and pulling her into a tight embrace. And then, Elizabeth knew that there was nothing to fear, that everything would be all right.

"Now you are moving," Darcy teased Elizabeth as he carried her bag up the stairs to her bedroom. It was huge.

"I bet that that is what you want," she responded playfully as she recalled when he went for her, in Lambton.

"Well ... now that you mention it, it wouldn't be a bad idea," he continued with this teasing manner.

Elizabeth pursed her lips as she looked into his eyes. Even though he was keeping his tone light and playful, she knew that he was measuring her reaction. "Maybe you are right, that is not a bad idea at all."

He grinned broadly. This was only a game, but this was the answer he had been wishing to hear. "This is your bedroom." He opened the door for her.

Elizabeth did her best to conceal her surprise. She knew that placing her in her own room was the right thing for him to do, that it wouldn't be correct for him to just take her directly to his bedroom, but she was somehow wishing that he would suggest it.

"Mine is over there." Darcy pointed at a door not far away, his lips twisting up into a knowing smile. "And Charles and Jane are staying in that one."

She glanced at his door and then at him, an impertinent smile forming on her lips. "I guess I'll know where to find you."

He smiled slowly. "Where shall I leave this?"

Only then Elizabeth turned to look inside her bedroom. "Oh, Will, this is absolutely lovely!"

"Do you like it?" He followed her as she walked around the room.

This was the handsomest room she had ever seen. It was very feminine, decorated in a shade of peach, though so pale that it seemed creamy white. The bed was large and was covered by a delicate floral quilt in composé with the curtains. It had an absolutely adorable sitting area in front of the French doors that led to the balcony. This was not a regular guest bedroom like the one she used the first time she came to Pemberley; it was larger, all details were cared for. This one was special.

"It's beautiful."

"It was my grandmother's bedroom when she stayed at Pemberley. Bathroom's over there," he showed her the way, "and there's the phone. Do you want me to send you a maid to unpack your stuff?"

Her eyes opened wide. Maid? "No, don't worry. I can do that myself."

He showed her the closet and then walked towards the door. "I'll wait for you downstairs, so you can freshen up and ..."

"All right." she walked him to the door.

"We're having lunch in half an hour."

"Great," smiled Elizabeth, "I'm hungry."

Darcy paused for a moment before speaking. "Elizabeth, I know that I should have said this before but ... you don't know how important is to me that you are here."

She smiled sweetly. "It's important to me, too."

They smiled brightly; Darcy gave her a soft kiss on the lips and parted.

Lunch could only be described as a cheerful event. The day was clear and warm so Darcy instructed Mrs. Reynolds that they would eat on the terrace, with a fabulous view of the gardens. Conversation was mainly about their plans for the four days that the girls would stay at Pemberley. Monday morning was reserved for Elizabeth's interview in Nottingham University but they still had to decide what they were going to do during the remaining time.

"I was thinking that tomorrow we could go to Hillcross, what do you think?" asked Charles.

"What's that?" inquired Elizabeth.

"Charles's estate," offered Darcy, "in Leominster."

"I'd love to go," Jane beamed.

Elizabeth and Darcy looked at each other, neither sure if the other would like to go, but each certain that they would rather stay at Pemberley, together and undisturbed.

Darcy then suggested something that would give Charles the opportunity to ask Jane the question he wanted to ask, at the same time, give him the privacy he wanted to have with Elizabeth. "Why don't you two go? I was planning to sleep in tomorrow."

Charles exchanged glances with his friend. Darcy never slept in, even less if he had guests. Quick to catch his meaning and grateful that he was clearing his way with Jane, he replied in affirmative. "That is a great idea. We'll leave early, so don't bother getting up because of us."

Very casually, Darcy responded, "All right."

After lunch, Darcy took them on a quick turn about the house. Jane was very interested in seeing the facilities, so later they went to the stables. This time, Darcy showed them ALL of it, that is, the monitoring room with a treadmill for the horses where they controlled all the body functions while in motion and the sketches of the embryo transfer lab he was planning to build.

Before they knew it, it was suppertime. Jane and Charles retired early, leaving the other couple by themselves.

"Is Georgiana coming for the weekend?" Elizabeth asked Darcy as she walked around the living room, stopping to look at the family pictures that were lined up over the fireplace.

Darcy stood behind her and held her waist. "No, she is in France. She went on a shopping tour with some friends."

Reading some irony in his voice, she asked, "And when is she coming back?"

"Thursday," he smirked, "she wants to redecorate her apartment. Again."

She pointed at a picture. "Is this your father?"

He leaned over her back -without touching her- to look closer. "Yes."

"You look very much like him."

Very close to her ear, he said, "I'm taller."

Elizabeth felt the hair of her back of her neck bristling with his proximity. He kissed her cheek, then brushed his lips down her neck as he gently pulled her to him, so her back was leaning completely on his chest. She held her breath when he placed his hands over her stomach, bringing her hips against his.

Though gentle with his moves, Darcy's hands caressed her with no restrain. He brushed the outer contour of her breast with his fingers and caressed her sides up and down from her ribs to her thigh. He was seducing her, she knew it, and she was more than willing to give in. As a sign of encouragement, she arched herself to his touch, one hand reaching up to caress his hair while the other covered his in its sensual roaming. Noises on the corridor made him release her and step back.

"William," Mrs. Reynolds appeared at the door, "forgive me for interrupting you; Sam is on the phone."

He nodded. If Sam was calling at this hour, it had to be important. "Thank you, I'll take the call here."

The conversation lasted only one minute but for what Elizabeth could guess, it was not good news.

"Liz, I'm sorry, I must go to the stables for a moment. It seems there is a problem with one of the horses."

"Do you want me to call Jane?" Perhaps her vet sister would be of help.

"No, thank you, I don't think it's necessary." he smiled. "Sam said it isn't serious but I just want to check on it. Do you mind if I leave for only half an hour?"

"All right," she smiled back, "I'll be in my room."

He cupped her cheek with his palm and kissed her softly. "I'll see you later."

The problem at the stables was easy to resolve but it took over an hour. Darcy returned to a dark and sleeping house. On seeing that there wasn't light coming from under Elizabeth's door when he reached that large corridor, he went directly to his room. He went to the bathroom, he brushed his teeth and washed his face, though he wasn't readying himself for bed, yet. Feeling a little tense, he removed his shirt and poured himself a juice. His shoes and socks were also discarded, and too fidgety to stay still, he walked towards the window. He leaned his shoulder against the frame, his eyes lost in the starry night.

This was a beautiful night. The moon wasn't full yet, but it was so big and clear that it looked like a huge yellowish gemstone hanging from the dark blue sky. This was a perfect night to love and share, to hold and be held. He took another sip of juice and smiled up to the moon. The time to love the woman he loved had come.

"William?"

Elizabeth was nervous. Though she had been a little disappointed that Darcy had to leave, this inconvenience that took him away had allowed her the time on her own that she desperately needed.

After he accompanied her to her room, Elizabeth wandered around, looking, getting herself acquainted with it. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and inspected her face carefully, wondering if her growing anxiety would be visible on the outside. No, she looked pretty much the same. She brushed her hair and exited the bathroom.

For the following half an hour, she lay on bed, fully clothed, staring at the ceiling, thinking. What a silly creature she was. She couldn't believe that she had waited this long for this to happen. During these months she had been dating him, where they became better acquainted, it wasn't sleeping with him that she had been avoiding, it was what came with it, belonging to him, sharing her body, her life, her time, her future with him. She had been scared of the abysmal differences that existed between them, of his wealth, of a world she knew very little about and that she would invariably join once she became his companion. She was afraid of not being accepted, of not fitting, of disappointing him and of losing him because of that. In one way, not sleeping with him meant not travelling, not sharing, not forming part of his first class world, his powerful family, his connections, his life.

Darcy had proven to her that this was not a passing folly, a moment of infatuation or carnal lust as he made her believe that evening at Hunsford. With his perseverance, his patience, his steady and meticulous work to win her affection, he had shown her that he truly loved her. In barely two months he had managed to get into her heart with such force that she could not conceive her life without him. She loved him so much, she had grown so dependent on his company, on his person that she knew now that he was the one she would not be able to live without.

She rose from bed and changed into the small cotton nightgown she brought. It was new. When she saw it in the window of the store, she thought of this night. It was white, pretty; it had some tiny flowers embroidered near the neckline, it wasn't loose or tight, it was fresh, simple, pure, just like her.

From the bed she could see the big amber moon rising from behind the trees. She turned out the light so she could see it better. It wasn't full but it was still beautiful, bright and clear. A lovely night, a night to love and be loved.

Forty five minutes. Darcy left forty five minutes ago and she was already missing him. The sound of a car approaching the house alerted her that he was back. She heard his footsteps on the corridor and felt something very strange, like loneliness, when she heard him go directly to his room. For five more minutes, she waited for him to come but then she realized that she didn't want to wait any longer, that there was no reason for that.

So she did what her heart told her. Without caring to pull a robe over her shoulders, she went to his room and entered. It took her some time to adjust herself to the darkness but soon she discerned Darcy's figure standing in front of the window. Oblivious to her presence, he continued with his vigilance of the moon that was bathing his body with its silver light.

"William?"

He turned around. "Elizabeth."

"What are you doing here?" His voice sounded strange to his own ears. How could it not? She was standing in the centre of his room, clad in that small nightgown that left so little to the imagination that was he surprised he had found his voice at all.

"I didn't kiss you good night." Elizabeth couldn't see his face, just the outline of his body illuminated from behind, dressed only in his jeans. Swoon worthy.

Slowly, he walked towards her. "So it's good night, then?"

Elizabeth licked her lips. Her mouth suddenly went dry. "Not exactly."

Now standing one step away from her, Darcy brushed a lock of her hair with his fingers. "Then ..."

Her lips pressed against his, not allowing him to finish. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands held her waist, pressing her against his body. They kissed hungrily, both making it clear that to the other that this was not a simple good night kiss.

"If you will leave, Elizabeth," he breathed against he lips, "do it now because I won't let you go later."

"I'm not leaving." she sounded decided.

Their bodies melted as they clung to each other. His mouth was eager over hers and his hands explored every curve, arousing her and himself to a point from where neither wanted to ever go back. Elizabeth felt his hands finding their way under her short nightshirt, caressing her butt and back, pressing her to him so she could feel him too. He felt so good, hard muscle under her palms, mouth and tongue devouring hers. But then everything became suddenly too much for her that she had to part from him to get some air.

Darcy was as breathless as she was when they pulled apart. He knew he had to go slowly and was grateful that she was setting the pace.

"Can I have a sip of that?" she pointed at the glass she saw on the table.

His voice had a teasing undertone when he fetched the glass for her. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

Elizabeth looked at him with pursed lips. She wasn't a child. She took the glass from his hand and sipped a bit. "It's apple juice."

Darcy let out a chuckle. "What were you expecting?"

"I thought that you ... "

"That I was as nervous as you are?"

She drank more juice. "I'm not nervous."

Darcy took the glass from her hand and placed it over on the table. His smug smile told her that he didn't believe her. "No?"

Elizabeth saw him walking towards her, his eyes fixed on hers, and suddenly she was all jittery, with butterflies inside her stomach. "So, what happened at the stables?"

Once again, he stood in front of her, his hands holding her waist. "A colic. Nothing serious. Everything's fine now."

Though Elizabeth was struggling to appear calm and confident in front of him, Darcy could sense her growing anxiety. Quite understandable, given the fact that this wasn't just her first time with him but her first time in every sense. For the little experimentation they had had together -which had never gone that far-, he could guess that her experience on the matter wasn't vast. In his case, though, his anxiety had an entirely different foundation. While one side of him was glad that she had no one to compare him with, the other felt the great responsibility of being her first and -God willing- only lover.

He stepped forward so their chests were almost touching. On her lips, he planted a soft, tender kiss. "Elizabeth, I won't ask you another time. Are you sure?"

Her reply came in the form of a kiss where the sweet flavour of juice mingled with the stronger, urgent taste of her desire. They broke the kiss and stared at each other, both knowing that nothing else needed to be said.

But contrary to what Elizabeth was expecting, Darcy didn't initiate his seduction. He stood there, observing her, his fingers playing with a lock of her hair, just ... waiting.

"What?" Suddenly, he seemed to be many miles away.

"Nothing." he shook his head. How could he tell her that didn't want her to go after this? That he wanted her at Pemberley, with him, forever?

She lifted her hand to touch his cheek. "So maybe you are nervous after all."

He took her hand a planted a kiss on her palm. "A little. You?"

Elizabeth rose to her toes and spoke very close to his mouth. "A little."

Their lips touched, then their tongues and the kiss turned urgent and ardent. It was then that Elizabeth realized that he wasn't nervous or hesitant, that he was just as moved and emotional as she was.

"I love you, Will." she whispered.

"I love you, Elizabeth."

Neither could speak after that, their mouths were too agreeably engaged for words. If Elizabeth once thought that Darcy was a good kisser, nothing that she had previously experienced could be compared to this. She didn't know if it was because this was leading to something else, that this was just the beginning, but as he insisted with his mouth and tongue, all she could do was anticipate what would come next.

And his hands, oh his hands! How could a simple touch awake so many sensations? She was all shivers and tingles against his body. The strength that emanated from him, the smoothness of his skin, the hard planes of his muscles, it was all so wonderful and overwhelming that she felt as wanton and hungry for him as he was for her.

Darcy's state wasn't different. He felt he could not have enough of her. He showed his delight at being able to touch her like this, to feel her breasts, to have her touching him so willingly and without reserve.

"God, Elizabeth, you are making me crazy." he growled when he felt her fingertips caressing his side, just above his hipbone, under the waistband of his boxers. How did she manage to unbutton his jeans without him noticing it?

"Sorry," She smiled against his lips while moving her hand around his hip, stopping on his buttock.

That was enough to convince him that he was overdressed for this. In one swift movement, he removed his jeans.

Elizabeth bit her lip as her eyes travelled his body. He was so tall, beautiful, so masculine and elegant. His legs were long and muscled, his silk boxers did very little to conceal his arousal and the rest of him was heaven. She had to touch him.

Darcy had to hold his breath when he felt her palm moving up from his waist to his chest. She was admiring him, feeling him, and he wanted her to want him. She brushed her fingers over his naked torso and it became his turn to become shivery as his skin reacted to her touch.

"May I remove this from in between us?" he brushed the top of her breast with the back of his fingers, over the thin cotton of her gown.

She didn't answer, she removed it.

"Oh, God, you are so beautiful," he whispered when he saw her for the first time.

Elizabeth stood in front of him so he could see her. But then, she closed the distance between them and embraced him, not in an attempt to hide herself from him, but to feel him, to hold him and love him.

Unable to hold back anymore, Darcy lifted her and carried her to his bed, all the way kissing her, laughing against her lips in happiness and love. They lay side by side and he kissed her up and down, her face, her mouth, her neck, her breasts, her stomach, again and again until his mirth turned into desire, until he couldn't content himself with just kissing her and he began to ready her mind, her body for the act that would make them a couple.

The rest of their clothes was removed and their bodies entangled in a passionate embrace. Darcy noticed that she wasn't inhibited with her or his nudity, that she welcomed every look, invited every caress and that she was proud, happy and willing to do what they were about to do.

Darcy knew that the first time could be painful and, because of his own state of arousal, he wasn't sure he would be able to satisfy her once their bodies joined, so he was careful to give her pleasure before taking his. And he did, with his fingers. He stroked her flesh while his mouth tended her breasts and lips, making her moan and writhe, taking her to the limit of what could be endured and then, as she came, holding her trembling body close to his.

He parted from her only to don protection and returned quickly to assume his position over her. Her legs opened to receive him, her body stilled under his weight and her hands caressed him as he found his way in. If it hurt, he could not tell, as Elizabeth didn't cry. She held on bravely when he broke the barrier and then she accompanied him, she danced with his rhythm and when his pace became too hard and quick for her to follow, she held him until he fell, breathless and spent in her arms.

Darcy rested on top of her for a while, feeling her heart beating next to his. Not much later, he rose to his elbows, allowing her some space to breathe. He looked down at her and dried a single tear that had escaped from the corner of her eye.

"Did I make you cry?" he asked, smiling gently at her beautiful face.

Elizabeth shook her head and smiled, too overwhelmed for words.

He kissed her lips, she embraced him tightly. That night, they loved and shared, learned, gave and received, how many times, it didn't matter, what only mattered was that, at last, they did.

"Will?" she asked in a small voice.

"Mmmmmmh?"

Elizabeth adjusted her position, nestling her head on his shoulder while her finger followed the thin line of dark hair that descended from his chest to his navel. Darcy's arm went around her back and his other arm slid under his head as he lay on his back next to her.

"When did you fall in love with me?"

"I've always been in love with you. I can't remember a time when I wasn't."

She smiled; she liked that answer.

"And you?" he asked her.

She began to play with the hair of his chest. "I don't know, it happened so gradually. Every time I saw your car crossing Longbourn's gate I fell a little more, every time you called or you smiled, I fell even harder, and then, before I realized it, I was absolutely

and madly in love with you, William Darcy."

Darcy hugged her body against his and kissed her hair.

"Will?" Elizabeth said after a moment.

"Yes?" He smiled.

"Why did you wait so long for this?"

"I was waiting for you."

"Really?" she rested her chin on his chest and looked at him.

"Yes." he made himself more comfortable on the pillows and put his arms about her. "You know, at the beginning, when I learned of your 'condition'" he snorted when she smacked his chest, "I was surprised. Do you want to know what I thought at the time?"

"What?" she grinned, of course she wanted to know.

"Promise that you won't laugh?"

"Promise."

"I was proud, amazed," he chuckled at his own idealism, "in this old fashioned, macho way." Elizabeth giggled at his phrasing. "I thought I would marry a virgin. Then I realized it was ridiculous, that I would not be able to wait until you were my wife to make love to you. You are too damn sexy, did you know that?"

She blinked, twice. "Your wife?"

He swallowed, only then realizing what he had just said. He had said all this in an almost playful banter, but, what the hell, it was already out, so why hold back what he truly felt?

"Yes, my wife."

Long pause. "But you didn't ask me to marry you." Elizabeth said tentatively.

"I know." he smiled, already felling the excitement of what may come next.

"But you plan to," her smile grew wider.

"Yes."

"When?" she was already beaming in happiness.

Darcy bit his lower lip, pondering his reply. He had wanted to do this for so long. So much reflection, so much weighing alternatives and considering scenarios and he still wanted to do it. The question remained floating in the air, Elizabeth expectant, Darcy decided. He moved his hand to caress her hair and smiled his most irresistible smile. "Elizabeth, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" her eyes moistened with tears of happiness. She showered his face with kisses.

"Oh, Liz, I love you so much."

They embraced for a long time, until Elizabeth spoke. "When?"

Though Darcy would have liked to marry her at that same moment, he knew that he couldn't ask her to leave everything behind right now. In a few months maybe, but not now. "You decide, you have your work at Longbourn, you are going to Uni in a couple months and I don't want that to be an obstacle in your life and your career. You decide when."

She kissed his lips very quickly and rested her head on his shoulder as she thought about what he just said. She began to think about her dress, the ceremony ... her mother, yelling in happiness, her cousins, green with envy ... would they live at Pemberley? What would happen when she went to Uni? And when he travelled abroad? Marrying after she graduated was out of the question, though she knew that doing it before could interfere with her studies. Perhaps during the following semester, when she would be already settled and used to it or maybe the following year. Nah, she could not wait a full year to marry him. Anyway, Nottingham was very close to Pemberley -if they accepted her, of course-, so maybe she could drive home every day. She'd need a car so she could be on time to cook dinner for him, well, perhaps the cook could do that and ... she sighed. Later, she would think about all this later.

While Elizabeth dreamt about their future, Darcy could only wonder how he would survive when she left on Tuesday. For a long while he just held her, feeling every bit of skin that touched his body, aware of every movement, drunk in her smell, her taste ... oh God, he didn't want her to leave.

"You are very quiet." Elizabeth's voice filled the silence.

"I'm fine." he kissed her hair.

"Are you sure?" she raised her head to look at him.

"Yes," he smiled, the darkness veiling what he truly felt.

She brought her hand to his face and they kissed, softly, then more intently as desire, love and passion flowed within them one more time. Their bodies mingled in an ardent embrace and with the first lights of dawn illuminating their private universe, they once again shared the magic, the indescribable joy of being one.

Elizabeth woke up with a sense of completeness, of pure and total happiness such as she had never felt in her life. She didn't have any idea what time it was, and frankly, she didn't care, but from what she could see, it was quite late. They had fallen asleep at dawn, completely exhausted after loving each other all night long, after sharing their wishes, their expectations and deciding their future together. Smiling, she stretched her body and moved closer to the source of warmth that was coming from beside her. Without opening her eyes, she rolled to embrace the man she loved.

Her eyes opened when her hand touched the silky fur of a Dalmatian. "Who are you?" Darcy had re-introduced her to his dogs on the previous day but she still wasn't able to distinguish them.

The only response she obtained was the noise of a tail tapping on the mattress.

She raised her head in search of Darcy. He was not in the room, though the sounds of the shower running in the bathroom told her that he was there. She smiled and rested her head on the pillow again.

'I've got you, under my skin.'

His singing voice mingled with the sounds of the water. This was the first time she had heard him sing and he did it quite well. He sang for a while, then mumbled the rest, and all of a sudden he began to sing with Frank Sinatra's voice. Elizabeth was really amazed; he mimicked Sinatra's voice to perfection. After singing some more with The Voice, he ended the song singing with his own and turned off the shower.

"You are a fabulous singer," Elizabeth told him when he emerged from the bathroom while drying his hair with a towel. He was so gorgeous and so naked that she felt her insides melting.

"So, you decided to wake up." Darcy grinned broadly.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she extended her arms, inviting him to come closer.

Darcy called the dog off the bed and opened the door, shoving him out of the room. He then sat by her side and kissed her lips. "You are so cute when you are sleeping."

"What time is it?"

"Noon."

She gasped. "I can't believe it! How long have you been up?"

"Not long, half an hour. Do you want some breakfast? Or lunch? I'm hungry."

Elizabeth realized she was famished. "Both. I'll get up and change."

"You can stay in bed a little longer, if you please. I can ask someone to bring us something to eat."

She wasn't ready to let anyone see her in his bedroom. Everything was too recent for her to have Pemberley's staff speculating about her recently acquired sex life.

"No, let's go downstairs. I think it's time I make myself decent."

"I don't mind seeing you indecent." he bent over her.

Elizabeth giggled when he began to tease her neck with his lips. "I thought you were hungry."

"Starving." He didn't release her; in fact, he was moving the bed sheets away from her body.

She laughed and kissed him. Without separating his lips from hers, he extended his arm to grab protection from his drawer. For the next hour, he satiated his hunger for her.

Darcy was getting dressed when Elizabeth joined him inside his dressing room.

"What are the plans for today?" she asked him as she embraced him from behind while he was buttoning his shirt.

"First, eating. I'm really, really hungry. Then, whatever you want, I'm at your service." He glanced down at her.

Elizabeth grinned broadly. That was a hell of a wicked smile. "I bet you are. I'll go to my room to change. I'm dying for a shower."

Darcy glanced at her cute, white, tiny, almost translucent nightgown and his possessive, overprotective, territorial side surfaced. "You are not leaving this room in that."

She raised her eyebrow. "And how am I supposed to get dressed?"

"I'll go for your clothes," he said flatly.

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "My room is barely a few steps away."

"I don't care, I don't want anyone to see you, I ..." he stopped. Her challenging expression made him realize the ridiculousness of his position. His attitude softened, though his tone remained slightly authoritative and imposing "All right, but you'll put one of my shirts on and I'll go first to check that there's no one there."

She really wanted to be mad at him but he looked so sexy when he was being so commanding and protective. She kissed him and began to scan his closet for a shirt to wear.

Darcy smiled as her eyes scanned his closet. She examined his shirts one by one as if looking for one to wear all day long. He shook his head and bent to get his shoes.

"What's this?" she asked him.

"What?" he rose to look at her.

"This." Elizabeth showed him a black Neoprene harness or vest, or whatever it was.

"Oh, that." he was surprised that she found it. "It's the wrap I used for my shoulder. I don't need it any more."

Elizabeth placed it in front of her to measure how it fit her. This 'device' covered the shoulder, then passed across the chest to be secured with ties under the opposite arm, leaving the injured shoulder immobilized. It wasn't just an ordinary wrap, it was so ... orthopaedic. "You said that your shoulder was fine."

"It is." he handed her a blue shirt.

With a frown, she tried to recall their conversation when she asked him about his shoulder after he got the X-ray. His exact words were 'much better'. Much better didn't mean fine. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to explain himself.

Darcy smiled innocently when he realized that he had been caught. Anyway, her breasts looked so nice when she did this that he didn't mind provoking her a little more. "Didn't I prove you that it was fine last night?"

She tapped the floor with her foot.

"All right, I confess." he raised his hands in surrender. "My clavicle was fissured, nothing serious, I only had to stop riding and wear that thing for a full week. I'm fine now."

To his surprise, Elizabeth's reaction was the opposite from what he expected. Instead of being angry with him for hiding that detail from her, she held his face in her hands and mumbled a 'poor, poor darling' before kissing his lips. Then she grabbed the shirt he was offering her and admonished him. "Isn't it much nicer when you don't lie?"

"I didn't lie," Darcy protested as he followed her across the room while she put his shirt on.

"But you omitted, which is as bad as lying." she turned to him before opening the door. "Are there other things that you've been omitting that I should know?"

Yes, his full name, but that wasn't something he was ready to let her know yet. Haughtily glancing down at her, he removed her hand from the doorknob and walked out of the room without answering. Then, in a very spy-like fashion, he checked both sides of the corridor and waved her to come out. She peered out, looked around, and after a noisy slap that Darcy gave her on her bottom, she scampered to her room.

"What do you think?" Charles followed Jane as she walked into the living room.

"I love it." she turned and smiled at him.

"I know it needs some redecoration, Lou and Caroline took away the furniture they liked. Nobody has lived here in a long time but I like it, it's nice. I've spent some very happy moments in this place."

Jane wrapped her arms around Charles' neck as he encircled her waist with his. "And why didn't you come more often if you like it so much?"

"Life, obligations," he smiled as she moved her lips closer to his, "loneliness, no one to share it with, a bad cook ..." he squeezed her rear.

She giggled. "Always thinking of food."

"Janie," Charles turned serious, "I want to settle down, make this place a home, have a family. I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Jane," he paused, "will you be my wife?"

"Oh, Charles," Jane's eyes watered with tears, "I will, yes, I will."

When kissing was not enough for them, Charles dragged Jane to the master bedroom. As usually happened when they were so excited, their lovemaking was quick and ardent, though equally satisfying.

"My sweet," said Charles when Jane returned from the bathroom, "I was thinking ... why don't we stay here for the night? We can dine out and go back to Pemberley tomorrow morning."

"I don't know. Elizabeth was a little overwhelmed about all this coming to Pemberley thing. She never ... maybe she needs to talk and ..." Jane replied dubiously.

"Janie," he said in earnest, "let her grow up. Anyway, from the look those two had on their faces when we said we were leaving, I can assure you that they are not wanting us to ever go back."

"Do you think so?" she came closer to the bed.

"Come here, my little tart." Charles grabbed her wrist and pulled her over him. "Don't worry about them, we'll only be a bother if we show up."

Giggling, Jane sat astride him. "Oh, Charles, again?"

"You are right," sighed Charles, and extended his hand to grab the phone. "I'll call William and tell him we will be back tonight."

Jane stopped him. "Screw them."

After lunch, Darcy and Elizabeth went swimming. On her previous visit, Elizabeth wasn't able to see the swimming pool. It was large, very large. From her bedroom she could see part of it but the rest of it -which happened to be the other half- was hidden inside a classic styled solarium.

Darcy was swimming lengths while she relaxed on one of the sun lounges. He swam swiftly, easily, as if born to do it. His body was tanned, which meant that he probably did this quite often, though he said that he was doing it more frequently now because he was having problems with his back. As her eyes followed him, she could not help feeling a little overwhelmed by the enormous differences that existed between them. If she wanted to go to the pool, she had to go to the gym or to the club and pay for it after going through a medical examination. And here he was, swimming in his own pool, in his own huge house, driving his classy Mercedes and riding his two million dollar horse (yes, she read in a magazine about that offer and when she asked him if it was true, he just smiled and didn't deny it). She could really get used to this.

They were relaxing under the sun when Charles called them, informing them that he and Jane would stay at Hillcross for the night. To tell the truth, knowing Charles' intention to ask for Jane's hand in marriage, Darcy never expected them to return that day and blessed his friend for the privacy he was allowing them.

Tea was served by the poolside and once again Elizabeth felt this strange, unreal sensation that their different status produced. For Darcy, this was as natural as breathing. He just needed to call the kitchen and tell the person who answered what he wanted and then receive it a few minutes later.

They showered each in their own room. Once Darcy was dressed, he went for her. He knocked on her door and walked in when no one answered. He smiled when he heard 'I'm too sexy for my love' coming from inside the bathroom. Elizabeth turned off the shower and he made his presence known before scaring her.

"Liz," he knocked the door, "I'm here."

"I'm coming!" she yelled.

When she came out, with a towel wrapped around her and towel-made turban on her head, Darcy was lying across her bed, with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Still mumbling her song and misplacing most of the lyrics, she climbed on the bed and knelt beside him.

"You came quickly." she bent to kiss him.

"I was missing you."

"Really?" she grinned.

His reply came in the shape of a long, sensuous kiss. The turban fell from her head and her wet hair covered them. By the way his tongue was plunging into her mouth, Elizabeth realized that the kiss would not end being just another passionate kiss. As Darcy's intentions became obvious, her own excitement began to grow to limits she had never felt. Even though she had only done it only a few times, she liked to make love to him, not only because of the physical pleasure he gave her but also because of the way he wanted her and the pleasure she saw him taking in her. She liked to see that look of desire, feel the strength of his body in her arms and see his true, private self emerging freely and unrestrained.

Darcy pulled her on top of him. One hand was entangled in her hair and the other was grabbing her buttock under the towel. He was aroused and so was she. He then rolled her onto her back to open the towel, leaving her totally exposed to his sight and touch. His mouth went to her throat, to her chest, while his hands caressed, touched and felt.

Soon, he was overdressed for this and Elizabeth assisted him on the task of removing every piece of clothing. They entangled their bodies and then he possessed her with an intensity, an eagerness he had never shown before, making her tremble as he never had and letting go in a way he had never had done.

They were shaky and breathless when he finally stopped. They made a second trip to the bathroom and Elizabeth pulled her bag out of the closet while Darcy picked up his clothes and began to dress.

Darcy sat on the bed to put his shoes on and observed how she lurked inside her bag for her clothes. "You didn't unpack."

"No, I didn't. I hate to do it. Anyway, what would be the point of unpacking if I have to pack everything back in two days?"

He admitted her point, though this was a great opening for what he wanted to ask next. "Well," his voice was casual, "you haven't unpacked yet and as we don't want your clothes to get all crumpled ... why don't we just take your bag to my room and we unpack it there? I can help you to pack on Tuesday."

"That, Mr. Darcy," she smiled provocatively, "is a wonderful idea."

That night they dined by themselves on the terrace, with candles and French wine. They stayed outdoors for a long time, watching the starry night, holding each other and dreaming of their future together.

Elizabeth walked slowly to the veranda and observed the gardens that had enchanted her from the beginning. She let out a loud sigh of contentment and rested her head on Darcy's chest as his arms enveloped from behind. He held her so lovingly that all she could think about was how she would live without all this, without him when she returned home.

"Cold?" he crossed his arms over her chest and leaned his cheek on her temple.

"No." she smiled. How could she feel cold in such a warm, protective embrace?

He eased his hold on her as she turned around to face him, though his arms remained around her. "Last night, I didn't have the opportunity to give you this." He pulled a small blue velvet box from his pocket. "I was thinking to give it to you when the appropriate time came, though last night's question precipitated everything."

Elizabeth opened the box. Her eyes were watering with tears at the sight of her engagement ring. "Oh Will, this is lovely."

Darcy took the ring from the box and slid it up her finger. "I love you, Elizabeth, I love you so much."

"I love you too." she smiled up at him. "So you weren't planning to ask me to marry you yet."

"No," he laughed, "I was not. I wanted to wait for the right moment, until you were ready to hear that question. Last night it just came out and, to be honest, I am not at all unhappy that it did."

Again she turned around in his arms, her back leaning on his chest, to admire the beautiful grounds of Pemberley. Darcy's arms enveloped her and her hands raised to hold his forearms. She inhaled until her lungs, her heart was full of this place, of the man that was holding her. She was feeling such comfort, such sense of security and belonging that she couldn't think of any other place she wished to be.

"This is so beautiful, Will, I don't understand how you are able to leave this place when you have to travel."

"I like London, though not to live permanently. I like to go to the theatre, work at DW ... though after a few days, I feel the need to return home."

"Is this home for you?"

"For past 4 years, it has been."

"And before that?"

"School, I lived a couple of years at Rosings, then I went to Cambridge." There was something strange, a coolness in his voice that caught Elizabeth's attention. "So I decided to make this my home when I was free to choose."

"You lived at Rosings?" She was curious about the reason why he didn't live with his father during his youth.

"For two years, until my father divorced his second wife." He put his arm around her waist and they walked to his bedroom. "Come, let's go inside, it's getting cold."

That night, they had very little sleep.

"Elizabeth, stop that." Darcy said when he saw her biting her fingernails.

"Oh, Will, I'm so nervous." Elizabeth exhaled as she rubbed her palms on her trousers. They were sweating.

"Calm down, everything will be okay." He extended his hand to touch her cheek. "You'll be fine, you'll be accepted, there is nothing to worry about."

His calmness helped her a little. By the time he pulled off of the road and entered the campus of Nottingham University, the sickness she had felt during the drive was almost gone.

"Go." he parked on the lane outside the main building. "I'll wait for you here."

She gave him a quick kiss and exited the car.

One hour later, a beaming Elizabeth left the Dean of Admissions' office. Though the man didn't confirm that she was accepted, he let her know that this had been a very fruitful interview and that she had a great chance to join Nottingham University. They conversed about student loans, where she could live, when classes began, she told him of her experience with horses, her love for animals and when the interview ended, as she shook his hand, he let her know that in two weeks she would receive a notification of their 'positive' decision.

As she walked down the corridor, Elizabeth couldn't help thinking how much everything had changed in the past months. In December, she was in total despair, thinking that her home was lost, suffering because of her father's weakness, pining for a man that was never hers and thinking that this moment would never come. And now, not four months later, she was engaged to William Darcy, she was accepted at Nottingham University, her future was bright and promising, she was in love, she was happy, everything was so perfect that she wanted to sing, she ... she needed to go to the bathroom.

Composing herself took more than five minutes. She was washing her hands when two girls entered the restroom and she could not help the thrill she felt when she heard them drooling over the handsome guy in the Merc that was parked outside. So proud that she barely fit inside her own body, Elizabeth left the bathroom with the most self-satisfied grin she had ever carried, repressing the urge to say 'Yeah, girls, just look, because England's Hottest Horseman is all mine'.

Charles and Jane were already at Pemberley when they returned from Nottingham. It took Jane only 3 seconds to notice the rock on Elizabeth's finger and then showed her hers. The girls entangled in a noisy embrace and their beaus rolled their eyes at their exhibition but then congratulated themselves for their good fortune in finding such wonderful women to share their lives.

Darcy was unable to sleep. He dozed off for a few hours but was awakened by his own restlessness, the need to feel, to hold the woman he loved. He had never been so close to another human being in his life, he had never felt this sense of belonging, of needing, of owning. Having Elizabeth with him for three full days had only made him more dependent on her presence, on her. He tried to imagine his life without her, without hearing her laugh during lunch, without holding her warmth in his bed every night. Would he be able to live alone again?

What were his -their- options from now on? Visiting her at Longbourn during the weekends? Escapades to hotels? Moving to London? Only to think that from now on, their moments together would be limited, that they would have to look for the time to do what they were now doing so freely, without reserve or planning, made him sick to his stomach. But he also knew that he shouldn't be worrying, brooding the way he was. He should see the positive side of things: they were a couple in every sense now, engaged to be married, she would be studying in Nottingham and ... she was returning home in a few hours.

Once again he kissed her hair and stroked the arm that was resting on his chest.

"Can't you sleep?"

William tilted his head to look at her in surprise. "You are awake?"

"You've done that at least 4 times. Now comes a big sigh and a squeeze on the shoulder."

"I'm sorry that I'm disturbing you."

Elizabeth raised her head and studied his features. The sadness that she had seen before and that was becoming more frequent was back again. "Will, what's wrong?"

Smiling, he just shook his head.

Something was disturbing him and she wanted to know what it was. The last thing she wanted to do was become angry with him but it was very frustrating when he did this. She asked him again and, when he didn't answer, grumpily she rolled to her side, with her back to him.

Darcy sighed again as his own frustration grew. Why was this so difficult? He propped himself on his elbow. "Liz?" he nuzzled her shoulder.

She shrugged him off.

He chuckled. Even upset with him, her skin reacted immediately to his touch. "My love, you are behaving like a child," he said softly. "Please, don't do this to me."

Elizabeth turned onto her back and looked at him, angry sparkles coming out of her eyes. "No, sir, you are treating me like one. Something is troubling you and you are not telling me."

His brows furrowed; she was right in saying that. He had promised himself that he would share his thoughts with her and now he was shutting her out. But he also said that he would never rush her, that each step would be taken at the appropriate time. There was no way he could keep both promises at the same time. Swallowing hard, he chose sincerity.

"You are leaving tomorrow."

Elizabeth remained silent as his meaning sank in. It was plain and clear. He wanted everything, now. As she looked into his dark, expectant eyes, she realized that not only he wanted her, but he needed her by his side.

In the previous months, when he drove for hours just to see her, spending every free minute he had with her, it wasn't only to show that he cared for her, to win her heart as she had thought. It was also because he needed her love, her company; because he needed her. She had always thought him strong, independent, self-sufficient but he needed love and affection like everyone else.

"Do you want me to stay here with you? Now?" she finally asked.

Even if this was his most desired wish, asking her to stay with him was something he could not do, that he should not do so early in their relationship.

"Will." She could see his jaw clenching as he struggled to keep this inside of him. "Is that what you want?"

Darcy looked away. "Liz, don't make it more difficult for me, I can't ask you to stay, it wouldn't be fair for you."

She held his chin and turned his face to her again. "You are underestimating my feelings for you."

"No, I'm not," he responded, torn between asking something he wished for desperately but that could affect the person he loved. "I am respecting your life, your independence, your youth ..."

Elizabeth spoke with the most determined, heartfelt voice he had ever heard. "William, if you want me to stay here with you now, I'll stay."

"Are you ready to leave everything behind right now?" He asked in earnest.

She was silent. Suddenly she was scared, of leaving him, of leaving home. What should she do? Anguished by her own indecision, she curled her body around his and held him so tight that her arms and legs were aching.

"Shhhhhhh." Darcy stroked her hair and her back. "It's OK. I'm here, it's OK."

They held each other for a long time, until they fell asleep. When they woke up, their fingers were entwined, their bodies embraced and as the light of the new day intruded on their world, everything became clear and they knew that this was the way they wanted it to be.

Breakfast was silent that morning at Pemberley. Darcy and Elizabeth descended earlier than the other couple, both pensive, reflecting on the previous night's discussion. Neither wanted to bring the matter up, each wondering what the other might be thinking and both fearing that saying what they thought would influence the other's decision.

Darcy received a business call and answered it in his study. When he was done with it, he went in search of Elizabeth. He found her on the terrace, sitting on one of the white lounges, knees embraced, with her eyes lost in the green of the gardens.

"Here you are. I was looking for you." He sat by her side. She looked so small and young that it warmed his heart. "Are you all right?"

There was a moment of silence, then a sigh, and then a soft, resolute, "I'm staying, Will."

For endless seconds, he looked at her. Though this was all he had dreamed of, deep inside of him, he knew that they were acting impulsively, that they were taking all the steps at the same time. Nonetheless, for him, it felt right and he would do anything within his power to make it right for her too. Without saying a word, he put his arms around her and gently pulled her against his chest. They stayed like that, holding each other, words unnecessary, until Darcy pulled back and looked at her.

"Did you talk to Jane about this?"

"No." she smiled. She had never seen so much happiness, such expression of heartfelt delight diffused in his features.

Darcy took her hand and rose. "Let's go then." He pulled her up to her feet. "I think she is upstairs, packing."

Together, they walked inside the house. When they reached the staircase, Elizabeth kissed his cheek and asked him to wait for her in the living room.

"Janie?" Elizabeth knocked on the opened door.

"Lizzy." Jane was struggling to close her suitcase.

Elizabeth looked around the room. "I was expecting to see the room upside down after what I heard about Charles. This is quite neat."

"Well," she smiled at her sister, "It seems that I'm succeeding in domesticating him, though I'm not very optimistic that it will last. Are you ready? I would like to leave right after lunch."

Elizabeth sat on the bed. "Jane, I have something to tell you."

"Anything wrong?" Jane turned her full attention to her sister.

"No, everything is fine."

Jane looked at her expectantly.

"I'm staying with Will, I'm not going home with you."

There was a moment of silence where Jane absorbed the news. Elizabeth had always been a homey child, their dad's little girl, and this would certainly be a huge change for her. Though happy that her sister finally decided to leave the nest, Jane wasn't sure that moving in with her boyfriend for two months was the right way to acquire the independency Elizabeth needed to experience. Jane would have preferred that she would go to college first, try living on her own, at least for a semester, do what the girls her age did instead of passing from being under her father's care to being under her future husband's.

"Oh, Lizzy, are you sure?"

"I am; I want to be with him."

Jane smiled at her sister's big, unsure eyes. "You are making a very important decision."

"I know. Do you approve of it?"

Jane laughed. "You don't need my approval, Lizzy! If you are happy about this, then I'm happy, too."

"Thank you, Jane." Elizabeth sighed. "I'm a little nervous, that's all."

"Don't worry," Jane's voice was all tenderness, "Everything will be all right."

"So, you do not think I'm rushing things?" asked Elizabeth, as if needing her sister's reassurance.

"Well, you are! But then, it's about time you cut the ties with home, even if it's to be tied to William! You'll be able to do many things: study, travel and learn what it means to be a wife before getting married."

"A wife?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrow.

"My little sister," Jane squeezed her hand, "the mistress of Pemberley."

Darcy and Elizabeth said goodbye to the other couple. Hand in hand, still overwhelmed by how everything had changed monumentally in barely a couple of hours, they walked silently back into the house. They were in such a state of joy and confusion that neither was able to speak. They went to the living room and sat together on the couch. After 15 minutes of silence, Darcy began to laugh.

"What?" she turned to him.

"Isn't this ridiculous? We've just moved in together and here we are, not knowing what to do."

Elizabeth giggled. This was ludicrous.

"Come," he rose and pulled her up to her feet. "Let's go to the kitchen, I want to tell Margaret that you are staying, that we are engaged and that you are the new Mistress of the house."

Mistress? Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What?"

Darcy laughed at her panicked expression. "Come on, I'm joking, you are still my special guest if you want it that way, though I would really like to let the staff know about our engagement."

The announcement of their engagement was received with great joy in the household. It was done in Pemberley's kitchen, to the staff that was present at the moment: Mrs. Reynolds, Maria, Armand (the cook) and Walter, the gardener, who happened to come in during the speech. Gossip would inform the rest. The couple was kissed, embraced and happy as they had ever been, they returned to the living room.

"When are you calling your father?" Darcy brought up the matter that Elizabeth had been avoiding.

She bit her lip. "Oh, Will."

Darcy placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly. "You must call him. He will be worried sick if you don't show up tonight."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and went to the phone.

"Liz," Darcy told her as she dialled, "tell him we are going to Longbourn tomorrow and I will talk to him, all right?"

She nodded at his reassuring smile. Kitty answered the phone and Elizabeth asked her to call her father. Thomas took the call in very high spirits.

"Lizzy! I thought you forgot completely about us! You must be having a great time, you didn't even call us once!"

Elizabeth laughed nervously. "Yes Dad, this is wonderful, I ..."

"Will you be home for dinner? I thought you were already on your way back."

She inhaled deeply. "No, Dad, I'm staying here. I'm not going back ... today ... or ... later. I'm staying."

There was a long, intense silence. "I see."

Elizabeth swallowed and was unable to speak for a while. "I ... we ... I'll stay here with William."

"I hope you know what you are doing," he replied, obviously upset.

"Yes, Dad, I know."

"There's not much to say about it, if that's your wish," Thomas said seriously.

"It is." Her father's tone was breaking her heart.

A long pause came and Elizabeth was feeling even worse with every second of silence. When Thomas spoke, his voice was full of irony and resentment. "Are you coming home for your things or do you want me to pack them in crates and send them to Derbyshire?"

Darcy saw Elizabeth's face reddening and her eyes clouding with tears. When her first sob burst out, he rose and gestured her to give him the phone.

Elizabeth shook her head and turned her back to him, her tears running freely down her cheeks now. "Dad!" She sniffed. "Don't say that! I love you but I want to stay with William! Please understand!"

Thomas realized that he couldn't get angry with her about this, that this was her choice, her life. Pushing her away would only mean losing her completely. William was an excellent man and, as much as it pained him to see his dearest child part, he couldn't be happier of her choice of partner.

"I'm sorry, my dear, I'm sorry. I'm being unfair with you. It's only that this is all too sudden. I never thought that you would leave us so soon. I'm just ..." He was too overwhelmed to go on.

"Daddy, I'm not leaving you, you know that I love you and Mom, but I want to be with Will too, please, don't ..."

"It's all right, sweetheart." Thomas inhaled deeply and then continued in a light tone. "So, when are you two coming to see us? How long will William hold you captive there?"

Elizabeth smiled for the first time. "We are going down tomorrow to have lunch with you, is that all right?" It felt so strange, asking her father if it was all right tohave lunch at home with them.

"Of course, my dear, even though you've exchanged us for that young man," he tried to sound playful, "this is still your home. I'll tell your mother about your decision and ask her to cook something special for you two tomorrow. It will be better if Will is not around when she learns the news. We don't want her to scare him away, do we?"

She wiped her tears and chuckled out her anguish. "All right, Daddy, I'll see you tomorrow."

Elizabeth hung up the phone and looked at Darcy, who was observing her with a frown in his face. Her father had been unnecessarily mean, he had hurt her and she knew she was hurting him. Unable to hold back any more, she crushed her body against Darcy's and cried into his opened arms.

That was the first obstacle they overcame together.

Darcy emerged from the bathroom and found Elizabeth still dressed, looking out of the window. He walked closer to her and embraced her from behind.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine." She rested her head on his shoulder, tilting it to the side to give his lips better access to her neck. Darcy smiled, it was exactly what he wanted to do.

"You are still worried about what your father thinks," he said after kissing every inch of her skin, from her ear to the curve where her neck met the shoulder.

"No," she sighed, "he understood but I know he didn't like it."

"If I were in his place, I would feel exactly the same way. But this was going to happen sooner or later."

That statement did very little for her piece of mind. "I know, it's just that I thought it would be different, that he ..." she shook her head, unable to go on.

"Elizabeth," Darcy turned her around so she was looking at him, "I love you. I will take care of you, protect you, adore you from now on, till the day I die. From now on, married or not, we are one."

Elizabeth was so moved by his words and by the huge change she was now going through that she couldn't stop her eyes from watering,. "I love you too, William."

He kissed her lips so ardently, so lovingly that she knew that everything would be all right, that she was safe in his arms, that this was the best thing that had happened in her life.

"Come, I want to show you something." he smiled down at her.

"What?"

"There's a room in Pemberley that you haven't seen yet." Darcy took her hand and dragged her out of the room.

"Where are you taking me?" Elizabeth laughed, excited like an anxious child, as they walked down the corridor.

With a huge smile on his handsome face, he opened a door at the end of the corridor. "This is the Master suite."

Elizabeth was speechless. It was incredible, beautiful, enormous.

"This room is occupied only by the Master of the manor and his wife. My father moved to this room when he married my mother, and so did all the Darcys before him with their spouses. As my fiancée, I want to show you the place that, since the day I met you, is reserved for you, for us."

This was the room of the Mistress of Pemberley. "William, I don't know what to say." She glanced up at him with teary eyes. "Oh, dear, I can't stop crying, I ..."

"Shhhh," he embraced her, "please don't cry any more. It is supposed to be a happy day!"

"It is! But I ..." she sobbed in earnest.

Darcy held her and rocked her body for some time, until her tears subsided. "It's been closed since my father died. I want you to redecorate it, to make it new for us, and we'll move here when it's ready."

"Do you mean, before we are married?" she smiled as she wiped her tears. William Darcy was breaking one of Pemberley's traditions. It was excessively diverting.

"I don't see the difference. We'll have more space here, you'll have your own dressing room, the bed is larger ..." his smile was so wicked that it made her laugh.

Elizabeth raised her hands to his hair and looked at him with loving, enamoured eyes. "You are so wonderful, William."

Darcy took her face in his hands and kissed her slowly and then deeper. She felt desire growing in him and his hands touching and caressing her to stir hers. Piece by piece, their clothing was discarded, their hands searched and found and with full hearts they once again walked the route of pleasure and love.

The new day found them blissfully embraced in the Master's bed.

Mid morning found them on the road to Hertfordshire. Darcy looked calm, Elizabeth didn't. On the way, they reached an understanding about some matters that they knew would come up during lunch with Elizabeth's family: the wedding and their plans for the future. It was then when, with joyful smiles, they decided to marry in July, before Elizabeth began at college, giving them time for the honeymoon but also allowing the women on both sides of the family enough time to interfere in the planning. Where, and other details, were still to be considered.

"Lizzy, hi. Will," Kitty said unenthusiastically when the couple entered the house.

If this was Kitty's reaction to the news, Elizabeth didn't want to think what would be her father's. Thomas greeted them quietly, Mary wasn't home and Phil was looking at them oddly, helping very little with her peace of mind. But when Fanny came from the kitchen, it was pandemonium.

"Oh, here you are!" cried Mrs. Bennet, "The two turtle doves! My Lizzy is leaving us! I'm desolated! Oh, Will! How could you do this to us?" But before Darcy could reply to that she saw Elizabeth's engagement ring. "Lizzy! You are engaged! Thomas, you didn't tell me William proposed! Look at that ring! Oh, my child!" Mrs. Bennet kissed the couple's cheeks effusively. "I'm so happy for you! At last I'll be able to plan a wedding!"

The meal went smoothly, as all the participants -with the exception of Kitty- were very happy with the couple's decision of getting married, though they were still surprised that everything happened so suddenly. As they had imagined, most of the conversation was about the wedding.

"July?" asked Fanny wrinkling her nose. "It's too hot in July."

"Yes, but that will give us time for the honeymoon. Classes begin in September," replied Elizabeth.

"So you finally decided to attend Nottingham University," said her father, not a little hurt for being the last one to be informed about his own daughter's decision.

"If they accept me. It's closer to Pemberley, about 20 miles. That way I won't need to move to the dorms."

Thomas glanced at his future son-in-law. "You'll have to stop training horses; you'll be very busy with your studies and taking care of your husband."

Elizabeth's mouth opened but it was Darcy who was the one answered. "We have many horses at Pemberley she may work with but as we have our own trainers, maybe she can focus on practicing to return to the show jumping ring. Anyway, it's her decision and she will set her own priorities."

Thomas acknowledged this comment with a nod. Though Darcy's tone was amiable, very subtly, he was letting him know that Elizabeth wasn't under his wing any more.

Once lunch was over, as everyone went to sit in the living room, Darcy approached Mr. Bennet and asked him if they could talk in private. After giving Elizabeth a comforting wink, Darcy followed the elder man to his study.

"Do you want something to drink, William?" Thomas walked towards the little bar on one side of the room. "I haven't opened that bottle of whiskey you brought me yet."

"Yes, thank you, sir." Darcy sat in one of the armchairs.

Thomas poured two whiskeys and sat one in front of the younger man. "What an unexpected decision you two made, very impulsive."

Darcy remained silent, knowing the uncomfortable position which Mr. Bennet was in now. Elizabeth was his dearest child and suddenly, without notice, her boyfriend was taking her away.

"You two are getting married, so asking you about your intentions would be redundant. But, as her father, I think I have the right to express my dislike about your decision. I know you two love each other, that you are the best prospect of a son-in-law that a father could wish for, but I am not very happy with this. Elizabeth is young, she needs to grow up and live her own life without ties. I was hoping that this would happen when she left for college but now, by marrying you, she will be faced with other responsibilities and her youth will be thwarted by her obligations as a wife."

"I perfectly comprehend your worries, sir, and I agree with you with the fact that Elizabeth will have more pressure in that aspect. Though we both know that, with me, she will have to forget about many other things, other obligations she had been facing and that were overwhelming her too." Darcy was trying not to be offensive with his father-in-law, but he wanted to make clear that he knew that Elizabeth's work was part of Longbourn's income and that that was thwarting her youth too. "She won't need to find a job to pay her tuition and she will have everything she needs. I am a reasonable person, sir, I will respect her independence and her wishes and I will not interfere in her career."

Thomas sighed, admitting Darcy's point. There was no way that they could afford Elizabeth's studies. His daughter would be on her own and forced to find a job (or two) to be able to pay for her education. He also knew that she was wasting her youth working on this farm. Moving in with Darcy would open a whole new world for her.

"William, you are very much your own man but you showed me that you care for her and most of all, that you are able to handle her. I know this will be a very positive change for her, that she will be able to do things that were unreachable for her. I will only give you a warning about my daughter, that is, if you accept some advice from this old man." Darcy nodded. "You two have been together for a little more than two months and there are many things about the other that you still have to discover. Elizabeth is the sweetest girl but she has not learned to control that explosive temper of hers yet. Sometimes -and I think that you've already seen that- she can be unnecessarily confrontational, she doesn't like to be bossed around and she can have some very childish reactions, creating an argument over the silliest matter. Just be patient and understand her."

"Sir, I have a 21 year old sister, I know how she can be, and believe me, Elizabeth is far more mature and responsible than Georgiana."

"You've learned of her enamoured side, William, and I'm sure that she knows only your 'wooing' self. After being married for 30 years I suppose I am in the position to affirm that a couple really begins to know each other when they are living together. Take my advice and be patient with her, as I'm sure that she will try that immutable calmness of yours more frequently than you think."

Darcy couldn't help but laugh at the comment.

"You like to have your own way in everything too, William, and you will learn that she will not always agree with what you want." Thomas laughed too. "I'm sure that with the temperaments you two have, you'll be bumping your hard heads against each other quite frequently."

"I sincerely hope not, sir. Arguing with your daughter is the most frustrating of experiences."

"Tell me about it, Will." Mr. Bennet extended his hand to shake Darcy's. "Take care of my Lizzy, son; I wish you the best."

"I will, sir." Darcy smiled broadly.

Thomas raised his glass in front of his eyes. "This is a hell of a good whiskey, William, Lizzy told me you own that company."

"Only part of it," the younger man replied quietly.

"William," Mr. Bennet took another sip of his drink, "there is also another matter that I wanted to discuss with you. This has been bothering me for some time and now that we know each other well enough to bring it up, I think it's time that we talk about it." he paused for a second. "I know what you did with Liddy, that you went after George and that you paid my debt. I'll never forget that I am indebted to you and I'm planning to pay you back."

"Sir," Darcy shook his head, "that's not necessary. I didn't expect anything in return when I did that."

"It's a gambling debt, William, it must be paid."

Darcy stared at the elder man silently. Though he was not expecting anything in return, it would be humiliating for his future father-in-law if he just let the matter die. Also, as Elizabeth had told him, in his therapy, it was recommended that her father should feel the obligation, the weight of what he did and the pain he caused to fully recover from his illness. Escaping so easily and not assuming the responsibility would only make him try it again.

"Elizabeth told me that she owns half of Liddy and you own the other." Darcy spoke evenly. "If you consider it's a fair payment, I would like you to transfer your half to Elizabeth. She loves that mare and she wants to jump her in the circuit. We can take her to Pemberley and finish her training there."

Mr. Bennet raised his eyebrow. "William, we both know that Liddy is not worth that amount, at least not yet."

"I must disagree with you on this matter. Liddy is an excellent prospect. With the correct training, she might reach the higher classes easily. It's only up to Elizabeth to decide which level she wants to reach. And I know," Darcy's confidence in himself was visible, "that I only need to cover her with a Pemberley rug during a show to raise her value considerably."

"Will you coach them?"

"If that makes Elizabeth happy, I will," Darcy shrugged.

Thomas sat back on his chair with a smile. That was what he considered a good deal, not only for him, but for his daughter too. "Done."

Darcy smiled back, but now it was his turn to demand. "Sir, I would like to ask you something else."

"Of course."

"Elizabeth suffered a lot when that incident occurred and I wouldn't like to see her going through that situation again. I heard that you are not giving your therapy the importance you should, so I'm asking you to return fully to it. That and your half of Liddy and we are done with this subject." Darcy held the other man's stare.

Mr. Bennet looked at the young man. He was being humbled by his own son-in-law. That was not an easy pill to swallow but he did and that became the beginning of his healing process. "Son, we have a deal." The men shook hands and rose. "Now, let's go back to the others, I'm sure that Lizzy is already restless with your absence."

Darcy smiled in pride and happiness.

"Are you going back to Derbyshire today or are you staying for dinner?" Thomas asked him amiably as they left the room.

"Neither, sir, we are staying in London for a few days. My sister is arriving tomorrow from France and I have some matters to see to there before returning home."

"Why don't you come for lunch on Sunday? I'm sure that Fanny is planning something to show off your engagement to the family.

Darcy laughed, "All right, sir, we'll be here."

"William," Thomas slapped the young man's back, "Isn't it time that you call me Thomas? You are making me feel old with all that 'sir' stuff."

Grinning, Darcy responded. "All right ... sir."

"Kitty?" Elizabeth entered her sister's bedroom. "Kit, are you all right? You left so abruptly."

"I'm fine." Kitty wiped her eyes.

"Oh, Kitty," Elizabeth sat on the bed next to her sister, "Why are you crying?"

"It's just that ... well ... you are moving, and I (sniff) ... you won't be here any more."

Elizabeth felt a lump in her throat as she took her sister's hand. She never thought that Kitty would be so affected by her departure. "I'm not moving abroad, I'll be only a few hours away and we'll come very often, you don't have to be sad because of that."

"I know," Kitty sniffed, knowing she was being too sensitive about this, "But I'll miss you so much."

"And I'll miss you too, sweetie." Elizabeth embraced her youngest sister with teary eyes. "But you'll have the baby soon and you have Phil, and you'll be too busy to even think about me."

"Phil is always arguing with me, he doesn't understand, he's like a child. All he thinks about is football and never lets me watch what I want."

Elizabeth sighed. Her 19 year-old sister was about to be a mother and she was still arguing with her 17 year-old boyfriend about the remote. "Men are always like that, I think you need your own TV."

"I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"A little," chuckled Elizabeth. "Come to my room, there are some things that I want to give you. I'm not taking everything to Pemberley with me ."

Kitty looked down at her 8th month belly and at her swollen breasts. "I don't think there is much that can fit me now, Lizzy."

"It doesn't matter; you'll lose some weight in a few weeks." She smiled brightly. "I don't think I'll need my pink sweater any more, do you want it?"

"The angora sweater?" Kitty asked enthusiastically.

Elizabeth nodded.

"Lizzy!" Kitty was radiant.

Together, they went to Elizabeth's room.

"Well, what do you think?" Darcy opened the door of his flat for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's eyes moved about the spacious apartment. It was large, neat, luminous, the wooden floors made it warm and welcoming, though it was a little empty and too sober for her taste. "It's very nice."

"You don't like it," he said with a knowing smile. "You always say lovely or beautiful when you like a place."

She gasped, annoyed that he could read her so easily. He was right, she didn't like it that much but it was a very nice place anyway. "It's a little empty, that's why, and it's so, so ... manly."

Darcy put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Then you will transform it into a homey place. We'll come here often and I want this to be as comfortable and 'lovely' as Pemberley."

She giggled when he began to nuzzle her throat. "Will you trust my taste in redecorating this?"

"I'll do whatever you say, as long as you make me feel 'manly' in it."

Elizabeth's laugher echoed in the rooms when Darcy carried her to the bedroom.

Unlike her brother, Georgiana Darcy was an expressive and extroverted person. She reacted noisily to the news of their engagement and even more noisily to the knowledge that her old fashioned, super proper brother and his girlfriend -now fiancée- were living together. But her outburst didn't end there. Much to Darcy's annoyance, Georgiana gave Elizabeth ample insight about his commanding, overbearing nature. Bossy, possessive, stubborn, obsessive and control freak, were only some of the words she used to describe him. He was also sweetie, Georgiana conceded, generous and caring, but when his territorial side emerged, he was simply insupportable. When Darcy finally dropped her at her apartment, Georgiana had already organized a few escapades with Elizabeth and gave her future sister-in-law some tips on how to handle her authoritative brother.

That night, they dined with Ann and her husband -and Charles' associate- Maxwell McIntyre. At the beginning, Elizabeth was a little tense about the going out with them, mostly because this was her first encounter with Ann after their previous meeting and she was still a little sensitive being around her. But as the evening progressed, she realized that she had nothing to worry about. They were nice people, and had this wonderful relationship with Darcy. She could see that they cared for him and knowing the importance that this woman had in her future husband's life -Ann was, after all, Darcy's agent and lawyer-, Elizabeth made her best to become friends with them.

On Friday, Darcy and Elizabeth did something they had never done: they went shopping together. Darcy's refrigerator was practically empty so they went to the grocery story to buy supplies. The experience was very enlightening, for both. Elizabeth would check every label and compare prices and Darcy would just pick his favourite and throw it inside the cart. They argued over the cookies -he preferred vanilla while she liked chocolate- and Elizabeth couldn't believe that Darcy actually ate mangos, as for her, they tasted like vomit. Darcy was incredulous that she disliked Earl Grey tea and that she still had cereal for breakfast on occasion. Needless to say, they ended buying lots of unnecessary things.

The rest of the day was spent reorganizing his stuff to make room for hers and cooking their first meal together. Then, they were ready to go to bed.

Darcy lifted the covers and slid inside the bed. He raised his arm for Elizabeth to snuggle next to him. "How are you feeling about all this? Are you missing home?"

"No. This is great. I don't know what will happen when you return to your normal routine and you don't pay so much attention to me, but I'm sure that by then I'll find a way to entertain myself."

Darcy kissed her hair. "There are many things you can do. But let's not worry about that now. You can train for your next show if you want."

"Next show?"

"There are a few local shows you can attend in the following months and then we can go to Hickstead together, for the Derby. I talked to your father and he ..."

"During that 'men's chat' you had in his study?" Elizabeth giggled.

"Yes," he smiled, "and he said that we can take Liddy to Pemberley with us so you can continue with her training. I don't know if she'll be ready for Hickstead, it would be better if she starts at smaller shows first, but Petticoat is there in case you want to ride her, too. She is doing very well at three feet. She is already jumping combinations and full courses successfully."

She rested her head on his shoulder and remained silent. Suddenly Darcy, by saying all this, was resolving her problems, making her dreams come true. Until now, competing had been a distant project, something she wished would happen but that she knew would never come; and all of a sudden someone else was telling her that it would and setting the date, planning it all for her. She knew Darcy wasn't imposing his wishes, that he was only suggesting it, but she couldn't help feeling her privacy being a little invaded , with someone else deciding her life. It felt so awkward but maybe this was what being a couple meant.

Darcy, sensing she was thinking about this, preferred not to say anything else about his plans for her so not to overwhelm her. He knew it would be hard for her, that this transition should be made slowly but it was becoming more and more difficult to control his anxiety now that they were together. He had so many expectations about their life together, so many things he wanted to show her, to give her and that he wanted to do with her that he could barely contain them inside of him.

"Do you have a passport'" he asked suddenly.

"What for?" Elizabeth raised her head to look at him.

"I was thinking," he said with his most appealing smile, "that we could take a few days off, travel, just us, before going back to our routine."

Her grin barely fit in her face. This was like a moving-in honeymoon. "Where?"

"Greece? Or Sardinia, Costa Esmeralda. The beaches are incredible. Sun ... sand ... sea ... us ... only us. What do you think?"

Elizabeth embraced him. "I'd love to go, I've been dreaming of going to Greece all my life!"

Darcy laughed and pulled her on top of him. "I'll talk to my travel agent and he'll fix it all."

"I'll need a passport."

"We are getting you one on Monday."

"And I'll need clothes; I don't think that my stuff is appropriate for that place."

"Then go shopping. I have a few things to do in London. I must attend the meeting of the board so I don't think we'll be able to leave before the end of the following week. We can stay here in town and you'll buy everything you need. Georgiana will be around too, she can go with you, if you want. Shopping is her favourite activity."

"That's great. I'm not very familiar with London." Elizabeth said with a smile. Darcy's hands were on her hips, aligning her with the erection that he had been building the moment he positioned her on top of him. He reached out for a condom inside his drawer and Elizabeth assisted him on the task of putting it on. "And I'll go to the doctor, so you don't have to wear these anymore."

Darcy pulled her face down for a hungry kiss. "But until that happens, let's finish the stock we have."

"All of it?" There was still a large, unopened box inside his drawer. But, given the frequency with which they were making love lately, she was sure they would be done with it in only a few days.

"Yeah," he smiled naughtily as his hips moved upwards. "I have plans for you."

"Which are?"

Swiftly, Darcy turned her onto her back, covering her body completely with his. "Loving you, worshiping you, shagging you senseless, until you can't take it any more," he playfully bit her throat while she giggled. "I promise you, Elizabeth, you won't be able to walk properly after I'm done with you."

That night, between laughs and groans, Elizabeth learned new positions, tasted new flavours, used muscles she had never used before and discovered she had a flexibility she didn't know she had. As for her fiancée, he put at her service some more of his hidden talents, demonstrating that he was able to provide pleasure with incredible stamina, shocking creativity and amazing equilibrium.

Neither could walk properly after that.

The week that Darcy and Elizabeth spent in Costa Smeralda was like a dream. They stayed in a super exclusive hotel, spending most of the day on the beach, by the pool or walking through the lovely streets of Porto Cervo.

During this time by themselves they learned more little details about the other than they had done in the previous months. For example, Darcy could fall asleep and wake up in exactly 5 seconds (something very annoying when the other occupant of the bed wants to sleep a little longer), he could lay under the sun for hours -so un-British, Elizabeth thought- and, while Elizabeth had always seen him eat very little in the past, he was now the possessor of a voracious appetite and blamed her for that. Elizabeth, on the other side, wasn't a morning person and untangling her hair could take longer than Darcy was willing to wait for. Her creamy English complexion forced her to use lots suntan lotion and rubbing it over her curvy body was task that her solicitous boyfriend was more that willing to perform. She was an exquisite sight in her bikini, even if seeing her wearing it meant that he would have to share the vision with the other male guests of the resort. Anyway, topless was the fashion that year so Elizabeth's two piece swimsuit was quite prudish if compared with the rest.

Back in England, they made a stop at Longbourn before heading to Pemberley. Together with Jane and Charles, they had lunch with the Bennets and the Gardiners, who had come to spend the day with the family. They told them about their trip, everyone envied their tan and asked them about their future plans. Darcy had many important shows to attend during the following months, including the Nations League and they decided they would stay at Pemberley so he could catch up with his training routine. They left by tea-time, promising they would pay them a visit in a couple of weeks.

Elizabeth woke up when she heard Darcy coming into the room and approach the bed. Gently, he removed her hair from over her face.

"Hey, lazy, aren't you getting up?"

Drowsily, she opened her eyes. He was sweaty, dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and trainers and she assumed he went jogging.

Darcy sat on the bed and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to the stables. Are you coming with me?" He didn't wait for her answer and walked towards the bathroom while removing his t-shirt.

Elizabeth glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Eight o'clock, vacation was over. Resigned, swung her legs off the bed and stretched her arms over her head.

Five minutes later, a refreshed Darcy came out of the shower and glanced at her butt as she crossed him on her way to the bathroom, pouting grumpily. When she came out, he had already changed into his riding clothes.

"Come, let's go. I want to see how the horses have progressed. I would like to ride at least four of them by noon and I won't make it if we don't hurry up. Sam told me Liddy did great this week and I would like to ride her, if you don't mind. Or maybe you could work with her a little?"

"Aren't we having breakfast first?" She hated when he was so bloody cheerful in the morning.

"I'm sorry," Grinning, he leaned in and gave her a noisy kiss, "good morning. I forgot that sometimes you wake up in slow motion. Yes, we are having breakfast, but hurry up."

As she turned away to get dressed, she received a noisy slap on her behind. She loved when he was this cheerful in the mornings.

Elizabeth's first week in her new home was lovely. The couple was still in that 'newlywed bliss' that all couples are in when they just start their life together. They were together all day long, they couldn't stop touching each other, and they missed each other if, by chance, they were separated for more than half an hour. Mornings were usually spent at the stables where Darcy supervised the training of the horses and explained to Elizabeth how they worked with them. During the afternoons, Darcy would usually attend to his business affairs for a couple of hours and later they would ride through the estate or watch TV together.

Slowly, Darcy was acquainting Elizabeth with Pemberley's routine while he returned more intently to his training and other obligations. Everything was organized in the household, so there was not much she could decide, though Mrs. Reynolds, following Darcy's instructions, consulted with Elizabeth about certain things and talked with her about the household news.

Elizabeth was growing very fond of the housekeeper. When Darcy was busy, she usually went to the kitchen -Margaret Reynolds' domain- where they conversed while having some tea. During those chats Elizabeth learned more about Darcy's youth, filling in some of the blanks she had about his life and that she never could make him talk about.

"Four?"

"Yes, dear," replied the housekeeper as she poured two cups of tea for them. "I've been taking care of that boy since he was four years old. His parents went on a long trip to Australia and Indonesia so they hired me to look after him full time. I was recently widowed at the time so it was a very good opportunity for me and my two sons, Sam and John. The Darcys travelled a lot so I became William's permanent nanny after that."

"So they weren't at home much."

"No, not much. They were a very fashionable couple; Mrs. Darcy was a beautiful, very charming woman, from a very important family, so they were present at every social event. I remember those days very well. William's mother was famous for her elegance and impeccable taste."

"William must have been very lonely without his parents."

"Yes, my poor boy, he missed them a lot. He was the sweetest, most well behaved child I have ever seen. He inherited that love for horses from his mother."

Elizabeth smiled at Mrs. Reynolds expression. The housekeeper's face lit up when she spoke about Darcy. "I saw some pictures of William when he was a child; he was so skinny."

Margaret laughed. "Oh, yes he was. His cousins used to call him 'worm' or 'stick insect' when he was smaller. He was so tall and thin that he was all legs and arms. Anyway, he never had a good appetite so we were always after him to see that he ate properly."

"It seems that he found it, because he seems insatiable now." Elizabeth laughed too.

"That's because he is happy, because you are here. He has really been taking care of himself since he met you."

"Really?" Elizabeth smiled. When she met him the first time, though she found him very attractive and well built, she considered that he was a little thin for her taste. But then, when they began dating, he began to look fuller, stronger, and she was happy that she was a good influence in that aspect.

"You watch him. When an important tournament is coming, or if he's concerned about something, he instantly stops eating.."

For a while, Elizabeth was silent, and then asked the housekeeper about something that had been worrying for some time.

"Did William get along with his stepmother? He never talks about her." The truth was that, the few times she brought up the subject, he changed it immediately.

"They didn't spend much time together so I can't tell you." Mrs. Reynolds replied briefly. But then, sensing that Elizabeth wanted to know more about her future husband, she gave her more information that would help to understand him better. "William's mother died in a very unexpected, tragic manner. She was pregnant."

"I know how, William told me."

Mrs. Reynolds nodded and proceeded. "It was devastating for all of us, especially for William's father. He turned fully to his work after she died. For the following years, he stayed most of his time in London and we practically never saw him. One day, he came with this woman and announced that he was marrying again."

"How was she?"

"Did you see the Sound of Music? The movie?" Elizabeth nodded. "Sarah was very much like the Baroness. Beautiful, used to moving in the top society circles. I think he was very lonely and he was missing his social life, so I guess she was the perfect companion for him."

"How old was Will?"

"Twelve; he was entering a very sensitive age," smiled Mrs. Reynolds. "He had never been difficult or rebellious but being a shy and quiet child, that only made him retreat even more into his shell. I think that she didn't like children, as she paid very little attention to William and Georgiana. She preferred to live in London rather than at Pemberley, so they came for the weekends when there were no social events. Then she convinced Mr. Darcy that William would receive a better education in a boarding school, so he was sent to a school in Cheshire while Gini stayed at home with me. William accepted his fate silently and never complained, though I know he suffered very much because of this. He loves this place and his horses and it was very hard for him to part from them. For one year, he came only one weekend a month and for the holidays."

"He also told me that he lived in Rosings for some time." Elizabeth asked cautiously. Darcy once mentioned boarding school, his loneliness, but not all this. She felt so bad for him.

"Oh," Mrs. Reynolds looked heavenwards, "what a day! Lady Catherine, William's aunt ..."

"I know her." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Then I don't need to tell you how she is," laughed the housekeeper. "She has a terrible temper but a very tender heart. Catherine is William's godmother, he is the son she never had and she simply adores that boy." Elizabeth smiled at the older woman; she liked how she referred to Darcy as 'that boy'. "If William burns the house down, she will say that he is doing sculptures with the ashes. One day, she went to school to visit him ... you must know by now that William hardly complains about anything, that he never says when he is feeling ill ..."

"Yes, I noticed that," replied Elizabeth, recalling his accident.

"When she visited him at school, she noticed that he wasn't looking well. Then she found out that he had been feeling ill for a couple of days, and of course, he hadn't told anyone about it. Imagine the scandal she made at the school. They called a doctor and he was diagnosed with appendicitis. William was taken to the hospital and went into emergency surgery. But it didn't end there. Catherine was so incensed that she had a terrible argument with Mr. Darcy. I don't know what they said to each other, but somehow she convinced him that William would be better off living with her at Rosings than in a boarding school."

"So it was then when he moved to Kent."

"Yes, and that was very good for him. Lady Catherine shared her sister's love for horses and knowing William's passion for riding, she encouraged him to practice his sport as much as he could. Soon she realized that he was more than just a good rider and she helped him to develop and improve that innate talent of his. She hired the best riding teachers and encouraged him to jump and compete. And he loved it. He even won a local tournament when he was 15, competing against the senior classes. I can positively affirm that William owes part of his success as a horseman to his aunt's dedication."

"But, I don't understand," Elizabeth said seriously, "his father liked horses too, he founded Pemberley stables, so why didn't he encourage his own son in this sport too?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was because it reminded him of his wife, or perhaps he was too busy with other matters to pay attention to that. He had a very good steward at the time, Bernard Wickham, who was in charge of the stables and doing a very good job. But then, suddenly, everything changed. I don't know what happened that made him think it over, but one day Mr. Darcy realized what he was missing. William was growing up in Kent, he was winning championships and his father wasn't even there to see him. I remember one time when they all came to Pemberley for William's 16th birthday. His father had not seen him in three months and I think that was when he saw that his son was as tall as him, with a shadow of a moustache on his face and looking like a grown up, he realized that they couldn't go on like this. Gini was growing up so quickly, and he wanted to be part of all this, he wanted his children with him. But his wife didn't. She wanted to stay in London and didn't care about the stables or the children, so some time later, they divorced. It was so nice to have William back." Mrs. Reynolds sighed. "Since then, they became a real family. Mr. Darcy encouraged William's career as a horseman and together, they designed and built most of what you see now. The relationship between father and son was a little strained at the beginning, but with time they became closer."

Elizabeth had never imagined that Darcy's youth had been so tough. "So Sam has known William since he was a child too," she said, directing the conversation towards more pleasant subjects. "They understand each other so well. Sometimes, they don't even need to talk; William moves his head and Sam knows what he wants."

Mrs. Reynolds couldn't help but laugh at the comment. "They always do that. Just put two taciturn men together and that is the result: just signs and no talk. My Sammy is even quieter than William."

Elizabeth had to agree with that. Sam Reynolds was the typical silent, big man.

"And you, dear, how are you feeling here with us? Are you missing home?" the housekeeper asked with a kind voice.

"Well, I come from a house full of women, so sometimes I miss the noises and arguments at dinner but I like this place and Will is wonderful."

"Yes, isn't he? And you are so good to him, too. I've never seen him so happy, smiling so much. He has been so quiet all his life that this is a remarkable change in him."

"Don't believe everything she says, Elizabeth," Darcy's voice came from the door, "she always exaggerates my good qualities. I am not that good."

Elizabeth smiled brightly at him. "Yes, you are."

Darcy gave her a quick kiss on the lips and kissed Mrs. Reynolds' cheek. "You'll soon realize that I'm the ogre of the house." "You can turn a little difficult every now and then, but I can't complain," laughed Mrs. Reynolds. "Do you want some tea?"

He nodded and the housekeeper stood to make him one as he sat with them. "Elizabeth, my Aunt Elaine called. She invited us to Matlock for the weekend. There will be a small family gathering there. Everyone is anxious to meet you."

"Oh, yes, of course," she replied, feeling her apprehension growing. She was going to meet the Fitzwilliam clan. Scary.

Darcy noticed it. "Don't worry about that. They are normal people. Georgiana will be there too, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid." She playfully pushed him away. "Will, I need to buy some things, can I use one of the cars to go to Lambton?"

"Whenever you need something, you can tell Margaret and she will add it to the shopping list." Elizabeth wasn't ready to ask Mrs. Reynolds to buy her sanitary products, and even less in front of Darcy. "There is no need of that, I want to go myself; I want to look around, too."

"OK, I'll drive you. We can go now. I have to go to Lambton, too."

She rolled her eyes. Now she would have to buy her tampons in front of Darcy. "Why, don't you trust my driving?"

"No, dear," said Mrs. Reynolds as she served Darcy his tea. "He is taking you because he doesn't want to part from you, not even for half an hour."

Darcy shot his housekeeper a dark look. "It's not that. She doesn't know the way and she might get lost."

Mrs. Reynolds bit her lip and refrained herself from replying. Lambton was five miles away, on a road with no intersections and it was impossible to miss the way. She knew him too well to believe such an excuse.

Elizabeth pointed an accusatory forefinger at him. "Admit it, Will, you are coming only because you don't want me to drive your Mercedes."

Smiling his most charming smile, he said. "We are going together and you will drive the Merc."

Elizabeth beamed and kissed him noisily. "I hope it has an automatic transmission."

When Altham Hall appeared before of her eyes, Elizabeth was mesmerized. She knew that Matlock stables were grand, that the Fitzwilliam family was rich and influential but not on this scale. She felt like she was entering Chatsworth. At the door, they were received by a butler who announced -very formally- that 'the family was on the terrace'. The marble floors echoed under her feet and the immensity of the entrance hall made her feel small and vulnerable. She held Darcy's hand tighter.

The Fitzwilliam family was the picture of wealth, beauty, elegance and style. When Elizabeth first saw them, dispersed around the terrace, it immediately reminded her of those movies about the British aristocracy. Men in white sweaters, coming from a cricket game, and the ladies, beautiful and diverted, conversing about fashion. The first one that saw them was an elderly woman, dressed in beige tailored trousers and a white silk blouse, obviously designer clothes. In her mid sixties, she was still fresh and beautiful.

"Will, darling," Elaine Fitzwilliam approached them, kissing Darcy and Elizabeth on the cheek, "here you are. And you must be Elizabeth. I am so glad to meet you. Richard had told us so much about you."

Richard immediately joined them and greeted Elizabeth warmly. Then, one by one, Elizabeth was introduced to each member of the family. Howard, the patriarch of the clan, was a large, imposing man with an authoritarian look on his face. He was very formal in his speech, scaring Elizabeth a little, but soon she realized that this was just his way. Edward, who was his eldest son, was amiable but slightly distant, not as handsome as Richard and already losing his hair. She then met Alan Berrisford, Sylvia Fitzwilliam's husband and then the incredibly handsome Jimmy Fitzwilliam came next. The man was striking and worst of all, he was perfectly aware of it. Though in colours and attitude he was the opposite to Darcy, Jimmy was just as gorgeous as his cousin. His eyes swept her figure as he shook her hand, making her blush from head to toe.

Elaine linked her arm with Elizabeth's and led the way to the ladies that were sitting on the other side of the terrace. Georgiana immediately jumped from her chair and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. As she was walking away from the gentlemen, Elizabeth was able to hear them teasing Darcy about how this new and sudden 'relationship' had improved his countenance. In between their manly banter, she caught Darcy's voice telling Jimmy something about 'sending his teeth flying across the lawn if he didn't avert his eyes from a certain part of his girlfriend's anatomy.'

There were half a dozen children running around when Elizabeth was introduced to the women of the house: Sylvia, the youngest of the Fitzwilliam siblings, some 30 years old, with a strong resemblance to Georgiana. Next came Jill, Edward's wife, blonde, elegant and refined; Sheila, Jimmy's wife, exotic, dark hair, green eyes and pregnant, and finally Vicky, Richard's girlfriend, a lovely, very friendly young woman.

Elaine was quick when telling her about her grandchildren, as they were everywhere. From what Elizabeth understood, Edward had three children, Jimmy had two daughters and was expecting a third one and Sylvia had two boys, one of them a two month old baby that was sleeping inside the house. Elaine pointed especially at Edward's daughter, a little girl of about five, with golden locks, Frances was her name. She was Darcy's godchild and was at that precise moment embracing her godfather's neck.

"Elizabeth," said Sylvia with a smile, "so you are the reason why William disappeared these the past two months. Georgiana told me you two just became engaged."

"Yes."

"Where did you meet Will?" Jill asked.

"In Hertfordshire, while he was training for the Nations Cup, a year ago." She smiled at the maid that offered her something to drink.

"Gini said you are a horse trainer, so did Richard. A very good one," said Jill.

"I don't know if I'm that good." Elizabeth smiled.

"It's great that you have that in common with him," Jill continued. "Will is very dedicated to his sport and he'll need the support of his wife in this phase of his professional career. With both of you involved with horses, everything will be much easier."

Elizabeth just smiled. Jill was saying something very real. Darcy didn't have the classic nine to five job and tournaments could keep him away for days, even weeks. Perhaps she wasn't aware of the real dimension of Darcy's weight in the industry, but this woman made it sound more important than she had thought.

"And more entertaining!" laughed Vicky, "you'll be bored to death if you don't like it. Horses, shows, and jumping are sometimes the only things they talk about!"

Darcy approached them and kissed the ladies' cheeks one by one. They all complimented him on their engagement and made some comments about him being 'off the market' now. Not much later, lunch was announced and they all went into the house.

During the afternoon, Georgiana showed Elizabeth the house and the gardens. It was during that tour that Georgiana offered to take her to Manchester, for a spa day and do some shopping. They agreed to go on the next Thursday and with a sly smile, Georgiana told Elizabeth that it was about time that she took some time off from her brother and was already anticipating Darcy's reaction to her absence.

Before they knew it, dinnertime was upon them. They all gathered in the huge dining room. The table was long and Darcy and Elizabeth were seated near Howard's end, together with Edward, Jill, Richard and Vicky.

In general, the conversation was lively. The Fitzwilliams were very agreeable people, even more after a few drinks. Elaine Fitzwilliam was the perfect hostess and impressed Elizabeth with her refinement and class. Howard, even if he was a little scary, showed that he could be pleasant too. Elizabeth was now feeling more at ease, chatting with Jill and Vicky, laughing at Richard's remarks and joining the very amiable conversation. Darcy was in high spirits too and by dessert, she had realized that there was no reason to feel intimidated by them.

"So you two are getting married," Howard asked Darcy, "did you decide when?"

"July," was Darcy's reply.

"Date," his uncle demanded.

Darcy glanced at Elizabeth, and said, "We haven't set a date yet, but I guess it would be near the end of the month."

"So you'll be able to go to the World Cup."

"Santa Anita?" Darcy raised a dubious eyebrow. "I'm not sure. That would be a one week circuit. I think I will have to discuss it with Elizabeth, as I want her to accompany me."

All eyes were on her when Howard spoke. "Try not to lose the season, Will; you have worked too hard to miss it. Remember you have sponsors to oblige."

"Dad, you know that we can handle some of them," smirked Richard. For example, the Matlock Group.

Elizabeth felt that she needed to say something. "I would love to go. I've dreamt of seeing the World Cup all my life. I think that we can do it, William."

Jill and Georgiana immediately offered to help her with the wedding preparations in case she needed help. Elizabeth was very grateful, as she didn't have any idea of where to begin the planning. Once they finished dinner, the party moved to a large living room for coffee. The ladies walked ahead, the gentlemen behind.

"You found yourself a very pretty, very bright girl, William," Howard said to Darcy. The others were several steps ahead.

The 'girl' appellative didn't pass unnoticed to Darcy. "Thank you."

"So you have been dating for a few months."

"Yes."

"But you met her a year ago," Howard said circumspectly.

Darcy nodded.

"She worked at Rosings, didn't she?"

He nodded again.

"How old is she?"

"She'll be 22 in a couple of days."

"Young," said the elder man.

The younger man didn't answer.

At the beginning, Howard had some reservations about this relationship, thinking that this young woman didn't have the attitude and experience to face her new position in life. But as the evening progressed, he realized the positive change that she was already producing in his reserved and aloof nephew. Darcy had been too alone, too introspective since his father died and this girl's charm and liveliness was just what he needed to cheer up his life. She would have to learn how things worked in their circle, but they were all there to help.

Hands clasped behind his back, Howard said seriously, "Spirited and clever. Catherine was right."

Darcy only smiled. That meant that he approved of her.

Once in the living room, the party broke into groups. The room was large and had different sitting areas so some of them sat near the window (mostly the women) and the others stood by the other end. From where she was, Elizabeth could see Darcy conversing with his uncle and Richard. Jill soon joined them and, after catching Darcy's eye and his inviting smile, she walked to them, too. Obviously, they were talking about horses and the tournaments to come.

"William, we'll have to plan the strategy for the following months," said Howard. "I don't want to interfere in your wedding plans but I need you at certain shows."

"Which shows?" Darcy asked cautiously, though he already had an idea of which ones his uncle was referring to.

"International shows. If you attend Frankfurt, the League, the Olympia and Santa Anita, we're done. The Americans are buying horses like maniacs right now, they want to be well mounted for the World Cup and we can't miss an opportunity of selling them something. You hate doing public relations, so maybe Elizabeth could be of help there." Before Darcy could say anything, Howard turned to his daughter-in-law. "Jill, why don't you talk to her later and explain to her what we need?"

Elizabeth glanced at Darcy and then at Jill, not sure of what that meant. Jill immediately noticed her expression and gave her a comforting smile that told her not to worry about what was going on. Then, right there, in front of Elizabeth's astonished eyes, Howard commented about the progress of some dealings they had with some very important people and they began to discuss all the alternatives.

It is well known that members of the aristocracy of several countries practice equestrian sports. Elizabeth was also aware that some of the richest families in Europe were heavy weights in this industry; but that those people had direct business with her future in-laws (and husband) had never crossed her mind. Pemberley and Matlock were not merely stables that sold the horses they bred and trained, they also owned many top horses that were jumping international in circuits, horses that were valued in millions of dollars. Slowly, she began to realize the dimension of the whole thing and Darcy's role in all this.

"With Mariskal injured," Howard returned to the original subject, "Ellie Waterstone has little chance of winning and the Americans just can't allow a foreign rider to win the World Cup while hosting it, so they are coming to the top European shows to see what they can buy. This also increases your chances of winning it, William. There are not many horses that could beat Tuareg right now."

"I didn't know that the injury was so severe," said Darcy.

"It isn't, but after two months of inactivity, it is improbable that she would get him in shape for Santa Anita."

"Yeah," Richard said slyly. "Her agent called twice. I won't repeat the offer he made me for Tuareg, because really, Will, I'm almost ashamed of myself for not considering it."

The cousins looked at each other in understanding. Selling Tuareg was something that they agreed they would never do, so usually Richard didn't mention to Darcy the offers he received, unless they were obscene. This one was simply revolting.

"It's up to you, Wills." Howard said to Darcy.

"I'll think about it." Darcy responded calmly. Those were big tournaments and they demanded full dedication. Only the League would keep him away for three weeks. It was hard and stressing and he wanted to know Elizabeth's opinion, because he wanted her with him.

Howard nodded, knowing that his nephew would consider things very carefully before making a decision. "It would be great if you could also go to the Derby at Hickstead and other local tournaments in between, but please," now his voice became more paternal, "avoid small events from now on. If you have to break a bone, William, try to do it in a show that is worthy of it."

Howard roughly patted Darcy's back and they all erupted in laughter.

Elizabeth approached the bed while braiding her hair. Darcy was already under the covers, reclined on the pillows, looking at some drawings. She sat on the bed next to him and took the papers from his hand.

"What are these?"

"Frances made these drawings for me, aren't they cute?"

She smiled. The first one was an un-shapely man with very strange hair. Under the drawing, as well as a five-year old-child would write it, it said 'Uncle Will'.

"A very faithful portrait," laughed Elizabeth.

"She told me she didn't have enough time to colour them, but that I can have them anyway. This one is a house, with a cloud and the sun." He turned the last one upside down and the then straight again. "I think she said that this is a stream and that those tiny balls are rabbits, but I'm not sure now."

While Elizabeth observed the drawings, Darcy un-braided her hair. He liked it loose.

"You never told me you have a godchild." She smiled at him. He seemed so pensive and sedate.

"Didn't I?" His eyes brightened. "She is something special."

"Your family is very nice."

He continued to play with her hair. "I'm glad you liked them."

She touched his cheek. When he acted like this, it was because he was reflecting on something. She had learned his teasing side, she knew that he could converse passionately about the things he liked, but most of all, she understood his silent nature and knew that he preferred to think things over before expressing them.

"Don't you want to go to all those shows your uncle mentioned? That's what you've been working for all your life and you didn't sound enthusiastic about it."

"I would like to go," he moved his head slightly and kissed her palm, "but not if you are not coming with me."

"Why do you think I wouldn't want to go?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "We'll travel a lot. It can be tough."

"Will," she said softly, "those are the most important events of the equestrian world. Being there, with you, watching you compete, cheering for you has been my most desired wish since I met you."

"Are you sure?" She was so spirited, so enthusiastic, so, so lovely.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I am. I love to watch you competing. You look so sexy in that outfit." She grinned. "I don't know how you do it, riding in front of thousands of people, the cameras, always so cool and concentrated. I've always wondered how you managed to do it. It must be very stressful."

He shook his head. "Not when I enter the ring. In that instant, everything disappears. It's just Tuareg and me and the obstacles. Sometimes, I think I can feel his heart beating and my blood running through my veins. He wants to jump and he's only waiting for me to tell him when or how."

Elizabeth was mesmerized by that glow that appeared in his eyes as he spoke about this. He loved it.

"I feel that the energy of all those people is focused on us, and I know that we won't fail. I don't know how to explain it but something very strong happens."

"So what's the tough part of it? You really enjoy competing!" laughed Elizabeth.

"All the rest. The pressure of training, knowing that you are someone else's investment. You heard my uncle today. Don't misunderstand me, I love it, I love to work with my horse, jump, break my own record, but sometimes I would like that Championships were only jumping and not marketing events. Then comes the trip, leaving home, going from one place to another, loading Tuareg on the trailer, the fear of an accident, every time I leave him in his stall at night, the adrenaline of the show. I can feel the tension growing around me as the time comes closer. I try not to be affected, to ignore it, but sometimes it's impossible. So many things can go wrong in just one second. And then, I climb my horse and I'm calm. It's just us. The timer is in front of me, the course is in my head and I know that I have less than a minute to do it right, that there's no second chance."

"God, that is incredible." She could almost feel that tingling she was sure he felt at that moment on her own skin. She envied that ability he had of forgetting about everything when he jumped. Every time she competed, all that nervousness, that tension was always inside of her. "Winning an event of that importance must be something special."

"It's unique. For an instant, you feel like you are on top of the world. It's almost physical, it's too powerful to be described." His hand went to her cheek.

"I want to be there with you," she said resolutely.

"Frankfurt comes first, but we still have a month. If you still want to go after that, we'll do the others. Also," Darcy smiled broadly, "I want to see you jumping too. There's a small tournament near Leek in about two weeks, it's the perfect show for you to start."

Elizabeth began to feel nervous just thinking about it. "Will you help me with that?"

"I will, even if you quarrel with me all the time." He laughed, bringing her close to him.

"I promise I wont." Elizabeth straddled him and put her hands on his neck.

"I doubt it." His lips brushed hers.

"I like it when you teach me to ride." She smiled provocatively as she leaned her chest against his.

"Your skills as a rider are improving day after day, though there are still a couple of things that I can teach you." His hands held her backside fully, pressing her against his erection.

"Such as?" she said after a soft gasp.

Darcy didn't answer. His mouth was too busy tending her breasts to allow him to speak.

Elizabeth was slightly embarrassed that they were the last to arrive at the breakfast table. It was Darcy's fault. The previous night's riding lesson had kept them busy until the wee hours -it was long and very conscientious, where techniques were perfected and riders alternating for the top position- so, obviously, they overslept that morning. In order to save time, Darcy suggested that they showered together. She should have known that that would not work, Darcy's sexual appetite was usually voracious in the morning. She had not soaped herself yet when she felt herself lifted and shagged under the water spray. The tiles of the wall felt so cold on her back.

Breakfast at Altham Hall was an organized chaos. With five small children of several ages to take care of, mothers were trying to converse at one table while the two maids that Elaine assigned to look after the little ones struggled to keep them in their places at another table destined for them. Some were really small and they wanted their moms, so by the time Darcy and Elizabeth finally sat down, the elder kids were playing and the younger were on their mother's laps. Frances rushed to them and climbed on Darcy's knee, to tell him about the new series of drawings she was planning to do for him.

"Elizabeth," asked Richard, "We're going to the stables, do you want to come??"

"Sure."

"Great," said Richard, and removed his napkin from his lap. "Let's go."

"Fran, are you coming?" Darcy asked the girl that was installed on his lap.

"Are you coming, too, mommy?" Frances asked her mother.

"Of course sweetheart. Maybe we can ride a little too," said Jill.

So the five parted towards the stables. On the way, Darcy and Richard walked ahead and Frances, holding Jill's hand, told Elizabeth what a fabulous rider her mother was, about medals she won and how she was teaching her to ride. Elizabeth was amazed at how much and how clearly this little girl talked for someone her age. She was extremely self-confident and even slightly authoritative. She reminded her of someone, but she couldn't detect exactly whom. Frances, tired of walking, ran ahead and asked Darcy to lift her, so she did the remaining road sitting on her godfather's shoulders.

"Frances is an adorable girl." Elizabeth smiled at the picture in front of her.

"She is, though sometimes she is too commanding," Jill laughed. "Ed likes to call her 'little Lady C' in honour to his Aunt Catherine."

Elizabeth laughed, now seeing the resemblance. "What are those medals she was talking about?"

"I used to compete in dressage when I was younger. Now I'm teaching some students and I still make exhibitions every now and then, though I don't compete anymore."

"And why did you stop?"

"I don't know. Maybe because of the children. Training for dressage demands more time and dedication than jumping, it's more difficult and very meticulous work to do it perfect. Then, I began teaching and I liked that better, though I'm always going to exhibitions."

"Then you must be very good at it if you still do exhibitions."

Jill smiled; she could understand that Elizabeth didn't know about her as she gave up the ring a long time ago. "I was the British champion for three consecutive years. I was also invited to join the Olympic team for Barcelona '92, but my horse caught influenza one month before the games and I couldn't go. I was very disappointed."

Elizabeth's eyes opened wide. "Are you the Jill Summers?" She was known as Miss Elegance at the time, more than ten years ago.

"Yes," laughed Jill, "I was already married to Ed at the time, and we were waiting until after the games to have children. Now, between my family, my students and Howard, I hardly have time to compete."

"Howard?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm his secretary in all related to the horse business. I work very closely with Richard too."

Elizabeth was silent, thinking about that comment Howard made on the previous night. They reached the training pen and Darcy and Richard walked towards one of the grooms while the ladies remained slightly behind, conversing.

"Are you still worried about what Howard said last night?"

"To tell the truth, I am."

Jill placed a comforting hand on Elizabeth's arm. "Don't worry, dear, it's nothing really complicated. I'll tell you how things work here and you decide if it is as bad as you think it is." Elizabeth smiled and Jill continued. "The Matlock Group is a big company but still a family business. One hundred and fifty years ago, Lord Ernest Fitzwilliam founded Oakham Whiskey and the business grew generation after generation. Also, for almost 100 years, Matlock has been breeding some of the finest horses for sport in the country. Other industries were developed, they were wise investors and they are what they are now. Howard is currently the head of the group, and personally owns some of the companies. His sister, Lady Catherine has her share in some of them and William and Georgiana inherited Ana's third part of what we call the 'original companies'."

"And you all are working in it?"

"Most of us. Edward is in the bank, Jimmy in Real Estate and Richard manages the stables." Elizabeth continued to listen silently. "As for William, Pemberley and Matlock stables are associated, so his success in his career is directly related to the success of the stables. You know what he is capable of. He is the best. Matlock had always been a very well known stable, but since Will entered the national and international circuit and represents us, it became a must."

"He really is very good. I've never seen a better rider," smiled Elizabeth.

"And the pressure on him is great. The sponsors want more, Howard wants more and William himself wants to become even better. He lives for his sport. In less than three years, he entered the world's top ten. Being up there implies being surrounded by condescending people, by the media, interacting with bigshots and even dealing with some very disagreeable situations."

"I know what happened to Miss D."

Jill smiled in understanding. "That was terrible for him. At the shows, it's just him. He formed a good partnership with Charles during the past year, they travelled together and they understand each other very well, but I think that William needs another kind of companionship. He needs support and someone beside him to ease the social pressure and allow him to concentrate on jumping and winning."

"And that's what Howard wants."

"That is what William needs, Elizabeth. Howard isn't William's boss, he's his partner. William's professional career depends only on him. We can encourage him, make things easier for him, but in the ring, it's him. He needs someone to support him, to accompany him in his triumphs and losses. This degree of professionalism brings great satisfaction but also demands dedication and implies many sacrifices. Marriage is a partnership, Elizabeth, if you do things together, it would be easier, for both."

Elizabeth looked at Darcy, who was standing inside the pen with Richard and Frances, observing a horse. "I would love to accompany him to all those places, but I also want to go to college and study. I don't think I will be able to follow him everywhere in the future."

"That, my dear, is something that you two must resolve together. I'll tell you something: I've been married to Edward for 15 years. Sometimes he accompanied me, sometimes I followed him, but sometimes we can't always be there for the other. You'll both make sacrifices along the way, and I grant you, it won't be easy, but everything can be overcome when there is love and understanding."

They joined the men and Elizabeth put her arm around Darcy's waist as if searching for protection in his embrace. He kissed her hair and rested his hand on her shoulder as the four conversed, while Frances played. She realized how much he had changed since they were together, how happy and at ease he was. This was the way she wanted to see him, always, and she would do everything within her power to make him feel this happy everywhere they went.

Back at home, and now with a big tournament ahead, Elizabeth was able to see Darcy's dedication to his sport. While during the previous week they had ridden for pleasure and he only supervised the training of the other horses, now he worked with them.

Darcy's day usually began very early, with a run. Elizabeth could not yet match his strides (she was definitely not a jogger) so they began slowly. Then they would go to the stables, where he supervised the progress of the trainees and, on occasion, ride one or two of them. Usually a soft practice with Tuareg would follow -the gelding was becoming 'over trained' so a little exercise was enough.

Then they would concentrate in improving Elizabeth's riding. She worked with Petticoat, as Darcy was personally working with Liddy. They realized that Liddy responded much better to male riders and she was progressing so well with his training that Darcy was planning her debut in a few months. Elizabeth didn't mind that her own mare was doing better with her boyfriend, for Petticoat had proved to be a more comfortable, reliable and pleasurable ride. She could focus in riding instead of training and fighting and her own progress on the saddle made her feel more confident about herself.

The last horse Sam saddled that day was Backup. The sun was high, it was rather warm and any circumstance that could help to tire the inexhaustible Backup was used to the rider's advantage.

Elizabeth had only seen him in his stall until now, and she was very curious to see in action the horse that had thrown E.H.H from the saddle on more than one occasion. Backup was a half-brother to Tuareg, an impressive 6 year old dark bay with an evil look in his eyes. She could see that Darcy was a lot more careful and attentive with his movements around him than with the others.

"He's a stallion," she noticed.

"Yes," said Darcy. "We want to keep him this way unless he turns unmanageable."

"I moved him with the lunge reign for a while, but he is still jittery, so be careful," said Sam as he secured the horse for Darcy to climb.

Elizabeth had never ridden a stallion. When tame, they are fabulous, stronger and more powerful than geldings; but when they are not, they become very difficult to control. For the first twenty minutes, Darcy trotted him around with only the intention of tiring him, though Backup seemed to be indefatigable , he exuded energy. Then, he moved to gallop and started the training. For a couple of minutes, it was a battle of wills. Backup finally surrendered and accepted -reluctantly- Darcy's commands.

Now she understood why Darcy needed a chiropractor after working with this horse. She had always seen him riding Tuareg or one of the other horses they were training, all docile animals, but Backup always kept him alert and tense on the saddle. After nearly two hours of practice, both horse and rider were exhausted. Darcy let go of the reins and walked the horse slowly around the training pen.

"It wasn't that bad, William, after a month of inactivity I thought it would be worse," said Sam.

"Much better than I thought it would be." Darcy descended and removed his gloves. There was a large blister on his palm. "Col. Forster will come on Friday and I want him behaving a little better by then. I will have to work with him twice a day if I want him to be ready for a few local shows. I'd like to jump him in the Derby."

Elizabeth noticed the blister and took his hand to look at it. "Are you not riding Tuareg in Hickstead?" she asked him.

"I'll try to jump both in different categories. Richard received an offer for Backup but they want to see him competing. He is doing fine at 4 feet and we may have a good chance. Anyway, we are not selling him, only leasing him," Darcy told her.

"Come, let's wash that hand." Elizabeth was inspecting the injury.

"It's fine." Darcy tried to pull it away but she didn't allow him. The blister was big and already open and Elizabeth feared that it would become infected. She dragged him to the office.

Sam snorted, very amused by the situation. Darcy was quite tough and self-sufficient, and seeing this girl telling him what to do and him following her like a leash-trained puppy was extremely funny. He took Backup's reins and walked away, avoiding Darcy's fulminating glare while whistling 'Mary had a little lamb'.

The morning of her birthday, Elizabeth was awakened by a kiss and twenty-two of the most beautiful red roses she had ever seen. Darcy asked that breakfast to be served in the bedroom and they stayed in bed for a long time after eating it, satiating their appetite for each other.

Training was brief, and hand in hand, the couple walked the half-mile road towards the house. With the excuse of enjoying the gardens a little longer, Darcy suggested they take another path, one that led to the house through the grove. Once they were in the sun again, the striking red of a Rover 25 blinded her.

The 'whose car might be that' that Elizabeth muttered died on her lips the moment that Darcy presented her with the keys of her new transportation.

"Oh, William!" she embraced him. "I can't believe it!"

"Wanna try it now?" He opened the door for her.

No further invitation was needed. They sat inside the car and then drove away to test Elizabeth's new wheels.

That night, Darcy took her to an elegant restaurant in Manchester. Instead of going back to house, he drove to the cottage they had inside the woods. It was decorated in a tasteful country style and well stocked for the occasion.

"Oh, Will, this is so lovely. Thank you." She kissed him on the lips.

"I had to negotiate this evening with your father. He wanted us to dine with them at Longbourn tonight. But I convinced him to have you all for myself on this first birthday together."

"What did you offer him to give up on me so easily?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Actually," Darcy slid his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I didn't offer anything; he was the one that suggested a compensation for not being there tonight."

"Oh. And what was that?"

"We must take your mother to dine out when we go to Hertfordshire. He said that she had been whining for ages that she has never tried sushi and your father doesn't want to take her, so we'll have to make a little sacrifice on the following week. He also suggested that we should take Mary too."

Elizabeth grinned; she would kill her father for this. "You hate sushi."

"I would eat a live turtle if it makes your mother happy."

"As if you were doing it for her," she smirked and caressed his chest.

"No," he admitted with a wide grin, "I'm not. But I still think I obtained the best part on this transaction. I'll have to deal with your mother for only a couple of hours, but you," he lowered his lips to her neck, "will be only mine all night long."

She let her head fall back as he grazed her neck and throat. "Are we staying here for the night?"

"Mmmmmm." That meant 'yes'. His mouth was too busy savouring her skin for clearer speech. He nibbled her neck then he released her to go for a package that was on the table. He gave her the blue velvet box. "Happy birthday, my love."

"Will, you already gave me a present." Her fingers were trembling.

"No, you needed a car to move around, so that is not a real present. This is."

Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the contents of the box. It was a pearl necklace with a square emerald surrounded by diamonds in the fastening. It seemed antique and it was absolutely beautiful. She was speechless.

"This necklace has been in the family for ages." Darcy spoke in a soft voice. "My grandmother gave it to me. She told me to give it to my wife." He took the necklace out of the box and walked around her to fasten it around her neck. "It's been in my drawer for the past five years and I've been thinking of this moment for months."

"Months?" she asked, her eyes already bright with tears.

Darcy turned her around to face him. "Months," he repeated.

She bit her lip and smiled up at him. She was amazed at how early his commitment to her was born, how he had loved her so much since the beginning and how he had made her love him so much in such a short time.

"You really are spoiling me, William." Elizabeth fell into his embrace.

"I'm glad you noticed." He spoke against her shoulder. His hand was already lowering the zipper of her dress.

"Aren't we drinking some champagne first?" she purred as he caressed her back.

"Mmmmmmm." That meant 'no'.

"Tell me the story of this necklace," Elizabeth said as she played with it. They were lying over the cushions they removed from the couch, comfortably embraced in front of the fire; Darcy gloriously naked, Elizabeth dressed only in pearls and their bodies bathed by the golden lights of the flames. They were halfway through the bottle of champagne and were eating the lemon ice cream Darcy had brought especially for her.

Darcy smiled as he held her over his chest. "My grandma Wessex ..."

"Wessex?"

"Yes, my father's mother, she died a year and a half ago at the age of 85, a few months before I went to Netherfield. The peachy room, the room you occupied when you came was her room."

"Really? What was she like?"

"She was great, so strong and sweet tempered. She was adorable."

"Do you miss her?" she knew so little about the Darcy side of his family. He told her that they would meet some of them soon, but as they were quite dispersed it was not easy to gather them together if it was not an important occasion.

"Sometimes," he shrugged. "DW is the abbreviation of Darcy & Wessex. My father and his cousin Malcolm Wessex became associated to found DW Construction. The Wessexes descend from a noble family."

"But you are not a Lord."

"No, the title was sold a long time ago. Nan told me that this necklace was a wedding present from some Lord Wessex to his wife on their wedding day. They say that the play Romeo and Juliet was inspired by her."

"You're joking." She pushed him away.

"No!" he laughed. "It seems that Lady Wessex, I believe that Viola was her name, was Shakespeare's lover. It's funny, because Nan said that all Town knew about his situation."

She giggled. "Poor man! So your ancestor was a cuckold?"

"Or maybe I descend from William Shakespeare, who knows which one fathered her children."

"I never imagined this necklace was that old."

"She said that it was reformed a couple of times. I think that only the pearls are original as she told me that this fastening was placed by her mother."

"Why didn't she give it to your mother?"

"Mom died long before she did," Darcy's voice turned low, "And this piece of jewellery comes from the Wessex side of family. She gave Georgiana her other things, some others to my cousins, but she told me the necklace was reserved for my wife. Tomorrow I'll show you the Darcy's heirlooms, in case you want to use something. There are some things in the safe at Pemberley and the rest is in the bank."

She remained silent, observing the creamy white shine of the pearls over her chest. The Darcy's heirloom. It made her feel so important. She turned her face up to look at him and caressed his face. "Thank you for loving me so much, William."

Darcy rose to his elbow and smiled. "You are so very welcome."

"Do you promise you will love me this way for ever?" she began to play with his hair.

He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her very softly. "I promise." Then he paused, as if reconsidering his statement. "Only if you promise you'll never stop loving me."

She grinned. "I promise."

"And that I will not end a cuckold like Lord Wessex."

Elizabeth gasped and slapped his shoulder, he was smiling so wickedly. "William! How could you say that?"

Darcy was quick in securing her arms before receiving another blow. "Just checking."

"Backup really tired me today, my back is killing me." Darcy stretched his arms over his head.

Elizabeth observed as he swung his arms to the sides and then bent, resting his hands on his knees, stretching his back forward. "William. You've been complaining about your back for days. Why don't you see a doctor?"

"I already saw one."

"And what did he say?" she rubbed his back energetically.

"That I should stop jumping."

He rose and the twinkle in his eyes and his mischievous smile made her doubt the veracity of his words. But then, this was the man who never lied so surely there was some truth in this statement.

"Usually a massage makes me feel a lot better." He winked at her and sat on one of the chairs.

Elizabeth stood behind him, already moving her fingers along his shoulders. They were supposed to be having tea on the terrace, she was famished and she could not sit down because he had snared her into a massage. "You, mister, are becoming spoiled."

He grinned and nodded. "Oh, God, you have great fingers." He let his head fall back for her to kiss him. He was purring like a cat.

"You really like this, don't you?" Elizabeth bent to kiss him.

He returned the kiss and spoke close to her lips. "I adore you."

When she pulled back, Darcy rested his head on Elizabeth's stomach and stretched and crossed his legs in front of him as she proceeded with her massage. This was heaven, paradise, sublime pleasure, the ...

"No, no, no, no." Georgiana joined them on the terrace. "I can't believe it. Elizabeth, don't. If you start overindulging him like this, he will want more and more and he'll turn insupportable. Men should be trained from the beginning."

"Georgiana, hi." Elizabeth smiled and stopped massaging Darcy's shoulders.

Darcy's face expressed his displeasure at the interruption. He sat up straight. "You said you weren't coming until suppertime."

Georgiana kissed Elizabeth's cheek and then bent to kiss her brother's forehead. He looked so much younger, happier and better than ever. She couldn't believe that this was the same brother she has been so worried about not eight months ago. She held his chin and smiled at him. "You must cut your hair."

"You interrupted my massage." said he as she sat across him. Elizabeth sat on the chair next to him.

"Sorry. I wanted to pick up some things." Georgiana shrugged, then she turned to her future sister-in-law. "Elizabeth, what time do you think we can leave tomorrow?"

Darcy immediately turned to Elizabeth. "Leave? Where are you two going?"

"We're having a spa day tomorrow, and then we'll going shopping." Georgiana offered.

"Elizabeth? You didn't say ..."

"I told you."

"You didn't," Darcy retorted.

"I did," Elizabeth snapped, disliking his imposing tone, "Last night but it seems that you were not listening."

"That's impossible," He protested. Georgiana sat back and followed the discussion with a wide grin. "I always ..."

"No, you were watching that bloody football game and became oblivious to anything around you. I said it twice and do you know what you responded?"

His expression softened. "What?"

"Black, no sugar."

Darcy smiled seductively and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth smiled back. He was so sexy when he did this. "No problem."

"I can't believe this," Georgiana said in feigned exasperation. "He watches football, he doesn't pay you attention and you forgive him. William, I don't know how you do it but you only need to smile and you obtain what you want."

Darcy ignored her. "So, how long will you be out?"

"Probably all day long." Georgiana smiled challengingly.

If Elizabeth would have to guess what that look on Darcy's face was, she would say it was panic.

"Did you bring your mobile?" Georgiana asked Elizabeth as they drove towards Manchester.

"Yes, your brother would not let me go out without it." In fact, Darcy had looked inside her purse to check it was there.

"Let's see how long it takes for him to call you."

"Come on Georgiana, he is training now," laughed Elizabeth. "He won't call until mid day."

"I know my brother, Elizabeth. That's why I moved out of the house two years ago."

"Is he that bad?" She had noticed that he could turn a little possessive every now and then, but it didn't bother her. In fact, she liked that he was so protective of her.

"Just give him time and his Mr. Hyde will come out." Georgiana smiled mischievously.

"Gini!" Elizabeth laughed. "Don't call him that!"

"I know," said Georgiana in a more serious tone. "Poor Will, life has been tough on him and I didn't make things easier for him either, so I can't complain."

"What, you were a rebellious teenager?"

"Sort of." Georgiana shrugged as she drove. "I had just turned seventeen when Dad died. He was a permissive father, so when Will became my guardian and tried to change my rather reckless existence, we had some major fights."

"I can't imagine your brother fighting."

"No," Georgiana smiled fondly at those memories, "You'll never see him lose his cool. He just remains silent, looking at you with those indifferent eyes while you shout and cry and try to make him understand that you want to go to a party where everyone ends up drunk, only to hear him say that you are not going."

"Gini, he was just trying to protect you. Just think about it. He was responsible for you; he was young and very inexperienced in ..."

"I know," Georgiana sighed. "I know he was right on some occasions but it was very frustrating anyway."

"I know what you mean. My Dad always gave me a long lecture before going out with my friends. He even lectured me when I began to date your brother!"

"Really?" smiled Georgiana. "Will tried to do the same with my first boyfriend. He even threatened him too!"

"I can imagine how difficult it was for him to see you with a man. How old were you?"

"Seventeen and Steve was twenty one. Just imagine Will's face when he learned about it. First, we had a very long and very embarrassing conversation where he prohibited me from sleeping with him and then he conversed with Steve. Their chat lasted only five minutes. Will told Steve that if he touched me, he would break every bone in his body."

"Did you obey him?" asked Elizabeth. She was sure that Darcy meant it when he said that but doubted that Georgiana would submit to his wishes.

Georgiana chuckled. "Steve and I had been sleeping together for ages when that happened. But that chat made me realize that I had to slow down with certain things. Steve was older, he liked to drink and smoke so he wasn't very agreeable with that idea of chaste girlfriend. We broke up not much later."

"Did you love him?"

"No, not really." Georgiana shrugged. "At the beginning, I thought that I loved him, but then I realized that it was only sex. The man was gorgeous."

Elizabeth looked pensively out of the window. Georgiana's life was so different from hers but she didn't envy it. She was proud and happy of how she handled her youth, of remaining a virgin until she found a man she could love and who truly loved her. "I'm sure that your brother was very happy with your decision."

"He was happy and relieved. I think that he suspected what was going on. Will knew Steve's family and was aware of his background. Anyway, I told him all the truth after that."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You did? And what happened?"

"Nothing. He only listened silently and thanked me for telling him, for trusting him. He said that what was done was done and asked me to be more careful in the future. God, only then I realized how much I hurt him. I really slowed down after that but he never softened his protective watch on me. We became much closer, we stopped arguing and when I was nineteen, I moved out. He still tries to control my life every now and then, but I can't complain; I like that he is always there for me."

"God, that must have been a very hard time for both of you."

"It was, but it helped me to grow up. Not much later, that horrible thing happened with Miss D and I was happy that I found the balance I needed to support him."

"I can imagine how much he suffered because of that."

Georgiana remained silent for a while. "Multiply it by one hundred and you still won't have any idea. Will suffers in silence; he swallows the pain. You will never see him cry or express his sorrow; he just locks it up inside himself. He even gave up competition, something he truly loves. He was angry. Richard and Jill and I tried to make him come out but he wouldn't allow us. One day, all that anger exploded and he broke a door with his fist."

"What?" gasped Elizabeth.

"Don't worry," Georgiana smiled, "Nothing happened to him. But the door had to be replaced."

"Oh dear," she whispered.

"But that bastard didn't come out so easily. Richard went after him and took his own personal revenge. I heard he broke his nose."

"I'm glad that at least someone made that imbecile suffer."

"Yeah, he ..." Georgiana was interrupted by the ring of Elizabeth's mobile.

"Hi, love." Elizabeth answered the call with a dreamy smile.

"How are you?"

"Fine," she smiled. "Are you training?"

"Yes, I'm taking a break in between horses. Is Georgiana driving carefully?"

"Yes, she is."

"Will you come back home early?"

Oh dear, he sounded so helpless and sexy and so, so adorable that she wanted to go back to him at that same moment. "I don't think so. We are going shopping."

"All right. Have a nice day, just don't let Georgiana take you to those underground places she likes to go, all right?"

"Don't worry." she smiled.

"Remember you promised me that you wouldn't cut your hair."

"Just the ends. It won't affect the length."

"All right, but not much."

"Just a little." She didn't know why, but every time he spoke, she felt those butterflies twirling inside her stomach, like when they were dating.

"I love you, I miss you," he said softly.

"Me too. Very much."

"Take care, bye."

"Bye." she closed her phone and sighed. Her dreamy smile was still there.

"Well," Georgiana punched Elizabeth's arm, "What did I tell you?"

Elizabeth blushed and looked down. "He's so sweet."

"Ah, the man is in love." said Georgiana with an exaggerated sigh.

For the first time in her life, Elizabeth went to a spa day. Manicure, pedicure, massage, creams, hair treatments, facials, waxing, everything that a beauty centre can provide. She was treated like a queen and she loved it. She even marked an appointment on the following month for a full day treatment. Once free, the girls went shopping. She loved that, too. By the end of the day, Elizabeth had spent a small fortune -but smaller than Georgiana's- in clothes, shoes and sensual lingerie. She returned home happy, relaxed and desirous to show all this to the man she loved.

Darcy was in the living room, watching TV while he waited for Elizabeth to return. She had called him to tell him that they were on their way back and the sounds of laughter in the corridor alerted him that they were safely back. He stood and went to greet them.

"Well, it was time that you two ..." Darcy's voice faded on seeing Elizabeth.

"Hi, Will!" Georgiana scampered merrily into living room, carrying her shopping bags. "There was this fabulous sale; you can't imagine all the things we found!"

"Hi, dear." Elizabeth smiled timidly.

He was paralysed in shock.

"Look," Georgiana left her bags on the floor and pulled out a dress, "Isn't it lovely?"

"Tell me that isn't permanent." Darcy sounded as if he was dreading her answer.

"Doesn't she look great?" Georgiana followed her brother's eyes. "I think she should always wear it that way."

Darcy stood in mute astonishment. Elizabeth's curls were gone. Her hair was completely straight.

Elizabeth left her bags and walked to him with her straight hair swaying like a curtain behind her. "Hi."

He bent slightly and pecked her lips with his. "Is that permanent?"

"No," Elizabeth smiled, "it's not. It will go back to normal after I wash it."

Darcy sighed in relief. Only then he noticed how pretty she looked; her new make up; how lustrous her hair looked; her new clothes. He cupped her cheek and expressed his contentment for her appearance. "You are looking lovely."

"But you didn't like my hair," she said with an accusatory smile.

He put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "You know how I love your curls."

"Oh, Will!" cried Georgiana, "You can't be this old fashioned, she looks great!"

Darcy looked at his sister and noticed her short mane. "You can do whatever you please with your hair, Gini, but Elizabeth can't. I like it long and curly, and I don't care if you like it otherwise, do you understand?" his voice was as imposing as it could be.

"What?" Elizabeth laughed. "It's my hair!"

He turned to her with a frown on his brow. He venerated her curls as much as he venerated her life and the idea that they didn't belong to him was something that he would never accept "Well, it's your hair, but I love it and ..." He was silenced by Elizabeth's noisy kiss. Grinning, he pulled back. "Come on, let's eat. I'm hungry."

That night they lay together in bed, Darcy propped on an elbow, studying her now straight hair while Elizabeth read a book, trying to ignore his brooding attitude. As he had done millions of times since they began dating, he took a strand of her once-curly hair and twisted around his finger, only to frown as it slid off and fell down. He did it at least 10 times, sighing every time it happened.

"It used to remain curled around my finger." he sighed heavily.

Elizabeth put her book down. "It will return to its original form after I wash it."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, William. It will be curly again."

"Promise?"

"Aren't you being a little childish over this?" she looked up at him.

His eyes went from the top of her head to the end of her hair. "I love your curls."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop it."

He raised the bed sheets and peered under them. "I suppose that your other curls are still there."

Elizabeth gasped and slapped the back of his head. "William!"

He laughed, knowing that he deserved that. He looked at her hair again. "It's shinier this way, but I miss your curls, they are so curly, like big corkscrews and they bounce when you walk and ..."

"Okay, enough." Elizabeth was getting tired of this melodrama. "I'm going to wash it." She sat up but he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into bed.

"No, leave it that way, I kind of like having my own Morticia Addams at home." He smiled that super sexy smile of his.

Morticia Addams? "Will you be my Gomez?" Elizabeth giggled.

Darcy was up to the challenge immediately. He took her by the wrist and began to graze the inside of her arm with kisses, from wrist to shoulder. "Yes, Cara mia," he spoke against her skin.

"Oh, Gomez," she said dramatically.

"Speak to me in French," he murmured lustfully against the inside of her elbow.

"Fromage," giggled Elizabeth.

That made him crazy. He buried his face in her neck and attacked her throat with vampiric voracity. Elizabeth screamed, laughed and he laughed along, showering her face and body with playful kisses while she cried senseless words in French.

Elizabeth's French vocabulary was significantly improved that night.

That Friday Elizabeth had the unique opportunity of receiving a riding lesson from one of the best instructors in Europe: Col. Michael Forster.

The colonel usually didn't take junior apprentices, he only coached top riders; but he made an exception with her. He began working with Darcy and Backup and their practice was tough. The stallion had improved in manners since the first time Elizabeth saw him but still put up a big fight. To her, Darcy's riding was superb, though the Colonel didn't leave a single mistake unmarked and even pointed out a few 'vices' that the rider had acquired during these months without taking classes. After an hour of hard riding, he gave Darcy some exercises to perform during the week and then he began Elizabeth's practice.

Of course, the Colonel was quite gentle with her and didn't press her too much, mainly because she was nervous with this new coaching and with Darcy watching it. Her major problem was her concentration. With a show in a week's time, he tried to help her to focus on the course instead of correcting her riding because that would be her biggest obstacle.

Last, but not least, came Tuareg. The Colonel was impressed by the good shape of the horse (he had not seen him in the last two months) and this time he only polished a few details in the team's functioning.

Col. Forster patted Darcy's back when he dismounted. "Well done. It seems that this little ... break you took didn't affect your skills." The elder man winked at Elizabeth. She smiled and looked down. "Next class we'll work with speed and rhythm. I don't think that Frankfurt will go too high; five feet, not over. Kurt Becker is designing the course and I'm sure the difficulty will increase the amount of drops, so the jump off would be lower this time. Clear runs will be the key to success. Have you talked to Charles lately?"

"Two days ago," responded Darcy as they walked to the little office they had in the stables. One of the grooms took Tuareg to his stall. "Sonata has a cut in one of her hind legs and he's not going to Frankfurt."

"I heard about that. What a silly accident." The colonel shook his head. "A cut while changing horseshoes. Eight stitches and two weeks of inactivity. What a waste."

Elizabeth followed them silently. Jane had told her about that. She said that Charles wasn't not a bit upset about the accident and as he wasn't going to Frankfurt, he invited her to a reckless weekend in Ibiza. Jane was fascinated with the idea. Her exact words were 'screw Frankfurt'.

Once in the office, they sat together at the small table to evaluate the practice and exchange opinions. During her work at Netherfield, Elizabeth hadn't been able to join these 'strategic chats' and she was really impressed with their knowledge and the objectivity of their discussion. Col. Forster also explained to her what things she had to work on and how to correct them. Then, the subject turned into the events to come.

"We have Frankfurt and Hickstead under control. You are going individually so we can focus on your riding and the horses. Do you still want to take Backup to the Derby?"

"Yes," said Darcy. "Do you think he's not ready?"

"Hickstead would be a good place to begin. Why don't you run the endurance race with him? It'll be a good practice for you and you won't risk Tuareg in such a heavy trial."

"That's a good idea. Though I still want to do show jumping up to 4 feet."

"Will, do you think you can do it? Three categories in two days, I don't want you stressed or injured for the finals."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Elizabeth smiled inwardly. She really admired his competitive nature, how he just loved to be there.

"Then we'll work out in the field with him. It's a three hour trial so maybe we'll be able to tire him out!" laughed Col. Foster.

"I hope so." Darcy laughed too.

"And Elizabeth, you are coming too, aren't you?"

"Well," she answered, feeling a little apprehensive about competing in an event of that magnitude, "Will wants me to go but I'm not sure. The Derby of Hickstead is such a big show."

"Don't worry. Either beginners or intermediate are easy categories, you won't have to run against the timer. Leeds will give you a good practice and you'll be able to compete together, that's nice." He smiled.

"All right." Now Elizabeth realized what being pressed felt like. Though Col. Forster was being nice, he stated that as if it were a fact more than a choice. If a famous coach like him was insisting that she should go, it was because she was ready. She would have to leave her insecurities aside, once and for all. She wanted to compete, so why was she so afraid of doing it?

"I would like to talk about the Nations League and Santa Anita with you, William," said the Colonel.

Darcy sat back and listened carefully, knowing what that tone implied. From the attitude that both men had adopted, Elizabeth sensed that something very important was about to come.

"I talked to your uncle, and he said you are attending both tournaments."

Darcy smiled crookedly. "I said I would think about it."

"Right," Col. Forster knew what that meant, "The Federation asked me to form a team for the League and the World Cup. I thought of you, Kelly, Charles and Greg. They don't want to let the Germans win the team competition again. We have almost a month to work for the League after Hickstead but to obtain the results I want for the team competition and the individual performance, I need full time dedication, like at Netherfield."

"Where?" asked Darcy.

"I'm open to suggestions," said the Colonel. "Will," Forster leaned his elbows on the table and spoke seriously, "We are officially under the watch of the Olympic committee. From now on, until the World Cup in Santa Anita, they'll evaluate the options."

Elizabeth thought she was going to faint. She knew that Darcy's chances to join the Olympic team were big but, until now, she had thought it only a fantasy. He had never mentioned if he wished or expected this to happen but she knew that this was every athlete's dream. She looked at her fiancée and marvelled at his present coolness. Darcy had not even blinked at the knowledge while she wanted to scream and embrace him.

"We?" Darcy raised his eyebrow.

"Preston is retiring. There are two names being suggested to coach the British team, Whithood and myself."

"I see." Darcy knew that with Col. Forster coaching the team, he was practically in. As for Whithood, he was the one that said that he and Tuareg were the best team that England had produced in the last ten years, so whoever was the choice, his chances of joining the British Olympic team were enormous. "Does my uncle know about it?" This was heavy information indeed and he wanted strict reserve.

"Howard was the one that informed me about it. You know he's Winston's friend." Col. Forster sat back again. "I know you are getting married in July, that maybe you'll have to slow down a little, but consider the options, all right?"

Elizabeth looked at her fiancée and repressed the urge to shout, 'do it! DO IT!'

Darcy replied an immutable, "All right."

"So," Col. Forster changed the turn of the conversation, "How are your plans for the wedding coming?"

"Elizabeth has just settled in, so we haven't had much time to talk about it," said Darcy with a smile that showed his happiness for the event. "But if we want to get married in July, I guess that we'll have to start the planning very soon."

"Will, it's nearly May. You don't have much time ahead."

Darcy glanced at Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow. "So, when are we starting?"

She beamed in joy. "Tomorrow!"

"Now," Darcy stood, "Let's have some lunch; you are staying, aren't you Forster?"

"You know I can't refuse a meal from that fabulous cook of yours."

"Well?" Elizabeth slid her hand around Darcy's waist as they walked slowly back to the house.

"Well what?" Darcy rested his arm on her shoulder.

"Don't tell me you are not anxious about the Olympics."

"Elizabeth, that's only a rumour," Darcy said evenly. "I won't go mad about something that is not confirmed yet."

"But the Colonel said ..."

"I heard what he said. He said that they are observing us and will be making a decision of who might conform the team. That doesn't mean that I am in, Elizabeth, it means that they will consider me as a possible candidate. And if by chance they pick me, it won't be in the team just like that, I still have six months of qualifying rounds ahead."

One of the things that Darcy had learned after Miss D's incident and Elizabeth's refusal was to not raise his expectations about things that weren't under his control. Thinking, planning and rethinking about the Olympics would only add more pressure on him and increase his level of anxiety. He would have preferred that Col. Forster wouldn't have mentioned the subject at all, or at least, not in front of Elizabeth. Now, to the already stressing situation of knowing that everyone would be following each one of his missteps, he would have to add the pressure that she would apply asking about it.

"Sometimes I don't understand how you live with all this so calmly. I would be hysterical if it happened to me."

"Nervousness won't help me do better so let's forget about that." He really wanted to change the subject. There were more than 18 months to Athens and many things could happen till then. "Now, what are you planning for the wedding?"

Elizabeth's face illuminated. "What do you think of marrying here?"

"At Pemberley?" Darcy smiled broadly. Marrying at home, that would be fantastic.

"This place is beautiful and Lambton's church is so lovely. Do you want a big wedding?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Not at all. Just the family, nothing too big."

"My mother will certainly complain about that but I can handle her."

"If not, we always can take her to eat sushi." Darcy smiled.

That night, after tiring his body in a passionate lovemaking session, Darcy remained in bed, looking at the ceiling, unable to sleep, thinking and re-thinking about the Olympics. Athens.

"What time is it?" asked Elizabeth.

Darcy glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "Half past eleven."

She smiled. "Thirty minutes. You are about to break your own record, stud."

He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her hungrily. When he rolled atop her that night, Elizabeth challenged him that he wouldn't be able to make love to her for a full hour and he said he could, and more. He had been moving slowly and steadily for the last few minutes, her second climax almost threw him to the edge and now he was having a hard time controlling himself. The little minx was provoking him, caressing his rear and back, smiling at him so seductively that he was beginning to consider the advantages of losing this bet. But Fitzwilliam Darcy was a proud man and he liked to win and he didn't have the intention of abandoning after 35 minutes of lovemaking.

Their intimacy had progressed so much since the first time that neither imagined then that they would be able to reach this level of pleasure and understanding in so little time. It was not just about the frequency but the quality of their couplings. They could make love tenderly or wildly; deliberately, planning and controlling every move, like tonight, or quickly, combusting in one minute.

"I think I am at disadvantage here," he said breathlessly. "You already came twice and I must hold back for an hour. It's unfair."

"Come on," she said wickedly, "Aren't you up to the challenge?"

"You'll see, you minx." He grinned and couldn't stop himself from moving faster and harder.

Elizabeth held his hips, accompanying his moves. This new rhythm was pressing her buttons very precisely and a new tension began to grow inside of her. A very strong one. It grew and grew and she was unable to control it. She arched her back and, involuntarily, she imprisoned him more tightly inside of her. She was falling and she was taking him along with her.

"Oh, no, Elizabeth, don't." Darcy tried to avoid her pull but it was too late. Like a sailor enchanted by the song of a siren, he went after her, he fell in her abyss and drowned in the waves of her sea. And then, drained and spent, he rested on top of her.

"You lost." Elizabeth came back from her loving daze and brushed Darcy's sides with her fingertips.

He shuddered. "It's your fault."

"I told you, you are too good at this. I can't hold back."

"Really?" Wow, he was flattered.

She moved her hands to caress his hair. "You know I can't."

They kissed long and sweet, smiling against each other's lips, their bodies united, their hearts full.

"So, Thai food this Friday?" He smiled down at her. "You will detest it, I assure you."

"Let me be the judge of that." The phone rang and Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at him. It was nearly midnight.

Without leaving his own personal heaven, Darcy extended his arm and grabbed the phone. Whoever it was, it was quite inopportune.

"Yes." He growled.

"William?"

"Thomas?" Darcy responded and glanced at Elizabeth. It felt so strange, talking to the father while shagging the daughter. Elizabeth covered her snort with her hand.

"Please forgive me for calling you this late. Did I wake you up?" Thomas said.

"No, I was ... it's OK."

"Is Lizzy awake?"

"Let me see ..." he paused and grinned wickedly at her. "... Yes, she's awake. Liz, it's your father."

"Daddy," she took the phone and shot Darcy an inquiring glance. Didn't he have the intention of removing himself from over and inside of her during this conversation?

"Hi, sweetheart, forgive me for waking you up."

"No, Dad, it's all right. Is everything OK?" Elizabeth tried to remove Darcy from atop her but the man didn't seem willing to quit the premises yet.

On seeing that there was not bad news, Darcy continued with his post-loving activities. His major goal was to distract her while she talked to her father so he kissed her ear. Darcy was possessive and possessing his woman while she talked to her father was the extreme of irrational possessiveness. Had he been able to rebuild his erection this quickly, he would have shagged her again. Oh, yes.

Elizabeth tried to push him away, but she couldn't. At least he had stopped tickling her. She mouthed an angry 'GET OFF ME' but Darcy bit her earlobe as a reply. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and gave up.

"Yes, dear, everything is fine," Thomas continued. "Lizzy, darling, congratulations, you are an aunt."

"What?!?" Elizabeth cried. Now she really pushed her heavy (and dense) fiancée away.

Darcy rolled off from her and sat to listen. Maybe it was important after all.

"Oh, Dad!" cried Elizabeth. "When did it happen? And Kitty? How is she?"

"Kitty?" Darcy inquired.

"She's fine," smiled Thomas. "I didn't call you earlier because she went into a C-section and I preferred to call when everything was over."

"Boy or girl?" Elizabeth asked.

"Girl. Cecilia, the cutest baby girl you have ever seen."

"Oh, Daddy, we'll try to go down tomorrow; I can't believe it, I'm an aunt!"

"I'll leave you now, sweetie. We are all tired, go back to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Give my regards to William."

"Bye dad." Elizabeth sighed. She hung the phone and looked at Darcy. "I'm an aunt."

"Congratulations, my love." Darcy embraced her. "It's wonderful."

"Oh, Will!" Elizabeth was simply exhilarated. "Can we drive to Longbourn tomorrow? I want to see her!"

"Sure. We can stay for two days."

"Two days!" she cried. "Will! She went into a c-section, she'll stay in hospital for several days and I won't be able to be with my niece!"

"Liz, I must train for Frankfurt. Col. Forster will come twice a week and he'll be coming on Wednesday. I must come back."

"But William! I want to go! You can't do ..." Her eyes were filling with desperate tears. Darcy's hands went to her shoulders and he tried to calm her.

"Liz, calm down. Why don't we go tomorrow, stay a full day and then go back after she is released from the hospital? That way, you'll be able to meet your niece, see your sister and then spend two full days in her company when she is recovered and at home. What do you think?"

Elizabeth inhaled. That wasn't what she wanted but it seemed to be the best option. She knew that visits would be very restricted and that Kitty would need to rest a lot during the first days. "All right, we'll do it that way."

Darcy cupped her cheek. "Auntie Lizzy."

She beamed and wrapped her arms around his neck. After washing themselves, they returned to bed. Darcy fell asleep quickly, but Elizabeth remained awake, smiling her happiness in the darkness. She was an aunt!

Elizabeth opened the door carefully and peered inside the room. "May I?"

"Lizzy," Kitty's voice was rather hoarse, "Come in."

Phil, who was sitting close to the bed, holding Kitty's hand, stood and went to greet her. He received an emotional hug from Elizabeth and a paternal pat on the back form Darcy.

"Oh, Kitty!" Elizabeth walked to her youngest sister and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, it's not that bad." Kitty held Elizabeth's hand while Darcy kissed her cheek too.

"The doctor said she shouldn't talk too much for today. Her belly is a little swollen and it's better if she doesn't," Phil said, showing some of his apprehension for the situation in his tone of voice. He was, after all, only seventeen.

Elizabeth walked towards the little crib that was on the other side of Kitty's bed. "Is this my niece? Oh, what a silly question, of course she is!" She bent and saw the tiny baby peacefully sleeping. She was a lovely little angel, with almond coloured hair and a serious pout.

"She just felt asleep," said Kitty.

Smiling, Elizabeth turned to her sister. "She is so beautiful, Kitty. I brought you a few things; you can't imagine all the stuff I bought her!"

She then sat next to Kitty and told her about the clothes, diapers, and all kind of baby accessories she had bought for her niece. Meanwhile, Darcy moved to the corner to converse with Phil.

"Well, how are you feeling now that you are officially a father?" Darcy asked the young man.

Phil sighed. "Now I'm calm, but yesterday, I thought I was going to die. Kitty had a hard time during the labour and after a few hours they decided to do a C-section. Fortunately everything ended well."

Darcy placed a comforting hand on Phil's shoulder and made conversation for a while, listening to the boy's tale of their hasty departure from Longbourn to the agonizing hours during the labour. Then, as tactfully as he could so he wouldn't offend the boy's pride, he offered to help them in everything that was out at their reach (which was quite a lot) as he knew that their financial status wasn't what Darcy would consider a comfortable one.

Both couples were conversing when little Cecilia decided to wake up. Phil insisted that auntie Lizzy pick her up so Elizabeth lifted the baby in her arms. The baby was pretty and very calm, just like Kitty. Elizabeth, so proud and happy, rocked the baby while telling her some very silly things about her mother. The baby silently listened to her.

"She's so small," said Darcy, while looking at Elizabeth and the baby. "She looks very much like you, Kitty."

Elizabeth raised her eyes to meet Darcy's and their hearts melted into a loving smile. The idea of having a baby now came to their minds in unison; they both discarded it quickly, knowing it was too soon and, then at the same time, they dreamt of the moment when parenthood would come for them too. Seeing Elizabeth with a baby in her arms produced a very strong emotion for Darcy and, for a moment, he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't speak.

"Do you want to hold her?" Elizabeth offered, sensing that he wanted to do it.

"Sure." Very carefully, he took Cecilia in his arms. He had very good practice with babies; he had five small cousins and a godchild, so he had been through this a few times.

Elizabeth suddenly felt a lump in her throat on seeing him with the baby. Darcy was tall and big and the baby looked so tiny in his arms. He held her so lovingly that her motherly instincts and her love for him surfaced intently. She put her hand on his arm and said in a soft voice,

"You look great with a baby in your arms." She whispered.

Darcy glanced at her. "You look even better."

"There is something that we wanted to talk to you to about." Phil broke the spell. Darcy and Elizabeth turned to him. "We, that is, Kitty and I, would like to ask you two if you would like to be Cecilia's godparents."

That was enough to make Elizabeth cry. She embraced her sister and brother-in-law and, very emotionally, the elder couple thanked the younger one for the honour they had bestowed on them.

Charles and Jane arrived not much later. There were too many people in the room so the men decided to go to the cafeteria while the women remained with Kitty. When the time for visits was over, they all drove to Longbourn to dine with the Bennets.

"Lizzy!" Fanny embraced her daughter effusively. "You are looking fabulous! I can't believe, you've been absent for only a few weeks and it seems a lifetime!"

"Hi, Mom, you are looking great too."

"Lizzy, darling," Thomas went to embrace his daughter while Fanny greeted Darcy. "You are looking very pretty. I was afraid that William wouldn't be taking care of you the way he should, but it seems that he is doing things better than I thought he would."

"I do as I can, Thomas." Darcy shook his hand.

"This came for you this morning, Lizzy." Thomas handed her an envelope.

Elizabeth's eyes widened on seeing the logo of Nottingham University. She ripped the envelope and opened the letter with trembling hands. "They accepted me!" she cried. "Oh, Dad, Will, Nottingham accepted me!"

Darcy's mind began to reel, so much that he wasn't sure if he was pleased or not. Of course he was happy for Elizabeth; this was what she had wished for months, but the idea that she would not be completely his from now on was a little disturbing. Then, reason came and he realized his own selfishness. As much as it pained him, Elizabeth would go to college in a few months and there was nothing he could do about that.

"Congratulations my love," he embraced her tightly.

Elizabeth was too happy to notice his so slightly brooding voice. "I can't believe it, William, I can't believe that all this is happening to me."

That night in bed, sleep evaded them for a long time. Darcy thinking of Athens, babies, college and Elizabeth. The woman in his arms dreaming of weddings, college and babies. Their restless bodies and agitated minds only found peace after they performed their nightly ritual, intense lovemaking, and then, closely embraced, they dreamt about the changes that were to come.

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