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Richard interrupted. “And, Mrs. Darcy, you will not have to worry about Mrs. Wickham’s safety as she returns to Lambton. General Lassiter asked me to deliver some paperwork to Mr. Wilburn in the next few days, and I will also be escorting Mr. Stevenson to Pemberley to reunite with his grandchild; therefore,” he turned to look at Lydia, “you and Emma will have protection for the journey if you so desire.”
“You are too kind, Colonel,” Lydia replied. “I gladly accept your offer.”
“Please assure Mr. Stevenson that he is welcome to reside at Pemberley, along with Jesse, if that is his desire,” William stated. “We can always use another stable hand or gardener. I am certain we can find work to keep him busy and to provide wages, so that he will not think himself or Jesse a burden.”
Richard laughed. “Why am I not surprised you would do something like that, Cousin?”
Ignoring his declaration, William added, “Also, you may have use of one of my coaches to transport everyone to Lambton. The coach the general usually provides is not large enough to hold everyone comfortably.”
By then, Richard was grinning from ear to ear. “I hoped you would think of that, as well.”
“Enough talk!” Lady Matlock declared. “Everyone needs to say their farewells and let the happy couple begin their honeymoon.”
Richard, who was standing next to William, leaned in closer to whisper, “Should I tell them I already found you enjoying the honeymoon before they entered the dining room?”
William elbowed Richard discreetly, hoping no one had heard. Elizabeth had, and she covered her mouth and coughed to stifle a laugh.
That night, having dismissed his valet and Elizabeth’s maid until they were summoned, William undressed himself and slid into the bath water that had been delivered to his dressing room just before he and Elizabeth retired. He had had a similar copper tub installed in her dressing room and it, too, sat filled with hot water. As he covered himself with soap and then sank beneath the surface, he wondered if she was doing the same, since they had agreed on an hour’s time to be reunited.
Once out of the tub, he dried himself with one of the large, soft towels Mr. Adams always kept at the washstand, before splashing a bit of his favourite sandalwood cologne on his neck. It blended well with the soap he had grown up using—one with a delicate scent that did not clash with any cologne. Grasping the clean night shirt hanging on the door, he pulled it over his head, then donned a new silk robe in shades of blue and silver, that Adams had ordered months before.
Taking a glance in the mirror that covered most of one wall, he ran his hands through his hair before searching a drawer for a brush. His hair was so unruly that it was almost impossible to make it lie down, but Elizabeth had told him so often how much she loved his curls that he shrugged when they instantly sprang back up. Tossing the brush aside, he entered his bedchamber, going directly to the tray of liquor atop a dresser where he poured himself two fingers of brandy. Quickly tossing it down, he waited until the burning in his throat ceased before heading into the sitting room that separated his bedroom from Elizabeth’s.
Hesitating just outside of Elizabeth’s door, he took a deep breath before knocking lightly. A reply so soft it was difficult to hear whispered through the silence. “Come in, sweetheart.”
He slowly opened the door, and several candles lit about the space revealed a vision in a silk, almost translucent, lavender-coloured gown standing in the dressing room door. The diaphanous fabric hung enticingly on her body and with her hair falling about her shoulders he thought Elizabeth resembled a painting of an angel at the British Museum that he had fallen in love with as a boy. It took almost a full minute for him to realise she was awaiting a reply, and when he began to speak, he stuttered.
“Eliz … Elizabeth, you are so beautiful.”
The colour in her face rose, the previous pink glow now a rich shade of crimson. “I wished to look beautiful for you tonight. I-I know we cannot … love one another as we wish, but I did not want to wear a plain muslin gown on our first night as husband and wife.” She looked down at her feet. “Tell me you do not despise me for wearing something so seductive.”
William hurried across the room to place both hands on her shoulders. When she did not look up, he employed two fingers to tilt her chin up. “I could never despise you under any circumstances, my darling. Nor would I care if you wore a burlap bag or a muslin gown tonight. I am merely happy that you wish to please me, as I wish to please you.”
Picking her up, he walked over to the bed and deposited her on it, adjusting her pillows as he always did to make her comfortable. Then, blowing out the candle on the stand beside the bed, he let his robe slip to the floor and crawled under the counterpane in his nightshirt to lie beside her.
In the darkness, he slid one arm beneath her waist to bring her closer. Kissing her as deeply as he dared, he said, “I know that today was very tiring, and you need to rest to regain your strength. Therefore, I suggest we try to sleep and then converse in the morning.”
Elizabeth was about to protest that she was not tired when a yawn revealed the truth. “I-I suppose it would not do if I fell asleep whilst we were talking.”
William smiled in the darkness. “I might think you found me boring.”
“Believe me when I say you could never bore me, my love.”
“That is good to know. Now, try to sleep. No doubt you will need all your strength for the days ahead.”
She smiled. “Oh? And why is that?”
“Because I intend to learn everything about you whilst we have this time to ourselves … including all your desires so that I may fulfil them.”
Lying on her uninjured side, with her head pressed against William’s shoulder, Elizabeth grasped his free hand and pressed a kiss thereon. Chuckling, she said, “I fear just the opposite may happen—that I may bore you to death by sharing all my thoughts. And we both know that you could never be unkind enough to curb my tongue.”
“Elizabeth, you have no idea how many hours I spent with just my thoughts after Anne … well, you know what happened. With Georgiana living with the Matlocks, I was well and truly alone with just my regrets about losing you. At times I feared I would go mad; at other times, I feared I would not. So, let me assure you that your conversations shall never bore me.”
“I shall do as you ask then, if you will do one thing for me.”
“And that is?”
“Kiss me again.”
