Page 78 of The Heroic Mr Darcy's Bad Manners
“Did you like what you saw?” He grinned with raised eyebrows.
She aimed to swat his arm but missed, and her hand landed firmly on hisderrière. Her cheeks heated even more, and she buried her face in the crook of his arm. He would not allow it and held her at arm’s length.
“Your blush is most alluring,” he drawled.
“Oh, there is a lull in the rain. Do you think it is because the weather approves of our understanding?” She smiled impishly.
“To Hades with the rain and the sun. I just want to kiss you again to be absolutely certain this is not one of my delightful dreams.”
“I suppose you will never know unless you act upon it.”
“There is my Eilís,” he growled, kissing her soundly.
“I believe it is time to return to the house,” Elizabeth advised, though she would rather stay in the folly forever. His kisses only improved upon familiarity, but it would not do to wait until they were missed and risk being discovered thus engaged.
“Pemberley is closest,” Darcy determined, tucked her hand around his arm, and walked briskly towards his house. The clouds still hung dark and heavy over their heads. The rain had offered them a respite for escape, but the pause would not last long.
“Your horse!” she cried lest he forget his mount.
“He will follow of his own volition,” Darcy declared. Sure enough, the beast was plodding not far behind.
“Why is it you were out riding at this ungodly hour and in this inclement weather? I hope nothing is amiss.”
“No, nothing but a lack of sleep. I tend to rise early, but knowing your delectable presence was in my aunt’s house—so close yet out of reach—made it impossible to rest. Knowing Richard only planned to stay for a fortnight, and assuming you and Mrs Bennet would most likely travel south under the colonel’s protection, my time was limited.”
Elizabeth could only be happy, even if he had slept as poorly as she, when the result had been so gloriously in her favour.
“We are not travelling with the colonel. They are for the Lake District.”
“Really? He has not mentioned anything of that nature to me. In fact, he said only yesterday that should I require more time…he would be willing to postpone their return south. He has rented a house at a new resort in a quaint fishing village. I suppose Ramsgate and Brighton are too full of soldiers for his liking and Scarborough too close to Bingley’s relations. They are going to Sanditon.”
It was clear that her sister and Richard had schemed to bring them together. Yet she could not quite condone the method they had used. If Jane had been honest, she would have travelled willingly to Pemberley.
“I declare, your mischievous cousin has had a reprehensible influence upon my hitherto flawless sister. She, who has never schemed or conspired, tried to trick me into compliance and not so much as hinted that they were bound for the delightful Pemberley and its dashing master. Because of their subterfuge, I had to inconvenience both my grandmother and your accommodating aunt to travel hither.”
“You cannot understand how happy that makes me. To hear that you travelled here with an express wish to see me. I cannot repine their artful machinations when the consequences are so greatly to my liking.”
“Please, do not suppose I object to the outcome, but I cannot help but feel we would eventually have reached the same conclusion without the awkwardness upon our arrival if we had been better prepared…”
“Certainly, but that would have deprived my dear cousin of the chance to make sport of us, and he cannot help it. He loves to laugh, especially at my expense.”
“That does not diminish my wish for a small kind of vindication.”
“Indeed. What do you have in mind?”
A fat drop of rain hit Elizabeth’s nose. Darcy must have felt one too because he grabbed her hand in his. “Come, we had better run before we become soaked.”
So, they raced down the rest of the hill and ran through the garden as fast as their legs could carry them. At least that was true for Elizabeth, though she suspected that Mr Darcy’s long legs could have carried him faster still. A young boy must have seen their mad dash through the rain and met them to take the master’s horse—an indication of a well-managed estate. Darcy acquiesced and thanked him moments before they burst, laughing, through a set of glass doors. Elizabeth’s mirth quieted upon espying the magnificent library. She let her eyes travel shelf upon shelf of floor-to-ceiling books.
“Good gracious!” she whispered reverently.
“Do you approve?” the master enquired with eager anticipation.
“Who would not! I have never seen so many books in my life.” She strolled farther into the room as if pulled by an invisible force.
“I promise we shall explore it later, but not before we have dried our wet attire.”
“Are you always this commanding?” Elizabeth smiled and tugged off her shawl that had caught most of the rain. Mr Darcy looked stricken.
