A Wife for Mr. Darcy

Montford. No lady was as witty, intelligent, or pretty as you were. No one could make me smile or laugh the way you did,” and taking Lizzy’s hand, he said, “You have ruined me for every other woman.”
    “If you are looking for an apology, you will have to look elsewhere,” Lizzy said, as she ran her fingers along the back of his hand.
    “Even though I did not love Miss Montford, I continued with the courtship for fear she might be humiliated if I withdrew my attentions, and she had done nothing to deserve that. Fortunately, I have meddling relations who would not let me jump off that cliff. Richard, Georgiana, and Anne did things behind my back, including making arrangements for you to come to Pemberley, with me to follow. Another person who helped considerably was Miss Montford herself. I know you were surprised to find me at Pemberley, but I had been encouraged to come here by Miss Montford.”
    “I do not understand. She wanted you to leave her?”
    “Yes. She wished me to be anywhere but in London. I think I actually frightened her.”
    “I can understand that.”
    Darcy laughed out loud. “Even in the present circumstances, your wit does not desert you. But do not expect me to believe for one minute that you are afraid of me. You have had me on my heels since I sat across from you in the parlor at Longbourn.”
    “If you have adopted a more humble posture because of me, Mr. Darcy, I am glad to have been of service.”
    “Elizabeth, when the dust settles, I will have to ask myself why I am deliberately seeking the companionship of someone who will always get the better of me. But as to Letitia Montford, I do believe she would release me immediately, but I am unsure if her father would be willing to do the same. But I no longer care what Sir John thinks. I have decided that this courtship must end as Miss Montford would be perfectly miserable with me, and she could never make me happy. There is only one person who can do that, and I am looking at her.”
    Taking his cue from the look in her eyes, he did what he had wanted to do ever since that afternoon at Longbourn, and he took her in his arms and he kissed her and kissed her again, and after parting her lips with his tongue, he felt the response of her warm lips tasting his. She moved her hands to his face and traced his lips with her fingers, and then she put her arms around his neck and kissed him again before resting her head on his chest. For many more minutes, they sat there quietly in each other’s embrace, but Darcy knew that there were so many things that needed to be done before he could leave in the morning. And so he stood and brought her to her feet and kissed her in one long kiss because he did not know when he would feel her lips again.
    “I am to Brighton in the morning and then to London for that business of which we just spoke. But at the earliest possible moment, I will come to you, and I promise you, no more small steps. I plan to bridge the chasm that separates us in one giant leap of love.”

Darcy, dressed in his traveling clothes, was on his way to Antony’s room when Lord Fitzwilliam stepped out into the hallway.
    “Sneaking out of your own house, Darcy? That is very odd.”
    “Actually, I was coming to see you, but what are you doing up at this hour?”
    “It should not surprise you that I am a light sleeper. Always listening for the door, you know.”
    After Darcy explained what was going on in Brighton, and with Lord Fitzwilliam’s own daughters in the forefront of his mind, a look of disgust appeared on the earl’s face. “I despise that sort of behavior. A sixteen-year-old girl is a child. Say what you will about my affaires de coeur , the ladies are all over the age of twenty-five.”
    Darcy disagreed with Antony’s view of what was honorable behavior, but it was no time for a discussion on morality.
    “I have come to tell you that I was in need of Gregg’s service, and he is on his way to Brighton these past two hours. But I do not know if even so able a horseman as Gregg can get there in time to disrupt Wickham’s plan. After all, Brighton is two hundred miles away, and the man must rest.”
    “Do you know how Gregg came to be in my service?” Antony asked.
    “From his size and his equestrian talents, I suspect he was a jockey at some point.”
    “ Exactement! He jockeyed for my father, and I was at the races at Canterbury the day he took a nasty spill. My dear pere put him to work in the stables