She slipped the ring upon her finger. “Perfect. Fitzwilliam, perfect.”
He nearly bent forward to kiss her, but there were several other persons conversing in the hall, with steaming mugs held in their hands.
Darcy leaned close to Elizabeth’s pertly shaped ear. “Lizzy,” he whispered happily. “Do you nothatethe presence of other people?”
She pushed his chest, in a manner intended to pull him closer. “Abominable statement. OnChristmas.”
He leaned again to her ear, and breathed softly over the delicate ivory skin. Elizabeth shivered. “I cannot kiss you the way I crave amongst so many.”
“Are you capable only of thinking about kisses?”
“I have the capacity to keep my mind upon many objects at one time — a necessary accomplishment: I am incapable ofnotthinking about kissing you.”
She laughed and darting, kissed his lips when hopefully no one looked. “Darling man! But now I have given you your Christmas kiss, and you can expect no more.”
“No?”
“No!” She laughed. “Now Imusthave some act of grand arrogance from you, to remind me of the man I marry, since we shall grow cloying if we continue along so well.”
“We mustargueto be a satisfactory couple?”
“No, no. We must argue to avoid being cloying.Youdespise an excess of sweet as well.”
“Is there nootherway to avoid such excess?”
“Kisses willnotrescue us.”
They leaned their heads, one towards the other, captured by the kissing of their gazes.
A loud clap startled both to straighten. “Darcy, Lizzy! Here you are.” Bingley grinned boyishly. “Were you occupied?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, while Darcy replied, “If wewereengaged in a private confidence, you could hardly expect us to admit it.”
“A private confidence? Isthatyour preferred term?” Binley puckered his lips as though he were kissing. “But carols! You must join; both of you. Carols!”
With a laugh Elizabeth dragged Darcy by the arm into the drawing room. Everyone assembled around the hearth, holding glasses of mulled wine or hot punch. Georgiana stood close to Mr. Peake who balanced himself with his hand on the back of a big wing chair to keep from placing unneeded weight upon his ankle.
Georgiana turned and smiled at Mr. Peake, holding open one of the song books to share between them. Darcy frowned. Perhaps he should not be so sanguine about giving Georgiana leave to spend time with Mr. Peake, even ifhefilled the time boringly with conversation about matters of business.
Despite his dearth of rakish skills, Darcy knew quite well such conversation could not lead to a woman’s heart. Darcy shook his worry away. Even if attraction existed betwixt them, Mr. Peake had been employed at Pemberley and been reared within five miles of the estate. Peake understood that a tradesman could never aspire to the hand of the sister of the Master of Pemberley.
The singing began, led by Bingley and Mrs. Lucas. Darcy had a well-trained baritone which mixed perfectly with Elizabeth’s voice, their voices rose in melody with the other singers:
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around,
And glory shone around.
The merrymakers sang nearly an hour, and when the singing ended, Darcy and Elizabeth went to the punch bowl smiling together. Singing gave an extra glow to Elizabeth’s cheeks and brighter light to her eyes. She had never looked so alluring as at present, with his ring upon her finger. They had not more than half finished their punch when the bell was rung for dinner.
The mid-sized dining room was crowded by the horde invited to the holiday celebration. They all sat packed so that they only had a few inches to move their arms about around the thick oaken table.
The guests were scattered every which way by Mrs. Bennet’s seating arrangements, and Darcy found himself seated on the opposite side of the table from Elizabeth, and between Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Goulding. Darcy was relieved, as he had been favorably impressed by both persons. Often he found a crowded dinner party a bore.
