Elizabeth laughed at his impertinence. “I can applaud reducing the world’s ignorance. Since we are likely to continue upsetting the total level of hubris in the wrong way, I suppose we must compensate by reducing ignorance.”
They laughed uproariously, and sat in silence.
“Just this once, Fitzwilliam, I suppose we should speak our hearts and minds plainly, and in English.”
“I suppose it would be a useful experiment, just to see what happens.”
“I can say without fear of error or contradiction that I like you. I esteem you. I wish to spend my time in your company. I miss you when you are away. I wish to have you for a father to my children, and based on your definition, I almost certainly love you. I also—”
He squeezed her hands.
“I also suspect that, based on what I was told, a kiss or two might help resolve the ambiguity of whether Ifeelfor you the way a bride should.”
She smiled sheepishly, and moved her head exactly 40% of the distance that presently separated them.
“I have no qualms about saying I love you with all my heart,” he said with a sheepish smile, “and I am confident you will love me with the same vigour in the appropriate time. I admire you.I esteem you. I want you to be the mother of my children, and I wish to spend the rest of my life getting to know you.”
He moved his head most of the remaining distance between them, so they were nearly touching. By mutual agreement, they closed the final gap until their lips gently touched.
Elizabeth had not known what to expect. She had heard or read of everything from a bit of revulsion at the close contact to lightning falling from the sky to smite her. Truth lay between those extremes.
It was awkward and uncomfortable at first, but after a moment or two of clumsy fumbling, the kiss came much closer to lightning than she had expected. One moment her heart threatened to beat out of her chest, and the next she might close her eyes and take a nap in perfect contentment. It went from purring kitten to screaming jaguar.
They remained so for some minutes, revelling in the contact, until only pleasure remained, and fear and awkwardness fell behind, at least partially. That happy ease came after Darcy picked her up and set her down on his lap, so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders.
At long last, they released the kiss, and she moved her arms down from his shoulders to tuck them against his chest and snuggle into his embrace.
This comfort was unexpected. Novels talked of strong, raging emotions, euphoria, excitement, and impatience. Never had she read of comfort, calmness,rightness.
“Is it wrong that I feel like I am sitting at home, near a roaring fire in my most comfortable chair, with a good book on my lap?”
“Welcome home, my lovely bride. Welcome home.”
“Welcome home, Milo!”
Fibonacci
“Milo, eh? I need to limit your access to Georgiana.”
“Did she tell you about that story?”
“She abruptly decided to put herself into Lady Catherine’s care for some sort of endurance training. I did not see her for some time, but I wrote to Lady Catherine, who told me to mind my own business.”
“That seems… I am struggling betweenabruptandtypical. What do you recommend?”
They both laughed, and Darcy finally said, “Eventually we met when I visited your sister.”
“More specific, if you please. I have 4, and you spent more time at my home than I have in the last few months.”
“I meant Mrs Collins. I asked Georgie exactly what she was doing, and she said it was her turn to carry the bull for a while.”
“I am happy to hear it.”
“Shall I assume you are responsible for her abrupt change of residence? Oh, and she will be here in 2 days, by the way.”
“I will be glad to see her. I suppose we have arrangements to work out, and no, I did not send her to Rosings. That was entirely her own doing. She is, however, responsible for the‘Welcome home, Milo’reference, but I suppose you can pry the story out of her. After she told me about Mr Wickham, we had gone beyond polite conversation. That is all I will say. It is her story to tell.”
“Understood,” Darcy said, reflecting that, naturally Georgie would tell a near stranger about the worst time of her life within hours of meeting her.
