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“That will be enough,” she pleaded.
“Yes,” he conceded, though his desire remained unsatisfied.
“I want you!” Darcy whispered. “You must understand. I want you so much!”
“Yes,” she replied. But she did not fully understand what he meant. And he continued kissing and caressing her body until she cried out, sighing and blushing at the same time.
“Do you like my caresses?” His eyes held hers, intense and unwavering.
“I do…but I am afraid,” she admitted.
He laughed and helped her sit at the dressing table, discreetly concealing the redness of her cheeks with powder.
Finally, they strolled leisurely through the house, Darcy showing her the rooms, halls and terraces.
Elizabeth marvelled at the colours adorning the walls, each carefully chosen to enhance the light in the rooms. Soft blues, pale greens, delicate pinks and creams created an atmosphere of serenity and elegance.
Delicately fashioned from rosewood and satinwood, the chairs, tables and cabinets appeared almost fragile. Their slender, tapered legs, adorned with intricate carvings, showed the skill of the craftsmen. Classical ornaments, such as lyres, acanthus leaves and Greek patterns, graced their surfaces.
“I adore everything,” she said, and he kissed her again.
“Why are you afraid?” he finally asked.
“That I shall not be pure on our wedding night!” she exclaimed.
His laughter rang out so loudly that she feared everyone in the house would come to see what had happened. “My dear lady, you might cease to be a virgin before that night, but only if you consent to join me before the wedding. You understand, Elizabeth, you and I together in a bed…”
“Stop, stop!” she implored.
“You will not even allow me to speak of it…so what chance have I of being with you…let us say…tomorrow…”
“None!” she declared with such determination that he laughed again.
“Is it so important to you to remain a virgin until our wedding night?”
“It is of the utmost importance. Look at Lydia!”
“I understand, my love. But our kisses will not rob you of your purity. I am your promised husband, and the rest can wait until our wedding night.”
“Poor Lydia, there are moments when I feel sorry for her!”
“I am not particularly fond of your sister, but she may be welcome in our houses in time…though only alone. Still, I must admit that Lydia’s conduct is not an isolated case!”
Elizabeth’s face betrayed her outrage, provoking another smile from him. “Good heavens, Elizabeth, there are many young women in London who lose their virginity before marriage. And many others are already with child at their weddings…What sort of world have you lived in?”
“One that respects propriety. However, pray tell me,” she asked thoughtfully, “why is Lydia’s misadventure regarded as a tragedy if others do the same?”
“A fair question, my love. It says much about society’s hypocrisy. People may do as they please, provided they keep it hidden behind an appearance of perfect respectability.”
“Your family opposes our marriage,” she remarked suddenly as they admired the garden below from the terrace.
When he hesitated to answer, she continued. “In Kent, you were brutally honest about your struggle to accept your love for me. Please be as honest now!”
“Kent is far away.”
“I know, yet I need that gentleman to tell me the truth. I refuse to be caught unprepared. We have been in London for almost a fortnight, yet we have never taken a walk or a ride together in Town, and I do not know your family.”
“I am sorry,” he murmured. “But it is not what you believe. I shall not pretend that my uncle would fully approve of our marriage. Still, Lady Catherine is the chief reason we have kept away from London society. I wish to prevent her from discovering my intentions…our intentions.”
