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“Richard! Shut the door! You and Finn go into the dressing room! Hopefully she will stop at the closed door; but if she does not, you and Finn must go out into the hall and enter after her. Pull her out again!”

“What cracked-brain scheme is this?” asked Richard. “Can’t I just knock her on the head?”

“That would be a crack-brained scheme!” retorted Darcy wryly, swinging his breeched and stockinged legs under the covers and stretching out beside his wife to expose his naked back to the door.

Lying beside Darcy, Lizzy’s heart was beating so hard she could hear it in her ears.

“Forgive me, Elizabeth, for this embarrassment,” Darcy said as he propped himself on his elbows beside her and sought her lips. “I thought my uncle had dealt with my aunt.”

Lizzy fell back into the pillows as Darcy’s lips brushed hers. Her heart seemed to flip over in her chest at his touch.

“You must agree,” he murmured in a lover-like way, “Aunt is nothing but persistent.”

“Yes!” Lizzy managed.

“Darcy!” came his aunt’s strident voice as she knocked imperatively. “I wish to speak to you!”

Realising she was holding her breath, Elizabeth exhaled, closed her eyes and tentatively kissed the corner of her husband’s mouth, simultaneously willing his aunt to go away.

“Darcy! Open up this minute!”

Darcy nuzzled Elizabeth’s cheek while wondering why his aunt thought a bedridden man would answer his bedchamber door on his wedding day. He heard the creak of the springs in the door handle as the knob was turned. With all his strength he rolled himself onto his wife and raised himself up onto his palms.

Underneath Darcy, Elizabeth sighed at the exquisite feeling as her husband’s hips pressed hers into the mattress. Her loins seemed to be tingling with the novel sensation. “Oh!” she gasped, stroking his face.

Darcy heard the creak of the hinges as the door opened.

“Nephew! Stop this instant! I must have speech with you! You are making a grave error!”

Darcy bent his head down to claim Elizabeth’s lips, following the caress of her breath. His wrists and lower back were already screaming with pain. But as his mouth touched Elizabeth’s, a new sensation radiated from the contact, washing over him like a balm.

“Aunt!” came Richard’s voice from the hall. “You cannot go in there! Can’t you see Darcy’s indisposed?”

“Unhand me, Nephew! Darcy must listen to what I have to say!”

A scraping sound that Darcy attributed to his aunt’s heels being dragged across the floorboards was followed by the slam of the door.

“Is she gone?” whispered Darcy.

Peeping below her husband’s armpit, Elizabeth affirmed it was true.

With a grunt, Darcy collapsed beside her and exhaled. Clutching each other, they listened as Lady Catherine unleashed invective upon Richard and Finn while Mr Collins protested at Richard’s laying hands upon his aunt. But the hubbub was cut short when the earl’s voice was heard in the stairwell.

“Catherine!” boomed the earl. “What are you doing here? I thought we had a deal!”

Darcy sought Elizabeth’s hand, spooned himself behind her and, intertwining his fingers with hers, drew their arms together across her chest as they listened.

“You lied to me!” screamed Lady Catherine.

“I did nothing of the sort! What is your specific allegation?”

“You said nothing of Darcy’s precipitate marriage!”

“That is an omission, not a lie. I told you I had approved his marriage!”

“You tricked me! Why was I not invited to attend?”

“It was a small affair because of Darcy’s illness. As you see, Cissy and I did not attend either because of our other obligations. There will be a larger celebration once Darcy has regained more of his strength.”