Chapter 29
The drive towards Darcy's apartment was silent as the occupants of the car were too lost in their own worries and thoughts to say a word. Darcy was serious and pensive, Elizabeth was anxious, and both nervous for what was about to come. Elizabeth, though decided to make love with him, was harboring the natural fears that any young woman with only two previous boyfriends would have before sleeping with the third man in her life. A certain reserve about nakedness, the fear of not being liked or the impossibility to relax and enjoy her first lovemaking with this man. Darcy, for his part, was feeling the pressure that he couldn't fail tonight, in any sense. He usually was a confident man, both emotionally and sexually, but Elizabeth wasn't like any other woman he had dated in the past. He feared that his own anxiety would overwhelm her, that his growing nervousness would betray him and that things wouldn't come out as well as they should.
They reached his building, Darcy parked the car, and they entered the posh Victorian house now divided into large flats. As they walked towards the front door, anxiety was replaced by another feeling: anticipation and excitement. Darcy took Elizabeth's hand, they exchanged loving smiles and they began to feel more at ease with themselves and with the other.
The elevator was called and while they waited, Darcy claimed her lips for a kiss. A deliciously wicked kiss. She let go of her fears, he forgot his jitters, the kiss grew passionate and deep and now they just couldn't stop. A ting! alerted them that their lift was there, they broke the kiss just to step inside and they resumed it immediately, kissing each other all the way up to the fourth floor.
Not even when he opened the door did they break apart. That task was performed blindly and clumsily -and giggling against each other mouths- but the kiss wasn't interrupted. They made it into the apartment and once inside, they unleashed the little passion they were still holding back. Those were ardent, hungry kisses. He pressed her against the wall, she hung from his neck and with hasty movements, they struggled with their own and the other's overcoats.
"Coffee?" he captured her upper lip in between his.
"No." She couldn't think clearly but she was sure that coffee was the last thing she wanted at this moment.
Again his mouth covered hers for an even deeper kiss. Their bodies were undulating, their breaths were labored and their hands were all about the other. They were just about to combust.
"Bedroom?" he was considerate enough as to inquire before carrying her.
"Yes."
Sometime in between his question and her answer, he found the zipper on the back of her dress and lowered it. She didn't complain, she agreed completely with this move, so she just moaned and clung onto him when he grabbed firmly her backside and pressed her against him.
When he could take no more of this, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, alternating kisses with giggles and groans. Without parting from each other, they fell on his huge bed. As they kissed, shoes were kicked off, clothed removed and skin exposed. Shyness, nervousness or reserve were now a distant memory and they only could think of loving, of holding and being part of the other.
Preliminaries were brief and hasty. A quick savoring of her breasts, a blind stroke of his manhood while they kissed, a condom rolled down and he was urgently guided into her depths. At the beginning, they were a little clumsy. Darcy was a big man, heavy and solid and there wasn't much Elizabeth could do under such an ardent display of passion and stamina. His intention was to be gentle and tender, to prolong their lovemaking for a while, it really was, but there was no way he could slow down or do this any other way. Every time he kissed her mouth her breath was stolen, every caress of her hands made him lose his mind. Her pleasure came quickly, her cries and shudders dragged him along and in barely a couple of minutes, it was over.
The storm was over and Darcy rested on his elbows so he wouldn't suffocate her with his weight. Slowly, his breath returned to its normal rate and he was able to think again, to enjoy the calm, the warmth and the joy of being with her, within her. He gave her a soft, sweet kiss, which she returned with the same tenderness, and raised his head to look into her eyes.
"You must think I'm a brute."
"I know you are not." She smiled as she brushed her fingertips along his jaw.
He kissed her nose and made an attempt to remove himself from over her but she stopped him. "Stay with me for a while. I like to stay like this, to feel you." She moved her leg so she could caress his calf with her foot.
Darcy wasn't of the 'cuddling-after-lovemaking' type. In other circumstances -with other women, in fact- he would have just rolled off right away, maybe bestow a light kiss on the cheek as he extracted himself and then leave towards the bathroom to wash himself. When he was back in bed, no chats, no post coital caresses, no romanticism, just TV or sleep. But this time -with Elizabeth- it was different. He wanted to stay with her, he loved the feeling of her skin against his, her smell, her warmth, her breathing, every single thing about her. He could see that she was moved by this first time with him, that she needed comfort and reassurance and he was more than willing to provide it.
He kissed her again, soft but deep and Elizabeth wrapped herself entirely around him with arms and legs, pulling him down so he would lie completely on top of her and they would be as much in contact as they could.
Darcy was conscious of how much he was suffocating her and after a couple of minutes enjoying this utterly delicious embrace, he once again rose to his elbows. And it was then, when he lifted his head, that she bestowed on him one of the happiest moments of his life, one that moved him to his soul and that he would never forget. She looked at him with big eyes, then smiled, bit her lip as her finger traced a line from his ear to his chin and, and then, eyes glowing in joy, said what he had been longing to hear.
"I love you, William."
They were both overcome with a sudden wave of emotion after such a formidable declaration. He grinned and she giggled. He kissed her repeatedly, saying 'I love you too' in between kisses, which grew passionate and heartfelt every time their lips met, where their bodies, even in repose, accommodated to find more of the other to touch and to embrace. He didn't want to give up the feeling of her fingers brushing his sides or caressing his hair, of her sighs beneath his chest, or those intentional contractions that reminded him that they were still connected. He left only when he began to feel uncomfortable and returned to bed as quickly as he could.
"Come here, you little thing." He slid into the bed and pulled her into his arms.
She obliged and made herself comfortable in his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder and entangling her leg in between his.
"You are just amazing, did you know that?" He told her.
Elizabeth turned her head and glanced up at him, cupping his cheek with her hand. "And you are quite incredible yourself."
He kissed her palm and then gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "What?" he asked at the sight of her cheeky smile.
She bit her lower lip and asked, "How long have you been having feelings for me?"
"Oh boy," he chuckled. "That's a tough one. I don't remember a time when I wasn't attracted to you. When did it turned out to be love I can't tell exactly, but before I could realize what I was getting myself into, I was madly in love with you."
"Oh, come on," she smirked, "you didn't like me at the beginning. You said that you've seen better than me. It was obvious that you disliked me at first, you did very little to conceal it."
"No," Darcy's voice turned low and pensive. "That wasn't the case. I was more disgusted with myself than with you. I told you before, the whole idea of an imposed assistant bothered me a lot. But then I realized that I should give you a chance. And when I did that, I was lost." He sighed deeply and frowned as something came suddenly to his mind. "But there was in fact a moment that produced the great change. Remember that night, when you brought me my coffee light and with cream to my tent? When we talked about the lovemaking scene we were about to shoot on the following day?" She nodded in affirmative. "You knocked me off completely that day. From then on, I was a lovesick fool. And you?" He smiled while caressing her hair. "What made you change your mind about me? What made you come to my office that morning?"
"I realized that I was mean and stubbornly unforgiving with you so I went to apologize." She smiled dreamily at the memory. "I never expected that things would progress so quickly between us. There was even a moment where I thought you would banish me from your office, but then you smiled and asked me to dine with you and I just couldn't believe that everything had turned out so right in so little time."
"You really gave me hope when you came to see me that morning." He ran his finger down her arm. "Though I must confess I was still a little hurt from your words of the previous night and I didn't know what to expect when you came in. But then, you said that you would go out with me and I finally dropped my defensive attitude."
"You scared me for a moment." She smiled.
"I'm sorry." He gave her another quick kiss. "But before that? No feelings for me, not even when you dined with me in Kent?"
She looked down shyly and twisted the hair of his chest around her finger. "You know that I liked you at the time."
"You did?" He smiled seductively as his hand traced the line of her spine until he reached her backside. "How much?"
"Pretty much." Her skin reacted to his touch and a wave of arousal coursed her body.
"Are you not going to tell me?"
She couldn't help feeling hot and bashful. Not only because she was embarrassed to tell him that she had been crazy about him almost since she met him, that she had been dreaming about him for months but also because his ability to transform her into mass of pure lust and desire. His caresses were becoming unnerving. On the way to the back of her thigh, his hand caressed the contour of her buttock, brushed her pubic hair and ended holding the back of her knee, which he was pulling up to the part of him that had been until now in repose and was starting to move. Eyes locked in hers, he moved her leg over him until he was hard, until his own lust made him to want more and he guided her face to his so he could kiss her, with mouth and tongue, calmly but sexually. This time there was no desperate need and uncontrollable desire like had happened the first time. This time there was no need to rush.
"Do you mind if I go to the bathroom first?" She pulled back to get some air.
"Don't take too long," He whispered.
She slid off from the bed and walked hastily towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her. There were needs she had to fulfill, yes, but most of all, she needed a moment to calm down. Her stomach was fluttering and she was burning inside. The truth was that she was starting to panic. The first time everything happened so quickly that she practically didn't notice it, but now it was different, more intense, deliberate. She washed her face, removed the make-up that had been blurred in their previous encounter and brought her hand to the doorknob to open the door. And then, she stopped. She was naked. There was a towel hanging from the rack and she took it, wrapping it around her body. She stopped again and with a sharp intake of breath, she took it off, hanging it back in place.
Darcy heard the door opening and turned his head to his right. The room was dim, he didn't turn the lights on so she would feel more at ease and as she walked to him, he saw the outline of her naked figure illuminated by the light coming from of the bathroom. She was such a vision.
He sat on the bed, facing her. She walked slowly and stood in front of him for him to admire. And that was exactly what he did. Sitting on the bed, he placed his hands on her hips and took a good look. When his eyes were full, he kissed. Breasts, stomach, sides, thighs, all of her. And then, they made love, slowly, without reserve, seeing and touching until there was nothing of the other they didn't know.
Elizabeth turned on the stove with a silly grin, the same silly grin that had been present in her face since she woke up, when she went to the bathroom and now that she was in the kitchen, fixing some coffee for them. How long had she slept? Three, four hours? It didn't matter. It didn't matter if she slept curled in the corner of the bed because Darcy occupied almost 80% of it or if his arm weighed 5 tons when he let it fall on her waist when he snuggled against her. She just loved the way he embraced her, or how he rolled to his side taking all the blankets with him or if his breath tickled her when he snored close to her ear. It was just perfect. She wouldn't replace this sensation of having him so close, of falling asleep in his arms or of being awaked for the most sleepy and delicious session of lovemaking.
What she loved most about him was that Darcy was a man in every sense. If she should match him with one of those lists about typical masculine attitudes that are always published in magazines for women, she would affirm that they used him as a model. He had a hairy chest and ass, he sang when taking a pee, and he did those strange noises with his throat when rinsing his mouth after brushing his teeth. Of course, he left the wet towel on the floor for someone else to pick it up and he ALWAYS left the toilet seat up. Bed was his domain, he loved to lay spread out, naked, occupying as much as he could, grabbing her by the neck and pulling her closer so she would lie on his chest. The remote was always on his side, obviously, even if he wasn't watching TV. He was a 'butt grabber' and he never missed the chance of squeezing or patting her backside whenever he had it within reach.
When she saw him naked for the first time, she was almost scared of his size. Not of his manly parts, they maintained the proportion of his body, of all of him. Clothed, he was tall, big, and when she compared her own naked figure with his, the differences were even more overwhelming. Barefoot, she barely passed his shoulder and his back was so broad that it doubled her width. He was in good shape, his chest was something worthy of the sight, but he had this slightly prominent belly that he was absolutely proud of. It wasn't a big deal, just something that prevented his stomach from being perfectly flat, but it was there and he adored it, saying it was an incredible sight after drinking two pints of beer and promised to show her soon.
And lovemaking, well, was the best part of all. The perfect excuse for sleeplessness she had ever had. The previous night, he demonstrated his proficiency thoroughly. All three times. The first one, quick, almost clumsy, but she would not have had it in any other way. It was justified and she knew that neither could have done it any better. He was too aroused, she was too and their need was such that there was no way they would catch the other's rhythm. Second one, hmmmmm, that was incredible. No problem with rhythm or speed or ... anything. Perfect, lovely. He was ... superb, fantastic, wicked, masterful, sexy, proficient, careful, considerate, loving ... she could go on and on forever. And the third one ... wow, the man was an animal. He didn't even wait for her to wake up to start it. Maybe he was asleep during part of it too. He slid in from behind, rolled her onto her stomach and loved her lazily, just for the pleasure of shagging her, covering her completely with his body so she couldn't even move under his weight. Why would she want to move anyway? He was doing fine like this and she, fantastic. Sometime in the middle of it -perhaps when he woke up-, he rolled a condom over himself and continued as if nothing had happened. And then, wow, wow, wow. She had never had an orgasm in that position before. When he was done -she was sure that he was just amusing himself and didn't even notice her climax-, he just rolled off her, turned onto his side and fell asleep again in that manner lions do after copulating one of the females of his harem. That was two hours ago. Wasn't he adorable?
"Good morning." Darcy appeared in the kitchen.
Elizabeth smiled at him. His hair was wet and he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Surely there was a wet towel on the floor of the bathroom. "Good morning."
He walked towards her and kissed her temple while making circular moves on her ass cheek, probably to check if she was wearing underwear of not. Her tiny black knickers were there.
"There is nothing that I find more irresistible than seeing the woman I love in my kitchen wearing my shirt and fixing me breakfast." He murmured as he nibbled her neck. Good girl, no bra, he rejoiced to himself when he checked her bosom.
Elizabeth giggled. He was fondling her breast shamelessly. "What do you want for breakfast?"
He lifted his head and patted her butt before sitting on one of the high stools that were beside the breakfast bar in the kitchen. "Whatever. I'm hungry."
Being his assistant for over a month and sharing breakfasts and other meals with him had taught her enough as to know that he was a meat eater, that he didn't look after his cholesterol numbers and that he would eat almost anything that was served to him with the exception of beans. There wasn't much in his refrigerator for her to improvise something nice and tasty so she could show off what a good cook she was, so she just opened a pack of cookies and scrambled a couple of eggs for him. She poured him a large coffee with milk in one of the 8 different mugs she found in one of the cabinets -all merchandising stuff from movies- and served him his breakfast.
Lion King raised his eyes from whatever he found to read -it looked like a script-, smiled in adoration as she placed his dish in front of him and patted her behind as she walked away. The man was a creature of habit, Elizabeth noticed, for he returned to his script immediately after she turned away from him and didn't speak or raise his eyes until he finished his coffee, which he drank quite quickly. She had seen him doing this same thing in Africa and like that time, she observed his morning ritual with fascinated eyes.
"Did you call your mother to tell her you are here?" He closed the script and began eating his eggs.
Elizabeth soaked a cookie inside her coffee. "No."
"Aren't you going to do it? She might get worried."
"Will, I'm old enough. And I don't think she was expecting me to return from our date."
His smiled. "And you? Were you expecting to return home soon after the date?"
"Well, I was, because I didn't think of bringing something more comfortable to change into." She smiled impertinently. "I don't want to change into that dress again."
"Then don't," his voice was teasing and seductive, "I love how my shirt looks on you."
The look in his eyes said 'come here little thing 'cause I want to have you for breakfast' which, of course, she understood to perfection. She walked around the bar and stood in between his legs.
"I tell you what we can do," he rested his hands on her bottom. "You'll call your mom, you'll tell her that you'll stay here with me for the day, probably for the night too, and that I'll take you home safe and sound tomorrow morning."
Elizabeth linked her hands behind his neck. "I have nothing to wear."
The kiss was imminent, "I know, isn't it just great?"
Fortunately Darcy found some feminine clothes that he said -and Elizabeth hoped- belonged to Georgiana and Elizabeth changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater that didn't fit her perfectly but that were more comfortable than her tight black dress. The shoes were two sizes bigger than hers, so they walked towards a nearby store where Darcy insisted in buying her a pair of Wellies so they could go out for a walk in the snow. They had lunch in a restaurant and hand in hand, returned to the apartment for a nap.
Elizabeth made pancakes for tea and they sat together on the couch to watch a movie from his vast collection of classics. They lounged together for a couple of hours, ordered some Chinese and lounged again.
"So, tell me about this new movie you ..." Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom after a shower and didn't find him in bed. She had heard him leaving the bedroom when he saw her talking to her mother on the phone, but she imagined that he was already back. She walked towards the living room and saw him sitting on the couch, smoking. "Here you are."
He smiled when he saw her coming, dressed in one of his T-shirts. It reached her mid-thigh. "Come." He lifted his arm so she would sit next to him. "Does this bother you?" He moved his cigar away from her face.
"Not at all." She curled her body next to him.
"I heard that you were talking to your mother so I preferred to leave you alone. Is everything all right?"
"I don't know," Elizabeth sighed heavily. "She says that Lydia stayed the entire afternoon locked in her bedroom, listening to the music. Poor mom, she's so worried about her."
Darcy puffed his cigar and blew the smoke up into the air. "Do you think she's thinking of him?"
"Probably. I know that if he calls her right now, she'll go with him."
"Hopefully, he won't."
"Hopefully," Elizabeth didn't sound optimistic.
He paused, reflecting on his next words and spoke, "Lizzy, I want to tell you something." She shifted her body so she could look at him. "I wanted to discuss this together with your mother, but now that you brought up the subject once again, it's better if I talk about it with you first."
Elizabeth swallowed. He had turned deadly serious.
Darcy left his cigar on the ashtray before continuing. "I had a meeting with George Wednesday afternoon. I recovered the rest of Lydia's photos, at least the ones that weren't sold already and all the negatives. They are over there, inside that white envelope on the table."
Her face reflected so many emotions --surprise, disgust, repulsion, shame and some that he couldn't discern. She rose and walked towards the table and took the envelope in her hands. Without looking at him, she asked, feeling a revolting combination of dread and embarrassment. "You saw them?"
"No, I didn't." Darcy rose and joined her.
Elizabeth was going to ask how he obtained them, but it was obvious that he bought them. She stared blankly at the envelope, but didn't open it.
"I also made him sign a paper where he promised that he wouldn't call or see your sister until she turns eighteen. There's not much we can do if he does call her, but my lawyer thought it was a nice threat to prevent it." Darcy saw her abhorrence about this subject so he took the envelope from her hands and left it on the table.
There wasn't much that Elizabeth could say. "You met him."
He tucked her hair behind her ear and lifted her chin with his finger. "I did. When I got the photos, I went to see the director of Free Children and I gave him all the information I had about George."
"What's that?" she frowned.
"An organization against child abuse." He noticed sudden despair in her eyes and spoke in a calm, reassuring voice. "I never mentioned your sister's name and I told them that the family didn't want to make the case public. But I couldn't let him go unpunished for this one, Lizzy, I had to do something. I only asked them to investigate. Maybe they'll catch him for another crime."
She was so overwhelmed. Even after all what he already had done for her sister, he was still working to send that bastard to jail. She embraced him, seeking the comfort and protection of his arms.
They returned together to the couch, Darcy sat reclined on the armrest, with one leg extended along the couch and Elizabeth sat between his legs, resting her back on his chest. She stayed like that, so contently nestled while he smoked his cigar.
"You never told me what the new movie is about." Her fingers were caressing the arm that was bent over her chest, holding her shoulder.
"It's a love story, it happens in the thirties." He paused to puff his cigar. "Lucy is a burlesque actress, young and beautiful, who comes to London for the casting of a Folie Bergere kind of show. She falls in love with the director of the play and they have the most intense secret romance. But things aren't so easy for this couple." As she listened, Elizabeth smiled at how he, with a touch of playfulness, changed his tone of voice to increase the suspense. "Jason, the mundane director, is engaged to the pretty daughter of one of the biggest producers of the time, who, of course, was producing this play. So he's torn between being with the love of his life and his career." When he said that, Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Darcy stopped to puff his cigar and proceeded. "Now comes the big confrontation. Lucy discovers that she's pregnant and tells Jason that it's her or nothing and ..." Elizabeth tried to sit up but Darcy pulled her down again, "I'm not finished yet. And he freaks out and ..."
"Wait a minute, I know that story." She interrupted.
"Any resemblance with reality is just a coincidence," he said matter-of-factly.
She gasped aloud when she realized what the movie was about. "But Will!" She tried to sit up again but Darcy held her firmly over his chest.
"You aren't going anywhere." He gave his cigar one last puff and crushed it out in the ashtray. "Everything framed by this fantastic musical play, with tap dancing numbers, incredible dialogues and lots of romance. Just imagine the set, the lights, those glamorous costumes, London, pre war. It's very colorful."
"Yeah, I can imagine it." She said mockingly. She could almost see his teasing smile.
"Great character this Lucy, a very strong woman. She reminds me a lot of your mother."
At this point her initial wrath about the story line and Darcy's frivolous way of telling her was over and was replaced with a different feeling: pride that her mother's life would be immortalized on film. "And who wrote this masterpiece of British melodrama?"
"I can't tell you, it's a secret. The author asked to remain anonymous."
She slapped his leg, which made him laugh.
"All right, I think I can trust you. John Lucas wrote it. Maddy is revising the dialogues to give the tale a more feminine approach. She's doing a great job, by the way."
"It's my mom's story." Elizabeth said quietly while caressing his arm.
"Actually, is the story of how you were conceived, in a musical setting."
Elizabeth turned her head to give him a quick kiss. For some unknown reason, she felt absolutely calm about this, not happy but at ease. Maybe because Darcy was making her feel calm and safe or perhaps because she was starting to feel comfortable about her origins. "What was the title?"
"Appearances." He smiled. He was very satisfied -and relieved- with her reaction to the news.
"I like it."
"I'm glad you do. If the movie is successful, we can make a sequel."
Elizabeth raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And what would you call it?"
"Appearances 2: Lizzy's revenge." He said with a cheeky grin. "Lucy's daughter grows up into this sexy young woman and meets this absolutely fantastic director ..."
"All right," she giggled, "I know that story too."
"It's good, it even has a happy ending."
She shifted her body so she would lie on her side, over his chest, curled in between his legs. He kissed the top of her head and they remained embraced for a while.
"Will?"
"Yes?"
"When are you going back to Derbyshire?"
"After taking you back home."
"Oh."
He smiled, he was sure that she was pouting. "Aren't you going back to your uncle's to work?"
"No. I'll stay with mom during the school break. I don't want to leave her alone with Lydia for two full weeks. She needs me."
Absentmindedly, he stroked her hair. "And for Christmas? Are you staying at home?"
She sighed. "I don't know. We were planing to go to my uncle's, but I don't know if mom has decided yet. If we don't, we'll travel north for New Year. And you?"
"I'll be at home. Charles and Jane are staying until New Year. They'll probably stay until the baby is born. Richard and his family will come for the New Year too."
"Ah."
"Lizzy?" he asked her after a moment of reflection.
"Yes?"
Darcy moved her body slightly so he could look at her. "What would you say if I ask you to come to Pemberley for the school break? With your mother and sister, of course. We can spend the Holidays together, Jane will be there too, Maddy and Ed could come for Christmas or New Year and this way Lydia would be in a more protected environment. You won't have to worry about George and maybe the distance and this new setting will help your sister to forget about him."
This man had the ability to move her in such a way that she had to struggle not to cry. "I'll ask mom."
He realized that she had turned emotional and continued with renewed playfulness. "This is an absolutely selfish proposition, Elizabeth, I'm asking you because I want you to stay with me for the holidays. The rest are just the best excuses I could come up with."
She cupped his cheek, her eyes already bright with tears. "I'd love to be there, with you, William."
They kissed and then love and passion and need exploded again.
"Would you stop that?" Elizabeth protested playfully.
"No." He was applying some very improper and ticklish caresses.
"Someone could come in!" She tried to push him away.
"I don't care." He continued with the shameless fondling of her rear.
They walked towards the door of her apartment, but before she could put the key into the lock, he pulled her into his arms again. This time she didn't protest. She kissed him back.
"Hrrrrrmmmm."
The couple startled at the sound of someone clearing her voice behind them.
"Oh, Mrs. Philips," Elizabeth blushed furiously. "Hi, we ... we were about to go inside."
The woman eyed her from head to toe and then glared at the tall man that still had his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. "This is not the place for such an exhibition so I would appreciate if you two perform those activities behind closed doors."
"Of course, Mrs. Philips," Darcy smiled rakishly, "don't worry, it won't happen again. I assure you."
"I hope so, mister." She looked at Darcy with disdain and walked into her apartment.
Both Darcy and Elizabeth started giggling so much that she couldn't open the door. When she did, the couple, now laughing openly, stumbled into the apartment. But laughs and giggles stopped instantly when they saw what waited for them inside.
Sitting at the dining table, across from Amanda, was Sir John Lucas.