Read Darcy & Elizabeth: A Season of Courtship (Darcy Saga Prequel Duo) for Free Online Page B

flushed, and your eyes sparkle as I have never witnessed. So, no
matter how convoluted the path you and Mr. Darcy have trod, I do not question
that you love him. Does he love you as ardently in return, Lizzy?”
    “Oh yes. I can confidently state
that he loves me ardently.” And even as she blushed bright red at the
remembrance of all the reasons why she knew, beyond any shadowy doubts,
that Fitzwilliam Darcy loved her, Lizzy launched into her story.
     
    * *
*
     
    Darcy covered the distance between
Longbourn and Netherfield at a much faster pace than typical. Dimly he was
aware of hunger pangs from having skipped breakfast, and the prospect of his quiet
bedchamber where he could filter through his thoughts and emotions was
appealing, yet neither was the reason for his rushed steps. It was as if his
joyous heart and soaring soul lent buoyancy to his muscles, keeping his feet
from touching the ground. Twice he burst into spontaneous laughter, four times
caught himself whistling—and he never whistled—and he
strongly suspected the only reason he did not stop to marvel at a flower or
sun-kissed dewdrop was because he only saw Elizabeth’s face. Under any other
circumstances, such nonsensical behavior would have frightened him into seeking
help from a professional versed in mental illness! Today, while he would not
necessarily want anyone to witness his bizarre giddiness, he knew precisely the
cause and relished the unique experience.
    Elizabeth loves me! And she
agreed to be my wife!
    This time, a sort of dancing skip
accompanied the thought, not that Darcy even noticed.
    He paid no heed to the passing
terrain, or the ground in front of him for that matter, and was startled to
realize he was at Netherfield’s north gate when he had just left Elizabeth’s
arms a moment ago. He could still feel her warm palms on his neck and the
exquisite pressure of her lips, the sensations so vivid and acute that he
groaned and turned around, as if she might actually be there.
    “Get control of yourself, Darcy,”
he muttered, vigorously shaking his head in hopes of restoring clarity and
control before entering the house. It helped to a degree, although he did stare
at the gate’s latch for a full thirty seconds before remembering how it worked.
Fortunately he was able to slip in the side door and dash up to his suite
without encountering anyone.
    His manservant, Samuel, was
straightening the bed when Darcy barged in. As if such antics were routine,
Samuel lifted a calm face to his master and inquired after his needs.
    “Coffee, please, and a breakfast
tray if it can be managed. I left before eating.”
    For five minutes after the valet
departed to carry out his orders, Darcy stood in the middle of the room. Always
a person who craved solitude and the peace that comes from silence, Darcy
breathed deeply and remained still for a purpose. He allowed the tranquility to
infuse his body and clear his mind. As it did, he gazed around the chamber that
had grown comfortable and familiar to him far more than any other temporary
dwelling place ever had. It was not because this suite was particularly
wonderful, but because it was while here, down the corridor from where
Elizabeth Bennet had stayed when Jane Bennet was ill, that Darcy had fallen in
love with her. Never mind that he had blindly denied his feelings. Netherfield,
located in Hertfordshire, a mere three miles from Longbourn, would forever be
associated with her. After today, and with the promise of happy moments inside
these walls in the weeks to come, the connection would be strengthened.
    So, while he yearned for the day
when Pemberley and his bedchamber there would hold the premiere association
with Elizabeth—and in a far more intimate way—Netherfield and this
bedchamber were the current favorites. An odd sort of peace settled upon him in
these rooms where his thoughts had been filled with Elizabeth nearly from day
one.
     Shrugging out of his coat, he
tossed it onto the bed