Read Imperative: Volume 2, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice for Free Online

thinking of some aspect of this.  It is on her mind constantly and that child moving within her will remind her as soon as she tries to forget.”  He closed his eyes and nodded.  “Everything will be fine, Will.” 
    “What if it is not?”  He took her hands in his.  “We have to be prepared for failure.  We are here now, we pushed so hard to remain positive and focussed on arriving here .  What if she is exposed?  What if Wickham was not bluffing?  Would you mind having my sister live with us?  She would be ostracized; I am sure, as would her child.  I would not reject her.”
    “Why do you think that I would!”  Elizabeth’s eyes reflected her hurt. 
    “Oh Lizzy, please do not cry!”  Darcy hugged her, but she pushed him away.  “I am sorry, I . . . Damn it!  I know the sacrifices you have made for us . . . every day I wait for a letter from Longbourn . . .” Elizabeth sobbed, and he cursed himself again.  “Dearest, please, please . . . I have been holding my thoughts in so much and now they come out in this illogical mess.  I just . . .”   He sighed.  “I did not mean that you would reject her.”
    Elizabeth wiped her eyes with her gloves and he immediately gave her his handkerchief.  “What do you mean, then?” 
    “Would you feel that having her in our home would hurt our children?”
    She searched his face, “Because it is one thing for a man to have a natural child, but another for a woman?  And you thought that it might somehow harm our children?”
    “I wonder if you thought it would.  Personally I would throttle anyone who dared to harm our babies in any way, but we have never talked of this . . . and I want to know your opinion.” 
    “I wish, Fitzwilliam, someday you would learn to just ask for my opinion before your tongue runs away with you.”  Elizabeth sighed and his lips lifted a little.  “And I thank you for asking.”
    “I will always ask, even if it is incoherently done.”  He took the handkerchief and wiped her cheek.  “So?”
    “There was no need to ask.  You have done everything that you can to protect your family from the moment your father died.  It is one of the things that I find draws me to you so strongly.”
    “Lizzy . . .”
    “Sometimes I wonder if I do most of the reassuring in this marriage, but I also realize that is because I do most of the talking.”  Darcy smiled.  “Your method is much more subtle, but no less effective.  Will, if the worst happens then yes, of course I would want her to stay with us forever.  We have weathered gossip before, we will do it again, and who knows, someone may just fall in love with her anyway.” 
    “Well, that is hopeful.”  He touched her face.  “Thank you for thinking well of me.”
    “You are a fool Fitzwilliam Darcy.”  She said softly.  As he bent down to kiss her, they heard a man’s voice in the distance and saw him riding towards them.  Darcy sighed and Elizabeth laughed softly, “Here we are in the middle of an empty field in Scotland, and we still cannot manage any privacy!” 
    “How am I ever to fulfil my fantasy of ravishing you in the middle of a meadow?  I swear, the summer afternoon that I try we will open our eyes to find ourselves the main attraction at a circus.”  He murmured and jumped when her hand found a home on his bottom and caressed, ever so lightly.  “Mrs. Darcy . . .  Stop that now.” 
    “No.”  They were facing the rider and she continued her fondling, slipping down over his firm seat to the warm haven between his legs.  “I love your thighs . . .”
    “Elizabeth . . .”
    “Soooo strong . . .” 
    “Lizzy . . .”
    “Soooo, tasty .”  Darcy groaned and tried to step away, but she just followed.  Their eyes met; his held warning, and hers, mischief. 
    “I am not averse to torturing you, love.” 
    Smiling widely at the approaching man, she said through barely moving lips, “I would like to see you try.”
    “Ohhh, a