She observed Mr. Vian come back in a minute later, obviously not pleased with his visitor. More likely it was that he had not been pleased with Lizzy for having gone out to meet with that particular man. It was clear that both Monsieur Vian and Mr. Darcy were interested in her cousin, although one seemed more sincere than the other did, and neither man was very fond of the other. Even that much she could tell from a distance, regardless of how closed mouthed Lizzy was being about things.

With a certain measure of guilt, Holly wondered why both men were so interested in her cousin? What was it, exactly, that drew them? And why did they not even look twice at her? She was smart and could be very witty when she made an effort. Certainly she was pretty enough. Mr. Grant at least found her fine to look at. He spouted poetry at her for goodness sake! So why did other men not notice her as well? Lizzy had one marriage proposal she had turned down, and two men who were now behaving like lap dogs at her feet. And very rich men at that! Their intentions did not matter, only that they were both there at all!

Well, at least Mr. Grant had not abandoned her in favour of her cousin, small consolation that it was, it was something, and thank goodness every man who came to visit was not panting after Lizzy as well. With that last thought she cringed and tried to shrug off the mortification and self-loathing that she instantly felt for having kissed one of those other men herself. What had she been thinking?! Obviously she had not been!

She let out a small moan and quickly looked at her mother, who sat diligently working at her desk and seemed not to have noticed it. She then let out a quieter one, unhappy that her mother had not noted it, for although she was thoroughly ashamed of herself for her recent actions, she longed to talk to someone about them, and she always told her mother everything. She hesitated in sharing this particular blunder though, and with good reason. Maman would be appalled with her almost as much as she was with herself.

As she turned her head back toward the door, anticipating Lizzy’s return at any moment, she found her noises of anguish had gained her Monsieur Vian’s attention. He was looking at her, his expression one of deep concern, and for a moment she melted inside, wondering if perhaps he was the person she could unburden to. Surely he had experience enough to give her advice, or at the very least he could lend a sympathetic ear, for that is truly all she really needed. But just as she opened her mouth to suggest a walk in the garden to him, the front door opened and his head snapped instantly towards the parlour entrance. Holly closed her lips immediately, suddenly realising with a pang that the worry in his eyes had not been felt for her at all.

Holly could not help herself. That recognition was like a crack that finally grew wide enough to break the dam, and all of the emotions she had been holding back came to the forefront and spilled forth, causing her eyes to well with tears.

Lizzy, upon seeing her face, quickly moved to stand directly in front of her so that she was shielded from the others’ view. Elizabeth grabbed her hand, pulled her up from her chair, and without a word to anyone in the room, dragged Holly from it.

Lizzy took both of their coats from their hooks, led her out the front door, through the gate, and down the nearest path – forcing her coat on her as they went.

When they had gone some distance and Lizzy had still not asked any questions, but had only held her hand gently and led her along while she blindly let her own tears fall freely, Holly partly felt why Monsieur Vian and Mr. Darcy were attracted to her cousin, even if she still did not fully understand it. It was why she was drawn to her too. In her opinion, Lizzy was always confident and just seemed to know the right things to do and say, while she herself never did. She could not have kept her own mouth shut in a similar situation if her life depended upon it, for she always wore her emotions on her sleeve, and yet Lizzy held her silence, and Holly knew that even if she chose to not reveal anything about her current troubles, it would be accepted without question. Lizzy would not push her. And this fact – this admission of her own shortcomings – only made her cry even harder.

It was when she felt her hand being squeezed more tightly that she realised they had stopped walking. She found herself standing in the middle of a dip in a glen, with small rises on all sides so that only sky could be seen around them. Lizzy had led her far away from possible prying eyes. Holly blinked a few times as she wiped away the last of her tears.

“What can I do for you, Holly, to ease whatever ails you?” Elizabeth almost whispered.

“Oh, Lizzy, I have behaved so foolishly there is nothing anyone could do to mend it!”

“I find that hard to believe. There is always something to be done… even if it is to simply cry as you have. Did it help at least a little?”

“Hardly. It only made me feel more foolish.”

Holly looked at their surroundings more carefully. Recognising the place, she leaned against one of the large boulders and asked, “Did you bring me here on purpose, Lizzy? It seems an appropriate enough location.”

“It was in the direction our feet began to lead us, and it seemed a good idea to come here once that was determined. And,” she paused and smiled gently, “it provides good privacy for crying you know.”

“Have you ever cried here, Lizzy?”

“Not yet.”

Holly could not help but smile a little at her answer. “It is where we had our lunch shortly after your arrival. Do you remember?”

“Yes, I do. That was a lovely day out together.”

“The morning was certainly lovely, but the afternoon was another story, for that was when all the troubles first began. It was the same day Maman missed the post.” When understanding did not seem to dawn in her cousin’s eyes, she added, “The day you realised he was here in Scotland, and we met Lord Brougham for the fist time.”

Lizzy’s eyes met hers, curiosity and bewilderment shining from them. “I am sure you have your reasons for thinking what you do, but if you wish me to fully appreciate them you will have to further enlighten me.”

Holly folded her hands in front of her chest, took a deep breath, and uttered, “Well, you, of course, shall be the judge of whether your own problems began on that day or if they were perhaps only compounded by meeting Mr. Darcy here, since you had your troubles with him already before you came. However, since I kissed Lord Brougham in the garden yesterday, I have most decidedly made up my mind that it was the day my troubles began.”

Her cousin only stared at her, wide eyed.

“Lizzy, have you nothing to say?”

Lizzy stayed quiet for a moment longer before uttering, “Then he must care for you if he kissed you… at least that would be what I would expect or hope from a friend of Mr. Darcy… unless he forced himself upon you! Oh, please tell me that was not the case!”

Holly stomped her foot. “You did not hear me! I said I kissed him! He may have kissed me back, but he did not instigate it. As to him caring for me? I assume he would just as soon not ever see me again! We both made that much very clear before he went to fetch you.”

“But how could you have kissed him, Holly? I am at a loss to understand how it could happen without his cooperation. But you said he kissed you back? Perhaps he did instigate it and you now blame yourself for some reason?”

“No, Lizzy! I wish it were so, and I had even convinced myself at the time it happened that he desired it. At least I could claim some dignity for myself if that were the case, but no, it was my doing entirely – unfortunately for me and my dignity!”

She paced around the clearing, punctuating her words with hand gestures as she elaborated.

“We began by talking about the various plants because he had claimed to want knowledge about them, but his questions and responses were so silly that I could see it had just been a ruse to get me outside. I was already upset with you for not listening to my warnings, and I did not take well to the idea of being duped by him, especially if he had brought me out as a favour to his friend, which I highly suspected was the case, so I said as much. I told him that I thought doing favours for friends was difficult even under the best of circumstances, especially when said friends do not fully appreciate one’s good intentions.”

Holly paused then, giving Lizzy a moment to realise she had used the plural form of friend before she continued with her tale.

“Lord Brougham responded that he had indeed disappointed his friend somehow and was now trying to make amends for it so that he could avoid his wrath! To which of course I sympathised with him, for Mr. Darcy is a vulgar ogre if I ever saw one, even if you will not agree!”

Elizabeth’s look was one of opposition and defiance at that, but Holly only shrugged.

“Well, I was upset! So I gave him my opinion of his friend in no uncertain terms, and he seemed very understanding as he leaned against the fountain right next to where I was standing, agreeing with my every thought about the matter, and he seemed to actually move closer when I said his friend was an ogre… and he was looking so intently at me… Before I knew what I was doing, my face darted up to his and I kissed him!”

“What happened then, Holly? You said he kissed you back?”

“Oh, he most certainly did! At first it was sort of pleasant. I suppose that is why I thought he desired it, since he did not pull away, and I did not mind the sensation so very much, until he did the most disgusting thing!”

Lizzy put her hand on her cousin’s arm, full of concern. “What did he do, Holly?”

“He put his tongue in my mouth! I could not believe it!”

“Oh…” was all Lizzy replied.

“Indeed! I did not like it at all, so I slapped him! And I called him several choice things too, as well as compared him to his friend, who probably would attempt the same kind of behaviour with you if he could only drag you into a garden alone!”

She put her hands over her face, as if hiding her eyes could somehow make it all go away. She stayed that way for some time, during which Lizzy said nothing, giving her time to compose herself before she finally broke the silence.

“Holly,” her voice was gentle but hesitant. “Do you have feelings for Lord Brougham?”

She shook her head emphatically as she responded, “Why on earth would you even ask that question, Lizzy? You know how often I lose my temper with him.”

“Because it matters if you do. Both of us have had men lean in closely to us for one reason or another, but neither of us has kissed them simply because of their proximity. Forgive me for thinking it if I am wrong, but there must have been something more that led you to act on the impulse.”

“Believe me when I say that it is the one thing about it I am most ashamed of, that I followed that stupid impulse! For that is exactly what it was! Stupid!

“Lizzy, if only you would have listened to my warnings to you, then I would not have been so upset that I was not thinking clearly at the time. I blame you for being so stubborn!”

Lizzy’s incredulous laughter startled her.

“Holly, no matter how angry you were with me, I will not take responsibility for this, nor will I allow you such an easy way out of it. I did not move your face up to his, nor did I put your lips where they ended up!” Her smile softened her words somewhat. “Come now, think about it a trifle longer. What caused you to do it? Surely the answer is there within you if you only seek it out.”

Holly turned away for a moment, not completely convinced that it was not her cousin’s fault – at least a little. Sighing heavily, she turned back almost at once. “Well there is very little else it could have been since I assure you I do not have romantic feelings for him! I will admit to having felt a slight closeness to him in that instant, which was an improvement over the contempt I was used to, for his behaviour towards me has improved of late after all. In fact, at the moment it happened I was actually feeling the same pity for him that I was feeling for myself. After all, we both suffer at the hands of friends who do not treat us as they should or listen to us when we try to help them. He felt more an ally just then than the annoying man he usually is, and when he seemed to lean in and looked intently at me right after I had called his friend and ogre, I just did it!

“But now I only have regrets that the event ever occurred and worries about how I will face him again. I will not go back to work in his library! That is certain! I was supposed to go there today, but I did not of course. I am sure he did not mind that in the least.”

She stopped her rant and looked expectantly at Lizzy, who was now sitting on the boulder and staring intently at her.

“Well, say something, Lizzy! I know you want to.”

When her cousin only looked down and began examining some lichen that was growing there, Holly stomped her foot.

“Well, at least tell me you are convinced that I do not care for him in such a way!”

Lizzy turned her gaze to her once again. “Yes,” she breathed reluctantly, “I am certain now that you did not kiss him because you desire him. I think you kissed him for entirely different reasons.”

“So you agree with my reasoning, then?”

Lizzy paused before answering, as if weighing her words carefully. “I will begin by most emphatically declaring to you that Mr. Darcy is not an ogre, and I shall not sit still and listen to you repeat it. Please bear that in mind. Next, I believe it was, for you, as you said. You thought Lord Brougham sympathised with the plight you feel you toil under – that you both have the burden of an ungrateful friend – and having someone agree with your sentiments and seem to feel it too was very hard for you to resist.”

“Lizzy! I did not say that! Well, perhaps I did, but not in those words. I did not mean it quite like that. It is only lately that you grow so distant and have become so closed with your thoughts about things. I do not think you ungrateful, only…”

Lizzy quietly prodded, “Only what, Holly?”

Lizzy’s eyes were searching hers carefully, her gaze so intense that Holly had trouble returning it at first, but then her own indignation suddenly got the better of her. As much as she did not want to hurt her cousin, she knew she was right and could not refrain from saying so.

“Only that I think your behaviour lately is more foolish than my own has been.”

“Yes, I believe you see it exactly that way.”

“And you will not defend yourself? You agree?” Holly asked, half hopeful that Lizzy’s reticence was a sign that she was finally ready to listen to her and accept the truth about Mr. Darcy.

“It does not matter if I agree or disagree. Our situations are not ones that can be measured in degrees of foolishness, one against the other. They are not the same at all.”

Holly’s irritation was instant. “And yet you will say nothing to defend yourself? I find that odd, Lizzy.”

“Do you?”

There was a sense of both sadness and resignation that emanated from Elizabeth as she slowly moved from her seat and approached her, tenderly reaching up to smooth some stray hair from her forehead.

“ I find it rather untimely that I should worry about defending myself when we are discussing your current situation. It is clear to me that you feel your actions were spurred on by the frustrations you were feeling towards me. Even if it were possible to convince you otherwise about your own motivations – and I am certain it is not at this moment – would it expunge what happened to you or even alleviate your need to deal with the aftermath? Or would it only cause you more grief than you already feel now?”

She put her hand up to keep Holly from uttering the response that was on her lips.

“No, dear Holly, one small step at a time. It is the only wise course open to us at present. This is not about me as much as you might prefer it to be so. We must help you find a way through your current situation.”

“Lizzy, putting all other things aside, as much as it vexes me to do it, tell me how I could ever go back to Clyne again How could I face him? I will not!”

“Holly, I cannot make any judgments about Lord Brougham that I can fully trust at the moment. I have interacted very little with him and not very successfully at that. But there is a chance that he was just as surprised by his own actions in returning the kiss, and for putting his tongue in your mouth, that he blames himself and is just as embarrassed and mortified as you are. It is possible.”

She paused at the doubtful look on Holly’s face.

“You ask how you will face him again? Quite honestly, I think if he feels even remotely close to the way you do about it, he will choose to avoid you as well, whether inside his house or out of it. He is a man of some sense, or at least I hope that he is, for his friend seems to have faith in him. And if he is a thinking man at all, he will do just that.”

“The man will not even wish me to return. I know it. I will not be welcomed back after this. In fact I am sure I no longer have a job there, and Lizzy, as much as I dislike the thought, I do think I need to finish it, for Maman and I need the money!”

“I do not see that you have to decide immediately if you will go back or not. You should definitely wait for a few days at least if you absolutely decide you must return. But if it makes you feel any easier, I think you do still have a job there, and we shall see to it ourselves if necessary! Holly, you forget that he has just as much to worry about as you do. He will be happy to pretend it did not occur if you are willing to. After all, your mother could always have Monsieur Vian call him out, and you would not want that, would you?”

“No!” Holly was stunned and suddenly elated that she had not asked Monsieur Vian for that walk or got her mother’s attention with her moans. “Lizzy, that is exactly why I have to go back to Clyne. It is not only the money, but I would have to give Maman my reasons for leaving. Knowing her, she might even try to confront Lord Brougham herself, for very little daunts her.”

Holly’s face drained almost completely of colour as a new thought occurred to her.

“And it is not just the money, or Maman and Monsieur Vian that I need to consider. If I do not finish that library, word about it will travel. You know it will! And gossip will begin about what went wrong. They will remember that the last time I was seen with him was when the two of us were going out into the garden together. It will have been noted that he came back in alone and sent you outside, neither of us returning. Servants will talk, even if no one else does, and there were many present in the room at the tea.”

Holly gasped. She had been so wrapped up in her own misery that she had not thought about any of this until now. “But what if I do see him while I am there? Lizzy, I am already mortified it will happen.”

“Holly, if you truly must return, and I still urge you to think it over before you decide, I cannot imagine that you would see him at all if you gave his housekeeper a schedule of when you will be there and then stuck to it very diligently. Say only that he requested it so she will hand it over to him. That ought to take care of it. Then if you should see him by accident in the hall or something, you would meet him squarely on, with your head held high, and not show that you even recall there was a kiss. You will be yourself and you will do it proudly.”

Lizzy suddenly grinned. “You know, I think if you do have to talk to him, you might find something to argue with him about. It would serve him right for being there to begin with and keep him from repeating his wandering about when you are around!”

Holly’s mood brightened somewhat, and she gave a small grin at Lizzy’s last words. “Yes! That should do the trick! But, oh my, Lizzy, I do not know what I was thinking!”

Holly did not hear her cousin whisper, “I know.”

Lizzy lay in bed and fretted over her cousin. She was unhappy that Holly was now determined to return to Clyne, for she had repeated her resolve to do it shortly before she had drifted off to sleep. Lizzy had managed to convince her to wait a few more days but was unsure how to talk her out of it completely. Men, it seemed, even the ones that seemed trustworthy, were unpredictable in their actions when they made assumptions without checking the facts first. After all, Monsieur Vian had attempted things that she did not desire because he was under the wrong impression about her. Who knew what Lord Brougham was now thinking about Holly, especially since it was she who instigated the kiss that occurred between the two of them. He might assume that she was the type of woman who would not mind another. Monsieur Vian had thought she had been playing games with him, really desiring the thing she had said she did not want at all. What if Lord Brougham thought Holly was playing such games? She would need to speak to Mr. Darcy about his friend in the morning. Only then would she feel comfortable about it. If he had any doubts about Holly’s safety while working there, he would tell her the truth of it.

She sighed softly because she knew it was not just a matter of her cousin returning to Clyne or not. The issues that had caused Holly to act so irrationally were far from over, but how was she to help with the underlying problem if her cousin refused to see it for herself?

She had tried to tell Holly what she thought had caused her to kiss Lord Brougham, and even though Holly seemed to agree with her assessment, she was unwilling to see that it was not caused by their argument at the tea. Holly chose to blame Lizzy for it and was not willing to look deeper for an answer. To attempt to explain it to her would only have made things worse at that moment, Lizzy had known that intuitively. Had she chosen to defend herself and try to make Holly see the truth – that her underlying and unjustified feelings of jealousy about losing her to Mr. Darcy were at the root of it all – it would only have created more of a riff than already existed between them. Holly would never have agreed or believed it. In fact, Lizzy had tried to reassure her once before that she was not losing her to anyone, that she was still and would always be her friend, but her efforts had obviously not made a difference to Holly, for she had not taken what had been said to heart.

Knowing that Holly would only have continued to insist that she was wrong about Mr. Darcy, there was nothing she could have said today to change her mind that had not already been said before. Of course she could tell her everything that had occurred between herself and Mr. Darcy, going against her promise to him, but doing that was simply out of the question. Breaking her word, going against her very character even, and having her every private thought known was a high price to pay, especially when it would do nothing to solve the problem or soothe Holly’s worries about losing her to Mr. Darcy. It fact, it would only confirm them in her eyes instead.

And even if she was willing to tell all, and she most decidedly was not, she knew Holly would not keep any of it to herself. Keeping secrets from her mother was not something her cousin was physically capable of. In fact, Lizzy would be quite surprised if she did not end up sharing the news of the kiss with her mother, even with the knowledge that it would be far wiser and easier not to.

And thinking of that kiss, she could not help but wonder about Lord Brougham’s use of his tongue. Mr. Darcy had not done such a thing with her. Would he ever attempt it? She wondered if he had not done so because it was as unpleasant as Holly had proclaimed it, and he was sparing her from it. She had to admit that it did sound like a rather strange thing for someone to want to do. Maybe it was an accident and Lord Brougham had not meant to? That was quite possible. She stuck her own tongue out, wondering what one would do with it in someone else’s mouth, and she eventually drifted off with such thoughts still in her mind.

They met early, as usual, and had spent some time in each other's company already this morning. The day was uncommonly warm and sunny, and Darcy placed their blanket in the shade of a wide-branching tree. He leaned against its trunk, with Elizabeth nestled between his legs and in his arms. His main object at the moment was trailing his lips down the nape of her neck, which was favourably exposed to him. His kisses, mingled with whispered endearments, slowly proved successful in calming her worries that had been caused by his earlier explanation of the nature of the business with Tidwell that awaited him later that day. Satisfied with his achievement, he slowly turned his sweet nothings into a lazy banter until she seemed relaxed enough to partake of their breakfast.

She enjoyed her orange while she listened to him describe his morning and the trouble he had had getting that exact piece of fruit from Mrs. McLaughlin. It seemed that it was the last one in the house, and she had been saving it for Lord Brougham's breakfast. Lizzy laughed at his telling of the tale. She fed him a piece now as he finished his story.

“Thank you for working so hard to obtain it for us. It is delicious and worth the trouble. Is Lord Brougham the kind of man who will be upset that he will not have an orange this morning?”

Darcy lightly touched her fingers with his lips while taking the offered fruit, ascertaining for himself that, indeed, it was worth the morning deliberations with Brougham’s housekeeper. He sent her a most cunning smile before giving his answer.

“Certainly not. Brougham is usually obliging and patient with me. Actually, all of my friends can be characterised as having an easiness of conduct. Otherwise they would not bear me at all. Although I must return the kindness and respect the most uncommon ways of his household.”

“Is that to be my lot in life then, to be always easy so that I can bear you? Do you have any real notion of the kind of woman you have fallen in love with?”

Darcy kissed her nose, “Are you speaking of the woman who has tortured me for months before finally granting me the honour of becoming my wife? The very lady, whose every wish I am willing to fulfil as soon as she has spoken it out loud?”

Her eyes shone with merriment at him. “Exactly the one! But, pray tell, what is uncommon about the ways of Lord Brougham’s household? Do you mean the fierce way that Mrs. McLaughlin guards over her master’s oranges, or is there something out of the ordinary that you have not mentioned as of yet in her treatment of you and him?”

“My dear, as much as I love you, I truly hope you will not spoil our servants as Brougham has done with his. It is not about how Mrs. McLaughlin treats us, but that she is willing to serve us at all. Brougham’s people simply do not know their place. I often feel like I am staying in his housekeeper’s home rather than in his own. But I think that Brougham likes it that way. It is as if they are a replacement for his family.”

She pondered that for a moment, before replying. “You do not need to worry in my case. I know that I will be so busy spoiling you I will not have the time to spare performing the same favour for the servants. I shall begin now in fact.”

She turned in his arms and gently kissed the tip of his nose, working her way slowly across his cheek along his sideburns until she reached his ear, where she gently mixed her breath with gentle kisses to its lobe. She then transferred her attention to his lips to ensure they did not feel left out.

“I already approve of your priorities, Elizabeth,” Darcy whispered with a satisfied smile on lips that were eager to repay the debt they now owed hers.

“Mr. Darcy, can you tell me what makes a gentleman wish to kiss a woman?” she suddenly asked, interrupting his lips’ exploration of her neck.

Darcy smiled. “I think that the reasons are the same for a gentleman as for any other man. If a man is remotely attracted to a woman, he wishes to kiss her. However, a gentleman should not follow the impulse.”

“You will think me silly, but what does attraction mean to a man? Of course I know the meaning of the word from a woman’s perspective. Did you want to kiss me before you knew that you loved me?” She settled back against him again, resting her head below his chin.

Darcy smiled. “I wanted to kiss you almost as soon as I met you. My attraction to you was exceptionally powerful from the very beginning. But a man does not need a very strong attraction in order to want to kiss a woman. He may just think she is pretty, and it does not necessarily have to be combined with love. Actually, men are often attracted to women but rarely in love with them.”

“I am not sure I understand men very well then. Why would anyone want to kiss someone he did not love? I would not desire such a thing myself.”

Darcy sighed heavily. He could see how this conversation would become more and more complicated. He kissed her hair, and tightened his embrace around her body as if he wanted to make sure she would not try to escape after his answer.

“Elizabeth, men are not saints. We... our bodies have strong demands, and we have to apply the regulation of our minds in order to not follow them inappropriately. A man wants much more than a kiss from a woman, and women would live in constant danger if we did not regulate our behaviour. It does not have to be combined with love. Actually, and this probably is a strong testament against our sex, men are often much more interested in simply fulfilling their needs than in a woman herself. Of course, when they meet a woman whom they find uncommonly tempting, their needs become more focused on that particular woman than on any other. Still it does not have to mean that he is in love with her.”

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably but did not say a word. Darcy, who could not see her face to read it, decided that it would be better to say more than to speak too little.

“If you will allow, I would give you some examples. I think that Wickham was much more attracted to you than to your sister. However, he probably realised that you would never agree to as much as your sister might. In the end, he followed his needs rather than his sentiments. Fitzwilliam was strongly attracted to you as well. I truly disliked watching the two of you conversing at Rosings knowing what kind of thoughts he must have entertained. However, he wishes to marry for money, and I believe that only very strong feelings would have induced him to marry you and go against that wish. He was probably not in love if he did not propose, although I am certain he would have offered had your dowry been larger.”

Darcy buried his face in her hair. “Elizabeth, you are a very spirited lady, and you tempt many men. I must confess that I had entertained many not entirely proper thoughts about you from almost the very start. I love you more than my own life, but even I had originally thought it was nothing more than a very strong attraction. And I certainly will not be easy on any man who pays you more interest than I think is proper.”

“And since you now love me, you no longer entertain such improper thoughts about me?”

“I do,” he whispered. “More than ever. But I do not think them improper anymore. I hope I am perfectly entitled to have them now since you have agreed to marry me.”

“When you started to love me, and not just feeling attraction, how could you tell the difference?”

“I think it was love all along, only I could not define it back then. I never saw you just as a pretty lady. I was always interested in you. I wanted to know you better, learn your opinions and mind and allow you to learn mine. I wanted to know what you thought about me and to discuss my views with you. It was not long before I found myself pondering what you would say when I was making my judgements. But more than anything else, I wanted you to care for me and to be appreciated by you. And then I could not but wish for your love.”

She turned to him and encircled his neck with her arms, pulling him down for a long kiss. “I could not claim love so early, but I can safely say I spent a great deal of time and trouble wanting you to appreciate me. Even more than prove you wrong, I wanted you to see that I was right. I wanted you to admire my mind, even if you did not admire my beauty.”

“I did not fail to admire both. I could hardly take my eyes from you, or keep from thinking about you during long lonely hours each night. Your stay at Netherfield was my utmost defeat. I knew I was showing you far too much attention, and yet I could not help myself.”

“I am glad I did not know how much power I had over you. It would have only boosted my vanity.”

“You still have that power over me. Every day I desire you more.”

“But now you have the same power over me, and I would be miserable if I lost your affection.”

Darcy smiled. “There is no such a possibility. I still cannot stop thinking of you during my long lonely nights.”

“And by that you mean the thoughts that are no longer improper?”

“Exactly.”

She blushed and sat back in his arms again, smiling to herself as he nuzzled her ear. She felt some enlightenment come from what he had said, but she needed time to completely ponder it all. There was so much that was unfamiliar to her concerning such issues.

“It is all very interesting, and I thank you for being willing to share so openly with me. I think there is no better way to learn such things about men than from a man one trusts. Since I trust you,” she had turned her head and smiled at him, which he returned in full, along with a leisurely kiss on her lips.

When they parted, she grinned and began again. “As I was attempting to say before you attacked my lips with yours, since I trust you…” She giggled when he repeated the same manoeuvre in the middle of her sentence.

When his lips finally released hers a second time, she made a different beginning. “I have decided to dispense with the first part of my sentence, Sir, since you have heard it twice now, and it seems to have an odd effect on you.”

“Indeed, those words coming from you do affect me.” He hugged her closer to him.

Elizabeth ran her fingers along the arms that so lovingly held her and sighed contentedly.

“It should come as no surprise that I have more questions for you about men. These are about a particular man. Lord Brougham to be precise. Since he is your friend I would wish to know him better through your eyes. You said he had teased you about your feelings for me. Is he a man whose heart is easily touched when it comes to such a subject?”

Darcy smiled. “I do not believe he has ever been in love, nor do I think he really understands what it means to be under the power of such strong feelings. When I think back on it, I would have to say that he did not tease me as often as he attempted to give me completely inaccurate advice, and that was what had such an irritating effect on me. He assumed that since you were a reasonable woman and seemed to enjoy my company, those they were sufficient reasons for you to marry me. He did not understand that you might have been all of that and still not love me. Nor did he understand how much I cared about securing your deepest affection, not only your consent.”

“And if he gives such inaccurate advice as you say, does he also follow it himself. I mean might he behave in an unreasonable way concerning a woman without knowing it, or does he always treat them with respect?” She quickly added, “Discounting his telling me what he did about you, of course, for you explained why he did that.”

“I can see why you are confused about him, Elizabeth. I assure you he is a good man and he would never harm a woman or her reputation. In fact he goes to great lengths to help women in distress.” Darcy put his fingertips under her chin and turned her face towards his. “Have you heard something about him recently that you wish to specifically ask about?”

“Well, I was wondering if he has spoken to you about anything unusual happening to him of late. Say something that occurred on Sunday?”

“Might you mean something that happened during a walk in the garden with your cousin?”

“Precisely then. I wonder if you might tell me how he reacted to my cousin kissing him. Before you answer, you might like to know that she did not mean to, and she assures me that she does not wish to repeat the experience. In fact, she would like to forget it ever happened at all. I have told her I was certain he felt the same way and would surely cooperate in that respect.” She sighed softly. “But I said it to help ease her, and I need to know if I was right in saying it.”

“He will be discreet, I assure you. He is of the same mind about it and only told me because he felt he had no choice in the matter.”

“I also advised my cousin that he would not fire her from her job, if she still desires to keep it that is, and that he would manage to stay out of the library if he only knew when she was going to be working there, especially if she gave the housekeeper a schedule. Did I guess correctly in that as well?”

“Undoubtedly. He is a most cooperative man when there is a need for it.”

She hesitated before asking what she really needed to know. “And she will be safe? I mean he will not insist on thinking she wants something that she truly does not?”

He knew she was still shaken by her experience with Vian and now had doubts about men that were not there before. He squeezed her tightly, wishing he could undo what had been done that day.

“Elizabeth, you have my word on that.”

“That is a relief.”

She got up on her knees and turned in his lap so she could sit face to face with him. Putting her arms around his neck, she kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

“I wish to thank you for loving me as you do. I am so completely content that I cannot believe I ever truly knew the meaning of the word until recently. I may have thought I did, but I am now sure it was not so at all.”

He gave her a long partial look while his fingertips slowly traced the curves of her face. He placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer. When her gaze became as intense as his, he put a warm kiss on her lips. Other kisses soon followed that one, and they did not put any more serious thought to anything or anyone else for the rest of their morning together.

The gentlemen rode in silence. Darcy studiously avoided Vian’s unabashed gaze for the better part of the ride until the Frenchman finally spoke.

“Miss Bennet seems out of sorts lately. Have you tired of her?”

Darcy glared at Vian but was met only with a trifling smile. He then turned to the window again and ignored the question.

“Do not be so gloomy Darcy. I am just disappointed to see those sweet lips so devoid of a smile. You do not appear to have a good influence on her.”

Darcy sighed. “Would you mind?”

“Of course I would. I understand that she is enticing and likely inviting enough to flatter your senses. Oh, I shudder to even think what those two rosy lips and ten little fingers can do. But I hoped you would have enough decency to not overindulge yourself with her. It would be a pity to see that flower, now blooming with freshness and spring, ageing as your second mistress. Or are you even going to take care of her?”

Darcy’s glower did not falter this time as his eyes pierced through Vian. “I forbid you to talk about her in this manner.”

Vian smiled. “Why, Darcy, I am only calling a spade a spade. Those are the things you do with her, so what is wrong with frankness?”

“It is not frankness but your sick imagination.” Darcy strove to curb the anger growing within him.

“Come now, we have shared her in a way. Your unexpected return did interfere with my plans, but during the time she was left without your attention we were moving in a desired direction. I am sure your devoted friend told you how snugly she fit in my arms, and I do not need to ask what she tastes like because I have had the pleasure of her lips caressing mine while I cuddled her petite body in bed. It is so handy to have her so...”

He could not finish because his chin became immobilised by Darcy’s elbow pressing his neck against the wall of the carriage, cutting off his circulation. Vian looked into his offender’s eyes and saw fevered rage there. He gripped Darcy’s lapels and began to struggle, but Darcy, in his fury, only pressed harder, and Vian felt his consciousness begin to fade.

“Please…” he mouthed as his arms, losing their strength and failing in their efforts to extradite himself from his fate, fell down to his sides.

Darcy startled from his anger upon seeing Vian’s face become red and his eyes roll back in his head. Horrified by his own violence he released him and sat back, looking at the man who was now choking and massaging his neck.

Vian began to calm down and took several deep breaths. “Merde!” He took out his handkerchief and spit into it. “What has possessed you, Darcy?! You almost killed me!”

“You will not insult her again.” Darcy may have been shocked at his own action but was not remorseful.

“I never meant an insult to her!” Vian’s voice was hoarse. “I wanted to provoke you!”

“You can congratulate yourself on your success then.”

“I did not mean to provoke you to that, only to leaving her alone.”

Darcy watched Vian coolly. “I will never leave her, Vian. You will leave tomorrow. And now you will take back all the lies you told.”

“Oh, I did not lie, Darcy.” He looked at the other man, the anger on his face growing again. “Ask your friend if you do not believe me. Or better yet, ask her.”

“I would not insult her with an accusation of that kind.”

“Then you must live with it.” Vian leaned back in his seat and massaged his neck. The carriage slowed down and came to a stop in front of Downshire’s manor.

After Monsieur Vian had left to meet Mr. Darcy, the ladies of Rosefarm were hard pressed to occupy themselves in any lasting and meaningful way. Both her aunt and Holly were as quiet and introspective as she was herself, all of them worried about the safety of the men whose current actions were for their benefit. She consoled herself with the fact that Mr. Darcy had said he would not be in danger and would only accompany them to their destination, where he would then stay out of the way of the trained customs men who would do the actual apprehending of Mr. Tidwell, but she could not help worrying all the same that something might go wrong.

When she had finally given up on reading and needle point, she sat and softly played the music that Mr. Darcy had brought her from London while she tried to imagine their progress along the road. When she thought they might very likely have arrived at the coast her worries only increased, knowing that their trials were just beginning.

She tried to think of other things to keep her mind from what might come next, but the task was difficult. She grew restless and the room felt as if there was no longer enough air in it.

She left the parlour, slipped quietly outside and stood alone in the garden, breathing in the fresh, crisp air while her mind began to wander to this morning’s rendezvous. She cherished them very much. Just the two of them, enjoying nature’s beauty, where they felt so at ease their mutual sharing seemed as natural as breathing in the fresh autumn air. She hoped they would walk a lot together after they moved to Pemberley.

Pemberley. It was still difficult to believe it would be her home, and so very soon. She admired the old manor and its beautiful grounds. With the dearest of husbands at her side, she was sure it would not be long before she fell in love with the place and began to think of it as her true home, but it seemed so big, much different from the intimacy they shared now, and she hoped that would not alter at all when they changed locations.

She reflected on the things he had told her about how men think of women and their attraction to them. She had no real education in that area other than the discussions she sometimes shared with her sisters or Charlotte. Even those conversations had been based mostly on speculation and hearsay, and they had not gone very much beyond the surface of the topic.

Her mother would of course speak to her before her wedding night, thinking it her duty, but Lizzy had little hope that it would be very helpful. Mrs. Bennet would probably say the traditional thing about obeying her husband’s wishes and, knowing her mother, she would also add that her daughter should not ever complain, just as she herself never did, since it was a wife’s duty to submit. Lizzy did not think she would get any useful information there, and the mere fact that she would be expected to obey and to not complain was intriguing to her in and of itself. What did that mean exactly? Was there something she would not wish to obey, or would there be something to complain about? Lizzy did not know, but she could not imagine she would have anything to complain about where Mr. Darcy was concerned. She felt very close, protected and comfortable with him.

She silently cursed the fact that women were not allowed to know things that would be the most helpful to them. Her aunt might be forthcoming if she could only ask her, but that was impossible at present, and she was sure Mrs. Tournier would immediately build a very tall fence between herself and Mr. Darcy if she were to even broach the subject with her. She sighed to herself at the image, wishing it did not have to be the way it was where her aunt was concerned.

And yet Mr. Darcy seemed willing to speak openly with her. She hoped it would extend beyond the surface of the topic, as he was her only hope at understanding why her body felt the way it did when she was close to him. It was comforting though, that the things he had said suggested that he had such feelings as well. She knew that the kisses were not all that he would wish from her, only she did not know when this would change. The prospect did not frighten her, but it did make her stomach flutter somewhat. He would be understanding and patient. She was sure of that, and he would use self-control as well, never pushing things beyond what was right for them both. Yet she wanted to know more – actually needed to know more of what to expect.

She suddenly realised that if she wished to know anything of substance before her wedding night, it would of necessity need to come from Mr. Darcy. He was her best hope for it, but she did not know how much he would be willing to share, or how on earth she would have the nerve to ask such questions. Yet if she were to be married to this man, she certainly would not begin their life together to timid to speak what was foremost in her thoughts, especially if what was contained there had something to do with them as a couple. They had been very open in their talks so far, and she hoped to continue along that path.

The very idea of their future together led her directly back to his current situation. Her worries over his safe return, never far from the surface of her thoughts, came back to the forefront. She shivered slightly as she watched the last weak rays of the setting sun disappear over the horizon. Her prayer on behalf of all the men who went on that errand to the seaside was long and heartfelt.

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore, combined with the sight of the moonlight drawing a path across the ocean’s surface all the way to the horizon, was enough to take one’s breath away if there had been the time or inclination to stop and take it in. But their party had not come for pleasure, and so the view went un-noted by all of them except perhaps Darcy, who now found himself in a position with plenty of time to contemplate it if he were so inclined. However, the circumstances of having a gun cocked and aimed at his back, and the need to pick his footing carefully as he moved along the rocks, did not exactly put him in the proper mood to appreciate it, especially since he highly suspected he was the only one of their party who knew that something had gone horribly wrong with their plan.

It had all begun well. The ship had been due to anchor two hours after sunset and they had arrived at the coast just before dusk, stopping some distance from the designated spot so they would not be spotted by Tidwell’s men if they had arrived there before them. They left one man behind to watch over their equipage and horses before making their way quietly on foot the rest of the way. Downshire, whose main function was to officiate in the arrest, positioned himself on a vantage point well away from the prospective action, keeping Darcy and Vian with him. One of his senior men deployed the others in strategic locations along the shoreline. The plan was to catch Tidwell red-handed with the contraband goods and arrest him so there was no way he might claim he was only on a mission to apprehend smugglers himself.

They waited for any sign of Tidwell’s crew, but neither heard nor saw anything that told of their arrival. This fact seemed to astound Downshire, who had somehow expected them to blatantly come riding along the road in excited anticipation of their expected bounty, and it took a whispered and concerted effort on Vian’s part to quiet his friend’s worries and convince him that Tidwell was not entirely without sense, or he would have been caught long before this.

When a ship was at last sighted parallel to the shoreline, a light was suddenly exposed and then hidden twice in quick succession on the beach almost directly below them, and Darcy heard Downshire’s breath catch in surprise at how close the man who had made it actually was to them. It was obviously the all-clear signal for the ship to drop anchor, because shortly afterwards dinghies were lowered off the side and the silhouette of cargo could be seen being loaded into them. When the boats reached shore they were met by a small group of men who appeared seemingly out of nowhere from the shadows of the rocky hillside, and the boxes and barrels were being quickly off loaded and carried off into the darkness with a speed and efficiency that could only come from long experience.

At this point, knowing that his men had the smugglers surrounded and should be moving in at any moment for the arrest, Downshire, began to quietly but confidently make his way down the hillside towards their location, being careful to stay out of their line of sight or fire. Vian rolled his eyes, which spoke volumes about his opinion of his friend’s current judgement and lack of experience in such a situation. Darcy only shrugged his shoulders at him in reply. Vian then shook his head and reluctantly followed, but not before first touching his hand to the hilt of the gun he wore at his belt, as if to reassure himself that it was still there.

Darcy stayed put, peering at the scene below and debating about the wisdom of following them, when he suddenly felt the cold metal of the gun barrel at his temple. He froze in place, realising that there were at least two of them when one man quickly came into view a few yards off to his right while the gun barrel was being roughly moved to the back of his head by the same man who also relieved him of the gun in his belt. He was given a signal to start moving down towards the shoreline, and the directions for any turns he was to make were given by a push on one side or the other of his back with the end of the gun, but not a word was spoken. When they came around the corner of an outcropping where another path met theirs, he was almost knocked off the side and into the ocean by the very man they had left behind with the horses, who grinned widely at him before continuing along the path carrying a barrel of cognac on his shoulder. Darcy was forced to follow behind him at a distance until they reached a cave opening that was barely discernable in the cliff-side where it jutted out over the ocean.

Once far enough inside to see by the torch light that lit the scene, he was greeted by another familiar face. Tidwell’s sly, cocky smile punctuated his good humour.

“Mr. Darcy, what a pleasure to meet you here. I was told your French friend was with you as well? Where is he?”

He looked at the man behind his captive and listened to his explanation of how Darcy had been the only one found at the top of the hill.

“No matter. We’ll have him soon enough.”

Darcy’s glare was made to appear even harsher by the dim torchlight bouncing off of the uneven cave walls. “You will not escape. You must know that.”

Tidwell pulled out his gun and pointed it at his prisoner, giving Darcy his full attention while one of his men was busy tying his hands behind his back.

“Certainly I will, especially if there are no witnesses. We have them all you know. Downshire has no idea who I have in my employment, and we received the warning that you were here shortly before our arrival. We surrounded all of his men just before the ship was signalled, and they are being rounded up even as we speak.”

Darcy was incredulous at Tidwell’s capacity for violence. “You will murder all of these men when you could have simply left the scene and came again another night?”

He laughed in response. “That would hardly be helpful if Downshire knows of my activities, now would it? It would put an end to them altogether and force me to relocate, and I quite like it here. But I would like to thank you for coming along for the ride this evening. You provide me with the added benefit of removing any obstacles that stand between certain pleasurable pursuits and myself. It was very thoughtful of you.”

He gave Darcy a side look and smiled at him, “So, how is the lively Miss Bennet, Darcy?”

Darcy ignored the obvious provocation and looked away. There was nothing more he wished to discuss with this man.

Tidwell laughed again and gave instructions for a man to watch Darcy while he and Gordon exited into the obscurity of the night. Darcy was pushed onto the ground against a wall in a corner, where he remained quite still, his eyes taking in everything they could about the scene, hoping for something useful to reveal itself.

Occasionally men came in and out, bringing in barrels of cognac or armagnac and bolts of silk, all of which were piled up against the far wall at the end of the cave to his left. He recalled Brougham’s hidden stash of armagnac and realised exactly where it had come from, although his friend had not had any real hint of its origin. He smiled bitterly as he thought of the expression the knowledge would bring to his friend’s face if he were to learn of it and see where he was now. As his eyes continued to peruse the room they came to rest on the only other thing left to see in the cavern besides Tidwell’s man, which was about twenty kegs of gunpowder stacked against the wall directly opposite to him. It was then that he heard sounds of musketfire and shouts in English and French coming from the shore below them. Hope grew as he realised at least some of Downshire’s men were not being taken without a fight, but time seemed to pass far too slowly. His guard kept an even closer eye on him, nervously fidgeting with the trigger on his gun when a shot was heard almost directly outside the cave opening.

“Vite! Nous avons besoin de vous aux barques.” Darcy turned to see Vian at the entrance to the cave, his arm supporting himself as he leaned against the wall, seemingly catching his breath after having run all the way up the hill to deliver the message to Tidwell’s man that he was needed at the boats. Darcy immediately began to stir and attempted to rise when it appeared his guard was scrutinising the messenger’s un-sailor-like clothing a little too closely. His actions, as intended, caused the man to turn towards him to investigate, which allowed Vian the opportunity to hit the man’s head hard with the butt of his pistol. After checking to assure himself that he was indeed was out cold, he tucked his gun into his belt, its ball spent before he had even entered the cave.

“Just so you know,” he stated very clearly as he rapidly worked to untie Darcy’s hands, “I am only doing this for her.”

“I will remember to thank her.”

Tidwell rushed in as they turned to make their exit, raising his gun to fire at them the instant he took in the situation, but his aim went astray when Gordon bumped into him from behind. The ball whizzed between their heads and into a barrel of cognac, sending it’s amber liquid gushing out in a stream that slowly made its way across the uneven cave floor towards the gunpowder stacked there. His gun now empty, Tidwell threw it, hitting Vian on the head, the impact taking him to his knees.

Tidwell lunged at Darcy, swinging wildly when he came close enough. One of his fists crashed into a crate when Darcy easily avoided it, aiming a blow of his own which connected loudly with Tidwell’s nose. His response was immediate. He barrelled into Darcy with a body slam that sent them both flying against the cave wall, a mass of silk and casks showering down on them. Darcy recovered sooner, and managed to pin Tidwell’s arm behind his back. Hardly willing to give in, Tidwell pushed Darcy backwards until he was forced to loosen his grip to avoid putting his own head directly into a torch. Tidwell twisted around and elbowed Darcy in the stomach hard enough to make him let go completely. Grabbing Darcy by the arm, he flung him against the wall and into the stack of gunpowder, where he landed in a heap. Quickly getting up, he met Tidwell as he came at him again, and sent him sprawling to the ground with a fist to his chin.

While Tidwell was exchanging blows with Darcy, his cohort had taken a run at Vian, aiming a kick at his torso that took him the rest of the way to the ground, finishing the job that the blow on his head had started. Gordon then looked for an opening to aid Tidwell in his fight, but the two men were locked in a battle that was difficult to enter, crashing into crates and knocking over barrels as they fought their way around the small area. When Tidwell’s arm caused a torch to fall from its sconce and land on a bolt of silk, Gordon saw the danger of the imminent explosion as the flames licked their way toward the spilled cognac now covering the ground all the way to the gunpowder. He attempted to put the fire out, but to no avail, and so instead grabbed Darcy from behind and pulled him off of his friend before snatching Tidwell himself out of the cave.

Darcy, breathing hard, looked around and quickly worked out the danger as well, seeing the flames already well on their way to their final destination. Vian was beginning to stir where he lay on the floor, moaning as he tried to rise up on his knees. Darcy made his way over to him, then half dragged and half carried him out, taking them both over the side and into the ocean just inches ahead of the ball of fire that came out of the cave’s mouth behind them.

Tidwell was the closest to shore, and when he reached it he grabbed an abandoned musket and shot at the closest target in the water. Vian groaned and began to go under. Darcy swam to him, diving down in the last place he had seen him, feeling about in the inky black water for anything he could grab a hold of. His hand came upon cloth, and he tugged it with him back to the surface, towing Vian by his collar to shore, where he found his own people had surrounded Tidwell and Gordon.

Vian coughed and sputtered, then finally opened his eyes. Slowly coming to his senses, he fixed his gaze on Darcy before he managed to utter, “Was that for her?”

“No. It was for me.”

Downshire took charge of the situation, arresting the smugglers while Darcy sent one of his own men to bring the carriage to the road above them while the others carried Vian up the side of the hill to meet it. As they climbed, Nichols told Darcy how they had observed Downshire’s man after everyone else had left. He had seemed to grow more nervous and fidgety as the hours passed, until he finally made some excuse to leave them, saying he would return shortly. Suspicious, they followed him and were able to warn most of Downshire’s men before they could be captured. Their only regret was that they had not reached Darcy himself in time, since they could find no one who could tell them where he was watching from until they found Downshire himself. Darcy forestalled their continued and profuse apologies, assuring them that he was certain they had done all he could have expected, and thanked them for their rapid arrival to the scene in front of the cave.

His carriage began to slowly roll down the rough road, while he took Vian’s jacket off and tore open his shirt, removing the wet thing entirely since it only got in the way of finding where he had been wounded. He located a nasty hole in the Frenchman’s shoulder, which was the apparent cause of all of the blood that now covered the man’s left side. He used one blanket to cover him and put another over the wound, pressing down on it with his hand, hoping to somehow make the flow stop. There was too much blood.

“I will get you home. Just stay with me.”

Vian strove to keep his eyes open, but if he closed them for too long Darcy felt the need to reassure himself that his patient was still breathing. It was not just the wound, but the large bump on his head that had him worried as well. During one of those frequent checks, the trace of a faint smile showed itself on the wounded man’s lips.

“You know, Darcy…”

“Yes?” he prompted when it seemed he had drifted off again.

“I hate Scotland.”

“Do you miss home?”

“I miss the forests, the lawns, the warm ocean. I miss my family.”

Darcy tried to keep him awake with conversation, but his mind often drifted off.

“Elizabeth.” Darcy heard him whisper. “Elizabeth… Take my hand.”

Darcy sighed, and peaked under the blanket to see if the bleeding had slowed, he could not be certain, but he thought there seemed to be less of it flowing now.

He rummaged under the seat and found a change of clothing. He had a lot of blood on himself from tending Vian, and it would not do for Elizabeth to see him that way before he could explain what had happened and that he was not hurt as well.

He checked on Vian again. The man felt feverish, and so Darcy soaked a towel with water and applied it to his forehead. When Vian was alert enough to talk, Darcy tried to keep his spirits up with bits of conversation until they finally reached Rosefarm.

Mrs. Tournier opened the door, and rushed to the side of her wounded nephew as he was brought in by Darcy’s men. The dark signs under her eyes indicated she had not yet slept that night. Light footsteps were soon heard on the staircase, and Darcy singled out the slim figure of Elizabeth. She took in the scene and rushed into his arms. She began to cry, releasing the fear that she had strove to hold back during the long night’s wait.

He brushed away her hair from her ear and bent to whisper, “I am well, Elizabeth.”

She clung more tightly to him, still weeping.

He enveloped her in his embrace, his hands stroking the thin fabric of her nightgown in soothing motions.

“Elizabeth!” Mrs. Tournier shouted from the middle of the stairs. The look on her face showed her obvious displeasure and impatience with the scene.

“I think she is in shock, Madam,” Darcy answered calmly.

“There is no place for that!” She snapped and then turned to lead the men carrying her nephew to his room.

“Elizabeth, we have a long night ahead of us and I shall need your help,” Darcy whispered.

“Eliza! Come here and help!” Mrs. Tournier’s voice coming from upstairs was firm, brooking no opposition.

Elizabeth reluctantly left his embrace and quickly led him up the stairs.

This story is written by Laura and Sylwia, and they own full © copyrights to it.

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