Chapter 163
William floated up to consciousness slowly, roused by a tickling sensation in the general vicinity of his chest. His eyelids fluttered open and he sighed in utter contentment. His wife—apparently he was still intent on working that word into every thought—hovered over him.
She was a delectable sight, her cleavage revealed by the plunging neckline of her gown, her tangled hair cascading down onto his chest, a gleam in her eye that he recognized. “Good morning, Mr. Darcy,” she whispered.
“Good morning to you, Mrs. Darcy.”
She lowered her head for a slow, gentle kiss that was followed by another, and then another. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close, his body springing to life with breakneck speed. Anxious to feel her body against his, he slipped the straps of her nightgown from her shoulders. It seemed odd that he didn’t recognize the gown; he must have whipped it off her body so quickly last night that he hadn’t even noticed the delicate, nearly transparent white garment. But wouldn’t he have seen her in it, albeit briefly, in the dim light of the candles surrounding the bed? And as lovely as she looked, wouldn’t he have remembered it?
Her lips anointed his torso as her hands drifted lower, sliding over his boxer shorts. He wondered momentarily why he was wearing the boxers—he never put them back on after making love. But then the truth crashed through his sensual haze. “Oh, no!” he cried. “I can’t believe I did that.”
She sat up and stilled her ministrations. “Can’t believe you did what?” Yet her pursed lips indicated that she might know the answer.
“I fell asleep before you came to bed, didn’t I? On our wedding night.”
She nodded, making no effort to hide her grin. “’Fraid so.”
He didn’t understand her obvious amusement. If she hadn’t even managed to stay awake until he came to bed on their wedding night … no, he wouldn’t have found it funny at all. “Lizzy, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She stroked his hair. “We were both tired.”
“But on our wedding night ….” He shook his head. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“Because, Mr. Darcy,” she murmured, her hands in motion again, “you looked so peaceful that I couldn’t bear to disturb you. And I figured we’d enjoy ourselves even more after a good night’s sleep.”
“Let’s test that theory.” He pulled her close and kissed her, passion blossoming between them until she was writhing against him.
“Oh, Mr. Darcy,” she moaned in a breathy tone, nipping his ear.
He grinned. “I know you’re being funny, but actually, that was kind of sexy.”
“Is that so, Mr. Darcy?” Her smile was full of wicked promise.
Elizabeth nestled in William’s arms, her embarrassment disturbing the ambrosial aftermath of their lovemaking. “Mrs. Shepherd must have heard me. How will I ever look her in the eye?”
He chuckled, stroking her hair. “You have nothing to worry about. The Shepherds are on their way to the ‘Bennet mansion’ by now.”
“What?” She raised her head from his chest and stared at him, uncomprehending.
“I extended the rental on the house for a few days. The Shepherds’ daughter and grandchildren are going to join them for a little vacation. I thought it was a good way to thank her for everything she did for us, with the side benefit that it would give us some privacy. And since your parents had such an early flight home, it all worked out perfectly.”
“Mr. Darcy, you are a genius!”
“I’m glad you think so, Mrs. Darcy.” He cocked an eyebrow. “I assume this counts as a social situation?”
She rolled her eyes. “We covered this last night, smart aleck. You don’t have to call me Ms. Bennet-Darcy in our bedroom.”
He grinned. “Glad to hear it. As I was saying, they were planning to leave here as soon as Mrs. Shepherd fixed our breakfast—it’s probably downstairs waiting for us. I convinced her that with the leftovers from the reception, we’d have plenty to eat for lunch and dinner, and besides, we can go out.”
“So we’re alone in the house until Tuesday?”
He nodded, his grin smug. “And we have a date with the swimming pool this evening.”
“Swimsuits optional?”
“Swimsuits forbidden.”
With a deep, contented sigh, she rested her head on his chest. “We’re going to be happy, aren’t we?”
“Definitely.”
“I suppose every newlywed couple thinks so. But in our case, I think we really will be.”
“Then it’s decided.”
He resumed stroking her hair, and she relaxed into the familiar comfort of his body against hers. Outside, birds were chirping their morning songs, and she heard a dog barking—perhaps walking on the beach below with its owner.
“Lizzy?”
“Hmm?”
“About my falling asleep last night. You can never tell Richard.”
She snickered. “Right, because I regularly discuss our sex life with your cousin.”
“But the thing is, the night before the wedding, he was teasing me about being too tired to perform on our wedding night. If he knew that it really happened ….”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be our secret.”
They fell silent again, exchanging gentle caresses and soft kisses.
“So what do you think? Is marital sex better than premarital sex?” Elizabeth hadn’t meant to voice the question she’d been contemplating, but it was too late to pull the words back.
“So far, I’d say it’s at least as good, but I’m going to need to collect more data before I can draw any conclusions.”
“Mmm,” she murmured. “Sounds like my kind of scientific research … Mr. Darcy.”
“Seriously? He bought you a house?”
Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana. “A beautiful house.” They had lowered the partition between their seats so they could talk during the long flight from New York to Milan.
“But you haven’t seen it yet.”
“We’re going out to San Francisco to see it when we get home from this trip, and then we’ll make the final decision. But Jane toured it and took photos and a video and told me all about it, and it seems perfect. And just wait till you see the view of the city from the back of the house.” Elizabeth felt like bouncing up and down in her seat. As much as she was looking forward to seeing Italy, she also couldn’t wait to finish the trip and head for California to see the house.
“I kept asking him what he was gonna give you but he was being all mysterious.” Georgiana paused. “Does that mean you’re moving out there? Can I come with you?”
Elizabeth almost smiled at the eager note in Georgiana’s voice. “If we were moving now, you could absolutely come with us. But although we might move there eventually, it won’t be for at least a few years, and you’ll be in college by then.”
“Oh.” After a pause, Georgiana continued. “It would be cool to live there, but I guess it’s better to wait, like, till Gran figures out her whole deal with Florida and stuff.”
“Also, you and I have the foundation and the school music grant program; we’re just getting started, and New York is the perfect place for it.”
Georgiana nodded. She glanced past Elizabeth and across the aisle to where William reclined in his seat by the window. “Looks like he’s asleep.”
“That’s good. He’s going to be busy once we get there, rehearsing while we play tourist.” Sleep had been well down the list of activities of interest to William during their short honeymoon at Pemberley, and he was paying the price now.
Georgiana continued. “And then I want to get panzerotti for lunch at a little place nearby. It’s on the other side of this big shopping gallery.”
“Panzerotti?”
“They’re sort of like calzones. The guidebooks said we should try them.”
“It sounds like you’ve got the day well planned. Remind me; when are we seeing The Last Supper?”
“Saturday morning, with Will. He especially wanted to do that. Though I think maybe we should go back to the Duomo afterwards, so he can see the gargoyles, too.”
After hearing tales of nonchalant teenagers abroad, it thrilled Elizabeth that Georgiana was not only excited about the trip but had developed a list of the sights to see in each city. Elizabeth, fully occupied with wedding plans, had been pleased to have a travel partner willing to do the research. William had offered to hire a guide to escort them, but Georgiana, with a degree of hauteur that rivaled any expression Rose had ever worn, had insisted that she didn’t need help.
“I think Rome is going to be even cooler than Milan,” Georgiana continued, her eyes sparkling. “We’ve learned some stuff about ancient Rome in school and I want to see the Colosseum and the Forum.” She continued in a pensive tone. “And of course, there’s … well, my grandmother and aunt and … you know.”
“Are you looking forward to meeting them?”
“I guess so. But I’m kind of scared, too.”
“Scared? Why?”
“Well, what if they don’t really want to meet us but they’re just being polite? I mean, Mamma ignored them after she moved to New York. They might hate us, or just think we’re really rude.”
“They don’t hate us. Your Aunt Valentina said in her email that they were excited to finally meet you, and to put an end to the sadness of the past.”
It had been a sad situation, indeed. From what Elizabeth had managed to glean from conversations with William and Sonya, along with the recent email from Valentina Rossini, Anna’s parents had forbidden their daughter to marry Edmund Darcy; they believed that she should stay in Italy and were convinced—correctly, as it turned out—that he would take her to the United States. Anna had defied them, and although she had stayed in touch while she remained in Italy, an acrimonious scene had erupted when she announced her plan to accompany Edmund to New York. She had broken off all contact with her family, ignoring her mother’s letters and phone calls until finally they stopped. Elizabeth suspected that Anna had been too proud to confess her misstep in marrying Edmund; what a shame that she hadn’t sought her family’s support when it might have meant the most, both to her and later to her children.
After Anna’s death, Sonya had located Anna’s mother and conveyed the sad news. Mrs. Forlini had written to William, but in his anguish over his mother’s death, the grieving fifteen-year-old had never answered the letter despite Sonya’s occasional prompting in the weeks that followed.
“And what if they laugh at us when we try to speak Italian?” Georgiana asked, interrupting Elizabeth’s reverie. The pair had taught themselves a small amount of Italian in preparation for the trip, but their ability to speak and understand the language was minimal.
“They won’t laugh. Much. And if they do, it’ll probably be at me. Your accent is better than mine; at least, that’s what William says.” This was a sore point with Elizabeth, who had studied Italian diction as part of her vocal training.
“Good point,” Georgiana retorted. “You’ll make me look good.”
“What did you decide about the diary?” They had discussed this subject at length the night before.
“I brought it, but I kind of get what you were saying, about it being Mamma’s private thoughts, and maybe she wouldn’t want anybody reading it.” Georgiana shifted in her seat, biting her lip. “Maybe when I meet them, I’ll know what I should do.” She glanced toward the front of the cabin and her eyes lit up. “Ooh, it looks like they’re starting to serve dinner. Thank goodness; I’m starving.”
Elizabeth found the girl’s mercurial nature endlessly fascinating, if sometimes maddening. For herself, she was more sleepy than hungry. She typically didn’t sleep well on airplanes, but tonight, with her plush seat that lowered almost into a bed, might prove to be an exception.
Their suite at the Bulgari Hotel in Milan was the most beautiful place Elizabeth had ever seen. With two large bedrooms and a private roof garden off the living room with 360-degree views of the city, it exceeded all her expectations. She found herself wandering around in awe, goggling at the sleek Italian furnishings and the stunning views out every window.
William had only enough time for a quick nap and a shower before heading to his first rehearsal at Teatro Alla Scala, the famed opera house where his concerts would be held. “I’m going to get out of your way while you nap,” Elizabeth said as he plopped down onto the bed, “You’ve got little enough time as it is.” She leaned over to kiss him.
He grabbed her and pulled her down beside him. “I bet we can figure out something else to do that would be much more fun.”
She wriggled out of his arms and jumped to her feet. “You mean, that thing that always makes you so sleepy afterwards? Bad idea.” She blew him a kiss. “I’m heading out to the roof garden. Sleep well—and quickly.”
“Wake me up in half an hour, okay?”
Elizabeth seated herself on a cozy sofa out in the garden. She closed her eyes, smiling as the morning sun warmed her face. She envied William’s ability to take restorative “power naps,” as he called them; any daytime nap left her feeling fuzzy and slow for the rest of the day. Besides, she had read that the best way to get over jet lag was to stay busy and get plenty of sunlight.
She heard footsteps approaching and opened her eyes. It was Georgiana, who joined her on the sofa. “Where’s Will?” she asked.
“Taking a nap.”
“But he slept on the plane.”
“He was really tired before the flight. I don’t think whatever sleep he got on the way over was enough.”
“I guess you didn’t get much sleep on your honeymoon,” Georgiana said with a smirk. “Richard said he figured you’d probably have sex all day and all night.”
“Georgie!” Elizabeth felt her cheeks growing warm. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
Georgiana shrugged. “I was just telling you what Richard said.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have said it either, especially not to you.”
“He didn’t.” Georgiana heaved a sigh. “I overheard him saying it to Charlotte. But it’s not like I didn’t already know that you and Will have sex. I’m not stupid and I’m not a baby.”
“I realize that. But—”
“And I thought you and Will believed Gran was too old-fashioned, thinking everybody should wait to have sex till they got married, and pretending there’s no such thing as sex, and stuff like that.”
Elizabeth gnawed her lip before she replied. Finally, she nodded and said, “I’m not embarrassed that you know that Will and I are … intimate. It would be strange if we weren’t, now that we’re married. And people tend to assume that newlyweds spend a lot of their honeymoon in bed, so that’s what Richard was joking about. But it’s just ….” She paused and took a breath. “Georgie, sex is a very private thing to many people. It’s not appropriate to ask someone about their love life unless you’re sure that they’re willing to share that sort of thing with you.”
“I thought we were getting really close, and that I could ask you anything.”
“We are, and you can … well, almost anything. But it’s complicated. You and I are sisters and good friends, but I’m also your guardian, which is a little bit like being your parent. Would you have wanted your mother to tell you about her sex life? Or your grandmother?”
“Eww, no!” Georgiana shuddered and grimaced, clearly overreacting, but Elizabeth was glad to see that she had made her point.
“All right, then. Let’s consider my private relationship with Will to be in the same category, okay?”
Georgiana sighed. “Okay. I get it.”
“But we can talk about sex in a more general way, any time you want, if you have questions or concerns or ….” Elizabeth offered her a smile she knew must have looked awkward.
Georgiana sat in silence for a time, and Elizabeth scanned the horizon. She was about to ask if they should head out to explore the city when Georgiana spoke. “Actually, there is something I’ve been wondering about.”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and waited, wearing what she hoped was an encouraging expression.
“Well, I’m going to be sixteen next week, and most of the girls I know are already having sex; they talk about it a lot. So what’s wrong with me that I’m not? Doing it with somebody, I mean.”
Elizabeth wished Georgiana’s first question about sex had been simpler, but she had invited the conversation and would have to do her best. “First of all, just because some girls claim to be having sex doesn’t mean that they are. Sometimes both girls and boys pretend they’re more experienced than they are, hoping they’ll seem cool.”
“Courtney has sex. Like, a lot of it, with a lot of different guys.”
“Again, maybe she does, and maybe she doesn’t. She may have been telling stories to impress you.”
“She even went to some guy’s apartment over Spring Break, someone she just met, and had sex with him.”
Not for the first time, Elizabeth gave silent thanks for the gulf that had opened between Georgiana and Courtney. “It sounds like she’s behaving in a reckless, and frankly stupid, manner, just like she did with the shoplifting. Please don’t take her behavior as an example of what’s right or normal.” She paused. “Do you understand all the possible consequences of having sex if you’re not prepared?”
“Well, I mean, I know you can get pregnant, but Courtney’s on the pill.”
“That’s just one thing. Does she make the guys wear condoms?”
Georgiana shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I hope she does; the pill won’t protect her against STDs.”
Georgiana shrugged again, studying her hands, but otherwise didn’t respond.
“And it’s not just the physical issues, although they’re a big deal. You can get very badly hurt—emotionally, I mean—if someone convinces you to have sex before you’re ready, and then you find out ….” Elizabeth stopped and swallowed hard before continuing. “Well, if you find out they don’t care about you after all.” She paused. “Have you discussed this with your therapist?”
Georgiana nodded. “A little. She said a lot of the same things.”
“Good. Now, as for why you aren’t having sex yet, as I said, I suspect a lot of your classmates aren’t either, regardless of what they say. But that’s not what matters. The important thing is, do you think you’re ready?” Elizabeth could imagine only one correct answer to this question, but she felt it was better to ask it than to make assumptions.
“I guess not, but how will I know when I am?”
Elizabeth put her arm around Georgiana’s shoulders and was pleased when the girl moved an inch or two closer. “There are plenty of opinions on the subject, but I think it’s important to be an adult in a strong, loving relationship before you start having sex. Your grandmother would say that I’m too permissive, that you should wait for marriage. But some people would consider my view hopelessly old-fashioned.”
“Like Charlotte. She used to sleep with a lot of guys before she was with Richard.”
“How do you know that?” Elizabeth asked, trying but failing to suppress a nervous little laugh.
Georgiana scoffed. “From stuff she and Richard say to each other sometimes. And Richard … well, I’ve overheard him telling Will some of his stories.”
“Yes, Richard was pretty wild before he fell for Charlotte.”
“And Will used to spend the night with his girlfriends sometimes. Not as often as Richard, but … well, you know.”
“Yes, I know.” Elizabeth pursed her lips and eyed Georgiana, her brow lowered. “I still remember when you pointed out some of his exes at the Christmas party.”
“Oh, jeez,” Georgiana wailed, cringing, “I was such a bitch to you that night.”
“Yeah, you were, a little.” They chuckled together, grinning at each other.
“Here’s my theory, Georgie. When you love the other person and you know they love you, and you both feel that you’re ready, that’s when it’s time. Until then, it’s much smarter to wait.”
Georgiana nodded, her frown thoughtful. “Is that when you and Will—oops, I’m not supposed to ask stuff like that.”
“That question, I’ll answer. Yes, that’s when we became intimate. And it was the perfect time.”
“Did he think so, too?”
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “To be honest, he was ready before I was. But he respected my feelings and waited. Someone who loves you—really loves you—will do that.”
“But it could be years before I find someone like that.”
”Oh, sure,” Georgiana replied with a snicker. “He’s probably up on the Duomo roof right now waiting for us.”
”Then we’d better get going!” Elizabeth pretended to be about to leap from the sofa in her haste to depart, earning a laugh from Georgiana. “But, seriously, don’t worry if this stuff doesn’t quite make sense yet. You’ll figure it out.”
Elizabeth wasn’t quite ready to end the conversation; her intuition told her that there was something more behind this line of questioning. “Is there someone at home that you especially like?”
“You mean, as more than a friend?”
Elizabeth nodded.
“Not really, except, well … no.” Georgiana jumped up from the sofa. “Are you ready to go see the gargoyles? And find the cute guy?”
They had apparently touched on something that was bothering Georgiana, but she had retreated to safety. The growth of their relationship had often followed this pattern of two steps forward, and then one back, but Elizabeth had learned that she needed to be patient and let Georgiana set the pace. Funny. That’s the same thing William had to learn in dealing with me. I guess this is karma.
Laughing to herself, she went to the bedroom to awaken William from his nap.
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