Elizabeth sat in her night gown brushing her hair. There was a soft knock at the door. "Come in."

Mr. Darcy entered. He was wearing only buckskin breeches and a shirt which was open at the collar. Perhaps he'd been in a hurry to come to her or he may have been aware that he cut a more dashing figure in this attire than he would have in a nightshirt. "Have you dismissed your maid for the night?"

"Yes Fitzwilliam."

It had been a long time since anyone had called him by his first name and to hear it from her lips brought a smile to his face. He gestured at her hairbrush, "May I?"

Unsure of what he meant to do Elizabeth handed him the brush. He took it and slowly brushed her hair. After a few minutes he put the brush down and ran his fingers through her hair, before gently lifting it and kissing her on the neck. Then he stepped back, "I'm afraid you weren't quite prepared to receive me. Would you like me to give you more time?"

"No, stay, I need only a few more minutes." Elizabeth finished brushing her hair, though her hands felt clumsy under the intensity of his gaze. She started to braid her hair when he stopped her by taking her hands.

"Would you leave it down?"

"My maid will not thank you when she has to work out the tangles in the morning."

"I would gladly brave her displeasure."

"As you wish."

She turned to face him and he lifted her chin. He bent down and softly kissed her lips with remarkable tenderness. Then he took her hand and drew her to her feet. He took her in his arms and kissed her again, this time his kiss grew more passionate, by the time it ended they were, each of them, breathing heavily.

Mr. Darcy led her to the bed, noticing that she trembled he sat down next to her and took her hand, "Dearest Elizabeth, you mustn't be frighten." He smiled, "Surely your courage will rise to the occasion?"

"I'm not afraid of you Fitzwilliam."

"But you do know what to expect? Your mother…" Here his voice trailed off and he regretted his words for he wondered if such a mother as Mrs. Bennet could possibly have prepared her properly.

Lizzy smiled mischievously, "My mother gave me very detailed instructions as to what I should do and how I should behave on our wedding night but I can hardly give credit to her advice. I'm sure you would despise me for it if I were to act as she instructed."

Mr. Darcy was suddenly quite curious to learn what her mother's advice had been. He had heard that women of Mrs. Bennet's class were… less restrained in their marital relationships than those of higher breeding and he wondered, for the first time, if there might be some advantage to having her as a mother-in-law.

He raised Elizabeth's hand to his mouth kissing her palm, then her wrist and up the inside of her arm, "I could never despise you Elizabeth."

"I'm sure you would never wish for your wife to conduct herself in such a way."

The breeches had been a mistake; they were becoming increasingly tighter and more uncomfortable. But he cautioned himself to be patient. He drew her closer, stroking her hair and positioned himself so that his lips were almost touching her ear as he whispered, "Conduct herself in what way?"

A faint blush crept across her cheek s and she lowered her eyes, "I can't say it..."

"Then perhaps you should show me."

"Very well." With that Elizabeth quickly reclined on the bed, closed her eyes and lay still.

Mr. Darcy waited a few moments but when she made no further movement he thought she must expect him to act first. He leaned over and kissed her. She made no response. He kissed her on the neck, then lower, he continued to kiss her his lips moving down her chest, and moving her night-gown out of the way he kissed her between her breasts. Elizabeth's breath came faster but she made no other response. As he moved his hands lightly over the top of her night-gown her lack of response began to cause him some concern and he wondered if she had fallen asleep. "Elizabeth?"

She opened her eyes, and sat up quickly, "Are you finished?"

Startled he answered, "What? No."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She lay back down and closed her eyes again.

"Elizabeth!"

She opened her eyes, "It is as I thought! You are displeased!"

"No" He took her hand, "No, but I think there may be some sort of misunderstanding. Please, you must tell me, what is it you are doing?"

"Lying back, closing my eyes, and thinking very hard about Pemberley, and of our house in town and all our carriages."

The look on Mr. Darcy's face was one of such shock and confusion that Lizzy couldn't help giggling. But she soon took pity on him and putting her arms around him she whispered, "I think, husband, that you might be better pleased if I followed my aunt's advice."