Perhaps he could lead. If he was more playful with her, then mayhap she would reciprocate. Only, the problem was Darcy had never excelled in being playful. Fortune favors the brave, old man.

He would try. If it meant making Elizabeth more comfortable and making their marriage more enjoyable, he would do anything—even if he was likely to make a fool of himself in the process.

Chapter 26

The cottage at The Lakes was everything Elizabeth had hoped it would be and then some, though as cottages go, it was rather large. It was comfortably furnished and thoughtfully laid out. There was a lovely view from every window. Everywhere she looked, she was greeted with beauty.

The morning of their second day, she toured the house on her own, quietly leaving the room while Fitzwilliam was in his dressing room. Her mind couldn’t help but wander to her new husband and how he had arranged this lovely trip. It really was very thoughtful of him to remember that she had always wanted to see The Lakes and to secure such a nice place to stay. Away from nearly all of society, they would become accustomed to each other in private, without family or society pressures and obligations. She was very grateful for his foresight and his kindness and generosity towards her.

And he truly was very patient with her. She could tell he was befuddled by her sometimes, but she didn’t always know how to make sense of her own thoughts and feelings, let alone explain them to him. She felt badly about it and tried to be as receptive as she could to his affection. She was affectionate herself in turn, not holding herself back when she wanted to touch him. She had always been a very tactile person, always wanting to touch things and regularly laying a hand on the arm of the person she was speaking with. Her mother had chastised her for this habit and told her not to flirt with everything that stood on two legs. At the age of twelve, she had not understood what her mother meant, but by sixteen she comprehended fully and learned to keep her hands to herself.

With Mr. Darcy, she did not hold back. If she was excited and happy about something, she smiled at him brilliantly and squeezed his hand or touched his arm or gave him a swift kiss on his cheek. The last always made him smile and sometimes blush, and she thought she was on the right track there. This thought made her pause as she wandered onto a terrace at the back of the house. Did he need more encouragement from her? Was that partly to blame for the quizzical look she sometimes saw?

She could do that. She was a very warm person, after all. Being affectionate with her husband would not be difficult. She would start today.

~