Darcy looked at her sadly. “He hurt you, Elizabeth. I don’t know if I can ever forgive that.”
Elizabeth drew his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. “Can you forgive me for hurting you?”
“I already have.”
She leveled her large, expressive eyes at him. “Can you forgive yourself for hurting me?” She knew this was the crucial question.
“No,” he whispered with a shake of his head.
Elizabeth had been afraid of that. She kissed his temple, holding her mouth against him. “You are going to have to forget it then, my love, because I have forgiven you.”
He pulled her close. “I hate the part of me that hurt you.”
“And I hate the part of me that hurt you, but it’s going to happen. No matter how much we love each other, we are going to have misunderstandings and missteps. That’s what happens when you let someone in that close.” She turned his face to hers. “That’s why we have to be able to forgive.”
“I do forgive you, Lizzy,” he said, an impertinent smile coming to his face.
Elizabeth sighed noisily. “That’s it! I give up!” They laughed together, their closeness easing the tension in the room. “Hmm, you know what? I’m hungry.”
Darcy rolled off the bed and offered her his hand. “Then let’s get you some dinner.” He quickly pulled on a pair of faded jeans, sitting low across his hips, and a clingy T-shirt, as Elizabeth fixed the dress she was still wearing. Together they went to the kitchen, Darcy giving her an informal tour along the way. Once there, Darcy pulled out two covered plates from the refrigerator, revealing cold dinners on each.
They sat at the table and Elizabeth asked where the meals had come from. “We have a housekeeper and cook, Mrs. Reynolds. This is her day off, but she always leaves meals for Georgie and me.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said, as she digested this information. “My father asked if we could go up to their house for Sunday dinner next week.”
“That should be fine. I’d like to see your family again.”
“It will just be Mom and Dad. Mary’ll still be at Tanglewood and Kitty and Lydia are at the Gardiners’. Dad also asked for Jane and Charles to come.”
Darcy put down his fork. “What?”
“Jane and Charles,” Elizabeth repeated. Then her shoulders dropped. “Oh my God, you don’t know?”
Darcy just looked at her questioningly.
“Oh, I should’ve told you. They’ve reconciled.” She smiled. “They’ve been at his place in California for the last few days.”
“Really?” Darcy smiled slowly. “That’s good news. I’m happy for them.”
Elizabeth reached across the table to take his hand. “Char told me that you and Charles weren’t talking. I should have remembered. Sorry.”
“How did Charlotte know?”
Elizabeth blushed at her forgetfulness. “Richard and Char have been talking. He’s been calling her almost every night.”
“Have they reconciled?”
“No. Char said they are just talking, but she sounded happy.” She looked at Darcy, realizing for the first time how alone he had been. She walked around the table and took him into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she breathed.
“I’m just happy they are able to get themselves back together,” he said, his voice humble. “I’m sorry I ever interfered.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t see how you really interfered with Richard and Charlotte. They got themselves into their own trouble. And as for Charles, I know you were only trying to do the right thing, trying to protect your friend.”
“Protecting Charles from what? Jane? I should have realized long ago that Charles doesn’t need protecting,” Darcy said in a frustrated voice. He looked up at Elizabeth. “I seem to owe a lot of people apologies.”
“They’re your friends, Will,” she smiled. “They know how you are and they love you anyway. I know they’ll forgive you.”
Darcy pulled her into his lap and kissed her thoroughly. When he stopped, Elizabeth noticed a determined look in his eyes. “When did you say Charles and Jane are coming back?”
“They should be back now. Would you like me to call and see if they would be willing to come over to the loft tomorrow? Maybe you two could work things out?”
Darcy nodded. “Would you?”
Elizabeth got the phone from the other room and dialed the number Darcy gave her. She was glad when Jane picked up and she spent a few minutes telling her sister about herself and Darcy.
Jane was delighted with the news, and after a brief conference with Charles a date was set for tomorrow afternoon.
When she hung up, Darcy thanked her with a kiss. “You know, life is much better with you.”
“You mean the frequent sex?”
“Well, that too, but I mean hearing your voice and seeing your smile. It just makes me feel happy all over.”
Elizabeth smiled glowingly at him and kissed him deeply. “I know exactly what you mean.”
They spent a few more minutes kissing until Darcy asked what she would like to do.
“Did you say something about a pool?”
“I did. Right this way,” he led her toward the French doors.
“I don’t have my suit.”
“I never said anything about a suit.”
He walked Elizabeth down a stone walkway to the back of the house. It was amazing. Twin waterfalls fell gracefully over piles of rocks into the large, rounded body of water. It looked completely natural, with flowers growing all around it. It was unlike anything Elizabeth had ever seen before.
As she stared, Darcy shucked off his clothes and then started undressing Elizabeth. Elizabeth finally came out of her pool-induced trance and smiled. “Water and Stone, right?”
Darcy nodded.
Moments later they were both naked and relaxing in the cool water. Despite the elevation of the house on a mountain, it was still well into the nineties. Elizabeth’s only complaint with the pool was that she couldn’t do laps, but sitting naked in Darcy’s lap, she had to admit that swimming was really the last thing on her mind.
She leaned back in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder as he played with the buoyancy of her breasts. “This is so beautiful, Will.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he said warmly. “I mostly grew up in the loft, but this was where I always thought of when I said home when I was growing up. I guess that’s because it was here when both my parents would relax and we could all be together.” He kissed her neck. “I can’t tell you what it means to share this with you.”
Elizabeth arched herself against him, feeling his erection once again. She smiled, looking forward to more amazing sex, when a thought hit her with warp speed. “Will!”
“What?”
“I just realized something.” She spun so she could see him. “Water and Stone! Slurry is a mixture of crushed stone in a solution. Water and stone! Will, it’s you!”
Darcy beamed at her, confirming her guess. “Yes, Water and Stone make a Slurry when put together.”
“Just like Fitzwilliam and Darcy.” Elizabeth covered her mouth with excitement, her eyes huge. She felt like she had just solved a puzzle, which in fact she had.
“Do you know that no one, not Richard, not even Georgiana, has figured that out?” He looked at her almost shyly.
“That’s because no one knows you like I do, Fitzwilliam,” said Elizabeth, her eyes flashing.
They surged into each other’s arms, their mouths eager to share each other. Elizabeth relished the slipperiness of his hard body touching hers. She sank down in the water, letting it surround and touch her everywhere as her lips remained locked with his.
His hands played lightly over her skin, teasing it to full sensitivity. He positioned them under one of the waterfalls, the falling water adding yet another sensation to their kissing.
When he felt she was ready, he gathered her in his arms and carried her to the edge of the pool. “Rest on me,” he told her as he supported her weight in his arms. He eased her legs apart and turned her so she faced the wall. Squeezing her ass, he moved to just the right place, watching her face as she felt the jets of water touching her.