Hi everyone! So I got another plot bunny and wanted to try my hand at a steamy P&P variation/sequel. It all takes place after marriage. This story is pretty steamy so I can't post some parts here (and as we get into later chapters, it will be heavily redacted.) But don't worry, I'm posting the whole thing for free to my website. Just grab a free membership to read the steamy bits. My website is violetkingauthor DOT com and then just go up to Read FREE Online in the menu to find the chapters. If you don't have the free membership, click on the tab in the menu to go grab it. You can leave anytime.

Alas, this is an unedited, straight from the brain first draft. The published version will be proofed and edited. Also, the first two chapters are pretty tame, so I'm posting them as is. From there onward, we'll have redactions, lol. I couldn't edit it to make sense without just saying [Redacted] but as I said, the unredacted version is on my site. In fact, there are four chapters up there now.

Enough intro. Kind of nervous because this is new for me, but I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy woke as her husband pulled his arm from around her and sat up. She wished Fitzwilliam had only awakened to use the chamber pot and not to steal away from her bed. The bed she wished they shared.

Fitzwilliam pressed a kiss to her exposed shoulder, his lips lingering. They had made love half an hour before, slow and sweet. Elizabeth was glad for the closeness to her husband their marriage bed entailed, but she could not help wondering if he wanted more. Perhaps it was the French postcards Lydia had found in their father's study. The images entailed were not sweet, but they had fascinated Elizabeth. Not that she dared share such fascinations with her husband. As it was, his interest in their conjugal relations was stilted.

Elizabeth rolled over to face him. Sometimes, she could tempt him to return to her arms, and hold her in his embrace. Maybe, if she tired him enough, he might stay the night.

For a while longer at least. Fitzwilliam always slipped from the room after he thought her asleep.

"Lizzie," Fitzwilliam said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

"Stay," Elizabeth murmured. She reached for him. The coals of the fire, gave the room dim, red cast, allowing her to discern the outline of Fitzwilliam's lean-muscled shoulders and lightly furred chest. Elizabeth loved the feel of her husband against her. The way he held her close as they gave each other pleasure. "Please."

"I cannot," Fitzwilliam brushed his thumb over her cheek. "I love you, but I must go."

Fitzwilliam's voice held a cool note of finality. Elizabeth knew she would not persuade her husband tonight.

Fitzwilliam took the oil lamp from the nightstand there he had left it, where he left every night, and lighting, padded from the room. Elizabeth rolled over into the spot where he had held her and breathed his scent from the sheets.

More than anything, thought of repeating her parents' mistakes scared Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had never shared a bedroom. It was the accepted way of doing things, and certainly, Fitzwilliam Darcy did what was expected of him. Elizabeth had known this when she had become his wife. But she also hoped for to persuade him. If not share a bedroom, but at least to have them share a bed until they greeted the dawn together in each other's arms.

But even on the carriage ride to Pemberley, Fitzwilliam Darcy had insisted upon his own rooms. The innkeepers, silenced by his generous payments, had bowed with stony gentility, but Elizabeth had noted the pity in the servants' eyes.

Elizabeth love Fitzwilliam Darcy. He claimed to love her in return. But was she fooling herself? Would their closeness fade as swiftly as Fitzwilliam's scent faded from their shared sheets?

Elizabeth pulled the cover to her neck. She had vowed to marry for love, and she would not let her marriage fail before it even begun.

Thanks for Reading!

This chapter and the next are super short, so I'm posting them both today. And I'll post the redacted Chapter 3 here ASAP if you're interested. The unredacted version is up on my site. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Best,

V