Mr Darcy Likes It Wild: a Pride and Prejudice Diversion by Beth Massey

Author:Beth Massey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2013-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Shall The Truth Set Darcy Free?

Darcy and Elizabeth approached their destination as he had imagined when they had left London—alone. Though she was still dressed convincingly as his young male friend, he now preferred to think of her as the woman he planned to marry. Never had he wanted to show someone his estate quite so much.

Lady Clarissa was now in the care of her brother, Lord Calderwood. He had left Fitzwilliam to head to their family estate with his sister a few miles before. Colonel Fitzwilliam had joined them for the trip to Blessing.

As he watched his love riding toward his home, he wondered what the earl’s son and heir might say if he knew precisely who his sister’s saviour was. Jonathon Oliver, the Viscount Calderwood, had arrived very early at the Sheltering Chestnut. A restless Darcy had left Lizzy just before dawn in the room they had shared and had been in the taproom when his old friend from Eton arrived.

As the two men had waited for the others to make their way downstairs, his lordship had asked numerous questions about the brash young man who took such risks on his sister’s behalf. Darcy had enjoyed telling Lord Calderwood tales of Eli over breakfast. He smiled with the memory of savouring the morsels of truth he sprinkled among the necessary fiction.

“The lad is small but mighty, as he will no doubt tell you himself. In my estimation, he is a good fellow – the very best, perhaps. He often refers to himself as a rational creature, although when he tore after Gentleman Jack… ” Darcy shook his head in exasperation mixed with pride just before his mind wandered from Lord Calderwood’s question to his own concerns. “He is more confident than he should be. Eli believes he can… do… no, withstand anything.”

“Well, appearances aside, circumstances would seem to have been on his side in this case,” the rarely serious viscount had replied. Lord Calderwood was known as a mirthful giant of a man – celebrated among the ton for both his size and love of laughter. But Trinity College’s finest pugilist had been sombre as he listened to the particulars of the attack and balled his hands into fists with what Darcy had assumed was a desire to pummel the highwayman. His manner had remained alternately furious and vindictive as the details of the pursuit and capture of the brigands by Bow Street was recounted. When he was told of the daring freeing of Lady Clarissa and her knight chasing after Gentleman Jack to finish the job, his demeanour finally changed.

The details of the bandit’s coshing brought the first smile to Lord Calderwood’s face. As Darcy had shown his even larger friend – using his hand to mark precisely the spot she… he… the diminutive Eli reached on his body, the viscount had shattered the early morning quiet with guffaws of colossal proportions.

Eli had been his customary buoyant self as he met the brother of the woman who called him her hero.

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