Mr Darcy, the Dance, and Desire by Valerie Lennox

Author:Valerie Lennox
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Punk Rawk Books
Published: 2019-09-11T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Miss Bennet,” said a deep voice behind Elizabeth.

It was Mr. Darcy.

A little jolt went through her, and she turned to him, the sides of the mask she was wearing obscuring from view until she looked at him straight on.

He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t. I’m not frightened.”

“Startled, then.”

“Yes, perhaps. What you said to me before—”

“I oughtn’t have. It was precisely the wrong way and the wrong time to say something like that.”

“No, I’m not saying that I… what I mean is that I don’t really understand why you said it, what you meant by it—”

“Miss Bennet, let’s concentrate on the waltz.”

“I don’t know if that’s entirely possible, not when I have all this else buzzing about in my head.”

“We shall talk of it later,” he murmured.

Her body went stiff and then loose at the note of promise in his voice. She struggled to find her equilibrium. “We shall?”

“Yes.”

He was masked as well, but there was a smile playing at his lips.

She smiled back, feeling shy now, feeling as though she was about to burst with the possibility of the future. And then, in the distance, she heard the squawking tones of her mother’s voice, although she could not make out the words, and she grimaced.

Mr. Darcy laughed.

“Oh, don’t laugh,” said Elizabeth. “I can’t bear it if you laugh.”

“I do apologize,” he said. “I shouldn’t laugh. It is your mother, after all, and it’s frightful of me to make fun.”

“Well, she does make it easy,” said Elizabeth. “She’s the frightful one.”

“I wouldn’t go quite that far,” said Darcy. “She cares about you. How many sisters do you have again?”

“Four,” said Elizabeth.

“Yes, four. I knew that.” Darcy winced. “Ah…” He seemed to have lost his train of thought for a moment and then he found it. “Well, what I mean is that she must be quite concerned about seeing all of you well taken care of. It’s the way with all mothers. And not just with daughters, but with second and third and fourth sons. There is so much uncertainty in the world. And even if it seems one’s future is assured, there is no telling what can happen to change that.”

“You are speaking of yourself. Of what Wickham did to you.”

He sighed. “I suppose that colors everything for me these days. You know, Miss Bennet, I am not by any means a wealthy man currently. Someday, when my father dies, I will inherit a fortune and an estate, but until then I am rather humbly situated.”

“Yes, I do know this. You have told me of it already.”

“And yet, you seem to be, dare I say, welcoming to me?”

“I thought we were to speak of this later.”

“Yes, you’re right.” He smoothed at his jacket. “Forgive me.”

They did not speak for a moment.

Then, at once, Elizabeth said, “You should know that I intend—”

And Darcy said, “I want to assure you that—”

They broke off, both laughing.

“Pardon me,” said Darcy. “Please, go ahead.”

“No, you first,” said Elizabeth. “I insist.

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