To Capture Mr. Darcy, a Pride and Prejudice Variation Novel by Elizabeth Ann West

Author:Elizabeth Ann West [West, Elizabeth Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1-944345-04-3
Publisher: Elizabeth Ann West

Darcy entered his suite to interrupt his man, Arnold, polishing his riding boots. The servant who had been with Fitzwilliam since his school days, and son of the valet for Darcy’s father, set aside his task and glanced up at the sound of the door opening.

“May I help you, sir?” Arnold’s keen eye inspected his master from head to toe and spotted an obvious problem with the state of his trousers. Carefully setting the polished boot and brush on a white cloth in front of him, Mr. Arnold hastened to the wardrobe to find a suitable replacement.

Darcy stroked his mostly clean-shaven cheek with the back of his knuckles as he stood ready to change his attire. “I have right ruined things with Miss Elizabeth.”

The valet who enjoyed a more personal relationship with his master than others of his profession offered his willing ear for the relief of Mr. Darcy’s burden. “Is that how you injured your knee?”

Darcy looked down at his bare legs to see what Arnold referred to as an injury. He had not only managed to rip his trousers, but also broken the skin on his right knee. A trickle of dried blood ran halfway down his shin. Darcy laughed at himself that he had not even felt the pain from the injury from being so distracted by concern for Elizabeth.

Arnold stood and fetched a damp cloth from the basin. Frowning as he inspected the wound, he dabbed the cloth around the injury and cleaned it of debris and blood. The scab held; there did not appear to be a need for stitches.

“I find myself so utterly tongue-tied when in her company. I have never lost my ability to string two coherent thoughts together as much as I have this past week. And even when I attempt to compliment her I somehow manage to insult!” Darcy’s frustrations made Arnold’s job slightly more difficult as the great man did not hold still during his rant.

Arnold nodded at his master’s assessment of the situation, long privy to the daily ups and downs Mr. Darcy endured with the first lady to capture his affections. Not that Arnold would ever say such, but the recounts of Miss Elizabeth’s set downs for his master already endeared the young lady to the valet’s heart as well. His master perfectly exemplified all a valet could ask for and more. But in the years since his father’s death, no small amount of pride and ego had naturally grafted to Mr. Darcy’s personality as he lacked any sort of challenge in his daily life.

“Perhaps the lady would appreciate a token? A letter? You would not be the first suitor to find difficulty in courting with words, sir.”

Darcy sighed as he obliged his valet with physical assistance to restore his attire with a new set of trousers. “I have never been the pursuer. Always the pursued.”

As Darcy checked his reflection in the mirror for assurance there was nothing else amiss with his costume, his valet frowned behind him.

“Speak freely, Arnold.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.