Trapped in Scandal: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Olivia Knightley

Author:Olivia Knightley [Knightley, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Darcy

There had been but a few occasions in his life when Fitzwilliam Darcy had lost his composure. The first had been on the day of his father’s death. The second when he had rescued Georgiana from the clutches of Wickham. The third had been on the carriage ride from his wedding back to Pemberley.

Today would be the fourth.

Of course, only Elizabeth Darcy could compel him to act in such an ungentlemanly manner, not once but twice. For months, he had denied his feelings, shoving them aside because of his mistaken belief that she was beneath him. In truth, however, he had known for some time that he was falling in love with her, but he had stubbornly refused to admit it, to himself or to anyone else. His mind had been so preoccupied with uncovering the cause of the scandal, so bent on clearing both his name and Elizabeth’s, that he had managed to keep his feelings at bay.

At first, he had thought his urgency arose from the stain on their reputations—but now he could no longer deny the truth. It was love that had driven him all along.

He had kissed her.

He held the kiss for a moment, but then, as if in sudden awareness of what he had done, he pulled away, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked down at her, expecting to see the same surprise and confusion mirrored in her features. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide with astonishment, and once again, he caught the delicate fragrance of rose perfume—the very scent that had become his favourite since she had begun wearing it.

She was a vision of beauty, of grace, and, despite his earlier misgivings about her family and the environment in which she had been raised, she was perfection.

A mix of affection, love, and fear stirred within him, challenging his resolve. Could he truly admit that all his struggles to suppress these feelings had been in vain? Yet, at the same time, he feared that she might not share his sentiments, that this impulsive gesture might irreparably harm their marriage.

In truth, he was unsure how to proceed. He must have appeared somewhat gormless, staring at her and fumbling for words that never seemed to come. He didn’t know her feelings, and he dared not speak his own, not yet.

He glanced nervously at the door of his study.

“I… I believe it would be best for me to take my leave now,” he said, turning away. He knew he shouldn’t run, but it was a habit he had long cultivated, especially when matters of Elizabeth’s heart were involved. It was cowardice, he knew, and yet, he could not seem to stop himself.

“Please don’t go,” Elizabeth said, her hand reaching out to grasp his arm, stopping him in his tracks. She looked up at him with concern, yet her cheeks betrayed the warmth that had crept across them. He gazed down at her in surprise, he had expected her to wish for distance, to retreat from him after his hasty actions—but no, she clearly did not desire that.

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