Darcy's Cinderella by Bella Breen

Author:Bella Breen [Breen, Bella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bella Breen

"There you are, Fitzwilliam!" Mr. Bingley beamed at his good friend. "I hope you have not been skulking about the corners and not dancing. This has been a most enjoy—"

"Please forgive me, I think it best to leave immediately." Mr. Darcy's proclamation stunned the group into silence.

Mr. Bingley recovered first. "That is quite sudden."

"I have developed a horrible cough with this ballroom air," Mr. Darcy said, looking at Mr. Bingley, "and I have also found what I have been looking for."

Jane stepped towards him. "You found her?"

"By accident. I discovered it was her by her mask falling off." Mr. Darcy held out his hand with the domino. "After her mask came off, she was quite alarmed and stated that she could not be seen. I followed her as she ran, but I believe she got into her carriage parked down the street."

Mr. Darcy bent over and coughed quite badly.

"Mr. Darcy, you sound positively ill! We must get you out of here into some fresh air." Miss Bingley turned to her brother. "Do call the carriage, Charles."

Mr. Bingley stared at his sister and then his friend. He knew Mr. Darcy despised any deception, but Mr. Bingley was also sure that cough was not entirely natural. "Yes, I do think Fitzwilliam is ready to leave."

The group left the ball with the Hursts in one carriage and the rest in the other, much to the chagrin of Mr. Darcy. He managed to thwart all questions from Miss Bingley by retelling the conversation he had had with the Countess.

"The Countess?” said Mr. Bingley. “Why, she is..."

Mr. Darcy raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Indeed. She intimated that she hosted this ball just for me. She was in the process of, I believe, asking me to escort her to the meal when the thickness of the air overcame me."

Jane leaned forward. "But my sister, did she look well?"

Mr. Darcy furrowed his brows as he studied Miss Bennet. "She looked quite well, for the short time that I saw her. Do you not receive letters from her?"

Jane shook her head. "Neither I, our aunt, nor Mama have received letters from Lizzy. It is most unlike her."

Mr. Darcy frowned. "I should have done more to stop her, to find out why she felt the need to run or hide and not be seen." He crossed his arms with one fist over his mouth lest he utter a vile swear word in front of Miss Bennet.

Mr. Bingley squeezed Jane's hand. "We will find her, and I am sure she will be perfectly fine. Do not let it bother you. Mr. Darcy has his servants working on it." He turned to face Mr. Darcy. "Did you say you were going to contact the Bow Street Runners the other day?"

Mr. Darcy nodded. "I did. They would not take the case, as no crime had been committed. They assured me their time was too valuable to be spent on a woman who was not missing." He crossed his arms and stared out the window while be rubbed the ribbons on Elizabeth's domino.

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