One Good Sort of Man: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Mechelle Renee

Author:Mechelle Renee [Renee, Mechelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1979174334
Amazon: B077K1894C
Published: 2017-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Darcy awoke with a start. The room was dark and warm. He looked around, for a moment, not sure of where he was, then he came to his senses. He lay on the sofa in James’ sitting room. The grate was bare, but that had not awoken him. It was quite warm enough this time of year; for sleeping he preferred a cool room, but even with the windows open wide there was hardly a breath of air stirring in these close lodgings. The rooms seemed still, so he lay back down and tried to get comfortable—at least, as comfortable as he could. Then there it was again, a terrified scream ripped through the stillness of the dark night. Jumping up, Darcy grabbed his dressing gown and ran down the hall to Fitzwilliam’s bedchamber. He stopped outside the door only long enough to light a candle at the stand by the door. When he entered the room he saw his cousin sitting up in bed, holding his pillow to his chest, screaming with all his might. It was a pitiful, painful sight.

Darcy hurriedly lit two or three more candles in the room, then went over to the bed and took his cousin’s shoulders firmly in his hands. Shaking gently he said, “James, wake up! You are safe! I am here. It is all right, do not be afraid.” By the end of this speech, James had stopped screaming and looked up, not seeming to recognise William at first, and then he relaxed and exhaled deeply. Darcy lit a few more candles until the room was quite bright, and then sat down on the side of the bed.

“The same dream?” he asked in a matter of fact tone.

James rubbed his eyes a bit. “Yes,” he said with some dejection.

“Why do you not tell me about it? That might help exercise it from your thoughts.”

“No—” shortly.

“This is the third night in a row, perhaps you need to let it out.”

“No—” dully.

“It cannot be so horrible that it would frighten me more than it is frightening you. Let me help you bear whatever it is.

“No—” flatly.

Darcy’s voice took on some anger “Well—then I suppose we shall just keep playing this game night after night until you drive us both mad!” and he stood up as if to leave the room. James furrowed his brow, but his resolve had weakened and he put out his hand and took hold of the back of Darcy’s dressing gown.

“Wait!” he exhaled in defeat. “Do you truly want to hear it? It is pretty grim—and you’re in it.”

“Really?” said Darcy, smirking as he sat back down on the bed, “how flattering.”

“Oh—be still.” James glowered as he moved back, putting his pillow behind him and leaning gingerly against the headboard.

“As you might imagine, it starts in a cell, but it is large and there seem to be other prisoners there, everything is shadowy at the beginning. I can hear doors clanging, soldiers laughing and men screaming, just as I used to at night in—”

“Yes, I know,” Darcy interrupted.

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