The Wallflower: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Austenesque Vagaries Book 1) by Frances Reynolds

Author:Frances Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Alternate Universe, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms
ISBN: 9781956613803
Publisher: Quills & Quartos Publishing
Published: 2023-08-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

FITZWILLIAM DARCY

I had been with Deane, half-listening to his litany of evidence that his heir’s intelligence was far greater than is usually met with, when I saw Miss Elizabeth Bennet remove herself to the terrace. She seemed upset, though I could not have articulated why I thought so. Moments later, I saw Sir John Hatton follow her, and my concern increased. If it were a planned assignation, would she not have seemed happier? I excused myself to Deane—I think I excused myself, at any rate—and followed as nonchalantly as I could. It would not do for me to blunder into causing more difficulties for her by being indiscreet in assuring myself of her welfare. The door was very slightly open, just enough to admit a bit of cooling air and to allow a person to slip through if they wished. I looked out, and what I saw fired my blood with rage.

Sir John held Miss Elizabeth by the arms, attempting to press a kiss upon her while she struggled, protesting, “No, no, no, no, no!” I was moving towards them before I knew it, and called upon him to cease. In his surprise, he did. Miss Elizabeth tore herself from his grasp and, with one wild look at me, ran back inside.

“Damn it all, Darcy, that was none of your concern,” he berated me.

“It is the concern of every gentleman when a lady is importuned—I might even say, assaulted.” I may have been shouting; I shook with fury. “You should thank me. Had you succeeded in forcing an embrace, it would not have advanced your suit.”

“My suit?” Suddenly, the man was laughing. “If you thought I meant to wed her, you are as foolish as she. I would not take a leg shackle for a pound less than fifteen thousand. One does not marry pretty articles from the backwaters, Darcy.”

I was shocked into silence by this speech. Low connexions and a smallish dowry she might have, but the girl was respectable. She was a gentleman’s daughter and the niece of a baronet, and there had been nothing in her demeanour or behaviour to suggest any inclination towards immorality. But this man seemed to think that any girl outside the ‘ten thousand’ was fair game for debauchery.

A hand fell onto my shoulder. Deane’s face was set into grim lines, and unlike me he had not lost the facility of speech. “I saw you come out here, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet exit shortly thereafter. I came to find out if you had offended her again, but I see something worse has occurred.” He glared at the baronet, who smiled insouciantly.

He held up his hands, shrugging his shoulders. “I shan’t trouble her again. She is outraged by my offer, the silly cow, and I am in no charitable frame of mind towards her—I have wasted weeks cultivating her acquaintance and affection, all for naught. I expect that if I were to try to make it up to her, the two of you would interfere.

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