Strains of a melody played by musicians tuning their instruments brought him out of his reverie. Dutifully, he found Caroline Bingley and escorted her onto the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elizabeth accept Mr. Denny as a partner, and irrational jealousy coursed through him. She was his; her attentions belonged to him. When the music finally started, he counted the steps and the changes in partners until he came to her. He would have only two chances to speak to her during this form, and he would make the most of each.As he took Elizabeth’s hand in his for the first time, he gave a little tug to pull her closer, and then he murmured, “Vixen, I am happy to see you hold me close to your heart.”
She reddened with his boldness, but recovered quickly enough to challenge him. “Your eyes take liberties, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth heard his laughter as he moved on to the next woman in line.That woman and Caroline Bingley both probably thought he enjoyed their company. But he called no one Vixen except her.
As they wove their way towards each other for the second time, she prepared for his teasing, but this time all he did was lick his lips slowly, as if tasting her. Impulsively, she pursed hers in a pretend
Afterwards, he returned Caroline to her place of honor while keeping track of Elizabeth’s presence. Seeing her head towards the ladies’ retiring room, Darcy slipped out a side servant entrance, making his way to the upper floors.
When Elizabeth came through the dimly lit hallway, she thought of nothing but Darcy. Consumed with thoughts of him, when a hand clamped over her mouth to stifle her scream and another wrapped around her waist to pull her backwards, a heartbeat passed before she began to fight. Kicking his legs and biting the hand that smothered her, it took a few more heartbeats before she heard his voice next to her ear:“It is I,Vixen.”
Immediately, she relaxed into him and allowed Darcy to pull her into the nearest empty room. Inspecting his hand for puncture wounds, he growled, “I should have known you would put up a fight.”
“Oh, Fitzwilliam,” she said as she caressed his face. “I am sorry. Did I hurt you?”
She leaned against the door, and Darcy pinned her between his arms, fencing her in. Wolflike, he leaned down to speak to her lips: “I might forgive you if you kissed me,” he taunted her.
Elizabeth slid her arms about his waist and intuitively massaged the firm muscles of his back. “I might forgive you for frightening me if you kissed me.”
Darcy grinned, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smirk. “You missed me,Vixen?” His warm breath caressed the side of her neck, lingering over the spot he most desired.
“No more than you missed me,” she said and giggled as she stroked his chin line.
“Then you have had a powerful void in your soul.”The depth of his admission made her shiver, and Elizabeth moved in closer to feel his warmth. His head lowered, and Darcy dissolved into her. Nothing else mattered at this moment except holding Elizabeth to
When they parted, Elizabeth rested her head on his chest, breathing as heavily as he did. “Fitzwilliam, I do not want you to leave,” she whispered.
“I must, Sweetling. It is the only way to protect you. I can offer you nothing, Elizabeth—nothing but darkness. If things were different.…
Elizabeth balled her hands into fists as she stepped away in an act of defiance. “If things were different, you would be married to some lady of the ton by now, but you and I both know she would be your wife in name only.You would take her to your bed to produce the required heir.Yet you cannot tell me you want that kind of life, Fitzwilliam, any more than you want the kind of life you have now. I do not believe you dream of nothing more than that.”
“I dream of you, Elizabeth. Are you satisfied? I dream of you every night. I will always dream of you.” He turned away from her in defeat.
“Fitzwilliam,” her voice came softly behind him. He heard the tears in her words. “I will not mention it again. I know you must go; you must do the responsible thing. I will stay here.You can fight better without me.”
“Nothing is right without you, Elizabeth.” His words soothed the hurt she felt knowing he would do what he said—he would leave her behind.
“Do you know that when I first accepted your scandalous proposition of a midnight conversation in the library, I wanted only to prove you to be a womanizing rich man who used women for his own pleasure—and sent them to their death? My aunt was so sure you were at fault in Vivian’s death that I had to find out.” She circled around to stand in front of him.“I thought to flirt with you to see what type of person you really were, but the more I was with you, the more I knew how wrong Aunt Gardiner was.You are a fine man, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and an honorable one.”Tears streamed freely down her face.
Darcy opened his arms and welcomed her into his embrace. He
“Are we to dance tonight, Mr. Darcy?” She cupped his face in the palms of her hands.“We have never danced in public; it would be fitting after your earlier snub.A change in your opinion of Elizabeth Bennet!”
“I was a complete fool,” he admitted before turning his head and kissing her palm.
“Yes, you were, Sir.” She became serious. “Please, Fitzwilliam, I want to be acknowledged by you just once before you leave, and without Wickham’s attendance tonight, no real danger exists.”
“Have you promised the third set to anyone?”
“No.”
“Then arrange your hair, Miss Elizabeth, and I will claim your hand in front of everyone.” He brushed his lips across hers. Darcy slid his finger along the neckline of her dress, retrieving the jeweled crucifix.“Oh, Sweetling, to be a piece of metal would be ecstasy.”
She laughed lightly. “You do have a singular mind, Mr. Darcy.” With that, she slipped away.
Twenty minutes later, she stood with several of her sisters and other young women from the village, waiting for the next set to begin.
“Should I have Mr. Jameson partner you, Lizzy?” Lydia asked as a gentleman came forward to claim his dance.
“That will not be necessary, Lydia. I have a partner for this set.”
Kitty looked around and saw the rest of the officers lead the ladies to the dance floor.“Really, Lizzy? It is not Papa, is it?”
“No, it is neither Papa nor any of the officers.”
The first strains of the music sounded to call everyone to the dance, and her sisters scrambled to their places. And then Darcy stepped to the edge of the floor. Everyone’s eyes turned to him. In all his time in Hertfordshire, other than the three or four times he had dutifully escorted one of Bingley’s sisters to the floor, he had
In the background, Elizabeth heard her sisters and Caroline Bingley gasp. She made a quick curtsy before taking his arm. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy, I believe it is.”
He led her to the head of the line. As the highest-ranking and most affluent man at the ball, it was his accepted place of honor, and although he had never claimed it for previous dances, for this one—the one with Elizabeth—he would. Once he released Elizabeth to her place across from him, the music began. They circled and twirled about each other, but never once did Darcy take his eyes from hers. “Vixen,” he whispered as they passed each other, “you possess an allure I cannot resist.You are exquisite.”