Vampire Darcy's Desire (18 page)

“I assure you, Kitty, I have no desire to dance with Mr.Wickham,” Elizabeth asserted while busying herself with cleaning her shoes.

Kitty looked about nervously, as if fearing someone might overhear. “I am pleased to hear it, Lizzy. Aunt Philips says he paid his attentions to Miss King on the evening of your attack and then again two days later, right before he left for London, at Colonel Forster’s evening of cards. I suppose it has to do with her recent inheritance.”

“Let us trust Miss King’s dowry is safe from Mr. Wickham.” Elizabeth hoped Miss King was safe—period; she would tell Darcy this evening of Wickham’s interest in the girl. He would know what to do about it.

 

Standing in the receiving line, Elizabeth made eye contact with Darcy, who stood next to Wayne Hurst. Darcy’s eyes lit up,
becoming piercing blue ice crystals, when he saw her. She waited patiently for her turn to pay her respects to Mr. Bingley and his sisters. “The splendor of Netherfield is enthralling, Mr. Bingley,” she offered as she and Jane made their way through the line.At last, she was in front of
him.
Without preamble, she dropped to a deep curtsy, allowing him a peek at the swell of her breasts and his gift resting between them.“
Mr. Darcy,
” she purred.

“Miss Elizabeth.” He bowed over her hand and brought it to his lips. Her eyes flashed with a need he recognized. “I am sure Mr. Bingley is pleased your family is here. May I inquire as to your continued recovery?”

“It is steady, Mr. Darcy.
Of late, I feel safer
.Thank you once again for your gallantry.” She could say no more because the line formed behind her, so Elizabeth made a quick curtsy and followed Jane into the main parlor.

Darcy, unwillingly, followed her with his eyes. Elizabeth Bennet set his heart pounding in his chest. Her tempting way of displaying the jeweled crucifix he had given her shot straight to his groin. If she held any idea of his desire—his dreams of her—she would never speak to him again. Drawing a steadying breath to release the tension, Darcy stopped the images that were creeping into his mind. If he were normal, he would apply to her immediately and satisfy himself in her body. But he would never know such pleasure; and to continue their entanglement would not be fair to Elizabeth. He had already involved her enough in this quagmire. Tomorrow, he would return to Pemberley, leaving Elizabeth behind to find a husband and to have children of her own—children not cursed by a Scottish vampire two hundred years old.

As the number of party-goers in the receiving line dwindled to a trickle, Darcy excused himself.“I will check the service, Charles. Mr. Hurst is headed towards the game room.” Charles Bingley nodded his agreement.

Caroline Bingley reminded him of her earlier request: “You will keep your promise and stand up with me for the first set, Mr. Darcy?”

“Of course, Miss Bingley. I shall not be long.” He made a polite bow before heading towards the service entrance. Darcy intended to stay out of sight as much as possible this evening. He would stay on the periphery and watch for Wickham’s appearance. Although unsure Wickham would come, Darcy intended to take no chances. If luck were on Darcy’s side, his enemy would remain in London.

It took only moments to check on the serving staff and the food presentations, but the task was a good excuse to be away from the crowd, where he could think. However, only one thought consumed him:
his Elizabeth
was in the house once again. He caught a glimpse of her talking to Charlotte Lucas in the drawing room; he stayed behind her as she made her way to the refreshment table for lemonade; he delighted in watching her provoke some of the military officers and then spin away from them. She captivated everyone with whom she came in touch—including him. Darcy swallowed hard, forcing the increasing hunger away.

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
kiss. He smiled, leaned in, and growled into her ear before moving on. Despite the fact that he partnered with Miss Caroline Bingley, Darcy could not remember a dance he had enjoyed more.

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
him and kissing her lips.

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
used his thumbs to wipe away the tears.“Vixen, you own my heart.” His words spread through her like a soothing balm.“You see all my weaknesses and make them strengths.” He held her to him. At last, he spoke:“I must return you to the ball before you are missed.”

“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
never danced. Now, he strode purposefully across the floor towards Elizabeth. The couples parted like the Red Sea until he stood in front of her. Darcy made a proper bow before claiming her hand.“I believe that this is my dance, Miss Elizabeth.” His resonant voice rang out through the room.

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.”

“I am only sorry we will not get the chance to waltz,” she whispered back.

“Would you like to waltz?” he asked as they stepped around each other.

“Would I like to be in your arms?” she asked sotto voce.“What do
you
think, Mr. Darcy?”

“I can make it happen, Vixen. I can use my powers. Just say the word.”

The temptation was too much. “Ye—Yes,” she stammered. “Yes, Fitzwilliam.”

They finished the set in silence, both engrossed in what was to come.When the second song ended, Darcy led her to the back of the ballroom.“Meet me on the balcony in five minutes, Sweetling.”

Elizabeth waited a few minutes until no one paid attention to her any longer, and then she slipped through the unlocked patio door. Although it was November, the evening was warm. Darcy waited for her in the shadows. He watched as she made her way to the baluster, and then he came up behind her and encircled her in his arms.“I never tire of watching you,” he whispered in her ear as
she leaned back into him.

She tilted her head up and kissed him along his chin line.“The dance was lovely, Fitzwilliam.”

“It was. Stay here, Sweetling, and let me work my magic.” Darcy released her and turned back towards the house.Then he spread his arms wide and concentrated his power on the household. Streaks of blue light snaked across the marble balcony, bathing the windows and doors in a sealed energy. Everyone inside remained as they were before, repeating the same motions over and over in a continuous loop. Men bowed over ladies’ hands, cards were shuffled constantly, and drinks were poured and then emptied. And then, uncannily, the strains of a waltz began.

Darcy heard her giggle behind him. Before he turned around he asked, “Do I amuse you, Miss Elizabeth?” He dropped his arms to his side, but the blue light continued to zigzag about the house, encasing it in a snowstorm of energy.

She came up behind him and slid under his arm and into his embrace, and, for him, the threat of the curse lessened. “That is something to see,” she murmured.“I am impressed, Sir.”