Vampire Darcy's Desire (19 page)

He could learn to love this magic, especially if it made Elizabeth happy. Darcy turned her to him and then stepped away before making an elegant bow.“May I have this dance, Miss Elizabeth?”

Exhilarated by his show of power on her behalf, Elizabeth nearly collapsed into his arms. Steadying herself, she replied, “You may, Mr. Darcy.”And, placing her hand in his, she allowed Darcy to pull her to him. The night suddenly turned very warm as Darcy stepped into the dance.

Elizabeth felt the expanse of his chest against her bosom and the warmth of his breath against the side of her face. His hand rested on the small of her back, and she felt Darcy move her in closer with just an adjustment of his fingers. It all felt perfectly scandalous—perfectly sinful. They glided in long, rhythmic steps and turns so tight that their feet worked in unison. Elizabeth’s gown swirled about her legs in harmony with the music.

The song continued as they spun in a breathless circle, their
bodies pressed tightly together. Elizabeth would live on the memory of his attentions for a long time.

Darcy, caught in the moment, at first did not sense the danger, but then he knew—knew with a sickening certainty—that they were no longer alone. He protectively spun her behind him and whispered softly to her before he turned around,“Follow my lead.”

“What
do
we have here?” George Wickham stepped from the shadow of a statue, a manifestation of the unreal.“Darcy, I am thunderstruck. I was unaware your powers developed so quickly. In my limited experience, you showed no interest in your innate abilities previously.” He came forward with a defiant swagger. “Whatever you are doing differently, Sir, continue it.You might prove a worthy opponent, after all.”

“What are you doing here, Wickham?” Darcy reached behind him to feel Elizabeth. Her fingers trembled when he touched them.

“I followed the blue lights.”Wickham nodded in the direction of the dancing rays. “I was stunned to find the whole household under your spell.” He took a few steps to the side to get a better look at Darcy’s partner.“And who is with you? Ah, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I should have recognized your preferences, Darcy.”

“I have no preferences, Wickham.” Darcy countermoved to block Elizabeth from Wickham’s view again.

Wickham laughed sardonically. “Then what do you call this private party?”

“Boredom.” Darcy sneered. “This supercilious collection of know-it-alls bores me. I thought to enliven my last night here.”

“Last night here? And why Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”Wickham asked warily. Although he knew he could beat Darcy in a battle to the end, seeing the increase in Darcy’s powers made him more cautious than usual.

“Why
not
Elizabeth Bennet?” Darcy feigned indifference. “Why not take my revenge on my most vocal adversary? I am sure you heard her; Miss Elizabeth does not hide her disdain for me.”

“The lady does not seem to disdain you tonight, Darcy.”

Darcy thought quickly. “Miss Elizabeth is under my spell. I
thought I might enjoy
touching
her as part of my revenge.” Darcy spun Elizabeth into his embrace; she moved in a zombielike manner.“Kiss me as though you desired me,” he ordered. He pulled her to him and kissed Elizabeth in the way he had always wanted to do. His mouth invaded hers, and his hands cupped her buttocks and lifted her to him. Elizabeth’s fingers ran through his hair, and she arched into him. Finally, he broke the kiss and set her from him. “Would Elizabeth Bennet kiss me in such a fashion of her own free will? Even you are not foolish enough to believe so,Wickham. She was brought up as a lady.”

“Maybe so, Darcy.”Wickham seemed amused.“When will you make her yours forever? It is so easy to do when they are under your spell.”

Darcy stepped to where he might shield Elizabeth once again. “I was bored,Wickham; I have not sunk to your level of depravity.”

“A pity,” he returned mockingly. He spun in a whirlwind to the roof of the overhang. “If I were not satisfied already, I might take the lovely Miss Elizabeth off your hands.” Then his tone changed and he issued a threat. “Beware, my friend, for I am coming for you.” His warning hung like icicles in the air.“By the way, Darcy, I left you a present by the servants’ entrance.” Again, a gush of air wrapped them in a maelstrom of debris and swirling energy, and, in an instant,Wickham vanished.

Elizabeth sank to her knees in a release of smeddum. Darcy scooped her up in his arms.“Elizabeth, please, are you all right?” he asked urgently as he brushed the hair from her face.

“Ye—Yes,” she stammered.“That was
so
close.”

“Elizabeth, we have to find out what he meant by a present by the servants’ entrance.”

She nodded, and he placed her on her feet. Darcy led her down the steps to the garden below. They wove their way through the maze of plants until they reached the back gate. “Stay close,” he whispered in her ear, wrapping his hand completely around hers. Then they followed the outline of the house until they came to the steps leading down to the kitchen. The horror of the night stared
out at them: eyes full of terror in a waxy, pale countenance.

Elizabeth buried her face against his shoulder to stifle her scream. “Elizabeth,” he said, “I must examine her. Stay here.” He caressed her face before he approached the body. As with the others, the woman’s neck was ripped open..

Moments later, Darcy returned to her side. “Come, Love.You must quit this place.”

He hurried her back along the path they had just followed. He held her next to him, and they moved as one. Back on the balcony, he asked,“Who is she?”

“Emily King,” Elizabeth mumbled in shock. “I wanted to tell you about her this evening, but I forgot. Lydia told me Wickham paid her attention before he went to London. I
should
have told you. We could have stopped this!” Self-recriminating, Elizabeth’s voice rose in anger and remorse.

“It would not have mattered, Elizabeth.” He took her by the shoulders to force her attention.“Listen to me; it would have made no difference. Miss King has been dead for many hours, probably since early this morning.You did nothing wrong.”

“Oh, Fitzwilliam, this is awful!”

“Yes, my love, it is, but we must work fast or Miss King will join Wickham as one of the undead.”

Elizabeth began to tremble with his words. “Oh, Fitzwilliam, we cannot—I cannot!”

“
I
can, Love. I know what to do. My fear is for you. I cannot release the spell on the house until I take care of Miss King. I cannot, therefore, send you back inside. Either you must stay here until I return or go with me. Do you understand, Elizabeth?”

“I cannot watch you—”

“Then you will stay here.” Darcy stood her against the wall. “Use your crucifix. I doubt if Wickham will come back tonight, but if he does, the sign of the cross will protect you. Believe in the Trinity, and you will be safe. His kind cannot come past the iron in the necklace.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, my love.” Darcy kissed her forehead. “I have only moments to rescue Miss King’s soul. I will be back as soon as the deed is done.”

Darcy disappeared into the darkness. Elizabeth heard his steps amplified along the gravel walkway of the garden. The crunch of his boots reverberated off the house’s masonry. She stood wide-eyed, the jeweled crucifix held tightly in her fist, watching for any movement, ready to defend herself from Wickham’s attack.

Darcy made his way to the tool shed by the barn before heading back to the house.
Twice in one week,
he thought.Twice in one week he was obliged to do the unthinkable—mutilate a corpse. At last, he knelt beside the body once again. Darcy took his new crucifix from his pocket and said the required prayers for Emily King’s soul and forgiveness for his. Then he used the ax to remove her head—four carefully placed strikes loosened it from the body.Then he positioned it in place, so as not to create a scene of even greater horror when her body was found. Returning the ax to the shed, he made his way across the lawn to the back of the garden.

Elizabeth heard his return and said the last of her prayers. As soon as he stepped upon the balcony, she was in his arms, raining kisses upon his face and lips, grateful he was safe. Darcy held her to him and tried to breathe again.With Elizabeth by his side, he knew the hope of eventually winning this battle.

“Sweetling, you must return inside and I must release the spell.” He set her away from him.“We will let the others discover the body.”

“Did you…?” She could not say the words.

“It is taken care of. She will be Emily King for eternity.” Darcy took her hand and led Elizabeth to the door.“You and I cannot be a part of finding Miss King’s body. It will throw suspicion on us, which is what Wickham wants to happen.” He stopped by the door and took her into his arms. “I hate that the memory of our dance has been ruined. It was
perfection
.”

“I will remember the kiss always.” She went on her tiptoes to brush her lips across his.“It was
perfection
.”

Darcy kissed her tenderly, as if she were the most fragile thing
he owned.“Anytime you need me, Elizabeth, send word, and I will be with you.” Then, before she could say anything else, he pulled open the door.“Go straight to the retiring room. Be sure someone sees you going in or out of there. I will wait one minute and release the spell.” He stepped back and spread his arms to withdraw the energy. She slipped through the portal he created. As instructed, Elizabeth wove her way through the crowd, each person repeating the moment in which he had placed them there. It would have been comical under different circumstances, but not tonight; she ran up the stairs past the room in which she had kissed Darcy earlier. She reached the doorway just as the light receded—back to its source—back to the man she had left standing on the balcony—to the man who controlled her heart as surely as he controlled the rays of light.

The strains of music and the roar of voices continued. Elizabeth entered the retiring room and freshened her hands and face—making a point of speaking to one of Charlotte’s younger sisters while she was there—and then returned to the ballroom. Darcy was at the other end, talking to Bingley and Colonel Forster.When the footman rushed forward to whisper in Bingley’s ear, Elizabeth knew the content of the message.

She watched Bingley and the colonel follow the footman out. Darcy remained behind to see to the guests and the party. Elizabeth tried to stay calm, but she found herself gasping for air. Darcy appeared before her, a glass of champagne in his hand.“Sip this,” he whispered as he handed it to her.“I am here, Elizabeth.We will find a way to end this madness.”

She took a sip of the restorative liquid.“We will find a way,” she repeated automatically.

Darcy walked slowly away from her—not wanting to call any more attention to their relationship than he had by singling her out for a dance earlier—but he watched her every gesture.

A half hour later, Bingley and the colonel returned. Reluctantly, Bingley made his way to the portable stage set up for the musicians. He motioned for the music to stop, and after clearing his
throat twice, he spoke to the crowd. “My friends and neighbors, I have grievous news.” A rippling hush ran through the room as all eyes fell on Bingley. “The colonel and I discovered the body of a second woman. It was deposited on the back steps of Netherfield.” A collective gasp filled the air.“The woman is Miss King.We found her relatives at the party and took them to quarters upstairs, where they might have some privacy.The colonel sent one of his men for the authorities. It is our belief the lady was killed elsewhere and then left here for some twisted reason.” Elizabeth saw Darcy edge towards her. “However, we are sure some of you might have noticed something, as insignificant as it
might
seem. The colonel requested that everyone stay until he speaks to each person in attendance.Then your carriages will be brought around. Food and drink will continue to be available to everyone until this is resolved. The colonel will set up headquarters in my study.”

Elizabeth glanced quickly at Darcy, and he moved even closer to her. His eyes told her what to do. As others began to whisper their concerns, Elizabeth swooned and collapsed onto the floor. Darcy was by her side instantly. “Miss Elizabeth,” he said as he patted her hand, and her eyes fluttered open and closed.“Miss Elizabeth!” he demanded with a bit more force. Mrs. Bennet knelt by her daughter. “Oh, my dear girl. Lizzy, are you all right?”

“Let me carry her to Mr. Bingley’s library.” Darcy scooped Elizabeth into his arms and pulled her close to him. She lay limply against his chest as he carried her away from the crowd. Her mother followed close on his heels. Impatiently, he spun around to face the woman. “Mrs. Bennet, perhaps you might get Miss Elizabeth something to drink and have your husband come to her. I am sure your daughter would feel safer with her father in the room, and I will need to assist Mr. Bingley.”

“Of course, you are right, Mr. Darcy. I will return.” She hurried away to do his bidding.

Darcy pushed the door of the library open and placed Elizabeth on the nearest settee. “Here you are, Sweetling.” He knelt beside her on the floor. “Elizabeth, listen to me; we have only a moment
before your family comes. After we danced, you went to the retiring room and then returned to the ballroom. I danced with you and then spoke to Bingley and the colonel.You must tell them that story, which they will believe. They—everyone else—were frozen in time until I released the spell—no one saw you enter the house. Do you trust me, Elizabeth?”

“With my life.”

“Then do as I ask, Love. It is the only way.”

“Yes, Fitzwilliam.”Yet she knew half-truths could not save the world they created.

Elizabeth saw Darcy no more for the rest of the evening. She spent her time with the Lucases and her own family, holed up in Mr. Bingley’s library, where Darcy had left her. Her current relationship with Fitzwilliam Darcy began in that very room.
Was it less than a fortnight ago?
Darcy and Bingley evidently were assisting the colonel in organizing the party-goers for questioning. Elizabeth heard Darcy’s voice in the hallway twice, but she could think of no reason to excuse herself and go to him. So she remained with her family and friends, who hovered together in whispered conversations.