Darcy, My Hero Page 2

  The carriage came to a stop in front of The Royal Blossom Inn. Lizzy knew just from the sight of it that it was far too proper a place to allow a man to rent a room with a young woman who was so obviously not his bride. Even though she suspected her young sister was going to be somewhere near, it made her ill to think of her spending yet another night in the company of Mr. Wickham, a man who so clearly did not have her best intentions in mind. Elizabeth knew Lydia was a silly young thing, but she never believed she might be so indifferent to her reputation or her future.

  Lizzy waited in the carriage until Mr. Darcy came to retrieve her, as that was their plan. He was going to rent separate rooms for them while attempting to get information on Lydia’s whereabouts from the innkeeper. However, the longer Elizabeth waited in the carriage, the more worried she became. Had the innkeeper grown suspicious of Mr. Darcy’s motives? Had he actually found Wickham and Lydia inside? She was not sure how much more anticipate she could manage when the carriage door opened. It was the driver waiting to help her down from her seat, not Darcy, so she continued to wonder what had transpired inside of The Royal Blossom Inn since their arrival.

  The driver escorted Elizabeth inside of the inn, then returned a moment later with her trunk. She did not see Mr. Darcy anywhere, but if she were to inquire about his location, it might influence the suspicions of the woman who was waiting to welcome her.

  “Miss Bennet, welcome to The Royal Blossom Inn. Your room has been prepared on the second floor. I hope that will not be too much of an inconvenience.”

  Lizzy looked about the room one more time, except all she saw were a collection of gentlemen preparing to go to a pub, one man reading a book while smoking pipe, and a young couple who were, indeed, not Lydia and Wickham. As she could not find a familiar face, she turned back to the innkeeper with a false smile.

  “Thank you for your hospitality, madam. I am sure the room will be more than satisfactory. I am quite eager to get some rest, so if you might show me to my room, I would be grateful.”

  The innkeeper nodded politely. “Of course, miss. This way.”

  Elizabeth followed the woman up a small flight of stairs, and the driver followed Lizzy with her trunk, until they were standing in front the last door at the end of the hall.

  “Your key, dear,” the innkeeper said, handing Lizzy a small key on a ring. Elizabeth thanked her, as well as the driver, and once they departed, she locked herself in the room with an exhausted sigh. The room was pleasant and comfortable, with the kind of comforts that were generally reserved for gentlemen of Mr. Darcy’s consequence. She was grateful for his generosity but there was no possibility that her sister and Wickham would be staying there as well. As long as Lydia and that scoundrel continued to travel together and share a room without the benefit of marriage, neither of them had any money. The gossip indicated that Wickham had gambled away his money and Lydia would not be entitled to hers until marriage. If they were anywhere in London, it would be somewhere that did not require funds.

  Lizzy lay on her bed in frustration, wishing that she had Jane or Mary or even her mother might have accompanied her on this journey. It was not that she did not trust Mr. Darcy to find Lydia; in fact, if anyone were capable of it, she was sure it was him. But to find Lydia without anyone to aid Elizabeth in convincing her sister to come home? It frightened Lizzy so.

  Elizabeth woke with a start to the sound of knocking on her door. It was still dark out, and the candles were still lit, so she thought she must have only been asleep for a few moments. But who would be visiting her besides…

  Oh no, it cannot be him, she though in horror. He would never do such a thing, would he?

  5

  Lizzy took a nervous step in the direction of the door, afraid of who she might find on the other side. Before she opened it, she hoped that her whisper might be enough to determine who had knocked.

  “Who is out there?” she said quietly, concerned she was too quiet to be heard.

  “It’s Mr. Darcy, Miss Bennet. Might I come in?”

  She was shocked but did not allow Darcy to know it. He would not have the upper hand in this strange situation.

  “Mr. Darcy, I know that you may be believed otherwise and perhaps that is partially my doing, but you may not come into my room while I am unaccompanied. We already have one scandal we must deal with; my family would not survive another.”

  There was a slight pause before Darcy finally said something.

  “I can assure you, Miss Bennet, there is no one here. The innkeeper is outside shouting at her husband and there are no other guests at this Inn tonight. I made sure of it.”

  What does that mean? Elizabeth wondered. But she also was curious as to the nature of his visit and if he had heard news of Lydia. So, as quick as she could, Lizzy unlocked the door, ushered Mr. Darcy into her room, then shut the door again.

  “Did you hear where Lydia and Whickham have gone?”

  Darcy shook his head.

  “I am sorry if I misled you, Miss Bennet. I came to your room to see you tonight.”

  Darcy reached out toward Elizabeth and traced his fingers along the edge of her cheek. She felt that she should have expected this, yet she did nothing to prevent it. The closer he stood to her, the more she felt her resolve weakening, and the greater her desire became to close the space between them.

  When Lizzy finally spoke, her words barely came out in a whisper.

  “Why did you wish to see me, if not to discuss my sister?”

  He laughed lightly as he kissed her softly on the forehead.

  “You cannot imagine another reason why I might want to be in your glorious presence?”

  His eyes fell upon her, the flickering of the candlelight magical against her skin, and he lost all concept of propriety.

  “Can I kiss you this evening Miss Bennet?” Darcy whispered, pulling her closer to his chest. No part of her wanted to say no to him, even though she knew she should have. Even as he ran his hands through the fabrics of her skirts, searching for the softness of her skin, Lizzy found herself unable to resist his charms. All she wanted what the chance to feel his touch, to really feel it just one more time.

  Darcy took her hand and lead her to the soft bed, helping her lean back against the mountain of quilts and blankets. With a gentle hand, he slid her skirts up, baring her legs to him one-at-a-time. He kissed his way from the bottom of her ankle to the top of the stockings on her thigh, then traced the tops with smaller, slower kisses that made her heartbeat quicken. Languidly, he rolled her stockings away, and she could feel his cheek brushing against them delicately. Lizzy wished to say something meaningful, something poetic that he might remember all his life. Instead, the only thing she could think to say was,

  “Oh, my sweet Mr. Darcy…”

  She thought he might mock her for her childish exclamation, but instead he only smiled at her more fervently.

  “And you, are my darling Elizabeth.”

  The words made her tremor down to her very core; they were so passionate, she thought she might find her pleasure from his sweet words alone.

  As she listened to the soft sounds of his jagged breath while he explored her hips and thighs, Darcy pulled her closer so he could explore the bounds of her womanhood. He let his tongue trace along her inner thighs as she moaned softly in response. She knew this would not be their first time in each other’s company, but each time he kissed her, it felt like the first time. His tenderness brought her such joy, enveloped her in sensations she never thought possible. And when he gathered her close to him, he knew he had at last found his home.

  Bare before him and safe away from discovery, for the first time, she felt she could truly experience what it meant to be with the man she had grown to care for so much. The first time, she had been afraid, only because she did not know what to expect. Now, when his long, masculine fingers slid inside of her, it brought her nothing but an all-encompassing pleasure that she wished would never end. As he moved his fingers in a
nd out of her, she kissed his strong muscled shoulders, savoring every taste of him. His scent was clean and gentlemanly, like tobacco and soap. It was the most wonderful smell she’d ever known in her life.

  As his fingers explored her, she moaned softly, the machinations of his fingers making her mind drift away to imaginary lands. She wished to cry out even louder, but Lizzy still was not sure she believed they were alone in the hotel. It was one thing to have managed to get him the room, but it would be quite another if someone heard them and thought something was amiss. In truth, though, it did not take long for these worries to disappear from her mind when Mr. Darcy’s lips were on her own, kissing her with a hungry, desperate passion.

  Elizabeth was consumed by Darcy’s own frantic need for her; it made her feel wanted and cared for in a way she never expected. Suddenly, Darcy slid another if his strong fingers inside of her, and combined with his kisses, that was all it take to drive her over the edge of pleasure. She became dizzy for the gentleman. Lizzy had never been drunk, though she imagined this was what it was like. As his fingers danced inside of her, Darcy reached up to her and lavished a new sort of attention on her breast through her dress, gently squeezing until Lizzy was shivering from her head down to her toes.

  As Elizabeth relaxed down on to the bed, Darcy lay besides her, kissing her cheek and her collarbone over and over again. She did not know how many more of his sweet kisses her body could handle. Slowly, the light in the candles began to dim, and they both knew they could not remain like that much longer.

  “I only wish I could spend the night in your arms, Miss Bennet,” he said.

  “I wish that, too. But an hour more and we would be in more trouble that my sister.”

  Elizabeth did not mean to ruin the moment, but she could not stop thinking about Lydia, and what foolish thoughts must have driven her from their home. Or what kind of terrible man would run away with a girl who he had no intention of making his bride. As if Darcy could sense what she was thinking, he reached out and took her hand in his.

  “The difference between that scoundrel Wickham and myself is that from the first moment I saw you, I intended to make you my bride. I only wish that George Wickham had the same sort of honorable motives, for your sister’s sake more than anyone else’s.”

  Lizzy only felt more charmed by his kind words and the sweetness within him that she never imagined possible. He had already done more for her family than was required of him and she adored him for that. But she also knew that if he were to stay the night in her room, agreement with the innkeeper or no, word of their behavior would reach Longbourn before she could reach the breakfast table in the morning.

  “I would never compare you to Wickham, sweet man. But for both my sake and yours, you must return to your room.”

  He kissed her on the forehead and did as she asked, leaving her to fall asleep, dreaming of all happiness he had brought her. And happiness in the face of true sadness was the most wonderful gift a man could give to a woman that he, maybe, in some small way…

  Loved?

  6

  The morning sun streamed through the curtains of Elizabeth’s room in The Royal Blossom Inn, waking her with a gentle stir and a smile. For the first time since she received news of Lydia’s abhorrent decision, she felt a sort of lightness and joy she barely understood. Could it be true? Could she be on the verge of seeing Mr. Darcy as a true gentleman and not a prideful rogue, as she once thought him to be? Even as she slept, her mind dreamed of him, of laying with him in fields off wild flowers or sitting in front of the fire on a snowy evening. It was clear that her heart knew what she wanted, but was she willing to admit it to the gentleman herself?

  As she tried to dress for their day ahead of searching the streets of London for Lydia, Elizabeth’s mind continued to drift back to Darcy. She knew she should not be thinking of such things when her sister was in trouble, but were it not for his assistance, Lizzy might never had known where to find her at all. He was perplexing her so and Elizabeth was not used to being puzzled by any person. Of one thing she was sure…

  She was going to ask Mr. Darcy’s of his intentions with her, once they found Lydia, of course.

  Lizzy was just about to complete her packing when there was a knock on her door. At this time of day, however, anyone could be on the other side so there was no danger in opening it without a whispered conversation like the night before. She hurriedly closed her trunk, then crossed over to answer the door. Elizabeth wasn’t entirely surprised to see it was Mr. Darcy but she was surprised to see the look panic in his eye. Ever since he offered to assist her in this journey, he’d remained calm in a way not a single Bennet would have managed. If it had not been for his subtle approach to their journey for her wayward sister, Elizabeth would most likely had returned home without so much as a word of Lydia’s well-being.

  She ushered Darcy into her room with haste and no thoughts for whether or not they were seen by the innkeeper.

  “Mr. Darcy, what has you so distressed? Did you hear anything of my sister?”

  Darcy gestured for Elizabeth to sit before he gave her the news, which only made her all the more worried.

  “Miss Bennet, I have received word from a former schoolmate who now lives in Scotland and he has confirmed what I suspected to be true when we arrived in London last night…”

  “What, Mr. Darcy? What is it?”

  He took her hand in his own and attempted to speak in a soothing voice. “Lydia has gone with Wickham to Gretna Green. She and George intend to be married there. I fear we may even be too late to prevent the union.”

  For a moment, Elizabeth thought she must have heard him wrong. But by the sadness in his eyes, she knew it must be true. How could Lydia be so thoughtless? How could she behave so childishly, without regard for her family’s name? But worst of all…

  How could she tell her mother and father what they had discovered?

  7

  As their coach arrived in Gretna Green, Elizabeth felt she was almost on the brink of falling asleep. Due to the long ride, Darcy had seen no benefit in them arriving separately, especially when they were there on the same business. They only intended to arrive in Scotland, find Lydia, and take her home before she had the opportunity to make a mistake from which she would never recover. As far as Lizzy was concerned, they could fling Lydia in the back of the coach and go directly back to Meryton, leaving that scoundrel Wickham right where they found him.

  Too exhausted to worry about decorum or the further surprise of family secrets to Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth rubbed her fingers at the corners of her head, where a deep pain had begun to set in.

  “If Lydia had wished, so desperately, to marry George Wickham, I am sure father would have done what he could to acquire a special license. At the very least, how could she not wait for the banns? It would have taken little more than a fortnight and she could have been married the proper way. Instead, she runs away like a child, simply to satisfy this immature need for defiance. How could she?”

  Darcy took her hand in his and tried to bring her some comfort.

  “Miss Bennet, your sister is, as you said, behaving as a child, but that is because she is a child. Old enough to marry, perhaps, but certainly not enough a woman to make such a momentous decision without her family’s consideration. And I fear I must play my own part in your current predicament.”

  Elizabeth turned to Darcy in surprise.

  “How could you have in any way influenced my sister’s inconsiderate behavior?”

  Darcy looked out of the window of their coach as if lost in a memory.

  “Wickham once tried the very same scheme on my dear sister, Georgiana. He courted her and then tried to convince her to run away with him, all with the intention of gaining access to her money. If I had only told of his behavior then, perhaps it would have saved your sister Lydia any embarrassment. If I had only informed people of what he had done, but when it occurred, I was thinking only of my own sister. And for that, dear Miss Ben
net, I am truly sorry.”

  Lizzy knew she had the right to be distressed by what Mr. Darcy had just revealed to her, but she also realized that he had only been protecting his sister’s reputation. They both had been put in the same predicament, only Elizabeth’s sister was reckless enough to follow through with the act. At least Georgiana Darcy had the good sense to mind her brother’s advice and wait to marry a gentleman. And there was no longer any question…

  George Wickham was no gentleman.

  Their coach rolled to a stop in front of an inn in Gretna Green, an inn known for providing sanctuary to runaway young ladies and their would-be husbands, or otherwise, as the case may be. Lizzy did not know what they would find inside. She only hoped they had arrived in time to save her sister from destroying her reputation…

  And that of her entire family.

  8

  Darcy and Elizabeth burst into the inn where it was believed that Wickham had taken young Lydia when they ran away from Longbourn. The innkeeper was an aged man who appeared to be of both bad health and bad humor. Darcy approached him as amiably as he could manage but Lizzy could see that the gentleman was already prepared for a verbal quarrel.

  Darcy kept his voice calm when he spoke to the innkeeper.

  “Sir, I beg that you tell me. Is a Mr. George Wickham staying at your inn?”

  The innkeeper laughed but it was a spiteful, unpleasant laugh that gave Elizabeth a chill.

  “People do not come to my establishment to tell me their life stories, son. They pay for their room and I do not see ‘em again until they leave or pay for a second night. So, unless you want a room for you and your missus there, I suggest you be on your way.”