Chapter 6: Ashby's rage

Daniel Ashby POV:

How dare he. To hurt her like that, the man must have been heartless. I wish I could held onto her for longer, I wish I never had to let her go. Christ she was my best friends little sister I should not be thinking of her like that, I should not have even told her what I thought of her, I should have kept it simple but no I just had to keep talking. Seeing her so upset ignited a flame inside of me that burnt bright, I wanted to protect her and tell her that no one was ever going to hurt her again but I couldn't do that because I was nothing to her but a friend of her brothers, Clarissa is a kind person and has room for everyone in her heart but I do not just want to be in her heart as a friend. I want her to care for me the way I do her, I want her to hold the same love for me that she did for Mr Malcolm that two faced rat deserves to rot for what he did to her. I was pulled out of my thoughts by a knock on the door, thinking that it was just someone telling me that dinner was ready I didn't even bother to act calm until I heard her voice.

"Mr Ashby are you well? It is only that I heard you pacing when I was walking by and people only seem to pace when they are worried." Her voice calmed me instantly and my heart sped up. I turned and found her closer than I expected, she had changed her gown from the light green day dress to a rose coloured evening gown and her long brown locks her curled and plaited into what looked like a complicated up do. She was stunning.

"I am fine Miss Darcy, I was just thinking." She smiled at me and I felt my heart leap, good god man get a hold of yourself.

"A ruby for your thoughts?"

"Forgive if I am wrong but is not the term penny for your thoughts?"

"Yes but rubies are rare and unique like thoughts." I smiled and chuckled. "So may I know what you were thinking?"

"Do you have any rubies?"

"Not yet, I must mine for them first. Consider myself indebted to you until you get your ruby." She stood there looking at me, waiting for my reply.

"Well I was thinking of the events that occurred this afternoon and then my mind swayed to more agreeable thoughts." Well agreeable to me, society may have not see it that way.

"Agreeable thoughts?"

"Miss Darcy you cannot know all of my thoughts with only the promise of a ruby. Shall we go down to the drawing room?" I offered her my arm which she readily took. As we were walking down the halls of Pemberley thoughts flashed through my mind of the both of us living in a home like this, walking the grounds and sharing a bed. I stopped those particular thoughts in their tracks.

"Mr Ashby, today when we spoke you said that I was not an air headed girl in search of a rich husband and that it was refreshing. May I ask why you said it?" Hey voice was quiet and laced with shyness.

"Yes of course Miss Darcy, I was referring the ladies of the town. I am well known as the future Lord Ashby in London and sometimes I think that, that is the only reason they admire me so much." It was then that she spoke quietly yet firmly.

"That is not all I see in you." It was so quiet that I barely hear it but it was there and it made my heart soar.


Dinner was a loud affair, well as loud as it can be involving three people but it was full of laughter and smiles, I could tell that Bennett was trying hard to cheer his sister up and I saw that they were very close siblings.

"Claire do you remember all those times you would come to my chambers during a thunderstorm?" Clarissa's cheeks burned at his statement, it was sweet.

"Yes and you have no idea how many times I wished I could do the same during your absence." I looked over at Bennett with a questioning glance.

"My sister is deathly afraid of thunderstorms." He stated, Miss Darcy held a shy smile and her head was faced toward the table I could not help but smile at her.

"When I was younger I was terrified of lightning but one night I decided that it was not something an Ashby should be scared of so during a storm I stayed out in it for the remainder of the evening. My mother almost had a heart attack and I got a horrible flu but it cured me of my fear." I looked straight at Miss Darcy and saw her look at me in awe whilst Ben could not stop laughing.

"If you do not mind Mr Ashby, I would much prefer to keep my fear no matter my name." I laughed and noticed the light gleaming in her eyes. I could get used to that.