Oh, wow. a veritable explosion of comments. LOL to those of you who want R to hit D over the head. well done for those suspicious of C. W still up to tricks. and yes there are still seekers waiting to pounce. hold on to your hats, we are not over this yet!;)
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Chapter 18
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Dinner was difficult for Elizabeth. She had received nothing from her husband to explain his absence, just a short message from the colonel saying they were debating matters of business and did not wish to bore the rest of the company.
"My dear Eliza, have you lost track of your husband already?"
Elizabeth gritted her teeth and met the sympathetic gaze of Jane.
"No indeed, Caroline. I am sure Richard and he are just wanting some time away from the women, guests can be so tiring sometimes, for men of course. She smiled around the table. I, for one, am more than happy to have you all visiting!"
Kitty coughed to hide her laugh.
"What delights have you planned for us tomorrow Lizzie? Derbyshire is by far the most exciting looking county I have ever visited!" Kitty gushed.
Elizabeth smiled, her plan to entice Kitty to stay seemed to be working.
"We should get you to view the country on horseback sometime, it is quite spectacular!"
"Oh, can you ride Kitty?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, honestly did she have to put such a sneer on her sister's name.
"I can ride Miss Bingley" Elizabeth's turn to hide her snort, they shared an amused glance "I am sure I am not as great a rider as yourself."
Charles piped up "oh Caroline does not ride much, she took a fall as a child and is a little scared of horses."
More amused glances passed between the sisters as Caroline spluttered that she was not scared and was an accomplished rider. Of course riding in London consisted of plodding slowly through the park on a docile horse, it was rarely required to show any sort of proficiency in town.
"Well we have some very pleasant mounts if you wish Caroline."
Elizabeth tried to be nice but the glare told her she had not said he right thing, she suppressed a further eye roll.
"Brother, should you not go in search of the gentlemen? I am sure Mr Darcy would be happy with your company!"
Bingley looked a little surprised but agreed that he would like to join the gentlemen if the ladies were in agreement. He rose and left the ladies to their tea as the last course was just being removed.
"What are your thoughts for how to pass our time on the morrow?" Jane asked after the tea had been served.
"Oh Elizabeth! let us visit the travelling show!" Georgiana responded with enthusiasm.
Elizabeth looked thoughtful "I am doubtful that is a good idea Georgiana, travelling people can be dangerous, can they not?"
"Oh these travellers are not. They come through Derbyshire once or twice a year, they are fantastic to watch. There are a pair of sisters that juggle with balls of fire, between them they can keep ten fire balls in the air, I am sure!"
Elizabeth laughed "that is quite a feat. I have heard some talk about the group, are you certain that it would be acceptable for us to visit?"
"Indubitably. My brother would likely come with us, if we were but to ask. I know cousin Richard is quite envious of the riders. One of the ladies can ride and turn herself all about, whilst the horse is cantering!"
Caroline sneered, but did not have any objection to the activity and so it was agreed, on the morrow they would visit the troupe currently camped outside of Lampton.
The rest of the evening passed in quiet conversation, Elizabeth did not quite understand the smug looks Caroline sent her way but she could ignore the barbs about husbands tiring of wife's company and such. Luckily her three sisters were there as a barrier and between them a conversation flowed well enough.
...
As the ladies were rising to retire for the evening the gentlemen were well and truly in their cups. Caroline managed to delay, claiming she had left her gloves, as she tiptoed along she heard the gentlemen slurring a song. She smiled to herself and found a footman.
"See that the gentlemen have a good bottle of wine delivered immediately."
The footman in question raised an eyebrow but Caroline had already swept away and up the stairs.
The gentlemen were reminiscing about Cambridge days when the bottle was delivered.
"Excellent idea Darcy. Too much brandy, wine will follow nicely!"
Richard immediately poured three brimming glasses. Darcy peered in confusion at the new bottle, shrugging in acceptance and drinking deeply.
...
Caroline was preparing carefully. She had washed and changed into a nightgown and when her maid's back was turned she withdrew a little bottle and splashed some on her neck, she sniffed then splashed some more. Smiling she replaced the bottle.
"Tessa, I think I would like to read for a while before bed." She ignored the startled look on her maid's face "would you accompany me downstairs? One cannot be too careful in a house where single men reside."
The maid hid her frown of confusion, not only did her mistress never read there was unlikely any need for a chaperone in this house. She was well trained enough to realise that any argument would likely result in a harsh reprimand so she merely nodded and walked a step behind her mistress as she made her way downstairs.
Charles Bingley knew he had drunk too much too quickly. He had arrived in the study to cheers and welcomes from the two, very obviously drunk, men. He had only had a glass or two with dinner and quickly filled himself a cup. Unfortunately Richard had convinced him to drink rather quickly to make up for the late start and he, fool that he was, complied.
He was now in a complete state having drunk enough to usually last hours in the space of less than one.
"I uhhhhh..."
He stood and swayed and the other two laughed.
"Ahhhh, Charlie" Darcy was surprised that Richard was not slurring more. "You are going to..."
The sentence didn't finish as Charles had reached to steady himself on a table, missed completely and fallen to the floor.
Darcy and Richard just looked at him for a minute.
"I am alright" he raised a hand in the air.
They then burst out laughing.
"Come man, let us get you to bed, hopefully the wife will not notice!"
"Ahh my beautiful Jane, she is an angel. She has the softest skin of anyone I know. And she has the most beautiful pair of..."
"That's quite enough" Richard interjected "you will make me blush with the next words I am certain!"
Charles looked at Richard, who had him propped up now and was half dragging him to the door, with bleary eyes. "You don't want to hear about her eyes?"
Richard caught Darcy's gaze and they both grinned.
"Yes her eyes are lovely" Richard stressed the word eyes and Darcy sniggered as Richard led him out of the room.
Darcy was alone and stood thinking of his own wife and her lovely ... Eyes, he closed his own eyes and pictured her before him, gaze darkened with desire. His breathing became laboured as he allowed his imagination to wander.
...
Caroline had avoided the drunken forms of her brother and Richard as they headed up the stairs. She led her maid down the hallway to the library but before they got there she turned to her maid.
"Clearly the gentlemen have over indulged, you must find Mrs Darcy's maid and send her to her mistress. she will likely wish to assist her husband" Caroline sneered the last.
Tessa looked a little confused, shouldn't she go to Mr Darcy's valet?
"If you cannot find her maid soon I suggest you go straight to Mrs Darcy," Caroline paused and when Tessa still did not seem inclined to move she gave her a little push "now Tessa!"
The maid hurried away.
Caroline continued along the corridor and stopped at the open door of the study. She could see the library door from where she stood, but it was never her intended destination. She watched as Darcy was stood, swaying slightly, next to his desk with his eyes shut and a small smile on his face.
She slithered in to the room and left the door ajar.
"Mr Darcy" she purred "are you quite well?"
Darcy mumbled, she stepped closer.
"I understand you are in need of some comfort."
He mumbled "not... Elizabeth"
"I am here for you when she is not" Caroline said
She stepped in and laid her hands on his chest, running them up towards his shoulders.
"Smell nice."
"Let me comfort you."
"Comfort."
Darcy's head dropped to her neck and she sighed as he kissed the skin there. As his arms moved up her back and his lips moved to just below her ear she couldn't help but let out a louder sigh.
...
Darcy was confused, everything was confusing.
He had been thinking about his wife, pleasant thoughts, when someone had asked if he was well.
The thought was not as straightforward as it should have been. Was he well? He had been deceiving his beloved wife and likely hurting her, he was no closer to figuring out who was a threat or why he always felt like she was in danger. It was all so confusing, he tried to say something to that effect but he was not sure he managed.
He tried to see who was in the room but his vision was blurry and she was stood between him and the fire, the only light source, all he could see was the outline of her figure under her nightgown. It had been a long time since he had visited Elizabeth and longer still since he had enjoyed the bedchamber, the sight of a scantily clad woman shot desire through him.
When she spoke asking if he needed comfort he tried to clear his head "are you not Elizabeth?" his tongue was thick and he was not sure his words came out right. The reply was more confusing, why was Elizabeth not here for him?
He sucked in a breath as he felt hands run up his chest and the woman stepped closer but his entire being focussed on her smell, Elizabeth's smell, lavender perfume filled his nostrils and his already fuzzy brain started to swim. He had always loved her scent.
"You smell so nice Elizabeth"
When she offered comfort his brain swam even more, screaming with desire for his wife and not remembering why he had previously thought that was impossible. He pulled the woman towards him and his mouth found her neck, kissing the spot on her neck that enchanted him so. But there was something wrong, her scent was too heavy and there was an unusual underlying scent, not his Elizabeth.
His lips moved to under her ear of their own accord but his arms now noticed that the figure they were holding was not his Elizabeth's.
He was so confused.
...
Elizabeth was grumbling, if Richard and Darcy wanted to drink in to oblivion why did she have to come and pick up the pieces? Surely they were big enough to manage themselves? She tutted, she did not approve of drinking so much that he couldn't even get upstairs. She had sent her maid to find Mr Darcy's valet then set off for the study.
She stopped in the doorway as she heard the sighing coming from inside, her eyes going wide at the sight of Caroline in Mr Darcy's arms. She gasped and stepped back, thinking for a moment before turning on her heel and heading towards the stairs.
Richard was just coming down.
"Ahhh" he started loudly arms outstretched as if to hug her. Elizabeth shushed him, and he frowned in drunken confusion.
"I assume you have something to do with the scene in the study, I will thank you to do what you can to clean it up quietly. I do not wish to be disturbed again."
She whirled about and marched up the stairs, leaving a frowning Richard behind him. He made his way to the study and stopped dead in the doorway.
...
Darcy was still confused, but too many things did not make sense, he pushed back from the woman and stumbled catching his arm on the desk behind him. The pain permeated the fog that was his brain.
"What?" He asked confused.
He blinked and shook his head and his gaze came in to focus. Caroline was stood in front of him, a blush on her cheeks and a smile on her face and Richard looked aghast in the door way.
"What are you doing here Caroline?"
"Why Mr Darcy, I only came to offer you aid and you started kissing me."
"What? I would not, I would never."
He looked to Richard, whose face betrayed the truth.
"Get out."
He said harshly
"Well Mr Darcy, there's no need to be like that after behaving so."
She turned and swept off.
Richard gave her a wide berth and come in to the room.
"What happened man?" he demanded.
Darcy ran his hand over his face and through his hair
"She smelled like Elizabeth, I was thinking of her and then that woman came in and smelled like her. It was dark. I am not sure what happened."
Richard looked thoughtful and then shook his head. "Idiot." he muttered, weather to himself or Darcy it was not certain.
"What should I do?"
"Well, I think we both need to sleep. And tomorrow you need to speak to your wife."
Darcy hung his head, looking far more like the boy who had been told off for being naughty than the imposing master of Pemberley.