Darcy glared ruefully out of Bingley's large parlor window, trying not to dwell on Elizabeth Bennet… again. Once again, he was failing miserably. It seemed that he was failing at a lot of things lately, a fact which would surely send Caroline Bingley into denial and give James a laugh.
It had been little more than a fortnight since the ball at Lucas Lodge and since then Darcy had been dragged along behind Bingley as his friend dined with almost every family in Hertfordshire… including the Bennet family.
At Lucas Lodge, Darcy had sworn to himself not to get involved in Elizabeth Bennet's life or have any contact with her whatsoever. Much to his dismay, Darcy had found that vow tested beyond the limits of sanity with every visit to that accursed estate of Longbourn. The sensation of being in the same room as Elizabeth had been torturous enough; and it hadn't helped his vow that she had hardly ever turned her sharp gaze away from him. It was the sharpness of her gaze that had worried Darcy and disgusted Caroline.
Caroline Bingley had decided from the very beginning that Elizabeth Bennet wasn't at all deserving of the title of pretty, and Elizabeth's habit of scrutinizing Darcy had given even more fuel to Caroline's fire, convincing Miss Bingley that Eliza Bennet was nothing more than a patronizing shrew. Darcy couldn't agree with Caroline there, not that that was a shock (he hardly ever agreed with Bingley's psychotic younger sister). It was impossible to see Elizabeth as a shrew, much less a patronizing one. No, the thing that most struck him about her attention was the careful intensity with which she scrutinized him, similar to the attention a lion gives to its prey before it attacks.
Darcy sighed and turned away from the window before his thoughts took him to less welcome venues. He wasn't really in the mood for a trip down memory lane…
A quiet and insistent knock sounded against the smooth wooden door that led into the entryway, interrupting Darcy's thoughts. A few feet away, Caroline and her older sister, Louisa, fidgeted restlessly in anticipation of a visitor. Darcy frowned, wondering who they had invited. Caroline and Louisa rarely had visitors, especially when Bingley wasn't home (Charles had gone to Lucas Lodge alone today, since Darcy had pointedly refused to have anything more to do with the man).
A sharply dressed servant entered the room, followed closely by a petite woman who resembled a drowned rat. Darcy recognized the form of Jane Bennet underneath the layers of soaked clothes and sopping hair. She cast him a weary smile before giving an awkward curtsy to Bingley's sisters.
"Dear Lord, Ms. Bennet, did you ride here or swim?" Caroline drawled lazily.
Jane laughed shakily and rubbed her hand absently against her arm, attempting to hide the shiver that went through her.
"My father couldn't spare the horses, so I was obliged to ride here on horseback," she explained between chattering teeth.
"Good heavens, in weather like this?!" Louisa gasped. "How dreadful! We must get you into some dry clothes, Ms. Bennet."
"No, no, I'm fine, really," Jane insisted. "I'm-." The color suddenly drained from her face and she swayed slightly in place. Darcy moved forward, catching the unconscious girl moments before her head made contact with the floor.
"We should get her upstairs," he murmured. "She isn't well."
"Oh! Yes, yes of course," Caroline gasped, seeming more distressed by the fact that Darcy was touching Jane than by the fact that Jane had fainted. "I shall call Albert."
"No need," Darcy said shortly. "I know where the guest rooms are."
"But, Mr. Darcy-."
Darcy ignored Caroline's objections and hurried out of the room, sighing with relief when he could no longer hear her complaints.
Sometimes, you had to take whatever opportunities you could get, especially when Caroline Bingley was involved.
Jane Bennet tried to remain limp as Mr. Darcy carried her easily up the spiral staircase to the rooms above, although it would've been more natural to struggle against his strong grip. She had never been so close to someone with a vampire aura, and she didn't like the experience one bit. Granted, she still wasn't entirely sure how he had vampire blood in him, and his aura wasn't as dark as a regular vampire's, but it was still unpleasant.
Lucky for me, I've had plenty of practice fainting, Jane thought wryly. If she fainted many more times from visions or from Mary's insane plans, she was going to be able to give lessons.
At first, Jane had been reluctant to agree to Mary's plan. She hated being a bother to people, and she hated being alone in a home with a vampire even less. Still, Lizzy would be here before breakfast tomorrow, and it was certainly an effective way to investigate the Bingleys and their mysterious guest, Mr. Darcy.
Jane sighed inwardly and waited patiently for Darcy to reach her room. The wooden stake that was hidden within the folds of her gown was starting to be uncomfortable…
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