Darcy's Kiss Read online

  It seemed to her that he recoiled slightly at her words. She had said more than she intended, although not more, she thought, than was justified by his outrageous behavior. The kiss itself had been bad enough, but for him to show no remorse, make no effort to apologize, was almost worse. She could have been coolly forgiving if he had humbled himself as any well-mannered gentleman should have done.

  She was more incensed than ever when he took a quick step forward and almost grasped her arm. "Try to deceive me, if you must," he said with sudden intensity, all the laughter gone from his countenance. "But don't play games with yourself."

  This was the final outrage. Tears of rage sprang into Elizabeth's eyes, and she lifted her hand and swung it at his face, longing to hurt him, if only superficially. She wasn't even allowed this momentary gratification, as his hand intercepted hers before it could strike his cheek.

  "Don't you think it might cause talk," he said coolly, sounding as though he were remarking on the weather, "if I have the mark of your fingers on my face? Come, we've absented ourselves long enough. I have no doubt the wandering lambs have long since allowed themselves to be rounded up. I wouldn't want to cause concern for your well-being."

  "No," she agreed nastily.

  Again that rich, husky chuckle was her answer.

  Frustrated as she was at her inability to best him, the banter had somewhat exhilarated Elizabeth and had the effect of restoring her customary poise. She reached up to smooth her hair, recalling the way his fingers had twined through it, and discovered that it was falling on her shoulders. Several pins hung askew, and her exploring touch told her that several more doubtless littered the pathway.

  She struggled to hold the Grecian knot on the back of her head taut while stabbing at it with the pins, which persisted in promptly slithering back out. It was not the first time Elizabeth had cause to curse her heavy hair.

  After watching this unsuccessful battle for a moment, Darcy said, "If you'll cry truce, Miss Bennet, and let me do that, we might make some progress. I haven't any desire to stand here all night. I think I might make a reasonable lady's maid."

  Elizabeth hesitated, then finally, with great reluctance, handed him the pins and turned her back. Common sense was clearly on his side, and she was becoming anxious about the length of time that had passed since they had become separated from the rest of the party.

  Immediately Elizabeth felt the gentle, impersonal touch of Darcy's fingers in her hair, as he deftly wound the strands into a semblance of their former order and inserted the pins. Elizabeth stayed very still, with bowed head, and tried to ignore the gooseflesh that prickled her spine.

  When he had finished, she turned around, saying tartly, "That was remarkably well done."

  "Would you prefer a fumbling schoolboy?" he asked her.

  "I would prefer neither," she snapped.

  "Let's put our quarrel aside until another day, Miss Bennet,” he said softly. In a curiously formal gesture, considering what had passed between them, he offered her his arm.

  Elizabeth was somewhat touched by his effort at conciliation, represented by his reversion to the more proper form of address. She doubted the sincerity of it, but it suited her purposes as well as his to present an unruffled front to the rest of the group. Unless she was going to make hysterical accusations about Darcy's conduct, which she had no intention of doing, it would be best if she gave no one any reason to suspect that they had done more than stroll about in casual search of Maria.

  As Darcy had predicted, they almost immediately emerged onto a wider path. She quickly spotted their party and was relieved to see Anne under her mother's wing. She could see, even from a distance, that Mr. Collins appeared agitated.

  The moment they reached the others, Charlotte cried, "Lizzy! Thank the Lord! We've been so worried! I don't know what to do! We were searching, but what can so few hope to accomplish?"

  Elizabeth suddenly realized that her mouth was hanging unattractively open, and snapped it shut. “Charlotte, what are you talking about? You can see that I'm safe. Surely we can find your father..." She stopped and looked around. "Where's Maria?" she asked, an uneasy feeling taking grip.

  "She's disappeared!" Charlotte declared dramatically. "I'm beginning to fear she's been kidnapped! My father has already gone to look for her."

  Mr. Collins explained more calmly, "We felt certain you were safe with Mr. Darcy, and we hoped that somehow you had met Maria and were merely taking a roundabout way back. But obviously you didn't encounter her."

  Dumbly Elizabeth shook her head. She noticed that Anne now stood at Lady Catherine's side, her dark eyes somber. The girl would never consider being “lost” a delicious lark. Such behavior, Elizabeth thought, was foreign to Anne, who would be frightened without a strong arm to lend her support, and who in any case had too much sensitivity to wish to cause her relatives anxiety.

  It was Darcy who said in a commonsense way, "Perhaps, Richard, you could tell us how you came to lose Miss Lucas. You were certainly together when we last saw you."

  Colonel Fitzwilliam flushed under Darcy's critical gaze. "I don't know," he said wretchedly. "It sounds absurd, but...one moment she was with me, and the next she was gone. She pointed out a flower in bloom to one side of the path, so I turned to look, and when I turned back she had disappeared. I called for her, and there was no answer. Surely if she had been dragged away there would have been even a little bit of a scuffle, some hint of distress..."

  "Were there intersecting paths there?"

  He nodded. "She could have gone in any direction, even back the way we had come. I thought she might have become distressed that her sister was not in sight, and turned back in search of her, not realizing I was not following, and become confused in the dark. I can think of no other explanation!"

  Darcy remarked, "It sounds very much as though Miss Lucas gave you the slip deliberately. And if that's the case, she'll turn up when it suits her. I suggest, however, that somebody stay here, should she come looking, and the rest of us split up in pairs and commence a search."

  In the end Lady Catherine and Anne stayed where they were, to be on the lookout for Maria, should she appear from the trees, while Elizabeth and Darcy took one path and Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Collins with his wife in hand took another.

  Darcy thought it best for Charlotte and Elizabeth, the two who had the most cause for fear, to take action and not be left standing to brood.

  Elizabeth gave only a passing thought to the fact that she was once again alone in the darkness with Mr. Darcy, but her increasing fear for Maria's safety preoccupied her to the exclusion of all else. This was no leisurely stroll, either. Darcy set a brisk pace, pausing only to peer around bushes at the occasional bench, which had been placed to ensure privacy.

  Elizabeth couldn't imagine what he expected to find, as it seemed unlikely in the extreme to her that Maria would be sitting on a bench alone in the dark, or be sharing it with a stranger. It seemed best, however, not to pass up any possibility, however remote, so she made no comment on these detours.

  In the agreed-upon time, having found no sign of Maria, they returned to the house, there to find the other searchers.

  Sir William, although looking haggard, turned to Elizabeth and Darcy, saying in his calm way, "I'm beginning to be alarmed. I thought it most likely she had simply wandered off by accident, and has been slow in making her way back, but so much time has passed now that I fear some misadventure must have befallen her. Perhaps we should ask the assistance of the authorities."

  He had no sooner finished speaking when Darcy said, "That won't be necessary. Here comes Miss Maria now, and looking none the worse for her adventure."

  As one they turned to see Maria hurrying toward them. Her hair seemed to be in some disarray, but otherwise, as Darcy had noted, she appeared much as usual.

  Her soft cheeks were touched with pink as she stopped, saying in a breathless way, "I'm so sorry! Did I worry you? I don't know how I came to be separat
ed from Colonel Fitzwilliam, and then I got so muddled..." She made a helpless gesture with one hand. "Charlotte, you know how bad my sense of direction has always been! And it's so dark! I am sorry!" she repeated, her curiously bright gaze flicking from one face to another.

  Elizabeth couldn't help wondering why Maria had hurried in such a way to explain, instead of giving vent to the relief she must surely be feeling at being reunited with her family. It was as though she had memorized her excuses, and needed to say them quickly, before she forgot her story.

  Elizabeth chided herself for thinking such a thing about Maria Lucas, who was surely incapable of deceit, but then, almost unbelieving, she saw the tiny, conspiratorial smile Maria gave Anne, so quick that it could almost have been imagined. Elizabeth's eyes met Darcy's and she saw that he, too, had seen. His face remained carefully expressionless, but there was no doubt that he had understood, just as she had, that this entire escapade had been planned by the two girls, to what purpose Elizabeth couldn't guess, although that smile seemed to imply that it had been a success.

  Apparently no one else had observed the interchange, because the others were chattering away in their relief and making much of poor Maria, who must have been so frightened alone, and had managed so well. Only Anne appeared faintly disapproving of the younger girl's carelessness. Anne and Maria very deliberately did not look at each other again, and Maria fell so well into her role that Elizabeth could almost persuade herself her suspicions were groundless.

  Another glance at Darcy, who stood back a little from the others, served to convince her to the contrary, however, and she was determined to have the truth from Maria the moment she could get her alone.

  The group was growing restive. The spirit had gone out of the occasion for their party; Mr. Collins declared that his heart was still fluttering, and Lady Catherine was keeping a tight grip on Anne's arm. Colonel Fitzwilliam was brooding, and Elizabeth gathered that he had come to the same conclusion as had Mr. Darcy, that Maria had deliberately left him. Sir William, whose emotions and concerns seldom ran deep, was the only one, with the possible exception of Maria, disappointed at the decision to bring an end to the evening.

  The carriages were waiting outside the entrance, and in a very few minutes Elizabeth prepared to follow the Collinses up the carriage steps. Darcy, who stood beside the open door, said courteously, "Thank you for your company, Miss Bennet." His smile, however, put another connotation altogether on his words.

  Elizabeth nodded curtly and made to pass him. Just as she bent her head to enter the carriage, she heard him say softly, "Another time, Miss Bennet," and felt it to be a threat.

  She could only look on the evening as an ordeal that had thankfully passed. She was left with several tasks, the most important of which was to put Mr. Darcy out of her mind and forget that her heart—not to mention her body—had ever weakened toward him. She also needed to find out what Maria had been up to. She prayed that it had been some innocent, girlish scheme, and that there were no serious ramifications.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The following day began with a confrontation of an uncomfortable nature.

  Young Maria, like Elizabeth's two youngest sisters, was not an early riser. On a usual morning she sipped her chocolate in bed at about ten-thirty, and it was at this unguarded hour that Elizabeth chose to speak with her.

  Maria was indeed propped against her pillows with a mug of steaming hot chocolate on a tray balanced on the coverlet. She straightened her back when she saw Elizabeth, who fancied that the young girl was not altogether pleased to see her. Then Maria's pretty face cleared, and she said in a soft, breathless voice, "Oh, Lizzy, am I late?" She struggled upright. "I'll be down directly if you'll call Sarah. Hasn't Lady Catherine invited us to tea in the garden this afternoon? I suppose she will chastise us about last night. Oh, well... The roses should be so lovely in the daylight!"

  Elizabeth advanced on the bed. "No, no, you needn't hurry." She adroitly cut off Maria's escape route by sitting on the side of the bed. "The party is this afternoon, but we won't be leaving for several hours. I wanted to talk to you privately."

  Although there was no discernible change in Maria's expression, Elizabeth sensed the girl's tension. One tiny hand clutched at the ruffles at her slender throat, as though protectively, and her lovely blue eyes widened with frightened innocence. "You sound so very stern, Lizzy! Is something wrong?"

  Elizabeth hesitated. How did one accuse the sister of one's best friend of being a liar and a schemer? She should have better thought out her plan beforehand.

  At length she approached the matter indirectly. "We were very worried about you last night, Maria. It is dangerous for a young girl to wander alone at night."

  Maria's rosebud mouth opened impulsively, then closed. After a moment she said with obvious restraint, "I am sorry if I frightened you, Lizzy. It seemed safe to walk with Colonel Fitzwilliam. I know you approve of him."

  Elizabeth refused to be diverted. "Walking with Colonel Fitzwilliam would have been safe."

  Maria gave an unconvincing laugh. "It was foolish of me to become lost, wasn't it? My father said I was shatter-brained! But since no harm came of it... I won't do such a thing again, Lizzy. I promise to be more careful."

  More careful in what way? Elizabeth wondered. About being discovered? Maria was not a good dissembler. She sounded genuinely sorry to have worried her family, but her story of how it came about didn't ring true.

  Elizabeth said bluntly, "Maria, you can't hoax me. I've known you far too long. And why should you wish to? Surely I'm not such a stranger that you need be afraid to tell me anything. Nor am I such a fool that I don't know you and Anne arranged last night's escapade. Tell me why, and I will not involve Charlotte or your father."

  The younger girl stole a quick glance at her. "I can't tell you, Lizzy," she said in a low voice. "I won't tell you. Don't ask me."

  Elizabeth's mouth nearly dropped open. She stared at the top of Maria's bowed head. "Maria," she began quietly, and with commendable restraint, "Ever since Charlotte married, I've tried to be a sort of sister to you. And I hoped we were friends."

  "Lizzy, I want to tell you, but you'd never understand!" Maria said, her voice rising to a wail. "Can't you trust me?"

  "Should I?"

  There was no answer. Elizabeth went on, as patiently as she knew how, "You are far too young to make sensible decisions. And you've been so protected. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of your soft heart. And, don't you see, we have trusted you. Perhaps too much."

  At that Maria spoke with sudden defiance. "It was just in fun! Perhaps it was silly, but you're not my mother, and you don't have any right to treat me like some dog that misbehaved. I'm a person, too, you know, and I don't need to always be managed, even if you and Papa do think I'm a sap-skull!"

  Elizabeth frowned a little and protested, "I am certain I have never said such a thing!" Guiltily she reflected that it would have been better if she could also have asserted with equal vehemence that she had never even thought such a thing. "And your father," she went on, "says a great deal he doesn't mean, as you should know." She sighed, sensing that whatever advantage she had possessed was gone. Maria was entrenched in a mood of righteous anger now and was unlikely to retreat. Her attack had been so pointed that Elizabeth had to take care not to feel or sound defensive about what was, after all, justifiable concern.

  On that thought she stood up, merely adding, "I sympathize with your desire to try your wings. Nonetheless, you are unfamiliar with Hunsford, and you are too young and untried to be allowed your freedom, whether you would have it so or not. And foolish as the proprieties often seem to me, you and I must conform to them. Do you understand?"

  When no reply was forthcoming, Elizabeth hardened her voice and said, "Let me warn you, Maria. If you further jeopardize your respectability, I will be obligated to tell your sister, and we will both be sent packing with no further ado. Is that clear?"

  The mulish look
was now more pronounced. "You needn't be so dramatic! I promised to be more careful, didn't I? You won't have any cause for complaint." Her chin was set at a proud angle.

  Elizabeth regarded her in silence for a moment, then said quietly, "I accept your reassurance, Maria. Just remember not to attempt to feed me any more tales. And..." She hesitated. "You can trust me, you know. I want for you only what will make you happiest."

  The girl made no answer, so Elizabeth left the room, trying to ignore the bleak chasm that seemed to have opened in her stomach. She was surprised to find that she cared so much about her relationship with Maria. She had always believed herself a good friend to the young girl, but now it was obvious her belief had been a delusion.

  Elizabeth wondered why she was so certain she was not overreacting to the previous night's incident. To all appearances it had been no more than a girlish lark, the sort of nonsense Lydia and Kitty might have dreamed up as a daring escapade. Even so, strong motivation would have been required to induce her to set off alone in the dark pathways at Rosings Park.

  Could she have slipped away to meet some lover whom she knew her family would consider unacceptable? Elizabeth wondered. This solution to the mystery would have been more appealing if Maria had displayed any indication of developing a tendre for one of her many suitors, including Officer Denny, but there had been no such indication. They had not encountered Mr. Denny since they left Meryton, and therefore Maria had no opportunity to make an assignation with the man, even assuming she would have consented to do so.

  Here Elizabeth had to give a disbelieving shake of her head. That she could even be considering whether Maria would have taken such a course was evidence of how little she really knew the girl.