Secrets at Pemberley

by Penelope Swan

  “I would do anything to ensure your happiness,” said Darcy. He gathered her into his arms and slowly lowered his head. Elizabeth held her breath, her heart pounding in a frantic rhythm. Her eyelids fluttered shut. Then his lips were on hers and it was as if the world had stopped spinning. The kiss was soft, tender at first, and then deeper and more urgent, and Elizabeth felt all the passion that Darcy was capable of. She shivered with anticipation of their wedding night. At last Darcy broke the kiss and looked down at her.

  “I think… I think I shall enjoy my honeymoon very much,” said Elizabeth, smiling shyly.

  Darcy brushed his thumb across her lips in a soft caress, his eyes dark with promise. “I shall ensure that you do.”

  Then he bent his head again and neither of them spoke for a very long time.

  THE END

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, even if it’s just a few words—it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

  The Dark Darcy Mysteries are at an end for now (although I may write some further instalments to the series - perhaps Darcy and Elizabeth finding mystery and suspense while on honeymoon? ;-) ).

  In the meantime, I hope you will check out my other Pride and Prejudice variations – or my cozy British mysteries written under H.Y. Hanna! (see below)

  OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:

  Darcy Revealed

  An unexpected mix-up leads Elizabeth Bennet to renewing her acquaintance with the handsome Mr Darcy during her stay in London. Amid a whirl of society balls, fashionable promenades in Hyde Park and dangerous flirtations, Elizabeth find herself unwittingly drawn to the haughty gentleman. But does Darcy return her feelings or does his heart belong to another?

  Darcy Revealed is a sweet, clean, standalone Pride and Prejudice variation romance, inspired by Jane Austen’s novel.

  READ NOW: Amazon | Amazon UK

  Darcy’s Wager

  When Elizabeth Bennet discovers that her sister, Lydia, has risked her reputation by staking a wager against one of London’s most notorious rakes, she races to prevent a scandal before shame and ruin befall her family. But saving her own sister could mean sacrificing another: the sister of the handsome, aloof Mr Darcy. Can Elizabeth make a choice between her family and the man she loves? From the pleasure gardens of Vauxhall to the gambling dens of Piccadilly, join Darcy and Elizabeth as they banter, dance, and fall in love in this Regency romance for Jane Austen fans everywhere.

  Darcy’s Wager is a sweet, clean, full-length standalone Pride and Prejudice variation romance, inspired by Jane Austen’s novel.

  READ NOW: Amazon | Amazon UK

  Read an excerpt from Darcy’s Wager:

  Elizabeth stepped into the main hall and walked slowly towards the nearest shelves. She reached up to run her fingers reverently along the spines of the leather-bound volumes, inhaling deeply of the rich aroma of paper and calfskin. There is no smell as wonderful as that of a book, she thought. Her gaze strayed upwards and she spied a volume on a higher shelf which looked particularly intriguing. Stretching up on tiptoe, she attempted to pull it out, but her fingers could not quite reach their target.

  “Allow me, Miss Bennet.”

  Elizabeth spun around and found herself face to face with a tall gentleman.

  “Mr Darcy!” she said in surprise.

  Clad in an elegant coat of dark blue superfine, with his long legs encased in pale buckskin breeches and gleaming Hessian boots, Darcy cut a fine figure. Though he was not as fashionably dressed as many of the other gentlemen in the room, he easily overshadowed them all—just as he had done when he had accompanied his friend, Bingley, to the society events in Hertfordshire. His handsome face was as austere as Elizabeth remembered from their meetings there, though she fancied she saw a warmth in his eyes as he looked down at her.

  Darcy made her a slight bow, then reached up and extracted the volume from the shelf, handing the book to her.

  Elizabeth accepted it and dropped a belated curtsy. “It… it is a pleasure to see you, sir.”

  “I had not realised that you were in town, Miss Bennet,” said Darcy.

  “Yes, my aunt and uncle have invited us to come and stay with them for a while at their home in Cheapside,” she said, darting an impudent look at him and wondering if he would recoil from the mention of such a lowly address.

  To his credit, Darcy did not react but merely said, “That is most generous of them.”

  “Indeed,” agreed Elizabeth. “Though it is also a fortuitous arrangement, as my uncle has had to make a trip to inspect his ships at Plymouth and is away for several weeks. Thus my aunt is glad of our company as well.”

  “And are you enjoying your time in town?”

  “Oh yes, though I own…” She looked at the shelves of books around them, her eyes shining. “Today’s visit is the highlight of my stay so far.”

  Darcy raised a sardonic eyebrow. “I would have thought that the highlight of most young ladies’ stay in London would be a visit to the fashionable modistes of Bond Street.”

  Elizabeth waved her hand. “We have certainly been patronising many of the stores and bazaars in town. My younger sisters have a fervent love of fashion, gowns, and accessories, but I confess…” She gave a wry smile. “I grow tired of looking at shawls and pelisses. I would much rather pursue the pleasures of a book.” She looked around and sighed dreamily. “Would that I had a library of such proportions at my disposal! I am sure I could want for nothing more.”

  Darcy looked at her in amusement. “I had not realised your worldly aspirations were of such a literary bent. Most young ladies would long for fine jewels or expensive carriages that they could show and flaunt—”

  “I am a selfish creature,” she said with a laugh. “I do not care about giving pleasure to others, therefore I do not seek to entertain and impress them.”

  Darcy regarded her thoughtfully. “Do you care naught for the opinions of others, then?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Perhaps. If they are worthy of being heeded. But most who would give you an opinion are not worth listening to.”

  “That is a cynical view for so young a lady,” observed Darcy.

  “Oh, I know you would have me say that those who enjoy advising others speak from a position of wisdom—so that you might have the pleasure of despising my naiveté; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes and cheating a person of their premediated contempt. I have therefore made up my mind to tell you that I think those who speak with the most authority often have the least knowledge. Now despise me if you dare.”

  “Indeed, I do not dare,” said Darcy, with a teasing smile.

  She looked at him in surprise. When he smiled like that, with a twinkle lighting up his dark eyes, he seemed almost a different person. For a moment, Elizabeth felt a tug of liking for him. Then she pushed the feeling aside as she reminded herself of Darcy’s arrogant behaviour back in Hertfordshire and his haughty manners—not to mention the way he had snubbed her the first time they met at the assembly ball in Meryton.

  “It has been a delight to meet you again, Miss Bennet, and to have had the pleasure of your lively discourse,” said Darcy, still smiling. He bowed, then turned and strode away.

  Elizabeth stared after him for a moment. She was surprised to find that her heart rate was slightly unsteady and she wondered why this should be the case. Surely she did not find the company of Mr Darcy exciting! With great resolve, she put the gentleman from her mind and turned back to the shelves in front of her.

  The time flew by. Elizabeth had spent almost an hour in the store, browsing the many shelves and selecting a few volumes to purchase, when she glanced up guiltily at the clock on the wall.

  Heavens! Was that the time?

  She had to leave directly, else her aunt would become worried. She had already been out all morning. After accompanying her mother and younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia, for a morning of shopping in Bond Street, Elizabeth had persuaded them to return to t
he Gardiners’ without her. She had been desperate to visit the Temple of the Muses and had insisted that there could be no harm in her taking a hackney coach back by herself. However, she knew that had her aunt been one of the party, she would not have been allowed to come unchaperoned—for her aunt had stricter notions of propriety than her mother. Mrs Gardiner would certainly be fretting now and Elizabeth did not want to cause her aunt any more distress than necessary.

  As she stepped out of the front door of the bookstore, she noticed that a light rain had begun to fall. Clutching her bundles to her chest with one hand and picking up her skirts with the other, Elizabeth hurried to cross the street, keen to reach the hackney coach stand on the other side.

  But she had barely stepped into the road when a sudden shove sent her reeling. Something—somebody—yanked at her reticule. She tried to hold on but it was torn from her grasp. She lost her balance and cried out, dropping all her parcels and tumbling backwards into the road.

  Elizabeth hit the ground with a jolt which knocked the breath from her body. She lay stunned for a moment, then looked around in fear. She was in the middle of the road and vulnerable to any carriage that might pass. She heard the sound of hoof beats approaching and felt a surge of panic.

  “Miss Bennet!”

  Suddenly, strong arms grasped her and helped her to her feet. A tall, male body shielded her from the oncoming carriage as she was gently ushered back to the side of the road. Her heart still racing from the recent shock, Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself.

  “Miss Bennet—are you unharmed?”

  Elizabeth realised that the gentleman supporting her was Mr Darcy. She flushed as she also realised that he had one arm around her waist, the other holding her hand. Slowly, he released her as she stepped away from him.

  “Yes, thank you, sir.” She looked around and gave a shaky laugh. “I was warned about the dangers of the capital—the street peddlers and pickpockets and footpads…”

  “The street hawkers are often associated with the criminal poor in London but they are mostly just honest folk plying their trade and trying to earn a living,” said Darcy. “The pickpockets and footpads, however, you do need to be wary of. They do not normally attack in broad daylight—you must have been extremely unfortunate.” He frowned. “Did he take anything?”

  “Only my reticule, but I did not have much money left in it,” Elizabeth assured him. She had regained her composure now and was able to give him a weak smile as she dusted herself off, then began retrieving her parcels.

  Darcy stepped forwards to help her, and together they collected the scattered parcels from the road. By this time, the rain had begun to fall in earnest and Elizabeth was dismayed to see that several of the packages had been torn open and one in particular had fallen into a puddle. It was now soaked and the book was damaged beyond repair.

  “Oh!” she cried in disappointment as she picked it up gingerly. “This was my favourite selection and the one I had been most looking forward to reading.”

  “Perhaps you would like to return to the store to purchase another?” asked Darcy.

  Elizabeth hesitated, then shook her head. “I cannot. My aunt is expecting me back home and I am already delayed. What is more…” She paused awkwardly, her cheeks reddening. “I have spent what allowance I can afford on my purchases already.”

  Darcy inclined his head. “In that case, may I escort you back to your aunt’s residence? My own curricle is stationed nearby and I should be pleased to offer you a ride.”

  Elizabeth hesitated again. The last person she wanted to accept a ride from was Mr Darcy. On the other hand, the rain was getting stronger by the minute and she did not fancy the prospect of standing in the wet, clutching her many purchases and waiting for a hackney to become available. She could see the coach stand beyond Darcy’s shoulder and there was already a considerable queue waiting, with no carriage in sight. As was often the case, once the rain started, all available means of transport seemed to disappear!

  She turned back to Darcy. “Thank you, sir,” she said. “It is very kind of you. However, I should not like to give you any trouble and I am sure that—”

  “’Tis no trouble at all,” said Darcy smoothly, putting a gentle hand under her elbow and guiding her towards the side of the square.

  “Oh…” Elizabeth said as they arrived next to the vehicle and Darcy held his hand out to help her up. She was dismayed to see that there was no tiger perched at the back.

  “Is something the matter?” asked Darcy.

  “No… That is, I had not expected you to be driving it yourself,” said Elizabeth lamely.

  She did not add that the prospect of being alone with him in the vehicle made her heart beat unaccountably fast. She had expected there to be a groom or some other servant to chaperone them.

  She cleared her throat. “Would it… would it not seem improper for us to be driving together without a chaperone…?” she trailed off.

  Darcy surprised her with a chuckle. “Miss Bennet, for a young lady intrepid enough to roam the countryside alone and bold enough to come to the bookstore unchaperoned, it surprises me that you should be so concerned with propriety in this instance.”

  Elizabeth flushed. He was right—her concerns did appear hypocritical given her usual independence. It was really the thought of being alone with Darcy that unsettled her. She had never really spent any amount of time alone with him. Even during her stay at Netherfield Park when Jane had taken ill—though there had been the occasional half hour when they had been alone together in the library or drawing room—she had never really felt the intimacy of it, for there were others in the house ready to join them at a moment’s notice. Now, however, although they were on the streets of London surrounded by the public, it felt as if they were much more alone.

  Darcy gave her a dry smile. “If you are concerned about propriety, I feel that we would be absolved in the present circumstances. You have recently had an unpleasant fright and I am escorting you back to your aunt’s residence. We are driving in an open vehicle, in public, and it is not uncommon for a gentlemen to take a young lady for a ride about town—as you see daily during the fashionable hour in Hyde Park.”

  His words made sense and Elizabeth was also conscious of the fact that they were standing in the rain, getting wetter by the second. She felt foolish prevaricating further. She took his hand and mounted the steps to seat herself in the curricle, looking away as he climbed in after her and settled himself beside her. Darcy raised the hood, so that they were well shielded from the rain, then picked up the reins and set the horses in motion. The pair of beautifully matched bays twitched their ears and tossed their manes as they broke into a sedate trot.

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  (writing as H.Y. Hanna)

  The Oxford Tearoom Mysteries

  ~ murder, mayhem and English afternoon tea…

  A cozy mystery for cat lovers and British mystery fans!

  A SCONE TO DIE FOR

  TEA WITH MILK AND MURDER

  TWO DOWN, BUN TO GO

  The TENDER series

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  For more information, go to:

  H.Y. Hanna Amazon Author Page

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Penelope Swan is the pen name of author, H.Y. Hanna, who writes best-selling British cozy mysteries and romantic mysteries under her other name. She has been an avid Jane Austen fan since her teens and is delighted that she can now live out her Regency fantasies through her books. You can find out more about her and get in touch at: www.penelopeswan.com

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  Acknowledgements

  A huge thank you to my lovely friend, Basma, for her wonderful enthusiasm, support and feedback which has improved the story enormous
ly. My grateful thanks also to Melanie G. Howe for beta reading support above and beyond the call of friendship. As always, I am indebted to Charles Winthrop for his loving support and encouragement for all my writing endeavours. And last but not least, to Jane Austen herself for her wonderful characters and inspiration.

  ***

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments, persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author.