Darcy's Temptation

by Regina Jeffers

  Darcy had her where he wanted her; Miss Donnelly openly admitted her guilt.“What else do you know of my real family?” Darcy’s authoritative nature required Miss Donnelly respond truthfully.When he took that resolve, few could deny him.

  “Actually, Sir, very little—we met only the one time. You are from somewhere in Derbyshire.”

  “And who was the clergyman?” Darcy cut in.

  She looked around nervously. “I met Sir William Lucas,” Miss Donnelly began.

  “You mentioned him before,” Darcy interrupted again.

  Miss Donnelly swallowed hard. “Sir William Lucas comes from Hertfordshire; the clergyman Mr. Collins is Sir William’s son by marriage. Mr. Collins claims you are married to his cousin.”

  “I find that fact hard to believe; even if I am not your cousin, obviously, I am of higher rank than that insipid man I met in your study the other day,” Darcy reasoned.“How could I be married to someone in his family?”

  “We cannot answer that question, Sir.” Having been silent too long, Lansing joined the conversation.

  “Cannot or will not answer?” Darcy insisted.

  “Cannot,” Lansing reaffirmed. “It was happenstance Mr. Collins ended up here.There is little else we can tell you.”

  “And—my accident—what of it?” Darcy took a dominant position in front of the mantelpiece.

  “The coach was ransacked—your things scattered about the grounds. Miss Donnelly ordered us to save what we could, but most things of value were taken before we arrived,” Lansing recited.“Your driver and postilion were dead, and you were left bleeding. Evidently, you were struck several times. Plus, you hit your head on a large rock.” Darcy actually had a flash of memory of a blond gentleman snarling down from horseback at him. Unconsciously, he nodded with the words.

  “Anything else?”

  “Nothing of merit,” Miss Donnelly interjected.

  “Then where does that leave us in the situation you created here?” Darcy’s anger returned.

  Mr. Lansing would not be intimidated by the tone of Darcy’s voice. “It seems prudent we help you to get on your way as soon as possible. We will arrange for the coach to take you into the village. You may stay at the inn until the next coach to London leaves day after tomorrow. Appropriate passage from there would be easily arranged.”

  “You plan to send me off to London without my knowing any more than what you have told me?” Darcy looked on in disbelief.

  Lansing wanted to be rid of the stranger so he could advance his own plans with Miss Donnelly. “How else might we be of service to you, Sir? You can only find your way if you leave here. Perhaps someone in Derbyshire will recognize you.”

  “So I am just to roam around Derbyshire until someone recognizes me? That is not much of a plan, now is it, Sir?”

  “We could contact Mr. Collins for more information or even Sir William Lucas,” Miss Donnelly reasoned.

  Darcy began to pace.“I suppose that is a start.”

  Miss Donnelly got up and moved to the desk. “It seems reasonable,” she started, “to compensate you for the pain we caused you, Mr. Darcy.”

  “In other words, you wish me to not call the constable,” Darcy said sarcastically.

  “The constable will not solve your problem,” Lansing added quickly. “Miss Donnelly saved your life, Sir; if not for her, you would be dead by now. Do not forget you owe her that much forgiveness.”

  Darcy chuckled lightly. “I shall permit Miss Donnelly to continue here at Darling Hall; however, my forgiveness is not likely to come.”

  “Mr. Darcy, I wronged you. I can only hope you will find your real family soon.You know your name and from where you come; your search cannot be that difficult.You are a well-known gentleman in London. This task cannot be as bothersome as you portray it to be.” Miss Donnelly took control once more. “A Bow Street runner could bring you the information you seek within a day.”

  Lansing jumped at the chance. “It seems a hundred pounds is ample compensation to allow you to find your way home.”

  “I was thinking more like two hundred pounds,” Darcy countered.

  Lansing wanted to barter, but Miss Donnelly cut him off by readily agreeing to the two hundred pounds. Removing the payment from the safe, she added, “I will have Conrad pack your things; the coach will be ready to take you into the village in an hour.” With those words, she dismissed Darcy. Miss Donnelly spent all the energy and time she would with her failed attempt at marriage. Mr. Lansing awaited her, and she wanted to move on. She went through what was expected of her in the form of regret, but the lady was not of the nature to dwell on her mistakes; she was a woman of action.

  Handing Darcy the funds, she walked over to Lansing and took his arm while saying, “We have things to discuss, Sir.” They left the room immediately.

  Darcy stood in disbelief.“It figures,” he said sarcastically. He looked at the money in his hand and then laughed out loud.“I guess I am to Derbyshire.”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam found rooms for himself, Bingley, and Georgiana at the inn in Brigg and then he secured directions to the estate owned by Miss Donnelly. Once they unpacked and settled in, the three of them would find out what Miss Donnelly knew of Darcy.

  “I am so nervous,” Georgiana told the two men. “I cannot imagine my brother staying away from Pemberley on purpose.”

  “Mrs. Collins’s letter held elements of incredulity. Why would Darcy not respond to seeing Mr. Collins? It makes little sense,” Bingley added.

  They took tea in the inn as the stable harnessed fresh horses for their journey to Darling Hall. “My cousin cannot be in a good way. Darcy could not pledge himself to Miss Donnelly; Mr. Collins must be mistaken.” Colonel Fitzwilliam shifted his weight uncomfortably.

  Bingley stood. “I think I will check on the progress of the coach; I will return in a few minutes.” He made his traveling partners a quick bow and left the inn.

  “I am sure news of Darcy and this Donnelly woman does not sit well with Mr. Bingley,” the colonel thought out loud. “With his wife being Elizabeth’s sister, he must have trouble considering Darcy might abandon Elizabeth. Bingley would be forced to face Darcy as a matter of honor.”

  Georgiana gasped, “Edward, you cannot think as such about Fitzwilliam; he adores Elizabeth!”

  “I agree, Georgiana, but something bizarre is happening here. If Darcy is healthy, why has he not returned home? Could he consider Elizabeth’s connections to be a detriment after all?”

  Georgiana began to sob. “Please do not say such things. How can you say you love Anne and think Fitzwilliam does not love Elizabeth? True love must exist in this world.”

  “I am sorry, Georgiana.” Concerned his words upset his cousin, the colonel took her hand in his.“Of course, there must be a different explanation. There is too much chaos of late for any of us to think clearly. Darcy loves Elizabeth as I love Anne.”

  CHAPTER 13

  “It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should

  ever refuse an offer of marriage.A man always imagines a woman

  to be ready for anybody who asks her.”

  Jane Austen, Emma, 1815

  Darcy stepped from the Donnelly coach and looked around the village. People bustled from one building to another, mostly women holding onto hands of younger children—through the very crowded street. He walked to the front of the coach, and a stranger passed, spitting tobacco juice not a foot from Darcy’s polished boots. He scanned the half dozen soldiers drilling beside the jail. Darcy lifted his head, his heart pounding, and spoke to Conrad for probably the last time. “Would you take my trunk to the inn, Conrad?”

  “Yes, Sir.” The man made Darcy a slight bow. “May I say, Sir, you will be missed. It was an honor and a pleasure serving you, Sir.”

  “I appreciate your tolerance, Conrad. If I may be of service to you somehow, please feel free to contact my estate. According to Miss Donnelly, my name is Darcy, and I am from Derbyshire. If you
tire of Darling Hall, I am sure I can find you employment elsewhere.” Darcy felt an obligation to the man who nursed him back to health.

  “Maybe I will consider your offer someday, Mr. Darcy, but, at the moment, my family is here, and I must remain.” Conrad was apologetic, but thankful. He picked up the trunk and headed toward the inn.

  Darcy looked around the street again, hoping something might look familiar. Yet, a profound sense of loneliness crept into his veins. Since waking from his attack, the one face he felt he could trust belonged to a middle-aged man lugging his trunk toward the inn. Once Conrad returned to Darling Hall, Darcy would be entirely alone until he found someone he knew or who knew him.

  He stepped off the wooden walkway to cross the cobble-stone street to the inn when he came face to face with Charles Bingley. The look of astonishment on the man’s face took Darcy by surprise.

  “I beg your pardon, Sir,” Darcy quipped and started past Bingley.

  Charles recovered and then faltered,“Darcy?”

  Hearing his name called, Darcy spun back toward the man. “You know my name, Sir?”

  “Of course, I know you.You are Fitzwilliam Darcy.”

  “I have never been more pleased to hear someone call my name.” Darcy smiled and grabbed Bingley’s hand to shake it. “May I inquire as to your name, Sir?”

  Although elated to find Darcy in health, Bingley looked puzzled. “Come on, Darcy, you know me; we have been intimate friends for several years. Plus, we are brothers as we share family.”

  Darcy stepped back to look closely at Bingley, hoping a better examination would stimulate his memory, but nothing about the man seemed familiar, although the stranger was amiable enough. “I am sorry to say, Sir,” Darcy stammered, “I cannot recall our acquaintance.”

  “My name is Charles Bingley, but why am I detaining you here on the street?Your sister and cousin are waiting for me at the inn; we came to bring you home.”

  “Home?” Darcy seemed confused with the word, but he allowed Bingley to lead him toward the inn and the uncertainty. Bingley ushered Darcy through the main doorway, where a few people were seated in the dining area.The dimly lit room offered little ambiance, but it was clean and warm. A well-dressed military officer and a young lady rose as Bingley approached.A look of mirth overspread both their faces.

  “Look who I found,” Bingley called in a cheerful voice.

  The girl gasped and then rushed forward to encircle Darcy’s waist with her arms and bury her tear-stained face into his chest. Instinctively, he clasped her to him. “Fitzwilliam,” she sobbed,“we were so worried about you.”

  “It is fine—I am fine,” Darcy whispered softly to her.Then the name Georgiana resurfaced. He used the word to make it stick and make it his own.“I am fine, Georgiana.”

  Hearing him call her name caused Georgiana to collapse against him. By now, Edward, too, wanted to embrace Darcy. He hugged him and slapped Darcy’s back in a typical male form of bonding. “Darcy, the family has looked high and low for you. We thought you met with foul play.” Edward stepped back to examine Darcy’s face, trying to assess whether his cousin was hurt in some way.

  Conrad took a position close by; he made Darcy a quick bow. Darcy’s attention came to rest on the man.“Thank you, Conrad.”

  “I left the trunk in the care of the innkeeper, Sir. I will bid you farewell, Mr. Donnelly. Pardon me, Sir—I mean, Mr. Darcy. It is good to see you found someone waiting for you. Goodbye, Sir.” Conrad offered up a near-toothless smile and then bowed out of the scene.

  “Mr. Donnelly?” Edward questioned while directing Darcy to a chair. Bingley held out one for Georgiana, and they all settled in at the table in the back room to decipher what happened.

  Just as Georgiana’s name came to Darcy when he saw her, so did Edward’s. At least, glimmers of memory returned—just as the doctor predicted. “Edward,” Darcy stuttered, “I remember very little until today.” His eyes darted from face to face. Finally, Darcy’s eyes settled on his sister, and he reached out to caress her face with his palm. Georgiana turned her head slightly, kissing his hand. “I remember your face, my Dear, although in my memory you are much younger. How have you grown without my knowledge?”

  “You always wanted Georgiana to remain a young girl.”

  “How is our father?” Darcy’s expression showed concern. His memory came in bursts of energy, much like a candle flame fighting to stay alive against a light breeze.

  “Our father? Our father, Fitzwilliam?” Georgiana’s voice quivered. “Our father died six years ago.” The tears welled in her eyes again; her brother’s words scared Georgiana.

  “Our father is dead?” Darcy’s own voice shook as he looked to Edward and Bingley for confirmation. “It cannot be. I remember his weakness; my memory told me of such several days ago, but I know nothing of his passing.” Darcy’s hands shook as well, and he let his head fall onto Georgiana’s shoulder.

  “Perhaps,” the colonel spoke softly, “we should start at the beginning. Obviously, there are things amiss of which we must speak.” He ordered drinks for all of them. “Darcy, why do you not tell us what you know, and we will try to fill in the blanks.”

  Darcy did not know where to start; the details bounced about chaotically in his brain. Looking at Edward and Georgiana helped him make connections, but the need to complete the picture consumed him. “I woke up several weeks ago at Darling Hall, an estate owned by a Miss Elizabeth Donnelly. Miss Donnelly is a bizarre creature of which I shall speak more at a later time. Let us just say the lady tried to convince me I was her cousin Frederick, and we were to marry.”

  “Well, that explains Mr. Collins,” Edward mumbled.

  “Mr. Collins? The cleric?” Darcy wheeled around to question his cousin.

  “Then you truly do not remember Mr. Collins?” Edward’s voice held all his seriousness.

  “I know of what Miss Donnelly told me.” Darcy returned Edward’s serious gaze.

  Edward asked warily,“And that would be?”

  “I am married to the man’s cousin.” Darcy found this idea amusing, but he saw the others did not share his mirth. Finally, he said, “Then, this is true? I am married?”

  “Of course,” Georgiana gasped. “Elizabeth carries your child, or she would be with us.”

  “My child?” Darcy still looked confused.

  “Let us return to the infamous Miss Donnelly.” Edward refocused Darcy’s attention in an area less disturbing for him.

  Darcy shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “Miss Donnelly claimed she found me on the road after an attack. I was wounded and in bad shape, but I remember nothing of such an attack.”

  “That confirms what Mr. Howard reported,” Edward joined the conversation again. “Your coach was found on the road to Hull; you were on your way there to meet Hannah More.”

  Darcy shook his head again as if this information made sense.“Hannah More? She was an acquaintance of father’s.”

  Edward let this pass for now. “Your coachman and postilion were dead. We brought their bodies home to Pemberley for burial. First the thieves and then the locals ransacked the coach.”

  “At least, Miss Donnelly told the truth there.” Darcy’s words held irony. “Much of what Miss Donnelly told me did not make sense; she invented a family—a father whose approval I lost and an older brother who earned the family estate by birth order. She wished to marry by her eight and twenty birthday for, I discovered, she is to inherit a substantial sum if she does.”

  Innocently, Georgiana reasoned, “Then she is a hideous creature?”

  “Miss Donnelly is attractive enough,” Darcy continued, “but she has fits of anger, and she is obsessed with cleanliness. In fact, the lady refuses to remove her gloves for fear she might encounter dirt on any surface, be it furniture, fixtures, or human skin.” Darcy shared a look of bewilderment with his loved ones. “As I said earlier, her stories began to crumble a little over a week ago. In her desperation, the lady initiated a
tryst, which I refused.” He heard Georgiana’s quick intake of air. “I apologize, my Dear, I should choose my words more wisely. I am trying to reason out loud.” Darcy reached out to take his sister’s hand.

  “I am well, Fitzwilliam,” she offered. “I just did not expect such devious actions from a lady.”

  Darcy took up the story again. “I discovered only yesterday Miss Donnelly knew my identity all along—a fact for which I will never be able to forgive her.”

  Again, Georgiana’s eyes grew large in surprise, and a mumbled imprecation escaped Edward’s lips. Darcy continued, “It seems I met Miss Donnelly briefly in London last year at the home of the Hursts, whoever they are.”

  Edward and Georgiana turned automatically to Charles Bingley, and Darcy’s eyes followed suit.“The Hursts—my sister Louisa is married to Mr. Hurst,” Bingley began. “Miss Donnelly?” he questioned. “I remember her vaguely. It was shortly after we left Netherfield, and the Festive Season began in London. You seemed to notice her at first, but you abandoned the lady after introductions. Caroline was not too pleased to see your attentions go elsewhere.”

  “Caroline?” Darcy looked confused. “I thought you said Elizabeth, Sir.”

  “Accept my apologies, Darcy,” Mr. Bingley stumbled through the words. “My sister Caroline and I once hoped she would be the object of your attentions, but we still ended as brothers. My dear Jane is your Elizabeth’s sister.”

  “May I ask where Netherfield is?” Darcy tried to take in all they told him.

  “Netherfield is my estate in Hertfordshire,” Bingley explained. “Our wives are from there, Sir.” Bingley felt awkward, as Darcy had not recognized him as he did Georgiana and Edward.