of his rooms than he shrugged off his topcoat, tossing it carelessly over the back of a chair. His cravat had been choking him all evening, and his hands tore at the knot. He took a deep breath when the snow-white cloth finally hung loose over his shoulders. Then he realized he was not alone.
There was a girl in his bed. She sat up when she saw his gaze, the sheets dropping away to reveal that she was wearing nothing at all apart from long blond hair.
This was the last thing he needed. Darcy averted his eyes automatically. "Miss, I fear you are in the wrong room. I will step into the dressing room so you may clothe yourself and go." He wondered whose bed she was supposed to be in--no doubt Henry's or his uncle's.
"I was told to come to you, Mr. Darcy, sir," she said. "Will you not come to bed?" She looked uncertain, and even younger.
He silently cursed his uncle, the infuriating, interfering old codger. "I have no need of your services," he said, his voice clipped. "You may go."
The bedsheets rustled as he turned to take haven in the dressing room, but before he could escape, the girl was standing in front of him, every inch of her body revealed. She put her hands on his chest. "I can please you, sir. I will do anything you wish. Anything at all." The girl sounded as if she were saying lines she had memorized in advance.
As an effort at seduction, it was a poor one, which was fortunate, because he was no more invulnerable to a naked woman's form than any other man. But although he might be tempted to forget his cares in her arms, it would not work. She was not Elizabeth.
Besides, the girl did not hold her body the way a woman who wants to gain a man's attention would. He realized she had no idea what she was doing. His uncle must have thought a virgin would tempt him. How little he knew his nephew. Gentlemen in town might pay a high premium to take a girl's virginity, but the mere thought left a sour taste in Darcy's mouth. He had never been interested in bedding women unless they were willing and eager, not frightened girls barely out of childhood whose lives would be ruined by the experience.
Good God, she was probably younger than Georgiana. Younger than his sister. She could even be his sister, and him never the wiser--his father had spent enough time at Rosings, and had no doubt sampled the local wares. He shook his head to clear it. "Put on your clothes and go."
Her frightened eyes filled with tears. "Please, sir. I promise I can please you."
The only way she could please him was magically to turn into Elizabeth. He rummaged in the wardrobe and found a handful of coins. He placed them in her hand, carefully not looking at her naked form. "There. You will not suffer for it."
"But my lord said he would have me whipped if I did not satisfy you. He will know if I leave."
Damn his uncle to everlasting perdition! "You can spend the night in my dressing room, then." His uncle had no doubt told his valet to stay elsewhere. "I will tell Lord Matlock you were most satisfactory." He laced the words with disgust.
"You will? Oh, thank you, sir. You are the kindest gentleman ever to walk the earth." She grabbed at his hand and kissed it.
He snatched his hand away, picked up the worn dress, and thrust it at her. "Go, then."
She clutched the dress to her body and hastened to the door he indicated. Just before she scuttled behind it, she said fervently, "I will always pray for you, sir."
He sank onto the bed and covered his face in his hands. What a world, where a young girl was offering her prayers, the only thing of value she had, in thanks because he had not violated her body. Poor child, to have her innocence sold.
Richard's words about Georgiana came back to him. Was this so different from what his uncle wished to do, to auction Georgiana off to the gentleman who could give the family the most prestige? Darcy's attempts to secure Bingley for Georgiana and bypass the marriage market had failed, and she would be
There was a girl in his bed. She sat up when she saw his gaze, the sheets dropping away to reveal that she was wearing nothing at all apart from long blond hair.
This was the last thing he needed. Darcy averted his eyes automatically. "Miss, I fear you are in the wrong room. I will step into the dressing room so you may clothe yourself and go." He wondered whose bed she was supposed to be in--no doubt Henry's or his uncle's.
"I was told to come to you, Mr. Darcy, sir," she said. "Will you not come to bed?" She looked uncertain, and even younger.
He silently cursed his uncle, the infuriating, interfering old codger. "I have no need of your services," he said, his voice clipped. "You may go."
The bedsheets rustled as he turned to take haven in the dressing room, but before he could escape, the girl was standing in front of him, every inch of her body revealed. She put her hands on his chest. "I can please you, sir. I will do anything you wish. Anything at all." The girl sounded as if she were saying lines she had memorized in advance.
As an effort at seduction, it was a poor one, which was fortunate, because he was no more invulnerable to a naked woman's form than any other man. But although he might be tempted to forget his cares in her arms, it would not work. She was not Elizabeth.
Besides, the girl did not hold her body the way a woman who wants to gain a man's attention would. He realized she had no idea what she was doing. His uncle must have thought a virgin would tempt him. How little he knew his nephew. Gentlemen in town might pay a high premium to take a girl's virginity, but the mere thought left a sour taste in Darcy's mouth. He had never been interested in bedding women unless they were willing and eager, not frightened girls barely out of childhood whose lives would be ruined by the experience.
Good God, she was probably younger than Georgiana. Younger than his sister. She could even be his sister, and him never the wiser--his father had spent enough time at Rosings, and had no doubt sampled the local wares. He shook his head to clear it. "Put on your clothes and go."
Her frightened eyes filled with tears. "Please, sir. I promise I can please you."
The only way she could please him was magically to turn into Elizabeth. He rummaged in the wardrobe and found a handful of coins. He placed them in her hand, carefully not looking at her naked form. "There. You will not suffer for it."
"But my lord said he would have me whipped if I did not satisfy you. He will know if I leave."
Damn his uncle to everlasting perdition! "You can spend the night in my dressing room, then." His uncle had no doubt told his valet to stay elsewhere. "I will tell Lord Matlock you were most satisfactory." He laced the words with disgust.
"You will? Oh, thank you, sir. You are the kindest gentleman ever to walk the earth." She grabbed at his hand and kissed it.
He snatched his hand away, picked up the worn dress, and thrust it at her. "Go, then."
She clutched the dress to her body and hastened to the door he indicated. Just before she scuttled behind it, she said fervently, "I will always pray for you, sir."
He sank onto the bed and covered his face in his hands. What a world, where a young girl was offering her prayers, the only thing of value she had, in thanks because he had not violated her body. Poor child, to have her innocence sold.
Richard's words about Georgiana came back to him. Was this so different from what his uncle wished to do, to auction Georgiana off to the gentleman who could give the family the most prestige? Darcy's attempts to secure Bingley for Georgiana and bypass the marriage market had failed, and she would be
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