Darcy's Temptation Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  PREFACE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  RESOURCES

  OTHER ULYSSES PRESS BOOKS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Copyright Page

  This book is dedicated to all those

  who believe true love is the most compelling of tasks.

  “Sonnet 42”

  That thou hast her, it is not all my grief,

  And yet, it may be said I loved her dearly;

  That she hath thee, is of my wailing chief,

  A loss in love that touches me more nearly.

  Loving offenders, thus I will excuse ye:

  Thou dost love her, because thou knowst I love her;

  And for my sake even so doth she abuse me,

  Suffering my friend for my sake to approve her.

  If I lose thee, my loss is my love’s gain,

  And losing her, my friend hath found that loss;

  Both find each other, and I lose both twain,

  And both for my sake lay on me this cross:

  But there’s the joy; my friend and I are one;

  Sweet flattery! Then she loves but me alone.

  -William Shakespeare

  PREFACE

  Every woman dreams of her one great love—the man who inspires an emotional response with just a glance across a crowded room. A romance novel must, by definition, exist purely for the advancement of the hero’s love affair with the heroine; yet, the reader must want the hero to win the woman’s love. To be believable, there must be a connection beyond the sexual appeal; there must be some conflict, which is character-driven. The characters must have believable reasons to be drawn together, as well as to be frustrated by their desires.

  The main characters should respond realistically to the emotional conflict.They should have “fatal” flaws and exhibit a sense of vulnerability.The heroine should possess some insecurities and doubts to make the reader embrace her as a viable character.The hero should be honest and live by a strong moral code. He must embody all the qualities the heroine desires in a man. Often, he will easily make decisions for others, and he may not be in tune to the feelings of other people. In traditional historical romances, a gap must exist between the hero and heroine—socially, financially, and emotionally. She must win him over.

  Jane Austen’s greatest love story—that of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy—has lasted for two hundred years because of its perfection in the manipulation of the situations commonly found in Regency England. Jane Austen created characters who were the perfect fit for each other, but who were not pulled together purely by physical desire.

  In Darcy’s Passions, I followed Austen’s original plot line to tell the story of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s journey to find love with Elizabeth Bennet. I tried to be true to Austen’s plot although I made no attempt to mimic her style; I would consider that an insult—how could I think of copying perfection?

  My hope in this sequel to Darcy’s Passions was to have Darcy revisit some of the internal conflict he felt when he first met Elizabeth Bennet. I debated long and hard about whether to use amnesia as part of the plot line. I wanted my readers to know Darcy and Elizabeth belonged together no matter what journey they took to find each other.

  In addition, I planned to explore the relationship between Georgiana Darcy and Chadwick Harrison. Harrison, an abolitionist, must face the dangers associated with a strong political agenda. His trials and tribulations must intertwine with those of the Darcys. His and Georgiana’s relationship must mirror that of Darcy and Elizabeth.

  I created a secondary love affair for Kitty Bennet and Clayton Ashford. At the end of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen indicated Jane Bingley and Elizabeth Darcy would help Kitty find herself. Later, Austen shared what she perceived to be Kitty Bennet’s future: Kitty would marry a clergyman.

  Darcy’s Temptation begins the day after Darcy’s Passions ends—on New Year’s Day. It continues the saga of Darcy and Elizabeth through the first year of their marriage. I loved telling the new story line, but, in the beginning, I found it a bit daunting to create new scenarios to establish the characters for readers not familiar with Pride and Prejudice, Darcy’s Passions, or any other of the many Jane Austen rewrites. I added a twist from Darcy’s Passions to drive this story forward. In Darcy’s Passions, Fitzwilliam Darcy briefly met Elizabeth Donnelly. He fancied her until he found her given name to be “Elizabeth,” and then he was lost once again to his memories of Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth Donnelly reappears in Darcy’s life and tries to reclaim his affections.

  It was important to keep the main characters of Darcy and Elizabeth fresh while manipulating the secondary story lines. I tried to balance bringing the readers up to date while entertaining them with the new stories.

  I continue to give my thanks to my many students and coworkers who offer their encouragements. Will Davis, who started this process with a “challenge” eighteen months ago, continues to be a vocal supporter, and Brooke Stegall is a phenomenal sounding board. My love, as always, goes out to my son Josh, a brilliant young man in his own right.

  Regina Jeffers

  Indian Trail, North Carolina

  CHAPTER 1

  “We have all a better guide in ourselves,

  if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.”

  Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1817

  The light streaked across the room through the slit in the heavy drapes, piercing his eyes, and Fitzwilliam Darcy reluctantly abandoned his dreams of Elizabeth Bennet. Ever since he met her in Hertfordshire over a year ago, the woman possessed his every thought—both waking and sleeping.This particular dream held real possibilities: Elizabeth Bennet lay beside him in bed, her legs wrapped across his body; she smiled her signature enigmatic smile, and Darcy rolled toward her to cup her face in his hands.“I love you, Fitzwilliam,” she whispered.

  “You are bewitching.” He returned her smile and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

  Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her body closer to his, and Darcy felt himself becoming aroused by her nearness. “Fitzwilliam,” she whispered as she kissed along his jaw line. “I have something special to tell you; I hope you will be pleased to know I am with child.”

  The news ricocheted through his body. “A child, Elizabeth—you are with child? My heir—an heir for Pemberley grows within you. Everything.You are everything, I do so love you, my Lizzy.”

  The dream moved to the next level as he caressed her tenderly and kissed the woman he loved more than life. The kiss grew deeper and deeper, and Darcy could feel her passion grow under his touch. She brought magic to his life and love to his home.

  “Fitzwilliam,” the voice crept into his subconscious. The arm draped across him lightly rubbed his abdomen, and his back felt the warmth of her body as it snuggled close to his form. He forced his eyelids open to meet the new day, while he instinctively clasped her arm to his body and held it cl
ose to him. A smile flitted across his face as the realization of his dream lived in the woman laying behind him in his bed.

  “Umm,” he moaned as he loosened her hold on him so he could turn to face her. “Are you awake already, my Love?” Darcy moved the curls from her face.“It’s very early,” he whispered to the air.

  “I was dreaming about you,” she mumbled, fighting to return to sleep.

  He kissed her forehead. “I dreamed of you, Elizabeth Bennet Darcy, since I saw you first in Meryton.”

  “Do you mean when I was only tolerable?” A hint of a smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she gave over to being awake.

  “Will I never live down that remark?” Darcy teased as his kisses moved down the side of Elizabeth’s face.

  Elizabeth kept her eyes closed although she now felt fully awake.“Maybe in twenty or thirty years.”

  “We will add your ‘last man in the world I could be prevailed upon to marry’ to those phrases we wish to forget.” Darcy found her upturned mouth and kissed it tenderly.

  “Our child will wonder why his parents once were so foolish.” Elizabeth’s free hand snaked around his waist and caressed the small of Darcy’s back and down his hips. Instinctively, his hand reached a similar point on her body as he pulled her closer to him.

  “Our child will know his parents married for love.” He kissed along her neck and across her shoulder blade.

  “Then you are truly happy, my Husband? A finer lady would not please you more?”

  Darcy’s hand cupped her face. “Remember, my Love, I am sick of civility, of deference, and of officious attention; I desire only the liveliness of your mind.”

  Elizabeth’s smile and the desire in her eyes encased him.“At the moment, Mr. Darcy, I doubt my mind has anything to do with the warmth I feel coming from your body.”

  “You are correct, Mrs. Darcy; I believe my frivolous sensibilities are lost to you alone.” Darcy kissed her passionately, his tongue searching her mouth.

  “I love you, Fitzwilliam.”

  Her words created an immediate need in him, and Darcy’s hands began to search the intimate points on her body. Lost to loving her, he groaned,“Lizzy.”

  “You know that is the one word which drives me crazy. I love the way you slur the z’s; it tells me how much you desire me.” Her voice came out in gasps as his assault of her body continued.“Say it again, please.”

  “I love you, Lizzy,” he whispered in her ear.

  “That is perfect—absolutely perfect.”

  Darcy lay back in the tub, relaxing in the hot water. Thoughts of Elizabeth clung to his memory; never had he felt so satisfied with his life. So many years Darcy played the role of the dutiful son—lived his life taking care of others. He never trusted anyone else to address the concerns of his estate or to protect and provide for his sister Georgiana. Yet, Darcy always felt cheated by his life. He never allowed himself his own moments of happiness. Until he met Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy did his duty but ignored his dreams and his desires.

  Elizabeth’s presence created a quagmire for him from the beginning. A full gamut of emotions possessed him during those months—fear, bewilderment, elation, depression, devastation, happiness, and satisfaction. Now, he could not remember a time when he did not love her and when Elizabeth was not his wife. Yet, in reality, they had only been a couple for three months.

  A smile turned up the corners of his mouth as visions of Elizabeth appeared behind his closed eyes. When he first dreamed of her, Darcy only saw her fine eyes or her enigmatic smile.Those images flitted in and out of his subconscious, often distracting and befuddling him because Elizabeth, by his early assessment, lacked all the qualities he wanted in a wife. As time progressed, thoughts of Elizabeth’s vivacity, as well as his respect for her, grew, and Darcy began to picture her as a part of his life. He often fell asleep with visions of Elizabeth Bennet standing on the steps of Pemberley or walking with him and Georgiana through his estate’s parkland.Those dreams of Elizabeth lasted many months, and Darcy feared he would never know the living, breathing Elizabeth Bennet.

  Finally, he won her heart; then his dreams took on a more intimate nature. He dreamed of Elizabeth in his bed and the pure pleasure of taking her. However, none of those dreams came close to the actual act of touching and feeling Elizabeth in his embrace. He so needed her in his life. Darcy abandoned all the “restrictions” of love; they shared love as it should happen between a man and a woman—natural desire and respect. He knew not how other gentlemen treated their wives, other than bar talk, which he considered to be the alcohol and false pride speaking. He spent his time with Elizabeth trying to please her before he took his own pleasure, and Darcy welcomed her coming to him when she desired him. Such love could not be contained by the proprieties of the time.

  “Do you plan to stay in your tub all day, my Husband?” Elizabeth’s voice held strands of amusement as she stood looking at the muscular frame of the man she loved.

  “I could not get you out of my mind,” he said before submerging. When he came out of the water, he called, “Would you hand me a towel?”

  Elizabeth’s eyes traced his frame when he stood. “Maybe I should help you dry off.” Her voice betrayed her real thoughts.

  “As much as your offer pleases me,” he began,“we still have a house full of guests.” Darcy took the towel she offered and then stepped forward to kiss her lips gently. “Mmm, so tempting.” He could not take his eyes from hers.“I swear, Elizabeth, when we rid ourselves of these guests, I will never invite another to my house. I want the pleasure of loving you all day—every day.”

  “Fitzwilliam, you are so not what I once thought. How could I ever think you to be so proper?” She snickered as she lightly touched the expanse of his chest and dabbed the water dripping from his hair. “I will wait for you in the sitting room,” Elizabeth said with a hesitation. “We will go down to breakfast together.”

  “I will only be a moment.” He kissed her cheek while she caressed his chest. As she started to walk away from him, Darcy grabbed his robe and quickly cinched it while he crossed the room and caught her arm. “Elizabeth.” She turned to look at him, and he cupped her face in his hand. “Do you have any idea what effect you have on me?” His eyes searched her face, praying she would understand him.

  “You have a like effect on me, Sir.” Elizabeth went on her tiptoes to nibble on his lower lip.

  Both of them found their breath coming in short gasps before they even touched each other. “We are coming back to this room for an early afternoon nap; we are both very tired today after staying up so late last evening.” He nearly whispered the words because she never released him from her eyes.

  A hint of a grin fell upon her face. “I am exceedingly tired today, Fitzwilliam; we may need to spend several hours resting, but for now I will be waiting in the sitting room, my Love.”

  Darcy released her arm to let Elizabeth leave, but it took several moments for him to move.

  Henry finally appeared.“Are you ready, Mr. Darcy?”

  Elizabeth sent his man in to help him dress.

  “Yes, Henry, I am.”

  As they descended the staircase to breakfast, Darcy took her arm in his, but his eyes rested again on Elizabeth’s face.“I never thought you could be more beautiful than you were on our wedding day, but being with child becomes you, Mrs. Darcy.”

  Elizabeth blushed with his attention.“From tolerable to beautiful—that is quite a change of heart, Mr. Darcy,” she teased.

  “I was always open-minded, my Love,” Darcy returned the taunt.

  “Oh—definitely,” she returned, “how could I have ever doubted you?”

  “Ah, the newly announced parents have risen for the day,” Mr. Gardiner called as they entered the room.

  “Yes, Uncle, we took longer coming down this morning, but we could all use a few extra minutes’ sleep after our joyful evening.” Elizabeth walked to him and offered up an affectionate embrace.
r />   Darcy asked from the side bar table, “May I fix you a plate, Elizabeth?”

  “Yes, Fitzwilliam, but please remember my delicate constitution.” She moved to greet her aunt also.

  “I doubt Mr. Darcy is likely to forget the delicacy of her condition any time soon,” Jane Bingley teased as she carried her husband’s plate to the table and returned for one of her own.

  “That is true, Mrs. Bingley.Your sister will have to go some to top this gift.” Darcy’s eyes fell on his wife when he said these words.“Only twins could outdo this one.”

  “Twins!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “May I deal with only one heir for Pemberley at a time, Sir?” Her tone told everyone his familiarity in front of her family members did not offend her.

  “Listen to the two of you,” Charles Bingley laughed. “Could anyone at this table ever think Darcy to be so happy? Mrs. Darcy, he is a changed man.”

  “I told him something similar just a few minutes ago.” Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled, and Darcy’s eyebrow shot up, anticipating her remark.“He is not so proper, after all,” she teased.Visions of his body brought a flush to her cheeks.

  “Well, I do not know about that,” Bingley chuckled. “But he does seem to have found contentment.”

  “My wife is an exceptional woman.” Darcy crossed to place the plate on the table; then he kissed Elizabeth’s hand and held the chair for her as she took her place at his table.“Would you like tea, Madam?” He bowed slightly to indicate his attention to her needs.

  “May I have chocolate instead?” She grinned with all his regard.

  While the others found Darcy’s devotion to Elizabeth amusing, he, meanwhile, whispered in her ear, “Anything, Elizabeth.”

  Georgiana Darcy and Kitty Bennet entered the room together. Kitty anticipated the appearance of Clayton Ashford, the young man who captured her attention the previous evening. Mr. Ashford received a living from the Darcy family; he attended the NewYear’s Eve dinner out of respect for his benefactor, but Ashford found himself quickly involved in the celebration of Mrs. Darcy’s announcement of an heir for Pemberley. Besides being happy for the Darcys, Ashford realized an heir would bring a sense of stability to the many tenants and businesses, which depended on this great estate for their existences. Of course, his own existence depended on the Darcys’ continuing good standing.