Vampire Darcy's Desire

“It is snowing,” she declared. “There are several inches on the ground.”

“Welcome to Derbyshire winters.” Darcy pulled the blankets tighter to keep them both warm.

Elizabeth pushed the hair from his eyes. “I love it when it snows; it makes Christmas seem so near. It rarely snows this early in Hertfordshire.” She rolled from his embrace. “Shall we go for a walk in the snow?”

“We have not yet broken our fast, Elizabeth,” Darcy protested.

“I do not want breakfast.”

Darcy laughed. “I cannot recall the last time I purposely went walking in the snow.”

“Then it is about time you did it again,” she reasoned.

“All right,” he said and reluctantly threw the blankets aside. “You win, my love.”

“Oh, good, I almost never win.” Elizabeth scrambled from the bed before Darcy changed his mind.

Twenty minutes later, they emerged from a side door of Pemberley and started off across the south lawn.The snow was a hand deep and

“I love it when the snow is so smooth.” Elizabeth stood wrapped in Darcy’s arms, looking out over the lawn’s coating. “It was so beautiful from our bedroom window that I could not resist coming outside to experience it firsthand.”

“It is as if God is wiping everything clean,” Darcy said, looking over Elizabeth’s shoulder at Nature’s perfect picture. “Pemberley is beautiful in the spring and summer, but newly fallen snow has its appeal as well.”

“Mr. Wickham told me it would be so.” The words escaped involuntarily; she had not planned to say them.

“When did Mr.Wickham offer such observations?”

Elizabeth turned to face him. “I forgot the conversation. It was after you shunned him in Meryton—before he attacked me.Wickham said terrible things about you—things I knew to be false. Wanting to know if Wickham was in Derbyshire when you were, I asked about his time in Bakewell, where he said he had resided for some time.” Elizabeth strolled away from Darcy, needing to gather her thoughts. “I asked Wickham what he knew of Derbyshire, speaking under the guise of wanting to know more about Aunt Merry’s childhood home. He told me the terrain was more rugged, with thicker vegetation, colder winters, and milder summers. He said he preferred the wildness of the Peak District because it reminded him of Scotland. Next to Northumberland, he preferred the Peak District to the rest of England.”

“Could Wickham still have a home in Bakewell?” Darcy mused aloud.

“It is possible—or even in Northumberland.”

Yesterday in their readings, they felt they had uncovered the mystery of the dirt in Wickham’s bed. One text claimed a vampire could sleep only if he had his coffin. The account said the beast

“I am not sure, but I do know there have been enough border wars that at least part of Northumberland must consider itself to be part of Scotland. All I know of Northumberland is that our breakfast kippers come from Craster.What did you learn of it at the university?” Elizabeth walked in a circle, scraping the snow with the toes of her ankle boots.

Darcy tried to remember his history lessons. “The area came under English rule with King Edwin. Northumberland stretches from Newcastle upon Tyne to Tynemouth. It is quite undeveloped—sparse high moorlands. There were famous battles, such as when Malcolm II annihilated the Northumbrian army at Carham on the Tweed, but under James I and VI, the Scottish and English claims were united. However, even as late as the early 1700s, there was trouble during the Jacobite rebellion.” He recited the lines as if he were back in school and studying for an exam.

“A house in Northumberland would fit in with Wickham’s need for isolation,” Elizabeth reasoned. “Could we find out where Ellender and Lord Thomas lived? It would tell us from where Wickham originally came—where he was buried—from where he derives his home earth.”

“We can check Dugdale’s catalogue or Debrett’s Baronetage of England or even the Doomsday Book. Surely one of them lists Lord Arawn Benning.” Darcy’s excitement grew; it was their first real lead. “When we have a possible location, I will send out investigators before we make a move.”

“Fitzwilliam, do you realize what this means? Wickham’s hold on the family could be coming to an end.” In complete happiness, Elizabeth turned in a circle, arms spread wide and face raised to meet fresh flakes of newly fallen snow.“I have never felt freer!”

CHAPTER 19

Darcy watched her spin around and around, pure joy streaming from her face, and all at once his heart swelled, too. Suddenly, he felt the weight lift from his shoulders, and it was all because of her—because of his Elizabeth. He did the only thing he could under the circumstances.

“Elizabeth!” he called out.

She recognized the warning in his voice and turned to him. He stood playfully tossing a snowball into the air and catching it once again. Her light green eyes widened in disbelief, turning a forest green in recognition. “Fitzwilliam, you would not.” She began to back away, a hand held out as protection.

“I would, my dear.” He lifted his arm as if to toss the snow at her, and she broke into a run, heading for the tree line.

Elizabeth heard Darcy’s laughter behind her and the sound of snow crunching under his pursuing feet—and then the snowball smacked her shoulder, spraying icy streams down her neck.

Without thinking, she bent as she ran, scooping up a handful of snow in her glove, squeezing the snow tightly. It was not a very big ball, but it was solid. Stopping suddenly, she turned and let it fly. Darcy, in his chase, did not expect the densely packed ball, which hit his ear and spattered across his cheek.“Why, you…!” he threatened, still advancing.