Seeing that Rake Darcy was circulating around that young woman, ogling her from every direction, Darcy closed his eyes for an instant and reasoned that a dance with the other maiden would at least allow him to draw his scoundrel twin away from the handsome woman who had captured the rogue’s attention, if Rake was really here to observe him court a lady.

He turned to the younger lady and bowed. “Would you do me the honour of dancing with me?”

Mrs. Bennet frowned and murmured, “But surely you would like to dance with Jane first. She is prettier than Elizabeth…”

Darcy truly looked at Elizabeth Bennet for the first time. She was slightly shorter than Jane but she had a more womanly figure. While Jane had fair hair and angelic features, Elizabeth had dark curly hair and mischievous eyes. Although pretty in her own way, he supposed she was truly less traditionally handsome than Jane.

This will be a torture. She probably has no wit, Darcy thought glumly, and his jaw tightened.

However, seeing Rake Darcy’s boorish behaviour toward Miss Jane, Darcy put out his hand decidedly.

At that, Elizabeth placed her hand on his and followed him out to the dance floor.

To his surprise, he felt a sudden thrill run through his body when she touched his hand. As they walked to the dance floor, he had to admit, at least, that she had good manners.

Uneasy with strangers, he remained silent. His gaze drifted off to search for his olive twin, wanting to know whether Rake had followed him to the dance floor.

“Do you regret your decision?”

The voice of his partner startled him. At least she has a lively voice. “What decision?” Darcy asked, and frowned, turning his attention more to his dance partner.

“Your decision to ask me to dance, instead of my sister.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Your eyes seem to be turning more in her direction than concentrating on our dance.”

“I only wanted to see whether my friend Mr. Bingley has arrived.”

“I see you are not familiar with our neighbourhood. The entrance to the Assembly is that way, not where Jane is standing.” She arched one brow, and her mouth curled up slightly on the right. What a fine pair of eyes she has! Dark and sparkling when she flirts. And those lush cherry lips! He drew in a deep breath. She smells like fresh lavender, Mother’s favourite fragrance.

Rake Darcy’s sneering voice startled him. “Caught on the spot, Good Darcy? It is an unforgivable offense to neglect your dance partner, especially one so lovely.” The devilish man was standing right behind Elizabeth, mimicking her dance steps.

Darcy stared back at his rakish soul and bid Rake to desist with his eyes. His dance partner cocked her head and looked at him strangely. He bit his lip, reframed from bursting out with the scathing words he wanted to hurl at Rake.

Moving towards the end of the dancing line, Darcy’s hands were touching Elizabeth’s in one of the dance moves. Suddenly, Rake walked closer to her, wrapped his dark hands around her waist from behind, smoothed their way up the front of the dress, and cupped her gorgeous bosom.

Darcy stopped dead. His eyes nearly popped out. Such a magnificent pair of creamy mounds! His body boiled as he felt the sensation in his hands. But how can this be? Rake caresses the lady, and I feel the tingle?

Elizabeth stood still in front of him. She shivered, and her long eyelashes blinked quickly. Then she closed her eyes for a moment and leaned her head back toward Rake.

Darcy was outraged. He could not allow Rake to ravish Miss Elizabeth on the dance floor –

The music ended, and a sudden commotion startled him, and he looked to find that Bingley’s party had finally arrived. A loud voice was speaking, and the people at the Assembly turned their attention to focus on their new neighbours.

Darcy seized the opportunity to pull Elizabeth out to the balcony.

Rake’s devilish smile faded as he was separated from them. He called out after the pair, “I say, Good Darcy, where are you taking her? Don’t be long. Her breasts are firm and bouncy. I want a good taste of them.”

Upon hearing that outrageous demand, Darcy picked up his pace.

Once he had guided Elizabeth safely outside, the night air cooled his heated body. Under the bright light of a full moon, his gaze fell on his dance partner once again. Elizabeth’s shimmering yellow gown seemed to glow, making her look like a golden goddess.

She was breathing heavily, her chest moving up and down. The cool air made her nipples stand up and push impudently against the thin muslin. Darcy suddenly had the urge to take his cue from Rake’s words and suckle her hard. But he called upon his self-control and resisted those thoughts.

“What happened?” she whispered, and the husky timbre of her voice helped to distract him from his ungentlemanly thoughts.

Darcy nervously brushed at his hair with an unsteady hand and turned to look up at the sky. “It is too hot inside.”

“You do not want to greet your friends?”

“Miss Binlgey is not my favourite person.” After the words came out, he clamped his mouth shut. It is Rake! He is a bad influence.

“She intends to snare you?”

“How did you know?”

“You immediately escaped out here when I heard her ask where you were.”

“Did she indeed?”

She nodded. “Rather loudly.”

“It is unfortunate that Bingley has such a sister.” What has happened to my discretion? I am confiding unkind opinions about Miss Bingley to a total stranger!

“I have three rather silly younger sisters, myself. We cannot choose our relations. What about you?”

Darcy’s countenance turned grave. “I have a younger sister, twelve years my junior. Georgiana used to be cheery and lively, but a…misadventure, this past summer, has changed her.” Why am I confiding in her, rather than Bingley? Perhaps the appearance of Rake Darcy has shaken me up.

“I am sorry to hear of it. Did you not want her to be here with you?” she asked softly.

Her compassionate expression urged him on. “I blame myself for her misadventure. My aunt and uncle thought my self-berating mood was disruptive to Georgiana’s recovery. So they took her in, for the time being, and urged me to travel here to visit Mr. Bingley.”

“And you miss her.”

He nodded. “Our mother died when Georgiana was but two. I love my sister dearly.”

“And your father?”

“He died five years ago.”

“You miss your father’s guidance and your mother’s gentleness.”

He nodded again. How can she understand so much about me?

“You have soulful eyes. I can see that your parents were very dear to you and still mean a great deal to you, even now.”

Looking straight into her tender gaze, Darcy suddenly felt a sense of belonging. It was like coming home, where he could share life’s ups and downs with someone who truly understood him, even without words.

His defenses fell away, and he began to pour out the sense of disappointment, anger and betrayal that he felt towards his childhood friend, George Wickham, although he was still cautious enough not to disclose Georgiana’s failed elopement.

“I sometimes think that all of humanity is born evil.” Elizabeth touched his hand to comfort him. “Only good breeding and education prevent them from staying evil. It is tragic that Mr. Wickham did not take advantage of the excellent opportunity with which your family provided him.”

She is saying exactly the same thing as Rake! How can that be?

She turned her face to the sky and said, in a more cheerful tone, “But then I remember our Lord. He provides us with guidance and good examples. I am happy to say that I know more good people than bad…but you must take into account that I only dine with four-and-twenty families regularly.”

Darcy smiled at her jest. Do I know more virtuous souls than vile ones? Indeed I do. Will I be able to forgive Wickham? Perhaps…one day.

In the meantime, here stood a beautiful lady with sense and sensitivity, watching him with glittering eyes. She was altogether worthy of his attention. Gently, he brushed a wayward curl behind her ear and whispered, “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would you do me the honour of dancing with me again?”

“Another dance? Are you sure that you are up to such an undertaking?” She arched her brows but did not take his hand.

He nodded. “I believe so. I know, now, that you have three silly sisters.”

“And a match-making mother,” she added, and smiled.

“Well, I meet many of those in London society.” He returned her smile.

“My aunt and uncle live in Cheapside,” she cautioned, but she put her hand in his.

“The late great-grandfather of Mr. Bingley lived not far from there, as well.” He squeezed her soft hand and placed it on the crook of his arm. In accord, they walked back into the hall, chatting eagerly.

That night, although the good people of Hertfordshire did not know enough to recognize the rarity, they were treated to the genuine smile and laugh of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Miss Bingley nearly fainted upon seeing him escort Elizabeth Bennet to the floor for the third set of dances.

As for Rake Darcy, luckily for all concerned, he did not make a further appearance that night.

When The Dead Interfere

What if Netherfield Park was haunted?

"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"

“But, Mama,” exclaimed Lydia, their youngest daughter, “that house is haunted! Who can have been so droll as to let it?”

Mrs. Bennet snorted. “Nonsense. Your uncle Philips assures Mr. Bingley, who is a young man of large fortune from the north, that the house is in superb order...”

***

Soon, the Bingleys moved in and became acquainted with the Bennets, who were but three miles away. Jane Bennet, the eldest daughter, visited the Bingley sisters one day, but became sick after being caught in the rain. Our story continues as in the original tale until the last night of Jane and Elizabeth’s stay at Netherfield. It was not until the last day of October that the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved.

***

“I am quite bored with this visit!” The elegant elderly lady stretched her arms above her head and danced a little step away from her companion.

“Emma, that is a most unladylike gesture! We need to uphold our manner, even in the land of darkness,” the handsome old man chided.

Pouting, Emma folded her arms across her bosom. “Oh, Mr. Knightley, you are such a bore! I do not understand why I agreed to marry you at all, when we were alive. And I especially do not understand why we are still together now that we are dead.”

Knightley came to her and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. With a serious countenance, he said, “Just think what sort of havoc my little Emma would create in the world, if not for my constant vigilance. I cannot leave you, my dear, day or night.” He then lowered his head to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

Emma unfolded her arms and pushed him away. “George, we only have a few hours to play with the living. Let us not waste time. You can kiss me any other day of the year. We will be going back to Hartfield soon.” She then ran upstairs, as quickly as her elderly legs could manage, happily.

Knightley chased after her. “Now, Emma, what do you have in mind? I do not want you to scare any of the young people to death. I heard that it has been many years since Netherfield had a family living here.”

She went through the door of the first bedchamber. When he caught up with her in the room, they could see a plain-looking man lying on the bed, snoring loudly.

Emma held her nose with her fingers and frowned. “He stinks! I wager he drank more than three glasses of brandy, and whatever else was on offer tonight.”

“Let us leave him alone then. You do not want to play with a drunkard.”

“What do you say we make him want never to drink again? You can turn into a big barrel of foul-tasting wine and press onto him heavily, giving him nightmares. I wager he would not go near a drink anymore, after such an experience,” she said with a mischievous grin.