Darcy Darlington and the Diamond of Desire by Maya Rodale

Darcy darlington and the diamond of desire

Chapter nine ~ In which our heroine speaks with the devil.

Before she knew it, Darcy had been seated with the Evil Lord Hartshorne in his private study. He did not force her—he simply extended the invitation to escort her to the room she was already planning on going to. It seemed prudent to accept. He offered her tea; with her suspicions about the housekeeper, she declined.

“I fear I do not know your name,” he said.

“Darcy,” she answered. From his lack of reaction, she concluded that he was likely unaware of her reputation.

“Miss Darcy. You may call me Percy. Well, call me anything you like so long as it is not ‘The Evil Lord’.” His voice was low and hoarse, as if he hadn’t used it in a while. But then again, it was very early in the morning. The first light of dawn was seeping through a crack between the curtains.

Percy? The Evil Lord Hartshorne was named Percy? Darcy denied the urge to laugh.

“Mrs. Betts tells me she discovered you sneaking around my chambers last night,” the Evil Lord, er, Percy said. “She also tells me she suspects you have been snooping around quite frequently. Perhaps you might tell me what you are looking for.”

Darcy gave him a look that asked if he was mentally unsound; did he really think she’d just confess everything?

“I might be able to help,” he offered. He remained calm. He seemed curious rather than furious.

“I know you could; I simply doubt that you would,” Darcy said.

“The rumors aren’t true, you know. Regardless, I promise no harm will come to you at my hand.” Oddly enough she believed him. Or rather, it was now the housekeeper that she feared. “You can confide in me. I’d like to help. I really haven’t much else to do.”

In that instant Darcy saw that he was a very sad man. A very lonely man. She did not know for certain what he had—or had not—done in the past. But she knew the man before her today would not harm her. Her instincts had served her well before, and she trusted them again now. He wouldn’t hurt her; she was sure of it.

“Very well, Percy. I have come here to fetch a diamond necklace from you.”

He looked slightly bemused and not at all shocked, leading her to wonder if he often caught intruders in search of the necklace.

“How do you know about that?” Percy asked wearily.

“Someone has asked me to obtain it for her.”

“I suppose this person told you of its magical powers to make the object of one’s desire fall madly in love with the person wearing it,” he said, sounding bored, as if it were a story he had heard a dozen times already.

“Yes. Is it true?” Darcy couldn’t help asking, and she could not keep the eagerness to know out of her voice.

“I don’t know. I did fall madly in love with the woman who wore it for me. But I suspect I would have fallen for her anyway…But I wonder if it’s better to never love at all than know heartache as I do, Miss Darcy.”

“Is the heartache any worse than unrequited love?” Darcy mused.

“I thought you said you were after the diamonds for someone else. It sounds like you seek them for yourself,” Percy said.

“My reward for obtaining them was to wear them for one evening. Without them, I shall suffer a mighty heartache until I die, miserable, and alone.”

“Don’t you have a flair for the over-dramatic,” Percy said attempting a smile. Darcy feared his face might crack, since it seemed so long since he had contorted his mouth in such a way. Darcy smiled back at him. She couldn’t help it.

“She has more than a flair for the dramatic,” Mrs. Betts said from where she stood in the doorway. “She has a flair for midnight jaunts, spying on your lordship and thievery. She even tried to poison you, my Lord! I have gone ahead and alerted the authorities. They should be here at any moment for questioning and to cart her off to Newgate.”

“Newgate! But I haven’t taken anything!” Darcy protested.

“Not for lack of trying,” Mrs. Betts retorted.

“Mrs. Betts, I’m sure we needn’t involve the authorities,” Percy stated calmly. “We do, however, need to fix the chimney in the south wing. I think there is a blockage such that the smoke releases into the attic. I went to check and found Miss Darcy there, who does not need to be carted off to Newgate.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I may yet alert the authorities, Miss Darcy, but I have questions of my own first.”

“With all due respect, my Lord,” Mrs. Betts interrupted, “I cannot stand by idly and watch you be swindled again. Why, you still haven’t recovered from the treachery of your old friend, Weatherby.”

To Be Continued…

previous chapter | NEXT CHAPTER