Page 23 of Bitten By Mr. Darcy
CHAPTER SEVEN
“HERE IS THEway I wish it,” Darcy said that evening, addressing all of them in the sitting room. “I wish Caroline to come with me to London.”
Caroline was seated on a couch, shoulders hunched up, looking like a very scolded little girl. She was saying very little, only flinching from time to time whenever he said her name.
He was disgusted with her for pretending to be so small and hurt. He knew better. They all knew better. Caroline was cruel and vicious and she had already killed one of his sirensongs, and he was not going to let her kill another.
“Why do you want her with you in London?” Bingley was sitting on an easy chair, and he put his feet up on the table in front of it, leaning back, raising his eyebrows.
“Oh, it’s not that way, Bingley,” said Darcy. “I only must keep her away from Miss Elizabeth, that is all.”
“Well, if that is all, then leave her to me,” said Bingley. “I’ll keep her from hurting your precious human girl.”
“No, you will not,” said Darcy. “You have absolutely no control over Caroline. She does whatever it is she wishes with you, and we both know that.”
“Oh, butyouhave control over her?” said Bingley, glowering at him. “She does your bidding?”
“I will be harsh with her is all I am saying,” said Darcy. “You are too soft on her.”
“I am not sending her off with you,” said Bingley.
“Fine,” said Darcy. “Then I’m staying.”
Bingley put his feet down on the floor. “All right.” He shrugged.
It was quiet.
“Well,” said Bingley, “I suppose that’s settled, so what do we wish to do with ourselves? I think we should throw a ball, what do you think? A ball at Netherfield. It will be a great deal of fun, and—”
“It really isn’t settled,” said Darcy. “I don’t wish her to simply get away with all of it.”
Bingley sighed heavily.
“I mean it,” said Darcy. He addressed Caroline. “Have you nothing to say for yourself, Caroline?”
Caroline wouldn’t look at him.
“You see how she is,” said Bingley. “She is sorry—”
“If she is sorry, let her apologize,” said Darcy. “We don’t even kill humans, Bingley! We have all decided that we do not do such things. We have been quite careful for hundreds of years not to be beasts, and yet, we find she is quite unruffled about killing.”
“She is obviously ruffled.” Bingley gestured.
“She killed my Maeve,” said Darcy.
“You have said that she did, but she has not admitted to that. It could have been some other vampire, and we have always—”
“She did it,” growled Darcy. “And she was going to kill Elizabeth. I caught her in Elizabeth’s bed, her teeth in Elizabeth’s neck, drinking Elizabeth’s blood, and do not tell me that she did not do that.”
“All right, yes, Darcy, but theyarehumans,” said Bingley.
Darcy seethed.
“What is that supposed to mean?” said Mr. Hurst from the other side of the room. He was shuffling a set of cards.
“Oh, nothing, Hurst,” said Bingley. “We would never harm you, and Louisa dotes upon you, so—”
“It is not nothing!” cried Darcy.
