Darcy

Shopping had never been my favorite thing to do, especially not after a night like last night, but I’d promised Violet, Scarlett’s sister, I’d meet her. And so far, I was still awake and functioning.

“Now mimosas,” Violet said as she accepted her card and the Elie Saab dress, all beautifully boxed up from the sales assistant.

“I’m pleased we found something. The purple really suits you.” I glanced at my phone. No text messages. No missed calls. Of course there weren’t. That wasn’t Logan Steele’s style.

“Thank you for coming.” Violet signaled a cab.

“Where are we going?” I asked. “The Dorchester is just around the corner.”

“I know, but I’m in heels and feeling lazy, and we’re late meeting Aurora.”

It was probably just as well we weren’t walking. I wasn’t sure my legs could take it given all the shaking they’d done the night before.

As we sprung out of the cab we almost knocked Aurora over as she headed into the hotel. “Hey, how are you?” I asked.

“I’m not sure if I’m talking to you, since you’ve done nothing but dodge all my questions,” Aurora replied.

I glanced at Violet who narrowed her eyes. “I’m not dodging—I’ve been shopping all morning with Violet.”

“So are you saying you’re willing to give a full and frank confession, right now, over tea and champagne?”

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Violet said as she pushed through the revolving door into the lobby.

Full and frank wasn’t exactly what I was prepared to be—I was pretty sure some of the things that Logan had done to me last night weren’t legal, and they certainly weren’t the kind of thing you discussed over tea at the Dorchester. “I can tell you how my evening went, if that’s what you mean.” I headed over to the hostess at the Palm Lounge, gave my name and she showed us to our table. It was in a perfect spot, beyond the serious man in his fifties playing American standards on the grand piano and tucked away from people who might overhear.

The Promenade at the Dorchester was one of my favorite places in London. Decorated as if Lady Bracknell might appear at any time, it felt as if time had stopped in 1892. Palm plants were set against orange marble columns and curtains along each side of the long room. Low, white cloth-covered tables were set amongst the green button-backed chairs, stuffed so full they looked like they might burst at any moment.

“Did you know this room is as long as Nelson’s Column?” Violet said as we sat down.

“Are you studying to be a London tourist guide?” Aurora asked, setting her handbag on the low stool provided especially for that purpose.

“No, I just take an interest in this beautiful city,” she replied. “You two take it for granted.”

“Probably true,” I agreed, opening my napkin on my lap, and wondering how long the champagne would take to arrive.

“Anyway, enough of the deflection,” Aurora said. “I want to hear about Darcy’s date last night.”

“Wait.” Violet grabbed my wrist as if I were about to bolt. “You had a date? Last night? We’ve been together all morning and you haven’t said anything? I need new friends.” She released me and slumped back in her chair.

“Oh good, so I’ve not missed out on anything,” Aurora said. “I thought you two would have picked out the bridesmaids’ outfits by now and swapped all the gossip.”

I leaned back in my chair, resigning myself to the coming inevitable discussion. “Don’t be ridiculous. It was a date—no wedding bells are ringing.”

“But you liked him?” Aurora asked.

“Who? I’m the last to know everything around here,” Violet said.

“Only an earl who moved in next door to Darcy,” Aurora said. “A tall, handsome, totally charming—”

“Arsehole who tried to destroy the village,” I added.

“Wait a second,” Violet said. “You went on a date with someone who tried to what?”

I filled Violet in on the lead up to last night and tried my best not to smile as I told her I’d agreed to the date.

“So tell me everything,” she said. “Was he charming?”

I took a deep breath. “Yes. More than I expected.” He’d certainly lacked charm in the bedroom, but that had only made him more attractive. I’d been nervous by his demands at first, and I still wasn’t sure why I did as he asked. But he was right, I enjoyed it, even though I wasn’t quite sure I should have.

“So, what did you do? Dinner?” Violet asked.

I nodded, but before I had the chance to answer, Aurora asked, “Where did he take you?”

“We came into London—to the Hilton actually.” I nodded south, toward where the Hilton stood just a few meters away.

“Nice. Did you have the best table?” Aurora asked.

I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, trying to disguise my smile at the memory of realizing we were the only diners. “Every table actually. We were the only ones there.”

“What, he hired the entire restaurant?” Violet asked.

I shrugged, trying not to let my grin take over my face. I’d never had anyone do anything so romantic for me.

“Wow. He meant business. He clearly was trying to impress.”

I wasn’t sure he’d been trying to impress me exactly, but he’d thought about me. The views of the countryside. The way he said he wanted to encourage me to be a little self-indulgent. It was the way he seemed so acutely aware of small things that drew me to him but also made me a little wary of him.

“He has a really nice side to him,” I replied, remembering the stop at the community center. I didn’t say anything about it because I wasn’t sure if Logan would want me to. He clearly didn’t publicize it and the woman I’d sat next to had mentioned he’d never brought anyone with him, not even his grandmother. It made me feel more special than it should. I shared something with him that others hadn’t. But it had been a diary clash that meant I was there. It wasn’t as if Logan was trying to open up and show me a deeper side to him.

“And what about the sex? Was that a nice side?” Aurora asked.

Violet sat forward in her chair, clearly wanting to catch my every word.

“It was…” How could I describe it? It was easily the best sex I’d ever had—and I’d probably never have better. But something about the way that he had me submit to him so quickly had me questioning myself. He’d been right when he said that I’d enjoy it but what was it that he saw in me that had him so confident in my reaction? “He was…” Domineering and controlling and had fucked me like it was his job. “Clearly experienced.”

“Well, duh. Did you see him? With a face and body like that, he has plenty of opportunity to perfect his skills.” Aurora said. “So how good was it?”

“This is so great!” Violet raised her glass of champagne and took a sip. “I was beginning to think that maybe you were never going to have sex again, and—”

“Good!” I blurted, trying to stop Violet from finishing her thought. “Very good.”

“Define ‘very’—were you up all night swinging from the chandeliers?” Violet asked.

I fixed her with a stare. “That’s all you’re getting from me.” I wanted to ask them whether it was normal for an independent woman to give that all up for a few hours. Why it felt so good to give up my control, my body to someone else. But it felt too private, too embarrassing to admit.

As our tea and champagne arrived, we fell silent. While our waitress pointed out all the different types of sandwiches and cakes, I couldn’t help but wonder what Logan was doing right now. Was he at Badsley? Was he thinking about last night? About me?

“How did you leave things?” Aurora asked.

I tried not to let my shoulders slump in response to her question. I’d woken up late and sped into the shower with barely a good morning. When I’d emerged, he’d been dressed in his tuxedo, ready to leave. “I was running late and he left. This isn’t the beginning of some beautiful love story. Sorry to disappoint you, girls.”

Part of me had been surprised that he’d stayed over, but given we’d been up most of the night, he hadn’t had much of a chance to leave. We could only have slept for a little over an hour. If I hadn’t had to rush to get ready to come here, would we have had a conversation about perhaps a follow-up? A second date? And was that something I wanted?

“But you clearly like him. Enough to have slept with him,” Violet said.

“You said yourself he’s handsome. And I needed to get back on the horse, so to speak. It’s no big deal.” I wasn’t about to confess that if he’d asked me I most likely would have said yes to a second date. Yes to more of his demanding and controlling. Yes to spending Sunday naked and in bed. I wouldn’t confess to it because it wasn’t going to happen. Men like Logan didn’t date. They fucked.

“You said he was charming,” Aurora chipped in.

“So?” I asked. “It was fun. No more, no less.” I was meant to be cool about it. Meant to think about it as just sex. I may have a desire for more, but if I kept telling myself it was a one-time thing, I might just believe it.

My phone vibrated in my bag, and while I ignored it, Violet and Aurora stared at my Longchamp as if it were a monkey doing a striptease.

“You have to see who it is,” Violet said.

“I bet it’s him,” Aurora added.

“It’s probably Lane with a question about the horses.” It would be nice if it were Logan, but he’d made no suggestion of calling me later or seeing me again and my pride wasn’t about to let me be a girl who chased after men like Logan Steele.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Violet nodded at my bag.

They weren’t going to stop until I relented, and since I was confident it wouldn’t be Logan, I pulled out my phone.

I keep seeing your face when you come. I make fantastic cheese on toast. And I have a bottle of pinot noir with your name on it. How about combining all three? Are you busy tonight?

I sucked in a breath, shocked he’d sent a message, shocked he wanted to see me again and shocked at how his words had me squirming in my chair.

“It’s him,” Aurora said. “I knew it.”

I glanced up to find my two friends staring at me. “No big deal,” I said, tossing my phone in my bag.

Did I want cheese on toast, wine and orgasms? I was pretty sure that sounded like a perfect Saturday night, but there was something about Logan Steele and the way I couldn’t quite figure him out that had me holding back. Something about how badly I wanted to see him tonight that had me nervous.

“What did the message say?” Violet asked.

“Just to say hi. Like I said, no big deal.” I took a bite out of the smoked salmon sandwich, hoping the girls would focus on their food rather than me.

“Are you going to see him again?”

“We’re neighbors—no doubt I’ll run into him. Now, can we drop this and focus on something more interesting?”

“I can’t think of anything more interesting,” Aurora said.

My phone buzzed again, and this time it was a call coming through. Was he so impatient for an answer? My heart began to thump against my chest and my fingers twitched with the desire to reach into my bag.

“Answer it,” Violet said.

Without looking at the screen, I pulled my phone out of my bag and stood up, wanting to avoid the avid curiosity of my friends. I couldn’t remember a time when a man had me so ruffled. It was as if he’d burned down my defenses last night. Nothing about it had been slow and steady, it had been quick and immediate and inevitable. And despite trying to convince myself otherwise, I wanted more.

I got to the end of the promenade and flipped my phone over, disappointed to see that it wasn’t Logan at all, it was Lane.

“Is everything all right?” I asked.

“I thought you’d want to know sooner rather than later that Logan Steele has lodged an appeal against the planning decision taken by the Parish Council.”

I had to steady myself against one of the marble pillars. “What? When?”

“Looks like it was lodged on Friday. I’ve got hold of a copy of the appeal. They’re not going to give up, Miss Darcy.”

I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. I shouldn’t be surprised. A move like this was Logan Steele to a tee. Every time I thought he was one man, he showed me another side to him. I wanted him to be the man that took me to dinner last night, had spoken at the community center, had fucked me all night. Instead he was the man who was still trying to devastate the village and memories that I so wanted to protect.

I was angry at him. Angry at myself for letting myself be seduced by him. Furious at the fact I’d been so delighted he’d just messaged me just a few minutes before. Fight drained from my body, chased off by the disappointment churning through my veins.

I’d only agreed to go to dinner with Logan because he’d lost, but he’d planned to appeal and had never said a word.

“Can you email it to me? I’ll have my lawyers look over it and we’ll see what they can do.”

So much for Violet and Aurora’s enthusiasm. So much for cheese on toast, wine and orgasms. So much for me enjoying myself last night. It had all turned to ash in a fraction of a second. Everything good about last night had been reversed and rewound. For a moment, I’d let myself relax, let my guard down, allowed someone else to take the reins.

And look where it had gotten me.