From Pemberley to Manhattan [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11

It was a hot and humid day, so Mr. Carlos Estevez had left some shorts and a light T-shirt for Darcy to wear that day. Refusing to wear anything that undignified, the gentleman wore a pair of pants he'd found in Ethan's closet. He believed it beneath him to borrow someone's clothes without their explicit consent, but he concluded it would be the lesser of two evils.

Besides, he reminded himself, Ethan was in no time condition to offer his consent.

As Mr. Darcy left the room, he was astonished by the sight of Miss Brown in her undergarments. She had her back on him, so his arrival hadn't been perceived. He should have left quietly, or have his presence known. It was the honorable thing to do.

In his defense, he did consider leaving, or at least closing his eyes. Nevertheless, his legs remained paralyzed, and his eyes refused to shut. Without any other option left, he proceeded to observe every inch of her.

Women's intimate clothes had changed considerably in the twenty-first century, he noticed. Miss Brown was wearing a cream lace, sleeveless kind of gown (but many inches shorter), which fit her perfectly around her chest, and was loose from her waist down.

Mr. Darcy wasn't even close to finishing his shameless inspection, but he had to move his eyes back to her head as she faced him. He was in shock for a moment, trying to find a way to excuse himself for his ungentlemanly manner without offending her beyond repair.

Until she offered him a shy smile. "Are you ready?"

"Are you ready?" He was astonished. Was she leaving the house in her undergarments?

She checked herself up before saying, "Yes. What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" He was too shocked to answer, so she continued, "What about you? Are you wearing jeans? It's really hot today..."

"I... I am fine, thank you." He was now processing the fact he'd take a walk in a public park with one of the handsomest ladies he'd ever beheld in her undergarments. Fortunately, he'd been quite good at fencing.

"So, let's go upstairs get Toto at Grandma's and we'll be on our way."

"Naturally. However, if I might ask... What is a toto?"

"Come on, Darcy! I told you, no acting today." As the confusion didn't leave his features, she decided to explain the obvious, just in case. "Toto is Grandma's dog. You know, like from the Wizard of Oz."

"This animal belongs to a wizard?" Darcy was suddenly serious, his blue eyes darkening. "Shall we be safe near it?"

Nathalie wanted to remind him – yet again – of their deal, which he'd just broken a second time. Instead, she laughed. This guy had made her laugh in the last twelve hours more than she had the past month, and that made him deserve a break from his promise.

What made her heart speed up, however, was the fact she had no idea how many other exceptions she was willing make for Darcy.

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