Chapter 4
“Do you both specialize in healing?” I hurried to finish my sentence to cover my reaction.
The unknown fae hesitated for a moment and ran a hand through his defiant black curls. “Yes.”
It hadn’t looked like healing magic that he’d used on Easton. Had he lied about his specialty to cover up the murder? Unless it was possible to use healing magic to kill.
I fixed him with a tight stare, although I had to tilt my head back to do it.
He did the same, scrutinizing me with his bright green eyes—eyes one could get lost in while he slowly killed you.
Charles clapped the brooding guy on the shoulder, even though his gaze lingered on Jane. “Well, Darcy, it would appear that our friend here fell for you at first sight—so much so that she landed right in your lap.”
“No,” I blurted and looked down at my feet even as my mind latched onto that scrap of information. The killer’s name was Darcy. “I mean, I’m sorry for falling on you. We really should go.”
Looking for answers was one thing, but putting us into direct contact with the murderer was something I hadn’t planned for, especially with Jane around. I couldn’t get her tangled up in this.
“Wait.” Charles put a hand on Jane’s arm, who inhaled sharply. “I still haven’t introduced myself,” he continued. “My name is Charles Bingley.”
“I’m Jane Bennet, and this is my sister, Lizzy.” Jane met his gaze with a small smile and played with a lock of hair. I fought to keep my mouth from falling open. Whether she realized it or not, Jane only played with her hair when she was flirting.
Now really wasn’t the time for flirting.
“Would you”—Charles cleared his throat and held out a hand—“dance with me?”
“Of course.” Jane let go of my arm.
“Jane… ” I swallowed my next words. On second thought, if Jane was with Charles in the middle of the dance floor, she’d be safe, and that would give me a chance to get information from the other fae—Darcy.
“Have fun.” I gave Jane a small smile, trying not to let her see my conflicted feelings about being left alone with Darcy. It was exactly what I needed, but I wasn’t confident I knew how to interrogate a killer. Or even if I should.
Jane gave me a brilliant smile, put her hand in Charles’s, and walked off without looking back. I didn’t think she’d ever even glanced at Darcy since she couldn’t take her attention from Charles.
Once Darcy and I were alone, I ignored how my instincts screamed at me to get somewhere safe. But what sort of journalist would I be if I ran from the huge story that had fallen into my lap?
My cheeks heated anew at the idea of falling into laps, and I pushed the thought aside.
It was time to show Maxine my front-page dedication, even if my heart wanted to pound free of my chest. Because what was the worst that could happen to me in the middle of a crowded club, even if we were in a somewhat isolated VIP room? At least the door was still open.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before. Are you new to Austen Heights?” I kept my tone conversational despite the way my palms were sweating.
“Yes.” Darcy crossed his arms and drummed his fingers on his forearm. Each tap seemed to emphasize his impatience.
“How long do you plan on staying?”
“Undecided.” He looked down his nose at me, literally because he was so tall, but also because he thought he was better than me.
I frowned and shifted my weight from foot to foot. The floating purple candles lit half of Darcy’s face while leaving the rest in shadows.
The music outside grew in volume, turning into something with an eerie minor melody. I raised my voice and asked, “Have you found a place to stay in town?”
“Yes.” He glanced toward the open door as if dismissing me.
Cursed soul. He was as unpleasant as a corpse.
He spoke as if our conversation was a chessboard and each move had to be careful and deliberate, as if he valued his words too highly to throw them out carelessly and I wasn’t worth the effort.
But if this were a game, I’d play to win.
Maybe my next question would be the key to unlocking more than monosyllabic answers.
“I hear that Donwell Abbey or Kellynch Hall are very nice Airbnbs this time of year, and there’s plenty of room for a large group.”
“We aren’t using an Airbnb.” He twisted his lips as if offended that I’d even suggested it.
I silently patted myself on the back for getting an entire sentence out of him. He hadn’t reacted when I’d mentioned the hotel or a place in town, so… I stilled. Maybe that was it. There were a few places on the outskirts of Austen Heights. I’d look into it as soon as I got home tonight.
“Are you looking for things to do to kill time while you’re here?” I asked, watching for any reaction to the word kill.
He flinched but almost immediately smoothed his expression. “Are you always this nosy, or is the inquisition just how you treat visitors here?”
“An inquisition? That’s going a bit far. I’m just trying to get to know you.” And determine your motive for murdering a man in cold blood. I flashed him my sweetest smile.
“Well, don’t.”
I did my best to brush off my annoyance at his curt dismissal and took advantage of the moment to study his tailored black blazer and green dress shirt, trying to figure out where he fit in with the Bingleys.
My instincts, as well as his easy dismissal, told me he was a highborn fae, but if he was close to a prominent family like the Bingleys, why didn’t I recognize him?
“A friend of yours, Darcy?”
I spun around to find a woman—Caroline Bingley—appraising me from the doorway.
“Not particularly.” Darcy didn’t even bother looking at me as he joined her at the door, staring off into the crowds. “Where’s Louisa?”
“I don’t know. I think she’s coming later.” Caroline flipped her red curls over her shoulder. “She hasn’t been around much lately.”
I tried to brush off my annoyance as easily as Darcy had brushed me off.
I racked my brain before remembering that Louisa was Charles and Caroline’s sister.
From what I remembered from the few articles I’d seen her mentioned in, Louisa Hurst was married and not as prone to enter the spotlight as her younger siblings.
“And who is Charles dancing with?” Caroline asked, her gaze narrowed.
Darcy’s lips pursed in a scowl.
“That is my sister.” I met Caroline’s gaze. She had to know that I didn’t consider us beneath them, whatever she and Darcy believed. If anything, they had it backward. Jane was too good for Charles. She was one of the sweetest people he would ever meet.
A loud laugh drew our attention to the right, where Lydia and Kitty stood in the middle of a group of men with short haircuts and thick builds.
A few bore the silvery outline of the Marked.
I’d assumed they were military because of their stiff bearing, but considering their coincidental timing with the Bingleys’ arrival, they might be bodyguards.
Caroline wrinkled her nose and glanced at me. “More of your sisters, I presume?” Since fae could sense other fae, she must have recognized the same wrongness from them as she did with me. Most Marked weren’t accustomed to interacting with half-fae.
“Yes.” No use denying it. I could no more change my family than I could my status as a mixed blood.
“Charming,” she said in a tone that was anything but.
“Speaking of charming”—I turned to Darcy and bowed my head slightly—“thank you for such scintillating conversation. You know how to make a memorable first impression.”
Darcy raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, I edged past him and found more than a handful of females, Marked and Unmarked alike, eyeing him.
He didn’t shrink from their gazes; he hardly reacted at all, as if he was used to brushing off the people around him. Even among the other fae, Darcy had a commanding presence with his broad shoulders and assessing gaze. If only they knew what he was capable of.
With how reticent Darcy was, there was no point asking him anything else, especially not with Caroline around.
Now that I knew his name, I would look into him myself.
After all, how many people could there be with the name “Darcy” who were close to Charles Bingley?
For now, I should collect Jane and go home.
I glanced over my shoulder once as I made my way across the dance floor and found Darcy still watching me, a frustrated question in his dark gaze.
Insufferable fae.
I turned away and spotted Mom whispering with the gnome DJ.
A second later, she looked around, then passed him a potion.
He gave her a thumbs up and turned off the music, gesturing to someone behind the curtain.
A second later, a woman in a glimmering turquoise dress came out on stage and took the microphone.
Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, and for a moment, the dancers stopped and stared at her.
A siren then—they were known for having beautiful voices that could mesmerize people. With a flick of her wrist, the siren created illusions of herself with her water magic, and the replicas danced to her music.
Mom stood to the side, watching Charles and Jane with a smug smile. She wasn’t joking when she made comments like “I’d do anything for my children.” A mother’s love might know no bounds, but neither did a child’s embarrassment.
Charles rubbed the back of his neck, then said something to Jane that made her smile.
He put both hands on her waist, and she froze for the briefest moment, then wrapped her arms around his neck.
The two swayed softly, staring at each other like they were the only ones around.
At least Jane was oblivious to our embarrassing mom. For now, anyway.
I couldn’t pull Jane away when she seemed so happy. Instead, I wove between dancers and through the color-changing fog that covered the floor until I reached a familiar figure on the other side of the room.
“Charlotte!” I called over the music.