Read Online Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beth Pattillo
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hearty drink of my wine and tried to focus on the breathtakingly handsome man across from me.
“I can’t imagine that anything about your life is less than perfect.” I tried to smile flirtatiously but probably only looked as if I was in a moderate amount of pain.
“I’m flattered that you’ve imagined anything about me.” He squeezed my hand. “I like the sound of that.”
To a more worldly woman, a woman with more experience with men, the words might have sounded as slick and self-serving as they were. But to me, at that point in time, they were like balm on a wound I’d never realized I had. I’d never been one to seek out flattery, which was what made me so susceptible. I’d known that most women were better looking than I was, were more successful, had more education.
Maybe that’s why I’d ended up with Neil. He was nothing extraordinary. His very ordinariness had been his main attraction.
And then I felt another blush rise to my cheeks, but this time the heat was from shame, not attraction. Neil deserved better. Certainly he wasn’t the most attentive of boyfriends, but he was a decent guy, patient and good-natured.
“Have you always worked in publishing?” I said to cover my own discomfort. “It sounds very cerebral.”
He waved his free hand in dismissal. “Pretty routine. Dreary, really. But it pays the bills.”
So much for that line of conversation. I took another sip of water and tried again. “What’s your topic for your presentation?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“You haven’t written your paper yet?” My eyes must have been bulging out in a most unattractive manner.
“After today’s fan-girl video, I’m not too worried.”
I had to laugh, but I also felt a little bit ashamed. Rosie and Louise were such dears, and their work had come from a deep devotion to Austen’s hero.
“You didn’t enjoy the Mr. Darcy retrospective?” I asked in a teasing tone.
“That’s an awful lot for an average guy to live up to,” he said before reaching to refill our wine glasses. “All that nobility. Not to mention wealth.”
“I’m not exactly Darcy’s biggest fan, but I’ve watched my sister swoon, and I don’t think money’s the appeal.” Although with my recent change in circumstances, I could now understand Jane Austen’s concerns about personal finance more personally.
“You don’t think it’s the money?” He half smiled and half grimaced. “You can’t separate Darcy from his wealth. He couldnever have forced Wickham to marry Lydia without his power and influence, or his cash.”
I opened my mouth to refute his assertion, but then I realized that he was right. “Um…”
“There’s no arguing with that. I don’t hold it against you, though.”
“Against me?”
He nodded. “Not you personally. Women in general. Some things may have changed in the last two centuries, but I don’t think a woman’s wanting a man to look after her has gone completely out of style.”
“I would never expect—”
He stopped me by the simple expedience of placing his thumb against my lips. The gesture was both frustrating and disturbingly sensual. “I know you wouldn’t. That’s one of the reasons I asked you out.”
“Oh.” I had no idea what to say after that. Fortunately, our entrées arrived at just that moment, and I could busy myself with the business of eating while I tried to sort through my churning thoughts and feelings.
We were on a date. He liked that I was independent. And I quivered like a big bowl of Jell-O whenever he touched me. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure I was very coherent.
“So who do you think will volunteer to present tomorrow?” I said, trying to steer the conversation back to a neutral subject.
James chewed for a moment and then swallowed. “Martin, I hope. He should have something more than swooning admiration of Mr. Darcy to contribute to the conversation.”
“I ran into him in the bookstore yesterday. He’s quite the
“I can’t imagine that anything about your life is less than perfect.” I tried to smile flirtatiously but probably only looked as if I was in a moderate amount of pain.
“I’m flattered that you’ve imagined anything about me.” He squeezed my hand. “I like the sound of that.”
To a more worldly woman, a woman with more experience with men, the words might have sounded as slick and self-serving as they were. But to me, at that point in time, they were like balm on a wound I’d never realized I had. I’d never been one to seek out flattery, which was what made me so susceptible. I’d known that most women were better looking than I was, were more successful, had more education.
Maybe that’s why I’d ended up with Neil. He was nothing extraordinary. His very ordinariness had been his main attraction.
And then I felt another blush rise to my cheeks, but this time the heat was from shame, not attraction. Neil deserved better. Certainly he wasn’t the most attentive of boyfriends, but he was a decent guy, patient and good-natured.
“Have you always worked in publishing?” I said to cover my own discomfort. “It sounds very cerebral.”
He waved his free hand in dismissal. “Pretty routine. Dreary, really. But it pays the bills.”
So much for that line of conversation. I took another sip of water and tried again. “What’s your topic for your presentation?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“You haven’t written your paper yet?” My eyes must have been bulging out in a most unattractive manner.
“After today’s fan-girl video, I’m not too worried.”
I had to laugh, but I also felt a little bit ashamed. Rosie and Louise were such dears, and their work had come from a deep devotion to Austen’s hero.
“You didn’t enjoy the Mr. Darcy retrospective?” I asked in a teasing tone.
“That’s an awful lot for an average guy to live up to,” he said before reaching to refill our wine glasses. “All that nobility. Not to mention wealth.”
“I’m not exactly Darcy’s biggest fan, but I’ve watched my sister swoon, and I don’t think money’s the appeal.” Although with my recent change in circumstances, I could now understand Jane Austen’s concerns about personal finance more personally.
“You don’t think it’s the money?” He half smiled and half grimaced. “You can’t separate Darcy from his wealth. He couldnever have forced Wickham to marry Lydia without his power and influence, or his cash.”
I opened my mouth to refute his assertion, but then I realized that he was right. “Um…”
“There’s no arguing with that. I don’t hold it against you, though.”
“Against me?”
He nodded. “Not you personally. Women in general. Some things may have changed in the last two centuries, but I don’t think a woman’s wanting a man to look after her has gone completely out of style.”
“I would never expect—”
He stopped me by the simple expedience of placing his thumb against my lips. The gesture was both frustrating and disturbingly sensual. “I know you wouldn’t. That’s one of the reasons I asked you out.”
“Oh.” I had no idea what to say after that. Fortunately, our entrées arrived at just that moment, and I could busy myself with the business of eating while I tried to sort through my churning thoughts and feelings.
We were on a date. He liked that I was independent. And I quivered like a big bowl of Jell-O whenever he touched me. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure I was very coherent.
“So who do you think will volunteer to present tomorrow?” I said, trying to steer the conversation back to a neutral subject.
James chewed for a moment and then swallowed. “Martin, I hope. He should have something more than swooning admiration of Mr. Darcy to contribute to the conversation.”
“I ran into him in the bookstore yesterday. He’s quite the
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