Compulsively Mr. Darcy Read Online Free

made up for the Hursts’ muted affect. His smile dimmed when Jane denied his request to join the children in the sandbox. She explained the orphanage preferred to minimize the children’s exposure to potential adoptive parents, to avoid disappointment for both parties. Next, she discussed the orphanage’s strict policy of first come, first adopted. The adoptive parents had no choice which child they would be given.
    The Hursts showed no reaction on hearing that. Mr. Bingley simply nodded. Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, threw Jane a skeptical glance, though he remained silent and moved to stand next to a window. During her detailed explanation of the orphanage’s philosophies and policies, she saw that the enigmatic Mr. Darcy was the only one who seemed to be listening intensely and carefully.
    â€œDo you have any questions for me?” she said at the end of the interview.
    Mr. Hurst asked no questions of the orphanage or of the prospective child. Mrs. Hurst asked what size clothing the child would likely wear. Mr. Bingley asked why there was no playground. After she answered their questions, Jane began to wrap up the meeting when Mr. Darcy spoke.
    â€œIf you don’t mind, I have a few questions.”
    Mr. Darcy asked about the orphanage’s founders, how it was funded, what its long-term goals were, where the orphans came from, the health history of the children prior to and during their time at the orphanage, the birth parents’ continued involvement, if any, and so forth. Jane suspected Mr. Darcy knew the answers already. Though very courteous, he rarely made eye contact with her or the others, keeping his eyes fixed on the view outside the window. Perhaps Mr. Darcy is part Vietnamese , Jane dryly mused, thinking of the repugnance the Vietnamese culture had for direct eye contact in social interactions.
    At one point, something in the courtyard distracted him and he absentmindedly repeated a question to which she had already answered. Finally, he finished with his questioning.
    She stood up to again wrap up the interview.
    The door to her office opened. A tall woman, wearing a white linen suit, white wide-brimmed hat, and white six-inch high heels entered. She looked like an escapee from the cover of the imaginary Trophy Wife’s Weekly. Jane immediately felt ashamed for her unkind thought.
    Click, clack . The woman’s heels made stabbing sounds on the wooden floor. She marched to Mr. Darcy, grasped his arm, and nearly sliced his left eye with the brim of her hat. Mr. Darcy flinched. The woman pulled him forward. “William, you must not be so shy. You’re a part of our family.”
    After Mr. Bingley introduced her to Jane, Miss Bingley complained, “What’s taking so long with the interview?”
    In a dry voice, Mr. Bingley explained, “Darcy took a while with the inquisition.”
    Miss Bingley looked puzzled.
    After a brief moment of silence, Mr. Bingley provided the definition of inquisition .
    His sister frowned at him and turned back to Mr. Darcy. “I know where to find the best children’s boutiques in New York City. Fifth Avenue! I read about them in the car. When baby Darcy makes his or her first appearance to the world”—she winked at him—“you must get him or her a personal stylist. All the up-and-coming babies in New York and London have one.”
    Mr. Darcy darted a telling glance in Mr. Bingley’s direction.
    The latter immediately stood and, acting as if he was an adopting parent, thanked Jane for meeting with them.
    Jane explained to the Hursts she would contact them soon, once she had a chance to go through their application more thoroughly and make sure all necessary paperwork was done properly. As she clarified for them, she had only that morning received the background report on them from the orphanage’s new investigator, a Mr. Bill Collins.
    â€œWe met with him weeks ago. We don’t understand the