Compulsively Mr. Darcy Read Online Free Page A

delay here,” Mrs. Hurst said.
    Jane simply apologized again and promised to do her best to minimize their waiting.
    No response from Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, but Mr. Bingley smiled. “Take your time, Miss Bennet.”
    While Mr. Darcy subtly edged away from Miss Bingley, she turned to Jane. “I was hoping we’d learn the child’s clothing size today. It takes time to put together a wardrobe.”
    Mr. Bingley herded his sister outside. Jane walked them to their car. Before he got in the car, Mr. Darcy kept glancing back at the courtyard. Curious, Jane followed the direction of his eyes. She saw nothing unusual except a pathway leading to her and Elizabeth’s cottage. Her sister should have arrived home for lunch by now.
    ***
    Elizabeth pointed her chopsticks at Jane. “All right, you’re bursting at the seams. Spill.”
    Jane resisted the urge to remind her sister pointing chopsticks at people was rude in Vietnam. “Your patient Mr. Bingley and his partner Mr. Darcy just left here.”
    â€œWhat?” The small bowl of rice paused halfway to Elizabeth’s mouth. “They’re the fancy limo I saw when I arrived home?”
    Jane nodded. “They were here with another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, the parents listed on the application.”
    â€œWhy does your Mother Teresa–face scream complications with a big capital C ?”
    Jane described her visitors. She agreed with Elizabeth’s initial impression of Mr. Bingley as a friendly fellow. When she portrayed Mr. Darcy as serious but polite, her sister snorted. Jane reminded her, “At the hospital, he was jet-lagged and anxious about his partner. He was completely different here, very courteous and controlled. He asked questions I wished the adoptive parents had asked.”
    â€œWhy the hell was he the one asking questions? Shouldn’t the Hursts be the ones to do that? See, that proves he’s a prick, sticking his nose into everything that doesn’t involve him, like he did at the hospital.”
    â€œThat’s just it. I think he was the right one to be asking all the questions. He did all the homework the parents usually do. His partner showed such enthusiasm at the idea of playing with a child.”
    â€œWhat are you saying?”
    â€œThe two men acted like expectant parents while the adoptive parents showed no emotion. Miss Bingley might have inadvertently let something slip. I heard her say ‘When baby Darcy makes his or her appearance to the world.’ And then she winked at Mr. Darcy.”
    â€œAh! I see. It’s the two men who are the adopting parents and the married couple are just fronting.”
    â€œIt would explain the Hursts’ lack of interest and the sparse background information the investigator faxed over, which revealed nothing more substantial than they’re wealthy enough to financially care for a child.”
    â€œWhy didn’t the men apply themselves?”
    â€œLizzy, you know the answer to that. As much as you and I feel two men or two women can be great parents, Aunt Mai would never have been able to convince people here to accept that. She has to have married—as in a man and woman—as a requirement to satisfy the authorities.”
    â€œThe ‘authorities’ sure made an exception for those on the covers of the gossip rags.”
    â€œYou know that’s good tourism publicity for the country. And it’s also good publicity for the plight of orphans here. But back to my problem: I can’t help feeling something’s not right.”
    â€œLike?”
    â€œThe Hursts did make it this far in the adoption process. Perhaps they do want a child but aren’t good at showing their feelings. I haven’t had much experience with the private-jet crowd to confidently assess them. I hate to say no to them—or even the two guys—and deny a child a chance for a home because I’m not doing my job