Foiled Elopement: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Read online

  As they neared Pemberley, Darcy’s anticipation grew. He knew his home was impressive. He looked forward to observing his new wife and her kin as they saw his estate for the first time. That should put to rest the lingering doubts he sensed Mr. Bennet had.

  “The farms from here on are my tenants,” he told them when they reached the outskirts of his estate. He strove for a casual voice, but couldn’t quite contain his pride. His people were prosperous, their land neat and cared for. The roads were superior to those of any other part of their journey. He knew all of this was noticed.

  On the day they were to reach Pemberley, Darcy took his driver aside and requested they pause in a location he knew offered a superior view of the manor. When the carriage rumbled to a halt and his wife and the Bennets looked out, he could see their awe. Darcy was gratified, but not surprised, that they were impressed.

  His smugness lasted until they came to a stop before Pemberley. To his surprise, his cousin Richard came down the steps to open the carriage door. His look of confusion when he yanked it open was quickly masked, but Darcy knew Mr. Bennet, Miss Bennet and Elizabeth were all keen observers. Richard nodded to those within, handing Miss Bennet and Elizabeth down.

  “Darcy,” Richard greeted once they were all standing in a loose semicircle before the house. “Does this mean your mission to rescue Georgiana’s savior was successful?”

  Darcy turned to his wife. “Elizabeth, this is my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.” Elizabeth nodded in greeting. “Richard, this is my wife, Elizabeth Darcy.”

  Richard hid his shock well. Darcy hoped he was the only one who could read it. “This is Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Bennet, and her sister, Miss Jane Bennet.”

  “It’s my pleasure to meet you all, I am sure,” Richard said. He looked between the three, his eyes lingering on Miss Bennet. “And may I offer my congratulations, Darcy, Mrs. Darcy.”

  “Thank you,” Elizabeth said. She smiled, looking to Darcy with something akin to relief in her eyes. He realized she’d been worried at her reception.

  “Darcy,” Richard said. “The Bingleys and Hursts are here. They said they were invited.”

  “I forgot,” Darcy said, somewhat chagrinned. He had invited them, but in the chaos of finding Georgiana missing and the ensuing confusion of events, it had slipped his mind.

  “They’ve only been here an hour, though they seem a bit confused by your absence.” Richard shrugged. “Which is likely because I have given no explanation yet. Georgiana retreated to her room the moment they were announced.”

  Darcy hoped they hadn’t witnessed her fleeing. “Please send someone to tell her I’m here,” Darcy said. He turned to his wife and in-laws. In an odd way, he was reluctant for them to meet Bingley’s sisters. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst could be haughty in a petty sort of way. In the face of Miss Bennet’s and Elizabeth’s open, pleasant natures, he thought Bingley’s sisters might actually embarrass him. Not that there was any help for it. Giving Elizabeth a reassuring look, he offered his arm. He did it to show her support, but realized with her on his arm, he was more confident.

  Darcy escorted his wife into Pemberley to find Bingley, Miss Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst standing in the foyer. He’d wanted Elizabeth to see Pemberley at its best, starting with the magnificent stairway dominating the entrance. Instead of looking at the wonders of Pemberley, she was confronted by a somewhat hostile crowd of people, if four people could be considered a crowd. Mrs. Reynolds, his housekeeper, stood in the background, deliberately positioned as to not be part of the group. Richard crossed to speak to a maid, who hurried off, before he turned to watch the spectacle of greetings.

  “I am sorry I’m late,” Darcy said. “Allow me to perform introductions.” He was not going to put up with any lack of respect for his wife. He wanted them to know immediately who she was. He would introduce them to her, not the other way around. “This is Mr. Bingley, Miss Bingley, Mr. Hurst and Mrs. Hurst.” Elizabeth offered each a nod, her expression neutral. “This is my wife, Mrs. Darcy.”

  Miss Bingley’s gasp was loud enough to be heard throughout the foyer. She went white, her curtsey insultingly insufficient. It didn’t escape Darcy’s notice that she did not make eye contact with Elizabeth. Mrs. Hurst practically glowered, but Bingley and Mr. Hurst offered warm greetings.

  Darcy went on to introduce Mr. Bennet and Miss Bennet. Bingley babbled congratulations and spoke about wanting to get to know Mrs. Darcy and her family. His family now, Darcy reminded himself. Mr. Bennet seemed amused by the whole thing. Elizabeth held her head up high and had a determined look on her face. Suddenly, her expression lit with a smile.

  “Georgiana,” she said, her pleasure at seeing his sister palpable.

  “Elizabeth,” Georgiana replied, hurtling down the staircase with unbecoming eagerness. Ignoring the others in the foyer, she crossed to Elizabeth. The two embraced.

  Elizabeth pulled back, pain flashing across her features.

  “Are you hurt?” Georgiana asked. She shot Darcy a look, as if he might be to blame. In a way, he was.

  “I’m well enough.” Elizabeth shrugged, her expression apologetic. “I’m still sore from when Mr. Wickham struck me.”

  Darcy resisted the urge to give Elizabeth a warning glance. He must trust she was steering the conversation to Wickham for a reason.

  “He hit you?” Georgiana exclaimed, stricken. “I thought he would leave, or look for me.”

  “Mr. Wickham?” Bingley asked, frowning. “Isn’t he that fellow you grew up with?”

  “Someone struck you?” Miss Bingley asked Elizabeth, her expression clearly conveying disgust toward Elizabeth.

  Darcy stepped forward, but Elizabeth shot him a quick smile. “Yes,” she said, speaking to the whole foyer; guests, Richard, Georgiana, Mrs. Reynolds, and probably a few servants lingering behind doorways. “You see, Miss Darcy’s governess heard her grandfather was dying. She wanted to be at his bedside, but didn’t want to leave Miss Darcy alone. Mr. Wickham had just called on Miss Darcy and offered to escort them.” She turned to Darcy. “What was the governess’ name?”

  “Mrs. Younge,” Darcy supplied, bemused.

  “Partway through the journey, Mrs. Younge found out her grandfather was dead and she had inherited enough money that she need not be a governess any longer. She abandoned Miss Darcy to Mr. Wickham, who tricked Miss Darcy into getting on a northbound stage. He tried to persuade her to elope with him.”

  This was met with a gasp from Mrs. Hurst. Bingley looked confused, as if he’d lost track of the conversation. He’d been staring rather ceaselessly at Miss Bennet since they arrived. For her part, Miss Bennet seemed content to stand to the back of the group, silent.

  “Oh, you poor thing,” Miss Bingley said. She smiled ingratiatingly at Georgiana, placing a hand on her arm. “What a wicked creature this Mrs. Younge is.”

  “Too right,” Mr. Hurst said. “Wherever you got her, Darcy, you ought to lodge a complaint.”

  “Yes, likely,” Darcy said noncommittally, his attention on Georgiana.

  She was looking down, her face red. He hoped no one could tell Elizabeth’s version of events was news to his sister.

  “But how did that lead to Miss Eliz . . . that is, Mrs. Darcy being struck?” Miss Bingley asked. She offered Darcy a commiserating smile.

  Darcy didn’t miss the slip. As Miss Bingley couldn’t be accustomed to referring to Elizabeth as Miss Elizabeth, it was not by chance she failed to do so. She didn’t even know that Miss Bennet was older than Elizabeth making “Miss Bennet” appropriate for Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth’s expression remained open and neutral. “Miss Darcy wanted to resist Mr. Wickham’s proposal, but she was alone and without funds. I overheard him threaten her. I was travelling south with a family and I gave up my place in the carriage. I remained at the roadside inn where our paths crossed, in the care of the innkeeper, his wife and their unmarried daughter. Unfortunately, Mr. Wickham found out I was partially responsible for
Miss Darcy’s escape.”

  She glanced at Darcy.

  He offered an encouraging smile. She was quite convincing. He was sorry she had to lie for his sister, but pleased she’d chosen to do so. He was too uncomfortable with prevarication to be as believable. He only hoped Elizabeth’s skill didn’t point to a flaw in her nature.

  Fortunately, now they were on steadier footing, where they could keep nearer to the truth, which meant he could step in. “Needless to say, I was searching everywhere for Georgiana,” Darcy said. “One report had her and Wickham traveling together alone.” He gave his sister an apologetic look. It was for speaking the truth, but he knew others would think it was for doubting her. “I thought they might be eloping. Mr. Wickham can be very charming and I knew he would be attracted by her dowry. I came upon Wickham attacking Elizabeth. I intervened and we decided to marry.”

  He took in Miss Bingley’s narrowed eyes and the calculating look she exchanged with her sister, who gave a slight shake of her head. He wondered if they could sense the most obvious thing he’d left out, that he’d salvaged Elizabeth’s reputation. They didn’t know about the duel, but to them, even her time in the inn would be ruinous. Likely, they thought he’d married out of gratitude for her role in saving Georgiana. That was partially true, but equally compelling was what Elizabeth’s actions said about who she was. Neither Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst would have risked all that Elizabeth had to help a stranger.

  Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. “I came to rescue my daughter, and found she’d married Mr. Darcy in Scotland.”

  “We’ve been travelling,” Darcy said to the Hursts and Bingleys, deciding enough had been said so to keep the story they wished shared straight. “I hope you will forgive us if we want to refresh ourselves. I’ll show Mrs. Darcy to her room.” He turned to Mrs. Reynolds. “Please see that Mr. Bennet and Miss Bennet have rooms. I’m sorry to be such a poor host, but we will come down for dinner.”

  “Don’t worry about us, Darcy,” Bingley said with an amiable smile. “We know the lay of the place. We’re perfectly capable of entertaining ourselves until dinner. Glad it’s all turned out right. Congratulations again.”

  “Yes, congratulations,” Miss Bingley said, looking at Elizabeth with a malicious smile. It was a subtle insult. Brides were not congratulated, but offered best wishes.

  Darcy gestured toward the staircase. Mrs. Reynolds was already issuing orders to servants in a quiet voice, off to the side.

  Elizabeth turned to Georgiana. “Miss Darcy, could you please help my sister? She hasn’t a dress suitable for dinner. Even if you can’t offer one, maybe you could have someone help her with her hair?”

  Elizabeth’s friendly tone and simple request seemed to snap Georgiana out of the reserve she’d fallen into. She finally lifted her gaze from the floor. Offering Elizabeth a tentative smile, she nodded and turned to lead the way upstairs.

  Chapter Fourteen – Library Discovered

  Dinner proved to be interesting to Mr. Bennet. Jane was seated between Mr. Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Both men vied for her attention, obviously attracted to her. Mr. Bennet kept a covert eye on them all evening, but Jane was so uniformly polite and cheerful, he couldn’t tell if she preferred one, or even cared especially for either. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was losing both of his favorite daughters, not simply one.

  Since she was a little thing with fuzzy ringlets, Mr. Bennet had always been aware that Jane was blessed with uncommon good looks. It wasn’t until that evening, watching two very respectable gentlemen vie over her, that he realized she was stunning. Less than two hours after they’d arrived, she was wearing what he suspected was a shortened gown of Miss Darcy’s. High necked, as suitable for a young girl, and a pale yellow, it shouldn’t have looked magnificent, but it did. Jane’s hair was done elaborately, suggesting a skilled maid had helped. She wore no jewelry of course, since Jane would never accept the loan of jewelry, but she outshone every woman there, including Elizabeth. He knew if he told her as much it would upset her, but Mr. Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam obviously appreciated the overall effect.

  Elizabeth was surrounded by Bingley’s sisters. Though he’d sensed their animosity earlier, Mr. Bennet didn’t worry the two would overwhelm Elizabeth. His second daughter could hold her own. From the snatches of conversation he heard, they were being perfectly civil. As best Mr. Bennet could make out, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were trying to be helpful in suggesting how Elizabeth could enlarge her wardrobe with her new-found wealth. Few underhanded jibes were issued and both a very select modiste in London and an exclusive store that sold the best jewelry were mentioned. Mr. Bennet would have been wholly reassured if not for the occasional covetous look Miss Bingley directed Mr. Darcy’s way.

  When the men and women parted ways, the men to finish their drinks while the women repaired to tea and chatter, Mr. Bennet decided he’d best test the matter of Miss Bingley. He wouldn’t leave Elizabeth in a situation where she would have a constant rival attempting to undermine her. Especially when her marriage was not wholly official. Not, he hoped, that Mr. Darcy would ever be foolish enough to make that fact known.

  When a lull in a conversation about the difficulty of securing reliable staff came, Mr. Bennet elected to address the topic. “Miss Bingley seems to have gotten over her desire to slight Mrs. Darcy.”

  Mr. Hurst, leaning back in his chair in a way that showed his comfort with the company, chuckled. “My wife put her straight. She told Caroline that either they treat Mrs. Darcy with respect or they wouldn’t be welcome at Pemberley.” Hurst nodded in Mr. Darcy’s direction. “Darcy is not a man to tolerate slights to his wife.”

  “Mrs. Hurst was correct,” Mr. Darcy said dryly.

  Mr. Bennet nodded, reassured. It was clear the gentlemen didn’t think Miss Bingley’s ire would amount to much. Satisfied, he permitted the situation to move on.

  The remainder of the evening was even more pleasant than the first half. When they joined the ladies, the parlor they occupied boasted a pianoforte. Miss Darcy and Elizabeth performed several pieces, together and separately, as did Miss Bingley. Miss Darcy and Miss Bingley were both more accomplished than Elizabeth, objectively speaking, but Mr. Bennet was keenly aware how much he would miss her playing and her sweet voice. A glance at his new son told him Mr. Darcy was enchanted by Elizabeth’s performances. More than once, Mr. Bennet was forced to hide a smile. He wondered if his daughter had any notion how smitten her husband was with her.

  The following morning, Mr. Bennet arrived at the breakfast parlor early, to find Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth already there. They were seated beside one another. When he entered, before they noticed him and greetings commenced, Mr. Darcy was showing her something in the newspaper. Mr. Bennet suppressed a pang of sorrow. Elizabeth had been the only other person at Longbourn who cared about the paper. Perhaps he would take up keeping hounds. At least they would listen while he discussed the happenings of the world with them, unlike his wife and three younger daughters.

  “Did you sleep well, Papa?” Elizabeth asked as he seated himself across from her. A footman came over with coffee.

  “Quite well, thank you.” He looked at Mr. Darcy. “It’s a fine room. I must say, your estate is well established, well appointed, and appears to benefit considerably from fine management.”

  “Thank you, sir. I do my best to maintain what my forefathers built, and add to it. I cannot, of course, take any credit for how well-situated Pemberley is, for it was built long before my time.”

  “You made a good choice, Lizzy,” Mr. Bennet said. “It’s a wise man who doesn’t take credit for happenstance.”

  “It is a rather large home, isn’t it?” Elizabeth said. She looked about the large parlor. “I have the terrible fear I shall never learn where all the rooms are.”

  “I should very much like to show you about later this morning,” Mr. Darcy said, turning to her. “Perhaps we could meet in my office around eleven? It’s down the first h
all to the left off the foyer, but any of the servants can direct you.”

  “That would be nice.” She offered him a smile.

  Mr. Darcy answered with one of his own. “In the library there is also a diagram of all the rooms, as well as several maps of the estate, holdings and surrounding countryside.”

  Mr. Bennet had been on the verge of drifting into his own thoughts to let the two return to their earlier discussion, a bad habit gained from dining with his wife and daughters, when the word library caught his interest. He was glad he appeared attentive when Mr. Darcy turned back.

  “First, Mr. Bennet, I was hoping for a word with you? Due to the circumstances of our union, you and I never had the opportunity to speak on what I mean to settle on Elizabeth. I promise, I don’t mean to short her in view of your reduced negotiating power.”

  “Reduced negotiating power?” Elizabeth echoed.

  “I believe Mr. Darcy means you’re already committed, Lizzy,” Mr. Bennet said. “I can’t threaten to urge you to decline his suit or to withhold my permission.”

  “But you wouldn’t have, anyhow, if I wanted the union,” she protested.

  “Yes, but a suitor isn’t to know that.” He didn’t tell her he would have refused permission if he thought she was making a bad choice, but he always assumed she would choose wisely.

  “My suitor would have.”

  “I suppose now we will never know.” Mr. Bennet flicked his gaze toward Mr. Darcy.

  “Regardless, it will not influence my decisions,” he said.

  Mr. Bennet got the impression not much influenced Mr. Darcy when he already believed himself to be right. “Directly following breakfast, then?”

  “I would prefer it,” Mr. Darcy said.