From Pemberley with Love
A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Claire Russell
Claire J Russell
From Pemberley with Love
A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Copyright @ 2018 By Claire J. Russell.
Publisher's note: This is a work of fiction. Names locations characters are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to anyone is coincidental.
Dedicated to Francisca, Judy and Claire
Contents
1. Netherfield 1815
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Chapter One
Netherfield 1815
“This is going to be great. The most beautiful women in all of England live in these parts, Darcy,” Mr. Charles Bingley remarked to Mr. Darcy as they rode in the carriage with his sisters.
The women smiled and did not say a word, preferring instead to listen as the men continued their conversation.
England’s beautiful countryside beckoned and Mr Bingley was excited as can be. As the carriage prodded along past the high woody hills, Mr. Darcy peered out the window deep in thought. Deep down inside he had a lot on his mind. He was concerned about leaving his business behind. Would the men in charge do what he expected while he was away?
On the other hand, Mr. Charles Bingley the smart, rich, handsome and charming man who desired this holiday, wanted to forget all about the problems back in London. After all what good will it do wondering about what he cannot control while away. Besides his doctors assured him this vacation would do him good.
It wasn’t easy dealing with all that London offered during the year, plus returning to the country during the summer months made him feel rejuvenated. Bingley had a fun personality, he was surprisingly open and kind to everyone who approached him.
Mr. Bingley decided to take a break from London by renting the Netherfield estate. As their carriage approached the stately home, Bingley smiled broadly and asked in an estate voice,“Isn’t this wonderful? Tell me Darcy… have you seen anything as quaint and gorgeous as this home in England?”
Unimpressed, Darcy peered out the window to view the green lush countryside. A slight smile formed on his face, but then he pursed his lips disapprovingly as he looked away.
“My idea of fun is different from yours. I can assure you, Bingley.”
“Oh, come on, Darcy, you needed this break. London is cold and drab this time of year, but here you have the breathtaking countryside. Tell me this isn’t the most gorgeous sight you’ve ever seen, Darcy. Surely you don’t miss London and Pemberley that much?”
Darcy pondered out loud, “It’s not a question of missing London. I have business dealings that could use my expertise right now. But here I am running off with you to the countryside while my business remains in the hands of individuals who—though trained—cannot accomplish as much as I can in the shortest time.”
Realizing that he could not convince his friend, Bingley grew silent. He turned and peered out of the carriage window. It was not long before they arrived at their destination.
The horses halted, and the Netherfield staff made their way to the carriage. The footmen helped the ladies out of the coach then Darcy and Bingley got out as well.
Pleased to be at the beautiful stately home with the rolling lush grass, Bingley smiled broadly at everyone as they stepped into the palatial home, which at the time was quite unbecoming for men of his ranking.
Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, gazed at Mr. Bingley puzzlingly, trying to understand why he was smiling at everyone. Surely, he realized that by so doing, he would not gain the respect of the workers that way.
“I daresay, you were so quick to smile with everyone, Bingley,” Darcy commented.
Bingley, no longer amused, snapped back, “Would you lighten up? We are on holiday.” He was not prepared to ruin his holiday because Darcy would rather be working. He figured: work hard play hard. Besides, a well-deserved holiday never hurt anyone.
“Right,” Darcy said. “I suppose I could take the horse for a ride to see what else the estate has to offer.”
Bingley nodded in agreement. “Why don’t you do that? Maybe time on a horse will change how you feel about this glorious place.”
“I could certainly use it. I will be back before sundown,” Darcy assured his friend while making his way to the door where his horse was already waiting for him. He mounted on the horse and galloped away. He had not gone far before he spotted a group of women in distress by a lake.
It appeared that three sisters had been relaxing by the water when what looked like the youngest sister disregarded her older sister’s advice to get into the water. The younger laughed at the older and said, “Oh, come on, Elizabeth. It’s not that deep. I’ve been in it before.”
“Lydia, I order you not to go into the water,” Elizabeth reprimanded, waving a warning hand at her sister who merely scoffed at her.
“I will prove it, Lizzy,” Lydia said, holding her dress and stepping into the water and laughing hysterically. She did not smile for long, though, because she was wrong. A sudden rip current pulled her down into the water. “Oh my God, oh my God, Help me, Lizzy! I’m sinking!” she cried out in panic.
Elizabeth immediately leaned forward and held a hand out to her sister. Lydia grabbed Elizabeth’s hand, who then tugged hard to get her out of the lake. It worked for a little while. Elizabeth managed to get Lydia out, but then Elizabeth fell into the lake. Even though she could swim, the rip current worked against her, and it pulled her further down the lake.
The other two sisters panicked and screamed, “Somebody help, Somebody help us!”
Witnessing the commotion, Darcy leapt from his horse and ran towards the women before jumping into the water.
He reached Elizabeth and wrapped his arm around her, holding onto her as they moved against the current. When he reached land, he lifted her out of the lake.
“Oh my God. Is she alright? Have I killed her?” Lydia asked in panic, but Darcy did not say a word; instead he focused on Elizabeth, who was not breathing. “Please help her...”
Without hesitation at her request, Darcy performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and in that moment, Elizabeth opened her eyes and noticed the kind stranger who saved her life.
Darcy looked down at her and asked, “Are you alright, ma’am?”
Elizabeth nodded. She had a desire to respond but could not.
Darcy helped Elizabeth up on her feet. The third sister, Jane, spoke up and thanked the kind stranger, “Thank you for saving her life. We are grateful, Mister...?”
“Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
Elizabeth blushed while her sisters smiled politely. Jane reiterated, “Mr. Darcy we would like to thank you.”
“You are welcome,” Darcy said while getting back on his horse. “Well, I must be on my way. Stay safe, ladies.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said, finally finding her voice.
“Are you visiting, sir?” Jane asked, realizing she had never seen him before.
Darcy replied, “Yes, I am on vacation at Netherfield.”
“Well I hope we will see you again. Thank you again for your kind help,” Elizabeth said.
“Like
wise, be careful around the lakes,” Darcy said as he urged his horse on before the sisters could respond.
The three women watched as the kind man rode away from their view.
Chapter Two
Elizabeth and her sisters returned home from the lake to find their mother, Mrs. Bennet, raving about the rich and handsome Mr. Charles Bingley, who just rented the nearby mansion in Netherfield. Caught up in her words, Mrs. Bennet failed to see her daughters looking disheveled.
However, their father, Mr. Bennet, did notice them. Concerned, he asked, “What happened? Are you all alright?”
Mrs. Bennet then flinched and turned around. She palmed her face in horror and asked, “Oh my word. Have you all been rolling in the hay again? Well, what happened to you lot?”
Elizabeth, always the most sensible sister, spoke up and said in a quiet tone, “We had a slight mishap, Mother.”
Jane then coined in part of the story, “Yes we did, Mother, but nothing to worry about.”
But then Lydia dramatically interjected, eager to speak of the handsome stranger who saved Elizabeth’s life, “If it wasn’t for the kindness of a stranger, Mother, I doubt Elizabeth would be here right now. She could have drowned.”
Elizabeth couldn’t believe Lydia failed to mention the reason why she would have drowned, had it not been for the kind man’s help.
Mrs. Bennet clutched her jewelry in feigned horror. Then she asked, “Oh, Really? Elizabeth dear, you must be careful next time. Now, what is this gentleman’s name? Is he single?” She then turned to Mr. Bennet and continued, “Perhaps if he is unmarried, he would find one of our daughters suitable to be the lady of his manor, right? We should hold a ball here at Longbourn?”
Mr. Bennet frowned, for he knew another a ball would send him further into crushing debt. But he also knew if it would make his wife happy, which meant keeping her out of his hair, then so be it. Plus, if one of his daughters were to get married, his estate would be saved from the clutches of their cousin Mr. William Collins.
Mrs. Bennet returned her attention back to her daughters. “Did you get his name?” she asked with a glint in her eyes.
“Yes, Mother,” Jane replied. “He said his name is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, but that’s all we know. He was charming. He tended to Elizabeth’s wounds and made sure we were okay before he left.”
“Sounds like a wonderful man; we are truly in his debt. We must go and thank him. Did he mention his address?” Mrs. Bennet inquired.
“Unfortunately, no, Mama, we didn’t get a chance to ask him, but he’s in town visiting Netherfield,” Jane said.
“Oh, my dear, did you hear that? Netherfield, he could possibly be a friend of Mr. Bingleys,” Mrs. Bennet remarked.
“Or not, “ Mr. Bennet said. He turned to quiet Elizabeth and asked, “So, Lizzy, what did you think of him?”
“Why, Father,” Lizzy began. “He is certainly one of the kindest men in the area, but he seemed distant and disinterested.”
“Well,” Mr. Bennet countered. “There’s only one way to find out. We will send an invitation to our neighbors, including the visitors, to a ball here at Longbourn, and perhaps he will honor the invitation.”
Overjoyed with the idea of having a ball, the sisters laughed. The other younger sisters, Mary and Catherine, turned to Elizabeth and insisted she put up a performance at the ball. Mary prompted Lizzy, “You must play Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. You’re very good at it and who knows? The kind stranger might just take a liking to you.”
Jane and the other sisters agreed; all except Lydia, who murmured under her breath, “Why is it always about Lizzy?”
Mr. Bennet noticed Lydia’s demeanor and pried, “Is something wrong, Lydia?”
Lydia shook her head, “Oh no, Father. I am just a little tired, that is all. Perhaps I should rest.”
Mr. Bennet nodded and said, “Hmm, well, perhaps you should. So, it’s settled. I will head over to Netherfield in the morning.”
Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands in delight and said, “That, my dear, would be wonderful!” Her face beamed with excitement as she continued, “That is certainly what we need. I can see it now: Mr. Bingley will take an interest in one of our daughters. A man would have to be blind not to like one of my gorgeous girls.”
Mr. Bennet only nodded his head. Elizabeth walked over to her him and asked, “Papa, should I go with you?”
Mrs. Bennet responded for him, “I don’t think you need to accompany your father. Besides, you need to stay home and help your sisters and me plan the ball.”
Mr. Bennet added, “That’s okay, Elizabeth. You need to rest. You’ve been through a lot today. I will venture out in the morning. Now, let’s eat then get some rest.”
The following morning, the Bennet daughters watched their father leave for the day. Mrs. Bennet looked pleased and voiced her elation, “This is exciting. I can’t wait for the social event. Lydia, you must go and inform your aunt at once. Tell her I request her presence. The ball will be the social event of the season!”
“Yes, Mother,” Lydia said, smiling as she turned and walked away.
Then Mrs. Bennet continued, “Who knows? Lydia, you just might be the one Mr. Bingley would fancy.” It was evident Lydia was their mother’s favorite.
Awhile after, Elizabeth and Jane retired to their shared room. “Isn’t this exciting, Elizabeth, A ball in our honor? I wonder if Mr. Bingley is incredibly dashing, hopefully he’s as handsome and brave as Mr. Darcy.”
“I just hope he likes one of us, so Mother can stop talking about proposals!" Elizabeth said, laughing at the idea of an impromptu ball despite the family debt. She found humor in her mother’s penchant to see her daughters wed.
“Well it could be worse. We could end up with Mr. Collins!” Jane exclaimed.
“I doubt it would ever come to that, Jane. Hopefully never, the last thing anyone of us would desire is to be indebted to Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
“You are right, Lizzy. I, for one, cannot wait to meet the handsome, Mr. Bingley,” Jane sighed longingly. “Do you honestly believe he’s going to like one of us?”
Elizabeth smiled, “Well, it would be his loss if he does not, because we are going to do great things in the world.”
Jane laughed, “Great things without a husband? I don’t think that’s the way it works.” She then stared out the window.
“Well, one can only hope that things work out for the best,” Elizabeth said.
“Hmm and what about you, Lizzy, surely you must have felt something for Mr. Darcy.”
Elizabeth sighed, “Whether or not I have feelings for him is not the question. The real question is: would he share the same feelings as me?”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out,” Jane said, rising to her feet and picking up a novel to read.
Later that day, Lydia returned home from delivering the message to their aunt. She walked into her chamber to find Mrs. Bennet waiting for her. At first, both women beamed with excitement at the prospect of the upcoming ball. She mentioned her aunt Juliet would be arriving shortly.
“She will be here soon. Oh, mother she is truly excited at the event,” Lydia said.
Then she inquired, “Wouldn’t a ball of such magnitude, be too expensive for Papa?”
“Expensive, for whom? Heavens no, child; we are the Bennets. We love our daughters. No expense is too much for us to find well-heeled husbands for our girls. I am all for it. We will spare no expense, darling, to see you with a fine man. Yes, one that will provide you with a five-hundred-pound clothing allowance and a stately estate.”
Lydia beamed and clutched her hands together with glee. The other sisters found the whole process tiring. Why couldn’t they simply attend someone else’s ball? Why did they have to keep up appearances all the time?
It was bad enough that they were under pressure to get married; they worried about what would happen if none of the eligible bachelors paid them any attention.
Mrs. Be
nnet’s sister, Juliet soon arrived at Longbourn. She hurried into the room and immediately embraced Mrs. Bennet. She asked, “So what is this I hear about a ball coming up?”
“It’s going to be the best party we’ve ever had in a long time,” Mrs. Bennet marveled.
“Oh, and is the reason for this ball to find a husband for the girls?” her sister asked.
“Of course, it is. And it’s a chance to meet Mr. Bingley from Netherfield. He must have a moment with my beautiful girls before he returns to London. Hopefully he will propose.”
Lydia spoke up, “Not one of them, Mother. He might just marry me.”
Mrs. Bennet and her sister burst out laughing. Mrs. Bennet reassured, “Of course, Lydia. You are the most eligible of them all; the youngest and beautiful at eighteen years old.”
Mrs. Bennet’s sister sighed and asked, “And Lizzy?”
“Oh, that might take some convincing. Evidently, Lizzy was saved from drowning by a Mr. Darcy. She didn’t speak much of it, though. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in her head.” Mrs. Bennet paused then she moved on, “Oh well! Let’s discuss the preparations!”
“Yes, yes, please! Let’s get started on that. That takes precedence over anything else right now,” Mrs. Bennet’s sister agreed.
Lydia gazed happily at her mother and aunt, anticipated with the opportunity of meeting the handsome and well-heeled Mr. Bingley.
Chapter Three
When Mr. Bennet returned home later that evening, his jubilant daughters welcomed him back. He made it known that Mr. Bingley had accepted his invitation to the upcoming ball. Mary, Lydia, and Catherine screamed in delight while Jane and Elizabeth only exchanged mere smiles.
From Pemberley With Love Page 1