The Harvest Ball
Page 1
New Beginnings Book 2: The Harvest Ball
A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Lily Bernard
Contents
Dedication
Synopsis: New Beginnings Book One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
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
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Also by Lily Bernard:
Text Copyright 2019
By Lily Bernard
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including informational storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and respectfully. Several phrases in this novel are paraphrased from the writings of Jane Austen.
Created with Vellum
Dedication
For Cele Axelrod: the woman who taught me to love books and demonstrated to me, and so many others, the many gifts of reading. I love her without measure and I am forever in her debt.
Synopsis: New Beginnings Book One
New Beginnings - Book Two: The Harvest Ball, is a stand-alone novel; however, the author is happy to include a synopsis of Book One. Enjoy! LB
SYNOPSIS
NEW BEGINNINGS BOOK ONE:
WICKHAM’S REVENGE
This story is a captivating variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In the winter of 1811, George Wickham traveled to Pemberley to ask Fitzwilliam Darcy for money. He needed to flee from England and escape his mounds of unpaid gambling debts. Upon arriving at his childhood home, he learned that Darcy was not in Derbyshire and while he awaited his return, Wickham seduced Nora Kelly, one of Pemberley’s young maids. As he got to know Nora better, he fell in love with her and they were secretly betrothed. Darcy did not return to Derbyshire and Wickham left for London, hoping to earn enough money to marry Nora. Shortly after his departure, Nora realized she was carrying Wickham’s child.
Nora had no way to tell Wickham about the baby and when her condition became obvious, she was sent to the Darcy estate in Scotland to await the birth. A terrible carriage accident on the road north claimed Nora’s life and that of her unborn child. After he had won enough money at London’s seediest gambling halls, Wickham returned to Pemberley to marry Nora and learned that she and their baby were dead. Wickham blamed Darcy for their deaths and swore revenge on him and everyone he loved. Darcy was unaware of any of the events that had transpired at Pemberley in his absence. He was in Hertfordshire helping Charles Bingley learn about managing Netherfield Park.
After the Meryton Assembly, Darcy and Elizabeth met while walking near Oakham Mount. They enjoyed their first conversation together and met again and again to talk. No one else was aware that over the course of several months of getting to know each other, they fell in love; Darcy proposed, and Elizabeth happily accepted. Before reaching Longbourn to ask for Mr. Bennet’s permission, Darcy received an express from Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy told Elizabeth that he had been called away by a family emergency. He did not wish to frighten her with the truth; he had to leave Hertfordshire immediately in order to rescue his sister. Georgiana Darcy was being held for ransom in Ramsgate by his childhood friend turned mortal enemy, George Wickham.
In the mayhem surrounding Georgiana’s rescue, Darcy was mercilessly stabbed in the back by Wickham. The assailant, as well as some of his men, escaped capture while everyone was busy trying to save Darcy’s life. In order to satisfy Wickham’s quest for revenge and eliminate the threat to Darcy’s loved ones, the world at large was informed that Darcy had died by Wickham’s hand.
A critically injured Darcy was brought to Scotland to begin a months’ long recovery. On the road to Ramsgate, Darcy had told Richard about his betrothal and after bringing his cousin to Scotland, he went to Longbourn and told Elizabeth the heartbreaking news. Darcy never had the opportunity to ask for her father’s permission, as such, they were not officially engaged. Elizabeth cried alone every night; all her dreams of the life she was looking forward to sharing with Darcy had been shattered.
Eventually, Elizabeth told her father everything and after months of watching his favorite daughter’s lingering melancholy, he suggested that she might benefit from a change of scenery. Although Elizabeth continued to mourn William’s death, she agreed to take her father’s advice. She moved to Derbyshire to live with Jane and Charles Bingley at their new estate, Birchwood Manor.
After escaping from Ramsgate, George Wickham resumed his degenerate habits in London. Many months after he believed he had killed Darcy, Wickham was shot by a fellow gambler to whom Wickham owed a great deal of money. Richard Fitzwilliam wrote to Darcy in Scotland to inform him of Wickham’s death. He told his cousin that when he was well enough to travel, it would be safe for him to return to England.
A year had passed since Darcy and Elizabeth had fallen in love. She still thought about Darcy every day, but she knew it was time to move forward with her life. After living with the Bingleys for several months, Elizabeth was introduced to Lord Winthrope, one of the Bingley’s neighbors. She came to enjoy spending time with ‘Brooks’ and eventually accepted his proposal. Almost a year after she learned of his demise, the “dead” Mr. Darcy walked into the Bingleys’ drawing room. Expecting to reunite with his fiancée, Elizabeth was forced to choose between her two suitors. There can be no doubt that Elizabeth and Darcy were reunited and eventually married. At the end of Book One in July 1813, the Darcys had been married for almost a year and Elizabeth had just told her husband that they were going to be parents.
Chapter 1
August 1, 1813
After being the magistrate in Lambton for more than fifteen years, Josiah Harris prided himself as being a good judge of people. He often told his friends that he could spot unsavory characters on sight. After university, he studied the law, but preferred his role in helping to maintain a peaceful way of life for the area residents of Lambton more than he had being a barrister. The owners of some of the larger estates near Lambton were wise enough to employ security men to protect themselves from the criminals who viewed their homes as targets. Other property owners, who operated their estates with minimal staff when they were not in residence, were more subject to being robbed and made his job more difficult.
The largest property near Lambton, and in all of Derbyshire, was Pemberley, the Darcy family’s home for more than two hundred years. Mr. Harris knew that Mr. Darcy was very protective of his family, his property and his staff and maintained a high level of security whether or not the family was in residence.
Late one afternoon, Mr. Harris was leaving his office when he noticed four filthy, slovenly dressed men riding through Lambton. Their clothes were dirty and torn, and their boots were caked with mud. There was something about the men that made the hair on the back of Josiah’s neck stand on end. The men were not clean shaven, and they looked as if they had not bathed in months. None of the men bothered to look his way and he thought it was odd that they did not tip their hats or acknowledge him in any way. One man, in particular, wit
h very long, dirty dark hair, inky black eyes and an untrimmed beard, stayed in his mind as he walked toward his carriage to make his way home. I hope those men are just passing through town. If they remain in Lambton, I will have to keep my eyes out for them. Looks to me like they may be up to no good, but I hope they take their trouble elsewhere. In the morning, I will speak to all the shopkeepers and stable hands and perhaps I should send a note to the local property owners. There was something not right about those men. Time will tell if my intuition is correct.
Several weeks later, Rebecca Reynolds walked along the upstairs hallway and took a moment to glance out the window. She observed the happy couple who resided at Pemberley walking toward one of the many scenic paths surrounding the estate. For a few moments, she smiled as she followed Mr. and Mrs. Darcy’s progress as they strolled arm in arm in the late August afternoon sun. What a handsome couple they make! He is so tall and muscular, and she is such a petite woman with beautiful dark curly hair which is always escaping from her bonnet! When she stands beside him, he towers over her. I am so happy Fitzwilliam made a love match. All the times Miss Bingley was a guest here, I was afraid she would try to compromise my master and force him to marry her. She never had a kind word to say to anyone and I never cared for that shrewish woman!
Things have turned out quite well for the man I have known since he was just a small boy. Soon there will be a new baby in the Pemberley nursery –time has passed so quickly! In the short time they have been married, Mrs. Darcy’s presence has transformed Pemberley into a home that is filled with love, laughter and joy. I have been the housekeeper here for more than twenty-five years and I cannot remember a time when Pemberley was a happier place to work. I must get back to my responsibilities; I will go down to the kitchen and make sure everything is being readied for dinner this evening.
“Elizabeth, please take my arm. The ground here is quite uneven.”
“With pleasure, sir. Where are we going today?” She was enjoying being shown another one of the many picturesque walking paths around Pemberley that she had not yet traversed. The beautiful landscape surrounding her home brought her endless joy. Although quite different from the lands surrounding Longbourn, her childhood home, Elizabeth came to embrace the dense forests and colder climate than she was accustomed to when she was living in Hertfordshire.
She never dreamed she would ever feel the happiness her marriage to this wonderful man brought her. All the months she thought her beloved William was dead by Wickham’s hand, she was certain she could never feel joy again. She looked up and admired the leaves on the trees along their path. Every day, they changed a little more from dark green to magnificent shades of red and yellow.
“You will find out soon enough,” he responded playfully. They walked slowly, mindful of the uneven path. “What I am about to show you was very special to me and Richard when we were boys.”
“Now, I am even more eager to get there.”
“Patience, my love, patience.” They continued walking for several more minutes until Darcy stopped. He pointed to a large tree in the distance which looked as if it had been split in half by lightning many years ago. “If you can find this old burnt out tree, you will know where Richard and I hid when we were young.” Elizabeth looked around for anything that could be used as a hiding place and unable to do so, she was becoming more and more curious about their destination.
He led his wife past the landmark tree and stopped when they stood in front of a row of very tall bushes which were growing close together. Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and led her around the dense vegetation to where they both saw a large rock formation with a wide opening. “It is a cave! What a wonderful hiding place! No one could ever find it if they had not been here before. Those shrubs protect the opening from being seen by anyone walking by.”
“Richard and I often hid here when imaginary pirates were chasing us.” Darcy laughed reminiscing about his youth, “or when we were in trouble and did not want my tutor to find us. As you can see it is not very large, so we stopped hiding here when we had both grown too big to fit inside!” They shared a smile thinking about the silly misadventures of two young boys.
“Thank you for showing me your cave. It is the perfect place to hide!” She rubbed her growing belly and asked, “will you show our little babe your secret hiding place?”
“I will be happy to, then we will know where our child is hiding!”
“I suppose that our little one will find his own places to hide from us!” They laughed and began to walk back toward the manor house.
“There is something I need to speak with you about.”
“Is anything wrong?”
“No, all is well. It is just that now we are nearing the end of the growing season, the tenants are getting ready for the harvest and I will not be able to spend so much time with you every day. I need to help Bethel oversee the harvesting and storage of the crops. You must agree that you will not walk any farther than the formal gardens near the house on your own. In fact, you have probably noticed that we have taken on two new footmen, a Mr. Sanders and a Mr. Johnson; someone should always be available to escort you. I cannot fulfill my responsibilities to Pemberley if I am worried about you walking about unescorted.” Darcy paused and took his wife’s hands and placed them over his heart. “I love you and our little babe too much to allow anything that could possibly harm you to occur. Will you promise to agree? I am serious, and I must have your cooperation.”
“I understand, and I promise you that I will not venture out without one of the footmen escorting me. Are you happy now?”
He took his wife into his arms and embraced her. “I am happier now than I ever dreamed I could be. You and the baby are the most important things in my life and I will do everything in my power to keep you both safe.”
Elizabeth reached up and placed her gloved hand on his face. “I will never do anything to risk our health and I promise you that I will not go walking without an escort. Does that please you, my husband?”
Darcy raised her hand to his lips, “yes, I am pleased. Let us return to the house; it is time you had something to eat and then you can rest.”
“I am feeling a bit hungry. I hope I do not continue to increase at this rapid rate or by the time our child is born, I will not be able to climb the stairs to our chambers.”
“If that should occur, I will happily make up one of the downstairs rooms as our bed chamber or I will carry you up the stairs whenever you wish.” Darcy and Elizabeth were smiling when they entered Pemberley; they were both happy and looking forward to the future.
Several days later, Darcy awoke in the early morning and before opening his eyes, he instinctively reached for his wife, whom he quickly realized was not in bed. He opened his eyes and when he sat up he saw that the doors to their balcony were opened; the sheer curtains that hung on either side of the doorway were stirring in the morning breeze. He slipped his banyan over his head and quietly walked to the doorway where he saw his beautiful wife standing on the balcony; her long chestnut curls were moving in the gentle breeze. She was looking out at Pemberley’s lake, which was still shrouded in early morning mist. He came up behind his wife and placed his hands on her stomach and bent to kiss her neck. Elizabeth leaned back against her husband enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. They stood in silence until Darcy suddenly said, “I just felt the baby move!”
“Yes, our little one is very active. The baby moving so much is why I have trouble sleeping. Give me your hand again if you would like to feel your child kicking his Mama.”
He gave her his hand and she placed it on the side of her baby bump. A few moments later, when he again felt his child moving, he looked at his beloved wife with tears in his eyes. “Does it hurt you when the babe moves like that?” She smiled and shook her head. “I never imagined what it must feel like for you. I love you so much,” he leaned over and kissed the spot on his wife’s belly where he had just felt his child moving, “and our little bab
e. When Mr. Laurence was last here, did he tell you when we should expect the baby to arrive?”
“Around the end of October or the beginning of November, many weeks before Christmas.”
“The baby will be the best Christmas gift either of us has ever received.”
“I hope I am recovered from the birth well before everyone arrives for the Christmas holidays.”
“Would you like your mother to be here for your confinement?” Darcy asked with trepidation. He was fond of Mrs. Bennet and that fondness was enhanced by the many miles between Pemberley and Longbourn.
“I want Jane to be with me when the time comes for the baby to be born. Perhaps I should write to Mama and tell her that the babe is expected about the time my family will arrive for Christmas.”
“I will not argue with you about that decision, but I just do not want you taking on too much by entertaining everyone so soon after the baby is born. And shortly after the new year we will leave for London for Georgiana’s first Season.”
“That is why I am so happy that Mrs. Reynolds and the rest of the staff are so efficient. The Darcy House staff will help me prepare for Georgiana’s coming out Ball. I am sure Aunt Patricia will be unable to resist helping plan her niece’s debut into London society. She has two sons and our sister is the closest thing she has to a daughter. I plan to rely on her expertise as much as she will allow.”