To Conquer Pride

by Jennifer Altman

  A slight flush colored Elizabeth’s cheeks. “Thank you. I will cherish it, always. And I hope someday to pass it down to our own son’s betrothed. Perhaps it will become a family tradition.”

  “My mother would have liked that.”

  Reaching out, Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand, locking her fingers with his and squeezing tight.

  Elizabeth’s fine eyes sparkled up at him. “It was good to see Georgiana looking so well. She is fully recovered, I hope?”

  “She is, thank heavens.”

  “Does she… That is, have you had an opportunity to speak to her? About Mr. Grant?”

  Darcy paused. “Yes. We spoke of it at some length on the journey to Hertfordshire.”

  “And? What are her feelings on the matter?”

  Darcy sighed, turning briefly to gaze out at the passing scenery. “She appears to favor the gentleman, though she has only Wickham to compare him to. It remains to be seen whether or not they are truly suited for one another.”

  “Well, whatever happens, I am proud of you for allowing them the opportunity to become better acquainted.” After a slight pause Elizabeth added, “William, I know you do not like to speak of Mr. Wickham, and you have my word that after today, his name shall never pass my lips, but I feel I must ask: Did you have something to do with his disappearance? I have already worked out that you covered his debts.”

  Darcy frowned. “You are correct. I do not wish to speak of him, especially on our wedding day. However, I will not keep secrets from you. Yes, I covered his debts. And yes, I was responsible for his… disappearance.”

  Elizabeth paled. “You did not…?”

  Darcy pulled back, studying her face. “No! Of course not. Did you think you had married a murderer?”

  Elizabeth flushed and Darcy continued, “No, I paid for his passage to the Americas and gave him money besides. It was a small price to pay to have him out of my life and away from the people I love. I also made it clear that if he ever returns, I will not hesitate to have him thrown in debtor’s prison, though I do not believe we have to worry about that now. He seems quite happy with his new life.”

  “I am glad he is gone, for all our sakes,” Elizabeth replied, and Darcy smiled as she snuggled against his shoulder.

  Gazing down at his wife’s treasured countenance, Darcy felt an overwhelming surge of love. No matter what fate threw at them now, with Elizabeth by his side, he knew there was nothing they could not conquer.

  Pulling Elizabeth close, he murmured softly, “I meant what I said earlier, about my sister. I will allow her to follow her heart. Given my own experience, I could hardly do otherwise. If Grant brings her joy, I will not stand in his way. I only wish…”

  Elizabeth sat up. “You wish…?”

  Darcy sighed. “I know Grant is not Wickham, but I wish I could be assured that his interest in her is not mercenary. The fact remains, we know little of him, and Georgiana is in possession of a substantial dowry.”

  Elizabeth grinned back at him. “I do not think you need worry on that score.”

  Darcy’s eyes widened. “Elizabeth, what do you know?”

  She laughed wholeheartedly then, before finally saying, “Only that should Mr. Grant and Georgiana marry, our sister will not be destitute. It seems the good doctor has recently inherited some property in Yorkshire. The acquisition of that estate is the reason he returned to England this past spring. He wished to be nearby so he could more easily oversee its management.”

  “What? In Yorkshire? Where?”

  “I believe he said it was near Sheffield.”

  Darcy’s brow lifted in surprise. “Not Hyland Hall?”

  “Yes! I think that was the name. Do you know it?”

  Darcy’s thoughts spun and he slowly nodded. “I do. My parents and I attended a house party there when I was a boy. Though not as large as Pemberley, it is a substantial estate on a vast piece of property. I remember it being very beautiful.”

  How had Elizabeth learned all of this? As far as Darcy could remember, Grant had not divulged one morsel of personal information the entire time he was at Pemberley. Suddenly, an image of Elizabeth and Grant seated beside one another in Georgiana’s chambers, their heads bowed in quiet conversation flashed to mind and Darcy flinched. God, he had been such a fool!

  “But why did you not tell me all of this earlier?” he asked. “For that matter, why didn’t Grant? Surely he must have known that information would go a long way towards securing my approbation?”

  Elizabeth lifted her shoulders. “I cannot speak for Mr. Grant. I did not tell you because I did not want this to be the thing that swayed your opinion. If you were to accept the gentleman, I hoped it would be on his own merits. But if I had to venture a guess, I would say that the physician’s reasons were likely the same.”

  Darcy pulled Elizabeth close, caressing her hair. “Did I ever tell you how much I love you?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Once or twice.” Sinking back against the cushions, she continued, “Now that that is settled, might I be allowed to know where we are going?”

  Darcy smiled down into her sparkling hazel eyes. “You may. Right now, we are traveling to London. We will spend the night at Darcy House and then, in a week’s time, we will journey to the Lakes. It has not escaped my attention that you have been longing to tour that area for quite some time.”

  The broad smile Elizabeth offered him in response to this news filled Darcy with pleasure.

  “So, we shall spend a week in Town?” Elizabeth asked, and Darcy turned away before answering.

  “No. Tomorrow morning we will leave… for Kent.”

  “Kent! You cannot wish to go to Rosings? Not after the letter your aunt sent when we announced our engagement?”

  Darcy’s expression darkened. “No. I made it abundantly clear that I would not be visiting Rosings, nor would I offer any help with that estate, until we received a full apology. I also made certain my aunt knew she was no longer welcome at Pemberley, or anywhere else you and I reside.”

  Elizabeth angled her head, her eyes troubled. “I hate it that I am to be the cause of unrest amongst your relations.”

  “Pray, do not let it upset you. Lady Catherine would have been unhappy with my choice of wife no matter who I offered for, so long as it was not Anne. My aunt will come around.”

  “Do you think so?”

  Darcy smiled. “I am certain of it. If only because she cannot manage Rosings on her own, nor will she expend the money to have someone else do it.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Very well, if we are not to go to Rosings, then where? It is unexpected to learn you have a fondness for Kent.”

  “Indeed, I do not have a fondness for that part of the country as a whole, but there is one particular cottage I find I am exceedingly partial to.”

  “Surely not! You would not wish to go to the place that was the cause of so much suffering!”

  Seeing the look on his wife’s face, Darcy’s stomach sank. “Forgive me, Elizabeth. It never occurred to me… Of course, if you do not wish to go there, we will not. But I thought… sometimes the best way to rid oneself of painful memories is to replace them with good ones. Despite what occurred that day, I find the cottage holds a special place in my heart. It is where I fell in love with you all over again, and where I first began to conquer my pride, and to hope that one day I might become a man worthy of your affection.”

  “But how did you find out who it belonged to? And how did you get the owners to agree to let us use it?”

  Darcy flushed. “I had my solicitor track down the proprietors long ago, shortly after the accident. I wanted to compensate them for any damage we caused—breaking the window to gain entry—and for the food we consumed. Once you agreed to marry me, I contacted them again, to see if they would be willing to sell it to me.”

  “You purchased it? But why, when we only had need of it for a short time?”

  Darcy shrugged. “I wished to own it. It is part of our story now. I did
not like to imagine anyone else living there.”

  Elizabeth blinked up at him. “Isn’t it a bit… rustic?” she finally asked. “Certainly, it is too small to have any servants accompany us.”

  “You are correct. It is.”

  “So… we will be alone there?”

  “We will.”

  A smile touched Elizabeth’s expression. “And I suppose I will cook for you?”

  Darcy grinned back. “No. I have had my staff see to it that the kitchen is well stocked with prepared foods. I have also arranged for a couple to come once a day to cook and to do the necessary chores. I would not have you wait on me. Though I was hoping perhaps we might do some of those things together.”

  Elizabeth’s smile grew. “Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, cooking meals, scrubbing pots, laying fires?”

  Again, Darcy colored. “Well, perhaps not scrubbing pots. But I have found I rather enjoy doing many of those things, especially if you will be there to do them with me.”

  Elizabeth pressed herself close, circling her arms around his neck. “I will always be there.”

  “So, you do not mind? Returning to the cottage? Tell me the truth. I do not wish to do anything that will make you unhappy.”

  Elizabeth looked up at him, her eyes shining in the fading light. “I am not unhappy. And I think you are correct. When I left the cottage that day, I was already beginning to suspect that I loved you, but I had no hope you could ever return my feelings. It felt like an ending. But now, it is as though everything has just begun.”

  “So, it has,” Darcy whispered.

  And then he kissed her.

  The End

  Thank You

  Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this alternate path to Darcy and Elizabeth’s happily ever after. If you feel so inclined, please consider leaving a review on the site where you purchased this book. Reviews help readers find stories they’ll love, and assist authors with marketing and distributing their books. If you’d like to connect in person, I can be found on Twitter and Facebook at @JAltmanAuthor, or email at Jennifer.Altman.Author@gmail.com.

  Until next time,

  Jennifer

  Acknowledgements

  Anyone who has ever attempted to pen a novel knows that writing is not a solitary endeavor. The book you are holding in your hands would not exist without the support, generosity, and input from the following people:

  First and foremost, my eternal gratitude goes to Joana Starnes, my JAFF fairy godmother, who proved to me in countless ways that not all superheroes wear capes—some of them wear bonnets. Only the most fortunate writers have someone in their corner to read revisions, offer advice, answer endless questions, and then declare: “That was fun!” Joana, from day one, you have been my biggest cheerleader. You believed in this book, and in me, long before I believed in myself. If there is a kinder, more selfless person on this planet, I haven’t come across them. I am forever in your debt, and I feel luckier than you will ever know to call you my friend.

  To the other half of team TCP, Jami Dragan: Thank you for being with me every step of the way, for your unwavering encouragement, optimism, and good humor. I’m not sure if I could have made it through this process without you—but I do know that it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.

  An enormous thank you to my copy-editor Jenny Ferguson for taking this project on in the midst of a cross-country move, teaching me how to make an em dash, and saving me from horse Twitter. Thank you for giving this book its final polish. Any errors that remain within the text are undoubtedly my own.

  To Susan Adriani at CloudCat design for creating my beautiful cover and for your never-ending patience. You truly were a joy to work with.

  Thank you to the following readers who caught mistakes, offered suggestions, and generally made this a better book: Krista Merle Anderson, Anji Dale, Diana Doncaster, Kelly Garcia, Claudine Pepe, Sarah Pesce, and Regina Silvia. Whether you read the complete novel or just a chapter, this book would not have been the same without you. You have my gratitude.

  To my ARC crew: Thank you for taking a chance on a new author. Your positivity and enthusiasm have meant so much.

  A very special thank you to my friends and family for sticking with me on this long and winding path to publication. Thank you for encouraging me, for believing in me, and for not asking (too many times): “Are you still working on that book?”

  A gigantic shout-out to my Pitch Wars posse—I can’t imagine being on this writing journey without all of you by my side. To steal a cheesy line from Titanic: “Getting into Pitch Wars was the best thing that ever happened to me… it brought me to you.”

  My thanks also to all of the other Austenesque authors out there writing such creative, captivating novels. I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you. Thank you for the years of entertainment and for teaching me, without realizing it, what a good variation looks like.

  And finally, to you, the reader, for allowing me to tell you a story.

  About the Author

  Jennifer Altman is a novelist, an anglophile, and a lover of all things Regency. After a long career in the television industry, Jennifer shifted to book publishing in 2016. She currently works in the corporate division of a large publishing company. Jennifer makes her home in New York City where she lives in a small apartment with a considerable collection of books. When she’s not writing, Jennifer can be found reading, watching British period dramas, and not cleaning her house. To Conquer Pride is her debut novel. You can connect with Jennifer on Twitter and Facebook at @JAltmanAuthor, or email her at Jennifer.Altman.Author@gmail.com.