The Challenge of Entail

by Jann Rowland

  “Perhaps I have been brooding,” said William. “I had thought we were now referring to each other by our Christian names.”

  Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. “We did, but is it not improper? You have not yet approached my father, though I have said yes.”

  “I believe, my dearest Elizabeth, I shall attend to that as soon as may be, though I hope you understand why I prefer not to do it today. Let us have some happy memories associated with our engagement.”

  “And the fact of becoming engaged is not a happy memory?”

  “Please do not misunderstand my words,” replied William, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “This business of Wickham had marred what ought to be the happiest event of my life. The man witnessed what should have been a most private moment, and then there was everything that followed.”

  “Yes, he did,” said Elizabeth. “But I think it has been a most auspicious day for two reasons.” When Mr. Darcy looked at her askance, Elizabeth continued: “First, it has seen me engaged to the man I love, and nothing all the libertines in the world can do will ruin that for me. Second, it was not the man I love who died today, but one devoid of any good quality, a man who no one will mourn.” Elizabeth gave him a wry smile. “Besides, we shall have a story tell our children that no other can matched.”

  Mr. Darcy chuckled and grasped her hand, squeezing it with affection. “In that, you are correct, Elizabeth. In time, perhaps the memory of this day will be softened such that I may remember it as you do.”

  “Perhaps you would like to tell me more of your past,” suggested Elizabeth. “You have informed me yourself that not all of your memories of Mr. Wickham are unpleasant. If you spoke of such matters, it might help exorcise those demons.”

  With a smile, Mr. Darcy began to speak, though his manner was halting at first. As he grew more comfortable speaking, he abandoned restraint and continued ever more easily. They shared many confidences that afternoon, Elizabeth listening to whatever he had to say, while she, in turned, shared the deepest parts of her own soul, including some things she had never shared with another person. And through it, the healing began, starting them on the road to a better future. And Elizabeth found herself content. The future was bright. They only had to grasp it.

  Epilogue

  In the years to come, the events of that day at Longbourn often returned to haunt William, plaguing him not only with remembrances of what might have been had Mr. Wickham become more like his father, but also that it was through his actions that a man had lost his life. Adept as she was at recognizing these moods and interpreting them, Elizabeth, with patience, love, and understanding, would guide him back to better thoughts, remind him of their life together and the difference between the two men.

  “As much good as you do in life, my dear,” said she during these times, “there is little question who between you and Mr. Wickham contributes more to society. Mourn what might have been, but do not blame yourself for what happened. Nothing good can come from reliving such scenes of the past.”

  When presented with her support and good sense, Mr. Darcy’s response was always similar. He would catch her up in his arms, look lovingly into her eyes, and say: “There is one event in my past I can surely not repine, for I have gained the most perfect woman with whom to share my life. I would be lost without you, Mrs. Darcy.”

  Though painful memories would often intrude, the Darcy family lived a happy life. Retiring to Pemberley and staying there for most of the first year of their marriage helped put much of this past into perspective. When Georgiana attempted to remove herself from their presence, thinking the newlyweds would prefer to be alone together, Elizabeth showed her stubbornness by refusing to allow it.

  “Pemberley is your home, my dear Georgiana. My marriage to your brother does not change that. There is nowhere we wish you to be other than at Pemberley with us for as long as you wish it.”

  Georgiana Darcy’s residence at that great estate was to last a full five years after Elizabeth’s marriage to William, for though she came out two years after, she did not meet a man who excited her imagination. For, as she said herself, having seen the felicity shared by her brother and new sister, she would accept nothing less. When she made the acquaintance of a baronet, Georgiana knew she had found her partner in life and accepted his overtures.

  Elizabeth’s favorite sister found herself engaged at the same time as Elizabeth, and so close were they—and their husbands to each other—that they shared a wedding ceremony. As Longbourn was to pass to Mr. Bingley’s because of his marriage to Longbourn’s heir, the gentleman purchased Netherfield Park to combine the estates into one. Mrs. Bennet, thus, would remain in the house at Longbourn for the rest of her days, as the venerable manor became the dower house for the larger estate. The entire estate, however, was to be called Longbourn, pleasing their father, and retaining the name by which it had been known for generations. What pleased him even more was to pass the primary care of the enlarged estate to his new son-in-law, retreat to his book room, and while away his days with his beloved books. That was when he was not traveling to Derbyshire when least expected to stay with his favorite daughter and plunder Mr. Darcy’s library.

  As for the younger Bennet sisters, their fates were happy ones, though not all the same. Mary, next eldest to Elizabeth, remained unmarried for several years until firmly on the shelf. Then by chance, she met a friend of William’s, a widower, who fell in love with the quietest Bennet sister and asked for her hand. Mary, contrary to what she had told Elizabeth years earlier, had become resigned to her single status and was in a state of disbelief at capturing the gentleman’s heart.

  “I do not know what to do, Lizzy,” confided Mary one bright spring afternoon. “He is a good man and I would not hurt him, but am I not past the age of marrying?”

  “It seems Mr. Hardwick thinks you are not,” said Elizabeth, feeling rather amused at Mary’s distress.

  “Mary,” said she, catching her sister’s hands in her own, “I would counsel you to consider what is in your heart. If you are content and do not feel what you ought for a potential husband, then do not accept him—we would be happy if you were to remain with us for the rest of your life. Do not, however, refuse him because of some misguided notion of not being marriageable, for nothing could be further from the truth. Follow your heart.”

  The advice did the trick, for Mary followed her heart and was married six months after. With the gentleman, she attained joy and children of her own, and she always remained close with Jane and Elizabeth.

  By contrast, Kitty and Lydia were eager for society and happy to join the estate of marriage when their turns arrived. Kitty married a good young man of some property in Nottinghamshire, and while she remained ever after easily led, her husband was more than capable of leading her. Lydia was perhaps the largest surprise, for she made the acquaintance of a parson not long after her elder sister Kitty’s marriage and was wed herself after a whirlwind courtship. Though the parish held by Lydia’s husband was not one attached to the estate owned by Kitty’s husband, the sisters were situated within five miles of each other, leading to their close associations for the rest of their lives.

  From Mr. Collins, the family never heard another word, though that did not mean there was no news of the man. As expected, Elizabeth’s marriage to Mr. Darcy offended Lady Catherine, but Anne de Bourgh became a surprising source of correspondence. The loss of his supporter and his final eviction from Longbourn served to resign him to his fate, and he never bedeviled the family again. Miss de Bourgh, who never married herself, reported that Mr. Collins found a woman of the area to marry and continued as the parson of Hunsford for the rest of his life. While no one could say, as he did not renew his contact with the family, it must be assumed Mr. Collins was at least content.

  With Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, both Elizabeth and Jane remained friendly for the rest of their lives, though they were not, perhaps close confidantes. Mrs. Hurst was with child those mo
nths in Hertfordshire and gave birth to an heir the next spring, much to the joy of her husband. It also calmed his cantankerous father’s resentment. Mr. Hurst was, invariably, as Elizabeth often commented, uninteresting and more than a little boorish, even if he provided adequately for his family. That her husband shared the same opinion meant they were not often in one another’s company, though they would often see them at Longbourn, and occasionally they would extend an invitation to join the Bingleys in their annual visits to Pemberley.

  The former Miss Caroline Bingley’s eventual fate was a surprise to both Elizabeth and her husband, though it was William who was the more astonished. A year after their wedding, Colonel Fitzwilliam announced he had made Miss Bingley an offer and was accepted. Though William questioned his cousin’s sanity, it seemed the couple was well-matched, both eager for society and ill-inclined to a retiring life in the country. Their primary home was in London, though they often visited Pemberley or his parents’ estate, and with her dowry and his half pay after retiring from the army, along with some investments his father had made on his behalf, they did well together. This put Elizabeth in the former Miss Bingley’s company more than she might have wished, though she bore it with grace and forbearance. Though Elizabeth could not say she was ever more than polite with Miss Bingley, the woman’s husband was a good man she esteemed. And once the Fitzwilliams’ two children arrived, the former Miss Bingley’s demeanor further softened until she became almost agreeable.

  As for Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s closest friend married Mr. Pearce and remained ever after near Longbourn. Elizabeth had occasion to see her dearest friend whenever she returned, and her husband was a good man, though not one Elizabeth found interesting. But her friend attained her happiness, and that was enough for Elizabeth.

  As for the Darcys, Pemberley was their chief residence, though obligation drew then to London every year. In their marriage, there was often disagreement, though their mutual love was enough to overcome the occasional harsh word which must inevitably be exchanged between two such confident and independent people. Elizabeth found herself pleased with her situation, grateful her husband had possessed the discernment to see in Elizabeth a woman who would suit him so well, and for William’s part, he appreciated the light his wife brought to his life. And though their beginnings had been mired in trying and uncertain times, the rest of their lives were spent happily.

  The End

  Thank you for reading The Challenge of Entail.

  Please share your thoughts and reactions

  Or join the

  One Good Sonnet Publishing Mailing List.

  For Readers Who Liked The Challenge of Entail

  A Gift for Elizabeth

  Sundered from her parents and sisters, a depressed Elizabeth Bennet lives with the Gardiners in London. When times seem most desperate, she makes a new acquaintance in Mr. Darcy, and the encounter changes her perspective entirely. With the spirit of Christmas burning within her, Elizabeth begins to recover from the hardships which have beset her life. Join Elizabeth in her journey to receive a special gift which will change everything.

  A Tale of Two Courtships

  Two sisters, both in danger of losing their hearts. One experiences a courtship which ends quickly in an engagement, the other must struggle against the machinations of others. And one who will do anything to ensure her beloved sister achieves her heart’s desire.

  Mr. Bennet Takes Charge

  When Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to the lakes is canceled, Mr. Bingley, along with his elusive friend Mr. Darcy, return to Netherfield, turning a quiet summer is topsy-turvy. Then Elizabeth learns her sister, Lydia, means to elope with a rake, and the very respectability of her family is at stake. Elizabeth takes heart, however, when her father rises to the occasion, in a way she would never have predicted. With Mr. Darcy’s assistance, there may still be time to prevent calamity, and even find love, against all odds.

  Murder at Netherfield

  After the ball at Netherfield, a fault in their carriage results in the Bennet family being forced to stay at the Bingley estate, and when a blizzard blows in overnight, the Bennets find themselves stranded there. When a body is found, leading to a string of murders which threaten the lives of those present, Elizabeth and Darcy form an alliance to discover the identity of the murderer and save those they care about most. But the depraved actions of a killer, striking from the shadows, threatens their newly found admiration for each other.

  The Impulse of the Moment

  Mr. Darcy finds a young woman in Elizabeth Bennet who has matured from the girl he knew four years earlier. Elizabeth finds herself compelled by Mr. Darcy and attraction grows, a connection begins to be forged. But elements of Mr. Darcy’s family, those who possess the power to exert great influence over his future, do not take kindly to his potential choice of a wife.

  Whispers of the Heart

  A different Bingley party arrives in Hertfordshire leading to a new suitor emerging for the worthiest of the Bennet sisters. As her sister has obtained her happiness, Elizabeth Bennet finds herself thrown into society far above any she might have otherwise expected, which leads her to a new understanding of the enigmatic Mr. Darcy.

  For more details, visit

  http://www.onegoodsonnet.com/genres/pride-and-prejudice-variations

  About the Author

  Jann Rowland is a Canadian, born and bred. Other than a two-year span in which he lived in Japan, he has been a resident of the Great White North his entire life, though he professes to still hate the winters.

  Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.

  When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.

  Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.

  Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/

  Facebook: https://facebook.com/OneGoodSonnetPublishing/

  Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet

  Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9