MR. DARCY'S FIRST ELIZABETH

by John Edwards

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TITLE

  DEDICATION

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  MOVING ON

  CHAPTER 2

  ELIZABETH IS PLEASED

  CHAPTER 3

  MANY THINGS HAPPENING

  CHAPTER 4

  NEW REVELATIONS

  CHAPTER 5

  LATE SPRING MUSINGS

  CHAPTER 6

  A SUMMER VISIT TO HUNTING HILLS

  CHAPTER 7

  MORE SURPRISES

  CHAPTER 8

  FIXING THINGS

  CHAPTER 9

  ADJUSTMENTS

  CHAPTER 10

  A TRIP TO PEMBERLY

  CHAPTER 11

  MORE BUSINESS IN LONDON

  CHAPTER 12

  SORTING THINGS OUT

  CHAPTER 13

  MYSTERIES OF THE COMING OUT

  CHAPTER 14

  A LONG SHOT COMES IN

  CHAPTER 15

  SIX WEEKS LATER

  CHAPTER 16

  NINETEEN YEARS LATER

  CHAPTER 17

  NEW FEELINGS

  CHAPTER 18

  PARTIES AND BALLS

  CHAPTER 19

  GETTING BETTER ACQUAINTED

  CHAPTER 20

  STRANGE REVELATIONS

  CHAPTER 21

  SURPRISES

  TITLE

  MR. DARCY’S FIRST ELIZABETH

  John Edwards

  Copyright © 2011 by John Edwards

  All rights reserved.

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to my best friend, my wife, for a lifetime of love and friendship, and is also dedicated to my other close friend, hereby known as Rascal. He was my constant companion as I wrote this story. Rascal is my cat and is named after a distant relative who once lived at Thayer Manor and later, Hunting Hills in ole England.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I am gratefull for the assistance of coversareus.com for providing my cover and to Mr. Brian Hogan who was very helpful in guiding me through the process.

  CHAPTER 1

  MOVING ON

  It would seem that most people endure hard times in their life, and are tested, for along with the blessings of life also come the dues to be paid, including great grief and profound troubles and obstacles to be overcome. For those fortunate enough, they may have the chance to make a new start. Such was the case for Miss Elizabeth Watkins.

  So it was quite early in the morning as she climbed aboard the carriage that would deliver her to Brandywine Station. There she would take a coach to her uncle’s home near Wakefield. It would be a long trip and she carried with her just the clothes and personal articles needed. The new owners of Windhaven Manor had promised to send the remainder of her possessions to her once she had been settled.

  Mr. Watkins had died just days earlier and his estate was entailed to a cousin who, deciding two days after the funeral was enough time to wait, had just yesterday moved into Windhaven. Being recently married, the new owners were not interested in extending an invitation for Elizabeth to stay, so she decided to visit her nearest relative, her Uncle Emerson, as she had nobody else to turn to. Elizabeth had not seen her uncle for nearly three years and only heard scarce accounts of him, as her mother and her mother’s brother were not that close. As the carriage pulled away, Elizabeth looked back on the home she had lived in all her life, nearly nineteen years. She had fond memories of her life there with her mother and father and brother and sister, but now, except for her uncle, all her family were gone. Her mother and younger brother died three years earlier and within four months her younger sister also passed. Since then, she kept her father’s house and tried to comfort him, but his loss was so great that he died from a broken heart as sure as the influenza that killed his wife and children.

  The coach that would convey her to Hampshire was to depart at seven, and though the hour was early, Elizabeth was glad to be leaving, and was determined to think of her future and not dwell on the past and what might have been. There would be several rest stops for the passengers and horses as the distance was over seventy miles. Elizabeth was apprehensive about her journey and only hoped her uncle would welcome her into his home. As she walked about the waiting station and looked upon the people there, she wondered whom would ride with her. Several coaches had come and gone and her coach had just been called. As she made her way to enter the coach she noticed that she alone would be riding on this leg of her journey. Elizabeth was just getting settled in when she heard loud shouting from inside as two men were arguing loudly. “By my word, you will not get away with this Winstead. You have cheated me and you know it.” The other man then took the name of the driver of the coach, after obtaining his vow that he had heard the man disparaging his character. This man, Winstead, then entered the coach and the trip was begun.

  For a long while Elizabeth was silent and only briefly caught a glimpse of the man who would be her companion for the day. He was silent but kept moving about on his seat as he tried to recover from the previous altercation, but mostly he was trying to get comfortable. Finally he removed his coat and used it as a seat cushion. He nervously rubbed his hands together as if contemplating something and she noticed he appeared deep in thought. Soon she saw him take in a deep breath and let it out such that he now appeared more relaxed.

  Not long after, she noticed he had treated her as an object of interest and had been studying her, so she became uncomfortable. Though she spent her time looking over the scenery and her eyes went from side to side to take in the sights, during one of these looks her eyes and the gentleman’s eyes met directly, and the two started to speak at the same time. “Pray continue Miss,” was the gentleman’s reply.

  Elizabeth said, “I started to say, sir, that this is such beautiful country that we are passing through.”

  “Indeed it is, this is most uncommonly beautiful country. It looks as though we will be sharing this coach for some hours so I wanted to introduce myself. I am John Winstead.”

  Elizabeth looked directly at this man as she replied, “Sir, I am Elizabeth Watkins. I am wondering sir, based on the difficulty you and the other gentleman were having a few minutes ago, if I am safe to ride with you?”

  “Yes, you are entirely within your right to ask that question. I apologize you had to hear that outburst. The man was out of line in the way he assailed me. Let me assure you Miss Watkins, that you are as safe with me as with any other man.”

  “Then I am comforted to know that sir, but I should like to know I am more safe with you than most ordinary men, for many supposed ordinary men cannot be trusted, shouldn’t you agree Mr. Winstead?” Now Elizabeth felt she had the upper hand and she watched to see the man’s reaction, fully studying how he would reply.

  “Well said Miss Watkins!” She then saw a sly sought of grin as he spoke. “You are safe with me but I assume you will not long agree that I am an amicable fellow traveler. Many people say that I have a very disagreeable disposition. You saw that scene back at the station. I am scorned by all that meet me.”

  “You are not yet scorned by me sir, nor do I see any likelihood that I would scorn you, unless you gave me a good reason. I cannot believe you would make such a foolish statement, perhaps you want me to feel sorry for you.” Elizabeth shifted back in her seat and again looked fully into the man’s eyes but she then noticed another sly grin escape out the corner of his mouth.

  “I have noticed your grin, sir. What is that about?”

  “Miss Watkins, I was thinking that maybe you might feel sorry for me and come and sit beside me and ask me about my troubles?” Then he sat back and watched for her reaction but he first saw her blush before sh
e softly laughed at those words and then he laughed with her.

  Her eyes had earlier discerned he was well dressed and appeared to be a man of a higher class, and she concluded that he was quite handsome. His age she assumed to be about six and twenty and he was fully a tall man of near six feet. By his large hands and wide shoulders he looked to be very strong and his voice was strong and assertive but also gentle and warm and he was polite. Elizabeth was convinced he was most definitely well educated. Despite these positives about him, she assumed correctly that Mr. Winstead had his demons. What were they to affect him so? Elizabeth tried to look away from the gentleman but yearned to hear more from him. Because she believed him to be a man of means, she flattered herself that he talked so freely with her, for surely he was a gentleman much to be admired by many ladies of his own class. Elizabeth did not possess a passive personality, though she had little experience around men, and indeed for the last three years had seen and spoken with few people other than her father. Her meeting this man and talking freely with him was uplifting to her spirits and she now began to look favorably on this new chapter in her life.

  The conversations went easily for another two hours when the coach pulled into a transfer station. Mr. Winstead exited the coach and assisted Elizabeth and then they took a few minutes to freshen a bit and take some nourishment. He watched as Elizabeth moved about the station and it was hard to turn his eyes from her. She appeared to be near five feet and three inches and she was light of foot and he delighted in watching her walk as her figure was very appealing, though she was dressed in the common way. Soon a man came over to greet Mr. Winstead. To Elizabeth, it seemed the man was asking for advice on something, but then she noticed Mr. Winstead take the man aside and admonish him, though she did not hear the full exchange.

  On entering the coach she noticed her companion was discomposed and silent. Many minutes passed before he spoke to her. “Miss Watkins, I hope you are well rested, for the trip is a long one. Are you going as far as Hampshire?”

  “Why yes sir, I am. Is Hampshire your final destination too?”

  “Not the final destination, but I will have a few miles to go after that.”

  “Are you returning home Miss Watkins or is this a vacation outing for you?”

  “It is neither sir. I will be visiting my uncle who lives near Hampshire.”

  “Then I hope your visit will be a good one, for the scenery is some of the best in the country.”

  “I am most happy to hear that sir.”

  Elizabeth noticed the gentleman took out a book and started to read at the same time she did the same thing. They each noticed the other and started to laugh? “You first, Miss Watkins, what are you reading?”

  “I shall refer that question to you sir.” Elizabeth hoped to catch the man off guard but he only laughed when she told him these things.

  “You seem to have a quick mind Miss Watkins. Normally one does not meet a young person with such a determined mind. You seem so assured of yourself. I think that is fine for so young a person.”

  “Sir, It seems you are making an effort to determine my age?”

  Then Mr. Winstead, looking quite serious at Elizabeth, said, “I am sure you are not yet one and twenty-eight.” He delighted in turning his face away from her but he was well aware that he had caused her discomfort. When he finally turned to face her she was glaring at him, and said, “Sir, you think one and twenty-eight is young? Why I am much younger than that, but I expect that an older gentleman as yourself, a man certainly on the backside of thirty, would consider a twenty-eight year old as young in comparison.” She now felt she had the upper hand as the bantering back and forth took a break. Now he felt checkmated and soon looked at Elizabeth and her at him and they both laughed together. Though he looked at her, he could not pull away from her lively eyes which he thought of as captivating and in them in saw a trace of mischief. He had almost hoped she would come and sit beside him as he had joked about earlier, then he thought. This young woman is most engaging. I am enjoying her company very much, and she is not married. Does she have a particular gentleman friend? How long will she be visiting with her uncle?

  After a while they each tired of reading and Elizabeth noticed as the gentleman started to drift off to sleep. She watched as he entered that state but before she could contemplate anything she was yawning and then she too fell asleep. Her sleep included a vivid dream of being pushed out from her home by the new owners and forced to walk away with her bags in hand, virtually penniless. The anxiety of her current situation weighed heavily on her dream and the near reality of her near hopeless situation soon swept over her as she awakened screaming. This startled Mr. Winstead who softly touched her and asked her if she was well.

  “Excuse me sir, for I had a nightmare, but it is not anything. I am sorry if I alarmed you.”

  “I am just interested if you are well. And Miss Watkins, you had a daymare, but that aside, sometimes these dreams affect people differently. I just hope your dream did not have something to do with me calling out attention to my disagreeable disposition.”

  “No sir, it was just a silly dream that passes as fast as it arises. I do not even remember it, and thank you for correcting me.”

  Elizabeth was being untruthful with those words about her dream. She was alone in the world and if her uncle would not invite her into his home, she would have nowhere to go.

  The two persons continued on their journey for several more hours, allowing for changing the horses and rest breaks. She was impressed that the man was a gentleman around her and she thought him very articulate and well rounded. He talked of much with her, but was not prying, and he seemed to warm to her opinions, though they often differed with his own. It was a very pleasant ride and she was unhappy to see the coach pull into Hampshire station. Time had passed quickly and very pleasantly for her, but now she felt the uncertainty of what would become of her and this took its toll.

  “Miss Watkins, we have arrived. Thank you for being such a delightful passenger. I throughly enjoyed your company and I hope you arrive soon at your uncle’s.”

  “I too enjoyed sharing the ride with you Mr. Winstead. Thank you, sir.”

  He then assisted Elizabeth out of the coach and retrieved her bag and helped her into the station where he again thanked her and walked outside. Elizabeth noticed a carriage soon arrived and Mr. Winstead went away but as she followed the carriage she saw him turn around and look back. It did not occur to him until after he departed, he did not know any particulars about this Elizabeth and he said to himself. What a fool I am! Who is her uncle? Where does he live? Now he was mad at himself, for he thought on this very pretty young woman who had such an easy, unaffected manner and who appeared to be quite spirited. Though not of his class, he did not consider her beneath him, in spite of her appearance, for she was not dressed fashionable. Still, she had acknowledged herself to be a gentleman’s daughter, and he pronounced her to be a sweet girl. He continued to think of her friendly and lively spirit, yet he was also impressed by her composure and self-assured nature. The long ride was very pleasurable and he wished he could have such good fortune in the future with riding partners as agreeable as her.

  Elizabeth thought herself fortunate to share her ride with this gentleman. She believed him an interesting study and figured him as a man who probably had many lady friends. Though he was quite handsome, he was kind to her and she was comfortable with him, and though she was not of his class, he treated her as every bit his equal. He would not let her pay for her meals or other purchases she made during the trip, saying to her that his ticket was too low a fare because there should have been a surcharge to ride with her as his passenger. She had little experience with men so she wondered how he would match up against others she might meet. Now that she was starting her new life, she thought for the first time that she might have an opportunity to meet other gentlemen. If they were all like Mr. Winstead, I should be very pleased.

  Within moments Elizabet
h inquired about transportation to her uncle’s home which was near Wakefield, a distance of but five miles from her present location. Elizabeth then secured a ride to her uncle’s home and with little money remaining, she left to walk the remaining hundred yards to the grand house because the road that went directly to the house was too poorly maintained to accept a carriage.

  Elizabeth looked at the man as he drove away, and at the house on the hill that she had last visited nearly ten years ago. Now she fretted about the scene that would play out.

  A knock at the front door yielded no response and soon another series of louder knocks yielded a reply. The door opened and a middle-aged man asked her what she wanted.

  “Excuse me, sir, Is my uncle at home?”

  “Your uncle? Do you have the correct address Miss?”

  “Why yes, I am sure I do. Does Mr. Emerson not live here sir?”

  “No, I have bought it and have lived here for nearly four months with my wife and children. I am sorry to tell you but the former owner, your uncle, died before that. He died from a severe influenza and is laid in Wakefield Chapel, not two miles up that lane. You may inquire with the people at the church. Perhaps they can help you, but I cannot. The walk is not far so I bid you farewell.”

  Elizabeth was charged with adrenaline as she saw a very bleak future ahead for her but she hoped that she may find some compassion at the church so started to make her way up the sunken road in that direction. Soon she walked and was within eyesight of the church steeple when she heard a shout and was knocked into and felt her body grow limp and cover the ground as her personal bag was being ripped from her hand. In that instant she heard what she thought were two male voices which were fading fast as she fell, and after a short time she awoke to find her head bleeding and her possessions scattered about. Her money and other personal possessions, anything of worth, were stolen from her, and these included letters that she held very dear.