Darcy and the Wrong Miss Bennet

by Jane Grix

  Elizabeth said, “You are mistaken. I am not Lydia. She sent me to tell you that she is still packing, but she will be on her way soon.”

  He smiled down at her. “Liar. You would never tell your sister. What sort of game are you playing, sweetheart?”

  She took a step backward, alarmed by the look in his eye. “No, I promise you, I am Elizabeth.”

  He looked at her closely. “I think you are having second thoughts and are thinking you want to be Mrs. Darcy after all.”

  He reached out to touch her cheek in a caress, but Elizabeth pulled away. “No,” Elizabeth insisted. “She wants to marry you.”

  “Then why isn’t she here?” Wickham said.

  Elizabeth hesitated, not wanting to tell him the truth.

  “That decides it,” Wickham said suddenly. Without warning, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

  Elizabeth gasped. “Unhand me! What are you doing?”

  Wickham laughed. “It doesn’t matter if you are Lydia or Elizabeth. I will find out soon enough. But I didn’t come all this way for nothing. One of you is going with me to Gretna.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Mrs. Reynolds interrupted Darcy as he was getting shaved. He tightened the sash of his silk dressing robe. “Yes, what is it?”

  “Sir, one of the maids has informed me that Miss Elizabeth is missing.”

  Darcy’s stomach sank with fear. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Her bed was not slept in.”

  “Perhaps she is in another room with her mother or her sister.”

  “She is not,” Mrs. Reynolds said firmly.

  Darcy knew he must approach the problem logically if he was to help Elizabeth. “Very well. Summon her family to the breakfast parlour and we will conduct a search if necessary.” He prayed to God that wherever she was that she was safe and unharmed.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Darcy dressed hastily and within a few minutes, everyone except Elizabeth was in the parlour. Lydia’s hair was a mess and she looked as if she had slept in her clothes. Her eyes were red rimmed. Mrs. Bennet wrung her hands. “I don’t what could have happened. My dearest Lizzy! I am beside myself. I have such flutterings in my heart and pains in my chest. You must help us find her, Mr. Darcy.”

  “I will do everything in my power,” Darcy promised. “But we need to know where she was last seen. Last night, she went upstairs to bed, but apparently she did not sleep in her room.”

  Lydia folded her arms in front of herself angrily. She said, “I know where she is, and I hate her!”

  Darcy fought down his rising annoyance. He did not have patience for her melodrama. “What are you saying?”

  “She is with Mr. Wickham.”

  Georgiana looked as if she might faint.

  “How? What are you saying?”

  Lydia lifted her chin defiantly in a gesture that reminded him of Elizabeth. “I was supposed to meet him at midnight in the rose garden. We were going to elope, but then Elizabeth took my place.”

  Mrs. Bennet wailed, “Not an elopement! You must be mistaken, Lydia. Lizzy is not the kind of girl to do such a scandalous thing.”

  “I agree,” Mr. Darcy said. “I think it more likely that she was abducted.” Already he was planning her rescue. He ordered that a carriage be made ready as well as several men on horses. Wickham was a few hours ahead of them, but he would hunt him down. “Fetch my pistols,” he told a footman.

  “Oh, William, be careful,” Georgiana cried.

  Mrs. Bennet said, “Oh yes, Mr. Darcy, please be careful. I don’t want you to kill each other!”

  Lydia said, “I think Wickham was deceived and she took my place.”

  Darcy’s eyes narrowed. “I doubt it. You are the one skilled in deception, not Elizabeth.”

  Lydia said, “Lizzy has always liked him, and she was jealous of me.”

  Darcy pushed that possibility aside. He said, “Be that as it may, prepare yourself because we will leave within a half hour.”

  “Prepare myself?” Lydia said. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “This entire situation is of your creation, and you will be part of the solution.”

  Mrs. Bennet said, “Oh, do be careful Mr. Darcy. Save my Lizzy from that wicked man.”

  “He is not wicked!” Lydia protested.

  Darcy ignored her. He said to Mrs. Reynolds, “Have a maid pack Miss Lydia a change of clothes.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  AS THEY SET OFF TO find Elizabeth, Darcy told Lydia that he wished her to be silent. “There is nothing you could possibly say to me that I wish to hear.”

  Lydia glared at him. “I hate you.”

  “If that is the case, you will be pleased to learn that no matter what happens over the next few days, I will not be marrying you.”

  Lydia huffed and then flounced into the carriage, slamming the door.

  Good riddance, Darcy thought and not for the first time, he was amazed by how greatly Lydia differed from her sister.

  He tried not to think about Elizabeth, fearing for her fate at Wickham’s hands. He prayed that they would find them quickly. They travelled all day and through the night, asking about a young couple travelling together. In Doncaster, they spoke to all the innkeepers and then traced them to a small inn outside Durham.

  Darcy bribed the innkeeper and burst into the room where they were staying. He saw a dishevelled Elizabeth standing by the fireplace with a poker in her hand. Wickham lay on the floor, moaning. He had a red lump on the side of his head, above one ear.

  As much as Darcy despised Wickham, he was still his father’s son, his blood relation.

  “Do you think I killed him?” Elizabeth asked.

  “If you haven’t, I will,” Darcy said simply.

  Lydia rushed past him to kneel by her lover’s side. “Oh, Wickham, darling, I am here,” she said.

  “Lydia?” Wickham muttered. “Is it really you?”

  At this, Elizabeth began to cry, and Darcy held out his arms for her. She walked into his loving embrace. “Thank heavens you found me.”

  His smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. “And I will never let you go.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Darcy wanted to shoot Wickham as he lay on the floor, but Elizabeth convinced him that it would be much better to eat, drink some wine, and plan their future with calmer minds.

  “Are you certain he didn’t harm you?” Darcy insisted over dinner.

  “I am certain,” she said. “He only tried to kiss me, thinking that I was Lydia, but once I convinced him that I wasn’t my sister–”

  Darcy’s lips turned up in a smile. “With the fire poker?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “I am glad he finally saw reason,” he said wryly. “But I do not forgive him. He should never have taken you in the first place.”

  Elizabeth had already explained how that happened. She said, “It was partly my fault for meeting him in the garden. I should never have let Lydia persuade me, but I didn’t know what else to do. I knew Lydia shouldn’t marry you.”

  “Thank goodness for that,” Darcy said. He and Elizabeth sat at one small table set up in the room, eating roasted chicken, while Lydia sat next to Wickham who lay on the bed with a cold cloth pressed to his head.

  “But hopefully everything will be all right now,” Elizabeth said.

  Darcy said, “I don’t think there is any way to avoid scandal, so we should just move forward, doing whatever is best.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I think we should go to Gretna and take care of it all, right away. I want everyone married without any delay.”

  “And is this all the proposal I am to have the honour of hearing?”

  Darcy groaned. “Forgive me, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth. I am a fool and I do not deserve you. Of course, I will get down on one knee and beg you to marry me, if you like.”

  She smiled. “I would like.”

  He did as she requested.
He took her hand in his and said, “Elizabeth, despite my mistaken proposal to your sister, I have loved you and only you.

  “There is no one else with whom I want to share the remainder of my days.

  “Please say that you will be mine, and I will spend the rest of my life dedicated to your happiness.”

  Elizabeth looked at this man who had always fascinated her, even when he infuriated her. Her feelings had been in such a turmoil for so long, it was difficult to know exactly when she had begun to fall in love with him.

  All she knew was that when Wickham took her, she had grieved, fearing that she would never see her dear Mr. Darcy again.

  “Please tell him yes,” Lydia prompted from across the room. “For your proposal is much better than the one he gave to me.”

  Elizabeth saw the humour mixed with irritation in his eyes. She squeezed his hand, wanting him to think of her, not Lydia. “Yes, I will marry you.”

  “At Gretna?”

  “I will marry you whenever, wherever you wish.”

  “Excellent.” Darcy stood and pulled her towards him so he could kiss her.

  Elizabeth sighed happily. “I do love you,” she confessed.

  “And I love you, most ardently.”

  EPILOGUE

  Happy was the day that Lydia Bennet got her wish – both she and Elizabeth married brothers in a double wedding. True, the wedding was at a blacksmith’s shop and their wedding rings were plain brass rings purchased at a nearby inn. Darcy promised to give Elizabeth one of his mother’s rings as soon as they returned to Pemberley.

  They spent their respective wedding nights in separate inns at Darcy’s expense, and travelled back to Longbourn by way of Pemberley in separate carriages. Darcy was willing to help Lydia and Wickham, but he wanted to spend as little time as possible in their company.

  He and Elizabeth discussed various options for Mr. and Mrs. Wickham, finally deciding that Darcy would pay Wickham’s debts and arrange for him to resign from the militia. After that, Darcy would set him up in a trade or as a lawyer.

  “But not as a clergyman,” Elizabeth teased.

  “No, heaven forbid,” Darcy said. “Regardless of my father’s wishes, Wickham has no business preaching sermons.”

  “I agree. I think you are being most generous.”

  Darcy said, “I am merely doing what my father should have done – setting him up in the world.” Darcy told her what he had learned from Mr. Andrew, and Elizabeth told him that Lydia was expecting.

  “That is another reason for a quick wedding,” Darcy said. “And I hope your father will forgive me.” Although a Scottish wedding was legal, it was considered scandalous.

  Mrs. Bennet nearly fainted when she learned that her two daughters were both married, but she rallied when she learned that Mr. Bingley was back at Netherfield and had proposed to Jane. “Oh Goodness me,” she exclaimed. “Three daughters married. I don’t know what shall become of me. I shall become distracted.”

  In a moment of exuberance, she hugged Mr. Darcy and gave his cheek a loud kiss, “And it is all due to you, you dear, dear, man.”

  Darcy endured her embrace with remarkable patience and smiled over her shoulder at Elizabeth

  I have married a wonderful man, Elizabeth thought.

  Georgiana cried and congratulated them both. “Now you are truly my sister,” she said.

  When they reached Longbourn, Mr. Bennet had already been apprised of the news. He greeted Darcy and Wickham with smiles.

  Mrs. Hill had arranged for a wedding luncheon with cake and punch. Mary played the pianoforte.

  “I hope you are not disappointed that we went to Gretna, sir,” Darcy said formally. “It seemed to be the best solution at the time, but I know there will be some talk.”

  Mr. Bennet said lightly, “Oh, don’t worry your head about it. Why should I care if the neighbours gossip about us? Heaven knows we shall gossip about them in our turn. Besides, I trust your judgement entirely, young man. I always knew you were capable. That is why I sent Elizabeth with Lydia and Mrs. Bennet in the first place. I knew that given the opportunity, you would make everything right.”

  “Is that so?” Darcy asked wryly. “Then I appreciate your vote of confidence.”

  Jane pulled Elizabeth aside to ask her if she really did like Mr. Darcy. She lowered her voice. “Because I know how much you disliked him before.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Please do not remind me of all the foolish things I said! That is all to be forgotten now. I love Mr. Darcy with all my heart – even more than I love your dear Mr. Bingley.”

  Jane laughed. “Mr. Bingley is a dear, isn’t he?”

  “He is a good man,” Elizabeth said, watching as Mr. Bingley spoke to her husband. “I hope you will be as happy as Darcy and I are.”

  “Yes,” Jane said. “We shall all be happy together.”

  Elizabeth nodded; her heart full of joy. She had no doubts that Jane and Bingley would be happy. As for Lydia and Wickham, her thoughts were mixed. She thought they deserved each other, and she hoped that Lydia’s love for Wickham would ultimately inspire him to greater goodness.

  She looked at Darcy, admiring his handsome good looks in his formal attire. Like Mrs. Gardiner, she had achieved that rare gift – she was friends as well as lovers with her husband. As if sensing her observation, Darcy glanced back at her and lifted his cup of punch in a toast. “To you, Mrs. Darcy.”

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  I love stories about twins, and it made me laugh to think of poor Elizabeth being Lydia’s twin. I hope you liked Darcy and the Wrong Miss Bennet, too.

  And if you liked this twin story, you might like another of my Pride and Prejudice Variations: Mistaking Mr. Darcy. In that story, Mr. Darcy has an identical twin brother named Horatio.

  Let me know what you think!! I would love to hear from you. You can email me at jane.grix.author@gmail.com or leave a review. Reviews encourage me to write faster.

  Happy reading,

  Jane Grix

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