by Zoë Burton
Darcy’s Adventures
By Zoe Burton
Darcy’s Adventures
Zoe Burton
Published by Zoe Burton
© 2017 Zoe Burton
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews, without permission from its publisher and author.
Early drafts of the novellas in this book were written and posted on fan fiction forums in 2015 and 2016.
Table of Contents
Lilacs & Lavender
Mr. Darcy’s Love
Darcy’s Deal
The Essence of Love
About the Author
Connect with Zoe Burton
More by Zoe Burton
A PRIDE & PREJUDICE NOVELLA VARIATION
First, I thank Jesus Christ, my Savior and Guide, without whom this story would not have been told. I love you!
Additional thanks go to my betas, cold readers, and proof readers, Rose, Sarah B, Fa, Kathryn, and Debra. You stretched me and kept me on the straight and narrow, writing-wise. You rock!!
Another huge thank you goes to my group of gal pals, Rose Fairbanks and Eileen Brown for being there for me every step of the way, and talking me off the ledge a couple times during the writing of this book. Love you both!!
Finally, special thanks go to Sarah Johnson at Peculiar World Designs for her professional assistance.
Meryton, Hertfordshire
Early December
The main street of Meryton was relatively quiet on this cold December morning as Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters walked from their home, Longbourn, towards their Aunt Philips home in the nearby town of Meryton.
Concern for her eldest sister kept Elizabeth at Jane’s side, their arms linked as the two walked behind the other three. Kitty and Lydia, being the youngest of the five, were eagerly anticipating the soldiers they hoped to run into in town, the red coats the topic of their discussion. Mary, the middle sister, was attempting to read, and therefore frequently walked into her sisters or stumbled over the ruts in the roadway. The eldest two were more subdued. Jane, older by two years than Elizabeth, was struggling with unrequited love. Elizabeth strolled next to her, supportively holding her arm.
Just as they reached their aunt’s door, chaos exploded across the way. All five Bennet sisters stopped and turned, staring in shock at what was happening.
There in the street was the milliner’s youngest daughter in front of the shop, screaming at the top of her lungs at the middle daughter of the butcher. Each young lady was kicking, screaming, scratching, and biting. It appeared from the Bennets’ point of view that there was hair pulling happening, as well. The sound of clothing being ripped added to the excitement.
“You baggage! What do you think you were doing with my George? He will never marry you! He is promised to me!” Miss Smith screamed as she kicked her adversary in the leg.
“Me a baggage? You are a tart! Throwing yourself at my betrothed! I know you are in the family way; I heard it at the grocer’s a few minutes ago. Do you think to trap him? He will never marry you!” Miss Miller had a tight grip on the curls of her opponent.
“Tart?! I am not the one trying to trap him! I heard just now in my father’s shop that you are with child. You are the one trying to force a marriage. He is mine!” Miss Smith’s fist once again made contact with the face of the trollop who had seduced her dear George, just before she felt herself being pulled away.
“Let me go! I am going to make sure she never trifles with another man as long as she lives! Strumpet!”
The pair struggled against the arms that held them, each trying to get to the other to deliver more blows.
“Enough,” roared Mr Smith at the same time that Mr Miller loudly exclaimed, “Stop!”
The two tradesmen pulled their struggling daughters back towards their respective shops, and could be heard by the gathered crowd to admonish them. “What are you thinking, airing our dirty laundry in such a way?” and “Are you daft! We could have hid your shame, now the whole town knows!” reached across the street where the Bennet sisters stood spellbound.
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
Early March
The smell of lilacs filled the air around Elizabeth as she strolled through the gardens around her father’s estate. It had been a long winter, and she was glad to be out of the house for a while. It was still too dirty to ramble beyond the hedgerows, but she could not bear to remain inside when the sun shone as it did today.
Elizabeth was fond of flowers in general, and purple lilacs in particular. They symbolized spring and the first emotions of love, both of which were very much on her mind. They were out rather early this year, too, which led her to believe her favorite of seasons was just around the corner.
This past winter had, indeed, been a long one. Her elder sister, Jane, had spent the cold months in London with their aunt and uncle. Jane had hoped to further her friendship with the sisters of the man to whom she had given her heart, a Mr Charles Bingley. Unfortunately, Miss Bingley and her sister, Mrs Hurst, made it clear that the friendship was at an end. Jane never saw Mr Bingley. Her heart was broken.
Jane’s melancholy was known to the entire family. However, no one knew that Elizabeth was also nursing a bruised and battered heart.
When Mr Bingley entered the neighborhood last autumn he brought not only his family, but also his best friend, Mr Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Mr Darcy was the handsomest man she had ever seen. His dignified stance set off dark features that she could not pull her eyes away from easily. There was something about him that drew her.
Then, as she sat out a dance, she overheard him declare to his friend that she was “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me”. The words pierced deeply into her heart. In her usual manner, she tried to turn it into a joke with those closest to her, but the barb wounded her.
That injury had made her susceptible to the charms of Mr Wickham, the very same militia officer who, she later learned, was the cause of the scuffle in the streets of Meryton that had been talked about in the sitting rooms for many weeks. Mr Wickham was charming and filled her head with stories of Mr Darcy and denied legacies, including a living in the church.
The day the soldier was exposed for the profligate he was shocked Elizabeth to her core. She had always thought herself to be a good judge of character, but now she knew this to, instead, be quite the flaw. Wickham made promises of marriage to several local girls, and the fight she and her sisters had witnessed brought his schemes to light.
The scandal was the biggest to hit Meryton in years. Not only was Mr Wickham’s name bandied about, but several other officers soon found themselves accused of shameful behaviour as well. Their reputation ruined, the militia members found their welcome cut short, causing the colonel of the regiment to plead with his superiors for the authorization to make a hasty and early withdrawal of his men to their summer quarters in Brighton.
In addition, several families in the area found themselves with a daughter sent away. Thankfully the Bennets were not counted among them. Rumor had it, Mr Wickham received a lashing and was transferred to another unit. The entire town and not a few members of the militia breathed a sigh of relief the day the regiment marched out of Meryton.
For Elizabeth, Wickham’s disgrace opened her eyes to the fact that a charming man was not necessarily a good one, and that pleasing manners did not a gentleman make. She began to look back on her interactions with Mr Darcy with new eyes. No, he was not pleasant in company. He appeared haughty, holding himself above the neighborhood. But in close company, such as at his friend’s house, he was capable of being very kind. She had, since the Assembly when his verbal
barb wounded her, thought he looked at her to find fault. However, she now realized that she was the only one outside his party that he danced with at Mr Bingley’s ball. He had asked her to dance twice previous to that as well, and she had turned him down flat both times. She began to see that perhaps in his quiet, reserved way, Mr Darcy had been expressing admiration for her.
And so, Elizabeth’s original feelings of esteem for the young man came roaring back. She knew, though, of his original opinion of her. She also knew that with Mr Bingley gone from the neighborhood, likely at the behest of his sisters, the chances of Mr Darcy ever returning were slim. Even if he had admired her, he could not return to Netherfield without his friend.
And really, what did she have to offer him but a thousand pounds upon her mother’s death and incredibly silly relatives? No, Mr Darcy would find and fall in love with someone who brought him far more than Elizabeth could provide. Hence, her silently bruised and battered heart.
Still, down deep inside she wished they could meet again. She would behave differently if given the opportunity; she would let him know, as much as she could within the bounds of propriety, that she had come to admire him. If only it could happen! Perhaps in London, where I will break my trip to Kent, I might see him, she thought.
Then she remembered that Miss Bingley had cut Jane; there would be no visits there, which meant no opportunity to see Mr Darcy again. There is no real hope, is there? She sighed.
Elizabeth was not formed for melancholy, and so she did her best to put it behind her and behave as cheerfully as possible. It helped that she was soon to embark on a trip to Kent to visit her friend Charlotte, for it gave her something else upon which to focus; something to look forward to.
A few months ago, Charlotte had married William Collins, who, due to the entail put upon the property, would stand to inherit Longbourn upon Mr Bennet’s death. Mr Collins was rector of the parish of Hunsford, and, while visiting his cousins, had made his offer of matrimony to Elizabeth first. She, feeling he was ridiculous and nonsensical, refused his offer.
Three days after her refusal, he offered for Charlotte’s hand, and she accepted with alacrity. While Elizabeth had not initially approved of her very good friend marrying such a ridiculous man, time and distance increased her feelings of loss for Charlotte’s company and decreased her feelings of repulsion towards her cousin Collins. Therefore, she was looking forward to being in her friend’s company once again.
Eventually, the chill in the air lifted and Elizabeth made her way back into the house. Entering the dining room, she sat down to break her fast with her father, currently the only other member of the house downstairs.
“Good morning, Papa,” She greeted with a smile.
“Good morning, my dear,” said Mr Bennet to his favorite daughter. “How was your walk this morning?”
Elizabeth laughed lightly. “Very short, as you well know. I had to stay in the garden; it was much too dirty in the lanes even for me.”
Her father chuckled. “It was kind of you to save your mother’s nerves this morning. Mine appreciate it.”
“You are very welcome, Papa.” She replied with a grin before turning her attention to her meal.
Her father lowered the cup of tea from which he had just taken a sip. “Lizzy, before the rest of the family invades our peace, I have a question to ask you. It involves someone no longer in the neighborhood.”
“Well, Papa, since there are several people no longer in the neighborhood, I am all curiosity. Please, tell who it is you are asking about, and what your inquiry is.” Elizabeth smiled as her father smiled back.
“I was wondering about one of Netherfield’s former residents. In light of what we have recently learned about Mr Wickham, how do you now feel about Mr Darcy? Does he still seem the black-hearted villain Wickham made him out to be, or do you, perhaps, feel differently at this time?” Mr Bennet knew his second daughter well, and recognized her sadness no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He had been contemplating the cause for weeks, and the only thing he could imagine was if Elizabeth had expressed herself strongly about something—or someone—and suddenly found herself proved wrong with no way to make amends. With further thought, he determined that the single possibility was the gentleman from Derbyshire. There was no other person or event that had caused such a strong reaction from his usually observant daughter. Of course, she did have a temper. It was one of the characteristics she inherited from her mother. Still, she was not one to vehemently express dislike about someone in quite the insistent manner as she had about Mr Darcy.
Elizabeth blushed. “Indeed, Papa, I feel very differently about Mr Darcy now. Once I came to realize Mr Wickham’s penchant for embellishment, I began to think that there might be more to his story. While I cannot know exactly what happened between the two, Mr Darcy certainly had reason to not trust such a man.
“Hmph, he certain showed how rude he can be at the Assembly by talking so of my daughter—and in her hearing as well,” he said, reaching out to pat Elizabeth’s hand in consolation.
“He should never have spoken such a thing in public about anyone.” She paused, looking off unseeingly towards the wall. “He was not at all sociable at the dinners and card parties in the neighborhood, and at the time I felt he was looking down on us because he did not share much of himself with us. I thought him to be like Mr Bingley’s sisters, not speaking because he thought himself above everyone else. But then he made more of an effort to converse with me when I was at Netherfield than they did, and he did ask me to dance at the Ball. I now realize he is a bit like Jane, who you know rarely shares her feelings but is always proper.”
He nodded and took another sip of his tea.
She looked to her father again. “How can I accept Jane’s reticence, especially amongst strangers, and reject Mr Darcy’s? I cannot and still be a reasonable person.”
She went on to explain how she had learned her lesson about trusting those who appeared good rather than those who, over time, proved that they were good.
“So, you approve of Mr Darcy now?”
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment. Her father liked to tease, but she always felt she could share everything with him. She hesitated to reveal her secret thoughts, but knew they would not leave this room. She decided to trust him. “Yes Papa, I do. Very much. I should like an opportunity to make his acquaintance again, though I doubt I will.”
“Hmm,” he replied thoughtfully. Appearing to come to a decision, he rose to leave the dining room and said, “I believe, Daughter, that he liked you as well. I would not be averse to such a man asking for your hand at some point in the future, were you to meet with him again, and if the two of you form an attachment. It would be a comfort knowing you cared about your husband and were respected in turn.”
With that, he left his greatly astonished second daughter anticipating the chaos of breakfast with her sisters and vanished into his bookroom.
Gracechurch Street
London, Mid-March
Elizabeth was to travel first to London, where she and her companions would stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner for a night, then on to Kent. Sir William Lucas was eager to see his eldest daughter, Charlotte, well situated with her new husband. His younger daughter, Miss Maria Lucas, was to stay with the Collins’ as well, and Sir William would return home after jut a week.
They arrived at Gracechurch Street and Elizabeth’s Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and their children, as well as her dear sister Jane, were on hand to greet the party. After having some tea and some refreshments, the adults went out to do some shopping as a way to pass the day. Later they would be going to the theater.
That evening, as the group made their way into one of London’s most popular theaters, they came face to face with the one person they had least expected to see—Charles Bingley. Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy had been standing to one side of the lobby with Mr Hurst, waiting for Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst. Whilst Mr Gardiner went to the window to purchase their ticket
s, the Gardiner party moved to the same side of the lobby in order to keep open the path to the door. Jane bumped into a gentleman, gently apologizing, when the man turned around with a gasp.
“Miss Bennet!”
“Mr Bingley!”
The two spoke at the same time, blushes covering their faces.
“How are you, Miss Bennet?” asked Mr Bingley.
“I am well, sir,” she responded softly. “May I introduce you and your party to the rest of mine?”
Seeing his nod, she began, “Sir William Lucas you know, of course, and his daughter, Miss Lucas.”
Bingley bowed to them both with a delighted smile on his face. “Indeed! It is so good to see you both!”
Smiling, Jane continued, “My aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Edward Gardiner. I have been staying with them since January.”
At this, Bingley startled, but quickly recovered himself, declaring that he was pleased to make their acquaintance.
Finally, Miss Bennet said as she gestured to her sister, “My sister you also know, of course.”
Bingley smiled at her, stating “Yes, I do. How have you been, Miss Elizabeth? It has been so long since I have seen my Hertfordshire friends. Why, it’s been more than three months! Not since the twenty-sixth of November, when we were all dancing together at Netherfield!”
“You are correct, sir.” Elizabeth smiled, then looked pointedly at her sister.
Bingley then performed introductions for his party before turning to his friend and asking, “I say, Darcy, is there not room enough for Miss Bennet’s party to join us in your box? Surely we can all squeeze quite comfortably together. What say you? And you, Mr Gardiner?”