Dearest, Loveliest Elizabeth

  MARLEY FULTON

  Dearest, Loveliest Elizabeth

  A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VARIATION

  © 2019 MARLEY FULTON. All rights reserved.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  The sound of musical instruments, the laughers, the voices, were all so loud that Darcy’s head ached. There were few circumstances he loathed more than balls, and a country assembly was one of those.

  He would rather be in the Netherfield library, in solitude and silence, than in the middle of those annoying people with questionable manners, exposing himself to their improper curiosity and scrutiny.

  He had come in Hertfordshire to support his friend, Charles Bingley, who has just rented Netherfield – a lovely estate, with excellent potential. He would have had a pleasant time if Bingley was his only companion. Unfortunately, the Hursts and Caroline Bingley were there too, and Darcy found their presence rather annoying. Especially Caroline’s irksome attempts to insinuate herself upon him.

  He had heard countless times that a man in possession of a good wealth must be in need of a wife. And he had to bear so many efforts from mothers and daughters to fill that need that he had lost any patience and politeness in regard to it.

  Since he was very young, his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh insisted on him to marry Anne, pretending it was his mother’s wish too. He could not remember a single time when his mother mentioned such a desire to him.

  But Lady Catherine was his only aunt by blood, and part of her insistence stemmed from wanting the family estate to remain united. Also, she certainly wished to assure Anne a safe future within a marriage that would protect her.

  He had no desire to upset or disappoint his aunt, but being honest with her had not seemed to dissuade her from her intentions in the least, and the constant pressure added to Darcy’s distressed state and to his growing’s reluctance to visit Rosings.

  Darcy was fond of his cousin Anne –just as of his other cousins – and could not picture himself ever marrying. The very idea of it was preposterous to him. However, he had never met another woman to raise his interest enough to consider marriage with her. And, as his Uncle Lord Matlock declared several times, if he had no other preferences for a wife, Anne could be as good as any other. After all, most of the marriages among the Ton were arranged and reasonably happy.

  Later on in life, Darcy had recognized the same insistence regarding the marriage no matter where he chose to spend his time.

  He was not so vain to imagine every single young lady of his acquaintance had been interested in him. It happened the same to all gentlemen in his position. But, unlike other gentlemen with similar wealth and connection, he was not in the slightest amused by it.

  In his mind, Darcy had a clear picture of what he desired and of what his duty demanded him to choose. He could not imagine committing himself to anyone who lacked in decorum and wit alike. So often he had heard of marriages where neither party truly cared nor attempted to be a part of the other’s life. He could not imagine agreeing to such circumstance, as if the matter were a business arrangement.

  The sound of music and voices startled Darcy, and he looked around at the Assemble Room filled with noisy people. He spotted Bingley, dancing with the eldest Miss Bennet for the second time, and the bewitched expression on his face betrayed that Bingley’s heart was already engaged. It was not surprising to Darcy. He had seen Bingley falling in love easy and often before, just as he had seen his younger friend’s infatuation fading every time.

  He knew that Bingley did not consider the consequence of his dancing with Miss Bennet twice, but the others in the ball room were already sharing meaningful glances and gossips. Especially Mrs Bennet, whose joy was loudly expressed around. Only a couple of hours since he had made their acquaintances, Darcy was already horrified by the lack of decorum and poor manners displayed by the Bennet family.

  He had managed to resist Bingley’s insistence in dancing with the second Miss Bennet, as he was in no disposition for dancing. He had been somehow abrupt and perhaps impolite in his rejection, and he feared that Miss Elizabeth Bennet might have heard him, as she kept glaring at him since then. But dancing with the purpose of amusing the audience, against his own pleasure, was unthinkable.

  The music stopped, and the pairs left the dancing floor. The momentarily silence was quickly filled with the sound of voices, almost unbearably loud for Darcy. He stood behind a column, glancing around to find Bingley, who was walking side by side with Miss Bennet.

  “He might be tall, handsome, and rich, but he is rude, unpleasant, and aloof. Nothing like his friend. He behaves like the entire world should kneel in front of him,” he heard Mrs Bennet declaring. The column was hiding him, and they were likely oblivious to his nearness. Careful, he leaned closer to the wall.

  “Mr. Bingley is perfectly amiable and very good looking. He and Jane make such a lovely couple,” Mrs Phillips said.

  “Indeed. But then again, my Jane is so beautiful that she would make a lovely couple with anyone. However, I shall not deny that, although I have only met Mr Bingley a couple of times, I am certain he would be the perfect solution to our problems. I would not worry for Mr Bennet dying soon if Jane would be so advantageously married. And that would surely put my other daughters in the path of other worthy men. Hopefully, not as disagreeable as this Mr Darcy.”

  “Mr Darcy is handsome too, but he must be accustomed with other sort of society,” Lady Lucas said.

  “I am not sure why everybody speaks of Mr Darcy being handsome. There is nothing less appalling in a gentleman than pride and haughtiness,” Miss Elizabeth Bennet added.

  “Well, Lizzy, if I were you I would never accept any invitation to dance from him,” Mrs Bennet uttered.

  “I believe I can safely promise you I will never dance with Mr Darcy, Mama. There are few people in the world less desirous to share such activity,” Elizabeth said with mockery.

  By that time, Bingley and Jane were approaching, and, soon after he returned his partner to her family and bowed to them with warm politeness, Bingley took a few steps further and spotted his friend.

  “Darcy, what are you doing here? I was wondering where you were.”

  “I am…nothing special. I am waiting for the proper time to leave, as I long for the solitude of my chamber.”

  “Dear Lord, sometimes I feel like you struggle to appear more obnoxious than you truly are,” Bingley replied.

  Elizabeth heard voices and startled. Was it possible that her chatting with her mother and friends had been heard? Did Mr Darcy intentionally eavesdrop on their conversation?

  She felt her cheeks burning and moved only a little, to have a better sight of the two young gentlemen. For a moment, her eyes met Darcy’s, then she returned her gaze and her attention toward her companions, slightly embarrassed. Then, she put away any uneasiness. Surely, their comments were not ruder than his when he rejected the perspective of dancing with her, for not being handsome enough and for being slighted by other men.

  The evening continued, and, at times, Elizabeth found herself glancing at Darcy. To her surprise, he looked at her with an expression she found to be cold and disdainful. She tried to ignore him but could not defeat her curiosity and a strange interest. She was asked to dance for a couple of sets, then again, she had to sit for the next two, as the men were scarce, and more than one lady was without partner.

&n
bsp; Her friend Charlotte Lucas came to sit near her, and Elizabeth welcomed her company.

  “Lizzy, dear, I was amused to hear about your little argument with Mr Darcy. I hope you are not upset; I am sure he does not have a malicious character. Perhaps he in uncomfortable in such gatherings, with people below his circle. He might be a proud man, but from what I heard he had every reason to be so.”

  Elizabeth laughed at her friend’s poor attempt of comforting her.

  “I could easily forgive his pride if he did not wound mine,” she answered. “I am not upset that he did not wish to dance with me or that he did not find me handsome. I know how I am. But I am displeased that he chose to offend me in public; sine I heard him, I am sure others did too. And what better proof that everyone at the Assembly – you including – know about the offence?”

  Elizabeth looked around at the people she had just mentioned and frowned. A short distance behind them, there was Mr Darcy, who appeared to listen to them with a severe countenance. That moment, her temper betrayed her, and she turned to Charlotte again, with a forced, broad smile and said loudly enough, “But I am not in the slightest offended, Charlotte. I discovered what Mr Darcy used to do at ball, since he appears to loath dancing. He does have other ways of amusing himself by eavesdropping on other people’s private conversations.”

  She knew he had heard her and almost felt his frown.

  “Dear, Lizzy, stop saying that! He might hear you!”

  “Well, I am sure he already did, considering his habit,” she replied with amusement.

  They continued to chat joyfully for a while, Elizabeth feeling Darcy’s gaze on her back all the time.

  Eventually, Charlotte returned to her mother, and Elizabeth intended to do the same when she was surprised to be stopped by Mr Darcy. He bowed to her politely and coldly, then said, “Miss Bennet. Please allow me to apologize for my rude comment earlier. It was not meant to hurt you in any way, but it was thoughtless and insolent, and I beg your forgiveness for causing you distress, although it was most unwillingly.”

  His voice spoke clearer than his words, and again, she was taken aback.

  “It is fine, Mr Darcy. Neither of us had been either too polite or too kind tonight. I believe it would be better to forget our behavior and put everything behind.”

  “Thank you. You are very generous.”

  “No, I am not,” she laughed. “But it is nice of you to say so.”

  He smiled.

  “Miss Bennet, and please believe me, I had no intention of coming to this ball simply for the benefit of overhearing things others might not wish for me to hear. I too blame for many things, but I trust the indiscretion is not one of them.”

  Elizabeth perked a brow and tilted her head slightly, a quizzical look overtaking her visage as she looked upon him. “Mr. Darcy, perhaps it is as you say, but you chose to continue listening in on the conversation, and I cannot fathom how that was either proper or considerate. Certainly, I cannot see it as anything else but imprudence. However, we already decided to put everything behind us, have we not?”

  “Indeed. But I must ask: do you assume I have acted with incaution because I overheard something improper? Tell me something, Miss Bennet, do you regularly make it a habit of pointing out the errors of others, or is it just myself that you feel the need to reprimand?” Darcy inquired. His words were serious, but there was a glimpse of mirth in his dark gaze.

  Elizabeth shook her head and smirked slightly. “Mr. Darcy, I fear that you place entirely too much merit upon things that do not necessarily display honesty, and, perhaps, that does translate to a rashness that you yourself do not see. However, I would happily admonish any whom do the same,” she stated as her lips spread out into a curt grin.

  Darcy could hardly believe his ears; stunned by her frankness, he shook his head with a scoff. “Are all of the Bennets so bold?” he asked curiously.

  Elizabeth gave a shrug. “I cannot say, for I fear that you are the sort who looks and makes your own judgments. Should I add anything else you may form even stronger prejudices against myself and my family, and I cannot see how that would be fair,” Elizabeth murmured, her head held high. She refused to back down when it came to defending her family.

  “Has anyone ever told you that you are remarkably stubborn, Miss Bennet?” Darcy asked her.

  “As I recall it, Mr Darcy, I have heard it all of my life, but it seems I may have met my equal after all,” she dared admit.

  Darcy quirked his eyebrow in surprise. “Do you intend on dancing this evening?” he asked her, quickly changing tactics in view of her truthfulness.

  Elizabeth tilted her head slightly. “Not any longer,” she stated with a flat tone as she peered back at him. “I shall not be dancing with you, or any other for the remained duration of the ball,” she murmured.

  “Oh,” Darcy remarked, glancing over his shoulder nervously. “Well, then perhaps I should be on my way,” he finished. Suddenly, a hand fell atop Darcy’s shoulder, and he felt the heaviness of fingers clutching at his jacket slightly.

  “Where are you going now, Darcy?” Bingley’s familiar voice rang out behind him. Darcy sighed and stepped forward as he turned to look back at Bingley, and his blonde good looks.

  “It is crucial that I take my leave as soon as possible, Bingley. I fear I may have gravely upset Miss Bennet, although I attempted to apologize,” Darcy remarked.

  “Oh, nonsense, you could never affect me so deeply, Mr Darcy. I am quite used to the scowling noses of the aristocracy shunning me, so you should have no concern for my sentiments. I assure you; you have not affected them in the least,” Elizabeth muttered icily.

  She turned to peer back at Bingley, and regarded him with a curt nod, “Good evening, Mr Bingley. I must take my leave of you, gentlemen. Please, enjoy your night.”

  Bingley watched as Elizabeth strode away and tilted his head, waiting for the opportune moment when she would no longer be in earshot, for fear of her wrath should she happen to overhear what he was about to say.

  “What did you do this time, Darcy?” Bingley asked with a perking eyebrow.

  “I did not do anything. She seemed upset after catching me listening to her mother’s conversation,” Darcy admitted.

  Bingley looked back at him with a blank expression, tilting his head slightly in a quizzical motion. “What did you hear Mrs Bennet discussing?” Bingley asked.

  Darcy sighed and pursed his lips as he remembered what Elizabeth had said. “Miss Bennet accused me of being indiscrete and inconsiderate. I think that if I spoke on what I heard Mrs Bennet discussing, I would be both of those things, and prove her correct. Perhaps, it is better that I never say a thing,” Darcy remarked.

  “But, this is me we are talking about, Darcy. Surely, I deserve to know,” Bingley said.

  “I can only say that you were correct about your assumption that Miss Bennet is entirely stubborn. I have no doubt of that,” Darcy stated.

  “Ah, but you see therein lies the humor, dear friend. I believe Miss Elizabeth Bennet is as stubborn as you are, making her your perfect match. Any less obstinate, and you would quickly become bored,” Bingley said, as he smiled slightly.

  “You find an incredible amount of amusement in my torment, and, yet, call yourself my friend,” Darcy chuckled as he shook his head. “What of Miss Jane Bennet? You seem to have spent a great deal of time intoxicated by her charms,” Darcy remarked.

  Bingley smirked. “Do I detect a bit of resentment in your voice, Darcy? Yes, I did quite enjoy getting to know Miss Jane Bennet better. Is that not the purpose of a ball; to socialize and enjoy oneself?” Bingley asked, lifting a brow curiously.

  Darcy shook his head, lowering his chin slightly as he glanced toward the ground. He sighed, and lifted his face to look back at Bingley.

  “How would you feel if people were discussing your betrothal; making plans for your life, and a future wife when you have yet to even inquire about taking any young woman’s hand?” Darcy aske
d.

  Bingley pursed his lips. “Much like every other eligible bachelor whom everyone wishes would marry one of their daughters. I imagine that every mother in the room has considered both of us as viable options, and I expect it,” Bingley remarked.

  “You expect it?” Darcy asked.

  Bingley nodded. “Yes, how can you not? Balls are for socialization, but everyone knows that we are both tied to great estates,” Bingley murmured.

  “Yes, but it does not seem at all proper to be discussing the fortunate circumstance of having you take favor upon anyone when you have yet to even make your feelings known,” Darcy murmured.

  Bingley scoffed, squeezing gently at Darcy’s shoulder as he lifted his hand. “I feel you may be far too preoccupied by the incessant wishes of your Aunt and cousin and, that my friend, may be why you feel this way. As for myself, I have far too many other more important and pressing things to devote my time to,” Bingley muttered.

  “Like Miss Jane Bennet?” Darcy asked.

  Bingley winked at him and gave a nod. “Yes, and since this ball is still ongoing, and you and Miss Elizabeth Bennet are entirely too stubborn to dance, I am going to go ask her lovely sister if she would not mind sparing me another moment of her enchantingly delightful company,” Bingley stated matter-of-factly.

  Darcy shrugged and nodded curtly. “Enjoy,” Darcy remarked as Bingley turned to walk away. Just as always, Darcy was once more haunted by the importance of duty; and to think, it had been his closest friend who seemed to be encouraging his nuptials. Never would Darcy push Bingley to make such a decision, and he did not understand one iota why Bingley suddenly felt the need to urge him into such matters.

  The ball itself had been an utter and complete bore, more of an opportunity for Darcy to learn that societal restrictions seemed to be the bane of nearly every class of individual’s existence. To think that bearing a title may change things was a huge mistake that most people did not ever take a moment to consider. For Darcy, however, such things had been emphasized so as to produce the intelligent and capable gentleman that so many presumed him to be.