A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Read online

  Mrs. Nicholls had been employed at Netherfield Park for just over five and twenty years. She was a small woman, who was fierce in her determination to see all things tidy and cared for in her establishment. Though it had been some time, over the years, she had had much contact with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The owners of the estate, when in residence, had brought their children. One daughter was the same age and had the same adventurous spirit as Elizabeth, so the two girls often would find it necessary to sneak up the backstairs and find a kindred soul in Mrs. Nicholls, trusting her to keep their secrets and salvage their muddy and torn clothes and boots. With both girls gone from the neighborhood, the sun seemed not to shine as bright and the joy seemed to be missing for the kind-hearted woman. “I would like nothing more.” She gave Elizabeth’s hands a squeeze as she looked upon her with affection. The affection was returned. “Miss Lizzy, I have just come from upstairs, seeing to your sister. I think it best to let Miss Bennet rest.”

  The news was welcome and the feeling of relief was intense. Memories of far more pleasant days at Netherfield Park flitted quickly through Elizabeth’s mind. She turned to the stairwell, assuming Jane was in one of the guest rooms, when she spotted a gentleman and a young lady standing in the doorway to the drawing room off to the left of the stairs. The girl stood just behind the gentleman. She had long, straight, blonde hair and the clearest blue eyes; blue eyes that reflected genuine anxiety, nervousness, and timidity. The gentleman was tall, with broad shoulders, dark wavy hair, and dark eyes. Another memory tapped at her brain, seeking its way to the surface. He was looking closely at her as if he had a memory too. He took a step towards her as if to see her more closely.

  Behind the pair, inside the drawing room, were two elegantly dressed women. Good manners dictated that Elizabeth take the time to receive introductions and give thanks to her hostess, whichever woman that might be, yet, her underlying concern for a sister that she had not seen in five years commanded her immediate attention, but it was best that Jane rest. Regardless of her roiling emotions, Elizabeth looked back to her host. “Please, may I have an introduction to Miss Darcy?”

  Mr. Bingley stepped forward and offered introductions. “Please allow me to introduce you to one of my closest friends, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and his sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, of Pemberley Estates in Derbyshire. Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy, I would like you to meet Miss Bennet’s sister, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, lately of London.”

  Elizabeth offered a deeper curtsey to the young girl. “Miss Darcy, it is a great pleasure to meet you. Words cannot express my gratitude for your letter. My family in London and I are deeply concerned for my sister, Jane. Can you tell me, please, how is she?”

  Miss Darcy stepped out from behind her brother as they crossed the hall and came closer. “I am pleased to say that we agree with Mrs. Nicholls. There has been improvement since I wrote this morning. Your sister is not as warm as she had been last night and she has been able to take small amounts of food and drink. Miss Bennet slept poorly last night and cried for you often, as I mentioned in my letter. When she arrived at Netherfield Park yesterday for tea, she had been caught in a downpour. She was soaked through and exhibited symptoms of a chill almost immediately.” Elizabeth felt immediate relief that the report was better than she had imagined. Jane had never had a strong constitution and the potential for harm was great from even the slightest illness. Miss Darcy continued, “I take this opportunity to apologize for the impropriety in contacting you when we had not been introduced.”

  “Actually, Georgie, we have already met.” Darcy had walked closer as his friend made the introduction. Extending his hand, he lightly touched Elizabeth’s gloved right hand, bowing low over it. He straightened and looked into her eyes. Yes, here was the young lady from the bookstore with the chocolate-brown hair just peeking out from her bonnet and the sparkling hazel eyes rimmed with dark, thick lashes that he had kept in the part of his mind reserved for the most pleasant of memories. She now had deep wisdom reflected in those eyes and he pondered what her life had been the past six years. His own life had changed so greatly that he wondered if she possibly recognized him from their brief encounter at Hatchards Book Sellers. Darcy was unaware that he still held her hand in his grasp until she started to pull away. He knew the accepted rules of society required that he let her go, but his heart indicated that he not. His heart rarely made demands on him; in fact, it was possible that this was the first time in years that his heart felt more than a flutter. It had been five years to the day, November 11, since he buried his father and responsibility came crashing down on his shoulders. At that thought, he turned to his sister and, letting go of Miss Elizabeth’s tiny hand, held out his hand to Georgiana. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet is an old acquaintance, Georgie.”

  Elizabeth smiled slightly at his phrasing. She noted how tightly Miss Darcy had gripped his hand. Both ladies dropped a curtsey in greeting. “Miss Darcy, I look forward to furthering acquaintance with you as well as with my old friend, Mr. Darcy.” She saw Miss Darcy glance at her brother to see how he would respond.

  “Oh, Miss Elizabeth,” Miss Darcy quickly replied, “I don’t think my brother intended to imply you are old.” Again she glanced at Darcy. “I’m certain he did not.”

  Miss Bingley also had walked into the hallway and was paying unusually close attention to the conversation. Her discomfort with the interest shown by the Darcys was evident in her agitated state. In a loud whisper to her sister, she said, “Why he would chose to remember someone like her is truly beyond acceptable conduct. Why, she is nothing memorable at all.” Both women failed to hide their giggles at this rude remark.

  “Please be at ease, Miss Darcy.” Elizabeth, who could not help but hear the Bingley sister’s comments and assumed that Miss Darcy had heard it as well, lightly touched Georgiana’s arm to draw the girl’s eyes back to her own. “I am certain your brother meant nothing of the kind.” Determined to put Miss Darcy’s emotions to rest, she continued. “From our first contact with one another six years ago, your brother gave proof that he could accept a challenge and a tease. Do not distress yourself, please. We shall all be good friends, I believe. Now, if I could be introduced to the ladies that have just joined us?”

  Mr. Bingley turned toward the others who had wandered into the entryway and introduced his next older sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, who was serving as his hostess for his stay in the country. Elizabeth curtsied.

  Miss Bingley was of average height with a slim, elegant figure. Sharing her brother’s pale complexion, her hair glistened in a deeper shade of auburn and was fashioned in the latest style, well adorned with decorative feathers. Her dress was made of the finest orange silk, a color that rather shocked the eye against the backdrop of her hair and skin. Miss Bingley’s eyes were sharp and her narrow nose was slightly elevated over firmly pursed lips. She looked decidedly unhappy about the newest arrival to the estate. Miss Bingley’s pride of place and stature was evident as she tilted her head in mock acknowledgement. “Pleased, I am sure.”

  Mr. Bingley then turned to the last occupant of the entry and introduced his eldest sister, Mrs. Louisa Hurst. Mrs. Hurst was an older, slightly rounder version of the younger Miss Bingley. Like her sister, she barely lowered her head to indicate she had heard her brother’s introduction. Elizabeth dropped an elegant curtsey and quickly determined to discover the source of the ladies pride and haughtiness while she was in residence. Be that as it may, for now, she felt prudence dictated that she freshen herself before seeing to her sister.

  “Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” Turning to Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth asked, “Now that the need to tend to my sister is not immediate, may I accept your offer of respite to care for my needs?”

  “Certainly, Miss Elizabeth.” He looked to his housekeeper, “Mrs. Nicholls, please show Miss Elizabeth to the guest room you have prepared.” To Elizabeth, he bowed again. “If you are in need of assistance
in any way, for yourself or your sister, please do not hesitate to make your request known.”

  Again, she caught the upset look on the face of Miss Bingley as Mrs. Nicholls moved to respond immediately. Not understanding why she fell under such censure, Elizabeth decided that any possible affront to her hostess was not the way to start a visit that may extend in length, depending on the progress of Jane’s recovery, so she turned to Miss Bingley. “I again thank you for your kind hospitality. If I may be excused?”

  “You may, Miss Elizabeth.” Miss Bingley’s reply was curt at best and rudely given at the least.

  “Your valise and case have already been taken to your room. Please follow me, Miss.” After a quick curtsey to those in the hallway, Elizabeth followed Mrs. Nicholls up the stairwell to the room next to Jane’s. Just before Elizabeth entered the room, Mrs. Nicholls turned to her, putting a hand to her arm to stop her. “I feel I should give you a word of warning. I do know it is not proper for me to speak so of my betters and especially the sister of the gentleman leasing this estate, but you need to watch yourself with Miss Bingley. She has set her eyes firmly on Mr. Darcy and no matter your course of conduct, which I have always known to be impeccable, she will view you as competition. I doubt that she plays fair.”

  Elizabeth was quite surprised at the housekeeper’s words. She had been pleased to see Mr. Darcy again and gratified to meet his sister. She had thought Mr. Darcy a handsome man when they first met six years ago and he had kept his form and fashion and not let himself go with the despotic lifestyle that many from his age and station of life had done after leaving University. Overindulgence was almost expected amongst the rich and idle that she observed on the streets and parks of London. Pondering briefly at her response to Mr. and Miss Darcy, a smirk drew one side of her mouth and she raised one eyebrow. “Thank you, Mrs. Nicholls, it is better to know there is a possibility of battle; so I can be fully armed. We shall see.” She went into the bed chamber.

  The room was beautifully appointed, decorated in vibrant reds and golden yellows. There was a long, narrow bed with a nightstand where a candle could be placed to read at night. A door to the right of the room led into a dressing room where Elizabeth found a maid unpacking her clothes. The maid immediately curtseyed. “Pardon me, Miss, I am almost finished. Is there anything I can bring you? Perhaps some hot tea or something to eat, Miss?”

  A refreshing cup of tea sounded wonderful to Elizabeth. Before the girl could leave the room, Elizabeth asked for her name. “Sarah, Miss. I will be just a moment.” The maid disappeared through the only other doorway in the room, which led to the servants stairway to the kitchen. Her room did not connect with Jane’s.

  After enjoying the repast, Elizabeth headed down the hallway to her sister’s bed chamber. Turning the handle to the door, she opened it to a sight she had missed for so long. Seeing her sister resting in the large bed, Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, my sweet, sweet Jane, what are we to do?”

  Forgetting all else, Elizabeth hurried to the bedside and looked down at the pale face of the angel lying against the white bedclothes. So pallid, but yet still so beautiful. Elizabeth touched Jane’s brow and felt the warmth of her skin. She grabbed the cloth resting in a bowl of water beside the bed and, after wringing it out, wiped down Jane’s face. The tears continued to stream down Elizabeth’s face as she touched her beloved sister. It had been so long since she had been this close to the best friend she ever had. “Oh, Jane, “she sighed repeatedly. “Sweet, sweet Jane, how happy I am to be near you again,” Elizabeth whispered.

  At the first touch of the cloth on her face, Jane started to wake. When she heard Elizabeth’s whisper, she felt that she must be dreaming. Finally, Jane became fully aware and was ecstatic at seeing her younger sister in the flesh.

  Elizabeth’s heart squeezed with joy and delight as she begged her sister not to speak until she had some water. Elizabeth and the maid, Sarah, helped Jane to sit while she sipped the cooling liquid. “You are more beautiful than when I left you, dear Jane. Please tell me how you fair?”

  Jane continued to sip at the water, gazing at her sister with eyes brimming with love. “Lizzy,” she spoke softly. “You came.”

  Once Sarah moved the water glass, Elizabeth gathered her older sister to her and they both wept. Tears of joy; tears of sadness; tears for all the years that they had been apart. Elizabeth rocked her sister and held her like she would never let go. “Get some rest now, sweet sister. Get some rest.” Elizabeth laid her back on her pillows and watched Jane’s eyes close; the long, thick, dark lashes they shared like shadows on her pale face. “I love her with all my heart,” she thought to herself.

  Elizabeth and Sarah tended her through the rest of the day and night. Several times they woke her sister to give her some of the powders she had brought in her apothecary case. The medicine, which seemed to help with fever and pain, had helped others in the past. Each time, Jane complained of the taste, but drank it down.

  _ _ _

  After Miss Elizabeth was escorted upstairs to her sister, Darcy headed to the rarely used library to reflect on this chance meeting. He sat in one of the chairs, close to the roaring fireplace. Picking up a book on a side table, he weighed it in his hands, not paying attention to the title or content. Bennet was not an uncommon name and neither was the Christian name, Elizabeth. It had been a pleasant surprise to find that it was the same person from the bookstore. Thinking over the time that had passed since he first spoke with her in Hatchards, he wondered how her life had been impacted by the passage of years. In his mind, on occasion, when he had thought of her as he picked up a book on geography or travel, she had remained unchanged; still the young girl from the bookstore. How pleased he was to officially be introduced to her as a young woman.

  He had wondered, when his sister had inquired as to the correctness of writing to Miss Jane Bennet’s sister, if it was the same young woman. At the few social gatherings that he had attended in Meryton, he had been impressed with Miss Jane Bennet who was tall, slim, fair-haired, blue-eyed, and elegantly calm. However, her quiet nature was so similar to Darcy’s and her place in society so far removed from theirs that he quickly passed up the opportunity to know her better. Bingley did not have that concern and after being acquainted with her for a mere two hours, proclaimed her “his angel”. The young girl, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, from his memory, resembled her older sister not in the slightest.

  Darcy’s time had been filled with adapting to his role as Master of Pemberley and guardian to his young sister. Like his father before him, he had determined to fulfill his duties with diligence, dignity, and pride; to be a successful and caring landowner. Under Darcy’s guidance, the coffers of Pemberley had increased dramatically and the reputation of the Darcy name had finally returned to the height it had been over the generations previous to his father. Unlike his father, he remained moral, constantly aware of how the smallest indiscretion could taint the family reputation. This self-restraint moved him to remove himself from certain associations, especially in the presence of vice, be it of a sexual nature, or gambling, or any other dissolute behaviors. His wealth and stature made him the target of women of all ages, single or married. Their grasping, clinging stratagems were an affront to his normally shy nature. He knew, for example, that Caroline Bingley would never have looked at him twice if he did not own one of the largest estates in all of England, other smaller properties, a house in town, and fine carriages and horseflesh. Over the years that he had known her, she had made clear her desire to be the next Mistress of Pemberley. That would not happen!

  Darcy, in his heart, longed for a companion, one who understood the pressures he was under, one who could be a sister and companion to Georgiana, and one who would bring back the joy and laughter that had been missing from his life since his mother died. He was lonely.

  He thought of the twinkle in Miss Elizabeth’s eyes when she teased him in the entryway and how she endeavored to immediately put Georgiana at ea
se. Her politeness and dignity in the face of Miss Bingley’s intolerance indicated that her manners were far superior to those of her hostess. Darcy was pleased at the thought that he would finally get to know Miss Elizabeth Bennet. While he clearly understood what was proper and that convention would not allow opportunity for private conversation with a single woman, he vowed to take every opportunity to learn all he could about her and her circumstances. He could not help the smile that grew as he meditated on her fine eyes, her intelligence, and her wit.

  - - -

  The next morning found Jane weak but much improved. Sarah helped her to bathe, while Elizabeth went to her own room to bathe and change. She rejoined Jane and helped feed her small amounts of broth and a dry piece of toast. The two sisters gazed upon one another and smiled. “Rest now, Jane, and I will go downstairs to let poor Mr. Bingley know that you are recovering. He has sent message after message throughout the night. I do believe the man is in love with you, Jane.” Elizabeth smiled at the pleasant thought of having Mr. Bingley for a brother-in-law.

  “Elizabeth, I missed you,” said Jane.

  “I missed you too, dear sister, and I noticed how your sentiment changed the subject. I will desist for the moment, but be prepared to tell me about your Mr. Bingley when I return.” Elizabeth smoothed the covers over her sister and left the room with a smile.