Darcy and Elizabeth--A Most Unlikely Couple Read online

  Darcy and Elizabeth -

  A Most Unlikely Couple

  A Pride and Prejudice

  Adaptation

  Brenda J. Webb

  Darcy and Elizabeth – A Most Unlikely Couple

  Copyright November 14, 2014 by Brenda J. Webb

  Second Edition: January 2015

  Front and back cover artist: Rosanna White

  Cover design by Rosanna White

  Formatted by DIYPublishing.co.nz

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Darcy and Elizabeth – A Most Unlikely Couple is a work of fiction. All characters are either from the author’s imagination, or from Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to the publisher and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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  www.DarcyAndLizzy.com/forum

  ISBN-10: 1496193113

  ISBN-13: 978-1496193117

  Dedication

  To my editor, Debbie Styne, who keeps me focused on what is important and makes writing an adventure.

  And to my team of betas: Kathryn Begley, Janet Foster, Wendy Delzell and Kimberley Kay, who brought their own special skills to the process. They worked tirelessly to correct my mistakes and to make this tale readable.

  Without your help and support during the writing process, this book might never have been finished and I thank you so very much.

  Other Books by Brenda J. Webb

  Fitzwilliam Darcy – An Honourable Man

  Mr. Darcy’s Forbidden Love

  Darcy and Elizabeth – A Promise Kept

  Passages – A Pemberley Tale

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Epilogue

  Footnotes

  Chapter 1

  Pemberley

  April 1812

  A light mist began to fall as Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, sitting astride a newly purchased red stallion, galloped over a ridge and into the largest of Pemberley’s meadows. If anyone had been watching, they might have thought him boyish despite his regimentals, for he was not very tall and only of average build; and having doffed his hat, his reddish blond hair was blowing about in the wind. Even so, one glance into his steel grey eyes would have put that notion to rest, for they held proof of what he had endured in service to his country.

  Reining the horse to a stop in order to replace his hat, Richard looked up at the hills that bordered the field. This pasture happened to be situated just below his cousin’s favourite haunt, and as he fixed his gaze on a particular ledge, he realised that the ridge was cosseted in a thick grey haze, obscuring his view. Looking skyward, his tired expression grew more serious as he noticed thickening clouds, which signified that a storm was not far off. He shivered from the dampness.

  So much for seeing the magnificent view of Pemberley from this particular prospect!

  Nonetheless, he had come this far and had no intention of turning back until he was certain that Darcy was not already there. Spurring Titan onward, he chuckled. Richard had been so confident of finding his cousin here that he had not bothered to stop at the manor house upon his arrival. Instead, he had urged his steed in this direction while simultaneously waving off the footmen who had rushed down the front steps to take his horse. At the time, he had found it amusing, but now that the rain and uncertainty was setting in, he feared that the joke had been on him. His cousin might have been at home, comfortable and dry, the entire time. And what was the use of gaining the hilltop if one could not see the view of the valley below?

  Why did I bother trying to catch you here alone?

  He knew the answer only too well. For several years now, whenever he and Darcy needed to discuss anything that they did not want Georgiana to hear, they rode out on horseback. She had developed an uncanny ability to know what was on their minds, and they were beginning to suspect that she had devised a way to listen to their conversations. Thus, when he received Darcy’s letter requesting him to come as soon as possible, he assumed it important enough to necessitate confidentially. Well known for her propensity to sleep late, he was certain that when Georgiana got word that he had arrived, she would not rest until she located him—even if that meant riding out to find him. For that reason, he had departed Sheffield the day before and spent the night in an inn halfway to Lambton in a bid to be at Pemberley very early.

  As these thoughts ran through his mind, Richard slowly worked his way up the trail that led to the top of the hill. Rounding the last bend, he was startled to hear a familiar voice greet him from somewhere in the haze.

  “What took you so long? Has your stamina waned since you turned thirty?”

  Glancing around, he could not see his cousin. Nevertheless, he answered, “It is barely daylight! And shall I remind you that you, too, are nearing that milestone, Darcy? I dare say that if you had trained raw recruits for the last month, sleeping in the fields like a nomad with rocks beneath your bedroll, you would not be nearly as hearty as I am this morning.”

  A deep, rumbling laugh echoed in the haze and made him smile. He enjoyed being able to lift his cousin’s spirits. Waiting until a movement drew his eye in a certain direction, he watched as William stood from where he had been sitting undetected against the trunk of a huge tree. The branches had provided a canopy against the fine mist, so Richard kicked his mount in that direction.

  Picking up his great coat, which had served as a seat, William brushed it off before answering, “No, I probably would not. Pray forgive me if I offended you.”

  “No offense taken.”

  When Richard came to halt beneath the tree, William examined his cousin�
��s mount, sliding his hands down the beast’s strong shoulder. “He is magnificent. I have not seen him before.”

  “Titan is the horse I spoke to you of last spring. I bought him when I was in York earlier this week. Lord Gordon had his man doing the training, so I waited until it was finished.”

  “Are you satisfied with him?”

  “Yes. He is an excellent animal and readily obeys my commands.”

  “I am glad. I know that you wished for a horse to replace General, now that he is getting older.”

  “I am not sure that any horse could replace General, but I am grateful he is very content in your pastures. Thank you for taking him as I am not sure that father or Edgar would hesitate to put him down because of his age and infirmity. They were never fond of keeping an animal that was not pulling its weight and are not impressed with his bloodline. However, I shall never forget that that animal saw me through some rough campaigns.”

  “I, for one, appreciate that General has always brought you home in one piece. He can live here the rest of his days, and if he were to sire a few colts, all the better,” Darcy replied.

  “For him and for Pemberley!” Richard declared with a laugh. Quickly sobering as he took in his cousin’s sombre mien, he brought up the motive for his summons. “The reason you sent for me must be quite serious, or we would not be engaging in pleasantries about my horses. Does it regard Andrew? Has that cad ruined another maiden?”

  William stopped rubbing the horse’s nose, and his expression darkened. “Not that I am aware of at present, thank God, though I do live in fear of hearing of another. In truth, I have not seen much of him since our last discussion regarding support of his illegitimate offspring.”

  “I wish I had been a fly on the wall when you informed him that you had the power to draw on his inheritance and that you had withdrawn a thousand pounds to establish a trust to provide income for the women who bore his children, as well as funds for the youngsters’ educations.”

  “I would gladly have conceded the task to you. He can be quite irate where his funds are concerned, and he is livid that his monthly allowance has been cut in direct proportion to what I spent purchasing the land and constructing homes for his castoffs.”

  “Am I correct in thinking you bought land near Richmond?”

  “Yes. The estate is called Eastbrooke and it is large enough to accommodate houses for both women and their children.”

  “Are you certain that Andrew is a Darcy? Could there have been some mistake?”

  “Alas, I am afraid not. One has only to see him to ascertain that he is my cousin.”

  “Other than being about your height and colour, I do not see much resemblance, though, from the way Uncle George treated him, one would have believed him your brother!”

  “I got the impression that Father always felt guilty that his brother Daniel became a vicar. After all Daniel was the rightful heir to Pemberley, but apparently he was drawn to the church and wanted no part of being the heir. Since Andrew’s mother died shortly after his birth, when Daniel died unexpectedly, Father saw it as a chance to make amends by taking his son into our family.”

  “It is a shame his sympathy extended to everything that man did in conjunction with Wickham. How well I remember you being held accountable for things those two perpetrated!”

  “I was the oldest and he expected me to keep them out of trouble.”

  “Something he himself was not willing to have a hand in!”

  “That is true, but I cannot help but wonder if I could have done more to help Andrew. He was not such a bad fellow when he first came to live with us. Unfortunately, Mother was very ill at that time and I was—”

  “No one could expect you to concern yourself with Andrew’s feelings when your own dear mother was so ill! Besides, he never concerned himself with your feelings, as I recall.”

  “At any rate, I was preoccupied. But after Father sent him to Eton, he changed for the worse. You well know how the heirs like to torment the second sons, not to mention those like George, with no connections at all. There they became inseparable.”

  “Inseparable and indistinguishable,” Richard growled. “How well I remember life at Eton, and still it did not make me a reprobate like Andrew or George Wickham! If anyone taunted me, I would just whip their snooty arses and go on about my business.”

  William smiled, though it quickly faded. “You had the fortitude. If only Andrew could have been more—”

  “How Andrew turned out was his own choice, Darcy!” Richard interrupted. “And what happened to those women was not your fault. Andrew thinks the world owes him a living because his father chose not to be the heir and he is not the Master of Pemberley! I will not stand here and listen to you take the blame for that sorry sot!”

  “Perhaps you have the right of it,” William said resignedly.

  “I do! Fortunately, by the time Uncle George died, he had seen evidence of Andrew’s dissipation and changed his will. Otherwise, you would have no leverage.”

  “Yes, he did leave me in control of the allowance allotted each year to keep Winfield Hall afloat and of the amount he will inherit in the next year if he has proven himself trustworthy. Unfortunately, he has shown no interest in running the estate left to him by Grandmother Darcy, preferring the vices of London to life as a gentleman farmer.”

  “He has never shown me anything but foolishness!” Richard declared. “In any event, your talk must have had some effect, for my spies report that he was last seen in London, charming the widows of the ton. I understand that a few of the handsomer blackguards earn a good living at that,” he laughed aloud. “I can just picture Andrew as some old biddy’s partner, bowing and scraping in order to acquire cash!”

  “I cannot but pity anyone who takes up with him,” William sighed.

  “At least it keeps him away from shop girls, maids and tenant’s daughters.”

  “Let us hope so. I suppose I will not hear from him until he causes more trouble.” William’s expression never lightened, so Richard probed further. “If this is not about Andrew, tell me why you have returned from Hertfordshire early? I thought you were to stay with Bingley for four weeks?”

  “I left after two. I had done what I had set out to do, surveying the property, and there were circumstances that made an earlier departure necessary.”

  “Such as?”

  “I have decided it is time that I marry.”

  Although the declaration caused Richard’s heart to drum, he showed no emotion as he slid from the saddle and turned to secure Titan to a limb. Has Darcy finally fallen in love, or has some woman trapped him into a marriage of convenience? When he finally turned to confront William, all his reservations came spewing out.

  “Just like that? Out of the blue? Only last month you spoke of the scarcity of women with good sense and character. Now, after spending two weeks in Hertfordshire, you have changed your mind? Sit back down and tell me what has happened or we shall stay here until you do.”

  “Do not be so dramatic,” William replied, sitting down again. “It is not as if I never intended to marry. After all, you have heard me say often enough that I dearly love children, and I want an heir. It is just that I have found it almost impossible to meet the right woman.”

  As Richard situated himself next to Darcy, he noted that his cousin did not look him in the eye.

  “Evidently you met someone in Hertfordshire that has precipitated this change of heart.” William’s shoulders slumped and this spurred his cousin on. “Tell me about it, Darcy. You know I shall give you my honest opinion.”

  “That is what I fear. You may think me mad by the time I am finished.”

  Undaunted, Richard persevered. “I shall keep an open mind. Her name?”

  “Is of no consequence, just as she is of no consequence. I shall just say that she is the sister of a woman who Bingley fancies himself in love with now.”

  “No consequence? What an odd way of describing the woman you aim to marr
y.”

  “You have misunderstood entirely! I could never marry her!”

  Suddenly, it became clear to his best friend. “Now I understand. In essence, this mysterious creature has frightened you into doing your duty. You aim to secure a proper wife before you do something disastrous, like follow your heart?”

  “In essence, yes.”

  “This should be interesting!” At William’s scowl, Richard suppressed a laugh. “Please try to see my perspective, Cousin. Surely, you will not deny me the pleasure of hearing how some nobody stole the heart of one of the most sought-after men in England and perhaps the British Empire. Start at the beginning and tell me everything.”

  Resignedly, William began to relate how he met Elizabeth Bennet. “The first time I saw her it was... it was as though I suddenly entered another realm, perhaps between heaven and earth, I do not know.”

  Richard’s jovial attitude vanished as his brow furrowed. Heaven and earth? Never had his logical cousin sounded more nonsensical.

  “It was as though time was suspended for several seconds, and I could not move or speak.” His expression grew more sombre. “Even now, I cannot adequately describe what transpired. It was remarkable to say the least.”

  “Good Lord, man! Was she real, or did you encounter a spectre?”

  Shaking his head to remove the image of a slight woman with dark brown hair and sparkling eyes who had arrived unexpectedly at Charles’ home, he replied, “She was definitely not a ghost, but I fear she may haunt me forever.” A strong grip on William’s shoulder reassured him. “She had walked more than three miles of muddy roads to attend her sister who had taken ill at Netherfield.”

  As William continued, it was not lost on Richard that his expression lightened, and a smile lifted the corner of his lips.

  “Her hair was dark, almost black, and it hung down her back like a young girl’s. Strong winds had tossed it about until it was a tangle of curls.” Suddenly, his voice was wistful. “I remember wondering how long it would take her maid to brush it smooth.”

  William had stopped speaking and seemed to be lost in thought, so Richard coughed. Embarrassed, he schooled his features and began again.