Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation (5 page)

Shortly after Mr Darcy’s death, Wickham had written to inform his son that having finally resolved against taking orders; he hoped for some more immediate pecuniary advantage, in lieu of the valuable family living he had been promised when one became vacant. His letter had stated that he had some intention of studying the law, but the interest on the one thousand pounds provided for him in his godfather’s will would be a very insufficient amount for that endeavor. Darcy thought it prudent to accede to his proposal. With what he had observed, Mr Wickham ought not to be a clergyman. The business was therefore soon settled—George resigned all claim to assistance in the church, were it possible that he would ever be in a situation to receive it, and accepted in return three thousand pounds. Darcy hoped all connection between them would now cease. Unfortunately, Edmund considered Wickham a protégé. Over the years, the two had spent time carousing together, and he feared they would do so again in the future.

Darcy probably would have preferred to become estranged from Edmund as well, except that he was his cousin, and he shared his uncle, the Earl’s point of view—the appearance of family harmony and unity was important to preserve. Concealing any hint of the friction that existed between the Fitzwilliam and Darcy families had always been of the uppermost importance. Discussing his concerns with Sir Gareth was definitely not the discreet thing to do. His eyes returned to the young woman enjoying Shakespeare’s most optimistic tale. Besides, this one appeared far too intelligent to fall for the shallow charm of his cousin.

Anne Darcy felt a twinge of jealousy when she noticed both her husband and her cousin observing the same young woman. Edmund’s interest did not surprise her. During her time spent with him over the winter, she had noticed his preference for the very young. This one could not possibly be older than fifteen, if that. What her husband saw that interested him was a mystery. He had never shown much notice of any female, even herself. Though always a kind cousin, between them there had never been even the pretence of a flirtation. The opposite had been true of Edmund who had learned early how to charm Anne.

During his one Season, Darcy had created much excitement among the mothers of the
ton.
He had held the position in London of a most eligible bachelor… following in the footsteps of his older cousin. Darcy, unlike Edmund, had no title; but he was known to be much wealthier, making him an equally acceptable prize. Not even a whiff of the rake wafted about him, and that season the matchmaking mamas had decided he would take much better care of their daughters. In truth, the debutantes preferred the more fun loving and charming Lord Wolfbridge over his dour cousin. With their dark curly hair, tall athletic bodies and penetrating brown eyes, they were remarkably similar; but Darcy only measured up to Edmund’s looks when he smiled and allowed his dimples to dazzle. Anne knew that was a rare sight… her husband had been interminably serious and withdrawn in company since his mother had died, and he had become even more so with his father’s passing. His inability to curb his fascination with an unknown and probably totally unconnected young woman… really no more than a silly little girl perplexed her.

Even as a safely married man, Darcy displayed an aversion to interacting with the ton—and, most particularly, the ladies of their set. That and his sense of duty were the reasons Miss De Bourgh had become Mrs Darcy. One miserable foray into the fray of marriage-hungry mamas and coy competitive debutants had been all it took to induce him to propose to her. She laughed silently at the memory of his brutally honest declaration as he had offered her a marriage of convenience. He spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he expressed more eloquence on the subject of his humiliation during his time in London than any tenderness toward her. As she had sat smiling encouragement, he had painted a passionate word picture of the degrading way their set went about selecting a partner for life. It had been particularly amusing when in the middle of his declaration he had paused to ardently inform her that Almacks was merely Tattersalls for humans—where those in the
ton
who were in the market for marriage could go and inspect the prime bloodstock available for purchase. Anne had listened to his grievances thinking how childishly petulant he sounded; all the while knowing that this was what she had been praying for—an opportunity to escape her mother’s control.

Without even a trace of the violent love she had read of in novels, she knew she would accept. It had been clear for quite some time that Lady Catherine’s plans did not include allowing her only child the right to attend a Season. She would even be denied her moment on the auction block. An heiress, such as she, presented too great a temptation for all those gentlemen skilled in the art of making love to green girls—in the interest of acquiring an infusion of cash to sustain their lifestyle. Knowing Lady Catherine’s objective, Darcy had dwelt with warmth on the lack of family obstacles to their alliance. His eyes had been filled with assurance as he spoke of such matters. That a marriage between them was her mother’s wish did not actually recommend his suit, but Anne had dutifully expressed an appropriate sense of obligation for the sentiments he avowed. However before she answered yes, she had felt the need to interweave a reminder that marriage was the only way many women—herself included—could come by any degree of freedom. He had been thoughtful for a few moments as he digested her revelation. A stiff embrace cemented their bargain, as he promised her he would always listen to her concerns and never impede her happiness once they were wed.

Anne could not really complain about their marriage. She had desperately needed to escape from under her mother’s thumb. Pemberley was an enjoyable place to live, and Georgiana was a pleasant little girl. Her father-in-law had not said much about their marriage, but Anne had always suspected he had not approved. George Darcy had married her mother’s sister, Lady Anne, because he had fallen in love with her and relentlessly pursued her until she agreed to wed. The new Mrs Darcy had concluded that the elder Mr Darcy thought his son should not have married for convenience.

Anne handled her responsibilities as mistress adequately, but was beginning to have doubts about her ability to bear children. Everyone in the highest circles deemed an heir an absolute necessity, and her demanding mother was no exception. How many times had she heard Lady Catherine say,
‘It is your duty to provide for the future of Pemberley and Rosings.’
Anne did not enjoy her marital obligations; even though Fitzwilliam was gentle. What had ceased being a completely unpleasant undertaking now saw her consumed with fear over giving birth. She refused her husband more than she should, if she were truly serious about her obligations. To her relief, Darcy did not pressure her. So much of his energy went into running the estates and into serving as guardian to Georgiana. More than a year and a half after his father had become ill, her husband still struggled to keep current with his responsibilities. She also knew the grief he felt for his father weighed heavily upon him.

Both of Darcy’s parents had instilled a love of literature in their children. She often found the brother and sister in the library; Fitzwilliam reading one of Shakespeare’s plays to Georgiana. He was an excellent reader, and would, at times, act out the different characters. Anne enjoyed hearing his performance as well and found remarkable his ability to make each one of the witches from Macbeth different and more frightening than the last. She surreptitiously watched him observing the young woman mouthing Shakespeare’s dialogue. Awakened nostalgia for his youth had probably been sparked by this enthusiastic young woman. Anne admitted to herself that they obviously shared a similar love for the bard.

Anne felt Darcy’s hand steal towards hers. She tilted her head to question the meaning of his act. His reply was a smile—not one of his glorious ones showing those dimples, but enough of a compliment to cause her to return the gesture. Next, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. Her aloof husband had kissed her hand in a location where numerous representatives of the
ton
could easily observe. If his willingness to express affection in public had anything to do with the emotions the young woman in Sir Gareth’s box unleashed in him, Anne could not help but be pleased.

All in all, she was most gratified that her persistent persuasion to remove to Town had been successful. Fitzwilliam had finally agreed to come to London as soon as they were out of full mourning. They would remain through the Season with only a brief sojourn to Rosings for Easter. With even greater pleasure, she enjoyed Lord Wolfbridge’s residence at Darcy House. Edmund’s company provided a delightful diversion. He knew all the delicious
on dits
circulating among their set. The handsome viscount always graciously accompanied her for visits to and from acquaintances. As Anne had very little experience in making or accepting morning calls, and Darcy often refused to participate in the social niceties; she greatly appreciated his squiring her about. She even began to believe herself tolerably popular. Now that Edmund had agreed to help her become a notable whip, she eagerly anticipated the commencement of the Season.

Her mind drifted to her favourite topic. She now believed her cousin should seek out and purchase a sleek, high-stepping black pair for her. They would look delightful with the yellow and black stripes of her tiger’s uniform.

2 THE FIRST TIME EVER

During the break between acts, the Darcy party went for some refreshment. They encountered Sir Gareth and Lady Hughes, the unknown couple from their box and Shakespeare’s ardent fan. Lord Wolfbridge was pleased when his cousin spoke to his neighbours. “Sir Gareth, Lady Hughes, are you avoiding the end of our Derbyshire winter as Mrs Darcy and I are?”

Sir Gareth gestured to the couple and said, “May I introduce Mr and Mrs Edward Gardiner and their niece Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We are not avoiding the winter, but have travelled to town because Lady Hughes is Godmother to the Gardiners’ new baby girl… the baptism was two days ago. Mrs Gardiner is another from Derbyshire and went to school with Lady Hughes. Mr and Mrs Gardiner, these are our nearest neighbours in Derbyshire, Mr and Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.”

Everyone bowed and curtseyed appropriately, and Darcy said “It is a pleasure meeting you Mr and Mrs Gardiner, Miss Elizabeth. I would like to introduce you to my cousin, the Viscount Wolfbridge.”

Edmund stepped forward and bowed, then gave all a spectacular smile. Elizabeth had never seen anyone as handsome as the Viscount. He was tall with an athletic build, laughing brown eyes and the straightest, whitest teeth she had ever seen. She immediately blushed. Mr Darcy looked a great deal like his cousin, but he seemed more severe, and his eyes were positively penetrating. His looks were also not enhanced by that brilliant smile.

Edmund was pleased he had been rewarded by the hoped-for blush; but felt he should not be too obvious in his admiration in front of the young woman’s aunt and uncle.

Darcy began the conversation by asking Mrs Gardiner where she was from in Derbyshire.

“I am from Lambton. My father owns several shops—a haberdashery, a gun shop and he buys wool from the estates in Derbyshire. He does the washing, carding and spinning and sells the yarn to knitting workshops in Manchester and several places in Scotland. She gave Mr Darcy a sweet smile as she added, “I was privileged to meet your mother once when she came into the haberdashery. She was a beautiful and elegant woman.”

“Thank you for your kind words. Lambton is not five miles from Pemberley. Is your father Mr Davies?”

“Yes, he is. Do you know him?”

“Not well, but I do sell wool to him occasionally; and your cousin, Dr Wilder, has recently become our family physician.”

Mrs Gardiner was unable to discern whether Mr Darcy was cognizant of her Cousin Jamie and Aunt Sarah’s history, so she said very little. “That is right; I do remember my father saying my cousin had become the physician for the Darcy family. I believe it was Sir Gareth who recommended him. I also remember him mentioning that your father passed away recently. Please let me offer my condolences.”

“Thank you again for your kindness. Mr Gardiner, are you also from Derbyshire?”

“No, I am from Hertfordshire, but now have my business here in London.”

“What is your business?”

I also supply yarn to those weaving textiles. I import linen, silk and cotton. I have just recently expanded my business, and have begun importing indigo from the Americas and spices from Asia.

Mr Darcy continued making conversation with the Gardiners, and was impressed by their intelligence, taste and good manners. He finally turned his attention to the young woman who had captured his notice during the performance.

“Miss Bennet, is this the first time you have seen Shakespeare performed by a professional troupe?”

Elizabeth’s face lit up and her eyes sparkled at his question. She breathlessly replied, “I am only the second eldest. Please call me, Miss Elizabeth. And yes, Mr Darcy this is my first time. The evening has so far been one of the most extraordinary experiences I have ever had.” Her mouth broke into a lopsided grin as she gushed, “Of course, I have been in Hertfordshire my entire life, and have not done much; but I do so love Shakespeare, and
The Tempest
is one of my particular favourites. I was ecstatic when I heard that Sir Gareth and Lady Hughes had extended an invitation to my aunt and uncle and me to join them in their box.”