Hi everyone!
Senator Darcy is a contemporary attempt at the story of Pride and Prejudice, where I've imagined that Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters are the daughters of a state Senator nearing retirement. Senator Darcy will combine Southern Charm with Elizabeth Bennet's signature wit, and a little bit of OOC ODC as well.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
More to come!
xx
Chapter 1
"Another glass of champagne, miss?"
The bells in the clock tower struck midnight, and it took all of Liz's considerable will power not to yawn in the waiter's face. She looked out over the room as the fundraising cocktail raged on, a sea of powerful faces drinking, and dancing, and making deals to the gentle accompaniment of a light jazz quartet.
It was the absolute last place she wanted to be that night, but as one of the daughters of the distinguished Senator Edward Bennet of Vermont and adored philanthropist Emily Bennet, she hadn't been given much of a choice. Her whole family was milling around that party, but she knew that if she dared to leave first, she would never hear the end of it from either her father or her mother.
At least it would all be over soon. Liz's father was six months away from the end of his final term, and that meant no more speeches. No more parties. Just the constant, unending dedication of her parents toward finding her and her sisters suitable men to marry.
"Miss?"
For a moment, Liz had forgotten the waiter was even there. She looked at her phone, hoping that an hour or so had passed since the ringing of the bells.
12:01.
"Yes, more champagne please."
The waiter left a glass with a kind nod and then disappeared into the crowd. Liz felt his absence a little more keenly than she ought to, and for a second, she considered asking him to return just so she could have the company. She'd lost sight of her parents hours ago, but was acutely aware of the location of her sisters, since they'd all abandoned her.
As always, Lydia and Kit had insisted on drawing the most attention to themselves. This time they'd somehow managed to strong-arm two very uncomfortable looking Marines into dancing with them. Maryanne seemed to be missing too, but Janey was standing in the corner, chatting with a man who looked vaguely familiar. She decided to join their conversation and abandon the loneliness of the table she was leaning against.
As she sidled up to them, she saw that her oldest sister's usually pale cheeks were bright pink, which caused her strawberry blonde hair to look even more rosy in the muted light of the chandelier above.
Oh, dear, what have I interrupted? Ah, well. No matter.
"Liz! I thought you'd left hours ago," Janey said through gritted teeth. But Liz just smiled and squeezed her sister's hand.
"I can see how you might have thought that, but no, here I am! What did I miss?"
Janey cleared her throat while trying to suppress a scowl. "Liz, this is Congressman Charles Bingley, from South Carolina. Charles, this is my sister, Liz. Charles has been kind enough to invite our family to stay with him while father looks for a home in Charleston next week."
Liz raised a curious eyebrow at the congressman. "All of us? Really? That is kind."
Charles brushed a stray brown hair away from his forehead and smiled affably. "It's no trouble at all. It's just me in the old place and I have more than enough room! Plus, your timing is perfect. You'll be down in time for Darcy's 4th of July picnic. You wouldn't want to miss it."
Liz tipped the glass of champagne to her lips to try and buy herself some time as she racked her brain for some shred of a memory as to whom Charles was talking about, but nothing came.
"Darcy?" she asked finally. Janey rolled her eyes with frustration.
"Honestly, Liz. How have you survived here all this time without retaining the slightest bit of information about the people we see at these events?"
"Practice, I suppose," Liz said as she finished the champagne. A small chuckle escaped Charles' lips, but Janey wasn't amused. Charles intervened and broke the tension that had built between Liz and her sister.
"Will Darcy. He's a fellow congressman from South Carolina. Not for long though."
"Oh?" Liz asked, a little more interested. The only things that sustained her by that point were her hours spent tutoring kids at the reading initiative she'd helped found, and the occasional bit of political gossip. But her hopes were quickly dashed when her sister waved a dismissive hand in Liz's direction.
"Don't make that face, it's nothing scandalous. There's a special election in South Carolina in November, and Will Darcy is running for a senate seat. I don't know much about his opponent, but they say his odds are good," Janey explained.
"Indeed they are," Charles responded with a charming drawl. "The fella running against him doesn't stand a chance. It's why Will isn't here tonight. Normally he'd be first in line for… Ah, shoot. What is this fundraiser for anyway?"
Liz and Janey looked at each other, and suddenly realized that neither of them actually knew why they were there, and then burst out laughing. Charles shook his head and smiled ruefully.
"That's politics for you, I guess. You'll meet him soon enough, I'm sure. In fact, I think he's flying up for that ball to benefit the First Lady's scholarship fund tomorrow. Surely the Bennet ladies won't be missing it?" Liz noticed both the shy smile that Charles gave Janey, and the way Janey's ocean-blue eyes sparkled in return.
"We wouldn't miss it for the world, Charles. Liz, perhaps it's time to gather everyone up and make our way home? Have you seen Maryanne lately?"
Liz craned her head around Charles and finally spotted the missing Bennet sister. She was scrunched up in the corner by the band, and watching the piano player with a look of utter rapture on her face. Liz sighed and pointed in Maryanne's direction.
"Over there. Either our darling little bookworm either finally has a crush, or she's envious of the man's job."
Janey looked where Liz was pointing and laughed. "Maryanne? A bookworm? Pot, meet kettle, Elizabeth."
Liz scowled at Jane, then held her hand out to Charles. "Congressman, a pleasure indeed. We will see you tomorrow night at the ball." Then she grabbed Janey by the hand and dragged her toward the door. When they reached the exit, Liz put two fingers in her mouth and blew an ear-piercing whistle that the Bennet girls used to find each other in a crowd, and Lydia, Kit, and Maryanne all came running as Janey hid her face in humiliation.
"Do you always have to make such a scene?" Janey asked as she ushered the younger girls out the door.
Liz laughed so hard, a piece of soft blonde hair fell down out of her chignon.
"As mother always says, if you make a grand exit, you always leave them wanting more!"