Down By the River.
By: Frenchtosser
Summary: Well I love Caroline Bingley, and my first attemp at a story for her bombed, so hopefully you will all like this one better, I really tried. Please review, otherwise I will give up.
Chapter 1: They Meet.
Caroline Bingley walked down the streets of Hertfordshire, after the Darcy/Bennet, Bingley/Bennet wedding. She was broken, and confused. Everything she had ever believed in life had come into question, and wished she was dead. Deciding to seek ought a river, she walked blindly ahead with new determination. For how could she live in the world now, and have to visit Pemberly now? Should she greet 'Mrs. Darcy' with love and affection? She put her hand over her mouth in horror at the thought.
Everyone she passed stared at her. And everyone who stared Caroline hated. She must have looked a real sight. But for the first time in her life, Caroline didn't care about her appearance. Her flowing red locks had cascaded down her shoulders, lose from her delicate up-do she had had earlier. But she didn't care if her fiery hair blew in the wind behind her. Or if her white satin, beautiful Parisian dress was caked in mud at the hem. Something she had said once popped into her head.
"My goodness, did you see her hem? Six inches deep in mud." To Caroline's bewilderment she laughed. Something she hadn't sincerely done in a long while. Well, she thought, at least now I look like the women Darcy likes. But she didn't think it spitefully, more as a joke on herself. No she didn't care how she looked, and to be honest, it felt damn good. Let all these vile country people stare at her all day, but she would not give them a second thought.
David Everhart was standing outside his fathers modest butchery shop eating an apple, on this particular May morning. He had been rather idle all day, his mother was at home tending to his baby brother and sister, and his father had made it quite clear that he didn't want his help today. So David had contented himself with his apple and reading Candide. He had even thought about going fishing, but it was still early.
Don't get the wrong impression about David. He wasn't a lazy boy, but his parents never needed his employment. If he wasn't tending the garden, then there was nothing that 17 year old David had to occupy himself with. So he had taken to reading philosophy, fishing and hiking excessively and attending the local balls. His father had suggested that David enter into the military and make something of his life. But like Voltaire David thought wars and fighting were absurd, as was the government. David believed you should enjoy life and take chances as they came to you. More than anything David wished to be a writer, or an actor. But his family simply didn't have the funds to send him to a University, so David did nothing. Much to his fathers displeasure.
When David was about half-way through his apple, he was surprised to see a beautiful woman hurrying down the street, with long red curly hair that blew behind her. She was crying by the look of it, and was heading towards the woods on the edge of town. Perplexed, David stood and decided to follow her. Putting his book and his apple in his pocket he hurried after her, careful not to catch her attention.
Caroline Bingley, was now fighting her way threw a patch of relentless briars in the woods. She was completely out of sight of the so called 'town' and so her tears flowed very freely. As the thorns cut threw her skin, however, she did not cry out, but welcomed the pain, it, at least distracted her from that passionate kiss at the end of the wedding. Finally she was threw it, and the sparkling river was in sight. Soon her misery would be at an end, no one would miss her or be sorry. Everyone hated her, she knew that, she wasn't stupid. But she had always thought her and Darcy were so alike. But then she paused on the edge of the river, her blue eyes wide with realization. No, Darcy and her were never alike at all. She had always thought it, but now as she reflected…she had always tried to be like him to please him. She had always mocked dances, when she secretly loved balls and dancing. She had spent endless hours with Georgiana, whom she found rather boring. She had always pretended, always changed to suit him. And still! Still he had fallen for Elizabeth Bennet. Who always went contrary with him, and put him down. He had loved Elizabeth for what she really was, and what Caroline had been, had been a farce. Stunned by this new dawning of enlightenment, Caroline buried her head in her hands, and wept. It was true, she was a horrible vixen. No one loved her, even her relationship with her sister Louisa had been fake. The two of them annoyed each other to pieces. With every new thought came more pain, and so Caroline decided it was time to end it all. Looking up suddenly, fiercely determined She descended into the lake. It was freezing. Goosebumps appeared all over Caroline, and her teeth chattered.
She was knee deep, her dress billowing up around her when a voice suddenly cried out.
"Stop!" David yelled, from his hiding place behind an oak. The beautiful woman in the water spun around her eyes brimming with fear. David stepped out from his hiding place, desperate to stop her, to make her come to her senses.
Caroline was terrified, who had been watching her? She was very surprised to see a very tall boy emerge from the trees. He had the blondest hair Caroline had ever seen in her life. Indeed, it even surpassed Georgiana's, blonde locks. Where his hair was light his eyes were dark, and deep, staring into her own eyes with a fierce desperation. He was dressed simply in a white tunic, trousers, and boots. He was obviously a poor local farm boy. Caroline was suddenly very embarrassed, and looked down at the water, so he could not get a good look at her. There had been something deeply unsettling about his eyes. But, remembering what she had come for, she grew angry at this disturbance. What business of it was his? Looking back up at him angrily, her eyes flashed.
"What do you want, boy?" Caroline spat, saying the last part in as demeaning a way as she could. Unfortunately, for Caroline, the temperature of the water, caused her to chatter her teeth while speaking, making her sound all the more vulnerable. The boy looked confused, hurt, and a little bemused all at once. The shadow of a smile playing at his lips. Very full lips too, Caroline thought.
"I want you to stop what you are about to do. It can't be worth it, whatever it is that has driven you to this. Surley your life is more important." The boy stated rationally. He stepped forward a little, and sat leisurely on a stump. Caroline was instantly annoyed, as this action. He was attempting to dominate this, and coax her out of her decision, painting her to be ridiculous. Well she wouldn't be so easily swayed. Her face must have reflected her annoyance, for the boy's lips quivered again, and he raised his eyebrows.
"What I am doing, is nothing to you, its my decision not yours. As for my life. I have no life anymore. So please go away, and leave me alone.
"No," The boy stated simply, Caroline was livid, "I do apologize, ma'am, but I do insist upon helping you. I too, like yourself, have already made up my mind. And I am willing to bet, that I am far more stubborn than yourself.
"What is your motive? You do not know me. Indeed, you no nothing about me at all, so unless you think you are being noble, which I assure you, you are not, there is no reason apparent as to why you are doing this." Caroline chattered again.
"If you come out of the water we'll talk." The boy urged.
"I have nothing to say to you!" Caroline demanded.
"Obviously." The boy laughed. Caroline didn't know exactly what to say. She only stared, and huffed. The nerve of this simpleton boy! He would pay for his impertinence, rest assured. Still though, she succumbed, and begrudgingly stepped out of the water. Waltzing up to the boy, she turned on him infuriated.
"Move, and let me sit down." Caroline said meanly. But although the boy did look relieved that she had gotten out of the water, he only laughed at what she said.
"Find your on stump." Enraged yet again. Caroline had to fight an urge to shove him off of the stump to the ground. Instead she looked around furiously, until she found a long on the bank, and sat down upon it. "You have a nice attitude, towards your rescuers." The boy laughed again. Caroline couldn't stand how everything she did bemused him. Yet she had to admit, he had a nice, pleasant sort of laugh.
"You didn't rescue me, you only sat there and made jokes, I got out of the water on my own accord." Caroline said simply.
"Oh, forgive me madam." The boy mocked. He gave a slight bow as he said it. Caroline bit her tongue from lashing out again.
"Pray what is your name, farm boy?" Caroline said, she convinced herself that she only wanted to know his name, so that she could report him later. Not for any personal reason of hers.
"Farm boy?" The boy asked raising an eyebrow. "My, we are uppity aren't we?" The two people stared at each other for a moment. There was certainly a lot of tension in the air. Then the boy placed his hand on his chin as if he was puzzled by something, and continued. "You know you look familiar. You've been at the balls, haven't you." Cornered Caroline replied.
"Of course I've been at the balls, who hasn't." Caroline said casually. To her horror the boy persisted.
"No, no, I mean I think you were someone important. Your attitude would certainly fit it." He stared at her for a few seconds longer, and Caroline had to look away, his gaze was so unsettling. "I know! You're the lady! The sister, of the host himself!" Caroline looked back on her questioner with her lips pursed.
"And what if I am?" Caroline asked snidely.
"Why," The boy asked astonished. "Why would you try to take your life?" Tears appeared in Caroline's eyes again, and she wished she had a handkerchief.
"For reasons you wouldn't understand." Caroline said bitterly. But the boy still looked at her with those distracting, soul reading eyes, and wouldn't be diverted.
"Try me." He said persuasively. Caroline had half a mind to tell him, after all he was just a meaningless farm boy, who she would never see again. What harm would it do to spill her secrets to him. The tears in her eyes were unbearable, and she could no longer control herself. She bent over and cried hard into her hands. Before she knew it she was off her branch and on the ground, her white satin dress was surely ruined beyond repair. Her red locks gleamed when the sunlight hit it, making it look like webs of spun gold. After a few minuets of this uncontrollable fit, she felt gentle hands stroking her hair. She pulled back alarmed, and looked up into the eyes of the boy. He sat in front of her, his eyes filled with compassion, something she had rarely seen directed at herself. Nor had she ever felt someone stroke her hair since, her mother had been alive when she was a very little girl.
"What are you doing?" Caroline sniffed.
"I was trying to comfort you." He said simply, without removing his eyes from hers. Caroline's hart thumped painfully loud in her chest. She was sure he heard it, and her cheeks suddenly reddened. Averting her eyes, she realized that both of them were sitting in the dirt by the river in Hertfordshire. Oh what would Louisa say if she saw me like this, Caroline pondered. She then attempted to stand up, but the boy took her wrist and held her down.
"Please, I may never see you again, please tell me your name." The boy said sincerely. Caroline looked at her wrist and then at the boy.
"Caroline Bingley, but didn't you already know that, from the ball?" The boy grinned a little.
"I didn't know your Christian name, and now at least when I see you in my dreams, I can say your name." Caroline's heart hammered again, and his touch suddenly felt incredibly inappropriate. She stood up suddenly. The boy followed suit. Standing in front of each other, it was clear that the boy towered over her. Caroline's eyes came to his neck. And she was astonished to see how strong his muscles looked through his tunic. The boy caught her looking and smiled. Caroline grew agitated once again, which was further increased by his looking amused at her agitation.
"Do you find everything amusing?" Caroline asked him.
"Only you, you are most amusing." He said grinning at her. This hit Caroline the wrong way, and she was about to lash out against him. But the boy put his finger to her lips. Which shocked Caroline into silence.
"Don't say anything now. Just know, that you have bewitched me, my lady. And I shall never in my life forget you. I don't know what has upset you, but if I ever find who has made you this way, I may kill them, for I fear that I have fallen for you." Caroline knew she should have ripped his finger from his lips, and put him in his place. But, for some reason she could not. She just stood there looking at him like an idiot. Caroline supposed that she was so in shock that she simply had forgotten herself. Then to her utter shock and mortification. The boy removed his finger, and replaced it with his lips. Caroline froze, and stiffened. No one had ever kissed her before, and now this farm boy was the first too. His calloused hand went to the back of her neck, and pulled her gently towards him. To her further mortification she did not at all resist, but leaned into his embrace. His full lips that she had noticed earlier, were indeed very full, and they worked wonders over her own. Then to her bodies great displeasure he pulled away, just as suddenly as he had kissed her. Looking at her for one full second, he grinned, and then turned away. Before he had completely disappeared from view he turned.
"My names David by the way. David Everhart." And he was gone.