Disclaimer: I'm not Jane Austen, need I say more?
AN: I always wondered what type of parents Lizzy and Darcy would become . . . this is the story of their daughter, Lily Darcy. The first chapter is not very centered on P&P characters, but that will all change soon.
I knew I had gone too far, but I couldn't help it, it wasn't my fault, it was his, every single time it was his. He took credit for everything, but took the blame for nothing! He was the most egotistic macho stuck up man in the existence of time. How do you love an ass hole? The more appropriate question in my case would be how do I not love this ass hole? I needed the answer, and quickly. I would lose it when he found me in my dreams, lose everything I hated about him and remember everything that I loved. I hated him yet I was pulled towards him constantly by something that was more than physical, almost spiritual. But if I hated him, wouldn't my spirit back me up here? Could no one back me up? Not even myself?
I walked down stairs into the newly remodeled basement. I walked at a brisk pace, headed straight for the wine cellar. I wasn't really a drinker, but as I came into the dark room I realized that I was looking for as much alcohol as I could force down my system. I ran towards the back- where not only wine was stored. My father had not been an alcoholic, but he had inherited the enormous Pemberly estate wine cellar that went with the enormous Pemberly estate. The dark room was rarely visited by my father, unless it was used as a hallway.
I was sprinting now down this hallway now, itching for something to numb my mind. I reached the end of the wine cellar and then threw my weight against the apparently solid stone wall. I knew that the brick was only a covering, like paneling. The wood underneath the 3-D wallpaper swung forth to reveal an enormous room. A grand bar was set against the far wall, fully stocked. I barely noticed the dark wood of the huge pool table that was off to the left of the door. I wasn't aware of the huge shelves filled with books and the enormous leather chairs or the priceless paintings that hung on the wall. My eyes locked on a crystal container holding a rich amber liquid. I didn't bother to grab a glass, not caring about spilling the drink.
I leaned over the bar and snatched the bottle from the shelf of a liquor store that was built into the wall. My dad had a way of overdoing things . . . maybe I had inherited that trait, there was one way to find out. I popped off the top of the crystal container and set it not so gently onto the bar. I held the heavy crystal container with both hands and tipped it into my mouth. Before the drink reached my lips, I knew that it would be disgusting. This was the type of drink that wasn't taken strait, but I planned on downing it. The heavy liquid seared through my throat like a roaring fire, I relished it. I felt the liquid spill down my front as I sputtered on the drink, but I couldn't care less. The fire in my throat had turned into a need, burning and craving for more. The drink had already started to numb my senses. I was starting to sway as I continued gulping down the drink, never pausing for air. It felt as though it was daring me to drink more as it scorched my throat. More and more of it was splashing out of the container now, falling down my skirts or just hitting the floor. I was nearly a half of the way through when I felt my legs buckling beneath me. Somehow I managed to make it to one of the chairs before collapsing. I was still
drinking as I moved, but when I sank into the chair the crystal slipped out of my hands onto the floor, I think it was then that I passed out.
"Miss Darcy, Miss Darcy please wake up." The deep voice was slurring in my mind.
"Derik, move out of the way!" Ouch, this voice was squeaky and high, the sound of it hurt my head. I felt cold hands shaking me, as if I didn't feel dizzy enough. I wearily opened my eyes and saw four people standing around me. I was still being shaken, and the people seemed to be spinning. I had no idea where I was or even who these people were, they wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a clear look.
"Stop shaking me." I heard myself moan in a dazed voice that was not my own.
"I stopped shaking you a while ago Miss." I winced, it was squeaky again. "When you didn't come to your breakfast appointment I said to Derik here 'Miss Darcy has never missed one single appointment, something must be wrong!' And then I says to myself that it had something to do with Mr. Darsworth and that I never did like him much, no offense Miss. So I thinks to myself that I should find Mr. Darsworth and I should demand to know where you are and so I go up to Mr. Darsworth's guest room and he says to me he doesn't know where you are, and so I thinks to myself where else would you be and then Derik comes up from cleaning and he says 'Martha, you had better come see!' And so -" She would have kept going until my head exploded, if I hadn't intercepted her monologue with an over dramatic groan.
"Mrs. Glen, please. I believe that Miss Darcy will be hearing the entire story once her father is found anyway." That time it was deep-voice who spoke, but not to me. I was still being shaken, until those words snapped me out of it. There seemed to be only two people here, I wondered where the others had gone, were they fetching father already? I immediately remembered where I was, and that I wasn't supposed to be here. My father was coming. This was bad, this was very, very bad. My not-so thought out plan last night had been to get a strong drink, go to my chamber, and drink myself into numbness there, I could pass it off as feeling ill if I had been into my room. I remembered the drunken haze I had been in before I came here, why I had come here. A lump formed in my throat and I shut my eyes, trying to block out the memory of his blunt goodbye.
"I need a drink." I was moaning again.
"Ms. Darcy! You obviously have already had quite enough of that!" It was squeaky again. She sucked in a breath to continue but blew it out quickly as someone entered the room.
"Perhaps I should have been informed of my daughter's whereabouts when they were discovered." To my relief, it was not the person I had expected.
"Mr. and Mrs. Glen, would you please allow me a moment with my daughter?" Came my mother's voice, she was clearly not happy.
"Why yes, of course, Mrs. Darcy!" came squeaky. The couple started to leave but my mother stopped them at the door.
"I do hope that this information travels no further." She said, though her voice was calm and polite, there was no mistaking the command in the statement.
"You have my word, Mrs. Darcy. It is certainly no business of ours." It was deep-voice, or rather, Mr. Glen, who spoke this time, though his wife wore a small, disappointed frown on her face. I was sure that she had been planning to tell the entire staff the scandal of Miss Darcy being caught drunk in her father's secret room. "Of course, Mrs. Darcy." Said Mrs. Glen, as she turned to leave.
"Wait! What about the others?" I asked, my voice was still very slurred, I hardly recognized it.
"Others, Miss?" Mrs. Glen turned to face me, her round face looking quizzically at mine.
"There were two other people here with you, you were standing around me and then-" I gulped, realizing that I had been mistaken as I took in the look on both Mr. and Mrs. Glen's faces.
"I assure you Miss Darcy, it was only Derik and I that have been down here, and unless you came accompanied last night . . . "I could tell that Mrs. Glen was looking for information, her gossiping mind hungry for a story. I began shaking my head, but realizing how much that hurt, I was about to deny her theory before my mother cut in.
"That's quite enough, Mrs. Glen. Thank you for caring for her, but there will no longer be any need of assistance. Dismissal was clear on my mother's mind.
"Of course, Mrs. Darcy, would you like me to fetch Mr. Darcy for you?" Came Mrs. Glen's squeaky high voice, I wondered when that woman would just leave, I was seriously starting not to like her. I waited for my mother's reaction.
"Has Mr. Darcy been informed of this, ah, event?"
"No, not yet Mrs. Darcy." Came squeaky's reply, it was all too clear how much she wanted to be the one to inform Mr. Darcy of the news.
"Then no, thank you. My husband is very busy today and I believe that this will only disturb him."
"As you wish ma'am." Mrs. Glen bitterly replied. She curtsied on her way out and I heard the click of her shoes traveling briskly down the wine cellar. She did not pause for her husband.
"Thank you Mr. Glen." I said with sincerity. It was not his fault that his wife was a terribly talkative old gossip.
"You are most welcome, Miss Darcy." He said, bowing as he left the room.
The door closed and my mother walked over to where I lie on the huge chair. She helped me to slowly sit up and looked at my worried face.
"Why do you look like that, Lily?" She asked, taking up a seat across from me. Her bright eyes searched my face for an answer as I stupidly replied.
"Like what?" I asked.
"You look very afraid, my dear." Her tone of voice was so much softer and warmer than when she had spoken to the Glens. It was utterly confusing to me. Here I was, a complete mess of myself when I should have been acting like a fine young lady. I was still confused in my drunken state and I had a hard time comprehending her sympathy.
"Aren't you, well, angry?" I managed to splutter out. I could not imagine how much trouble I would be in once father found out.
"No, darling. You are a responsible young woman, and though you acted out of character, I know that you are sorry for your actions by that look on your face." She smiled at me and continued. "I have to wonder though, why you would do this . . . you hardly like alcohol, and yet you seemed to have drunk yourself into unconsciousness. Come now, dear, don't tell me you did this for no reason. What is the matter?"
"It's well, Ethan . . ." I stammered.
"Ah," my mother said, I was sure that she could tell that I was in no state to talk about it when she looked me over and then continued. "Later then, for now let us get you cleaned up. Aunt Georgina will be coming by shortly."
AN: Like I said, not very P&P yet, but it's coming! Please Review!! Good, bad, and ugly (not too ugly though).