First, a couple of things to say:
I have not read P&P in over two years, though I've seen the movie twice in the past like month and I adore it. Admittedly, the novel dragged a bit, but I've decided to give Austen another go because of the film.
I'm not even going to try faking Regency language. I'm using words that I actually use, which I have been told aren't exactly normal, but whatever. I don't wish to insult you by pretending I'm an expert on 19th century English.
I stole a line from the movie. Deal with it. I love that proposal.
Background: Lizzy rejects Collins, but instead of turning to Charlotte he waits around, Bingley leaves, Jane's heartbroken, her mother's psycho... yeah. You can see where this is going. Also, I chose to write it this way because I hatehatehate the traditional "Jane's so kind she's forgives Bingley with little to no question." Um, no. I'm making her just a little feisty.
I adore Jane/Bingley. They don't get enough love. As far as other characters go, a few are mentioned and our other favorite Bennet does show up.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a 15 year old writing effing fanfiction. I own nothing.
Heavy showers greeted the handsome young man as he hastily exited his carriage and rushed into the church. "Where... where.. yes!" he muttered distractedly, eyes landing on a cracked door halfway down the modest hall. A shaking hand shot to his unruly shock of curly, flaming hair, the messy mane showing clear signs of nervous fingers running through increasingly disheveled strands. His hat lay long forgotten at the bottom of his carriage, discarded after his constant twisting had rendered it unwearable. The man had spent the hectic ride planning speeches, declarations, apologies... he had even gone so far as to write her a poem before realizing that he would need much more than pretty words and a sad smile to win back his lady's heart. Another shuddering breath shook him as he reached for the door his pushed it slightly more ajar.
In that moment, he could have sworn his heart stopped.
Charles Bingley had always fancied the eldest Miss Bennet an angel, but right then, in a flowing white wedding gown almost too modest even for its wearer, she truly looked the part. Golden curls were swept atop her head with a few elegant tendrils floating about the beautifully made up face and sweeping into piercing blue eyes that shone with barely withheld tears. Her thin, statuesque form was accentuated in an appealing yet sweet and perfectly innocent fashion, and her unseen spectator leaned lightly into the door, basking in the sweet scent of Jane that pervaded the room.
The bride herself could be seen wringing her hands nervously, trying to force a convincing smile to remain fixed on her pale visage. "Hello, I'm... Mrs. Collins... Mrs. Jane... Collins. Flows better than Bingley, if nothing else." Her light chuckle dripped with melancholy as she sank onto a chaise, the laugh morphing into a sob, her weeping wracking her slight frame. She glanced up only when the door swung fully open, only to be just as hurriedly closed.
Bingley crossed the room in a few long strides and dropped to his knees beside her. "I must beg you not to cry, Miss Bennet. Tears do not become you." He gazed into her eyes, interpreting the shocked and slightly horrified expression as an invitation to continue. "Dearest Jane, I cannot begin to describe how fully I regret my behavior toward you. Quite frankly, I am disgusted with myself, but if you can stand a fool as great as me, I humbly beg your forgiveness and reentrance into your heart." He smiled ever so slightly and grasped her hands.
There was a moment in which he thought she would return the smile, but his relieved sigh turned into a yelp of pain as her palm collided with his face rather forcefully. He lay sprawled on the floor, his face contorted into a frozen mask of mortification. He gingerly felt his cheek and opened his suddenly dry mouth to speak before a harsh whisper sliced through the newfound tension of the room.
"How dare you, Charles Bingley?" Jane hissed, backing into a corner, bright eyes clouded, stormy and wild. "How dare you, you cowardly little man, how dare you!" Her voice steadily rose, then broke. "You have had months to apologize, and at any point I gladly would have loved you again, but you pick now? My wedding day?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously, tears and fury swirling as the intense, oppressive silence lingered. "Please, sir, I entreat you; explain this imbecilic logic."
Bingley rose slowly, deliberately, calculating just how much he could make her listen to before she inevitably forced him out. "Jane... you must understand, I left to nurse a broken heart, inflicted not by you but by my closest family and greatest friend. I admit I was wrong, for I did not even attempt to ascertain your feelings by actually talking to you, and I am ashamed to have learned just how wrong I was. I return to you a broken man, and while I no doubt caused you even greater suffering than I endured, I can only apologize as sincerely as any man ever can and pledge to spend my life earning your respect and adoration." Shining blue met cloudy blue as their eyes locked, and the girl found herself momentarily faltering.
"But... Mr. Bingley," her voice resharpened, the cold edge more prominent than ever, "I am to become Mrs. Collins today. Do you expect me to pay this man the same favor you paid me?"
He knew not how to respond to that, so instead cast about for an explanation. "Please, Jane-"("I would prefer Miss Bennet or Mrs. Collins, actually") "I am going to be completely honest with you. When I first heard you were engaged to him, I thought Darcy was just trying to make me forget about you. Or maybe force me back to you? He's a complex man." Bingley smiled ruefully, eyes boring steadfastly into the wall over Jane's shoulder. "I honestly could not believe you would ever consider marrying him. But... you are. I was told that he proposed to your sister when you thought I was going to propose to you last winter, and that you agreed to marry him after I left to please your family and Collins. Never once was I told that you wanted to become his wife." He paused, hoping she would confirm his assertion.
" Charles... Mr. Bingley... I once wanted to marry a man. He evidently did not care nearly as much about marrying me." She also refused to look at him, staring at an embroidered cushion.
Bingley smirked. "God, Jane, do you have to be so beautiful when you stomp on my heart?" Her eyes snapped sharply to his, and he continued. "Listen, I heard your father was either too sick or too stubborn to attend, so... I thought... uh... I thought I would come see you. Miss Bennet, if you can be with me, then please, take me out of my misery. But if you truly wish to become Collins' wife, allow me to step in to give you away." He stopped, chest heaving, hand rising to brush away the rebellious drop of moisture that had escaped his eye.
She sighed and took a few steps toward him, gentler gaze once again averted. She finally spoke, her voice softer than he had ever heard it. "What would you have me do, Charles? Forget the nights I cried myself to sleep? Erase the days I spent convincing my parents, my sisters, myself that I was over you?" She shook her head. "No."
He closed the gap between them, stroking her face briefly before taking both her hands in his. "Does he make you happy, Jane? Just... please... tell me that."
As if awoken from a trance, Jane dropped Bingley's hands and shoved him back roughly. "Does he make me happy? Really?" She laughed coldly. "I stopped caring about my happiness when the man I loved left me without even the nerve to say goodbye. This marriage will satisfy William, and it will satisfy my family. As you have made abundantly clear, my feelings have no bearing on anyone else's, so really, it matters not whether I'm happy." At that most inopportune of moments, Bingley noticed Jane's violent response loosened her curls and she looked more breathtaking than he had ever seen her. He pulled her close before he could stop himself and she sobbed into his shoulder. He briefly considered how wrong this was, holding another man's fiancee this way, but then he realized her scent and warmth were enveloping and intoxicating him and he could not care about Bill Collins.
"Jane... oh, Jane... I thought you didn't care for me but were too kind to say so. I sought to save both our hearts, and for my idiocy I apologize. But please, if you are not happy and you still love me, do not marry him." He dropped to one knee and gazed deeply into her eyes, desperation creeping into his voice. "Marry me."
Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, eyes squeezed shut as she steadied herself. "Understand, I am to be married today. That must be dealt with. That said... my answer is yes. A thousand times, yes!" She pulled Bingley up and held him closely, hot tears and joyful laughter escaping all at once. Her blush endeared her to him as much as it always had, and he passionately leaned in to consummate the embrace.
"Wait... Charles," she pulled back. "Just holding each other like this is improper enough. We can't..." she quirked her eyebrows, realizing how brightly her face flushed at the thought of just kissing the man.
He laughed heartily in response. "My dear, is that all that worries you? Darling, it was not proper, nor was it kind, to all but declare my intentions to propose before slipping away with no explanation. Nor was it terribly proper to come to your wedding uninvited with the sole intention of stealing you from your fiance. Propriety is clearly not one of my major concerns." He then cut off her protests with a fiery kiss, which she gladly returned. "Besides, people can gossip if they want. I am marrying you, and that's really all that matters. By the way," he added, voice dropping to a husky whisper, "I love you, Jane Bennet."
She smiled into his warm lips, murmuring, "What a coincidence, Charles Bingley. As it happens, I love you as well." That said, their lips met again, muffled giggles filling the room.
****************************
Several minutes later, Elizabeth Bennet burst into the room as her mother had instructed her. "Janie," she sang, "it's time to meet your doom- I mean, groom, I mean... oh." She paused awkwardly, before grinning widely at the mussed, embarrassed couple. "When exactly did our cousin become tall, handsome and redheaded? I suddenly regret turning him down."
"Oh, Elizabeth! Such a kidder... how is... everything?" Bingley choked out, weak smile humorously offsetting his ridiculously messy hair.
"Hello, Mr. Bingley," she replied sweetly. "Everything is going swimmingly now that you have come back. I take it I can announce this farce is over and you two will be marrying?"
"If you'd like," Jane managed, trying to tug out a bit of hair that had somehow lodged itself in Bingley's coat button. "Tell William I'm sorry, but I'm sure he'll find someone."
"Gladly. You two fix yourselves up and get out there before the bored old ladies start swapping theories." She exited quietly, though her humming(and skipping?) could be heard quite clearly as she retreated down the hall.
"Well, Mr. Bingley, shall we descend into the lion's den?" Jane asked, letting her hair down fully and smoothing her dress.
"I'd really rather not, you know," he responded cheerily before taking her hand. "But for you, love? Anything."
FIN
Thoughts? Questions? Football predictions?
Drop me a line, yo. Or review.
Yeah... the latter...
Methinks I shall write a oneshot regarding the popular theory that nice guy + nice girl = boring marriage, while E&D are always passionate and yadayadaya. Screw that. Everyone assumes that Jane and Bingley will be more mundane, but yeah. No. FAIL.
It won't be graphic or anything, just a simple evaluation of them, focusing only on them. Though a few other characters do pop up.
So look out for that one.