DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pride and Prejudice or any material related to it. Hello everyone! Here is my first Pride and Prejudice fanfic, it can be taken as either book or PPZ universe, but it has several allusions to the book version. Enjoy!
The ruthless mid-October rain showers were unnaturally brutal that Saturday morning, even for the occupants of the Longbourn residence, nestled away in the countryside of Hertfordshire, Great Britain. None had seen a monstrous storm like this for quite some time, nearing about a decade that the residents of Hertfordshire had witnessed weather of this severity and cruelty. To be more specific, the occupants, sheltered from the raging winds and rain, included Mr. and Mrs. Bennet; four of the five Bennet daughters; their beloved uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner; and Mr. Charles Bingley, accompanied by his most loyal friend, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. The company tried in vain to lift each other's spirits through the relentless storm, yet a few missing key members of the party had many of the group deep in worry.
Jane, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia were all accounted for; yet, the notable missing presence of Elizabeth Bennet was felt by her dearest sister, Jane, and her admirer, unbeknownst to the rest of the house, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. However, Jane was a bit more open in her distress than Mr. Darcy, for he could not express any emotion in regards to the missing Miss Elizabeth Bennet without the remainder of the company clueing in on his secret feelings for the second eldest Bennet daughter. Mr. Bingley tightly gripped Jane's hand from beneath the table in silent support and reassurance, and for that she was grateful. They were all seated in the family room, adjacent to the fireplace, save for Mr. Bennet, who slid away into his library at the earliest opportunity, and Mr. Darcy, who paced around the room.
He haphazardly listened to the rest of the room's conversation, primarily dominated by the chatty Mrs. Bennet who seemed to be more encouraged to talk than ever before; yet, would lend an attentive ear at the sound of Miss Elizabeth Bennet's name spoken every so often.
This occasion would only occur when Jane heard a loud crackle of lightning resonate from outside and, very apologetically, would interrupt her mother's tangent to ask, "Mama, shouldn't we search for Lizzy? It's as if this storm grows fiercer by the minute!"
Bingley would squeeze her hand in response while Mrs. Bennet, quite annoyed at the interruption during her explanation of her famed cobbler recipe or favorite travel destinations to her guests, would respond, "Fear not, my sweetest Jane, for Lizzy is the most masculine of my children and her lack of feminine grace, coupled with her wild nature, will guide her through this light shower."
Her glowing smile and an airy tone accompanied a powerful blast of lightning and roar of thunder, only to cause Mr. Gardiner to add, "What 'light shower' do you speak of, Sister? For this strikes me more as a waterfall from the Heavens than a measly bit of rain!"
Mr. Darcy, inwardly fuming at Mrs. Bennet's lack of regard and unkind words towards her daughter, his sweet Elizabeth, quite agreed with Mr. Gardiner's position. Though it was only noon, the storm had begun not two hours prior, it was perceived that Hertfordshire had not seen the worst of this abominable weather yet.
Mrs. Bennet, quite taken aback by her Mr. Gardiner's remark, quickly recomposed to suggest that Mary display her musical talents for the party as Mr. Gardiner excused himself from the room to join Mr. Bennet in his library.
All could agree with Mr. Gardiner's lapse in propriety for Miss Elizabeth Bennet was not the only missing member in the company, both Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner's younger boys were bracing the harsh elements of the outdoors. Another clap of lightning rustled Mrs. Gardiner 's and Miss Jane Bennet's nerves, prompting Mr. Bingley to relax the crowd with his good-natured humor and lulling voice.
"Allow me," Bingley addressed the room with a smile, "to reiterate a most felicitous anecdote I had the pleasure of listening to in London not a fortnight ago…"
Mr. Bingley continued, Jane's appreciation for her fiancé's compassion and worry for her younger sister shone in her eyes. Mr. Darcy himself was growing more agitated for his beloved's safety by the minute. The very qualities her mother so ungracefully addressed were the key components that caused Darcy to fall in love with Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
He and Bingley had arrived just a half of an hour after Elizabeth walked the path to Meryton with the younger boys of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. The elder girls had stayed back in London with their governess during their schooling months. Both Jane and Elizabeth were favorites among the Gardiner children and, had it not been for the imminent arrival of Jane's future husband, Charles Bingley, to Longbourn, the eldest Bennet would have joined the small party on their journey to the neighboring city of Meryton.
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner trusted the two eldest Bennet sisters as if they were part of the immediate Gardiner family. The couple was delighted to see the young Gardiners getting along so well with their elder Bennet cousins and were in an even greater state of splendor when Elizabeth proposed to accompany the children to Meryton as an exciting change of scenery for the limited attention span of children.
With that, they were off before the clock struck ten that morning, ten-and-thirty marking the arrival of Mr. Bingley, and the surprise guest appearance of Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy quite enjoyed the company and propriety of the Gardiners, much in comparison to their familial relations with the ill-mannered Mrs. Bennet. He much despised the fact that she had only a single passion for marrying off her daughters at the soonest possible convenience and the lack of similarity between his love, Elizabeth, and her mother only proved their weak relationship.
Mr. Darcy did not notify the Bennets of his unexpected arrival at Longbourn, for he did not know of his visit to the Bennet household until Bingley mentioned the quick stop on their way to Netherfield. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, the intolerable Miss Bingley, and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst were to remain at Netherfield for the winter, similar to their arrangements from the previous year when Bingley first acquainted himself with Jane, and he beheld the beautiful Elizabeth Bennet for the first time.
Her playful and alluring dark eyes, gorgeous physique, well-respected manners, and determined personality only skimmed the surface of his affection for the lovely Elizabeth Bennet. As the clock marked two hours since the departure of Miss Bennet and the Gardiner children, Mr. Darcy could not fathom they were returning to the sheltered safety of Longbourn without difficulty.
As Mrs. Bennet continued to ramble, the men smoked their pipes in the library, Mary practiced on the viola, Jane upheld her worried expression, Mrs. Gardiner tightly clung to the hat of one of her children, Bingley lovingly supported his fiancé, and the remaining Bennet daughters looked exceedingly bored, Mr. Darcy determined he would take matters into his own hands and search for the small party in the worst storm accounted for in the last ten years in Hertfordshire.