Gentlemen and Gentlewomen
Pride and Prejudice Fan fiction
Beginning at the wedding
Summary: Lizzie begins to adjust to her new position in life and society and all its splendors but also begins to miss her old life's society and liberties.
Chapter One: Our Story Begins
Disclaimer: As this is a *fan*fiction, I can not even attempt to claim the characters or references in Pride and Prejudice. If Jane Austen finds offence in my amusement, she is free to return from the grave and sue me. As such a disclaimer is so obvious, I will not repeat it in the future chapters.
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Our story begins where we left off. If the reader will remember, Mr. Darcy is married to Elizabeth (née Bennett), and Mr. Bingley to Elizabeth's older sister Jane. The youngest of the former Bennett girls, Lydia, is married to an officer, Mr. Wickham. In truth, the story was concluded by stating that the Bingleys had moved to Derbyshire, and that Elizabeth and Georgiana became quite attached. So, indeed, our story begins before the end of the previous and we find Mr. Darcy and Lizzy taking a stroll in a hidden closure of the Longbourn garden.
"I am afraid, my dear," Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy began, "that Pemberly is a horrid residence in the winter, as one is reminded of its state in the summer everyday."
"A horrid residence indeed! What ever gave you the thought that Derbyshire could be ugly at anytime. I, myself, have yet to see the powdery blanket of snow upon the wild, untamed peaks—undeniably it has needs to be quite beautiful in its own way, but as I aforementioned, I have yet to see a winter at Pemberly, though I daresay I shalt not be disappointed on any regard. Georgiana will liven the place with music of hymns and carols at Christmas, and fill all our hearts with joy. I have already written to my aunt, as you saw—I invited them for the joyous holiday, but I forgot to ask you."
"'Twill be your home as well, my dear, and thus you are free to invite your aunt and uncle Gardiner on any occasion—I find that I find them very amiable and they shall visit often whether or not you invite them, for I shall myself"
"In any case, we shall spend the wedding night at Netherfield and travel in the morning by means of the carriage and stay there for the winter. Georgiana has expressed a wish to return to town, but I could not have her there alone."
"Indeed not," replied Miss Bennett, "but that should mean that we will be unable to stay in Pemberly for the winter!"
"No, indeed, my deer. Bingley and your sister are also traveling the following morning, only their destination is to be London. Georgiana and Mrs. Annesly will stay with Miss Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. And"
"And I shall be quite lonely; you undoubtedly will have business affairs to settle."
"No, indeed! You will be obliged to search the local stores and shops for garments that will become you so that I shall not be disgraced to be seen in public."
"Since my father must pay for the wedding clothes, you will indeed be most disgraced at the wedding!"
"Standing at your side shall never be a disgrace, no matter the amount of teasing I may do unto you," were the last words spoken, as the couple rounded the corner and the lady entered the house left with a departing kiss upon her hand.
Lizzy ascended the stairs and was assisted into her nightgown by Mrs. Hill, who the reader will remember is a servant at Longbourn. As opposed to lying for slumber, however, Lizzy crept into her sister's room to engage herself in a tête-à-tête or for some silly gossiping that is often to be seen from the younger sisters, but most definitely not to be seen to outsiders from Jane and Lizzy, indeed not even to their own relations. On this night, Jane recollected a conversation dated a few months, if not a year.
"Lizzy, do you remember our conversation last—I daresay, I know not how many months it has been since that discourse—but you explained to me, that I would have no need to make a choice of marriage for love or for money, and mine was the reply that perhaps you would be faced with such a choice"
"Aye, but do you not recollect a former conversation of ours, the one in which I was determined to not marry with the exception of the deepest love, or I should not marry at all, and instead teach your ten children to be very ill accomplished!"
"What a contradiction! Ill accomplished, indeed!"
"Well, such conversations are better to be forgotten, for though you had no need of that choice, so fortunate was I as well. Quite unexpected, I daresay! And these conversations have no inducement upon Mamma on her choice of a favorite daughter"
"Indeed, I am no longer the favorite of Mamma's, which pleases me greatly for I am not as entitled to such praise!"
"'Twas rightfully bestowed upon you. Lydia," the reader may remember to be the original favorite, "disgraced herself, and in my opinion, had no right to boast of her marriage, as she did," Jane began to protest, but was silenced by Lizzy's continuation. "I have always been the favorite of father's and need no excess attention that a favored child inherits. But you, dear Jane, continue, generous and modest to a fault, much like your Bingley. Nay, nay, when I met you after his proposal, you showed most interest in being happy by proving so useful to your relations, particularly your sisters. That was what brought you happiness. You are indeed the most unselfish creature I have ever met, or that I am likely to in the near future, or future in general. You are the most unselfish person ever bourn upon this earth and the most generous of those who will grace it with their presence! And yet you are unwilling to accept such praise! I will take leave of you now, and you may submit yourself to fanciful reveries and dreams of a particular man." Lizzy extinguished the candle on the dresser as she closed the door behind her, and ventured to her own bedchamber, where her nightly duties were done before allotting herself to fall into a deep slumber.
A/N: This is my first attempt at a P&P fan fiction. Please R&R
I am so sorry that this seemed to be in a bad format, it wasn't like that on my computer. I also know that it has taken me forever to update it. For that I am also sorry