A Pride and Prejudice Christmas Carol

Chapter Four

DONG

DONG

DONG

Bingley had gone leaving behind him a swirling mist that filled the Bennet's parlour. Standing by Elizabeth he watched longingly as she began to fade. There was a long silence and Darcy turned around watching for the third spirit.

Finally a figure began to emerge through the fog. Wrapped in a long dark cloak with a full hood the figure walked forwards one arm outstretched, a finger pointing.

"Are…are you the third spirit?" Swallowing nervously Darcy watched as the swirling fog wrapped around the spirit who glided towards him silently. There was no response but as the spirit neared it began to slowly raise both its arms to grasp the edges of the hood. "I am prepared to learn with a thankful heart every lesson you have to teach me." Darcy said, his heart was pounding in his chest and he wondered for a moment if the spirit could hear it. Taking a deep breath he willed his hands to stop trembling and watched as the spirit began to lower the hood. Chestnut curls emerged followed by a pale brow and bewitching dark eyes. "Elizabeth." He breathed out taking a step forwards a hand raised to cup her cheek, remembering himself he lowered his hand clenching and unclenching it as the woman he loved looked at him with a stern expression on her face.

"Follow." She said but one word and though he knew that this apparition before him was not his Elizabeth he fought the instinct that wanted him to follow her to the ends of the earth if that was what she desired.

Elizabeth turned and began to walk through the swirling mist and after staring at her for a moment longer he hurriedly followed.

As they walked the mist parted forming two great waves at either side of them, Elizabeth walked on paying no attention to the waves and Darcy followed staring at the swirling, writhing waves of fog.

Finally they emerged through the mist into a room that Darcy did not recognise, it had high ceilings and overly decadent furniture, rich papers covered the walls and an extravagant chandelier hung over a rug he could only describe as showy. Every surface was covered in winter greenery, velvet ribbons and candles, baubles glinted in the candle light and sprigs of holly were pinned to door frames. Elizabeth was standing in the room her face expressionless.

"Where are we?"

"Watch." Elizabeth said her voice a monotone in comparison to her usual teasing tones.

Darcy watched; a slightly older but richly dressed Caroline Bingley entered the room, she wore a haughty smile as she ran her fingers across the back of a chair and sighed in exaggerated contentment.

"Husband you should come and see my decorations for Christmas, the neighbours will truly see who the superior family is when they enter this room."

"Someone married Caroline?" Darcy asked Elizabeth who turned to him and raised one eyebrow. "Who is it; do I know the poor man?" He chuckled at the thought of the poor sod she had trapped in what could only be a miserable marriage. "Oh, is it Barnet or maybe Mayhew they might not be fast enough to escape her." He turned to watch her and a glint of a ring caught his eye, swallowing he felt bile rise in his throat. "Why are we here spirit, why do we watch Caroline Bingley?"

"She is Caroline Bingley no more." Elizabeth said passively.

"Who is she? Spirit tell me who is the unfortunate man who wed this woman?"

A man entered the room, where once he walked tall he now had the air of a man being led to the guillotine, his face was drawn and his eyes lacked their usual spark of life.

"She is now Caroline Darcy, though you withstood her attentions for years eventually you could not withstand her manipulations. This is your second year of marriage."

Though the older Darcy could only have been nearing thirty-four he looked much older worn down as he was by Caroline's manipulations.

Darcy looked around the room once more noticing now what he had not before, the room they stood in was the main parlour at Pemberley, a room that once his mother had decorated with taste and elegance. Now it was a room of poor taste and even poorer style.

"My mother's furniture, her decorations they have now become this?"

"With your purse at her disposal Caroline did not take long to entirely redecorate Pemberley to reflect her new found status, your family name is now mocked in the higher circles, your sister was forced to marry quickly to escape her new sister."

"How could I let this happen?"

"You chose duty for your family over the duty to your heart. This unhappy marriage is the product of the choices you have made."

"I wish to see no more spirit, please show me something better please show me Bingley surely he will bring some joy to my heart?"

Elizabeth said nothing and instead stared at him as the room filled with fog.

When the fog cleared they were standing in Bingley's London parlour, his friend was sitting by the fire a forced smile on his face.

"Bingley, he looks…what has happened to him?" Bingley did look very ill indeed, he was thinner than usual and looked positively miserable despite the smile. A woman dressed in finery was sat on the opposite side of the room; she was working on embroidery and seemed to pay Bingley no attention.

"When are Mr and Mrs Hurst to arrive?" Bingley finally asked and the woman looked up.

"They should arrive soon Husband providing the snow does not keep them."

"I do wish we could have wintered in the country."

"But think of the parties and dinners we would miss. No, we certainly cannot leave we have our reputations to think of."

Mrs Bingley was attractive, dark haired and willowy with a sweet face and large dark eyes, she wore green silk and the jewels in her hair sparkled in the candle light. Darcy thought he recognised her, a lady of the upper circles whose Mama had often chased him as a potential husband for her daughter. He had thought her beautiful but lacking in creativity or intellect, she was a poor wife for Bingley who though he might not appear to be the intellectual often hid his intelligence to disarm his business opponents.

"I shall be in my study please let me know when my sister and her husband arrive."

Darcy turned to Elizabeth, "How could he marry this woman?"

"With his sister married to his best friend he had nobody to help him stand up to her, you are cowed in your marriage and cannot save your friend from a loveless marriage. But isn't this what you wanted?"

"No, no I…no!" Running his hands through his hair Darcy watched Mrs Bingley, she seemed unconcerned to her husband's poor mood and had returned to her embroidery. "Yes…you're right this is what I wanted but I would never have wished him to marry someone so wholly unsuitable."

"She is in the correct circle; her family are influential and can raise him to meet the right people."

"He does not love her!" Elizabeth turned to stare at him and he felt his cheeks burn with humiliation as his words registered. "What have I done?" Sinking to the floor Darcy felt tears sting his eyes and he wiped at them furiously. "This is the result of my power and influence, two miserable marriages and more to come! No more Elizabeth I will see no more!"

"Do you not wish to know of Jane Bennet and her sister?"

"Do not show me their torment Spirit, please I cannot bare it."

Elizabeth nodded the expression on her face almost sympathetic. "Our journey is not yet complete there is more to show you. Come the time moves on."

"Please Spirit do not torment me further."

"I do what I must; for you to change your path you must complete this journey."

From his position on the floor Darcy could only watch helplessly as the mist rolled in and he was sitting on the parlour floor of Longbourn. Jane, older but just as beautiful, was sat sewing she wore no ring on her finger but instead seemed to be wrapped in an air of melancholy. Mrs Bennet was reading from a letter excitedly but Jane did not appear to be listening.

"They are going to France in the spring and then will spend the summer in Bath, isn't that exciting?" Without pausing for a reply Mrs Bennet turned her attention back to the letter. "They hope to be with us next Christmas, oh a whole year without my darling girl!"

"Who does she talk about?" Darcy asked, the room was empty of the sisters with the exception of Jane and he could only hope that the letter was from one of the younger girls.

"Watch."

Closing his eyes irritably at her usual choice of reply Darcy could only listen and hope that the name would be revealed.

"Oh she says she does not walk as much now but the gardens in London are very beautiful when she can walk around them."

"Walk?" Darcy sighed, he should have expected this, surely another man would see what a treasure Elizabeth Bennet was, such beauty and wit would attract another man who would be willing to follow his heart.

"Oh Jane how wonderful Lizzy I mean Mrs York is, such jewels and carriages, such pin money! Oh I need my smelling salts just thinking about it!"

"She does not love him." Jane said quietly but with a determination that was rare in the demure Miss Bennet.

"Oh pish, what does love matter when you have such riches! Ten thousand a year! She will certainly do no better! Besides, it is not like you have married to save us, Lizzy knew what she was doing for her family and look at the prize she has won. Oh I am so glad she turned down that odious Mr Collins, to think she could have been the mistress of Longbourn but she was clever that girl now she is the mistress of Huxley Manor!"

Jane looked as if she was about to say something but instead merely focused on her sewing though her knuckles were white from clenching her hands and her eyes were swimming in tears.

"York? She married Edward York? But he's a womaniser and a cad and how could she marry him?"

"When Bingley left Hertfordshire Jane tried to move on but her love for him was too strong, she will never marry. Mrs Bennet grew increasingly desperate over her daughter's refusal to marry and Elizabeth in an act of true love for her sister married a man who needed a wife so that he could remain respectable in the eyes of society. It went against her beliefs about marriage but to save her sister she would do anything even marry the one man she could never love."

"This is all my fault. I have to do something." Getting to his feet he began to pace across the room. Elizabeth watched him once more impassive; her eyes followed him as he paced back and forth.

"Please Spirit tell me that things work out for Elizabeth that he loves her and she loves him and they are happy, please tell me that her love for him makes him a better man? If I can know that then I can at least rest knowing that the one woman I have ever loved will be okay without me."

"I can only see into the future of Christmases but I see a lonely meal year after year, I see a husband neglecting his duties and a wife old before her time."

Cursing Darcy grabbed his hair and pulled at it, "Spirit this cannot be right, I must change this but how?" He continued pacing and then finally stopped in front of Elizabeth.

"I must make you love me."

"I am the spirit of Christmas yet to come."

"I am in love with Elizabeth Bennet and I will make her my wife."

For once the dour spirit smiled, it was a small smile but it was a smile nonetheless. "There is much you must do to change things, if you carry on down the path you have chosen the visions I have shown you will remain the same."

"I have to do something; I have to undo all of this."

"If only Lydia were here to celebrate with us."

"You know Papa will not allow her to be here."

Darcy turned to watch the scene unfolding, apparently the spirit had more she wished to show him.

"I hope she is okay and Emily."

"Lizzy sends her money when she can but you know she can never be brought back into society not as an unwed mother." Jane said calmly her face a mask.

"Oh I curse the day she met George Wickham he has ruined my girl and now where is he? Nowhere to be found."

"Wickham, what did he do?" Darcy asked his stomach churning at the mere mention of the man he so despised.

"He seduced Lydia Bennet, they ran away together and he left her pregnant and alone in London."

"By the Gods I wish I had never heard the name George Wickham, that I had strung him up when I had the chance!" Darcy roared, "I must stop this, I must speak to Bingley at once and Mr Bennet, this must never happen. I have a chance to save this girl and I cannot fail, for Elizabeth I will reveal everything Wickham has done." He began to pace again. "But how can I reveal everything without dragging my sisters name through the mud, she is innocent in all of this to reveal it would ruin her." Cursing again he wrapped his arms around his waist feeling the satin of his robe and wishing that he could wake up and this would all be a dream. "I must speak to Mr Bennet and swear him to secrecy of my sister's role in this sordid tale, Wickham will surely have worked up debts that would be enough to prove his character is not as it appears. Surely there will be maids who have been sullied, enough to show Meryton the character of the man they so love."

Stopping to face Elizabeth he grabbed her in a hug feeling the softness of her body against his own.

"Thank you Spirit, you have changed me. I am a new man; I will no longer live in selfishness and pride. I will change the fates of my friends and I will win the heart of Elizabeth."

"You need not thank me, changing your path and the fates of those around you will be thanks enough."

"I will keep Christmas in my heart and keep the lessons you and the other spirits have taught me at the forefront of my mind. But we must go, time is short! I must awake, there is much to do!"

Elizabeth turned to look at the clock in the parlour, Darcy turned to watch as the clock began to chime the hour.

"Thank you Spirit, thank you and God bless you!"

DONG

DONG

DONG

DONG

Darcy woke up clutching his bed sheets his pillows at the end of the bed, hurriedly opening his curtains he leapt out of bed frightening the life out of the maid who was lighting the fire in his room.

"What day is it?"

"Excuse me Sir?"

"What day is it girl? Am I late have I missed it?"

"It's Christmas day Sir."

Darcy gave a whoop of joy and lunging forward picked the maid up in a hug.

"It was done in one night, they can do that you know, I have learned the most amazing lessons and I must go, but I cannot, please send for my man servant and a happy Christmas to you!" The startled maid found herself giggling at the joy her master was showing and bobbing a curtsey hurried out of the room.

Darcy could barely contain himself, he spun and danced and sang, his heart feeling as light as a feather, his mind as giddy as a school boys. When his man servant entered the room a minute later he gave him his warmest greetings and offered him and all of the servants a raise on the spot.

Once dressed he rushed out of the room. He had much to do this fine Christmas morning.

A/N: Hahahaha this chapter is finally done, it took two glasses of wine and three movies but it is done.

The next chapter will be up Christmas day but this story is not finished yet. This changes everything, from this point the story can only be different from the novel and I plan on writing this.

My writing group is planning on doing a longer version of Nanowrimo but over a longer period. 100 days, 1000 words a day. Now, I can either do a chapter a day but have it short or post every three days with a 3000 word chapter. This is entirely up to you. Let me know what you guys want me to do! I'm happy to do it either way.

I would probably start the next story February time (I'm not sure when the group plans to do the 100 day thing yet but I promise that it will be early next year) and I'm so excited to continue this story, obviously for it to last so many words I'm going to need to do something big to piss Lizzy off or they will be married within 5000 words and that would be the end of that. So all answers, ideas, wishes and whatnots can be written in a review and we will make next year a great year for Pride and Prejudice lovers everywhere.

See you on Christmas day with the final chapter of this story which I have loved writing so much.

Also, the final chapter will contain a bit of my reasoning for choosing who would represent the spirits, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and thank you so much for the lovely reviews. I love you all.