Thanks again to my beta ElizabethAnneSoph. I don't own Pride and Prejudice. This is my second of three chapters this week. Please rate and review.
Last time: Collins proposed to Elizabeth and she rejected him. He then proposed to Mary and she accepted him
Hanneli Bites
It was time for the Darcy's and the Bingley's to leave Netherfield. The Bingley's were to spend Christmas in London and Darcy wanted Hanneli to spend her birthday with his Uncle and Aunt the Earl and Countess of Matlock. It was the one time in the year that all the family got together in one room for a week. For the past three years Darcy hadn't attended the London gathering but they invited themselves to Pemberley each year to celebrate Hanneli's birthday and later Christmas. This year Hanneli would truly be able to appreciate it the only downside of having it in London is that Darcy couldn't wrap up his daughter and take her on a sleigh ride in the snow. Even as a baby she loved the sleigh rides and now as she was approaching her 4th birthday she loved them even more. For Hanneli it was her first Christmas and birthday of significance. She was the youngest Darcy and the youngest Fitzwilliam she relished the attention. None of her half cousins on the Fitzwilliam side had married. Her half cousin the Viscount of Bakewell known to the family as Freddy had yet to marry. His sister Roberta know to Hanneli as Auntie Bert who at 30 hadn't found someone to be tied to and neither had her beloved Uncle Dick. Her other half cousins the Darcy's and the Philpots and Washingtons had much older children who she rarely saw. She had once said to her Uncle Dick that when her father died he would be her father. He'd laughed it off then he told Darcy. Hanneli was too bright for her age.
Hanneli was sat in between Darcy and Caroline Bingley who secretly thought that they made quite a pleasant family group. When they were married she would see to it that Hanneli travelled in her own carriage with her nanny and governess leaving her and Darcy a chance to become a member of the post-chaise and four club ideally it would be on the road to Pemberley her future home.
"We make quite the family do we not Mr Darcy? With us keeping young Miss Darcy safe. I think that she has my colouring" Miss Bingley proudly announced.
"She has her mother's colouring your colouring is too dark for Mrs Darcy was as pale as sheet. Miss Darcy takes after her. We could never be mistaken for family Miss Bingley." Darcy said.
"But we do look alike don't we Charles. Can you see the resemblance?" Miss Bingley protested.
"No Caroline. You look nothing like Miss Hanna. Even if you tried with white powder which I might add has been out of fashion for a long time. Miss Hanna is the perfect English Rose with her white skin and beautiful lips. She will break hearts one day. You Caroline will not." It was a shock for Caroline to be stood up to by Charles. Why was everyone taken in by this little girl? She put her fingers under Hanneli's chin.
Inside Hanneli's head she was thinking that she could take her chance and make sure that Miss Bingley will stay away from her Papa. Her hand was where she wanted it. In a quick flash blood was seeping from Caroline's hand. Caroline picked up Hanneli and put her over her knee in a second. When Darcy noticed a few seconds later that Caroline was beating Hanneli as hard as she could he picked her up off Caroline's knee and soothed her. She was crying her eyes out. He would have to soothe her more later. He wasn't angry with her. He could never be angry with her but harsh words would be said when they got home but harsh words would be given to Miss Bingley now.
"How DARE you touch my daughter." Darcy shouted. His anger was building up inside even more than it had been when his daughter was being beaten.
"She bit me. You should be reprimanding her not me." Miss Bingley protested. How dare her future husband take his daughters side over hers. Hanneli was a child and she was an adult.
"You beat her without my permission. She is my daughter to punish. You have no right to touch my daughter. She is three years old. She doesn't know what is right and wrong. STOP THE CARRIAGE" Darcy shouted and hit the roof. The carriage came to a halt. They were in the middle of nowhere. It was raining.
"Miss Bingley. GET OUT." Darcy said.
"Now wait Darcy this is my sister. You can't throw her out in the middle of nowhere." Bingley protested.
"I will see that she is thrown out at the next village to catch the public stagecoach. She will sit with the coachman." Darcy said. He wanted her out of his sight. He wanted to be alone with Hanneli. He pushed Miss Bingley out of the carriage on to the ground. It was muddy and she had mud on her face and on her gown and cloak. She scrambled to get back into the coach but he shut the door. The coachman hearing his master's outburst refused to help her up onto the top of the carriage.
"Help me damn you. And get me some cloth so I can bind my hand. Now or you may regret it." Caroline shouted. She would not be insulted by her future husband. She got on to the top of the carriage and it started to move again. The coachman who valued his job didn't give her anything to bind her hand. She had to tear her dress to make a binding for her hand.
Caroline was made to sit on top of the carriage until they reached London. Darcy had been holding Hanneli in his arms soothing her. After the incident he decided to speak to Hanneli. Bingley got out his book and shut his ears for the tender moment between father and daughter.
"Hanneli you shouldn't have done that to Miss Bingley. I want you to promise me you'll never do it again."
"Yes Papa."
"Do you understand me Hanneli?"
"Yes Papa."
"I love you."
"I love you Papa." She nuzzled her head into his beard and fell asleep in his arms.
Bingley looked at Darcy and his daughter. They were the closest father and daughter he'd seen in his life. Hanneli could do no wrong and Caroline could do no right. She would be sent to their relatives in Newcastle upon Tyne as soon as he could arrange it. Perhaps his relatives would knock some sense into her.