Title: Pride
Author: rooster dawn
Alternative Universe
Summary: Harm and Mac act out Pride and Prejudice
Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.
Pride & Prejudice is the property of Jane Austen
(First known as First Impressions)
: Warner Brothers 1940
: BBC 1979
: Arts and Entertainment Network/BBC co-production 1995
: Universal Studio 2005
no copyright infringement intended.
Please let me know what you think, it's the only way I can write better stories for you.
part twenty five What is the Truth
Later that morning Mrs. Burnett caught up with her husband. She wanted to know if he had a good time and what they might have talked about while they were fishing. Her husband had a knack for drawing information out of people.
"How was the fishing?" she asked.
"Good, good. We caught many trout for dinner tonight." he smiled.
"Did you talk to him?" she asked. She was looking for information about what happen last spring between their niece and Mr. Darcy.
"Yes, but he wouldn't say. He may have asked her, but I can't say for sure. I think the problem might have been time and distance." he replied.
"How so?" she asked.
"As you well know from Jordan, Mr. Keeter and Mr. Darcy left Netherfield last autumn a few days after the ball that Mr. Keeter gave at Netherfield. You also know they spent some time together this spring at Hunsford and Rosings.
We also know that Sarah had some issues with him concerning Mr. Turner. Maybe Mr. Darcy had something to do with Mr. Keeter not returning to Netherfield after he left, but I do not know.
After all Mr. Darcy is Mr. Keeter's mentor. And we both know from my sister that Sarah didn't like Mr. Darcy." he rambled on.
"So what does that all mean?" she asked. She was more confused now than she was before. Her husband was implying at best something might have happen last spring, but what?
"I don't know, he wouldn't say. He said it was up to Sarah to tell us. Which means what?" he replied shrugging his shoulders.
"He did say he asked her a question in a not so graceful a manner and that he was too proud in the manner in which he utilized to ask her. Maybe that means that in asking her, he offended her. I don't know." he concluded.
"That does make some sense knowing our Sarah. If she doesn't like something she is going to fire back. If he told her he loved her, that would certainly throw her. It might explain their behavior we witness yesterday.
Her feelings for him certainly must have changed. It must be hard to hate someone knowing that they love you. It has to change the way you perceive someone. Maybe that's the real reason she didn't want to come here.
Maybe she doesn't know how to be with someone she has disliked for so long, but now loves herself. Ah ... to be young and in love." she sighed.
All Mr. Burnett could do was laugh and shake his head. His wife was caught up with their young niece's first endeavor with love. It must be hard for a young woman to decide what she is feeling, is it about having a special friend or what it means to be in love.
Author's note: This part of the story is a little different from the book and movie. While the Bingleys actually meet the Gardiners, they weren't all together friendly.
Caroline/Allison character appears to likes Elizabeth/Sarah through the Netherfield Ball, but later dislikes her. I have chosen to have Caroline/Allison still like Elizabeth/Sarah because it makes for a more interesting story.
One of Elizabeth/Sarah perceived strengths is her ability to read people, but when it comes to people who make a poor first impression with her, her views of them are tainted for a long time.
Friday
23 July
Pemberly
The Burnetts and Sarah arrived later that afternoon to visit with Mr. Darcy and his sister Georgiana. Sarah was a little nervous. She wondered what meeting his sister really meant.
Did it mean he still loved her? Did he want to renew his attention towards her? What had he told his sister about her and why had he? Had he told her before he saw her at Rosings Park or afterward?
It must have been before his visit to Rosings, it didn't make any sense for him to tell his sister about her after their blowup. He had told his cousin about her. The Colonel told her Mr. Darcy had many good things to say about her.
Why? Was it some kind of male bonding? Did he have to rationalize his feelings for her to someone else? She wondered what it all meant. Why did it matter to her anyway? She wasn't in love with him or was she?
She didn't have an answer to that question. Did she even know what love was anymore? Harriet had told her for months that Mr. Darcy was in love with her, that he had singled her out. She didn't believe her.
Even Jordan thought Mr. Darcy was in love with her. Jordan even thought there was a possibility that she was in love with Mr. Darcy when they were dancing at the Netherfield Ball. She didn't understand that thought at all.
While she enjoyed the attention that he showed her by dancing with her all night, it hadn't changed anything. She had always told everyone she didn't like him. She never did understand anything he did.
When they entered the room, Georgiana jumped out of her chair and ran half way across the room to greet her. It appeared that she was very happy to see Sarah.
Sarah thought Georgiana was more like her sisters then Mr. Darcy would care to admit. The major difference was she had a little more self control. She could control her actions.
"I'm so glad you have come to visit Ms Sarah, my brother has told me so much about you." she smiled happily.
"Oh, that can't be good. Your brother and I don't see eye to eye very often." teased Sarah.
"Oh no! He only has good things to say about you Ms Sarah. He told me you are a very good dancer, you play the piano and sing quite well, and that you can be quite amusing at times." she argued.
"I think he was just being polite, you know. He is a gentleman of good breeding." smiled Sarah as she first looked at Georgiana and then to Mr. Darcy.
"I would like you to meet my aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Burnett."
Sarah and the Burnetts were sitting in the music room with Mr. Darcy while Georgiana played the piano forte. Everything Sarah had heard about Georgiana's playing ability was true. She was very good.
Sarah almost wished that she had taken the time to practice as much as Georgiana, but she realized that life was more than just playing a piano all day. She heard a commotion coming from the hallway.
It must be the Keeters she thought. She dread seeing them. They had been excellent host at the ball they gave at Netherfield last fall, but they had disappeared shortly thereafter, leaving Jordan heartbroken and her mother sick.
She never could understand why they chose to leave. She had originally supposed that his sisters didn't want Jordan to marry their brother. She later found out Mr. Darcy was also involved in breaking up her sister and Mr. Keeter.
She hated him for doing so. Even now as she was beginning to fall in love with him she didn't know how to resolve her feelings about their betrayal. How could she marry Mr. Darcy and be happy when her sister was still in such emotional pain?
But why was she thinking about marrying Mr. Darcy? She didn't even know if she loved him. She didn't know if he still loved her though his behavior towards her the last couple of days seem to suggest he still cared for her very much.
She liked the man she saw in him here at Pemberly. He was very generous. He seemed to enjoy their company. Not a day went by that they didn't see him or spend time with him. His behavior was much improved, so much so that one would say he was quite amicable.
She stood up when she saw them enter the room. Mr. Keeter was standing there with his sister Allison. Behind them were the Boones. She felt like screaming at them. She wanted to curse them for making her sister so melancholy.
She was surprised when Allison came up to her and gave her a hug and announced how happy she was to see her again.
"I've missed you terribly Ms Sarah for I have had no one to assist me in tormenting Mr. Darcy."
Even Mr. Keeter was happy to see her again as he moaned "It has been much too long since I have had the pleasure of seeing you Ms Sarah, it's been eight months I believe. How is your family, your sisters?"
"They are doing quite well as far as I am told for one never really knows whether someone is feeling any different.
I would like you to meet my uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Burnett. We had been touring Derbyshire when we decided to stop in and see Pemberly while we were in the area. Pemberly is very beautiful.
We were getting ready to leave when I ran into Mr. Darcy. He invited us to dinner tonight and to visit with his sister. He told me you would be coming for a visit." replied Sarah.
"He did say he had a surprise guest visiting Pemberly tonight. So ... Sarah, show me." smiled Allison.
"What? Show you what?" asked a puzzled Sarah as the Burnetts looked on quietly with interest.
"The ring." she replied cheerfully.
"What ring are you talking about Allison?" asked Sarah with a confused look on her face. Mr. Darcy hadn't shown or given her a ring.
"The one Mr. Darcy gave you when he asked you to marry him. It was the reason he went to Rosings Park last spring. His aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, wrote to him to informed him that you were visiting your friend Harriet Lucas.
She told him that she would be sure to invite you to dinner a couple of times a week while you were at Hunsford. He did ask you, didn't he?" asked Allison.
Sarah was stunned at such a revelation. She had wondered why he had stayed as long as he had at Rosings. She had thought their meeting at Rosings had been a chance meeting, nothing more than that. What ring? He had never shown her a ring.
The Burnetts listened very carefully. Their suspicions appeared to have been confirmed that Mr. Darcy had asked Sarah to marry him. If that was true, they wondered why she would have said no. They could see that she loved him now.
But had she love him last spring? If not, why? Why then did she love him now? What had changed between then and now?
Harm cringed when he heard Allison speaking about what might have taken place last spring. Why was she bringing all this up now? He and Ms Sarah were in a good place at the moment.
Bringing up what happened last spring could ruin all the good that had transpired over the last few days. He wanted to tell her to stop, but what good would that do? She wouldn't listen.
That would only raise more questions that he didn't have answers for? It might be best to let Ms Sarah handle Allison. She had a knack of squelching unwanted conversation.
Sarah wondered what was the best way to answer Allison's inquiry. She didn't want anyone to know that Mr. Darcy had asked her. She also didn't want to embarrass him by telling Allison and everyone else that she had said no to him. It really wasn't any of their business.
"I don't know anything about a ring Allison. As to whether or not Mr. Darcy asked me to marry him, that would be between Mr. Darcy and myself. And I'm not at liberty to answer that question for surely the answer might embarrass one or both of us.
And now if you please can we talk about something else of more interest. How has your summer been Mr. Keeter?" Sarah answered coyly.
She later whispered to Allison that they should talk in private about the matter. She was curious to hear more about what Allison knew. Of course she wanted to know more about why she had been unsociable when Jordan was in town visiting the Burnetts.
All the while Mr. Keeter was wondering why it was alright for Darcy to ask Ms Sarah to marry him after Darcy had told him that he shouldn't be with Ms Jordan. If the Mackenzie family wasn't worthy of him marrying into, how could they be okay for Darcy?
He needed to have a talk with Darcy about it. He had been miserable for eight months when he didn't have to be. But he was a man. Should he be blaming others for his own inactions? No, it was his own responsibility to be happy, nobody elses. It was time to go back to Netherfield.
Later after dinner Allison finally cornered Sarah in another room for a private conversation. She wanted to know what happened last spring at Rosings. Did Mr. Darcy ask her to marry him or not?
"We're alone now, you can tell me the truth Sarah. Did Mr. Darcy ask you to marry him?" asked Allison.
"Why are you asking me that? I thought you wanted to marry him." replied Sarah trying to avoid answering the question.
"Every young lady wants to marry Mr. Darcy or a man just like him. I'm no different, but he was never interested in me in that manner. I was just Jack's younger sister to him.
I knew I had no chance with him once he started talking about your beautiful eyes when you spent the week at Netherfield." smiled Allison.
"Is that why you left Netherfield and went back to town?" asked Sarah.
"Maybe on some level, but I really didn't care too much about living in the country. I like living in the city. There is so much more to do. I only knew you and your sister." she replied.
"So did he ask you?" she asked Sarah again.
"I'm sure he must have told you whether or not he asked me." replied Sarah as she continued to avoid answering the question.
"I haven't seen Mr. Darcy since he stopped by in town last spring on his way to Rosings to see you. We teased him about hearing the wedding bells at Longbourn Chapel. He finally relented and told us he was going to Rosings to see you and ask you to marry him.
We haven't seen him until three days ago. It was the first time I have seen him since last spring." she replied as she continued to persist.
"I find that hard to believe." replied Sarah.
"I know you may believe that Jack and Mr. Darcy are good friends and joined at the hip, and they are to a point, but Mr. Darcy is more of a mentor to Jack. Jack consults with him whenever he's going to make a major decision in his life.
It's rare that Mr. Darcy stays with us as long as he did at Netherfield. It's usually only for a week or two at the most. He stayed there at Netherfield as long as he did because of you Sarah. You enchanted him with your beautiful eyes and sharp mind.
In fact after we left Netherfield last Autumn we only saw him a couple of times for a few days before he left for Rosings." smiled Allison.
"Then why did he leave Netherfield and never come back? Why didn't I see him again until after more than four months?" asked Sarah.
Sarah didn't find Allison's story very believable, but she liked the idea that Mr. Darcy had thought she was beautiful and not just tolerable.
"You must understand Sarah that Mr. Darcy did not go to Netherfield to find himself a wife. No man ever goes anywhere looking for a wife. They sort of stumble upon a woman who steals their heart.
He was there to support Jack. You know how miserable he tried to be while he was there. He didn't want to like anything, but every time he saw you he fell in love with you a little more. He didn't know what to do.
I don't think he wanted to fall in love. He wasn't ready for it. I think he wants his sister to be grown and married before he even considered getting married himself. You scared him Sarah so he ran.
I think it was probably the real reason why he talked Jack out of staying at Netherfield. Your sister was just an unfortunate casualty. With Jack in town Mr. Darcy had no reason to go to Netherfield and risk seeing you.
He thought that he could forget about you if he gave it enough time, but last spring he realized he couldn't. That's why he went to see you when you were visiting your friend Harriet at Hunsford.
You were away from your family, your mother. He didn't have to deal with them, only you. He loves you very much Sarah. So will you please tell me if he asked you." pleaded Allison.
"It took him almost four weeks, but yes, he finally did ask me." replied Sarah.
"What did you say? asked Allison getting a little frustrated. She wondered why Sarah couldn't just give her a straight answer.
"I told him No. When he asked me why I told him I didn't like him never mind love him." answered Sarah hoping that it would be the end of this line of questions.
"Come on Sarah, there has to be more to it than that. The time you spent dancing with him at Netherfield. You spent nearly the whole evening with him. You looked like you were in love to me." she argued.
Sarah couldn't believe where this conversation was going. She might have expected this conversation from Harriet, even Jordan, but Allison? No way. What was her agenda in all this? Why did she really want to know or care?
"I was not in love with him Allison. I wasn't even going to dance with him. I had planned on dancing with Mr. Turner most of the night, but he decided not to come to the ball because he didn't want to cause a scene with Mr. Darcy.
I will admit I had a very good time dancing with Mr. Darcy. He is a very fine dancer and he was quite attentive that night. I kind of liked the attention he paid me. He was the perfect gentleman that night.
I could have fallen in love with the Mr. Darcy I danced with that night, but he wasn't the Mr. Darcy that I knew. I only knew the unsociable and grumpy one.
As for that evening I thought he was only being polite since he offended me at the Assembly Ball. I thought he was being a good friend to your brother by asking me to dance while your brother spent time with Jordan.
And more importantly the more time I spent with Mr. Darcy the less time I had to spend with Mr. Collins. I was hoping that if Mr. Collins and my mother saw me spending most of the night with Mr. Darcy, they wouldn't expect me to marry Mr. Collins." replied Sarah.
"So that's why you said Mr. Darcy was courting you. I understand now why you said that. I can't blame you there. I wouldn't want to be seen with Mr. Collins either never mind being married to him.
But you did scare Mr. Darcy when you told everyone he was courting you. That's why he left Netherfield. It's why he convinced my brother not to see Jordan anymore. I don't think he thought your relationship had progressed that far. He wasn't ready to be in love.
He was afraid that if he stayed, he would never want to be separated from you again. He wasn't ready for that, but Sarah, there has to be another reason why you said No to him." she pleaded.
"Honestly Allison, I said No to him because I didn't like him. I didn't think he liked me either. It was just easier to dislike him than to waste any emotions or time thinking about him.
Of course he didn't exactly ask me in a gentleman like manner either. He insulted me and said it was against his better judgment to love me. That just made it easier for me to not feel sorry for him when I said No." replied Sarah.
"How do you feel about him now Sarah? I can see that he's still hopelessly in love with you." she asked.
"What? Please don't say that Allison ... I don't really know how I feel. I never expected to see him again. I haven't really spent much time thinking about him the last few months until my aunt wanted to visit Pemberly.
I didn't even want to see him again. I wouldn't have come here if I knew he was going to be here. But it's so hard to dislike someone after they have told you that they love you, no matter what he's done.
And being here at Pemberly, it's so beautiful here. I could see myself being very happy here and not ever wanting to leave." sighed Sarah.
"Have you told him this?" she asked.
"No, but I think he knows or suspects it. He's been the perfect gentleman since we arrived here. He's welcomed members of my family into his home which surprised me greatly. It would have been another reason not to marry him if I couldn't have my family visit me.
He's spent the whole morning fishing with my uncle. He's been so different while I've been here. We have had some long talks since we met again a couple of days ago.
I think we both understand each other better now, but I don't know where that will lead us. I think it's really too early to be talking about things like that." sighed Sarah.