'Thomas,
I am uncertain of the sincerity of your promise to me, and uncertainty is most definitely not the way in which to go about securing a woman's affections even though you may have claimed the rest of her as your own.
Do make haste and let us, at last, find a way to be together once more.
Impatiently, longingly yours,
Alice"
There were ink spots scattered across the paper, and the excessive amount of folds had smudged the lettering in some places, but the message was still very legible, and oh so very scandalous.
What a shame that a man so well-respected, so well-connected, could have all that stripped away from him by one simple, insignificant piece of paper, Lydia thought with a smile, her expression anything but sympathetic.
Yes, the wheels in Lydia's mind had begun to turn and poor, unaware Thomas Lowland would soon have far more trouble on his hands than a nagging wife and an impatient mistress.
Monday, February 10th, 1812
Sir William left Kent quite early on Monday morning, insisting he would need to get to London as soon as possible so that he may, as was usual, take the afternoon to rest before continuing his journey. Satisfied that his daughter was living comfortably and that her needs had all been seen to, he bid farewell to Charlotte and Maria, before shaking Mr Collins' hand, giving Elizabeth a small bow and then pulling himself into the waiting carriage with a low groan.
If there was one thing Lizzy felt thankful for it was that she would not be required to share her return journey with the murmuring old man. He was pleasant enough to converse with, although not the most intelligent of men, but traveling anywhere with him by carriage was a complete and utter nightmare.
The three women had decided to spend their morning visiting the various members of the parish, Lizzy feeling undeniably eager to be outdoors once more even though the air was still very cold. Thankfully, their outing proved to be a wonderfully enjoyable one as everyone they visited seemed to be exceedingly fond of Charlotte, and extremely interested in Mr Darcy's fiancé. Many of the parishioners were also tenants of Rosings and as Mr Darcy had often seen to some aspects of his aunt's estate he was well-known and liked by all.
Being obliged to accept an offer of tea in nearly every house they passed, time went by smoothly and with each friendly face and merry greeting, they found their spirits lifting just a little higher than they were before. All except Maria of course, who found the incessant chattering rather boring and soon longed for each visit to be over, even though she had no real desire to return to the parsonage and face her brother-in-law either.
In Cheapside, Lydia and Kitty's lessons having both for the first time finished early on the same day, the girls begged their sisters for an outing of any sort, Lydia being so desperate to get out of the house she even suggested a bookshop. The weather seemed to have cleared considerably, and both the youngest Bennets were desperate to get out of the house in search of some fresh air and sunshine.
Finding no reason to deny them their request, Mrs Gardiner soon ordered the carriage to be brought around, the children to be dressed warmly, and the girls to prepare themselves for a visit to Hyde Park. She would have suggested a picnic be packed as well, but as Mr Ferrars would be visiting for dinner their outing would not be of long enough a duration to warrant packing refreshments.
Hyde Park seemed full to the brim that day - the pleasant weather having enticed nearly every member of society out into the open air to enjoy the sun and ample company.
It was no surprise then that, as they strolled along the wide paths, stopping every now and then to converse with friends and acquaintances, Emma and Dorothy spotted little Margaret Fitzwilliam and her maid seated on a luxurious looking quilt strewn across a dry patch of grass. Nor was it a surprise when, as they ran over dragging their cousins and brother with them, they spotted the Viscount too standing some way off in discussion with a rather old and stately looking gentleman none of the Bennets recognized.
"Margaret!" the two young girls squealed as they hurried up to Miss Fitzwilliam who seemed to be hosting some sort of party with her dolls.
"Oh, good morning!" the girl said, "Do excuse me as I absolutely must conclude this meeting as soon as possible. Someone threw Annabeth off the table and I shan't rest until I discover the culprit."
The young maid seated beside her, and looking both amused and rather guilty, at last, interrupted and informed the girl that it was she who had bumped Annabeth to the floor unwittingly. At this Margaret merely said, "Very well, I hope it shan't happen again as Annabeth really can't endure such jostling. The poor thing is rather frail," and then dismissed her assembly of toys with a nod.
In an instant, she leaped to her feet and, as usual, greeted the sisters and Gardiner children in a most solemn manner although, in addition to calling Catherine 'Kitty', Jane had so reminded Margaret of the fairy-tale her father would often read to her, that Jane had been renamed Cinderella. Mary and Lydia, neither of whom Margaret found all that interesting, had merely remained Miss Bennet-One and Miss Bennet-Two.
Catching sight of the little group, some of which had now taken their seats on the beechwood stools set out around the quilt, the Viscount walked over with a happy smile.
"How lovely to see you all once more," he said after greeting the ladies, "I must introduce you to one of my most trusted business partners, although he has been a family friend for much longer than we have worked together."
Turning to the stately yet ancient looking man who had stepped up beside him the viscount continued, "Lord Roethorn, please allow me to introduce Mrs Marianne Gardiner, and her nieces Miss Jane, Miss Mary, Miss Catherine, and Miss Lydia Bennet."
Lord Roethorn gazed over the group of smiling faces with a discerning eye and then, giving a small bow simply said, "It's a pleasure to meet you but, as much as I would like to stay I'm afraid business calls me elsewhere."
And with another small bow, he was gone.
Rather amused by the old man's hasty departure Lydia was just about to make her thoughts known when a look of warning from Mary shut her up nearly instantly. She did, however, manage to stare daggers at her older sister for the remainder of the outing, not that Mary minded much at all.
"We wanted to invite Georgiana to join us, but apparently Mr Darcy has returned to London and she has decided to spend the day with him. He leaves for Kent tomorrow, so I'm quite sure we shan't be hearing much from Lizzy for the next few days," Kitty said with a giggle, watching her eldest sister's cheeks turn pink at her lack of discretion.
"I am surprised he did not go sooner. My aunt is a formidable woman to go up against, even more so as Miss Elizabeth is there almost entirely on her own," Andrew commented thoughtfully.
"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about my sister, sir, she is more than capable of taking care of herself without anyone else's help," Kitty chimed in once more, her admiration for Elizabeth shining through her words. Catherine had never paid her elder sister much attention, but as a result of the past few months' occurrences, she had grown a new admiration for Lizzy who seemed able to face anyone's anger, jealousy or accusations, even that of their own mother, if the need arose.
"Nevertheless, I am sure my sister will be delighted to see Mr Darcy once more," Jane added quietly, a small smile playing on her lips.
"I am certain she will," the Viscount added, his eyes lingering on Jane for just a split second longer than appropriate. Breaking his gaze, and turning to face Mrs Gardiner, the young man eagerly inquired after the party's plans for the week and, learning they had been invited to a dance hosted by Lord and Lady Cornwall the next evening, he quickly confirmed that he too had received an invitation and could now do nothing but accept, being reassured that such merry company would be present.
"It is such a dreadfully unfair rule that I may not accompany you, Papa," Margaret interrupted, at last deeming the topic of conversation worthy of her input.
"I have seen some of the ladies dance at these assemblies, and I'm quite sure I could fare far, far better. All too often they look like little puppets being plucked around, so stiff are their steps! And they absolutely refuse to twirl! It's quite preposterous!" she insisted fervently, convinced that she would make an invaluable addition to any dance.
"I am sure you will be the most popular girl at any ball once your time comes, Miss Margaret," Jane said with a sincere smile, bending down ever so slightly so she could look the young girl in the eye, "besides if you were present at these dances now, I'm afraid we would all lack partners for everyone would insist on dancing with you!"
"I suppose you are correct," Margaret said with a thoughtful look on her face, "It would not be fair of me to keep you all from dancing."
The little girl was just about to continue when Emma, who was almost as tall as Margaret despite their two year age difference, loudly whispered in the girls ear asking whether she would like to play a game and, in an instant, all her musings had been forgotten as the young Miss Fitzwilliam hurried off in the direction of Dorothy and Louis with her friend.
"She quite obviously adores you," Andrew quietly commented, once more looking directly at Jane.
"Oh, well I am utterly delighted with her as well. She reminds me so much of Elizabeth when she was younger," Jane said with a pleased expression.
The small group spent several more minutes in light discussion, the viscount obviously being a favourite amongst the Bennets and for good reason. Not once did he make any of the girls feel excluded from the conversation, even managing to get Mary to smile at his recount of the shenanigans he had gotten into with his brother and Mr Darcy when they were younger.
Catherine still fell quiet at every mention of the Colonel's name, but she refused to let such reminders of him sadden her any more. He had been an unattainable goal, living in a world so completely different from her own, and she had come to accept that. Instead, she merely reveled in the knowledge that she now knew what love felt like and that knowledge would guide her to the right person at the right time.
After spending a pleasant quarter of an hour seated in the sunshine, the Viscount proposed a short walk before the Bennets and Gardiners would have to return home. The children were still at play under the watchful eye of Miss Fitzwilliam's maid, and thus the entire group decided to accept the Viscount's proposal.
The small walking party set off with Lydia and Kitty at the front, Jane and the Viscount making their way after them, and Mrs Gardiner and Mary lagging some way behind, both content to enjoy the sunshine and cold air for as long as they possibly could.
The procession had only made it a few turns along the winding path when Lydia and Kitty suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. The Viscount and Jane, having been so entirely engrossed in their conversation, nearly bumped into the two girls who now stood staring down the path with defiant looks on their faces.
"Oh isn't this just absolutely quaint!" a familiar, high pitched voice rang out, and the colour instantly drained from Jane's face.
"Good afternoon, Mr Bingley, Miss Bingley," Kitty and Jane managed to squeak, as the Viscount greeted the two approaching figures as well, although in a much more confident tone.
"Miss Jane, I – uh, it is lovely to see you again," Mr Bingley stuttered, his face rapidly changing to a much pinker hue, as he completely ignored everyone in the group besides his angel. Mr Bingley's recent visit to Longbourn had renewed his hopes of winning Jane's affections but suddenly, faced with his first opportunity to do so in months, he hadn't the slightest idea what to say.
Jane couldn't find it within her to say a word. She could speak, of course, but the words simply refused to be formed.
"Oh where is Miss Eliza? I was so looking forward to seeing her once more!" Caroline added immediately after her brother's stammering attempt at small talk.
"She is in Kent," Lydia stated, suddenly finding her voice as well and determining that, if Jane was incapable of saying anything, she would do it for her. This was her chance; she had finally come face to face with Mr Bingley but, in light of recent events, felt no more interest in obtaining his affections. Instead, she would speak in her sister's stead.
"Kent! What in the world is she doing there?" Caroline exclaimed far too dramatically than the question called for.
"Visiting her friend Mrs Charlotte Collins and meeting with Mr Darcy's relatives, of course," Lydia replied, "That is usually what you do when you are about to marry, not that you would know anything about that," she continued snidely, emphasizing each word in a tone she reserved only for the people she deemed to be incredibly stupid.
Caroline gave a small huff of annoyance, clearly not impressed with the fact that the youngest Bennet sister was addressing her in such a manner.
"Well, I suppose it was wise of Mr Darcy to introduce Miss Eliza to his family," Caroline said with a spiteful smile, "It's best to have them voice their objections now, while the wedding can still be averted!"
"Caroline, please!" Mr Bingley whispered and was completely ignored.
"Yes, I suppose," Lydia said, pretending to be deep in thought, "but then again, at least Mr Darcy did not voice any objections to Elizabeth's company, unlike the way he vehemently refused to spend time with you."
"Oh you poor thing, as if I should care that Mr Darcy has fallen prey to some boorish, simple-minded country girl. I only pity dear Georgiana when Pemberley's legacy gets dragged through the mud and the Darcy name gets sullied along with it!" Caroline's ugly bout of laughter as she finished speaking silenced Lydia from any further rebuttal.
"Miss Bingley, that is quite enough!" a deep voice was heard, and Caroline visibly deflated, paling at the realization that she had thrown such a fit before the Viscount himself.
"If we cannot hold a civil conversation I suggest we go our separate ways," he said, this time addressing Lydia as well.
The deathly silence following his interruption was nothing but awkward, and it became even more so when Mr Bingley attempted to make his voice heard while his sister fumed beside him.
"Miss Jane," he said quietly and then, clearing his throat, continued, "I was, well, I was hoping," he stuttered as he turned to face Jane who still hadn't the slightest idea how to react besides stepping a fraction of an inch closer to the Viscount who seemed both surprised and puzzled at the reason for such an encounter.
"I was hoping we may renew our acquaintance, Miss Jane," Mr Bingley finally forced out as his eyes dropped to the ground.
Jane, who had been quiet throughout the encounter now found several pairs of eyes gazing at her intently. Caroline, who had been too angry to pay attention to their discourse looked between the two in confusion, hoping she had misheard her brother's words.
I, I don't know. Why did he have to ask me in front of everyone? Jane thought frantically.
What would Lizzy do? What would she say? Oh dear. I don't love him. I couldn't ever love him. I, oh dear!
It was at that precise and rather frantic moment that, despite her jumbled thoughts and her uncertainty, she knew where her heart lay.
Mr Bingley and Mr Reeding for some strange, unidentifiable reason seemed far too similar.
Their manners, though cheerful, felt entirely superficial – a façade. And to genuine, tender-hearted Jane, this meant only confusion and uncertainty. She needed to be more than merely an object to be shown off for her beauty. She needed more than to be left confused at a man's intentions. She needed someone who was steadfast, honest and didn't hide his feelings. And only one man in her acquaintance fit that description.
Without thinking, Jane's face suddenly broke into a dazzling smile, and Mr Bingley, who had been waiting expectantly for a reply, seemed to lighten up as well.
"I am sorry Mr Bingley, but now is just not the right time, nor do I think it ever will be. What my mother said to you was incredibly presumptuous, and for that I apologize sincerely," Jane had finally found the strength to make her thoughts known once more and with each word it felt as though a weight was being lifted from her shoulders.
"But, I had been so sure, Mrs Bennet had – " Mr Bingley began, seemingly refusing to lose hope, and was instantly cut off by Lydia.
"I'm quite sure I just heard my sister object to my mother's words, Mr Bingley, and I honestly do not understand your insistence that my mother, of all people, knows more of my sister's feelings than my sister herself," she said in a no-nonsense tone, once more butting in with her well-meant, yet rather indecently executed defense of her sister.
"So for your own sake, I suggest you respect her wishes and take yourself and your sister someplace else. I have no patience for people who cannot seem to understand even the simplest English, honestly!" Lydia's sassiness instantly horrified Jane and left Kitty in awe.
Thankfully, Caroline would have no more of it and, with yet another angry huff she grabbed her brother by the sleeve and dragged him past the group, curtseying only for the Viscount's benefit.
"Come, Charles, I refuse to let you associate with such disrespectful people again!"
"Lydia, that was unnecessary! You really shouldn't speak to Mr Bingley or his sister, in such a manner!" Jane said in embarrassment as the Bingleys disappeared behind a few barren trees, and her aunt and Mary hurried past them with curiosity etched on their faces.
"I was only trying to help, you know! 'Thank you' would be a more appropriate reaction!" Lydia countered, but Jane refused to answer.
Together the group made their way back in relative silence. The Viscount saying very little besides bidding them farewell and promising to see them once more the following evening.
In the aftermath of her new-found decisiveness, Jane spent much of the evening mulling over every interaction between herself and the Viscount, and chiding herself for not realizing sooner that she had been falling for him all along. All the small moments where she had reached out for his hand or smiled when he entered the room now came flooding back into her mind, distracting her from absolutely everything and everyone, and bringing endless amusement to Kitty throughout dinner that evening.
She would have to find a way to tell him, but the thought of making her feelings known to a man, even though she had been reassured he felt the same, terrified her.
Somehow she would have to inform Mr Reeding as well. He had been so attentive and kind she could not dream of stringing him along.
No, the very next time I see him I will find a way to tell him we can only ever be friends.
This resolution kept Jane awake late into the night, the prospect of hurting someone's feelings filling the dark hours with anxious thoughts, and it was only as the clock struck four that she finally succumbed to a troubled, yet somehow happy, sleep.
A/N:
EDIT: A Guest reviewer brought a very valid point about the interaction between Lydia and Caroline to my attention, and I have since changed parts of their dialogue to be slightly more realistic. Thank you to the anonymous reviewer who pointed it out, I do my best to take in account the suggestions people make, and in this case yours was definitely well-founded.
Oh gosh, I really have been horrible with writing and updating lately, I am so, so sorry!
AND TO ALL THE JANE/VISCOUNT SHIPPERS, TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Jane has FINALLY made up her mind! xD Jane and the Viscount, like Lizzy and Darcy, are MADE for each other! I couldn't keep them apart even if I tried! I wonder how pleased Lady C is going to be to finds out her favourite nephew has fallen for a Bennet too!
ALSO,
Before I address the reviews, I just wanted to chat about something else. I know this story has been going on, and on, and on, for quite a while, and that's led some of the readers to wonder when it's going to wrap up or end. If I ever do publish, I will obviously condense the story, and summarise it to be more concise, coherent, and engaging, but I didn't start writing because I wanted to actually write a novel, I started writing for 2 reasons – (1) to curb my addiction to reading P&P fanfiction (and yes, it really has worked!), and (2) to explore the ideas, scenes, and relationships I always wished JA had written about.
If you're here for a novel-like rewrite of P&P I'm afraid you're in the wrong place. There's not much of a plot, to be honest (no DISTINCTIVE climax, no extreme angst), but rather several sub-plots (I think I can call it that) and a bunch of jumbled up story lines. I'm not the greatest writer ever, I just simply had a few ideas and felt like writing them. So if you're looking for a short, satisfying read, I'm afraid you'll have to go look around the LITERALLY thousands of other fanfiction stories written for this specific book. However, if you're happy with reading what I expect is going to be another 20 chapters at least of my rambling and daydreaming, then I am really, really happy you've made it this far! I'm doing my best to keep things interesting, and I rather like the way the story is going so far, so I don't plan on quitting.
TiaMaria710 – Ah yes! Lizzy and Lydia seem to be experts at telling people off. AND (!) I'm sooo impressed that you caught my reference to London just being another card game to Lydia!
NotACursedChild – Welcome to the story! xD
EmlynMara – I like the Lizzy/Anne dynamic too! It's basically there to explore the way people of different classes aren't TOTALLY different from each other!
Zafira17 – Hope the note Lydia found didn't disappoint! Any idea what Lydia is planning? Oh and I love binge reading fanfiction (which is sort of why I started this story – so I could STOP binge reading fanfiction xD) Thank you so, so much for your super nice review, too!
Liysyl – Yes, Lydia is becoming quite an intriguing I-can't-decide-whether-I-love-her-or-hate-her character! xD And Lizzy is quite the thorn in Mr Collins' side, and I'm afraid once Darcy arrives the parson is going to have a lot more to deal with
LadyLizzyPuff12 – oh wow there's so much to talk about in your review! I really love reading long reviews – it's so interesting to see how the story is perceived by other people too! Lydia is smart, but you are right when you say she lacks common sense. I'm trying to stay as true to the actions of a 16 year old girl who has lots of street smarts, but doesn't quite understand the adult world yet, or that her actions can have devastating consequences. Just as I'm trying to true to the teenager who loves her family, but still sometimes hates them too, persona I thought fits her best. Truth is teenagers can love their parents and their families, but still be major asses too! (I'm speaking from experience here xD) I was a lot like Mary when I was in highschool – always studying, no time for fun, and I really regret it now. I missed out on loads of awesome experiences because I thought getting straight As was all that mattered in my life. It's funny I actually think I wrote a lot of my own personality into each of the sisters which is normal for writers to do, I think! Hahaha yes I loved having Lizzy pretend to take a snooze during his sermon! It's exactly the passive aggressive theing I would expect her to do! Mr Collins is a bit of an unaware idiot, but hopefully someone will get him to realize he's not as perfect as he thinks he is! And I totally agree with your thoughts on Anne Darcy. She was a product of wealth, and high society, even though she was kind and genuine. Lizzy, although she exhibits many of the same qualities, has an entirely different background and will bring an entirely different 'flavour' (can I call it that?) to Pemberley. I hope you enjoyed the awkward Mr Bingley and annoying Caro in this chapter. I'm sure they'll make a reappearance at some point again! And AT LAST! JANE HAS MADE UP HER MIND! Hallelujah! Hmm I have to say Simon Woods really took the cake with his overly coiffed hair and rather annoying inability to SAY, DO, or DECIDE anything. xD And trust me, if Chris Pine had played Mr Bingley in ANY P&P production, Jane's fate would have been so, so, so different! I mean it's CHRIS PINE! Also, come to think of it, who would you imagine could play the Viscount? If I had my pick it would probably be Theo James. (I am SUCH a rambler as well! xD) Thank you for always sharing your insight into each chapter! I always look forward to reading your review!
Tfranco9 – I'm soooo happy Darcy's coming back too! And I'm really happy I made Lydia even slightly more likeable. I mean she can still be a bit of an annoying twat, but she's getting better! xD Hope you're happy that Jane finally found her voice, and her decision! I'll definitely try have Georgi and Kitty interact more! I really like them a lot too!
Mangosmum – Lady Catherine has been rather devious lately! And I'm glad Lydia is keeping us all on our toes just a bit!
Deanna27 – Haha yes I loved the sleeping in the sermon bit too! And Anne is really fun to write as well! She's a bit snobby, and entitled, but still friendly, and thank goodness she has a sense of humour!
HarnGin – yay! I'm so glad I got Lady Trudy right! Your idea of Lady Catherine's devious plan is spot on! I'm afraid no mail will be reaching Lizzy at all, which should make for an interesting exchange between Darcy and his aunt once he arrives! Mr Collins, ever the most wonderful, voluptuous, grand Lady Catherine's humble servant does whatever she tells him too and I'm afraid it's going to land him in hot water soon, too!
AmyCampbell – hopefully Jane's newfound decisiveness has made up for her previous insecurity. She's still the same old Jane, but hopefully now she'll be able to make her voice heard a bit more often.