Madam and Missy — A Pride and Prejudice Variation
This is dedicated to all the writers both here and on KU who've released their stories for free! As I enjoy reading them so much, I thought that I'd have a go, and here it is.
[Note that I'm a Brit, so have written with British spelling, punctuation and terminology 😏]
In which Lady Anne and Mr. Bennet scheme, while Sarah Reynolds keeps watch and meets her new mistress
Pemberley
Lady Anne
Most of the letters that she had received following her husband's death were offering condolences, and a few were discreetly — or not so discreetly — offering their daughters, sisters or nieces as wives for her son: the new Master of Pemberley.
Then the letter that she had been awaiting arrived, concealed in a letter of condolence from Mrs. Gardiner. After deciphering it, she read:
'Condolences. In agreement. Suggest you stop nearby to finalise. — TB'
Thank you, Mr. Bennet. I must arrange a trip to Netherfield.
Netherfield
Lady Anne
After her arrival at Netherfield, Lady Anne sent a message to Mr. Bennet. She had not brought Mrs. Reynolds with her on this visit, but Mrs. Reynolds' daughter, Sarah. She hoped that Sarah, being much the same age as Elizabeth, would become her new daughter's maid and ally, much as Stevens was to her son.
When Mr. Bennet arrived, they greeted each other cordially, but she knew that he was assessing her in return.
After thanking Sarah for bringing tea and instructing her to stand guard, Lady Anne poured tea and invited her guest to sit.
They sat in surprisingly comfortable silence until she said, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Bennet."
"Thank you for inviting me, Lady Anne," he replied with slightly raised eyebrows.
"Touché, sir!" she laughed. "Before we begin, do tell me, when did you discover my identity, my family's identity?"
"The Darcys own Netherfield; your ladyship asked to meet my daughters here; you asked them to use the final letters of their names— "
"Almost immediately, then!" She shook her head in amusement.
He lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug as if to say that it had been obvious, and asked, "May I ask you the same, my lady?"
"Not as soon as you, I confess. It was not until I bumped into your sister, Mrs. Gardiner."
"Fortuitous; she and my brother have been excellent intermediaries."
"I owe them a great deal." She acknowledged, and then changed the subject. "Would you like another cup before we make our plans?"
"Thank you, yes, I would."
She refilled both cups, and started, "If you know my family — and I expect that you know more than I should normally care for — you will know that I am the youngest with two brothers and a sister."
"Lord M, Bishop F and Lady C."
"Yes," she paused, and, uneasy, shifted a little. "I feel at a disadvantage — do you already know of our family squabbles?"
"If you will pardon this impertinence, I am aware of some of what I call the 'Fitzwilliam Family Feuds', though I assume that the one that concerns us is your sister's ambition to take over Pemberley."
"'Take over'?"
"Mm, by proxy." Mr. Bennet took a sip from his cup and regarded her over the rim.
"But I still live there." She watched Mr. Bennet's expression become very serious.
"You would be removed to the dower house when your son takes a wife there. I gather that your niece is not a strong woman and is already dominated by her mother."
"You think that she would abandon Rosings?"
"For the greater and solvent prize of Pemberley, I am certain that she would."
Lady Anne had not considered this. "So, her aim is not, as she claims, to unite the estates—?"
" —but to assume yours." He nodded.
"This is worse than I expected." Her voice shook. She noticed that Mr. Bennet was kind enough to turn his head away while she collected herself.
After a few minutes, she managed to say, "So, our children must marry soon."
He turned back to face her. "I agree, but I must know what will happen to my daughter after the wedding. Will she go to live with your family, even though her married status would not — may not — be made public, or will she remain here with me and her sisters? She is bright and intelligent, but not yet capable of running your estate, nor is she ready to bear the viciousness that she would meet in so-called society."
She thought for a moment. "Though it would be a shame to separate them after the wedding, do you think that returning to live with your family would be best?"
"Probably." He put his cup and saucer down.
"She and your family would still be protected should anything happen to you, and my son would be safe from the vultures."
He nodded.
"We keep it a secret until she is twenty, one and twenty, or until we are permitted to speak of it? And reveal it beforehand only if forced should W— my son's— "
"William," interjected Mr. Bennet, wryly.
"Touché, again, sir! If William's honour or reputation would otherwise be damaged." Seeing her guest's raised eyebrows, she added, "That is selfish of me; the same should apply if your daughter's reputation would be damaged." See that his eyebrows were still raised, she said, "Oh, I apologise; if your daughter's honour or reputation would be damaged."
"I accept your apology, my lady," Mr. Bennet smiled with a slight bow.
Mr. Bennet
"Shall I call for more tea, Mr. Bennet?"
"Thank you, but only if you would like some more, my lady."
"What else do we need to discuss?"
"You have suggested early June, at the time of my daughter's sixteenth birthday, perhaps, at Tenston. As Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are already part of our conspiracy— " His voice drifted away. Conspiracy. "Might I change my mind, my lady, and request more tea? You have given me an idea and, should you have the time, I should like to speak to you of it."
He was aware of his hostess asking the maid for tea, but was caught in this new thought. Conspiracy.
Lady Anne remained silent while waiting for him to speak.
After the arrival of tea and cakes, he leaned towards Lady Anne and asked in a low voice, "Are you aware of what I do? And for whom?"
She replied equally quietly, "I believe that you solve, er, puzzles for— " She sketched a rough crown shape above her head. "My husband made very discreet enquiries."
"Mmm." Not quite as discreet as you thought. "A puzzle that is of current concern to me involves a plot, a conspiracy. Their first aim was to overturn the abolitionist bill in the Lords. To my shame, I did not decipher some of their pseudonyms until the attempt on your brother's life." Seeing her sudden look of alarm, he added quickly, "I am sorry to distress you, my lady."
He explained the few that he had uncovered. How delightful to sit with an intelligent woman!
"A few of the original pseudonyms have eluded me, but I think that I might have just realised one of them — 'Dog' for George Darcy."
She gasped, "Do you think so? Was he another target?"
"He was not a target of the abolitionist conspiracy, but someone using the name 'Godson'— "
"'Godson'? Oh no!"
"You know who this is?" he asked, eagerly.
"My husband's godson, George Wickham." She told him everything that she could think of about the scoundrel.
"He stole the ring with the galloping horse? Many of the intercepted messages had such an impression. It did not occur to me that it was the stolen ring — your son had it made just for him?"
"Yes, he did; together with the oak leaf stamp. That seems so long ago," she added with a sigh. "William chose the new design when he found that Wickham had been the thief."
Looking at her thoughtfully, he asked, "Can you think who 'Lynx' might be? Could it be your—?"
"Catherine? Catherine?!" she exclaimed. "Is she involved in the conspiracy to allow slavery to continue? Oh, that was a rhetorical question; I would not be surprised if she were one of the instigators. This is awful!"
"I believe that she is a supporter rather than an instigator. She supports them in exchange for— "
"You need not say it, Mr. Bennet; in exchange for Pemberley." She covered her face with her hands.
"I am afraid so."
"Is this one of the things that you have filed under the 'Fitzwilliam Family Feuds'? I cannot believe that you are willing to part with Missy to such a family!"
"Elizabeth — though she prefers to be called 'Lizzy' — loves your son. She might not know it yet, but she does. And I believe that your son loves her too."
Lady Anne lifted her head and nodded.
"Thus, it is in your interest and in my interest to see this conspiracy exposed and ended. Do you not agree?"
"I do, of course I do. But I do not know how."
"Let us first plan a wedding!"
After they had agreed on the details, Lady Anne had one more question, "Do we tell them beforehand?"
"Mmm, I believe that you ought to tell your son. If I were to bring Lizzy to see you tomorrow, you could form an opinion then. Do not worry, if you believe that she should know, I shall tell her!" he added, seeing her look nonplussed.
He stood to leave and said that he would bring Elizabeth the following morning.
Sarah Reynolds
Sarah's mother had sat her down in the housekeeper's office at Pemberley, closed the door and explained what she was to do when she accompanied Lady Anne to Hertfordshire. "Her maid will assist her in her chambers; your job will be to be observant without being nosey and to make sure that her ladyship is not disturbed or spied on when she has her meetings."
"'Spied on'?"
"Her ladyship has some secret meetings — she will tell you what you need to know. You are to keep them secret. You might have to stand watch outside the door," Mrs. Reynolds explained.
"Stand watch? Is not that a footman's job?"
"Normally it would be but, for these meetings, it is a job needing great trust. And great trust is what she is placing in you. You will be allowed to have a chair to sit on while you are watching; you will not have to stand all of the time."
"The other servants will want to know what I am doing," said Sarah, worried.
"You are obeying your mistress' instructions; that is all that they need to know. Now, I must tell you how to let her ladyship know that someone is listening or about to interrupt her. She told me how Stevens warns the young master and told me to use it too."
Stevens?
"Sarah! Do not get distracted by thoughts of Mr. Darcy's valet! Listen to me!" admonished her mother.
Sarah reddened and apologised.
"When you need to warn her ladyship, you must do this: knock on the door and go straight in; do not wait to be bidden!"
"But— "
"Yes, I know, but these are her orders. Keep your eyes on the floor, so that you do not see anything that you should not, and call 'Mistress' not 'My lady'!"
"Yes, Mamma," Sarah acknowledged with wide eyes, thinking of how brave she would be defending her ladyship from nefarious eavesdroppers.
Sarah had sat watch as instructed while Lady Anne had met with a local gentleman, and had been both relieved and a little disappointed that she had not had to warn her mistress of spies. The following day, the gentleman returned with his daughter, a gentlewoman of her own age.
Again, she was ready to guard Lady Anne's privacy and was very surprised to be asked to accompany the young visitor on a walk around the gardens. She was further surprised when the young gentlewoman bid her to walk next to her rather than follow a few yards behind.
"I wonder if you enjoy walking, Sarah. If you do, we can walk for hours and hours for I know most of Netherfield's grounds."
"Whatever you prefer, Miss." 'Hours and hours'? Oh no.
"No, that will not do!"
"I am sorry, Miss."
"There is no need to be sorry; I had not realised that you are not yet party to what I am calling the 'great secret'."
"'Secret', miss?"
The other woman sighed. "Other people seem to be finding delight in not telling me what is going on, so I shall not do the same to you."
Sarah allowed herself to be led away from the formal gardens to space that was more open.
"We should not be overheard here. My name is — no, I assume that I am not to tell you that — but your mistress calls me 'Missy'. I do not know her name," she looked skywards, adding, "because of the 'great secret', but am to call her 'Lady E'. Do you understand thus far?"
"I think so, miss."
"Am I correct in thinking that you are the daughter of Mrs. Reynolds?" At Sarah's nod, the young woman continued with a sigh, "I should have thought that she would tell you of this. What has she told you?"
"That I am to guard her ladyship's privacy, miss."
"Anything else?"
"How to interrupt if necessary."
"Ah, the redoubtable Stevens' trick!"
"Stevens? You know Stevens, Miss?"
"Only by repute, but I can see from your reddened cheeks that you know him better than I do!" Her companion teased her.
"Miss." Sarah nodded and looked down.
"Worry not, Sarah, your secret is safe with me! And, talking of secrets, I believe that you and I are to share another."
They stopped walking.
"Before I tell you the only part of the 'great secret' to which I am party, I must tell you that I do not yet know and am not to know the name of Stevens' master."
"Miss?" Sarah cried, bewildered.
The young gentlewoman looked to the skies again and waved her arms in frustrated sympathy. "Here is the great secret, Sarah: I am to join your mistress' family and I believe that you are to become to me as Stevens is to his master."
"You are to wed Mist—?"
"Stop! Do not say his name!"
"Sorry, miss. I was so surprised!"
"As was I when my father told me! There, you know almost all that I know. I suspect that you are here for us to meet one another."
"Yes, mistress."
"As I am but fifteen and am not yet your mistress and do not expect to be for some years yet, I should prefer that you call me 'Missy' as your current mistress does."
"I could not do that; it does not seem proper! Miss, er, mistress."
Her new mistress smiled at her. "Do you not see how confusing that is? Calling me 'Missy' until I wed your master makes much more sense. I can see that you are not happy, so why not consult your mother?"
"I shall, thank you, miss, mistress, Missy."
"Very well. Now I shall tell you something that is not a secret; in fact, everyone who knows me knows this. I am a great walker! I can walk for miles and miles; so it is important to me that you tell the truth when I ask you, Miss Reynolds, do you enjoy walking?" Her companion wagged a finger in mock severity. "Do not fib to please me as I should not like to have to carry you back to the manor house if you are exhausted before me!"
Accepting that the teasing enquiry was serious, Sarah replied, "I expect that one hour would be fine, mistress."
"Good, then allow me to show you my favourite view!"
The two young women chattered on their walk, as two fifteen-year-olds are wont to do, even if they are mistress and maid. It was over an hour by the time that they returned to Netherfield, but they had sat for a rest at the top of a small hill before starting back. Sarah took her companion back to Lady Anne and curtseyed before leaving. She liked this new mistress, though the 'great secret' was going to be difficult to keep.
Lady Anne arranged for them to meet twice more before returning to Pemberley.
Please don't copy, but please do let me have comments/corrections 😏