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 it is the day before Elizabeth's birthday

PEMBERLEY

Miss Bingley

Having had another unsuccessful night in her pursuit of Darcy, Miss Bingley slept until well after noon. Every time she had crept along the corridor of the guest wing and broached the family wing, she had been interrupted. The big footman had been chatting with the wrinkled old crone. Had she bribed him again? A hour so later, fortunate to find him absent, doors kept on opening and closing as the horrible Bonnet girls rushed hither and thither, giggling. Do they have not the slightest idea of how to behave? Finally, all had seemed quiet and she had got most of way to the master's chambers only to be halted by the wails of a child. Blasted feral children! Again, the Bonnets flurried out of their rooms, this time converging on a room that Miss Bingley had assumed was the nursery.

The interfering dowager had said that she would hinder Miss Bingley for only one more night. I can wait a couple more days, but it would be satisfying to put her in her place by compromising Darcy before then.

Miss Bingley dismissed Elizabeth as competition. Darcy might dally with her, but will not crown her Mistress of Pemberley. It was a shame that she had not managed to manoeuvre Lady Anne and Mr. Bonnet together; perhaps she would push them in each other's paths. Gleefully, she laughed aloud at the thought of forcing them into a compromise. They will live at Longboat in Hampshire — far, far away from Pemberley.

Yes, she had plans for the day; what a coup if she could arrange two compromises!

Mmm, and perhaps Georgiana or Lady Charity would do for Charles.

Elizabeth

Despite their slightly disturbed night — though their daughters had not woken, their sisters had been giggling and running about — the Darcys woke early.

After rising and dressing, they greeted their daughters and took them for a walk in the grounds. After returning them to the nursery for their breakfast then attending to her toilette, Elizabeth knocked on the door to Lady Anne's sitting room. On being invited in, she asked if she might join her mother and Mrs. Reynolds for their daily meeting.

"I find myself in an awkward position," she said to them. "I should like to find a balance between taking the responsibilities of the mistress and not taking so many that you feel superfluous and plan your escape to the dower house!"

"We did well together in London, did we not?" asked Lady Anne.

"You, very kindly, allowed me to be an idle guest— "

"You needed the time to recover," Lady Anne protested while Mrs. Reynolds nodded.

"And I was very grateful for your consideration and care." She leant over to kiss Lady Anne's cheek. Taking Mrs. Reynolds' hand, she continued, "I must tell you that Sarah was a true wonder. I should not have recovered half so quickly had it not been for her."

Mrs. Reynolds smiled at the praise for her daughter.

"Mrs. Reynolds, I shall have to enlist your help," Elizabeth continued.

"Certainly, Mrs. Darcy!" said the housekeeper with a slight smile.

"You will tell me of the tasks that Lady Anne finds onerous or distasteful — I am sure that there are a few that she puts off — and instruct me on how to do them," Elizabeth announced.

Mrs. Reynolds laughed. "If I might say so, my lady, Mrs. Darcy has outmanoeuvred you, there!"

"She has, indeed; she has, indeed," Lady Anne admitted, shaking her head.

The three women poured over the list of tasks for the next few days, agreeing that they would do most of them together while Elizabeth familiarised herself with the household.

"I know that you managed much of the estate from the wilds of Shropshire, Lizzy; you will soon see that running the house is much like running Longbourn."

"Only bigger!"

"Yes, only bigger!"

"You are quite right, Mamma. I think that William is planning to take me for a ride around the land later this morning. I look forward to finally seeing it in all of its glory!"

"Excellent, that will leave me time to spend spoiling my granddaughters!" Lady Anne laughed. "Mrs. Reynolds, let us meet again before luncheon and have tea with the girls."

"Oh, thank you, my lady. I should like that very much."

Ajax grazed nearby as Darcy and Elizabeth lay together on a blanket under a tree. Darcy had chosen a secluded bank with a lovely view of the grounds and manor house.

"You have no idea the lengths to which I had to go to stop any of our guests from riding out with us," murmured Darcy.

"Pulling me from your mother's sitting room and down the back stairs to the stables is hardly 'great lengths'!" Elizabeth replied with a laugh.

"I had to talk with Cook to arrange a basket and I had to find this blanket and then I had put it into my saddlebag."

"I concede; I see that these were, indeed, 'great lengths'." She kissed his cheek. "I thank you!"

He grinned down at her. "Now that you are here at Pemberley at last, I can do this whenever I like!" He kissed her lips.

"William! We cannot! Not here!"

"We can kiss whenever and wherever we wish, now." He kissed her again to prove his point. A few minutes later, he pulled away slightly and continued, "We missed the stolen kisses part of a courtship and betrothal, and I think that we should rectify that now!"

"Madam!"

Darcy

The rest of the day had been filled with activities for the guests: archery, fishing, battledore. Finally it was time to retire.

Darcy took his wife to their sitting room and started to leave to change in his own chamber, when "Master! Stop!" Mrs. Stevens' anxious voice called after him.

"Mrs. Stevens, what is it?"

"Do not go into your chamber, sir. Miss Bingley is in there!" Mrs Stevens was out of breath.

"Have you run all this way to tell me?"

"Yes sir!" she gasped. "Saw her in the servants' corridor by your dressing room and came straightaway."

Elizabeth appeared at the door to her chamber. "She does not give up, does she. Thank you, Sarah. When you have caught your breath, would you ask Stevens to bring Mr Darcy's nightclothes to my dressing room?"

Noises came from the mistress' dressing room.

"That will be him now, Missy." Sarah curtseyed and departed.

Please don't copy!