Turnabout Chapter 7, a pride and prejudice fanfic

WOW, what a response to a chapter. I love it and I hope you enjoy what happens next. 😊

I also thank you for all the ideas you are giving me for future chapters…

~~DGH~~

Darcy

Mr Darcy arrived at his townhouse to the great surprise of his staff, but they, being well trained and efficient, did not take long to provide a bath and dinner for their master.

Darcy was grateful for both as he had become rather chilled on his ride, even though he had not noticed at the time, so engrossed in his thoughts had he been. Yet despite the hours spent in solitary reflection, he was no nearer to an answer as he had been when he set out from Netherfield.

After his meal he retreated to his study where he sat in front of the fire with a glass of brandy to contemplate the last few days.

He had barely taken the first sip when his musings were interrupted by the unannounced entrance of his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. The Colonel was the second son of the Earl of Matlock, who was the brother of Darcy's mother. Richard was also Darcy's best friend and co-guardian of his sister Georgiana.

'Darcy, what are you doing back in town? I thought that you would stay with Bingley for at least a month. Did Caroline make such a pest of herself that you decided that attending the little season to be a lesser punishment than remaining even a sennight in her presence?'

'Hello, Richard. How did you know that I was at home?'

'I saw your carriage pulling into the mews and thought I would keep you company.'

Richard's comment distracted Darcy from his own issues and he gave a fleeting smile. 'Is your mother trying to introduce some more heiresses to you?'

'You know me so well,' replied Richard with a grin as he poured himself a generous measure of brandy. 'But you have not answered my question. What are you doing back in town?'

Darcy averted his eyes from his cousin's searching gaze and focused on the small fire which provided more comfort than heat, unsure of how to answer the question.

Richard cocked his head when Darcy hesitated to answer such a simple question. He seated himself in a chair near Darcy. 'Well…' he prompted.

With a sigh Darcy faced his cousin. 'Would you believe that Bingley was evicted from the estate he was leasing?'

'Bingley evicted?' exclaimed the Colonel and sat up straight. 'Did he fall for some swindle where he was charged a year's rent and tossed out on his ear because of some specious problem which forfeited the rest of the rent?'

'No, indeed not. The solicitor was very careful about refunding the exact proportion of the unused rent.'

'Then why…'

'It seems that the landlord had complaints about Bingley's company.'

'How many people did dear Caroline insult this time?' Richard asked facetiously.

'I do not know the exact numbers, but I believe most of the residents of Meryton.' Darcy chose to answer the easier part but his barely perceptible squirming in his chair was noticeable to someone as observant as his cousin.

Richard, knowing how his cousin could be perceived by people who did not know him, could not help but wonder. 'I suspect there is more to this story. You said Bingley's company. You did not specify Caroline.' He pursed his lips and raised a quizzical eyebrow. 'I presume you wore your usual mask?'

At Darcy's reluctant nod, he asked, 'So, pray tell, how many people did you insult.'

Darcy sighed as he admitted, 'Directly… only one. Indirectly… the whole town.'

'The whole town? That is a bit rich, even for you. What happened?'

Darcy felt he needed someone in whom he could confide, and Richard would not spread the story of his shame.

To gather his thoughts and gain some time, he got up and poured himself another drink. At Richard's suggestion he brought the decanter and set it on the table between them.

Once he was seated again, Richard prompted, 'Go on. Tell me.'

Darcy sighed and without looking at his cousin related, 'Bingley leased this estate in Hertfordshire. He took up residence there about a month ago. Since I was busy at Pemberley, I only joined him a few days ago after dropping Georgiana off at your parents' house.'

After taking another sip of brandy, he continued. 'When I arrived, I wanted nothing more than a quiet evening and an early night. It was not to be. Bingley had accepted an invitation to a public assembly, and I had no choice but to accompany him and his family.'

Darcy glanced up at Richard and grimaced. 'Miss Bingley threatened to keep me company if I remained behind.'

'The expression is offered, not threatened,' the Colonel corrected his cousin with a grin.

'You know perfectly well what it was,' growled Darcy.

'Very well. Continue.'

'Of course, we arrived late since Miss Bingley was determined to make an entrance. Within minutes, at least half the matrons were discussing my putative income and eyeing me like I was a side of beef. I tried to stay out of the way but halfway through the evening Bingley cornered me, insisting that I should dance, and he even went so far as to offer to introduce me to some wallflower who was sitting near us.'

'I believe I know where this story is going,' the Colonel murmured with an exasperated look. He had known his cousin too long to have any illusions about his attitude towards strange women.

Darcy shrugged. 'What can I say. I had no intention of raising the expectations of some country nobody. So, I looked at the young woman and told Bingley that she was tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me. I also explained to him that I would not give consequence to young ladies who were slighted by other men. At that point Bingley understood that I would not accede to being pestered and he went back to dancing.'

'Why do I get the feeling that you did not bother to lower your voice.'

'Why should I bother to lower my voice? Everyone knows that it is impolite to listen in on private conversations,' replied Darcy dismissively, refusing to concede that he might have been at fault.

Richard sighed in resignation. 'I wonder how badly hurt the young lady was by your damnable insult.'

Darcy took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before he said, 'I do not believe that she was hurt at all.'

'What makes you think so? Just because she did not burst into tears in public, does not mean that she was unaffected by your comment.'

'Considering she is one of the prettiest women I have ever seen and has especially fine eyes, I am sure she must think I have either bad eyesight or bad taste.'

'Oho. You had one quick glance at her, and you noticed that she had exceptionally fine eyes? Darcy, I love you like a brother but sometimes you are a complete fool.' Richard shook his head wondering what might have happened if his cousin had a chance to spend more time with that lady. 'So, tell me… if she did not burst into tears, how did she react?'

Darcy splashed more brandy into his glass before he answered. 'After Bingley beat a retreat, she walked over to where I was standing, stopping right in front of me and examined me from head to foot as if I was some strange creature in a menagerie. When she had finished her examination, she tilted her head and looked me in the eye with such a look of contempt mingled with amusement. She then turned her back on me and walked away while shaking her head. She never uttered a word.'

Darcy was still unsure whether he was insulted or grateful that she had not bothered to take him to task for his unkind words.

'What did you expect? Since you had not been introduced, it would have been improper of her to speak to you, even if you had not just publicly insulted her.'

'I had not considered that aspect.'

'Perhaps she was giving you a chance to apologise?'

'That thought did not occur to me either. And how could I? We had not been introduced.'

'That is a feeble excuse, and you know it. Darcy, you are too used to being the pampered darling of the ton, thinking that you are above such things as common courtesy.'

Darcy tried not to squirm in his seat. 'Perhaps. But that solicitor was unbearably rude and insulting to me as well,' he huffed.

'What solicitor?'

'The one who represents the owner of Netherfield. Would you believe that he had the nerve to call me an unmannered Cit?'

'You had better tell me the rest of this sorry tale.'

His cousin obliged him by relating the treatment he had received in Meryton and the final humiliating episode with Mr Phillips, but no sympathy was forthcoming.

'While you are not a Cit, that solicitor was correct when he said you had no manners.'

'I have perfectly good manners,' Darcy growled in frustration.

'Perhaps you should consider using them? I believe that they are quite rusty from disuse.' The Colonel's tone was getting sharper as his cousin seemed unable to admit fault in this situation. 'What is happening to the Fitzwilliam Darcy whom I used to know? Today you are whining like a spoiled child.'

'But –'

'No buts. You have your priorities wrong. You are polite to a shrew like Miss Bingley, but then you take your anger at that woman out on a perfectly genteel lady who has done you no harm. Is that truly the behaviour of a gentleman? Have those people in Merry Town –'

'Meryton,' Darcy corrected absentmindedly.

'Meryton, if you prefer.' Fitzwilliam shrugged. 'Have those people done anything truly unreasonable? Let us look at the facts.'

Fitzwilliam ticked the points off his fingers. 'One. After insulting a lady, she looked at you like you were something she scraped off a shoe. Two. You did not consider that you owed her an apology. Three. The next day, the whole town gave you the cut. Four. The solicitor told you, correctly mind you, that you behaved like an unmannered Cit. And now you are whining how horribly those people treated you.' The Colonel glowered at his cousin.

'I thought that at least you would support me.'

'Normally I would do so, but this time you were in the wrong and your behaviour by your own admission was abysmal.' Richard pursed his lips as he contemplated his cousin. 'I believe that you need an opportunity to work off some of your spleen. Why not meet me at Gentleman Jackson's club tomorrow? I believe it would do you a world of good.'

Darcy brightened at the suggestion. 'I think you have hit on what will benefit me.'

~~DGH~~

The next morning Darcy regretted his choice of words.

As soon as they stepped into the ring, Fitzwilliam let fly with a volley of punches which quite overpowered his cousin.

Despite Darcy having the advantage of height and therefore greater reach, the Colonel made up for those deficits by being a battle-hardened veteran of numerous fierce engagements on the continent.

Richard was hitting Darcy mercilessly while he explained in excruciating detail that gentlemen did not behave in the manner in which Darcy had behaved. Fitzwilliam provided Darcy with a lesson calculated to drive home that he owed it to his family to behave in a gentlemanlike manner.

By the time the Colonel relented and took his cousin home, Darcy was covered in bruises which would take weeks to heal.

'Did you have to be so brutal?' Darcy mumbled through swollen lips when they were back in his study, and he was holding a cloth filled with ice to his left eye and cheek which had taken the brunt of the blows to his face. 'You had already made your point last night.'

'I did not want to risk you forgetting this lesson. By the time the bruises are gone you will have had enough reminders from your mirror of the error of your ways. Hopefully I will not need to repeat your lessons.'

'What makes you the arbiter of my behaviour?'

'I am older and more experienced than you. I am also one of the few people who is not intimidated by the Darcy stare.' Richard grinned at his cousin. 'I am also the only one who can beat you in a fight because you fight fair.'

Darcy returned the grin despite the pain it occasioned him. 'You do realise that until these bruises heal, I will not be able to show my face in public. I thank you for the opportunity to remain at home.'

'Think nothing of it.'

~~DGH~~