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 Elizabeth muses on betrothal and William resolves to become devoted and caring
Longbourn
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bennet was on the path to Oakham Mount. She was walking slowly as she needed to think.
She remembered her visits to Netherfield to see Lady E — they had been but a couple of weeks earlier — but it had been only that morning that her father had told her of the purpose of those meetings. He had held her in front of him on the back of his horse as they rode around the estate and had told her the huge news — which she was to keep a secret, even from her beloved Jane — that she was to be betrothed. To Lady E's son, no less. How could I be betrothed when I am but ten years of age?she wondered.
Elizabeth did not know whether to be upset about the betrothal or excited about having such a secret. Deciding that she was not made for unhappiness, she opted for excitement. Surely, if her betrothed was the son of Lady E, he must be nice — just like his mamma.
"Betrothed, betrothed," she repeated quietly as she picked up her pace. "'Betrothed'. What a strange word."
As the path entered the woods, she broke into a run, slowing a little as she climbed Oakham Mount. Sitting on the rock at the top, snuggled between the roots of the oak tree, she looked over the land and repeated her father's lessons on the tenants and the crops and the livestock.
"'Betrothed'." She had looked up the word in her father's worn, leather-bound dictionary. 'Promised to marry'. Marry? I am far too young to think of marrying.
Mr. Bennet had explained that she was not to be married for several years, that it was agreed between himself and the young gentleman and his father that they would marry when she was old enough. "That will not be until you are eighteen, at least," he had said. She was nearly eleven years of age, so would be married in a little over seven years. Her father had said that they would write letters to each other but not yet meet.
No, she was not made for unhappiness. She would make the best of this promise to marry.
Darcy House
William Darcy
William had also persuaded himself that he was becoming accustomed to the notion of a betrothal.
On her return to London, his mother knocked on the door to his chambers and, on his invitation to enter, came in to speak with him. He bowed to her and bent to kiss her on the cheek. She reached up and, taking his face in both hands, looked at him lovingly and kissed his cheek in return.
"It is so delightful to be back in your company, my dearest boy," she said.
"I am exceedingly glad to be with you again too, Mother," William replied.
"While I was away, I found out from Mrs. Reynolds about your ruse with wine bottles!"
"Oh, do you mean putting the bottles by the servants' doors so that I am alerted to intruders?" When did you see Mrs. Reynolds?
"Yes, and I was very impressed." She looked at him mischievously. "I do not suppose that you have any wine bottles here now?"
Smiling at his mother, he replied, "If I should happen to have some hidden away, should I put them to use?"
"Mmm, what a good idea!"
He had just finished leaning empty wine bottles against the inner doors to his chambers, when there was another knock at the outer door. William opened it to reveal Mrs. Weaver with a tray of tea and cakes. "Thank you, Mrs. Weaver," he said, taking the tray from her and putting it on the table in his sitting room. As he closed the door again, behind their housekeeper, his mother started to pour the tea. She motioned to the sofa in front of the empty fireplace and, after sitting, invited her son to join her. He settled himself next to her, waiting for her to speak.
"I shall not sport with you by pretending that I do not know what you are so eager to discover," began Lady Anne softly.
William shook his head. Please do not.
"But, before I tell you of my recent journey, I feel that I ought to tell you how your father and I came to be married."
"I thought that you married for love."
"We love each other now, but it was not so at first."
William was taken aback. That his parents loved one another was plain to see — their signs of affection, their conversations, all of the time that they spent together made it obvious to all.
"Our betrothal was arranged by our fathers. We had an advantage over you that we had met once or twice beforehand, but we were strangers to each other when we wed. Your grandmother Darcy took us aside at our wedding breakfast and gave us some advice. I am going to pass on that advice to you.
"She told us that we could resent being brought together by our fathers, or we could decide, right then, that our marriage would be successful and happy, and that, by deciding so, we were likely to bring love into our relationship too."
William understood what his mother was telling him, and asked, "And how did you do that?"
Lady Anne stroked his cheek. "At first it felt odd, but every morning we talked about what we each had planned for the day. We tried to have tea together every afternoon in our own sitting room. Before retiring, we sat together again — we might not have had conversation every evening, but would have played backgammon or read to each other. Your grandmother suggested that we made sure to be touching each other during at least one of those daily meetings.
"I found it very awkward as I had never touched a gentleman other than my father or brothers, and then only quickly in greeting. But, by chance, it was a cold winter when we settled into Pemberley, and I learnt to keep my feet warm by pushing them under your father's leg as we sat by the fire."
"I have seen you doing just that!"
"I know that you can tell why I am telling you of this; to enjoy your marriage, you must be determined to make it successful and happy. You are the only one who can do this. You will have to remember that your bride will be new to Pemberley, to the life and responsibilities that she will have. Imagine your sister thrust into such a situation — how would you wish her husband to treat her?"
William leaned back and considered this.
"Thank you, Mother. I understand. I suppose that, like any new activity, it will take practice to learn." He sat up straight with resolution, took a deep breath and said, "I shall learn the skill of being a devoted and caring betrothed, ready to become a devoted and caring husband."
She kissed his cheek. "I could not wish for more."
"Now, will you please tell me of my betrothed?"
"Yes! As you are aware, I have been to — oh, I should not say where — to meet with and choose your future bride."
William's heart raced as he felt a mixture of anguish and excitement; he could only hope that his mother had chosen well.
"I met two delightful daughters of a gentleman. The elder is a great beauty, fair of face and hair, with a sweet and gentle calmness and such composure for a child of but twelve years of age."
He had started to relax hearing about the young gentlewoman's beauty and comportment, but was taken aback to hear that she was the elder daughter. "The elder's but twelve? Pray, what age is the younger?" he cried.
"William, Fitzwilliam, calm yourself and think for a moment." Lady Anne took his hand between her own and continued by asking him, "What age to you think that a gentleman such as yourself should marry?"
He shook his head. "Nearer to thirty than twenty, I suppose."
"And what age would you expect your bride to be when you are that age?"
"Eight- or nineteen, or twenty— Ah, I see. In ten years' hence, my betrothed will be of that age, and I shall be eight and twenty. I had not considered that, though she would seem full young now, the difference between our ages will stay the same." He breathed out in relief. "Have you chosen this very young fair maiden for me?"
"No, I have not." Lady Anne took another sip of tea and continued, "I have chosen the younger."
"Is she also fair?"
"No, the elder sister is a true beauty. My first thoughts on seeing her were that, when she is ready to be out in society, she will be another Helen— "
" —of Troy?"
"Yes, indeed. All of the young men will flock around her. I felt that she is far too shy, and though beautiful, I did not think her lively enough for you."
"So, the younger is to be my bride and my wife, my cherished wife. Tell me about her, please, Mother."
"She is approaching her eleventh birthday — early next month, I believe — and is much smaller than her sister. She has masses of dark hair which someone must have to do battle with each morning to tame into the plait which bounces around as she talks. She appears unable to sit still and is curious about everything.
"On her second visit, she even asked if my necklace was of emeralds! I thought, at first, that she asked avariciously but, no. She declared that she had only read descriptions of precious stones and had wondered if she had correctly identified them. She also asked to see the figurines that stood out of her reach on the mantel, carefully examined them, put them back in my hands and announced that she would tell her father of them as she had not been able to describe them to him following her first visit.
"I enquired whether she told her father about everything that she saw. She readily admitted that she did but, looking around as if for eavesdroppers, added the caveat that she did not tell him everything that she might have seen when being somewhere that she ought not to be!"
William found himself smiling.
"Her eyes, William, just wait until you see her eyes! She appears to be joy, intelligence and enthusiasm personified, and with the most expressive and glorious dark eyes." Lady Anne sighed in remembrance, and continued, "From her words, I inferred that, as she has no brothers, her father is encouraging his daughters to learn, learn and learn. I do not think that she will turn into a bluestocking, but you two will never lack for conversation. Indeed, I expect that she will keep you on your toes and provide, if not the great love to which you might aspire, superb companionship. I do hope so."
"I hope so too."
"Before I left here to meet her and her sister, your father had suggested that I use the alias 'Lady E' while there. I did so and telling the girls my scheme found their names to be Miss E and Miss Y. Young Miss Y took a few moments to decide which of her names to use for her alias— "
"How many names does she have?" he interjected.
"She told me of three — a Christian name and two diminutives, I think. 'Miss Y' is using the letter 'y' from one of those. No, I shall not tell you of the letters that she discarded. She did, though, tell me sombrely that she chose 'Miss Y' as, if it were written down, it would look like 'Missy' which was what her mother called her before she died."
"It sounds as though she misses her mother," William murmured in sympathy.
They sat in silence for some minutes sipping second cups of tea.
"What will happen next?" asked William.
"Your father and I discussed this last night, so I can tell you that once the settlement papers are drawn up, they will be sent to Miss Y's father to sign, and then you will be betrothed. Meanwhile, he and I shall look for an intermediary through whom you can correspond."
William laughed softly. "I do not know what I shall write to a ten-year-old girl, betrothed or not."
"Perhaps you ought to imagine your own sister in four or five years, and think about what she might like to hear from you."
"I can only hope that Miss Y, 'Missy', will become as dear to me as Georgiana."
Lady Anne stood and William did so too. She enfolded him in her arms and said, "That is exactly the right way to look at this. I am so proud of you, son!"
After his mother left his sitting room, he returned the wine bottles to their hiding place and reflected on all that she had said. I suppose that my pseudonym will be 'M'!
Please don't copy, but please do let me have comments/corrections 😏