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 there is a wedding!

Shropshire

Mrs. Gardiner

The Gardiners and their niece travelled on from Chipping Camden to Worcester and then to Ludlow and, finally, The Anchor Inn at Tenston. Mrs. Gardiner knew that her husband shared her curiosity about the forthcoming meeting between Elizabeth and Darcy. She also knew that he shared her frustration that their brother had not told his daughter. Sometimes Thomas' desire to make sport is inappropriate.

Shortly after they had arrived and been shown to their chambers, Lady Anne was announced; Mrs. Gardiner invited her to stay for refreshments.

"I thank you, Mrs. Gardiner, that would be lovely and then, perhaps, I might be permitted to talk with your niece."

"Certainly, my lady," replied Mrs. Gardiner.

While drinking their tea, they chatted about their journey and the places that they had seen. Then, refusing the offer of a second cup, Lady Anne invited Elizabeth to accompany her to the inn's private parlour. Mrs. Gardiner turned to her husband. "Do you agree with me, Edward, that there is more happening here than a meeting?"

"Mmm. What do you think that it is?"

"I do not know but suspect that Thomas has more surprises for us." She watched his expression turn to astonishment. "What is it? Do you know?"

He took her hands in his. "Thomas must think that this is the biggest joke — I think that they are to marry!"

"Do you mean while we are here?"

"Tomorrow is Lizzy's birthday— "

"Oh, Edward! This is not fair to Lizzy. What should we do?"

"Nothing at the moment, Madeline; here comes Lizzy. Let us talk later." He stood to welcome his niece. "Has your visitor gone?"

"Yes, Uncle. Her ladyship sent her regards and said that she did not wish to stay too long as we have only recently arrived."

"May I ask what you talked about?" asked Mrs. Gardiner.

"She told me that I shall meet her son tomorrow — she will send a note early in the morning to make arrangements."

"Are you feeling less anxious now?"

"A little. I wish that she had brought him with her this afternoon, then I should not have had time to be anxious. Do not worry for me, Aunt, my courage will rise as necessary!"

Early the following morning, a bouquet of flowers arrived at the inn for Elizabeth. Attached was a note saying:

'Please bring these with you. M'

There was also a note to the Gardiners:

'Please come to the church by the estate at 9 o'clock.'

"That confirms it," said Mr. Gardiner to his wife, kissing her forehead.

"I am surprised that Thomas has ceded the honour, even to you."

"You mean—? Oh, yes, 'tis an honour indeed."

"Lizzy!" she cried. "Are you ready?"

"Almost, Aunt. Would you fasten my bracelet for me, please?"

"How lovely; you must show him."

"It is proper to wear it on my wedding day!" Elizabeth smirked.

"Lizzy! How?"

"His letter said that he looks forward to my hand in his. Is not the bride's hand given in marriage? I am to take a bouquet with me this morning. Also, there is too much secrecy for just a meeting."

"You are your father's daughter, indeed," said Mr. Gardiner shaking his head. He offered her his arm. "Miss Bennet, shall we go?"

Darcy

Anxiously waiting at the altar for his bride, Darcy took a deep breath. He caught Richard's sympathetic smile from the corner of his eye, and saw his uncle's raised eyebrows. Mrs. Gardiner was talking to Lady Anne and Mrs. Reynolds across the aisle.

"I see that your son has a lovely smile, my lady."

The women all looked at him.

I am not smiling.

"My niece will be so comforted to see such a welcoming smile as she's very nervous."

"You are quite right, Mrs. Gardiner, she's sure to relax with such a welcome."

Richard nudged him and Darcy realised that they were teasing him and mustered a smile. The women smiled back, pleased.

There was a noise in the doorway drawing his attention. This is it. Smile to welcome her!

And there she was; a small figure on Mr. Gardiner's arm. Darcy could see that she was carrying the flowers that he had sent that morning. He watched as she took a deep breath and straightened her spine. She closed her eyes for a moment, nodded to her uncle and they started to walk towards him. Sarah Reynolds followed them.

He could not have said what colour her dress was as, the moment that their eyes met, he was caught. His smile became genuine and she smiled a little uncertainly in return.

When they reached him, Mr. Gardiner passed her hands to the groom. Darcy held his bride's hands in his as they looked at each other.

"I am delighted to meet you," he said.

"I am delighted to meet you, too," she replied. "And I was very sorry to hear of your father's death."

"I thank you for your kind words, especially as you must be nervous."

"Have I not told you that there is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others? My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me."

"Do you feel intimidated?" he asked with concern.

"No; not really. Not now that I have met you." She smiled, biting her lip slightly, thus belying the bravery of her words.

"I am glad. Shall we be wed?"

Richard nudged him and muttered, loud enough for the small congregation to hear, "Propose to her!"

The guests chuckled while Darcy looked taken aback.

"Oh, yes," he managed. "Um, er, Missy, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire you."

Her face lit with a bashful smile.

"Would you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Insouciantly, she shrugged. "Well, it would be a shame to have come all of this way for no reason, so yes, I shall!"

He kissed her hand and turned to his uncle. "You have heard my courageous bride; let us be wed!"

Elizabeth

After they had been pronounced man and wife, the bishop led them to the vestry to sign the register. Elizabeth watched with some amusement as her relatives, old and new, prevented the new couple from seeing each other's surnames. She thought that her father would also have found amusement in that dance.

Her husband offered her his arm and they left the church.

He swallowed and said, "I have suggested that our guests go straight to where we shall be staying, but I thought that you might like to take a more roundabout route — it would give us a chance to talk with each other."

"That is kind. Is the house close? My aunt does not care to walk too far."

"It is not half a mile; should I arrange for a carriage?"

"No, thank you. She will be fine with that distance," she answered with a grateful smile.

The rest of the party turned left out of the graveyard while her husband led her to the right and up a lane towards low hills.

"We, er, we shall have plenty of time to walk and explore here — I hope that you will enjoy that."

"I am sure that I shall. Will you not enjoy it too?"

"Er, with you by my side, how can I not?"

"Flatterer!"

"I am not practiced at flattery — not at all — so am hoping that you will help me to learn."

"You made a good start for a novice." She smiled shyly up at him. Heavens; in the church, I had not noticed how handsome he is.

They walked a little way in silence, then he said, "Since the, er, since the beginning of our betrothal, I have thought of you as 'Missy'; what would you prefer me to call you?"

"It depends upon what is to happen to me now."

"'What is to happen to you?'"

"Yes, am I to live with you or am I to return to my family?"

He groaned. "Did your father not tell you?"

"My father has told me nothing. Having sport with me, no doubt."

"Ah, then I should tell you that you are to return to your family as if unwed."

She was surprised. "So, I am to meet you, marry you and then go home?"

"Not immediately. I hope that you will be happy to stay here with me until the end of July."

"The end of July?" Two months?

"We should have a honeymoon and get to know each other."

"Oh."

Darcy

Seeing her eyes wide with alarm and shock, Darcy was quick to reassure her. "I do not intend to, er, make you my wife. It seems unfair to do so when you are so young and we have only just met."

"Oh. Ah." She blushed and looked down.

"In fact, let us agree that we shall not, um, er, consummate our marriage until you are ready."

She blushed more and dropped her gaze to the ground. "Th-that is thoughtful."

"Missy, we have written so much to each other about our expectations of our life together, you must know that I wish for your happiness."

"And I yours." She raised her eyes to study the buttons on his waistcoat. "Will you be happy waiting?"

He sighed a little. "I am a man and I should like to have a complete relationship with you. And I should like to have children, which necessitates, um, intimacy." He kissed her hand. "But there is no hurry!"

She nodded and managed to look up at his face. "I thank you."

"Bu-ut," he continued, "in return you will have to become accustomed to me kissing your hands," he kissed her hands; "kissing your cheeks," he kissed her cheeks; "and kissing your head." He pretended to wrestle with her bonnet to reveal her forehead and kissed it.

"And," he said, seeing her scarlet cheeks, "by the end of two months you will not blush when I do so."

"Will you not kiss my lips?"

"No, not until you are ready to become my wife." But when you are a few years older, I shall be very tempted.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth looked up at the man who was now her husband. "You are all kindness, sir."

"'Sir'?"

"I know not what to call you. For years you have been 'M' and today I have taken 'Fitzwilliam' to be my husband."

"I see. What did you think that my name might have been?"

"Let me see, I thought of names ending with the letter 'm', so 'Adam', 'William', 'Malcolm', and, er, 'Bertram', 'Callam' — and diminutives such as 'Jim', 'Sam', 'Tim', 'Tom', but not 'MacWilliam'." If I tease him, I shall not be so nervous.

"'MacWilliam'?"

"Or 'Williamson', except that that does not end with an 'm'." Seeing that he still looked puzzled, she carried on, "'Fitz' son of, 'Mac' son of— "

"Son of William. William's son. I did'nt know that!"

She grinned at him. "Something missing from your lectures at Cambridge?"

"Indeed. As no-one calls me 'Son of William', I should like you to call me 'William'." He smiled.

"Then, I shall call you 'William'! And, since my family managed to conceal your surname from me— "

"And your maiden name from me."

" —what shall we call ourselves?"

"What about 'Adam', as that was the first name you thought of which ends with an 'M'?"

"'Adam' it is. William and Missy Adam." She curtseyed to him and he bowed in return.

"Though, I do believe that I shall call you 'Madam'," she announced with another grin and resumed walking.

"'Madam'?" he spluttered.

She smirked back at him. "Something else missing from your Cambridge education, I suppose." How long shall I leave him to work it out?

"'Madam'? 'Madam'? Oh no, 'M. Adam'."

"Ah, so those years were not a waste, after all!"

"Tease!"

She shrieked as he ran after her. Catching her, he said, "For that, you get two kisses!" and kissed her on both cheeks. "No, this is not right; for that, you must kiss me." He presented his cheek to her. She kissed it and turned away immediately to hide her mortification.

Please don't copy, but please do let me have comments/corrections 😏