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 Lydia is clever and tells the Darcys of the Fitzwilliam family feud

Longbourn

Lydia

The next day, Lydia surprised her sisters when she told them that she would not accompany them to visit their aunt Phillips in Meryton, then she begged Elizabeth to remain behind with her. Darcy arrived just as Jane, Mary, Kitty and Mrs. Annesley were leaving and was shown into Mr. Bennet's book-room. Lydia clasped Elizabeth's hand and pulled her in, too.

"Come, Lizzy. Pappa and I should like you to join us!"

As soon as Mrs. Hill had delivered tea, Mr. Bennet bid Lydia to make sure that the door was firmly closed, and said, "Lydia, would you care to share our news?"

Darcy and Elizabeth looked puzzled.

Enjoying being the centre of attention, Lydia cleared her throat. "Pappa and I have been working on a way to remove the need for what you, Lizzy, call the 'great secret'!" She grinned in delight at their shared looks of shock. "I have been assisting Pappa these few months."

"Liddy? What is it that you know?" cried Elizabeth.

"More than you do, dear sister!"

"Now, now, Lydia," interjected her father. "Keep your pride under good regulation."

Lydia sat down next to her sister and continued. "When I inferred that Melissa and Phoebe are your daughters— "

Elizabeth gasped.

"Well, they look so like you, Lizzy. And that, if Pappa allowed you to return here, they are not your natural daughters. Thus you must be married. Beatrice is Mary's daughter, but I have not yet discovered the identity of her father. Pappa says that I must discern it for myself."

"Go on, Lydia," Mr. Bennet said.

"Our recent visitor, Miss Gina Prout, was so very good at keeping her identity hidden, but let slip that she lives in Derbyshire and not Shropshire as she first told us. Melissa has her eyes, so I wondered if she is her aunt, thus her father's sister." With deliberation, Lydia turned her head to look pointedly at Darcy who remained expressionless.

"Liddy! When did you find all of this out?" cried Elizabeth.

"Oh, that much I guessed!" Lydia smiled with glee. "It was not until Pappa showed me some papers that he calls the 'Fitzwilliam Family Feuds', that I saw more."

Darcy laughed and the others turned to him in surprise. "The 'Fitzwilliam Family Feuds' — indeed!" He addressed Mr. Bennet. "What do you know of my family's squabbles?"

"Very possibly more than you do, son." Mr. Bennet shrugged and added, nonchalantly, "Your mother and I keep each other updated."

"My mother?"

"Yes, yes, Mr. Darcy. Your mother has been very informative," Lydia interjected. "And before you interrupt again, Lizzy, there is more to tell. Pappa also has some notes about a conspiracy to prevent the abolition of slavery."

"Are you saying that these two things are related?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Yes," said Mr. Bennet. "And their confluence seems to be approaching."

"And is coming here, to Meryton!" said Lydia, excitedly.

The room fell silent. Two of its occupants were in shock and the other two rather pleased with themselves.

Lydia broke the silence and stood up. "Mr. Darcy, will you not take my seat here next to your wife?"

Speechless, Darcy rose and did as bidden. He sat back and raised his arm as if to put it around Elizabeth, then seemingly recollected where he was, so took and kissed her hand instead. Lydia could not hear what he murmured as he did so, but did see her sister's contented smile.

He is uxorious! Lucky Lizzy!

"From the information on the 'Fitzwilliam Family Feuds', it was easy to see that Lizzy is married to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, and that Lady Anne is his mother. His sister came to hide with us after being kidnapped and rescued by Lizzy and Mary in Tenston."

Mr. Bennet said, "Well done, child. Now tell them what else you have determined from the 'Fitzwilliam Family Feuds.'"

Lydia spoke to Darcy. "Your aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, wishes you to marry her daughter."

Darcy nodded.

"Her motives for this union are to assume control, using her existing control of her daughter, of your own estate."

"Of Pemberley?" gasped Darcy.

Lydia noticed that Elizabeth tried to sooth him.

"Yes. She would have your mother removed to the dower house."

"How can she think that this is possible?" Elizabeth asked. "William's the master of his estate."

Lydia glanced at her father. Mr. Bennet took up the story.

"Here we must leave the Fitzwilliams and their feud, while I tell you of the other conspiracy."

"Against the abolitionists?" Elizabeth asked.

"Lydia untangled this, so she will tell you." Once again, Mr. Bennet ceded the floor to his youngest daughter.

"We have some messages from Mr. George Wickham— "

"Wickham?!" spat Darcy, sitting forward.

"Son, son, calm yourself and hear the rest," admonished Mr. Bennet.

"What is that rogue done now?"

"Son!" repeated Mr. Bennet.

With an angry frown, Darcy sat back.

"As I said," continued Lydia, "we have some messages from Mr. Wickham using the alias 'Godson'."

"'Godson?'" Darcy sat forward again.

"William, let us hear what Pappa and Lydia have to tell us." Elizabeth said, gesturing to her sister to continue.

"Mr. Wickham is to enlist in a company of militia which is coming to winter here in Meryton. He claims that he will be hiding in uniform."

Darcy's eyes narrowed.

"It is for this reason that we sent Miss Gina Prout away. She should not have to see the man who kidnapped her."

"Indeed," agreed Darcy with a grim nod. "I thank you."

"According to these messages, 'Godson' comes intending to do harm to 'Fizzwizz' — that is F-Z-W-Z — who is here with his friend 'Rot'."

"Who is this 'Fizzwizz?'" asked Elizabeth.

"Me," answered Darcy, soberly. "Wickham called me 'Fitzy Witzy.'"

"And 'Rot'?"

"It must be Bingley, but I do not know why," said Darcy.

"Pappa told me that it is an acronym for 'reeks of trade'," Lydia told him.

"Oh, that sounds just like Lady Catherine," sighed Darcy.

Lydia noticed a pensive look on her sister's face. "What is it, Lizzy"

"There is more to this, I think, than finding out about a family feud. Who is giving Mr. Wickham this information about William and Mr. Bingley?" Elizabeth turned to her husband. "Do you write to your aunt, telling her of these matters?"

"No!" He shook his head, adamantly. "But I do write to my cousin Anne, and we must infer that my aunt also reads those letters."

"Your poor cousin."

"Indeed."

"Does Lady Anne write to her sister?"

"Yes, she does."

"Knowing this, can we provide some misinformation?"

Lydia and Mr. Bennet exchanged pleased looks.

"Excellent, Lizzy!" Mr. Bennet said.

"Good! You have stopped moping and have started to think again!" exclaimed Lydia.

They heard voices approaching the front door.

"We shall discuss this another time," said Mr. Bennet. "Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy, you owe me a game of chess."

The sisters excused themselves to leave the men to play in peace.

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