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 Jane is beautiful for nothing
Netherfield
Mr. Bennet
The following morning, Mr. Bennet helped Anne and Jane into his carriage for the short journey to Netherfield.
"This is so very exciting," exclaimed Anne. "I have never paid a call on someone like this, before." She peered out of the window, keenly examining everything and everyone that they passed.
Mr. Bennet and his eldest daughter exchanged glances; his of amusement, hers of pity.
"I cannot thank you sufficiently for helping me to escape. In the five days since you arrived at Rosings, I have had so much fun! It is selfish, I know, and I am, of course, very sorry that your daughter has been hurt, but I have done so many new things!"
"No-one will begrudge you those new experiences," said Jane, patting Anne's hand.
"Would you tell me again, please, who we are likely to see? And remind me who is party to your sisters' secrets."
"Our hosts are Mr. Bingley, his sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, and their sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. They are all very charming but, apparently, do not know that Lizzy is staying there," said Jane.
"I shall disagree with Jane, Miss Prout," interjected Mr. Bennet. "Bingley is a genial enough young man, and Hurst is very observant with a sardonic manner. I have not conversed with Mrs. Hurst, but Lizzy says that she has apologised for her earlier, insulting behaviour. That leaves us with Miss Bingley; it is difficult to know what to say without being impolite."
"Pappa! Caroline is quite lovely!" Jane protested.
"Daughter, you are the sweetest, kindest woman in the kingdom, if not in the whole of Christendom. Miss Caroline Bingley is your antithesis; she is neither sweet nor kind."
"That is not true," sighed Jane.
"Perhaps we should allow our guest to decide for herself. If I may give you one piece of advice, Miss Prout: be circumspect until you know whether someone can be relied upon. There are people, both men and women, who will use everything that you say or do as a means to better themselves. I believe that Miss Bingley is one such." Mr. Bennet was very aware that Caroline Bingley must not discover his family's secrets and wished to put Anne on her guard.
Soon they arrived at Netherfield and, when the carriage stopped, Mr. Bennet climbed down and helped the women to disembark.
Mrs. Nicholls was awaiting them at the door. "Good morning Mr. Bennet, Miss Bennet."
Returning her salutation, Mr. Bennet said that they and Miss Prout had come to call upon Lady Anne. As they started to follow the housekeeper up the stairs, Mr. Bingley wandered out of his study.
"Mr. Bennet! Miss Bennet! I did not know that we were expecting you today," he cried.
"We have been invited to take tea with Lady Anne," started Mr. Bennet. Turning to Anne, he continued, "May I introduce our host to you?"
"Er, yes, you may," replied Anne, staring at Mr. Bingley.
"Miss Prout, allow me to introduce Netherfield's tenant, Mr. Charles Bingley. Mr. Bingley, this is our cousin, Miss Hannah Prout."
A bow and a curtsey were exchanged.
"If you would excuse us, lad, her ladyship will be waiting for us," said Mr. Bennet. He was amused, as the youngsters were clearly entranced by each other.
"Yes, yes, please do," mumbled Mr. Bingley, distractedly.
Anne giggled. Then, she blushed, bit her bottom lip and looked down.
Mr. Bennet took the opportunity to usher her up the stairs.
"Who, who was that?" Anne whispered to Jane, as she turned back to peep over her shoulder.
"Mr. Bingley is renting Netherfield," explained Mr. Bennet, as they walked along the guest wing. "He is a pleasant, if rather fickle, young man."
They arrived at Lady Anne's chambers and were admitted. Jane flew straight to Elizabeth's arms, barely waiting to greet the others in the room.
After greeting the Darcys, Mr. Bennet took little notice of their reunion with the exuberant Anne, instead watching his own daughters carefully. He spared a brief glance to see that Darcy was also watching with concern. What will Jane do?
It was as he had dreaded, Jane could not — would not? — stop crying and kissing Elizabeth's face. "Oh, Lizzy! So many bruises! All over your dear face! Oh, my poor sister!"
"Jane, stop," he began, but to no avail.
"And Mr. Collins was so attentive to you! I felt sure that he was going to propose marriage to you and then he tore your favourite ball gown! Oh, Lizzy! There must have been some misunderstanding, as a man of the cloth, such as our cousin, would not have hurt you otherwise. Perhaps, in your natural impertinence, you said something to upset him. We should ask Pappa to write to him with your apologies."
Mr. Bennet's heart sank as Elizabeth howled in pain and tried to push Jane away from her, reaching out blindly for her husband.
Darcy
Shut up! Shut up! Darcy wanted to shove Jane away from his wife and push her out of the room; ban her from ever seeing his dearest Missy ever again. Darcy immediately took his wife into his arms, not caring that he might offend his father and cousin. Elizabeth clung to him, shaking with distress. As he stood watching impotently, his mother went to the older sister, took her by the hand and firmly led her away to her own bedchamber.
He caught Mr. Bennet's eye. What should we do now?
There was a knock at the door.
Who now?
Swiftly, he pulled Elizabeth into his bedchamber. It was unacceptable to abandon his guests, but he had to hide her from prying eyes. The outer door started to open before Stevens was ready to answer it. Miss Bingley! Only she could be so persistently rude.
"Oh, dear Darcy—. Where is Mr. Darcy?" Darcy could hear her strident demands. "I heard a cry; is he in pain?"
His mother's reprimand followed. "Miss Bingley! How dare you enter my chambers uninvited!"
"My lady," Miss Bingley's tone became supercilious. "I have come to offer refreshments to you and your visitors downstairs in the parlour. It would be so much more pleasant for you and Mr. Bonnet to talk there."
While holding Elizabeth close to him, through the gap between the door and the jamb, Darcy saw Miss Bingley look disdainfully at Anne. He assumed that all she saw was Anne's borrowed clothing — she was wearing whatever Mrs. Gardiner and the Bennet daughters had lent to her.
"Who is this?" she sniffed derisively.
Darcy could not see Mr. Bennet's expression, but could imagine it as he said, "May I introduce you?"
"Very well," replied Miss Bingley.
"I was not addressing you, Miss Bingley," Mr. Bennet clarified, and repeated the question to Anne.
"Very well," replied Anne.
Darcy could hear her bemused tone and wondered if she had ever been introduced thus. He searched his memory and realised that Lady Catherine had always said, 'And this is my daughter, Anne'.
Mr. Bennet performed the introductions, and Darcy was surprised to hear Anne named as the Bennets' cousin. Hmm, I suppose that she is.
Elizabeth's trembling drew his attention away and he led her to the sofa by the fire. Softly, in her ear, he murmured, "Will you be well for a few minutes, while I dismiss Miss Bingley?" He could see that her nod was reluctant, but left her and strode into the sitting room.
"Do not let me detain you, Miss Bingley," he said brusquely, taking hold of her elbow and escorting her to the door. "I can assure you that my mother will inform you should she require your attentions." He closed the door firmly behind her. He turned around to see Mr. Bennet's grin, Anne's hands over her mouth in astonishment and his mother's disapproval — slight disapproval.
Almost immediately, another knock sounded at the door. Darcy grabbed the handle and whipped the door open. Startled, Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped in.
"I thought that you were Miss Bingley!" said Darcy.
Richard made a show of looking down at himself and touching his face and hair before replying irreverently, "I passed her in the corridor; would you like me to summon her?"
Lady Anne
What is the girl thinking?
Lady Anne had taken Jane by the hand and had pulled her into her bedchamber. About to close the door, she heard Miss Bingley's intrusion, so returned to the sitting room to dismiss her. Mr. Bennet dealt well with the interloper, she thought, before Darcy sent her away. Had he been rude? She did not care. Lizzy's well-being is more important this morning.
After Miss Bingley's exit, she took a deep breath and returned to talk with Jane.
"Miss Bennet. I know not what to say! When I spoke with your father, yesterday, he told me that he would tell you why it was so important that you did not show your distress to your sister. Did he not talk with you?"
"He did, my lady," Jane replied, looking down at her hands clenched around the handkerchief in her lap.
"Then why did you mention the bruises? Why did you mention the beating and the torn gown? Why did you intimate that this was Lizzy's fault? Please do tell me, as I do not understand." Lady Anne shook her head in disbelief.
"It was the shock, seeing her like that," Jane replied, wiping her eyes and twisting the handkerchief.
"But you continued, even though Lizzy's agony was apparent. Why was that?"
Jane did not answer immediately, but after a long pause, said, "Can I ask you a question, Lady 'E'?"
Ah, thought Lady Anne, here is the truth. "Yes, do."
"Why did you choose Lizzy? Why did you choose Mary? Why did you not choose me; twice not choose me?"
"You were being spiteful because you were not chosen?"
"Why did you not choose me?" Jane repeated, petulantly.
"Do you believe that your beauty ought to have made you my first choice?
Jane did not answer, but Lady Anne noticed a fleeting expression of vanity cross her face.
Mmm.
"I see that you do. Very well, I shall answer your question, Miss 'E', with another. If I presented my son, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Bingley as suitors, which one would you choose as your husband?"
"I should accept an offer from any man of whom my father approves," Jane replied, primly.
"Your father says that he will allow you the choice, so which man would you pick?"
Jane did not answer.
"Let me help you. My son is serious, clever and is a countryman at heart. Richard is a brave man, accustomed to command and comfortable in all society. Mr. Bingley is akin to a puppy, very sociable and fickle. Do you agree?"
Jane nodded.
"Your father says that he approves of them all, so which would you pick? The serious man? The authoritative man? Or the fickle man?"
"I should choose the colonel," admitted Jane, softly.
"Why would you not choose Mr. Bingley?"
"Because of his fickleness. I should be unsure of his fidelity."
"And why not my son?" Seeing the young woman pause, Lady Anne added, "You can be honest."
"He frightens me a little. He is so clever and, well, he is better suited to Lizzy."
"Do you agree that if I had chosen you as my daughter, you would be wed to a man of whom you are a little frightened? Can you not see that I chose Lizzy because she would not be frightened of him?"
"Yes, my lady, I can." Jane looked ashamed.
"There is no reason to be jealous that I chose Lizzy and not you. You would not suit my son and, similarly, Lizzy would certainly not suit my nephew. Her intelligence and impertinence would soon irritate him, just as his natural assumption of command and the very masculinity that you find appealing would stifle her. You need not be envious of your sister's marriage."
Jane's face reddened further.
"My brother thought that Mary would be a better choice for his son as she is strong enough, confident enough, to deal with his stubbornness. You would have been miserable wed to him."
Jane started to weep.
"Now," Lady Anne continued, "I can hear that my nephew has arrived. I shall leave you here to collect yourself before you re-join us. I should like to add that I do not believe that William will allow you to see Lizzy again today. Perhaps you ought to write to her with your apologies."
She gave her guest a significant look and returned to the sitting room.
Mr. Bennet
As Lady Anne re-entered the sitting room, Mr. Bennet caught her eye and raised his brows in question. She replied with a resigned half shrug, and went to take a seat next to her niece and nephew.
Leaving them to happily exchange news, Mr. Bennet listened with half an ear in case they spoke of anything to add to his notes on the 'Fitzwilliam Family Feud' while he made his way to the door to Darcy's chamber. Knocking gently, he entered upon hearing Darcy's invitation. He found his dearest daughter cradled in her husband's arms, weeping into his neck.
"Oh, Lizzy, my Lizzy," said Mr. Bennet, taking a seat next to them. "I know not what possessed Jane to say such things, to behave in such a manner. Lady Anne has spoken with her, so we might find out anon."
Darcy looked him in the eye. "I shall not allow Miss Bennet to see Missy again. I make no apologies for saying so."
"No, no. That is quite reasonable, very understandable," Mr. Bennet conceded, with a weary shake of his head.
"I have Stevens packing our belongings. Missy and I shall travel to London this afternoon — I can better protect her there. I shall ask my mother to bring Mary, Sarah and the children on the morrow, as we had planned; Stevens will remain to accompany them. We shall leave as soon as the carriage is readied."
Darcy's tone brooked no opposition, so Mr. Bennet, though disappointed, acquiesced. "Very well, son. You must do as you must. Can I rely on you to write to me?"
"Indeed, and you will inform us of the date of your wedding."
"Indeed!" Mr. Bennet leaned over, kissed his daughter's head and took his leave.
On returning to the sitting room, he found that Jane had also returned and was in a quiet, intense conversation with the colonel. He watched for a moment and decided to join them; Jane would not be permitted to escape the consequences of her behaviour. Richard stood as he approached them, surrendering his seat.
Mr. Bennet sat and regarded his eldest daughter, she of the serene beauty and the gentle kindness. "Well, Jane."
"Pappa," she replied without meeting his eyes.
He said nothing more, and under his continued scrutiny she finally spoke.
"I was envious, Pappa. Lizzy has everything that I wish for: a husband and children. I was hurt and was spiteful."
Richard's interjected, "What has happened?" On hearing of Jane's behaviour, he stiffened and began to turn away from her. "That was badly done, Miss Bennet, very badly done." He turned back and continued, "If you have any idea how wretched your sister has felt that her happiness was at the cost of your rejection— "
Mr. Bennet nodded in agreement. "She was very cross with me when she discovered the purpose of your meetings with Lady Anne when you were children."
"I had no idea," cried Jane. "I knew not."
"You must think carefully about how you can earn Lizzy's forgiveness, and," he checked his pocket watch, "it is time for us to take our leave." He stood. "Colonel, we shall not be at home to visitors this afternoon, but you may call on us in the morning."
"Yes, sir."
"Jane, Miss Prout, it is time for us to take our leave." Then, after the exchange of the appropriate courtesies, the Bennets and Anne left.
As they descended the stairs, Mr. Bingley popped out of the parlour. He must have been waiting for us! Mr. Bennet forestalled any cow-eyed dawdling by telling Mr. Bingley that he could call on them on the morrow with the colonel.
In the carriage, leaving Netherfield, Anne asked, rather indelicately, "Are all invitations to tea so very exciting?"
Please don't copy!