Chapter 2 : Alexander
Great-great-great grandparents?
Elizabeth and Darcy stared at Alexander as if he had indeed gone mad.
A heartbeat later, Elizabeth burst into gales of laughter. She could not help it, Alexander looked older than Fitzwilliam.
Alexander shrugged his shoulders helplessly, the corners of his lips turned up at Elizabeth's contagious laughter.
"I know you're a figment of my imagination, probably some coping mechanism or whatever therapists call it—or!" He raised his finger. "Now this is more plausible, I had too much to drink last night and it has finally messed with my head!"
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Elizabeth tried to catch her breath.
"William, I can not make sense out of any of this."
"Nor I."
"Forgive me," Elizabeth turned again to Alexander, "You said that we are in New York, in America?"
Alexander nodded, wondering privately how long this hallucination would last, he imagined how he would look to others, talking to himself.
"But are you not American? For you sound so very English to me." As if in apology, Elizabeth added, "I have never met an American before."
Just at that moment, they heard a call that seemed to come from below stairs.
"Alex?"
"That's Miranda."
Darcy was, at that current moment, unsure of many things, but one thing he was most certain of, he had no wish for another person to see him and Elizabeth in their state of undress.
"Are you just getting up? Are you upstairs?"
"Yes, I am." He called out, then to Darcy and Elizabeth, he said, "I haven't actually gone to bed at all—fortunately for all of us!" He added with a meaningful grin at the couple.
"I'm coming up." They heard Miranda say.
"Uh, there's no need for that! I'll be down in a while."
But too late, for Miranda seemed to have proceeded without waiting for his answer.
"You slept in the library again didn't you—that is if you slept at all!"
Alexander winced. Her voice sounded nearer than before, just directly below them. They must be on the third floor then, Darcy thought.
"Alex, it stinks of alcohol in here!" Miranda called out, presumably from the library.
"Oh god, here comes the lecture." Alexander covered his eyes.
As he said that, the sound of footsteps climbing up a flight of stairs echoed through the room.
Looking at each other, Darcy and Elizabeth burrowed deeper under the covers just as a woman entered.
"Alex, you said—"
She stopped short as she saw Darcy and Elizabeth on the bed.
"I—I did not know we had guests, Alex." She looked sharply at Alexander, then quickly covered it up with a welcoming smile. "You didn't tell me we had guests."
Alexander gaped at Miranda.
"You can see them?"
She threw him a look that was somewhere between bewilderment and exasperation.
"Hello, I'm Miranda, I'm Mr. Darcy's housekeeper." Her smile somewhat faltered as she realised Darcy and Elizabeth were in bed sans clothes.
Elizabeth had not intended to stare, but she could not help it. The woman standing before them was wearing pantaloons and some kind of loose fitting shirt! Her brown hair was loose around her shoulders, and she spoke with an accent that Elizabeth could not at all identify—later she would learn it to be the standard American accent. She saw a sprinkling of gray in her hair, Miranda looked to be older than any other person in the room, but Elizabeth could not begin to guess at her age.
"You can see them?" Alexander repeated, almost unbelieving.
"Alex, really." Miranda smiled apologetically to the couple. "He has a weird sense of humor, but I'm sure you already know that."
When everyone else remained silent, Miranda strove on.
"Uhm, Alex, may I know the names of our guests so that I can address them properly please?"
Blinking fast, Alexander moved near the bed.
"Miranda, these are—" Alexander met Darcy's look."—my cousin and his wife! Yes! From back home in England! Fitz and Elizabeth."
Elizabeth held back a giggle. Fitz? Then to Darcy she whispered, "So he is English!"
"Oh how lovely!" Miranda clasped her hands together. "Family! Just what Alex needs right now! I love your family, everyone is such a character. But I thought I already met everyone?"
She moved about the room as she spoke, opening the curtains and adjusting the furniture.
"They are, uh, second cousins once removed." Alexander shrugged at Darcy's look.
"Well, it is very good then that home has come to you, especially now." She looked at Alexander, a touch of sadness in her eyes. Recovering quickly, Miranda turned to the couple.
"You must have arrived last night. Very bad of you, Alex for not telling me earlier."
"I, uh, I thought I did." Alexander scratched his head.
"But you must be hungry. Let me make some breakfast for everyone. Has your luggage been brought up? I didn't see any suitcases downstairs."
"Ah there—there was a problem at the airport, their luggage got lost somewhere." Alexander stammered.
"Oh, that's such bad luck! That explains why you're nak—never mind that!" Miranda's cheeks turned pink at her blunder.
Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded along, only half understanding the conversation.
"Well, you can probably lend Fitz some of your clothes, Alex. And well, there are some clothes Elizabeth might fit in the other room?" The last part was a question she aimed tentatively at Alexander.
Alexander nodded, Elizabeth noticed that his eyes became shrouded at the question.
"Yes. Yes, Elizabeth can use them I think, they probably won't be—erm, never mind."
"Great! I'll sort out the clothes, then I'll just run to the kitchen and let you guys know when breakfast is ready." And as quickly as she entered, Miranda disappeared out the door.
They were all three silent for a while, uncertain as to how to proceed.
Alexander spoke first.
"If Miranda can see you, then—then you're real?"
"As far as I know we are, indeed, very real." Darcy replied smiling slightly.
"But how? How are you here?"
"I can not begin to guess how we arrived in this place, or in this time for that matter."
"But you are here."
"Apparently, yes."
Elizabeth spoke suddenly, remembering Alexander's earlier statement.
"Pray, sir, how did you know who we are? That we are your—your great-great-great—" Here Elizabeth almost laughed, "—grandparents?"
Alexander grinned at her.
"Please don't call me 'sir', unless you want me to call you Grandpa Darcy and Grandma Darcy."
Darcy and Elizabeth looked at each other, the same thought entered their minds; Children. Grandchildren.
"Forgive us, you see, we are newlyweds." Elizabeth blushed. "The thought of us having great grandchildren is so very novel."
"Great-great-great grandchildren." Alexander almost laughed. "But to answer your question, I recognized you almost at once. Both your portraits hang in Pemberley."
Darcy drew a swift breath.
"You have been there?"
"Have I been there? I spent a good part of my life there, in its estate at least."
"So you are the Master of Pemberley—now?" Darcy added the last word belatedly.
"Master? What?" Laughing, Alexander added. "No, no it doesn't work that way anymore."
Darcy's brow creased.
"I beg your pardon?"
"There is a trust now, The Pemberley House Trust, it runs the entire Pemberley estate and all other properties acquired. My father is the trustee."
Darcy was quiet, absorbing this information. Elizabeth rested her hand on his arm. Gently, she nudged his chin towards her.
"I think it best that we do not inquire too much about the future—our future, we will only be beset with unending questions, William. Let us take all new discoveries in stride, enjoy them if we can, but not dwell on them overmuch."
Darcy nodded, smiling softly at Elizabeth.
"Yes, I think you are quite right, my love." He kissed her hand.
Alexander observed the dynamics of the couple in front of him. He knew enough of his family's history to remember the love story of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. To say that it was made legend was probably not too far off. His mother always sighed at every romantic retelling. He had often wondered how accurate they were, for in truth he felt that as each generation passed, their story was added to and glorified. But seeing them now, as newlyweds, he could not help but think that there was more truth than not.
Darcy spoke to Alexander then.
"You must not tell us anymore information about the family, nothing except those that might be relevant to our predicament."
Alexander nodded solemnly at their request.
"Forgive me, but might I ask what year it is." Darcy continued.
"It's twenty-twenty. December twenty six, twenty-twenty."
Darcy and Elizabeth let out breaths in unison. They both sagged against the bed. Two hundred and seven years!
"Look, I don't know how this happened, but what do you say we take it one step at a time?" Alexander sat at the edge of the bed. "First let's get you some clothes, then breakfast?"
Alexander's smile was soft and genuine. He really does look like my Fitzwilliam. Such a handsome man, Elizabeth thought, she could see the compassion in his eyes as well. At that moment she could not help but feel proud that this man shared the same blood as hers.
"Miranda is a very good cook." Alexander added with a smile.
"She is your housekeeper and your cook?" Darcy raised his brows. "What happened to the rest of your staff?"
"I hope you don't mind eating here, I didn't have time to set up the dining room."
Alexander and Darcy entered the kitchen as Miranda finished setting down food on the kitchen table.
"You know I love eating here, Miranda." Alexander winked at her.
To Darcy's surprise, Miranda teared up and hurriedly went to Alexander, she enveloped him in a tight hug.
"I missed this Alex! My Alex." Hands cupping his cheeks, she smiled at him. "I'm so glad to see you smiling again, my boy."
Altogether surprised, amused and curious, Darcy watched them in silence. He had a sudden vision of Mrs. Reynolds coaxing him to come out of his tree house after his mother was buried. He would see them again, Georgiana and Mrs. Reynolds, the Colonel, and all the others. This, he believed firmly, knew it to be true in his heart.
"Yes, well..."
Getting a hold of her emotions, Miranda sniffed, she threw Darcy an apologetic smile.
"Elizabeth is almost ready. I checked on her a few minutes ago."
The kitchen smelled heavenly, the table was set for three. Behind the table was a large window overlooking a backyard garden, Darcy moved to the window and studied the area below. Winter, of course, stripped most of its color away, but as far as Darcy could tell, the plants were those that he could identify. Overall, this garden was not as foreign as the other areas or contraptions that he saw in the house.
The room called bathroom was a marvel! Warm water coming out of the ceiling! A toilet! A flush! Alexander had showed him how to operate them, and at once Darcy had started to ask questions regarding their workings, when Elizabeth's caution came to mind.
Let us take all new discoveries in stride, enjoy them if we can, but not dwell on them overmuch.
And so he would. If he was to go through this time, through this adventure—for Elizabeth had called it that before she left for her toilette—he was glad that it was with her.
He had learned from Alexander that the house was located on the Upper West Side, which in turn was in the borough of Manhattan. It was called a brownstone, after the material the facade was made of. It was, Darcy observed, not so very different in layout from the London townhouses that he knew, albeit narrower. To be sure it had multiple stories, all containing formal areas, living quarters, bedchambers, a library, a study—which was now called an office he was told—even domestic and service areas that now served a different function, called a basement, as Darcy recalled.
Alexander added that this house had not been part of the Pemberley Trust. For it was owned by a bachelor great-uncle, from another branch of the family but still a Darcy, who had in turn inherited from his father. That said ancestor, a third son—Alexander did not name him—had left England to try his fortunes in the Americas. Apparently he had done very well for himself. The son had continued in the father's success, until eventually, everything was left to Alexander, including Miranda's employment.
Miranda had been housekeeper and personal cook to his great-uncle for as long as Alexander could remember. Living a bachelor's life, his great-uncle had not needed much help with his daily needs. And so Miranda had kept house and cooked for him, she would arrive at precisely seven in the morning and leave at four in the afternoon, dinner ready to be heated by the old gentleman himself. Alexander had continued with this same routine, and Miranda had continued on with the same loyalty, if not mothering, to Alexander.
This was but five years ago, he told Darcy, before that he had lived his whole life in England, but he had spent many a holiday with his great-uncle.
Darcy had been forward in asking if he was a second son, as he knew that it was common enough for bachelor relatives to leave their estates to second sons or to favorites. But Alexander had not minded the question in the least. He had replied in the affirmative, and had looked amused.
"Being a second son, a third son is irrelevant now though. Things do not work that way anymore—well unless you're royalty."
It was a strange world, this, Darcy had thought. After that he had asked no more questions.
A movement in the entrance to the kitchen caught his eye. He smiled as he saw Elizabeth walking towards them, he froze.
"Good God! Elizabeth what are you wearing?" Darcy unconsciously blurted out.
With a huge grin, Elizabeth went to her husband, she exuded pure excitement.
"They are pants for females, William!" She took her husband's hands in hers and practically bounced. "Are they not marvelous?"
Darcy could hardly look at anything else. Eyes huge, he pulled her to the side.
"Elizabeth, I can—" He glanced up to see Alexander and Miranda watching them. The former trying to hide his laughter, the latter looking at him as if in disapproval. He continued in a whisper. "I can see the shape of your bottom!"
"Oh, my love." She kissed him boldly in front of their audience, "Do you not like them?"
Elizabeth looked so pleased that Darcy could do nothing but sigh, and reply that indeed, he did like them. To himself, he said that he liked them very, very much.
A/N:
Please note that the 2020 in my story is a pandemic-free 2020. Sigh. Well enough of that!
I've gotten so used to writing in the regency setting, trying to emulate JA's style that writing in the present setting is more challenging for me, I wonder if any of you Regency era writers feel that way too?
I introduced Miranda in this chapter, she was a character that just popped up while I was writing, I had not expected her at all! We got to know Alexander a bit more too, I'm still trying to establish his full character and his story, but please let me know how you find him so far. In the next few chapters Elizabeth (more than Darcy—oh okay, Darcy too) will be having some fun. :D
Thank you for your reviews, they inspire me! That first review by Alabastas had me laughing for a full minute!
Be safe, guys! Stay kind!
P.S.
This chapter was very lightly edited two hours after the original posting. I just rewrote and added to some lines I was not satisfied with. :)