Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam, the Earl and Countess of Matlock, had a typical marriage within aristocratic circles. Lady Sophia Donovan, the youngest daughter of Lord Sebastian, Marquis of Sukliffe, was a new debutante when she first met Lord Matthew Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock, at Almack's.

Both instantly drawn towards each other's charms and physical attributes, they began courting. Matthew was an attractive man in his thirties, while Sophia possessed mysterious beauty with dark hair and green eyes at the age of eighteen. After three months of their courtship, Matthew proposed to Sophia, and after another two months, they were married.

Within one year of their nuptials, Sophia gave birth to Viscount Alexander Fitzwilliam, Heir of Matlock. Unfortunately, Lord Matlock was a libertine and during her pregnancy he returned to his debauched ways with his new paramours. When Lady Matlock became aware of this, she was deeply troubled and confronted her husband in an altercation that resulted in her throwing an expensive vase at him. Though this did not stop Lord Matlock from continuing his liaisons, he feared the repercussions of upsetting Marquis Sukliffe, Sophia's influential father. He became more cautious in how he conducted his affairs, but it didn't take long before Lady Matlock discovered his disloyalty again.

Sophia had grown up as spoiled and mean-spirited as Matthew. She wasn't used to rejection, so she took multiple lovers as a form of revenge against her husband's indiscretions. However, she was much more discreet in handling these affairs than he was.

Lord Matlock only discovered his wife's infidelities when Richard, their second son, was born. The baby had golden blonde hair and brown eyes, unlike either Lord or Lady Matlock. Suspicious, Lord Matlock harbored doubts about Richard's legitimacy until he saw his wife dancing with a Mr. Anderson at one of society's balls. Mr. Anderson bore a striking resemblance to young Richard.

Lord Matlock harbored a grudge against his wife, but refused to admit it in public. He had been a cuckold. Their relationship was never the same again; he immersed himself in his political and rakish activities while Lady Matlock devoted herself to her extravagant fancies. As a result, their two sons were largely raised by their governess and aunts—particularly Lord Matlock's elder sister, Lady Anne Darcy. She was kind and became a mother figure to Alec and Richard.

Although Lady Matlock wasn't exactly present in raising her sons, she didn't want Lady Catherine de Bourgh, her husband's younger sister, to have anything to do with them. Lady Catherine had a habit of belittling Lady Matlock for the breakdown of her marriage. On the other hand, Lady Anne was at least sensible enough to understand that both parties were responsible for what happened in their relationship. Whenever Alec and Richard visited Pemberley, Lady Anne treated them like her own son Fitzwilliam. The two brothers grew close in spite of their parents' issues.

Alec and Richard had very different personalities; Alec was sensitive with an affinity for art and music, while Richard preferred rough sports. As a child, Alec spent hours listening to his aunt play the pianoforte. Eventually, he tried playing it himself, only to hear soft laughter from his aunt at his poor performance.

The time spent with his Aunt Anne kindled Alec's love and curiosity for musical instruments. After much convincing, Lady Anne finally agreed to teach him, though she made him promise to keep it a secret as playing music was considered too much of a feminine interest for a gentleman. It would end up being one of the best decisions of his life. Music provided Alec solace from all the insults hurled at him by his father, who despised him for being too soft-natured for a man, and the indifference of his mother.

After Lady Anne's passing, music was the only thing he had left to cling to as a memory. As Alec grew older, he was bombarded with political expectations from his father and grasping tactics of fortune hunters.

Alec felt even lonelier when his brother Richard joined the army. Their uncle Darcy purchased a commission on his behalf, as Lord Matlock refused to provide any financial assistance. Though he was proud of how quickly Richard advanced in rank and became Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Alec still feared for him and wished he could do something to assist. He tried to help Richard, but his brother was too obstinate in this matter and refused to accept his aid.

In the absence of Richard, Alec enjoyed the company of his cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy immensely. Fitzwilliam shared characteristics from both Alec and Richard: he wasn't as gentle as Alec nor as rough as Richard; he was slightly awkward socially; he had a touch of pride; and he provided plenty of amusement with his antics. Although Alec found himself amused at times, unlike Richard, he never dared to tease Darcy directly.

The past few days had been difficult for Alec. His father had begun pressing him to court Lady Cordelia, the daughter of his new friend Lord Andrew, Earl of Denbridge. Alec disliked Lady Cordelia; she was a classic beauty, but her mannerisms reminded him of Bingley's younger sister—grasping and mean. He wanted to escape but both Pemberley and his own estate of Greycastle were too close to Matlock , so he decided to go to his London townhouse instead.

To keep himself distracted from his father's persistent demands about marriage, he tried to stay busy with estate matters and paperwork.

Alec knew at the age of thirty one marriage was no longer something he could avoid; it was his destiny to marry and provide an heir to the Matlock estate. But he wanted a connection with his spouse, not a loveless marriage like that of his parents. All the women he'd met during the Season flattered him, trying to show off their accomplishments in hopes of catching a wealthy suitor, but Alec could feel the lack of soul in them.

Alec's peace of mind was shattered by his conflicting thoughts, and he decided to distract himself with a visit to his friend Watson, a well-known pianoforte virtuoso in London. To many, it would have been considered too lowly for a viscount to associate with a musician, but Alec didn't care; he appreciated people who felt the art rather than using it as mere ornamentation. Watson's guidance helped Alec refine his own piano skills.

On that particular day, Alec found himself entering Watson's class at the usual time to find an enchanting sight: a young woman no older than nineteen, absorbed in her own composition - a piece Alec had never heard before. She played so intently that Alec couldn't help but watch as her fingers ran across the keys of the piano - the notes creating the feeling of a long-awaited storm. Then, suddenly, she noticed Alec and abruptly stopped playing. Her eyes, already dark as onyx, grew even darker with a frown, and she left without acknowledging him.

It was a new experience for Alec to be treated thusly; smiling to himself, he shook his head and his mind snapped back to his purpose there as her absence filled the room with the emptiness within him. He made his way toward the pianoforte, ready to fill the air with its somber tones.

Author's Note:

In response to a few questions:

1. Mr. Linton is an OC character based on canon references that Jane had an unnamed admirer who wrote poetry for her.

2. For Charlotte, she can be both smart and dumb, observant and ignorant at the same time.