Author's Note: I have struggled with completing The Food of Love and started over trying to explain some things I felt needed to be explained better. It seemed simpler to start a new story than to try to fix what was previously there, but do let me know what you think. Some of the story will remain the same, but some, especially later chapters, will be completely redone.

Prologue

April 17, 1792

Thomas Bennet stood on the front steps of Netherfield Park, watching as a carriage drove away. Behind it followed the wagon carrying his sister, Elizabeth Bennet Tomlinson. In his arms, he held her child, his niece, eight-month-old Elizabeth Rose Tomlinson. Her grandparents intended to travel quickly to their home in Staffordshire and then return after their daughter-in-law was interred next to her husband, their only son.

For now, an agreement had been reached for the Bennets to continue to care for their niece while her grandparents made arrangements for her care. Their son, Frederick, had died unexpectedly almost a year before and had never met his daughter. Yet, he had rewritten his will shortly after learning his wife was of child and named his father as the child's guardian. A friend and neighbour, George Darcy, was appointed as the trustee of the child's inheritance—a dowry of twenty thousand pounds had already been set aside for a girl child, and of course, a son would eventually inherit the estate of which he was presently the heir. Should they only have girls, the eldest would inherit after him, but as all young men did, he believed he would live many years yet.

It was not to be. Something spooked his horse, causing it to respond poorly. He held on through the first tumultuous moments, desperately trying to regain control, but the situation escalated beyond his grasp. With a sudden jolt, he was thrown from the saddle, landing heavily on the ground. The world around him blurred as the impact stole the breath from his lungs. The skittish horse bolted toward home, but by the time he was found, it was too late. He had not survived the fall.

His wife, called Beth by her friends and family, had been heartbroken. Her husband's family's estate was too difficult for her to bear, so she requested that she be allowed to visit her former home, where her brother was the master. She was nearly six months pregnant at the time, and her in-laws had tried to persuade her to remain, but to no avail. Stubbornly, she refused to listen to their advice, and finally, they agreed to transport her to Hertfordshire.

Wanting to remain near her, they rented a large manor house in the area, Netherfield Park, intending to remain near until the child was born. The elder Mr Tomlinson would be the child's guardian, yet he would not force his daughter-in-law to remain with them if that was not her wish. If the child were a boy, he would be permitted to stay with his mother until it was time for him to attend Eton and Cambridge, but they would insist on frequent visits so he might be taught how to manage the estate. There would be similar expectations for a girl, although her education would be handled differently. The Tomlinsons did not think much of the seminaries that most girls of the ton were sent to and intended to hire a governess to superintend her education regardless of where she ultimately lived.

All of these plans were now altered. Elizabeth Rose Tomlinson was an orphan at a young age and would remain at Longbourn with her uncle and aunt until her grandparents could make arrangements for her care. Their intention, as they shared with Mr Bennet the previous evening, was to return within the month and take the baby Elizabeth with them.

That gentleman recalled the conversation of the previous night as he boarded the carriage with the child to return to Longbourn. Her nurse was already there. "My sister intended Lizzy to stay with my family," Mr Bennet had insisted.

"Regardless, she is my ward and my heir. My wife and I will raise her, although we will bring her here to visit her cousins as often as we might. In fact, we have purchased Netherfield Park and will use it as an escape from Town during the Season," Tomlinson said. "You will see her often enough."

"Beth wanted Lizzy to remain with my family," Mr Bennet stated again. "She begged me to care for her child."

Tomlinson looked at the man sternly. "She was heartbroken, and she did not want to return to her late husband's home without him. Beth never received her strength after the child was born. It was as though she had given up entirely on life. My wife and I have discussed it and feel that we are best suited to caring for the girl. We can provide much for her that you cannot."

"How long will you be away?" Bennet had asked.

"No more than a month," Tomlinson replied, ending the conversation after only a few more minutes.

It was much longer before Tomlinson was able to return to Hertfordshire. Shortly after they arrived at their estate, Mrs Tomlinson became ill, and little Elizabeth passed her first and second birthdays at Longborn. Finally, the summer of her third birthday, her grandparents arrived at Netherfield Park for an extended visit.

Elizabeth quickly grew to adore these grandparents. She moved into Netherfield with them for the summer, and when they departed not long after her third birthday, she went with them. She did miss her cousin Jane, who, at two years older, was a wonderful playmate, although she enjoyed her family's estate. Several other families visited them the following summer, including her grandparents' good friends, George and Lady Anne Darcy, and the Earl and Countess of Matlock, Hugh and Grace Fitzwilliam.

Their children, all boys and notably older than the little girl, proved to be delightful playmates nonetheless. She often joined in the adventures of eleven-year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy and thirteen-year-old Jonathan Fitzwilliam, participating in numerous escapades. On occasion, she played the role of the 'damsel in distress,' but just as frequently, she insisted on being the valiant hero alongside the older boys. The only dissenting voice came from Jonathan's older brother, the viscount, who, being a mature seventeen-year-old, tended to steer clear of their youthful exploits.

To make things simpler, she had taken to calling them Will and Jon, and in return, they affectionately nicknamed her Ellie. Their camaraderie flourished, and Elizabeth had begun to insist on Will and Jon telling her stories each night before bed. It had taken tears for Elizabeth to convince them at first, but Fitzwilliam, in particular, began to enjoy the nightly ritual, especially after his parents informed him of an expected arrival in his own family soon.

The two families returned to their own homes not long after Elizabeth's fourth birthday and Fitzwilliam's twelfth. Mr Tomlinson had ordered fireworks to celebrate the end of summer, along with the children's birthdays, and Fitzwilliam had held Elizabeth as she watched them. Initially startled by the noise, it only took her a moment to begin to enjoy them, especially when her "Dearest Will"—a nickname she had adopted for him after listening to how his mother and father referred to each other—held her in his arms.

Fitzwilliam's father and Elizabeth's grandfather were amused by the interaction and joked about the idea of the two marrying one day. They were both far too young to consider such a thought with any seriousness though both men seemed to think it could be a brilliant match and hoped that in fourteen years or more, they would both be around to see how little Ellie would lead "Dearest Will" on a merry chase.

However, such things were not to be.

The following spring, Lady Anne gave birth to a little girl, Georgiana Elizabeth Darcy. When Fitzwilliam returned home from school in June, he finally met his sister but found his mother still weak and only slowly recovering. The Tomlinsons, along with little Ellie, visited for a brief time that summer, and they celebrated the children's birthdays again. When Fitzwilliam left for school at the end of the summer, she had still not fully recovered, and when he returned from school the following summer, she was gone. Not only that, but his little friend Ellie Tomlinson had departed from the area as well. His father was grieving and had little time for his son, preferring instead to the company of hte steward's son, George Wickham. Fitzwilliam did not like George as, on more than one occasion, the young man had attempted to cause harm to to heir of Pemberley.

However, George Darcy did not see this. It was too difficult for him to face his son and daughter after his wife's death, for they reminded him too much of her. He was heartbroken without her. Eventually, not long after Fitzwilliam reached his majority and could see to the care of his daughter, George Darcy followed his wife in eternal rest. His son believed he had given up and died from his heartbreak.

In that same time, Elizabeth lost both of her grandparents as well. Her grandmother passed away first, and then soon after, her grandfather became ill. Terrance Elliott, a friend and neighbour of her grandfather and the second trustee of her inheritance, arrived at Briarwood shortly after Mrs Tomlinson died and spent hours meeting with his friend, making sure all the necessary arrangements were made to care for Elizabeth if the worst should happen. He wrote letters on his friend's behalf, including a letter to Mr George Darcy reminding him of his agreement to aid Elizabeth in the event of his death.

George Darcy could not travel to Briarwood, as his own wife was ill, though the two communicated through frequent letters in the month between Mr Tomlinson's falling ill and his death. He arrived at Briarwood in time for the funeral and remained long enough to sign the necessary paperwork appointing him as Elizabeth's co-guardian along with Mr Elliott. Since Lady Anne was still ill and the likelihood of her recovery was fading, all three gentlemen felt it was best that Elizabeth go live with her uncle in Hertfordshire. A letter was written to Mr Bennet asking him to take responsibility for the child, promising a stipend of one thousand pounds per year until she reached the age of fifteen, when it would increase to fifteen hundred pounds. Mr Bennet was to provide an accounting of these funds to the trustees in an annual letter, although a portion could be used as repayment for hosting her.

Mr Tomlinson had been clear on his expectations for his granddaughter. She was to be given the finest of everything, and the money sent for her care was to provide her with everything required for a girl of her station—fine clothing, a governess, masters in music, art, and languages, and Seasons in town when she reached the age of seventeen. Elizabeth would have quite the dowry when she was of an age to marry, and Mr Tomlinson's will required that both George Darcy and Terrance Elliott agree to the match before any funds were released.

In addition to her dowry, which began at twenty-thousand pounds, Briarwood was designated to be hers. George Darcy was entrusted to manage the estate until Elizabeth came of age. Importantly, Briarwood was not to transfer to her husband upon marriage; it would remain under her ownership for her lifetime.

A mere week after Mr Tomlinson passed away, Terrance Elliott transported little Elizabeth to her uncle's home in Hertfordshire. She was introduced to her three cousins—Jane, 7; Mary, 4; and Kitty, 2. Mrs Bennet was with child for a fourth time and prayed this child was the long-desired son that would save the family. However, a few months later, Lydia was born, loudly demanding her own way almost from the moment of her birth. Elizabeth had become one of the family by then and was widely accepted as the Bennet's fifth daughter. Most were aware of her heritage, but over the years, it was slowly forgotten, and she became known in the community as Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet.

Since coming to Hertfordshire in the Spring of 1797, Elizabeth had rarely left the county and had only vague memories of travelling in a carriage for several days and being introduced to her sisters. If she did mention living anywhere other than Longbourn, she was reprimanded sharply by her parents for being ungrateful. Jane did remember Lizzy coming to live with them, but she was not one to contradict her parents and said nothing of her own memories of the time. Jane rarely questioned any of her parent's pronouncements and had learned that it was best not to mention her recollections of Elizabeth's arrival at Longbourn.

She had been seven at the time and remembered her mother crowing loudly about their good fortune in having their niece come to live with them. Jane had not understood her mother's mixture of complaints and praise for such events and how it would benefit all her daughters. Mr Bennet had silenced the matron then and closed the door more firmly as he spoke to her mother. Later, Lizzy was introduced to them all as a sister. They were told she was Elizabeth Bennet, and she was to be treated the same as the rest of them.

At first, that was true. Lizzy was another playmate for her, and Jane grew particularly close to this new sister. A few neighbours questioned Lizzy's heritage, but it was not long before Elizabeth was accepted as just another Bennet daughter.

Not long after Lizzy arrived, a governess appeared at Longbourn. She began to teach Elizabeth and Jane, though she spent more of her time with Elizabeth. This was largely due to Jane's own lack of desire to learn, and to Mrs Bennet's complaints that Jane did not need such nonsense. Mr Bennet insisted that Jane attend some lessons each day, but Mrs Hatcher, the governess, spent significantly more time with Elizabeth.

As the other girls grew, they began to attend lessons. However, that all ended when Elizabeth turned twelve, and Lydia was six.

From nearly the moment of her birth, Lydia had been spoiled. Whatever she wanted, she got, and it did not matter what it was, whose it was, or whether she needed it. Lydia resented any lessons, and when she stole some ribbons from the governess as retribution for trying to teach her anything, Mrs Hatcher was summarily dismissed.

Elizabeth was heartbroken at her departure. She had spent many hours each day with the lady, and while she likely had almost learned everything she could from her, she was still extremely sad to see her governess go. Mr Bennet gave her a character and her back to London, informing Mr Elliott that the governess had left on her own and promising to send Lizzy to London for the benefit of the masters, as well as to hire a new governess to continue her education.

Neither was true. No governess ever stepped foot inside Longbourn after that though Mr Bennet did send to London for some books he wanted. He decided that he could use the funds designated for Lizzy's instruction to purchase books for his library since she would have access to those. Eventually, he grudgingly complied with her request for some new music and sent her to his brother-in-law's in London for a month twice each year to take piano lessons from a neighbour. It dropped to once a year when she turned seventeen, as Mrs Bennet resented that Lizzy always returned from London wearing fine clothes, much finer than what she could obtain for her other daughters. Jane was sent in her stead, and Mrs Gardiner commanded to purchase Jane some dresses and introduce her to rich men. Neither occurred, as Mrs Bennet did not realise that Elizabeth's gowns were purchased with her own funds. Mr Bennet sent these to London secretly and said nothing to anyone other than Mr and Mrs Gardiner about the matter.

Since there was no longer a governess at Longbourn, the Bennet girls were left to fend for themselves. Since they had far less drive to learn than Elizabeth, they spent much time in idle pursuits. Elizabeth would, when allowed, sequester herself in the library with her father and learn all she could from books and from him, and when she could not, she escaped to the outdoors. She offered to teach each of her sisters the piano, although only Mary was interested in the instrument and preferred to muddle through on her own.

Her mother, Mrs Bennet, despaired of ever making Elizabeth into her ideal of what a gentlewoman should be. The girl had inherited the darker looks of her father's side of the family and bore only a slight resemblance to the Bennet side. This led to her mother frequently disparaging her appearance in favour of her fairer sisters, pushing Elizabeth further toward her books and the outdoors.

Author's Note: So, this is a lot of backstory that was not included in the original version. Obviously, both Elizabeth and Darcy are out of cannon to some degree. Still, what do you think?