Chapter 1
September 1811
Elizabeth Bennet dressed carefully for the assembly that was to take place that night. Netherfield Park had been empty for much of the last five years, but it had recently been let out. According to the gossip, a young man of four or five thousand a year was to lease the estate for a year to learn about estate management. The number of his party was much discussed as speculation had led to rumours of a party as small as two and as large as twenty had taken up residence. Mrs Bennet had already claimed the tenant, a Mr Bingley, for Jane and commanded all her girls to make themselves as presentable as possible for the event.
It was fortunate that Lizzy had a petite frame, else Mrs Bennet would have confiscated Elizabeth's newest dress for her youngest daughter. Alas, there was no way a dress fitted to Lizzy would fit the stouter Lydia, at least not without tearing the dress to bits and starting over. In a fine gown ordered the last time she was in town, she stood out from amongst her sisters and the others in Meryton. Jane was dressed equally well, and she possessed a rare beauty, but Elizabeth was the one that drew the attention of many that night.
When the party from Netherfield entered the hall sometime in the middle of the second dance, having been delayed by Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst, all eyes turned toward the newcomers. As the residents of Hertfordshire watched them, the newcomers turned a practised eye toward those already in attendance. It was clear that, other than the younger, slightly red-headed gentleman, they were all displeased with what they saw. This became even more evident later on when that gentleman approached his friend, the tall, brooding fellow, to encourage him to dance.
"Come, Darcy, you must dance." Charles Bingley said to his friend, who was standing by the wall watching the others dance. "I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner."
"Charles, you are fully aware that the sole reason I am present tonight is to avoid being alone with your sister," Fitzwilliam Darcy responded with a brusqueness not uncommon to him. "Had you informed me of tonight's assembly, I would have delayed my journey by a day and waited to arrive tomorrow. It would be wise for you to remind your sister that I have no intention of ever proposing to her—no matter how persistently she pursues me. Now, return to your partner and enjoy her smiles. I have an excruciating headache and no desire to partake in dancing tonight, particularly not with a lady I am not acquainted with."
Unnoticed by both men, a young lady behind the men smiled slightly at the conversation. She had seen the predatory lady in their party who had grabbed at the taller gentleman's arm from the moment they walked in and had wondered about it. She had also observed him repeatedly attempting to extricate himself from her—much to the lady's displeasure and her own amusement. He appeared slight familiar, as though from a dream, and some unknown impulse had made her recognise that he was in pain even before he had said so to his friend. Surprised by this realisation, since she had only briefly encountered the gentleman earlier, she wondered if there was anything she could do to help alleviate his pain.
Walking into the kitchen attached to the assembly room, she prepared a glass of willow bark tea and carefully returned to her spot by the gentleman she understood to be Mr Darcy.
Careful to keep herself hidden from the rest of the room, she quietly spoke to the gentleman. "Sir, I apologise, but I overheard you speaking to Mr Bingley about a headache. I have prepared some tea with willow bark, which my family often uses to help with the pain. It tastes horrible, but it should help your head if you want to try it."
He startled and then turned slightly to look at her. She appeared vaguely familiar, but the pain in his head had kept him from paying much attention to the introductions. "I also must apologise as I do not remember your name, Miss. While I appreciate your effort, I am not accustomed to accepting drinks from unfamiliar females. In my position, it is unwise."
"I had not considered that, sir, but having watched how Miss Bingley seems to be pursuing you, that seems a wise position to take. I reassure you that I have not added anything unseemly to your drink, but I also realise you have little reason to trust a stranger, despite the odd sense of familiarity I feel when I see you. My name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, by the way. We were introduced earlier, but if your head hurts as much as it appears, I dare say it makes it hard to remember so many introductions in such a short time," she replied, keeping her voice low and attempting to avoid notice. "I will leave the beverage here if you decide to drink it, and then I will leave you so my mother does not observe me talking to you. I must confess she is one to watch out for, although she is my mother."
He barked a laugh and quickly covered it with a cough. "I appreciate your help, Miss Bennet, and I believe I will take a chance and trust that it is as you say. It was a pleasure to meet you, though I also feel that you are familiar in some way. Are you certain we have not met before tonight?"
"It is possible we have seen each other in London, perhaps," she offered before dipping a shallow curtsy. She made one final comment before slipping away. "My elder sister is Miss Bennet, sir. I am Miss Elizabeth, and I hope the tea will alleviate your headache."
Darcy watched her as she left and laughed inwardly at her pertness. She was unlike most women he knew, and he thought it was refreshing to meet a woman who did not immediately defer to him and seemed to exhibit genuine kindness. She had brought him tea to relieve his headache and did not attempt to curry his favour or to press her advantage. Reviewing their conversation, he thought incredulously that she even warned him about her mother's matchmaking schemes.
He desired to get to know this woman better; however, he wondered if there was any point. In this small market town, it was unlikely that she had a fortune or any great connections, and since his infancy, his duty to marry for fortune and connections had been drilled into him, first by his parents and, since their deaths, by his uncle, the earl. Could he truly throw those expectations to the side? Shaking his head, he wondered what had come over him and how a short conversation that she had been careful to ensure no one had observed could have caused him to begin pondering marriage to a woman he had just met. Perhaps it was simply that she had not attempted to attract attention to their conversation and the genuine kindness in her actions.
From across the assembly hall, Caroline Bingley kept a watchful eye on Mr Darcy. She observed him conversing with an indistinct figure, the identity of whom eluded her, as the person remained in the shadows. Her keen eyes detected him sipping from a cup of tea, leading her to believe he had been conversing with one of the attendants. Caroline was well aware of his reluctance to attend the assembly; her brother's insistence had coerced him into this social gathering, after all.
This visit with her brother presented the perfect opportunity to secure him as her husband; she was certain of it. If persuasion failed, she had contingencies in place, prepared to ensnare him, and the necessary arrangements had been discreetly set in motion long before his arrival. Although her brother did not overtly endorse her designs, he remained well-informed, having faith in Darcy's honour to choose the path of righteousness. Before they departed from this provincial town, she was determined to secure an engagement to her brother's closest friend.
At this juncture, Bingley felt an almost desperate urgency to marry off his sister to anyone—willing or unwilling. Her extravagant spending habits were siphoning his own resources, and frankly, her disposition made her a challenging companion. Darcy and Bingley had been acquainted since their days at Cambridge, but in recent years, Bingley had made a concerted effort to attach himself to Darcy's social circle, hoping to elevate his own status. While Darcy tolerated this association, as he genuinely liked Bingley, he harboured a strong aversion towards his unmarried sister. Their decision to stay at Bingley's leased estate for a fortnight resulted from repeated requests, primarily from Bingley himself. Darcy had only agreed after being assured Caroline would not be present and had not been happy to find her not only in residence but his hostess. This, coupled with the upcoming assembly that evening, had nearly led to Darcy returning directly to London. However, after some coercion from his friend, he reluctantly consented to a shortened stay, in part to assist his friend in his endeavours.
Caroline's sister, Louisa Hurst, was also aware of this plan for a compromise, having been informed of it by her sister and had told her husband all its particulars. Gilbert Hurst intended to be on guard and would apprise Mr Darcy when the plot was ready to be acted upon. Both genuinely appreciated Darcy's company and did not run the risk of injuring the relationship or his connections.
Therefore, the two kept a wary eye on their sister and Mr Darcy and were ready to act when necessary. They did not inform the man himself, but Hurst's valet and Darcy's were and kept each other apprised of any developments. When this was first discussed, Hurst had been very amused to learn that the man always slept in Darcy's dressing room and took extra efforts to protect Mr Darcy whenever he was in the same house as Caroline at that gentleman's request. The valet was very familiar with his master's insistence that he would never marry Miss Bingley regardless of the circumstances, which was reasonably well known, at least by the staff.
With all this in mind, both Hursts kept an eye on both, and Hurst, from his location sitting near Darcy, had observed the exchange with the young lady and had likewise noted Darcy's pleasure in it. "This will be interesting to watch," Hurst observed silently. When they returned, the couple would discuss what they had seen in great detail that night.
The rest of the dance proceeded as one would expect. Bingley danced every dance, two with the eldest Miss Bennet, which was observed with mixed emotions by those in attendance. Darcy, whose headache had largely abated by the end of the evening, did not dance but did speak briefly to Miss Elizabeth to thank her for her assistance, and he found that, once again, he thoroughly enjoyed her conversation. It had ranged beyond a simple thank you into their shared love of books and nature. In fact, they had spoken for the entirety of one dance, giving them a full half hour in each other's company. The longer they spoke, the more a nagging sense of familiarity struck him, although he could not recall ever meeting an Elizabeth Bennet before. He wondered who her family was and if they had, as she suggested, crossed path in Town at some point.
When the Netherfield party departed, Caroline spent the ride complaining bitterly about the assembly and the lack of breeding displayed by the entire company. Only Miss Bennet was spared from the general disdain and was given scant praise as being "passably pretty." So determined was she that failed to notice no one else spoke the entire way to express either agreement or disagreement with her words.
In the Bennet carriage, the conversation centred on the charming Mr Bingley and his equally charming sisters, although the other gentlemen of the party did not receive such praise. Mrs Bennet had observed Mr Darcy speaking to Elizabeth toward the end of the evening and was unhappy about that development. Mrs Bennet believed the possibility of Elizabeth marrying well, or at all, could potentially harm the rest of her family. As a result, Mrs Bennet glared at her second daughter and disparaged that "unpleasant Mr Darcy" at any opportunity.
Once all the girls were in bed that night, Mrs Bennet spoke to Mr Bennet about the gentleman from the north. Few in the neighbourhood remembered that Elizabeth was not born a Bennet, although she had gone by that name most of her life. She had vague recollections of her life before she moved to Longbourn, but any mention of this other life was immediately discouraged. She was informed those memories were merely dreams or fanciful imaginings, especially silly stories she told about her "Dearest Will" and the dragonslayer named Jon.
Elizabeth felt these were real, but since no one else had similar memories, eventually came to believe they were, as she was told, things she had imagined, regardless of how real the memories seemed. When she occasionally spoke of her grandparents, she was reminded of the Gardiner grandparents whom she met when small.
Mr and Mrs Bennet were a little afraid of Elizabeth's recollections. She had been five and a half when she came to live with them, and they knew she retained memories of her time living in the north with her grandparents. Eventually, she would discover the truth of her life, and her temporary guardians wondered how she would react when she learned the truth. They had hidden it from her at first out to make her feel welcome in their home, though eventually, their plans had become more nefarious—Elizabeth was an heiress, and while they did not know how wealthy she was, they intended to use her wealth for themselves. The stipend they received for her care enabled them both to spend much more freely than they would have otherwise.
As required, Thomas Bennet sent a letter to her trustee, Mr Elliott, annually with an accounting of how Elizabeth's funds were spent. Much of what he had written over the last ten years had been largely fictional, especially after the governess left. Initially, they harboured concerns that one of the trustees might ask them for proof of how they allocated the funds designated for Elizabeth's care. Yet, surprisingly, no one ever inquired, and as time passed, only a small portion of the stipend was allocated to Elizabeth's well-being. The majority was directed towards maintaining Mrs Bennet's wardrobe, providing Jane and Lydia with the finest of everything, and ensuring Mr Bennet's library remained well-supplied with both books and spirits. Mr Bennet did occasionally pay for Elizabeth to have a new dress or two when she went to town to visit the Gardiners and those dresses were normally of a higher quality than any she purchased in Meryton. However, that was as far as he went to appease his conscious.
Elizabeth, of course, was aware of none of this. Despite her fanciful dreams of another life, she believed she was the second daughter of Mr and Mrs Bennet. At times, she wondered why she looked so unlike the rest of her sisters since Jane and Lydia took after her mother, while Mary and Kitty were blends of mother and father. Elizabeth looked like neither, having taken after her father's side of the family, and her dark hair and green eyes made her stand out from the rest of her family. She bore a slight enough resemblance to Mr Bennet that no one remarked on it much, but it did bother her.
This summer had marked Elizabeth's twentieth birthday, a milestone that left Mr and Mrs Bennet fretting more than usual over the impending changes. Bennet recalled that Elizabeth would inherit when she reached her majority, which would occur in just over ten months. They were uncertain whether the trustees would disclose Elizabeth's inheritance to her and how the discontinuation of the stipend they had grown accustomed to would impact their own finances. Without the stipend, they faced the daunting prospect of having to make substantial cutbacks in their expenditures. Mr Bennet, by nature an indolent man, had made little effort on the estate since the stipend supplemented what the estate brought in. Its profits had declined while his expenditures had gone up, and he still had four daughters that needed to be taken care of should the worst happen.
Most importantly, they wanted to ensure Elizabeth did not marry before she came of age, believing that if she still continued with them when that happened, she could continue to ensure they received the stipend. In their general selfishness, neither party ever considered that Elizabeth would be anything but grateful when she finally learned the truth.
Author's Note: This chapter is mostly the same as before but with a few small changes.