Longshanks
Rather than being petite like other girls, Lizzy Bennet is "cursed" with her great uncle's inches. This makes her an object of ridicule in the neighborhood in general and a source of derision from her own mother and younger sisters. But what will happen when a certain tall, dark, and handsome gentleman makes his entry onto the scene?
Meryton Assembly, 1811
Fitzwilliam Darcy had been moving about the large assembly room for the past hour, doing his best to remove himself from the cloying attentions and acid commentary of Caroline Bingley. He had not wanted to attend this event, but remaining behind at his friend's leased estate would have resulted in the man's sister remaining behind to keep him company... a circumstance that he would not allow. So here he was, trying to be as invisible and inconspicuous as possible; an impossibility since he stood nearly a head taller than anyone else in the room.
His latest relocation had unwittingly placed him too near a family drama: a mother berating her daughter. "Lizzy, you will remain right here, where you will be in nobody's way. I will not have you gangling about like a giant, knocking over flower pots and making a nuisance of yourself."
A soft but frustrated voice responded, "Mother, I was past the stage of bumping into things years ago. And I was not 'gangling about'. I just wanted to stand and visit with my friend Charlotte."
"No excuses! Though it may be fitting for you to hang around a spinster, since that is your destiny. No man will ever wish to dance with a longshanks, much less marry her. Stay. Right. Here!" Then the pudgy matronly woman huffed and stomped away.
Darcy, shocked at a mother treating her own daughter in such a manner, stole a glance at the girl sequestered in the corner. She was tall, perhaps taller than any girl he had seen, but she was far from 'gangly.' In fact a quick appraisal told him that she had a pleasing figure. She had dark, curly ringlets and an appealing face as well. But it was her remarkably pretty eyes, even tearful as they were, that arrested his attention.
It was then that Darcy made his decision.
Greater Meryton, 1800
It was Billy Goulding who first attached the term "Longshanks" to poor Lizzy Bennet. He had returned from Eton for the summer very full of himself. But when Lizzy caught him bullying John Lucas, one well-placed punch from her was enough to send him fleeing. The name followed soon thereafter and reached general circulation within days. The worst betrayal was when John Lucas joined in.
Of course Lizzy didn't have long to endure this before she was once again sent off to stay with the Gardiners for another extended stay. It is difficult to say whether this was punishment for punching a neighborhood boy or Mrs. Bennet's attempt to remove her most embarrassing child from the neighborhood. Of course for nine year old Lizzy it was welcome reprieve. The neighborhood was not often a kind place and her home could be worse.
Billy took the term from his history lessons at school, from the story of His Majesty Edward I, King of England. It fit because Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet was the tallest girl of her age in the area, and taller than the boys as well. In fact Lizzy was taller than most children two and three years her senior. The rest of the Bennet family were not small, being just slightly taller than their peers, but Lizzy was exceptional.
Mrs. Fanny Bennet blamed the Bennet blood, but she knew that in reality the fault most likely rested with the Gardiners. Most of the Gardiner clan took their blond haired and blue eyed features from their Viking ancestors. And some of those ancestors had also been remembered as being giants, even among their peers, including her own grandfather. Ironically poor Lizzy, who had most definitely inherited the "tall" bloodline, had gained her raven hair and large, dark eyes from her Bennet ancestors.
At nine poor Lizzy was not only tall for her age, but also a gangly mixture of elbows and knees. Life just wasn't fair.
At least she still had her beloved Uncle Edward and Aunt Madeline. Uncle Edward Gardiner was everything tall, blond, blue-eyed, and handsome. More importantly, he was also kind and welcoming. Aunt Madeline was only of average height, but she was everything good and loving. It was quite natural, therefore, that Elizabeth did not mind being sent to stay with them in London whenever her mother was in a snit. And since her father seldom if ever intervened, Elizabeth went to London often.
When her father's carriage stopped in front of the Gardiner house, Madeline was waiting for her. "Lizzy!" the pretty lady sang out as she wrapped her favorite niece in her arms. "We've missed you! I'm glad you are here and I could really use the help." Just like that, Lizzy was a part of a happy home again.
Elizabeth stayed with the Gardiners that time for almost seven months, until the visit from Mrs. Gardiner's relatives in the north meant that her borrowed room was needed. Madeline was apologetic, but Mr. Bennet had been requesting his daughter's return anyway, so the die was cast.
Mrs. Bennet was not as welcoming, especially since her second and least favorite daughter had managed to add yet another inch to her height. Elizabeth, in an awkward stage, did not make matters much better for herself in that she seemed to always be bumping into things and knocking things over. To exacerbate the problem, Lydia and Kitty made a game of knocking things over themselves and blaming their tall sister.
Elizabeth found her escape in long walks and nature. She seldom walked towards Meryton, having been betrayed by the other children she once called friends. Instead she explored the length and breadth of the countryside surrounding Longbourn and Meryton. By the age of twelve she was not only much more fit, but she had also managed to overcome most of her awkwardness through mastery of her body.
Matters between her and her mother were seldom easy, however. Even though Elizabeth stayed mostly out of the public eye, the local matrons loved to snipe at Mrs. Bennet, their rival, about her tall and clumsy daughter. Whenever that happened, Mrs. Bennet would brood until she found an opportunity to unleash on Elizabeth.
The next reprieve came when the Gardiners sent for Elizabeth. Madeline Gardiner was large with her third child and wanted her favorite niece's aid in caring for her brood. Elizabeth departed happily and fulfilled her duties well, but found the close confines of London to be more difficult than before. After much discussion the Gardiners enrolled their niece with a dancing master, a piano master, and a singing master. The first was her favorite because dancing provided her exercise. The other two were less pleasing at first, but over time she learned to love making music almost as much as dancing to it. Her long fingers were also a boon, because she could reach for keys that were impossible for most young ladies.
The Gardiners also enlisted several of their younger and fitter servants to become walking partners with Elizabeth. Even though they were young adults, they still found her stride and her stamina to be a trial at first. Edward Gardiner sometimes jested that he had the "fittest servants in London."
Elizabeth remained over a year in London that time, seeing her aunt well past childbirth and recovery. She did make two trips home, but they were brief and uncomfortable. Even her relationship with her beloved sister Jane had become awkward.
It was an epidemic in London that sent not just Elizabeth, but also her little cousins to Longbourn in the spring of 1805. Three additional children and their nursemaids made even Longbourn crowded. The noise was enough that Mr. Bennet finally left his study and commissioned the rapid restoration of the dower house that had been basically abandoned.
Fanny Bennet hated the sight of the place because it stood as a reminder that she had no sons and might be relegated there should her husband predecease her. Yet for the moment she was more than happy to install the Gardiner children there under the care of Lizzy, the nursemaids, and occasionally Mary. Jane was fifteen at the time and her mother was determined to find her a good (rich) husband before her beauty faded. Fanny barely acknowledged Elizabeth's existence except when warning her to keep her cousins out from underfoot.
Elizabeth spent the next two months showing the older Gardiner children all of her favorite trails and haunts, keeping them busy so that they would not worry too much about their parents.
The Gardiners survived the epidemic unscathed, though Mr. Gardiner did lose five of his employees before it was over. When they did come to retrieve their children Mr. Bennet chose to keep "my Lizzy" at Longbourn. She grudgingly agreed, having found her father's bookroom to be the only hospitable place for her. Elizabeth's one request to her father was that she be allowed to continue sleeping in the dower house. Essentially she became more like an unwanted distant relative than a beloved daughter at Longbourn.
The previous year turned out to be Elizabeth's last extended stay in London. From that point on she remained at Longbourn except for the occasional visit.
When she turned fifteen, then sixteen, and then seventeen her mother made no effort to have her "come out." In fact it was only the pressure from Elizabeth's best friend Charlotte's mother, Lady Lucas, that forced Fanny Bennet to allow her "unsightly large daughter" to attend dances and other events. Still, Fanny never missed the chance to make her tall daughter to feel small.
Back at the Meryton Assembly, 1811
Elizabeth's first awareness that she was not alone was when a large hand offered a clean embroidered handkerchief to her. Startled, she looked up to find the tall, handsome Mr. Darcy standing in front of her. She had noticed him, of course. Every female in the room had noticed the distinguished aristocratic man who never smiled but stalked around the room.
Now, when she looked into attractive face, she saw a slight smile on his lips and kindness in his eyes. "Forgive me for intruding, but I thought you might need this. We have not been introduced, so I shall return to my own dark corner for now until that can be remedied."
Elizabeth felt a warm hand take hers as his other hand placed the cloth into it. Then that fleeting contact was gone and the man was already back in the shadows seven feet away. Her first thought was that her hand was tingling from the contact. Her second coherent thought was that she had not been wearing gloves. And her third and more alarming concern was if her mother had witnessed the moment. But when she looked across the hall she was grateful to find that her mother was busy pointing out the tall blond man dancing with her sister Jane. A quick perusal of the room revealed that nobody else had seen either.
Elizabeth wiped her wet eyes surreptitiously, not wanting to reveal weakness. She longed for the day when she turned one-and-twenty and could make her own decisions. She had been saving almost every farthing of her allowance and investing it with her Uncle Gardiner. Additionally, the Gardiners had kindly provided funds in thanks for her help with her cousins over the years. All of this had accrued and grown under Edward Gardiner's skilled management. She would not be plush, but she could live away from her family.
Elizabeth had remained in the dower house since she had been installed there six years before. She felt like a stranger at Longbourn, with only her father and Mary paying her any mind. The one ironic twist was that the pianoforte was removed from the manor and placed in the dower house. Mr. Bennet gave the excuse that he was tired of hearing it every day, but it served as a release for Elizabeth and an excuse for Mary to visit. They were the only two who learned to play, so this was fitting. Eventually Mary stayed at the dower house more often than she remained at the manor house.
The music ended and the blond man walked purposefully across the crowded hall to Mr. Darcy. "Darcy, I must have you dance. I cannot allow you to stand here in this ridiculous manner!"
Mr. Darcy surprised his friend by replying, "You are perfectly right, Charles. So please introduce me to the delightful young lady sitting just over there. If you have not met, that is easily resolved. I believe that you were dancing with her sister just now."
When Mr. Bingley got his shock under control, he strode over to where his blond "angel" was still standing and spoke with her. She seemed as shocked as him, but reluctantly walked over to her sister. Elizabeth could see the uncertainty, even fear in her eyes as she glanced over towards her mother and the matron tables, but she made the introductions.
Fitzwilliam Darcy smiled and bowed, "Thank you Miss Bennet. Now, Miss Elizabeth, if you are not already spoken for, may I ask for the next set?"
That night Elizabeth ended up dancing two full sets with Mr. Darcy as every other woman, and especially Mrs. Bennet and Caroline Bingley, glared at the pair. She had a delightful time regardless. Not only was Mr. Darcy a full head taller than her, but also a wonderful dancer and an engaging conversation partner. In the intervening half hour between the two sets they shared together he never left her side, thus preventing her mother from coming to berate her.
Everyone else in the room was surprised to note that Elizabeth not only knew how to dance, but she danced as if she had been trained by masters. The men noticed that she was both graceful in her movements and much more womanly than they had allowed themselves to notice... though it was impossible to approach her since that pompous Mr. Darcy was claiming all of her attention!
Elizabeth endured her mother's high-pitched scolding all of the way home that night. The next day Fanny insisted, then demanded that her ungrateful daughter be sent to London. Mr. Bennet, unequal to his wife's histrionics, finally complied.
That was fine with Elizabeth, however. That same morning on her usual walk up to Oakham Mount she had encountered Mr. Darcy. In a candid mood, she predicted what would happen and shared the trials of her life at Longbourn. "I will most likely be carried off to London this very afternoon."
Fitzwilliam Darcy, in an even more uncharacteristic open and honest frame of mind, described the scene in his carriage with Caroline Bingley after the assembly. "I have decided to cut my stay short. I will devote a week to setting my friend along the path of estate management, and then leave his steward to do the rest. If... if you would be willing to give me your uncle's address, I would very much like to call on you with my sister once I return to London."
Elizabeth returned home to find her bags packed. Five hours later the Gardiners welcomed her with open arms.
Fitzwilliam Darcy presented himself and his sister at the house in Gracechurch Street a week later, whereupon Elizabeth learned that Miss Darcy, though only fifteen, was almost as tall as she. They became instant friends. Though it was difficult for Elizabeth to believe, the handsome Mr. Darcy began actively pursuing her that winter. He asked for permission to court her in November and he asked for her hand on Christmas day.
Only Mr. Bennet and Mary came to Elizabeth's wedding in February, but that was fine with both of them. Mary became fast friends with Georgiana. When the bride and groom departed for their wedding trip, Mary remained with Georgiana in London and later made her home at Pemberley with the other three until both she and Georgiana found husbands who suited them.
Mr. Bennet visited Darcy House at least twice each year and Pemberley (and its library) once each year, but none of the other Bennets were welcome. The Gardiners, especially the children, became a fixture at Pemberley every summer, such that three of the five children met and married their spouses in Derbyshire. Elizabeth was more of a sister to them than a cousin.
Standing beside her tall husband, Elizabeth was never made to feel ugly or unnatural again. Though she never quite believed it herself, the pair were widely regarded as one of the most attractive couples in England... though some might have said that they smiled too much.
Fitzwilliam Darcy never repined the day that he threw away his reticent nature and approached the lovely tall Elizabeth Bennet. They lived a long and happy life together and had six tall children.
ooOOoo
It is not the purpose of this story to tell the tale of the rest of the Bennets. Suffice it to say that Mr. Bingley fell out of love in the same rapid fashion that he always fell into it. Those in the family who were prone to act foolishly did so, scandals ensued, and not even Fanny Bennet could blame Elizabeth for all that followed.
AN: This is dedicated to Lady DragonRider 01 (I also love Anne McCaffrey's books, by the way), who made this suggestion. Of note, however is the fact that the average height of men at the time was 5'6" while the average for women was around 5' 1". So a person even six foot was practically a giant. I will not provide specific measurements in this story just because our perspectives are skewed from theirs.
AN2: I hope that this fulfilled your request. To be honest, I am short, so I do not know all of the trials and travails that a tall person, especially a girl, might face. I just assumed how someone like Mrs. Bennet might behave toward an embarrassingly tall daughter.
