Chapter 1

Baroness Eleanor Beatrice Campbell entered a small town called Meryton in her luxurious carriage after over twenty years of living far from there. At first glance, everything remained the same. It seemed that time had frozen in the town where she grew up, and she had lived half of her life.

Eleanor was born and raised in Longbourn. Her father was Eustace Thomas Bennet, and her mother was Beatrice Bennet. She was the second of two children and had an older brother, Thomas Bennet.

Her father's estate was entailed to male heirs, which made her parents desire a son who could perpetuate the family legacy. Therefore, when Thomas was born, both parents were pleased; his birth ensured that the estate would stay in the family. But children's health was generally fragile, so they wanted their second child to be a boy, too. They needed a spare if something happened to young Thomas. Unfortunately for them, it was a girl, and after the birth of little Ella, they were not blessed with more children.

Hence, Eustace and Beatrice protected their son and heir to ensure his well-being. If they lost Thomas, Longbourn would be inherited by a distant family cousin. This constant attention made Thomas a spoiled and irresponsible child from a young age. Thomas never had to strain to get anything; he knew he would inherit the estate from birth.

Eustace Bennet was a good landlord, diligent and hard-working. However, his son was not interested in anything related to the estate and farming. He only liked to read about things that interested him, like history and philosophy.

On the contrary, his sister Eleanor was ignored by her parents. That made her independent from a very young age. Mrs. Bennet trained her well so she would know how to run a home. In addition, Eleanor was responsible and enjoyed helping her mother.

On the contrary, Thomas always pretended to be ill when his father asked him to accompany him to supervise the estate work. Because of that, Eleanor had to do her brother's duties and learn what his brother should have learned. Eleanor liked numbers, so she was in charge of helping her father keep Longbourn's accounts. When her brother Thomas went to Oxford, Eleanor was pretty much in control of everything. Thomas only came home for the holidays and was less interested in collaborating or learning about the estate's affairs.

Longbourn had an annual income of three thousand pounds. The Bennets parents were quite frugal, so they had a good amount of savings, including a dowry of eight thousand pounds for Eleanor. But Thomas was unlike his parents. He did not limit his expenses and bought everything he wanted. At Oxford, he always spent large sums of money on books, clothes, horses, and other things related to his comfort. He had no vices but was too self-centered to think about his family's future.

Lady Campbell asked her coachman to drive a mile outside of Meryton. She wanted to see Longbourn, her home, for an important part of his life. From a distance, she could see that not much had changed. It looked pretty run down, which did not surprise her. She imagined that her brother must have been in charge of everything by now, and knowing how negligent he was, she was not surprised to see everything so ruined. Their mother died when Eleanor was fifteen, and Thomas was eighteen. When she left Hertfordshire, her father was alive, albeit ill. He was still in charge of Longbourn because he was afraid to let his son assume his responsibilities. Mr. Bennet knew Thomas was unprepared and would probably be a negligent master.

By then, Thomas had married Frances Gardiner, and they had a little daughter named Jane, and another child was on the way. She never understood why her brother had married Fanny. She was beautiful, but that was her only attribute. She always remembered the disappointed face of her father, her brother, and Fanny herself when the first child of the marriage was a girl and not a boy. She recalled how everyone prayed that the second child was a boy. The entail had been a significant burden to her mother and father, both diligent and hard-working. She did not even want to think about the effect it could have on such a superficial and pretty nervous woman like Fanny with a lazy husband, only concerned about himself.

It was still very early, and probably everyone in the family was still asleep. The day before, it had rained a lot, and Eleanor spent the night at an inn outside of Meryton. After taking one last look at what was once her home, she climbed into the carriage and continued to her destination.

P&P

Fitzwilliam Darcy was serious, intelligent, and rich. He descended from a noble family on his mother's side and a family of wealthy landowners on his father's side. Unfortunately, he was forced to take possession of his inheritance when he was twenty one, becoming one of the wealthiest men in England. He was also handsome; his face revealed his aristocratic lineage and his dark blue eyes disguised a complex personality. He was also tall and had an excellent physical build, typical of an active gentleman who practiced fencing and was an experienced horseman. All these qualities made him an excellent marriage prospect, and matchmaking mothers dreamed that their daughters would be the future Mrs. Darcy.

Unfortunately for them, Mr. Darcy had a complex personality, and very few knew him. He was respected for his social standing and sharp intelligence. His confidence in his worth led Mr. Darcy to have a high opinion of himself. He was reserved and even a bit shy regarding social interactions. The fact that so many people constantly sought his attention was not something he enjoyed, so he developed a haughty and arrogant personality to keep people away. Most people in his circle accepted his haughty manners because they knew he did not act that way with those close to him. Many thought that a man with wealth and qualities had a right to behave as he pleased, and in a way, Mr. Darcy did it.

That morning he went riding. He liked morning exercise because it helped him think and plan what he would do for the day. Unfortunately, Miss Jane Bennet had fallen ill the day before after getting wet in the rain and was recovering at Netherfield. Mr. Darcy was aware that she was beautiful, like many ladies he had known. But in his opinion, there was nothing special about her.

The one that had caught his attention was Miss Elizabeth, who was also pretty but had other qualities that were hard to find in a young lady. Although he acknowledged that she was an attractive lady, her vulgar family and lack of connections would not allow her to capture the attention of a man of his standing, no matter how hard she tried.

Mr. Darcy recalled how Elizabeth constantly challenged and looked at him defiantly. At Lucas Lodge, she even sang for him and refused his offer to dance even though she had approached him with that intention. He even admitted to himself that if her circumstances had been different, he might have given her a chance.

Although Mr. Darcy knew those innocent flirtations between him and Elizabeth were not compromising, he knew he should be more careful. Miss Bingley caught him in a moment of weakness, and now she was aware of his admiration for Elizabeth's fine eyes.

But Mr. Darcy was not the type of gentleman to waste his time paying attention to a country lady and less to raise expectations that he could never fulfill.

'It is time to forget about all this and have breakfast. I hope to get there before Miss Bingley awakens. I do not want to tolerate her constant flattery. Let us go home,' Mr. Darcy said to his horse and rode back to Netherfield.

P&P

While traveling in the carriage to her destination, Lady Campbell remembered when she embarked for Canada twenty years ago as a companion to a widow traveling to reunite with her son. Lady Margaret had not seen his dear son for many years. That good lady allowed her to flee England and leave behind the painful past and the abandonment of her family. The dowager countess had had two children: Her eldest son, Robert Campbell, Earl of Westcliff, and her younger son, Daniel Campbell.

Lady Margaret's husband was not a good person. He was an aggressive and immoral man and a terrible father and husband. At his death, the Earldom was practically broken, but with Daniel's financial help, Robert managed to rescue part of the family's legacy. The late Earl never accepted Daniel as his son. Since he was little, he was a different child, with a very gentle personality and different preferences from the other boys. As a good second son, he enlisted in the army, where he had an exemplary career and met James, the love of his life.

When the rumors began about their relationship, they both fled to Canada, where they became wealthy and powerful. But once again, ill-intentioned rumors threatened Daniel's social position and everything he had achieved in Canada. At that moment, Eleanor came into his life. She had sworn never to love anyone again; her romantic life had ended after losing Marcus. So, the two friends decided to help each other and married. Their union was based on friendship and respect.

After years of hard work, Daniel became the province's most important gentleman, both politically and economically. So, he was awarded the title of Baron in recognition of his service and critical economic contributions to the crown.

Daniel knew that without his beloved friend, and Eleanor's unconditional support, he would never have accomplished anything that he did. Thus, he made her his sole beneficiary and wanted to give her a special gift. Many years ago, he commissioned his solicitor in England to buy a property near Meryton. A few days before he died, he told Eleanor that she was the mistress of Netherfield and that one day, she must return to England to close the wounds from her painful past. She smiled when she remembered the words of her beloved Daniel. He was right; she needed to face her past to live in peace.

When Eleanor finally arrived at Netherfield, she was amazed at how beautiful the property was. They were building it when she left the area, so she never saw the property. Unfortunately, Netherfield was recently leased, and she did not know if the current tenant would allow her to view the house.

Eleanor traveled with her secretary, Mr. Taylor, and his wife, Mrs. Taylor, who served as a companion. After twenty years outside of England, she needed some advice, and this couple had been a true blessing in the process of reconnecting her with English traditions.

Just as Eleanor's carriage entered Netherfield, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were leaving the house for the stables to inspect the progress of the repairs. When they saw the luxurious carriage, they decided to wait and see who the visitor was.

After waiting a few minutes, they saw a beautiful and elegant lady, accompanied by a couple, come out of the carriage.

"Good morning," Eleanor said to the two young men who greeted her on the main entrance steps. "My name is Lady Eleanor Campbell, and I am the owner of Netherfield." She briefly explained how she had inherited the property and that she had never had the opportunity to see it but did not wish to intrude. "I promise I would leave after touring the gardens if you allowed me to do it, Mr. Bingley."

"My dear Lady Campbell, please allow me to show you the house and all its surroundings," said the ever-kind Mr. Bingley.

Mr. Darcy offered to inspect the stable so Mr. Bingley could accompany the illustrious visit. He knew that the lady was also Lord Westcliff's sister-in-law.

Eleanor was delighted with everything she saw, except for the ostentatious decoration of some rooms. The kind Mr. Bingley explained that his sisters were in charge of the ornament, which was not part of the house. When Caroline and Mrs. Hurst finally showed up a little before noon, Charles introduced them to Lady Campbell. They were delighted to have such a distinguished lady as a visitor. Even more so when they hear the conversation between Lady Campbell and Mr. Darcy and discover her relationship with Lord Westcliff.

"When do you plan to return to London, my Lady?" asked Mr. Bingley.

"I do not know yet. I grew up in Hertfordshire and am looking forward to staying a few days to tour the area. I shall see if there are rooms at the Inn in Meryton for myself and my staff and make a decision," explained Lady Eleanor.

"My dear lady, you cannot stay in an Inn. Allow me to offer my hospitality," said Mr. Bingley.

"Of course, you must stay with us, my Lady," said Caroline, and looking at Mr. Darcy, added, "We shall be happy if you spend a few days with us."

Miss Bingley realized that by hosting Lady Eleanor, she could demonstrate to Mr. Darcy all the qualities that would make her the perfect mistress of Pemberley.

Eleanor hesitated for a moment. She did not wish to intrude. Mr. Darcy, observing Eleanor hesitate, added, "My Lady, a person of your rank cannot stay at the Inn of a town like Meryton."

Eleanor found the tall, stern young man's comment quite pompous, but she understood that he was doing it with good intentions. "Well, thank you very much. I accept your hospitality but only for one night."

Caroline ordered a tray of tea, and everyone in the room began to chat amiably. Mr. Bingley told Eleanor they had another guest who, unfortunately, was ill.

"I am so sorry your friend is not feeling well; I hope she recovers soon," Eleanor said. She did not know who that lady was.

"Jane is not our friend. We have known her for a few weeks and invited her to be friendly to the people of this place, so different from the people of our circles." Caroline did not want Lady Campbell to think they had friends in that horrible place.

"Miss Jane Bennet is our neighbor's daughter, Mr. Bennet of Longbourn." Mr. Bingley explained and said many other things, describing how nice and kind Miss Bennet was.

Eleanor felt her heart stop. Indeed the young lady they were talking about was her niece, the little girl she adored and had not seen in so many years. But her thoughts were interrupted by Miss Bingley's comment.

"Jane Bennet is a sweet girl, Lady Eleanor. She is the only one in her family that a woman of your category could tolerate."

Lady Eleanor was trying to process that information when the butler announced a new visit and said, "Miss Elizabeth Bennet is here."

Eleanor could not believe her good fortune. She will meet another niece, and perhaps she could get some information. She could not help but smile when she saw a young lady with a muddy petticoat enter the room.

"Good morning. I have come to inquire about my sister's health," Elizabeth said nervously.

P&P

When I wrote this story, I always intended to rewrite it. I remember it was very popular, and we were in the middle of the pandemic when I published it. Well, I've finally decided to rewrite it, and this is the new, I hope, improved version.

I plan to add dialogues and remove some unnecessary details. I hope you like it.

Thanks for reading my stories. Writing wouldn't be fun if you knew that no one reads what I wrote.

Saludos,

Yo