Revised as of 1/17/24

Prologue

March 1791

Elizabeth Bennet Tomlinson, known most often as Beth to her friends and family, had never been more pleased than the morning she felt the quickening of her first child. She was anxious for her husband to return from riding out on his family's estate with his father as they prepared for the spring planting so she might inform him of the fact. They had been married for nearly a year before they noticed the cessation of her courses in December and began to suspect her condition — the quickening she felt that morning only provided more conclusive proof of the coming child.

When her husband Frederick returned with his father from the fields, Beth accompanied him to his rooms and told him her news while he bathed and changed. They celebrated as young couples in love were wont to do and were late arriving to supper that night as a result. This was quickly forgiven when the news was shared with Frederick's parents, who were ecstatic about the prospect of a grandchild.

As soon as Beth's condition was confirmed, Frederick rewrote his will to include the child. It was not that he was concerned about his mortality, as he was a reasonably young man in good health, but because his father taught him to be prudent, which meant making arrangements for a child as soon as possible.

Among other stipulations included in the will, he named his father the child's guardian, with a neighbour and friend, George Darcy, appointed as a secondary trustee of the child's inheritance. Twenty thousand pounds was set aside for a daughter as her dowry, though a son would inherit Briarwood, his family's estate on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The estate garnered approximately seven thousand a year, and should both Frederick Tomlinson and his father pass before the child reached its majority, George Darcy would take over its running until the heir could. Since the estate was not entailed, if the only child born of the marriage were female, she would inherit the estate in its entirety, and steps were taken to ensure it would pass to her and not to her husband.

This stipulation about any child inheriting was included at the suggestion of the attorney, who had recently dealt with a will naming a son as the heir to the estate. However, the couple had produced only daughters and had not yet updated their will to reflect this when they died. The matter was eventually settled, but with additional complications that made the probate of the will take considerably more time and effort.

Believing he would live many more years and produce other children, Frederick readily agreed to this stipulation.

Only a month later, Frederick was thrown from his horse and was killed. Something spooked the young man's horse as he surveyed the fields, causing it to respond poorly. He held on through the first tumultuous moments, desperately trying to regain control, but the situation quickly escalated beyond his grasp.

With a sudden jolt, he was thrown from the saddle, landing heavily on the ground on his back. The world around him blurred as the impact stole the breath from his lungs, and pain engulfed him. The skittish horse bolted toward home, but by the time the horse was discovered, it was too late for its master. He broke his back in the fall and lingered briefly. By the time they found him, he was dead.

Beth was heartbroken by the loss of her husband. She carried her child to term and gave birth at her husband's estate in August of that same year. The child was a girl and was a little small for a babe, but she was determined to be heard from almost the moment she entered this world. Her mother struggled to recover and never truly regained her strength. In truth, her heart was broken, and despite the child, the product of the love between her and her husband, she simply gave up on life. A few days short of the anniversary of her husband's death, she, too, passed from this world, leaving Elizabeth Rose Tomlinson an orphan.

However, the child's grandparents loved her dearly. Since Frederick was an only child, she had no aunts and uncles on the Tomlinson side of the family, though she had two uncles on the Bennet side. The elder, Edward, was the master of a small estate in Hertfordshire and regularly sent letters and small gifts to his niece. Her grandparents corresponded with him about her progress, as he loved her mother dearly. Edward even visited Briarwood a few times to see his niece grow.

The other, Thomas, two years younger and a professor at Oxford College, was a lackadaisical correspondent at best. He was aware of his sister's death, though he had not attended the funeral, despite his brother's offer to convey him there. He married Francis Gardiner, who was most often known as Fanny, who mistakenly believed Thomas was the reclusive master of Longbourn. When that proved incorrect, she turned bitter, and this bitterness was made worse when she first birthed a girl child and then, nearly two years later, gave birth to a stillborn boy.

Of course, since Thomas's elder brother inherited the estate, it did not matter what they had, though it was possible if Edward remained a bachelor, a child of hers could one day inherit. Their marriage was miserable, and Thomas became more concerned about his books than anything else in his life, especially as his wife seemed only capable of birthing daughters, leading to them both feeling more unsatisfied with their marriage and for Thomas, it meant cutting himself further and further away from others in his life, outside of his books and his academic pursuits.

Regardless, the Tomlinsons adored their granddaughter. Elizabeth, called Ellie, grew into a lively and intelligent child. She was fascinated by books at an early age, and her grandparents sat with her to teach her letters and numbers and answer all her many questions.

Several families gathered together each summer at one of their estates, alternating between Briarwood, Matlock, and Pemberley. These three estates were within 50 miles of each other, and the families that owned them had been friends for decades. The summer of Elizabeth's fourth birthday was the Tomlinsons' turn to host the gathering. In July, not long after returning from the London Season, the other two families arrived at Briarwood, including George and Lady Anne Darcy and the Earl and Countess of Matlock, Hugh and Grace Fitzwilliam.

Their children, all boys and considerably older than Ellie, proved to be delightful playmates that summer despite the difference in their ages. As often as possible, she joined in the adventures of ten-year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy and twelve-year-old Jonathan Fitzwilliam, participating in their numerous escapades. She rarely played the role of the 'damsel in distress' role since she often insisted on being the valiant hero alongside the older boys. The only dissenting voice in their play came from Jonathan's older brother, the viscount, who, being a mature seventeen-year-old, tended to steer clear of their youthful exploits and wanted little to do with the 'brat' as he called her.

"Will! Jon!" she called out, using her newly acquired nicknames for Fitzwilliam and Jonathan. "What are we playing today?"

With a mischievous grin, Fitzwilliam looked at Jonathan, who sighed and said, "Another daring adventure, I suppose."

Ellie clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling. "Yes! And this time, I get to be the fearless hero who saves the day!"

Fitzwilliam chuckled, "You're always the hero, Ellie. We have not had a single adventure without you rescuing us from imaginary perils."

Rolling his eyes, Jonathan added, "And I can't escape being the villain, can I?"

"But you make the best villains!" Ellie exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.

As they embarked on another round of imaginative play, Fitzwilliam increasingly enjoyed Ellie's company. Despite the age difference, Ellie's boundless energy and creativity added a refreshing dynamic to their games.

Later that evening, after their adventures had concluded, the trio gathered in the nursery with the nurse overseeing their interactions. Ellie, perched on a small chair, looked up at Will and Jon eagerly.

"Tell me a story, please! A really exciting one!" she pleaded.

Fitzwilliam glanced at Jonathan before smirking, "Alright, Ellie, but you have to promise not to get scared tonight and keep your nurse awake."

Ellie nodded vigorously, wiping away imaginary tears. "I promise! But try not to make it too scary."

Fitzwilliam began weaving a tale of knights, dragons, and daring rescues, his eyes twinkling enthusiastically. Despite his initial reluctance, Jonathan joined in, adding twists and turns to the narrative. Ellie listened wide-eyed, occasionally interjecting with her ideas in the story. They only left when the nursemaid insisted and retired to their own rooms and supper.

Days after Elizabeth celebrated her fourth birthday and Fitzwilliam marked his eleventh, the families concluded their nearly month-long visit and returned to their respective homes. To commemorate the end of summer and the children's birthdays, Mr. Tomlinson orchestrated a spectacular fireworks display. Fitzwilliam tenderly held Elizabeth in his arms as they marvelled at the vibrant bursts illuminating the night sky. Initially startled by the noise, Elizabeth quickly found joy in the spectacle, particularly when her "Dearest Will" — a nickname inspired by his parents' endearments — embraced her. Laughter ensued as she planted an appreciative kiss on his blushing cheek, creating a heart-warming moment for them all.

This interaction gave Fitzwilliam's father and Elizabeth's grandfather much fodder to tease the other, and they playfully entertained the idea of the two marrying one day. Although both children were far too young to take such thoughts seriously, the men playfully speculated about the potential brilliance of such a match since it would unite two great estates.

Likewise, they did express some hope of witnessing how young Ellie would lead her "Dearest Will" on a merry chase when the time came for them to consider a match as, despite her age, it was already apparent Elizabeth would be a beauty and given her present impertinence, they doubted that would alter much as she aged. Both gentlemen just prayed they would be around to see and experience it.

However, such things would not come to be.

The following spring, Lady Anne welcomed a new addition to the family — a baby girl named Georgiana Elizabeth Darcy. Fitzwilliam, who returned home from school in June, finally met his new sister, though he discovered his mother was still weakened and recovering slowly. That summer, the Tomlinsons and little Ellie visited Pemberley briefly and celebrated the children's birthdays once again.

When Fitzwilliam departed for school at the end of that summer, Lady Anne still had not fully recovered. Sadly, she passed away later that year, leaving his father consumed by grief. Fitzwilliam's attempts to comfort his father were thwarted as Mr Darcy began to prefer the company of the steward's son, George Wickham — a choice Fitzwilliam found troubling. Although the boys had been occasional playmates before this, Wickham's determination to win favour with his godfather led to jealousy, as Wickham did all he could to "best" the younger Darcy.

Eventually, this led to Wickham attempting to injure Fitzwilliam in these efforts, including a broken arm and several cuts and bruises. When asked by his father and godfather, the young Wickham explained all of these away, but his constant taunting of the young Darcy made it clear to the boys that these were not the accidents he claimed. Jonathan Fitzwilliam did what he could to protect his cousin, teaching him how to defend himself and encouraging him to be cautious.

Despite his son's objections, his father remained oblivious to Wickham's true nature. When they attended school together, Fitzwilliam did all he could to prevent his father's knowledge of Wickham's sins. He believed he was protecting his father as the loss of Lady Anne had proved too painful for George Darcy. That gentleman struggled to face his son and daughter, as their presence constantly reminded him of her absence. Overwhelmed by heartbreak, the elder Mr Darcy joined his wife in eternal rest not long after his son reached his majority and could assume responsibility for his sister. Fitzwilliam believed his father succumbed to the grief of losing Lady Anne, convinced that the burden of heartbreak led to his ultimate demise.

As Lady Anne Darcy's health waned, Elizabeth found herself enduring another significant loss — the passing of both her grandparents. Following her grandmother's death that autumn, her grandfather fell seriously ill. Terrance Elliott, a close friend and neighbour of her grandfather and named as a second trustee of her inheritance in her grandfather's will, arrived at Briarwood soon after Mrs Tomlinson's passing. He devoted hours to discussions with his ailing friend, ensuring all necessary arrangements were in place for Elizabeth's care should the worst come to pass. He composed letters on his friend's behalf, including one addressed to Mr George Darcy, reminding him of his commitment to support Elizabeth after her grandfather's demise.

George Darcy could not journey to Briarwood during this period; instead, he stayed near his ailing wife's side. However, the two gentlemen constantly exchanged letters in the month leading up to Mr Tomlinson's demise. Mr Darcy did manage to reach Briarwood in time for the funeral, where he extended his stay by a few days to fulfil the requisite formalities. This included signing essential documents appointing him as Elizabeth's guardian and trustee, a responsibility he shared with Mr Elliott.

Due to Lady Anne's fragile health, Mr Darcy could not immediately take charge of Elizabeth's care. Consequently, Mr Elliott arranged for her to live temporarily with her uncle in Hertfordshire. To ensure Elizabeth's proper care without imposing undue burden, he established a trust that would fund Elizabeth's care until she reached her majority.

Edward Bennet ensured there were people in place to care for his niece — as a bachelor and something of a recluse, he had little idea of what the child may need. Soon little Elizabeth Tomlinson was ensconced in the nursery at Longbourn. While she missed her grandparents, she liked living with her uncle, whom she knew from his visits to Briarwood over the years. The two muddled on well enough, but in December of 1796, only a few months after arriving, Elizabeth suffered the loss of yet another guardian. Edward Bennet died just before the New Year from a terrible cold.

Her uncle, Thomas Bennet, was now the master of Longbourn, and Mr Elliott quickly wrote to him to apprise him of the agreement between his elder brother and George Darcy regarding the child's care. He offered the same arrangement to the new master, and it was readily accepted — for the first time, Thomas Bennet answered a letter on the same day it arrived.

Surprisingly quickly, Thomas Bennet and his wife and four daughters arrived at Longbourn. The nursemaids and governess hired to care for and educate Elizabeth Tomlinson were quickly co-opted into helping care for eight-year-old Jane, four-year-old Mary, one-year-old Kitty, and the baby, four-month-old Lydia. Elizabeth's clothing was distributed amongst her cousins, taken without her permission, and soon she was counted as just one more of the Bennet daughters.

Thomas Bennet was unconcerned with these matters. His wife did not know of Elizabeth's dowry or her inheritance and never asked questions about where the stipend came from. She eagerly spent the stipend for Elizabeth's care to outfit the girls in a style more appropriate to their new situation. Elizabeth's clothing was shared amongst his daughters, which Thomas did not know or care about, nor did he notice that Elizabeth was dressed in somewhat poorer materials than the others.

At their first visit to the dressmaker in Meryton, everyone learned that Elizabeth was not, in fact, Bennet's daughter. Instead, they were told she was a poor relation of the Bennet family and went so far as to hint that she was Edward Bennet's natural daughter. She knew of the stipend but wanted people to think well of her, so she made them believe Elizabeth had nothing and that she had taken her in out of the goodness of her heart. She also did not want an orphan dressed better than her own children, and so outfitted Elizabeth in the poorest of materials while dressing her daughters in the best.

The stipend came from the trust established for Elizabeth's care by the late Mr. Tomlinson's will. The profits from the estate were paid into it, and it would pay eight hundred pounds annually to the Bennets until Elizabeth reached the age of fifteen. At that point, the sum would increase to twelve hundred pounds.

This allowance was intended to cover all aspects of Elizabeth's welfare, encompassing her education — including a governess and various masters for subjects such as music, languages, and art — as well as clothing and other essential items for the young girl. When the stipend increased upon Elizabeth's fifteenth birthday, it stipulated she was to receive 200 pounds annually as her allowance. The extra funds were intended to cover the increased cost of clothing she would need as she approached her debut in society. All of this was conveyed to Mr Bennet through letters, and he agreed to the stipulations for the funds in the same manner. Mr Bennet was allowed to retain one-third of the annual stipend as payment for hosting Elizabeth and was required to furnish a yearly account of these funds to the trustees.

Mr Tomlinson had been clear on his expectations for his granddaughter. She was to be given the finest of everything, and the money used for her care was to provide her with all that was required for a girl of her station — fine clothing, a governess, masters in music, art, and languages, as well as a season in town when she reached the proper age. When she married, Elizabeth would have amassed a significant dowry, 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 invested in the four per cents, Briarwood was hers. George Darcy was to manage the estate until Elizabeth came of age — the estate was not to transfer to her husband upon marriage as it was to remain under her ownership and direction.

Thanks to the stories told by Mrs Bennet, it was believed in Meryton that Elizabeth was a poor relation. At five, Elizabeth had known her name was Elizabeth Tomlinson, as had the maids who originally accompanied her, but they left soon after the arrival of Thomas Bennet's family. The first few times Elizabeth was introduced as Elizabeth Bennet, she attempted to correct her aunt and received a slap for her impudence. The new staff likewise believed her to be a Bennet and believed the whispers that she was the former master's natural child.

Elizabeth knew her name, knew that she was Ellie, but soon, her new family began to call her Lizzy. She did not care for this name and tried to insist on the other. Any attempts to correct were met with harsh words, and she soon learned it did not matter what she said. Soon, she learned to respond to "Lizzy Bennet" and put the other name behind her as a dream.

As time passed, she wondered if the life she thought she had lived before Longbourn was merely a dream. If it had been, it was a far more pleasant dream than her life at Longbourn.

Not long after arriving at Longbourn, Mr Bennet engaged a governess to teach the older girls. Jane was not as interested in learning as Elizabeth, and Mrs Bennet complained that her daughters did not need such nonsense. Mr Bennet silenced her with the reminder that their girls were now the daughters of a gentleman and, indeed, some education was essential.

Despite Jane's lack of interest, Mr Bennet insisted she attend some daily lessons. However, Mrs Hatcher, the governess, focused more on Elizabeth, who desired to learn all she could and was already far more advanced than her cousin despite being two years younger.

As the other girls grew, they also attended lessons. However, that ended shortly after Elizabeth's twelfth birthday and Lydia's sixth.

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 having to attend lessons, and, as retribution for being published for some infraction in the schoolroom, she stole some ribbons, a few coins, and a piece of jewellery from the governess. Mrs Bennet was outraged at what she believed were false accusations against Lydia by Mrs Hatcher, and the matron summarily dismissed her.

Instead of fighting his wife, Mr Bennet gave her a character and paid her way back to London. He informed Mr Elliott that the governess left voluntarily and promised to hire a new one to continue Elizabeth's education per their agreement. In the same letter, he indicated his intention to send her to London for instruction from masters in music and languages.

Although Mr Bennet may have intended to follow through on his commitment to Mr Elliott, he was an indolent man. It proved too difficult to provide the education and other things required by the terms of Elizabeth's trust without disrupting his household and upsetting his wife. He soon concluded that he should not have been expected to raise Elizabeth according to a higher standard of living than his daughters.

And so, soon after Mrs Hatcher departed, he stopped his efforts to do so. 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 and could read them if she liked.

With no governess, the Bennet girls were left to fend for themselves. They were allowed to spend their time in idle pursuits and not encouraged to learn anything more than the most basic skills. Elizabeth would, when allowed, sequester herself in the library with her uncle and learn all she could from books and from him. When she could not, she escaped to the outdoors. She offered to teach each of her cousins the piano, although only Mary was interested in the instrument, and she preferred to muddle through on her own.

Eventually, he grudgingly complied with Elizabeth's request for new music and sent her to his brother-in-law's in London for a month to take piano lessons from a neighbour. She went twice a year for instruction in piano and other things for the next several years, but that dropped to once a year when she turned seventeen. Mrs Bennet resented that Lizzy always returned from London wearing new clothes, much finer than what she could obtain for her daughters. She attempted to send Jane instead, and Mrs Bennet commanded her sister-in-law, Mrs Gardiner, to purchase Jane elegant dresses and introduce her to wealthy men.

Neither occurred, as Mrs Bennet did not seem to understand that Elizabeth's gowns were purchased with the funds provided for her care. Mr Bennet had never told his wife about the additional four hundred pounds a year for Elizabeth's care that began when she turned fifteen. Each year, he sent a portion of this to London secretly to provide some finer clothing for Elizabeth in case she encountered her guardian in town.

Mrs Bennet despaired of ever making Elizabeth into her ideal of what a gentlewoman should be and frequently disparaged her appearance and abilities. All four Bennet daughters resembled Mrs Bennet, though Mary and Kitty had a little more of the Bennet side in their appearance. Elizabeth looked more like the Tomlinson family and bore little resemblance to her cousins. Jane and Lydia looked the most like their mother and were Mrs Bennet's mother's undisputed favourites. They received the nicest clothing, the most praise, the most indulgences. As they got older, Mrs Bennet spent most of her clothing allowance on those two girls and had their cast-offs remade to outfit the other girls.

Most of Elizabeth's best clothing remained in London as the one time she had brought home all that was purchased for her there, it was taken from her room by Mrs Bennet and distributed between Jane and Lydia. However, as Elizabeth grew, though she was of a similar height to Jane, she was much curvier, and her dresses could not be easily remade to fit her elder cousin. Lydia was stout and a bit taller, making it difficult for Elizabeth's dresses to be stolen to fit her youngest cousin either, so the few items she brought home with her were not touched. That was partly due to Mr. Bennet's putting his foot down on the issue. Mrs. Bennet had not cared for the restriction, but she grudgingly complied as the only time she had attempted to fight him on this, he had restricted her pin money for a month.