Pride and Prejudice- GENERAL REGENCY FAN FICTION

KEEPING VOWS

NOTE: While all the estates are in the normal spots, George and Lydia's marriage in this story is not scandalous...though he still gambles. However, they are only mentioned not shown.

Warning...MAY/ DEC Age Gap even for Regency Times

Letter

CH.1

The wind was cold and biting as it swept over the English countryside, over a cemetery where the tombstones stood like silent sentinels, and past a local Meryton church. The church bells were ringing and people were chatting or laughing as they came out of the Sunday services. Their attention, or most of it, was on Thomas Bennet, who had a surprising announcement made in church.

"Congratulations, my good man!" A local farmer exclaimed and slapped Mr. Bennet on the back. "It is about time you remarried. How long has it been since your wife passed on? Four years?" The old man did not give poor Thomas a chance to reply as he spoke again without pausing for breath. "My only complaint is, why did you not wait to have the first banns read until your lassie arrived?" The man's use of the word lassie revealed his Scottish origin. But Mr. Bennet could not reply as the fellow was already walking away.

Sounds of crunching leaves made Mr. Bennet turn and more people congratulated him. The poor man could not speak up as people were hurrying to their carriages, buggies, or simply away to their homes to escape the chilly air.

"How could you?" Kitty and Mary both came up to their father with their mouths turned down and their eyes narrowing. "Who is this Nadia Novark? How old is she?" They threw out what felt like a dozen questions, in a tone that should have been used on an eight-year-old child, not a full-grown adult.

"Stop right now with all your uncalled-for questioning." Mr. Bennet snapped. Their attitude was the last straw to the past hour. "You are my children, not the other way around." His eyes were blazing. "I will not be interrogated as if you had given birth to me."

"We are sorry." Kitty and Mary knew that tone, and their father's nostrils flaring - not to mention his face turning dark red, made them take a step back. They had not seen him this upset in years. "We were simply shocked to hear the banns being read for you and Miss Novark, that is all."

"Go get in the carriage. We will discuss this later." Thomas kept any thoughts about their reply to himself. This was neither the time nor the place to discuss the matter.

"Yes, Father." The girls left, whispering to each other about who this Miss Novark was.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. Again the sounds of leaves being crushed made Mr. Bennet turn around, but this time the sound was made by a gentleman in a buggy. The man was wearing a suit with a tie and a top hat. He stopped next to Mr. Bennet.

"I am looking for a Thomas C. Bennet. I was told I might find him nearby. Could you point me in his direction?"

"You are looking at him. How may I help you?"

"I need you to get in my buggy. We need to take a short drive. It is about the banns that should have been read today."

"Oh, they were read all right. I nearly died right in front of everyone when they were. You would have been attending my funeral and not any wedding." He then made the stranger wait long enough to inform his girls that they were to go home without him.

"But, Father…" Mary started to protest, only to instantly stop when her father gave her 'that' look.

Mr. Bennet turned around, walked back to the stranger and the two drove off. "Now, will you tell me who in the blazes Nadia Novark is and why the banns were read for us?"

"Do you remember an Elizabeth Peterson or an Alexander Novark?"

"Why, yes, I do." Mr. Bennet could not help but smile. "I almost married her instead of Janie. And Mr. Novark, I believe, was a barrister up north. If my memory serves me correctly, the two wed shortly after I married my own wife. What do they have to do with the banns being read?"

"She nothing; he everything." The man paused and went on. "A man who was, and still is as far as I am concerned, one of the most knowledgeable men of the law. Few know it better than he; though many now treat him as if he were dead."

"So, what does this have to do with the banns?"

The gentleman pulled out a folded piece of paper with a wax seal on it. "Read this while we drive around and then, depending on what you say, I will either return to Mr. Novark empty-handed - and no more banns would be read, or I will lead you to where he is now forced to live. I would actually take you and bring you back, only I have other obligations to attend to once you meet up with the gentleman."

Thomas's curiosity was piqued and he took the letter and broke the seal and began to read.

My Dear Mr. Bennet,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am sending it with a friend, an old servant of ours whom I have been blessed to still have association with.

I am now writing to you with a matter of great urgency. I can imagine your surprise to hear from me after so many years, not to mention hearing banns read for you and my Elizabeth's daughter in your church service. You are owed an explanation, as I know it must have come as an absolute shock to you. It would be a wonder if you did not fall off your bench.

The notice, fortunately for us, will only need to be put in your area as I am using a technicality very few knew about, not even many of my old colleagues are aware of it. I did it to avoid having to publish it where Elizabeth's family live. Thankfully, I am an only child, my parents are deceased and all my family live out of England - not to mention they disowned me years ago for coming to England long before I married my Elizabeth. Now, in spite of what I just wrote, I hope you will read this letter with an open mind and a compassionate heart, while forgiving me for not consulting with you before my chosen course of action.

You see, Thomas, my life has changed dramatically since you and Elizabeth parted ways years ago. I am sure you have not forgotten my wife, whom you may recall as a loving, gentle, and generous woman. She was the light of my life. We lived in a house as I was told was as fine as Pemberley. We had parties with guests as numberless as any Lady Catherine ever did see; though I confess that is one lady I only heard of and saw from a distance for she opted to choose another lawyer other than myself. And Nadia, strong as her mother and yet quiet and gentle as a dove, had finally gotten to the point of breaking out of her shell and was going to go to her first ball.

However, that was not meant to be and due to…situations beyond my control our family lost everything. My family, what was left of it, ended up in the tunnels. My wife is now gone, my oldest son I can only assume perished in the fire for he never came to us, and no one ever found his body in the rubble. And my only other son died in these horrible conditions.

Nadia and I are now living in poverty, in a tunnel just outside of London, barely surviving on scraps and charity. I cannot go back where I was living with her, please forgive me for not giving more details in this letter; I simply do not have space for them.

However, as much as I would love to come down there, I do not have the means to do so. Nadia, who I just stated is a gentle young lady. She is also easy on the eyes, just as much as her mother was. It is she who has been suffering the most, though she makes no complaints. My daughter now has no prospects and no friends. The education I fought so hard to get her is now going to waste, for our old 'friends' abandoned us even…never mind, no need to dwell on that. She is constantly in danger from the lowlifes of this place for I cannot always be there for her. I fear for her safety and her future.

I have no desire to remarry myself as I have no means to take care of a wife. Now, as already stated, I fear for Nadia. It is why I decided to take such desperate measures, Thomas. I remembered you as a good and honorable man. I am hoping you still are.

You once made a vow. Do you recall it? You promised my wife and me the most solemn promise. It was that although you and Elizabeth were not suited for each other - and you were correct in saying so - you two were not - that if she and I were to marry and have children and any of them needed you, whatever position that be, you would be there for them. Again, I do not have enough space to write details but I saw fit to have those banns read…for Nadia must not simply be in your house as a daughter, but your wife.

I heard your own spouse is no longer living, so I thought, I hoped, perhaps you would honor that vow made so long ago and marry Nadia, who is a sweet, lovely girl, who deserves a chance at life. Though I confess she is very young, for she came later than we expected. However, that could be a blessing to you, as there is a good chance she could bear a son for Longbourn. If it helps any, my daughter is wise beyond her years. Sometimes even I, her own father, forget her true age. I thought that you would be able to provide for Nadia and protect her from the dangers and hardships that others would inflict on her.

One more thing, in spite of living in poverty, I have held on to a few items that, if sold and the money handled wisely, would give my daughter a handsome dowry. Sadly, unless you have a very trusted friend - and I mean VERY trusted friend - who could invest it in something low risk, there would be no monthly income.

Please, do not worry about me, I have no concern for myself. I beg you to reply to this letter as soon as possible, and let me know your decision. Whatever it may be, I will respect it. But please, do not leave me in doubt, for time is short. If your answer is no, I must find another way for Nadia to escape this mess.

I remain, Sir, Your Old Friend and Obedient servant, Alexander Novark, Esq. Barrister-at-Law, of Norvark's Inn

Thomas folded the paper. His stomach churned at the mere thought of anyone needing to live in a tunnel, especially a young lady who had once lived in a home of equal beauty to that of Pemberley. There was no way he could live with himself if he turned his back on Miss Novark. He just hoped this was not going to turn into another headache marriage.

"Take me home. I will get my own mode of transportation and you can take me to where they are."