Chapter 1
Elizabeth looked at Mr. Darcy suspiciously, curtsied, and thanked him. Then she walked away as fast as she could, regretting that she could not find an excuse not to dance with him.
'That man is even more pretentious and arrogant than I imagined,' Elizabeth thought disgusted.
For his part, Mr. Darcy watched for a few seconds as Elizabeth walked away, disappointed with himself. When he asked her to dance, he thought it would be a pleasant venture, but Elizabeth had argued with him and tried to defend the wretched Wickham. But none of that mattered anymore; the next day, he would leave for London and forget about that place and the people he met there. He must concentrate his energies on his beloved sister and the matters related to Pemberley and the family businesses.
"Why are you angry, Eliza?" Charlotte asked her dear friend.
"Do not worry, Charlotte. Please come with me to get some refreshments. I want to be as far away from my mother and Mr. Collins as possible!" Elizabeth replied.
"Of course, but if you promise to tell me what you discuss with Mr. Darcy about," Charlotte said, laughing.
"If you insist... But let us get out of this place. The only thing that makes me feel content is seeing Jane so happy," Elizabeth said, taking her friend's arm.
Jane was across the ballroom chatting animatedly with Mr. Bingley. They had danced the previous set, and he had not left her side. Maybe her mother was correct, and very soon, Mr. Bingley would propose to dear Jane, and her beloved sister would be the happiest woman in the world.
Mr. Darcy did not want to be in the ballroom full of people and noise. If he could, he would have gone to his room to get some sleep and forget about everything. But he knew he could not do it, so he decided to go to the library and lock himself there until he could finally retire to sleep.
"Louisa, after everything that happened tonight, I think it is more than clear that we must leave this place at once," Caroline said, looking around with disgust. She was furious. Her house was full of vulgar people, and Mr. Darcy had not yet asked her to dance, but he had asked Eliza Bennet.
"Do not worry, Caroline. The day after tomorrow, we shall leave for London and not allow Charles to return to this horrendous place. We must leave here not only for our own sake but also for our brother. Caroline, I heard that horrible woman saying that her daughter will marry our brother very soon," Louisa said, horrified.
"Louisa, come with me to talk to Mr. Darcy. I am sure he went to hide in the library. He is the only one who can help us convince our stubborn brother that he cannot ruin his life."
Caroline and Louisa left the ballroom towards the library as the strains of a new piece of music began.
Mrs. Bennet was happy, and not even her husband's sarcastic comments could ruin her wonderful evening. Her youngest daughters looked happy dancing and chatting with the officers, and she was confident that very soon, Elizabeth would receive an offer of marriage from Mr. Collins that she would not dare refuse. But what made her feel an enormous joy was seeing Jane so happy. Although she was a prudent girl, Mrs. Bennet knew her daughter very well and could see the delight in her smile and how her eyes shone every time she looked at Mr. Bingley.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Bennet had drunk more punch than she should have and was feeling a little dizzy and hot. Therefore, she looked for a place where there were not so many people so she could rest for a few minutes. Finally, she found a comfortable chair in a corridor. She sat and thought about all the good things the future held for her family. She closed her eyes, but voices that seemed familiar interrupted her rest. Someone was talking about her family, and she was curious about what they were saying. So, without anyone noticing, she moved the chair closer to the half-open door and tried to hear the conversation.
"We are very sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Darcy. I imagine that you, like us, came to this place to seek a little peace," Louisa explained.
"You are correct, Mrs. Hurst. But please, do not worry; I shall sit in that chair near the window to read, and you can settle in the armchairs near the fireplace." The last thing Mr. Darcy wanted was to have to talk to his friend's sisters.
"Mr. Darcy, the truth is that we came here hoping to talk to you about a rather delicate matter. We not only need your help but also your advice." When Caroline saw that she had the gentleman's attention, she did not hesitate to tell him everything she had planned. "And that horrible woman had told everyone that Charles will marry her daughter."
"Can you imagine, Mr. Darcy, what would my brother's life be if he is forced to marry Jane Bennet? A woman without any talent, without a dowry, and with relatives in trade," Louisa added, exasperated.
"And to all that, we must add the vulgarity of that Mrs. Bennet and her daughters, especially the youngest ones. There they are in the ballroom, drinking punch, flirting shamelessly with all the officers while the mother looks at them proudly and the father seems not to care. It would be a tremendous degradation for us to become related to that vulgar and ridiculous family," Caroline concluded.
"I understand, and I think you have good reason to be concerned. I have been observing Miss Bennet, and I doubt she feels anything more than friendship for Bingley. Although she behaves like a lady, I do not trust her mother. I believe she is capable of doing anything to marry her daughter to a man of fortune. Furthermore, I agree with you that the vulgarity of the youngest daughters is appalling, but what else can you expect, taking into account the mother they have."
Mrs. Bennet was astonished to hear those people talking like that about her family. Her shock was so great that she did not know whether to feel indignation or sadness. The only thing she managed to do was get away from that door and go in search of her husband. At that moment, she felt vulnerable and did not want to be alone.
When Mrs. Bennet returned to the ballroom, she sat beside Mr. Bennet and began to observe everyone around her. Then, and perhaps for the first time, she noticed the judgmental looks of her neighbors as they glanced with disgust at Lydia and Kitty. She saw how her two youngest daughters were the only ones who ran, shouted from one place to another in the room, and drank too much. That night, she did not say anything else and just dedicated herself to observing and discovering many things she had not wanted to see before.
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"Mama, I will go for a walk, but I shall be back in time to have breakfast with the family," Elizabeth explained. She was a little concerned because Mrs. Bennet had been acting differently recently. In fact, now she got up early, when before, she had always preferred to stay in bed late.
"Alright, I guess exercise is good for a girl as restless as you, Lizzy…"
"Do you need anything, mother?"
"No… Go for your walk and come back on time."
Mrs. Bennet went to the kitchen to talk to Hill, and Elizabeth took the opportunity to leave the house. She felt uneasy and sad about Jane's situation. Although her dear sister tried to hide her sadness, she could see the despair in her eyes. She was sure that Mr. Bingley's sisters and his hateful friend had taken it upon themselves to keep him away from Jane. But she had a plan: in a few days, the Gardiners were arriving, and she intended to talk to her aunt and ask her to invite Jane to spend some time in London with them. Perhaps, while there, she could meet Mr. Bingley again.
When she reached the top of the hill, Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked proudly down the valley. That was her land, home, and the place she loved, and one day, she would have to leave. Almost three weeks ago, Mr. Collins had proposed, and she had rejected him. In a few more days, Charlotte would be the brand new Mrs. Collins and, in a few more years, the new mistress of Longbourn.
Although Elizabeth felt sorrow and anguish at the thought that one day she would have to leave the only place she could call home, she knew she could never have been happy with a man like Mr. Collins. She thought her mother would scold her and throw one of her famous tantrums to force her to accept him. However, Mrs. Bennet spoke to Elizabeth to help her understand the consequences of her determination to refuse Mr. Collins, but she seemed to accept her decision.
'Why are you so different, mama? I think I even miss the Mrs. Bennet who complained about everything," thought Elizabeth, smiling. Then she looked down into the valley one last time and returned home.
When Elizabeth entered the dining room, they were all seated but had not yet begun to eat. She kissed her father on the forehead and sat next to Jane. As always, Lydia and Kitty could not stop talking, and Mary tried to read her sermon book while she ate.
"Denny told me that he and his friends have this afternoon free. I am so happy it is not raining because I shall be able to spend the afternoon with them. They invited me for a walk, and I am certain that the nasty Long sisters will die of envy when they see that all the officers are in love with me," Lydia explained.
"They invited me too, and I think many of them are in love with me and not you, Lydia," Kitty added exasperatedly.
"That is not true…"
"SILENCE," cried Mrs. Bennet. "You will not go anywhere this afternoon. If the officers want to see you, they can come to this house, and you can walk around the garden under the supervision of Lizzy and Jane. And you better listen to them because they know how to behave. And you, Mary, put that book in that chair; you can read it later. Now you are having breakfast with your family."
The five daughters looked at each other without really understanding what was happening. Mrs. Bennet was significantly changed, but she had not explained to anyone why she was acting so differently. The only thing Jane had noticed was that her mother wrote to Mrs. Gardiner every week and locked herself in her room for hours to read the long letters that her sister-in-law sent her.
"You heard your mother; either those men come here to visit you, or you will not see them," Mr. Bennet added, smiling. Then, and without anyone noticing, he briefly caressed his wife's hand, who could not help but look at him and blush.
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"Darcy, I cannot believe you do not want to return with me to Hertfordshire. I thought you would spend the whole winter teaching me how to run an estate. Well, I suppose I shall have to learn myself; perhaps I can ask Mr. Bennet for help," said Mr. Bingley.
Caroline and Louisa looked at Mr. Darcy. They knew he was the only one who could convince their brother to forget about that place full of savages.
"Bingley, I will be honest with you and hope to get an equally honest answer. Do you wish to return to Hertfordshire with the sole intention of learning how to manage an estate?"
"Well—I," said Mr. Bingley, looking at his friends and sisters. "I made a lot of friends there, and I want to have the opportunity to get to know them better…"
"Charles, Mr. Darcy asked you to be honest. If you insist so much on returning, it is because you want to see that woman with that vulgar family and…"
Mr. Darcy did not wish to prolong the conversation any longer than necessary, so he interrupted Caroline. "Bingley, during the time we spent in Hertfordshire, you paid excessive attention to Miss Bennet, so much so that I believe you must have created some expectations. If you return, you must be clear that her family will assume you do so to formalize your relationship with her."
"Well, if everyone expects that, I have no problem assuming my responsibility. Miss Bennet is not only beautiful but also gentle and very educated. Furthermore, she is the daughter of a gentleman…"
"Oh, Charles, Jane Bennet is the daughter of an insignificant gentleman with no dowry and a vulgar mother and sisters. The younger ones are flirtatious, the middle is ridiculous, and Eliza is impertinent without any accomplishment." When Caroline mentioned Elizabeth, she looked at Mr. Darcy mockingly.
"Do not forget, Caroline, the uncle in trade and the Meryton's solicitor," Louisa added with disgust.
"None of that is important. Miss Bennet is different from her family, and you must admit it," Mr. Bingley said defensively.
"Bingley, I think you are correct. Miss Bennet indeed behaves differently than the rest of her family, but that is not enough reason to want to join your life with hers. If you are willing to make the sacrifice of marrying a woman who will bring neither money nor connections, do not you want, at least, to have someone who loves you by your side?"
"What are you insinuating, Darcy?"
"Bingley, are you sure Miss Bennet is in love with you? If you propose to her, do you think she is in a position to reject you? Marrying you could be a way to secure her future and her family."
"Well… I think…"
"That horrible Mrs. Bennet would never let her daughter reject you," Caroline and Louisa said at the same time.
"And what do you think, Darcy?"
"Bingley, I looked closely at Miss Bennet, and I never noticed any special regard for you in her face when she talked to you or you were around." Mr. Darcy explained in detail to his friend everything he had observed and that he was convinced that Jane Bennet's feelings for Mr. Bingley were nothing more than friendship.
Mr. Bingley could not contradict his friend. He had noticed how Jane seemed to hide something and always kept a certain distance. Her smile was warm but never open and expontaneous like her sister Elizabeth's.
"I think I shall have to think better about whether I want to return to Hertfordshire. I would not want to cause trouble for anyone, least of all Miss Bennet," Mr. Bingley said disappointedly.
Caroline and Louisa were happy and invited Mr. Darcy to have dinner with them, but he apologized. He did not wish to spend another minute in that house talking about the Bennet family or Hertfordshire. That was already in the past, and he had other, more pressing matters occupying his mind.
Unfortunately, when he returned to Darcy House ready to eat something and rest reading in the library in front of the fireplace, Mrs. Annesley asked for a few minutes to talk to him.
Mr. Darcy was happy with Georgiana's new companion and did not take well the news that she could no longer work for him.
"As I explained to you, Mr. Darcy, my daughter has married a gentleman from Scotland and wishes me to come and live with them. My first grandchild will be born soon, and my daughter needs me to accompany her. I am very sorry for causing this inconvenience to you and your sister, and I very much appreciate everything you have done for me."
Mrs. Annesley had lost her husband a few years earlier, and she and her daughter had sought employment to survive. But her daughter had married a man with some fortune, and they did not need to continue working.
"I understand perfectly, Mrs. Annesley; your duty is with your family. When do you plan to travel to Scotland?
"I intend to travel before Christmas if that does not cause any inconvenience to you."
"No, of course not. Logically, you want to spend the holidays with your daughter."
Mrs. Annesley left, and Mr. Darcy was left worried that he had almost a month to replace Georgiana's lady-in-waiting. They would spend Christmas with the Fitzwilliams, and he would only begin searching for Mrs. Annesley's replacement upon returning to London.
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"You do not know how happy I am that you are here, my dear Madeline. I do not think I could have dealt with all this alone," Mrs. Bennet said, wiping away tears.
"You have to have faith, Fanny. Your husband is a strong man, and with proper care, he will recover," said Mrs. Gardiner, taking her sister-in-law's hand.
"I hope you are correct, my dear. Just now that things had improved so much between us, this tragedy occurs. Thanks to your advice and guidance, I have managed to understand so many things that I did not know how to deal with for years. Oh, Madeline, what will become of me and my daughters if Mr. Bennet does not recover?"
Jane and Elizabeth looked at their mother with great pity, but they were not as optimistic as their Aunt Gardiner. Mr. Bennet was getting weaker every day, and the doctor told them there was nothing more he could do for the patient.
Elizabeth felt not only sad but also guilty. If she had accepted Mr. Collins' proposal, at least her family would only have to suffer the loss of her father and not their home. But it was too late to repent, and she had to find another way to help her family.
"Lizzy, I know you very well and what you are thinking. Please do not feel guilty; none of this is your responsibility," Jane whispered in her sister's ear. It made her very sad to see Elizabeth so distressed.
"Jane, I swear that if our father… I shall be the one who will protect you. I do not know how, but I shall make sure that you, my mother, and sisters have everything you need," Elizabeth said and hugged Jane.
"Fanny, your husband wants to talk to you," said Mr. Gardiner. He came from his brother-in-law's room, and looking at his face, everyone guessed what was happening.
Mrs. Bennet immediately went to her husband's side while Mr. Gardiner consoled Lydia and Kitty, and Mrs. Gardiner hugged Mary.
In the last month, Mr. Bennet had been motivated by his wife's change of attitude to do more for his family. So, he would get up early and do the tasks he had previously delegated to others.
Unfortunately, a contagious virus affected some of the inhabitants of Meryton and the Bennet family. Lydia, Mary, and Mr. Hill were very ill but managed to recover. Unfortunately, Mr. Bennet was not improving, and the doctor was convinced that he had very few hours to live. He had seen Colonel Forster die and thought Mr. Bennet would suffer the same fate.
"Fanny, my dear, I want you to know that despite everything and…" Mr. Bennet could not continue speaking because a rebellious cough took away the little energy he had left.
"Thomas, please rest," Mrs. Bennet said, trying to control her nerves.
Once Mr. Bennet was able to control his cough, with what little breath he had left, he told his wife everything he needed to communicate: "Fanny, I have always loved you. Forgive me that I have not been the husband you deserved."
"I was not the wife you deserved either, my dear Mr. Bennet," said Mrs. Bennet and kissed her husband's cheek.
"My dear, I want you to know that I invested a small sum of money in Edward's business and that with the interest it generates, you will have enough money to rent some property in Meryton… I know it is not that much, but at least you will have a place to live."
"I know, my brother told me. We shall be fine. I… I shall be the mother that our daughters deserve; I promise you, my dear Thomas," said Mrs. Bennet, and she could not help but hug her husband and cry uncontrollably.
"My dear, tell the girls to come, I want to be with all of you when my time comes," said Mr. Bennet almost with his last breath.
A few minutes later, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia entered their father's room and settled around his bed.
"You do not know how happy it is to see the five silliest girls in all of England with me," said Mr. Bennet, causing his five daughters to laugh.
Almost an hour later, Mr. Bennet passed away, surrounded by all his daughters and in peace. Although he knew that his wife was far from mature and balanced, he was proud of her for wanting to change and realizing how wrong she had been in recent years. He always considered himself intellectually superior to her. However, it was she who made him see reason and want to change.
Jane and Mrs. Gardiner were responsible for restraining Mrs. Bennet and the younger sisters, while Mr. Gardiner took charge of the funeral arrangements.
For her part, Elizabeth ran to the top of the hill in search of comfort.
'I must cry and overcome this great pain that I feel as soon as possible. I have to look for employment; my mother and sisters need me, and I shall not fail them...' Elizabeth thought as she could not stop crying.
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This is the first translated chapter of this story "Recomenzar" that I published in Spanish a few months ago. I hope you liked it
Since I am writing another story in Spanish, I won't be able to translate more than one chapter a week. Once I finish writing "Recuerdos," I shall focus on this story and be able to update more frequently.
I warn you that this story is a bit long and will have Jane and Elizabeth as protagonists. Both will try to find a way to protect their mother and sisters and along the way many things will happen to them.
In the next chapter, Elizabeth will have a huge surprise!
See you soon!