Disclosure: storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux Richard's Chance
Unrepentant, jealous, and selfish
other ghost sounded unhappy, "Perhaps there is no hope for you. I hope you don't have to haunt Pemberley for eternity. Was George rotten? Maybe not. He tried hard for his young family. I am sad to say he was your uncle, and maybe I didn't treat him so well. Yes, I gave him some things, but my father wanted him to be treated as a son of the family, and I didn't do that. My father loved George's mother. He said she was his love, even if her father was a merchant. He told me George was stealing because you paid him so little. It was true, they were very poor and often went hungry, and he needed medicines for his sick child." George Darcy looked sad, staring a his son making faces.
"The money was his since, in my father's will, 35,000 went to George, along with the steward's cottage, but I didn't honor the will. George begged you, and you shot first. Unfortunately I didn't see all that happened before, but I was sad to see to see how you behaved. Well, I won't lie, he is atoning, but I don't know exactly how. Maybe that's why I am here with you. Who knows? I believe we're all at fault. When I saw my father, he was with the woman he loved; I believe her young sister married Elizabeth's uncle. My father is very disappointed that I didn't honor his will; he said I wasn't honorable. I am also atoning for it." George Darcy lowered his head, ashamed.
Darcy harrumphed, "So I am the bad one, I see. I didn't know that Richard loved my wife since Kent. Had I known, I would never have asked him to marry her. I'd rather she stayed a widow taking care of the children and never married another man. That was a mistake, and I wish I could take the will back. I have a question: will I have to look at them in the marriage bed? I hope not because I wouldn't like that at all." He grimaced.
The other ghost laughed, upsetting William. "Spying on others will not bring anything good. I hope you are aware the marriage room is a private place, not for you to be there. At least not in this world. In the next, many things are possible."
"What can I do if I don't want her to kiss any other man?" Darcy was finding out he made a mistake by asking Richard to be Elizabeth's husband. Why or why had he done that? If she never married, he would wait for her. She was his; but what if she wanted to be with Richard? He hadn't thought about that.
"Nothing unless you are a nasty ghost and interfere, dooming yourself to Pemberley for eternity. I think it sounds like a terrible idea. For once, you will have to accept that Lizzie also has rights, and your rights over her are gone. Although your mother was not my first choice, that is another story, but I always treated her with love, kindness, and respect. When I died, I found your mother with my best friend; she has been with him since she passed, and they live together. She said she loved him since she was a baby. But her father said I was a better match. I could have never imagined she loved my cousin. No wonder he was so miserable. I was revolted, but it was so." George Darcy raised his hands.
Now his son chuckled, "So you know how it feels." He smirked.
"Don't laugh; I am no longer upset; it lasted a short while; now, I am waiting for my beloved when she comes here. Don't ask me, because you will figure out who she is. My love never married; she said nothing when I married and had a child and then another child, though it was very difficult for her. I didn't marry her because she was a bastard child, but I should have done it; nobody stopped me. Moreover, other rich men have married bastards." His father looked sorrowful.
"Dear son, many of us have to live with unhappiness, and when we pass, we must atone for things we did wrong, and did them intentionally. I am punished because I did not marry my love and for other things, so I am a ghost. But occasionally, I can be in a better place, where your mother and my father are. It is not so bad because I am happy seeing my child, and never mind, this is about you. Maybe I won't be here long, and then you will be alone. You asked about George; it is time you knew he was your uncle. Thus, when you told Richard to kick out Lydia and her children, you punished your little cousins. I think that was very bad of you." George Darcy exhaled, trying to ignore his son's crossed arms and his most disagreeable, twisted lips.
"Though one child was and is very sick, and the family was poor, you wouldn't allow your wife to help them, and, often, they go hungry. You starved your little cousins. My son, you have made many mistakes and committed injustices. Your mother and I agree you forced George to steal, so think about how to correct your mistakes and bad behavior. Son, leave this room to go and look at somebody else, or stay here if you want to. Though I'd advise that you don't." His father concluded.
William nearly growled, "I have you know George tried to damage Georgiana and was after Elizabeth, the latter, I cannot forgive. He said, more than once, not long ago, maybe two months ago, that he still loved Lizzie and would do so until he died, adding that I didn't deserve her because, ahem, never mind. He had no right; it was wrong. He dared to say her name, my wife's name before he shot me. And the worst thing he said were his last words, "Lizzie, my love." William had a horrible expression.
"Ah, you are jealous, proud, and incredibly selfish, and you punished your little cousins. You killed him because he loved Elizabeth. That isn't nice. George was right. You didn't deserve her, so I guess his biggest sin was loving her. Now, Richard is a good man, and he is entitled to some happiness. Maybe you don't like it, but it is the truth." His father waited for an apology, but none came. William looked arrogant, worse than in life, making his father shake his head again.
"I think you couldn't have chosen a better husband for Elizabeth because he loved you; thus, he will care for your children as if they were his. So, what is wrong with you? I see, you punished George because, perhaps, he still loved Elizabeth." George Darcy paused to observe his son.
"Anyway, you have a lot to do and a lot to atone for. I will help you as I can, but I advise you not to spy and behave as well as possible. I know it will be difficult, but you must do it if you no longer want to be a ghost. Who knows, maybe you will be reunited with her. Many people remarry after their spouses die, and rules are different in the place you are yet to see. Your mother said we could all be together, but I declined." With this, his father disappeared, but William Darcy stayed spying on the couple.
Richard was asking, "Elizabeth, may I have an answer? We should get married as soon as possible as your husband wanted it, and I want. The sooner we can get married, the better. Then I can protect you from fortune hunters and from anyone who wants you. I don't want to tell you what the will stipulates. It says that you need to marry me within a fortnight. Almost so many days have passed since he died; thus, we need to marry as soon as possible. You might not like it, but it is necessary."
Lizzie sighed. "Let's do it. I don't care, but you cannot expect me to be your wife. You cannot expect me to be in your room or your arms.
Richard exhaled, "You must read again. He says you must be my wife in all senses to ensure you don't change your mind and try to annul the marriage. However, I'm not in a hurry. For the sake of impressions, you must share bedrooms with me. I am not the only one there who is interested in your welfare or your son's, as it is, Aunt Catherine is trying to take over your children, saying her sister would have wanted her to raise the children. My father told me. Now that her daughter is dead, she wants children in the house. Is that what you want? I am sure she has a few spies around here."
Darcy worried when he heard that; he did not want his children in Aunt Catherine's home, and he knew she was litigious and maybe she could do something like that. He would observe them, but he did not want Richard in her room or bed. Why did he have to write that on his documents? He was an idiot, and he was going to pay for it. He moved by Elizabeth and whispered, "Lizzie, don't let Richard into your room, don't."
But she did not believe that he could be in the room so that she couldn't hear him, but Richard had seen so much death that he thought that he could listen to his cousin.
What was he saying? Richard couldn't believe what he was hearing; William was reprehensible. Why was he telling Lizzie such nonsense?
Richard was certain of one thing, William was extremely selfish. Though he didn't doubt William wanted him to marry Lizzie, the requirement about consummating the marriage was all a lie. Or maybe William believed it was a good idea at the time of the will, but, now, he didn't want it. Richard was going to ignore his cousin if he married Elizabeth. If so, she was going to be his. He loved her since he saw her, and he wanted her on his bed and in his arms; furthermore, he would always love and treat her right.
William's father had decided to return, after a warning, and saw his son talking to Elizabeth. He tapped him on the shoulder and said, "William, don't do that now, or ever again."
William looked at him, and he said, rather loud and nastily, "I will do whatever I feel like doing. I don't think I will be punished just for telling her that." He didn't know that Richard was attuned to the voices of the dead and was listening to their conversation. Richard was hoping he was hallucinating, but he doubted it. Was his uncle admonishing William? Good, he liked that.
He asked, "Elizabeth, I mean Lizzie, please tell me why you were so upset that day. I mean, what happened the day at Kent? I want to know if it was something that William told you. I saw him a little later, and he looked mighty upset."
William walked away and sat again on the chimney with his father. He didn't want his father to hear, so he said, "Father, you don't need to be here; this is just between me and them."
But his father shook his head, "No, I would like to listen. This is very interesting. I want to know what happened when you proposed to her. I need to know everything to understand you because every time you talk to her, you endanger your future life. So, if I were you, I would be very, very quiet. Don't try to talk to them; you're trying to influence her, which is prohibited. If I am to help you, I will have to stay by your side at all times, and I have other things to do. I want to look at Georgina, and I want to look at the woman I love."
Elizabeth hesitated, but why not? She should tell him, and maybe he would understand her life. "The day he proposed to me, he told me, or he might have been reading a letter; I don't remember well because I was in shock. He said many things. Among them, he told me I wasn't good enough for him; he hated himself for loving me, and he did to himself that he didn't to Charles. He said he warned Charles that my sister and I were nobodies, but he had to sacrifice himself or something of the sort and would marry me because he couldn't help himself. I was so angry that I told him I would never marry him if he were the last man left on earth."
Richard tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help it. He started laughing so hard that tears were coming down his face. Elizabeth started laughing, too. She had never told this to anyone, and she found it ridiculous. They were not the only ones laughing. William's father started laughing very, very, very loud, so loud that Richard could hear somebody else laughing in the room, but again, he said he decided it was his imagination. Who knew? He could listen to two people laughing. Who was the third? Someone else because it wasn't William. That person sounded familiar.
Darcy said angrily, "She shouldn't have told him that was something between us."
"No, you're dead now, and she can tell him whatever she feels like. You should know that you never tell the woman you love that she's not good enough for you. What is wrong with you? And then you continue after you proposed to her? I don't know. Maybe there's no hope for you." His father couldn't stop laughing, falling backward.
"But it was the truth; that was how I felt." William insisted he was still the proud person he was in life.
"It is a wonder that I want to listen. Perhaps you aren't my son, but you look like me." George Darcy observed and laughed more. He wanted to tell his wife; she would be outraged and then would laugh. Only their silly son would behave in such manner.
Richard said, "Poor dearest, why didn't you tell me? I was not well then, but I'd have told you never to marry him. You should not marry a man who tells you that you're not good enough for him. What sort of proposal is that?" At this remark, both started laughing again. When Georgiana came in, she smiled when she heard them laughing because she was tired of seeing her sister cry for years.
This is when William disappeared, and his father went after him. It was good because William didn't get to listen to the rest.
"Would you have? I'd have said yes if you had asked me that day you wanted to court me. I saw you in Netherfield, and I liked you better than I liked him. I wish you'd said something that day." She didn't add she had wanted his kisses.
Then she looked sad, "But we needed the money. My mother kept harping about not having any money for everything. She was mad at me for not marrying Mr. Collins. She was mad at the world, pushing poor Lydia into Wickham's arms, letting her go alone on a trip that Lydia shouldn't have gone, and so on. I don't know what she is, but I know she's a troubled person, one who wasn't right many times. Tough she is loud and rude and wasn't a perfect mother, she is my mother." Lizzie's shoulders slumped, remembering William's mean and demeaning remarks.
"There is something else we don't know, who the other woman is, but my mother has often declared that my father loved someone older than her. She still tells us my father is hers, nobody else's. I think she has no idea who the woman is." Lizzie told Richard.
Richard started thinking about an old story he had heard. He needed to ask. "Do you know if your father knew my father when he went to Cambridge?" Richard asked.
"Maybe he did; anything is possible. I could ask him." Lizzie offered.
"Please do so, I have an idea. Now, let's decide when to get married. I want to do it as soon as possible; I have a bad feeling. You know I should confess to you that sometimes I hear the voices of the dead. Today, I could swear that I heard William; but I didn't like what he said. One of the things that I heard was about George Wickham being his uncle, which makes sense. My father said William's grandfather loved George and is sure the Wickham couple were paid to adopt George. I think one of the first things we must do is to take care of Lydia and her children. Let's go to the library, there is something I want to look for." Richard saw that she believed him.
"What did he say, something bad about me?" Lizzie thought that was it.
"No, not at all. Don't think about it. While we go to the library, let us decide when to get married. We can arrange a quick ceremony for Friday, and my family can be here. I don't know who you want to invite, but you're welcome to have whoever you want from your family here." Richard waited.
"Yes, I think it's a great idea." She said standing up, so he put his arm for her to hold on to. When he reached, she laughed. "So where do I put the baby if I hold on to you? I need two arms."
"Let me hold the baby, and you can hold on to me. I like that, Lizzie." He smiled at her, looking happy.
Elizabeth was amazed to see how well her husband-to-be held her young baby.
Richard kept looking at the baby, his baby, the son of his selfish brother and best friend. He was a part of William and of the woman he loved, so he loved the baby, what a great feeling. "Lizzie what is the baby's name?" He asked.
Lizzie grinned, "You are going to laugh when I tell you."
A/N Our dear Mr. Darcy is behaving horrible. He is still to apologize for all his wrong doings, lol. He will have to change and accept he is gone. And perhaps do something nice, one can hope.
Thanks for the reviews for those following my work you will get a PM from me W/my email address. Send me a message to get a link to my site before the summertime.