Dear Reader,

A rewrite, let me know what you think.

Comparisons to the first version greatly appreciated,

This story is illustrated. You can find the accompanying storyboard on Pinterest by googling 'Fredrica Edward GDRR2'. Pinterest have unfortunately developed a nasty habit of tinkering with the text accompanying pins, so some of the captions have disappeared. I have added these below each chapter on fanfiction.

Fred

Prologue

It was around the autumn that Charles Hector Bingley let the estate of Netherfield in Hertfordshire, with an option to buy, a transaction that would be very much in accordance with his late father's dearest wishes [1]. Charles Ebenezer Bingley had been a noted industrialist, the owner of several textile mills in the North Riding of Yorkshire that he had built from the ground up. It had been Mr Bingley senior's sincerest hope that his only son would become a gentleman [2].

Charles Junior had been educated at Eton where he had endured several thrashings from some of his more distinguished colleagues who questioned his right to be there. After a fairly unremarkable stint at Oxford, the ever affable Charles joined the London social scene where many doors were open to him, but not all. His eldest sister Louisa, the product of an exclusive ladies seminary in Bath, made a reasonable match with a Mr Hurst, a gentleman of some fashion but little money. Charles himself was an object of interest to some of the lesser ladies of the Ton. But as the company trustees who were also executors of his father's will occasionally reminded Charles, to be truly a gentleman he must have an estate.

After Napoleon's escape from Elba, Charles' grand tour has been precipitately abandoned. With the subsequent excitement of his mad dash across the Mediterranean with his new found friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, Charles had been enjoying himself too much in London to think of property.

Several months later, following Napoleon's unexpected defeat at Waterloo, London was still buzzing with the excitement and joy of Wellington's victory. Rather drunk on the heady atmosphere of the capital, Charles was not sure he would be suited to a retired country life. But when a beautiful estate in Hertfordshire became available [5, Charles went to view the place on the advice of his man of business, was much impressed, and thinking that Hertfordshire was not too far from London, promptly took it.

On arriving back in town, pretty pleased with himself, Charles was greatly dismayed to hear that Darcy—whose friendship he had managed to retain upon their return to English shores—had been killed in a duel. After this bombshell had been lobbed at him while he was engaged in a game of billiards [6] at his club, Boodle's [7, Charles promptly dropped his cue in alarm and hastened to his friend's residence in Grosvenor Square [8].

After stammering out the reason for his visit to Darcy's head footman, Charles was admitted to the vestibule [9] of Darcy House and thence to his friend's bedside, where he found the news of Darcy's passing to be greatly exaggerated. His friend was sitting up in bed with his left arm in a sling.

Although Bingley dared not ask his Tonnish friend the circumstances of the duel, he hit upon the happy notion of inviting Darcy to recuperate at Netherfield when the Bingleys took up residence at Michaelmas. He was greatly chuffed and a little surprised when his friend agreed. Darcy had a far grander estate in Derbyshire to which he could repair.

Pinterest captions

[1] It was around the autumn that Charles Hector Bingley let the estate of Netherfield in Hertfordshire, with an option to buy, a transaction that would be very much in accordance with his

late father's dearest wishes.

[2] Charles Ebenezer Bingley had been a noted industrialist, the owner of several textile mills in the North Riding of Yorkshire that he had built from the ground up. It had been Mr Bingley senior's sincerest hope that his only son would become a gentleman.

[3] His eldest sister Louisa, the product of an exclusive ladies seminary in Bath, made a reasonable match with a Mr Hurst. This pic - Lucy Robinson as Mrs Hurst, P & P 1995.

[4] Mr Hurst, a gentleman of some fashion but little money. This pic - Tom Bennet, Love and Friendship.

[5] a beautiful estate in Hertfordshire became available

[6] he was engaged in a game of billiards

[7] at his club, Boodle's

[8] Charles … hastened to his friend's residence in Grosvenor Square.

[9] Charles was admitted to the vestibule of Darcy House

[10] he hit upon the happy notion of inviting Darcy to recuperate at Netherfield when the Bingleys took up residence at Michaelmas.