**Copyright Protected**
I am so touched so many remember this from when I had originally written it. As I mentioned previously, this was removed as I intended to publish it, but I ended up not being able to spare the time needed to work with editors to get this published. I have since decided to repost and leave it as something to be freely accessible :)
As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think!
Chapter 1
March 1811 – London, England.
"What on earth are you doing up there, Ella?" asked Hugo Darcy, as he strode into the grand Library of Darcy House, looking up at his twin sister; Eloise Darcy.
Presently she was holding what looked to be a very uncomfortable position at the top of one of the many ladders, used to reach the books upon the higher shelves and leaning her torso awkwardly over the top of the bookshelf with her ear pressed against the wall.
"Shhh!" she shushed loudly throwing a scowl down to him. "Mr Jeremy Chamberplume has asked Fitzwilliam to speak in private." she whispered, before returning her attention back to eavesdropping and leaning her ear against the wall, in front of her.
"Ha Chamberpot! What a nonce!" Hugo laughed, sliding another ladder to knock against hers, jostling her position slightly left, before climbing to the top grinning with glee.
"Will you be quiet, Hugo!" she snapped.
Sorryhe mouthed sarcastically and rolling his eyes. "Gad! I thought this looked a tad awkward, but it's bloody uncomfortable!" he moaned, with a grimace.
Ella's response was to kick his leg.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he said with a look mock horror.
"I should be so lucky. If you want to be up here, you must be quiet; otherwise, we will not know what is being said!" Ella hissed condescendingly. She was sorely tempted to actually push her brother and thought she might if she could be assured, he would not be caused serious injury, or if she would not be found out.
Hugo snorted, but gave in, for no other reason, than it would be funny to hear 'Chamberpot' stuttering his praises of Eloise. Their eldest brother Fitzwilliam caused most menwithouta speech impediment to stutter. He had little patience for society and seldom smiled, notoriously known as the gentlemen who turned his foe to stone! Poor Jeremy!
Jeremy Chamberplume had attended Eton a few years above Hugo. He descended from a well-respected bloodline and was nice sort of fellow, but just lacked social intelligence. One could always tell when he hadn't the foggiest of what was being said, as he tended to smile inanely at the worst times. Sadly, for Jeremy, he always had his head in the clouds, and it seemed, he was always in company with the aforementionedinane smileupon his face! And now he had taken a shining to Eloise… though, Hugo couldn't fathom why. He hadn't seen Ella give him any encouragement or seek his company at any parties or gatherings. In fact, she had done plenty to discourage his suit, ducking into closets, hiding behind bushes...
"What are you both doing?" a voice asked, startling them both.
Turning in unison and looking down, they saw their youngest sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, peering up at them, as if they had gone mad.
"Nothing," they replied, at the same time.
"Oh, well, if it is nothing… I am sure you know exactlywhyMr Chamberpot is here?" Georgiana shrugged innocently.
"It's Chamberplumeand you know nothing." dismissed Eloise, confidently turning away and pressing her ear against the wall for what felt like the one hundredth time!
"Well, if you are sure." said Georgie innocently, watching Hugo clamber down the ladder he occupied, but jumping down the last few rungs in his impatience. "Although…"
"Although, what?!" snapped Ella, taking the bait and turning back to her siblings and tapping her foot impatiently.
"I overheard what was being said, and heard Mr Chamberpot asking Fitzwilliam averyimportant question… I overheard their conversation when Mr Hudson entered Fitzwilliam's study, to deliver a letter a moment ago." she said, smiling smugly.
"Well, I knew that already!" she said letting go of the ladder in her exasperation and just managing to grab hold of it before she fell. "Gah! You nearly killed me, Georgie!"
"Not nice is it?" put in Hugo, causing Ella's scowl to deepen.
"Ah, but I know what Fitzwilliam's reply was; when he asked if he couldc-c-court you…" Georgie taunted.
"Enough! You obviously do not care for me, to tease me in such a cruel way!" Ella cried dramatically.
"Come now, surely you would want to know whether you are to be Mrs Eloise Chamberpot or not!" said Hugo, chiming in once more.
"How many times must I correct you? It's Chamberplume, you cretins." she said her voice rising.
"My, my we are getting in a snit, aren't we?!" replied Hugo, snickering.
"I swear Hugo, if the both or you do not stop, I am going to come down this ladder and then you will be very, very sor-"
At that moment Fitzwilliam Darcy, chose to enter the Library, a dark frown adorning his features. They all stopped and froze like statues, knowing they were about to be reprimanded. Perhaps, if they kept really quiet and still, he would not see them…
Or perhaps not…
"The three of you, desist this instant! Georgiana, you were due to start your piano lesson ten minutes ago!" Fitzwilliam said pointing at her with his forefinger and then using that same hand to point behind him, motioning her out of the room. Walking towards him, she paused to rise onto the tips of her toes and kiss his cheek. She was the tallest of the girls, her height bringing the top of her head to his chin.
Whereas, Eloise only reached his shoulders. Hugo was taller than both girls, and only an inch shorter than Fitzwilliam, although he was adamant that he still had a little more growing to do, "And you should not tease your sister so, either of you. If she wishes to be 'Mrs Chamberpot' then who are we to judge?" he said, with an arch of his brows, his eyes twinkling in good humour.
"Brother!" Ella exclaimed in indignation, as Georgiana laughed and skipped from the room. Hugo began to laugh too, but Fitzwilliam silenced him with stern a look. Knowing his brother would wish to speak to his sister in private, as was always the case after he turned a suitor away, Hugo left mumbling something about the youngest always getting away with everything and a fencing appointment with a friend.
"I know, I know, your life is so terrible! I do not know how you cope, having so many eligible gentlemen wanting your hand in marriage," Fitzwilliam drawled sarcastically, as Ella looked at him crossly from atop the ladder. "But you know you should not be eavesdropping. The insulation in my study will be fixed soon so neither of you hellions, will be able to snoop!"
"Hmph." she sniffed, as she clambered down and jumped before reaching the bottom, with the same impatience as her twin.
"Come, join me." he said, gesturing to the sofa beside the armchair he had just folded himself into. He watched her taking her seat and marvelled at the lady she had grown into. She looked so much like their mother, with her azure blue eyes, which all of the Darcy siblings had inherited. She and Hugo both had rich chocolate brown coloured hair, from their father. Georgie was the only one who had their mother's blonde hair and their mother's eyes but otherwise her other features looked the most like their father.
Where had the time gone?All of his siblings were grown up. Fitzwilliam was the eldest at nine and twenty years of age, then there was the twins Hugo and Eloise both three and twenty, and little Georgiana, who was seventeen. He knew he should probably not be so lenient, but to be truthful, he would be content if neither of his sisters married. He wanted to keep them his sweet and innocent angels, who used to come and sit with him in the mornings, watching whilst his valet shaved him in fascination and practicing their reading.
Their mother had died the year of Georgiana's birth, less than a week before her first birthday. Their father had followed her, ten years later. Sadly, George Darcy, had locked himself away after his wife's passing and so it had been left to their eldest son to raise the younger. His siblings did know, but it was he who had protected them from seeing their father deterioration and his cruel tempers. He had then taken sole guardianship after his father had passed but had long been a father figure to them. Fitzwilliam had assumed the role of provider of his brother and sister's for nearly six years, as well as their estates and tenants before their father had died. Nothing else had mattered to the former Master, apart from his drink towards the end.
"Was it bad?" asked Ella, hesitantly watching her brother, who seemed to have forgotten she was there.
"Not so bad, although it would have been a little less awkward if you hadn't been so loud in here." he said pointedly, coming back to the present.
"Oh no, did he hear us calling him names? I mean it is not so far-fetched really. It could be seen as endearing, really… and he does not seem the type to care too deeply if he had overheard. It could even be considered quite flattering that we have a nickname for him. It is also perfectly understandable that onecouldhave misheard the pronunciation of his na–" she stopped when Fitzwilliam raised his hand, to halt her waffling.
"No, we could not hear exactly what was said, although after he had spoken at me, for what felt like my entire lifetime… he finally made it to his purpose for calling here. He came to tell me of his intention to court you, he heard the raised voices to mean you had been listening and were excited at the prospect! I then had to try and let him down gently." he said, with a pained expression.
"Oops," she said sheepishly. To which he sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "It can't have been that bad!"
"It is fine, I dealt with it, although I feel as though he feels I am trying to stand in the way of true love. Do let me know if he persists and I shall sock him in the throat." he stated deadpan, eliciting a giggle from his sister. "On a serious note, I would support you if you wished to marry him, all I ask is that you do not make me play sport with that man on my team... or leave me alone with him... or take him to my club. The man once tripped on his own fencing blade! On second thoughts, I would not support that marriage choice!" he said pulling a face.
"Deal!" she said laughing and holding her hand out to seal their bargain.
She looked to her elder brother; he truly was the best of men. He had sacrificed everything for them, and though, none of them really knew what had happened the night their mother died as Fitzwilliam never spoke of it. Eloise and Hugo were aware that their father had blamed Fitzwilliam for her death and on occasion when they had rowed, he had gained a bruise or two.
Not that they had ever witnessed their father hitting him. A few times Fitzwilliam would greet them at breakfast with a black eye and knowing their brother he never would he have fought back. Ella had thought he would have retaliated had his father tried to hit any of them, but their father had never show them any interest or even tried to be in their company after their mother died. Herself, Hugo and Georgiana all viewed Fitzwilliam as their father more than their brother.
Recently she had begun to worry that Fitzwilliam was missing out on his chance at happiness because of them. She could easily see why others viewed him as cold and intimidating, but he had so much to give if he would only let someone in. Perhaps she ought to play cupid for him as he certainly wasn't going to do it for himself!
Ella looked over his features to the thin scar, cutting an angry vein through his right eyebrow down to his cheekbone, luckily it didn't affect his sight or his looks! Though, she tried hard to ignore them, there were many whispers of his rugged handsomeness in ballrooms and many of her female acquaintances became twittering idiots whenever he was near. Especially Miss Giana Newhope! Just thinking ofthat woman,made a shudder run through her.
Her gaze dropped to where his cravat hid the three small scars on the left side and the ones she could see standing out on his hands when the light caught them. Over the years they had heard whispers from MrsReynolds, and other household staff about how he had gained his injuries, but they had always stopped talking when they had caught her and Hugo eavesdropping.
"What time is your new friend arriving for tea?" Fitzwilliam asked, cutting through her thoughts.
"Goodness me, I had nearly forgotten! They will be arriving in roughly one hour. You will come to meet my new friends, won't you? and please do try to smile... at least once..." she teased.
"Friend's? How many are we to expect?" he queried.
"Oh, yes. It will be Miss Elizabeth and her sister, Miss Jane calling." she replied, when the thought struck her…perhaps Miss Elizabeth or Miss Jane would be a good match for her brother...
"What are their surnames? Do I know of them?" he continued, unaware of his sister's matchmaking schemes.
"I doubt it. Their father owns a small estate in Hertfordshire." she answered. "I am excited for them to come brother; I have to admit it is nice to make friends with women who are not trying to win yours or Hugo's favour. Last time Miss Walton spilled her hot tea on my foot and stained my new slippers!"
He chuckled and rose from his seat, halting a moment to look down at her, "You are all right, yes?"
"Yes, I am fine, Mr Chamberpot – Gah! Chamberplume! He is a nice man, he is just not meant to be my husband," she said, shaking her head. "I am going to kill you all, if I call him that in public by accident." she then began chanting Chamberplume over and over under her breath, as he stood and walked over to the door.
"What did you say our friend's full names were?" he asked, when he reached the door.
"Miss Elizabeth and Miss Jane Bennet," she answered, and he grunted his acknowledgement before, heading back to his study.