Falling for Elizabeth Bennet Read online

  Elizabeth laughs. “Mr. Darcy, you will spoil me if you do such a thing. On a more serious note, I have not had a spell in over two years. The only thing that seems to be in common is my mother. My first spell happened when I was fourteen, and my mother was stressing that Jane and I had to catch husbands to save her from the hedgerows. The more excited my mother got about my coming out, the more stressed I became. I told Jane that I was not feeling well, but we never expected this to happen. My mother was in denial at first and blamed me for it. My mother said it was just an excuse so that I would not have to come out at fifteen. I had my coming out and was fine for a while, but about two years or so after my coming out, in the middle of a dance at assembly like the one held two nights ago, I had another spell. I do not need to tell you the reaction that caused. It was then that my mother resigned me to the corner, and I have been there ever since. My escapes are my rambles in the woods. I also get to visit my aunt and uncle in London from time to time.” Darcy picks up Elizabeth’s hand and places it on his arm and covers it with his other hand.

  “Miss Elizabeth, you are an incredible woman. Life has been made challenging for you, but you are not letting it drag your spirit down. I admire you for that. Will you allow me to continue to get to know you? I find you fascinating and would love to learn more about you.”

  Just then Mr. Bennet comes up behind them. “Lizzy, Mr. Darcy, I believe for everyone’s piece of mind it would be better to move the meeting to Netherfield Park and away from your mother’s prying eyes.”

  Darcy grimaces and says, “Mr. Bennet, that will solve one problem but create another. Miss Bingley has it in her head that she will be the next Mrs. Darcy. I cannot get the woman to understand that I am not interested in her, and I do not wish to hurt my friendship with Bingley. Can you suggest a way to escape a grasping woman who is delusional?”

  Mr. Bennet chuckles at Darcy. “Mr. Darcy, many men would love to be in your position to be chased by a pretty woman with a large fortune. Let us start meeting you at Netherfield Park. Jane, Lizzy, and I will call early as long as the weather is good. We can meet you in the side garden so that Miss Bingley does not know we are there, and I am assuming that she is not an early riser. I will leave you to tell Mr. Bingley of this plan. Does this work for you?”

  Darcy sighs. “Mr. Bennet, this will work. It might be better since it will be on Bingley’s estate and we can point out the things that need to be done. Sir, to be honest, the only place I feel safe is Pemberley, and I know that you will not allow your daughters to visit my estate.” Darcy watches as Mr. Bennet gives him an enigmatic smile but does not respond to Darcy’s statement, which makes him wonder if Mr. Bennet would allow such a visit.

  Over the course of the following week, a pattern is set. Mr. Bennet, Miss Bennet, and Elizabeth all visit Netherfield Park if the weather is good. Darcy and Mr. Bennet are able to give Bingley advice on running his estate, and Miss Bennet and Elizabeth often have insightful information that surprises even Darcy. The group usually talks business for about an hour or so, and then the two couples pair up and start walking about Netherfield Park. Mr. Bennet sneaks into the library with a book, giving his daughters privacy, to which both Darcy and Bingley are grateful for.

  One day after the Bennets depart, Darcy turns to Bingley and asks, “Bingley, do you know why the Bennets meet us here instead of at Longbourn?”

  Bingley replies, “Darcy, I asked Miss Bennet that question, and she would only say that it is better that I not know. To be honest, I did not give it much thought as it has been a lot to take in with all that you and Mr. Bennet are teaching me. Miss Bennet did make a comment that I was too open and honest and that the knowledge could hurt someone that she is close to.” Darcy looks at his friend and sighs, saying nothing. Bingley looks at him. “Darcy, you know I value your friendship. What is your impression of Miss Bennet?”

  Darcy replies, “Bingley, I have to admit that I do not know Miss Bennet well but that in many ways Miss Bennet reminds me of myself. Miss Bennet is hard to read—you cannot tell what she is thinking or feeling.”

  Bingley nods and asks, “Darcy, how is Miss Elizabeth different from Miss Bennet? I know that you have been spending a lot of time with her.”

  Darcy grins. “Bingley, Miss Elizabeth’s emotions can be found on her face and eyes. In fact, Miss Elizabeth is like you in many ways when people get a chance to know her.”

  Bingley raises his eyebrows at this and asks, “Darcy, are you interested in Miss Elizabeth?”

  Darcy pauses for a moment to choose his words carefully. “Bingley, I care about Miss Elizabeth, but I do not know what the future holds for any of us.”

  Bingley, hearing the strain in his friend’s voice, changes the subject. “Darcy, do not forget that we have a dinner tomorrow night with officers from the militia.” Darcy nods, and they separate.

  The next morning during their walk, Darcy turns to Elizabeth and asks, “Miss Elizabeth, have you ever been able to see a doctor in Town?”

  Elizabeth replies, “No. My father and uncle wanted me to, but my mother forbids it for fear of what could happen if the rest of society heard and how that would affect my sisters.”

  Darcy nods in understanding. “Miss Elizabeth, if I get your father’s permission, would you allow me to question my personal physician without mentioning names to see what the physician could suggest to help you live a more normal life?”

  Elizabeth looks at Darcy in surprise and asks, “Mr. Darcy, why would you want to do this? I am no one to you.”

  Darcy shrugs. “Miss Elizabeth, I admire you and your spirit, and I would like to see you happy.”

  Darcy watches as Elizabeth as she thinks on his offer. Elizabeth replies, “I thank you, Mr. Darcy, but I doubt any long-term happiness is meant for me.”

  Darcy stops and looks down to Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, let us go and find your father. I would like to hear what your father has to say.” Elizabeth nods, and Darcy turns them so that they walk to the bench where Mr. Bennet is reading his book. Mr. Bennet looks up from his book, hearing their approach. “Good morning. You are both looking serious. Is everything all right?”

  Darcy looks from Elizabeth to Mr. Bennet and back again. “Mr. Bennet, Miss Elizabeth and I were just talking about what doctors she has seen in Town, and she was telling me that she has not been able to see a doctor. When I heard Miss Elizabeth’s explanation as to why she had not seen a doctor, I wondered if you would allow me to speak to my personal physician without mentioning Miss Elizabeth’s name.”

  Mr. Bennet looks at Darcy in surprise. “Mr. Darcy, this is a great honor you want to bestow on my family. Why would you want to assist my daughter in such a way?”

  Darcy looks at Elizabeth, who is standing silently next to him and offers Mr. Bennet a small smile. “Mr. Bennet, I consider Miss Elizabeth a friend, and I care about her. I want Miss Elizabeth to live life to the fullest, to be happy, and I thought speaking with a doctor might help her be able to do that.”

  Mr. Bennet looks at the couple. “Very well, Mr. Darcy, you may ask your physician, but you must promise me that you will not mention Lizzy’s name.”

  Darcy looks at Elizabeth and then at Mr. Bennet. “Mr. Bennet, I would never do anything to hurt your daughter. I promise not to mention Miss Elizabeth’s name. I will be travelling to Town at the end of the week to visit with my sister, and I will speak with my physician then.”

  Elizabeth looks up at Darcy and softly says, “Thank you, sir.” Mr. Bennet, seeing that his beloved Lizzy is overwhelmed, calls for Jane and the Bennets depart.

  The next couple of days, the weather is bad, and Darcy and Bingley are unable to meet with the Bennets. Darcy and Bingley finally get to meet up with the Bennet family the night of Mrs. Phillips’s card party. Mrs. Phillips has invited the militia to join the party. When the Netherfield party arrives, Darcy spots Miss Elizabeth near a corner, but he is happy to see that she is being allowed to speak to someone. Darcy cannot see the face o
f the soldier that Elizabeth is speaking with, but when Elizabeth spots him over the soldier’s shoulder, a beautiful big smile crosses her face, which stuns Darcy. The soldier Elizabeth was speaking with turns around, and Darcy is surprised to see someone he knows—George Wickham. Darcy mentally sighs seeing his old friend.

  Wickham is nearly as tall as Darcy with straight dark-brown hair and blue eyes with a ready smile. Elizabeth greets Darcy and says, “Good evening, Mr. Darcy. It is a pleasure to see you here tonight. Please let me introduce you to a new acquaintance, Lieutenant George Wickham.”

  Darcy nods to Wickham who nods in return. Darcy looks at Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, good evening. It is a pleasure to see you. You have met one of the few people who could tell you stories of me as a young boy. Mr. Wickham and I grew up together along with my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. George, it is a pleasure to see you again. I hope you have been well.”

  Wickham turns to Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, it is a pleasure to meet my old friend again. It is hard to believe looking at Darcy now seeing how proper and serious he looks, but I have memories of Darcy covered in mud after Richard, sorry, Colonel Fitzwilliam and I convinced Darcy that Mrs. Reynolds would love to have a frog. Mrs. Reynolds was the housekeeper at Pemberley, and the look on her face as her muddy young master presented her with a frog was priceless.”

  Elizabeth looks at Darcy, who is grinning, starts laughing and asks, “So, Mr. Darcy, you were not always as proper as you are now? That is a great comfort.”

  Darcy looks at Wickham and says, “I have forgotten about that. How old were we when that happened?”

  Wickham grins at Darcy, saying, “I believe that Richard was about eight, and I believe that you and I were about six or seven. It was a pleasure to see you again, Darcy. Please excuse me, my commanding officer is flagging me down.” Wickham bows and departs.

  Darcy sees Elizabeth looking at him, and she asks, “Is everything all right, Mr. Darcy? At first you did not look too happy to see your old friend.”

  Darcy looks at Elizabeth in surprise. “You are very perceptive, Miss Elizabeth. Please be careful around Mr. Wickham. He fell into a bad crowd when we attended Cambridge together, and we have since lost touch. I cannot vouch for him now as I do not know if he still associates with that same crowd.”

  Elizabeth raises an eyebrow at him and replies, “Thank you for the warning, Mr. Darcy. I appreciate it. Not to change the subject, but I am trying to picture you as a young boy covered in mud, presenting your housekeeper with a frog. You must have scared the poor woman.”

  Darcy chuckles. “Mrs. Reynolds is still the housekeeper at Pemberley and, to this day, has a fear of frogs. I sometimes think that she wants to check my pockets to make sure that there are no frogs on my person. She still sees me as a young boy.”

  Darcy watches as Elizabeth’s eyes lose their sparkle and she grows serious. “Mr. Darcy, when do you depart for Town?”

  Darcy, who is frustrated to have to leave Elizabeth but is eager to see if a physician can help her, sighs and replies, “Miss Elizabeth, I leave for Town tomorrow morning. I will be leaving early in the morning, and I will be sending your father a note when I plan to return to Netherfield so that we can resume our visits. Bingley will probably continue visiting with Miss Bennet and will probably visit Longbourn during my absence.”

  Elizabeth smiles. “That will make Jane happy.”

  Darcy looks at Elizabeth. “Let us go join your sister and Bingley. I need to speak with Bingley privately in case I depart before he rises tomorrow. I also need to speak with your father. If you do not mind, I will leave you in your sister’s care while I speak to Bingley and your father.”

  Elizabeth nods, and Darcy extends his arm, and together they walk toward Bingley and Miss Bennet.

  Darcy crosses the room with Elizabeth and speaks to Bingley and Miss Bennet, letting them know that he is leaving for Town in the morning and that their “business meetings” are on hold for now but imagines that Bingley will call on Longbourn instead, which causes Miss Bennet to blush. Darcy asks Bingley and Miss Bennet to watch over Elizabeth while he is away, and they promise to do so. Darcy starts looking for Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet is on the far side of the room, watching Lizzy, Darcy, Bingley, and Jane. Mr. Bennet believes that the two men care for his daughters, but Elizabeth is his bigger concern as he does not want Lizzy hurt when Darcy leaves and never returns. Mr. Bennet sighs as he sees Darcy heading his way. Darcy walks up to Mr. Bennet, who appears to have a pensive look on his face.

  “Good evening, Mr. Bennet. I just wanted to let you know that I am departing for Town tomorrow morning and that I will let you know what my physician has to say, providing that I still have your permission to ask questions. I am not sure how long I will be away.”

  Mr. Bennet looks into the earnest face of the young man in front of him. “Mr. Darcy, you still have my permission as long as you leave Lizzy’s name out of the discussion.”

  Darcy exhales in relief as he was afraid that Mr. Bennet would change his mind. “Thank you, sir. I would like to know what you are willing to try for Miss Elizabeth.”

  Mr. Bennet replies, “Mr. Darcy, I am willing to try anything that will not hurt my daughter. Sir, forgive me for asking, but what are your intentions toward my daughter? I do not mean to put you on the spot, nor do I expect you to declare your feelings. I ask because I am starting to see my old Lizzy—my Lizzy before my wife made her to hide in corners. I do not want my daughter hurt as I believe that Lizzy might have feelings for you.”

  Darcy looks Mr. Bennet in the eyes. “Sir, I do not know what I feel for your daughter. I was planning on using this trip to examine my feelings for Miss Elizabeth and the possibility of a future together. I will send you word if the physician thinks of anything that will help Miss Elizabeth. I will send an express should there be any additional questions asked of me that I do not know the answers to. I look forward to seeing you and your family again soon.”

  Mr. Bennet chuckles at this, shaking his head at Darcy’s sarcasm, and watches as Darcy departs to return to his party.

  Darcy spends the rest of the evening talking with Bingley, Miss Bennet, Elizabeth, and Mr. Bennet. Darcy finds that he enjoys Mr. Bennet and his elder daughters’ company, but Mrs. Bennet gets on his nerves, and Darcy watches as Miss Bennet and Elizabeth cringe in embarrassment over their mother’s words or tones. As the party begins to break up, Darcy says farewell to Elizabeth and reminds her that he will be sending her father a note when he is planning on returning. Darcy bows and kisses Elizabeth’s hand and leaves unaware that Mrs. Bennet has seen this.

  Chapter 4

  Early the next morning, Darcy sets off for Town, but he cannot shake a bad feeling that something is going to happen. Upon arriving at Darcy House, Darcy enters the music room to find his sister, Georgiana, playing the pianoforte. Darcy looks at his sister in surprise. He realizes that she has grown up. Darcy looks at his sister with her long blonde curls and cornflower-blue eyes set in a delicate face and sees his mother when he was a young boy. Darcy announces his presence by clapping when she finishes her piece.

  Georgiana exclaims, “William! You are home! I have missed you. Are you well?”

  Darcy catches his sister as she throws herself into his arms. Giving her a gentle hug and a kiss on the forehead, Darcy replies, “Well, Georgie, do I need to leave more often to get this kind of welcome?”

  Another masculine voice from the doorway asks, “Why do I not get that kind of welcome?”

  Darcy and Georgiana turn to see their cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, and Darcy replies, “Because I am her favorite brother.”

  Richard grins. “Darcy, you are her only brother.”

  Georgiana hurries over to Richard and gives him a hug, and he kisses her on the head. Darcy watches as Georgiana and Richard greet each other. Richard, like Georgiana, has blonde hair and blue eyes, making the cousins look more like brother and sister than cousins. Darcy takes after his father with his height a
nd dark hair and dark eyes. Richard is roughly a year and a half Darcy’s senior in age. Richard is nearly the same height as Darcy but has a wirier muscular frame than he does. Richard apologizes, “Sorry to burst in on you, Darcy. I thought you were still out of town and was just checking in on Georgie.”

  “All is well, Richard. I arrived just before you came in. I have some unexpected business in town, and I wanted to check on Georgie. I plan to be in Town for about a week perhaps longer.” Darcy looks at his sister. “Georgie, excuse us. I need to speak to Richard, and I really should refresh myself before I join you again. Your playing is wonderful. I really enjoyed it.” Darcy motions for Richard to follow him, and they head for Darcy’s study.

  Once in Darcy’s study Richard studies him closely before asking, “Darcy, does your business have a name?”

  Darcy glares at Richard. “Richard, stop.”

  Richard looks at Darcy in surprise. Darcy has never used that tone with him before. Richard is surprised. “My apologies, cousin. I meant no harm.”

  Darcy sighs. “Never mind, Richard. Forgive me. I am tired from my trip, and you did not deserve my sharp tone. My mind was on other things.”

  Richard looks at Darcy closely and says, “Darcy, you know I am here for you if you need to talk.”

  Darcy takes a deep breath before replying, “I thank you, cousin. I may take you up on that in the near future. Will you be joining us for dinner? I know Georgie would love to have us both join her. Let me tend to business, and we can make Georgie’s day.”

  Richard grins at Darcy. “Thank you. I would love to join my favorite two cousins for dinner—the general does not need me until tomorrow. I will leave you to your business and again my apologies.”

  Darcy waves Richard off, and he quickly writes a note to his personal physician to see if his physician would be available to meet with him tomorrow. Darcy rings the bell and asks that the note be sent out today. Darcy stands and crosses to the window behind his desk and stares out, wondering what Elizabeth is doing. He is unaware that Richard has returned from upstairs and is standing in the doorway, watching. Richard quietly crosses the room to stand next to Darcy.