by Jennifer Joy
Darcy’s Ultimatum
The Cousins Series: Book 1
Jennifer Joy
“Darcy’s Ultimatum: A Pride & Prejudice Variation”
The Cousins Series: Book 1
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems — except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews — without permission in writing from its publisher, Jennifer Joy.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, locations, and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Jennifer Joy
Blog: jenniferjoywrites.com
Facebook: Jennifer Joy
Email: [email protected]
Copyright © 2015 Jennifer Joy
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9962310-0-8
For my sparkly-eyed little girl.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Thank you!
About the Author
Other Books by Jennifer Joy
Bonus Material
Chapter 1
Rosings, Early March 1812
Fitzwilliam Darcy shook his head. Clearly, he had not heard his cousin correctly.
“I will not marry you, William,” repeated Anne de Bourgh in a much firmer voice.
Darcy clenched his fists at his sides and felt his color rise as the full meaning of her words hit him. How could she possibly not want me? How could she go against the wishes of our mothers?
Their marriage had been arranged since infancy, mutually agreed upon by his mother and Anne’s mother, his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. It would make the Darcys amongst the largest land-owners in all of England, as well as the richest. Now, at age eight and twenty, he felt he was ready to continue his legacy. Only Darcy’s bride-to-be did not want him and her unexpected refusal came as a shock.
“What about your security, Anne? If you will not have me, what do you intend to do?” Aunt Catherine had ensured that Anne’s only purpose in life was to marry. She had no accomplishments to speak of.
Anne’s eyes narrowed, measuring him. “I wonder why you would marry me when Mother has given you every indication that I would be a pitiful wife. The only accomplishment I have is the ability to catch every illness that passes through Kent.”
It was the same argument Darcy had heard multiple times from his cousin, Richard, and even his own father, who grew impatient for a Darcy heir to be born at Pemberley. Darcy did not want to hear it from Anne. He crossed his arms.
In a voice scarcely above a whisper, Anne asked, “What confidence do you have that I am capable of giving you an heir? Pardon me, cousin, for speaking of such a delicate subject, but you know it to be true. I would only disappoint you.” Her lip quivered and her voice shook.
Darcy could not stay offended, try as he might. The blow to his pride would be great as the news spread through the family. His father, who had never understood why Darcy insisted on honoring the agreement made between his mother and Aunt Catherine so many years ago, would not make matters easy for Darcy.
Relaxing his stance, Darcy asked, “You are determined, Anne? Is there nothing that would make you change your mind?”
“I am determined, Darcy. I thank you for your concern for my welfare and I hope you fall in love with a good lady who will deserve your loyalty more than I can.” Anne stood a little taller as she spoke and Darcy only hoped that Aunt Catherine would not make mincemeat out of her daughter for daring to go against her wishes.
Darcy’s injured pride mixed with pity and admiration for Anne. Finally, after a lifetime of weak-willed behavior, his cousin had grown a backbone. Unfortunately, her timing had pulled the rug out from under Darcy’s feet. Father would have preferred him to marry younger, but Darcy had always used Anne as his excuse to delay in marriage. He was comfortable with Anne. He was not comfortable meeting new people.
The silence in the room reminded Darcy that his audience with Anne needed to come to an end. He had requested a private interview with her, as expected of a man asking a woman to marry him. But, now that the engagement was off, he felt uncomfortable standing in the middle of the elegant sitting room in his aunt’s house at Rosings. The sun poured through the windows, reflecting the beginning of spring. But, Darcy knew that a storm was brewing between Anne and his Aunt Catherine. His presence would only complicate matters and make Anne’s case, whatever it was, more difficult. It was time to depart.
Giving a stiff bow, Darcy dismissed himself and started toward the door. Anne turned to look out the window, alone with her thoughts.
Darcy reached his hand out to open the door when in walked Aunt Catherine. He did not wish to witness a family dispute, but she would have to know sooner or later.
Forcing one of her pinched smiles, Aunt Catherine said, “Are you leaving so soon, Darcy? I had thought to find you making arrangements with Anne.” Her assumption stung, but Darcy squared his shoulders. Aunt Catherine looked past Darcy to her daughter and back to him, her frown deepening.
Unnoticed, another figure entered the room behind Aunt Catherine: a plain-looking young man, slightly older than Darcy. He was dressed in his red Army coat. He extended his hand out to Darcy as soon as he entered, patting him on the back too vigorously.
“Darcy, let me be the first to congratulate you,” his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, started before sensing the tension in the room.
As all three faces turned to glare at Richard, he cut himself short. “I apologize. I fear I have spoken too soon.” He shuffled his feet and looked quizzically at Darcy.
Getting no immediate answers, he stood next to Darcy as they both watched their Aunt Catherine turn toward Anne.
Aunt Catherine’s presence filled the room and her voice echoed off the walls. “What is the meaning of this?”
Darcy had expected Anne to retreat as he had seen her do so many times, but she stood firmly in place and spoke clearly. “I released Darcy from our engagement, Mother.”
“You foolish child. Would you cast off a promise made and sealed with the death of my sister as if it were of little consequence?”
Darcy winced at the mention of his mother, but Anne stood fast.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I honor the memory of my Aunt Anne and I do not take your promises lightly either, Mother. However, this concerns my future and I feel that only I should choose what makes me happy. Please, Mother, let me make this one choice.”
“Your impertinence is not appreciated, Anne. You have no experience in life and lack the wisdom to make such decisions,” Aunt Catherine said condescendingly.
“Perhaps I lack wisdom because I have never been given a chance to live.” Anne’s eyes teared up, but her decisiveness never wavered.
“You have become quite stubborn and dramatic of late, Anne, and I am going to get to the bottom of it. This disrespect for your superiors is unacceptable. This will not do.�
�� Dropping her voice to a hiss, she said, “Do not forget that I can change my will on a whim. If you refuse to marry Darcy, I will disinherit you. I can cast you off without a penny to your name.” Aunt Catherine enunciated each syllable. So intent was her focus on Anne, she did not even blink.
Darcy stood in disbelief. Aunt Catherine was famous for her strict ways, but he had not believed her capable of expressing such cruelty to her own daughter.
“You are in no position to do so, Mother, and you know it.” Anne pulled out a letter. It was aged yellow. When Aunt Catherine moved to grab it, Anne quickly pulled it out of her reach.
Aunt Catherine sucked in air so sharply, Darcy could hear it. His curiosity peaked at the yellowed letter, but this was a private discussion. He and Richard should take their leave.
Darcy looked at the door. It stood wide open as if it were aghast at the scene between the ladies of the house.
Aunt Catherine must have remembered the presence of her two nephews. She spun on her heels. “You two. Out! Out, now!” she demanded as she ushered them out of the room, the door banging behind them.
Darcy and Richard stood in silence out in the hallway. Richard, with a sense of bewilderment, said, “I do not know what Anne is about, but it had a strong effect on Aunt Catherine.”
Darcy had noticed the veins on Aunt Catherine’s forehead bulging and he imagined he could have seen her pulse.
“Anne said nothing to me about the letter. I only hope it placates Aunt Catherine somewhat, though I doubt it,” said Darcy.
“That is very generous of you, considering she rejected your proposal.”
Leave it to Richard to cut to the chase of an issue. Darcy grimaced at Richard’s blunt words.
“It is not generosity. Anne’s refusal is inconvenient and will cause me no end of suffering when I reach Pemberley with the news. However, I would face the disapproval of my father ten times over before facing the wrath of Aunt Catherine.”
“Like poking a tiger with a stick. I understand, Darcy. You know very well that I am not one to avoid a confrontation, but I would think twice before crossing swords with Aunt Catherine.”
Richard pulled at his sideburns, a grave expression on his face.
They were stepping into the entryway when Richard asked the same question Darcy was asking himself. “What do you think Anne is up to? I cannot imagine what that letter could contain to put Aunt Catherine on edge.” He paused thoughtfully, pinching his chin before continuing, “Maybe we have been underestimating Anne all these years. To think she has the nerve to use the contents of a letter against her overbearing mother…” The awe in his cousin’s tone was unmistakable.
Darcy, too, was curious but he had other problems to contemplate. Craving some fresh air, he said, “I need out of Rosings. Are you staying?
“I would like to go as far as London with you. It would save me time and is much more comfortable than the post coach,” answered Richard.
“Excellent. I shall tell my coachman that we are to leave immediately. I think a note will suffice for Aunt Catherine, under the circumstances.”
“She will be grateful to have us gone. Truth be told, I am ready to be gone as well. There is far too much drama here for my taste. I get enough of that at the barracks.”
Darcy rolled his eyes at his cousin as they strode to the stables. Richard liked a good intrigue just as much as the next person and he could be counted on to know the juiciest bits of gossip about town.
“On second thought, maybe we should both take the post coach home,” Richard said, an unwelcome sight greeting them in the stable.
Darcy remained silent, scanning his surroundings, too disappointed to speak. Pieces of his carriage were strewn about on every spare surface. Mr. Bowers, the coachman, approached them at the doors with a polishing rag and a spring in his arthritic hands.
“Good morning, Mr. Darcy. Care to see how the stagecoach is coming along? It will be in fine condition in a couple days. The apprentice lad is learning the workings of a coach and will be a better driver for it.” His face shone and he stuck out his chest in pride over his hard work, though Darcy noticed he still would not address his apprentice by his surname.
Darcy wanted to kick the bale of hay in front of him. Instead, he said between gritted teeth, “Mr. Green will lighten your workload, Mr. Bowers, and I trust you will teach him well. You have been hard at work, I see. Whose fine idea was this to dismantle the carriage?”
“Why, it was your father who suggested it, sir.” With a wink, Mr. Bowers added in a conspiratorial tone, “I think he did not want you to return too quickly to Pemberley, if you know what I mean, sir.”
His father. How thoughtful of him, he thought as he clenched his jaw. Why he would bother to delay Darcy’s stay in Rosings when he disapproved of Anne as a wife was a mystery he would have to wait to solve on his return to Pemberley. Darcy had given up trying to understand the workings of his father’s mind ages ago.
Darcy heard a snort come from Richard’s direction. Darcy glared at him and Richard clapped his hand over his mouth to contain his merriment.
“I appreciate your thoroughness and attention to detail, Mr. Bowers. Do you think it possible to assemble the coach before the day is through? My plans have changed unexpectedly and I must leave as soon as possible.”
“I am sorry, sir. Even with the lad’s help, we cannot have it ready in one afternoon. If we work all night, we could leave tomorrow afternoon.” He looked genuinely repentant for this inconvenience and his remorse softened Darcy. Mr. Bowers had been the family coachman since before Darcy was born and it was difficult to remain cross with him.
“Perhaps if I arrange for one of my aunt’s coachmen to help you, would that speed up the work?” he asked.
Mr. Bowers’s eyes lit up and Darcy breathed a sigh of relief. “Aye, that should do it, sir. With an extra set of hands, we should be ready to go at first light.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bowers. We leave at dawn then.”
Still unwilling to go back into the house, Darcy looked about him for something to do.
Richard held up a bridle with a broad smile, jingling the metal bit in his hand.
“Care to go for a ride, Darcy?” he asked. “I wager that I can still beat you on a horse.”
A challenge was just the thing. Darcy’s blood coursed through his body in anticipation of a good ride. His cousin would be difficult to beat, being an expert horseman, but perhaps life in crowded London had tempered his talent on a mount. Aunt Catherine believed that every family of rank worth its salt should be in possession of superior horseflesh. Her stables would not disappoint.
Within a few minutes, Darcy and Richard were tearing through the fields. The weight on Darcy’s shoulders lightened as he raced with his cousin. Darcy’s pent up frustration burst through him and he rode with a vengeance. The dapple gray stallion responded beautifully, no doubt rejoicing in his freedom as he tossed his head and fought the bit in his mouth. They jumped over stone walls, fallen branches, and a swollen creek that flowed through the brilliant spring grass. Darcy’s tempestuous day grew brighter.
Time flew by and Darcy, aware of his fatigued horse, slowed to a walk by a grove of trees. Some startled quail flew up and swirled around him. The air smelled sweet and his eyes searched for the responsible blooms. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was riding his favorite bay horse over the hills at Pemberley. Home. The very home where his father would be waiting to hear his explanation for this morning’s strange turn of events. His eyes snapped open and he audibly sighed, mentally preparing himself to face his father.
“Keep a stiff upper lip, Darcy. I have yet to see you come across a challenge you could not overcome.” Richard led his horse to a small stream and dismounted to let him drink. Darcy followed suit. They had a long ride back to the house.
“Then you talk to my father.” Darcy smacked the reins in his hand so that it stung his palm.
Richard laughed and shoved Darcy in the arm. “
That is not the challenge I was referring to.”
“What on earth do you mean then?” Darcy returned the shove, once again in ill humor.
“You, my socially inept cousin, are going to have to find a wife. You have hidden behind your engagement to Anne, refusing to meet new people or make new friends, for too long and your father is going to call you out for it. Oh, I wish I could be there to see it!”
“I hide behind nobody’s skirts. You know my reason for proposing to Anne.” Darcy looked daggers at his cousin.
“I know, I know. You want to honor the memory of your mother. What I do not understand is why you feel marrying a woman unsuited to you will honor her. Even Anne realizes this and will not marry you!”
Darcy turned away from Richard before he punched his impertinent cousin in the nose. Nobody else, besides his father, spoke to Darcy in such straight terms.
Richard chuckled and asked, “You don’t suppose Anne would have me, do you? I am Aunt Catherine’s second favorite nephew, after all, and her fortune would suit me nicely.” He pulled on his coat lapels and stood taller as he spoke. Darcy knew Richard was attempting to lighten his mood.
“Do not give yourself airs, Richard,” said Darcy, his anger waning. He did hope his cousin would make a terrific match. As the second son, Richard had been forced into the army. His commission as Colonel barely covered his needs, much less the needs of a family. It was necessary that Richard marry well.
“We shall see about that. I am stationed in London during the season. With my connections and shiny uniform, I will draw some attention from the ladies at Almack’s. Perhaps I shall meet the love of my life and marry before you do.”
