The Secrets of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Jane Austen Reimaginings Book 9)

by Rose Fairbanks

  September 25, 1812

  Lincoln Inn, London

  Darcy,

  I am sure you never expected to see a letter from me. Before you ask, I promise I said nothing to your cousin. He did approach me, knowing some of your dislike for me, but I had nothing to offer him. I have a good position as a clerk and am diligently applying myself to the law, this time.

  As a student of law, I wondered what burden of proof there could be verifying this former footman of Pemberley told the truth besides his own paper. It occurred to me that I still had my father’s papers from time as the steward. Nick Huggins was not employed at Pemberley until 1786, years after your birth. Before that, he was apprenticed at Mr. Chester Grant of Wolverhampton’s house. There was no previous acquaintance between the couples; your father found Huggins through an employment agency. I have enclosed the original documents of his hire and termination date as well as the letter from the employment agency.

  I hope this might be enough to exonerate the accusations against your birth and restore you to Pemberley.

  G. Wickham

  Darcy stared at the papers in his hand. Here it was and from Wickham of all people! Unable to contain his relief, Darcy sought out his family and friends. Elizabeth and Jane spent most days at Netherfield with Georgiana, and Darcy was lucky enough to find them in the drawing room with Bingley.

  “You are back earlier than I expected,” Elizabeth said at his entrance with lines furrowing between her brows.

  “I will explain it all to you later, but my arrival is quite timely.” He held out his papers and read the explanation.

  “Is it true?” Georgiana asked. “Do you think it will be enough?”

  “I do not know,” Darcy answered, “but it is enough to try.”

  Bingley ordered a round of punch to celebrate the news. Elizabeth came to Darcy’s side and slipped her hand in his.

  “I will love you no matter what,” she declared and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “I know,” Darcy squeezed her hand. “The same as I love you.”

  The group played games and told stories to complete the festive atmosphere until Jane and Elizabeth had to return to Longbourn. Twenty years before, his mother had said he would never have love again but she had been entirely wrong. Once Darcy opened himself up to it, he could see all people who had come to mean something in his life, ranging from Mrs. Bennet with her prattle about lace and pin money to Bingley and his confidence in Darcy’s words of advice, to Elizabeth, the love of his life. There was no one way to love or be loved and protecting himself from the prospect of pain should that love ever be severed brought nothing but misery. Darcy went to bed that night, his future as uncertain as ever, and yet he rested easy with secure dreams knowing he could face anything with those he loved at his side.

  Epilogue

  March 20, 1837

  Twenty-five years later

  “Mama, tell me you did not really wear that!” Beth Darcy giggled in the blue saloon of Pemberley.

  “Yes, the rules had not been updated yet,” Elizabeth laughed. “And I had your grandmother and your great aunt Catherine attempting to help me.”

  Darcy smiled from the doorway. He could not see his wife’s face, but he could imagine her expression.

  “And you performed perfectly,” his mother-in-law called from across the room where she assisted another grandchild with embroidery.

  “I still remember Anne’s curtsy,” Lady Catherine, present for her yearly visit, sniffed into a handkerchief. “It was just after she married—such a beautiful bride, you will recall Mrs. Bennet.”

  “Indeed,” the other woman answered. “I have never seen love blossom a woman the way it did for Mrs. Marshall.”

  “I am not wearing the feathers,” Beth said stubbornly.

  “You have no choice,” Susanna, Jane’s daughter said. “Do you not remember from Nan?”

  “As if I paid attention to Nan’s curtsy,” Beth laughed.

  Darcy knocked on the doorframe. “I was told a dance partner was needed.”

  “Papa,” Beth cried. “Here, save me from talk of lace and feathers.”

  Darcy entered, laughing. “Am I to be your sacrifice then? Surely you know my presence does nothing to stop the chatter.”

  “Behave, my love,” Elizabeth teased as she sat at the pianoforte.

  Darcy opened his arms for his daughter to take as they went through the steps of a dance. “If you do not want the presentation, you do not have to have one,” he whispered to Beth.

  She sighed. “I do want it. I do want to enjoy Society. I just find it ridiculous to dress that way. I would want a greater choice in my attire.”

  “Ah,” Darcy nodded. “You do not like the false mask you must wear.”

  “No,” she hastened to agree. “Nan never seemed to have that problem and the boys can act however they chose.”

  “I hope you think I raised your brothers with more honour than to act merely however they please.”

  “Oh, I did not mean it that way!” Beth cried and almost tread on Darcy’s foot.

  “Darling, I would suggest you be yourself instead of snuffing your light. Your mother and I only wish you to be happy. You have the support of all your family.” Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine argued over a certain stitch. “Your very large and loud family,” Darcy added with a laugh.

  “Will anyone see me with such a large and notorious family?”

  Her question was not unwarranted. After Darcy regained control of Pemberley, Society turned him into something of rags to riches story, attracting more attention than ever. He and Elizabeth had six children and adopted a half a dozen more. At his school they were fondly known as Mama and Papa Darcy, and so it felt he had fathered a hundred. The Bingleys had ten children. Richard had married Lady Aurora and retired from military life. His elder brother never married and so Richard would one day inherit the earldom, then pass it to his own son. Georgiana married a local landowner who did not care about who her father was. She had three children and was now happier than Darcy ever imagined she could be. Anne had married Alexander Marshall, meeting at Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding. The marriage had made Anne robust, and she gave birth to four large and lusty sons. To say nothing of Elizabeth’s other sisters who married and had a brood of several children each. When they all gathered together for holidays, it was easy to be lost in the crowd.

  “Beth, I spent most of my life before meeting your mother trying to be invisible. I cannot say I understand how you feel, desiring to be noticed, but I will say that the right people will notice you either way. Be the lively, caring, sweet-tempered girl I know you to be and you will do well in life.”

  His daughter smiled up at him. “And do you have any words of wisdom on how to walk backwards in a train that’s ten feet long?”

  Darcy laughed. “Ah, no. For that, you must ask your mother.”

  “I knew you kept her around for some reason,” Beth rolled her eyes as she teased.

  The music came to a stop, and Darcy gazed at his wife. “I will keep her forever because I am nothing without her.”

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  To my author friends, Leenie and Zoe, that always were willing to hold my hand, nothing can take your place in my heart. Zoe, you’re a life saver by fitting in last-minute copy edits!

  Thank you to the readers of DarcyandLizzy.com and FanFiction.net, and the countless other people of the JAFF community who have inspired and encouraged me.

  Last but not least, I could never have written, let alone published, without the love and support of my beloved husband and babies!

  Before you go…

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read my works! If you have enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review for other readers to find on any of your favorite review sites.

  Love,

  Rose

  In the mood for something sweet?

  Unravelling Mr. Darcy is the first book in Leenie B
rown’s Unravelled, Entangled, and Enticed Trilogy of Pride and Prejudice novellas. If you like well-written, fast-paced, sweet romance with a touch of humor, then you will love this series of book and especially this story about Darcy claiming a second chance and pursuing it without reserve.

  (https://books2read.com/b/boYDBZ)

  Excerpt:

  “For you, sir,” Mr. Kinney deposited a few envelopes in the tray on Darcy’s desk.

  “Thank you,” Darcy said, glancing up from his account book. His brows furrowed as he saw the address on the top letter. Putting down his pencil, he picked up the curious missive. Why would Anne be writing to him? Hopefully, it was not some scheme of his aunt’s to press the matter of his marrying her daughter. She had been more insistent than normal on this trip that the happy event was not far off. It made sense, he supposed, seeing how Anne would be twenty in a month — the same age both his mother and Lady Catherine had been when they married their husbands.

  He broke the seal and unfolded the paper.

  Dearest Cousin,

  His brows rose. Anne never referred to him as dearest anything.

  As you know, I will be celebrating a very particular birthday next month, and I would request…

  Darcy groaned. It appeared this was exactly what he feared.

  that you spend this month securing a bride and doing so with all haste. If you are married before my birthday, I should be very grateful.

  Darcy blinked and reread the letter from the beginning. No, he had not missed any words. Anne had just asked him to marry someone other than herself and to do it in quick order. He shook his head and continued on.

  I do not wish to injure your male sensibilities in any fashion, but I must be direct. I believe on the subject of our marriage, we are of one accord, for I do not wish to marry you, and I am certain that you do not wish to marry me. We would not suit. You are far too serious for a lady such as myself, and I do not think myself equal to the challenges of the cold in Derbyshire or the air in town. One or the other I might be able to endure, but to face both would be far too taxing.

  Too serious for Anne? The girl who cowered in the corner and never smiled? He shook his head again. This letter was befuddling and perhaps the longest single exchange of words he had ever received from his cousin.

  To help you in your quest to grant me my birthday wish, I would advise you to call directly on Miss Bennet. She is a lovely lady, full of vitality and of a hardy stock. She should weather well both your dour temperament and the conditions of Derbyshire and town. In addition to this, I believe you would suit eminently well, and I do believe you favour her.

  Not only was he too serious, but he was also dour? How else was he to be in the presence of Lady Catherine? Richard might not mind their aunt’s reprimands, but Darcy did not relish to endure them. Anne was correct, at least, about his favouring Miss Bennet.

  You will be doing my heart a great service should you be successful in gaining her acceptance. I will do my part to keep my mother occupied, so that if even a whisper of your intentions reaches her ears, she will be unable to cause you any trouble.

  Remember, you must be married in one month. Please, do not dawdle in doing your duty.

  I shall be indebted to you forever.

  Your grateful cousin,

  Anne

  Darcy chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. How Anne intended to keep her mother from being able to interfere if word of his courting Elizabeth should reach her piqued his curiosity. He should very much like to hear of her plans, but he was not so curious as to write and ask. No, he would not write at all, for if he did, he knew his letter would pass through his aunt’s hands before it ever reached Anne.

  One month? He rubbed his chin as he studied the letter before him. He was not certain a month would be long enough, but he thought, as a smile crept to his lips, that it would be his pleasure to attempt such a feat.

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  A kiss at the Netherfield Ball . . .

  As Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy prepare for the Netherfield Ball, a gentlemen’s challenge develops between them to secure their future happiness . . . with the two eldest Bennet sisters! But when things do not go as expected for Mr. Darcy, Hertfordshire society is in an uproar over the pursuit of one of their favorite daughters by such a wealthy gentleman.

  Despite being claimed by Mr. Darcy as his future bride, Elizabeth Bennet has no plans to wed the proud and disdainful Mr. Darcy, no matter what her father says! At her sister’s urging, she agrees to give him a chance, if only for Jane’s sake. But there are others with an interest in breaking a match between Fitzwilliam Darcy and some country miss. . .

  The stakes are high and romance strong as two of Jane Austen’s most beloved characters dare to declare their feelings, dare to defy family, and dare to trust each other!

  If Mr. Darcy Dared is a steamy romance for fans of Elizabeth Ann West’s other works, especially those readers who love their drama cranked to a ten!

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  About the Author

  Born in the wrong era, Rose Fairbanks has read nineteenth-century novels since childhood. Although she studied history, her transcript also contains every course in which she could discuss Jane Austen. Never having given up all-nighters for reading, Rose discovered her love for Historical Romance after reading Christi Caldwell’s Heart of a Duke Series.

  After a financial downturn and her husband’s unemployment had threatened her ability to stay at home with their special needs child, Rose began writing the kinds of stories she had loved to read for so many years. Now, a best-selling author of Jane Austen-inspired stories, she also writes Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance, and Historical Fantasy.

  Having completed a BA in history in 2008, she plans to finish her master’s studies someday. When not reading or writing, Rose runs after her two young children, ignores housework, and profusely thanks her husband for doing all the dishes and laundry. She is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and Romance Writers of America.

  You can connect with Rose on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and her blog: http://rosefairbanks.com

  To join her email list for information about new releases and any other news, you can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/bmJHjn

  More from Rose Fairbanks

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  Letters from the Heart

  The line between love and hate has never been closer.

  Tortured by his feelings for an unsuitable miss, Fitzwilliam Darcy writes a cathartic letter he never means to send. Distraught and confused, Elizabeth Bennet journals her hatred for the man. When the letters are sent, and an engagement is presumed, will they find peace or even greater heartache?

  Undone Business

  It’s hard to fall in love when life keeps interrupting.

  Fitzwilliam Darcy can barely to stand to utter the name of his enemy. Only love for Elizabeth Bennet could make him talk about that man. Elizabeth would gladly never speak to Darcy again, as soon as she makes him understand her sister loves his best friend. When they finally have a frank conversation, will it heal the hearts of their loved ones, or are matters forever altered?

  No Cause to Repine

  Betrayed by their families and forced to wed, can they have no regrets?

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  A Sense of Obligation

  One night changes everything.

  After weeks of fighting his attraction, Fitzwilliam Darcy makes an irreparable move leaving no choice but to wed Elizabeth Bennet. Charmed by a gentler side of the haughty man, Elizabeth nurtures her growing affection for him. Darcy’s faulty memory may destroy their marriage just as swiftly as it begins.

  Love Lasts Longest

  Steal a quiet moment with Darcy and Elizabeth…

  In the busy world of go-go-go, we often have our gadgets glued to us all the time. Via technology we can now take our books with us much more conveniently than before, but who wants their reading interrupted in order to return to the real world? Love Lasts Longest was written for the moments when reading a lengthier volume is unwise. Follow each story as we see Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet grow in love over and over again!

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  Indulge in sweet romance that brings holiday cheer.

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  Mr. Darcy’s Kindness

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  Only the deepest love for her sister could persuade Elizabeth Bennet to marry the most ridiculous man in the world. Repressing his love, Fitzwilliam Darcy’s secret hopes come crashing down when he learns Elizabeth married her father’s heir. When a fever breaks out in London, will it bring them together or separate them forever?