A Fine Line: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

by Erin Butler

  Mr. Darcy’s lips set in a thin line as he made no attempt to hide the fact that he was appraising the gentleman in front of him. Whatever he found there, it did not warrant a retort from him. He picked up his spoon and began to eat his soup without so much as a greeting or confirmation of Mr. Collins question. Elizabeth felt the reproach of him, but Mr. Collins was not nearly as sensible to pick up on social cues. He kept badgering on and on about Lady Catherine. He told them of his going to Lucas Lodge and how their house was fine, but not nearly as fine as Rosings Park. But then again, he mused, I have yet to see its equal and wonder if one actually exists in the world.

  He chuckled to himself and finally, after almost everyone else who sat at the table was finished with his soup, dipped his spoon into the lukewarm liquid for the first time. His eyes moved up to meet Elizabeth, and he smiled. Elizabeth clamped her eyes shut at the sight and looked away. Mr. Collins had already spooned a small amount of broth into his mouth so that when he smiled, it squeezed out the sides of his mouth and was now dribbling down his chin like an infant.

  Her mother smiled at her and motioned toward Mr. Collins with a happy gesture.

  No. There was no possible way she could do as she was asked. She would rather be known as a thankless daughter who would not do her duty than to live the rest of her life out with Mr. Collins. Just the thought sent uncomfortable shivers up her spine, made worse by Mr. Darcy’s condescending smile.

  Chapter Four

  Despite himself, Mr. Darcy enjoyed dinner. How could he not? There was so much fodder for observing others. Especially that Mr. Collins. What could Mrs. Bennet mean that he may be soon more to them than just a cousin? Well, he knew exactly what she meant, but how could that be? He almost felt sorry for Miss Elizabeth. She was far too bright to not feel everything her intended did. Though he teased her when he could about it, he had to admit the situation did not sit right with him. He had only known each of them a short amount of time, but already, he knew that Miss Elizabeth would lead a sorry life with that man as her husband. He was dull and droll. Despite her relations, Elizabeth was sensible with a strong mind and spirit. Mr. Collins would break her.

  Not his problem, he reminded himself. He surely did not come here to feel sorry for one of Miss Bennet’s sisters in a predicament he knew nothing about. He needed to stay true to his original reason for coming. Bingley could not marry into that family. The dinner only solidified his feelings on the matter. Mrs. Bennet looked upon Mr. Collins as if he was everything right in the world, which was beyond shock. Mr. Bennet, though Darcy believed Jane and Elizabeth may have gotten their minds from him, sat back and watched it all happen with nary a word to deflect or aid in the younger sisters’ behavior. He was mystified by the whole thing.

  He stayed only a little while in the drawing room until he could not stand the attempts of Mr. Collins to draw him into conversation any longer. If he heard one more time about the chimneys or the staircases at Rosings Park, he would have lost it. She could see why Mr. Collins would appeal to his aunt. She always was one to like her rank preserved and Mr. Collins was more than willing to hold her in his highest esteem, which he had also heard several times.

  Since he had gone to bed early, he also rose early the next morning. After he was dressed and his stomach was asking him about breakfast, Mr. Bingley knocked on his door. He bade him come in and he noticed his friend still could not fight the smile on his face. He strode around the room with his hands behind his back smiling at everything. “Isn’t this all together charming?”

  Darcy grunted in reply.

  Charles did not notice his non-answer. It was evident to Darcy that he wanted to ask him something. He observed him for several more minutes as he mentioned several things of little importance. Finally, after he realized his friend was not going to get up the courage to ask him what he wanted, he said, “Out with it, Bingley. What is on your mind this morning?”

  Bingley turned. The smile only momentarily fell from his place until it was replaced as easy as putting on a shoe. “Darcy, do you think I will have Mr. Bennet’s approval? He has said little to me as of yet. I admit his silence is shaking me. What if he refuses the match?”

  Then Mr. Bennet would be a simpleton indeed. It was as if his friend did not know the way the world worked. Perhaps it was because he was not the studier of people that Darcy was, but surely, he could see the excitement in Miss Bennet’s mother’s eyes if he were to just look. How could she not be thrilled with the prospect of his friend as a husband for her daughter? What really were their chances of marrying well despite their appearances and minds?

  He shook his head. When had Elizabeth entered his mind on the subject?

  “I am sure you will have Mr. Bennet’s approval if you wish it. I beg of you to still reconsider Bingley. Look down life’s path. Is Miss Bennet, though lovely, still the person you want by your side through everything? Looks fade, but her relations, her lack of money will always be there.”

  A sharp rap sounded on the door. Nerves clawed at Mr. Darcy’s throat. He hoped that he had not been overheard. He looked toward the door only to find it had not been shut properly after Bingley came in.

  Mr. Bingley strode toward the door and opened it. “Miss Bennet,” he said bowing. If he had the same thoughts Mr. Darcy had, he was hiding them better. Maybe Mr. Darcy had not said it as loud as he thought he did. He could only hope.

  “Mr. Bingley,” came the curt reply.

  Darcy immediately closed his eyes. That was the sound of Miss Elizabeth’s voice. He had no doubt she heard him.

  Mr. Bingley swung the door open wider. She half-curtsied toward him as he rose from the bed. “Mr. Darcy.” She looked away to Mr. Bingley again. “I heard voices. Mrs. Bennet wishes me to tell you that breakfast is ready when you wish to come down. You will find my sister already down there, Mr. Bingley.”

  She heard voices alright. He had no doubt she had and if she had not already guessed what Mr. Darcy was doing here with his friend in Hertfordshire, she knew now.

  “Thank you, Miss Bennet. We shall come directly.”

  She turned away without offering Mr. Darcy another glance or opportunity to explain himself. What could he say however? Anything that would make her feel better would be a lie. And a liar, he was not. He did not want his friend attached to her sister, and he was still going to do everything in his power to stop it.

  “I must say, Darcy, Miss Elizabeth is very pretty, too. I bet she may soften your feelings for having come here. I know how you fought me on it, but it is not as bad as you thought, is it? The house is charming and though it is the country, I daresay we will still find a few things to do. Miss Bennet has spoken to me about the pretty walks nearby. I shall ask her about it today. You will have to come too as chaperon of course.”

  Darcy shook his head at his friend’s uncanny ability to misunderstand him. It was not his dislike of this part of the country that he wished not to come. Perhaps he had not been as direct in his attempts to dissuade Charles from Miss Bennet as he thought. He would have to try harder. “Bingley, I think—”

  Bingley came forward and clasped his friend’s shoulder. “Come man, let us get some breakfast. I do not wish to wait to see my Miss Bennet this morning. How lovely she looked yesterday. I could barely take my eyes off her.”

  He walked from the room without waiting to see if Darcy would follow. Smitten, he was. He had hoped at first that his admiration of Miss Bennet was just an appreciation for her fine looks, but too quickly it became apparent that was not the case. Here they were in Hertfordshire to prove it. He must take another tactic with his friend if he refused to see reason. Perhaps he could tell him of Mrs. Bennet’s visits if they were to marry, especially if they were lucky enough to bore children. Could he really suffer through such a thing? What about her other coarse relations? He had heard her himself say that they had an attorney for an uncle and another uncle who lived in Cheapside. Though she had been staying with them at the time they met, they had t
hankfully avoided introductions. Well, at least Darcy had. Mr. Bingley seemed pleased with them, but he was pleased with everything. If it rained when they were on horseback, he would still be smiling.

  Though he had to admit that Miss Bennet had much the same temperament, how could they bear things together? At least one of them should have a rational mind to know that when it rained, and you were soaked through, that was not a cause for cheer.

  He sighed as he followed his friend down the small hall and into the breakfast room. He watched as he greeted Miss Bennet, only softening a little at how truly happy they looked with one another. Despite the appearance of it now, he was convinced that within a year’s time, Bingley would not be happy anymore and stuck in a loveless marriage with someone he resented. Since Mr. Bingley was too happy to figure it out on his own, Mr. Darcy would just have to be the rational mind for both of them.

  When Bingley inquired after a country walk with Miss Bennet, Mr. Darcy readily accepted his invitation to accompany them. He was scarcely done uttering his approval of the scheme when Miss Elizabeth spoke up and said that she would also enjoy a walk. With a look toward Mr. Darcy, he was aware that Miss Elizabeth was on to him now. It would make his job harder, but not all together impossible.

  Her eyes sparked as they bore into his. Though he knew she was furious with him and had every right to be, he could not help but think that he had never before seen a finer set of eyes in his life. Miss Elizabeth was almost pretty today, if he dared to look further than that. Her pink-color gown complemented her figure in all the right places, and again, her curls jumped behind her head as she moved her head this way and that way. She was darker to the eldest Bennet’s light complexion, but he preferred that to Miss Bennet’s appearance. The darker hair and looks wrangled from him a sense of appreciation.

  Again, he felt the disillusion of society. It was too bad that the Bennet daughters would not marry well. They would make someone a fine husband, just not anyone of consequence. Since that was to be the case, no one would care about them. If things had been different, he could see Miss Elizabeth wielding her fiery eyes, helping the running of a fine estate. It took a great deal of work by both the husband and wife to run it like it should. He knew how difficult it sometimes could be for his own mother.

  Such a pity.

  Why then did he impose Elizabeth at his mother’s desk at Pemberley? Surely, she had the spirit for such hard work, but not the background. He looked away from Miss Elizabeth’s strong countenance, begging himself never to let his mind wander that way again. The idea was insupportable. It was only the ferocity in Elizabeth’s gaze that made him think of his mother at Pemberley. That was all. Nothing more.

  Chapter Five

  With her sister’s help, they were able to set off for their walk without the ill-favored Mr. Collins. Mary was all too willing to distract him with questions regarding several passages in The Bible. When he was not looking, the party of four walked from Longbourn. Though she detested Mr. Darcy even more now, at least she would not have to listen to Mr. Collins’s ridiculous speeches. She had walked with him several times before and it was not too far into the first experience that she wished never to repeat it. It had only taken him minutes to begin panting like a dog and they had been walking at a much slower pace than she was used to. It was so unbecoming.

  Though she walked next to Darcy to allow her sister and Mr. Bingley to walk side-by-side, she could not help but compare the two gentlemen she was determined not to like. Darcy was Mr. Collins’s superior in every way, though she hated to admit it. He had manners though they were sharp and sometimes given with the air of necessity instead of an easy nature. He had sense though Elizabeth did not agree with him. He also had a fine mind which was evident in the way he spoke. Again, however, Elizabeth did not agree with his conclusions. How could she when it was evident he did not approve of the match between his friend and her sister?

  She was finally able to speak to Jane alone the previous night. She filled her in on Mr. Collins, but despite wanting her advice to begin with, Elizabeth was just as content to listen to Jane speak of Mr. Bingley. She made her almost envious as she spoke of his kind words and the type of man he was. Why could she only attract the likes of Mr. Collins while Jane received the attentions of Mr. Bingley? She pushed those thoughts down, however, and basked in the stories Jane related to her. They loved one another very much. They needed only one word from their father and then it would all be settled.

  Mr. Darcy arranged his hat better on his head. He peeked down at Miss Elizabeth. “You are smiling, Miss Bennet. I did not think I would be able to see such a thing in my presence.”

  Elizabeth groaned inwardly as Darcy broke into her thoughts. She watched Jane and Bingley walking just enough ahead of them so that they might have private conversations if they wished to. “I assure you it has nothing to do with you, Mr. Darcy. I am in awe of my sister and your friend. How could I not be smiling when I am so very happy for her?”

  She noticed Mr. Darcy’s lips turn down. Though he was determined not to be happy for them or observe the love between them, she would not let him dissuade her not to do so. They deserved it. Well, she knew her sister did and since Mr. Bingley was her choice, she knew he did too.

  “Do not think this smile means I did not overhear what you said earlier this morning, Mr. Darcy. I was hoping to have a rational conversation with you regarding your declaration to Mr. Bingley earlier.”

  Mr. Darcy’s hand tightened over his walking stick. Elizabeth noticed a little misstep in his walk, but he covered it up nicely. If she had not been bearing her eyes into him, she would never have noticed. She felt herself smile over the small victory.

  “What exactly did you overhear?”

  “It seems you are unhappy with your friend’s choice. I, for one, do not understand why you should want an opinion in the matter. If your friend is happy, which one only has to look at him to tell, I do not understand why you would want to talk him out of it otherwise. As far as your accusations—”

  “Accusations? Nay, Miss Bennet. I must stop you there. They were not accusations, but simply observations from what I have heard your sister speak of herself and what I have gathered from my own opinions in life.”

  His own opinions. Her own hands tightened at her sides. “You think our lack of money should offend Mr. Bingley.”

  “Not offend. That was a poor choice of word, Miss Bennet.”

  “It has offended you.”

  He chuckled next to her. “Nay. I am but an observer, as I said. Pray tell me, if you had a friend such as Mr. Bingley, would you not want him to make the most advantageous match he could? Suppose you to be impartial to either party, what then would you say? I have seen the workings of your mind, Miss Bennet. I know if you say anything less than what I have already imparted to you, you would be lying.”

  “You would have me be a liar when I have yet to utter a word. Might I also remind you that you did not impart anything to me. You were scheming to remove Mr. Bingley from my sister behind her back.”

  Elizabeth watched him carefully as her temper rose within her. Her blood was already like molten heat sliding through her extremities. He had the audacity to smile at her words. Insufferable.

  “Yes, you must allow me that, Miss Elizabeth. If you do not agree with me, I daresay I will think your mind is not as clever as I have begun to think.”

  “Indeed, I will not. Perhaps you should do as you have just asked of me. What if you were impartial Mr. Darcy? When love is so clear between the two, would you have them be separated? If you were unconcerned for either one, could you not then look past circumstance and observe the happiness? Surely, you would be indifferent and your observations of their feelings for one another would win out.”

  Mr. Darcy shook his head before she had even stopped speaking. “My mind is such as to not allow just mere observations to come into the matter. What are the facts in our pretend couple? If they are just the same as the two ahead of us,
I would think the same. I am being impartial.”

  Elizabeth laughed. The sound choking her throat. Even Jane looked over her shoulder to see what was wrong. Elizabeth painted a smile on her face. She did not tell her sister what she feared about Mr. Darcy last night. She did not want Jane to be privy to any of it. Elizabeth would figure this out on her own and Jane would never have to feel the sting of being thought of less than by Mr. Darcy.

  “I see you disagree with me,” he said.

  “I fear I must. Cannot you imagine a marriage where only certain things are brought into the equation. Money, upbringing, manners, etcetera. The list of wants in a relationship can go on and on. But what of true feelings for one another. Surely they have a place.”

  “But of course, they do,” Mr. Darcy said. “But so do the others. If two poor people find their way to one another, though they have love, will not that love eat at them from the inside out when they have too many mouths to feed and not enough money to do it with. Feelings do not matter in that case. They will lead sad, impoverished lives, turning their feelings to one another into regret and hatred.”

  “That is a very cynical point of view, Mr. Darcy. You are supposing that poor people can never move above their station.”

  She watched as he shrugged his shoulders. Surely, he had not had to live through such a thing so why should he even care. Besides, that would not be the case with Mr. Bingley and her sister. He had a fortune of five-thousand pounds and her sister’s would not be too small as to make no difference. Even if it was nothing, Mr. Bingley’s five thousand pounds was more than enough to care for them all and any offspring. His example was thus null and void.