When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy

by Mary-Anne Seaton

  When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy

  By

  Mary-Anne Seaton

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, businesses and incidents are from the author’s imagination or they are used fictitiously and are definitely fictionalized. Any trademarks or pictures herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks or pictures used are specifically in a descriptive capacity. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is coincidental.

  Edited By: Leanore Elliott

  Book Design By: Wicked Muse

  When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy

  © April, 2017. Mary-Anne Seaton

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

  BOOK DESCRIPTION

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  THANK YOU!

  BOOK DESCRIPTION

  The moment Mr. Darcy first lays his eyes on Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Bennet is one he would never forget. Because he finds her in a compromising position, he develops a prejudice against her. When he meets her at the ball, he promptly turns his nose at her, leaving her with no doubt of his thoughts about her 'wanton' ways.

  What Mr. Darcy does not know is that Lizzy was only helping a friend out of a very delicate situation. However, her pride would not allow her to explain herself to him.

  Will Lizzy overcome her pride and Mr. Darcy his prejudice? Will they find their happily ever after?

  Original scenes from Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, are interwoven in this variation, but with new and exciting twists. Two things remain constant, though: Mr. Darcy still retains his ego and Elizabeth Bennet, her smartness.

  When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy, a Regency era reimagining, is a clean and wholesome romance that will leave you wanting more.

  Prologue

  With great distaste, Fitzwilliam Darcy observed the tavern set in a covert corner on the street. Fitzwilliam fancied himself a gentleman in the highest regard and so he couldn't help his feelings upon observing the building before him. First, it galled him to no end to see the dismal attempt at a signpost at the very head of the tavern. It read Fitzgerald's Tavern, he noted with a grimace. The fact there was a little of his name attached to this place of disrepute was the height of mortification for him and he couldn't wait to make his entrance, go about his business as quietly as the noisy place would permit and make his exit as quietly too.

  Alas, his business at the tavern tonight would grant him no such reprieve. It was yet unknown how soon he would be able to conduct his meeting at the rather annoying location. And therein lies his second discomfiture, he had quite a long time to spend in the place and it was very displeasing for him.

  On a breath of a long suffering sigh, Fitzwilliam entered into the establishment and without glancing in any particular direction or anybody in the large room he found himself, took himself straight to the stairs behind the largest table in the room. For a moment, he fancied that eyes followed him as he made his progress. On a second thought however, he supposed that every new entry into the tavern would surely generate a great number of stares; especially one such as himself who reflected the nuances of town in comparison to the undistinguished appearance of the country folks.

  In this assessment, Fitzwilliam was right.

  The country folks in the tavern momentarily halted their activities and took to staring at the gentleman in black coat, black pants and black hat. That his face was artfully hidden beneath the downward cover of his hat further added to his air of mystery and they wondered who he might be. When they came to the realization that he had no caring for them one way or the other, they turned to mind their own business, sufficiently ignoring him the way he did them.

  Fitzwilliam acknowledged to himself that he detested the countryside and its encumbrances- the people, the atmosphere, the establishments and landscape. Everything involved seemed to be very base in ignorance to him, a man who was used to the more sophisticated town life since childhood. For the life of him, he couldn't imagine what his friend Charles Bingley could have had on his addled mind when he leased Netherfield Park and swept them all- Fitzwilliam, Bingley's two sisters, his brother in law; the husband of the elder sister, and himself to this local place. Fitzwilliam found it a particular bother that he had to change his place of conducting his secret affairs to this lowly place that was Fitzgerald Tavern.

  Upon entering, he found that everything in the tavern's main parlour was exactly as described to him- his instructions were clear and Fitzwilliam was one to follow such most conscientiously.

  The stairs led up to rooms above the main room and Fitzwilliam did not deem to lay a guess about the activities that occurred in the rooms. He was very much familiar with such himself, having sowed some wild oats in his younger years but he had come to view such activities as despicable and those that engaged in them in the same manner. He raised his boot into the air to step upon the first stair. Again, he didn't find it surprising that the stairs were rickety and creaked beneath his weight. Setting his mouth in a grim line, he proceeded to take himself off to the first room on the right above the unstable stairs.

  He knocked exactly once and pushed the door open. It creaked most annoyingly too.

  The room was quite dark- thrown only in the light of a flickering candle set on a table in a corner, though Fitzwilliam thought it was hardly necessary, given that it was he who needed the privacy most. He could hear short but quiet breaths coming from the bed and he halted.

  I can hardly think of a reason for nerves, he thought for the short, rapid breaths could only be indicative of unease.

  Seeing no other furniture in the room, he took his seat on the bed, clearing his throat loudly to indicate his readiness for the affair.

  "You may come under the covers, my love."

  The female voice so startled him that Fitzwilliam promptly sprang up like a frightened horse and found himself on the floor of the room by his own doing.

  "What cunningness is this?" he enquired when he at last found his voice. "Where is Sir Fleming and who are you?"

  There was a perceptible scrambling about on the bed which alerted Fitzwilliam's suspicions’. Quickly, he took himself off to the table that held the candle and rushed with it to the bed.

  The silhouette of a woman appeared before his eyes as she sprang up from the bed. The candle in his hand showed her face to him as he was sure she could not see his, due to his low riding hat covering a good portion of his face. The first impression in Fitzwilliam's mind was that were he to meet this woman in any other place, he would take her for a well bred lady. Her face though not of such comeliness that would inspire great odes, was fetching enough to acquire a man's desire. By virtue of her presence in their present location, he could safely presume that she was no lady.

  "Who are you?" she asked as she stared down at him mos
t accusingly. "Did Gregor send you in his stead, the rake?"

  "I know nobody by that name," he answered derisively. "I am here to see someone else and just as surprised to see you here in the room where he ought to be!"

  "Are you a visitor here, then?" the woman asked him in mild curiosity but he could glean the relief in her voice, and he wondered at it. It was almost as though she feared discovery. Her voice sounded refined and genteel too and he wondered again, at her status.

  "Perhaps," he answered warily.

  "Then you must have come to the wrong room," she said in an air of urgency and proceeded to ask him which room he sought.

  "Pardon me but I am certain I have the right room," he told her most disdainfully. "The first room by above the stairs was what I heard and I believe this is the correct room."

  The woman dared to laugh at him. "This is not the first room on the right," she informed him in a demeaning voice. "If you but step out yourself, you would see that you are in the second room."

  Short of calling her a liar, Fitzwilliam saw no other course but to retrace his steps to the door. He was certain that he had entered into the first room he saw on the right. He opened the door and stepped out, the candle still in his hand. Indeed, he saw that there was another room before the one into which he had entered. The stairs were facing towards the hallway and he had not noticed that there were two rooms behind; one to the left and another to the right. He was slightly mortified to have presented himself into such situation as he had met his accidental companion and knew no means by which he could tender an apology enough. However, her intentions by being in such place were so obvious that he abstained from tendering any such apologies.

  He turned to take himself off in the direction of his rightful destination but her voice stopped him,

  "The candle if you please," said she.

  He turned again, thrust the candle into her outstretched hand at the door and marched on to the first room by the right above the stairs. Just as he reached the door, a gentleman in coat and hat came up the stairs and went straight to the room he had erroneously entered. The man knocked once and proceeded inside. Fitzwilliam shook his head at the debauchery of the man and woman and knocked on the door as he did the first time.

  In all likelihood, the man and woman involved in the act of immorality are married and as such, not wanting their affairs becoming public. Fitzwilliam found himself feeling a high sense of disgust for their shamelessness and unseemly behavior.

  The thought of the couple's illicit affair soon left his mind as he found that he had come upon the right room at last. The room was brightly lit and the man he sought was seated at a table facing the door. He proceeded to face the order of the matter he had come to the tavern to attend.

  If he, the much disgusted Fitzwilliam had waited but a moment outside the door, he would have observed another young lady go into the room after the man. As he did not, he did not observe this peculiar arrangement. He was so engrossed in his affair with his companion that he was also blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding in the next room.

  Chapter One

  Hertfordshire was full of bustle with the news of the arrival of the Bingley party. It was said that the man who leased Netherfield Park had taken off to town soon after he made his arrival but all in pursuit of a favourable cause for the genteel people of Hertfordshire. Perhaps, there were no happier people in Hertfordshire than the aspiring mothers of single ladies who were hopeful that the gentlemen in the party would not leave the countryside empty-handed. Mr. Bingley, as he was soon to be called by all, certainly was going to be a favourite of all- the news in circulation was that he had gone back to bring a veritable party of gentlemen and ladies to form his retinue with whom he was going to attend the assembly.

  The ladies; the aspiring mothers had no issues with as long as they do not compete with their daughters for the favours of the gentlemen. The only use to which they could be put would be as companions and perhaps, an excuse to call on the gentlemen. Well, in other consideration, since the ladies were from town, perhaps, they might be likely to bring with them the latest style of fashion with them. But all in all, they weren't really so important as to garner much interest. However, the gentlemen were another issue in their own entirety. It was said that the men would be eight in all; inclusive of Mr. Bingley himself.

  Mr. Bingley's first crime was to bring only two men along with himself to the neighbourhood- one was married to one of his sisters who formed part of the party and the other was unmarried. And therein again, laid his redemption- when the people heard through visitations and conjectures there that the other unmarried man in the company was worth a sum of ten thousand a year, the owner of his own estate and handsome to behold, they couldn't be more pleased. Why, those qualities were enough for the heart of any mother who loved their daughters, as many would lay claim to. Mr. Bingley himself was a delightful catch too with a sum of five thousand a year and so, the two gentlemen were expected to fulfill their fondest wishes.

  It was only to be hoped that their wishes would be realized regarding that Fitzwilliam was highly unwilling to conform to their expectations. He had no love for the country life and country people; and he knew that no amount of handsome girls in Netherfield could tempt him to make a proposal to one of the ladies. Even as they prepared for the assembly, Fitzwilliam wished he could persuade his friend to permit him to stay back in the house and perhaps amuse himself with a drink or two- being without company in the entire Netherfield Park had to be better than having to suffer the attendance of the people in this place. More so, he dearly hated to dance, especially with those he wasn't personally acquainted with.

  "No, you may not, my dear friend," Charles said to him as their chaise was brought forward.

  Fitzwilliam sighed. As usual, his friend knew precisely what was on his mind.

  Mr. Bingley, on his own part was in no way opposed to the opinions of the gentlemen and ladies of Hertfordshire. In fact, he saw no reason why his good friend could not find a suitable match for his continued single state in this fine countryside. It was his greatest hope that upon taking part in the revelry of the assembly, his friend may be acquainted with the fine ladies and take a preference to one. However, the foreboding look on his face suggested otherwise but Charles was quick to dispel with the suggestion of granting him the reprieve to stay back in the house.

  "A man can hope, can he not?" replied Fitzwilliam stoutly, "though I can see that you truly mean to put me through the rigors of this evening."

  "I see no reason why you would think the evening would be filled with rigor..." Only Charles held the opinion that the evening would be an absolute delight on their senses as evident in the opinions expressed by his sisters shortly. His sisters took that moment to emerge from the house and came upon the men with a great look of disturbance on their faces, effectively putting a stop to the reply he was about to utter to his friend.

  "Do tell me, dear brother of mine- how do you suppose we will fare in the company of the local people of this place?" the younger sister, Caroline Bingley exclaimed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. "I shall not be surprised if the music at the ball was unpleasant and the fashion of the ladies highly dreadful."

  "Of course, what do you expect in a place such as this?" Mrs. Hurst asked in a fatigued voice whilst latching onto the hand provided by her husband as if she couldn't stand the idea of the ball. "We only have to do this for our dear brother, so that he may fulfill the wishes of our dear dead father."

  Indeed, Sir Bingley senior always wanted to buy an estate of his own but was unable to fulfill this ardent desire of his before death came upon him. His only son thus took it upon himself to bring this reasoning to realization, hence, the reason for leasing Netherfield Park in the hope that the place might come to his liking and possession.

  Bingley looked upon his sisters both and made no answer. He knew his sisters well enough even though he loved them more than he understood them. They found gre
at pleasure in arguing a matter to tatters but he had no doubt that they would not give up the chance to show their fineries to the less fashionable people of Hertfordshire. For the sake of a good laugh at what he imagined would be the disappointed looks on their faces, he was tempted to announce that they no longer had to accompany him to the assembly. Only Fitzwilliam's poor nerves discouraged him from making such teasing announcement.

  By the time they were settled in the carriage, Bingley and Darcy in one with Miss Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst in another, the noise about the expectations for the assembly were over and Bingley could enjoy the ride while quietly inspecting the countryside to form an opinion about his ability to live there.

  "I mourn that I shall not make a single worthy acquaintance of any respectable lady there," said Caroline Bingley; again raising the topic of the ball.

  Fitzwilliam needed not to borrow a leaf from her brother's silent form to ignore the seemingly innocent remark. Indeed, the remark was directed at him by the direction of her affecting gaze. Since they had been acquainted by virtue of her brother, Fitzwilliam found it disturbing that Caroline Bingley attached herself to his person. On his own part, Fitzwilliam was not accepting of such attachment and engaged his best to discourage any sort of discourse that might be fancied to inspire her emotions in any way.

  "You must absolutely dance with me once the dance starts, Mr. Darcy," she told him unrelentingly, "I fear that I shall become the belle of the ball and many men would want to dance with me; I do not want to be saddled with their attention and as such, you must save me from them."

  "Oh, I am sure that you will do exceedingly well at the ball and that you will find a man to your liking to dance with," he replied.

  "But, you must dance with me," she said as if it would be counted as a sin should he fail to do so.

  "But of course," he agreed, "the evening would not be replete without me having done so."

  His sarcasm was heavily lost on the young Bingley who nodded her pleasure and proceeded to indulge upon her brother's need for silence.