A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by J Dawn King

  Mrs. Gardiner decided that the most effective means of diffusing the situation was to remove Fanny Bennet and her daughter to the upstairs. Even though Mrs. Bennet insisted that Jane stay downstairs with the gentlemen, once it was pointed out that she should refresh herself to be in her best appearance, Mrs. Bennet gave in and the two women followed Mrs. Gardiner to the guest rooms, which her staff was hurrying to prepare.

  “No harm?” Mr. Bennet sputtered. “What have they done with Elizabeth, I ask. Where is she now? They would not allow me to speak with her in private while she was at Netherfield Park, but I shall set this matter straight right now!”

  “Mr. Bennet, I will not stand in the entryway of my host’s home and argue with you.” Darcy stated clearly. “My purpose now is to find Miss Elizabeth, assure her safety, and ask her to be my wife. Anything else you accuse me of is a fantasy of your own making.”

  “YOU!!!” Mr. Bennet shook his finger at Darcy. “You will never marry my daughter. I would sooner have her dead than be tied to you as a wife!”

  Those words were shocking and affected the men like a blow. Even Viscount Stanley, who, like his cousin Darcy, rarely showed emotion, was angered to the point that he wanted to skewer Mr. Bennet with his brother’s sword. Mr. Bingley grabbed the Viscount’s arm to stop him from acting on his desires.

  “Gentlemen, please desist!” Mr. Gardiner stepped into the fray. “The most important thing is to find Elizabeth.” He turned to Darcy. “Mr. Darcy, as soon as I receive any news, I will send you notice.”

  Mr. Darcy, the Fitzwilliams, and Mr. Bingley took their leave from Mr. Gardiner and asked that they thank Mrs. Gardiner for her hospitality. Bowing to Mr. Gardiner and ignoring the other two men, they left; Mr. Bingley to his townhouse, Colonel Fitzwilliam to the barracks, Viscount Stanley to Matlock House, and Darcy to his attorney to hire investigators, acquire a special license for marriage, and hopefully have a marriage settlement prepared.

  North of London, County Middlesex

  Lady Catherine, her daughter, Anne, and Mrs. Jenkinson, Anne’s companion, had been on the road to London for several hours. Behind their carriage followed Mr. Bingley’s carriage containing his two sisters and Mr. Hurst. Lord and Lady Matlock, with Georgiana, had departed Netherfield Park about two hours prior to the others, so had already reached their Grosvenor Square residence. Lady Catherine had wanted to get an early start, but the staff had been too busy helping the others. Feeling like an afterthought was a new sensation for the great Lady Catherine and she would never forget the arrogance of Miss Bingley in directing the servants so.

  It was imperative that she get to her London attorney before Darcy had a chance to find Miss Elizabeth. Lady Catherine’s maid had whispered the goings on of the afternoon before, when Miss Elizabeth was found missing, and the Lady was pleased to have that upstart out of the way. What was the world coming to when these chits like Miss Bingley and Miss Elizabeth Bennet did not know their place! It was shocking!

  The carriages slowly entered the outlying areas of the city, which was reflected in the noises and sounds. Only a short amount of time and Anne would be Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mistress of Pemberley. At the thought, Lady Catherine rubbed her hands together and smiled; pleased with the outworking of events.

  Mr. Haggerston’s Office, Broad Street, London

  “Mr. Darcy, how may we be of service?” The clerk at the front desk in Mr. Haggerston’s office knew that Darcy was a valued, long-time client, so showed the gentleman the respect that he deserved. That respect was not just for the position in society that Mr. Darcy held, it was for the conduct and intellect of the man himself.

  “I need to speak with Mr. Haggerston on a matter of great importance.” Darcy replied.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Darcy, but Mr. Haggerston is meeting with another client at this time.” The clerk took up a quill pen and a clean sheet of writing paper. “I shall write him a note to see if he can spare time away from the business he is currently transacting.” The clerk did so and slipped down the hallway. It did not seem like he was gone long before he returned and directed Mr. Darcy into a large meeting room.

  Inside was a round table with seating for a dozen. Darcy was too impatient to take a seat. Instead he paced around the table, round and round, his agitation evident in his gait. It was not long before Mr. Haggerston entered the room.

  “How may I help you, Mr. Darcy?” Mr. Haggerston was in his mid-fifties with a shock of white hair over a ruddy face. He rarely extended pleasantries, getting straight to business. Darcy had deep respect for this man’s abilities with legal matters.

  “Mr. Haggerston, I come here seeking your advice on a legal matter. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, my late mother’s sister, recently showed me a letter to her from my father stating his agreement that my cousin, Anne de Bourgh, daughter of Lady Catherine, and I marry. It is merely a letter, not a formal legal document, which my father mailed to her just after I reached one and twenty. My aunt is on her way to town today to consult with her solicitor in an effort to force my hand. My question to you is, how binding is a letter of intent from a father with regards to the marriage prospects of the son?”

  “Mr. Darcy, it just so happens that I, too, have information from your father concerning this very matter. If you would but excuse me for a moment, I will retrieve the letter your father asked me to give you should you ever come to my office for advice or help with arranging matters of wedlock. Please, excuse me.” Mr. Haggerston rose from the chair he had been seated in and started to leave.

  “Mr. Haggerston, before you go, this is not the only matter which brings me to you.” This stopped the attorney before he reached the door. “I also request an application for special license and that a marriage settlement is prepared with as much speed as possible.”

  “Truly, Mr. Darcy, if it is Miss Anne de Bourgh, then your concerns over your father’s intentions is not such a matter of urgency. Correct?”

  “It is not my cousin whom I wish to marry.”

  “And, may I inquire as to your intended?” The attorney asked, puzzled at the young man before him. Never had Mr. Darcy approached him with such uncertainty. While he kept his eyes on his client, he pondered the type of woman to have caused these emotions in the usually stoic man.

  “Yes, her name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, originally from Longbourn in Hertfordshire, but for the past five years she has resided with her aunt and uncle here in London.”

  “Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” Mr. Haggerston was shocked and surprised; pleasantly so. Shaking his head quickly, as if he were clearing cobwebs, he told Darcy that he would be right back with the letter from his father and forms for marriage. He left the room and headed to his office. When he entered, his client was reading the documents he had left for her perusal. “Oh what a tangled web!” he muttered to himself.

  He returned the documents to Mr. Darcy, leaving him alone to consider the letter from his father in private, confident that the information contained in the missive would be difficult for the son to read.

  Darcy wasted no time opening the letter. He sat down and broke the seal. It was not lengthy.

  November 11, 1805

  Pemberley

  Dear Son,

  If you are reading this letter, then two things have happened; I am no longer among the living and you are finally persuaded to marry Anne, combining the two estates and making Darcys one of the most powerful families in all of England. I am proud of you for seeing to your duty, son.

  I hope that, as Master of Pemberley, you have continued to look after your brother, George. The disadvantages of George being my natural child are through no fault of his. He should not be penalized for the circumstances of his birth. He is, after all, my firstborn. I expect you to prosper and provide well for George, even if the terms of my marriage agreement with your mother, would not allow me to do so. Let this be a lesson, son, to take care in arranging for the marriage settlement. Do not promise something in your agreement that you regret in the future.


  With Anne as your wife, I am sure that you will provide a proper example of a contented marriage for Georgiana. Do not be hasty in making an engagement for her. She is a Darcy, the granddaughter of an Earl and the descendant of one of the oldest families in England. If she could but bring a title to the family name, it would provide the only thing lacking in our provenance.

  My greatest wish, son, is that you turn out to be as good a man as your older brother.

  Your Father,

  George Darcy

  Darcy longed to throw the letter across the room. Instead, he calmly placed it on the table, smoothing out the wrinkles where it had been folded for the past six years. “Be as good a man as my older brother.” That was like a slap to his face. And from his own father! Darcy was angry and wanted to throw something or hit someone. Calm yourself, Darcy! Darcy held his breath and slowly let it out through his nose, turning his mind to think of something pleasant. Elizabeth.

  His mother would have loved her. He regretted that they could never know one another. Like his mother, Elizabeth loved the outdoors, adventure, travel, reading, and discussing a multitude of topics. Both women were kind and generous. Elizabeth had been just as gentle as his own mother when she had nursed him. Georgiana truly cares for Elizabeth. Yes, his mother would have loved her.

  As Darcy pondered over a future with Elizabeth, he set aside the letter and started reading the sample marriage settlement agreement.

  Down the hallway, in Mr. Haggerston’s office, the lawyer asked his client if she had any questions.

  “Yes, sir, just one.” Mr. Haggerston had explained to Miss Elizabeth Bennet how the stocks for the Honorable East India Company came to be in her possession. He explained that the clerk had mailed it to Longbourn in error. It was to go to her Uncle Gardiner. They had also thoroughly discussed the issue of guardianship. To say that she was surprised at the findings was an understatement. “What are my options, Mr. Haggerston?”

  “Miss Bennet,” he wondered how much information he should share. He had been impressed with her quick grasp of the legal ramifications of her situation. “I currently have a young man down the hall who is deeply concerned with these very same issues. Oh, not the issue of the stocks, as he has an abundance of wealth and is not looking to add to his own coffers. He has the same question about guardianship, yours in fact.”

  “Mine?” Elizabeth was puzzled. “However could that be?”

  “He is a gentleman whose father made plans for him to marry a woman that is unacceptable to him. Does his father still have authority over him even though he is now almost eight and twenty?”

  “I am sorry that this young man is having such difficulty, but I fail to understand how his quest for information should include my guardianship issue.”

  “Miss Bennet, I will be straightforward. The man in question is Fitzwilliam Darcy, of whom I believe you are well acquainted. His interest in the answer is the same as yours. Do you have the right to marry……. each other.”

  “Each other?” Elizabeth wondered at the coincidence; both being in the same office at the same time for the same reason.

  “If I might beg of you, Miss Bennet, to come down the hallway with me, please? I believe that your time, Mr. Darcy’s time, and certainly my time would be better spent with some open discussion between the two of you.” He stood from his chair and assisted her to rise. “Please follow me.” She did.

  Darcy looked up from his reading when he heard the door open. Expecting Mr. Haggerston, he was unprepared to see the woman he had just been thinking of. He jumped up and bowed as she curtsied before him. “Elizabeth,” he said in a whisper. His heart was filled with joy and a broad smile stretched across his face. “I have been so worried about you. How did you come to find yourself here?” By then, he had reached her and took both of her hands in his. Neither of them noticed when Mr. Haggerston backed out of the office, leaving them alone.

  “Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth began. She looked up into his face. He was a handsome man, but his smile made him more so. She had no idea that her own face mirrored his own.

  “Please,” he released one hand and led her to the table with the other. “Please, be seated. I believe that we have much to discuss.”

  “Yes, I believe we do.” She could not help but notice the papers scattered across the table as she sat down. “I would like to begin by asking you a question, sir.”

  “Please do.”

  “Mr. Darcy, if you would remember back to the last time we were in each other’s company at Netherfield Park, please? You stated in front of your family and mine that you would marry me. Did I hear you correctly, sir?”

  Without hesitation he replied, “You did.” The smile was still on his face.

  “Why? Why would you want to marry me? Was it because of the stock certificates?” She had already decided in her heart that this was not his motive; yet, she needed to hear him speak the words.

  “The stock certificates are of no concern to me.” That was it. No embellishments. No explanations.

  “Then, why, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth had hoped in her heart that he loved her. It was the reason she came to London rather than going to Dover. She had to know the truth and whether there was any basis for a future with this man. “Why do you want to marry me?”

  Darcy knew that she would not have pressed the issue unless she cared. He loved her more than he thought possible. “Because….. I love you, Elizabeth. I want you to be my wife. I want us to grow old together, to have children together, to care for and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. There is no other woman I would rather have as Mistress of Pemberley. I only want you in my home, my life, and my bed. Is that reason enough for you, Elizabeth?” Darcy looked longingly at the blush creeping across her cheeks. Her eyes were radiant and sparkled with the joy of life that appealed to his deepest emotions.

  “Then, I will marry you.” He stood and, taking her hand, brought her to her feet. “For, I love you as well, Mr. Darcy.”

  “William.”

  “Yes, William,” she then repeated, “I love you as well.”

  He lowered his head and gently touched his mouth to hers. It was the sweetest of kisses. As they pulled apart, they heard Mr. Haggerston’s soft tap on the door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Mr. Haggerston’s Office, Broad Street, London

  “Enter,” Mr. Darcy called, stepping back as he did so, face flushed, as was Elizabeth’s.

  Mr. Haggerston cleared his throat as he came into the room and closed the door behind him. “Ah-hem, pardon my interruption.” The attorney had been happily married for over thirty years and well knew what he had interrupted. “If we could all, please, be seated?”

  Darcy helped Elizabeth to her seat, treating her like the finest, most delicate piece of glass. As he seated himself next to her, he gazed at those sparkling eyes that were filled with mirth and joy and knew that he would move heaven and earth for Elizabeth to be his wife.

  “Mr. Darcy, Miss Bennet, are you settled on marrying then?” He knew the answer before it was spoken aloud. When both the young people answered to the affirmative, he pushed the application for special license in front of Darcy and handed him a pen.The document was signed and witnessed. Mr. Haggerston got up from the table, opened the door, and handed the application to a clerk who had been waiting by for that purpose. Re-entering the room, the attorney again sat across from the couple.

  “The clerk has been instructed to wait for the Archbishop to sign the application and a marriage license to be prepared. It will be ready for use early tomorrow morning, if that will meet with your satisfaction? I foresee no obstacles as you are a resident of London, Mr. Darcy. However, I will need permission from Mr. Gardiner, as your guardian, Miss Bennet, before the deed can take place. In my absence, while you were settling this matter, I sent a messenger to Mr. Gardiner’s home requesting his presence and expect him shortly.”

  Both Darcy and Elizabeth were pleased to have Mr. Gardiner invol
ved with the arrangements.

  Mr. Haggerston continued, “Because you are both people of wealth and property, the marriage settlement will not be completed by the time you marry. It should be available for signatures shortly after. I am assuming that the wedding will take place quickly?”

  Darcy looked to Elizabeth, who took his hand in hers, squeezing gently. “As soon as we may, Mr. Haggerston.” That was as the attorney had expected.

  While they waited for Elizabeth’s uncle to arrive, the three discussed inconsequential matters, knowing that when Mr. Gardiner was in their presence, important decisions would be made.

  Gracechurch Street, London

  “Oh, Edward,” Mrs. Bennet gushed to her brother, Edward Gardiner, pulling on his arm to get his immediate attention. “We shall need to quickly leave for the shops and warehouses. Surely, you know where the most exalted ladies of the ton purchase the finest fabrics, buttons, and lace. Jane and I need to go to the furriers for a new lined cape, to the shoemakers for satin dance slippers and new boots, and to the best French seamstress in London. She will need new gloves, morning dresses, evening gowns, day dresses, traveling clothes…. Oh, my brother, there is so much to purchase and it must be done right away. Mr. Bingley, or some other fashionable gentleman, will fall in love with my beautiful Jane when they first see her in her new silks.”