Desperate Hearts: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Anna Kate Suton

  “… I endeavoured to convince my wife that I – we – as good Christians owed it to my brother to take in his orphaned children. But she would not hear of it. Finally I threatened her that I would leave her if she refused to take at least one of the children. After much arguing, eventually she gave in, and we adopted one of our nieces into the family, but our marriage was never the same after that.”

  Bridget’s eyes were wide with shock and her mouth gaped open. “That must have been dreadful for all of you. And this is why I have never met my aunt?” After a moment’s reflection, Bridget suddenly drew in her breath, sat up straight, and whispered “Uncle Nate, are you telling me that my sister lives in your family?”

  Mr. Bennet beamed a smile at her. “Yes, that is precisely what I am telling you. You know, you are very much like your sister – both of you are quick and clever. I believe you will get along quite well together. She is here in town with me and very much looking forward to meeting you.”

  Bridget jumped up from her seat and looked out the window into the street. “Do you mean that I am to meet my sister after all these years? Where is she? What is her name and what does she look like?” Bridget could barely contain her eagerness.

  “She is here in town, Bridget, but not with me at the moment. Her name is Elizabeth, and she looks just like you.” Here he grinned at her. “Because, you see, the two of you are identical twins. Yes, that is right – twins. I am hopeful that we will all dine together tonight so you can get to know her. Along with her soon-to-be betrothed … a Mr. Darcy.” Mr. Bennet watched Bridget’s reaction closely as he said this.

  “Elizabeth? From Hertfordshire? And Mr. Darcy is her fiancé?” Bridget blanched and collapsed down next to Gino, who put a comforting arm around her. “My love, what have we done?” Bridget’s face crumpled as she looked at her husband, who was sure she would start to cry at any moment.

  “Indeed, Bridget, what have you done?” Mr. Bennet enquired, with one eyebrow raised.

  “Oh Uncle, I must tell you no matter what you think of me afterwards. Gino and I are stage players, you know, and we were doing a performance at a private house in Surrey where we met a lady who told us she was organizing a theatre production for someone in society. She and another lady, a peeress in Kent, hired us to play the parts of a diplomat and his … his … mistress. The ladies told me I was practically a duplicate of the young lady I was to impersonate, and that was why they chose us. They told us her name was Eliza and that her family was from Hertfordshire, but they never mentioned her family’s name. Had they told us her family name I would most certainly have written to you. We never would have accepted the job.” Bridget began to sob in earnest, so Gino took over the story.

  “These ladies told us – and here you must excuse me, sir, I am merely reporting what was told to us – that Miss Eliza was an inconsequential adventuress who had set her sights on capturing the wealthy Mr. Darcy, and that she had an equally fortune-hunting sister who was similarly pursuing the first lady’s wealthy brother, a Mr. Bingley. And that they wanted to separate the gentlemen from these two sisters. They thought that if Mr. Darcy discovered that his beloved was actually a fallen woman involved with another man that he would give up his suit. The second lady who engaged us was a Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who claimed that Mr. Darcy is engaged to her own daughter … Lady Anne, I believe is her name. And she begged us to help her separate the upstart from Mr. Darcy for her daughter’s sake. The daughter was so sickly-looking and meek that we felt sorry for her and agreed to help.”

  “For ample remuneration, I imagine?” Mr. Bennet shook his head, his mouth drawn in a straight line.

  “Yes, I admit that the promised payment was very enticing” Gino managed to look Mr. Bennet in the eyes. “As you can see, we are far from wealthy. And we want to travel to Italy in the spring so I can introduce Bridget to my family. They have never met her.” He looked down at Bridget fondly, and kissed the top of her head. “Although I suspect we will never collect that payment now,” he said sadly.

  “Uncle,” Bridget pleaded with him through her tears “please believe me that we asked numerous times whether the nature of this theatrical piece was benign. We asked them again and again if anyone would be hurt by our actions, and they convinced us that people would be hurt if we did not play the roles. They made it sound like we were rescuing the gentlemen from a desperate situation. Tell us, Uncle” here she began to sob into her hands so that Mr. Bennet had to strain to hear her, “Did our actions truly hurt my sister and Mr. Darcy?”

  “Mr. Darcy, as I understand, was quite affected,” Mr. Bennet answered. “He is very much in love with Lizzy and was convinced that he had lost her affections. From what I have been given to understand, this caused him to sink into a deep melancholy. Clearly, you are very talented thespians. Elizabeth, fortunately, was at Longbourn during the whole episode so she knew nothing about it until yesterday, when Mr. Darcy’s cousin came to see us. He was quite concerned for Darcy and was trying to clear up the question of whether they were seeing Elizabeth or someone else with Mr. Moretti. That is why it became necessary to tell both you and Elizabeth of your familial relationship.”

  Gino observed that Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine no doubt failed to disclose Eliza’s family name by design. “They had probably already considered that we could easily contact her family and confess the plans, thus thwarting them at any time. Or perhaps even blackmail the two of them to prevent our disclosing the information. Hmmm …” Gino winked at Mr. Bennet “perhaps we still can blackmail them. It would serve them right.”

  “I suspect it would, Gino” Mr. Bennet replied. “But doing so would of course put you quite at odds with the law. No, my boy” he shook his head, albeit while trying to suppress a smile. “I imagine that Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and Colonel Fitzwilliam will be able to devise other methods by which the individuals responsible can be repaid, so to speak.”

  “We would certainly do whatever we could to assist,” Bridget assured him.

  “Well,” Mr. Bennet began to rise from his seat, “we can discuss all of this later. There are several people awaiting us at Mr. Darcy’s townhouse. Once we collect them we will away to Gracechurch Street where Elizabeth and my eldest daughter Jane are in turn awaiting all of us at their uncle and aunt’s house. So let us start our journey so you can finally meet your sister. She is most anxious to meet you – as are several other people, as you might imagine.”

  Bridget and Gino exchanged nervous looks. “Oh Uncle,” Bridget all but cried. “Are they all very angry with us? How will they respond when they meet us? With anger and criticism? Not that I would blame them …”

  A sardonic smile crossed Mr. Bennet’s face. “While there may be a bit of anger at first, if Lizzy’s reaction was any indication, I suspect that they will all eventually see the humour in the situation. And that they will be so pleased to meet you – to see the two sisters together at last – that they will welcome you into their lives and all will turn out well. I believe that you can count on it.”

  Bridget and Gino left the coffee things on the table, gathered up their hats, gloves, and coats, and followed Mr. Bennet out to the waiting carriage. After handing his niece up into her seat, Mr. Bennet climbed aboard followed by Gino. “Let us return to Mr. Darcy’s townhouse,” Mr. Bennet called up to the driver, and in a moment they were off.

  Thirty-two: Darcy’s London house a short time later

  “Sit down, old man!” The Colonel called to his cousin. “Your pacing around the room is making me quite dizzy. They will be here, you can be sure.

  Darcy stopped his pacing for a moment and glared at Fitzwilliam. “If you are in fact dizzy, cousin, more likely you can attribute it to the seven glasses of brandy you have been guzzling.”

  Fitzwilliam’s hand flew to his heart. “You cut me to the quick, Darcy!”

  Darcy continued to glare at his cousin. “You are offended because I dare to confront you with the quantity of my brandy that you have c
onsumed this afternoon?”

  “No, not at all” the Colonel replied. “Seven glasses is nothing. I simply take umbrage at your suggestion that I would be so uncouth as to guzzle fine French brandy.”

  Darcy rolled his eyes and shook his head, but there was also an amused smile on his face. “You are hopeless, Fitzwilliam,” he said as he resumed his pacing.

  Some moments later the sound of voices in the hallway reached the sitting room followed by Doran’s knock on the door. “Come,” Darcy called out. When the door opened, Mr. Bennet entered, ushering in Gino Moretti and … and Elizabeth? Or was this the “other” Elizabeth? He could not tell from across the room. Darcy held his breath.

  “Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Bennet began. “I would like to introduce my niece Mrs. Bridget Moretti and her husband Mr. Gino Moretti. Bridget, Gino, this is Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire, Mr. Bingley of Netherfield in Hertfordshire, and I believe you are already acquainted with Mr. Darcy’s cousins, Miss Anne de Bourgh of Rosings in Kent, and Colonel Lionel Fitzwilliam of his Majesty’s armed forces.” The gentlemen bowed to the Morettis as their names were mentioned. Anne nodded in the direction of the newcomers to the room.

  The three gentlemen who knew Elizabeth but had never made the acquaintance of her twin sister stared at Bridget in astonishment. Darcy tried to be angry with Bridget for her part in the deception, and began to splutter out a harsh rebuke, but found it impossible to hold a grudge against this woman with the face and mien of his beloved. Anyway he understood that the true culprits to the crime were elsewhere, and that they would receive their comeuppance from other sources.

  “Gentlemen, kindly remember yourselves and stop gaping at my niece!” Mr. Bennet laughed. “Yes, she is Lizzy’s twin sister. And if we can get organized enough to journey to Gracechurch Street where Lizzy and Jane are waiting for us, you can join me in being amongst the first people to see the twins together in nearly twenty years!”

  “I have arranged a second carriage to convey the four of us,” Darcy indicated his cousins and Mr. Bingley. “If you three will again travel in Bingley’s carriage, we shall meet you at the Gardiners’ house directly.”

  “Then let us be off,” Mr. Bennet said, ushering his niece and her husband back out the way they had so recently arrived.

  As everyone filed out of the room, Darcy grabbed a bottle of champagne that he had asked his butler earlier to bring up from the wine cellar. The Colonel happened to see him and raised a questioning eyebrow, to which Darcy replied. “I believe we shall all have a great deal to celebrate when we reach the Gardiners’ house. How better to celebrate than with a bottle of fine French champagne, even if it is a bit seditious in these times?” The Colonel laughed and nodded his head.

  Thirty-three: On to Gracechurch Street

  The entire party boarded their respective carriages and began to make their way from Mayfair to Cheapside. Finally they stopped in front of a pleasant-looking townhouse, where they all disembarked and began to climb the front steps. Elizabeth and Jane had been watching for the party’s arrival, so even before Mr. Bennet, at the front of the group, followed directly by the Morettis, reached the door it was already open. After handing their outdoor garments to the waiting maid and footman, the Gardiners’ butler entered the drawing room and announced “Mr. Bennet and his party have arrived.”

  Elizabeth and Jane had risen to their feet to greet their father and his guests. When Bridget walked into the room, Elizabeth gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. It was like looking in a mirror! No wonder Mr. Darcy had been fooled! Elizabeth and Bridget stared at each other for a moment. Then Elizabeth walked towards Bridget, took her hands into her own, and said simply “Sister!” with a huge smile on her face. Bridget also smiled radiantly, and in but a moment the long-separated sisters were embracing, tears of joy rolling down their cheeks.

  “Yes, Elizabeth. This is your sister Bridget,” Mr. Bennet said to her.

  By this time Jane had approached the twins, and Elizabeth stepped back only far enough to include Jane in the embrace. “This is our sister Jane, and this is our sister Bridget,” Elizabeth introduced them. Jane could not prevent her own happy tears at the sight of this reunion.

  “Now girls,” Mr. Bennet, his own eyes starting to moisten, approached them with mock severity. “You will have plenty of time to get to know each other. Meanwhile we must introduce the rest of our guests to your uncle and aunt. And I believe there are a couple of gentlemen here who are anxious for reunions of their own with their lady-loves.” With a big grin on his face, Mr. Bennet introduced the members of his party to the Gardiners.

  Their aunt and uncle happily embraced both twins. “How many years we have wished to meet our other niece,” Mrs. Gardiner gave Bridget a warm hug, then turned to Lizzy. “How your uncle and I longed to tell you the truth, especially when you would cry to me about some beastly thing your mother had done to you. But of course it was not our secret to tell. Both your uncle and I pledged our word to be silent.” Tears began to well up in her eyes, and Lizzy assured her she understood.

  Once everyone had been introduced and the sisters could be separated from each other, Mr. Bingley approached Jane, took her hand, and kissed it. Mr. Darcy performed likewise with Elizabeth – his relief at seeing her here, and pleased to see him, expressing itself in a very happy smile – his first real display of happiness in over a week. He was loath to release Elizabeth’s hand, and indeed still held it as he walked over to Mr. Gardiner to give him the bottle of Champagne.

  “Something for us to celebrate with,” Darcy told him. Mr. Gardiner, looking at the label on the bottle, showed his appreciation for the fine vintage by shaking Darcy’s hand. He then rang for his butler to provide glasses and commenced to open the bottle. When the tray of glasses arrived, Mr. Gardiner himself poured the champagne into the glasses, although he allowed for his butler to pass the tray amongst his guests.

  Mr. Bennet was determined to offer the first toast. “First of all, let us drink to my beautiful Lizzy and my beautiful Bridget, and to their finally having found each other again.” Everybody took a sip from their glass. “And now let us drink to my beautiful Jane and her soon-to-be husband Charles Bingley.” Jane and Bingley blushed as they looked at each other lovingly, and everybody sipped again. “And finally let us raise our glasses to Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was most instrumental in bringing our family back together.” The Colonel beamed.

  At this point, Darcy interrupted him. “I would like to propose a toast of my own, to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, whom I thought I had lost, and to ask her before this entire company if she will forgive me for doubting her, and consent to be my wife.” He looked at Elizabeth with such adoration in his eyes that she nearly melted. “Well?” he prompted when she did not respond immediately.

  “Yes and yes” she said simply, returning his adoring look. “Nothing would make me happier than to become your wife.” Then her playfulness arose, and she added “Except, of course, to have my twin sister become part of our lives.”

  At this, everybody, including Darcy, raised their glasses and cheered “Hear hear!”

  Once the toasting was over, everybody took seats in the drawing room and the story of the twins, the subterfuge that was intended to separate Darcy from Elizabeth, and the means of unravelling the mystery and reconciling the family and the lovers, was retold by the various participants.

  After the party had finished celebrating, Darcy announced that he had arranged a dinner for all of them at his townhouse. So back to Mayfair they all went, with the addition of another carriage to accommodate the Gardiners and the Bennet sisters. Following a sumptuous dinner, and after the gentlemen had enjoyed their port and their cigars, they all retired to the music room where Elizabeth and Bridget entertained the assemblage on the piano-forte. Everyone was delighted to observe that both sisters were equally talented on the instrument and possessed equally beautiful soprano voices.

  When the party finally broke up, Darcy walked with Elizabeth to the
front door and took her hands in his. “Elizabeth, when I thought I had lost you, it broke my heart. Let us never be apart again. May I call on you tomorrow?”

  “We are leaving for Longbourn shortly after noon tomorrow,” she told him. “If you wish to call tomorrow morning I will be very happy to see you.”

  “Then I shall be there first thing in the morning, and I shall accompany Bingley to Netherfield the following day, where I hope I may call on you frequently at Longbourn and we can arrange the details of our wedding.” This statement he accompanied with a happy smile that showed off his dimples, and Elizabeth considered once again that he was surely the handsomest man in all of England. And he was all hers!

  Elizabeth and Bridget promised to write to each other frequently, and to see each other whenever Elizabeth was in town. Gino and Bridget then took their leave, thanking everyone once again for their kindnesses to them.

  Epilogue

  The following day, after accompanying Darcy to Gracechurch Street to call on Jane while Darcy called on Elizabeth, Bingley went to see his solicitor to have a legal document drawn up. When he and Darcy left for Hertfordshire the next day, he carried the document in his coat pocket.