At Last: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Anne Morris

  A well was reached via a terraced walk that was not without its treachery. Elizabeth worried, once she saw the bridge and the sloping walk down towards the spring, that her mother would have some difficulties, but they and a number of other fashionable people were heading to the Spa to partake of those health-giving waters. It was quite windy, and they held onto their shawls, bonnets, and each other as they worked their way towards their destination.

  They made it to the end of the terrace, and at the bottom of the hill reached the location of the famous spring. A wide expanse of steps led down to a paved area where a crowd of people gathered while strong-armed women worked to lean over, dunk in a pair of pails and pulled out the stick to which the pails were secured. Cups were dipped into the water and passed around. The water was foul tasting, metallic, and it left an odd after-taste on their tongues. Elizabeth laughed when Lydia made a face after her first sip.

  "This is awful," said her sister.

  "But it is good for your health," encouraged her mother, who had yet to taste it.

  "Why must it taste so bad if it is good for my health?" asked her youngest daughter. Her mother had no answer. The three Bennet women dutifully drained their cups of water, then milled around the small area looking at the other people making similar faces while they tried the water.

  "Miss Lydia!"

  Elizabeth turned her head to see Georgiana Darcy who was standing on the last step of the Spa stairs looking at Lydia and waving a hand at her. The lady's brother was on a step above, looking down at their group. Georgiana came forward with a bounce in her step.

  "Miss Darcy," answered Lydia, and the two curtsied to each other when they met up, then Georgiana took Lydia's arm.

  "How are you enjoying the Spa, dearest?" asked the tall, dark-haired young lady whose eyes twinkled as she knew exactly how awful the water tasted.

  "I like watching all the people, but the water…" Lydia wrinkled her nose, and the two girls laughed.

  "I know!" agreed Miss Darcy. Her brother came up to them then. Georgiana smiled at him, then turned the pair of them to stride away, leaving Mr. Darcy with Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet.

  "Good day, Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet," he called, and they answered in kind.

  "Are you not to try the waters as well, Mr. Darcy?" asked Elizabeth with a light dancing in her eyes.

  "I have tried it once before," he answered.

  "Just once and that has been enough for you?" Elizabeth asked. He said nothing, but she thought she detected a hint of a smile on his face.

  "You should drink it every day to improve your health," said Mrs. Bennet in an opinionated voice.

  "I will take your advice into consideration," he quipped. They stood there then in an awkward silence.

  The two young ladies were talking excitedly together where they stood apart while the others stood mutely. Elizabeth hearkened back to the Netherfield ball, and the last time she had seen Mr. Darcy.

  "Have you been in London all this time since leaving Hertfordshire?" she asked.

  "Yes," he answered. It seemed, as usual, that was all the answer she was to receive.

  "We should like to stroll along the terrace," said Miss Darcy. She had moved her arm from Lydia's elbow to around her waist. Elizabeth was surprised by the pair; Lydia looked pleased.

  "We are to go look in all the shop windows once we get up the hill!" declared Lydia.

  "Oh! That sounds like a perfectly marvelous idea," declared Mrs. Bennet. "You two look so sweet together. I hope you become fast friends."

  "It seems we are to walk on the promenade," said Mr. Darcy. They watched Georgiana and Lydia as they raced up the stairs then turned to head up the hill to the extensive Spa Terrace that led into the heart of Scarborough; the two were giggling.

  Mrs. Bennet smiled at the pair of girls then looked at Elizabeth who held out her arm, and her mother clutched at it. They made their way up the stairs without speaking, Mr. Darcy in their wake. They turned to look at the hill, the steepness before them, and Elizabeth could feel her mother tighten her grip. She wondered that their companion did not offer his own arm, but he came up beside them while they began to move in slow steps back up towards the city. Mr. Darcy inquired about Mr. Bennet and Simon. Elizabeth explained that her father had returned to Longbourn, but Simon was with the governess; he still had to maintain his daily lessons.

  Mrs. Bennet said she needed to catch her breath so they stopped, still with the two young ladies in view, though almost at the top of the hill now, but with Mrs. Bennet leaning heavily on her daughter's arm.

  "Mr. Darcy, are you here to take full advantage of the health benefits Scarborough has to offer?" asked Elizabeth while Mrs. Bennet caught her breath.

  "Georgiana was quite interested in coming to visit," he replied. "She has heard much about the city and its benefits from Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; they grew up here. It is a city known for its health-giving benefits, but I am not certain that this is the best time of the year to come, and certainly there are not many who would take to the sea on such a day as today." Elizabeth thought that had to be one of the longest speeches she had ever heard from him.

  "I suppose you are correct," she replied, "a ten or fifteen minute dip on such a day may mean it would take one hours to get warm again."

  "Quite true," he replied.

  Mrs. Bennet had been keeping an eye on her daughter and her new friend. "Mr. Darcy, I had not known that you had a sister. It is so sweet of you to have brought her on a trip to Scarborough. She and my youngest are so charmingly grouped." Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy both turned to see two wind-swept figures cresting the top of the hill and moving along the terrace towards town. "They appear to be very suited to each other."

  Elizabeth could tell by the look on his face that such an idea disturbed him. She knew how he felt about her family; she had seen that look on his face when they had last met at Netherfield when there had been those incidents with her family. She wondered at him tolerating their presence so far.

  "We should move on," he replied. "Are you able to continue?" He still did not offer Mrs. Bennet his arm, but the matron said she was able to continue, and they walked on until they reached the terrace.

  They heard a voice crying out, and looked about to see a small dog racing in their direction with a leash trailing behind, and again a voice cried out. The dog looked like it was going to run by on the right-hand side of their group, and Mr. Darcy stepped over to capture it, but it only forced the small creature in between Darcy and Elizabeth, and it was Elizabeth who, with a quick step, leaned down to grab at the dog's lead and secure it in time, stopping the dog short. The dog trotted back to then sit at her feet as if to admit the game was over; its fun was up, and to wait for her owner to come.

  Two ladies came up; one of them wore the happiest of smiles, the other looked a little embarrassed at her friend, the owner of the dog, but the embarrassed lady's face cleared when her eyes moved from Elizabeth with the dog, over to Mr. Darcy, and they lit up as she recognized him.

  "Mr. Darcy!" she exclaimed. His eyes had been entirely on Elizabeth with her arms around the dog, and in holding the lead, then to watching her return it to the owner. He looked up with a start at who this person was who was claiming an acquaintance.

  "Mrs. Peterson," he said as he recognized the lady before him.

  "I did not know you were in town, what brings you to Scarborough? May I present my friend, Mrs. King?" The owner of the dog smiled brightly and curtsied. Introductions were then made all around. The two youngest, who had been far ahead of their group, began to return to them, in light of the incident with the dog. "I am so pleased to see that you have decided to visit my town. It seems we only meet whenever we have occasion to come down to London; you have never been up," scolded Mrs. Peterson, "to my little part of the country."

  Mr. Darcy looked from Mrs. Peterson back at Elizabeth, and then briefly at Mrs. Bennet, and pursed his lips, contemplating something. He finally said, "Mrs. Peterson is Mr. B
ingley's sister."

  Elizabeth looked at the lady then and thought she saw some resemblance; her hair, though, was entirely covered with a bonnet. She understood that look from Mr. Darcy, that hesitancy, in stating the relationship given that Mr. Bingley and his sisters had all disappeared to London back in November so suddenly, and there had been no further word from Mr. Bingley about his residency in Hertfordshire.

  The two youngest of their party came back up to them, and introductions were made again. Mrs. Peterson seemed quite delighted to be introduced to Miss Darcy. No doubt, she had heard a lot about Miss Darcy from her sisters; no doubt, she knew all about Pemberley and had heard tales about visits by the Hursts, Miss Bingley, and her brother in summers' past when Georgiana had been in residence. But Mrs. Peterson had never been introduced to her before, so she was quite excited to meet this young lady that had been so frequently mentioned by her family.

  The Bennet family had also been briefly mentioned in letters, more so in letters from her brother Charles, than by her sisters. This Miss Bennet was obviously not the Miss Bennet that her sister, Caroline, had mentioned, the one who had turned their brother's head, and the one Caroline had objected to. However, Mrs. Peterson eyed her critically, not being able to perceive that she was any particular beauty beyond the current fashion for dark hair and eyes. The younger daughter seemed to display more of the outward characteristics of what Caroline had described as Charles' current 'distraction.' She was fair headed with bright eyes, tall and plump with round cheeks and had that vivacity of youth. Mrs. Peterson could not look at that youngest Bennet daughter and imagine what appeal any Bennet daughter had for her brother, but then, he had been such a spoiled boy that he always had to have a favorite toy.

  She was caught, as she stood there with her friend, Mrs. King, that she should very much like to have the acquaintance of Miss Darcy, but she did not know how to do that without inviting the Bennets, so she sighed, pursed her mouth, and issued, then and there, an invitation to come to supper and to play at cards whenever all of them could get together.

  Mrs. Bennet was ecstatic at the idea of finding some sort of society now that her nerves were settling down. Her one consolation in life was society and news, and there were not many people she knew in the town. But Mrs. Peterson promised a delightful evening of cards and a little bit of hot supper afterward. Everyone acquiesced.

  Mrs. Peterson did not depart immediately, but seizing Mr. Darcy's arm, walked back towards the center of town, presumably towards her own residence.

  "I am so pleased you have come, and I can host a little get-together for you, Mr. Darcy. My, 'Darcy,' that is such a fine name, must be Norman in origin, no doubt. But yours was ever a noble name. 'Bingley,' my maiden name, is a rather distinguished one, not as common as 'Peterson,' " she laughed like a young debutante though she was past thirty.

  She sounded a little embarrassed about her married name, but continued. "Bingley is a fine old Yorkshire name, there have been generations of Bingleys in Yorkshire, you know. It is good when you have a distinguished name, and not a common one, not like a Taylor or a Cooper or a King. Mrs. Bennet do you know your family history? Bennet is a commonly heard name."

  Mrs. Bennet seemed surprised by the request and the topic—and even the potential insult—and had an odd look on her face as though she did not quite follow the conversation. Elizabeth stepped in.

  "There have been Bennets at Longbourn, our family estate, for many generations," replied Elizabeth. "And I believe the first 'Bennet' in England was known to appear in the thirteenth century, though we do not know that we are related to him, of course."

  "How interesting," said Mrs. Peterson, who did not sound sincere at all, and changed the subject. The two groups parted ways soon after, with professions of pleasure at the prospect of the upcoming supper party.

  11

  —

  Mrs. Peterson's Party

  Darcy waited for his sister to finish dressing. Mrs. Peterson had promised that there would be a number of gentlemen present at her little evening of games, a fact which had excited his sister, but disturbed him. Georgiana was behaving like any young debutante-aged girl, rather more concerned with her appearance than anything else. He had wished to not be faced with such things with Georgiana, who was not quite out yet, but was so dreadfully eager. He could understand fathers and uncles who married their sixteen and seventeen year old charges off simply to be rid of them with their flights of fancy, this focus on fashion and self, rather than on higher matters. Darcy had hoped she might have more time with Mrs. Younge to continue a little schoolwork, but all of his sister's current pursuits were ones of pleasure and not ones which expanded her mind.

  He considered the perverseness at having come so far away from London, yet having run into Elizabeth Bennet and her family, though a smaller version of that family—seemingly the more vulgar family members—and of his sister's fondness for the company of Lydia Bennet. And now they were to socialize even more with the Bennets, having received this invitation from Mrs. Peterson.

  Darcy recalled Mrs. Peterson's comment the previous morning about common surnames. She obviously felt in marrying and changing her name from Bingley to Peterson that she had come down in the world, so used her friend with the even more common last name of 'King,' to demean that friend as a means of distinguishing herself. He thought again about Mary King in Meryton.

  He had done a little more searching in his final days in Hertfordshire, and had not been able to uncover any evidence that there was a Mr. King, her father, nor had he been able to find anyone who knew about or had met Mrs. Harper's sister before Harper had produced his niece 'Miss King'—she of the common last name (but not so-common as Smith). No one in Meryton had known about Mr. Harper's wife having a sister when Mrs. Harper had died. Sometimes family members become estranged, that is true, and never speak to each other. But if they never spoke, usually people still grumble and complain about the circumstances of the disagreement with friends, even if they no longer speak with the family member they are fighting with. It is often a source of pride to have such a continual topic of discussion—a family feud—to speak of with one's neighbors.

  Darcy had been convinced more than ever that Mary King was Mr. Harper's natural daughter. He had also noticed that Colonel Forster admired Mary King, (probably her pretty dowry as well as her pretty face), so Darcy had taken him aside and outlined his suspicions about the young lady. For some men, it might be a background they might tolerate, but for others, it might be a concern. The colonel had then taken himself away for a couple of weeks, renewed an acquaintance to a lady he had known before the militia had moved to Hertfordshire and proposed marriage to her.

  "Where is your mind?" cried Georgiana. She stood before the fireplace in their sitting room at the hotel. Apparently she was ready to proceed to the Petersons' house.

  "I was considering some former acquaintance," he replied. "Are you ready?"

  "I am in anticipation as to this being the best evening ever," Georgiana replied.

  • • •

  Elizabeth's mother had been quite excited, and had great anticipation for the evening. Given that she had few expectations for Elizabeth's prospects, and was not yet considering Lydia of a marriageable age, this evening was entirely for Mrs. Bennet's own pleasure. She was not, for once, in matchmaking mode. All of that changed when they arrived to meet a Mr. Wolton-Fane who appeared to be in his late twenties, and Elizabeth could see her mother's eyes light up as she considered him as a possible suitor for Elizabeth.

  He was a pleasant gentleman, of average height, and with superior manners which recommended him to both Elizabeth and her mother. Elizabeth thought of the charming Mr. Wickham back home, whose story of the injustices wrought upon him by Mr. Darcy had become widely known now that Mr. Darcy had gone away. It was not too long before Mrs. Bennet pulled Elizabeth aside and whispered in her ear, "Mr. Wolton-Fane is a very handsome young man and is working in politics with Mr. Peterson so he
must be important—you must do your best tonight, Lizzy! Do not be a cold fish."

  It was not often that Mrs. Bennet took the time to consider Elizabeth's prospects. Elizabeth did not know what to think when two more gentlemen were introduced, which made her consider how the evening was to play out. One was Reverend Tiploft; there was no way of telling whether or not he was married, but if he was attending a social function without a wife on his arm, it indicated he was not. He seemed older than the other gentlemen, plain of face, and soft-spoken. But Mrs. Bennet was perturbed to find out that Mr. Spencer, that proprietor of the Spencer Establishment for Boys, had been invited as well. Mrs. Peterson mentioned that her sons went to his school and that she was pleased with his tutelage of her three little boys, and that she thought very highly of the man.

  "He is the son of Mr. Spencer, who owned land in York; his brother inherited the estate, but his father helped establish the school," Mrs. Peterson then leaned and whispered into their ears, "and besides, his brother's wife has yet to produce a child. He would inherit all the property then!"

  Mr. Spencer's worth grew in Mrs. Bennet's eyes. To round off the matron's utter delight with the evening, there had been the introduction of two officers which enchanted the two young ladies. Mrs. Bennet paid not much attention to Mrs. King's daughter, Miss Church, who had been the product of her first marriage. Mrs. King also had a number of sons who were at Mr. Spencer's school, and she too spoke highly of the establishment and of its schoolmaster. She also spoke of her happiness that Mr. King had given her sons while her first husband, Mr. Church, had only given her daughters that she had the bother of having to marry off. Her younger one, Blanche, she had managed to marry off years ago, but Phoebe Church still remained with her and seemed intent on being with her forever.

  Elizabeth watched how the officers seemed to gravitate towards her sister and Miss Darcy as the young girls' naturally open and engaging manners—bordering on the flirtatious—seemed to please them. Miss Church came to sit with her as the only other single lady, and Elizabeth realized there seemed to be a natural pairing in that respect, and they spoke on trivial and polite things as they waited for the card tables to be set up.