by Kristi Rose
Marry Me, Matchmaker
The Meryton Brides
Kristi Rose
Copyright © 2018 by Kristi Rose
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
Vintage Housewife Books/KAC Publishing
PO BOX 842
Ridgefield, Wa 98642
www.kristirose.net
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Book Layout © 2019 Vellum
Cover Design © 2019 Paper and Sage Designs
Marry me, Matchmaker: The Meryton Brides/Kristi Rose
Formerly Titled: Meryton Matchmakers: Darcy Ardently Loves Elizabeth. A Modern Variation of Pride and Prejudice./ Kristi Rose.
Contents
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
Epilogue
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Chapter One
Wednesday
They were doomed. Well, not them personally, but Meryton Matchmakers was. At least it felt like they were doomed.
The company’s decline had been subtle, but hope still existed. Until last February, when at Emma Woodhouse’s Valentine’s Party, Joanna Bennet proclaimed Elizabeth’s sole motivation for owning a matchmaker company was to find a life mate. When Mrs. Bennet later posted those same remarks in her national rag, hammering home how Elizabeth put her own desires over her clients, Meryton Matchmakers took a steep dive.
To William Darcy and his ilk, Joanna Bennet’s claim painted Elizabeth as an unethical fortune hunter. Why else would she attend their exclusive get-togethers?
“It seems we’ve been here before.” Disgusted, Elizabeth tossed the company’s financial report onto the table.
Everyone was quiet. Bill Collins, her sister Jane, and Anne de Bourgh. Their haggard expressions mirrored how she felt, exhausted and disheartened.
“As I see it, we have two options. I can take this offer from”—she glanced at one of the pages—“Dating NoDrama. They’ll buy our client list and they’ve outlined a smooth transition from our company to theirs. They’ve even offered us positions in their satellite office.” Elizabeth swept her hands to indicate the space they were in would become the satellite office.
“So, we’d go along like everything was the same, except it wouldn’t be,” Anne said.
“We wouldn’t be in charge,” Bill said. As a man of the cloth, it surprised Elizabeth how reticent Bill was to relinquish control.
“I feel as if I have let you all down,” Elizabeth said. She’d failed to protect her partners, and the guilt kept her up at night.
“What’s the other option?” Jane asked.
Elizabeth hated that her sister was here when in three days she and Charles Bingley would be getting married. Jane should be at home. No doubt she had last-minute details to sort out if she wanted her day to go off without a hitch.
Elizabeth blew out a heavy sigh. “Dating NoDrama offered to buy Meryton outright. With their offer, and if I sell my house, I can pay everyone back their investment. There won’t be any profit, but at least no one will have taken a loss.”
“Except you and Jane,” Bill said.
Elizabeth nodded. She would also lose her home and life savings. “We started this company. We can come up with another one. We’re good partners.”
Jane smiled at her.
But would Jane want to start something new? Maybe she wanted to be married and have copious amounts of babies. Maybe their entrepreneurial dreams had only been Elizabeth’s. That Jane hadn’t said what her after-wedding plans were added to Elizabeth’s anxiety.
“Well.” Bill slapped his hands on his knees then came to a stand. “I, for one, like none of the options.” He put up a hand to stave off Elizabeth’s rebuttal. “As this company’s spiritual advisor, I’d like to propose we set all this aside until after the wedding. No decision has to be made today. The offer from the dating drama people expires in a month. Let’s take the time before we make a decision. We might be blessed with divine intervention.”
“It’s Dating NoDrama,” Elizabeth said.
Bill lowered his voice and said, “Stupid name.”
“I agree,” Anne said, also coming to her feet. “About the name and the decision to wait. We didn’t even discuss ways to make it work for us. I believe in this company. I believe in the goodness in all our hearts, and I’d like to see us overcome this obstacle.”
Elizabeth loved their loyalty, their friendship. She would miss this. When she and Jane started Meryton, they’d had three goals. To prove love existed, to give people a safe way to fall in love, and to be successful. They’d been deliberate in defining success. Their father, a farmer, had experienced a brief success but decided to sustain it would be too stressful. So, he let it all go. Their mother scratched and clawed at people’s lives for her success. If that could be called a success. Undeniably, the Bennet parents were not the models Elizabeth aspired to emulate in love or professional life.
Elizabeth said to Anne, “This is more than an obstacle. It’s an insurmountable wall. My mother has discredited me. I don’t even know where to go from here. I suppose I could step down? Regardless, our membership rates are dangerously low. My reputation and ethics are in question. And, truthfully, right now? I’m not sure I can be a champion to love anymore.”
Kitty, the youngest Bennet sister, came into the office, carrying papers. “Speaking of championing love,” she said.
“I wasn’t. We were talking about insurmountable walls,” Elizabeth said.
“Even better,” Kitty said and handed everyone a sheet. “Our mother strikes again.”
The printout was Joanna Bennet’s latest article.
I KNOW THE SECRET TO LOVE, AND YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT WHEN I TELL YOU.
By Joanna Bennet, Exposed, Staff Writer
Often, I write about couples coming together, whether for one night, a few weeks, or for as long as the ink is drying on their marriage license. Over the years, I’ve written about hundreds of people, and recently I had my assistant go through all the weddings I wrote about and calculate how many were still married. Know what I found? Only ten percent were.
Grab popcorn and a cushion for your chair, Dear Reader, because I will tell you a secret. It’s a secret that has spanned eons before Cane and Abel. This goes right to the top. Are you ready? Once I tell you, I can’t take it back. This will change your life. Some will thank me. Others will hate me.
Ready? Here goes. Adam and Eve were not in love. They had to be together because there were no other options. The Royals have a business arrangement. As does anyone in Hollywood. What I’m telling you, reader friend, is that people find a companion they can tolerate for the long haul. Love isn’t a white knight and rose petals on yo
ur bed. That’s the movies. Love is defined by assets and liked-minded intentions.
Why do I tell you this now? Because my oldest daughter gets married this weekend. When the illusions of love fade, she’ll realize she’s scored. If the marriage lasts or if it doesn’t, my child is taken care of.
I also tell you this because my second oldest daughter peddles love like it’s a hot commodity found in personality tests and trust-based activities. She sells love like the snake oil salesman of yesteryear.
And what about those ten percent of marriages that have lasted? Look closer, and you’ll see two people sharing a residence and a common ideation to further their brand or business. Staying together is more about money than love and adoration.
Pick smartly, dear reader, and life will be your oyster. Pick unwisely, and find yourself disillusioned and lonely.
“Wow,” Jane said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “She’s so angry. Why does she take it out on us?”
This was the million-dollar question. Was it because Elizabeth and Jane believed in love and happily ever after? Was their mother so broken-hearted that she begrudged anyone their happiness.
Kitty sat next to Elizabeth and said, “She rarely goes back to the farm. Dad says he never sees her.”
“I’m so sorry, Jane. What she said was ugly and toxic,” Elizabeth said.
“Too bad I can’t uninvite her,” Jane said and stood. “Excuse me. I have to call Charlie.” She left the room.
Elizabeth harrumphed. “At first I believed the demise of this company would be due to Catherine de Bourgh wanting her investment back. Or the changes William Darcy insisted we make on your mother’s behalf,” she said to Anne. “I even accept that I contributed to our problem, but I never expected our most divisive enemy to be my mother.”
Chapter Two
Saturday
Jane made a stunning bride. Wearing a white silk gown with a full skirt, dropped waist, high boat neck, and sleeveless bodice, Jane radiated queenly poise and remarkable beauty. A large bow, tied at her front circled her waist. Miniature lavender and blush flowers were embroidered along the bow’s trim.
Love colored Jane’s cheeks pink, her posture tall and proud, and her smile warmer and more inviting. Charlie, too, was totally and utterly besotted.
The ceremony was held in Meryton’s oldest church. The wedding was simple and elegant and done in shades of lavender and blush. The effect was stunning, considering the whole affair kicked off a few hours before sunset. As the sun dipped lower, the sky blessed Charlie and Jane’s union by complimenting the wedding with streaks of purple and pinks.
All of Jane’s sisters stood up with her. Dressed in either a light purple or light pink dress. Elizabeth’s was lavender, a strapless chiffon number with a cascading skirt. They all wore their hair down in loopy curls that spilled over their shoulders.
After the ceremony, the crowd was ushered out the side of the church to Meryton’s town park where the outdoor reception was being held. Two large tents flanked a central gathering area with tables and a dance floor. Behind the dance floor was a stage that held a twelve-piece band. The tent on the left housed the gifts and cake. The tent on the right was the buffet and cocktails. White lights were strung from the park’s trees and created an inviting ambiance of twinkling light.
Needing a moment to reset, Elizabeth escaped from the drink tent and found privacy behind a tree near the stage. Here she was able to take in the crowd.
Jane was married. Her life would now require different choices. Her perspective would be skewed by her new life experiences. Elizabeth didn’t begrudge her sister that. Yet, somehow Elizabeth felt more alone now than ever. Life was moving forward for everyone but her. Hence the hiding. Never would Elizabeth want Jane to know her feelings, so she needed a moment to gather her wits and school her expression.
Elizabeth blew out a breath, forcing her shoulders to relax. Having her mother present wasn’t helping Elizabeth’s state of mind either. She hadn’t expected any interruptions at the ceremony, but during the reception, anything was possible.
Across the way near the gift tent, Joanna Bennet was likely telling the small group of her extended family how lucky Jane was to have married financial security. Their father stood opposite her near the food and drink tent and was engaged in a quiet conversation with old family friends.
Elizabeth saw Jane’s marriage differently than what their mother had written. Jane was lucky to have found the one. Admittedly, Joanna Bennet’s article about love being more a business deal had struck a nerve with Elizabeth. As a matchmaker, she’d seen people settle with an amiable companion as a life partner rather than holdout for the perfect mate.
Maybe soul mate was a fantasy idea created by romantics. Maybe non-believers of the one knew something she didn’t.
Though one look at Jane and Charlie, and she knew that not to be true. They were perfect for each other, their personalities and demeanors in direct accord. Jane and Charlie had fallen for each other the first moment they’d set eyes on one another. Love at first sight. Such a cliché. Oh, but how wonderful that moment must feel. Being bowled over and not expecting it.
The only person to ever bowl Elizabeth over was William Darcy, and not in a good, breathtaking, insta-love way either. More in an annoying, he-knew-what-was-best-for-her way.
Elizabeth looked around the tree and scanned the crowd until she found Darcy. He stood by a table next to Charlie, Jane, and Caroline. He cut a mean cloth in his black tux. His dark hair was cut close. The slight scruff of his beard didn’t make him look unkempt, but cunning. Today, during the vows, his blue eyes had been soft and warm. Gone was the expected hard and penetrating stare.
His broad shoulders and long legs only added to the essence of power he carried with him. Funny how her impression of him now was the polar opposite of the one she’d formed when they first met. He’d come off arrogant, condescending, and infuriating. She imagined this was the business world’s perception of him, too. Did he provoke others as much as he did her? In the beginning, William Darcy had brought out the worst in her. Now? Her feelings were a jumbled mess.
And to think he’d once proposed to her. Elizabeth smiled at the memory that felt almost like a dream, as if it never had happened. Perhaps sensing someone was watching him, Darcy turned in her direction and locked eyes with her. He arched a brow. She supposed it did look unusual to be standing alone by a tree.
Elizabeth responded with a half-smile, then ducked behind the tree again, relieved that the twilight cloaked the blush staining her cheeks.
Time to abandon her quiet for the imminent hours of mindless conversation. Elizabeth made her way to the buffet tent, circumventing Darcy. When she reached the buffet line, she glanced over her shoulder toward him. He was still watching her. She moved up in the line and took a plate, not focusing on the food at all.
William Darcy was not as she’d initially believed, but in a good way. An amazingly kind way. Proof enough was that he was here, sharing space with their mother, who verbally assaulted him on a regular basis in her posts and gossip scoops.
Elizabeth groaned.
“What’s the matter?” Lydia asked from behind her. She took a plate. “You’ve been staring at the caviar for a while now. Get it or don’t. It’s that simple.”
Lydia and her husband, George Wickham, had flown in for the wedding. They were due to fly out in a few days, a short visit since Wickham was expected back on the movie set in Australia where they lived. Marriage suited Lydia.
“Nothing is that simple,” Elizabeth said.
“Sure, it is. Don’t overthink it.” Lydia pushed her down the line then scooped caviar onto her dish.
“There are consequences with every action,” Elizabeth countered.
Lydia shrugged. “Yes, many of them good. Some amazing.”
“Some awful.”
Lydia gave a sad chuckle that she accentuated with the shake of her head. “If that’s how you see everything, then you’ll have
nothing, because fear will always stand in front of you, blocking the way.”
Elizabeth startled. “That’s insightful.”
“Yeah, I’m totes smart.”
Elizabeth bit her tongue.
“Take George and myself. No one thought we’d make a go of it and succeed. No one believed anything good about him, frankly.”
This was true. Wickham had led the life of the quintessential bad boy, cutting a swath through the Hollywood crowd that left those in the path with abrasions or deep wounds.
“But I took one look at him, and I knew if we came together, magic would happen.” Lydia dumped a small scoop of caviar on Elizabeth’s plate.
“Better not let mother hear you say that. She doesn’t believe in love or that it’s something we should have.” Elizabeth hated how angry she sounded.
“Mother is heartbroken. But that’s her own fault. She expected Daddy to be something he isn’t. What she can’t accept is that she fell for him despite the fact he didn’t match any of her self-imposed criteria. She’s making them both miserable.”
Elizabeth glanced across the room to where her father sat talking with Mary and her husband Henry. There was a sadness surrounding her father, his shoulders slumped, his smile never reaching his eyes.
Lydia elbowed her. “Look at Mother.”
On the opposite side of the room, their mother stood. The tips of her hair were dyed a robin’s egg blue that matched her dress and offset the silver of her hair. She was lovely, but angry.
Lydia continued. “She keeps scowling at Daddy.”
