by Jann Rowland
Colonel Fitzwilliam paused and considered the matter. “It is difficult to say. Deserting is a serious offense whether the culprit is of the militia or the regulars. Flogging is almost a certainty, I should say, though I cannot predict what will happen after. A prison term is a possibility, but I suspect that will be superseded, considering how much debt he has accumulated over the years. It is also possible he would be transferred to the front lines in Spain, forced to fight for his country.”
“I should think the fighting men would not wish a man such as Wickham to be at their sides.”
“That has always been a problem,” acknowledged Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Though I have been in the cavalry my entire career, I know of some other instances where men were brought unwillingly to active duty for some misdemeanor or another. It often results in the man dying on the front lines, though they never seem to realize their best chance for survival is to obey orders and fight with dignity.”
“That would be a poor end of my father’s patronage,” said Mr. Darcy.
“It is not your fault, Darcy,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam, scowling at his cousin. “I have no intention of allowing you to blame yourself for Wickham’s choices in life.”
“That is not it at all,” replied Mr. Darcy. “Of course, Wickham’s choices are his own and the reason for his present difficulties. But my father enjoyed his company, and Wickham’s father was a truly good man. It would grieve them both to know what he has become.”
“Then let him explain it to them,” was Colonel Fitzwilliam’s short reply. “As for you, Cousin, you need to stop accepting the responsibility for his actions.”
“Do not worry, Mr. Bennet,” said Mr. Darcy, turning to Elizabeth’s father. “Should circumstances require me to take action against Wickham, I will not shirk my responsibility.” The man directed a brief glance at Elizabeth, showing her a slight smile. “Though I doubt I will have any desire to leave Hertfordshire in the near future, I shall do it regardless.”
Feeling warm all over, Elizabeth returned Mr. Darcy’s smile, a more powerful regard than she had ever felt for this man welling up within her breast. It was not certain she would accept his proposal when he offered it—for she was now certain he would offer for her again. But the possibility of accepting had never felt so real as it did now, so much that Elizabeth was almost shocked at her own feelings.
A strangled noise from her sister drew Elizabeth’s attention, and she noted Lydia’s wide eyes as she stared between them. Then Lydia spoke for the first time.
“Mr. Darcy and Lizzy? Impossible!”
“Why do you believe it to be impossible, Miss Lydia?” asked Mr. Darcy, his amusement evident for all to see. “Do you think your sister so deficient as to be unable to attract any man?”
Elizabeth shot him a scowl while Colonel Fitzwilliam and her father could hardly hold their mirth. Lydia did not find it so amusing, for she glowered at the gentleman.
“But she was not handsome enough to tempt you. And Lizzy detests the sight of you!”
Consternation flooded through Elizabeth, though her sister’s words only made the two gentleman laugh harder. Mr. Darcy directed a kind look at Lydia and said:
“Is one not allowed to change their opinions?”
“Lizzy does not!” snapped Lydia.
“I beg you, Lydia—be silent!” Elizabeth tugged at her sister’s arm, but Lydia pulled away and continued to regard Mr. Darcy, a faint hint of challenge in her eyes.
“The truth of the matter is I behaved poorly and should never have uttered those words,” said Mr. Darcy. “It has long been my opinion that your sister is one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance, and should she accept me, I am eager to make her my wife.”
Lydia stared, unable to understand. Then she turned to Elizabeth.
“But Lizzy, you do not even like Mr. Darcy.”
“That is in the past, Lydia,” said Elizabeth. “If you recall, much of my poor opinion was based on Mr. Wickham’s lies, which I foolishly believed. When I learned the truth, much of my resentment disappeared. I began to see what sort of man Mr. Darcy is.”
“So, you mean to marry him,” said Lydia, a hint of disbelief still coloring her voice.
“That is yet premature,” said Elizabeth. “We are not even courting. But should he further prove himself, then the chances are great I will accept.”
“There is one more matter you should consider, Miss Lydia,” said Mr. Darcy. “If I should succeed in my suit, your sister will become a member of the circles I inhabit. Then she will be in a position to sponsor her sisters in that society. If you think assemblies in Meryton, or even the ball my friend Bingley hosted are fine, they are nothing compared to what one will find in London.”
It was only an instant before Elizabeth could see the thoughts turning around in Lydia’s head. Her father and Colonel Fitzwilliam were shaking with laughter while Mr. Darcy sat and looked at the two sisters with insufferable smugness.
“I believe you might have made a mistake, Darcy,” wheezed Mr. Bennet from amidst his laughter. “If my youngest daughter sees the inside of a London ballroom, you may never be rid of her!”
“On the contrary, Mr. Bennet,” said Mr. Darcy, as Lydia shot a dark look at her father, “it seems I might require all the assistance I can get to convince your second daughter. I had best marshal my forces at once.”
“Then you need only inform her mother,” said Mr. Bennet, once again sputtering with laughter.
“Both would be better.”
“Do not concern yourself, Mr. Darcy,” said Lydia. “If my sister refuses to see reason, I will ensure she does.”
Elizabeth supposed she should have been put out by all this talk and teasing, but the sentiments being expressed were rather apt. With Mr. Bingley returned, she had thought she might accept Mr. Darcy’s attentions without her mother becoming aware of them and attempting her own brand of assistance.
But one look at the gentleman and the tenderness with which he regarded her again filled Elizabeth with warmth. If Mr. Darcy could withstand a little of the ridiculous, then he was a worthy suitor, indeed.
Society was like a punishment for those who did not enjoy it, a truth Mr. Bennet acknowledged while attempting to ignore his discomfort. While an assembly in Meryton was not an event to anticipate, it was better than certain other activities he could imagine. The smiles on the faces of his daughters—or most of them, at least—told him it was worthwhile, even if he did not enjoy it. At present, it was enough to ensure his attendance.
Across the floor, engaged in the first dance of the evening, were his eldest, Jane and Elizabeth, their beaux—now their fiancés—leading them through the steps, their happiness evident for all to see. Both girls would marry early in the New Year, leaving the home of their youth for those of their husbands. Jane was serene as ever, but Lizzy equaled her in happiness, now that she had allowed herself to see the true worth of her fiancé. It was hard, but Bennet well knew that a man raised his daughters only to give them away to another man.
But while Bennet had often thought his two eldest settling into their own homes would leave him in a house with a dearth of sensible conversation, these past few months had proven that to be incorrect. On the side of the dance floor, Mary stood with Kitty, both girls watching the proceedings, Kitty with eagerness, while her elder sister was, as her wont, somewhat ambivalent about the proceedings. Mary, it turned out, was intelligent, so much so that Bennet wondered he had never seen it.
Upon returning home from Brighton with his youngest in tow, Bennet had set about making a few changes to his home—nothing too difficult for them all to bear, but small changes which had set them on a better path. Regarding Mary, Bennet had thought of taking her copy of Fordyce’s sermons and burning it, but had decided it would be cruel. Instead, he encouraged her to read other material, spoke with her about what she read and discussed their differing opinions. The result had astonished him. Mary’s insights were often profound, sometimes more so
than Elizabeth’s, and while Mary would never possess her sister’s wit and sense of the absurd, she was more than an acceptable substitute. Mary had blossomed these past months, such that Bennet hoped she would make a good match as her sisters had done.
As for Kitty, well the challenge was more difficult in her case. Not that Kitty was unintelligent, but she had been led for so long by others, it was difficult for her to speak her mind, to voice an opinion or step forward and choose her own path. Lately she had discovered a hint of musical talent which had remained undiscovered, but uncovering her other interests was still a work in progress. But her behavior was much improved, for that had been one of the first things to which Bennet had attended. This was the first night Bennet had allowed her in company since her sister’s adventure, and she was taking his warnings of being returned to the nursery seriously.
That left his final daughter. If he had attempted her reformation before her adventure with Mr. Wickham, Bennet was uncertain success would have been possible. But while she was still loud at times, rude at others, and displayed a tendency to revert to her former behavior, a reminder about her experiences with Mr. Wickham and the ruin it might have brought served to rein her in. She would always be lively, likely possessed of more boldness than prudence, but Bennet now had some hope she would become an acceptable young lady. She was at home tonight with the companion, Mrs. North—a woman who lived up to the chill her name implied when she was not happy, which Lydia had learned on more than one occasion.
A sound of twittering voices caught his attention, and Bennet looked to another part of the room, noting his wife standing with Lady Lucas and certain other neighborhood hens, indulging in gossip, no doubt. The most surprising part of the effects of his changes was the alterations it had made in his wife. She remained flighty, invariably silly, and he had no hope of conversing with her of any subjects which interested him, but her nerves had all but disappeared—though perhaps was because of the engagements of her eldest daughters to men of consequence. It was a surprise to Bennet that he actually found her company tolerable for more than a few minutes on a daily basis, and that boded well for the future, when all their daughters left their home, leaving them alone.
Perhaps it would be best to invite the Collinses to live with them. Bennet chuckled at the thought. His wife might be more tolerable, but reforming the character of William Collins was more than he could ever hope to accomplish, though he supposed it would be preferable for the silly man to understand how an estate was maintained before he inherited it. Otherwise, he might run it into the ground within the first six months! Then again, Charlotte Collins was a sensible woman and would keep him from making too many horrible mistakes.
Regardless, that was a matter for another time. In the end, he doubted he would bother with bringing the Collinses into his home, for it would no doubt provoke the return of his wife’s nerves. It was not as if his family would benefit from Mr. Collins’s education, and Bennet was inclined to allow Mrs. Collins to manage her husband’s future.
The way Bennet thought, he would be forced to mingle amongst society for at least the next five years. By that time, he thought he could see all his daughters disposed of in marriage. As he was not about to leave their chaperonage and education to their mother—not after Lydia’s near disaster—there was nothing else to be done. He could endure it for as long as it took to ensure the last of his daughters was secure. Then, his work complete, he could return to his library and his beloved books, leaving his wife to visit and gossip with her friends, and perhaps even disposing of her for a month here and there if she traveled to visit her daughters. Perhaps Bennet might even do the same, when his daughters least expected him, of course. Whatever happened, the peace and quiet which had eluded him all these years would then be his. Bennet could hardly wait.
The End
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For Readers Who Liked Mr. Bennet Takes Charge
A Gift for Elizabeth
Sundered from her parents and sisters, a depressed Elizabeth Bennet lives with the Gardiners in London. When times seem most desperate, she makes a new acquaintance in Mr. Darcy, and the encounter changes her perspective entirely. With the spirit of Christmas burning within her, Elizabeth begins to recover from the hardships which have beset her life. Join Elizabeth in her journey to receive a special gift which will change everything.
A Tale of Two Courtships
Two sisters, both in danger of losing their hearts. One experiences a courtship which ends quickly in an engagement, the other must struggle against the machinations of others. And one who will do anything to ensure her beloved sister achieves her heart’s desire.
Out of Obscurity
Amid the miraculous events of a lost soul returning home, dark forces conspire against a young woman, for her loss was not an accident. A man is moved to action by a boon long denied, determined to avoid being cheated by Miss Elizabeth Bennet again.
Murder at Netherfield
After the ball at Netherfield, a fault in their carriage results in the Bennet family being forced to stay at the Bingley estate, and when a blizzard blows in overnight, the Bennets find themselves stranded there. When a body is found, leading to a string of murders which threaten the lives of those present, Elizabeth and Darcy form an alliance to discover the identity of the murderer and save those they care about most. But the depraved actions of a killer, striking from the shadows, threatens their newly found admiration for each other.
What Comes Between Cousins
A rivalry springs up between Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, each determined to win the fair Elizabeth Bennet. As the situation between cousins deteriorates, clarity begins to come for Elizabeth, and she sees Mr. Darcy as the man who will fill all her desires in a husband. But the rivalry between cousins is not the only trouble brewing for Elizabeth.
Whispers of the Heart
A different Bingley party arrives in Hertfordshire leading to a new suitor emerging for the worthiest of the Bennet sisters. As her sister has obtained her happiness, Elizabeth Bennet finds herself thrown into society far above any she might have otherwise expected, which leads her to a new understanding of the enigmatic Mr. Darcy.
For more details, visit
http://www.onegoodsonnet.com/genres/pride-and-prejudice-variations
About the Author
Jann Rowland is a Canadian, born and bred. Other than a two-year span in which he lived in Japan, he has been a resident of the Great White North his entire life, though he professes to still hate the winters.
Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.
When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.
Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.
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