Elizabeth's Broken Promise Read online

  Elizabeth’s Broken Promise

  A Pride and Prejudice Variation

  Maria Fitzgerald

  Copyright © 2019 by Maria Fitzgerald

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter One

  Elizabeth Bennet smiled as she settled herself in the comfortable chair in the corner of her room. The letter from Jane had just been delivered. Her aunt and uncle had set off on their walk as planned, leaving her to enjoy the news from Longbourn.

  She had planned to savour the note, but soon found herself skimming greedily through Jane’s account of the various parties and engagements that had taken place since Elizabeth and her relations left to travel north.

  Elizabeth frowned as she came to the second part of the letter and saw it was dated days after the first. That in itself was not remarkable, given Jane’s relaxed nature. It was the urgent tone of it that made Lizzy’s heart race.

  Since writing the above, dearest Lizzy, something astonishing has occurred. I am sure you recall Lydia’s indignation when our father told her she could not travel to Brighton even if she was accompanied by an entire army of chaperones? Well, I must admit to having been surprised at the time, what with father’s general desire to be rid of our two younger sisters. I wondered at his resolve on the matter, but any misunderstanding on my part was cleared up for good this very afternoon.

  Elizabeth frowned, forcing herself not to scan ahead. Jane’s agitation was clear, and it worried her. She read on, feeling a lurching sense of something unpleasant and unexpected about to assail her.

  Oh, my dear Lizzy, it is shocking! Lydia received a letter from Mrs. Forster, for they have kept in touch ever since that lady left with the regiment. Previous missives have only served to heighten her ill-temper but this was a different matter entirely! Oh, you ought to have seen the transformation in her. It has been a long time since I saw her so worked up.

  You see, Mrs. Forster’s letter contained news of Mr. Wickham. Oh, Lizzy, my hand shakes as I write this to you. Do you recall my counsel to keep secret what Mr. Darcy had told you? I am so very glad you chose to do otherwise!

  Elizabeth gasped. She had agonised over the matter and had gone to her father in the strictest confidence. She had made him swear not to repeat the story to another soul, knowing the possible implications for Miss Darcy if word got out. She squeezed her eyes closed and read on, needing to know the great scandal that had so worked up her elder sister.

  Mr. Wickham has gone off with Miss Long! Heaven knows why—it is not like she has a great fortune or other circumstances to recommend her. But it is true. You recall Miss Long accompanied the colonel’s wife to Brighton when our father refused to allow Lydia to accompany her. Well, there you have it. You may well have saved our younger sister from a terrible fate, though I do of course have every sympathy for Mrs. Long. Lord knows, she only permitted her niece to travel to Brighton in the belief that Mrs. Forster would maintain a close watch on the girl. My dear, prudent, wonderful Lizzy. What a small price Lydia’s recent boredom and ill-temper was if it meant she was saved from such a future, for we both know her temperament and inclination towards folly.

  Elizabeth put down the sheets of notepaper and sighed. She felt nowhere near as triumphant as Jane’s praise suggested she should. Of course she was relieved for Lydia. Indeed, that relief ought to have justified her guilt at having broken Mr. Darcy’s confidence. But it did not. A sense of disquiet settled over her. She had spent the past few days in Mr. Darcy’s company and had begun to realise that her initial assessment of him was completely unjustified. Worse, his sister was a darling girl—so sweet and graceful and utterly without guile.

  She skimmed over her sister’s words again, telling herself she was being too pessimistic. After all, was it not possible that Jane had deduced her involvement without Mr. Bennet having revealed the truth to anyone? Elizabeth had, after all, confided in her elder sister when she first learnt the truth. Even if it were not so, she thought it possible that their father may have decided to share the truth with Jane whilst keeping it a secret from their mother and their other sisters. At least, Elizabeth hoped so.

  She stood and smoothed down her dress. It would not do to keep her aunt and uncle waiting any longer, especially after the kindness they had shown her on their journey to Derbyshire. Nor did she wish to be detained away from them for longer than was necessary—she enjoyed their company immensely.

  “You must not dwell on it,” she muttered to herself under her breath. “You took the appropriate action and papa is well aware of the need for discretion. He would not reveal such a scandalous tale to Lydia or mama.”

  Feeling better already, she moved towards the door, resolving to write to Jane in the afternoon and remind her of the need for discretion. She had barely reached the middle of the room when the door was opened by a servant and Mr. Darcy appeared.

  Panic rose up within her and the colour must have blanched from her face because he started in reaction to her appearance. Elizabeth turned to check that the incriminating letter from Longbourn had been stowed safely away from sight.

  “Good God! What is the matter?” he cried.

  She flushed, becoming conscious of how shocked her face must have looked. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Darcy. It is nothing. I have just received a letter from my sister and was preoccupied with the matter of catching up to my aunt and uncle, who have already commenced their walk.”

  He appeared relieved by this, but she gained no satisfaction from seeing that. She told herself that she must admit the truth and without delay.

  She found she could not. He looked at her with such gentleness and feeling that she could not bring herself to admit that she had betrayed his trust.

  “Aha,” he said, his eyes moving between her face and a spot on the wall behind her. “I had come to assure myself of your intention to join us at Pemberley later today. Let us hurry to find your aunt and uncle in that case. My steward assures me that the weather today shall be infinitely better than yesterday. Your uncle was disappointed with his catch yesterday and I cannot help but think he shall have better luck today.”

  “But Mr. Darcy…”

  He shook his head, seemingly set on his course. “No, I shall not hear a word of it. It is the least I can do when you would not accept my invitation to be my guests at Pemberley. Of course I must see to it that your party sees all of the many attraction this locale offers.”

  She smiled weakly. What sense was there in ruining her aunt and uncle’s enjoyment of Derbyshire? She would wait another day—she owed the Gardiners that much. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy. That is most kind of you.”

  Chapter Two

  “Blasted rain,” Darcy muttered, glancing out the window. “I had hoped you might get a chance to fish the east side of the lake today. My man assured me it would be fine for the rest of the day.”

  Mr. Gardiner shook his head. “Not at all, Mr. Darcy. I had a fine time yesterday. You must not worry on my account.”

  “It is a shame, indeed,” Miss Bingley simpered, glancing at Elizabeth’s uncle with disdain. “I don’t suppose there are many opportunities for fishing in Cheapside.”

  If Miss Bingley had been cold on previous occasions, she was positively frosty now. It was clear that she was rather unhappy about Elizabeth’s continued presence near Pemberley.

  “And when do you depart, Eliza? Heavens, it must be rather uncomfortable at that inn—or is it to your liking?”

  Elizabeth smiled. “It is perfectly adequate for us.”

  Darcy turned from the window. “I do not understand why you repeatedly turn down my invitations to stay here! I do not ask simply out of politeness. My sister would be delighted to have you stay here with us. As would…” he coughed. “I am sure I would be too.”

  Mrs. Gardiner glanced at her husband, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. “Well, Lizzy? You can hardly turn down such a generous offer.”

  Elizabeth felt all of their eyes on her and it seemed as if the temperature in the room had risen significantly. She had been too proud to accept, not wanting to appear to take advantage of Mr. Darcy’s kindness. In truth, nothing would delight her more than a stay at Pemberley.

  “I am sure you have many other places to visit,” Miss Bingley cried, before Elizabeth had a chance to respond. The other young woman’s face was pink with indignation and there was no longer any doubt as to the reason for this.

  It was at that moment that Elizabeth remembered the hurt her sister Jane had felt as a result of the Bingley sisters’ appalling treatment of her in town. She smiled and for once set her pride aside. “I think we can all agree that Pemberley is the most wonderful place we have seen on our journey thus far.”

/>   At this, Mrs. Gardiner nodded effusively. “That it is. I cannot tell you how pleasant it has been to retrace my youth in this area. It has been wonderful.”

  “We would love to take up your kind offer, so long as it is not an inconvenience to you, Mr. Darcy.”

  On hearing this, Darcy’s face lit up almost as much as that of his sister, before he turned away and paced to the window.

  Miss Bingley’s reaction was notably different. “Are you sure, Eliza?” she spluttered. “After all, I am sure your dear uncle can only afford to take limited time away from his business.”

  Elizabeth bristled, but her aunt and uncle appeared not to have noticed the slight. If they had, they gave no indication of having done so. In the face of Miss Darcy’s evident joy, it was impossible for her to dwell on the unkind nature of the other two young ladies in the room. Had she agreed to Mr. Darcy’s generous invitation in spite of them or was there an altogether different reason for her acceptance of it? She liked to think it was the former, but glancing across the room at the master of Pemberley, she knew it was not the case. It was not in her nature to be spiteful, at least not for more than a fleeting moment. She could not help but admit that the prospect of spending more time with Darcy was rather more appealing than it might have seemed just months before.

  Oh, how she had disliked him when they first met!

  It was difficult to resist the urge to sigh with pleasure. “Thank you Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy. That is most kind of you.”

  Darcy nodded curtly. “I shall have a servant sent for your things, if that is agreeable to you all.”

  Elizabeth and her relatives nodded effusively. What a kind host! Indeed, they were all so filled with warmth that none paid any more attention to the increasing distress of Miss Caroline Bingley, who appeared as if she might faint at any moment. For how could she possibly hurt them when they were there at the behest of Pemberley’s owner, who clearly held them all in the highest regard?

  “Oh, do slow down, Mr. Darcy,” Miss Bingley purred. It was the first dry morning in days and the party had opted to walk in the grounds of Pemberley directly after breakfast. Elizabeth marvelled at how they could take an entirely different route each day and encounter new wonders, despite having already walked extensively in the park.

  “It seems never-ending,” she gasped in awe, staring around at the neat rows of trees that were so precise it was difficult to believe they were real and not drawn in by some great painter. “And not just that, but everything is so perfect.”

  Miss Bingley caught up to them at last, appearing red-faced in the extreme. “Did you not hear me calling for you to slow down?”

  Darcy cast the most dismissive glance back at her without slowing his pace. “We are walking, Miss Bingley. Surely there is no need for us to march in step. We are not heading to war.”

  Miss Bingley’s eyes narrowed but she remained silent, appearing to have no reply. A slight smile teased her lips a moment later—not that her two companions paid any heed, being too busy enjoying their tranquil surroundings. “You seem entranced by the estate, Miss Bennet. I do hope you can manage your expectations. I would hate to see such a dear friend disappointed.”

  Elizabeth felt her cheeks redden. There could be no mistaking the other woman’s meaning. “Miss Bingley,” she whispered. “I was simply complimenting Mr. Darcy on his wonderful home.”

  “Of course.” The other woman’s smile was smug, as if she had caught Elizabeth out on a falsehood.

  Elizabeth glanced at Darcy, mortified beyond words. She might have pointed out that it was Miss Bingley who appeared bent on gaining Darcy’s estate, but what use was it? Besides, is there not an element of truth to her accusation, difficult as it is to believe? she asked herself. Had she not spent the past few nights awake in her chamber, imagining herself as mistress of this vast estate? She shook her head.

  “Oh,” Miss Bingley said, still hurrying to keep up with their naturally fast pace. “I must apologise. I did not mean to embarrass you.”

  Elizabeth could have laughed aloud at the absurdity of it. Her usual quick wit had been dampened by the very real knowledge that there was an uncomfortable truth in Miss Bingley’s words. She was saved from having to deny it, however, by Mr. Darcy.

  “You have not embarrassed her,” he said in his clipped way. “The only one you have embarrassed is yourself.”

  Miss Bingley cried out as if wounded, but soon recovered her countenance. Her voice, though, was not quite as assured as it had been just moments before. “Oh Darcy,” she tittered in a peculiar tone. “You must not joke like that. We young ladies are sensitive, are we not Eliza?”

  Elizabeth shrugged, her attention again captured by the view. She tried to ignore the great feeling of warmth that spread through her, but it was proving impossible.

  Chapter Three

  “Lizzy, dear,” Mrs. Gardiner said, entering her niece’s room. “I wanted to ensure you had everything you needed for your toilette.”

  Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile—not that she had been able to do anything else since their walk earlier. “Is that so, aunt? There is no other reason for your concern?”

  Thankfully, Mrs. Gardiner appeared so curious that she dropped any further pretence. “Lizzy, I can bear it no longer. You led me to believe that this Mr. Darcy was a pompous, unlikeable man. You refused for days to accept his kind offer to stay here. I found it puzzling, but then our walk earlier…”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Ah yes. I hope, dear aunt, that your legs are not fatigued. Your pace was far slower than I have come to expect of you.”

  “Dear, Lizzy.” Mrs. Gardiner smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I felt it was my duty to intervene and allow you some time to talk alone. It appears others within our party seem bent on preventing that from happening.

  “I like your Mr. Darcy very much and there is no question as to his means. Now, you must tell me what on earth went on between the two of you. I must say, your uncle and I lingered a little too far behind—but not so far that we could miss the wide smiles that lit up both your countenances. And I daresay Miss Darcy seemed eager to leave you two alone even though she has rarely passed up the opportunity to spend an hour in your company.”

  Elizabeth glanced down at her hands—so giddy was she that she could barely trust herself to speak coherently. “Oh, aunt. I know not what to tell you. I fear I am a silly fool. Miss Bingley certainly thinks so.”

  “Nonsense. That woman barely gets any notice from Mr. Darcy when you are around him.”

  Elizabeth glanced up and was surprised to find her aunt frowning. “What is it?”

  “You must see, my dear, that he feels strongly for you.”

  Elizabeth sighed. She could scarcely work out her own feelings, let alone convey them to someone else. “I do not know,” she said at last. “It appears Miss Bingley is bent on attracting his attention. I do not like it. I cannot claim that I have not seen how she watches me when we are together.”

  At this, Mrs. Gardiner threw her head back and laughed, before quickly regaining her composure. “Oh, Lizzy. I have seen it countless times.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I have seen this very thing before. I do not doubt that Miss Bingley had every intention of securing Darcy and his income, but she is now coming to realise that she is supplanted in his affections by another. Why do you think she is allowing her anger and malice to be seen so plainly?”

  “Indeed. I suppose that is true now you mention it. Certainly, her remarks today lacked the subtlety and finesse of previous attempts to belittle.”

  “There you have it,” Mrs. Gardiner said, stroking her niece’s hair. “You see? She is powerless in the face of Darcy’s love for you.”