Lin Mei Wei - Stranded With Mr Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Romance

Edition: 2

This edition published: 24 March 2018

First published: 01 September 2017

Hanna House Publishing Ltd, 2018 - hannahouse.co.uk

Stranded With Mr Darcy

A Pride and Prejudice Variation Romance

Lin Mei Wei

For Luke

Then love came,

Like the out-bursting of a trodden star.

Thomas Lovell Beddoes

One

Jane's Wedding

May being a capricious sort of month, there was great concern for the weather. Mrs Bennet had much to say on the topic, prophesying floods and storms, and pleading with Mr Bennet to do something about it. Mr Bennet promised to do all in his power, as soon as she could point him in the direction of automaton responsible for the production of the appropriate meteorological conditions. Then a near catastrophe happenedLydia, running from one room to another, tripped and almost fell onto the wedding dress, which hung, pressed and ready for the bride-to-be on the door of the mahogany, bow-front wardrobe in Jane's room. While Jane forgave, and Mrs Bennet cried in agony, Elizabeth mended the tear in the lace, and Mr Bennet declared that with so much going against the match, he did not think that he could in good conscience support it anymore. Then, having cast Mrs Bennet into a renewed fit of recriminations and pleadings, he retreated into his study, apparently pleased with this particular piece of work.

But even despite the chaos that reigned at Longbourn the day before, and even despite the thick fog that shrouded the fields and pastures of Hertfordshire the morning of the wedding, Mr Charles Bingley appeared at the church at the agreed time. The fear that he might not was not entirely unreasonable. The elusive gentleman had rented Netherfield the previous autumn and then had the good sense and taste of falling in love with the Bennet's eldest and prettiest girlor so everybody thoughtuntil his sudden and unexplained departure from the county in the winter, after which time all hope of him was lost.

Just as the Season in London started, and everybody supposed that he must have decided to pursue a better situated girl, he confounded everybody's expectations once again, by appearing in Longbourn, without any warning; making short work of reacquainting himself with the neighbourhood; making no secret of his admiration of Jane; attending her assiduously throughout the dinner Mrs Bennet organised for his benefit and then, at last, coming to the point. Two weeks later, by way of Special License, since neither party of the happy couple meant to wait, and to the utter delight of Mrs Bennet, Jane and Mr Bingley married.

Nobody chose to question such an abrupt turn of events, and for good reason. Looking upon them now, one could scarcely imagine a better suited pair: she, radiant, with her guinea-golden hair pleated with sweet peas, somehow managing to look more beautiful than she had ever before; and he, beaming affably at all his friends and well-wishers, making promises of balls and dinners, and already doing much to assure everyone that he would be a blessing to the neighbourhood.

Elizabeth, dressed in her finest gown, had spent most of her morning managing her mother, and having now deposited that lady comfortably in an armchair with Mrs Phillips for company, she was allowed a moment's respite. The wedding breakfast itself, she thought, looking around her, came off rather well.

Side-tables carried the weighty loads of wine, ale, lemonade, teas and coffees, cold meats, fruits, cheeses, breads and cake. Two waiters had been hired from the village to attend the guests and were gliding here and there with admirable efficiency. The doors to the two parlours which stood in right angles to each other, were thrown open, which allowed the guests to spill out and occupy chairs and sofas; though most opted to stand and speak to one another, and taste some of the delectable sweet meats on offer, and try, if possible, to find a way to one or the other of the happy couple.

In short, Elizabeth reflected, it was as well organised an affair as Longbourn was capable of. But unlike the rest of the lively crowd, she could not quite rid herself of the impression that all this was close to never happening at all. She had no proof, and the way things had gone, when she was in Kent only a few weeks ago, she could not imagine why Mr Darcy would do such a thing, but she strongly suspected that it was his doing.

He didn't come to the wedding. Neither did Caroline Bingley. Everybody assumed it was for the same reason and did not regret their absence. But if Mr Darcy truly disapproved of Mr Bingley's marriage, then why send him back? And after everything Elizabeth had said to him!

The thought of what had passed between them in the Hunsford parsonage still made her pulse quicken. Her own words she wished not to contemplate for longshe had lost her temper; found herself wishing to have said more and knowing she had allowed herself to say too much. But his words, his hateful, spiteful, contemptible words, made her furious still. The morning following his ill-fated proposal, he had tried to catch her up on her walk, and she ran away, not wishing to see him again. He had left Kent soon after.

It was not long after Elizabeth returned to Longbourn, with her heartbroken sister, when Mr Bingley arrived and set the whole neighbourhood aflutter once more. It seemed impossible that the two events were not related.

"Lizzy?" Mrs Gardiner touched her arm, and Elizabeth jumped up, suddenly torn out of her thoughts. She laughed.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. Did I miss something? Did Mr Bingley promise the whole neighbourhood that they might move in with him?"

"Very near it, but that is not what I came for," Mrs Gardiner said with a smile. "You looked very contemplative and I grew curious. It cannot be because you fear losing your sister, can it? You are, in that respect, luckier than most. Netherfield is much too close for that."

"Indeed it is," said Elizabeth. "It is nothing but tiredness, I assure you. Oh Jane! There you are!"

Jane floated towards them, blushing and smiling and looking like a creature from a fairy tale.

Elizabeth took her hands. "I should like to tell you that I have a very difficult time focusing on my task. I know I should be envying you, but I am much too occupied being happy for you. It is dreadfully hard to do one's duty as a sister. I cannot make out if this makes me very bad or very good!"

"Very good," was Jane's inevitable response. "And I wish you would not envy me, because I feel certain you will be next."

Elizabeth widened her eyes in horror, declaring that she had firm plans for her spinsterhood, which in turn drew protests from both her aunt and her sister, who both foresaw scores of rich, handsome men flocking to the sisters of the new Mrs Charles Bingley.

As if by magic, those three words produced Mr Bingley himself.

"Ah! My wife and my sister! And Mrs Gardiner, may I call you my aunt? A sight for sore eyes! How well you all look! And, will you come and see us at Netherfield often? I mean to extract a promise that you will!"

"Who am I to stand in the way of a determined gentleman?" said Elizabeth. "Certainly I will. It is only three miles, after all. This is extremely fortunate, I think, for I have often observed that marriages have the unwelcome result of separating loved ones."

"Lizzy!" cried Mrs Gardiner, but Mr Bingley thought this very amusing and called her charming. He was in the best of moods. Normally the most affable of fellows, that day he was unstoppable. He wanted to speak of balls and dinners, and wanted to be congratulated by everybody. He had come this way only to see what was keeping his beautiful bride away from his side, and once he had her on his arm again, his happiness was complete. Indeed, it was quite evident that he was in such throes of delight, as he had never yet experienced before.