A Convenient Darcy Marriage Read online

  A Convenient Darcy Marriage

  A Pride & Prejudice Regency Variation

  Rebecca Preston

  Illustrated by

  Cosmic Letterz

  Edited by

  Kimberly Huther

  Copyright © 2018 Rebecca Preston

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Cosmic Letterz

  Edited by Kimberly Huther, of Wordsmith Proofreading Services

  Similarities to real people, places or events are purely coincidental.

  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

  Mailing List

  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 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  About Rebecca Preston

  Also by Rebecca Preston

  Preview of Arranged To Darcy

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

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  Chapter 1

  Elizabeth Bennet woke up with a feeling of dread. She sat up in bed, wide awake, wondering if she had dreamt something frightful to make her feel that way. She stared into the darkness around her, not really able to see anything. Her long, heavy drapes were pulled closed, and a fire hadn’t been made for her. The weather was warm enough to keep her satisfied through the night.

  She lay back down, her eyes still wide open but her mind racing as she thought about what could possibly be making her feel so alarmed. Perhaps a sound from somewhere in the house had woken her? Longbourn wasn’t a cottage; there were plenty of rooms where a sound might have come. Perhaps someone dropped a pan in the kitchen or a book in the library?

  But it was the middle of the night. And she remembered no sounds. She shook her head. Whatever it was that was bothering her, she couldn’t bring it to mind. She closed her eyes, determined to get back to sleep. It would probably be hours before daylight, and she didn’t want to sleep during the day. She was going to see Charlotte Lucas, one of her dearest friends, in the morning for tea and breakfast.

  Despite the thoughts that still ran through Elizabeth’s mind, and visions of something happening to her friend to prevent her from coming for breakfast, she was able to fall back to sleep within a short time. She slept peacefully the rest of the night.

  * * *

  The sound of her sisters talking outside her room woke Elizabeth several hours later. They were passing by, and Lydia was laughing about something quite loudly, which did not surprise Elizabeth in the least. She could hear Lydia and Kitty’s voices, and wondered where Jane and Mary were.

  She thought they might already be downstairs when she slid out of bed and pulled back the drapes to reveal a bright blue sky outside. She had slept in.

  Wondering why no one had woken her sooner, Elizabeth dressed and brushed back her hair, splashing water from the basin on her dresser over her face and dabbing a towel on it. She pulled on a bonnet and tied it neatly under her chin. Charlotte must not have arrived, or she would have definitely been woken by someone.

  “Surely they wouldn’t start breakfast without me,” Elizabeth said out loud to no one. She hurried down the stairs but stopped halfway down, hearing her mother and father as they walked to the dining room. She wouldn’t have eavesdropped, if she hadn’t heard her name. She froze in place, and listened with growing fear in her heart.

  “You know as well as I do that Mr. Collins is going to be persistent about this,” her father said. “But we must think of Elizabeth.”

  “It seems to me the only thing to do is convince the girl that it is the only solution to the problem.”

  When her father responded, he sounded reluctant. They walked into Elizabeth’s line of vision where she stood on the stairwell, one hand firmly grasping the banister. “She is not going to be happy. I hesitate to force her into a marriage where she will most likely be unhappy all her life.”

  “She will learn to be happy,” Mrs. Bennet said in a firm voice. “It is the way of life. We must accept that and so must she.”

  Elizabeth watched them walk to the dining room door and go through. Her father was shaking his head, and said no more.

  What could they have been talking about? It didn’t take long for Elizabeth to put two and two together. She stared out in front of her, terror striking her, making her chest feel tight and her heart pound. Mr. Collins, the man to whom the deed for Longbourn House would be passed on the occasion of Mr. Bennet’s death, was apparently demanding to marry her. She couldn’t think of any other explanation for the content of her parents’ discussion.

  She didn’t want to marry Mr. Collins. In fact, she didn’t always enjoy his company to begin with. He was the clergyman for a parsonage, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh served as his patroness. He had an extravagant ego, placing himself in high status because of his housing situation. She found him to be obnoxious in many ways.

  She began slowly down the stairs, numb from what she had heard and realized, for a few moments, she was afraid. Then anger took the place of her fear. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was furious with her parents. They had made a decision for her future that didn’t even make sense. Jane was older than she. She was the oldest sister and should be married first. And Mary would be a better match for someone like Mr. Collins. She wouldn’t pay him any mind. She was quiet and rather bookish. She might like to learn from Mr. Collins, who proclaimed his own high intelligence.

  She walked in the dining hall and was grateful to see Charlotte was, in fact, already there. Her friend looked delighted as soon as she saw her, and came toward her with her arms outstretched.

  “Lizzie, here you are! I trust you slept well?”

  They met in a comfortable hug, with a kiss on each cheek. “I did, Charlotte. When did you arrive? I’m sorry I wasn’t yet up to greet you.”

  Charlotte shook her head, took Lizzie’s hand, and led her to a settee near the window instead of the breakfast table. Elizabeth eyed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice as she passed, but didn’t separate herself from Charlotte to pick it up.

  “You must come and sit with me before breakfast, my dear. I have missed you. Surely we have much to catch up on.”

  Charlotte and Elizabeth sat on the settee, next to each other. Elizabeth thought Charlotte looked exceptionally pretty that day, and was comforted by her smile. She leaned close to Charlotte and whispered, “I must tell you what happened to me this morning.”

  Charlotte looked somewhat surprised and tilted her head slightly to the side. “What happened?” she asked softly.

  “I was woken in the middle of the night with a sudden feeling of dread. I was sure that something terrible was happening or was going to happen. I listened for nois
es, something… anything that might have drawn me from my sleep so suddenly and with such a feeling of fear, but I heard nothing. The house was silent.”

  Charlotte’s face froze as she listened. She took one of Elizabeth’s hands in hers and squeezed. “But here you are, safe and sound, for breakfast. Did you think of what could have caused it?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I didn’t. But when I woke this morning, it was later than usual. And I got dressed quickly and came down, as I knew there was a good chance you had arrived. As I was coming down the stairs, I overheard Mother and Father talking about how they may have to arrange a marriage between myself and Mr. Collins. You do know Mr. Collins…”

  Charlotte pressed her lips together to suppress a smile, giving Elizabeth a “you know I do” look, and nodding.

  Elizabeth leaned forward even more and squeezed her hand back. “Then you must also see that I am not fit to be married to a man of his… his… eloquent nature. I will not be happy, Charlotte. And I do not wish to live my life unhappy.”

  Charlotte gave her a look of sympathy and shook her head slightly. “No, Lizzie, you do not deserve that. However, you did say that your parents were speaking as though this is not yet set in stone. Perhaps there is a way to change their mind? Or perhaps Mr. Collins will not be as interested in marrying you as they think he is? There are many possibilities. You must not worry yourself until you know what has been decided.”

  Elizabeth knew Charlotte was trying to comfort her. She appreciated it. But the last sentence irked Elizabeth, and she frowned. Tradition or not, she wanted to choose a husband she would love and cherish, and be loved and cherished by. She did not want a marriage decided for her, a husband chosen for her.

  If it was what she had to do for her family, she would do it. But she would not be happy. And the thought of being unhappy for the entirety of her life made Elizabeth want to fall into a weeping mess at Charlotte’s feet.

  Chapter 2

  “You have heard of the Bingleys’ arrival, have you not?” Charlotte asked Elizabeth once they were seated at the breakfast table. The people around her were chatting quietly, and Charlotte matched the soft level of their voices.

  “Yes, I heard they are in Netherfield. Have you met them?”

  Charlotte nodded, picking up her fork and tapping at the eggs on her plate. “I had a chance to meet them when they visited Lady de Bourgh. Mr. Charles Bingley is a very handsome man. Well-defined in face and stature. I was quite impressed.”

  “He has sisters, doesn’t he?”

  Charlotte dabbed at her lips with the soft cloth napkin. “Yes. Two. One is married, one not. I did not have the chance to speak with them at any length. I cannot accurately give you a description of their characters. We will surely meet them at the ball.”

  “Another young man came with them,” Mrs. Bennet spoke up, causing the girls to look in her direction. Charlotte nodded.

  “Yes, Mrs. Bennet, his name is Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is master of Pemberley House; a wealthy man, that I have heard, and very handsome.”

  Elizabeth noticed when her mother’s eyes moved over her sisters but did not settle on her. It annoyed her, and she dropped her eyes to her plate so no one would notice. It would seem they had already made up their minds to hand her over to Mr. Collins. She tried to remember the last time she had seen him. She found no attraction to any part of him, physically or emotionally. She found it difficult to keep her feelings from showing on her face, so she began to eat, concentrating on the food on her plate.

  “I know little about him,” Charlotte continued. “But I am quite certain he will be attending the ball, as well. I am sure we will all meet him at that time.”

  “I am looking forward to it, to be sure,” Mrs. Bennet said.

  Lydia giggled. “Oh, Mother, you know that is only because you are hoping Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy might choose one of your daughters to marry.”

  Mrs. Bennet lifted her head and stuck out her chin. “And why wouldn’t they? You are all beautiful girls, smart and compassionate. Yes, they would be the ones winning the prize.”

  Lydia’s giggle turned into a laugh as she shook her head. She put her elbows up on the table and laced her fingers under her chin, a dreamy look on her face. “I am restless to go to Meryton and see the handsome officers stationed there. We must go very soon, Kitty. Don’t you agree?”

  Kitty answered as Mrs. Bennet waved her hands at Lydia, gesturing that her daughter should remove her elbows from the table and sit up like a lady is supposed to. Lydia did so, resting her hands in her lap and grinning at Kitty. “I do agree, Lydia! I do!” Kitty was nodding vigorously, a wide smile on her face.

  “That is on the schedule,” Mrs. Bennet nodded. “Jane, I do believe you are planning to go to Meryton day after tomorrow, is that right?”

  “It will be the day after that, Mother,” Jane answered. “The morning after the ball.”

  “Good. That is good.”

  Elizabeth listened as her family resumed conversing with each other. She heard the clinking of tea cups on saucers and forks on plates, but her mind was elsewhere. The thought that she might have to marry… it was inconceivable. And to Mr. Collins! She kept herself from shaking her head and drawing attention. What must she do to escape this situation?

  When the breakfast was finished, and everyone had left the table, Jane, Elizabeth, and Charlotte decided to walk in the bright spring breeze through the gardens around Longbourn House. Elizabeth wore her most comfortable pair of boots. Though they had been handed down from Jane, they fit Elizabeth well and allowed her feet room for comfort while walking.

  She, Jane, and Charlotte linked arms as they strolled through the bright grass of the field around the house.

  “Your mother is quite anxious for you to be married, isn’t she?” Charlotte asked.

  Jane had to laugh. “Of course she is, dear. What mother would not want her daughters to be married at a young age? She wants grandchildren. She wants us to marry men who will help take care of everyone in the family. That is what all mothers look for for their children.”

  Charlotte nodded. “I think you will both like Mr. Bingley when you meet him. He was quite proper with me, and spoke on an intellectual level that shows him to be of fine upbringing. He and his family have quite a lot of money.”

  Jane rested her hand on their linked arms, gazing over at Charlotte. “Are you thinking of a courtship with either Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy?”

  Charlotte looked back at her. After a moment’s hesitation, she shrugged. “I suppose it could be possible, if I choose to attend the ball.”

  Jane and Elizabeth looked shocked. “Why would you not attend?” Elizabeth asked. She would miss Charlotte if she didn’t come. Though she was six years older, Charlotte was one of Elizabeth’s dearest friends.

  Charlotte giggled. “Perhaps I will have something better to do that night.”

  Jane shook her head. “You are playing with us, Charlotte. There is nothing you must do that is as fun or as entertaining, or as beneficial to your future as attending a ball where there are several new and available suitors presenting themselves to the Ton.”

  “You are correct about that,” Charlotte admitted. “I had not truly thought of it in that manner. I suppose it would be beneficial to me, wouldn’t it? But, why, my dear, would you long for competition?”

  Jane laughed. “I am not longing for competition, dear Charlotte. I long for companionship. It is nice to have a friend to speak to in between dances.”

  “I would miss you if you did not come,” Elizabeth said, giving the girl a sad look. “Then I would have this look on my face the entirety of the evening.” She exaggerated the look and continued. “All of society would fear there was something wrong with me, and a doctor might be called in.”

  She could not hold the face long, when Charlotte burst out laughing. “Well, all right, you have both convinced me that I should go to the ball. I will go home and sort through my dresses immediately to fin
d just the right one to make sure either Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy takes a fancy toward me.”

  “And we will do the same,” Jane said, laughing with Charlotte. Elizabeth wanted to laugh. But it struck her that no matter how she dressed or whether or not she found Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy amiable, she would not be available to them much longer.

  She felt as though an elephant had suddenly come from the sky and fallen on her. She could not laugh with her sister and Charlotte when she knew that a future with a handsome, obliging young man that she could fall in love with was not to be hers. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had already decided for her. They had made up their minds. They were in charge.

  Elizabeth wanted to throw a temper tantrum. Inside, she knew she was doing just that, imagining stomping her foot and demanding that she not be forced to marry a dull, arrogant man such as Mr. Collins. She did not find him attractive in the least. She knew she would never be able to fall in love with such a man.

  She continued to listen as Jane and Charlotte talked about their prospects for the future, and what it would be like to finally fall in love with a man of substance and honor. They couldn’t wait. Elizabeth stayed silent, giving them a smile whenever either looked at her. In her mind, she was groaning at the sight of her own future.