Read Mr. Darcy's Proposal Online
Authors: Susan Mason-Milks
Tags: #Romance, #darcy, #austen whatif, #Regency, #pride and prejudice, #elizabeth bennet, #austen
Mr. Darcy's Proposal
Mr. Darcy’s Proposal
Copyright © 2011 by Susan Mason-Milks
Edited by Will Mason
Cover design by Newman Design Illustration (http://newmandi.com/)
Cover image:
Portrait of a Lady
by Henri Francois Mulard, ca 1810
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, except brief quotations included in critical reviews or articles, without written permission from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, events, or places is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author. Further, the author wishes to acknowledge Jane Austen, upon whose characters this book is based.
Grove Place Press
mrdarcysproposal@groveplacepress
ISBN: 978-1-4657-7720-1
Smashwords Edition
Quotations used in this book are from the following sources:
Paradise Lost
by John Milton: Books 5.17–19, 8.364–66, and 8.619
Sonnet XVIII
and
Sonnet CXVI
by William Shakespeare
Table of Contents
Dedication
For my mother who taught me to love books
This is a
Pride and
Prejudice “what if” story. It starts with the same basic plot and asks “what if” events did not happen the same as in the original?
Elizabeth Bennet is visiting her friend Charlotte for the Easter holiday. Also a guest in the neighborhood is Mr. Darcy whom she had met the prior fall. His haughty, unfriendly behavior left her with a very low opinion of him, and she’s quite certain that he dislikes her, too.
To make matters worse, she has just inadvertently learned that Darcy influenced his friend, Mr. Bingley, to cease his attentions to her beloved sister Jane. This has confirmed to Elizabeth that she was right in thinking him a proud and disdainful man.
Meanwhile, Darcy has been unable to deny the feelings he developed for Elizabeth when they met last fall. He has decided to forget the differences in their stations in life and the improper behavior of some members of her family and propose to her. Completely unaware that she knows about his interference with Bingley and her sister, he is confident she will welcome his declaration. This is where the two stories diverge.
Elizabeth sat on the edge of her chair in the parlor at Hunsford parsonage. She was stunned and outraged, scarcely able to believe what she had just learned. Apparently, that haughty man, Mr. Darcy, was the one responsible for nearly ruining her beloved sister’s life!
This afternoon, Elizabeth had been out walking with Colonel Fitzwilliam when he had told her the story of how Darcy had saved his friend, Mr. Bingley, from making a terrible mistake. According to the colonel, Bingley had been quite smitten with a young lady who lived in the neighborhood near his Hertfordshire estate. Darcy had interfered by convincing Bingley this lady was completely unsuitable to be his wife. Of course, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was Darcy’s cousin, had no idea that Bingley’s love was actually Elizabeth’s sister Jane. Even though four months had passed since these events, her sweet Jane’s heart still ached at the loss.
Elizabeth’s head pounded as she turned these revelations over in her mind. How could he? How dare he? If Mr. Bingley did not mind their family’s lack of connections and fortune, then what was it to Mr. Darcy? She jumped up from her chair and commenced pacing about the room as if she could keep her tears from flowing by staying in motion.
If she could just give Mr. Darcy the verbal thrashing he so richly deserved, he might think twice about meddling in affairs that were of no concern to him. Finally, she collapsed into a chair and the tears she had struggled to keep behind a dam of self-control began to overflow.
What a relief it had been this afternoon when Charlotte and Mr. Collins had accepted her excuse of a headache as reason to stay behind when they called upon Lady Catherine and her nephews for tea. Under the circumstances, Elizabeth was not sure she would be able to keep her temper under control if she were in the same room with Mr. Darcy, the proud and disdainful man who had caused her sister such unhappiness.
Just at that moment, she heard someone at the front door. Attempting to make herself presentable, she reached for a handkerchief to dry her eyes, but discovered that as usual, she had none. Instead, she was forced to pat her face with the corner of her shawl. A few moments after she heard the front door, the maid appeared in the parlor with a letter in her hand.
“An urgent post for you, miss. The messenger is going up to Rosings now and will return in half an hour to take your reply.”
She thanked the girl and turned her attention to the letter. Recognizing Jane’s handwriting on the letter, she wondered what could be so urgent that her sister would expect an immediate reply.
Dearest Lizzy,
I hardly know how to tell you the dreadful news. Our dear father was taken ill last night quite suddenly. It is his heart. The doctor says his condition is quite grave, and he is not optimistic that Papa will recover. Please come home, Lizzy. I know that we would all be comforted by your presence at this dreadful time. I have asked the messenger to wait for your reply and pray I will receive the good news that you will soon be with us.
Your loving sister,
Jane
Elizabeth’s mind flew in a hundred different directions all at once. If she could find a way to return home to Longbourn immediately, perhaps her father would still be alive by the time she arrived. At that moment, she heard sounds at the front door again. It was too soon for the messenger to return. Surely, he could not expect her to pen an answer in so short a time. Just as Elizabeth was rising to go write a hasty note to her sister, the maid announced that Mr. Darcy had arrived and asked if she might show him in.
Elizabeth wondered what he could possibly be doing there. She was mortified that he of all people should see her in such distress. Before she even had a chance to tell the maid to send him away, Mr. Darcy appeared in the doorway. Forgetting all pretense of a proper greeting, she stood clutching the back of a chair for support. Darcy entered giving her a polite bow. When he looked up, his face instantly changed to concern.
“Miss Bennet, what is it? Are you ill? Should I call the maid back to attend you? Please, you must sit down at once,” he stammered.
“No, no. Do not call anyone. Just give me a moment.”
“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked.
Elizabeth was silent as she considered what explanation she could possibly give for her state. Eventually, despair made her forget all propriety, and the story began to tumble out.
“I…I have just had the most distressing news from Longbourn. My father is gravely ill and not expected to recover. If you will please excuse me, I must make arrangements to return home immediately to be with my family.” In the silence that followed, Elizabeth began to regret her outburst. “I am so sorry, Mr. Darcy, I should not have burdened you with my problems.”
“Perhaps there is something I can do to assist you, Miss Bennet. Colonel Fitzwilliam and I are planning to leave early tomorrow morning. If you accompany us as far as London, I will have my driver take you on to Longbourn directly.”
Elizabeth was stunned and puzzled, unsure how to respond. Why would cold, proud Mr. Darcy want to help her? Moreover, how would she tolerate riding all that way in the same carriage with him?
“Surely, this would be a great inconvenience to you and your cousin. I could hardly impose on you for such a favor.” As much as she disliked accepting his help, she nonetheless found herself hoping he would not change his mind. Time was of the utmost urgency and traveling in Mr. Darcy’s private coach would be most expedient. When her thoughts turned to her father and the possibility of never seeing him again, tears began to well up and spill over. Knowing Mr. Darcy was witness to this emotional display made her even more distraught. What would he think of her? But then, how could his opinion be worse than it already was?
As soon as she began to cry, Darcy fumbled in his pocket and offered his handkerchief. When she reached out to take it, their fingers accidentally touched, and for a moment, neither of them moved. Her eyes flew up, and she saw that he looked a little startled, too. For a moment he lingered, and then suddenly, as if he remembered himself, he withdrew his hand.
“I am so sorry, Miss Bennet. I did not mean to…” his voice trailed off as he looked away.