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  Mr. Darcy’s True Love

  A Pride & Prejudice Holiday Variation

  APRIL FLOYD

  Copyright © 2019 by APRIL FLOYD

  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

  Epilogue

  Also by April Floyd

  About the Author

  1

  January, 1812

  Elizabeth Bennet stared out the frosted terrace doors of Netherfield Park searching for any movement on the road that led to the pebbled circular drive. She was awaiting the carriage carrying her eldest sister Jane home from her wedding trip with Mr. Bingley. They had been gone a little more than a month, and Elizabeth was eager to see her sister again.

  Jane had written to say when they would return home and Elizabeth had gone to Netherfield Park to see that the home was ready to receive its master and mistress.

  It was a terribly cold day in the last week of January and fires were laid in nearly every room downstairs. Even the ballroom enjoyed a blazing fire and Elizabeth recalled her sister’s wedding in this very room as she moved toward the fireplace.

  It was now empty of seats, musicians, and flowers but still the floors gleamed in the light of the fire. It had been a lovely wedding, and Jane had been the perfect, blushing bride. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had played their parts well before hieing off to London as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Bingley’s carriage pulled away from Netherfield.

  Elizabeth could not say she was sad at the fact of their departure for they were wicked ladies who cared only for fashion and making fun of Elizabeth’s country neighbors.

  For a moment, her thoughts turned to Mr. Bingley’s friend, Mr. Darcy. He had dared to attend the wedding even though he had tried to turn Mr. Bingley away from his love of her sister Jane.

  Jane had confided the story to Elizabeth as Mr. Bingley had relayed it to her after they were engaged. Jane had forgiven Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth thought she had never been angry with him at all. Jane was the most kind and loving person Elizabeth had ever known. She had merely thought Mr. Darcy protective of his dear friend.

  Elizabeth had known better, but Jane would not be persuaded to think ill of Mr. Darcy.

  There was a Mr. Wickham who had joined the militia at Meryton as a lieutenant and he told Elizabeth all about Mr. Darcy’s ill treatment and abuse. The elder Mr. Darcy had promised the young man a living but his son, the current Mr. Darcy, had denied the wishes of his father. Mr. Wickham said it was all out of jealousy and spite.

  Elizabeth thought she might too be jealous of a steward’s son or daughter who had been treated as family, but she would never have gone against her father’s wishes in such a terrible manner.

  That her aunt had cautioned her against Mr. Wickham, and his flirtatious manner that had led to his engagement to Miss King, rather than Elizabeth herself, did not change Elizabeth’s feelings about Mr. Darcy.

  Forgetting the man and his vexation, Elizabeth left the ballroom. Once in the hallway, she did not tarry to retrieve her spencer for she heard the butler call out to the servants below stairs that the Bingleys had gained the driveway.

  Pulling open the great double doors of Netherfield Park, Elizabeth rushed out to be the first to see her sister arrive home. As soon as Jane was free of the carriage, Elizabeth grabbed her and hugged her tightly. “Oh how I missed you, Janey! Come inside and tell me all about your trip.”

  Jane laughed and pulled herself free of her sister’s loving embrace. “Let us have tea first, Lizzy! There is so much to tell that an afternoon is not nearly enough time to share everything.”

  Charles Bingley stood by the carriage watching the sisters disappear inside the home. He called out and hurried to catch them up.

  Later, when Elizabeth sat with Jane and Mr. Bingley in the drawing room, she smiled at the way their hands intertwined as they sat close together. Mr. Bingley teased them both with a surprise he had kept until this moment.

  Elizabeth hoped that one day she might find the same felicity in marriage as her eldest and dearest sister. For now, she only wished to know what her new brother by marriage intended to spoil her sister with next. “Oh Charles, you make me mad with jealousy and curiosity!”

  Mr. Bingley laughed with Jane and Elizabeth as he pulled something from his breast pocket. It was a legal paper and he handed it to Jane. “I know you wish to spend most of our time here in Hertfordshire, my love, but we will have a home in London for I cannot be too far from my business there.”

  Jane’s hands trembled as she opened the papers and read swiftly through the long paragraphs. Her eyes flitted from the papers to her husband’s face. “Shall we call it Bingley House, then?”

  Elizabeth went and knelt at her sister’s side. “Oh Jane, how wonderful it will be to visit you there! And Aunt and Uncle Gardiner will see you more often. What a capital idea!”

  Mr. Bingley beamed with pride as the sisters hugged one another. He waited until they had regained their composure before he stood and made another pronouncement.

  “Lizzy, if I may,” he paused and looked at her with an air of sincerity, “Jane and I would be most grateful if you were to come with us to London. There will be many decisions to be made and the interviewing of the servants. Jane will need your help.”

  Elizabeth’s throat moved up and down as she swallowed. Never had she thought her sister’s husband might be anything other than the kindest man ever. “I would be honored to come whenever you wish and be a help to you and Jane.”

  “Then you must go home and tell the good news, Lizzy. Have Hill pack a trunk and we may leave much sooner. I cannot wait to see Bingley House,” Jane said as she led Elizabeth to the entry of Netherfield Park.

  Mr. Bingley had the carriage brought round to spirit Elizabeth to Longbourn to collect her trunks. When she entered her childhood home, Elizabeth heard the familiar cries of her youngest sisters arguing over some silly thing or other.

  Mrs. Bennet looked up when she entered the parlor and inquired after Jane and Mr. Bingley. She was ill and not in good spirits since her cold had kept her from joining Elizabeth at Netherfield Park.

  Elizabeth had never been her favorite daughter, but since she had refused Mr. Collins, her father’s cousin and heir to Longbourn, and his marriage proposal, Mrs. Bennet liked her second child even less.

  “They are well, Mama. Mr. Bingley has purchased Jane a townhome in London and I am to go with them as soon as we may arrange it. I came home to have Hill pack my trunks. I may stay until the spring if you and Papa approve.”

  Kitty and Lydia ceased their argument and began to whine that they too ought to be allowed to travel to London and stay in Jane’s new home. Elizabeth shook her head. “They are but newly wed and a house full of sisters is the last thing a romantic Mr. Bingley wishes to come between him and his wife, I should think.”

  Mrs. Bennet, to Elizabeth’s great astonishment, agreed. She censured her two youngest daughters. “The both of you are too young to be let loose in London without me and I do not trust Lizzy to see that you are protected. Jane will be busy learning her place as the mistress of not one, but two homes. No, you must all stay here with me. We can spare Lizzy since she is too obstinate to obey her parents.”

  Elizabeth did not care for the sleig
hts her mother gave, but she would not argue since she had been given leave to join the Bingleys.

  Kitty and Lydia glared at her and stomped their way from the parlor. Their footsteps seemed to gain volume as they went up the stairs together.

  Elizabeth thanked her mother for giving permission for the trip to London. “I shall give your regards to Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, Mama.”

  “See that you do, but it shall not make me think better of you, Lizzy. You ought to find a wealthy gentleman in London to marry so that you might help take care of me after your father passes. It is the least you might do after ruining things with Mr. Collins.”

  Forcing herself not to become upset by her mother’s dramatic speech, Elizabeth quit the parlor to find Hill and help pack her own trunks.

  2

  London in winter was as Elizabeth recalled and though the Thames had frozen in years before, it was not to be this winter.

  When their carriage stopped before the townhome on Gracechurch Street, Elizabeth stepped down after Mr. Bingley and Jane. A genuine smile lifted her lips as her aunt and uncle rushed out to greet them.

  “Oh what a wonderful surprise!” Aunt Gardiner said as she hugged her two girls.

  Uncle Gardiner took Mr. Bingley’s hand and shook it firmly, his smile brilliant as Jane’s new husband asked whether they might join them for a ride over to Grosvenor to open Bingley House.

  “We would love nothing better,” he said as he received Jane’s hug. Mrs. Gardiner smoothed her skirts and went back up the steps to poke her head inside the door. She told the butler they would return before dinner.

  Once the party was settled inside Mr. Bingley’s carriage, the ladies spoke of the wedding trip while the gentlemen discussed matters of trade.

  “I am eager to see whether we might join our efforts on some project, Uncle Gardiner. I have long admired your warehouses and brisk business,” Mr. Bingley declared as he pulled on the gloves he had removed when shaking hands with his wife’s uncle.

  “I am certain we may manage a beneficial partnership, Mr. Bingley. Your father was a very good friend to me many years ago when I bought my first warehouse. He helped me secure a steady supplier of silk that I use to this day.”

  Elizabeth smiled at her uncle and Mr. Bingley as she half-listened to their conversation. Jane’s match had proven to be a serendipitous one. Mr. Bingley had not been offended that the Gardiners were established in Trade as it had made his family their fortune.

  In but a short time, their carriage rolled down Grosvenor and Mr. Bingley pointed out the home of his sister Mrs. Hurst, and the townhome of Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth noted it was only but a few doors down from the house Mr. Bingley proudly announced as Jane’s townhome.

  She had not thought to see Mr. Darcy in London in all her excitement to join Jane. Elizabeth realized she had been daft to forget Mr. Darcy was a part of Mr. Bingley’s world. Of course he would be invited to Bingley House, and they would have cause to meet again.

  Instead of brooding on the matter, she happily stepped down when her uncle offered his hand and joined the merry group now gathered on her sister’s doorstep.

  Mr. Bingley produced the key to the home and handed it to Jane. “I brought champagne to toast the moment once inside, but I ought to have brought another bottle to christen our doorstep. I had some flutes ordered especially for the occasion with grape vines engraved upon the bowls. Caroline was to bring them over yesterday.”

  Aunt Gardiner gave a small laugh and teased Mr. Bingley. “It is not a ship, nephew! We would not like to see a window broken in celebration.”

  Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth joined in the laughter and Jane held up the key in victory. She kissed it for luck and hugged her husband tightly. “My dearest Charles, you are the kindest and best husband. I thank you sincerely for such a gift as this.”

  Mr. Bingley kissed his bride without reservation and Uncle Gardiner groaned. “It is the dead of winter you two! Hurry up and let us inside.”

  Elizabeth and her aunt had turned to look away from the happy couple and laughed when Mr. Bingley let Jane go but grabbed her for another kiss for good measure.

  They all rushed inside and Elizabeth stopped short as she took Jane’s arm. “Look there, my dear sister. It is splendid. I have never seen such a lovely staircase.”

  Jane gave Elizabeth a little nudge with her elbow. “Why Lizzy, it looks as any other staircase to me.”

  “No, let us walk closer, there is something shiny upon the newel. I can see it clearly from here.” Elizabeth pulled her sister forward.

  They took the first two steps and bent over the newel post. There was a brass plate affixed to the newel, and in curved script carved into the plate there was the letter C and the letter J intertwined. The date of their wedding was carved below the letters.

  Jane lowered her lashes and made a sniffle but Elizabeth hugged her tight in excitement. “How awfully romantic is Mr. Bingley!”

  Mr. Bingley stepped forward and polished the brass plate with his elbow. “I could not help myself, my dear wife. There are many such touches throughout the house, but I cannot say where you might find them all. Let it be a game of sorts. When you find one, come kiss me like you did on our wedding day.”

  Aunt Gardiner and Elizabeth made such a fuss over the endearment that color rushed up Mr. Bingley’s neck to his face.

  Uncle Gardiner took the man by the shoulder and laughed. “Show me your library, young man. The ladies may explore the rest of Jane’s townhome.”

  When the men had left them, Jane looked about and decided they would begin upstairs. “Since we have no butler nor housekeeper yet, why not start at the top and end when we find the parlor?”

  Aunt Gardiner took her niece’s arm. “It will not do to go very long without servants, Jane. When do you plan to interview? I know of several decent men and women, some related to our servants, that you might speak with directly.”

  As the ladies walked about seeing bedrooms and the nursery and servant’s quarters on the upper floors, Jane and Aunt Gardiner had determined they would begin the hiring on the morrow.

  Elizabeth found the room she would love to have as her own, one down the hall from the suite of rooms Jane and Charles would occupy. There were two other rooms near hers where family and friends might stay and another guest room farther down a hallway past Jane and Charles’s rooms.

  The one Elizabeth chose looked out onto a small back garden that was barren at the moment. Come spring, the three trees scattered about the rectangular space would blossom and provide shelter for reading on sunny afternoons. The room itself held a bed, a dressing table, and a wash stand but the linens were older and the drapes were in need of repair.

  Jane took her hand and pointed at the windows that looked out onto the garden. “Won’t they be wonderful after a good cleaning and dressed with a beautiful set of gold drapery to match the paper on the wall?”

  Aunt Gardiner agreed. “I am certain Edward has the exact color of silk to make the perfect draperies for this room. Oh, will it not be a delight to help Jane set up house, Lizzy?”

  “I hope we shall be very busy for many months for I hope to remain in London for some time,” Elizabeth said and followed her aunt and sister back into the hallway so that they might return downstairs.

  Jane teased her sister. “There is one person besides myself in London who would wish you might remain forever, Lizzy.”

  Elizabeth wondered who her sister might be considering for there were not many people they were acquainted with in Town besides the Gardiners. “Who on earth could you mean Jane? Perhaps Miss Covington who lives on Gracechurch Street near the bank? We were never particular friends.”

  Jane laughed. “Why no dear sister! I was thinking of Mr. Darcy in truth. Mr. Bingley shared on our trip that his friend was quite fond of you. That before the wedding he wished to know if you had preference for any gentleman in Hertfordshire.”

  Elizabeth did not know what to think. “Surely Charles was teas
ing. Mr. Darcy held nothing but contempt for me when first he came to Netherfield Park. I cannot believe he might consider me more than an acquaintance.”

  Aunt Gardiner looked at her favorite niece and shook her head. “Do not discount this information, Lizzy. Husbands and wives tell one another truths they would not share when amongst friends and family. Mr. Darcy comes from a fine family and his home in Derbyshire, called Pemberley, is the loveliest you may ever see.”

  Elizabeth recalled how Miss Bingley exclaimed over the library at Pemberley, and she had been eager to see it someday because she dearly loved to read, but she doubted Mr. Darcy would ever welcome her there.

  “Should we meet, I will be all that is charming and amiable but I doubt he should take much notice of me,” Elizabeth claimed and took her sister’s arm. She led the party towards the stairs hoping to leave the topic of Mr. Darcy behind them.

  When they finally arrived at the parlor door, the ladies heard the amused deep voices of the gentlemen inside. Aunt Gardiner smiled at her nieces and pushed open the door, declaring their arrival.

  Mr. Bingley and Uncle Gardiner stood beside a small round table that had been pushed near the fireplace where the footmen from the carriage had laid a fire. They must have also brought in the champagne for it sat open and five flutes were already half full of the pale, golden liquid.

  The ladies joined the men at the table and a toast was made to health, wealth, and happiness, and a nursery full of Bingley children.

  Elizabeth glanced about the room imagining how grand it would be to see Jane as mistress of her own home.

  3

  February 1812