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Chapter Nine

Posted on Saturday, 1 December 2007

The morning after Fitzwilliam announced his engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet there was a joyful atmosphere throughout the estate of Pemberley. The news that the young master was getting married spread like a wildfire. The servants and tenants who had the honor of meeting Miss Bennet while she was staying there after her accident knew he was making an excellent choice in a wife. Miss Bennet was the kind of woman they had hoped for the heir of Pemberley to marry because she was smart, kind and made him happy.

The servants and tenants weren’t the only ones who were delighted about the engagement; Sir John and Georgiana were beside themselves with happiness. Georgiana was finally getting a sister she always wanted and Sir John was getting a beautiful daughter-in-law who he had grown to quite fond of. He was very worried about his son for years because he was sad and distant from him, but now his son was happy and was reaching out to him. Sir John created Elizabeth for the change in Fitzwilliam’s behavior and was grateful for it. Yes, she was a Godsend.

Sir John was determined not to let his wife, Marlena put a damper on his happiness for his son and Elizabeth. He knew she didn’t like his son’s fiancée because she is an American without money or connections. For Sir John he didn’t care about those sorts of things. As long as Elizabeth mad Fitzwilliam happy, then that is all that matters to him.

Sir John didn’t always feel that way. He grew up believing men in his class needed to marry a woman in the same class. He had gotten lucky in his first wife. By the time Sir John was expected to get marry; he had fallen in love with Anne Fitzwilliam. He loved her because she was kind, pretty and smart and her family’s wealth and connections was just a bonus. They were happily married until she died after the birth of Fitzwilliam. Sir John was devastated when his wife died, but she made him promise he remarry so their son would have a mother. Unfortunately he married a woman chosen by his parents for he wasn’t in the mood to go and look for a new wife while he was still grieving for his wife and looking after his baby boy. Sir John married Marlena for his son’s stake and to fulfilled his promise he made to Anne. He hoped he would grow to care for his new wife but she was a hard woman to warm to. Georgiana was the only blessing from his marriage to Marlena. She never cared about his son-she always ignored him and when she noticed him, she would snap at him and get angry with him for nothing. Sir John did what he thought was best. Now he regretted how he sent Fitzwilliam away when he was a boy. Sir John wanted to divorce Marlena and bring his son back home but then found out he made her with child from the night he had gotten drunk and Marlena used his drunkenness to her advantage. After she told him she was having his child, he had to give up his plan of divorce and decided to keep Fitzwilliam away from his stepmother’s verbal abuse. Sir John knew over the years his son thought his father loved Marlena and Georgiana more then him and that pained Sir John that Fitzwilliam believed that. He tried to tell him why he sent him away but he was too angry to listen.

Sir John looked Heavenwards and aloud said, “Anne, I’m sorry about what I did. I ruined my relationship with our son unintentionally when I was trying to protect him from his stepmother. Please forgive me. At least Miss Elizabeth Bennet seems to be trying to encourage Fitzwilliam to extend an olive branch and give me another chance. God bless her.”

After Sir John spoke this, Marlena came from her changing chamber and walked into his bedchamber. She said, “John, I must speak to you about Fitzwilliam marrying that awful American girl.”

Sir John prayed he could hold his temper while they have this conversation. He knew it was going to be a long and an unpleasant one.

When he was sure his temper was in check, he told his wife, “Marlena, Fitzwilliam is in love with Elizabeth Bennet and I think she perfect for him. She is a lovely girl.”

Marlena looked shocked at what her husband and after a minute said. “But-My dear, Miss Bennet is a commoner. She has no noble blood running through her veins. Miss Bennet is just a fortune hunter from America. We need to protect ourselves from her.”

”No we don’t,” Sir John said, trying to remain calm. “Elizabeth won’t harm this family. She loves Georgiana as well as Fitzwilliam and she is grateful for us for taking her in after my horses and carriage ran her down.”

”I have been thinking about that so-called accident," she said. “Isn’t it a strange coincidence that she was walking across the road when your carriage was driving down it?”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you seriously saying that Elizabeth jumped in the road when my carriage was driving down it and wanted to be knocked down and hurt? That is absurd. Why pray tell would she do a such thing and how would she know my carriage would be going by?”

Marlena told him, “I do not know how Miss Elizabeth Bennet knew your carriage was going by, but I’m sure I know why she probably threw herself in front of your carriage. Like I told you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a fortune hunter and she probably heard the Darcy family was one of the richest families in England and Fitzwilliam was unwed, so she hatched her plan for you to take her in and get close to the family and get her hooks into Fitzwilliam.”

Sir John couldn’t listen to this nonsense anymore. He stood up and rang for his valet, Harrison, then turned to his wife. “Marlena, believe what you will but don’t you spread your outrageous accusations around or ruin my son’s relationship with Elizabeth. If you do, I will do what I should have done a long time ago, which is to divorce you. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”

His wife looked shaken, but she managed to say, “Yes.”

He smiled and said, “Good. Now if you would excuse me I expect Harrison any moment to help me get dressed. I’m anxious to go to the breakfast room and greet my children and my future daughter-in-law.”

Harrison entered Sir John’s bedchamber a moment later, forcing Marlena to leave and went to her bedchamber and sulked.

Fifteen minutes later, Sir John joined Fitzwilliam, Georgiana and Elizabeth in the breakfast room. He saw them talking and laughing and it was a wonderful sight to behold. Sir John stood in the doorway and just enjoyed the scene that was playing in front of him. He thought have could spent the rest of his life looking at the picture. Sir John was smiling for both of his children were happy and that was all he ever wanted especially for his son. He stood there unnoticed for a few minutes until Georgiana spotted him and bid him to come in and join them.

”Good morning,” Sir John said before seating down. “How did everyone sleep last night?”

All three declared they slept well and now they were planning what they wanted to do since they were finished eating their breakfast. They told him they were wanted to go horseback riding, have a picnic before it became too cold and then Georgiana and maybe Elizabeth would play on the pianoforte. Elizabeth asked Sir John if he would like to go horseback riding and picnic with them.

He gave her a warm smile and told her, “I’m sorry, my dear. I wish I could, but I have business with my steward to attend to today. I will be done by this afternoon, so I will be able to listen to you and Georgiana play music on the pianoforte. I hope you will play a song or two. You play well.”

Elizabeth smiled at him and said, ”Thank you, Sir John, but I’m not an excellent pianist like Georgiana.”

Fitzwilliam said, “You are too modest, darling. Your playing is lovely.”

His fiancée blushed and thanked him.

There was silence for a couple of minutes until Sir John asked, “What were you laughing at before I came down?”

Georgiana informed her father she was telling Elizabeth old stories of Fitzwilliam and told him which stories she told her.

Sir John laughed, remembering those funny moments. “Yes, those stories are classics, but I remember a couple more to tell you.”

At this, Fitzwilliam stood up and told them they had better tell the cook they were going on a picnic and have her pack a basket with their favorite foods and then go horseback riding before it got too late.

Both Elizabeth and Georgiana exchanged a knowing look and agreed. They knew he didn’t want to be embarrassed any further. Fitzwilliam, Georgiana and Elizabeth asked Sir John to excuse them and then left the room.

In the days that followed, Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth and Georgiana enjoyed their time at Pemberley so much they decided to stay a few more days. Sir John and Fitzwilliam grew closer and did some father and son activities together. Georgiana and Elizabeth were pleased that the father and son got to spend some quality time together without any disturbance from Marlena. Both of Georgiana and Elizabeth wondered what had gotten into her. Marlena was more than civil to Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth lately. Could it be she realized her dislike of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth made her look bad? The girls and Fitzwilliam weren’t sure, but they were glad of her sudden attitude changed. They had a feeling they needed to enjoy it while they could because it might not last.

Unfortunately, their nice time was interrupted for a bit. One night before the Darcy family and Elizabeth sat down of dinner; someone decided to pay an unannounced call. This person was none other than Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Chapter Ten

Posted on Thursday, 6 December 2007

Lady Catherine de Bourgh waltzed into the dining room without waiting for the butler to announce her. She had always thought because of her status in the society and with the last name of de Bourgh she had every right to come unexpectedly to a place, especially Pemberley since her late sister had been the mistress and her nephew was the heir to the great estate. Anyone else would have considered this action as rude, but Lady Catherine didn’t see it that way. She didn’t have time to think about the formalities for she a bigger problem to worry about.

Lady Catherine looked around at everyone, not looking pleased. She declared, “John, Fitzwilliam, I must talk to you two.”

”Catherine, why are you here?” Sir John demanded to know. “Why have you come at this hour when you know we are sitting down to dinner?”

”John, a serious report came to my attention and I’m here to find out if it is true,” she answered her brother-in-law.

“And what report would that be?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

”That your son and my nephew, Fitzwilliam here is engaged to I assume this girl who is standing next to him,” Lady Catherine replied. “Is this outrageous rumor true, nephew?”

Fitzwilliam nodded and said, “Yes, Aunt Catherine. It is true. I’m engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet here and I couldn’t be happier.”

”This is madness!” she exclaimed. “What of your mother’s wish that you would marry Anne?”

”My mother didn’t know Anne,” he told her. “She died a year prior to the birth of Anne.”

Lady Catherine explained, “Your mother and I always planned that if one of us had a son and the other one had a daughter, they would marry.”

”Catherine, that was a plan from Anne and your girlhood,” Sir John said, cutting in, “Anne told me while she was expecting Fitzwilliam she wanted our child to marry for love and didn’t want to pressure him or her to marry someone who was chosen for him long before he was born.”

“I seriously doubt my sister would have wanted see her son marry this girl, who I heard from my brother is an American without family connections or fortune,” his aunt stated. “Are the shades of Pemberley going to be thus polluted! I will not let this marriage happen! “

”Aunt Catherine, Elizabeth and I will be man and wife in a short time, God willing and you cannot stop us,” Fitzwilliam firmly said.

Lady Catherine, not a woman who gave up easily asked, “What do you know about family and her family lineage? She could have had robbers or outlaws in her family.”

This made Elizabeth extremely angry. “I need to say some things to your Ladyship. Firstly, my name is Elizabeth Bennet-not this girl and I would appreciate you calling me by my name. Secondly, please don’t act like I’m not here. Thirdly, I come from a family of a long line of hard workers. My father happened to be one of the most respected doctors in our county, my mother was a good schoolteacher and everyone loved my sisters. No one has ever said a bad word against the Bennet family or implied we are not honest people, so I refuse to let some woman speak ill and spread rumors about my family. Especially from a woman who is angry because her nephew isn’t following a plan she and his mother had made when you two were girls. It is pathetic. Let Fitzwilliam and your daughter, Anne be happy and don’t force them into an arranged marriage.”

Lady Catherine was speechless after hearing Elizabeth speak. Never in her life has she met an insolent young woman like Miss Elizabeth Bennet. People around her treat her with the utmost respect, so she wasn’t used to this rude behavior.

When Lady Catherine gathered some of her wits again, she said, “You unfeeling, selfish girl! How dare you speak that way to me?”

”Quite easily,” Elizabeth replied with a smile. “I was taught I should stand up to myself and my family if someone says anything bad about us. Even if the person is a woman who is in high society like yourself.”

”Ah, you have no idea of proper decorum,” she exclaimed. “Did your parents tell you that you should respect your elders?”

Sir John and Fitzwilliam decided to part Lady Catherine and Elizabeth before things got more out of hand. They asked Elizabeth to go to her bedchamber while they talk to Lady Catherine in the study.

When a livid Elizabeth entered her bedchamber, she flopped down on her bed. She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it, thinking it could help her release some of her stress and anger.

”Ugh, I cannot believe there is somebody worst than Marlena,” Elizabeth said aloud. “Lady Catherine de Bourgh makes her look like an angel.”

A man with a really deep voice replied, “Yeah, Lady Catherine is a regular Cruella Deville alright.”

Elizabeth was startled and after looking around the room to find someone there she said, “Great. Now I’m hearing voices. I really am going insane.”

”No, you are not going insane,” the man, answered in his normal voice. “Although if you keep talking to yourself then people might think that you are.”

Elizabeth knew then who it was and commanded he show himself.

”Come over by the full length mirror,” Paul/Peter told her.

After she walked to the mirror and stood before it, he appeared.

”Where have you been?” Elizabeth questioned. “And what was with that deep voice?”

”I have been in 2007 with your family,” Paul/Peter informed her. “As for the voice-I thought of trying on a different voice. What do you think?”

”I think forget you need to stop thinking about your voice and tell me about my family,” Elizabeth said. “How is everyone?”

”They are fine, but they miss you,” he said.

Elizabeth sighed and said, “I miss them too.”

“Elizabeth,” Paul/Peter began, “I think you must tell Fitzwilliam the truth soon that you are from the future and convince him to come to the future with you.”

She just stared at him for a moment and then asked, “How can I tell Fitzwilliam I’m from the future without him thinking I’m mad.”

“With my help,” he replied. “It is not safe for you to stay in this time anymore.”

“Why?” Elizabeth asked.

“I looked into the not so distant future and found out if you stay, Marlena and Lady Catherine will work together to try to get rid of you,” Paul/Peter told her.

Elizabeth couldn’t believe they hated her that much. She also knew Paul/Peter wasn’t lying, so she decided to tell Fitzwilliam the truth with his help.