Read Online Elizabeth Bennet's Excellent Adventure: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary by Regina Jeffers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Regina Jeffers
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month of days. When you decide how you wish to proceed, send for me, and we will deal with this together. Even if you do not wish to force the marriage, I believe Mr. Darcy’s name will know the shame of a breech of promise action.”
Elizabeth did not argue with her father regarding the futility of such legal actions against a man of Mr. Darcy’s stature. Instead, when they reached Longbourn, she hurried to her room to bury her tears in her bed pillow. She noted the worried look from Mr. and Mrs. Hill as she scurried past them. The servants and all her neighbors would know Mr. Darcy abandoned her at the altar.
Inside the room, Elizabeth kicked off her slippers, sending them flying across the room to slam against the wall. The action brought her a momentary surcease. She wished there was something else she could throw, or better yet, punch in a most unladylike manner. The thought of slapping Mr. Darcy’s too masculine cheek was quite satisfying.
In frustration, Elizabeth ripped at the lace of her ivory wedding dress. She should summon a maid to assist her, but it did her well to hear seams rip and to have lace sleeves come loose in her hands.
With more anger than she knew possible, Elizabeth tore the gown from her body, strip by silken strip. She would never wear the dratted dress again, and seeing it turned to rags brought her the only delight this day could hold for her. Standing at last in nothing more than her shift, Elizabeth gathered the ribbon and pieces of cloth in an untidy heap and unceremoniously dumped them out her bedroom window. She watched as the material fluttered to the ground below, as flighty as her hopes of becoming Mrs. Darcy.
The realization brought another round of tears to her eyes, and Elizabeth jammed her fist into her mouth to stifle the cry of injustice rushing to her lips.
It was bad enough to know that Mr. Darcy only agreed to their marriage to save her from the damage of Maria Lucas’s gossip, but to be so publicly shamed was beyond Elizabeth’s comprehension.
“Maria’s tale would be preferable to what occurred today,” she sobbed aloud. “I might have convinced the girl to ignore the obvious, but now everyone knows the man’s disdain for the Bennets.”
“Lizzy?”
A soft knock at the door caught Elizabeth’s attention: It was Jane.
“Are you…? Is there anything…?”
“No, Jane,” Elizabeth called before biting down hard on her lip to keep from lashing out at her sister.
Jane would soon know the happiness of joining with Mr. Bingley. How often had they hid in the copse to speak of the men they would love?
“I am well,” Elizabeth managed.
“Are you certain?” came her sister’s voice of concern.
Anger returned.
“Why should I not be well?” she said with ill temper. “It was the pinnacle of my day to stand before friends and foes and permit them to witness my public humiliation.” She paused, seeking control. “Just leave me be, Jane. I know you mean well, but…”
“As you wish,” Jane said in what sounded of tears.
Silence followed her sister’s departure.
Elizabeth could hear the buzz of voices below. She hoped her father could keep everyone away. She imagined the chaos as Mrs. Bennet hustled servants to remove the wedding breakfast.
“The breakfast,” she murmured through a new round of tears.
Curling in a ball upon the bed, Elizabeth covered her face with the pillow to muffle her misery.
“The breakfast where Mr. Darcy and I were to accept the congratulations of all our dear family and friends.”
* * *
Darcy possessed no idea of how long he remained upon the ground in the glade. His attackers left him upon the grassy floor. Although he could not see the area where they left him, Darcy could smell the mossy surface, hear the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath the feet of his kidnappers, as well as the suddenly silent birdsong, and feel the sharp slap of the branches as they brushed across his body.
“Far enough,” the one who
Elizabeth did not argue with her father regarding the futility of such legal actions against a man of Mr. Darcy’s stature. Instead, when they reached Longbourn, she hurried to her room to bury her tears in her bed pillow. She noted the worried look from Mr. and Mrs. Hill as she scurried past them. The servants and all her neighbors would know Mr. Darcy abandoned her at the altar.
Inside the room, Elizabeth kicked off her slippers, sending them flying across the room to slam against the wall. The action brought her a momentary surcease. She wished there was something else she could throw, or better yet, punch in a most unladylike manner. The thought of slapping Mr. Darcy’s too masculine cheek was quite satisfying.
In frustration, Elizabeth ripped at the lace of her ivory wedding dress. She should summon a maid to assist her, but it did her well to hear seams rip and to have lace sleeves come loose in her hands.
With more anger than she knew possible, Elizabeth tore the gown from her body, strip by silken strip. She would never wear the dratted dress again, and seeing it turned to rags brought her the only delight this day could hold for her. Standing at last in nothing more than her shift, Elizabeth gathered the ribbon and pieces of cloth in an untidy heap and unceremoniously dumped them out her bedroom window. She watched as the material fluttered to the ground below, as flighty as her hopes of becoming Mrs. Darcy.
The realization brought another round of tears to her eyes, and Elizabeth jammed her fist into her mouth to stifle the cry of injustice rushing to her lips.
It was bad enough to know that Mr. Darcy only agreed to their marriage to save her from the damage of Maria Lucas’s gossip, but to be so publicly shamed was beyond Elizabeth’s comprehension.
“Maria’s tale would be preferable to what occurred today,” she sobbed aloud. “I might have convinced the girl to ignore the obvious, but now everyone knows the man’s disdain for the Bennets.”
“Lizzy?”
A soft knock at the door caught Elizabeth’s attention: It was Jane.
“Are you…? Is there anything…?”
“No, Jane,” Elizabeth called before biting down hard on her lip to keep from lashing out at her sister.
Jane would soon know the happiness of joining with Mr. Bingley. How often had they hid in the copse to speak of the men they would love?
“I am well,” Elizabeth managed.
“Are you certain?” came her sister’s voice of concern.
Anger returned.
“Why should I not be well?” she said with ill temper. “It was the pinnacle of my day to stand before friends and foes and permit them to witness my public humiliation.” She paused, seeking control. “Just leave me be, Jane. I know you mean well, but…”
“As you wish,” Jane said in what sounded of tears.
Silence followed her sister’s departure.
Elizabeth could hear the buzz of voices below. She hoped her father could keep everyone away. She imagined the chaos as Mrs. Bennet hustled servants to remove the wedding breakfast.
“The breakfast,” she murmured through a new round of tears.
Curling in a ball upon the bed, Elizabeth covered her face with the pillow to muffle her misery.
“The breakfast where Mr. Darcy and I were to accept the congratulations of all our dear family and friends.”
* * *
Darcy possessed no idea of how long he remained upon the ground in the glade. His attackers left him upon the grassy floor. Although he could not see the area where they left him, Darcy could smell the mossy surface, hear the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath the feet of his kidnappers, as well as the suddenly silent birdsong, and feel the sharp slap of the branches as they brushed across his body.
“Far enough,” the one who
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