Compromise and Obligation: A Darcy and Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Regency Variation Read online

  Compromise and Obligation

  Harriet Knowles

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Thank You

  Copyright © 2017 by Harriet Knowles

  All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.

  This book is set in Regency England. It is written by an English author, using British English words and spelling.

  Edited by JW Services

  Proofreading by Mystique Editing

  Chapter 1

  “Lizzy, you look so unhappy. How can I enjoy this ball while you aren’t?”

  “Indeed, Jane, I am not unhappy.” Elizabeth smiled at her favourite sister. “And I absolutely insist on you enjoying yourself. After all, Mr. Bingley is hosting all this just so he can capture your heart.”

  Both of them laughed.

  “Oh, Lizzy, this ball cannot win my heart for Mr. Bingley. You know that he already has it.” Jane glanced around, looking for him.

  “He’s over there, Jane, watching for you to join him as soon as you have poured your drink.”

  “Oh!” Jane looked flustered. “I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

  “I can see his partiality, Jane, and he will wait to the ends of the earth for you. You must see that.”

  Jane blushed pink. “I hope you are right, dear Lizzy. And I hope you enjoy yourself a little more, now that Mr. Collins has had his two dances.”

  Elizabeth groaned. “Please do not remind me! I am sure I cannot dance another one, for my feet are so bruised where he has trodden on them very heavily.”

  She looked around, schooling her features to look untroubled, hiding the seething resentment that Lydia and Kitty were making sure not to be free for a single dance with him.

  Already she could see him making his way again towards her, and she began to back away behind the huge floral arrangements near the tables.

  “Oh!” She was prevented from moving further by a collision with a tall figure — a gentleman. “I’m so sorry, sir! I was not looking where I was going.”

  “That is evident, Miss Bennet.” The deep voice was familiar and Elizabeth blinked in astonishment and dismay, before turning slowly around to face him.

  “I repeat, my sincere apologies, Mr. Darcy. I was — I was trying to avoid being seen. Please excuse me.” She sidestepped and tried to move past him.

  But he shook his head. “I think you are trying to avoid the clergyman who arrived with your family, are you not?”

  “Yes, sir. Please let me pass.”

  “I think a better way might be to be fully engaged on the dance floor, might it not?” he smiled thinly. “Would you do me the honour of this dance, Miss Bennet? I will ensure that at the end, we part on the other side of the ballroom to that gentleman.”

  She stared up at him in astonishment. “You wish to assist me by dancing the next?”

  He nodded. “I thought I spoke clearly enough, Miss Bennet.” He looked over the top of her head. “But hurry with your decision, he is nearly upon us.”

  The sheer nearness of her nemesis made her hasty. She curtsied, “Why, thank you, yes.”

  It was at that instant the musicians began the next dance, and he took her hand and led her to the dance floor, brushing disdainfully past Mr. Collins.

  “A very near miss, Miss Bennet.” He seemed amused and she smiled in her relief.

  “Indeed, sir. I might have made my escape for a moment, but a dance protects me for longer, so thank you.”

  They acknowledged each other in the formal requirement as the dance began, and began the complex moves. In the next moment that they were together briefly, he spoke.

  “Is the clergyman a relation?” But they had to move away from each other and dance with the neighbouring couple. As they moved back together, Elizabeth answered his question.

  “Yes, he is my cousin. Longbourn is entailed to him upon my father’s death, so he is here to gloat — or pick a wife.”

  She watched an expression of distaste cross his face before it smoothed to emotionlessness again.

  Thus the conversation continued in small snippets between the moves.

  “I see he appears to favour you, Miss Bennet?”

  “He cannot take a hint, sir. I dread having to be most rude to ensure he does not make me an offer.”

  “I imagine your parents would like him to choose a wife from their daughters.”

  The dance now became more complex, and it was a few moments before they came together again and Elizabeth could answer him.

  “I believe my sister Mary favours him. But as for myself, I would rather we all lost Longbourn. I will never marry him, never!”

  At the next opportunity, Mr. Darcy spoke. “I fear he is the sort of man who is most persistent. I would warn you to be on your guard.” His eyes were on Mr. Collins as he stood at the edge of the dance floor, watching Elizabeth with a proprietorial eye.

  He continued when he next had the opportunity. “I believe he thinks he cannot be refused. Does he have a good living?”

  Elizabeth stared at him in astonishment. “As it happens, he does. The patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh has given him Hunsford.” She was so busy watching Mr. Collins with loathing, that she did not see her dance partner start at the name of Lady Catherine, and when they were together again, she continued. “I will never marry him. If he had fifty thousand a year, I would not marry him.”

  Mr. Darcy smiled faintly. “That certain, hmm?”

  “Indeed. I thank you, sir, for the dance, and hope you can keep your word about the opposite side of the ballroom.”

  “I will endeavour to do so, Miss Bennet.”

  And he did indeed, bowing politely as he left her near the orchestra, quite the other side of the great room.

  “Thank you, sir.” She curtsied politely, looking around for sanctuary.

  “Delighted, Miss Bennet,” he murmured politely.

  Elizabeth saw Mr. Collins begin to make his way towards her again, and made a small sound of dissatisfaction. She’d had the first two dances with him,
as she had been obliged to, but she wanted no more.

  She looked around quickly, and hurried towards Charlotte Lucas. “Oh, Charlotte, please save me from Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy!”

  Charlotte laughed. “I thought you were here to dance and enjoy yourself, Lizzy.” She looked over the dance floor. “But I can see why you do not want to encourage Mr. Collins any more than he is already encouraged.” She bent her head closer. “He is coming this way. Do you want me to try and distract him?”

  Elizabeth groaned. “If that is at all possible, Charlotte. Oh, you are the best of my friends. My mother has set him onto me and I cannot escape tonight.”

  “Well, you seemed to be doing very well with Mr. Darcy. But please introduce us.” Charlotte whispered, as Mr. Collins approached.

  “Mr. Collins, may I introduce my friend, Miss Charlotte Lucas?” Elizabeth curtsied. “She is the daughter of Sir William Lucas, and I have been telling her about your patroness, Lady Cather …”

  “Lady Catherine de Bourgh!” Mr. Collins had at first looked determined to separate Elizabeth from her friend and get her to the dance floor, but when she mentioned Lady Catherine, he was enraptured.

  “Why, Miss Lucas, I have the greatest honour in her attention and patronage.”

  Elizabeth gave Charlotte a smile of thanks and slipped quietly out of sight with a sigh of relief.

  As she made her way around the dancers to try and be well away before Mr. Collins noticed her absence, she heard her name being called.

  She rolled her eyes in frustration. “Yes, Mama?”

  Her mother’s voice was so much louder than it needed to be, and she flinched inside.

  “You need to pay attention to Mr. Collins, Lizzy! Stop dancing with proud men beyond your station and pay attention to your cousin!” she sat back, her headdress wobbling along with her chins.

  She looked at the ladies she sat with. “You see, if he makes Lizzy an offer, then Longbourn stays with us.”

  Lizzy was resigned. “Yes, Mama.” But she walked on, determined to keep to her resolution. Her mind went to the small clearing in the woods outside Longbourn estate. She was quite certain none of the family knew what she had hidden there, deep in the hollow of a great oak tree.

  “Lizzy! I insist you pay him attention!” Her mother’s scolding voice followed her, and she wished fervently that no one could hear her.

  Casting a glance across the room, she saw Mr. Collins detaching himself from Charlotte, despite her friend’s attempts to retain his attention.

  Elizabeth cast her eyes around in desperation. Then a shadow fell across her.

  “I believe the next dance is about to begin, Miss Bennet. Would you do me the honour of dancing it with me?” Mr. Darcy’s eyes were amused, but his voice was serious. He dropped his voice. “I hope your mother does not upbraid you further tonight for dancing with someone above your station.” He smiled and she was astonished at his apparently sudden development of a sense of humour.

  “Thank you, yes, Mr. Darcy.” She curtsied.

  As he led her out to the dance floor, she bit her lip. Much as she didn’t want to be waylaid by Mr. Collins, she also didn’t want the neighbourhood taking notice of the fact that she was dancing more than one dance with Mr. Darcy.

  “I hope that you are aware of the tendency of the neighbourhood to make assumptions of partiality, Mr. Darcy.” She turned, following the dance moves. “I would not like it if you found that you were the object of attention linking the two of us because we had more than one dance.”

  He frowned as they separated for a moment. As they stepped along the line of dancers, he spoke again. “I think you might be correct, Miss Bennet. But how else might I assist you in avoiding the attentions you so obviously find disgusting?”

  She made a face of dismay. “I do not know, Mr. Darcy. I was hoping to be otherwise occupied with …” She stopped. She had noticed the apparent conflict between him and Mr. Wickham in Meryton. Perhaps she should not mention his name.

  He glanced at her, but they danced in silence for most of the rest of the dance. Towards the end, he seemed to pull himself together a little. “I fear you might not escape an offer, Miss Bennet.”

  She glanced over, following his gaze. Mr. Collins was sitting with both her parents, and they were all watching her intently.

  She looked away, biting her lip. “I think you might be correct, sir. But I think — I hope — Papa will understand and not place undue pressure on me.”

  The next time the dance moves brought them together, he looked down at her. “It must, however, be very tempting for him to keep the estate with the family. It is a very usual thing to expect a daughter to marry in line with her parent’s wishes.”

  She looked up at his unfathomable gaze. “I thank you for the warning. But I will not. I will not.”

  And as the dance came to its end, she curtsied. “Thank you again for rescuing me. I think perhaps I need to dance with him once more, however distasteful, and tell him of some secret love.”

  His chuckle was deep and somehow richly satisfying. “I will watch with interest to see if you are believed.”

  Chapter 2

  It was very late that night as Mr. Darcy watched from the windows of Netherfield while the guests were being assisted into their coaches and began to make their way home.

  “How nice it is to have the place to ourselves again.” Miss Bingley’s complaining voice rose behind him and he sighed. He enjoyed the company of Bingley, he was an amiable friend. But the constant presence of Miss Bingley spoiled the place for him.

  Only a few days ago, it had been so bad that he had contemplated returning to London to join his sister. Or even to Pemberley, the place he most loved to be.

  But, no, he would stay here. He knew that, as he watched the object of his interest make her way delicately down the steps, surrounded by her family.

  Bingley was down there with them, the eldest Bennet daughter quite obviously the object of his partiality. He was being most incautious, and Darcy frowned. Of course the girl was most handsome, and, like her sister, perfectly behaved.

  But he could not spare that couple much thought, and he returned his attention to Elizabeth. As he watched Mr. Bennet assist his wife up the step of their coach, he frowned. There was something about the man that made him wonder. He did not look that well.

  Mr. Bennet then stepped back as Mr. Bingley assisted Jane and then both men watched as the younger Bennet girls climbed in. It was a crowded vehicle that made its way down the drive, and Darcy wondered how on earth they fitted Mr. Collins in as well as the seven Bennets. He hoped Elizabeth wasn’t forced to sit next to Collins, physical contact would be impossible to avoid, and he felt anger erupting inside. He should have offered another coach.

  Darcy drew a deep breath, and sipped the coffee that a footman handed to him, wondering how Miss Elizabeth Bennet had turned into such an extraordinarily well-behaved young woman in a household with such a dreadfully coarse woman as her mother.

  “I declare, Mr. Darcy, that you must be bewitched!” Miss Bingley called across the room. “You danced several times with Miss Eliza, you must be bewitched.”

  He turned and issued a smiling denial. But as he went over to the fire, to stand beside his friend, he acknowledged internally the truth of it to himself.

  He was indeed captivated by Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and he must disentangle himself forthwith. What did it matter to him if her parents forced her to marry Mr. Collins?

  But he knew it mattered to him. It was not that she did not know that Lady Catherine was his aunt, and that he might see her on one of his occasional visits, but far worse.

  He scowled, he could not bear to see her married to Mr. Collins. The man was odious, and would wear down her vivacity and enjoyment of life. He pictured the man pawing at her lovely body, and shuddered.

  “What are you thinking about, Mr. Darcy, to be scowling so very fiercely about?”

  Miss Bingley’s voice drew him back into
the present. He shook his head, and forced his features into their usual mask. He did not want anyone to know what he was thinking.

  “I apologise, Miss Bingley. I must not think of matters back at home.” That would silence her, she was not interested in anything that did not personally concern her.

  Thankfully, it was late, very soon he would be able to retire for the night, and tomorrow Netherfield could return to its usual routine.

  But, as he climbed the stairs to his bedchamber, he knew that, once again, his thoughts and dreams would be full of her.

  He despised the notion of falling in love at first sight and would never outwardly confess to that. But, almost from the first moment they met, he had been unable to clear his mind from thoughts of her.

  He remembered his sudden feeling of regret as he had remarked on her being merely tolerable in looks when Bingley was trying to get him to dance with her at the Meryton Assembly.

  He remembered when she had stayed those three days at Netherfield to be with her sick sister, he had found himself imagining — all sorts of things.

  He remembered her eyes sparkling with mischief as she teased him gently, making him think, consider his attitudes.

  He loosened his necktie, washed in the hot water his valet had brought up, and sat down for the man to remove his boots.

  “That’s enough, thank you.” He waved the man away and sat in the chair by the window to settle his thoughts. He knew that if he did not, he would not sleep.

  He remembered her lithe grace as she danced, her curtsying as she acknowledged him, and he groaned.

  He must not contemplate marriage to her. Her descent was completely unsuitable. So why did it matter so much to him that Mr. Collins wanted her, would likely make her an offer?

  He smiled, imagining the contemptuous refusal with which she would respond.

  But the smile was wiped from his face as he thought of the pressure that would be placed upon her to accept Mr. Collins. With the entail on the estate, it was likely that her parents would see the marriage as absolutely necessary to ensure the security of all the family.