The Disappearance of Lizzie Bennet Read online

  Copyright 2019 Elizabeth Hopkins

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters depicted in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Table of 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

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Longbourn was in chaos. Not that it did not experience chaos every day what with five unmarried daughters and one unrefined mother who was both crass and loud at the best of times but today more so because it was the day of the long awaited Netherfield ball.

  Mrs. Fanny Bennet’s one goal in life was to see that her daughters married well. Having not produced a son, Longbourn was entailed to a cousin, Mr. William Collins, who Mrs. Bennet believed would throw her and her daughters into the hedgerows upon Mr. Bennet’s demise and they would have nowhere else to go if at least one of her girls did not marry well.

  Mr. Collins was presently visiting with them. He came with the sole purpose of extending an olive branch by proposing to one of his cousins and to survey the estate that he would one day inherit.

  Mr. Collins was a pastor who held the living at Hunsford parish through the sufferance of his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh whom he greatly esteemed and would proclaim her supposed magnificence to anyone who would listen. And proclaim it he did for hours on end if allowed. Initially found diverting, the Bennet family now avoided Mr. Collins or escaped his presence as soon as possible, except for Mrs. Fanny Bennet.

  Mrs. Bennet was overjoyed when Mr. Collins confided to her that he intended to propose to one of her daughters, which would allow her to remain as the mistress of Longbourn.

  At first he put his attention on Jane, the eldest who with wheat colored hair, bright blue eyes and a sweet disposition was considered the beauty of the county, but Mrs. Bennet dissuaded him from that notion stating that she expected Jane to be betrothed shortly to Mr. Charles Bingley, the gentleman currently leasing Netherfield. He then turned his attention to Elizabeth, the second eldest.

  Mrs. Bennet had no scruple whatsoever in sacrificing her second eldest to this ridiculous man and encouraged him in his quest for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. She was a selfish creature and Elizabeth was her least favorite daughter and anyone observing her interaction with her would come away with the impression that Mrs. Bennet disliked her second eldest immensely. She disliked Elizabeth for several reasons, one being that she was not the long awaited son she hoped for and for the close relationship she shared with her husband. She had no qualms for berating and embarrassing her in front of family, friends or strangers. For this reason alone, Lizzy always avoided her mother as much as possible mostly by escaping the house and rambling through the paths that surrounded the countryside.

  Lizzie and her father were of an intellectual bent and not always understanding of what they were speaking of, Mrs. Bennet always thought they were making sport of her, which most often they were.

  Lizzie was passing the closed door of the front parlor when she heard her mother’s loud shrill voice exclaim, “Oh Mr. Collins, Lizzy will happily accept your offer of marriage! I assure you that Mr. Bennet will give his blessing and consent as I have given you mine”.

  Lizzy was appalled! She knew her mother did not hold her in any high regard, but what she heard was beyond the pale. She grabbed her bonnet and pelisse and fled out of the front door and ran down the lane to the safety of the woods that surrounded Longbourn. When she was a good distance from the house, she stopped with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

  She attempted to regulate her breathing but she was so furious that she was unable to do so. Her chest rose rapidly and hot tears started to course down her face as she clenched and unclenched her fists. She sat down on a nearby tree stump, covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

  This was the condition in which Mr. Darcy found Lizzie when he came upon her. He had been walking the lanes hoping for her company. Ever since her stay at Netherfield to nurse her sister Jane, he could not get the beguiling Miss Elizabeth Bennet out of his thoughts.

  It was not only her very pleasing form that enticed him but her wit and intelligent conversation was such that he had never encountered it in a woman before. Not even among his own society of the ladies of the ton. Oh and those eyes that entranced him so!

  He finally came to the conclusion, although grudgingly, that he would make her an offer of marriage. Their marriage would be one of happiness and passion, for he already admitted to himself that he loved her. Although her station in life was decidedly below his own and she brought no connections or dowry to their union, he could not imagine his future with anyone but her as his wife. He had no need of a dowry. He was the master of an estate called Pemberley, a large mansion in town and several other smaller estates throughout the country and in Scotland. The income from these estates and his investments made him one of the wealthiest men in the country. He did not care that she had no connections. She would gain his connections when they married and no one would disparage or insult her as the wife of Fitzwilliam Darcy. His family would not be pleased but he was determined to see to his own happiness.

  Until he met Elizabeth he had not realized how lonely his life was. Her cheerfulness was contagious and he found himself laughing and smiling at her playful teasing of him. He was filled with joy to think that she would be a permanent part of his life. He was determined to ask for a courtship as soon as the opportunity presented itself; perhaps tonight at the Netherfield ball. He had secured the third dance as that odious cousin of hers had preceded him and secured the first two.

  As he walked and ruminated over the very pleasant aspects of marriage life to Miss Elizabeth, he stopped suddenly as he heard the soft but very distinct sound of someone crying. He walked towards the sound and was shocked to see his Elizabeth dabbing her eyes with a sodden handkerchief. He rushed to her side and dropped to one knee on the ground beside her.

  “Miss Elizabeth”, he spoke softly as he proffered her his handkerchief, “what has you distressed so? How may I help to relieve your anguish?”

  Elizabeth was startled by the tender sound of his voice and embarrassed that Mr. Darcy discovered her in this wretched state. Ever since the night of the Merryton assembly when he disparaged Elizabeth to his friend Mr. Bingley by stating “She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me” she held a dislike for him. He wounded her vanity deeply. She was aware that Jane was the beauty of the family, but his remark was hurtful. She took every opportunity that she was in his company to debate and argue with him hoping to topple him from his haughty and lofty perch, but to no avail. He seemed to revel and delight in their discussions. And now here he was, kneeling at her feet and speaking in such a caring and tender manner that confused her greatly.

  Lizzie dried her tears with his handkerchief and gathered her courage to relate to Mr. Darcy what distressed her so. She never sought his good opinion, and he never sought hers.

  “Longbourn is entailed to my cousin Mr. Collins and in
order not to be thrown into the hedgerows after my father’s demise, it has been deemed necessary for one of his daughters to sacrifice herself and marry the odious man. My mother has decided it will be me.” Anger started to swell again in Lizzie and she clenched her fists at her side. “But I will not do it!” she shouted emphatically. “I will not be a martyr for my family. I promised myself I would only marry for the deepest of love. To marry such an insensible man as my cousin, is condemning myself to a life of misery. It might be viewed as a prudent match by most of society but I simply cannot do it! Despise me if you must Mr. Darcy but I am resolute in my decision”.

  Mr. Darcy was incensed to think that her family held her in such poor regard that they would condemn her to such a life with that toad of a man.

  He enveloped her small hand in his large one and spoke in a gentle voice. “I do not despise you Miss Elizabeth. You must allow me to tell you how much I deeply admire you.”

  Lizzy was momentarily stunned. Mr. Darcy admires me? She spoke softly, “I know you stare at me a great deal but I thought that was only to find fault”.

  Darcy stood abruptly and began to pace in front of her. She raised her head to look at him and waited for him to speak.

  “I beg your humblest apologies Miss Elizabeth if that was the impression I gave you. I cannot recommend myself to strangers, especially in a crowd. Allow me to apologize to you for my behavior at the Merryton assembly. I realize you overheard my remark to Bingley, but I assure you it was not directed at you. I only arrived at Netherfield hours before the assembly and I was fatigued from traveling. I could not forgo the dance as Miss Bingley stated that she would be happy to keep me company at Netherfield if I did. You perceive my dilemma?”

  Lizzie giggled behind the handkerchief she held to her mouth. Yes, having been in the company of Caroline Bingley several times, she did perceive his dilemma. Miss Bingley appeared to take great joy from the snide remarks and sneers she directed at Lizzie. But Lizzie could always hold her own in such company and retaliated these attacks in such a manner that left Miss Bingley disconcerted and feeling that somehow she had been insulted.

  Caroline Bingley wanted to be mistress of Pemberley. Her whole life’s focus was to impress Darcy with her manners and superiority to convince him that she should be his wife. She cared not for the man but for the status in society it would afford her. Lizzie found her to be ridiculous in her blatant attempts to capture the man’s attention. Lizzie observed that Darcy’s attitude was one of indifference and could have sworn that it bordered on anathema. She had noticed that he took every opportunity to avoid Miss Bingley and her fawning attitude annoyed him more than finding pleasure in it.

  “Yes Mr. Darcy, having interacted with Miss Bingley on several occasions, I do perceive the situation you were placed in. But it does not excuse your manners at the assembly. You were uncivil and rude by not speaking or dancing with anyone except those in your own party. What say you to that Mr. Darcy?”

  Darcy paced until he sat down next to her. He decided to be completely honest with her as deceit of any fashion was an abhorrence to him. He felt he could trust her with his secrets and perhaps she would have a better understanding of his character as he knew she was not impressed with his wealth or status. And perhaps she would come to hold him in a higher regard. He purposely faced forward away from her as he could not impart his story staring into those fine eyes.

  “Miss Elizabeth I have observed that you are generous and kind to all you meet. I trust you and what I am about to relate must be kept in the strictest of confidence.”

  Lizzie nodded her head and assured him that she would keep his confidence but could not imagine what secrets the gentleman wanted to impart to her.

  Darcy took a deep breath and continued. “I am aware that you are acquainted with George Wickham and it is true that his father, an excellent man, was the steward under my father at Pemberley. My father was so very fond of him that he sent him to Cambridge to be received a gentleman’s education with myself. He also bequeathed him one thousand pounds in his will as well as a valuable living in one of our parishes when it became available. Having witnessed his debauchery of young girls and gambling at university first hand, I knew that Wickham was unfit to take orders or responsibility for a parish. Two of his illegitimate offspring reside at Pemberley with their mothers. Enraged at learning of the terms of my father’s will, he stated that he would not take orders but insisted on compensation for which he received the sum of three thousand pounds. I have proof of this by a receipt signed by his hand in my safe at Pemberley. He also agreed not to lay any future claims against the living.”

  Lizzie gasped, “Why that is more than the annual income of Longbourn!”

  Darcy continued, “That was five years ago and I thought that I had seen the back of him but he returned about one year ago learning that the Kympton living was vacant and wished to take orders and assume the living. I reminded him that he was already well compensated and unfit to lead a congregation. I believe the monies he received were gone, wasted on gambling and women and insincere in his promise to take orders. I then had him removed from Pemberley and advised him that he would never be welcomed at any of my homes. Again, I thought that I had seen the last of him, but it was not to be.”

  He turned his head to face Lizzie and quickly turned to face forward but not before she caught a glimpse of the pain in his eyes. She waited patiently for him to continue.

  “I have a younger sister Georgianna of whom myself and my cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam share guardianship by the terms of my father’s will. Her upbringing falls mainly to myself as my cousin is often away fighting on the continent. Last summer I allowed her to go to Ramsgate with her new companion. There also went Wickham, who, in collusion with the companion, a Mrs. Younge convinced my sister, who was only fifteen years old at the time, that they were violently in love and to elope with him. Fortunately, I showed up unexpectedly the day before the supposed elopement to surprise my sister. She confessed all to me. His one goal was not my sister’s happiness but her dowry of thirty thousand pounds and to reign havoc on me. If his plan succeeded, his revenge would indeed have been complete and my sister would have only a life of misery to look forward to as his wife.”

  Lizzie was shocked beyond words. She laid her hand on his arm and spoke gently. “I am truly very sorry that Wickham was the cause of such vile acts upon your family that brought so much unhappiness. Pray tell me, how is Miss Darcy?”

  He replied sadly, “She is a ghost of her former self. She is like myself, that we are both reticent, but now even more so. She is very proficient on the pianoforte but does not play anymore. She has grown thin and despondent. She keeps to her room and will not dine with me. In truth, she cannot look me in the face because she feels she has disappointed her brother and shamed the name of Darcy. I have attempted to converse with her and explain that his was not her fault but it is all to no avail. Knowing that Wickham only wanted her for her dowry just worsens her despondency. Her new companion suggested that time and distance might help her heal more quickly and thus I took myself off to Netherfield at Bingley’s invitation.”

  When he turned to look at Lizzie, he saw one tear roll down her cheek. He saw the pity she felt for him in her eyes.

  “Please Miss Elizabeth,” he pleaded, “I did not relate these circumstances for your pity. I could not bear it if you pitied me or thought less of me for divulging this shame. I simply wanted you to have a better understanding of my character.”

  Lizzie tilted her head up and looked at him straight in the eyes.

  “I do not pity you Mr. Darcy. In truth, I admire your fortitude in what must have been very unpleasant dealings with this miscreant.”

  Darcy released the breath that he did not even know he was holding upon hearing her endorsement of him. Perhaps she liked him a little bit better now. Perhaps.

  “I have been remiss in letting it be know what lengths he will go to bring shame and ruin upon others. Time an
d again I have paid his debts so that others do no suffer. I hold his vowels and could easily see him in debtors prison, but I will hold my tongue no longer. Merchants and young girls alike must be told what sort of man he is in order to be protected.”

  Lizzie beamed a wide smile at him and his heart melted. Oh, if only to have her smile at me every day in this manner I would give my entire fortune.

  “My father is the major landowner in the neighborhood next to Netherfield. We shall go and speak with him now and make him aware of the dangers, especially to my younger sisters. You have their acquaintance and know that they are quite silly especially where a red coat is concerned.”

  “Not to divert you from the topic at hand, but has your father given his consent to Mr. Collins’s proposal? I know you mentioned your mother’s consent has been given but it is your father who must approve of the proposal.”

  Lizzie sighed, “No he has not as yet given his consent. I overheard my mother and cousin discussing our engagement this morning. My mother most emphatically stated it was a forgone conclusion that I would accept him. The impertinence of that man! I have not been asked and he behaves as if I have already agreed to become his wife. My father is not in the best of health Mr. Darcy and he might very well force me to accept my cousin if only to provide for my mother and sisters when Mr. Collins inherits Longbourn.”

  Darcy stood up abruptly and started pacing furiously with his hands clasped behind his back.

  Lizzie realized that this must be the means he employed while deep in thought. But whatever she could have surmised what his thoughts were, nothing could have prepared her for what he spoke next.

  Darcy finally stopped pacing and stood directly in front of her. He was so much taller than her that he decided to kneel down in front of her so that he could look in her eyes.

  “Miss Elizabeth, I beg you to listen to my suggestion before offering your opinion.”

  Lizzy raised her eyebrows and nodded her assent.

  Darcy took her small hands in his and began to speak. “If you had another suitor that you accepted a courtship with, it would take precedence over your cousin’s proposal. Would it not?”