Darcy's Wager

  Darcy’s Wager

  ~ A Pride and Prejudice Variation ~

  By

  PENELOPE SWAN

  Copyright © 2015 H.Y. Hanna

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 97809942924-5-2

  www.penelopeswan.com

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  This book follows British English spelling, grammar and word usage.

  OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE SWAN:

  Darcy Revealed

  Darcy’s Christmas Wish

  The Dark Darcy series:

  The Netherfield Affair (Book 1)

  Intrigue at the Ball (Book 2)

  The Poisoned Proposal (Book 3)

  Secrets at Pemberley (Book 4)

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  If there was one place in London that was close to heaven, this was it. Elizabeth Bennet looked around her with delight. She had heard so much about the Temple of the Muses, the famed book emporium owned by Messrs Lackington Allan and Co, but she had never imagined that she would one day be able to see it for herself. From its multiple storeys and impressive 140-foot frontage on Finsbury Square to its high domed roof and enormous main hall—large enough, it was rumoured, to drive a coach and six around—the place certainly lived up to its claim as the biggest bookstore in London.

  And from the looks of things, the busiest too. Mr Lackington’s slogan of “cheapest bookseller in the world” and his pledge to keep his prices low ensured a steady stream of customers through his doors, keen to browse the huge variety of books in store.

  And now, standing at the entrance to the main hall, Elizabeth drew a breath of awe as she scanned the vast room. There was a huge, circular counter in the centre of the shop, from which several clerks were assisting customers with their purchases, and all around the walls were shelves of books, stretching from floor to ceiling. Long, rickety ladders leaned against the bookcases to aid in the retrieval of volumes from the higher shelves and, on the opposite wall, sunlight streamed in through the tall French windows, catching dust motes dancing in the air. On the far side of the room was a set of stairs leading up to the “lounging rooms” and then a series of galleries filled with more bookshelves. Elizabeth wondered if she could ever explore the entire store, even if she had days at her disposal!

  A slight movement at her elbow made her realise that she was blocking the entrance and holding up the line of impatient customers behind her.

  “I beg your pardon,” she murmured, moving out of the way as several gentlemen jostled past her.

  They strode into the store with the easy confidence of long familiarity and she thought enviously of those who lived in London and had easy access to such an establishment as this, to treat it with such casual indifference!

  Not that she would really wish to reside permanently in town. She would miss her long rambles and the beauties of the Hertfordshire countryside. No, she was more than happy in her little home village of Meryton, although on occasions when she visited establishments such as this, she could not help a wistful longing for all the attractions that London had to offer.

  But I am fortunate that I am able to come and stay in London to enjoy its attractions for a while, she reminded herself.

  Indeed, they were extremely indebted to her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner for their generosity in inviting her entire family to come and stay at the Gardiners’ modest home in Cheapside for as long as they wished. It had been a particularly long, hard winter in Hertfordshire and the early departure of the militia to other parts of the country—and the loss of the society of the officers—had brought a mood of melancholy to the neighbourhood.

  The younger Bennet girls had been delighted with the invitation from their aunt and uncle—they were keen to shake the mud of Hertfordshire off their skirts—and Mrs Bennet had also jumped at the opportunity. But Mr Bennet had not been so enamoured of the idea: his great love was the peace and solitude of his library. He had stayed only a few days before returning to Longbourn, leaving his wife and daughters to the pleasures of the capital.

  As for Elizabeth herself, she was pleased to come to town—if only to provide some distraction for her elder sister, Jane. It had pained her to see her beloved sister in such low spirits since Mr Bingley left Netherfield Park a month ago. The young gentleman had been a welcome addition to Meryton society and they had all been eagerly waiting for him to give a ball, as he had promised. Instead, however, he had quit the neighbourhood without warning. Jane’s tender hopes—nursed by Bingley’s particular attentions to her—had been cruelly crushed by his hasty departure and the lack of contact since. So Elizabeth was hopeful that a change of scene might help to heal her sister’s wounded heart.

  Coming out of her reverie, Elizabeth stepped into the main hall and walked slowly towards the nearest shelves. She reached up to run her fingers reverently along the spines of the leather-bound volumes, inhaling deeply of the rich aroma of paper and calfskin. There is no smell as wonderful as that of a book, she thought. Her gaze strayed upwards and she spied a volume on a higher shelf which looked particularly intriguing. Stretching up on tiptoe, she attempted to pull it out, but her fingers could not quite reach their target.

  “Allow me, Miss Bennet.”

  Elizabeth spun around and found herself face to face with a tall gentleman.

  “Mr Darcy!” she said in surprise.

  Clad in an elegant coat of dark blue superfine, with his long legs encased in pale buckskin breeches and gleaming Hessian boots, Darcy cut a fine figure. Though he was not as fashionably dressed as many of the other gentlemen in the room, he easily overshadowed them all—just as he had done when he had accompanied his friend, Bingley, to the society events in Hertfordshire. His handsome face was as austere as Elizabeth remembered from their meetings there, though she fancied she saw a warmth in his eyes as he looked down at her.

  Darcy made her a slight bow, then reached up and extracted the volume from the shelf, handing the book to her.

  Elizabeth accepted it and dropped a belated curtsy. “It... it is a pleasure to see you, sir.”

  “I had not realised that you were in town, Miss Bennet,” said Darcy.

  “Yes, my aunt and uncle have invited us to come and stay with them for a while at their home in Cheapside,” she said, darting an impudent look at him and wondering if he would recoil from the mention of such a lowly address.

  To his credit, Darcy did not react but merely said, “That is most generous of them.”

  “Indeed,” agreed Elizabeth. “Though it is also a fortuitous arrangement, as my uncle has had to make a trip to inspect his ships at Plymouth and is away for several weeks. Thus my aunt is glad of our company as well.”

  “And are you enjoying your time in town?”

  “Oh yes, though I own...” She looked at the shelves of books around them, her eyes shining. “Today’s visit is the highlight of my stay so far.”

  Darcy raised a sardonic eyebrow. “I would have thought that the highlight of most young ladies’ stay in London would be a visit to the fashionable modistes of Bond Street.”

  Elizabeth waved her hand. “We have certainly been patronising many of the stores and bazaars in town. My younger sisters have a fervent love of fashion, gowns, and accessories, but I confess...” She gave a wry smile. “I grow tired of looking at shawls and pelisses. I would much rather pursue the pleasures of a book.” She looked around and sighed dreamily. “Would that I had a library of such proportions at my disposal! I am sure I could want for nothing more.”

  Darcy looked at her in amusement. “I had not realised your worldly aspirations were of such a literary bent. Most young ladies would long for fine jewels or expensive carriages that they could show and flaunt—”

  “I am a selfish creature,” she said with a laugh. “I do not care about giving pleasure to others, therefore I do not seek to entertain and impress them.”

  Darcy regarded her thoughtfully. “Do you care naught for the opinions of others, then?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Perhaps. If they are worthy of being heeded. But most who would give you an opinion are not worth listening to.”

  “That is a cynical view for so young a lady,” observed Darcy.

  “Oh, I know you would have me say that those who enjoy advising others speak from a position of wisdom—so that you might have the pleasure of despising my naiveté; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes and cheating a person of their premediated contemp
t. I have therefore made up my mind to tell you that I think those who speak with the most authority often have the least knowledge. Now despise me if you dare.”

  “Indeed, I do not dare,” said Darcy, with a teasing smile.

  She looked at him in surprise. When he smiled like that, with a twinkle lighting up his dark eyes, he seemed almost a different person. For a moment, Elizabeth felt a tug of liking for him. Then she pushed the feeling aside as she reminded herself of Darcy’s arrogant behaviour back in Hertfordshire and his haughty manners—not to mention the way he had snubbed her the first time they met at the assembly ball in Meryton.

  “It has been a delight to meet you again, Miss Bennet, and to have had the pleasure of your lively discourse,” said Darcy, still smiling. He bowed, then turned and strode away.

  Elizabeth stared after him for a moment. She was surprised to find that her heart rate was slightly unsteady and she wondered why this should be the case. Surely she did not find the company of Mr Darcy exciting! With great resolve, she put the gentleman from her mind and turned back to the shelves in front of her.

  The time flew by. Elizabeth had spent almost an hour in the store, browsing the many shelves and selecting a few volumes to purchase, when she glanced up guiltily at the clock on the wall.

  Heavens! Was that the time?

  She had to leave directly, else her aunt would become worried. She had already been out all morning. After accompanying her mother and younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia, for a morning of shopping in Bond Street, Elizabeth had persuaded them to return to the Gardiners’ without her. She had been desperate to visit the Temple of the Muses and had insisted that there could be no harm in her taking a hackney coach back by herself. However, she knew that had her aunt been one of the party, she would not have been allowed to come unchaperoned—for her aunt had stricter notions of propriety than her mother. Mrs Gardiner would certainly be fretting now and Elizabeth did not want to cause her aunt any more distress than necessary.

  So, in spite of the temptation of the many shelves still unexplored, Elizabeth tore herself away and carried her selection to the circular counter in the centre of the room. As she waited patiently behind two fashionably dressed young ladies, she observed that they were purchasing a bundle of sheet music. She thought suddenly of her sister, Mary, who had remained at the Gardiners’ residence today with Jane. Mary was the only other member of the family who shared her great love of books and Elizabeth wondered if her sombre sister would show one of her rare smiles when she saw the delights on display here.

  I must endeavour to find an opportunity to bring Mary back, she decided, as the two young ladies departed and she stepped up to the counter to take her turn.

  She was assisted in her purchases by a thin-faced young man with wire-rimmed spectacles and a grave expression. His gentlemanly clothes and general demeanour marked him out as senior to the other shop assistants and she wondered if he might be one of Mr Lackington’s younger partners. He examined each of her choices with a critical eye before carefully wrapping them in brown paper. His formal manners gave him the air of someone much older than his years, but when he finally looked up at her, Elizabeth saw that his eyes were bright with enthusiasm.

  “I hope you enjoy your purchases,” he said.

  “Thank you, I am sure I shall,” said Elizabeth. On an impulse, she added, “It is the most wonderful store—I have long dreamt of visiting and the reality has not disappointed. I confess, I could spend days here in delightful perusal of your shelves.”

  He smiled. “I am very glad you think so, madam. Mr Lackington is my uncle and he will be pleased to receive your compliments.” His smile widened, enlivening his sombre features. “And may I say that I share your sentiments. Despite working here for a year now, I still find myself stopping in awe every time I arrive in the mornings.”

  Elizabeth returned his smile, pleased to find a fellow book lover who understood her feelings. She bade him goodbye, then gathered her purchases and made her way back out to the street. As she stepped out of the front doors, she noticed that a light rain had begun to fall. Clutching her bundles to her chest with one hand and picking up her skirts with the other, Elizabeth hurried to cross the street, keen to reach the hackney coach stand on the other side.

  But she had barely stepped into the road when a sudden shove sent her reeling. Something—somebody—yanked at her reticule. She tried to hold on but it was torn from her grasp. She lost her balance and cried out, dropping all her parcels and tumbling backwards into the road.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Elizabeth hit the ground with a jolt which knocked the breath from her body. She lay stunned for a moment, then looked around in fear. She was in the middle of the road and vulnerable to any carriage that might pass. She heard the sound of hoof beats approaching and felt a surge of panic.

  “Miss Bennet!”

  Suddenly, strong arms grasped her and helped her to her feet. A tall, male body shielded her from the oncoming carriage as she was gently ushered back to the side of the road. Her heart still racing from the recent shock, Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself.

  “Miss Bennet—are you unharmed?”

  Elizabeth realised that the gentleman supporting her was Mr Darcy. She flushed as she also realised that he had one arm around her waist, the other holding her hand. Slowly, he released her as she stepped away from him.

  “Yes, thank you, sir.” She looked around and gave a shaky laugh. “I was warned about the dangers of the capital—the street peddlers and pickpockets and footpads...”

  “The street hawkers are often associated with the criminal poor in London but they are mostly just honest folk plying their trade and trying to earn a living,” said Darcy. “The pickpockets and footpads, however, you do need to be wary of. They do not normally attack in broad daylight—you must have been extremely unfortunate.” He frowned. “Did he take anything?”

  “Only my reticule, but I did not have much money left in it,” Elizabeth assured him. She had regained her composure now and was able to give him a weak smile as she dusted herself off, then began retrieving her parcels.

  Darcy stepped forwards to help her, and together they collected the scattered parcels from the road. By this time, the rain had begun to fall in earnest and Elizabeth was dismayed to see that several of the packages had been torn open and one in particular had fallen into a puddle. It was now soaked and the book was damaged beyond repair.

  “Oh!” she cried in disappointment as she picked it up gingerly. “This was my favourite selection and the one I had been most looking forward to reading.”

  “Perhaps you would like to return to the store to purchase another?” asked Darcy.

  Elizabeth hesitated, then shook her head. “I cannot. My aunt is expecting me back home and I am already delayed. What is more...” She paused awkwardly, her cheeks reddening. “I have spent what allowance I can afford on my purchases already.”

  Darcy inclined his head. “In that case, may I escort you back to your aunt’s residence? My own curricle is stationed nearby and I should be pleased to offer you a ride.”

  Elizabeth hesitated again. The last person she wanted to accept a ride from was Mr Darcy. On the other hand, the rain was getting stronger by the minute and she did not fancy the prospect of standing in the wet, clutching her many purchases and waiting for a hackney to become available. She could see the coach stand beyond Darcy’s shoulder and there was already a considerable queue waiting, with no carriage in sight. As was often the case, once the rain started, all available means of transport seemed to disappear!

  She turned back to Darcy. “Thank you, sir,” she said. “It is very kind of you. However, I should not like to give you any trouble and I am sure that—”

  “’Tis no trouble at all,” said Darcy smoothly, putting a gentle hand under her elbow and guiding her towards the side of the square.

  “Oh...” Elizabeth said as they arrived next to the vehicle and Darcy held his hand out to help her up. She was dismayed to see that there was no tiger perched at the back.

  “Is something the matter?” asked Darcy.

  “No... That is, I had not expected you to be driving it yourself,” said Elizabeth lamely.

  She did not add that the prospect of being alone with him in the vehicle made her heart beat unaccountably fast. She had expected there to be a groom or some other servant to chaperone them.