A Public Compromise: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by E Bradshaw

Author:E Bradshaw [Bradshaw, E & Bradshaw, E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-10T18:30:00+00:00

*****

Darcy

Darcy didn’t give the nervous-looking maid any time to announce him to Mr Bennet. Instead, he marched right past her, gave one sharp knock on Mr Bennet’s study door to announce his arrival, and then promptly strode in. Mr Bennet looked up from his writing with a startled look, though he did his best to hide his surprise behind a scornful sneer when he saw who it was who had arrived with such rude haste into his private domain.

“Mr Darcy; to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” he asked in a sarcastic tone as he steepled his hands and leant back in his chair with a disapproving scowl.

“It is no pleasure, Mr Bennet, but a duty,” Darcy retorted angrily as he slammed the door with some force behind him. “A duty that should have been yours,” he continued forcefully, “but in your neglect, instead fell to me.”

“I have not the benefit of understanding you,” Mr Bennet scoffed impatiently. “What on earth are you speaking of?”

Darcy was far too angry to think of phrasing his words with care and had long since passed the point of trying to gain the older man’s approval. It was quite obvious what Mr Bennet thought of him, and after the scene he had just encountered with Elizabeth and the soldiers, he was certainly in no mood to try and build any bridges.

“Simply put, your lack of care for your daughter, sir,” he retorted scathingly. “Before I went away, I warned Elizabeth about the dangers of the army camp. I told her to stay away –”

“You have no place telling my daughter what to do!” Mr Bennet growled as he abruptly rose to his feet to glare at him from across his desk.

“Someone needs to think of her safety!” Darcy snapped back. “Quite clearly, you are not! I was trying to protect her from unsavoury men in the regiment – of which both you and I know there are far too many!”

Mr Bennet scoffed incredulously, looking for all the world as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“If we are going to speak of unsavoury men and unsavoury behaviour, then let us look a little closer to home, shall we, Mr Darcy?” he retorted scathingly. “We have never properly addressed how you forced my daughter into this sham of an engagement; how you have bullied her, and gradually persuaded her to think that the whole shameful thing is in her best interests until she barely seems to think for herself these days!”

“Oh, believe me, Elizabeth thinks for herself,” Darcy bit back with a scornful look. “She has her own mind, and I have no interest in controlling her or bullying her, no matter what you might think! But if you want to know who she looks up to, who she cannot bear the idea of disappointing or disobeying, and who consequently put her in danger today, then you need to look closer to home, sir!” he spat contemptuously.

“Put her in danger?” Mr Bennet scoffed dismissively.

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