After Anne: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Renata McMann & Summer Hanford

Author:Renata McMann & Summer Hanford
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms
Published: 2020-03-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Darcy sat behind the desk in the office at Darcy House, his London home. Ostensibly, he’d left orders not to be disturbed so that he could catch up on his business correspondences, somewhat neglected while in Brighton. In reality, no matter how hard he stared at each letter, his mind continuously returned to the scene in Anne’s rented home.

Lady Catherine obviously believed Darcy’s attraction for Elizabeth stemmed from some chivalrous notion of raising her up from her lowly countrified state and rescuing her from the inevitable poverty awaiting her at her father’s demise. When Mr. Bennet died, everything that was his would become Mr. Collins’ because Mr. Bennet’s estate was entailed to him. Darcy certainly believed that unfortunate circumstance was lamentable, but the real question was, was his aunt correct? If the chance to behave as a knight errant proved Darcy’s real goal, that meant the attraction wasn’t real. If so, he was lucky Elizabeth had turned him down.

But if not, if his love was for Elizabeth Bennet with her wit and grace, her spirit and joy…the way she laughed. The way she challenged him at every turn. The way she made him want to be a better version of himself, to cast off the shackles of his station and live life more fully. Choose his friends more freely. Employ his time more cheerfully.

Darcy gave his head a firm shake, trying to dispel an image of Elizabeth, eyes flashing and lips quirked. He’d never be able to sort out the truth of his feelings if he couldn’t stop falling into the trap of memories of her. And dreams of what more there could be between them.

He drew in a long breath and reapplied his mind to the question at hand. Did he love Elizabeth or love the idea of saving her? True, he nurtured a certain amount of jealousy that Lady Catherine had been the one to supply Elizabeth with stylish and expensive dresses. On top of that, he was relieved that Elizabeth had more resources than she had before. He did not want her to live in poverty and now she could end up poor but not destitute.

In reality, she no longer required rescuing, assuming she ever had. Darcy imagined a woman as smart and capable as Elizabeth would have found a good life whether she’d met him or not. The more he thought on it, the more it seemed that perhaps he was the one who required rescuing, not her. Someone to save him from his staid and tightly defined existence.

Elizabeth was different from all the society women he’d dealt with over the years, but was the difference that she shined despite her situation? Would he love her if she were rich? If, when they’d met, she’d been of his class and he’d done his duty and partnered her in a set, instead of insulting her?

These were not questions he could easily answer.

He rubbed at the strain in the back of his neck. It had all seemed so clear when he proposed to her.

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