Just to Hear 'I Love You': An Alternate Tale of Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' by Johnson Sarah

Author:Johnson, Sarah [Johnson, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2014-09-29T04:00:00+00:00

Fitz was coming down the stairs when he saw the butler answer the door. He recognized the visitor as being the rector they met briefly yesterday at church, so he stepped up to greet him.

“Reverend Carter, I met you yesterday,” he bowed. “I am Colonel Fitzwilliam.”

“Yes; yes, of course,” he handed his hat and coat to the waiting butler and bowed to the colonel. “I came to speak with Mr Darcy. Is he available?”

“He and Mr Bingley were just going over some estate business, but I doubt my cousin would mind the intrusion; right this way,” he said as he turned to walk down the hall towards Bingley’s study. When they entered, he said to the two men bent over a ledger at the desk, “We have a visitor, gentlemen.”

Darcy looked up and, upon seeing the familiar face of the rector, he stood to greet him properly. Bingley stepped up beside him as well. Greetings were exchanged all around, pleasantries were expended with, and the men were soon seated and ready for the conversation they all knew was coming.

Darcy began. “I am very sorry for the disruption to your service yesterday.”

“No, no—it was not your fault. I do not hold you, or your family,” he said with great emphasis, “responsible for the neighborhood’s false ideas espoused so easily yesterday.”

“I am surprised to hear such words, considering you have not yet spoken with us about the events which led to such accusations of my sister,” Darcy replied.

“It seems the sitting rooms have been abuzz with much talk this last week and I have been none the wiser. My wife, however, has heard quite a few tales and felt it best that I speak with Mrs Collins, so together we paid a call on her before I came here.”

He nodded, “Then I am sure you have been informed quite accurately of the events which have transpired. Mrs Collins spoke with my wife just last week and has tried to do what she could to tell others of the true events of that tragic day, but I suppose she has not been very successful.”

“No, I would say not. She was quite upset over yesterday’s church service. My wife has agreed to assist in her quest to alter the general opinion of the neighborhood, so perhaps things will change soon.”

Fitz spoke up, “I am surprised you have been here, what was it? Two years?” The rector nodded his head, and Fitz continued. “Two years—it is quite a length of time for you to not have heard these rumors before now.”

“I was very lucky to have been chosen for such a position. As I am sure you are well aware, it is unusual to find such at my young age. The last rector died suddenly though, so I did not have the occasion to speak with him before I took over the parish. As you can well imagine, this event was put behind the town of Meryton for several years, and it is only your

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