Separated at Birth: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Shana Granderson A Lady

Author:Shana Granderson A Lady [Granderson A Lady, Shana]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

The silence in the drawing room was broken as Fanny broke down in sobs after seeing Lizzy’s twin for the first time. No matter how many times she had been told how much they looked alike, nothing had prepared her for the reality of seeing her stolen daughter she had believed dead for so many years.

“She is beautiful,” was all Fanny could manage before Bennet led her to a divan and seated himself next to his crying wife.

Elizabeth and Beth-Anne continued to stare one at the other. They had both been prepared to see another who was identical to herself, but that did not make the moment they faced each other any less riveting. Elizabeth had more time to assimilate the knowledge than Beth-Anne had, but regardless of how much or how little time they had to prepare themselves, each young lady seeing the other left her frozen in place.

Elizabeth recovered first and tried to use humour to diffuse the tension in the room. “Even if I say so myself, you look very well, just like someone I know.” Beth-Anne thought to respond, but found she was still tongue-tied.

“Mayhap I should make the introductions before we proceed,” Andrew proposed. There was general agreement.

Richard led Beth-Anne to sit between his Aunt Anne and Gigi. Still having not spoken since the Bennets entered the room, Beth-Anne sat meekly. Lady Anne looked at her eldest daughter with concern, hoping she would emerge from her stupor sooner rather than later.

“Aunt Anne, Beth-Anne, Gigi, allow me to introduce Mr. Thomas Bennet and Mrs. Frances Bennet; my betrothed, Miss Jane Bennet; Miss Elizabeth; Miss Mary; and Miss Cathy. Bennet and Mother Bennet, Jane, Lizzy, Mary, and Cathy, I present to you my favourite aunt, Lady Anne Darcy, and my cousins Miss Beth-Anne and Miss Georgiana Darcy.” Andrew was not sure whether he should have added Darcy after Beth-Anne’s name or not, so he decided to leave it off for now.

The Earl stood. “Even had Andrew and Jane not become engaged, we would have found ourselves inextricably connected as soon as William saw Miss Elizabeth, as he inevitably would have,” said the Earl, looking at Beth-Anne pointedly. From the evidence we learnt so far in London and Stilton, it is clear my late brother, Robert Darcy, was the one who caused us to be where we are today.” He turned towards Beth-Anne. “Regardless of your surname.” Beth-Anne gave an audible sob at the reference to her family name, “You always would have been part of our family in our hearts, as my sister stated when we met earlier, but the truth is in a few short weeks your oldest birth sister will marry Andrew and then you will be related indeed. I cannot speak to the Bennets’ intentions, but based on what I know of them, I am sure they will not desire to make your life more difficult by sundering you from the family you have known since birth.”

“Beth-Anne, the facts are you are our daughter,” Bennet spoke for himself and his wife.

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