New Beginnings Read online

  “Everyone will know when he comes back for me and we are married.”

  “Nora, you are not the first member of our staff who has gotten herself into this situation while in Mr. Darcy’s employ. I have suspected your condition for some time and I wrote to Mr. Darcy and asked him what he wanted me to do. I received a letter from him this morning and he is willing to send you to Heatherwood, the Darcy estate in Scotland, to have your baby. When you have recovered from your child’s birth, you may return to Pemberley and resume your job. The Darcy carriage will leave for Scotland in the morning.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. ’Tis very generous of Mr. Darcy. I cannot return to my family like this. I will be ready to leave for Scotland tomorrow.” With no word from George, Nora knew she was being given a very good opportunity and was lucky she would have her job to return to.

  Mrs. Reynolds saw how downcast Nora looked. “Nora, you will be well cared for at Heatherwood. When your young man returns for you, I will tell him where he can find you. You can easily be married in Scotland.” If Mrs. Reynolds suspicions were correct, she doubted Nora Kelly would ever see the likes of George Wickham again.

  Nora was resting comfortably in the luxurious Darcy carriage as it traveled the many miles from Pemberley to Scotland. Mrs. Reynolds had sent Sally Hale, another young maid, to accompany Nora on her trip north. “I tell ye, Miss Nora, I ain’t never seen rain as bad as this in me whole life.”

  Nora was distracted by her constant thoughts of George Wickham. ‘Will I ever see him again? Will we ever marry? If we do not marry, how can I take care of my baby while working at Pemberley? My parents are both hard working people, but they would not be inclined to help their unmarried daughter and her illegitimate child.’ She tried to remember what Sally had just said. “Yes, Sally, ‘tis indeed a wet spring.”

  As the words left Nora’s mouth the carriage began to lurch violently from side to side and both young women felt the carriage was in danger of tipping over. The driver and the coachman were trying their best to keep the carriage upright, but the slick road was too much for them. The carriage carrying Nora Kelly and Sally Hale toppled over and slid down the muddy embankment beside the road.

  Wickham was frustrated by his ever - lengthening delay returning to Pemberley and Nora. He was gambling day and night trying to win enough money to buy their passage to the Americas. Wickham was limited to where he could get a card game to those few establishments from which he had not already been banned due to substantial unpaid debts.

  After three months, Wickham felt he had finally amassed enough money to marry Nora. He spent a great deal of his earnings on procuring a special license and then rode back to Pemberley to reunite with the woman he loves. When he entered the kitchen, the few servants working in the room would not make eye contact with him. “Mrs. C., I can feel that something is not right here. Where is Nora Kelly?”

  “George, wait here and I will get Mrs. Reynolds for you.”

  After several minutes, Mrs. Reynolds appeared in the doorway. “George, please come with me.” Wickham followed Mrs. Reynolds into her office and she closed the door. “Have a seat, I fear I have some bad news.”

  “Did you dismiss Nora? Was it Darcy’s idea?”

  “George, Nora Kelly was with child when she left Pemberley several weeks ago. I have been led to believe that the child was yours.”

  Mrs. Reynolds saw the shocked look on Wickham’s face. “I had no idea about the baby. Is Nora well? And the baby?”

  “Nora told me that she could not go back to her family in her condition. When Mr. Darcy was told of Nora’s situation, he asked me to make arrangements to have Nora taken to the Darcy estate in Scotland. Mr. Darcy sent a letter to Heatherwood informing them that Nora and another young maid were coming, and we knew that Nora would be well cared for there. After she recovered from the birth, Mr. Darcy said Nora could return to Pemberley.”

  “Please, Mrs. Reynolds, may I sleep here tonight? I will leave for Scotland at sunrise.”

  “I am sorry to tell you that on the road to Scotland, the weather was quite bad, and the roads were very slippery. There was a terrible carriage accident and… Nora was killed.” Wickham put his hands on his face, bent over in his chair and began to cry. “When I informed Mr. Darcy of the tragic event, he generously insisted on providing an allowance to Nora’s family.”

  Wickham rose slowly from his seat as if he was in a daze. He began mumbling, “Nora is dead. Nora, my Nora.” Wickham was looking off in the distance and kept mumbling the name of the woman he loved. He turned his gaze toward Mrs. Reynolds and through his tears, he asked, “where is the high and mighty Darcy?”

  “You know I cannot tell you where Mr. Darcy is.”

  The sadness he had been feeling, quickly turned to rage. With venom in his voice, Wickham leaned across Mrs. Reynolds’ desk. “My betrothed and my child are dead, and it is all Darcy’s fault. He sent her away and now she is dead. This is the last time that man will ruin my life. I will destroy Fitzwilliam Darcy and everyone he cares about. No matter what it takes, I will have my revenge.” Wickham had tears streaming down his face as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

  Mrs. Reynolds sat quietly behind her desk until she could decide what she should do about the threats she had just heard. She knew that George Wickham had often made idle threats throughout his years at Pemberley, but she felt Mr. Darcy should be aware of Wickham’s latest warning. She took out her writing materials and composed a letter to her master at Darcy House in London. She conveyed all the details of her latest encounter with Wickham. Rebecca Reynolds would do anything in her power to protect the Darcy family. She never imagined that her letter of caution would not be seen by her master until it was too late.

  Chapter 4

  George Wickham’s dreams for the future were shattered. He had never loved anyone in his life until he met Nora Kelly and now she was dead. After he left Mrs. Reynold’s office, he retrieved his horse and left Pemberley. He used some of his gambling winnings and spent a few nights at an inn in Lambton. His hatred of Darcy consumed him day and night. It was at the inn that Wickham decided on his course of action. Darcy had not returned to Pemberley and Wickham was sure that he had to be in London. He decided he would go to London, confront Darcy and challenge him to a duel. He would happily end the life of his nemesis.

  Wickham arrived in London in the early afternoon and he went directly to Darcy House. He saw that the big brass knocker was off the front door indicating that no one was in residence. Wickham knew that Darcy was generally unsociable and “not at home” to most of London. He walked up the front steps and pounded on the door. Moments later, a footman and Mrs. Winters, the housekeeper, opened the door. “No one is in residence, George,” said Mrs. Winters impatiently.

  “You have to let me in, Mrs. Winters!”

  “George, you must know that I am not permitted to admit you to Darcy House under any circumstances.”

  Wickham was not about to be turned away and he violently pushed his way into the front hall. A second footman appeared behind the housekeeper. “Mrs. Winters, you have known me since I was a child. I am sure Darcy will be happy to see me. Pray tell him that I am here to speak to him about a very important matter.”

  “George, I told you that Mr. Darcy is not at home. Pray allow Jackson to see you out.”

  Wickham seethed, “I am not leaving here until I speak to Darcy!”

  Georgiana Darcy had been sitting alone in the drawing room looking through some new sheets of music that her music teacher had brought her. When she heard the commotion at the front door, she went to see what was happening. She saw George Wickham speaking with Mrs. Winters. Georgiana had very happy childhood memories of George Wickham. He had always been very kind to her. He would often play with her and sneak treats to her whenever he could. Georgiana walked toward the front door. “George, it is so good to see you again. It has been such a long time.”

  When he saw Georgiana
Darcy, Wickham immediately changed his demeanor. “Who is this beautiful young woman? Surely not our little Georgie!” Wickham bowed over Georgiana’s hand. He was pouring on the charm even though his first instinct was to kill Georgiana to get even with her brother. Several nearby footmen prevented him from acting on that idea.

  Georgiana blushed at his words. “George, welcome to Darcy House. Will you not stay and have some tea with me?”

  Wickham glared at Mrs. Winters and the footmen as he followed Georgiana into the drawing room. They sat down, and Georgiana poured him a cup of tea. “If I was not sitting in Darcy House, I do not believe I would have recognized you. You have grown into such a beautiful young lady.” Georgiana blushed at Wickham’s insincere compliment. “And where is Darcy these days?”

  “My brother recently left town with Charles Bingley. They are going to stay at Bingley’s newly leased estate which I believe is located somewhere in Hertfordshire. He is relying on my brother’s advice about running an estate. Mr. Bingley has his heart set on buying a property and wants William to help him make the decision.”

  “Did you say how long Darcy will be in Hertfordshire?”

  “I believe he will be there for a month. I am very happy he could get away. He works so hard and he receives so many letters of business every day. I asked Mrs. Winters not to forward his mail. He will take care of everything as soon as he returns to London.”

  “Darcy is leaving you alone in London for a month? That does not sound like him.”

  “My brother takes very good care of me,” Georgiana said defensively. Wickham knew she loved and admired her older brother, who was more like a father to her at times. “Before he left, we had a wonderful celebration of his birthday. William took me to the Vauxhall Gardens. We went by boat and we saw them building the new Vauxhall Bridge. It was ever so much fun. When he was planning to leave with Mr. Bingley, I was scheduled to leave for Ramsgate with Mrs. Grant, my companion. Shortly before we were scheduled to travel, Mrs. Grant had to leave suddenly to care for her sick mother. Until my brother and my cousin, Richard, choose a new companion for me, my plans to travel to Ramsgate have been postponed.”

  As Wickham sat quietly and listened to Georgiana speak, he was already formulating a new plan to destroy Darcy’s life without having to best him with a sword. After a few more minutes of conversation, Wickham stood to leave the room. He walked over to Georgiana and gently kissed her hand while looking into her eyes. “My dearest Georgiana, thank you so much for your lovely hospitality. I hope we will see each other soon.” Wickham bowed and quickly left the room.

  As soon as Wickham left Darcy House he immediately knew where he was going. He needed to see an old friend and make all the necessary arrangements for his new plan to destroy Fitzwilliam Darcy.

  Wickham rode to an area of London where poverty and crime were prevalent. He strode into the Horse and Hounds Inn and before he could ask for her, Susan Younge approached him.

  “Well, look what the tide washed in! ‘Tis nice to see you George. How are you, love?”

  “Susan, my dear, how would you like to help your old friend George make a great deal of money? Which I will, of course, share with you.”

  “It would be my pleasure, dearie. Why do we not go upstairs to my room and talk about it?”

  “Lead the way, madam.” As Wickham followed Susan Younge up the stairs, he felt that his quest for revenge was getting closer to becoming a reality.

  Chapter 5

  Hertfordshire

  The community had been buzzing for weeks about the gentleman who had recently leased Netherfield Park. He was said to be unmarried and have an income of five thousand pounds a year. All those attending the Spring Assembly for the residents of Meryton were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mr. Bingley and his party.

  When they finally arrived, the unofficial leader of Meryton, Sir William Lucas, greeted them and introduced the newcomers to many of his friends and neighbors. Mr. Bingley was friendly and forthcoming with everyone to whom he was introduced. Mr. Bingley’s sisters, Mrs. Louisa Hurst and Miss Caroline Bingley looked down their noses at everyone as if they were smelling rotting fish. Mr. Hurst took one look around the Assembly Hall and headed for the punch bowl. Mr. Bingley’s tall and handsome friend, Mr. Darcy, seemed determined to look over everyone’s head and avoided making eye contact with anyone.

  Sir William introduced the Bingley party to the Bennet family and Mr. Bingley quickly requested Jane Bennet’s hand for the next set. After they danced their second set later in the evening, the gossips of Meryton were already spreading rumors of a budding romance.

  After dancing the first few sets, Elizabeth Bennet was resting her feet and watching the dancers with her dearest friend, Charlotte Lucas. They overheard Mr. Bingley encourage his friend to dance with Jane Bennet’s sister. Mr. Darcy proceeded to insult Elizabeth and then he stalked away from his friend with a frown on his face.

  At the end of the evening, as everyone was exiting the Assembly Hall, Darcy and Elizabeth happened to be standing in the doorway at the same time. Darcy turned to her and bowed. “Good evening to you, Miss Elizabeth.”

  “Goodbye, Mr. Darcy!” ‘I cannot believe the nerve of him. First, he insults me and then he wishes me a good evening. What a proud, arrogant man! It would be very easy to hate such a terrible person!’

  Despite going to bed later than usual due to the Assembly, Elizabeth awoke early in the morning. Shortly after dawn she set out on her daily morning walk. She had been walking for about twenty minutes when she saw a most unwelcome figure walking toward her.

  “Good morning, Miss Elizabeth.” Darcy bowed, and Elizabeth curtsied. “May I join you on your walk?”

  Elizabeth was quite tired from the previous evening’s dancing and the absence of sufficient sleep. She spoke words which demonstrated her lack of patience with someone who had insulted her. “Mr. Darcy, I cannot imagine why you wish to join me. Last night at the Assembly I heard you tell Mr. Bingley that I was barely tolerable to look at and you did not consider me handsome enough to dance with. Sir, you should not be surprised that I find it difficult to understand your request.”

  Darcy ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of how he should respond to this lovely, impertinent young woman’s observation. “Miss Elizabeth, I am mortified that you overheard my comments to Bingley. By nature, I am a very shy man. I do not feel comfortable around people until I come to know them. I am very sorry that you heard what I said. My true feelings are quite the opposite of what you overheard. I believe you are a very handsome woman, quite beautiful, in fact. I wish to join you on your walk because, well… I would like to know you better in the hope that we might become friends. What say you, Miss Elizabeth?”

  Elizabeth looked at Darcy and thought for a moment. ‘He is certainly behaving in a much more gentlemanly manner this morning.’ “Very well, Mr. Darcy. Shall we walk toward Oakham Mount?”

  “As I am new to the area, I will leave the direction of our walk totally up to you, fair maiden.” Elizabeth attempted not to smile at his teasing words and they began to walk. Darcy noticed that Elizabeth was holding a book. “May I ask what you are reading?” Elizabeth showed him that she was carrying her father’s copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. “Do you enjoy reading Shakespeare?”

  “Very much, I am rereading the sonnets and I have read all the tragedies and most of the comedies. I cannot decide which I prefer.”

  Darcy reached into his coat pocket and removed a much smaller version of the same book Elizabeth was holding. “I almost always have this with me. I turn to it when I need to clear my head of other matters.” Elizabeth smiled at the revelation that they both enjoyed the same book.

  After walking together for several minutes, time mostly spent discussing the scenery, Darcy asked, “shall we have a seat in the shade? We can be more comfortable as we discuss our favorite sonnets.”

  “I think I would enjoy that, sir.”

  Elizabeth and Darcy s
at beneath the shade of a large oak tree and took turns reciting a selection of sonnets. “Which one is your favorite, Miss Elizabeth?”

  “I believe telling you might convey too much information about myself. Pray tell me your favorite, sir.”

  “Now that you have brought it up, I do not believe I am quite ready to tell you my particular favorite. Although, “shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” seems like it would be the most appropriate for today.”

  Elizabeth smiled at hearing the line from the sonnet he had just recited. “Very well, perhaps if we come to know each other better.”

  “Madam, I was thinking the same thing.”

  When they realized that it was time to return to their homes, they resumed walking and began to speak of other books and poets they enjoyed. They came to the path that would separate them and Darcy bowed over Elizabeth’s hand and walked toward Netherfield. She hurried home to Longbourn, so she would be on time to share breakfast with her family. Elizabeth was sure her mother would be too busy discussing Jane’s dances with Mr. Bingley to even notice if her second oldest daughter was seated at the table.

  The next morning, Darcy was waiting for Elizabeth at the same spot where they had parted the day before. “Good morning, Mr. Darcy.”

  “Miss Elizabeth.” They stood silently for a moment and looked into each other’s eyes. “Shall we?” Darcy began walking and Elizabeth could see that they were heading toward Oakham Mount. They walked together in companionable silence until Darcy began the conversation. “I am very happy to see you again this morning. I enjoyed our walk and our discussion yesterday and was hoping to continue our conversation today.”

  “I enjoyed our walk, as well, Mr. Darcy. Is there anything specific you would like to discuss?”