Fault or Virtue: An Imaginative Retelling of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'

From what she had glimpsed of the ball the previous night, Elizabeth was sure
that Mr. Darcy would not long stay at Netherfield. If he could voice his harsh opinion of
her so readily to his friend, she did not dare imagine what cruel thoughts he kept to
himself. Elizabeth wondered if all men of good breeding and great wealth were so
miserable. She would have endeavored to pity him had he not struck her so deliberately
and without good reason.

All of Meryton had anticipated this particular assembly because it was the first
public outing for the current residents of Netherfield. It was widely known that
Netherfield currently housed two bachelors by the names of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy,
accompanied by Mr. Bingley’s sister. Since the gentleman were unmarried, they were
also thought to be handsome, well mannered, and rich. Despite the collective hope of all
the mothers and single daughters of Hertfordshire and Meryton, only one bachelor had fit
the mold. Mr. Darcy was almost instantly recognized as a proud, haughty sort of
individual who would not stoop to pay those below his station any common courtesy. Mr.
Bingley’s engaging manner nearly compensated for his friend’s uncivil disposition, while
Miss Bingley was found to be of a rather average nature.

Mr. Darcy, as the neighborhood well knew, had personally slighted Elizabeth. His
words, “she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me,” echoed in her head since
they’d been voiced, as well as being repeated throughout the neighborhood. She was not
as offended as a young lady might be, however, but it was the audacity of the man
irritated her.

How Mr. Bingley stood his company she had no idea. Perhaps it was for the sake
of his sister, Miss Bingley, that he maintained the brooding bachelor’s presence. But if
Mr. Darcy maintained such a mood contrary to his social friend, she did not think the
relationship would endure. But she could not let these negative memories bother her for
long, for she was soon consumed by images of her smiling sister, Jane, as she danced
with the delightful Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth hoped that something would come of it. Not
for the same reasons as her mother, of course, but for Jane’s genuine happiness.

Bingley, lounging comfortably in an armchair.
“That is a lovely sentiment, but it is simply not true,” Miss Bingley dismissed
with a wave of a delicate hand. She rarely sat in the presence of gentlemen owing to the
fact that her figure appeared to the greatest advantage when she stood. Many a man had
noticed this habit of hers in town, but her brother’s friend, the elusive Mr. Darcy had yet
to pay it any mind. “This is a simple town full of simple people, perhaps the women were
just more handsome than you had anticipated.”
“I am not mistaken,” insisted Bingley, “Miss Bennet is the most beautiful creature
I have ever laid my eyes upon. I must see her as soon as it is polite.” Bingley could be
persuaded in or out of anything, but where a pretty lady was concerned, he stood firm.
“Mr. Darcy, perhaps you may convince him otherwise,” Caroline said dutifully,
knowing the gentleman was always in need of some gentle provocation into a

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conversation. She was determined that he find her most accommodating and supportive
this visit, lest he doubted her fit for the position of his wife and Mistress of Pemberley.

“If he believes that Miss Bennet is the most handsome women he has ever met,
then his visit will be the better for it,” said Darcy, peering out the window to the front
lawn and away from Caroline’s stately figure. The Hertfordshire countryside was
beautiful, there was no denying it, but he still longed for home.

Bingley could not help cutting in, “I still cannot believe what you said about her
sister, Darcy! The Bennet girls are all very handsome, I do not think you were really
looking.”

“Do you mean Miss Elizabeth, Charles?” Miss Bingley interjected, suddenly very
interested.
“Yes, Caroline. I could not persuade Darcy to stand up with her at all last night.
Nor any other lady in the room for that matter.” It had been the opposite for Bingley,
there was not one lady in the room he had not stood up with.
Miss Bingley’s chin rose considerably in light of the scorned women as she set
about defending Darcy. “I quite understand your reticence, Mr. Darcy. She has a bit of a
wild look about her, something in the expression of her eyes. She is nothing like her older
sister Miss Jane Bennet, and that is a shame.”
Not wanting his rejection to feed Caroline’s pursuit of him, Darcy intervened. “I
hardly noticed her, Bingley. It was nothing against Miss Elizabeth, I could not have been
persuaded to dance with a stranger for the world. I am pleased that you found your
partner to be so agreeable, but I do not see that we will be seeing much of her owing that
the sole purpose of our country sojourn is hunting.”
Hunting, rest, and considerable miles
from my worries.
“Surely you do not mean for us to hunt day and night!” Bingley tittered. “I am
eager to socialize with the neighborhood and I am sure Caroline means to entertain a
great deal.”
“I am not entirely certain after what I witnessed last night,” Miss Bingley
answered quickly, “I am not sure that many beyond Miss Bennet are worth getting to
know here, Charles. Mr. Darcy agrees, I am sure. I have never seen him as unhappy as he
was at the assembly.”
“I was unsettled by the behavior of some of the younger girls present at the
assembly,” Darcy explained, thinking of his own sister and how she would behave in
society, then remembering how she
had
behaved when let out in society.
“I cannot imagine anything more unlike the society of London. Can you, Mr.
Darcy?” Miss Bingley prompted.
“No.” Darcy said, decidedly. Though he did not pine for London as Miss Bingley
nor did he wish to return there for the same reasons, Darcy was beginning to think it
would be best if he did make his way back to London, and quickly. His cousin, Colonel
Fitzwilliam was on leave in town and could assist him in finding a new companion for his
sister. Netherfield was supposed to allow him rest from recent events, but he was yet to
feel at all relaxed, Caroline Bingley had thus far made it impossible to do so. When he
had agreed to the scheme, he was made to understand that Mr. Bingley’s married sister,
Mrs. Hurst and her husband were to accompany them as well, but had declined the offer
in favor of a stay by the sea in its stead. Without Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, he found Miss

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Bingley’s constant company irksome at the least, bordering on improper. Darcy wished
Bingley would speak up against Caroline’s marked attentions towards him.

When the mail arrived not long after, Darcy received a letter from his cousin that
convinced him a return to London was the best option. Colonel Fitzwilliam had lined up
three potential companions and had planned to interview them himself. Penning a hasty
reply, Darcy sent word to Fitzwilliam to postpone the interviews until his return to
London, which would occur in a few days time.

“I am afraid I have bad news,” Darcy said to the Bingley siblings, “Colonel
Fitzwilliam has asked that I return to London as soon as it is convenient to do so, and I
intend to do so in a few days time. You know that I appreciate your hospitality and that I
am sorry to leave you…” He hoped that though delivered without warmth due to
Caroline’s presence that the statement did not seem any less sincere, “…but I’m afraid
it’s unavoidable.”

“Why of course, Mr. Darcy!” Miss Bingley grieved, “We are sorry to see you go,
but you must see to the Colonel.” Miss Bingley tailored her expression to appear happier
than she felt. She had finally cornered Mr. Darcy of Pemberley as well as she could hope
for and he was set to leave already! She could not, however, display the depths of her
despair on the subject. The Mistress of Pemberley would be required to step back and let
its Master run to and fro as business and pleasure demanded.

Darcy felt guilty using his cousin as an excuse. He abhorred deception of any
kind, but had no other way of removing himself from Netherfield without appearing
ungrateful.

“Say that you will return when your business is concluded or we will have to
follow you to London,” Miss Bingley insisted, “Or what else will entertain us here in
Hertfordshire?” Having Darcy nearly all to herself in Hertfordshire was indeed a
welcome pleasure, but the idea of returning to London was only slightly less tempting.

“If it is a possibility, I will see that I do.” Darcy promised, feeling more guilty by
the second.
Bingley was noticeably affected by the news, hardly able to fix upon a response.
“This is terrible news, Darcy! Now we must get an entire summer’s country business
done with very quickly: hunting, socializing, riding. Let us ride out immediately, what
say you?”
Darcy knew that any ride would bring them straight to the Bennet’s doorstep and
directly into contact with whom and with what had so displeased him the night before.
Yet, he could not bring himself to argue against a plan that would remove him from Miss
Bingley’s company, especially when Miss Bingley was so desperate to keep him at
Netherfield.
Seeing the Bennets again will strengthen my resolve to leave, and hopefully,
in the light of day, Bingley will see the family as they truly are.

“Lizzy,” Elizabeth heard her father say as she crossed the doorway to his study.
“How do you always know it is me?” she filed inside.
“You have a lighter step than Mary, a faster step than Jane, and a more quiet way

of moving about compared with your mother, Lydia, or Kitty. And I have learned from
my mistakes, from which I have gathered that largely for those same reasons given, you
are the only one I will allow in my study.” Elizabeth laughed. She did not remember
anyone entering the study by invitation other than her for years, her father must be telling

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the truth. He continued, all the while organizing his shelves while he spoke.“I think it
wise to warn you that if half of what your mother has been saying this morning is true,
that you must be prepared to secure a husband with upwards of five thousand a year in
order to also secure the affection of your mother. Jane has set the example, and now each
daughter in line must exceed the last. Are you up to the task?”

Elizabeth thought this might be a way by which her father would learn her
opinion of last night’s events, but she would not allow it to be so easy.
“Father, I hardly think it possible for my mother to think of anything for quite a
while in the event of Jane’s marriage, if it should occur. I would be safe for a while.”
“Ah, you underestimate your mother. I’m afraid your betrothal has already
crossed her mind. As has Mary’s, Kitty’s, and Lydia’s. From what I gather, we cannot
hope that Mr. Darcy will entertain thoughts of marrying you, but that is just as well, we
can hardly have Mary up to the task of finding a gentleman with more than ten thousand
a year. It would hardly be fair to your younger sisters.”
“You amuse yourself far too much with the subject of matrimony. I believe it is
something that I am doomed to disappoint my mother in, as it is likely that I will not
marry at all.”
“That is all I needed to hear this morning,” he said, and sat down at his desk with
a book. Lizzy smiled widely and as she began to leave the room, he added, “Ah, you best
inform Mary, Kitty, and Lydia that they need compensate for your decided spinsterhood
in their matches. I am sure the latter will not mind too much.”

Jane and Lizzy could hardly get a moment’s peace to discuss Mr. Bingley, so after
breakfast Lizzy suggested they should take a walk to get some privacy. Jane was no
walker, but she readily consented, too eager for time away from Mrs. Bennet, who had all
but planned her wedding breakfast. But just as they began their walk, the very gentleman
they wished to discuss came riding up on a fine black horse. But they could neither of
them fault Mr. Bingley for his timing! The girls had just enough time to quell their
blushes when Elizabeth’s face soon resumed its pink with the appearance of Mr. Darcy,
riding up from behind his friend.

“Good morning, ladies!” Mr. Bingley was all good humor. “I am glad to see you
up at this hour. We decided to ride about and thank everyone for last night’s kind
welcome.”

Mr. Darcy’s look made Elizabeth believe that her suspicions were correct and that
their trip to the Bennet’s house was the only one planned for the day. She was so happy
for Jane and hoped that Jane recognized the great compliment. Jane saw the best in others
but was not so gentle upon herself, owing to her shy disposition. She would likely not
admit that a gentleman liked her until he proposed.

“How kind of you, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy” Jane bowed demurely. “Does your
sister remain at Netherfield?”
“She does, but she sends her warmest regards. Once we are more settled I know
she is eager to extend an invitation for you to dine with us.”
“That would be lovely,” Jane bowed.