Guiding & Protecting Read online

  Guiding and Protecting

  This is a fictional work based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. All the characters are fictional so any similarities to actual people, places, or events are purely accidental.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal use only and may not be sold, shared, or given away to others. This is the author’s original work. Please do not illegally share this work with anyone else. If you are reading this book and it was not purchased at Amazon or was not obtained through Amazon on the authorized Kindle Unlimited program, then please return the work and obtain it through the proper means. By trying to read the work by any other means is harming the author who is not paid for the work.

  Please do not copy, redistribute, or reproduce any part of this publication. The author retains all sole rights for reproduction in any form whatsoever. Prior permission, in writing, must be obtained from the author for any form of reproduction or sharing of this work.

  Cover created by Deborah Ann Kauer.

  First Edition 2018

  Note from the author: In the original work by Jane Austen, no first names were given for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Mr. and Mrs. Philips, Mrs. Gardiner, and Colonel Fitzwilliam or his family – including the full title of his father the earl. The names I have chosen are as correct as any other names other authors have given them. I know one particular author has established names others have adapted, and some of the film versions have supplied names, but I chose names I will continue to use in all of my versions. I apologize to anyone who is unhappy with my decision, but it really is my decision to make. Additional characters, never mentioned in the original book, are also the prerogative of individual authors.

  Dedication:

  To my daughter and mother who encouraged through this entire process.

  You may contact me through my website at http://deborahannkauer.weebly.com/.

  Table of Contents

  Prelude: Not Alone

  Chapter One: A Spring Trip

  Chapter Two: On the Beach

  Chapter Three: A Growing Friendship

  Chapter Four: Too Friendly

  Chapter Five: Intervention for Protection

  Chapter Six: Help of an Unexpected Nature

  Chapter Seven: To the Rescue?

  Chapter Eight: A House Let

  Chapter Nine: Becoming Acquainted

  Chapter Ten: 40 Days and 40 Nights?

  Chapter Eleven: Obnoxious Relation

  Chapter Twelve: True Colors Revealed

  Chapter Thirteen: A Spy in the Woods

  Chapter Fourteen: Engaged

  Chapter Fifteen: Disappointed Plans

  Chapter Sixteen: Do As I Say

  Chapter Seventeen: Arrivals

  Chapter Eighteen: A Villain Found

  Chapter Nineteen: Cause of Death

  Chapter Twenty: The Truth About Cousin Anne

  Chapter Twenty-One: My Relative is More Offensive Than Yours

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Late Night Talks

  Twenty-Three: A Wedding and More

  Twenty-Four: Truths Revealed

  Epilogue

  Prelude: Not Alone

  Mr. Darcy's voice began within hours of his father’s burial. He had been standing beside the newly covered grave when it first spoke.

  “He was a good man and will be greatly missed.”

  Startled, he turned to see who had remained behind. He had hoped to have a few moments alone to reflect on his loss, but his shock caused him to turn and see who had taken the liberty to invade his privacy. Because he saw no one, the female voice unnerved him even more.

  “He loved you and your sister very much, but his grief was overwhelming.”

  His father’s grief had been obvious to Darcy. He had lived with his father’s grief since his mother's death and had watched as his father slowly faded away. As to the love his father might have had for his sister and him, he had not always been sure of the fact. His father had spent far more time with George Wickham who deserved none of his father’s attention.

  His father was a good man, and George Wickham was anything but good. His true character had been revealed to Fitzwilliam during their first year at university, but he had refrained from revealing George’s wickedness to his father. Maybe it would have been better had he pulled the veil from Wickham’s character; maybe his father might then have had more time for him and his sister. Too late for regrets, he reminded himself sternly.

  “Fitzwilliam, you must remember him as the good man he was. Do not hold his past mistakes against him. Live your life to the fullest and be the happy person your mother wanted you to be.”

  What did this lady know about his mother? He wanted to learn the identity of the woman who was so forward enough to speak so impersonally to him, but he could not discern the physical presence of anyone. Was she a commoner or some neighbor he had not seen in a long time? Her voice was familiar to him, but he could not put a name to it. How was he supposed to respond to a stranger who had invaded his private moment of remorse and grief?

  “I will be here when you need me,” the voice added before he sensed he was once again alone.

  What did she mean? Was she watching him still but from a distance? Was she someone he would not have acknowledged if he had turned and looked at her? Did she know he would have ignored her because of her station in life? Or did she mean well and offered him the comfort he needed at a stressful time in his life?

  At first, he contributed the voice to his own grief and need for comfort after the loss of his father. He found the voice both encouraging and supportive while he pulled his life into some semblance of order. As the days progressed, he reasoned once he gained his footing in administering the estate the voice would vanish, but until then, he found great comfort in the lilting sweet voice; in many ways, it recalled childhood memories of his mother, Lady Anne Darcy. He even imagined he could smell her rosy scent, which permeated those memories.

  He did not place a name to the voice until days later when she spoke to him again, but this time within the confines of his private study. This time he realized it not only reminded him of his mother, but it also sounded like her. During the next few trying months of assuming the role as the master of Pemberley, he discovered how grateful he was for some of her advice, but he was also cautious for he could allow no one to notice he was talking to the empty air around him. As the year progressed, however, he became concerned he might be suffering from some mental disorder for the voice, instead of slowly fading, became more of an entity he began to depend on for many of his decisions. He was especially dependent on the voice when it concerned his sister, Georgiana. His father’s will made him and his cousin, Colonel Thomas Fitzwilliam, the youngest son of his uncle the Earl of Ashbourne, the guardians of the young girl. His aunt, Lady Catherine, who was also his mother’s elder sister, had scoffed at the idea of two gentlemen being named the girl’s guardians and argued the guardianship should have been entrusted to her as Georgiana's nearest female relation. Darcy, however, refused to honor his aunt’s wish because he feared for his sister’s health and well-being because Lady Catherine’s only child was a sickly daughter who showed no signs of regaining her health under her mother’s strict care.

  Even Darcy’s voice had supported his decision, and since the voice seemed not to fail him, he had depended on it as a guide in his care and education of his sister. He did not, however, share the voice’s suggestions, or even its existence, with his cousin, for how would one explain the existence of an unembodied voice no one else could hear.

  He was surprised but glad the voice remained with him during the first year after his father's death. A greater surprise came, however, on the first anniversary of his father's death for the voice t
ook on a spectral form. At first, the form was vague, but within a few weeks, he realized it resembled his mother. Again, he figured this was his own mind creating an embodiment for the voice which had not deserted him, but as the year progressed, the voice made many comments reminding him even more of his mother. He noticed the voice’s behaviors were similar to what he remembered about her, as well. At one point, he resolved to confront the voice and demand to know what the voice wanted, and who the voice was. He was, however, unable to make himself carry through with his decision because he felt, if he confronted the image, he might lose her, and her advice had proven useful over the past year. From then on, he no longer questioned the spectral guidance but accepted it as something useful. In fact, as the specter became clearer, he began accepting it as his mother until there was finally no doubt in his mind of who his guardian truly was.

  ***************************

  Elizabeth Eleanor Bennet was four and ten when she first encountered her guardian, as she eventually decided to call him. She was in the process of climbing her favorite tree in order to escape the diatribe of her mother over an incident, which occurred at a small dinner party at Lucas Lodge. She was just about to step on the next branch on her upward climb when a soft male voice warned her of a crack in the branch. Not sure where the voice came from, she gingerly placed her right foot on the branch and held on tightly to the branch above for leverage and support. When she began to put her weight on said branch, she heard the distinctive crack causing her to shift her weight onto her left foot on the branch below and rethink which branch to use next on her climb.

  She heard the voice chuckle, “I did warn you. Try the one to your left.”

  Since the voice had been right the first time, she chose the suggested safe branch and continued her climb. Once she finally settled into the tree which offered her concealment from her mother who came out the back door calling her name, her serenity returned; although, she knew it would only last as long as she avoided her mother.

  "Lizzy, where are you, you disrespectful child? You show yourself now and explain why you found it necessary to embarrass your family with your inappropriate behavior."

  She watched as her mother walked right under the tree she was hiding in and smiled as she watched her mother storm off toward the stables; another hiding place Elizabeth might have chosen.

  "You often hide from your mother," the voice declared as if it knew her habits intimately.

  In defense, Elizabeth replied, "Only when she is looking to criticize or reprimand me." She kept her voice low and soft so as not to reveal her hiding place to her mother. Her mother was upset enough as it was. If she discovered Elizabeth in the tree, she would be even more irate.

  "Is there something you might have done to avoid causing your mother to correct you?" The voice spoke at a normal volume, and Elizabeth worried her mother would hear the voice of whoever was speaking to her and follow it to her hiding place.

  In a whispered reply, Elizabeth said, "Please keep your voice down. I do not know who you are or where you are hiding, but please do not make it so mama will find me."

  "Your mother cannot hear me, Miss Elizabeth. Only you can hear me."

  "Who are you?" She looked around for the owner of the voice.

  Never before had she encountered another person in her favorite tree, let alone one who sounded like an adult. When no answer came, she tentatively asked, “Are you my guardian angel?”

  “No, not an angel,” the definitively male voice replied.

  Slightly fearful, she inquired, “A ghost?” She had read many stories concerning them but was unsure if she believed in them. Still, she could not argue she heard this one.

  Laughingly, the reply came, “No, not a ghost either. Let us just say I am here in the capacity of a helper.”

  “Oh! You are my guardian angel,” she declared feeling a slight relief at putting an identity to the voice.

  “As I said, I am not an angel nor a ghost, but if you wish to refer to me as a guardian angel, I will allow it for I sense you are more comfortable with the term.”

  "How do you plan to help me?"

  "I am duty bound to guide and protect you whenever the need arises."

  His response caused Elizabeth to snicker.

  "Guidance," she finally stated, "I can understand, but protection. Protection from what? In my opinion, most of the protection I need is from my mama's wrath because I always seem to be doing something to offend her." She spoke in all seriousness.

  "Maybe I can provide guidance which will help you avoid upsetting your mother. The protection may come at a time when it is least expected, and from someone or something you are not even aware of yet."

  It seemed a reasonable explanation to her, so she did not mention it again.

  Elizabeth soon realized how valuable her guardian was for it was the one person to whom she could vent her frustrations about her family. Having four sisters did present her with some extreme challenges. Of course, her eldest sister, Jane, was not so much a challenge as an enigma because she saw only the good around her and failed to see the negative side of anyone’s personality. Mary, who happened to be the middle sister of five, seemed to hide behind her religious books and music making it hard for Elizabeth to develop a relationship with her. Her two youngest sisters, however, presented the most trials and hardships. Both were silly, and Lydia, the youngest, still seemed somewhat spoiled.

  After any trying encounter with her sisters or her mother, Elizabeth often went in search of her guardian so she would have someone sensible to speak with. Her papa had always been a sensible man, but he did not seem concerned with how his wife and daughters behaved as long as they did not disturb his peace. It was her guardian, then, who provided Elizabeth with the counsel and comfort she sorely needed.

  In fact, he was the only one she could turn to when she needed to vent her anger about her youngest sisters, as she did one day after a particularly cruel joke Lydia and Kitty played on their elder sister Mary. Elizabeth never found it hard to find him, for all she needed to do was find a solitary place for them to talk without being interrupted or observed.

  “I know Papa jokes about Lydia and Kitty being the two silliest girls in all of England, but what they did was criminal to my way of thinking, and the worst is Mama saw no harm in what they did,” she angrily declared as she sat in her favorite tree some considerable distance from the house. He was near enough to hear her, but since she could not see him, she could not place him in a physical location.

  “I agree, Miss Elizabeth. It was a heartless joke, but not criminal, just mean.”

  She liked the way he always addressed her as Miss Elizabeth. It made her feel more grown up.

  “What is worse is Mama excused them saying there was no harm done, but there was harm, and it will be expensive to have the pianoforte fixed.” Elizabeth could not believe her mother would not admit what her two youngest sisters had done was wrong and mean. To think it funny to intentionally sabotage the pianoforte was not acceptable as a harmless prank. It meant neither she nor Mary would be able to practice for the next two weeks because Mr. Humbleton would not leave his book shop and come out to fix the instrument before then.

  “What did your father say about the incident?”

  She was surprised he asked for if he had been around her at the time, he would have heard her father’s comments and her mother’s excuses. “Papa thought the girls should pay for the expense of bringing Mr. Humbleton out, but Mama claimed the instrument had already needed some fixing, and its cost should fall to the household expenses. I argued its cost should come out of Lydia and Kitty’s pin money to teach them a lesson about destroying expensive items. Mama just laughed and said nobody cared about the pianoforte, and it would not be missed anytime in the next few weeks. Poor Mary was in tears. She seems to be overlooked by everyone, and I fear I am just as guilty about the oversight. Mama never views anything Lydia does as wrong or cruel, but Lydia is developing a very nasty strea
k in her character, and she does not see the harm she causes to others. One day something serious will happen, and Lydia will cause irreparable harm affecting her in the worst possible manner. I just hope by then Kitty will have learned not to follow Lydia everywhere she leads because it will harm Kitty as well.”

  “Parents sometimes fail to see the worst in their children will eventually discover their children are not the upstanding people they had hoped for. I believe, since we want to see the good in them, we fail to see their flaws or maybe we just overlook them,” he wisely informed her.

  “Did you have children at one time?” From numerous comments he had made during their many discussions, comments about a previous life, she often found her mind speculating how long ago he had lived and what his previous life had been like. She had tried to ask him about it a few times, but his answers were either too vague or he avoided answering them.

  “Not all those we see as our children are our actual children.”

  ‘Another of his vague replies,’ she thought.

  “I believe if you could have your way all of your sisters would conduct themselves more like Miss Jane. As the eldest, she should be the role model for all of her sisters, but none of you follow her example.”

  She thought she heard him chuckle softly.

  He was correct; Jane was the exemplary model of what a young lady should be. She was careful in her manners, never soiled her clothing, and always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Of course, Elizabeth recognized Jane’s one major flaw – she refused to acknowledge the reprehensible side of any situation or person – she was too optimistic. Life was not a flourishing flower garden free of weeds. For whatever reason, Jane overlooked all the weeds in the world and especially in people, and she smiled at everyone and everything. She feared Jane would eventually have to face the reality of the flourishing evil around her, and it would completely devastate Jane’s outlook on life. The few times Elizabeth had tried to point out the flaws she saw around her Jane claimed Elizabeth was looking to find fault.