An Unexpected Gift: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

By Anna Lockhart

Can an unexpected arrival at Pemberley help two lonely hearts find the love for which they have been searching?

Fitzwilliam Darcy has begun to feel the unhappiness that comes with running a grand estate like Pemberley without a wife by his side. As happy as he is for his dear friend Charles Bingley, he can not help but be jealous of his marriage, and the contentedness that Bingley's new bride brings him. Yet all of that falls away when Darcy discovers a baby girl on his doorstep one cold winter night, with only a piece of paper in the basket announcing her name is, "Sophia." Darcy takes the baby in against everyone's advice, but how can he care for her on his own?

Elizabeth Bennet has felt isolated at Longbourn since her sister Jane married Charles Bingley and left for an extended stay in London. Even the merry chaos caused by her younger sisters has not aided in alleviating her sadness, so when she hears that Fitzwilliam Darcy is searching for a nurse to care for his infant ward, she accepts the position happily. But she soon finds that purpose is not the only thing waiting for in Pemberley Manor...

An Unexpected Gift is a Pride and Prejudice variation featuring second chances, a surprise romance, and the kind of love that can only be found in the most unlikely of situations...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daisy Chain Publishing
• Release date: Jan 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393694540

Book preview

PROLOGUE

PEMBERLEY - IN THE SPRING

The rain that had begun to fall on Pemberley fell with a ferocity they had not seen yet that spring. The sound of the rain falling on the meadows was so loud, it hid the crash of hoofbeats on the drive that led up to the estate. A hooded figure, hidden beneath a cloak and bathed in the shadows created by the blackest clouds, rode their powerful horse to a stop in a small grove of trees. As they maneuvered to the ground, they did so carefully, as if they carried a package beneath their arm.

Once the figure had no more wood to hide within, they stepped out into the clearing with caution, then skulked slowly in the direction of the Darcy home. The rain had sent the staff inside, even those who often lingered outside on warm rainy nights, so there was no one to see as they approached the front door of the manor house. They checked once more to be sure that they were not being watched, and when they were sure, they used their free hand to lift their cloak from the bundle they held under their arm.

When the face of the tiny baby contained therein was exposed to the rain, it began to cry as its little hands reached out for comfort. But the hooded figure offered none as it set the baby on the ground in front of the door, tucked a small note into the infant’s blankets, then turned on their heel and walked away. The sound of rain hid the baby’s cry, as it had the horse, which was just as they hoped. They were so convinced that they had escaped the situation unseen, the figure slowed their pace, walking with arrogance back to where their horse waited. 

So convinced was the hooded figure of their safety, that they did not notice the Pemberley gamekeeper, Roberts, as he stood on his front step. His collie Rosie sat next to him, and though she seemed interested in something in the distance, Roberts dismissed it as a creature stirring in the rain. The man went back into his cottage with Rosie on his heels. As Roberts locked his door and put out his pipe, he did not give a second thought to the specter of the hooded figure, now disappeared in the woods…

Or the distant crying of a baby, barely protected from the cold spring rain.

CHAPTER 1

ELIZABETH

When Elizabeth Bennet opened her eyes and saw it was not just morning, but quite late, she sat up in frustration and more than a little sadness. Not so long ago, the sounds of Jane dressing at the break of dawn would be enough to wake Elizabeth up at a proper hour. But since her sister married Charles Bingley and moved to Netherfield, she found it quite impossible to hurry herself along in the mornings. Even in this inn in Lambton with her entire family only a few steps away, she missed Jane with all her heart.

Because the whole family was gathered together in Lambton for her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner’s anniversary, Elizabeth felt Jane’s absence even more acutely. Jane always loved big family events and the entire Bennet family had traveled from Longbourn just to be together for the special occasion. But she had gone to London with her husband and could not join them in Derbyshire. In Elizabeth’s estimation, nothing was quite as fun without her older sister’s company, but she was trying to become acclimated to her absence.

Still, mornings seemed to be the hardest.

Elizabeth remained in her bed for a while longer, watching the clouds pass by through the window over her small table and counting the seconds that passed until she could no longer put off joining her family. As she finally dressed and prepared for the day, she watched the door in fear her mother would burst through it at any moment, demanding her presence. While she could hear the bustle of her family downstairs, eating breakfast in the dining room, she was grateful that they seemed distracted enough to let