A Bit of Pride, A Bit of Prejudice (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
Chapter 1
The soft breeze touched the surface of the sea, drawing up gentle waves that travelled to the shore.
Elizabeth watched the motion with fascination, inhaling the cool, fresh air.
A bright moon, surrounded by stars, lit up the sky and was mirrored in the water, like a flawless, spectacular painting she could admire forever.
The night was quiet, the beach secluded; their cottage was situated far from the busy places preferred by people of means. There were only a few other small houses in the vicinity, mostly inhabited by elderly people who were rarely seen out of doors.
The position was perfect for the Gardiners and their three children, as well as for their nieces, all of whom were great lovers of sea and sun, peace and privacy.
At that late hour — close to midnight — there was no one else to be seen; only an occasional joyful cry from far, far away disturbed the silence of the night.
“I shall wait here while you swim, Lizzy.”
“Dearest Jane, there is no need to watch me, really. I am right in front of the house, and the water barely reaches my chest. I shall be paddling rather than swimming. What do you think might happen?”
“I shall take no risk, Lizzy. Anything might happen to a young woman swimming in the dark, alone, on a secluded beach.”
“What else can I do if I cannot swim in the daylight except in the bathing machine? This is ridiculous, truly! Men can do whatever they please, whenever they please. Why do social rules always apply only to women?”
“Lizzy, surely you are joking! Even if it were permitted, would you dare to swim in plain sight of all men? Surely not!”
Elizabeth laughed, kissing her sister’s cheek. “My sweet Jane, you speak just like Mama! And I do not mean it as a compliment.”
Disregarding her sister’s reproachful glare, Elizabeth removed her robe and, dressed in only a thin gown, walked into the sea, sighing with pleasure as the waves touched her skin.
A little way out, she crouched down, allowing the water to cover her to the neck, then began to swim.
Her gown, heavy with water, and the shallowness of the sea hindered her movements, yet she persevered.
Over the last five years, Elizabeth and Jane had spent every summer at the seaside with the Gardiners. During that time, Elizabeth had become proficient in two things: helping her uncle with his patients and swimming, both strongly disapproved of by her mother.
Mr Gardiner — a doctor who had spent his youth in the army — had retired from service after a wound put his life in danger; since then, he had continued his profession in London and married a beautiful woman who had proved to be the perfect wife for him and the perfect aunt for the Bennet girls. On that, even Mrs Bennet agreed.
Of the five sisters, Elizabeth and Jane were the eldest, and therefore they benefited the most from the Gardiners’ invitations to spend holidays together.
Mr Bennet was too attached to his library and to his comfort to enjoy travelling or even leaving the house, and Mrs Bennet was so busy with her younger daughters and the household that she only accepted one invitation per year from her brother and sister.
However, Elizabeth and Jane were old enough and wise enough to spend several months with the Gardiners — either in Brighton or in London.
Mr Gardiner’s dedication to his profession and his affection for his family, as well as Mrs Gardiner’s loving yet determined nature and thoughtful behaviour, were excellent examples to the eldest Bennet sisters, helping them grow into well-educated young women.
That was something that Mr Bennet declared often and Mrs Bennet agreed upon, though with some reluctance.
Thinking of her family, Elizabeth continued to glide through the water, charmed by the moon and the stars overhead, and she hardly noticed that she had swum out farther than usual.
As though in a dream, she heard Jane calling to her, so she stopped and looked back.
She waved a hand to indicate she was well, and at that moment she realised her toes could not touch the bottom any longer.
She breathed deeply and began to swim back, but, despite her efforts, the distance to the shore did not seem to diminish.
With stronger strokes, she continued her endeavour until an unexpected sound drew her attention and froze her in place.
Someone else was in the water, approaching her.
“Are you in trouble?” a man’s voice called out to her. With several more strokes, he was close enough for her to observe his disbelieving stare.
“You are a woman? Miss, what are you doing here? Are you alone? Are you hurt? Let me help you,” he said, and without waiting for a reply, his arm gripped her firmly around the waist. She let out a cry of surprise and tried to fight him to release herself.
“I am a woman, and I am perfectly well, I assure you!” she said breathlessly, trying to keep her head above the surface. “I was swimming back to the shore when you stopped me.”
“Oh…” he said and immediately withdrew his arm. “Forgive me. I was afraid you were drowning. I did not expect to find a woman here, at this hour.”
“Thank you for your concern, sir,” she replied, then resumed her efforts, anxious to move away from him as soon as possible.
Her progress was slow, impeded by her gown.
She could sense the stranger behind her and became irritated by his lack of delicacy.
Why was he not minding his own business and leaving her alone?
She turned her head to glance at him, and in doing so, her mouth filled with salty water, and she floundered.
Without realising what was happening, she felt the man’s arm around her again and heard his voice close to her ear.
“You should support yourself on me, miss. I can already touch the sand with my toes, so I can walk both of us to the shore.”
She was about to refuse and even scold him for his audacity, but he was already striding forwards, pulling her with him.
“Sir, I assure you…” she began, but he suddenly stopped, withdrawing his arm from around her.
“There. I think you should be able to stand up safely,” he said, and she nodded when she felt steady on her feet.
“Miss, you should be careful — the waves are deceptive, and they can easily pull you far out into the water, especially in a heavy gown. Good night,” he concluded, then threw himself into the waves and departed before Elizabeth even had time to reply.
Under the moonlight, gazing after him, she noticed his bare back, shoulders, and arms, and his dark, curly hair. Distressed and shivering, she waded towards the shore, while the waves became stronger and colder. Jane ran to her and grabbed her hand.
“Lizzy, what happened? Why did you go out so far? You frightened me. I saw someone else in the water. Who was it? Are you well?”
“Jane, how can I answer so many questions all at once? I am perfectly well. I enjoyed a lovely swim, the water was refreshing, and now I am tired and cold and ready to sleep. All is well.”
“You really scared me,” Jane repeated. “I hate this habit of yours. It is too risky. I shall speak to Uncle and Aunt about it.”
“I am sorry that you were concerned about me, Jane. But please remember that you and Mama always worry for me, even at home when I go for a walk.”
“You may jest, Lizzy, but walking alone is dangerous enough and swimming much more so! Do not ever do that again!”
“I promise I shall be more careful and stay closer to the shore. But please do not say anything to Uncle and Aunt. I do not want to worry them for nothing.”
“I shall not tell them — this time,” Jane agreed with some reluctance. “Now wrap this towel around you before you catch a cold.”
Within a couple of minutes of walking, they entered the cottage — their home for the summer. There was darkness and silence inside — the Gardiners and their three children seemed sound asleep — so the two sisters crept into the room they shared, carefully closing the door behind them.
“I am going to make you some tea, Lizzy.”
“There is no need, Jane. Truly, I just want to change my clothes, dry my hair, and sleep.”
“Then while you do that, I shall make some tea,” Jane insisted, and Elizabeth ceased trying to oppose her. Her sister was still upset — and not without good reason.
Even in a warm, clean gown, Elizabeth could not stop shivering or escape her discomfort; she was more distressed than she was willing to admit, but she tried to calm herself to protect Jane from more anxiety.
She had swum so many times before, but that evening, something had happened — mostly due to her imprudence. And something even worse might have happened if not for that stranger’s intervention.
Who was he? Where had he come from? She was acquainted with their closest neighbours but was certain she had never seen the man before.
In fact, her recollections of him were dim; she doubted she could recognise his face in full daylight.
If she ever met him again, she would be mortified that he had caught her doing something highly improper — and foolish.
By the time Jane returned with the tea, Elizabeth was prepared for the night, wearing what she hoped was a joyful smile and a composed countenance.
“Thank you, dearest. I hope you are not angry with me any longer.”
“You are welcome, Lizzy. I am not angry, only concerned for you.”
“I know, and I deeply apologise. I promise — once more — that I shall never venture that far into the water again.”
“I shall remind you of your promise every day, Lizzy. So, you did not tell me whom you met in the water?”
“I do not know. A man — a complete stranger.”
“Did you see his face? Did he say anything?”
“No… He asked me whether I was well and whether I was a woman. What kind of silly question was that? I could barely see him and did not speak more than a few words to him.”
“What a strange coincidence that you were both swimming in the same spot at the same time. If he returns, you will have to change your routine, Lizzy.”
“Quite a coincidence, indeed. I hope I shall never see him again, nor be bothered by another stranger. Now let us sleep, dearest. I am exhausted, and I expect the children will wake us up early in the morning.”
A while later, Jane was soundly asleep, but anxiety allowed Elizabeth no rest. The quiet night, the breeze blowing through the open window, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore increased her nervous sensation instead of soothing it.
Her mind became even more alert, recalling unexpected details that emphasised the significance of that evening.
She realised that she had been truly exhausted and panicked in her struggle with the waves. She could still feel the weight of her gown pulling her back and hampering her efforts — and the stranger’s strong arm around her.
At the age of seventeen, Elizabeth had never experienced true danger, nor the close company of a man — let alone being touched by one; the recollection of both was overwhelming and astounding, causing her to quiver again.
The man had done nothing but keep her safe, and he had left when his assistance was no longer needed.
His touch had been nothing improper; it had been no different from how her uncle or father would have supported her in the same situation.
He probably would not even remember her by the next day — or if he did, he would amuse himself and his friends with the story of a crazed woman who had gone for a swim in the middle of the night and almost drowned.
Thank the Lord he did not know who she was and was unlikely to have seen her face clearly enough to recognise her if they happened to meet each other again.
However, as time passed, she did recollect several details about him.
He was certainly young — older than her but much younger than her uncle.
His eyes had seemed dark in the moonlight and his features pleasant.
His mouth and jaw had displayed a certain severity, and his voice, though polite and caring, had carried the authority of one used to being obeyed.
Upon closer examination, she realised that what she remembered were not actual particulars about the stranger’s figure or character but her own feelings aroused by meeting him.
She mostly remembered how she had felt about him, how she had judged him based on their brief encounter, not what he truly was like.
In the end, he was just a polite young man, a stranger who, despite her refusal to admit it, had saved her from a dangerous situation; unfortunately, she had not had the chance to thank him and probably never would.
Since she was still awake, Elizabeth sat by the window, admiring the moonlit view.
The breeze had become a little stronger, pushing the waves to the shore with more power and a soothing, resonant sound.
There was nothing more beautiful than the sea on such a bright, serene night, she mused, until she noticed a shadow moving through the waves, disturbing the harmony.
She doubted her own eyes until she looked more closely and recognised the shape of someone swimming.
Surely it could not be the same man! But how could it be anyone else?
Two men swimming in that particular spot in the middle of the night was too much of a coincidence.
Had he been swimming all that time? It was surely impossible!
If not, where had he been? And what was he doing there, of all places, in that secluded cove she had come to think of as her own?
She hoped it was merely a coincidence and he would not return. If he did, she would have to approach him, first to thank him for his assistance and second to ask him to choose another place to bathe — one of the many that allowed men to swim freely.