I hope that you enjoy this story. It is a story that is already fully published, though I will be releasing the whole book for you here. Thank you

Arabella

Chapter One

"Are you sure there's nothing that can be done, Billingsworth? Can I challenge the will?"

Mr. Billingsworth took off the round-rimmed glasses he was wearing and, rubbing his tired eyes, looked up at Mr. Darcy. "Mr. Darcy, we have been over this many times. There is nothing to be done. Your father wrote a new will a year before he died, stating you should be married within five years of his death. Unless you are married within the next eight months you will forfeit your fortune and the ownership of Pemberley."

Mr. Darcy paced impatiently the length of the room, slapping his horse whip against his thigh. His mind was in turmoil. The news of his father's wishes had been shocking the first time he had heard them, but now the time for it to be fulfilled was so close, it was disturbing. He stopped and turned to his solicitor. "I cannot understand why he would do such a thing."

"Your father was concerned that you would never get married."

Mr. Darcy was about to issue a denial as he had done before, but it was true. He had no wish to marry, not even as a duty. "I may marry in the fullness of time, but I do not like to be pressured into making a decision."

"But sir, you have had an adequate amount of time. It is more than four years ago that Mr. Darcy died. This was not recently sprung on you."

Mr. Billingsworth was right, but Darcy was not happy to reminded of it. "I have been busy with other matters. Georgiana and running the estate," he said defensively.

The solicitor was sympathetic. "I understand, really I do, but your father wanted to ensure that you would find the time to get married, thereby securing the future of Pemberley for your heirs."

"And if I find a wife and she turns out to be barren, then what will happen?" asked Mr. Darcy bitterly.

"You must produce an heir within the first two years of marrying or the house will pass to your uncle and his heirs."

Darcy could not believe what he was hearing. He could not understand why his gentle father would have made such a will. It made no sense to him. "We should have contested the will. I am sure it would not be held up in the courts."

Mr. Billingsworth had heard this argument before. "There is nothing to contest, sir. Your father was of sound mind when he drew up the will. He had witnesses, one of whom was a respected doctor."

"But to tie my hands in this manner is most unfair," said Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Billingsworth did not disagree. "Sir, why not accept your fate? Surely for the future of Pemberley you are prepared to take a wife?"

Mr. Darcy stopped pacing and sat down opposite Mr. Billingsworth. "If I was to marry, am I required to stay married?"

Mr. Billingsworth looked shocked at the question. "Mr. Darcy, it is not easy to rid yourself of a wife."

"I would not do so, but there is nothing in the will that states my wife would have to reside at Pemberley, is there?"

"No… but you would have to consider the feelings of any wife you took. I am sure she would expect to live at Pemberley."

Mr. Darcy shrugged nonchalantly. "When she is with child perhaps, but I can see no reason why she has to be there permanently. I have a house in London and if I have fulfilled the terms of my will, can I maintain a household in another part of the country?"

"Yes sir, you could."

Mr. Darcy knew that Billingsworth did not approve, but he was not concerned with the views of his solicitor. He was beginning to think his advice was worthless. "I was wondering whether I should get a second opinion," he said. "A barrister, perhaps."

Mr. Billingsworth's round face grew red. "I assure you, Mr. Darcy, that my advice is sound."

"Yes yes," said Mr. Darcy impatiently, "But I still want another view. Another person may find something you are missing or have a view on how it might be challenged."

Mr. Billingsworth could not hide his agitation and he started to shuffle the papers in front of him. "I will make some enquiries," he said in a stiff voice, "though it will probably mean dealing with someone in London."

"Excellent." Mr. Darcy suddenly felt a great deal happier. He got to his feet and picked up his hat and horsewhip. "I would bid you good day, Billingsworth. I shall be going down to London next week and I would like to hear from you before I leave."

"Of course, sir."

Mr. Darcy left Mr. Billingsworth's establishment with relief. In the past, Billingsworth had served him well, but now Darcy was worried that the old solicitor was past his best and was not trying hard enough to find a reasonable cause for him to challenge the will. He had left it late, but he had to blame the worry over Georgiana for that. He did not want to be forced into getting married.

As he mounted his horse and set off back to Pemberley, he pondered on the difficulties of fulfilling his father's will. Not only had he no wish to be married, there were few women of his acquaintance that he could even contemplate marrying.

Lord Kettle, who had the neighbouring estate to Pemberley, had three daughters who had made it clear they would be willing to become Mrs. Darcy. Each of them was very attractive, but they were empty vessels who giggled incessantly. Spending more than ten minutes in their company was a trial. There was the Duke of Horesham and his daughter Victoria who was well educated and reasonably attractive, but he had noticed that she had a tendency for bossiness which he found an unattractive trait in a woman. There was his cousin Anne de Bourgh who according to his aunt had been promised for him when they were children. Whether it was true or not he did not know, but Anne was sickly and boring and he had no wish to make her his wife. And then there was Caroline Bingley, the sister of his best friend. She constantly dropped hints about her suitability as a wife, which he found distasteful. Caroline Bingley was elegant enough, but she had a tendency to criticise everything and everyone which was not attractive.

Sadly, there was only one other person of his recent acquaintance who he knew was single, and that was a friend of Mr. Bingley, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He had only met her on four occasions and she had made a strong impression on him. Very pretty, with dark brown hair and sparkling eyes and an attractive smile, he had found himself quickly charmed by her looks. However, he found that Miss Bennet was unlike many other young woman with strong opinions on all sort of subjects which he found unnerving in a woman. It was certainly not something he wanted in a wife. Alas, his attraction had been tempered further when he met the rest of her family. The eldest Bennet sister was even prettier that Miss Elizabeth Bennet, but the rest were not people he wanted to associate with. The mother was as brash as the three youngest daughters, who considerably embarrassed the eldest Bennet daughters with behaviour which was thoroughly unbecoming in polite society. Whatever he thought of such people he could not allow them to taint his magnificent ancestral home. Elizabeth Bennet was very attractive, but it was not enough. He dismissed her from his mind. He had to find another solution to honouring the will.