Generation One: Chapter 1 - The Gilded Cage

Chapter One – The Gilded Cage

It is universally acknowledged that a man who is engaged to be married must be in high anticipation of his wedding. It is well known fact that the young man must be counting the days and hours until the agonizing wait will be ended and he will be joined to his sweet and beloved bride.

These truths are not correct for me. I, Charles Darcy, do not love my fiancée. I do not wish to marry her, but I have no choice. I live in a lovely, richly decorated, no expense spared, home with my family and bride to be. It may be beautiful, but it is a cage, trapping me in expectations with no way out.

My father, Alexander Darcy, holds the key to my freedom and guards it jealously. Because my father still lives and I am not yet Master of our estate Pemberly or our expansive holdings, any monies I may wish to acquire come from his purse and he will not give any to me unless I comply with his wishes.  

My desire to spend the last two years of university studying abroad was bought with my agreeing to marry Priscilla Davenpore, a beautiful but haughty young woman, full of herself and more than aware of the social power she will get as my wife. 

I abhor social climbers as I am not one myself, but I am forced to marry one just the same, because her father and mine, who are old friends, wish it to be so. Priscilla’s heart is hard at a young age, and hardly do we speak that she does not slight me in some fashion.

My mother Clara does not agree with my father. She does not like Priscilla, for she discerns as I do that my future wife is vain and mean-spirited. We could not be less suited to each other, but my father does not listen to his wife. There is no love between my parents. I do love my mother dearly. She is a kind soul and I am less burdened just be speaking to her. It grieves me how such a lovely woman as Mother ended up with Father. 

I have two siblings, older sisters named Caroline,

and Alexandra, the younger sister and a close friend. The only reason I have two sisters is because I was born last. According to the deed of Pemberly, only a son can inherit the father’s holdings. When one girl and then a second were born, my parents were forced to try again before having me, the long awaited heir. This caused my father to shape every aspect of my upbringing.  I attended the same schools he had, including his alma mater. He choose Priscilla for me, because she was the daughter of one of his best business partners, and the two old men wanted to merge their collective holdings, as Priscilla is Mr. Alfred Davenpore’s only child after the death of his wife and oldest son, so she will inherit everything. 

 

Caroline gets on well enough with Priscilla. Both women are of the same temperament, so they often see eye to eye. But Caroline and Priscilla do not get on with Alexandra. Priscilla and Alexandra are of so foreign a temperament that they will never be friends. Caroline does not favor her sister because of jealously and bitterness.

 

Alexandra is happily married to Andrew Baker, a rich landowner whose estate neighbors our own and my former schoolmate.  Caroline’s bitterness springs from Alexandra and Andrew’s marital felicity. Caroline married before Alexa did, but Caro’s husband, who was meek and weak backboned and no match for his wife’s temper, died less than a year into their loveless marriage leaving my oldest sister childless and penniless, for he had never written her into his will. So now her bitterness from that past hurt spills out at Alexa. The only reason Priscilla is spared is because Caro knows my marriage will be as empty as hers was.  

 The love Alexa has with Andrew has made my own impending nuptials more painful to consider. I see one sister’s happiness and the other’s scathing tongue, and all I can think is I wish to marry for love, but alas, it is far too late now.

 

I have begun working in the family business, in preparation for the day I become Master when my father dies.  I do not mind the work, I find it fascinating. What I do not like is Father has new weapons to use against me. Interestingly, Caro is better at business that I am. If only she had been the boy. I plan to change the deed when I am Master so that Pemberly and the Darcy holdings pass not to the oldest son but to whatever child is best suited to succeeding and managing the estate. I wish for no one to be trapped as I am; much less my own children.  

 

I am working under my father and Mr. Davenpore. Davenpore and Father intend upon my marriage to combine the respective family business when Priscilla’s inheritance of her father’s estate comes under my control by law.

I spent the day reviewing the accounts of both the Davenpores’ and our own business. It is essential I understand the workings as much as possible to be a valuable partner to Father and Davenpore and to prepare for the day when I alone am in charge.

After working today I went over to the Bakers’ to see my sister and brother –in–law. I spent the afternoon out on their grounds talking with Andrew and enjoying the company of my favorite sister. Just being outside eased the pressures of working in tandem with Father.

Andrew and I walked along one of the many paths that crisscrossed the park. We talked of mundane topics such as estate running, women, and family. There was something specific that I wished to converse with him about while my sister was not around.

“Andrew, I know your marriage with Alexa was arranged, but you seem so happy together. What is you secret, friend?”

“It is not truly a secret. When I first saw her, I fell in love. I was lost in an instant. I saw her standing next to you and I hoped that she was the sister you spoke so well of at school and not your own fiancée.  She felt the same. It was luck I suppose.”

We talked more, and kept walking, and I was glad that my old friend had been blessed with my sister.

It was nearly dark, and I was planning on taking up the standing inviation to dine with my sister and brother-in-law and Baker and I were making our way back to his manor.

 

But then, a servant arrived with news. Terrible news. In one fell swoop, I learned that my parents and fiancée were all dead.

I was now Master of Pemberly.