I am Jael Chapter 1, a pride and prejudice fanfic

I am just posting 3 chapters here and the whole book is being published on Kindle Unlimited. Thanks to those of you who encouraged me through the entire fanfic over the last months. You are awesome!

November, 1811

Georgiana Darcy, daughter of George and Anne Darcy, sister of Fitzwilliam Darcy, lifted her face to the sun and closed her eyes, relishing the heat against her skin.

It was a lovely and warm day for late November, a rare day when the winds did not howl nor the rains fall. The gardens at Darcy House were not at their best this time of year, full as they were with drifted leaves and drooping blossoms, but it was still a peaceful place to sit, to contemplate.

But not to dream. Georgiana was past dreaming. Her hopes and visions for love and marriage had been broken and embittered by her experience with the handsome, charming and wicked George Wickham.

Georgiana felt tears well in her eyes and she firmly blinked them back. She had cried streams of tears since Ramsgate. Oceans. She wanted to be done with the grieving, with the despair, with the self reproach over her decision to elope with George Wickham. She should be thankful, she knew, that her brother Fitzwilliam had come unexpectedly in time to save her from the horrid fate of marriage to the conniving, evil man. Nevertheless, gratitude was hard to grasp when she felt so foolish, so besmirched.

And now, she knew where George Wickham was. She knew that he was currently in the militia, in a little town called Meryton, which was within literal walking distance of her brother Darcy, who was currently residing in a house called Netherfield Hall with his good friend Mr. Bingley.

And she could do nothing, of course, nothing at all to strike a blow against the man who had tried to destroy her life and had destroyed the lives of others.

There were times that she hated being a woman. She was so limited in what she could do, so dependent on the care and protection of others. Her brother Darcy was a wonderful man – kind, dependable, faithful. She loved him and appreciated his love for her. After Ramsgate, he had been grief stricken not by her actions, but by his own failure to protect her.

Nevertheless, Darcy had done nothing to stop Wickham from harming others. She knew it was to protect her reputation. Her hopes for a good marriage would be damaged if word got out that she had agreed to elope with Wickham. But to think of that man still using his wiles against the innocent and naïve women of Meryton made her slightly nauseous.

But there was nothing she could do.

She dropped her eyes down and forced herself to focus on the book in her hand. It was in French, and while her French was excellent, it was still not her native tongue.

A few minutes later, she rose with a frown, wrapped her pelisse closer around her shoulders, and entered the house.

"Mrs. Annesley?" she asked of her hired companion, who was placidly knitting a green scarf in the rear salon.

"Yes, Miss Darcy?"

"What does this mean, Mrs. Annesley?"

The woman smiled even she set aside her knitting. Georgiana sat down on the couch next to her companion and pointed at the puzzling section in question.

"The tent nail of Jael," her companion translated after a moment.

"Tent nail of Jael?" Georgiana asked in a puzzled tone.

"From the book of Judges in the Bible, Miss Darcy," the woman replied with a smile. "I believe it is in Judges Chapter 4 or 5. Would you like me to look it up for you?"

"Oh no, Mrs. Annesley. I will look it up in my own Bible."

The woman nodded with another gentle smile and Georgiana turned and walked quickly but demurely up the main stairway to her own bedroom.

It was a light and airy retreat, one with diaphanous pale green curtains and a bedspread of blues and emeralds. She sat down on the seat next to the window and reverently lifted the Bible which always sat on her bedside table.

Her mother's Bible. She had very few memories of Anne Darcy, who had died when Georgiana was only four years of age, but she was thankful for this precious tome.

It took her some time to find the story of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, but what she read fascinated her.

4 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.

17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Georgiana finished the passage and firmly closed her mouth. A gentlewoman did not gape unbecomingly, even in the privacy of her room.

Again, she read the relevant passage.

Georgiana Darcy, 16 year old daughter of George and Anne Darcy, sister of Fitzwilliam Darcy, closed her eyes and nodded to herself.

Women could indeed be strong.

"Georgiana."

Georgiana rose to her feet with a smile and held out her hands to her favorite cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.

"Richard," she murmured, "thank you for coming so quickly."

"Not at all, Georgie," the Colonel replied with a slight bow, "not at all. I am always eager to serve my favorite cousin."

She smiled back at him with gratitude. After her foolish actions at Ramsgate, the Colonel might well have been angry with her. He was joined with her brother as co-guardian and had every reason to lambast her for her mistakes. He had, instead, been furious at Wickham, not her. She was truly blessed.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" the man continued, sitting on the couch and drawing her to his side.

Georgiana looked up as a maid entered with a tea tray. She took a few minutes to pour tea for both of them, collecting her thoughts. She had spent much of the last night awake, praying for wisdom from the Almighty. Jael, and Deborah the Judge, had been strong women who had championed justice in Israel. She was but 16 years old, a young woman of a culture where women had limited abilities to protect themselves and others.

But nevertheless, the way was partially open. Perhaps she, Georgiana Darcy, could indeed mitigate some of the damage that George Wickham was no doubt causing in Hertfordshire.

Perhaps.

"I miss my brother, Richard," she said finally, lowering her eyes to the carpet of gold and browns. "I ... was hoping that you would have time, soon, to travel with me to Netherfield, where he is staying with his friend Mr. Bingley."

The colonel's brows were furrowed, "I presume you have been invited?"

Georgiana nodded even as she handed her cousin a letter from her brother, "Yes, I have a standing invitation to visit by Mr. Bingley."

She waited while Richard scanned the letter, praying silently for God's favor. She had indeed been invited, in a vague sense, by Mr. Bingley, and she knew, as did Colonel Fitzwilliam, that Bingley was a generous man who was cheerful about visitors.

As for the man's sisters – well, they would welcome Georgiana with open arms, as they both hoped that Mr. Bingley and Georgiana would make a match of it.

Richard was frowning as he finished the letter and he hesitated before he spoke.

"How are you doing, Georgie?" he asked tenderly. "Really doing?"

"I am much better," the girl replied firmly, meeting his eyes. "Last summer was difficult, and I am still upset with myself ..."

"It was not your fault, my dear," the colonel interrupted quickly. "You know your brother and I are grieved we did not share Wickham's true character with you."

"I am better," Georgiana repeated, "and I want to see Fitzwilliam."

"Then I will take you. My duties are light at present and I am certain I can convey you to Netherfield tomorrow. I welcome a chance to see Darcy myself."

Georgiana smiled gratefully. The first step in her plan was completed.