What if Lady Catherine isn't the greedy harridan we know and love?
What if her problem revolves around trying to protect her only child's future when Lady Catherine is no longer around? What better way to provide for Anne than by having her marry Fitzwilliam Darcy, the best man that Lady Catherine knows, and loves? She is well aware that Darcy is a gentleman who always tries to do what is best for all those he knows, whether tenant, business associate, or family.
But Darcy is unwilling to marry his cousin. His dream is to find the love of his life and raise a family with her rather than marry Anne, whose health has been a matter of question for a number of years. In this Regency romance, he has become enamored with Elizabeth Bennet, a country miss who is stealing his heart and making him more determined than ever to refrain from being forced to marry his cousin.
Will the disparity of desires between family members split the family apart?
Find out in this Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice variation, Lady Catherine's Awakening. Get your copy TODAY!
Elizabeth entered the house to find her mother waiting, disappointment etched upon her face.
“Why did she leave so soon? I was looking forward to welcoming her to our supper table. Did she go to Lucas Lodge?”
“She had commitments,” Elizabeth said without offering further details, hoping that would be enough for her to let the matter end, but knowing the possibility was slim. It was rare that a visitor of such standing called at Longbourn, and Mrs. Bennet’s disposition did not lend itself to quiet reflection or personal contemplation regarding an event of this importance. Elizabeth knew the details of the visit would be all over Hertfordshire before the sun set.
READ MORE“I suppose she needed to call on Sir William and his wife,” her mother said after a moment to consider the situation. “She is visiting the family to avoid the appearance of favoritism. That must be the reason, because Mr. Collins is married to Lady Lucas’s daughter and not one of his cousins.”
Elizabeth ignored the censure rather than get involved in another endless argument regarding her failure to secure her mother’s future. Mrs. Bennet had harped on the topic since Elizabeth’s rejection of what she considered a revolting marriage offer from an unappealing and nauseating individual. If she would accept the decision and lay the matter to rest, life at Longbourn might once again be pleasant. Unfortunately, once the woman formed an opinion, the devil himself would find it impossible to change her mind.
Mrs. Bennet was sure that once her husband was no longer among the living, Mr. Collins, the beneficiary of the Longbourn entail, would take great pleasure in evicting her from her marital home. No amount of assurance had served to calm her fears, and Elizabeth did not wish to have that argument again.
“I suppose she did,” she offered, climbing the stairs, then stopping at her bedroom door to acknowledge the statement. “Or she might want to return home to Rosings Park immediately. Maybe pressing issues meant she could not wait for morning.” Elizabeth suffered a pang of guilt at purposely misleading her mother but was in no mood for a lengthy discussion.
Instead of pressing her argument, Mrs. Bennet seemed to ponder her daughter’s comment, something Elizabeth had hoped for but not counted on happening.
Did this mean her complaints about Elizabeth’s refusal to marry Mr. Collins might not arise so often, giving her respite from the daily recriminations she had endured over the previous months?
“She probably needed to get back home to help plan my eviction,” stated Mrs. Bennet in returning to her tired trope, the comment coming as expected, despite Elizabeth’s fleeting wish she might leave it unsaid.
“You must be correct,” said she, disengaging the door’s latch to enter her bedroom. “I want to lie down until supper, Mama. Please send for me when the meal is ready.”
COLLAPSE"This is a wonderful story, so sweet. I love the character dynamics..." - Kay Springsteen, editor
"You have given everyone a very decided character in this novel. Anne gave Lady Catherine a run for her money and brought her to her knees. You showed a vulnerable and frightened Lady Catherine..." - Joan Brand
