by Sara Marks
“In the end Lizbeth is the only one going to graduate school?” Charlotte asked.
“It would seem so,” Lizbeth said.
“Just as you planned,” Jane said.
“No, there was no way I could’ve planned for Wil.”
“You certainly did resist that change for a long time,” Charlotte said with a laugh.
“I can’t wait to come visit you in New York and finally see the library bedroom,” Jane said.
“I told him we need a better bed. I refuse to sleep on a sofa bed.”
“What did he say?”
“He bought a queen-size upholstered bed.”
“What color?” Charlotte asked.
“Black.”
The three of them laughed.
***
“So, Mr. Darcy,” Lizbeth said to Wil later that night as she climbed into his bed in the townhouse for the last time, “how was the party?”
“I had a fight with Katherine, but other than that I had a very good time.”
“What did you fight about?”
“Anne going to NYU. I argued in favor of it and Katherine against it. She doesn’t like us asserting ourselves against her will.”
“What was the final call?”
“My uncle put his foot down in Anne’s favor. Katherine can’t stand up to her big brother.”
“Interesting development and useful tool for the future.”
“Chris was sad.”
“Why?”
“He realized there were three fewer attractive women for him to woo.”
“Did you suggest Caroline?”
“No.”
“Good boy,” Lizbeth said.
They lay in bed kissing for a while, too tired to do more than that. Lizbeth could feel her eyelids getting heavy as Wil’s lips moved down her neck.
“What is the plan for tomorrow?” Wil said before Lizbeth fell asleep.
“I’m driving to Boston with my parents. My stuff has been shipped to your place in New York. I’ll be in the city by the start of next week.”
“What if I drive to Boston with you?”
“What about your car?”
“It was a lease for while I was here. Someone from the dealership is picking it up tomorrow morning, early.”
“What about your plane ticket?”
“I can give it to Ginny for her flight home. It’s not hard to make that change. This way we can have a road trip, take our time, have a little vacation and then get to New York before your conference. The new bed won’t be there for at least a week anyway.”
“You’ll make it that easy?”
“Yes, we drive away from this university to start a new life together,” Wil said.
Lizbeth closed her eyes and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Acknowledgements
Each novel is its own journey. From conception to the final edition now in your hands, many people helped along the way.
Thank you to Lucia and Karen, my editors who were happy to tell me to stop, especially when they found my narrative and vocabulary crutches. This was invaluable to both Phi Alpha Pi and every novel I write in the future.
To Laura and Rebecca who welcomed me to Illuminated Myth and have been incredibly supportive.
An extra thank you to Laura, the first to read this book once I decided to publish it. As with Modern Persuasion, your story and framing ideas provided the jump forward this book needed.
To Beverly, Leslie, Jane, Christi, and Cindy who were fantastic beta readers. Jorge would still be seducing teenagers if it hadn’t been for all of you!
To Emily, Lauren, and Melissa who answered all my questions about sororities.
To Risa, my amazing cover illustrator, who created a cover design that I love.
To Tony Sampas, who took my new author picture while casually talking at my desk.
To the authors at SIPA and Mill Pages who are amazing friends and supporters. I’d still have this one collecting dust if it wasn’t for all of you.
To the women in my life who have served as role models and inspiration: my mother, both of my grandmothers, Etta, Simone, and so many more.
To all the readers in my life (and there are so many of you!) who read Modern Persuasion and keep asking when this one would be ready.
To the staff at the Java Room who know put aside bowls of french onion soup because they knew I loved it.
To my mother and father who are the best publicity team anyone can ask for and pretty good parents.
To Grampa, who, at 98, keeps me grounded and young.
To Jane Austen, who started it all.
Missing Auggie
Coming Summer 2019
What if your husband went away for the weekend and never came back?
That’s what happened to Sam when her husband Auggie called her to say he was on his way home from a guys weekend, but never made it home. All the police found was his abandoned car and his dead cell phone. As the police investigate their friends and family, Sam tries to make sense of what could have happened. She can’t think stop thinking of all Did he run off with another woman? Did he wander into a blizzard and get lost looking for help? Did someone he trusted pick him up and hurt him? His sister Bridgette’s obsession with a serial killer results in national press attention that disrupts everyone’s lives. His mother Regina is convinced Auggie’s business partner killed him to protect a secret. The police think he’s dead. The press blame Sam, no matter what she does. Sam, meanwhile, is simply trying take care of their son as the weeks turn into months. But the question remains, who’s right? What ever happened to Auggie?
About The Author
Born in Boston, MA and raised in Miami, FL, Sara is a college failure and drop out. Now she has two masters degrees and plans to never stop getting over educated. She likes the idea of having all the academic regalia she can ever possess and winning with the most degrees in her family. She cries at nearly every movie she sees (ask her about when she cried at a horror movie), but it’s full on tears for Disney animated movies (Princess Leia is her favorite Disney Princess). She loves reading nearly every genre, but likes to write romance and fantasy books.
When she isn’t writing, Sara is an academic librarian at University of Massachusetts Lowell. She’s an active Wikipedian who has been editing Wikipedia for over 10 years and is an avid knitter who designs. She love unicorns, Paris, and the color purple. You can read more about her life and writing at her blog Book Club of One (http://bookclubof1.com). She is a founding member of Mill Pages, a group that publishes an annual anthology magazine. You can read her short stories in published issues.
Phi Alpha Pi is her second novel and in her 21st Century Austen series. Her first novel, Modern Persuasion, was released in 2017 with Illuminated Myth Publishing.
Find Sara on these social media platforms:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saramarks01
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_marks01/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15507164.Sara_Marks