“I see,” Lizzy said with a smile. “You wished me to reject him for the correct reasons.”
“You knew she would refuse me,” Mr. Darcy said dully.
“Jane knew,” Bingley explained.
There was a long silence as Mr. Darcy rubbed his jaw and stared at the floor. Finally, he heaved a deep sigh. “I appreciate your concern, my friend, but I fear my offer was doomed under any circumstance.” His expression was heartbreaking, and Lizzy seemed quite affected as she watched him.
“No! Not necessarily.” Charles had so much energy he nearly bounced as he paced the room. “I—We”—he gestured to himself and Jane—“believe you might suit each other admirably, if you could get past your misunderstandings…overcome your prejudice against each other.”
Mr. Darcy’s head shot up. “Prejudice?” Lizzy echoed in surprise.
“And your pride,” Aunt Gardiner chimed in with a pointed look at Mr. Darcy.
There followed a long pause as both Lizzy and Mr. Darcy appeared to be swallowing some particularly unappetizing foods. Finally, Lizzy turned to Jane and spoke slowly as if each word were forced from her unwillingly. “You…believe I should…consider Mr. Darcy’s offer?”
Jane carefully measured her response. “I believe you should defer your answer to his proposal until you have taken the time to improve your understanding of Mr. Darcy.”
Lizzy’s chin stuck out stubbornly. “But he—”
Fearing what her sister might say, Jane dared to interrupt her. “Mr. Darcy had the very good taste to select you as the companion of his future life. He is neither a simpleton nor deluded. You might grant him a week of your time to discover if you concur with his judgment.”
Lizzy’s jaw dropped. Jane did not believe she had ever spoken to her sister so forcefully; she braced herself for an onslaught of Lizzy’s contradictory opinions.
However, her sister blinked a few times and finally spoke in a subdued voice. “I-I suppose I might take time to consider it…” Lizzy turned her gaze to Mr. Darcy, examining him as if seeing him for the first time.
“Prejudice and pride?” he murmured, almost to himself. “Indeed, these are faults to be avoided at all costs.”
“Darcy.” Bingley drew his friend’s attention. “Do you believe you might grant Miss Elizabeth a week to become properly acquainted?”
Darcy blinked. “A week? Of course! I will give Elizabeth whatever she needs. A month. Two months. Even a year…although I would prefer not to wait that long.” He glanced shyly at Lizzy, who appeared a little dazed at his words.
“I do not believe I will require a year,” she said slowly. Mr. Darcy’s expression grew more guardedly hopeful.
Aunt Gardiner grabbed Charles and Jane by their elbows and dragged them toward the door. “We will leave this for you to sort out,” she said loudly to the others.
Neither Mr. Darcy nor Lizzy even glanced their way—or indeed appeared to notice them. They only had eyes for each other as the intruders backed out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Epilogue
“A toast to a future of wedded bliss!” Jane’s father surreptitiously wiped away a tear as he raised his glass of champagne. Everyone at the wedding breakfast followed suit. “To Mr. and Mrs. Bingley!” he said before taking a sip and waiting as everyone followed his example. Then he raised it again. “To Mr. and Mrs. Darcy!” Again, the attendees echoed his sentiments and downed their champagne.
Maggie hurried about, unobtrusively refilling glasses, but she flashed a wide smile when Jane caught her eye. The maid and Charles’s valet had been married the weekend before. At first, Maggie had been hesitant to accept Joseph Harvey’s proposal for fear of losing her place at the Gardiners’ house. However, Jane had promptly offered her the position of lady’s maid to the new Mrs. Bingley—where Maggie could live in the same household as her new husband—and she had accepted gratefully. Jane knew that Mr. and Mrs. Harvey would provide invaluable assistance in establishing the Bingleys’ new household.
Soon the guests had returned to talking and laughing, although Jane noticed her father wiping away a few more tears. Their mother was in her element, hurrying around to various guests to point out the elegance of the furnishings at Darcy House or “let slip” the cost of the lace on Jane’s gown.
Lizzy, resplendent in her white silk wedding gown, drifted to the table where Jane poured tea. “I thought I might regret not holding the wedding at Longbourn, but I believe the entire population of Meryton came to Darcy House!”
Surveying the crowd, Jane realized her sister was not merely joking. The Lucas family, Mr. and Mrs. Long, Mary King…there were more than a dozen Hertfordshire denizens who had made the journey to London for the occasion. “I imagine Mama has been touting the grandeur of Darcy House.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “No doubt. At least Pemberley is far enough away that we need not fear a visit from the entire town.”
“Yes, but not too far from me.” Jane looped her arm through her sister’s. Recently Charles had let go of the lease on Netherfield and purchased a home near Pemberley. “We will need each other.”
“Well, I shall need you. Whether you need me is another matter.”
“Oh, Lizzy.” Tears welled up in Jane’s eyes. “I will always need you.”
Mr. Darcy—Jane still had difficulty thinking of him as Fitzwilliam—passed by, and Lizzy watched him with undisguised adoration on her face. “Jane, do you ever wonder what would have happened if you and Charles had not arrived at Hunsford the day he proposed?”
Jane shrugged. “You were destined for each other. Surely you would have found your own way to happiness.”
“I am not so confident.” Lizzy frowned. “Had you not intervened, no doubt I would have rejected him in the most vehement tones. He would have departed from Rosings believing I detested him, and I would have returned to Longbourn full of righteous anger. We might never have seen each other again.”
“You might have met again at our wedding.”
“Perhaps,” Lizzy said. “Or perhaps the resentment between us would have grown so thick that we could barely exchange civilities.” She gave Jane’s hand a squeeze. “No, I am convinced that you and your estimable husband saved our marriage before it had even begun. I thank you.”
“I do not believe I deserve such approbation, but I cannot deny my joy at our success.”
Both sisters’ attention was drawn by a loud laugh—belonging to Miss Bingley, who was attempting to ingratiate herself with Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“Actually, Lizzy,” Jane said with a smile, “I believe we can both thank Miss Bingley.”
“Thank her?”
Jane nodded. “If she had not spurned my friendship, none of this might have occurred.” She swept her arm to indicate the entire room. “I must say that Caroline has been far kinder to me since Charles and I spoke so harshly to her. Perhaps she simply needed someone to stand up to her.”
Jane’s new husband arrived in time to hear these words. “Darcy claims that my anger at him encouraged him to make Elizabeth an offer.”
“Not that we intend to make anger a habit,” Jane said to Charles with a teasing smile.
Elizabeth laughed. “I had not the least idea that either of you could be so easily goaded to anger.”
“It was not easy,” Charles said with a smile. “However, Jane is terrifying when she gets angry.”
“Oh, Charles!” Jane colored.
Lizzy tilted her head and regarded her older sister. “I do not believe I have ever seen you truly angry. I am sure it is a sight to behold.”
“It is!” Charles agreed.
“You will encourage my sister to think me a tyrant,” Jane laughed.
“You are not in the least tyrannical, my dear,” he said with a quick kiss to her lips. “However, I am not sure that we would be here at this wedding breakfast if you had not grown angry with my sister’s manipulations and decided to take matters into your own hands.”
&n
bsp; Lizzy shook her head. “Jane said as much, but surely you were destined to marry one way or another.”
Charles shrugged. “Perhaps. But I know I am correct in saying that sometimes good things happen when Jane gets angry.”
The End
Thank you for purchasing this book. I know you have many entertainment options, and I appreciate your spending your time with my story. Support from readers like you makes it possible for independent authors like me to continue writing.
Reviews are a book’s lifeblood.
Please consider leaving a review where you purchased the book.
Learn more about me and my upcoming releases:
Sign up for my newsletter Dispatches from Pemberley
Website: www.victoriakincaid.com
Twitter: VictoriaKincaid @kincaidvic
Blog: https://kincaidvictoria.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kincaidvictoria
About Victoria Kincaid
The author of numerous best-selling Pride and Prejudice variations, historical romance writer Victoria Kincaid has a Ph.D. in English literature and runs a small business, er, household with two children, a hyperactive dog, an overly affectionate cat, and a husband who is not threatened by Mr. Darcy. They live near Washington DC, where the inhabitants occasionally stop talking about politics long enough to complain about the traffic.
On weekdays she is a freelance writer/editor who now specializes in IT marketing (it’s more interesting than it sounds). In the past, some of her more…unusual writing subjects have included space toilets, taxi services, laser gynecology, bidets, orthopedic shoes, generating energy from onions, Ferrari rental car services, and vampire face lifts (she swears she is not making any of this up). A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice.
Also by Victoria Kincaid:
The Unforgettable Mr. Darcy
Mr. Darcy arrives at Longbourn, intending to correct the mistakes he made during his disastrous proposal in Hunsford. To his horror, he learns that Elizabeth Bennet was killed in a ship’s explosion off the coast of France—in an apparent act of sabotage. Deep in despair, he travels in disguise to wartime France to seek out the spy responsible for her death.
But a surprise awaits Darcy in the French town of Saint-Malo: Elizabeth is alive!
Recovering from a blow to the head, Elizabeth has no memory of her previous life, and a series of mistakes lead her to believe that Darcy is her husband. However, they have even bigger problems. As they travel through a hostile country, the saboteur mobilizes Napoleon’s network of spies to capture them and prevent them from returning home. Elizabeth slowly regains her memories, but they often leave her more confused.
Darcy will do anything to help Elizabeth reach England safely, but what will she think of him when she learns the truth of their relationship?
When Mary Met the Colonel
Without the beauty and wit of the older Bennet sisters or the liveliness of the younger, Mary is the Bennet sister most often overlooked. She has resigned herself to a life of loneliness, alleviated only by music and the occasional book of military history.
Colonel Fitzwilliam finds himself envying his friends who are marrying wonderful women while he only attracts empty-headed flirts. He longs for a caring, well-informed woman who will see the man beneath the uniform.
A chance meeting in Longbourn’s garden during Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding breakfast kindles an attraction between Mary and the Colonel. However, the Colonel cannot act on these feelings since he must wed an heiress. He returns to war, although Mary finds she cannot easily forget him.
Is happily ever after possible when Mary meets the Colonel?
Christmas at Darcy House
Mr. Darcy hopes Christmastime will help him to forget the pair of fine eyes that he left behind in Hertfordshire. When Elizabeth Bennet appears unexpectedly in London, Darcy decides to keep his distance, resolved to withstand his attraction to her. But when he learns that Wickham is threatening to propose to Elizabeth, Darcy faces a crisis.
For her part, Elizabeth does not understand why the unpleasant master of Pemberley insists on dancing with her at the Christmas ball or how his eyes happen to seek her out so often. She enjoys Mr. Wickham’s company and is flattered when he makes her an offer of marriage. On the other hand, Mr. Darcy’s proposal is unexpected and unwelcome. But the more Elizabeth learns of Mr. Darcy, the more confused she becomes—as she prepares to make the most momentous decision of her life.
It’s a Yuletide season of love and passion as your favorite characters enjoy Christmas at Darcy House!
A Very Darcy Christmas
A Pride and Prejudice sequel. Elizabeth and Darcy are preparing for their first Christmas at Pemberley when they are suddenly deluged by a flood of uninvited guests. Mrs. Bennet is seeking refuge from the French invasion she believes to be imminent. Lady Catherine brings two suitors for Georgiana’s hand, who cause a bit of mayhem themselves. Lydia’s presence causes bickering—and a couple of small fires—while Wickham has more nefarious plans in mind….The abundance of guests soon puts a strain on her marriage as Elizabeth tries to manage the comedy and chaos while ensuring a happy Christmas for all.
Meanwhile, Georgiana is finding her suitors—and the prospect of coming out—to be very unappealing. Colonel Fitzwilliam seems to be the only person who understands her fondness for riding astride and shooting pistols. Georgiana realizes she’s beginning to have more than cousinly feelings for him, but does he return them? And what kind of secrets is he hiding?
Love, romance, and humor abound as everyone gathers to celebrate a Very Darcy Christmas.
President Darcy
A modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice
Billionaire President William Darcy has it all: wealth, good friends, and the most powerful job in the world. Despite what his friends say, he is not lonely in the White House. He’s not. And he has vowed not to date while he’s in office. Nor is he interested in Elizabeth Bennet. Although she is pretty and funny and smart, her family is nouveau riche and unbearable. To make it worse, he encounters her everywhere in Washington D.C.—making it harder and harder to ignore her. Why can’t he get Elizabeth Bennet out of his mind?
Elizabeth Bennet enjoys her job with the Red Cross and loves her family, despite their tendency to embarrass themselves. When they drag her to a White House state dinner, they cause her to make a unfavorable impression on the president, who labels her unattractive and uninteresting—words that are immediately broadcast on Twitter. Now the whole world knows the president dissed her. All Elizabeth wants is to avoid the man—who, let’s admit it, is proud and difficult. For some reason he acts so friendly when they keep running into each other, but she just knows he’s judging her.
Eventually circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to confront their true feelings for each other, with explosive results. But even if they can find common ground, Darcy is still the president—with limited privacy and unlimited responsibilities—and his enemies won’t hesitate to use his feelings for Elizabeth to hurt his presidency.
Can President Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet find their way to happily ever after?
When Jane Got Angry Page 10