Hello, readers! It's a treat to be back at My Jane Austen Book
Club to share about my newest release. My eleventh novel, ‘Just Between
Us’ is available for pre-order, and at the end of this post I’ll be sharing
an excerpt from this Pride & Prejudice retelling….
When Mr. Collins and Kitty wed, Captain Darcy recommends they take in the culture of London together on their honeymoon, and he later calls on them often in Kent, discussing books and playing chess with Mr. Collins.
JAYNE BAMBER
***
Kitty was fairly bouncing with
joy as Mr. Bennet handed Elizabeth down from the carriage. The sisters shared a
warm and tearful embrace; only when Kitty drew away did she betray an
expression of surprise at Elizabeth’s altered appearance. It was but a flicker
of surprise that she quickly dispelled, but Elizabeth knew her sister well
enough to dread the inevitable commiseration.
Mr. Collins was as full of
chatter as ever, though he was no longer the silly, simpering ninny she had
once thought him. Though he had a great deal to say, he expressed himself well,
and Elizabeth was touched by the glow of pride on Kitty’s face.
A tour of the parsonage was
offered, and the Collinses eagerly led their guests through the charming house.
There was much said of the furnishing and arrangements, but it was all Kitty’s
effusions at the warm and comfortable qualities of her new home. She was eager
to show Elizabeth her contentment, and Elizabeth was happy for her sister.
Mr. Collins could not resist
some little praise of Lady Catherine’s contribution to his domestic felicity,
but he spoke of the improvements she had made with so little deference as to
leave Mr. Bennet visibly disappointed. He then invited them to take a stroll in
the garden, which was large and well laid out.
“My dear Kitty and I attend to
the cultivation ourselves, and I believe it is one of our favorite ways to pass
an afternoon together,” he told Elizabeth. Kitty had led Mr. Bennet far enough
down the path as to be out of hearing, and Mr. Collins gave his wife a
flirtatious wave of his hand, which caused her to blush very prettily as she
smiled broadly at her husband.
Elizabeth covered a laugh with a
little cough as Mr. Collins reddened, perhaps considering other means of
enjoying an afternoon with his lovely and loving wife. He regained his
composure and pointed out a rose bush of which he was particularly proud, for
it was a variation grown only at Rosings, and had been gifted to the Collinses
upon their return from London.
“This is called the Red Rarity -
is the color not remarkable? And you will notice the astonishing fullness of
the blossoms, compared to the floribunda. And yet they are quite easy to care
for, when one is well versed in such things.”
Elizabeth did her best to give
an appropriate reply, but as she stared at the roses, she could think only of
their gifter. Captain Darcy had truly been such a kind friend to her sister and
cousin, and a small and selfish part of Elizabeth wished to believe that he had
done so for her sake.
When they reached the back of
the garden, the most splendid view yet was to be presented, and even Mr.
Collins could not resist waxing poetic on the impressive vista. Kitty repeated
all his effusions, pointing out everything remarkable in the sprawling estate
situated at the top of a rolling hill just beyond the grassy meadow spotted
with wildflowers.
The sun broke through a swath of
fluffy mammatus clouds, casting its rays down on the majestic house that
surpassed even the picture Mr. Collins had once painted. It was as if even the
heavens conspired to taunt Elizabeth with what she had lost, as the pale gray
stone glowed in the sunlight before the cloud shifted once again, sending the
view into shadow.
That Captain Darcy was master of
such a place caused Elizabeth to tremble at her own insignificance. Perhaps she
might have been mistress of Rosings, happily ensconced in the library with the
man she loved, had tragedy not separated them - or perhaps after four months
away, the master of such a grand estate had forgotten her. Perhaps she had
pined in vain for a gentleman who was now too far above her.
The clouds darkened, and Mr.
Collins hastened them back indoors before it should rain. He was particularly
attentive to his wife, and Elizabeth’s aching heart warmed at the sight of it.
He began to lead them to the parlor, the first room they had seen and praised,
and he suggested they all sit by the fire and speak of London. Elizabeth had
little to say of her stay there, for though she had gone to many places and met
with many new acquaintance of her aunt’s, none had held any appeal. It had been
as if a shade of grey was thrown over everything, but she could hardly say as
much to her new brother.
Instead she was happy to listen
as he extolled upon his own impressions of the capitol, his fascination with
all the art he had seen at the Royal Exhibition, his enthusiasm for the
theater, and his surprising fondness for Hatchard’s.
“I would not have thought to
visit such a remarkable shop, but Captain Darcy insisted I do so. And what do
you think? When we did visit, on the third day - or no, was it the fourth day,
my blossom? At any rate, when we did go to Hatchard’s, I meant only to purchase
a little book of poetry for my lovely bride, and I happened to strike up a
conversation with the shopkeeper, an excellent fellow. And what did you think
he told me? Only that he had been expecting me, and that Captain Darcy had set
aside a sum for my purchasing several volumes of a philosophical nature. I was
bowled over at such generosity, though I was obliged to own that knew little of
the subject. But the good shopkeeper was everything amiable, and obliged me in
selecting several volumes that Captain Darcy himself favors. We have been
discussing together them every Friday afternoon.”
“Indeed?” Elizabeth could
scarcely conceal her astonishment. “Pray, what have you been reading?”
“David Hume and John Locke, and
of course Samuel Coleridge,” Mr. Collins replied with a twinkle in his eye, as
if knowing this must be a surprise. “I confess I had not the experience of so
many of my peers at university, in the sort of lively philosophical discussions
that I have enjoyed with Captain Darcy. He is a clever man, and I have often
been quite overcome by his grasp of the material, which far outstrips my own
comprehension. Still, I find it edifying and exceedingly enjoyable when I am
able to consider such weighty notions and see something of them in what I have
been taught to preach. Though Captain Darcy has declined to examine my sermons
in advance, as Lady Catherine once did, I believe he has begun to enjoy them a
great deal more than when first I came, and so I believe it would not be vanity
on my part to surmise that I have been greatly improved by my scholarly
pursuits.”
“Then I shall anticipate Sunday
morning with great pleasure, sir.”
“You must call me William - or
better, still, Brother. And you must speak to me of books as much as you choose
while you are here. I know your tastes must be similar, for I recall how you
and Captain Darcy had your literary discussions in Hertfordshire. I cannot
promise I shall read Miss Wollenstonecraft with you, but I am presently
contemplating Paradise Lost, and I shall venture a guess that you have read it
already.”
“I cannot claim it a favorite,
but perhaps you might read a favorite passage to us this evening?” Elizabeth
could scarcely believe the words as they passed her lips, but she was perfectly
in earnest.
Eager as she was to hear from
Captain Darcy how Mr. Collins’s unlikely education had come about, it was Kitty
who sated Elizabeth’s curiosity. She invited Elizabeth to join her in a smaller
parlor on the other side of the house, which had been appointed for her
particular use.
“Is my husband not an excellent
man after all?” Kitty smiled as she sipped her tea.
“I am all astonishment,”
Elizabeth said. “But of course we ought to have trusted Charlotte - she did say
it would prove to be a fine match for you. And are you happy, Kitty?”
“I am, Lizzy, truly. Our stay in
London was just what was needed, I think. Away from Longbourn, to be in a place
where all was new and thrilling for us both, there was such a sense of wonder
and excitement in beginning our lives together. And Captain Darcy had been so
good to us. His influence over William is truly a blessing, and I enjoy his
company, though at times their discussions are more than I can follow. There are
times when he has to simplify whatever he is explaining, if William asks a
great many questions, and then it is such a relief to hear his ideas expressed
in a way that I can make out, without exposing my own ignorance.”
“You need not be embarrassed,
Kitty,” Elizabeth cried. “You are not to blame for your want of education, for
we both know it was Lydia who frustrated our parents’ efforts!”
Kitty laughed, sending a little
splash over the side of her tea cup. She ignored it and said, “I have been
clever in my own way, Lizzy. I have always taken care to write to you on
Saturday, so that the following Friday I will have a letter from you to read
during Captain Darcy’s visits, and when there is a lull in conversation I make
mention of whatever you have written of.”
“Oh dear,” Elizabeth said. There
was little in her letters that would not have betrayed her low spirits, and she
was mortified that any of it might have been repeated to Captain Darcy.
“Abigail is also keen to meet
you,” Kitty said. “She and Mr. Taylor are to dine with us tomorrow; I invited
Captain Darcy, but he is to dine at the dower house, for his cousin arrives in
the morning. But then we shall dine the following day with Lady Catherine, for
she likes to keep the numbers even.”
“His cousin is coming to Kent?
Good Heavens, Lydia will be wild with envy,” Elizabeth quipped, hoping her jest
belied the tremendous agitation in her heart at the prospect of seeing Captain
Darcy.
“Perhaps if she attempted to
improve herself as William and I do, we might invite her to the parsonage to
stay with us sometime, while the colonel is visiting Rosings,” Kitty said
smugly.
“For now we shall savor the
delights ourselves,” Elizabeth agreed, for she had found Colonel Fitzwilliam to
be excellent company in Meryton - when her youngest sister was not swooning
over him.
“And shall you savor the
delights of Captain Darcy’s company?” Kitty waggled her eyebrows.
There was no point in pretending
with Kitty, who had known of Elizabeth’s heartbreak since the night of the
Netherfield ball. And the look in her eyes told Elizabeth that her sister could
see how she had despaired in the months since then.
“Your separation has taken a
toll on you, Lizzy,” Kitty said before Elizabeth could do more than choke back
a sob.
When Charlotte Lucas’s twin brother returns to Meryton after four years in the navy, he rivals even Mrs. Bennet as a meddling matchmaker. Captain Oliver Lucas introduces his two dearest friends, Elizabeth Bennet and Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy, and their discreet courtship begins on the very same night that Elizabeth discovers her childhood friend harbors a secret which will later alter the course of their lives.
As Elizabeth’s romance blooms, Jane faces an ultimatum from her mother, and takes drastic measures to secure her engagement to Mr. Bingley. Jane’s collusion with Caroline Bingley estranges her from her sisters when she causes a calamitous chain reaction that jeopardizes the happiness of more than one of her sisters, and has even more disastrous results for the Darcy family.
In the two years that Elizabeth and Captain Darcy are separated, their lives are consumed by tragedy and despair, though neither can let go of their memories of the love they once shared. Meanwhile, the Bingley marriage flounders when both Jane and Charles Bingley are haunted by the mistakes of their past, led afoul by a cruel and conniving Caroline.
When Elizabeth & Captain Darcy are finally reunited, they must confront their painful history before they can begin anew together, and in doing so give hope to those they love. The long-suffering Bingleys attempt their own reconciliation with help from an older and wiser Lydia Bennet, as well as the charming and mischievous Colonel Fitzwilliam. A house party full of familiar faces and new characters alike sets the scene for romance, and amidst the revelry and reminiscing, more than one couple finds their happily ever after, proving that time does heal all wounds.
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