NEW RELEASE! THE SISTERS HOLIDAY BY JAYNE BAMBER

 

Hello, readers! It’s such a treat to be back at My Jane Austen Book Club  to share my upcoming release, The Sisters’ Holiday, which is coming to Kindle next month!

 

Inspired by the film “The Holiday” this Jane Austen retelling sees the two eldest Bennet Sisters switch places with their cousins, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood after Christmas together at Longbourn. 

But before Mrs. Jennings whisks Jane and Lizzy off to London while Elinor and Marianne stay in Meryton, the whole Bennet family gets some shocking news: Mr. Collins is dead! Just days before her wedding, Charlotte Lucas is devasted, and quickly embittered by the lost opportunity, while the news leads to a sensational revelation for Jane and Elizabeth at Longbourn….

 Excerpt from The Sisters’ Holiday…

 Elizabeth passed an agonizing night at Lucas Lodge. She sat with Charlotte, occasionally joined by Lady Lucas and Maria, all afternoon and all evening. Sir William did his part to ease Charlotte’s dismay by removing the younger children from the house, taking them into the village to purchase a few extra Christmas gifts for his bereaved daughter. 

Charlotte took a tray in her room, and Elizabeth dined with her. Darkness had encroached at an early hour, and Charlotte stared out into it as she sat by the window, the untouched tray of food in her lap. “You must marry rich, Lizzy, and take me as your paid companion before I become a burden to my family.”

Elizabeth gave a snort of bitter laughter as she looked at her friend. “Oh. You are serious.”

“I am doomed to always be serious, Lizzy. I fear this was my one and only chance to marry and have a home of my own, and it has been snatched away at the very last moment.”

“I cannot believe that,” Elizabeth assured her. “You have not moved enough in the world; anyone who is fortunate enough to meet you can see your worth. Alas, not enough eligible young men have had that pleasure.”

Charlotte shook her head. “My father has taken me to London every spring….”

“If you would only learn to get on with your brother’s wife, she might be of more assistance. She is wealthy and well connected - and I shall tell you candidly that if your ill-featured brother can land such a catch, there is hope for all of us who have only our charms to recommend us.”

Charlotte shook her head, determined to be dejected. “Some of us have little in the way of charms. Where Mr. Collins was concerned, my greatest allure was desperation.”

There was little Elizabeth could do to dissuade her friend from the cynical turn of her grief. Though Charlotte wept for the rest of the night, she said little else, and Elizabeth could only hope that her silent companionship gave her friend some succor.

Elizabeth stayed the night, and the two friends shared a bed; they snuggled together, murmuring their affection for one another and assurances of friendship and fortitude. But the next morning, Charlotte was cold to Elizabeth.

She was already dressed when Elizabeth awoke, and she sat on a chair by the window, staring numbly at a breakfast tray. She wore a drab grey gown ten years out of fashion, and her hair was pulled back in a severe knot. Her cheeks were sallow and her eyes puffy, and her gaze was unfocused as she tipped her face up toward Elizabeth. “Jane will get Longbourn, I suppose.”

Elizabeth sank down onto the arm of Charlotte’s chair, drawing her shawl tight around the night rail her friend had lent her. “What?”

“I heard my parents speaking about it this morning. When Papa was in the village yesterday, he saw Mr. Phillips, heard him gossiping about it with Mr. Goulding - he had been summoned to Longbourn to discuss the entail. Mr. Bennet certainly did not tarry.”

Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath. “Perhaps there is some other distant cousin - of course my father would wish to know.”

 Charlotte’s expression and her voice were utterly devoid of feeling. “Of course it will be Jane, beautiful Jane. She will get Longbourn, and be paraded around London.”

“Charlotte,” Elizabeth gasped. She had never known Charlotte to be mean spirited, and even now she could not excuse it. “I am sorry we shall keep our home, when you wished to be mistress of it someday.”

Elizabeth moved away to retrieve her gown, and changed into it behind a screen. When she had dressed herself, she folded the night rail and laid in on Charlotte’s bed. “Generally when one condoles with somebody bereaved, they speak of the merits of the deceased. You may not expect me to have much to say in praise of Mr. Collins, but I had expected it of you.”

Charlotte stared at her blankly. “Perhaps you are right, but I can find only rage. Go home, Elizabeth. I will not disappoint you with my ill humor.”

Elizabeth went home with a twisting in her gut over how she had left things with her grieving, angry friend. To her chagrin, there was a celebratory air at Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet’s voice could be heard as soon as Elizabeth entered the house, crowing over Jane’s presumed good fortune. 

At the end of the corridor, the door to her father’s study opened; Mr. Bennet and Mr. Phillips stepped out of the room, and Mrs. Bennet came running. “Well, dear Brother! Do tell us there is good news!”

Mr. Bennet glanced over at Elizabeth, and beckoned her to join them. “Come, ladies, let us all go and sit in the parlor.”

Elizabeth did as she was bid. Jane was sitting with their aunt and cousin Julia, while Lydia and Kitty worked on some very ugly bonnets at a table in the corner, and Mary attacked her instrument. 

“Girls, go into the village for a little while,” Mr. Bennet said, offering them each a sixpence. 

Mrs. Gardiner went into the music room and laid a hand on Mary’s shoulder. “Could you work with Julia for a little while?” Mary agreed, making room for her cousin to sit beside her on the piano stool. Mrs. Gardiner shut the door behind them, and resumed her seat between Jane and Elizabeth. She took them each by the hand as she waited for Lydia and Kitty to clear out.

When the two younger girls were giggling their way out of the house, Mr. Bennet surveyed his wife and more sensible relations. They all waited for him to speak. “Mr. Phillips has brought over some documents regarding the entail.”

Despite Charlotte’s vitriolic misery, Elizabeth felt a pang of pity for her friend. “So soon?”

“Had we discovered there was some further distant relation set to inherit, it would have been best to know at once,” Mr. Bennet said evenly.

“But you did not uncover any male heirs,” Mrs. Gardiner prompted him.

“No, we did not,” Mr. Phillips said.

At the same moment, Mr. Bennet held up a hand. “This is not to leave this room.” He looked at his wife, who had already begun to sputter with avaricious glee. “I will not have every soldier in the regiment knocking down our door to woo Jane.”

“Oh, Jane!” Mrs. Bennet sprang from her chair and squared her favorite daughter’s face in her hands. “Oh, my dear girl! I knew how it would be! You shall have this house! Thank the Lord, we are saved!”

When her mother released her, Jane turned toward Elizabeth with a look of astonishment. “Can it really be possible?”

“Most certainly,” Mr. Phillips said with a proud smile. “If there are no other heirs male, and there are not, the eldest daughter may inherit.”

“Well, Jane, what do you say to that?” Mr. Bennet grinned at his daughter.

“I am so sorry for Charlotte - and poor Mr. Collins!” Jane wrung her hands. “I suppose I must learn to manage the estate.”

“No, my dear, you must find a suitable husband! I daresay that Mr. Bingley must feel terribly foolish for giving you up, when he learns of this,” Mrs. Bennet said smugly.

“Surely you would not wish him, or any man, to woo Jane because of this,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “Not any more than you would wish….” She broke off.

Jane looked nervously at their aunt. “What is it?”

Mrs. Gardiner looked at Mr. Bennet. “They do not know, do they? Tom, you ought to have told them.”

“I knew that Bingley fellow was a coxcomb,” Mr. Bennet said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He fixed a stern look on his wife. “Madam, if I hear anything we discuss repeated by somebody outside of this room, I will cut off your allowance until Easter, is that understood?”

Mrs. Bennet was on the edge of her seat, already on the scent of some great secret. She hurriedly nodded her agreement and waved her handkerchief as she urged him to go on. 

Elizabeth latched onto her aunt’s hand, bracing herself for what was to follow. She tore her eyes from Jane, sharing her sister’s overwhelmed trepidation, and she stared expectantly at her father.

But it was Mrs. Gardiner who spoke. “The scarlet fever claimed James and Joan first, and then my poor little Jasper. Edward was so ill for so long before he succumbed. He changed his will, leaving the bulk of his fortune to Julia and I, and the business to my nephew, Mr. Franklin. He also set aside a small sum to be added to the money that was put aside for you girls by your grandfather.”

Mrs. Bennet sat up straighter. “What money? Mr. Bennet, you never told me there was any money from my father, besides my five thousand pounds. What is this about?”

Mr. Bennet rubbed at his temples and sighed. “I never much cared for your father, Fanny, though he has done more for our girls than I was ever able to. When Mary was born, you had already lost two boys, and we had only the three girls. He attempted to advise me against trying for any further children, though we… love one another too much.”

Elizabeth and Jane exchanged a look of mortification before turning their attention back to their father, who gave them a guilty smile. 

“Your grandfather set aside funds for each of you, and for Mary - five thousand apiece. There was a fourth account established with five thousand pounds for you, my dear wife, and any additional children. He also funded the purchase of a parcel of land that added eight hundred pounds of revenue to Longbourn every year, with the stipulation that from my profits, fifty pounds be added to each of my three daughters’ portions each year, and the other six hundred and fifty to the funds set aside for my wife and other children. After twenty years of interest….”

Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands. “It must be a mighty fortune!”

Elizabeth attempted the math in her head, but she could hardly guess what this meant. Mrs. Gardiner cleared her throat. “With only one surviving child and a well-connected wife, my late husband generously added to those funds. Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary each have twenty thousand in the four percents, and the sum to be shared by Fanny and the younger girls is the same. There are stipulations, of course….”

“My girls have proper dowries!” Mrs. Bennet squealed and flapped her hands about. “But what about Kitty and Lydia - are they to share? Why do they not have twenty thousand apiece?”

“The idea was that that funds would remain in the four percents for several more years, until they are wed,” Mr. Phillips said. “Then, the sum shall be greater.”

Mrs. Bennet ignored him and continued to accost her husband. “And why did you never tell Jane? Mr. Bingley would not have gone away! And perhaps even that pompous Mr. Darcy might have fancied one of the girls! And Lizzy, your Mr. Wickham would not have chased after that insipid little Miss King - but he is to return, I hear! It is a fine thing you did not accept Mr. Collins, I daresay, for then you must go into mourning!”

Jane stood up and rested a hand on her mother’s arm. “Mamma, think of what you are saying. You would not wish Mr. Bingley or any other man to want me only for my fortune, surely. Nor for Lizzy to be pursued for anything other than true love.”

“And why should I not? You might have been married already, Jane! But your wicked father wished to keep it all a secret, some horrid lark of his, and now you are practically a spinster with your fortune and inheritance! Oh, but you must go to London! That is how we will find you a grand match. Madeline, can you not take the girls back to London with you? We will find matches for all of them!”

“You will do no such thing,” Mr. Bennet groaned. “Fanny, is it not enough that you and our girls will not be in the hedgerows?”

Mrs. Bennet looked at them all as if everybody but herself had run mad. “They might have had husbands!”

Elizabeth shared a look of mortification with Jane. She hardly knew what to think of the news of their fortune, but she certainly had very decided opinions about using her new wealth to catch a man. “Mamma, I have no wish to make myself bait for a fortune hunter.”

“Nor I,” Jane shyly agreed.

“And I am afraid a visit to London is quite impossible at present,” Mrs. Gardiner said apologetically. “I am hoping to sell the house on Gracechurch Street in the new year. There are too many painful memories, and Julia’s health is not what it once was. We wish for country air, or perhaps a cottage by the seaside.”

Mrs. Bennet hurled herself backward in her chair and cried out for her smelling salts. “You are all most perversely determined to deny me any satisfaction in this happy news! Well, if you will not hear me out, I shall go and share the good news at Purvis Lodge.”

Despite his threats, Mr. Bennet could not deter his wife from her mission, and perhaps he took pity on his daughters, who wished their mother anywhere else as they pondered his revelation. 

When Mrs. Bennet had gone, Mr. Bennet and Mr. Phillips retreated to the study for more brandy. Left with their aunt, Jane and Elizabeth stared at one another in amazement. 

“I wonder if it would have made a difference with Mr. Bingley,” Jane said in a choked voice. She gave a little sob, and then fled the room.

 

***

 

Stay tuned, dear readers – I will be sharing more excerpts, and each stop on my blog tours brings a chance to win a free copy of this Austen mash-up!

JAYNE BAMBER