Love at First Slight
It may not be universally acknowledged, but the unvarnished truth is that a young widow in possession of a good fortune is not necessarily in want of another husband.
In this humorous, topsy-turvy Pride & Prejudice variation, all major gender roles are reversed. It is Mr. Bennet’s greatest wish to see his five sons advantageously married. When the haughty Miss Elizabeth Darcy comes to Netherfield with the Widow Devonport (nee Bingley), speculation — and prejudice — runs rampant.
William Bennet, a reluctant and irreverent reverend, catches Miss Darcy’s eye, even though he is beneath her station. His opinion of her is fixed when she slights him at the Meryton assembly. As her ardour grows, so does his disdain. When she fully expects to receive an offer of marriage, he gives her something else entirely . . .
This story is now available in
Whims & Inconsistencies
Spyglasses & Sunburns
a short story in the
Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer
anthology
At the seaside, some of the Miss Bennets chance upon handsome acquaintances.
A Little Whimsical in His Civilities
Told entirely from Fitzwilliam Darcy’s point of view, J. Marie Croft’s humorous novella, A Little Whimsical in His Civilities spans one moonlit, autumnal night upon the gentleman’s return to Hertfordshire in pursuit of Elizabeth Bennet.
“We take the turning which places us on Meryton’s main road, and—oh, gad! There it is—the base-court building which passes for an assembly hall in this godforsaken place. For me, the venue shall be either a heaven or a hell tonight. My palms grow clammy, my gut churns, and I regret that second helping of onion-laden vegetable pie forced on me before we left.”
Accompany Darcy as he, intent on reversing the disastrous first impression he made there, braves another Meryton assembly and seeks to win his heart’s desire.
This story is now available in Whims & Inconsistencies
From the Ashes
a short story in
The Dary Monologues
anthology
The Art of Sinking
a short story in the anthology:
Dangerous to Know:
Jane Austen's Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues
The Simple Things
a short story in the
Rational Creatures
anthology
Homespun for the Holidays
a short story in the Yuletide anthology
All proceeds from the KINDLE E-BOOK and PAPERBACK ONLY to benefit Chawton Great House in Hampshire, former manor of Jane Austen’s brother Edward Austen Knight and now the Centre for the Study of Early Women’s Writing, 1600-1830.
The Age of Nescience
a short story in the
Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl
anthology
Play with Fire
Madness! It was nothing but madness from beginning to end, and Darcy was caught up in it.
What do occupants of Netherfield Park do on a dreary Saturday while the Bennet sisters are still in residence and they have nothing at all to do? They take a page from Mansfield Park, of course, and decide on a theatrical.
In the process of planning and performing the play, certain participants get more than a little carried away, especially Fitzwilliam Darcy where Elizabeth Bennet is concerned. There might even be a kiss...and a skirmish...leading to a duel.
No one involved in the play had set out with the intention of creating a scandal. None preforming in the theatrical began with the aim of ending with blushing faces, or bruised bodies, or blemishes on their reputations.
Blame it on The Mésalliance.