The Scandalous Stepmother: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Renata McMann & Summer Hanford

Author:Renata McMann & Summer Hanford
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Read, Alternate Universe, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms
Published: 2015-03-21T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Lady Augusta Bennet removed two clean sheets of velum from her desk drawer, preparing to write a letter to her aunt. Her eyes strayed to the clock, watching the pendulum swing back and forth as she composed her thoughts. She must portray how horrendous Elizabeth’s and Anne de Bourgh’s actions were without sounding too waspish. Her aunt was forever warning her about being seen as bitter. If Augusta were ever bitter, her family would be victorious.

My dear Aunt,

Elizabeth seems to have adapted well to being a Darcy. She came to Hertfordshire with an entourage. She descended on Lucas Lodge and took over. Everyone else is, intelligently, staying away because of the infection. Elizabeth ignored the danger, even bringing her maid to share in it, poor girl. She sent her father a note, which the servant left on the doorstep to avoid infecting us. Other than that, she has snubbed her family.

Anne de Bourgh came with her and is staying at Netherfield. With characteristic Fitzwilliam arrogance, she took the youngest Lucas boy, Steven Lucas, to Netherfield, endangering Jane and her family. Master Steven isn’t sick yet, but who knows when he will become infectious?

I see from Harriet’s letters that Elizabeth is accepted in London. She cunningly persuaded my family to recognize her by publicly refusing to listen to Henry Fitzwilliam’s stories about me. That was cleverly done. I admit, while I’ve always known she was sly, I didn’t realize she was intelligent enough to invent such a scheme.

Harriet tells me Elizabeth is courted for her musical ability. She owes me a great deal for that. If only she’d applied the intelligence she used to capture my family’s good will to her other studies, she may have made something of herself. Instead, she’ll forever have to live knowing her only talent and only worthwhile connections exist because of me and my dedication to forcing her to better herself in at least that one area. Considering her father’s relative poverty and her connections to trade, she would hardly be invited anywhere if not for what I’ve given to her, even if she is the wife of Darcy of Pemberley.

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