Darcy & Elizabeth: A Season of Courtship (Darcy Saga Prequel Duo) by Sharon Lathan

Author:Sharon Lathan [Lathan, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: TSBO Publications
Published: 2014-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

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Lizzy brushed her hair absently while contemplating her dreamy face reflected in the silvery surface of the mirror. The dim candlelight and flames from the fireplace were the only illumination in the darkness of her bedchamber, but enough to reveal her beatific countenance. She sighed, the sound almost a breathy giggle, and closed her eyes as a euphoric shiver rushed through her body.

What a marvelous day.

Waking that morning to a gloriously colorful sunrise and vivid azure sky set the tone, and beckoned Lizzy outside as soon as a hasty breakfast was finished. There, she discovered the air as fresh and crisp as imagined, and walking the trails through tall waving grasses invigorating. Every leaf seemed sharper and brighter than normal. The willows at her favorite secluded spot swayed serenely in the breeze, the autumn-yellowed leaves a vibrant curtain and carpet. An hour of quiet reading with only the scurrying of tiny squirrels and chipmunks or the occasional cry of a bird added another layer of happiness.

Then, the distant sound of hooves registered, and her happiness tripled. An unexpected and delirious interlude in the solitary company of the man she loved surpassed any possibilities dreamt of for her morning. Walking home with the sensation of his lips tingling her hands and mouth was sheer rapture, and the feeling held all through the afternoon and up until Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley’s arrival for dinner.

Sadly, the surprising inclusion of Caroline Bingley had dulled her joy. Invited to Longbourn several times since Jane’s engagement to Mr. Bingley, Caroline had extended thinly veiled, contemptuous refusals each time. Therefore, no one anticipated her accompanying the gentlemen on the night of an after-dinner community theatrical. Lizzy’s suspicions that Caroline was attempting to wrest Mr. Darcy away through seductive maneuvers were proven true by her outrageous display at the Netherfield dinner the night before. With her tolerance hanging by a thread, Lizzy barely hid her irritation, and even sweet Jane grimaced and greeted her future sister-in-law testily.

Assuming the evening was doomed to be ruined by Caroline’s harping, sneering remarks, and simpering at Mr. Darcy, it was remarkably fantastic. Oh, Caroline did all that and more, but Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy deflected her barbs, smoothly interrupted, or humorously flipped the comment around. More often than not, they simply ignored her, the Bennets following suit. That alone was enough to lift Lizzy’s spirits.

Best of all, Mr. Darcy held Lizzy’s hand during the performance, whispered questions as to the people involved, and honestly enjoyed himself, just as he said he would. Caroline’s pointless pursuit faded into oblivion.

A knock on the bedroom door brought Lizzy out of her woolgathering. It was Jane, as anticipated, and within minutes they were snuggled close by the fire with a blanket draped over their shoulders. A long-held routine after a particularly interesting day or evening, the eldest Bennet sisters gathered together in one of their rooms to talk and giggle. It was not unusual for one, two, or all three of their

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