{"id":2794,"date":"2019-10-18T08:37:26","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T12:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/?p=2794"},"modified":"2021-12-17T12:50:21","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T17:50:21","slug":"chapter-12-an-autumn-accord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/readingroom\/chapter-12-an-autumn-accord\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 12 An Autumn Accord"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Well, I guess even a soldier’s heart can melt, after all.<\/span><\/p>

XOXOXO<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth Ann West<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 12 - An Autumn Accord, a Pride and Prejudice Variation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cSir,\u00a0the men are mustered and ready for inspection.\u201d The lieutenant saluted Colonel Fitzwilliam after his\u00a0report.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cVery good. Inspect the men for proper uniform, stockings, and boots. Any found wanting take note and purchase in town, with the cost docked from their pay. I won\u2019t drill through the winter in this godforsaken place with troops not equipped for the weather.\u201d Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam rubbed the beginnings of stubble on his chin, ruminating on Headquarters decision to choose such a cold and bleak place for his regiment to spend winter. Being an intelligent man, Richard did not like the future prospects such acclimation to cold weather the men and horses would\u00a0require.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cSir, on my own, sir?\u201d The man scarcely appeared\u00a0over eighteen and just the order to inspect the troops made him\u00a0pale.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Richard glared his junior officer down, reflecting there was much courage to be found before he would take these troops to charge one of his mother\u2019s garden parties, let alone face Bonaparte\u2019s worst on the Continent. \u201cIs there a problem, Lieutenant\u00a0Sheffield?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo, no, sir. I shall go right away, sir.\u201d Lieutenant Sheffield saluted again and left the commander\u2019s headquarters, the parlor of a local merchant\u2019s\u00a0home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Alone, the Colonel shifted a few papers on his temporary desk\u2013reports of the feed and hay levels for the stables\u00a0and the post for the regiment. Picking up the stack of letters, he sifted through the various family missives and sweetheart whispers until he found a letter for himself near the end. Setting the pile aside for Sheffield to hand out after the inspection, Richard peered curiously at the\u00a0letter.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

The script\u00a0was not his mother\u2019s hand, yet it clearly held a feminine slant. His heart recognized the handwriting before his mind could agree to the owner. But it was Mary Bennet\u2019s style of writing. His Mary.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Tapping the letter against his hand, he half considered casting it straight to the flames. But he had promised his mother. And lied to Darcy. And this left Richard Fitzwilliam in a\u00a0quandary.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam did not retreat, yet he tossed the letter to the desk and gathered the remaining post for his men for his saddlebag. He convinced himself this was not cowardice; merely choosing the terms of the battle. With the ominous note waiting for the recipient to shore up his fortitude, Richard left the comfortable warmth of the home to follow behind the inept Sheffield and inspect the stables himself. He trusted the men to junior officers, but the horses, he trusted to none but\u00a0himself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

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In London,\u00a0the Darcy party included an extra carriage when it arrived in front of the town home. Darcy and Elizabeth had managed to ride alone and come to an understanding regarding many matters. \u00a0When the formidable couple descended from the carriage they were bombarded by the butler rushing to seek them\u00a0out.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMister Darcy, sir, Mrs. Darcy, how happy you are\u00a0arrived. Please come at once, sir. The kitchens and the house are in an uproar. The Countess of Matlock is here, sir.\u201d The poor man blanched in such a way, Darcy grasped Elizabeth\u2019s hands and they hurried to the lower servant\u2019s\u00a0door.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cOf all the bloody blazes to come home\u2013\u201d Fitzwilliam muttered under his breath in\u00a0aggravation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cTemper, dear. We shall see and acquit the matter forthwith. Patience.\u201d Elizabeth offered her husband a smile as he glanced\u00a0back to her, immediately calming him. He held her hand down the stone steps and was about to barge in, when Elizabeth stayed his arm. \u201cHusband, please allow me.\u201d She set her mouth in a firm line and the mistress of Darcy House and Pemberley entered\u00a0first after the poor butler opened the\u00a0door.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Two kitchen maids were huddled and whispering in the corner as the Cook shouted at them while still busying her hands with the cutting of dough for meat pies. Raised voices also came from the small office\u00a0of\u00a0the housekeeper, Mrs.\u00a0Kensington.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cThere you see now? There be the mistress and the master and you two layabouts be caught gossiping. Get to scrubbing those pans or I\u2019ll see you both dismissed, I will!\u201d The Cook raised her rolling pin in an ominous fashion as Mrs. Darcy nodded to the woman in\u00a0approval.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

With grace and calm, Elizabeth Darcy crossed the kitchens and appeared in the doorway of Mrs. Kensington\u2019s office with her husband just behind\u00a0her.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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To Stay In Touch Would be Divine . . .<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I promise to be a faithful correspondent if you join my newsletter or follow me on any of my social media accounts. Do follow and leave your calling card . . . – Elizabeth Ann West<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 12(cont'd) - An Autumn Accord, a Pride and Prejudice Variation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cI know all. You cannot possibly continue this charade. Empty the contents of the locked drawer instantly!\u201d Lady Matlock menaced the unfussed Mrs. Kensington who remained seated at her desk. Furtively, the housekeeper looked to her employers in the doorway and smiled as she thought for sure she would have the upper\u00a0hand.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMilady, I apologize for disappointing you so, but as I said before, household matters are not the business of family members without direction from my master and\u00a0mistress.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cAunt Maggie\u2013\u201d Elizabeth paused so the grand lady glanced\u00a0at her to realize\u00a0she was deliberately\u00a0greeting her in warmth, \u201cperhaps we should go to the study and discuss that which\u00a0vexes\u00a0you?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo!\u201d Lady Matlock slammed her hand on the desk, \u201cI will not allow this snake in the grass to destroy the evidence. She has been writing to Lady Catherine\u00a0and telling all. The proof is in that locked drawer.\u201d Lady Matlock\u2019s long finger bejeweled with a heavy ring pointed directly at the left side of the desk, on the far side of the room from where Elizabeth\u00a0stood.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth\u2019s throat clenched at the outrageous accusation of a servant who had been in the family\u2019s employ since the previous Mrs. Darcy\u2019s days, but to question the word of Lady Matlock was a far more egregious crime, even if the family was splintered. And that specific detail was not for the staff to\u00a0know.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMrs. Kensington, please open the drawer so that we might alleviate this\u00a0matter.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mrs. Kensington looked to her employer and stammered as she tried to avoid the demand. \u201cBut madame, this is unprecedented! I served this family for two generations and my ability to continue to serve hinges upon mutual respect. Should I open the ledgers of the household to all and sundry as\u00a0well?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth folded her arms in front of her as she turned her head quickly to see her husband leaving the kitchens without a word. The vote of his confidence that she was to handle this matter on her own warmed Elizabeth down to her toes and a new wave of courage washed over her. \u201cThe drawer. I wish it\u00a0opened.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Frowning, Mrs. Kensington took pains to try and fail a number of keys on her massive ring for the entire household. The heat of the kitchens began to make Elizabeth perspire and she became slightly dizzy. The sudden haphazard inquisition was\u00a0unbearable.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Marching forward, she seized the letter opener from the desk and walked around Lady Matlock to the other side of the locked drawer. Pushing Mrs. Kensington\u2019s latest failed key, a ridiculously gilded key that was much too large for such a tiny lock, she allowed her aggravation to escape. \u201cOh shove off, this is\u00a0unacceptable.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth Darcy drove the letter opener between the drawer and the desk and gave it a violent shake, breaking the small lock on the drawer with just a few thrusts. Lady Matlock\u2019s mouth dropped, but she quickly recovered. Elizabeth smeared a lock of hair that had fallen from her loosened bun away from her sweaty forehead and grinned at the lady. \u201cBennet girls and all that.\u201d The two shared a short laugh as Elizabeth yanked open the drawer and pulled out a twined stack of letters all postmarked from\u00a0Kent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lady Matlock eagerly snatched the bundle when Elizabeth placed it on the desk, untying the knot with a sailor\u2019s skill, and began searching through them. \u201cHa! You\u2019re plucked now,\u00a0Kensington!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

As Elizabeth accepted the missives from her husband\u2019s aunt, she scanned the lines to see Lady Catherine\u2019s ugly remarks on her sisters, the speculations about Scotland, orders to determine where the sister called Lydia disappeared to, and more. Feeling suddenly ill at the depth of the betrayal, she gasped and clutched the corner of the desk to steady herself. How? How could a family member invoke such treachery on a loved\u00a0one?<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Two footmen and the butler appeared in the doorway and Lady Matlock peered\u00a0carefully at her nephew\u2019s wife. \u201cElizabeth, it appears your husband sends\u00a0reinforcements.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth glanced up at Lady Matlock her face pale, a glisten of sweat on her upper lip. \u201cJames, Christopher, give this baggage ten minutes to collect her things and then escort her off the\u00a0property.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cBut, but I can explain! Lady Catherine was worried about Mr. Darcy, and as his mother\u2019s sister, I am\u00a0honor bound to help. Mrs. Darcy, please, I\u2019ve worked for the family for over fifteen years!\u201d Agatha Kensington began to panic and offered her half-cockedexcuses.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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WHAT A DEAL!<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A kiss at the Netherfield Ball . . .<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Three Dates with Mr. Darcy<\/em> is a bundle of: An exclusive story, <\/span>Much to Conceal<\/em>, a novella that imagines what if Elizabeth confessed to Jane in London that Mr. Darcy proposed in Kent? <\/span>
<\/p>\n

A Winter Wrong,<\/em> the first novella in the Seasons of Serendipity series that imagines what if Mr. Bennet died at the very beginning of Pride and Prejudice?<\/p>\n

By Consequence of Marriage,<\/em> the first novel in the Moralities of Marriage series that wonders what if Mr. Darcy never saved his sister Georgiana from Wickham\u2019s clutches?<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Ann West\u2019s Pride and Prejudice variations have enthralled more than 100,000 readers in over 90 countries! A proud member of the Jane Austen Fan Fiction community since the mid-2000s, she hopes you will join her in being happily Darcy addicted!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 12(cont'd) - An Autumn Accord, a Pride and Prejudice Variation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy did not offer the woman another minute of her time and instead offered her arm to Lady Matlock. The trio of men parted to give the ladies a wide berth for their\u00a0departure.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhat about my notice? I\u2019ll never find another position!\u201d The yells of Kensington could be heard down the hall as Elizabeth and Lady Matlock left the sweltering servant\u2019s quarters of the town\u00a0home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Entering the above stairs region of the room and taking a deep breath of cool air, Elizabeth rubbed her temples. \u201cWe are to away to Pemberley. I promised Fitzwilliam no more delays, but without a housekeeper, it will be utter chaos. And I must put a notice for new candidates and\u00a0interview\u00a0. . .\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lady Matlock patted Elizabeth\u2019s hand, breaking her niece by marriage\u2019s rant of her tasks to accomplish. \u201cI put a notice out last week. Candidates will arrive tomorrow and with your permission, I will be here to help you select a new housekeeper. Reginald and I will also be remaining in London for a few more weeks after you to tie up some loose ends, so I will come and make sure the new housekeeper is settled in\u00a0nicely.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth arched her eyebrow. The last time they had stood in a room, she had offended the Countess of Matlock intentionally and the lady had left the house in a huff. Suddenly, this trouble on behalf of the Darcys began to seem much like Lady Catherine\u2019s spy network. \u201cHow did you learn about the\u00a0letters?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lady Matlock laughed. A true, genuine gaff few would ever witness if they had known the Countess for over a decade. \u201cYou are a gem! Does Darcy know the sharp he recruited in\u00a0you?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

A sour taste swirled in Elizabeth\u2019s mouth. \u201cIndeed. I ask again, how is your interference different from our other relation that\u00a0spied upon us through a servant? I would like an answer before we apprise my husband of the housekeeper\u2019s scheme.\u201d Elizabeth Darcy felt ill-equipped to process the intricacies of this family and society her husband kept, but she held no interest in rejecting one aunt only to welcome the other to the bosom of the family with equal\u00a0aims.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMy housekeeper is a cousin of Kensington. Jealousy over her cousin\u2019s new funds leaked to my ears, and at first I dismissed it as a ploy to increase her wages. But then Mary was summoned here while you and Fitzwilliam were still in Scotland, and my suspicions were raised.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes, but why did you not come to me or Fitzwilliam? I do not appreciate coming home to crisis with the staff and I\u2019m certain my husband will feel the\u00a0same.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lady Matlock blanched, then recovered with a sniff. \u201cYes, well, I had planned to bring up the situation the last time I was here, but other matters . . . and so to make amends, while you were away, I vowed to learn the truth of the\u00a0matter.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

The word amends rang delicately in Elizabeth\u2019s ears. She sighed, then offered Lady Matlock a smile. The whole situation, even putting a notice in the paper, was not interference. Lady Matlock was offering an apology. And Elizabeth was no fool to think she would receive\u00a0another.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cThank you.\u201d The two women made eye contact and held it for a moment of bonding in solidarity. \u201cLet\u2019s go talk to Fitzwilliam before my mother realizes there is a countess in the house.\u201d Elizabeth laughed at the folly of her family further imposing on her husband\u2019s generosity and opened the study door for them both to enter. The two women laughed even more when they came upon Fitzwilliam writing furiously at his\u00a0desk.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cHusband? To whom do you write with such anger on your face?\u201d Elizabeth asked, bemused that the man had his own crisis to deal with so soon after the dismissal of their housekeeper. Truly, could they not gain\u00a0one moment\u2019s\u00a0peace?<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cTo that ogre in Kent! How dare she spy on my family!\u201d Darcy bellowed as both ladies took a\u00a0seat.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth\u2019s head spun. How had Fitzwilliam known the housekeeper was guilty to send the footmen when he had not remained behind for the discovery of evidence? \u201cTis true Mrs. Kensington was sending dispatches it appears to your aunt, but how did you\u00a0know?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Putting his pen down, Darcy ruffled his ink stained hands through his hair in frustration. He looked at his wife with a maddened expression on his face, like she had gone daft. \u201cThe steward of Rosings is the son of Mr. Richards at Pemberley. His loyalties are to me and as soon as he learned of the treachery, he wrote to me.\u201d Darcy pointed towards an open letter on the corner of his\u00a0desk.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

The contents of Elizabeth\u2019s stomach tossed and turned. Did everyone employ spies at one another\u2019s home? Wanting desperately to laugh, the seriousness of her husband\u2019s expression made her gnaw on her tongue to keep her mirth at bay. Begging Lady Matlock to tell her husband of their plans, Elizabeth Darcy excused herself to see to the bedroom arrangements for her mother and sisters, and to ask Cook to help oversee the staff until a new housekeeper could be found. Both nodded at her wise plan, and as she quitted the room, she leaned against the study door she had just\u00a0closed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

There, in the middle of the marble floored hallway, Elizabeth Darcy laughed until she wept. Her hands naturally rubbed her midsection and she scolded Fate that another fuss had derailed her plans for the evening and a quiet moment to discuss the possibility of children with her husband. After she wiped her eyes and steadied her composure, as every emotion was\u00a0enhanced in her condition, she decided to walk to the kitchens first to see that Kensington was removed. If she made sure to compliment Cook\u2019s pie crusts, perhaps she could convince the woman to take on the extra workload without too much\u00a0fuss.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

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The evening\u2019s\u00a0darkness creeping into the sky, Richard Fitzwilliam returned to the Holt House in Newcastle on Tyne, exhausted to the bone in a way he had not been\u00a0in many months. Hearing movement in the parlor dedicated to his office, he nodded to the family servant and ducked into the room just off the entryway. His man Pratt scurried around the room, tidying up in preparation for the next day\u2019s business.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cLeave it. But I won\u2019t say no to a bath if the kitchens can bear it.\u201d Richard walked over to the desk and nodded to the man who had cared for his person in three different countries now. Reports piled up of Wellington\u2019s successes in Spain, there was no doubt the Colonel\u2019s regiment would scarcely be given until spring to shape up and reinforce the cavalry units already charging the\u00a0lines.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Pratt handed a drink to his employer and comrade before quitting the room. He did not hand the letter from Mary Bennet to Richard; he knew better. But the letter sat conspicuously on the very top of the pile of papers he did leave behind before seeing to the Colonel\u2019s\u00a0bath.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Richard traced the edge of the letter with his coarse finger and exhaled. All afternoon he deliberated over what the letter contained. Swallowing his drink quickly as a last forge of courage, he leaned back into the wooden chair for his comfort and opened the\u00a0note.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Dearest\u00a0Richard,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

I heard from your mother you arrived safely in Newcastle and I wish to send my own happiness of such news. I prayed fervently for your safe arrival. I am residing with my aunt and uncle until such time to go to Pemberley. If you should write me in return, please direct your letter\u00a0there.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. The hardest day of my life was seeing you leave London and my memories of the afternoon haunt my every waking thought. I would include my sleeping thoughts, but that should require that I find sleep and I cannot claim thus. My heart, my mind, my very soul despises you for leaving. Despises you for loving me, for respecting my thoughts when no other had before, and then rejecting my love in return for your\u00a0pride.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

On the day I came closest to meeting our Lord in Heaven, you stepped in and killed another for my safety, with no concern to your own well-being. My Richard the lion, my\u00a0champion. \u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

I have reflected deeply on what I can do as a poor woman with some means to rectify this chasm between us. You, sir, need a champion. I stand as charged.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

I discussed with my uncle the possibility of my own establishment in London and he promised to assist my aims, while respecting society\u2019s demands. I shall not have proper lodgings until next spring or summer at the earliest. But even beyond that, you sir, have a champion in\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

I will wait. However long it takes, you have my heart, you have my loyalty, until such time as you find your way back to me. In my deepest soul, I am the wife of a soldier, and I shall find no\u00a0other.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

With\u00a0Unwavering\u00a0Love,\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mary\u00a0Bennet.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Tears pricked the edges of Richard\u2019s eyes and a great tension snapped in his shoulders. His chest, heavy with emotion, made his breathing difficult. He blinked as he furtively tried to read the letter once more but\u00a0the words blurred before him. \u00a0Swiping his face with the rough arm of his red coat, he didn\u2019t mind the coarseness of the fabric as he once more could read Mary\u2019s beautiful words. His\u00a0Mary.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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You’ve been reading An Autumn Accord<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The fourth season of the Seasons of Serendipity and conclusion of the first year sees Elizabeth and Darcy reconcile the consequences of their honeymoon trip in Scotland with their family’s future. Kitty Bennet and Georgiana Darcy have bonded over their training for debut in society, plus found a bit of mischief to create. When Darcy decides to help his wife mourn the one-year anniversary of her father’s passing with a trip to Hertfordshire, he finds a whole new set of problems await them both regarding the widow Bennet.<\/p>

An Autumn Accord Book 4 of the Seasons of Serendipity<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>
a Pride and Prejudice novella variation series<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Release Date: February 26, 2015<\/span><\/span><\/span>
~190 pages in print.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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+ 23 additional Pride & Prejudice variations are available at these fine retailers . . . <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Keep reading more by clicking below!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 13 An Autumn Accord\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, I guess even a soldier’s heart can melt, after all. XOXOXO Elizabeth Ann West Chapter 12 – An Autumn Accord, a Pride and Prejudice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":380,"featured_media":2721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,83,42],"tags":[48,51,26,46,45,44,50,22,62,49,23,47,54,53],"class_list":["post-2794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-an-autumn-accord","category-chapters","category-readingroom","tag-a-happy-assembly","tag-death-comes-to-pemberley","tag-elizabeth-bennet","tag-fan-fiction","tag-fanfiction","tag-fanfiction-net","tag-longbourn","tag-mr-darcy","tag-novella-series","tag-pemberley","tag-pride-and-prejudice","tag-pride-and-prejudice-fan-fiction","tag-pride-and-prejudice-sequel","tag-pride-and-prejudice-series"],"yoast_head":"\nChapter 12 An Autumn Accord - Elizabeth Ann West<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read Pride and Prejudice Fan Fiction, new stories of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. 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