{"id":6638,"date":"2020-11-17T12:55:58","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T17:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/?p=6638"},"modified":"2020-11-17T13:02:58","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T18:02:58","slug":"chapters-13-15-happy-was-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/wip\/chapters-13-15-happy-was-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapters 13-15 Happy Was The Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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I apologize for the week+ in between the chapters, but remember when I said somewhat unpacked? I am much more unpacked now. And one reader tagged me on Facebook in a meme that is so true — you unpack 1 box, HUZZAH, 3 more appear! This week is the second week I have felt like I have a routine down. It starts at 5am-6am when Dasha, my writing dog, wakes me up. She has to potty. Then I walk down to my parents’ room and open their door, half awake, and their dog, Kyra, comes wiggling out. My dog waits at the top of the stairs for her packmate to come out, then they whip those tails and wiggle and greet each other. And if I’m not fully awake by now I am because my knees and shins have been whacked by two tails! Then coffee, let them out, feed them, and I jump into the Artist’s Way Morning Pages. I am only in Week 1, but it’s already easier. \ud83d\ude42 And today, I started on Chapter 16 already, dictating 15 minutes and yielded 961 words. It makes me slightly less daunted there’s still like 30 more chapters to write in this story. \ud83d\ude42 Thank you for everyone being here on this journey. I read every comment even if I don’t respond, which I will work on doing more of.\u00a0<\/p>

-Love and safety to you all-<\/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 13 - Happy Was The Day, A Pride and Prejudice Sequel Novel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Battle lines formed between the four remaining Bennet sisters living above stairs as they prepared for the annual assembly. To Elizabeth’s surprise, Mary crossed lines and invited her to ready for the evening’s festivities in her shared room with Kitty, while Kitty had thrown her support to Jane.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“You can join Jane if you’d like to preserve your position, Mary, I won’t mind,” Elizabeth offered as Mary untied the wraps that had been in Lizzy’s hair since the previous afternoon. After the restriction to the house and exclusion from dinner, Lizzy made a decision to put the free time over Jane and Miss Bingley to good use: her vanity. Her curls would be the tightest and longest lasting of the evening as a result of her additional freedom from social obligations.<\/span><\/p>

Mary frowned in the vanity glass at her sister’s poor attempt at martyrdom.<\/span><\/p>

“Right is right, wrong is wrong. Mr. Darcy has done much for our family and when pride cometh, then cometh shame,” Mary recited from Proverbs.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth inspected two combs before her as options for her hair that evening. One set, a gift from her sixteenth birthday, had been seen so many times by Mr. Darcy, she didn’t wish to wear the familiar set again even though they were the fancier of the two. But the second option, a loan from Mary, also failed to please her as they were very plain, but Elizabeth did not wish to appear ungrateful for her sister’s love and care.<\/span><\/p>

“You believe Jane feels ashamed?” Elizabeth asked, confused about Mary’s thoughts as to how the proverb and situation related to one another.<\/span><\/p>

“Your Mr. Darcy never abandoned you,” Mary explained.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth twisted a quarter turn in the chair, earning a hair pull from Mary’s work. “Ow!” Elizabeth grimaced, then took a breath, remembering her sudden inspired thought. “Say, I completely forgot about the string of seed pearls from Aunt Gardiner! They will set off your combs so well!” Elizabeth waited for a nod from Mary in agreement to her plan, and before her sister could resume untying the knots of the curling rags, Elizabeth stood. “I’ll fetch them from my room,” she explained, dashing to the door in her shift and robe.<\/span><\/p>

She came up short two steps into her room as Kitty and the maid, Betsy, worked on Jane’s hair, now glistening with the milky iridescence of seed pearls woven between her limp curls. Kitty looked at Elizabeth, not as far along in her preparations, and sought approval of Jane’s appearance.<\/span><\/p>

“Isn’t she lovely?”<\/span><\/p>

“Those are mine!”<\/span><\/p>

Kitty’s mouth opened in shock as such disagreements never happened between her older sisters.<\/span><\/p>

“Jane?” Kitty asked.<\/span><\/p>

The eldest Bennet daughter did not bother to turn around and face Elizabeth directly.<\/span><\/p>

“They’re already woven into my hair. Just leave it.”<\/span><\/p>

“So you do not deny that you pilfered through my things!” Elizabeth charged.<\/span><\/p>

“And had you been preparing in here, I would have mentioned it and you would never deny them to me,” Jane explained.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth crossed her arms, and narrowed her eyes as Mary joined the fray behind her.<\/span><\/p>

“Then you won’t mind me taking your golden chain for my hair, after all, you would never deny me, either, would you, Sister?”<\/span><\/p>

“But I am to wear that!” Kitty interjected, holding up the chain in question. “Jane promised.”<\/span><\/p>

Soon, three of the Bennet sisters began squabbling with each other, while Mary watched on and the poor maid stepped back to press herself against the wall. The raised voices attracted the notice of their mother who bustled into the room, nearly knocking poor Mary to the floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“What petty arguments are happening now? Surely you are not fighting over shoe roses!” Mrs. Bennet bellowed.<\/span><\/p>

“Jane took Lizzy’s pearls for her hair, and promised me her gold chain, but now Lizzy wants to wear it!” Kitty tattled.<\/span><\/p>

Mrs. Bennet, hearing Lizzy’s name twice, faced her second daughter with a gaze of pure wrath. “I should have known you were disturbing the preparations.”<\/span><\/p>

“Mama, that is not fair. Jane is the one who took the pearls without asking,” Mary interjected, a rare vocalization that gave even Mrs. Bennet pause in her emotions.<\/span><\/p>

“And why shouldn’t Jane wear the pearls? Lizzy’s dress is green, Jane’s is such a lovely shade of blue and white silk,” Mrs. Bennet walked over to the gown hanging upon the wardrobe door to prevent wrinkles. She fingered the delicate silver brocade along the bodice, the sensible reason Jane did not wish to wear gold in her locks. “Yes, the pearls match Jane’s attire,” she pronounced.<\/span><\/p>

“Then I should wear the gold chain! I am engaged to be married, and Kitty is not. If Jane is going to wear<\/span> my<\/span><\/i> pearls, she should not have promised her usual accessory to another,” Elizabeth said, firmly, emphasizing her ownership of Jane’s choice.<\/span><\/p>

Mrs. Bennet scoffed. “And you would deny your other sister what would have been the highlight of her evening? How cruel you’ve become, Lizzy.”<\/span><\/p>

Sensing a chance to keep the gold chain, Kitty began to quibble her lower lip as though she might cry. Elizabeth’s eyes widened in utter shock at how carelessly any concern for her had been thrown aside. Refusing to reveal how pained she was by her mother’s favoritism, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her trunk. She could almost imagine Mr. Darcy’s embrace and reminded her vanity that his love hinged not on the baubles and jewels she wore. She ignored the shouts and continued discussion between her mother and Kitty until at last she imagined a new image of herself at the assembly that evening.<\/span><\/p>

“Betsy,” Elizabeth said to draw the maid’s attention, trying to avoid another argument all together. “Would you please ask the gardener to cut a dozen rose blooms from the garden? I know a number of our bushes are still in bloom. Mary and I shall wear roses in our hair,” she announced, turning back to beam at Mary.<\/span><\/p>

Kitty inspected the thin filigree of gold in her hand, suddenly disappointed that it would not compete nearly as well with elegant blooms in one’s tresses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“I want to wear roses, too!” she announced.<\/span><\/p>

But Betsy had already bowed and stepped out, anxious to remove herself from the family’s discord.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“Now Kitty, you wished to wear the gold chain,” Mrs. Bennet said, feeling outsmarted by her second daughter again, and it was too late to unwind the pearls from Jane’s hair for flowers without damaging the delicate curls. “Besides, most of the blooms will be ragged and dingy from the cool weather. We’re long past the height of rose season.”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth smirked at her mother and realizing there was no more of the battle to be won, led the way for her and Mary’s retreat back to the other bedroom. When the door closed, Elizabeth took a deep breath and decided to make an entreaty of Mary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“I wish to tell you something, ask for your assistance, and I won’t ask you to keep it a secret,” Elizabeth explained.<\/span><\/p>

Mary pretended to inspect the gown she was to wear for the night’s assembly for any last minute repairs needed to the hem or sleeves. The yellow frock had been one she owned for two years. She remained silent so that her older sister could continue, and avoid a commitment one way or the other.<\/span><\/p>

“As I am one and twenty, Mr. Darcy and I have plans to marry by special license in London. I wrote to our aunt some days ago and received word in this afternoon’s post. She has invited me to visit her and any sisters of mine wishing to make the trip, as I have detailed for her my problems here,” Elizabeth said, inhaling sharply and blowing out a deep breath to keep her emotions under control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth waited for Mary’s response but before her younger sister could answer, Betsy knocked on the door with an offering of roses from the kitchens.<\/span><\/p>

“There was already blooms awaiting, Miss,” Betsy explained and gave a quick curtsy. She stood, unsure of what to do, and Elizabeth soon understood the young woman’s difficulty.<\/span><\/p>

“Return to my other sisters, Mary and I can manage,” Elizabeth said, smiling at the young woman who had always been kind and helpful to her. As she dismissed their help, she brought the blooms to Mary.<\/span><\/p>

“How were there blooms already cut? That is most strange,” Mary commented, and Elizabeth noted she did not ask about the London plan.<\/span><\/p>

Choosing to accept her sister needed time to think about the proposal, Elizabeth did not press for an answer one way or the other. Instead, she giggled. “I had expected Jane and I to wear jewels in our hair, and to have the flowers for you and Kitty. But, this is much better, if you ask me,” Elizabeth said.<\/span><\/p>

Mary sniffed the rose and smiled at the pleasing scent. Relying again on Scripture, she uttered the harshest condemnation of their other two sisters: “She that is greedy of gain troubleth her own house.”<\/span><\/p>

“Aye,” Elizabeth said, with a laugh as Mary returned to Elizabeth’s hair so that they could finish and she would return the favor in kind. “And I am anxious to leave this house of trouble to join my own with peace!”<\/span><\/p>

By nightfall, the Bennet family filled their two carriages to join the annual harvest season assembly in Meryton. The earlier disputes and strife soured the moods of all four Bennet daughters, but dividing themselves along the same lines avoided further disagreement. Mary and Elizabeth rode with their father, the sweet fragrance of the roses in their hair improving the air inside the vehicle.<\/span><\/p>

Violins and a pianoforte played pleasing tunes too slow for any dancing, but allowed the half score of neighboring families to greet one another and share good tidings. Spring and autumn called the modest meeting house for the village into duty, as it conveniently attached to the public rooms of the tavern and inn. Where past years, the Bennet daughters would have marveled and enjoyed the decor and splendor, half of their party were only preoccupied by seeking out two specific attendees. Unfortunately, the Bennet party arrived before the Bingley siblings and Mr. Darcy from Netherfield Park, and so Jane and Elizabeth stood looking beautiful as they attempted to conceal their disappointments.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bennet took the opportunity to pull his Lizzy aside and detail instructions he had received from his wife.<\/span><\/p>

“Your mother has imparted that you agreed to dance the first set with Mr. Darcy,” he stated.<\/span><\/p>

“Of course I intend to dance the first with Mr. Darcy\u2014” Elizabeth began as her father interrupted.<\/span><\/p>

“I would like that to be the only dance you give that man,” Mr. Bennet said, with a meager attempt at authority in his voice.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth craned her neck in earnest to the arrival of the man in question; only half of her mind considered her father’s edict. When she suddenly comprehended the command that was given to her, but not Jane, she turned her entire attention to her father and raised her voice slightly as the music hit a swell in dynamics. “I shall do no such thing! It is my greatest desire to dance as many times as I may with Mr. Darcy!” Elizabeth said excitedly, slightly echoing the tone and timbre of her younger, but married sister, Lydia.<\/span><\/p>

“Your reputation, and the reputation of your sisters\u2014” Mr. Bennet began to explain, but his second eldest daughter walked away, shaking her head at her father’s insanity. He considered going after her, but changed his mind when he spied that the pernicious suitors had arrived. Couples surrounded him as they sorted their pairings off for the first reel, and to his dismay, his two oldest daughters took their places near the top of the line with their respective beaus.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth offered nothing but the brightest smile for Mr. Darcy, utterly unbothered by her father’s edict. In her pocket held the precious letter from her aunt, the one that granted her a safe haven for their plans to marry in London.<\/span><\/p>

As she stepped with him by her side, promenading through the lines, she excitedly gave him the news.<\/span><\/p>

“I have heard from my aunt in London!” she exclaimed.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy bowed his head, and stepped his feet in time with the other gentlemen. As he neared her, he asked the appropriate remark as to the contents of the message. Elizabeth did not fail to please.<\/span><\/p>

“She writes I may visit anytime along with any of my sisters who shall join me!”<\/span><\/p>

Revealing that she was eavesdropping on Elizabeth’s conversation with Mr. Darcy, Jane suddenly turned to look over her shoulder, against the direction of the dancing. Elizabeth did not see this as she focused on Mr. Darcy, but Jane’s partner, Mr. Bingley bore witness.<\/span><\/p>

“My dear?” Bingley ventured as he and Jane neared close enough to speak courtesy of the dancing sequence. “What distresses you?”<\/span><\/p>

“Lizzy is planning something,” she said, with a slight annoyance to her voice.<\/span><\/p>

The couples took turns with each other just before Jane and Mr. Bingley would take their place at the end of the line, the third most prominent couple of the evening by precedence. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy would follow in kind after the next completion of steps.<\/span><\/p>

“Did you ask a sister to join us?” Mr. Darcy asked, looking pointedly at Jane, who ignored him.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth waited until Jane and Bingley were forced to separate themselves from their closest proximity by virtue of the reel’s dance steps. When it was safe to speak in relative privacy that only the chaos of a dancing floor could provide a young couple, she flashed a smile at Mary, standing off to the side and electing not to dance this set.<\/span><\/p>

“Mary,” she said, with pride in her voice and earning a nod from her beau.<\/span><\/p>

Another vigorous sequence stifled the conversation for a moment, but Mr. Darcy managed to inquire if Mary had agreed.<\/span><\/p>

“Not yet, but nor has she declined,” Elizabeth shared, hopefully.<\/span><\/p>

Elated that there appeared to be no further impediment to their nuptials, and his plans for Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy spoke in his loudest voice yet. “Then I shall call tomorrow, early, with my carriage.”<\/span><\/p>

More than a few heads turned near Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as they readied to join the end of the line as well, as whispers fluttered through the crowds meandering on the edge of the dancing. Had they heard correctly? Did the proud and stern Mr. Darcy declare that he was calling for Elizabeth Bennet in the morning with his carriage? Most relied on neighbors nearby and their hearing to confirm or deny, but Sir William Lucas, ever a man of action, chose to query Mr. Bennet directly.<\/span><\/p>

He found his friend close to the punch bowl and waited for the opportune moment to clap him on the shoulder, just as he lifted the glass goblet to his lips.<\/span><\/p>

“Bennet, my friend, good to see you in the one daughter married club! Your youngest, eh, that was a surprise! A surprise indeed,” Sir William Lucas congratulated his friend with a sly hint to the gossip swirling around the nuptials of Lydia Bennet, now married to Lieutenant Wickham.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bennet sputtered on his punch, allowing Sir William Lucas to take a position next to his friend properly and gesture in the direction of the dancing couples.<\/span><\/p>

“I was waiting closely to see young Lizzy and let her know how my Charlotte is returned to the neighborhood, for reasons I’m aware your kin have shared. And as I stood, I heard the most remarkable news! Mr. Darcy plans to call tomorrow on Elizabeth with his carriage!”<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bennet pursed his lips and spied his wife, across the room, talking with Lady Lucas and her sister Phillips, very animatedly. They also stared directly at his daughters both dancing a second set with the gentleman they began the evening with, raising more talk and questions. Jane’s banns were announced, so there was little fodder provided from that coupling. No, the mutterings and outright queries from the closest family friends revolved around Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.<\/span><\/p>

In a rare moment of character failing, Mr. Bennet grew angry. And as he watched Elizabeth laugh heartily and her eyes sparkle at the wit offered by the gentleman who’s behavior had disturbed Mr. Bennet’s peace the most over the last two months, ever since Lydia ran off with Wickham, his heart battled absolute rage.<\/span><\/p>

“Bennet?” Sir William Lucas interrupted his friend’s silent fuming.<\/span><\/p>

But Mr. Bennet did not answer his neighbor. Ever a man prizing his solitude over social demands, he walked away amused by his new found pride in fatherly authority. Although his steps quickened as his baser emotions remained in the forefront of his mind, the man who enjoyed nothing more than manipulating the foibles of others, did find a great irony in his circumstances.<\/span><\/p>

As the music came to an end, and without a clear plan in mind when he began his movements, Mr. Bennet soon found himself directly before Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. To keep appearances, he nodded his head in Darcy’s direction, receiving a similar sign of respect from the man that all but announced some kind of arrangement had been made.<\/span><\/p>

“I am here to inquire if you intend to dance the third set, Mr. Darcy, and if so, have you considered my daughter, Mary? I do believe she cares to dance and the other gentlemen in attendance appear to be too dull to notice such an English rose amongst them,” Mr. Bennet challenged, with poor Mary standing close enough to hear her father’s entreaty to her eternal mortification.<\/span><\/p>

“I do, and you anticipated my actions, sir,” Mr. Darcy covered for Mr. Bennet’s humiliation of both of his daughters. He turned to Mary and bowed. “Miss Mary, may I have the pleasure of the next set?” he asked.<\/span><\/p>

Mary glanced to her sister who gave a single, barely perceptible nod, and then she risked a full smile, “I would be delighted, Mr. Darcy,” she said, and the two of them walked to take their place in the lineup.<\/span><\/p>

“I believe Sir William Lucas is looking for you,” Mr. Bennet said. But to his consternation, Mr. Bingley appeared by their side, having handed Jane off to their mother.<\/span><\/p>

“Miss Elizabeth, may I have the pleasure of dancing this set?” Mr. Bingley asked.<\/span><\/p>

Offering her father a pitiful smile as she accepted Mr. Bingley’s hand, she walked away slightly curious as to why her father wished for her to speak to Sir William.<\/span><\/p>

“Forgive me if you’d like to see to your family’s business,” Mr. Bingley said. They were so late to the set that they had to stand and wait for their turn to perform.<\/span><\/p>

“Worry not, Mr. Bingley. I’m sure whatsoever Sir William has to impart to me can be of no importance or my father would have relayed such information himself,” Elizabeth said, thinking briefly if the news affected her good friend, Charlotte Collins, Sir William’s daughter.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bingley nodded and watched carefully to estimate the time before he would lose his opportunity. Next to him, Elizabeth only had eyes for Mr. Darcy dancing with Mary, and the gentleman had trained his eyes on her as much as possible in return.<\/span><\/p>

“Right, so there is no easy way to do this, but I asked for this set to ask a question,” Mr. Bingley managed, taking a breath.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth smirked, cheered at spying her intended making conversation with Mary. Her sister’s complexion sported a healthy rosy glow under the candlelight and preferred attention of a man she respected. She hoped that Mr. Darcy would encourage her sister to join them in London. Mr. Bingley distracted her from her happiness, though, with his query.<\/span><\/p>

“Your sister Jane is most upset. Are you planning to elope with Mr. Darcy with a special license?” Mr. Bingley asked, earning a shocked reaction of a stifled gawk from his future sister by marriage.<\/span><\/p>

“I wonder why my plans and your friend’s plans have any cause to vex either of you. Your wedding is your own, and you have enlisted the aid of my mother in declaring so,” Elizabeth countered.<\/span><\/p>

The pairs of couples reached them and Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth were swept up into the frenzied steps of the third set, a piece played and danced more uptempo than the two previous sets. Both partners unhappy with the other, the physical exertion stymied further discomfort between the pair.<\/span><\/p>

Unwilling to risk a full argument on the dance floor, Mr. Bingley inquired no further. When at least their required time together came to an end, Elizabeth offered advice to Mr. Bingley.<\/span><\/p>

“Do not allow my sister Jane to send you on her errands. And if you must ask about the business of Mr. Darcy, you should ask your friend directly.”<\/span><\/p>

“Miss Elizabeth, I only meant to ask in relation to the discussion you held for many to hear around you. It is common knowledge now that my friend, who played an instrumental role in your sister’s unhappiness for many months, plans to call upon you with his carriage come morning.”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth came up short in her steps as they were walking away from the dance floor. Suddenly, the whispering groups of her neighbors throughout the assembly room swirled in her vision.<\/span><\/p>

“Miss Elizabeth?” Mr. Bingley started, but Elizabeth turned away from him and bolted for the back door that would lead to the adjoining tavern.\u00a0<\/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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Muffled strains of music and conversation seeped through the oak door as Elizabeth leaned against the division between the disaster in the assembly room and her new sanctuary. Smells of stale ale and a mustiness assaulted her senses while she breathed heavily. Despite the cooler air, her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Nausea cramped the empty contents of her stomach. Clenching her fists, she closed her eyes and scolded herself for being so utterly stupid as to lose her discretion!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But when she neared Fitzwilliam, all of her good sense seemed to flee! When he spoke, he was her only care. Not society. Not her family. Reflecting on these memories of her courtship with Mr. Darcy gave rise to pangs of love in her heart. This slightly eased her mortification.<\/span><\/p>

“Lizzy?” a familiar voice called out.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth opened her eyes, adjusting to the dimmer light among the tables and chairs in the inn. Very few people were not enjoying the festivities in the other room, so Elizabeth quickly located the woman who had called out to her.<\/span><\/p>

“Charlotte! I didn’t know you would be here!” The sudden surprise presence of her best friend distracted her from the entire mess she had made with the gossip. The maid sitting with Charlotte Collins stood from the seat next to her responsibility and as Elizabeth neared, she could see her friend was clearly with child.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“A baby!” she said, and both women giggled, with Mrs. Collins placing a protective hand over her midsection.<\/span><\/p>

The mother-to-be smiled. “Yes, sometime in the new year, we suspect,” she explained. But then her countenance shifted to one of fear. “But that’s not why I am here,” she said, ominously.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth took the seat offered next to her friend, and accepted a pour of wine from the maid. “Did you not wish for your child to be born here?” Lizzy asked, quickly calculating such a reason was good as any. After all, eventually Charlotte’s husband and Elizabeth’s cousin, Mr. Collins, would inherit Longbourn. The child growing in Charlotte’s womb should logically be a son of Hertfordshire, not Kent, and have his baptismal record in the same place as the Bennets and Lucases.<\/span><\/p>

Charlotte shook her head and leaned closer to her bosom friend. “I cheer for such an outcome, but no. Lady Catherine is most displeased with the behavior of her nephew and you, and therefore my husband by proxy. She has threatened to take away his living,” she whispered.<\/span><\/p>

“She cannot do that! Not without Church authority!” Elizabeth said, loudly, as Charlotte shushed her.<\/span><\/p>

“Hush, Lizzy, you do not understand how the world works. My husband, my family,” she corrected, not removing her hand from her stomach, “depends upon the generosity of our patroness. The living is a pittance compared to the resources her ladyship has provided. And all of that is gone, now,” Charlotte finished, sullenly.<\/span><\/p>

Trying hard to remember her time in Kent, Elizabeth suddenly understood what her friend explained. Daily packages, parcels, and pantry items arrived from Rosings. As Mrs. Collins, Charlotte was the direct recipient of Lady Catherine’s Christian charity from old gowns of Miss de Bourgh to extra produce and smoked meats from the estate’s food stores.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“I promise, once it’s within my power. . .” Elizabeth began, but couldn’t quite finish her words. Truthfully, she had no idea what her abilities to help her friend financially would become once married. She did not hold a formal marriage contract with Mr. Darcy, a point her family continued to hammer upon in every criticism for Mr. Darcy. And while the man himself had told her countless times that they would be beyond worrying about such trifling matters as the cost of items, her thoughts dwelled on the limited means of Lydia’s settlement, arranged by Mr. Darcy, that would not permit her to travel freely back home to Longbourn from New Castle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Perhaps feeling less empathy for Charlotte’s misfortune would have changed Elizabeth\u2019s perspective to think more highly of Mr. Darcy. His generosity provided the only amount of coin settled upon her rebellious and simple sister. But instead, the uncertainty and isolated position of throwing her entire support to her intended, above the objections and cautions of her family, influenced her too greatly. As did worries that Mr. Darcy might be quite miserable with his spending.<\/span><\/p>

The door to the tavern opened and the man of her thoughts and heart strolled into the room, looking furtively for Elizabeth. Both women ceased their discussion immediately and he quickened his pace when he found Elizabeth sitting with Mrs. Collins. He bowed and greeted Charlotte, and his eyes flicked to the woman’s midsection, but he politely made no comment on her condition.<\/span><\/p>

“Are you well, Miss Elizabeth?” he inquired, respecting the public nature of their location.<\/span><\/p>

“I’m afraid my friend suffers greatly at the hands of your aunt,” she replied, completely skipping any mention of her own distress prior to finding Charlotte.<\/span><\/p>

“Lizzy!”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Elizabeth\u00a0 addressed her friend. “It is his aunt, and if anyone should have the ability to help\u2014”\u00a0 she tried to say, but Mr. Darcy cleared his throat and Elizabeth ceased talking.<\/span><\/p>

“I spoke to Mr. Collins just before coming in here, it was how I found you when I learned where Mrs. Collins had gone,” Mr. Darcy explained.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth cringed. She could easily imagine what the nincompoopery and sycophantic expectations her cousin may have laid at Mr. Darcy’s feet. She attended to confirm her worst assumptions. “Did my cousin seek you out, sir?”<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Mr. Darcy\u2019s stony expression took Elizabeth aback, but he gave her a nod.<\/span><\/p>

“It was my husband’s idea to bring the problem to you. I advised against it. My family, and perhaps my husband’s family,” Mrs. Collins said, looking to Elizabeth to explain she referred to the Bennets, “are more than capable of aiding us and what I am certain shall be a short season of ambiguity.” Mrs. Collins spoke with a finality that conveyed she would not sacrifice\u00a0 her pride on account of a fall from grace with Lady Catherine de Bourgh.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0“But this is beyond comprehension! Do you know that your aunt holds against them our engagement?” Elizabeth said excitedly, looking for her future husband to don a feeling of chivalry and come to her closest friend’s aid.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0When he remained silent, Charlotte admonished her friend. “It is not the moment for a resolution to be made at this table,” she declared.<\/span><\/p>

“But why ever not?” Liz’s mind raced with a number of ways that they could help the Collinses.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Charlotte smiled at Mr. Darcy, apologetic for her friend’s na\u00efvet\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>

“I believe that I have restored my energy and shall rejoin my husband,” she said, standing from the table and earning Mr. Darcy’s respect as he stood with her. Elizabeth paused for just one moment, but then she stood with her friend as well and her departure for all three seemed imminent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Charlotte turned to hug her dear friend, she whispered in Elizabeth’s ear:\u00a0 “Your position is precarious, beware Lady Catherine.”<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Once they broke away, Charlotte curtsied and smiled at Mr. Darcy as though she had not given such a dire message, and she farewelled Elizabeth.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Lost in her thoughts about what Charlotte could mean, and attempting to make sense of Mr. Darcy’s reaction, she was not attending the first time he quietly asked her for another dance set.<\/span><\/p>

“Elizabeth?” His deep baritone voice that still elicited the effect of instant attraction in her ears finally caught her attention.<\/span><\/p>

“Why could we not help them?” She asked and to her surprise, he scowled.<\/span><\/p>

“Your friend was correct that this is not the appropriate time or place to address this matter. I believe she gave the same advice to that offensive husband of hers,” he said, in a rare condemnation of another.<\/span><\/p>

“Is he offensive because he is my relation or because you now know he once offered for my hand?” She countered.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy let out a hollow laugh, finding Elizabeth’s question absolutely ridiculous. “Should not even be a question, the man is offensive in his behavior,” Mr. Darcy said in a tone that signaled he wished the subject to be dropped. “I ask you again, Madam, if you would care to dance?”<\/span><\/p>

The two stood facing one another ,eyes locked in a silent confrontation, and Elizabeth felt stubbornness rising in her chest.\u00a0 She had not felt this level of repulsion in his behavior since their arguments in Kent.\u00a0 but she swallowed her indignation and reminded herself of what Charlotte had just pointed out. She was not Mr. Darcy’s wife, she did not even hold a signed contract. While she did not agree with him that the Collinses were beyond assistance from the Darcy household, she suddenly realized she did not yet hold the formal position to influence any coffers.<\/span><\/p>

“It would be my supreme privilege to dance a third set with you,”\u00a0 she said, and then dropped her voice low to use his Christian name, “Fitzwilliam.”<\/span><\/p>

The two rejoined the dancing with a temporary truce between them, and Elizabeth soon found her laughter again when she realized that despite her friend’s excessive concern, dancing a third set with Mr. Darcy in public was a sufficient announcement they were engaged to the surrounding countryside.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0The last turns and skips offered joy to the couple, but their frivolity came to an abrupt stop when Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth’s uncle, Mr. Phillips, awaited the happy couple at the end.<\/span><\/p>

“Lizzy, your aunt is tired and so your uncle is taking her home. They will take you back to Longbourn in their carriage,” Mr. Bennet said in a flat tone as though he were explaining the weather.<\/span><\/p>

“But Papa, I do not wish to leave,” Elizabeth said, as her Aunt Phillips looped her arm with her niece’s and began to walk her away from Mr. Darcy.<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t believe that Miss Elizabeth wishes to go,” Mr. Darcy ventured, but Mr. Phillips contradicted him.<\/span><\/p>

As Mr. Phillips and Mr. Bennet stepped between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, now standing with her aunt, it was the younger man who explained: “I’m sure when she realizes how much her aunt desires her company, Lizzy will be very keen to lift her discomfort.”<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Behind them, Elizabeth shook her head, but Mr. Darcy stood powerless. He opened his mouth once more, then Mr. Bennet spoke before he could.<\/span><\/p>

“This is a family matter, Mr. Darcy, surely you can understand,”\u00a0 he pronounced as he walked away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Further by the doors, the Phillips\u2019 carriage stood already called. Mr. Bingley and Jane waited nearby to bid Elizabeth good night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

To Mr. Darcy’s\u00a0 amusement, he watched Elizabeth dejectedly walk beside her aunt, who began speaking in a hushed manner to her niece, with her shoulders slightly slouched and her gait slow. But within just a moment, he watched her neck straighten as though she had lifted her chin higher, and her entire demeanor strolled regally out of the assembly room. Outside observers would have guessed the entire ordeal to be her preference.<\/span><\/p>

His mind raced for options to rescue Elizabeth from the interference of her relations, but there was very little he could do aside from calling early in the morning. He comforted himself that there was no place\u00a0 in England that Elizabeth’s family could hide her away, nor did he think the Bennet family was the type to banish a daughter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As the doors closed, the entire matter settled. Mr. Darcy walked to the punch bowl and poured himself a healthy amount of the libation. He had read far too many novels that his most sensible thoughts had run away from him.<\/span><\/p>

Standing next to the table with the punch was his dance partner from earlier in the evening, Miss Mary Bennet. He greeted her, and she assured him that she did not wish to dance again before he could even ask. Then she stuck out her foot, and showed the rather nasty scrape on the outside of her ankle.<\/span><\/p>

“My cousin, Mr. Collins,” she explained. “My father made me dance with him while you were dancing the last set with Lizzy.”<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Mr. Darcy sipped his punch. “I believe my ankles have been spared, but I will say that I join you in feeling accosted by your cousin.”<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Mary snorted, and then had a pleasant conversation about how little either of them enjoyed balls. When at last it appeared that Mr. Darcy could no longer avoid dancing with Miss Bingley, as the woman weaned her way through the crowds making a direct line towards him, he dismissed himself and wished Ms. Mary well. To his surprise, she gave him a reminder that he so desperately needed with an addition of good news.<\/span><\/p>

“I have made my decision to join my sister in the morning,” was all that she said as she walked away, leaving Miss Bingley to claim her prize.<\/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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Chapter 15 - Happy Was The Day, A Pride and Prejudice Sequel Novel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The next morning, Elizabeth’s eyes flew open with the dawn. Excitement from the previous evening, mixed with anticipation over travelling to London, disturbed her sleep all night. One moment she dreamt happiness in Mr. Darcy\u2019s arms, imagining the bed chambers in his townhome and the next, a nightmare crept in of Lady Catherine tearing them apart and banishing her New Castle. Each time she woke from nightmares she caught her breath and remembered that Lady Catherine held no authority over her, and repeated the cycle again with a new threat from the woman.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Adrenaline running through her veins when she awoke the last time and the dim sliver of sunlight glowed around the edge of the shutter, she pushed herself out of bed. She spied Jane sleeping so serenely and felt very cross that her sister had not endured a carriage ride with the Phillipses the previous night, an exercise in exasperation reserved only for Lizzy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the short carriage ride from Meryton to Longbourn, her Aunt and Uncle Phillips had done their best to plead the case of her elders against Mr. Darcy, but it fell on mostly deaf ears. Mrs. Phillips warned her of Mr. Darcy’s temperament, recounting the public slight of Mr. Collins in the assembly room.<\/span><\/p>

“Poor Mr. Collins, such a noble man, being of the church,\u201d she began. \u201cHe was most visibly upset to even address Mr. Darcy, and how that man spoke to him. . .” Aunt Phillips took a breath to increase the dramatic tenor of her account, “the poor man was left trembling I tell you! Wasn’t he, Mr. Phillips?”<\/span><\/p>

“Yes, dear,” Elizabeth’s uncle responded.<\/span><\/p>

“My word. And then Mr. Darcy stormed completely out of the ballroom!” Aunt Phillips ended her account with a huff.<\/span><\/p>

“Were any privy to the matter Mr. Collins brought before Mr. Darcy?”<\/span><\/p>

Both of her relations twitched uncomfortably. It took her a moment to understand, but then she relieved their discomfort.<\/span><\/p>

“He has already explained the circumstances to me, as has Mrs. Collins,” Elizabeth explained, keeping the confidences should the Phillipses not know the particulars. Heaping further disgrace upon the Collinses while they had to remain in the neighborhood was the last thing Elizabeth wished to commit by cavalierly describing her private experiences.<\/span><\/p>

“Indeed, and Mr. Darcy is at the crux of it, I tell you!” Aunt Phillips practically shouted as the carriage neared Longbourn. But she did not tell Elizabeth any specific complaint or grievance; her vagueness belied her aim.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth struggled not to laugh, as there was a point to this interview, but it was more in line with the gossip Aunt Phillips might procure, not warning her as to the specifics Mr. Darcy’s alleged poor behavior.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLizzy,\u201d her uncle caught her attention just as she was about to step down from the carriage and use her parents\u2019 misdirected discipline to begin packing for London, \u201cdo have a care. You may feel violently in love with this man, as is your right. My objection to the lack of a wedding contract, also felt by your father, is only out of your interests.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI do not understand why no one believes Mr. Darcy shall have his own solicitors draft the papers?\u201d she asked, closing her eyes to prevent angry tears from welling in her tear ducts.<\/span><\/p>

Her uncle reached out to gently touch her elbow, offering her comfort. \u201cBecause I offered to write to his firm directly and expedite the work last week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Despite the well-reasoned logic of her uncle, Elizabeth entered her home, alone, with a singular purpose: to pack her trunks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But especially after a night of fitful slumber, nervous anxiety over her uncle\u2019s ominous concern coupled with her observations of Mr. Darcy in the tavern room gave her additional pause. Yet, what was she supposed to do?<\/span><\/p>

As she rose to dress for the trip, she stubbed her toe on the aforementioned trunk.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOw!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cMmmm, no more, please,\u201d Jane mumbled in her sleep, as Elizabeth nursed her injury.<\/span><\/p>

Limping to the wardrobe, she allowed the physical pain of her foot to open the watershed she had kept at bay for so long. Mr. Darcy had practically denied all aid to the Collinses, when it was their engagement that harmed them. Mr. Darcy had run off when he was angry, albeit the last time to her and not away. Mr. Darcy had pushed liberties with her person from the moment she had accepted his hand, and now, even if she wished to wait for such a time for him to go to London without her and pray he returned, he possessed all of those letters from her that could prove her ruin.<\/span><\/p>

She startled as the door to the room she shared with Jane creaked open.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLizzy? Is he here yet?\u201d Mary whispered through the sliver of space between the door and the jamb.<\/span><\/p>

Distracted from her fears, Elizabeth tiptoed to the door, her right foot still smarting, and shook her head where Mary could view her.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cGood, I must finish packing,\u201d she said, with a soft giggle and a smile.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth sighed. She knew she loved Mr. Darcy, and while his character could so often and easily be misconstrued, a misfortune she had engaged in many times herself, he was a good man.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

She resolved to allow him to explain himself when she presented the intelligence from her uncle. Perhaps Mr. Darcy underestimated her relation\u2019s ability. Perhaps there was another reason why he didn\u2019t accept Uncle Phillip\u2019 help, but whatever the reason was, she would give him a chance to explain.<\/span><\/p>

Solemnly singing this vow with herself, she made a stern nod in the looking glass, and thought about how the business of becoming a man\u2019s wife was very difficult indeed. Loyalty was a trait best earned over time, but she had none left as his carriage might arrive at any moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Suddenly, Elizabeth devised an idea of how she could give Mr. Darcy the benefit of any doubts in her mind, while satisfying the pessimistic nature of her elders. But first, she needed to find her father. So she abandoned her final preparations and finished her dress, to hurry below stairs.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bennet arose shortly after hearing two of his daughters stirring and startled Elizabeth from behind as she was looking for him below stairs in the dining room and his study.<\/span><\/p>

“You appear dressed for an adventure, another meeting with Mr. Darcy on Oakham Mount?” he asked, granting Elizabeth ample opportunity for dishonesty, though such a thing was not in her nature.<\/span><\/p>

After calming her nerves, she held her chin high and attempted to show her father how very mature she had become in all of the weeks of betrothal. “No, Papa, Mr. Darcy is calling this morning to take me to London where we will marry by special license.”<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bennet scowled at the confirmation of the gossip he had faced the night before. “Have you lost all of your senses, Elizabeth? What have I done to encourage two of my daughters to run off with scoundrels?” he complained bitterly, walking away from his daughter in the hall to unlock his study door. He had decided to forgo a cup of coffee to raise his nerve; he was going straight for a small glass of brandy.<\/span><\/p>

“Father, that is not fair.” Elizabeth chased after him, keen to defend Mr. Darcy’s honor and her plans. “Mr. Darcy is not a scoundrel like Wickham, the later you have routinely declared to like better. Without Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham would have abandoned Lydia. And then where would we be?”<\/span><\/p>

“So you sacrifice yourself for the rich man’s whims? Whatever aid he gave to our family was in direct proportion to assuaging his own guilt.”<\/span><\/p>

Flustered, Elizabeth realized to win the argument, she needed to change positions entirely. As she closed her eyes and tried to think, her father interrupted her strategizing.<\/span><\/p>

“I do not trust him, Lizzy. I beg of you to please consider the experiences of an old man who has made many mistakes.”<\/span><\/p>

Noise from the front hall alerted both of them of Mr. Darcy’s arrival, but only Elizabeth left to see to their caller. The butler retreated as soon as Miss Elizabeth came into sight, and Mr. Darcy stood looking more handsome than even the night before. His coat was cut in a fine, dark navy blue and his buckskins tight enough to leave little to Elizabeth’s imagination, though she had a good idea as to the size of his best attributes.<\/span><\/p>

“Elizabeth,” he managed, huskily, realizing instantly they were alone. He pulled her for the kiss he so desperately desired the evening before, and she returned his passion in kind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

One kiss led to another, and another, until they both managed to break away. As he pulled her into an embrace, he spoke over her head. “I cannot trust that the day has finally come where we leave this place together, and in a few days more, none shall separate us again.”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth shuddered in his arms at the poetic notion of them never parting, even if the truth of such a dream was unrealistic by any logic. Then a nagging voice in the back of her mind begged to be heard, reminding her of the earlier idea of a compromise.<\/span><\/p>

“Come with me,” she said, grasping his hand and leading him directly into her father’s study. As Mr. Bennet raised his objections, Elizabeth closed the door and both men suddenly fell silent, glaring at the other. As she looked between them, she decided quickly who to address first.<\/span><\/p>

“Fitzwilliam, do you love me?” she asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

With a determined stare at the man who had become his adversary of late, he spoke.<\/span><\/p>

“With all of my heart.”<\/span><\/p>

“And have you felt this way about me longer than a mere fortnight?”<\/span><\/p>

He turned to her utterly confused. “Nearly a year,” he said, quieter than his earlier declaration.<\/span><\/p>

“Elizabeth I do not have time for this nonsense\u2014” Mr. Bennet began and his daughter interrupted him with a raised voice.<\/span><\/p>

“You shall make the time, sir, for this nonsense, or be lost to me forever,” she warned, her eyes flashing with anger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Her father opened his mouth and then closed it, keeping his anger in check, a clear sign of age demonstrating restraint. Elizabeth took it as a sign to continue.<\/span><\/p>

“Papa, I love this man and he shall be my husband. We leave today for London, and Mary has agreed to go as well. But I want you to come with me. If you love me as much as you say, as much as you have shown these twenty one years, come with us to London. Please? If Mr. Darcy is the cad you say he is,” she explained, and Mr. Darcy involuntarily tensed at such an insult, but Elizabeth’s open hand implored him to wait, “then come with me to protect me. We will sign the contract together, you can meet with Mr. Darcy’s solicitors, no?” Elizabeth asked her intended as much as she asked her father.<\/span><\/p>

Again, the standoff between them appeared unbreakable. Neither man spoke first and Elizabeth held her tongue. Either her father loved her and held convictions behind his words, or he was without question the laziest, most-selfish man who could never suspend his pleasure for the need of his daughters. There was no ambiguity in what his next decision would mean.<\/span><\/p>

“I shall ride in my own carriage and need an hour to make arrangements.”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth rushed to hug her father, though he feigned indifference to her affections, he quickly reminded her that she impeded his efforts. Frowning, he left his study with the door half open, but the second he left, Mr. Darcy reached for Elizabeth’s hand to pull her out of view from the hall.<\/span><\/p>

“Are you angry with me?” she managed, as both of their hands frantically rushed to feel and stroke any part of the other one remotely close enough without disturbing any clothing. As he kissed her neck, his hands cupped her breasts as he pressed her against the wall.<\/span><\/p>

Still, Mr. Darcy did not answer and matched her sigh for sigh until Elizabeth asserted her capabilities of capturing his direct attention. Boldly, her hand slipped precisely where his manhood struggled against the restraint of his breeches. She paused as he swallowed a groan, leaning his forehead against the wall over her shoulder.<\/span><\/p>

She whispered her question again.<\/span><\/p>

“No,” he let out breathlessly, “but if he believes me a cad, I saw no gain in regulating my good behavior.”<\/span><\/p>

“Mmm,” she mused, releasing her hand away from the fall of his breeches and looping her arms around his neck, instead. “I meant what I threatened, I would have run off with you if he had refused.”<\/span><\/p>

“There was never a doubt in my mind,” he said, locking eyes again with his intended.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth suddenly felt guilty. She wanted to ask so many difficult questions to clarify how and when they could and would help those in need. Christian charity had always been a value her family practiced, and despite the year of acquaintance with Mr. Darcy, at times it felt as though she did not know him at all. But she possessed not the words to voice any of her doubts, nor was the brief moment of privacy in her father’s study the time or place.<\/span><\/p>

Reluctantly, she shied away from his pinning against the wall as he leaned down to kiss her once more, missing her neck and haphazardly kissing her shoulder instead. Free from the confusion crafted by his closeness, she took a few more steps and turned her head sharply. Movement in the hall caught her eye, and her curiosity, as Mr. Darcy took the moment to find his better regulation.<\/span><\/p>

“Mary?” Elizabeth called, as she heard her sister crying quietly at the piano.<\/span><\/p>

Her sister turned away from her and wiped her eyes.<\/span><\/p>

“Whatever is the matter?”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“I just saw\u2014I saw Papa in the hall upstairs. He told Mama he is to go to London with you and Mr. Darcy!” Mary said, her lower lip trembling as she tried to contain her dashed hopes.<\/span><\/p>

“Yes, he is, but why has that upset you? Has he said you cannot come?” Elizabeth said, feeling her anger at her father rising anew.<\/span><\/p>

“No,” Mary reasoned, wiping her eyes, “You won’t need me to come anymore.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth gawked at her sister that was often so serious, holding regard for her emotions did not easily come first to Elizabeth\u2019s mind. But underneath the piety and sermonizing, beat the heart of a young woman in Mary Bennet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Lizzy laughed and offered her sister her handkerchief she now kept in a pocket at all times. Then she joined Mary on the piano bench so the sides of their arms touched.<\/span><\/p>

“Of course I need you to come with me, I would never want to take on this adventure alone,” Elizabeth confessed.<\/span><\/p>

“But won’t we be awfully squashed with four in Mr. Darcy’s carriage?”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth shrugged. “Papa has said he will only ride in his carriage.”<\/span><\/p>

Mary looked down at the piano, disappointed again.<\/span><\/p>

“Mary?” Elizabeth asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mary braved looking at her elder sister and Elizabeth was immediately reminded of their childhood, with Mary so desperately trying to keep up with her and Jane. “Don’t worry, you and I shall ride in Mr. Darcy’s carriage. Father can attend to his book.”<\/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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Thank you for reading and for your comments below. \ud83d\ude42 -EAW<\/h2>\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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Continue Reading...<\/h2>\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 1-4 Happy Was The Day\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAugust 5, 2020\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t2 Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I should like to tell you when this book will come out, etc. but I can’t tell you what I don’t know. I do know<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\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

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapters 5-8 Happy Was The Day\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAugust 7, 2020\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t4 Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Over 2,000 readers have devoured Chapters 1-4 between my site and fanfiction.net. I am astounded and humbled by the interest even though it’s been a<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\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

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapters 9-10 Happy Was The Day\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAugust 13, 2020\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t3 Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What a week! These two chapters were an absolute brat in the writing process. I wrote them weeks ago, but I became stuck because in<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\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

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapters 11-12 Happy Was The Day\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOctober 26, 2020\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t7 Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I am MOVED! And somewhat unpacked… the harder part was waiting for the novelty of returning home after 13 years away to wear off so<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\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

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapters 13-15 Happy Was The Day\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNovember 17, 2020\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t2 Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I apologize for the week+ in between the chapters, but remember when I said somewhat unpacked? I am much more unpacked now. And one reader<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\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

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 16 Happy Was The Day\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNovember 20, 2020\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t1 Comment\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There was a post I shared this week on Facebook called “Wash the dishes twice.” The premise is anytime there’s something difficult mentally to process,<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\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

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