A Spring Sentiment: A Pride and Prejudice Novella Variation (Seasons of Serendipity Book 2) Read Free Page A

double wedding. Wouldn't that be nice, Lizzie?" Mrs. Bennet cooed and nodded in approval to her own plan.
    Jane and Bingley both blushed, and it was Jane who softly reminded her mother that she and Mr. Bingley were not engaged.
    "Well, with so many daughters, and two recently engaged, it is not a wonder that you lost track, Mrs. Bennet." Caroline said, her face a studied mock of sympathy.
    Ignoring Caroline, Mrs. Bennett addressed Jane instead, "Er, well, yes, I suppose. I merely get carried away when it's obvious you and Mr. Bingley are so violently in love. Anyone can see that. Yes, that's it."
    The table was uncomfortably quiet as, besides Mrs. Bennet, the entire party suddenly became interested in their plates. It was a few moments before Elizabeth realized Mr. Darcy had never answered her about where they were to be married, and worse than that, she realized she didn't have a wedding date. She knew they were waiting to hear from Colonel Fitzwilliam about the search for Wickham, but it had been three weeks already. What if the man was never found? Would Darcy call off their engagement?
    As conversation swirled around her, Elizabeth was lost in the dour mood that had lately latched onto her mind. Whenever talk of her wedding arose, so did the thought of her father. She had always dreamt of the day he would walk her down the aisle. And now, she might not even have a wedding if Mr. Wickham couldn't be found and made to marry Lydia. She felt her eyes growing moist as a heaviness threatened to descend on her heart. It was only when Mr. Darcy nudged her that she realized Mr. Bingley was speaking to her.
    "I said, Miss Elizabeth, that you had high hopes for the cottage, did you not, as being the perfect home for your mother and sisters?"
    Elizabeth shook her head and looked to Jane, but couldn't catch her eye. Jane was looking at her lap, and Elizabeth felt uncomfortable being used as a pawn in Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy's attempt to convince her mother into a smaller house.
    "I fear I must suspend my preferences until we can view the properties, sir." Elizabeth smiled meekly.
    "Then we must all go tomorrow! It will be a party, and we could pack a picnic!" Miss Bingley offered with a catty smile.
    "Miss Bingley, thank you, but no. My mother cannot possibly enjoy a picnic in her mourning state and the weather is hardly warm enough for a stroll, let alone a picnic." Jane surprised Elizabeth by finally speaking her mind to the woman who would be her sister-in-law if Bingley would just get on with it and ask Jane to marry him.
    "I completely forgot, forgive me. It's just that you and your sisters ran around London so much this winter, I wasn't sure you were even observing a proper mourning period."
    "Caroline!" Mr. Bingley admonished.
    But it was Elizabeth who cleared her throat. "My sisters and I may not have had the security afforded to you when you lost your parents and had a brother to take you in, Miss Bingley, but my father would be very proud that his daughters did not dally about crying hay while our futures were so unstable."
    Caroline sniffed and replied, "You are so decidedly sure of your opinions, Miss Eliza. That is such a refreshing trait to possess."
    A sudden clanging of metal rang from behind the door and Caroline threw her napkin on the table. "What now?" she exclaimed as she rose from the table, causing Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley to immediately rise with her to the sound of scraping chairs on the wooden floor. They both remained standing and only resumed their seats after she made her way to the servant's door.
    The dinner party flinched as Miss Bingley's shouts and abuse could be heard through the door. Elizabeth continued to work on her second course and took a healthy gulp of wine. Conversation remained stilted until Miss Bingley finally reappeared.
    "It would seem that terrible crash was the rest of our dinner as James' clumsiness set off a chain of falls down the stairs. I'm afraid dinner is at an end."
    Mr.