For the Love of a Bennet – Prologue

From Volume II, Chapter XVIII of Pride and Prejudice

“Already arisen?” repeated Mr. Bennet. “What, has she frightened away some of your lovers? Poor little Lizzy! But do not be cast down. Such squeamish youths as cannot bear to be connected with a little absurdity are not worth a regret. Come, let me see the list of pitiful fellows who have been kept aloof by Lydia’s folly.”

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“Do not make yourself uneasy, my love. Wherever you and Jane are known you must be respected and valued; and you will not appear to less advantage for having a couple of— or I may say, three— very silly sisters. We shall have no peace at Longbourn if Lydia does not go to Brighton. Let her go, then. Colonel Forster is a sensible man, and will keep her out of any real mischief; and she is luckily too poor to be an object of prey to anybody. At Brighton she will be of less importance even as a common flirt than she has been here. The officers will find women better worth their notice. Let us hope, therefore, that her being there may teach her her own insignificance. At any rate, she cannot grow many degrees worse, without authorizing us to lock her up for the rest of her life.”

With this answer Elizabeth was forced to be content; but her own opinion continued the same, and she left him disappointed and sorry…

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Author's Note

Mr. Bennet's dismissal of Elizabeth's very legitimate concerns about Lydia is such a perfectly infuriating moment—and honestly, it's the kind of parental blindness that sets everything in motion for our story. He's not wrong that Lydia can't get much worse, but he's catastrophically wrong about the danger she represents, and Elizabeth knows it. What I love about this setup is that it forces Elizabeth to become her own hero; she can't rely on the men in her life to protect what matters most, so she has to take matters into her own hands. And that's exactly the kind of determined, resourceful Elizabeth who's going to need someone like Darcy—someone who actually listens to her and takes her seriously—standing beside her in Brighton.

You have been reading For the Love of a Bennet...

Elizabeth Bennet swore she would never dance with Mr. Darcy again. Brighton had other plans.

She had a simple itinerary for the summer: Keep Lydia away from Wickham. Keep her head down. Survive the scandal-ridden coast. Falling in love with the enemy was definitely not on the list. But fate has a cruel sense of humor.

Fitzwilliam Darcy wasn’t supposed to be there. He was supposed to be nursing his wounded pride in London. Instead, he’s in Brighton, uncovering a rot that festers at the heart of the militia–bad ledgers, missing supplies, and men who would kill to keep their secrets.

Every time Elizabeth turns around, Darcy is there. Shielding her. Challenging her. Proving her wrong. She came to Brighton to save her sister, but she didn’t expect to be saved by the man she rejected.

Together, Our Dear Couple must navigate a seaside scandal and find that their love is the only true salvation.

For the Love of a Bennet is a Pride and Prejudice variation.

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