Jane's Fragile FacadeA Pride and Prejudice VariationJaime Marie Lang
Idle Musings Publishing
Copyright © 2024 by Jaime Marie Lang
All rights reserved.
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Book Cover by Jaime Marie Lang
Editing by Bailey and Bloom Ink
Contents
1. Prologue
2. Chapter One
3. Chapter Two
4. Chapter Three
5. Chapter Four
6. Chapter Five
7. Chapter Six
8. Chapter Seven
9. Chapter Eight
10. Chapter Nine
11. Chapter Ten
12. Chapter Eleven
13. Epilogue
Acknowledgements
A Free Gift For My Readers
About the Author
Books by Jaime Marie Lang
Prologue
Sitting by a lovely fire, wrapped comfortably in blankets, Evaline could not help but sigh in contentment. She was still feeling worn down, and there was the occasional tickle in her throat that made her cough. But in a room full of loving people—people she was thankful had chosen not to exclude her despite only being twelve—Evaline found solace. Had she been at home, her mother would have left her alone in the schoolroom to recover from her illness. The company was a welcome reprieve from the solitude she was accustomed to.
Her mother, Mrs. Goulding, liked her home calm, quiet, and clean. As illness rarely obeyed her dictates, she preferred anyone foolish enough to become unwell to stay out of sight and preferably out of her house. Evaline had never thought to question her mother’s behavior until she got to know the Bennet sisters and realized that there were other ways besides her mother’s. For now, she was grateful that her mother’s way of thinking allowed her to stay happily ensconced with the family at Netherfield.
Strictly speaking, Evaline was well enough to return home, but as her mother did not think to inquire about her daughter's health, Evaline felt no compulsion to go home. It did not hurt that her brother would rather stay at Netherfield with his lady love than go home. Evaline was pleased, knowing that it turned out well for both of them to be away from the rest of their family for a time.
As she glanced around the room, Evaline could not help but feel the warmth and love that exuded from the various couples. Seated near the window were Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Despite the many things that she had surreptitiously heard through her mother’s less than discreet comments, she was now quite fond of the pair. Though it was much harder to read Mr. Darcy than his vivacious wife, she now liked them both exceedingly. At the moment, they were playing chess and only occasionally contributed to the group’s conversation. If she was not mistaken, Evaline believed that though they were merely playing chess, they were somehow flirting with every move on the board.
On the settee across from her, Evaline watched Mr. Bingley and Mrs. Bingley. Jane had been acting as hostess that evening and was keeping the conversation flowing, happy and light despite the Darcys’ focus on their game. Though not as demonstrative as her sister Elizabeth, Jane seemed to be just as attached to her husband, Mr. Bingley. They both always seemed to find a way to touch each other when it was not strictly necessary.
He had held her hand when they stood from the dinner table, and when she put her hand on his arm, he had quickly placed his hand over her own. Evaline knew her parents would never consider showing such affection, deeming such behavior as plebeian, but the love she witnessed here made her think about her mother’s expectations for her. Evaline knew that her mother wanted her to have a splendid match when she grew up. Evaline had once wanted it as well, only now her definition of splendid had changed.
Closest to Evaline, her brother and his new fiancée shared a settee. Though they held hands, no one said a thing. In fact, none of the other couples had said a thing about the new couple breaking with propriety by touching so openly.
It would be nice to always be surrounded by such warmth and consideration. Why had her mother always vehemently rejected the idea of love? Who would not want that for themselves and their children?
“Are you warm enough, Evaline?” Jane asked, pulling Evaline from her thoughts. “You are just recovering from that horrid cough. I would hate to have you catch a chill and get worse.”
Smiling at the gentle concern, Evaline hurried to reassure her. “Oh, I am warm enough. In fact, I am quite comfortable. Thank you.” Pursing her lips in thought, Evaline only hesitated for a moment before saying, “I wanted to express my gratitude for allowing me to join everyone this evening.”
Smiling in her quiet way, Jane replied, “Think nothing of it. You are family, or soon will be after all. You are less likely to run about and break the nicknacks than Artie and Ellie, and we have them here all the time.” Seeing Evaline’s sudden downcast expression, Jane got up from her spot next to her husband and approached Evaline, saying softly, “What is wrong, pet? Was it something I said?”
At a loss for words, Evaline looked to her brother and was grateful when he had the courage to say, “At home, Evaline is not even allowed to attend family meals. She stays in the schoolroom unless summoned by my mother for inspection.”
