The Key to Mr. Darcy's Heart

By Sara English

Mr. Darcy has known his whole adult life that his interests are darker than most men, and thus he has kept himself away from women. Then he meets Elizabeth Bennet, and he realizes that he may have found the one lady who will match his temprement and desires perfectly, as well as being able to unlock the chains around his heart...

This Pride and Prejudice Novella is best enjoyed by an older audience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sara English
• Release date: Dec 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386782827

Book preview

One

Elizabeth glanced across the ballroom to where her fiancé stood, speaking with her father. Yet again, she felt no flutter of joy at the sight of the man she was to marry.

Mr. Carroll was not the kind of man who inspired love or affection easily, but given that she was turning three-and-twenty, with not another offer in sight, her options had grown desperately slim; and so when the man, an older gentleman who was an associate of her Uncle Gardiner’s, asked as for her, she had not declined.

Never mind that she ached for the kind of relationship that Jane had with Mr. Bingley. The two would celebrate the third year of their marriage soon, and at the same time likely welcome their second child into the world. Elizabeth wasn’t jealous of her sister, but she did have many regrets of her own choices over the last few years of her life. Some small part of her regretted turning down Mr. Collins - as impossible as being happy with him would have been, at least she would have been able to stay in the home of her birth and childhood.

Mostly, however, she regretted her spurning of Mr. Darcy’s advances. That had been a man she was utterly foolish to have dismissed. She was certain, now that she was a few years older and quite a bit wiser, that he would have treated her well and she would have come to admit to herself that she

loved

him

.

For she had loved him. In his dark and quiet ways, he had excited her passions in a way that Mr. Carroll could never do. Their spirited discussions that they had enjoyed, and the back and forth banter of wits? Life with Mr. Darcy would have been dark, tumultuous, exciting.

Life with Mr. Carroll, a trader in spices, would be comfortable but dull. She did not long for long winter nights by the fire with him, discussing the day’s events. The man hardly looked at her when he spoke to her as it was, his gaze instead drawn below her neck. She was certain that he had only offered for her since his first wife had gone to her final reward (and his year of mourning was finished) because she was young, much younger than he himself. Such was the age difference that her father had been quite doubtful as to Lizzy’s acceptance, and she’d had to convince Mr. Bennet that she meant yes when she’d

said

yes

.

It helped, some, that Mr. Carroll would be traveling for some of the year, and she would be left to her own devices. A lonely life spread out in front of her in her mind, and she trembled to even think

upon

it

.

Eliza? A long-forgotten yet familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, and Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to see none other than Miss Caroline Bingley standing there. Elizabeth had seen little of her new ‘sister’ since the wedding between Jane and Charles, a happenstance that Elizabeth was grateful for. The other woman was as odious as they came, and still unwed despite her large dowry - Lydia had commented that the size of Caroline Bingley’s nose and her air of self-importance had contributed to her spinsterhood. Elizabeth did not disagree on either point.

Miss Bingley, Elizabeth greeted her, but Caroline tittered and hid her smile behind a popped

open

fan

.

Oh, you must not address me as such, for we are sisters now, Caroline said, approaching Elizabeth quickly and looping an arm through Elizabeth’s. It has been months since I have last seen you. I must offer my congratulations on your engagement to Mr. Carroll. I hear he has fine associations in trade.

The word trade was said with just the slightest hint of contempt; Elizabeth knew exactly how Caroline felt about the lower classes, and she was probably slavering at the thought that Elizabeth was no longer going to be among the landed gentry. Well, Elizabeth thought, at least she had a husband-to-be, for all he was going gray at the sides of his head and had more belly than he ought to. Caroline was just lucky that both Charles and Jane were unfailingly patient and kind, as they could have made the unmarried

Reviews for The Key to Mr. Darcy's Heart

[Elin Eriksen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was not as harsh as the authors previous serie.

Elizabeth had reached the age of 23 and in her despair to ever get married, had accepted a wealthy tradesman, Mr Caroll.
He had some disturbing traits that she discovered and her sister, Jane Bingley was desperate to rescue her from a loveless marriage.
Mr Caroll did not sit quietly by though...

The end contained a scene appropriate for mature audience only.