Abounds with Gaieties

By P. O. Dixon

Darcy returns to Hertfordshire to face his feelings for Elizabeth, stirring in Elizabeth confounding feelings of her own.

Fitzwilliam Darcy faces a dilemma when his friend, Charles Bingley, accuses him of acting on his own behalf in leaving Hertfordshire. Bingley suggests Darcy is far more attracted to Miss Elizabeth Bennet than he cares to admit.

Darcy grows concerned that if Bingley noticed his fascination with Elizabeth, others might have too. Even Elizabeth herself.

He returns to Hertfordshire and faces his feelings for Elizabeth rather than stay away and continue to avoid them. Will the spark he feels for her ignite something far beyond the bounds of prudent behavior?

As Darcy and Elizabeth spend more and more time together, she struggles to keep her feelings for him at bay. Can they resist the powerful attraction between them, or will they soon find what they've always longed for in each other?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Regents and Cotswold Book Group
• Release date: Dec 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215741177

P. O. Dixon

Bestselling historical fiction author, P. O. Dixon, is a great admirer of Historical England and its fascinating days of yore. She, in particular, loves the Regency period with its strict mores and oh so proper decorum. Her ardent appreciation of Jane Austen's timeless works set her on the writer's journey. Visit podixon.com and find out more about Dixon's writings.

Book preview

Abounds with Gaieties

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

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P. O. Dixon Books

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Darcy returns to Hertfordshire to face his feelings for Elizabeth, stirring in Elizabeth confounding feelings of her own.

Fitzwilliam Darcy faces a dilemma when his friend, Charles Bingley, accuses him of acting on his own behalf in leaving Hertfordshire. Bingley suggests Darcy is far more attracted to Miss Elizabeth Bennet than he cares to admit.

Darcy grows concerned that if Bingley noticed his fascination with Elizabeth, others might have too. Even Elizabeth herself.

He returns to Hertfordshire and faces his feelings for Elizabeth rather than stay away and continue to avoid them. Will the spark he feels for her ignite something far beyond the bounds of prudent behavior?

As Darcy and Elizabeth spend more and more time together, she struggles to keep her feelings for him at bay. Can they resist the powerful attraction between them, or will they soon find what they've always longed for in each other?

Abounds with Gaieties is a delightful holiday-themed novella which reimagines Jane Austen’s timeless classic, combining just enough of the old to satisfy your want of nostalgia and enough of the new to quench your desire for another romantic escape with Darcy and Elizabeth.

This is quite the season indeed for friendly meetings.

-Jane Austen

One

LONGBOURN VILLAGE - HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 1811

Miss Elizabeth Bennet hated seeing her elder sister in such low spirits. Jane’s cheeks looked somewhat sunken, she lacked a healthy glow, and her bright, angelic eyes seemed to have dimmed. All for the cause of her lover, Mr. Charles Bingley. The gentleman had promised to return in just a few days, but it was now a week later.

Jane, who never complained about anything, said, Were it simply a matter of his being late by a day or two, I would have no cause for concern. I should imagine the business which dictated his return to town has yet to be resolved. However, Miss Bingley’s letter plainly stated her brother is to remain in town indefinitely, and I am beginning to believe her.

Elizabeth sighed and put aside her book. Dearest Jane, may I remind you again not to take Miss Bingley’s letter to heart, she said, although she too was beginning to have doubts. Not that she doubted for a second that Mr. Bingley was in love with her sister. However, Elizabeth would not dismiss the power of the gentleman’s sisters and his closest friend, Mr. Darcy, over him. She could think of no other explanation for the remaining inhabitants of Netherfield to take their leave on Mr. Bingley’s heels other than to persuade him to remain in town.

Miss Bingley’s letter to Jane had arrived within a day of Mr. Bingley’s departure, thus casting an air of despair over Longbourn. Making matters worse, the news came shortly after Elizabeth had been the means of ruining her eager mother’s scheme to secure the Bennet family’s place at Longbourn in the event of her husband’s demise.

The morning after the Netherfield ball, Mrs. Bennet was confident she would rid herself of one of her five unmarried daughters. Determined that her eldest was soon to be married to their new neighbor, Mr. Bingley, the matchmaking mama had pointed Mr. William Collins, the heir apparent to the Longbourn estate owing to an entailment, toward her second eldest daughter, Elizabeth.

But, to the lady’s surprise and utter vexation, Elizabeth had declared she would not have him, and owing to the manner of her refusal, which Mrs. Bennet had the misfortune of hearing through a closed door as she happened to place her ear against it, Mr. Collins abdicated his plan to choose a bride from among the Bennet daughters.

Elizabeth recalled the part of her speech to Mr. Collins that had spared her from his design for future marital felicity involving her.

I should have paid more attention to the wisdom of Miss Lucas. She was quite right about your unwavering determination to marry for only the deepest and truest kind of love, Mr. Collins conceded. There is a sensible young lady if I ever met one. She would never be foolish enough to jeopardize the security of her family and herself for such a fanciful notion, he added, sounding rather wise himself to Elizabeth’s ears.

With one arm folded over the other, Elizabeth had said, "If you truly believe what you are espousing, sir, then perhaps you ought to be standing before her rather than wasting your time here with me."

The shock on her mother’s face when she nearly fell inside the room was such that Elizabeth would not soon forget. Nor was her mother’s ensuing disapprobation something Elizabeth would quickly overcome. That her mother would think Elizabeth would commit to an alliance that would bring her nothing but misery was one thing, but that was nowhere near the worst part of Mrs. Bennet’s lamentations. In front of Mr. Collins, Elizabeth’s mother accused her of thinking too highly of herself simply because the proud Mr. Darcy had singled her out for a dance at the Netherfield ball.

She still felt the sting of her mother’s words clawing at her sensibilities. Anyone who knew Elizabeth well knew how much she disliked the proud Mr. Darcy. It was not as though she had a choice in the matter. To have declined Mr. Darcy’s request for a dance would have meant sitting out the rest of the ball. Elizabeth was not inclined to forgo her share of the evening’s gaieties. For her mother to suggest that Elizabeth forgot what she was about because of her dance with Mr. Darcy was vexing, for it meant her mother did not really know her at all.

Considering the way Mrs. Bennet lamented Mr. Bingley’s continued absence, she did not know her eldest daughter either. Surely if her mother exercised more