#mr bingley one shot

[bethanydelleman]

Thanks for the tag @firawren & @glassslippers-n-cowboyboots

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 45

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 208,023. And that's a bit surprising because a bunch of my longer fics are only on AHA or my website.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mostly Jane Austen, all novels, Elizabeth Gaskell (Wives & Daughters), and Anne Bronte (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall). I have also technically written Oscar Wilde and My Happy Marriage, but those were very transformative.

I also have written some fics based on Kdramas, mostly for Alchemy of Souls.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Ride to Netherfield - Jane breaks her leg on the way to Netherfield and must stay for a month. Short one-shot (6k) and the first Pride & Prejudice variation I wrote.

Of Every Elizabeth - short and sweet Pride & Prejudice fluff, Darcy has nicknames for the plethora of Elizabeth's he's met over the course of his life (it was a super common name at the time)

Carry Me! - three vignettes of Jang Uk and Cho Yeong from Alchemy of Souls after they are married

The Fourth Bennet Sister - long fic (30k words), Pride & Prejudice variation where Kitty Bennet becomes aware that she is in a novel. She desperately tries to protect her sisters from harm.

All's Fair in Love and War - short Pride & Prejudice variation. Mrs. Bennet has weaponized compromise, men live in constant fear of being forced to marry.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yep. Every time.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Umm.... I'm not good at writing angst. I don't like characters to suffer for too long.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? All of them?

8. Do you get hate on fics? Yes, because I dared to write Mr. Darcy marrying Anne Elliot. People get more angry about that for some reason than Elizabeth Bennet marrying Captain Wentworth in the same fic. Someone even told me Darcy would rather "throw himself off of Pemberley" rather than marry anyone other than Elizabeth. (Fic is called One Week Late)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I have written smut a few times, it's pretty vanilla because I am pretty vanilla. I was reading Victorian erotica when I wrote my longest one, A Little Before Their Marriage (Jane & Bingley fic).

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I constantly write crossovers, my first published novel is a massive crossover, Prideful & Persuaded. One of my fun shorts is Fall on the Sword, where every canonically single woman in Austen's novels decides if they want to try for the recently divorced Mr. Rushworth.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not as far as I know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No, though someone did translate one of my meta posts from Tumblr. That was cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, The Marriage Contest with Branch Cloudsky and two with Amelia Marie Logan, Poor Caroline and Inferior Connections. All Pride & Prejudice fics, all funny. (You need an AO3 account for that one, the other two are on my personal website)

14. What’s your all time favourite ship? Catherine Morland & Henry Tilney. They are the only Austen couple I cannot bear to break up.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I am writing a queer retelling of Emma called "Different Ways of Being in Love", where Jane Fairfax and Emma were lovers as teenagers, Jane is bi, Emma is a lesbian, and Mr. Knightley is ace, but I got stuck on the middle part. Someday hopefully!

16. What are your writing strengths? I'm told I write some pretty hilarious farces. I am told I do characterization well, which is my main goal when writing fan fiction. I try to stick as close to canon as possible.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I don't write enough filler or develop things well enough. I like writing action.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I would possibly try my hand at French, but probably never. I also have a lot of trouble reading accented speech (looking at you Wuthering Heights), so I'd probably never write it.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I am fairly certain I started writing a fix-it fic for Nineteen Eighty-Four after I read it in high school. Not sure I would be able to locate it but it did exist. The first since I started writing again was a sequel to Pride & Prejudice.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Probably Unfairly Caught (my other published work) or The Fourth Bennet Sister. I NEEDED to write a Mansfield Park fic because I hate the ending, so it fixed my dissatisfied feelings. My goal is to edit The Fourth Bennet Sister and get it published sometime this year.

@wurzelbertzwerg, @kehlana-wolhamonao3 and @bad-at-names-and-faces

#tag game #personal #fan fiction #jane austen fan fiction #of course all my highest kudos works are P&P

[thenowherejournal]

Pride and Prejudice: 2005 Movie Adaptation Review

A Review Article By Francis and Nad ( February 2024)

Background, Features and Details

When people think of the phrase “Pride and Prejudice”, most would think of one of two things: the 1813 Jane Austen novel or the 2005 film. The popularity of the novel marked itself as a staple in classic literature that everyone should read. Despite that, some people’s gateway into the story was the film made in the early 2000s.

The two-hour film adaptation of the book was directed by Joe Wright in his feature directorial debut, with Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfayden playing the main protagonists of the movie. The film places itself around Elizabeth Bennett and her family after receiving the news that a wealthy young gentleman has rented a manor. The Bennet Family, consisting of five sisters and their parents, attends a ball where said gentleman and his companion, Charles Bingley and Mr. Darcy, are present. The story progresses from there; we see how Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship unfolds, and how their families play into the story. We also see a subplot with her older sister, Jane, and Mr. Bingley.

The Assessment 

The 2005 Pride and Prejudice Movie is one of the greatest examples of a book-to-movie adaptation. It was successful in adapting the classical book while also incorporating some modern elements to it. It captured the “comedic” side of the book with its witty lines and great delivery of the actors and actresses that were cast. The acting was also on-point, especially for the characters that played Elizabeth, Darcy and the Bennet Family, since they have brought these fictional people into life. 

The film also has excellent cinematography with movie shots that truly capture what the book describes and “feels” while also making them as historically accurate as possible. Original themes of the book like social class, reputation and of course, like what the title states, were also not forgotten in the movie adaption, hence it can be seen throughout the whole production. In addition, the soundtrack of the movie contributed to the commendable storytelling because each scene has a specific musical theme that matches the emotions and feelings of the characters they are focusing on. 

What the movie lacked was the creativity with the costumes, specifically the women’s hair, make-up and dresses, but overall almost all of the elements of the film are praiseworthy. There were no dull moments considering that each scene had an entertaining moment in it. This makes it not boring to watch as most period movies are hard to finish. Hence, making it an iconic movie that both period drama enjoyers and romance book enthusiasts undeniably love.

A Movie for Artists, Readers and Fashion Lovers

The movie adaptation is filled with beautiful shots and sceneries that art students can benefit from. It can inspire them to create works based on the movie. Illustrators can get references from the fields of the Bennets to Bingley’s Mansion, to Darcy’s display room. Film majors can also study the movie and learn about its framing, color grading and composition which they can apply to their projects.

Fictional and romance book fanatics can also benefit from the film since its adaptation is accurate to the book. As a result, they can visualize the story more clearly while also enjoying some extra elements such as music, props and some funny ad-libs. Fashion enthusiasts can also take inspiration from how the characters style themselves and incorporate them with modern clothing and looks.

#pride and prejudice #pride and predjudice 2005 #joe wright #movie adaptation #movie review #movie recommendation #cinematography #film review #film stills #keira knightley #mathew mcconaughey #romance literature #romance #classic literature

[abraxos-and-ataraxia]

prompt ish???

Your new neris one shot (SO GOOD) have me the biggest pride and prejudice flashbacks?? When he started goading her the angst gremlin in my brain went “she should curse his heritage and tell him she’d rather die than kiss him, the LAST man she would prevail upon to marry, you know the drill” (the smut gremlin quickly overtook him so i enjoy the rest immensely). So…… neris p&p au? with mr darcy as eris and lizzie as nesta (and bingley and jane as elucien DUH)

This sounds like a huge project to ask so don’t feel pressured!!! Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyway, asking bc i’m too chicken to do it myself and you are the au queen!!!!

kiss kiss

Bestie the way I lit up when I saw your ask

Actual footage of me while reading and getting a gazillion new ideas:

A snippet of my thoughts:

“I love you. Most ardently,” Eris breathed, his eyes hot, the two of them still dripping wet from the sudden downpour. “Please do me the honor of accepting my hand.”

Nesta found herself at a loss for words, too shocked to conjure an intelligent response. What had possessed him to attempt such a sham of a proposal? Insulting her, as well as her family, all as some sort of proof that his love was strong? Enough to overcome such reservations, the barricade of propriety which he had defended for so long. She had not been enough, not even close, and now she was to believe his affections had changed?

And worse, that Eris would accost her in private, putting her name at risk for the sake of his…feelings. Never had Nesta wanted to strike a man so much.

“While I appreciate the struggle you have been through,” Nesta finally managed, fighting against the roaring in her head. Oh how she wished to rage and rage, to tear him down as he had so viciously done at every opportunity. To strike while he was so obviously weak. “I must decline. Most ardently.”

#yeah. so this is definitely happening #me to all my other wips: STEP ASIDE THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED #neris: pride and prejudice #I’m obsessed with them. the vibes? impeccable #ahhhhhh now I want a rewatch #thank you thank you thank you ❤️ #neris #ask box #me? the au queen? i accept 😌

[mega-aulover]

Why is Mr. Wickham missing from pride and prejudices 2005 movie... & I know I'm going to get in trouble for this post.

But to be fair I do not care for this version of Pride and Prejudice.

The young Mr. Wickham is supposed to be charming and devilish and you never see it coming that he is a lout and a rake. He's supposed to be a perfect contrast to Mr. Darcy... Who is at cold and humorless and yes little more flirtatious when Elizabeth is around. But you're supposed to be rooting for Wickham and not Darcy.

That's why when Lydia runs away with him it's such a shock. And you believe that the family is ruined and then you're in love with Darcy because he saves the day.

You don't get to see how these 2 characters who are so flawed but yet wonderfully written fall in love. It's a travesty.

Also don't get me started on the fashion in this movie it is all wrong. Miss Bingley looks like she's wearing chemise in half of her scenes! A chemise is underwear, scandalous! Not to mention Elizabeth doesn't wear gloves in any of the social scenes. Gentle Women Wore Gloves during that Period. The only women who didn't wear gloves was the ones with a certain reputation...if you know what I mean.

And the wigs...oh my goodness. As much as I hated the wigs in The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1 and 2 these wigs were worse. Kierra Knightley goes from having Auburn hair to black hair to plain Brown hair in the first 30 minutes of the movie. And please don't tell me it's the lighting because in all 3 shots she's outside or in the light. There's this one scene Where Matthew McFadden's wig looks like it's gonna fall off or fell off a few times. Poor Matt has thin hair...

The saving graces are Donald Sutherland and Dame Judi Dench.

Hate me, love me, I just think that this one is poor because it deviates from canon.

#rant #p&p 2005 #pride and premeditation #i love the 1995 version

[ao3feed-janeausten]

Dancing with Darcy

Dancing with Darcy Read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/6w95mkt by branchcloudsky Beth rehearses a dance when Caroline Bingley is unavailable, only to find out that her dance partner isn't who she is expecting Words: 3211, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 9 of Odds and endings Fandoms: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Original Characters Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy Additional Tags: The OC is Mrs Reynolds, Dancing, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Modern Era, One Shot, Pemberley arc via AO3 works tagged 'AUSTEN Jane - Works' https://ift.tt/MiHyC0l July 18, 2022 at 05:17AM

#IFTTT #AO3 works tagged 'AUSTEN Jane - Works' #Jane Austen #fanfic #fanfiction

[listening-to-free-audiobooks]

A Meryton Mystery Series Book 1: The Honorable Mr. Darcy

Everyone has a secret. Who will kill to keep theirs?

George Wickham is dead.

The shot rings out in Wickham's tent as the good citizens of Meryton dance the night away at Mr. Bingley's Netherfield ball. The main suspect? Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Elizabeth Bennet is the only person who can confirm Mr. Darcy's alibi, but coming forward would mean the loss of her reputation and freedom.

Convinced that their sole motive is the pursuit of justice—and not their growing attraction to each other—Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth join forces.

If Darcy didn’t shoot Wickham in cold blood, then who did? With a killer on the loose, is anyone in Meryton safe?

The Honorable Mr. Darcy is a light-hearted, sweet Regency romance/cozy mystery inspired by Jane Austen's timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. It's Book 1 in the A Meryton Mystery series.

Make sure to listen all the way to the end for an exclusive peek inside the writing and process that you'll only see here!

Happy Listening!

A Meryton Mystery Series Book 2: The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth

In a battle of wills between Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet, only one will come out alive…

When a devastating secret is revealed, Elizabeth Bennet’s future happiness is pitted against the loyalty of the man she loves.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is more determined than ever to win Elizabeth’s love—no matter what obstacles their families place between them.

But then a killer strikes a fatal blow in the middle of a military parade.

With a murderer on the loose and their hearts on the line, can Darcy and Elizabeth work together to solve another mystery? Or will the pressure break them apart forever?

The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth is a fast-paced mystery interwoven with a sweet and wholesome Regency romance inspired by Jane Austen's timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. It is the second novel in the A Meryton Mystery series.

Make sure to listen all the way to the end for access to a bonus scene!

Happy Listening!

A Meryton Mystery Series Book 3: The Inseparable Mr. and Mrs. Darcy

What does a secret correspondence, an elopement, and a plot against Parliament have in common?

Join our dear couple as they find out!

Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet have had their fill of crime-solving. Now engaged to be married, their greatest wish is to leave Meryton with its penchant for mysteries for the serenity of Pemberley—if only Mr. Bennet would give his consent!

When Mr. Bennet suffers from a series of accidents, Darcy and Elizabeth team up once again to determine if the incidents are the desperate act of a lonely father unwilling to part with his favorite daughter… or if his life is in danger.

The Inseparable Mr. and Mrs. Darcy is a fast-paced mystery interwoven with a sweet and wholesome Regency romance inspired by Jane Austen's timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. It is the third novel in the A Meryton Mystery series.

Make sure to listen all the way to the end because I have a question I'd love your thoughts on!

Happy Listening!

A Meryton Mystery Series Book 4: The Immovable Mr. Tanner

When a stranger calls and is murdered in Mr. Darcy’s front parlor, suspicions Arabella thought were long-buried resurface to threaten her and everyone she holds dear, forcing her to choose between the privilege she was born into and a heart she doesn’t trust.

Can Tanner let go of his resentful past to grasp onto a hopeful future with Arabella? Or will her history, riddled with secrets and disguise, deprive them of a happily-ever-after?

The Immovable Mr. Tanner is a fast-paced mystery interwoven with a sweet and wholesome Regency romance inspired by Jane Austen's timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. It is the fourth novel in the A Meryton Mystery series.

Make sure to listen all the way to the end for a peek inside the boxing research!

Happy Listening!

A Meryton Mystery Series Book 5: The Remarkable Miss Darcy

Darcy sees a little girl. Tanner sees a princess. He sees a remarkable woman.

Georgiana Darcy has grown up, much to the chagrin of her older brothers. However, one chance encounter with a young man from her past could set her on a path of adventure and romance… if only her overprotective brothers would let her.

Michael Nelson has no family, so he fills his days chasing after criminals and uniting divided families—anything to numb the void of loneliness.

When Georgiana's dearest friend is kidnapped at a crowded ball, Michael and Georgiana become partners in the search to find her and restore peace to Darcy House. But before calm, there comes a storm, and their discoveries do not go unnoticed by a dangerous foe…

The Remarkable Miss Darcy is a fast-paced mystery interwoven with a sweet and wholesome Regency romance inspired by Jane Austen's timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. It is the fifth and final novel in the A Meryton Mystery series.

Make sure to listen all the way to the end for access to my final interview with Darcy and Tanner!

Happy Listening!

#Author: Jennifer Joy #Author: Jane Austen #Romance #Historical Romance #A Pride and Prejudice Variation #Mystery #Youtube

[kidsandnature]

Tweeted

RT @wgagnon: Shot in the dark : looking for a ride from Edmonton to Yellowknife today. Flights cancelled, Air Canada not rebooking until January (!), no one-way car rental, lost my wallet. @AirTindi I hear you did a special charter yesterday? This guy needs a ride. 🙃

— Deck the halls with Mr Bingley (@mbingley) Dec 22, 2022

#IFTTT #Twitter

[make-me-imagine]

Request + Prompts: Mr. Bingley comforting the reader at a party after hearing someone talk bad about them? + “I wanted to know if you were okay” and/or “You don’t have to leave”

Pairing: Charles Bingley x Gender!Neutral Reader

Requested by: @thebookbakery​​

Triggers: None         Words: 1.3k

Genre: Some angst + fluff (happy ending)

You smiled as you chatted away with the few close friends you had at the ball you were attending. Looking around you acknowledged some others you knew, as well as admired the celebration itself.

As your eyes met with another’s your breath hitched in your throat as you recognized the owner. Charles, or rather Mr. Bingley as would be the more proper way to refer to him, smiled widely at you and nodded his head in greeting. Smiling lightly and sending a small curtsy in his direction, you felt your face rush at the interaction. 

You had known Charles for a few months now, having met when he and his sister moved into the town, you got along with him very well. You seemed very alike in personality and were seemingly very comfortable around each other. Being in his company was becoming a very fond thing for you. Though, you knew others would not see it that way. 

The Bingley family were well off and well known, and your family was not, so there were many who did not think your friendship, or anything more, would be suitable. You knew his sister felt this way as well, she would pretend to like your company and would compliment you when you were visiting, but you knew better. You saw the looks she gave you when she thought you were not looking, and the quiet whispers to her companions as she giggled and glanced in your direction. But you did not care what she thought of you, only what Charles thought. 

However tonight, you could not help but be effected by the way you were treated behind your back. As you moved from a small group of acquaintances you wandered over to one of your friends to say hello, faltering in your step when you heard a nearby conversation between some more wealthy members of the party. 

“I am surprised that they are even here, they certainly stand out in a crowd, and not in a good way.” they whispered, followed by giggles. 

Another woman speaking up “To think they are an acquaintance of the Bingleys, you know, some say that Mr. Bingley has his eye on them, however-” she chuckled “They most certainly are not worthy of carrying the Bingely name, they are a nobody, they do not belong.” the comment was followed by more giggles.

Your eyes fell onto them, an emotion of shock and anger in them, which caught the gossiping women off guard as they silenced themselves and looked away.

Instead of approaching your friend you turned and made your way through the crowd. You no longer wanted to be in the presence of such rude and judgmental people. How many others were whispering about you behind your back? Were they right? Yes, they were. This was not a place you belonged. The riches, the money. But you didn’t care about those things. You simply wanted to be happy. But you were stupid to think that you could find happiness with Charles Bingley, especially when you knew of the company his family held.

As you fled, you were unaware of the figure following quickly behind you. Charles had been just behind the group of women and overheard what they were saying. He was unsure of who they were talking about until his eyes landed on you, he could see the offense and sadness on your face, followed by your angry glare at the women before you turned and fled from the party. He was quick to follow, not wanting you to leave, and wanting to make sure you were alright. 

You couldn’t help the small build up of tears in your eyes. You damned yourself for letting yourself get emotional. You were stronger than this. You collected your shawl and made your way towards the door, alone in the foyer, you did not care that your family was still in the party, you would walk home if need be. 

“Y/n?” the voice came suddenly, soft from behind you. 

Turning quickly you turned to see Charles approaching you slowly, as though he was approaching a scared animal. You straightened up and put on a fake smile before curtsying slightly “Mr. Bingley. Uh, I do not feel well so I thought I might take my leave a bit early.” 

“I heard what those women said” he spoke, catching you off guard. How had he heard? You did not see him. “I wanted to know if you were okay.” 

You looked down shyly at your feet before looking back up at him “I-” you were unsure of how to respond. You sighed in resignation “They were right, I do not belong here.” you began to turn away from him again. 

“You don’t have to leave.” he said quickly before walking closer to you “Please, don’t leave.” 

You looked back at him, head still down slightly “I cannot listen to anymore of their poisonous words Char-” you cut yourself off before saying his name, you should not become so comfortable “Mr. Bingley” you corrected.

His face fell slightly at this, taking one more step closer his countenance seemed to become a bit more bashful as he was now standing in front of you “They were wrong. You have every right to be here. Your company is much more favorable to me than there’s will ever be. I am the one who is unworthy of having you as a companion.” he took the smallest step closer to you, that made you hold your breath as he looked into your eyes, before reaching out slowly and taking your hand in his “I would never recover if you were to stop seeing me, if you were to listen to those women. I do not think the same things as them. I do not care that your family is of a lower status than us, that should not matter, it does not. I simply-” he paused as he squeezed your hand slightly ”I simply wish, for you to stay. With me.” 

You stared at him, your heart pounding in your chest, your mind flashing back to those women “They will simply whisper even more, they will not stop.”

“I don’t care. Let them say what they wish, there lies and insults will not stop the truth from being the truth.” 

“What is the truth?”

Charles became even more bashful in countenance as he smiled at you “That you are worthy of the Bingley name” your eyes widened in surprise as he continued “And that you are the most amazing person I have ever met, and that, I love you.” he finished his confession in a little more than a whisper. 

You opened your mouth to speak but remained silent, only able to smile in shock, you shook your head slightly, as if pulling yourself together “Charles” you said exasperated. He smiled at this, oh how he loved when you said his name. 

“Marry me Y/n” he said, continuing to surprise you. Seeing this, he took your other hand in his and held them close to his chest “Please.”

You let out a surprised laugh as our eyes grew moist with emotion, you grinned at him before nodding your head “Yes, I will.”

Charles grinned at your acceptance before pulling you gently towards him and kissing you. After a moment you pulled away and rested your foreheads against one another as he spoke quietly “We will not tell them yet, simply, go in together, and let them see that the did not win. And when they do learn of our engagement, they will be the ones to leave in embarrassment.” 

You smiled at him as he straightened up, reaching out his arm for you to take. Looping your arm into his he lead you back into the main room. You noticed the immediate whispers of the same women from before, as well as the curious and dismayed look from his sister. But as Charles looked at you and smiled, you no longer cared about their gossiping words. Because no matter what they thought or said, they had no say in your happiness. 

xx End xx

((Bonus Fun Fact: The Actor that plays Mr. Bingley in P&P 1995 is Crispin Bonham-Carter; Helena Bonham-Carter’s third cousin once removed))

If you liked this please consider reblogging or leaving a comment. 

If you would like to be added to a taglist for any fandom or character let me know!~

#charles bingley #Mr. Bingley #pride and prejudice #charles bingley x reader #charles bingley oneshot #charles bingley one shot #mr bingley #mr. bingley x reader #pride and prejudice x reader #p&p #mr. bingley oneshot #mr. bingley one shot #oneshot #one shot #mr bingley oneshot #mr bingley one shot #pride and prejudice oneshot #pride and prejudice one shot #p&p oneshot #charles bingley/reader #pride and prejudice reader insert #gender neutral reader

[fenrir-ate-the-cat-jily]

Austen & Jily, of loving ardently!

Any Austen lovers here? 

For sure P&P has enough magic on its own. But wouldnt mr Darcy make a pretty solid 10.000 a year pureblood and I cant be the only one who sees similarities in the lovely miss Bennet and a smart pretty and stubborn Muggle born.  She is his equal in their magical abilities and as a gentleman’s daughter she would be a fine catch if he only proposed. Wouldn’t lady Catherine agree?

But did someone write it? Could someone write it please? Always want to know what I missed so send me your recommendations please

Meanwhile check out:  pride and purrejudice by snapslikethis 

A pretty exciting multi-chap set in regency (no magic)times   A Misstep of Fate by @hogwartslivy

Also have some Bridgerton love to appease you need for Jily Austen

The Season by @missgryffin

Some Regency jily one shots: certain sharp things  two’s a crowd, regency mixed with some airbending by the quibblah

Updated with @wearingaberetinparis regency jily FINISHED AND ITS SUCH A GOOD READ The Very Regency (Un)Ladylike Guide To Fortune-Hunting

#Fic rec #one shot rec #Jily #regency #If James potter is mr Darcy would that turn a Brooding Sirius in a cheerful Bingley #Amof #Pride and purrejudice #Marauders but make it Austen #Fenrir asks #Fenrir ate a cat and reads the real jily

[bethanydelleman]

Have you read Death Comes to Pemberley and/or Mr Darcy Takes A Wife? Both were gifted to me by well meaning individuals who know I love Austen but neither one was an enjoyable read for me. MDTAW was too melodramatic (everyone was a little too obsessed with Elizabeth, I hated its take on Bingley and Jane), but I do kind of like Fitzwilliam/Georgiana as a pair. I apparently found DCTP pretty forgettable because I can't remember much about it.

Do you have any post-canon Austen book or story favorites to recommend?

SPOILERS: I have read both, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife I did not like at all, Death Comes to Pemberley is okay but honestly I don't like the resolution of the crime. I feel like it really was the Colonel who shot Denny, too convenient to make it a dying man. It is a fairly well-written sequel otherwise.

My favourite post-canon Austen book has to be the one I wrote, Prideful & Persuaded, though it's not about the main characters. I really like Old Friends & New Fancies, which is widely considered the first JAFF that isn't a completion of Sandition or The Watsons. Letters from Pemberley by Jane Dawkins is a nice, canon-compliant continuation. The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle is decent too.

Unfortunately, I haven't read that many others that aren't just porn with very minimal plot (not that there is anything wrong with that... Shannon Lathan if you want some good smut). I do not recommend The Other Bennet Sister, it's terrible.

I have a free continuation, though it does not feature Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam as a pairing (he gets Caroline). My suggestion would be to check out AO3, you can search by relationship tag Georgiana Darcy/Colonel Fitzwilliam. I would also suggest asking for favourites from the subreddit r/JaneAustenFF or the Facebook group Pride & Prejudice Variations. There is a ton of free stuff out there to explore!

There is also the JAFF Index (though you need a password) and you can also search there by relationship tags. You can get a password from sites like A Happy Assembly.

Feel free to add recommendations in the tags!

#jane austen fan fiction #jane austen #question response #shameless self promotion #JAFF

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

You Must Allow Me to Tell You How Ardently I Admire and Love Pride and Prejudice 1995

Wrapping up my Pride and Prejudice adaptation review series with my favorite of them all: the 1995 BBC miniseries that was my gateway to Austen. I decided to write about this show in part because a lot of younger Austen/Pride and Prejudice fans my age (17-18 years old) don't know that this show exists. Also, there is not as much content available for the miniseries in comparison to the popular 2005 movie.

A quick refresher and some basic information in case some one who hasn't watched this show stumbles upon this review: it consists of 6 approximately hour long episodes and stars Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.

REASONS TO WATCH (let's get the obvious out of the way):

Super faithful to the book (though there are a few notable exceptions). The majority of the dialogue is lifted directly from the book and all the major plot points are included. All the secondary characters are included and fully developed.

Visually beautiful. The producers strove to avoid the grainy video quality of earlier BBC shows. The show has many beautiful shots of the countryside and features lavish interiors from historic houses as well.

The characters act according to the rigid social norms of the Regency era, in keeping with the book's observations of Regency era society; lots of bowing/curtsying and "Miss (last name)" and "Mr. (last name)." Social reputation was determined by how closely one followed rules of etiquette; after all, Darcy was hated early on due to his impoliteness in not dancing with anyone at the first ball.

Costumes: The majority of the costumes were designed specifically for the miniseries because there were few Regency era costumes available at the time. The setting chosen for the show is the early 19th century (1811/1812), so there are lots of Empire style dresses, spencers, pelisses, and bonnets. Men get snappy suits (jackets, cloaks, waistcoats, white shirts) and cravats (Mr. Darcy wouldn't look so uptight and dignified without a cravat). The hairstyles are also accurate, featuring the curled bangs and classically-inspired styles that were popular in the Regency era. The only historical inaccuracy is that the women's dresses feature their chests (only evening dresses would have done so). Sometimes I wondered if Darcy was attracted to Elizabeth because of her cleavage. The costumes contribute to the character development and visually signal differences in social status; Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst wear garishly colored, over-embellished gowns and heavy jewelry in contrast with Elizabeth's plain white dresses. Darcy meanwhile wears dark colors (brooding and cold), in contrast to Bingley's lighter colors (warm and outgoing).

Many slice-of-life scenes depicting popular activities of the time and how "boring" the lives of the rich were (every day running like clockwork according to a schedule of the same old activities). In fact, the show begins with a shot of Darcy and Bingley horseback riding across the country, and there are other scenes where they go hunting for birds. The outdoor activities for men contrast with the shots of women from behind windows/doing indoor activities like sewing or flower arranging, indicating how repressive the social norms were for women.

The Elizabeth and Darcy romance is another compelling reason to watch and/or re-watch this show. The chemistry is amazing, to say the least, but most importantly, the show uses the advantage of its length to effectively develop the relationship; none of the romantic scenes are cut or rushed.

The characters are human. Many period dramas, with their focus on historical accuracy, focus too much on little details and turn fully developed characters into automatons because "they wouldn't have acted that way back then." This miniseries keeps in mind that the characters would have expressed themselves differently than a modern person would; after all, in Austen's time, it was considered "improper" to be open about emotions. To strike a balance between historical accuracy and humanizing characters, the series utilizes lots of veiled/repressed emotions (ex. Darcy's yearning stares) and nonverbal cues (Elizabeth or Lydia rolling their eyes) to hint at what the characters are thinking and feeling without having them act in ways that they wouldn't have; after all, they are still people of their time and would not have violated social norms so easily. The veiled emotions are great because they tap into the universal conflict of humans versus society, while increasing the sexual tension that powers the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth. When paired with the dialogue, it brings to light what the characters are attempting to hide or reveal about themselves.

The Casting:

All the actors are superb and the characters come alive before us. Here are some that stand out:

Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet. I mention her first because after all, this is Elizabeth's story and it's essential that our protagonist be the equal of our romantic hero. She's absolutely perfect in this role, conveying the wit, intelligence, and sarcasm of Elizabeth Bennet, as well as her self-confidence and pride in her opinions. Ehle masters the nonverbal cues (eye rolling, sighing with embarrassment, mischievous glances) necessary for showing Elizabeth's spunky side and delight in laughter. When necessary she has plenty of poise and stuns her opponents with her intellectual acuity. She's not a conventional beauty, but her smile is gorgeous and her eyes sparkle, much like the Elizabeth in the novel. Her voice is also very expressive, with a jocular tone that adds power to her insults. A common complaint I hear is that she is too old for the part (she was in her mid-20s during filming and Elizabeth is 20-21 years old), which is unfair since Firth was in his 30s and no one seems to complain about that, even though Darcy is 27-28 years old.

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. The best Darcy (fight me). He gives the most complex portrayal of the character, balancing a stately, expressionless exterior with inner vulnerability and passion. He encompasses all the facets of Darcy's personality: his pride, social awkwardness, kindness and overpowering love for Elizabeth. Firth effectively conveys Darcy's pride by carrying himself in a stiff and rigid way, while his outward expression effectively marks him as arrogant and disapproving. He also masters the character's mannerisms; his cold and distant public self contrasting with the wit and warmth that only his closest friends (and eventually Elizabeth) know. Most importantly, Firth is a master of eye acting; he conveys so many emotions just through his eyes, like anger, pain, love, and amusement.

Crispin Bonham-Carter as Mr. Bingley. It's challenging to play good people because the enthusiasm can look forced, but I love the Bingley in this version because not only is he friendly (and has a very innocent, trusting look in his eyes), he has social skills (unlike Simon Woods, who is also a good Bingley but a bit too awkward at times: "I can read, of course.").

Anna Chancellor as Caroline Bingley. She nails the hauteur of the character and she's delightfully evil as well, often sneering at or mocking those she regards as below her. (The series diverges from the book by making Caroline and Louisa laugh; according to the Wikipedia article on this adaptation, laughter would have been considered impolite in Austen's time). Along with Louisa Hurst, they make the perfect duo of Mean Girls.

Benjamin Whitrow as Mr. Bennet. He BECOMES the character. His eye rolls, sarcastic smiles, and impatience with Mrs. Bennet are perfect; he clearly enjoys pushing her buttons and provoking her for his own entertainment. But most importantly, he clearly loves Elizabeth and shows fatherly concern for her, even though he cannot stand the rest of his family (with the exception of Elizabeth and Jane of course).

Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennet. At times she gets annoying, with her grating voice and over-excitement, but it fits the character and brings to life Mrs. Bennet's foolishness and "poor nerves." It makes sense why Mr. Bennet cannot stand her and has to run away from her. She also has very vivid facial expressions, like her crazy winking just before Bingley proposes to Jane.

Adrian Lukis as Wickham: he's charming and deceptive. I notice that whenever he talks to Elizabeth, he always looks to the side or to his left as if thinking about which lies to tell (and I read that looking to the left is one of the signs that someone is lying).

David Bamber as Mr. Collins. He's so annoying and gross, with his cringey smile and signature hand wave. I love how can't seem to stand straight because he spends his entire life bowing to his superiors with cringing servility.

Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Lady Catherine de Bourgh: I love how she is super intimidating in this version. Without needing to shout, the changes in her tone of voice show how quickly she can jump from friendly condescension to utter displeasure in a matter of moments.

Side note: Some people claim that Elizabeth and Jane are "fat" in this version. I disagree because Regency Era beauty standards were different from today's; a lot of paintings from the time period show women who would be considered "plump" today (big chests and round arms). In general, skinny bodies didn't become popular until the 1920s, 1960s and 1970s, and 2000s. Please be careful when using modern beauty standards to judge period dramas.

PLOT AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

The script (written by Andrew Davies) emphasizes the connection between money and social status, as well as the importance of family connections. Thus we can see where Darcy's social prejudice comes from and how challenging it is for him to overcome, since he is the product of this culture and is surrounded by people who preach these values. One of the things I noticed when reading the novel was how rigidly the characters adhered to social norms and etiquette; the characters are trapped in prescribed spheres which they can't move beyond unless they have high social status or gain wealth/family connections.

A lot of events or character observations are unspoken/hidden in plain sight, which makes the book difficult to adapt to the screen. The majority of the book contains Austen's snarky commentary on the characters, interspersed with Elizabeth's personal thoughts on the people she meets. To develop the characters while maintaining the feel of the book, the script contains lots of added dialogue not in the book, which effectively incorporates Austen's humor to the story without the need for a narrator.

The Secondary Characters

The secondary characters are further developed and get more dialogue and other added scenes; their traits are exaggerated (ex. the mother being even more hysterical than in the book and Caroline looking rather ugly) in order to increase the comedy. Below are my favorite added scenes featuring secondary characters:

Elizabeth and Mary at the assembly ball: Mary asserts that balls are boring since "the rewards of observation and reflection are much greater." Elizabeth sarcastically responds that "We shall all have to be philosophers" in order to gain anything from "observation and reflection."

Every scene with Mr. Hurst in it. He's fat and he's always drinking, eating, or snoring loudly; it really brings home how lazy these otherwise "refined" people are.

Interviewing Jane: This scene shows just how fabulously evil Caroline Bingley is; right after Jane arrives at Netherfield from the rain, she questions Jane about her inferior family connections, sneering as her negative opinion about Jane is confirmed. Not until Jane succumbs to a fever does she stop her interrogation.

Lydia and Wickham after the elopement: Lydia often begs Wickham to go out for fun in the town, and he has to keep giving her false promises while he attempts to settle his debts. While we realize that she is a fool for running off with a deceptive liar, we feel pity for her because she is an innocent girl who succumbed to sexual infatuation and now has to pay the price for it by being married to someone who might not care for her.

Mrs Phillips has news of Wickham: While Mrs. Bennet is mourning over Lydia's elopement with Wickham and succumbing to hysterics, Mrs. Phillips rushes over to Longbourn to report that Wickham has lots of debts and was evil. Through the power of hindsight bias, they agree they knew of Wickham's evil nature from the start and they bemoan their misfortunes. It's a perfect translation of this passage from the book, with Mrs. Phillips standing in for the village:

"All Meryton seemed striving to blacken [Wickham], who but three months before, had been almost an angel of light. He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended into every tradesman's family. Every body declared that he was the wickedest young man in the world; and every body began to find out, that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness."

My favorite non-romance scenes from the miniseries:

The opening: this scene, which isn't in the book, begins with two men (later revealed to be Bingley and Darcy) riding across the countryside to inspect Netherfield Park. The dialogue is quite interesting, as it is a glimpse of the friendship between the two men. Bingley is eager to move in to the house immediately, but still needs Darcy's advice; Darcy tells him that country people don't have polished manners and characterizes the country as "savage" (fits with his social snobbery and his later remark, in the book, that "even savages can dance"). The camera then cuts to Elizabeth alone watching the men (because she is the main character, after all), and her exuberant skipping back home reveals her unconventionality (though she is careful to do so when no one is looking, in keeping with the rules of propriety).

Introducing the Bennets: This scene reveals so much about the Bennet family dynamics. I love the contrast between the elegant house and the shouting and fracas inside. Our first glimpse of the family is of an argument between Kitty and Lydia over a mere bonnet. Mrs. Bennet is in hysterics and Kitty complains about Lydia being the favorite child; Mr. Bennet rolls his eyes with annoyance while reading his book. Elizabeth stops by the window, safe from the chaos within, and smiles knowingly at him. Mary looks on disapprovingly and gives a lecture about misfortunes as a learning lesson. On the way to the church, while Mrs. Bennet eagerly reports Bingley's wealth of 5,000 pounds, Elizabeth replies with the famous opening lines of the book: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man with a large fortune must be in want of a wife."

Mr. Bennet did call on Mr. Bingley: Mr. Bennet, while casually reading a newspaper, manipulates Mrs. Bennet into complaining and crying over Mr. Bingley. Once he reveals that he did visit Bingley, Mrs. Bennet does a full 180 (her mood swings in this version are on point) and starts leaping for joy, even giving Mr. Bennet kisses while he rolls his eyes. She even dances a jig with Kitty and Lydia (who both take after their mother in their attraction to redcoats). Lydia, being self-centered, starts complaining: "Lord I'm so hungry!"

The assembly ball: There isn't much dialogue in the book for this scene apart from Bingley attempting to convince Darcy to dance, prompting him to deliver the famous "she is tolerable" insult; most of the dialogue before it is added by the scriptwriters and perfectly complements Austen's satirical style, while linking social status to wealth. Elizabeth sarcastically observes that "the rich can afford to give offence wherever they go" and that Darcy might not be "quite so handsome if he was not quite so rich." Mrs. Bennet also misreads Darcy by encouraging him to dance, while he coldly replies that he rarely dances. Meanwhile, Darcy looks disgusted with the party yet quietly amused at Bingley having fun until he hears Mrs. Bennet trash talking him.

Dinner with Mr. Collins: Mr. Bennet is clearly enjoying himself by getting Mr. Collins to spew out more nonsense and Elizabeth can barely contain her laughter and has to hide her face behind her cloth napkin.

The mortifying dance with Mr. Collins: This version makes Collins even worse at dancing and he's so bad at it to the point that Elizabeth has to tell Mr. Collins which way to move. The best part is that Darcy is smirking while quietly observing it all, reinforcing his similarity to Elizabeth in that they both are amused by idiots (I love this little smirk as it's a brief moment where Darcy isn't wearing his mask of pride and conceit). Great acting as we see Darcy, while pacing the room, slip back into his proud facade when looking at the rest of the attendees at the Netherfield ball.

The Bennet family is improper: Mrs. Bennet makes the most absurd faces as she loudly talks about her plans for her daughters to snag rich husbands. Lydia and Kitty chase the officers and Lydia gets a brilliant one-liner: "Lord I'm so fagged!" which sums up her impetuous personality. Mary sings terribly about a dead sleeping beauty and (this part isn't in the book) Louisa aggressively shows off her superior playing skills by playing Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca extremely rapidly. It's so entertaining to read Austen's stories because of her female bullies; they are mean because they use their talents and "good breeding" to shame others. Elizabeth meanwhile sighs with embarrassment; only Jane and Bingley are happy together, oblivious to the horror surrounding them.

Mr. Collins introduces himself to Darcy: As Collins bows obsequiously, Darcy gives him an epic stare of death. Collins fails to get the signal to go away, and Darcy becomes very impolite (in the book he still bows to Mr. Collins in spite of his displeasure) and walks past the insignificant Mr. Collins, who looks after him still in awe.

Charlotte's married life: I love how the scriptwriter caught the implication of Charlotte keeping Mr. Collins outside through some added dialogue not in the book; Charlotte comments that "a whole day passes in which we have not spent more than a few minutes in each other's company" and that she "can bear the solitude very cheerfully." Here's the passage from the book:

..."Charlotte talked of the healthfulness of the exercise, and owned that she encouraged it as much as possible...When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there really was a great air of comfort throughout, and by Charlotte's evident enjoyment of it, Elizabeth supposed he must be often forgotten."

First introduction to Lady Catherine de Bourgh: Lady Catherine sits on a golden throne while surveying her subjects with a hawkish look in her eyes. The overly grand and formal music perfectly complements her intimidating air. After happily recalling someone's gratefulness to her, she looks at Elizabeth with a scowl on her face, and her voice changes from joyful to harsh and condescending ("yes...yes.").

Confronting Wickham: Elizabeth counters Wickham while stealthily sipping tea (there is a lot of passive-aggressive tea drinking in this show) by telling him that she likes Darcy in spite of Wickham's attempts to slander him. Wickham is surprised but hides behind his charming fake smile.

Elizabeth meets Georgiana: Both of them are wearing light blue (foreshadowing of their close relationship). Georgiana is actually shy and bashful here like in the book; she looks downward and often turns to Darcy before she talks.

Caroline attempting to insult Elizabeth behind her back: After Elizabeth leaves Pemberley, Caroline points out how ugly Elizabeth is. I love how uncomfortable Bingley is this whole time, while doing nothing to stop Caroline, and Darcy is hiding his anger by sipping on some wine before he finally gets mad and burns Caroline ("it has been many months now that I have considered her one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance"). It gets even better; he literally goes back to the piano where Elizabeth played, followed by his dogs (a dog person is a good person). We then get treated to brooding Darcy by the fireplace (yes they definitely exaggerated the angst but I love it anyways).

Caroline insults Elizabeth behind her back yet again and Darcy can't take it: In this added scene after Lydia's elopement, Darcy, with an unhappy look on his face, is all alone at Pemberley with the Bingleys and the Hursts and missing Elizabeth. Caroline taunts him by asking if he misses Elizabeth; after losing his composure ("what?!") he cannot contain himself and storms out of the room.

Mrs. Bennet's epic meltdown: I know some people complain that this Mrs. Bennet is too exaggerated, but her hysterics in this version are the best. Her screaming and crying combined with her blaming everyone but herself make the scene even more comical.

Mr. Collins pays a visit: After hearing of the elopement, Mr. Collins visits the Bennets to tell them he's sorry about their situation but cruelly reminds them that they brought the misfortune upon themselves and that it would be better if Lydia had died. In the book, Mr. Collins confines his reaction to a letter, but having him personally come over adds further insult to the injury, because he shows visible happiness at having avoided the unfortunate connection.

Confronting Wickham yet again: Elizabeth subtly implies to Wickham that she knows he lied to her when alluding to his false claim that he wanted to be a clergyman. He is at a loss for words and Elizabeth decides to end it by giving him a warm but sarcastic smile (queen of awkward social situations) and reminding him that they are "brother and sister" after all.

Bingley asks Darcy for his blessing. Another glimpse of the Darcy/Bingley friendship which isn't in the book. Darcy apologizes for separating Bingley from Jane and Bingley, still dependent on Darcy, asks for Darcy's blessing before Darcy, with a smile on his face, encourages Bingley to go after Jane. Could this have inspired the similar scene in the 2005 movie where Bingley and Darcy practice proposing?

THE ROMANCE

Some first-time readers of Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen novels tend to get frustrated because her stories have been characterized as passionate romances, so they come expecting palpitations of the heart and stolen kisses, only to be disappointed when the characters act in a restrained manner (and then they unjustly dub it as “wooden acting”), in keeping with the etiquette of the time. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen in general doesn't get very detailed about the emotions Elizabeth and Darcy feel; she often leaves the reader with descriptions of their outward appearance (ex. "blushing" or "pale") to let them imagine their emotions. In fact, some argue that she is wary of excessive passion; after all, Lydia's eloping with Wickham is seen in a very negative light. While Austen's characters do have emotions, in most situations they never let their feelings overpower them completely.

Much of the romance is instead developed through dialogue (witty conversations), in which Darcy and Elizabeth trade barbs but veil their affection. Unfortunately, because the dialogue is written in 19th century language, it is harder to interpret compared to emotions, and it's easy to miss the subtle nuances that are within these conversations. As a result, one needs to read "between the lines" and without historical or literary context, or familiarity with the book, it's difficult to do so. In order to develop the romantic relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, the show relies on repressed emotions and nonverbal cues so that it can incorporate the original dialogue from the book while still giving the audience hints that they are falling in love with each other. Most communication is nonverbal after all, so this reduces the challenge posed by the language barrier.

In general, Austen's view of love is more altruistic than passionate; her romantic heroes are attractive in large part because they are selfless. After all, Darcy does prove his love for Elizabeth by helping Wickham marry Lydia to save her social reputation. Love is proven not through an outburst of emotions or consummation of desire but through acts of kindness towards the loved one.

The show also includes lots of additional Darcy scenes that are not in the book. Through these scenes (combined with the Darcy/Elizabeth scenes from the book) the audience gets to see Darcy slowly fall for Elizabeth from the very first moment he notices her and observe how he faces the conflict between his social prejudice and growing affection for Elizabeth. What this adaptation gets right is the tension between unconscious emotions/passion and the outward facade, as conveyed through Firth's eye acting. This conflict is an essential part of Darcy's character development; up until he makes his first proposal to Elizabeth, his growing attraction to her is only hinted at through occasional lapses in his self-control. The show makes it even more obvious that Darcy is in love with Elizabeth with the added scenes, where he is alone with his feelings. By making Darcy more vulnerable, the audience gets to question the validity of Elizabeth's prejudice while seeing Darcy as a human being rather than a statue.

Now onto Elizabeth, since the whole romance discussion tends to focus a lot on Darcy. Elizabeth's love for Darcy is less obvious, especially since she is absorbed with her hatred of him for the first half of the novel. The process of her falling in love with him is less dramatic than Darcy's intense stares. For much of the book, she remains unaware that she loves him, until she visits Pemberley, which has created the misconception that she's a gold digger. In fact, she goes through several phases before realizing that she loves Darcy: Respect, esteem, and trust. After reading Darcy's letter, she forms a grudging respect for Darcy by taking his word over Wickham's; in short, she gives him credibility but she doesn't quite like him as a person yet. Her friendship with Darcy is formed at Pemberley; only when they are "far from the madding crowd" can Darcy reveal his true self. Now that she respects and esteems Darcy, she unconsciously decides that she can trust him with the shameful news of Lydia's elopement, connecting them together with the secret knowledge of Wickham's true character. Only when she's about to lose Darcy and worries that his good opinion of her is lost, combined with her realization that he's her equal, does she conclude that she loves him (and this is the same in the miniseries as in the book). This seemingly logical process may be "unromantic" to a modern reader, especially compared to Darcy's emotional turmoil, but it represents Elizabeth's beliefs about marriage in action; after all she states that "only the deepest love would induce her into matrimony" and she also wants to avoid "a marriage in which either partner cannot respect the other." Given her hasty judgment earlier, she goes through a long process of evaluating her future partner's character (as well as considering her feelings) before she commits to this significant decision to marry. Thus, when she does decide to marry, it is a victory for mind as well as heart; the marriage will be a source of personal growth for both her and Darcy:

"...by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance."

Now onto the romance scenes and how they do justice to the book:

"She is tolerable." I love how Elizabeth is eagerly listening to Bingley unsuccessfully attempting to convince Darcy to dance with a smile on her face. After Darcy insults her as "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me," she is bold and walks past him with a knowing smile on her face. He looks back at her eagerly sharing the story to the amusement of her friends and his interest in her starts.

The Lucas' ball: Darcy's staring is at peak intensity here (in real life this would probably be creepy but it's entertaining to watch). While Elizabeth is talking to Charlotte, with Charlotte taking notice of Darcy's staring at Elizabeth, he magically appears out of nowhere to do exactly that. The angry yet intense yearning in his eyes perfectly encapsulates this bit from the book, which comes right after Austen reveals that Darcy has started paying attention to Elizabeth: "Mr Darcy stood... in silent indignation at such a mode of passing the evening."

Darcy's offer to dance rebuffed by Elizabeth: Poor Darcy, his flirting skills suck. I love how he still appears very stiff and formal here ("all politeness" as Elizabeth saucily proclaims him), even as he states that "he would be happy" if Elizabeth would dance with him. Elizabeth is at the peak of her sarcastic powers here when rejecting him with a smile on her face and sparkling eyes.

"I have been admiring Elizabeth's fine eyes:" Caroline attempts to bother Darcy and as usual complains about how unsophisticated the country people are. Meanwhile, Darcy is still staring at Elizabeth, except that his face has become gentler and he betrays the hint of a smile. He even teases Caroline so that she will leave him alone.

Darcy playing billiards: In this added scene, Elizabeth runs into Darcy in the billiards room by himself (what a loner). He bows to her but she doesn't curtsy back as expected and runs out of the room because she hates him so much. He meanwhile tries to focus on the game after she leaves to get her out of his thoughts.

“Accomplished woman" scene: It's hilarious how Caroline is only pretending to read to flatter Darcy, and when Elizabeth makes her snarky comment pointing out how ridiculous the definition of an "accomplished woman" is, Darcy gives her the most intense staring ever like he's trying to seduce her (and somehow she's still oblivious to it all, like how?).

"Let us take a turn about the room." Darcy has a playful look in his eyes but still hides behind his mask of reserve. He and Elizabeth have an intense exchange where both shrewdly point out the flaws of the other person and I love how they both can't keep their eyes from each other. Caroline notices the situation and attempts to distract them by playing some really fast piano music so that Darcy will focus on her (what an ego Caroline has).

The bath scene: what a blatant attempt to make Darcy a sex idol (but it's really subtle so I wasn't too offended). We get a nice glimpse of his shoulders and while he's in the bathroom he stares at Elizabeth playing with a dog (in this adaptation they're both dog people so they'll totally get along).

The dance at Netherfield: Once again Darcy attempts to ask Elizabeth to dance with him and he actually succeeds. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is absolutely pissed off that she couldn't find an excuse to say no; love how she huffs, puffs, rolls her eyes, and vents to Charlotte. When the dance comes, the two are filmed as adversaries going to war. I love that there is a very long moment of awkward silence between them as Elizabeth is frustrated with Darcy and trying to figure him out. Luckily, the majority of the dialogue is included, even the part about Elizabeth trying to sketch Darcy's character. However, this is one of my least favorite Darcy and Elizabeth scenes because the dance is overly formal. The music itself is from the 17th century and likely would not have been used in the Regency Era. If you don't pay attention to the dialogue or haven't read the book before it's easy to see how one might perceive this scene to be boring and the acting to be stiff.

"Why does Darcy stare at me?" This is the first time we meet Colonel Fitzwilliam. I've seen lots of comments that he's quite good-looking in this version, and I wonder if this was done purposefully so that he'd be a romantic rival to Darcy. Back to the scene. After Elizabeth meets Darcy again at Rosings, Darcy does another round of intense staring and Elizabeth finally notices his gaze upon her; he looks away with embarrassment at being found out. She misreads his interest and remains insistent that he's her "severest critic." He meanwhile tries and fails to make small talk with her before giving up and staring out the window (his default response to getting out of social situations).

Playing the piano at Rosings: Lady Catherine can't stop talking (what a busybody) and Darcy heads over to the adjoining room, where Elizabeth is playing. Elizabeth, with an "arch" expression in her eyes, asks if Darcy has come to intimidate her, he is amused and tells her that she takes delight in "professing opinions which are not your own." It's interesting how he fidgets with his ring while telling Elizabeth he's "not afraid" of her, betraying his nervousness. I love this scene because it's one of the few times where Darcy's mask slips off; his eyes look gentle here and he has the hint of a smile. When Elizabeth asks him why he's "ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers" he stumbles a little before telling her he can't "converse easily" with them. Finally, Lady Catherine insists on having a part in the conversation, and Darcy rolls his eyes before returning to her.

I like comparing the Rosings piano scene to its equivalent in the 2005 movie because the Darcy actors show their social awkwardness in different ways. Macfadyen's Darcy is more gentle and has zero ability to talk to people, while Firth's Darcy is too intelligent for people to appreciate his wit and just stays away from them because he can't hide his utter disgust at their idiocy. I personally feel like disgust is closer to book Darcy. After all, Elizabeth does observe to him that "[his] defect is a propensity to hate every body."

Darcy pays a visit: I love how there is a moment of awkward silence while the two are socially distanced. Even better is when they share a knowing glance over Mr. Collins taking pleasure in Lady Catherine's designs for his comfortable house. It's another moment where Darcy almost lets his guard down, even asking if Elizabeth would like to escape Longbourn (ulterior motives), but hurriedly exits when he gets nervous.

The first proposal: Darcy comes into the room hurriedly with none of his usual composure and then paces the room like a caged animal before he cannot contain himself any longer and spontaneously declares his love for Elizabeth. It's significant that the proposal takes place indoors, because it signifies that Darcy hasn't abandoned his social prejudices yet (plus the house was designed by Lady Catherine). Some people have commented on the significance of the mirror (cold, unwelcoming) and fireplace (passion) as a representation of Darcy's conflict between his outer facade and inner self.

Interestingly, Austen gives Darcy little dialogue except for the opening "in vain I have struggled," instead telling us that he dwells on the inferiority of Elizabeth's connections. Below is the added dialogue from the show. I love how it remains overly stiff and formal (because Darcy can't express himself well without using formality) while making it clear that Darcy still cannot let go of his social prejudice and is proposing for the selfish reason of relieving his own pain (not romantic).

"In declaring myself thus, I am fully aware that I will be going expressly against the wishes of my family, my friends, and I hardly need add, my own better judgment. The relative situation of our families is such that any alliance between us must be regarded as a highly reprehensible connection. Indeed, as a rational man, I cannot help but regard it as such myself, but it cannot be helped. Almost from the earliest moments of our acquaintance, I have come to feel for you a most passionate admiration and regard, which, despite all my struggles, has overcome every rational objection, and I beg you, most fervently, to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife."

Some people complain that Firth is too stiff during the first proposal, because at times he lapses back into his expressionless mask, especially when he starts pacing the room again while Elizabeth rejects him. But here's a passage from the book proving that Darcy does not give into his passion, undercutting the truth of his words: "He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security."

The best part of the first proposal is how the emotions gradually escalate and the characters struggle to veil their emotions behind formality. Elizabeth gets angrier until she is almost shouting at Darcy and he gets very defensive and starts claiming he's the victim, that he's suffering for love and because he's so ethical decided to tell her instead of hiding it from her. It calls to mind this particular passage from the book: "[Mr. Darcy's] complexion became pale with anger, and the disturbance of his mind was visible in every feature." I love how shocked he is when she rejects him forcefully, but luckily he redeems himself by exiting gracefully.

The letter: I really like the creative use of the voice overs as Darcy storms back to Rosings after his disastrous proposal and Elizabeth, overwhelmed with what has just happened to her, cries alone. They both have to acknowledge the criticisms that each has made of the other and they aren't ready to do so yet because they're still trapped in resentment of the other person. It's great that Darcy is shown to be angry when writing the letter, which he admits to Elizabeth much later after they are engaged. Lady Catherine, meddlesome as usual is calling after Darcy when he gets back and he slams the door of his bedroom in order to get some alone time. I also like how the miniseries gives us this additional scene of Darcy writing his letter and shows us that defending himself in writing is an exhausting process for him; the scene ends with a view of his desk, with lots of crumpled paper and broken feather tips smeared in ink.

Elizabeth's reaction to the letter. I like how this adaptation shows that the process of confronting her prejudice of Darcy is emotionally draining. When she first reads the letter, she still hates Darcy and spews out her anger. Then she re-reads the letter and starts to see things from his perspective. The flashbacks are great since Elizabeth does confront her "picture" of Wickham while reading the letter: "She could see him instantly before her, in every charm of air and address; but she could remember no more substantial good than the general approbation of the neighborhood." They also show that she does re-read the letter multiple times, unlike in other versions where she only reads it once and immediately overcomes her prejudice. To replace the inner monologue, Elizabeth confides all in Jane, revealing that "till that moment, I never knew myself."

"I will conquer this!" Another scene where Darcy struggles with his angst and can't forget about Elizabeth even while fencing.

Visiting Pemberley: I like the slow reveal of the house, there are lots of gorgeous shots of trees and nature before we see Pemberley. Lyme Park totally matches my mental image of Pemberley; the grounds are less formal and the house is perfectly nestled in a grove of old trees. The inside, while lavish, feels more cozy than Rosings or Netherfield. Also, there's some added dramatic irony when the aunt and uncle comment that the mistress of Pemberley will "not likely be anyone we know." Unfortunately the adaptation omits Elizabeth's realization that Darcy's social prejudice would have cut her off from her aunt and uncle had she accepted his first proposal; instead she seems to be sad that the house isn't hers.

The lake scene: Darcy gives into his angst; he takes off the suffocating cravat and stiff waistcoat to dive into his personal lake (and of course we know this didn't happen in the book). Darcy's swim is interspersed with views of Elizabeth admiring Darcy's portrait, indicating that both of them are starting to truly respect or love each other. Since Elizabeth rejected him, Darcy has been trying to purge his feelings for Elizabeth, intensifying his conflict between propriety and his heart. Diving into the lake is a figurative baptism in which his social prejudices are washed away, and he finally accepts that his love for Elizabeth is not sinful. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is starting to find the good in Darcy by contemplating his portrait (which is a literal metaphor for his character). Not only does she respect him (as I alluded to earlier) she now esteems him as a friend. She finally uncovers the man behind the cravat and regrets her misreading of him. And now we come to the wet shirt part; Darcy has been stripped of his outer armor, increasing the embarrassment once he unexpectedly runs into Elizabeth. The embarrassment is palpable because they both lose control and are at a loss for words, now that the rules of social propriety have been broken (the wet shirt); he asks after her family twice before abruptly ending the conversation. The scene is even funnier when Elizabeth throws up her hands attempts to run as far away from Pemberley as possible, her aunt and uncle trailing after her.

Darcy's garden tour: I love this scene because it highlights Darcy's transformation; he is less reserved and starts to break the ice with Elizabeth after getting over the embarrassment of seeing her in his wet shirt. Darcy's green outfit, in contrast with his usual black, emphasizes that he's comfortable in his own surroundings while still retaining his signature stateliness. One of my favorite moments of this miniseries is when Darcy is in a rush to find Elizabeth and show her around his house. When he nervously asks if she likes Pemberley and she affirms that she does, he smiles (one of the rare times he does so) and compliments her: "But your good opinion is rarely bestowed and therefore more worth the earning." Most importantly, he gets to show off his newfound social skills (surprising Elizabeth) and be a good host. The best part is when he helps Elizabeth into the carriage and then waits at the side of the road for her to look back at him and she looks back at him with a smile on her face.

The look of love: This is the best romantic scene in this miniseries and it makes me smile every time I watch Darcy admire Elizabeth's playing. The song choice is great--I read that it's from The Marriage of Figaro (18th-century opera) and it's about the "sorrow and pain" caused by "Love's sweet spell" that "naught can dispel." Darcy is looking at Elizabeth with extreme admiration, with a slight smile (as opposed to his usual "taciturn disposition") as she is playing the piano with Georgiana. Without saying a word, the joy in Darcy's eyes speaks to the depth of his love for Elizabeth, even after she rejected him (the acting is that good). Meanwhile, Caroline, completely oblivious to it all, attempts to insult Elizabeth by asking her if she misses Wickham. Georgiana is perturbed, Darcy is about to impulsively jump off his sofa, and Elizabeth, queen of polite escapes from embarrassment, helps Georgiana play. Elizabeth then senses Darcy's admiring gaze upon her and smiles back at him, reciprocating his feelings. In fact, this does happen in the book, though some liberties are taken to heighten the romantic tension (the piano music, Caroline being so impolite as to mention Wickham by name, Darcy's earlier admiration of Elizabeth). Here's the passage, which makes me appreciate how wonderfully this moment has been translated on film:

"'Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the --shire militia removed from Meryton? They must be a great loss to your family.' ...[Caroline] dared not mention Wickham's name; but Elizabeth instantly comprehended that he was uppermost in her thoughts... to repel the ill-natured attack, she presently answered the question in a tolerably disengaged tone. While she spoke, an involuntary glance shewed her Darcy with an heightened complexion, earnestly looking at her, and his sister overcome with confusion, and unable to lift up her eyes."

Darcy dresses with care: in this brief moment (not in the book) just before he rushes to the inn where Elizabeth is staying, Darcy purposely picks his green jacket instead of his customary black. It makes me think that he was going to propose to Elizabeth that day if bad things hadn't happened (dun dun dun!).

Lydia has eloped: This is the only adaptation to get this scene right. It's unfortunate how this moment is shortened in other adaptations, because it furthers the bond Elizabeth and Darcy have (connected by knowledge of Wickham's true character) while presenting Darcy with a test to prove his love for Elizabeth; it's even more significant that they are alone together. Elizabeth confiding in Darcy is an important sign that Elizabeth trusts Darcy. When combined with the earlier "look of love," it's further proof that Darcy still loves Elizabeth; his concern for her takes over his usual composure as he attempts to console her. Darcy even holds Elizabeth's hands in a departure from social propriety (in the book it says he could only look at her sympathetically). It's also the first time where Elizabeth loses control; she cannot compose herself enough to convincingly evade Darcy's questions and is forced to tell him the truth. When Darcy is about to leave (and he even looks back at her!), the romantic tension is heightened when Elizabeth realizes that she regrets telling him the truth, as she will never see him again.

The second proposal: at first I was disappointed because it wasn’t what I was expecting. I kept thinking to myself, “why don’t they kiss or hold hands?” Why isn’t there an explosion of passion, especially after we’ve been treated to some intense staring and longing? But this moment is beautiful in its own way. Darcy and Elizabeth don’t need grand declarations of love; they implicitly know they can trust and respect each other as equals. They both agree to forget about their past disagreements and now that they are free of “pride and prejudice” they can now love each other fully. In fact, the last few chapters up until the wedding are of them learning about each other through many spirited conversations, and Austen emphasizes that their process of personal growth is ongoing and will continue even after they are married; after all, Darcy "had yet to learn to be laught at, and it was rather too early to begin." Finally, "dearest, loveliest Elizabeth" will always be superior to "Mrs. Darcy;" it's more affectionate because he calls her by her first name after being forced by formality to address her as "Miss Bennet," and it affirms Elizabeth's individuality, in contrast with "Mrs. Darcy."

Below are some things I didn't like. The first half of this section contains minor nitpicks while the rest of it is my opinion on why Episode 6 is the weakest part of the show.

The floating Darcy head. At the beginning of episode 4 when Elizabeth is reminiscing about the failed proposal his face magically sprouts from a tree as she is observing the countryside. Then in episode 5 the floating head appears in her mirror. I think the Darcy voice over would have been enough; these weird “special effects” aren’t needed and are distracting.

The ridiculous worship of the wet shirt. I feel zero sexual attraction to the wet shirt and I don’t know why some people reduce Colin Firth's amazing performance down to "he was so hot in the wet shirt." The wet shirt religion has started an unfortunate trend in which many Austen adaptations have included the male heroes in wet shirts in a cheap attempt to appeal to the women. I bet Jane Austen is rolling in her grave at all the Austen adaptations in which the male hero is in a wet shirt. Whoever thinks wet shirts make her male heroes attractive is idiotic; we like Austen's heroes because they are good people and not because they wear wet shirts.

The engagement period isn't included: after Darcy and Elizabeth get engaged, they have to survive several months in Meryton before they can escape to Pemberley. This would have been a great opportunity for more comedic laughs that weren't included in the show:

Mrs. Bennet overcome with joy after finding out that Elizabeth has agreed to marry Darcy. In the book, Mrs. Bennet's negative opinion of Darcy immediately becomes positive and she crows about Elizabeth's material wealth.

Mr. Collins congratulating Elizabeth and Darcy: in the book, it says Darcy bore this as best as he could before shrugging when Collins was out of the room. It would have been fun to see Darcy and Elizabeth laughing over this secretly or exchanging knowing glances.

Elizabeth trying to keep Darcy to herself. After their engagement, they would likely have been invited to lots of balls, which would have tested Darcy's good manners. She knows he can't stand the villagers, so she has to keep him away from tiresome people. Imagine a montage of Elizabeth and Darcy trying to run away from people they dislike; it would be super funny.

The double wedding: I hate wedding scenes (with the exception of the one from The Princess Bride) because they are anti-climactic; now that our couple or couples is/are together the story's over, which disappoints me. Also the kiss is not very good (I suppose the top hat and bonnet got in the way).

Here's why I don't think the show should have ended with a wedding. In the last chapter of the novel Austen only dedicates ONE sentence to the wedding; she basically tells us there was a double wedding but moves on to life after the wedding. It would have been more interesting (and more faithful to the novel) to have a glimpse of what happens to the Darcys and Bingleys after their weddings. After all, Austen focuses on marriages (two people living together) rather than weddings (formal ceremony). She focuses on the marriage as a source of personal growth, since Elizabeth helps Georgiana become a more confident person, but is realistic in that the marriage isn't all smooth sailing; after all, the Darcys and Bingleys still need to deal with their troublesome relations. It doesn't make sense that this adaptation, which successfully translates a complex novel to film while adding something new to it ends an unconventional (for the time) romance with a conventional wedding.

CONCLUSION

This adaptation is amazing because it balances faithfulness to the story with creativity. It effectively focuses on the central themes of the novel without over-simplifying the material and focuses on historical accuracy to paint a detailed picture of Regency era society through Austen's eyes. Most importantly the acting and the comedy are excellent; this is more than a filmed version of the book.

The miniseries means a lot to me because I have learned a lot about the novel through watching it and reading other fans' comments about the show. There was so much about the novel that I didn't understand or know about and it was an absolute delight to re-visit various parts of the book that appeared on the show.

Thanks for your patience in making it this far; this post was an absolute monster to write. I clearly love this show and the story too much (as shown by the corny title) and I wanted to share some of the love with you.

@talkaustentome @austengivesmeserotonin @alljaneaustenallthetime @appleinducedsleep @firawren @austengeek @bitchynwitchy @colonelfitzwilliams @princesssarisa @obscurelittlebird @auralaesthetics @a-dreamers-universe @pep-pep-pep

#pride and prejudice #book adaptation #movie review #tv show review #pride and prejudice 2005 #pride and prejudice 1995 #colin firth #jennifer ehle #elizabeth bennet #elizabeth x darcy #mr darcy #mr bingley #1995 stan #this is the superior version #jane austen

[perfectpaperbluebirds]

@sicktember​ Prompt # 8: Contagious

Title: Unexpected Developments 

Fandom: Pride and Prejudice

Prompt inspired by @chezsnez ​. The prompt: “What if in P&P when Jane gets sick at Netherfield, the other guests catch her cold and Lizzie ends up having to take care of Darcy. Kinda like enemies to lovers but with enemies to caretaker.” Thank you as always for the wonderful ideas, my friend!

Jane Bennett’s cold has spread to all the guests at Netherfield, hitting some worse than others. How will Lizzie respond when she finds proud, arrogant Mr. Darcy sneezing miserably and running a fever?

Elizabeth stepped out into the hall, closing the door on Jane's sickroom behind her. Jane was lying down to rest, so Lizzie was left to her own devices for the next hour or two. With no obligation to visit with the rest of the guests today, she had decided to wander a bit to stretch her legs and familiarize herself with more of Netherfield. As she walked, she let her mind wander as idly as her feet.

"We're certain to never be asked back here again," Lizzie sighed to herself after a bit. While Lizzie herself didn't much care, Jane and her mother would be devastated.

The cold Jane had caught on her ill-fated horseback ride to Netherfield had proved to be very contagious. Charles and Caroline Bingley had succumbed to it quickly. At luncheon the day after Elizabeth arrived to care for her sister, the siblings were seen to have dark circles under their eyes, with nostrils tinged a raw-looking pink. Caroline was forced to press a handkerchief to her dripping nose more than once through the course of the meal, while Charles kept painfully coughing into his. Caroline retired immediately after the meal, complaining of a headache and did not return. Charles sent his apologies down just before supper, saying he too had taken ill and would be staying in his room. Walking past Caroline's door later while checking on Jane, Lizzie heard her sneezing so miserably that  Eliza felt a touch of sympathy for the unpleasant woman.

Mr. Darcy had been the one to carry the news of Bingley's illness to the rest of the party, but Elizabeth had hardly seen him since. She gathered he was either passing the time in his own room or else keeping Charles company. It seemed his immune system was hearty, for he hadn't seemed ill when she had last spoken to him. 

Several days had now elapsed since the onset of Jane's illness, and the eldest Bennett sister was doing much better, and in fact really had no need of a caregiver anymore, though she had said more than once that she was glad Elizabeth was there for the company. With any luck, the sisters would be able to go home in a few days, as long as the others had recovered as well. Elizabeth found this thought encouraging as she continued to explore. 

Eventually she came to a hallway at the far side of the house that she was sure would be a dead end and likely empty, but she preferred to look at it anyway, for perhaps it would have a nice view out the window. The hallway was in fact a dead end, but was far from empty.

Coming around the corner, she stopped short, for at the end of the hallway and facing the window was Mr. Darcy. With some amusement she realized he was about to sneeze, for he was hunched over with his handkerchief pressed to his face and his breath hitching desperately.

"Heh-ZZZIIIH'shieww! HIIHHK'choo!" He did his best to muffle the sound into his handkerchief, but was mostly unsuccessful. The sneezes were wet and miserable-sounding, and while Elizabeth couldn't see his face, she could imagine his equally miserable expression, for he sneezed like someone with a thick, burgeoning head cold.

She had a choice to make. She could very easily walk away and pretend she had seen nothing, leaving him and his cold to their own devices. After all, the fact that he had hidden away in this corner indicated that he didn't want to be discovered, and while he had been overall civil to her since she had come to stay here, his haughty pride and past treatment of her were not quickly forgotten. Or, she could offer him aid.

"Hih'GEHH'shuuh!" This 3rd sneeze, whether part of the trio or on its own (it was hard to be sure) was the most desperate and miserable sounding of them all. His shoulders slumped wearily as he tended to his nose in the aftermath, and she thought she heard him say something like "ick" as he did so as well.

"Bless you, sir," said Elizabeth boldly, coming fully into the hallway. He leapt around as if he'd been shot, his face reddening. She could see him frantically trying to think of a way to explain himself.

"My apologies," he muttered at last, gruffly. "That was most undignified."

"You have no need to apologize, for you didn't know I was here. It is I who should apologize for startling you. However, I wanted to ask after your health, for you sound most unwell."

"I am fine," he muttered, clearly uncomfortable. Looking closer at him, Lizzie saw the flush over his face might not be due entirely to embarrassment, but perhaps also to fever, for his eyes had the same unhealthy cast she had seen in Jane's eyes only a few days before. He was also swaying slightly where he stood, and had a dampness of sweat along his hairline.

"Might I offer to accompany you to your room, sir? You look as if you needed to lie down for a spell."

"That is… unnecessary. I can…." He cut himself off with a rough cough. She could tell he was desperately trying to think of an excuse as to why she shouldn't be the one assisting him. However, they both knew that Charles was sick (quite sick, if the murmurs she'd heard from the staff were to be believed), and that all the servants were overworked as it was with taking care of their master and his sister. 

"I'm sure you're quite busy with your sister. You need not concern yourself with me," he finally rasped. 

"On the contrary, she is resting peacefully, while you are positively trembling and look to be on the verge of collapse from fever. Take my arm and we shall see you to your quarters."

Mr. Darcy hesitated another moment, still casting around for some excuse. Knowing what needed to be done, Elizabeth moved to his side and gently linked her arm around his. She felt her heart flutter as their hands made brief contact. The fleeting thought crossed her mind that this was the first time they had touched. She had certainly imagined it occurring under different circumstances. Shaking away such thoughts, she started to walk, leading the much taller man toward his quarters. Mr. Darcy was enough of a gentleman to follow without further protest. 

As they walked, both of Mr. Darcy's arms were occupied, for the hand that wasn't linked with Elizabeth's was busy pressing his handkerchief to his face. Every few steps his shoulders would twitch, either from a stifled cough or a thick sniffle. She could sense he was desperately trying not to sneeze again. Between that and the fact that his large form was positively radiating heat, Elizabeth found herself quite distracted by him, and watched him intently out of the corner of her eye. The walk was a quiet one, for Elizabeth didn’t want to burden him with conversation when he was clearly otherwise engaged, not to mention ill.

They made it to his room without interruption, sneezing or otherwise. She allowed him to open the door, then she ushered them both in, with more than a little awkwardness on all sides. Mr. Darcy went immediately to sit on his bed, sinking down as if compelled by gravity, leaning his head into his hands as he continued to tremble.

"A headache troubles you as well, then?" she asked after observing his motionless form for a moment.

He nodded pathetically, not looking up. Out of nowhere, and startling them both, his breath hitched violently before a pair of sneezes erupted out of him. Thankfully they were directed at the floor. He pressed his damp handkerchief to his nose hastily, glancing at her and looking embarrassed.

"Forgive me," he muttered thickly, which was followed up with a cough.

"You need not waste your breath asking forgiveness every time you sneeze when you have a cold, for you have precious little breath to spare as it is. However, I must ask, why did you not alert someone of your illness? You are quite unwell, Mr. Darcy. Anyone can see it plainly."

"I did not want to be a bother, as everyone else was also ill. I thought it best to tend to myself."

"Whether or not you alerted someone, you shouldn't have gotten out of bed today. You've certainly made yourself worse by doing so."

He only groaned softly.

Elizabeth sighed to herself. "Please, if I may, let me help you feel more comfortable. You need to rest."

Hesitantly she approached him as he looked up to finally meet her eyes. With a gentle touch she guided him to sit up straighter, then deftly removed his cravat. She sensed more than heard his sigh of relief once it was off, and found herself letting her hand rest on his hot cheek under the pretense of checking his fever. He seemed to enjoy the touch immensely. Her eyes lingered on his face as he sat with his eyes closed, and many thoughts and feelings competed for space in her mind. She did her best to suppress them all.

 After a moment though, she broke the spell, and continued to help him remove his jacket, waistcoat, boots and stockings. He assisted as best he could with these attentions, but said nothing, merely following her every move with his guarded, intense gaze. Once the garments were set aside and he was looking much more loose and comfortable, if also embarrassed to be seen in such an undressed state, she pressed a glass of water into his hands and watched as he drank it down.

She took the glass from him, and setting it down, took up a cold, wet rag. She placed it against the back of his neck and was rewarded with a relieved sigh. From there she bathed the rest of his neck and the bit of chest that was visible, ensuring her gaze stayed far from his, but unable to help a bit of a blush creeping over her cheeks at such acts of intimacy with such a person. With continued gentleness, she pressed him back against the pillows. The movement of course made him cough pitifully. Soaking the cloth once more, she laid it on his forehead and left it there as she straightened the pillows around him.

That done, they simply surveyed each other for a moment. Mr. Darcy looked ill and altogether unimposing, lying in bed as he was, with tired circles under his eyes, a hacking cough, and a dripping nose.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked hesitantly.

"Some," he grunted. "Now that I'm lying down."

"Excellent. Are you hungry at all? I think perhaps you should eat something."

His intense stare and large, warm presence were making her nervous all over again and causing her to seek escape from the small room.

"I suppose I could eat," he murmured.

"Yes, good. Then let me go fetch you some soup. I'll be back soon." She bustled out of the room immediately, a blush rising to her face, of uncertain cause. She did her best to quiet her racing thoughts as she sped toward the kitchen.

Mr. Darcy, for his part, was totally smitten with her. He was now convinced her fine eyes were the centerpiece of her completely wonderful countenance and figure. He watched the space where the corner of her skirt had disappeared intently, waiting for her return and recalling again and again the feel of her cool hand on his face.

(Part 1 of 2)

#sicktember2021 #sickfic #everyone is hotter with a fever #prompt 8

[mrdarcygenderenvy]

2005 Joe Wright Pride & Prejudice (ranked out of 10 on my own esoteric metrics)

As Pride & Prejudice-s go, this is the Big One for a lot of people my age. It’s a classic and I have Opinions.

IN SHORT: The film is full of disgustingly lovely visuals and COMMITTED TO THE ROMANCE/ YEARNING to a degree I frankly respect. Immaculate vibes in individual scenes. Lbr, 2020 Emma wishes it had the energy of this film.

Extra credit: Romantic Horniness rating

The unashamed breathless horniness of this Mr Darcy is the defining feature of this film to me and also the film knows it. CONSIDER: the first proposal being a 100% ‘staring at each others lips angrily’ scene in the rain, the classique hand flex after he helps Elizabeth into a carriage, the mystifying choice to have him wandering the moors tits-out in the sunrise, and then fate wafts Lizzie out there too and the two of them practically try to eat/ make out with the sun like a leaning tower of Pisa photo op.

Every creative choice in this film is towards its own idea of what’s pretty and sexy - even if for me, that actually most closely lines up with my personal aesthetic when the thing they have a big hard on for is ‘shots of a lake in afternoon light’ and ‘cool rocks in the peak district’.

mmm

FAST TAKES - The (UK) ending is mystifyingly abrupt - The sisters’ casting is bang on, especially Rosamund Pike Jane (EFFERVESCENT) - Wickham barely gets a look in because everything’s too busy looking beautifully lit but maybe that’s okay - Why is Caroline Bingley wearing a sleeveless dress A CLASSIC

Wildness: 6/10. Yes, it’s a horny romance adaptation of a book whose main appeal is not necessarily romance, and what’s more classic hollywood than that. BUT ALSO, think about the swing scene where Lizzie spins a bit and the seasons pass, the choice to have a pig walking through the house and prominent pig balls shot, and the admirably bold idea of prioritising a long continuous shots of ‘lake’ and ‘in and out of the windows of the house’ over bothering to flesh out Wickham or Mary or explain why Lizzie is inside Darcy’s house. Also, the ‘sculpture gallery, having a big wank over classicism and colonial spoils’ vibe bit of Darcy’s house MAY BE in a real old house, but it fully looks like they’ve teleported to the modern day british museum in a piece of masterful surrealism. This film is fervently here for the aesthetic above all else, including things making sense, and surely there’s a feral energy to that.

LAKE!!!!

Mr Darcy gender envy rating: 4/10. I do not personally find Matthew Macfadyen attractive and I’m pride and prejudiced against this era’s hair. That said, he is tall, which I do envy, and he is a bit pathetic, which I relate to.

(TANGENT, I’m arguably more envious of his cheating, boisterous, lusciously moustachio’d avatar in 2012 Anna Karenina, a very theatrically visually lovely adaptation by the same director where him and Kiera Knightley are brother and sister both giving sort of ‘fun horny fuckup’ vibes. If you liked this P&P, I recommend this film. Also do you think despite Jude Law always having nasty energy, he only started being increasingly cast as evil as his hairline receded because society is terrible? I’M GETTING OFF TRACK.)

How much I have a crush on Elizabeth rating: 8/10, Kiera Knightley is obviously a babe but as a young teenager I was definitely more emotionally overcome by seeing her being a pirate

Shoutout to: That fucking great tree Elizabeth sits on in Derbyshire. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SCENE OF THE FILM IT’S SUCH A GOOD TREE

Also shoutout to the Lady Catherine Reveal scene that my partner thinks is really funny because they really linger on revealing it’s Judi Dench. Like ‘guess who we fucking got…… wait for it…. JUDI DENCH, BABY!!!!’ and then she’s sitting in this insane room of paintings which I guess is just the fanciest filming location they could find, who needs context

OVERALL RATING: a wet horny classic

#pride and prejudice #pride and prejudice 2005 #pride & prejudice #austen adaptations #mr darcy #i didnt say i had good opinions. only that i had opinions

[londonalozzy]

Don’t Tell Bucky 1/2

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

Summary: The reader arrives home one night after drowning her sorrows, thinking she doesn't stand a chance with the guy she loves most, Bucky Barnes. She is so out of it that she ends up revealing all of her feelings to the first person she sees. The man himself.

Masterlist

I've been teased my whole adult life about what an old fashioned, hopeless romantic I am.

Yes, I'm an Avenger. Yes, I can kick ass when the occasion arises. But the rest of the time, the usual place to find me, is curled up on the couch with my head buried in a Jane Austen novel.

A couple of years ago someone came into my life that I thought was the key to it all. He was destined to be the Darcy to my Elizabeth, the Edward to my Elinor, the Mr Knightly to my Emma. Oh, how wrong I was!

When Steve first brought Bucky to Avengers HQ it was like a modern day version of when Bingley introduced Mr Darcy to the people of Meryton at the ball in Pride and Prejudice.

He was the archetype of the aloof romantic hero. Tall, dark, handsome, brooding and quiet. He kept himself to himself, observed everyone with eyes of an eagle, and only spoke when spoken to. I was well and truly hooked.

As weeks turned into months, Bucky and I came to an understanding, a friendship that only got more complicated as time went on. After everything he had been through, it was hard for him to open up to people, to let his guard down. What he did yearn for though, was companionship, someone to sit beside, someone to just be there if and when he needed them. I became that person for him.

Every time I decided to sit silently with a book in hand, it wouldn't be long before I had a certain super soldier at my side, just embracing the company, not having to worry about putting on a show for people he didn't feel comfortable with.

The complication in our relationship came when I realised how much I had come to depend on him being there for me.

My aching for him first made itself known when he started going out on missions that I wasn't apart of, when he went on all day training sessions away with the guys, and whole nights out when his confidence finally got a boost. I missed him. I missed him with every fiber of my being.

"So, I'm guessing you've heard the latest gossip on Barnes?" Nat asked me one morning over breakfast, her eyes not leaving her plate of blueberry pancakes as she spoke.

"Gossip? What are you talking about?" Any news on what Bucky was up to was music to my ears. I'd barely seen him these last few weeks, and it was seriously messing me up in more ways than I'd like to admit.

"You mean he's not told you? You? Princess Y/N?"

To say Nat was surprised by my ignorance was an understatement. This must be something big if she is shocked about it. When did it change to others knowing more about Bucky than I did? I thought we were best friends. He calls me Princess for Christ's sake.

"Maybe you should ask him yourself," Nat suggested, reaching across the table and rubbing my forearm. "I just assumed he would have told you first."

Now I'm seriously freaking out. "Nat, please just tell me what the hell is going on."

"You know Theresa down in medical?" Oh, shit. I've got a bad feeling about this.

"Yeah. What about her?"

"They're dating." Oh no!

It felt like my heart had leapt into my throat. I couldn't think, never mind know what to respond with. I knew it would happen eventually. I knew he'd end up with someone. I just assumed it would me. How stupid could I be?

"Y/N, you need to tell him how you feel." Why does Nat always have to be so good at this observation stuff?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I choked with a traitor tear in my eye, and a jump up from my chair when I suddenly felt the need to escape.

Nat followed me down the hall to my room, putting herself in front of me as I tried to change into my running gear. I had to get out of there. "You can't pretend this isn't happening Y/N. This is Bucky we're talking about. Your Bucky. You'll regret it if you don't tell him."

"Yeah, well I'll regret it a hell of a lot more if I do tell him and then lose him completely."

Nat grabbed my arms, stopping me in my tracks. She was one of my closest friends for a reason. She knew what made me tick, what scared me, what mattered the most to me. It's just not a risk I can take though.

"If you don't talk to him, all of this will get bottled up inside and it will ruin your friendship anyway. Y/N you need to get this out."

She was right. This was Nat. She was always right. My head and heart couldn't handle all of this new information. I didn't know how to deal with it, how to react.

So much for that epic romance I thought I was destined for. Looks like, for me, I'm only meant to be the friend, the side character in someone else's love story. I'm Eponine and not Cosette.

Deciding to lay off of me for the rest of the day, Nat rounded up Wanda and a few others and we headed out for a few drinks. Well, what started out as a few drinks anyway.

By the early morning I had at least 10 too many tequila shots in my bloodstream, partnered with a sore throat from overly emotional karaoke renditions of some of the best known heartbreak songs. I was a mess. A mess that could barely remember her own name.

"Are you drunk?" A random voice echoed through the hall as I stumbled around, trying and failing to get into what I hoped was my room at 2am.

"Why would you think that?" I replied to the swaying figure as they moved closer to steady my feet.

"Probably because you're trying to unlock your bedroom door with a lip stick. Plus the fact that the door doesn't have a lock on it anyway. What's up?"

Ignoring the nosy stranger, and giving up on getting into my room because the handle kept moving all over the place, I went in search of the nearest soft thing I could find to park myself on. Standing up was over rated anyway.

"You don't normally drink like this Princess," the randomer observed, leaning over me as I started making rug angels on the shag pile in the common room.

Why is this guy talking like he knows me? Who the hell does he think he is calling me that? "I've just got a lot on my mind. And don't Princess me. Only Bucky gets to call me that."

"Noted," the randomer laughed with a shake of the head, then joining me by laying at my side.

Staring at the ceiling as the silence engulfed us, I decided to confide in this handsome newbie. "If I tell you something, can you promise you won't tell anybody?"

"I promise," he responded without hesitation.

"I mean it, nobody can know. Especially Bucky. He can never find out." I pulled him into a sitting position and put my hands on either side of his face, trying to stress how important it was that he keeps this to himself. He really was pretty.

"I swear, Bucky will hear none of this from me."

"Ok. Here goes," I jumped up, frantic all of a sudden. "I want him to break up with his girlfriend, and it's seriously stressing me out."

"Why would you want him to do that? She's a nice girl isn't she?," pretty boy questioned in confusion, getting to his feet as well. Why did he care so much? Where the heck did he come from anyway? I swear, if this is one of Tony's robo experiments again I'm gonna flip.

"I'm sure they're perfect for each other," I groaned. "I just know that I don't want him with her. At first I had no idea why. He's one of my closest friends. I should want him to be happy right?"

"Of course," Mr Blue eyes confirmed with a furrowed brow and by gripping onto my now clammy hands.

"Then I started thinking about it. Why was I feeling like this? Why was it bothering me so much? I realised, it wasn't just this one girl I have a problem with. It's all girls. All except one."

"Who?"

"Me."

"Wait? What?" He bellowed, leaping backwards and pacing the floor. "You want m...I mean Bucky to go out with you?"

"Yeah. I mean, I think so."

"Y/N, you can't just come out with something like that and respond with I think so," he screeched out in loud exasperation, so much so that I burst into flood of tears.

"Why are you shouting at me?" This guy is such a meanie.

When he saw how upset I was he immediately calmed down, placing his palms on my face and wiping the salty drops away. "Y/N please don't cry. This is just a lot to process."

It took me a while to calm myself down, hiccups escaping my lips as the crying finally subsided. Slowly, the angel man, stranger, person, thing walked me over to the couch and sat us both down. His eyes were boring into me, beautiful azure pools that looked slightly familiar. Maybe it was those bath bombs Steve keeps buying from Lush. I don't know.

"Why do you even care about all this? It's not like you know him or something?" I enquired, now looking at anything other than in those beautiful bath fizzer eyes.

"Just try to explain to me what's going on in that crazy little head of yours," he pressed.

Oh well. I may as well carry on now I've started.

"I've been with the Avengers for a long time. They're my family, my home. And don't get me wrong, I know they care about me, love me even. It's just easy to be sidelined, you know? To become an after thought when you're part of something so big. Bucky changed that. When I met him, it was like everything shifted. He became the reason I smiled every day, why I looked forward to getting out of bed. For the first time in my life I felt like I was at the top of someone's priority list."

"So are all of these feelings because you think you're gonna lose that? You think you're gonna lose him? I swear to you it won't happen." If it only it were that easy.

"I wish it was that," the tears building up once more as I eventually decided to look at him properly. "It would make all of this way less complicated."

"What is it then?," he pressed in urgency.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm head over heels in love with the guy."

#bucky #Bucky Barnes #bucky x reader #reader #james barnes #Winter Soldier #Sebastian Stan #marvel #Avengers #captain america #falcon #fanfiction #fanfic #imagine #oc #romance #comedy #drama

[ao3feed-janeausten]

#IFTTT #AO3 works tagged 'AUSTEN Jane - Works' #Jane Austen #fanfic #fanfiction

[winterrose527]

Jon and Robb trying to get a drunk Sansa and Myrcella home

K I didn't write this today, but wrote it like years ago and never posted it I don't think? Maybe I did, but nevertheless, enjoy!

***

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Jon said for the seventeenth time since they’d gotten into the taxi. “What did she say exactly?”

Robb sighed and tried to recount the conversation. It was a little tricky to follow what Sansa was saying, she’d definitely had too much to drink.

“She said that they got in a fight and that Ella left her,” Robb told him.

“But they don’t fight,” Jon argued vehemently.

Seriously, it was as though someone had told him that the earth, after all this time, was indeed flat. Like somebody told him the sky was actually red. He said it like he needed a damn Vicodin due the prospect of Sansa Stark and Myrcella Baratheon arguing.

In Jon’s defense, it did seem a little strange. The two had been inseparable since boarding school, and to Robb’s knowledge had never actually had an argument. There was that one incident on Ella’s last birthday when they both got really drunk and started arguing about who loved the other more - it got really emotional, a few other people started crying as well. Not him, of course, it was just really smoky in there.

The point was that it really didn’t make any sense. Even if Sansa and Ella did have their first fight as the most iconic non-couple-couple, Ella would never leave Sansa at a bar. Especially when she’d been drinking. But on the off chance something calamitous had actually happened, he wasn’t going to not go.

And if something calamitous hadn’t happened, he and Jon were happy for the excuse to seek them out.

The taxi pulled up in front of the pub Sansa had called from. The girls loved this place because they deemed the bartender swoon worthy and he obviously loved them because he always gave them free drinks.

They walked in and immediately started scanning the bar for his sister and Ella. The place was packed, but Robb just looked for where Daario was stationed and sure enough he saw Sansa’s auburn hair.

He tapped Jon on the chest and pointed and they made their way through. Sansa was facing away from them so he called to her. It really was too loud in here though and she looked like she was hanging on whatever it was that Daario was saying.

When he finally got to her, he was, well, not all that surprised to see Ella Baratheon sitting on the barstool next to her.

“Robb?,” she asked in that moneyed voice of hers.

Her cheeks were a little flushed but that could just be the alcohol. She was wearing a black and gold dress that was fitted through the waist and then flared out, her slender legs covered in black tights. Her hair was up and it revealed that little freckle on her swanlike neck and - fuck.

“Hey El,” he cleared his throat, “Sansa what the hell?”

“You’re a poet and you didn’t even know it but I doooooo,” Sansa giggled. “Quick make something up about Ella’s eyes.”

“Huh?,” he wondered.

“Just a little ditty,” Sansa promised, as though it was nothing really, “Come now, Robbert don’t be stingy with your gifts. I really think that you should - oh hello Jon.”

“H-hey Sansa…,” Jon breathed out.

For fuck’s sake. He was going to need a drink to get through this. He gestured to the bartender who ignored him.

Ella bit her lip to hide her smile, “Hey Daario?”

“Yeah darlin’?,” Daario asked immediately, leaning his forearms on the bar.

“Could we please have two Wight Gold Labels neat whenever you get a chance?,” she asked.

Daario glared at him which Robb felt wasn’t entirely called for and nodded, “Sure thing. And how about another martini, on me?”

Ella blushed and nodded, “Thanks.”

Jon muttered something about that being a terrible business model and Robb fought the urge to grin.

“So,” Ella asked, “Why are you guys here? You hate this place.”

“Sansa,” Robb noted, “Care to field this one?”

Sansa looked over at him and furrowed her brow, “Robb? When did you get here?”

They all turned to look at her in horror. Oh no. He had only seen that vacant look in her eyes once, the night of her college graduation.

“Daario cancel those please!,” Ella called, sliding off her bar stool and she took Sansa’s face gently between her hands. “Sansa, sweetie, did you take some shots without me?”

“I would never!,” Sansa argued vehemently taking Ella’s cheeks in her own, “Where I drinketh you drinketh babygirl. I only had like two tequilas and then some green thing.”

“Did that green thing taste like licorice?,” Jon asked.

Sansa turned and all but fluttered her eyelashes at him, “You’re so smart. Did you know that?,” and then as though she realised she had Ella’s face still in her hands turned back to her and said, “You’re smarter though. And you’re so pretty. You’re the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world, I’m so lucky we’re friends.”

“Trust me, I’m the lucky one,” Ella told her sweetly, “But now we have to go.”

“But Robb and Jon just got here!,” Sansa protested, then turned to look at him with watery eyes, “You came for me.”

Absinthe always made Sansa particularly grateful for everyone in her life. As far as drunks went it was one of the cutest he’d ever seen. And as a devoted big brother, who had had a couple of drinks himself, he was a complete sucker for it.

“Of course I did,” he told her, “I’d always come for you, you know that.”

“Keep it together Robb,” Jon told him.

“What?,” Robb asked then nodded, his cheeks warming, “Right yeah no um… Sansa you called me and told me that you and Ella got in a fight and she left you.”

“I would never do that,” Ella argued.

“But you did! Remember?”

“N-Sansa that was not an argument! I just told you that I liked Mr. Bingley more than Mr. Darcy and then went outside to take a phone call…”

“You were gone for a really long time.”

Ella picked up her phone and showed them all the call. It was with her brother Gendry and it lasted for… 2 minutes and 45 seconds.

“Sansa,” he chuckled.

“Look Robb maybe you just don’t understand the importance that Pride & Prejudice has had for GENERATIONS of women,” she noted.

“Well considering you made me read it I think I do fully understand,” he argued.

“Yeah,” Jon piped up, who had also been bullied into it, “I mean… I’m with you though Sansa. Mr. Darcy all the way.”

“Really?,” Sansa asked excitedly.

Jon nodded, “But um, I’m really just a sucker for Elizabeth…”

Sansa blushed. Jon might not know it but Sansa had always identified with Elizabeth Bennett. Though from the way he was blushing too, maybe he did. Especially considering Jon was exactly as brooding and aloof as Mr. Darcy.

“Sansa,” Ella said gently, “I think we should go.”

Sansa looked back at her, “Okay Jane.”

Ella giggled, “Sansa!”

“But you’re the prettiest girl in the county!,” Sansa cooed at her. “Tell her - tell her she’s the prettiest girl in the whoooooole country.”

“I thought it was county,” Ella protested.

“Dream big, baby!,” Sansa said and Ella giggled. “Robb tell her.”

“Sansa,” he sighed.

“Useless,” Sansa rolled her eyes and then turned to Jon, “You tell her.”

Jon nodded, “Top Two at least, in the whole world.”

“Top Two?,” Sansa raged, “Top TWO!? Take it back.”

“No,” Jon said.

Sansa took Ella’s chin in her hand and tugged it forward, not exactly gently, “Look at her.”

“Ow.”

“She’s the prettiest girl in the world, okay Dovey?,” he asked, both to appease Sansa and because he’d never get another organic opportunity to say it.

Sansa nodded brightly and Ella took the opportunity to ease her off of her bar stool. Unfortunately Sansa was in heels and landed on them wrong and fell directly into the arms of Jon Snow.

“Woooah, there,” Jon said softly, his arm wrapping around Sansa’s waist.

He chuckled lightly at her and brushed some hair out of her face.

“I’m sorry, Jon,” Sansa said sadly.

“You just had a bit too much fun, that’s all. Nothing to apologise for. Did you have a coat?”

“Here you go,” Ella said, handing it to him.

Jon wrapped her coat around her shoulders and Sansa pushed her arms through the sleeves.

“Can you walk?,” he asked her, his hands on her waist keeping her upright.

“If I say yes will you still hold onto me?,” Sansa asked flirtatiously, her hands on his shoulders.

Robb grimaced and looked away. He was alright with it, the two of them, but he wasn’t sure he needed to see it. He looked over at Ella who was pulling on her own coat trying to hide her grin.

“Course I will,” Jon said gruffly and started leading her out.

“You have everything?,” he asked Ella.

She nodded and he gestured for her to walk in front of him. It was a mistake. With Jon leading Sansa out everyone gave them a wide berth, but the bar was crowded and guys kept getting in Ella’s way to hit on her.

Finally he sighed and placed his hand on the small of her back, “Hope you don’t mind, but at this rate it could take hours getting out of here. Prettiest girl in the county and all.”

She looked up at him and chuckled, “I don’t mind.”

Her eyes smiled into his and he felt that warm molasses spread through his veins like he always did when she was nearby.

Sansa had it right when he called her Jane Bennet. On top of being beautiful and blonde, Ella was sweet, the sweetest person he’d ever met, and charming and loyal.

He’d always had a crush on Jane Bennett.

They stepped out into the cool fall air.

“We’ll never get a taxi here,” Ella said, “We should walk around to the Kingsroad.”

“Alright then,” Jon said and swooped Sansa up into his arms.

She giggled and cooed, “Jon Snowwwww what are you doing??”

“There’s no way you were making it to the Kingsroad.”

Sansa wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder, “Once more ‘round the park, Chauncy.”

Ella giggled and started leading the way so he fell into step beside her.

“Sorry we ruined your night,” she sighed, “I had no idea Sansa would call you. If you guys just put us in a taxi I’ll get her home and into bed.”

The girls shared a flat in the same cozy little hamlet across town where he and Jon lived. His father had only approved of it due to the proximity to his and Jon’s places, it was dead in between them, three blocks on either side.

“You could never ruin my night, you know that,” he said. At least… he hoped she knew that. “Don’t you?”

She looked up at him and he didn’t think he imagined her blush. But she playfully nudged her arm against his and said, “I know you’re too kind to tell me if we had.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes more. Jon had passed them, and Sansa was stroking his hair as he carried her up to the main street. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but he heard their quiet tones and hushed laughter, like everything between them was a wonderful secret.

“So Mr. Bingley, huh?,” he asked Ella.

“Does that surprise you?,” she wondered, “I’m not one much for broods. Except Jon.”

“No it’s just that… he reminds me of Grey Wind,” Robb shrugged, “He’s a dopey labrador.”

“Take that back,” Ella chided, “Grey Wind is not dopey.”

Robb chuckled and nodded in apology.

“And neither is Charles,” Ella went on.

“Charles?,” he teased, “You’re on a first name basis now?”

She giggled his favorite giggle. The surprised one, as though the laughter couldn’t help bubble out of her before she’d allowed it to.

“Oh things are very serious between us,” she joked, “But really I guess I’m just a fool for a fool in lo—ohhoww.”

Out of nowhere Ella had stumbled, and he was nearly bent over completely as he narrowly caught her from smacking onto the road.

“By the gods,” he said, pulling her back up, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Ella nodded and then her face fell, “No.”

He didn’t dare let go, and in truth he had no desire to. “Did you have too much absinthe too?,” he teased, trying to get her to smile.

She shook her head, “No it’s just these damn heels Sansa made me wear.”

He looked down and was surprised she hadn’t fallen earlier. The heels were as slim as needles, which was really sexy but definitely not appropriate for the cobblestone they found themselves on.

“Do you think you sprained it?,” he asked in concern.

“No I don’t think so,” she said holding onto him and trying to put her weight on it, “I think I’ll be okay.”

“Think, hmm?,” he asked, because he still hadn’t gotten her smile. He scooped her up into his arms, “Not good enough.”

She let out a giggle now, “Robb!”

“Those heels are more of a weapon than they are actual footwear,” he reasoned, trying not to think about how good she felt.

“I’m too heavy,” she said stupidly.

“Ha! You’re cute,” he guffawed as he started walking. She really did feel weightless in his arms, the warmth she was transferring to his body was the only confirmation that she was actually there. “I could carry you all the way back to your apartment.”

“You’re good at it, you know,” she told him.

“At what?,” he wondered. It didn’t take a particular set of skills to hold her and walk.

“The whole Knight in Shining Armour thing,” she explained. “It suits you, always has.”

“Well you’re welcome to my services anytime,” he told her then added, “Though you’ve never struck me as the kind of girl that needed saving.”

“Really?,” she grinned, “That’s so sweet. And present reality excluded, I’m not. It’s nice to know though, that if I ever did that well, that maybe -“

“Not maybe,” he told her in a serious tone. Holding her was so intimate, that he immediately understood the soft way Jon and Sansa were speaking. It felt like they were in their own little bubble, and for whatever reason it demanded honesty. “You have to know that.”

She placed her hands on his shoulders, propping herself up and she nodded. She let her forehead fall against his temple, “I do. Promise.”

He tightened his grip on her and fought the urge to nuzzle against her. Her arms went around his neck though and she laid her cheek on his shoulder.

“How’s that ankle?,” he asked her.

“Hmm?,” she asked dreamily, and then giggled, “Oh, oh it’s fine. You can put me down if you want.”

“We shouldn’t risk it,” he said stupidly and he could swear he felt her smile against him.

She wrapped her arms around him tighter and he felt her cold nose against his neck. He rubbed her arm because the coat she was wearing wasn’t nearly warm enough for the evening.

All of a sudden she started giggling, it tickled his neck.

“What’s so funny?,” he wondered.

“Does your mom still do your laundry?,” she asked.

He blushed and argued, “No! No of course not.”

Which was the truth. Except when he went home to Winterfell. But it wasn’t like he asked her to.

“Why do you ask?,” he wondered.

“You smell like the laundry detergent she uses,” she explained.

“Oh! Sorry,” he said.

She lifted her head off of him and smiled, “Don’t be sorry. You smell nice. Like home.”

Her eyes went wide like she couldn’t quite believe she had said that, and he certainly couldn’t believe that she’d said it either.

He didn’t know what to say. A thousand different possibilities raced through his mind. He could tell her that he liked the way she smelled too. Or that he loved that she associated Winterfell with home. He could tell her he wanted to make love to her on a pile of clean laundry. All of it would have been true, but he didn’t say any of it.

Instead he just stared at her, and she stared back.

The air got really thick around them and the edges of his vision took on a kind of shimmery quality and her green eyes were locked on his, her soft pink lips parted in an o of surprise.

He started leaning closer and he was pretty sure that she did too.

“Robby we got a taxi!,” Sansa called delightedly and he and Ella sprung apart as far as they were able considering that he was still holding her.

“We should um go,” he said.

“Yeah…we should,” Ella agreed. Then prompted, “But only one of us can walk right now so…”

“Oh! Oh right,” he nodded and started speed walking over to the taxi.

He deposited her into the backseat next to Sansa and then followed her in.

“Where to?,” the driver asked.

“Winterfell!,” Sansa cried.

“Dovey no,” Robb argued, “It’s the middle of the night and it’s a half hour outside the city…”

“Come on, Robb, they’ll be so happy to see us! Dad will make us pancakes in the morning and we can spend the rest of the weekend out there with the kids,” Sansa pleaded.

Jon turned around from the front seat, “It does sound kind of nice…,” though he was pretty sure Jon would have agreed to anything Sansa wanted in that moment, “And Rickon wanted us to look over that history essay anyway.”

He looked at Ella who very pointedly did not look at him, a small smile threatening her lips.

“Alright,” he sighed, “Let’s go home.”

#fanfiction #modern au #robbcella #jonsa #total fluff