What a treat we have today! A mash-up! I am aware that many people do not particularly enjoy the other book that mixes with Pride and Prejudice in A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings by Jane Bamber: Mansfield Park. However, I think that the awful and annoying Mary Crawford can be a great addition to Longbourn and the people in the neighbourhood.
If you do not believe me, keep reading and enjoy a great excerpt where you may be hooked by how ODC talks to each other… but first, the blurb!
The worlds of Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park collide when the Bertrams and Crawfords come to Meryton….
The Bertram family of Mansfield Park is forced to retrench and retreat to Purvis Lodge when the baronet’s heir, Tom Bertram, bankrupts the family with his extravagant spending and expensive debauchery. Oblivious to their ruin, their new neighbor Mrs. Bennet finds an agreeable friend in the indolent Lady Bertram, and hastily forms designs on the two Bertram sons for her daughters.
Mary and Henry Crawford leave Mansfield Parsonage for the Mayfair home of their friend Charles Bingley, and soon convince him to rent Netherfield Park and travel there with a large party of friends as well as his wily, widowed aunt, Lady Susan Vernon. Once again, Mrs. Bennet is overjoyed at the influx of eligible bachelors for her girls.
Jane and Elizabeth Bennet are delighted to be reunited with their Crawford cousins, who shall in turn be reunited with the Bertrams. The bonds of the two eldest Bennet daughters and their cousins Mary and Henry Crawford are put to the test over the course of a summer filled with more fine society than Meryton has ever seen!
Mrs. Bennet has it all planned out, but hers are not the only matchmaking maneuvers being made in Meryton – the matrimony-obsessed matron has met her match in Lady Susan Vernon, a masterful manipulator who is infinitely Mrs. Bennet’s superior in subtlety, and who brings out the schemer in Mary Crawford. Even Mr. Bennet is tempted to a little light trickery of his own when Mr. Collins comes to town.
Fitzwilliam Darcy wishes only to lift the spirits of his broken-hearted sister Georgiana and his bereaved cousin Richard, and in his efforts to cheer them he becomes embroiled in schemes, rescues, and is even compelled to participate in a theatrical production because it pleases the ones he loves – including the bewitching Elizabeth Bennet. Conflicting desires not only consume his mind, but begin to surround him as his companions at Netherfield all form opposing plans of their own, which threaten to keep any of them from a clear path to Happily Ever After….
Mrs Bennet will always be Mrs Bennet 🙂
Yes, it is here, the excerpt!! Enjoy!
It’s great to be back at My Vices and Weaknesses! My new release is a mashup of Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park, and I’m sharing another excerpt!
‘A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings’ imagines The Crawford siblings as cousins to the Bennet sisters. The Crawfords accompany Bingley & Darcy to Netherfield shortly after the Bertrams take up residence at nearby Purvis Lodge. Today’s excerpt delves into the Bennet and Crawford cousins’ past and the bond they forged in their youth – with a fun exchange of banter between Darcy and Lizzy at the end….
***
“You mentioned that you grew up with your cousins,” Georgiana said, betraying a blushing smile as she glanced in Henry’s direction – it was a look Elizabeth had seen him inspire in many a lady, including her dearest Jane. “Were Mr. and Miss Crawford brought up here at Longbourn?”
It was an innocuous question, and yet the answer was not. Mary regarded them with interest as Elizabeth considered how to tactfully reply. “Henry and I were brought up in London from a very young age, after our parents were killed in a carriage accident not far from our home at Everingham.”
Georgiana gasped. “How horrid! But I supposed you must have come here. It seems a great comfort to have so many sisters – to reside with so many children one’s same age….”
“Hardly,” Mary said with a short, bitter laugh. “My aunt Bennet has never forgiven my late father for choosing her sister over herself. So, Henry and I went to live with our aunt and uncle Gardiner in London as children. They had none of their own yet, and they doted upon us. Jane and Lizzy came to stay there, too, while their mother struggled with a difficult confinement more than a decade ago.”
Mr. Bingley had been attending Elizabeth and Georgiana’s conversation for some time, despite Mary’s attempts to engage with him. She reached across him now, leaning close as she extended her arm to clasp Elizabeth’s hand. “I, for one, think that they are both flawless creatures, and ever have been – is that not right Henry? But their mother had four other small children to vex her, and their father thought Jane and Lizzy might benefit the most from time in London, which I am sure they have.”
Henry had continued to stroll about the perimeter of their little group until his sister gained his attention. He sat down between Mr. Darcy and Jane in an almost defensive posture. “What is this, Mary? Of course I think our cousins are perfection personified! But what are you talking of? Can anyone possibly disagree with me?”
More than one pair of eyes landed briefly on Mr. Darcy, but it was Mr. Bingley who spoke. “You shall get no argument from me, Crawford! I am sure they, and your charming sister, are the most amiable angels I have ever met.”
Georgiana murmured her agreement that all three were very pleasant indeed, and then she furrowed her brow. “Did you say there were four other children? I thought there were four in all, not six.”
“Georgie.” Mr. Darcy gave his sister a stern warning, and Elizabeth bristled at his severity toward the poor creature. She opened her mouth to speak, hoping to say something that might gently rebuke her cousin for sharing far too much of their family history, while at the same time assuring Georgiana that she had not been at fault for asking. However, Mary had begun to monologue, emboldened by the attention of all her companions.
“My cousins had another sister, also called Mary, after our grandmother, and a brother, little Edward, the long awaited heir. I recall how we all doted on him excessively, for he was so fair and precious. There was illness here in the village while Jane and Lizzy were in London with us, which kept them longer with the Gardiners, for our aunt and uncle were most attentive to their safety. My aunt Bennet fell ill, and the babe… and little Mary and Edward….”
“Oh no,” Georgiana gasped. “I hope you will forgive my impertinence in pressing you.”
Her apology was directed at Elizabeth, who was sure she must appear greatly affected by all that Mary was relaying to their new friends. “It was many years ago,” she said simply, bristling at Mr. Darcy’s obvious impatience with his sister.
Elizabeth had no intention of being so needlessly candid as Mary, nor any wish to pain her companions with the awful truth, that she could no longer clearly remember her lost siblings’ faces, but that she would never forget Jane’s expression when their uncle told them of their loss. She could still recall the panic and confusion they had both felt when their aunt tried to explain to them why their mother could not bear to have her daughters in the house – that Kitty and Lydia would be sent to spend some time with Mr. and Mrs. Phillips in Meryton, and Jane and Elizabeth would reside with the Gardiners in London until their mother was recovered from her ordeal. It had taken her four long years.
Mortified that their private family history should be aired so unceremoniously, Elizabeth endeavored to steer the conversation in a more agreeable direction. “You can see now why Jane and I are so partial to our cousins,” Elizabeth told Georgiana, hoping that would be the end of a topic the poor child plainly regretted opening.
Mary smiled warmly before finally releasing Elizabeth’s hand so that she might receive some share of Mr. Bingley’s solicitude. “It was indeed a very dark time for us all, after so much loss – I shudder to recall, even now – but I shall ever be grateful that I could be of comfort to my cousins, as they were to Henry and I. And I am sure he remains fonder of Jane and Lizzy than any other man shall ever be, and more than he could ever be of any other woman walking the earth.”
Mary looked pointedly toward Henry and Jane, who were still sitting together in a pose that spoke of how the tragic memory had affected them. On Jane’s other side, Edmund watched Mary with a look that signified he wished to offer her the same style of comfort, and she was all too eager to receive it.
Mr. Bingley said something but Elizabeth did not hear his words, only the cheerful tone of his voice. Perhaps he intended to turn the conversation in a more appropriate direction, but Elizabeth found herself suddenly consumed by vexation with her cousin. Mary was clearly basking in the success of her machinations, and Elizabeth found it inexplicably infuriating. She abruptly stood, apologized, and excused herself.
***
Darcy felt his sister trembling at his side as he watched Elizabeth Bennet stalk back toward the house.
He looked down at Georgiana, who was clearly agitated by the turn of conversation that had driven away her new friend. “Oh dear,” she sighed. “I asked questions I should not have – it was very rude of me – what must Miss Elizabeth think of me? I ought to apologize at once – or wait? Or say no more of the matter?”
“‘Tis but a little faux pas,” he reassured her. “At a small, informal gathering like this, there is generally no harm in asking questions of a personal nature to become better acquainted. You could not have known.”
Georgiana nodded, her eyes moving about as if she was endeavoring to comprehend him. “Of course,” she said softly. “Anyone might ask after my family, my parents, not knowing….”
Darcy inclined his head in assent. “Generally in such cases, one changes the subject swiftly.” What he meant, but could not say, was that generally there was not an attention seeking relation bent on furthering her own motives by belaboring a painful subject at the expense of others. Even now, Mary Crawford was savoring the admiration of Charles Bingley and Edmund Bertram; she turned an expectant eye on Darcy, as if waiting for him to commend her for enduring such loss, and being such a comfort to her cousins.
Little though Darcy could approve of such calculated tactics, he found himself employing a small subterfuge himself. Miss Bennet had stood and seemed inclined to pursue her sister, though Darcy thought himself responsible for any damage done by Georgiana’s questions. He cleared his throat and addressed Miss Bennet before she could move away.
“Miss Bennet,” he said, waiting to say more until she met his eye, which she did with surprise.
“Sir?”
Fearing he had frightened her somehow, Darcy attempted to soften his approach, and in doing so lowered his voice. “Do take my place here, Miss Bennet, if you desire to situate yourself to better advantage. I have seen my sister admiring the unique arrangement of your hair – she has a great enthusiasm for learning new styles she has not seen before. The view from here affords a finer angle of Oakham Mount, and I mean to forfeit my seat here. I believe I ought to apologize to Miss Elizabeth.”
This last was said so low that it was audible only to Miss Bennet, who appeared to understand that he did not wish to completely abandon his sister. He had spoken mostly truth – Georgiana was mad for fashion in general, and had often spoken of plaits and curls with new acquaintance when in want of a topic to discuss.
As Miss Bennet took his place at his sister’s side and began gently engaging Georgiana in conversation, Darcy left the picnic behind and strode away in the direction Elizabeth had gone. He rounded the side of the house as she had done, but saw no sign of her. For a moment he felt entirely foolish; she must have retreated indoors, and he could hardly pursue her there.
He nearly turned back, but stopped when he heard a voice beyond the boxwoods – it undoubtedly belonged to Elizabeth. But to whom was she speaking? He recalled that the only other person at Longbourn was Mr. Bennet – was Elizabeth telling her father of her distress? Certain he must answer for his sister’s indelicacy, he stepped around the boxwood hedge to find Elizabeth Bennet speaking vehemently to nobody at all.
She stopped in her tracks and fell silent at once, her already reddened face growing a deeper shade of crimson. She recovered herself quickly, however; she spoke before Darcy could. “You have discovered my secret, Mr. Darcy. I am having an imaginary argument.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Elizabeth looked rather pleased with herself now, and smiled at him as if daring him to think ill of her. “I… hope you are winning,” he replied with a slight bow.
She sputtered with startled laughter. “I am not certain that I am, unless there is some victory to be had in convincing you I have taken leave of my senses.”
“No indeed – you have only taken leave of your tormentor,” Mr. Darcy replied. “I beg you would allow me to apologize to you, Miss Elizabeth, for my own indefensible and indiscreet ill humor last evening, as well as for my sister’s inquisitive remarks, which I indulged only because I was pleased to see her so relaxed in company.”
Elizabeth gave him a curt nod. “I appreciate your acknowledgement of these things, though I am not offended by them. Your own ill humor, as you call it, must have been punishment enough for you, not to mention the loss of the very pleasant company of the ladies present last evening. As to your sister, I did see your efforts to check her, and thought them most unnecessary. She spoke without artifice, much like her brother.”
Darcy was as stunned by her forgiveness as he was by her plain and open speech. He was grateful for the former, and rather in awe of the latter. His mouth might have hung agape but for the smile he found spreading across his face. “Your wrath, then, is not directed at anyone called Darcy?”
A little chortle hummed in her throat. “Not at present, but I should be happy to keep you abreast of any future developments on that score, sir.”
“Thank you, but I hope it shall not be necessary,” Mr. Darcy replied, his natural tone so formal that he feared she might not perceive his attempt at levity.
“You and your sister are perhaps not the most gregarious companions to be had today, nor the most easy in company yourselves, but there can be no doubt of your sincerity, at least. Neither of you could be accused of having any secondary motives to your frankness, and that is certainly an accomplishment.” Elizabeth spoke this last with a breathy laugh, as if sharing some private jest with herself.
“Thank you?” Darcy was not accustomed to her style of candor, nor had he ever received such irritated praise so strangely given. He began to think of returning to the picnic, as his apology had been tendered and accepted, and their continued absence was sure to be noted – they had been alone together long enough. He simply could not command himself to take the necessary steps to remove himself from her curious company. He wondered if she had meant to insinuate some displeasure with her cousin, and he lingered long enough for her to answer his silent question unbidden.
Elizabeth drew in a deep breath, her head rapidly shaking back and forth several times, and then she exhaled sharply as her little white hands balled up into fists. She resumed her pacing. “‘Tis my cousin who ought to apologize for agitating poor Georgiana, for I am sure her innocent question did not deserve to be twisted into an excuse to bend everyone to her will.”
“Miss Crawford?”
“You are plainly trying to set the proper example for your ingenue sister. Mary might have simply allowed me to answer your sister’s question and move the conversation along to happier things. Instead she seized her chance to orchestrate everything to her advantage,” Elizabeth said with a frustrated huff. “In one pretty little piece of theatre she has painted herself in a more sympathetic light, no doubt in a ploy to make you regret thinking ill of her last evening. And in the very same breath she has presented her wish for a union between Jane and Henry in such a way as to signal to every other gentleman present that Jane is spoken for, which is not at all the case, and will likely inspire Henry to do just the opposite, as he ever does when Mary attempts to command him.”
Darcy was shocked by her impassioned burst of honesty, and unaccountably charmed. He fumbled for some response, though she did not seem to require one. “I… you….”
“It is only Mary being Mary,” Elizabeth ranted. “She does not know any better, and there is seldom any harm in it. But I daresay it is not the sample of society you had wished your sister to experience in coming amongst us today.”
“Well….”
“And of all the ways to recommend herself – to speak so cavalierly of, of….” Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to verbally stumble. Darcy took a step closer and offered her a handkerchief just as the first tear slid down her cheek.
“You have no wish for your private and painful memories to be bandied about in a blatant attempt to manipulate the sympathies of near strangers,” he suggested as Elizabeth dabbed at her cheeks. She nodded.
“Georgiana and I have lost both parents. We might have had another sister, had our mother survived her last confinement,” he said, his voice no more than a whisper. “My cousin Richard was a great comfort to us at that time, but I cannot imagine him ever informing a group of new acquaintance of that fact, merely because one amongst them had slighted him. Not even if there were fine ladies present to impress.”
“I told her she ought to simply laugh at you, as I have chosen to do.” Her words were gently spoken, and her eyes shone with acknowledgement of what he had told her; she pressed the handkerchief back into his hand, and held her own there for a moment longer than necessary.
“Did you really advise your cousin to laugh at me?”
“I did,” Elizabeth said, playful and unrepentant. “I also told her I mean to speak my mind in your presence, whether you approve of me or not, and I have done just that, have I not?”
“If you mean to punish me with such charming sincerity, you shall have to try harder than that, Miss Elizabeth.”
She laughed. “I do enjoy a challenge. And irony, too, for Mary is determined to have your esteem, and I am resolved to act as I please, without reference to your opinion of me at all. Only you can say if that is a punishment or not.”
“It is… refreshing,” Darcy blurted.
She looked askance at him for a moment, and then shook her head. “I ought not to have betrayed my cousin’s motives so bluntly. Her desire to be thought well of is perhaps a more sensible, and a more commonly held ideal, than my own attitude. I hope I have not shaded your opinion of her even further in my moment of pique.”
“You have couched my own impressions in more amenable language,” Darcy said carefully. He had concluded instantly, on his own, that Mary Crawford sought to arouse the tender feelings of Bingley and Bertram at the first sign of their attentions to her waning, and being given elsewhere. “I can honestly say that it is only my estimation of you that has altered over the course of our conversation.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “I hope I have not sunk myself further your esteem, Mr. Darcy, for an hour ago I told my cousins that such a feat was quite impossible.”
Darcy was in awe of the woman he had so foolishly dismissed the night before, and in some danger of telling her just how far from the truth her jest truly was. Fortunately, Mr. Bennet came around the hedges at that moment, his expression inscrutable.
“Well, Lizzy, there you are. Ah, Mr. Darcy, good day to you, sir. I had thought you both to be among the picnic party that is lending such a delightful cacophony to the ambiance in my book room. But perhaps the gathering was not tolerable enough to tempt you?”
Mr. Bennet chuckled to himself as he fixed a satirical eye on Darcy, who took this for the dismissal it was. He knew he ought to count himself fortunate that Mr. Bennet chose not to raise any serious objections to finding the pair alone behind the boxwoods, but as he murmured something appropriate and made his escape, Darcy could only lament the lingering reminders of his regrettable insult.
He stalked away, his fingers caressing the handkerchief she had used, and to his immense relief, he found the rest of the party on the point of breaking up. He needed to be away from Longbourn, and alone with his own reflections.
What do you think? They are pretty “direct”, I mean, Elizabeth and Darcy. What about Mr Bennet´s comment at the end 😀
Mary… what can you tell me about her? What do you think? I think she will give quite a lot of game but, it is quite endearing what Elizabeth tells Darcy about Mary´s goal, right?
Mr Bingley is not fool, or is he already too captivated by an angel instead of paying attention to Mary? 🙂
You could buy the book here: Purchase/Amazon: A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings – Kindle edition by Bamber, Jayne. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Who has written such a great scene with so much to be said and taken into account?
Jayne Bamber is a life-long Austen fan, and a total sucker for costume dramas. Jayne read her first Austen variation as a teenager and has spent more than a decade devouring as many of them as she can. This of course has led her to the ultimate conclusion of her addiction, writing one herself.
Jayne’s favorite Austen work is Sense and Sensibility, though Sanditon is a strong second. Despite her love for Pride and Prejudice, Jayne realizes that she is no Lizzy Bennet, and is in fact growing up to be Mrs. Bennet more and more each day.
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