Unexpected Friends & Relations Read online

  Unexpected

  Friends

  &

  Relations

  Jayne Bamber

  Happier in her Friends than Relations

  Copyright 2019 by Jayne Bamber

  Cover design by Jayne Bamber

  Cover artwork by Frédéric Soulacroix

  ***

  This book is a work of fiction. Any person or place appearing herein is fictitious or is used fictitiously.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. Please do not reproduce or transmit this book, in whole or in part, by any means without permission in writing from the author.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Acknowledgements

  ~~~

  To my beautiful mother, who has given me a love of reading, and with whom I have enjoyed sharing my love of Jane Austen. To my sister, who gets “the bootleg version.”

  To my amazing beta readers, Leah, Katie, Rose, Allison, and “Grandma” Christa – I could not have done this without you!

  Jayne

  Character Index

  This is by no means a complete and comprehensive list of all the Austen characters to appear in this volume, but rather a register of those who have played smaller roles in the previous volume, or will do so in this one. Non-Austen characters of the author’s own original invention have also been included. Major characters have been omitted if they are memorable enough to preclude any explanation, or if their divergence from Austen canon was not addressed in Volume 1 of the Friends & Relations Series.

  Anne Elliot – Persuasion

  Daughter of Sir Walter Elliot. She made the acquaintance of the Bingleys when, in Volume 1, Caroline tricked Charles into taking her to Bath. In this retelling, she has married her distant cousin and father’s heir, Mr. William Elliot, and is a recent widow.

  Captain Frederick Wentworth – Persuasion

  Formerly in love with Anne Elliot, who was dissuaded from the match in her youth. In this variation, Captain Wentworth has been back in England for a year. He had attempted to woo Anne Elliot once more, after returning from eight years in the navy and making his fortune, but Anne became engaged to William Elliot just before Wentworth resolved to propose.

  Caroline Sutton, née Bingley – Pride & Prejudice

  Formerly Miss Bingley, sister to Charles Bingley. Caroline ended Volume 1 as the unwilling bride of Seymour Sutton after an attempted compromise of Richard Fitzwilliam went awry, due to the interference of Lady Rebecca and Mary Bennet. She was taken to Mr. Seymour Sutton’s estate, in Scotland.

  Cecily Middleton, née Sutton – Original Character

  Youngest daughter of Sir Gerald Sutton. After being smitten with Jasper Middleton in Volume 1, she returns to London in Volume 2 having just recently married him.

  Charles Bingley – Pride & Prejudice

  Brother to Caroline and formerly Mr. Darcy’s best friend. After making an insulting and unwanted proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Volume 1, Charles Bingley was last seen absconding from the Darcys’ nuptial ball in the company of Jane Collins, née Bennet. The two joined Caroline and her new husband Seymour Sutton in Dumfries, Scotland.

  Cynthia Sutton – Original Character

  Middle daughter of Sir Gerald. Meaner than her sister Cecily, Cynthia made a brief appearance in Volume 1 to befriend Caroline in their mutual dislike of Elizabeth Bennet.

  Edmund Bertram – Mansfield Park

  A parson. Brother of Julia Yates and Maria Rushworth, cousin of Fanny Crawford. In Volume 1, Mr. Bertram was recommended by Robert Fitzwilliam as Mr. Collins’s replacement in Hunsford, as his own parsonage, in Thornton Lacey, had burnt down.

  Emily Sutton, née Carmichael – Original Character

  As Mrs. Gardiner's niece, she is a cousin to the Bennet sisters. In Volume 1, Emily married Sam Sutton, son of Sir Gerald and heir to Cranbrook Park in Kent.

  Fanny Crawford, née Price – Mansfield Park

  Formerly Fanny Price, impoverished cousin and ward of the Bertram family. In this variation, Fanny eventually accepted the proposals of a persistent Henry Crawford. In Volume 1, she and her husband travelled to Hunsford when her cousin Edmund took on the role of parson, and she befriended Kitty “Kate” Bennet, who was staying at Rosings at the time.

  Fanny Dashwood – Sense & Sensibility

  Marianne’s insufferable sister-in-law. She appeared in volume 1, visiting Edward & Elinor Ferrars when they resided at Netherfield, and befriended Jane Collins at the time. In this volume, her mother, Mrs. Ferrars, is presented as a long-time friend of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

  Henry Audley – Original Character

  Younger brother of Mr. Audley, who is wed to the eldest Sutton sister. In Volume 1, the outgoing Mr. Audley is introduced as a friend of Mr. Sam Sutton, to whom Sam’s sister Cynthia is attracted.

  Henry Crawford – Mansfield Park

  A gentleman of some fortune, and formerly a rake. It is revealed in Volume 1 that Mr. Crawford has reformed himself sufficiently to win the hand of Fanny Price, and the two are happily wed when they make the acquaintance of Kitty “Kate” Bennet and her beau (now husband) Robert Fitzwilliam in Kent. He is estranged from his sister Mary for reasons not specified in Volume 1.

  Henry Tilney – Northanger Abbey

  An affable parson, second son of General Tilney. Appearing for the first time in this series, Mr. Tilney is the next to take on the role of parson in Hunsford, having left his home, Northanger Abbey, after a family dispute.

  Isabella Thorpe – Northanger Abbey

  A false friend, shameless flirt, and Gothic novel enthusiast. As in Austen’s original telling, Miss Thorpe goes to Bath, befriends Catherine Morland, and is thought to have had a dalliance with Captain Tilney; this retelling puts her in the path of several other Austen characters while in Bath.

  Jane Bingley – Pride & Prejudice

  Eldest sister of the Bennet family. Presented as a desperate, narcissistic villainess in Volume 1, Jane wed Mr. Collins, who died a few months after inheriting Longbourn. After a brief affair with Mr. Wickham (which led to her contracting the French Disease) Jane discovered that Georgiana bore an illegitimate child and attempted to blackmail the Darcys. When her many sins and schemes were revealed, she fled to Scotland with Mr. Bingley.

  Jasper Middleton – Original Character

  Friend of Sam Sutton. Mr. Middleton appeared briefly in Volume 1, as one of the party at Cranbrook; he returns in Volume 2 having recently married Cecily Sutton, the youngest sister of his friend Sam.

  John Knightley – Emma

  Younger brother of Mr. George Knightley of Donwell Abbey; wed to Emma Woodhouse’s elder sister, Isabella. Mr. John Knightley appears at the end of Volume 1, as the solicitor consulted regarding the entail of Longbourn. He and his brother George both attend the Darcys’ nuptial ball, where it is revealed that John’s wife Isabella and her sister Emma are cousins to Lady Rebecca, Richard, and Robert Fitzwilliam on their mothers’ side.

  Julia Yates, née Bertram – Mansfield Park

  Younger sister of Edmund Bertram and Maria Rushworth. Now wed to her brother Tom’s friend Mr. Yates, Julia Yates appears in Volume 2 with a desire to distance herself from her scandalous elder sister.

  Kate Fitzwilliam, née Bennet – Pride & Prejudice

 
Formerly called Kitty; the fourth Bennet sister. In Volume 1, Kitty accompanied Lady Catherine to Rosings Park, reinventing herself as Kate. She met Lady Catherine’s nephew Robert, and the two became engaged.

  Lady Rebecca – Original Character

  Richard Fitzwilliam’s outspoken younger sister. Lady Rebecca played a role in uniting her cousin, Mr. Darcy, with her friend Elizabeth Bennet, and near the end of Volume 1 she befriended Mary Bennet. Upon meeting Mr. Knightley, she considered meddling in the affairs of her cousin, Emma Woodhouse.

  Marianne Fitzwilliam, Lady Hartley – Sense & Sensibility

  Colonel Brandon’s widow after three years of marriage. In Volume 1, Marianne joined her sister, Elinor Ferrars, when the Ferrarses let Netherfield Park. She befriended Elizabeth Bennet, and through her met Richard Fitzwilliam, to whom she became engaged.

  Mary Crawford – Mansfield Park

  Sister of Henry Crawford and erstwhile love interest of Edmund Bertram. In this retelling, she is introduced as a long-time friend of Caroline’s.

  Mr. Elton – Emma

  The vicar of Highbury, and spurned suitor of Emma Woodhouse. In Volume 1, Mr. Elton served as curate to Mr. Collins in Hunsford before being recommended to Highbury by Robert Fitzwilliam (Mr. Woodhouse’s nephew) after Lady Catherine was displeased with Mr. Elton’s flirtatious manners.

  Mr. Rushworth – Mansfield Park

  The wealthy, foolish, and cuckolded husband of Maria Rushworth, née Bertram. In this retelling, it is revealed that Maria’s dalliance was not with the happily married Mr. Crawford, but with William Elliot. After the Rushworths’ divorce, it is widely speculated that Mr. Elliot’s death was caused not by a hunting accident, but by dueling with Mr. Rushworth.

  Mrs. Jennings – Sense & Sensibility

  A friend and former neighbour of Marianne’s. Revealed in Volume 1 to also be Mr. Darcy and Georgiana’s aunt (their father’s sister.)

  Richard Fitzwilliam, Lord Hartley – Pride & Prejudice

  Formerly a Colonel in the army. Cousin of the Darcys, and elder brother of Lady Rebecca and Robert. It was made known in Volume 1 that his elder brother died, making Richard the new Viscount Hartley and heir to his father, the Earl of Matlock. He has married Marianne Brandon.

  Robert Fitzwilliam – Original Character

  Younger brother of Richard Fitzwilliam, and cousin of the Darcys. In Volume 1, Mr. Darcy made Robert the master of Rosings until Anne de Bourgh’s daughter, Julia Darcy, comes of age.

  Robert Martin – Emma

  A farmer from Abbey Mill Farm, on Mr. Knightley’s estate, and former admirer of Harriet Smith. It was discovered in Volume 1 that Mr. Martin, as a distant cousin of the Bennets, was the next heir to the entail of Longbourn after Mr. Collins’s unexpected death by potato.

  Sam Sutton – Original Character

  Eldest son of Sir Gerald Sutton and heir to Cranbrook Park; a friendly fellow. Wooed and wedded Elizabeth Bennet’s cousin Emily in Volume 1.

  Seymour Sutton – Original Character

  Second son of Sir Gerald Sutton; odious in the extreme. In Volume 1, Seymour Sutton alluded to his upcoming journey to his estate in Scotland; he stopped in London on his way there, attended the Darcys’ nuptial ball, and compromised Caroline Bingley, whom he happily married and carried off to Dumfries with him.

  Sir Gerald Sutton – Original Character

  Lady Catherine’s nearest neighbor in Kent; widower of a West Indian wife, and father of five grown children. In Volume 1, Sir Gerald caused his eldest son, as well as Robert Fitzwilliam, some alarm when they began to speculate on the nature of his “philosophy lessons” with Lady Catherine after her removal to the dower house.

  Prologue

  Dumfries, Scotland, January

  Caroline pounded on the doors of Downfell Hall, the small, bleary castle Charles and Jane had rented near the Suttons’ estate. It was a cold, imposing place, austere and ancient, and Caroline despised it. She despised the wintry landscape, the stark grey sky, the snowy battlements, the crumbling stone. She despised the man locked inside.

  She pounded again. “Charles, let me in. I know you can hear me! Charles, Charles!” She pounded with all of her strength on the door until her hand began to ache. “Charles, I will not be back again tomorrow. I am leaving Scotland!” Caroline pounded one final time on the door before turning to leave with a heavy sigh, just as she had done every day for the last fortnight. As she stepped away, she heard the heavy wooden door open; she looked back over her shoulder and saw her brother peering at her from inside. “Charles?”

  He opened the door and gestured for her to come in, but did not meet her eyes. She followed him inside, eager to get in out of the bitter cold, and he led her into a small breakfast room. He was only half dressed, in trousers and a thick woolen shirt, and it looked as though he had gone unshaven since she had seen him last. He threw himself down into a chair, his posture apathetic, and poured himself a drink from one of several bottles of whiskey on the table.

  Caroline sat down across from her brother and waited for him to ring for tea, but he merely slid her an empty glass, wordlessly gesturing at the bottle.

  “No, thank you,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the notion of swilling spirits like a tavern wench. “I could take something to eat, if you would call for refreshments.”

  “I sent all the servants away a week ago,” Charles said dispassionately.

  “Whatever for?”

  “I am going to leave this place, Caroline.”

  This was the first normal impulse her brother had exhibited in quite some time; Caroline let out a sigh of relief. “I am glad to hear it. I mean to leave tomorrow for London – I came to tell you. Come with me, Charles. We can start over.”

  He shook his head, staring into his glass of whiskey. “There is no starting over for me, Caroline. I am going to die, too. The sickness, and this infernal cold!”

  “You might at least light a fire.”

  “I see no point,” he muttered.

  Caroline stared at her brother, hardly recognizing the broken man in front of her. There were blisters beginning to form on his face, he was thin and gaunt, his eyes absolutely lifeless. “You might take the cure, Charles.”

  “I do not want the cure. I do not want anything. I hate this wretched estate; I never wanted to be a landowner. It is what Father wished for me; all I wanted was to find the right woman and have a happy life. Now look at me. I do not belong here, nor in London either. I do not know if I belong anywhere, Caroline. I suppose it matters not, I am for the grave soon enough.”

  Caroline didn’t know what to say to her brother. He had turned her away, holed up inside his dilapidated castle, every day since Jane had passed. There had been no funeral, no observance of any kind. She was not even sure if Charles had written to his wife’s family. Apparently, he had spent the entire fortnight drinking and wallowing in his own misery, while Caroline had been fighting a battle of her own. It was difficult to be angry with him at such a time, but a part of her was.

  “If you do not belong anywhere, then where will you go when you leave this place?”

  “I’ve no idea. Italy, perhaps. Someplace warm. I never want to be cold again, for what’s left of my life.”

  “Charles, please do not speak like that. It may not take you as quickly as it did Jane.”

  He finished his drink and poured another, taking a long swig before he set down his glass and looked at her. “She was with child, you know. That is probably why it took her so quick. Therefore, in some way, it was my fault. I have regretted her, but I did not wish to cause her death.”

  “Charles, you did not do this. Jane contracted the disease before you married her.”

  Charles scoffed. “Fool that I was.”

  “We have both been fools,” Caroline murmured.

  He looked away, gazing into his whiskey glass as he swirled the amber liquid around a few times before taking another sip. “We have both gotten what we deserve, have we not? Af
ter that nasty business in September....”

  Caroline sighed. It felt like a lifetime ago. How could one evening, one mistake, lead to such a terrible course of events? “We should never have gone to that ball.”

  “We both know we wanted to see them so much happier than ourselves, and hate them for it. You, I suspect, had other plans....”

  “And look where it has gotten me. Seymour... Seymour has fallen ill... with the same illness that took Jane.”

  Charles slumped forward over the table, his expression inscrutable as he poured himself another drink, and one for her as well.

  Caroline peered hesitantly into her glass for a moment before taking a sip. The taste was unpleasant to her, but what did it matter, when everything was terrible anyhow? “You do not seem surprised, Brother.”

  “I suspected that he – that they – I did not know for sure. I had it from Seymour himself that you would not take him to your bed; it must have been only a matter of time before he found someone who would. I would have preferred it not to have been my wife.”

  “Had I known it would lead him to her....”

  “You would have spurned him anyway.”

  Caroline scowled at her brother – did he truly think so ill of her? “I could have at least found him some wench from the village!”

  “Well, why did you not?”

  “Do not blame this on me. I warned you before we went to that ball, not to look twice at any of the Bennet girls, and what did you do? You absconded with one of them, and she has been your downfall!”