Cynthia Cross

Four intertwined love stories in one narrative, all in different stages of their Happily Ever Afters, all about characters you love from Pride and Prejudice. If you believe That Jane's and Bingley's love story deserves a closer look... And enduring love is not just for the young... And even a poorly-begun marriage can bloom... And an undervalued introvert can find understanding... And that love has its humorous side... Then this novella is for you. Lydia's visit to her family at Longbourn is notable for her faux pas, overheard conversations she repeats, and even for a "loose lips sink ships" secret divulged which could harm the British in the war against Napoleon. Can the Bennets and Bingleys teach her to hold her tongue, or will disaster result? "Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery," Jane Austen wrote, and in that spirit, this novella of 17,000 words, a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, is offered.

Is a Happily Ever After really possible, when you number the Wickhams as part of the family? Every family has its dirty dishes, but with the Wickhams around, not only are the dirty plates on display, but the scones and the silverware are mysteriously disappearing... When Wickham and Lydia show up at the Darcy London townhome, asking for five thousand pounds to invest, their timing couldn't be worse. Not only is Georgiana in residence, but Darcy and Elizabeth expect a large party of guests to arrive at any moment, including Col. Fitzwilliam, Cousin Anne--and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Despite all efforts to pack the Wickhams out the door, like all dreadful in-laws, they do not understand hints. As tempers flare and sparks fly, are fisticuffs imminent? "Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery," Jane Austen wrote, and in that spirit, this novella of 14,000 words, a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, is offered.