The Next Mrs Bennet

Name: The Next Mrs Bennet
Author: Shana Granderson

193 pages

Thomas Bennet, the master of Longbourn for a little more than a year, is hunted by Fanny Gardiner. She has set her cap for him and he has shown no interest in her at all. Not used to being denied, his disinterest is what pushes Fanny to plan to entrap him.

With the aid of her older sister, and to a lesser extent her father, Fanny compromises Bennet at an assembly. Although he tries to make it as unpalatable as possible to be his spouse, in order to induce her to refuse to marry him, she demands that they become husband and wife anyway, believing she will get her way as she always has in the past. Fanny and those who assisted her learn that there are consequences to be paid for their actions, in some cases, rather a heavy price is exacted.
Thankfully, Edward Gardiner does not agree with his father and sisters. As such he is the only Gardiner welcomed by the Bennets. Fanny has a rude awakening when she thinks her brother is there to advocate for her when instead he berates her for her dishonourable behaviour and actions.

Due to the fact Bennet needs an heir because of the entail which will leave the estate to a Collins if no son is born, as distasteful as it is for him to consummate the marriage, and couple with his wife beyond that, Bennet holds his nose and does so. The need for a male child becomes all the more important as he is already in receipt of a letter written for the illiterate Clem Collins in which the latter boasts of the birth of a son named Clem William after his father.
Bennet is greatly relieved when Fanny falls pregnant very soon after the wedding so that he can cease going to her at night. She insists she will bear a son; more marital relations are not any more palatable to Fanny, but a daughter is born. Two days later Fanny succumbs to childbed fever.
A year or so earlier Netherfield Park is purchased by the Devons. Little is known about them by the locals, and to date, they have not resided at their estate near Meryton.
That all changes when they arrive not long after Fanny’s passing. They have a son and two daughters. The son is a little younger than Bennet and is married so he is not present, one daughter is about 22 and the other 16. It does not take long before romance blooms between the master of Longbourn and the eldest Devon daughter.

When things get serious between the two, certain disclosures are made. If they marry, will they only have daughters, or will they be blessed with a son or sons?
At some point, the story shifts to 1811 and the usual suspects arrive in the Meryton area. Will Darcy be his arrogant and rude self? Will Bingley be the irresolute man he can be? Will his sisters be supercilious? What of Lady Catherine, Collins, Wickham? Will they impact this tale and if so, how.

The answers to the above questions, as well as many other things, will be revealed as the story unfolds.

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