Love Hurts

By Moira Bianchi

Love can be whimsical; it takes pleasure in finding torturous ways to play with destiny.

It can be rather complicated to acknowledge, then deeply cherished, then painfully ripped away leaving hopelessness behind. What one wouldn’t give to control her own heart, to stop it from bleeding and find a way to solve the difficulties placed in love’s way?

Other times it can be delayed and take forever to unite people who were always meant to be together.

And it can be fooled and played with, at the same time fondled and duped by young apprentices of its own art.

Whimsical, difficult, foolish... Isn't Cupid a spoilt child?

In three independent stories Apollo and Daphne play with Cupid as much as they are played with, intertwined by coincidences and similarities. This collection may be read together or separate, in any sequence. Aside from the different plots, the stories share peacocks, swans, liqueur, small books, slippers and carriages. Also servants and their own subplots developed differently in each story, Venice and the meager power women had over their own lives in the 19th century. Part of the fun lies on searching and identifying these elements.

1st act is ‘Love hurts’: A continuation for Pride and Prejudice in which the first blissful months of her new life as Mrs. Darcy are violently disrupted when Elizabeth discovers what is expected of her. Mr. Darcy finds himself in deep need of adjustment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moira Bianchi
• Release date: Jan 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370805037

Moira Bianchi

A 40 years old architect and human engineer addicted to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from the moment she first read ‘...Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.’ After years consuming Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in fanfiction, movies, TV series and what else; she decided to try her hand on writing and loved it. Married for almost twenty years, mother a tyrant prince of her own, Moira lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Book preview

Copyright

LOVE IN THREE ACTS is a work of fiction inspired by Jane Austen´s Pride and Prejudice. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author´s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Most characters come from Ms Austen’s novels, a few from Shakespeare’s Richard III and although several characteristics and situations are presents, their names are freely and respectfully used.

Each ‘Act’ is named after a famous song from the 70’s and 80’s. The introduction describes ‘Venus and Cupid with Satyr’ by Antonio Allegri da Correggio and Luca Cambiaso. Opening the book are ‘Titania and Oberon’ though. The author has no rights over any of these works but is greatly thankful for the inspiration.

Rights to Ms. Austen´s work belong to her legacy.

Cover by Bianchi and Neiva. www.ideias&kits.com

Work registered at EDA Biblioteca Nacional – Ministério da Cultura – Brasil - 2015.

www.moirabianchi.com

Copyright © 2015 Moira Bianchi

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ISBN-13: 978-1542478502

ISBN-10: 1542478502

LOVE in three ACTS

Moira Bianchi

Rio de Janeiro – 2017

Moira in Petticoats

A word from the Author

Writing Historical romance was something I never thought myself capable of, always feared such an enterprise but suddenly I was struck with a very plausible thought: a man, especially a rich one, probably did whatever he wanted in spite of propriety (if he could disguise it) and not even the object of his affection would have a strong voice over his whims.

I have a slight resistance to historical romances in which the heroine loses her will and personality once married or engaged-to-be-married. Discussions of Austen’s pre-feminist value are long and passionate, I’ve witnessed a few even, and it’s not my intention to dwell in that field.

So, here are my versions of what a courageous lady could be back in the day… Of course, they are in no way accurate enough – I’m not a historian, neither researched enough to write a bible on the matter, I’m simply having fun…

In three acts, love struggles and fights with fate.

1st act is ‘Love hurts’: A continuation of my beloved Pride and Prejudice. In the first blissful months of her new life as Mrs. Darcy, Elizabeth finds out what is expected of her and Darcy discovers he is the one in need of adjustment.

2nd act is ‘Eclipse of the heart’: An alternative universe for Pride and Prejudice. Fate plays Darcy and Elizabeth well and they only meet several years after the Bingleys’ wedding. As life hasn’t been kind to both of them, they find in each other not only friendship or solace but also love and hope.

3rd act is ‘Love inside and out’: A good humored Pride and Prejudice ‘what if‘. At the Hunsford Parsonage, by chance Darcy overhears a fateful discussion between Elizabeth and a newlywed Charlotte. He is most intrigued by learning the fetching Miss Bennett is being blackmailed and immediately claims the task of protecting her honor but learns he’s not her only protector...

The three stories are independent although they share characters and situations. They may be read together or separate, in any sequence.

Always and truly, I dedicate this book to my husband and son who still don’t think I’m crazy for obsessing about Pride and Prejudice this much.

Have fun, dear reader.

M.

Table of contents

Moira in Petticoats

Contradictions and varieties

FIRST ACT

LOVE HURTS

Awareness

Consumption

Despair

Truths

Family

Deal

Cognizance

Strings

Peace

Epilogue

Alternate ending

SECOND ACT

ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

THIRD ACT

LOVE INSIDE AND OUT

About the author

Other titles by this author

Contradictions and varieties

Picture such scene: a beautiful woman is asleep in the woods in a sunny summer afternoon over a satin sheet of the deepest blue, a child peacefully napping by her side. Unbeknownst, a man is lustfully watching.

Or another: Also in the woods, a beautiful woman is playing with a child and as she is taller, she teases him holding his toy above her head. Lurking on the side, a man tries to steal the child’s remaining toys.

Lovely scenes or intriguing images?

The beautiful woman is Venus (in Roman mythology, or Aphrodite in Greek), the Goddess of love, beauty, desire and prosperity.

The child is Cupid (Eros in Greek mythology), sometimes pictured as her son who as a naughty child exposing her to danger at times, protecting with his arrows at others.

The man is a foreigner, a by-passer, uninvited and unwanted but so very important to the scene. Satyr, a man with horse-like legs and tail , seduced by Venus’ beauty even when Cupid doesn’t stir him towards her.

No matter the differences between the versions of the mythological scene, the feminine power is latent. She controls both the man and the child; her power is natural, effortless.

Power to control love itself… How seductive.

What one wouldn’t give to control her own heart, to stop it from bleeding and find a way to solve the difficulties placed in love’s way?

Or what one wouldn’t pay to find love after her life was played with by Cupid, by fate, by bad luck? How valuable is courage to acknowledge an old heart can indeed find love again?

And, how exciting it is to find her own heart has been used as Cupid’s bullseye? A young heart taken over by overwhelming passion can find its equal in amusing and unexpected situations.

The three stories in this collection are united by Aphrodite, teased by Cupid, challenged by Satyr while playing with Daphne and Apollo. Part of the fun lies on the search for the way they are depicted.

Also, dear reader, you may find it amusing to discover the stories are linked in a subversive whimsical way by peacocks, swans, liqueur, small books, slippers and carriages. Three different ways to play with common elements of 19th century life.

Oh, and there is Venice; the meager power women had over their own lives back then; contraceptives …

FIRST ACT

LOVE HURTS

This story, with its own contradictions, continues Pride and Prejudice in a rather dramatic variation…

Awareness

Those had been blissful days. Since that heart wrenching morning at Meryton she had been riding one overwhelmingly happy wave after another.

Not blissful days since the double wedding, but months - one and twenty weeks of love and devotion and the exciting discovery of the man she had come to adore.

Marriage had only been an admissible option to her if propelled by the deepest love. Not affection. Not friendship. Certainly not necessity. Jane had been finally proposed by Bingley which meant that if the fickle headed could make good of his word, her mamma and sisters would have a safe and comfortable life; so would she, naturally, being Jane’s best friend and favorite sister. Love it would have to be for her then, nothing but passionate and absolute love.

And she loved him with passion and enchantment and admiration. He was a generous landlord, a loyal friend, the best of brothers and a voracious lover. Avid, relentless, thorough, insatiable. She was tender - had been occasionally since the wedding night but he was patient and careful. When she claimed to be too tender, he caressed her and encouraged her to caress him. They kissed and explored inside skirts and breeches when in his luxurious coach the long way from Hertfordshire to London to Pemberley, had lovely nights at the inns they spent the nights until she arrived at her new home.

Realizing the big mansion was hers and it waited her orders and whims to be run came as a thrill, a bittersweet burden as there was a lot to learn. Two weeks were spent in reverential lessons provided by the housekeeper, the butler, her husband’s personal secretary and the man himself. She wanted to please the man and the unanimated being Pemberley was, so she dedicated her hours, days and night, to both lovers. Excitement boiled in her veins like poison, she blamed the chilly north wind for her hairs constantly standing but in reality she knew it was the product of her new situation in life: no longer a second daughter, second beauty, second nothing. Elizabeth Bennett was now Elizabeth Darcy, mistress of Pemberley. Though imposing, the title also carried raw accuracy: wife to Darcy, mistress to the mansion that robbed all her time.

From the second month on, feeling saucily confident she began taking charge, ordering the staff, demanding renovations, visiting tenants with the vicar and his wife. Her husband occasionally paid her the courtesy of his company raising her esteem before the local society and reassuring everyone -including her- of the strength of their attachment.

Months passed and glowing in self-assurance, Elizabeth was more beautiful, sassier and happier. It surely wouldn’t be an easy life; she was no naive country chit. Although not a noble, he was a gentleman of consequence and her role was to assist him in his duties, from the brash fabrication of heirs to the horrifying annual Easter visits to Rosings. In between there was plenty of challenge: the season in London, the harvest balls, vicarage commitments, occasional visits from her family.

Some of these may not be palatable, but her husband’s presence by her side brought her an exciting prospect, all his male exuberance would make everything at least bittersweet. It was impossible not to giggle.

‘That was definitely a giggle.’

‘Can’t help it!’ A whisper followed but another fit of giggles.

‘I must say switching two chairs for a couch was a much useful modification you’ll have trouble exceeding.’

Her face moved from his neck to look directly in his eyes. There was lust there, and mirth, and joy and love. ‘Watch me try.’

He grinned. ‘With pleasure.’ His hands never stopped working on petticoats and undergarments. ‘Damn these clothes! Next time you choose to invade my den, leave some of these in your rooms.’

‘That’s exactly where I’ll work next.’

‘Undergarments?’ His fingers finally reached curls, soft as cotton, warm as tea, moist as his tongue licking her lips as she sighed.

‘My rooms...’

‘Yes?’ He goaded her working his magic on her silky folds, thinking about his luck in being the only one to ever have the privilege.

‘I’ll demolish everything to be forever prisoner of yours.’

‘Excuse me?’ He frowned and jerked his head back.

‘Don’t stop!’ She widened her eyes. ‘I don’t have our naughty book here, but I can fetch it...’ She offered in a naughty smile.

‘No need.’ He returned it just as naughtily. ‘We know our favorite parts by heart already.’

She giggled again. ‘Please, please don’t stop, my love. I’m not even close to...’ A goosebump and his finger invaded her. ‘To be ready to receive you.’

‘Yes, close.’ He smiled sideways, his head still tossed back to look at her flushed face, a hand holding the damned undergarments away from her curls while he delighted her as an excuse for his own pleasure. Funny it was a caress he seldom gave because aside from a quick exploration, there wasn’t anything more for him; but with his bride he was fascinated by it. She had been virginal and coy, curious and passionate in their first night.

At the eve of their wedding she prepared a trousseau with great care, he obsessed about arrangements for a special