Showing results by author "Carrie Mollenkopf" in All Categories

Mary Bennet, now financially secure with the entailment to Longbourn dissolved, concentrates on how to rectify the deficit in her education. Unfortunately, each tutor is dismissed within weeks of hire as none meet her exact needs or prove to be critical of her desire to obtain a man's education. It is only with the arrival of Grayson Everfield that her prayers are answered. The handsome, educated man appears to be all that she is seeking, but how does his presence affect her standing relationship with Dr. Atlas Sutton? Unfortunately, perfection is not what it seems to be as human remains ...

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that while a man in possession of a fortune may be in want of a wife, there may be ladies who do not reciprocate. This may be especially so when the man in question not only possesses the rightful inheritance of said ladies, but is also of a most odious disposition and less than agreeable in appearance. Such was the lot of five young women near the town of Meryton. Not only had they no fortune, their own father, an absentee parent at best, had not the foresight to put aside a single pound should they not have the opportunity marry. For this sole ...

“What is that letter there, Dalton?” “Which letter, Madam?” he replied, slightly disappointed that his opinion had been so easily forgotten. “The one with the gold seal, you dolt!” Lady Catherine, having not worn her spectacles and unwilling to admit that she could no longer see as clearly as in her youth, gestured to a large rose-colored letter, sealed with a thick glob of golden wax. Peering down, the elderly man was also unable to make out the spidery script, but he knew a royal crest from memory. “I believe it is a letter from our dear monarch, milady.” Catherine’s ...

After the marriages of her sisters, Mary Bennet is left to run the estate of Longbourn in their absence. Forced to manage a crumbling house in need of repairs, as well as respond to the demands of her mother, Mary makes a most disturbing discovery. How long had the skeletal remains of a long dead woman been hidden in the cellars? Who is she and how did she get there, locked inside a storage cell? With the assistance of Meryton's newest physician, Mary will endeavor to learn not only the identity of the woman, but also the location of her dowry. Will her efforts allow Mary to gain a long ...

Skeletons in the Darcy family closet? Sure, everyone has them, but blood sucking creatures? Who knew? When Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy decide to bring back the traditional Pemberley Autumn festival, it comes with some unexpected surprises. The arrival of distant cousins from Wales, remind them that legends are often founded in truth. Through unforeseen events, Georgiana Darcy finds herself caught up in a most unusual situation. Will she accept her new life and find lasting happiness, or will she become another tragic victim?

Elizabeth had often fantasized about what life at Pemberley would be long before her marriage. Upon first impressions, the estate was grand and offered everything a lady could ever possibly want, including a handsome man who loved her. However, as dreams often do, hers is altered by reality. Pemberley, in all its grandeur, is in a constant state of decay and requires the care of a mistress to be returned to its former state of glory. However, when Elizabeth gladly takes up this responsibility, not all are pleased with the changes. An intruder, resentful of the interference, will go to great...

When George Darcy's brother suddenly dies, he finds himself discharged from the Army and in possession of an estate in a terrible state of neglect. Not only has his brother run up considerable gambling debts, he has damaged the family name to where respectable families deny any connection to the Darcy's. To make matters worse, all but three of Pemberley's servants have abandoned the estate due to non payment of salary and abuses. As George Darcy attempts to rectify the shambles of his family home, gossips feast upon the new addition of a beautiful widow as housekeeper. Mrs. Elspeth Reynolds...

“Fitzwilliam Darcy, you are a complete idiot!” Elizabeth snapped before slamming the now filled trunk. The motion, so sudden, spooked the cat who leapt from his place to rub circles around her limbs. Scooping the mewing creature into her arms, Elizabeth rubbed her face into its fur, finding a measure of comfort. “No wonder lonely old women keep cats; they are much better than husbands,” she insisted, wondering if Charlotte would part with the cat. Three weeks had elapsed since she had arrived in Hunsford, and Elizabeth had seen enough. Charlotte, by her own admission, was perfectly ...

"You know the estate far better than I, but one day, you will marry and leave. Then where will I be?” Elizabeth said gently. This admission, true in nearly all ways but one, sent another wave of embarrassment upon Georgiana’s features. However, this time she smiled shyly. “Do you really think so? I mean…marry?” “I think it will be sooner, rather than later, especially from the way Mr. Penwick looks at you.” “I do admit to finding him very agreeable, in all manners. But I wonder…” she replied, but suddenly her voice trailed Staring out across the placid lake, the pleasant...

When Elizabeth Darcy joins her sister-in-law on the important task of house hunting, they discover far more than they ever expected. The vacant former leasehold of Ivyglenn is everything Georgiana ever dreamed, that is, all but the body in the attics. Who left a lady carefully posed in a wedding dress staring lifeless out the attic windows? Read an excerpt below... Elizabeth had wandered down an equally labyrinthine passage, leading towards one of the dormer windows. It’s light, surprisingly clear for a space so cluttered, shown down upon what appeared to be a dressmaker’s form clad in ...

Just Elizabeth Darcy longs for another child with no success, an orphan is mysteriously thrust into her care. Unfortunately, of the only people who know of his origins, one lies dead, murdered by an unknown hand, and the other, suffering from an illness brought upon by shock, cannot speak. Who was the unknown woman meeting Lambton's aged vicar in the churchyard? And why was she in possession of a child that was not hers? Will this orphan baby be the answer to Elizabeth's desire for an addition to her family? Does Darcy share this feeling? Read an excerpt from Mrs. Darcy and the Churchyard ...

Rosings Park, Kent 1799.... Catherine de Bourgh stared down at her daughter with distaste. She had never wanted children, much less the disappointment of a girl. What good was a female to anyone? The lives of women were dictated by men, and even in death, those same creatures had the final word. To make matters worse, the child was rather small, and had bouts of colic and every other infant ailment that one could imagine. The doctors had tried all manner of remedies, eventually giving up hope that Anne de Bourgh would live past infancy. But she had survived, and now returned her mother’s ...

A man in possession of ten thousand a year is truly a valuable catch, but how exactly does one maintain an estate the size of Pemberley when he is constantly beset by in-laws that drain his income? In the changing times of the early 1800's even landowners such as Fitzwilliam Darcy must adapt to preserve their inheritance. Tenant farms, once the mainstay of estates, are now abandoned as residents flee to the cities to take advantage of new opportunities, and steam powered machinery takes their place.Technology is growing by leaps and bounds, redefining the world as social classes begin to ...

Romance with a bit of mystery. This tale follows Kitty Bennet in her quest to find true love, and she will settle for nothing else. Sassy and strong willed, Kitty defies the role that society deems she must follow and chooses to follow her heart. From the idyllic Meryton countryside, to the ballrooms of London, to the wilds of Scotland, Kitty chooses her own path, often filled with unexpected turns... one leading to the finding of her soulmate and a bit of trouble along the way.

After Elizabeth Bennet refuses the proposal of the most arrogant man in England, she has little time to ponder what might have been when a sudden carriage accident claims the life of the Reverend William Collins, leaving his wife, Elizabeth’s dearest friend, badly injured. Caring for Charlotte as she recovers, Elizabeth’s strong spirit pervades Rosings Park, much to the great dislike of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But simply sending Elizabeth home is not enough as her influence over Anne de Bourgh drives the heiress to seek a future that does not involve an arranged marriage. When matters...

In the months following Elizabeth Bennet’s refusal of marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy, he does his best to forget her. If Miss Elizabeth Bennet did not want him, surely there were a hundred others that did, and he would make sure that she knew exactly what had been lost. Unfortunately, love, if it is true, cannot really die, but others can definitely interfere. Seeing an opportunity to console Darcy, Caroline Bingley manifests a scheme to marry the master of Pemberley. Caught in her web of lies and deceit, Darcy finds himself engaged to a woman he cannot tolerate as honor dictates his ...

Mary Bennet's wedding day is swiftly nearing. The date is set, the banns have been read and all the preparations are well in hand. The fairy tale dream appears to have become a reality. Only the discovery of the cold corpse belonging to Meryton's beloved vicar threatens Mary's happiness. Who would have killed such a gentle old man? Who will perform the wedding? The rush to find a suitable replacement vicar will not be as easy as it seems with the untimely return of Mr. Collins as he does his best to interfere. Mary and Atlas will embark on a quest to not only discover the identity of the ...

Elizabeth Bennet Darcy appears to have a perfect life. She has a handsome and loving husband, a beautiful son,wealth and respectability, but the unexpected arrival of her youngest sister Lydia threatens to turn her world upside down. Not only do she and Darcy break the vow to never welcome the Wickhams to Pemberley, unfortunate events escalate and Darcy finds himself accused of murder. With another child on the way, Elizabeth must rely upon her greatest strengths of character to prove Darcy's innocence, but will it be enough? A tale of jealousy, suspicion and lies that will test Darcy's ...

Mary Bennet finally feels as if her life is coming together. She has found a soulmate in Dr. Atlas Sutton and accepted his hand, Longbourn is secure and her days are filled with purpose. But is it too good to last? While the engagement is yet to be announced, the return of Lydia Bennet Wickham and her troublemaking husband threatens to destroy Mary's happiness. Always in desperate need of funds, the Wickhams do their best to interfere with Mary's comfortable situation, resulting in mystery, murder and trouble for all. Will Mary triumph, or will she once again succumb to the demands of her ...

When Elizabeth Darcy's dear friend and family physician receives an urgent but cryptic message from his sister, she insists upon accompanying Dr. Jamie Luggins to Primrose Hall. But when they arrive, something far more dangerous awaits them... read below for an excerpt from Mrs. Darcy's latest adventure. “I had no idea they were in such hardship,” Dr. Luggins muttered, taking in the dismal view. Upon his last visit, the house had been a beacon of welcome, with cushioned chairs upon the wide veranda and manicured gardens which begged to be explored. Now, it was peeling paint and weeds. ...