Never A Bride: A Fade-To-Black "Pride & Prejudice" Variation

She is resolved to never be a bride, but she has no objection to mistress…
Dragging along a reluctant Lydia due to her scandalous behavior with a certain redcoat, Lizzy arrives at Hunsford to reunite with Charlotte. To her displeasure, she discovers Mr. Darcy is visiting his aunt at Rosings Park, and their stays overlap. At first, acrimony remains between them, but as the days pass, she starts to soften toward him. Lydia and Georgiana unexpectedly become close friends, and when Lydia is invited to stay with them at Darcy House, Lizzy can scarcely refuse to act as Lydia's chaperone.

While in London, Fitzwilliam reveals the true depths of his affections and proposes. Lizzy is adamantly against marriage and determined to be never a bride, but a mistress is an entirely different matter. Her counterproposal shocks him, but Lizzy has means of persuading him. She is content as they are, until they are compromised and forced to marry. Convinced he contrived the matter to leg-shackle her, Lizzy is determined to ensure their marriage is a battleground. Can her pride ever yield, or is she too stubborn to see beyond her perceptions to the truth and grasp a chance at happiness?

The events follow the timeline of the original by Jane Austen until Hunsford with only a slight modification. After that, the plot diverges greatly.

While Abbey sometimes writes sensual JAFF, this is mostly SWEET, with a few instances of suggestion and moments that fade to black.