by Wendi Sotis
William walked towards the newcomers, shaking their hands heartily. “How did you manage to get here so quickly? The express could not have arrived in London more than an hour ago.”
“We received no express, cousin,” Lord Reginald began, “not of the conventional sort, anyway. You probably would not believe what has happened to us. Neither did we, until we realized the same thing had happened to us both.”
“Let me guess—last night, you were both contacted by someone who has passed on and they told you to come here?” William asked.
Richard replied, “Yes, cousin, your parents, in fact! Did the same happen to you?”
William nodded. “In a way. It seems that my parents were very busy last night. What else did they tell you?”
Between the two newly arrived gentlemen, they described something similar to what Bingley had spoken of. William knew he had to be careful about what he revealed since the Otherworlders did not tell them the entire story that he now knew.
“Who is this lady—Miss Elizabeth Bennet? Do either of you know her?” Richard asked.
“Yes, we have met the entire Bennet family. Miss Elizabeth is the second of five daughters. A very pleasant and pretty girl,” Bingley offered.
“I apologize, Bingley, but sharing that she is pleasant and pretty does not clear up why she requires four men to guard her!”
“We will work in a group of five, actually. I admit to knowing more than any of you, but I am not certain how much I am able to share. I will add that the guard is necessary.”
“Who is the fifth?” Bingley moved to pour four glasses of brandy.
“Mr. Bennet,” William announced.
“Mr. Bennet!” Bingley almost dropped the bottle from his hands. “But, he is an old man! How can he—”
“Bingley,” William interrupted, “Mr. Bennet is not as old as you would make him out to be! He is also an expert in a special kind of sword fighting that my father had once begun to teach to the three of us.” Gesturing toward his cousins, William continued, “From what I heard from my father’s lips, Mr. Bennet is a much better swordsman than Father ever was—and that is saying quite a lot! It is actually a great honour to be trained by him and be accepted to fight alongside him. Our training will begin tomorrow at dawn. Mr. Bennet will work with us all day, every day. If we are lucky, we shall learn all that he can possibly teach us.”
“Why on earth do we need to train so hard, Will? What is the rush?” Lord Reginald inquired.
“In two weeks, George Wickham will come into town with the militia.”
“Wickham!” Richard growled. “Leave me alone with that slime for one minute, and he will cease being a threat to Miss Bennet—or anyone else for that matter!”
“No, Richard, we shall leave Wickham to himself but watch him closely. From what I was told, he is working for someone, and we must find out who it is. Even those who have passed on do not know his identity. He has hidden himself from them somehow.”
“Why is Miss Elizabeth not being taken far away from here and hidden until we can find the leader?” Lord Reginald queried.
“There is too much at stake. It is necessary that she be here for them to make their move, or else they will try again at a later date, when we are not prepared.”
“I see, so we must make them think that Miss Elizabeth is being left unprotected to lure them in?” Bingley was obviously incensed by the idea.
“As long as I live and breathe, Elizabeth will never truly be left unprotected, gentlemen, not for one moment! They will not touch her!” William boomed angrily.
Richard chuckled at his cousin’s violent reaction. “And just who is Miss Bennet to you, William?”
“This blasted secrecy—I do not know how much I can tell you!” The knuckles on William’s closed fists began to turn white. “I will reveal that no matter what the situation seems like at present, Miss Elizabeth Bennet will someday be my wife.”
Bingley began to choke on his brandy. “Miss Elizabeth—your wife?” Catching the look of despair upon his friend’s face, he put some effort into restraining his reaction and continued more gently, “Darcy, I wish that I did not have to be the one to inform you of this, but you should know that Miss Elizabeth does not think very highly of you.”
William closed his eyes and uttered softly—almost desperately, “Was everyone aware of this but me?” He sighed deeply and went on with great feeling, “Never the less, at some time in the future, Elizabeth will become my wife, and I will protect her as if she already were.”
After a few moments of silence, Lord Reginald vowed, “Well, then, so shall we all.”
The sound of the others’ concurrence followed.
“Thank you for your support, gentlemen. I am sorry, Bingley, but no matter how difficult it may prove to be, we must keep all of this from Hurst and your sisters.”
Bingley nodded.
Noticing the time, the new arrivals decided they had best freshen up before it was time for dinner. Bingley showed them to their rooms.
If you enjoyed this sample, you can find
All Hallow’s Eve
at your favorite online bookstore.
Wendi Sotis recommends:
About Wendi Sotis
Wendi Sotis is a graduate of Nassau Community College and Adelphi University, and holds a degree in Psychology. Following the birth of her triplets in 2000, she decided to stay at home to raise them.
Having always been an avid reader and adoring fan of Jane Austen, when her triplets were independent enough that she could find a little time to herself, Wendi searched the internet where she discovered a treasure trove of “fan fiction” written by fellow Janeites. At first, experiencing Austen’s stories from several different characters’ points of view caught her interest, but then she branched off into reading sequels, “what if” stories, and modernized versions of Austen’s tales.
Though she had always aspired to become a writer, Wendi did not make a serious attempt until one day, after awakening from a dream, her imagination began churning up a tale to surround it.
Wendi continues to write while living on Long Island with her husband, Matt, who paints her covers, her son, and two daughters.
Contact Wendi through the following venues:
Website: www.wendisotis.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendi-Sotis-Author/231869130201504
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/WendiSotis
Forum: http://beyondausten.com
Books by Wendi Sotis
Promises by Wendi Sotis
Through their fathers' friendship, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet as children. Over the years, their feelings for each other grow and they promise themselves to each other, but unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members seek to keep them apart. Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever?
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Dreams & Expectations by Wendi Sotis
Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet quickly recognize their feelings for each other and form a friendship, but misunderstandings and a bit of mystery and adventure hinder their path to happiness.
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All Hallow’s Eve by Wendi Sotis
Appearances can be deceiving, even in Regency England. To most, Elizabeth Bennet is simply the second daughter of an insignificant country squire, but in truth, she is High Priestess and leader of an ancient cult secretly co-existing alongside British society. Confusion reigns when she learns that the man she despises, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is her Soul Mate, assigned to protect her from Evil. Can they work together to preserve the future?
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The Keys for Love by Wendi Sotis
In this sweet Pride and Prejudice-inspired romance, William Darcy has finally torn himself away from work to join his sister at their vacation house in the Florida Keys. There, he meets his sister’s new friend, Elizabeth Bennet, the houses
itter staying next door. A light, fluffy, feel-good short story / novella.
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The Gypsy Blessing by Wendi Sotis
Elizabeth Bennet thinks it merely odd when she begins to receive drawings in the mail with no return address—until she recognizes these same scenes as they become true events in her life.
Will Elizabeth’s efforts to reshape future events alter her destiny?
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Foundation of Love: The Gypsy Blessing 2 by Wendi Sotis
Elizabeth Bennett begins to doubt her sanity when her cell phone receives pictures predicting future events. After Elizabeth uses the photos to save William's sister, the wall between them begins to crumble. When William witnesses Elizabeth viewing a series of prophetic photos, he becomes involved, as well. Will their shared experiences become the foundation of love?
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Safekeeping by Wendi Sotis
A woman awakens in a hospital room, injured and surrounded by strangers. The car accident is a blur, and her mind is nearly a blank slate.
The name on her driver’s license reads Elizabeth Becket, and she’s enrolled at a local college, but none of this feels right. Her college application claims she’s a writer—are her vivid and frequent nightmares a story conjured up in her imagination or could they be memories of her former life?
The only thing she knows for sure is that an urgent sense of danger casts a shadow over her entire existence.
Irresistibly drawn to Fitz Darcy, the man living next door to her new apartment, her soul longs to trust him. Is he safe to love, or is he part of the frightening events her subconscious is fighting so hard to keep buried?
A contemporary mystery romance with a clever nod to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
