Mr. Collins Marries a Bennet Daughter

What if Mr. Collins married a Bennet daughter (not Elizabeth)? How would Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice have turned out differently?

Have you ever wondered what would have happened in Pride & Prejudice if Mr. Collins had married one of the Bennet daughters? (Not Elizabeth – that will be a separate post.)

I’ve got a list of P&P variations for you where Mr. Collins, the heir of Longbourn, marries one of the Bennet girls!

The Sins of Their Fathers by Tiffany Thomas

How would Pride & Prejudice be different if William Collins came to live with the Bennets at Longbourn as a young child? Will Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy still find their happily ever after? Find out in The Sins of Their Fathers: A Pride & Prejudice Variation.

Young William Collins spent his childhood under the oppression of an abusive father and an ill mother. When he becomes an orphan after a scarring tragedy, Collins is sent to live with his estranged cousins, the Bennet family, at Longbourn.

At the same time, Fitzwilliam Darcy passes through his own crisis. The unique relationship between the Darcy and Wickham families is revealed late one night when Fitzwilliam discovers his father’s unsettling secret—one that affects George Wickham to the core.

Elizabeth grows up loving Collins as a brother, but when he befriends Darcy and Wickham, Elizabeth wonders about her cousin’s choice in friends, and Darcy’s overbearing pride. What she doesn’t know are the heartaches of Darcy’s past that shape his intentions now.

As the beloved characters of Pride & Prejudice grapple with their disturbing childhoods, how will the choices of their parents be carried on to the next generation? Can they find happiness, or are they doomed to a lifetime of misery because of the sins of their fathers?

A Look Behind the Mask by Tiffany Thomas

What if Elizabeth Bennet had an experience as a young girl which taught her that a handsome face does not mean a man is trustworthy? Find out in A Look Behind the Mask by Tiffany Thomas.

As a twelve-year-old girl, Elizabeth Bennet witnesses a traumatic experience that shapes how she views men.  She learns the hard way that a handsome face can mask cruelty and depravity.

This experience forever alters her relationships with her sisters, her parents, and her friends.

How will a changed Elizabeth Bennet react to Fitzwilliam Darcy’s insults at the Meryton Assembly?

Can Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy overcome their altered pride and prejudices to find happily ever after?

Mr. Bennet’s Illness: A Short Farce by Timothy Underwood

After a serious illness in Mr. Bennet’s Illness: A Short Farce by Timothy Underwood Mr. Bennet dedicated his life to what truly mattered to him. Reading all the books.

His problem: Noise, noise, noise.

He needed to get rid his noisy, crackling, cackling brood. That fabulously quiet Darcy fellow who loaned him books and Lizzy got along well together, but what about the rest? And could he convince Mrs. Bennet to also run off with some wealthy young gentleman?

Elizabeth worried about how Papa had changed since his illness.

But surely he would never force Lydia to marry Mr. Collins, just so he wouldn’t need to listen to her chatter and clatter any more? And if Papa did try to force her sister to marry the toad of Hunsford, could Elizabeth trust Mr. Darcy to help her save Lydia?

Master of Longbourn: A Sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Comfort (Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection Book 10) by Lennie Brown

Large, awkward, unlovable, and destined to fail — that is who William Collins has always been told he was in Master of Longbourn: A Sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Comfort (Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection Book 10) by Lennie Brown. While he might have accepted the first three monikers, he’s worked hard to ensure the last one does not become true.

Kitty Bennet has never lacked for attention from gentlemen, but while she’s proficient at flirting, she has never had her heart touched by any of the potential suitors who have sat in Longbourn’s sitting room.

That is her heart was never touched until now when the awkwardly endearing heir to Longbourn takes up residence in her home. But how does one encourage a gentleman to love her when he’s seemingly unaffected by fluttering lashes and demure looks?

And how can someone as inept, as Collins thinks he is, ever win the heart of a lady as charming as Kitty Bennet?

It will take determination and a little help as well as the realization that sometimes the battle for the heart is played out in the mind.

A Wilful Misunderstanding: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Amy D’Orazio

The moment he saw her at the assembly in Meryton, he knew he loved her.

WHEN FITZWILLIAM DARCY MEETS ELIZABETH BENNET in the fateful autumn of 1811, their mutual infatuation is immediate and undeniable in A Wilful Misunderstanding: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Amy D’Orazio. Within months, they are married and spend a blissful winter at Pemberley, falling more deeply in love with each other than either might have imagined possible.

But spring in London proves more challenging to them. Accident and artifice join to devastating effect for the young couple, destroying their felicity and creating an outcome neither might have imagined. 

TWO YEARS LATER, happenstance reunites them. Sorrow and anger have built walls between them but the love they once shared still remains. Will it be enough to conquer the sins of the past? Is the love they still hold within them strong enough to prevail over the anger and mistrust that tore them apart?

Voices in the Dark: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Jaeza Rayleigh

trange things are happening at Rosings Park in Voices in the Dark: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Jaeza Rayleigh.

Hungry shadows, ghosts, and spying servants make life difficult for Lady Catherine’s new companion, Elizabeth Bennet.

As the situation escalates, will she and her new friend be able to find a way to escape?

Above all, will she ever find the source of the voices in the dark?

To Have His Cake (and Eat it Too): Mr. Darcy’s Tale by P. O. Dixon

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bennet had this to say about Mr. Darcy: “We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man…” This is no different in To Have His Cake (and Eat it Too): Mr. Darcy’s Tale by P. O. Dixon.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet, herself, spoke of Mr. Darcy’s arrogance, his conceit, and his selfish disdain of the feelings of others—the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry. The gentleman’s housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, described him as the best landlord and master who ever lived. Such varying accounts as these are exceedingly puzzling, indeed.

This amorous, provocative, and at times tumultuous tale, illustrates Mr. Darcy as a wealthy young man of sense and education, as well as considerable worldly experience—not at all uncommon for Regency-era gentlemen of his social standing. He is his own master. He enjoys his lifestyle and has no particular desire to marry at all. That is until he renews his acquaintance with Miss Elizabeth Bennet—her own circumstances greatly diminished pursuant to the sudden and tragic death of her father.

Follow Mr. Darcy’s journey from a man who, indeed, is proud and haughty, to one who seeks to please a woman worthy of being pleased.

Through Each Other’s Eyes: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Aleena Ashe

At the Netherfield Ball in Through Each Other’s Eyes: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Aleena Ashe, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are at wit’s end with each other.

Darcy can no longer deny his growing attraction to her, but she is clearly not ready to hear him. Elizabeth is confused by the many versions of Mr. Darcy she has encountered.

Seeking refuge from the crowds, including her ridiculous family, she removes the terrace. At the same time, Darcy finds solace in the empty library.
Grappling with their own feelings, each look up at the night sky. It is a lovely evening and the stars shine in their multitude reminding Elizabeth and Darcy just how small they are.

While looking up at the Heavens, each notices a shooting star streaking across the sky. They make a wish: to better understand the other. Neither is ready for what happens next.

Suddenly Mrs Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Jenetta James

Elizabeth Bennet never imagined her own parents would force her to marry a virtual stranger. But when Mrs Bennet accuses Fitzwilliam Darcy of compromising her daughter in Suddenly Mrs Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Jenetta James, that is exactly the outcome.

Trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage and far from home, she grows suspicious of her new husband’s heart and further, suspects he is hiding a great secret.

Is there even a chance at love given the happenstance of their hasty marriage?

Still Waters: A Pride and Prejudice variation by Elin Eriksen

In the dark hours of the night, Elizabeth’s most beloved sister succumbs to her illness in Still Waters: A Pride and Prejudice variation by Elin Eriksen. The aid of a solicitous gentleman is appreciated until her distraught mother misconstrues the circumstances and creates a situation more intolerable than she could ever have imagined.

Elizabeth is grateful when her betrothed leaves the area to let her grieve the loss of her sister in peace but the gentleman who returns for their wedding is not the same gentleman who left her behind.

She had not expected her life would be easy, moving halfway across the country, married to a man who found her only tolerable, yet Elizabeth is not made for misery. The decision to make the best of what life has given her was easy to make but the follow through breaks her heart as she must fight for her position and accept betrayal too despicable to contemplate.

A Nudge in the Right Direction: A Pride and Prejudice Variation – Novella by Nicky Roth

Caroline Bingley is most determined to become Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, cost what it may in A Nudge in the Right Direction: A Pride and Prejudice Variation – Novella by Nicky Roth.

In her determination to make the man see reason she develops a most ingenious plan, engaging the help of her sister.

But when she upsets Mrs. Hurst, her sister starts to follow her own scheme instead of helping her – with rather unexpected results.

Outwitting Mr Darcy by Enid Wilson

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and her mother have a difficult relationship, but things are different in Outwitting Mr Darcy by Enid Wilson.

What if Mrs Bennet invests for her daughters’ futures?

Instead of criticising Mr Darcy, what if the Mistress of Longbourn detects his interest in Elizabeth and promotes the match?

Warning: This drama contains foul language, attacks on Mr Darcy, and vulgar discussion of money.

Mendacity & Mourning: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Jan Ashton

In Mendacity & Mourning: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Jan Ashton, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a gossip in possession of misheard tales and desirous of both a good wife and an eager audience need only descend upon the sitting rooms of a small country town in order to find satisfaction. And with a push from Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins sets alight a series of misunderstandings, rumours, and lies that create obstacles to a romance between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

This slightly unhinged romantic comedy follows Darcy as he sets off to find himself a wife and instead finds himself pulled into the mire of his aunt’s machinations and his own fascination with Elizabeth, whom he believes betrothed to another. As Meryton judges him the grieving groom of Anne de Bourgh and a caddish dallier with the hearts of others, Darcy must ferret out the truth behind his cousin’s disappearance, protect his sister from the fretful fate of all Fitzwilliam females, and most importantly, win Elizabeth’s heart.

Matchmakers by Ola Wegner

What if George Darcy had not died but lived long enough to guide his son through adulthood? That’s what happens in Matchmakers by Ola Wegner.

What if he had decided that it would be for the best for his only son to marry one of the daughters of his old university friend, Thomas Bennet?

In this variation of the beloved novel George Darcy and Thomas Bennet are playing matchmakers for their own children.

How will Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam react to matrimonial plans of their fathers? Can it be a match made in heaven?

Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation by Beth Massey

In Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation by Beth Massey, a life altering event inextricably links a fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Bennet to Fitzwilliam Darcy while simultaneously creating an almost insurmountable divide.

WARNING This story is about rape. Though not graphic, it is a realistic portrayal of the after effects and society’s reaction.

This Pride and Prejudice deviation takes the reader on a journey through a labyrinth filled with misunderstandings, bias, guilt and fear–not to mention, laughter, animal magnetism and waltzing.

Though the path for our protagonists is much more arduous than canon the benefit remains the same: a very happy Janeite ending for these two soul-mates.

For Peace of Mind: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Leenie Brown

Elizabeth Bennet has thrown away her one and only chance at marriage, or so her mother laments over and over again in For Peace of Mind: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Leenie Brown. This proceeds until finally, to restore a measure of peace to his house, Elizabeth’s father sends her to London to stay with relatives.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has fled Netherfield and its enchanting neighbour and is hoping to hide away in town until his heart is no longer in danger of being lost to Elizabeth.

Neither expects to see the other. In fact, after having been so harshly insulted at the Assembly, Elizabeth rather hopes that with Darcy’s departure from Netherfield, she has seen the last of the arrogant man.

However, it is not to be.

When a chance meeting throws the tantalizing Elizabeth and haughty Darcy together, how will each respond to the other? Will her opinion change? Will Darcy get a second chance? Or will the plans and desires of others keep them apart forever?

First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice by Alexa Adams

In Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy begins his relationship with Elizabeth Bennet with the words: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present togive consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.”

What would have happened if Mr. Darcy had never spoken so disdainfully? That’s what happens in First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice by Alexa Adams.

First Impressions explores how the events of Jane Austen’s beloved novel would have transpired if Darcy and Elizabeth had danced together at the Meryton Assembly. Jane and Bingley’s relationship blossoms unimpeded, Mary makes a most fortunate match, and Lydia never sets a foot in Brighton.

Austen’s witty style is authentically invoked in this playful romp from Longbourn to Pemberley.

Falling for Mr Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by KaraLynne Mackory

The simple truth is proven that sometimes a gentleman never knows his heart until a lady comes along to introduce it to him.

When Mr. Darcy encounters Elizabeth Bennet injured after a fall in , his concern for her welfare cracks the shell of his carefully guarded heart, and a charming man emerges.

Elizabeth sees an appealing side of him she never believed possible from the stoic, proud master of Pemberley.

They find the simple gentlemanly act of assisting her home will test both Mr. Darcy’s resolve to keep his heart safe and Elizabeth’s conviction that this is the last man on earth she might have ever been prevailed upon to marry. Soon, falling for Mr. Darcy becomes a real possibility.

Desires: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by E A Batten

Everyone has desires. Some desires are good, some are bad, and some are evil. All are explored in Desires: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by E A Batten.

After a near-brush with death, Fitzwilliam Darcy decides it is time he married and produced an heir for Pemberley. Believing the only way forward is a marriage of convenience, Darcy makes arrangements to go to Town. If he should die without a son, then his rakehell cousin, Orwell Darcy, will inherit his estate.

Orwell Darcy has always desired Pemberley and its wealth. When he learns that his cousin is making plans to marry, and will soon be leaving Pemberley to finalise the arrangements, he makes his own plans to ensure that event never happens.

The Corrupt Plan: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Linda Blanchette

An evil plot is afoot against Darcy and Elizabeth in The Corrupt Plan: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Linda Blanchette. You will never believe who the bad guys are!

Just when Darcy decides to follow his heart and choose love over family obligation, their friends and family begin to conspire against them, each for their own nefarious reason. Will their love be able to withstand the interference?

A Conversation Behind the Tapestries: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Beth Wood

Concerned for his sister, Fitzwilliam Darcy does not arrive in Hertfordshire until the day of the Netherfield Ball in A Conversation Behind the Tapestries: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Beth Wood. When he attempts to find some solitude, he meets Elizabeth Bennet in the most unlikely of places.

Elizabeth Bennet decides the best way to avoid her persistent cousin is to go into hiding, at least for a few minutes. She is surprised when her hiding place is almost immediately invaded, but relieved when the intruder is not her cousin.

This lighthearted variation on Pride and Prejudice explores the possibilities that could have resulted from a very different first encounter between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

The Companion of His Future Life by Jack Caldwell

What if Mr. Collins married Mary Bennet instead of Charlotte Lucas? That’s what happens in The Companion of His Future Life by Jack Caldwell.

So how does this influence Mr. Darcy’s dogged pursuit of the elusive Elizabeth?

In this breezy and hilarious re-telling of Jane Austin’s classic novel, the author explores what would have changed — and what would have not — had two of literature’s most self-righteous characters found their way together.

Elizabeth Bennet goes to Kent with her sister Jane, and the fur flies! A wonderful, mad-cap romp!

The Caroline Complication: a Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet Variation by Rowan Renault

Convinced that he isn’t destined to fall in love, Fitzwilliam Darcy proposes to Caroline Bingley in The Caroline Complication: a Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet Variation by Rowan Renault.

He plans to live a proper, if loveless, life. However, when his friend Charles Bingley moves to an estate in Hertfordshire, Darcy meets a witty young lady that he can’t get out of his mind.

Which will win – love or duty?

This is a clean Darcy and Elizabeth novella that takes place in the time frame of the original novel.

An Affectionate Heart: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Heather Moll

In the spring of 1812, Elizabeth and Lydia are the only Bennet daughters still unmarried after the death of their father in An Affectionate Heart: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Heather Moll.

Elizabeth’s health and spirits worsen as she moves among relations as an unwanted, dependent sister. She returns to Mary and Mr Collins at Longbourn to learn that the neighbourhood gossip centres on the reclusive Mr Darcy.

Darcy and his sister live an isolated life in a small rented lodge near Netherfield after the events at Ramsgate. As Georgiana’s health is failing, Darcy has his own regrets to bear. He tries to keep them secluded, but a young woman arrives who is determined to befriend his lonely, ill sister.

When Elizabeth receives disastrous news, she makes a daring plan to find happiness for herself while she still can. Misunderstandings and secrets abound for them both but in the end, Darcy and Elizabeth will find greater strength together than they ever had apart.

Assumptions & Absurdities: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Cinnamon Worth

Duty prevents Mr. Darcy from marrying for love in Assumptions & Absurdities: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Cinnamon Worth.

In a futile attempt to forget his heart’s folly, he runs away to London only to receive word that one of the Bennet sisters is engaged. Fearing it is Elizabeth, he rushes back to the countryside and is relieved to discover it is her younger sister who is betrothed.

But his path to happiness is far from assured. Though he may have resolved his internal struggle and learned to accept Elizabeth’s as she is, he still faces a rival and his own inability to interpret events around him.

A wholesome, witty, and cleverly crafted Regency Romance, Absurdities and Assumptions follows all of your favorite Jane Austen characters as they overcome hilarious misunderstandings and mishaps.

Happier in Her Friends Than Relations: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Friends & Relations Book 1) by Jayne Bamber

In this angsty fusion of two of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels, Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, the actions of their sisters cause challenging chain reactions for one of literature’s most celebrated couples in Happier in Her Friends Than Relations: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Friends & Relations Book 1) by Jayne Bamber.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is faced with a family crisis of epic proportions after the fallout of his sister Georgiana’s ill-fated elopement in Ramsgate, while his friend Charles Bingley is persuaded to abandon his scheme of renting Netherfield Park.

Elizabeth Bennet journeys to London to recover her spirits after Jane’s unexpected marriage changes the sisters’ relationship forever, and despite an attempted reconciliation, Jane is revealed to be far from the angel Elizabeth has always admired.

The bonds of friendship offer Elizabeth a lifeline after a series of tragic events causes her to fear for her future. The support she receives from her new neighbor Marianne Brandon, and snarky socialite Lady Rebecca Fitzwilliam, may yet prove to heal her broken heart and bring her closer to a happily ever after. The wide array of characters from throughout Austen’s works teach Elizabeth Bennet that she is truly happier in her friends than relations.

Of Silver Linings And Glad Tidings…: A Pride And Prejudice Variation

In March 1810, Elizabeth Bennet becomes aware of a heart-breaking incident in the life of a young friend in Of Silver Linings And Glad Tidings…: A Pride And Prejudice Variation.

The incident brings her face to face with the less than ideal situation existing in the Bennet household and forces her to acknowledge some unpalatable truths about herself, her family and their society. These realizations compel her to take matters into her own hand and initiate some much needed changes.

What are these changes? Would her sisters and family cooperate with her? What effect these changes evince on the conduct of the gentleman from Derbyshire and his friend when they come to stay at Netherfield a year down the line?

How would the sudden visit of heir to Longbourn impact the unfolding events. And when a roguish Lieutenant in the militia stationed at Meryton, tries his hand at some mischief how would the young ladies handle this challenge?

Colonel Darcy: An Elizabeth and Darcy Story by Timothy Underwood

Elizabeth and Georgiana were childhood best friends in Colonel Darcy: An Elizabeth and Darcy Story by Timothy Underwood, and Elizabeth always admired and adored her best friend’s big brother.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was the second son, and he joined the army. He was terribly wounded and then captured in a lost battle in India. While Darcy was a prisoner, Elizabeth and Georgiana kept writing letters to him, so that he would know they had never forgotten about him.

When he was finally released, Darcy received all of these letters at once, and on the ship home, he fell in love with Elizabeth through reading her letters to him.

But in England Mr. Bennet had died, and Elizabeth’s family was forcing her to marry a vile baronet…

4 Comments

  1. As soon as Mary is engaged to Collins that is when I stop reading and figuratively throw the book in the rubbish bin

    1. Haha not your favorite trope? I’m sorry! Fortunately, this list also has Kitty, Lydia, and Jane all marrying Collins, too. 🙂

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