Pride & Prejudice Variations: Elizabeth Marries Mr. Collins
What would happen in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice if Elizabeth Bennet married Mr. Collins? Would she find happily ever after with Mr. Darcy?
In Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet rejects Mr. Collins and is supported by her father, Mr. Bennet.
These P&P variations explore what would happen if Mr. Bennet instead supported Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins. What if Elizabeth Bennet were to end up married to Mr. Collins? Will she be able to find HEA with Darcy?
I actually wasn’t able to find many where the marriage itself occurs (most are Elizabeth almost forced to marry him, then Darcy comes to the rescue). So maybe we’ll explore that variation next time.
**note: please be aware that some of these have more mature themes, as they deal with an arranged/forced marriage**
Hearts and Consequences: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Iris Lim
An untimely tryst during the Bennet sisters’ Netherfield stay raises the stakes for Elizabeth and Darcy in the form of an illegitimate child in Hearts and Consequences: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Iris Lim.
He, determined to make things right, is shocked to hear of her engagement to another. She, burdened with an unforgivable secret, blames him for his abandonment.
When their paths cross again five months later, they are forced to reexamine the paths they have taken and the affections they still harbor within them. Will they ever find a way to harvest joy alongside the consequences their choices have sown?
A mature reinterpretation of Pride and Prejudice that explores the messages of hope, redemption, honor, and love.
Implacable Resentment by Jann Rowland
The cruelty of an all-consuming grudge is enough to drive a nine-year-old Elizabeth Bennet from her family home to spend the rest of her childhood with the Gardiners in Implacable Resentment by Jann Rowland.
When she is nineteen, her family calls her home, and she heeds the summons with her head held high, only to discover that the prejudice against her has not abated with time . . . .
Her family forces her to marry Mr. Collins, in spite of Darcy’s request to court her. Will they find their way to HEA?
Letters from the Heart: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Kay Bea
ELIZABETH BENNET HAS BEEN CERTAIN of many things in her life: her place in society, the love of her family, her ability to choose her own future, and her ability to accurately judge the character of those she meets in Letters from the Heart: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Kay Bea.
Three days after the Netherfield Ball, however, a near tragedy shakes that foundation and in the weeks that follow, Elizabeth learns that nothing is certain. Compelled by circumstance along with her mother’s will, Elizabeth is condemned to marry her father’s heir, Mr William Collins. Isolated from everyone she knows and loves, Elizabeth is faced with a dark and difficult future.
UNAWARE OF THE CHANGES that have occurred since his last visit to Netherfield Park, Fitzwilliam Darcy returns to Hertfordshire determined to right his wrongs and prove himself worthy of Elizabeth’s love. When he learns he is too late to secure his happiness, Darcy determines he will express his love for Elizabeth the only way he can – by protecting her younger sisters as well as he would his own.
OLD BONDS ARE STRENGTHENED, family ties are severed, and unlikely allies emerge as each of them struggles to make sense of the changes they face.Can happiness be found when it seems all hope is lost?
Mistress: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Sophie Turner
Chastened by Charles Bingley following Mr. Bennet’s untimely death in Mistress: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Sophie Turner, Fitzwilliam Darcy determines he will offer marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, but she marries another.
Years later, a widowed Elizabeth is mistress of Longbourn, and has vowed she will never marry again. A house party at Netherfield brings them back together, but Darcy will have to win more than her heart if he is to have any chance at making her mistress of Pemberley.
Note: Readers of Sophie Turner’s more chaste Constant Love series should be aware that this novel contains decidedly adult content at certain parts of the story.
Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins’s Widow: An Elizabeth and Darcy Story by Timothy Underwood
Elizabeth planned to never remarry. In Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins’s Widow: An Elizabeth and Darcy Story by Timothy Underwood, she had married Mr. Collins to protect Jane when Mr. Bennet died. But would her memories of how he hurt her keep her from finding love with Mr. Darcy?
Elizabeth Bennet was only fifteen when her father died. His heir, Mr. Collins was an awful, ugly man who mistreated the servants. Elizabeth would never let her dear Jane marry him. Never. Jane was beautiful, kind, and good. She deserved to marry someone she loved. Elizabeth convinced Mr. Collins to choose her instead.
His character was far worse than she had imagined it could be, and her marriage was an unending nightmare. Elizabeth felt joy when he died.Years later Mr. Bingley took Netherfield, and Elizabeth met his haughty and handsome friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Even though he saw himself as superior to most of the local gentry, Elizabeth and Darcy quickly became fast friends. But as they grew closer Elizabeth’s terrifying memories of Mr. Collins returned.
Mrs. Collins’ Lover by Bronwen Chisholm
Elizabeth Bennet was raised with a strong belief and faith in God’s plan for her life. She knew He had a plan, even if the details were hidden from her.
But, when placed in an untenable situation in Mrs. Collins’ Lover by Bronwen Chisholm, she turned instead to the arms of a man to find brief moments of joy.
Finally, when able to realize the happiness which was always intended for her, the weight of her guilt over her past sins convinces her of her unworthiness. Only through reconciliation with the Lover of her soul can she truly fulfill the life He planned for her. But first, she must forgive herself in order to find redemption.
Remember: In order to be redeemed, there must be sin. This story is intended for mature audiences.
Trigger Warning: There are incidents of abuse in this story.
The only story I have read and listened to that is on this list is Kay Bea’s “Letters From the Heart”. What a heart wrenching story it is too. (I read this story a while ago with many, many other variations being read since then. I will claim having a “Senior Moment” if my recollection is not 100% spot-on.) Although Mr. Bennet has not passed away, Mrs. Bennet is in fear that he may at any moment and to secure HER future, she and Uncle Phillips insist that Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins. With no one to stand up for her, marry him she does. Mr. Collins is not as good a man as we would have hoped. Moreover, he is more like his father is portrayed in a lot of JAFF stories. Not until about 75% of the story has been read, Elizabeth does find freedom and eventually her HEA with Darcy. An excellent story, but keep a few tissues handy….you’ll need them. I have the book as well as the audio version narrated by David Pickering.
I just read “Letters From the Heart” on your recommendation, and I believe you are partially right. I could’ve been a heart wrenching story… if only it wasn’t written the way it is. I was thoroughly sick of reading endless letters not even halfway through. I mean, what happened with good old storytelling? The author should’ve put some warning… I stuck with it almost to the very end. The proposal was great, by the way, it was the best proposal I’ve seen so far (thank goodness it wasn’t just a recounting in a letter…). But apart from that, I can only say I’m disappointed. The writing is of good quality, and the idea is quite interesting, if only the author chose not to take the easier way with it…