Pride and Gluttony (Pride and Other Sins #5)

Foreword

This novella is a sequel to Pride and Envy, Pride and Sloth, Pride and Greed, and Pride and Lust (all by Cathleen Earle).

If there is some reason that you cannot read the books in order (as recommended), or if you need a refresher of their plots, here is a summary of those four books and a set-up for the current volume:

Elizabeth Bennet spent much of her childhood in London with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. During her long visits, she was able to take advantage of cultural events and classes, and she made friends from several spheres, including daughters of wealthy gentlemen.

When she was eighteen years old, she attended a London concert with one of her wealthy friends. There she met Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, who was immediately fascinated by Elizabeth and quickly developed strong feelings for her. However, as a second son, he knew he could never offer for her.

Through the colonel, Elizabeth met Mr Darcy, and their attraction was immediate and mutual.

Seeing their relationship develop, Richard spiralled into a maelstrom of envy, and his emotions resulted in upheaval in his own life as well as ugly behaviour towards Elizabeth and Darcy.

When he saw the havoc he had wrought, Richard apologised and made every effort to overcome his infatuation.

Elizabeth returned to her father’s estate of Longbourn—to the county of Hertfordshire and to the not-always-well-behaved Bennet family—with some trepidation.

She was both delighted with and anxious about Darcy’s decision to travel to Hertfordshire as well, along with his sister Georgiana and friend Charles Bingley.

Mr Bennet was sarcastic and curmudgeonly towards Darcy, but the stakes were high; neither Darcy nor Elizabeth wished to wait years to marry.

Darcy set out to court Elizabeth’s father with debate, chess, and books, but ultimately, the couple had to take steps to force the hand of the Bennet patriarch. Finally, they were officially engaged.

Another couple was forming in the background: Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet seemed immediately smitten with one another. However, Darcy was worried that Jane would be just one more in a long string of “angels” who Bingley meets, calls on, and then drops in favour of a new lady.

Mr Bingley’s family—his elder sister and her husband, Mr and Mrs Hurst, and his younger sister, Miss Bingley—arrived at Netherfield Park, and Richard and another friend of Darcy’s visited Netherfield briefly.

During this time, several pieces of jewellery went missing and Elizabeth seemed to be taken ill.

Darcy investigated these incidents; he became certain that the jewellery had been stolen and that Elizabeth had been slipped a large dose of a sleeping draught.

Evidence proved that Caroline Bingley was the responsible party, and Richard suggested that Miss Bingley was victim of a sort of stealing madness. Bingley arranged private care to keep Miss Bingley safe and, more importantly, to keep others safe from her.

As Bingley returned to Netherfield, he realised that his attraction for Jane had ebbed; he imagined Elizabeth to be much more passionate, and he misinterpreted her sisterly friendliness towards him as a more lustful sort of interest.

In the meantime, Darcy had to leave Elizabeth for a time, because Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was badly injured and had been sent to a military hospital in London.

Darcy discovered that Richard had to give up his commission in the army and had fallen in love with his nurse.

Darcy convinced Richard to take on one of his minor estates, where he could breed horses and marry the woman he loved.

While still in London, Darcy received a letter from Hurst, warning him that Bingley had taken an improper interest in Elizabeth. Darcy immediately sent body-guards to Elizabeth and made plans to return to Netherfield the next morning.

However, that very night, while entertaining several neighbouring families, Bingley tricked Elizabeth into being alone with him, and he attempted to kiss her; Elizabeth successfully used a self-defence manoeuvre, but the regard she and Jane had for Bingley was shattered in an instant.

Guests arrived in Hertfordshire for a shooting party, a house party, and Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding breakfast. Among the guests was one who had not been invited: Mr Collins, a parson and the heir presumptive of Longbourn, unexpectedly arrived the afternoon before the wedding.

This book begins the morning of Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding.