Better For Loving You is a Pride and Prejudice fanfiction by Helen. It can be found on Derbyshire Writers' Guild
(PG-rated) and A Happy Assembly (M-rated), and is complete.
Rather than a member of the Bennet family, Elizabeth is the daughter of wealthy and titled Lord Casterton. However, her late mother's scandalous behaviour throws new roadblocks in the way of her friendship with Mr Darcy...
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a story in possession of a good number of readers must be in want of trope entries:
- A Family Affair: Viola's lovers included her brother-in-law Robert. Elizabeth knows, having seen more than she wanted to, but her father Michael doesn't, and she doesn't want to add to his hurt by telling him.
- An Arm and a Leg: Colonel Fitzwilliam is clipped by a cannon blast during his military service. He eventually recovers from the internal bruising, avoids his extensive wounds becoming infected, and is able to walk again with a cane, but his left arm is a loss and has to be amputated. Still, he is naturally resilient, and later even learns to waltz, except he has to move slowly and lead with his right hand.
- Emasculated Cuckold: Lord and Lady Casterton's marriage started happily, but was soon on the rocks, with Viola Casterton making herself steadily more infamous as her affairs grew less discreet and more brazen. All of Lord Casterton's efforts to rein her in failed, and he eventually withdrew from society almost entirely to avoid the sniping and ridicule — especially for his daughter, whom he considered to be the only good thing his wife gave him. It takes a decade, the death of his wife, and the encouragement of several friends, before he can bring himself to appear in London again, and he does it more for the sake of not keeping Elizabeth in his shadow than for his own benefit.
- Framing the Guilty Party: George Wickham hasn't done anything to Elizabeth personally, but he came very close to seducing Georgiana Darcy and swindling her out of a very large dowry, and he has a history of leaving large unpaid debts behind him, so Elizabeth wants him kicked out of her town — but she doesn't want to embarrass the Darcys by revealing Georgiana's folly. So, after spreading truthful rumours about the debts, she arranges a public confrontation where she accuses Wickham of speaking shamefully to her, and even slaps him, which finishes the sinking of his reputation and results in him being confined to quarters by his commanding officer, essentially house arrest.Elizabeth: He has much to answer for, but in this instance he is almost completely innocent.
- Gold Digger: This seems to have been Viola Casterton's motivation for marrying; she showed no respect for her husband, she just enjoyed exploiting his position and wealth. Lord Casterton learns his lesson from that, and intentionally keeps very quiet about the dowry that Elizabeth will receive, because he knows it would attract attention from predators and parasites. (Mr Darcy, who has no need to worry about money, doesn't find out just how much it is until they're engaged, and is startled.)
- In Spite of a Nail: Despite Elizabeth's different family situation, most of the plot is recognisable from canon; Elizabeth and Mr Darcy meet, he offends her, he falls for her while she's still upset at him, she confronts him and he writes her a letter explaining his side of things, etc. A number of conversations even follow canon almost verbatim. There is a much larger plot while they're engaged and facing London — but it ends with the two weddings, similar to canon.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Viola had so many different men in her bed that Elizabeth's parentage was under some doubt, but she turned out to look a lot like her paternal grandmother, and her father Michael loves her as his daughter regardless. (Viola told her that she's actually Robert's, though Elizabeth isn't sure that even Viola really knew.)
- Parental Marriage Veto: Downplayed; the Darcys passed away some time ago, and their living relations have no actual ability to veto anything. Nonetheless, that doesn't stop Lord Matlock and Lady Catherine de Bourgh from trying, both objecting strongly to any connection with the family of Baroness Courtney and forcing Mr Darcy to choose which ties he wants to cut.
- Shotgun Wedding: Lord Casterton insists on Mr Darcy proposing to Elizabeth after Darcy sent a letter directly to her without having first obtained his permission.
- Tranquil Fury: When a member of his club starts casting aspersions on Elizabeth's virtue, Mr Darcy sticks to a cutting but restrained verbal riposte. Mr Bingley quietly wonders afterward at how he can stay so calm."Bingley," Darcy bit out, his expression still impassive though his tone was livid. "I could happily strangle the bastard."
