Revelations an adaption of Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 172

After a rest from writing a new chapter of Revelations every week, I have decided I am not done with fan fiction, yet. Instead, I have plans to make it more than a time-consuming hobby by opening a Patreon, giving myself a chance to turn writing into a career of sorts.

The future stories will be in the same style as before, written slightly popularly to make them easy to read and entertaining, and containing adult scenes and 'modern' issues wherever that seems natural. I do my research to make my stories fit into the time period but not at all costs, the interaction between characters and the emotions involved matter more to me than perfect historic correctness, and research takes a lot of time even when using sources that are easily available.

I have plenty of ideas left for a whole series of short tales revolving around characters from Revelations, some continuing where Revelations left off, some set in the future and some in the past. I'm also open for requests, as demonstrated by the following pages, which are the first part of a story asked for in the comment section. Feel free to let me know which event or character you would like to have a tale of their own, and if it appeals to my subconscious (which is responsible for most of my writing) I will spin it out.

The following story starts a few days before Jane and Bingley's wedding.

'Frederick Manners, why can't you ever leave well enough alone?'

Frederick's subconscious had the good sense to hear this reprimand spoken in his mind in Jane's voice, Lady Jane Harrington's that was, the only person who had ever had even the slightest influence on him after he'd taken possession of his late father's estate on his twenty-first birthday. School, and later college, had taught Frederick that the only person he could depend on was himself, and no-one had ever proven him wrong. Only Jane had ever come near, but circumstances dictated they could never be as close as they both might have liked. The most obvious ones, her being significantly older as well as already married, were by no means the most important, and whilst Frederick had never dared confide in her entirely, he suspected that she suspected the true reason that there was no future by her side for the young favourite of the London beau monde: the popular Mr Manners, a bachelor coveted by many a young pure lady for his respectability as well as his fortune, was afflicted by that worst of aberrations, his secret shame, an insurmountable preference for men.

There was no use fighting it, except for Lady Jane he had never met a woman even worth trying for, and indulging was simply too dangerous. The only attractions he had were fame and fortune, any young men interested in him were undoubtedly out for the one or the other and would threaten his place in society and possibly his very existence. So Frederick Manners had ruthlessly suppressed his need for love and intimacy and instead taught himself to thrive on intrigue.

'You know you have no right to meddle in the affairs of your friends' friends, you are going to regret this!'

Jane's voice was losing ground fast, a mere echo of the original, he needed to know why Mr Darcy hated the companion of his youth so much that Bingley refused to have this Mr Wickham under his roof, even though he was brother-in-law to both of them. Why had Mr Darcy married the sister-in-law of the man he hated with a passion when he could have had his pick of all the young ladies in London? And how could a true gentleman even feel an aversion of such intensity? Mr Darcy was obviously Bingley's ideal of masculinity and stability, such a man would not let his feelings be stirred by a mere trifle, he would scorn a base feeling like outright hatred. Bingley might be content to just accept his friend's dislike, but Frederick smelled intrigue and he would not rest until he knew what was afoot. He liked what Bingley had told him about the Darcy family, and he needed to know what drove them.