Jane Austen Bedtime Stories

Lydia and Wickham are off to Newcastle, which is a disappointment to Mrs. Bennet, but she's soon comforted by the news of the arrival of a familiar neighbor - Mr. Bingley is back in town. What's more, he's brought Mr. Darcy with him. The gentlemen call at Longbourn, and both Jane and Elizabeth's emotions are in a flutter. It's all too much for the two eldest Bennet girls, as th...

The Dashwoods remain at Norland while they search for a place that will fit their new financial situation. Living with Fanny Dashwood is not pleasant, but there is one bright spot: her brother, Edward Ferrars. He has been staying with the family at Norland, and by all accounts to be forming an attachment with Elinor - she esteems him, which is high praise. Marianne finds Edward lacking in his unde...

After a tantalizing slip of information from Lydia, Elizabeth has been eager to learn why Mr. Darcy was at the Wickhams' wedding, and a letter from her aunt Gardiner has arrived that answers all her questions and more. It turns out that Mr. Darcy was the one who arranged the entire thing, from finding Lydia and Wickham in London, to paying off Wickham's debts to secure the marriage. It&#39...

Mr. John Dashwood is still determined to help his sisters after the tragic early death of their father. But his wife, Mrs. Fanny Dashwood, has a few questions. After all, how much money do four single women really need? And surely Mr. Dashwood's deathbed promise to his father didn't mean financial support to his sisters? What if their own child were to ever need the money? It's all sou...

Lydia and Wickham are married, and the scandalous newlyweds have arrived at Longbourn to visit the Bennet family. The two are as brazen as ever, while Elizabeth and Jane seem to feel more than enough shame for both of them. During one of their conversations, Lydia lets and important detail slip - Mr. Darcy was at their wedding. Elizabeth is astonished, and quickly writes to her aunt Gardiner, know...

It's time to get acquainted with our new protagonists: the Dashwoods. Long settled at Norland Park in Sussex, the family is shaken up by the unexpected death of patriarch Mr. Henry Dashwood, leaving the estate in the hands of his well-to-do son from his first marriage, Mr. John Dashwood. His second wife and their three daughters are left with little. The two eldest daughters, Elinor and Marian...

After reflecting on the lack of economical thinking that brought him here, Mr. Bennet speedily agrees to the terms that Mr. Gardiner has secured for Lydia and Wickham's marriage. But he is determined to hold strong on one point - they shall not be allowed to enter Longbourn. That is, until Elizabeth and Jane convince him to allow a visit as the newlyweds are on their way to Wickham's new p...

We've made it through another novel, and we're back in your feed to announce what's coming next! We're so grateful for your continued support as we made our way through Persuasion, and we're thrilled to announce that our next bedtime stories novel will be: Sense and Sensibility! We're taking this Monday off to prepare (even Bedtime Stories needs a rest!), and will be back n...

Longbourn is aflutter with the arrival of an express from London - Lydia has been found at last! She and Wickham are not yet married, but soon will be, as long as Mr. Bennet agrees to the terms of the agreement that Mr. Gardiner has secured. The cost to the Bennets is much less than they were expecting, leading them to suspect that their dear uncle has paid more money to Wickham than they can ever...

Anne and Captain Wentworth have declared their love for each other, and who can be in doubt of what followed? The two are to be married, and the friends and family around them all react to the news in their own characteristic ways. But all that matters to Anne is that she is happy at last; warm, content, and secure in her new role as a sailor's wife. As Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentwo...

Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner are both in London, doing their best to uncover where Lydia and Wickham may be hiding. No one knows of any of Wickham's friends or relations - all they have been able to uncover is lots and lots of gambling debts. A letter from Mr. Collins offers nothing more than his unhelpful opinions, and eventually Mr. Bennet makes his way home, leaving the Gardiners to continue...

Such a letter as Captain Wentworth's is not soon to be recovered from. But Anne is trying her best, and with a little effort, she finds herself walking together with Captain Wentworth as he escorts her back to Camden Place. At last, eight years of resentments, misunderstandings, and broken hearts are cleared away, and the two lovers are finally free to declare their true feelings to one anothe...

Elizabeth and the Gardiners make their way back to Longbourn, where they are quickly brought into the Bennet family fold and learn how everyone's been holding up since learning of Lydia's flight from Brighton. Jane has been holding down the fort, while Mrs. Bennet has confined herself to her room and is convinced that Mr. Bennet and Mr. Wickham will fight in a duel. Meanwhile, Kitty is sub...

It's a new morning and Anne is with the Musgroves, this time in the company of Mrs. Croft, Captain Harville, and Captain Wentworth. While Anne and Captain Harville have a lively conversation about whether men or women are more constant in love, Captain Wentworth is occupied with intensely writing a letter in the corner of the room. As the two men depart, Anne is amazed to find that the letter Capt...

There's only been one thing missing from Elizabeth's time in Derbyshire, and that's a letter from Jane, but luckily she's just received two. Unfortunately for her, the letters bear calamitous news - Lydia has run away from Brighton...with Mr. Wickham. What's worse, Mr. Darcy happened to call at the exact time that Elizabeth got the news, and is now privy to the whole scandalous...

Anne joins Charles and Mary in going to meet the Musgroves, happy to feel the familial warmth from them that she so sorely misses at home. Their hotel is full of hustle and bustle, with guests coming and going, including Captain Wentworth. Anne's wish of conversing with him is cut short by Mary spotting Mrs. Clay and Mr. Elliot together outside, which puzzles Anne, as Mr. Elliot was supposed t...

After the visit from Georgiana, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner do the polite thing and return the favor with a visit to Pemberley. There, Elizabeth is reacquainted with Miss Bingley, whose jealousy is on full display. But Elizabeth holds her own against Miss Bingley's jibes, and in the process, endears herself even more to Mr. Darcy. It's unfortunate for Miss Bingley, but jealous people aren&...

Anne is still reeling from learning the truth about Mr. Elliot, and is relieved to find that she's missed his visit, and that he has left town for two days. His departure will give her time to confer with Lady Russell about what she's learned. But before she can call on Lady Russell, the Elliots receive a call from some unexpected visitors: Charles and Mary Musgrove are in Bath. Anne is genuinely...

When Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth met at Pemberley, he was adamant about wanting her to meet his sister, but Elizabeth didn't realize that meant they would call immediately after her arrival. She's flattered, and soon realizes that contrary to what she's heard, Georgiana isn't proud, she's just shy. The Darcys are accompanied by Mr. Bingley, who is as warm and delightful as ever, and, as Elizabeth is r...

Anne's visit with Mrs. Smith continues, and so do Mrs. Smith's revelations about the truth of Mr. Elliot's character. The Smiths were acquainted with Mr. Elliot long before this current moment in Bath, and that means that Mrs. Smith knows much more than Anne realized. Behind Mr. Elliot's friendliness, there is calculation, cunning, and trickery, with a bit of being a spendthrift to boot. Anne knew...

It's summer, and Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle Gardiner have set off on their long-awaited trip. They're enjoying a visit to Derbyshire, and have decided to include a visit to Pemberley - having been assured, of course, that Mr. Darcy is nowhere near his home. While there, Elizabeth is astonished at how different the accounts of Mr. Darcy seem, compared to his behavior in Hertfordshire. But the...

After reconnecting with Captain Wentworth at the concert, Anne is on cloud nine. But things are about to turn in a very different direction, thanks to some revelations from Anne's old friend Mrs. Smith. You see, Mrs. Smith has heard through the grapevine that Anne and Mr. Elliot are getting close - but once she realizes that Anne has no intention of marrying Mr. Elliot, Mrs. Smith is compelled...

Elizabeth is back at Longbourn, but peace remains elusive, as Kitty and Lydia are desperate to follow the departing Meryton regiment to Brighton. Luckily for Lydia (and unluckily for Kitty), she receives an invitation as the particular friend of the colonel's wife. Elizabeth knows how badly this could end, and tries her best to convince their father not to permit Lydia to go, to no avail. At l...

It’s concert night, and it seems like all of Bath is there to see and be seen. But there’s just one person’s whose presence matters to Anne: Captain Wentworth. They meet before the concert begins, and Anne immediately senses a change that can only mean one thing. But before their connection can grow deeper once more, Mr. Elliot inserts himself into the conversation with unfortunate results. As Ann...

After a quick stay at the Gardiners, Elizabeth, Jane, and Maria Lucas are on their way back to Hertfordshire. They're met along the way by Kitty and Lydia, who "treat" them to a lunch that's paid for by their older sisters, and then, at long last, they are back at home. For Elizabeth, this means she finally has the chance to unload the burden of her secrets and share the news of...