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Anyanka was frustrated. She had taken on this assignment because she had felt the crushing despair emanating from Caroline. The desperation to be married competing with the frustration of being ignored had screamed into the void and sucked Anyanka out of the demon dimensions and into Hertfordshire. As the Patron Saint of Scorned Women, she had been ready to rack vengeance on the offending male but it had not taken long before she started to question who the wronged party actually was.

In order to be inconspicuous Anyanka had taken a post as a housemaid at Netherfield. It gave her the opportunity to observe the situation and provided access to Caroline. Anyanka had always prided herself on making the punishment fit the crime so it was necessary to meet the relevant parties and establish the circumstances of the alleged offence before acting. Ninety-nine times out of hundred it was the usual case of an entitled man running roughshod over a long-suffering woman who was supporting him while receiving ill-treatment instead of thanks. But this case seemed to be the hundredth.

Caroline had proved to be an ill-tempered, two-faced shrew. She constantly fawned over Darcy but it was obvious she was interested in his money and status rather than himself. She manipulated her siblings. She was rude to anyone she deemed lesser than herself and downright abusive to the servants. She made unreasonable demands and then threw a fit if they were not met immediately. She could be charming when it pleased her but that was rare and only if it served her greater purposes.

Darcy was rarely charming but neither did he seem deserving of being turned into a worm. He had made the mistake of agreeing with Caroline when she spoke rudely about the local inhabitants following the assembly at Meryton. This was all the encouragement she had needed to start composing her wedding invitations. Darcy had noticed the increased attentions and had performed a tactical withdrawal and this was the cause of Caroline’s ire. As far as Anyanka could determine he had made no promises and had shown no special interest in Caroline at any point. Merely being her brother’s friend might spark hope but should not be taken as a guarantee for matrimony. Now, if Elizabeth had been the one seeking vengeance for being insulted Anyanka might have been willing, but Elizabeth had laughed this off and just used it as an excuse to tease Darcy.

After two days of being screamed at by Caroline for being too slow with the tea, too loud with the coal, too clumsy with the flowers, all while seeing no offensive behaviour from Darcy, Anyanka had petitioned D’Hoffryn to release her from the job. She was unsuccessful. D’Hoffryn spoke of the mountains of paperwork involved in reneging on a contract once it had been accepted. He told Anyanka of the upcoming inspection and how he had no intention of any ‘incompletes’ showing on his statistics. Despite pleading for several hours, Anyanka finally had to admit defeat and grit her teeth. Vengeance MUST be performed. The wish must be granted. However, having been a vengeance demon for nearly a thousand years she knew there were ways and means if you were clever, so she bided her time, awaiting the ideal moment to enact the power of the wish.

The first wish came when the Netherfield party returned from an evening with Sir William Lucas. Anyanka was serving drinks when she overheard Caroline talking to Darcy.

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet!” repeated Miss Bingley. “I am all astonishment. How long has she been such a favourite? and pray when am I to wish you joy?”

“That is exactly the question which I expected you to ask. A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy.”

Anyanka considered this. Marrying Elizabeth and Darcy would certainly annoy Caroline, which was her main goal, but she felt it would be unfair to the couple to force them into marriage simply to spite Caroline. Nevertheless, it made her think. She decided to watch both individuals to determine if they might be compatible. She was not above a little nudge here and there.

The next wish came from Louisa so was not really part of the contract but Anyanka wasn’t above a little freelancing, especially when it would benefit another while simultaneously incensing Caroline.

“I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet,—she is really a very sweet girl,—and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it.”

Anyanka decided that any obstacles to Jane and Bingley’s marriage would be removed. Since the main obstacle was Caroline this would take some careful thought. In the meantime, she snapped her fingers and an additional £5000 per daughter appeared in the Bennet funds, tied up in covenants restricting its use to their dowries. She also organised a knighthood for Mr Gardiner for services to the crown. That removed the more obvious objections.

The next wishes came in quick succession when Elizabeth was in the library with the family, while Jane slept in her sick room. This wish was from Bingley and was not really material to the case but she decided to indulge it anyway because she believed in the importance of education.

“And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow; and though I have not many, I have more than I ever looked into.”

It was a matter of minutes for Anyanka to organise a large order from Hatchards to be delivered to Netherfield. It included all of her favourite novels, travel books, histories and several edifying texts on etiquette and household management (including the correct treatment of servants) from which she felt Caroline could benefit. She had just finished when Caroline and Charles followed up the book wish with another.

“Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley.”

“I wish it may.”

Anyanka had come to like Jane Bennet, who she had been tending while ill. Since she intended to smooth the way for Jane’s marriage to Charles, any efforts she made to procure a fine home for Bingley would also benefit Jane. Her observations of Elizabeth and Darcy suggested that they were compatible and, in fact, interested in each other, though she doubted Elizabeth was actually aware of this in either direction. Anyanka identified a suitable estate a short drive away from Pemberley that would do very nicely so she arranged an unexpected inheritance which resulted in the current inhabitants moving to Devon. She managed communications so that only Bingley’s agent would be aware that the property was available. She felt very pleased with this stratagem. It would benefit the two friends and the two sisters to live so near each other and would infuriate Caroline, while fulfilling the letter of her wish.

Soon after she was able to grant Mrs Bennet’s wish that Jane should be just sick enough to require remaining longer at Netherfield. It suited Anyanka’s plans to provide more time for Darcy and Elizabeth to become better acquainted. An additional benefit was that more time tending to Jane meant less time having to deal with Caroline.

The seventh wish came from Charles again.

“When I am in the country,” he replied, “I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town, it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can be equally happy in either.”

Anyanka had overheard Caroline and Louisa plotting to trap their brother in London in order to remove him from Jane. They felt confident that a few introductions to pretty young ladies, during a prolonged separation from the Bennets would be sufficient to protect their interests. Granting Charles’ wish to remain in the countryside would further Anyanka’s plans instead. She realised it might also prevent him from ever visiting London again but was that really such an issue? The estate she had found was in the country and they could remain there very happily.

She managed to keep the Bennet sisters at Netherfield an extra day by granting Caroline and Louisa’s insincere wishes for them to stay longer when the carriage was requested. This gave Anyanka particular satisfaction because D’Hoffryn, who had been getting a little suspicious at the amount of side wishes being granted, could not deny that she was responding to Caroline’s professed wish in this case.

The next week was depressingly wish-free as Caroline prepared to mount her first ball. She was sufficiently confident in her hostessing ability to have no need for wishes related to that and no time to think of anything else. Currently her pursuit of Darcy took the form of demonstrating what a good mistress she would make for Pemberley. His response was to avoid her wherever possible, though this was tricky because the constant rain kept the gentlemen inside far more than they would wish.

There are always wishes galore at a ball as the young ladies and gentlemen hope for desirable partners. Anyanka ignored most of these while she remained focused on her quartet of potential lovers. It was a strange sensation to be promoting relationships rather than avenging them but it was not unpleasant. Jane and Charles seemed to be progressing nicely by themselves but Elizabeth and Darcy still required some assistance. Anyanka could tell that Elizabeth was agitated and more than usually upset with Darcy. A bit of telepathy on her demonstrated that she was aggrieved about Darcy’s treatment of Wickham, while reading Darcy’s mind showed that the treatment had been entirely fair and fully justified. If anything, he had been too lenient. But how could she get them talking honestly to each other? She was hopeful when they stood up to dance together but they mostly moved in silence and when Elizabeth spoke she seemed eager to judge him.

“I can readily believe,” answered he, gravely, “that reports may vary greatly with respect to me; and I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either.”

Granting this wish bought her a little time which she was able to capitalise upon when Darcy assured Elizabeth that whatever she wished him to say should be said. Although Elizabeth would never admit what she really wanted him to say, it was unnecessary since Anyanka had already read her mind and was able to put this into Darcy’s thoughts. After the dance Darcy escorted Elizabeth to a quiet corner and unburdened himself of the whole sordid tale. Elizabeth was shocked – at the unexpected wickedness of her favourite and at her poor judgements that had mistaken villain for hero and vice versa. The deep concern that Darcy held for his sister caused Elizabeth to reassess him (which Anyanka allowed, sticking to the letter of the law that the previous wish against sketching characters had been about “the present moment”, which had now passed). Elizabeth replayed all of their previous interactions and realised she had been deluding herself in thinking he was observing her in order to pick faults. She had not quite arrived at recognising her own feelings for Darcy but all the signs were promising. A bit more time together should move them along so she left them alone, giving Anyanka opportunity to observe others.

While serving the supper she listened to Mrs Bennet talking to Lady Lucas. She had been boasting about Jane’s upcoming marriage (despite the lack of proposal) and her expectations for Lizzy to wed Mr Collins. Anyanka had not liked what she had seen of Mrs Bennet’s behaviour to Elizabeth and engaging her to the odious Mr Collins would scupper Anyanka’s plans so she was happy to have the chance to interfere.

She concluded with many good wishes that Lady Lucas might soon be equally fortunate, though evidently and triumphantly believing there was no chance of it.

Mr Collins’ interest in Elizabeth specifically, as opposed to marriage generally, was minimal so it was easy to transfer his intentions to Charlotte Lucas, thus granting Mrs Bennet’s wish in a slightly perverse fashion. Anyanka found she was getting nearly as much satisfaction from granting insincere wishes as she usually did from exacting vengeance.

The twelfth wish came towards the end of the evening. Mrs Bennet attempted a manœuvre to delay their carriage by a quarter of an hour after everybody else was gone but Anyanka was able to thwart her by heeding Caroline and Louisa’s wish that the Bennets leave as soon as possible.

The thirteenth wish was indirect but having connected telepathically with Elizabeth earlier in the evening, Anyanka accidentally picked up on her despair at the end of it.

To Elizabeth it appeared, that had her family made an agreement to expose themselves as much as they could during the evening, it would have been impossible for them to play their parts with more spirit, or finer success; and happy did she think it for Bingley and her sister that some of the exhibition had escaped his notice, and that his feelings were not of a sort to be much distressed by the folly which he must have witnessed. That his two sisters and Mr. Darcy, however, should have such an opportunity of ridiculing her relations was bad enough, and she could not determine whether the silent contempt of the gentleman, or the insolent smiles of the ladies, were more intolerable.

When she delivered Elizabeth’s coat Anyanka addressed her quietly.

“I’m sorry to see you looking sad after the ball miss. Is there anything you wish had gone differently?”

Elizabeth was too discreet to answer this with more than thanks and a weary smile but her internal response was clear. “Yes! I wish that the Netherfield party had not witnessed my family’s behaviour. I have never felt so mortified in my life.”

Anyanka had already proved that she could be flexible when it suited her so she accepted this silent wish and performed a quick memory wipe, removing the offending incidents from their minds. The sisters looked somewhat aggrieved, wrinkling their brows at the niggling feeling that they had forgotten something. Mr Darcy just appeared tired.

Breakfast was a late affair the next day and everyone except Charles seemed to be suffering from the aftereffects of the ball. Anyanka delighted in clattering the dishes as she served Caroline, enjoying the winces resulting from her overindulgence.

“What are you still doing here, Charles?” Caroline demanded peevishly. “You were supposed to be going to town today.”

“That was my plan,” Charles replied, “but when it came time to leave I found that I had no wish to do so. I realised that I could conclude my business more expeditiously by letter so I sent one off this morning in my place. Instead I intend to pay a call on Longbourn this morning, where I will ask Miss Bennet for her hand.”

“You cannot seriously intend to demean our family by connecting us with the Bennets? Do not be ridiculous!” she responded tartly.

Anyanka beamed with pride at Darcy’s response. “Mr Bennet is a respectable gentleman with an estate that has been in the family for generations. In what way would that connection demean a family who has made their fortune from trade?”

“What about their behaviour? Their total lack of propriety!” Caroline persisted.

“The Bennets have been extremely welcoming to us. Mrs Bennet may be somewhat loud but she is no worse than many a mother in the Ton pushing her daughters on the marriage market. Balls when punch is freely flowing are a time when inappropriate behaviour is often displayed but I can remember nothing untoward from last night.”

Caroline frowned at this, as if something was itching at the edge of her memory but failed to come up with evidence of poor behaviour. Then she suddenly cried out, “But, but, but their uncle in Cheapside! Surely that is a degradation!”

At this Mr Hurst looked up from his paper. “The Cheapside uncle. Mr Gardiner, wasn’t it? It says here he has just been knighted. Something about consolidating the trade agreements for cloth between India and England.”

“Jane may be a very sweet girl but she sadly lacks a substantial dowry which must prevent her marriage to anyone of substance,” Louisa said in support of her sister.

“It would only prevent someone who was marrying her for profit, whereas I wish to marry her for love.”

“It is also possible that her dowry is larger than we believe. A prudent father might conceal the extent of his daughter’s fortune in order to dissuade fortune-hunters,” Darcy added.

“But she does not love you!!” Caroline cried. “You are mistaking her gentle nature with love. She only talks to you because her mother pushes her at you for an advantageous marriage.”

“It is true that I have seen no sign of particular regard,” Darcy admitted reluctantly.

“Well I have! I have had greater opportunities to ascertain her feelings towards me when we have conversed and danced. I am tolerably confident that I have secured her affections. Enough so that I am ready to confirm this through a proposal. Darcy, will you join me on a ride to Longbourn?”

Darcy was eager to see Miss Elizabeth again so agreed readily and the gentlemen set off. Within the hour Charles Bingley had secured the hand of Jane Bennet and received Mr Bennet’s blessing. At this point he discovered that Jane’s dowry was £5,000 greater than they had previously believed.

Over the next few weeks Elizabeth and Darcy spent most of their time together, acting as chaperones for Jane and Charles. This gave them ample time to discover their similar tastes in books, in music, in nature and in each other. By the end of the month they were also engaged and a joint wedding was planned to coincide with the end of the Gardiners’ visit. Both couples were thrilled when Charles purchased Middleton Manor, an easy distance from Pemberley. Caroline was initially excited with the purchase of an estate but became incensed when her brother revealed that he did not mean to buy a house in London and in fact had no inclination to spend any time in town. Caroline saw no charm in rusticating herself in Derbyshire with Darcy already married so decided to reside with the Hursts in their town house instead. There she stayed until they could stand her no longer, at which point she formed her own establishment in London with a paid companion, much to everyone’s satisfaction except hers, as she was still desperate to marry.

Anyanka stayed at Netherfield until the wedding for the complete fulfilment of all of the wishes. She relished watching the couples growing in love together. There was no guarantee that they would remain in this state of bliss and there was always the possibility of vengeance in their futures but for now she was able to enjoy the happiness. Though perhaps not as much as she enjoyed Caroline’s misery. After all, she remained a vengeance demon.

Anyanka was getting ready to return to the demon dimensions when a scream of pain split her head. She had not felt this much anguish since experiencing betrayal herself. When it had receded enough for her to focus she teleported to the source and found herself on Upper Berkeley Street off Portman Square in London. As she stood outside she realised that underneath the more obvious pain, she could perceive another soul in torment, with a long-standing wretchedness. It was time to get to work!