Most Ardently: Chapters 22-Epilogue

by Gabe Cole Novoa
In this retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Oliver Bennet struggles to balance the need to hide his identity with the desire to be freely himself, a conundrum made more difficult as he falls in love with Darcy.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-5, Chapters 6-10, Chapters 11-15, Chapters 16-21, Chapters 22-Epilogue
15 words 14 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dusky
    lighted by or as if by twilight
    He’d slept fitfully afterward, repeating snippets of the nightmare over and over until he gave up all pretense of trying to sleep and watched the bedroom turn from dark gray to dusky purple.
  2. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
    I do think if I were ever to find a modicum of happiness with any woman, it would have been with you.
  3. diverting
    providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
    “Quite the opposite. Why, I’m here because I think you’re beautiful, and more importantly, interesting. I’m certain you’ll make a diverting wife for a husband of superior intellect.”
  4. lax
    without rigor or strictness
    Still, he had a second practice in Paris, where the laws were much more lax, so he spent about half the year there.
  5. despicable
    morally reprehensible
    It was despicable.
  6. tousle
    disarrange or rumple; dishevel
    Birds chirped overhead and a warm temperate breeze tousled the strands of Oliver’s hair peeking out beneath his hat.
  7. idyllic
    charmingly simple and serene
    He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like, being there every day, having that idyllic walking path literally steps from your front door.
  8. amble
    walk leisurely
    Oliver nodded and the two of them ambled slowly forward.
  9. masquerade
    pretend to be someone or something that you are not
    He couldn’t masquerade as a woman forever.
  10. dignify
    give status or attention to, often undeservedly
    Oliver didn’t bother dignifying that with a response.
  11. detriment
    a damage or loss
    He was tired of trying to make everyone else happy, to his own detriment.
  12. deluge
    a heavy rain
    With the deluge unceasing, most others had retreated indoors, leaving just Oliver and Darcy on the bridge.
  13. vehement
    marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
    Her hand fell back to her side, before she added thoughtfully, “I suppose your vehement distaste for dresses makes all the sense in the world now.”
  14. forthwith
    without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
    “Furthermore, I think it would be best if you both left immediately. Mr. Collins, you should know I’ll be updating my will forthwith to ensure that my son inherit Longbourn as is his due.”
  15. render
    cause to become
    Oliver bit back a laugh — he didn’t think it possible for anyone to render the man speechless.
Created on Fri Aug 29 04:39:01 EDT 2025 (updated Mon Oct 13 14:36:15 EDT 2025)

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