5. Happy Ever After Means No Conflict
Bridget wanted Darcy - she got Darcy. Once a person achieves their goal, there's no longer conflict, therefore there can be no good drama. If she had lived happily ever after - Disney princess style - there would be no reason to do another novel. By killing him off, Bridget has more angst and singleness to look forward to, this time, with children in tow; therefore, she is able to have the same issues as her potential readers/audience. Many of her original fans have probably done the married/divorced or widowed thing and are now back playing on the dating field. Now, if he'd stayed alive, it could have been a fun sit-com to do; they are so inherently different and you know their parenting styles are miles apart from that scene in Age of Reason, the one in the ski chalet when she thought she was pregnant. I love Bridget being daft and stumbling about hoping for the best; I hope her as an aging widow/single mother isn't too pathetic.