Sequels to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice
For those who don't want Elizabeth and Darcy's story to end...
Every woman wants to be Elizabeth Bennet Darcy—beautiful, gracious,
universally admired, strong, daring and outspoken—a thoroughly modern
woman in crinolines.
And every woman will fall madly in love with Mr. Darcy—tall, dark
and handsome, a nobleman and a heartthrob whose virility is matched
only by his utter devotion to his wife.
Their passion is consuming and idyllic—essentially, they can’t keep
their hands off each other—through a sweeping tale of adventure and
misadventure, human folly and numerous mysteries of parentage.
Hold on to your bonnets! This sexy, epic, hilarious, poignant and
romantic sequel to Pride and Prejudice goes far beyond Jane Austen.
What readers are saying:
"Whoa, Darcy!"
"Some parts are hilarious and some a walk on the wild side for Austen characters. Curl up and enjoy!"
"Tells the tale I always wanted to hear...how the Darcys lived happily ever after..."
"The only fault I found with this book was that it ended."
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy have an exceedingly passionate marriage in this
continuing saga of one of the most exciting, intriguing couples in the
Jane Austen Literature.
As the Darcy’s raise their babies, enjoy their conjugal felicity
and manage the great estate of Pemberley, the beloved characters from
Jane Austen's original are joined by Linda Berdoll's imaginative new
creations for a compelling, sexy and epic story guaranteed to keep you
turning the pages and gasping with delight.
What people are saying about Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife:
"A breezy, satisfying romance."
—Chicago Tribune
"While there have been other Pride and Prejudice sequels, this one,
with its rich character development, has been the most enjoyable."
—Library Journal
"Wild, bawdy and utterly enjoyable sequel."
—Booklist
Excerpt:
Hang onto your bonnet, you’re in for a bumpy ride.
As our story recommences, all should be bliss within the Darcy
household. At long last, Lizzy has birthed an heir and Darcy is again
by her side. Motherhood, however, has not only rendered her busy and
distracted, childbirth itself has left her temporarily
“indisposed.”Although Darcy’s heart aches for what his Lizzy has
endured, it is not the throbbing of his heart that is most troubling to
his serenity—it is the palpable pain in his loins…
Chapter 1: New Pleasures Proved
To all the world the month of June in the year of our Lord, 1815
would come to be known as the season of Waterloo. To the members of the
Darcy household, it would be called that, but not remembered as such.
Far too many other events of greater personal importance to them had
transpired to remember it so simply.
Although France was the conquered, England paid a harsh price for
its victory. The county of Derbyshire was not immune to that heavy
toll. So vast were the repercussions, they were felt even within the
usually impenetrable walls of Pemberley. Lives were lost, marriages
brought about, and babies born all in the space of a few months.
Having weathered these many woes within the bosom of her very own
family, Elizabeth Darcy felt exquisitely compensated by the two babes
nestled in her arms. Indeed, that her husband had survived war,
quarantine, brigands, and pestilence and returned to her whole was all
she desired.What wiles he employed and whose auspices he availed
himself of as he trekked through the battlefields and drawing rooms of
France to accomplish his mission of rescuing his sister was of no
importance to her.
Of even less concern was that the emissary he chose to send word to
her of his progress was a woman with whom he had once shared uncommon
intimacy. Indeed, when at last he had returned to his wife’s waiting
arms, all question of his connexion with that beautiful woman was
forgot. At least at first, but not for long.
Of even less importance was whether George Wickham was actually dead and buried or was gallivanting about the Continent.
Whilst Wickham’s fate remained unknown, there were other vexations.
What with Mrs. Darcy labouring to withstand a growing curiosity
(approaching to eclipse the Alps in dimension) as to just what went on
between her husband and his fetching French emissary, and Mr.Darcy
labouring with equal vigour to withstand a desire for his nursing wife
aroused to a similar degree, a dance of uncommon peculiarity commenced.
It extended well into the next year.
|
Excerpt:
Monday 9th September
I left London today and met Bingley at Netherfield Park. I had
forgotten what good company he is; always ready to be pleased and
always cheerful. After my difficult summer, it is good to be with him
again. ... |
The only place Darcy could share his innermost feelings was in the private pages of his diary…
Torn between his sense of duty to his family name and his growing
passion for Elizabeth Bennet, all he can do is struggle to not fall in
love.
Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely
courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point
of view. This graceful imagining and sequel to Price and Prejudice
explains Darcy’s moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant
relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennet.
Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy’s words prove him
also to be quite devoted and endearing — qualities that eventually win
over Miss Bennet’s heart. This continuation of a classic romantic novel
is charming and elegant, much like Darcy himself.
What readers and reviewers are saying about Mr. Darcy’s Diary:
“A delicious treat for all Austen addicts.”
“Amanda Grange knows her subject...I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting.”
“Brilliant, you could almost hear Darcy’s voice...I was so sad when
it came to an end. I loved the visions she gave us of their married
life.”
“Amanda Grange has perfectly captured all of Jane Austen’s clever wit and social observations to make Mr. Darcy’s Diary a must read for any fan.”
“A gift to a new generation of Darcy fans and a treat for existing fans as well.”
—Austenblog
|
...‘Darcy! I knew I could rely on you. How was your summer? Not as trying as mine, I’ll wager.’
I said nothing, which he took to be an assent.
‘Caroline has been plaguing me these last three months, but now that I have found an estate I hope she will be satisfied.’
Bingley was, of course, delighted with everything he saw. He said
how splendid it was and asked no sensible questions, but instead walked
around with his hands behind his back as though he had lived there for
the last twenty years. He was pleased with the situation and the
principal rooms, and satisfied with what the agent, Mr Morris, said in
its praise. He asked nothing about the chimneys, or the game, or the
lake, or indeed anything at all.
‘Is it sound?’ I asked Mr Morris.
He assured me it was, but I inspected it carefully all the same.
‘Will it be easy to find servants in the neighbourhood? My friend
will be bringing some of his own, but he will need maids, gardeners and
stable-hands from the local area.’
‘He will not find any difficulty in procuring them from Meryton.’
‘What do you think, Darcy?’ asked Bingley, when we had completed our tour.
‘The price is far too high.’
Mr Morris insisted it was fair, but he was soon brought to realize that it was excessive, and a far lower sum was settled on.
‘Upon my honour, Darcy, I would not like to try and stand against
you when your mind is made up. Poor Mr Morris might as well have agreed
with you straight away, and saved himself the effort of trying to argue
with you!’ said Bingley, when he had closed with the agent. |
“Those with a taste for the balance and humour of Austen will find a worthy companion volume.”
—Book News
The weddings are over.
The guests (including millions of readers and viewers) wish the two
happy couples health and happiness. As the music swells and the credits
roll, two things are certain: Jane and Bingley will want for nothing,
while Elizabeth and Darcy are to be the happiest couple in the world!
The couples’ personal stories of love, marriage, money, and
children are woven together with the threads of social and political
history of nineteenth century England. As changes in industry and
agriculture affect the people of Pemberley and the neighboring
countryside, the Darcys strive to be progressive and forward-looking
while upholding beloved traditions.
Rebecca Ann Collins follows them in imagination, observing and
chronicling their passage through the landscape of their surroundings,
noting how they cope with change, triumph, and tragedy in their lives.
“A lovely complementary novel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Austen would surely give her smile of approval.”
—Beverly Wong, author of Pride & Prejudice Prudence
Excerpt from the Prologue to The Pemberley Chronicles
THE WEDDINGS ARE OVER. There are rose petals everywhere. Jane and
Elizabeth Bennet have been married to Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy on a
shining Autumn day, and everyone is smiling with the joy of sharing in
their happiness.
“They looked more beautiful than princesses,” said the little
maids, Caroline and Emily Gardiner, who with Kitty Bennet and Georgiana
Darcy had assisted the brides.
“Could anyone have looked happier than Lizzie?” asked her aunt.
“Not unless you looked across at Jane, who seemed as if she was all lit
up like a candle,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. Both bridegrooms looked
extremely well. Mr Bingley was the favourite, of course, being
universally charming. But even those who had reservations about Mr
Darcy, thinking him proud and reserved when he first came to
Netherfield, could not deny how well he looked: tall and very handsome,
his countenance suffused with delight as he and Elizabeth stepped out
into the sunlight.
Sir William Lucas said over and over that we were losing the
brightest jewels in the county and Mr Darcy was a real dark horse,
because no one had guessed he was in love with Lizzie, whereas everyone
knew, he said, from the very first evening they met, that Mr Bingley
had lost his heart to Jane. Sir William even claimed credit for the
match, having been the first to call on Mr Bingley and invite him and
his party to Meryton. He was boasting of his success to Mr and Mrs
Gardiner, who knew a good deal more of these matters, being particular
friends of both Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, but they just smiled and let
him chatter on.
Later, on the way home they would comment that, had he known it was
at the reception at Lucas Lodge that Mr Darcy had first noticed
Lizzie’s beauty and found himself wanting to know her better, Sir
William might have become quite impossibly conceited about his role in
their marriage, too.
Jane and Charles Bingley are gone to London, where Charles wants to
show off his beautiful wife, while Lizzie and Darcy have left for
Oxford en route to the estates on the borders of Cheshire and Wales
that are part of Darcy’s family inheritance. Mrs Gardiner, who helped
Lizzie and Jane pack for their journeys, says Lizzie is longing to see
Wales, never having visited the area before. They are all to meet in
London some six weeks hence to dine with the Gardiners.
The servants gathered up the debris on the lawn, and the guests
began to leave. Some of them seemed more reluctant to go than others.
Mr Bennet looked as if he would like them to be gone, but Mrs Bennet
would not stop talking, endlessly, to Mrs Long, Aunt Philips, Lady
Lucas, and anyone else who would listen, detailing her joy at having
her two most beautiful daughters so well married and settled. She was
full of news too about Jane and Charles and their journey to London and
bemoaned the fact that she knew so little of
Elizabeth and Darcy’s plans, except the couple were to be at Pemberley
for Christmas. She was still too much in awe of Mr Darcy to ask him
outright.
As we were to learn later, while the Bingleys headed for London,
Darcy hoped the time and the environment of the lovely border country
would give Lizzie and himself a chance to be alone together as they
never could, amidst the bustle of friends and families at Longbourn.
|
The Women of Pemberley follows the lives of five
women, some from the beloved works of Jane Austen, some new from the
author’s imagination, into a new era of post industrial revolution
England, at the start of the Victorian Age. Vast changes are in motion,
as they were throughout this dynamic century.
The women, like many of Jane Austen’s heroines, are strong,
intelligent individuals, and the depth and variety of the original
characters develop into a series of episodes linked together by their
relationship to each other and to Pemberley, which is the heart of
their community.
The central themes of love, friendship, marriage, and a sense of
social obligation remain as do the great political and social issues of
the age.
“The stories are so well told one would enjoy them even if they were not sequels to any other novel.“
—Book News
“Yet another wonderful work by Ms. Collins.”
—Beverly Wong, author of Pride & Prejudice Prudence
Excerpt from Chapter 1: Emma
AS EMMA WILSON TRAVELED back to London, her mind was in turmoil. As for
her heart, well, that had been left behind with her family and friends
at Pemberley. Her two daughters, still weary from enjoying themselves
so thoroughly, had fallen asleep.
Their nurse, equally exhausted as her little charges, had nodded off as well.
While she was herself rather tired, she had stayed awake, trying to
read, but the movement of the carriage would not let her concentrate.
Sitting across from her, James Wilson was immersed in his papers,
which he had explained related to his client’s business and were very
dull indeed. Dull they may have been, but Mr Wilson applied himself to
their study most assiduously, Emma noticed.
There was little left for her to do but contemplate the passing
countryside. As twilight overtook them, even this was difficult, and
Emma was wondering what she could do to pass the time when her
brother-in-law put his documents away and said cheerfully, “It is too
dark to read, so we may as well talk.”
He changed his seat to sit beside her, and Emma, surprised and pleased, said, “What would you like to talk about?”
She half expected some polite enquiry about the children, and she
was quite surprised when he said, without hesitation, “Tell me about
Pemberley and your friends and family. I enjoyed very much meeting them
on Saturday, but there was so little time and so many interesting
people.” Emma laughed. “I thought you would have remembered most of
them. They were all at my wedding,” she said.
James looked abashed as he admitted that he was not very good at
recalling names, and anyway, there had been such a crowd at that
wedding, he would never have met them all.
“I was busy being best man, remember? I do recall Mr and Mrs Darcy
very well—they are such a handsome couple—but hardly anyone else,
except your parents and your brother Jonathan, of course. I had also
met Fitzwilliam at Westminster when he was in Parliament some years
ago; he was a member of the Reform Group. But you must tell me about
the others. It is quite clear they all love you very much. They were
obviously delighted when you arrived with Victoria and Stephanie. I was
very glad I had taken you. I believe I acquired some immediate
popularity with your family,” he said lightly.
Emma smiled and acknowledged her debt to him, thanking him again
for his kindness. “I cannot tell you how much joy you gave us,
especially to my dear parents, who had quite given up hope of seeing us
there.”
James Wilson begged her not to thank him for what had been a
genuine pleasure and asked only that she tell him more about the people
he had met at Pemberley. “I can truthfully say I have never met so many
attractive and interesting people in one place before,” he declared.
Relating some of their stories, Emma was surprised at how much he
had noticed in so short a time—like Fitzwilliam’s obsession with
Palmerston, Rebecca Tate’s preoccupation with education for girls, the
sound common sense of Mr Gardiner, and how deeply Richard and Cassandra
loved each other.
|
Netherfield Park RevisitedRebecca Ann Collins
Buy Now!
|
 |
Third in the bestselling Pride and Prejudice sequel series from Australia.
Netherfield Park Revisited is set in mid-Victorian
England, at a time of great political and social reform. Jane Austen’s
characters Elizabeth, Jane, Darcy, and Bingley are observers and
commentators whose values and opinions are important elements of the
drama as the next generation reaches maturity.
Jonathan Bingley, son of Charles and Jane Bingley, is the new master
of Netherfield Park. Jonathan is clever, handsome, and more politically
active than his easygoing father, and is a deeply passionate man who
faces major crisis in his life and that of his young family. Jonathan
Bingley’s efforts to deal with the consequences of his and other
people’s actions lie at the heart of the tale, which is also a love
story that tests the strength and inner resources of the characters “Ms. Collins has done it again!”
—Beverly Wong, author of Pride & Prejudice Prudence
 |
The Ladies of Longbourn
Rebecca Ann Collins
Buy Now! |
The Ladies of Longbourn is the fourth book in the bestselling series from Australia, The Pemberley Chronicles.
Jonathan Bingley, son of Charles and Jane, is now the owner of the
Bennet family estate. His wife and daughter, together with Charlotte
Collins, widow of the unctuous Mr. Collins, are the Ladies of
Longbourn.
Exploring what life was like for women in that era, Ms. Collins
explores the themes of how a complex young woman’s passionless marriage
forces her to find strength both within herself and her family. Her
rejection of the conventional marriage without love or passion makes
her a truly Austenian heroine.
The original Austen characters—Darcy, Elizabeth, Bingley, and
Jane—provide the framework of solid values and commentary upon the
characters and unfolding events. Exploring the themes of personal and
social responsibility, integrity, and compassion, Collins tells a great
story with wit and conviction.
In this continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the
best-loved novels in the English language, Elizabeth Bennet finds
herself in a very different league of wealth and privilege, now as Mrs.
Fitzwilliam Darcy and mistress of Pemberley. Writing to her sister,
Jane, she confides her uncertainty and anxieties, and describes the
everyday of her new life. Her first year at Pemberley is sometimes
bewildering, but Lizzy's spirited sense of humor and satirical eye
never desert her. Incorporating Jane Austen's own words and characters
from her other works, the book is a literary patchwork quilt piecing
together the story of Lizzy's first eventful year as Mrs. Darcy.
Excerpt:
PEMBERLEY
WEDNESDAY, 3d FEBRUARY, 1813
My dear Jane,
Can it really be only several weeks since our joyful nuptials and
tearful farewells? There have been so many changes, so much that is new
since then that it all seems a lifetime ago.
I write to you from the comfort of my sitting room, which formerly
belonged to Lady Anne, Mr. Darcy’s mother. A pretty room, not overly
furnished, with a little writing desk which is very much to my liking.
Mr. Darcy has instructed me to make whatever changes I want to this
room and to my private apartment, insisting they should be exactly to
my liking and taste. Perhaps when I truly feel that Pemberley is home I
shall, but for the time being I am happy to leave things as they are in
their faded, comfortable elegance. Nevertheless, the honour of my dear
Husband’s gesture in giving me this particular room for my own is not
lost upon me, and already I spend a great deal of time here when Mr.
Darcy has business to attend to. The pleasing view from the window is
an added attraction, the more so since I understand it was one of Lady
Anne’s favourite prospects. Even at this time of year there is a stark
kind of beauty to Pemberley’s surroundings and yesterday’s snowfall has
given the austere winter landscape a magical aspect, which is all the
more pleasing from where I sit in my comfortable room in the warmth of
a good fire.
We agreed to spend the first weeks here quietly and alone so that I
can become accustomed to my new life out of the glare of the notice of
the neighbourhood, who are naturally anxious to inspect the new
mistress of Pemberley. Although tact prevents him saying as much to me,
Mr. Darcy cannot be unconscious of the fact that some of his
acquaintance will consider that he has married beneath himself. Perhaps
he feels that his wife will be better able to hold her own in the face
of any resentment, real or imagined, once she feels settled at
Pemberley and begins to think of it as her home. Had we been able to
actually discuss the matter I would have agreed with him wholeheartedly
and thanked him from the bottom of my heart for his generous
consideration of my comfort, but it is yet too delicate a subject to
embark upon.
Notwithstanding our mutual desire for this quiet time, Mr. Darcy
felt an obligation to order the church bells to be rung and to arrange
a wedding celebration for his servants and tenants. This took place a
week ago. Jane, I had not an idea that so many people were under Mr.
Darcy’s protection, and was quite astonished at his knowing so many
particulars about them all—the names of children, a wife’s recovery
from illness, the addition of a barn, the success or failure of a crop.
My heart swelled with pride as I saw not only the ease with which he
conversed with everyone and accepted their congratulations, but also
the respect and admiration in which my dear Husband is held by one and
all. I recollected my surprise when, on showing us Pemberley last
August, the housekeeper had declared Mr. Darcy ‘the best landlord and
the best master that ever lived.’ At the time I had thought this
excessive commendation, but I begin to see that she spoke only the
truth. (Your own sweet nature would not wish me to say so, yet I must
acknowledge that you alone, dear Jane, will not share my astonishment:
you, who from the very beginning of our acquaintance with Mr. Darcy
defended his character.)
|
To the delight of the many readers who loved Letters from Pemberley, Jane Dawkins’s popular continuation of Pride and Prejudice,
More Letters from Pemberley continues the story of Elizabeth (Bennet)
Darcy’s married life, picking up in 1814 and following this most
popular of Jane Austen characters for another six years to the twilight
of the Regency period in 1819.
Writing to her beloved sister Jane, the irrepressible Lizzie
describes life as mistress of Pemberley and her relationship with the
dashing Fizwilliam Darcy. Highlights include a Darcy family Christmas,
the inevitable conflicts that might arise even in such an illustrious
family and the happiness of the birth of an heir.
Again incorporating Jane Austen’s own words and characters from her
other works (who appear here with different names, either associated
with Austen’s life, borrowed from another of her novels or a word-play
on their original name), Jane Dawkins has created another satisfying
and entertaining tale.
While Jane and Lizzie plan a lavish ball at Pemberley, the Darcys’
second son falls in love with the Collins’ daughter, first-born Juliet
Darcy is almost lured into an elopement, and Georgiana’s timid daughter
Lucy is the new target of Miss Caroline Bingley’s meddling.The Darcys Give a Ball is a charming and very amusing imagining of the next generation of Jane Austen’s beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice
and other novels, where all the young people come together for a
surprising and altogether satisfying ending. Sons and daughters share
the physical and personality traits of their parents, but of course
have minds of their own, and as Lizzie says to Jane: “The romantic
attachments of one’s children are a constant distraction.”
“Jane would be proud of you.”
—Juliet McMaster, Professor of English, University of Alberta
“A tour de force.”
—Marilyn Sachs, author of First Impressions
Excerpt from Chapter 1
Mr. Collins might well have allowed his resentment toward Elizabeth
Bennet to congeal into a new breach with the Bennet family, but this
his wife would not permit. And Elizabeth’s marriage to Mr. Darcy,
wealthy nephew of Lady Catherine, had confirmed to him that it would be
best to be on good terms with the Bennets. At the time of the marriage,
Mr. Bennet wrote to Mr. Collins as follows:
“Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give.”
Mr. Collins deplored what he had often felt was a certain flippancy
in Mr. Bennet’s tone but, on due consideration, he felt the advice to
be sound. He therefore, over the years, continued to bow down to Lady
Catherine, while taking comfort in the knowledge that his wife was in
regular correspondence with her dear friend, Mrs. Darcy.
When finally, twelve years later, the news reached him that the
estate was his, he reacted with what can only be termed high glee.
“Mrs. Collins? Mrs. Collins? Longbourn is mine at last! Mrs. Collins!”
Mr. Collins was in fact so excited by the letter still clutched in
his hands that he called out at the top of his voice (a voice trained
by regular pontificating in the pulpit), forgetting that he was alone.
Realizing this, and feeling somewhat foolish, he made haste to emerge
from his study at the front of the house and go in search of his wife.
The time was mid-morning, and Mrs. Collins, the former Charlotte Lucas,
was hard to find. There were so many places that she might be in the
execution of her housewifely duties: in the schoolroom with her older
children, in the nursery with the youngest, in the kitchen instructing
her cook, or with the poultry maid, inquiring why the hens were not
laying, to name only a few.
“Mrs. Collins! Mrs. Collins?”
Mr. Collins continued to call in a loud and nasal voice (he
suffered from chronic catarrh). His cheeks were blotched and the tip of
his nose was red with excitement; his neck-bands were quite out of
control. When he moved, he pranced; when he stood still, he rocked from
toe to heel. Dorcas, the parlor maid, came running out of the parlor,
her feather duster in hand, and stared at him open-mouthed; Ezekiel,
the gardener, poked his shock of white hair through the open front
door, bringing with him a pungent smell of manure; and Ellen, the cook,
emerged from the kitchen armed with a sticky wooden spoon, ready to
repel an invasion of gypsies.
Down the staircase, quiet and composed, came Charlotte Collins,
holding her youngest daughter, Eliza, by the hand. “My dear Mr.
Collins,” she said. “Whatever can be the matter? Are the pigs in the
garden yet again?”
Under her calm gaze, Mr. Collins stopped his fidgeting and tried to
straighten his cravat. But he could not hold back his news without
exploding.
|
Beginning twenty-five years after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding, their life together has been wonderful and their marriage is still thriving. Their grown children bring them great delight, along with some trepidation, Mrs. Darcy’s nieces come for a visit, and a theatrical scandal threatens to embroil them all. The Victorian age is dawning, and Pemberley’s new generation is coming into their own.
“The very title makes you want to read it right away! Fascinating, ans such wonderful use of language.”
—Joan Austen-Leigh
“Birchall’s witty, elegant visit to the middle-aged Darcys is a delight.”
—Professor Janet Todd, University of Glasgow
“A refreshing and entertaining look at the Darcys some years after Pride and Prejudice from a most accomplished author.”
—Jenny Scott, author of After Jane
Excerpt from Chapter 1
At Pemberley, then, Elizabeth found her true happiness and calling
in life: as chatelaine of one of the finest houses in the country, wife
to a clever, well-informed man who loved her devotedly, admirable
patroness and lady of society, who opened a most desirable house in
town, in the season. In time, too, she was a mother; but years and
maternity had done less to dull her beauty and vivacity than usually
happens. Although she was now between forty and fifty years old, Mrs.
Darcy was still a handsome woman, known for her wit and good humour;
still slender, light of foot, with sparkling eyes and hair that, under
her matron’s lace caps, was still smooth and abundant. She was as much
as ever the delight of Mr. Darcy’s mind and the beloved of his heart,
and if she had acquired something of an air of authority with her years
at Pemberley, it was no more than was becoming and proper to her
position.
Mr. Darcy was, at fifty, very much as might have been expected from
a knowledge of him at eight and twenty: a noble man indeed, his tall
person, magisterial bearing, and dignified manner were more impressive
than ever, as befit a man of great influence in Derbyshire, sometime
Member of Parliament and Justice of the Peace. Yet his lips would relax
in an indulgent smile that was good to see, his eyes would gleam with
enjoyment, and his face would look really handsome still, when he
looked upon his wife, or upon his only daughter, who greatly resembled
her.
This only daughter, Jane, was now seventeen, a girl of quick
comprehension and movement: light, and airily formed, like her mother,
and given to a style of impulsive wit that sometimes, it must be
admitted, went too far, as she was well aware that she could beguile
smiles from her stern father that he never would bestow on either of
his sons.
Elizabeth was too wise to take either her husband’s love or his wealth
for granted, and she never forgot to exult in all her manifold sources
of happiness. It is impossible for human nature to be altogether
without worry or pain, however, and Elizabeth’s anxieties were all
reserved for her children.
The eldest of her sons, Fitzwilliam, the heir to Pemberley,
provided sufficient concern to make any anxious mother happy. A tall,
heavy young man, not uncomely, with well-cut features and dark hair, he
had little of his mother’s liveliness or his father’s cleverness and
would sit of an evening, not saying much, but turning over sporting
papers. Horses were his great love and, some thought, his only interest
in the world. He admired his father greatly and thought he desired to
be what Mr. Darcy himself was, but he had spent two years at Oxford,
with very little learning adhering to him, and he was in no danger of
equalling his father’s wisdom at a similar time of life. He had not
yet, however, lost more money at racing than was reasonable, and his
awe of his father and his own future position kept his behaviour and
deportment in check and prevented him from partaking too objectionably
of the racecourse.
The Darcys’ second son, Henry, was more promising and quick-minded
than Fitzwilliam; Elizabeth often thought it a pity that Henry were not
the elder, for what would he not have done with Pemberley? She fully
expected Fitzwilliam to turn it into a mere breeding-farm. With his
cleverness, his balanced mind, and generous nature, Henry would have
made a fine squire indeed … but as was the way with second sons, the
bulk of the estate must go to the elder, and Henry was intended for the
Church. He did not repine but looked forward to ordination eagerly as a
situation that would open a field of useful endeavour to him.
With her two youngest children, Elizabeth felt much more
comfortable than with the unsatisfactory eldest. Their tempers were
more sympathetic, their minds more developed and like her own. Her
fears for them derived not from their characters, as was the way with
Fitzwilliam, but from their situations: where they would settle, and
with what partners, was all her anxiety. A husband for Jane, a parish
for Henry, were subjects that occupied many of her thoughts. |
As marriage brings an end to a romantic tale, it begins a new story: how does “happily ever after” really work?
The day that Jane and Elizabeth Bennet wed Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy marks the departure point for Pemberley Manor.
While Mr and Mrs Bingley might be expected to get on famously, Mr and
Mrs Darcy will surely need to work on their communication skills.
What forces in Darcy’s past gave such a good man so difficult a
public demeanour? Will Elizabeth’s stubborn optimism win the day after
the honeymoon is over?
“An absorbing read from the very first page.”
—Alison Aldridge, BBC Worldwide
“One to treasure. What a sumptuous book!”
—J. Odiwe
"Be that as it may, Elizabeth saw Darcy go with regret; and in this early example of what Lydia's infamy must produce, found additional anguish as she reflected on that wretched business."
The tragedy of that fateful moment at the Lambton Inn is one of the most memorable scenes in Pride and Prejudice, leaving generations of readers to wonder how the outcome would have differed if Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy had chosen to speak their feelings rather than to assume the worst about the other. From Lambton to Longbourn gives Jane Austen's beloved characters a chance to reach out one last time before they part. As they create a new path forward, adventures and misunderstandings ensue as they learn about each other and the meaning of love.
"I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."
Elizabeth Bennet's furious response to Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has resonated for generations of readers. But what if she never had a chance to say it? Would she learn to recognize Mr. Darcy's admirable qualities on her own? The Last Man in the World follows Elizabeth and Darcy as they struggle to find their way through the maze of their prejudices after Elizabeth, against her better judgment, agrees to marry Darcy instead of saying those famous words. Two of the most beloved characters in English literature explore the meaning of true love on a tumultuous and passionate journey to make a success of their marriage.
What would have happened if Fitzwilliam Darcy faced a true rival for Elizabeth Bennet's affections? In a return to the world of Jane Austen, the plot of Pride and Prejudice takes a different turn when Elizabeth accepts the proposal of a childhood friend before she meets Darcy again. When their paths finally cross, Darcy must decide what he is willing to do to win the woman he loves. A heartwarming conclusion to this lively tale brings satisfaction to all of Austen's beloved characters.
 |
By Force of Instinct
Abigail Reynolds
|
In Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice,
Elizabeth Bennet never expects to see Mr. Darcy again after his
disastrous proposal in Hunsford. But what if family business required
him to stay at Rosings after giving her his letter? Coming face to face
with Mr. Darcy only days later could give Elizabeth a new chance to
understand him... or a chance for even more misunderstandings.
Impulse & Initiative
Abigail Reynolds
|
 |
Abigail Reynolds picks up from a pivotal point in Pride and Prejudice - Mr. Darcy's botched marriage proposal - and explores an alternative plot ... In Jane Austen's classic, Mr. Darcy gives up on winning the woman he
loves after she refuses him. What if, instead of disappearing from her
life, he took the initiative and tried to change her mind? In Impulse & Initiative,
Mr. Darcy follows Elizabeth Bennet to her home in Hertfordshire,
planning to prove to her he is a changed man and worthy of her love. As
Lizzy gets to know Darcy, she finds him undeniably attractive and her
impulses war with her sense of propriety.
Sexy and exciting with unexpected plot twists keep the characters developing in surprising directions.
What readers are saying:
"A really lovely spin on the original story."
"A wonderful ride through Jane Austen's world."
"Refreshing!"
"Funny, smart, and makes a great story unto itself."
"Fantastic book."
 |
Lydia Bennet's Story
Jane Odiwe
|
Lydia Bennet is the flirtatious, wild and free-wheeling youngest
daughter. Her untamed expressiveness and vulnerability make her
fascinating to readers who’ll love this imaginative rendering of
Lydia’s life after her marriage to the villainous George Wickham. Will
she mature or turn bitter? Can a girl like her really find true love?
In Lydia Bennet’s Story we are taken back to Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice,
to a Regency world seen through Lydia’s eyes where pleasure and
marriage are the only pursuits. But the road to matrimony is fraught
with difficulties and even when she is convinced that she has met the
man of her dreams, complications arise. When Lydia is reunited with the
Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys for a grand ball at Netherfield Park, the
shocking truth about her husband may just cause the greatest scandal of
all ...
“A breathtaking Regency romp!”
—Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed