Elizabeth

This is a sequel to Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”. Readers of the paperback version of “My Brother and I” made numerous requests for that book to be rewritten from Elizabeth Darcy née Bennet’s point of view. This is the result. Though the storylines of both novels mirror one another, the contents of “Elizabeth – Mistress of Pemberley” is by its very nature completely new; more than 80%, in fact.
• As the blurb submits, at the age of twenty, Elizabeth Bennet marries Fitzwilliam Darcy, an extremely rich man who is also well-connected in society. Overnight, she is elevated to the position of Mistress on Mr Darcy’s vast estates in Derbyshire. As Mrs Darcy, she wants to do well. Her optimism is dampened somewhat by the magnitude of the task and, in no small way, by the servants who seem to resist change, having been left to their own devices for over ten years since her predecessor had died. Elizabeth has much to learn but events continually overtake her.
• Towards the end of the second year of her marriage, she is still childless. There is as yet no heir. The Peace (with France) has been declared in Britain and for the first time in her life England is not at war. But circumstances conspire to make Elizabeth’s life miserable. During the next twelvemonth, as Napoleon and the war returns, Elizabeth’s struggles intensify. Why does her sister-in-law enjoy precedence over her; and which dark secrets lie behind the insidious legacy left by Lady Anne, her predecessor? Marriage has deprived her of a confidant: her best friend is far away; and her dear sister Jane, like her, is marooned on a distant estate. Letters are almost her only means of keeping in touch with them. But, Elizabeth makes new friends; she gradually gains the trust of her staff, and finally establishes herself as the Mistress of Pemberley.
• It is worth noting that the “Thanksgiving” event mentioned in this novel actually happened, promulgated by the Prince Regent for the whole nation to give thanks for the end of years of war with France. Thanksgiving is by no means exclusively an American thing; there have been several thanksgiving events in Britain, even in modern times.
• “Elizabeth, Mistress of Pemberley” is written largely in the present tense. For readers not familiar with prose written in this form, I beg indulgence and patience. It is not as unusual as one might think; besides, the present tense provides several advantages: immediacy is one, flexibility in tenses another.