There are so many sequels to Pride and Prejudice out there. You can find Elizabeth Bennet fighting zombies, married to a vampire or solving mysteries. But one of my favorite sequels tells the story from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. Pamela Aidan lets Darcy tell the story in her trilogy, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman. I think my favorite of the 3 is Duty and Desire which follows Darcy through those days after his proposal and before Elizabeth’s appearance at Pemberly.
From Wytherngate Press:
An Assembly Such As This, book 1
“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.”
So begins the timeless romance of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen’s classic novel is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?
In An Assembly Such As This, Pamela Aidan finally answers that long-standing question. In this first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, she reintroduces us to Darcy during his visit to Hertfordshire with his friend Charles Bingley, and reveals Darcy’s hidden perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice.
As Darcy spends more time at Netherfield supervising Bingley and fending off Miss Bingley’s persistent advances, his unwilling attraction to Elizabeth grows, as does his concern about her relationship with his nemesis, George Wickham.
Setting the story vividly against the colorful, historical, and political background of the Regency, Aidan writes in a style comfortably at home with Jane Austen, but with a wit and humor very much her own. Aidan adds her own cast of fascinating characters to those in Austen’s original, weaving a rich tapestry from Darcy’s past and present. Austen fans, and newcomers alike, will love this new chapter of the most famous romance of all time.
Duty And Desire, book 2
“The inferiority of her connections, yet never was he so bewitched!”
Though Darcy struggles privately with his desire for Elizabeth Bennet, he must still fulfill his roles as landlord, master, brother, and friend.
In Book Two, the “silent time” of Austen’s novel, Fitzwilliam Darcy and his personal world emerge as he deals with his servants, including a valet with aspirations of sartorial triumph; his sister, who is only just emerging from a crippling depression; his cousins, the still-squabbling Fitzwilliam brothers; and his hound, Trafalgar, who he calls “Monster” with good reason.
A visit to an old classmate in Oxford designed to shake Elizabeth from his mind sets Darcy amidst husband-hunting society ladies and friends from his university days, all with designs on him…some for good and some for ill. Darcy, and his Shakespeare-quoting valet Fletcher, must match wits with them all, but especially with the mysterious and dangerous Lady Sylvanie.
These Three Remain, book 3
“You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it.”
His proposal of marriage to the lovely, but socially inferior, Elizabeth Bennet thoroughly rejected, Darcy must come to terms with her evaluation of his character and a future without her.
Book 3, These Three Remain, recounts Darcy’s painful journey of self-discovery in his quest to become the gentleman he always hoped he would be and the kind of man of whom Elizabeth Bennet would approve.
A chance meeting with her during a tour of his estate in Derbyshire offers Darcy a new opportunity, but the activities of his nemesis, George Wickham, interfere once more in a way that may ruin everyone’s hopes for happiness, unless Darcy succeeds in putting his new-found strengths to the test.
Pamela Aidan grew up in small towns outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from high school with the desire to be a history teacher, but changed her major to Library Science after her first year at college.Later, she earned a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has worked as a librarian in a wide variety of settings for over thirty years.
Besides writing and operating Wytherngate Press, she is also the director of Liberty Lake Municipal Library in eastern Washington, a short distance from her home in Idaho.
She and her husband have six children, three children each from former marriage sand, so far, six grandchildren.
I’m so glad you highlighted this book. Darcy is such an interesting character and up until about 5 minutes ago, I never knew there was a book written from his perspective. I’m definitely going to check it out!
There are a few more from Darcy’s perspective, but I think this is the best. There is a good one from Capt. Wentworth’s perspective — Captain Wentworth’s Diary — by Amanda Grace. Thanks for stopping in — love your blog!