Another foray into the world of Pride and Prejudice variations. I’m not sure how I feel about this one. In the prologue, Mr. Thomas Bennet is a young man who is friends with the Fitzwilliam family siblings, including Bertram, Reginald, Anne (who will be Darcy’s mother) and Catherine (who will be Lady Catherine). The party goes ice skating, and Thomas ends up saving Bertram and Anne’s lives, but Bertram ultimately succumbs to the illness that follows. Grateful that his sister is safe, Bertram vows that Thomas’s eventual family will be provided for, despite the entailment.
Fast forward, and Jane is home from her illness at Netherfield. Mr. Collins arrives, but soon after Mr. Bennet dies of the same illness that Jane had. Mr. Collins is an asshat, as is his M.O. But this time, Lady Catherine comes to visit in remembrance of her friend, and brings the salvation that her brother promised all those years ago. An estate near Pemberley has been put aside for them! Huzzah! And Mr. Bennet put aside money for them as well.
So now the Bennet women are settled quite nicely in an estate that is much nicer and grander than their previous one. There are horse stables and horses, which is good for Elizabeth, who has always been an avid horsewoman, apparently. And she likes racing, which is seen as an activity for the lower classes, and should not be taken up by ladies of her station, especially now that she’s the (temporary) owner of an estate. Yes, temporary, as the estate is to be the home of Colonel Fitzwilliam when he leaves the service. But that’s not for a while yet, right?
So things are going well. Mr. Bingley is still in love with Jane. Mr. Darcy is falling in love with Elizabeth. But Elizabeth thinks she is the practical sort, and believes she must race and win to provide money for her family. Mr. Darcy does not approve of Elizabeth racing, so where could this possibly go wrong?
Actually, I never found out, because that’s where I stopped. I may read the rest eventually, but as Ale is fond of telling me, “Life is too short to read bad books!” As far as I read wasn’t too terrible, just very unlikely. But I could tell it was going to get worse, and:
