Guest Post: The Madness of Mr Darcy by Alexa Adams

 

Today I welcome the lovely Alexa Adams to my blog to tell us a little more about her newest story, The Madness of Mr Darcy, which sounds fascinating and very unique!  I will also be reviewing this story soon so watch for my review.

 

"The year is 1832 and regrets beleaguer Fitzwilliam Darcy. All he ever cared for has been taken from him: his pride, his sister, and his true love, Elizabeth Bennet. Now, having nearly murdered a man in a fit of rage, he might lose Pemberley, too. More than just his home, his very identity is at stake. In desperation, he seeks the help of Dr. Frederick Wilson, owner and proprietor of Ramsey House, a madhouse for fine ladies and gentlemen. Is Darcy’s confinement the inevitable end to his tortured descent, or will he rediscover what he lost in the most unlikely of places?" 

Thank you, Mrs. Darcy, for inviting me back to your blog!

"The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend. - Pride & Prejudice"

 

 

 

We all make judgements based upon appearances and first impressions. It is an inherent human instinct and provides the major theme of Jane Austen’s most beloved novel. If a devoted reader learns nothing else from Austen, they should understand that looks can be deceiving. Wickham, Willoughby, Isabella Thorpe: again and again she tells us to trust in a person’s behavior, not their appearance and professions. Yet in this Austen was distinctly unfashionable for her time, when physiognomy, the science of judging a person’s character by their facial features, was all the rage. When Elizabeth Bennet says of Wickham “there was truth in his looks,” she is doing no more than echoing the wisdom of her age, which Austen repeatedly and systematically debunks in each of her novels.
 

A woman in four stages of Puerperal Mania,
now known as Postpartum Depression.

I could wax rhapsodically on the gall of Austen’s intellectual confidence (ironically, the chief proponent of phrenology, physiognomy weird little sister, was a man named Joseph Francis Gall) and glory in the justification time has provided for it, but the purpose of this post is to introduce my new novel, The Madness of Mr. Darcy, and discuss how physiognomy informed the treatment of insanity in the 19th century. The notion of the lunatic (the technical term of the day) as a patient in need of a cure is a modern one, derived in the 18th century, and inspired professionals working in this field to develop a medley of new treatments intended to replace the chains and shackles of yore (though the vast majority of institutions did and do continued to use restraints, if only rarely). Identifying the correct cause of a lunatic’s distemper became essential to prescribing the correct treatment, just as in conventional medicine. My personal favorite of all the contemporary diagnostic tools were images (later photographs) documenting different types of insanity, each labeled with the appropriate ailment: alcoholic, melancholic, erotomaniac, sometimes  just “Ophelia.” I could not resist incorporating them into my story, which takes place in the early 1830’s, twenty years after the events of Pride & Prejudice.

“Interesting.” He took a few more notes. “Does your insomnia usually come in the middle of the night, or do you have trouble going to sleep in the first place?”

“Not really,” Mr. Darcy replied. “It is staying asleep that has always proven impossible, until recently.”

“Go on,” the doctor urged.

“Since you were with us at Pemberley, I have not found the bed conducive to sleep.”

“Hmmm. Is this the reason for the couch request?”

“It is.”

“And how did you get on last night?”

Mr. Darcy averted his eyes. “I slept on the floor last night.”

The doctor gave him a searching look. “Nightmares?”

“Yes.”

“About what?”

“All kinds of things.”

“Any recurring dreams?”

“Yes.” Mr. Darcy grew thoughtful. “I dream of my sister and others whom I have failed.”

“Do you dream of George Wickham?”

He hung his head. “Yes.”

“And monsters under the bed?” the doctor asked with a smile.

“Ancestors,” Darcy replied seriously.

“I see.” The doctor studied him contemplatively. “Rather a classic melancholic. Amazing I missed it at first!”

“And why is that?”

“Because it is inscribed in your countenance! Look here.” He rose and took a book from a shelf, flipping through the pages for a few moments until he found what he was looking for. Finally, and with flourish, he presented Mr. Darcy with an illustration labelled ‘Melancholia,’ depicting two images of the same man. In the first, he was dishevelled: neck tie undone, posture sloping, and hair wild. In the second, he was perfectly groomed and unexceptionable, even to the Bible clenched under his arm. “Note the broad forehead and patrician nose are much like yours, Fitzwilliam. Sunken eyes, careworn mouth – it is all there, plain as the nose on your face,” he laughed.

“The lines in my face are the foundations of my problems?” he asked skeptically.

“No, but they do reveal your predisposition towards melancholia. Life took care of the rest.” He made a last flourish with the pen and closed his notebook.

There are many more oddities of 19th century mental health to be discovered in The Madness of Mr. Darcy, but as it is primarily a romance, I’d like to provide the conclusion to the above scene, which begins to point us in that direction. Thanks again for having me, Mrs. Darcy! It’s always an honor.

“Just one thing more, Dr. Wilson.”

“Yes?” He paused with his hand on the door.

“When I last met Mrs. Bennet, she was a Miss Bennet, and I do not recall her having any male cousins on her father’s side.”

Dr. Wilson laughed. “You are a keen observer, too, Mr. Darcy! Miss Bennet found her position much easier to fulfill as a Mrs. Bennet, and so she adopted the more authoritative title before I even met her. I trust you will not expose her to the other guests?”

“Certainly not.”

“Very good.”

“Would you mind telling me how she came to be here, Dr. Wilson?” he asked, instantly regretting the impulse. “It is impossible to conceive how the genteel young lady I once knew found herself in such a profession.”

“It is Mrs. Bennet’s tale to tell, Fitzwilliam,” he said, studying Darcy as closely as a specimen at the end of a microscope. “You will have to ask her if you wish to hear it, but I suggest you put your prior association behind you. It cannot help you adapt to the relationship you must now have with her if you dwell too heavily on what she once was.”

“I understand,” he said, feeling secure in the knowledge that she already indicated she would confide to him the truth.

“There is one more thing I wish you would keep in mind, Fitzwilliam. Just as your curiosity is roused in regards to Mrs. Bennet, so is that of every other guest of the house, as well as a few employees. Her obvious gentility begs an explanation. Quite a few have been bandied about over the years, but I believe I remain the only person at Ramsey House who knows the entirety of the tale. She has not even confided in Mrs. Prescott, her closest companion. Her past has nothing to do with the here and now.”

Mr. Darcy looked at the odd man before him – this combination of doctor and baronet in whom he had entrusted his entire self – and knew him mistaken. The past was everything to the present.  

 Author biography:

A devoted reader of Jane Austen since her childhood, Alexa Adams is the author of Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice, Emma & Elton: Something Truly Horrid, Jane & Bingley: Something Slightly Unsettling, and the short story collection And Who Can be in Doubt of What Followed?: The Novels of Jane Austen Continued. Alexa resides in Delaware with her husband, daughter, and cat. She blogs about Austen and Austenesque literature at alexaadams.blogspot.com.
 

** GIVEAWAY - ends Monday 29th September**

Alexa has provided me a giveaway!  Two lucky winners will receive an ebook copy of The Madness of Mr Darcy. This giveaway is open internationally. 

To enter, leave a comment below and the winners will be picked randomly.

Please leave your email address and which format you would like for the ebook. If you are one of the lucky winners, I will pass on your email to Alexa who will be in touch.

Good luck!

 

Thank you again to Alexa for this giveaway and for this fascinating post! I wish you all the best with this story as well as any future ones! As I said, watch for my review in the next few weeks!

Your affectionate friend,

My First Regency Outfit thanks to Marion May Designs!

Hello dear readers! Today it is a pleasure to be able to introduce to you my first regency outfit! A little while back I decided that I really wanted to take part in the Regency Promenade during the 2014 Jane Austen Festival. Therefore, I needed an outfit! I had already started building up a proper regency outfit but I missing the most important element - the dress! 

In the past, I remember stumbling upon Marion May Designs and loving the dresses, spencers, pelisses - everything! I really hoped to one day own something from this wonderful shop. 

I was still trying to put together my outfit and I began bidding on a dress on eBay, only to be outbid at the last second, leaving me once again dress less and with a ticket to the promenade - and I wasn't planning on walking around Bath wearing only some gloves with a fan and a parasol, which was all I had at the time! 


When posting on my Facebook page about my attempts at pulling together an outfit, the lovely Sarah Marshall commented and mentioned her shop which sold dresses and all sorts from the regency era, and it turned out to be Marion May Designs! 


And so, after a lot of emailing back and forth, I decided to order a dress! I felt just like a proper debutante, ordering my gown for my coming out ball or something! I cannot tell you how much fun it was getting fabric samples sent to me to choose from and picking the design and sleeve type, and being measured up so it was made to be my perfect fit - it really was so exciting! 


After my final order and specifications had been placed, the next bit was the hardest; the waiting! I had to wait for it to be lovingly crafted and I am not a very patient person ;) But the day it arrived was a very good day and I tried it on immediately and fell in love with it immediately! 



I had chosen the Elizabeth Day Dress design with short rouged sleeves (See the full variety of dress designs here!) 


I also had a lovely surprise when I opened the parcel of a beautiful scoop neck Spencer jacket (see the full array of jackets here!) The lovely, lovely Sarah told me this had been a left over jacket and that it happened to be in my size and the right colour for my dress and so she gave it to me - I could not believe my luck or her generosity! 

The quality of this dress is astounding! The fit is perfect and it is so well made and so comfortable to wear! I was over the moon with my dress and spencer and I would highly recommend this lovely shop for anyone wanting a beautiful regency dress. The communication whilst designing the dress was brilliant as was Sarah as she put up with all my questions and indecisiveness!

The back detail with the pleating was so pretty, as was the buttoning down the back. There was also a very clever draw-string under bust which created a perfectly snug and flattering fit! 

I, of course, had to accessorise! 

My lovely reticule I bought from Regency Regalia on Etsy. 

My flowery bonnet I purchased from Beth's Bonnet Shop on eBay - at a really reasonable price!

The elegant jewellery (necklace and earrings set) can be found at Graham's Treasure Chest on eBay. 

The lace fan, gloves and parasol can all be bought from The Jane Austen Centre Gift shop. 






I also interviewed Sarah about the process of creating and designing a dress and so we could all get to know this wonderful seamstress a little more! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Sarah! Thank you for stopping at Laughing with Lizzie to chat about your wonderful creations and how you go about making them! You are so talented and your dresses are brilliant! 

1. Firstly, I must ask, which is your favourite Jane Austen novel? And how about your favourite hero and heroine? 

My favourite Jane Austen novel has got to be Pride & Prejudice, I just adore all of the characters, especially Mr & Mrs Bennet, it is so skilfully written & it is the Austen novel that I most frequently go back to reading.  Close second is Persuasion, then Emma followed by Sense & Sensibility & then Mansfield Park & Northanger Abbey joint 5th.  

My favourite heroine is Elizabeth Bennet, I don't think I need to explain why to you ;) my favourite hero is more difficult, It alternates between Captain Wentworth, Mr Tilney & Mr Knightly.  Usually Tilney wins it because you have to admire a man who is willing to be disinherited to marry the girl of his choosing.  But I do have a strong admiration for Nelson and the navy so Captain Wentworth is always a strong favourite.

2. What was it that got you into sewing in the first place? And then why did you move to recreating historical garments, particularly regency era clothing? 

What got me first into sewing? That's easy, I had wonderful ideas of the type of clothing I wanted to wear, but could never find anything like it in the shops, if I did find something I liked, it was difficult getting the right fit.  So I bought a sewing machine, some fabric and a few patterns and after a lot of grafting, tantrums and tears, I began to produce my first garments.  They were 1950s style sundresses and they were good enough to sell on eBay.  

Soon after I tried my hand at a spencer style jacket and listed it for sale on eBay, with great success, I soon received many orders for different colours and sizes.  The Jane Austen Centre in Bath contacted me and asked if I would be interested in making costume to sell in their online gift shop.  I couldn't believe my luck to have this connection to Jane Austen, and so quickly after making my first garments.  I soon found myself making regency dresses, then pelisses and as I made more, people began asking me if I could make mens costume too, so I taught myself a bit of tailoring and produced my first Mr Darcy costume.

Then came the birth of my website, I named it 'Marion May' after my grandmother and designed and built it myself.  My sister usually models the female costume and I have an excellent mannequin who is of course called Darcy, to model the male costumes.

6 years on, I still have hundreds of designs drawn up and waiting to be added to the website.  I love my job and feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living.  I am constantly researching, learning and improving my sewing skills.

3. Your dresses are fantastic and I love how you use inspiration from the adaptations of her novels for the dresses. Which is your favourite design? Which is the easiest, and hardest, to make? Do you have a favourite dress from any of the adaptations? (I have to say I love the wardrobe of both Jennifer Ehle and Romala Garai!) 

My favourite things to make are the dresses, they are all relatively easy for me to make now and I can make upto 4 a day.  My least favourite things to make are the mens tailcoats as they are quite difficult and time consuming.  I have long admired the costumes from the 1995 p&p and wanted very much to own a few of Jennifer Ehle's gowns.  My favourites are the dresses and Spencer's she wears when she visits Rosings whilst staying with the Colins'.  I also love the costume from Vanity Fair and have taken much inspiration from this adaptation too.

4. You mentioned in an email that you love your job, being able to sit and sew whilst watching Austen. That does sound perfect to me - if I could sew! Which adaptations are your favourite? Are they the ones you tend to watch while sewing? 

My favourite adaptations? Hmmm, I have a vast library of period dramas on dvd, the top 5 most watched while working are: P&P, North & South, Our Mutual Friend, Vanity Fair, Persuasion (both modern adaptations), Lost in Austen and I'm also quite partial to a bit of Sharpe and Hornblower.  I am not very fond of the 2005 P&P, but I do own it.  I tend to buy most period dramas as research into costume as I do get customers ask if I could make a dress from a certain adaptation, so it is handy to have them and is also a very good excuse for my addiction to buying period dramas.

5. I suspect that you are coming to a busy period, working up to the Jane Austen festival in September! Is it your busiest time? Have you been to the festival before? Will I see you there this year? 

My busiest time of year tends to be toward the build up of the Jane Austen festival, I am often working from 9am-10 or 11 pm throughout August, getting costume ready and made up to reach everybody in time.  I also find October and January are very busy months too, so there must be balls of some sort going on around the globe.  I do try to keep abreast of all the events UK and overseas, but Regency re-enactment seems to be so popular, there is always something going on.

I've not been to the Jane Austen festival so far, it is something I would love to do, but always find myself too busy making everyone else's costume to attend.  Hopefully next year I shall make it.  I am very excited to see if we can break the world record this year for the most people dressed in costume and I am extremely glad that you are so pleased with your dress and spencer.  The pictures from your photo shoot, received today look lovely and all of your accessories really look the part.

I have plans to add lots more costume to the Marion May website, in particular late regency and also expand the 1940's dresses and add medieval costume too, so I shall be busy right through to the new year, when hopefully, I will be able to add a new page to the website, 'novels'; I have 2 almost completed Regency romantic satires 'Thurrogate Hall' and 'The Harridans House'.  You shall be the first to read my synopsis when I have them ready!  

So you see, there is no hope for me, I am quite obsessed with everything Regency and do believe myself only one small step away from dressing like Lizzy Bennet on a daily basis and writing all of my correspondence in dip pen and ink!

Well Sarah you really do sound just as obsessed as I am as I have contemplated wearing regency clothing all the time, however at the moment my wardrobe would be pretty limited!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are a few other photos for you - my sister and I did a trial run for the festival and had a little photo shoot which is where these photos for this post have come from!

(Sorry for the photo overload! Put it down to my excitement!)

Any future dresses I need I will certainly be getting from Marion May Designs! 


I have been behind in my posts and the promenade has in fact happened - and it was amazing! - and I will be doing a post all about that wonderful day very soon!   

Your affectionate friend,

The Gentleman's Impertinent Daughter by Rose Fairbanks

Today I am posting my thoughts on Rose Fairbanks recently published novella, The Gentleman's Impertinent Daughter. I am looking forward to reading a full length story from this author.  My thanks goes to Rose for sending me this story to review. (While I was sent the book, this is my honest and unbiased opinion.)  Read an excerpt from the story here!

"When Fitzwilliam Darcy visits Hyde Park with his sister, he expects nothing more than a quiet walk on a fine day. Instead, he meets a young woman who challenges his ideas and pulls his sister out of her melancholy. He soon realizes Elizabeth Bennet is the only woman in the world with whom he could spend the rest of his life.  

Elizabeth, clever and self-assured, refuses to change for the sake of gaining a husband, a prospect she finds impossible regardless. With wit and independence rather than fortune, she is entirely convinced no sensible man would have her, and she cannot respect a fool. Can Darcy prove to be this impossible man? Or is a figure from his past an insurmountable obstacle to a future with The Gentleman’s Impertinent Daughter?  

 This was previously posted on various forums in a draft as St. Michael's Little Summer."

This was a sweet story and I really enjoyed it! I am very impressed given the length - I don't usually like novellas as they often feel rushed, as there isn't enough time to develop the story or the characters, but this one really didn't feel rushed at all.  

I think the route the author decided to take the story down really worked for the length of it; the idea that they haven't met at Meryton, where Darcy famously insults Lizzy, means that they can get off to a better start. Also, as they hit it off much better and like each other straight away, there is a lot less pride, prejudice and misunderstanding, which was perfect for a story of this length. 

What I most enjoyed about having Lizzy and Darcy meet in a completely different situation was the effect this had on Darcy; the events of this story after the meeting in Hyde Park are pretty much like we know it to happen in Pride and Prejudice. However, as a result of their Hyde Park meeting and Darcy's consequential wish to please Lizzy, his behaviour when he does arrive at Meryton is as it ought to have been; he is much more civil to the country folk of Meryton and he even views Lizzy's family in a more forgiving light, as really Mrs Bennet isn't any worse than his own aunt, Lady Catherine! 

As well as Darcy's altered behaviour in such scenes, there are also some fun twists to other events, such as Lady Catherine's visit to scare Lizzy away from Darcy - this is brought about in a new and interesting way and by a most unexpected character as well! Another factor in this variation which I really enjoyed was that Darcy meets the non-embarrassing members of Lizzy's family, the Gardiners, first, and also that Lizzy gets to meet Darcy's sister, Georgiana, much sooner - and before Lady Catherine!

The author, even in such a short story, highlights quite a few interesting thoughts and comparisons that I had never really thought about or noticed before. For example, when Lizzy is worried about the possible loss of the Darcys regard for her after they have met the rest of her family, Georgiana points out that both her and Mr Darcy are still friends with Bingley despite his unfortunate sisters!  

I have already mentioned how Darcy's behaviour changes as a result of his accidentally meeting with Lizzy, but as well as the influence she has over him starting to take effect much sooner (and without the need for him to be accused of being proud, arrogant and ungentleman-like in a most horrible refusal!), there is an interesting idea played around with in that Darcy has always believed that birth, rank and lineage do not automatically make people more superior than others, however because of how he was brought up and of what society would say, he hasn't spoken up about his own views. I found this twist on Darcy's character as an explanation for his pride an interesting path to explore.  

Lizzy is just as lively as we would expect her to be. She is her outspoken, witty, impertinent self. She is particularly pragmatic in this story with her views on society and how the world is changing, and it is this attitude which is what captures Darcy's attention when he happens to overhear Lizzy having such a conversation with her aunt Gardiner. 

As I have already said, I love that Lizzy and Darcy's first meeting gets off to a much better start when Darcy is immediately drawn to this beautiful young woman playing with a child with her petticoats six inches deep in mud! As the relationship develops between them you can't help but love them; their teasing of and debating with each other, and later their flirting, are very sweet! The debates they have are brilliant and the author's own intelligence shines through in them. We know they cross verbal swords in canon, however this time Lizzy isn't purposefully trying to annoy, mock or invoke disapproval from Darcy which makes a change!

I have already mentioned how we see Lizzy's influence on Darcy from almost the earliest moments of their acquaintance, but Lizzy is also influenced by the much more positive and trusting - and unprejudiced! - opinion she has of Darcy, particularly when both Wickham and Caroline Bingley come along to try and warn her off! This isn't a story full of disagreements, problems and angst, but there are some obstacles the couple must face, which keep things interesting. I am glad this was the case, however, because this is only a short story; if it was all angst from page one till the very end it would have felt like a rather unrealistic happy ending for them, and also the blurb suggests there won't be as many problems as he isn't nearly as proud, nor her as prejudiced! As it is, the journey of their friendship and love doesn't feel at all rushed or unbelievable in my opinion as I think the author got the balance right.

I mentioned briefly how it was nice for Lizzy to meet Georgiana much sooner, at the very beginning in fact when she meets Darcy. Georgiana features throughout this whole story and I always enjoy getting to read more about her. I felt so sorry for her as we see just how upset she is by a certain event thanks to a certain scoundrel and how affected she has been. She and her brother seem to have a really strong bond as we see Darcy equally as affected by seeing his sister so upset, especially when he feels he is the most to blame! Georgiana is very sweet though, and what was lovely was her immediate ease and comfort with this stranger they meet, a Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We see her grow in confidence as Elizabeth's lively nature helps to bring her out of her saddened state. Those two really become great friends! We also get to see Georgiana turn her hand to match-making - much more subtlety than Mrs Bennet! - as she can't fail to notice the immediate connection and bond between her new friend and her brother. She plays a very important role in their relationship in fact!

Where would we be without Wickham and Caroline Bingley causing trouble; they do, and plenty of it! They were particularly well portrayed as my 'hatred and anger meter' hit pretty much top and I wanted to slap or kick (or worse!) at various points in the story! They get their due however, don't you worry!  

There was a very sweet - and very important - new character called Michael, one of the Gardiner children. He was adorable! His childish innocence and often inappropriate comments or questions were great and very funny! 

I have said how the author's intelligence is clear in even such a short story, but also this was very well written and the historical accuracy was brilliant. The characterisation was also very good, my favourites being Darcy and Georgiana. There were some fun twists and slight changes to canon as well, which I really enjoyed. If this is what the author can do in under 100 pages I can't wait to read a full length novel! 

If you have a spare hour or so and want a nice break one afternoon or a quick bedtime read then this is the book to choose! 

I wish Rose all the best with this story, and any future ones!

Your affectionate friend,

Rainy Days by Lory Lilian

Today I am posting my first review of one of the wonderful author Lory Lilian's stories, Rainy Days. I cannot wait to read more of this author's work! My thanks goes to Meryton Press for sending me this story to review. (While I was sent the book, this is my honest and unbiased opinion.) 

"In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet's first impression and hasty judgment of Mr. Darcy, and that gentleman's pride and aloofness toward her loved ones took them on a long, difficult road to happiness. In "Rainy Days", Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are caught in a rainstorm two days before the Netherfield ball, and they are forced to spend a few hours alone together where they talk, listen, and better understand each other's feelings. However, even when original pride and prejudice are overcome, new obstacles arise. The road to true love is never smooth, and surprises along the way enhance the passion of the journey. Rainy Days - an alternative journey from Pride and Prejudice to passion and love."


Before I go into any details, I have one thing to say - read this book! If you love 'what if' variations full of romance, humour, drama and an array of brilliant characters, old and new, then this is the book for you as this had it all!

This book has been one of the best written ones I have read. It flowed very well and the writing was just brilliant. The language was very appropriate to the era (ok, I did notice the odd 'couch' slipping in towards the end, but I'm English, so I always notice it! And it wasn't very often!) and the description throughout was great, but what got me the most was how well the author could portray the emotions felt by a variety of characters, and so powerfully. I was completely drawn into this story, which was helped by the fact that it was such a long and well written book. But more on that later! 

I mentioned the author’s talent for description; it was lovely getting to see into the thoughts of Darcy and Elizabeth. You really feel you get to know them in this story - and you may think you already know them, but some of the insights into their views on certain events we know from canon, as well as others which have been affected by different circumstances and the fact that Lizzy and Darcy start to understand each other sooner, was really fascinating and it really made me think!  As well as strong descriptions of inner thoughts, and brilliant emotional descriptions, there was some great dialogue - particularly between Darcy and Lizzy! The balance between narrative and dialogue was good, and the length of the novel meant things really had time to develop slowly. You really got to know all the characters very well indeed! 

One of this author's particular talents in the area of description was with the romance; subtle but romantic gestures and the looks and slight touches, but also the more passionate moments which are so well written and full of emotion - it really isn't just kissing for the sake of it. My romantic sensibilities were going wild throughout this book. The powerful descriptions of the little things was amazing, such as the touching or kissing of the hand. (*warning*: as it says at the bottom of the blurb, this story isn't without its more intimate scenes, but there is nothing overly graphic or explicit. I didn't mind it even though my preference is clean stories. For the emotional journey Darcy and Lizzy experience I can completely understand why, and agree with in fact, such scenes were included.) 

This story had been on my wish list for a long time as the idea of Darcy and Lizzy being forced into a rather confined space in such unusual circumstances - sheltering from a storm - and consequently being forced to talk and confront the problems between them sounded intriguing! I liked the idea of Lizzy coming to understand Darcy a little better much sooner, before things get too out of hand! The meeting in the rain and the time spent together sheltering was one of the best scenes! It was filled with some wonderfully funny and sweet but also awkward moments! The real Darcy begins to shine through much earlier on. What was very interesting was seeing how this meeting affects not only their own relationship, but also other situations we know from canon, which still occur in this story, but with this changed relationship between Darcy and Lizzy; the Wickham problem for example, and another favourite was the Netherfield Ball - and the 'event' (/business transaction!) which is supposed to happen afterwards involving a certain clergyman! And many more but I don't want to give away all the fun! 

Elizabeth is just as we expect; the witty, teasing, challenging and impertinent young lady we all love her to be! She experiences a lot through this story, and although in canon she goes through a time of complete bewilderment and confusion about Darcy, so does she in this story, however it happens much sooner. It is great that she and Darcy start to get on sooner as her own personality, as well as his, shines through in her teasing of, and sometimes flirting with, Darcy. 

Ok, no surprises here, Darcy and Lizzy get together - shocker! (I should have said *spoiler* I suppose, but come on, we all know it is going to happen!) They actually engage about half way through the story, which meant the reader gets to follow Elizabeth on her journey as she comes to terms with the idea of becoming Mrs Darcy. This was really interesting to see as we don't see this in canon; seeing Elizabeth beginning to learn the role of housekeeper and watching her cope with Darcy's relatives as well as a ball where she is exposed to the gossipy world of the ton. 

I think part of the reason I so enjoy reading fan fiction is because I just want to be able to learn more and more about my favourite character, Mr Darcy. I find it fascinating to see him put into a variety of different situations and seeing how he reacts and copes. Therefore, I always love a story which gives us proper insight into his mind and thoughts, just like this story. Due to the unusual circumstances and unexpected meeting with Lizzy, we begin to see the true Darcy much sooner in the story when he learns of Lizzy's not-as-great-as-he-thought opinion of him and works to rectify. I have read a lot of variations now but I have to say this Darcy has shot very high up my list of Darcy interpretations! This Darcy is just so loveable and adorable - but in a manly way! He is charming and flirty, and yet caring and sometimes very shy. I completely fell for him - I think even non-Darcy fans would love this interpretation! (Oh, and we also get to see the aggressive and powerful side of Darcy which was fun, and not to mention the romantic and passionate streaks to Darcy's nature!) 

If I was to say Darcy and Lizzy and their relationship were my favourite thing in this story you would probably say "well yes, of course they would be!" but in some variations I have really enjoyed the new characters or the exploration of lesser seen secondary characters. However, in this story, the best part and my favourite was, without a doubt, Darcy and Lizzy's relationship. The length of this story meant that the growth of the friendship, trust and eventual love between them was in no way rushed. It developed slowly which, as well as being so wonderful a journey to be a part of, also made it feel very realistic. Watching how their relationship changes with that accidental meeting and how Lizzy comes to know the real Darcy and how perhaps her first impressions weren't quite correct - about him and another certain gentleman who's names begins with W - was brilliant. 

We see their fun and teasing conversations and verbal duels as Lizzy comes to understand and get to know Darcy - and begins to fall for him -  and we watch as they both become more and more enamoured of each other. It is such a slow, but steady, development as each begins to become more open with the other, and also more forward and brave with their flirty remarks. It really is such a brilliant relationship that builds up between them!  While things do start heading in a much more promising direction much sooner than in canon, the path to true love isn't easy and they face many problems from many other areas as they have to deal with the disparity in their stations, but at least they can face it together - we get to see a caring side and protective side to both Lizzy and Darcy as a result of this.

As I already mentioned, they engage well before the end of the book and it was really interesting to see how the relationship changed between Darcy and Lizzy from their courtship to the engagement (and, eventually, onto marriage.). They slowly become more and more loving and trusting of each other - and each stolen kiss becomes more and more passionate each time! Honestly, they are just adorable together and you can't help but love them and smile when they are together!  Again, thanks to the length, the journey to their happy ending just seems so much more... powerful, and it is very satisfying but emotional as a reader to have watched it develop and to see their shared passion and love grow slowly but steadily over such a long period of time. Ok I will stop going on about it and you just go and read it for yourself! 

Another aspect I love about fan fiction is the chance to get to see different characters interacting with each other. 

A few favourites in this particular story would be the relationship between Darcy and Mr Bennet. They build up a great friendship, which is sometimes father-son like! Darcy has a great friendship with Bingley, as we know, but we get to see more of them and their almost brotherly relationship, with their friendly banter and teasing of each other. Similarly there are some great scenes between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam! 

However, I have to say some of my favourite scenes were the ones when both Mr Darcy and Mr Collins were present! I don't want to ruin it, but the way Darcy deals with Collins is just brilliant, and very, very funny! 

We also see Elizabeth with some other characters more, such as Georgiana, which I always enjoy seeing as I always imagined they would get along very well as future sisters! Georgiana has a slightly different story in this variation and the effect this has on the relationship between her and Lizzy was very sweet. There were many brilliant scenes between these two! We also see some more of Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner together which is nice as their strong bond was clear in canon. 

This is becoming one of my longest reviews! (Can you tell yet that I loved this book?) But before I finish I must say a little something about the characters other than Darcy and Lizzy! 

If you are a fan of Jane and Bingley you will enjoy this as we get some more glimpses into their relationship - and they are just as adorable as ever! Similarly, we get to see more to Mr Bennet and a rather different side to him which made a nice change! I have already mentioned Mrs Gardiner, but getting to spend more time with both Mr and Mrs Gardiner was great, as they were always favourites of mine (it was also interesting to see them interacting with Darcy more.) Colonel Fitzwilliam, another favourite secondary character, makes more of an appearance which always pleases me! I have mentioned Georgiana but the further insight into her character and thoughts - particularly regarding the whole Wickham affair - was fascinating.  

Speaking of Wickham, he is just as annoying as ever and I wanted to strangle him many times through the story, which is as it should be! (There are some great scenes when he gets rather put in his place though!) Whilst in this area Caroline is even worse in this story, if you can imagine that! Funny worse though, or even pitiable worse! She also is subject to a few humiliating - for her - and hilarious - for us - put downs from a variety of people! (I felt no pity for her whatsoever!) Lady Catherine also still comes along to throw her spanner in the works, so to speak, but she also receives her due, and again it is highly amusing! 

There were some fantastic new characters in this story; Becky, one of the Gardiner children, and Lord and Lady Matlock, Colonel Fitzwilliam's parents. 

Becky was a brilliant character and caused some of the funniest conversations of the book thanks to her childish innocence. Due to her age, her honesty and habit of saying exactly what she wants was classic! 
Also her inquisitiveness and consequential constant questioning was just perfect - particularly when poor Darcy was the target for all her either difficult to answer or improper questions!  She was just brilliant. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! 

Onto Lord and Lady Matlock; it was interesting to see some more of Darcy's relations as he has so few, but who was the most intriguing was Lady Matlock. We see her come to terms with her nephew’s choice of wife - someone highly inappropriate for someone of his station! The relationship between her and Elizabeth was fascinating. We see Lady Matlock interrogating poor Lizzy about her intentions regarding Darcy - a.k.a. trying to discern whether she is a fortune hunter! But we also see her come to admire Lizzy and the effect she has on the Darcys - both Mr and Miss! Their relationship was one of the most interesting in fact! 

I could rant and rave about this book for ages but I know I will have bored you all to sleep by now! But if you have managed to make it this far, I think what you should take away from my review - even just from the length of it! - is that you should read this book! It is a superbly written book with an inventive story which is full of humour and wit, breath-taking romance, wonderful characters and great drama to keep you turning the pages and racing to the end!  I enjoyed every single second of this book. Just read it! 


Many thanks to Lory for writing this story and I look forward to reading all your other stories! 

Watch out for another post about Lory's work with a fantastic giveaway which will be posted in the next week or so! 


Your affectionate friend,