Darcy's Passions

Table of Contents

 

 

 

To my mother Peggie Jeffers
who taught me any book
is too valuable not to read
and
to my son Josh who
learned the same lesson
from me

I walk around the classroom explaining the nuances of dating and relationships in Regency England. My students know by now I am a self-described Jane Austen “freak” for most were in my World Literature class last year and know when I speak of Jane Austen's works my eyes sparkle with excitement. They listen as I describe Austen's six novels and the many sequels and retellings of her works I have enjoyed and have sometimes loathed.“Why don't you write your own book if you know all these things?” comes Will's suggestion, and the others chime in their agreement.

I laugh it off, but I have thought about it for some time.When I read any novel it plays in my head like a movie; I see the characters—their facial expressions; I hear the inflection in their voices. The characters live and breathe in my mind's eye, but no character has fascinated me, or for that matter any woman who ever read
Pride and Prejudice
, more so than Fitzwilliam Darcy.Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy? What brought him to be the man he is when he first meets Elizabeth Bennet in Hertfordshire? Why can he not allow her into his life as soon as the attraction starts?

When one reads
Pride and Prejudice,
he sees Fitzwilliam Darcy filtered through Elizabeth's eyes. In reality, he is a “minor” character who becomes a major part of Elizabeth Bennet's life. If one takes how long the journey from their meeting at the Meryton Assembly to Elizabeth's acceptance of Darcy's second proposal, the span of time is approximately one year. During this year, Darcy is with Elizabeth for a little over three months—from Michaelmas at the end of September to the Netherfield Ball at the end of November; for approximately two weeks at Easter time at Rosings Park; for less than a week at Pemberley, and another week upon his return to Netherfield/Longbourn. We know what he says and does during
those three turbulent months, but what is he thinking each time he meets the woman with whom he is consumed? What does Darcy do to try to rid himself of thoughts of Elizabeth Bennet? How does he reconcile abandoning all he knows about fine society to love an amazing woman? What is he doing the nine months they are apart?

Most believe George Wickham to be the villain in this classic tale, but I am of the persuasion Darcy is both villain and hero—disdainful pride to benevolent rescue. Yet, I also do not believe anyone changes completely; Darcy's transformation must be based in all his previous experiences. The disagreeable social façade and the potential lover lie within the same man. That is the tale one finds in
Darcy's Passions.

In writing this retelling, I meticulously read and reread
Pride and Prejudice
to keep the chronology of the events accurate to the original.Those details I combined with my own estimation of the character of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Because Jane Austen tells us little of what Darcy thinks or does, I employed dramatic license. Darcy's “passions” are threefold: his sister Georgiana, his ancestral estate, and his love for Elizabeth Bennet. Often these passions conflict and fight for dominance in his life. How he manages to find a balance between each facet is Fitzwilliam Darcy's journey from dutiful son to the master of Pemberley.

Having taught media literacy, I enjoy the video interpretations of Austen's works, and one will hear some of those characteristics in my writing. In reading
Darcy's Passions,
one will often hear Colin Firth's, the ultimate Darcy, voice in Darcy's lines, especially when Darcy meets Elizabeth at Pemberley, but I will also admit to being a Matthew Macfadyen fan. I enjoy Macfadyen's previous portrayals in
The Way We Live Now, Wuthering Heights,
and as Tom Quinn in
MI5
(aka
Spooks
). So, I mix Firth's haughty reserve with Macfadyen's vulnerability. In analyzing both actors, I am more inclined to look at the acting rather than the choices made by the director in his portrayal of the work. I use the Macfadyen version in my classroom—two
hours versus six hours being easier to justify to administrators who are concerned only with test scores and want no “wasted” instructional time. Plus, Keira Knightley helps to keep the boys interested in what they first term to be a “chick flick.” My Fitzwilliam Darcy combines the best of both actors as I play the scenes in my head.

The chapter titles are lines from
Pride and Prejudice
or other Austen writings. Several lines come from Shakespeare's
Much Ado About Nothing.
They are actual quotes I did not change and chose to use as originally written. One quote I chose to adapt within the text comes from the 2001 film
Serendipity.
I took the idea from an article written by Bev Graves, my son's eleventh grade English teacher at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Worthington, Ohio. In an online article, Mrs. Graves uses the quote as part of a writing lesson on obituaries. Later, I realized it came from the 2001 movie, but it speaks of “passion,” and I chose to paraphrase it in the book.

The new characters' names come from my other interests. I love pro football, especially New York Jets' quarterback Chad Pennington, so one will meet Lord and Lady Pennington, as well as Chadwick Harrison. I voted repeatedly for Clay Aiken in Season 2 of
American Idol
and spent one summer going to five of his concerts in nine days.Therefore, I created Clayton Ashford. Austen gives Colonel Fitzwilliam no first name; Edward, my father's name, is used here.

I spent time researching social customs, fashions, terminology, and traditional celebrations. Resources for those are listed in the back of this book.
Persuasion
is my second favorite Austen work. I often say Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth are Darcy and Elizabeth if he did not find her at Pemberley. Austen readers will recognize in Darcy's words Wentworth's declarations to rid himself of his love for Anne. Austen fans will easily note similarities.

My friends who have read the earlier drafts of this book tell me they hear my voice in Darcy's words. I am not sure whether that is a compliment or an insult.What happens to Fitzwilliam Darcy I tried
to keep “real,” but not didactic. Even if one has never read
Pride and Prejudice,
understanding
Darcy's Passions
will not be an issue. For regular readers of Austen sequels and retellings, I hope this interpretation will appease their interest in these two characters.

 

Regina Jeffers
Indian Trail, North Carolina

Fitzwilliam Darcy lounged lazily in the high-backed chair of the library at Netherfield Park, sipping his morning coffee and savoring the news found in his sister's letter.The rest of his party had not come down from their chambers as of yet, and Darcy so enjoyed these moments of solitude.A self-assured man, confident and independent, Darcy took care of himself and others because he saw it as a virtue. In fact, this was why he now found himself at Netherfield Park sitting with his back to the sun and smiling at his sister's opening words.When Darcy made a transaction with the Bingley family's firm and discovered Charles Bingley to be affable, but greatly in need of direction, he found himself thrust into the position of helping his friend transition into society. From the beginning the men cast a solid relationship although their temperaments differed immensely. Bingley's easygoing nature accepted without censure the stolid disposition Darcy possessed. Yet, their affection for each other seemed genuine, and both men counted the other to be his closest friend.

Taking another sip of the tepid brew, Darcy reread the first couple of lines of Georgiana Darcy's meticulously written missive.

Darcy smiled at the tact Georgiana displayed. She realized, obviously, Charles Bingley took Netherfield at Caroline Bingley's insistence and because of her need to present herself as a woman whose family held enough wealth to merit an estate, while also establishing Charles's position in society. Charles Bingley desired his sister's happiness so he let Netherfield Park in that purpose.

His sister Georgiana experienced love of the basest form, having briefly given her heart to a familiar cad. Thank goodness Fitzwilliam Darcy arrived in time to save her innocence and her heart. For several months, Georgiana pined for this braggart, and as he gently guided his ward back, Darcy stewed at the audacity of the man. Thankfully, he found Mrs. Annesley, a companion, who turned his impressionistic, innocent sister into a culturally refined, although still very shy, young lady.

Darcy marveled at Georgiana's reference to Caroline Bingley. Although they never discussed Miss Bingley, Darcy knew his sister found Miss Bingley's advances too forward at times.Yet, Georgiana would welcome Caroline into her home and her family if Caroline pleased Darcy. In reality, Caroline Bingley pleased Darcy as much as any other woman. She possessed refined tastes; yet, Darcy felt nothing for her. He knew he must marry soon, but he always wanted more; he wanted the passion he witnessed in his parents'
marriage. Unfortunately, he never encountered such feelings even though he met women of fine society regularly, all of whom would welcome his advances and his wealth. As far as finding Hertfordshire's society pleasing, the prospects of that possibility lay as thin in Darcy's mind as did his developing affection for Caroline Bingley.