Mr. Darcy Introduces Georgiana to Elizabeth Bennet: excerpt from a WIP

Today I’m sharing the first half of chapter 2 from my current work-in-progress, an excerpt which amounts to a “missing scene” from Pride and Prejudice – when Darcy takes his sister to meet Elizabeth for the first time at the Lambton Inn. It’s told from Georgiana’s perspective because that’s what the whole book I’m writing is about. It’s Georgiana’s story as it parallels events in my most popular novel, The Darcys of Pemberley (a P&P sequel), including flashback scenes like this one. If you’d like to start at the beginning, read chapter 1 here. Hope you enjoy this! Let me know what you think.  



 In those days, my mind very naturally tended toward romance, and all the more so for seeing my own revered brother fall under love’s spell. Having risen to somewhat of an unassailable father figure in my sight, I suppose I had before that point unconsciously considered him immune to such things. But then the first chink in his armor appeared. I noticed it when he returned from visiting our Aunt de Bourgh at Rosings that year.

Darcy fencingHis mood was as dark as ever I had seen it, at least since the gloomy period when our father died. He was kind as always to me and to his servants – perhaps more so than usual – yet he punished himself without mercy. My brother was never one to shrink from the duties entailed with managing all the Pemberley estates, but now I noticed he pushed himself even harder, as if by diligent work he could drive off the unnamed demons haunting the corners of his mind. In whatever time remained, he doggedly pursued some physical diversion, such as riding or swordplay, to keep himself occupied – anything to avoid idleness. At least, that is the way it seemed to me.

Although now I know that an unprosperous love was to blame, I was very far from suspecting it at the time. I only knew my brother was mightily unhappy. And it went on for months without relief.

William had told me before about some people he met while staying with Mr. Bingley at Netherfield Park, just in a casual way. But the name of Bennet was not mentioned then with any particular admiration. It was only much later, shortly before he introduced Elizabeth to me at Lambton that I began to suspect the truth.

“I have an acquaintance staying nearby that I wish you to meet,” he told me privately that day as we sat together in the south drawing room.

I had only just arrived home to Pemberley with a party from town that same morning and, after taking some refreshment, I had looked forward to spending a quiet afternoon resting from the long journey.

“It is one of the Miss Bennets from Hertfordshire, of whom I told you,” he continued. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who is traveling with the Gardiners, her aunt and uncle. They visited here yesterday, and I promised to return the call after you arrived. We had engaged for tomorrow, but no doubt today will do as well or better. Would you mind terribly, Georgiana, spending another hour in a carriage going with me to Lambton and back?”

Although he had affected a air of nonchalance, I thought I perceived an unusual undercurrent of excitement in his voice… and in his impatience to return the call.

“Do you think it wise,” I asked with some hesitation, “coming in on people before they expect? They may not thank you for it. And neither may your guests here, for deserting them nearly as soon as they arrive.”

“Look about you, dear sister. The entire company, with the possible exception of Mr. Bingley, appears intent on sleeping the afternoon away. If we were to slip out and back quietly, I daresay not one of them will know we have ever been gone.”

It was true enough. Mr. Hurst was already snoring loudly, and the women, though their eyes were open, seemed barely more conscious of their surroundings. Since it was also true that my curiosity had been decidedly aroused to see the lady who had the power to command my brother’s earliest possible appearance, I consented to the plan. With an eager Mr. Bingley joining us, off to the inn at Lambton we drove.

“Can you tell me something about this Miss Bennet, so that I may know what I am to expect?” I asked my brother along the way, nervous as I always was to meet someone new.

He did not answer immediately but looked off into the distance. His visage took on a softened appearance while he, according to my interpretation, pictured the lady’s countenance in his mind’s eye rather than the familiar pastoral scene before him. Then he seemed to remember himself and said, almost brusquely, “She is not particularly high born, but a gentleman’s daughter and therefore a perfectly respectable person for you to have amongst your acquaintance.”

“I do not doubt it. Indeed, it never occurred to me she could be otherwise. But how well do you know her?”

My brother looked to Mr. Bingley, who quickly came to his aid.

“We were very often thrown together with the Bennet family while we were staying in Hertfordshire,” Bingley informed me. “Meryton is a small community, so we saw them at nearly every assembly – public and private. And then of course, Miss Eliza Bennet was several days at Netherfield, nursing her sister who had become ill while visiting us there.”

“Several days?” I repeated, lifting my eyebrows in question. “You must have formed some opinion of the lady in that time, Brother. Did you not?”

He gave a very unsatisfactory reply. “I suppose I did, yes.”

“And what was that opinion?” I gently prodded, when he volunteered nothing further.

“I concluded that she was a person I should not object to knowing better, and one who I hoped someday to introduce to my sister’s notice. Really, Georgiana, I think that will do. You shall judge for yourself in a few minutes when you meet the lady.”

“Only one question more. Is this Miss Bennet musical?”

William gave a tranquil smile. “You will find her very modest of her own claims, but I certainly found nothing wanting in her performance. In fact, I have rarely heard any thing that gave me more pleasure.”

We covered the remaining mile in near silence. I fancy that my brother was thinking of Elizabeth Bennet, as indeed was I, and even Mr. Bingley seemed more contemplative than usual.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner received us when we arrived at the inn – surprised but cordial – after which my brother turned his full attention to their niece.

Georgiana at Lambton 4“Miss Bennet, may I present my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy? Georgiana, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

His countenance fairly glowed when he said it. If this had not been enough to give his feelings away, the alteration in his manner surely would have. I had never seen him more desirous to please, and this in a case where there could be no extraordinary advantage to doing so. The Gardiners, though highly gracious and respectable people, were not of great consequence, and neither could the Bennets be. No, I quickly confirmed it must be Elizabeth herself who was of special interest to my brother. She was the one to whom he wished to make himself agreeable. Therefore it was to her I must make myself agreeable as well, for his sake.

Being thus predisposed in her favor, and with every high expectation soon verified by my own observations, should have cleared away every obstacle. But alas, my shyness, made more profound by the apparent import of the occasion, once again arose to sink my every confidence and confound my speech.

I blushed and stammered. “I… I am very happy… happy to meet you, that is, Miss Bennet.”

Georgiana at Lambton 3“As I am to meet you, Miss Darcy,” she said, looking a little embarrassed herself and likewise anxious to please.

It was my turn to say something, and I could feel my brother, who stood at my elbow, silently urging me to do so. “I hope… I hope you have had a pleasant journey here,” I finally produced.

More standard pleasantries followed, as did Mr. Bingley’s entrance to facilitate the conversation for another half of an hour. I spoke very little, but before we took our leave, I was called on to join my brother in extending the invitation for Miss Bennet and her party to dine with us at Pemberley before they should quit the country.

This I did very willingly if not very fluently. I was already charmed by Miss Bennet – for myself, but more particularly for my brother. She was not his usual sort of female admirer, which I can only imagine he found refreshing. He clearly admired her very much indeed, and I was ready to do my best to promote his happiness, wherever it might be found.

My only concern was for how Miss Bennet and the Gardiners might be received by our other guests at Pemberley, some of whom indulged themselves in airs of superiority, and one (if she were the least bit perceptive) had even more personal reason to disapprove. Miss Bingley, I was certain, would demonstrate a fundamental dislike for the lady who so obviously threatened her long-suffering aspirations in regard to my brother. And so it proved to be…


To read the second half of this chapter, come back next Monday (March 30th).


 

22 comments

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    • Linda Clark on March 23, 2015 at 7:02 am
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    What a delightful start to my early morning! I am so glad you are writing Georgiana’s story as I don’t believe many, if any, exist. You give Georgiana’s character and voice the perception and eloquence as well as the modesty and reserve Jane Austen first bestowed on her. I did take the time to re-read chapter 1 as it has been some time since I first read it. I am looking forward to other glimpses into this, your newest work in progress. When it is finished it will indeed nicely complement “The Darcy’s of Pemberley”. Thank you for giving all of us fans here at Jane Austen Variations, a glimpse into what will be another outstanding book authored by Shannon Winslow!!!

    1. So glad you’re enjoying these chapters, Linda, and I appreciate your confidence in the end product! It’s been a fun and interesting challenge to write a variation on my own book. One of the challenges is having so little from Jane Austen herself to go on, since she doesn’t really say that much about Georgiana, as I wrote on my blog: http://shannonwinslow.com/2015/02/28/the-enigmatic-miss-darcy/ On the other hand, that leaves it open for my interpretation. 😉

    • Elaine on March 23, 2015 at 7:11 am
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    Very enjoyable! I look forward to reading the rest next Monday.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Elaine!

    • Stephanie Mudd Carrico on March 23, 2015 at 8:31 am
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    Always enjoy reading pieces in Georgiana’s voice…she is one of my favorite secondary characters..looking forward to the next installment

    1. She is intriguing, isn’t she, Stephanie? Partly because JA tells us so little about her I think (see link to my blog post on the topic above). Also, she’s a princess of a sort – “the Princess of Pemberley” – has a nice ring to it.

    • RMorrel on March 23, 2015 at 9:09 am
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    You captured Georgiana very well. I look forward to reading the next chapter.

    1. Thanks for the encouraging words!

    • Deborah on March 23, 2015 at 10:00 am
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    I enjoyed getting into Georgiana’s head and reading her thoughts on her brother’s behavior as well as her first impressions of Elizabeth. I thoroughly enjoyed this excerpt from the chapter and am eagerly anticipating the continuation on the 30th of March. Thanks for such a sweet chapter to read upon waking up.

    1. I’m delighted to have started your day off well, Deborah! Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂

    • Carole in Canada on March 23, 2015 at 11:35 am
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    I have always loved that scene and you have captured Georgiana beautifully! I like how perceptive she is and how she gently nudges her brother to provide more information on Elizabeth. Yes, I can’t wait to read next week’s chapter. Maybe we will get more of her thoughts on how Miss Bingley reacts to Elizabeth’s presence. This book should make the trilogy happen!

    1. Yes, the elusive trilogy. How could I ever have imagined I was done writing P&P stories? Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Carole!

  1. Aaah, this flashback was simply delightful!! I look forward with great anticipation to the next installment!

    Thank you for writing for us! 🙂

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. Thanks, Susanne! I’ve really been enjoying sorting Georgiana out and what makes her tick, which has often taken me into her past – the death of her mother, her relationship with her brother, the debacle with Wickham. I only brushed the surface in The Darcys of Pemberley, so there are a lot of big blanks to fill in for this book. Every novel is a new challenge. That’s what makes it fun!

    • Julie on March 23, 2015 at 12:17 pm
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    How wonderful! I like how you’ve found Georgiana’s voice. She is so quiet that it must have been difficult, but you’ve done this beautifully, of course! I just know the full book will be a great addition to your body of work, and my library!

    1. Thanks so much for your encouraging comments, Julie. Sorting Georgiana out hasn’t been easy, but I’m delighted with the way she and her book are shaping up!

    • Carol Settlage on March 23, 2015 at 12:47 pm
    • Reply

    Thank you, Shannon for sharing these delightful excerpts from your latest book. I have read and own all that you’ve written and love your style and as Linda said above, your ability to gently and accurately depict the characters… Georgiana sounds just as I would imagine her to! I look forward to the completion of your book and to next week to enjoy the rest of this story… It is just at one of my favorite parts in the whole P&P story… I wish you could have had something from the previous day’s surprise meeting, but Georgiana wasn’t there yet! 🙂

    1. Thank you, Carol. It’s reassuring to hear I’m on the right track!
      You’re right; I can’t show the scene from the day before because Georgiana wasn’t there. I really enjoy writing in first person, but it does have its limitations. 😉

    • Sheila L. M. on March 23, 2015 at 4:02 pm
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    Thank you for this lovely scene. Looking forward to Monday’s excerpt. This has to be just as JA would have imagined it.

    1. You couldn’t have given me a finer compliment, Sheila!

    • Anji on March 30, 2015 at 3:55 am
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    I’m on catch up here, being VERY behind on blog reading. This was a lovely excerpt, Shannon. It’s fascinating to see the story from Georgiana’s PoV, especially as Jane Austen gave her no lines of dialogue at all in the original.

    1. Exactly, Anji. I felt like she deserved a chance to be heard!

  1. […] at least a partially-missing scene. If you didn’t see part 1 last week, you’ll find it here. And if you’d like to start at the very beginning (or learn more about my books), read […]

  2. […] better along the way. Here, then, is another excerpt (see previous excerpts here: chapter 1, part 1 of chapter 2, part 2 of chapter 2 ). In this one, Georgiana tells how she fell for the villainous Mr. Wickham […]

  3. […] then, I invite you to read the first chapter here and other preview excerpts posted on this site on March 23, March 30, April 27, and May 26. It was so much fun getting to know Georgiana Darcy better as I […]

  4. […] read the first chapter here on my site. Other preview excerpts are posted at Austen Variations on March 23, March 30, April 27, and May […]

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