My P&P Trilogy

There is a certain mystique about a trilogy, and I think most novelists dream of writing at least one – one that’s important, acclaimed… and preferably available as a beautifully boxed set! That was my dream.

Actually, when I wrote my first Pride and Prejudice sequel, I didn’t know there would be more. The goal was just to carry Darcy and Elizabeth into their married life and tell the story of Georgiana Darcy’s courtship. That’s what I did in The Darcys of Pemberley. But then my muse kept asking me, “Yeah, but what happens after that? What about Mary and Kitty? What happens if Mr. Bennet dies? Who inherits Longbourn, since you killed off Mr. Collins?” (My apologies if this news comes as a shock to you.) Importunate questions, indeed! And when the answers started popping into my head, I knew I had to write another book… or maybe TWO more books. Aha! That was it: a trilogy! How cool would that be?

So I set about plotting what would happen in the two books to follow – or my version of plotting, which means developing a vague idea of where I’m headed and then finding the most interesting route to get there as I write. But that’s where my plans took a detour.

In book number two, Return to Longbourn, I picked up the story a few years later when, sadly, Mr. Bennet does die, leaving his wife and two unmarried daughters to deal with the new heir to Longbourn: Mr. Tristan Collins (the much more attractive brother of William Collins, deceased). The book got off to a fine start, and then one of the characters sort of hijacked the story and went galloping off in a direction I hadn’t expected.  (Yes, they CAN do that sometimes without the author’s consent!) The result was a lot of fun and a much better book than the one I had originally planned. Yay!

So what’s the problem? Well, when I was finished with Return to Longbourn, all my loose ends were tied up in very neat little bows; there were no threads dangling, nothing left to spin into a third book. I had a pair of lovely novels, yes, but no trilogy. So disappointing!

I must have said it a hundred times – explaining to readers in what order these books should read: “First, you need to be familiar with Pride and Prejudice, since the other two books are sequels to it. Then read The Darcys of Pemberley next, and Return to Longbourn last.”

It finally occurred to me that I ALREADY HAD MY TRILOGY! Austen had written the first volume, and I had followed with number two and three. Three books united by common characters, settings, and themes: that’s a trilogy. Right? And I certainly didn’t mind sharing billing with Jane!

As for the boxed set, that remains a dream for now. But I couldn’t resist having my graphic designer whip up this virtual version in the meantime.

What do you think? Wouldn’t it look splendid sitting on your bookshelf? *sigh*

Since this revelation first hit me, of course, I have gone on to author three more P&P novels to date  – Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley, The Ladies of Rosings Park, and Fitzwilliam Darcy in His Own Words (as well as several other Jane Austen inspired books). But these expand the story laterally rather than extending the series chronologically. So I’m sticking with the group above as my official Pride and Prejudice trilogy. Otherwise, I guess I could get a bigger box?

You may notice there are no P&P “variations” on this list. Why not? I guess I’m just sappy enough to believe there’s only one true story for the characters I’ve grown to love, and Jane Austen wrote it. And so I amuse myself with adding onto rather than varying from canon. It’s more of a world-building approach. I delight in expanding on what Jane Austen gave us and filling in the blanks in the record with prequel, sequel, and supplemental views. What was Mr. Darcy doing all the time he’s absent from the page? What happened to Colonel Brandon in India? And how did our favorite couples fare after the wedding? Inquiring minds want to know, and I’m happy to deliver the answers!

So that’s the story of my P&P trilogy. I didn’t so much write it as discover it! Have you read it yet? – in the right order? Are you a big fan of trilogies in general? Which other Austen book would you like to see me extend into a trilogy?