Pride & Prejudice… and Fossils?

Want to a sneak peek of my new novella? It’s getting towards the finish line, though it’s looking more like a short novel than a novella at the moment. It’s a low-angst, high-banter look at what Darcy might have been like if his parents had still been alive when he met Elizabeth. If he hadn’t taken on responsibility for Pemberley and Georgiana at age 22, how would he have filled his days with no responsibilities? Would he have become one of the young men about Town, caring only about amusing himself? Or would he find another interest?

My next story has my answer to that question. My Darcy fills his empty days with a passion for paleontology (a word that didn’t exist in 1812, but I’m using it as shorthand). Fossil collecting and natural history were growing in popularity in Regency England, although the famous fossil-hunter Mary Anning was only a pre-teen at the time. Unfortunately for Darcy, fossils could also be controversial in the Regency, since the Church and the government insisted the world was only 6000 years old, and it’s criminal heresy to say otherwise. Darcy’s father wants him to give up his little hobby because of the potential scandal and criminal charges, so he sends him off into the Hertfordshire countryside with his friend Bingley to keep him away from those troublesome Royal Society fellows who only encourage him. Unfortunately for old Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet has some ideas on this subject….

Here’s a fun excerpt – no angst, no cliffhanger, just Elizabeth and Darcy doing their thing!

***

By the next day, Elizabeth’s long-standing curiosity had overtaken her reluctance to speak to Mr. Darcy, and she sent a note off to Longbourn. A few hours later, a response came in the form of a somewhat ragged boy carrying a wooden box which he refused to surrender to anyone but Miss Lizzy herself.

“No need to worry, Jacky,” Elizabeth said with amusement. “Pray set it on the table.”

The boy lowered the small chest with more gentleness than his appearance would have suggested.

Elizabeth smiled at him. “Thank you. That will be all.”

Jacky gave her a cheeky grin and sauntered out.

Miss Bingley put her elegant nose in the air, clearly displeased by the presence of such a person in her elegant drawing room. “Something very precious from Longbourn, no doubt.”

“Only to me,” Elizabeth replied. She eased open the lid of the box. “It is nothing but a few fossils I collected as a child. I thought to take the opportunity to ask Mr. Darcy about them. I doubt they are anything special, but I would be curious to know more about them.”

Darcy put his book aside instantly and came to her side, craning his neck to see into the box. Taking the first fossil Elizabeth handed him, he turned it over several times, running his finger over the ridges of it. “An ammonite. Not an uncommon one, but a very fine specimen.”

“I found several others that were similar, but this was the best of them.” She pulled out a round fossil dotted with lines of indentations. “This was another of my prizes.”

He looked this one over more carefully, bringing it close to his eyes, then making a rough measurement with his fingers of the distance between indentations. “An echinus – a sea urchin of sorts. I do not recall seeing one precisely like this, but I will have to compare it to my books.” He reached into the box himself and took out a funnel-shaped fossil. “Where did you find these?”

Elizabeth hid a smile at his lack of restraint. Who would have thought the staid Mr. Darcy would show such eagerness? “At Longbourn. There is an old chalk pit beyond the sheep pasture. My sisters and I played there as children.”

His attention, so firmly fixed on the fossils until now, snapped towards her. “There is a chalk pit at Longbourn, and you did not tell me?” From his tone, one would have thought she had hidden the crown jewels deliberately to spite him.

With a laugh, Elizabeth said, “There are a great many things at Longbourn I have not told you about, sir, and you would find me tedious indeed if I did. Had I known of your fascination with chalk pits, I would certainly have informed you immediately.”

Miss Bingley edged closer to Mr. Darcy. “Miss Eliza, I imagine you have had little experience with such educated gentlemen, or you might have realized its value to a natural scientist.”

Elizabeth pursed her lips. “How right you are, Miss Bingley! I should have known better. Instead of asking Jacky to fetch my box of fossils, I ought to have told him to bring the entire chalk pit.”

This bit of repartee went unnoticed by Mr. Darcy, who had taken the funnel-shaped fossil to the window and raised his quizzing glass to his eye to study it more closely, first from one angle, then another.

Miss Bingley said, “What is it, Mr. Darcy?”

“An alcyonite,” he replied absently. “Can you show me the way to this chalk pit, Miss Bennet?”

“I would be happy to do so.”

“Shall we go, then?”

Elizabeth’s eyebrows shot up. “This very minute, sir?”

“Why not?”

Bingley said, “Because it is almost dinnertime, and it will be growing dark shortly.”

“I promise you, Mr. Darcy, the chalk pit and any fossils therein will still be there in the morning,” said Elizabeth with a laugh.

Although he had no choice but to accept that answer, he did not let the topic drop, first asking Elizabeth further about what she had found in the chalk pit, and then disappearing into the library with her fossils, with only the briefest of hesitation to ask her permission to do so.

When he did not appear at dinner, Bingley ordered a tray to be sent to him. “Darcy will not emerge until he has solved whatever mystery is puzzling him. For your sake, Miss Elizabeth, I hope it will be soon, since he will not be pleasant company for you tomorrow if he stays up all night with his books.”

Shaking her head, Elizabeth said, “I did not mean to disrupt his plans. I hope I did not annoy him with my questions.”

“Annoy him? Hardly! Darcy is never happier than whether he is poring over the details of some strange fossil, or looking through his pile of books in which each picture looks exactly like the one before it. He loves his studies and despises being idle.”

Miss Bingley, although not seated next to Elizabeth, could not remain out of the conversation. “Mr. Darcy is a scholar, and a very fine one. It is not for the rest of us to understand all that he can see in a simple rock.”

Elizabeth took a sip of her wine. “I promise I will speak to him with all due respect,” she said with mock seriousness.

After dinner, Elizabeth declined the offer to join the others in a game of cards, since she wished to check on Jane. Light spilled out the door of the library as she made her way upstairs. Curious, she could not resist taking a peek inside.

Pencil in hand, Mr. Darcy sat at the large table covered with open books and loose papers, surrounded by several flickering candles and two lamps which together produced more lighting than Elizabeth had ever seen used in one small space at night. One of her fossils sat directly in front of him, and judging by his frown, he found it quite displeasing.

Amused, Elizabeth said, “I hope my fossils are not causing you any distress, sir.”

He looked up, squinting as he tried to make out her figure in the shadows by the door. “Not at all, Miss Elizabeth. It is only my own limitation as a draughtsman that troubles me. I would like to consult one of my colleagues about this, but I have been unable to render it well enough for a drawing to be useful.”

Taking that as an invitation, she crossed the room and leaned over the table. A rough, imperfect outline of the funnel-shaped fossil – what had he called it, an alcyonite? – covered the paper beside him, showing the signs of many rubbed-out lines. He had not been exaggerating; she had seen better drawings done by children. Noticing the lines of fatigue around his eyes, she held out her hand for the pencil. “May I?”

He gave it to her, his countenance revealing nothing as she turned the fossil slightly and corrected several of his lines, adding some shading to show the general shape. “Is that better?”

“Much.” His expression was self-deprecating. “Would you be able to add in the indentations along the edge, or do I ask too much?”

“Of course.”

“It is important for their spacing to be an accurate representation if he is to make an appropriate identification.” He sounded like a school master.

Once she had completed the additions, she handed it to him. “I hope this will help.”

“Very much, I thank you. Your assistance is timely. I wish I had your talent for drawing.”

She laughed. “I have no talent for drawing, at least as it is judged as a skill for young ladies. My portraits and landscapes are embarrassing at best. Fortunately for you, the one thing I can manage to reproduce with some degree of competence is a still life.”

He seemed hardly to have heard her. “This is what I need. Usually ladies want to add watercolors and soften the lines, and that is worse than useless to a scientist. We prefer a plain, accurate representation.” He gestured to one of the books before him which was open to an engraving of several similar fossils.

“If it suits, then I am glad of it. Now, if you will excuse me, I must check on my sister.”

“Of course. I am sorry to have troubled you,” he said stiffly.

“It was no trouble. I will see you in the morning.” She was almost out the door when she heard his voice behind her.

“Miss Elizabeth…”

“Yes?”

He spoke stiffly. “If you would prefer to remain by Miss Bennet’s side tomorrow, I will certainly understand if our trip to the chalk pit must be postponed.”

Elizabeth hid a smile at the effort this polite declaration had clearly caused him. “Unless she takes a turn for the worse, I believe she can do without me for a few hours.”

***

Well, what do you think? Will Darcy get in more trouble with his father over the chalk pit fossils or the impertinent country Miss?

34 comments

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    • tgruy on May 10, 2021 at 12:21 am
    • Reply

    When will this one be ready??

    1. No idea, I’m afraid! My muse isn’t being as cooperative as I’d like.

    • Katie on May 10, 2021 at 12:37 am
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    What a unique premise! Sounds fascinating. I look forward to reading more!

    1. Thanks! It’s been fun learning some of the history of science in Regency times.

    • denise on May 10, 2021 at 12:43 am
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    sounds delightful

    1. Thanks!

    • K Harding on May 10, 2021 at 12:53 am
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    Charles Darwin was only born in 1809, and The Origin of the Species published in 1859. His theories were actually not considered contentious by the Christian church in Victorian times: https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/darwin-vs-god-did-the-origin-of-species-cause-a-clash-between-church-and-science/

    1. You’re quite right about Darwin’s dates, but the discussion of and controversy about evolution predated Darwin by many decades. Darcy’s issues had nothing to do with Darwin. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s work, including his 1801 Système des animaux sans vertèbres, was highly influential in Darcy’s time, and his evolutionary theories were considered to be politically supportive of the French Revolution and the equality of man, making them anathema to British politicians. I’m no expert of Church history, but the Regency-era C of E did prosecute cases of heresy against natural scientists who disagreed with their view that the earth was only 6000 years old. Darcy, like every other student at Oxford or Cambridge, was required to sign the Thirtynine Articles, and he could be prosecuted for publicly claiming that fossils were not all animals killed in the Flood.

    • JoEllen on May 10, 2021 at 1:48 am
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    This was fun seeing this aspect of Darcy; dependably rude, aloof and superior, yet changed due to his passion for knowledge. When he turned to Elizabeth and said “There is a chalk pit at Longbourn, and you did not tell me?”  You made me snort, good thing I’m alone!
    Darcy must have been as insulting as usual since Elizabeth is reluctant to speak with him. Too bad, it seem to me he is more open to her as a fellow fossil collector, beyond class or consequence, they could at least bond intellectually. Thanks for sharing this new way to characterize our hero, science was blowing up the longheld, rational view of creation, I can see the young gentleman you describe being able to indulge his cravings to learn.

    1. Thanks! In this story, Darcy has insulted Elizabeth in the usual way at the assembly, and she’s also overheard him criticizing her family to Bingley, so she’s quite annoyed at him. But the fossils do let them bond much earlier. The idea of Darcy as a passionate scientist really does feel like a natural fit if he has none of the responsibilities we’re used to seeing.

    • John E Rieber (aka John Karlsson) on May 10, 2021 at 4:15 am
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    A wonderful plot fragment! When do you expect to finish it? (If you continue, that is. 😉

    1. Maybe in the next couple of months? I have another story in the early phases that I’m also working on, and so it’s unpredictable what the Muse will demand. 🙂

    • Meg on May 10, 2021 at 10:50 am
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    Wonderful, I hope it ends up a full fledged novel. Certainly, Darcy will have more internal problems to solve with Elizabeth than his father. His father may add to Darcy’s angst, but in the end it has to be Darcy’s own hesitation that’s the primary problem. And that problem is his feelings for Elizabeth.

    1. Darcy has a lot of reasons for hesitation. His father is still in perfect health, so it could be 20 years before he inherits, and in the meantime, he’s dependent on his father for an allowance. If his father disapproves of his marriage, the allowance can disappear, and then Darcy has no way to support a wife. We don’t tend to recognize today that Darcy has unusual freedom in choosing a wife simply because his parents are dead, but it makes a huge difference.

    • Mary A Coble on May 10, 2021 at 11:12 am
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    A lovely premise. I look forward to the release. I see a future of Darcy and Lizzie collaborating on a book – as husband and wife.

    1. What a lovely idea!

  1. What a focused scientist your Darcy is! Lovely dialogue and character development here, Abigail, but that is no surprise! Best of luck as you finish your book!

    1. Thank you, Christina! It’s been fun to write Darcy as a scientist.

  2. Ohh, I can’t wait to read this one, Abigail!!! It’s already quite fascinating!! And I could really do with some “educated fluff” right now!!

    Many thanks in advance for writing exactly what I want to read, LOL!! 😉

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. Thanks, Suzanne! Yes, fluff is just the thing for right now, isn’t it?

    • J. W. Garrett on May 10, 2021 at 5:21 pm
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    Who knew the way to Darcy’s heart was to draw an accurate fossil rendition for him or take a stroll with him to the local chalk pit? This sounds like fun. I can’t wait to read it. Blessings on this new work.

    1. Thanks! It’s an interesting switch from noticing Elizabeth for her intelligent expression, but it seems to work!

    • Marie H on May 10, 2021 at 6:10 pm
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    I always enjoy it when Darcy has a separate interest/accomplishment other than his duties at Pemberley. This sounds like an interesting one. Looking forward to reading it.

    1. I do too! There’s something about him having an interest that he wasn’t born to, isn’t there?

  3. This certainly is interesting. I grew up in an area with lots of fossils and arrowheads so this sounds normal to me.

    1. I grew up with arrowheads, but no fossils. I always wanted fossils!

  4. Oh, this is so sweet!
    ‘From his tone, one would have thought she had hidden the crown jewels deliberately to spite him’ LOL

    1. I liked that line, too!

    • Sabrina on May 11, 2021 at 2:18 pm
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    This is a very interesting and refreshing premise! I agree with you, that Darcy would never be idle. This version of him is really fun to read, especially as he’s so passionate about the fossils I don’t think he even notices Elizabeth as a woman at the moment. But I’m sure this will change soon😊. And I’m very curious how the dependence on his father’s approval will influence his decisions. Please keep on writing this story!

    1. So glad you’re intrigued by the premise, too! It really does change so much if his father is alive.

    • Catherine on May 11, 2021 at 7:31 pm
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    What a fun peek at their relationship! Can’t wait to read the story. Thanks sharing the scene.

    1. So glad you enjoyed it!

    • Jen D on May 19, 2021 at 2:39 pm
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    I loved the discussion between Darcy and Lizzy, especially in getting her to draw that fossil. I cannot wait to read more of this.

    • Christine on October 7, 2021 at 8:59 am
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    When will this be available?

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