Georgiana Darcy: A Sequel to
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
by Alice Isakova
July 1, 2018
ebook; paperback: 307 pages
Historical Romance
With her temptingly large dowry, the beautiful and talented Georgiana Darcy catches the eye of numerous suitors, not all of whom wish to marry purely for love. As Georgiana navigates the treacherous waters of courtship, her story becomes intertwined with that of Anne de Bourgh, her wealthy but painfully awkward cousin, who stirs up trouble when she sets her sights on a young gentleman with a rank far below her own. In so doing, Anne encounters the opposition of her proud and domineering mother, the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and sets in motion a chain of events that brings a damaging secret to light and threatens to destroy Georgiana's dreams of happiness. Intrigues, gossip, and elopements further complicate Georgiana's efforts to find love and avoid the snares of fortune-hunters.
Written in a sparkling, witty, humorous style on par with Jane Austen's own in Pride and Prejudice, Alice Isakova's Georgiana Darcy continues the tale that has delighted readers for over two centuries.
The following excerpt scene takes place in Bath's Sydney Gardens, where Georgiana is taking a stroll with a group of friends, among whom is a young gentleman by the name of Mr. Grey. They have just entered the labyrinth – an elaborate maze of shrubbery that was once an iconic feature of the gardens, but which sadly no longer exists. Shortly after walking into the labyrinth, Georgiana and her companions happen to overhear a conversation that was not intended for their ears.
For a minute or two, the company walked silently, each of them contemplating both the sweets and the difficulties of the married state. Close by in the labyrinth, they could hear the muffled sound of voices, where two young ladies were apparently strolling in a neighbouring corridor. Their conversation was not very audible at first, and only occasionally could a word such as 'dancing' or 'ball' be faintly made out; but as Georgiana and the rest walked on, the volume of the speech became sufficiently high that the party could hear the ladies' dialogue quite clearly.
"How handsome is Mr. Grey!" exclaimed one of them.
"Such melting, blue eyes, such a fine form, and so amusing too!" agreed the other. "I do not think I have ever met a man whose manners or person I liked more, which makes me all the more determined to have him for my husband!"
"What makes you think that he will choose you over me?" came the indignant reply.
"Well, for one thing, he danced twice with me at the ball and only once with you," was the answer.
Georgiana could scarcely restrain herself from laughing. Glancing at Mr. Grey, she was highly amused to see that he looked somewhat discomfited. What she heard next, however, sobered her countenance considerably.
"Do not buy your wedding clothes just yet, Fanny," said one of the ladies. "If I were you, I would instead give some thought to Miss Darcy, with whom Mr. Grey seemed quite taken at last Thursday's ball. He appeared to prefer her society to either yours or mine, and if you ask me, she seemed far from objecting to his attentions. If we do not act quickly, she will become Mrs. Grey before you or I do."
Her confidante asked, "What do you propose we do?"
The first one answered, "For a start, Mama must invite Mr. Grey to dinner. Unless we see more of him, how is he to fall in love with one of us?"
Although Mr. Grey was not in the habit of blushing, in general, on this occasion his face was the shade of a raspberry, and Georgiana was coloured to match. They both faced straight forward and did not once dare look at each other. Perceiving their mortification, Mr. Amherst suggested that they all leave the labyrinth to explore some other part of the gardens. This proposal being eagerly agreed to, the company turned around to go back the way they had come. They rounded one corner, then another, and when they were approaching the third, suddenly those same chattering voices rang out again, but this time they were quite near—just on the other side of the wall of green, in fact. Instead of moving further away from those faceless damsels, as was intended, they had meandered directly towards them! It was too late to do anything about it now, unfortunately. A moment later, the talkative pair appeared from behind the shrubs.
The unknown speakers were thus unmasked; they were the Miss Pheasants, the same two girls whom Miss Brydges had taken the trouble of bringing to Mr. Grey's notice at the ball in the Upper Rooms. The sisters' embarrassed astonishment was beyond description. They stared, they gaped and looked as if they wished to disappear. The clipped hedge all around had given the sisters a false sense of invisibility and solitude, but seeing Mr. Grey and his fellow walkers now, they realised that the footsteps they had heard while discussing the gentleman must have belonged to him and his friends.
No dignified means of escape being possible, the Miss Pheasants were obliged to acknowledge their acquaintances and say a few polite words, but afterwards they hurried away deeper into the labyrinth as quickly as their feet could carry them. For a considerable length of time after that awkward encounter and the conversation that had preceded it, Georgiana could not gather sufficient courage to utter more than a few syllables. How mortifying it was to have had herself and her suitor discussed so explicitly, and in others' hearing too! What must Mr. Grey be thinking at this moment? The idea was too agonising for contemplation.
About the Author:
Alice now lives with her family in rural Tasmania. She spends her free time either writing or pursuing her passion for fitness, especially the disciplines of rhythmic gymnastics, yoga, and ballet. Georgiana Darcy: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is Alice Isakova's first book.
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