I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew it had begun.
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is an incredibly proud man. He knows his status and refuses to associate with those beneath him. However, he cares deeply for his younger sister. She is his main focus. He will do anything to protect Georgiana. After halting the marriage between his beloved Georgiana and the horrible George Whickam, he takes to the country to accompany Charles Bingley in his search for a home. When they happen upon Netherfield, Bingley is taken with the home and means to take it, but Darcy has his reservations. Nevertheless, Bingley rents Netherfield and they return a week later and meet the neighbors of the countryside.
It is then that Darcy first meets Miss Elizabeth Bennett. Upon first meeting her, he believes her to be merely average and too opinionated for a proper young lady. And her family? If there was a worse group of people, Darcy couldn't remember. However, through his stay in the country, he finds himself drawn to the company of Miss Bennett. She isn't like the ladies he has come across and isn't afraid to challenge or tease him. Is what he's feeling appropriate? Does he mean to take her as a wife? Is he so arrogant as to assume that she will accept him no matter what?
If you've read Pride & Prejudice, then this story sounds familiar to you because this is that story. It's just from Darcy's perspective. I thought that that reversal was fantastic. The feelings you have towards Darcy in the original story hold true in this version. I hated him from the beginning and I loved him dearly by the end. The evolution of his character is so much deeper with this side of the story and it's so exciting. I'd be lying if I said I didn't giggle through most of the second half when he realizes how deeply he loves Elizabeth and how wrong he had been in so many respects. Just to clarify: I do not giggle, so this is a big deal. I had read Grange's Captain Wentworth's Diary and absolutely loved it, so I was definitely expecting a lot from this one and it did not fail. If you are a Jane Austen nerd like I am, I definitely recommend this. Or any of Grange's work, to be honest.
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