Duty and Desire (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #2) by Pamela Aiden
I read the first book in this write, An Assembly Such as This, about ten years ago and postponed continuing the series. I always meant to finish it, but I never got around to it, there are just so many books to read.
However, this year I am really trying to complete series, and have finally decided it was time to read book two.
The previous book, An Assembly Such As This, retold the story of Pride and Prejudice, but from Darcy’s point of view. We see life before going to Longbourn all the way to their abrupt departure after the Netherfield Ball. The author did a great job of showing how his feelings evolve from when Darcy snubs Elizabeth to where he is giving her second thoughts and falling for her.
Book two, Duty and Desire, picks up where book one left off and takes place in December making this a Jane Austen holiday book. Just wanted to let you know if you are looking for more to read in December that Yuletide and Holiday Mix Tape.
While the first book was a wonderful read, I was really interested in where Pamela Aiden would go with this second one as this is the time we have no knowledge of what Darcy is up to as Elizabeth is far from him. It could go very well, or it could go very wrong…
Darcy is back in London and is dealing with the philosophical dilemma of wanting to be a good Christian man and practice forgiveness with his desire for revenge and justice against Wickham, something even more deeply on his mind with it being Christmastime.
He spends Christmas with his family, telling Colonel Fitzwilliam what happened in the fall, back in Longbourn, discussing Georgiana, and other cousinly subjects. I really enjoy this time spent with Darcy and his cousin and seeing how close they are. I thought that was a very good addition to the story.
Darcy also spends time with Bingley and we see more of their relationship and that Darcy honestly thought Bingley wasn’t as serious about Jane, nor her about him. I like seeing them as buddies.
Darcy also can’t stop thinking about Elizabeth, having the desire to propose, but the duty he has to his family keeping him from pusuring her (hence the title).
I also love that this book continued to show the relationship between him and his sister and highlighted how much he cares for her. In this story Georgiana is given a minister’s widow as a companion; this friendship and faith in God helping to heal her from the trauma of Wickham.
After much thought and deliberation, Darcy decides he needs to be serious about his life and start looking for a suitable bride. Taking up this mission will also help him out Elizabeth forever out of his mind and give Georgina another new friend to confide in.
Although, suitability does not always promise the marriage will be a good one, as his cousin’s (Colonel Fitzwilliam’s older brother) fiancé is from a good family; but is very desirous of male attention and while she has promised her hand to the Viscount; she has no problem lending out other parts of her body.
With thoughts of Elizabeth always at the forefront of his mind, Darcy decides to risk it and move forward with his plan, accepting an invitation to Norwycke Castle. There will be several ladies of the ton in attendance and he can spend time with them to see if they will be the next Mrs. Darcy or if he should cross them off his list. One of them is Lady Felicia, his cousin’s fiancé, who is trying to throw a wrench in Darcy plan as she is hoping to add Darcy to her list of accomplishments.
So while I had been enjoying this book, once we went to the castle I found it extremely difficult to put down. As soon as we entered the castle gates the book switched from historical fiction to a gothic tale. And you know how much I love Gothic fiction.
At Norwycke Castle there is quite the party collected but the most important members are the Sayre family, who own the Castle. Sayre is the head of the family and a degenerate gambler who’s lifestyle is bankrupting the family. His younger brother, Beverly, is angry at the circumstances, knowing he would have been better at maintaining the facility if only he had been born the elder son. Lady Sayre, his wife has a secret desire that she will do anything to have come to fruition.
If that wasn’t enough elements, it also turns out that Sayre has a half sister Darcy had never met before. After his mother died, Sayre’s father remarried an Irish woman and had a daughter. Like Mrs. Dashwood and John Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, Sayre is not close to his stepmother or half sister. After his father died he evicted them from the family home and sent them back to Ireland. He would never have let his sister, Lady Slyvanie, return…except her mother died and left Sayre property in Ireland, with the caveat that he will only inherit IF he brokers a marriage for Slyvanie. He needs the property to pay his debts, and he needs to marry his sister off. Cue the invitation to Darcy.
Darcy finds himself tangled in multiple webs at this fête as one person tries to gamble him out of his inheritance, one attempts to trap him in a tryst, the marriage minded mamas are constantly plotting, one young lady is constantly trying to maneuver him into a forced marriage, and of that wasn’t enough he suddenly is thrown into a gothic mystery.
One night, Sayre’s brother Beverly, tells a ghost story about a henge on the property called the whispering knights. Legend says a son tried to kill his father and steal his inheritance, but the son was outwitted. The son and those he had turned over to his side were cursed and transformed to stone, forever returning to warn any future heir that threatens the legacy of their father.
From there on Darcy spots a mysterious figure with a candle walking at night, and is privy to discovering a dead child who turns out to be a swaddled piglet. What is the purpose of this, to scare? Threaten? Murder?
And who is behind it? One of the party? A member of the dysfunctional Sayre family? Lady Slyvanie’s creepy maid?
Darcy and his valet start investigating and discover witchcraft, betrayal, a goosebump inducing maid that would be best friend with Mrs. Danvers, and more.
After all this time with the ton, Darcy has become disgusted with the way the people act. He longs for people who are not committing constant manipulation, who are not completely obsessed with themselves, and who actually understand loyalty, fidelity, and honesty. Even while Bride hunting he still hasn’t been able to get Elizabeth out of his mind, and after this fiasco he longs for a women who speaks her mind and is who she says she is; no pretensions.
This was fantastic! I enjoyed every page of it and could not stop reading.
I think it did a great job of showing Mr. Darcy’s thought process, especially that switch from being all about “duty” and family honor to go after his “desire”. Some people have criticized Austen’s work saying that they felt the turncoat of Darcy’s affections were out of left field; (I have never felt that way), but if you did feel that sentiment, Aiden makes it clear that the feelings were always smoldering.
The whole mystery, gothic tone, and witchcraft was completely unexpected although after spending a minute with those people I too would hightail it back to the picturesque village of Longbourn.
It was a fantastic book and I am even more eager to read book three.
Although I probably won’t get to it until late May or June.
For more books by Pamela Aiden, go to An Assembly Such as This
For more on Pride and Prejudice, go to Undeceived: Pride & Prejudice in the Spy Game
For more mysteries, go to Spill the Tea: Lyon’s Tea + Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: The Secret Adversary
For more Gothic fiction, go to Catherine Morland’s Reading List: Dangerous to Know (Lady Emily Ashton Mystery #5)
For more books based on Jane Austen’s works, go Sense and Second-Degree Murder
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