Darcy and Anne
Readers of Pride and Prejudice will remember that Darcy had a cousin called Anne de Bourgh, daughter of the formidable Lady Catherine. They will also remember her as a sickly, unattractive little thing that her mother hoped would catch Darcy’s fancy. But suppose she had the opportunity to spread her wings and flourish?
In this delightful sequel to the great novel Anne gets the chance to do just that. En route to Pemberley for a visit there is an accident that leaves Lady Catherine laid up at an inn. Anne has to get word to her cousin, and thus begins a remarkable transformation leading to love and more. I’ve read other Pride and Prejudice sequels but this is one of my favourites for several reasons. I enjoyed the way in which it concentrated on a minor character rather than the further adventures of the more major ones only as most of the sequels seem to. Nor does it tell the story we already know from another character’s perspective, but builds cleverly on what is already there and takes it in a different direction. Here, too, is an author who can tell her tale in a suitable voice, and in remarkably few pages while filling those pages up with enough incident to satisfy the reader. I will be looking out for more from this author, and if you enjoy Regency romances you will surely enjoy this one.
