Mr Darcy's Secret [Paperback]

Having thoroughly enjoyed this authors earlier books I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of 'Mr Darcy's Secret'. The wait has been worthwhile - Ms Odiwe's writing just gets better and better!!! The plot keeps you in suspense to the last and as a lover of gardens and garden history it was an added bonus to have a landscape designer as one of the main characters. The sparkling dialogue had me chuckling - look out for the fantastic 'soft dumpling' scene. Her wonderful sense of place brings the beautiful Derbyshire and Lake District landscapes to life. I loved this book and highly recommend it - my favourite so far - please, please Ms Odiwe bring us some more!

"With little exception, the anticipation of a long awaited and desirous event will always give as much, if not more pleasure, than the diversion itself. Morever, it is a certain truth that no matter how gratifying such an occasion may prove to be, it will not necessarily unite prospect and satisfaction in equal accord."

Once again Jane Odiwe ( Lydia Bennet's Story, Willoughby's Return) delves deep into the Regency to bring to life scenes from Austen's novels. Her third book, Mr. Darcy's Secret follows the fortunes of the Darcys and Bingleys as they embark on their new lives as husbands and wives.

The book begins with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy traveling to Pemberley after their wedding. As Mr. Darcy's wife, Lizzy is confident that "knowing him better, his disposition [is] better understood." But does she truly understand his disposition? Has he undergone so material a change? Does he indeed possess no improper pride? Will she be able to rise to the demands of being `Mistress of Pemberley'. As she becomes "familiarly acquainted with the rooms, rejoicing in them as her home, welcoming to them visitors such as her aunt and uncle", a cloud hovers over her happiness.

Having resolved to "act in that manner, which will constitute [her] own happiness, without reference to any person so wholly unconnected with [her]", Lizzy must face fallout from Lady Catherine DeBourgh and her cronies; village gossips threaten to mar her serenity and Georgiana, so desirous of pleasing her brother, struggles with a wayward, loving heart, which refuses to bend to her self-command.

From the sitting rooms of Hertforshire, to the delights of a Christmas Ball in Derbyshire and a jaunt to the Lake District, the stage is set for another foray into Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, continuing to play with the `what ifs' and `why nots', that linger on after "the day on which Mrs Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters." A dream come true for all those wishing there were just a few more pages, one more glimpse into the lives of Austen's most beloved power couple.

The title is Mr. Darcy's Secret, and mystery and drama abound--- after all, who is Master Tissington? Local tittle-tattle suggests he is an heir to Pemberley, but by whom? Someone is determined not to let the past die. Long forgotten letters, the remnants of a love gone by, may hold the answer, but it is not until a blackmailer threatens to tell all that the key to Mr. Darcy's Secret is discovered, the truth arising from the most unexpected source.

In reality, however, the book might be titled Miss Darcy's Secret, for it is Georgiana's story, as well. Lizzy may be our heroine, but with an artist's delicate skill for revealing detail, one brush stroke at a time, Ms. Odiwe crafts a compelling tale of love and betrayal. New characters are introduced, including the bold landowner, Mr. Calladine and the young Thomas Butler, a brash young landscape designer, son of Mrs. Gardiner's old school friend. Who will win the hand of Georgiana, a young woman determined not to let her heart lead her astray a second time?

Old friends are not forgotten, either. Mr. Collins and Charlotte appear frequently, along with their olive branch, young Catherine (a bonny babe, and as unlike her noble namesake as December is to May) Mr. Bingley's sisters play pivotal roles as do Elizabeth's sister and brother in law, Lydia and George Wickham.

The Gardiners appear several times to steady the Darcy's in their new life and bring common sense and counsel to the young couple. Perhaps the most delightful character is Mrs. Bennet, for here, Ms. Odiwe's ear for Jane Austen's writing is impeccable. One can simply hear Mrs. Bennet (and her longsuffering husband) speak her lines as she comes alive on the pages. It is fitting therefore, that she is given both the first and last word in this novel. Despite her humors, nerves and prattling about, she rests secure, knowing she has done all a mother can for her children:

"My fussing has been very productive. If I had been content to let my daughters follow their hearts willy nilly, they would not have made the matches they have. Jane and Mr Bingley, Lizzy and Mr Darcy, Lydia and Mr Wickham, Kitty and Mr Lloyd..."

Ms Odiwe shines in her ability to write truly of the intricacies of family relationships. As she did in Willoughby's Return, she details the struggles of a young couple's first few years of married life with delicacy and insight. The frustrations and fascination of discovering that at times you hardly know the person you have married must be almost universal. The solidarity of the Darcys in facing each trial with a united front, of Lizzy's determination to trust her husband and Fitzwilliam's admission of his own too hasty decisions must be a model for each young couple starting out. The road is not smooth, nor the way plain, but true love must and will win the day.

A scholar of the Regency period, as well as an artist herself, Ms Odiwe is able to paint a picture of Jane Austen's era with deft strokes that bring the customs and manners of the day to life. Her descriptions of the Lake District are conveyed with an enthusiasm and familiarity that make you feel as though you were there in the midst of the wild crags and misty peaks.

As with her past books, I tore through this novel (to the detriment of not a few household projects!) and eagerly look forward to the day when I can share her works with my own small daughters. It is a delight to find an author whose work is not only well crafted but tastefully executed, modest enough for even the youngest reader.

I'm obviously in a minority at the moment with this book as I have given up reading a third of the way through. This is the first P&P sequel/rewrite I have not finished (and I've got lots). I'm sure I will go back to it some time but I did not find the story line very believable as true to Jane Austen's era. SLIGHT SPOILERS. I could not imagine Lizzy sending the shy and impressionable Georgiana off to a lonely part of Pemberley with a young man she had only recently met, on her own. Lizzy might have been feisty but she understood propriety and in this case it was definitely lacking. She would have known that Darcy would be incandecsent at the idea! Georgiana would also have known not to accept a gift from a man she had only just met. Marianne Dashwood might not have cared, but Georgiana would know she shouldn't accept a gift from a man to whom she was not betrothed. This might not seem that important, but I have reached the ball scene where the repercussions of this are felt and that's when I gave up. Still as I say, I might have to finish it one day and I might choose to change my review.