Pamela Aidan, Duty and Desire

Duty and Desire

Pamela Aidan

Touchstone, Oct 2006, $14.00

ISBN: 0743291360

Fitzwilliam Darcy hides in London to be away from his obsession, Elizabeth Bennet. Still out of sight does not mean out of mind as he constantly thinks of her even as he decides he must find a lady suited to his lofty station. He spends the Yuletide holiday with his younger sister Georgiana who seems to be finally overcoming her long bout of melancholy caused by her poor relationship with Wickham. Darcy also feels good that Bingley has ended his courtship of Elizabeth's sister Jane though he thinks that his friend loves the girl and he ponders why there is something about these Bennet women.

In his quest to find a wife equal to him, Darcy attends a country-house party hosted by his Cambridge classmate Lord Sayre. However, he finds rusticating with the Ton depressing as the males behave poorly and the women conspire to find either husbands or if not, married lovers. His host's half-sister turns Darcy on as he finds himself attracted to her, but Lady Sylvanie has her own woes and dark secrets.

The second "Pride and Prejudice" offshoot, Duty and Desire is more Pamela Aidan's tale than the first book (see An Assembly Such As This) as the author takes Darcy on new adventures in his quest to get over his infatuation. Elizabeth for the most part never appears except in Darcy's mind. The storyline brings to life the Regency era with its pompous caste system so that fans of the period will appreciate the country party at Norwycke Castle and Georgiana's turn to charity to lift her broken heart out of melancholia. Well written and fun to follow, however like many readers, this reviewer knows Jane Austen, Ms. Aidan is good, but she's not Jane Austen.

Harriet Klausner