It is a truth universally acknowledged that a restless reader in possession of a quiet evening must be in want of a mystery. Should that reader, moreover, happen to be a devotee of “Pride and Prejudice” or an admirer of the detective stories of Baroness James of Holland Park, more commonly known as P.D. James, or ideally of both, one may safely surmise that “Death Comes to Pemberley” will be the must-have present of the holiday season. In its stately yet witty pages, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy (the latter nee Elizabeth Bennet) find themselves caught up in a murder case, one complicated by romance, a family curse, ghostly apparitions, dark doings and, not least, the reappearance of their old nemesis, Mr. Wickham. What’s not to like?
Six years after the marriage of Mr. Darcy to Miss Bennet, the couple are happily settled at Pemberley. They have two healthy sons, ages 5 and 2. In nearby Highmarten reside Elizabeth’s beloved sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, and their three children. The two families often meet for dinner, and old Mr. Bennet regularly visits his favorite daughter, usually spending most of his time happily ensconced in the library. Having quickly won over the servants and the local people, the new mistress of Pemberley has brought a springlike vitality to the household and grown to love her new life.
More from Michael Dirda
Michael Dirda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post Book World and the author of the memoir “An Open Book” and of four collections of essays: “Readings,” “Bound to Please,” “Book by Book” and “Classics for Pleasure.”
When the novel opens, it is the day before Lady Anne’s ball, the great yearly celebration honoring the memory of Darcy’s mother, and Elizabeth is worried. Not about the ball itself, but about Darcy’s sister, Georgiana. Once nearly ruined by the smooth-talking and unscrupulous Wickham, Georgiana is now a handsome but quiet young woman in her 20s. In recent months, it has grown clear that two very different men have fallen in love with her: Darcy’s cousin Col. Fitzwilliam and a young lawyer named Henry Alveston. Georgiana would never marry without love, but, as Elizabeth knows, neither would she marry without Darcy’s approval:
“And what if it came to a choice between Colonel Fitzwilliam, his cousin and childhood friend, heir to an earldom, a gallant soldier who had known Georgiana all her life, and this handsome and agreeable young lawyer who admittedly was making his name but of whom they knew very little? He would inherit a barony, and an ancient one, and Georgiana would have a house which, when Alveston had made his money and restored it, would be one of the most beautiful in England. But Darcy had his share of family pride and there could be no doubt which candidate offered the greater security and more glittering future.”
That night before the ball, the Darcys, Bingleys, Col. Fitzwilliam, Alveston and Georgiana gather for a rather subdued dinner:
“The atmosphere was not helped by the tempest outside. From time to time the wind howled in the chimney, the fire hissed and spluttered like a living thing and occasionally a burning log would break free, bursting into spectacular flames and casting a momentary red flush over the faces of the diners so that they looked as if they were in a fever.”
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