Mr. Darcy's Secret

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. Moreover, it is a certain truth that however gratifying such an occasion may prove to be, it will not necessarily unite prospect and satisfaction in equal accord. Mrs Bennet’s musings on the affairs of the day at Longbourn church were similarly divided. The ostrich feathers on her satin wedding hat quivered tremulously as she surveyed her surroundings with a self-satisfied air. Evening sunlight streamed through the long windows of the sitting room gilding her hair and silk pelisse, simultaneously burnishing the top of Mr Bennet’s polished pate with a halo of amber softness.

“Hardly has a day passed during the last twenty-three years when I have not thought about my daughters’ nuptials with the certain foreknowledge that my beautiful Jane and clever Lizzy would do their duty to their parents, their sisters, and themselves,” said Mrs Bennet to her husband on the day that her eldest daughters were married.

“Yes, my dear,” Mr Bennet replied with a wry smile, “even when you professed your resolution that they should both die old maids not two months ago, I am sure you knew better in your heart.”

“Such weddings as Longbourn and, indeed, the whole county have never seen before,” exclaimed Mrs Bennet, fingering the new lace about her shoulders with an air of appreciation whilst ignoring her husband’s bemused comments. “Not that there were some matters that would have pleased me better had I been allowed to have a hand in the arrangements myself. I should have liked to host a party if I had been permitted, but Elizabeth did not think it fitting. I am sure our neighbours would greatly have appreciated the celebration, but who am I to be considered? I am only the mother of the brides married to two of the richest men in the kingdom! It is not as if it was a question of money. I am sure dear Darcy would have liked it if not for Elizabeth’s opposition. Still, it was something to see the condescension of our neighbours; I daresay Lady Lucas will not feel herself so superior now. But truly, nothing will vex me today; all has surpassed my greatest expectations.”

“I am glad to hear it, my dear, because without a doubt, if such long anticipation had been disappointed in some way, I am not entirely sure I could have borne the next twenty-three years with the same equanimity.”

“Who would have thought it, Mr Bennet,” said his lady, talking over the top of him, “that I should live to see two of my daughters so exceptionally advantaged in married life?”

“Quite so, my dear,” replied he, “though I must add that however well placed I believed my daughters might find themselves, I had always planned on exceeding my own five and forty years to witness their felicity. Indeed, possessing the knowledge that your own long surviving line of aged relatives are still thriving as I speak, I must confess that I am a little astonished to think you had supposed to be dead before our daughters attained the matrimonial state.”

“Oh, Mr Bennet, you speak such nonsense. But you will not tease me out of my present happy disposition. And, I must say, I received some comfort from the fact that Miss Bingley and her sister Mrs Hurst were forced by a rightful sense of obligation and due civility to treat our family in the correct manner today. Oh, yes, Mr Bennet, I cannot tell you how much it gratified me to see the smug, self-satisfied expressions they generally display upon their ill-favoured countenances quite wiped away. I thought Miss Bingley looked likely to choke when I turned to see Elizabeth and Jane walking down the aisle by your side.”

“I did not observe any greater condescension towards our family than that which they usually bestow, Mrs Bennet,” replied her spouse, “though I must admit I did not really pay them any great attention. My own thoughts and looks were only concerned with our dear girls.”

“What a double blow it must have been for Miss Bingley. I expect all the while she was hoping that Mr Darcy might break his promise to Elizabeth and leave her at the altar. And I am sure, whatever she might have said on welcoming Jane to the Bingley family, that the sincerity of her wishes was entirely false. Well, I cannot help feeling our advantage over those Bingley women. And Mr Darcy was as charming and obliging as ever. I think him quite superior to dear Mr Bingley in many ways, even if I hadn’t always liked him.”

“I’m sure Mr Darcy would be delighted to hear it.”

“I daresay he would, for he certainly needed to earn my good opinion after the way he strutted about Hertfordshire with his proud ways. However, I’m not entirely convinced by Lizzy’s partiality, whatever she might protest on his having been misunderstood and winning her round. A man ought to have a tongue in his head, indeed, especially a man of such consequence.”

“I should hate to hear you on the subject of despising a man if this is your approbation, Mrs Bennet. And I loathe to be contradicting you once more, but I cannot agree with you. I believe Lizzy to be very much in love with Mr Darcy, as much in love as dear Jane is with her Mr Bingley.”

“Well, I certainly think I might fancy myself in love if I knew I was married to the owner of Pemberley, with a house in town and ten thousand a year, at least!”

“I am sure such good fortune helps love along. No doubt, my own prospects animated the feelings you had whilst we were courting.”

Mrs Bennet looked at her husband in exasperation. “Oh, Mr Bennet, it was nothing like the matter. There is no comparison. The wealth of Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley is a hundred times your consequence, as well you know. La! With Jane and Lizzy so well married; ’tis enough to make me distracted!”

“I am pleased to discover our poverty is in no way dispiriting to your outlook, my dear. But I cannot join you in your exertions. I find myself feeling most melancholy. I am delighted that I need not worry that our daughters will suffer any lack of wealth or hardship; but despite the satisfaction these assurances bring, I cannot help but add that I shall miss them very much.”

At this point Mrs Bennet burst into tears. “With my dearest Lydia so lately married and now Jane and Lizzy having left home, I shall have little to do, especially now Mary and Kitty will be gone to their sisters by the bye. I do not know what shall become of me; indeed, I do not. I shall be quite alone in this house with only my memories coupled with the dreadful understanding that William and Charlotte Collins are counting the days to your demise. What misfortune to have our estate entailed away for that odious pair to inherit. It is all Lady Lucas ever talks to me about these days: of her daughter’s delight at the prospect of being able to return one day into Hertfordshire.”

“Come, come now,” insisted Mr Bennet, passing over a pocket handkerchief and rising from his seat with the intention of leaving the room. “I see no reason for tears. I am sure one or all of your daughters will accommodate you when that unhappy day befalls you and, until then, I flatter myself that you will have the comfort of knowing that you are not entirely alone. I am here, or at least I will be when I am not away.”

“Away! Do you intend to leave me, sir? Where are you going, Mr Bennet?”

“To Pemberley, of course,” came his emphatic reply.

“To Pemberley and you never said a word of it. But do you intend to go alone and without an invitation?”

Mr Bennet stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I suppose if you should wish to accompany me, then you may enjoy your share of the invitation.”

“An invitation! Has Lizzy invited us to Pemberley so soon?” asked Mrs Bennet, scarcely able to keep the astonishment out of her voice.

“No, Mr Darcy himself, no less,” came the triumphant answer, “has not only issued the invitation, but also expects us for Christmas!”

Mr. Darcy had a life before he met, feel in love with, and married Elizabeth Bennet. What if during this life, Mr. Darcy had a past that he was ashamed of and did not want to share with his new bride? What could be this shameful secret?

This is the plot of Jane Odiwe’s new novel, Mr. Darcy’s Secret. While the secret is a large part of the plot, the secondary story line is also intriguing. Georgiana Darcy is growing and loves having a new sister in Elizabeth. She meets an intriguing landscape designer in Lambton, Tom Butler that is entirely unsuitable for her. Fearing to disappoint her brother after the Wickham affair, Georgiana tries to please her suitor Hugh Calladine, a neighbor of fine family and fortune that also happens to be in love with another woman. Will Georgiana find true love?

I love Jane Odiwe’s style of writing. Her writing has a lively wit that makes the scenes come alive. Odiwe writes the beloved characters of Pride and Prejudice in the same style as Jane Austen. I had many times throughout the novel that I laughed at something Mrs. Bennet, Lydia Wickham, Caroline Bingley, etc. said or did that was so in character and so clever of Odiwe’s writing.

I also enjoyed the plot of this novel. I really wanted to know Mr. Darcy’s secret! As I read along though, I realized that even more than Mr. Darcy’s secret, I really wanted to know what would happen to Georgiana and Tom Butler. Tom Butler was the “Elizabeth Bennet” of this story, so unsuitable, but yet, so attractive. He said and did things that were not always proper, but were more truthful than the proper people such as Hugh Calladine.

Overall, Mr. Darcy’s Secret was a witty novel with an intriguing premise and great love story that kept me reading too long into the night. I recommend it for all lovers of Pride and Prejudice.



1.No one is Jane Austen but Jane Austen.
This being said, it is very important to realize that no one can perfectly carry on Jane Austen’s voice. No matter what the author does, there will be a part of them in it, a part that is not Jane Austen at all. There are however, certain things that can be Austen-esque, so to speak. Certain attributes of a novel that can make it so close to Jane Austen’s work that the novel can be called a sequel.

•Characters – This is incredibly important. Does the new book feature the same characters and personalities as the previous classic? Do they act and react in a way that could have been done in the previous book? Do they hold the same vibrancy that Jane Austen created?
•Dialogue – This is very important because this is the literal voice of the book. When a reader follows along in a conversation, they want to believe that it is actually being said, believe that the conversation really is taking place. Whether or not the characters really speak with the same mannerisms and colloquialisms is very important when carrying on another author’s work.
•Imagery – Detailing is the heart of a novel. How an author weaves the images that show readers what happen, rather than simply telling them what’s happening can make or break a novel. Detailed imagery creates a world that is not make believe anymore, but an actual memory in the reader’s mind, a place they have been to in their mind’s eye and can go to again.
•Flow – When carrying on a previous author’s work, the books must flow perfectly one to the other. They must seem like two integral pieces of a whole and make one another better instead of detracting from each other.
The reason for noting these points is to reveal how pleasantly surprising it was to read how effortlessly Jane Odiwe undertook each one. Mr. Darcy’s Secret carries on Jane Austen’s work in Pride and Prejudice in such a way that I oftentimes felt like I was reading Jane Austen’s writing. While still having her own voice in the novel, Jane Odiwe has meshed the two stories together in such a way that it does a tribute to Jane Austen’s work.

The writing style, flow, and imagery are perfect in Mr. Darcy’s Secret. The characters are another thing entirely. Somehow, the author managed to resurrect Jane Austen’s characters and bring them to life in a way that was beautifully done. These characters do not just hold the name of their original counterparts in Pride and Prejudice, they are the original characters, in body and soul.

While staying true to Jane Austen, Jane Odiwe wove a tale full of life and love in this Regency romance fiction novel. With new characters, and a very surprising plot line, Jane Odiwe has created a literary work of art worthy of every Jane Austen fan’s book shelf. Taking place where Pride and Prejudice took off, this novel begins with the marriage of Mr. Darcy and Lizzy Bennet. Throughout the book, Jane Odiwe makes the characters real to the readers and provides a backdrop that reveals their normalcy, making the characters easy to relate to, especially for newlyweds.

A beautiful part of this book is the spotlight given to Mr. Darcy’s sister; Georgiana. How she handles a new lady of the home, and how she carries on with her life are integral parts of this novel. Many of the original characters make their appearances but new characters are created and often steal the show. Lizzy is now living at Pemberley, and as such, makes a great many new acquaintances. The ties that are formed, and of course, the secrets that are revealed, make this novel hard to put down.

Being very passionate about all things Austen, Jane Odiwe has written three books that carry on the classic author’s work. Besides Mr. Darcy’s Secret, Jane Odiwe has written Willoughby’s Return and Lydia Bennet’s Story, all Regency romances put out by Sourcebooks Inc. Publishing House. Jane Odiwe has also written and illustrated a true work of art through Paintbox Publishing entitled Effusions of Fancy: Consisting of Annotated Sketches from the Life of Jane Austen in a Style Entirely New. Living in North London and Bath, England, I would think Jane Austen would consider Jane Odiwe a suitably accomplished lady.


This Pride and Prejudice sequel starts immediately after Elizabeth and Darcy are married with a reflection between Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet. It’s a silly little discussion where Mrs. Bennet preens and discusses the good fortune of her daughters and laments that Mary and Kitty are not yet situated. It sets the mood and gets you ready for a fun little tour through Jane Austen’s world of romance.

From there it goes into the meat of the story. Elizabeth loves Darcy, but his thunderous moods are upsetting. She thought they had disappeared but she realizes that he still needs help managing his anger. She endeavors to do so, especially when he’s in public to soothe things over with everybody else.

In the meantime Elizabeth is settling nicely into her new life at Pemberley. That is until she finds evidence of things lurking just beneath the surface of her happy marriage that disturb her. Darcy is being secretive about something, possibly even lying to her face.

There’s even more to George Wickham’s story. We learn why Mrs. Younge was so helpful in George’s plans to seduce Georgiana. Does what Elizabeth discover have any connection to Darcy’s behavior or with hidden love letters she found by accident or with a young man of uncertain parentage?

Elizabeth is not sure she wants to know but few other options she must discover the truth and decide for herself what facts are true and which are fabrications designed to split her marriage apart.



Jane Odiwe explores a very different avenue with Jane Austen’s characters in her new book, Mr. Darcy’s Secret. This Austen inspired novel picks up the story of Darcy and Elizabeth after their wedding and readers will be captivated by Odiwe’s take on what happened after Pride and Prejudice. With so many prequels, sequels, and variations on Austen’s works, Odiwe has carved out a niche of her own. She isn’t going the traditional route and that makes all the difference.

Elizabeth and Darcy have married and Elizabeth must carve her own niche in the fabric of Pemberley. As she is busy learning her place in the daily running of the household, she has many obstacles to overcome. It isn’t happily-ever-after just yet. Elizabeth focuses on trying to help Georgiana overcome her crippling shyness, while also working to resolve issues between Darcy and Lady Catherine. One day she unexpectedly comes across some old love letters that may be Darcy’s and as she begins to hear rumors, she starts to question is past and what he was like. Will one secret jeopardize the life they are trying to build together?

One of the things that I really appreciated from Jane Odiwe was the fact that she went a different direction from most of the Austen inspired fiction that I have read. Most of them tend to take minor characters from Austen’s original works and give them their own story. In Odiwe’s novel, she gives the characters from Austen that we love, Darcy and Elizabeth and gives us more. She expands on what we know about them brings us details that we may have never thought of before. We just expect that Darcy was always the prim and proper man we have come to know. We just expect that Caroline Bingley just fades into the background and we don’t hear much about her again. Odiwe proves us wrong and I really liked that.

Odiwe’s writing style is very engaging and the plot takes off quickly and draws the reader in. Once the rumors start to fly, the story really falls into a good pace and things are revealed in a very timely manner. I thought the author’s ideas about a secret can really destroy a relationship were spot on. Honesty is such an important issue in any relationship and I thought Odiwe really brought that out. I liked the way she showed that rumors can start and more importantly how they can really hurt people in the process. I found the author’s themes were valid and very realistic and I loved the way she used Darcy and Elizabeth to show readers some valuable lessons on how to treat each other, having faith in your partner and never letting anything come between you.

I recommend this one to Austen fans as well as fans of Austen fan fiction and Austen inspired fiction. This is a great book, with a strong plot and characters we have learned to love.



Mr. Darcy’s Secret is the first book that I have read by author, Jane Odiwe, and I have to say she has captured the essence of Jane Austen’s writing. Filled the decorum associated with the era, and filled with remarkable plot twists, and sub-stories, I could not help but to fall in love with this book. Graceful writing fills each page, and I loved the way she has captured the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. If you are looking for a Pride & Prejudice continuation that stays true to the original, then Mr. Darcy’s Secret is the perfect book for you.




Mr. Darcy’s Secret, the latest novel from author Jane Odiwe, is a story that explores the life after Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy say “I do.”

Picking up where Austen left off, this novel begins with the newlyweds’ journey to their home in Pemberley. Once settled in, Elizabeth begins to learn what is expected of the mistress of Pemberley, as well as her duties as a wife to Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth finds fast friendship with her new sister-in-law Georgiana. The two women accompany Mrs. Gardiner on a visit to an old friend, and it is there that Georgiana encounters a young man who is appealing in both his looks and his artistic sensibilities. But Mr. Darcy has plans for Georgiana to marry an older gentleman with whom they are all acquainted. Will Elizabeth’s encouragement of a romance between Georgiana and the young artist put a wedge between their new marriage?

After discovering that she is pregnant, Elizabeth finds a letter from Mr. Darcy to a past lover, Viola, the sister of Mr. Wickham. And when Wickham and Caroline Bingley become involved in spreading more rumors about her husband, will Elizabeth have the strength to confront Mr. Darcy? And all of these secrets or suspicions prompt an even larger question: just how well does Elizabeth know her new husband?

Odiwe’s novel is an intriguing look into marriage and compels the reader to ponder many questions. How well can you really know someone before you marry them, and can a marriage survive the mistakes of the past?

Unlike most of the Austen sequels that have come out in the past few years, Mr. Darcy’s Secret is true to the time – in language and custom – and to its characters. Though some of the plot twists are a little unbelievable at times, Odiwe brings everything full circle in a way that would make Miss Austen very proud.




“Odiwe picks things up where Austen left off in Pride and Prejudice, in an impeccably crafted tale of Elizabeth and Darcy after the wedding. Elizabeth arrives at Pemberley with her beloved husband Fitzwilliam, certain that her life could not get any better, and at first, everything seems fairy-tale perfect. Even if a few people, most especially Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourge, still seem to have their noses out of joint about the marriage, almost everyone else wishes the new couple a long and happy life together. The honeymoon seems to be over, though, once Elizabeth discovers that not only can Darcy still be quite stubborn, especially when it comes to letting his younger sister Georgiana decide her own future, but also that her new husband has a secret past that threatens to wreck their marriage.”

Format: Paperback

Dimensions
Length: 7.75 in
Width: 5.75 in
Weight: 14.00 oz
Page Count: 368 pages