Only Mr. Darcy Will Do

Elizabeth Bennet wrapped the cloak tightly around little Emily, bending down with a smile as she straightened it.

“There! I believe you are ready.”

“Thank you. I am sorry I dawdled and needed you to help me get ready.” She looked up at Elizabeth with pleading blue eyes.

“Will you not join us this morning, Miss Bennet? Why do you never attend church services with us?”

Elizabeth took the little girl’s hands in her own. “You ask me that every week, and every week I tell you. Your mother and father have been so kind to me that on Sundays I am free from my duties so I may visit my family. I accompany my sister, Jane, and my aunt and uncle and little cousins to the church they attend in their neighbourhood.”

The little girl pouted. “But today is Easter! I do not know why you cannot spend the day with us.”

Elizabeth patted Emily’s head. “You have me for six days a week. I would think that you would prefer to have one day without me. Besides, when we are in the country this summer, I shall be with you every day. I dare say you will tire of me then and wish to have some time away from me!”

Before the little girl could respond, her mother called from downstairs. “Emily, we are about to leave. Are you ready?” Emily looked toward the door, then sadly back at Elizabeth. “I think I would enjoy church much better if you were there with me.”

“That means a great deal to me, Emily. And one day I shall join you, but not today. Now walk downstairs like the little lady you are. I will be late if I do not hasten and get myself ready.” Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as she watched her ward turn and skip down the stairs.

Each week Emily’s plea was the same, but Elizabeth knew that once Emily was with her parents, she would be all but forgotten.

As Sunday was her day off, normally Elizabeth did not have any responsibilities with Emily. Today, however, the young girl needed some additional help readying herself, so Elizabeth gladly assisted her. With that task now behind her, Elizabeth could look forward to her day with her family. She would accompany them to church and then visit with them throughout the afternoon and evening. This was the highlight of her week. For the remainder of the week she was governess to six-year-old Emily Willstone. Elizabeth hurried to ready herself. She knew her uncle’s carriage would arrive shortly, and she did not wish to be late.

When she was finished dressing, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes took in the grey dress she wore and how pale her face appeared. It was one of two grey dresses she owned and wore while in half-mourning. She also had two black dresses that had been her complete wardrobe for her days of full-mourning. She still had a little over a month of mourning remaining and she wondered whether she could ever go back to wearing colours again. Her grief was still as fresh and strong as it had been the day her father died.

In the waning of spring last year, just as the days were growing in length and warmth, Mr. Bennet was unexpectedly taken from them. A trip Elizabeth had planned to take with the Gardiners up north was cancelled. Her youngest sister, Lydia, was sent home from Brighton, where she had been staying as a guest of Colonel Forster and his wife. Jane’s loss of Charles Bingley’s affections was now swallowed up in the loss of her father. The family grieved together and consoled one another. Elizabeth, being the one who had the strength of character, was the one everyone turned to, yet it was she who suffered the deepest grief in the loss of her father.

While Elizabeth tried to encourage everyone to be strong, there was an underlying uncertainty that each of the Bennet ladies shared. With Longbourn entailed away to their cousin, Mr. Collins, he now had every right to claim it as his own. Whenever Mrs. Bennet brought up the dreaded subject, Elizabeth and Jane would do their best to assuage her fears that they would not be left homeless and destitute. As was feared, however, several months following Mr. Bennet’s death, the Collinses sent notice that they would indeed be moving to Longbourn at the beginning of the new year. Charlotte Collins, Elizabeth’s good friend, assured the family that they could remain in their home as long as they required, but Elizabeth knew she could never live at Longbourn when it was no longer theirs, and neither could she live under the same roof as Mr. Collins.

With strong urging from Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet moved into the nearby village of Meryton with her sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. She brought her three youngest daughters to live with them. The Phillips’s children were grown and married, and the couple was able to take the Bennet ladies into their home, although there was not as much ample space as they had enjoyed at Longbourn.

Elizabeth suggested early on that Jane move to London with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, their mother’s brother and wife, as governess for the Gardiners’ four children. Jane was delighted when Elizabeth herself secured employment as a governess for a family in London. With this arrangement, the two close sisters could still occasionally visit.

The Willstones, the family for whom Elizabeth worked, hired her when it became apparent to them in their initial meeting that she and six-year-old Emily seemed to get along quite nicely. Despite Elizabeth’s lack of formal education, she impressed them with her knowledge of the basic accomplishments. While explaining she learned much from her own love of reading and self-teaching, she did have access to a few masters who lived in the nearby town of Meryton.

Richard and Lorraine Willstone were exceptionally kind and generous, allowing Elizabeth time off on Sundays to visit the Gardiners and her sister. While Elizabeth was grateful for the employment, it was not a life she had ever envisioned for herself.

A piercing recollection interrupted her musings of Easter spent in Kent exactly one year ago. She shuddered as she thought how much had changed since then.

What if I had…?

No! She stamped her foot. She would not reproach herself for refusing those two marriage proposals. The first one, Mr. Collins, she could never have agreed to. The second…

A knock at the door announced that the carriage had arrived.

She pushed away that last thought.

As the carriage drove her through the streets of London from the more fashionable neighbourhood to the less fashionable neighbourhood near Cheapside, Elizabeth looked forward with much anticipation to her day. She would listen with joy to all her aunt and sister had to share about their week, and she would recount to them how her own had passed. It would certainly prove to be a more agreeable Easter than last year.

When she arrived at the Gardiners’ home, she handed off her coat and gloves and eagerly walked into the breakfast room, where a warm meal was being served. She was greeted warmly and profusely.

“Good morning, Lizzy! Happy Easter!” her uncle exclaimed, and he rose and walked over to her, wrapping her in his arms.

“Thank you, Uncle. And a joyous Easter to all of you.” When her uncle released her, she walked over to Jane and gave her a hug.

“How are you, Jane?”

“I am well. And how is my dearest sister?” Jane asked.

“Delighted to be here.” Elizabeth let out a soft laugh. “As much as I love Emily, the joy of my week is being with all of you.”

“And how is little Emily?” her aunt asked as Elizabeth motioned for her to remain seated.

“Her usual self,” answered Elizabeth as she walked over and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. “She was a little slow this morning getting ready for church, so I gave her some assistance. She went through her usual custom of not wishing to leave without me. I hope I am not late.”

“Dearest Lizzy, do not worry about being late. We have plenty of time,” her aunt reassured her.

Many Pride and Prejudice fans often have “what if” moments. What if Elizabeth accepted Darcy the first time? What if they had met previously and were kind to each other? What if Elizabeth was forced to accept Darcy, knowing he was still very proud? Author Kara Louise has answered some of these questions and more in her six Pride and Prejudice variation novels. Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, originally tiled Something Like Regret, is the second of author Kara Louise’s self-published novels to be re-issued by Sourcebooks. Her first novel Darcy’s Voyage quickly gained her notoriety in the Austen fan fiction world as an incredibly creative variation author.

A year after his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy is returning to Rosings Park for his annual sojourn to his aunt’s grand estate. During his journey he reflects upon his last visit and wonders what Elizabeth Bennet is doing now. He has no idea that she is now working as a governess in London for the Willstone Family. Mrs. Bennet’s worst fears about the entail have come true. Mr. Bennet has died the previous spring and the Collins’ have taken possession of Longbourn, displacing the Bennet ladies and forcing Elizabeth to find work. Her sister Jane now lives with their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London, and Lydia, Mary, Kitty and Mrs. Bennet are residing on the good graces of the Phillips’ in Meryton.

In London Elizabeth often reflects on how different her life would have been had she accepted the proposals of Mr. Collins or Mr. Darcy, acknowledging in her heart that she did the right thing in rejecting them. She does recall the proposal from Mr. Darcy with sadness, recognizing he might not have been as horrible of a man as she thought. Her feelings for him soften as she re-reads the “Be not alarmed, Madame,” letter he wrote to her following the proposal. One evening the Willstones throw a dinner party at which Mr. Bingley and Georgiana Darcy are guests. Mr. Bingley is shocked to see Elizabeth there as a governess and comes to learn the of Mr. Bennet’s death. When the party is over Mrs. Willstone’s sister Rosalyn comes to Elizabeth’s room because she is surprised that Elizabeth is acquainted with the Darcy family. Rosalyn opens up to Elizabeth, telling her that she has been in love with Mr. Darcy her entire life, that from their first meeting she knew he was the man she wanted to marry. Elizabeth must curb her jealousy and hide her previous dealings with Darcy from Rosalyn for fear that she might lose her job.

Elizabeth soon finds herself thrown into Darcy’s social circle due to his acquaintance with the Willstone’s, which soon results in an invitation for all to Pemberley. Elizabeth, thinking that Darcy is falling for Rosalyn, tries to tell the family that the invitation is not meant to include her. They tell her that he specifically invited her as well, thus beginning their journey to Pemberley. The more time that Elizabeth spends in Darcy’s acquaintance the harder she beings to fall for him. Her behavior however is checked by Mrs. Willstone as she tells Elizabeth that she is not to join them after dinner, she is after all just a governess. Will Darcy save her from her dreary life as a governess or is it too late for there to ever be a future between them?

I have to start out first by giving those of you who want to read this novel a quick warning. You WILL read this book from start to finish in one sitting, so don’t be like me and start it as you’re going to bed. I didn’t go to sleep until 3:15am, I was that hooked.

I was introduced to Kara Louise with her first novel Darcy’s Voyage and have been anxiously awaiting her next novel. It couldn’t have come any sooner. Her writing style is completely captivating. You become so engrossed in the novel that it’s impossible to put down. The storyline is so original and so creative. It’s amazing how asking “what if” to one small section of the story changes the plot entirely.

Even though the plot line is changed, Kara stays true to the characterizations that Austen created. Elizabeth is still strong willed and quick witted while Darcy has checked his pride at the door and just wants to win Elizabeth’s heart. Bingley and Jane are just as generous and kind as ever, while Lydia is still throwing her virtue all over the place. Kara introduces many strong and multi-layered new characters that could have been straight from the pages of Austen’s original works, only enhancing the story further.

Creative, engaging and reverent to Austen’s characters, I cannot recommend Only Mr. Darcy Will Do enough. If you’ve never read anything by this author, then I highly suggest you jump on the bandwagon and read everything she’s written. There is a rumor going around that Sourcebooks might pick up another of her self-published books, and let me tell you, it would be an incredibly smart move on their part if they did.





Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is a “what if” book building on the characters and somewhat on the plot of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In this instance, the author, Kara Louise, chose to diverge shortly after Darcy’s horrendously inappropriate proposal to Elizabeth and her curt and hurtful refusal. Darcy writes Elizabeth a letter detailing his involvement with Mr. Wickham and explaining his reasons for separating Mr. Bingley and Jane. Elizabeth returns to Longbourn from Rosings just as she did in the original work. That’s when things change. Mr. Bennet falls ill. Elizabeth doesn’t go on the trip with her Aunt and Uncle Gardner. And more importantly, when Mr. Bennet dies, Lydia is called back from Brighton before she can elope with Mr. Wickham.

The death of Mr. Bennet means that the Collin’s inherit Longbourn. Elizabeth persuades her mother to move in with her sister, Mrs. Phillips, and her husband. Jane moves in with the Gardiners in London to help with their children. Elizabeth takes a position as a governess with Mr. and Mrs. Willstone to care for their daughter Emily — a very precocious six-year-old. The stage is now set and the story spins out from this point.

The Willstones live in London which allows Elizabeth to visit the Gardiners and Jane on her Sunday’s off. They also travel in the similar social circles as the Darcys and Bingley. Mrs. Willstone’s sister Miss Rosalyn Matthews comes to visit the family and for some of the London social season. It was a chance invitation that brought Miss Darcy and Mr. Bingley to the Willstones on a day when Emily had been asked to sing for their guests while Elizabeth played the piano for her. Bingley’s surprise was genuine and sincere. However, since Elizabeth and Rosalyn were becoming friends it also led to Rosalyn confessing her admiration and respect for Mr. Darcy and her hope that she could secure his love.

As you can imagine this throws Elizabeth into a quandary as now she has realizes just how much she misjudged Darcy and somewhat regrets her refusal of his offer of marriage. She’s now a governess and if Rosalyn and the Willstones begin to entertain the Darcys, it will be painful for her as her first encounter with Darcy shows.

How will things turn out? Will Elizabeth’s change in circumstances prohibit Mr. Darcy once again asking for her hand in marriage? Will she have to stand by and watch as Rosalyn vies for his attention and regard? Does he even still care for Elizabeth?

Those of us who are fans of the book have definite ideas about how the questions should be answered. But will the author oblige? You’ll need to read the book to find out how or if she manages to have our two favorite characters interact.

Kara Louise is very respectful of Austen’s characters and the feel of the story as well as the interactions of the characters are believable while following naturally from the new story line. There are also no sex scenes, just plenty of romance and witty dialogue. The writing is such that you could believe that if Austen had been a bit more romantic and less pragmatic, she could have written this story.

Once again I was enchanted by characters I admire and enjoy reading about and by Louise’s style, wit, humor, and story telling.

If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice variations as much as the follow-ons, you really need to read Only Mr. Darcy Will Do by Kara Louise, unless of course you’ve already read it when it was published as Something Like Regret.


Kara Louise’s Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is stunning, eloquent, and just plain wonderful. It is one of the best Pride and Prejudice variations I’ve ever read! I loved it so much that as I was nearing the end I kept wishing for more pages to magically insert themselves in the back of the book. Have you ever wished that were the case too when reading a really good book? I wanted to devour the ending and yet savor it because I knew there wouldn’t be any more. A keeper for sure!



Let me preface this review by saying this: I love Pride and Prejudice What-If’s. I have ever since I read Abigail Reynolds’ Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World. I can’t help loving the idea of what would happen if Jane Austen’s plot was changed. We all know that Lizzy and Darcy will end up together no matter what, but if their journey to matrimony is changed, how will everything work out?

Kara Louise’s new(ish) book, Only Mr. Darcy Will Do (This book was originally self published as Something Like Regret) takes the reader on Elizabeth Bennet’s journey towards a life with Mr. Darcy when all hope seems to be gone.
This where Louise’s plot deviates: Mr. Bennet dies in the spring, so Elizabeth’s trip to the north with the Gardiners is cancelled and Lydia is brought home from Brighton before anything indecorous happens with Wickham. Mrs. Bennet and the three youngest move in with Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Bennet’s sister. Jane Bennet moves in with the Gardiners to serve as their governess, and Elizabeth finds work with the Willstones family as a governess to their precocious daughter Emily.
The Willstones are currently in London, so Elizabeth is an easy distance from her sister Jane with whom she spends her Sundays off. At the start of the novel, Elizabeth, while visiting the Gardiners, learns that Lydia has returned to the regiment and the Forsters. The regiment has been removed from Brighton and is now in Stratford. Knowing what she does of Wickham, this concerns Elizabeth greatly.


While serving the Willstones, Elizabeth becomes acquainted with Rosalyn Willstone, Mrs. Willstone’s sister. Elizabeth and Rosalyn become fast friends, and Elizabeth’s lonely life now doesn’t seem so dire. Rosalyn confesses to Elizabeth that she is in love with a gentleman of high rank, who is a social acquaintance of her family. She is distressed because he doesn’t seem to notice her. You might begin to guess, and you’d be right, that this gentleman is none other than Mr. Darcy.
And so Elizabeth is thrown back into the path of Mr. Darcy, where now she is of an even lower class, and though her feelings begin to change, she is sure that she can no longer possibly be an object of desire for him. She must sit by and counsel Rosalyn on how Rosalyn might catch Mr. Darcy.
It’s not long before Elizabeth encounters Darcy again. She also is reacquainted with Mr. Bingley, who is still single and clearly still in love with Jane Bennet.
Elizabeth has more time to observe Darcy’s character than she does in the original text. When the Willstones and Elizabeth are invited to Pemberley for a fortnight, she sees his beautiful estate, and gets to know his shy sister Georgiana. She learns that he is not only a smart, proud man, but also a devoted brother, landlord, and friend. Lizzy must now convince Darcy that she has changed her opinion of him, but the added difficulty of Rosalyn’s pathetic attempts to ensnare him, the Willstones disapproval of her "intimacy" with such a high ranking family, and her new situation in life makes the couple face more troubles than ever before. And then there is Lydia who, in Louise’s book, cannot escape her fate with Wickham....
You will not be disappointed with Louise’s tale of Elizabeth and Darcy. Though we know Darcy and Lizzy will end up together, their journey to love is still exciting, unpredictable, and sigh inducingly romantic. The couple certainly faces more challenges, but that only makes the end result more satisfying.

RATE:


Kara Louise is gifted in her writing of the Regency era, and her characterization of Lizzy and Darcy is spot on with Austen’s original vision. Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is the ultimate romantic tale for those who simply cannot get enough of Lizzy and Darcy. I give it five wax seals.


A nice twist added to this Austen fiction.

Poor Mr. Bennett has passed, leaving Elizabeth and the rest of the family with no home and no prospects. Elizabeth is forced to take a position as a governess. While watching a budding romance unfold between Mr. Darcy and a relative of the family she works for, she begins to see the man that she turned down in a new light. Now it’s too late to even change her mind though. Her position is even lower than it was. Just as she realizes her heart’s desire, she realizes it’s too late to ever obtain it.

At this stage in the game, there are two major items that I judge Austen fiction on. First, is it readable and enjoyable or is it dry and a nightmare to read through? What has the author done to make this book stand out among the rest? We all know and love the characters and the settings. That doesn’t normally change. Basically, it comes down to flow and creativity for me. With this book, Kara did extremely well. I can’t say it’s the best Austen fiction I’ve read, but it’s right near the top of the list.

Once I began reading last night, I wasn’t able to put it down. Kara kept me guessing at how everything would unfold. We have all the major beloved characters, but some of the more annoying and gruesome ones have been replaced with new ones. These new characters are created in such a way that you love to hate them. I’m not a revenge person, but I kept praying for a horrible accident to take care of these nasty creatures.

As for creativity, this is the first book I’ve read where Mr. Bennett dies. I’m not saying it’s the only one out there, but it’s the only one I’ve read. I can clearly see Kara sitting at the dinner table one night and her mind saying ’But...what if Mr. Bennett dies? That changes everything....’ and her rushing from the table to start putting everything on paper. With one simple creative change, Kara has produced a new story from a tale retold repeatedly.

Austen fiction fans will love this. If you’ve not read any Austen fiction, this is a good place to begin. You don’t have to know the characters to love them and delve right into the story.

Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, originally self-published as Something Like Regret in 2008, is another superior Pride and Prejudice variation by Kara Louise. In this inventive retelling, Mrs. Benent’s gloomy predictions about Mr. Bennet’s death preceding her own have unfortunately become a reality and Mr. Bennet passes away shortly after Elizabeth’s return from Hunsford Parsonage. Thus effecting quite a few alterations to the plot’s original course: Lydia is forced to leave Brighton early, Elizabeth is denied her trip up north, and Charles Bingley never returns to Netherfield Park. In addition, due to their reduced circumstances, Jane and Elizabeth must move to London and earn their keep as governesses; Jane for the Gardiners and Elizabeth for a family by the name of Willstone.


While working as a governess, Elizabeth makes several new friends in the Willstone family, one being her little charge Emily, a precocious and perceptive six year old (whom I adored!), the other being Rosalyn Matthews, the unmarried sister of Mrs. Willstone. Rosalyn seems like a lovely friend until she confides in Elizabeth her secret schemes of marrying the illustrious and unattached Mr. Darcy! Even though it has been a year since Elizabeth rejected Darcy’s disastrous proposal, the man has not been far from her thoughts. Now after coming into contact with him once again, Elizabeth cannot help but wonder: Does Mr. Darcy still love her? Is he falling in love with her friend? Did she miss her opportunity at marrying for love?


For me, this novel was intoxicating. I was consumed with it and could not tear myself away! As she does in Darcy’s Voyage, Kara Louise creates a riveting and originative retelling that neatly converges with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Some of the obstacles and events are the same, some are different, and some take you by surprise. One obstacle I especially loved was that Elizabeth had a rival for Mr. Darcy’s attention and affection. A rival that, unlike with Caroline Bingley, caused Elizabeth to experience some jealousy, insecurity, and anxiety. This reminded me a little of Jane Eyre! In fact, I found several similarities between Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre in this variation, for one they are both governesses. In addition, they both fall in love with someone far above their social status, contend with some female competition, and are unsure if their love is returned. Hmmm... I wonder if this was intended?


What I love and admire most about Kara Louise’s writing is her emphasis on the characters and their emotions. Ms. Louise beautifully highlights the internal struggles within each character and provides the reader with valuable insight to their thoughts and feelings. Writing like this is wonderful because it engages the reader’s sympathies and induces them to feel whatever the character feels, whether it is frustration, embarrassment, jubilation, or longing. In Only Mr. Darcy Will Do the reader is privy to Elizabeth’s emotions and cannot help but feel her humiliation at her first awkward encounter with Mr. Darcy or her suffering when she suspects that Mr. Darcy no longer loves her.


Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is an emotive, absorbing, and heartrending romance that Austen admirers should not miss! Kara Louise is one of my favorite Austenesque authors and I dearly hope to see more of her spectacular stories picked up by a publisher soon! (hint, hint, Sourcebooks!)

Format: Paperback

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