Duty and Desire: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman [Paperback]

³There was little danger of encountering the Bennet sisters ever again.²

Jane Austen's classic novelPride and Prejudiceis beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?

Pamela Aidan's trilogy finally answers that long-standing question, creating a rich parallel story that follows Darcy as he meets and falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet.Duty and Desire, the second book in the trilogy, covers the silent time of Austen's novel, revealing Darcy's private struggle to overcome his attraction to Elizabeth while fulfilling his roles as landlord, master, brother, and friend.

When Darcy pays a visit to an old classmate in Oxford in an attempt to shake Elizabeth from his mind, he is set upon by husband-hunting society ladies and ne'er-do-well friends from his university days, all with designs on him -- some for good and some for ill. He and his sartorial genius of a valet, Fletcher, must match wits with them all, but especially with the curious Lady Sylvanie.

Irresistibly authentic and entertaining,Duty and Desireremains true to the spirit and events ofPride and Prejudicewhile incorporating fascinating new characters, and is sure to dazzle Austen fans and newcomers alike.Reading Group Guide:Duty and Desire
By Pamela Aidan

Summary

InDuty and Desire,Darcy struggles privately with his desire for Elizabeth Bennet but still must fulfill his roles as landlord, master, brother, and friend. This second book of a trilogy covers the silent time of Austen's novel, giving greater shape to the personal world of Fitzwilliam Darcy as he deals with his servants, including a valet with aspirations of sartorial triumph; his sister, who is only just emerged from a crippling depression; and his cousins, the squabbling Fitzwilliam brothers. Then, lâ