Elizabeth

- This novel is not conventional Jane Austen Fan Fiction; it is aimed at a discerning readership more familiar with Regency mores and history. It does not indulge in the usual Darcy-Elizabeth "love-life" depicted in romance literature. Darcy is somewhere in the background: it is Elizabeth's life and character we focus on. In this novel Elizabeth goes through a period of considerable hardships and uncertainty; and at times her relationship with Darcy is at a low ebb. She experiences moments of happiness and also of heartache. Nonetheless, this narrative has a happy ending for both of them, albeit unconventional. Elizabeth Bennet is the second daughter of a gentleman of modest means. Her father is master of a small estate in the south of England. Her mother is shallow and indolent; she has taught her daughters little of value to prepare them for marriage. Elizabeth, however, is bright: she loves reading; and as her father's favourite was encouraged to learn. She plays the pianoforte, but not very well. In most other essentials, such as drawing and painting, she is deficient. Elizabeth can dance, as any of her siblings were keen to learn so as to attend the local assemblies, but none of them has had a coming out. Mr Bennet hates London and has kept his daughters from polite society in Town. And yet, at the age of twenty, she marries Fitzwilliam Darcy, an extremely rich man who is also well-connected in society. Overnight, she is elevated to the position of Mistress on Mr Darcy's vast estates in Derbyshire. As Mrs Darcy, she wants to do well. Her optimism is dampened somewhat by the magnitude of the task and, in no small way, by the servants who seem to resist change, having been left to their own devices for over ten years since her predecessor had died. Elizabeth has much to learn but events continually overtake her. Towards the end of the second year of her marriage, she is still childless. There is as yet no heir. The Peace has been declared and for the first time in her life England is not at war. But circumstances conspire to make Elizabeth's life miserable. During the next twelvemonth, as the war returns, Elizabeth's struggles intensify. Why does her sister-in-law enjoy precedence over her; and which dark secrets lie behind the insidious legacy left by Lady Anne, her predecessor? Marriage has deprived her of a confidant: her best friend is far away; and her dear sister Jane, like her, is marooned on a distant estate. Letters are almost her only means of keeping in touch with them. But, Elizabeth makes new friends; she gradually gains the trust of her staff, and finally establishes herself as the Mistress of Pemberley.
About the Author: Cornelis de Jong was born in South Africa in 1954 and spent most of his childhood on bare feet under the African sun. Although educated along strict Calvinist principles which demand we make the most of our God-given talents, he chose not to follow further education but joined the army instead. Disillusioned by perverse political meddling in several African civil wars, five years later he resigned - but his love for a regimented life-style prompted him to join the fire service. At the age of twenty-seven he had risen to some prominence as an officer but, again, being in public service brought the absurdities of apartheid close to home. Derided by his colleagues for putting his elder son in a mixed private school, he took the bold step to move his family to Europe in 1987. European life and culture proved at first to be obscure and very hard to break into. Having been an instructor in both the military and the fire service, he was advised to try teaching. From the age of twelve Cornelis had only two ambitions: to be a farmer or a writer. In Calvinist society writers are among God's chosen few; and being a farmer required land which one usually inherited from an ancestor. Not having land and suffering from a frustrating form of dyslexia which makes writing very awkward meant his boyhood dreams might not be realised. But, not lacking in perseverance (and having been a voracious reader from his teens - which proved to be most valuable), six years later he graduated with top honours from the Radboud University of Nijmegen with an MA in English. Cornelis is now semi-retired so as to have more time to write, while still teaching English at A-levels. His two sons have meanwhile grown up and made their way in life. He lives with his wife in a tiny Dutch house, with a charming postage-stamp garden, in a leafy suburb somewhere in Brabant.