These Three Remain
Encyclopedia
These Three Remain is a 2005 historical
Romance novel
by Pamela Aidan. It is the third and final novel in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
trilogy, a series of novels examining Jane Austen
's Pride and Prejudice
from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy
, the central male character of that novel.
, Fitzwilliam Darcy
accompanies his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, to Rosings Park, the home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, their aunt. The prospect of spending time with his pompous, self-impressed aunt (and her unsubtle desire for him to marry her daughter, Anne de Bourgh, a shy and sickly girl who, unknown to her mother, secretly writes poetry) is not the only thing troubling Darcy's mind; driven to distraction with his unwilling desire for Elizabeth Bennet
, Darcy has finally decided to forget her once and for all. Unfortunately for him, Elizabeth is also in the area visiting her cousin, the pompous clergyman Mr Collins and his new wife (and her close friend) Charlotte, who are frequent visitors to Lady Catherine. Darcy is therefore thrown daily into Elizabeth's company, and finds himself unable to further resist her charms.
Driven to distraction by his feelings for Elizabeth - and his jealousy over the developing friendship between Elizabeth and Colonel Fitzwilliam - Darcy finally accepts the strength of his love for her and, after weighing the consideration of her lowly social standing and its possible effect on his future status, determines to propose marriage
to her. Much to Darcy's shock and anger, however, his proposal is rejected; not only is Elizabeth greatly insulted by Darcy's pompous, high-handed manner of proposal, but she has also heard from Colonel Fitzwilliam of Darcy's role in persuading his friend Charles Bingley to break his ties with Jane Bennet, Elizabeth's sister, who is in love with Bingley. Furthermore, she has been poisoned towards him by slanderous lies spread by Darcy's nemesis, George Wickham, and is convinced that Darcy is "the last man in the world whom [she] could ever be prevailed upon to marry".
Heartbroken by Elizabeth's refusal and stunned by the depth of her dislike towards him, Darcy resolves to put the matter behind him and leaves Rosings, but not before writing Elizabeth a letter explaining the true history between himself, Wickham, and his sister Georgiana, and attempting to justify his actions regarding Bingley and Jane Bennet. Darcy has been shattered by her rejection of him, however, and upon his return to London
begins acting in an increasingly uncharacteristic and erratic fashion towards his friends and Georgiana, culminating in his acceptance of an invitation to a party held by Lady Sylvanie Monmouth, who attempted to seduce him at Norwycke Castle and holds Darcy responsible for the death of her mother during those events. He is rescued from calamity by his good friend Lord Dyfed Brougham, a seemingly foppish aristocrat
who in actually is a government agent investigating Sylvanie, who has links to Irish
revolutionaries and intends to drug Darcy and then blackmail him into funding their operations. No longer trusting his own judgement, Darcy proceeds to get drunk in a nearby tavern
before confessing the entire matter and his relationship with Elizabeth to Brougham, who sympathizes with him whilst still criticising his arrogant manner towards her.
The next morning, a hungover
moment of clarity leads to Darcy realizing the truth of Brougham's criticisms, and he is mortified to realize his own arrogant conduct towards both Elizabeth and Bingley's relationship with Jane Bennet. He realizes that his previous ideas of what makes a good gentleman have been misguided and have merely led him into a cold, disdainful state of mind and being towards others; despite being resigned to having lost her, Darcy nonetheless resolves to change his ways and to make himself into the type of gentleman that Elizabeth would have regard for. Confessing the matter to Georgiana, he resolves to follow her example and improve his faults.
His belief that he has lost Elizabeth forever is soon upturned, however. Riding ahead of the rest of his party (including Bingley and his sister) on a return to his estate of Pemberley
, he is astonished to find himself once more in Elizabeth's company, who is on a tour of Derbyshire
with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, and has visited the property under the belief that he was away from the grounds. His behaviour towards her is much warmer than their last meeting, but still guarded; eager to show that he has taken her criticisms of his character on board and is mending his ways, Darcy makes a sincere effort to make her and her relatives feel comfortable and welcome. He soon finds that he genuinely likes Mr and Mrs Gardiner, and is delighted when, upon introducing Georgiana to Elizabeth, the two women take an instant liking to each other.
Just as Darcy believes their relationship is thawing, however, Elizabeth receives news from home that her younger sister, Lydia, has eloped with none other than George Wickham, who is fleeing gambling debts accumulated with the other officers in his militia
unit. Grieved at Elizabeth's pain at this potentially ruinous turn of events, and determined to help in any possible way, Darcy returns to London and, unknown to either the Bennets or the Gardiners, uses his contacts in the London demimonde
to quickly find Wickham and Lydia. After failing to persuade Lydia to leave Wickham, Darcy proceeds to blackmail and bribe Wickham into marrying her, assuring Wickham's future good conduct by buying his many debts and purchasing for him a commission
in an obscure army
regiment
. Wickham is forced to agree, and after Darcy has approached the Gardiners with this plan (on the condition that his own role in the affair be kept secret), Wickham and Lydia are married.
Soon after, Bingley decides to return to his estate at Netherfield, to which he invites Darcy; upon seeing Jane Bennet and Bingley reunited, Darcy guiltily confesses his role in keeping the two separate. Bingley is angry, but quickly forgives Darcy; after straightening out the misunderstanding, Bingley and Jane are soon engaged
. After hearing a false report that Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy are also to be married, an outraged Lady Catherine arrives at Darcy's London home having attempted to bully Elizabeth into promising to never enter into an engagement with Darcy, which Elizabeth refused. Darcy is elated when he realizes that Elizabeth's feelings towards him might have changed, and he returns to Netherfield. Once again, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth; this time she happily accepts, and the two are married.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
Romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
by Pamela Aidan. It is the third and final novel in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman is the collective name given to a trilogy of historical romance novels written by Pamela Aidan. As the title suggests, they are based heavily on Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, and feature many events of the novel as seen from the perspective of Mr...
trilogy, a series of novels examining Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
's Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy, generally referred to as Mr Darcy, is one of the two central characters in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. He is an archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Bennet, the novel's protagonist...
, the central male character of that novel.
Plot
Following his experiences at Norwycke CastleDuty and Desire
Duty and Desire is a 2004 historical Romance novel by Pamela Aidan. The second in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, the novel examines Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy, the central male character of that novel.-Plot summary:In relation to Pride and...
, Fitzwilliam Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy, generally referred to as Mr Darcy, is one of the two central characters in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. He is an archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Bennet, the novel's protagonist...
accompanies his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, to Rosings Park, the home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, their aunt. The prospect of spending time with his pompous, self-impressed aunt (and her unsubtle desire for him to marry her daughter, Anne de Bourgh, a shy and sickly girl who, unknown to her mother, secretly writes poetry) is not the only thing troubling Darcy's mind; driven to distraction with his unwilling desire for Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth Bennet, later Elizabeth Darcy, is the protagonist in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She is often referred to as Eliza or Lizzy by her friends and family...
, Darcy has finally decided to forget her once and for all. Unfortunately for him, Elizabeth is also in the area visiting her cousin, the pompous clergyman Mr Collins and his new wife (and her close friend) Charlotte, who are frequent visitors to Lady Catherine. Darcy is therefore thrown daily into Elizabeth's company, and finds himself unable to further resist her charms.
Driven to distraction by his feelings for Elizabeth - and his jealousy over the developing friendship between Elizabeth and Colonel Fitzwilliam - Darcy finally accepts the strength of his love for her and, after weighing the consideration of her lowly social standing and its possible effect on his future status, determines to propose marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
to her. Much to Darcy's shock and anger, however, his proposal is rejected; not only is Elizabeth greatly insulted by Darcy's pompous, high-handed manner of proposal, but she has also heard from Colonel Fitzwilliam of Darcy's role in persuading his friend Charles Bingley to break his ties with Jane Bennet, Elizabeth's sister, who is in love with Bingley. Furthermore, she has been poisoned towards him by slanderous lies spread by Darcy's nemesis, George Wickham, and is convinced that Darcy is "the last man in the world whom [she] could ever be prevailed upon to marry".
Heartbroken by Elizabeth's refusal and stunned by the depth of her dislike towards him, Darcy resolves to put the matter behind him and leaves Rosings, but not before writing Elizabeth a letter explaining the true history between himself, Wickham, and his sister Georgiana, and attempting to justify his actions regarding Bingley and Jane Bennet. Darcy has been shattered by her rejection of him, however, and upon his return to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
begins acting in an increasingly uncharacteristic and erratic fashion towards his friends and Georgiana, culminating in his acceptance of an invitation to a party held by Lady Sylvanie Monmouth, who attempted to seduce him at Norwycke Castle and holds Darcy responsible for the death of her mother during those events. He is rescued from calamity by his good friend Lord Dyfed Brougham, a seemingly foppish aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
who in actually is a government agent investigating Sylvanie, who has links to Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
revolutionaries and intends to drug Darcy and then blackmail him into funding their operations. No longer trusting his own judgement, Darcy proceeds to get drunk in a nearby tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
before confessing the entire matter and his relationship with Elizabeth to Brougham, who sympathizes with him whilst still criticising his arrogant manner towards her.
The next morning, a hungover
Hangover
A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the...
moment of clarity leads to Darcy realizing the truth of Brougham's criticisms, and he is mortified to realize his own arrogant conduct towards both Elizabeth and Bingley's relationship with Jane Bennet. He realizes that his previous ideas of what makes a good gentleman have been misguided and have merely led him into a cold, disdainful state of mind and being towards others; despite being resigned to having lost her, Darcy nonetheless resolves to change his ways and to make himself into the type of gentleman that Elizabeth would have regard for. Confessing the matter to Georgiana, he resolves to follow her example and improve his faults.
His belief that he has lost Elizabeth forever is soon upturned, however. Riding ahead of the rest of his party (including Bingley and his sister) on a return to his estate of Pemberley
Pemberley
Pemberley is the fictional country estate owned by Fitzwilliam Darcy, the male protagonist in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. It is located near the fictional town of Lambton, and believed by some to be based on Chatsworth House, near Bakewell in Derbyshire.In describing the estate, Austen...
, he is astonished to find himself once more in Elizabeth's company, who is on a tour of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, and has visited the property under the belief that he was away from the grounds. His behaviour towards her is much warmer than their last meeting, but still guarded; eager to show that he has taken her criticisms of his character on board and is mending his ways, Darcy makes a sincere effort to make her and her relatives feel comfortable and welcome. He soon finds that he genuinely likes Mr and Mrs Gardiner, and is delighted when, upon introducing Georgiana to Elizabeth, the two women take an instant liking to each other.
Just as Darcy believes their relationship is thawing, however, Elizabeth receives news from home that her younger sister, Lydia, has eloped with none other than George Wickham, who is fleeing gambling debts accumulated with the other officers in his militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
unit. Grieved at Elizabeth's pain at this potentially ruinous turn of events, and determined to help in any possible way, Darcy returns to London and, unknown to either the Bennets or the Gardiners, uses his contacts in the London demimonde
Demimonde
Demi-monde refers to a group of people who live hedonistic lifestyles, usually in a flagrant and conspicuous manner. The term was commonly used in Europe from the late 18th to the early 20th century, and modern use often refers to that period...
to quickly find Wickham and Lydia. After failing to persuade Lydia to leave Wickham, Darcy proceeds to blackmail and bribe Wickham into marrying her, assuring Wickham's future good conduct by buying his many debts and purchasing for him a commission
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
in an obscure army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
. Wickham is forced to agree, and after Darcy has approached the Gardiners with this plan (on the condition that his own role in the affair be kept secret), Wickham and Lydia are married.
Soon after, Bingley decides to return to his estate at Netherfield, to which he invites Darcy; upon seeing Jane Bennet and Bingley reunited, Darcy guiltily confesses his role in keeping the two separate. Bingley is angry, but quickly forgives Darcy; after straightening out the misunderstanding, Bingley and Jane are soon engaged
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
. After hearing a false report that Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy are also to be married, an outraged Lady Catherine arrives at Darcy's London home having attempted to bully Elizabeth into promising to never enter into an engagement with Darcy, which Elizabeth refused. Darcy is elated when he realizes that Elizabeth's feelings towards him might have changed, and he returns to Netherfield. Once again, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth; this time she happily accepts, and the two are married.