The Phantom of Pemberley (57 page)

Born in England in 1785, Mary moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania, when she was four years of age. Reportedly, she came from a strongly religious family, and she was often described as melancholy and shy. No incidents occurred until Mary turned nineteen. Then, for six weeks, she became deaf and blind. Three months later, she awoke from an extended overnight sleep (some eighteen to twenty hours) to know nothing of her surroundings or her previous life. However, within a few weeks, she could again read, do calculations, and write, although it was said that her penmanship had changed dramatically. This “new Mary” was described as “boisterous” and “fond of company,” as well as being a “nature lover.” After five weeks of this alter, she took another long sleep, awakening to her former self and possessing no knowledge of the person she had been. This altering back and forth between the melancholy Mary and the mirthful Mary continued until Reynolds was in her mid thirties. Then, the alterations stopped, and Reynolds became the “alter” personality until her death at age sixty-one.

DID is sometimes referred to as “a child’s post-traumatic stress syndrome.” Severe discipline, sexual abuse, or traumatic confrontations with death or the unexplained can manifest itself into individuals who retreat into an “alter personality,” one who can either absorb or deal with the trauma.

Hopefully, with better screening and diagnostic instruments, the future will bring continued growth and understanding to the treatment of this disorder. DSM-III’s creation of a separate category
for the dissociative disorders gave legitimacy for the condition. A number of landmark publications in the 1980s devoted special issues to a discussion of multiple personalities. In 1994, DSM-IV set a primary criterion, which a patient must meet to be diagnosed with DID. Increased interest in the field remains strong, and distinguishing DID from other psychological illnesses remains the goal.

This novel captures the style and humor of Jane Austen’s novel while turning the entire story upside down. It presents Darcy as a man in turmoil. His duty to his family and estate demand he choose a woman of high social standing. But what his mind tells him to do and what his heart knows to be true are two different things.After rejecting Elizabeth, he soon discovers he’s in love with her. But the independent Elizabeth rejects his marriage proposal. Devastated, he must search his soul and transform himself into the man she can love and respect.

 

By changing the narrator to Mr. Darcy,
Darcy’s Temptation
presents new plot twists and fresh insights into the characters’ personalities and motivations. Four months into the new marriage, all seems well when Elizabeth discovers she’s pregnant. However, a family conflict that requires Darcy’s personal attention arises because of Georgiana’s involvement with an activist abolitionist. On his return journey from a meeting to address this issue, a much greater danger arises. Darcy is attacked on the road and, when left helpless from his injuries, he finds himself in the care of another woman.

When Elizabeth Bennet marries Mr. Darcy, she’s thrown into the exciting world of London society. Elizabeth is drawn into a powerful clique for which intrigue is the stuff of life and rivalry the motive. Her success, it seems, can only come at the expense of good relations with her husband.

Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy begin their married life blissfully, but it is not long before their tranquility is undermined by social enemies. Concern mounts with the sudden return of Elizabeth’s sister Lydia. Alarming reports of seduction, blackmail and attempts to keep secret the news of another’s confinement dampens even Elizabeth’s high spirits.

 

Insightful and dramatic, this novel re-creates the original style, themes, and sardonic humor of Jane Austen’s novel while turning the entire tale on its head in a most engaging fashion. Readers hear Captain Wentworth’s side of this tangled story in the revelation of his thoughts and emotions.

REGINA JEFFERS, an English teacher for thirty-nine years, considers herself a Jane Austen enthusiast. She is the author of several novels, including
Darcy’s Passsions
,
Darcy’s Temptation
,
Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion,
and
Vampire Darcy’s Desire
. A Time Warner Star Teacher and Martha Holden Jennings Scholar, Jeffers often serves as a consultant in language arts and media literacy. Currently living outside Charlotte, North Carolina, she spends her time with her writing.

Copyright © Regina Jeffers 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

 

Published in the United States by
Ulysses Press
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com

 

eISBN : 978-1-569-75887-8

Library of Congress Catalog Number 2010925863

 

 

 

 

Distributed by Publishers Group West