Darcy's Denial: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Denial and Deliverance, #1)

by Carolyn Whyte

a particular disagreeable gentleman

it's a bit weird that author made a point of the colonel softening the blow of the infamous insult by telling elizabeth that darcy was a dickhead and a liar for saying it, but also by explaining his manners, and yet still elizabeth reacts in the way she always does? she wouldn't be as vehement in her dislike as in canon because the colonel has at least halved the blow to her vanity. it makes no sense to keep her disliking him to this degree – bear in mind that elizabeth acknowledges him to be handsome but isn't actually attracted to him yet, so this shouldn't be a factor – so what's left? i'm being given no reason to believe she'd still dislike him so heartily.

he would perhaps consider passing me over

title holders can't choose to disinherit their heirs lmfaoo. and darcy would never be in the line of succession anyway because he's the son of a fitzwilliam daughter; titles in england cannot pass through the female line. all of this is very easily researched btw!!

I have decided to rectify by taking her to Gretna Green.

man wtf is this??? as if darcy would go as far as this. sorry, i don't believe it. i rolled my eyes so fucking hard.

"It says that you intended to steal my bride, Darcy!" Richard shouted. "And I would have, had you gone out with the steward as planned."

i hate darcy and it will always be true, no matter what else happens in this story. this isn't just a lapse of judgement ffs, he's decided to ruin elizabeth's reputation because HE can't have her!!! he's a selfish, heartless pig and frankly darcy deserves nothing but loneliness as recompense. if the author wanted me to sympathise with darcy, they did a bad job. they took it too far. having thoughts of doing so which were confessed later i could maybe understand, but the man had a carriage!!! he was prepped and ready to go and used elizabeth's feelings for richard to manipulate her into going with him. nah. darcy can get fucked.

She is not a chattel to be traded or won at cards—or by a duel." "Richard, were I in your position and had someone tried to steal Elizabeth from me,

oh, look! darcy seeing her as an object after richard has expressly said she's not one!!! darcy is a fucking loser.

"I attempted to elope with Miss Bennet—abduct her, even. I thought she would be willing enough once she discovered how I felt about her. I allowed her to think that something had happened to Richard in order to convince her to leave with me, and I was on the point of handing her into a carriage with the intention of making immediately for Scotland; fortunately for all of us, Richard came upon us before I could accomplish our escape."

his contrition is noted. he's still a fucking loser though.

And what terrifies me, Georgie," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, "is that I might still do so."

what is the author attempting to convey here? i have no sympathy for darcy and, in fact, i've disliked his character from the beginning and now he's hit rock bottom. your feelings are allowed to be expressed and acknowledged, but the moment you impose those on others you have lost any respect and compassion you might have had. again, this isn't just a slight lapse in judgement, the man had his gretna green plot well planned!!! he lied to get elizabeth to go along with him!! he was willing to plunge her and her family into ruin!! these are so so serious and shouldn't be taken lightly or be easily forgiven, regardless of the reason why he did them. now he says he might still do something against her will??? are you fucking joking me????? he clearly can't be trusted around elizabeth at all, and, again, if the author wanted me to root for darcy at any point in the book, they've failed spectacularly. these offences are far too serious.

"I will leave you and Pemberley in Richard's care, dearest.

when will this man stop being selfish?? if pemberley is such a great responsibility, why would he leave it to a man about to be newly married? so instead of spending time with his wife at his own estate he now has to care for yours as well?? idc that he supposedly trusts richard the most either, like, he's just been an unmitigated arsehole, and now he wants to build on that by fucking off out the country and leaving all his responsibilities, including his sister, to the two people he's most wronged?? it's absolutely the most selfish thing he could have done. i hope he leaves the country soon, maybe i won't have to see him for the rest of the book.

"I must give Richard and Elizabeth a chance,

their relationship isn't about you, so they'd be fine either way, fuckwit.

Her voice low and tight, Georgiana said, "I cannot believe that you will leave me, Fitzwilliam."

that's what selfish, conceited people do i'm afraid, and darcy is the king of them all in this book.

"I must say that I am vastly looking forward to meeting Miss Bennet, having defended her so hotly to my sister,"

this was funny tbh.

"Truly, my dear, if there was any other way—but I fear I may yet dishonour us all unless I take this step. I beg you to understand."

he's still going to run away. absolute coward. i've honestly never hated a depiction of darcy more than this one.

"Richard, Pemberley has a good steward, but he will also require someone to whom he can turn when tenant disputes or other matters are beyond him. There is none other whom I could so trust to assist him, nor to protect Georgiana, as you.

manipulative arsehole!!!! god, when will i be free of this horrible man??

but it will do my staff good to have you in residence for part of the year, at least."

my anger's boiling over, hold on.

I should like to see some of the American West,

it's very clear that this author has never once picked up a book on the american west at this time – this isn't somewhere you aspire to go. just say you're suicidal and have done with it, elizabeth and richard would have likely known about the american west enough to guess anyway.

END OF BOOK ONE

man, like hell am i gonna read another book of this nonsense. this book started well but started to decline early within the second quarter before falling off a cliff at the proposal. honestly i keep forgetting this book is named darcy's denial because i just wanted him to go away throughout the entire book. why would the author write a book focused on darcy only to make the character so utterly dislikable? i felt like i was supposed to sympathise with him at least, but the author failed at this. i also felt that richard gave into him too many times – darcy needed more than a firm talking to and richard looked a bit pathetic in this situation. the author gave me elizabeth's pov frequently until the last quarter and the book needed her. she made it somewhat bearable. anyway. few spag errors, plot interesting, love richard and elizabeth together, hated darcy, and very poorly written darcy if the author wanted me to like him. i can't believe there's another book of this!!! what, so i can punish myself with a selfish, conceited and manipulative darcy whilst he complains constantly? nope. also, i'd bet my left eye that the author kills off richard in book two so darcy can finally 'claim' elizabeth. lord, please give me strength!