Legacy of Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles; Pride and Prejudice Sequel Series)

by Rebecca Ann Collins

  The Pemberley characters, of whom the first were borrowed from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and others who appeared on the scene as we travelled through the years, have become part of my family. I shared their joys and sorrows, their tears and laughter and, like many of my readers, always wanted to know more about them.

  We have now spanned a period of fifty years together, and it is surely time to bring this series to an appropriate conclusion and leave the rest to the imagination of my readers.

  I confess that I have wondered how it would be to revisit Pemberley, twenty years on, with the new generation of owners in charge. I have even dreamed, once or twice, of returning to Pemberley, to walk among its familiar groves and observe how the new master—young Anthony Darcy—plays his role.

  Where would life have led Julian and Jessica? What of young Darcy Gardiner and his lovely Kate? And little Laura Ann?

  As you can see, it is hard indeed for me to let them go. But, for now, these are just questions, and whether I take up my pen again to find the answers will depend on many things.

  Meanwhile, albeit reluctantly, but with the hope that they will continue to bring you pleasure, I must say goodbye and thank you all—my characters, my publishers, and my readers—for the most delightful decade of my life.

  Rebecca Ann Collins

  2009

  Appendix

  A list of the main characters in The Legacy of Pemberley:

  Emily Courtney (nee Gardiner)—cousin of Elizabeth and Jane

  Rev James Courtney—her late husband

  Emily’s children—Elizabeth Harwood, William Courtney, Jessica Darcy, and Jude Courtney (Jessica is married to Julian Darcy, son of Mr and Mrs Darcy)

  Mr Mancini—a flower farmer, who leases some land at Oakleigh

  Teresa—his granddaughter

  Robert and Rose Gardiner—Emily’s brother and his wife

  Miranda—their daughter

  Mr Croker—a business acquaintance of Robert Gardiner

  Caroline Fitzwilliam and Colonel Fitzwilliam—Emily’s sister and her husband

  Isabella, David, Rachel, Amy, and James—their children

  Georgiana Grantley—Mr Darcy’s sister

  Rev Francis Grantley—her husband

  Virginia—their youngest daughter

  Rev Frank Grantley—their son, the new rector of Kympton

  Amy—his wife (daughter of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Caroline)

  Jonathan and Anna Bingley—son and daughter-in-law of Mr and Mrs Bingley

  Anne-Marie Elliott—Jonathan’s daughter and wife of Colin Elliott MP

  Daniel Faulkner—brother of Anna Bingley

  Adam Fraser—a friend of Daniel Faulkner

  Sir Richard Gardiner—a physician, husband of Cassy Darcy

  Laura Ann—their youngest daughter

  Lizzie Carr—her elder sister, married to Mr Michael Carr

  Darcy and Kate Gardiner—son and daughter-in-law of Cassy and Richard Gardiner

  Elena O’Hare—Kate’s younger sister

  The O’Connor family—an Irish family recently settled in Derbyshire

  Mrs O’Connor—a widow

  Tom, Marguerite, and Elvira—her three children

  And from the pages of Pride and Prejudice:

  Mr and Mrs Darcy of Pemberley

  Mr and Mrs Bingley of Ashford Park

  Acknowledgments

  The author wishes to thank her family and friends for the love, encouragement, and help they have given her in all of the work associated with this series of novels.

  Thanks are due also to Ms Claudia Taylor, librarian, for help with research; Marissa O’Donnell for her artwork; Beverly Wong-Kleinjan and Aimee L Fry for their work on the websites; Anthony and Rose for invaluable technical help and moral support over the entire project.

  Thank you, too, to all her readers, who have read the Pemberley novels and written to say how much they enjoyed them.

  A very special thank you to Miss Jane Austen for her inspiration and example.

  —Rebecca Ann Collins

  www.rebeccaanncollins.com

  About the Author

  A lifelong fan of Jane Austen, Rebecca Ann Collins first read Pride and Prejudice at the tender age of twelve. She fell in love with the characters and since then has devoted years of research and study to the life and works of her favorite author. As a teacher of literature and a librarian, she has gathered a wealth of information about Miss Austen and the period in which she lived and wrote, which became the basis of her books about the Pemberley families. The popularity of The Pemberley Chronicles series with Jane Austen fans has been her reward.

  With a love of reading, music, art, and gardening, Ms. Collins claims she is very comfortable in the period about which she writes, and feels great empathy with the characters she portrays. While she enjoys the convenience of modern life, she finds much to admire in the values and world view of Jane Austen.