Death Comes To Pemberley Pdf Free Download UPDATED
Death Comes To Pemberley Pdf Free Download
Likewise by P. D. James
Embrace HER FACE
A MIND TO MURDER
UNNATURAL CAUSES
SHROUD FOR A NIGHTINGALE
AN UNSUITABLE Job FOR A Woman
THE Blackness Tower
DEATH OF AN Skillful WITNESS
INNOCENT Claret
THE SKULL Below THE Peel
DEVICES AND DESIRES
A Gustation FOR Death
THE CHILDREN OF MEN
ORIGINAL SIN
A Sure JUSTICE
DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS
THE MURDER ROOM
THE LIGHTHOUSE
THE PRIVATE PATIENT
non-fiction
Time TO BE EARNEST
A Fragment of Autobiography
THE MAUL AND THE PEAR TREE
The Ratcliffe Highway Murders 1811
(past P. D. James and T. A. Critchley)
TALKING About DETECTIVE FICTION
PUBLISHED Past ALFRED A. KNOPF CANADA
Copyright © 2011 P. D. James
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No office of this book may be reproduced in whatever course or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published in 2011 by Alfred A. Knopf Canada, a sectionalization of Random House of Canada Express, Toronto, and simultaneously in the Usa of America by Alfred A. Knopf, a partitioning of Random House, Inc., New York. Beginning published in 2011 in the United Kingdom past Faber and Faber Limited, London. Distributed in Canada past Random House of Canada Express.
www.randomhouse.ca
Knopf Canada and colophon are registered trademarks.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
James, P. D., 1920–
Death comes to Pemberley / P. D. James.
eISBN: 978-0-307-36205-half-dozen
I. Title.
PR6060.A56D38 2011 823′.914 C2011-906919-9
Cover blueprint by CS Richardson & Terri Nimmo
Prototype credits: (Chatsworth) RDImages/Epics/Getty Images; (Carriage) Hulton Drove/ Getty Images; (Sky) South.Borisov/Shutterstock Images
v3.1
To Joyce McLennan
Friend and personal assistant who has typed my
novels for thirty-5 years
With amore and gratitude
Contents
Cover
Other Books by This Writer
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Author'due south Note
Prologue
The Bennets of Longbourn
Book Ane
The Day before the Ball
Book Two
The Torso in the Woodland
Book 3
Police force at Pemberley
Book Four
The Inquest
Book Five
The Trial
Volume Six
Gracechurch Street
Epilogue
Writer'due south Note
I owe an apology to the shade of Jane Austen for involving her beloved Elizabeth in the trauma of a murder investigation, particularly as in the final chapter of Mansfield Park Miss Austen made her views plain: 'Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects equally before long as I can, impatient to restore everybody non greatly in fault themselves to tolerable comfort, and to take done with all the remainder.' No dubiousness she would have replied to my apology by proverb that, had she wished to dwell on such odious subjects, she would have written this story herself, and done it ameliorate.
P. D. James, 2011
Prologue
The Bennets of Longbourn
It was generally agreed past the female person residents of Meryton that Mr and Mrs Bennet of Longbourn had been fortunate in the disposal in wedlock of four of their five daughters. Meryton, a small market boondocks in Hertfordshire, is not on the route of any tours of pleasure, having neither beauty of setting nor a distinguished history, while its simply great house, Netherfield Park, although impressive, is non mentioned in books about the canton's notable architecture. The boondocks has an assembly room where dances are regularly held simply no theatre, and the chief entertainment takes place in private houses where the boredom of dinner parties and whist tables, always with the same visitor, is relieved by gossip.
A family of five unmarried daughters is certain of attracting the sympathetic concern of all their neighbours, particularly where other diversions are few, and the situation of the Bennets was especially unfortunate. In the absenteeism of a male person heir, Mr Bennet'southward estate was entailed on his nephew, the Reverend William Collins, who, as Mrs Bennet was addicted of loudly lamenting, could turn her and her daughters out of the house before her husband was common cold in his grave. Admittedly, Mr Collins had attempted to make such redress equally lay in his ability. At some inconvenience to himself, simply with the approving of his formidable patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh, he had left his parish at Hunsford in Kent to visit the Bennets with the charitable intention of selecting a bride from the five daughters. This intention was received past Mrs Bennet with enthusiastic approval but she warned him that Miss Bennet, the eldest, was probable to be shortly engaged. His choice of Elizabeth, the second in seniority and dazzler, had met with a resolute rejection and he had been obliged to seek a more sympathetic response to his pleading from Elizabeth'due south friend Miss Charlotte Lucas. Miss Lucas had accepted his proposal with gratifying alacrity and the future which Mrs Bennet and her daughters could await was settled, not birthday to the general regret of their neighbours. On Mr Bennet'south death, Mr Collins would install them in one of the larger cottages on the estate where they would receive spiritual comfort from his administrations and bodily sustenance from the leftovers from Mrs Collins's kitchen augmented by the occasional gift of game or a side of bacon.
Just from these benefits the Bennet family had a fortunate escape. By the stop of 1799 Mrs Bennet could congratulate herself on existence the female parent of four married daughters. Admittedly the marriage of Lydia, the youngest, aged only xvi, was non propitious. She had eloped with Lieutenant George Wickham, an officer in the militia which had been stationed at Meryton, an monkeyshines which was confidently expected to end, as all such adventures deserve, in her desertion past Wickham, banishment from her home, rejection from society and the final deposition which decency forbade the ladies to mention. The wedlock had, notwithstanding, taken identify, the showtime news being brought by a neighbor, William Goulding, when he rode past the Longbourn motorbus and the newly married Mrs Wickham placed her paw on the open window and so that he could see the ring. Mrs Bennet's sister, Mrs Philips, was assiduous in circulating her version of the elopement, that the couple had been on their style to Gretna Dark-green only had made a brusk terminate in London to enable Wickham to inform a godmother of his forthcoming nuptials, and, on the arrival of Mr Bennet in search of his daughter, the couple had accustomed the family's proffer that the intended marriage could more conveniently take identify in London. No one believed this fabrication, just information technology was acknowledged that Mrs Philips's ingenuity in devising it deserved at least a evidence of credulity. George Wickham, of class, could never exist accustomed in Meryton once again to rob the female servants of their virtue and the shopkeepers of their profit, merely information technology was agreed that, should his wife come amongst them, Mrs Wickham should be afforded the tolerant forbearance previously accorded to Miss Lydia Bennet.
In that location was much speculation about how the belated marriage had been a
chieved. Mr Bennet'south estate was hardly worth two thousand pounds a twelvemonth, and it was commonly felt that Mr Wickham would have held out for at least five hundred and all his Meryton and other bills being paid earlier consenting to the marriage. Mrs Bennet's brother, Mr Gardiner, must accept come up upwardly with the money. He was known to be a warm man, but he had a family and no incertitude would expect repayment from Mr Bennet. In that location was considerable anxiety in Lucas Lodge that their son-in-constabulary'southward inheritance might be much diminished by this necessity, but when no trees were felled, no land sold, no servants put off and the butcher showed no disinclination to provide Mrs Bennet with her customary weekly order, information technology was causeless that Mr Collins and beloved Charlotte had nothing to fear and that, every bit soon as Mr Bennet was decently buried, Mr Collins could take possession of the Longbourn estate with every confidence that it had remained intact.
Only the date which followed shortly after Lydia's marriage, that of Miss Bennet and Mr Bingley of Netherfield Park, was received with approbation. It was hardly unexpected; Mr Bingley's adoration for Jane had been credible from their commencement meeting at an assembly brawl. Miss Bennet's beauty, gentleness and the naive optimism about homo nature which inclined her never to speak sick of anyone made her a full general favourite. But within days of the engagement of her eldest to Mr Bingley existence announced, an even greater triumph for Mrs Bennet was noised away and was at get-go received with incredulity. Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the 2nd daughter, was to ally Mr Darcy, the owner of Pemberley, one of the greatest houses in Derbyshire and, information technology was rumoured, with an income of ten grand pounds a twelvemonth.
It was common knowledge in Meryton that Miss Lizzy hated Mr Darcy, an emotion in full general held past those ladies and gentlemen who had attended the first assembly brawl at which Mr Darcy had been present with Mr Bingley and his two sisters, and at which he had given acceptable evidence of his pride and big-headed disdain of the company, making it articulate, despite the prompting of his friend Mr Bingley, that no adult female present was worthy to exist his partner. Indeed, when Sir William Lucas had introduced Elizabeth to him, Mr Darcy had declined to dance with her, later telling Mr Bingley that she was non pretty enough to tempt him. It was taken for granted that no woman could be happy as Mrs Darcy for, every bit Maria Lucas pointed out, 'Who would desire to have that disagreeable face up opposite you at the breakfast table for the residuum of your life?'
But there was no cause to arraign Miss Elizabeth Bennet for taking a more prudent and optimistic view. One cannot have everything in life and any young lady in Meryton would have endured more a disagreeable confront at the breakfast table to marry ten yard a year and to exist mistress of Pemberley. The ladies of Meryton, as in duty leap, were happy to sympathise with the afflicted and to congratulate the fortunate but there should be moderation in all things, and Miss Elizabeth'due south triumph was on much too grand a scale. Although they conceded that she was pretty plenty and had fine eyes, she had nothing else to recommend her to a man with ten thou a year and it was not long before a coterie of the most influential gossips concocted an caption: Miss Lizzy had been determined to capture Mr Darcy from the moment of their showtime meeting. And when the extent of her strategy had become apparent it was agreed that she had played her cards skilfully from the very beginning. Although Mr Darcy had declined to dance with her at the assembly ball, his optics had been often on her and her friend Charlotte who, after years of husband-seeking, was extremely adroit at identifying any sign of a possible zipper, and had warned Elizabeth against allowing her obvious partiality for the attractive and popular Lieutenant George Wickham to crusade her to offend a human of 10 times his consequence.
And then there was the incident of Miss Bennet's dinner engagement at Netherfield when, due to her female parent'south insistence on her riding rather than taking the family autobus, Jane had defenseless a very convenient cold and, equally Mrs Bennet had planned, was forced to stay for several nights at Netherfield. Elizabeth, of course, had set out on foot to visit her, and Miss Bingley's practiced manners had impelled her to offer hospitality to the unwelcome visitor until Miss Bennet recovered. Most a week spent in the company of Mr Darcy must have enhanced Elizabeth'southward hopes of success and she would take made the best of this enforced intimacy.
Later, at the urging of the youngest Bennet girls, Mr Bingley had himself held a ball at Netherfield, and on this occasion Mr Darcy had indeed danced with Elizabeth. The chaperones, ranged in their chairs confronting the wall, had raised their lorgnettes and, similar the residual of the company, studied the pair carefully every bit they made their way downwards the line. Certainly at that place had been petty conversation between them but the very fact that Mr Darcy had really asked Miss Elizabeth to dance and had not been refused was a matter for interest and speculation.
The next stage in Elizabeth's campaign was her visit, with Sir William Lucas and his daughter Maria, to Mr and Mrs Collins at Hunsford Parsonage. Commonly this was surely an invitation which Miss Lizzy should have refused. What possible pleasance could any rational woman take in vi weeks of Mr Collins's visitor? It was generally known that, before his acceptance by Miss Lucas, Miss Lizzy had been his offset pick of bride. Delicacy, autonomously from whatsoever other consideration, should have kept her abroad from Hunsford. But she had, of grade, been aware that Lady Catherine de Bourgh was Mr Collins'southward neighbour and patroness, and that her nephew, Mr Darcy, would almost certainly exist at Rosings while the visitors were at the parsonage. Charlotte, who kept her mother informed of every particular of her married life, including the health of her cows, poultry and married man, had written afterwards to say that Mr Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was besides visiting Rosings, had called at the parsonage frequently during Elizabeth's stay and that Mr Darcy on i occasion had visited without his cousin when Elizabeth had been on her own. Mrs Collins was certain that this distinction must ostend that he was falling in love and wrote that, in her opinion, her friend would have taken either gentleman with alacrity had an offering been made; Miss Lizzy had however returned home with null settled.
But at last all had come right when Mrs Gardiner and her married man, who was Mrs Bennet's brother, had invited Elizabeth to accompany them on a summer bout of pleasure. It was to have been every bit far equally the Lakes, but Mr Gardiner's business concern responsibilities had apparently dictated a more limited scheme and they would go no farther n than Derbyshire. It was Kitty, the quaternary Bennet daughter, who had conveyed this news, but no one in Meryton believed the alibi. A wealthy family unit who could afford to travel from London to Derbyshire could clearly extend the tour to the Lakes had they wished. It was obvious that Mrs Gardiner, a partner in her favourite niece's matrimonial scheme, had chosen Derbyshire because Mr Darcy would be at Pemberley, and indeed the Gardiners and Elizabeth, who had no incertitude enquired at the inn when the main of Pemberley would be at abode, were actually visiting the house when Mr Darcy returned. Naturally, equally a matter of courtesy, the Gardiners were introduced and the political party invited to dine at Pemberley, and if Miss Elizabeth had entertained any doubts about the wisdom of her scheme to secure Mr Darcy, the showtime sight of Pemberley had confirmed her determination to fall in love with him at the first convenient moment. Later he and his friend Mr Bingley had returned to Netherfield Park and had lost no time in calling at Longbourn where the happiness of Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth was finally and triumphantly secured. The engagement, despite its luminescence, gave less pleasance than had Jane'south. Elizabeth had never been popular, indeed the more than perceptive of the Meryton ladies occasionally suspected that Miss Lizzy was privately laughing at them. They besides accused her of being sardonic, and although there was doubt almost the pregnant of the discussion, they knew that it was not a desirable quality in a adult female, being 1 which gentlemen peculiarly disliked. Neighbours whose jealousy of such a triumph exceeded any satisfaction in the prospect of the union were able to console themselves by averring that Mr Darcy's pride and arrogance and his wife's caustic wit would ensure that they lived together in the utmost misery for which even Pemberley and ten one thousand a year could offer no consolation
.
Allowing for such formalities without which thousand nuptials could hardly be valid, the taking of likenesses, the busyness of lawyers, the ownership of new carriages and hymeneals clothes, the marriage of Miss Bennet to Mr Bingley and Miss Elizabeth to Mr Darcy took place on the aforementioned day at Longbourn church building with surprisingly little delay. It would have been the happiest 24-hour interval of Mrs Bennet's life had she not been seized with palpitations during the service, brought on by fear that Mr Darcy'southward formidable aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, might appear in the church door to forbid the marriage, and it was non until after the final approval that she could feel secure in her triumph.
It is hundred-to-one whether Mrs Bennet missed the company of her 2nd daughter, just her married man certainly did. Elizabeth had e'er been his favourite child. She had inherited his intelligence, something of his sharp wit, and his pleasure in the foibles and inconsistencies of their neighbours, and Longbourn House was a lonelier and less rational place without her company. Mr Bennet was a clever and reading man whose library was both a refuge and the source of his happiest hours. He and Darcy chop-chop came to the conclusion that they liked each other and thereafter, equally is mutual with friends, accustomed their dissimilar quirks of grapheme equally evidence of the other's superior intellect. Mr Bennet's visits to Pemberley, frequently fabricated when he was least expected, were chiefly spent in the library, i of the finest in individual easily, from which it was difficult to extract him, even for meals. He visited the Bingleys at Highmarten less frequently since, autonomously from Jane'southward excessive preoccupation with the comfort and well-being of her married man and children, which occasionally Mr Bennet found irksome, at that place were few new books and periodicals to tempt him. Mr Bingley's money had originally come from trade. He had inherited no family unit library and had only thought of setting one up after his purchase of Highmarten House. In this project both Darcy and Mr Bennet were very ready to assist. There are few activities then agreeable as spending a friend'south coin to your own satisfaction and his benefit, and if the buyers were periodically tempted to extravagance, they comforted themselves with the thought that Bingley could afford it. Although the library shelves, designed to Darcy's specification and canonical by Mr Bennet, were as yet by no means full, Bingley was able to take pride in the elegant arrangement of the volumes and the gleaming leather of the bindings, and occasionally even opened a book and was seen reading it when the season or the weather was unpropitious for hunting, angling or shooting.
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