The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery (63 page)

From the bloody scene, the bloodhounds caught the scent and soon hit on the Beans' location. Entering the cave, the searchers found dried human parts being cured like other meats, pickled limbs in barrels, and piles of valuables stolen over the years. The Beans were brought to Edinburgh in chains. They were incarcerated in the Tollbooth and taken the next day to Leith. Because of the severity of their crimes, the Beans were barbarically executed. The crowds cut off the men's hands and feet and left the criminals to bleed to death. The Bean women were burned at the stake.

Many “experts” believe the story to be an eighteenth century fabrication, one found in the popular chapbooks and broadsheets of the time. In 1843, John Nicholson included the legend in lurid details in his
Historical and Traditional Tales Connected with the South of Scotland
. However, several local psychics claim the ghosts of Sawney Bean's family haunt the area. The legend has become part of the Tourism and Heritage Trail. The cave is on the coast at Bennane Head between Lendalfoot and Ballantrae. There is a reconstruction
of the cave at the Edinburgh Dungeon on Market Street, near the Waverly Bridge.

The “meat” of Sawney's tale inspired Wes Craven's “The Hills Have Eyes.” In 1994, a British film group attempted to finance a film based on the legend, but their efforts fell through. Snakefinger's “The Ballad of Sawney Bean” was a part of Ralph Records “Potatoes” collection. For more fabulous tales of the macabre, visit Mysterious Britain and Ireland (
www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk
).

This novel captures the style and humor of Jane Austen's novel while turning the entire story on its head. Darcy's duty to his family and estate demand he choose a woman of high social standing. But after rejecting Elizabeth as being unworthy, he soon discovers he's in love with her. When she rejects his marriage proposal, he must search his soul and transform himself into the man she can love and respect.

It's Christmastime at Pemberley and the Darcys and Bennets have gathered to celebrate. Bitter feuds, old jealousies, and intimate secrets surface. En route home from a business trip, Darcy and Elizabeth are delayed by a blizzard and take shelter in an inn. As the Darcys comfort a young woman through a difficult labor, they're reminded of the love, family spirit, and generosity that lie at the heart of Christmas.

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.

Happily married, Darcy and Elizabeth can't imagine anything interrupting their bliss-filled days. Then an intense snowstorm strands a group of travelers at Pemberley, and mysterious deaths begin to plague the manor. Everyone seems convinced that it is the work of a phantom who is haunting the estate. But Darcy and Elizabeth believe that someone is trying to murder them. Unraveling the mystery of the murderer's identity forces the newlyweds to trust each other's strengths and work together.

Tormented by a 200-year-old curse and his fate as a half-human/half-vampire dhampir, Mr. Darcy vows to live forever alone rather than inflict the horrors of life as a vampire on an innocent wife. But when he comes to Netherfield Park, he meets the captivating Elizabeth Bennet. As a man, Darcy yearns for Elizabeth, but as a vampire, he is also driven to possess her. Uncontrollably drawn to each other, they are forced to confront a “pride and prejudice” never before imagined—while wrestling with the seductive power of forbidden love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGINA JEFFERS, an English teacher for thirty-nine years, considers herself a Jane Austen enthusiast. She is the author of several novels, including
Christmas at Pemberley, The Phantom of Pemberley
,
Darcy's Passsions
,
Darcy's Temptation
, and
Captain Wentworth's Persuasion
. 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.

Text copyright © 2012 Regina Jeffers. Design © 2012 Ulysses Press and its licensors. 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 : 978-1-612-43081-2

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2012931427

 

 

 

 

 

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