Much to Be Talked Of
A Pride and Prejudice Variation
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Much to Be Talked Of
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Narrated by:
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Alice Sockett
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By:
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Nan Harrison
He trusted you with his deepest secrets… I believe he still loves you.
Elizabeth Bennet returns home from Kent with a burdened heart following Mr Darcy’s offer of marriage. She finds it hard to put aside the revelations of the gentleman’s letter—a letter that challenges everything she believed about pride, honour, and love. Reeling from the truths it contains, Elizabeth finds solace not in the bustling Bennet household at Longbourn, but in the quiet counsel of her godfather, Mr Goulding—a wise, kind-hearted neighbour whose own past is marked by tragedy and quiet heroism.
As Elizabeth comes to understand the failings of her own judgment, she also begins to see her family through new eyes—and with it, the social dangers they court daily. But Mr Goulding sees something more in Elizabeth: a strength of character and a moral clarity that make her the perfect steward for a surprising legacy.
With her future irrevocably altered by his final bequest, Elizabeth must navigate newfound purpose, lingering regret, and the bittersweet ache of a love that may be lost forever.
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In this thoughtful variation, Nan Harrison takes a barely mentioned family name from Pride and Prejudice and creates an endearing secondary character for Mr Goulding as Elizabeth’s godfather. The foreword provides us with his heartbreaking history—from clergyman in India to widowed and childless master of Haye Park—and his time spent watching the Bennet children grow up in his company, and as he observes Bennet family dynamic, which isn’t exactly complementary to Longbourn’s patriarch.
What follows is an endearing character-driven story with themes of kindness, legacy, and personal responsibility. Mr Goulding’s final wishes place an unexpected burden and opportunity on Elizabeth: the creation of a charitable trust to serve the local community, along with the bequest of his dower house to safeguard the Bennet women’s future. It is a believable, thoughtful solution to the Longbourn entail, and one that shows Goulding’s lifelong affection for Elizabeth and her family.
Darcy’s role is largely behind the scenes, yet his secret involvement is steady and heartfelt. His efforts to support Elizabeth, even without her knowledge, keep their developing regard in view, even while the narrative keeps them separate. For a mild touch of angst, Wickham makes an appearance, drawn by rumours of sudden wealth, but now armed with the knowledge of Darcy’s letter, his machinations no longer fool Elizabeth.
I think the author’s message of using one’s gifts for the good of others comes through with sincerity and emotion. I’m not shy to say I needed a tissue, but everyone who knows me knows I’m tender-hearted when I read—when it’s merited.
This is a warm, sometimes emotional, and uplifting variation; it is especially ideal for readers who enjoy new characters and a fresh expansion of Austen’s world; I certainly do, and I believe Jane would have approved.
The godfather we never knew we needed.
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