Fitzwilliam Darcy is known among his friends and acquaintances for his reserve and his well-chosen words. He prefers to keep quiet if he has nothing to say that is worthy of being heard. Or at least that once was true.
His stay at Netherfield is getting worse and worse. Not only does he offend the only young lady to ever catch his eye and interest, but he does so during a public assembly, causing his blunder to rapidly spread throughout the room, making him the enemy in the eyes of the same lady’s neighbours and friends; Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a...
Fitzwilliam Darcy is known among his friends and acquaintances for his reserve and his well-chosen words. He prefers to keep quiet if he has nothing to say that is worthy of being heard. Or at least that once was true.
His stay at Netherfield is getting worse and worse. Not only does he offend the only young lady to ever catch his eye and interest, but he does so during a public assembly, causing his blunder to rapidly spread throughout the room, making him the enemy in the eyes of the same lady’s neighbours and friends; Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a local favourite, it seems!
Realising his mistake, as the young lady proves to be worthy of admiration, instead of correcting his error, he makes another blunder by speaking of her to Miss Caroline Bingley.
And now the young lady is staying under the same roof as him, tending to her ailing sister. Trying to navigate the awkward circumstances, caught between his growing feelings, his inner conflicts, and his duty, he manages to again offend Miss Elizabeth when she overhears another of his conversations with Miss Bingley.
He decides that apologising is the only course, allowing himself to enjoy a friendly acquaintance with the pert miss during the last days of his stay in Hertfordshire. He will then leave and continue his own life, will he not?
Miss Elizabeth Bennet is known among her friends and neighbours for her friendliness, quick and accurate judgment of people, wit, good humour, and love of nature, reading, and walking. While not the most beautiful young lady in the county, she certainly is handsome—second only to her sister Jane.
Coming to Netherfield to care for her beloved sister, she must consider spending several days (and nights) under the same roof and in the company of the one man who scorned her beauty and refused to dance with her while mocking her family and neighbours with the lady who is hosting her. He wants to apologise, but she has heard enough to know there is no possible apology. Is that not so?
He wants to apologise. Will she accept his apology? And if she does, will their relationship change?
Six Inches Deep in Mud is a light and witty Pride and Prejudice variation—albeit peppered with inescapable misunderstandings between Darcy and Elizabeth—of approximatively 65k words.
It cannot be hidden that I am not much of an angst lover, and while I love long, complicated, and satisfying stories, this one is a lighter tale, hopefully amusing and witty enough, based on a lot of direct interaction between our dear girl and boy and aimed to alter (as in shorten) the road to their happily ever after.
Please be warned that this story is written in the first person and the present tense. I am particularly fond of the first person narrative, and I think that for this story it is the best choice. However, if this is not your cup of tea, please consider one of my other books, all written in a more classical style.
