An Excellent Walker

A Pride and Prejudice Variation

By: Lyndsay Constable

Narrated by: Eric Priessman

Is Mr. Darcy capable of wanting to marry just for the sake of love?

An unexpected meeting between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet becomes suddenly and shockingly dangerous. Mr. Darcy is determined to protect Elizabeth, but his exertions leave him grievously wounded. Sheltering with him in a shepherd’s hut, Elizabeth tends to Darcy’s injuries while trying to suppress her concern about the impropriety of her circumstances, as well as the fever-induced proposal that results.

While they survive the imminent threat, others at Rosings do not, altering the fates of their friends and relations. The connection between them seems to have thus come to an end. Elizabeth’s emotions, enflamed by the forced intimacy in the shepherd’s hut, are aggravated when Darcy—now healing from his injuries—arrives to make good on his proposal. What woman wants an offer of marriage made in service to her reputation rather than to romantic love? Or was there love there all along?

An Excellent Walker is a Pride and Prejudice variation.

©2022 Lyndsay Constable (P)2022 Quills & Quartos Publishing

Brave Elizabeth

I loved the premise and the adventure Elizabeth and Darcy had, especially brave an d determined Elizabeth. Darcy needed some time to remember their interaction but there is a HEA. Highly recommended.

The drama was well paced. Original. Firt

I’m not sure what trope to name this, but Darcy gets injured and Elizabeth needs to take care of him is a kind of a long named term. I have read many and I would rank this one right up there with the best.

So indeed, Darcy is injured and by a French soldier who was part of a ‘landing party.’ It was unique because these soldiers arrived in hot air balloons. First they hobble off toward safety and Darcy thinks they should hide in a hunter’s cottage, because it’s getting dark. But he’s also in a lot of pain and trying to be brave. However the surrounding area is very dangerous so venturing out for any reason like water is very risky.

What follows is alternately scary, humorous and sigh worthy before they are able to get out and head to Rosings. The drama doesn’t end there. I won’t spoil any more of it but it was a great story. I highly recommend it.

A Wonderful Take on Lizzy and Darcy

Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite novels. This alternative take on events during Elizabeth's Kent visit is absolutely wonderful. Getting a new point of view on Darcy as a person was just lovely.

Loved the story. Needed a different narrator.

I really enjoyed this pride and prejudice variation. The story was well written and Darcy and Elizabeth’s personalities were true to canon.
But the narrator had difficulty with female voices; they were high pitched and sounded elderly. I found it quite distracting.

Enjoyable P&P Variation

4.5 stars
This is a new to me author and I enjoyed the story. I've never seen the catalyst for the forced proximity done like this before. So to me, the set up was unique. Darcy was pretty funny while suffering from injuries. And I loved that Darcy developed positive relationships with a servant in gratitude for what was taught to Elizabeth. It showed how he isn't so proud after all.
Though the ups and downs in the relationship of D&E may have been for differing reasons from canon some of the time, it was fun to watch how they dealt with them.
There are some surprising twists along the way that I was not expecting yet once they happened it wasn't surprising at all that they had occurred. I could totally see it happening. Lady C's response to the French being a case in point.
There was just one element of the story that I didn't like but to say what would be a spoiler. I just would have preferred one minor side story happen slower and be told in an epilogue instead. But my complaint was just a brief part and secondary to the main story.
I think to narrator did a pretty good job too.

No sex or language
Some war violence