Mr Darcy's Quizzing Glass

A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Pride, Prejudice and Romance)

By: Jan Ashton

Narrated by: Simon Garbutt

Its gaze may pierce the veils of men, yet use it sparingly…After the sudden death of his father, twenty-three-year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy inherits more than Pemberley and a vast fortune—he discovers a mysterious quizzing glass hidden in his father's locked drawer. What begins as a tool to decipher illegible ledgers soon reveals an extraordinary power: the ability to see the true character of those around him...

Darkness surrounds the deceitful. A warm glow emanates from the good. Yet Elizabeth Bennet radiates unlike anyone he's ever encountered, a luminous presence that haunts his every thought. For the first time, the glass that has protected him from fortune hunters and rogues has become a burden, for how can he trust his heart when his feelings may be influenced by inexplicable enchantment.

Elizabeth Bennet expects nothing from the aloof Mr Darcy beyond his disdain for country society. After all, he deemed her merely "tolerable" at their first meeting—a slight she's determined never to forgive. But Elizabeth finds herself increasingly drawn to the enigmatic gentleman, even as she questions his constant, unsettling stares. As their acquaintance deepens, Elizabeth glimpses the truth about Darcy's quizzing glass and challenges his reliance on it. Can a man who has spent years judging others through enchanted glass learn to trust his own heart? And what does it mean when the woman he loves shines brighter than anyone he's ever seen?

©2026 Jan Ashton (P)2026 Quills & Quartos Publishing

True characters are revealed

In this variation, Darcy finds an old family heirloom that gives a person a secretive view of an individual’s character. Using this as a tool, he is able to avoid many pitfalls, but he ends up becoming very dependent upon that. Thus, when he travels to visit Bingley, he intentionally leaves it behind. He is forced then to use his other senses that have become rusty to determine truth & trust. One overall moral of the story is to use the multitude of tools that we have in our senses and friends versus relying on one specific thing. I did enjoy how Elizabeth truly threw Darcy for a loop when he met her. Overall this was an enjoyable read.

6/9/26 UPDATE - AUDIOBOOK
I just finished the audiobook and it was very well done my a new to me narrator, Simon Garbutt. He did extremely well and I can easily find myself listening again. I hope that he will do more JAFF books in the future.

Unlikeable Elizabeth

I thought this was such an interesting premise and I was really enjoying the book until Elizabeth looked through the glass, then she turned into a presumptuous, self-righteous scold and Darcy turned into an insecure wimp. Too bad. :(

Brilliant!

Brilliant story—loved this Pride and Prejudice variation! Great characters and clever paranormal aspect of a quizzing glass. Wonderful narrator, too. Easy to recommend. I enjoyed this more than I expected! Given I am a longtime fan of Jan Ashton, that’s saying much. A triumph. And the audiobook was well don’t, too.

Felt very much like I was back in Jane Austen’s world with a whole new interesting spin and perspective

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books of all time (as is the case for many). It can be tricky to add on to that world keeping similar vibes. Jan Ashton pulled it off. The story is such an interesting take and kept me listening from start to finish! Narrator Simon Garbutt is genius. He absolutely delivered on characters, engaging listeners, and staying true to the story. Fantastic listen!

No Lens Required

A very good narration and performance by Simon Garbutt, a new-to-me narrator. I enjoyed his deep voice and warm tones a lot, especially for Darcy. I found there wasn’t enough variance when transitioning from one voice to another sometimes; creating voices that sound truly different from one another would make it more clear on just who is speaking. Bingley’s voice was certainly different, but I found he sounded too gruff and too old for that particular character.

Darcy sees what others do not when observing people through his family’s quizzing glass, an heirloom passed down through generations. He has come to depend on how it reveals a person’s character in light and shadow, and since his father’s death, it has long shaped the way he judges the world and guides his decisions regarding Pemberley. Yet in Hertfordshire, when he goes to assist Bingley, he purposely leaves it behind in London.

Highly praised to the neighbourhood in advance of his coming by the Netherfield party, Darcy arrives with their expectations already formed, especially Elizabeth’s. The infamous insult does occur, but refreshingly, it is off-page with just a mention or two in conversations. I liked that the writing wasn’t weighed down by yet another rendering of a scene we all know by heart; Ashton keeps the story moving with confidence, and it still sets the stage for Elizabeth’s usual prejudice of him and use of her critical tongue.

And then Darcy gazes upon Elizabeth with his own unaided eyes. To his surprise, he can still perceive something luminous about her.

Elizabeth accidentally comes to understand the power of the quizzing glass through an unexpected glimpse into the lens. After her initial shock, she challenges Darcy—not for possessing the glass, but for allowing it to replace his own natural discernment.

Elizabeth, too, is forced to reconsider her assumptions. In reflecting on his choice to leave the glass behind, she begins to question whether she judged him too quickly. If he did not rely on enchanted sight in Meryton, and had not used the glass on her, then perhaps his regard for her was not magic-influenced at all, but wholly his own.

The tension sharpens a bit when Wickham sees an opportunity to suggest that Darcy practises magic or witchcraft. In a satisfying reversal, when the truth about the glass is threatened to be revealed, it is Elizabeth who comes to his rescue.

With a gentle touch of magic and low angst, combined with good banter and dialogue, Ashton uses the quizzing glass as a clever device to test Darcy’s growth, not sparing him from the need to change. The glass may illuminate others, but it is Elizabeth who teaches Darcy how to see.