P.D.James Mysteries 1 "Death Comes to Pemberley" Quiz

Answer: Jane Austen

At the end of another of her novels, "Mansfield Park", Jane Austen makes it clear that she wishes all her stories to end on a happy, positive note. She, doubtless, would not have approved of this sequel, though the style perfectly matches her own. She was content at the end of "Pride and Prejudice" for all problems and misunderstandings to have been solved. Even Lydia and Wickham seemed to be set fair for a reasonably unembarassing future. Murder was unthinkable!

The end of the sequel, however, is ultimately happy for some of the novel's characters. Darcy and Elizabeth are expecting a third child and other family problems are solved.

Answer: Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy

In "Pride and Prejudice", Fitzwilliam Darcy is the proud and wealthy owner of Pemberley. He falls in love with Elizabeth, one of the five daughters of Mr Bennet and eventually they are married. Bingley is Darcy's great friend and Jane is the eldest Bennet daughter.

The other characters do not exist!

Answer: Jane, Mary, Kitty and Lydia

Jane is the eldest girl. She is the most beautiful of the sisters, and has the most compliant and trusting nature. Elizabeth is the most interesting girl, being intelligent witty and perceptive. Mary is plain and untalented, although she affects to have both musical ability and a superior moral stance.

She is both boring and annoying to all of her family. Kitty is rather colourless, following her younger sister everywhere and anywhere. That younger sister is Lydia, an incorrigible and uncontrollable flirt who eventually elopes with Mr Wickham.

The Wickhams play a major part in P.D. James' book.

Answer: George Wickham

Mr Collins, as a priggish clergyman and Lady Catherine's protégé is scarcely likely to be called a murderer. Bidwell is a very old servant. Denny is of course the victim!

The circumstances of the murder are very confusing. Against all apparent evidence, Wickham maintains his innocence.

Answer: At fifteen years of age she had almost eloped with Mr Wickham.

The complete circumstances of the elopement are told in "Pride and Prejudice". However, the whole episode is referred to and explained in the James book when Mrs Young's involvement is explained.

Darcy, as his sister's guardian, appointed a Mrs Young as Georgiana's companion.
Unknown to him she was Mr Wickham's half sister and she connived at the attempted seduction. Fortunately, Darcy discovered the plot.

In Book One, Chapter one the whole episode is rehearsed again.

Answer: Wickham - Denny

Things are not quite what they seem! This is probably the pivotal scene of the book. Wickham denies his guilt, but what other explanation there can be no one seems able to suggest. The inquest jury considers the words to be a confession of guilt and Wickham is remanded for trial at the Old Bailey.

Answer: He was bludgeoned to death.

Denny was in fact struck from behind, a fact which becomes an important part of the evidence.

Two blows in fact contributed to his death, one lighter one to the front of his head, which caused him to stagger and trip as he turned to run away, and one to the back of the head, which killed him.

Answer: Wilful murder by George Wickham

Wickham was not expecting such a verdict, and continued to maintain his innocence. He could, if he so wished, have challenged the jury, since one of them had a long-standing grievance against the Darcy family, but he was so sure that he could clear himself of the murder that he did not bother to do so.

Answer: A confession arrives from the true murderer.

A confession arrives from William Bidwell, who thought that he was killing his sister's seducer. In fact, Bidwell had struck Denny on the forehead with a poker. The blow caused him to stagger as he ran away and he tripped, hitting his head on the kerb of a gravestone. That blow killed him.

In a way there had been no actual murder, only intent on the part of Bidwell.

The gravestone, incidentally, was that of Soldier, Mr Darcy's grandfather's dog.

Answer: Wickham

Wickham's outcry over Denny's body now becomes explicable, since it was his seduction of Louisa Bidwell that led to Denny's murder.

Later, Colonel Fitzwilliam admits to Darcy that he knew this, and had agreed that Louisa's child should be passed off as her sister's. Denny had been apprised of this, but at the last moment declined to be part of the deception.