Lady Catherine's Necklace
Aiken's latest sequel to Jane Austen's work centers onPride and Prejudice's Lady Catherine de Bourgh and the inhabitants of Rosings Park. During an unusual April snowstorm, Ralph Delaval and his sister Priscilla have a carriage accident and arrive at Rosings seeking aid. Elegant and polite, they are allowed to stay, but most of the household is suspicious of their motives. Lady Catherine's daughter Anne does not trust Mr. Delaval, and when he suggests the demolition of a cottage that is inhabited by friends of Anne's late father, she becomes distraught because the two painters and a young gardener are her only friends. Lady Catherine then embarks on a journey; a diamond necklace of hers is declared fake, and a letter arrives informing the family that Lady Catherine has been kidnapped. Everyone is thrown into an uproar, except Anne, who relishes her unexpected freedom. Aiken has fashioned a charming variation on Austen's work that will give Austen fans a chance to revisit some old friends.Patty Engelmann