Lost In Austen

Darcy (Elliot Cowan) announces his engagement to Caroline Bingley (Christina Cole), leaving Amanda (Jemima Rooper) feeling utterly bereft. This is coupled with the news that Bingley (Tom Mison) has run off with Lydia (Perdita Weeks). This is all wrong - in the book Lydia runs away with Wickham.

The party rush to London where Bingley and Lydia are found staying at an inn in Hammersmith. In an attempt to defend the honour of his daughter, Mr Bennet (Hugh Bonneville) charges Bingley to a duel and is left critically injured.

As panic breaks out with the need to find Mr Bennet a doctor, Amanda rushes through a door and finds herself back in modern day London.

Amanda finds Michael (Daniel Percival) who makes all kinds of romantic gestures to win her back, but Amanda is obsessed with finding Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton) - she needs to take her back to save Mr Bennet.

Amanda then sees Darcy walking the streets of modern day Hammersmith - he followed her through the door to find her. He declares his love for her a second time, but Amanda decides she has to take him with her to meet Elizabeth. She’s so fearful that they will fall in love, but what right does she have to obstruct them?

Elizabeth has acclimatized to the modern world very well. She’s found a job as a nanny, is now macrobiotic and obsessed with the internet. When she is introduced to Darcy she shows him all the websites she has found on Pride and Prejudice. But when a fight breaks out between Michael and Darcy, Amanda resolves that she’s got to get Elizabeth and Darcy back through the door to the Austen world, so that normal life can resume.

Once through the door, Darcy disregards the events in modern day London as a dream. For the first time in the story Darcy and Elizabeth are in the right place at the right time. Amanda continues to encourage Elizabeth to talk to Darcy – it’s her duty. But do his feelings for Amanda remain the same? And will he call off his engagement to Caroline Bingley?

Last edited: Monday, 8 September 2008