Who Shot Mr Darcy?: A ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Variation by Laura Nickleby
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Overview: Mr Jonathan Phillips was certainly not in the best of moods. Yesterday had been an unusually hard day for him, and he could barely think how he was going to cope with all that it entailed.
He looked over the manuscript he held in his hand then said blandly, “‘A respectable gentleman travelling on business was shot yesterday outside the town of Meryton, near the ancient Roman ruins.’ Is that what you consider a relevant beginning for a newspaper article? My dear fellow, do you really think that such news will make you a correspondent for The Times?
You could not even dare to hope that someone from The St James’s Chronicle might consider reading your uninspiring article. Also, although you do not know the circumstances of the incident, you dare to advance preposterous assumptions and present them as facts! Dear Hoskins, you are a talented young man, but, do forgive me, you seem to lack a sense of reality.
An inconsistent report about a chance incident near Meryton is not something of interest or of public concern. Since you cannot expect anyone to benefit from the news you are intending to send in to be approved for publishing, I would strongly advise you to drop it. You cannot write ‘a certain Fitzwilliam Darcy’, abandoning common manners and politeness. Despair not, but you have a long hard road to travel before becoming a journalist.”
As his adviser gave him a kind, encouraging smile, Mr Hoskins slowly looked up and reached out to receive his manuscript back.
Mr Phillips seemed to accept returning the paper to the young man but then, as though struck by a sudden thought, he withdrew his hand and shook his head.
“No, I would rather keep this experimental manuscript. I do advise you not to try to write a similar draft and send it to a newspaper.”
Mr Hoskins flinched in surprise that Mr Phillips had guessed his intention.
“A final piece of advice from me, young fellow, and I need you to remember this. Think how much hardship you would have to endure if a respectable gentleman were to sue you for spreading false allegations concerning his person. Do I make myself clear?”
Genre: Fiction > Mystery/Thriller
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