Tears Before the Dawn

A Pride and Prejudice Variation

By: Regina Velarde

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Darcy's sister commits suicide after being left with child by Wickham, and Darcy spends the summer at Ramsgate blaming himself for her death. There, he is daily on the verge of killing himself out of overwhelming guilt. Then, one day, he swims far outward into the sea, deciding that the time has come. But, as he goes further and further out, he hears a voice screaming at him from the shore. It is a woman, and he sees that she has entered the water in an attempt to save him. Thus, not wishing to be the cause of this woman's demise, he swims back. He drags himself to shore, and he and the woman collapse together. And then he sees that the woman is Elizabeth Bennet - the woman he had begun to fall in love with the previous fall and whom he thought he would never see again.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, realises that Darcy's anguish runs deep and she is worried that he will attempt to swim out once more. And so she embarks upon a plan to save him from himself, enlisting the help of other members of her family.

This P&P variation revolves around how Elizabeth and her family attempt to convince Darcy that the tragic events in his life are not his fault and that he still has a reason to go on living.

Subject May be Triggering

This was a poignant variation. Although Darcy stops his sister’s elopement the damage has been done. Georgiana is left with child and is unable to cope with her situation and takes the most drastic action. Darcy is inconsolable and blames himself.

With her family summering in Ramsgate Elizabeth is shocked one early morning to discover Mr Darcy, who she met in Hertfordshire, swimming out in the ocean with no apparent intention to return to shore. She calls out in desperation and, hearing her call, he does return and Elizabeth learns what has occurred in his life since leaving the home of his friend Bingley (now married to Jane).

Darcy is in deep despair although he learns to take some comfort with the Bennets. Will his new relationship with the Bennet family and his growing regard for Elizabeth be enough to prevent him from following his sister into eternity?