DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY: A Regency Murder Mystery {Recap}

Before this recap begins in earnest, there’s a confession I must make: I already know where this goes. Yes, I read the book last year after I heard that it was being adapted, but I promise not to let myself run too far forward into our story.

It begins as all good Regency stories do, with idyllic scenes of greenery, soon interrupted as one of two girls from Pemberley discovers something near an old grave. One loud scream later and they run away.

Life at Pemberley is more chaotic than usual: the family’s annual Lady Anne Ball is only a day or two away and details must be attended to to insure that the house (and family) are represented well. Having members of the staff yelling about Mrs Riley’s ghost doesn’t endear oneself to the success of the party, but as all good mysteries goes, we know suspicious activities will be the norm.

In the course of seeing life at Pemberley, the audience must meet the locals, including the Bidwells. Mr Bidwell works as butler and his family has a cottage in the woods to better suit poor ill William. Is his illness something we should worry about? Probably. Maybe.

Georgiana has a story to tell, with her careful eyes towards the entrance to the house. She’s looking for someone. It can’t be for her cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Or could it? He is now the eldest son and set to inherit his family’s estate. He has intentions of asking for Georgiana’s hand, which Lizzie wisely suggests he put off until after the ball.

At the Bidwell’s cottage, their daughter Louisa has come home with her sister’s newest baby, though that baby upsets poor Will. An odd woman passes Lizzie on the lane after the visit, but she’s in a foul mood and has lost her hat. Why is someone – not the Bidwells or the Darcys – off wandering the woods? Is this something people in the area do? Just wander through Pemberley looking at the grounds? [Mel’s note: Yes, in England this was common. Still today there are public walking trails that cut through many current and former estates.]

Off in the village nearest Pemberley, the Wickhams and Captain Denny are on their way towards the house, Wickham and Denny quarrel before they run off into the woods, leaving Lydia in the coach. Lydia arrives at Pemberley later, in a state of distress, without her husband and his friend.

The driver tells Darcy that his passengers coming to the ball – uninvited – and soon the men at Pemberley go off in search of what happened. Turns out that the quarrel resulted in the death of Captain Denny, and Wickham is yelling that he killed Denny and how everything is his fault.

Life is not normal anymore at Pemberley. Of course it has to do with Wickham. Of course.

Protocol must be followed for a death like this, so Darcy heads off to Hardcastle to see another of the local magistrates. Unable to run the investigation himself, Darcy must rely on Sir Selwyn Hardcastle for everything that connects to Denny’s poor death.

What follows next are a series of details that might be important later: how Wickham looked upon his return to Pemberley, the alibis of all the guests at the house so far, Colonel Fitzwilliam throwing papers into a fire, and what Colonel Fitzwilliam did on his night ride off the grounds. Based on all the conversations had, Sir Selwyn believes that Wickham is guilty and sends him to jail to await trial.

The Lady Anne Ball must be cancelled while the family is forced to deal with this tragedy on their property, and surely the villagers will want to talk about the poor Darcys.

In jail, Wickham and Colonel Fitzwilliams have a conversation about owing each other more than they did before. What are they talking about? Does it relate to what happened to Denny or something else? Right now, all possibilities are good ones.

While the investigation is ongoing, the Bingleys arrive from their home and help to keep Lizzie and Darcy at ease in this time fraught with uncertainty.

Visiting William again, Lizzie happens to see Louisa feeling her sister’s baby. Is that baby hers and not her sisters? Darcy chose to stay in the carriage during the visit, but he’s not there when Lizzie return. He was standing out in the woods near a tome of a discredited Darcy: his great-grandfather who brought shame on the family and moved into the cottage in which the Bidwells now live.

In jail, Darcy visits Wickham, although they don’t share much with each other. Wickham makes demands again for Darcy’s money to support Wickham’s lifestyle. Darcy gives in to the request, though it sounds as though he’s doing it for filial duty rather than concern. Because we all know how well Darcy’s giving money to Wickham has worked in the past.

Thus ends the first part of Death Comes to Pemberley. Up next week, the trial and hopefully an answer to who killed Denny in the woods that night.

Death Comes to Pemberley airs on Masterpiece: Mystery on PBS at 9/8c on Sunday, November 2.