Darcy's Labours of Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Renee McKenzie - 2021
    Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy immediately regrets his insult to Elizabeth Bennet at the Meryton Assembly, and takes the opportunity during a chance meeting on Oakham Mount to apologize. Reticent to so easily forgive Darcy's boorish behaviour, Elizabeth announces that she will consider Darcy's request after further studying his actions. Darcy impulsively offers to complete six labours chosen by Elizabeth, in the tradition of The Twelve Labours of Hercules, to demonstrate that he can be a better man. In exchange, Darcy will not only receive Elizabeth's friendship but also a token, of his choosing, at the completion of each labour.Join the traditional P&P characters, and some new ones, as Elizabeth designs labours to test the boundaries of Darcy's social faults. The outcomes surprise both Elizabeth and Darcy as the completion of Darcy's labours and the collection of his tokens deepens their friendship. However, just as their friendship blossoms into something more their future is threatened by an act of revenge. Will Darcy's labours lead to a deep, abiding love?Author's Note: Readers should be aware that there is an event in the book of a violent physical attack which is described explicitly, both as it happens and in its re-telling. There are some descriptions of kissing that demonstrate the ardent love of our dear couple, but the situations are written in good taste. For Regency period enthusiasts, there are some liberties taken with the behaviour of a courting couple.

Another Point of View: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Jaeza Rayleigh - 2021
    His eyes are opened to different possibilities, changing his story and the stories of those around him. As influenza spreads through the neighborhood, Darcy must decide how involved should be in the lives of his neighbors and what kind of man his choices make him. Opportunities still abound for misunderstandings, interference by family members and arrogant declarations at inopportune moments. As Darcy seeks his happily ever after, he learns to look at the people and events around him from another point of view.

Twists of Fate: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Joana Starnes - 2021
    What if ‘I do’ is not the end, but the beginning of the adventure?(The novel addresses mature themes. Given the ‘early marriage’ premise, the issue of growing affection and intimacy is central to the story. The relevant scenes are emotive and deeply sensual, but never explicit.)

Rescuing Elizabeth Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Kate Beauford - 2021
    A spirited young lady who vows only to marry for love. What happiness can they find if they are forced to wed?Fitzwilliam Darcy distrusts the workers employed to prepare Netherfield Park for the much-awaited ball. When his suspicions prove correct, he risks himself to save Elizabeth Bennet, the lively yet unsuitable young lady his heart has struggled against for months. But what if doing the honourable thing means he not only betrays his family but also sees himself bound to a woman who can never love him?Elizabeth Bennet always wished for adventure, but she never expected it to come in the form of being abducted along with Mr Darcy, the man she dislikes more than any other and the last man in the world she would ever marry. Astonished by his courage and kindness in caring for her, Elizabeth finds her feelings changing. But how can she endure a forced marriage with a man who would never willingly choose her?When their captors grow more desperate, Elizabeth and Darcy have no choice but to trust in the goodwill of a villain if they are to survive. And as they strive to escape their perilous situation, Elizabeth and Darcy come to realise that the greatest danger of all lies in their own hearts.

Expectations & Apologies


Elizabeth Squire - 2020
    Darcy's caustic remarks about her at the assembly. Would she still have seen him as arrogant, selfish and conceited? Would he have been able to remain aloof and prideful if Elizabeth was not initially prejudiced against him? The road to true love turns in unexpected ways. Although there will be others in my What if series they are all stand alone stories.

The Painting: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Lory Lilian - 2021
    The disastrous proposal at Hunsford has left both Darcy and Elizabeth in great turmoil. Back at Longbourn, Elizabeth tries to overcome her guilt and remorse for believing Wickham so readily and accusing Darcy so unfairly, whilst eagerly anticipating her journey to the North with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. When their travel plans are delayed, Mrs. Gardiner invites the rest of the Bennet girls—since Lydia has already been invited by Mrs. Forster—to spend a fortnight in Brighton with her and her children, as they wait for Mr. Gardiner to complete his business. At Pemberley, Darcy struggles to overcome his heartbreak and to forgive himself for his ungentlemanlike behaviour towards Elizabeth. Properly humbled and devastated by the loss of the only woman he has ever loved, his suffering intensifies with the anniversary of his beloved mother’s death. His heart—still bleeding after Elizabeth’s rejection—is broken into pieces when he uncovers a secret hidden behind an old painting. The discovery leads Darcy to Brighton, searching for clues to his mother’s past, accompanied by his loyal friend, Charles Bingley. There, only a few houses away, they find the women who have never been far from their thoughts. By the sea, tormented by old and new memories and trying to understand the power of their feelings, Elizabeth and Darcy cross paths again and slowly become re-acquainted with each other and with themselves, until their love finds its long-deserved fulfilment. The reconciliation of Bingley and Jane, as well as Lydia and Wickham’s situation, also slowly unfolds together with the discovery of Lady Anne’s past, intricately woven around the love story of Darcy and Elizabeth.

Darcy's Winter Ball: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


A.J. Woods - 2019
    Hoping the time away from home might begin to heal Jane’s wounded heart, Elizabeth also seeks peace and quiet to finish the novel she has been working on in secret. She does not expect to meet Mr. Darcy ever again, but should she collide with the arrogant man who had a hand in causing Jane’s sorrow, she has vowed to give him a piece of her mind. A chance encounter while visiting his favorite bookshop finds Fitzwilliam Darcy in the company of a woman he has failed to forget. When he discovers that Elizabeth is there to research a novel she is writing, Darcy offers the use of his own personal library instead, hoping she might finally understand his true character. When the two are thrown together again by fate, will Darcy and Elizabeth open their hearts enough to amend their first impressions of each other? Though not without plenty of conflict, Darcy’s Winter Ball is a sweet, lighthearted, Regency-set novella, with a happy ending for ODC.

The Favourite Nephew: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Andreea Catana - 2021
    Darcy – and also makes the acquaintance of his charming cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. But the surprises do not stop there, as another group of guests arrive most unexpectedly, disturbing the peace and good order of Rosings Park and of Lady Catherine’s life. Could Rosings Park have more than one owner?Fitzwilliam Darcy was prepared for nothing more than his annual visit to his Aunt Catherine but instead finds himself forced to again face the very woman from whom he wished to escape when he left Netherfield. Soon enough he realises that he has been struggling in vain, so he decides to propose marriage to the only woman in the world he has ever loved. Unfortunately what he receives in return is not what he expects, so he has nothing else to do but to try to forget his addresses and his confession. Or so he believes in the heat of anger…Busy dealing with his aunt’s business and mediating the conflict within his family, Darcy could hardly have noticed that Elizabeth’s opinion of him was slowly improving and her feelings for him were growing more tender.On her side, Elizabeth is filled with remorse for her hasty misjudgement of Darcy’s character and intrigued to discover secrets that Lady Catherine is struggling to conceal. Furthermore, she is astonished to discover her growing attachment to Darcy and her desire to bond her future happiness to his.But what can she do to make Darcy aware of the change in her sentiments? Is there anything to be done, especially when news of a most unexpected wedding at Rosings triggers her feelings of jealousy, disappointment and remorse?Where, when and how will Elizabeth and Darcy find their well-deserved ‘happily ever after’?And how will the favourite nephew ever reconcile with his aunt?The answers to all these questions are in this lovely, romantic variation, waiting to be discovered.

Fallen Woman: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary


Arthel Cake - 2019
    Darcy has already left Netherfield. Torn by his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet, a woman he cannot marry, he retreats to Scotland, unaware of the social disaster that overtakes the Bennet family. Shunned by friends and neighbors, Mrs. Bennet succumbs and Mr. Bennet moves what is left of his family to London. As Mary and Kitty find husbands, Elizabeth and Jane are left to care for their failing father with little money and less hope for the future. After Mr. Bennet’s death, the sisters continue to live on the bare edge of gentility with fading prospects for happiness in life. But then Elizabeth accidently encounters Mr. Bingley. Both young women are drawn back into his sphere, which includes Mr. Darcy. Once again Bingley is plagued by his sister Caroline, who is as determined as ever to prevent his marriage to Jane, and whose machinations may go farther back than anyone realizes. Darcy is assisting his friend in his renewed courtship of Jane and as Elizabeth finds herself in continual contact with him a friendship grows between them, one Elizabeth tries to believe is platonic, while Darcy knows he is still inescapably in love with her. Torn between a growing attraction to Darcy and the taint of Lydia’s sin, Elizabeth struggles to find a way forward. Darcy has problems of his own. His sister Georgiana has withdrawn from her first Season, refusing to choose a suitor in spite of family pressure. Lady Catherine deBourgh believes she can force Darcy to marry her daughter Anne, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. And a threat from the past by Darcy’s old enemy George Wickham arises once more with the potential to ruin not only the Darcys but the Fitzwilliam family as well. Now at a Twelfth Night ball, Darcy is no longer able to deny his love and offers Elizabeth his hand. But Elizabeth, deeply damaged by her experiences, believes herself unworthy of him and rejects him with consequences no one could have predicted, forcing Darcy to face a turning point that will decide his and Elizabeth’s future in one last encounter. Finally, just when matters seem to be settled, Darcy and Elizabeth’s happiness is jeopardized once again by a ghost from the past as Wickham finally seems ready to strike.

A Fall at Longbourn: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Amelia Wood - 2020
    She is convinced he is the last man in the world she could ever marry. But when Mr. Darcy loses his memory in an accident and recognizes no one but Elizabeth Bennet, can love find its way after all?Fitzwilliam Darcy has made his contempt for Meryton plain for all to see. Even worse, he slights Miss Elizabeth Bennet in her hearing and declares her not handsome enough to dance with. So why does she fill his thoughts? When an accident almost claims his life, he finds he can remember no one except the bewitching woman who comes to his rescue.Elizabeth Bennet is relieved to hurry home as the storm breaks. But when she comes upon the man she dislikes more than any other lying on the path unconscious, she has no other option but to bring him to Longbourn until he recovers. But when Mr. Darcy wakes up, he recognizes no one but Elizabeth. Her presence is the one thing that brings him comfort, so she has no choice but to remain by his side and care for him, a task which becomes less odious as she realizes that without his arrogance, Darcy might just be the man she always hoped to find.But how can either of them trust in a love that might not last? Has Darcy really changed, or will his pride return with his memory and leave Elizabeth heartbroken?A Fall at Longbourn is a sweet Pride and Prejudice variation novella of approximately 33,000 words.

Courage Requires: A Pride and Prejudice Continuation


Melanie Rachel - 2017
    When she invites the enigmatic Hawke sisters and the Fitzwilliams to join them for the festive season, will the company provide the friendship and solace Darcy hopes for his wife? Or will the Earl's opposition to Richard's love interest divide the family?Courage Requires is a full-length novel (approximately 90,000 words) that follows the events of Courage Rises. It is Book 2 of 2 in the Courage Series.

Stranded at Pemberley: Variations on a Jane Austen Christmas


Jenetta James - 2021
    A man appeared, tall and frowning. He spoke and every person, including me, turned to him. “What is this?”A DREADFUL ACCIDENT BEFALLS THE GARDINER FAMILY while travelling in Derbyshire with their niece Elizabeth Bennet just before Christmas in 1810. With her beloved aunt gravely injured, Elizabeth is forced to seek help from the inhabitants of the grand Pemberley estate.THE FORMERLY HAPPY PARTY finds itself stranded at Pemberley, a hauntingly beautiful albeit empty, joyless, and sometimes frightening estate. Its master is taciturn and unwelcoming, and it is the very last place in the world that Elizabeth wanted or expected to spend Christmas.ELIZABETH’S NATURAL SPIRITS cannot be repressed however, and amid trying to create Christmas joy for the Gardiner children and tend to her aunt, she begins to ask questions. Who is the nameless soldier who comes and goes? And who is the feminine figure she glimpses time and again? Who is the real master of Pemberley--the handsome and inscrutable Mr Darcy, or the unexpectedly kind gentleman who seems to wish to spend time with her?WHAT IS THE REASON for the strange dark sadness that hangs over the place--despite the season—and can Elizabeth, with the magic of Christmas, be the one to break it?

The Unread Letter: A Pride & Prejudice Novella


Kara Pleasants - 2021
    Oh, that she might have just looked at it!After rejecting Mr Darcy’s proposal at Hunsford, Elizabeth Bennet is surprised when he finds her walking the next day and hands her a letter. Without any expectation of pleasure—but with the strongest curiosity—she begins to open the letter, fully intending to read it.It really was an accident—at first. Her shaking hands broke the seal and somehow tore the pages in two. Oh, what pleasure she then felt in tearing the pages again and again! A glorious release of anger and indignation directed towards the man who had insulted her and courted her in the same breath. She did feel remorse, but what could she do? The letter was destroyed, and Elizabeth expected that she would never see Mr Darcy again. Home at Longbourn, she discovers that her youngest sisters are consumed by a scheme to go to Brighton—and Elizabeth finds herself drawn to the idea of a visit to the sea. But the surprises of Brighton are many, beginning with a chance meeting on the beach and ending in unexpected romance all around.

A Certain Something: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Cassandra B. Leigh - 2020
     Let us explore the deception abounding in Pride and Prejudice. Mrs. Bennets’ boastfulness. Caroline’s false flattery. Collins’s sycophantic praises. Lady Catherine’s claims of an infant betrothal. Wickham! How would Elizabeth’s ‘gift’ change the story? This sweet, clean Pride and Prejudice variation begins on the night of the Meryton assembly.

Acting on Faith


Jann Rowland - 2013
    Little does he know that his peace will soon be disturbed. To his surprise, his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, descends upon him in a fury, demanding that he agree to marry her daughter. She neglects to tell him, however, that she has just parted ways with Elizabeth in Hertfordshire, the "unsatisfactory" result of the meeting being Elizabeth's refusal to promise never to marry him. Amid what he fears is a whirlwind of rumors, Darcy is forced to move forward in his quest to secure Elizabeth's hand with no assurances of her regard. Unfortunately, neither Caroline Bingley nor Elizabeth's childhood friend Samuel Lucas intend to make it easy for him.Picking up after chapter 56 of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this charming tale of love and determination explores what would have happened if Fitzwilliam Darcy had no indication other than his own observation, that Elizabeth Bennet’s opinion of him had changed. His fortitude and constancy once more put to the test in the face of blatant interference, her mother’s dislike, and her father’s ambivalence, Darcy is required to “act on faith” to secure the woman of his dreams.