The reader later discovers the truth of this situation; that Mr Wickham was keen to avoid Mr Darcy that night – for it was entirely possible that he could have faced (entirely justifiable) retribution from Mr Darcy if he had attended. The reader – and Elizabeth – are unaware at that point in the novel of Mr Wickham’s true, deceitful nature – and, of course, no one in wider society is aware of Mr Wickham’s scandalous behaviour concerning Mr Darcy’s younger sister. However, in this alternative narrative, the reader is shown how events could have varied in Pride and Prejudice if Mr Wickham had thrown caution to the wind and had instead attended the ball on that fateful evening. In this re-telling of the famous story, events start on the evening of the much anticipated Netherfield ball, and Elizabeth quietly frets to herself over the potential for her family to create a public scene. She knows very well that Mr Bingley’s conceited sisters hold her family in contempt, just as she is very aware of Mr Darcy’s obvious disapproval. She dreads the prospect of enduring her promised dances with Mr Collins, and is appalled at her mothers’ blatant matchmaking efforts. However, with the one pivotal change – of Mr Wickham being unexpectedly present at the ball – Elizabeth’s night, and her prospects for an enjoyable evening, change completely. And as a consequence of his attendance at the ball, the events of the novel begin to differ from there onwards as well. The neighbourhood of Meryton is entirely scandalised when Elizabeth takes a dance with the gallant Mr Wickham – and Mr Darcy is beside himself with rage to see the woman he secretly admires dancing so merrily with his arch enemy. ‘Elizabeth looked up at Mr Wickham’s face as he spoke, and realised, as she followed the direction of his pointed gaze, that he had locked eyes with Mr Darcy across the space of the crowded ballroom. She had not noticed before that Mr Darcy was observing them; though it was clear that Mr Wickham had known exactly where Mr Darcy was within the room – as well as having been entirely aware that Mr Darcy had been watching the two of them. The air seemed to spark between the two men, and Elizabeth could not fail to notice the palpable tension which flowed in waves between them. She saw the scornful sneer that Mr Wickham shot towards his enemy – and Mr Darcy bristling in return.’ In fact, Mr Darcy is so unsettled by the sight of Elizabeth dancing with his enemy, and so jealous, that he acts immediately to separate them. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, this is only the first of a series of humiliating experiences that she is to face that evening – and the consequences of Mr Darcy’s actions are to cause a scandal which will unavoidably change her future.

    “I had never thought it before, but it occurred to me today that Thomas Bennet has not been a very good husband. He has reduced Fanny into something very close to a joke in that house.” Lizzie Bennet, a reigning belle in the district of Meryton and ‘the smartest person in her father’s house’ fears marriage. She is afraid of being controlled and can’t imagine anything worse than becoming like her mother: an object of derision to her husband and family. Family circumstances dictate that the Bennet girls must marry; but can Lizzie find the maturity to overcome her fears and begin the changes that will lead towards her becoming Elizabeth? Fitzwilliam Darcy has his problems too. Wealth, status and family expectations have moulded his public behaviour. But behind his proud, cynical exterior lies an intelligent, passionate man, longing for an equally intelligent and passionate partner in life. Circumstances have brought them together, but can two such strong personalities find each other through the welter of conflicting forces that hold them apart?

    His attempt to arrange a “chance” meeting is successful and they cross paths in London. Soon afterwards, Darcy sails for Virginia to retrieve his newly widowed cousin, who has found herself stranded in a country on the verge of war with her native land. Once there, he suspects her sights are set on him as her next mate. Even worse, his journal—which details his feelings about Elizabeth—is accidentally posted to Elizabeth. Can he return to England, convince her he has taken her opinions to heart, and win her love before she receives it? The impulsive Elizabeth Bennet is injured while touring a Derbyshire estate with her aunt and uncle, and circumstances find her at the home of Georgiana Darcy while she recuperates. While there, Elizabeth realizes she is in love with Darcy, but will he arrive home and assume the worst about her after finding her living at his estate?

    After rejecting him, she is required to follow him into the woods to return the hat he left behind, before it is discovered that he had visited her. She is shocked to see he is in far greater pain at her refusal than she realised and when she seeks to comfort him, he forgets himself and kisses her. Unfortunately, Mr Collins, Elizabeth's cousin, witnesses it and not recognising Mr Darcy, is pleased to inform Mr Darcy's aunt, the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park, that the pert Miss Bennet's reputation has been compromised. It seems a fitting revenge for a woman who had rejected his own offer of marriage not so long ago. But when Mr Darcy reveals himself as the man who compromised Miss Bennet, and is therefore the man who is required to marry her and save her reputation, Elizabeth is far from grateful. She, who always wanted to marry for love, is now obligated to marry a man she despises for his selfish disdain for others, and who has ruined the happiness of her most beloved sister. Can Mr Darcy persuade her to give him a chance to prove himself worthy of her? And in Elizabeth's pretence to her family of being a happily engaged woman, is it possible she is being fooled by her own charade into feeling more than she does? Or are these growing feelings for Mr Darcy something more than that? At Longbourn, a scandal involving her sister, Lydia, threatens the match and Elizabeth is suddenly confronted with the possibility that maybe she does not know Mr Darcy as well as she believed. And that just maybe, he is the man for her after all.

    The two strike up a friendship, but in the background, there is Mr. Wickham. His behavior gives Elizabeth suspicions and grave concerns, and she is greatly relieved when Mr. Darcy shows up. Without having met him, she has formed an impression of a responsible man and caring brother, whose arrival will take away all her worries, but he turns out to be so much more than the sensible but stuffy gentleman she expected, and soon she is losing her heart to him.

    Collins. As Darcy feels the pangs of buried infatuation begin to resurface, he realizes that Miss Bennet detests him. At first, Darcy is relieved by his seeming escape, realizing that had he not discovered her true feelings, then he might have done the unthinkable and actually proposed. It is not long, however, before he is bewitched by her all over again, and he resolves to change her opinion of him and win her at all costs. Elizabeth Bennet wishes nothing more than to spend time with her friend and determine the true state of Mrs. Collins's happiness without the interference of any of the proud residents of Rosings Park. But she is soon made uncomfortable by the presence of Mr. Darcy, who appears before her at random times, seemingly by coincidence. As they become better acquainted, they learn more not only about each other, but also about themselves. Unfortunately, the path to happiness is not without its trials, and they both must change if they want their ultimate happiness to come to pass.

    During a chance encounter, she gains a new friend but will she also find the love of her life? This sweet, clean Regency novella begins months before the start of Pride and Prejudice.

    Not yet up to the challenge of managing the estate on her own, Anne de Bourgh enlists the aid of Elizabeth Bennet, who is staying with her cousin Mr. Collins at the time. Elizabeth is capable, intelligent and quick thinking enough to help Anne manage Rosings, but is she ready for the challenge of Mr. Darcy’s return to Kent? With his rebuked proposal, his letter and her knowledge that she misjudged him between them, can Elizabeth set her own feelings aside to help save Anne de Bourgh’s estate? This “Pride and Prejudice” variation novella is approximately 60,000 words in length.

    One at a time, Elizabeth’s sisters marry until she is the last Miss Bennet. The round of weddings begins with an unexpected union for Mary, which changes her outlook on life. Jane’s happiness is reclaimed, and Kitty finds love along with some much-needed good sense. No family is without its troubles though, and Lydia can be counted on to provide those. Her foolishness threatens to stand in the way of Elizabeth’s matrimonial happiness, but it also serves to create new bonds between sisters who have not always been close.

    “You never will be able to make both of them good…Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man…” -Pride and Prejudice  From her youngest days, Elizabeth Bennet’s ability to accurately judge the character of others has been recognized and noted by those around her in such a consistent manner as to lead her to believe it herself. The misfortune of meeting Mr. Darcy, a wealthy landowner from the north, only solidifies this belief. The memory of his disapproval of her family, proves his character is lacking and sadly unlike his childhood friend’s, the charming and affable Mr. Wickham, who is esteemed by all he meets. Although her opinion once lost is not lost forever, the effort to regain her favor is great. With Elizabeth’s youngest sister fortunate to be in company with Mr. Wickham in Brighton since the spring, and her own travels to Kent cancelled, she must await the pleasures of a summer holiday to the North with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. However, it is there that she is once again thrust into Mr. Darcy’s presence and must determine if he is truly the architect of the many wrongs she has laid at his door. Fitzwilliam Darcy cannot exorcise Elizabeth Bennet from his thoughts. A chance meeting at the estate of his friend reignites all the flames he has attempted to suppress since their last meeting. Believing in her partiality, he is stunned to overhear her true estimation of him and is determined to change her opinion. Battling with memories and secrets from his past, Darcy must fight against his natural reserve to win the heart of the woman he loves. Will the unexpected appearance of a stranger encourage Elizabeth’s change of heart? Might an episode from Mr. Darcy's past force Elizabeth to see the man within? Can one man have all the goodness and the other only the appearance of it?  Join us for another sweet "Pride and Prejudice" reimagining, suitable for ages teen and up.

    As she starts a new life as the mistress of Pemberley, she finds herself drawn to her handsome, noble husband. But with malicious lies and hurt pride coming between them, will Darcy and Elizabeth be forced apart or will they be able to turn their marriage of convenience into one of love?

     When Elizabeth Bennet’s beloved father dies, her world is thrown into uncertainty. The only home she has ever known must now pass to a man she only knows by reputation, and his reputation holds little hope of a safe and secure future. Upon hearing of Mr. Bennet’s death, Fitzwilliam Darcy and his father immediately travel to Longbourn to assist the Bennet ladies and to be present for the reading of the will – a document that contains a secret that could alter the course of both the Darcy and Bennet families. When this secret is revealed, will it bring joy and peace as intended, or will it throw Elizabeth’s life further into chaos? Darcy’s Surprise Betrothal is the newest Jane Austen Fan Fiction story from Zoe Burton. If you like caring heroes, surprising twists, and sweet romance, then you’ll love this novel-length variation. Brew a cup of tea, settle into your favorite reading nook, and grab a copy of Darcy’s Surprise Betrothal today! Darcy’s Surprise Betrothal is 45,284 words and 250 pages in print.

    He is desperate to forget his failed marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet and desires nothing more than to banish both the lady and his humiliation from his mind once and for all. A storm breaks and he decides to stop at a small cottage on his land until the morning. But as he approaches shelter, a tree branch snaps loose in the storm, and renders him unconscious. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is cursing her luck that a storm should break out on the very day she decided to explore Pemberley Woods. She had relished the chance to be alone on her tour of Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle, but now she is trapped in the middle of nowhere, and the weather is growing worse. She hears a horse, and runs in the direction of the sound to find the unconscious form of very man she least wishes to encounter. She is forced to drag him into the cottage, where they spend the night alone together. Unfortunately, when he awakens, Mr Darcy has no idea who he is, and has no memory of anything that happened before his accident. They return to Pemberley where Mr and Miss Bingley have been searching frantically for Mr Darcy. Miss Bingley is not too pleased that Mr Darcy has now compromised Elizabeth’s reputation, and will be obliged to marry her when his memory recovers. But the lady realises his lack of memory could also be the opportunity she herself has been hoping for. Can Mr Darcy recover his memory before he is manipulated by those around him who would seek to take advantage of his vulnerable state? And why is the pretty and lively Miss Elizabeth so reluctant to share memories of their former encounters together? Elizabeth is intrigued by the new side to Darcy she sees, and believes this is a man she could love. But is it just a result of his accident, or has he really changed? And as her feelings for him grows, she wonders if it’s possible he will still love her when his memory returns? Or will he resent her as the lady who rejected him and his previous marriage proposal?

    All the novellas in the Darcy and Elizabeth What If? series are separate, standalone stories. They can be read in any order. What if Lady Catherine's companion had overheard Mr Darcy proposing to Elizabeth at Rosings? When Lady Catherine fears her nephew is to marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet, she allows her daughter, Anne, to marry Colonel Fitzwilliam. Anne feels indebted to Elizabeth, and in an effort to thank her she persuades Mr Bingley to return to Netherfield. Mr Darcy joins his friend, and Elizabeth is brought face to face with Mr Darcy at a second Netherfield ball.

    It assumes that he does not write a letter after the proposal and that, with the collusion of Georgiana Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam, they meet again in London not many weeks after they have departed Kent. Then tragedy occurs when there is a disastrous fire at Longbourn and the lives of the entire Bennet family are affected as well as the life of Col. Fitzwilliam, who finds love with an unexpected person.