Darcy’s offer of marriage so decisively. What transpires from that point is well known to Austen’s extensive readership, but what if even one element in the chain of events in her novel turns out differently? Does Austen’s happy ending eventually come to pass, or is the outcome more bleak?And if, in order to secure financial security for her loved ones, Elizabeth does not reject Darcy, is she married to a proud, arrogant, disdainful man who, as she feared, forces her to deny her own relatives and thus condemns her to a lifetime of misery? Or does she find herself married to a man who cares enough for her to reject the opposition of his family and chance his very standing in society in order to marry a woman he loves beyond measure?Consequences, written by the author of A Most Civil Proposal, explores two alternate realities—both tragedy and triumph.

    “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?

    Darcy has learned he must prepare himself when he and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, make their yearly visit to his aunt, particularly when it comes to Lady Catherine’s expectation that he marry her daughter, Anne.This year, however, will throw in a few additional obstacles to Darcy’s peace of mind with the presence of a nephew on the de Bourgh side of the family, and quite unexpectedly, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.An interrupted proposal, a letter written and unknowingly lost, a harsh accusation, and a rival all conspire to thwart Mr. Darcy in securing Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s affections when he visits his aunt at Rosings.Will Elizabeth find the handsome and engaging Mr. Rickland more suited to her than Mr. Darcy? And will a novel she reads that was written secretly by Miss Anne de Bourgh help smooth the path to the couple finding true love?

    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.

    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?

    Collins married Mary Bennet instead of Charlotte Lucas, how would that influence Mr. Darcy's dogged pursuit of the elusive Elizabeth? In this breezy and hilarious re-telling of Jane Austen's classic novel, the author explores what would have changed -- and what would have not -- had two of literature's most self-righteous characters found their way together. Elizabeth Bennet goes to Kent with her sister Jane, and the fur flies! A wonderful, mad-cap romp!

      Full of hope and ripe with possibility, beginnings and new beginnings refresh the spirit with optimism and anticipation.   Four Days in April.   Two letters. Four Days. Everything changes.   After offering a most disastrous proposal of marriage and receiving a rebuke he will never forget, Fitzwilliam Darcy writes Elizabeth Bennet an equally memorable letter.   What if she answers it with one of her own?   From the award winning author of Given Good Principles, Remember the Past and Mistaking Her Character, Sweet Tea short stories offer the perfect bite to transport readers back to the Regency era for the first days of new love.

    But Elizabeth begins to think she may not find her true love in the small country town she calls home, and Darcy despairs of ever being sought after for more than his wealth and connections. What if they first become acquainted not at the assembly ball in Meryton but while acting as chaperones for Elizabeth's sister Jane and Darcy's friend Bingley? Will they decide that a marriage based on friendship is enough? And will a terrible tragedy and desperate rescue reveal that there is more to their friendship than they realized? Read along as Jane Austen's beloved characters seek their "happily ever after".

    Yet their growing regard may cause more harm than good -- for their families, and for themselves.

    Time leads these beloved characters down roads of self-discovery, courage, and heartbreak. And sometimes the journey takes them to surprising places. The stories are -1 - Mistress of Longbourn2 - Life After Darcy3 - First Attachments4 - To Do Her Duty: 5 - To Fool A Fool6 - He Had It Coming

    Enjoy a what-if journey with Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley and more of Jane Austen's beloved characters as their lives are changed by a bit of plain speaking.

    Bates and Miss Bates(from Jane Austen’s EMMA), Elizabeth Bennet is sent to Hunsford with orders to become a flirt and return married or not at all. Unfortunately her mother’s letters to Mr. Collins are misunderstood and the local gentry assume that she is ‘in a certain condition’.You know that won’t end well.

    Matters go from bad to worse when his opponent dies and Darcy is prosecuted for murder. Although warned to keep her distance, Elizabeth feels honour-bound to investigate on his behalf, and before long she too is in danger ...

     How Mr Darcy is going to win Elizabeth's heart? *** This is an edited version of the story "Five Questions" published online several years ago. ***

    The arc of their courtship, marriage, and the starting of a family serves as the foundation for a turbulent series of events. As it always is within Austen’s world, there is the familiar carousel of suitors, betrothals, triumphs, and societal disgrace. Many of the familiar characters are on hand, including Mr. and Mrs. Bennet; their daughters Jane and Elizabeth; Colonel Fitzwilliam; and Bingley, who has his eyes on Jane. Also here is the bitter Lady Catherine, as the novel also considers the more ominous social realities of the fondly remembered age. The handsome but conniving Mr. Wickham seeks to even an old score with his former friend Darcy. False accusations challenge Elizabeth’s love for her new husband, and the novel careens to a violent climax that is the result of society gossip and damaged reputations. This attention to the consequences of the contemporary mores of the day in the lives of these characters represents a fresh take on this time-honored tale.