But, when she returns home, the news is worse than she’d feared: her father is dead, and the remaining Bennets are turned from their home and desolate. When Elizabeth receives an invitation from her friend Charlotte Collins to be governess to her unborn child, Elizabeth has no choice but to accept. Six years pass, and Elizabeth joins the Collinses and their three daughters on an eight-week’s visit to Rosings Park for the wedding of Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s nephew and daughter. Elizabeth, now twenty-six years old and seeing the world very differently than she once did, is relieved to learn that it is Colonel Fitzwilliam, and not Mr. Darcy, who is about to marry Miss de Bourgh. But this puzzling situation is not what it seems, and circumstances unfold that threaten the very stability of the Collins family—not to mention, challenging all Elizabeth thought she knew of her own heart. NOTE: This updated version corrects an earlier formatting error. Should your copy contain the error, in which quarters 3 and 4 are in reverse order, please update your edition in the Manage Content and Devices section on your Amazon account by clicking "Update Available."

    He must marry her. It is a matter of honor. All he has to do is find her and propose. Surely that will be simple enough. But Elizabeth does not want to be found, especially not by Darcy. From the moment he entered her life, he has caused disaster after disaster. Now he has followed her all the way to Scotland, foolishly certain it is within his power to fix all her problems. But far more is at stake than Darcy knows, and Elizabeth is out of options. Darcy’s quest for Elizabeth takes him from backstage at Edinburgh’s Theatre Royal to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, where Highlanders prove both friend and enemy. And now his search risks exposing long-hidden secrets that threaten his happiness and her future. On the run and in danger, Elizabeth is forced to make impossible choices to protect those whom she loves – including Darcy. Her growing attraction to him is at war with her need for caution, and the stakes are impossibly high. Can she trust him to continue to fight for her protection when he knows the whole truth? And if he does, will it be for love… or will it be merely a matter of honor? Join bestselling author Abigail Reynolds as she transports the reader to the Scottish lochs and mountains in this sweeping Regency drama based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice!

    She continues to suffer from strange, angry voices in her head and to recall events that people tell her never happened. Even those who love her refuse to believe her. Elizabeth can barely endure the confusion. Fitzwilliam Darcy is desperate for any hint of his beloved’s well-being, yet he lacks the information he seeks as her family forbids him contact with Elizabeth. His frustration mounts when he learns that her mental impairment incited taunting and torment in her home village of Meryton. Which of Elizabeth’s recollections bear the closest resemblance to the truth? And what is the result of her sister Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham? How is Mr. Darcy to rekindle his romance with Elizabeth when her aunt and uncle strictly shield her from him? Prepare to grip the edge of your seat during this original romantic tale of suspense and mystery, another Pride and Prejudice variation by bestselling author Suzan Lauder.

    Riding through the rain to reach Pemberley, Darcy arrives at his home with his mood as gloomy as the weather. When he discovers that Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle are touring the gardens, Darcy decides to use the approaching storm as a way to keep Elizabeth at Pemberley. It is his last chance to convince Elizabeth that he is a man worthy of her affection. Will he succeed? 11,000+ words

    Darcy to make a more Persuasion-esque proposal?Author Note: Readers considering this work should be aware that, unlike the Constant Love series, this novella is written in third-person present tense, so if they routinely read only past-tense writing, they may wish to peruse the sample before purchasing.They should also be aware that it uses lines from Jane Austen's Persuasion as well as Pride and Prejudice. Readers who have not read Persuasion are encouraged to read that novel first, less because of spoilers than because it is absolutely wonderful.

     Elizabeth Bennet takes her friend's words to heart and when Mr Darcy proposes to her in Hunsford, she doesn't reject his hand. She decides to put her feelings aside and responds in a more reasonable manner. Flattered at his affection and devotion, Elizabeth is drawn to Mr Darcy, realising that they are both well-matched in a sense, and their tempers are complementary to each other. Nevertheless, his condescending attitude and pride still trouble her. And the gentleman himself is indeed very proud of his excellent bride and the mistress of his home. And being very selfish in his love for Elizabeth and grateful to her for his happiness, Mr Darcy doesn't recognise her true sentiments. And he isn't aware that he is forcing his wife to acknowledge that she is depending on him for her finances, her social status, and even her name. Their marriage is just the beginning of getting to know one another. Therefore, the misunderstandings between the young couple increase and their felicity in marriage is soon to be threatened...

    One of the crucial points in Austen’s novel is Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s fiery and passionate refusal and denunciation of the equally passionate but infinitely more repressed Fitzwilliam Darcy. What might eventuate if the robustly healthy Elizabeth falls prey to illness for almost the first time in her life just when Darcy comes to call? Bemused by her illness, she hardly comprehends what Darcy is asking, and her simple nod of acknowledgment is misinterpreted as acceptance of his suit by a joyous Darcy. By the time Elizabeth regains her health, it seems that every one of her acquaintance and many outside of it accept that she has become engaged to the last man in the world she would ever have considered marrying. Can she openly demand her engagement to the amorous but prideful Darcy be broken, a course fraught with hazards in the social milieu of Regency England? In a maelstrom of confusion, choices have to be made and disclosures closely considered. Elizabeth knows that nothing in her life will ever be the same, and the consequences will likely spread further than she can imagine.

    When Mrs. Bennet discovers all her worse nightmares are about to come true, she does not react the way her family expects. Instead the normally silly woman takes matters into her own hands and gives marching orders to her daughters. Will they follow them to the letter? Will any of them find their happy ending? Just remember, the secret to a long and lasting relationship is compromise.

    It is Elizabeth who suggests he travels to Ramsgate to visit his sister. Darcy will always be grateful to her for that advice.Meeting Elizabeth before joining Bingley at Netherfield can only help in their budding relationship, or does it? There are some who, for differing reasons, are unhappy with Darcy’s growing friendship & admiration for Miss Elizabeth Bennet and they are determined to put a stop to it.

    Marie Croft’s humorous novella, A Little Whimsical in His Civilities spans one moonlit, autumnal night upon the gentleman’s return to Hertfordshire in pursuit of Elizabeth Bennet. “We take the turning which places us on Meryton’s main road, and—oh, gad! There it is—the base-court building which passes for an assembly hall in this godforsaken place. For me, the venue shall be either a heaven or a hell tonight. My palms grow clammy, my gut churns, and I regret that second helping of onion-laden vegetable pie forced on me before we left.” Accompany Darcy as he, intent on reversing the disastrous first impression he made there, braves another Meryton assembly and seeks to win his heart’s desire.

    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 ...

    Charles Bingley, is instantly drawn to Elizabeth Bennet’s sister Lydia. More than twice, he asks the youngest Bennet daughter to stand up with him, and soon all the neighborhood is speculating on when Mr. Bingley will make an offer to their dearest girl. Elizabeth cannot understand the attraction. In her heart, she believes a match between Mr. Bingley and Lydia would end in tears all round, while Jane and Charles seemed made for each other. While Mrs. Bennet is giddy over Mr. Bingley’s attentions to Lydia, Elizabeth devises ways to divert them to Jane, but her every stratagem is thwarted by his friend—the arrogant Mr. Darcy. The man is maddening—truly! Excerpt: "Oh, Jane!" Elizabeth cried before she could stop herself. "How... how dramatic." "You're adorable, both of you." Aunt Gardiner was dressed as Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. She beamed at her nieces, apparently of the opinion that their costumes were a great success.Jane was dressed as the goddess of love and beauty, every bit as shocking as Elizabeth's Eve. Mrs. Swan had crafted a costume so provocative, so inviting to the male eye, that Elizabeth feared her sister would be too mortified enter Beaufellmont, let alone the dance floor. The pale pink chiton-style gown was cinched around the waist by a pale blue girdle of Hephaestus, embroidered with tiny silver and gold seashells. The girdle alone emphasized Jane's figure, and two large satin seashells covered her breasts. Her arms were bare from the shoulders, in the Greek fashion, and she wore short pink lace gloves that stopped at her wrists. Her hair was hidden under a pale pink satin turban, which had a golden apple affixed at the top. "You make a wonderful Aphrodite, Miss Bennet," Sally said. "So beautiful. It's a shame you'll be wearing a mask." Jane self-consciously touched the turban's ornament, the golden apple given to Aphrodite according to the judgment of Paris. Her face was red as a berry. No, Elizabeth thought. It is a very good thing we will be wearing masks. "The finer the lady, the more risqué the costume," Mrs. Swan said with full authority on the matter. "I certainly come up to the mark on that account." Elizabeth frowned at the serpent's head at rest on her breast. "Or should I say down to it?" "It is fancy dress, my dears." Aunt Gardiner laughed. "Do not spoil the fun by being unnecessarily overmodest. Lord Beaufellsey's affairs are notorious for their notoriety." "I like that," Elizabeth said drolly. "Let your imaginations take flight. For one night, we shall be outrageous! The three most dangerous females in history: Aphrodite, Cleopatra, and Eve." Elizabeth sat down at her dressing table to allow the second assistant to sweep her hair up and hide it under a turban of pale green satin. "I suppose I won't mind a little outrageousness. Especially as we shall be safely incognito behind our masks." She had always enjoyed her aunt's youthful vigor, but never so much as at this moment. Why not be daring? Especially when so little risk was involved. Even if their masks were to slip, it would not signify.

    This variation looks at what might have happened, had those events gone differently, and, as the title suggests, what the reason behind some of the changes might have been. Could Jane turn down Mr Collins? What if Wickham had proposed to Elizabeth before she knew his character? And could anyone resist Colonel Fitzwilliam, had he been in possession of a good fortune? This story follows the original, more or less, and does not contain any material of an explicit adult nature.

    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.

    Fitzwilliam Darcy are due to be married in a few weeks time in a double wedding with Mr. Bingley and Jane in the local church at Meryton. But Lady Catherine de Bourgh, still smarting from the loss of her nephew Darcy as a husband for her daughter Anne, has her own ideas about their wedding day and she can't help but interfere. Will Darcy live to regret inviting Lady Catherine back into his life, or will Lady Catherine's plan to take a little revenge on Elizabeth unwittingly backfire on her?