This may be especially so when the man in question not only possesses the rightful inheritance of said ladies, but is also of a most odious disposition and less than agreeable in appearance. Such was the lot of five young women near the town of Meryton. Not only had they no fortune, their own father, an absentee parent at best, had not the foresight to put aside a single pound should they not have the opportunity marry. For this sole reason, their overbearing mother deemed it necessary for one of her daughters to marry this impossible man. However, a mother’s best laid plans cannot come to pass if the gentleman in question is not only repulsive, but also very, very dead. Desperate times often call for desperate measures. There is a myriad of ways to dispose of an unwanted suitor, all of which may be deemed accidental, for who would ever accuse a young lady of good family? The answer is simple… no one. However, some persons are as extremely difficult to be rid as they are to tolerate in life. The Reverend Mr. Collins, despite his obvious deficiencies when it came to appearance and personality, has an uncanny knack for staying alive but, where there is a will, there is always a way…

     When ELIZABETH BENNET appears on his doorstep some ten months after her refusal of his hand in marriage, FITZWILLIAM DARCY uses the opportunity to "bargain" for her acceptance of a renewal of his proposal in exchange for his assistance in bringing Mr. George Wickham to justice. In Darcy's absence from Hertfordshire, Wickham has executed a scam to defraud the citizens of Meryton, including her father, of their hard-earned funds. All have invested in Wickham's Ten Percent Annuity scheme. Her family and friends are in dire circumstances, and more importantly, Mr. Bennet's heart has taken an ill turn. Elizabeth will risk everything to bring her father to health again and to save her friends from destitution; yet, is she willing to risk her heart? She places her trust in Darcy's ability to thwart Wickham's manipulations, but she is not aware that Darcy wishes more than her acquiescence. He desires her love. Neither considers what will happen if he does not succeed in bringing Mr. Wickham before a magistrate. Will his failure bring an end to their “bargain”? Or will true love prevail?

    When her grandparents take her and her sisters on a journey abroad, she is not surprised to encounter anti-American prejudice among the members of the English upper class. If only her new friend’s brother was not the most offensive of the lot!Fitzwilliam Darcy is grateful that his sister is coming out of her shell. If only her new friend was not a brash American who gets the better of him at every encounter! And if only he could stop thinking about her…When Elizabeth and her family depart for Italy, she is happy to leave Mr. Darcy and his disdainful cruelty behind. Darcy is not prepared to let her walk out of his life for good, but how is he to win a woman who despises him and challenges everything he was taught to believe?This epic Regency variation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is the debut novel by an author who cherishes the timeless romance of Mr. Darcy and his Elizabeth. Sweet and clean, with just a touch of spice in the final chapter!

    For three years, it has hung like a dead weight about his neck, yet his first priority has been and must continue to be his young daughter. He married once for duty, he will only marry again for love. Is there a lady out there who will love him for the man he is underneath his vast wealth and lofty connections and, more importantly, who will love his precious daughter as dearly as he does? Will those with their own agenda to push allow him to follow his heart?A rocky first encounter with the handsome friend of her new neighbour leaves Elizabeth reeling. Meeting his adorable daughter will change her life forever. Loving the sweet little girl is easy, but what about the tall, brooding man she calls Papa? What will Elizabeth do when faced with those who deem her unworthy of the master of Pemberley?Mr. Darcy's Daughter is a sweet full length novel of +82,000 words. This is Melissa's debut novel.

    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.

     That a couple in love truly know one another makes not for a Happily Ever After, but rather prepares them better for the rough road ahead. Such is gradually discovered as Mr. and Mrs. Darcy begin their marriage in sensual bliss, each looking forward to a lifetime of felicity, and neither of them cognizant of the great challenges therein. A Marriage of True Affection is a collection of vignettes chronicling the first eleven years in the union of the most beloved couple in English literature. Beginning on their wedding night, the work highlights significant moments that sometimes test, but moreover strengthen the Darcys' relationship as they struggle to overcome the very faults that so nearly separated them forever. For despite the lessons learned and the love they share, our supremely stubborn couple remains, in essentials, very much what they ever were. Chapters include: A Midnight Embrace - Awakened on their wedding night, Darcy and Elizabeth express physically what they cannot in mere words Disturbing Recollections - As they remain haunted by past transgressions, the couple wonder if forgiveness can ever truly be attained The Storm - The onset of a violent storm en route to Derbyshire leads to their first heated quarrel as a married couple The Dinner Party - Soon after the birth of their first child, Mr. Darcy battles sexual frustration and jealousy as his charming wife enchants the neighbors Welcoming Janie Darcy - Elizabeth falls into labor at a time most inconvenient, while Darcy works diligently to save their land from a natural disaster For Better or Worse - A terrifying encounter befalls the traveling couple, leaving them to work through the ensuing grief and a shared desire for revenge (warning: some disturbing scenes) Christmas in Spring - When a poacher is caught in Pemberley Wood, the Darcys are not in accord with regards to his punishment A Jarring Revelation - In Pemberley's library, Elizabeth makes a remarkable, yet potentially devastating discovery. Dare she share it with her husband? And many more! With the return of some of our old favorites come new characters, as well, each of whom either helping or hindering our dear couple in good times and bad. And as they learn and grow from each new experience, by their eleventh anniversary, can we really expect the idyllic love Jane Austen so expertly built to have endured? This work is meant for mature readers.

    Darcy’s proposal and allowing him to assume a love she does not yet feel pains Miss Elizabeth Bennet but she is certain she can love him…in time. After all of the miseries he endured to salvage her youngest sister’s reputation, how could she not come to love such a man? Unfortunately, Lady Catherine arrives, bringing even thornier complications. With the many objections Darcy’s family will have regarding his marriage to the daughter of an unremarkable country squire, what more trouble can Lady Catherine stir up should she learn Elizabeth’s secret? In this Pride and Prejudice variation, what will Mr. Darcy do when he learns his beloved has accepted him although her heart is not engaged? New through Kindle Unlimited, Recognizing Love is a Jane Austen adaptation of about 73,000 words. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice variations, vagaries, fanfiction, and sequels, check out Recognizing Love today.

    Her stay at Netherfield Park while her sister, Jane, recovers from her illness, has been long and tedious, especially when the proud and unsociable Mr Darcy insists on sitting in the same room as her for hours at a time without speaking. When the rain briefly relents, she hurries outside to enjoy the fresh air before the weather worsens. Mr Darcy wishes he could stay away from Elizabeth. Her low connections mean marriage to her is out of the question, yet he is drawn to her like a man bewitched. But when she fails to return from her walk before dark, he rushes out to find her, knowing where her habits will draw her. Forced to find shelter for the night, Elizabeth and Darcy struggle to keep warm despite the potential scandal of being alone together. But the bitter cold compels them to stay close and leads to a response neither of them expected. And when they are found together, Elizabeth accepts she has no choice but to marry the man she has despised up until now. But there are people close to them who are even more unhappy about the forced marriage than Elizabeth is. And when Elizabeth is offered an alternative to marrying Darcy, are her growing feelings for him strong enough to overcome the pressure of those trying to separate them? One Night at Netherfield Park is a Pride and Prejudice variation novella of approximately 30,000 words

    What if…The entail on Longbourn had been broken?The Bennets owned Netherfield Park?Lizzy overheard the second derogatory comment Darcy made about her beauty? After the Bennets had dined at Netherfield Park, he said, “Her a beauty? I should as soon call her mother a wit.”Yeah – that one.This is a story where we explore all these beautiful what ifs.

    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?

    Seeing how he put his own life at risk to pull her from the fire, how could she help but change her opinion of him?THROWN TOGETHER AGAIN in the refuge offered at Netherfield, Darcy and Elizabeth’s unexpected bond gains strength. But disapproval, debts, and doubts all arise when the costs in time and expense involved in rebuilding Longbourn threaten to widen the gulf in standing between Elizabeth and Darcy in the eyes of society. Amidst these perplexities of destruction and decorum, can love’s courage overcome calamity?FEARFUL SYMMETRY is a Pride and Prejudice variation

    Moments later, Mr. Darcy arrives and asks for her hand in marriage. Thrown by the dreadful news she has just received, Elizabeth cannot respond to him. Once the sickness that claimed her father has finished raging through Hertfordshire, Elizabeth’s family has been decimated, only leaving behind herself, Jane, and Lydia. Numb and aggrieved, Elizabeth agrees to become pledged to Mr. Darcy, but asks that he wait for her period of mourning to be over before they wed. Together, they set off for Pemberley, where Elizabeth must face Lady Catherine’s disapproval, Georgiana’s painful shyness, and the sudden appearance of Mr. Wickham…

    This novella, however, comes with a surprise regarding the characters who fell victim to a broken doorknob.The Netherfield Ball turned to be more a reason for distress than enjoyment for Elizabeth. Desperate and ashamed, she watched her family making a spectacle of themselves under Mr. Darcy and Bingley sisters' contemptuous gazes, until she could not bear it any more. Struggling for a moment of peace and tranquillity, she hid in the solitude of the library. While leaning on an armchair in a corner of the dark room, two men entered, arguing. Before Elizabeth had time to make her presence known, the confrontation turned more violent in words and tone, revealing deep secrets that should have been kept hidden.When one of the men attempted to leave and end the fight, his temper betrayed him and he pulled the doorknob so hard that it broke it.Suddenly, Elizabeth found herself blocked in the library with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham - only moments after she had discovered that her judgement about the two men had been utterly wrong.With no place to hide and no mean to escape, the three of them had no other choice but to face each other, the truth and their own flaws.How long will their ordeal last and how will that happenstance influence their lives are questions to which the readers will find answers in these clean, romantic, low angst novella of approximately 30 K words.

    What can solve his dilemma?When circumstances compel Darcy’s return to Hertfordshire in assistance of his friend Mr. Bingley, he must confront his unfathomable attraction to Miss Elizabeth.In this "Pride & Prejudice" Regency novella, one afternoon spent in company with Miss Elizabeth Bennet is enough to make an indelible and life-altering impression upon Darcy, setting him on a rocky course towards the fulfillment of his desires. Will Darcy attain happiness, or will his ingrained pride be his downfall?

    “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.