Principles and feelings must now be forgotten: Elizabeth knows what she must do in order to save her family. As unpalatable as it is, she prepares to swallow her pride and travel to Kent. There is one factor Elizabeth did not anticipate: Fitzwilliam Darcy. Is he really as hard as he seems or is a kinder nature lurking just below the surface? Elizabeth does not dare allow herself to hope. Darcy may be the only one who can save her from a life of unhappiness.

    The second daughter of a country gentleman is now many different things, to different people. Beloved wife. Mistress of a dauntingly great estate. Reluctant socialite. Daughter. Sister. Cousin. Friend. And as the days of her married life go by, bringing both joy and turmoil, the man that stands beside her is her shelter and comfort in the face of family opposition, peril and heartbreak. Three very different Christmas seasons come to serve as landmarks to their lives and there are blissful days and times of sorrow at the old English country house. And before too long, a time would come when Darcy must decide if he is prepared to risk everything for the sake of a full life together - or succumb to the collection of his fears.

    Hearing from his aunt that the Collins’ are expecting Miss Elizabeth as a guest, Darcy and the Colonel change their plans and set off for Kent a fortnight sooner than originally planned. He and the Colonel have both decided that they are about to secure their future happiness. Darcy planning to propose to Miss Elizabeth and the Colonel is prepared to make a proposal of his own. Have you ever been a victim of false assumptions? Imagine assuming that the love of your life is engaged to your cousin and one of your dearest friends. Through a series of miscommunications and assumptions, Darcy believes that he has missed out on securing his future with Elizabeth when he comes upon them in Rosings Park. Will Darcy find the happiness he so desperately longs for …?

    She promised him that even in the afterlife if there was a way, she would help guide him to find the perfect woman to marry. "I want you to know, my son, that I will always be with you, watching over you. If it is in my power, even in the afterlife, I will guide you toward the happiness you deserve." Years later, after tiring of the search for a woman of substance among the vapid and mercenary women of society, Darcy began experiencing mysterious events, ultimately taking him on an unexpected journey to an unlikely country estate outside of London. There, he is strangely drawn to a woman far beneath society's expectations for him. Though from totally different worlds, they are attracted to each other, but due to misunderstandings and interference from those who would stand in their way, their path to happily ever after is thwarted at every turn. Will Darcy and Elizabeth find what they both desire on their own, or will they need a little help from the afterlife?

    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 ...

     Her sister, Elizabeth, is distraught over the engagement, and although aware of an unspoken attraction between Jane and Mr Bingley, she is powerless to alter her sister’s inevitable future without encouraging a scandal. Elizabeth’s displeasure is often manifest by way of general complaint to the even wealthier and more distinguished Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, who confesses a propensity for offending wherever he goes. Despite assurances that Jane has made a most suitable match, Elizabeth is determined never to marry for mere security and familial obligations, but her sharp wit and biting tongue produce obstacles in making a fortunate alliance of her own. “My Dear Readers, If you have taken up the delightful chore of reading this novel, I hope that you are as fond of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and its author, Jane Austen, as I am. I make no claims of being her equal in writing, though I strive to preserve her style and characters in a way that will do justice to those presented to us in the original. I am under no delusion that my adaptation must appeal to every reader of Jane Austen fan-works. Yet I have done my utmost to deliver to you the sort of drama we might expect from a novel of this period; that of familial duty and regret, of sisterly quarrels and affection, enduring friendships, first impressions, and yes, now and then a runaway animal, and a bit of family scandal. For any inaccuracies written in ignorance, I apologise. For liberties taken for the sake of writerly whims, I can only request your indulgence. These liberties may be most apparent in the continuing stories compiled in Volume II, as this is where my novel expands into new territory and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ could not be consulted for material, leaving me to rely on speculation. My original design to end the story by Volume I was thwarted when I found it impossible to do some of our favourite couples and their endings justice under such limitations. My wise editor, fellow author, and eternal friend, Miss Catherine Miller, suggested I take a page from the illustrious Jane Austen herself and expand into a second volume, the better to tell everyone’s stories in the most satisfactory manner. A last word to those astonishing persons who have made it this far. Thank you ever so much for choosing to read this humble author’s adaptation of such a beloved and enduring novel. I know there are a multitude of fan-works to choose from in this sphere, and I am absolutely delighted that you would consider mine worthy of your time and attention. May it prove so! Your Little Scribbler, Madam Beth Poppet”

    Darcy does not arrive at Ramsgate until two days after Georgiana’s elopement with George Wickham. The servants sell their story to the newspapers, the couple vanish, and when the gossip columns run rampant with the news, Darcy’s relatives demand that Darcy disown his sister. When Wickham learns he cannot gain his wife’s dowry until she is thirty years, he deserts Georgiana and Darcy takes her back into their London home. With society turned against them, Darcy takes his sister to Pemberley but she dies during the winter.In the spring (1809), Darcy returns to London but he is unrecognizable with a full beard and long hair. The ever-faithful Charles Bingley, invites Darcy to use his new appearance as a disguise to hide and grieve in Hertfordshire. To the surprise of everyone in Meryton, Charles returns from London with a new secretary, one ‘Malcom McDuff’, a wild looking Scots with a full beard, long hair, and an eye patch over one eye. While there, McDuff meets Miss Elizabeth Bennet and they share many interesting conversations. But as the day for the wedding of Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley approaches, McDuff vanishes. There is scandal enough in Hertfordshire that summer when Lydia Bennet elopes with George Wickham from Brighton and the Bennet family is shocked by Lydia’s resolution to her problem.The next summer (1810), Elizabeth travels to Hunsford to aid Mrs. Collins with the impending birth of her first child. Upon arrival she is introduced to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Derbyshire who is on business in Kent.There is something familiar about this Mr. Darcy, and Elizabeth Bennet sets her mind to discovering his secret.

    Darcy from realizing she is there. During those days she is successful in keeping her presence from his notice, she comes to learn more about him, his honorable character, and how well he is regarded by others. How long will she be able to keep her presence a secret from him, and what will happen when he finds out she is there? Mr. Darcy, meanwhile, is curious about the odd incidents taking place that he cannot explain. How will the reason he returned to Pemberley a day early affect him and those he cares about? Is the beautiful, accomplished, and admirable Miss Westerfield someone to whom he has already attached his affections? Does he truly intend to ask for her hand, as everyone believes? And how does the magpie play a role in the events of this story?

    As she begins her mourning under the protection of Mr. Bingley and struggles to heal from the pain of losing her beloved sister Jane, Elizabeth discovers a new source of hope in Mr. Darcy. His pride is overcome by her vulnerability, and his eyes are opened to her endearing qualities. Can he console her during the year of mourning and win her love and hand at the end of it? Will Charles Bingley, whose heart is broken, ever find love again?

    Darcy has no interest in the metaphysical but he is more desperate than at any other time in his life.Miss Elizabeth Bennet immediately responds to the urgency of Mr. Darcy’s request for aid. Where could Miss Darcy be? She sets off with him in a mad dash across the country, and the sea, in an anxious search for a most beloved sister.Miss Bennet’s guidance and compassion comforts Darcy, sustaining his confidence in their success. The touch of her hand sooths his uneasy spirit.Mr. Darcy’s deep affection for his sister reveals to Elizabeth an unguarded side to his forbidding person. As each passing mile draws them closer to Georgiana, their attraction to each other increases in depth.

    Mr Darcy is dangerously ill the following Christmas and calling for Elizabeth. Colonel Fitzwilliam goes to fetch her and what happens next is the subject of this festive short story.