Thomas Bennet married the love of his life: Miss Fanny Gardiner. She gave him three children, Jane, Elizabeth and Tommy. 2 years after Tommy, Fanny was taken from her loving family birthing a second son, who was stillborn.Another branch of the Bennet family, cousins to the Longbourn Bennets, are titled, the Earl and Countess of Holder, who live in Staffordshire with their 5 children. The two families are extremely close and after Fanny dies Bennet’s cousins, at his request, keep and raise Tommy. In his grief Thomas Bennet doesn't think he can raise a 2-year-old at the same time as his two daughters. He also feels Tommy needs a mother figure in his life.Martha Bingley is the widow of an honourable tradesman, Mr. Arthur Bingley, who had died of a heart attack. Bingley senior was a minor partner of Edward Gardiner in Gardiner and Associates. They had three children, Charles, Louisa, and Caroline. Unlike canon, the Bingleys are not very wealthy, and the girls have small dowries of £2,000 each.Bennet is introduced to Martha at his brother-in-law’s house. The Bingleys live in a leased house a few houses down from the Gardiners on Gracechurch street. Martha has always dreamed of climbing up the social ladder, raising her family above their roots in trade, so she compromises Bennet as he is a landed gentleman with an estate. Being an honourable man, and against advice of friends and family, he marries her.Our 'prince' in the story is of course none other than His Grace Fitzwilliam Darcy, Duke of Derbyshire, Earl of Lambton. Like canon his parents have already passed away. Dear old Lady Catherine de Bourgh will do anything to make her sickly daughter with a nasty disposition a Duchess. At some point the Duke purchases Netherfield to be closer to London so his sister, Lady Georgiana, will have her preferred music master close by.Bennet never reveals the existence of his son, or his relations, who are peers of the realm, to his new wife, who he dislikes intensely. The neighbours, none of whom like the new Mrs. Bennet or her children, keep the Bennet’s secrets without question. Bennet allows his new wife to believe the entail on Longbourn is away from the female line giving her the impression that on his death, she and her three spawn will be evicted from the estate by a distant unnamed cousin.Sometime after sending Jane to live with his cousins, for reasons which will be revealed in the story, with Lizzy refusing to leave her father’s side, Bennet has an accident which kills him. When no heir presents himself to throw her and her children, still at Longbourn, into the hedgerows, the stepmother feels more secure at the estate.Several of the usual suspects are present as well as some other characters. This is a story of hope and survival and the eventual triumph of good over evil.

    With these men come their children, young boys and girls who forge life-long connections akin to that their fathers have built.As the children grow to adulthood, they mature, their relationships growing ever stronger. Fitzwilliam Darcy, having been taught by an excellent father, cleaves to his friendships with Charles Bingley, Anthony Fitzwilliam, and George Wickham, knowing they will bring his family much joy and prosperity. Of especial importance to his future happiness, a lively sprite he knew as a girl has grown to become a lovely young woman as desirable as any.In Hertfordshire, Elizabeth Bennet, having known Darcy since she was a young girl, greets him when he comes to the neighborhood, eager to discover if she can love him as a woman loves a man. As their relationship deepens and they learn what it is to love together, an enemy from the past arrives to bedevil them and threaten all they hold dear.Life, while it brings its share of joys, also brings the inevitable sorrows, and when calamity strikes, Darcy and his brothers in all but blood must press forward to achieve the impossible. And while he knows the odds are stacked against him, Darcy possesses an indomitable will that will not allow him to fail.Bonds of Friendship is the first book of two in the Bonds of Life series. The second book, Bonds of Love, is schedule for publication in summer 2020.

    Consigning herself to a marriage of convenience, she sets out to make it work. But she had not expected Mr. Collins to be so contentious. Other new people in her life are causing trouble too. As her efforts to create harmony fail, she manages to find happiness in her duties and her friendships. Especially the friendship of Mr. Darcy, who provides her with interesting conversation, a sympathetic ear, and assistance when she is in need. That need becomes dire when her husband turns violent. But the harder her life becomes, the more her friends step up. The loyalty of old and new ones helps her to navigate a difficult journey. And her dream of love is waiting at the end.

    His eyes are opened to different possibilities, changing his story and the stories of those around him. As influenza spreads through the neighborhood, Darcy must decide how involved should be in the lives of his neighbors and what kind of man his choices make him. Opportunities still abound for misunderstandings, interference by family members and arrogant declarations at inopportune moments. As Darcy seeks his happily ever after, he learns to look at the people and events around him from another point of view.

    They meet Mr Thomas Bennet, an art history professor at one of the universities there, and his two daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. The Bennets are part of a group trying to restore the stolen works of art taken by Napoleon's army when they plundered Belgium. One piece of art in particular was the Bruges Madonna, sculpted by Michelangelo. Along with Colonel Fitzwilliam, the Bingleys, Lord and Lady Matlock, the search for the missing art leads through Belgium while the hearts of two gentlemen find their matches in Mr Bennet's home.

    She is reunited with her sister Jane, who is still in the Gardiners’ home.As both sisters are in low spirits, Mrs. Gardiner attempts to cheer them and arranges for them to attend several parties, balls and plays.These occasions lead Elizabeth and Darcy to be caught in some awkward encounters, both filled with regret for their past behaviour.Furthermore, the beautiful Jane Bennet appears to have gained the interest of a wealthy earl, who has begun courting her. She is still very much in love with Mr. Bingley – who, however, has not appeared again.Darcy has more knowledge about the earl’s true character and does not consider him a suitable match for the kind Miss Bennet. Feeling guilty for his intervention that separated Jane and Bingley, and willing to show Elizabeth that he has taken her reproaches to heart, he intervenes to remedy a situation caused by his arrogant presumptions.When Bingley returns in town, Darcy reveals the whole truth to him. Unlike in canon, Bingley’s reaction is very strong, against Darcy, against his sisters, even against the earl who seems unworthy of Jane.Fighting for his love, Bingley is badly injured, in danger of losing his life.Darcy intervenes again, protecting his friend, helping him to heal in body and spirit and to reunite with the woman he loves.Amidst these endeavours, Darcy and Elizabeth finally put their pride and prejudice aside, and unite their efforts in a fight for love and happiness.

    Bennet insists that her next eldest daughter remain in the parlour as a chaperone. Eventually begging her father for relief, Mr. Bennet directs Elizabeth to turn her hand to writing a story to pass the days during the winter while Jane’s suitor sits with her. The suitor eventually loses interest, but Lizzy’s writing grows into an interesting novel that Mr. Bennet’s publisher in London purchases to print and sell. Over the next four years, Elizabeth continues to write one novel that involves a murder each winter.Unfortunately, the setting of two of Elizabeth’s novels is the town where her aunt grew up in Derbyshire. The success of the novel brings unwanted attention to the great house nearby. The master of this house, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is displeased for visitors to ask to view the parlour where ‘the murder’ occurred. After the second novel set in Derbyshire is published, Mr. Darcy visits the publisher about contacting the author, but the man refuses to disclose the information.On his own, he decides that the author lives in Hertfordshire, the setting of two other novels, and visits with his friend Charles Bingley, who has taken an estate there for a time. Darcy is determined to discover the incorrigible author and prevent the man from writing another novel set in Derbyshire. Shortly after arriving, Mr. Darcy is convinced that Mr. Thomas Bennet is the elusive author and tries to find out more information by talking with the man’s daughter, Elizabeth.

    In their time of trouble, family and friends gather to help them through. Amid the distress and uncertainty, new hope emerges, and love triumphs, making Longbourn and the Bennets stronger than ever.

    Whilst there she is surprised to meet Mr Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Wickham.Elizabeth is about to be astounded time and again by the events that play out in Liverpool. Events which see her undertake a night time adventure with two men she had no idea were in fact cousins!While staying at Gracechurch Street in London she had been invited by Lady Matlock to a soiree at Matlock Gardens. It was there that she was left in no doubt, by her Ladyship, that she was not a suitable wife for her son Colonel Fitzwilliam, who Elizabeth had only recently met. Too poor, was the insinuation and certainly not born high enough.After being duped by Wickham and astonished by what she overheard Mr Darcy say to his cousin, Elizabeth was delighted when within less than a week, her life changed immeasurably. A change which would find her living, albeit temporarily, only five miles from Pemberley.This is a gentle, lightly amusing tale of the developing love between Darcy and Elizabeth, with all its ups and downs.

    The end of Darcy’s hopes and dreams.He decides to give her the letter and escape the humiliation.But he cannot do it.No matter the cost, he will do anything — anything — to be worthy of her acceptance.Elizabeth Bennet must decide which of the two characters is the real Mr. Darcy, before she can choose which path in life will make her happiest.Should she follow her heart, or her head?

    In London, every member of the ton knows that Mr. Darcy keeps a scandalous secret, but no one dares to claim they know the whole truth about the woman living under his protection. A young lady of little fortune... Elizabeth Bennet is well aware that her prospects of making an advantageous marriage are low. Her family’s lack of fortune and connections are against her but even more so, her witty, obstinate mind seems to keep potential suitors at a distance. On the other hand Meredith Whitney, Sir Edward Whitney’s daughter and Elizabeth’s dearest friend, promises to be much more fortunate, as the Hertfordshire neighbourhood waits with bated breath for the announcement of her engagement to Mr. Bingley. When Mr. Bingley’s party comes to stay at Hudson Park at Sir Edward Whitney’s invitation, fate brings Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth together, although their first encounter is equally awkward and mortifying for both. Still, it is enough to spark interest. It seems that she has finally found her match. A gentleman with a secret... Elizabeth begins to learn that there is much more to Mr. Darcy than her first impression of an arrogant and taciturn gentleman inclined to annoy her, and she realises he has somehow found the key to her mind and heart. Much to her surprise, in just a few encounters, Mr. Darcy manages to enter Elizabeth’s thoughts as no one has ever done before. The strangely warm sentiment appears to be mutual, until Elizabeth accidentally learns about the person who lies at the core of Mr. Darcy’s secret life. In search of justice Meet Mrs. Flora Guillen, a Jamaican woman of colour—beautiful, amiable, intelligent, but above all with a sadness in her eyes that cannot be easily understood. In befriending her, Elizabeth unwittingly starts to unveil the truth behind the secret, a story of heartbreak and survival that affects not only Darcy’s reputation, but also the lives of so many others.

    The well-known characters, as well as a few new ones, grow from childhood to a marriageable age; some reveal different facets of their personalities, while others are doomed to follow the same paths.

    More than one wealthy or noble family of seemingly sterling reputation is torn apart and sometimes all but exterminated by savage intra-family feuds.That situation unexpectedly confronts Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Skirmish and Scandal when Darcy’s interest in Elizabeth as a future mistress of Pemberley becomes known to Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her noble Matlock relations. Determined to prevent an affront to the reputation of their aristocratic clan, the most prominent members of the family gather with Lady Catherine to confront Darcy and force him to choose a more suitable wife. Th e resulting conflict and its aftermath involve furious arguments, abduction, pursuit, and personal clashes that narrowly avert meetings on the field of honour.How can such emotionally intense and seemingly insurmountable personal conflicts between thecouple result in an amorouos resolution?

    The men in my life would consider it amusing but naïve to afford the same semantics of conversation for wholly different circumstances such as these, or they would should one of them choose to read it.This vagary proposes an alternate telling of the original Pride and Prejudice and considers what may have happened should the characters have been afforded a slightly altered set of circumstances. What if Mr. Darcy had accepted quite early that he was falling in love with Elizabeth? What if Elizabeth was the least stubborn of her sisters? What if Mrs. Bennet was allowed to settle in mind and spirit? What if Mr. Bennet exerted himself on behalf of his daughters? What if Mr. Collins was in some way welcomed as the next owner of the estate? Those are only some of the twists within this tale, and while not canon, I hope I gave your favorite character a moment unto themselves that will make you smile.CAUTION: I want to specifically state that this vagary is not for all Pride and Prejudice genre readers. If one reads to find fault in what is not canon, I’ve been most forthcoming about the fact that it is a vagary, so you should already be on your guard and perhaps pass it by. For those of you who are strict authoress-guidelines conscious, I will argue that in all time periods people spoke with the use of contractions. To that end, I was true to life rather than follow her pointed non-use of them. Outside conversation, however, you will not find them, and I hope that soothes any feathers which may be ruffled at such a bold defiance.CAUTION: My editor also requested that I issue a point of clarification on her behalf. I confess that as an author em-dashes drive me nanabas, so in conflict with her excellent advice, I did not include many of them where she said they should be. Despise me for it if you must, but no novel, story, prose, or verse ever hinged on one’s use. The lacking or use of a comma, however, has cost millions. I promise that for those, I let her fully guide me.NOTE: My personal pleasure in writing this book was the intent to make any who read it find themselves staying up at night; not because ODCs are near death, have been forced to do that which they despise, or are off chasing Lydia again, but because I believe I am not the only one of us who dearly loves to laugh.

    After the disastrous proposal in Kent, Elizabeth travels to London and is reunited with her sister Jane before returning to Longbourn. Still distressed by the revelation of Mr. Darcy’s true feelings, she is overwhelmed with guilt for completely misjudging him and for trusting Wickham so readily. A walk with her sister and aunt in Hyde Park provides an opportunity for fate to intervene and to cross her path with Darcy’s again in a most unexpected way. The presence of Mr. Bingley and the proof that Darcy has quickly admitted his error and tried to remedy it, makes Elizabeth’s self-reproach increase and her feelings for him soften. However, Mr. Darcy is a proud man, whose good opinion once lost is lost forever. Will he even consider any further connection with a woman who rejected him so rudely, especially when other worthy young ladies are vying for his affection? Mr. Wickham is also part of this story, stirring the waters with his usual viciousness; his role is somehow the same, yet different and original compared to the canon and to most P&P variations. The readers would be surprised to find out who is the recipient of his dishonourable interest this time. With the generous intervention of several sweet and loving individuals - including Miss Georgiana Darcy, a young lady who is very much like her brother in spirit and character - our dear couple will eventually find their well deserved Happily Ever After.