No matter where Fitzwilliam Darcy goes, there are always whispers passed from matching-making matron to hopeful debutante about who he is and what fortune he holds. And then, the prowling and scheming to snare him begins. He knows that eventually, he’ll have to marry, but, at present, after the summer he’s had, he’s just not ready.Therefore, when his friend presses him to dance at the Meryton Assembly, Darcy is desperate to refuse as adamantly as is necessary to avoid partnering any young lady. But then, fate steps in, and Darcy’s disparagement of the dance partner his friend has suggested dies on his lips.She’s captivating and fascinatingly unusual. In fact, she just might be enchanting enough for him to long to make her what he wasn’t looking for — his wife.From Tolerable to Lovely is a novelette of just over 11,000 words and is the first installment in Leenie Brown’s Teatime Tales Collection of Austen-inspired quick reads. If you’re looking for a sweet romantic escape from the everyday, where love comes calling when it’s least expected, then you’ll love this story about how love can turn a tolerably good life into one that is simply lovely.So put the kettle on, download your copy of From Tolerable to Lovely, and steal away with Darcy and Elizabeth for a few moments of sweet indulgence.---[This story was previously published in a MUCH shorter form as part of a Teatime Tales short story anthology. That original short story is now part of the first chapter of this novelette.]

    Will Darcy be able to overcome his pride to attach himself to a poor woman of obscure origins? Who killed Elizabeth's father and how will her deception be revealed?Rated T for minor violence and innuendo

    They decide to keep the marriage a secret until they can have a proper English wedding, so their sister’s marriage prospects are not tainted by scandal. Sometimes keeping a secret can get hard. (Warning: British spelling variants used.)This is a racy Pride and Prejudice comedy. If you do not like farce, this may not be the book for you. Then again, maybe you will enjoy all the improbable situations our odd couple find themselves. Experience the trials and tribulations of trying to keep a secret marriage a secret while wanting nothing more than to be alone so you can…I apologize in advance for any mistakes; please forgive me. I had an editor lined up to help me out, but unfortunately, it fell through like much of last year. So I was forced to slog through it on my own, along with the program Grammarly. It tells me I have done a decent job, but I find some of the suggestions it tells me to make suspect. Therefore I am suspicious of its accuracy in finding problems. Also, if you think it is a typo it could be the British variant spelling of the word.As a struggling author in these difficult times, I did not have the time to find another editor. I hope the reader will understand. As many times as I have read through the story, I always find something wrong. Or something I want to change. At a certain point, one must move forward or be forever stuck in the same spot in anything one does in life.

    Bingley is shocked when Darcy gives him a copy of an ancient, illustrated book of sensual secrets-but it does tell him everything he needs to know.Eventually, of course, Jane finds this remarkable volume and in utmost secrecy shows it to her dear sister Elizabeth, who goes searching for a copy in the Pemberley library...By turns hilarious and sweet, The Darcys & the Bingleys follows the two couples and the cast of characters surrounding them. Miss Caroline Bingley, it turns out, has such good reasons for being the way she is that the reader can't help but hold her in charity. Delightfully, she makes a most eligible match, and in spite of Darcy's abhorrence of being asked for advice, he and Bingley have a most enduring and adventure-prone friendship. (20080903)