A More Gentlemanlike Manner: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Sophia King - 2017
    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?

Mr. Darcy's Proposal


Susan Mason-Milks - 2011
    In the process of offering his help to her in traveling home, he discovers what she really thinks of him—and it’s not good. Should Darcy deliver Elizabeth home to be with her family and then disappear from her life, or will he propose another kind of help? Will Elizabeth be willing to sacrifice her future happiness to save her family from financial ruin? Or, do she and Darcy, two very stubborn people, have a chance of finding happiness together?

Fitzwilliam Darcy in His Own Words


Shannon Winslow - 2021
    Darcy’s life like before he met Elizabeth Bennet? – before he stepped onto the Pride and Prejudice stage at the Meryton assembly? More importantly, where is he and what is he doing all the time he’s absent from the page thereafter? And what is his relationship to a woman named Amelia?With "Fitzwilliam Darcy, in His Own Words," the iconic literary hero finally tells his own story, from the traumas of his early life to the consummation of his love for Elizabeth and everything in between.This is not a variation but a supplement to the original story, chronicled in Darcy’s point of view – a behind-the-scenes look at the things Jane Austen didn’t tell us. As it happens, Darcy’s journey was more tortuous than she let on, his happy ending with Elizabeth in jeopardy at every turn in his struggle between duty and his heart’s desire, between the suitable lady he has promised to marry and the woman he can't stop thinking about.

Thursday's Child


Pat Santarsiero - 2013
    Risking her own reputation, she enters into a bargain with an unknown gentleman in order to obtain the funds she desperately needs.However, she soon discovers that the bargain has cost much more than she could ever have imagined.Set in the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Thursday's Child is a story of sacrifice, courage and love.

Seasons of Waiting: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Christina Morland - 2018
    Autumn, 1812: Certain his second proposal will be rejected, Darcy does not return to Hertfordshire–or to Elizabeth Bennet.Spring, 1837: When his nephew falls in love with her niece, Darcy and Elizabeth are bound to meet again.How many steps does it take to find a way back to the person you have always loved?Dear Readers: this book contains a few non-graphic references to rape and incest.

Darcy's Labours of Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Renee McKenzie - 2021
    Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy immediately regrets his insult to Elizabeth Bennet at the Meryton Assembly, and takes the opportunity during a chance meeting on Oakham Mount to apologize. Reticent to so easily forgive Darcy's boorish behaviour, Elizabeth announces that she will consider Darcy's request after further studying his actions. Darcy impulsively offers to complete six labours chosen by Elizabeth, in the tradition of The Twelve Labours of Hercules, to demonstrate that he can be a better man. In exchange, Darcy will not only receive Elizabeth's friendship but also a token, of his choosing, at the completion of each labour.Join the traditional P&P characters, and some new ones, as Elizabeth designs labours to test the boundaries of Darcy's social faults. The outcomes surprise both Elizabeth and Darcy as the completion of Darcy's labours and the collection of his tokens deepens their friendship. However, just as their friendship blossoms into something more their future is threatened by an act of revenge. Will Darcy's labours lead to a deep, abiding love?Author's Note: Readers should be aware that there is an event in the book of a violent physical attack which is described explicitly, both as it happens and in its re-telling. There are some descriptions of kissing that demonstrate the ardent love of our dear couple, but the situations are written in good taste. For Regency period enthusiasts, there are some liberties taken with the behaviour of a courting couple.

Fair Stands the Wind: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Catherine Lodge - 2017
    Darcy is proud and prejudiced because he is a wealthy landowner who believes himself above his company and that Elizabeth Bennet can afford to be proud and prejudiced because she believes she has the freedom to make choices for herself. But what if Mr. Darcy is the second son, sent to sea at a young age? What if Elizabeth is trapped by circumstances with an ill father on one side and an understandably desperate mother on the other? Meet Captain Darcy of the Royal Navy, a successful frigate captain with ample prize money and a sister for whom he needs to provide while he is at sea. Meet also Elizabeth Bennet, who needs a husband and is trying to resign herself to Mr. Collins, the worst “least worst alternative” in the history of literature.

Being Mrs Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Elizabeth M. Bridges - 2018
     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...

Unequal Affections: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling


Lara S. Ormiston - 2013
    Darcy, she despised him and was sure he felt the same. Angered by his pride and reserve, influenced by the lies of the charming Mr. Wickham, she never troubled herself to believe he was anything other than the worst of men--until, one day, he unexpectedly proposed. Mr. Darcy's passionate avowal of love causes Elizabeth to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about him. What she knows is that he is rich, handsome, clever, and very much in love with her. She, on the other hand, is poor, and can expect a future of increasing poverty if she does not marry. The incentives for her to accept him are strong, but she is honest enough to tell him that she does not return his affections. He says he can accept that--but will either of them ever be truly happy in a relationship of unequal affection?Diverging from Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice at the proposal in the Hunsford parsonage, this story explores the kind of man Darcy is, even before his "proper humbling," and how such a man, so full of pride, so much in love, might have behaved had Elizabeth chosen to accept his original proposal.

First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice


Alexa Adams - 2010
    Darcy had never spoken so disdainfully? First Impressions explores how the events of Jane Austen's beloved novel would have transpired if Darcy and Elizabeth had danced together at the Meryton Assembly. Jane and Bingley's relationship blossoms unimpeded, Mary makes a most fortunate match, and Lydia never sets a foot in Brighton. Austen's witty style is authentically invoked in this playful romp from Longbourn to Pemberley.

The Coming of Age of Elizabeth Bennet


Caitlin Williams - 2016
    Mr Bennet has died, leaving his wife and five young daughters bereft. The family estate, Longbourn, is now lost, entailed away and fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Bennet is to go two hundred miles away to live with strangers. George Darcy, repaying a debt of gratitude, has offered to take her to Pemberley, to live under the mantle of his care and be raised alongside his own daughter, Georgiana.But on the day she is to leave Longbourn forever, young Elizabeth, grieving and confused, runs off into the Hertfordshire countryside. Fitzwilliam Darcy gives chase, telling his father he will have her back in an hour or two. Luck and fate, however, are not on his side and capturing Elizabeth Bennet turns out not only to be more difficult than he could ever have imagined, but events will conspire to turn her little adventure into his worst nightmare.The prideful man and the girl prejudiced against him, meet much earlier in this rethinking of Jane Austen’s masterpiece. Elizabeth grows up under the ever-watchful eye of Mr Darcy, from fifteen to twenty one. She errs and falters, there are stumbles and trips, but could this ‘disobedient little hellion’ one day become mistress of Pemberley and the keeper of his heart?