Unfortunately, that man is Mr Bennet of Longbourn: a world-weary gentleman who prefers his books to ballrooms.What follows is a heartwarming tale full of wry humour and wisdom, set against the backdrop of the first half of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.Join Mr Bennet as he and his friends in the Meryton Natural History Society attempt to help John, a task that forces our father of five daughters to confront his own romantic past."Life must be mastered with pragmatism and sense, which explains why so few people succeed at it."Cake and Courtship is a standalone story, but also the first part of Mr Bennet's Memoirs.

    It is Mr. Bennet’s greatest wish to see his five sons advantageously married. When the haughty Miss Elizabeth Darcy comes to Netherfield with the Widow Devonport (nee Bingley), speculation — and prejudice — runs rampant.William Bennet, a reluctant and irreverent reverend, catches Miss Darcy’s eye, even though he is beneath her station. His opinion of her is fixed when she slights him at the Meryton assembly. As her ardour grows, so does his disdain. When she fully expects to receive an offer of marriage, he gives her something else entirely . . .

    Bingley, and thereby involving them both in misery of the acutest kind. He knows because he was there when Elizabeth found out. Still, he offers her his hand in marriage--an offer she promptly rejects. Determined to win her good opinion and ultimately her heart, he asks for six weeks to change her mind.What could possibly tempt Elizabeth to accept the man who has been the means of ruining the happiness of a most beloved sister?Regency romance short story, Her Good Opinion, is a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

    Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite revisit Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park to deliver the uplifting holiday storytelling you're looking for.Her Christmas Gift by Robin HelmElizabeth Bennet finds herself snowbound at Rosings with two rejected, but highly eligible, suitors. Does either man have a chance? Will her childhood friend, Meryton’s golden boy, win her affection, or will she accept the master of Pemberley? Perhaps she will refuse them both a second time. Her Christmas Gift deftly combines tension and emotion with humor and romance. The Christmas Matchmaker by Laura HileIt’s raining; it’s pouring – and what could be better than a little Christmas matchmaking? So says Emma Woodhouse who is unexpectedly stranded at Netherfield Park. Mr. Darcy disagrees, for she has someone else in mind for adorable Elizabeth Bennet. Amid meddling, misunderstanding, and an unwelcome proposal or two, will True Love find a way?No Better Gift by Wendi SotisOn his way to Derbyshire to spend Christmas with his family, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy plans to retrieve an item he left behind during his rushed escape from Netherfield—and the country miss who touched his heart. Finding Meryton practically deserted, he fears the worst. What fate could have fallen upon this once-thriving village in only three weeks? More importantly, was Miss Elizabeth Bennet in danger?Mistletoe at Thornton Lacey by Barbara CornthwaiteWhen Edmund Bertram realizes that Fanny is the perfect wife for him, he wants to propose without delay. What better time than at Christmas? Ah, but the course of true love never does run smooth ...

    At the gentleman's insistence, Darcy and his friend seek refuge from the rain at a nearby cottage. The young woman who greets them captivates Darcy with both her beauty and character. Elizabeth Bennet possesses a quick mind and a determined spirit. She is resolved to complete the challenge her father has set before her at Oxford Cottage. However, she does not expect to be met by a handsome stranger and fall in love, nor does she expect to find herself thrust into a situation where her quick thinking may be all that can keep both herself and her young companion safe. Oxford Cottage is Leenie Brown's debut Pride and Prejudice variation novel.  If you like sweet Austen-inspired romances with surprising matchmakers, villainous foes, intelligent heroines, and thrilling adventures, then you will love this story of love that was destined to be. So, put the kettle on, grab your copy of Oxford Cottage, and join Darcy as he wanders down a forest path that ends in sweet romance. A new edition of this book was uploaded on March 17, 2016. This new edition contains two bonus short stories, Though the Universe Conspires and A Music Room Meeting.

    Darcy Speaks from the Heart:Pride and Prejudice from his Point of ViewThough tired of Society's manipulations, Darcy never thought to be enchanted by a country maiden. Yet on a visit to rural Hertfordshire, Elizabeth Bennet captivates him. Lovely and vivacious, she is everything he is not, and everything he longs to have.Unfortunately, her connections put her decidedly beneath him, and the improprieties he observes in her family do not win his favor. Putting her firmly out of his mind, Darcy returns to London, but Elizabeth is not so easily forgotten.When chance throws them together, Darcy can no longer deny his love, but Elizabeth, put off by his manners, refuses him. To change her mind, he must set aside his proud ways and learn how to please a woman worthy of being pleased. It takes a serious incident for his true character to shine, and for Elizabeth to learn just how valuable is...His Good OpinionIncludes an excerpt of Caroline Bingley by Jennifer Becton

    Thankfully, there is no one remotely suitable in his entire circle of acquaintance...or so he thinks. An unwanted interloper, a few romantic mishaps amongst his friends, and the dawning realization that Emma Woodhouse is no longer a child might just change everything.

    Determined to help her brother out of his blue spell, she decides that her new acquaintance—Miss Jane Bennet—is just the lady to fill Darcy’s heart with cheer. And while she is at it, would not Miss Elizabeth Bennet suit Georgiana’s cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam perfectly?Misunderstandings abound as the characters readers know and love take matters into their own hands, leaving Miss Darcy caught unaware.Will Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth admit they are in love with each other, or will the interference of a well-meaning girl keep them apart? What happens when the course of true love does not run straight? Does Miss Darcy learn the lesson that it is best not to interfere?Told primarily from Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth’s point of view, this charming 25,000-word Regency tale by best-selling author Christie Capps is appropriate for all ages.

    Struggling to support herself after her father's disappearance, Katherine has neither time nor money to solve the mystery alone. She has no choice but to seek help from a woman she has only just met; awkward socialite Connie Swift.As the letters become increasingly frantic, this unlikely team of amateur detectives must learn to work together, while struggling to navigate the rigid rules of Victorian propriety, their families’ expectations, and the complicating interference of men.Confronting danger as they venture into new and frightening territory, Katherine and Connie risk arrest, exposure, and even their reputations to solve the Case of the Black Tulips. Can they solve the mystery before someone gets killed....or they kill each other?The Case of the Black Tulips is the first book in the Caster & Fleet mystery series, set in 1890s London.

    Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this brilliantly imagined mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. In a tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.

    Jane Austen's classic novel is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy? In An Assembly Such as This, Pamela Aidan finally answers that long-standing question. In this first book of her Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, she reintroduces us to Darcy during his visit to Hertfordshire with his friend Charles Bingley and reveals Darcy's hidden perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice. As Darcy spends more time at Netherfield supervising Bingley and fending off Miss Bingley's persistent advances, his unwilling attraction to Elizabeth grows—as does his concern about her relationship with his nemesis, George Wickham.Setting the story vividly against the colorful historical and political background of the Regency, Aidan writes in a style comfortably at home with Austen but with a wit and humor very much her own. Aidan adds her own cast of fascinating characters to those in Austen's original, weaving a rich tapestry from Darcy's past and present. Austen fans and newcomers alike will love this new chapter of the most famous romance of all time.

    In the mid-1990s it became a favorite movie for millions of new admirers.A key reason for Emma's success is that the story has two heroines-Emma Woodhouse and Jane Fairfax. In Austen's novel, Jane's backgound is left obscure, and the turmoil underlying her current reduced circumstances in mysterious.At last we learn her whole story in Joan Aiken's superb retelling of Emma-this time from Jane Fairfax's point of view. When Jane Fairfax was published in hardcover, Aiken's wit, style, and skill prompted Booklist to say, "Brilliant...extraordinarily will done and highly recommended."This worthy companion to the great original is for the first time now available in paperback.

    Finally confronted with a woman who ignites all his hopes , he agonizes over the cruel trick of fate which placed her in a situation beneath his notice. The morning after the Netherfield ball, he resolves to put as much distance between himself and her as possible.That very morning, however, Elizabeth's future is jeopardized by her father's untimely accident. With Mr Bennet unconscious and surrounded by concerned neighbors, Mr Collins presses his suit. Elizabeth's mother frantically demands her acceptance to secure the familiy's welfare. With so many witnesses to his proposal and everyone expecting her to make a practical choice, Elizabeth's reputation hangs in the balance.Without her father to defend her refusal of Mr Collins, there is no one to speak up for her... except the last man in the world she would ever marry.

    Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy put this notion to the test when they find themselves in a passionate and unexpected marriage.

    The lady, meanwhile, is battling the unprecedented feelings stirred by having endured an innocent but intimate encounter with the gentleman in the aftermath of his proposal. Soon on her way to Town herself for an unanticipated stay, she is comforted by the presence of an old family friend, one Nicholas Harington – the son of a wealthy family whose position in society rivals that of the Darcys of Pemberley.Circumstance soon throws Darcy back into Elizabeth’s company, much to their mutual consternation, and also introduces him to Harington who has emerged as a potential suitor for Elizabeth.With his friend, Bingley, now in hot pursuit of Elizabeth’s sister, Darcy finds his best endeavours to relieve the lady of his unwelcome presence come to naught. As the encounters continue, they seem to be developing a better appreciation of each other, but is there any future for them in the face of their previous misunderstandings, and what of Harington, the man who is deemed by all a fair prospect for Elizabeth’s hand?