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Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing irritably at the edge of the Meryton assembly, declines to dance with Elizabeth Bennet. In a mood of revulsion, he rejects her without concern of being overheard. Country pretensions are always in need of squashing, and what better way to make clear he would not partner anyone outside his party? However, when he looks over at her, she does not appear humbled at all. She is secretly laughing at him!

Matrimony is the last thing on Elizabeth Bennet’s mind when she arrives at Netherfield Park to tend to her ill sister. When proud Mr. Darcy acts rashly to thwart a compromise and tells her that the entire household believes they are engaged, she dismisses him outright and refuses his offer of marriage. But more surprises await her at Longbourn. Mr. Collins is ready with an offer of marriage, and it is not only her mother who thinks it a fine match.

One misstep is all it takes to forever change the lives of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. During the ball at Netherfield Park Elizabeth, and Mr. Darcy are irretrievably compromised and forced to marry. Angered beyond reason, Mr. Darcy prepares the vilest marriage settlement known to man, forcing Mr. Bennet to accept his terms or suffer the consequences of ruined reputations and unwed daughters.

At a dinner party in London during the season, Fitzwilliam Darcy meets an enchanting young woman. Though he recognizes her beauty and poise, he is struck by a sense of familiarity and realizes she is someone connected to him. What follows is a whirlwind of events in which the woman's lineage is discovered and her true identity is established. Darcy quickly realizes she is a woman estimable in her own right, and he finds himself besotted. But amid the miraculous events of a lost soul returning home, dark forces conspire against the young woman, for her loss was not an accident.

Incredible! Elizabeth Bennet is surprised and delighted when Fitzwilliam Darcy, a wealthy and handsome bachelor from Derbyshire, declares himself to her. Still more surprising are her own feelings for him; a chance overheard conversation had changed her first impression of him enough to see the good man he was…and she had fallen in love.

For twenty years Elizabeth Bennet had lived, quite contentedly, as the second daughter of a country squire. During her Easter visit to her newly married friend, Lizzy has the dubious pleasure of being introduced to Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her cosseted daughter. To Elizabeth’s surprise, the pair take a keen interest in a mere adopted daughter of the Bennet family, and when Mr. Darcy dutifully pays his annual visit to Rosings Park, her life takes a wholly unexpected turn.

Drugged and betrayed in his own household, Fitzwilliam Darcy makes his escape from a forged compromise that would see him unhappily wed. Dressed as a footman, he is welcomed into one of London’s unknown neighborhoods by a young lady who is running out of time and running for her life. Deciding to hide in plain sight, Miss Elizabeth Bennet dodges the expectation to marry the man of her mother’s dreams. When the insolent footman she “found” refuses to leave her side until they can uncover a solution to their respective dilemmas.

Miss Caroline Bingley has long been a thorn in the side of Fitzwilliam Darcy's friendship with Charles Bingley; the visit to Netherfield Park to help Bingley learn the craft of an estate manager has all the potential for disaster. But Darcy will not shirk, for his friendship with Bingley outweighs his distaste for the man's sister. In his defense, Darcy enlists his manservant, a man equally committed to ensure Miss Bingley will not become his master's wife.

When an emergency summons Mr. Darcy back to London during the Netherfield ball, he discovers a newborn in his study along with a note. Now, he must guard a secret that could shatter his family and put the child in danger. But that isn’t his biggest challenge. He must find a wife—a woman he can trust with his charge and with his heart. Elizabeth Bennet’s prospects for a marriage based on love are taken away from her when her father makes a deal with Mr. Darcy, a man she despises.

Darkness, in many forms, must be conquered to emerge into the light and embrace one’s happily ever after. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Two cousins, closer than brothers. One finds love despite his inner demons; the other resists love because of them. Elizabeth Bennet. Kitty Bennet. Two sisters, strengthened by adversity. One willingly yields to love; the other pridefully misinterprets it.