Distraught at her father’s passing, the usually wilful Elizabeth Bennet does the only thing she can to secure her family’s future: she accepts a most disagreeable marriage proposal.Summoned to Kent to be presented to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Lizzy is stunned when she crosses paths with Mr. Darcy, that prideful man who riled her so at Netherfield. She’s even more surprised to find Mr. Darcy is … Darcy is far less disagreeable than she remembers, but it’s too late: Lizzy feels there’s no way to back out of the marriage without bringing shame on her family and casting them into poverty.
Fitzwilliam Darcy feels differently. He has become quite enchanted by the lively-minded young lady he first met in Herefordshire. Will he save her from the terrible decision she felt was only choice?
This is a sweet, clean romance novella following our dear couple after the events at Netherfield.
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“I’m an honorable human being. I know what to do and what not to do, and if I’m wrong, I always apologize. I’m a big enough man to do that.” Action Bronson
This is a story we have seen and heard before. And, perhaps, done a little bit better. This is a quick, clean read. We are at the time of the Collins proposal, just as Lizzy refused him. Her mother, listening at the door, goes into one of her rants as Lizzy heads to her father for his support in her refusal. Suddenly everything in the house changes… Mr. Bennet is found collapsed in his book-room. After the apothecary sees him, Lizzy is called to his room. He admonishes her to accept Collins in order to take care of her mother and sisters. During the night, Mr. Bennet dies and the house is thrown into mourning.
“Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.” Henry Clay
The rest of the book is Lizzy struggling to come to grips with her situation. The toad of a man is persistent and condescending with his attitude regarding her being his wife. Jane laments and grieves over the loss of Bingley, who left the morning after the ball on business. His sister quickly closed the house and fled/following him to London. The younger girls, stuck in the house due to their mourning period, lament not having trips to Meryton, officers, visits, balls, or assemblies.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” George Bernard Shaw
As a delaying mechanism, it was decided that Lizzy should meet Lady Catherine before her marriage to Mr. Collins. Mrs. Philips agreed to travel to Kent and chaperone the couple. Lizzy soon began to see what her life would be like at Hunsford under the condescension and patronage of Lady Catherine. She did everything in her power to not antagonize the great lady and when her nephews came for their annual visit, Darcy was horrified to learn of her betrothal to the officious toad… em… parson. Lizzy, in turn, was horrified to learn of Darcy’s dealings with separating Jane and Bingley. There was no letter or mention of his dealings with Wickham or Georgiana’s shame.
Problems: Darcy had a solution that would help the Bennet family. I’ve seen it done before, but he was blasted for it because of the issues it caused due to propriety. What he did was a scandalous thing. If it became known, it could have ruined the Bennet family name and destroyed the reputation of Elizabeth and all her her sisters. In fact, it did became known as Lydia was able to wheedle it out of one of the solicitors by shamelessly flirting with him. So, although the author gave Darcy his hero moment… it was improbable and disastrously beyond the pale. This gave the story a slightly watered-down feel. That is the best way I can describe it.