“Mr Darcy, I am eager to hear your explanation for the fact that quite a few people believe we are engaged.” It starts with a bit of well-meant advice. Colonel Fitzwilliam suggests to his cousin Darcy that, before he proposes to Elizabeth Bennet in Kent, perhaps he ought to discuss his plans with their families first. What neither man could have predicted however was that Lord Matlock would write the news to his sister, or that Viscount Saye would overhear and tell his friends, or that his friends might slip a little and let their friends know as well.

A chance encounter in the wilds of the North brings more joy to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy than either of them dared hope for. But her world is rocked by blow after blow - and the truth would only cause him pain. ‘I must be cruel only to be kind’ is Elizabeth’s guiding precept, and she chooses her path. Yet time, circumstances and new acquaintances teach her she had made a terrible mistake. How can she regain what she had lost and rebuild a future with the only man she will ever love, but for whom disguise of every sort is his abhorrence?

When Fitzwilliam Darcy, still smarting from Elizabeth’s rejection, discovers she was forced to flee her home in disgrace owing to his actions, his course is clear. He must marry her. It is a matter of honor. All he has to do is find her and propose. Surely that will be simple enough. But Elizabeth does not want to be found, especially not by Darcy. From the moment he entered her life, he has caused disaster after disaster. Now he has followed her all the way to Scotland, foolishly certain it is within his power to fix all her problems. But far more is at stake than Darcy knows.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy has reason to believe he does not have long to live. Knowing he needs an heir, he offers marriage to the only lady who has caught his eye and held his interest: Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Once exposed to the gentleman’s vulnerability, Elizabeth realizes she may have misjudged him. When he extends to her the opportunity of eventually becoming an independent woman, she accepts his unexpected offer to wed. Both vow to feel only gratitude toward the other. 

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.