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! 

The Darcy family is the oldest in Derbyshire, and Pemberley has been their home for 12 generations. It has seen their loves, their losses, their triumphs, and heartbreaks. This sweeping saga of tragedy, devotion, and betrayal - spanning over 25 years and two generations - follows the Darcy family in all its shame and glory.

Fitzwilliam Darcy had planned to leave Netherfield Park and all thoughts of the enchanting Miss Elizabeth Bennet behind him - until one night when he saw smoke rising from Longbourn and realized she was in peril. Elizabeth Bennet found Mr. Darcy arrogant and insufferable right up until he became her hero, pulling her and her sister from the fire that devastated their home and could have claimed both of their lives. 

As far as Fitzwilliam Darcy is concerned, the only good thing to come of Elizabeth Bennet’s bitter refusal of his heart and his hand was his new resolve to prove himself a better man. He’d done it, too, by closing the painful distance between himself and his estranged younger brother, Drew. And now Drew is newly engaged to be married…to Elizabeth Bennet. Family duty forces Darcy to support the engagement, especially since even the smallest hint of disapproval could ruin the brothers’ hard-won reconciliation. But how can he bear to watch his brother marry the woman he loves? 

This tale begins with an exchange of letters between Elizabeth Bennet and her favorite aunt, discussing the happenings in Hertfordshire as the Bennet family becomes acquainted with their new neighbors, the Bingleys and their house guest, Mr. Darcy. 

Mr. Darcy desires marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, but he ruins any such prospect during his proposal at Hunsford.The resulting general sense of malaise interferes with his usually amicable yet stately demeanor, and his Fitzwilliam relatives resolve that Darcy is lonely - he must be in want of a wife. His cousins convince him to leap into the London Season for one month and partner every lady they select for his felicity. At Longbourn, chaos erupts as Mr. Bennet undergoes a transformation, and Jane and Elizabeth receive the gift of a month in town to enjoy the Season. 

Could Fitzwilliam Darcy harbor a shocking, sinister secret? Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet count themselves among the many guests of the Kendall family, whose estate lies amidst the picturesque hills, gorges, and rocky slopes of the Peak District in Derbyshire. Elizabeth’s cousin Rose Kendall believes her dashing brother-in-law, Captain James Kendall, is Elizabeth’s ideal match. Rose’s husband, Nicholas, hopes his good friend Darcy - a rich, proud, and taciturn gentleman with a spotless reputation - will fancy one of the other eligible lady guests

After a disastrous marriage proposal and the delivery of an illuminating letter, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet hope never to lay eyes on one another again. When a chance meeting in Hunsford immediately throws them in each other’s way, Darcy realizes his behavior needs correcting, and Elizabeth starts to appreciate his redeeming qualities. But is it enough to forgive the past and overcome their prejudices? 

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy seem determined to misunderstand one another, and after his disastrous proposal, both are eagerly wishing to forget their acquaintance. But fate, with assistance from Darcy’s scheming cousins, contrives to keep them together. When Miss Darcy is summoned to Kent, the couple has a chance to begin anew, and their budding friendship carries them to London and Hertfordshire. 

Refugees flood the roads. The feared specter of smallpox has escaped London’s grimy docklands and now threatens the wealthy districts. Amongst that ragged stream is a single carriage jostling its way toward Meryton. Inside are the Darcy siblings along with Charles and Caroline Bingley. They desperately seek the safety of Netherfield Park. For all their riches, they cannot evade the plague’s dark hand. Bingley’s leasehold has been reduced to rubble as roving bands rape, pillage, and burn.