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.

When rumors of Jane Bennet’s impending betrothal to Mr. Collins begin spreading at the Meryton Assembly, Elizabeth Bennet vows to save her dearest sister’s happiness from being sacrificed in marriage. She finds an unlikely ally in Mr Darcy, the taciturn man whose heroics on the cricket field have made him the target for Lydia’s affections.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is enraged when, already reeling from Elizabeth Bennet’s disdain, he discovers his sister locked in a passionate embrace with George Wickham—and suffers an apoplexy at the sight. With proper speech locked uselessly inside his mind, his Fitzwilliam relations are quick to take advantage of the situation, calling his illness insanity, and scheming to keep both Darcys under their control.

Orphaned and concealed by her neglectful family, Elizabeth's true identity and inheritance are squandered. Reconnecting with Fitzwilliam Darcy in adulthood, they navigate courtship amidst revelations of her heritage and his role as a trustee. Facing societal expectations and familial deceit, they confront manipulative family members and triumph over obstacles, ensuring justice and personal happiness.

In this variation, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth is on holiday at the seaside with the Gardiners. She intervenes when she sees a young lady being forced into a carriage by a man and an older woman. The young lady’s handsome older brother, Mr. Darcy, expresses his gratitude to her for saving his sister, and they part. Elizabeth expects never to see him again. Imagine her surprise, then, when some two years later, he appears in Meryton as the friend of Netherfield’s new tenant, Mr. Bingley. And imagine her fury when Mr. Darcy, the man she has dreamed about for the past three years, ...