Crime & Courtship

Meryton is atwitter with the arrival of Mr. Bingley and his friends, but Mr. Darcy leaves a bad first impression on the attendees of the Assembly ball. It’s almost enough to detract from the theft that occurs while everyone is inside dancing. Soon enough, other thefts occur throughout the village. Ever curious, Lizzy ventures to find the thief, acquiring an unexpected ally in the endeavor in Fitzwilliam Darcy. As they work together, she gains a more favorable impression of him, but he is the last man with whom she would ever want to solve another mystery.

Everyone in Meryton is excited about the upcoming Netherfield ball, but Lizzy is preoccupied, for the thief, though his identity is known, is still at-large. When Mr. Darcy’s sister arrives, she and Lizzy become fast friends, but Lizzy’s acrimony with Darcy threatens everything, especially when she overhears him condemning Jane as a grasping social climber without true regard for Bingley. They are at odds, but when an abduction occurs the very night of the ball, it brings the two of them together to find the kidnapper and rescue his victim.

Lizzy arrives at Hunsford to visit Charlotte, having mixed feelings to discover Darcy is in the vicinity to see his aunt, the formidable Lady Catherine. They are inevitably thrown together, and she starts to see a different side to him. When Miss Anne becomes the victim of an extortion scheme, Lizzy volunteers to help identify the blackmailer. She is surprised when Mr. Darcy volunteers his assistance, seemingly accepting the situation and his cousin’s actions.

A trip to London promises to be exciting as Lizzy tries to help Jane find a way to meet with Mr. Bingley. Her own experience is enlivened by meeting Lord Aumley, a handsome young viscount thrust into the world of Society unexpectedly. She wants to like Lord Aumley as more than a friend, but when she sees Darcy again, she accepts she cares more about the prideful man than she should. Her heart seems set on him, though her mind is still resisting the idea.

Lizzy and her family arrive at Pemberley to allow Fitzwilliam a chance to court her. Things are off to a splendid start until Lady Catherine invites herself, and Caroline Bingley is clearly intent on causing trouble between ODC. Someone is targeting Fitzwilliam and Pemberley for harassment, but is it the same person who murders the stablemaster during Lizzy’s stay? She and Darcy find themselves at odds over theories of the crime, but will that disagreement keep them from building a future together?