Book excerpt: Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is enjoying a visit with her newly married best friend in the idyllic countryside of Kent. Her pleasant holiday is interrupted when the arrogant Mr. Darcy appears at nearby Rosings Park. During their frequent meetings, her spirited retorts do nothing to deter his attentions to her. In fact, they only seem to encourage him. Realizing Darcy is in love with her, Elizabeth is torn by an awful dilemma. With her father’s estate entailed on a male heir, she and her sisters face the prospect of poverty if they do not marry well. Darcy’s wealth could save them. But how can she marry a man she does not esteem simply for the material comfort he can offer? Fitzwilliam Darcy is determined to forget the lovely Elizabeth, who stole his heart during his autumn sojourn in Hertfordshire. So naturally, when he learns she is spending the spring within walking distance of his aunt's estate at Rosings, he goes for an extended stay. He finds Elizabeth even more enchanting than he remembered. When Darcy discovers Elizabeth’s rightful resentments against him, he seeks to make things right and court her properly. Can he convince her of his worth? Or have his past sins—and the machinations of an old enemy—sunk him in her opinion forever? This Pride and Prejudice variation is a full-length, sweet Regency romance. It includes kissing and a fade-to-black wedding night scene.