Darcy's Reckoning

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

These were the words that defined Fitzwilliam Darcy's young life. Any measure of integrity, honor, loyalty—these were secondary considerations to the size of a bachelor's estate. The only lady to esteem his genuine character was now lost forever, and he must face his future alone.

In his deepest despair, standing in a crowded assembly room of merry strangers, he would form an acquaintance that would confound his understanding of the feminine mind and inspire him to become worthy of her genuine approbation. At first believing himself to be misunderstood and unfairly judged, he must acknowledge his own culpability for the suffering of others and seize his opportunity to save the life of the woman he loves.

Return to Pemberley in this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and discover an answer to the question never posed: Why would a man of sense choose to attend a ball with his friends, only to refuse to dance?