Darcy and Bingley depart Netherfield Park, leaving Elizabeth Bennet acutely aware of the monotony of her life. Seeking a reprieve, she volunteers to serve as temporary companion to Mrs. Gardiner’s elderly aunt who lives in Lambton. Nothing turns out as Elizabeth expects, and she is forced to dig deep into her reserves of common sense, humor, and stubborn persistence to prove herself equal to the dreary circumstances.

Elizabeth Bennet wants the truth from Mr. Darcy. When she follows him from the ballroom to insist upon it, she becomes an unwilling witness to a scandalous scene. And for once, she cannot blame Mr. Darcy for disdaining his company, not even when he departs Netherfield in the middle of the ball.

Disappointed hopes and the friendship of a stranger. When the Sun Sleeps is a sweet novella of approximately 20,000 words.

In the spring of 1812, Elizabeth and Lydia are the only Bennet daughters still unmarried after the death of their father. Elizabeth's health and spirits worsen as she moves among relations as an unwanted, dependent sister. She returns to Mary and Mr. Collins at Longbourn to learn that the neighborhood gossip centers on the reclusive Mr. Darcy. Darcy and his sister live an isolated life in a small rented lodge near Netherfield after the events at Ramsgate. As Georgiana's health is failing, Darcy has his own regrets to bear.

When Elizabeth Bennet first meets Fitzwilliam Darcy, she is not feeling quite herself. Miserable and in an unsociable temper, she decides to attend the Meryton Assembly against her better judgment to support her beloved sister. Fitzwilliam Darcy unknowingly misjudges the condition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s health. What begins as complete disinterest soon develops into pity when an unknown surgeon offers an even more bleak outlook for the young woman’s future.