A few days after the Hunsford Proposal, Darcy unexpectedly comes upon Elizabeth Bennet on the road to London. Her carriage has met with an accident! Of course, Darcy comes to the rescue despite the recent, scathing rejection of his hand and heart. Circumstances force them to seek refuge in a nearby farmhouse, posing as man and wife! Why was Elizabeth travelling to London in a strange carriage, days before her visit to the metropolis was scheduled?

Life had been hard for Elizabeth Bennet in the months since she refused Mr. Darcy’s proposal at Kent. Lydia eloped with Mr. Wickham, and her father died shortly thereafter. Mr. Collins took possession of Longbourn, forcing her family to live apart to survive. She and Jane left to live in London with the Gardiners, and Elizabeth’s hope of finding employment there was fading quickly as Christmas approached.

When a man meets the woman with whom he is destined to share his life, he knows. Such is the case with Fitzwilliam Darcy. He was not looking to fall in love. He thought he had it all: Wealth, privilege, and ardent passion for his sport. That is until he meets Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and he soon surrenders his heart. Having suffered a traumatic loss, Elizabeth knows the pain of heartache. She is determined to shield herself against forming strong attachments so she might never feel that way again. Then Mr. Darcy comes along, and he has a way of melting all her defenses.

When Netherfield Park is let at last, the village of Meryton is inveigled in romance, intrigue, and a few less-than-happy reunions. The Bingley siblings return to the home of their youth, an estate purchased just before the death of their father. The neighborhood, especially the Bennet family, is ready to welcome them back with open arms, but Mr. Bingley’s attempt to make a good impression on his community backfires so badly that it is his awkward friend Mr. Darcy who is obliged to salvage the situation in the aftermath of Mr. Bingley insulting Jane Bennet at the Assembly.

With two proposals in one day, which offer will Miss Elizabeth Bennet choose? Marriage to the first of the two men would subject her to misery of the acutest kind. Marriage to the other would be merely for the sake of avoiding a scandal. Either would serve the interests of Elizabeth's family, but what of her own wishes? Will Elizabeth reject both gentlemen's offers of marriage, especially when one of them is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy? Will she dare to refuse such a man?