P&P Variations: Letter Refusal

What if Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet at Hunsford had been interrupted? What would happen in Pride & Prejudice?

I’m back with my lists!

Well, for this week at least. We’ll see what changes with my kids between this week and next. My youngest is now 3 months old and still not on a schedule or anything, so I’m taking what I can get.

I’d love to say that writing is going well – but it’s not. I’m sorry. I am just so burnt out at the end of the day between homeschooling my older two kids, chasing my almost 3yo, and taking care of the baby, that even when there is time to write, the creative juices just aren’t flowing.

Hopefully that will change – and soon!

But in the meantime, here’s a list of P&P variations where Elizabeth doesn’t read Darcy’s letter. Whether it’s because she refuses due to propriety, or he never gives it, depends on the individual story.

Happy reading!

Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man by Brenda J. Webb

Fitzwilliam Darcy, An Honourable Man is a Pride and Prejudice variation. Not a simple retelling, it is an intriguing new story that does not follow canon. It is rated for mature audiences.

Leaving England after his disastrous proposal was refused at Hunsford, Darcy spent two lonely years in Scotland and Ireland before returning home to face Elizabeth Bennet, certain that he could regard her as an indifferent acquaintance.

Events that transpired in his absence have left Elizabeth a changed woman. The victim of a marriage by deception to Count Stefano, she has suffered greatly at his hands.

Will Mr. Darcy rescue the woman he vowed to forget?

Fortune & Felicity: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Monica Fairview

Seven years after Darcy’s disastrous proposal in Fortune & Felicity: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Monica Fairview, Darcy is in need, not of a wife, but of a governess for his young daughter.

Imagine his surprise when he discovers Elizabeth Bennet on the list of possible candidates provided by the employment agency. The question is, should he take her on as a governess, or would he be playing with fire?

Elizabeth Bennet is forced by her reduced circumstances to take on a position. However, when Mr. Darcy invites her for an interview, she is embarrassed and humiliated.

How could she possibly live under the same roof as the man she had rejected so strongly seven years ago? Whatever decision she makes, there will be a high price to pay… one way or the other.

How to Mend a Broken Heart: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by L.S. Parsons

Three years after Mr. Darcy’s disastrous marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, they meet again in How to Mend a Broken Heart: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by L.S. Parsons.

Due to an unexpected twist of fate, Elizabeth finds herself a guest in the home of Mr. Darcy’s aunt, the Dowager Lady Matlock. Long believing Elizabeth lost to him, Darcy has recently proposed marriage to an old flame, the widow of his friend. Now newly engaged Darcy encounters Elizabeth again and realizes she still owns his heart.

Although bound by honor to another, Darcy sets out to improve Elizabeth’s opinion of him. Tension mounts between Darcy and Elizabeth in that pursuit, and Darcy’s betrothed begins to see Elizabeth as a threat to her upcoming marriage. How will Darcy and Elizabeth ever reach their happily ever after?

How to Mend a Broken Heart is a non-canon variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and is intended for mature readers.

A Most Alarming Report: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Novella by Atlee Rose

After Mr. Darcy’s failed proposal at Hunsford, he delivers a letter to Elizabeth Bennet to explain himself. Except in , she gets a papercut on the letter and faints at the sight of blood.

Then, the brush catches fire, lightning strikes, and the local dam breaks. Darcy and Elizabeth must stick together to save themselves while further odd incidences – wild animals, jewel thieves, and rioters among them – thrust the couple into a most improbable adventure. As the pair navigate through the events of their unlucky day, it is up to them to settle their differences – and perhaps find themselves lucky in love in the end.

In this humorous, action-packed variation on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, the fates conspire against Darcy and Elizabeth at every moment. Fans of all ages will appreciate this sweet, exciting adaptation of a beloved classic.

This novella is 20,000 words in length and perfect for fast and fun journey into the world of Pride & Prejudice.

Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary Novella by Regina Jeffers

What if an accident prevents Elizabeth Bennet from reading Mr. Darcy’s letter of apology? What if said letter goes missing and ends up in the hands of George Wickham? What if Mr. Wickham plans to use the evidence of both Georgiana Darcy’s ruination and Darcy’s disdain for the Bennets to his benefit? How will Darcy counter Wickham’s plans and claim happiness with Elizabeth Bennet?

All of this happens in Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary Novella by Regina Jeffers.

When he notices his long-time enemy in the vicinity of Hunsford Cottage, FITZWILLIAM DARCY means to put an end to an assignation between ELIZABETH BENNET and Mr. Wickham, but Darcy is not prepared for the scene which greets him in Rosings Woods. Elizabeth lies injured and crumpled beneath one of trees, and in order to save her, by Society’s standards, Darcy must compromise Elizabeth. Needless to say, Darcy does not mind claiming Elizabeth to wife, but what of the lady’s affections? Can Darcy tolerate Elizabeth’s emotions being engaged elsewhere?

Compelled into an engagement she least desires, Elizabeth Bennet thinks it impossible she could ever care for the arrogant Mr. Darcy, but the man proves more irresistible than Elizabeth first assumes. Yet, just when Elizabeth begins to believe happiness is within their grasps, Mr. Wickham reappears in her life with a “proposal” Elizabeth cannot refuse, and it is all Mr. Darcy’s fault.

Mr. Darcy’s Rival by Kara Louise

Mr.Darcy has learned in Mr. Darcy’s Rival by Kara Louise he must prepare himself when he and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, make their yearly visit to his aunt, particularly when it comes to Lady Catherine’s expectation that he marry her daughter, Anne.

This year, however, will throw in a few additional obstacles to Darcy’s peace of mind with the presence of a nephew on the de Bourgh side of the family, and quite unexpectedly, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

An interrupted proposal, a letter written and unknowingly lost, a harsh accusation, and a rival all conspire to thwart Mr. Darcy in securing Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s affections when he visits his aunt at Rosings.

Will Elizabeth find the handsome and engaging Mr. Rickland more suited to her than Mr. Darcy? And will a novel she reads that was written secretly by Miss Anne de Bourgh help smooth the path to the couple finding true love?

Mr. Darcy’s Letter: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Abigail Reynolds

A lady’s reputation is a fragile thing. If anyone ever discovered that Miss Elizabeth Bennet had received a letter from a single gentleman, she could be ruined… or forced to marry a man she detests.

In Mr. Darcy’s Letter: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Abigail Reynolds, Elizabeth takes the safer course and refuses to read Mr. Darcy’s letter of explanation. Returning home unaware of Wickham’s true nature, Elizabeth confesses everything to him, putting both Mr. Darcy and herself in grave danger from Wickham’s schemes.

Note: This book contains an intimate scene between an engaged couple.

The Storm by Ola Wegner

After his disastrous marriage proposal at Hunsford cottage in The Storm by Ola Wegner, Darcy decides to drown his sorrows caused by Elizabeth’s rejection at the village inn. Later he wanders off into the park, gets caught in the storm and a broken branch puts him to the ground.

After regaining consciousness he does not remember much but he seems assured that Elizabeth has accepted his offer of marriage.

Will Darcy ever remember what truly happened that faithful evening? Will Elizabeth feel guilty of her harsh treatment of him?

Stronger Even Than Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Gail McEwen 

“…in his behaviour to me there were stronger influences even than pride.” When George Wickham speaks these words to an impressionable Elizabeth Bennet, she can have no idea how true they will turn out to be. Stronger Even Than Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Gail McEwen explores whether love can survive the biggest obstacles that Fate and a most ruinous stubbornness-can conjure up to separate two people destined to be together.

After Elizabeth refuses to read the faithful narrative of Darcy’s dealings with Mr Wickham, this Pride and Prejudice variation takes an unexpected turn when she chooses to exonerate the wrong man. Events quickly spiral out of control, and Fitzwilliam Darcy is forced to watch helplessly as the woman he loves slips further and further from his grasp.

Can there be a happily ever after for them? Can a love, stronger than pride, redeem even the worst mistakes?

The Unread Letter: A Pride & Prejudice Novella by Kara Pleasants

AFTER REJECTING MR DARCY’S PROPOSAL at Hunsford, Elizabeth Bennet is surprised when he finds her walking the next day and hands her a letter. Without any expectation of pleasure—but with the strongest curiosity—she begins to open the letter, fully intending to read it.

IT REALLY WAS AN ACCIDENT—at first. In The Unread Letter: A Pride & Prejudice Novella by Kara Pleasants, her shaking hands broke the seal and somehow tore the pages in two. Oh, what pleasure she then felt in tearing the pages again and again! A glorious release of anger and indignation directed towards the man who had insulted her and courted her in the same breath. She did feel remorse, but what could she do? The letter was destroyed, and Elizabeth expected that she would never see Mr Darcy again.

Home at Longbourn, she discovers that her youngest sisters are consumed by a scheme to go to Brighton—and Elizabeth finds herself drawn to the idea of a visit to the sea. But the surprises of Brighton are many, beginning with a chance meeting on the beach and ending in unexpected romance all around.

4 Comments

    1. Haha, yes, I have!! And baby wearing. And swings. And bouncers. And different beds and different rooms. And the car.

      He just seems to think sleeping is for wimps!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.