It is well known that in the story of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Colonel Fitzwilliam admired Elizabeth Bennet when he met her at Rosings Park. However, his relative poverty prevented him from doing anything to advance their acquaintance into anything more than a casual friendship, and instead it was his cousin, Mr Darcy, who proposed that Easter time.
But what if Colonel Fitzwilliam had proposed to Elizabeth Bennet first, before his cousin got the opportunity? And what if she had accepted him, short as their acquaintance had been?
‘An Imprudent Engagement’ tells the story of this ‘what if’ scenario; of what could have happened if Colonel Fitzwilliam had thrown caution to the wind, and declared his admiration to Elizabeth. As a consequence, Mr Darcy is obliged to remain silent about his own feelings, and instead is forced to face the unwelcome truth that the woman he loves actually thinks very poorly of him.
‘I knew I’d said the wrong thing even as soon as my answer had slipped out between my lips. But his question had caught me off my guard, and he had looked so hopeful and so sincere, and so utterly boyish in his enthusiasm that somehow, quite foolishly, I felt I couldn’t disappoint him. Before I knew what I was really doing, I had gasped out a stunned ‘yes’ to his plea, and it was only in the following seconds that I suddenly realised what I had done – and my stomach lurched in abrupt panic.’
Despite Elizabeth’s unthinking acceptance of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s suit, it is not long before she is overcome with doubts over her choice. Although the match is a good one when viewed from every possible light, Elizabeth is still weighed down by her reservations. She knows she does not love the Colonel, and above all else, she wants to marry for love.
And just as quickly, the newly-engaged couple is beset by opposition from the Colonel’s family. Strangely, it is Mr Darcy, and not her fiancé, who comes to Elizabeth’s defense time and time again – and over the following months, she is forced to recognize that she has woefully misjudged his character.
All too late, Elizabeth finally understands all the mistakes that she has made – just as she finally understands her true desires. But after giving her promise to marry the Colonel, how can she possibly break his heart and admit how she feels about his cousin?
E. Bradshaw is a British writer, based in Derbyshire, England. Therefore, this book is written with English spellings. This book is a long read, of a length of approximately 192,000 words.
Colonel Fitzwilliam should have been happy facing retirement. No more Napoleon, no more tromping the Continent, and his distant cousin had unexpectedly left him an estate. What was more, two of his favorite people, Darcy and Elizabeth, were travelling with him to visit his new home.
But the colonel wasn’t happy, not when he was forced to watch Darcy exchanging enamored glances with his wife. No, he wanted to pitch his cousin out the window. It didn’t help when Darcy kept lecturing him on the joys of wedded life— as if women like Elizabeth Darcy grew on every tree.
Then the snow started.
Now they were stranded at the home of George and Emma Knightley, another intolerable, blissfully wedded couple who wanted nothing more than to see his bachelor days come to an end. Thank heavens they never thought of matching him with the proud spinster who had also been caught in the storm. That would have been utterly intolerable.
Or would it?
A Jane Austen-inspired sweet Regency romance.
Colonel Fitzwilliam has always been a ladies’ man, confident and suave. But when his heart falls for the recently widowed Charlotte Collins, he discovers all of his experience does him little good. And as he prepares to depart for war in the Americas, he fears he is leaving Charlotte behind at Pemberley with a more dangerous foe—one he does not know how to fight.
Charlotte Collins, ill prepared to understand the workings of a heart that has been touched, is determined to find a way to provide a new life for her and her unborn child. But as she quietly observes the daily, tender expressions of love between Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, she is forced to reexamine her own beliefs about love and marriage.
With battles looming inside them both, Colonel Fitzwilliam prepares to fight the greatest battle he has ever faced. As the conflict unfolds, even a decorated colonel finds himself helpless against the foe. He can only hope for something greater than himself to intervene—for more than one person has hope for Fitzwilliam to return home safely and secure Charlotte’s fragile, independent heart.
*Please note - this book contains a brief flashback of physical abuse of a spouse and may not be appropriate for all ages
Meryton Matchmakers: We have the key to your lonely heart. Five things Elizabeth Bennet believes William Darcy has single handedly come close to destroying: Her matchmaker business- Meryton Matchmakers Her sister Jane’s hope at finding love and hapr sister Jane’s hope at finding love and happiness with Chaz Bingley
Her belief that everyone has a heart. So far this doesn’t appear to be the case with stiff, no humor Darcy
Her belief that everyone has a perfect love match. She’d have to search the world a thousand times over and still would not find one for Darcy
Her faith in mankind. Why would a man (Darcy) propose to a woman(her) while saying he thinks its a bad idea? And what about how he treated Geo Wickham?
Who will Elizabeth's match next?
Following a head injury, Colonel Henry Fitzwilliam is being forced from the military. Angry, Henry finds laughter and comfort with Mary Bennet. Hiding behind a know-it-all persona, Mary's surprised Henry sees through it, no one ever has. Though, no matter how finely sculpted and sweet talking Henry is, she's not about to let him play her. Elizabeth knows Mary and Henry are a perfect match. With some gentle guiding, she finagles opportunities to force them together, it’s up to them to accept or push away what’s before them.
Meryton Matchmakers is a continuing series. Each book offers a happily ever after but Darcy and Elizabeth's story wraps up in the final installment. Heads up, Elizabeth and Darcy cliff hanger in this book (but you still get your HEA with another couple).
For Darcy and Elizabeth, overcoming the odds has never been more challengingFor Fitzwilliam Darcy, choosing between his heart and what he thinks is his duty is no easy task. However, when a gentleman has a cousin such as Darcy does, sorting out whating out what is best becomes far easier. If only that cousin had not tried to improve Miss Elizabeth's opinion of Darcy!
Since their first meeting, Elizabeth Bennet has not held Mr. Darcy in high esteem. Indeed, she has loudly proclaimed her dislike for the gentleman. However, after hearing the tale Colonel Fitzwilliam has to tell, that dislike threatens to grow into unyielding disdain.
When a gentleman of honour creates a problem, he must see the trouble resolved. It is, therefore, under the watchful eye of Colonel Fitzwilliam that Darcy and Elizabeth begin down a path of greater understanding until fate and relations, intervene creating a situation bordering on impossible.
With the Colonel's Help is just one of Leenie Brown's numerous Pride and Prejudice inspired stories. If you like well-written, sweet romance where family ties are strong, understanding runs deep, and love rises above any obstacle, then you will love this story about capturing and restoring a love that was almost lost.
So, put the kettle on, grab your copy of With the Colonel's Help, and slip into a world of sweet romantic indulgence today.
Elizabeth Darcy, Mistress of Pemberley is in possession of a terrible secret - a night of mistaken identity has put everything she holds dear in jeopardy. How will she ever be able to tell her husband about what happened? Colonel Fitzwilliam's continued presence at Pemberley makes her secret even harder to bear, but it is the revelation of the truth behind that fateful night that will carry more scandal than Elizabeth could ever have imagined.
A Question of Duty is a sensual and steamy Pride and Prejudice variation that is best enjoyed by readers over the age of 18.
A Complicated Arrangement
Book 1 ~ A Question of Honor
Book 2 ~ A Question of Loyalty
Book 3 ~ A Question of Duty
Without the beauty and wit of the older Bennet sisters or the liveliness of the younger, Mary is the Bennet sister most often overlooked. She has resigned herself to a life of loneliness, alleviated only by music and the occasional book of military history. Colonel Fitzwilliam finds himself envying his friends who are marrying wonderful women while he only attracts empty-headed flirts. He longs for a caring, well-informed woman who will see the man beneath the uniform. A chance meeting in Longbourn’s garden during Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding breakfast kindles an attraction between Mary and the Colonel. However, the Colonel cannot act on these feelings since he must wed an heiress. He returns to war, although Mary finds she cannot easily forget him. Is happily ever after possible after Mary meets the Colonel?
A sweet romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam is a hopeful romantic who cannot afford to marry for love. When he is offered a new assignment with the promise of a promotion, he eagerly accepts— only to find himself immersed in a world of intrigue and lies. Adélaïde Mauvier is a successful dressmaker on the verge of attaining everything she thought she wanted. When she is thrown into Colonel Fitzwilliam’s company, she begins to think there might be more to life than her ambitions. As the colonel gets closer to the truth, he finds out that people are not always what you believe them to be. Will he fall in love while catching a traitor? Or worse… will he fall in love with a spy?
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder…As a soldier, Richard Fitzwilliam takes orders. He obeys without question until commands to give up the love of his life and fire on his countrymen throws him into turmoil. Not so long ago, losing love crlong ago, losing love crushed Lady Belinda Crenshaw’s heart. Unexpectedly, she found a second chance with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Now, an old family nemesis has triggered a plot which will separate them forever.
Once bitten and twice shy, Richard and Belinda find themselves in a tempest with no rescue device. Foes near and far attempt to divide them, testing their faithfulness to its limits. With enemies surrounding them, can they trust each other?
*Please note: this is a sequel to Sufficient Encouragement. Reading Renewed Hope is optional but the basis of Sufficient Encouragement will allow for the most enjoyment of this book.
*Note: This is novella is 21,000 words long and 200 pages in print.
Darcy's attachment wasn't the only one smouldering beneath the surface that Easter at Hunsford...On the verge of proposing to his cousin Anne, the gritty Colonel Fitzwilliam discovers his beloved childhood friend Charlotte living less than half a mil living less than half a mile away, married to the odious Mr. Collins.
A harrowing battle escape a year later leaves the colonel with a life-threatening injury that plunges him into despondency. But three words from his doctor lead to a profound spiritual encounter and launch him on a journey to become more than just the second son of an earl.
Suddenly finding himself responsible for Rosings estate, he is forced to wrestle with his affection for Charlotte while struggling to learn lessons of trust and forgiveness--lessons which have far reaching implications for family and friends.
Just when he thinks Charlotte may be within his grasp, a summons to Waterloo changes everything.
In this compelling companion to Pride & Prejudice, follow the forging of a man's character through waiting, war, a woman, and three simple words.
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What readers are saying:
"Every chapter gets better." "...brilliant story." "Beautifully written."
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~Suitable for older teens and adults due to innuendo and mild language befitting a soldier. Romance is clean.
