Elizabeth's decision to visit her friend Charlotte Collins is taken reluctantly and regretted quickly when she hears that Mr Darcy — the last man in the world she wishes to see — is expected to visit his aunt at the same time.

Her past interactions with the gentleman — from the first time they met at the Meryton assembly and he called her tolerable — have proved to Elizabeth that he is exceedingly proud, arrogant, and resentful. She believes he is also cruel and disloyal since he disregarded his father's dying wish and sentenced his childhood friend Mr Wickham to poverty.

In Kent, after an awkward first meeting, Elizabeth happens upon Mr Darcy several times on her solitary walks, and circumstances arise that present him in a different light.

With disbelief, she observes Mr Darcy showing kindness and gentleness to creatures whom she believed he would never notice, affection to his cousins, friendly politeness to Charlotte, and a strange interest in her, which puzzles and distresses Elizabeth.

With each such situation, she becomes more confused and more uncertain of her judgment and estimation of his character. The various reports make her wonder who the real Mr Darcy is.

By the time Mr Darcy comes to the Parsonage with his marriage proposal, Elizabeth's opinion of him is significantly improved and her feelings no different than his.

From a very young age, Fitzwilliam Darcy has shown he has inherited all the good traits of both his excellent parents. He possesses a strong character, a sharp mind, and a dedication to his duties that is much admired by his family, friends, and acquaintances. Such qualities are, however, less apparent to strangers, so when he joins his friend Charles Bingley at his estate, Netherfield Park in Hertfordshire, the impression he makes is relatively poor.

After the Netherfield ball, Darcy leaves Hertfordshire, determined to put as much distance as possible between him and the young woman he admires against his will and even against his reason. It is a danger he has never had to face before and from which he must escape.

He is also firmly convinced that his friend will make a mistake if he proposes to Miss Jane Bennet, who seems not to return his affections. Therefore, he advises Bingley not to return to Netherfield and instead to spend the winter in London.

Before Christmas, Darcy's disposition is low enough to worry his sister and relatives. A series of coincidences, however, leads to a surprising encounter between his aunt, his sister, and Elizabeth Bennet, who is brought back into his life to disturb his barely acquired tranquillity.

Will he run away once again, or will he find the strength to open his heart and mind to the tumult of feelings that always come with the potential for ardent love? This question leaves the readers hopeful and optimistic about the romantic journey ahead.

This is a sweet, witty, and romantic novella set mostly in London in the months following the Netherfield ball. It is appropriate for readers of all ages.