Once the register names her Elizabeth Darcy, the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet must face a crushing scandal while scarcely recognizing herself.
Her unwilling husband, who believes her no better than a fortune hunter, forbids any talk of the circumstances behind their union and can hardly endure the sound of her voice.
At Pemberley she draws on unexpected courage, determined to shape a purposeful life and to earn Georgiana Darcy’s friendship despite obstacles and detractors.
Bound by a forced marriage, Mr Darcy sinks deeper into resentment and isolation through a long, bitter winter, unsettled by his wife’s poise and resolve to be useful.
Only a reckoning sharp enough to break his rage can show whether tenderness might still take root beneath the cold.
