Despite Difficulties by Jaime Marie Lang

What if, as a little girl, Elizabeth had stumbled upon Darcy in a London park, in need of aid, and she helped him? Years later, she spots him as he enters the Meryton assembly and, though thrilled to see him again all grown up, Elizabeth is disheartened that the boy she once idolized does not recognize her. Though time had sculpted him into a tall and handsome man, his mannerisms had altered significantly. When he goes so far as to insult her publicly, she cannot remain idle and swiftly responds to knock him off his high horse. A sudden melancholy overshadows Elizabeth’s success, knowing that the passage of time had seemingly stolen the gentle spirit and courage of the young man she once knew.

Darcy is stunned to have been told off by the country miss at an insignificant assembly in the middle of nowhere. At first, he is furious, but then he realizes just who she is. As he watched the young woman who had once saved him walk away, an unfamiliar ache settled in Darcy’s chest, a stark reminder of how far he had fallen. Taking advantage of the need to hide from Bingley’s sister, Darcy took the time to consider who he was and just how different it was from who he wanted to be. He knows he must apologize and prove to Miss Elizabeth that he could be a better man than the one that he had unthinkingly become, and Miss Elizabeth’s arrival to nurse her ill sister gives him the perfect opportunity to do so.

When outside forces make their blooming friendship and eventual courtship difficult, both prove just how stubborn they can be when love is on the line. Though determined their love will overcome the obstacles thrown in their way, their road to happiness will be arduous. They must navigate family drama, societal expectations and malicious schemes if they want their happily ever after.