A Most Civil Proposal

Book excerpt: What if Fitzwilliam Darcy had realized beforehand how his intended proposal would sound to the young woman he hoped to make his bride? What if he had attempted a much more civil and thoughtful proposal of marriage? Could Elizabeth Bennet have coldly and angrily rejected an offer made in such a manner? This variation on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" explores how the lives of the two main characters, their families, and friends might have turned out differently had Darcy realized his error beforehand and thus avoided being so forcefully instructed and corrected by the love of his life.