When Colonel Fitzwilliam arrives at Netherfield to recover from a battlefield injury, he expects only rest, quiet, and a respite from his mother's persistent fussing. But his return places him squarely in the midst of a far more delicate conflict—one involving his cousin, Mr. Darcy, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.



Elizabeth's opinion of Darcy remains decidedly poor, and though Darcy longs to make amends, he is unsure how to overcome the unhappy impression he has left. Into this uneasy stalemate steps the colonel, whose keen insight and disarming warmth soon begin to reshape the very ground on which Darcy and Elizabeth stand.



But Hertfordshire harbors dangers neither lady nor gentleman anticipates. Old misdeeds refuse to stay buried, and when shadows from the past rise again, Darcy and Elizabeth find themselves drawn together—this time by necessity as well as affection.



With loyalty, courage, and unflinching honesty, Colonel Fitzwilliam becomes the unexpected catalyst who might redeem his cousin's hopes . . . or extinguish them entirely.