Forced to miss the Meryton Assembly due to illness, Elizabeth Bennet's first meeting with Mr Darcy is more successful than it might have been, although she is cautious to guard her heart against too much feeling for a man she scarcely knows, and who nurses secrets of his own. Fitzwilliam Darcy befriends Elizabeth Bennet out of necessity - and as a form of protection from certain other young ladies who have their sights set on Pemberley. He certainly does not anticipate falling in love... When Fitzwilliam Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him it is a logical proposal - one he thinks might benefit them both. Even if they are the only ones who can see it! With his family fractured, Fitzwilliam Darcy does not know where to turn. Can he learn to trust his heart, even if it means overcoming his own stubborn opinions?