Description

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a family member near death's door cannot but affect and change the members of that family.

Scarlet fever ravages the town of Meryton and changes the fates of the Bennet family. After Elizabeth contracts it, she is sent away to a sanitarium to recover. She returns a cautious, more thoughtful creature, suffering from hearing loss. Accompanying her is a new friend, Catherine Parks, who is partially blind. Mr. Bennet jokes that between them, they make a whole woman.

The loss of Mary Bennet to scarlet fever changes others in the family. It propels Jane to be bolder. Kitty breaks away from Lydia's influence and finds an odd ally in Caroline Bingley. Mr. Bennet is emboldened to break the entail.

When Charles Bingley moves into the neighborhood and brings his reserved friend, Mr. Darcy, for a brief stay, Elizabeth doesn't hear his initial insults because of her hearing loss. Then, a thunderstorm traps her at Netherfield, changing how she and Darcy view each other. Yet he, Mr. Bingley, and their party still leave the area.

However, there is both a militia and a company of regulars to entertain the Meryton residents. With such an assortment of men in scarlet coats, Mrs. Bennet is confident her daughters will snag an officer for a husband.

But will Mr. Bingley return? And will any of those charming officers ever pay attention to the Bennet daughters with threats of the current peace faltering? Can Elizabeth and Darcy find each other again amidst this turmoil that continually threatens to separate them?