Summary:
A Regency tale ~ Lizzy Bennet, a sassy London shop girl is instantly attracted to Fitzwilliam Darcy, the arrogant, handsome visitor to the Bennets' struggling Covent Garden flower shop. Darcy insists on purchasing Lizzy's lucky orchid as a gift for his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Will Lizzy sell her family's much needed good fortune to the haughty know it all?
Complications arise when Darcy accepts Bingley's wager to make a sophisticated lady out of the humble flower girl. Can Lizzy endure Darcy's mentoring in order to save the Bennet family's flower shop? Will Caroline Bingley tolerate Darcy's peppery new student? Will Wickham finally bring about Darcy's ruination?
This is a light-hearted tale of a headstrong, London lass (Lizzy) whose drive to achieve more than life has handed her compels her to accept the position of pawn in a wager between two friends, (Darcy and Bingley). Gumption meets true love.
Excerpt:
A smile playedaround the corners of his lips as Darcy thought about the brown-haired sister.That one was a lofty wench, almost as prideful as he, and yet she had nothingto be proud of--surely not that sorry excuse of a flower shop! Miss Lizzy Bennethad taken no bullying from him and he found that oddly charming. He wiped thesmile from his face as Bingley jumped into the carriage. Banging his hand overthe roof of the door, he shouted to James, "Rosings Park! Double fast!"
It wasn't untilthey had left the borders of the City and entered a pleasant piece of countrythat Darcy spoke. "So, did you promise the pretty shop girl your undyingfealty?"
Bingley's headsnapped back as if Darcy had struck him. "I would prefer it if you would not disparagemy feelings," he said. "Even you had to be touched by the sight of two sweetsouls struggling to survive."
"And one of thosesouls has struck your fancy, so much so I imagine you have given her youraddress. Will you now have your own personal florist?" Darcy asked.
"I was being kindto the Bennet sisters. You, on the other hand, chose to flaunt your hobby intheir faces."
"My devotion tothe English language is not a hobby!" Darcy snapped. "I have spent years researchingand analyzing the perfection of our beautiful, musical language."
"Perhaps youthink too much of your examinations and have not devoted enough time to thepractical applications. You boasted you could turn a street urchin into a duke?I think that amusing." Even as Bingley spoke, the bones of a plan came togetherin his normally compliant mind. Miss Jane Bennet had lit a fire within hisspirit and it silently rose to challenge Darcy.
A fun read for all those who have ever enjoyed George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.
This is not your usual Elizabeth Bennet...no offense intended to either Lizzy or the English language. Lizzy's occasional lapses of proper English should not be mistaken for typos, but rather a touch of cockney! All the characters retain their original personalities and reactions to one another, but the story is not canon. How could it be?