The Freckled Lady

A Pride and Prejudice Novella Variation

Elizabeth Bennet has always been told her freckles are a fault.

To her father, they are charming; to Jane, they are a sign of warmth and vitality. But to her mother—and society at large—they are an imperfection best hidden from view. When the spring sun and her love of tending flowers bring them out in full bloom, her younger sisters tease her mercilessly. Even Mr. Collins, with his pale face and carroty hair, dismisses her as a candidate for marriage.

Yet at the Meryton ball, Elizabeth’s “imperfection” catches the attention of two gentlemen—Mr. Bingley, who finds her lively and engaging, and Mr. Darcy, who is struck by an interest he cannot quite explain, but which refuses to fade.

When a visit to Rosings Park brings her face-to-face with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Elizabeth braces for censure and harsh scrutiny only to be met with unexpected approval. In an astonishing twist, Lady Catherine praises her for the very feature others have scorned for a reason as unexpected as the praise itself.

With Lady Catherine’s encouragement, Darcy’s admiration blossoms into something more. Without misunderstandings or schemes to separate Jane and Bingley, can a freckled country lady win the heart of Pemberley’s master?

A tender, witty, low-angst variation that proves love sees beauty where others see a blemish.