After Elizabeth Bennet's brutal rejection of his marriage proposal, Fitzwilliam Darcy begins to wonder if Elizabeth's harsh words are in fact true. Is he truly arrogant, selfish, and incapable of considering the feelings of others? Elizabeth's words continue to haunt Mr. Darcy long after his departure from Kent. Although he accepts that he has lost all hope of ever winning Elizabeth's heart, he is determined to prove to her that he is not the man she so heartlessly rejected. But when Mr. Darcy unexpectedly arrives at Longbourn and seeks an audience with Miss Jane Bennet, rumors begin to circulate that Mr. Darcy is seeking to court Elizabeth's sister.

Mr. Darcy's presence at Longbourn creates a stir, especially when he is adamant about a private meeting with Miss Jane Bennet. Although initially not fond of Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Bennet is delighted that her oldest daughter has attracted another brilliant match so soon after Mr. Bingley's much lamented departure from Hertfordshire. Elizabeth, meanwhile, is stunned to find the man she recently rejected in her own home and seeking the company of none other than her sister. Dismissing all conjecture that Mr. Darcy has taken a liking to Jane, Elizabeth concludes that Mr. Darcy has visited Longbourn in order to continue pursuing her due to injured pride. But when Elizabeth learns that Mr. Darcy confessed his interference in Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley's relationship, Elizabeth begins to see Mr. Darcy in a new light.

In MR. DARCY AND THE SECRET OF BECOMING A GENTLEMAN, Mr. Darcy is on a quest to remedy all the flaws that resulted in Elizabeth's refusal of his marriage proposal. Although Mr. Darcy does not dare hope that he will ever gain Elizabeth's love, he seeks to change all the qualities in him that Elizabeth found so odious. When Elizabeth sees that the Fitzwilliam Darcy she rejected in Kent has been transformed into a kind, sociable man that is even capable of enduring the company of her mother and sisters, she begins to question if she ever really knew Mr. Darcy at all. After Elizabeth agrees to forget the painful occurrence at Kent, Mr. Darcy is elated that perhaps all is not lost after all. But when another man begins to show an interest in Lizzie, Mr. Darcy knows he is in danger of losing the only woman he has ever loved.

With so many Pride and Prejudice rewrites on the market it is difficult for Austen fans to find a novel that will not only entertain, but also respect and stay true to the original novel and characters. Although the author took a few minor and unimportant liberties with the storyline, Maria Hamilton created a novel with scenes every Pride and Prejudice fan longed to read in Jane Austen's version. In MR. DARCY AND THE SECRET OF BECOMING A GENTLEMAN, the readers are privy to Mr. Darcy's tormented thoughts as he struggles with his all consuming love for Lizzie, while at the same time coming to terms with his personal flaws that led to her rejection. This is a novel that even Miss Austen would heartily approve of!