On His Judgment Alone: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Mary Smythe

I do not see what right Mr Darcy had to decide on the propriety of his friend’s inclination, or why, upon his own judgement alone, he was to determine and direct in what manner that friend was to be happyWhen Fitzwilliam Darcy hides Jane Bennet's presence in London from his friend Bingley, he assures himself it was done for the best. That he was forced to collude with the scheming Miss Bingley and betray his own principles to do it is immaterial—Bingley cannot be trusted to behave rationally where Miss Bennet is concerned.
But guilt proves a persistent companion, especially when Darcy cannot forget Jane's spirited sister Elizabeth, whose fine eyes and clever wit haunt him still. A chance encounter at the theatre forces him to confront the hypocrisy of his interference and consider making amends—but will Elizabeth ever forgive him for the pain he's caused her beloved sister?
As the consequences of his meddling unfold, Darcy must face an uncomfortable he had no right to decide the propriety of his friend's inclination or determine how Bingley should find happiness. And as his own feelings for Elizabeth grow impossible to deny, he begins to question everything—his judgment, his pride, and the very foundations upon which he's built his understanding of love, duty, and honor.
Can a man who orchestrated another's heartbreak find redemption? Or will Darcy's arrogance cost him the only woman who could truly make him happy?

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 23, 2026

About the author

Mary Smythe is a homemaker living in South Carolina with a rather useless BA in English collecting dust in a closet somewhere. She discovered the works of Jane Austen as a teenager, thanks to the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries featuring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and has since gone on to read everything written by Ms Austen at least once yearly, always wishing that there were more. She has been writing since 2001, but only discovered Jane Austen Fanfiction in the summer of 2018.

Dare to Refuse Such a Man is the first full-length novel she has ever completed, though she can boast a few shorter works in her library, as well.