Darcy’s Legacy Tortoise: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Romance

by Rachelle Ayala

What if Darcy regrets separating Jane from Bingley and brings a tortoise to Cheapside? The children are delighted, Jane is bemused, and Elizabeth? All bets are off.

Fitzwilliam Darcy did a terrible thing. He looked at Jane Bennet’s calm face and decided she did not love his friend—and he talked Bingley out of the only woman who ever made him happy. Then Darcy watched Jane turned away from a London door, and his certainty cracked straight down the middle.

He means to fix it. Quietly. Before anyone learns it was his to fix.

A proud man cannot simply call on a household in Cheapside that has every reason to despise him. So he brings Old Bertram, a tortoise, now languishing in a bachelor’s establishment. The Gardiner children want a pet. Darcy wants a door. Nobody, after all, can object to a tortoise.

He doesn’t expect Elizabeth in London, fiercely defending her wounded sister. She means to shut the door on him. But Darcy keeps coming back—for Jane, for the children, the tortoise, but mostly for Elizabeth.

And Elizabeth makes a terrible discovery. The man she has sworn to hate notices what she needs before she names it. He endures her temper, kneels in the dirt, and indulges the children’s tortoise games. Even more infuriating, Jane forgives him, the Gardiners are charmed, and her opinions are… disregarded.

She does not yet know what he did. She only knows she is softening. And when the truth comes—will it break her pride or her heart?

A sweet Pride and Prejudice variation with no Hunsford, no presumptuous proposal, and no faster road to forever than the slowest, steadiest creature in England.

He falls first Pet-matchmaker tortoise A legacy from his late father Darcy quietly atoning No Hunsford, no presumptuous proposal Elizabeth in London defending Jane The Gardiner children love Darcy Caroline Bingley scheming Enemies-to-lovers Forced-proximity by tortoise Found-family warmth Slow burn romance Dual POV Clean & wholesome Regency Guaranteed slow-and-steady HEA

A sweet Regency novella, ~35,000 words.

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2026

About the author

Rachelle Ayala is an award-winning USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope.

Her book, Knowing Vera, won the 2015 Angie Ovation Award, and A Father for Christmas garnered a 2015 Readers' Favorite Gold Award. Christmas Stray was awarded the 2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Award and A Pet for Christmas had an Honorable Mention. In 2017, her book about a single mother with an autistic son, Playing for the Save, won the 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Award for Realistic Fiction.

Sign up for her NEWSLETTER to get a FREE surprise book and her latest book news! https://www.rachelleayala.net/newsletter
Visit her Reader's Guide at http://rachelleayala.net/books/ or contact her at http://smarturl.it/ContactRachelle

Join her STREET TEAM https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClubR...

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/rachelleayala

FB Fan page https://www.facebook.com/rachelleayal...

Twitter http://twitter.com/AyalaRachelle

She is also a writing teacher and founder of the Romance In A Month writing community. She lives in California with her husband and has three children and two birds.

For an updated, printable booklist:
https://www.scribd.com/document/34213...

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Broken Build
Hidden Under Her Heart
Knowing Vera

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Taming Romeo
Claiming Carlos
Whole Latte Love
The Remingtons: Leap, Laugh, Love
The Remingtons: Blush of Love
Bad Boys for Hire: Ryker
Bad Boys for Hire: Ken
Bad Boys for Hire: Nick
Laguna Beach: Lucky in Laguna
Sapphire Falls: Going Haywire
Sapphire Falls: Going Toe to Mistletoe
Sapphire Falls: Going Hearts Over Heels

SPORTS ROMANCE
Played by Love
Playing the Rookie
Playing Without Rules
Roaring Hot!
Intercepted by Love
Playing Catch
Playing for the Save

SWEET ROMANCE
Christmas Stray
A Father for Christmas
A Pet for Christmas
A Wedding for Christmas
Christmas Lovebirds
Valentine Hound Dog
Spring Fling Kitty
Blue Chow Christmas
Valentine Wedding Hound

HOLIDAY ROMANCE
Christmas Flirt
Santa's Pet
Deck the Hearts
Her Christmas Chance
Sapphire Falls: Going Toe to Mistletoe
Bad Boys for Hire: Nick

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Michal's Window

NON-FICTION
Your Daily Bible Verse
Romance In A Month
366 Ways to Know Your Character
Love Stories: Writing a Romance Novella

Reviews

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy's Legacy Tortoise is a super sweet Pride and Prejudice variation. Darcy uses Old Bertram, his father's now 60 year old tortoise, to gain entry to the Gardiner's home. Elizabeth watches as Darcy charms her family and Jane offers forgiveness. Darcy, the children and the tortoise are precious. I really enjoyed this well written novella.

[Rita T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

who new a tortoise cold be so romantic?

This is a very endearing & sweet story. I cried. I laughed. It made me mad. I loved every minute of it. I came very close to being one of my favorite P&P stories. Who knew a tortoise could bring such happiness!!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun variation. Darcy needs an excuse to keep seeing Elizabeth without outright saying he wants to see her. Why not give the Gardinier children his tortoise and visit it endlessly. It was sweet, light and an enjoyable read.

[susan stoken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spotty

A very fun book! I love books that have well treated animals and ones who care for them I highly recommend it.

[Victória · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean
Kinda Hea