What if Elizabeth Bennet took her cousin’s name and his place in the army?
When Napoleon’s war creeps closer to Hertfordshire, every parish is ordered to supply men for the militia. Whispers of a draft spread fear through Meryton, and every family wonders who will be called next. Elizabeth Bennet refuses to sit idle while her household is measured and found wanting. Instead, she seizes upon a daring plan: to claim the name of her dead cousin, Thomas Bennet, and enlist in disguise.
Together with her loyal friend William Lucas, Elizabeth exchanges petticoats for breeches and enters a world of drills, danger, and deception. Passing as a young lieutenant is harder than she imagined, and grows riskier still under the sharp eye of Major Darcy, who seems determined to uncover what others miss.
Inspired by the legend of Mulan, reimagined in Regency England, Lieutenant Bennet is a bold tale of disguise, devotion, and the courage to fight for more than one’s own destiny.
A carriage accident. A stormy rescue. And Mr. Darcy’s private chambers…
When Elizabeth Bennet is caught in a violent storm, the last man she expects to come to her aid is the proud and distant Mr. Darcy. But when he carries her from the wreckage of an overturned carriage, straight into his own rooms at Netherfield, their lives are altered in ways neither of them could have foreseen.
Confined together under one roof as Elizabeth recovers, propriety frays and emotions rise. Darcy finds himself captivated by the very woman he once dismissed. Elizabeth, forced to confront both the man and the rumours surrounding him, discovers a quiet depth behind the reserve, and a longing she cannot ignore.
But as whispers stir in Hertfordshire and expectations tighten their grip, Darcy and Elizabeth must decide whether a single moment of crisis can become the foundation for something far more enduring.
This tender, slow-burn variation of Pride and Prejudice invites readers into a world of candlelit parlours, heartfelt conversations, and stolen glances that build toward a love neither expected, but both were destined for.
Bethany R Tolson 