Second Son

What if, instead of being born the heir to Pemberley, Fitzwilliam Darcy had been a second son?In a time when birth order determines who inherits everything or nothing, Fitzwilliam Darcy must find his own path - excelling in the profession he chuses. When tragedy strikes, he is called to fulfil his role as the "spare," struggling to meet the demands placed upon him, overcoming the distrust of those who wish him to fail, and devoting himself to the good of Pemberley's dependents.Disgusted with Society, and scorned by the sister he loves, Darcy visits his friend in Hertfordshire, where he meets the Bennets of Longbourn. He discovers in their second daughter, Elizabeth, a new source of hope and purpose for his life. When his family questions the lady's fitness to be Mistress of Pemberley and demands he fulfil his responsibilities to his family and the legacy of the Darcy name, Fitzwilliam is left torn between duty and his heart...Duty has taken his dreams once, is Pemberley to take Elizabeth from him as well?Second Son is a full length novel variation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, beginning with Fitzwilliam Darcy's childhood. The author utilizes British and historic spellings.Both the Darcy and Bennet families differ somewhat from canon.