VISCOUNT SAYE, CLEVER, HANDSOME AND RICH, is startled one wintry day by the news that his beloved, Lillian Goddard, is to become engaged to another. Unwilling to lose her, he quickly plans a party at his ancestral estate to woo her away from her suitor. Twenty ladies and gentlemen respond to his invitation, eager for a fortnight of revelry in Saye's inimitable style.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY, AT LAST ENGAGED to his beloved Elizabeth Bennet, finds himself stymied by her father. Mr Bennet has consented to the engagement but forces them to endure a prolonged courtship, with too much time spent apart. Getting Elizabeth to the house party is only the first in a series of frustrations and challenges that confront them. Will their love and attachment prevail?

GEORGETTE HAWKRIDGE HAS ALL THE FINEST QUALITIES of a lady of fashion. Alas, she has fallen in love with a decidedly unfashionable man, an affection they have kept well-concealed. Two weeks is a long time to hide, however, and the truth of what they mean to one another-and the man her suitor really is-must eventually emerge.

COLONEL RICHARD FITZWILLIAM ATTENDS his brother's party with no thought for anything but time among friends; after all, he is too poor to marry, an idea that rankles, particularly when he must watch love bloom around him. Then he meets Sarah Bentley, a pretty, wealthy girl with a predilection for admiring the unlovable; but will he know his heart before it's too late?

AMID MASQUES AND MARVELS, love will abound; attachments will be formed, tried, and tested, and one couple's engagement will come to an end. For all who heed the summons, it will be an unforgettable fortnight at Matlock!