AUTHOR'S NOTE: It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are thousands of versions of Darcy and Elizabeth, minor and major. Most importantly, Fitwilliam and Elizabeth themselves. Bridget and Mark. On a less major scale, Jasmin Field and Harry Noble. And for every Elizabeth and Darcy, things go a little differently. In this story, as you'll see, the lives of Andrew Yates and Sophie Brown went very differently. It may seem a little different at first, but I'm sticking to the character's personalities and most of the original plot. This takes place five years after the original events in P&P, and is a What if? Scenario. Names Changed (but I'm sure you'll catch on quickly who is who. It's pretty obvious). Modern. I'm worried I've made too many changes from the original book, but I'm trying to keep it still a P&P story even if it is different. This author's note sounds pretentious as hell, and I hope you like the story. Review if you can to let me know if I should keep going.

Much love,

Miranda

"Where there is great love, there are always wishes."

---Willa Cather

PROLOGUE

Men aren't supposed to have "ones who got away". They just aren't. I now believe I have violated some

kind of male code of honor. The said "one who got away", Sophie Brown, would say that the theory that

men shouldn't have "ones who got away" was a sexist idea. And, as always, she'd be right. But I would

never dare admit it to her.

Sophie Brown. I'm beginning to feel like an old man in a classic novel, with nothing in his life to do but go

over some past events in his mind. Which is exactly what I'm turning into. It's just as well, really. She may

be someone I think about, but we could never have been together. I am painfully aware that my family and

aquaintances wouldn't take kindly to a Yates and some girl from the middle of nowhere. It was a stroke of

luck, pure luck, that she refused me that day, ungrateful though she was. Sophie Brown-Yates is a

horrifying notion. She would have brought my status down, embarrassed my family, and not known how to

behave herself in the least. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Who says it would have led to marriage?

Especially since, in her words, I was the last person she could ever love. Well, that's not exactly a

response that's going to make me try again, is it? I assume she doesn't know what I did for her, and I'd

like to keep it that way. I assume she'd think I was pushing her to be with me, which I'm not. I prefer not

to show off what I do. One always wonders whether the motive is for good or just approval. I may not

stop having feelings for her, but I've contained them just enough to stay away from her. If I ever saw her

again, I know exactly what would happen. I'd fall deeper, and we can't have that. I don't know what

happened to her, and that suits me very well. Most likely I will get as over her as much as I can, find

someone more suitable, marry her, and produce more Yateses. The woman will be cold, unemotional,

fashionable, and will look good next to me. I will never forget Sophie entirely, however. I know myself

well enough to say that is simply not possible.