In the Neighborhood of Buckthorn Green (The Sweet Regency Romance Series #8)

Elizabeth and Jane visit Mrs. Bennet's cousins, the Vicar of Buckthorn Green and his daughter Marie Campbell, at the seaside, but an hour from Ramsgate. Their visit coincides with the local Horatio Buckthorn festival celebrating the town founding father's lucky escape from a circus bear, and whose highlight is a reenactment of the event. Elizabeth is delighted with the scheme.

Viscount Whittleston, master of Stonebridge, just down the road from Buckthorn Green, is much involved with the planning of the festival and an enthusiastic participant. His son, and his son's friend Mr. Darcy, are not so enthusiastic as they both think it ridiculous.

Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy at the opening ceremony, in which game young men make speeches about Horatio Buckthorn in an effort to get elected the man who will play the hero in the reenactment. Darcy would never consider participating and Elizabeth sees that he disdains everything about the festival and the charms of eccentric Buckthorn Green. Mr. Bingley, however, throws himself into the proceedings and wins a part. Sadly, that part is of the bear and Mr. Bingley will soon find himself racing across the green wearing fur pelts, in pursuit of Horatio Buckthorn.

Georgiana comes to stay at Stonebridge, and Wickham is in the neighborhood, keeping himself out of Darcy's sight. Elizabeth, Jane, Darcy and Bingley are much thrown together in the preparations for the festival and Elizabeth must decide: who is the real Mr. Darcy? Is he the arrogant Darcy who would not embarrass himself for anybody's amusement? Or is he the affectionate Darcy that Georgiana so earnestly claims that he is? They are two different men - one she could love, and the other she could not.