More Than You Know – Release Day Celebration! by Jennifer Altman

Dear readers,

I’m beyond thrilled to share that my third Pride and Prejudice variation, More Than You Know, is officially out in the world—starting today! 🎉🎉🎉 The ebook is available now, with the paperback coming very soon.

This story has been a long time in the making, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm along the way. Your kind messages and continued support have meant more than I can say, and I truly hope this book is worth the wait.

To celebrate the release, I’m sharing the second half of the prologue below (if you missed the first half, you can find it HERE), and I’m also hosting another giveaway—more details at the bottom of this post.

So, without further ado, here is the book description and the remainder of the prologue. I hope you enjoy!

~About the Book~

Fitzwilliam Darcy has spent years guarding a secret—one that could cost him everything.

Resigned to a solitary existence, Darcy has long accepted that love and marriage are luxuries beyond his reach. But when a chance encounter on the Yorkshire moors proves impossible to forget, the life he has so carefully constructed slowly begins to unravel.

Years later, drawn into Hertfordshire society by his friend Charles Bingley, Darcy crosses paths with Miss Elizabeth Bennet—clever, spirited, and unafraid to challenge him at every turn. Yet as his attraction to Elizabeth deepens, so does the fear that winning her affection would mean exposing a truth he has long kept hidden.

Unable to endure the agony of watching Bingley pursue the woman he loves, Darcy flees—but fate has other plans. When unexpected circumstances bring Elizabeth to Pemberley, his restraint is tested like never before.

Torn between duty and desire, Darcy must decide: will he cling to the barriers he has spent a lifetime building, or risk everything for the one woman he cannot forget?

More Than You Know

Prologue (Continued)

August 1807, Yorkshire

That night, Darcy scarcely slept. But, for once, it was not his own troubles that caused his restiveness. His mind was consumed by the enigmatic young lady he had encountered along the riverbank. Her image lingered in his thoughts—the way the morning light had caught the loose tendrils of her hair, the bright curiosity in her eyes, the lilting tone of her laughter. There was an unstudied ease about her, a liveliness so genuine that it unsettled him.

In truth, he could not recall the last time anyone—be it lady or gentleman—had so thoroughly captivated his attention. He, who prided himself on his restraint and discernment, had behaved with uncharacteristic familiarity. What had possessed him to speak in such an open, sportive manner? And worse, what reckless impulse had driven him to arrange another assignation? The very idea was beyond reason!

Was he not the same man who had cautioned her against walking alone in such a remote place? Then, in the next breath, he had encouraged her to do precisely that. It was madness!

He turned restlessly on the thin mattress, the bedsheets twisting around his body as if to ensnare him in his own folly.

And yet—he could not bring himself to regret his boldness. Not when the promise of seeing her again stirred something within him, something he could not even name. The lady—a virtual stranger—had sparked an almost visceral need to know her better, to unravel the mystery of her bright, knowing eyes and easy smile.

But what if she did not come? The thought gnawed at him, causing him a moment of utter panic. He did not even know her name. If she failed to appear, would he be able to find her again in this unfamiliar corner of Yorkshire? How could he explain his need to seek her out when he did not understand it himself?

Darcy exhaled sharply, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. It was senseless to dwell on such things, and yet sleep would not come. His thoughts circled endlessly, an uneasy blend of anticipation and dread. He had risked too much already, and still, the thought of returning to that quiet stretch of moorland and finding it empty distressed him in a way he could not describe.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into a restless slumber, his mind haunted by the fleeting image of a young woman’s smile and the uncertain promise of tomorrow.

* * *

Darcy was out of his bed before the clock struck six. They had not arranged a specific time to meet, and he could not bear the thought of missing her.

As he strode through the pale morning light, his mind raced with troubling thoughts. Not only had he encouraged the young lady to walk out alone, he had practically insisted upon it. The very idea unsettled him. How would he ever forgive himself if harm should befall her as a result of his recklessness?

The cool morning air was sharp against his skin when Darcy took up his post near the footbridge. He paced restlessly along the river’s edge, scanning the near distance for any sign of her. Minutes stretched interminably, until at last, a movement captured his attention. Finally, the girl approached.

“Good morning,” he called when she had drawn close enough to hear him.

Her lips immediately curved into a bright smile, and Darcy felt an unexpected warmth bloom inside his chest, as though some long-dormant part of him had quietly awakened.

“Good morning,” she replied, dipping into a graceful curtsey.

Darcy inwardly recoiled, realizing he had neglected to offer the same courtesy. He hastily bowed, mortified by the lapse.

Recovering himself, he inclined his head, gesturing towards the path ahead. “If you are not opposed,” he began, “I thought we might walk in this direction today. I passed a thicket full of blackberries that looked ripe for the picking.”

A flicker of surprise crossed her features, but after a moment she nodded her agreement, and they set off together.

“I had not expected to come upon you so soon,” she remarked lightly as they walked. “When we met yesterday, it was at least a mile downriver.”

Darcy inclined his head, acknowledging the truth of her observation; but he could hardly admit that he had arrived in the village nearly an hour ago and had spent the intervening time pacing the path between the river and the inn.

“I thought it prudent to wait near the bridge,” he answered. “I did not wish for you to venture too far on your own.”

A low laugh escaped her lips. “Ah yes, I had forgotten that you frown on young ladies scampering about the countryside unchaperoned.”

Darcy’s mouth tightened at her teasing tone, but he did not reply.

They walked on in amicable silence, the rhythmic crunch of dirt beneath their boots blending with the gentle rustle of the breeze through the wild grasses. Darcy’s thoughts churned, but his watchful gaze remained attentive to the terrain.

He was just about to point out the blackberries in the distance when he noticed the young lady’s steps had begun to veer towards the edge of the water.

“Miss—!” Darcy stopped abruptly, realizing he knew not what to call her.

She turned to him, waiting, and he coughed lightly into his fist. “There is moss along the riverbank. It is slick, so pray, be cautious.”

She nodded, glancing down and stepping carefully around it. “Thank you, sir. That might have been unfortunate.”

They walked on in the direction of the bushes for some moments before Darcy stopped, looking back at her.

“Forgive me for shouting earlier, but I realized that I had no proper way to address you. I still do not know your name.”

A slow, serene smile spread across her face, her eyes glinting with quiet mischief.

“No,” she agreed, “that is true. As I do not know yours.”

She turned to resume their walk, but Darcy called after her, “I beg your pardon, but if we are to continue in one another’s company, I believe I must know what name I may use.”

She stopped, one brow arching in silent defiance, and Darcy exhaled in quiet frustration.

“Very well,” he said at last. “If you will not tell me your name, then I shall be forced to invent one for you.”

The girl gazed back at him as Darcy glanced about for inspiration. At length, his eyes settled on the slow trickle of water by their side, and he turned back to her triumphantly.

“I shall call you Miss Rivers.”

Her laughter, light and musical, rang out, and he found himself oddly arrested by the sound.

“That is hardly a river, sir,” she said, playfulness evident in her tone. “Why, it is scarcely more than a stream.”

“Yes,” he conceded, “but Miss Stream lacks a certain elegance, do you not think?”

She laughed again, the sound so genuine that it made his chest tighten.

“Very well. You may call me Miss Rivers if it pleases you. And what shall I call you?”

Darcy hesitated. He had been the one to request an introduction, but now he realized the risk of revealing his true identity. The name Darcy was well-known in polite society, and his Christian name, Fitzwilliam, no less so.

His gaze drifted towards the horizon as he considered inventing a name—perhaps something as simple as Stone or Meadows. Yet when his eyes met hers once more, he found himself giving her a very different answer from the one he had intended.

“You may call me William,” he said quietly.

Her eyes widened in response, a light flush creeping into her cheeks. Clearly, she was well aware of the impropriety of being asked to address him in such a way, but after a pause, her usual composure returned, and she smiled.

“Well then, William, perhaps you might lend me your handkerchief. It would be a shame not to collect at least some of those berries before the birds have their feast.”

Darcy chuckled, withdrawing his handkerchief and offering it to her with a formal bow, and they approached the briars at a lively pace.

For Darcy, the next hour passed in a contented haze. They moved among the brambles, plucking ripe berries and speaking of everything and nothing. Darcy could scarcely recall a time when he had felt so unencumbered, so free from the cares that had long rested upon his mind.

At last, the sun had risen a fair way into the sky, and they found themselves back at the footbridge. The girl turned to him, offering a polite curtsey before setting off for the village beyond.

“Miss Rivers,” Darcy called after her, “will you walk again tomorrow?”

She paused, turning to look back at him, a gentle frown furrowing her brow.

“I am not certain,” she answered slowly. “We leave tomorrow.”

The words struck him with unexpected force, a knot immediately forming in the pit of his stomach. He had nearly forgotten that he and his relations were also meant to resume their journey.

“Before you go, then,” he called, more urgently than he intended. “I can meet you at the usual time.”

She hesitated, then offered a small smile.

“I cannot promise anything,” she called back to him, “but I shall try.”

And with that, she turned and retraced her steps, vanishing from view.

* * *

That night, exhaustion weighed heavily upon Darcy, dragging him into the deepest slumber he had known in weeks. No restless turning, no dark thoughts to plague his mind—only the comforting stillness of oblivion.

He awoke to the sweet trill of birdsong, the golden light of morning stretched leisurely across the floorboards of his chambers. He rolled onto his side before his eyes snapped open, and for one disorienting moment, he could not comprehend the hour. Then the dreadful realization struck—the sun stood high in the sky.

“God above!” he called out in a choked whisper, flinging aside the bedclothes.

Panic clawed at him as he stumbled towards the washstand. He had overslept—on the one morning he could not afford to do so.

Without thought for his appearance, he tugged on his clothes, scarcely bothering to fasten his cravat properly. Snatching up his coat, Darcy tore from the room, his footfalls echoing sharply along the narrow corridor. His lungs burned as he raced across the grass, his strides eating up the distance to the river.

His heart thundered in his chest, each beat louder than the last. How long had she waited? Or worse—had she gone already? The footbridge loomed ahead, still frustratingly distant. His breath came in ragged gasps as he scoured the opposite bank.

Then he saw her.

A solitary figure, moving along the water’s edge. Relief crashed over him, nearly buckling his knees.

“Miss Rivers!” he bellowed, but the wind and the river’s steady rush swallowed his shouts.

Heedless of his new Hessians, he strode into the swirling shallows. Ice-cold water surged over his boots, soaking through to his stockings. The swift current dragged against his legs as he pressed on, struggling to maintain his footing. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out to her again, his voice desperate and raw.

The figure stilled. Slowly, she turned, her head tilting in surprise as her eyes searched for the source of the sound.

He knew the moment she saw him, as her posture instantly straightened. “William!” she called, lifting her skirts as she approached him at a run. “Forgive me—I waited as long as I could.”

“No, the fault is mine,” Darcy managed. “I meant to be here over an hour ago.”

Scrambling up the rocky embankment, he came to an abrupt halt before her. His heart raced, the words he wished to say tangled on his tongue.

For a moment, they just stood there, rooted in place.

“I am so sorry,” she said at length. “I must go. I am already late.”

Darcy gave a rigid nod, a knot tightening at the back of his throat.

Then, without warning, she reached out, pressing her palm gently to his chest, just over his heart. Her touch sent a thunderbolt racing through his body.

“Goodbye, William.”

She turned away, moving towards the village at an accelerated pace. Several moments passed before panic seized him. “Wait!” The word tore from him, raw and urgent. “Will you not tell me your name?”

She hesitated before turning to face him. Then she smiled, calling out in a strong clear voice.

“Jane. My name is Jane.”

And then she was gone.

😳 Dun dun dun! 😳 I’ll bet you weren’t expecting that! 🤣 The good news is that you do not have to wait to find out what happens next! The e-book is out NOW (and it’s in KU, too!), so if you want to read more, snap up your own copy HERE! 🙂

And if you want to enter the giveaway, please leave me a comment below. I’ll draw the winners on April 1st. 🙂

Thanks again to everyone for their encouragement and support. I hope you enjoy the story.

Until next time!

JA