Mary Bennet

No one who has ever seen me would suppose me a heroine. My situation in life, the character of my father and mother, indeed my own person and disposition are all against me. MARY BENNET Mrs Bennet is determined that all five of her daughters must marry. Mary knows she is the least attractive of her sisters but to hear her parents laughing at her attempts to overcome this by being intelligent and accomplished send her into a depression. Mary and her her sister Kitty are sent to Derbyshire so that their elder sister, Mrs Darcy, can introduce them to suitable young gentlemen. On the journey Mary meets a strange gentleman whom she considers ill mannered. However she is intrigued by his knowledge about old buildings. On arrival at Pemberley, the grand home of the Darcys, Mary discovers that the stranger is a Mr Sharnbrook of Kent and also a house guest. Mr Sharnbrook is an amateur archeologist and has come to Pemberley to excavate possible ancient burial mounds. Mary is interested in his work and her spirits begin to lift. A continuation of Pride and Prejudice beginning eight months after the end of Jane Austen's novel, Mary Bennet tells the story of how the Bennet's neglected middle daughter tries to overcome the disadvantages of her person and character to find happiness.

Kate Allan lives in English countryside close to the Chiltern Hills. She developed plans to be a novelist at the age of seven after reading about the career of prolific children’s author Enid Blyton, whose adventure and mystery story books she read avidly. She taught herself to use her mother’s typewriter to try and make her stories look like proper books. Endlessly fascinated by the past, Kate took a degree in History before starting a commercial career. She took a notebook with her on the train to make best use of her commute to work and wrote two historical novels before receiving an offer of publication for the second. Fateful Deception is a romantic adventure set in the early 19th century and was shortlisted for the 2005 RNA New Writers Award.