Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe

Darcy Fitzwilliam, a successful partner at her own Wall Street investment firm of Avery, Carson and Fitzwilliam (ACF), decided on this path instead of working for her father Edward Fitzwilliam's firm back in her hometown of Pemberley, Ohio to prove to the world that she could make it on her own. Despite her success, she feels unsettled in her life, which is why she recently broke up with Carl Downs, who heads Edward's New York office, and is heading back home to Pemberley this Christmas season for the first time in three years so that she can escape Carl and work if only for a little while, while she helps her mother Gloria Fitzwilliam organize the Pemberley League Annual Auction to be held the next week, a fundraiser for the Pemberley Youth Center. Darcy discovers that she can't leave either Carl or work behind as Edward and Carl have some meetings in Pemberley during Darcy's stay, and she learns of some work turmoil initiated by another partner Austin Avery, who sees the firm moving in a direction different than Darcy. Things get worse for Darcy on this trip when she is forced to spend time with her high-school rival Luke Bennett as she learns that her best friend Caylee is now in a serious relationship with Luke's older brother Jim, and that Gloria hired Luke, who has recently opened his own restaurant, to cater the fundraiser, but also to provide an extra pair of hands with any assistance Darcy requires. Like Darcy, Luke is trying to make his mark in life in making the restaurant his own while needing business and/or investors to make it a success. While Darcy and Luke's time on the high-school debate team migrated off the debate stage to everything in their lives at the time, they find that they are still butting heads in differences of opinions in working together on the fundraiser, especially as they have to put out one unexpected fire after another. Through it all, Darcy might be able to clear her head about life itself, including where Carl and ACF fit if at all, especially as there might be a reason--in the form of Luke--to stay in Pemberley.—Huggo