Clouds Will Intervene
by Sophie
 
NC-17 (when I'm finished anyhow)
Regency Period

Summary – Shortly after Lady Catherine's Visit, Darcy decides
to go and talk to Elizabeth and ask her to marry him again. But not 
everything goes according to plan. What would have happened if the 
clouds had intervened? A general bad to worse to good story. 
Special thanks to my Beta readers and the two people who can laugh 
at everything I do and write, Becks and Ellen. 

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As the sun beamed through the gap in the curtains and trailed a line 
of fiery light across the wooden floor and up onto the bed, 
Fitzwilliam Darcy was slowly waking up. The light was gently teasing 
him into the land of day and he was feeling the best he had in a 
long time. He managed to get a full nights sleep without being 
disturbed by bad dreams followed shortly afterwards with intense 
insomnia. He was feeling very good indeed. 

As he opened his eyes and looked towards the window he remembered 
the visitor who had called the day before. Little did his guest know 
that the bad news she was giving, was in itself very good news to 
him. Sitting up he recalled the conversation which filled him with a 
hope that he had scarcely dared to let himself hope before. Lady 
Catherine had indeed done him a favour yesterday afternoon. He 
recalled the event with a smile on his face. 

*The previous afternoon*

He was sat at writing desk composing a letter to his steward at 
Pemberley. A knock at the door announced a visitor and he for them 
to enter.  The maid was pushed away from the door by none other than 
his Aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. 

"Aunt Catherine, what a surprise. What brings you here at such
short notice?" he was attempting to sound more civil than he was
feeling at the time. 

He walked from behind his desk to greet her but she turned her back 
on him and angrily walked towards the window, and facing him, she 
began her attack. 

"I have just come from Longbourn house. I went there to question
a report I have heard of a most alarming nature. That you, YOU my dear 
nephew are engaged to that country nobody, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. 
She dared to say that she cared not about marrying you and bringing 
her low connections into the family. She said that whom ever married 
you would have such an extraordinary source of happiness that she 
would have no cause to repine. What have you to say about that?"
She glared at him from across the room.

Had she really said those things? He was all astonishment, not 
knowing what to say. He stammered out "No such arrangement has
been made yet…"

"And will no such arrangement ever be made. I asked her to
promise never to enter into an engagement with you as you are already 
promised to MY daughter Anne. She refused flatly and I took my leave 
to talk some sense into you."

"She refused to make that promise? Really?" He was really
unsure what to think, she had not refused him completely. A small smile 
spread across his face momentarily but soon his thoughts returned 
from Hertfordshire when his Aunt's shrill voice cut through his 
reverie. 

"Yes she refused and now I am here to get that same promise out
of you. You are already engaged to Anne, it was your mother's wish
as well as my own that you two should get married. Unite the two 
greatest houses in the country, that is what you have to do, 
Fitzwilliam." She began to stride across the room, her arms 
outstretched as if to welcome him into her side of the family. He 
abruptly took a step away. 

"I am not engaged to Anne and I never sought to become engaged to
my own cousin. I wanted to marry for something greater than money. You 
went to Longbourn, what else did you say to her?" His voice was
icy cold as he said the last question, he knew that she could have said 
something that would ruin his chances of happiness forever. 

"What do you mean, you will not marry Anne? She is meant for you. 
More than money indeed, what an extremely foolish notion you hold 
Fitzwilliam. Wealth and familial connections are everything in your 
position.  I said nothing to that fortune seeker that she didn't 
deserve. She has NO connections, Fitzwilliam, she will disgrace 
Pemberley and all your family. Would you have Georgiana's
happiness also ruined because of you lack of taste and standing? You are no 
proper guardian for your sister. I shall have her removed from your 
custody if you do not comply with my wishes. She will be of no use 
when you have finished the Darcy name." 

"You CAN'T take her from me, Fitzwilliam and I are her
guardians, only can she be relinquished when we say so. As for Miss Bennet, she 
is not a fortune seeker, she is of better breeding than most members 
of the ton. Now if you don't mind, please get out of my house. 
Making false threats is not an option. I will marry whom ever I 
want." And with that he turned on his heel and left the room and
a dumbfounded Lady Catherine behind him.

She left shortly afterwards. He couldn't believe he had said such 
things to his aunt, he had even shocked himself. It was of short 
duration as he quickly thought of what she had said and made his 
plans for the following day.

As he climbed out of bed and walked towards his dressing chamber, he 
had made up his mind. He would go to Longbourn today and talk to 
Lizzy. He had to know what she was thinking about him. Did he stand 
a chance as his hope was leading him to believe, or was he just 
grabbing straws and the wrong idea all over again?

Within the hour he was walking downstairs ready to summon his groom 
to have his horse saddled ready for the ride up to Netherfield. He 
would make the journey on horseback and have his things transported 
up separately. He had to get there fast, he was losing his mind as 
to whether his suspicions were true. Had he finally earned the love 
of his dearest Elizabeth? He knew that if she refused him again it 
would never again be mentioned. He doubted as to whether he would be 
able to survive his heart breaking again. 

Having ordered his horse to be ready he entered the breakfast room 
where Georgiana was sitting. He walked to the sideboard and helped 
himself to some toast and coffee. He walked to the table and sat at 
the head seat. Georgiana was to his right. 

"I shall be travelling to Netherfield today on some important 
business. I don't know when I shall be back in town or even at 
Pemberley." He took a drink of his coffee and awaited his sisters 
reply.

"You are going to see Miss Bennet are you not? I overheard our
Aunt yesterday." She didn't look up, her plate holding her
interest evidently.

"Yes I am going to see Miss Bennet, I want to see if she will be
my wife." He stood and walked slowly over to the window before 
continuing. "Miss Bennet is very dear to me George, I love her.
She will be perfect at running Pemberley and looking after you and I. 
She always asks about you, she cares about you." He looked at his 
sister only to find her looking back at him. She looked slightly 
angry, he didn't know why.

She stood up and walked towards him. He could tell she was upset 
about something and she was just about to let him know. 

"Aunt Catherine told me of her inferior connections as she calls 
them. How they will damage my chances of finding a good husband. 
That you don't care about ruining the family name because you are 
selfish and are only thinking of yourself. Is this true?"

"George, you know that isn't true. This is my chance to make
us both happy again. She will bring laughter to Pemberley, it has been gone 
so long now. You have never known it so alive as when our Mother was 
well.  I thought you liked Miss Bennet, you seemed to get on with 
her very well during summer. She won't damage your chances, I
think she will increase them by being someone to guide you. She can teach 
you all that I cannot, I have gone as far as I can Georgiana, I am 
out of my depths with your education now. Do not listen to what our 
Aunt has said, Elizabeth is perfect in every way. She actually sees 
through all the wealth and obstacles and sees the real person. She 
saw the real me and changed me so much. I need her, don't start 
backing out on me now dear sister." He took her hand and hugged
her close for a few minutes before she began to respond. It was the 
longest few moments of his life, he could not bear to lose his 
sister. 

"Then perhaps you had better be off and talk to the lady that you 
need so much. I hope you are right and I hope she will have you. 
Lady Catherine may have done some damage. Good luck, William,"
She kissed his cheek and walked from the room. If she had looked back, 
she would have seen his smiling countenance return to the recently 
worn saturnine expression.

He quickly walked from the room himself, collected his great coat 
and top hat and out into the courtyard where his horse stood 
waiting. Mounting his horse unaided, he kicked it into a fierce 
gallop. He had to get there fast, talking to Elizabeth was the only 
thing that mattered to him at that moment and he would move 
mountains to do it.

**

As the day wore on, he could see the black clouds begin to gather 
above and sure enough, the heavens opened soaking him to the bone. 
But still, he rode on. He hardly noticed the rain and the thunder, 
just the thought of Elizabeth kept him going. He should have noticed 
the roads turning to mud and given up until the rain had died down, 
this was, however, decided for him. It was at some speed that his 
horse lost it's footing and threw him off before the beast fell 
itself. 

He hardly knew he was falling until he hit the ground, hard. His 
head struck on a rock and unconsciousness claimed him. He didn't 
know how long he was out for but as his brain began to function 
again he felt the searing pain through his head and down his back 
right to the tips of his toes. He was hurt but he couldn't tell
how badly. He tried to sit up, but dizziness washed over him and he 
slumped back against the ground. This was going to take some time.

Slowly, he pulled himself upright. He hurt all over. Not thinking to 
check for injury,  he tried to stand up but his left leg collapsed 
from beneath him, once again depositing him hard onto the floor. He 
suddenly recalled his left leg making contact with the ground first, 
and with some force. The pain in his leg told him of the 
consequences and it was rapidly getting worse. 

Looking round he saw his stallion standing nearby, obviously 
unharmed during the fall. He knew he wasn't far from Netherfield
but he wouldn't be able to get there very quickly and riding was
going to be difficult with only one leg. Longbourn was nearest but still 
hard to posed a challenge on his reserves of strength. There was one 
good side to all of this, it had stopped raining and the sun started 
to make an appearance once more.

"Do you think you can get us to Longbourn?" He asked the
horse hopefully, wishing it could understand him. 

He looked up towards the sky and ran his hands through his wet 
hair.  He noticed it was covered in blood and hurt like a 
lot. "Great, added to broken leg, have also torn my skull to
shreds. Could my day possible get any worse?" It started to rain again. 

The horse walked over to him and nudged Darcy with its nose. Without 
being told, the horse kneeled down by his side, allowing Darcy to 
scrabble atop the horse slowly and painfully. The horse then stood 
up and began the slow walk to Longbourn. Darcy was just glad he had 
trained his horses well.

** 

Lizzy was bored. She had been inside all day as it had been raining 
and now she had nothing that could hold her interest. She was also 
pining for the loss of Mr Darcy. He had only been gone a few days, 
urgent business in town. They weren't even engaged, he could go
and never come back and it would mean nothing to anyone but her. She 
desperately needed to talk to him. First the letter from her Aunt 
telling her about how he had found Wickham and then Lady Catherine 
paying her a very rude visit. She could only talk to one person 
about this, he was in town.

She loved him, she knew it now. Her life wasn't complete without
him in it, she only hoped he felt the same way. Her family name had been 
sullied with Lydia's behaviour and she wondered if it had been
the reason for his sudden departure once he had seen her again. He had 
barely looked at her. She just wanted to say a few words to him, 
needed to tell him how she felt. She just didn't know how to go 
about it.

Looking out of the window again she san the sun shine for a few 
minutes and be just a quickly replaced by the ever continuing rain. 
This was unbearable. Jane was at Netherfield with her new fiancé,
Mr Bingley, her mother was still flapping around in shock at having her 
eldest married to someone with five thousand a year, Mary was 
studying and Kitty was just as bored as Lizzy was. Her father had 
gone to the farm and had not returned, probably due to the bad 
weather that followed him from the door. 

She reached for her book of sonnets and turned to her favourite one, 
twenty-three. She began to read it aloud to nobody but herself. 

"As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put besides his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart;
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say 
The perfect ceremony of love's rite, 
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay, 
O'ercharg'd with burden of mine own love's might.
O! let my books be then the eloquence 
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, 
Who plead for love, and look for recompense, 
More than that tongue that more hath more express'd. 
O! learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit." 

She sighed slowly and looked towards the window. Just at that 
moment, something caught her eye behind the trees that lined the 
road up to the house. Moving closer to the bedroom window, she could 
see that it was a horse, trotting very slowly. She couldn't see
who was riding until… she screamed in panic and ran from the room. 
Almost jumping down the steps she called to Mrs. Hill to help her. 
Running from the front door, she saw the groomsman also moving 
towards the horse as it neared the doorway. 

"William." She ran to him. He was slumped on the back of the
horse, unconsciousness nearly taking him over. He opened his eyes slowly 
and looked into the worried eyes of his beloved Elizabeth. His eyes 
were dulled with pain. Today was not going according to plan.

She could see he was badly hurt with the blood running down his 
forehead. The groomsman carefully pulled Darcy off the back of his 
trusty steed and lay him on the ground to assess his injuries. Lizzy 
knelt and took his hand in hers. Gently she brushed a stray lock of 
hair from his forehead and saw the deep gash above his right eye. 

"William, can you hear me?" She didn't care about
propriety, just that he was going to be okay. 

He nodded slightly in response. He winced slightly as the pain 
pulsed through him again.

"Elizabeth, I thought I'd never get here. I… I... I think
my leg is broken. I was thrown off Titan when it was raining." His voice
was unsteady, he barely whispered the last few words. Darkness was 
descending upon him, clawing at his vision. 

"You should have stopped riding…" 

"I had to see you, Elizabeth. I had to tell you…" He slipped
into the darkness, letting its comforting silence surround him. He had 
found her.

"Help me get him inside and into the spare room. And get the
doctor quickly, his head is quite badly hurt and I think he was right about 
his leg." She glanced at the awkward angle of his leg, and then 
looked upon his face. Even unconscious and covered with blood and 
mud, he was as handsome as ever. Vulnerability suited him quite 
well. Affectionately, she took his hand as he was carried into the 
house.




Chapter 2

 
Slowly Mr Darcy was lowered into the bed in the guest room. Lizzy 
made sure that he was comfortable and stayed with him until the 
doctor arrived. She sponged the blood away from his face and 
carefully cleaned the wound on his forehead. When the physician 
entered the room she was holding his hand in hers. Darcy was out 
cold, his forehead still bleeding profusely. 

"Miss Bennet, I must ask you to leave whilst I examine him."
At seeing the distraught look upon her face he immediately added,
"You may remain with him once I have had a look at his injuries, I
won't be too long." Dr Grant and his father had been attending the
Bennet family for a long time. He knew that when Lizzy looked like that, 
she was even *more* worried inside. He could tell she cared deeply 
for this man.

"I shall wait outside then, doctor. If you require any help, I
shall get anything you need. His leg appears to be broken and his forehead 
is bleeding quite a lot. He passed out just after he got here."
She looked at Darcy all the time. She rose to leave and gently laid his 
hand down by his side. Walking from the room, she smiled a weak 
smile at the doctor and left him to his job.

**

As Elizabeth stepped out of the room to let the doctor examine her 
beloved, she was bombarded with questions from her parents. They had 
run straight upstairs when they had heard about such an illustrious 
but unpleasant man being brought into their house. They were of 
course naturally curious. When they saw their daughter emerge from 
the spare room, they knew exactly what to ask.

"Lizzy, what is this about Mr Darcy being ill? I should have sent 
him on to Netherfield. He is such a disagreeable man but
obviously," An idea crossed a synapse and the mercenary look appeared on her 
face, "he may begin to favour one of the girls if they nurse him 
back to health. Wouldn't that be a fine prospect, eh, Mr
Bennet?" Mrs Bennet was fluttering around at the thought of one of her 
daughters being married to the very wealthy Darcy. Mr Bennet was 
slightly more concerned for the young man's health.

"Yes, perhaps, Mrs Bennet, but that is on the understanding that
he will survive the ordeal. How is he, Lizzy? I heard the groom say 
that he is quite badly injured." He took his daughter's hand, 
telling from the expression on her face that she cared deeply for 
the man in the next room.

"He came off his horse while riding to Netherfield.  His leg
looks to be broken but his head…there was just so much blood, I
couldn't see how bad it was. He said he had to tell me something. Oh papa, 
it was horrible." The worry inside nearly made her scream. Her
heart wrenched every time she thought back on how he looked in the 
courtyard. 

"There, there my child. He will be fine, I am sure. I think that
you should be the one to look after him, not your younger sisters 
anyway. Do you not agree, Mrs Bennet?"

"Oh yes, you shall nurse Mr Darcy back to health and then he will 
marry you as a gesture of thanks. It will all work out in the end, I 
am sure. You shall be wed to a man with ten thousand a year. Oh what 
a prospect, such pin money…"

"Remember Mrs Bennet, Mr Darcy is still injured. Do not plan the 
future of one of our daughters before he is safely in the land of 
the living. I shall be in my library. If there is anything that you 
or Mr Darcy require, I shall have no hesitation in getting it for 
you." He squeezed his daughter's hand reassuringly and then
turned to leave.

"Come, Mrs Bennet, leave Lizzy to her patient." He winked at 
Elizabeth and Mrs Bennet obediently followed her husband downstairs. 
Lizzy was left alone to her own thoughts, a dangerous place to be 
indeed. She pulled the chair from across the hall to outside the 
room where Darcy lay, and waited for what seemed like an eternity.

**
 

It was about an hour later when the doctor finally reappeared. The 
expression on his face made Lizzy start immediately. 

"What is it? Will he be alright? Please tell me." She stood
right in front of him, wanting to see to William and make sure that he was 
going to be all right.

"His leg is badly fractured and requires many weeks to heal. Even 
then, it might not repair fully. The wound on his head is also quite 
severe, but nothing to cause alarm. He should make a reasonable if 
not full recovery in time. He will need patience, Elizabeth. I am 
also worried about the slight fever. I shall leave instructions with 
your father and will send word to Netherfield. I think he would 
prefer it if you stayed with him. You seem to be willing to 
undertake the caring of the young gentleman." He smiled at her
and opened the door to admit her into the bed chamber where Darcy lay.

When she entered she noticed that Darcy was now dry and had been 
cleaned up fully. He looked so peaceful laying there, the shallow 
rise and fall of his chest indicating that he was unconscious. She 
turned towards the doctor with worried eyes and then moved to the 
other side of the bed. She pulled over a chair so that she could sit 
near him and listened to the doctor's instructions.

"I have bandaged his leg and attached a splint. His forehead has 
been stitched and has now ceased to bleed. If he becomes more 
feverish, apply a cold compress to his forehead and send for me 
straight away. If he becomes restless, try to calm him and keep his 
leg still. I think that should be it. If he should wake before I 
return, which is unlikely, talk to him but encourage him to rest. He 
may be disoriented but that is to be expected. I think Mr Darcy is 
in safe hands." He looked at the way she had taken Darcy's
hand again and was stroking his knuckles lightly. 

"Miss Darcy should be informed as well, I shall write to her with 
the news. Thank-you for everything, doctor. I shall have you 
informed when he does regain consciousness. I think he should be 
alright for now." She looked at his pale face and wondered when
she had come to love him this much. She felt so strongly when she had 
first spotted him outside the window.

"I shall leave you alone then, Miss Bennet. Good day." With
that the doctor left the room. She brushed a stray curl from Darcy's
injured forehead and winced when she saw how deep the cut really was. She 
was certain it would leave a permanent scar. It would suit him well, 
she thought. Pondering the complexities of the man who lay prone 
before her, she knew that she could truly not live without him.

**

A few hours later saw the fluttering open of Mr Darcy's eyes. He
was dizzy and it took a few moments for the room to come into focus. Not 
knowing where he was exactly, he tried scanning the room for clues. 
Nothing made sense, until he saw Elizabeth sitting in the chair 
looking at him. The smile on her face told him that he was safe, and 
with his beloved. Resting his head on the pillow so he 
could see her clearly, he smiled back.

"Welcome back, William." Her smile grew bigger as she took
hold of his hand. He could barely think straight, had she really just called 
him William? She was holding his hand, of that he was certain. He 
smiled at her again. A sharp pain up the side of his face made him 
wince slightly.


"Are you well? You've got a very bad cut on your forehead.
Try not to move too much." She moved closer and gripped his hand tighter,
as if she was lending her strength to him.

"You called me William." She blushed but he was just
grinning. What a pleasant way to wake up. "You know not how long I have wanted
to hear you call me that." He gently squeezed her hand in return,
his diminished strength making it very hard indeed. 

"Yes, I'm sorry, Mr Darcy…"
 
"No I don't mind. I would like you to call me that."

"Then you can call me Lizzy, I am sure that you have wanted to do 
that as well." She smiled the most beautiful smile he had ever
seen. His enjoyment was unfortunately short lived as a wave of nausea 
washed over him. His head began to thump and before he knew it, 
darkness was claiming him once again.

"Lizzy…" He whispered just before he fell unconscious again.

Elizabeth ran from the room calling for the doctor to be summoned 
immediately. She returned after a moment and felt his forehead for 
any signs of fever. He was burning up. How had she missed this 
earlier? She thought that he had been distant when talking to her.

She applied a cold cloth to his forehead all the time berating 
herself for not detecting the fire that was consuming him from 
within. She was wishing that the coldness of the cloth would soon 
reduce his temperature; hope had little to do with it. She knew that 
he had most likely become ill with being drenched in the rain. All 
she could do was keep him cool and try to wait calmly for the 
doctor. He should be here soon enough, she kept telling herself. The 
doctor will come and make him well again. It was hard to imagine 
Darcy sitting astride Titan, looking so proud and indestructible, 
when he was lying before her in the throes of fever. 

She kept holding his hand and wiping his brow. He had dislodged some 
of the stitches in his forehead and the wound began to bleed once 
more. He was becoming more restless by the second. She knew that 
this would be a long night and only wished that it would be over in 
the best possible outcome. His body was weakened by the fall and 
trying to repair itself. Elizabeth fought to try and stop him moving 
too much but she was beginning to lose the battle when the doctor 
arrived. 

"How long has he been like this?" Dr Grant took Darcy's
pulse quickly and looked worriedly at Elizabeth.

"About half an hour. He woke and spoke to me. I didn't notice
his burning until he passed out again. If only I'd noticed
sooner." She looked away, blaming herself.

"You were not to know. If Darcy had spoken to me, I'd be
surprised by his coming down with a fever. His head will need cleaning up 
again but I can't do that until he has calmed down. This is
exactly what I hoped wouldn't happen. In his weakened state this will
just rage through him. I think this could be quite bad for him. It will 
be a long night, Elizabeth. His strength will be lagging when the 
fever breaks." 

"He'll be alright. He's strong, he got here with a broken
leg. He'll be fine." She spoke more confidently than she thought possible.
The doctor left the room to order that some water be brought up and to 
talk to Mr Bennet. Leaning over his body she whispered in Darcy's 
ear, hoping that he would be able to hear her.

"Please be alright, William, I beg of you to be alright. I find
that I need you by my side. This world would be unbearable without you.
I…I…I love you." She gripped his hand and stroked his cheek
with the back of her fingers. All through the night she kept wondering to 
herself, how was it that feelings as deep as this could ever exist?

**

Jane was the happiest person alive, or so she thought. She was 
engaged to the person she loved more than anything and this was the 
perfect end to her despondency. There had been times when she 
thought that talking to her beloved Charles once more would be out 
of the question. The emotional shun she had received only the spring 
before in London was almost enough to prevent her from loving anyone 
again. No matter how much she told herself that she was over him, 
she found that was no where near. Her life had started to mean 
nothing to her. If it hadn't been for Lizzy and the rest of her 
family she believed that she would just have given up living. 
Opening her eyes to the morning sun and finding the inclination to 
get out of bed were just getting too hard. When her sister had told 
her Mr Darcy had proposed during her time in Kent, she could not 
believe it. She had begun to wonder if Lizzy had purposely not 
accepted Mr Darcy so as not to leave her alone. She would rather 
have died than ruined Lizzy's hopes of happiness as well. 

When Lydia eloped, that was it. The turning point of her life. That 
was the day that she resigned herself to the fact that nobody she 
could ever love would want her now, let alone her beloved Bingley. 
Her depression seemed to increase even further but she would never 
have let anybody know about it. She had to be strong for her family, 
anything short of that would have been unforgivable. But Bingley had 
returned and made everything alright again. Now, her only hope was 
that perhaps his friend could see the light and take the risk of 
proposing once again. She had known about Lizzy's feelings for
Darcy as soon as she had returned from Derbyshire whilst touring with 
their Aunt and Uncle. The visit from Darcy's aunt the previous
day had unsettled Lizzy, and Jane was worried about her. 

As she sat in the sitting room at Netherfield with her fiancé, 
Charles, she began to think of ways she could help in ensuring her 
sister's happiness. The invitation to afternoon tea had to be 
accepted but she really just wished to be alone with her betrothed. 
Coping with his sisters was becoming increasingly difficult. They 
had arrived at Netherfield from Scarborough the day before and had 
obviously not taken the news of Charles' engagement well. They
had been attempting to be nice but for Caroline that was pushing it. 
Always looking down her nose condescendingly, it was a trial to Jane 
to be civil to them. Why had she never listened to Lizzy when she 
had tried to warn her about them? She then could have been a little 
more prepared for this cold reception. 

Just as the tea was about to be served, Dr Grant appeared at the 
door and was shown in. The look on his face told everyone in the 
room that something of a grave nature had taken place. Caroline 
offered him some tea but he graciously declined, and taking a seat, 
he told the room what had happened.

"I have just been at Longbourn house." At this Jane started
but he quickly calmed her slightly. "Your family are well, Miss Bennet.
The news I have to deliver is about Mr Darcy." There was an audible
gasp from the room, most prominently from Caroline Bingley. 

"He was riding up from London, I gather, when it began to rain.
He obviously came off his horse quite badly. His injuries are quite 
severe but I think he should make a reasonable recovery." He
turned to look at his audience. It was Caroline who spoke her mind first.

"What on Earth is he doing at Longbourn? He should be brought
here where he can be properly looked after."

"I don't think that's a good idea. He seems to be
comfortable there and I don't think moving him would be wise in his current state
of unconsciousness. I gathered that he rode to Longbourn as it was 
nearer to his position than Netherfield. Miss Elizabeth has been put 
in charge of tending to him. He also seems slightly calmer when she 
is in the room. She will aid his recovery quite well I think, Miss 
Bingley." He stood and began to make his farewells but was 
interrupted again by Caroline.

"What do you mean? That common nobody, Elizabeth Bennet, tending
the most illustrious man in the country? He must be moved here at once. 
His Aunt shall be most seriously displeased when she hears how he is 
being treated." Her voice was becoming high pitched. What could
he have meant by putting *her* Mr Darcy in the care of that *girl*?

"His aunt will hear of no such thing, Caroline. If Darcy is all 
right there then we shall aid his recovery also by not interfering. 
Do you understand?" Charles Bingley rarely ever dared standing up
to his older sister but today he made an exception. Insulting his 
fiancé's family in such a manner was not to be borne. The
inferred threat to tell Lady Catherine was more than he could handle. He 
would be having words with his sister as soon as his guests had 
removed.

Whilst Bingley was glaring at Caroline, Jane walked over to the 
doctor. She was worried about how Lizzy's emotions were bearing
up after seeing the man she loved arriving injured on the doorstep.

"Dr Grant? May I ask how Mr Darcy is? In more detail, if you
would. I think I should help Lizzy as much as possible." She looked 
concerned and so the doctor answered her directly.

"I'm afraid his leg is broken and his head is badly cut. He
should be all right eventually. His leg will take quite some time to heal 
but Lizzy seems to know what she is doing. She had already cleaned 
up his head and made him comfortable by the time I arrived at 
Longbourn. She seems to care for him and I have to admit, he became 
restless when she left the room. Is there something between them 
that I should know about? Tell me, Jane, as I don't want to make
any false assumptions." 

"I don't know, doctor. She saw him when she was touring
Derbyshire, that is all I know. I believe that they had developed quite a strong 
friendship from what Mr Bingley has told me." Just as she
finished her sentence, Caroline walked over and with as much civility as she 
could muster, apologised to Jane for the slurs about her sister and 
asked the doctor if they could see Mr Darcy at all. She looked 
superior to everyone all the time and this unnerved the doctor.

"I'm afraid that it would delay his recovery if he was
surrounded by people. Until he becomes stronger I think it would be best if you 
leave it to me and Miss Elizabeth." And with that he bid his 
farewells and left Netherfield. 

Jane had to get home as soon as possible and help Lizzy with Mr 
Darcy. She was just about to ask Charles if he would call the 
carriage, when a horse and rider skidded up to the doorway. Jane 
instantly recognised it as one of the stable hands from Longbourn. 
Jane looked out of the window. The doctor had not yet left and was 
talking to the groom that had ridden up to him. He suddenly ran into 
his carriage and pulled off at considerable speed. She knew that 
something bad must have happened.

"Charles, I have to go home. I have to help Lizzy, please would
you call the carriage." 

"Yes, of course, I shall come with you and see how Darcy is."
He walked out of the door, leaving Jane to get ready for the ride home.

**

When Jane entered Longbourn that evening she could sense how subdued 
the atmosphere had become. Charles had accompanied her home, he was 
very worried about his friend. He had only known him come off his 
horse a couple of times, and each time, Darcy had fallen hard. He 
rode fast and recklessly; he could get away with it. Darcy had been 
riding almost before he could walk and as such, had become one of 
the best horsemen in England. His stables at Pemberley comprised of 
horses with the best possible lineage and all were the fastest 
around. When Darcy fell last time, he had been unconscious for days 
and had dislocated his shoulder. This time, it was far worse.

Mrs Bennet ran out of the sitting room to Jane and Mr Bingley. She 
looked almost upset over Mr Darcy's injuries. Bingley was taken
in by Mrs Bennet's false concern. Jane knew better. Quickly
embracing her mother she asked where Mr Darcy was and how he was faring. 

 "Oh Jane, Mr Bingley. Mr Darcy has come down with the most
terrible fever after being caught out in the rain. The doctor and Lizzy are 
with him but Dr Grant holds out little hope for him. They are in the 
largest guest room but I wouldn't go up there. Our Lizzy will
take care of him by herself. Would you like some refreshment, Mr 
Bingley?" She smiled at her soon to be son-in-law and tried to
usher him into the sitting room.

"Actually, Mrs Bennet, I would very much like to see Darcy if
that is not too much trouble. I am sure Jane would like to talk to Lizzy 
as well." He tried to smile, but if what Mrs Bennet had said was 
accurate (and that can sometimes be not at all), the predicament of 
his best friend wasn't very good.

"Of course, Mr Bingley, Jane will show you up. But beware,
according to Dr Grant he is not well at all." And with that, Mrs Bennet 
disappeared back into the room, all the time her handkerchief 
fluttering nervously.

Jane led Mr Bingley up the stairs and to the guest room door. She 
looked over her shoulder at him and smiled weakly. He smiled 
reassuringly back at her, more calmly than he felt in fact. Jane 
gently knocked on the door and turned the handle to enter the room. 
On entering the couple had to wait for their eyes to adjust to the 
poor light in the room. They both turned to the bed where they were 
met with an eerie sight. There lay Darcy, perfectly white and still. 
Beads of sweat were running down his forehead, his shallow breathing 
the only sure sign of life. Lizzy was seated at the side of the bed, 
holding his hand tightly, willing the fever to break. The doctor was 
at the other side taking his pulse. Shaking his head slightly, he 
looked towards the door and noticed Jane and Bingley.

"Jane, Mr Bingley." Lizzy looked up from Darcy and glanced at
Jane.  The strain of the last few hours was showing on her face. She looked 
drawn and so incredibly worried. It wasn't meant to be this way.
She couldn't fall in love with someone and then have him die on her. 
Jane felt Bingley grasp her hand to comfort her as much as himself.

"How is he, Dr Grant? Has there been any improvement at all?" 

"No, I'm afraid not. Although his head has stopped bleeding
and he has calmed down a little thanks to some persuasion from Lizzy."
The group looked at Elizabeth just to find her holding his limp hand in 
both of hers. She took a cloth from the basin at her side and 
tenderly wiped his forehead. Darcy mumbled something incoherent. 
Lizzy took his hand in both of hers again and whispered to him. He 
quieted once more.

"Lizzy seems to have found a way to talk to him. I think he can 
recognise the sound of her voice and it has a significant calming 
effect."

"I just think he feels safe when he hears my voice. He's been 
feverish for a good few hours now, and it just seems to be getting 
worse. I couldn't have believed a fever would consume him this 
quickly." The strain was apparent in her voice and she spoke.
Jane walked to her side and put her hand on her shoulder. Bingley just 
stood firm staring at his friend. He had to get out of there but 
knew he had to stay for Jane and Lizzy. In all honesty, the sight 
was beginning to make him retch.

"I think that you should both go. Mr Bingley is turning green I 
believe, Jane. Perhaps papa could offer him something a little 
stronger than tea." Lizzy grinned up at Jane and then smiled
warmly at Bingley. 

"Yes, perhaps. Is there anything you would like me to do,
Lizzy?" Bingley was serious in his offer, as long as it meant he could 
remove from the room.

"His sister needs to be informed. I have met her, of course, but
I think it would be better if you write to her. I have heard all about 
your handwriting, Mr Bingley, so please do try and make it 
readable." Bingley was astounded, even when Darcy was so ill, she 
could still tease mercilessly.

"Of course, Miss Bennet. I shall do it directly. She can stay at 
Netherfield if she wishes to visit him." He smiled the best he
could muster under the circumstances. He didn't know what to make of
the way Lizzy kept looking at Darcy. Could she have fallen in love with 
him? He hoped that if she had indeed given him her heart, Darcy 
would have the chance to tell her that she had been given his such a 
long time ago. Every time he saw his friend look at Elizabeth Bennet 
he knew, Darcy was madly in love.

"I shall take leave of you Elizabeth, Dr Grant. Please do 
everything for him and if I can be of any assistance, please do not 
hesitate." He turned and left the room quickly, Jane followed him 
after giving her sister's shoulder a light squeeze. Lizzy just 
smiled weakly up at her, a worried expression taking over her face. 

As soon as Jane had left, Elizabeth turned her attentions to Darcy 
once again. If only he knew how much she loved him. Would she be 
able to tell him when he finally awoke? What if he didn't feel
the same way? No, that wasn't possible, he had to still care about
her. Elizabeth thought that she may just be content to have him survive 
the ordeal and be her friend. No, that wouldn't have been enough, 
not with feelings so strong she could hardly breathe.

She looked at the face of the man she loved. His skin was pale and 
grey, black circled his eyes and his hair lay limp against his damp 
forehead. His breathing was so shallow she had to listen carefully 
to check its existence. He looked so small and vulnerable, his 
strong features reduced to that of young man. He looked so youthful 
yet so much older at the same time. The gouge on his forehead had 
stopped bleeding some time ago and had been re-stitched. Luckily, 
she had been able to soothe him before he damaged his leg further. 
More injury and he may never have been able to walk on it again. 
According to Dr Grant, it was a serious fracture, almost compound. 
Walking on it wouldn't be taking place for some considerable
time, let alone riding. She knew that Darcy would take that news quite 
badly, knowing how fond he was of riding. Stroking the back of his 
knuckles with her thumb, she thought she saw his eyes flicker. Not 
trusting herself to be sure, she called the doctor from the other 
side of the room."I think I just saw his eyes open slightly." She looked
hopefully at him while the doctor felt his forehead for any signs of the fever 
breaking.

At that moment, Darcy's eyes opened wide and he stared at
Elizabeth. He looked terrified. His eyes were agitated as they stared at her. 
They seemed to stare right into her soul. She gripped his hand and 
he gripped back. He started to murmur something but she couldn't 
tell what it was. Just then he sat straight up and yelled. He was 
almost screaming he was that petrified.

"William, calm down. You're here with me, Elizabeth." She
couldn't get through to him, she was shouting at him, trying to be heard over 
his voice. She grabbed hold of his face and turned it to her. His 
skin was so cold. "STOP!" He ceased mid-yell. He was
trembling with fear, his breathing quick and heavy. "It's all right William,
I'm here, I'm here." She stroked his cheek with her fingers as
his eyes began to soften slightly. He was still trembling when the doctor 
took his pulse and temperature. 

"Elizabeth, I fear that this may be the calm before the storm.
His body is burning up slowly, I think that's why he's
terrified." He turned to get a cold cloth when the door burst open. Jane and 
Bingley appeared in the doorway. Jane rushed over to the basin to 
get more cold water. Bingley stood perfectly still as he took in the 
sight.

"L…li…Lizzy?" Stammered Darcy. "Lizzy?" Thefear began to build in his 
eyes once again and he shook even more. He couldn't see her, he 
was looking straight through her, his eyes glazed yet 
terrified. "LIZZY?" He fell back against the mattress
heavily, his eyes still open wide. He began to push Lizzy away. 
Jane put the cold cloth against his forehead in a last attempt to cool him.

"This won't work, this won't work." The doctor kept
muttering to himself as he thought of what else he could do apart from restrain 
him. Everyone felt so hopeless.

Darcy made one last attempt to shove Lizzy and Jane away and 
fiercely flung his arms in the air, as if trying to reach something 
far away. He was trying to sit up but Jane and Lizzy held him down 
firm.  With his last ounce of strength he reared up and shouted.

"HELP!" His eyes rolled back and he slumped back against
Lizzy. She hugged him close and then she noticed.

"WILLIAM!" He had stopped breathing.




Chapter 3

"WILLIAM!" He had stopped breathing. 

Lizzy shook him carefully as if trying to wake him from a dream. His 
eyes were shut and his body was lying limp in her arms. The doctor 
grabbed his hand and quickly checked his pulse. He shook his head 
slightly, delivering the bad news. Laying Darcy's lifeless hand
back onto the bed, Grant checked the temperature of his forehead. There 
was nothing, no sign of life at all. The fever had claimed
Darcy's life.

Tears began to fall down Lizzy's face as she held her beloved 
William tightly to her. This couldn't be happening, she kept
telling herself. It wasn't meant to be this way. He was supposed to live
and then they could be together forever, happily. Suddenly she placed 
him down on the mattress beside her and began to fiercely pound his 
chest with her clenched fists. 

"WAKE UP! YOU CAN'T DIE, NOT YET." Tears were rolling
freely down her face but she didn't care. She refused to believe that he
would just die like that. He had spoken to her before the fever claimed 
him, he had smiled at her. He couldn't be dead. Jane pulled Lizzy 
away from him, but she refused to stay still. "Wait, get off me, 
Jane!" She wrenched herself free from her sister's grip and
put her ear next to his mouth. 

"He's breathing, listen." The doctor strained to listen
and took his pulse again. Sure enough, Darcy was alive. 

"His pulse is very weak but steady. His temperature is lower too.
I think the fever may have broken. Just in time, if it hadn't hemay 
never have started breathing again." Grant wiped the sweat off
his brow with his handkerchief and smiled weakly at Lizzy. Bingley sank 
into a chair, shocked and grateful at the same time. Jane walked 
away to the window. Lizzy didn't see any of this.

As soon as Darcy had been pronounced living once more she had knelt 
by the side of the bed, holding Darcy's hand tightly, praying 
silently for the saving of her beloved's life. She didn't
dare look up at everyone at that moment. The torrent of emotions flowing 
through her body were just too much to handle. She just sat there, 
gripping her love's hand with all her might. Her heart had just 
nearly been rent in two with the realisation that she had almost 
lost him. She knew that if his heart had stopped forever, so would 
hers. Strangely, she felt connected to him. The way she had been 
able to talk to him while he was out cold, and he would listen and 
calm down. She knew that they were meant to be together and could 
only wait until he recovered sufficiently to let her feelings be 
known to him.

"He will be alright now then, Dr Grant?" Lizzy could barely
whisper, the amount of feeling in her choking her words.

"I think he stands a good chance of surviving now. His breathing 
seems to be more regular and his pulse is certainly getting 
stronger. Perhaps you should go to bed, Elizabeth. He is safe now 
and I think he should be fine just resting…"

"No, I'll stay with him. I can't leave him, not now, not
after all that's happened today. I will be fine staying here watching over 
him. But if you three want to get some rest, Mr Darcy and I should 
be fine, I think." She slowly stood up and turned to face Grant, 
Bingley and Jane. Bingley spoke first.

"I think I should like to stay as well. I have to admit, I would 
feel better making sure he is alright." He looked at the doctor
who just nodded.

"I would also stay, if I may. I may be of use should anything
occur in the night." Jane spoke very softly and stared at Elizabeth all 
the while. She tried to convey some of her strength to her sister, 
just wanting to make it easier for Lizzy to bear.

"Well that settles it then, we are all going to look after Mr
Darcy because I don't think I should leave him either." The doctor
pulled up a chair near to the bed and sat down as well. All seated near to 
the bed, all watching Mr Darcy closely for any sign of change, they 
waited.

**

Morning came and the light beamed through the curtains, trickling 
over the five sleeping forms in the room. It had been an emotionally 
taxing night for all the occupants and physically exerting for at 
least two of them. They had just fallen into slumber, at peace with 
the fact that Darcy was going to be well again. Bingley and Jane 
were asleep by the window, in separate chairs but holding hands. The 
Doctor and Lizzy had fallen asleep at either side of the bed, she 
was still gripping her beloved's hand for dear life. 

She stirred first, the light gently opening her eyes to the new day 
ahead of her. Slowly, she sat up and rubbed her neck trying to get 
the crick out that had appeared from sleeping in a chair. She looked 
towards the unconscious form of her beloved William and caressed the 
back of his hand with her fingers. He was so still but looked more 
at peace than she had ever seen him. The rise and fall of his chest 
and the colour in his face let her know that everything was going to 
be right once more, she would have the chance to tell him just how 
much she loved him. She released the grip on his hand, stood and 
walked to the window. Glancing down at Jane and Bingley, she saw the 
effect of the previous night had also taken a toll on their nerves. 
Yet they both looked so serene just sitting there, holding hands, 
fast asleep. Propriety could be damned, she would let them have 
their comfort. After all, she could hardly uphold the laws after her 
performance yesterday. Tentatively she pulled one of the curtains 
back to let just a fraction of the intense sunlight bleed through 
into the room. The morning was hazy, giving the promise of a warmer 
day. It was strange how in the middle of autumn the weather could 
still surprise her this much. All she could think of was how it 
should have been like this yesterday. How none of this would have 
happened if the clouds hadn't intervened. He would have been well 
and they might have been together. Instead he was lying in bed, his 
leg very badly fractured and a cut on his head that would definitely 
leave a scar. Tears crept into her eyes as she thought about what 
happened last night. About how she had nearly lost him forever. He 
had stopped breathing, stopped living for what seemed like an 
eternity, reminding her that nothing lasted forever and the life was 
indeed, so very precious. She would never forget the lesson she had 
been taught last night.

Lizzy had never before known the happiness she had experienced 
yesterday evening when he began to breathe once more, started taking 
in the vital air needed for life. She had nearly died with him at 
that moment. Just thinking about losing him had crippled her beyond 
belief, but he was back. This morning she was sure of it. Even 
though he had been so weak last night after the fever broke, his 
breathing had been irregular and painfully shallow. The fire burning 
through him has taken all his strength. This morning he looked well 
again. Rest was all he needed now and then he would come back to 
her. Strange, she thought that earlier in the year she had hated 
him. Was it hate? No, it was a serious dislike. She hated herself 
for being so blind and allowing herself to be prejudiced against 
him. The truth was she had forced herself to. She hated the emotions 
this man could bring out in her. All she wanted to do was tease him 
mercilessly and laugh at his disposition. She just wanted to see him 
smile, to get him back for his comments at the Meryton assembly when 
they had first met. She wanted to make him laugh at himself. She 
hated the feelings she had inside and so directed them at him. She 
was so sorry for what she had done for so long. She thought she 
would get the chance to repent her sins and be able to make him 
happy. Then this had happened. 

Letting the curtain fall back into place she looked around the room 
once again. They were all exhausted. She knew she should wake 
everyone up in the vain hope that they may actually get some real 
sleep. Staying here all day would be pointless. She could manage to 
look after him herself now. He appeared to be in no danger. She 
walked over to where Dr Grant was waking up and shook him lightly so 
that he would come round fully. He looked at Lizzy and then at Darcy 
and then back to Lizzy. Smiling, he stood and looked at her.

"He certainly looks a lot better this morning. He should be
alright now for a few hours at least. I can't see him waking up anytime 
soon. But at least, I am confident he *will* wake up now. I have 
never seen a fever take such a hold so fast before. It is a good 
thing that he is strong and healthy else I don't think he would
have survived the night."

"For that we certainly have to be grateful for, then. His
strength seems to be returning slowly. Pray, tell me Dr Grant. Will his 
stopping breathing have, will it have caused…"

"I don't know Elizabeth, I just don't know. All we can do
is see what happens when he comes round. Hopefully he will be fine but you 
are right, sometimes damage to the brain has been caused. Do not 
distress yourself, Elizabeth, he will be fine. No matter what, he 
will still be alive and well. You care a great deal about this young 
man, don't you?" He affectionately put his hand on her
shoulder, waiting for her to answer.

"I do care for him. He is the best man I have ever known. He has
no improper pride as Meryton has been lead to believe. He is perfectly 
amiable. When I met him in Derbyshire, he was so changed, so 
perfect. I don't know what to think anymore. Last night has
shaken me to the core." She never took her eyes away from Darcy while
the doctor led her to the door.

"You need some rest, Eliza, he shall be fine. I will make sure of 
it." He opened the door for her.

"I shall not be gone long, only to freshen up. I refuse to leave 
him." The doctor smiled at her and she walked to her room. That
was the end of the longest night of her life.

**

An hour later saw the return of Elizabeth to the room where Darcy 
lay, still out cold. She had had time to bathe, change and partake 
in a small amount of breakfast. After last night, her appetite 
seemed to have totally disappeared. As she walked back into the 
room, she saw that Jane and Bingley were stood talking to Dr Grant. 
As soon as Jane noticed her standing there, she moved across the 
room to talk to her.

"How are you? You must be exhausted, I know I am." Jane held
Lizzy's hand and smiled slightly.

"I am fine, Jane, exhaustion has nothing to do with it anymore.
You should go to bed and Bingley should return to Netherfield lest Miss 
Bingley come and search him out." Lizzy smiled properly for the 
first time since Darcy was brought in.

"I think I shall go to bed, and Charles was just going to request 
the carriage be brought round to take him home. I shall come and 
talk to you later, Lizzy, I think we need to talk about what 
happened last night. I can scarcely believe what occurred
myself." Bingley walked up to them and smiled reassuringly at Lizzy. 

"I think I should make my exit now, Miss Elizabeth. I trust my 
friend to your capable hands. You seem to know how to care for him 
so he shall most certainly be safe. I will come back later this 
afternoon to check up on him if that is acceptable." Lizzy and
Jane both nodded in the affirmative. "Good, I shall also write to Miss 
Darcy and tell her that he is being looked after. I don't think I 
should tell her about last night, not yet anyway." His smile
waned slightly and Jane led him from the room. With one last look at Darcy 
and Lizzy, she closed the door behind them.

Lizzy crossed the room to be with Darcy once more. Sitting in the 
chair she had occupied all night, she took his hand in hers again. 
The doctor watched her. Yes, there had to be something between them. 
The way she looked at him…she had cried over him, screamed at him
to breathe again and she was always holding his hand. They had become 
almost inseparable, that was clear. He had been checking Darcy's 
pulse and temperature every ten minutes since he awoke and was 
pleased by his findings. Darcy was indeed getting stronger. He would 
be happy to see his favourite Bennet girl married to a perfectly 
healthy Mr Darcy. He had been a little unnerved when she had asked 
her earlier question, of the damage that may have been caused. He 
hoped that it wasn't so. Only time would be able to tell. How
could he tell Lizzy that Darcy wouldn't be himself anymore, that the
fever may have well killed him instead? No, Darcy had to be unharmed. 
After everything she had been through, that young man would have to 
make her happy. 

"Elizabeth, I think I should go downstairs and talk to your
father for a while. He will want to know what has happened. Plus I am quite 
hungry and the smell of breakfast through that door has made me 
realise I haven't eaten for quite some time." He smiled at
her and made for the door.

"Yes, Dr Grant. Thank you for everything you have done for him. I 
hope he will be perfectly well again in time. After last night it 
can only get better." Lizzy smiled at him and then looked down at 
Darcy once more. Grant opened the door and after taking one last 
look at the love between patient and nurse, left the room.

**

On the way back to Netherfield, Bingley had never felt so wretched 
in his life. Thinking back on the night before and all that had 
happened had worked its way right into the fibre of his being. He 
was disturbed so much by the events that he barely knew what to 
think. Watching your best friend die right in front of you was one 
thing he never thought he would experience. But low and behold, he 
saw it last night. Could he really say that he had seen Darcy die? 
He had stopped breathing and his heartbeat had ceased, but only for 
a few moments. Whatever had happened, it had scared the living 
daylights out of him. Darcy had always been there. They had been 
friends for what seemed like forever. They had met at Cambridge. 
Darcy was in the final year, three above him. Their friendship just 
happened. As soon as they had met they had become friends. It was a 
sobering thought to consider that it could just as quickly be 
irreparably severed. 

Bingley and Darcy had spent a lot of time together. He knew that 
Darcy never got ill, was never weakened by anything, never 
intimidated and rarely scared. That was until Darcy had fallen head 
over heals in love with Elizabeth Bennet. He had seen the signs 
between the two, although, for long enough it had just been one-
sided. Now he was sure she returned his affections and last night 
would only serve to strengthen that bond. Bingley was happy for them 
both, knowing that if they only had half the joy he had, they would 
never be wanting. But would that ever happen? Even though Dr Grant 
had said Darcy would wake up, he wasn't sure that a full recovery 
would be made. Not having his best friend be his normal self worried 
Bingley like nothing else. 

The carriage made its way along the road that took them to Meryton 
and then onto Netherfield. Bingley couldn't wait to get home but
he couldn't help but think of the tasks he had been set once he 
returned, having to write a letter to Miss Darcy being the least 
pleasant task. Dealing with Caroline's pining and queries about
his friend as well did nothing to ease his nerves. All he wanted to do 
was sneak into the house without being noticed and quietly slip into 
bed. This was not to be, however. As the carriage entered the long 
drive up to the house, he saw what he dreaded the most. Caroline and 
Louisa, waiting in the doorway.

As the carriage came to a halt and he climbed out, he was bombarded 
by questions. "How is Mr Darcy?", "Will he be alright?", "Why did 
you have to stay the night?"... Most of the queries were in this 
vein, until Caroline opened her mind to the possible snide remarks 
and as always, they just came pouring out.

"Tell me, is Miss Eliza still looking after him? No wonder his 
recovery may be slow. He needs somebody strong yet feminine to take 
care of him. Not some country upstart." She smiled an evil grin. 
Bingley wiped it of her face with just three words.

"Not you, then." He walked off and left the bewildered sisters 
standing at the doorway. He didn't care what he had just said.
All that mattered was that they were out of his sight. His best friend 
had almost died and his sisters were making snide remarks about the 
family that had done so much for him. He had had just about enough 
of his sisters to last a lifetime.

He made his way to the study on the first floor. It was near his bed 
chambers and had a pleasing prospect of the surrounding countryside. 
Sitting down at his writing desk, he reached for a piece of paper 
and mended his pen. How was he ever to tell Georgiana about her 
beloved brother being ill? What should he say? "Sorry, Georgiana, 
but your brother fell off his horse and nearly died"? Charles 
Bingley knew that he was completely word-illiterate and now it was a 
real annoyance. Staring out of the window for a short while, he 
thought about everything that had happened once more. There was just 
no way to stop thinking about it really. Once he had formulated the 
words to use in his head he began to write.

 "Dear Georgiana,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I am afraid that something 
of a serious nature has occurred. Your brother was riding up to 
Netherfield and he came off his horse in a storm. He is unconscious 
but I fear I may be alarming you. He is in safe hands and is staying 
at Longbourn House with the Bennet family. He has been seen to and 
should recover fully. If you would like to see him, you are more 
than welcome to stay at Netherfield. 

Do not worry, Georgiana, he is well looked after by someone who 
cares for him. I think you know of whom I speak.

Yours,

Charles Bingley"

He placed the pen back in the inkwell and looked at the letter in 
front of him. What would he have done if he had received such a 
letter about one of his sisters, or even worse, Jane? He would ride 
straight up and see for himself, would make sure that what the 
letter said was true and if not, be worried indeed. He knew 
Georgiana would come as soon as possible. How could she not see her 
brother? She doted on him, he had taken over the role as her father 
and she esteemed him so highly because of that. She would be 
distraught, as he himself had been. Just thinking back to how 
terrified he had looked sent shivers down his spine again. At least 
Georgiana had been spared that. Bingley knew he would never forget 
the intense dread that encompassed him when Darcy stopped living for 
those few short moments.

He neatly folded the letter and, sealing it with blood red wax, 
stamped the Bingley crest onto it . Addressing the front to the 
Darcy London townhouse where he knew she would be he stood it 
against the inkwell, ready to be posted. Leaning back in his chair, 
he ran his hand through his hair. The look on Lizzy's face when 
Darcy began to breathe again was unbelievable, the love was so 
great. He knew that she would have given her life to save that man. 
Whilst talking to Jane that morning, he had discovered the very same 
suspicions. All he hoped was that everything would turn out well.

It was still fairly early and so he decided to go to bed for a 
while. He would ride up to Longbourn in the afternoon to see Darcy 
and of course, his angel Jane. He thought back over what Darcy had 
told him before he headed to London, that his best friend had 
separated Jane from him. It was most unjust and he was so angry when 
Darcy had told him of the deception. Now he understood slightly 
more. Darcy wanted to get away from Lizzy too. Bingley knew that his 
best friend wouldn't want to fall in love with someone as low as 
Elizabeth, but he had, so completely.  Darcy had confessed more than 
he had wished to but to Bingley, it made the task of forgiving far 
easier. Now he had Jane and was so happy, until last night.

He went to his bed chambers and just lay atop the bed, far too 
exhausted to change and climb under the covers. Closing his eyes, he 
slowly drifted into a restless sleep.

**

Jane was lying in bed. She had tried to get to sleep for the better 
part of an hour now and all she wanted to do was rest. It was 
eluding her quite well, she thought. Realising that it was a 
hopeless cause, she rose from the bed and got dressed. Today was 
going to be a hard day but nothing could compare to last night. Her 
heart went out to her sister and Charles. They both cared about the 
man that lay in the room down the corridor so much. She pulled the 
curtains back from the window and let the warm sunlight cover and 
surround her completely. She, like her sister, loved the sun. 
Everything seemed more alive and real when the rays of golden light 
coursed over them. Her sister would normally have gone out walking 
on a day as beautiful as this. Instead she stayed with the man she 
cared about. 

Turning from the window, she wondered if she should go downstairs 
while it was still early. Breakfast sounded tempting. She had eaten 
every little since she received the news yesterday afternoon. 
Walking towards the door, she began to wonder what she would have 
done if Bingley had been brought in instead of Darcy. She would 
never have been as strong as her sister, but then again, Lizzy had 
always been far stronger than she. Lizzy climbed trees and walked 
miles every day. Her sister had beaten illness in the space of an 
hour and could take everything in her stride. Of course, Jane had 
the quieter disposition and was far more caring. That was until she 
saw the way Lizzy had tended Mr Darcy all night. 

Walking along the hallway from her room and down towards the 
breakfast room below, she couldn't help but think if Mr Darcy would 
indeed be alright. Dr Grant had been unable to say whether he would 
recover properly after the trauma of last night. This worried her a 
great deal, mainly because of what it would do to Lizzy. She quietly 
walked downstairs and managed to see Dr Grant taking leave for the 
morning. She walked into the room where her parents were sitting at 
opposite ends of the table. She pulled out her usual chair, the one 
to the right of her father and sat down. She would get something to 
eat in a minute, she told herself, she just needed to sit for a few 
moments.

"Jane, how is Lizzy?" Her father's soft voice was full of concern 
for his second eldest. The doctor had told him the basic gist of 
what had happened but nothing more. He took hold of Jane's hand 
across the table. 

"She is fine I think, papa, better than she was last night. She
is quite exhausted but refuses to leave Mr Darcy's side. She is
better being near him though. It was very hard for all of us last night. I 
don't think I shall ever forget it as long as I live." She
looked towards the window with tears in her eyes. She was so sad for Lizzy 
yet relieved at the same time.

"The doctor said something about his being quite ill last night
and almost dying in Lizzy's arms. Is that true Jane? I could not bear
to see Lizzy hurt anymore. Dr Grant also told us that we shall have to 
wait for the young man to come round before he could tell
anymore." He squeezed her hand gently, knowing how hard it was for Jane.

"That is true, there may have been some damage or there may have 
been none.  We'll know the extent of it when he wakes up. Lizzy is 
dreading and hoping for his awakening. I think I can say for Mr 
Bingley and Miss Darcy as well as Lizzy, that if such damage has 
been caused, it would almost cripple them totally. Lizzy was beside 
herself last night. She wouldn't let him go, she kept pounding his 
chest, trying to wake him up. It was so horrible, papa. I felt so 
helpless yet Lizzy needed only one thing, and she got it. I only 
hope that Mr Darcy is going to be fine. I hope he wakes up better 
than is to be hoped." Tears were rolling freely down her cheeks as 
she cried for her sister's private anguish. Her father stood and 
pulled her into his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably. 

"I never knew it would be so hard for Elizabeth, she cares so deeply 
about this young man. This time last year she despised him and now, 
now she can no longer live without him. What a sorry state of 
affairs, eh, Mrs Bennet?" He looked towards his wife at the other 
end of the table. She had been totally subdued since Dr Grant had 
told them of what happened. The loss of a suitor worth ten thousand 
a year was grievous indeed, and it would have to have been under her 
own roof. 

"Indeed it is, Mr Bennet. I wonder how Lizzy will be able to cope
if he doesn't awaken?" No, Mrs Bennet was truly upset. Elizabeth
had always been her least favourite daughter, too much like her father. 
Yet, she felt sorry for her. Nothing was worse than watching the 
person you love the most fade away in front of your eyes. She had 
seen that happen herself, with a death so completely different. She 
had watched her husband's love for her die, his passion for her 
fade, his regard for her diminish. Yes, she knew what Lizzy was 
going through. In a way she had been there herself.

All of a sudden, Kitty came running into the breakfast room at high 
speed. She was smiling brightly and ran up to Jane. Looking straight 
at her, she spoke.

"Lizzy says for you to come quickly, something has happened."
They all filed out of the room and quickly went to see what had taken 
place. 

As Jane, Mr and Mrs Bennet and Kitty ran up the stairs to the guest 
bedroom and went straight into the room, they were met by the most 
pleasing sight. 


**

Lizzy sat by the bed holding Darcy's hand in hers, gently stroking 
his knuckles with her fingers. It was a featherlike touch, yet she 
knew he could feel it. Nothing had ever felt like this before, she 
was perfectly attuned to everything he felt. When he had stopped 
breathing, her chest had constricted, she had felt the air rush out 
of her lungs. She struggled to breathe when he did, when his heart 
stopped, she felt sure that so did hers. Was this what love was, 
where you knew someone so well that you could be together with them 
in such a way? She felt linked, bonded to him. She knew that should 
he die, she would too. All night she had sat by his side and watched 
the rise and fall of his chest as he struggled to take a breath of 
air. She had watched him in the throes of fever and she had seen the 
terror in his eyes. She knew this man so intimately just from this 
one night. This was going to change her life.

She leant closer to him. She could sense the normal heat rise from 
his body when she brushed her arm lightly against his. He was so 
beautiful, so serene, so peaceful compared to the night before. The 
cut on his forehead seemed to be healing quite well but his leg was 
still the greatest worry. She really didn't want to be there when 
told he wouldn't be able to ride for months. He loved riding. She 
had gathered that from their time in Derbyshire. Just seeing all the 
wonderful horses he kept and how he always cared for Titan, the 
trusty steed that had delivered him here. 

She gently swept away the stray lock of hair that had fallen over 
his forehead and wondered what he would think when he found out she 
had nursed him back to health. Would he be angry or happy? She hoped 
it would be the latter. She disliked the idea of falling out just 
because of the rules of society. 

"I hope you don't mind, William, but I think propriety can be 
damned. I love you. I wish you could hear me." She whispered in
his ear. 

She drew back slightly and noticed that his breathing rhythm had 
changed. It had become quicker and shallower. She felt his hand 
gently squeeze hers. Looking into his face, his eyes flickered open. 
His beautiful brown eyes were staring straight at her. None of the 
terror was there, none of the distance she had seen yesterday, only 
her beloved William, looking straight back at her.

"William? Will? Can you hear me?" He nodded slightly at her
question and a smile lit up his face, running straight into his deep eyes.

"Oh thank god, William, you're going to be fine." Tears of joy were 
rolling down her face. She raised and kissed the back of his hand, 
she was completely lost in his eyes. He stroked her hands so lightly 
with his fingers. He reached out with his other hand and so tenderly 
wiped her tears away. 

"Don't cry, Lizzy." His voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. 
His throat was dry and scratchy. She poured him a glass of water and 
helped him to take a sip.

"I must send for Dr Grant, he was to be informed as soon as you 
awoke. I shall be not a second." She smiled and disappeared for a 
moment. She was back again and by his side before he had noticed her 
gone. His head ached but nothing mattered apart from his Lizzy. 

"You should rest some more. You've been through a lot." She placed 
her hand on his cheek and he turned to kiss her palm.

"I will rest, as soon as I've said what I came here to say." He 
smiled again but fatigue was already claiming him once more.

"I think you should sleep, William. I can wait until a bit later, 
surely." He shook his head slightly and kissed the back of her
hand.

"I shall be able to rest once I have said four words, Lizzy." He 
looked straight into her eyes. Neither noticed the four members of 
her family walk into the room, they were so lost in each other.

"I love you, Elizabeth." His voice was heavy and his eyes
almost closing.

"I love you too, William." He was going to recover, she knew it. 
She smiled the most wonderful smile, and with that image, he fell 
fast asleep once again.




Clouds Chapter 4

**

The days continued to be glorious. The sun poured through the 
windows into the spare room casting its light over the oft sleeping 
form. The colour was slowly returning to his features but he was 
still constantly drowsy. The fever had taken a lot of the strength 
he had and now, now it was just a matter of time. Every time he did 
awaken, though, he was met by the most welcome sight; Lizzy smiling 
and holding his hand.

When he opened his eyes to this perfect vision he had to smile back. 
His head hurt and all he wanted to do was crawl into a dark corner 
to return into the surrounding blackness. Not when his Elizabeth 
looked at him like that, not when she smiled her love and 
tenderness. Life would be perfect if she just had that expression 
every time he glanced in her direction. The light played like fire 
in her eyes. He could see right into the depths of her soul and he 
knew that she could see right into his. Ever since his accident, he 
made no attempt to hide the feelings he felt from her. He would not 
make the same mistakes again.

Lizzy had always been there, he knew that. He could sense her when 
he was unconscious, hear her talking to him, holding his hand. He 
had felt so safe and secure in the knowledge that she was with him, 
taking care of him. The only time that Lizzy had left him was when 
the doctor came to tell him about his injuries. Soon after the 
conversation began, he knew why she had disappeared. He knew that 
not many people who would stick around to hear the bad news.

"How are you feeling today, Mr Darcy? Better I hope." Dr Grant was 
smiling at him, already knowing that the information he had to tell 
his patient was not going to go down well.

"My head hurts, a lot. My leg seems to be aching as well. I've 
hardly been awake though so I have no idea what has happened." 
Darcy's eyes were weary and he spoke so quietly. He had only awoken 
from his fever the day before. Strength was still alluding him.

"Yes, your head will hurt for quite some time. It has been badly cut 
and it knocked you unconscious for a long while. Your leg on the 
other hand…that is very badly injured. When you fell your full 
weight went onto it. It will be about six weeks before you can walk 
on it, let alone ride." This got Darcy's attention straight
away.

"What? When will I be able to ride, then? Surely it won't be long 
afterwards." The panic was rising in his voice. Riding was his only 
way to escape the commanding position he had held for so long. He 
loved to escape on horseback, feel the wind beating at his face when 
he kicked Titan into a fierce gallop. This was important to him.

"Mr Darcy, please calm down. You have broken the lower half of your 
leg. The muscles rely on the two bones being strong for you to be 
able to walk again. The fracture is very serious. I hold out little 
hope of you riding in six months, if ever again. Walking is the 
first bridge to cross, and I guarantee, you will find it hard enough 
as it is." Darcy looked as if his world had collapsed. He had never 
been this bad when he had fallen. The weight of his fall was great, 
he could remember that. He had felt his leg snap from under him but 
he had never thought it would be this bad. Not being able to ride 
again would be crippling to him.

"Six months at least? Surely not. It can't be as bad as all that. I 
want a second opinion. I have ridden all my life, I can't be 
expected to stop just like that." He was worried now; just one fall 
might have cost him the ability to ride again. He tried to imagine 
life without being able to walk and ride properly again when Lizzy 
walked into the room. Darcy hadn't noticed Dr Grant walk over to
the door and summon her. 

"Mr Darcy, I shall leave now. If you still wish to seek a second 
opinion I will be glad to be proved wrong. As it stands, I think you 
should concentrate on just being well again. This bridge will be 
crossed when we arrive at it. Good day, Mr Darcy, Miss Elizabeth." 
He nodded in both their directions and exited the room. Lizzy walked 
over to where her beloved lay, visibly shocked and upset.

"What is it, William?" She laid her hand on his arm to console him. 
She knew what had been said had seriously affected him.

"Nothing of import. Dr Grant was just letting me know what happened, 
tis' all. I shall be well again and we can live happily ever after. 
How is that for an ending?" He looked up and smiled at her but the 
smile never reached his eyes, betraying the inner turmoil that 
lurked beneath.

"I know what he said. He told me while you were ill that you may 
never ride again." He winced as the words he never thought he would 
hear passed from his Lizzy's lips. This would be hard but he knew
he would prevail.

"He only says maybe. I'd like to think he is wrong and that my leg 
shall heal perfectly. Riding is my favourite way to relax and I'll 
be damned if a minor leg wound will stop me." The hurt look upon her 
face at his defiance of the inevitable broke his heart in two. "I am 
sorry, Elizabeth. I am just finding it hard to accept, that is all. 
This time a few days ago I would never have thought anything like 
this would happen. My head is constantly pounding, which makes it 
worse. I don't mean to snap, especially not at you." 

He took her hand in his and stroked her knuckles gently. He knew 
that she had done this to him as he had been able to feel the 
featherlike touch of her fingers caressing the back of his hand. He 
would never forget that small touch, and how she screamed at him 
when he knew he was at death's door. She would have fought for him 
and he loved her even more for that fact. He pulled her down to sit 
beside him on the bed. He was propped against a pile of pillows. 
They were so close that he could feel the heat emanating from her 
body through the sheets against his good leg.

"It is fine. I know you shall ride again and I also know how 
stubborn you can be. I think we shall live happily ever after. I for 
one shall be happy to spend every day waking up to the sun… and the 
person I care more about than anything, just the way he is." 

Darcy was touched by her words. Nothing ever said had meant so much 
to him. He had known for such a long time that she looked completely 
past his wealth and station, and now she would look past his 
injuries and still love him. He reached out and stroked her cheek 
with his fingers. She pressed his hand against her face and kissed 
his palm. A tear slipped down her face as she looked at him. Love 
and adoration was evident in her eyes as she stared at him. He 
pulled her closer to him. They became so near he could feel her 
breath on his face. He looked into her eyes and saw the consent he 
needed. Their lips were barely touching as he slowly brushed his 
against hers. Pulling her closer to him, he captured her mouth with 
his and kissed her gently and lovingly. He ignored the spark of pain 
he felt as his lips caressed hers… nothing else mattered. The 
pleasant sensations running through them didn't last long
however. 

That precious moment was interrupted by Jane walking into the room. 
Neither heard her knock or even enter. The second they realised was 
when Jane coughed slightly to alert them, so lost they were in each 
other. They pulled away slowly, neither wanting it to end. They had 
been through too much to just leap apart when they were caught. 
Lizzy looked towards her sister while Darcy just stared at 
Elizabeth. 

"Lizzy, papa would like to have a word with you. I think it would be 
best if you let Mr Darcy get some rest." Jane looked at Darcy and 
saw his eyes close for a few seconds. Fatigue was claiming him as it 
usually did after a few minutes. She couldn't help but think he 
would have been awake a while longer if he hadn't been kissing her 
sister. The shock she had received when she entered the room to find 
the two of them in such an embrace was great. She would be talking 
to Lizzy later about it, she was sure.

"Yes, I think he requires some sleep as well. Tell papa I shall be 
down shortly. I have to retrieve a book from my room and then I 
shall go to his study." She smiled at Jane as her sister left the 
room, leaving Elizabeth and Darcy alone once again. Jane continued 
to listen to the conversation through the door, however.

"I think Jane was right, you should rest more. You only awoke from 
your fever yesterday. I promise I shall come and see you later on. 
When I have seen my father, I will be back here before you will have 
noticed me gone." She smiled reassuringly and tightened the grip on 
his hand before letting go, and rose from the bed.

"Lizzy, thank-you for everything you have done for me. I have no 
idea how I shall ever repay your generosity. I know how you cared 
for me while I was unconscious. There is something I need to tell 
you, though." He grabbed her hand to stop her walking away. He had 
to tell her, she had helped him so much. She needed to know.

"What is it?" She stood looking into his deep brown eyes. 

"I heard everything. All the things you said while I was ill, I know 
them. I could hear you tell me you love me, I could hear all the 
words of kindness you spoke to me, I heard you scream at me. You 
pulled me back, Elizabeth, You. Nothing else." She sat back down
on the bed.

"You heard everything? I thought you might, you reacted so much when 
I spoke to you. It felt as if we were…"

"…Connected. I know. I felt lost when you were not there by my side. 
I knew I had to go on because you held my hand so tightly. Nothing 
else mattered apart from not leaving you. I have come so far to tell 
you what you mean to me. All the words I have ever hoped to hear you 
say you whispered to me when I needed them most. God, Lizzy, you 
will never know how much you really mean to me."

"Nor you to me. So much has happened these past couple of days. 
First you Aunt pays me a visit, then you arrive half dead on my 
doorstep. Then you nearly die in my arms and now…now we just have to 
be with each other. Talk about emotionally draining. I hope these 
weeks don't happen too often, I feel my strong disposition has taken 
quite a hammering this week." She smiled teasingly at him and he 
returned the gesture in kind.

"You should go to your father. You should have been there quite a 
while ago, I fear, and, as always I am exceedingly tired. I hope my 
strength returns before long. We can then resume our battle of wits, 
Miss Bennet." He squeezed her hand once more as she left the room to 
seek her family. Darcy began to drift off to sleep, content in the 
knowledge that everything was going to be alright.

**

Caroline Bingley was most seriously displeased. Not only was her 
brother, Charles, no longer telling her anything of Darcy's 
condition, but he was ignoring her as well. To add to this familial 
dispute, the man she wanted to get her hands on was still in the 
care of that nobody. All the hard work she had been putting into 
getting Darcy for herself was being undone by a person of not the 
slightest consequence. Oh yes, injured and could only make it to 
Longbourn before he collapsed. A likely story. He could have been 
sent here to receive superior treatment but oh no. Charles wouldn't 
let him and that doctor…Dr Grant probably hadn't even been trained 
properly, and to think, he was treating the master of one of the 
greatest estates in the land! Jane Bennet had most definitely been 
behind this heinous scheme as well. Of course, she would want her 
sister to marry well, and why not set her up with her fiancé's best 
friend? Everything was just a little too convenient for Caroline's 
liking.

Elizabeth Bennet had obviously flaunted her way into Darcy's mind so 
he would become besotted with her. When finally they would be 
married what a fool that little chit would make of him and his 
family. To think that one of the Bennet girls (reputed beauties, 
hah!) would have free reign over Pemberley made Caroline's skin 
crawl. No, this could not be allowed to happen. She refused to let 
this stupid plot of that Bennet girl to go any further and she knew 
just the way to stop the whole thing. Lady Catherine would be most 
displeased when she found out about how her nephew was being treated 
by that country slip of a girl.

Yes, the plan was formulated in her mind already. All she had to do 
was write it down on paper and wait for the day of reckoning to 
arrive. She walked over to the writing desk in the small morning 
parlour and drew out a sheet of paper from the drawer. Taking the 
seat and picking up her favourite pen, she began to formulate the 
words in her mind. They came all too easily as she dipped the nib of 
the pen into the black ink and started to write.

"To Lady Catherine de Bourgh

I have some information on which you may wish to act directly. I 
have been reliably informed that your nephew, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, 
is being looked after by none other than Miss Elizabeth Bennet. It 
is in my knowledge that he became injured whilst riding up from 
London roughly two days previous. He went straight to Longbourn and 
is being taken care of by the above mentioned person. 

The conditions in which he has been placed are most unfortunate. The 
doctor who has been appointed to his health is a country surgeon who 
knows nothing of how to treat a man of Mr Darcy's station. I fear 
that Miss Bennet and her scheming family have taken it upon 
themselves to secure the favour of your nephew in the hope that he 
may marry Miss Bennet. 

I trust you will be wanting to act on this straight away and I 
advise that you do. The circumstances are degrading rapidly, I fear, 
and a quick course of action may be necessary to remove him from 
that household. His social standing and his health are greatly 
endangered whilst he remains there.

Yours sincerely

C. Bingley"

There, that was it. She had foiled that foolish girl's ideas and the 
fortune hunters plans for Darcy. Not as hard as she thought, all in 
all. Soon after receiving this, Lady Catherine would arrive and 
remove Darcy from that household to a place far away from 
Hertfordshire. She folded the missive and sealed it, resting it on 
the silver tray by her side where the completed messages were placed 
to be delivered. This was one time in which she couldn't wait to see 
the reply. This would be worth all the effort in the end. Get rid of 
that recalcitrant girl and then have Darcy all to herself. 
Everything was going to plan.

**

Georgiana Darcy sat in the breakfast room of the Darcy London 
townhouse. She had felt lonely ever since the slight difference of 
opinion she had with her brother. She did want him to be happy. It 
was just that she doubted he was thinking straight. He was never one 
to become infatuated with anyone; if anything, he steered well clear 
of women, full stop. She understood his need to find an equal, 
somebody who would see him for what he was. She knew that he needed 
stability and love for both had been missing for such a long time. 

The things that Lady Catherine had said to her had sunk in deep. She 
could hear every word spoken with the maliciousness intended. Her 
aunt had always wanted her brother to marry Anne, but he would never 
have had her, and Georgiana was happy about that. Anne would never 
be able to equal him and he would be alone and despondent for the 
rest of his life. When he had been with Miss Bennet that summer, he 
had seemed more alive, more the way he used to be. The weight of 
looking after the whole of the estate had been great on his mind. 
Having taken care of it from such a young age, he had forgotten to 
live these past few years. Elizabeth Bennet gave him his lost time 
back. He looked younger and more at ease. She would make him a great 
wife. They looked up to each other. He worshipped her and Georgiana 
was sure that Lizzy was in love with him also. She had seen the way 
her brother had looked at Lizzy across the pianoforte that evening, 
and the fond farewell they bid each other that night. Miss Elizabeth 
Bennet was the right person for her brother. She was sure of that 
now.

The footman entered the room holding a silver platter on his hand. 
He lowered the tray so that she could remove the letter and looked 
at the handwriting on the front. Dismissing the servant she tore 
open the note. She had been able to tell from the front of the 
missive that it was Charles Bingley. She was curious as to what he 
was writing to her about, especially by express. She read the letter 
twice, unable to believe its contents.

She ran from the room asking that her things be packed for the trip 
to Hertfordshire. She had to get there as quickly as possible to be 
with her brother. Even if he was being well taken care of, she 
needed to be by his side whilst he recovered. According to the 
housekeeper and Mrs Annesley, they would be off within the hour. How 
had he fallen? How badly was he injured? How long would he take to 
recover? Questions flooded her mind as she prepared to depart. 

"Poor William." She walked up the grand staircase to her chambers to 
oversee her packing. She would answer them for herself in a few 
short hours.

**

When Lizzy went to her father's study shortly after her conversation 
with Mr Darcy, she was surprised to see Jane there also. Both looked 
grave. She looked at them both with questioning eyes, desperate to 
know what had caused such looks of disapprobation. Mr Bennet 
motioned for her to take her favourite seat by the window and he and 
Jane walked towards their respective chairs also. Nothing had yet 
been said and this unnerved Lizzy no end.

"You wanted to see me." She smiled hesitantly at her father. He 
looked almost angry. Something bad must have happened to make him 
look as he did. She dared not think that her sister Jane had 
betrayed her confidence and told their father about the kiss she had 
witnessed. 

"Yes, Elizabeth, I did wish to see you. I am afraid Mr Darcy will 
have to be removed to Netherfield as soon as he is recovered enough. 
According to Jane, that shall hopefully not be long." Lizzy just 
looked at her father and sister. What could they mean by doing this? 
She stared in open-mouthed fury for a few moments before venturing 
for a reason.

"I think it is best if he is allowed to recover elsewhere. I am 
assured it will be of some duration before he will be walking again. 
He would be better off among his own people, Lizzy. I know you enjoy 
his company and I am convinced he enjoys yours. That is what I am 
worried about." He took his daughter's hand and squeezed it lightly, 
a small smile playing about his lips.

"I also think that you should spend less time with him. I can see 
how looking after him constantly is affecting you. It is in your 
best interests to make sure no rumours can be spread. It will not 
only affect you but his social standing as well. We have had more 
than enough scandal this year without you helping with it. I am 
sorry, Elizabeth, but it has to be so. You shall be the one to tell 
him when the time comes. It would be best to hear it from you, I 
think. I haven't told your mother yet for I fear she will make a 
very big fuss over this whole incident." There was nothing more to 
be said. Her father was more worried about rumours that about her 
beloved William's health. 

"I see." She rose to leave the room and spend as much time with 
Darcy as possible before he was unceremoniously shipped to  Netherfield. 

"Lizzy," Jane called after her and rose to leave as well. They 
exited the room together without a word. Lizzy went straight to her 
room, the tears of anger in her eyes threatening to spill down her 
face. On entering the room, she went to her window and opened it to 
breathe in the calming fresh air. Jane moved behind her and put a 
hand on Lizzy's shoulder.

"I am sorry."

"You're sorry? What have you told him, Jane? What did you say to 
make him kick the only man I can ever love out as soon as he is well 
enough? Don't you see how much I care about him? I love him, Jane. I 
love him." The pent up tears cascaded down her face as she looked at 
her sister. Never had she felt such betrayal before. Her dearest 
sister had made a big mistake.

"I didn't say much. I only thought it was a bad idea him staying 
here too long. I know you care, Elizabeth, but think about him. What 
will happen when his aunt finds out? It can only be a matter of time 
before she hears about this. Then what will he do?" 

"I do not know. Mr Bingley says that he will never tell her and 
neither will anyone he knows. You said that he had told his sisters 
not to. They are the only people I can imagine spiteful enough to 
tell her of these events. All I know, Jane, is that I want to spend 
time with him, get to know him better. I cannot do this if he is at 
Netherfield, or worse, taken to London." Why could nothing ever go 
right for a change?

"He will be better taken care of there. When did you know you
cared for him?"

"I do not know. It has been coming on so gradually. I knew that life 
without him was almost unbearable after I came back from Derbyshire. 
I am such a foolish romantic. I am sure I was never like this before 
this accident. I know why." She walked to her bed and sat on the 
edge. Jane joined her.

"When he gave up, when he almost disappeared from my life forever, I 
knew that I could not live without him. I feel him everywhere in 
this house when he is here. When he stopped breathing, I couldn't 
feel it anymore and it scared me so much. A void opened up inside 
me, only for a few seconds, but it was there."

"Lizzy, it must have been terrible. Why have you not told me this 
before?"

"I did not think about it much until just now. The thought of being 
away from him for just a few minutes after that night is almost 
crippling. I knew how precious life was and how so short it was that 
night. I want to spend every last breathing second with him. I don't 
know where feelings as strong as this have come from. They are 
nearly ripping me apart and I can't control them. It worries me, 
Jane. Neither of us can live without the other"

"I have heard of such bonds between two people, but are you sure? I 
didn't mean to barge in earlier, by the way. I knocked." This 
brought a smile of remembrance to Lizzy's lips. 

"I was afraid for a few minutes that you had told papa about that. I 
was about to never talk to you again; for the rest of the day, at 
least. You are too good, Jane, but this time, I hope you are right 
about him going away." Lizzy smiled forlornly for a second and
stood up.

"I would never tell him anything like that. You always have my full 
confidence, you know. It's just that I think you should let him
rest occasionally as I know how you two like to talk. He hasn't been 
awake very long now, has he?" Jane, the mother of everybody. So 
caring and thoughtful over all that she knew. 

"I just thought that papa would be more understanding. That is all. 
I should go and see Mr Darcy. I said I would go back to him when I 
had seen papa."

"Just be careful, Lizzy. Promise me you will remember what papa 
said."

"I will. There is nothing to worry about, Jane. He will get well 
again and we will go from there." Lizzy smiled properly now and
left the room to go and see William. 

**

Darcy never got to sleep again. As soon as Lizzy had left the room 
he became wide awake. She had given him a lot to think about just by 
being there. His mind was going to be engaged for quite some time 
and he really was tired. He looked around the room and spotted the 
book Lizzy had been reading when he awoke earlier that day. He could 
just about reach it from the confines of his bed and took it in his 
hands. He opened the front dust cover and saw Elizabeth's
perfectly formed handwriting inside. 

"Elizabeth Bennet 21st February 1810" Her eighteenth birthday. 

It was a beautiful book of sonnets. He thought that a little 
strange, considering Lizzy was of the opinion that poetry starved 
love. He opened the book to the page marked by her exquisitely 
embroidered bookmark. It was turned to sonnet 116.

"When in the chronicle of wasted time 
I see descriptions of the fairest wights, 
And beauty making beautiful old rime, 
In praise of ladies dead and lovely knights, 
Then, in the blazon of sweet beauty's best, 
Of hand, of foot, of lip, of eye, of brow, 
I see their antique pen would have express'd 
Even such a beauty as you master now. 
So all their praises are but prophecies 
Of this our time, all you prefiguring;
And, for they look'd but with divining eyes, 
They had not skill enough your worth to sing:
For we, which now behold these present days, 
Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise."

He read the words silently to himself, the meaning hitting him full 
on. Such a hypocrite she was, thinking that poetry starved love when 
she read about the perfect definition of love. He would teach her a 
lesson. He flicked the pages of the book back to sonnet 17, his 
personal favourite.

When she walked back into the room about an hour later he was still 
reading her book. She walked over to the bed to see what he was 
reading and then realised that it was hers. "Damn, caught out," she 
thought to herself. They each knew what the other was thinking and 
so he looked up at her and attempted a smile. It was getting easier 
to do but each time it almost turned into a grimace of pain. The 
gash on his forehead made even the most basic of facial expressions 
painful.

"This is a very fine book, Miss Bennet. It looks quite well read 
from my vantage point. There was me thinking you didn't much like 
poetry, especially of the love variety." He grinned slightly at
her cornered form.

"I do appreciate poetry. The writing of Shakespeare has always 
captured my imagination and his sonnets are quite superb." She sat 
beside the bed in a chair and looked at him questioningly. "What do 
you find amusing, sir?" She shot him an arch look and he very nearly 
lost his countenance. 

"Nothing in particular. Listen to this.

Who will believe my verse in time to come, 
If it were fill'd with your most high deserts? 
Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb 
Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes 
And in fresh numbers number all your graces, 
The age to come would say, 'This poet lies;
Such heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces.'
So should my papers, yellow'd with their age, 
Be scorn'd, like old men of less truth than tongue, 
And your true rights be term'd a poet's rage 
And stretched metre of an antique song: 
But were some child of yours alive that time, 
You should live twice,—in it and in my rime."

"That was very beautiful. You read very well, I always imagined you 
would. Why did you choose to read seventeen?"

"Because it could almost be about you. I read this for the first 
time when I was about fifteen and I wanted to meet somebody who 
could inspire such a poem to be written. Then, at the grand old age 
of eight and twenty, I met you. At heart I have always been a 
hopeless romantic, I fear. I think the future Mrs Darcy will have to 
learn to put up with that. Do you know anyone who will be able to do 
that, Elizabeth?" He looked at her, his eyes begging her to say
the words he most wanted to hear pass from her lips.

"I…" She was cut off with the announcement of somebody at the door. 
Looking at Darcy longingly, she called for them to enter. If she was 
expecting anybody, it was most certainly not Caroline Bingley. 

She was wearing that god awful orange dress as usual. It would not 
have suited anyone, let alone a woman over six foot tall. The 
feather plumes she had attached to the oversized head dress didn't 
help to maintain a serious composure. Lizzy and Darcy just shared a 
look of surprise and dismay. She walked straight to the foot of 
Darcy's bed and looked down upon him.

"Mr Darcy, I hope you are feeling well?" It was obvious to anybody 
that no, Darcy wasn't in the best of health but to Caroline, he was 
well enough to listen to what she had to say. He wished he wasn't.

"I am slightly better, it can be said. What a pleasant surprise to 
see you, Miss Bingley. Is your brother with you?"

"No. What I have to say only involves you, sir, my brother has 
nothing to do with it." She walked towards the window and looked out 
for a few moments, leaving Lizzy and Darcy to guess what on Earth 
she was on about. She turned back to face them both and took a seat 
where she could have the condescending upper hand.

"I have something to tell you, sir. I thought it wise of me to 
inform members of your family of your current condition."

"What? Who did you tell?" He knew the answer before he asked
the question. This was going to be bad news.

"Your cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam and…your aunt Lady Catherine
de Bourgh were informed."

Darcy was livid. She could read it in his face. His jaw was set in 
grim lines and his eyes were stone cold. Miss Bingley almost fled 
the room in terror. She had heard of his temper but this…this made 
her blood run colder than before.

"I gave strict orders for only my sister to be informed." His voice 
was emotionless as he spoke. Lizzy knew the wrath that Miss Bingley 
would face. She herself had heard this tone of voice before at 
Hunsford. 

"I am aware of that, sir, but your aunt has a right to know. After 
all, you were very ill only yesterday. I am sure she would want you 
to receive the correct treatment." She didn't know where her courage 
poured from. She couldn't move yet she kept digging herself
deeper.

"I am receiving the treatment required here without the aid of my 
aunt. What else would you like to do for me, Miss Bingley? You 
obviously know what is best for me without asking. Never do anything 
for me again. Do you know the trouble you have just caused? This 
could be the last mistake you ever make. Do you understand me?" His 
voice began to escalate as he unleashed the fury contained within 
him.

"I think you should go, Miss Bingley, so that we may sort out this 
mess you have caused." Lizzy was almost as mad as Darcy. She had to 
get her out of here quickly as Darcy was seriously losing colour.

"I shall leave dire…" She stopped mid sentence as she watched 
Darcy's face become enveloped in a wave of pain.

"Get her out." His voice was rough as the pain in his forehead 
pulsed once again. Miss Bingley just stood transfixed. What had she 
done? First she had called his aunt and now she had caused
this…this…what was it?

Green spots began to float in his field of vision. The sound of 
Lizzy's voice started to fade, everything seemed so far away. The 
pain in his head pulsated wildly against his skull. This was far 
more painful than when he first hit it. This was damn near 
unbearable. All he could see was Lizzy talking to him, Jane appeared 
by her side. And then they were gone. Blackness surrounded him once 
again as he slumped back onto the pillows. He could feel nothing, 
the pain had disappeared. The last coherent thought in his misfiring 
brain was asking what was happening to him. Then nothingness 
encompassed him, and he knew no more. He succumbed willingly to the 
darkness as it led him to a temporary peace. At least he wouldn't 
have to deal with Lady Catherine for a while longer.

**



Chapter 5


The journey to Hertfordshire seemed to be the longest she had ever taken. The worry Georgiana Darcy was going through was almost too much to bear as she sat and stared out of the carriage window. The hill and trees just seemed to blur into one and the same. The scenery of the trip really didn’t matter to her. Her mind was occupied with different feelings.

He had been going back to ask Miss Elizabeth Bennet for her hand. She wondered if he would be as he was now if he hadn’t. So much had changed in the past few days. These injuries would make his decision fall one of two ways and she knew he would make the right one. He had always made the right choice. All his life he had made very few mistakes, none that she knew of anyhow.

The road was drying but still made the journey slightly bumpy. She knew that she had to be close to the house where her brother’s best friend lived. Netherfield was not as pretty as Pemberley, she had been told, but was a noble house all the same. She just wanted to get there to see her brother. It was becoming dark and she had no idea how much longer they were to take. She might have to wait until the morrow to check on how her beloved brother was. 

The coach ambled along until it turned off the road to enter a private road, a sign at the end saying ‘Netherfield’. She had arrived finally, not much longer to be cooped up inside the carriage. As it came to a halt outside the house, Charles Bingley appeared at the door ready to welcome her in. The footman jumped down from the back of the coach and six to open the door for Miss Darcy. She descended the steps and was eagerly pounced upon by Mr Bingley, offering his condolences on her brother’s accident. 

“There is no need to worry yourself too much though, he is in very capable hands, I assure you. Darcy is a strong man and will be able to get through all of this without too much bother, I hope.”

Bingley rambled on ceaselessly until they reached the door to the sitting room. Georgiana decided she’d had enough and asked her question at the first pause for breath.

“What exactly are his injuries, Mr Bingley, and how did he obtain them? You were very sketchy in your missive.” She sat on one of the sofas attempting to look as calm and collected as she sounded.

“Yes, I apologise about the briefness of my letter. I was considerably more worried about Darcy then than I am now. He has broken his leg quite badly, I fear. He also hit his head but Dr Grant says it should be no more than just a scar when he is fully healed. Miss Bennet has been quite attentive to the instructions given. He should be on the long road to a successful recovery.” Charles Bingley was always the optimist, nothing ever got him down. Apart from the whole Jane Bennet incident he had been happy all his life. His best friend was seriously ill and yet he was perfectly cheerful. This got on Georgiana’s nerves somewhat.

“A long road to recovery? Why will it take so long? A broken leg isn’t that much of a problem, is it? And what kind of scar will it leave? I think I should go and see him, make sure that he will be alright by myself.” She rose from the sofa and started towards the door, Bingley close on her heals.

“Miss Darcy, I think we should wait until I hear word from the Bennets. They have been so kind as to take Darcy in while he is ill. He only just managed to get to Longbourn, their family home, before he collapsed.”

“I just want to make sure…” She was cut off by a blur of orange appearing before her. 

Caroline Bingley had just gotten back from Longbourn. Tears were streaming uncontrollably down her face; her rouge was now streaked from the salt water pouring from her eyes. She turned and looked towards her brother and his guest. Not registering who he was with, she carried on regardless. It was only when Charles called for her to stop that she turned and looked closely. Standing there next to him was the sister of the man she had killed. Or so she thought.

“Caroline, what on earth is the matter? Why are you so upset?” He was genuinely concerned for her health. He had never seen her so upset since she was a small girl.

“Oh Charles, I have done something terrible. I have just been to Longbourn to see Mr Darcy. I know we were told not to visit but I felt I should. I wish I had listened to Dr Grant’s advice. I fear I have…I have… Oh, I can’t go on.” She stopped as more tears wracked her body. She looked at Georgiana and whispered, “I’m so sorry” before running off to her rooms to pack her belongings.

Bingley ran after her and stopped to look at her in the doorway to her chambers. She was furiously throwing things into a trunk; she was evidently in a rush to get as far away from there as possible.

“What has happened, Caroline? What have you done? Tell me at once.” He was worried now; what had she done to his best friend?

 “I wrote to his aunt, such a spiteful thing to do. I went to tell him and his county nothing about what I had done, to boast in their faces at ruining their possible happiness. Oh Charles, he got so angry that he… he passed out. I think I might have helped kill him. Oh God, what have I done?” She began to mutter to herself whilst throwing gowns across the room. 

“Please, stop it for a minute, Caroline, he will surely be well. I do believe he shall be fine but what did you think you were doing by writing to his aunt? Do you realise the mess you have just caused? Stop packing and let us see how we can rectify this dreadful situation.” She looked at him for a short moment and resumed packing. She would not be moved from her present goal - removing herself from Hertfordshire.

As Bingley walked back to the stairs he was met by a very worried looking Georgiana. He got his hat and great coat and ordered a carriage to be readied immediately. They would have to get to Longbourn soon to see if they could repair some of damage caused.


**


What had she done? Coming in here and acting as if she owned the estate, talking to them as if they meant nothing and spreading malicious news all over the room. She realised her mistake when Darcy passed out, though. The look that spread across her face was a picture. Lizzy knew that Darcy would survive; he had been very weak as it was. The pain in his head just overtook him as the darkness blocked out the sunlight pouring through the windows. 

The doctor had arrived shortly after Caroline Bingley had fled the room in a fit of guilty tears. He had been close by, luckily, when the stable boy had found him, telling him it was urgent. When Dr Grant arrived he looked at Darcy quickly and, seeing the worried expression on Lizzy’s countenance, he told her straight away that there was nothing to worry about.

“The headache must have caused him to pass out. Nothing else. Obviously Miss Bingley caused such distress to him that he couldn’t take it in his weakened state. He will be fine in a few hours. I doubt this will have any adverse affect on his health.” The look on Lizzy’s face softened as she took in the new information. 

“That is good news, Dr Grant. Yes, Miss Bingley’s news was quite distressing but should not put undue strain on him in the foreseeable future.” She looked at Darcy a lot, he noticed, concern visible around her eyes. He knew something worse was about to happen.

“I am glad to hear that, Miss Elizabeth, I shall leave him to rest now. He will be recovered in no time.” He bowed in front of Lizzy and left the room. She took up her usual place at the side of his bed holding Darcy’s hand tightly in hers, hoping that this was not going to be a regular occurrence. 

Jane popped her head around the door to see if Mr Darcy was going to be alright and also hoping for an explanation. Walking further into the room when Lizzy did not notice her, she looked at Darcy and saw he was once again out cold. She couldn’t help but think this had something to do with her soon to be sister in-law.

 “Lizzy…Lizzy? What has happened?” She sat in the chair across the other side of the bed from her sister. Looking straight into her face, she could see the anxiety etched into her features. 

“Caroline Bingley paid us a visit. That spiteful woman has made him ill once again. How is he ever to get better when so much goes wrong?” Tears began to trickle down her face as she looked at Darcy’s unconscious form.

“What did she say, Lizzy? What is wrong with Mr Darcy?” The worry had spread to Jane’s countenance now. Something terrible had happened.

“She has written to his Aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She hopes that she will come and take him away to London. Miss Bingley hates us that much that she has done such a malicious thing. I know his aunt will come and he shall have to go with her. He is in no fit state to see his aunt…he passed out when he got mad at Miss Bingley. What am I to do, Jane? I cannot let the man I love disappear forever. So much has happened to keep us apart. We seem fated to be separated at every turn.” Lizzy began to sob as Jane walked round the bed and hugged her sister.

“He shan’t be moved, Lizzy. I just saw Dr Grant when he was leaving. He said that under no circumstances is he to be moved. She cannot take him without risking his life. She will see he is too weak to even stay awake for a few minutes. Surely she will be able to see sense? I have not met her but surely, Lizzy, she cannot be all that bad.”

“Oh Jane, you have no idea. She is fiercely protective of him as she wants him to marry her daughter. She will do anything at all to take him away from me, risking his life or not.”

Lizzy stood and walked over to the window. The day was beautiful again. The birds were singing even though the leaves on the trees had begun to brown and decay. The sun shone hot through the windows and she could feel the powerful rays caress her face. She could imagine herself standing in the grounds at Pemberley with William next to her, holding each other, just soaking up the sun. That would be perfect. The image had altered to include the fine scar above his left eye and a slight limp but was still perfection itself. This would never happen, though. Caroline Bingley had seen to that herself. 

“At least you and Papa will get you own way. You want Mr Darcy to leave, my word, what a scandal would be caused if he remained. If he should become worse due to his removal what will you do then?” She turned to Jane, anger flaring in her eyes. Her own family was also against her.

“You know that is not true, Lizzy. I am sure Papa will not let him leave now that this has happened. Papa wants you to be happy Lizzy, nothing else.”

“And making me happy involves endangering William’s life, does it?” 

“Lizzy, listen, you must talk to Papa, he will understand. I am sure…” Jane was interrupted by the sound of a carriage pulling up outside. She immediately recognised the livery; it was Charles.

Lizzy went to sit next to Darcy once again, refusing to leave his side until he awoke. Jane ran down the stairs to see her fiancé. He was not alone, however.


**


As Jane entered the sitting room to see to the newly arrived guests, she noticed a young woman she had never met before. She seemed strangely familiar in the way she stood near to the window just staring out into nothing. Charles walked over to Jane and kissed the back of her hand lovingly. He looked worried and she could guess why.

“Miss Bennet, I have just rushed over from Netherfield. I hear something has happened.” Jane looked towards the young woman at the window. She had turned and was looking at Jane with a similar expression to the one Charles was wearing.

“Excuse me, Jane, this is Miss Georgiana Darcy. Miss Darcy, this is Miss Jane Bennet.” They curtsied to each other and Jane asked them to sit. Luckily Mrs Bennet was in her room and the younger Bennet girls had walked into Meryton. Miss Darcy was safe from the rest of the family for the moment. 

Jane noticed that she didn’t look a lot like her brother. She was as fair as her brother was dark, her eyes blue where his were brown. She had a very womanly figure for her age and would be very beautiful if her face didn’t hold the look of worry it carried at the moment.

“Miss Darcy, welcome to Longbourn. I assume Mr Bingley has told you most of what he knows concerning your brother?”

The girl was very quiet and shy, much like Mr Darcy in that respect. Jane had never thought him proud, just reserved around people he did not know. An easy mistake to make and her sisters had all made that same assumption. At least Lizzy had been able to see through it. Jane knew quite a lot about Miss Darcy after Lizzy had spoken of her when visiting in Derbyshire. This was not the creature she had expected, though.

“Miss Bennet, Mr Bingley has told me a little of what has happened but not everything. Is he well now? Miss Bingley looked very worried when she came back from here.” Her voice was barely a whisper and her eyes were glued to the floor. 

“Miss Darcy, I think it would be best for you to hear everything from my sister, Elizabeth. She has been taking care of him ever since he arrived and knows all there is to know about his injuries. I shall take you to her.” Jane stood as did Miss Darcy.

Georgiana knew Elizabeth quite well and seemed to get on whilst they were in Derbyshire. She knew that Elizabeth would take good care of her brother while he was ill but knew that something was wrong about the whole situation. As Georgiana let herself be led to the room where her brother lay, a rising worry began to settle. She had no idea what to expect. What would he look like? Was he very ill or just weak from the fall? No amount of preparation could make her feel any less ill when she walked into the room.

As the door opened and she slowly walked in, turning to the bed in the room, she let out a shriek. There he was, pale and sickly looking. His chest was barely moving as he breathed gently in and out. She couldn’t see the cut on his head, or the heavy bruising on his leg where the bone had damaged the muscles. She could see Lizzy holding his hand and staring at him. 

“Miss Bennet?” She could barely speak, so in shock was she. Even though she was hardly audible, Lizzy looked round to see her in the doorway. Lizzy stood and walked over to Georgiana.

“Miss Darcy, please sit down, you look as if you’re about to faint. I couldn’t deal with both Darcys collapsed in my house, now, could I?” She smiled reassuringly at Georgiana as she led her to the chair at the side of the bed. Lizzy poured her a glass of water as she stared at her brother, shock etched in her face.

“I know he doesn’t look too good now, but when he is awake he looks just like he always did. I fear he smiles a lot more now, though.” Handing the glass of water to Georgiana, she took her seat at the other side of the bed and continued to hold his hand. This seemed odd to Georgiana, how Lizzy just ignored all rules of propriety and cared for William like they were already married.

“He looks so weak. What are his injuries, Miss Bennet? Please, tell me everything.” Her eyes pleaded with Lizzy and so she agreed to the request.

“Very well. Mr Darcy came off his horse, Titan, whilst riding up to Netherfield. He must have landed heavily on his leg as it is badly broken. The fractured bone has also severely damaged the muscles around it. This could mean a struggle when trying to walk again.” Lizzy swallowed hard at the thought of him never walking or riding again. “He also hit his head and has a large cut above his eye.” Lizzy traced her fingers along the length of the deep wound to show Miss Darcy.

“He has been quite ill as well, has he not, Miss Bennet?” Panic was starting to rise in Georgiana’s voice.

“Yes, he has. ’Tis nothing to worry about now. He shall be well…”

“I need to know what happened.”

“Alright. On the first night he developed a high fever that so very quickly raged through him. It just got worse and worse as the night wore on. Nothing could cool him and it refused to break. He…he stopped breathing for a few minutes, there was nothing. He died for a few short moments and then he came back. The fever broke, thankfully. I have never been so worried in my life as I was that short time. I stayed with him all night and all day. Then he woke up that afternoon. He sleeps a lot now. That was until today when Miss Bingley arrived and gave him some bad news. He passed out once again.”

Georgiana released an audible gasp at the sound of Miss Bingley making her brother ill once again. She looked at Lizzy who was once again looking at Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet was in love with her brother. She could see it in her eyes while she looked at him. The worry in her voice as she told her about that night…how she must have felt.

“Elizabeth…may I call you that?” Lizzy looked towards her, smiling, and nodded. “You may call me Georgiana, then. I have no idea what it must have been like that night. You care about my brother a lot, do you not?”

“I do, that night was dreadful. I was so happy when he awoke the next day. Today when he fell unconscious again, I had no idea what to do. I just hope he awakens soon. He would love to see you as you would him, no doubt.”

At that moment, he gripped Lizzy’s hand in his own gently. Lizzy knew he must be regaining consciousness and so squeezed back. She looked to Georgiana who also knew he must be wakening. His eyes fluttered open and he let out a slight groan as the sunlight pierced the darkness. He tried to focus when he felt a hand rest on his forehead. 

“Lizzy,” he croaked out. His throat was rough and it was hard to talk.

“I’m here. I shall get you some water.” He just nodded gently and closed his eyes once again. “Here, drink this.” He raised his head and drank the icy liquid, its coolness soothing the burning sensations down his neck. 

He opened his eyes once again, this time trying to focus on one object alone, his Lizzy. Slowly, the fuzziness abated and he could see her smiling at him, her fine eyes staring into his. He smiled back weakly.

“William, are you alright?” Georgiana spoke softly and took his other hand in hers. 

As soon as he heard his little sister’s voice he turned to look at her. Once again, his vision cleared to show her smiling at him, tears streaming down her face.

“Georgie! Don’t cry. I’m back.” He could barely whisper as she wrapped her arms about his neck and hugged him tight. His strength had once again diminished. All he could do was hold her limply with one arm, his other hand still clutching Lizzy’s.

Georgiana released him once again and sat down. Darcy had an expression of sheer happiness on his face as he looked at the two women he loved most in the world. He began to feel drowsy as his sister told him how happy she was he would be well again. Looking towards Lizzy he mouthed the words ‘I love you’. She smiled and, seeing he was tired, decided to talk Georgiana into leaving him to rest for a while.

“I shall be back tomorrow, William, I am staying at Netherfield so you shall not get out of seeing me.” He smiled at her teasing as she walked from the room.

“I look forward to it, dear sister.” And with the close of the door, he fell fast asleep.


**


Darcy slept the rest of the night and most of the next day. When he did awaken for a few minutes, Lizzy encouraged him to eat a little in order for him to regain his strength. None of it seemed to be coming back, though. Every time he woke up he was still so weak. The pain in his head seemed to be abating slightly, thankfully. His lack of improvement was a constant worry to Lizzy and she found herself staring at him rather than reading her book when he was asleep. She hoped more than anything that he would get better soon.


**


“Will you please stop packing and listen to me for a minute, Caroline?” Louisa Hurst had taken about as much of her sister as she could manage. She had been inconsolable ever since she had returned from Longbourn the previous day. She had been packing furiously and kept muttering to herself about having gone somewhere and what had she done. Louisa was becoming quite unnerved.

“Caroline, STOP!” She grabbed her sister by the arms and shouted in her face. Caroline stopped dead in her tracks and looked at her sister.

“What have you done? Why are you packing? Charles said that you had been to Longbourn to see Darcy and that something happened, now tell me what it is.” Louisa sat Caroline down on the bed and put her arm around her shoulder. This would be painful.

“I went to see Darcy yesterday to tell him about something I did. It was so horrible and spiteful of me, Louisa, I never thought I would get this bad. I wrote to his Aunt Catherine about him being taken care of by that wanton hussy. He was so cross, I have never seen so much anger before in my life. I could have sworn he would have half killed me if he was not quite so ill. He was telling me to go when he just passed out right in front of my eyes. I thought he had died, I have almost killed him. What have I done?” The tears that had been welling in her eyes spilled over and ran down her cheeks. She didn’t think she had any tears left but they just kept coming. 

Louisa hugged her close and made soothing noises. Charles and Georgiana hadn’t seemed too worried when they got back the night previous; in fact, Georgiana had seemed quite happy.

“It can’t be as bad as all this, Caroline, Darcy must be healthy for Georgiana and Charles looked so happy last night. Surely they would have told us if something bad had happened? Darcy will be alright so why are you packing still?” Louisa knew the answer even before her sister had opened her mouth.

“Because he hates me, I have done something so bad. What will happen when his Aunt arrives and takes him away with her? He will curse my very name for ruining his happiness. I saw the way they looked at each other. They are in love and I only saw this after I ruined their chances. I cannot bear to be near them when that happens.” With that, she jumped off the bed and resumed her packing. Louisa could only sit there and watch helplessly. 

“I shall leave as well then, you have nowhere to go. I shall send an express and have the townhouse readied. We shall all go to London for the season early.” Louisa walked from the room and went to find her husband. There was packing to be done and arrangements to be made.


**


Darcy was asleep again as usual. Elizabeth had just managed to get him to eat something and to drink some water but he was still so very ill. Nothing seemed to be working. The sleeping he was doing seemed to be sapping his strength somehow and she couldn’t keep him awake for very long. Her only hope would be for Georgiana to come and keep him from sleep a while longer. That would be what would happen when she arrived. It wouldn’t be very long so she decided to wait in her father’s study. He was away at the farm for the morning, leaving the room all to herself. Taking her favourite Shakespeare play, Troilus and Cressida, she sat in her chair by the window and read for a while. 

Pandarus. Ay, to the leavening; but here's yet in 
the word 'hereafter' the kneading, the making 
of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the 
baking; nay, you must stay the cooling too, or 
you may chance to burn your lips. 
Troilus. Patience herself, what goddess e'er she
be,
Doth lesser blench at sufferance than I do. 
At Priam's royal table do I sit;
And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts,— 
So, traitor! 'when she comes'!—When is she 
thence? 
Pandarus. Well, she looked yesternight fairer than 
ever I saw her look, or any woman else.
Troilus. I was about to tell thee: when my heart, 
As wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain, 37 
Lest Hector or my father should perceive me, 
I have—as when the sun doth light a storm— 
Buried this sigh in wrinkle of a smile; 
But sorrow, that is couch'd in seeming glad- 
ness, 
Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness.

She could hear the sound of a carriage pulling up outside the house and so placed her book on the small table to the side of the chair. She walked from the room to greet her guests. The entrance hall saw the welcoming of Mr Bingley and Miss Darcy once again. Lizzy tried to smile reassuringly to Miss Darcy. Her worries about his lack of strength she would keep to herself for the time being. Bingley saw straight through it but said nothing; he would question Jane about it later.

“Georgiana and Mr Bingley. How glad I am to see you.”

“As I you, Elizabeth. How is my brother? May I see him right away?” The look of concern and worry on Miss Darcy’s face was mixed with eager anticipation to see her beloved brother again. How could Lizzy have said no?

“Yes you may, he is sleeping, though, and it may be a while before he awakens. Be patient with him, he is still quite weak.” She smiled at Georgiana as she walked up the stairs to his room. 

As they opened the door, Georgiana, followed by Lizzy and Bingley, entered the darkened room. Elizabeth opened the curtains slightly so that some light could run free around the room. All three looked towards Darcy. He was as Lizzy had said, still asleep; the black around his eyes and the pallor of his complexion had not improved at all. Bingley knew at that point, he would not need to question Jane over Lizzy’s worry. He had seen it for himself.

Georgiana walked over to the bed and took her brother’s hand in hers. He was cold; all his remaining energy had been put into the repair of his broken body. As the tears crept down her face, one landed on the back of his hand. It was with this, the smallest of sensations, that he opened his eyes and looked around the room. There was none of the disorientation there anymore, he knew exactly where he was and it made him smile. He knew Lizzy would be here and he was safe from everything. Looking towards his sister who was sobbing gently, he put his free hand on her shoulder, making her look towards him.

“Oh William, when will you be well again? I have never seen you look so ill.” He felt the pain his sister was going through. He remembered how he felt when he saw his own mother lying there, as white as a sheet. There was no happy ending there but his sister would definitely find one here, of that he was glad.

“I will be well again, don’t you worry. It won’t be long before you see me riding off on Titan at Pemberley without a care in the world.” She smiled at this.

“You will always have something on your mind, you always did have.” It was his turn to smile. He looked about the room and saw Lizzy standing by the window, looking at him with concern*. He held out his hand to her and without hesitation she walked over and took it. He kissed the back of her hand and squeezed it gently.

“I shall leave you two alone for a while. My father has returned, I think. I have something I would wish to talk with him about. I shall be back presently though.” She smiled at him and he smiled back, conveying his thanks for letting him and Georgiana have a chance to talk.

As Lizzy and a relived Bingley left the room, Darcy sat up slowly and turned towards his sister. She had stopped crying now but was still clutching his hand for dear life.

“I want to know what happened, William, I want to know how all this occurred, I need to know.” She surprised herself with the forcefulness of her words. She had never felt this strongly about anything in her life before.

“After breakfast that morning, I tried riding up here to see Bingley and to see Elizabeth. I told you that morning what my intentions were and I intended to carry them out to the letter. I had just ridden into Hertfordshire when the sun disappeared and the clouds intervened. I should have stopped but all I could think about was getting here to see Lizzy. The rain poured and the ground beneath me turned to mud. Titan lost his footing down an embankment and threw me to a slightly safer option than being crushed beneath him. I can remember my leg hitting the ground and feeling it collapse from beneath me; I hit the ground harder because of that and so hit my head on a rock, I suppose.

“When I woke up, the sun was shining down on me. I didn’t remember my injuries and tried to stand up. Of course, my leg collapsed again and I can still feel the searing pain running up it. I noticed that my head was bleeding and then what happened? It rained again. I managed to get back atop Titan and he brought me here. That’s about all I can remember. I have the image of Elizabeth looking at and then I passed out. That’s it. Not very imaginative or exiting. I thought it would be more than just falling off my horse that would reduce me to bed rest.” He smiled as he remembered his cousin Richard laughing at him the first time he fell off his horse. He had vowed it would never happen again. 

“You make it sound as if it were nothing. How can you be so blasé about this? As soon as I heard all I could think of was the argument we had that morning. I thought those would be my last words to you, ones of unhappiness. How do you think I felt?” The tears began to cascade down her face once again. He pulled her up from the chair to sit on her bed and hugged her to him. This was the strongest he had felt in days and she needed it.

“I’m sorry that I argued with you. I know you were right in choosing Elizabeth. She is so wonderful and she cares about you so much, I can see it in her eyes. Please forgive me.” Sobs coursed through her body. He rubbed her back reassuringly and murmured words of endearment in her ear.

“It’s alright, we’ll be fine. I’ll get better and everything will be good again, I promise.”

“But it won’t be the same, you’ll get married and it will all change. My last memories of what it used to be like will be ones of fighting.”

“It will be better when I marry Elizabeth. She will bring laughter back to Pemberley and make it the home we grew up with…”

“It’s the home you grew up with, not me. I never knew our mother. I never heard her laugh or cry. You want to make it like you knew but my childhood was so different, William. I like Elizabeth. She will make you so happy and make Pemberley what it was like for you. I shall never be a part of that.” She had pulled away to look at him. Tears welled in his eyes as he took in all she said. Nothing ever went the way it was meant to.

Georgiana turned and walked away to the window, staring at the sun as it slowly descended in the sky. She hadn’t meant to argue again, to tell him everything that she felt, but she had. It was all done, she couldn’t live with him whilst Elizabeth was there; it was his choice now. She saw a carriage pull into the long drive to Longbourn. Something seemed familiar in the coloured livery of the coachman, though she couldn’t think what at the moment. As it drew nearer though, her worst fears and best hopes appeared at the same time. As she saw the guest enter the house she smiled hopefully and turned towards her brother. The shouting downstairs carried up to his ears. Bad news always came in pairs.


**


Lizzy ran down the stairs to her father’s study when she left William to his sister’s care. Bingley followed her but went straight into the drawing room to be with his beloved Jane. She felt so happy for them, in her mind hoping that she would soon find her own happiness with Fitzwilliam Darcy. She had to talk to her father about him being moved. If what Jane had told her was true, then he would be forced to stay much longer which filled her heart with joy. Nothing would be worse that having him removed to Netherfield, or worse, London. 

As she appeared in front of the door to his study, she knocked quietly. When he called for her to enter, she was met with her father’s smiling face. He motioned for her to take her favourite leather seat by the window and then joined her. He smiled at her. He knew exactly why she was here. Dr Grant had spoken to him the previous evening.

“Lizzy, you seem happy. I take it there is an improvement in your Mr Darcy?” He raised an eyebrow at her and then saw her worried countenance surface once again.

“I’m afraid very little, if one at all. It will be a long time before he is strong enough to be removed from Longbourn. I was wondering if you would…”

“…Change my mind about sending him to Netherfield. Yes, I was beginning to wonder myself when you would come to ask. The answer is yes, he may stay if it is in the best interests of his health. I would hate to endanger someone you care about so much. Tell me what happened last night, I saw Miss Bingley leave in a hurry yesterday afternoon.”

“She has written to his aunt, our humble cousin’s noble patroness. When she finds out that he is here under my care, she will have him removed. He is not strong enough to cope with her. I do not know what I shall do. He passed out when he became angry at Miss Bingley’s spiteful trick. Imagine what a confrontation with Lady Catherine would do to him.” She looked expectantly at her father. He was deep in thought.

“She will not be allowed to see him, I am sure you can make sure of that. You are a strong girl, Elizabeth, and fiercely protective of your Mr Darcy. I am sure you will be able to dissuade her from seeing him. If not, I shall have her publicly escorted from this estate. While he is under my roof, he is under my care. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t see it that way before. I am sorry for my suggestion yesterday, Lizzy, please forgive me for being so foolish.”

“How could I not forgive you? You and Jane were thinking about Mr Darcy and myself. A scandal on top of Lydia’s mistakes could ruin him. Your thoughts were justified, I see that now.” She smiled at her father and took his hand. He smiled back.

“I think that you two will be very happy, Elizabeth, so perfect for each other. I did have my reservations about him but not anymore. I wish you both all the happiness in the world.” She laughed at this.

“That is if we ever…” A carriage pulled up outside the house interrupting her well timed observation. Standing to look at the livery, she recognised it at once; Lady Catherine de Bourgh had arrived full force. Mr Bennet squeezed Lizzy’s hand in reassurance.

“Be strong, Lizzy, stand up to her for your Mr Darcy’s sake.” She smiled weakly and walked from the room to greet Darcy’s aunt.

And there she was, standing in the small hallway to Longbourn, the opposition. The extra height given by the dead pheasant on her bonnet made her seem intimidating; Lizzy knew better than that. Pleasantness was the key.

“Lady Catherine, how nice of you to pay a visit while your nephew…”

“How dare you speak to me you insolent girl? How dare you even mention my nephew you uncaring, selfish gal? What are you doing to him? If he is ill, he needs the proper care, not some foolish country upstart with no familial connections or status in life. Where is he? I must see him at once to take him away from such a place.” Lady Catherine all but shouted at Elizabeth, but still, she stood her ground.

“I am afraid you cannot be allowed to see him. He is under strict orders to be allowed to rest and not to be overexerted. He must not be removed from the house, either.” Elizabeth set her jaw and folded her arms. She would never allow Lady Catherine to get past.

“You foolish girl, you think you can stop me from seeing my own blood? I think not, out of my way, you little chit.” Lady Catherine made a move towards Elizabeth but she still stood her ground, effectively blocking the stairway.

“You shall not see him, I forbid it. He is under my care now, I am thinking of his well-being. That has nothing to do with you at present.” Elizabeth could feel her anger rising as Lady Catherine continued in her attempts to intimidate her.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” With one last attempt, Lady Catherine barged straight into Elizabeth and knocked her off balance. Throwing her to one side, Lady Catherine climbed the stairs. Elizabeth jumped up and followed her. Elizabeth knew that his aunt has no idea where Darcy was and she would refuse to say anything. She did not have to.

Georgiana stepped out of the room, alerting her aunt to where her brother was. Elizabeth could hear him calling her back but it was too late. Lady Catherine stormed into the room and stared at her nephew. He had become deathly pale by the time Lizzy had entered the room and she rushed straight to his side. Nothing could prepare them for what was about to happen.

“There you are, nephew. You shall be removed from this house straight away. I shall have you taken to London where you shall receive proper treatment and you shall never return here again. Georgiana, gather his things together.”

“You have NO control over me at all. I demand to know why you have wrongly assumed that you have.” Darcy was getting furious, Lizzy began to worry. Things could turn horribly wrong here.

“I have control over you as your nearest living relative and whilst you are ill, you shall take heed of everything I say…”

“I shall not. I will not be removed from here to London and I shall remain in Hertfordshire for as long as I wish.” She moved closer to him and looked into his eyes, the determination she saw there startled her.

“You would wish to stay here with your country WHORE? Then so be it.” Darcy was incensed. How dare she talk to him like that?

“She is not a whore. She is better than you will ever be, and your daughter. You think Anne would honestly make a suitable mistress for Pemberley? Ha, what a laugh.” He had hit a nerve.

“At least by marrying her you wouldn’t have ruined your sister’s chances of marrying well. She will be ruined by your mistakes. You will be cast out from the family, left to stand by yourself. Your name will cease to be mentioned by anyone. You have made a mess of your own life but I refuse to see you harm your sister. She will be taken away from you. Unless you forfeit this stupidity with that Bennet girl, you shall never see Georgiana again.”

“NO! You CAN’T take her away from me!” He tried to move towards his sister but she moved and he almost fell. 

“Georgiana?” His voice trembled as he already knew the answer. Uncertainty settled in.

“I want to go. I am sorry, Fitzwilliam.” She walked from the room without looking behind her once. Now he would choose and Pemberley would be the way she liked it once again; just her and William, nobody else.

“Now you see, nephew, she has made up her mind. You have only yourself to blame.” Lady Catherine followed Georgiana out of the door leaving Darcy staring after them in shock. This wasn’t meant to happen. 

He began to tremble all over, his breathing became deep, and his eyes became as cold as stone. Lizzy walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He jerked it away, breaking the contact. How could he let her touch him after all that had happened?

“William?” Her voice was weak as the tears began to well in her eyes. He just looked towards her, nothing.

“What have I done?”

**



Chapter 6

**

The only illumination was the trickle of light from a small gap in 
the drapes. The rays ran across the room, up the bed and across 
Darcy's face. His eyes were open and he was staring at the sunlight 
along the floor. He had not noticed that he was no longer alone. He 
had been quite worried as Lizzy had not been there when he woke up; 
she had always been there. As she walked towards him, he heard her 
and looked up at her slowly. A small, ironic smile appeared on his 
lips as she said hello with her eyes.

"It was light like this that woke me up the morning of the accident. 
The day seemed so full of hope. I knew that I would see you and tell 
you how much I loved you. Nothing ever goes according to plan, does 
it?" His smile was brief as he looked away to once again stare out 
of the window. The light cast an eerie glow over his features and 
bounced off the healing gash above his brow. His expression was 
sombre as he thought back to the day he set off to Longbourn in 
search of the woman he loved.

As he looked towards the sunlight traversing the wooden floorboards 
of the room, he could feel her looking at him expectantly. He knew 
he had been hurting her every minute of the day since Georgiana left 
willingly with his Aunt Catherine three days ago. That very fact 
chilled him to the bone; he had never meant to hurt her in anyway 
possible. When he set out from his London townhouse that morning, 
his mission had been quite the opposite. As she sat in the chair 
beside the bed and took out her book as she usually did these days, 
he decided to tell her everything he felt.

"I have never quite felt so helpless before, Elizabeth. I can't do 
anything and yet everything is going so tragically wrong. I could 
never have foretold this all happening; that I would fall on the way 
here, that Miss Bingley would be so treacherous, that Georgiana 
would walk away with my aunt. That morning was so full of hope and 
the sunlight awoke me in such a pleasant manner. I was filled with 
such a feeling of joy that nothing could possibly have gone wrong. I 
had slept well for the first night in months because I knew there 
was a chance of your returning my feelings. 

"The day decided to go wrong as soon as I set foot at the bottom of 
the stairs. Georgiana was there and looking so furiously at me. I 
knew there was something wrong with what my aunt has told her but 
thought nothing of it; that was until she attacked me about what I 
was to embark on. I told her that I was riding up here to see you, 
that I loved you and held hope that one day you would consent to 
make me the happiest of men. Of that she was displeased. She hated 
the fact that I was to marry beneath myself, as Lady Catherine had 
so delicately put it. That I was going to ruin her chances of making 
a good match. Georgiana has ceased to believe in love matches after 
everything Wickham had put her through. Our aunt has also poisoned 
her mind about marriage, just because she was miserable in hers. My 
sister expected me to make the right decision and cease in my quest 
to earn your hand. I would never stop until I found you. I have 
spent so long trying. The one woman I know I could love and you 
hated me, or you did once."

Darcy looked towards Lizzy who was staring at him intently, 
listening closely to what he was telling her, her book having been 
abandoned as soon as he began his tragic story. He had never before 
spoken of his feelings to anybody and she was honoured to find he 
was telling her all this. Thinking that he may have forgiven 
everything she had caused, she took his hand but he wrenched it away 
once again. The tears began to well in her eyes but she blinked them 
away. She hated feeling weak in front of him. He would be alright 
one day and she would wait for him. Everything had just come as a 
shock for him all at once. No wonder he was confused.

 
"I never hated you. Disliked maybe, but never hate." She had to look 
away; the tears were threatening to spill as she remembered the 
confession she had made to herself that fateful night. 

"Dislike, hate. It all came to the same conclusion, didn't it? I'm 
still here with everything I have known falling down about my ears." 
His voice was soft and gentle. Unnerving in a way to Lizzy; he 
wouldn't let her in yet he was telling her everything he felt.

"I tried to talk Georgiana round to my way of thinking by telling 
her that you would be perfect for both of us. You bring so much 
laughter and joy wherever you are. The night you were at Pemberley, 
the whole place seemed more alive than it had in a long time. My 
mother was the life in that house and then they died together. The 
day Lady Anne Darcy passed from this earth was the day my father, 
myself and Pemberley stopped living. I didn't live, I existed. I 
hated Georgiana. She was the reason my mother had died, taking her 
life from her every minute during the birth. I sat there in the room 
all four days after my baby sister was born, watching mother for any 
sign of improvement. She lay so still, so quiet. I held her hand and 
stroked her face and begged her to come back but she wouldn't 
listen. The life had gone from her eyes, the laughter and smiles 
died on her lips, her skin became ashen and grey. On the fourth day, 
she took her last faltering breath and left me alone. I walked from 
the room and sat at the top of the staircase. It hurt too much to 
cry. It was as if a big hole had been ripped inside me. Something 
was missing from the second she gave up." 

The tears were coursing freely down Lizzy's face as she heard his 
story. Never had she imagined such pain. She could feel the emotions 
inside him yet he refused to let them out. He stared blankly at the 
window all the time. She watched him close his eyes for a few 
seconds as he swallowed back all the pent-up pain and anger. Taking 
a deep breath, he prepared to continue his recollections.

"It was weeks before I could look at my sister. My father had taken 
her in his arms the moment my mother had died and saw his life 
reflected in her eyes. I was forgotten, left to wallow in my sorrow 
and self pity. I had no one to turn to anymore. The only person to 
love me and talk to me was my mother and she was gone. Pemberley had 
never seemed so empty. My uncle, Lord Matlock, came with my aunt and 
cousin Richard to the funeral. Lady Sophia, my aunt, was not allowed 
to attend the burial of her sister-in-law. They had been very close, 
could almost have been real sisters, in fact. They were closer than 
my mother and Lady Catherine had ever been. I didn't want to go to 
see my mother. She would never see the sunrise and set each day. She 
would never see her daughter grow up and teach her all the right 
things in life. I couldn't see my mother in a box and remember her 
in that image forever. The one I had was far worse. Aunt Sophia sat 
with me in the library all afternoon. Sometimes she cried; most of 
the time she sat there and looked at me. She told me that my mother 
was in my eyes looking out at the world. I didn't believe her until 
she told me my eyes had changed. She said they became deeper, as if 
two souls were watching time pass by. It was that moment when I made 
up my mind. Mama had never left me. She was always by my side. She 
led me to you."

Lizzy stared into his deep brown eyes as he finished in a near 
whisper. So much had passed between them and now, everything was 
working to keep them apart. It was as if the world was testing their 
ability to persevere and stay together throughout everything. The 
bond they shared was incredibly strong. Each could feel it run 
through them as they looked at each other.

"Georgiana was a different matter altogether. She had all my 
father's time and energy. He devoted his life into making her happy 
and just left me to find my own way. I was envious of both Wickham 
and my sister. He cared far more about them, even though I was the 
heir apparent. I would try to learn new things to gain his attention 
but it was all for naught. He barely looked at me. In the end I 
became more quiet and reserved. I didn't like social events or 
meeting new people. That was until I could escape to Cambridge, and 
what an escape it was. By the time I was to depart, my father and I 
hardly spoke a word and each time we met, he ignored me. It was Lady 
Sophia and Richard that helped me through the rest of my childhood 
and school. They told me that my father could see too much of my 
mother in me and hated to be reminded of her. Yet, he couldn't get 
enough of Georgiana. 

"So off to Cambridge I went. I was miserable for the first couple of 
years. All the women I met in the city were after me for my money 
and spent all their time devoted to flattering me. I spent very 
little time with other people. Staying inside and studying or 
reading was the best option. During the breaks, I went to Matlock to 
stay with my cousin. We became brothers almost, closer than we had 
ever been allowed to come before. It was in my second year that I 
met Bingley. He saved me from myself by becoming my best friend. He 
is so different to me. He liked to go out and meet everyone and he 
dragged me along with him. He was in his first year and was eager to 
talk to all sorts of new acquaintances. By the time I left 
Cambridge, we were the very greatest of friends, and I had stopped 
him from falling for the wrong girl many times. That was why I 
became suspicious of your sister. How wrong I had been. When he 
started his third and final year, Richard and I left to tour Europe. 
We were gone about a year and visited lots of new countries and 
people. It was a happy time. Nothing ever lasts forever, though."

He looked at her and took her hand in his. He knew what he wanted to 
do but he couldn't make that decision. He needed to make sure his 
sister was happy before he could secure his own contentment. Always 
putting his sister before everything, she had the most inopportune 
times to make her preferences known. He was beginning to lose his 
patience where Georgiana was concerned. Squeezing Lizzy's hand 
lightly, he pulled her gently so that she would sit by him on the 
bed. He needed to be close to her, to let her know silently that 
everything would work out. As she took the tiny hint and sat up 
against him, he kissed the back of her hand. She relaxed and lay her 
head on his shoulder. Kissing her forehead, he continued.

"When we returned from the continent, I learnt my father was very 
ill. I knew I had to return home, but since my mother had died, 
Pemberley never felt much like a home. So I went back. So much had 
changed. The gardens had been left to ruin. My mother had spent so 
long tending to them. After she passed away I tried to get the 
gardeners to look after them but after I left, nothing seemed to get 
done. The house felt even emptier as I stepped inside. There was no 
one to be seen anywhere. I knew my father had let most of the staff 
go but I never could have guessed how many. Georgiana was looking 
after him and both were unimpressed to see me. In their opinion I 
was there as a mere formality. That being, that I was to inherit 
Pemberley and all its land on the moment of my father's death. 
Father was too ill to run the estate anymore and had been for quite 
a long time. I had a lot of work to do to even get close to 
restoring it to the way it used to be. I started immediately and 
unofficially took over. Georgiana was ten and didn't know me very 
well. I was the elder brother she had never wanted to see because 
her beloved father didn't like me. She used to sit in the study 
while I was working and stare at me long and hard. I never knew why 
until one day after my father's death, she told me. Having been told 
that I was much like my mother in personality and soul, she wanted 
to see what Lady Anne was like. We got to talking about her and grew 
very close. I was the one she ran to when everything went wrong. I 
was so much older and took over role as her father in a way. So 
there it was. At three and twenty, I was an orphan, had a large 
estate to run and a ten year old sister to take care of. A massive 
weight on my shoulders that I have had for such a long time now. 

"So, George and I became a lot closer. She was so sad when our 
father died when it didn't really feel any different to me. I had to 
try and cheer her up. I tried everything, took her to London, took 
her all around the country. There was just one place where she was 
remotely happy and that was with Lady Catherine. Strange, really, 
that after all this time, she still prefers to be there. How ironic, 
almost laughable, how history repeats itself. So I kept taking her 
to Kent. Richard was there almost every time. He enjoyed being there 
to see Georgiana as he was her guardian as well. Something to be 
happy about, the responsibility was to be shared. This arrangement 
carried on until I made her go to London to continue her education. 
She was wonderful at the fortepiano and became very proficient when 
taught by a London master. I would have given her anything. I'm 
afraid I fell under the spell of my sister as my father had. Her 
happiness was everything to me. When the matter with Wickham 
occurred, she was upset because she thought she had let me down. I 
had never been angry with her about it. I just wanted to make sure 
she was safe. She said she wanted to go and see Lady Catherine again 
like she used to, so she went. I left for Hertfordshire shortly 
after and that's where I met you. So, that's my life so far. Now, 
when I thought it couldn't have got much worse, this happens. My 
sister has decided she would like to dictate my life and make my 
decisions so hard. I barely know what to do anymore. Things seemed 
so much simpler and clearer when I set off that morning."

Lizzy looked up at him and saw the distance in his eyes return. His 
whole body tensed as she took his hand and held it tightly. He 
seemed so uncomfortable now, with her lying against him. The present 
moments had brought him back to his current predicament; one he was 
willing to forget but couldn't. She sat up beside him once again. 
She knew this would be hard for him. She was only making it worse by 
making her feelings more known to him. Should she stop and hope for 
the best? Make sure that he didn't change his mind by making herself 
hard to ignore? This was going to be tenuous for both of them.

Darcy was trapped in his own mind at the moment. So many things had 
happened in the past few days, it was going to take some time for 
them to become clear once again. As the woman he knew he loved lay 
against him, his thoughts came flooding back to the moment Georgiana 
walked out from the room with their Aunt Catherine. He knew full 
well that his withdrawal from Lizzy would hurt her but he had to 
take this step back from reality. He needed to see from a distance 
so that the choice he was making would be the right one. He felt so 
badly the sense of disappointment he was sure she would be feeling. 
He knew that she loved him, she had told him so, and this decision 
would be painful whichever way it was to be made. Letting go of her 
hand and gently placing it on the bed, he closed his eyes and began 
to think about everything. He could feel Lizzy rise from the bed. He 
could tell she was looking at him for a few minutes before she left 
the room, abandoning him to his own thoughts, a most dangerous place 
to be. 


**

The day after saw Lizzy sitting in the morning parlour working on 
some embroidery she had been meaning to finish for some weeks now. 
It had been started the day before Darcy had arrived at Longbourn 
ill, and now, two weeks on, she intended to have it completed. The 
warm weather continued well into the autumn season. The leaves on 
the tress were turning orange and brown and slowly dropping from the 
branches to form mounds of coloured debris. The days grew shorter 
and the nights longer as the year progressed; each hour of precious 
sunlight was delightful. 

The embroidery project was merely a sampler Lizzy was making for 
Jane and Bingley's wedding. She was so happy for Jane. She too 
wanted that special happiness that can only come from being engaged 
to the man you love. A few days ago, everything seemed to be heading 
that way for Lizzy. But that had all changed. When Georgiana had 
arrived a week ago to see her brother and delivered the ultimatum, 
Lizzy's future happiness had been called into question. Each stitch 
she made in the fine linen that was to be transformed took her 
further away from her problems. The harder she concentrated, the 
more she could forget the past days and remember the times when 
William was sure of his feelings. The thought that he might just 
leave her for the strength of his familial bonds was weighing 
heavily on her mind. Each moment was a struggle to recognise the 
love they felt and the knowledge that he would make the right 
decision. He would, and whatever he might say she would accept. When 
he had related his life to her, she was shocked and upset for him. 
She wanted to take away some of he pain he was feeling. Give him 
some of the happiness he deserved. Maybe she would never have the 
chance. 

The needle slipped as she was caught in thought. Its sharp point 
stabbed her finger and she winced slightly as the minute pain 
invaded her solitary reverie. Then she was rudely awakened to the 
harsh reality of her situation. If he made the choice of repairing 
his family and getting Georgiana back on her terms Lizzy knew she 
would never would be able to love again. It was either Darcy, or 
nobody. That was what made her sad. Her life would be pointless and 
over because of Georgiana Darcy. Her heart belonged to the ill man 
upstairs, whether he chose to accept it or not. 

Standing, she laid the embroidery on the side table and walked to 
the window. The slight breeze rustled the remaining leaves on the 
trees and blew whirlwinds with the already fallen ones. As she 
looked towards the end of the road to Longbourn, she noticed a horse 
and rider rapidly approaching the house. Not recognising who it was, 
she walked from the room to make ready to welcome the guest. Hill, 
the housekeeper, was already on her way to open the great doors to 
accept the rider. Not thinking it was an express, Lizzy just waited 
patiently to see who would be riding up the drive so quickly. She 
wasn't wondering for very long. As soon as the doors had been 
opened, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was admitted. 

As he walked through the door, Lizzy felt a strange sense of 
foreboding and knew immediately that she had to leave the room. When 
the Colonel looked at her and smiled weakly, she turned around. She 
couldn't bear to look at any member of William's family after all 
that had happened. How many more would turn their back on him to 
spite her? This was a constant source of worry. 

"Miss Bennet. How lovely it is to see you…" As he walked towards her 
she began to back away. Before he could finish his sentence, she was 
almost at the door. He couldn't stop her as she opened the door and 
fled up the stairs. He didn't have a clue about what had just 
occurred. He didn't have long however to ponder the mystery of Miss 
Bennet's sudden disappearance. Almost as soon as Elizabeth left, 
Kitty entered the room to see who the visitor was. From what she had 
seen from the hermitage, he looked rather dashing astride his horse.

When she entered the room, he was turned away from her. She could 
see his broad shoulders and of course, what she always liked to see, 
his regimentals. His uniform looked fancier than any of the others 
she had seen and automatically she wondered what regiment he was 
from.  He didn't even notice she had entered the room and so she 
coughed a little to gain his attention. As he turned round to face 
her, their eyes locked. He was very handsome indeed, far nicer than 
Wickham. He looked far better in his uniform than any other man she 
had seen. It took her a few seconds to gather her wits and enquire 
who this wonderful man was.

"Welcome to Longbourn, sir. I'm Kitty Bennet." He walked towards her 
and kissed her hand. 

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Bennet. I am Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, 
Mr Darcy's cousin. I have come to inquire after his health. I 
recently received a letter telling me that he was being taken care 
of by your sister, Miss Elizabeth." 

"Yes, he is upstairs. I am surprised Lizzy isn't here to show you 
where he is herself. She will probably be up there talking to Mr 
Darcy. Would you like to see your cousin?" He nodded and they walked 
from the room together. 

Kitty's mind was instantly filled with questions about the man 
following close behind her. He didn't look anything like his cousin 
and nor did they share any mannerisms. Colonel Fitzwilliam was kind 
and amiable whereas Mr Darcy was boring and miserable, in her 
opinion anyway. How could the two men be so different and yet so 
closely related? Perhaps, on closer acquaintance she would find him 
to be more like his cousin and lose interest in him. But it was the 
way their eyes locked. It was as if she could see deep into his soul 
and he into hers. This was almost the love at first sight she had 
read of in her favourite novels. 

Her reverie was short lived as they arrived to the door behind which 
lay Mr Darcy. He smiled at her as he prepared to see his cousin in a 
very rare sight; Darcy was almost never ill and if he was, never one 
to get bed rest. Fight it off was what he always did. From the sound 
of the missive he received, this was the kind of injury that had to 
take its time and required an abundance of patience, two things he 
knew Darcy would hate.

She turned the handle and opened the door for him to enter. To 
Kitty's surprise, Lizzy was no where to be seen. She did notice 
however that the patient in the bed was looking increasing more 
wretched every day. Something had happened between him and her 
sister. He would have been better off breaking his neck than hurting 
Lizzy. Now that Lydia had gone, Kitty was free to admit that Lizzy 
had always been the one she looked up to. She wanted to be as alive 
and carefree as her elder sister. If Darcy was hurting her, he would 
have to survive the wrath of Kitty and Mr Bennet. 

As Fitzwilliam walked towards his cousin's bed, she could see that 
the whole ordeal had really taken its toll. He was virtually 
unrecognisable. The stress was etched across his face and his eyes 
had turned stone cold. It wasn't until he had edged closer to the 
bed that Darcy noticed he was there. So deep in thought he was about 
everything that had taken place over the past few days. Darcy was 
very glad to see his cousin again, though. As soon as his gaze 
rested upon Fitzwilliam, he smiled and some of the original life 
entered his lifeless eyes. 

"Richard, what are you doing here?" He pulled his body into a 
sitting position, thankful for the strength in his arms. He couldn't 
yet move his leg as he was under strict doctor's orders. Any 
disturbance could put him back weeks and that was something he most 
seriously did not want.

"How could I not come to see my little cousin when he has fallen off 
his horse? I think I sat with you the first time you fell off that 
damned stallion of yours." He grinned at Darcy and took the seat by 
the side of the bed. Fitzwilliam turned at smiled at Kitty. She 
returned the favour and left the room, leaving the two cousins to 
catch up.

"Yes, I believe you did. It was partly your fault, though. You dared 
me to jump that tree knowing full well that I couldn't make it." 
Darcy scowled at the memory but broke into a short laugh. His 
attempt at mock displeasure failed. 

"You were twelve, I thought you should have known better. I didn't 
understand your reasons for trying as I do now. Having said all 
that, I did not help you to break your leg this time. What happened? 
Tell me all the gory details." 

"I was riding up from London to see Miss Elizabeth Bennet and it 
began to rain."

"Hold on, here. Tell me that you stopped once the rain began? If 
not, I shall think you out of your mind. We both know how dangerous 
that is on road and on path." Fitzwilliam looked at Darcy as if he 
were about to carry on with his rebuke but Darcy cut him off.

"What can I say? I needed to get here. I don't know what happened, I 
suppose I just didn't think. It was foolish of me and I know that 
now."

"Only a man in love would make such a brash decision. Miss Elizabeth 
Bennet must be more special than even I found and I think I could 
also have fallen in love with her." Darcy shot Fitzwilliam a 
dangerous look, instinctively guarding what was his. "I think I have 
just hit the proverbial nail on the head, have I not?" Darcy looked 
towards the window. He had just given Fitzwilliam the answer he 
required. 

"Why do you look so glum, then? She is looking after you and 
according to her younger sister, she talks to you a great deal. 
Something has happened and don't try to hide it. When I arrived, 
Miss Elizabeth was the first person I saw and she ran from the room 
before I could say hello. Then I walk in here and you looked so 
grave. Tell me, cousin." Darcy looked back towards Fitzwilliam and 
took a deep breath. 

"You're right, I do love Elizabeth and she has told me she feels the 
same way. I was delirious for the first couple of days and she told 
me so much and I could remember it all. Everything seemed to be 
going so well. Georgiana arrived a few days ago and I thought it was 
all working out. I would ask Elizabeth to marry me and we would be 
happy. Then it all collapsed around us. Lady Catherine arrived the 
day after Georgiana. She tried to take me away to London and called 
Elizabeth things I shall never repeat. She said that she would take 
my sister away from me if I didn't give Lizzy up. I told her she 
couldn't as we were her guardians. She didn't have to take her, 
though." Darcy looked away, tears welling in his eyes as he 
witnessed all his best laid plans come to ruin. 

"What do you mean? Why did she not have to take her?" There was an 
edge of disappointment and sadness in his voice. 

"Just before our aunt arrived, Georgiana told me that she didn't 
want me to be married. That life as it was suited her and thought it 
should suit me as well. Lady Catherine had poisoned her mind with 
good matches and neglected to let her know that there was more to 
marriage than money. I used to think that way myself but when I met 
Elizabeth, she makes me so happy. She loves me for who I am, not my 
bank balance or the amount of land I own. Unfortunately, Georgiana's 
mind was made up on the subject. That was when Lady Catherine walked 
in. I said that she didn't have to take Georgiana because my little 
sister went willingly. The hardest decision of my whole life is 
before me. I either marry Elizabeth and be happy for the rest of 
life but have no sister or…or…" he could barely bring himself to 
speak the horrible alternative. "…I could take Georgiana back and 
walk away from the only woman I shall ever love. Then my sister will 
marry and leave me and I shall have no one. How am I to decide over 
the two most important people in my life?" The tears in his eyes 
spilled over and he quickly turned away. He was an emotional wreck 
but he didn't want to show it. 

"I cannot believe she would such a thing. How terrible. How are you 
to make your decision? I know, I could go and talk to her, bring her 
to reason. Doesn't she realise that she responds to us? We can make 
her come back…"

"No, she will only grow to resent me and that would be just as bad 
as losing her this way. Nothing can be done. She has made up her 
mind and has left me to make mine. Whichever way, all three of us 
will be hurting and I hate it so much. *God damn it!*" He thumped 
his hands down on the bed beside him and closed his eyes, trying to 
keep his anger in check. 

"It can't be too late, if I just try to talk to her. Maybe she will 
come to understand. She can't expect you to look after her every 
wish now. She needs to know that at eight and twenty, you are 
wanting more than just the welfare of your sister. You should have 
been married years ago, Darcy, don't let her spoil your chances of 
making such a rare love match. Don't give up hope yet. Please, let 
me travel to Kent and talk to her." His eyes pleaded with Darcy, 
this was serious. He didn't want to see his cousin or Miss Bennet 
hurt. 

Darcy collected himself and nodded to Fitzwilliam. "One last chance 
is all she has. If she can be selfish, then I can to. I will not 
take her back once she has made her final decision and it is not to 
my liking. She will stay with her aunt, forever. I will not speak to 
her. Tell her this, tell her I need to be happy. I have devoted my 
life to her even after she looked at me disdainfully for so many 
years. I don't forget." He turned to face the window once more, his 
mind turning the Lizzy. What had made her run from the room? He was 
worried about her. His behaviour was to be abhorred. He would make 
everything all right again; he would just wait to see how this one 
last chance would turn out. 

"I shall return as soon as possible. In the meantime, you need to 
talk to your Elizabeth. She cannot take this any more. Do the right 
thing, make her happy whatever the decision." Fitzwilliam stood and 
patted his cousin on he shoulder. When he had arrived, nothing could 
have told him the torture Darcy was going through. Society was 
against him and so was his sister. He left the room without a last 
look. He knew Darcy was lost in his own thoughts once again and 
hoped that soon he would see him happy again. 

He walked down the steps and past the sitting room in which he 
espied Kitty Bennet. She looked towards him at that moment and 
walked in his direction. Fitzwilliam didn't know what caused him to 
move towards her as well. It was as if he was being pulled by an 
invisible string. They met in the middle of the room and just looked 
at each other. It was Kitty who first broke the silence.

"Are you to leave so soon?" The disappointment was in her voice and 
in her eyes. He didn't want to leave her; a strange thought, seeing 
as he had barely met her half and hour ago.

"I'm afraid I must. I have urgent business that calls me away. I 
should be back in a couple of days though. I think once I return, I  
would very much like to get to know you better." His mind reeled at 
the words that had just poured forth from his mouth. He couldn't 
believe he had said it. There was a connection between them that he 
could sense in that first look into her eyes. Yet, she was so young. 
What was he to do? At his words she blushed lightly and smiled up at 
him. That was it. In her eyes she had traces of the life Elizabeth 
possessed. That zeal for living was in Kitty and that was what he 
wanted. 

"I would like that very much, sir. Please accept my wishes for a 
safe trip. I must find my sister. Pray, excuse me." They walked from 
the room together but she walked by his side to the front door. He 
looked down at her and smiled. She wanted to be with him just as 
much as he her. When they stepped outside and his horse was brought 
round, he kissed her hand gently. He mounted his horse and shot her 
one parting look before riding off to sort out his errant cousin. 


**


It was two days after Fitzwilliam had left Darcy. Two days of seeing 
Lizzy appear at the doorway and watch her walk over towards the 
window; taking up the pose more usual for Darcy to assume. He could 
see the distance in her fine eyes as she looked out towards the 
garden. It pained him to see her so. All he wanted to do was reach 
out and hold her, tell her everything would be fine, that he loved 
her. He couldn't though. The words Fitzwilliam had said played 
heavily on his mind. `Make her happy, whatever the decision.' Oh how 
he longed to. His only wish was her happiness yet his position as 
Georgiana's guardian held so many responsibilities. She had been 
forced upon him, stopped him from having the life so many men his 
age had. Even being teased by Lizzy filled him with a joy he hadn't 
experienced since his mother's death. He had to talk to her. Today 
would be the day. 

"Lizzy?" She barely turned towards him. The situation was becoming 
worse. "Lizzy? Will you not talk to me?" His voice was gentle and 
slowly she walked towards the bed to take a seat on the edge of the 
mattress.

"Richard told me that you ran from the room when he arrived. Why?" 
His voice was so full of concern for her. She smiled weakly at him.

"Oh, it was nothing. Just another member of your family that could 
have…" She couldn't finish and so just looked at her hands folded in 
her lap.

"I would ask what is wrong but I fear I know the answer. This was 
not how it was meant to be."

"I know. It's just getting so hard for me to be around you when I 
know which you will choose. I would not ask you give up your sister 
but you are so distant lately. I wonder what you are thinking and 
then I look into your eyes which once spoke so much love for me, and 
they are so cold. I dare not ask for fear of what I might hear." She 
looked away to conceal the tears threatening to spill over.

Darcy felt sure his heart was breaking. He cupped her cheek with his 
hand and turned her to him. He hated what he saw deep in her eyes, 
pain and confusion. He knew from that second on that whatever his 
sister decided, he would not look at Georgiana again. This is what 
she had caused and he hated her for it. He clenched his jaw and 
swallowed hard. He had to tell her now. No more suffering for either 
of them. Georgiana's little trick had shewed him her real character 
and it repulsed him. The little girl who hated him because her 
father did…the boy who had lost all his family in one day and been 
left alone had had enough. 

"I feel so bad. I have been so confused yet the answer has been 
there all along. I have come to realise, that there is only one 
thing that I need in my life. And that's you." 

She looked deep into his eyes and saw the love she needed. A smile 
erupted onto her face as she flung her arms about his neck. He put 
his arms around her middle and crushed her into a fierce hug.

"God, I've missed you, Lizzy. I love you so much. Nothing is going 
to become between us again. Not Lady Catherine, not Miss Bingley and 
certainly never Georgiana. I need you so much it hurts. How could I 
have even contemplated an existence without you?" They were both 
crying now. Sheer relief permeated their bodies as they held each 
other close.

"Oh William, I have missed you too. I thought I would never get you 
back." She hugged him tighter and then kissed him full on the mouth. 
As soon as their lips made contact, the connection between them ran 
straight through their bodies. Every nerve was awakened by the 
sensations. Their kiss became deeper as he ran his tongue over her 
lips. Her lips parted slightly to let him invade her mouth and this 
he did. They both knew this was getting out of hand and so 
reluctantly, he pulled from the kiss. Resting his head against her 
forehead, they caught their breath. 

"Never let anything separate us again. We are going to be together 
no matter what. Forever." He placed his hands on her arms and pulled 
her back slightly so that they could look at each other. Taking one 
of her delicate hands in his, he looked deep into her eyes.

"Elizabeth Bennet, will you marry me?" The joy that permeated her 
every expression made his heart swell with merriment. 

"Yes, oh yes. Nothing could possibly make me happier. Yes!" The full 
grin appeared on his face as the sound of the most wonderful words 
he could ever hope to hear. He pulled her close again and kissed her 
hair. 

"I am the happiest of men, Lizzy. We are to be the happiest couple 
ever. So much has happened to prevent this and now nothing can 
anymore." They laughed at everything that had befallen them, very 
few things seemed to have gone right for them, and now it was almost 
perfect.

They heard a knock at the door and instantly separated, both still 
bearing stunning smiles. Colonel Fitzwilliam walked in, a grave 
expression upon his face. At this, their happiness dropped from 
their countenances. He walked towards them and attempted a grin, it 
failed painfully becoming more of a grimace. He took the seat by the 
bed and rested his head in his hands. Darcy looked at him. Something 
had gone horribly wrong, he knew it.

"What is it? What can be so bad?" There was the edge of panic in his 
voice.

"It is Georgiana, she says she will not come home. Either you leave 
Miss Bennet or she will take what is hers and ruin your name."

"That's preposterous. She wouldn't, she couldn't. What does she 
mean, everything that is hers? She will have nothing, I shall make 
sure of it. I am still her legal guardian whether she likes it or 
not."

"No, you're not anymore." There was a look of disbelief on Darcy's 
face as his cousin elaborated. "Lady Catherine, my father and my 
mother have overridden the guardianship. They have cast you out, 
taking her inheritance with them. They say that due to your 
injuries, you are unfit to look after her anymore. Your reputation 
will be in tatters unless you `do you duty' as they put it,
and leave Elizabeth." He stood up abruptly and walked to the window, 
slamming his fist against the lintel. Darcy just sat there and 
looked stunned. 

Resignation settled in the pit of Lizzy's stomach. She felt so ill. 
All the colour drained from her face. Darcy noticed her looking like 
she was about to faint and took her into his arms, resting her head 
on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and brushed a stray tear 
away. Would their nightmare never end? He doubted it, the prospect 
of a happy end looked very bleak indeed.




Chapter 7

It rained every day. The sun never once made an appearance; the 
couple were separated by an eternity. He never wrote and she 
questioned not his decision. Darcy needed distance and Elizabeth 
longed to have him in her life again. He had left three weeks 
earlier. When warned not to go, he listened, but obeyed only his own 
inner voice. He had to go: to think; to be alone; to recuperate and 
regain the man he had been. The stress finally overpowered him. 
William broke, something snapped. Elizabeth was walking past his 
room when it happened; all she could hear were the muffled cries of 
her beloved.

*3 Weeks Earlier

Elizabeth entered the room and looked at the man in the bed. He lay 
face down, screaming into the pillows. She ran to him, taking his 
trembling body in her arms and slowly turning it to her. She had 
never seen such pain in his eyes. He was trapped, she could see it 
now: caged by his injuries and all that had befallen him the past 
several weeks. She brushed the fallen strands of hair off his face 
and looked at the scar forming on his brow. It was deep and cut 
right down the side of his eye.  Running her finger lightly across 
it she looked into the well of his deep brown eyes. The feelings 
reflected in that well were so overpowering that she almost cried. 
Gently kissing the scar she watched as some of his pain disappeared. 
Running the back of her hand lightly down his face, she traced the 
outline of his lips. His tension was slowly diminishing. Words were 
unnecessary as he took her fully into his arms, pulling her down to 
lay beside him. 

Tracing his fingers down her throat and along her collarbone, he 
looked deeply into her eyes. The temptation was overwhelming as he 
lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her slowly and tenderly. She 
wrapped her arms round his neck and his kisses deepened. Whatever 
was he doing? Logical thought almost vanished the moment Elizabeth 
returned his kisses with equal force; his greatest desire was to 
possess her. What logic remained knew it was wrong, he should not 
disgrace her, he should give her all the respect she was due. But, 
when he tried to pull away his body refused. Running his hand down 
her side he realised that she was wearing nothing but her 
nightdress. He could feel her skin through its thin material. The 
intense heat against his hand was almost unbearable. He had to stop. 
Somehow, he knew he must.

Darcy pulled away from the kiss and took a deep breath. Looking into 
her eyes he saw the flames of her desire still flaring. The light in 
her eyes was always dancing, but this…in his every dream his beloved 
Elizabeth looked at him like this. Elizabeth gently moved closer, 
the room suddenly cold when he pulled the warmth of his body away 
from hers. Her body pressed against him. He took a sharp intake of 
breath at the feel of her snuggling against his chest. Everything 
was lost to her as their eyes met.  She smiled up at him. He kissed 
her again, deeply. This was right, this felt good. Darcy felt the 
pent up tension leave his body as he ran his tongue across her lips. 
His hand made its way along her side to the edge of her nightgown. 
His fingers brushed the bare skin of her shin. Elizabeth's muscles 
twitched as the skin of his hand came into contact with hers; the 
electricity between them was palpable.

His hand moved further along her leg, past her knee and onto her 
outer thigh; her nightgown also travelling up her body. Their 
kissing became more passionate; each was aware of what would happen 
if they did not stop. The ability to speak escaped them with the 
ability to stop. They wanted only to become one. 

His kisses moved from her lips and down her neck. The fingers of his 
free hand unfastened the tie at the top of her nightgown and slowly 
slid the gown down her shoulders. His lips followed, leaving a trail 
of fiery hot kisses along her collar bone. He was completely 
entranced by the softness of her skin. His other hand was busy 
tracing faint circles with his finger tips along her thigh, feeling 
her muscles flex excitedly with the contact. He wanted to lose 
himself in her, to forget everything that had happened. As Elizabeth 
kissed his neck and shoulder gently, Darcy knew that she was gifting 
him with her body to show her undying love and devotion. 

Her nightgown slid down further, revealing her chest and he stared 
in awe of her beauty: her skin so pale and beautiful, not a blemish 
or imperfection in sight. He pulled her gown completely off now, 
drinking in the sight of perfection lying at his side. She smiled 
demurely up at him, answering "yes" when his expression asked for 
permission to touch her. Desire raged in her eyes as he cupped her 
breast with his hand, his mouth again seeking hers as he kissed her 
deeply. She realised that he was far too dressed and made him sit. 
After divesting him of his night shirt, she straddled his lap and 
kissed him hard. His hands roamed over her back, memorising every 
part of her body, making a map with his touch. He pulled away and 
looked deeply into her eyes. Nothing but her love for him stared 
into his soul. Everything was going to be quite all right; at that 
moment he knew nothing could ever go wrong again. 

He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her back 
slightly. Her neck was fully exposed and he kissed it gently, 
licking and nipping all the way down over her chest to her breasts. 
Kissing his way slowly around her swollen bud, he heard her moan 
quietly. His hand snaked up from her back to take the other breast, 
lovingly caressing her. He took her nipple into his mouth and ran 
his tongue across the tip. The sensation was amazing; she had never 
felt anything so wonderful. She arched against him, running her 
hands through his unruly hair and pulling him closer. She could feel 
him growing ever more excited beneath her and ground her hips 
against him. His mouth let go of her nipple as he moaned 
uncontrollably, his pleasure in feeling her so close to him almost 
too much to bear. His eyes were closed as she kissed him; her hands 
ran up his chest and round his neck. 

He encircled her waist with his arms and pulled her as close to him 
as possible, almost crushing her against his chest. His eyes opened, 
and the flames of passion Elizabeth saw there erased any lingering 
traces of doubt. She could feel the tip of his manhood touching her 
sex and nothing in her life had ever seemed so right. He looked into 
her eyes and smiled, readjusting his grip so that his arms lay about 
her hips and whispered into her ear, his hot, ragged, breath only 
arousing her more.

"This will hurt and I am sorry, no more than few seconds. Look into 
my eyes, love.  You are in control, let me love you." She nodded as 
he returned to kissing her neck. 

He pulled back to look at her, their gazes locked. Slowly, he 
lowered her onto him, letting the warmth of her inner self surround 
him. He could feel the resistance of her virginity as she placed her 
hands firmly on his shoulders and pushed down further. Her pain was 
evident on her face. He kissed her, allowing her to adjust to the 
newness before going any further. The exquisite feeling of being so 
close to her lover overtook Elizabeth's discomfort. She cupped his 
cheek in her hand and brushed her thumb over his lips. Gently, they 
began to move together. Both were already close to the edge, their 
movements becoming frantic. She kissed him deeply to quiet their 
moans as he moved her up and down. Her vision began to blur. No 
matter how hard she breathed, no oxygen seemed to reach her brain; 
the feelings building within her blinded her to everything but 
Darcy. The point of ecstasy was ever closer as he whispered her 
name. The desperation in his voice pushed her over the precipice. He 
felt her grasp him tightly as he followed her into oblivion. It took 
all the effort he could muster not to call out her name as his every 
cell exploded. He held her close, not ever wanting to let her go. 

Their breathing was heavy and erratic as he lay her down on the bed. 
Her eyes were tightly closed as she took his hand in hers and 
gripped it tightly. He lay next to her, running his fingers up and 
down the soft skin of her side. She huddled close to him, her hand 
still gripping his and resting lightly over his heart. Their 
breathing was still deep but becoming less ragged. As more oxygen 
found its way into his brain, a slow realisation hit him; and it hit 
him hard. One moment, he was lying in the arms of his beloved, the 
next he had all but jumped from the bed. He would have succeeded but 
he remembered his broken leg.

"What have I done?" The panic rose in his voice as Lizzy looked up 
at him from where she lay. Worry passed over her features. Doubts 
rapidly flooded her mind as she took in the expression on his face. 
Perhaps he regretted their intimacy because he did not love her. 
Perhaps he had finally decided to placate his sister and now, 
because of her folly he would be forced into marriage with the woman 
who would keep the siblings apart. These thoughts caused Lizzy to 
pull the counterpane over her bare body, covering it from him for 
fear that he would look on her in disgust. Darcy, seeing this shift 
in body language looked at her. What he saw there caused an 
immediate softening of his countenance. He knew he must explain.

"Elizabeth, I only meant, how could I have let myself do this to 
you. You deserve so much more than what I have just done. I 
selfishly took something precious away from you." She placed a 
finger against his lips effectively silencing him.

"`Twas perfect. There has been nothing in my life that has felt so 
right. We are meant to share this closeness and it was meant to be 
now." She smiled at him and ran her hand down his cheek. He turned 
his head and kissed her palm gently. Taking her small hand in his 
larger one, he pulled her to him and kissed her lightly. He had to 
agree, this was absolutely right. "I did not mean to overreact. I 
fear my heart knows you yet my mind refuses to believe it. I could 
never doubt your affections for me."

No further words were spoken. Darcy lay her down once again on the 
bed, settling himself beside her and looking into her eyes for an 
eternity. All of his fears were put aside when he saw the love and 
tenderness reflected in his Elizabeth's beautiful eyes. Nothing else 
was of any consequence, and nothing else would be of any consequence 
ever again. Darcy had made his decision days ago. He could not avoid 
marrying Lizzy now, even if he wished it. He most assuredly did not 
wish it. Lizzy had become his world. He committed himself to making 
her happy.

Kissing her again, he ran his hand gently down her face and neck, 
along the side of her breast to rest on her hip. Her arms wrapped 
round his neck as she pulled him closer into the kiss. The passion 
each felt for each other was far from being satiated. No matter how 
much his leg hurt, it would be no hindrance to loving the woman of 
his dreams. As he worshipped her body once more, Darcy knew he must 
tell her. He would gift her with his soul, make her happy and 
content.  Then break to her gently just what he had decided must be 
done. At the moment, his mind refused to formulate the words; 
another struggle was upon him. 

**

"I have to go home. To Pemberley." There, he had said it. In barely 
more than a whisper he told her. He had wanted to go home so badly, 
for so long. It was all too much for him to bear. He needed time, 
and distance, to get reign in his thoughts and feelings, to 
understand. It was all too quick; Darcy knew not where he stood, who 
he was. 

"Oh" was all she said. The look on her face told him she was hurting 
as he was hurting. Their confinement had been mutual as was their 
pain. The accident and its aftermath had forged between them a 
connection.  They each knew what the other was thinking. Darcy had 
never experienced a bond like this with anyone; it was only 
Elizabeth. Their attachment was so strong it was ripping him apart. 
Elizabeth looked indescribably unhappy and he felt as much.

"I think I need some time to myself. These past few weeks have been 
so hard for both of us, I hardly know my own thoughts any longer." 
Tears welled in her beautiful eyes and began to slide down her 
precious face. Darcy felt his heart break. He pulled her to him and 
crushed her in a fierce hug.

"I'm sorry, I just can't take this anymore, I have to get away." 
Darcy was crying now while the woman he loved more than life was 
sobbing gently into his shoulder.

"I do understand. Really." She pulled back slightly and met his 
eyes. "How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know. All that is certain is that I need time. I miss the 
hills and the valleys. I miss the outdoors more than anything. 
Pemberley is wonderful this time of year, you know. When the snow 
settles on the tips of the peaks everything looks so serene. You 
will like it I think." Elizabeth's sobs had stopped, yet she was 
still shaking. The insult. She had given her body and soul to him 
and he was running away. She sat up suddenly and stared right into 
his eyes. Every bit of strain was back; temporary release was not 
what he needed.

"Yes, you should go. This could become awkward, considering what has 
just taken place." Her voice was cold with hurt and anger. She 
looked away, suddenly feeling very ashamed. He tipped her chin up to 
look at him and kissed her gently.

"You could accompany me. I want to get away, but not from you.  
Never from you. I think my convalescence will occur more speedily at 
Pemberley and when I am well, we can be married."

"Yes, our marriage. I am wondering what else will be thrown in our 
way to prevent that from occurring." She smiled dejectedly and her 
voice held the bitterness built up over the past weeks. "There, I 
did it again, my mind refuses to believe that which what my soul 
knows to be true."

"I rejoice in that part of you which knows my very thoughts and 
feelings on our love. I shall never leave you, I shall always be 
here." He placed his hand over her heart and smiled. "Anyway, there 
will be no more mention of possible impediments. I intend to remain 
positive about our situation from now on. Now, will you come home 
with me or not?" He watched her as a myriad of emotions passed over 
her face, and were reflected in her fine eyes. Rejection settled in 
the pit of his stomach. Slowly Darcy slid down to lay on his back; 
trying to find physical comfort whilst attempting not to move his 
leg; a difficult task indeed.

"Are you well?" Worry flickered across her features when she saw his 
suddenly forlorn expression.

"I was better. But, you will not travel to Pemberley." Elizabeth 
heard the resignation and disappointment in his voice. 

"I am sorry. I want to come.  But, it would be wrong. I would not be 
allowed once we announced our engagement in any event. I do so want 
to be with you at Pemberley, but can you not see that it is 
impossible?" She turned away from him. Yes, she did want to go with 
him, if only to escape the raptures of her mother over her 
engagement to a man of consequence.

"Bring one of your sisters. Bring Jane and I will invite Bingley as 
well. Please think about it." He trailed his finger down her spine. 
Placing his hands round her ribs he gently pulled her back to lie 
beside him. Holding her close, he could not help but think that 
nothing about tonight seemed possible. She lay her head on his chest 
as he slowly stroked her hair, entwining his fingers in her dark 
brown tresses. 

"I shall think about it if you insist. I would like to visit 
Pemberley once more before I become mistress of the place. We shall 
be able to lay together all night when that occurs will we not?"  
Mischievous smiles spread across their faces at the thought of what 
intimacies they would be able savour once their marriage came to 
pass. Their mirth could not last long; tonight remained a problem.

"I fear I shall have to sneak out of here now. I do long for the 
days when I shall not have to leave your arms." She raised herself 
on her elbows and looked at him. He smiled warmly and turned on his 
side to look at her on a level.

"I too wish those times already here. I do not think I shall ever 
leave your side. I want only to sleep next to you every night and I 
will be content. I promise, the moment I can walk, you shall become 
Mrs Darcy and I will never let you go. Georgiana can live with her 
aunt forever; I choose love, with you. We were meant to be together. 
Nothing can separate us now. We are bound to each other physically 
if not yet on paper." Cupping her cheek with his hand, he kissed her 
lightly and then smiled. The look of adoration on his face spoke of 
the true depths of his feelings. That love in his look flooded 
Lizzy; she felt warm and loved –- a feeling she would never tire
of.

"I should go William, I do not wish it but I must. I hope you find 
the peace you need at Pemberley. When you know your mind, write to 
me and I shall come." She smiled and kissed his forehead before she 
rose from the bed. She bent down and picking up her discarded 
nightgown, donned it. As she turned to look at her lover, he grinned 
up at her, a mixture of sadness and elation reflected in his 
eyes. "Only be sure to do your thinking quickly and you shall see me 
soon enough. Remember William, I shall always love you, no matter 
what. I will think about you constantly, until you are safe and 
sound in my arms again." With that, she leaned down, kissed him 
gently and turned to leave.

"I shall think quickly, do not worry about that my love. I will see 
you tomorrow." With a parting glance at her fiancé, Lizzy left the 
room happy and content.

**

Two days later Darcy left for Derbyshire. Dr Grant was most 
seriously displeased by his choice. In his professional opinion, 
Darcy's leg was still very badly injured. Nothing he could do or say 
could change his patient's mind. The doctor did demand a final 
inspection of the leg before Darcy left for Pemberley and was not 
pleased with the results. When he removed the dressing from the 
injured leg, the bruising had barely subsided. The muscles were 
inflamed and as he found when he touched the injury, still extremely 
painful. 

Darcy didn't mean to yelp, but the searing pain that coursed through 
his leg was too much to bear. His whole body tensed as the doctor 
continued his examination of the broken leg. The expression on 
Grant's countenance did little to boost Darcy's confidence in his 
recovery, but he consoled himself with the thought that miracles do 
happen. He had won his Elizabeth had he not? No matter how damaged 
his leg, he felt a pressing need to escape the tortures of his own 
thoughts. The doctor gave him a very stern and long lecture over 
moving so soon, but Darcy refused to listen. His course was set; to 
Pemberley he would go to, whether the doctor allowed him or not. 

The next day, dressed in short riding breeches and shirtsleeves 
Darcy was putting his upper body strength to good use. "Walking with 
crutches is an art form" he teased Lizzy. She helped him become 
accustomed to them, a task easier said than done in both of their 
opinions. They spent that day laughing while Dr Grant scowled at 
Darcy and admonished him repeatedly on his foolish behaviour. Darcy, 
on the other hand, was glad to be moving around at last, however 
briefly. Still drained from his injuries, fatigue came quickly. Jane 
and Bingley paid him a visit, more pleased by Lizzy and Darcy's 
obvious understanding than by Darcy's capabilities with the 
crutches. 

Their private farewells were said in his room the next very morning. 
They held each other, nothing more need be done or said. Regardless 
of their shared resolve, it was with a heavy heart that Darcy kissed 
Elizabeth one last time before she helped him to his awaiting 
carriage. He expressed his gratitude to the Bennets for their kind 
assistance, and he was away. The days since had become ever more 
unbearable for Elizabeth. Daily she would wake with hope of a letter 
from him, to tell her of his safe arrival, or his speedy recovery. 
Every morning that she walked into the breakfast parlour and saw 
nothing, a little piece of her died. 

The whole household had taken notice of Lizzy and Darcy's 
increasingly close friendship; yet no one knew or guessed all that 
had occurred. Mrs Bennet was most upset by the fact he was leaving 
without securing the heart of one her daughters. Lizzy was a prime 
recipient of her mother's screeching complaints once he was gone. 
The words `How could you have let him get away?' and `You didn't try 
hard enough' rang through the halls of Longbourn House. At first 
Lizzy laughed these comments off. Soon enough, they became an 
irritant. It was with an enormous sense of sadness that she had 
waved goodbye to her secret lover and fiancé that morning. After 
Darcy's departure, the weather became colder than it had been and 
rain clouds appeared in the once blue sky.

Lizzy felt trapped, physically and mentally. She longed to tell Jane 
of her engagement but knew that Jane's knowledge of it would 
preclude her from travelling to Pemberley to see William. The 
unceasing rain poured down. There were floods in the surrounding 
villages and the fields were water logged. Lizzy, forced to remain 
inside the house longed for the exhilaration of a walk to Oakham 
Mount on an autumn day. Instead, the winter came, leaving her to 
wallow in her own thoughts. She tried everything from reading to 
writing down her musings, yet nothing relieved her mind of the 
constant suffering. 

To make matters worse, Kitty was ecstatic. When Colonel Fitzwilliam 
visited Darcy the second time, he had spoken to Kitty at great 
length. They had discovered that they had much in common, to the 
astonishment of both. As it turned out, between Darcy and Kitty, 
Longbourn saw Fitzwilliam most of each day. When not talking to 
Darcy, Lizzy sat and watched the couple with increasing amazement. 
Kitty had changed enormously since Lydia's elopement. She had grown 
into a respectable young woman; one capable of attracting the 
attentions of a certain handsome colonel. As they laughed and talked 
in the corner of the sitting room, Lizzy saw their happiness 
permeating from them. Lizzy was hopeful that nothing would intervene 
in their joy and love; such interference as she and William suffered 
was to be wished on no one. 

The Colonel left a few days before Lizzy and Darcy finally resolved 
their differences properly. He had to return to town and his 
regiment. Soon he would be deployed to France and beyond to fight in 
the peninsular war, a growing concern. Most expected nothing to come 
of it, but Lizzy knew never to expect an easy fight. Kitty was 
unable to curb her enthusiasm for her dashing Colonel Fitzwilliam -- 
she scarcely drew breath between her sentences. There was such a 
difference in her that even Mr Bennet took more notice of his second 
youngest. He found, to his surprise, and the happiness of the entire 
house, that his rule of ten minutes of common sense was easily 
achieved by the new Kitty. 

It pained Lizzy to bear witness to Kitty's happiness, and yet she 
rejoiced for her sister at the same time. Whereas Lizzy never 
received word from her beloved, Kitty did, and on a regular basis. 
There was much for Lizzy to envy in her sister's situation as the 
colonel sent letters to Kitty almost every day. Elizabeth entered 
the breakfast room, always in hope of a letter that never came while 
Kitty's place was always complete with missive. After three full 
weeks of nothing, every morning was becoming successively harder to 
face.

**

Caroline Bingley arrived at her destination. She began to wonder 
what had started her on this journey. A spur of the moment 
inspiration prompted her latest plan. Only yesterday, she had been 
ignorant of the full impact her stupid jealousy had caused and 
today, she was on her way to set it to rights. Her mind drifted back 
over the day when at long last, everything she had wrought in the 
past two weeks really penetrated her conscience.

*The Previous Day*

The room was decorated in rich gilded furnishing and red draperies. 
The hustle and bustle of the streets outside barely penetrated the 
thick walls of the impressive Grovesnor street residence. It was 
early morning and the grey clouds that hung over the city blackened 
the sky into an intimidating colour. The soft sheet rain coated 
everything and saturated everyone. It was a day to be glad to be 
indoors.
 
Louisa Hurst was sitting in the breakfast parlour of her husband's 
London townhouse when the letter arrived. As she took it off the 
silver serving tray she recognized the handwriting, immediately 
identifying its sender. Her brother Charles Bingley was the only 
person of her acquaintance who had the ability to make a missive 
look as if it had been trod on repeatedly, and this without trying. 
It was strange to receive a letter from her brother so soon after 
their departure. Curious as to the contents, Mrs. Hurst broke the 
seal and unfolded the paper. Reading through every word, re-reading 
every line, taking all the information in, she hardly noticed when 
her sister entered the room.

Caroline was certain that she had rarely seen a letter receive so 
much attention from Louisa. In fact, she had never seen anything get 
so much attention. Caroline was convinced that it must be news of 
either something terribly awful or terribly exciting. Caroline 
dreaded the former, as she was well aware that she would probably 
bear the blame for the whole incident between Darcy and his Aunt. As 
Caroline walked across to the sideboard, she heard her sister gasp 
and turned to look at her.

"Whatever is it that you are reading Louisa? I do hope it is nothing 
too scandalous." The forced smile plastered on her face spoke of
her  true feelings.

"It is from Charles, something terrible has happened. I think you 
should read this." After handing the letter from their brother to 
Caroline, Louisa prepared herself for the inevitably bad reaction.

Caroline sat down at the dinner table and unfolded the letter once 
again. The first worrying thing was the letter's length. A full four 
pages must mean that something very serious had happened. For 
Charles to expend the effort of concentrating long enough to write 
four full pages, Caroline was nervous of its contents. The first few 
paragraphs contained the usual pleasantries of which Charles 
normally wrote: how Jane was faring, the weather, enquiries after 
all of their health. Then the tone changed dramatically. 

"Something quite tragic has occurred, Louisa. When Caroline wrote to 
Lady Catherine, she unleashed a wild torrent of trouble. I shall 
explain from the beginning. As you know, Miss Darcy arrived to see 
her brother. They spoke, and everything was working out perfectly to 
Darcy's satisfaction. Darcy was happy until Lady Catherine arrived. 
According to Darcy and Miss Elizabeth, Miss Darcy had been trying to 
convince Darcy to leave Miss Elizabeth as she was happy with their 
life together and did not look favourably on the impending changes. 
In the middle of this, Darcy's aunt arrived and attacked Miss 
Elizabeth, in her own home, for mercy's sake. Then, she found her 
way to Darcy's room due to Miss Darcy coming out of it in search of 
her aunt. When Lady Catherine espied Darcy, she attempted to have 
him removed from Longbourn to London for his recovery, she said. 

"Unfortunately, this occurrence coincided with Miss Darcy's wish to 
keep her brother to herself. When Darcy refused to remove to London, 
Miss Darcy joined the fray and delivered an ultimatum to her 
brother: either Darcy return to London with them and leave Miss 
Bennet, or he shall never see his sister again. This well suited 
Lady Catherine who whole-heartedly endorsed Miss Darcy's scheme. 
Darcy refused, believing that his sister would rescind her demand. 
He was wrong. Lady Catherine and Miss Darcy left that very day.   

"That is not the worst of it, I fear. Shortly after Lady Catherine 
and Miss Darcy departed, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousin, 
arrived. He lodged with me at Netherfield during his stay and I 
found him quite agreeable. While visiting Darcy one day, he was 
apprised of the situation and sped forth to Kent to try and talk 
sense into Miss Darcy. He was not allowed to see her for very long 
but she made it clear she would not return. As he was set to depart, 
his parents arrived and along with his Aunt, they expressed their 
displeasure at Darcy's `unfortunate' alliance. I cannot agree with 
calling it such due to my betrothal to Miss Bennet, but that is what 
Darcy's family said. 

"More demands were laid at his feet, this time at a higher cost to 
Darcy himself. If he insisted on continuing his liaison with Miss 
Elizabeth, they would ruin Darcy's name. They have already wrested 
Miss Darcy's guardianship out of his control and claimed her 
inheritance. This entire debacle is simply getting out of hand, and 
of course, Darcy can do nothing until he is well again. He is 
distraught, of course. I hope you give your sister a hard time. She 
deserves it after inflicting such pain upon the very man she claimed 
to love. I must go and see how he is doing. He is not himself 
Louisa, a completely different person since this whole torrid affair 
began. I hope that in time, our friend will find the happiness he 
deserves and that Caroline finds the conscience to never interfere 
again. 

Yours etc
Charles"

"Oh my God, what have I done?" Tears streaked through the rouge on 
her cheeks as it had for countless previous days. Her feelings of 
guilt had pervaded her thoughts ever since she had confessed her 
interference to Darcy, and now the fruits of her labours were 
devastating. 

"You have made him very unhappy sister. I hope you are pleased with 
yourself. It is certain that you shall never be invited to Pemberley 
again. In fact, you shall be lucky if Charles will let you near 
Netherfield again. What are you going to do now? It is a little late 
for an apology, is it not?" Louisa walked over to the window and 
looked down at the grimy streets below.

"I must go Louisa, I have to help."

"Go where? Do not even think about travelling to Hertfordshire. 
Should Mr. Darcy leap from his sickbed to strangle you and his 
sister, your fates would be pleasant compared to his. I do not like 
your method of helping Caroline. I have watched you plot, connive 
and meddle for years, but this latest scheme has outshone all of 
your past tomfoolery. You should have just given him up." Louisa was 
poised to leave the room when she heard her sister's quiet voice; 
Caroline it seemed, was properly humbled.

"I meant Kent. I need to see Georgiana." Caroline stood in the 
centre of the room; her head slumped in self recrimination. Her very 
feathers seem to droop and bow forgiveness before God. 

"Lady Catherine will never allow you near her. Take my advice and 
let Mr. Darcy and his cousin sort it out. You have done more than 
enough already." With that, Louisa left Caroline to think.

"I can help him, he needs happiness and I shall help him attain it. 
Kent isn't that far, is it?" Her answer was silence; she was
alone  save her own scheming thoughts.

**

"Lizzy? May we talk?" Jane's head appeared around the door. Her long 
hair was dangling to one side in the tight braid she wore for bed. 
This was their usual time for conversation, the two often spent most 
of the night talking. If anything was a bother to either of them, 
they would ponder it together whilst the rest of Longbourn slept. 
Today would be no different, it was apparent that something was 
preying on Lizzy's mind and Jane felt the need to force her 
confidence.

"Of course Jane. You know I always save this time for our 
conversations." Lizzy smiled but it failed to reach her eyes. There 
was definitely something wrong and Jane had a fair idea what that 
something was. As she settled herself on the bed with Lizzy, Jane 
took up her sister's hand and began to talk.

"He has not written, has he?" There it was, the root of Lizzy's 
despair, out in the open.

"He has no obligation to write, I just thought he might by now. It 
has been near enough three weeks and still nothing from him. I admit 
to being slightly worried." She turned away, unable to meet Jane's 
eyes.

"Are you worried that he might have changed his mind?"

"What do you mean?" This gently uttered remark captured Lizzy's full 
attention as it brought out all of her fears and doubts; Jane 
understood her so easily.

"You fear that perhaps he has changed his mind and has gone to 
recover his sister. You know it is not true, yet you doubt your 
heart. I thought you knew him better than that Lizzy."

"I do Jane. I know he would never leave me. He is so constant in his 
affection that I will have no reason to doubt him. After everything 
all that has happened to us so far, my mind refuses to believe what 
my heart is telling it. I just thought he might have contacted me 
before now. I have been so worried about him. Shortly before he 
left, I came upon him at night, and he was crying Jane. He was so 
upset by this whole affair that he actually broke down and cried. I 
just wish to be with him." She looked at her sister and placed her 
hand over their joined ones. "I shall be all right Jane, believe
me. This will pass soon enough." The smile did reach her eyes this
time. Jane was relieved by this small transition in her sister.

"I had noticed that you and Mr Darcy seemed even closer before his 
departure. I had not thought it possible for two unmarried people to 
be so intimate without touching." The wicked glint in Jane's eye 
forewarned of an upcoming barrage of questions. 

Lizzy looked about the room, anywhere but at Jane -- eye contact 
would have given all away. She had to marshal her thoughts before 
she could even begin to answer her sister's unspoken inquiry. How 
could she even begin to tell her sister of what happened in the last 
few days of Darcy's stay at Longbourn? After focusing very hard on 
the water jug and bowl on the dresser, her thoughts arranged 
themselves.

"Jane, I have something to tell you, but you must promise to tell 
not a soul, not a single soul." Jane nodded with wide eyes, and 
Lizzy carried on. "Mr Darcy and I are engaged Jane. He asked me 
before Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived for the second time and I 
accepted. I was so happy, he chose me above his own sister. I 
thought I might have lost him again when his cousin told us of his 
family's decision to take Lady Catherine and Miss Darcy's part in 
the dispute. Everyone is against him and yet he still wants me. What 
have I done to deserve something so special Jane? He loves me." 
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her sister.  Jane's 
normally placid countenance was over writ by a confused expression.

"You are engaged? Why has it not been announced? Why has he left for 
Pemberley? Lizzy, tell me everything you have not yet already." Her 
demanding tone was very un-Jane like, her expression more worried 
and concerned than happy.

"I did not wish to announce it because I wish to go to Pemberley to 
see him. He needed time to think and heal from within as well as 
without. So much has happened to him these past weeks. Can we be 
surprised if he is confused? He told me of his life and Jane, it has 
been such a sad one.  He effectively lost his family all at once 
when his mother died and his father and sister shunned him, and now 
he has lost what he had left. He needs to be happy Jane, he deserves 
to be happy.  Please, do not deny us that. If you tell anyone of our 
engagement, I shall go to Pemberley anyway. Too much has already 
come between us and I can see from your expression that you want to 
interfere, too. Please, I beg of you, be happy for us silently and 
let me see my fiancé at his home one last time before we wed." This 
was a great deal for Jane to take in; she released Lizzy's hand and 
walked to the window to look out at the night sky.

"I can promise nothing Elizabeth. You know that society dictates the 
rules in which we live and yet you go against all of them. To see 
him at Pemberley would be dangerous especially if news of your 
engagement were to get abroad. I shall not be the one to tell your 
secrets, but please, be careful dear sister. For both your sakes, do 
not be foolish."

Jane turned to look at her sister with a forlorn expression etched 
onto her pretty features. She so hoped that Lizzy would find love 
and happiness but nothing seemed to be going right for the couple. 
The last thing she wanted was for Lizzy to become part of a scandal 
that would forever ruin the lives of both. She hated seeing her 
sister upset in any way, these few weeks had taken their toll on 
Lizzy; it was written in her eyes. Jane walked over and took her 
younger sibling into her arms. For once it was Lizzy that required 
comforting. 

"I shall be careful Jane. I just need to ensure that he is well. He 
says that you and Mr Bingley will be invited. We could all travel up 
together.  It would be a break from our dear mama. Please say you 
shall consider it." The pleading look in Lizzy's eyes proved
too much for Jane to resist. 

"If he does write and ask for us all, then we will all go. Do not 
worry. I should leave you, it is getting late." She kissed Lizzy on 
the forehead and rose from the bed. Walking towards the door, she 
cast a parting look at Lizzy. 

"Thank you Jane."

**

As she was shown into the grand sitting room at Rosings Park, 
Caroline Bingley attempted to formulate her words in her mind. What 
could she tell the girl that had seemingly ruined every chance of 
Mr. Darcy's happiness? This question begged to be answered as Miss 
Darcy soon entered the room, a weak smile playing on her lips. She 
suggested that Miss Bingley take a seat before settling herself 
across the room. The bell was rung and tea was ordered.  After 
refreshments had been served, Georgiana decided to start the 
conversation. 

"Miss Bingley, this is a surprise." Georgiana's voice was small and 
barely audible. Caroline strained to hear the tiny words. 

"How are you, dear Georgiana? I understand you left Hertfordshire in 
quite a rush. Your brother is worried about you." Miss Bingley had 
little patience for idle pleasantries and so went directly to her 
point. At the mention of Darcy, Georgiana looked straight at 
Caroline.

"Is he? I know not why;" Her voice strengthened as she reined the 
guilt stricken feelings back.

"Of course he is. You ran from his sick room saying you would not 
see him again. Do you not realise how upset he has become?" Her ire 
began to rise when she thought of the dejection she had caused.

"I said that I would see him again once he has reconsidered his 
choice of wife. She is very nice, I grant you, but so beneath him." 
It was a shock to hear Miss Darcy put so many words together and 
even stranger still to hear the anger surge from the younger girl's 
lips.

"It is true that Miss Elizabeth's station could be considered lower 
than your brother's, but he loves her. Did you not observe the way 
they look at each other whilst you were visiting? Of course he will 
choose his only chance of happiness if you wish to remain spoilt." 
Caroline rose from her seat as did Miss Darcy.

"Do not talk to me in that tone. Do you know who I am?"

"Yes I do, and do you know what you have wrought? His entire family 
is against him now. Nobody but your cousin will stand by his side. 
You are too selfish for words, young lady. He will forsake 
everything to get his own way. You will have ruined your life and 
his just for spite." Caroline spat the last few words out, her anger 
having escalated to great heights. Georgiana would pay for what she 
had done. The look of defiance on Miss Darcy's countenance was 
replaced by a look of shock.

"What? The entire family? What has happened? I only said I would
not see him again."

"Your aunts have wrested control of your fortune and your 
guardianship from him. Your family are orchestrating his ruin. The 
plan you instigated has succeeded, his name shall not be mentioned 
without malice in London. He shall be no one and it is all thanks to 
you, and your spoilt behaviour. How can you defend yourself?" 

Georgiana sat down again, too weak to stand. What had happened she 
knew not. She had planned none of this, expected none of this and 
yet everything seemed to come back to her and her childish 
ultimatum. Why ever had Caroline Bingley come to sort this out? Why 
had she refused to listen when cousin Fitzwilliam had attempted to 
see her? Everything Miss Bingley accused her of weighed in her mind 
and the conclusion she reached smote her so hard she would have 
reeled backward had she not been seated.

"Why are you here? What has this to do with you?" Her voice was 
small again, reflecting her uncertainty.

"It was I who sent for your aunt in the first place. Had I not 
written that letter, none of this would have happened. I am to blame 
and I accept my own responsibility.  Now I want you to see what you 
have wrought as well."

"I did not ask for any of those things. I never wished to turn his 
family against William. I could never wish that upon him. Is he very 
unhappy?" Tears welled in Miss Darcy's eyes. Caroline walked over 
and put her arm around the young girl.

"Yes, he is, I am afraid to say, as is Miss Elizabeth. I had thought 
from last summer that you liked her."

"I do. Really, I do.  She is so alive and caring. I have been too 
long with my aunt I fear." The tears spilled down her face as Miss 
Bingley held her close. "I never meant for it to get this bad. I do 
not know what I was doing. I am so stupid."

"It is all right, everything will be resolved, do not worry. You 
know how stubborn your brother is. I fear you shall have to go see 
him before he will talk to you again. He will not back down, so I am 
afraid it falls on you to do so. Please think about this dear 
Georgiana, do not ruin the life you shared with your brother because 
of your aunt's vitriol."

Georgiana pulled back to look at Caroline. Never would she have 
thought that one day she would be being comforted by the orange 
feather-wearing termagant. But Georgiana knew that Miss Bingley was 
right, she must talk to William. He would be very angry and it would 
require a long time for the rift she caused to fully heal. She was 
resolved, she could do this. The question remained: how to get to 
Hertfordshire without being missed by Lady Catherine? As if reading 
her mind, Caroline had the answer.

"I have written to Colonel Fitzwilliam in London and he is to 
collect us when you are ready. We shall have to be careful and leave 
in the dead of night. You are certain you want to do this? Once you 
have left here, there can be no turning back. You have to be certain 
you want your happiness and that you will let your brother have 
his." 

Georgiana nodded and smiled. Seeing her brother again would be nice. 
She had missed him these last three weeks. Her aunts and her cousin 
Anne had become increasingly tiresome. Yes, she was positive. 
Elizabeth would be a wonderful sister; the time spent with Aunt 
Catherine and Cousin Anne merely underlined this blatantly obvious 
fact. They would leave Rosings Park in a few days. For both 
Georgiana and Caroline, life began to look more promising.

**

Lizzy stirred in her sleep. Feeling the chill of the cold morning, 
she pulled the sheets closer around her. The sound of footsteps 
running along the landing invaded her resting mind and brought her 
into the land of day. The curtains cast their usual grey light about 
the room; it was raining again. Her unending sense of loss sank deep 
into the pit of her stomach as she realised it would be another day 
with no escape. With every morning it became increasingly harder to 
open her eyes. Once the most beautiful part of the day, morning was 
now the least anticipated. Most days Elizabeth wished to huddle in 
bed all day, wallowing in her self pity and longing. The feel of 
William holding her was still fresh in her mind. The recollected 
sensation of his lips on her skin, the sense of completeness when he 
entered her, the overwhelming joy when he said he would rather be in 
love; those memories brought a smile to her face. These reminisces 
alone could inspire her to rise every day. Today was no different.

She rose from the bed and walked to the window. Pulling the curtains 
back, she saw the sun just beginning to appear from behind a black 
cloud. She smiled at the thought of her beloved William pining for 
her also. The peeping sun filled her with a confidence she had not 
felt in a seemingly long time. Elizabeth rushed to bathe and dress, 
nothing seemed fast enough. Slowing herself as she reached the 
steps, she took a deep calming breath and descended them gently. Mrs 
Hill rushed past her to get to Mrs Bennet who could be heard 
shrieking from the floor above. The whole house was livelier than it 
had ever been. Something had definitely happened.

As Lizzy wandered into the breakfast parlour, her father looked up 
and smiled at her. The glint in his eye suggested that knowledge to 
which she was not yet privy. Smiling back, she poured herself tea 
from the side table and sat down next to Mr. Bennet. When Jane 
arrived, beaming at Lizzy from the door, suspicion filled her heart. 
Lizzy glanced at her father again and he produced a note from his 
waistcoat pocket and presented it to her.

"I hope this will cheer you up dearest." He stood and kissed her 
forehead before leaving the room. 

Lizzy stared at the missive in her hand and lightly traced the 
writing with her index finger. There, in her hand was what she had 
needed for so long. She dare not open it. Apprehension overtook her 
as she stared long and hard at the letter before her. Slowly she 
turned it over and broke the seal. Unfolding the single sheet of 
paper, it took her a few minutes to recognise the words that filled 
her heart with joy.

"I miss you. Will you come to Pemberley now? Bring Jane, I have 
written to Bingley. Please, I need you. 

Forever yours

FD"

Nothing more need be said. Looking up she saw Jane nod once and 
smile. They were to go to Pemberley. All that remained was to ask 
her father. Her face erupted into a smile, one that required a great 
deal of time to erase.

**



Chapter 8 

As she moved across the room gathering clothes and items to take 
with her, a happy feeling permeated the air. Nothing could take her 
down from the high she had put herself on. She was so happy. Lizzy 
Bennet was about to travel to Derbyshire to see her beloved William 
and nothing in this world would prevent her from going. The minute 
she received his letter asking her to come she was filled with such 
joy that not a moment was to be wasted. What could be more important 
than preparing for the long journey? 

As she walked about the room collecting things from various drawers 
and cabinets, some items caught her attention. On her dressing table 
was her collection of keepsakes. She had been such a little hoarder 
when she was small. Everything she could find of interest she would 
take home to show her papa and then place it somewhere safe. Small 
pebbles and rocks now adorned almost every surface. Her mother could 
not believe how much rubbish could fill the room and would attempt 
to rid the room of these small treasures. Every time that occurred, 
Lizzy would run back down the stairs and retrieve them from Mrs 
Hill. They would have to now be forfeited.
 
Next to the washing jug and bowl set lay a small rag doll. It had 
been given to her by her uncle Gardiner. Some years before, when he 
had been establishing the warehouses in London, he had travelled to 
Asia. This was long before he met his wonderful wife. He had brought 
Lizzy a doll back and she had loved it more than anything. Now it 
lay looking lifeless with shining eyes in front of the mirror. Lizzy 
walked over and gently picked it up. The stitching was fraying and 
the paint work that was her face faded. Her fingers played with the 
hem of the doll's dress as she recalled the day she had been 
presented with it. Now it would have to remain here. The Mistress of 
Pemberley does not have small children's toys in her chambers. This 
sentimentality had to stop if she ever wanted to leave Longbourn to 
live with her beloved.

From the doorway Jane had sensed her plight. She stood and watched 
her sister's expression turn from excitement to melancholy in a 
matter of seconds. This was only a short journey yet the looming 
prospect of that inevitable trip forever seemed to be getting 
closer. There was only one way to get Elizabeth Bennet to pack and 
that was to help her. When she took a step into the room, Lizzy 
looked round and smiled at Jane. There, the excitement was back for 
the time being. Laying the doll down on the bed, Lizzy walked over 
and took Jane's hand.

"I fear this could be harder that I expected."

"You shall be leaving Longbourn for good soon and you can see it 
happening already, is that it?" 

"How well you know me Jane. Yes, I can see myself leaving all this 
behind. I shall be glad to get away from some aspects of our lives 
however." As if to demonstrate her point, screeching could be heard 
from beyond the door. 

Mrs Bennet was rushing about the place trying to rally the girls to 
hurry up. The coach to take them to Derbyshire would be arriving in 
a few moments and as all good mothers do, she wanted her two eldest 
to be ready for that occurrence. Mr Bingley was to travel with them 
during the long two-day coach ride. Thus, Lizzy would be chaperone 
to Jane and everything would be proper. Yet both sisters were 
nervous about making this trip. 

Lizzy was anxious about seeing her fiancée again after so long with 
no contact. Three weeks without once hearing from him and then a 
summons to leave for Pemberley was almost too much to bear for her 
fragile emotions. She had missed him more than words could ever say. 
All she wanted to do was see him again and make sure he would be 
well. Their marriage would take place shortly after his leg was 
fully recovered. Oh how she longed for this day as then she would 
never have to leave his embrace again. 

Jane was nervous for a very different reason. The extra time with 
her beloved Bingley would be most welcome she had to admit. She had 
not spent such a length of time in his company since she was ill at 
Netherfield; and then she was too unwell to enjoy it at the time. 
Now she could see him all the day long. She could greet him in the 
morning and bade him well at night. There would be wonderful times 
in each others company. Yet the object of her consternation was her 
sister. 

It was true that she had noticed a subtle difference in Lizzy that 
only she could pick up on. Something had definitely happened between 
her sister and Mr Darcy during the last few days of his stay. All 
she could hope for that Lizzy and her Mr Darcy would take care, for 
proprieties sake. The thought of Lydia's scandal was still too fresh 
in everyone's mind.

"Come on Lizzy, we must make haste if we are to leave soon. I would 
not wish to keep Mr Darcy waiting if I were you." 

"No, I should not wish that either. I have waited for what seems 
like an eternity for that missive and I do not want to delay our 
departure due to melancholy. What would William think of his soon-to-
be wife? Sniffling over something so insignificant!" She laughed a 
little and Jane joined in.

"I think he would smile and make sure you were happy with your 
decision. He cares about you a great deal; I see it when he looks at 
you."

"I know William cares a great deal for me, every time I get caught 
in his gaze, I feel so loved. He is truly the best man I know and I 
love him so very dearly. I am so glad you are to come with me Jane. 
I feel I shall never leave his side once I see him again. These past 
three weeks have been the worst ones of all." 

The despondency she had felt in the past days was now mixed with 
anticipation of the reunion. If she were not careful, she feared she 
may burst; the torrent of emotions was too great to bear. She could 
only hope that on sighting her fiancé, she would at least remain 
respectable and not break down as she thought she might.

The sisters managed to finish the packing in no time at all. Their 
trunks were taken downstairs as the girls went to talk with their 
family one last time for four weeks. It was not a long trip; it felt 
incredibly short to Elizabeth. A lifetime with Darcy was barely long 
enough. 

This trip was all very vexing for Mrs Bennet. With Jane's wedding to 
Mr Bingley to plan, an extended excursion such as this was 
unforgivable. Yet she comforted herself in the knowledge that 
another of her daughter's hand may be secured by the very wealthy Mr 
Darcy. Jane would at least have time with Mr Bingley and Lizzy could 
come back having received an offer from Darcy. The more Mrs Bennet 
pondered this predicament, the more perfect it became and she 
delighted in telling her husband so repeatedly. 

"I could not have planned this any better Mr Bennet. Just think, 
Jane can become better acquainted with her fiancé and Lizzy could 
well become engaged to Mr Darcy. For surely, his injuries must have 
healed by now. I think he only remained here as long as he did to 
stay with Lizzy. I do hope that shall be the case."

"You are forgetting my dear; Mr Darcy was still very unwell when he 
left here. Lizzy may just have been a pleasant diversion."

"Oh you do talk nonsense Mr Bennet. I think it most likely that Mr 
Darcy is mad in love with Lizzy. Did you not see the way he looked 
at her as he departed? I do hope that Lizzy will not be as strong 
willed with this gentleman as she was with Mr Collins." Her voice 
took on the all too familiar disappointment over that particular 
match. The thought of Charlotte Lucas becoming the mistress of 
Longbourn still brought on the spasms in her sides and flutterings 
in her chest. 

"On the contrary Madame, I can assure you, Lizzy would be on her 
best behaviour when in the company of such a man. Would you not my 
dear?" He looked fondly at his second eldest and winked. She smiled 
radiantly in return.

She was indeed his favourite daughter and he only wished for her 
happiness. Since Darcy's leaving, the depression he had seen in her 
spirits had caused him such pain. The life and sparkle in her eyes 
seemed to dwindle and disappear with each day of hearing nothing. 
Mrs Bennet's hopes for a marriage between the two were matched by 
his own wishes. Seeing the pair together, hearing her laughing and 
watching her smile so beautifully towards her Mr Darcy caused his 
heart to soar. He wished her nothing but joy.

This visit was not how he would have wished it however. If, and it 
was most likely, Darcy's injuries had not healed as well as they 
might, he knew that this could be the last time he saw Lizzy living 
at Longbourn. He knew all too well that Lizzy would stay at 
Pemberley and be married quietly in Derbyshire if Darcy asked her 
to. He had reservations about letting her go with only her sister 
and soon-to-be brother in law as company. But the expression of 
gloom and sadness that Lizzy had worn over the past few weeks 
overruled any apprehension he may have had. 

He had known who the letter was from the moment he had received it, 
the sealing wax stamped with the very definite initial of that very 
important person. Jane saw it in her fathers hand and knew the 
message contained within. She divulged some of her information about 
what it contained and asked him if he would allow them to go to 
Pemberley. The expression of joy on Lizzy's face gave reassurance to 
himself and to Jane. How could he have refused his two favourite 
daughters anything?

So there they all were, standing in the courtyard and driveway to 
Longbourn. Mr Bingley had just arrived mere moments before and the 
loading had begun. The smile on Elizabeth's face was radiant, 
covering up the nervous feelings coursing through her body. She 
ached to see Darcy again. The longing that had been created in her 
was overwhelming. She found herself thinking about her fiancé with 
very wanton thoughts. The feeling of being that close to the person 
she loved more than life was certainly an experience. One she wanted 
oft repeated. She needed to see him, talk to him, and know he was 
suffering the deprivation of her touch as much as she was his. It 
was getting too much for her to abide. At this second, she no longer 
feared breaking down in front of him at sight but rather more 
amorous thoughts invaded her mind. 

Bingley had received a short missive from his friend that morning. 
It was only a small favour he asked of his friend (Ha, small indeed 
thought Bingley). Titan was still in the stable at Longbourn and all 
Darcy asked was that he be brought up with the party. He trusted no 
one with his precious horses and the fact that he wished Bingley to 
ride the steed brought a smile to Bingley's face. He would of course 
be glad to ride Titan some of the way back. The prospect of spending 
a coach ride to Derbyshire with two of the most agreeable ladies in 
the country won over for the majority of the ride. 

Titan would be well taken care of being ridden by a postillion 
surely and with that he could converse with his angel and her 
sister. They were all set to go within a few minutes of his arrival. 
He had of course rushed to Jane and shared a few private words with 
his fiancée. On his way to his angel, he had seen Elizabeth. She had 
looked so happy yet perturbed at the same time. He put it down to 
nerves at seeing Darcy once more. He knew he would be nervous as 
well, his best friend had changed since the fall, he knew not what 
to expect from the long anticipated meeting.  

The rest of the Bennet clan were standing outside on the cold 
December's day. The wintry sun cast down on them as they bade their 
farewells and left for the long trip to Pemberley. Mr Bennet was 
most upset to see his two eldest depart but also happy for 
Elizabeth. He wished most sincerely that she would find the 
happiness she deserved. Mrs Bennet was ecstatic if not slightly put 
out and Kitty and Mary just stood idly by. 

Jane, Elizabeth and Mr Bingley boarded the carriage bearing the 
Bingley livery and left Longbourn. Both Jane and her sister waved 
farewell until their family home was no longer in sight and settled 
down for the long journey. Bingley was sitting across from the 
sisters as propriety dictated when travelling with ladies. Lizzy had 
brought a book to read and Jane had brought some embroidery she was 
hoping to complete. 

Bingley was one for staring out onto the countryside. Lizzy had 
imagined he would be. It was a mystery how Bingley had become such 
close friends with Darcy. They were so different from each other. 
Darcy would sit and read on a journey, not one for missing out on an 
opportunity to expand his mind. In fact, he would most probably not 
have ridden in the carriage with the ladies but most likely 
travelled astride Titan. Lizzy so hoped he would be able to ride 
once more, he did make a very impressive figure when in his leather 
riding boots-

`Stop it Elizabeth, thoughts like that are not allowed.' She 
admonished herself, smiling all the while.

It was Bingley that was the first to break the silence only twenty 
minutes into the journey. He was as concerned for his friend as were 
the other occupants of the carriage.

"I wonder how Darcy is. I had not heard of him before he requested 
our company. Normally he is a very regular correspondent." 

"Do not worry Charles; Mr Darcy will be quite alright. You shall see 
him tomorrow and all will be well." 

Jane's voice was serene and calming. Even though she addressed her 
fiancé, Elizabeth was in her thoughts as well. Ever since they had 
begun their journey, her sister seemed somewhat distant. She could 
tell the book had been unread. 

"I know he shall be well again, it is just, I have never seen him so 
vulnerable as when he was ill. He has always been there, so strong. 
It was he that looked after me, not the other way round."

"He shall be fine Mr Bingley, if he has changed then so be it. He is 
still your best friend and you his. Please, I beg you, leave it at 
this." 

Lizzy was staring out of the window, unable to look at the other 
occupants. Mr Bingley's worries had been too close to her own. 
Nothing more was said as the carriage ambled along the road.

~*~*~

Georgiana was moving around her room quickly and purposefully. Her 
mind was so occupied with her task and recriminations that she never 
noticed the visitor entering her chambers. There was so little time 
and so much to do. Not a moment could be wasted if she were to 
succeed in her plan. It was this blindness to the real world that 
made her walk straight into Caroline Bingley.

"Miss Bingley, I am s…sorry." 

The two ladies dropped curtsies yet Georgiana never once looked up 
from her feet. Her mind was elsewhere Caroline could tell, and she 
knew exactly where. 

"It is quite alright. I am here to ask if you are nearly ready. We 
must depart tonight. Everything is arranged. Colonel Fitzwilliam 
will be waiting for us at midnight near the parsonage."

"Yes, I t…think I am ready. I am quite filled with nerves." 

Her voice was so quiet and unsure. In her mind, Georgiana could not 
see her brother forgiving her at all. Images of him refusing to see 
her and being cast out of her home sprung to mind. If she had indeed 
lost her brothers love, what would she do? To spend the rest of her 
time until her coming out with her Aunt seemed terrifying. Since she 
has found out about Lady Catherine's interference to the full extent 
she had barely spoken ten words to her. Her family had taken her 
side and turned their back on Fitzwilliam. He was alone in the world 
and it was all her fault. 

"What have you to be nervous about? Your brother will welcome you 
back with open arms. I am quite sure he is quite desolate without 
you." Caroline's voice tried to be reassuring but how could it be 
when her own mind was so filled with doubt.

"I fear it may be too late to repair the rift I have caused between 
us. It has always been there but now it has grown. I never loved my 
brother until our father died and he was the only person I had left. 
After all my father and I put him through, I am so lucky we have 
remained civil for this length of time." 

Georgiana walked to the window imitating her dear brother's usual 
stance. She was crying lightly as the guilt she had suppressed for 
so long flowed to the surface. Caroline walked up to her and placed 
a hand on her shoulder. Georgiana didn't know why she was telling 
all this to a relative stranger. No matter how long she had been 
acquainted with Miss Bingley, they barely knew each other. Both 
women were sadly misunderstood.

"Mr Darcy has only ever spoken highly of you. Even before your 
father departed from this world he had only ever loved you. Please 
do not give up hope dear Georgiana, your brother will take you back 
and you shall be happy." 

"He loved me?" Caroline nodded and looked at the younger woman's 
reflection in the window. 

"Of course he did. Why should he not?" Caroline turned Georgiana to 
face her.

"It was too horrible. I never thought of it until my father died, 
then it struck me. I forgot that he lost his mother whereas I never 
knew her. I was so heartless yet never knew it. Poor Fitzwilliam." 
She drew a shuddering breath as she tried to prevent the tears from 
falling.

"He forgave you Georgiana, he will forgive you again." 

"How can you be sure? If he does not I will have lost everyone I 
care about. He is my only true family. Richard will take sides with 
my brother and I shall be alone-"

"Yes, but Mr Darcy is already by himself. He will understand my 
dear, do not worry."

"I hope you are right Miss Bingley-"

"Please, call me Caroline. We have both made very silly mistakes in 
our lives. Please, I ask you to think of this no more else we shall 
be very late. You would not wish to leave Colonel Fitzwilliam 
waiting tonight, would you?" 

For the first time in Georgiana's memory, Caroline Bingley smiled 
sincerely. She smiled back in return; thankful of the new friendship 
she had formed with this woman. She nodded at Caroline and began to 
pack her belongings. Tonight they would leave Rosings secretly and 
make their way to Derbyshire. 

Col. Fitzwilliam had let them know of Darcy's location and would 
take them there. The three conspirators had arranged this without 
Lady Catherine ever knowing. That was no mean feat as Lady Catherine 
was meant to know all. Soon, Georgiana would beg her forgiveness 
from her brother one more time.




~*~*~

No more was spoken of his worries for Darcy as the carriage made its 
way to Pemberley. Bingley knew better than to risk his life and 
disagree with Jane's sister. If one was unhappy about something, it 
automatically followed that the sister would be as well. In fact, so 
unnerved was he that the following day he rode Titan the rest of the 
way. Two Bennet sisters were more than he could handle easily. 

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred en route. They travelled as far 
as they could in one day, spending the night at an inn half way 
between Longbourn and Derbyshire and rose early the next morning to 
conclude the journey. They were expected to arrive at Pemberley mid 
afternoon on the second day, and, much to the relief of all, they 
did. 

The carriage took the same road that Elizabeth travelled in summer. 
In the missive to Bingley, Darcy had requested that they drive up 
using the lower road. This was of course due to the fact that 
Elizabeth had enjoyed the prospect from this angle once before. 
Indeed, even in the throws of winter, the grounds surrounding 
Pemberley were just as beautiful. Elizabeth smiled as she recounted 
the journey she had taken previously with her aunt and uncle. The 
trees were bare and the ground covered in a white haze, residue from 
the morning's frost. To her it looked magical.

The carriage wound its way up to the house at a steady rate. The 
expression Jane bore was wonderful. Lizzy had to remember that Jane 
had never seen Pemberley, the look of surprise and awe was 
reminiscent of that Elizabeth had worn when first setting her eyes 
on the beauty around her.

"Is it not beautiful Jane? I shall never forget the first time I 
glimpsed the house and neither will you I am sure."

"You were quite right when you told me of this place. It truly is 
perfect. Just think Lizzy, you shall live here. I should not imagine 
anything more fitting for my intrepid Lizzy than miles of woodland 
to explore." Jane smiled and continued to look from the window, 
Lizzy knew that just around the next bend, there was a prospect that 
would reduce Jane to very few words indeed.

Bingley rode alongside the carriage unaware of the nature of his 
surroundings, he had travelled up this road so many times before 
that it felt more like coming home that just a visit. He could see 
the women in the coach gazing at the area, the expression on both a 
joy to behold as they stared in amazement. He felt proud of the 
grounds for Darcy. It should be he not Bingley that showed the 
grounds off for the first time to the ladies.

As expected, round the next turn was the house. It suddenly appeared 
from behind a group of trees. Both Lizzy and Jane drew deep breaths 
at the sight. Lizzy smiled and looked fondly upon the place that 
would soon be her home. Knowing that the man she loved was within 
the stone walls made her anxious. True, three weeks was not an 
awfully long period of time from one's fiancé but it had felt like 
much more. 

Jane was indeed rendered speechless as she took in the most 
wonderful vision before her. All the rumours of Mr Darcy owning a 
great house in Derbyshire were certainly true. Where Elizabeth felt 
comfortable at nearing the place, Jane was nervous. Suddenly 
intimidated by the prospect and she turned to look through the other 
window. Elizabeth noticed this yet could not say anything. They had 
arrived and, to Elizabeth's joy, were greeted by a grinning
Darcy. 

He was standing there waiting for them; his long great-coat blowing 
slightly in the breeze. To Bingley and Jane he looked extremely 
well; it was Elizabeth that noticed his thinner and paler 
appearance. She would have to question him about that later. After 
spending weeks nursing him back to health, she had taken a keen 
interest in keeping him in that condition. 

Bingley jumped off Titan and walked towards his friend. They shook 
hands and exchanged some brief words before Darcy looked up and 
caught Elizabeth's eye. He walked towards the carriage and helped 
her down the step to the ground. She could tell it was painful for 
him; he barely placed any of his weight on his left leg. They moved 
to the side to let Bingley hand Jane down. They could not stop 
looking at each other, so many unspoken words passed between them in 
those few seconds. 

"Miss Elizabeth, welcome to Pemberley again." He gently kissed the 
back of her hand then taking it in his; he turned to Bingley and 
Jane. It was Jane's awestruck expression that made him laugh 
slightly.

"I apologise for laughing but I last saw that expression on Bingley 
when he first arrived here. Welcome to Pemberley Miss Bennet." He 
bowed low as she curtsied before him. 

A cold breeze ran through indicating that a warm house beckoned them 
in. He was about to lead the way when he espied Titan. Elizabeth 
followed as he walked over to where the horse stood, held steady by 
one of the many grooms. Running his hand down the horses head he 
whispered some words of welcome. It was when he turned round that he 
noticed Elizabeth keeping her distance from the beast, her 
expression apprehensive. It dawned on him; she was afraid of horses.

"Pray tell me Madame, how a young lady like you can be so scared of 
this very docile animal?" 

He smiled and reached for her hand, his other hand holding the 
horse's snaffle. Wary yet trusting, she took his hand and walked 
towards him. 

"He shall not hurt you, I promise. Just stroke him; he has a 
ticklish nose though so be warned." To hear Darcy laughed filled her 
with confidence as she gently ran her hand down Titan's neck. 

"I have always been wary of horses. I think it has become 
accentuated some recently by having a good friend of mine almost 
being killed whilst riding."

"I can assure you Madame that your good friend is going to be well 
and riding again. And in turn you may ride if you do him the honour 
of letting him teach you."

"I would like that, very much so sir."

She smiled up at him. Patting the horse's neck one last time, Darcy 
indicated for him to be taken to the stables. Looking at Elizabeth, 
he gestured towards the house. 

"Shall we Miss Bennet?"

"Certainly Mr Darcy." Taking his arm, they walked to the house.

Bingley and Jane had been watching the scene play before them. Jane 
in wonder at how Mr Darcy had finally gotten her sister to touch a 
horse, Bingley in slight irritation as it was indeed, very cold to 
ride horseback.

As they entered the house, a mixture of servants hurried forward to 
divest the party of their outside coats and gloves. The speed and 
efficiency with which it was done astounded the sisters; if they 
blinked Jane was sure they would have missed it.  

To Bingley, watching his good friend limp around obviously quite 
painfully was terrible. To see him look well once again was a 
blessing after seeing him almost die. Yet the Darcy confidence he 
had always aspired to was missing. His whole posture had changed, no 
longer was he the straight backed, confident walking, mean looking 
man he had once been. The way he leaned slightly to one side, taking 
the weight off his quite badly injured leg caused him to look very 
different. Bingley hoped it was not for an extended duration. 

Darcy showed his guests into one of the many sitting rooms Pemberley 
had. It was his favourite room aside from his study of course. His 
mother had chosen the décor and he was loathe to change it. Anything 
that resembled his mother's taste was preserved at all costs. 

The four sat down together as the tea was brought in. Maids scurried 
about the room as Darcy asked how their journey had been. They had 
spent the night at Huntingdon and set off at first light as was the 
usual way to get to Derbyshire from London. Of course, starting from 
Hertfordshire cut out part of the journey making is slightly 
shorter. They were all glad that the weather had held long enough to 
arrive. 

It was in the air; snow was coming and as usual, would fall in 
droves leaving them trapped in their own world. It was Darcy that 
mentioned this fact. Having lived in the harsh winter conditions of 
the North all his life, he knew that it was indeed sheer luck that 
got them here in time. Now Jane looked truly worried, she had never 
been snowed in before and the thought of being cut off weighed 
greatly on her mind. It was this look that again caused Darcy to 
laugh, this time he was joined by Bingley and Lizzy. 

"I take it you do not get much snow in Hertfordshire. Never mind, 
once you have spent a winter here, you shall never want to see it 
again. Or you could go the opposite way and end up like me, I miss 
the snow when I am in London." He looked at Elizabeth. "I am sure 
that you shall enjoy it Miss Elizabeth. You seem to enjoy the 
outside as indeed do I." She smiled at him and glanced over to Jane 
and Bingley. 

"I say Darce, without you, Meryton had been quite dull. No mention 
of Mr Darcy and his ten thousand a year." 

Darcy almost spat out his tea so close to laughing was he. In fact, 
as soon as he had swallowed he did laugh. Quite heartily in fact. To 
Lizzy this was normal behaviour when in the company of close 
friends. To Jane, to say she was shocked would be an understatement.

"I cannot comment on Meryton society but at Longbourn I do believe I 
heard your name mentioned no less that one hundred times a day." 
Lizzy joked with Darcy, seeing him laugh was such a good thing.

"Indeed. I am shocked indeed. To have made such an impression on 
such a confined and unvarying society I must have committed some 
terrible act."

The words spoken during the first month of their acquaintance seemed 
humorous now. The humility Elizabeth had gone through to dissuade 
her mother of making a spectacle of herself seemed so long ago. So 
much had occurred during the past year. It was these thoughts that 
plagued all four suddenly. The conversation slowed down as they 
became entrenched in their memories. 

Bingley was the one who broke the silence. Seeing the way Darcy 
looked at Elizabeth alerted him to the fact that the two needed to 
talk. Looking at Jane, he could see how uncomfortable she was. Lizzy 
may be able to adapt to Darcy's real personality but to Jane it was 
unnerving. He had an idea that would solve both problems. 

"Jane, would you like to see some of the house. I am sure Darcy 
would not mind my showing you around. Would you Darce?" He looked 
hopefully towards his friend.

"Why of course not. You should know your way well enough by now 
Bingley, you have virtually lived here since I met you." 

"Jane?" 

Bingley stood and offered Jane his hand? She was unsure. On one hand 
she would like to leave the room, on the other she did not want to 
leave Lizzy on her own. After a few moments, she chose the former as 
a priority. Taking his proffered hand, she stood and faced Bingley. 
Darcy stood as well as Jane and Bingley walked arm in arm from the 
room leaving him with Lizzy. 

As soon as the door closed, Lizzy stood and rushed across to Darcy. 
Her arms were about his neck and his about her waist clinging to 
each other in a fierce embrace. Her feet barely touched the ground 
as he murmured words of love in her ear. 

"I have missed you so much Liz."

"And I you." 

They knew not how long they stood like that; just holding each 
other. He stroked her back gently, burying his face in her neck, 
breathing in her scent, reassuring himself that she was in fact here 
in his arms. She did the same; it was all like a dream. Her nights 
had been tortured with scenes of their reunion only to wake up with 
a false hope. No, he was real. 

Finally they separated, only as far as to look at each other though. 
He took her hands in his and rested his forehead against hers. How 
she wanted to cry, the pressure and worry of the past weeks had 
steadily grown and now…now she just wanted to break down in his 
arms. She needed to be strong however. They both needed to stay 
intact, just for now. 

He kissed her forehead gently and pulled away. She noticed that his 
hair had grown, obscuring the scar that dominated the skin by his 
right eye and forehead. The illness of weeks back had taken its toll 
on William making his face thinner. Black circles still surrounded 
his beautiful eyes; she could tell he had barely slept these past 
days. Looking at him carefully, she could see his eyes had almost 
become as alive as they once had been yet there was still something 
missing. The questioning would begin.

"Well, you certainly look much better than when I first saw you 
after your accident."

"Ha, you obviously think I look worse than when you last saw me 
then. Yes, no wonder. Mrs Reynolds has been saying so everyday since 
I arrived home."

"Why is it no wonder?"

"My health has taken a severe hammering this past two months. I 
arrived back here and I became ill once again. Nothing so serious 
that time. Do not worry Elizabeth, you are here now and all will be 
well."

"What do you mean not to worry? How could I not? I take my part time 
job as nurse to Fitzwilliam Darcy very seriously I shall have you 
know." Her attempt to lighten the almost foreboding atmosphere 
worked as he smiled and looked away.

"And your leg sir? I can see that is improved-"

"Not by a great deal I fear but I shall not talk about that now. I 
would like to spend some time with my fiancée, not my keeper."

"I know but…"

"No buts. Come with me, I have something for you." 

He smiled and took her hand. Leading her from the room, they slowly 
made their way to what appeared to be his study. As he opened the 
door, she could tell that this was where he spent most of his days. 
Books were littered around on small tables next to well worn leather 
chairs. The desk that dominated the room was covered with paperwork 
and newspapers. It was strange to see this side of him. On the 
outward appearance he seemed so orderly yet when working, he was 
highly disorganised. It made her laugh to see him so chaotic.

"What is it that amuses you so?" He turned to face her.

"You sir. I was under the impression that you were so tidy and yet…" 
She gestured towards the desk and laughed once again.

"I see, well you were wrong. There are still some aspects of me that 
you do not know it seems. We shall have to remedy that I think." He 
leaned towards her and kissed her lips so softly. 

Standing up straight once again, he made his way to the large oak 
desk and collected something from one of the drawers. Walking back 
to where she still stood, by the window, he halted right in front of 
her. The place where his lips met hers still had the most pleasant 
tingle and he was only too happy to oblige once more. 

Tipping her chin up to face him with his fingertips, he kissed her 
again. It was slower this time, taking the time to reacquaint 
himself with her lips. Her hands rested on his chest as his arms 
wound their way around her back. In no time the kiss had deepened 
and her hands snaked up about his neck pulling him closer to her. 
His tongue caressed every corner of her mouth; she kissed him back 
with an urgency built up over three weeks of separation. 

Finally they broke apart, breathless. Resting his head against hers 
once more, he reached up and stroked her cheek with his hand. 
Looking deep into her eyes, he told her he loved her. Slowly they 
becalmed themselves so as to speak. He had to think what he was 
doing before such a wonderful diversion had been initiated. 

"Ah yes, I do believe I was going to give you something." 

He took her left hand in his and pulled a ring out of his waistcoat 
pocket. Slowly, he slid it onto her finger.

"This was my mothers, and hers before. This signifies that you are 
mine and mine alone. And that in turn I belong to you. There, we are 
now officially engaged."

Elizabeth was awe-struck. Never had she seen such a beautiful 
engagement ring. Small diamonds lay around the most dazzling 
sapphire set together. The delicate gold band encircled her finger 
and encased the stones. She did not know what to say, he held her 
hand still and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.

"Am I to understand that the lady approves?" 

All she could do was nod, slowly, she looked up at him. He was so 
handsome, even with the signs of illness still fading. Tears 
prickled at the corners of her eyes. How had she come to love this 
man so much when at the start of the year she did not want to ever 
see him again? Even more of a question was what had she done to 
deserve such a wonderful man? It was too much. Her tears slipped 
down her cheeks as she smiled at him. He carefully wiped her tears 
away with the back of his finger. 
 
"It is so beautiful William. Thank-you."

Without warning, she embraced him tightly. Responding to her he held 
her tightly against him. Kissing the top of her head gently, Darcy 
whispered small endearments to her. Neither ever wanting to let go 
of the other. 

~*~*~

Dinner that night was a very informal affair. Both couples were 
seated next to each other. Darcy took his usual place at the head of 
the table with Lizzy to his right. Bingley sat to his left and Jane 
sat with her fiancé. It amused Bingley to see his best friend have 
the same love-struck expression he himself usually bore. More 
astounding was that it was reflected in Lizzy's countenance. It was 
true; they were very much in love with each other.

It was Jane that first noticed the ring on her sister's finger. In 
fact it was when Darcy took his fiancées hand that she saw it 
glittering in the candlelight. A smile spread over her serene 
features as she caught Lizzy's eye. Both sisters smiled and before 
long Darcy joined in. Bingley was left out not knowing what all this 
strange smiling was about. Darcy put him out of his misery.

"Come now Bingley, can you not guess what has occasioned this bout 
of merriment?" Bingley shook his head in wonder; Darcy really did 
have to point it out to him.

"Elizabeth and I are to be married." 

As this information slowly worked its way into Bingley's mind, Jane 
stood and embraced her sister and of course, Mr Darcy. Suddenly his 
brain processed this new information and he too rose and shook hands 
with Darcy, kissing his soon to be sister's hand. As they all sat 
down once more, a playful banter commenced and continued over the 
course of the meal.

"So Darce, we are to be brothers after all. I thought all hopes of 
that were extinguished after about five minutes of observing you 
with Caroline." He laughed as did Darcy.

"Yes, I shall have the unlucky fortune to be related to you. How 
shall I bear it all?" 

Jane had of course never seen Darcy act this way. His whole 
personality had changed, for the better naturally. He was at ease 
with his surroundings, laughing and joking with his guests. Lizzy 
was right, he was a most amiable gentleman after all. He kept a 
possessive hold of her sister's hand between courses and even then 
it was replaced by some other form of contact during each dish. His 
eyes were alive when they beheld Elizabeth. There was definitely an 
aura of happiness about them, Jane only wished that she and Charles 
too looked so radiant together. 

Soon, dinner was over and all four retired to the music room. To 
Darcy this was a most pleasant place to be. It held some bitter 
memories when he thought of his sister spending her days in here. 
Thoughts like that were rapidly pushed aside when he saw his 
beautiful Elizabeth smiling so tenderly in his direction. It was 
almost as if she had never left since summer. She still looked at 
him with such an expression of love, still laughed as she did on 
that night. She was home, back where she had always belonged.

The informal nature of the evening carried on with all four members 
of the group throwing social proprieties to the wind. Bingley sat 
next to his beloved Jane and Lizzy sat next to her Darcy. Both 
couples were lost in each others conversations as the evening 
progressed. Jane and Bingley were eagerly discussing their lives 
together; enjoying the time spent planning all the things they hoped 
to do during their marriage to each other. 

Lizzy and Darcy's thoughts were on quite different lines. Both were 
so happy to see each other once again, the temptation to just hold 
each other was overwhelming. The brief physical contact they had 
shared that afternoon was not enough. He so wished to taste her lips 
once again. To her amazement, he told her so as well.

"I have missed you most deeply my love." She laughed a little and 
looked into his eyes. 

"I know I keep saying so but it is true. I am glad you are home 
Elizabeth." 

He took her hand in his and caressed her knuckles with his thumb. 
Looking at the ring that now adorned her finger; he smiled at the 
thought that she would soon be his.

"Home? How I wish it to be so-" He looked back up to her face.

"Yes, you are home. You have always belonged here can you not tell? 
Ever since I laid eyes on you, in my mind you have been here with 
me. I have been surrounded by endless seas of grey since I left. You 
bring Pemberley to life with your presence; it has not been so since…
since my mother died." He could not bear to meet her eyes as he said 
the last words. 

She quickly looked about the room, checking that her sister was not 
looking. Lizzy placed her other hand on her beloved's cheek and 
turned him to look at her. Running her thumbs over his lips, she 
spoke the words she had long felt.

"I belong where you are. My life is nothing without you William; I 
have known that since summer. I am at home here, I shall never leave 
you." He winced at her last words but smiled.

"How I wish I could kiss you. I am afraid you have awoken the fire 
in me Elizabeth. All I can think of is holding you against me; the 
taste of your lips; the feel of your skin. You are my undoing and 
God, I love you for it." 

Turning slightly, he kissed the palm of her hand, his eyes never 
leaving hers. The connection between them was palpable as he stroked 
her cheek with the back of his fingertips. Neither noticed the other 
couple watching them, not knowing what to say to prevent what was 
happening. They didn't need to. 

The feelings running through Elizabeth at the intensity of his eyes 
made her realise that they were in danger once again. She took his 
hand in hers and broke eye contact. With a subtle cough from the 
other side of the room, they broke the contact.

"Jane, I have not had the pleasure of hearing you sing. Would
you-"

"I am afraid I cannot Charles, Lizzy has the most superior singing 
voice, perhaps she would oblige." Jane's voice was quiet yet 
demanding. Lizzy would sing no matter what. 

Seeing her sister lost in her fiancé was dangerous and could not be 
allowed to happen. Too much scandal had already taken place and no 
matter what Lizzy had said to the contrary, Jane did not trust them. 
Bingley had also seen them interact together. The shy glances they 
shared and secret conversation was going against the rules of 
propriety that dictated their lives. He only hoped Darcy would be 
careful.

"I have heard Miss Elizabeth sing and I must admit it was quite 
lovely. Perhaps then you would be willing to play for us?" He looked 
at Elizabeth who had still not looked up to Darcy. Releasing his 
hand, she stood and addressed Bingley and Jane.

"If it would please you, then you shall hear me play but I shall not 
sing. Well, possibly with the right persuasion." She smiled and 
moved over to the pianoforte. 

Taking a seat, she commenced playing a piece of music she had known 
all her life. At request, it was the first piece she had ever learnt 
to play. All through her twenty years, it had given her great 
comfort to listen to the soothing notes. As she played the beautiful 
instrument before her, her thoughts strayed to that day months ago 
where she had played to the man before her. He was confident and 
strong then, now he looked almost broken. 
	
Raising her eyes to look about the room for a few seconds, she saw 
Darcy wince as he moved his leg slightly. He was beginning to look 
weary, his eyes closed as he ran a hand through his hair. Laying his 
head back against the chair, he opened his eyes and looked at her. 
As she looked down at the keyboard again, she could feel his gaze 
upon her. 

Jane and Bingley were talking again. The pressure of having to watch 
Lizzy and Darcy off now that they were on opposite sides of the 
room. Bingley knew he had to have a word with his friend and soon. 
The looks they shared were very intimate, and as an observer, 
Bingley wanted what was best for his soon-to-be sister-in-law. He 
decided that when the ladies retired for the night, he would take 
the opportunity to talk with his best friend.

Lizzy finished the piece and against the hopes of Bingley and Jane, 
took her place by Darcy once again. The two groups did not separate 
the conversation however. Jane and Bingley persuaded the two others 
to join in and a discussion on poetry started. Normally, Darcy would 
have jumped at the chance to offer his opinions on the new poet 
laureate, Robert Southey, yet he remained singularly preoccupied. 

"What do you think Darce? I should imagine you have some words on 
the subject." 

Bingley's over-enthusiastic attempt to lure his friend into 
conversation failed miserably. Darcy merely looked at him shrugged. 
To be truthful, it was as if he was hardly there. In body yes but 
his mind seemed to be elsewhere. 

"Surely Mr Darcy, you have some thoughts. As I recall poetry is an 
interest of yours."

"Indeed it is Madame, indeed it is. As yet I have to form an opinion 
of the new poet to the king. My thoughts have been elsewhere 
recently." He spoke so quietly; his expression wistful and 
withdrawn. 

Soon, with no participation from their host, the conversation 
dwindled. They could see that Darcy was indeed tiring, his eyes 
betraying him. With that in mind, Lizzy and Jane decided to retire 
for the night. Before they left, the discussed briefly plans for the 
next day. As promised, Darcy would show them the grounds to their 
full extent. Elizabeth was visibly excited by that fact; the grounds 
surrounding Pemberley had interested her before she had even set 
eyes on the house. Darcy smiled at her youthful enthusiasm, 
suddenly; he began to feel the years of pressure building up. It had 
seemed so long ago that he felt so excited about anything. Being 
with Lizzy was starting to make him realise he felt more nine and 
fifty rather than nine and twenty. 

The ladies rose and bid their fiancés goodnight. Bingley stood up 
and kissed Jane on the hand; Darcy leaned forward and took Lizzy's 
hand in his. Looking up at her he kissed her hand, squeezing it 
gently. Letting her hand go, she smiled down at him, reluctant to 
leave his company so soon. 

Jane took her arm and gently pulled her from the room. They walked 
up the stairs in silence to their rooms stopping outside Jane's 
room. She pulled her sister in, words needed to be said. As soon as 
the doors closed behind them, Jane turned to Lizzy and began her 
tirade.

"I hope you are being careful Elizabeth, I saw the look you shared. 
I know you nursed him while he was ill and that some degree of 
*intimacy* would be reached but please, promise me you shall not do 
anything more that look. You are engaged, you should not be under 
the same roof as him let alone conversing in such close quarters." 
Her voice was soft as she warned her sister.

"You too are in the same predicament Jane; do not lecture me on how 
to behave with Mr Darcy. I know what to do and what not to do. 
Please, I beg you, leave us be. I shall not *disgrace* our family 
for that is what truly worries you." 

Elizabeth was angry. Being forced to quit the company of her lover 
so soon; for being lectured about propriety; for the lack of trust 
her sister had in her (though she knew it to be justified).

"Lizzy…"

"Do not say anything more Jane, I know your thoughts and I do not 
wish to hear them. Goodnight." 

She walked from the room and straight to her own chambers. Her fists 
clenched tightly by her sides as she attempted to control her anger. 
Lizzy knew she had to talk to him, see what was wrong with him 
before. William had seemed so distant after…after what exactly? What 
had happened that had scared her so much? The intimacy they had 
already shared was nothing to the intensity of his look. He could 
see straight into her soul. His unflinching gaze took her unawares; 
she was lost to him. At that second she would have given him 
anything, her lack of control frightened her and she liked it. 
Marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy had the promise of being so wonderful.

~*~*~ 

"Darcy, I was wondering whether we could talk." 

Bingley was nervous, never had he had to talk to his friend about 
conduct, in fact, he had never once questioned Darcy before in all 
their years of friendship. Darcy had always been a man of good 
principles. Never once had he stepped beyond the bounds dictated by 
society, well, none that Bingley knew about. To have to warn him to 
keep a respectable distance from Elizabeth now seemed wrong. He 
would not have done were it not for the fact that his beloved Jane 
had requested him to do so. For crying out loud, Darcy and Lizzy 
were more intimate in their address than if they were wed. This 
would not do, not at all. 

"Of course we may, I am surprised you had to ask permission. You 
never have before." 

The normally pleasant `Darcy' countenance was back in place, smiling 
at Bingley, waiting to see where this conversation would lead. The 
worried stance of Bingley told Darcy that it was matter of delicacy, 
one that probably involved his conduct with Elizabeth. Bingley took 
a deep breath and stood before the fire, looking directly at Darcy.

"I have noticed your relationship with Miss Elizabeth has become 
quite… erm… close recently." He was already at a loss for words, a 
good start indeed.

"Yes, Elizabeth and I are good friends, even better now that we are 
engaged. What about it?" 

Darcy sat back in the chair and made himself more comfortable. 
Watching Bingley squirm would be quite amusing was it not for the 
very uncomfortable topic of conversation. 

"Well, I was worried about…about you two becoming…how can I put it…
closer, no that's not it…" 

"You wonder that my fiancée and I may become more intimate perhaps? 
Do you doubt my intentions to Miss Bennet?" The smile had gone, 
replaced with a cold look of distaste.

"It's not doubt Darcy; I saw the way you looked at her. I know that 
look man. Do not deny that at that moment your intentions were not 
quite as honourable as you make them out to be." Bingley was 
becoming angry for no reason, perhaps it was the expression on 
Darcy's face.

Darcy would have stood up were it not for the throbbing ache in his 
injured leg. So outraged was he to have been watched and then his 
every look interpreted as a dishonourable act. This talk of honour 
and the lack thereof was making him feel like Wickham. He would not 
have it.

"May I ask to where these comments tend? Do you mean to warn me off 
Elizabeth? I have not seen her for these three weeks gone and I am 
not allowed to show her any particular regard. You have had Jane by 
your side yet when I needed someone I find my whole family has 
deserted me and I have no Elizabeth. 
	
"What do you expect me to do, sit as far away from her as possible, 
no contact permitted? Should I not look at her just in case I cause 
a scandal with my own eyes? What would you have me do? I love her 
for crying out loud, if I am not to be with Lizzy then you should 
give up Jane. Can you honestly say that you would be happy with no 
contact from your `angel'? You have your pleasure, I beg you, do not 
deny me mine." 

Darcy was annoyed. To be rebuked for just holding her hand; touching 
her face; looking into the eyes of his beloved Elizabeth. This was 
not to be bourn.

"Darce, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"To what? Interfere? There has already been enough of that from Jane 
and yourself. I invited you here so that you could spend some time 
with your fiancé and I could spend some time with mine."

"I allowed you time this afternoon,"

"And for that I am grateful. Had you not done I fear I should have 
dragged Elizabeth away from the room." 

He was calming slightly, resting his elbow on the chair arm, he 
covered his eyes with his hand. This would not do, to argue with his 
best friend when they had only just arrived was not done. Bingley 
beat him to an apology.

"I am sorry. Perhaps had I been in your place, I would have been the 
same. It's just that I worry for Jane. Her family has already been 
through enough scandal. I think you had better stick to the rules 
until you do make her Mrs Darcy." Bingley smiled yet Darcy still 
looked troubled.

"I have already thrown propriety away. I did that so long ago when 
in Kent visiting my aunt. I gave her a letter. Seems such a minor 
offence does it not? Yet once you have let go of one rule, the rest 
shortly follow. I shall try my friend, do not worry. I shall take 
good care of my Bennet sister and you shall take good care of 
yours." 

"Thank-you. We have all been through enough I fear. I think I shall 
retire now anyway. It has been a long day. Goodnight Darce."

"Yes, goodnight." 

Bingley left the room leaving Darcy to himself. 

~*~*~

"William?" 

Darcy was sat alone next to the large open fireplace in the music 
room. He held a crystal wine glass loosely, his fingertips barely 
grasping the rim. The dying embers of the fire cast an orange glow 
around the room. The lights had long been extinguished; he was in a 
world of his own. She moved closer to him and saw the flickering 
flames dance in his deep brown eyes. His cravat and topcoat had been 
removed and thrown onto the chaise-longue nearby. His waistcoat 
unbuttoned and neck exposed; he never noticed her approach him. 

She looked into his face from across the room; the scar on his face 
seemed deeper and fiercer in the dim light of the room. He looked 
somewhat rugged and to her, very attractive. Moving around the 
various pieces of furniture in her way, Lizzy rested her hands on 
his shoulders. Standing behind the chair her betrothed was slouching 
in, she could tell he was not surprised by her presence. Taking the 
glass from his hand, she placed it on the nearest table. She had 
barely set the vessel down before he grabbed her arm and pulled her 
down onto him. His eyes never left the fire as she sat on his lap; 
he took her hand in hers and held it tightly, drawing strength from 
her touch.

"I was wondering where you were, I had not heard you walk past. It 
is getting quite late." 

He didn't seem to notice her talking, so lost in his own thoughts 
was he. It was true, she had waited for an unknown time to hear his 
foot steps beyond the door. The worry she had felt for him earlier 
pervaded her every sense, she had to know what was wrong. 

The light cast from the fireplace seemed to ease the harsh paleness 
of his face. He looked more his usual self yet the distance in his 
eyes disturbed her. How could she not have noticed the pain and 
suffering in his eyes before now? He had not told her everything; it 
seemed he had told her very little. The smile he wore earlier in the 
day when he addressed her was missing something and now she knew 
what. It was as if the happiness he once had was lost. She had to 
know why. It was with no little tenderness that she stroked his 
cheek with the back of her fingers, and set out to find the truth.

"Will? What is the matter?" The concern was evident in her voice, 
yet it was filled with a love that made his heart ache once more.

She gently turned his face to look at her. He seemed reluctant but 
turned to her all the same. She could see tears forming in his eyes 
as he took a deep breath to calm himself. This would take a long 
time, he was so upset. How had it happened? He had left her arms 
three weeks ago so happy and full of hope yet now he was reduced to 
a shadow of his former self in no time at all. 

"It is nothing of consequence. It has just been so hard, being here 
by myself. No you to cheer me up. I fear I have been left to my own 
thoughts a little too much, tis all. I beg you; do not worry for me 
Elizabeth. I shall be back to normal soon enough. I promise." He 
took a shuddering breath and stared back into the fire once more.

"I do not believe you sir. Please, tell me. I worry for you 
Fitzwilliam, you're eyes betray you my love and I want to help. 
Please let me in." Her voice begged him to tell her, the lack of 
trust he placed in her wounded her. She would not let him know that 
however.

"It is constantly raining in my head and I don't know what to do. 
Nothing was meant to be like this. I should be married to you now 
and we should be happy. If only the sun would come out for us."

"The clouds will go soon enough. I am here now…"

"But you shall leave me once again in four short weeks you shall be 
gone…"

"But not forever. We shall be wed and then I shall never leave your 
side. We will brave the weather together. I love you so much and you 
love me. What more do we need but each other?" He turned away from 
the fire and gazed deeply into her eyes. 

"You are right Elizabeth, you are always right."

"You find a fault there sir, it was you who shewed me how wrong I 
could be. I thought you were the worst person I ever had made the 
acquaintance of. I tried to stay away from you, you scared me sir. I 
told myself that I hated you when all I really wanted was for you to 
like me. 

"At Hunsford, when you first-"

"-Made a mess of things?"

"Professed your love was what I was aiming for but yes, you 
accomplished that as well. I was happy and saddened. It was at 
Pemberley that I realised how much you meant to me."

"You changed me so much Liz. If I made you realise how wrong you 
could be, then you shewed me how insufficient were all my 
pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased. You taught me 
a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was 
properly humbled. What do I not owe you?" 

"Every time you tell me you love me, it is repayment enough sir. I 
shall forever be thankful of this second chance we have." His eyes 
had a semblance of normality as she spoke the words he needed to 
hear. There was clearly more he was not telling her however.

"There is something else making you sad and I cannot bear to see it. 
If you will not tell me then I shall have to be content, but I beg 
you, let me know."

"You know me so well my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth. I can keep no 
secrets from you. It is so hard to say, I have only just won you, I 
hate this feeling of weakness. I fear as if I am to lose you again 
and that would kill me. I cannot live without you near. These past 
weeks have been pure torture." He hid his face in her neck, 
breathing in her scent, drawing comfort from the feel of her next to 
him. She kissed the top of his head and held him close. 

"I wish I had asked you to come earlier, I was unsure as to how you 
would respond. You seemed to be hesitant when I asked you the first 
time. I should know by now that the second time works better." 

He laughed lightly before raising her head to look at her. His face 
was serious once again as he formulated the words in his mind. After 
a few minutes, he was ready to tell her everything.

"I needed you, I needed you so badly. I was so scared that my fears 
would come true that I put it off." He lay his head on her shoulder 
once again, this was not easy.

"What? What is it?" Panic crept into her voice, whatever it was 
disturbed him deeply.

"My leg. It was Mrs Reynolds that called the physician eventually 
and so he came. He said that I had broken the main bone in my shin; 
he told me what it was called yet I cannot remember." He took hold 
of her face in his hand and looked deep into her eyes. "Lizzy, this 
is it; it will get no better." He released her face and turned back 
towards the almost dead fire. 

"Will, is it certain?" He shrugged gently and placed his hand over 
his eyes. 

"But sorrow, that is couch'd in seeming gladness, 
Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness."

Lizzy could recognise the words he whispered as she too had been 
reading them not four weeks previous. Strange how appropriate they 
seemed at the moment. 

She pulled his hand away and took it in hers, squeezing it gently in 
her own smaller hand. He was angry, not with her or himself, just 
with the cruel twist of fate god had dealt them. She reached out to 
touch his face, her fingertips gently running across the scar on his 
forehead. It was deep but had the promise of fading slightly in 
time. A curl of his unruly hair fell across it and she moved it 
away. He looked so tired, nothing like the man she had first met. 
That Darcy was dead and gone. This was the man she had fallen in 
love with, yet even now, he looked so far away; replaced with a 
despondent, broken Darcy. 

"I had hoped it would heal almost fully. I would never have expected 
it to be perfect but now…now I can barely walk."

"It may improve; doctors do not know everything my love. He may be 
mistaken. Please do not give up hope." Her voice was hopeful, his 
resigned.

"It is hard, so very hard not to. I hate this, I feel so useless. I 
ran this estate faithfully. I rode out to oversee the land everyday 
of my adult life. It is my life Elizabeth, and now I can hardly 
stand let alone mount a horse and summon enough strength for the 
day. I think my hope has well and truly expired, along with all I 
have ever known." 

His voice was so bitter, hearing him speak those words almost made 
her flee from his sight. Instead, she too rose to his anger, he 
needed to rid himself of self-pity and start to live again.

"Do not speak like that."

"And why not? Surely you can see my predicament. I am nothing if I 
cannot be myself." His voice began to rise, she met his challenge.

"Look at me," He refused her request. She had had enough of being 
gentle. She forcibly turned him to face her. The tears she had seen 
earlier were now rolling down his face. Her heart softened as she 
saw her lover suffering so terribly. "You are yourself William, or 
you will be. I know it seems hard, but we shall make it, together. 
Just say the word and I shall never leave you're side, ever
again." 

He took a deep breath as she wiped away his tears with her thumb. He 
was so vulnerable, so young for so much to have happened. She cupped 
his cheek with her hand and kissed him gently on the lips. It was so 
soft and loving. He smiled at her and embraced her properly. She was 
right, they would be alright now. He had her with him, forever.

The clock in the corner of the room began to chime. They realised it 
was late, yet when only one chime sounded, they were quite 
surprised. She stood up from him and looked into his eyes; she still 
had hold of his hand. 

"I think it is way past your bedtime Mr Darcy." Smiling down on him 
whilst she spoke, he smiled back at her.

"Is it indeed Miss Bennet? I think you may be correct in that 
assumption." Still grasping her hand tightly, he pushed himself to 
his feet and swayed unsteadily. He winced as he shifted his weight 
onto his left leg.

"William?" Concern was back in her voice and etched into her 
beautiful features.

"I am well my love. Just a little unused to walking with a leg like 
this." He smiled reassuringly.

"Perhaps I should escort you to your chambers then Mr Darcy." 

"Perhaps that would be best. What would I do without you?" 

He collected his coat and started to walk towards the door. It was 
slow and labouring but she helped him. He took hold of her arm, 
leaning some of his weight on her. She gave him the strength he 
needed. They carefully and quietly made their way to the grand 
staircase, taking each step one at a time. Each footfall hurt but he 
was happy, Elizabeth was by his side. 

As they reached the top of the stairs, his hold in her arm tightened 
slightly, she gripped his hand back. They walked along the hallway 
until they came to his chambers. Once there, he took the weight off 
his left leg and slumped heavily against the door. He smiled at her 
while catching his breath. He hated that it took this much effort to 
traverse such a small distance. This was not how it was meant to be. 

It was at that moment however that he realised the state of her 
dress. Stood before him wearing her nightgown and robe, her dark 
brown hair cascading down her back and shoulders, presented a very 
alluring sight. He looked down into her questioning eyes and stroked 
her cheek with his fingertips. Leaning down to her, he took her face 
in his hands and looked deep into her soul. 

Her breathing began to quicken as his lips gently touched hers. So 
much love passed between them in that one second, it was hard to 
breathe with the passion building inside. He broke away and looked 
at her, his brown eyes dark and fiery. This was the look she had 
been dreaming of since his departure. Now she was before him, her 
feelings and desires matching his. 

She put her hands on his chest and gripped his shirt, pulling him 
down to kiss her once more. His tongue ran over her lips, she parted 
them in response. The kiss deepened rapidly, both getting lost in 
the other. Her hands ran up over his chest and round his neck. She 
needed to be closer to him, to feel him against her. He matched her 
need and pulled her tightly to him. His lips crushed hers in a 
fierce, white hot embrace. 

Without stopping, he reached behind to the door and opened it 
quickly. He broke the kiss only long enough to enter the room and 
close the door firmly behind them. 

He pushed her back against door and clamped her firmly against him. 
Throwing the coat onto the floor, he divested himself of his 
waistcoat and shirt. Their kiss resumed, her hands ran over the bare 
expanse of his chest. She could feel him cup her breasts with his. 
The urgency of his caresses made her realise he had indeed missed 
her as much as she had him. His lips moved away from hers and he 
kissed fire hot kisses down her neck. Her skin felt to be burning 
with the contact. 

Her hands snaked up to his head, losing her fingers in his hair as 
she pulled him closer. Her neck arched allowing him more contact. 
His hands began to unfasten her robe and nightgown. In one swift 
motion, both fell to the floor leaving her bared to him. He stepped 
back and looked at her. The candlelight cast a warm glow over her. 
He was awestruck at her beauty. She loved the way he stared at her, 
the passion and desire flaming in the depths of his eyes. He was in 
the full grip of need, he must have her. 

He needed to know if she felt the same, she answered his unasked 
question with one simple thing. She held out her hand begging him 
back into her arms. He took it and was welcomed into her embrace. 
The feel of her skin touching his sent sparks flying through his 
body. His want was too great; he couldn't get close enough to her. 
He was intoxicated with the feel of her against him. His hands ran 
all over her body, her skin so soft. His touch seared her skin, she 
would never get enough. Her hands moved down his chest to the waist 
of his breeches, her finger dipping inside and touching the flesh 
hidden from her. This was enough. 

Breaking away, he grabbed her hand and limped over to the bed 
dragging her with him. At the edge he pulled her too him and pushed 
her back onto the bed. He trapped her beneath him as he lay atop 
her. His lips kissing their way down her neck and chest as she 
moaned against his own. Her tongue traced circles on his shoulder; 
she could feel the muscles twitching lightly beneath the skin. His 
tongue flicked lightly over a nipple and she squirmed beneath him. 
The sensations caused by something so simple coursed through her. 
Her back arched to him as he took her into his mouth. His hand 
continued to caress her other breast as she writhed against him. Her 
breathing became erratic, she needed him so badly.

He answered her and kissed her on the lips again. There was no 
gentleness anymore, just a desire so strong it eclipsed any other 
thoughts. Standing once more he rid himself of the rest of his 
clothing and stood before her. She admired his perfect form casting 
her eyes all over him, lingering wantonly at his obvious arousal. 

"Will, I need you." Her voice was husky as she begged him.

She held her arms open to him, an invitation he readily accepted. He 
lowered his body between her legs and lay there in her embrace; her 
legs wrapped around his waist. He stared deeply into her passion 
clouded eyes. Kissing her deeply once more, he slid into her slowly. 
The feeling of completeness encompassed them. They lay still, just 
enjoying the sensation of being so close. Deep kisses and frantic 
yet loving caresses were shared.

Slowly, he began to move in and out of her. Making love to her, his 
Elizabeth. She felt so good, surrounding him completely and he moved 
deeper inside. How he had longed for this moment and now she was 
before him. Her eyes closed, her back arched against him, moans 
escaping her beautiful lips. This was how it was meant to be, all 
problems that had ever existed disappeared into oblivion in that 
instant. His pace increased and she matched him, raising her hips to 
his every thrust. 

She could feel every nerve in her body tingle as he moved against 
her. From her toes to her fingertips she could feel him, every cell 
was alive. Rational thought escaped her as her mind closed. Her 
whole body felt tense, she was no longer in control and she liked 
it. His hot lips on her neck, the feel of his sweat covered body 
pressed so tightly against her own, his hand resting on her hip as 
he ground into her. She was on fire, a fire that burned only for 
him. 

His groans were becoming louder as they lost total control, moving 
frantically against each other. She opened her eyes and looked into 
his. He was close; she could feel him grow larger inside her as she 
stared into the blackness of his eyes. She dug her fingernails into 
his back as she arched against him. The tension inside of her 
snapped as she let go and fell into the blissful oblivion. 

He watched her fall over the precipice as his own orgasm wracked 
through his body. He called her name over and over again as he shot 
deep inside her. His mind went blank and there was nothing. His arms 
gave way and he fell atop her. They both trembled with the power of 
their release. He couldn't bring himself to move, they were so 
close; they were one. 

Gradually their breathing began to calm, neither opened their eyes 
however. Her arms encircled her lover gently and held him tight. He 
was still shaking; his love for her overwhelmed him so totally. 
Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked into hers, such a look of love 
stared back at him. He smiled at her and kissed her gently. 
Carefully moving off her, he pulled her to him and they lay on their 
side together. He knew at that moment he could not bear to part with 
her for one minute. Never again.

"Lizzy, please never leave me. I don't want to spend another moment 
away from you." His voice was quiet as it pleaded with her.

"I shall not leave; I am here now in your arms. This is where I 
belong, my love, with you." 

She smiled at him and closed her eyes, snuggling deep into his arms. 
With that promise, they fell asleep together. 

~*~*~





Clouds Chapter Nine


The darkness of night surrounded the pair as they walked along the 
path. The gravel crunched quietly beneath their feet; the only noise 
to break the silence. There was neither call of the owl nor the 
shriek of bats as they made their way to the agreed meeting place. 
The new moon made visibility almost impossible yet was most 
advantageous to assist their escape.

No one knew of the plan save Georgiana, Caroline Bingley and of 
course, Colonel Fitzwilliam. They agreed to convene near the 
parsonage and hoped that Mr Collins did not take midnight walks 
about the park. As he was in close collaboration with Lady 
Catherine, to meet him would be disastrous. When he learned of the 
abominable behaviour of his cousin to his most noble patroness, he 
was abjectly apologetic to her Ladyship and adamantly refused to 
allow his wife to correspond with Elizabeth any longer. 

Colonel Fitzwilliam was waiting by the carriage that would whisk the 
women to Derbyshire. Frequent letters from Miss Kitty Bennet had 
alerted him to his cousin's departure to his family home in the 
North. He was of course thankful for this information; the 
inevitable delay caused by a fruitless stop in Hertfordshire would 
have indeed been costly.

To say he had been shocked when Miss Bingley offered her help in 
reuniting the Darcy siblings was an understatement. It was his 
understanding that she was the very person who caused the trouble. 
After Miss Bingley summoned Darcy's aunt to pay him a visit, 
everything had gone strangely wrong. Despite the inauspicious nature 
of her initial involvement, Fitzwilliam could discern that she was 
truly repentant and so he trusted her to convey their carefully 
wrought plans to Georgiana. 

No doubt his aunt would be furious when she learnt of their 
deception, yet in his mind, Fitzwilliam was convinced that the end 
result would prove it to be well worth the trouble. Darcy had been 
miserable before Fitzwilliam left him and, from Miss Bingley he knew 
Georgiana had been equally unhappy to be separated from her brother. 
He understood of course that making their escape was the easy part 
and that persuading the very stubborn Darcy to talk to his sister 
once again would be the Herculean task. He could only hope that all 
would work out for the best.

He could hear the pair making their way toward him; the low rustle 
of their gowns in the breeze, the sound of soft footfalls on the 
gravel and grass, the chatter of his dear cousin's teeth. Indeed,
it 
was a very wintry night for this kind of escapade. The frost was 
already forming on the grass making it crunch lightly with every 
shift in weight. His breath condensed before him and he exhaled a 
small sigh. <i\>The sooner they are on their way the better</i> he 
thought. The carriage would provide but little warmth but at least 
they would be out of the wind.

At last he could see them. Georgiana had been bundled up in Miss 
Bingley's very thick coat, <i\>the poor girl wouldn't be ill
when 
she saw her brother once more would she?</i> He waved them on, an 
indication of the need to hurry as the hour was drawing late. He had 
been waiting over half an hour for them; it was now almost one in 
the morning. His patience worn thin, he quickly assisted them into 
the coach before he began his rebuke.

"You are extremely late; I am glad that you are not men in my 
regiment. Where on Earth would we be against Napoleon if you
were?"

To the amazement of its occupants, the carriage began to move.  They 
expected that Fitzwilliam would drive them to Pemberley; he 
obviously had an accomplice. Observing their surprise, Fitzwilliam 
answered their unvoiced question.

"Your driver is an army friend. He agreed to be of assistance to you 
during the journey." His plan carved in stone, Fitzwilliam gave lip 
service to their opinions "I hope you do not mind my asking his help 
in the matter."

Both shook their heads in the negative. Georgiana, still very cold 
from the long walk through the grounds of Rosings was shocked to 
hear irritated words from her cousin. She shrunk back into the seat 
of the carriage as he spoke to Miss Bingley. It was Miss Bingley who 
noticed the younger woman's withdrawal into the shadows. 

"Why Georgiana, whatever is the matter?" Miss Bingley turned to look 
at the young girl huddled in the corner of the spacious carriage.

"Nothing, I thank you." Regardless of the bravely spoken words, 
Richard knew what was wrong. In all her years Georgiana had scarcely 
heard a harsh word directed to her. 

"I am merely annoyed at your tardiness, Cousin, nothing more. I am 
sure you wish to make haste and meet your brother as much as I wish 
you to." He smiled and took her hand in his. She seemed more settled 
after hearing his words and so eased forward slightly to rejoin the 
conversation. 

"I would like to see Fitzwilliam again. However, I admit to feeling 
some apprehension." Her voice was ever so soft and quiet. Fitzwilliam hoped that the companion his young cousin would find in Miss Bennet would draw Georgiana out of her shyness. 

"Of course you do, dear Georgiana. I am quite sure everything will 
work out for the best. I am sure he is equally desolate without
you…"

*~*~*

The first rays of winter sun filtered lazily through the windows 
leaving droplets of light scattered across the floorboards. The 
small sound of birds singing in the dawn drifted along the breeze 
that was carried into the room through a minute opening in the 
windows. It brought an edge to the air in the chambers, slicing 
through the warmth, pervading the room with an icy chill. Candles 
all long burnt out lay about the room, haphazardly placed on small 
tables as they had been moved to suit the requirements of the 
occupants. It was these occupants that opened the window in the 
early hours of the morning, it was they who pulled back the drapes 
to let the early morning sun enter, and it was they who lay sleeping 
wrapped in each other's arms. 

She awoke first, the rays of light prying her from blissful sleep 
into the ever more delightful land of day. To awaken in her lover's 
embrace was perfect; he lay along side her, holding her close to the 
warmth that was his body. His soft breathing caressed her cheek as 
he slept contentedly.

It was not the first time she had seen him sleep. During his 
recovery at Longbourn she had frequently watched him while he slept. 
His youthful appearance when relaxed by slumber was a sight to 
behold. No worries of the estate or family or indeed, his health, 
plagued his slumbering mind. It was difficult to comprehend that he 
took over the running of Pemberley and all its holdings when he was 
the age that she was now. She knew full well that the responsibility 
he shouldered would have buried her. In this knowledge, her respect 
for him grew. 

A curl of hair had fallen over his forehead creating an even more 
boyish image. He, always seemed so immaculate in public, had been 
seen by her at his worst: when desperation filled his voice and fear 
dominated his eyes. The scene of his near death replayed in her mind 
and each time the same stabbing panic filled her soul. She knew that 
had he succumbed to the fever, she would have died by his side. 
Instead, he had survived only to be beset with more worries, this 
time of his family.

Of course, she had already known his aunt's feelings on the match. 
Indeed, Lady Catherine had voiced her concerns quite vociferously to 
no avail. It was the rest of his family that concerned her. The 
Fitzwilliams had stood by him when his mother died, taken him in 
when his father neglected him. When he stated fully his happiness, 
why would they tread on that contentment? Why had Georgiana turned 
her back on her beloved brother once more? He mentioned his sister 
but rarely, not surprising to Elizabeth, or indeed to the other 
guests at Pemberley. It was this silence that caused Elizabeth's 
concern.

The past three weeks had been taxing for Darcy. The dark lines 
surrounding his eyes suggested a lack of sleep. His gaunt face and 
body demonstrated his lack of appetite and ill health. The 
lifelessness reflected in his eyes when he was awake showed how that 
his injuries had affected more than simply his body. Her 
observations caused her to be that much more worried for him; she 
might have panicked had it not been for his `demonstration'
of 
health the previous night.

William had quite adequately shown her the success of his 
convalescence. Sleep had not occupied them for much of the night. 
Their passion precluded the indulgence in such a ridiculous habit. 
They had demonstrated their love to each other in the oldest way 
known to man many times before fatigue finally caught them. 

He paced frequently. She woke at some point in the night to see him 
pacing, naked, deep in thought. As she peered at him 
surreptitiously, she could plainly discern his look of distress. A 
troubled fiancé did not please Elizabeth. When he noticed her 
perusal, he smiled and walked over to her, took her hand and kissed 
her deeply and passionately.  Despite the beauty of their joining, 
the stress she had seen on his face haunted her. She would need to 
draw him out, to discuss his worries; perhaps she could help. She 
determined that attempting to ease his worries would be her goal 
during the morning activities. 

The most serene of expressions graced his countenance as she swept 
the fallen lock of hair from his face. Tracing her finger along his 
scar had quickly become her way of conveying her love to him. To 
comfort him she would lightly trace the mark with her fingertips. It 
did indeed suit him, <i\>a fine mark for a fine man</i> she thought 
to herself, for indeed he was the very best of men.

It was hard to believe that she lay here with his arms holding her 
to him protectively. Only the day before had she lain in the bed of 
an inn, alone and in a strange place with only her memories of him. 
It was also astonishing how quickly Pemberley had become home, 
although she was sure that it was the proximity to William that made 
her feel so. These thoughts made her consider but one thing -- she 
most certainly did not wish to go back to Longbourn without him. 

He began to stir, his breathing becoming shallower. He stretched his 
legs out fully, the muscles becoming taut as he pulled his shoulders 
back to stretch his arms. It was interesting to see the stoic Mr 
Darcy first thing in the morning; his hair even more of an unruly 
mess, the stubble on his chin, his bleary brown eyes opening and 
trying to focus in the harsh light of daybreak. A man who could 
suffer such indignities of appearance and look as good as he did to 
Lizzy first thing in the morning must be truly handsome.

He blinked a few times, attempting to clear his eyes after waking 
up. As soon as he saw her properly he smiled; <i\>a most wonderful 
sight</i> she thought. His dimples were in full effect as he looked 
at the woman beside him. 

The counterpane just covered her breasts, her small hands resting 
lightly on his chest. Her long brown hair fanned out across the 
pillow, her eyes fully awake and dancing with merriment as her gaze 
fell upon him, her smile so beautiful and alive. <\i>Yes this will 
do every morning.</i> 

"Good morning Mr Darcy,"

"Good morning Miss Bennet," His voice was faint and sleepy, <i\>his 
is a very lazy attitude to mornings</i> she surmised.

She leaned closer to him and gently kissed his lips. He 
subconsciously pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss but a 
little before breaking apart. She could sense that he was now full 
awake. <\i>He does not need much encouragement to enter the day 
after all, does he?</i> she thought. His hand ran down her side and 
back up again coming to rest lightly on her back. He brought his 
lips to hers once again; revelling in the sensations that coursed 
through his body at such a simple gesture. 

"You are not a dream then? I really do have the most beautiful woman 
of my acquaintance in my arms." He mumbled against her lips before 
brushing a kiss across them once more. She smiled demurely as she 
basked in his loving attention. 

"I cannot vouch for my being the most beautiful woman but I am most 
certainly in your embrace; a most pleasant place to be." 

He smiled again and kissed her forehead, then her nose and chin 
finally placing a long lingering kiss on her mouth. He looked into 
her eyes, the happiness he felt at having her in his arms written on 
his face and just held her close. He felt an incredible sense of 
rightness, the like of which he had never experienced; letting her 
go again would indeed be difficult. After everything they had been 
through; he doubted he would ever let her leave at all. 

"You have your wish Miss Bennet, you said you longed for the day 
when we would wake up together and I think today it has been 
achieved." 

"Yes, indeed it has, and I am so happy. I do fear that I shall have 
to escape your embrace soon. To be discovered as we are would
be…"

"Discovery would appear unfortunate perhaps. However, I would then 
be able to marry you as soon as possible as it would be required." 
He grinned at the thought but the grin was quickly banished when he 
saw her response.

"I do not think that would be preferable, do you?" He shook his head 
and made a mental note not to mention that method of hurrying their 
marriage along again, even in jest. 

"William, too much scandal has besieged my family and I would be 
grieved should it ruin your reputation as well."

"I would not worry about that any longer.  I can relieve your mind 
on that score.  My reputation is already in tatters as a result of 
Lady Catherine's implementation of her plan. It is of little 
consequence as I care very little for what London society thinks of 
me. I would as soon marry you tomorrow and have more rumours added 
to the extensive list than have another month without you." While 
his words were touching, Lizzy felt that the knowledge of his aunt's 
scheme plagued her mind somewhat.

"Just what are these rumours?" She pulled back slightly and looked 
at him full on.

"They are nothing more than malicious lies such as most rumours 
are." His intentions of shielding her were abandoned when he 
perceived the stubborn expression on her face.  He knew he must 
concede and confess, lest he would have no chance to express his 
love in the way he knew best before she would be forced to leave his 
room. 

"Very well, I shall tell you. Realise that they are not real and 
cannot damage our lives in any way, promise?" With her nod of 
agreement he related the caustic lies to her.

"She has said that I have installed you as my mistress to live with 
me at Pemberley and that I have sent Georgiana away so as to protect 
her from you. Needless to say I shall not be travelling to London in 
the foreseeable future."

Her face registered the shock caused by this announcement. Yet one 
more worry for him when he should be concentrating on nothing but 
improving his health. Furthermore, the more she learnt about the 
whole sordid affair, the more concerned she became for him. The 
rumours did not bother her as her family had little enough 
reputation remaining thanks to Lydia. But his name, to be muddied so 
because of her, it was insupportable! 

"I am sorry William; this should never have been allowed to happen. 
You must of course break off our betrothal."

Quickly he cradled her face in his hands and forced her to look in 
his eyes. 

"Never, <i\>never</i> say that again. We shall speak no more on this 
subject, ever. Our lives are our own and I shall not, <i\>will</i> 
not have some lunatic relations of mine spoil those lives with 
vituperative lies. With all that I have endured to win you, I will 
not let you go. Do you hear me?" 

The force behind his words might have frightened her had the 
expression in his eyes not mirrored his own fear of losing her. She 
nodded slightly in acceptance of these quixotic demands. He calmed 
slightly and stroked her cheeks softly while continuing to gaze 
deeply into her eyes. To hear her voice any regret at all about 
their love made his heart ache.

He kissed her yet it was not the same. Something had changed in him 
and the feelings this kiss engendered took her breath away. She was 
lost in the emotion of the moment, his mouth caressed hers so 
powerfully, with such painful sweetness, and the kiss was so loving 
and needy. She was absorbed by the sensation of him. 

Her arms wound around his neck while her hands danced through his 
hair. His hands still held her close, not ever wanting her to leave 
the shelter of his arms. With her there he could protect her from 
whatever trials and tribulations the world dealt them.  He intended 
for her never to hear the vitriol that his aunt spewed and he could 
not recall how they landed upon that topic. All that was important 
now was to show her how much they needed each other so that she 
would never think of regrets again.

When breathless, they parted, it enabled him to trail kisses along 
the column of her neck. Everywhere that his lips made contact with 
her skin tingling sensations coursed through her. His hands roamed 
over her body, taking every detail in through his touch. Her skin 
was on fire as he kissed his way further down her body. 

He loved to touch her, to place his hands and lips everywhere on her 
body. He worshipped her the way she deserved, taking time to explore 
her form in every way he could. Their lovemaking the previous 
evening had been heated, fuelled by lust -- an overwhelming desire 
to be connected once again. 

It had surprised him to find her awake in the middle of the night. 
He was unable to sleep, a usual occurrence now, rest eluded him 
since his accident and the resulting turmoil. To see her watching 
him pace slowly about the room talking quietly to himself had 
startled him. He had walked over to her as quickly as he could lest 
she think him quite deranged. 

He kissed her deeply, exploring her mouth thoroughly with his 
tongue; revelled in the way her lips crushed his with desire equal 
to his. He traced the contours of her neck with his kisses, felt her 
hands wind through his hair as he suckled on her breasts. He 
reacquainted himself with her body, watched her responses to his 
actions, felt her breath catch when he touched her sex. He marvelled 
at her perfection: the softness of her skin; her taste; her smell. 
He could not get enough of her, the more he touched; the more he 
needed. He was astounded at how little his life had meant to him 
when she was not with him. She took his breath away.

Now, as the cool morning light flooded the room with its icy 
whiteness touching every corner, he lost himself in her again. 
Pleasured her, made her call his name. She craved his touch and he 
wanted the contact. They sealed their fate together, their lives 
intertwined, made the promise to be with each other until the day 
they died. This was forever, a love made strong by every obstacle 
that had tried to tear them apart. They rejoiced in this connection 
as they discovered each other as if it were the first time. Not even 
the clouds could intervene this time. 

*~*~*

"Could you ever have foreseen this?" Darcy looked at Elizabeth 
curiously as he pondered when and how this love had taken root.

"I cannot begin to comprehend what you are talking about. I doubt I 
shall be able to comprehend anything at all in fact, ever again." 

The faraway quality her voice had taken on spoke volumes to him.  
Lizzy lay on the bed. The sheets were drawn up over her breasts; her 
arm lay across her eyes, sheltering them from the harsh light of the 
morning. He lay next to her; the sheet at his waist baring his 
chest. Their breathing was still heavy from their love-making. He 
doubted he would ever grow weary of their passion, or indeed if he 
would ever desire her less than he did in that moment. In fact, if 
they simply stood near each other, if no one else was in the room, 
he was compelled to touch her, to kiss her, anything to maintain the 
physical contact both craved.

He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow. Looking 
down upon her, he took the hand that covered her eyes and removed it 
from her face. Placing it by her side, he tucked a strand of her 
brown hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek with his hand. 
Stroking her face with his thumb, he kissed her lightly.

"Do you not find it strange that this time last year, you hated
me."

"I never hated you, a healthy dislike perhaps, whereas you were in 
love with me all along."

"I confess that I did not know it at the time. You were constantly 
in my mind; I could not escape your fine eyes gazing at me, 
sparkling as they did when you mercilessly teased me." She laughed 
slightly at his words, true enough; she had taken great satisfaction 
in making him squirm.

"When <i\>did</i> you fall in love with me? I can comprehend your 
going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning; but what 
could set you off in the first place?" 

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, 
which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle 
before I knew that I <i\>had</i> begun. I admired your liveliness of 
mind, your fine wit, and your sense of honour and of family well 
before I could say you invaded my every waking and sleeping thought. 
I had not a night's sleep after I met you I fear." He smiled and 
winked at her, she had enough conscience to look slightly guilty 
before gracing him with her dazzling smile.

"I apologise for unintentionally causing you sleepless nights. 
Hopefully that situation will be remedied when we finally wed."

"I hope so. You will never be leaving my side when you become Mrs. 
Darcy, so I need not dream about you – I shall have you in my
arms all night long."

"Perfect. We shall then be able to debate and tease all morning long 
whereas now, I fear I have to leave your embrace no matter how much 
it pains me to do so."

"It is still early, no one will be about yet; you are quite safe 
Elizabeth." She liked the way her name sounded when he spoke it; the 
husky sound of the `z' stirred some highly unusual sensations when 
spoken in the context of her name.

"I suppose I must trust you since you are the master of the house. 
But then you always get what you want do you not?" 

She relaxed again into his welcoming embrace, his arm draped lazily 
across her waist while he remained propped up on one elbow. She did 
the same and looked him straight in the eye. Her free hand traced 
the shape of his chest lightly, causing him to laugh slightly; it 
seemed as if the master of Pemberley was ticklish. She increased the 
pace of the small movement of her fingertips and moved lower to his 
sides until he really started to laugh. He rolled onto his back to 
escape her torturous fingers, yet she moved with him.

"Lizzy, no!" He managed to choke out between laughs. 

He writhed about trying to stop her attack yet all he could do was 
laugh. Only two people in this world knew he was very ticklish, 
Georgiana and now the woman who had crawled on top of him to gain 
better access to his most sensitive ribs. He tried to grab her hands 
but she was too fast for him; until he had decided he had enough for 
one day. 

In one movement he flipped her onto her back and pinned her beneath 
him. The shock on her face made him laugh anew. His sides ached from 
laughing so hard, but he could do nothing but groan and wince whilst 
his amusement started to abate. He smiled broadly at Lizzy 
underneath him; she knew the time of reckoning was upon her. She 
prepared herself for his rebuttal, so was surprised when he kissed 
her roughly. 

When his lips crushed hers in a white-hot kiss, every nerve in her 
body sprung to life. She could feel the power of his mouth on hers 
all through her body, to her very fingertips. The feel of his tongue 
invading her mouth, touching every corner, tasting her, overwhelmed 
her completely. All she could do was cling to him helplessly, 
letting the pleasing sensations take over her mind and soul. 
However, as quickly as the kiss began it stopped. 

He pulled away from her, taking deep gulps of air to push oxygen 
through to his brain. He looked at her, his eyes almost animalistic 
and feral. The most lustful thoughts conquered her mind in response; 
his untamed expression awakened a most ardent desire in her. She 
needed to feel him touch her, love her, to hear him call her name 
when he climaxed inside her. No, she could not have foreseen this, 
ever. 

The way their love had developed amazed her. At one time she would 
not have been able to live near him, now, she could not imagine 
being without him. Everything that had once seemed not natural was 
now so right and perfect. Their lovemaking, which, had she dared to 
contemplate it, she would have expected to be shy and tentative, 
brought them together as one with nary a second thought.   

He watched her carefully as she lay beneath him. Her eyes were 
filled with a desire equalling his in intensity, her lips were 
parted and her cheeks flushed. Her hair fanned out across the bed 
sheets in disarray, her hands were pinned by him above her head. She 
was so unabashed, unafraid of being seen in the light of day. She 
was perfect in every way and she was his, for eternity.

Sadly, he realized that they would have to save this passion for 
later. He released her hands and stroked her face. It was nearing 
time for her to leave, nearing the time where they would have to 
pretend none of this had happened, where they would be separated to 
maintain proper decorum; until that evening anyway. He kissed her 
gently once again and moved to lie beside her.

"You should be going." He kissed the back of her hand as he spoke, 
his lips speaking the words against her skin. 

"Yes, I suppose I must." She paused and sat up to look at him 
properly. "I shall see you shortly though." He smiled and
nodded. 

She arose from the bed and after a brief search, located her night 
gown and robe. She hurriedly donned the garments and straightened 
her hair slightly, all to the amusement of the man reclining lazily 
in the bed. Just as she was about to leave, he called her back. 
Walking over to him once more, she kissed Darcy one final time. Just 
as she turned the handle on the door, he called out to her. 

"When did you fall in love with me then?" He was still curious. She 
turned to him and gave him an arch smile. 

"Why, I think I must date it back to seeing your beautiful house in 
Derbyshire, Mr Darcy." She only just managed to escape the room 
before a pillow was launched in her direction.

*~*~*

Bingley was sitting at the breakfast table long before anybody else. 
He always arrived early when at Pemberley. Darcy was first down 
every morning, in his place at the head of the table, reading his 
correspondence and sorting it according to which needed urgent 
attention. Then, when he noticed Bingley joining him, he would put 
his work aside and the pair would have a discussion on virtually any 
topic they could think of whilst eating. Time to talk without 
Bingley's sisters was rare and each opportunity was relished.

This morning was different. For one, his evil sisters did not 
accompany Bingley. A second the Miss Bennets were now also staying 
at Pemberley and third, neither man was engaged to be married last 
time. The third option did not seem to make much difference to 
Bingley's habits; indeed, his morning routine had not been affected, 
adversely or otherwise, by his betrothal to Miss Jane. Darcy's, on 
the other hand, certainly had. 

His talk with Darcy last night had eased his mind somewhat, yet that 
niggling doubt in Bingley's reserve battled against his reason. It 
was not that he didn't trust Darcy, it was more the fact that love 
does strange things to one's mind, things that Bingley had seen in 
his friend most apparently. It was the way they sat close the 
previous evening, the passionate look in his eye when talking in 
whispers to Miss Elizabeth. Bingley could almost see Darcy's resolve 
fall away into the darkness. 

Charles Bingley was renowned for falling in and out of love quickly, 
without thought. This had not been the case when he met his angel. 
>From the first moments of their acquaintance, Charles had felt an 
indescribable longing for the beautiful woman in question. Due to 
this fact, it was getting harder to obey his darling Jane and tell 
Darcy to keep his hands of Elizabeth until the wedding. When you are 
entertaining such thoughts yourself, the word hypocrite springs to 
mind, a word that he most certainly did not want attached to his 
name. 

Jane was beautiful, an angel. Her smile, her eyes, her lovely golden 
hair; she was a picture of perfection in his eyes. He had of course 
rejoiced at the prospect of spending some time alone with her. Darcy 
had thought of this and to Bingley, it seemed a serious act of 
kindness. Unlike Darcy however, he did not want to take advantage of 
her generosity as his friend did with Elizabeth. For that was what 
he assumed was happening. 

The idea of mutual enjoyment in the act of sexual congress was not 
commonly accepted in their circle. Bingley knew the act was for 
procreation, and just that. Not matter how enjoyable it may in fact 
seem to a gentleman, the thought of Jane engaging in this matter of 
breeding was an interesting one indeed. As naïve as he was, Bingley 
had seen pictures in books that his father had kept. He was quite 
certain that he had also seen some of his father's titles in Darcy's 
library, but that was beside the point. 

As he thought of these…these…whatever they were with Jane, he became 
both more disgusted and more enthralled by them. Jane was such a 
lady and these were commonly held to be such despicable ideas. He 
could only hope that Darcy was not seriously entertaining such 
thoughts about Elizabeth. Lord knows what the consequence might be. 

He looked up from the table where his gaze had been fixed during his 
thoughts to see Jane standing there in the doorway. Her blue eyes 
stared questioningly at him; her expression worried, concerned for 
the fact that when she had knocked on her sister's door this 
morning, there was no reply. All thoughts he had been entertaining 
before her entrance were now pushed aside as he walked to her. 

Taking her hand, he led her to a seat at the breakfast table and 
helped her sit down. Taking the seat by her side, he took her hand 
in his once again and enquired of her problem. She simply looked at 
him, her worst fears expressed in her eyes. How could she tell 
Charles that she suspected her sister and his best friend had spent 
the night together? 

"What is it Jane? What could be the matter?" 

"I am worried for Elizabeth. I do not trust either of them any 
longer." She shuddered as the thought of more ruined reputations 
crept into her mind. 

"Why ever not? Darcy is a man of his word and he most assuredly gave 
me that last night before I retired."

"You said yourself that he is changed, that you no longer know who 
he is. How can you trust him?" He took her hands in his and tried to 
speak with as much conviction as possible; the doubts he had in his 
mind could not be allowed to show through.

"Because he is my friend Jane. He is honourable. He dislikes 
disguise of any kind and he never lies or exaggerates, he is 
trustworthy."

I hope you are right. It is just that…that when I knocked on Lizzy's 
door this morning, there was no answer."

"Perhaps she was asleep, we have been travelling quite some…"

"No, she awakens with the daylight, Charles, she always has. Lizzy 
is a creature of habit and I know her. Something is amiss." She 
looked away from him, she disliked this behaviour in herself, yet 
she what she hated most were the actions of Elizabeth that had 
prompted this.

Bingley knew he had to assure Jane that nothing had happened else 
she would make sure that the party departed for Longbourn as soon as 
possible. That was an occurrence he most certainly did not wish for. 
Even if Jane was a stickler for the rules, he wanted to spend these 
weeks very much alone with her. 

Mrs. Bennet had become quite a force to be reckoned with. Now that 
the engagement between himself and the eldest Miss Bennet was 
public, her mother's raptures on the forthcoming marriage were 
tedious and not a little trying. He was therefore not surprised that 
Lizzy and Darcy had kept their understanding secret for these past 
three weeks.

He did not mean to be controlling of his friend, especially in said 
friend's own home, but if he was to remain at Pemberley with the two 
Bennet sisters, he needed to at least try and prove to Jane that 
everything was in order. Only on the second day of his visit and 
attempting to keep his fiancée's mind at ease was proving quite the 
task. If only Darcy would try and behave respectably. 

"They are grown adults my angel, they will quite look after 
themselves I am sure." Her eyes flashed with anger at his obvious 
lack of concern. 

"Yes, but she is unmarried. I do not mean to be pedantic, but I 
respect what my mother has told me too much to discount it."

It was a wonder to Bingley that Jane possessed such strict rules of 
conduct if she had learnt it from her mother. Mrs. Bennet's conduct 
in public certainly did not match the expectations espoused by his 
beloved Jane. 

"All will be well my love, you shall see. I shall find time this 
morning to ask Darcy once again about his intentions, and in turn, 
you shall question Elizabeth on her whereabouts this morning. There, 
will not that be sufficient?" She looked at him and smiled before 
nodding slightly. 

"There then. Do not be upset now, we are here to enjoy ourselves 
also. I intend to start doing so immediately." He smiled as he 
usually did, a large boyish grin stretched across his face.

Their reverie was interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the 
hallway however. They both turned to look at the doorway, knowing 
their investigations were about to begin.

When Darcy descended the stairs and entered the breakfast room, he 
was met by curious stares directed at him by Jane and Charles. They 
were seated very closely together <i\>Perhaps I should call them out 
for disobeying societal laws now</i> he thought with a hint of 
annoyance. He could hear the unasked questions playing through their 
minds. The fact that Elizabeth was not to be seen at such a late 
hour was bound to raise some speculation. 

He bid them good morning and made his way to the head of the table. 
He managed to stretch his injured leg out beneath the table, an 
irritating ache already settling in. Taking his letters from the 
table, he quickly flicked through them to see if there were any 
interesting ones. As usual, nothing of any import stood out so he 
threw them casually back onto the table. Jane and Charles's 
collective gaze had never left him. 

He was about to inquire of their problem when Elizabeth arrived. 

~*~*~

It was strange to see a letter in her place when she entered the
breakfast room that morning. She had been at Pemberley only since
the afternoon before but there, before her lay a piece of paper with
her name on it.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet
<strikethrough\> Longbourn, Hertfordshire </strikethrough>
Pemberley, Derbyshire

To see Pemberley written beneath her name made her smile. Soon it
was to be Mrs. F Darcy, Pemberley, Derbyshire. The thought of her
marriage to the illustrious Fitzwilliam Darcy was a pleasurable idea
indeed, one she was fond of thinking of quite often. <i\> Gracious,
I am beginning to sound like Kitty and her romance novels!</i> She
would exclaim in her head.

She recognised the handwriting on the missive as that of her Aunt
Gardiner, causing her to question it immediately. Answers would have
to be sought later as, at the moment, breakfast with her betrothed,
Jane and her Mr. Bingley was at hand.

Darcy, at the head of the table, looked at her questioningly as he
watched the myriad of emotions pass over her face when she took her
letter and placed it to one side. He knew she would read it later
and hoped it was nothing too serious, for her to cut their visit
short would be insufferable.

She smiled in his direction and then at Jane. Lizzy was of course
seated next to Darcy; Bingley and Jane sat opposite. Darcy arrived
before Lizzy, but obviously after Jane and Mr. Bingley. Bingley
stared at Darcy accusingly as if to ask of the night before. Darcy
merely ignored him and continued to look at Lizzy or at the table.

Lizzy, watching him avoid both Bingley and Jane's accusing glances,
knew exactly how he felt; she dared not raise her eyes to anyone but
her lover. She knew that one look would tell Jane everything - which
would result in her precipitous return to Longbourn. This of course
would not do at all. Lizzy felt that someone had to break the
impenetrable silence that hung between the four. To her surprise, it
was Darcy who spoke first.

"I hope you slept well Miss Bennet." He looked at Jane and smiled.
Jane responded to his question in the affirmative, going on to say
how lovely her room was and how quiet the night was at Pemberley.

"I told her how silent it was here and she did not believe me you
know, Darce. How was your night?"

Darcy looked almost taken aback by the question; Bingley's tone of
voice unnerved him. The tone held in it the promise of further
enquiries should this one not be answered 'properly'. Darcy looked
straight into his friend's eyes and responded as impassively as he
could.

"Very well thank you Bingley. It is my home, so a good night's sleep
is inevitable I believe."

"Yes, quite. And you, Miss Elizabeth, how did you sleep last night?
I know you have visited Pemberley before but did you not find the
quietness of the night very soothing?"

"I thank you for your solicitude and assure you that I can quite
easily say 'yes' to that enquiry, Mr Bingley. I did indeed find that
the nights here at Pemberley are quite enjoyable."

With that reply Lizzy smiled a private smile for the man with whom
she had spent the 'enjoyable' night. Neither Jane nor Bingley quite
knew what to make of the private look the couple next to them shared
seemingly in response to Lizzy's reply. Feeling rather as if she and
Bingley were intruding, Jane decided that the silent intensity of
the look between them was enough and she broke the silence.

"Mr Darcy, what are your plans for today?" Her voice bore the usual
serene tone one expected from Jane, yet today there was something
more commanding, a hidden threat as it were, beneath her calm
exterior. Darcy and Lizzy were somewhat bemused by her masqueraded
ferocity.

"I had thought a walk about the gardens before the snow sets in. I
can see the sun is shining and only a thin frost has covered the
land. We should perhaps make the most of this lull in the weather.
Of course, the gardens are not as beautiful now as they are in
summer, but the winter foliage is still exquisite and has its own
beauties."

Bingley nodded his agreement, "Yes, I quite agree Darcy; your head
gardener certainly outdoes himself every year."

"I shall pass on your compliments to Mr Rhymes." He looked towards
Elizabeth and was met by a worried expression on her brow. Answering
her unspoken question he continued, "I am quite of the opinion that
a walk will be of enormous benefit to my leg, do you not agree, Miss
Elizabeth?"

"Indeed it should Mr. Darcy, but do you not have estate business to
which you must attend? I would very much like to see the winter
gardens. As I discovered this summer, you are an excellent guide but
I would not wish to take you away from any more pressing business."

"I have not resumed those responsibilities as yet, since my
accident. My steward and my estate manager have been doing quite
well during my recovery. I see no need to take up that mantle again
just yet. So, you see I am at the disposal of my guests for the
remainder of your visit." He smiled at the three people seated
around him; only Elizabeth noticed it did not reach his eyes.

"Well then, it is decided."

Charles looked towards Jane, the topic of their earlier conversation
having now been resolved by the morning's activities. Each would be
assured of the opportunity to have a word with their sister and
friend in order to ensure that nothing untoward was going on. Lizzy
and Darcy were happy simply to be in each other's company. Lizzy had
the added incentive of her desire to root out the cause of whatever
caused the shadows in her beloved's eyes. A walk made a very
pleasing diversion indeed.

Once the tour of the winter gardens had been decided upon the four
talked of the weather, Pemberley's history, the latest books,
anything that would divert their minds from whatever was plaguing
them respectively. Once their fast was broken, with Elizabeth taking
note of how well her fiancé ate -- not a great deal in relation to
energy expended during the night in her opinion, they removed from
the dining room to make ready for the planned walk out of doors.

Though the sun shone brightly, the air was cold and uninviting. Warm
coats and gloves were fetched from various rooms and pulled on to
prepare the two couples and out they went, into the harsh Northern
winter air.

~*~*~

The ground glistened in shimmering colours as the sun cast cold rays
of light onto the bed of frost and snow. Icicles hung from branches
and boughs of the trees as the freezing air froze the drips
suspended there in motion. The blue sky shimmered chillingly
overhead, a white tint reflected on everything surrounding them. The
air condensed in clouds as they spoke. Deep breaths of cold air
permeating each person's lungs, resulting in small shivers and
nervous laughter.

Winters in the North Country were renowned for being harsh and
unrelenting in their assault on one's person. The sun could shine as
brightly as in summer, the sky be perfectly blue and harmonious, the
birds could sing pleasantly; yet the obvious lack of leaves on the
now stick thin trees proved that everything was not as summer.

Having been lead into the outdoors bundled in no small amount of
thick coats and gloves, the cold air pervaded every sense in the
body. It coursed through to lungs and froze a body from the inside,
tips of the fingers turning blue with the chilling atmosphere, noses
and tips of ears burning red as the body tried to counteract the
cold sensations surrounding it. A northerner himself, Darcy noticed
none of these things.

To be used to the changing and varying climates of Derbyshire,
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire was an extreme advantage in such a
situation. Darcy was most happy when listening to the frost crunch
beneath his feet or when viewing the fresh virginal snow before him.
The cold did not settle in him as quickly as it did the others; to
freeze him would take hours. The other members of the group did not
fare so well.

Bingley was cold, no, that was an understatement. He was freezing.
Yes, he had been brought up in the North. Yes, he had been subjected
to such winters in his younger years. However, in recent years he
had been wont to spend them in London where the cold did not suffuse
the soul so readily. He had become soft and joined the ranks of
suffering Southerners. He was joined in his uncomfortable chilliness
by his fiancée Jane and to a lesser degree, her sister Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had always enjoyed playing in the snow as a girl. Truth be
confessed, as a young woman as well, much to her mother's dismay.
Despite her fondness for snow frolics, Hertfordshire never seemed as
cold and uninviting as this Derbyshire morning. True enough, it was
very beautiful to witness the snow tipped hills surrounding the
area, and to see the brilliant white of the fields as the small
settling of snow reflected the light skywards, causing it to glow
ethereally. It was just indescribably cold.

Her fiancé was at her side, her hand in the crook of his arm.
While
they walked, she could feel him placing some weight on her arm,
though not as much as he had on the previous evening. He was
assisted by a walking cane yet he still partly relied on her. She
subconsciously snuggled closer to Darcy, clutching his arm tighter,
sharing his warmth and offering him support. He laughed and looked
down at her, resisting the temptation to kiss her beautiful lips.

Bingley interrupted their silent reverie: "I say Darcy, is it not
awfully cold for such a venture? I should imagine that a tour of
Pemberley would be far better suited to your guests." Darcy turned
to look at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You wish to spend this glorious day inside the house? I think that
days such as this remaining in this year can be counted on one hand
and you would like to miss it? I am amazed." Lizzy smiled at Mr
Bingley's expression. He was unsure how to answer Darcy and his
dilemma was reflected on his confused features.

"I merely meant to suggest that the ladies may be cold. It is
frightfully ruthless today."

With that Bingley looked down at Jane who, despite the cold, stared
about herself in wonderment. He turned his gaze back to Elizabeth
who was also clearly in awe of the beauty of Pemberley. Even in the
barren light of the wintry sun, everything shimmered in the light
and seemed so alive. Shadows were cast from the spindly trees onto
the ground, Robins flew about the place, landing and singing their
chorus. Despite the cold, the ladies did not wish to go in. Both
gentlemen saw this, one happy and elated at the revelation, the
other slightly put out by it.

Darcy took pity on his suffering friend: "Bingley, if you would like
to return to the house, I am more than happy to escort Miss Bennet
and Miss Elizabeth about the grounds." He added a small smile to his
arch expression; he had learnt his newly found skill at teasing from
Elizabeth. It must be said that the very same lady found the whole
scenario quite amusing.

"No, I am quite prepared to brave the cold. But as soon as…"

"Please tell us a little about the house Mr Darcy." It was Jane that
asked the question whilst staring up in wonder at the structure
before her.

"Certainly," They continued walking along the path that
circumnavigated the house. "It was in fact originally a house built
by my family in the Tudor style. It did not stay Tudor for long I
fear. My great grandfather commissioned a Venetian architect to
transform it into this Italian design you see today. It was
considerably smaller before the Italianate façade was added. I
shall
show you the original Elizabethan rooms when I take you around the
house. They do stand out I admit, but are amongst the most beautiful
rooms in the house.

"The deer park that was created with the house is also still full of
life and that leads to one of the main Pemberley traditions."

"Ah yes, the annual hunt. Am I still correct in saying that you do
not take part Darcy?" Bingley laughed at his friend's expression.

"You do not take part? May I ask why?" Elizabeth turned to look at
him; an unreadable expression took over his face, one she had not
seen in a long time.

"I do not take part, but my reasons are my own. I do not wish to
discuss them presently."

He looked away towards the hills, his countenance troubled. Just one
more thing for Elizabeth to help him with she suspected. Bingley
attempted to bring the group back to the once jovial atmosphere, he
knew not what he had said but whatever it was had affected Darcy in
a most peculiar way. Despite Darcy's disquiet, Bingley was aware
that he still had to speak with Darcy about a most delicate topic.
He knew also that Jane was wishing to speak with Lizzy for the same
reason.

He looked down at Jane as if to tell her he was going to split the
pairs in order to effectuate their planned assault. She understood
and nodded her agreement to the plan that was as yet unknown to her.
He kissed her hand silently then released her arm. Briskly walking
the few paces that divided the couples, he walked beside Darcy for a
short distance before he spoke to Elizabeth.

"Miss Elizabeth, I do believe your sister is desirous to have a word
with you."

Lizzy looked at Mr. Bingley and then back at Jane before nodding.
She released Darcy's arm and walked toward her sister; Darcy barely
noticed so lost in his thoughts was he. When Elizabeth had left the
immediate vicinity and was thus out of earshot, Bingley began his
promised conversation with Darcy. He began tentatively, not knowing
how his friend would react to the topic.

"You seem very quiet Darcy. I hope I said nothing to offend you."
Darcy looked up and shook his head.

"Just bad memories I'm afraid. Nothing you could have known about.
Well? What is it you want to talk about Bingley?" If Bingley was
surprised by Darcy's astuteness, he did not show it.

"It is about last night."

At this Darcy exhaled heavily and looked away. Neither spoke for a
few minutes as they continued along the path. Bingley watched his
friend, no longer the strong walker with whom Bingley had struggled
to keep up when first they met. Darcy had long been his idol, if
there was anyone he had wanted to emulate, it was Fitzwilliam Darcy;
not in his current condition however. A simple accident led to so
much going awry in this man's life. Bingley would not have wished
that upon anyone, much less his closest friend.

"I do not mean to pry, but I am given to understand that I have
reason to be concerned for Miss Elizabeth's welfare."

Darcy's jaw was set in grim lines, his eyes dark with anger and
annoyance, his free hand clenching and unclenching quite menacingly.
Had Bingley not known his friend as well he did, he might have been
quite afraid. Yet he stood his ground and pressed ahead, whatever
the consequence.

"I am sorry to express doubts regarding what you have told me, but
it is yourself who placed these doubts in my head. Now tell me
truthfully whether these doubts contain an element of truth and
whether I am justified in my inquiries. I hope for your lady's sake
that I am not."

"How dare you ask me such questions! Do you think me a common rogue
then, Bingley? Do you take me as a scoundrel of the street? Do you
not comprehend that I care so deeply for Miss Elizabeth that I would
never hurt her? What do you think of me?"

Darcy's voice held a hint of anger yet was most filled with
disappointment. He knew very well that he should not be trusted
about Elizabeth, that he was in fact a danger to her reputation for
he cared very little about his own. It was that his best friend also
harboured niggling thoughts that once planted would take root and
grow out of proportion until addressed head on. It was this that
upset Darcy. He had not denied anticipating the marriage vows with
Elizabeth nor had he had it been denied. He intended to skirt that
enquiry as long as possible.

"I know not what to think Darcy. Your behaviour since your accident
has baffled me to such a degree that I fear I no longer know who you
are. I know that once you would have behaved like an honest
gentleman toward Miss Elizabeth but now, now you are different. Your
actions towards the lady have worried and vexed me. I have no wish
to ask this of you but…"

"Do not ask me. I want no lecture on conduct from you; it is not
needful. I have managed in the world thus far by myself and I shall
be damned before I accept instructions from you now. I am growing
tired of this excessive questioning and warning. You have been here
less than a day and you have continually invaded my privacy and that
of Miss Elizabeth's. I strongly advise you Bingley, desist in this
foolish enquiry and enjoy the rest of your time here with Miss
Bennet. Do not attempt to live my life for me."

Darcy looked Bingley full in the eye. Rage at being so spoken to was
writ in his features. Bingley had no wish to carry on. But he must,
for his angel.

"I simply fail to understand why you would risk damaging her
reputation so shortly before your marriage. It must be only three
months that you must wait to…" Darcy stopped suddenly and turned
to
face the man beside him.

"DO NOT! I beg of you, stop now. To you three months is nothing
because you do not yet know how short life really is! Had you been
through what I have, nay, what we have, had you suffered as we have,
you would think differently, I wish not that fate on anyone. You are
happy, I wish for you to stay that way; that you not let the worries
of the world affect you as they have me. Never let the world change
you, Bingley. You cannot begin to comprehend our actions, so do not
try. Just leave us be."

As the last words slipped from Darcy's mouth, Elizabeth appeared at
his side. Her expression was distressed, her eyes flaring with anger
matching Darcy's. It was obvious from the way she took his hand and
gripped it tightly that she had received a similar warning from her
sister. Darcy quickly looked at Jane and saw her standing in open-
mouthed fury, staring at her sister with barely contained rage. Jane
with such a look in her eye was a strange sight, her angelic
countenance no longer so serene.

"I suggest you go and speak with <i\>my</i> sister Mr. Bingley. I
fear I have grown quite <i\>weary</i> of her conversation." Bingley
nodded at Elizabeth's tersely uttered remark and went immediately to
Jane's side.

"I take it you fared with your sister as well as I did with my
friend. Shall we return to the house? I think I have walked enough
today."

With his fingertips he tipped her chin up to force her to look at
him. She avoided his gaze, which caused him a great amount of pain.
If her sister's remarks resulted in a change to their relationship,
he vowed that the Bingleys would no longer be welcome at Pemberley.

Bingley and Jane had already begun walking back to the house, their
backs turned on the couple still standing. Upon noticing this, Darcy
leaned down and placed a small kiss on Lizzy's lips. When she still
would not look at him, he kissed her again, this time running his
tongue along her lower lip until she kissed him back. When he pulled
back slightly and she finally met his eyes an ironic smile was
playing on her lips.

"So there is a way to ensure you notice me. What did she say?"

"Nothing of consequence. She enquired as to my whereabouts this
morning when she knocked on the door to my chambers. I told her I
went for a walk; needless to say she did not believe me fully."

"Had I known your sister and Bingley would be prove to be a
nuisance, I would have had you kidnapped and brought to me alone.
What did you say then?" He kissed her forehead gently before
wrapping his arms about her waist, pulling her shivering body to his
warm one.

"I explained to her that my life was my own and that we are both
adults who do know exactly what we are about. She wanted me to agree
to stay away from you until we are married; I explained that I could
not agree to those terms because I now know that life is too short
for separation. I could not bear even the thought of another
separation. It was then that I walked to you. I only hope that this
is the right decision."

"What did I hear you once say? Propriety be damned. We shall be
married soon enough. Should you wish to refrain from intimate
relations until that occurrence, I understand. But, Elizabeth, make
such a decision for yourself and not to placate others. Do not let
anything else intervene; the clouds have done enough have they not?"

"I have to think on it for a while. So many things are happening; I
just wish to be sure that we make right decision as to our
anticipation of the marriage bed."

"Let us return to the house. I am sure you would wish to think in a
slightly warmer atmosphere." She nodded and he kissed her one last
time.

Tucking her hand in the crook of his arm once again, they made their
way back to the house. No words were exchanged as they were both
occupied by their thoughts. They remained silent until they entered
the house and were greeted by Mrs. Reynolds.

The housekeeper had not seen Miss. Elizabeth Bennet upon her arrival
the previous day due to her duties and so welcomed her as if she was
a family relation returned home. Elizabeth was surprised when, after
her own warm greeting, Mrs. Reynolds turned to Darcy and rebuked him.

"Master William, I am ashamed of you for staying outside in that
cold so long. You are still recovering; your leg will most certainly
not improve if you continue on this stubborn streak."

He stared at the floor, accepting the scolding, but not without a
hint of embarrassment. Had Elizabeth not been caught in her own
thoughts, she might have laughed at the situation, but she simply
could not. Her mind being in such a state of turmoil, she allowed
herself to be led to the sitting room where Jane and Mr. Bingley
were taking warm refreshments. Once she was seated, Darcy stood
before her.

"I am afraid I shall have to forego the pleasure of your company for
a short while. My steward has just arrived and wishes to consult me
on a matter of some importance."

"It is quite all right Mr. Darcy; I shall be content until your
return." He bowed low and kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving
hers.

"Miss Bennet, Bingley." He nodded his apologies and limped from the
room.

Nothing more was said until Jane decided she would like to rest for
a while in her room. As Bingley escorted her away he neither looked
at nor said anything to Elizabeth. Suddenly, she felt strangely out
of place, alone, alienated from all she had known. Swallowing the
tears that threatened to spill over at such a revelation, she made
her way to her room. Private reflection would help her to think
better.

Once inside, she locked the door behind her. She did not want to see
anyone, especially if all they would say was that she should stop
being foolish and behave as a young woman should. Elizabeth knew
that young women are not expected to be happy. No, it appeared that
she and Darcy were not to be permitted to be happy. Everything
possible seemed to stand in their way and now it was the fears and
doubts of her mind. Her inability to clearly make a choice, one she
had been certain that she had already made, now stood between them.

Standing before the window, she pressed her forehead against its
cold glass, the low temperature sending prickling sensations through
her skin, shooting down her spine. She could feel the touch of his
lips on hers, his body lying beside her, his hands caressing her
skin; the way that everything they shared made her feel so loved and
needed. Would she give up those feelings just to ease her sister's
suspicious conscience? Should she? She did not want to, nothing had
ever felt as right as their being together. Love and respect for her
sister was not in question. What Elizabeth pondered was how far that
love and respect could be used to push her before it began to pale
in comparison to her love, her William. Her life was with Darcy, not
Jane Bennet.

Suddenly she remembered the letter she had received that morning. So
much seemed to have happened since breakfast, she had quite
misjudged the passage of time. Walking over to the small table on
which lay her book, she picked up the volume and opened it to her
letter. Replacing the book, she slowly unfolded the letter. Walking
to the high backed chair by the window, she began to read its
contents. After the first few lines, she was not sure she wanted to
continue.

My Dear Elizabeth,

I hope this letter finds you well and not, I pray, too delicate in
sensibilities for I do not wish to startle you by telling you what I
fear I must. As much as your uncle and I would like to keep you from
ever hearing these things, I am afraid we cannot. I hope I have not
unduly frightened you already, but I must beg of you to prepare
yourself. What I have to tell you will not be pleasant.

Your uncle dealing in trade, he is in the fortunate (and sometimes
most unfortunate) position of hearing things. As you well know
Elizabeth, we are not ones to gossip, but this particular matter
seems to have garnered our attention. I am afraid it focuses its
malicious intent upon Mr. Darcy and yourself.

As to what has been going on between you two, I am certain these
rumours are not based in the truth. I must let you know that I
respect Mr. Darcy and love you too much to have ever paid too much
heed to such ill-natured gossip. But London is quite filled with
such accounts, to a worrisome degree I might add.

It has been said that Mr. Darcy had an accident near Longbourn when
he was on his way to tell you of his engagement to his cousin. That
after you helped him recover you then changed his mind using methods
that are entirely inappropriate to write of. It is further said that
he took you to Pemberley to become his mistress and that he has no
intention of marrying you and you becoming Mrs. Darcy. It has also
been suggested that he needed to take you with him to Pemberley as
you are to have his love-child. Sadly, Elizabeth, there is more. It
had been said that Mr. Darcy paid your father for you, that you are
to remain his after he is married.

These rumours are all over London, everyone is talking about you and
Mr. Darcy. I have tried to protect you from this but added to the
rumours about your family already existing after Lydia's infamous
behaviour… I am grieved to say that the Bennet name is no longer
a
good one, nor is that of Darcy. I hate to pain you so but I felt it
necessary to make this known to you and Mr. Darcy before either of
you learned of it first hand by travelling into London.

I know not how long these lies can be confined to London society or
how long before they spread to your parent's ears, but I fear it
will not be long.

I am in the dark as to your real relationship with Mr. Darcy. From
what I have heard you dislike him greatly but after our visit in the
summer, I can admit that your uncle and I having hopes for a reunion
between you taking place. It was clear in your expressions last
summer that you were falling in love with him and that he was
already quite taken with you. When we saw him in Town whilst dealing
with Lydia, it was clear that he is very much in love with you.
Please do enlighten your uncle and me to the true facts. We remain
convinced that none of the nasty hearsay as to an illicit
relationship is true, but I fear for Mr. Darcy. His reputation is
nothing any longer; he will be accused of this and worse when he is
next in town. I ask you to tell him anything of what I have said; he
will need to know lest anything else go wrong. Just be careful my
dear, these nasty rumours can do damage, but only if you do not
think about your actions.

I hope to see you soon, I shall embarking on our annual Christmas
journey to Longbourn this week and so I shall see you there. Take
care until then my dear.

I remain very truly your loving aunt,

Madeleine Gardiner

To describe Lizzy as being in shock would not be the truth. The
rumours that Darcy had spoken of that morning were nothing like
these her aunt had described. The violence of this attack Lady
Catherine was waging against Darcy and Elizabeth was beyond belief.
To hurt her nephew so badly and in such a way was insufferable.

The fact that Elizabeth's family was also subjected to such torment
made her heart ache. Elizabeth was of two minds about showing the
letter to her beloved. When last Lady Catherine had intervened, he
had barely spoken for a week, a heart-breaking time for Elizabeth
and a painful time for him.

Despite her desire to protect him, she knew that she must speak with
him about her Aunt Gardiner's revelations. These falsehoods were
rampant amongst people who mattered too much for them to be ignored.
She could not but wonder how much he knew about all this and if he
had kept any of it from her intentionally. His apparent desire to
protect her from these lies was touching yet irksome at the same
time. As sweet as his protectiveness was, to know that he may have
deliberately failed to tell her everything that he knew showed a
decided lack of trust. Her need to know everything concerning him
was great, it was the only way she could help him should he need it.

She was decided. Refolding the letter and gripping it tightly in her
hand, she almost ran from the room. Thankfully no one was in the
corridor to witness her unladylike behaviour; not that she would
have paid them any mind. Once she reached the main foyer, she took a
moment to recall the location of Darcy's study that she had visited
but once, and that on the previous day. Walking down the corridor
straight ahead she espied the door and walked towards it.

She knocked lightly on the large, solid oak door to his private
domain. She hoped that the business with his steward was complete as
what she had to tell him was weighing heavily on her mind. She heard
his voice call for admittance into the room and very gingerly, she
turned the handle on the door.

When she had entered the room yesterday it had felt different,
friendlier, more open and inviting. The strong wood panelling around
the room darkened it, creating a very masculine feel she thought. It
was not the happy room she expected. Her father's study at Longbourn
always felt welcoming; it was a very homely sort of room. Darcy's,
on the other hand, was straight down to business. She could tell he
spent a great deal of time in this room. His world was scattered
about the desk, behind which he sat, looking at her.

He appeared happy to see her. Once his gaze rested on her form; he
smiled a cheerful, genuine smile. She tried to smile back but the
news she had just received was too upsetting to make any genuine
attempt at cheerfulness possible. He saw this and looked at her
curiously; he seemed to be able to see straight into her soul.

"What is the matter my love? You seem distressed." He stood and
slowly walked towards her, the ache that had been developing in his
leg since breakfast was now shooting sharp pains up his body with
every step.

"You should be resting; the walk this morning can not have done your
leg much good, not in this weather. Please, sit down William." He
looked at her again, with worry this time. She had yet to look at
him directly. He hoped it had nothing to do with the walk; the
sermonising to which they had both been subjected had been
irritating but nothing more surely?

He partially consented to her wish and leaned against the edge of
his desk. She took the seat before him and handed him the letter
from her aunt. He tried to ascertain what the contents were from her
expression and concluded it was not good. Unfolding the missive, he
looked at her once more then he began to read. Elizabeth watched him
closely, his face taking on many different emotions, the most
frequent being disgust.

Reading these slanderous words against his beloved Elizabeth and
knowing that it was his Aunt who had set them in motion sickened
him. He looked up and took a deep breath before reading it once
more, his brow becoming more furrowed with each repetition of the
lies. Finally, he threw the letter down onto his desk and hid his
face in his hands, attempting to calm the anger he felt building
inside of him. Losing his temper in front of Lizzy would solve
nothing.

Taking another calming breath he stood and walked to the window, the
pain in his leg almost forgotten thanks to the angry energy rushing
through him. He stood looking from the window, studying the snowy
tips of the trees and hills before him.

From his reflection in the window, Elizabeth could tell he was deep
in thought -- the way he stood almost perfectly upright, his hands
hung loosely by his side. She knew not what they were to do in this
situation. Surely, if her aunt had heard these rumours, then the
whole of the ton must be saturated with lies and falsehoods. They
were far from his family yet they were still plagued by their pure
hatred for his fiancée.

Standing, she slowly made her way to where he stood. When she placed
a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, she could feel the tension in
his body, his muscles taut and strained. She could tell from his
breathing that he was trying to calm himself; his hands had clenched
into fists by his side, his jaw set. She feared that if his aunt was
before him he would brook no hesitation in striking her.

Gradually, he becalmed. He took strength from her touch, a
reassurance that she would remain by his side; so different from
this morning when she had harboured doubts about their
unconventional courtship. Instinctively he knew that he would never
hear her speak that way again. He needed her by his side more than
he needed the family that had betrayed him. His shoulders sagged
slightly and he hung his head and closed his eyes. Her hand moved
from his shoulder to his hand, squeezing it gently.

Darcy was reassured that Elizabeth would always know exactly what he
needed, she made the sun shine and the grey skies disappear from his
once gloomy life. Everyday had been a storm before he met her, made
up of never changing lines of grey and white. He missed nothing from
that old way of living for she lived life in colour; rich, deep
colours that made everything look alive, vibrant. He looked at the
world through new eyes and it was all thanks to her. He would never
let her go, ruined reputation or not. No, what mattered now was her.

He turned to look at her, gazing into her eyes. He was always
astounded by the amount of pure, uninhibited love he found there.
Because she had once looked upon him with cold disdainful eyes, he
sometimes still expected to see the hatred he had witnessed at
Hunsford. If he ever saw that again in her fine eyes, he feared his
heart would stop beating in his chest and that once again, he would
die.

Cupping her face with his hand, he took a shuddering breath and laid
his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and gripped her hand
tighter, he knew not what to do but love her. Her fingertips stroked
his cheek lovingly.

"I did not know they had become so bad."

His voice was tired, tired of the constant disruption to their life.
Nothing had gone right; every available obstacle seemed to have been
cast in their direction.

"They are slanderous lies that can hurt your reputation…" He
opened
his eyes and looked deep into her being.

"No, but they can hurt your family. My reputation is beyond my care,
I would throw this all away to be with you. I am trapped in my own
social sphere and all my life it has dictated my every move. I fall
in love and the rest of the ton expects me to give it up to marry
one of them. If this is my way to freedom, then my aunt has given me
the greatest gift she ever could. It is you I worry about"

"William, I…"

She could see the near desperation in his eyes, something she had
never seen in them before. He placed his hands on either side of her
face and forced her to look deeper into his eyes.

"Do you understand? It is you that must worry. My family is dead, I
can be released from all of this but I care for you my love. If your
family is tainted by this then I must deal with this for you."

"I do not know what we can do, but William, what of your sister?"

"Do not mention her, you know that she means nothing to me. She has
shown me how little she holds me in her esteem. I will not be
associated with someone I spent so many years of my life keeping
content only for her to deny me any happiness. She is no longer my
sister."

The intensity of his words matched the look in his eyes.

"What must we do? What can be done?"

"We must marry and soon, very soon. You have to invite your family
here, including your aunt and uncle. We can be married shortly after
they arrive and that will nullify some of the lies. The ones
regarding your…suspected condition…well, I know not how to
confront
those."

"But there are those concerning your sister's banishment…"

"The truth of her actions shall become known; she disobeyed her
guardians; she ran out on me, I forced her in no way. Know this, if
she comes within ten miles of you…" He was seething and unable to
complete the thought; she knew now what had been bothering him. He
disliked his sister so much.

"Please William, calm down. This cannot be good for you, remember
you are still recovering."

She covered his hands with her and gently took hold of them,
gripping them tightly in her own. Their eyes never parted and
gradually the anger in his dissipated. His fury was replaced by a
deep need to hold her, to take her in his arms and ensure that she
would never leave him, to mark her as his for all eternity.

He pulled her to him roughly and covered her lips with his. Kissing
her deeply, his tongue invading her mouth, an insatiable need took
over his mind. He could feel her arms wrap tightly about his neck,
pulling him closer. It would have surprised him to find that she
needed him to make her his as much as he did.

His hands roamed over her body possessively, desperately needing to
feel her everywhere. One hand held the back of her head as he moved
his lips from her mouth and kissed his way down her neck, losing
himself in the scent of her skin. He felt her breathe in sharply as
his mouth trailed down her neck and across her chest. He was lost in
her and she in him. Nothing else mattered, everything paled into
insignificance in the wake of their passion.

"May I come to you tonight?"

His voice was rough, thick with passion. She just nodded before he
crushed her lips in another passionate kiss. Completely immersed in
the sensation of each other's hands on their bodies, neither heard
the door creak open, nor saw the person enter uninvited. Only when
the sharp tone of his voice penetrated their muffled senses were
they alerted to his presence.

"DARCY!"

It was Charles Bingley.


to be continued...