I don't own Pride and Prejudice

"Dear are you well?"

Madeline Gardiner turned her troubled eyes to her husband at his hushed words, as they lay in their bed at Longbourn. "I fear I must tell my secret to Lizzy?"

"Your secret?" Edward Gardiner looked at his wife wondering what she was talking about.

"Yes my secret, my parentage, my family."

Mr. Gardiner was shocked. "Are you sure my dear?"

"No." Mrs. Gardiner gave a small shake of her head, but I fear I must, for if I don't it could all end in disaster. Lizzy seems to be infatuated with Mr. Wickham."

"Who is Mr. Wickham my dear?"

Mrs. Gardiner grimaced, "He is the son of my father's old steward. After my father's death he was to take over the living at Kympton, but instead Fitzwilliam gave him a sum of three thousand pounds at his own request saying he wanted to study the law. I only know this because I overheard Fitzwilliam and Wickham after my father's funeral."

"well I'm not seeing the great harm here." Mr. Gardiner said

Mrs. Gardiner sighed, "The great harm is that last summer Fitzwilliam was going to send Georgiana to us do you remember?"

"Yes. You were nearing your confinement though, and gave birth to Grace right before, so he sent her to Ramsgate instead I believe."

"Yes that is right, she went to Ramsgate with her companion Mrs. Younge. A few weeks after she arrived there I received a letter from William. As you know he and our cousin Richard were named her Guardians, though my father put in a provision that I was to help in any way I could. "

Mr. Gardiner nodded urging her to go on.

"It seems that Georgiana had met with Mr. Wickham while on Holiday. He'd convinced her to run off with him and elope. He wanted her thirty thousand pounds of course, he'd spent every pence that William had given him from his inheritance. Luckily Darcy showed up just in time, nothing happened the companion was fired and I helped find a new one, but now Wickham is here in Hertfordshire trying to win over Lizzy. She's falling under his spell and it seems he's told her some tales of the Darcy family, how they were unkind to him. She believes these tales because of the way my brother has treated her. Oh you know how Fitzwilliam can be, so proud, like ice so disdainful."

"Yes I believe even though he was but seven when we married he swore never to speak to you again because you had made his mama cry." Edward recalled a day in a distant past.

"Yes of course Mama was upset that I wasn't marrying in our circle, and father threatened to withhold my dowry, but in the end they were my parents. I loved them, and in their way they loved me. They just asked that I hide my connections as best as I could, it wasn't hard. Of course people in Derbyshire knew of me, but as I never officially came out in society most people forgot that the Darcy's had an elder Daughter. Now whenever you hear a whisper about a Darcy daughter people assume its Georgiana." She shook her head, "I also feel bad, for I fear Georgiana was trying to emulate me. She saw my courtship with you as romantic. She wanted that. She is so young though, that she didn't understand the complication that comes with that. I am Happy with you, of course I am but I thought of my decision long and hard before saying yes. She is still so young, so sheltered.

Mr. Gardiner took his wife into his arms, as she came out of her recollection of the past. Yet Fitzwilliam, and by extent Georgiana came back to you."

"Yes," she whispered. "They did, after mama died, when William was but thirteen and Georgiana just a newborn father reached out to me. He didn't know how to help his children, me included."

Mr. Gardiner nodded remembering that time so long ago. They had two young children and Madeline had taken their children to Pemberley for an extended visit. Getting to know her younger brother, holding her baby sister. Since then William while not close had turned to her in times of need, they had a bond one she wished was closer but even now five years after their fathers passing he still had trouble over coming her fall in society. She knew he loved her, but being master of Pemberley being above reproach was so tightly engrained in him.

"So you will tell Lizzy the truth in hopes she'll stay away from Mr. Wickham?"

"Yes I trust Lizzy not to tell my secret. Even if she did a part of me is tired of hiding so much, it's been over twenty years since I last called Pemberley home, Edward I don't regret marrying you, but a part of me misses the girl I used to be.

Pulling her closer Edward kissed her cheek. He knew how much his wife had given up to marry him, and everyday he was thankful she did. "Darling I love you, I'd give you the world if I could. I hope that talking to Lizzy might give you some measure of comfort that neither I nor William can give you. You've always been close to her."

"Yes, she reminds me much of myself as a young girl, Head strong opinionated, so full of life and idea's." A smile graced her lips again. "I fear our Alice will be that way in a few years." She chuckled

"Oh help me." Mr. Gardiner chuckled with her. "Now my dear why don't you get some sleep. In the morning you can find time to speak to Lizzy tell her your tale. Tell her the truth, I hope it helps the both of you."

"Thank you." Madeline snuggled deep into her husband's embrace letting sleep come to her wondering how the talk she was to have with her favorite niece would end tomorrow. Would it shock Lizzy to find out the truth? She was sure it would. She had lived it and was still surprised at the things she'd lived.

A/N made a few changes. Took the word Okay out as it seemed to offend some people's sensibilities LOL also someone questioned if that would make Lizzy Darcy's Niece. No Lizzy is only related to Madeline though her marriage to Edward since Edward is Mrs. Bennet's brother.