CHAPTER 1

Darcy accepted the cup of coffee Bingley held out to him and settled back into his chair. He stretched out his legs and took a sip from the bitter brew. Bingley watched with a slight theatrical shudder as he never understood why Darcy enjoyed his coffee without sugar or cream. Of course, Darcy found Bingley's habit of doctoring his coffee with at least three spoons of sugar and a generous dash of cream just as distasteful. If he wanted sweetened milk he would call for it.

"You are firm in your conviction of returning to Netherfield?" he asked.

Bingley, with his own almost white coffee in hand, settled into the chair opposite him.

"Why, of course. That had been the plan when I left for London. I thought I'd made it perfectly clear that I planned to return to Netherfield once I'd dealt with business." He shook his head and frowned down at his coffee. "I still do not understand why Louisa and Caroline were so set on following me immediately. Or why you went along with it."

Bingley looked befuddled while he looked at Darcy, clearly expecting an explanation.

Darcy bit back his first remark. He had a strong inkling just why Caroline Bingley had wanted to head back to London and the luxuries and fashions it offered. While she liked the idea of her brother owning an estate, she hadn't really enjoyed the reality of it. And where Miss Bingley went, Mrs. Hurst was sure to follow. Mr. Hurst didn't really care where they stayed as long as his needs were taken care of and he didn't have to pay for it. As much as Darcy cared for his young friend, he didn't have many illusions when it came to Bingley's family.

His own reasons, though, had been a bit more complex and cantered rather firmly around the two Bennet sisters and their relations.

"While I am not familiar with your sisters' reasons, I was thinking you might want to reconsider your choice."

"Is something wrong with the estate?"

Darcy shook his head. Netherfield actually would be a good choice to buy. The house itself was solid and the grounds promising, especially once a good steward was installed. He would have preferred if Bingley had found something closer to Pemberley, but aside fro that, nothing really spoke against Netherfield. At least not against the estate. The town of Meryton was also acceptable and the closeness to London rather a boon for someone who had a lot of business in London. Yet, Darcy questioned the wisdom of settling in Netherfield. Mostly based on some of the people they'd encountered during their stay.

He tried to pick his words carefully. "You seemed quite taken with Miss Bennet."

A bright smile crossed Bingley's face. "Yes. Isn't she lovely? I've rarely met a woman as pleasant as her. I can't wait to return to Netherfield to see her again."

Darcy blinked slightly. Bingley had this habit of falling in and out of love all the time, especially when a pretty girl smiled at him but his admiration for Miss Bennet had been going on for a lot longer than his previous infatuations. And it seemed to grow deeper with every encounter. At least to his knowledge.

While there wasn't anything per se wrong with Miss Bennet—she was beautiful and, unlike her mother and younger sisters, seemed to be fairly reasonable and genteel—he doubted that she returned Bingley's affection. She welcomed them in a way any well-raised and caring gentlewoman would, but Darcy saw nothing in her behavior that convinced him that there was any depth to her affections. If she had actually held any feeling in her heart for Bingley, surely she would have been more open in her presentation. Even if she'd only cared for Bingley's income, she would have been more attentive.

The mother, of course, had made no secret out of the fact that she had her eyes only on Bingley's income.

"Indeed," Darcy conceded. "I have to question Miss Bennet's attachment to you, though. Your delight with her was hard to miss but she appeared very remote, even detached."

Bingley frowned at him and considered his words. Finally, he shook his head. "I do not see it."

Darcy inclined his head, not surprised. Love after all was supposed to blind someone to the most obvious things. And Bingley was very skilled in being obtuse when he wanted to be.

"Sometimes, someone looking at things from a distance has the advantage of seeing more clearly."

Bingley's frown deepened and he finally shook his head. "And sometimes you might no see the things that are only visible from a close distance."

Darcy sighed. This sounded worse than he'd feared. Was it possible that Bingley's admiration for the lovely Miss Bennet went beyond a mere infatuation into something deeper? Maybe even into love?

"That might be," he finally admitted. "But what about Mrs. Bennet? Would you be interested in calling such a woman Mother? She hasn't even tried to hide the reason of her interest in you. "

Bingley pursed his mouth while he considered the question. If he really decided to court Miss Bennet and to purchase Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet would be a regular visitor. With all of bad manners and her boastfulness. And her other daughters. Darcy's mind briefly wandered to the one Bennet sister he was hard pressed to forget. Like her older sister, she had stood out. Not as beautiful as her sister, but captivating in a completely different way.

Bingley finally shook his head. "Miss Bennet is not her mother. Besides, we both have been the target of ambitious and zealous mothers before. They just tend to be less… straight-forward?"

Darcy winced at the reminder of the various mothers who'd set their eyes on him as a potential husband for their daughters. Compared to them, Mrs. Bennet had been blatantly obvious. Her daughters, on the other hand, had been almost inept when compared to the more polished young women he'd met during the Seasons.

Bingley laughed softly. "Besides old friend, if money was all they cared about then why wasn't Mrs. Bennet sicking her daughters on you?"

Darcy opened his mouth to offer a return but the shut it when nothing came to mind. Bingley actually had a point. In just about every aspect, he was above Bingley. Not just where his income was concerned but also his ancestry. Bingley was the son of a trader while Darcy was able to trace his father's family back to France and William the Conqueror. And his mother's ancestors had served the house of Anjou and subsequent monarchs. By rights, he should have been the more interesting target to the mercenary Mrs. Bennet and the other ladies of Meryton. Yet, aside from gossiping like fishmongers, they had left him alone.

Of course, he had also cultivated a deposition that often deterred ladies, both young and old, unless they were very determined or simply obtuse.

In his estimate, Miss Bennet was neither. She had a serene gentility about her that would attract some yet also deter others. It was a trait that did draw Bingley while it had had the opposite effect on Darcy. He preferred a bit more spirit and vivaciousness.

As for Miss Elizabeth Bennet… He frowned while he considered her. After their first encountered, it had only belatedly occurred to him that she might have overheard his insulting words. He had tried to put her out of his mind but of course she'd crossed his paths again. How could she not in a place as small Meryton?

Darcy vividly recalled her appearance the morning when she'd come to visit her ailing sister. Hair in slight disarray, cheeks flushed from the exertion, and her petticoats covered in mud. Her lack of artifice had been as appealing as her obvious concern for her sister. It had been refreshing, especially when compared to the more sheltered and delicate ladies he'd encountered in London.

In that moment he'd also realized that his first impression had been wrong. She was much prettier than he'd given her credit for. Both physically and mentally.

"Following your logic, Miss Bennet or Miss Elizabeth should have focused all their skills and all their charms on you, yet, if I recall correctly, Miss Elizabeth seemed more interested in verbally sparring with you than in offering you flattery." Bingley's eyes danced with delight.

Darcy had to concede the point. Her behavior had been at odds with what it should have been. Even his offense should have elicited a different reaction. Instead of harboring any ill feelings, she seemed to take delight in mocking him gently while her eyes danced with barely suppressed mirth. That playfulness and her willingness to laugh at herself gave her a thoroughly vexing air but also made her the most fascinating woman he'd met in a long time. Her compassion and obvious love for her sister just added to her allure. He loved his own sister dearly and had always hoped to find a wife who would care for Georgiana for her own sake and not as a means to an end. Miss Bingley wasn't the first one or the only one who'd tried to befriend Georgiana in an attempt to curry favor with his.

He silently apologized to Bingley for his uncharitable thought about his sister, before his attention turned to the question what kind of sister Elizabeth Bennet would make to Georgiana. Would she care as much for her as she did for her own sister? Or treat her with polite indifference?

He shook his head in an attempt to dispel these thoughts. They were rather pointless after all. The arguments that applied to Miss Bennet, also applied to her younger sister. The though of a woman like Mrs. Bennet let lose at Pemberley. Or being introduced to his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, or his aunt, Lady Catherine. The thought alone made him shudder. No, completely unacceptable.

"Still, now that we are all in London, it would be wise to remain," Darcy offered, still hoping that his young friend could be swayed to stay away from the Bennets. It was better for the all.

Bingley got up to pour himself another coffee. When he returned to his seat, his expression firmed into something more stubborn and decided. Darcy cursed silently. While he'd sometimes wished for his younger friend to be more assertive and less easily led by those around him, now wasn't really the best point of time to develop more of a backbone. It might have boded well, if it had involved another woman.

Bingley stretched his legs around and crossed them at the ankles, while he watched Darcy curiously.

Darcy raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

"Did you know that there are some who question your friendship with me? Especially the depth, or lack thereof, of your attachment," Bingley pointed out mildly.

Darcy frowned. That was the first he'd heard of it.

"Of course, there's the usual talk of why a man several years my senior and of a much higher position in society would ever decide to befriend me. But there's also the fact that to the causal observer, we might be nothing more than acquaintances."

Darcy's frown deepened and Bingley nodded. "I have been accused more than once that I'm only interested in your friendship due to the benefits it will provide me and my family. Your support and patronage have eased my entry into society considerably, especially after father's death, something I am highly aware off and very grateful for. As well as your advise when it comes to buying and managing an estate. But there has been talk."

He gritted his teeth, hating these rumors and that Bingley had to deal with them. He hadn't even realized that Bingley knew of them or had heard some of the gossip surrounding their friendship. Darcy wouldn't have known if Fitzwilliam wasn't an incessant gossip and seemed to know every morsel of gossip available in London. And if Fitzwilliam didn't know it, then Thomas, his valet, did and was only too happy to share.

Darcy was aware of their different social standings but had found him to be a good companion and steadfast friend. A bit naive on occasion and always prone to belief the best of people, lacking the harsh lessons that Darcy had faced when first his mother and soon after his father had died, leaving him with a distraught younger sister in need of a mother and father and a massive estate that required careful management if it was supposed to continue flourishing. While the family had railed around him, he'd still often felt alone and completely overwhelmed by it all, especially when he'd held a sobbing Georgiana in his arms and been unable to console her. Or himself. All that was then followed by Wickham's betrayals leaving him with a harsher and more cynical outlook on life and society.

Bingley in comparison had been the cherished and sheltered only son of caring parents and with doting sisters. He'd barely faced any hardship until his father had died just last year. The time afterward had been hard, especially on Bingley who was now the new head of the house. Having gone through a similar, Darcy had tried to help as much as possible, often focusing more on the practical aspects. The whole situation was a heavy burden for someone so young and now faced with bettering his family's standing and fulfilling his father's last wish. It made the choice of the right wife so important. Although Bingley seemed to have done better than Darcy himself. Maybe it was the differences in their personalities that allowed him to face issues with more ease.

Bingley was watching him with an amused smile. He shook his head when he finally had Darcy's attention and put his coffee to the side. A brief frown crossed his face.

"Aside from us, there is also Caroline. I know of her ambitions and plans concerning you. And while I love her dearly and I would rejoice if I could call you brother one day, I don't see any benefit in a match between her and you. You would both be utterly miserable and that is something I desire neither for my sister nor my dear friend."

Darcy grimaced. The topic of Miss Bingley was one he tried to avoid. Usually, he simply tried to ignore her overturns as she was the sister of a good friend. Lately, though, she'd gotten more aggressive. It suddenly occurred to him that some of her more forward attempts to garner his attention had happened after he'd mentioned his admiration for Elizabeth Bennet. That also explained why she'd been so eager to return to London. Something he would have to consider more comprehensively at a later time.

"So, to bring this back to our original topic, Miss Bennet. I fully intend to return to Netherfield and see what might develop between us. Maybe you are correct and she does not care for me. Maybe my heart will be broken but I think I would prefer that than to spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been. And if my feelings are returned, as I hope they will be, should I not follow that path to marital bliss?"

Darcy sighed, feeling defeated. How was he able to argue against love even if he still firmly believed that it was nothing more than mere infatuation? Bingley and love was a rather capricious topic. Yet, he had never spoken with such conviction of his previous objects of adoration.

Maybe the best path would be to let him return to Netherfield, find out that Miss Bennet did not care for him, and do the only thing a friend could do in such a situation. Be at his side and offer his support. Although, as much as he didn't like it in this instance, he considered the fact that Miss Bennet had caused Bingley to disagree with him and be more decisive and determined a positive development for his friend. Hopefully, it would keep.

As for Netherfield, it might be best if he avoided Miss Elizabeth while there. It should be easy if he put his mind to it.