Pride and Prejudice- Chapter 1

Elizabeth walked to the top of the stairs looking at the crowd gathered for the party at Netherfield. She was there with Jane for the party Charles was throwing to announce their engagements. They were finally getting married in just 3 months. She could feel the excitement running through her body as she looked for Mr. Darcy in the crowd. She had finally admitted to the feeling that had been in her heart for the last few months. She had over come the fear, the anger and the frustrations to say that she loved Mr. Darcy. Fully and completely. And to her utter surprise and delight, he still lives her even after everything that she had said and done.

"Lizzy." Jane said softly walking over to her, 'Are you ready to go down stairs?"

Elizabeth turned to look at Jane, "Could you ever imagine that we would ever both be this happy? Get everything that we want?" she said pulling her in for a hug.

Jane looked down the stairs to see Charles talking to their father, "Ohhh Lizzy, I never would have dreamed that I would be this happy." She said softly. "We both are getting everything that we could ever dream of and more. Plus, Mother is over the moon. Both of her daughters marrying with such pin money each month." She said giggling softly.

Elizabeth looked down in search of Mr. Darcy, "I don't care about his money Jane. All I ever wanted was to marry for love. And he does Jane, he loves me… and I love him." She whispered.

Jane smiled at her, "Me too Lizzy, love is all that ever really mattered. But it is nice to please mother for a change." She said with a giggle.

Elizabeth laughed brightly at her, "It is certainly nice to see our mother so happy. I thought she would never forgive me after I told Mr. Collins no. Now she is telling everyone that it was her ideal for me to say no, because she just knew that Mr. Darcy loved me." The girls looked down at their mother as she joined Charles and their father laughing loudly.

"Oh Lizzy, I never thought that I could be this happy. Now you and Mr. Darcy, it makes my happiness even better." Jane said hugging her sister quickly. "I need to tell you a secret Charles told me."

Elizabeth turned to look at Jane in anticipation, "What?"

Jane turned to Elizabeth and grabbed her hands smiling widely, "Charles said he was going to look for a home closer to Pemberley, there was one that was only 20 minutes away." She said excitedly. "He said he is glad he came to Netherfield but he thinks I would be happier closer to you." Jane smiled broadly, "Plus I don't think he wants to be this close to Mama every day."

Elizabeth laughed loudly drawing the attention of the crowd below. "I am sure that you are right on both account, for I would sure love to have you as close as possible. Nothing would make me happier then to be able to see you every single day." She said. "Plus, I am sure that being away from mama would be a plus."

They both looked down at the crowd again looking for their loves. Jane smiled down at Charles, but Elizabeth did not see Mr. Darcy anywhere. "I wonder where Mr. Darcy is? I have not seen him in quite a while." Elizabeth said with a small frown.

Jane began to look over the crowd with her, "I don't see him either, I have not seen him since the announcement earlier when he was standing next to you. I thought that he went into the ballroom with you." She murmured.

"He did, we had a dance but then I got pulled away by papa and when I turned back around he was gone. I wonder where he went to." Elizabeth said looking around again.

Jane smiled down at Charles, "I will go down and ask Charles if he knows where he went. I am sure he didn't go to far." Jane gave her sister a quick smile and walked down that stairs, gliding to take Charles arm. Elizabeth watched as Jane spoke softly to Charles who nodded and pointed upstairs.

Elizabeth looked behind her but did not see anyone, so she looked down at Jane who mouthed Library to her. Elizabeth smiled down at her and nodded back. She turned and wondered back into the hallway before turning towards the library. She saw the light poring out of the partially open door on the right. She heard the murmur of voices coming out into the still darkness of the hallway. She wondered closer, her slippered feet not making a sound. As she came up to the door she saw Caroline BIngley talking softly to someone just out of site.

"I know that you must feel it to… that you are making a grave mistake. This will ruin your sister" She said hands reaching out to whoever was behind the door.

Elizabeth heard the mutters of someone's reply, but she couldn't hear what they said so she moved closer to the crack in the door way trying to see who was in the room with Caroline. As she peered in closer she saw Caroline glance up and see her, her eyes narrowed at Elizabeth. However, she surprised Elizabeth when she turned back to who she was speaking to and began talking again, "Just admit it Mr. Darcy. Admit that you know marrying Elizabeth is a mistake. That it will ruin you." Elizabeth watched as she moved closer to Mr. Darcy behind the door, "You and I both know that I would make a better wife in every way. I can take care of you, run Pemberley and help your sister when she comes out. I am far superior to Eliza in every way." She whispered as she stepped closer to him.

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she went to step in the room to put Caroline in her place when she heard Mr. Darcy reply back, "You may be right that you would run Pemberley better or be able to help my sister come out…" he voiced was paused as Caroline leaned forward and claimed his lips. Elizabeth watched as his hands came up to her arms to grab them in a tight embrace. As Caroline placed her hands on his chest. The pain that exploded in Elizabeth's chest felt like nothing she had every experienced before. The tears started to stream down her face as she slowly took one step back, then another step back. She kept backing up until she hit an alcove, she pressed herself up against the wall and into the darkness. Her breath coming out in harsh gasps. She felt as if her heart was breaking into a million pieces. Tears were streaming down her face unchecked.

Her head snapped up as she watched Mr. Darcy stride out of the room and down the hall back to the party. She watched as he turned and walked down the stairs, but still she could not move. She felt as if her world was ending.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't move.

She was frozen, unable to move.

Unable to think.

She looked up sharply when Caroline came out and paused looking for her. She tried to shrink back farther into the alcove, but it was not use. Caroline was looking for her and she found her.

"Well Eliza, A little spy are we. Standing in doorways, listening to other conversations. You shouldn't ease drop. You will hear things that you will not like." She said with a sneer. "Did you really think that you would be enough. That you would be good enough…. for Mr. Darcy?" Caroline walked closer to her standing so close Elizabeth could feel her breath on her cheek. "You will never be enough…even if he does marry you…. he will come to me for things that he needs…. things he wants…" Caroline paused to lean back and smirk at her, "IF Mr. Darcy marries you….it will be his greatest failure and you will be his greatest disappointment."

Elizabeth could take not more, her strong will and personality seeming to bend until it broke leaving her unable to say anything back. To do anything but try to run away from the torment. She pushed past Caroline walking quickly to the stairs, ready to leave….to go home…. To climb into her bed and ignore the world and its cruel tricks.

Caroline turned to follow her, "A good woman would walk away…she would not condemn a man she professed to love to a life time of disappointment." She taunted her as they walked down the hall towards the stairs. When they reach the top of the staircase Caroline grabbed her arm to turn her around to face her, "Eliza how selfish can you be?" She sneered.

Elizabeth couldn't hear the crowds talking below them, she couldn't hear the music playing in the background. She couldn't hear Caroline still spitefully talking to her. She couldn't process any of it. All she could see was Mr. Darcy kissing Caroline, all she could hear was the memory of Mr. Darcy telling Caroline that she wouldn't be good enough. She felt like she was drowning in a room full of people. She was screaming on the inside, but nothing would come out of her mouth.

Caroline shook her still talking at her, "Do you hear me Eliza, can you really be that selfish?"

But Elizabeth just shook her head as she pulled away and took a step back. Backing away from Caroline and to the tip of the top stair. "No." She whispered brokenly, trying to process everything. "NO." She said stronger drawing the attention of several groups downstairs, shaking her head

She went to take another step back, but this time her foot hit air. And the room froze.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Mr. Darcy looked up to see Elizabeth and Caroline at the top of the stairs. Jane turned to look to see what Darcy was looking at. And they both watched in horror as Elizabeth took a step into air. Mr. Darcy yelled out in fear…

Jane screamed in terror and the rest of the room turned to watch Elizbeth's foot having no place to stand, slip down, her body pitching forward with momentum. Her body hitting each stair faster then anyone could move. And her head hitting the railing in a loud crack. Her eyes fluttering closed as she tumbled and finally rested at the bottom of the stairs. Mr. Darcy ran, pushing people hard if they dared not move, if they dared to stay in his way as he raced towards her.

When he reached her, he saw the blood seeping out of the back of her head to form a halo around her. He fell to his knees, the blood soaking up his pants, stark red against the cream. His hands shook as he reached out to touch her face, her eyes closed and her faced relaxed.

"Elizabeth." He whispered brokenly. Hands shacking as he pushed back tendrils of her hair. "Look at me Elizabeth." He begged.

The room still had not moved, now silent as they watched Mr. Darcy shacking in fear, Elizabeth laying in a pool of blood that was getting larger and larger. There was no movement, no sound. Nothing but pain and fear.