It happened about a week before Fitzwilliam Darcy married Elizabeth Bennett. The family and Mr. Darcy were assembled in the sitting room: Mary reading, Kitty and Jane re-trimming a bonnet, Thomas Bennett nursing a brandy, and the happy couple simply conversing quietly. It was sad but, on that particular night, Mr. Bingley had been detained by his "ailing" sister. Mrs. Bennett bustled in and made the suggestions that the young couple take a turn about the garden before Mr. Darcy's return home for the night. They quickly agreed to the scheme and Elizabeth made her way upstairs to collect her shawl.
As soon as the sitting room door shut behind his beloved, Fitzwilliam felt a change in the air. All meaningless occupations were abandoned, as the family eyed him with varying degrees of gravity.
"We haven't much time before my daughter returns," started Mrs. Bennett.
"But we would like to make one thing clear to you," continued Mary.
"Our family is not an important one," Mr. Bennett commented; but when Darcy began to contradict this, he was silenced by the elder man. "We are very aware of our general insignificance; but know this, singularly we are nothing but together we are something very powerful indeed."
Once again, Darcy began to comment only to be silenced, this time by Jane.
"I believe my family is simply trying to make clear to you that our strength is in numbers. You may be related to fine Lords and Ladies, but everyone answers to the law. And in this area, we are the law." Darcy was somewhat amazed that the woman speaking to him now was the same woman he thought so cold many months ago. Her eyes burned with a severity that made him believe she would, personally, see him flogged.
"I do not believe you are aware that my father was a marksman in his day." Commented Kitty innocuously.
"Or that our great uncle on our mother's side is the town magistrate," continued Mary, "and his second son is the rector of Longbourn; among his duties, I am sure you know, are keeping of death records and the internment of bodies for burial."
"So just remember, as long as our daughter is happy, none of what was discussed this evening should ever need reach her ears." Mr. Bennett finished, giving him one finally stern look before all returned to their previous employment. Not half a minute later, Elizabeth finally returned.
"Jane, did you move my shawl? I have looked everywhere for it and produced no results." Elizabeth huffed. The huff would have been very endearing to Mr. Darcy had he not still been consumed in calming his racing heart.
"Oh, silly me," commented Jane with laughter Darcy could now recognize as fake, "Here it is by the window. I was chilled early this morning. I hope you do not mind that I borrowed it."
"No, of course not," returned Elizabeth with a smile, then turning to Darcy asked if he was ready. He sputtered for a moment looking around the room for signs that the previous conversation had not been a hallucination, but everyone seemed to be focused on their own doings.
"Go on then," said Mr. Bennett, "and have her back before dark."
Before Darcy could comment, Elizabeth boldly grabbed his hand and led him toward that nice little wilderness they had so often found themselves in of late. They walked quietly for some time, arm in arm, not for lack of things to say but simply enjoying the company and the quiet. Darcy's mind slowly processed all the details of his talk the Bennetts. After some time, he finally got up the nerve to ask Elizabeth what was on his mind.
"How good a shot is your father?" He asked, wondering how much of their little story was a bluff.
"I have never seen him shoot but we are never short on venison, even when other families are." She replied.
They came to pass the same bench for the third time and so Elizabeth suggested they sit for a bit before heading back to the house. Time passed and Darcy tried to organize his thoughts into innocent questions.
"Would you tell me more about your mother's family? Does she have any uncles still living." He asked.
"Oh yes, Uncle Robert, he is wonderful. He works in town and is one of my favorite. We often discuss his cases once he has rendered a verdict. He says that I am the daughter he never knew he always wanted. His wife is Aunt Edna and she makes the best preserves you have ever tasted. They have two sons. The oldest is a scientific gardener who works to figure out which plants are poisonous and their second son maintains the living at Longbourn rectory." Her eyes seemed to light up in a way he had only seen when she talked about Jane.
If anything, this was worse than he thought. Not only could they sentence him to death and make the body disappear, they could simply poison him with a poison yet unknown by the world at large.
"I hope they will be at the wedding." He replied politely. He might have been concerned for his life had he not remember a very important fact. He had long before pledged his life to the happiness of his beloved. As he thought about the Bennetts, he had to give them credit for protecting his love. Maybe when someone came to take his beloved sister away, he would use their scare tactics. Until then, he would be glad that Elizabeth had so many people who cared about her.
"I am sure they will be glad to meet you, but I think it is time to head back to the house." Elizabeth commented, pausing thoughtfully before adding, "Would you mind heading back to Netherfield after dinner tomorrow, my family and I need to have a word with Mr. Bingley."
"No problem at all," he replied, "I will not even warn him."
"Warn him?" she questioned, "What could possibly happen to him in our home." Her eyes glinted dangerously as she said it though. Darcy said nothing but made a note to have a brandy ready when his friend returned the next evening.
A/N: So updating, april 2013, with the help of my amazing beta from another story I am uploading a more editted version of this story, Also I am thinking about writing a follow-up or two, but that will probably be sometime out as I just started the Healing Properties of pemberley and that is my main focus right now, reviews are always appreciated. thanks!