Author's Note: This is the first time I have put anything on the internet in a long time. I hope you like it. This will get somewhat smutty. While this is purely regency, obviously I have just recently come off a Lizzie Bennet Diaries obsession so if shades of that comes out in this don't be surprised.

Chapter One: Second Impressions

"Fingertips on the banister, dress fluttering, don't look down..."

Elizabeth frowned as she caught herself repeating mantras, something she had done constantly in the first year of her marriage. It had been, to her own slight embarrassment, fallen to Georgiana to instruct Elizabeth on the finer points of finer living. Ascending a staircase like a lady, smile when spoken to, start with the outer fork and work in. Though she had been born to a high enough station in life, it was nothing like the manners that had been bred to the bone in her sister - in - law. It had been all she could do to keep it in her head amidst wedding plans, pleasing society and juggling her mother's constant visits and hints for grandchildren.

"Fitz," she said as she ascended, warm smile in place, spine straight as an arrow. He smiled in return, one more natural and less practiced. "I wasn't aware you were coming. I thought Mr. Darcy sent a note? Georgiana is ill, she doesn't require an escort."

Fitz found himself wondering whether she called him Mr. Darcy all the time or did it only for his benefit. He bowed slightly to her over her extended hand when she reached him and lightly brushed his lips over her finger tips. As he straightened he noticed again how much slimmer she was since her marriage, how he was now certain that it was not just because of how much better she held herself.

"Mrs. Darcy."

She winced slightly. At least before her wedding she had occasionally been called Lizzy, or Miss Elizabeth. Sometimes "Mrs." and "Darcy" felt like two different names that described her not at all.

"What are you doing here?" Lizzy smiled as she realized she'd slipped up, mantras or no, and had spoken directly and boldly to a man without first inviting him in to her home and asking after his family. Not, of course, that Fitz had any family worth speaking over.

"Your husband sent a note. He will not be able to attend and requested that I escort you in his place. I, of course, would be honoured."

The change in her was palpable as her smile remained but changed to a fixed one, her hand, still in his, tensed slightly but perceptibly. He so rarely now saw glimpses of the Elizabeth she remembered peer out that he treasured such moments and occasionally endeavoured to bring them out.

"Of course. I thank you. Are you ready to go? Is the carriage ready?"

He nodded and stepped back as her maid bustled forward and wrapped her in something heavy looking and distinctly furry. Mink? He wondered if it had been a birthday present or possibly for an extravagant anniversary. Fitz remembered briefly how it had been to envy Darcy just for his unlimited budget and generous spirit. Like nothing, a passing fancy.

"Colonel, if you would escort me to the carriage?"

She slipped her hand into his elbow. She smiled sideways at him slightly. He was shorter than her husband and their eyes met almost at the same line.

He handed her into her husband's elaborate coach and followed her in. He looked away politely while she discreetly straightened her silk gown. He realized he was used to spending time with her, that they had developed a rapport for such evenings. In an instant he was so mortified for thinking of her in this way that he couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"And how long is your leave, Colonel Fitzwilliam?" she asked. She sent a sideways smirk at him. He entreated her to call him Fitz quite often and she almost always capitulated. It was only in particularly practiced moments that she remembered to call him by her title.

"A fortnight."

They were silent. They both knew his station was all but honorary, a position he was shuffled in to as the second son of a rich man. She found herself wishing that Georgiana had been able to attend along with them, though it would have resulted in an uneven party. Georgiana could typically be counted on to liven up her company. Lizzy counted her as her closest friend. Jane was far too busy being the perfect wife, having slipped in to the role with considerable more ease than her younger sister. Jane, surprising no one, had additionally managed to produce two children within two years of marriage. Charlotte only had one but lived further away. Both of them seemed much busier in their marriages than Lizzy found herself to be. They also had never been escorted to a ball by a man other than their husbands. In Charlotte's case, Lizzy found this to be a terrible pity.

"How are your accomplishments?" he asked vaguely. She contained a giggle. Elizabeth owned to being a decent musician and a sub-par painter. She had neither the talents of her sister - in - law or even as most of her sisters. She did not mind Georgiana as a rival and her sisters' opinion was unimportant, as she would always reign supreme over them by marrying to such a high station.

"I am becoming quite the horsewoman. I attempted to walk to Lambton and Georgiana would have none of it. Usually the girl is easily quelled, but she insisted. She informed me that I would be quite on par with herself at the age of eleven."

Fitz let out a snort of laughter. He tried to imagine the wives of any of his other acquaintances speaking so and he could not. Even her own scandalous younger sister was far too self aware to qualify. Lizzy attempted to better herself but simply was the way she was. She gave him a sideways look that reminded him of how she had looked before she had married Darcy, as a girl that even he had noticed. He shook such thoughts aside. Even he was sometimes intimidated by the newly made Mrs. Darcy. Her balls and soirées were the talk of the county and she kept Pemberley running with unprecedented smoothness. It was even said in certain circles that she was handling Georgiana's entrance into society with perfect grace. If occasionally it was muttered afterward that this was because of her experience in watching her mother hoist her own daughters on society, no one held this against her.

They alighted as the carriage reached the imposing mansion of the neighbouring estate. Fitz comfortingly squeezed Elizabeth's small hand as she stepped out of the carriage. Despite her accomplishments, despite how hard she had worked, he knew that she still found it all to be somewhat bothersome and even intimidating. If no one had ever spent a particular amount of attention on the second Bennet girl, besides to find her handsome enough and quite well spoken, no one ever refrained from noticing the Lady Darcy, wealthiest and most envied woman in the surrounding counties.

If any of the neighbours found it odd that she was escorted by her husband's cousin and not her husband, they said nothing of it. Calmly and collected she first greeted the hostess, then her closest friends, and then stood to allow any others to come to her. One saving grace of her marriage was not having to try so hard. She remembered with embarrassment her mother pushing her toward uncomfortable conversations with lecherous older men, having to dance with them and pretend everything they said was fascinating. Darcy was a perfect dance partner.

"When," she thought rebelliously, "He bothers to show up at all."

Dinner had ended and the first notes of a quadrille had begun when she noted his absence again. Dear Fitz was with her but he was not the dancer her husband was. She was used to dancing with Darcy now. It was nothing like their first disastrous occasion. They knew each other's rhythms perfectly. She so strongly associated it with her married life that she wasn't certain how her body would react to another man.

He had just risen and offered her his hand when a questioning look over her left shoulder piqued her interest. She followed his gaze and smiled in relief at the sight of her husband, somewhat unkempt but none the worse for wear. He reached them quickly with his long strides and took her hand.

"I am sorry, my dear. An urgent matter on the state. I trust Fitz took good care of you?" Darcy flashed a careless smile at his good friend and Fitz returned it rather weakly. Was it just him or had Darcy somehow grown both taller and broader since his marriage? It made Elizabeth look even smaller and more delicate. He slid his arm about his wife's waist in preparation to lead her to the floor and Fitz straightened the elbow he had prepared to offer her, feeling foolish.

He watched as Darcy led his wife on to the dance floor. Was it his imagination, or did the other dancers give them a wide berth, as if to call attention to them? They were difficult to tear the eye away from.

Fitz rolled his eyes as he found himself waxing poetical. He looked around the room for a suitable partner and was unsurprised to find many of the local maidens making eyes at him. Title without wealth did go a long way, after all.