Thanks for reading, reviewing, adding to favourites and following. It's a bit out there but…enjoy

000

Caroline quickly showered and changed into the clothes that Richard had left for her and joined him outside the room. She asked him to explain what was going on but he refused saying that she would soon know everything.

She wondered what she's agreed to, she still couldn't remember how they had come to any of understanding but she figured it was probably something to do with an inheritance or job; those were usually the reasons people invented fake spouses but she still couldn't understand how she'd agreed to be part of such a scheme, especially with someone she barely knew.

Richard led her to a spacious sitting room where two people were seated; a man and a woman - his father, Matthew and his mother, Nina. Nina was going to explain everything to her.

It turned out that Richard Fitzwilliam and his parents worked for the security services, they were spies and that Richard was going undercover in a few days, ten to be exact, and he needed to be married. The Harrow group that he was trying to infiltrate was going to have a meeting at one of the members' homes in London.

"Surely there are people he works with that could pretend to be his partner," Caroline said. They would be better for it than she could ever be.

"Yes," Richard agreed, "Helen my partner was to be my fiancée for this operation."

"What happened?"

"She had an unfortunate accident," Nina replied, "and then we reconsidered the logistics involved and found that you were the best choice we had."

"Me?" Caroline was puzzled. "Why?"

"The Harrow group are very thorough and I'm sure they'll do their homework; and they will probably be able to find out soon enough that Richard and Helen work together at Summerton Prep, that's their cover, and since they are employed there as brother and sister, you can imagine how weird it will be." She waved her hand to stop Caroline from interrupting. "You, on the other hand, are fairly famous; you run your family's foundation with your brother Charles who got married yesterday. What makes you perfect, and why we're actually thrilled that you agreed to help Richard, is the fact, and believe me I say this with all sympathy, of your relationship with my nephew Darcy."

"What?!"

"Well, it was quite obvious that you thought that he would marry you," Nina said.

Caroline stood up to leave, "I don't have to listen to this."

"Like I said, " Nina walked over and took her hand, "I'm sorry, believe me it is not my intention to hurt you, please sit, listen to our proposal, if you don't think that you can do it you can leave."

"You won't threaten to kill me?"

"We're the ones who need your help," Matthew spoke for the first time.

"I'll listen," Caroline said regaining her seat.

"Since we began preparing for this operation a few months ago there have been some changes in the Harrow group, yesterday Richard told you that he needed a fiancée but it turns out that he actually needs a wife, his cover as a married man is already in place and you could easily fill in the place of the wife. Now, I'll explain why I think you're perfect, as I pointed out since you were seemingly thrown over by Darcy it would make perfect sense for you to get married quickly on the rebound so it wouldn't be so strange if you decided to marry Darcy's cousin on the day after his wedding to Elizabeth Bennet. Secondly, you do exist, if and when they check up on you they would find that you are exactly would you say you are, Caroline Bingley who runs the Bingley foundation. Thirdly, you are an intelligent woman whom I believe has the qualities necessary to get close to the other wives during the course of the weekend meeting, you do it all the time to get funding for the foundation's activities and lastly you and Richard get on well, which would make it easy to sell the cover story."

"How can you know that we get on well?" Caroline asked. "We only met properly yesterday."

"He somehow managed to convince to come back here with him," Nina pointed out, "and there's the fact that he even bothered to do so."

"Let me get this straight," Caroline said, "I'm perfect for this job because I'm … the woman scorned?"

"Once the Harrow group finds that out I'm sure they won't dig any further," Nina assured her.

"Is Richard Fitzwilliam your real name?" Caroline turned to Richard.

"Yes," he replied, "I am going as myself, a teacher from Summerton Prep."

"Why are you invited?" Caroline asked. "How are you part of the Harrow group?"

"The Harrow group is a family group, membership passes from father to son; we found some papers, which we can't explain to you in full detail since they are classified, but suffice it to say they show that Richard comes from a Harrow group family and he'll be filling in a place that has been left vacant."

"Are you all spies?"

Nina laughed. "Our eldest son, Jonathan is actually a dentist, Lucy who follows Richard is an actress and Marina the youngest is a housewife, they actually don't know anything about this."

"So why Richard?"

"I was in the army and when I left… I somehow ended up in the security services," Richard laughed, "I didn't learn that my parents were part of it until later."

"This is crazy," Caroline said, "absolutely crazy."

"Too crazy to be a part of?" Nina asked.

"If I do this," Caroline asked, "does it mean that I have to join the services as well?"

"No."

"But I really have to get married to Richard?" she asked, "no pretense?"

"I'm afraid not," Nina said.

Caroline looked at Richard vaguely remembering his proposal that they pretend to be engaged; at that point she had agreed because she was tired of all the pitying looks and words of comfort and encouragement that she was getting from her aunts, she could still hear Aunt Edna telling her how her time would come soon; she hadn't let Richard really explain why he needed to be engaged. They could always get a divorce or even an annulment after the job. She shook her head slightly, and smiled at him. "Let's do it."

"Are you sure?" Richard asked. "Asking you to pretend to be engaged to me is one thing but actually getting married is another."

"Do you want me to change my mind?" Caroline asked him.

"No."

"Is there anything that you're not telling me?"

"No," Richard replied, "You've been told more than you should have, certainly, but I think Mum told you everything you need to know."

"I still can't believe these people are actually your parents," Caroline said. "Are you sure this isn't some huge joke?"

"It's not a joke," Matthew assured her.

"You can't tell anyone what we just told you," Nina told her, "especially about our work."

"I can invite sisters to my wedding, right?" Caroline asked, "or is that not allowed?"

"It will have to be small," Nina told her, "and it is going to take place soon, no later than Monday."

"But that's tomorrow," Caroline protested.

"It's a rebound marriage, my dear," Nina reminded her, "everyone should think you weren't thinking clearly."

"I'm not sure I'm thinking clearly agreeing to this," Caroline said, "but like I said, I'm in." Her life had become tedious of late; maybe this was the change she needed.

000

Caroline lay in the bath later that evening. She had called Louisa and told her that she was getting married the next day and her sister had been very concerned, she had agreed to come for wedding, she and Rebecca, one of their other sisters, the rest were no longer in England. Caroline knew that Louisa was probably coming over to talk her out of it.

She sighed and told herself to get out of the tub, the water wasn't warm anymore.

As she prepared for bed it crossed her mind that for the first time in months she hadn't even thought about her broken heart, hadn't invented ways in her mind of getting rid of Elizabeth Bennet, maybe this was just what she needed to help her move on with her life.

000