A/N Thank you all so much for those who have read/reviewed/favourited/alerted my story! I never imagined I would get such a response and I greatly appreciate it As ever characters etc. belong to the brilliant Miss Austen.

Chapter 2

After dinner Elizabeth, her Aunt, Uncle and her two young cousins Emma and William gathered in the sitting room for the evening, her Uncle and Aunt were acquainting each other with their days, Elizabeth was reading and her cousins were whispering in excited tones periodically looking towards Lizzy in obvious curiosity. As Lizzy was about to turn the page in her book she felt something tug at her skirt, she peered down to see Emma look up at her with wide enquiring eyes with William next to her wearing a similar expression,

"Cousin Lizzy?" said Emma in a voice reminiscent of any five year old when asking a question.

"Yes Emma?"

"Well, Will and I were wondering if you would tell us a story?"

"A story? "

"Yes a story" Will chipped in, "we do love it when you tell us one, our Governess Mrs James tells us stories but they aren't very good, you tell them so much better, please cousin Lizzy?"

"Very well, how could I refuse after such praise?" Lizzy cried as she scooped up William and placed him on her lap whilst Emma curled herself up next to Elizabeth settling in for the story her favourite cousin would weave.

"Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived a young woman, she had a content life living with her sisters and parents. She loved reading and taking long walks in the countryside. She could spend hours wandering the lanes near her home or talking with her father or elder sister. One by one all the other girls in the village were getting married, the lady-"

"She can be called Amelia!" interrupted Emma

"If you like, Amelia, now, she was different to the other ladies, most of who had married without being in love, as she was determined not to enter into matrimony without feeling that she could not spend a single day without her husband. She was not interested in how many carriages or dresses and jewels she would be able to purchase, she wanted someone who would see her as an equal, someone who loved her as much as she loved them, someone who she could respect and be respected in turn. Now bear this in mind when a very rich and prestigious Lord moved into the small town where Amelia lived.

He was very smarmy and looked down his noise at most people, but, for some reason he took notice of our Amelia, not of her character, no the only time he spoke to her was to tell her about himself and the advantages of being a Lord. He expected Amelia to be in awe of him just like all the others females of the town just because of his station in life and so it was with this attitude that he proposed to her. He declared no passionate love, stated no words of endearment and in short gave no reason why she should marry him other than the fact he had three estates and twenty thousand a year. She of course refused, he would not take no for an answer, he would not believe her, after all, who was she to refuse a man as great as he? After making it perfectly clear that she would never accept him, Amelia assumed he would leave her alone, sadly she was mistaken. The lord was used to having his own way and had never been refused anything, especially by someone he viewed as lower than himself. He then came up with a plan.

Amelia's mother did not hold the same feelings towards matrimony that her daughter did and so when the lord told her about Amelia's refusal she was adamant that her daughter would change her mind. Both the lord and her mother would not desist in trying to make Amelia marry but she stood her ground, eventually after three weeks of the lord's constant presence Amelia wrote to her relatives who lived many miles away in a hope that she could escape the clutches of her unwanted suitor. Luckily her relatives took pity on her and she fled her hometown. Once there she relished in her freedom and, quite by chance she fell in love with a most deserving man who was everything she had ever dreamt of in a husband, they became engaged and so when the lord followed Amelia to town to make her marry him she had her very own protector to scare him away and she lived happily ever after! The end!

There. Was that a good enough story before bedtime?"

"Yes cousin Lizzy, I am glad that Amelia did not end up with that horrid Lord, I too am determined to marry for love just like her! Is that what you are going to do as well? I would hate to be in Amelia's position, can you imagine? "

A humourless chuckle escaped Elizabeth's lips as she replied, "Yes Emma, I will only marry for love, now! Off to bed with you my loves and I shall see you tomorrow morning!"

"Your cousin is right, off to bed, I'll tuck you in." stated Edward Gardiner as he rose from the sofa he shared with his wife, "Goodnight Lizzy"

"Goodnight Uncle"

"Well Lizzy," started her Aunt with a mischievous glint in her eye, "When am I to meet your dream man who is to scare away Lord Morecroft?"

"Alas, I have yet to find him, my story has not got its happy ending and yet I could not leave the story with such an uncertain ending like mine has at the moment" Elizabeth gazed out of the window lost in thought before turning back to her Aunt, "What if he comes to town? Mama would find a way to tell him where I have gone even though Papa has told her not to. I do not know what I would do if he followed me here, he was so persistent back at Longbourn, I just had to escape, his presence was stifling me and I did not know what lengths he would go to make me his, it seemed as though my rejecting him made him want me more, I was the mouse to his cat, being taunted and preyed upon and I did not feel safe."

"My dear Lizzy," Mrs Gardiner soothed as she moved over to clasp Elizabeth's hands in her own, "do not worry, your Uncle and I shall ensure that you will come to no harm, Lord Morecroft will not be allowed to call upon you even if he does follow you to town. All will end well you have nothing to fear whilst you are staying with us."

"Thank you Aunt, you always know what to say, at Longbourn I had no-one to really confide in, my younger sisters and mother could not understand why I did not agree to marry him, Papa, as much as I love him is not one I can really talk to and dear, sweet Jane is too kind-hearted to believe that Morecroft could really be as menacing and manipulative as I believe him to be."

"It is quite alright Lizzy, you know you are welcome here anytime and you can always confide in me. Now, you too should go up to bed, we have a busy evening tomorrow and you do not want to be falling asleep during the play!"

The following evening as Claire the maid was putting the finishing touches to her toilette, by securing her wayward curls into an elegant bun using a green ribbon that matched her dress, Elizabeth felt the best she had in weeks. Her earlier talk with her Aunt relieved much of her worry and she was determined to enjoy herself that evening. 'Much Ado About Nothing' was one of her favourite plays and this would be her first time in seeing it performed.

Escorted on the arm of her Uncle, Elizabeth climbed the steps into the theatre, all around men and women had dressed to impress, the compulsory meet and greet before the show had already begun as the trio weaved in and out of the crowd looking for an acquaintance. Soon enough Mr Gardiner spotted a business associate with his wife and once the necessary introductions had been made a pleasant conversation on the upcoming play ensued. It was while her Aunt and Uncle were busy discussing a mutual acquaintance that Elizabeth caught a glimpse of a lady she found familiar and as she reappeared close to where Elizabeth was situated she recognised her as the young woman she had met in the park the previous day. As she too looked up and recognised Lizzy she smiled and walked forward.

"Miss Darcy, what an unexpected pleasure!"

"Miss Bennet, indeed it is! I am glad to see you are well after all, please allow me to introduce my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam., Richard this is the lady I was telling you about this afternoon, Miss Elizabeth Bennet."

An amiable looking man stepped forward jovially and bowed, "Miss Bennet, I am delighted to make your acquaintance" Elizabeth straight away took a liking to the colonel, though not particularly attractive he had an air about him that was warm and welcoming.

"Colonel, likewise, I hope your cousin was not painting too dreadful an account of me, after all the circumstances of our meeting could have been better!" teased Elizabeth.

"You have nothing to fear Miss Bennet; it was all good things I assure you."

"Yes I was just telling Richard that I met a new acquaintance in the park who shared views on people who wore orange."

All three laughed and Elizabeth was just about to enquire if Miss Darcy had seen the play before when a vision in said colour appeared at Miss Darcy's elbow, from the look on the Colonel and Miss Darcy's faces Elizabeth was able to figure out that this was the lady who was mentioned at the park.

"My dear Georgiana, what a surprise! How are you? And your brother? All well I hope? I have been meaning to call on you but I only arrived in town last week. I have missed your company dreadfully these past weeks!"

"Miss Bingley, how nice to see you again," Miss Darcy replied in a quiet voice looking quite intimidated "I and my brother are well thank you. Please allow me to introduce Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and I believe you are already acquainted with my cousin the Colonel" It was amazing to Elizabeth the transformation that had taken place, the mere presence of Miss Bingley had made Miss Darcy fall back into a protective shell. She was just about to reply when a most unwelcome voice interrupted her from behind.

"Miss Bennet, What a wonderful coincidence for you to be in town the same time as I!" Elizabeth slowly turned around with a sinking feeling in her stomach to look into the sly and self-satisfied eyes of Lord Morecroft.

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