Elizabeth found herself engulfed in her husband's strong arms just as her eyes blurred from tears. She had always been very close to her father: as a child, she had studied by him in his library, as a young woman, they'd talked for hours about logic or ethics, and after her marriage, he had been sad to see her go. She had missed him as she left her childhood home, and he had taken great enjoyment over the last two and a half years to drop in for visits at Pemberley - whenever he was the least expected, especially. She had enjoyed it as well, and - different from some visits from her mother, she knew - she suspected her husband had been happy to indulge this slightly silly habit, as well.

And now Mary wrote that her father was dead. Now she'd never meet him ever again, never talk to him, never be able to ask his advice in any matter which she did not even know of yet. She nudged the blurred letter into her husband's hands, incapable of vocalising the terrible news herself. Mary's note would do. In fact, her sister's blunt facts and short informational text would likely suit her husband's rational mind. He would be able to understand and draw his own conclusions from there. She felt more than heard how he drew a deep breath when he realised what the news were, and then his lips were in her hair, whispering softly and sincerely about how sorry he was.

There were footsteps of others, after that, quiet words she didn't pay any mind in voices which were familiar but whose owners she did not care to identify as she cried. Her husband was speaking to the voices first in his calm "lord of the grounds" voice, which meant the first arrivals were servants, then he switched back into the more tender tones he reserved for her or Georgiana. (Or small children, foaling horses and his hunting hounds, not that she'd ever admit to that she knew that.)

It felt like an age, but could not have been more than half an hour, if that, when Fitzwilliam Darcy gently transferred her into the arms of her sister-in-law, Georgiana, who was speaking sympathetic words of comfort which came much easier to her than they did to her introverted - but just as caring and considerate, if not even more so - older brother.

It was only when she felt her husband sit down with her once more that she looked up, gaining awareness of her surroundings after her breakdown. Her tears had run dry at that point, but she had apparently soaked Georgina's shawl before then. Her kind young sister by marriage did not seem to mind.

Eizabeth tried to rise, fighting against her husband, who tried to get her to settle back down. That meant, of course, that sitting back down was very likely the more sensible course, as Darcy was nothing if not sensible at any given moment, but she was too upset to recognise that fact as the truth it was. "I have to go and write to Jane, and Mary, and...!"

"I have already written Charles," Darcy gently pulled her back down, or more correctly, easily and surely caught her as her legs did not obey her when she attempted to stand and she therefore fell. "He will tell Jane, my love. We will take care of everything, do not worry about any of it."

"Mother and my sisters will need to..." Elizabeth swallowed down a lump in her throat, "Mr Collins will have the house."

"I have written him too, to make arrangements," Elizabeth leant against her husband, finding his presence comforting. Never was she more grateful for how he always thought of everything in any situation. "I have already sent a message to the Gardiners, as well." He continued softly, soothingly running a hand over her hair. "We will rent your mother a cottage somewhere, either in Heartfordshire or somewhere else, whatever you think will suit her better." He didn't suggest she could come live with them: they both knew it was not really an option, for either of them. With a sigh, Elizabeth closed her eyes, resting her head against her husband's shoulder, and let him take care of her for once.

When Elizabeth awoke - she was not aware of having fallen asleep, but perhaps crying had exhausted her more than she'd assumed - it was to the voice of Jane, who was joining her and Georgiana in the window. She just caught sight of a sheepishly smiling Charles before he and Fitzwilliam ensconced themselves in the study, doing whatever men did in situations such as this one.

"Oh Jane..." she mumbled as Georgina got up, letting Jane have her spot, letting her older sister cry into her shoulder. Jane had never been as close to their father as she herself was, but she was also far more easily moved.

Elizabeth tried to comfort them both with the certainty that it could have been so much worse. Before they married, the family would have been in such bad straits without their father, but as it was, at least that was not a concern. That, and the sheer comfort of having their husbands there to comfort them. It seemed impossible, on this day, but maybe things would mend: with time.

So, for a bit of an explanatory note: we have all seen lots and lots of different takes on "Mr Bennet dies and a destitute Elizabeth has no other option than to accept the proposal of Mr Darcy". I wanted to explore the death of Elizabeth's father from the perspective that Elizabeth is already happily married, as I have never seen that be done before. Because let's face it - Darcy was going to be totally efficient in this matter and had to have had a plan! And I wanted to know what said plan was. Strictly speaking, as an AU of an AU theme, it is therefore a satire, but not a very bitey one, in my opinion.

The story is set post-bookverse, though some slight film elements might sneak in. It should also be noted that Jane Austen's epilogue of the book implies that Mr Bennet lives at least a little longer than he does here, where he dies about two years after the end of the book/Jane and Elizabeth's weddings. The start of this story is set in April of 1815, while Jane and Elizabeth marries Bingley and Darcy sometime around November of 1812.

The title of the story comes from an alternative-ending scene included in the DVD edition of the 2005 film.

I hope you shall enjoy the rest of my almost-AU story!

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