Wow, sorry. Even with the chapter written, I couldn't find the time for one last edit and a posting in the last few days. Well, I'm home and relaxing now, so here you go. I hope you enjoy the conclusion to my little Christmas tale.

Part 4

Although Darcy knew that men's fashions were not designed to conceal injuries, it was an office they performed well. Except for a spot on his jaw and two knuckles on his right hand, the remainder of the bruises Darcy had obtained during the misadventure of the previous day were hidden. He was unable to disguise the fact that he was very sore, however. His every movement, from walking down stairs to picking up his coffee cup was cautious and stiff.

It would be several days, at least, before he could be in company again, especially if he did not wish to answer awkward questions. It had been difficult enough explaining his absence to Bingley and Georgiana over breakfast. He did not wish to lie, but neither could he tell the entire truth. He settled for an abridged version explaining his foul mood and his desire for solitude and ending with him becoming lost in Hyde Park and being attacked. The houses he had visited and all of his interactions with their counterparts in that strange reality were completely left out. The occurrences he omitted were so bizarre that he doubted there would be any questions that would force him to prevaricate.

Bingley left the house to spend Christmas day with his sisters and Mr. Hurst, and Darcy and Georgiana departed for dinner with their Fitzwilliam relations. Since Georgiana had sent an urgent note to Samuel when Darcy had failed to return the previous evening, he assumed they would all be curious as to what had happened. It was therefore completely unexpected that they showed only minimal curiosity and that their questions were about the 'accident' that had left him bruised.

Immediately after they had all greeted each other, Samuel drew him aside to explain. The note had been delivered with little fanfare, the messenger having been well trained in discretion on his master's behalf. As a result, Samuel had been able to invent a less drastic tale including a minor spill that scared Georgiana but caused no more than bruises. Darcy thanked his cousin profusely, and promised to meet with him the next day to explain more fully.

Beyond that brief discussion, the evening held little that could be of interest to someone outside the family. There was conversation, teasing, singing, playing, parlor games, and the exchange of gifts. There were even a few well-worn disagreements, as often happens in family gatherings. Darcy paid no heed to the mundanities that might otherwise have irritated him; he was so overwhelmed with gratefulness for being given his life back that he failed to notice anything other than those things that increased his pleasure in the evening.

The next morning was mostly taken up with speaking with his cousin. Samuel was told essentially the same story that Bingley and Georgiana had heard, however he was more curious as to what prompted Darcy's actions. Though he was loath to expose his weakness to anyone, including his cousin, Darcy did explain some of the errors in judgment he had recently made. The only thing he did not relate was what exactly was the nature of his interaction with Bingley; Darcy felt that Bingley had the right to be the first to know that information.

By the time Samuel took his leave, Darcy was emotionally exhausted, but he knew there was still much to be done. It might not be possible for him to appear in public for another week or so because of his bruised jaw, but that did not mean that he must sit idle. He intended to see Bingley and Miss Bennet reunited and to make an attempt to win Miss Elizabeth's heart.

The first order of business was penning a note to Mr. Gardiner. Darcy did not know exactly how much the real world mirrored his experience the other night, but he hoped it was considerable. That would mean that that the Gardiners and Bennets would be in London for the holiday, and he intended to take advantage of that. Although there had never been any expectation of correspondence between them once Mrs. Wickham's elopement had been successfully resolved, Darcy began his note with an apology for having been a poor correspondent. Then he extended an invitation for them to come to Darcy house for dinner.

As he had hoped, the reply he received was a politely worded demurral stating that their Bennet relations were visiting. Darcy grinned as he penned the return note insisting that the Bennets be invited as well stating that he would be pleased to renew their acquaintance. This letter got the much-desired response, and Darcy was smiling broadly when he informed his housekeeper of the dinner he would be hosting in a week.

Georgiana was somewhat worried about hosting the entire Bennet family, and of course she was concerned that she would be unable to respond appropriately when the subject of Mr. and Mrs. Wickham was raised, as Darcy strongly suspected it would be. Instead of focusing on her apprehension, however, she chose to concentrate her thoughts on the pleasure she would receive from renewing her acquaintance with the Gardiners and Miss Elizabeth.

It was more difficult for Darcy to initiate the necessary conversation with Bingley. He asked the butler to notify him when Bingley returned from his fencing club—an outing Darcy had been forced to forgo because of his injuries. Bingley joined Darcy in his study an hour later.

"You wished to talk to me? Are you unwell?"

"No, I am well. I only have some news for you. . . and an apology."

"Whatever for? Two nights ago? That is all forgotten; you owe me no apology for that."

"No, for something else entirely." Darcy sighed heavily, "I hardly know where to begin."

"Why do you not begin with the news? Since I cannot imagine your offence is that great, I believe the apology can wait."

"The two are related, but it shall be as you wish. I am having a small dinner party next week. I expect eight guests, all of whom you are acquainted with. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, who you met at Pemberley last summer will be coming," Darcy paused for a deep breath, "and their Bennet relations, save for the youngest daughter who is lately married."

Bingley looked startled, then pained, and finally composed his expression into a mask of neutrality. "You need not worry about me, Darcy. I am resigned to the fact that Miss Bennet never cared for me."

"And thus we come to the topic of my apology. I believe, no I know, that I was mistaken last fall in my appraisal of Miss Bennet's attachment to you. I cannot speak for her feelings at this moment, but I have been told that when we departed Hertfordshire, she returned your affection."

"What!" Bingley's mouth opened and shut several times, but no sound emerged. It took him several moments to find his voice again, and when he did, he spoke in an eerie calm. "How did you come by this information?"

Darcy walked across the room and poured two glasses of wine. He anticipated this being a difficult conversation and preferred to have a focus for his nervous energy; holding a wine glass would serve his purpose admirably. He twirled the stem between thumb and forefinger as he spoke. "You are aware that I was in Kent last Easter? Well, what I did not tell you was that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was there as well, visiting her friend Mrs. Collins, whom you knew as Miss Lucas.

"My behavior to Miss Elizabeth was not so very different than it was while I was in Hertfordshire, and, to be brief, we had a row. In addition to informing me of my numerous failings, she accused me of separating you from her sister saying I had knowingly ruined her sister's chance of happiness and exposed her to derision for her disappointed hopes."

Bingley paled considerably. "Is it true?" he asked quietly. "Did you seek to prevent my attachment to Ja—Miss Bennet?"

It took considerable effort for Darcy to meet Bingley's eyes as he said, "At the time, I did not believe her to return your affection. In terms of fortune and connections you could have made a better match, but had I believed her to be sincerely attached to you, I would like to think I would not have objected."

"You are not certain?" A touch of terseness colored his tone now.

Darcy hung his head. "I am not. I do not believe my observations to have been biased, but I cannot deny the possibility that they were. I desired nothing more than to leave Hertfordshire to escape my own attraction to Miss Elizabeth. Fate, however, saw fit to continue to throw us in each other's paths first in Kent and then again at Pemberley."

There was another pause and then, "You have known since April? Why did you not tell me? I might have remedied the situation! I doubt she'll have me now, after having received no word from me for over a year!"

"It is worse even than that, Bingley. She was in London last winter and visited your sisters. At the time, I still believed my judgment to be correct and I thought it best not to inform you lest you be further pained by her proximity."

"You—You thought—I hardly know what to say to you!" Bingley paced the length of study one or two times before stopping in front of Darcy. "It is not right that the first time she sees me will be in such a large party. Do you know where she is staying?"

Darcy nodded and wrote out the direction. "What do you intend to do?"

"I shall call on her immediately. If she no longer desires my company I will not be attending dinner that evening."

"I am sorry, Bingley."

Bingley's shoulders slumped and his anger seemed to dissipate for a moment. "I know, Darcy. I know you meant well, but I cannot forgive you yet; I am too angry. If you were not still suffering from the other night, I might have been tempted to . . .but that is of no matter." Suddenly, an idea seemed to take hold in Bingley's mind, and he straightened up. "This is the reason you left the house that night? And why you have been so much quieter than usual recently?"

Darcy nodded morosely.

Bingley gave a mirthless chuckle. "I think you have suffered more at your own hand than you would from any injury I might inflict. Mind you, I am still angry, and I will likely continue to be so for some time if Miss Bennet turns me away, but now I have less of an urge to strike you. I will talk to you when I return."

"Bingley, wait!" Darcy called as his friend walked out of his study. Bingley returned to the doorway but did not reenter the room. "It is nearly time for dinner. Perhaps you should defer your call until a more proper time, say tomorrow morning?"

This actually prompted a small smile from Bingley, though it vanished quickly. "Well, in this case I must admit that your advice is sound. I shall take a tray in my room this evening. Please make my excuses to Miss Darcy."

"Good evening," Darcy replied, adding softy, "my friend."

The week before the dinner party passed by somehow managing to do so too quickly while at the same time dragging interminably for Darcy. The first day Bingley had called on the Gardiners, he had been warmly welcomed, but this welcome came not from Miss Bennet but Mrs. Bennet. The woman had absolutely no concept of subtlety, and try as she might, Mrs. Gardiner could not temper her sister's behavior. A year ago he had been so enraptured with Jane that he had taken no notice, but now he could not fail to see that every word from Mrs. Bennet's mouth caused Jane more distress. By the end of the visit he almost thought it would be kinder to Jane to not return than it would be to continue to subject her to the kind of mortification she obviously experienced at her mother's hand. He could not tell if Jane's silence was due solely to her mother's vulgarity, a desire to be out of his company, or another cause altogether.

Bingley related the entire visit to Darcy, who wisely kept his own counsel save for on one point: he suggested that Bingley propose walking out with Miss Bennet and one or two of her sisters so that he might have a chance to know the lady's thoughts when not in her mother's presence. Darcy's idea was employed the next day, and once again Bingley came home completely disheartened. Jane had told him that she had loved him, and she claimed to love him still, but she was unable to trust in his constancy. She was not averse to receiving his calls, but it was clear to Bingley that this second courtship would be much more difficult than the first.

Bingley was only able to call on Miss Bennet once more in the week before the dinner. It was a source of some displeasure to Bingley that he could not call daily without a formal courtship, and that she would not agree to a courtship until she felt she knew him better. She claimed it was her desire to know him better, but how could he believe her when she then denied him the opportunity to visit frequently? It took some time, but Darcy managed to convince Bingley that Miss Bennet merely wanted time to be certain of him before making any kind of public announcement. Bingley grumbled that she had been sure of him before Darcy interfered but allowed the subject to rest. In fact, Darcy's willingness to support him in this endeavor did a great deal to mend their friendship. Their relationship would never be what it had been, but both men had grown as a result of their experiences.

The day of the dinner arrived, and the anticipation nearly drove Darcy to distraction. He did not bother himself with obsessing over the dinner arrangements themselves—he trusted his staff to see to it that everything would be as he had requested—but he could focus on nothing other than the fact that he would be seeing Elizabeth again that evening. He hoped that the bruises on his jaw and knuckles had faded enough that they would pass unnoticed, or be mistaken for a shadow. As for his other injuries, the only one that still caused him any pain was to his shoulder; he could not reach or lift much weight with his right arm, so he would have to be cautious in his movements.

The Gardiners and Bennets arrived in good time. Mrs. Bennet appeared to be in awe of her surroundings and unable to speak beyond a few words, so the introductions proceeded with less fuss than Darcy had expected. Once that office was performed, Darcy allowed his gaze to settle on Elizabeth. He had looked forward to this moment for some time, and while she was even lovelier than he remembered, he could not but feel disappointment at her greeting. She was polite but distant, her manner reminiscent of their interactions in Hertfordshire and Kent more than their meeting at Pemberley. He had not expected warmth, that was unlikely after the circumstances precipitating her sudden departure from Lambton and several months with no communication, but he had hoped for some indication that she thought kindly of him. Could it be that Elizabeth blamed him—as he blamed himself—for not warning the neighborhood about Wickham?

Darcy pondered the matter as he led his guests to the parlor for drinks. After everyone had been served, he took a moment to observe his guests. Bingley had led Miss Bennet to a pair of seats somewhat removed from the rest of the party. She seemed to be pleased with his conversation, which Darcy thought boded well for Bingley's attempts to win his lady's favor. As he expected, Georgiana was seated near Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth. Mr. Bennet was sitting with Mr. Gardiner, the former watching his family with a sardonic eye, much as he had done on every other occasion when Darcy had been in his presence. Judging by his frequent glances in her direction and the slight smiles that accompanied them, he seemed particularly amused by his wife's awed silence. Mrs. Bennet was seated with Misses Mary and Catherine. Miss Mary appeared to be bored, and Mrs. Bennet and Miss Catherine were both staring openly at the room's furnishings.

As Darcy watched, Mrs. Bennet recovered her voice sufficiently to nudge Miss Catherine sharply and whisper loudly enough that Darcy could hear, "You must go and make friends with Miss Darcy. She is of an age with you, and if you become friends she will surely be in a position to introduce you to all of Mr. Darcy's rich friends. Lizzy will only waste this opportunity yet again—she did not even correspond with Miss Darcy after meeting her in Derbyshire! Go, and make what you can of it."

A glance around the room showed that everyone save Miss Bennet and Bingley had heard. Mr. Bennet looked amused, Miss Mary offended, Gardiners embarrassed, and Elizabeth absolutely mortified. Why did Mr. Bennet not say something? How could a father and head of a household be so perfectly content to watch his wife humiliate herself and her daughter? Oh, how Darcy wished to have the authority—and the privilege—to intercede on Elizabeth's behalf!

Miss Catherine, looking hesitant but displaying no sensibility of the impropriety that had just occurred, made her way over to a seat near Georgiana. The self-satisfied smile on Mrs. Bennet's face as she watched made Darcy even angrier. It was fortunate, then, that Mr. Gardiner chose the next moment to join his host and strike up a conversation. Meanwhile, Mrs. Gardiner moved to Mrs. Bennet's side and managed to prevent any further outbursts.

For the remainder of the time before dinner, Darcy talked with Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet. He attended the conversation as best he could, but he could not prevent himself from looking frequently in Elizabeth's direction. Once or twice, he thought he caught her stealing glances at him as well, but he could not be certain. Darcy would have loved to speak with Elizabeth, to assure himself that she had recovered from the embarrassment at her mother's hands and to attempt to gauge her feelings toward him. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity for them to speak.

In Darcy's opinion, the seating at dinner left much to be desired. Although the invitation had been issued to Mrs. Gardiner, protocol dictated that he seat Mrs. Bennet at his right, as she was the highest ranked woman present. This was unlikely to be pleasant for either of them, and he might have abandoned protocol for this meal had he not felt it impossible to seat Mrs. Bennet near Georgiana. There was some hope for rational conversation, however, as on his other side was Mr. Gardiner, and next to him Elizabeth. It would be difficult for Darcy to speak directly to her, but they might participate in the same general conversation. Mrs. Bennet was seated next to Miss Mary, and soon found that she had no willing ear for her rambling pronouncements and gossip. Although she was unable to be completely silent, she was not quite as vociferous as she might have been otherwise, for which Darcy was grateful.

During the first course, Mrs. Bennet admonished Elizabeth several times for joining in the conversation Darcy was sharing with Mr. Gardiner on happenings in Parliament. "It is unseemly for a young woman to speak on such matters," she scolded in what she probably thought was a hushed tone. She ceased her vocal protestations when Darcy assured her that he enjoyed hearing Miss Elizabeth's opinions, but she continued to send dark looks in the direction of her second daughter whenever Elizabeth spoke. Other than slight blushes, Elizabeth ignored her mother's behavior and continued to speak when with the gentlemen. Darcy was not willing to call this a positive sign, however, as Elizabeth was still unfailingly formal when addressing him and more often than not directed her comments to her uncle.

The first two courses passed by as smoothly as might be expected with such a mixed company. By the third course, Mrs. Bennet had apparently tired of a conversation in which she had no part and decided to change the subject. Her words and tone left no doubt that she held no great love for Mr. Darcy.

"I wonder that you have not asked after your acquaintances in Hertfordshire, Mr. Darcy. It was one of the first things Mr. Bingley spoke of when he came to call on my Jane."

Elizabeth blushed scarlet. Darcy's hopes lifted when she sent him an apologetic look; if Elizabeth was displaying sympathy toward him, it was likely that she did not entirely dislike him. He could not assure Elizabeth that her mother's words were inconsequential, for Mrs. Bennet had launched immediately into a narrative of all the changes that had taken place in the neighborhood in the last year.

". . .and my youngest is married now, and settled in Newcastle, as I am sure Mr. Bingley informed you. A friend of Mr. Wickham's was good enough to purchase a commission for him, seeing as he had been denied his true place in the church." He tone was sharp and would have carried to the other end of the table even had her words not been spoken during a general lull in conversation.

Mr. Gardiner, Elizabeth and Miss Bennet, who was separated from her mother by two people, all tried to interrupt the flow of words, but Mrs. Bennet, like her youngest daughter, rarely heard that which she did not wish to hear. "I daresay Mr. and Mrs. Wickham shall manage well enough despite the hardships that have been inflicted upon him."

Georgiana had grown very pale then flushed red with anger at this last sentence. She stood abruptly, drawing even Mrs. Bennet's attention, and looked as though she might speak. Should Georgiana open her mouth, Darcy thought that tears or an angry outburst were equally likely to result. Instead of either, Georgiana took several deep breaths and mastered herself enough to force out a polite excuse and flee the room. Darcy stayed long enough to convince Mr. Gardiner that he need not depart, and then excused himself on the pretense of making certain that his sister had not taken ill.

A footman directed Darcy to the music room, where instead of finding his sister playing or even searching through music in preparation to do so, he found her pacing the room much as he did when he was irritated. "I was upset by hearing Mr. Wickham's name again, but I should have borne it had she not insulted you so egregiously." Darcy managed to calm her somewhat, insisting that he had made a very poor impression on Mrs. Bennet when they first met, and that he did not take offence. Several minutes later, it was decided that Darcy would inform the guests that Georgiana had a sudden headache and had retired for the evening.

Darcy had intended to return directly to his guests, but the sight of Elizabeth departing the dining room arrested his progress. "Miss Elizabeth, is something wrong?"

"No, I had only thought to see if I might apologize to Miss Darcy. My mother does not know what Mr. Wickham is. And none in my family, save the Gardiners and myself, know what you did for us. Please allow me to thank you on their behalf."

"Miss Darcy is well, but she judged it best to retire for the evening. I shall tell her you asked after her. And as to that other matter, no thanks are necessary. I only corrected a situation that resulted from my own inaction. It was my responsibility, and I could not ignore it."

"Mr. Wickham's actions have never been your responsibility any more than my sister's are. My family is in your debt."

"If you will thank me, let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny, but your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you." He desperately wished to continue, to tell her that he still loved her and ask whether there was any hope that his suit might one day be successful, but her behavior that evening stayed his tongue. She had not given him any encouragement, and while he would continue to attempt to earn her favor, he would not declare himself again until he was reasonably certain that she returned his affections at least in part.

"False flattery does not suit you, sir."

"False? You think so little of my constancy?"

"What else am I to think? When Mr. Wickham became my brother, I knew I must abandon any hope. I know your every feeling must revolt at the thought of associating with Mr. Wickham's sister."

"I ask you to consider, would I have invited your family to my home if I despised your connection to Wickham as much as you believe?"

"The invitation was issued to the Gardiners."

"I had no knowledge of your family being in town or your family would have been included in the original invitation. When I learned that you were here, I was most pleased to extend the invitation to your family as well, that I might have the opportunity to see you again.

"If you so desired to see me, why did you not call with Mr. Bingley?"

"I wished to, but I could not. I was . . .indisposed."

"While ill, you made the decision to host a dinner party?"

"I was not ill."

"You were indisposed but not ill," Elizabeth shook her head. "Which am I to believe, sir?"

Frustrated, but wishing to make his point, Darcy turned his head slightly to the side and indicated the still sore spot on his jaw. "Earlier this week, this was a rather vivid shade of blue. I was in no condition to be seen in public, much less to pay court to a young lady."

He had closed his eyes in frustration, but they opened again when he felt her hand on his jaw. Even with the barrier of her gloves, the warmth of her touch heated him through.

"Forgive me, I did not know."

"You could not have known. You were correct in any case; I should have called sooner. I was a coward; I thought you must despise me and could not face another rejection, so I stayed away. My indulgent self-pity served only to make those around me uncomfortable. I have begged their forgiveness, and now I beg yours." Her hand was still touching his jaw and he covered it with his own. "My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever. Could you love a man as foolish as me?"

"Could you love a headstrong woman with a tendency to leap to the worst conclusions? Our union would not be a peaceful one."

"No, but it would be a passionate one."

"We have been absent from dinner for longer than is wise," Elizabeth observed. Stung by her apparent rejection Darcy took a step back. She continued, however, with a slight smile, "This is a fascinating topic, though, worthy of much discussion. Perhaps we might continue our conversation tomorrow after you have spoken with my father."

"I should be delighted."

Darcy knew it would not be simple, but he was resolved never to falter as he had done. As they walked back to the dining room, Darcy noticed a sprig of lavender and a small stone sitting together on a decorative table. He reached out and brushed them both with the tips of his fingers. "Thank you, Clarence."

See, all better. Thank you for reading my Christmas themed flight of fancy. Let me know what you think.