AN: I am so sorry for leaving you hanging (cliffhanger pun not intended, though appropriate). I've been going through some medical issues in the last few months and as the doctors tried to determine which life-altering, chronic illness I have, it proved difficult to focus on much else.

Things seem to have settled down a bit, so even if I am not recovered, I can try to get back to doing some of the things that bring me joy again. Thank you all for sticking with me!

Now - on with the show...

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"If I had loved you less...

I might be able to talk about it more."

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Chapter 6

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Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly, grateful to find that she was shielded from the sunshine that had bathed countryside that morning. Her head ached and even the little bit of light that managed to filter through the boarded-up window above her hurt her eyes.

She had lied to Wickham when she cited hunger as her reason for returning home when they met, but she found that she was famished. She must have been – asleep? – unconscious? – for quite a while then.

She touched the side of her head gingerly. Her hand came away slightly sticky with blood and even the gentlest of touches sent the pain soaring. Determined to conquer the pain and explore her surroundings, she tried to sit up on the bed she had been deposited on.

As soon as she was sitting upright on the edge of the bed, it became clear that she would not be doing much exploring any time soon. The room started spinning violently and nausea welled up in her. She felt extremely tired and gave her immediate surroundings nothing more than a cursory inspection. The bed was filthy and the table next to it was bare. Not even a glass of water was available to her.

She steeled herself and determined not to be scared, refusing to acknowledge that it was impossible to follow through with that decision. She dearly wanted to make her way over to the door to see if it was locked, however impossible it seemed that it would be left open, but she didn't trust that she could make it across the floor without falling over and possibly injuring herself further.

Deciding to bide her time, she carefully lay back down on the tattered blankets. The movement only seemed to worsen the dizziness and she tried to cradle her head in such a way that the world might settle down again. Her efforts were in vain and she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Maybe, just maybe, she could avoid being sick.

It wasn't long before the tiredness overcame her, and she fell asleep.

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While Elizabeth slept, afternoon turned into early evening and the residents of Longbourn became increasingly worried. It had taken several hours before Elizabeth was missed, she was after all known for her long walks, but as she failed to appear before Bingley arrived at one in the afternoon, they were certain that something was wrong.

"Charles! Oh, thank goodness you've arrived!" Jane exclaimed as she ran to greet him before he had even fully dismounted his mare.

Though any recently engaged gentleman would rejoice to be greeted so enthusiastically, Bingley sensed that there was more to Jane's excitement than mere impatience to see her fiancé. He had, after all, arrived, exactly as they had agreed the previous afternoon.

"Jane, darling, what is the matter?" Despite his growing concern and curiosity, he still relished the opportunity to speak to her in such a way.

"We cannot find Elizabeth. She did not return from her morning walk and we expected her home hours ago!"

The look of rising despair that stole over her normally stoic and angelic face made Bingley wish for the privacy necessary for a loving embrace. Instead he settled for clutching his fiancé's hands in support. She had only preceded the rest of her family by a few moments, as they all spilled out of the house having heard the sound of an approaching horse.

Mrs Bennet was the first through the door, wailing and moaning as she practically ran down the stairs to meet them.

"Oh Mr Bingley! Thank heavens you have come! Have you heard the dreadful news? My Lizzy has probably fallen down in a ditch somewhere and broken her neck! Oh, my nerves! Such flutterings and spasms, all over me!"

Mr Bennet looked to be in acute pain as his wife thoughtlessly envisioned the worst scenario possible. Thankfully Mrs Bennet was out of breath from her exertions, both before and after the arrival of Mr Bingley and needed a moment to collect herself before she could continue.

In the silence that followed, Bingley surveyed the rest of the family. If Jane's serenity had been disrupted by the events of the day, then the rest of the family seemed equally affected. Though Mrs Bennet was predictably the most vocal about her concerns, however as Mr Bingley would later admit to Jane; it was the worry evident on the normally complacent Mr Bennet that was most disconcerting. Lydia and Kitty stayed close to each other as usual, but the youngest Bennet seemed to understand the severity of the situation and was content to remain in the background for once.

Though Bingley had spoken little more than a few sentences to Mary through the entirety of their acquaintance, he caught her eye now in solidarity. Gone was the pious girl who had no time for such frivolity as socialising. In her place was a scared young woman of 18 that seemed off kilter and uncertain of whom she could turn to for support.

"Are you well, Miss Mary?" he enquired with heartfelt sentiment.

"I thank you, Mr Bingley. I am as well as can be expected, under the circumstances," she replied with a simple, but graceful curtsey.

He then turned to Mr Bennet, who could not fail to notice that the young gentleman had yet to let go of his daughter's hands, and asked; "What has been done to recover her?"

"I have alerted the neighbours that we are looking for her and Mr Hill sent a few of the tenants' boys out to look for her on the most well-known trails. We have yet to hear any news of where she might be found. I was just about to saddle my horse to ride out to Oakham Mount – it is known to be her favourite," Mr Bennet answered.

"How long has your daughter been missing?" he asked.

"You never know with Lizzy!" interjected Mrs Bennet clutching her chest, seemingly to stay her heart-palpitations. "That wilful girl gets up at the break of dawn to go gallivanting about the country without a thought for her poor Mama!"

"That is quite enough, my dear." Mr Bennet did not raise his voice, but there was no doubt that he would brook no argument from her at this point. "Kitty, Lydia – why don't you escort your mother inside to help her rest? A nice calming cup of tea perhaps?"

"Yes, Papa." Kitty seemed grateful to have something to do, something to contribute. Lydia tagged along silently as Kitty took hold of one of her mother's elbows and led her inside.

"When was Elizabeth last seen? Does anyone know?" Bingley asked again, now that he felt certain that he was surrounded by rational minds eager to seek an end to their worries.

"I heard her leave the house at a little after 8 this morning," Jane offered.

"She normally returns within two hours at the most, whenever she goes walking before breakfast," Mary stated. "She gets hungry and would only very occasionally miss breakfast with us, and never without previous – uhm provocation."

"And has there been – has anything happened recently that could make you think she might go for a longer walk than usual today?" he asked as delicately as he could manage.

The three Bennets looked at each other expectantly for a moment to see if anyone had anything of significance to share. As her father and younger sister seemed at a loss, Jane answered; "No, she has been much the same as usual. If there has been an – incident – neither Mama nor Lizzy has shared it with any of us."

Debating for a moment whether or not to go on and break her sister's confidence, she finally decided that Elizabeth's safety was more important.

"She has been a little downcast since Mr Darcy went away so I was not surprised to see her out walking this morning, though I see no reason for her to be gone for so long."

Bingley settled for raising an eyebrow ever so slightly at this new information, though Mr Bennet's slack jaw was harder to overlook.

Giving Jane's hands a comforting squeeze to reassure her that she was right to share this potentially embarrassing information, he turned to Mr Bennet.

"I have received no reports of suspicious persons in the area, though with the presence of the Militia it hardly seems likely that anyone would risk discovery in these parts. Have you heard anything that might give us cause for worry?" he asked.

"No, nothing at all. It has been quiet in the area for the past several years," Mr Bennet confirmed.

"With your permission, I should like to ride out to Oakham Mount myself to look for Miss Elizabeth. Is there more than one trail she is likely to take in that direction?"

"There are two possible routes that I can think of. If we ride out together, we can cover more ground,"

Mr Bennet replied gratefully, before heading over to the stables to have his horse saddled post-haste.

"Oh, Charles! Please be careful!" Jane begged, as her father retreated.

"Of course!" he reassured her. "How are you in all of this?"

"I hardly know. I have this dreadful feeling that there is something terribly wrong. Lizzy would never be gone this long without letting us know where she was going!"

Bingley shot Mary a pleading, apologetic look before silently drawing Jane in for a hug. There was really nothing he could say to help her after all.

"I wonder if you might lend me some paper and a pen? I feel I should write Darcy and let him know. Has Hill returned?"

"No, but I can run the letter in to the village myself if need be." Jane was happy to have something helpful to keep her busy. "Mary, will you accompany me?"

"Of course!" she replied, a little shocked to be included so naturally in the scheme.

Bingley handed her the reigns of his horse with an appreciative nod and almost ran inside to keep up with Jane's quick steps.

"I won't be long," he called over his shoulder, aware of the fact that he would never normally have treated a member of such an esteemed household like a stable boy. Desperate times call for desperate measures indeed.

"Take your time, Mr Bingley," Mary replied graciously.

Mary did not need to wait long. Though Bingley for once took extra care to make sure his letter was perfectly legible, he only jotted down to most crucial information to his friend.

Darcy,

Do not worry yourself too much – though I am a poor correspondent and rarely make use of the services of express riders, no one has died.

I am, however, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Miss Elizabeth has failed to return from her morning walk. As I am writing you, she has been missing from her home for the last five hours and no trace of her has yet to be found.

Though she may have merely twisted her ankle on her walk home from Oakham Mount, I could not set off searching for her without informing you first.

Please make haste, my friend. I feel certain we would all benefit from your presence here, regardless of what has happened.

I shall write you at once if there is any change in the situation.

At your service,
Charles Bingley

Mr Bennet's horse had not been ready long before Bingley emerged, letter in hand. Handing it over to Jane, he made his way over to his own horse to join his future father-in-law in the search. Before he could mount, however, Jane made good use of the relative privacy found behind the mare's large, solid torso. She pulled him closer before reaching up and planting a fleeting kiss on his cheek.

It was a flustered Charles Bingley that a moment later set off in the direction of Oakham Mount, while Jane and Mary set off towards Meryton as quickly as possible.

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All the ladies at Longbourn had been gathered above an hour before Mr Bennet and Mr Bingley returned. A single look at their countenance was enough to surmise that their search had been fruitless.

"Is there no sign of her?" Jane asked, feeling the despair threaten to take over.

"I am afraid not, my dear." Mr Bennet replied sadly.

"What do we do now?" Kitty asked.

"I do not know. I suppose we wait," he replied as he sank down in the chair closest to the window, seemingly completely drained.

An eerie quiet settled over them that not even Mrs Bennet could muster the will to break. Mary and Jane clutched one of her hands each in comfort as tears spilled silently over their cheeks.