Darcy considered himself a patient man, kind and generous and understanding, loyal to a fault. He was by all accounts an honest and fair landlord and master, a kind and generous brother and a loving, respectful and attentive husband. Taking all this into consideration, he should have had alternate means of dealing with his insane and very pregnant wife other than throttling her. She wasn't always like this was she? He vaguely recalled her being relatively reasonable earlier during the day, and had even considered suggesting taking lunch outdoors. She had been deceptively pretty then, in her white linen gown with three quarter sleeves and her dark violet, sleeveless, over dress that dipped low accentuating her new found cleavage. She wore the new locket that he had given her when they had discovered that she was in fact finally pregnant. She had been vomiting and fainting and he had been at his wit's end, striding through the house bellowing for a doctor. When they had been told by said doctor, she had flung herself into his arms laughing and crying. She never said it, but he knew that she had felt a great burden being lifted from her shoulders. She had been sweetness itself and they had made love that very night but the woman before him could not be described as 'sweet' in any way, shape or form. As it was, she was glaring at him from across their bedroom, her tiny hand curling dangerously about her book marker. The tray of food that he had had Mrs. Reynolds send up lay untouched between them, the preverbal gauntlet.

"Fitzwilliam I will eat when I am hungry. I am not hungry, therefore I will not eat." She said her voice deceptively calm.

"Dearest you have not eaten since breakfast and even then you barely touched anything." He replied trying not to anger her further. "You need to eat something."

"I know what I need to do."

"Well then why the devil won't you do it?" he asked his nerves fraying perilously. The novelty of impending motherhood had worn off, and they were both loosing patience with the situation and each other. "You cannot think for yourself alone Elizabeth, you have our child to consider."

"I am very much aware of it."

"Are you? You seem determined to starve yourself."

"I am not trying to starve myself!" she cried rising to her feet.

"Then eat!" he replied.

"I am not hungry!" she veritably screamed, stomping her foot.

"Stop acting like a child Elizabeth, for God's sake!"

"I am not! You are being impossible! I know my body and I know my mind! Stop ordering me about, I am your wife not one of your servants!"

"If you would do what you should, I would have no reason to order you about!" he bellowed.

"You are so insufferably overbearing! Why can't you just leave me alone?" She cried tears glittering in her eyes.

"What? So you can starve my first born to death? I think not madam."

"I am not going to starve him to death!"

"Aren't you?" She let out a sound between a shriek and a growl and he sighed. He simply rolled his eyes and looked away shaking his head.

"You are deranged, and I grow weary of this argument." He replied and turned his back on her as she headed for the door. "I expect that tray to be clean when I return." If he had known what would have followed, he doubted that he would have done so, and in retrospect it had been a truly foolish thing to do. He heard the thud and felt something hard bounce off of his head and when he turned in shock and outrage, there stood his wife, shaking with anger with her former literary entertainment at his feet. She did not… she could not have, "Did you just throw your book at me?!" he cried in disbelief.

"Oh you are uncertain?" she asked innocently, before picking up a scone from the tray and pelting it at him as well. Alright then perhaps she can and did. This time he had the sense to dodge it which seemed to only fuel her outrage. "You want the tray to be clean?!" she screamed, tossing a cup at his head, "The tray will be clean!" a saucer followed, then a spoon and another scone. He managed to duck the first two but the third caught him in the shoulder.

"Stop that!" He ducked a pot of thick cream and tried to make his way towards her.

"All you do is coddle me and tell me what to do, how to eat, what to eat, when to walk, when to sleep, how to dress, how to sit, I am sick to death of it!" she screamed, throwing the tray at him as he finally managed to reach her. "There are times that I wish to God that I had never married you!" He grabbed her wrists pulling her away from the table full of potentially airborne objects as she struggled mightily. "Let go of me you condescending, overbearing, arrogant oaf!!"

"You are going to hurt yourself, be still."

"Let me go!"

"Calm down woman!" Suddenly she burst into tears and sank to her knees sobbing bitterly. What on earth is wrong with this woman? He stared in shock, confusion and a bit of terror as to what to do with her now. Good lord, she is turning into her mother! Snapping out of his trance he knelt before her pulling her as close as he could with her belly in the way. "Shhh, dearest, I'm sorry." He whispered rubbing her back and rocking her from side to side. Not the foggiest what I am sorry about, but I am sorry. She was bawling against his waistcoat clinging to his jacket, her entire body shaking and for the first time he had no idea of how to deal with it. He felt an abominable sort of reluctant, frustrated, grief, for he hated the sight of her tears and could not bear to stand by idly while she was in pain. On the other hand he was still annoyed that she had thrown food at his head, after he had merely requested that she not starve herself. "Lizzy, darling, tell me what is wrong."

"My head hurts." She whimpered and he blinked in confusion.

"Come again?" She pressed her face into his chest her tears fading into hiccups and sniffles.

"My head, it has been aching all day and… my hair is too tight." He smiled, fighting the chuckle that bubbled up within his chest. He knew that laughing at her was not the best course of action but she could be so perfectly adorable at times that he could not help but smile. Carefully he raised her head up away from his chest and began pulling the hair pins out of her coiffure, her silky hair tumbling down around her shoulders, the small white flowers and violets in her hair falling to the floor. She sniffled and pouted her lower lip trembling and he took her adorably miffed face in his hands and pressed kisses on her wet cheeks, her red, perfect nose, her smooth brow and her soft mouth. Slowly he pulled her down to lay her head in his lap rubbing her temples and stroking her hair. She closed her eyes and sighed as his soothing fingers took effect, easing away the pain that had plagued her the entire morning.

The door opened and Mrs. Reynolds entered with wide eyes at the scene before her. There in the middle of what had been high tea sat Darcy cradling his wife's head as she lay on the floor.

"Sir?" she asked and Darcy turned to look at her, a serene smile on his face.

"She is well now, it is alright. I think perhaps we had better keep her hair down from now on Mrs. Reynolds." He added wryly and she smiled before nodding.

"If you would Sir, move Mrs. Darcy to her bed so that I can get this cleaned up directly." She requested and he nodded before returning his attention to his wife.

"Lizzy darling?" he asked and her eyes fluttered open. "Let us get you to bed love." She nodded tiredly and he shifted to gather her into his arms before rising to his feet and carrying her up to her bed.

He laid her down carefully and lay next to her, watching her sleep, playing with her hair or her hand upon occasion. Of all the things he had expected her to say 'I have a headache' was not one of them. Mr. Bennet had warned him of the trials and tribulations of being a husband to a pregnant wife, but nothing had prepared him for this. Quite simply put, it was not something that one could prepare for. First she had been vomiting, and that had been upsetting enough for both of them, next were the crying spells over absolutely nothing followed closely by the odd snacking. Today, he imagined, had been the first of the tantrums. He leaned down, pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled when she wrinkled her face. For one thing, her hair would be staying loose for the duration of her pregnancy. He had no intention of loosing more crockery because she went into fits of rage over a headache. Once in his office, Darcy sat down at his desk and resumed the work he had left to go to her. He had gotten through about half of the requests and had answered most of the letters when he heard a knock on the door. "Come." He called glancing up to see Georgiana enter her hands clasped before her and a shy yet determined look on her face. "Yes, Georgie what is it?" he asked.

"Is Lizzy alright?" she asked coming to stand on the opposite side of his desk.

"Yes, just a bit of a headache, she has been resting."

"Good, I am glad that she is well." She replied, not meeting his eyes as she wrung her hands.

"Well now Georgiana what do you want?" he asked, knowing that look all too well.

"I want… Will I am eighteen years old." She said.

"Yes." He said, drawing the word out, his tone suspicious.

"I would like to come out this year."

When Lizzy awoke she was alone, and the mess she had made was gone. She winced slightly, resolving to apologize to Mrs. Reynolds for the mess and the scene and slid out of her bed. She knew very well that she had to behave better in the future, but he had been wrong as well treating her like a child. It had been very wrong of him to do so and she intended to tell him. She poked her head out the door and headed down the hallway and the stair case in search of him. No doubt he is in his study she thought, and made her way towards it. As she entered the hall she heard the sounds of an argument. Not a debate or a disagreement, but a full fledged quarrel. She heard the deep and thunderous voice of her husband in the midst of an ire and the high, tear-filled tone of Georgiana. She reached to door the voices growing louder and decided on simply opening it. I'd better not…She knocked softly and the voices ceased immediately.

"Come!" came the angry command and she entered to see her husband standing with his hands braced on his desk, his eyes shooting fire and her sister-in-law standing on the other side of it her face red and wet with anger and tears, her body rigid with fury and indignation and her hands curled into fists. He looked over at Elizabeth and his expression softened slightly. "Elizabeth." He said and Georgiana ran over to her.

"It is not fair! Tell him Lizzy, tell him!" she implored grasping her hands.

"Georgiana this discussion is between you and me." he said his tone sharp and hard.

"What conversation? What is going on?" Lizzy asked her eyes wide. She had seen them conflict before but nothing close to the likes of this. "Georgiana? Fitzwilliam?" The young woman looked at her brother, her expression accusatory and he glared back, his will indomitable.

"Georgiana," he ground out, "has asked my permission to come out this year and I have said no because she is too young!"

"I'm not too young!" she screamed back stomping her foot for emphasis.

"Georgie calm yourself please!" Lizzy said. "If you mean to make him agree this is hardly the way." She looked at her husband. "Surely she is not too young William. She is almost nineteen most young girls of her station have been out for year by nineteen."

"She is eighteen."

"Not for much longer." She replied.

"The decision is not yours to make." He said his tone unwavering.

"He means to trap me here forever." Georgiana said with uncharacteristic venom in her voice. "You want me to be forced into the life of a spinster!"

"Be silent!" he shouted.

"I will not be silent!" she yelled back. "You are being deliberately cruel; you know I'm not too young!"

"Dearest," Lizzy placed a calming hand on her arm. "William really, I was sixteen when I made my debut."

"And how many near elopements had you had by then?" he asked.

"How could you say that?! I was fifteen years old and you had all but abandoned me-"

"Yes you were fifteen," he cried coming around the desk to stand before them. "Associating with the likes of Wickham!" he spat the name out like venom.

"You never gave me a reason to think him dishonorable; you never gave me a reason to think anything!"

"And that excuses your behavior?"

"I cannot believe that you would use this against me now. I cannot tell you how unfair I think you." She said.

"I have the utmost faith that you would manage it admirably regardless." He returned.

"You hateful-"

"Now you listen to me young lady." He said his eyes all but threatening violence. "I am your brother, I am your elder and I am you guardian. I have been placed her by our father to have a care with you until you are either married or of age. As such you will abide by my decisions and my decision is that you will not come out this year. Am I in anyway unclear?" They stood glaring at each other for a long moment, two formidable wills battling against the other. For a moment Lizzy thought that Georgiana would simply burst into tears and run out of the room but instead her face hardened, her grey eyes filled with an emotion akin to hate and her chin went up.

"I hate you," She said her voice thick with anger, "And if this is how you mean to keep me here, you will be highly disappointed." With that she turned and left the room slamming the door behind him. He stood there, staring at the space that she formerly occupied and felt impossibly exhausted all of a sudden. Lizzy glanced at the door and then at him again. She had never heard Georgiana speak to him like that. Indeed she had not thought it possible.

"Will-"

"Elizabeth," he said sharply. "I have neither asked nor desired your opinion on this matter. I should thank you to refrain your thoughts to those matters which are within your province." She froze her eyes wide with hurt and shock as the blow landed.

"She is my sister as well William." She said.

"And I am her guardian. She is my concern not yours." He said reseated himself at his desk.

"How can you say such things? She was enough of my concern for you to include me in your confidence about her and Wickham, but now when I disagree with you I am no longer qualified for an opinion."

"That was a courtesy, not a right." He replied.

"How…what on earth is the matter with you?! You know, you know in your heart that you are being perfectly ridiculous!"

"It is none of your business. This is not a discussion Elizabeth, and I refuse to argue the point with you any further. Kindly find yourself some useful employment you are wasting both your time and mine and I have work to do." She stood staring at him in disbelief as his words sank in, each one razor sharp. She had never felt so utterly dismissed and belittled in her life, not even by Lady Catherine. Still reeling from the shock, she tried to move, tried to force her feet into motion before she burst into tears before him.

"I am sorry to have bothered you." She whispered before turning and fleeing the room barreling into a shocked Mrs. Reynolds in the middle of the foyer. The older woman grasped her shoulders stopping her from falling onto the marble.

"Mrs. Darcy?" she asked softly her voice full of concern. Lizzy took one look at her kind, concerned face and began to weep. "Oh my dear child," she guided her to the stairs and sat her down, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder. She rocked her gently, stroking her hair and muttering to her little nonsense words of comfort. It was quite some time before Elizabeth could calm herself enough to be led back to her room. "Would you like me to bring up some tea for you Madam?" she asked. Lizzy looked over at her from her seat on the terrace outside her bedroom and smiled softly.

"If you could Mrs. Reynolds." She said. The old woman nodded and left the room. Lizzy watched the trees in the garden sway gently in the afternoon breeze, watched birds make their final arc in the sky towards their homes. All the while Darcy's words rang in her ears. It was as if her were tired of her, as if she were immaterial to him. Never had he ever treated her so callously, with so little respect. She could not even attribute it to the difference in opinion for they had disagreed many times without incident. She did not notice Mrs. Reynolds with the tea tray until the woman had set it down and had begun to prepare a cup for her. "Oh no please," she said taking the cup from her. "I am quite certain that you have more important matters to attend to other than myself."

"Madam I have known the master all his life, I helped his mother bear him forth. I have watched that boy grow up to become the man that he is through heartache and despair. I love him as if her were my own son and I love his sister as if she were my daughter. In the three years that you have lived here I have come to view you as my child as well."

"I thank you Mrs. Reynolds," Lizzy said, tears of gratitude in her eyes. She had been so busy missing her own mother that she had overlooked another 'mother'.

"It is nothing to thank me for Madam. I have never seen you leave the Master's company in such a state. Ever." She said. "Now I may be overstepping my bounds, but I will inquire as to the matter." Lizzy stared at her, tears leaking from her eyes before looking away.

"Georgiana wishes to come out this year." She said.

"And it's high time too." Mrs. Reynolds interjected.

"I agree with you, but Fitzwilliam seems to believe that she is too young." Lizzy went to pick up her tea cup and then noticed the empty one and Mrs. Reynolds.

"Too young?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. Mrs. Reynolds would you like to join me?"

"I… yes madam, I would be honored." She replied, getting over the shock.

"Honored? You are my surrogate mother after all." She said with a small smile and the woman smiled back. "In any event," Lizzy continued as she poured the tea, "when asked why, he brought up the incident of when she was fifteen."

"That was unkind of him."

"It was indeed. Cream, sugar?"

"One sugar please." She dropped a cube in the cup stirred it slightly and then handed it to her.

"He seems to think that she has made no growth in four years."

"But that is ridiculous!"

"It is. When I pressed him on the matter he informed me that Georgiana is not my concern and that I should… I'm trying to remember his exact phrasing. Ah yes, 'refrain my thoughts to those matters which are within my province.'" Mrs. Reynolds froze, her eyes wide open in shock.

"He didn't." she whispered.

"I can assure he did."

"He wouldn't." she insisted placing her tea down.

"I fear that there are sides to Mr. Darcy that you are not privy to Mrs. Reynolds. I was surprised that he remained that way, not that he had it in him to be that way."

"But for a mere difference in opinion."

"I do not believe that it was a mere difference in opinion. I truly believe that he…thinks it not my concern."

"But that is impossible! He asks you your opinion on several matters that most other gentlemen would not."

"He says that that was a courtesy on his part, not a right of mine."

"What an abominable thing to say! His parents always respected the others positions. His father kept no secrets from his mother, she was included in everything!"

"Yes but his mother was a peer of the realm."

"I cannot believe it." Lizzy nearly snorted at hearing that from her. "I would not have stood for it."

"I do not intend to."

"And in your delicate condition too, it is unpardonable!" she rose to her feet and Lizzy's eyes widened.

"Mrs. Reynolds you would not do anything too rash, would you?"

"No, but he is no longer my favorite. Georgiana and you are." She replied, her nose in the air. "Will you require anything else Madam?"

"No Mrs. Reynolds you have done more than enough, I thank you."

"If I may Madam, I would recommend that you lock your door tonight. And I shall have dinner brought up to you and Miss Georgiana tonight." Lizzy smirked, her eyes sparkling.

"Thank you Mrs. Reynolds, it is a truly inspired idea." The woman curtseyed and then left and Lizzy watched her go. If she were to describe that woman in one word it would be 'invaluable'. She turned to watch the sky again, saw the sun set in a brilliant show of deep dark red, oranges, yellows before deepening into pinks and violets and finally darkening into indigo. Matters within my province indeed! Has he forgotten who he married? Her head came up and her back straightened. Before they married she could reduce him to a pile of nerves with a look and by god she could do it again. Her name after all was Elizabeth Alexandrina Darcy neè Bennet, and before this matter was resolved he would remember it.