Chapter 9

Darcy turned from his perch atop the garden wall to check to make sure his horse still remained hidden in the trees. It would not do for a passerby to find a saddled horse without a rider nearby. Nevertheless, he was hesitant to leave his post in case he should miss her.

Desperate to escape from Miss Bingley's attentions that morning, Darcy had decided to ride into Meryton to post a letter to his sister, Georgiana. Upon arrival in town, he passed a group of officers who were talking of a supper party they had attended the evening before. Upon hearing Wickham's name mentioned his attention was immediately drawn to the conversation. Dismounting his horse and slowly walking up to a nearby store window so as to appear as though perusing the display, he placed himself where, with very little effort, he could hear what the officers had to say.

It was apparent from the tone of their voices that Wickham had already impressed himself upon his fellow officers in a favorable light. They had much to say in regards to his charm and easy manners, not to mention his eagerness at the card tables. Scoffing at the men, Darcy began to walk away when he heard one of the men complain about the lack of attention he had received from the youngest Miss Bennet's ever since Wickham's arrival. Upon hearing the Bennet's name, he had stopped and stepped closer to the group so as not to miss anything. It was then that he discovered that Wickham had spent the majority of the evening in company with Miss Elizabeth much to her younger sisters' disappointment.

Panic immediately overtook him as he contemplated what Wickham might have said to Miss Elizabeth. Knowing that if his acquaintance with the rogue had come up in conversation between the two Wickham was sure to have slandered his good name. Darcy immediately mounted his horse and made his way towards Longbourn, his letter all but forgotten.

As he approached Longbourn, Darcy slowed his horse and began to think rationally. He knew that he would not be welcomed at the house having only met Mr. Bennet briefly and having not left a favorable impression upon the ladies. While it was true that paying them a visit would help improve his standing with the family, and in consequence with her, he was in need of information she would not share knowing him to be present. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he instead began to ride towards a copse of trees he spotted near the back garden wall.

Dismounting, he began to pace while his horse meandered over to a small patch of grass. He was in need of a private audience with Miss Elizabeth, yet knew that his request would not be granted. The thought that he could freeze time fleetingly crossed his mind, yet he dismissed that thought quickly. She had been so distressed the last time he had done so, that he had been more than willing to help convince her it was no more than a figment of her imagination.

Wishing he could come up with another way to find out what Wickham had said without her knowing of his presence, he was pleased to notice an orange tabby cat lounging in the November sun. Recalling her love for walks in the garden while she stayed at Netherfield, Darcy hoped she kept up the habit while at home. Grinning, he whispered a few words in the ancient language to his horse ordering the animal to stay before walking quietly towards the cat.

Upon his approach, the cat opened his yellow-green eyes and turned a questioning gaze upon him. Reaching a hand up, Darcy was gratified to discover the cat was willing to accept his attentions. Gently, he sent a tendril of magic towards the cat in order to gauge its reaction. Unlike most other creatures, Darcy knew that cats tended to be weary of those who wielded magic and was unwilling to force himself upon the creature without permission. Thankfully, the cat stretched his neck out and upon sniffing the air locked gazes with him and mewed in acceptance. Closing his eyes, Darcy reached out with his consciousness until he touched the cats mind. Slowly, so as not to startle the cat, he began to let his body dissolve as he took over the cat's body.

He could not remember the last time he had merged bodies with a cat, so he reveled in the experience. The agility, intelligence and strong senses of the cat blended well with his own natural abilities, allowing him to see and hear over quite the distance. Fighting the urge to run through the garden, Darcy stretched the cats, now his, long back and settled in to watch the house.

After an hour's watch, restlessness and anxiety began to overwhelm his senses. He knew he could not sit out there all day, yet he had felt the beginnings of the first winter storm building that morning. He knew that the next several days would bring rain, thus an end to any hope to see her before the ball his friend wished to hold next week. He could not wait that long.

As if on cue, it was then that he saw a side door to the house open and two young ladies step out, faces turned away from him, wrapping their shawls tighter around their shoulders. Eagerly, he jumped down from the wall and ran closer to the pair. It was with excitement that he discovered the ladies to be none other than Miss Elizabeth and her elder sister. Pausing, he watched as the sisters walked away from the house towards a bench hidden amongst several bushes. Once they had seated themselves, he gingerly walked towards them and hid himself in a shrubbery.

Although it had only been two days since he had last seen his beloved, it had felt much longer to him as he basked in her beauty. So absorbed in watching her, he failed to notice her uneasiness as she searched the gardens for something out of place.

"Lizzy, is everything okay?"

Shocked out of his own observation, he saw Miss Elizabeth start before turning to her sister to reply.

"Of course Jane; I am sorry for not attending you."

"Nonsense, Lizzy, I know you too well to believe you. What is troubling you?"

Darcy watched as Miss Elizabeth's shoulders slumped in resignation. "Oh, Jane! You would not believe me. You would think me quite unreasonable."

"You know that I would never think such of you, dearest," Miss Bennet replied as she grabbed Miss Elizabeth's hands in her own. "You have not been yourself for several weeks now, and I find myself quite concerned. I have seen you try to hide it from all, but please, Lizzy, will you not share with me?"

"I do not know what to say. Ever since the last assembly in Meryton, nothing seems to make sense to me. I have dreams that feel more like memories, and unwanted feelings I cannot explain. And just now, when we left the house, I felt as though...someone...was watching...me."

Although she did not say anything, Darcy did not fail to notice her hesitation, as though she was about to name him specifically. He knew exactly what she was feeling, as he felt it every time she was in near proximity; it was as though the air around him changed whenever she was near. Without warning, a pair of feminine hands reached into the bush and wrapped around his middle. Although his feline body naturally tensed up, Darcy struggled not to twist out of Miss Bennet's grasp. Suddenly he found himself plopped onto Miss Elizabeth's warm lap.

"I believe I have found the culprit Lizzy. We were indeed being watched; it is just Mr. Taylor's cat Cyrus."

Darcy chanced a look up into her eyes and was unsurprised to find Miss Elizabeth regarding him with a cynical expression. Despite knowing that it would be best for him to leave, he gave into temptation nudging her hand with his nose and curling up with a soft purr in her lap. "It seems as though you were right, Jane," she said hesitatingly.

"Lizzy, I did not intend to insult your feelings."

"No, no! You did not. I know you would not so easily dismiss my concerns, yet I cannot help but feel as though there is more than just this cat watching us. Besides, I thought Cyrus had yellow-green eyes, yet this cat seems to have blue ones. Blue just like...oh never mind."

"Like Mr. Darcy's?" Miss Bennet asked surprising both Darcy and Miss Elizabeth who both looked up to her. Chuckling at her sister's reaction, she continued. "Come now, Lizzy, do not think me ignorant. I am fully aware that the turmoil you have been feeling started upon hearing his insult at the assembly."

Flinching at the mention of his slight, Darcy looked up again at Miss Elizabeth only to see a pained expression cross her beautiful face. Sitting up, he began to nuzzle against her arm in consolation for his words, wishing that he could actually wrap her up in his arms instead. Content, he allowed himself to relax when she reached up and began to stroke his fur, a small smile on her face.

"Indeed, I should have known that you would see through my facade. I want to hate the man, yet I find I cannot stop myself from thinking of him. He is nothing to me, so why do I feel as though his opinion of me is of such consequence?"

"But what exactly do you have to accuse him of? Despite his poor choice of words at the assembly, you have told me that he has since twice asked you to dance; an honor he has not shared with anyone besides Mr. Bingley's sisters. He is also the only man besides our father and Uncle Gardiner who I have seen to have engaged you in intellectual debates."

"While what you say may be true, his intentions are not what you would wish them to be. The first time he asked me to dance was when Sir William practically forced me upon the gentleman. He had no option other than to ask me to dance. If you had seen the look in his eyes at Sir William's words, you would not think him so generous."

Confused, Darcy thought back to that night. Though it was true he had not been happy with Sir William, it had nothing to do with her. He was just as thrilled at the prospect of dancing with her as he had been angry at the man's presumption that he did not care for the amusement of dancing.

"And the second time?" Miss Bennet prompted.

"He asked me to dance a reel! His intention to ridicule my tastes was obvious as was his desire to humiliate myself in front of Mr. Bingley's sisters who despite what you may say are vicious creatures."

"Lizzy! That is unkind." Miss Bennet scolded her younger sister. "I am fully aware of your opinions regarding Caroline and Louisa, yet I cannot help but disagree with you. I know we are not of the same standing in society as they are, yet they have been nothing but kind and considerate to us both."

Darcy struggled to contain a hiss upon hearing Miss Bennet's solicitous remarks regarding the Bingley sisters, only to be distracted by Miss Elizabeth's barely contained amusement. Realization that this must not be the first conversation the two had had regarding the Netherfield ladies, he settled back down into his beloved's lap, enjoying the feel of her soft fingers running through his fur.

"Forgive me, Jane. You are right, of course."

"Well then, when you have finished laughing at me you will continue to explain why I am wrong in regards to Mr. Darcy."

With those words, Miss Elizabeth immediately sobered. "Jane, for reasons I cannot fathom, I wish you were right. But Mr. Darcy does not care for me. I know he only debated with me in hopes of proving me wrong and showing the other's how impertinent and insupportable my opinion truly was. You should have heard him that first evening when he criticized me for my reading choice."

"But Lizzy, I know you do not care for 'Romeo and Juliet' so I cannot understand why you would have such a strong objection to his words." Knowing that Miss Bennet's words should have surprised him, Darcy felt nothing but relief.

"He did not allow me a chance to explain. He simply reacted very strongly to my statement. You would have thought I had just announced myself to be a fallen woman."

"While I do agree with you that perhaps he could have handled the situation better, I still do not understand why you told him that it was a favorite of yours."

Now just as puzzled as Miss Bennet appeared to be, Darcy turned to look up at Miss Elizabeth only to see a faraway look in her eyes. "I do not know, Jane. I know I should not have stated an opinion I did not feel, yet I felt as though I needed to; it was as though someone else told me what to say."

Immediately, Darcy's hackles rose as a hint of laughter rang softly through the trees, audible only to his sensitive ears. How had he not noticed before the day in the library that they were being watched? He knew based off of her responses to his attempts to restore her memories that whoever was watching him was also influencing her and preventing her memories from surfacing. Anger suffused throughout his entire being at the thought that whoever it was had deliberately provoked him into responding as he had. Had that being also prevented him from recognizing her at the assembly?

"Cyrus, please! There is nothing out there!" Miss Elizabeth's voice pierced his thoughts as he suddenly became aware that his extended claws were digging into the soft flesh of her thighs. Retracting his claws, he looked up into her face mewing softly in remorse, before lying back down and curling his tail around his body. He would have to consider the unknown being later when he was alone once more.

"Are you alright, Lizzy?" Upon seeing her sister nod, Miss Bennet continued. "I must say Cyrus is certainly acting strangely today, he also seems to have taken quite the liking towards you Lizzy. Now back to Mr. Darcy. Again I ask, what have you to accuse him of?"

Curious, Darcy again looked up at Miss Elizabeth's face, and was quite disconcerted to see a mischievous smile. "Jane, do you recall me telling you about Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham's cold greeting the other day?"

"Yes...oh Lizzy please tell me you did not ask Mr. Wickham about it last evening! Indeed you promised you would not."

Darcy nervously awaited the response to her sister's enquiry. At last the moment he had hoped for had arrived, yet he could not help but feel an apprehension as to what she would say. He was not disappointed in her reply.

"There was no need for me to ask him, as he was quite willing to bring up the subject of Mr. Darcy himself. I daresay, I had not believed Mr. Darcy as bad as he truly is."

"What had Mr. Wickham to say, Lizzy?"

With disbelief, Darcy listened as Miss Elizabeth related her conversation with Wickham to her elder sister. She told of their having grown up together at Pemberley as Wickham's father was his own father's steward. She continued the tale by mentioning the elder Mr. Darcy was Wickham's godfather and had in his will bequeathed that a valuable living be given to him when it came available. Darcy huffed upon hearing her claim that Wickham had done nothing to deserve having the living denied to him and given to another. Although he knew Wickham harbored hard feelings towards him, he was shocked to discover that his own supposed actions were based off of jealousy.

Wishing he could release a harsh laugh, Darcy contented himself with a quiet hiss. He was amused to discover that Wickham thought George Darcy preferred him over his own son. Apparently he had not realized that George Darcy had supported Wickham out of respect for his father, not out of love for the child. Then again, Darcy considered, if Wickham was so capable of lying to others to whom he had just met, it should not be surprising to learn that he had learned how to lie to himself and believe it.

Upon hearing Georgiana's name, Darcy's attention was once again focused on Miss Elizabeth instead of his own musings. With a barely contained fury, he heard her voice Wickham's observations that his sister was very proud. Wickham claimed that as a child she had been most amiable, yet as she had grown, she became hardened to those beneath her.

It was then that he found himself unceremoniously thrown from Miss Elizabeth's lap as she muttered something about sharp claws. Bemused, he picked himself up from the ground and wandered back over to her lifting his front paws up to rest on her knees. Brushing him away, she ended her tale by sharing her confusion as to how Mr. Bingley could have been so deceived by him.

Not wishing to miss any part of the conversation, and already missing the comfort of her lap, Darcy began to weave in and out among her ankles. He knew that what he was doing was highly improper, but he could not resist the opportunity to be so near his dearest Iliana. Reluctantly, Miss Elizabeth took pity upon him and once again lifted him up into her lap as her sister began to express her astonishment and concern.

"I find myself unable to understand how Mr. Darcy could be so undeserving of Mr. Bingley's regard Lizzy. Yet how is such a man as Mr. Wickham to be disbelieved; he has such an amiable appearance he must be in earnest. Surely they have both been deceived, I dare say, in some way or other, of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other. It is, in short, impossible for us to conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them, without actual blame on either side."

"Very true, indeed; and now, my dear Jane, what have you got to say in behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the business? Do clear them too, or we shall be obliged to think ill of somebody."

"Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion. My dearest Lizzy, do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places Mr. Darcy, to be treating his father's favorite in such a manner, one, whom his father had promised to provide for. It is impossible. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so excessively deceived in him? Oh! No."

"I can more easily believe Mr. Bingley's being imposed on, than that Mr. Wickham should invent such a history of himself as he gave me last night; names, facts, everything mentioned without ceremony. If it be not so, let Mr. Darcy contradict it. Besides, there was truth in his looks."

"It is difficult indeed," Miss Bennet replied. "It is distressing. One does not know what to think."

"I beg your pardon; one knows exactly what to think."

Darcy listened to Miss Elizabeth's impassioned words with heightened concern. Despite what she said, he saw the look in her eyes which bespoke of her conflicting feelings. He knew then that her heart belonged as ever to him, and that it was fighting desperately for him. Her mind, however, was quite determined to hate him, and as such, allowed whoever was watching them to convince her into believing Wickham's lies.

"Well if what Mr. Wickham says is indeed true Lizzy, then we may be certain on only one point. If Mr. Bingley has indeed been imposed on, he will have much to suffer when the affair becomes public."

At this the two young ladies fell into silence, each contemplating on all that had been said, allowing Darcy to consider what he wished to do in regards to punishing Wickham. Not wishing to further upset Georgiana, he had let Wickham escape from Ramsgate unharmed. However, now that Wickham had once again forced himself on his life, and upon his beloved Iliana, he would not hesitate to retaliate in order to protect the women he loved.

Suddenly a shrill voice sounded in the air. Startled, Darcy allowed the cat's reflexes to take control and soon found himself hiding in the shrubbery once more. Ignoring the amused chuckles from the eldest Bennet's, he watched as the youngest flounced towards them.

"Jane! Lizzy! You'll never guess, but who do you think is here?"

Sharing a small smile at their sister's excitement, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth patiently asked her who was being received at the house.

"Why is it Mr. Bingley and his sisters! Mama says to hurry and join us in the drawing room."

"Very well, Lydia," Miss Elizabeth replied with a glance towards her elder sister, "we shall be inside in a minute. Go on ahead of us and let them know we will attend them immediately."

With that, Darcy watched as Miss Lydia ran back towards the house. Looking up at the two sisters, he was pleased, yet worried to see Miss Bennet's discomposure. He knew Bingley had taken a liking to her and that she received his attentions with pleasure, yet he did not believe there to be an attachment on either side. He knew then that he would need to keep a closer eye on his friend.

"Come Jane," Miss Elizabeth said, "we must not keep Mr. Bingley waiting."

"Dearest Lizzy, do not tease me so!"

"Very well then, perhaps I shall distract you with another fact I learned about Mr. Darcy." Ears perked at the mention of his name, Darcy began to follow the ladies towards the house. "It appears that Mr. Collins' dearest Lady Catherine de Bourgh is none other than Mr. Darcy's aunt! It also appears that Mr. Darcy has been engaged to Miss de Bourgh since infancy."

Whatever it had been that Darcy was expecting to hear, it had not been that. Who was this Mr. Collins and how did he know Lady Catherine? Whoever the man was, the fact that he was somehow acquainted with his aunt could not be good news for Darcy.

His musings were interrupted by Miss Bennet's exclamations of "poor Miss Bingley" and Miss Elizabeth's laughter as they reached the door. He was suddenly stopped by the sight of Miss Elizabeth kneeling down in front of him and insisting that her sister not wait for her.

Once Miss Bennet had disappeared inside, Miss Elizabeth turned a cold gaze upon him. "I know not how Mr. Darcy has garnered your assistance Cyrus, but I beg you to tell him that I have no desire to have my life further disturbed by him."

Wishing to hide his surprise at being thus addressed, Darcy pretended nonchalance by attempting to rub up against her leg again only to be shoved rudely away.

"Do not play coy with me Cyrus. If I can imagine Mr. Darcy to have the ability to freeze time, then how could I not but imagine him to have the ability to control animals. You do not have his eyes for nothing. Tell him that I have no wish to play his games any longer. I bid you good day!" At those words, she quickly stormed into the house and shut the door firmly behind her.

After checking to make sure he was not being watched from the window, Darcy quickly ran towards the garden wall and using a nearby tree effortlessly climbed to the top. Once he had gained the top of the wall, he jumped back down to the other side and seeing no one around separated himself from the cat.

Having reformed his own body, Darcy stretched and glanced down surprised to see Cyrus watching him with a curious expression. Usually when he commandeered an animal's body, the animal wasted no time in escaping from him. Cyrus, however, seemed reluctant to leave. With a grin, Darcy knew that he had a new ally in his fight to win back his love. Bending down, he began to scratch behind the cat's ears, enjoying the sound of his contented purring.

In the ancient language used by those with magic, he began to speak to the cat. "I thank you Cyrus for your services today. I am now in need of further assistance. I need you to keep an eye on Miss Elizabeth for me. Protect her, and keep me notified of what happens here. Will you do that for me?"

Solemnly, Cyrus looked up into his eyes and mewed. "Again I thank you," Darcy said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I find there is an officer in town with whom I have a long overdue appointment with."

Jumping back up onto the wall, Cyrus watched as Darcy strode confidently towards his horse and rode off towards town.

AN: I wish to apologize for updating so late. Also, I would like to let you all know that as much as it pains me to do this, I will not be able to post again for possibly a week, although I'm hoping to be able to do so this coming Sunday. I am leaving tomorrow to go camping for the rest of the week, so was determined to stay up late (well early morning now I guess for most of you, late still here where I am) and finish this chapter. I originally had hoped to have it up this last Sunday, but with all the family in town for the weekend/holiday, things got a little more crazy than I expected. So, since I will not have access to any electronics for several days, I hope you all enjoy.

I also wish to once again thank all those who have reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. I cannot tell you what that means to me! Although I originally wanted to write this story for myself, I am glad I decided to share with you all and your support means more to me than I can possibly express. Thank you!

Until next time, Happy Reading! - Allahteeah