A/N: Alrighty, thanks again for the reviews. Over 100! Sweet. I've only had that with I think one maybe two other stories. Thanks for making me feel special. I'm sorry to everyone whose angst meters are off the charts. There's this chapter and chapter twelve are angsty, but thirteen is the end of angst and the end of the story except for the epilogue. dodges tomatoes It's almost done guys. I feel kinda sad. Another short chapter, but the last three are longer. Anywho, onto chapter 11.

Last time in An Impossible Treasure...

"You love her, don't you Darcy?" Bingley asked.

Darcy gave in. "I do," he admitted. "I love her, Bingley. I have always loved her, and I will continue to love her until the day I die."

"But you barely know her…"

"Yes, but I used to know her better than anyone else in the country."

Bingley looked confused.

"I never explained how Mrs. Ashby and I met," Darcy said, preparing to share his tale.

Chapter 11

"It was the London season of 1806. Anne and I had been married for barely five months. My father had requested that I attend an Assembly at St. James' hall. I could not say no.

"When I arrived, it was the same as it had always been. There were people there that I did not know, did not like, did not feel the need to be in company with. Then a party containing four people arrived, and I could not pass up the chance to be introduced to them."

"Lady Ashby?" Bingley asked.

Darcy nodded. "The party consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and their two nieces, Misses Jane and Elizabeth Bennet."

Darcy paused. Going back to the time where he was certain of Elizabeth's feelings of love was something that pained him more than anything. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I immediately felt an attraction to Elizabeth. We danced and then we crept outside for a conversation. It was a wonderful night, and I believed that I had made a wonderful friend in Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

"The next day, I took Georgiana to shop for some ribbons. We met Elizabeth and Miss Jane with Mrs. Gardiner in the shop, and the two Miss Bennets instantly formed a friendship with Georgiana. I invited the three of them along with Mr. Gardiner to dinner that evening. The invitation was accepted.

"After that night, I realized that I did not want Elizabeth as a friend. I was beginning to feel affection for her. Being two and twenty and completely foolish, I acted upon my feelings."

Bingley was shocked.

"We did not admit our feelings for one another until we had known each other for two weeks. After that, we decided to meet in secret. We would meet in a park near Cheapside nearly every night. We would talk and laugh and just sit quietly in each other's presence.

"Two weeks later, my father told me that he knew about my affair. He would have none of it, and told me that I needed to end things with Elizabeth."

"But he should not have had that choice," Bingley protested, "even if it was wrong of you. If Miss Elizabeth wanted to continue being your mistress…"

Darcy flinched at the word.

"…he should have let you."

Darcy's pain and regret was etched into his face. "Elizabeth did not know about Anne."

Bingley's jaw nearly fell to the floor.

"I always felt the need to tell her, but she would make me forget. Just her presence would make me forget all of the evils and responsibilities of the world. She was so captivating.

"That same week, she told me that her father had accepted a marriage proposal for her from Lord Johnathon Ashby. I was stunned and saddened. My emotions were weighted even more when she told me that she would be sailing to America.

"I told my father about her engagement, but he knew that I had not told Elizabeth about Anne. He took the liberty of writing her a letter the following day. She was…angry to say the least. She told me to stay away from her and to never contact her again. I replied stating that I was truly sorry for what I had done. I waited in the park for her for nearly two weeks hoping she would return. The night before the eve of her wedding, she did. We…"

He paused, thinking of the best way to word it. "We…reconciled."

Bingley looked relieved. "At least you did not compromise her." Darcy immediately looked at the floor guiltily. Bingley's eyes shot open. "Darcy I cannot believe it!"

"It was only once," he responded. "Two days before her wedding, she begged me, and I did not want to say 'no' no matter how much I should have."

"What if you had left her with child?"

"She would pass it off as Lord Ashby's and no one would have questioned it."

Bingley was still shocked, but he also felt sympathy. Darcy reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the cross. "She gave me this and told me to keep it in my pocket for all of the days that I love her." He sighed and dropped it back into the pocket he had taken it out of. "This is the first time in five years that it has come out of my pocket for any reason other than switching jackets."

Bingley swallowed and said, "So why do you want to leave so badly? If you love her so much, why do you not inform her of your sentiments?"

"She holds no more feelings for me other than friendship," Darcy replied. "In return for her necklace, I gave her a ring and chain to wear it on for the same reason that she gave me her necklace. She is no longer wearing it."

"She could have forgotten about it," Bingley replied. "She might still love you."

Darcy shook his head as though the notion was impossible. His mentality was very depressed for the next few weeks. It had heightened exceptionally so one bright morning when he was watching Elizabeth from a distance. They were the only two in the room other than a servant here and there. He wanted to speak with her, but as soon as he had made up his mind to, Bingley burst through the door with his two sisters and brother-in-law.

"I have an announcement to make," Bingley said. "I have decided to host a ball on the twenty-third of November. All of our acquaintances from Meryton have been invited including some of Colonel Forster's regiment."

Darcy nearly groaned aloud at the announcement.

Darcy made a vow to himself as he walked down the stairs on the evening of the ball. He would leave Netherfield in exactly five days. That was a good amount of time. The pain had worsened. He could no longer stay in the same room as Elizabeth no matter how encouraging her presence was. He could stand it no longer, and he would not attempt it any longer either. It was then that he met her in the entrance hall.

"Lady Ashby," he said with as much a voice as he could manage. She turned to look at him, her face etched with worry. He furrowed his brow curiously. "Might I ask, what is the matter?"

She nodded before replying in almost a whisper. "You are the only person whom I should be telling this," she admitted. "A person, whom is most despicable and not worthy of anyone's friendship, has been welcomed with open arms by Meryton society."

"Of whom are you speaking?" Darcy asked with a bit of worry slipped into his tone.

"Mr. Wickham."

Darcy immediately tensed up and his face paled ever so slightly.

"My sisters say that he is very pleasant. Indeed, he has even been welcomed at Longbourn. I have warned them all that he is not to be trusted and they should distance themselves as much as possible. They questioned my reasoning, but I felt that I could not tell them why without informing them of Georgiana…"

He nodded and she was silent. "Thank you," he said, "for your discretion. It is most invaluable." She curtsied and began to walk away when Mr. Darcy blurted out, "May I have the next dance, Lady Ashby?"

She was taken aback by his request, and he noticed it. He was afraid that she would deny his request, but then she said, "You may."

He took her arm and led her to the dance floor. He reveled in her closeness, but he knew that it would be short-lived. He would not stay at Netherfield for much longer, and he just wanted to…be with her again for a short time. He wanted to relive that night that they had first met, when he knew that she was the only woman he would ever love.

"Have you acquired any new novels lately?" Darcy asked her.

Elizabeth nodded and said, "Yes, E. B. Anne has put out another work."

"Ah yes, I have not read the novel myself, but it comes highly recommended."

"It is probably her best work yet."

They made more idle chat about the novel and moved on to other works as well. There were many gaps in the conversation, however; Darcy kept losing his train of thought and would not respond to some of her questions.

When their set had ended, Elizabeth left with the statement, "You should read the latest E.B. Anne novel as soon as possible." He told her he would read it directly on the morrow. She smiled and left. Darcy, unable to believe that he had just spent a half hour so close in her company, crept up the stairs silently and unnoticed. He retreated to the library were he spent the majority of the time staring into the fire. He knew that Elizabeth only held a regard of friendship for him, and she would never love him as he loved her. It was a depressing thought, but Darcy's mind raced to it.

Not long after he entered the library, he heard someone else come in as well. He furrowed his brow as he realized that it was a woman crying. He looked over to the door and noticed that it was Elizabeth.

"Lady Ashby," he said gently. She was surprised to see him in there, and she immediately moved to look away and dry her eyes. He stood up and walked over to her. He reached in his pocket and pulled his handkerchief out of his breast pocket and handed it to her. She accepted it and began to dab her eyes with it, all the while keeping her gaze on the floor. It was then that something caught her eye, and her eyes widened. Darcy's brow furrowed in confusion and followed her gaze. He then realized what she was looking at.

The necklace.

When he looked back up, Elizabeth was gone. His handkerchief was on the floor. He hung his head in grief. He knew that she did not return his affection and this proved it. He would leave Netherfield directly on the morrow.

And he would never see Elizabeth again.

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