Wickham or Dickham as I have started to refer to him mentally hadn't talked to any of the girls, it has been four days and he has yet to preach his bullshit to any of my...the Bennets. Tonight was the Netherfield ball and I will get Lizzie and Darcy together tonight, I know I will. Lizzie was looking absolutely gorgeous in the blue dress that Lydia had convinced her to make, Jane pretty in pink and Mary comply head over heals for Mr. Collins and he in return, all was well. It was starting to bother me, things were going too well, Austen never let things get this good until the end and we were no where near the end.
On the carriage ride to Netherfield the "chaperone of a special school on a day out" feeling came back. Tonight is where Darcy's bad opinion of the Bennets comes from I had to make sure Lydia, Kitty, Mary, Thomas and especially Mrs. Bennet under control. We were greeted at the door by Caroline Bingley playing hostess.

"Miss Bennets, Miss Towne we're so glad you could come."

I yet again avoid dancing with grace and Darcy went between talking to me to dancing mostly with Lizzie, one or two with Caroline and some with women I don't know. I spent most of the night with Charlotte who was blissfully unaware of Mr. Collins and had attracted the attention of one the military men, a Captain Reynolds. Every word she said every glance she shared with Reynolds made me more and more glad that I had steered Collins toward Mary. As a dance was about to begin, all the Bennet girls and Miss Lucas taken Darcy approached me.

"Miss Towne, Amelia, would you like to leave the crowds? For the library perhaps, just to talk...as we did at the first ball." He was remarkably shy, I knew it was part of his character, but I had never seen it so upfront.

"Of course I would." I took his arm and he led me out of the ballroom

"You look lovely tonight." William stammered, something was up and I had this sinking feeling in my stomach.

"It's one of Lizzie's dresses, I didn't come prepared for such an occasion." I let go of his arm to open the double doors to the library, he followed very close behind me, I walked as fast as I could towards the shelf containing histories and made a show of just normally picking a book. What if I had messed it up, what if I pulled a complete Emma? I had to make this right.

"William." He looked at me and I realized I had no way to finish the sentence I had tried to begin. His pupils were slightly larger than the should be in the warm light of the library, but I didn't have much time to dwell on this as I found myself in a difficult situation. Mr. Darcy, the Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, was kissing me. He only touched my shoulder to pull me just close enough, it was soft and chaste just a touch of his lips against mine and he pulled away and looked right into my eyes.

"B-but, you an-and Lizzie?" I was crying, why was I crying, nothing gets accomplished by crying.

"Why would I care for Lizzie? and even if I didn't I couldn't possibly go after a woman my cousin was so enamored with. You saw her at Richard's side dance after dance." He caressed my cheek and I leaned in, I already ruined Jane Austen why not be a glutton too? His arm slid around my waist and the other into my hair, I wrapped my arms around his neck trying to compensate for our foot height difference. It was still soft and rather chaste but wet at the same time and sweet with the smooth taste of his lips. I could have stood there forever, I might have even forgotten all the wrong I had done until a slow, steady clap resinated from the doorway.

"Well done William." Wickham... "I'm glad you've picked a wife so informed of the family shame. So much less shock will be involved."

"You stay away from her!" William growled, oh god, "What on Earth are you talking about."

"Did you not know of Miss Towne's knowledge of recent events?"

"Of course she has no knowledge of it, I have yet to tell her." Oh, god what have I done

"Then why did Miss Lydia Bennet ask me to deny my involvement with dear Georgiana?" William prickled at the mention of his sister from the monster, "Oh hush Darcy, she assured me that Miss Towne had been most insistent. I, of course, denied it if only to keep Miss Darcy's secret a secret, but dear Lizzie Bennet had to have her say, she has quite a mouth on her. The whole ballroom heard her accusations, it may only be a rumor, but you know how rumors can spread. I thought you should be told of it and from whose mouth this disgusting rumor came I had no idea that you would be attached to it."

"Amelia," William turned to me, I was frozen, I had done this, "Amelia, he's lying, tell me he's lying."

"I-I'm sorry, William I only told them, just the Bennet girl, so they might be safe from him." His face turned cold and stony, into the proud, emotionless man Austen had described so many times. "William, please you have to believe me, I never meant for this to happen."

Thomas appeared at the door and pulled me away from all of this, before I knew it we were back at Longbourne all, but Lydia and Kitty who stayed for more of the ball, probably just to watch it disintegrate. I told them I was taking a walk around the grounds, but I needed to get to the barn, I needed to get back home, grab my copy of Pride & Prejudice. Hell, it might explode if anyone here touches it, but it will give me proof and I won't be able to fix everything, but maybe I could fix a few things.