a/n: I apologize for the unreasonably late update. Projects, finals, graduation prep have kept me busy this last month or so. However, now that I'm out of school, I promise to get these last chapters out faster. We're almost finished! I'm thinking two or three chapters at the most to go!

The moment he set his eyes on her, he knew that something was amiss. Her eyes were red and swollen; the usual spirited pair of hazelnut eyes neither shined nor twinkled. Instead, they gazed hollowly back at him, surprised and troubled at his unexpected appearance.

His heartbeat quickened and hers seemed to do the same. Nervously, he gave her a quick bow and she responded with a hasty curtsey. Their brief connection with each other was soon interrupted as Mrs. Bennet loudly exclaimed how delighted she was to receive company so early that morning.

"Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, what an honor it is! My dear Jane, I must say that you are looking very beautiful today," Mrs. Bennet declared, throwing her hands upwards in a cheerful and welcoming matter. It was on Jane's visits that Mrs. Bennet returned to her usual self.

"Do come in," she continued, leading her guests down the hall towards the very room Elizabeth was in.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but soon found it to be of little use. Her mother was blathering obliviously onwards about how two piglets had gone missing for thrice days before reappearing under her bed covers last night. Finally, Mrs. Bennet took a turn and let her guests into the room.

As soon as Darcy walked in, his eyes wandered over to the pile of strewn letters, recognizing them as his own when he saw the Darcy seal on one of the envelopes. When he glanced over to Elizabeth, her wide eyes explained everything. She had read them all; understood the entire matter clearly.

He watched as she quickly strode to the table, hastily trying to put all the scattered letters into one big pile. Without another thought or hesitation, he went to her side.

"Allow me to help you, Miss Bennet," he said, gathering a couple letters together.

Elizabeth gave him a weak nod. After a few moments, he noticed silent tears sliding down her cheeks. He felt his heart twinge and he painfully winced in response.

Putting the last pile of letters to the side of the table, he gently spoke to her.

"Are you all right, Miss Bennet?" he inquired, looking at her closely.

Under his intimate gaze, Elizabeth felt her knees tremble.

"I will be."

Jane, who by this point had noticed the interaction between Darcy and her sister, gave a suggestion to take a walk in the garden, leading her mother and husband away from the room. Elizabeth gave Jane an appreciative smile as she watched them disappear around the corner.

Turning to Darcy, she looked guiltily to the floor. It was she who owed him an apology.

"I read your letters," she began softly. "And I owe you an apology for my actions."

Darcy's gaze softened on her and he replied, "You owe no one an apology. It is not your fault Miss Bingley diverted the letters. Her actions led to a misunderstanding that I would never blame you for. Do not worry, Miss Eliza-"

"I should have waited," she interrupted, drawing her eyes up to look him in the face.

Darcy had a sudden urge to walk up and hold her, but he slouched his shoulders and gripped the back of a chair instead. He could not let propriety slip at Elizabeth's house. The servants were always watching.

"And I was a fool not to," she finished softly.

He could bear it no longer as he looked at her face that was stained wet with her tears. In one big stride, his arms wrapped around her in a matter of seconds, pulling her close in a tight embrace.

Elizabeth gasped when she found herself in Darcy's arms before calming down in his presence. She felt safe in his arms, secure and tucked away from the rest of the world. Finally, when he let go of her, Darcy drew back and studied her face.

"I had to see you…I had to," he said. "I had to see that you were faring well."

"I still miss him," she whispered, a faraway look settling in her eyes.

"And it would be wrong of you to think any other way. Your father was a good man. I'm so sorry," he soothingly answered, eyes softening as his look upon her filled with empathy. He knew he had felt the same way when his own mother had passed on.

"A part of me died when you left; another when my father departed this life. How many parts of me am I to lose?" she asked, the expression on her face so pitiful that Darcy had trouble seeing this part of Elizabeth's character. He had seen in her happiest moments, heard her frustrated grunts of anger, and yet, he had never seen mourn in her deep grievances. This new face of Elizabeth both alienated him and drew him closer to her more sensitive side.

He was at loss; he did not know what to say. He knew that no words could be spoken to ease the pain; the feeling of loss would have to mend itself with time. And even so, his way of comforting her would exceed the limits of propriety. Though it pained him to leave her in such a state, he concluded that solving the matters of his estate would be his way of showing his affection. He was going to take as much as he could and leave her with less to worry about.

"Miss Elizabeth," he started, his eyes slowly meeting hers. "You must understand that urgent business calls me to take a trip into town. My appointment is soon, and I cannot afford to delay."

"You are leaving?" asked Elizabeth sounding a bit more sentimental than she had intended.

Darcy nodded.

"So soon?" came her whisper.

The words tugged at him, but he forced himself to nod once more.

"I assure you that I will visit again as soon as matters permit me to do so," he said, taking a curt bow.

Elizabeth nodded and slowly followed him out the door to send him off. After exchanging quick farewells, Elizabeth watched until his carriage disappeared beyond the twisting path.

Darcy hesitated at the door to Lady Catherine's room. He had received news that she was staying in town, resting for the day before going to visit the Bennet estate the following day. He sighed. There was no predicting what his aunt's reaction would be. Slowly, he brought his hands up to the door and knocked.

A butler came to the door and Darcy recognized him as one of his aunt's main servants. The butler immediately greeted Darcy and led him into the room before calling to his mistress that company had arrived. Soon enough, footsteps approached the sitting room and Lady Catherine strode into the room. When she saw her nephew, however, she came to a sudden stop.

Darcy turned towards his aunt and bowed respectfully, waiting for her to speak. Finally, after a disgruntled look of irritation, Lady Catherine spoke.

"Have you come to ask for my daughter's hand or an invitation to walk back through the door in which you just came from?"

Darcy clasped his fingers. This was not going to be easy.

"Neither," came his answer.

"Then there is nothing that I can offer you," said Lady Catherine with an indifferent shrug.

"There is nothing that I want from you, my dear aunt," he responded. "I speak of something I believe will be of your benefit."

Lady Catherine narrowed her eyes. She was all but a fool. She knew he had only one concern on his mind the moment he had walked through the door.

"You are gravely mistaken if you think that wretched Bennet girl will ever be of any benefit to me. A kind of curse, more like. No need make your intentions sound sweeter than they are, Fitzwilliam. You know as well as I do the reason why I am here."

Darcy held back a grimace. Old as his aunt was, her mind was crystal clear. Women her age would have problems telling apart a rooster from a hen, but not her. She could carry on a conversation solely about chickens, from which species upper members of society owned to how the plumage must be groomed just right to provide easier plucking before cooking. Such was the way of his aunt, and he could only adhere to it.

"Then I will say so straightforwardly. You must not allow Mr. Collins to receive Longbourn," Darcy said, sending a determined glance towards his aunt.

Lady Catherine looked at her nephew wearily. "I have thought for a while that you might come to tell me that. But I am not going to do Mr. Collins the displeasure of denying him from his rightful inheritance."

"So you will not cast your sympathy on a family with no place to live?"

"If you are so concerned about the Bennets finding a place to live, it is not difficult to help them find a new estate. Seeing as though you have no wife to dote upon, might as well buy your already-taken-other a new manor," Lady Catherine dryly replied, taking a sip of her tea.

"Her pride will not allow it. Miss Bennet is not one to take advantage over another. She will do everything in her power to avert her family from crisis, but will not ask for unnecessary help from a third party."

Setting down her teacup, Lady Catherine snorted. "Then the insolent girl shall have to amend her ways."

Upon hearing the insult his aunt threw at Elizabeth, Darcy narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Without thinking, he said what he had long wanted to say.

"I have always thought more highly of you, my dear aunt. That you would side with those less fortunate than you and not fling around a haughty air of arrogance built upon inherited fortune."

Lady Catherine stared blankly at him. Was Darcy scolding her?

"I have learned many things from Miss Elizabeth Bennet—lessons that the people of my own birth status cannot teach: compassion, equality, and most of all, humility. It matters not which class one is born in, for if one never masters these molds of character, not even the highest social status can save one from destitution. It is not the lack of wealth and riches that makes one poor; but rather, the lack of morality and congruence that defines the true meaning of what it means to pitiably live. We are blessed with an abundance of wealth, knowing all the while that fate does not allow fortune to grace the lives of every individual. And yet, we choose to scoff at those less fortunate and approach them with contempt. Do not be so quick to judge those below your status, for there are lessons they can offer that you have never taken."

Lady Catherine tilted her head towards the ceiling and thought for a long time. Throughout her entire life, she had been raised to set herself apart from those inferior to her. Gladly, she had passed on those fundamental teachings of upper society to her following generations. And here was her nephew, standing afore her to tell her that everything she once knew had not been true at all.

Looking at his unresponsive aunt, Darcy continued onwards.

"I implore you, dear aunt, to reconsider your beliefs and motives. I would like to remind you that wealth comes with the great power to influence. As Mr. Collins's esteemed patroness, one word from you will stop him from seizing the Longbourn estate."

Looking at Darcy, the old woman nodded, well aware of the dominance she held over Mr. Collins.

"Yet as Mr. Collins is under my responsibility, I cannot deprive him from the benefits of receiving Longbourn. He will be much happier living in a bigger estate."

Darcy shook his head. "You are mistaken. Mr. Collins will not move into the estate. He is a clergyman who follows his church. I do not believe Mr. Collins will leave his congregation for a new one. He is too much with them."

Lady Catherine pursed her lips, recounting what Darcy had said before she slowly nodded in agreement.

"Besides," Darcy added darkly, "so long as Longbourn is not located right next to Rosings, I do not believe Mr. Collins will change his place of residence. It is highly dubious that any reason should propel him to move further away from such a generous patroness."

"What you speak of is true. But you have not yet proposed a solution to the problem," said Lady Catherine, closely eyeing Darcy.

Though she was not particularly thrilled in helping Elizabeth, her nephew's determined efforts to sway her made her realized how much he cared for the girl. Darcy had always been her favorite nephew; the only man she could ever entrust Anne to. She felt sure that Darcy's affections for Elizabeth were deep enough to compel him to cease correspondence with her if she refused to help him. And that was something she could not afford to lose. She needed Darcy. Her Anne's future depended on him.

She believed that it was would be only a matter of time before Darcy had no choice, but to submit to her wishes. He could not stay a bachelor forever—he would need an heir sooner or later. Now that Elizabeth was engaged to be married in a matter of weeks, Darcy would have no choice but to finally take a closer look at her daughter.

"I would like to purchase the Longbourn estate from Mr. Collins," Darcy replied, looking straight at his aunt.

Lady Catherine seemed initially surprised before her face settled to emit a look of pensiveness. She could persuade Collins to sell the estate, listing all that he would benefit from. From what she concluded, so long as Elizabeth was living with her family in Longbourn, a space would then be made for her daughter in Pemberley.

"And you plan on giving Miss Bennet the estate?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"As long as you will let me purchase the estate from Mr. Collins, I will take care of all the other details that are to follow," answered Darcy, not wanting his aunt to know more than what he cared to reveal.

"Do as you wish. I shall call for Mr. Collins immediately and tell him to sell the estate if that be your wish."

Darcy looked at his aunt. She seemed to have forgotten about their quarrel in Pemberley and was cooperating better than he had imagined she would.

"Thank you, Aunt Catherine," Darcy said, bowing to her. "I shall pay Mr. Collins a visit tomorrow and arrange the matters with him. If you will excuse me, I must be on my way to sort out other arrangements."

Darcy bid his aunt goodbye and left. He sighed in relief that a large portion of the matter was taken care of. What was left now was negotiating with Collins and paying Tennyson a visit. He decided that he would do the latter first.

a/n: special thanks to my beta :)