(A/N I cannot get FFN's website to work, so I'm posting from my phone today... I've had issue with line breaks in the past when doing this and I'm much less likely to pick up on typos and such...so I'm sorry.

Also, allow me to apologize for the Hunsford timeline. Chapter 6 was within the first few days of the gentlemen's visit, while 7 had one conversation from about halfway through and the other nearly simultaneous with this chapter, which takes place within the last few days of their visit. Sorry if that was confusing, but that was how the storyline flowed.

The rest can be filled by any number of fluffy conversations, likely surrounding younger sisters and an upcoming wedding [Jane's of course! Who did you think I meant?]. Such conversation is not important to my plot and I wouldn't have any dialog for it anyway so it would have been summed up just like I just did. Sorry. Just wanted to clarify the timeline because when I read through it again I had a moment of 'wait, what?' and as the author I don't think I'm supposed to have those moments.

Enjoy!)

He really shouldn't keep such a letter with him. Though, he supposed there were many things he shouldn't do in the past year. He read over it again, for likely the thousandth time since receiving it back in November, as he considered timeframes and his cousins' assistance.

Darcy,

I thank you for your information regarding the snake. I will keep my daughters and any others I can influence away from him as we await your man.

As I implied before, I will give any blessing my daughter asks for. I trust you to treat her well, and I have seen that she avoids you more as a game. It is easy to see, as I only need compare her conduct to you against her actions towards Mr. Collins and all is clear.

I fear I am not a dutiful correspondent. I enjoy receiving letters, though I rarely write them. I will value any information you choose to share on your end and will answer any specific questions directed at my own.

I do hope, however. that you will stall yourself before asking me to pass letters between you and my daughter.

Sincerely,

Bennet

It was short and to the point and gave him exactly the information he needed.

Now he only needed courage and time.

Their morning walks would be the best time to ask her for her hand, but he wanted them to leave within an hour of such a conversation.

If she refused him...well, he didn't wish to stay then either.

"Mrs. Collins is a smart woman, William. You will do very well to listen to her."

"Anne."

"No, William, she is right. Miss Bennet always brightens when you enter the room and you said yourself she seemed distressed when you indicated leaving her to her own devices. Not to mention your odd form of courtship-"

"We weren't courting."

"You might as well have been," Anne declared. "And you now know that she will not be a target of the ton for long if they know what is good for them."

"I am allowed to be nervous! It doesn't help matters that the opportunity is laid before me while I am a guest of Lady Catherine and she of the imbecilic parson."

"Manners, William."

"No, Richard; I cannot say such things about Mr. Collins, so I will rejoice in hearing others do it for me."

"She stays another week and we have already delayed a handful of times. I cannot leave her to the dogs if we come to an agreement and it is made known," Darcy said in an effort to maintain the subject.

"But William," Anne relied with wide eyes and false tones, "surely I could go to town for just a week. Miss Bennet is not needed by her family for another sennight and I would so love her company at the theater."

"You think your mother would allow you the scheme?"

"Only if her favorite nephew escorted me," she said with a smug lilt.

"That...just might work. I dare say, Anne, we should pull you to the war table for your strategic mind."

"Manipulating my mother is about the only strategy I have ever learned, Richard. I cannot even hold a needle and follow a blueprint through embroidery.'

"Posh, you are a creature of circumstance and would rise to the occasion."

"Let us not paint a target on our cousin's back. The family can hardly handle the one on yours."

"So," Anne said pointedly, "I will speak to Charlotte about stealing her friend for a week-and likely making her husband wish to ban Miss Elizabeth from the house-and then I will plant the idea in Mother's head. I will do so while you are present, William, and you must say what a splendid idea it is and offer to escort me to de Bough house."

"No," Richard said with a furrowed brow, "I doubt your London home would be ready so quickly. It has not been updated in years and has not been occupied even longer. You would need to stay at Matlock or Darcy house."

"Okay…"

"I will point out just that, and offer Darcy house-and even my box at the theater."

"She will be salivating to get Anne there."

"Just so."

"And if I am there you can keep Miss Bennet there as you had wanted to, rather than the constant travel to her uncle's."

"I would not be so imprudent as to keep my intended in house with me."

"But with me there such implications become moot and propriety will be satisfied."

"No. I will not do her the injustice of bringing such scrutiny down on her. Especially as we already know how difficult it will be for her to enter high society."

"She could stay at Matlock."

"I do not want her to think I look down on her connections in trade! She will stay at her uncle's and I will call on her there."

"Well said."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"So… I offer to escort and host you after we point out that de Bough house will not be suitable? Perhaps Richard should be the one to declare it unsuitable? That will include one more of us against your mother."

"Yes. Then, after she acquiesces, I will declare that Elizabeth-I will use her given name to show a fast bond-must accompany me. I will 'have no desire for a simpleton maid, and she absolutely must see the showing of-' what is at the theater currently?" The men laughed at her antics and informed her of the poet's comedy.

"Alright… Now I just need to…"

"Ask her?" his cousins both supplied at the same time before sharing a laugh at his expense.

.

The morning was brisker than had been the norm of late. Elizabeth found her pace quickened in an effort to warm herself. Her bonnet even stayed on her head.

She allowed thoughts of her sister to fill her mind. The last several letters had been variations of the same. It was difficult to see the truth behind Jane's kindness, but Elizabeth surmised that Mother was driving everyone mad as expected, Miss Bingley had tried thrice to ruin some large aspect of the wedding (Jane's seamstress had the wrong measurements, the guest list had vanished-and was later found in the fireplace, and she informed Mr. Bingley's man of business that Jane's name was wrong on the marriage contract. It was not wrong, so he had to write up the contract a third time to correct it back to what it originally had been.)

Barring disaster, she would leave Kent in about a week and be home with four days to help with the final details of the wedding. She was to stand with her sister, but at her insistence Jane had requested Mary stand with her if weather or some other unpredictable incident kept Elizabeth from making it in time.

She focused on these plans. Plans were a good thing to occupy her mind. While it was good to be prepared, she had no intentions of allowing anything to keep her from the wedding.

Mr. Darcy would be there too.

But that shouldn't matter to her.

Jane would laugh at how they were finally introduced. Mr. Bin-Charles would as well. (He'd indicated once he wanted her to use his given name as they would be siblings, but it still felt wrong. He was Mr. Bingley.)

Would it feel wrong to use Mr. Darcy's given name?

Well, it would be most improper!

After a moment's thought she realized she did not know Mr. Darcy's given name.

She considered it for a little while, coming up with possible names to fit the man. Nothing quite seemed right, and she was certain she would never share these musings with another as long as she lived.

Would he go by a shortened name or by his full name? Did even those close to him call him Darcy? That is what the colonel called him. What would her name sound like if he said it? Not Miss Elizabeth, just Elizabeth. What endearment would he use? Lizzy? Eliza? One of his own design?

She sighed, as her thoughts continued down this path. It was quite a useless trail, as she was certain Charlotte had embellished her story in favor of casting her good friend in a positive light.

She shared a warm friendship with Mr. Darcy, nothing more.

And he did not meet her in any of the usual spots where their paths tended to converge.

That should not bother her.

It wasn't as if he had been with her on every one of her walks! But he was leaving in two days, and a large part of her remembered the unreasonable pain she'd felt the last time he left her.

Her mind was replaying her conversation with him from two weeks past in vivid detail, while her heart sang of Charlotte's encouragement behind his words.

It was all very vexing!