Hello fanfic readers! This is my first attempt after devouring all your lovely stories and getting inspired (thank you). So far I have the first 5 chapters down (and chapter 7, don't ask about where number 6 is! It will be here, promise). It's a WIP but I do have it mostly mapped out.

Prologue

The grand estates of the Earls of Matlock and Alfreton are both situated in Leicestershire, about 20 miles from each other. As a result, in the 1740s, the heirs to both estates Jefferson Fitzwilliam (Matlock) and Fredrick Walker (Alfreton) all but grew up together. During their school years they learnt to rely on and confide in one another, remaining close throughout university and beyond.

When they married and had children, Jefferson's (by then the Earl of Matlock) youngest daughter was of an age with Fredrick's only child. Lady Anne Fitzwilliam and Rebecca Walker became as close to one another as their fathers were. As they matured into young women, and later married ladies, they extended their friendship to include Rebecca's cousins, Amelia – seven years their junior – and Madeline – 13 years younger. Amelia and Madeline's brother, James Walker, was a strict, old fashioned sort of man who would later go on to inherit the Earldom on Alfreton as the only male heir born to his generation.

At the age of 19, Rebecca Walker married Anne's elder brother, Becket Fitzwilliam, Viscount Moulton and future Earl of Matlock. Within a year of their marriage their first son, Walker Fitzwilliam, was born. The Fitzwilliam's went on to have 3 more children; Richard, Cora and Helena. Unfortunately Cora did not survive to adulthood, succumbing to a fever at the tender age of 4 years old.

A few years after the marriage of her brother to her dearest friend, Lady Anne married George Darcy, a wealthy landowner from the neighbouring county of Derbyshire – and a prized bachelor whom the eldest Fitzwilliam daughter, Lady Catherine, had been after for years. Although whether she was after the man or the estate is for you, dear reader, to decide for yourself.

Before two years had passed, the Darcy's welcomed their first child, a son they named Fitzwilliam Darcy; borrowing from Fitzwilliam family tradition that first born sons be named after the mothers family. In the years that followed Anne suffered many miscarriages and still births until the arrival of Georgiana Darcy in 1796, 12 years after their son. Unfortunately, the birth of her daughter left Lady Anne weak and she died from heart failure a month later. Fitzwilliam doted on his baby sister and has remained the firmest protector ever since.

When Amelia Walker was 20 years old, she journeyed to London to visit her cousin, where she met a minor country gentleman by the name of Thomas Bennet. The pair met quite by chance in the mythology section of a bookstore and fell in love as they debated their preferences. The match was considered poor for Amelia by society standards, but as Bennet was a gentleman landowner recently come into his inheritance and Amelia was clearly happy, her parents permitted the marriage. Anne, Rebecca and Madeline were thrilled for her.

Amelia and Thomas quickly started to fill their estate, Longbourn, with children. First with a blonde haired daughter named after her grandmother, Jane. Jane was followed a year later by Elizabeth, who favoured both her mother and grandmother in their dark colouring, and then Thomas. Tragedy struck the family however, during the Bennet's fifth year of marriage, when a pregnant Amelia and baby Thomas were killed in a carriage accident. The accident, which also caused Anne Darcy to miscarry a child and Elizabeth to break her arm, was the catalyst which caused the Bennet family to cut ties with the Walkers.

Mr Bennet was too grieved by his loss to be able to look upon Amelia's mothers face and see the woman his wife would never become. In addition, Mr Bennet also blamed the extended Fitzwilliam family for the death of his wife and child; if she had not been visiting with them, she would not have been in the carriage in the first place. An illogical argument from an otherwise logical but grieving man.

In his grief, Thomas Bennet walked blindly into a compromise which resulted in his second marriage to the foolish, manipulative but beautiful Fanny Green – only 10 months after Amelia and baby Thomas's deaths. Fanny would go on to provide Mr Bennet with three more daughters, Mary, Catherine and Lydia, but no sons to break the entail on his family estate. Mr Bennet would regularly lament being surrounded by the silliest women in England, with the youngest two in particular using their mother as a guide for their behaviour.

In the eyes of her family, Madeline Walker also made a disappointing match. However they refused to support the union as, unlike her late sister's husband, Edward Gardiner was a second son unlikely to inherit his father's estate and as a result had chosen to set about making his own fortune in trade. This was entirely unacceptable match for the granddaughter of an Earl, but Madeline was five and twenty years of age and did not require her parent's permission to marry the man she loved. By defying her family and going against their wishes Madeline was publicly ostracised from the Walker family, although this did not prevent Rebecca Fitzwilliam from visiting with Madeline whenever she came to London.

Madeline and Edward went on to have 4 children. After the birth of their first daughter, Madeline petitioned to Mr Bennet to allow Jane and Elizabeth to visit them in town so they may get to know their young cousin. Knowing Madeline was not welcomed by the Walker family, Mr Bennet allowed the relationship between his eldest daughters and their aunt.

Over the years, though visits were not very frequent – only three or four weeks twice a year – the Bennet sisters got to know not only their Gardiner cousins, but also their Fitzwilliam relatives. These relationships had to be kept secret from their father however as he would have put a stop to their trips to town had he known.

Fitzwilliam Darcy inherited his family estate of Pemberley upon the death of his father in 1806. Then just aged two and twenty, he took over the running of the main family seat as well as two smaller estates; one in Wales and another on the south coast of England. In addition to the estates, financial holding and investments, Fitzwilliam also because the joint guardian of his sister with his cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.

Despite mounting pressure from the ton, Darcy refused to find a wife before he was ready. Before she died, his mother had told him her dearest wish for her children; that they find happiness in their futures. She understood his reserved nature and the expectations he had for himself as heir, but hoped above all things that her children would find love. Anne knew that pressure to marry would not be conducive to that outcome and often told her son that she wanted her children to take their time and find a love match, like she and his father had, rather than a marriage of convenience.

With no permanent female guide in her life, Georgiana Darcy did not bloom into the vibrant lady her mother had been, but more closely resembled the brother who had been like a father to her; shy and reserved. This reserve left her vulnerable to exploitation and when she was just 15 years of age her then companion, Mrs Young, along with the late Darcy's godson George Wickham, conspired to take advantage of the naïve young girl. Georgiana was persuaded to believe herself in love with Mr Wickham and in order for them to be together, as her brother would surely object, she agreed to an elopement. By good fortune, or divine intervention, Fitzwilliam Darcy arrived to visit his sister at her seaside holiday residence unexpectedly and the plan was foiled. The experience scarred both Darcy's. Georgiana withdrew even further into herself, unable to trust her own judgement and Fitzwilliam's view of the world darkened so much so that there were few beyond his intimate circle of friends that he thought well of. To him, the world was cruel and all the people in it either foolish or untrustworthy.

A few months after Georgiana's near elopement at Ramsgate, Richard was trying to convince by his cousin Darcy to accept a request for help from their long term friend, Charles Bingley. Bingley had asked Darcy to provide guidance on his newly leased estate in Hertfordshire, which Darcy was reluctant to agree to as he had very little patience for Bingley's relatives and dreaded meeting new acquaintances; something which would be expected of him if he remained in the area for any length of time. And that, dear reader, is where we begin our tale.