Author note: This story explores the idea that Colonel Fitzwilliam overhears the disastrous proposal at the parsonage and makes it his mission to help Darcy win Elizabeth's love (and a second chance).

This is my first P&P fanfic (only my second fic ever) so any reviews would be greatly appreciated. It has been a long time since I read P&P - I have tried as best as I can to be as faithful to the book as possible, but as this diverts from the book after the proposal I have tweaked a few things to fit my storyline.

I am looking for a beta if anyone is interested, please PM me :)

The opening lines in italics are taken from P&P and belong to Jane Austen - I don't own any rights to these (unfortunately). Anyway, on to the story!


"You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it.''

Again his astonishment was obvious; and he looked at her with an expression of mingled incredulity and mortification. She went on.

"From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.''

"You have said quite enough, madam. I perfectly comprehend your feelings, and have now only to be ashamed of what my own have been. Forgive me for having taken up so much of your time, and accept my best wishes for your health and happiness.''

And with these words he hastily left the room, and Elizabeth heard him the next moment open the front door and quit the house.

OoooooooOoooooooO

From his vantage point, hidden in the shrubbery beside the window of the front parlour, Colonel Fitzwilliam watched as his cousin strode out the front door and disappeared into the night.

In the distance he could hear the sound of the carriage coming down the drive, signalling it was time for him to leave. With one final look back at the parlour window, he took off along the same route his cousin had taken moments earlier.

His boots crunched on the fallen leaves as he recalled what had brought him to be hiding in the shrubbery outside the parsonage window tonight. The Collins' had arrived at Rosings, apologising for Miss Bennet's absence and his Aunt had accepted the explanation without question. His conscience, however, was prickling as he thought about how he'd left her earlier in the afternoon.

He'd set out in the morning on his final tour of the gardens when he'd encountered Miss Bennet. He had been glad of the opportunity to spend time with her before they left for London, and had wanted to make it clear that although he enjoyed her company immensely, he had no serious designs on her; he needed to marry for money.

She took his hint without offence, and he thought to lay some groundwork with her to improve her opinion of his taciturn cousin. Although Darcy was oblivious, it had been clear from the moment he'd met Miss Bennet that she was not too pleased with Darcy, and conversely, that his cousin admired Miss Bennet very much. He doubted that his cousin would act on his admiration, but knowing Darcy to be one of the best and most honorable men, he'd taken it upon himself to try and influence her opinion of Darcy. He hated knowing that there were people in the world who thought poorly of his cousin.

That was the moment where it had started to go sour. He could see she was affected after the story he'd told her of Darcy saving Bingley from an imprudent match, but she had insisted she was alright so he had let it go. He hadn't given it another thought until she hadn't shown up at Rosings that night, but now his conscience was telling him that she might have been the woman from his story, after all she was from Hertfordshire. Knowing he had to rectify the situation with Miss Bennet, he hadn't even noticed that his cousin had left the room before he was making his excuses and was on his way to the parsonage.

The walk to the parsonage was quick in the cool spring air, and almost too soon he was at the front door. His hand was raised, ready to knock when he heard Darcy's clear voice penetrate the silence.

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.''

Eyes wide in wonder at the tragedy he could hear unfolding before him, Richard crept along the outside wall of the parsonage and crouched in the shrubbery below the window to listen.

Hardened soldier that he was, hearing Darcy's failed proposal to the woman he was in love with, had to rank up there as one of the worst situations Colonel Fitzwilliam had ever been witness to.

And what made it worse was knowing that he had contributed to it. It was clear now the woman Darcy had saved Bingley from was Miss Bennet's elder sister, and Richard had bragged about it to her! He'd wanted to show her that Darcy was one of the best men he knew, and all he succeeded in doing was causing the man he considered closer than a brother, pain.

Added to that was the shocking revelation that Miss Bennet knew, and apparently considered Wickham a friend. It was all beginning to make sense now as to why Miss Bennet's opinion of Darcy was so poor. Miss Bennet had mentioned Darcy's behaviour in Hertfordshire was less than ideal, and Wickham had clearly been in her ear spinning lies about Darcy, which only cemented her worst opinions about him. Then to have it confirmed that Darcy had ruined the happiness of a sister. It was no wonder she was refusing Darcy! Richard chuckled at the audacity of Miss Bennet; she was clearly no fortune hunter, for the Colonel knew that most women of the ton, regardless of their feelings for Darcy, would have leapt at the opportunity to become Mrs Darcy. And here was a woman with little money to her family name, turning down the most eligible bachelor in London. Incredible!

Shaking the memory from his head and looking up to see the imposing figure of Rosings before him, Richard smiled as remembered that his mother saying the opposite of love wasn't hate, it was indifference. And one thing he could say for certain was that Miss Bennet was not indifferent to Darcy. That was evidenced all throughout their stay at Rosings, and particularly during his cousin's failed proposal tonight. Yes, his cousin had been rude, and had proposed, in what the Colonel thought had to be the worst possible way, but a truly indifferent woman would have merely turned him down and sent him on his way.

She is exactly what he needs. He thought. A woman that loves Darcy for himself not for his fortune, and one who challenges and makes him strive to be a better man.

He had contributed to his cousin's heartbreak tonight, and looking up to the night sky, vowed to himself that he would do whatever it took to help his cousin win the heart of his beloved. It wasn't going to be easy, but his cousin's happiness, and indeed his own sense of honour depended on it.