AN: And this is where this story took a turn like a Hallmark Christmas movie, and no, I did not stop it! :) Going to post this chapter and the next one back to back so you all have the whole story before the weekend. Thank you for reading, so much! All of your reviews etc. helped me continue on even things were hard. Here's to the next book!

Elizabeth Ann West

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After a night of crying over circumstances she could not control, Elizabeth Bennett woke with a singular mission and her mind on Christmas morning. She would locate every distraction at her disposal to avoid pining any further from Mr. Darcy.

Unfortunately, after she dressed and went downstairs, she soon found herself to be the only person in the household awake. She found Mrs. Hill, the housekeeper, heavily fatigued as she removed a tray of dishes from the parlor.

"My family enjoy themselves late into the evening?" she asked.

Mrs. Hill chuckled softly. "Wee hours of the morning, I'm afraid. Mr. Bingley only left a few hours ago."

"Could a tray be brought to the library?" Elizabeth asked, expecting to find her father there. The housekeeper nodded and Elizabeth smiled weakly before she ran off to find a book to read.

The library offered a peaceful retreat, but a brief one, as there was no one in there to engage her mind away from thinking about Mr. Darcy. She knew all of the titles on each shelf by heart, and nothing captured her imagination as she thought ill of her family for carrying on so late into the night. Though, had she considered that being the sole member of the household to awake with the sunrise, it was she who was throwing off the natural rhythms and allowing the staff to rest.

The door opened and a young maid carried in a tray of drinking chocolate, and a few pastries left over from the evening before. Elizabeth waited until she was alone once more to nibble at the food, but found her usual appetite waning. Her heart simply could not agree to the plan of the day.

Pacing her father's study, Elizabeth began to talk to herself to mimic the exchange she might receive with her father.

"No Lizzy," she said in the deepest baritone she could muster, "what plagues you, Child? You are restless and afflicted. Ha!" she laughed, imagining her father's reaction. "You ARE crossed in love!"

Changing her voice to normal, she answered the empty desk.

"Yes, Papa, and I should like to be uncrossed! If Mr. Darcy is on his way to Hertfordshire, even should I pen him once more, it shall never get there in time."

"And if he is not on his way? If your letter you sent with your mother's blessing did not reach him?" she asked herself, again in her father's voice.

Elizabeth stood for a moment still, closing her eyes and listening for any sounds of the household stirring. She was disappointed once more as not even the Gardiner children were awake yet. She blew out a breath and tried to think through her unhelpful emotions of anxiety, dread, and fear of rejection.

"I was in the right to wait. I required time to heal, and he needed separation to know our attachment is not out of gratitude," she said, taking a breath after each reminder of the truth.

"What then?" her father's voice asked in her mind, making her believe he would be proud of her for discovering her own growth.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and her focus fell upon the desk once more and she braved sitting in her father's chair. "It matters not if the letter will never reach him. I can write my thoughts and proceed from there," she reasoned. And as she wrote line after line, similar in a fashion to the lengthy letter he gave to her, she began to think more and more logically once she purged herself of the burden of her emotions.

As she inquired about his plans to travel to Hertfordshire, and beseeching him to come back as soon as he was able, in case he did not receive her last note or understand its meaning, she cursed herself for her foolishness. Of course, her father would not receive Mr. Darcy's travel plans, they would have been sent to Netherfield. Mr. Bingley was present the previous evening and instead of taking an opportunity to ask him, she squandered it.

"Jane!" Elizabeth realized her sister might hold the same intelligence as her beau. She had not thought to ask Jane because she believed her sister would have shared any news if she had it in her possession. Then Mr. Bingley's outburst from the previous night played in her memory.

"Hear, hear to Miss Elizabeth and my friend, Mr. Darcy! Where, where is the poor devil?" Mr. Bingley had said. Why would Mr. Bingley have thought Mr. Darcy was present unless there had been a possibility of the same? The man was drunk, but not touched in the head. There had to be some truth to his belief that Mr. Darcy was supposed to be at Longbourn on Christmas Eve.

She read over her letter once more and blushed at the amount of time spent on her heartache. Set upon a new solution of action, she abandoned her missive, crumpling the parchment and casting it into the fire.

Drumming her fingers on the desk, Elizabeth tried to wait to see if she should wake up her sister. Her burning desire to know once and for all about Mr. Darcy and his plans to return drove her to near madness.

Interrupting her dwindling self-control, the library door opened and a young footman entered with a message. He paused when it was not Mr. Bennet sitting behind the desk, but Miss Elizabeth.

"A message from Netherfield, sir, er, ma'am?" he asked, as Elizabeth stretched out her hand with authority.

As the footman hesitated, Elizabeth slanted her eyes daring the young man to question her. He shrugged and handed the note over, leaving Elizabeth alone.

Her hands shaking, she opened the message not even sealed.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, arrived last night.

Your Humble Servant,

Mr. Nichols

Elizabeth grinned and swung her feet in giddy elation. Of course, her father had a secret mole at Netherfield Park sending him messages, how else had the man never asked for clarification when he questioned Elizabeth and Jane? The man had known more than he had ever let on!

Leaving her father's study, she ordered for Franny to be saddled immediately as she rushed above stairs to change into the proper attire for a cold morning ride.

"But Miss Lizzy, where should we say you've gone if asked?" Mrs. Hill asked.

Elizabeth paused at the banister and handed the note to the housekeeper.

"Give my father this and he will know."