Disclaimer: Pride and Prejudice belongs to Jane Austen
Sister
Jane put her hand of Elizabeth's and sighed. "I'm glad that's over. Now we can meet as indifferent acquaintances."
"Oh, yes." said Elizabeth placating
"You cannot think me so weak as to be in danger now."
"You are in great danger of making him as much in love with you as ever." the second eldest said smiling
"I'm sorry, thought, he came with Mr. Darcy."
Her grin faded slightly, "Don't say that," she pleaded
Jane looked at her curiously "Why ever not?"
"Jane..." she looked down, struggling with her words "I've been so blind."
"What do you mean?" her sister asked, mystified.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply... "Look, its him. He's back. He's come again"
"Can you die of happiness?" asked Jane, as she sat down on her bed. "He was ignorant of my being in town in the spring.
"How did he account for it?" Elizabeth inquired
She laughed "He thought me indifferent."
"Unfathomable."
"No doubt poisoned by his sister."
"Bravo." Lizzie said proudly "That's the most unforgiving speech you've ever made."
Jane leaned forward "Oh, Lizzie, if I could but see you so happy. If there was such a man for you."
Elizabeth blinked, trying her hardest not to let her thoughts drift to a certain dark haired man. Jane watched perplexed as Lizzie's mood darkened, 'What going on?'
"Perhaps Mr. Collins has a cousin." in the best attempt at light hearted she could muster. She looked around " What is that?"
"What?" asked her sister.
The raced down stairs "Maybe he's changed his mind." giggled a sister, as they hurried to the door
"Coming!" called their father. He opened the door "Yes?" A sever looking woman walked in. "Lady Catherine." greeted Elizabeth bowing slightly. The rest of the family quickly followed suit.
"The rest of your offspring, I presume?" Lady Catherine asked unkindly.
"All but one. The youngest has been lately married, your Ladyship." piped up Mrs. Bennet " My eldest was proposed to only this afternoon." she stated proudly.
" You have a very small garden." Lady Catherine commented dryly
" Could I offer you a cup of tea?" offered Mr. Bennet
"Absolutely not. I need to speak to Miss Elizabeth Bennet alone," she said tersely "As a matter of urgency."
The family turned to Elizabeth, who looked just a perplexed as the rest of them. However, Jane couldn't help but notice that she twitched a little, looking almost... guilty?
Jane rushed to the door with the rest of her family, as soon as it closed. She could barely make out a few words.
"You can be at no loss to understand why I am here." Lady Catherine was saying.
"I cannot account for this honour at all." replied her sister
"I warn you, I am not to be trifled with." the Lady said harshly "A most alarming report has reached me."
Jane sighed angrily as the rest of the sentence was lost to her. ' They must have moved' she thought dejectedly
"If you believed it impossible, I wonder that you came so far," her sister said angrily. Jane cringed, she knew that tone, and this conversation would not end well.
"To hear it contradicted." Her Ladyship responded in an equally angry voice.
Again the next words were lost on its audience
"lf? You pretend to be ignorant of it?" The Lady cried
"I have never heard of it." insisted Lizzie
The next words were, too, muffled.
"I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your Ladyship. You may ask a question which I may choose not to answer."
Jane cringed, 'O Lizzie, do be quite' she thought desperately
"Your Ladyship has declared it to be impossible." were the next words heard.
"I am not."
"I will not and I certainly never shall." her sister hissed.
The door flew open, Jane, Kitty, Mary, Mrs. and Mr. Bennet all stepped back as Lizzie held the door open, "You have insulted me in every possible way and can now have nothing further to say. I must ask you to leave immediately. Goodnight." she said
"I have never been thus treated in my entire life!" Lady Catherine said as she stalked from the house
"Lizzie what on Earth is going on" demanded her father
"It's just a small misunderstanding." she said as she exited the room. 'she looks like she's about to cry' thought Jane.
"Lizzie?" asked her mother.
"Oh, for once in your life, leave me alone!" she screamed as she ran up the stairs.
Jane looked around at her family "Does anyone have any idea what that was about?" asked her mother
Her sisters shook their head, as did her father. They all turned to her, "No" she said softly. "I have not an idea"
10 minutes later she made her way up to the room she shared with Lizzie. As she entered she saw Lizzie already in bed, with her eyes closed. Jane knew she wasn't asleep, but she could wait until morning to question her.
Jane stayed awake for a long time, she knew that, like herself, Elizabeth was awake. She wondered what was going through her sister's mind. She snapped her eyes shut as Elizabeth got up. She opened one eye and watched as she got dress and left the room quietly. She walked to the window and watched her walk down the front steps and into the distance.
She stayed there for many hours, watching, waiting. Finally she saw a speck in the distance, two specks to be precise. Her jaw dropped in shock as she realized her sister was accompanied by Mr. Darcy. 'What in the world is going on' she thought desperately 'Lizzie hates him'. Although she had to admit it certainly didn't seem that Lizzie hated Mr. Darcy anymore that she, herself hated Mr. Bingely." She hurried down stairs in time to hear Mr. Darcy ask her father for a word.
She hurried to her sister's side "What is going on" she asked.
Elizabeth grabbed her hand and pulled her to the drawing room, where the rest of her family, minus her father, was.
"Lizzie, what is going on?" cried Kitty
"What is Mr. Darcy asking papa?" asked Mary
Lizzie sighed. Jane could the nerves rolling off her. Something was up, something that was making her normally cool-headed sister practically panic. "Mr. Darcy, is asking papa..." she gulped
"Well...?"demanded Kitty
"For my hand in marriage" Lizzie finished quietly
Everybody stopped. "Are you serious?" Mary exclaimed
Lizzie nodded mutely
"But I thought you hated him," Jane said bracingly "Why are you marrying someone you hate. You said you'd only marry someone you loved."
Elizabeth smiled, Jane thought there was something odd about that small smile, her sister was incredibly happy about something."
"No," she said softly "I don't hate him, I love him"
All movement and sound came to an abrupt halt "Excuse me?" said Kitty.
"I love him" she repeated happily.
Jane studied her sister very carefully, this couldn't be, but it explained a lot. A lot, a lot. When Lizzie had returned from visiting Charlotte, she seemed very preoccupied, and she had kept reading a letter over and over when she thought no one was looking, and hadn't she said she'd seen Mr. Darcy. And when she had return from Aunt and Uncle's, hadn't her preoccupation increased, she would stare off into nothingness for hours, always answering 'Nothing' when someone asked what she was think about. And not a day ago, hadn't they had a conversation about him. "I'm sorry he came with Mr. Darcy" she had said. and the look on her sister's face when she had said "Don't say that". And right before Mr. Bingely had shown up she had been about to confess, she had said " oh Jane, I've been so blind". And now Jane finally understood why. 'Some sister I am' Jane thought laughing slightly. "Yes, she's definitely in love with him."
AN: ok well... there we go...please review...I'm going to have on more chapter so..yeah! Review
