DISCLAIMER: I do not pretend to own any of the works by Jenny Austen or any other author and their characters. I am but a lowly servant.

he he he IT"S HERE! i warned you didn't i :)

keep those LOVELY reveiws coming :P...

(i think i might calm down soon...oo...have to go to work! well, read and review and make me happy when i come home PLEASE!)

William watched her all through dinner, Her. The one thing that captivated him. Why? He didn't know and it annoyed him that he let her get to him like that. But something had changed, something had happened to make her suddenly become sullen and quiet. Charlie tried to introduce her into the conversation a few times at the dinner table but she evaded them. When she left he stood at the window and watched as Mr. Collins gave her grief because of her silence, and wanted to stop him. Why? Again, he didn't know. Again his brain failed him.

Laura came up to him and patted him on the back, she didn't say anything, she didn't know what to. But as she went with Annie, whose sickness of late had been rather horrific, to put Peter to bed he turned to Ritchie and moaned. That did nothing other than give Ritchie something to laugh about. "Uncle WILL!" a call came down the hall to the room as a young boy followed the sound and leapt into Will's arms. Jack Fitzwilliam asked his 'uncle' why he was sad.

"I'm not having a very good day," Will told the young boy.

"Does that mean that you won't play night cricket with me?" Jack asked worried over the future of his game.

"Nothing will ever stop me playing night cricket with you boyo." Will told the boy and took him outside, Ritchie following laughing.

LATER THE NEXT DAY


Eleanor looked up, well, she didn't think He'd come over. "I have a problem…" he said walking into the room without his usual…confidence or air. "No, problem is the wrong word…a situation I am in that you might be able to help me out of."

"And what problem is that Mr. Darcy?" she asked not bothering to stand up.

"Well, you see, I like you…I don't know why. I didn't mean to start loving you, but it happened and try as I might I can't stop it. I seem to want to…conquer you, to be the one to tame you…god knows why. I don't want to think of what my aunt…or the rest of my family is going to think of this, but would you-"

"Whoa, I don't think so." Now Eleanor stood up. Who did he think he was? King or something? "How could you even think that I'd Ever be 'conquered'? Are you even sober? I Hate you! Especially after what you did to Jenny-"

"Jenny? What did I ever to do her?"

"Idiot," Eleanor moaned. "I'm a magnet for idiots first Collins, now you." She looked at him, new fire in her eyes. "Jenny and Chris were happy! Really Happy! And then you take him away and don't even tell him that she Loves Him!"

Will looked really taken aback by this comment. "She only wanted his money."

Eleanor shook her head, "She would Never want someone because of money. She's happy as she is. And now, now she's really depressed. Because of what You did! And then there's the thing with Johnny."

"Johnny?...Johnny Wickham?"

"Yes, you kicked him out?"

Will looked at her angrily, "if that's how you stand on the situation."

"I am sorry to be such a problem for you Mr. Darcy."

"Wait-"

"Please leave." Eleanor pointed to the door to make sure he got the message. "Now."
He gave her one more look and then left silently closing the door behind him.

Eleanor sat on the chair and sobbed. Why was she sobbing? Why did she feel like this? She couldn't answer those.

A while later she went over to the computer to check her emails and book a flight home, Charlie could live without her for a few months longer.

There was a new message awaiting her:

Miss. Eleanor Bennet:

Don't worry and think that this is another attempt to win you, but there were a few things in our argument that I would like the have the chance to clarify.

Firstly I must ask you to keep what you read here to yourself, should this information be released several members of my family would be devastated and it would be unlikely for them to recover.

To the first point: You sister's affections for my friend.

Upon consideration I have realised that my actions were unwarranted and unnecessary. What I did was wrong and I apologise for any inconvenience to you sister.

Now to the more serious point, that of Mr. Johnny Wickham.

As you may know, Mr. Wickham and I grew up together but were never great friends. Upon finishing school he was given the chance, by my late father, to attend Oxford or Cambridge. Wickham declined. Instead he chose a position in the armed forces and I didn't hear of him again until the week my father died when he came back asking for money. I declined. But he didn't leave again, I found out later that he had been dismissed from the forces and had started teaching. I came home one day to find that he had left, leaving my young sister Gina, only 15 at the time, pregnant.

I never heard of him again, until a while ago.

As you can see Miss. Bennet, I would appreciate your secrecy.

Yours etc

Mr. William Darcy

Eleanor was stony silent. She felt a tear fall down her face, she didn't make to wipe it away, instead she simply booked a flight home for a couple of days away.

Charlie and Mr. Collins came home later that afternoon to see Eleanor printing her tickets. "You're leaving?" Charlie asked.

Eleanor nodded sadly. "I promise to come back in a few months to see this one," she patted her friend's stomach.

Charlie smiled. "I'll pay, don't even think of arguing." Eleanor smiled again, knowing her chances of winning an argument were less than minimal. "Thank you," her friend said.

That night the three of them went out to dinner without Lady Debouf. Mr. Collins talked to a friend he found at the bar while Eleanor and Charlie sat at a table and ate and talked. "What's Annie Debouf like?" Eleanor asked.

"She's so ill we don't really see her that often. Her son, Peter, he's always running around the place, really annoys Lady D. Though, sometimes, when Jack's there he becomes quiet and really sweet."

"Howard?"

"I don't know, to tell you the truth I didn't know Peter had a father until the other night."
Eleanor laughed, "What? You've never seen him?"

"Nope." Charlie giggled into her orange juice.

Eleanor left a few days later, hugging Charlie tightly and smiling at Mr. Collins and then boarding the plane. As she watched the other passengers file in, she was sure she saw Mr. Darcy, but if it was him, he disappeared very quickly into the first class area.


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