Love is never devoid without pain

(A/N: This is the sequel to "Changed Fates" which is the Bennet sisters as children. I wrote "Changed Fates" and if I changed their childhood, I would have to change what happens when they're the age mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. You have to read "Changed Fates" before this. It's a must otherwise you won't understand the story so far.)

Chapter 1: Painful memories.

Elizabeth Benne smiled as she saw her youngest siblings, James and John, who were twins and 8 years old, 12 years her junior, playing at their family estate, Longbourne.

Suddenly, her exasperated stepmother, Lady Rachel Sophia Bennet nee Donaffrio, strode quickly out of one of the side doors.

"James Harold Bennet! John Henry Bennet! Come back inside at once!" Lady Rachel flared at the twins.

"Leave them be, mama! They are still young!" Eliza laughed gaily as the twin boys ran to the stables.

"They have Mr Rochford waiting for them! A student must wait for his teacher, not the other way around!" Lady Rachel sighed as she gazed at her second eldest stepdaughter.

Elizabeth and her four sisters, aged between 22 and 16, were all children of Mr James Bennet's first marriage to Mrs Lydia Bennet nee Gardiner, who had deceased when Eliza was 9 years old. Eliza and her sisters regarded Lady Rachel as their mother because of their memories with their birth mother weren't the greatest. The only other reason was that Lady Rachel accepted the sisters as they were, making them more open to the community and to each other. Whether it was headstrong Eliza or bookish Mary, she loved them for who the were.

"Mama! Lizzy! Papa has wonderful news!" Diana and Daniella, the youngest girls who were twins.

Diana Angela Bennet and Daniella Amanda Bennet were only two years older than James and John but 6 years younger than Lydia.

Eliza gazed at the twin girls with nothing more than a raised eyebrow.

"We do not know what the contents of the letter is, dear sister! Papa just said we should fetch you!" Diana smiled wide at her second eldest sister.

"Papa must have something important." Eliza decided finally as she looped her arm for her mother and looped her other arm for Daniella.

"I wonder what it could be?" Lady Rachel mused as she gazed at three of her daughters in turn.

"No idea, mama. You know papa hides his secrets well." Eliza beamed as the four ladies entered Longbourne.

They immediately walked to the sitting room where the other four girls, James and John were waiting.

"Do you have an idea what news your father has, girls?" Lady Rachel asked the rest of the eldest girls.

"No mama. All we noticed was him smiling." Lydia and Kitty replied as the continued sewing on beads on an elaborate dress they had made.

Lydia Bianca Bennet and Catherine (Kitty) Tina Bennet had been introduced into dressmaking and embroidery by Lady Rachel. They enjoyed their much praised skill and were the leading dressmakers of Merryton.

"What are you making now, Kitty and Lydia?" Elizabeth asked her sisters as she gazed at the black satin dress.

"A funeral dress for Lady Middleton. Her father passed away last week." Kitty replied simply. The girls also made dresses custom made for those who wanted the option, which were the rich.

"I heard about that from Lady Lucas the other week. She has been mourning quite heavily." Lady Rachel shook her head sadly.

Sophie, the housemaid, passed through but not without Elizabeth asking the reason for her father's unexplained elation.

"I have no idea, ma Cherie. He will explain in his own time. Have faith." Sophie smiled as she rushed to the kitchen to do her chores.

As Sophie had predicted, Mr Bennet or rather, Lord James Bennet of Fairfield, the main estate that Lady Rachel had inherited, burst out with a wide smile on his face.

"Come in all! Hello dear." Mr Bennet ushered his daughters, sons and his wife inside his study.

When they all came inside, they eagerly awaited the news which their father had called them inside for.

"Mr Bingley comes once more, girls! He has rented out Netherfield and is going to the ball Sir William Lucas has arranged." Mr Bennet announced in an excited voice.

There was a lot of chatter amongst the older girls, not so much the voices of the younger four were heard as they were much too young to attend such a function. They knew it too so they didn't dare to ask.

"Will his sisters be there, father?" Lydia asked after a while. She and her sisters were very close to the two Bingley sisters.

"There is no specific mention but one expects them to attend. After all, they are Charles' sisters, Louisa and Caroline are." Mr Bennet replied cheerfully.

Eliza was quiet. She had a question on her mind but she dare not place it on her lips. It was too personal for her to ask. Every time she thought about it, a mountain of memories flooded back, some very intimate and others dreadfully painful.

Out of the eleven people who lived in Longbourne, only Eliza herself and Lady Rachel knew the question that hadn't been uttered since Lady Anne Darcy's death four years prior.

The question? How and where was Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy?

Elizabeth stole away back to her room with pain clearly making its appearance on her face. She did not, however, notice Lady Rachel following her.

Eliza opened her dresser and found the picture at her 15th birthday, the most recent picture she had of him. She was smiling wide and he was behind her, grinning mischievously. Georgiana Alicia Darcy, his sister, was by his side, smiling in her childish way. Carmel Andrea Darcy, the youngest Darcy child, was on Eliza's lap, giggling.

She pressed the picture to her breast, anguish and pain clearly making their usual ascent.

Lady Rachel flew to her daughter and hugged her fiercely. She hated to see tears.

"Oh, my darling! How much more pain must you suffer for your love?" Lady Rachel lamented as she tried her best to soothe Eliza's aching heart.

Eliza said naught. She wished she knew. Oh, how she longed to be in his arms which were so warm and comforting!

Suddenly, Jane walked up to Eliza's room as she had noticed her dear sister gone. She saw inside; Lady Rachel fiercely hugging Eliza who was crying, photo in her hand.

Jane instinctively rushed to her sister and mother.

"What is the matter, Lizzy?" Jane asked, concern fixed on her features.

Lady Rachel turned to face Janes with a painful smile.

"Love has never been so cruel to one person, Jane. You have Mr Bingley to love you." Lady Rachel smiled painfully.

"But doesn't Lizzy have Mr Darcy to love her?" Jane asked with a frown.

At the very mention of his name, Eliza sobbed harder.

Jane knew, by that instant, that something was horribly wrong.

"This runs deeper than anyone thought to know. Fitzwilliam Daniel Darcy was, is and always will be Eliza's lover. When Eliza and I met him four years ago at Lady Anne Darcy's funeral, Georgiana and Carmel greeting us warmly. Sadly, William has to be reintroduced which devastated Lizzy as you could imagine. Georgiana later informed us of William's amnesia, caused by George Wickham's seduction of her and then, the cruel blow of Lady Anne's death. It was more than Eliza could handle. She and I came back the following day. She hadn't been the same since." Lady Rachel confessed with pain for her daughter all too evident.

Jane couldn't say anything. She was devastated as much as Lady Rachel that Eliza's existence was wiped clean from Mr Darcy's memories.

"And she had borne the pain for five long years. She and Georgiana still correspond. She still had the presents she received from Lady Anne since she was 9 years old. Oh, my poor sister!" Jane expressed her sorrow as she wrapped her arms around her pained sister.

"Papa nor the others must not know of this. This is a matter for the three of us to handle. I will not be the centre of all of people's sorrows." Elizabeth harshly instructed. She hated to be pitied by strangers.

Jane and Lady Rachel nodded. They were so devoted to their sister that they would rather die than reveal it.

"But you must go to the ball Sir William is holding. Kitty and Lydia have made the exact replica of your dress you wore to Netherfield eleven years ago!" Lady Rachel coaxed the teary Eliza.

"It would kill papa if I did not attend. Not to mention Kitty and Lydia." Eliza laughed through her tears.

That was one of the points that Lady Rachel really admired about Eliza. She could laugh through her tears and everyone would forget she was crying in the first place.

Eliza wiped away her tears, walked to her silver table which had a magnificent mirror and started brushing her hair with a smile.

"We can leave whenever you feel like it, Lizzy. I will talk to your papa about it. He will say yes, I am sure of it." Lady Rachel smiled as she kissed Eliza's cheek and walked downstairs to talk to Mr Bennet.

It took Eliza and Jane a good hour to prepare of the ball. It wasn't them that were the problem, however. It was Lydia and Kitty who fretted about finishing Lady Middleton's dress which they solved eventually.

They took one of the more extravagant coaches with Bessie and King, Eliza's two most favourite horses.

When they got there, they heard the announcement inside of their family.

"Introducing Lord James and Lady Rachel of Fairfield and their five daughters." A porter announced after opening the doors.

Mr and Lady Rachel smiled gracefully. Jane, Eliza, Mary, Kitty and Lydia smiled the same way. They knew how to behave in front of an audience with poise and grace.

None of the people assembled there sneered or made a snide remark. They had accepted that the five ladies, all aged between 22 to 16, were very eligible but the only problem was their highly observant mother who snapped at anyone who made any of the five upset or uncertain.

It made no difference, however, to the men that would always flock to the two eldest who were the most desirable out of the whole of Merryton. Mary was also desirable but the two youngest were out of their league. Lady Rachel made sure there was nothing going on with Kitty and Lydia which they had accepted ever since she became their mother 10 years ago.

Suddenly, the doors flew open to reveal two women and three men.

"Introducing Mr Bingley, Mr Darcy, Mr and Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley." The porter announced in his usual monotonous voice.

Sir William and Lady Lucas were the first ones to greet them with the Bennet's not far behind.

"Jane! Lizzy! Mary! Kitty! Lydia! How long has it been?" Caroline asked with a wide smile on her face.

"Too long, Caroline. How have you fared?" Jane asked with a smile equally radiant.

"Splendidly! London is the coldest place these times! You must come, Jane and Lizzy!" Louisa replied gaily. They had no trouble talking with the Bennet sisters as they were childhood friends and they were all of the same status.

"If you describe it as so, I will not!" Eliza laughed, forced on her part which Louisa and Caroline picked up but didn't comment.

"Come. We must talk privately." Jane smiled, watching Eliza force herself not to gaze at Mr Darcy.

The four women strode to a quiet corner in which Elizabeth instantly started crying.

"Oh dear! A great many thing have been happening, it seems." Louisa frowned slightly as she moved over to comfort her friend.

"I have had this problem for five years, Sally. It is nothing recent." Eliza waved it off. She hated to cry when her friends had just made their appearance.

Caroline now knew exactly what was Eliza's problem. She knew Eliza so well and vice versa.

"This is about William, isn't it?" Caroline asked with a soft gaze.

Eliza nodded sadly, tears in her eyes.

Both Caroline and Louisa sighed sadly. They knew of the painful problem which Eliza hardly spoke about.

"I know it is not his own fault but those memories fuse into my mind like it was just yesterday. His tender kisses, my extravagant birthdays and our secret touches." Eliza sighed sadly with a slow smile.

"It is all George's fault." Louisa shook her head slightly angrily.

No one spoke. It was partially true but they had no idea where George Saul Wickham was.

"We must get back to the party. Mama and Papa will have wondered where we have been." Jane smiled softly as she; Caroline and Louisa helped Elizabeth back up.

The four women re-entered the ball but they took care to avoid Mr Darcy as much they could. Mr Bingley knew Eliza's problem so helped as well.

"May I have this dance, Miss Eliza?" Mr Bingley asked with a smile.

"Certainly." Eliza smiled. She felt a strong brotherly attraction to Charles Bingley. Nothing more.

They danced, both with smiles on their faces and when they got back to the other three, they were both smiling wide.

"Thank you, Charles." Eliza whispered into Charles' ear.

"For a woman so lovely as you, Miss Eliza, it has been my honour." Mr Bingley smiled gallantly.

Mr Darcy, by now, had been very curious about the stunningly beautiful woman that all his friends had tried so hard to protect.

He strode over to them in order to make his acquaintance with the one woman which had captivated him with her bewitching smile.

"Caroline Bingley. I never knew you and Louisa had such a lovely young friend here in the country." Mr Darcy teased with a grin which startled everyone.

Caroline tried to hide Eliza but she shook her head.

"I don't think we have met, Mr Darcy. Caroline and Louisa have been talking so much about you." Elizabeth smiled softly, hiding away her anguish and pain of five years.

"I am Mr Fitzwilliam Daniel Darcy." Mr Darcy introduced himself as he kissed Eliza's hand gently.

"I am Miss Elizabeth Claire Bennet, the second daughter of Lord James and Lady Rachel Bennet of Fairfield. Now, if you will kindly excuse me, my mother is calling me." Eliza smiled as she swiftly walked away, leaving Mr Darcy to inhale her lavender scent.

Mr Darcy smiled but not before noticing the pearl necklace on Eliza's neck, Lady Anne's favourite necklace.

But before he got a chance to ask, Eliza and her family swept away into the night in their carriage.

"What are you looking at Darcy?" Charles asked with a gaze at his friend.

"She had my mother's favourite necklace on." Mr Darcy replied softly.

Back home at Longbourne, Elizabeth rushed to her room, slammed it shut and started sobbing into her bed, wishing for one day that her dreams would come true like it had five years ago.