Disclaimer: This is not totally mine. ¾ is mine but the other ¼ is Jane Austen's. I have made this M 15+ for later chapters.

Chapter 2: Remembering is the hardest thing.

The next week was much the same for Eliza. She would zone out so often everyone was scared she would die at any second.

"How is Lizzy faring?" Mr Bennet asked his eldest daughters and wife at the breakfast table one morning.

Eliza did not dine at the table as she would toy around with her food in other people's company.

"She is not going to get any better here at Longbourne. Annalise, Lydia's sister in law informed me that she would be in Fairfield for a good month. Perhaps Jane and Lizzy might like to go?" Lady Rachel suggested. She wanted Lizzy to be happy like everyone else did.

"Yes, that is a wonderful suggestion, dear Rachel." Mr Bennet smiled at his wife's genius.

The others did not complain. They knew it was for the best that Eliza should be away with Jane at their family's luxury estate in Derbyshire.

"But what happens if Mr Darcy comes back to Pemberley?" Kitty asked with wide eyes. Pemberley, the grand estate Mr Darcy had inherited from his deceased parents and where he lived in with Georgiana and Camel, his two sisters.

"Georgiana and Camel have already informed us that their brother has a good many things to do here in Merryton before he can get back." Lady Rachel assured the worrying Kitty.

That brought the worrying away from Kitty's face and a smile replaced it. She knew Georgiana and Camel dare not lie.

"How are they?" Lydia asked with contained curiosity. She had learned to curb her horrible temper and her brashness a long time ago.

"They are well. They are trying their best to find Lady Anne's diary which she wrote so tenderly about Eliza all those years ago. It might help William remember all those times with Eliza." Lady Rachel smiled wide.

"I will go up and inform Lizzy about our plan." Jane offered before she rose from the table and walked to her sister's room.

The others were silent as Jane walked slowly up to Eliza's room.

"She needs a break from her past but her future has big plans for her." Mary whisper softly. She had a sixth sense that no one could quite explain. It was like Mary knew what was going to happen in the future at times.

Jane found Eliza staring out the window with an eerie look on her face.

"How are you, Lizzy?" Jane asked to the best of her abilities. She winced as she saw the pain etched on Eliza's face.

"Fine, thank you for asking Jane. Time will wallow on even though I am not ready for it." Eliza smiled painfully.

"Mama and Papa have arranged for us to go to Fairfield. It will do you a world of good, dear sister." Jane whispered as she enveloped her arms around her sister.

Eliza did not reply but she didn't have to. She felt a sense of relief that she was going away to a place where she could be herself again.

"Is Mama and Papa coming with us?" Eliza asked in a hoarse voice. She had been crying until no more tears came and made herself hoarse.

"No. They decided it will be a peaceful month of time for us to rewind." Jane smiled softly. She had always dreamed of going to Fairfield with just Lizzy but the circumstances weren't as she had imagined. Much more loving and peaceful was her hope.

"Then I must pack my bags. Tis the season of balls and merriment but in my heart, no such word exists." Eliza decided with a slight smile.

Jane helped Eliza pack and Eliza did the same to Jane. They were very close and no amount of lies would keep them apart or distance for that matter.

"I would rather die than face Mr Collins' admiring face once more!" Eliza and Jane laughed as they came down to the breakfast table.

"Myself included! He is a nonsensical kind of man. That man deserves only Lady Catherine's pleasure. He talks about her so much!" Lady Rachel laughed and as did the other Bennet's.

"He's such a haughty man, Mr Collins. One wonders how much of a man he is!" Daniella smiled.

The whole Bennet family wasn't on the best of terms with Mr William Collins, Mr Bennet's sister's son.

"It was said that he was heard in the throes of passion with a harlot!" Mary smiled wide as she laughed.

"A harlot? He's supposed to be a parishioner, isn't he?" Mr Bennet asked, hardly containing his glee.

"He is. Anne wrote to me. She heard the most peculiar scream and when she looked in Mr Collins' house, he was in the throes of passion with a maiden who had a curvaceous body!" Mary laughed hard.

"He has a harlot in his house?" Lady Rachel's face contorted in disgust.

"Apparently so. Men have to learn their arts somewhere, mama." Mary smiled slyly as she saw the blush on her father's face.

"Be that as it may, Miss Mary but your cousin is a parishioner. I didn't think he had a taste in women, let alone bed a harlot!" Lady Rachel scoffed as she rose with her husband.

"Believe me, mama. He has a very wild taste in women." Eliza replied with a curt voice. She had very bad experiences with Mr Collins trying to get her into bed with him.

Jane nodded in affirmative. Mr Collins tried his disgusting acts of perversion on her as well.

The five oldest sisters walked in the garden together before Jane and Eliza left for Derbyshire.

"He tried to bed us all! He is such a stupid, perverted man!" Lydia confessed with a shudder. She hated Mr Collins as much as the rest of her family.

"He nearly succeeded with me! He is so ugh!" Mary screwed her face in disgust.

All of the sisters winced at that.

"We must go. The carriage is here." Jane announced as she spotted the grand carriage which had the Donaffrio crest on it.

The sisters rushed back inside to make their farewells to Jane and Eliza.

"I hope you come back happy, Lizzy." Mr Bennet kissed Eliza fondly on the cheek.

"I will, papa and mama." Eliza smiled as she and Jane boarded the carriage headed for Fairfield.

As the carriage went down Merryton, Charles, Darcy, Louisa and Caroline watched.

"Who owns that carriage?" Darcy asked with slight confusion. He never knew any seriously rich people living in Merryton.

"That would be Lady Rachel Bennet nee Donaffrio's carriage. Her parents entailed the estates and the vast fortune to her in their will since she was an only child. She married Mr James Bennet of Longbourne and one of their sons will inherit Longbourne and the other one will inherit the vast estates of Fairfield." Caroline replied with a smile.

"Where is Fairfield?" Darcy asked once more.

"It is in Derbyshire I believe. It is said to be a grand place." Louisa replied as she and Caroline turned to see the latest dresses in Lydia and Kitty's shop.

Meanwhile, the sisters rode for a long time to finally arrive in Fairfield, the only estate to rival Pemberley, the Darcy's estate which wasn't far.

The sisters got off the carriage to be facing Mrs Harper, Fairfield's housekeeper.

"Miss Bennet! Miss Eliza! It has been too long!" Mrs Harper smiled wide as she hugged the girls.

"Alas, too long Mrs Harper. How are you?" Jane smiled as she and Eliza hugged warmly back. All the servants on the Fairfield estate were the best of friends with the large family of Bennet, especially the two eldest.

"I am fine, Miss Jane. I have heard from Lady Rachel that you are unwell at the heart, Miss Eliza." Mrs Harper turned her attentions to Eliza who was on the verge of crying.

"Yes and have been so for these past five years. We must get inside. Tis the season is very cold." Eliza replied with a sad smile.

"Yes, yes! That we must. I will get Harriet to make her famous soup!" Mrs Harper nodded as she ushered the girls inside.

The girls and Mrs Harper went inside and while they sipped on the soup, Eliza explained her pain to Mrs Harper who listened with an open ear.

"Oh my poor dear! And Mr Darcy too! He has been you lover for all of your childhood! Oh my! Mrs Reynolds has told me of his condition but this is shocking!" Mrs Harper lamented as she rubbed Eliza's back as she cried.

"He loved me more than eternity! I felt like I could die when he asked me who I was." Eliza sobbed hard like she had done for the past week.

Jane and Mrs Harper watched on as Elizabeth cried all her tears. They wanted to do something but they knew nothing could heal a broken heart but time.

"Do you want me to invite the Miss Darcy's?" Mrs Harper asked as she saw Eliza sniffle.

"That might be a good idea. They have been searching for Lady Anne Darcy's diary, have they not?" Jane asked with a faint smile.

"Aye, they have. They have not found it yet, however. Mrs Reynolds has some of the younger maids to help with their search but alas! You know how big Pemberley is, Miss Bennet. It will continue, however. I know they will spend years to find it!" Mrs Harper tried her best to assure the sniffling Eliza.

"Oh no. I don't expect them to do so! They are such dear friends for doing so!" Jane shook her head.

"They are. The young Miss Darcy's are so lovely. Georgiana is always gentle and caring and her sister, Carmel, is much the same. They are such sweet girls." Mrs Harper smiled warmly.

"But Carmel is much like William." Eliza noted softly, her voice hardly audible.

"Aye, she is. He dotes on them both and they adore him. There is not a day when he has been unfair to them." Mrs Harper smiled. She knew what kind of things she had to say to get Eliza happy again.

"Yet such rumours surround them, choke them. Has there been any rumours about us in recent times, Mrs Harper?" Eliza shook her head sadly as she wiped away her tears.

"We make sure there are no such thing in town. Besides, everyone knows how gentle and lovely the Bennet's are! If there were, many a people would rally!" Mrs Harper smiled wide. She and the staff at Fairfield were very loyal to the Bennet family and for good reason.

"And of the Darcy's?" Jane asked timidly.

"You cannot contain them. They say of the proud and haughty Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy and of his two equally proud sisters, Miss Georgiana and Miss Carmel! By my word and honour, I dare say the people are mad!" Mrs Harper was now the one shaking her head.

"People will go to great lengths to bring down a family such as the Darcy's with such befouling rumours. A rumour is like sickness and disease, spreading from person to person, getting more vicious as it passed through." Eliza sighed as she walked to the window and gazed outside at the clear sky.

"Are there any balls any of our dears neighbours have planned recently?" Jane asked. She longed for some company.

"The Dashwood's have arranged one that will happen next week, in fact! The other maids have gone to the shops to buy your dresses, Miss Bennet!" A maid, Anna, chipped in before Mrs Harper raised an eyebrow at her.

"And where have you heard such news, Anna?" Jane asked, motioning to Mrs Harper that Anna's news did not offend her.

"By the Dashwood maids, miss. Master Thomas Dashwood handed an invitation to me, inviting you! Here it is." Anna handed the invitation, still firmly sealed with the Dashwood seal.

Jane broke the seal as Elizabeth walked over to inspect it.

"And so they have. Tell the maids that as pleasing as they dressed might be, Lydia and Kitty will be sorely disappointed if we don't go in their dresses which they made last month for us." Eliza nodded to Anna who curtsied.

"I will tell them, miss." Anna quickly hurried out of the room.

"This does not surprise you, Miss Eliza?" Mrs Harper asked, watching the expressions on Eliza's face carefully.

"Hardly, Mrs Harper. David Dashwood must have urged his father to invite us once word got hold that we were arriving at Fairfield. David is very fond of me in ways I will never express to anyone save William." Eliza replied with a smile. She tended to be very frank in front of people she knew for years.

"Of course. Lady Rachel will be pleased to hear that." Mrs Harper swept a curtsy as she walked away.

After Mrs Harper left, Jane was left staring at her sister.

"It is my decision, Jane. I am left to pick up the pieces and rebuild myself in a way only I know and choose to do. David is a pleasant man but he will not cure my aching heart." Eliza saw the shocked expression on her sister's face.

"Then, what good will this ball do?" Jane understood slightly.

"It will dispel rumours I will die of a broken heart. On the outside, nothing will show but on the inside, it will be the death of me." Eliza lifted her head up higher. She would not let people see her pain.

Jane simply smiled. She knew what Eliza was about to do and in all truth, she thought of her sister as the most bravest person she knew. Hold your head up high in public but break down in private.

"We cannot make Georgiana and Carmel continue to search for Lady Anne's diary for all of eternity." Jane spoke suddenly.

Elizabeth turned around and her eyes blazed with subtle anger.

"It is not our decision to make. They have their own reasons in finding that diary! I would stop them if I could but that is not within my power or abilities!" Eliza replied sharply. She hated to speak to Jane in that tone but she had to do something before Jane started to argue with her and arguments were the last thing on Eliza's mind.

"Not even as a friend?" Jane adopted a much more calmer tone of voice.

"Not even. Even if I were their sister-in-law, I could do nothing. They want their brother back as much as I want my lover back." Eliza whispered softly.

Eliza sank onto the floor with a day dreaming look on her face.

"Georgiana is as old as Lydia and Carmel is as old as Diana and Daniella. Picture Lydia, Diana and Daniella in their situation. Do you think they would give up?" Eliza asked earnestly.

"No." Jane replied in a soft whisper.

After a while of painful silence, they decided to retire for the evening. Enough had been uttered for today and the past could continue tomorrow.