Thank you so much for all the support, every review really does matter to me, and gets me typing away.

Had a small personal drama today with an exploding mug and boiling water. That mug shattered like some sort of grenade and unfortunately, I've scalded my thigh pretty badly, the blisters are covered in yucky aloe gel and stings like hell... it's not pretty! Normally I write curled up on the sofa with my laptop but this has been difficult. But I finished this yesterday, preburn, and I wanted to try and get it out to you today, there might be a slight delay on the next chapter though.

Also, just a heads up I'll be doing some edits and replacing chapters at some point, very grateful for those who've spotted errors. However, I think you all get alerts when I update the chapters so sorry in advance for that.

Anyway onwards!

Chapter 5

Foraging for Something More

Elizabeth gasped as her father turned towards her. He looked like a wraith of himself as he watched his family enter the carriage, his hand clasping his head as his wife's tirade filled the coach.

"Do hurry up Lizzy," started Mrs Bennet as she followed her younger daughter into the carriage with Jane trailing the group. "Being fetched by the footman to leave, really Mr Bennet, what on earth will our neighbours think!"

"Father are you well?" Elizabeth asked, taking the seat opposite him and placing her hand on his knee.

"Why, I was just speaking to Mrs Farrow," continued Mrs Bennet "and telling her all about Mr Henton and either of our daughters, and what a good match that would be." She tapped on the side of the carriage with her fan, "Drive on! Drive on! Oh lord, what will Mr Henton think of us now with being fetched by that footman to leave. Really Mr Bennet what on earth could-"

"-Mother," interrupted Jane, which in itself was out of character enough, but having also noticed how ill her father looked, Jane further placed a calming hand laid on Mrs Bennet's arm, halting her spiel.

"Father?" Elisabeth repeated.

"I…" Mr Bennet cleared his throat, giving his girls a small smile and spoke softly, "I am well, I've indulged a little too much tonight that is all, do not worry." He turned back to the carriage window.

"Unwell! Really Mr Bennet, if you hadn't drunk so much we wouldn't be leaving so early, Jane could have danced at least another dance."

"No mother," Jane answered somewhat firmly, before smiling her gentle smile at her father, "I am quite exhausted, I don't think I could have danced another step. And Lizzy was also just saying that she wanted to leave."

"It has been a somewhat eventful and tiring evening Mama," confirmed Elisabeth.

"Yes yes, you had to dance with that miserable Mr Darcy you dislike so much." Mr Bennet turned around at hearing that snippet to consider his younger child. "But really Lizzy," his wife continued, "if you want any chance of keeping Mr Henton's attention you'd do well to smile more at other eligible men. Not frown as miserably as you did. Men like a bit of competition. What's he to know that Mr Darcy is too proud and considers you not tempting enough,"

"I simply prefer," Elisabeth censured, "to choose who I am to dance with Mama, and I would appreciate it in future if you did not answer on my behalf." Mrs Bennet tutted, turning her fan in her hands, seemingly about to continue her lecture.

"You danced with Mr Darcy?" Mr Bennet cut through the conversation, his voice now steady and firm.

"Yes Father, he was… quite insistent." Elizabeth bit her lip, knowing that there was plenty of questions she had for her father but now wasn't the time. Mr Bennet likewise looked like he wanted to question her further, but one glance at his wife was enough of a reminder to hold those for now.

"And you Jane dear, did you dance with our unpopular Mr Darcy?" Mr Bennet asked, giving another glance towards Elisabeth.

"Of course not," Mrs Bennet answered, "she didn't have time since we were dragged from the hall so abruptly Mr Bennet. How do you expect our girls to marry when you drag them away from eligible dances?" Mrs Bennet huffed,taken by such a great suffering. Elizabeth rolled her eyes but held her tongue.

"I believe Mr Darcy left straight after dancing with Lizzy, so our leaving had nothing to do with filling my dance card with his name," Jane teased, but Mr Bennet just looked more concerned causing Jane to reaffirm, "Really Father, I don't mind."

Mr Bennet forced a smile back and turned to look at Elizabeth again, who quite frankly was now stealing her father's technique of staring out the window where she stubbornly remained for the rest of the journey.

Like most mornings after a ball most of the residents of the Bennet household were still resting the morning away. Elizabeth, however cursed or blessed, was fundamentally unable to sleep once the sun soaked through her window. As the weather was favourable, despite her own slight weariness of the late evening previous, she dressed for a walk.

She grabbed a basket as she passing though the kitchen on her way out, smiling at Annie and Mrs Hill as they got started on their morning chores. Picking berries and herbs might not be what most daughters of gentleman did, but Elizabeth, who loved to stretch her legs, found a comfort and exhilaration in the simple hunt for edible wares, and that it saved a chore for the two servants was an added benefit.

There was a lovely little autumn route that allowed her to spend the morning picking wild raspberries, Jane's favourite, sloe berries ripe for making Mrs Hills winter gin and a small bunch of mushrooms she'd had her eye on for the past week that looked ready for picking. It was late in the morning by the time she returned to longbourn house, she was loitering in the garden picking some more homegrown medicinal herbs for the headache she suspected her father, and almost certainly her mother, would be encumbered with when she heard the tell-tale sounds of an approaching rider down the lane.

Elizabeth didn't care what people thought of her, but even she'd admit that being crouched down and bent over the pond picking some sprigs of mint wasn't exactly the picture of a genteel lady, even in her own garden. She laid her latest picking on top of her bounty, hooked the basket underarm and stood up dusting her hands, with little alternative crudely on her petticoat. There was nothing she could do with her rather windswept hair, and flushed complexion but she could at least be standing to greet their visitor.

It was customary for suiters to visit the day after a ball, although not traditionally this early, and her traitorous mind rather hoped to see Mr Henton's jovial smile appear over the wall.

It wasn't so nearly as pleasant a surprise. Really, she cursed the skies; she'd have taken Mr Collin's bumbling appearance in favour of that of Mr Darcy. Did she not deserve even a day without having to be in his presence.

She wasn't the most experienced in the addressing end of a proposal, though she rather thought a rejected gentleman kept themselves rather scarce from the uppity blue stocking that rejected them. Far be it for her to solve the mysteries of Mr Darcy as she watched him ride towards her.

She gave a rather forced smile of greeting as he tipped his hat towards her, slowing to a stop.

Mr Darcy dismounted and quieted his horse with a fair stroke as he tied the animal firmly to the gate post. He removed his hat and venturing into the garden towards where Elizabeth was standing.

"Mr Darcy," Elisabeth greeted, giving the customary curtsy, putting her spare hand to use keeping the basket steady on her arm as she did so, "I'm surprised to see you visit us so early." Too early for polite visitors, Elisabeth continued in her head as he walked even closer towards her.

Mr Darcy blatantly took in her whole wild appearance with increasing disapproval as he noticed the heavy basket in her arms and the mint sprigs on top.

"Early you say, and yet some of us seem to have foraged the whole countryside before noon." Mr Darcy frowned further looking at her arm holding the basket. Really, Elisabeth though, how can picking a few berries in the morning be so objectionable. "You have torn your sleeve, are you hurt?"

Elisabeth looked down at her arm surprised, but she couldn't see anything. She tried to pull her sleeve round, but the basket got in the way, before she had a change to place it on the grass, Mr Darcy moved his hat under his arm and reached for it.

"Hand me the basket." High handed as always, but she couldn't really object to the welcome assistance even if she wished too.

With the basket gone she could turn her sleeve easily, and saw the slit in the material, with a few trailing threads. Looking through the gap in the material she could see a scratch, while not deep or particularly bleeding now, it must have been at some point and she was surprised she hadn't felt it.

"I must have caught it in the brambles, I hadn't even noticed," Elizabeth said aloud to herself.

"In the brambles?" Mr Darcy repeated, incredulous. Elizabeth glanced at him and only just resisted rolling her eyes, pointedly ignoring that comment and just rubbed her arm instead. "Are you hurt?" Mr Darcy asked again as he watched her soothe herself, his arm lifted as if to see and sooth the damage, but then remembered himself. Or perhaps it was simply the obstructions of the basket and hat that stopped him. Either way, Elisabeth eyed his concerned action suspiciously.

"It is just a scratch, it's nothing, as I said I hadn't even noticed until you pointed it out." Elisabeth was fully aware that her tone made it sound like it was his fault. Mr Darcy actually shook his head and smiled briefly at that.

"You should be more careful and be aware of your surroundings, especially if you insist on venturing into the thorns." He said shaking his head again, Elisabeth went to protest but he continued before she could, "You seem to have collected a fair bounty this morning," He lifted the basket up and down feeling its weight, then proceeded to move the mint laid on top to one side, "Ah Raspberries," he sounded pleased as he went to pick one out, but hesitated looking to Elisabeth apologetically. "May I?"

"Of- Of course," Elisabeth stuttered taken a bit by surprise.

He gave her a small smile "They are my favourite," he admitted as he popped one into his mouth. "Especially, now that I appreciate the hardships in collecting them," he teased, eating another with an almost boyish with mischief. Elisabeth couldn't help but give a small smile in return, taken aback by this new man in front of her. "Did you have to venture far?" he asked her.

"A fair walk yes," she answered but he seemed to be waiting for more information, so she found stumbling to continue, "they are a little off near Glepe lane, but the walk is one of my favourites in autumn so I don't mind." She gave a small shrug.

"No I am aware of your fondness for walking Elisabeth. I'm afraid while I could stand her all day and singlehandedly eat all of your delicious bounty, your father was supposed to send me some documents," Mr Darcy looked towards the house, "but on such a fine morning I thought I'd ride over and save on a messenger. Can I take this in for you?" He lifted the basket, gesturing towards the house.

"Mr Darcy I'm afraid I'm the only early riser in my family," She glanced back at the house with slight embarrassment, "and I haven't been back inside since I've returned. My father may not-"

"Mr Darcy," interrupted the man himself sternly from the doorway, making both Mr Darcy and Elizabeth startle, "I believe you are here to speak to me, and not my daughter?" Mr Bennet's words were for the gentleman but his eyes were focused on his child, giving Elizabeth a stare, not angry as such but trying to send her a message she couldn't quite translate. She stared blankly back at her father, trying to understand.

"An unexpected pleasure Mr Bennet, Miss Elizabeth and I-"

"Lizzy go give that," Mr Bennet interrupted looking at the basket still in Darcy's hand "to Mrs Hill and join your sisters for in the morning room." Elizabeth hesitated, waiting for Mr Darcy to offer the basket, but he held it firm, his attention focused on Mr Bennet instead. "Now Lizzy, take the basket," her father reaffirmed.

"Yes Father, Mr Darcy the basket, please," Elisabeth requested, unwilling to snatch it out of his hand, but at this point prepared to do so. After another tense second staring at Mr Bennet, Mr Darcy held the basket out for her to take. "Mr Darcy," She whispered quickly and curtsied.

"Miss Bennet," responded Mr Darcy as he bowed slightly, allowing Elisabeth to leave.

Elisabeth took one look back at her father's frown and the return of Mr Darcy's disapproving appearance before she buried her own curiosity and went further into the gardens heading towards the kitchen entrance.

The two gentlemen considered one another in her absence. It was Mr Bennet who broke the standoff.

"You best come inside to my office Mr Darcy."

Thank you for reading. All feedback welcome xx