Fanning the flames

Elizabeth Bennet was extremely displeased when she went to Hunsford to visit her newly married friend Charlotte and Mr. Darcy showed up. She was even more displeased when he kept showing up on her morning rambles. But when a tragic fire suddenly starts, she was able to see a different man than she thought that she knew.

Rosings Park, Kent, 1812

Lord help me, here he is again! Did I not specifically tell him that I liked to walk this particular path at this particular time of day so that he could avoid me? What can he possibly mean by this?!

Mr. Darcy pulled up his horse and dismounted, "Good morning, Miss Bennet. I hope that you are well this fine morning?"

Be civil. You are a lady. "Good morning, Mr. Darcy. I am well. I am just turning to take the ridge line path, so the forest path will be open for your morning ride." There, that should make it easier for him to harry off on his way.

"I should much rather accompany you, if my presence is acceptable?"

Say it. Say it! No, you know that you cannot. Sigh. "Of course, Mr. Darcy. I shall be glad of the company." Now wasn't that civil? Jane would be so proud. Elizabeth had to fight back a grimace when the annoying man offered his arm. She also had to fight to ignore the very pleasant feeling of his muscles under the fabric. As much as she might wish to do so, Elizabeth could not deny that this frustrating man cut a fine figure.

They spoke seldom and when they spoke, it was mostly of inconsequential things until Elizabeth accidentally let a quote from Rousseau slip out. Then they were once again arguing... though she had to admit... only to herself... that it felt much like her debates with her father. This discussion kept their attention for the rest of the walk.

~oOo~

Bertha at thirteen, was a little scared of everything, but Lady Catherine de Bourgh most of all. She had been a maid at Rosings Park for a year now, ever since her father died and her mother farmed out her older children wherever she could find a berth for them. Since then Bertha's happy childhood world had turned into something quite different and unkind.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the Mistress of Rosings, was a demanding woman who was never satisfied. She seemed to always be looking for something to criticize and Bertha was often the victim of this criticism until she finally realized that her fellow servants were deliberately manipulating circumstances so that the newest and youngest servant would catch the grand lady's ire. Thankfully Mrs. Daugherty, the head maid under the housekeeper, had taken the frightened girl under her wing and protection.

Life got a little better after that, but Bertha still caught many of the worst tasks. As Mrs. Daugherty explained it, "I am afraid that the newest always gets those tasks, dear. We all did. So all that you can do is press on and hope that someone newer than you will be hired soon." The senior maid did give Bertha one safety tip when she caught the girl reading one day, "Don't let the other servants or the Lady find out that you can read, child. Most of them can't, so they may be jealous. And the Lady likes to preserve the trappings of rank. She does not believe in a servant getting an education."

Despite this warning, eight months after she was hired, Bertha was accidentally caught reading; not by the servants and not by the Lady, but by Miss Anne de Bourgh. And the outcome was not what Bertha had feared or expected. One day after Anne happened to catch the girl reading in a dark corner of the seldom-used library, the young lady sent for the girl.

"You have no need to tremble, girl," Anne said in a haughty but kindly manner. "In fact, I am hoping that you will be my secret ally."

"Wha..." Bertha cleared her throat, "What can I do for you, Miss?"

"I have a great and terrible secret: I like to read novels. My mother despises that type of literature and forbids its presence in the house. So I need you to go and collect new books for me and deliver them safely here, in my private chambers." Bertha was reluctant to do so for fear of getting caught, but Anne blackmailed her by gently threatening to inform her mother about her literacy. From that day on, Bertha made regular trips into Hunsford to either delivery a letter ordering a new book or to pick up a new novel once it arrived. As a reward, Bertha was given a copper for each book she collected and she was allowed to read the novel after Miss de Bourgh was finished.

Anne de Bourgh had no control of her days. Her mother regimented every minute and used Mrs. Jenkins, Anne's paid companion, to watch over her daughter when she could not. The only time that Anne could safely read was at night. She often stayed up nearly all night reading a thrilling new story or re-reading a favorite older story. This, of course, contributed to her sickly appearance since it left her tired and with baggy eyes during the days. Anne did not care.

On that particular night Anne had started a new and deliciously thrilling gothic novel. It was not only frightening, but there was an element of the risque in the very inappropriate relationship between the hero and heroine. The sun was rising and Anne was exhausted, but she could not stop reading. She had to know how it ended! And so she persisted even after the sun was above the horizon.

When she finally finished, Anne sighed happily and dreamily slipped the forbidden book under the floorboard where she hid her treasures. Then, exhausted beyond reason, she crawled back into bed. She was too tired to remember the candle which still burned and she was asleep so quickly that she did not see that her blanket had been left too close to the open flame.

Anne de Bourgh died peacefully from carbon monoxide. She never even stirred as the flames which started with her bed cover jumped from item to item throughout the room. Rosings Park was an old house entirely too full of gaudy, flammable furniture. The greedy fire found plenty to feed it that morning.

Ironically, it was little Bertha who first noticed the smoke when she came up to collect the chamber pots. She ran screaming the alarm, but by that point the fire was out of control.

~oOo~

Elizabeth and Darcy had turned their arguments... debates... ahem... conversations to Thomas Paine by the time the ridge trail brought them back in sight of the great house. Darcy's eyes were on his walking companion, drinking her in, so it was Elizabeth who saw the smoke and activity first. "Mr. Darcy! Rosings! It's on fire!"

Darcy may have cursed at this point, but neither would notice or remember. His next coherent words were, "I'll run to the house, Elizabeth! Please hurry to the parsonage and have Mr. Collins rally Hunsford!" Both ran to their tasks with remarkable speed. Mr. Collins, whose garden was on the opposite side of the parsonage from the view of Rosings, saw her and scolded, "Cousin Elizabeth! What do you mean by running like some hoyden?! Why, if Lady Cath..."

"Rosings is on fire! Look! We need to rally everyone that we can!"

Mr. Collins' mouth moved up and down like a fish at the interruption, but then his cousin's words registered and he ran around the corner. He gave an animal cry, then yelled, "My Lady!" and ran clumsily towards Rosings.

Elizabeth threw her hands up in frustration and ran inside the parsonage to set Charlotte and Maria in motion. Soon the trio were hurrying into the town of Hunsford and crying out for everyone to hurry to Rosings. A fire is everyone's enemy, so even those who openly hated Lady Catherine were quickly on their way to the great house with buckets, shovels, and anything else which they thought might be required.

Elizabeth hurried back to the conflagration and was relieved to recognize Colonel Fitzwilliam and many of the servants doing what little they could. She felt a growing sense of unease which began to worsen into fear as she looked around. Then she saw Mr. Darcy rushing out of the burning mansion carrying a small girl. She could not understand her own feelings, but all was well again as soon as she saw that Mr. Darcy was safe.

When he cried out and stumbled to his knees, still protectively holding the young girl, she saw that his clothing was in flames. Without thinking, Elizabeth ran forward, ripping a blanket out of the hands of one of the workers and quickly covering Mr. Darcy's back with it. As she promptly patted the blanket to make certain that all flames were gone, the injured man looked up into her eyes and they both froze like that.

Colonel Fitzwilliam broke the tableau when he dragged the local doctor over to his cousin and the girl. "Allow me to look at your back, Sir." The man said, but Darcy refused, "Look to the girl first! She collapsed from the smoke. My burns are minor."

Elizabeth, who had pulled back the blanket, could see that Mr. Darcy's burns were far from "minor," but she did not argue with him. Instead she looked at the Colonel, "Take him to the parsonage. It is the closest. You'll need to get his coat and shirt off to put salve on his burns." When she saw that Mr. Darcy was about protest, she shut him off with a glare.

Colonel Fitzwilliam followed Elizabeth's instructions and left his cousin in the capable hands of the parsonage housekeeper. When he returned, his smoke-reddened eyes were glued to the burning house. "Our aunt and cousin... I think that the fire began in the family wing. When the little housemaid began shouting I was already at breakfast, but most of the smoke came from that wing."

Charlotte asked, "Sir... have you seen my husband?"

Richard grimaced and said, "He ran into the house and up the stairs, Mrs. Collins. I tried to call him back, but the foo... your husband would not listen. I never saw him after that."

For the next several hours the house burned and all that the servants and townspeople could do was work to prevent the spread. By noon the grand house was nothing but charred, smoking embers. After checking on his cousin, who was asleep with a heavy dose of laudanum, the Colonel went into Hunsford to send an express to his parents. He carried another express from Charlotte to her father.

~oOo~

Elizabeth slept with Charlotte that night, though the new widow was more numb and angry than grieved. She could not sleep in her own bed because that is where Mr. Darcy was put by the housekeeper, since it was the second best room. Sir William Lucas had occupied it until he departed and Elizabeth had slept with Maria, but she got her own room once Charlotte's father returned home.

It might have been considered inappropriate for a single man to sleep at the parsonage, but the doctor had installed himself in the house, so all was well for the moment. The colonel took a room at the local inn that night.

When Elizabeth woke early the next morning, she could not stop herself from looking in on the man who had stolen her room. Since nobody was about, she opened the door softly to reassure herself. Immediately she saw that he was feverish, moaning, and rocking in his sleep. Alarmed, she almost rushed in, but then remembered decorum enough to hurry down to where the doctor had installed himself in Mr. Collin's office, "Sir! I fear that Mr. Darcy is unwell!"

Minutes later Charlotte found her friend pacing and wringing her hands outside of Mr. Darcy's door. "Eliza, I think that you are not as indifferent to Mr. Darcy as you would like to tell yourself. Is the doctor with him?"

Elizabeth nodded, failing to school her face, "His burns were much worse than he tried to let on, Charlotte. I saw them after I put them out. His back..." She could not continue, her words becoming choked.

"Mr. Bannister is a very good physician, Eliza. Your Mr. Darcy is in good hands."

"He is not my Mr. Darcy, Charlotte," Elizabeth protested softly but without much conviction. Then she awoke to the present situation, "Oh, Charlotte! Your husband!? What is to be done now?"

Charlotte shook her head and walked to the sitting room, her friend following. "I should not speak ill of the dead, but right at this moment I am so very angry at my husband! I am carrying his child and yet he rushes into an impossible situation to save the woman he worshiped, maybe more than God. Shouldn't his own family have been his highest priority?"

Elizabeth was torn between agreeing with her friend's question and surprise at learning of her condition, "You are with child, Charlotte?" She was human enough to give at least a fleeting thought to the implications for Longbourn, but she still felt joy for her friend. "That, at least, must be some consolation?"

"I wish it were so. My husband's living ended with his death. Even this parsonage is no longer mine. And until I began encouraging Mr. Collins to do so, he had not saved one penny. Eliza, I do not wish to live with my parents again! I am eight and twenty!"

"Oh, Charlotte!" Elizabeth hugged her friend tightly in commiseration. She knew perfectly well that her own mother would make Charlotte's life miserable if she returned to Meryton. If Charlotte bore a boy, then Mrs. Bennet would never cease to hate the child. And if Charlotte bore a girl, then Mrs. Bennet would never cease to crow. "We will find some solution together."

"Ahem...?" The doctor stood there awkwardly, "I am happy to report that Mr. Darcy's fever is lessening. I hope that it is acceptable, but I have asked your housekeeper to keep a watch over him while I go and check on the other injured.

"Do you know the condition of the girl, Mr. Bannister?" Charlotte asked. Elizabeth was sorry she had not thought to ask that herself. Then she noticed the look of appreciation which the doctor gave to Charlotte.

"Bertha is alive. She woke last evening in the evening and I believe that she will recover, though I fear that she did breathe in quite a bit of smoke. Mr. and Mrs. Abner, who own the bookstore, have graciously taken the girl in. She is my first stop, but I believe that she is in good hands."

"Thank you, Sir." Charlotte's own look of appreciation did not go unnoticed by her friend either.

~oOo~

It was fortuitous indeed that the Earl of Matlock, the Colonel's father, Mr. Darcy's uncle, and Lady Catherine's brother, was in London taking care of business when the express arrived. He reached his sister's estate by noon along with the family's solicitor and man of business. Since there was no bodies to be buried and there were quite a few long-term servants in need of employment and a roof, Lord Matlock decreed that the will would be read that same night after the funeral, which could only be attended by the Earl, Richard, and Mr. Bannister.

Mr. Darcy had woken at around the same time that his uncle had arrived. He was far too weak and in pain to leave his bed, so the business was taken care of in that room. He did not know if anyone else in the room noticed, but Miss Elizabeth's particular lavender scent still lingered. It calmed him and soothed his pain. He could only wish that propriety would allow her to visit.

There were no great surprises in the will, at least for the family. Sir Lewis had written an ironclad will giving his daughter everything on her twenty-fifth birthday... she was two months from that date when she died. Failing that, the estate went to his favorite nephew in need, none other than Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Sir Lewis had made the proviso that his nephew would have to retire his uniform in order to collect his inheritance. Having seen enough of war, Richard agreed. Thankfully there was a very large fund set aside which would now pay for the building of a new manor house.

Many of the long-term servants were awarded bequests. Some of those should have been passed to them upon the death of Sir Lewis, but Lady Catherine resented these awards and retained them. Now the awards were enough for the elder servants to leave service and pursue retirement or other ventures. For the newer servants, Richard Fitzwilliam retained those he felt he could trust and sent away the others with sufficient funds that they could survive well until they found a new position.

Richard demonstrated that he was paying attention to the needs of others in another way as well, "Mrs. Collins, I am not of a mind to seek out a new parson anytime soon. I will ask the bishop to provide a curate until I am ready and I will fund a cottage for the man. So please feel free to remain in the parsonage until that time." Charlotte was deeply grateful. Elizabeth noticed a shared look between the soon-to-be retired colonel and the good doctor. Interesting. I wonder if Mr. Bannister heard Charlotte's worries this morning?

Once everything else was settled, Lord Matlock requested a private audience with Mr. Darcy. "Son, (he had always thought of his nephew in such a way, at least since Darcy's own dear father passed) there is an issue, a rumor, that will need to be addressed."

"What is it?" Darcy asked, trying to ignore the awful pain of his burns. He hated laudanum, but at this moment he wanted an entire bottle.

"When you ran out of the house on fire, that pretty young woman downstairs rushed over and extinguished the flames. According to the local rumor, everyone thinks that the two of you have some sort of understanding. You have been seen walking together quite a few times. Now you are sleeping in the same house as her. The locals even seem to know that you took over her bed."

"Oh dear Lord! Elizabeth... Miss Bennet has always been above reproach, Uncle! She had never once done or said anything inappropriate!"

"Nevertheless, the rumors have begun and you know as well as I that you cannot easily close Pandora's box. So my question to you is what you wish to do about it. It was her actions, not your own, which compromised her. She is below your station, though there is no denying her appeal. Few will judge you if you choose to ignore the matter?"

"I would never do that to her. I must... I need to speak with her about this!"

"Do not agitate your condition. I will speak with her and then bring her to you."

~oOo~

Elizabeth sat there in shock and anger as she listened to the Earl. Twice she attempted to assure the man that there was absolutely no reason to take action on those silly rumors. For the earl's part, he was pleased to learn that she was not mercenary, but he was concerned that the chit didn't even seem to like his nephew. Charlotte finally intervened, "Your Lordship, might I please have a few moments alone with my friend?"

The earl consented and Charlotte dragged Elizabeth out into the garden. Elizabeth stalked back and forth, ranting until Charlotte finally grabbed her and forced her to meet her eyes, "Elizabeth! Listen to me! No matter what you may try to tell yourself, you are not indifferent to Mr. Darcy! And he had never been indifferent to you. Both Jane and I agree that you have been willfully unreasonable about holding onto one insult which you weren't even meant to hear! No matter what the man has done since, you have insisted on believing the worst of him. Now that is enough! I insist that you go up those stairs and listen to that poor injured man with at least an attempt at an open mind!"

Thus chastised, Elizabeth followed her friend's orders, though she looked as if she were going to the gallows. Lord Matlock directed a look to Charlotte, who then took it upon herself to explain the difficult history of Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth knocked softly and let herself into her former bedroom. She was still angry, but when she saw Mr. Darcy looking so vulnerable her ire fled, "Mr. Darcy... you should be sleeping. Please, you are in pain and should take some laudanum."

The man shook his head sadly. Neither Elizabeth nor Charlotte had considered the fact that this particular room looked out over the very garden where the two women had just spoken. "Elizab... Miss Bennet... I had thought..." He grimaced his thoughts as painful as his back, "I had hoped... that you and I... I must apologize, but I overheard you just now in the garden," Elizabeth looked mortified and he quickly continued, "Could you please tell me how I insulted you? Mrs. Collins mentioned 'one insult'?"

It seemed to insignificant now, looking at the handsome man's face twisted in pain, but she answered, "It was at the assembly. You refused an introduction and then later, when Mr. Bingley pressed you to dance and pointed me out, you judged me 'tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me'."

Darcy's eyes closed in self-loathing. When he opened them again, Elizabeth could not miss the sadness there, "Elizabeth... I am the worst cad for having ever said such an ungentlemanly thing... but worse, I am a fool. You see, I don't even remember you from that night. I was still very angry about something which happened to my sister. From the first moment I did become aware of you, I have always thought you to be the most handsome woman of my acquaintance. So if I hurt you before due to my thoughtless words, all that I can ask is for your forgiveness."

Before she could reply, Mr. Darcy accidentally leaned back and agitated his back, which made him arch. Then he added, "No, that is not all that I ask. Please allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

This last was delivered through gritted teeth, making Elizabeth demand, "Mr. Darcy, you must take your laudanum. I will not listen further if you will not. You are in pain and I cannot stand to see it." Her final statement made him search her eyes for the truth. What he saw there must have reassured him, because he nodded and allowed her to spoon the vile, sweet medicine into his mouth.

He turned on his side to avoid irritating his back further, but when Elizabeth made to leave his hand captured hers. Despite his own discomfort he would not let go, "Marry me, Elizabeth?" She looked at his hand and then finally raised her eyes to his. Then she nodded. That was enough. He closed his eyes and surrendered to sleep. Only then did Elizabeth extract her hand.

~oOo~

Elizabeth descended the stairs to find a very agitated Lord Matlock awaiting her, "Miss Bennet, I was alarmed to hear that a villain of the worst sort has imposed himself on you with his lies. Will you please walk with me?"

She did not know how many more serious conversations she could endure this day, but she consented. The day was fine, though the smell of smoke lingered in the air. Elizabeth did not know what to expect, but it was not the subject that the earl raised, "George Wickham was the son of a very fine man and my brother-in-law's trusted steward. Unfortunately his son was not cut from the same fabric. He was more like his mother. From a very early age Wickham was a handsome boy who used his good looks and winning ways to make people trust him.

"My own brother-in-law, Darcy's father, was convinced of the boy's goodness. He set him up as a friend of his son, paid for his schooling at Eton and Cambridge, and even promised him a valuable living if he finished school and became ordained. I knew from my own son's reports that George Wickham had begun straying from his father's teachings. He began running with the wild crowd in school, got involved in gambling, and quit attending classes. But it was his other activities which convinced me to ban him from my home and estates, Miss Bennet.

"I do not like to speak of these things to a young lady, but it was that mindset which made my niece vulnerable to the cad. On my estate in Matlock I now support two maids who became with-child when they gave themselves to Wickham after he promised them marriage. I know of at least one such at Pemberley. My sister Catherine, may God rest her soul, cast out a servant for the same reason." Elizabeth looked stricken, but the earl did not stop, "As I understand it, the bounder fed you a tale of my nephew denying the man the living. In fact George Wickham refused the living in favor of a large payout of three-thousand pounds. Darcy did not have to pay him since Wickham had never completed school or earned his ordination, but my nephew paid him anyway.

"When the living came open three years later, the man had the audacity to demand it. Naturally, Darcy refused him. In revenge Wickham seduced my niece's companion to his cause and attempted to convince Georgiana to elope with him!" Elizabeth was shocked and dismayed, but her expression must have made the earl think he had gone too far, "Forgive me, Miss Bennet, if I have become too angry and have revealed family secrets. I trust that you will keep this to yourself?"

"I... You have my word, My Lord. I would never injure a young lady's reputation when she was the victim of someone else. May I ask... when was this incident?"

"Last summer."

Elizabeth looked up in the air, ashamed, "Just before he came to Meryton."

"Pardon?"

"Mr. Darcy said he was in a bad mood when he first came to Meryton due to something which had happened. Now I understand. Our first meetings were not... positive."

Lord Matlock chuckled, "I think that I understand. My wife and I took Georgiana in hoping that we could help to restore her. We felt that Darcy's sour mood was hindering her recovery, so we sent him off with a bug in his ear."

Elizabeth remained silent and walked on. The earl found it interesting that this daughter of a minor country gentleman seemed so unaffected by his rank. Eventually they turned back to the parsonage. He thought it was promising that her first question upon entering was, "How is Mr. Darcy? Is he sleeping well?"

Mr. Darcy woke much later that same day. Since Elizabeth had consented to an engagement, she was allowed to sit with him and read to him with the door open. Sir William Lucas arrived that same night with a surprise: Mr. Bennet followed right behind him with his carriage to collect his favorite daughter. He was not best pleased when his Lizzie informed him that she could not leave and that he would need to speak with the Earl on the matter.

Thomas Bennet spent the next hour sequestered in the deceased Mr. Collin's office with Lord Matlock. There were raised voices on more than one occasion, but when the two men left the room Mr. Bennet seemed more bemused than angry. When Mr. Darcy awoke later that morning, it was Elizabeth's father's turn to go into his room and speak with the man. It was an enlightening meeting for both. Elizabeth felt disappointed when the patient had to go back to a laudanum-induced sleep immediately thereafter, but she was relieved after speaking with her father. "I was not pleased, Lizzy, but after speaking with your Mr. Darcy, I begin to think that you will both get on very well indeed."

"So... I may stay? I cannot bear to leave the man in such a condition, Father."

"You may stay... and I will as well... but it shall be at the inn. There are enough unsavory rumors floating about already. You may visit the parsonage during the day, but only with an appropriate chaperon." It was not perfect, but it was the best that Elizabeth could hope for. How was she supposed to achieve a new understanding of this frustrating man if she was never allowed to spend time with him. I tried to tell myself that I detested his presence on my walks, but now I already miss those walks greatly. When shall we ever have the opportunity to speak alone again?

Mr. Darcy was a young and healthy man. Though the burns were severe in several spots, he recovered relatively quickly and was soon able to leave his borrowed room. Despite Mr. Bennet's insistence upon a constant chaperon, the couple often found themselves tucked away in a corner or left out of other conversations so that they could enjoy at least the perception of privacy. Mr. Bennet's observations were remarkably keen for a man who used to hide in his book room. Those observations reassured him that Mr. Darcy did, in fact, respect and care deeply for his favorite.

With the assistance of the Earl, a special license was procured. Four weeks after the fire, Elizabeth surrendered the name "Bennet" and took on a new name. Jane and Mary were the only sisters in attendance. Mrs. Bennet was not there due to a spring cold, for which Elizabeth and her new husband were both quietly grateful. They did promise to visit Longbourn when he was fully recovered... only they did not necessarily define what that condition might look like. For the moment then found a small house in Kent to lease until Darcy could travel without discomfort.

There were several others who did attend. The first was Mr. Bingley. Darcy had recruited his cousin to write a letter in his name, explaining his mistaken impressions about Jane's feelings. He also promised to do all in his power to have Jane in Kent for the wedding. Charles Bingley wasted no time in replying, but he kept the information from his sisters.

Georgiana Darcy came, naturally, and instantly liked all three of the oldest Bennet sisters. She made a quick connection over music with Mary, but found that she had to sometimes share time with the girl with her cousin, now Mister Richard Fitzwilliam. He had taken a liking to the girl as well and made opportunities to talk with her often.

The months of April and May were an eventful time in Hunsford, though the most of the interesting happenings were effecting the visitors to the area, not the locals. Richard had the burnt ruins of Rosings cleared away by a large local team of builders and then began construction on a much more modern but still stylish structure. Mr. Collins, had he been alive, would have been quite distressed at the lower number of windows and the smaller chimneys, but alas, so it was.

It was, perhaps, suggestive that the new master often asked his young cousin her opinions on the layout and potential decorating, but just as often solicited the opinions of Mr. Bennet's third daughter.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was declared safe for travel by Mr. Bannister in early May. The newlyweds said their fond goodbyes and departed for Pemberley with alacrity, glad to finally escape so much attention. Elizabeth, once married and allowed intimacy with her Mr. Darcy, had soon found the man she hoped for hiding behind all of those stern looks and stony facades. By the time they traveled to Pemberley, she was quite content... actually inordinately joyous with her choice.

Prior to their departure, the couple were pleased to offer congratulations to Charles and Jane, who had stayed in the background and quickly renewed their earlier tender repartee without Mrs. Bennet's encouragement or Miss Bingley's interference.

Most of the visitors then returned to their homes. Charles followed the Bennets to Meryton, where he reopened Netherfield primarily so that he could spend time preparing for his wedding. With Jane's consensus, however, he did not renew the lease. In their time in Kent they had both fallen so in love with the garden county that they resolved to find an estate there. As luck would have it, Bannister knew of a worthy candidate.

The Earl returned to his own homes, but made periodic visits back to his youngest son to watch the progress of Richard's new structure. On the very day that it was done, Mr. Bennet arrived with his middle daughter, as requested. Mary could not quite believe that such a man was interested in her despite his occasional visits despite fifty miles of good roads. Despite her caution, however, she had fallen quietly in love with this battle-scarred man.

Richard and his father met the father and daughter on the drive. The two older men immediately walked off to the side to visit while Richard walked Mary around the outside of the new great house, supposedly to provide a tour for Mary. When he had her alone, Richard said, "Mary, I have left much of the decorating and arranging aside for the moment. I wanted my wife to be the one to make my house into our home... And I would very much like it if you were willing to take on that task for me. If you are willing, I want to cross the threshold together for the first time as an engaged couple. Will you make me the happiest of me and become my wife, dear Mary?"

Unless someone truly knew Mary, one might be truly shocked at the passionate kiss that she gave her beloved in answer to his question. It gave the man hope that theirs would be a happy marriage indeed. Ten minutes later the Earl and Mr. Bennet watched with mostly dry eyes as the newly-engaged couple walked through the doors of the newly completed Rosings for the first time. As it was Saturday, the banns were read in Meryton and Hunsford for the first time on the next morning.

Mrs. Bennet was not pleased with only having four weeks to plan another wedding, but she was gratified that at least her dear Mary had not done as Elizabeth had and left her out altogether.

As for Bannister and Mrs. Charlotte Collins, they managed an unspoken understanding. She remained at the parsonage through the entirety of her mourning and only ever saw the good doctor in public settings, but there was little doubt in the mind of either what would happen in one year after the fire. Seven months after the fire, she delivered a remarkably pretty little girl child. Though she knew that Mrs. Bennet was crowing, Charlotte was not displeased. Truthfully her heart was here in Kent and she had no desire to return to Hertfordshire to wait for a son's inheritance.

One year and one month after the fire that took Mr. Collins, Charlotte happily left behind her first married name for the much more pleasing name of Charlotte Bannister. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, and Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam were all in attendance. Throughout the following years the four couples would maintain a close friendship and camaraderie among them all.

~oOo~

Oh, and because someone might think to ask, little Bertha was adopted by the Abners. Under Bannister's care she made a full recovery. Making her new home in the back of a bookstore was like heaven to a girl like Bertha, and she soon grew in intelligence, understanding, wisdom, and confidence. Eventually she would marry her adopted father's sales clerk and they would take over the running of their bookstore though the new century.

Happy 2022, Everyone!

This also marks the final chapter in It Might Have Been Different, Book Two. There might be more stories, but they will be a part of a new book. Time will tell.