RECAP:

Chapter 1 - Lady Catherine convinced Bingley to have Anne as Netherfield's Mistress. Lizzy and Darcy met at Hyde Park. Darcy was intrigued by her fine eyes. Colonel Fitzwilliam teased him about it. Aunt Gardiner let Lizzy visit the Gardiner Warehouse and left her alone where she encounters Darcy again. They talked, not knowing each other's names. There was also a brief background about Lizzy being close to Mary and Kitty and not so much with Jane and Lydia.

Enjoy!

© 2019 Zest Layne


To anyone who had seen Elizabeth Bennet's smile after visiting the Gardiner Warehouse, they would have thought of it as Lizzy being back to her spirit after suffering from a trifling cold. But Alexa Digby was not just anyone…

Elizabeth had known Alexa, her abigail since she was seven years old. One cloudy day in March after visiting her estate, Claire Bennet brought a young Alexa to Longbourn Dower House. She had informed the household that from then on, Alexa would be staying with them and she would be trained as a lady's maid.

Lizzy had never really been close to Alexa. They were the very contrast of each other; the latter preferred staying in the house while the former longed for adventure. Whereas Elizabeth had too much energy to be in one place for more than five minutes, Alexa could stay in the same place for hours. Elizabeth could always find humour in every situation while Alexa rarely saw the positive sides on them.

It was only after Claire Bennet's death that the two young girls found comfort in each other. Lizzy's sisters were not as close to their Grandmother as Lizzy was so they never understood her pain and grief. Alexa, on the other hand, did. Lizzy saw her crying by the window sill that unfortunate day, and with tears also spilling from her own eyes, she approached the girl.

That marked the beginning of their friendship.

Later on, Lizzy had learned that her Grandma Claire had rescued Alexa from an abusive relative who took Alexa in after her mother had gone. Her father, it turned out, was Claire Bennet's late steward, Mr Digby, who had passed away a year before her mother. When Claire had heard of the news that Mrs Digby had died, she had immediately set on a quest to find the Digbys only daughter. And after finding out about the abuse that Alexa had to endure from her nearest relations, Claire brought her to Longbourn.

With shared grief from the loss of Claire Bennet, the two girls became inseparable. Despite having the role of being Lizzy's Abigail, with Lizzy's insistence, Alexa had shared a few lessons of music, arts, and languages with her friend. And because Lizzy spent her time going back and forth from Longbourn to London, Alexa was always the one to accompany Lizzy.

So while Mary and Kitty were Lizzy's closest sisters, and Charlotte Lucas was her closest friend, Alexa still remained to be her closest companion and therefore the person who knew her best. That was why when her abigail raised an eyebrow at her after returning from the Gardiner Warehouse (where she had her second encounter with the still-unnamed handsome gentleman), Lizzy knew she could not keep her 'adventures' a secret… not to Alexa.

"So, Miss Lizzy how is Mr Gardiner's warehouse?" asked her abigail with an impish smile once they were alone in her room.

Instead of answering her directly, Lizzy arched her brow in reply. "You know, Alexa, you were never the prying kind of girl when we were children."

"That's because I never spent too much time with you back then. You were the only one to blame for my bold attitude in the present, Miss Lizzy."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Despite their years of friendship and Elizabeth's protest to just call her 'Lizzy', Alexa insisted on addressing her as 'Miss' saying that boundaries between servants and Mistress should still be kept. Not that those said boundaries ever stopped Alexa from prying to Lizzy's business anyway… like now.

And even if Lizzy knew that she would eventually tell the events of her day to her prying Abigail, she wanted to prolong the moment before Alexa found out. "Is that your way of expressing your thanks in me, then?"

At this, Alexa frowned in confusion. "Thank you for what, Miss Lizzy?"

"If I was to blame for your behaviour in the present, then surely you imply that I deserve gratitude for bringing you and Archie closer." Archie was the son of Lizzy's personal footman, Graham, whom Alexa had taken a liking to. "You did tell me that he liked your bold attitude." This elicited a blush from Alexa to which Lizzy laughed.

Alexa, in turn, slapped Lizzy's arm lightly before going behind her to untie her corset. "Stop teasing me, Miss Lizzy or I shall start a conversation with you about that gentleman you met in the rain."

Lizzy almost let out an unladylike groan that would surely have Fanny Bennet dislike her even more. If Alexa had not been one of the people who helped her escape the house that day in the rain, then she would not have told Alexa about her meeting with the unnamed gentleman.

But Lizzy was the one who teased and not the one to be teased, so instead of a groan she replied with, "If that is a threat then you shan't ask me about my day in the Gardiner Warehouse earlier, otherwise you will no longer have power over me by using that certain gentleman as a feared discussion."

Feeling Alexa stopped loosening her gown, Lizzy smiled. After a moment of silence, she was suddenly turned around to face an excited Alexa. "You met him earlier! What did he say? Did you talk to him? Does he remember you? Surely, he does. Did –" Lizzy raised a palm to quiet her friend.

She could hardly believe that Alexa was once the shiest and most quiet girl in her acquaintance. With a small smile playing at her lips, Lizzy answered, "Yes, I did see him again today, he remembered me, and we talked –" before she could go on any further, the bell for nuncheon rang.

"I suppose you think you are saved from my questions, Miss Lizzy, but do remember that I will also help you dress for dinner later. You will not escape me." With that, Alexa finished dressing her up and they both went down for nuncheon.

-p&p-

The next morning, her Aunt had once again asked Lizzy if she would like to visit the Gardiner Warehouse. Naturally, her Aunt Madeline had not done it willingly. It took Lizzy to sigh more than three times and a frown never left her face until her Aunt decided to offer the trip.

And while Mrs Winters can now join them for breakfast, she would not be accompanying Lizzy for the trip. In this too, Lizzy put to use her acting skills. At first, she told them that she still felt guilty for causing Mrs Winters to have a fever (which was true) and that she would not want to hinder any further recoveries of Mrs Winters by exhausting her so soon. When that was not enough, Lizzy then promised that she would not leave the premises of the warehouse. When that was still not enough, she agreed to a compromise that since her Aunt Madeline would be busy doing business with her Uncle Edward, Alexa (since she would not be assisting Mrs Winters anymore) should make sure Lizzy stay true to her words.

After all, everyone in the Gardiner Household knew that just because Lizzy did not escape yesterday meant that she would not today. And Lizzy knew that the reason why her Aunt left her alone yesterday was that she thought Lizzy to be out of sorts. Now, that Lizzy was back to her old cheerful self, protective Aunt Maddie was back too.

Elizabeth Bennet never broke her promises, this, Madeline Gardiner knew. But she also knew of her niece enough to know that Lizzy would always find a way to outsmart people regarding her words so it was safe not to take any chances.

Of course, all of Lizzy's effort to remain (somewhat) alone for her stay in the Gardiner Warehouse were for her want to feel independent – which she rarely felt during her stays in London – and it had absolutely nothing to do with the hope of seeing a certain gentleman whom her overprotective Aunt would not allow her to talk to, even if she was now (technically) out in society.

The same man whom she spent too much time conversing on whether Benedick and Beatrice had begun to developed feelings for each other long before the two even know it and if Claudio's love for Hero was weak or not that had both forgotten to ask about each other's names.[1]

Perhaps today they could remedy that.

-p&p-

Remedy it, they did not; and Darcy was disappointed to once again go home without the bewitching lady's name. On second thought… he was only a little disappointed. After all, how could he find it in him to be disheartened when his hopes of encountering her again today had come true?

Of course, he did not come to the Gardiner Warehouse for the sole purpose of hoping to see her again. No. Fitzwilliam Darcy was a man of duty and he had come again this day to fulfil the business that he had forgotten yesterday due to… welcomed distractions.

While it was true that he was looking for a book yesterday ("Guide to the Lakes" [2] by William Wordsworth – he now remembered the title of his original aim), that was just second to his business for coming to the Gardiner Warehouse. His priority for coming there yesterday was to inquire about the current status of the Gardiner shipments on behalf of Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam who invested in Mr Gardiner's business.

Darcy still found it odd that his cousin always had time to make fun of him and at the same time not have time for business affairs such as this. Not that he was complaining, for this errand had brought him the company of a certain lady who kept on disturbing his thoughts.

Speaking of the said lady, it was not long before Darcy caught sight of her again. This time, she was wearing a dark blue cloak and he noticed that she was with a servant. However, upon seeing him, the lady's maid distanced herself near enough distance to see them but still far enough not to hear them.

Certain that Richard's business affairs could wait, he decided to approach the cloaked maiden again.

"Are you a regular customer here, Madam?" The words left his mouth as soon as they finished bowing and curtseying to each other and Darcy silently cursed himself for not having more talent at opening a conversation. He had asked her that same question yesterday. Surely he could think of far better words to engage her in a discourse. Not that he wanted to impress her or anything.

"Are you?" She did it again, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge him. This was why Darcy wanted a good starter of a conversation, so he could show her that he could match her in a verbal battle.

"Do you always answer a question with one of your own?" Darcy questioned in response remembering she had said something like that yesterday.

This time, the lady put a hand on her hip and with a smile she replied. "Do you?"

"I supposed that is one way of answering my question."

"Indeed it was, Sir," she said never taking her eyes off him, "but it was only I who answered your questions and 'twas not fair that you did not do the same in my inquiries."

At this Darcy was the one to raise his brow with a small smile of his own. "Was it not?"

From there, the subject of their talk continued from where they left on yesterday, which was about how was it that many characters – especially males – easily believed that Hero was impure and that her father condemned her with very little proof.

Somehow, their talk of men's little faith in women had led them to a conversation about what an accomplished woman ought to be in society. Darcy, of course, being in a prominent family, stated his father's opinion (which was also his opinion on the matter) to the lady beside him and he watched in fascination as her vibrant green eyes sparkled with determination to contradict him.

As she explained her opinion on the subject, Darcy was surprised to find himself agreeing to some of her sentiments. When she noticed this, she gave Darcy a triumphant smile that made him feel like he did not lose a battle at all.

So caught up they were in their debates that only when she disappeared out of his sight after bidding him goodbye did Darcy remembered that he still did not know her name. And it was only when he stepped foot in Darcy House did it occur to him that Richard's task for him was still unfulfilled.

Well… it looked like he would have to go to the Gardiner Warehouse again tomorrow.

With a smile on his face, Fitzwilliam Darcy headed to his study to write his daily letter for his mother. He could not wait for tomorrow to come.

-p&p-

When tomorrow became today, Darcy found himself in the Gardiner Warehouse once again. But unlike the day before, this time, he was actually disappointed; not only did he not know the name of his cloaked maiden but she did not show herself that time.

Meanwhile, as Fitzwilliam Darcy boarded his carriage to return home (once again 'forgetting' to accomplish the favour his cousin had asked of him - in his defence, Richard did not say that it was urgent), sitting in her chambers was one amused Elizabeth Bennet who was being questioned by her Abigail.

"But you saw him yesterday; you should have gone today as well." Alexa insisted as she braided Lizzy's dark tress. The abigail was more than happy to accept Mrs Gardiner's idea yesterday which was to accompany her Mistress and friend to the Gardiner Warehouse. And to her luck, Miss Lizzy's new acquaintance was present too and she saw how her Mistress and the gentleman conversed! There was something there and Alexa knew it.

"You very well know that I couldn't, or else Aunt will suspect a thing. I only visit the warehouse three times a week and though yesterday was only my second visit, I never go there on consecutive times remember?" Lizzy explained looking at her Abigail through the vanity mirror. "Besides, we do not know for sure if my newly found friend is to visit again this day."

"Then you should've asked him about that yesterday."

At this, Lizzy turned to face Alexa and with a laugh, she said, "You sound like Mama trying to match-make Jane."

"But is he not your prince charming, Miss Lizzy?" Alexa asked with a teasing smile. "He did show up on the day of your eighteenth birthday and then you met him unexpectedly in your Uncle's Warehouse – twice now. Next thing you know he'll save you from the evil clutches of Mrs Bennet and her poor nerves!"

Lizzy, despite her good judgement, laughed at Alexa's words but not after hitting her lightly with the pillow placed on her lap. She knew very well that her Abigail loved the classic story of the prince rescuing a princess. And combined with Alexa's fresh feelings for Archie, Lizzy knew her maid could not help but be a romantic.

"Mama's nerves may be poor indeed, Alexa, but she is not evil." Alexa gave her an incredulous look but she continued to talk, "And keep in mind that my newest acquaintance, though he may be a gentleman, is only my friend."

Alexa kept silent but did not hide her eye roll. She knew Miss Lizzy well enough not to contradict her verbally. After what she saw at the Warehouse yesterday, Alexa will just have to keep watch of the situation and prepare herself for the last laugh.

-p&p-

Three weeks had passed since Darcy's first visit at the Gardiner Warehouse and while he had been fortunate enough to have little encounters with the same cloaked lady almost every other day in these past weeks; Darcy had yet to know the delightful lady's name. Nor had she learnt his.

In their first few meetings, both he and the lady did not ask for each other's name – whether they kept forgetting or they did not bother at the time, Darcy did not know. He did try to hint that he wanted to know her name when he remembered about not knowing it but she diverted their conversation into another topic. After that, he did not attempt to ask her again for fear that she might stop their 'accidental' encounters in the Gardiner Warehouse.

Thank goodness that his footmen and coachman were too trained in their jobs to inquire as to why he kept on going back to the Gardiner Warehouse three times a week. Darcy knew his employees were smart and they would be able to determine that a business deal would not have taken weeks. Even if it did, he could always finalise the details via missives. If that was not enough to make them suspicious, the fact that he had been caught smiling on more than a few occasions would surely arise some questions.

He was also lucky that his Aunt Catherine and Cousin Anne had decided to move to Matlock House to spend time with his Aunt Elinor until their departure for Hertfordshire so no one would be able to suspect his actions. Richard was another matter to be dealt with. The Colonel was teasing him about his smiles again. Especially when the Colonel learned that Darcy 'accidentally' (and definitely not intentionally) forgot about the business meeting he was supposed to have with Mr Gardiner on more than one occasion.

"Come now, Cousin, I thought you disliked smiling for it contorts the face?" This was the exact wording Richard would use every time Darcy's lips would threaten to twitch into a smile. Darcy had to endure it, otherwise, half the family – if not the whole family– would know of his… ventures already.

And Darcy wanted anything but that… especially if this reached his father's ears.

Though it was uncommon for a gentleman in his sphere, or in any sphere for that matter, to interact continuously with a lady whose name he did not know, Darcy could not find it in himself to avoid his unnamed acquaintance. In fact, if Fitzwilliam Darcy was going to be completely honest, he was enjoying this mysterious charade they were playing.

For Darcy's part, he liked that for once he was not perceived based on his social standing. (While he was proud of who he was and his family, he could certainly use a break from matchmaking mamas and other fortune-hunting people.) Though his clothing showed his place in society, the cloaked lady in possession of dark green eyes seemed to pay it no mind for she teased him, challenged him, and even laughed at him. He revelled at the way she treated him. She did not cower easily nor did she agree to everything he had to say. She was a breath of fresh air from the polluted Ton.

As for the lady's part, Darcy could not figure out why she was against letting her identity be known. At first, he had thought that maybe the lady was laying a trap for him – cornering him in a secluded part of the warehouse and then compromising him. He had thought that the air of mystery she surrounded herself with was a way to lure him, like a siren to a sailor. But those assumptions quickly disappeared whenever his eyes met with hers.

Those green eyes looked too genuine to be deceitful. Besides, if she did want to compromise him, surely she would have done that by now. He was not easily caught by a pretty face or a simple smile like Bingley often was, so Darcy can safely say for certain that he will know if his mysterious lady had an ill will against him. He did suspect, however, that she might be hiding from someone for she always moved away from him whenever footsteps began to approach their direction.

Perhaps she was not yet out and therefore was not allowed to talk to men?

The thought was like a splash of cold water to Darcy. Good grief! He had not been meeting with a girl who had not been presented, had he? Surely, with the kind of clothes she was wearing, she belonged to the known member of the society. And every upper class of society held balls for their daughter's coming out.

If she had come out, surely he would have heard of it. She looked to be about twenty at most; therefore she should be out by now. But then again, he was never one to attend balls unless forced, so how would he know? But if she was out, his Aunt, Elinor Fitzwilliam, the Countess of Matlock, who was known as one of the 'leaders' of the Ton, would undoubtedly know about her.

If his Aunt Matlock had indeed known her, then the Countess would not stop pestering Darcy to meet her. For Darcy was beginning to see her as his equal, it was obvious that they both matched each other's wits in different discourses. And knowing his Aunt Matlock, she would see what Darcy was seeing as well.

As Darcy let out a groan and sat on his chair, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam entered Darcy House's study with a smirk. "So Cousin, are you still purposefully forgetting the errands I asked of you as an excuse to see your mysterious lady?"

In response, Darcy only groaned again to which the Colonel chuckled.

-p&p-

Meanwhile, Anne Margaret Darcy née Fitzwilliam was sitting in her private study when the most awaited letters from her beloved son arrived. Not wasting a moment, she broke the first seal and began reading its contents.

She had made a deal with William to write to her every day. And because Farris House was more than a long distance from Darcy House, she had asked her son's messages to be delivered every two weeks. Nonetheless, it did not escape her notice how this recent pile of messages seemed thicker than usual.

To her surprise, the context of the letters sounded… off. Not in the way that she would have left Scotland for London in haste to check whether her only son was faring well, but in a way that she felt giddy for she suspected that her son might be… interested in someone.

After all, she was sure that William would not have asked as to which story she preferred – "Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded" or "An Apology for the Life of Mrs Shamela Andrews"[3] – if he had not found someone to converse it with. And that someone must certainly be a woman. Anne could count on one hand the number of men who would have no problem in discussing novels and none of them was with William so it must be a lady.

If that was not enough evidence, part of William's second to the last missive was more than enough for her to suspect.

"A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, all the modern languages; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address, and expressions. And to all this, she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.

Mother, the assertion was written above is how (as you well know) Father describes an accomplished woman. And you know that I believe in these, too. But, what if someone mentioned these statements in front of a young woman? (This condition is hypothetical, of course.) And what if said hypothetical young woman thought these claims comical? Would you think that said hypothetical young woman is too severe on her own sex, or not? Because that was my opinion at first, that said hypothetical-young-woman was too severe on her own sex. But upon further reflection, I've come to the conclusion that it is our society that is severe on women for having such unrealistic expectations of perfection.

Not that those accomplishments were too impossible to obtain, of course, for I have seen every trait of those 'requirements' in you (perhaps that is the reason why Father thought of those characteristics as the model of an accomplished woman) but I did come to a realization that society has such a long nonsensical list of what a woman should be and whether they attain all those achievements or not, they continue to not be regarded as gender of substance.

These sentiments are products only of random thoughts due to my observations, of course. For you know me, Mother, and I do enjoy observing those around me rather than interacting with them."

Anne knew her son very well. William could not fool her. Random thoughts due to his observations! Did her son think her so gullible to believe that? 'But if it is a lady that was causing him to act like this, then good for him.' She thought with relief.

Another year of focusing on the family business and responsibilities and Anne would have thought her son, though she loved him very much, was not human at all. But she couldn't blame William for what he had become. It was, after all, her husband who had pushed and continued to push their son into this.

Of course, as a mother, she was proud to have raised a responsible and good principled man. But even she knew that too much of everything was a bad thing.

Thank the Lord that George Wickham was finally out of their lives! Because of that cad, her son had learnt to grow up sooner rather than later. She wished she could have been there for William through his hard times as a teen but she was still recovering from giving birth to Georgiana and after that, she was too much involved with other affairs that she feared for her children's lives if she stayed too close to them.

It was one of her most horrible experiences – leaving her children with her husband while she stayed on their other estates. 'Twas only a year and a half before William had finished his studies that she found it safe to be with them again. But of course, she still found some time to meddle with the affairs she got involved with, hence her extension of stay in Scotland.

When the bell for dinner rung, she hid William's letters in a secret compartment that even her husband was not privy to. She would keep this little information to herself in the meantime. Besides, she was still not sure of her assumptions. For all she knew, William might have avoided another ball resulting in his cheery mood and the part regarding an accomplished woman may have been a product of his random thoughts after recalling his observations.

Regardless, she would not divulge this newfound knowledge to either Georgiana or George. They had their own letters from William anyway.

Seeing her husband already at the end of the table, she maintained a stern look. She was still mad at her husband anyway, one more reason to hide William's missives to her from him.

-p&p-

At the Gardiner Residence in Berkeley Square, London, Elizabeth kept on twisting and turning on her bed. It was nearing midnight but she could not find it in her to sleep. She even flipped her pillows multiple times but her mind would not let her rest.

She would be returning to Longbourn in three days.

Usually, this would make Lizzy sad for she would miss her Aunt Madeline and Uncle Edward along with her cousins. But that sadness would soon disappear when her thoughts drifted off to both Mary and Kitty, whom she knew needed her back.

If she was not the receiving end of their mother's ire, Mama made sure that Mary and Kitty were the next in line. Jane, though her presence calmed Mama, could do nought if Fanny was at her worse of moods. Lydia, on the other hand, could either distract their mother (by discussing eligible bachelors) or fuel her anger (by telling that Kitty or Mary would not let her borrow something she wanted). All that Papa could do was take Mary and Kitty in his study to escape.

Lizzy had tried to take her sisters with her to London but she understood that her Aunt had not yet recovered from the trauma of past events. Also, the tenants of Longbourn would not do well without her two sisters. Jane also helped sometimes, but Mama refused to let her beautiful daughters associate with the 'less pleasing' ones.

Her sisters should be the priority of her thoughts and worries. But as Lizzy walked towards her bedroom windows and felt the evening breeze blew past her, she could not help her thoughts to take a turn on a particular gentleman whose name she still had no knowledge of.

"Miss Lizzy, are you not going to tell the gentleman your name yet?" Alexa had often asked.

Lizzy wanted to, but if she did, he would find out that she was the Gardiners' niece. And if that happened, he would probably mention something to her Aunt or Uncle about knowing her. And if either of her relatives found out, she would be banned from leaving the house. It will be another case of Lady Amelia all over again. Besides, she was not exactly close to the gentleman to understand why she would like to keep their acquaintance a secret.

She just wanted to have a friend in town. Charlotte, the closest person to her outside of her family, was in Hertfordshire and Lizzy was always going back and forth between London and her home county. Yes, Alexa was always with her and they were close but there are things she wanted to discuss that her abigail had no interest in.

Archie was the same case with Alexa. Mrs Winters, though Lizzy cared for her companion very much, was not close in her age. Her cousins, as adorable as they were, were too young for her desired discourse. But her newly found acquaintance, though obviously older than her, seemed to share the same interests as hers despite their many contradicting opinions.

They had talked about different plays, authors, books, estate management, horses, sheep, fruit trees, food, crops, music, composers, inventors, politics, and even poetry. They had basically talked about anything and nothing at all. The only thing their conversations were lacking was personal information and family-related talks.

She was really glad to have him as a friend. He who was her first and only acquaintance in London, he whom neither her Aunt nor Uncle had any idea about, he who had treated her as somewhat his equal, he who seemed to respect her opinion, he who was the reason her parting to London would be…upsetting…

Sighing, Lizzy looked up at the moon. Despite being fond of morning walks and the feel of the warm morning sun against her skin, she dearly loved the sky at night especially when the moon made its presence known.

Ever since she was a little girl, whenever she was feeling lost, she had this fancy belief that the moon will guide her. The same went if she ever had a wish.

The nights before her birthdays, she had also spent the late hours by her window gazing at the moon. And instead of wishing on stars, as most do, Lizzy wished on the moon.

On the night before her eighteenth birthday, she had wished for a friend. That was why she sneaked out of the house, with some assistance from both Alexa and Archie. She immediately headed to Hyde Park knowing that she would find people there.

But probably because of the looming clouds and the eventual downpour, she had found none. So she proceeded to climb a tree where she spotted a bird's nest. Perhaps, little birds were all she was meant to find that day. And to her delight, those birdies were not frightened by her presence.

That was why Lizzy decided to stay seated on the branch. When she was little, she and Grandma Claire would do the same – climb a tree, find a stable branch, and sing. This year, in place of her Grandma's presence, were the birds.

Lizzy paid no mind to her soaked clothes. That moment was one of the most times of freedom she had ever experienced in town and nothing could ruin it for her. She was enjoying her time with her little animal companions so much that when she climbed down, she didn't notice another presence.

The moon had granted her wish – for she crossed paths with a gentleman that day, the same gentleman whom three days later became one of her favourite conversationalists, therefore becoming her friend.

This night, however, she wished for the moon's guidance. Using her imagination, Lizzy pretended that the moon was gazing upon her, calming her mind. Closing her eyes, Lizzy focused solely on the darkness. Then pretending to have a magic affinity, the moonbeams slowly entered that never-ending dark, lighting a path for her.

Laughing slightly at her silliness, Elizabeth opened her eyes and smiled at her beacon. She had made a decision.

She was going to reveal her identity to the unnamed gentleman before she left London for Hertfordshire.


[1] Benedick, Beatrice, Claudio, and Hero are all characters from "Much Ado About Nothing" - a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599, as Shakespeare was approaching the middle of his career.

[2] "Guide to the Lakes," more fully "A Guide through the District of the Lakes," William Wordsworth's travellers' guidebook to England's Lake District, has been studied by scholars both for its relationship to his Romantic poetry and as an early influence on 19th-century geography. Originally written because Wordsworth needed money, the first version was published in 1810 as anonymous text in a collection of engravings. The work is now best known for its expanded and updated 1835 fifth edition.

[3] "An Apology for the Life of Mrs Shamela Andrews" or simply "Shamela," as it is more commonly known, is a satirical burlesque novella by English writer Henry Fielding. It was first published in April 1741 under the name of Mr Conny Keyber. Fielding never admitted to writing the work, but it is widely considered to be his. It is a direct attack on the then-popular novel "Pamela" (1740) by Fielding's contemporary and rival Samuel Richardson and is composed, like Pamela, in epistolary form.


Any thoughts? If you're worried about our Lizzy and Darcy still not at each other's throat, worry not because we'll get there soon.

Sorry if the updates are slow but I don't want to go Charles Bingley on you guys (You know, constant at first then will suddenly disappear?). This is a Work in Progress story and I'm aiming to be a Fitzwilliam Darcy in terms of writing (Slow but committed).

I'm really learning a lot of literature pieces as I continue on this story!

Anyway, so there we have a little background about Mama Darcy... also, if you think our Darcy and Lizzy are OOC for still not knowing each other's name then, all I can say is that I think I gave them reasons that are justifiable enough. (Lizzy's other reasons for not telling her name will be revealed in the next chapters.)

So, what do you guys think?