-`o´-

"Did you make it right with her?"

"Cousin!" Darcy was truly becoming annoyed. "Are you spying on me, Fitzwilliam?"

"You could say that."

"Tell me you are jesting."

"One of our aunt's servants was gallivanting near an out of the way grove one fine morning. I sent her back to the house, of course."

"And you are sure she was sent after me."

"I saw her the next day too. Then it was a stable hand."

"Our aunt is not stupid."

"Of course she is! If she was even half as clever as she thinks she is, she would have known you would not marry Anne. She could have found a decent man for our cousin."

Darcy could not argue against Fitzwilliam's logic, so he just nodded and considered what just happened. He already admitted to himself he had been a dolt where Elizabeth and the Bennets were concerned, but apparently he did not consider how much damage he could have done to the family.

He never thought Elizabeth might refuse him, so their walks were those of a couple courting. It was not to be imagined anybody would quarrel with the propriety of doing so. But now, now that Elizabeth did refuse him, people would look at it in a very different light. He had been careless and had jeopardized Elizabeth's and by extension the Bennets' reputation.

"So did you make it right?" Fitzwilliam intruded in his abstraction.

"I apologized to her. And she apologized to me."

"She did? Whatever for?"

"For imputing unkind and unjust reasons to my actions regarding Bingley and her sister."

"Hm. I hope you disabused her of such foolish notions. Your reasons were unjust."

"I always try to be impartial."

"No, no, do not argue with me. They were. You treated Bingley like a fool, a child to be led, not a man to be reasoned with. You always do that."

"I do not!"

"Of course you do. Darcy, believe me, I have known you for a long time and I know what I am saying."

He would have to ponder Fitzwilliam's words. How many people saw his failings and never brought them to his knowledge, he wondered? Was it because he treated people with contempt? Or were they afraid of him?

"Perhaps you are right, Fitzwilliam."

"And you are twice the fool, cousin! This is exactly what you did to Bingley, did you not? You assured him you know everything there is to know and he should take your word for it. And poor dunderhead that he is, he did just that."

"I do not care for your methods, cousin."

"Darcy, you are a good man and I am not worried about your soul. But you are also arrogant; you think yourself superior in understanding to almost everybody, including me, and you are not."

"Elizabeth would not - "

"What would Miss Elizabeth not do?"

"Miss Elizabeth would not just take my word for it."

"Quite the fearsome amazon then."

"I asked her to allow me to court her, you know."

"Did you? Are you not afraid her mother will try to catch you for her daughter?" Fitzwilliam chortled with laughter.

"She said she would not entertain any person likely to cause distress to her sister or Bingley. So first I will have to make it right with him."

"If he wants to, Darcy."

"He will. Bingley is the most understanding, honest, and loyal friend I ever had."

Fitzwilliam only snorted in reply.

-`o´-

"You are not quite yourself, Eliza."

"I am sorry, Charlotte, I have been a poor guest the past week. I intend to do better by you!" Elizabeth answered with forced cheerfulness.

"Nay, you do not have to laugh for my benefit, but can I do anything for you?"

"I received yet another letter from my mother, you know. She wants me to come home as soon as it may be and talk to Jane."

"Is not Jane in London with your aunt and uncle?"

"She is! And you know and I know that she will be staying in London near Mr. Bingley; she will not be going back home until the wedding."

"It was very lucky to have met him again, wasn't it?"

"I agree, Charlotte. If only my mother could be made to see this!"

"Surely she would not wish to jeopardize Jane's chances!"

"I do not understand what happened. Jane did not reply to my last letter yet and I have to confess that I did not give mama's complaints too much weight the first time she wrote."

"I daresay your mother is anxious about the wedding, Eliza. Maybe she would like Jane to spend more time visiting our friends in Meryton before Mr. Bingley whisks her away to Netherfield," Charlotte said with a smile and a wink. "And I have read you the letter from my mother that I received just this morning. Everything is fine, Eliza, everybody is well. Is this all that worries you?"

"Charlotte, would you allow a - a man," Elizabeth stumbled a bit over the word, "to call on you, if you had no intention to marry him?"

"Who is it you do not wish to marry? Should I guess?"

"I do not have a specific person in mind," Elizabeth answered with tolerable composure.

It was true; for the moment she did not know of any gentleman she would absolutely refuse, should he ask, mainly because she could not really credit that a gentleman would propose again after being refused once. She was safe from that quarter.

"With Jane married it will be my turn to go stay with my aunt and uncle in London."

"Do you have reason to believe the Gardiners would demand that you entertain callers you do not care for?"

"No, no! Of course not! But I do not know what I should do. I would not wish for Mr. Bingley and Jane to have too many sisters to support. They will have children of their own."

"Jane will not begrudge you waiting a year or two. You are still young, Eliza, you have no reason to hurry or to worry."

"Yes, but…" What she wanted to ask, she could not of Charlotte. Could one become fond of one's husband even if one only married for security? She needed Jane! It was melancholy to think that very soon Jane would not always be available to her. Her sister will soon be Mrs. Bingley and other concerns and other people will take precedence in her life. "Oh, enough of this nonsense! My nerves, Charlotte, my nerves!"

-`o´-

"There was no need for you to accompany me, Fitzwilliam."

"What? And miss Bingley rubbing your nose in it?"

"The note said it would be only me coming."

"Stuff and nonsense, Darcy. Your note said no such thing, why would you ever need to say how many you bring?"

"I do not care for your methods, cousin."

-`o´-

"You have not departed, Louisa? Why ever not?"

"Jane and I have no plans to visit today, Caroline."

"But I thought - you cannot be here!"

"Caroline, what is the matter?"

"Why be inside when you can visit the shops? You cannot always be at home!"

"It rains. Sister, whatever is the matter?" Mrs. Hurst received no answer, other than a mullish look. "Jane, would you perhaps like to go upstairs with me? Caroline is determined to be irritable and I do not have the patience for it."

"Caroline, would you like to accompany us? It does not feel right that you should be here alone."

Miss Bingley grated her teeth. She wanted to give her sister and Jane a piece of her mind, but what mattered most was that they not be downstairs.

"Louisa is right, Jane, I'm afraid I would not be good company."

Her sister looked at her with suspicion, it was not often that Caroline admitted to being less than perfect. In the end Mrs. Hurst called for a maid to remove the fashion plates they were looking at and take them to an upstairs parlour.

-`o´-

"Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy to see Mr. Bingley," the butler said on opening the door to the study.

"Darcy, Colonel."

"Bingley," Darcy replied, without fully knowing what he will do next. He might have grumbled about Fiztwilliam joining him, but he was relieved his cousin disregarded his protests.

"Bingley!" the Colonel strode into the room as if they were the best of friends, "I have heard you are well and truly caught! And then I could not rest until I presented my congratulations!"

"I thank you, Colonel, but how did you..."

"I met your delightful future sister, of course. A certain Miss Elizabeth Bennet, is that not so?"

"Where did you meet Miss Elizabeth? I thought she was visiting her friend in Kent."

"She is still in Kent - in any case she was last I saw her. We were visiting our aunt and we happened upon each other. What a wonderful coincidence, is that not so, Darcy?"

"Congratulations, Bingley, I hope you will be very happy."

Mr. Bingley was just about to reply, when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Oh, Mr. Darcy, what a wonderful surprise to hear you are back in town," Caroline Bingley said in her most bright voice, only to stop herself short when faced with a man in uniform. Her quarry was nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Bingley," the Colonel intoned, bowing to her.

"Colonel Fitzwilliam," Miss Bingley said and looked at him in shock. "What a pleasure to see you again," she said after a moment more. "I thought I understood that Mr. Darcy was to visit my brother today."

"You wound me, madam," the Colonel replied in mock affront. "Hm or maybe not. To be taken for Darcy, who is such a tall and handsome fellow, not to mention rich, should be no hardship."

"Miss Bingley," Mr. Darcy's voice came from behind her and Caroline spun around with a most peevish look on her face.

"There you are, sir."

"Indeed, madam."

They were at an impasse. Bingley was trying to determine if he was witnessing yet another of his sister's ill fated schemes and what, if anything, he should do about it; Darcy too was not sure what to do now that so many people were present - should he maybe ask Bingley if the both of them could retire to another, rather more private room than his study?

And Colonel Fitzwilliam was biting his cheek to stop himself from guffawing.

-`o´-

Charles Bingley did not know what to make of the visit. Darcy apologized unreservedly for his interference last Autumn.

Then he launched into a long winded explanation about how he maybe was too sure of himself and did not allow for differences in temper and wishes and how he should not have presumed to always impose his own views on others and how it was especially unfair in their relationship, seeing that he himself was so much younger and less experienced. He always meant well, by all accounts, but he was not always right and he should have taken greater care in the manner in which he delivered his opinions. Of course it should be noted that past success in apprehending the matters was not to be mistaken for guarantee of future reliability of his calculations.

It was fair to say that Bingley's eyes were becoming more and more glassy the longer Darcy spoke. Miss Elizabeth would know how to make him stop, he thought, now hardly able to even make out the words his friend was continuing to spout.

In the end he accepted Darcy's apology and tendered his own in return. His was much shorter and for that he was proud.

"The decision was mine to make. I should have gone back and talked to Jane myself. I begged her forgiveness and obtained it and I can only hope I learnt from my mistakes."

"What is Miss Bennet's," Darcy choked a little, his throat was quite dry after all, "erm, what is Miss Bennet's opinion of me?"

"Good, I daresay. Jane would like to believe even my sisters were acting out of love for me, though Caroline's behaviour disabused her of the notion quite quickly."

-`o´-

Miss Bingley was not at all happy. First Mr. Darcy brought with him the Colonel, a person she did not care for, then her brother Hurst just happened to pass by the study and asked her to send a maid to tell Louisa they had guests and that she see to some tea and cakes.

Here she was now, waiting for the maids to assemble everything on the tables and for Louisa and Jane to come greet their guests. She was at a loss as to what she should do to have a moment alone with Mr. Darcy. She would have invented a reason to leave - perhaps to check on the maids, had she been left alone with the Colonel, but Mr. Hurst was being disagreeable.

"Mrs. Hurst," the Colonel stood and advanced towards the lady of the house, "I beg you not to blame my cousin Darcy for my presence. When I heard he was to come and congratulate your brother on his impending nuptials I felt it my duty to do the same."

"You are very welcome, Colonel," Mrs. Hurst replied with a smile, although she was at a loss to understand what moved the man to be so affable all of a sudden. "Jane," she continued turning towards her future sister, "I would like you to meet Mr. Darcy's cousin and our long time acquaintance, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Colonel, this is Miss Bennet, my brother's intended."

Bows and the appropriate words were exchanged and the Colonel waited for the ladies to situate themselves before he returned to his seat. Hurst remained slumped against a chaise, but then he's never been one to stand in ceremony.

"Congratulations, Miss Bennet, Bingley is a fine fellow."

"Thank you, Colonel. Charles is indeed admirable, as all his friends must agree." Unlike Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, Jane Bennet did not feel at all discomposed at this first unexpected meeting with the Colonel. Elizabeth wrote quite extensively about him and she felt as if she already knew the man. Or at least knew enough to expect that he delighted in making jokes.

"I see beauty and wit run in your family, Miss Bennet. What a lucky fellow Bingley is!"

Miss Bennet only inclined her head in acknowledgement, but did not reply. She was studying him with interest and Fitzwilliam wondered what Miss Elizabeth wrote to her about him. It was quite obvious she was not unsettled by his presence, unlike Mrs. Hurst or her sister.

"And what a lucky woman Miss Bennet is too," Caroline could not help but add. "I'm sure you will agree with me, Jane, you have been uncommonly lucky to have caught my brother."

Hurst made a sound of disapproval and shot his wife a look, which was not difficult to decipher.

"Of course, Caroline, we are both very lucky to be so well matched in all the ways that count."

"Well said, Miss Bennet, well said," the Colonel put in. "What a tragic state of affairs a marriage without understanding must be!"

Miss Bingley did not like the idea of her brother being well matched with Jane enough to pursue it further, so she chose to sulk in silence. But then she remembered something else the Colonel said and could not help herself: "Do you perchance know other members of the Bennet family, Colonel? I did not think you move in the same circles."

"An army man is not welcome everywhere, unfortunately; our manners are not so polished as to make us agreeable company on all occasions," he said with an affected air. His jest only served to stoke Caroline's ire. She truly did not care for impudent second sons.

"But to answer your question, I met Miss Elizabeth in Kent, where she was visiting relatives. It was a lucky chance that brought me and my cousin to our aunt at Rosings just at the right time."

"I doubt Lady Catherine thought so," Caroline muttered, just loud enough for the rest to not be able to pretend they did not hear.

"I believe she did, Miss Bingley, I believe she did. Why, she insisted on having Miss Elizabeth and her party for dinners and teas all the time! And she always asked for music. Your sister," he turned to address Jane, "has been so kind as to never refuse to entertain us at the instrument, Miss Bennet. She is quite an accomplished musician."

"That she is, sir, Lizzy loves her music."

"Oh, yes, we heard her playing a ditty or two, did we not, Louisa?"

"My aunt even commented on her fingering! And as she says herself, there are few people in England who have more true enjoyment of music than Lady Catherine, or a better natural taste than she does. Would you believe, Miss Bennet, she even offered to let your sister practise on a piano at Rosings!"

"Lady Catherine is all attentiveness," was all Jane trusted herself to answer. She was not sure what the Colonel was playing at, having already read Lizzy's description of Lady Catherine's offer of piano practice. Did he himself have designs on Lizzy? But Lizzy said he made it clear he would not offer for her? Or did he enjoy toying with Caroline?

"Not at all, Miss Bennet! Everybody who meets your sister must appreciate her and hold her in the highest esteem, do you not agree?"

Fortune brought Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley in at that very moment and the Colonel threw a significant look at his cousin. Jane's eyes widened in shock. Could it truly be so? Mr. Darcy and Lizzy?

-`o´-

Author note:

Thank you all for your comments, they are wonderful!

I am sorry for not posting on Friday, but life got in the way. I will try to post as usual and if it doesn't work I will move around the posting days.

One quick note about Bingley:

Yes, Mr. Bennet is very upset, but at the end of the day he understands what it was that Bingley offered: Bingley would have to dower his daughters even if Mr. Bennet dies tomorrow and Collins takes over Longbourn.

If this was the case, then Bingley would be 10K poorer.

I don't know if this was clear from the last chapter and if you'll tell me that it was not, then I'll go back and re-write a bit.

Guest Colleen S:

Of course there was a measure of self interest in how the shopkeepers dealt with the militia and the army, there had to be. I guess they hoped that all in all they'll end up in the green.

I don't know if there was also a matter of charging just a smidgen more to cover the deferred payments. It would make sense, although I don't know if that was the case; I haven't looked into it.

And you are very right about Darcy too. It was not so long ago when family matters and personal matters were treated as state secrets. Darcy maybe had enough of Wickham and just wanted to forget all about him, but really Wickham comes back like a fly. Better deal with him in a more permanent fashion.

Guest Lachesis:

Oh, yes.

Elizabeth is in this state of permanent doubt™. I wonder if it comes down to that Assembly comment. It's entirely possible.

Guest who said Elizabeth doesn't spend her time thinking about Darcy at all:

Then we'll agree to disagree.

For me the scene where she sees Anne de Bourgh for the first time it's telling: she sees Anne and thinks of Darcy.

There's no reason for it :)

Guest who said now they understand Mrs. Bennet more:

Now I better understand her fears too. I really do. However, I would like to see what she does to give the girls a better chance in life. 'Cause buying more and more dresses won't help.

The other thing is that Mrs. Bennet has a funny way of showing how much she cares for her children. She thinks nothing of gossiping about Jane being jilted. She knew very well that it would damage Jane's reputation, but she did it anyway.

Guest who said I should not let Elizabeth agree to Darcy calling on her:

It's not that simple. She has many sisters and they are all poor. Jane and Bingley shouldn't have to pay for them all.

That said, she won't marry if she doesn't really, really like him and respect him. Might even love him, who knows :)

Guest Saralee:

Bingley didn't leave Mr. Bennet room to maneuver, which is exactly how one should deal with such an indolent person. Yay Bingley!

Tanseynz:

I didn't think of making a separate thread for the notes, although enough people have complained about them that maybe I should.

Once I finish posting I will organize everything and add a chapter with notes at the end of the story.

I'm very glad you've liked the chapter. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's have some way to go ;)