At the Darcy townhome, Mr. Darcy and Richard sipped on aged dark liquor as they both leaned over a chess board. Richard felt tired and ready for sleep, but had sensed his cousin needed some quiet company this eve and he dutifully had sat in the study with him until now. The man broke the thoughtful silence as Richard contemplated his next move.

"Richard, I have held something back from you all this time we have been in London but I cannot bear the burden of it alone any longer. With our relationship as close as it is, I feel the need to confide in you," Darcy sighed out at the end of his statement, indicating the weight of the words he spoke. Richard instantly recognized the expression on his dear cousin's face - complete lovesickness reminiscent of early in the season.

"Come on, Darce, don't look so glum. It surely cannot be so bad," Richard replied.

"I wrote Miss Bennet a letter about everything - her sister Miss Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley, Wickham and my sister -," Darcy cut off his words at this moment, looking towards the window into its inky nighttime blackness, "- all of it. I could not let it all go unsaid in the moments after I shared my feelings with her.

"Is that so?" Richard asked. "I had no idea that you had written the lady to further your acquaintance."

"I could not bear the thought of a lady I hold in such esteem not knowing the entire truth of my actions. Of my relationships with people like George Wickham and why I hold no fondness for the man. The idea of it all was driving me mad," Darcy rambled miserably. "And I mentioned you to her too. That, if she still abhorred me too greatly to take any of it to heart, she could always confide in you about these things. I said that it in no way was meant to renew my sentiments or offers from the night we talked. I have heard nothing from her since."

"If you're asking, dear cousin, I too have heard nothing from Miss Bennet," Richard replied with a compassionate glance into his cousin's eyes. He had rarely ever seen him show so much emotion.

"I did not expect so, but it is impossible to not wish that everything was somehow different from the beginning. But at least I know since I penned that letter that I have been faithful and forthcoming in everything I've said to her. That's more than many can say," Darcy said.

"Certainly more than Wickham, that snake. At least we can sleep easily tonight knowing that one less fair lady will ever fall under his spell. If you continue with these letters, he'll soon have no attractive women in all of England left to bother," Richard chimed in. This earned a small smile from his cousin, and for now, that was enough. Richard's thoughts were only half occupied at easing Darcy's troubles. The other half wandered over to what one Caroline Bingley would think about all of this.


A few nights later, Caroline's stomach began to ache from suppressed laughter threatening to jolt her body as Colonel Fitzwilliam imitated Lord Framingham and his ridiculous dinner conversation in a whispered frenzy in her ear. The poor small man was endlessly attempting to be the most showy and pompous attention-grabber in the room, and much to Caroline's dismay, these efforts continued to be directed at her in most cases. As these horrid efforts were executed at event after event, the Colonel had proved a steadfast, trustworthy companion and quite an entertaining one at that. She reviewed her recent interactions with Mr. Darcy over the same span of time since the garden party. She felt that they were advancing in their acquaintance. It no longer felt quite as hostile - perhaps not at all affectionate, either - but tolerable on his end most certainly.

As the dinner party neared its end for the evening, Caroline and Colonel Fitzwilliam found themselves seated off to the side alone, the furniture immediately surrounding them vacant as various groups departed in their carriages for the night. Caroline found herself watching the Colonel as he seemed deep in thought, gently chewing his bottom lip as he clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Something is weighing heavily on your thoughts, Colonel. You usually appear as if you're not even thinking at all. Why don't you share with me what's troubling you?" she teased gently, hoping to break him out of her reverie. Perhaps it was something to do with his war engagements or whatever it was he had to concern himself with as a younger son of an earl.

"Ah Miss Bingley, you study me too closely. Trust me when I say that you do not want to hear what I have running through my mind," he answered back, sending a kind half-smile in her direction.

"I may not want to hear it...but something in your voice suggests that I should all the same. Please, Colonel, tell me what troubles you."

"It is not so much what troubles me as what I for some reason feel obligated to tell you. As I tell you this, I am also telling you that I firmly believe you would not share this around town. I think too highly of you to believe you would, but that is a confidence I have in you that no others do, including my esteemed cousin. I am trusting you. Do you understand?"

Caroline had rarely seen the man so serious. "I do. I do, but I cannot imagine what you are even about to share with me that would make you so solemn."

"I am torn between my loyalty to my cousin and my nonsensical attachment to you - one must question the friendships they make at some point - but I believe what I will share will only be to the benefit of all parties in the end."

"That is fine then, I trust your judgement. Continue...please!" Caroline urged, resisting the temptation to scoot to the edge of her chair in anticipation.

"My cousin wrote a letter to Miss Elizabeth Bennet shortly after their last conversation...the one that we both overheard," Richard stated succinctly. The words hung heavily in the air between them.

"A letter? After the proposal we heard? And what of this letter? Was it an additional proposal? A request to reconsider?" Caroline implored. In that moment, looking at the frenzy in Caroline's eyes, Richard resolved to keep secret that Darcy had specifically chosen not to renew his sentiments to Elizabeth.

"I will not disclose the specifics but you should know that he went into great detail about a number of different circumstances that the two of them are connected by but never had the opportunity to fully discuss. He did so in the hope that it might clarify some of their greater misunderstandings and give the lady an improved, more truthful perspective of their encounters. As his cousin, I feel wrong sharing this with you. But as someone woefully aware of your goals here in London, I must also be honest and firm in saying that I do not believe he has thought of anything or anyone else since.

Caroline looked frustrated at his ambiguity, and opened and closed her mouth a few times as she debated how much to press the Colonel for all of the information he had. Ultimately, she simplified her questions into the one she cared about most. "But did Mr. Darcy receive a letter back from Miss Bennet?"

"The lady has not responded, no. I do not know if she ever will or will not."

Caroline scoffed at that. "You truly think a woman of her station is going to consciously refuse an opportunity to become the mistress of Pemberley? You think she's going to take her time to mull something like that over? To receive a letter that from all I can interpret was as much a plea for her to consider him again as anything and she would simply ignore him entirely?"

"Miss Bingley, you are more than aware of my regard for you but I must say you are wrong in your assessment of Miss Bennet. I can only assume that the same misjudgment carries over to her entire family. I cannot speak to her feelings on any matter, nor why she has not responded to the letter if in fact there was anything to respond to. But all I can say is that I found her to be entirely lovely."

"Indeed! You speak highly of her as well? Does Longbourn have the whole of this country under its spell aside from me?" Caroline's eyes flashed in anger./

"I only tell you about this letter because I have somehow become the person who knows the most about all involved in this strange situation. Miss Bingley, I fear you are trying to enter from the outside when the door is already locked and barred. I will continue to assist you if you wish, as I promised, but I refuse to do it under the premise of any potential success. I have become too fond of you to watch you suffer in such a way as you chase an impossible dream.

Caroline assessed him, and Richard could tell already that too little of what he had just said would take hold within her mind. He knew that there was nothing more he could do for now and hoped that the end of summer would come quicker than he could ever hope. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand to watch this beautiful, infuriating woman pursue something so futile.

"Until the season is over, my pursuit will not be over either," Caroline stated back to him, her eyes shining resolutely with unshed tears.

Just as he watched her heart break a little at his discouragement, his own ached right along with her.


That night, Caroline lay flat on her back in bed staring at the details of the ceiling above that she could just make out in the moonlight. She was reeling from what Richard had shared earlier. He had been immensely kind in providing her with exactly the type of help she had requested, and she felt that he could have no ulterior motive for attempting to dissuade her from her quest to marry his cousin. It was that that worried her more than anything else - she trusted Richard more than most people she had ever met and she was positive he was not aiming to mislead her when he shared his opinions.

However, the truth was that she simply would not give up that easily. A match between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet was nonsensical, and she felt well-poised to enter into the fray as Darcy would surely come to realize the error in his choice of a potential wife. It was now abundantly clear that a little bit of prompting and a copious amount of expediency was required to ensure she would not wake up one morning to find Mr. Darcy gone from London and back to the countryside alone. But how to do so? That she needed to ponder…


With the ease that followed Caroline Bingley everywhere except in her romantic pursuits, an answer to her next scheme arrived by post the very next morning.

"A masquerade ball? How lovely!" she exclaimed as she clasped the invitation in hand. Instantly, her mind began swimming with ideas. She had always found the masquerade balls to be dreadfully romantic. She was certain that this was just the impetus needed to get her to where she wanted to be with Mr. Darcy. There were two things she needed though - first of all, to look better than she ever had at a London social event before. And secondly, she needed to waltz into the masquerade ball knowing exactly how to spot Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and entangle him in the web she planned to weave.

Later the same day, Caroline headed out for an appointment with her preferred seamstress in town. She planned to waste no time to ensure that she was costumed fantastically for this major event. Conveniently, the same seamstress was a favorite of the Darcy family, and Caroline was confident that if she played her cards right, that could benefit her as attendees' costumes came together. Unlike many around London society, Caroline had never shied away from friendly interactions with the young apprentices in the seamstresses' shop. Whether it was the idea that they appreciated beautiful fabrics as much as she did, or the warm feeling she felt when they quietly whispered compliments under their breaths as her own mother critiqued her appearance loudly, she didn't know but she felt sure that these young ladies would help her if she requested it.

After being measured from head to toe, Caroline eyed the seamstress across the room ruffling through fabric choices for her gown. She caught the eye of the girl nearest her, one who she recognized from her past trips to the shop, who curiously stepped closer at her beckoning.

"The Darcy family - if they come here to be outfitted, I want to know what costume Mr. Darcy selects. If you're here and you see, send a few small pieces of his fabric pinned inside my gown. Could you do that for me, please? You know I'm not dressing my best for just any reason, don't you?" Caroline whispered conspiratorially to the girl.

The girl's eyes widened at the request. She returned the mischievous smile that Caroline felt mirrored on her own face and then nodded. Caroline had a rush of excitement fill her chest. Her plan was coming together.


Within a few days, Caroline's machinations began to fall into place. Darcy and the Colonel arrived at the seamstress shop in search of last minute options for the masquerade. While neither took the event seriously, they also were aware it would be out of fashion to show up in their regular attire.

The seamstress squealed in near delight as she assessed the pair. "Now you two are just a clothier's dream! Such similar builds, such similar measurements...what have I done to be gifted such an easy job on this day?" She chuckled as she flitted to the fabric stand. Darcy and Richard smirked at each other as she went about her job, altering this and that as she went. At one point, Darcy even broke into a laugh as Richard playfully winked at a young assistant who seemed to be watching them much too curiously and she bolted out of the room, her face flushed bright red.

The girl hurried to the back, embarrassed to have been caught staring by the handsome gentlemen but satisfied that she had enough details to provide Miss Caroline Bingley with exactly what had been requested. She snipped the fabrics in the back of the shop and pinned them inside the dress just in time for it to be picked up to go to the Bingleys' townhome.

Back in the front of the shop, Mr. Darcy pulled at the sleeves of his jacket, a deep crimson color he would never wear in normal circumstances, to shorten them. "Can these not be adjusted further? It still feels a bit oversized."

The seamstress clicked her tongue and had the two gentlemen switch their coats to expedite the process. "There! Your one true difference is the length of the Colonel's arms, just a tad longer. Otherwise, you two could pass as twins! Particularly with the combination of those masks and top hats."/

"Excellent! Perhaps this will be the one night I get confused as someone with a fortune," Richard joked with a laugh as Darcy merely shook his head in amusement.


Caroline arrived at the masquerade party the next night feeling as good as she had in months. Her slim curves were gently hugged by the stitching of the midnight blue silk that the seamstress had adorned her in. The rich color of the fabric set off her creamy skin and vibrant hair, and her dainty mask only served to accentuate the bone structure of her face. Inside her gloves, the fabric of Darcy's shirt and coat was neatly tucked. She felt well-armed to take on this engagement tonight. She felt utterly seductive.

Feeling curious eyes and fielding looks of admiration, she felt empowered as she moved slowly and elegantly through the room. She did her best to head in the opposite direction of the small squirmy man she recognized as Lord Framingham, who she felt most likely had recognized her as well. That was good, for once, that he had her in his sights. That fit into her plot for the evening.

Her eyes were constantly scanning as she settled herself slightly off to the side of the gathering. She had yet to spot any crimson-colored clothing just yet but she would, she knew. This masquerade was the engagement of the season and not even Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy could pass up the chance to attend, even if it was primarily to keep his mind off of other things. Before the end of the night, she would solve all of his troubles.


Richard had to escape. He prided himself on his self-control in a number of situations, but he had no ability to stop his heart from racing or his body from responding to the looks he saw in Caroline's eyes as she silently tracked him around the ballroom all evening. Her hair was unmistakable and even without, her beautiful eyes had already become seared in his mind forever even at a distance. He had known who she was the moment she entered the ballroom, and it completely gutted him to realize that she somehow mistook him for his cousin. She had never and he knew she would never fix her eyes on him in such a way. Him - a colonel, a younger son. He had to remove himself immediately from the gathering. He trusted not what he would do with such power of disguise if she were to come close, without their fragile friendship to place a barrier in the way. Most days he could handle being near the woman who had somehow wholeheartedly captured his affections, but after weeks of watching her relentlessly pursue his cousin, he had reached his limit. As secretively as he could, he exited down a side hall and cut into the nearest vacant room he could find and leaned against the wall. Breathing deeply, his head swam with thoughts of her.

Within minutes, the creak of the door and a spill of light shook him out of his reverie in the dark room. Light steps filled his ears, and a waft of a lady's signature perfume passed by his nose. All he needed was the flash of midnight blue from the corner of his eye and the feel of a tiny silk waist moving into his space to recognize what company he had, and his senses were completely overwhelmed as the lady's arms reached up to him. His hands settled around her as she came close. /

He knew it was Caroline, pressing her body into his, fitting herself into the flat, solid planes of his chest, aligning her legs to the space between and beside his own so that every inch of them connected. Her hands fell so that her fingers lay softly across his collarbone and the muscular spots where his neck joined his shoulders. She tilted her face up to press her lips to his without hesitation, and he was done. Overcome, he entwined his hand into her hair to grip the back of her head to deepen the kiss briefly, and then removed his lips from hers to press kisses along the side of her jaw and neck, working his way up her earlobe where he languidly sucked and gently bit and pulled and his warm breath tickled her face.

A soft gasp escaped her throat and she fully wrapped her arms around the back of his head to lock him to her, urging him to continue. On instinct, she lifted one of her legs to prop it at his hip and around his thigh, joining them even more impossibly close together. Just as her arms relaxed a bit, they ran down to lock around his torso and his lips returned to hers. Deep in a kiss, the pair were suddenly illuminated by candlelight from the hallway as the door quickly opened.

"What have we here?!" the nasally voice, distinctive of Framingham, cried out.


Caroline felt the man's arms stiffen around her as he pulled his face away to look in the light's direction. She herself pressed her face into his neck, noting the scratchiest bit of stubble that had grown since the man's face had last been shaven. Lord Framingham had followed her and observed her conduct - the second piece of the puzzle she needed to fall into place. The first piece - the man actually reciprocating any kind of physical approach from her - had fit in easier than she ever could have imagined. Perhaps Darcy's lovelorn state had left him receptive to a few kisses.

"Caroline, how could you-?" her dear brother's voice followed up, sounding completely aghast.

Feeling a bit of heat rush to her face considering her brother's observation of her predicament, Caroline inhaled to steady herself. While she would have preferred that they went to her brother about this after the fact, she realized that the events of the evening were unfolding how she needed all the same. Any sort of embarrassment that would follow in the coming moments would be worth it in the end. Her heart began to swell in triumph - this was exactly what she wanted and there was no turning back.

Schooling her features, she set her face into one of aloof understanding and steadied herself using the arms that were now more loosely wrapped about her yet still holding her strong. Unable to quite meet his eyes just yet, she kept her gaze to the floor as she turned around and then gazed up to make eye contact with their discoverers.

That despicable man Framingham, fuming.

Her dear brother Bingley, his mouth ajar with surprise.

And Darcy with his mask off - Darcy?! Was he not standing behind her now, supporting her gently by resting his hand low on her hip under a few of the folds in her skirt?

Feeling like she was detached from her own body, Caroline turned back around, her mind blank and frozen until her eyes met those that she had come to know so well - too well - in the last few weeks, now illuminated in the soft candlelight spilling into the room.

She looked into the eyes of one Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, which gazed back at her with an impossible depth of emotion swirling beneath. What thoughts were running through his head?

Most importantly, what on earth had she done?