Netherfield

November 27th, 1811

Darcy was in Bingley's study waiting for the footman to remove the woman from his room, when Bingley went on a tangent talking about the Bennets, to Darcy who, wanted nothing more than to stop thinking of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, why did I ask her sister to tell her you meet me tomorrow morning? Darcy thought to himself, but tried to refocus on what Bingley was going on about.

"Tonight opened my eyes Darcy, I can no longer claim to be in love, with Miss Bennet, Caroline told me the Bennets are after my money and the mother pressed the eldest upon me and tonight that was confirmed"

"Did you not seek her out at first?" confused by his friend's declaration

"I did, but you have already agreed, that she is the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood, it was expected, that I would talk to her"Bingley said, not giving Darcy a chance to respond continued "I like Miss Bennet, she is beautiful as an angel, but too quiet, I do not think she has any regard for me. Caroline and Louisa assured me she did not." Bingley stated. "There is another man that she loves, but her father does not approve of the Lucas boy as her husband, we overheard Lady Lucas."

"Have you spoken to Jane? You have already raised expectations, her mother was prattling on about a wedding and half the neighborhood agreed." Darcy replied

"No, I do not need to have her lie to my face. I have not raised any expectations, my sisters are right, their lack of dowry and connections presents a problem, if I am trying to move up in society."

"You would do well to remember, they are gentlewomen and above you in society, even if you have more money than they do." Darcy responded

"You would see me marry the girl? Caroline would never approve and I still need to marry her off you know, the connection to the Bennet family isn't exactly something to brag about and Caroline is difficult enough."

"No, You need to quit Netherfield and leave the Bennet Family, alone. Go to London and find someone to settle down with. " Darcy did not want to cause anymore pain to Miss Bennet, who would probably be seen as jilted.

"Splendid idea, we shall leave tomorrow after breaking out fast." Bingley responded

The footman returned claiming that there was no woman in Darcy's room.

"Are you in your cups?" Bingley asked Darcy

"No, she must have left after I came in and left." Darcy responded shaking his head "I will have my valet James sleep in my room with me tonight and he will make sure that I stay protected until we leave tomorrow." Darcy said with a wave heading to his bedchamber.

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Longbourn

November 27th 1811

The family had just arrived back from the Netherfield Ball; Elizabeth crawled into bed with Jane. Everyone else was exhausted and went straight to bed. Mary opened the door and walked into Jane's room.

"Lizzy, I almost forgot to tell you; Mr. Darcy asked me to relay his fondness of walking at Oakham Mount at breakfast time." Mary said with a yawn.

Lizzy was angry and wondered what he could possibly want from her after he told Bingley to avoid their family. "When did he say this to you?"

"It was shortly before we left. He waited around for you, but he had to go see Mr. Bingley." Mary said stifling a yawn

"Thanks, Mary." Elizabeth replied

"Goodnight." Mary said to her sisters heading towards the door

"Goodnight, Mary" Jane and Elizabeth replied in unison.

Once Mary was gone and the door tightly shut. Elizabeth asked Jane "Why do you seem, so forlorn, Jane?"

"I practically threw myself at Mr. Bingley and he brushed me off in favor of Lydia." Jane said in a soft voice

"Oh, dear Jane, I-" Lizzy began, but Jane interrupted her.

"Lizzy, I do not wish to reflect of tonight." Jane said pulling the covers over her head finally letting the tears roll down her cheeks.

"Do you want me to go?" Lizzy asked her sister, from outside the covers, in concern.

"No, please stay." Jane choked out between a sob

Lizzy wrapped her arms around Jane hugged her tightly until the both fell into a dreamless sleep.

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Lizzy awoke at dawn as usual despite her late night. She laid there, for sometime with her sister debating, if she should venture out to Oakham Mount to meet Mr. Darcy. She looked over at her sister's sleeping form and knew that she needed answers not only for herself, but for her sister. She left Jane's room and returned to her own. Lizzy rang for a maid to bring her fresh water to wash her face and began to get dressed.

Lizzy did not hear anyone else stirring and tried to quietly walk down the steps before everyone began to break their fast. Unfortunately, Mr. Collins was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs case, wearing last night's attire. Mrs. Hill was standing at the bottom of the staircase with him.

"Oh good, dear Cousin Elizabeth, you have arised." Mr. Collins greeted Elizabeth at the bottom of the staircase blocking her path.

"Mr. Collins, Excuse me." Lizzy said trying to brush pass the annoying man.

"I have been waiting here all night just to have a private audience with you, maybe we take this into the drawing room." Mr. Collins said offering her his arm

"Mr. Collins I am sure, you have nothing to say to me that cannot be said, in public." Lizzy said rebuffing his advances.

Mrs. Hill sensing Lizzy was in a delicate situation, called a maid to wake Mr. Bennet

Mr. Collins, was angry at the Housekeepers interference and began to rush through his well thought out plan.

"Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far from doing you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections. You would have been less amiable in my eyes had there NOT been this little unwillingness; You can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you to dissemble; my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life. But before I am run away with by my feelings on this subject, perhaps it would be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying--and, moreover, for coming into Hertfordshire with the design of selecting a wife, as I certainly did." The idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run away with by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing, that she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him further, and he continued: "My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced that it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly--which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. Twice has she condescended to give me her opinion (unasked too!) on this subject; and it was but the very Saturday night before I left Hunsford--between our pools at quadrille, while Mrs. Jenkinson was arranging Miss de Bourgh's footstool, that she said, 'Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Choose properly, choose a gentlewoman for MY sake; and for your OWN, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a woman as soon as you can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her.' Allow me, by the way, to observe, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of the advantages in my power to offer. You will find her manners beyond anything I can describe; and your wit and vivacity, I think, must be acceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much for my general intention in favour of matrimony; it remains to be told why my views were directed towards Longbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where I can assure you there are many amiable young women. But the fact is, that being, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father (who, however, may live many years longer), I could not satisfy myself without resolving to choose a wife from among his daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible, when the melancholy event takes place--which, however, as I have already said, may not be for several years. This has been my motive, my fair cousin, and I flatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem. And now nothing remains but for me but to assure you in the most animated language of the violence of my affection. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature on your father, since I am well aware that it could not be complied with; and that one thousand pounds in the four per cents, which will not be yours till after your mother's decease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On that head, therefore, I shall be uniformly silent; and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married."

Sometime during his long speech the remainder of the house was altered to what was happening and they know had an audience. Jane was confused at the address of Mr. Collins, Mary was amused that Mr. Collins actually tried to pursue her disinclined sister, Kitty was relieved that he was not trying to pursue her, Lydia was angry that she would not be the first married, Mrs. Bennett was hysterical because he chose Lizzy over Kitty.

"You are too hasty, sir," Lizzy cried. "You forget that I have made no answer. Let me do it without further loss of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than to decline them."

"You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it are briefly these: It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of de Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in my favour; and you should take it into further consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females."

Mr. Bennet was malcontented with his cousins attentions and knew he needed to take action, but Elizabeth had started talking.

"Upon my word, sir," cried Elizabeth, "your hope is a rather extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make ME happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so. Nay, were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded she would find me in every respect ill qualified for the situation." And with that Elizabeth stormed off to meet Mr. Darcy

Mr. Bennet turned to his cousin and said "I have been remiss in making myself clear to you that NONE of the women in my care, will marry you, I forbid it."

"But sir, I am you heir and I have the power to throw out all of the women under your care right after your demise, I INSIST that you allow me to marry Miss Elizabeth, right after the banns are read!"

"Mr. Collins, because of my sister's interference in our correspondence, I have allowed you to think you are the heir of Longbourn, but you are NOT; My son is, you have no power over the estate, I am telling you, as I told your idiot father, that my father and I broke the entail, before I even had a son, so you have no claim to Longbourn."

Mr. Collins face turned a tomato red color and the began shouting "This cannot be, I am going to Lady Catherine De Bourgh! She will have you thrown in a madhouse and Longbourn will become mine and no bastard child of your can change that!"

Mr. Bennet to the footmen to remove his cousin from the house with any force necessary.

Mrs. Bennett was in hysterics. "A son!?! How can that be?" She was prattling on back and forth with nerves. "Why was I not informed!?"

"Yes, your were so involved in you life, when Lucy passed, that you did not bother asking me did the child survive." Mr. Bennet said sarcastically

She began twiddling her thumbs and said "He of course will marry Kitty!"

Mr. Bennet looked at his sister in anger and then laughed "He is almost three and ten. He will not bring marrying anyone for another decade or so."

"Then, we will make a engagement contract and they will be betrothed, until he is of age!"

Mrs. Bennett said with glee.

"Absolutely not." Mr. Bennet replied

"Alexander will choose his own spouse."

Mr. Bennet said firmly to his meddling sister.

"But-" Mrs. Bennett tried to protest, but she was met with her brother's icy glare.

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November 27th, 1811

Oakham Mount

Elizabeth makes her way to Oakham Mount, she reaches the top to find herself all alone. Darcy is not there yet, she looks over the edge of the cliff out to the view below, it is her favorite place to go to get away from everyone and everything just to think. She is trying to put the proposal of her ridiculous cousin out of her mind and just focus on what to say to Mr. Darcy about his interference with Jane and Bingley. She is so lost in her thoughts that she does not hear Mr. Darcy approach her from behind until he starts speaking.

"In vain I have struggled and I can bear it no longer."

Elizabeth whips her head around in surprise.