Chapter 12

The Darcys sent forth from Derbyshire to meet Mr. Bingley in London with uncontained enthusiasm. Darcy, with eagerness to return to Hertfordshire in search of answers to questions he had not asked, and Georgiana with the thrill of being included in her brother's travels, a pleasure she had not enjoyed since before Ramsgate.

Georgiana was thoroughly surprised when Darcy revealed he was returning to Hertfordshire with Mr. Bingley. She had waited for further details as to his designs, but he assured her he was going at the request of Mr. Bingley. When she pressed him further, he shared nothing else. Satisfied, Georgiana did not inquire after his motivations again. For Georgiana, the situation spoke to her brother's loyalty to his friend to willingly place himself in a potentially uncomfortable situation for the sake of his friendship.

When they arrived to London, they stayed at Darcy House for an evening before Bingley arrived for them the following day.

"Darcy! Miss Darcy," Bingley said jovially as they met him in the waiting hall. The footmen were rapidly beginning to load the Darcy trunks into the extra carriage precisely for that purpose.

"Bingley," Darcy said with a smile that only Bingley's good humor could bring out in him. Bingley bowed to Georgiana and she returned it with a regal curtsy and shy smile. While she had spent some time in his company and he had always been so amiable towards her, she was still timid.

"Mr. Bingley," Georgiana glanced up at Darcy, who smiled and nodded for her to proceed. "Please accept my gratitude in inviting me to Hertfordshire with you and my brother. I am delighted to visit Netherfield, for I heard so much about it in letters from my brother-" Georgiana stopped abruptly, realizing she had said too much. Darcy glanced at her curiously but said anything. Bingley did not notice.

"You are always welcome, Miss Darcy. Come, let us begin our journey. I am most eager to arrive and get settled. Then, we can solidify our plans for our stay. Miss Darcy, the local society has many lovely young ladies that I am sure you will find as enchanting as I do, and Darcy and I will certainly partake of some shooting…." Mr. Bingley's ramblings on the charms of Hertfordshire society and the virtues of the country kept the trio occupied as the they moved out from the busier streets of the city. Georgiana sat across from Mr. Bingley, and Darcy had settled on starring out the window, his thoughts occupied.

"Miss Darcy, there is one family in particular I would like very much for you to meet. We spent some time in the company of a Miss Jane Bennet and her sister." Mr. Bingley said, his voice rising a pitch as he smiled. Darcy glanced at Bingley. He recollected Bingley's infatuation with one of the local beauties, but her indifference towards Bingley had been noticed by Darcy and Bingley's sister, and the unsuitable match was avoided. It was not until Bingley made reference to this family that Darcy recollected the lady in question.

"Bingley, did not you say this would be the trip to help you decide on whether Netherfield was a good match –excuse me–fit for you and end the lease if it is not?" Darcy asked, his eyebrows raising slightly. He turned back towards the window before Bingley responded.

"Of course, Darcy. I will decide after spending some time there. But there is no harm in renewing some of our acquaintances and saying a proper goodbye if it comes to it—"

Georgiana stared widely at Mr. Bingley, attempting to draw his attention to her without arising the attention of her brother. She shifted her foot slightly, causing Mr. Bingley to look at her.

" –even you, Darcy, cannot object to renewing our acquaintance with Miss Bennet and Miss—"

Georgiana's eyes widen slightly. She dared not glance at her brother. She was not sure if Mr. Bingley had received a similar letter as she had, and she waited to see if Mr. Bingley would mention Miss Elizabeth. He was dangerously close. Mr. Bingley saw Georgiana turn her head ever so slightly to the left and right, her eyebrows raised with a knowing look at him. Mr. Bingley looked at her curiously but understood.

"with Miss Bennet and her neighbors," he finished dumbly. Darcy made a noncommittal sound of acknowledgment. Mr. Bingley looked contemplative and did not speak for some time. Georgiana pulled out a novel to read as the trio sat in companionable silence.

Darcy was eventually lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the carriage, his head drooping towards the glass of the window and slightly forward. Georgiana and Mr. Bingley eyed him wearily.

"Is he asleep?" Mr. Bingley whispered.

"Fitzwilliam?" Georgiana asked. "Fitzwilliam." She said again, a little louder. He did not stir. "He is a deep sleeper. I have always marveled at his ease of sleeping in a carriage. He is just like father in that way," Georgiana said. Mr. Bingley had a way of making her feel comfortable, as he did with everyone, and while her natural timidity prevented her from contributing greatly to usual conversation, she had to seize her courage for the sake of her brother.

"I received a letter—"

"Mr. Bingley, I must explain-"

They both whispered at the same time. Mr. Bingley smiled at her and motioned for her to continue.

"Did you receive a letter from my brother about—" she glanced at Darcy before lowing her voice even further. "About Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"

"Yes!" Mr. Bingley replied, rather excitedly. He immediately pursed his lips together, realizing he had spoken too loudly. Georgiana shot a nervous look at Darcy, but he remained undisturbed. Bingley mouthed an apology.

"I received one as well. He asked me not to speak about Miss Elizabeth, but he offered no explanation. I am quite surprise he agreed to accompany you here, as his letter implied that perhaps…oh, I do not know, Mr. Bingley, but I am so worried about him," Georgiana whispered, her distress evident on her face.

"I did not know he wrote something similar to you. I was not going to pay him any mind, as I do not know what he was on about, and besides, I can hardly avoid her when she is the dearest sister of-" he paused, a blush forming on his cheeks, then continued. "I plan on seeing Miss Jane Bennet, and I will likely be unable to avoid her favorite sister. His note was nonsensical. He wished for me to endeavor to keep him and Miss Elizabeth separated. You know how he composes his communications—four syllable words when two would do, and he went on and on about misplaced pride, something about memories, and I know not what. I took him mostly in jest or driven by drink."

"So you have brought him back after he specifically asked you not to?" Georgiana replied, awed that Mr. Bingley would contradict her brother in such a fashion.

"I merely asked, and he acquiesced. He could not have been truly serious about never seeing…"

Darcy shifted in his seat and Mr. Bingley stopped speaking. They were silent for some time.

"Miss Darcy, whatever happened between them cannot have been more than a misunderstanding. When they were at Netherfield, they disagreed with each for entertainment, if you could imagine. I know Darcy has some objections to the family, but could never faulted Miss Bennet or Miss Elizabeth for it. I am certain once we call on them on Longbourn, they can be friendly again, and we will make a jolly party."

Georgiana thought on Mr. Bingley's words before choosing her own carefully. "Mr. Bingley. I plan to honor my brother's request. As his sister, it is the least I can do. He was most despondent this winter and spring, and I cannot bear to bring him any further disappointment. He asks so little of me. Please, at the very least, let us allow him to lead. If he has come here with the intent of avoiding Miss Elizabeth, then we must not create a situation that could possible distress him," Georgiana looked at Mr. Bingley. The sincerity in her concern moved him; he felt a swell of brotherly affection for her and wished his own sisters would be so loyal and generous with him as Miss Darcy was to her brother.

"You have convinced me, Miss Darcy. I will not design to bring them together at all or only when absolutely necessary. A need may arise, Miss Darcy, as I am eager to renew my acquaintance with Miss Bennet, if she will have me," he added somewhat wistfully. Georgiana smiled kindly at him. They sat in silence for most of the remainder of the journey, Darcy's steady breathing just loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the road.

Their arrival and first evening at Netherfield Park was uneventful. Darcy was anxious for morning, when he intended to set out in search of Oakham Mount. Bingley was a late riser, and Darcy intended to use this to his advantage. He wanted to go alone. With the pretense of being tired from a journey he had mostly spent asleep, Darcy retired to his chambers early, eager for morning to arrive.

The morning was still early, with the sun only beginning to rise over the horizon to douse the countryside with a soft light, when Darcy had mounted his horse. Hours spent studying the map of Hertfordshire helped commit the route from Netherfield to Oakham Mount to memory. He felt the tightness of anticipation as he neared the path to Oakham Mount. He could not put into words what he was expecting to find, but he knew he needed to see for himself.

The last part of the path was wooded and more easily tread by walking, so Darcy dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and walked through the dense wood with nothing but the crunch of the path beneath him and the view to accompany him. As the path inclined and the trees cleared, a pleasant prospect emerged, overlooking the vast countryside of Hertfordshire. It was not unlike the views in his beloved Derbyshire.

Darcy walked restlessly on the edge of the mount. As fine as the view was, he was unsatisfied. He had expected more. He cursed himself for his foolishness. He had attributed a great deal of meaning to this location for the past few weeks, without any hint of reason as to why. He was behaving quite foolishly. Darcy was chastising himself, running a frustrated hand through his hair, when he suddenly sensed that he was not alone.

Darcy turned slowly and was greeted by the sight of a young woman. When Darcy saw her, he came to the realization that he had been not only hoping for her presence but, beyond any reason, expecting it. Darcy's breath caught as he saw her, and he was filled with an unfamiliar sense of longing that threatened to overwhelm him.

Lizzy. Elizabeth. She was a vision in the morning light. She had still not spotted him, as she was concentrating on maneuvering the path. She wore a dark blue dress that stood out against the golden surroundings, and he could make out her brown curls partially hidden by a small bonnet. He realized as she drew closer that her progress was slowed by her jumping on some of the low boulders that lined in the path, and she would occasionally test her balance by jumping from one stone to the next before returning to the path.

She alternated this exercise, smiling to herself when she made a particularly daring step. He noticed a book in her hand as she stretched her arms out for balance before hopping off the last boulder. It was then that she looked ahead, saw him, and stilled. They were not far away from each other; a few strides and he could breech the length between them.

Her cheeks were flushed from her walk, and the soft light of the sun hit her eyes in such a way that even from the distance, they shone. It was indeed the same girl from Pemberley whose relations had called Lizzy. In his shock, Darcy still managed to chastise himself for finding her common when he glanced her at Pemberley. Clearly, his first impression had not done her any justice. She looked at him with surprise, and Darcy could see her figure tense as he walked towards her, a stark contrast to the playfulness in her manner he had witnessed when she believed herself alone. He found himself wishing he had been able to observe her for longer.

She brought the book she was holding to her chest, clinging it to her body with both arms, and she curtsied with a soft incline to her head.

"Sir," she said, her tone inscrutable to him.

He bowed in return and straightened quickly, anxious to return his eyes to hers. He was conscious of their lack of introduction. He suddenly felt very embarrassed to admit to her he recognized her from her visit to Pemberley. What could he say? Hello, madam, I watched you through a doorway and observed you from a window, can you consider that a sufficient introduction? Or better: I dreamt of meeting you here, and I am very pleased to see you?

Darcy quickly disregarded any of that as an option. He would describe her to Bingley and seek a formal introduction. Bingley surely knew her as she was clearly a gentlewoman, and they had met so many families last year, but Darcy marveled that he could not remember meeting her.

"Madam," he replied politely. "I hope I have not startled you. I was admiring the prospect. I did not anticipate meeting anyone so early in the morning, and on such a secluded and removed walk," he added with a reassuring smile. He felt comforted by her presence, and it felt easy to smile and speak with her at length. She did not return the smile, and her eyes darted to the side to avoid his. His brow furrowed as he realized she did not feel the same ease. Instead, she looked in turmoil.

"I must be going," she finally said. "Pardon me."

"No," Darcy objected more loudly than he intended. He did not want her to go. He wanted to ask her about her visit to Pemberley, even though he knew he could not. His objection seemed to distress her further. "Forgive me, madam. I meant that you should not allow my presence to disrupt your morning. I have enjoyed the view enough for today and was on my way."

He bowed and walked past her. He wanted to stay longer, to speak to her more. He turned.

"Do you walk here often?" Darcy asked. She did not immediately turn to face him.

After a moment, she looked over her shoulder and nodded her head once. "Yes, sir."

Darcy bowed again and continued on the path that would lead him back to his horse, his mind filled with her.

As Darcy rounded a corner a disappeared from view, Elizabeth let out a breath she had not realized she was holding.

"What is he doing here?" she groaned aloud. She had scarcely allowed herself to hope that Mr. Darcy had returned with Mr. Bingley. That he would find her. That he would know her. That he would give them the opportunity to start again. And then he was there, at Oakham Mount, perhaps her favorite place in all of Hertfordshire. It was almost more than Elizabeth could bear when he did not address her by name.

Elizabeth had observed Mr. Darcy's face carefully as she spoke. She thought she saw a flicker of recognition cross his face, but it was fleeting. Elizabeth now struggled to keep her own emotions in check. She glanced down at the book of poetry she now clung to her body. Tucked within its pages were his letters. His letter to her had requested, in the humblest of terms, that if they were to meet, she should address him as a stranger. She had done so. Out of respect for him and in penitence for having been so wrong about him, she honored his request.

She thought it would be easy. In the days since receiving his letter, she imagined she would encounter him someday in the streets of London while visiting her aunt and uncle, and pass him without a second look. She also imagined that she would never encounter him. She had not imagined that she would see him again in Hertfordshire. Now the thought of Mr. Bingley calling at Longbourn filled her with dread. Did Mr. Bingley know? Would he bring Mr. Darcy?

Elizabeth made her way back to a larger rock that she frequently sat on while at Oakham Mount, her thoughts running a mile a minute. Perhaps the situation was not as dire as she thought. Now that this initial meeting was over, she could meet him, for her part, indifferently. If he had no memory of her, then at least it sparred her from the embarrassment of the words she said to him in Kent. She would pay him no mind, and he would do the same. After his explanation regarding Wickham, Elizabeth fancied that she understood him a little better. She recollected their exchanges, which were sometimes heated, their tension fueled by her impertinence and his arrogance. But upon further reflection, Mr. Darcy was a man she could have a lively conversation with and who would treat her as his equal in conversation. Perhaps, in their limited encounters, they could rekindle that. And nothing more.

It was decided. Resolutely, Elizabeth stood. She would not seek Mr. Darcy out, and she would not tell him the truth of their history, per his request. If she happened to meet with him, she would be polite and indifferent. It was the least she could do. She had renewed hope for Jane, at the very least. Mr. Bingley had found his way back to her, and Elizabeth was confident he would call on Jane and renew their acquaintance. Jane deserved all the joy. Elizabeth would not allow whatever this strange situation was with Mr. Darcy impede on her sister's happiness. He had done enough to delay Jane's happiness already. Determined to enjoy her morning, Elizabeth settled down to read in the shade of a tree. It would take every bit of concentration to keep her thoughts on poetry and not on the gentleman who had returned to Hertfordshire.

Darcy returned from Oakham Mount to find Mr. Bingley and Georgiana sitting to breakfast. He was aglow. Seeing his mystery Lizzy at Oakham Mount felt right in a way he had spent the entire ride back to Netherfield trying to comprehend. He was too busy marveling at the hands of fate that had brought him here to think very critically about much of anything. It would take him much more time to put together any of the pieces of the puzzle that were directly in front of him.

"Fitzwilliam! Good morning!" Georgiana said brightly as Darcy sat down beside her.

"Darcy! Already run off to enjoy the countryside without me? I hope you have not had your fill of riding. I need you to accompany me to survey the grounds," Bingley said with a smile, as he slathered jam on his roll. Darcy eagerly drank the coffee that was set down in front of him.

"You know very well I rarely have my fill of riding, Bingley, and the morning is very fine," Darcy responded. Bingley arched his eyebrows.

"You enjoyed your morning, then?"

"Indeed. I had the pleasure of taking in a fine prospect. In fact," Darcy said, with an air of unconvincing nonchalance, "I came across a young lady on my visit there. I do not remember making her acquaintance on our previous visit, so I was unable to converse with her. She must be not yet one and twenty. About Georgiana's height, brown eyes and hair. I was hoping you may know her and could introduce me."

Bingley smiled brightly at Darcy, "Ah, a clandestine meeting in the country with a lady you do not know! Darcy, where is your sense of propriety!" Georgiana giggled as Darcy glared. It was not the most appropriate implications to make in front of his sister.

"It was not clandestine. It was an accidental and brief meeting," Darcy said pointedly.

"I am only teasing," Bingley said and scrunched up his face in thought. He took a bite of his roll. Darcy waited impatiently.

"Let me see if I can remember all the families. Was it Miss Maria Lucas? No, she has fair hair. Perhaps it was one of the nieces of Mrs. Long? I am not if you ever spoke with them. I believe they are often in town, though. And of course it was not one of the younger Bennet sisters…"

Darcy waved the names off with his hands, remembering Miss Jane Bennet's three younger and silly sisters and the other ladies Bingley named. "No, no. Well, it is no matter, perhaps we will encounter her in society," Darcy said. He took a moment to glance at Georgiana, who had gone silent and was looking at him with concern.

"Georgiana? Are you well?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I am just…nothing. It is nothing," she replied, hiding herself behind her tea cup. Darcy smiled kindly at her. The trio committed to meeting for lunch together and to then take a walk around the Netherfield gardens and a tour of the house for Georgiana. Georgiana would entertain herself in the parlor while the men were out.

Darcy, for his part, passed the day awaiting the evening and then the moment he could retire to his chambers, for he had every intention of returning to Oakham Mount the next morning. Determined to not allow his thoughts to wander too much, Darcy was as amiable of a companion to Bingley as he ever had been, and Bingley noticed nothing amiss. Still, morning could not come soon enough.

Author's Note: I appreciate the patience as this is a work in progress (with a very strong outline/draft and about four more chapters to go). Thank you for reading and reviewing! I am excited to hear your thoughts on what will happen next! Out of curiosity, what are your preferences for chapter lengths? This was the longest chapter yet, but I was not inclined to make two shorter chapters out of it because I personally prefer chapters to be on the longer side when I read a story. Also, I want all you to know how much I have enjoyed being part of this fanfic community right now. We are a good bunch!