A/N: To the one who used a quote to comment about showing, not telling. Apologies - this is a first draft WIP - I will polish it, in time.

8th December

Lydia sat silently, Elizabeth looking on anxiously and holding her hand, as she processed what her father had just told her.

Eventually she stirred, and said, 'Mr Collins? But I've never even met him.'

'No.' Mr Bennet could think of nothing else to say about him that was fit for his daughters' ears.

'He is a vile excuse for a human being,' said Elizabeth. 'I hit him for what he did, and so did papa.'

Lydia nodded. 'But why would he do… that… to me?' A tear trickled down her cheek, swiftly followed by another.

Elizabeth wrapped her sister in her arms. 'He mistook your room, dearest. He was looking for Jane.'

Lydia snuffled into her sister's shoulder and Mr Bennet passed Elizabeth a handkerchief.

A small, muffled voice said, 'Jane? He would have… with Jane?'

'I wish it had been my room. I would have woken and fought him off. He is a monster.'

'A monster now banned from my estate.'

'Where… where is he now?'

'Locked away at Netherfield. You had some small revenge on him, as he caught smallpox because of his actions.'

Lydia straightened, her voice strengthening a little. 'Will he die?'

'The doctor thinks not,' Mr Bennet said, disappointment in his voice.

Lydia slumped, more tears coursing down her cheeks. 'He will not come here, will he?

'If he does, I promise you I will chase him away with my hunting rifle.'

Her eyes widened in alarm. 'I will not have to marry him, will I?'

'Definitely not,' Mr Bennet assured her. 'He is not welcome to marry any of my daughters.'

Lydia nodded. 'Does this mean I can never marry now? I know I am ruined, and Caroline told me what that meant in society.'

There was silence for a few moments, then Elizabeth said, 'Only a few people know what happened and they are all, or soon to be, family - all apart from the doctor and he will not speak of it. They do not blame you, only him.'

'I vaguely remember having a nightmare one night and, Lizzy, you came in to comfort me. Was that when…?'

Elizabeth and Mr Bennet shared a look, before she replied. 'You had more than one nightmare at Netherfield, so I cannot be sure. I think Laudanum can cause vivid dreams and nightmares.'

Lydia was silent for a time and then huffed out a long breath. 'Many things make sense now. Like how he caught smallpox, and why he gave up his inheritance.'

Mr Bennet added, 'Mr Collins will pay for his actions. He has paid some of his due - he has lost Longbourn - and he will get another unpleasant surprise when he eventually returns home,' said Mr Bennet.

'Yes.' Elizabeth stroked her sister's hair back from her face and used the handkerchief to dry her cheeks. 'Lady Catherine plans to remove him from the living in her gift, with the help of an Archbishop.'

Lydia gave them a wan smile. 'I wish I could have met Lady Catherine.'

Elizabeth gave her a squeeze. 'You will. She is coming here for my wedding.'

Mr Bennet cleared his throat, as it about to speak and both of his daughters looked over at him. He hesitated to speak until Elizabeth gave him a nod of encouragement.

Sighing, he said, 'I expect you will want to speak about this with your sisters, but you must keep it a secret from anyone who does not already know of it and that includes your mother, Mary and Kitty. You can talk to Lizzy, Jane, or me should you want to. We will always make time to listen, but it is important that no-one else find out.'

Elizabeth nodded her agreement. 'I know Jane feels guilt that he was looking for her and instead found you. I feel guilty that I was not quick enough when you called.'

Lydia nodded, her tears now dry but her face displaying her distress. 'I think I need to be alone for a while.'

'Use my room if you want somewhere quiet to go,' Elizabeth offered. 'You will have privacy there for as long as you want and I will not allow Kitty to interrupt you.'

Lydia nodded her thanks and quietly left, closing the door behind her.

Elizabeth and Mr Bennet looked at each other for a long moment.

'I'm not sure how that went,' he said. 'I think the next few days will be crucial. Please explain to Jane that Lydia now knows about Netherfield and may want to speak with her about it in the coming days.'

'We will both hold ourselves ready. Lydia will need time to think about what she has learned. She will have many more questions to ask, I have no doubt.'

Lydia did not come down for dinner that evening, saying she had a headache. Elizabeth had Hill prepare a tray and she took it up to her room after dinner was over. Lydia was there, curled up in the window seat, her eyes puffy, and Elizabeth's heart went out to her. She was so young, too young to have this to work through. Elizabeth put the tray on her dresser and went over to her. Lydia shuffled up a bit so her sister could sit with her, and Elizabeth sat, wrapping her arm around Lydia's shoulders and drawing her in for a hug. Lydia held herself stiffly at first, but then softened and leaned into the embrace.

'I brought you some dinner. You may not feel hungry, but you should try to eat something – your body is still recovering.'

'I will.' There was a long pause. 'I could not face them. How could I behave normally after what I now know?'

'Given your illness and everything else that has happened recently, you can be forgiven for not being your usual self. Even mamma has been a little weepy, you know.'

'Really?'

'Yes, really. Papa comforted her.' She felt Lydia twitch and added. 'Yes, I was surprised too.'

'I just don't know how to feel, even though I don't feel any different. He stole something from me, and I don't even remember it. How should I feel, Lizzy?'

Elizabeth thought for a while. 'I would be furious. But under that would be a sadness that someone had taken the most precious gift I could give to someone.'

'I want to scream and throw things, but also lie in bed and cry.'

'You can do all those things. Go out into the countryside early one morning and find somewhere private where you can scream at the sky and throw rocks or sticks. If you wish, I can show you where I go when I need to be alone.'

Lydia nodded.

'Do you want to stay here with me tonight? I can ask Jane to move into the spare room or to share with Mary. Then we can arise with the dawn and find you a good place to shout at the world.'

'Thank you, Lizzy.'

At dawn the next morning, they set off for Oakham Mount for the first walk of what was to become their routine.

13th December

When a heavy-eyed Lydia came down to breakfast five days later, Elizabeth and Jane were already eating. Heavy, melodic sounds coming from the music room told her that Mary was already at the piano.

Lydia dropped into her usual seat and said, 'Have you seen Kitty this morning? She had gone when I woke up.'

Lydia had returned to sleeping in the room she shared with Kitty, after deciding she felt emotionally balanced enough to return to her usual habits. It seemed the early morning sessions out of doors with Elizabeth had helped her regain a little of her usual good cheer. On their first walk, Elizabeth had been describing Mr Collins's frequent bowing habit when they came across a tree, its trunk bent as if bowing low to someone. They had named the tree after him and Elizabeth smiled inwardly at the memory of her furious sister beating "Mr Collins" with a stick she had found. These beatings had since become the way Lydia expelled her bad humours each morning.

Elizabeth and Jane exchanged looks. 'No, Mary was here earlier, but not Kitty.'

'Huh,' grunted Lydia, frowning. 'It is most unlike her to be up so early.'

'Who?' asked the person in question, entering the breakfast room.

'You,' replied Lydia. 'I wondered where you were. You had already gone when I awoke.'

'I used to be the only one to enjoy the early morning,' Elizabeth quipped. 'Have you also decided to step into my shoes for when I am gone?'

Kitty blushed and took her seat but remained tight-lipped.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and then exchanged looks with Jane. 'Later,' she mouthed, and Jane nodded.

Lydia continued to probe Kitty for her whereabouts, but nothing of sense was forthcoming, leaving Elizabeth with a feeling of deep suspicion and a need to investigate further.

Later, she and Jane discussed the issue while walking the garden paths, and their spirits lifted in the winter sunshine, despite the chill in the air and the white frost on the grass.

'After what I found Kitty up to in the woods with Wickham, and their meeting after the Sunday service, I am concerned they are still finding a way to communicate.'

'I am sure it must be for an innocent purpose,' Jane replied.

'You always try to think the best of everyone, but it is not sound, dearest Jane. If Kitty were to be caught with him again, it would ruin her and damage our standing in society.'

'Surely not.'

'From what I saw, they were entirely too friendly for it not to be so. She has thrown all sense out of the window, along with propriety. Besides, papa has banned her from leaving the house alone, and from seeing him. If she has gone against his wishes, there is no telling what else she might do.'

'We must make sure she cannot leave again on her own. We will have to redouble our watch on her. At least she is safe at night, as Lydia is again sharing with her.'

'Lydia is a sound sleeper, as we have already seen - Kitty left and did not wake her this morning. Maybe we will have to lock them into the nursery at night.'

'That seems unfair on Lydia's behalf, and I always worry about one of us being locked in, in case there is a fire.'

Elizabeth gripped her sister's hand and gave it a squeeze. 'I know. If we cannot secure the room, then we must think of another way to prevent her from coming and going as she pleases. I will speak with papa. Maybe he will know what to do.'

Jane nodded. 'Very well.'

The cold air soon after penetrated their clothing and so they returned to the house.

Jane had departed upstairs, and Elizabeth was heading to the parlour for her book when she spotted Kitty talking to an unknown young girl, her dress that of a serving girl. A rustle of paper passed between them, but before she could intervene, the girl left.

'What was that about?' Elizabeth asked, her suspicions aroused. 'Who was she? I have not seen her before.'

Kitty jumped. 'Oh, Lizzy, I did not know you were there.'

'Who was that servant?'

Kitty flushed, and stammered, 'She is… It was a message come from Maria Lucas for Lydia and me. She is taking my reply.'

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in disbelief. 'Really? I have never seen that girl at Lucas Lodge before. Kitty, you have always been a terrible liar. I do hope that you are not up to some mischief.'

Kitty stamped her foot, 'Oh, I wish you would all just leave me alone!' She stormed off up the stairs and eventually a distant door slam echoed down the stairway.

Elizabeth shrugged, but a worried frown wrinkled her forehead.