Disclosure Hp belongs to Jkr. The storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux

a.n Thanks to all the reviewers- Next Chapter rating goes to M-. I will post warnings

Friends and Enemies

The trio, Elizabeth, Hurst and Jak started walking, ignoring the sisters. Elizabeth lowered her bonnet, she liked the fresh air on herr head

An unlikely friendship was established between Hurst and Jak. Hurst was sober and well behaved, a pleasant person. "So, you are relatesd to our neighbors." He looked at Elizabeth, sounding surprised. He had met Mrs. Bennett, and, frankly, this exquisite lady couldn't be related to her.

"Yes, err, I was raised by my uncle. My mother, a very young war widow, married on the continent."

This was now the official story, Mr. Bennet agreed but had not yet informed Mrs. Bennet. "Nevertheless, I consider my cousins, my sisters, and my uncle, my adoptive father."

"Ah, capital," Hurst was relieved that Mrs. Bennet was no relation; the lady made him itch, a Hurst quirk, Caroline gave him a rash, often. "My brother Charles thinks highly of your sister, Miss Bennet. You might not remember us, last year at the Ton. He met her, but she wasn't interested. She is pretty, but not quite like you."

Jak grinned, "No, few are like my lady, maybe her mother."

Elizabeth's head turned quickly to stare at Jak. "Do you know her?"

Jak's answer saddened her, "I just imagined your mother must look like you." She didn't notice his restraint.

"Ah." Elizabeth sounded disappointed.

So that was one of Jane's suitors. Now Lizzie remembered, the handsome smiling suitor. Jane said he was charming, but she wanted what Lizzie had, recognizing this, brought memories of Richard. Jane had said, "Lizzie, he might have been my ideal before, but I am wealthy, Mary and both have saved 5,300 pounds each, and our dowry is now 7,800 pounds. Mr. Bingley is a possibility, but his sisters control him. Not for me, they said I was a country maiden, but our father is a noble; indeed. I don't care that he isn't one, but his sisters need to be controlled."

Before Elizabeth could be sad, her son kicked. She smiled, her son was a part of Richard, he was still her. Lizzie thought happily awhile, patting her belly content. It was odd she loved her baby as her child; Richard, the adult was gone. Something had changed inside her, as it should be.

Warrior could feel his master inside her and barked a greeting. The baby heard Warrior and smiled. This was a special baby, just like his mother. Richard was not only coming back but had many new gifts.

Hurst shared how he missed his estate in the north, one that Louisa disliked; he felt sad to leave the management to someone else. "I feel useless, all I do is indulge all day long."

Hurst liked to pick up mushrooms, truffles, wild berries, and the such. So between the three of them, and with the dogs' help, they came back loaded with wild greens and wild onions, mushrooms, nuts, and berries. Jak spotted a large piece of honeycomb, which they all, to include the dogs, shared a small piece and brought the rest for everyone else.

They enjoyed the outings, talking, and learning from one another. Warrior chased a few squirrels, but mostly stayed by his mistress. The pup was perfectly behaved, walking right behind Lizzie. The hawk stayed by them the entire time.

Hurst was fascinated, "A Fae princess, my cousin will like you," he pulled a locket, it had two pictures, "Toni is a warrior, her father is a duke. And this is my mother, she passed away."

"She is lovely," Lizzie exclaimed, "your mother was beautiful."

"Yes, she was, my father, followed her soon after that, he missed her so."

Jak looked at Toni, "Lovely is right. Is she in a union, a marriage?"

Hurst laughed heartily, "No, she doesn't want to be controlled by a man. She wants to have the freedom to learn about the forest, she draws flowers, mushrooms, wild berries, and the bounty of the land. She likes to fish, and other non-lady like activities."

Lizzie laughed, "Yes, we can be good friends."

"My wife and her sister detest her. The feeling is mutual, an old grievance. I no longer care." He shrugged his shoulders.

Winds of War

When they came back, one hour later, the war between Elizabeth and the Bingley sisters, had started. Elizabeth had gained an odd knight; odd but extremely loyal, and fiecer than he appeared.

Elizabeth's lady's maid, along with the valet and a couple footmen and horses, should be there the next day. They had started two days early; the travel would take them over 20 hours without stopping; they would probably there before dawn. The sisters didn't offer a lady's maid, they could care less about her comfort. However, one of the House servants provides minimal assistance.

Charles asked at dinner, "Mrs. Darcy, I saw you earlier this year at the Ton. You were there accompanied by your sisters and Miss Lucas. I didn't have the pleasure to be introduced to you."

"You were married at the time, with your dashing husband dotting on you, "Caroline noted.

Darcy's face changed from friendly to murderous. "And your point is what?"

Darcy noticed Elizabeth's lower lip trembling, the memory of Richard assailing her. His hand went under the table to hold her cold hand. He interlaced his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand a little. When he felt her hand trembling, he wanted to leave right then.

Jak's face looked like it was made of granite. He held the fork so hard, it was bending.

Louisa joined the kill. "So you must have married Mr. Darcy as soon as he came back, no mourning time? Rather... "

She had not finished her scathing comment when she felt her throat closing. She appeared to be choking.

Hurst sipped his wine, not jumping to help when Caroline screamed, "Somebody help."

Jak just blinked, and she was able to breathe.

"Charles, we will leave if this continues. We didn't come here to be insulted. Not that is any of your affairs, but my cousin was murdered, and he had left a letter for me to marry Mrs. Darcy. I am proud he asked me. She did me a great honor when she accepted my cousin's wishes. If I hear one more nasty comment, we will leave. The two ladies will not ever be welcome to Pemberley if that is the case."

Charles didn't dare to correct his sisters; he was afraid to make them upset, "William, they are a little caustic, but they don't mean bad."

"I say, if that is not bad, what is it? Receive my apologies, Mrs. Darcy. If my wife speaks out term just once more, we can leave at the same time; I mean, I will also leave when you do. I miss my estate and my cousins. Today I remembered what I lost; I will leave soon in any case." Hurst sounded neither morose nor one that had imbibed one too many cups. He didn't even look at his wife.

Louisa dried a fake tear. "Mr. Hurst, you are discussing personal matters in front of polite company. You are embarrassing me." Hurst ignored her, he was talking to Elizabeth about mushrooms; Jak had a few tips. The Bingley sisters appeared ready to kill.

Caroline could feel that she was being watched and not in a friendly way. She looked at the ever-present hawk, and at the puppy, both had their eyes trained on her. It made her a little scared. She could swear they had human eyes.

"Whoever heard of animals in a dining room?" Caroline complained, "it is not fit for polite society."

Jak turned his face like a snake, at once, "The animals are more polite than you. If they aren't welcome at this table full of poisonous snakes, I will take my leave."

He started getting up, but Hurst held his arm. Caroline was beyond angry, "Who are you calling snake, you probably are not even fit to sit at this table."

Jak looked at her like she was dead vermin, "Your tongue will be the death of you, a poisonous snake is less dangerous than your venomous tongue. I am the child of some so exalted you would never be invited at their table." He looked at Darcy, "William, I agree, this must cease, or we must leave. Some above me will be most unhappy with this situation."

Caroline wasn't used to being reprimanded, "Charles, if you don't ask the animals to be removed, I will leave this table."

"So be it. Ask a footman to bring you a tray. Louisa goes with her," Charles, for once stood on his ground. He needed Darcy's assistance.

Both sisters left in a huff, duly chastised. Once they left, nothing else was said. But Darcy heard clearly, "Be watchful, keep your stay short. Enemies like situations like this."

Darcy looked Jak, who was quiet, just eating. He listened, Caroline had been after him for years. Darcy wouldn't let harm come to his wife. He heeded the advice. Once the sisters left, the dinner was pleasant, but the lines had been established.

After dinner, Charles asked Darcy, "How about a game of billiards."

Elizabeth clapped, "May join, I played with Richard and his father."

Charles was dumbfounded, but Darcy jumped at the chance, he teased her, "Richard had told me to be afraid of you, but perhaps if not swimming then billiards."

Lizzie blushed, "I hope I can still play." She mumbled.

Jak was intrigued and asked to join, Hurst went with them as an observer. Jak was a quick learner; as for Elizabeth, she wasn't so big that she couldn't play. She managed to win a game, and Charles complained he was outclassed. The game eased the tension.

Hurts applauded Lizzie's performance, "I was right, you are a Fae princess, at your services, whenever and whatever, you servant for life." He bowed, and Jak smiled at him.

"Reginald, you know you made a lifetime promise, right?"

Hurst shrugged, "I know, just hoping my services are accepted."

Charles approached her, "Do you have any advice for me? I think highly of Miss Bennet, your older sister."

Darcy jumped in, "Charles, lose Caroline, or control her tongue. Be a good brother, but also be good to yourself."

"I couldn't say it better. It is good advice, a lady wants her beau to be hers. She wants to be what matters to him best."

Hurst was listening, "My brother, they are right. Listen to them, Caroline has driven me away. I will leave soon."

Charles stood, feeling confused. He was afraid of Caroline's tantrums. As the older sister, she was controlling, and he was scared to be alone. But he wanted more than a mistress. Maybe he needed to listen.

Nighttime

Elizabeth knew that she needed to share a room with Darcy, they had agreed to do so. New feelings were waking up inside her. She liked the intimacies of the marriage bed, of being with her husband, and missed the company during her pregnancy.

William was different people, Richard had told her so. His wealth set him apart from many, and he was shy around strangers, which made him look over proud. But Richard said that he was the best of friends, and to marry all love him, should anything bad happen to him. William called to her. She knew that it wasn't wrong.

The hawk flew outside to perch in the balcony. Jak went to walk the dogs with Hurst, wanting to survey the area. "Hurst, I wonder if you can help me," Jak wanted to have an ally.

"I am worried about my cousin's safety; I need you to keep an eye on him and his bride."

"Who are you?" Hurst asked him, "we all teased William, he had a sense of what was wrong. If anybody had any sickness, he knew what we needed to do. William saved us from thugs more than once. I know he repaired broken bones, even if he denied it. He healed a student that fell from a tall window, he should be dead, but lived. I have a keen sense of things others cannot see. You are more."

"One day, you will learn more, we will talk but not outside. You should live in the country, your malaise is from being in those crowded, dirty places. May I?"

He had the palm of his hand by Hurst's head. He had been right. "Your family is a distant relation of ours, hundreds of years ago, I was right. Our blood runs strong," but after he said it, he made Hurst forget.

"Why is the brother so weak? He has a good soul," Jak liked Charles.

"Caroline is a bad influence. I think he is afraid of her. I married Louisa when Charles asked me. He thought a marriage with a noble would help Caroline find a noble husband, but she wants your cousin. One of my cousins, a rich noble, liked Caroline, but he wasn't Darcy. Louisa also does what Caroline wants; I am tired of trying. I will leave soon."

Jek worried, Caroline could be accessed by enemies, not good. Charles needed to put an end to his sisters' nastiness, or send her away, but how?

"Your cousin, who is he?"

"He makes Darcy look like the life of the party, "Hurst laughed. "He hates London, he says he gets sick just breathing the air. My cousin dresses different, not formal. But he is loyal, fierce and protective of all his cousins. We all lost our parents young, Toni's father is the only one left. Albert, my cousin, sort of raised us all. He is only a little older than William. As I said he liked Caroline, he raises champion horses and thought he could tame her. But she hates the country, besides I think Albert deserves better."

Love and Darcy

"William, my lady's maid is not here, and the clothes are difficult to take off." Her heart beating fast since he kissed her hand, she wanted more. She wanted her husband and to feel alive. She knew sadness could hurt her son.

He had already taken his jacket, waistcoat, and cravat off. He nodded but didn't know how to be around Elizabeth. He remembered Richard's letters, "Remember when we talked about marrying the same wife so we could stay together, my brother? We found such unions in old books. I have told her my idea of pretending is a joke. She laughs, wondering about me. Yes, Lizzie could be that wife. She is fire, that is all I can say. I thought the military life was for me, but every day away from her is torture. She is a wife and a mistress, and much more."

Richard's letters made him long for a wife like her. Now, he wanted to be her true husband; he couldn't wait.

"Here, turn around." His voice soft, he prayed for restraint, feeling like a wild animal, Darcy wanted her scent on him, to taste her from top to bottom. He wanted to learn her body with his lips and fingers. He wished to drop his civilized self.

The dogs sensed a chance and ran into the dressing room. The door closed behind them.

When he started to unbutton her dress, his hands trembled, he was down to the last button, opened the back, and bent to kiss her shoulder. His hands went around her. His heart galloped; first, he caressed her growing belly, while his tongue licked her neck, the blood pulsing, warm, alive.

His hand went up, right under her breasts. "Lizzie, I want you so, so much. I need us to kiss, to lay together; I need you to be my wife." Darcy waited.