. changes regarding the issues with missing words has been resolved. please review and let me know your thoughts. TIA . enjoy

CHAPTER SEVEN

Fitzwilliam Darcy had the wind knocked out of him when he felt someone collide into him and they both fell out of the room with a crash. He had been leaning with his head on the doorpost facing the room when he felt someone bump into him and cause him to lose his balance. He flailed out with his hands and his hands contacted something warm, soft and NAKED. It was a woman's breast. And it was in his hands. He fell down with that woman out into the curtained off area and the curtains flew open depositing him directly onto some matrons' chairs and that woman in his arms. Now in the light he got a look at what was happening. He had one of his arms and hands around a top naked woman whose bodice was around her waist and torn and her skirts were around his legs and tangled with her legs. Her dress had ridden up and his other hand was around that woman's bottom. THAT WOMAN WAS MISS. ELIZABETH BENNET.

Elizabeth had been stunned at first by the liberties that Mr. Wickham tried to take with her. It was nauseating to be groped and kissed by him. The stench of cheap liquor was making her head spin and made her want to throw up. He had thrust his tongue inside her mouth and had pulled her skirts up while shoving a hand through her corset. Why! Oh why hadn't she gotten Charlotte, Jane or even her mother to help her. She pushed him away and heard and felt her corset tear and her breasts felt the cool air. She managed to get away and collided with someone and fell into the dance hall with that man's hand on her naked bosom and her skirts run up ad legs tangled in his legs. The light blinded her as she tried to gather her clothes around her. She finally saw who it was she was entangled with. MR. DARCY! All of a sudden the enormity of her situation hit her, her tight stays bit into her chest and sides, she couldn't breathe and she felt darkness closing around her. Elizabeth had become unconscious.

Mr. Bennet jumped to the scene and swiftly took off his coat and threw it around Elizabeth's shoulders and roared, "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Darcy? Why is my daughters dress in tatters and her unclothed body in your embrace? What were you trying to do? You have most seriously compromised my daughter".

Wickham had pursued Elizabeth as she was the ticket to his fortune. But too much alcohol had made him stumble and once he got caught in the thorns of a rose bush. By the time he extricated himself and made his way after Elizabeth, she was gone. All he heard was her father screaming at MR. DARCY that HE had compromised her. George Wickham silently slid back into the throng of onlookers and acted very surprised and shocked at the proceedings. This time he wisely kept his mouth shut and never drew attention to himself. His chances of getting money from Bingley was gone. But he saw another better chance. Darcy! why didn't he think of that. He l go to him and let him know that Elizabeth had an rendezvous with him in the garden and had allowed him to rip off her clothing and gotten cold feet at the last moment and run off. He was busy dreaming about all this oblivious to the happenings around him.

Mr. Bennet had Mr. Darcy by the collar and Mrs. Bennet had been screaming about their family being ruined and all others had been calling him vile names such as rake, cad, playboy, libertine, lecher, seducer. Elizabeth had fainted clean off and was now hanging like a dead weight on him covered in her father's coat which was dangerously closely to slipping off and exposing her to everyone's eyes. He was being pushed into a corner and he kept looking for Georgiana. He couldn't see her at all.

"Get off me. I'll marry her. Get off me for God's sake" Mr. Darcy roared.

The din reduced in volume and for the first time he was able to put Miss. Elizabeth down on a nearby chair. He adjusted his cravat and told her father that he'll marry her. Mr. Bennet lost his temper again and shouted at him, "you London men think you can just waltz in here and dishonour one of my daughters, and give me false promises. No sir. That wont happen in this place. You shall apply for a special license tomorrow, bring it and the settlement papers back day after tomorrow and marry my daughter the day after that. Starting from this moment till the time youre married to my daughter, your sister, will be a guest at Longbourne estate. Jane, my daughter ,take Miss. Darcy's arm. Mary assist your sister and take Miss. Darcy into one of the adjoining meeting rooms. Mr. Darcy follow me there. And I request some of the stronger young persons to kindly assist me in transporting my daughter to a meeting room. Mr. Hayworth, please attend to my daughter, Mr. Phillips, Sir Lucas we shall need your assistance sirs. "

Mr. Hayworth was the town apothecary who had also been attending the Assembly Ball.

Mr. Darcy followed his sister and the others into the meeting room. Mr. Phillips had kept a firm hand on his arm. Fitzwilliam Darcy had never been so treated in his life. He wanted to shake off the magistrate's hand off him but he was aware if he made any action like that, the townsfolk would lynch him. So he kept silent and was co-operative as possible.

Miss. Caroline Bingley couldn't believe her eyes and ears. Yet the whole incident had taken place right in front of her very eyes. Miss. Elizabeth was half naked and Mr. Darcy had her in his arms with his legs entwined with hers and her dress was torn and her chest was hanging out and her legs and garters completely exposed. She saw Mr. Darcy accompany the town's important men into a room where the whole Bennet family was crowded and where right at this moment her Mr. Darcy was trapped. They would surely make him marry that backcountry hick. She felt dizzy and confused. She sought her siblings and found Charles's arm but he shook her off and went to the closed meeting room demanding to be let in. He shouted, "I am Darcy's best friend and demand to enter. You all have each others support. He needs me in there. I demand to be let in." The door opened and Charles disappeared inside.

By this time Louiza was at her side and she said, "Caroline, control yourself. One wrong word or move can prove to be dangerous. Lets go to those sofas and sit down. Atleast they know we wont leave without Charles."

Caroline said, " I don't know why Charles had to interfere."

Some of the nearest people overheard that and scowled at Caroline. All around them people parted to allow them some space but all were keeping them under observation.

Louiza whispered "Hush! Don't say things like that. The situation is very tense."

Mr and Mrs. Hurst each took an arm of Caroline's and moved her to the sofa and nervously all 3 sat on the edge of the sofa. Caroline kept cursing herself that she hadn't thought of such a method to trap Mr. Darcy and this country hick had done it. She had trapped him by enacting the whole scene. Caroline kept dwelling on this, darting glances at the closed meeting room door.

After about an hour, the door opened.