Elizabeth gasped as she tried to move her arms up to cover her exposed calf, but realized there was absolutely no way she could. Her legs were on either side of Mr. Darcy, who was turned around and looking at the door. She could only imagine how it must have looked from the outside - especially to Mary, whose smug expression had morphed into surprise, and Caroline Bingley, who was so horrified that her turban feathers fluttered in the air as her shaking hand came up to her mouth and tears welled in her eyes before she stumbled away with a choked cry.

Elizabeth felt deflated, and was about to slide off the ledge when Mr. Darcy turned back towards her. "No. Let me help you."

He offered his hands, and then paused awkwardly as if remembering they still had an audience, and his familiarity with Elizabeth had just painted them both into an even deeper corner. He looked back to the open door, where Mary stood with a little smirk on her face.

Mr. Bingley was quickly striding down the hallway towards them with his usual cheery expression, "Oh, there you are Darcy —"

He stopped abruptly, mouth agape, and looked at his friend with something akin to shock. "What the devil?"

Darcy sighed and stepped forward to help Elizabeth down. "It's not what it looks like. We were locked in here. We were trying to find a way out - the door was locked." His eyes narrowed menacingly as they settled on Mary.

Elizabeth stepped forward. "He is right. Mary led me in here and told me she had news for me, and then she locked us both in. It was dark and nobody could hear our cries or pounding on the door."

Mr. Bingley's eyebrows rose in disbelief as he stared at his friend, almost as if he had never seen him before. "You are unaware, Darcy, that these doors are always unlocked here at Netherfield Park?" he said in a bemused tone.

Mr. Darcy's frustration was clear to see and the anger and confusion evident in his gaze. He took a deep breath before saying, "I pride myself on being an honorable man yet you do not believe me? What is it that you think has happened? We were merely exploring the room, hoping to find a way out, only to find the door firmly shut."

Mr. Bingley just shook his head slowly, refusing to believe what he had seen.

Mary, her face pale and frightened, held her hand to her throat. "Lizzy, I cannot believe you would be—"

Elizabeth cut her off with a disbelieving stare. "Mary, you are the one that led me down here, told me you had news for me, and then you locked us in. Mr. Darcy heard it all!"

People at the other end of the hall had begun to grow louder in their whispers and pointing, and the situation seemed increasingly dire by the second.

Elizabeth sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

Elizabeth peered out of the carriage window, her heart throbbing in her chest from the shame of being discovered in such an indelicate situation by none other than Miss Bingley and her brother. And then by half the people at the ball. No doubt the rumors were already circulating throughout Meryton and would be known by everyone in Hertfordshire by the morning.

And she had been found with Mr. Darcy.

The two-mile journey home from the ball seemed to stretch on for an eternity, so quiet it was. Elizabeth's cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she forced herself to look away from the others in the carriage. Nothing but the creaking of the carriage wheels and the dull thumping of the horse's hooves could be heard.

"I am astounded at you, Lizzy," said Lydia into the interminable silence. "I never thought you'd do something so desperate to get a wealthy husband. I could never do something so scandalous!"

Elizabeth turned away from the window and glared at her youngest and most ill-mannered sister.

Mrs. Bennet huffed, "I don't comprehend how you could do such a thing. I have never been so humiliated! We had to leave the ball early, with everyone gawking at us. You destroyed this family's reputation! And now Mr. Collins will not marry any of you!"

Mr. Collins, seated across from Mrs. Bennet, stared resolutely out the window. Lydia, in turn, turned away from him to face her sisters. "I suppose this means we'll be getting an extra helping of pudding tonight," she said cheerfully.

Elizabeth scoffed and looked away, wishing desperately for the journey to end.

When the carriage finally pulled up at Longbourn, Elizabeth almost leaped out of it, eager to escape everyone. But it was not to be.

"Mr. Bennet!" Mrs. Bennet yelled as soon as she entered the house. "Do you know what your daughter did? She was seen in a compromising position with none other than Mr. Darcy! You must do something about this!"

Jane pleaded with their mother, "Please, Mama, keep your voice down. We don't want the servants hearing us."

But Mrs. Bennet only scoffed and continued, her voice rising, "Let them talk. I'm sure it is already all over Meryton. Oh, my poor girls! What shall we do now?"

At this, Mr. Bennet emerged from his study. "What is this? What has Lydia done again?"

Elizabeth attempted to flee upstairs, but Mrs. Bennet noticed her. "Do not leave, Lizzy! You must go into your father's study right now and explain what you did to ruin the family's reputation!"

Elizabeth reluctantly followed her mother, feeling her cheeks heat up with every step. Once inside the study, Mr. Bennet stared at her in disbelief, his brows knitted together in deep vexation. "Lizzy?"

Mrs. Bennet quickly answered for her, explaining, "She was found in a compromising position with Mr. Darcy at the ball! I do not understand what persuaded her to do such a thing."

Elizabeth lifted her chin haughtily and stared back at her father, determinedly refusing to let him see any flicker of guilt or embarrassment in her expression. She had done nothing wrong, after all.

Mr. Bennet's voice broke through the silence, his tone stern but laced with concern. "I absolutely must have the full truth, Lizzy."

Elizabeth drew a deep breath before recounting the evening's events. "Mary asked to speak with me privately. When I entered the room, she locked the door behind us. It was then that I noticed Mr. Darcy standing there. I was quite taken aback, as I had not expected him to be present."

Mrs. Bennet interjected, "But why were you alone with Mr. Darcy? I thought he would have behaved better than that!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can assure you, it was not by my will! Mary must have been aware he was in the room - she was not surprised when Caroline Bingley opened the door to find us together."

"That is not possible," Mrs. Bennet replied, affronted. "Mary would never conduct herself in such a way! She is forever reading Fordyce's Sermons and quoting Bible verses."

Elizabeth could scarcely believe her ears. Her parents did not trust her word?

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat to break the uncomfortable silence. "It does not seem likely, but we shall hear what Mary has to say." He opened the door and called for Mary to enter.

Elizabeth had never expected her parents not to believe her. Especially her father, who had always regarded her as his favorite. It was not a pleasant feeling.

Mary stepped into the room with a sense of ease and was unencumbered by any concerns of misbehavior.

"Now Mary, Elizabeth has given us an account of events." At Elizabeth's frown, he quickly amended. "She insists that she speaks only the truth. But I would like to hear your version of what happened."

"Mr. Bingley had been walking around the room looking for his friend Mr. Darcy. You remember Mama, you commented on how worried he looked."

"I did indeed!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. "It isn't good for the host to be skulking around in a state of anxiety*."

Elizabeth scoffed. A sharp look from Mr. Bennet admonished her.

"I remember seeing Mr. Darcy walk down that hallway when I left to use the necessary," Mary continued. "I hunted for Mr. Bingley immediately to tell him I had located his friend."

"That makes no sense," interjected Elizabeth. "Why was Caroline Bingley with you then if it was Mr. Bingley searching for his friend? And why did you lock me in the room?"

Mary glowered at Elizabeth while Mrs. Bennet tsked in disapproval. Mr. Bennet held up his hand, silencing her. "Please, continue, Mary."

"Thank you, Papa. Caroline reached the door first and opened it, then I saw … well. I should not say."

Elizabeth tried her hardest to appear unfazed while worrying about what exactly Mary had noticed.

"We must know, Mary. It has surely reached all of Meryton by now, and we, at the very least, need to know what the rumors will say." Mr. Bennet said.

Mrs. Bennet gasped in horror as Mary recounted the events of the night. She had seen Elizabeth on the window ledge, her dress pulled up to her knees and her legs open.

Elizabeth felt an overwhelming sense of shame wash over her and she could feel the tears prickling in her eyes. She glanced around the room, at the shell shocked expressions of her family and the accusing look from Mary.

But she had to do something, or she would be forced to marry the most arrogant man in the entire county. "I told you we were locked in and trying to climb out the window! Mr. Darcy had just helped me up on the ledge and was going to lower me down so I could get help."

Mr. Bennet looked so disappointed that Elizabeth's heart ached. "Lizzy, a gentleman, especially a man such as Mr. Darcy, would not have let a woman do such a thing."

"But it is the truth, sir! Mary led me down that hall and then locked the door after I —"

"That is enough!" Mr. Bennet's raised voice, at her no less, rendered her completely speechless. "You will go up to your room and stay there."

Tears of shame and embarrassment welled in Elizabeth's eyes as she looked up at her father, unable to meet his gaze. She had not lied, yet here she was being accused of wrongdoing.

Without uttering another word, she rushed out of the study and down the hall. Mr. Bennet had never yelled at her before, not even when she had spoken out of turn. But this time it was all because Mary had locked her in a room with none other than Mr. Darcy! She quickly averted her face from her sisters, who were all lined up in the hall, shock and curiosity etched on each of their faces.

Elizabeth slammed the door to the room she shared with Jane, and fell face down onto the bed. How had this happened? What was she to do?

The door creaked open again, allowing a chorus of Mrs. Bennet's wails and shouting voices to fill the small chamber before it closed again. Soft footsteps neared her bed and Elizabeth tensed.

"Lizzy?" Jane said softly, her hand settling on Elizabeth's back. "What has happened? I heard some of it, but not all." Her sister sat on the edge of the bed and Elizabeth rolled over to look up at her.

"It must have looked bad," Elizabeth sighed. "But why would Mary do such a thing?" She began to recount the events that had taken place in the locked room: the panic, the exploration of the walls, and finally, the relief when Mary opened the door.

"I can hardly believe it," Jane said, shaking her head.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, feeling more ashamed than ever before. "I know - I can't either."

She wiped her wet eyes, still surprised by the turn of events as anyone hearing of them. The evening she had departed Longbourn to enjoy dancing with Mr. Wickham. Yet now she was home, early, her reputation ruined through the machinations of her sister, Mary. Elizabeth's face was pale and strained, her eyes glimmering with tears.

"Oh, Lizzy," Jane said softly.

Elizabeth bit her lip and looked away. "What happened after I left the ballroom?" she asked quietly.

Jane sighed and shook her head. "There is much gossip circulating about what transpired between you and Mr. Darcy," she said. "But I do not believe it for a moment. Everyone knows your character, and no one will believe a single word of it."

Elizabeth groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I do not understand why Mary did such a thing," she murmured.

Jane shook her head. "I do not either. But one thing is certain: no matter how hard we try, we cannot undo what has been done. All we can do now is move forward and hope that the gossip eventually fades."

Just then, a commotion rang out in the hallway, and Elizabeth and Jane exchanged a worried glance. Opening the door, they discovered Mrs. Bennet pleading with Mr. Collins to stay in their home. "Please, sir, stay with us! Lizzy has assured us it is all just a misunderstanding. I assure you that my daughter is an honest woman!"

Mr. Collins shook his head in disgust and bowed, "No, ma'am, I'm afraid I can no longer stay here. There has been a severe impropriety, and my reputation cannot be associated with it."

With that, he turned to leave, abandoning the Bennet family to their shock and dismay. Elizabeth was horrified, but even more so when she saw Mary's face pale as her sister realized the damage she had caused.

Mrs. Bennet sobbed, "You! You are the one to blame!" Her accusations were met with a mix of disbelief and horror from the sisters, who all glanced at Mary accusingly.

Elizabeth was the first to speak up, her face hot with shame and anger. "Why would you do this to me, Mary? I don't understand," she asked, her voice tight with emotion. "By locking me in that room with Mr. Darcy, you have affected us all!"

Mary's eyes welled up with tears, "I only wanted Mr. Collins to pay attention to me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He should have been looking at me and not you. I am more suited for him than any of you! All the men like you! It's not fair!"

Mrs. Bennet's voice took on a steely edge as she looked Mary straight in the eye. "You wicked girl! How could you do such a thing? Now thanks to your selfishness, our reputation is in tatters and there is no hope of Mr. Collins proposing to any of you!"

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat, his expression hardening. "That is enough. We all know what has happened, and it is clear that Elizabeth was telling the truth." He paused before continuing, his gaze never wavering from Mary's. "You orchestrated this entire thing."

Mrs. Bennet's voice broke through the silence, her expression one of disbelief and disappointment. "This is an outrage! Your sister should never have found herself in such a situation!"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Mary stepped forward and pointed a finger at Elizabeth. "You were not the only one behaving inappropriately, Sister. Do not forget that Mr. Darcy was in that room as well. It takes two to create a scandal."

Elizabeth felt her blood start to boil at the accusation, her cheeks still hot with shame. She looked at her sister sternly and said, "That is not true, Mary. You are the one who locked me in that room with Mr. Darcy. You are the one who caused this entire scandal."

Mary's eyes widened, her expression a mix of regret and desperation. She looked around to her family standing in the hall, staring at her with varying degrees of shock and worry. She lowered her head, "I am so sorry, Elizabeth," Mary said quietly. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted Mr. Collins to notice me, and I thought that if you were out of the way, he would pay more attention to me."

Despite her anger, Elizabeth's heart softened at Mary's words. She knew Mary had acted out of desperation for attention, but mere words could not undo something as enormous as this scandal.