Ok, so we're approaching the end of the story now. Only a few chapters left. I hope people won't be too disappointed with the outcome. I have loved all the responses I have received, good and bad. It makes me want to do it all again! Maybe Emma next? We shall see.

Chapter Twenty-one: Lizzie

"Eliza! Well, well, well we have been a naughty girl haven't we?" Is she drunk?

"Caroline? What the hell are you talking about? What do you want?"

"I want to know what sad story you spun Nick to get him to think he's in love with you. That's what!" she spits. I pause, did she just say love? How would she know if Nick loved me? How did she know anything about us? "I thought that would shut you up."

"Caroline I don't know what gave you the crazy idea that Mr Darcy and I are involved but you are very wrong. He's my boss, a work colleague, nothing more." I lie.

"Yeah well that work colleague just beat ten shades of shit out of George Wickham for bad mouthing you, in front of most of the staff at Rosings and Lady Catherine."

Wait ... He loves me. He beat up George for me. In front of everyone. Everyone knows about us. Everyone. Lady Catherine. Shit. Lady Catherine. "Lady Catherine was there, was she? Why are you telling me this Caroline? If Mr Darcy does supposedly love me like you say he does, why would you of all people be telling me?"

"Don't act so innocent with me. I knew this is what you and your family have been after since the beginning. I just thought I'd tell you that he'll have nothing now. You know that don't you? Because of you, Catherine will cut him off. He'll lose Pemberley, Georgiana will lose her home. What will she think of you then? Do you think Nick will want you then? No! So do the right thing, step aside now. Step aside and let him be happy. With someone who is fitting for his class." She slurs.

This is what she wants: him.

"Someone like you, you mean?" I snap. "No Caroline I will not step aside. I have done nothing wrong" - except cause an insanely wealthy lake owning hot lawyer fall in love with me- why then am I so happy? I should be hating myself right now, feeling guilty and all I can think of is, he loves me! He beat up Wickham for me. In front of his Aunt. This is huge! I hang up on Caroline without as much as a goodbye. I won't listen to anymore of her drabble. I need someone I could trust who will tell me the truth. I need Richard. He answers on the second ring.

"Lizzie! How's my favourite legal secretary? You coming back to work anytime soon, the place is quiet without you."

"Yeah, that's not what I hear?"

"Oh the grapevine has already reached you then, I think the last I heard was Darcy had Wickham hanging out the window by his ankles while I removed his eyes." He chuckles.

I laugh, yes I had made the right choice ringing Richard. Other than Charlie, he is Nick's closest friend and his cousin. "Not exactly, Caroline just rang." I admit.

I hear him sigh. "Really, well that doesn't surprise me. What was she doing? Staking her claim, demanding you surrender and let her take her prize?"

"Something like that. Listen Richard, joking aside, is it true? Did Nick hit George?"

"Hit him? They all but carried him out on a stretcher. It was a joy to watch I have to say." He replies a little too enthusiastically.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe he did that. Why?"

"You know why Lizzie, or I'm sure you wouldn't be calling me. But sure if you need someone to say it; he loves you. Lizzie he loves you enough to risk everything."

I audibly gasp. "I don't want that, I mean I want him to love me, not that part, I mean the 'risk everything' part. I don't want him to lose Pemberley over something as insignificant as me. If Georgiana loses her home and her trust fund because of me, she'll resent me forever, and then what sort of future would we have? There wouldn't be one. How could there be? He would hate me." It feels so good so air my fears.

"Whoa! Whoa! Lizzie slow down, what are you going on about? No one's losing their home. What would give you a silly idea like that? … Oh." He swears under his breath and sighs. "Caroline. I love her, but sometimes she can be a real bitch. Lizzie listen to me, no one will lose their home. Nick and Georgiana's estate and money, is completely separate to Rosings. It was left to them by their parents, and you won't cause them to lose it. You hear me?" he tries to reassure me. "The only thing that was ever in question here was Darcy's place at Rosings. I think it's time I tell you a story Lizzie. You see Darcy has always wanted Rosings, our uncle, Lady Catherine's husband, worked hard to create the reputation it has today. When he died, Darcy promised him he would carry on that reputation. But he took it even further. He learned fast and worked hard, slowly he built it up in to even more. He has a work force who all respect, and like, him. He never had anything in his life, bar Georgiana that ever came close to how much he loved this place." He pauses. "Then he met you."

"That's not fair. I don't want to make him choose. I don't want him to pick me over his dreams, I'm supposed to be part of them and support him, not cause him to be miserable the rest of his life."

"Lizzie think about it for a moment, will you? Ok so you walk away and let him run Rosings one day, do you think he'd be happy, truly? Without that special person to share it with what's the use in having it? Without you, it's all nothing to him, just a building. Without you to come home to each night, none of it means anything. If he chooses you, he can fight for this place, with you by his side fighting with him, every step of the way. And if he loses it, then he loses it. He comes home to you and you build him back up again. That's what you do when you love someone."

I swallow hard. "But it still comes down to choice doesn't it?"

"It always did Lizzie, the moment he took himself off to Derbyshire to 'accidentally bump into you.'" He jokes. I start to interrupt but he continues. "Yeah I knew about it then. I suspected from the day you came to work here and he started those little trips downstairs. I'm just glad you met, Lizzie, you are so good for him. You make him smile. He laughs. Please give him a chance."

"It's just so hard Richard. We're so … we're so different. How can it work? How can I be sure he really loves me? I mean the forever kind? He's never been forthcoming with his feelings." I confess.

"Lizzie, you are different. He has had the sort of upbringing that only the likes of royals can relate to. He and Georgiana … They have this heritage, in that way they are like royalty, born into a dynasty they are prepared for all of their lives. They are expected to continue the lineage. Nick more so than his sister. He's told all of his life to marry well, produce a son and heir, someone to carry on the name of Darcy, to run the estate like many Darcy's before him."

"Are you trying to convince me we aren't meant to be together?"

"No I'm trying to explain to you why he's so guarded, why it seems like he doesn't want a future with you, when there can be nothing further from the truth."

I'm confused. "So you are saying there is a future for us."

"I'm saying you will have to work hard for it. Overcome obstacles no other normal couple in a normal relationship would have to think about. But that if you do all that, if you overcome everything and you do make it work, then Lizzie I think you will be the making of that man and in return he will ensure you will share in a future more happy than any of us can even hope for."

"That's very profound."

"I'm a profound kind of a man."

I laugh and then say seriously, "thanks Richard, for everything."

"You're welcome Lizzie Bennet. One more thing my aunt Catherine is-"

"She's here." I drop my phone ending my call with Richard. Outside is Lady Catherine marching towards the front door. For a moment I think about running out the back door and hiding behind the shed like we did when we we're in trouble as kids. But no, if Nick can do this, so can I.

The doorbell rings causing a stream of 'who's that's.' "I'll go." I shout back. I open the door stepping out and closing it behind me. Rude I know, but it was on purpose. I don't want a show down in front of my family, especially my dad, he's had enough trauma the past couple of weeks. "Lady Catherine what a pleasant surprise." I had only seen her in passing at Rosings, having her on my doorstep was rather imposing, as ever my courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.

"Miss Bennet, you're not going to invite me in?" she asks incredulously.

"No it's a nice evening, I thought we could go a little walk into the village if you are agreeable that is?" I know it's cheating sticking to public places, but hey, a girl has to choose her weapons carefully. She's visibly affronted by my suggestion but whether she also wanted to be somewhere public for my dressing down, or she just didn't want to have to make small talk with my family, she agrees. We set off walking and I feel my phone vibrate, someone is calling me. I discreetly pull it out and glance at the screen, Nicks smiling face is flashing on the screen. No Nick, not this time. I can do this myself. I turn off my phone and pop it back into my pocket. I take a deep breath and strike up the conversation. "So Lady Catherine, what is this all about? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh come on Miss Bennet don't play coy with me, you know exactly why I'm here."

I quicken my pace matching hers step for step. "I'm sorry but I really don't. I have no idea. Is it something to do with Rosings? Are you wanting me to return sooner than planned?"

"Miss Bennet," Lady Catherine spat, her eyes growing angrier with each syllable, "you ought to know, that I am not to be trifled with. You may stand there acting perplexed. I however have no intention of doing so. I am known for my sincerity and frankness, and today will be no different." Her gaze drifts to a nearby bench and she heads towards it. I sigh and follow. Once seated she refuses to look at me. "A report of a most alarming nature reached me two days ago. I was told that you, that Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would, in all likelihood, be soon engaged to my nephew, my own nephew, Mr Darcy. Though I know it must be a scandalous lie," she chuckles. "I would never dream of insulting him enough to imagine it a possibility," she reasons. "I instantly resolved on setting off for this place, so that I might make my sentiments known to you."

I feel my cheeks colour and take a second to not only digest what she had insinuated, but also to choose my own words carefully. She is still my boss, and Nicholas' Aunt, I can't very well tell her what I really thought of her coming here. "If you believed it impossible to be true, I wonder why you took the trouble of coming so far." I try to hide the sarcasm from my voice. Her eyes flicker to mine widening in horror at my words. "What does your Ladyship expect me to say?"

"I expect you to contradict such a rumour. For you to make the ridiculousness of it universally known."

"I would have thought to any outside onlookers, your visit to Longbourn today, to see me and my family," I reply coolly, "would rather confirm such a rumour, if, indeed, such a rumour exists."

"If! Are you attempting to claim you haven't heard of it? Has it not been industriously circulated by yourself?"

"I have done no such thing." I answer honestly.

"And can you likewise declare, that there is no foundation for it?"

I swallow hard. That I could not answer honestly. I choose instead avoidance. "I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your ladyship. You may ask questions which I may or may not choose to answer."

"Miss Bennet you are one of the most frustrating people I ever had the unfortunate to meet. I insist on you giving me a straight answer. Has he, has my nephew, made you an offer of marriage?"

Yes … sort of. "You have declared that to be impossible."

"It ought to be so, but I know how you girls work. You use your charms and allurements," she drops her eyes to my Bennet curse heaving with anger growing inside me, "to in a moment of infatuation, cause him to forget reason and all that he owes to himself and to all his family. You may have drawn him in."

"If I have, I should be the last person to admit it, would I not?" I smile.

Lady Catherine rose to her feet glaring down at me. "Miss Bennet, do you know who I am?" I bite my lip to restrain from answering. "I have never been spoken to in such a manner in all my life. I am almost the nearest relation he has in the world, and am entitled to know his business when it concerns my family."

I rise to my feet also. She is a little smaller than me but in her expensive heels we are eye to eye. "But you are not entitled to know mine; and no amount of insults, patronisation or such behaviour as this, will ever persuade me otherwise."

She huffs and begins to pace in front of me. "Let me be understood once and for all. This match, to which you have the presumption to aspire, can never take place." She looks straight at me. "Never." The pacing ceases and she returns to her seat, I remain standing a few feet away, unable to rest while she rants. "Nicholas Darcy will be married to someone who is of his breeding and status. Someone whom I shall deem acceptable. I have an arrangement with a close friend and business associate that he will marry their daughter Anne." At those words I feel the wind knock my feet from under me and I have to sit to prevent from falling. He was already engaged. "The match will be in keeping with our class and establish a union between our two companies. Now what have you to say?"