Author's Note:

I don't own anything . . . I just love entertaining people . . . hope I'm doing a decent job . . . Read on . . .

Chapter 9

"Mother, I have something to tell you, something I'm not at all sure you are going to like. You see, I was engaged to Col. Fitzwilliam, but I soon realized the only reason I had agreed to marry him was because I was running from my feeling for Mr. Darcy. After discussing this, Fitz and I decided to call off the engagement, and after hearing about this, Mr. Darcy proposed to me. So you see, I am in fact engaged to William now. I know it's a bit confusing, but I just couldn't marry a man I did not love. Surely you understand?" Elizabeth asks, doubtful her mother really did understand, but hopeful anyway.

"You're WHAT?" Mrs. Bennet shrieked, her tone going up a few octaves and hurting Elizabeth's ears. She really did despise when her mother used that tone of voice.

"Elizabeth, are you out of your mind? Engaged to a man who is solely responsible for the unhappiness your sister is suffering, not to mention the treatment that befell Mr. Wickham at his hand! I had thought you had more loyalty to your family than that! For shame, Elizabeth" Mrs. Bennet said, fanning herself as if trying to calm her nerves.

"Pardon me for saying so mother, but I can hardly agree with you for siding with Mr. Wickham over Mr. Darcy this time. At least Mr. Darcy did the proper thing and proposed to me, instead of whisking me away and eloping, and that is the best case scenario. And you may save your breath. You will not change my mind on this matter. I love William, he loves me, and we ARE getting married. So, onto other business. Any news of Lydia?" Elizabeth asks as if she had not just scolded her own mother.

Mrs. Bennet stood there, staring at her daughter, at a loss of words for the first time in her life.

At the sound of William clearing his throat and coming to stand next to Elizabeth, she seemed to snap out of it.

"Well yes actually. We received a letter before I left to come here. It seems they had every intention on getting married in the first place, and now that they are married, they are traveling to Longborn, to see the family before traveling to Brighton, where Mr. Wickham has just been placed at. So you see Lizzie, they were going to get married. Perhaps they just had trouble acquiring the licence" Mrs. Bennet said, in her know-it-all tone she used all too often for Lizzie's taste. She loved her mother dearly, but often thought about how grateful she was that she took after her father.

Elizabeth to William at this point, who looked down at her with a bemused look on his face, and merely took her hand and gently squeezed it. She knew what part in all of this he had, and she also knew he would never tell another soul about it. He didn't do it for the recognition, but for Elizabeth herself.

"When should they arrive at home, mother?" Elizabeth asked. She was finding it hard to concentrate on her mother when William was gently stroking her hand, making the hair on the back of her neck stand. He always seemed to know where to touch her to incite this feeling.

"Oh the day after next at the earliest, my dear. Now, where is your sister? I think she has had sufficient time to tidy herself, don't you agree?" Mrs. Bennet asked, looking about her as she spoke.

"My sister? Which one mother?" Elizabeth asked, confused by her mothers word. She didn't see anyone else in the carriage, and certainly didn't see anyone else enter the house.

"Why Jane, of course. Did you not write to her and ask her to come visit you? Since I had decided to come and visit you and your . . . fiancé, I saw no need for us to travel separately.

She said she was going to stay in the carriage for a few moments and tidy herself before joining us here. Only I never saw her enter the house. Do, be a dear and go check on her while I congratulate your husband to be, Lizzie" Mrs. Bennet said, eyeing Mr. Darcy distastefully as she did.

William gave Elizabeth a pleading look, trying to convince her not to leave him alone with her mother, but Lizzie only smiled before turning and walking out the door. She walked up to the carriage, looked in the windows and opened the door. There was nobody inside. So she walked briefly about the front of the house, asking anybody she passed if they had seen her sister. They all answered the same: "No, my Lady, I've seen no person here besides you."

Strange. She walked to the gardens slowly, knowing full well that her mother was interrogating William in the house as she took a leisurely stroll about his grounds. She smiled to herself, humming quietly to herself. She came to the fountain and reflective pool behind the house when she saw two figures embracing behind some bushes. Apparently they thought they were completely covered by said bushes, but from this distance Elizabeth could see them quite clearly.

It appears that her mother was not crazy after all. Jane had indeed accompanied her.

It appears also that Mr. Bingly had arrived at Pemberly as well.

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Mr. Darcy looked at the door as it closed behind Elizabeth, wishing he could follow her out of the house without looking rude . . . or cowardly. He looked to Mrs. Bennet, who was standing there, her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed as if she had just eaten a lemon. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Mrs. Bennet, it is a surprise to see you here. I couldn't help overhear what you told Elizabeth. That is truly wonderful news that the couple has been married. And you say that they are on their way home now?" Mr. Darcy asked, his tone polite and polished.

" Well, no thanks to you, but yes they are on their way home. I was hoping that Lizzie and her fiancé could accompany me home to greet them, but I am sure you are far too busy to wish to do anything of the sort. And we all understand, of course. Now, of course you are going to call upon Mr. Bennet and ask for Lizzie's hand, correct? Or do you just assume since you own half of Derbyshire that you could just do as you please and marry her without a word to anyone?" Mrs. Bennet asked in a very unpleasant tone.

"Of course I had intended to ask Mr. Bennet, ma'am. We have only just become engaged this morning, and it came as a bit of a surprise to me as well. I am sure Elizabeth has never told you, but I had proposed to her before, not too long ago, only to have her reject me. I think you can understand how wary I was to propose to her again, especially as she was engaged to my cousin only this morning" Mr. Darcy responded slowly, as if he was giving Mrs. Bennet time to absorb all of this.

"What do you mean only this morning they were engaged? She was engaged to him, they called it off and now the two of you are engaged? If this is truly how the nobility lives, then I change my mind and have no wish to live like them. My poor nerves, how they suffer! Elizabeth knows just what to do to them to make me suffer so!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed.

"I assure you Mrs. Bennet, she didn't set out to destroy your nerves. At least, I hope that wasn't the reason she agreed to marry me. It's just, Elizabeth is such a strong-willed person, and expects everyone else around her to either agree with her, or stand aside, silently. I should know. I am the same way. You cannot change such a thing about yourself so easily, even if you wanted to. So, please, do not blame Elizabeth for this" William said, trying to smooth things over with his future mother-in-law.

"How dare you speak to me about my daughter that way?! As if you know her better than I! You think that just because you are now engaged, that you know her better than I do? Her own mother? I think not, Mr. Darcy!" Exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, her face red in anger.

It looked like she was about to go off again, but the door swung open, reveling a smiling Elizabeth, a flushed Mr. Bingly, and an embarrassed Jane, all but Elizabeth looking at the ground.

"Mama, it appears Jane did travel with you after all. You see, she told me she needed to stretch after such a journey, and while she was walking about the grounds, she . . . ran into Mr. Bingly, and since they have not seen each other in quite some time, they decided to catch up with each other, and it seems that they lost track of time is all. I stumbled upon the back by the fountain, you see. I do believe I gave them quite a shock too" Elizabeth said, her smile still firmly on her face, until she noticed her mothers furious glare at William, and the look of restraint on Williams face.

"Why, whatever happened while I was away mother? Did the two of you get into some kind of disagreement? Mother, you look quite angry, and William, you do look vexed, as well. Whatever is the matter?" Elizabeth inquired, looking from her mother to William, expecting an answer.

"Well you see my dear, your mother and I were just discussing the details of our betrothal, is all. She was only shocked a bit, about how quickly our union has come to be" William answered, not wanting to go into detail, especially not in front of Bingly and Jane. Whatever would they think, if they were to learn that they had been arguing about who knew Elizabeth better?

"Mother? Is this true?" Elizabeth asked, looking expectantly at her.

"Yes of course it is, my dear. And you must admit, everything is moving quite fast, Lizzie. Engaged to one man this morning, and now to his own cousin this afternoon? Highly unheard of, I assure you. But anyway. Mr. Bingly, how WONDERFUL to see you again!" Mrs. Bennet said, quickly changing the subject.

While Mrs. Bennet, Jane and Mr. Bingly were all talking, Elizabeth pulled William out of hearing range and asked him what had really happened. Now, did he tell her the truth and make her mother look bad, or did he stick with the story they had come up with and lie to Elizabeth?

"Lizzie, truly your mother was just shocked to hear about the breaking of your union with Fitz, and then how quickly you agreed to marry me. She will warm up to the idea quickly, I am sure" He assured her, cursing her mother more than ever for making it necessary to lie to Elizabeth.

"All right Love, if you're sure. Now, you are simply not going to believe what I just happened to see. Do you remember how I said I had stumbled upon Jane and Bingly talking by the fountain?"

At Williams nod Elizabeth continued.

"Well you see they were not talking at all, but kissing and embracing by the fountain! Isn't that the most wonderful thing, William?" Elizabeth asked happily. It was one thing for her to be so happy with her future husband, but for Jane to find such happiness also, was almost too much joy to bear! Almost.

"Why my dear, that is indeed wonderful. I only regret I was not able to talk to Charles and apologize for persuading him to discontinue his courtship in the first place. But perhaps I shall find an opportunity later this eve. Now love, why don't we rejoin the group, your sister is looking quite frazzled by your mother" he said, taking Lizzie's arm and gently steering her back toward the group.

Later that evening, when Elizabeth and Jane were getting ready for bed, Elizabeth asked Jane about the kiss she had witnessed.

"Oh Lizzie, it was all such a surprise. I truly was walking a bit to stretch my sore limbs, when who should I come across but Mr. Bingly, making his way over to me. Perhaps he though I was you, for when he saw my face, he stopped dead in his tracks, seemed to make his mind up about something, and came running over to me, and picked me up, swinging me around in circles, before he kissed me! And it was marvelous Lizzie!" Jane said, her face glowing in happiness.

"Oh darling, I know it is! Do you think he will ask for your hand Jane?" Elizabeth asked, curious to hear Jane's opinion on this matter.

"Oh I don't know Lizzie. I hope he does! I thought I had finally made myself forget about him, but when I saw him running toward me this afternoon, I knew I loved him more than ever!" Jane answered in her soft voice.

"Well my only advice is to make sure you convey your feeling toward him, so that he is absolutely sure you love him, and then I cannot see how he could NOT propose to you!" Elizabeth exclaimed, excited for her sister.

"Oh I shall do my best, Lizzie. I promise I shall. Now . . . tell me about Mr. Darcy! I want to know everything" Jane demanded.

Elizabeth explained everything that had happened, including William's first proposal, and Fitz's proposal, and finally her acceptance of William's hand.

As she lay in bed next to her sister, her sleepy mind drifted to William, and how she truly could not wait until she was laying next to him at night.

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Author's Note:

Many many thanks to all of my faithful readers and reviewers...you're all amazing for sticking with me for 10 chapters now!!! WOW! And still going! Lemme know whatcha think, and if you don't like it, tell me why, not just you think it's crap. Tell me WHY you think it's crap, so I can improve. I mean, I'm not going to be able to make everyone happy, but if I can improve my writing, then mabey my next story will be better because of your constructive criticism.

Love you all!!! Maria