A/N: Another short part, but as you're all familiar with P&P I'm sure you know what's coming next!

Part 9- '…to town on business…?'

Rupert was dying. Celia had hoped that removing him to her own house, amongst the fresh, clean air, would work the miracle she had been praying for, but it was not to be. He had seemed to be getting better. The change had probably bought him some precious extra few months, but the fact still remained…

He was dying here, in her arms. The last few days had been terrible. He had deteriorated horribly and now as she was nursing him Rupert seemed to sense the end was near.

He looked up at her, smiling. 'It was the biggest mistake of my life…giving you up. I was wrong, Celia…it is not a regret I have learned to live with…'

Celia was tearful. 'Hush…you must save your energy…'

He took hold of both her hands. 'It always seemed so contrite of me to ask for relief from a God I had long sought to abandon, but I am thankful at least that…providence has sought to unite us…to have these last few months with you…I could only have dreamt of such a blessing…' He gasped painfully. It proved to be his last breath.

Celia felt the life ebb away from him. The tears flowed freely now. She kissed his hands; they were already beginning to go cold. She kissed his face, his eyes and his lips. 'Oh, my darling Rupert...not yet…! Wait for me…you promised you would wait for me…'

The whole scene was thick with emotion; the crew, everyone looking on could not help but be affected. Even Harry's eyes were streaming when he called, 'Cut and print…' in a shaky voice. It marked the last scene between Celia and Rupert, and the last between Lizzy and Darcy. She could not help but be pleased by the fact, whilst Darcy just stared at her soulfully from his deathbed.

Lizzy was worried about Jane. It had been almost two months since her departure to London, and since then Lizzy had received only two letters. The last one had been sent a few weeks ago. Lizzy poured over it again.

Jane talked about her trip. Her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had been kind enough to offer her a place to stay, saving her a costly hotel bill. Everything with her clients had been sorted in the first few weeks of her arrival and she had been at leisure since then, though from what Lizzy read she knew Jane found no pleasance in the fact. She stated she did not know what she was still staying in London for. Lizzy knew: Bingley.

As for 'bumping' into Bingley, Jane wrote,

'…it was easier said than done. We have not met, nor have I heard from him. I know you will say London is a big place and that I ought to be patient, but I have left numerous messages with his office. He knows I'm here if he wanted to see me. I must conclude, therefore, Lizzy, that he doesn't. I was wrong. He doesn't love me.

Jane finished the letter with, 'Don't worry, I'll be fine' ironically, exactly the words to ensure her sister worried more than ever. Lizzy knew that Jane's statement was not true; she loved him deeply and would not be 'fine'. She was also angry with herself for sending Jane after him, guilty for sending her to pursue nothing but pain. The majority of her fury was reserved for Bingley, though, for being so utterly inconsistent. He didn't know what he was missing in giving up a soul as perfect as Jane.

Lizzy hurried to her last scene, her black gown billowing around her. Celia buries Rupert in the closing frames of the film, and Lizzy was required to do nothing more than stand around looking solemn as his coffin is lowered into the ground. But musings over Jane had left her oblivious to the time, and consequently late to the set.

She rushed blindly on and was surprised to be joined by Robert. He hurried along with her.

'Confess, Miss Bennet, when you heard that I had gotten the role of Henry, and that I was Darcy's cousin, you were sure there was a touch of nepotism about the whole. I bet you hated me.'

Lizzy laughed uneasily; he could not know how close to the truth he had gotten. 'No…not at all…'

Robert smiled. 'Well, perhaps Darcy did play some part in it. He is a loyal cousin and good friend…'

Lizzy was unconvinced. 'You think highly of him, no doubt, precisely because you are related.'

'No, it's not only that…You have not seen Darcy in the best light, Miss Bennet.'

She laughed slightly. 'There is a better light to Mr Darcy…?'

'Yes, of course.' He nodded emphatically. 'I know he seems haughty and reserved; it's because he's quiet…but I assure you he's lively enough in other places.'

Lizzy could not believe it. 'Really?'

'And as I said before, he is a loyal friend. He has proved as much with his friend Bingley.'

Lizzy was sincerely interested now. 'Do you know Mr Bingley?'

'A little. He is the perfect example of Darcy's loyalty; Darcy is remarkably kind to him…'

Lizzy cut in sarcastically, 'Yes Darcy is, he takes prodigious deal of care of Mr Bingley...'

Robert agreed, 'I would say he does…He lately saved Bingley from what would have proved to be a most imprudent marriage.'

Lizzy stopped in her tracks. Jane! 'He did what…?'

'Yes, he boasted of it to me only a few days ago.'

Lizzy made a conscious effort to contain her growing anger in an effort to elicit further information from Robert.

'And did he tell you the reasons for this interference? I suppose it is because of money…?'

He was confused. 'No…what do you mean?'

Lizzy sought to backtrack quickly; he of course knew nothing about Jane. 'Mr Bingley has wealth, it is well known; perhaps the fortune of the lady in question was left wanting…?'

Robert disagreed with her. 'No...Darcy is indifferent to that sort of thing, I'm sure. No, I believe there were some objections to the girl's family. The way Darcy described the mother…he had me in stitches…' As if to prove his point, Robert even laughed at the memory of it. 'And the rest of the family, he told me, are not much better…'

Lizzy was mortified. 'And what did that have to do with Darcy? Bingley was to marry the girl, not the mother.'

'Oh, come, Miss Bennet, we all know when one marries, it is inevitably into a family.'

'Still, it is Bingley who would have married. If he could not have any objections, I do not see where Darcy's reservations come into it.'

'But Darcy and Bingley are close friends and he would still have had to spend some time with them…and Darcy has assured me that even that little would prove to be too much…' He laughed, no doubt recalling Darcy's words regarding her mother.

'And so he separated them…?' Lizzy asked quietly.

'I do not know the particulars, but Bingley went to London and Darcy after him. Darcy has since returned, of course…'

Robert Fitzwilliam carried on talking, wholly oblivious to the fact that his companion was shaking from head to foot in barely suppressed anger.