A/N: So last update in a while, have to disappear for a couple of months, hit my profile for further details. And sorry but I'm going to leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger, enjoy!

Part 17- 'A bump in the road…'

Lizzy sighed deeply as she closed the room to her door and leaned heavily against it. She thought she could hear Darcy still outside and it took every ounce of restraint to resist the temptation of opening the door, throwing herself in his arms again and bringing him back into the room.

She was glad she did resist; it would have proved highly embarrassing, for as soon as Lizzy reached for the light switch and her eyes became adjusted, she gasped in surprise at the sight of her father who had been sitting quietly in the dark on her bed.

'Dad…what are you doing here…?' she asked him. She set about removing her jewellery and makeup.

Mr Bennet wondered at her alacrity and her flustered nature; she was still deep red. 'Quite a night, wasn't it? I suppose I don't have to ask if you enjoyed it, seeing as you're home quite late…' He watched the corners of her mouth upturn into a smile.

'Yes…it is late, isn't it? I hadn't realised…Mr Darcy was kind enough to see me home.'

He believed he saw much to interpret in her expressions and enough to justify enquiry. 'Our host sure knows how to throw a party, even an impromptu one. I was surprised, pleasantly so…I have to admit, Lizzy, from all that I had read and heard about him, I'd been expecting quite a different sort of man'

A flash of anger passed over her face, and she suddenly became protective of Darcy. 'Well, you won't have been the first person to be wrong about him…'

Mr Bennet watched her carefully and decided the time had finally come to have it out with her. 'Lizzy…you know I've stayed silent for too long on this point…I know little of what has passed between you and Mr Darcy apart from what Jane has told me.'

'Jane…' Lizzy nodded knowingly, 'yes, of course, Jane…I would tell her she is becoming a little too much like mother with all her interfering, but I think that would be too cruel.'

'She means well, Lizzy,' Mr Bennet emphasised. 'As I said, I know little of what has passed, but marrying Mr Collins is not the way to mend a broken heart…'

His words caught Lizzy completely off guard. 'A broken heart? And what would you know of it…?'

Mr Bennet was amazed at the growing anger in her voice. She seemed to be choking on the words; certainly there were tears in her eyes.

'I had to make the biggest decision of my life a few months ago…and you weren't here. I needed you more than ever, Dad, and you weren't here.' She was hastily brushing away tears. 'This is the most time we've spent together, the most I've seen you in over a year…and instead of…'

'Lizzy…' Mr Bennet stood up and, taking both her hands in his, tried to console her. She snatched them away.

'You're posing all these questions…this confusion…' She began to rub her temples furiously.

Mr Bennet took her hands again. 'It's simple, Lizzy…you don't love Mr Collins.'

She looked up with tear-stained eyes. 'I could learn to…' she replied weakly.

He squeezed her hands tightly. 'You shouldn't have to…Mr Collins is not the man for you, he hasn't got the same passion or soul, but Darcy…Lizzy, I've seen the way he looks at you…'

Lizzy threw her arms about her father. 'Please, Dad, stop. It's too late…I've made my decision.'

Mr Bennet sighed deeply and held her close. 'Then what do you want from me, Lizzy…' he asked softly, '…you must know I could never give you my blessing.'

'No…I know...' She brushed her lips lightly against his cheek and smiled. 'Could you at least give me your support?'

He looked her squarely in the eye. 'You know you will always have that…'

This time the tears came in floods. She hugged her father fiercely once more. 'Life isn't like one of your plays, Dad…we can't go back and hope to give a better performance second time round, however much we wish to…'

He held her at arm's length. 'Lizzy…'

She would not let him speak. 'Support, Dad, remember…?' She seemed to pause and reflect. 'Rupert was right; there are some regrets we just have to learn to live with…'

Mr Bennet, taking her firmly by the arms, shook her. 'No…!' She was shocked.

'No…Lizzy, this is not a regret you will learn to live with. I will not allow it…' He spoke with firmness and an authority Lizzy had never heard from him before. She could only stare open-mouthed.

'What are you afraid of? All you have to do…' he jabbed a finger to his chest, indicating the heart, 'all you have to do is look here…then you'll find that the right decision is waiting for you…and it isn't all that hard to make.'

He hugged her again quickly before leaving the room altogether. Lizzy was left drained. She collapsed, exhausted, onto her bed and tried to make sense of her father's words. The right decision…was waiting for her…

The world always comes rushing in, no matter what you do, however many pains you take. Whatever little comfortable cocoon you build for yourself, all the safety nets you draw up, the world always comes rushing in to tear it apart and let in the blinding light before you are ready.

The world came rushing in for Lizzy. Fate determined that when she woke up that morning the decision that her father had promised her was not that hard to make, had already been made for her.

A letter awaited her with the coffee that room service had brought in. It sat on the silver tray neatly propped against the cup. She eyed it curiously. It didn't have the address of the hotel on it or a postmark to determine where it had it come from. She wondered if it might be from Darcy, and half-smiling she opened it with impatient fingers. The world always comes rushing in….

Darcy stalked across that lobby floor as a man possessed. In a way, he was. Possessed with the idea of finally having everything he could ever want: Elizabeth Bennet. That kiss last night, he was sure there was something there, she felt it too…he knew she did. He was going up to her room, and he was going to tell her exactly how he felt. He was going to make sure she told him how she now felt about him and damn it if they didn't make love in that room this very morning. And damn it if she didn't enjoy it as much as he would.

The night clerk was just leaving as Darcy passed him, and if he thought he looked rough due to a night shift, Darcy looked infinitely worse, even though he was wearing a peculiar smile.

He knocked purposefully on her door. It was ridiculously early and he had half-expected to see Lizzy still in her dressing gown, but to his surprise she was fully dressed almost as if she were ready to go. But it was the look on her face that drew his attention and tugged at his heart. Her eyes were rimmed red and tear-stained. 'Are you alright…?' His voice bespoke the alarm he felt at seeing her so affected.

'No…' she let out in a strangled sob. Before Darcy could ask her what was wrong she hurried off to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She left him standing in the doorway. He couldn't very well leave her, considering how upset she was, so he came into the room and closed the door behind him.

He stood looking around the room, hoping for some clue to her distress. He soon spied the letter lying on the table. Picking it up, he looked anxiously towards the bathroom door, hoping Lizzy would emerge and tell him all herself, but she didn't.

He began to read, his eyes growing more wide and disbelieving at every word.

Miss Bennet,

I suppose you're surprised to be hearing from me again? You shouldn't be. I warned you that you were making a mistake in getting Harry to edit me from the film; you see, I was depending on that role for my break.

But you saw fit to interfere and now I see fit to repay you in kind. I hope you like the photograph I've sent you; it's a sample from a collection. It's amazing how much young girls are willing to tell you or what they're willing to do if you ply them with enough drink. Don't worry; the picture isn't for me. I have a more refined taste in women, as you well know.

No, this rather, shall we say, interesting photo is for the man she's been having an affair with. You remember the producer of your film, don't you? Billy Farren? It seems they got together on the set.

Can you imagine the headlines, Miss Bennet, especially considering Billy is a married man with children? What will his poor wife think?

I guess it's fairly certain the Bennet family and all its history will be turned inside out. They'll drag out every sordid detail about your father, your mother, all the Bennet sisters and, most especially, you.

You shouldn't have crossed me. With Darcy it may have been mercenary as well as personal, but I assure you with you it has been entirely personal. I've already worked out a deal with a journalist for the photos. I look forward to seeing them as well as your face in the papers by the end of the week.

Goodbye, Miss Bennet. It's been a pleasure, as always.

Wickham.

Darcy reached for the photograph Wickham was referring to. It lay face down on the table. He studied it closely; it was quite clearly Lydia Bennet dressed provocatively in skimpy underwear and nothing else.

Lizzy at that point stepped out of the bathroom, and seeing Darcy holding the letter in one hand and the photograph in the other, she hurried over to him and snatched the picture from his hand. Overcome with anger and grief, she tore it to shreds. 'Stupid…stupid… stupid girl…!'

It horrified her that he could be looking at the picture. She felt so ashamed it might as well have been her instead of Lydia.

The torn pieces fell like crude confetti all over table, and Lizzy suddenly felt so exposed and vulnerable in front of this man, she collapsed likewise in the chair.

'Have you read the letter…?' she asked him quietly at length. It took her a while to form the words.

'Yes…I'm so sorry…' Darcy likewise had trouble knowing what to say.

'How could he do this…? How could anybody be so cruel? Do you know he sent a similar letter and picture to my mother…can you imagine any mother seeing her sixteen-year-old daughter like that?'

Darcy pulled up a chair close to her. He reached out and took her hand gently. She did not pull her hand away and seemed almost grateful for the touch. Looking up at him pathetically, she was at a loss to understand what had happened.

'But Billy Farren? What was she thinking…? He's old enough to be her father…my God, he is a father! He has two children, doesn't he?'

Darcy had to nod to confirm it. 'I hate to be the one who has to tell you this, but Billy's done this before.'

Lizzy couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'What…?'

'It was a long time ago. He got entangled with some young actress…' He vainly tried to offer some consolation.

'Why didn't I know anything about this?' she implored him. She was desperately looking for answers.

He pressed her hand reassuringly. Her forlorn appearance made him want to hold her, but he smiled instead and spoke gently, 'He's good at his job, the studios have long kept it quiet…'

Lizzy shrugged. 'Well, not anymore. Wickham is sending the pictures to the press. Within a week the whole world will know…' Lizzy tried to compose herself, but her efforts only resulted in a strangled sob. 'Stupid, selfish Lydia…she's ruined everything. '

Lizzy searched Darcy's expression. She wondered if he knew what she meant by everything. 'Wickham is right, isn't he…? We both know the abject morality of this place, Lydia will never work in this business again…and neither will anyone remotely connected with her.' She laughed quietly. 'After all the stories, who's going to risk having a Bennet on the set…?' Lizzy's eyes were overflowing with tears as they met Darcy's. He knew what she was saying: her career was over.

He wanted so much to hold her, to comfort her and kiss her. Assure her that he would make everything alright…and just when it looked like Lizzy was wishing for the same thing and offering no resistance, the door flew open and in rolled Mr Collins!

Darcy jumped back in surprise and stood up so quickly that his chair fell backwards; it met the carpeted floor with a dull thud. Lizzy looked up at him regretfully. The instant her eyes met his accusing, hurt ones she knew….she knew it was all over. Whatever decision she had sat up that night making, she knew the instant Darcy saw Collins was still in her life, it was over.

Mr Collins appeared not to notice the intimate manner in which Darcy and Lizzy had been sitting. He was red and out of breath. 'Right, my dear, the bags are packed and in the car. Your father is downstairs and we're all ready to go…'

Darcy was devastated, yet he kept his voice deliberately cold and distant. 'You're leaving…?'

'Yes. Sorry, Darcy, but there's some urgent business at home.' Mr Collins looked towards Lizzy and vainly tried to invent some lie.

'He knows…' she spoke softly; she could not bear to look up.

'Oh…?' Collins appeared hurt. He wondered why she should confide in this man; after all, it wasn't as if he were family, or soon to be.

'Yes, I told him…' Lizzy met Darcy's gaze briefly. 'We have to go. Mother is in near hysterics and I don't think Jane should have to cope with that on her own.'

Again that steady tone from him, Lizzy closed her eyes against it, 'I suppose I ought to be going. I'm sorry. I wish that I could do something to help, but I'm not going to burden you with vain wishes and hopes, which you probably think I express merely to gain your thanks…'

He walked towards the door but turned and looked back at Lizzy. She hadn't moved at all. She looked up at him and he held her gaze tightly. 'This probably means Georgiana won't be seeing you today?'

Lizzy shook her head remorsefully. She longed to tell him that Mr Collins being here was not of her choosing; he had only arrived that morning because Mrs Bennet had sent him to bring her home, it was nothing more…it meant nothing more. But she couldn't; the hard glint in his eye assured her that she was too late…again.

The words would barely come. 'No…tell her I'm sorry but…just say…'

'I know what to say…' and with that he was gone. And Lizzy's heart went with him.

'Do you think it was wise to confide in him…?' Mr Collins' voice brought her back to the present situation.

She snapped angrily at him. 'Of course! I didn't mean to; he just happened to be there when I needed someone, and I'm glad…either way…there isn't a man in the world I trust more with such a secret…'

It's funny, Lizzy thought, how you only realise you've found your little piece of heaven when you've fallen out of it. She sat in the back of the car, quiet, alone and looking out of the window. Lizzy truly believed she had found her piece of heaven, and it was here at Pemberley Theatre…with Darcy. But Lizzy hadn't fallen out of her little piece of heaven, she'd been pushed, through the shortcomings and lack of restraint of a sister, and the maliciousness of Wickham.

It was only now she realised how much she loved him, when it was all too late. She should have told him how she felt last night, after they had kissed; that was the right decision.

He had told her then that his feelings for her would never change, but that was before, and maybe they could in the face of her relative's odious weaknesses and her own reluctance to make a choice. Mr Collins could not have made his reappearance at a worse time.

And why had she been afraid to make that choice? Sure, they were both passionate people with differing views on the world, and no doubt they would fight like cats and dogs but, and here was the insight that hurt the most, Lizzy realised she would rather spend a lifetime fighting with Darcy than pretending she loved any other man.

A solitary tear rolled down her cheek.