'It's extremely troublesome to be so obligated and thankful to a man one has been determined to dislike.' Mr Bennet sighed, propping his head on his arm.
Lizzy smiled. She went over to him and began to rub his shoulders. They had both locked themselves in his study to avoid seeing either Mr Collins or the surprise he had brought with him a few days ago: Lydia.
'But we do have to be thankful to him; he did find Lydia and bring her back.' Lizzy went and stood by the window.
'Yes…yes, but it's not as if Lydia has even changed at all. One would think being used and abandoned like she was would endue something of the humility or restraint she sorely lacks, but she's as loud as she ever was…I've lately begun to wish Collins would have left her there'
Lizzy laughed. It was true, Lydia hadn't changed; she behaved as if she had done nothing wrong. 'You don't mean that, dad. At least with Lydia here, we can contain this somewhat, even though…there are still those pictures to contend with…'
She crossed her arms tightly. Those pictures…that picture, the one Darcy had seen.
The thought that he knew about all this still haunted her, and hurt her.
Her father seemed to read her thoughts. He came and stood next to her. 'Have you heard from him at all?'
She shook her head sadly, 'No…nothing at all, I haven't heard from him…or of him.'
'Oh, Lizzy…' her father hugged her. She buried her face deep in his shoulder.
He comforted her for a while before holding her at arm's length and looking intently at her. 'It may be extremely troublesome, Lizzy, but I believe I can be obsequious and grateful enough to Collins for both of us,' he smiled slyly, 'and should I at any time find myself faltering, I'm sure any one or other of the family will take up the charge.'
Lizzy knew what he meant, 'You don't need to worry. I wasn't going to carry on my engagement with Mr Collins out of a misplaced sense of gratitude.'
'Good, I'm glad to hear it.'
Lizzy smiled and lightly kissed his cheek before taking her leave.
Lizzy was in earnest about her engagement to Collins. In her heart it had long been over, and it was not that she needed courage to tell him so, she merely needed the opportunity. She thought it rather strange, but she was certain Collins was avoiding her. He seemed constantly on the move; ever since he had brought back Lydia, he appeared to be filled with even more nervous energy than usual.
Now, try as she might, Lizzy could not find him anywhere about the house. She inquired of Jane, who was returning from the garden, if she had seen Collins there. Jane shook her head, 'Sorry, Lizzy, but no.'
Giving up, Lizzy made her way upstairs before Jane called her back, 'Lizzy…I almost forgot, there's a letter here for you.'
Lizzy stopped and smiled. Perhaps he had written to her after all, maybe Darcy had found a way to forgive her… She raced down the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her.
The letter was not from Darcy. Lizzy knew that from the moment she had spied it in Jane's hands. It was too big, a large brown envelope, and it was heavy, sure to contain more than a few sheets of paper.
Jane had excitedly declared it to be a script from another studio company, but Lizzy had resolutely shot that idea down. No, this 'package', almost, was something else. Lizzy had hurried off with it to her own room. She had opened it cautiously, almost afraid of what it might contain. Now seeing the contents strewn over her bed, she sat down and began to read fervently.
There was a magazine, a letter and some photographs…Lydia! These were the pictures Wickham had been talking about, the sordid little collection. But how…? The explanation she would find in the letter. It had no date, no opening greeting, it simply started:
I've never been too fond of actors, Miss Bennet. The ones I have been around have always impressed me as being vain and pretentious. I mean, who considers standing in front of a camera and delivering lines to be an art?
But lately, I have met an actor who has forced me to challenge my own prejudices, and has given me reason to change my view: Fitzwilliam Darcy. It would be an understatement, Miss Bennet, to say that I don't think I have ever met anyone as selfless.
He has put his whole life on public view so that you and your family do not suffer.
Do you know he actively sought out your sister? I believe he had to bribe Wickham for the address. As if that were not enough, he then set about finding me out in order to buy back the pictures, as well as giving me the story of the year. All so that the one about your sister would not see the light of day.
You can read the story for yourself. Sensational as it is, I have tried to be kind, evidence perhaps of the indelible effect Darcy has had on me. Believe me, Miss Bennet, I am as ruthless as they come. Emotion has never before found a way to hinder my words, but in this case it has.
I do not think the tabloids are going to be as kind or sentimental, professional jealousy is an ugly thing. They will not be forgiving the fact that the scoop did not go to them.
Darcy also has other worries, I am told. Given his financial standing with Pemberley Theatre's Board, I do not think that they will look kindly on the fact that he perhaps did not consult them before going to the press. I am not sure what they will do.
And his reasons for doing all this, risking it all like this? Naturally, I asked, and his answers were all reasonable enough. He blames himself for not telling the world what Wickham was truly like. I think he takes on too much. Wickham is a snake who can charm the birds out of the trees and I doubt anyone would believe a word against him.
I must admit to having become quite fond of your Mr Darcy, and a little worried. Given his heritage and somewhat noble lineage is now in doubt, I fear this makes his position as owner of Pemberley Theatre untenable, to say the least. Miss Bennet, they will be out for his blood. Lady Catherine will no doubt have something to say about it.
Finally, I think I can go through the whole of this life, Miss Bennet, and never be so fortunate as to come across a man who would champion a cause on my behalf even half as passionately and devoutly as Darcy has done yours. If I did, I would be a very happy woman.
I am ridiculously envious of you. With regard to the photos, these are the only copies and they are yours. You can rest assured the story about your sister won't be appearing in any paper. Darcy explicitly instructed that they be sent to him, but…
Good luck, Miss Bennet, and be kind to our poor Darcy, or at least do not make him wait for you too long.
Lizzy could not believe what she was reading; it took her another reading of the letter to make any sense of it at all. Darcy had done all this? Why…for her? Heidi Marchant certainly believed it was for her; she longed to believe it was, but would not allow the hope to creep into her heart.
But what did she mean by his heritage? She took up the magazine and began to read. The names and pictures all whirled around her head; Carmen Rosetta was Darcy's mother…? Almost as soon as she understood what that sentence meant, she knew what it implicated for Darcy…he was in trouble.
Her love for him spurred her on to act. She was going to save him, but first things first, she thought…time to be rid of Collins for good. She flung the door open and hurried down the stairs. She caught Collins sneaking down the hall.
'Mr Collins…stop right there…!' Her voice, intentionally loud and demanding, made him do just that. He turned to her with a weak smile. The rest of the family emerged also. 'Y-yes, dear….?' he stammered.
She approached him slowly. 'Mr Collins…Edward, you never really told us how you managed to find Lydia. I mean, we are all extremely grateful that you did, but you've never told us how you knew just where to look?'
Mr Collins shrugged disarmingly; he looked at everyone in turn, smiling pathetically at each, while Lydia smirked knowingly at him. 'It's not important, surely?'
But Lizzy was insistent, 'Of course it is…surely we should know all the trouble you went to, so we know just how grateful we should be…or should that be to whom we should be grateful?'
Mr Collins tilted his head to one side, looking sheepish. 'Lizzy….?'
'You despicable, odious…. toad of a man…how could you? How could you take the credit for something you didn't even do?'
'Lizzy…' However much Mr Bennet was enjoying Collins' discomfort, he felt he would enjoy it better if he knew the reasons behind it.
'It was Mr Darcy!' she cried with energy, 'it was Mr Darcy that took the trouble to find Lydia! He bribed Wickham to tell him where she was, Mr Collins had nothing to do with it.'
'Darcy asked me to do it!' Collins thought it best to offer some sort of defence, '…he gave me the address and asked me to get her. And to pretend that it had been all my own doing, he insisted on his anonymity…I swear it.'
Lizzy was shaking her head. Collins watched in horror as she wrested his engagement ring from her finger. 'What are you doing…?'
'Something I should have had the courage to do a long time ago' she grabbed his hand and pressed his ring into it, 'this engagement is off!'
Lizzy breathed in deeply and nervously. It had been a busy night, and this morning was going to be worse. She had set her heart on saving Darcy, but it was not until she had read the morning papers that she realised the mammoth task it would prove.
Heidi Marchant had not been wrong when she had said the tabloids would be unkind; they were positively vitriolic. It seemed Darcy was the one being punished for his father's ill-advised affair with the Diva. Every sordid detail, Darcy's own past relationships, truthful or otherwise, all were being played out for the common gossip of the common man. It was degrading and humiliating, and Lizzy felt every word almost as painfully as if it had been written about her.
But stories would pass, memories would fade, the fickle nature of the public ensured that within a couple of months no doubt they would have another affair to speak of; it was Darcy's position with the board that had to be saved.
She needed reinforcements and called Darcy's cousin Robert to gather all the members of the committee together. That was the first part of her plan; the second part she explained hurriedly to both Jane and Bingley and left in their capable hands.
There was one other person whose help she needed, but whom she was reluctant to ask: Georgiana. It was not that Lizzy did not trust her, but with her being so young, Lizzy had doubts as to whether she would be able to perform as necessary. But Lizzy had no choice. She called Georgiana.
Georgiana sat at breakfast that morning, likewise poring over the morning papers. The phone calls she had received regarding the stories about her brother were far from pleasant.
'Georgiana, you shouldn't be reading that…' She hadn't noticed her brother enter the room. He took the paper away from her. 'It's a pile of rubbish.'
'So it isn't true…?' Georgiana held out a glimmer of hope.
'The tabloids are hardly the embodiment of truth, Georgiana, you should know that.' He poured himself a cup of strong black coffee.
'Stop trying to protect me, Darcy I have a right to know,' She looked at him directly.
'You don't need to know. It doesn't concern you.' He hardly even looked up from his cup.
She was angry that he could have sprung something like this on her. 'Doesn't concern me? He was my father as well…'
Darcy did at last look up. He hadn't counted on her being angry. 'I know, but all this, everything they write about doesn't matter. All you have to know is that he loved you very much, it's all that matters…'
Georgiana sighed. She got up and went over to where her brother sat and hugged him closely. 'It's not that…that isn't what I'm upset about, it's you…' Darcy looked at her closely for an explanation.
She had tears in her eyes. 'I know I may have been young, Darcy, but I remember…I remember the way he treated you. How hard he was, the way he pushed and pressured you, and expected so much, all the time. I used to cry about it, because it was so unfair, the way he treated you…why, why did he do that?'
Darcy could not help but be touched by the strength of Georgiana's attachment to him; he felt his own tears sting his eyes as he suddenly hugged her close to him.
'I don't know, maybe he thought of me as the mistake he couldn't get rid of, whatever the reason, it's all in the past.'
'But it's not, is it?' she mumbled into his shoulder, 'it's here…'
They stood this way in silence for some time, until Georgiana's ringing phone roused them into life again.
Darcy kissed his sister lightly before leaving the room. Georgiana sadly watched him go. She answered her phone with some abruptness, fully expecting it to be yet another journalist. It wasn't.
'Hello…Georgiana, it's Lizzy, Elizabeth Bennet. Look, I got your number from your cousin Robert, I really need your help…'
A/N: So Lizzy finally does what every reviewer has been praying for since she accepted Mr Collins, the engagement is off. The next chapters are the last of this story, they are both endings, different endings to this same story, but since I have still to start writing the alternative ending I'll wait till the last post to explain better, meanwhile enjoy!