Thank you to everyone that had read this story and has favorited it, followed or reviewed. It is an incredible feeling to know that people are enjoying my work. I am also sorry for those of you who have been pained by my problems with grammar and spelling. All I can say is that I will try to do better, but english is not my first language and this is my first time writing a story so I am sure that there will still be many mistakes.

Chapter 3

Caroline was glad it was time to retire, when the gentlemen had joined the women after the division of the sexes Mr. Darcy had sat himself next to his sister and ignored her as much as he could without being rude. When she had suggested some music he had encouraged Georgiana to play and then proceeded to go with her to the piano and turn the pages. That left her with her brother, sister and Mr Hurst. She finally decided to cut her losses and retire. That prompted Georgiana, Mr and Mrs Hurst to also retire, but Mr. Darcy and Charles decided to go to his study to talk. She was fine with it, it gave her more time to plan.

She arrived at her room and her maid was waiting for her. As she undressed her maid informed her of everything she had learned.

"It was not so easy to get information from these Pemberley servants, but I did manage to get what you needed."

"Do tell"

"Mr Darcy normally does not immediately retire, he goes to his study for an hour or two. Then he goes to his room. His valet normally retires and hour after that. I think midnight would be the best time to put you plan in action."

"Midnight is a good time. It will be the start of a new day for me and my future."

While she undressed Miss Georgiana was arriving at her quarters and was about to be giving very distressing information.

Georgiana did not expect for Sally to be waiting for her with another maid. They both looked concerned but, the other maid which she believed her name was Alice, the recent hire, looked particularly worried. Sally approached her.

"Miss Georgiana I'm afraid we have some distressing information to share with you. While she was doing her duties Alice unintentionally overheard a conversation. She was not certain what to do with the information and came to me. I thought that the most prudent thing was to come directly to you." Georgiana started to get nervous, she trusted Sally, she would not be so worried without good reason. She turned to Alice.

"What did you overhear?"

"I was going to inform Miss Bingley that she was expected for dinner when I accidentally head her talking to her maid. They were talking about a plan to compromise Mr Darcy so that he would have to marry her."

"No! It cannot be! Miss Bingley? She would not dare!" But a sliver of doubt passed through her. Wouldn't she? Miss Bingley had not hidden her desire to become Mistress of Pemberley and she clearly had not gotten far with her brother after all this years. Was she that desperate and without morals?

"I am sorry Miss Georgiana but that is what I heard I am certain of it. I have always had a very good hearing."

"Tell me exactly what you heard word by word." Georgiana listened carefully as Alice proceeded to tell her the entire conversation she had overheard. After she had heard the entire story she stood up and went to the window to look outside. A range of emotions were warring inside of her. Things had been going steadily better for her since that dreadful day when she discovered she had been deceived by Mr Wickham. She had hidden behind her shyness and became afraid from interacting with the world, her confidence had been greatly shaken.

But now all she felt was anger. Miss Bingley that had been invited to Pemberley many times, whose family her brother had helped a great deal, was planning in to compromise her brother in his very own home to force him to marry her. She had always found her superficial, arrogant and impolite, and had always known that she had set her cap on her brother, but to resort to this. This, she had not expected and this, she would not allow. She would be shy Miss Darcy no more. Her brother needed her, her brother had loved her, protected her, saved her from Mr. Wickham and had never resented her for her foolishness. No, this time it would be her that would love him, protect him and save him. Miss Bingley would pay for attempting this and Georgiana would ensure that Miss Bingley would never have another opportunity to try again.

Georgiana turned to her two maid. "Ok, listen to me carefully, this is the plan. First, Alice you will bring Mrs Reynolds to me, she must be informed of our plans. Two, Sally you will bring me my brothers valet, Parker, I must speak with him as well, I have a plan, but the most important part of this is that no one must know except us and Mrs. Raynolds and Parker. Not even my brother."

"But Miss Georgiana what about your brother? Should he not be informed?"

"No Sally, I know that this is a lot to ask of you but you must trust me. I know what will happen if we inform my brother. For proprieties sakes he will go to Bingley to inform him of everything. Bingley is too good and will believe this is all some sort of misunderstanding and will tell my brother not to worry. He will go to Miss Bingley and she will deny it all. We only have Alice's word on what happened, she is a servant and a new one at that. They will place the blame on her and then Miss Bingley will try another day, in a different way that we might not be able to anticipate. No, we must act today, we must expose her without my brother being compromised, that way my brother will be free and her shameful actions will reveal what kind of person she is and my brother will not have to fear her schemes any more." Sally and Alice nodded their understanding.

"So go and fetch Mrs. Raynolds and Parker discreetly, no one else can know, we have a lot of planning to do."

Darcy sat in his office, Bingley had just retired and had left him alone. He was thinking about his failed proposal to Miss Elizabeth. He was especially remembering the part where she had claimed that her sister had cared a great deal about Bingley. He had not yet told Bingley about his deception about Miss Bennet being in London. He despised deception, and the knowledge that he was wrong about Miss Bennet was making him feel even guiltier. He had to come clean, his conscience demanded it. He resolved to do it tomorrow, it was time to get it over with.

He was just finishing his drink when he hear a knock in his study. "Come in."

"Sir, I am sorry to disturb you but I have some unfortunate news." Darcy looked at his loyal valet, Parker, and signaled him to go on. "I am afraid that there has been some sort of accident in your room sir, I'm afraid one of the windows has broken. I will not bore you with the details, but it will not be fixed until tomorrow and with the wind Mrs. Raynolds does not believe that it will be comfortable for you to sleep in you chambers tonight. She had prepared the chambers normally reserved for your aunt and uncle Lord and Lady Matlock if it pleases you."

"Are you certain nothing can be done tonight?"

"No sir, but it will truly will not be so inconvenient Sir, it will only be for tonight and I have already taken anything you might need of clothing and toiletries."

"Well, then it seems I have little choice, thanks for informing me. I believe I will retire now."

"Of course sir, I will go right ahead of you to make certain everything is in order." He closed the door as he left. Darcy decided that he would not make a big deal about this inconvenience, it was only one night after all, he stood up and left.

It was quarter to midnight, Caroline was nervous and she wished she had not dismissed her maid hours ago. She stood up and started pacing along her room. She was not having second thoughts, quite the contrary, but the wait was killing her. She had been ready hours ago, she had brushed her hair, got into her most revealing night dress and waited for the time to arrive. She only had a few minutes to go.

Caroline kept watching the clock until it finally reached midnight. She suddenly felt a surge of excitement, she grabbed a candle and grabbed the robe. She tiptoed silently, so she would not be heard and raise any suspicions. She finally saw her destination, Mr. Darcy's chamber's door. Her stomach was spinning and she felt as she would faint, she finally grabbed a hold of the handle and tried to open the door. To her surprise it would not open. She pushed a bit harder and it seems like it budged a little, so she put all her force behind it and suddenly the door opened. Too fast for Miss Bingley to react as she fell forward, a scream instinctively coming out of her mouth, loud enough, to wake everyone in the vicinity up.