A/N: Alrighty, the last chapter of angst! I promise. The next chapter is the conclusion and then there's the epilogue. I know that your angst meters are blowing. Sorry, that's how I work lol. Anyway...

Lucy65: yes Lizzy knows Anne is dead; Georgiana sent her the news in one of her letters during the time when Elizabeth was in America. It's somewhere in one of those chapters lol

Everyone else: Darcy hasn't seen the ring 'cause he hasn't been looking for it anywhere else but around her neck. Just making that clear lol

Last time in An Impossible Treasure

When he looked back up, Elizabeth was gone. His handkerchief was on the floor. He hung his head in grief. He knew that she did not return his affection and this proved it. He would leave Netherfield directly on the morrow.

And he would never see Elizabeth again.

Chapter 12

It was unfathomable. It was insupportable! And yet, it had to be true! Why else would he have kept the necklace all of these years? And the expression in his eyes as he realized she saw it. There was no doubt that he was still harboring some sort of regard for her. He would not have kept the necklace for this long if he did not.

So many thoughts were going through Elizabeth's mind. She knew that she still loved William, but it was too difficult to believe that he still held any sort of regard for that extended friendship. He was too sensible to hold onto a love for that long. Wasn't he?

It had all confused Elizabeth so much that she had to leave his company. She needed to be by herself so that she could sort everything out on her own. There could be no other reasonable explanation for his having kept the necklace. Well, she would like to believe that there was no other possible reason for it.

Elizabeth returned to the party greatly out of spirits and Jane was easily privy to the change in her sister's demeanor. She questioned Elizabeth about it, but Elizabeth just shrugged it off, saying that it was nothing. Inside, Elizabeth was completely sunk in turmoil. She had no idea how she was going to deal with the situation regarding Mr. Darcy. By the end of the evening, she resolved that she would speak with Mr. Darcy directly on the morrow. It was a conversation that was long overdue.

The following morning, Elizabeth waited for Mr. Darcy to appear at breakfast. He did not. She waited for him in the library, knowing that he would eventually appear there. When it came time for luncheon, she inquired Mr. Bingley as to where his friend was.

"It would seem that Darcy had some business to care for in London," Bingley said. "He left early this morning and said that he may be staying in London for quite some time."

"I, for one," Caroline Bingley said arrogantly, "think that we should follow Mr. Darcy's stead. Town is far much better at this time of year; do not you agree Lady Ashby?"

"I find that I cannot, Miss Bingley," Elizabeth said. "I simply adore Hertfordshire in the winter."

Miss Bingley looked put out, but she said nothing. Convincing her brother would be difficult with Lady Ashby stating her opinions about how lovely Hertfordshire always was.

The next few months droned on slowly. Mr. Collins had proposed to Mary not long after the Netherfield ball, and their wedding was just before Christmas. They traveled to Mr. Collins' home of Hunsford in Kent the day after the wedding. Not long after their wedding, Mr. Bingley asked Jane to be his wife. Jane accepted, and Elizabeth was ecstatic for the both of them. They both seemed so happy and secure with each other that she could not imagine a better matched couple. She had hoped to see Mr. Darcy at the wedding, but he did not make an appearance.

In the spring of the year 1812, Elizabeth had been invited by her sister to stay at Hunsford for a month. Elizabeth wanted to accept, but she could not under the circumstances that she had neglected her house in town for far too long. Mary understood, and all was well between the two sisters.

Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, did visit Rosings. He did not want to, but his cousin forced him to.

"Come on Darcy," Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam had said to him. "You need to be out in society again. I have neither seen nor heard from you in above eight months. It is intolerable! You must come to Rosings."

Despite his better judgment, he accompanied his cousin to his aunt's home. Whilst there, he met Mr. Collins and re-met the new Mrs. Collins née Mary Bennet. Upon hearing the news that Elizabeth was supposed to be in attendance as well, Darcy was stricken. He could not believe that he had come so close to meeting her again. He knew that coming to Rosings had been a bad idea.

His time spent at his aunt's was dismal as always. There was nothing to intrigue him at Rosings, and the endless notion about how it would all become Darcy's upon Lady Catherine's death just bored him to tears. Little did she know that he had already assigned the state over to Richard. As the second son of an Earl, Richard had little to recommend himself other than his father's name. He would need to marry a woman of substantial means in order to keep his lifestyle and position in society. The military was a career in which Richard made good money and held a high title, but it would be better for him to have his own estate. With Darcy's help, he now had that.

He returned to London in May. His life seemed so obsolete and meaningless without Elizabeth. After she had moved to America, Darcy was heartbroken, but at least he knew that she loved him. After he cut off contact with her, his heart seemed to shrink. He became sullen and morose. He was never cheerful, and his lack of attention to anyone always worried his wife. Her worry worsened her condition, and she succumbed to her illness earlier than expected. Darcy suspected that it was his fault. He kept blaming himself for not being more attentive towards her.

After her death, he did not speak to anyone. He was too overcome with grief over the loss of his father, wife, and Elizabeth. His life was shattering before him, and all he did was watch the pieces fall. Seeing her brother's self-destruction, Georgiana began to pick up the pieces. She continued to help him even when the pieces of his life were so sharp that her hands bled. Eventually, she helped him to see the light again.

He owed everything to Georgiana. She was such an inspiration to him. She was so strong for being so young. He could not believe what a wonderful person she had come to be, and she told him that it was he who had made her such a thriving young woman. It was the first time she had seen him smile in years after she had said that.

Now he was retreating into his old habits. Georgiana watched as he once again went into exile. She wanted to reach out and help him once more, but she knew that there would be nothing she could do this time. She did not know what he was grieving over. He seemed to be over the loss of his father and wife, and she could not fathom what had depressed him so this time. She sighed and watched as he removed himself from society completely.

Darcy noticed the sadness that crawled into his sister's eyes every time they were together, and emotions overrode him all at once. The grief of completely losing Elizabeth and the grief of failing his sister had come to him so quickly as he looked into her eyes. They had been sitting in the music room, and Darcy moved over to his sister on the couch.

"Georgiana," he said with tears brimming in his eyes, "please forgive me."

She pulled her brother into a warm embrace, and slowly, the tears fell down his face. "There's so much I have kept from you," he whispered. "I can conceal it no longer."

To say that Georgiana was shocked at her brother's confession would be an understatement. She had no suspicion that her brother and Elizabeth were in love. Now that she looked back however, it was easy to see that the two were very much intimate. She never comprehended all of the stolen glances that she had observed when she was a child, but his confession made everything that she had seen make complete sense.

"And you are convinced that she no longer feels anything for you?" Georgiana asked. "You are completely sure?"

"You did not see her face, Georgiana," Darcy said, the sorrow thickly embedded in his voice. "She was completely horrified that I still had the necklace. She did not think that I felt the same because she had moved on long ago."

"You cannot say that she felt that way for sure," Georgiana said. "I would not think that you would wish to give up on this matter so easily considering how much you love her."

"This is not something that is easily mended," he said. "I must overcome my regard for her as she has overcome her regard for me."

"But if you could not overcome your feelings for her in five years, what makes you think that you will be able to do it so quickly?"

"I was not trying in those five years. Now I am, and now I shall succeed."

Georgiana looked skeptical, but her brother just smiled and changed the subject. "What do you say we return to Pemberley early this year? Nothing will matter if we leave a month earlier than usual."

Georgiana was aware of her brother's change of subject, but after his great confession that afternoon, she was not going to press him any further. She agreed that it sounded very pleasant to arrive at Pemberley early.

When June came, Darcy had already returned to his pleasant demeanor. He was speaking amiably to Georgiana again, and he did not turn away visitors every day. In the middle of the month, Darcy received a letter stating that he would need to away to London directly.

"My solicitor needs me to look over something, and he says it is impossible for him to leave town," Darcy said. "I shall be back in a few days, I promise."

Georgiana gave her brother a meek smile as he kissed the top of her head and left Pemberley.

Later that day, she received a letter from Elizabeth. Her dear friend would be coming to Lambton on the morrow, and she stated that she should very much like to see Georgiana again. Georgiana sent a reply asking Elizabeth to come and stay at Pemberley. Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle were unable to give their answer until they appeared at Pemberley the next day. Elizabeth apologized for not giving Georgiana the proper time she needed to prepare, but Georgiana silenced her friend.

"It really is no trouble," she said with a smile. "Oh Lizzy, I have missed you so, and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, it is lovely to see you again."

"Thank you for your offer for us to stay with you," Mrs. Gardiner said.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Georgiana led her guests into the house and showed them their rooms. After lunch, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner agreed for Mrs. Reynolds to take them on a tour of the house, and Elizabeth and Georgiana decided to write letters to their favorite siblings.

Dear Brother, Georgiana wrote.

Please do not be angry with me, but I did not know what else to do. The day of your departure, I received a letter from Elizabeth. You had already gone, and I proceeded as I thought best. Her letter stated that she and her aunt and uncle would be arriving in Lambton the following day, and she said that she should like to see me again. I agreed and invited her and her relations to stay at Pemberley.

They are here now, and they say that they will not stay above a month. I know that you and Elizabeth are most likely not on any terms at all let alone good or bad ones, but I thought it would be rude not to offer them a place to stay. Please forgive me,

Georgiana

Darcy was grieved to be sure. He knew that he needed to overcome his feelings for Elizabeth, but she would still be there when he got back, and he could see her then.

His business took him longer than he thought and he was not able to return for a complete week from the day he left. He tried to enter the house discreetly and was met with brilliant success. It appeared that Elizabeth and Georgiana and the Gardiners were on a picnic for lunch. Darcy bathed and ate and awaited their arrival.

He heard her infectious laughter first. That was what signaled their return. Her laugh was so contagious, and he found a smile playing across his face. After Elizabeth's marriage, he never thought that he would be able to see her at Pemberley, but here she was. Of course, he would have preferred her there as his wife, but he knew now that that was not possible. He would have to live with that knowledge and move on with his life.

He stood up as they entered the drawing room. He offered them all a smile and shook hands with Mr. Gardiner. He bowed to Mrs. Gardiner and took Elizabeth's extended hand. He bowed over it a little, and Elizabeth could see the change in his demeanor. His eyes were no longer smiling. Georgiana noticed the change as well, but the Gardiners were completely oblivious to it. Elizabeth's eyes belied her smile as while. She was saddened by William's bitter reaction to her.

During the course of the rest of the day, Elizabeth barely spoke a word to anyone. She was still contemplating William and why he had acted that way. He kept the necklace, Elizabeth thought. Surely that means something. But according to his behavior, it did not.

She did not sleep that night. She couldn't keep him off of her mind. She sat up in bed and did nothing as the first of many tears made a trail down her cheeks.