Author's Note: I'm not even sure how long it's been anymore. Oops. Definitely haven't abandoned this, but also definitely didn't count on constantly forgetting to post.

Chapter Two: Confusion

Burghley Estate

In the next two days, Maria fell into the family's routine with ease. She would break her fast at the dining area with the father and son and then she would go out for a walk – sometimes with Miss Porter, at other times with Mr. Cecil. Either way, she had fun hearing about their stories and they seemed to enjoy her company despite her lack of contribution to the conversation. Lunch was often taken in the garden, and then she would spend the rest of the afternoon wandering the large estate alone as she tried to bring any memories to the forefront of her mind.

"Miss Maria, would you be so kind as to promise an old man something?" Mr. Cecil said on one of their walks. She turned to him curiously, but neither made a move to stop. "If – pardon me, when – you recall your life, do come to visit from time to time. For a week at least," continued Mr. Cecil. "It can get rather lonely here, especially when my son goes off to work. Miss Porter and the other servants could only be so much company without it being deemed improper."

Smiling, Maria nodded. She would be more than delighted to visit them! She was struck by his word though. Improper. Wasn't this improper in itself? To be in a house not her own with men unrelated to her. And to be spending time alone with a widower! A thought suddenly occurred to her, was she married? If so, was her husband looking for her? And where had she been going that he was not with her – if she did have a husband.

The times she'd spent with Mr. Cecil endeared her to him as the daughter he'd never had, and she found herself liking the man more and more as he spoke of stories of his past, the news and current events, and even of Lord Cecil's days as a young lad.

Miss Porter saw to it that Maria was always presentable, helping her get ready for meals, teaching her how to fix her own hair should she depart upon recovering her memories, and even accompanying her into town to buy a set of dresses. She had said that two would be enough, but Mr. Cecil had insisted that she get one for every day in the week and even a spare or two should there be a need for them.

Truly, she could not have found a better family!

It was only on the third day that she had an actual conversation with the Lord Cecil that was not instigated by his father. She had the horrible feeling that he was avoiding her, and she found herself wondering what she had done to incur his anger.

She had been looking up at the beautiful painting that hung above the hearth in one of the estate's more secluded parlors. It was that of a beautiful woman with blonde hair, green eyes, and a fair complexion. And upon first laying eyes on it, Maria had gasped as the image of two women with blonde hair appeared in her mind.

"Jane, you are the loveliest lady in the town! Really, you would definitely be the best to sate your mother's poor nerves and find yourself a husband," said the older woman. The younger woman had smiled bashfully, her cheeks coloring.

"Oh mama, you shouldn't say things like that!"

"What are you doing here?" Maria turned around, only to encounter the irate gaze of Lord Cecil. She felt her face flush, and she was sure that her cheeks must have colored. "I forgot; you could not talk." He drawled, eyebrows showing his irritation as they furrowed. "You aren't allowed in here. No one is allowed in here."

Distressed, Maria curtsied lowly before making a quick exit.

Pemberley

"I can not wait for Mary to arrive, Mr. Darcy! She would most definitely love it here; not to mention she and Georgiana may enjoy each other's company. And to think, she does not know that we shall be holding a ball during her stay!" Elizabeth Darcy told her husband over their breakfast. Georgiana had yet to arrive from her morning walk, which gave her and her husband some time alone.

Mr. Darcy smiled at his wife's enthusiasm. "Yes, well your sister is yet to arrive, Mrs. Darcy. You should let her get comfortable first before holding a ball to celebrate whichever event you may deem worthy." He raised an eyebrow at her as he sipped on his tea.

Elizabeth smiled, "But of course, Mr. Darcy. She is due to arrive around noon, and I hope to hold the ball a week after her arrival so as to coincide with Georgiana's birthday as well. I trust that she would've been settled by then." The mention of his sister's birthday only endeared Lizzy to Darcy even more. They continued on talking of everything and nothing all throughout breakfast, and when Miss Darcy joined them, she too joined the conversation.

Night fell and Elizabeth grew worried at the lack of one Mary Bennet at Pemberley. Had she changed her mind? Surely she would've sent a missive if she had! Anxiety began to eat at her as she paced the parlor, while her husband stood by the window, looking out to watch for any carriage coming towards them. He would not show it, but he was quite worried for Eliza's sister as well. They may not have been close, but he found that she was one of the more sensible ones next to Mrs. Bingley and his wife.

"What if she's been injured? Oh, Darcy, I should not have invited her if this would happen!" Darcy took his wife into his arms, placing a kiss on her temple.

"If you had known, you would not have called for her, I'm sure. But as it is, we are not all-knowing creatures who can decipher what is to happen before it occurs. We can only react and do as necessary or as we wish when something happens." He told her, holding her form to him so that she may know and feel that someone was there for her.

The next day brought even more desolate news. Mary Bennet had yet to arrive and Elizabeth Darcy was very much at her wit's end.

"I shall write to papa immediately. Oh poor Mary, what could've happened to her? Is there anything you could do, Mr. Darcy? Perhaps send one of the stablemen to search for her carriage?"

"I've already sent one, Lizzy, and I do agree that a letter must be sent to your father immediately. I shall pen one to Bingley, and I suppose you would want one sent to Mrs. Wickham as well?" Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed his lips lightly as a sign of her gratitude.

The following morning brought terrible news.

"Your report, Garner?" Mr. Darcy inquired, and from the look of the stableman, he was glad that Lizzy was with his sister.

"I'm sorry, sir. Miss Bennet's carriage was seen deep in a ditch near Northampshire. The horses were nowhere in sight and the coachman was no where in sight." The man replied, head still bowed respectfully as he awaited his master's orders.

"No where?"

He looked up and nodded his head, "Yes sir. The townspeople I have conversed with spoke of a terrible storm some few days back, and some believe that perhaps the coachman had managed to save himself as the carriage fell."

The coachman gone, the horses lost, and not a sight of Mary Bennet; it was not far for Mr. Darcy to suspect that someone had taken a step to kidnap or simply harm his sister-in-law. A thought occurred to him, and he went to ask, "And what of her belongings?"

"I have taken the initiative to collect it sir. It currently sits in the parlor." Darcy nodded, waving the servant off with a word of gratitude and an order not to speak with his wife about his findings.

Burghley Estate

Maria sat in front of the pianoforte in the parlor, her fingers working on the keys purely off of muscle memory. It was the first time she had attempted it, and she found herself pressing upon the wrong keys as a memory flashed before her eyes.

Fingers glided upon the piano despite her trembling hands. She could remember each and every note needed to play a beautiful piece but could not seem to get her fingers to create the wonderful melody she could've made at home. An old man looked down at her with a less than amused expression.

"I believe you should give the others a chance to play, dear. Why don't you join your sisters? Or perhaps keep me company with a book."

She looked up, "But father, no one has stepped up to play yet."

"I'm sure someone will take your place upon seeing that no one is on the seat anymore. Shall we?" Said the man, offering her an arm so that they may leave the instrument.

Was that her father?

She stood, wanting to head to her chambers so that she may write her newly recovered memory. It seems that she had found a part of her family. She still did not understand who the blonde women that she had previously remembered were, but she had written them down to ensure she wouldn't forget them.

"You seem to always be leaving when I finally approach you, Miss Maria." The impeccable voice of Lord Cecil made Maria stop in her tracks. She didn't have to turn to see him, she only needed to look up. A curtsy followed shortly after, and she waited for him to either speak to or dismiss her. In her quite honest opinion, she would much rather that he ordered her to leave as opposed to being subjected to his temper once more.

He took a seat in front of the instrument she had just been playing, "Would you care to play for me, Miss Maria? I heard that you had missed some of the notes earlier; I thought perhaps I should try and persuade you to try again."

Their eyes met as she studied his features with curiosity. They had not spoken since his outburst yestereve, and she was even more unsure of how to approach Lord Cecil as he sat waiting, a compliant smile on his face. Her eyebrows lifted when he sighed quite loudly, and she could feel her face begin to warm. She'd been staring at him for far too long to be deemed appropriate, she was sure; and she had begun to think him rather dashing with his smile.

"I apologize for my treatment of you." He said, standing to his full height once again. "You are a guest in my home, and I should not be treating you as if you were some unwanted hussy. Please accept my humblest apologies, Miss." He bent to a low bow, shocking her and amusing the Mr. Cecil that had only just entered the room to speak to his son.

She placed a hand upon his shoulder gently, silently telling him that he could stand. Her touch felt warm against his skin, despite the layers that separated them, and when he righted himself, she offered him a small smile and took her hand away. With another curtsy, she turned to leave, now anxious to write about her recovered memory and her interaction with the Earl.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Mr. Cecil exclaimed with a jovial smile as he regarded his son and the lady that he was coming to see as his own. She seemed like the type of woman that had a good head on her shoulders. She seemed to be a good match for anyone clever enough to capture her attention and stubborn enough to crack through her walls. To Mr. Cecil, she seemed to be the perfect fit for his son.

"Father, I had not heard you arrive." Lord Cecil said.

"And I did not think you would seek out Miss Maria on your own," replied Mr. Cecil with an impish smile, causing both the young ones to color at the implication.

Lord Cecil was quick to reply, "With you monopolizing her time, I had not been sure that she would be alone when I followed the music here."

Maria truly was not aware of where their conversation was going, so without another word, she curtsied to Mr. Cecil and left the room. She truly wanted to write about her memory, and staying with the Cecil men would be of no help to that.

Author's Note: Hope you like it!