Okay, so this is re-edited. I realized a few mistakes that I hadn't corrected for the timeline and whatnot. It shouldn't effect the plot that much, but just to be clear, I'm moving this chapter back a few weeks. Here's a rough timeline so far

End of September is Mr. Collins Attack

Married in mid October

This chapter is the beginning of January

Thank you so much for reviewing! You guys are the best! After this chapter it's going to get more lovely dovey, but in this chapter we see a major issue resolved! I hope you like it!

It was eleven weeks into their courtship that the bridges they had built came tumbling down.

It was a dreary afternoon in Derbyshire. Christmas had come and gone, leaving the Darcy's stranded in Derbyshire from the copious amount of snow. Despite being the first holiday season away from her family, Lizzy was happy to say she had enjoyed her time in her new home. Lizzy and Georgiana were sitting in the music room, having tea. They were discussing the dress Lizzy had worn at her wedding some 8 weeks prior.

"I was very sad that you could not make it to the wedding" Lizzy told her. "But I am glad that it was not a lasting illness" Georgiana looked confused.

"I-I, was not sick" She murmured. Her voice trembled. She hadn't stammered so much since she first met Lizzy. "Did my brother tell you that I was unwell?" Lizzy felt horrible now, the poor girl was close to tears. "He- he just wrote to me the day after, informing me that he was married"

"Oh, I am sure it was a simple misunderstanding Georgiana" Lizzy coaxed. She had dug herself a hole here.

"No, he does not trust me. He is ashamed of me" Georgiana hiccupped. "It was only a small mistake, and now I am to be haunted by it forever. He truly must hate me"

"I am sure it was nothing you did. Our marriage was quite quick. We were engaged for only a fortnight" Georgiana looked up and started crying anew. Lizzy was perplexed. She hesitantly wrapped an arm around the younger girl and pulled her in closer. To her surprise, she did not resist. Georgiana had never allowed Lizzy to hug her, only her brother.

"Georgiana, please, whatever is the matter?" She asked. The young girl continued to sob. "Georgiana, we are sisters now. As such, we tell each other everything. Do you not trust me?

"Of course I trust you!" She exclaimed, breaking from the embrace.

"Then tell me what ails you. You are such a talented young girl, yet you are constantly shrouded by grief. And what is this about William hating you? Surely you know that he loves you"

"William is the best of brothers" Georgiana exclaimed. "But he is much elder, he is more of my father I'm afraid." She looked as if she were to sob again. "I, I made a mistake"

"A mistake?" Lizzy asked. Georgiana hung her head and nodded.

"I was tricked into believing myself in love. I agreed to elope with him, to Gretna Green!" Georgiana exclaimed. "William came to visit me the night before we were to leave. He, he gave me a necklace of my mothers, told me how proud he was of the woman I was becoming. I told him everything then, I was so ashamed. He was so mad. He accused my fiancé of marrying me for money. He, he was marrying for money, he told me himself. I thought it was a lie, so I went to beg him to take me to Gretna Green, I loved him so much. But he was horrid, he struck me, and William saved me again. I was distraught after it, William never once left me alone for months." Georgiana spoke so rapidly that she had trouble following along. Once she was done, a thought struck Lizzy.

This was the same story that Mr. Darcy had told her in the cave. The cousin was really Georgiana.

"Twas it at Ramsgate?" Lizzy asked quietly. Georgiana looked up startled, and nodded.

"Did William tell you?" She asked, suddenly afraid that Lizzy's opinion of her would change.

"He told me a story of his cousin, a girl of 15. I believe he was alluding to you however," Lizzy told her.

"He does not want me to suffer for a childhood mistake," Georgie whispered. "I should have listened. He told me Wickham was no good" Lizzy looked up, startled.

"George Wickham?" She asked.

"You know him?"

"He was in the militia stationed in Meryton, my hometown" Lizzy told her.

"Which is why William lied about me being sick. He was protecting me from Wickham, again" Georgiana despaired.

"He is very good at protecting" Lizzy murmured.

She told Georgiana of her own sad tale, to which the young girl wrapped her arms about her. She felt as if she had known her new sister for ages. She departed from the music room in search of her husband. She had apologizes to make, and a new page to turn.

xoxoxoxox

He was in a bad mood. He had planned on listening to his wife and Georgiana play the piano after tea, but an urgent letter from his steward had changed the course of his afternoon.

He sat for over an hour, staring at the offending pieces of parchment. He did not wish to take part in the estate work while his wife sat smiling upstairs. He thought about how happy she had looked today. She had the same look in her eyes that she had before Mr. Collins. And she was warming up to him. Courtship had been an excellent idea; he would have to think of a gift for Mrs. Reynolds.

A knock threw him from his musings.

"Enter" He called in his Master of Pemberely voice. Elizabeth entered.

"Am I disturbing you?" She questioned, sitting lightly on the chair opposite his desk. He shook his head.

"I was just thinking about you," He told her. She flushed and looked down. "Is there a reason you came to visit?" He questioned. She nodded. Her gaze remained fixated on her lap.

"I am so sorry William," She finally blurted out.

"Sorry? Whatever for?" He asked.

"I horribly misjudged you," She said, looking down. Tears landed in her lap. He walked over to her seat, and gently coaxed her chin up to look at him.

"Elizabeth, I am lost," He told her.

"Wickham" She stated. "I believed his lies. I was so vain; I was insulted that you had insulted my vanity, so I looked for the bad in you. And then you saved me from that horrid parson, and I still did not see the true you. I am so sorry William" And thus she began to sob anew.

He was confused as to what had brought this on. He realized that Georgiana must have confided in Elizabeth, leading her to realize that Wickham was lying. But had she not seen the real him in the seven weeks they had courted for? Was that all for naught?

"Elizabeth, look at me" He commanded. She looked up. Her eyes were red rimmed, and her cheeks were flushed in shame. "Have the past weeks been for naught? Did you truly believe Wickham's lies until today?"

She shook her head.

"On the day we wed, I asked Jane what she thought. The kindness you treated me with after I was attacked, and the selfless way you sacrificed your own happiness so that I did not end up with that toad, it all made me question my judgment. And then the first week I was here, I saw how shy Georgiana was, and how unlike she was to Wickham's description. I heard the esteem in which your tenants spoke of you, and I knew he had to be lying. Until today, when I told Georgiana that I was sad she had missed the wedding, which led to her admitting everything to me and mentioning Wickham, I had completely forgotten about him" She told him in truth. "But I feel ashamed knowing that I had believed him"

"Elizabeth, what is in the past, is in the past. I was a dreadfully rude gentleman in Hertfordshire, and I did nothing to help those rumors. I love you, please, do not trouble yourself so" He pleaded. She sucked in a breath and nodded.

"William, I think I lo-" She was cut off by a hasty knock against the door.

"Enter" Darcy called, stepping to intercept whomever it was. It was a messenger, with an express. He looked at the seal and frowned. He closed the door again, and quickly broke the seal, reading through the contents of the letter. He sucked in a breath.

"William?" She was at his side in an instant. "Whatever is the matter?" She asked. He took her arm and led her to the settee in the corner of his study. Once they were safely sitting upon it, he took her hands in his own. "William, you are scaring me," She whispered, dreading whatever news the express held.

"It's from my Aunt," He told her. Her eyes widened and her face paled.

"From Lady Catherine?" She asked. He nodded. "It has news, of him?" She trembled slightly.

"He has been wed," He stated. Lizzy's eyes widened in surprise.

"To whom?" She demanded.

"I'm so sorry Elizabeth," He told her. " He wed Miss Lucas