"hmmph" Jane sighed.

"HMMPH" Louder this time.

She flopped over on Lizzy's bed and punched the pillow.

"Hmmph"

"JANE!" Lizzy finally cried "get over it!"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Jane replied, miffed. Lizzy rolled her eyes and continued carefully applying mascara.

"Janie" Lizzy spoke as if to a child "he's gone out of town for the weekend, he's not dead."

"I know that" she mumbled "it's just…"

"it's just you said that you would go to Philips party tonight but now you know that Charlie wont be there and Philip has a crush on you and you would much rather stay at home eating Ben and Jerrys and texting a boy who might I add is not even your boyfriend yet" Lizzy finished all in one breath.

Jane nodded eagerly.

"No" Lizzy replied. Jane flopped back onto the bed "Come on Jane!" Lizzy cried, exasperated "you know that I'm going to need your help to keep Lydia and Kitty in check"

"you mean distracted while you pump that Wickham guy" Jane retorted.

Lizzy's mouth dropped.

"JANE! I... you … wha" she spluttered.

"For information, pump him for information" Jane finished sweetly. She received a pillow to the face. "But seriously Lizzy" Jane continued "don't you think you should take Will's warning more …seriously?"

Lizzy squirmed uncomfortably.

"He didn't give me a real warning Jane! Or tell me anything really. All I got was 'He's a bad egg Elizabeth'" Jane snorted at Lizzy's attempt at a British accent. "What am I supposed to do with that?" she continued "it's not like he has given me any reason to trust him, and who does he think he is just ordering me around like that? I'm going to give George the benefit of the doubt."

"Lizzy I know you better than you know yourself" Jane replied softly "You're affected by Will, just admit it, but he's frustrating you so you're turning to someone that Will told you not to trust to find out more. Perhaps even to spite him a little" She added the last bit almost inaudibly.

When Lizzy did not respond, Jane knew her point had hit home and she left to quickly get ready for the party.

As the Bennet girls walked up to the front door of the house party, they could almost feel the ground beneath them pulsing with the beat of the music.

The door was flung open by a clearly drunk Philip who on seeing who had arrived whooped and yelled

"Benneeeeeeeets! Awwww yeah!" The Bennet girls were popular, the eldest two for all the right reasons, the younger two (twins) - for all the wrong ones. Mary, it seemed went unnoticed.

Philip stepped aside to let the girls pass in mock chivalry, shooting an odd look at Colin you had tagged along. Lizzy narrowed her eyes as she noticed Philip's gaze follow Jane's rear down the hall.

The kitchen and living room were open plan it was packed, people were strewn everywhere. Lydia was already under some Jock's arm and Lizzy had to wonder if the guy was a aware that that girl hanging off him was a sixteen year old. He probably didn't care.

Having successfully lost Colin, Lizzy discreetly scanned the faces in the room while taking a sip from her cup.

"Looking for someone?" she jumped as a smooth voice spoke close to hear ear. Turning she found George Wickham smiling down at her.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a knock from behind pushed her into the boy's chest. His arms wrapped around her to catch her and their eyes met.

Lizzy only had one thought – how cliché. She cringed and extricated herself, blushing as she noticed her beer spilled all over his shirt.

"I am so sorry!" she began but he silenced her with and easy wave of his hand.

"Don't worry about it" he laughed "it wasn't your fault. This place is mad!"

She nodded, surprised but thankful at how gracious he was being about her possibly ruining his clothes, and making him stay in a beer sodden shirt all night.

"Do you want to get some air?" he questioned. She smiled in response and followed him outside.

There were several others milling about outside and George led her to a garden bench at the bottom of the garden, the music could still be heard, just slightly less painfully.

As they sat she was hit by an uncomfortable wave of de ja vu. This wasn't the first time she had sat on a garden bench with a British boy.

Pushing that unbidden thought from her mind Lizzy gave her full attention to George who was enthusing about the music at the party.

"You must really love music" Lizzy interjected "to leave your country to pursue a career in it, assuming that is what you're doing"

"You've got it in one" he smiled "although I'll admit music was not always what I wanted to do"

"Really?"

"Nope" smacking his lips as he said it "I mean I've always been passionate about music, but I initially wanted to do go into business," her eyes shot up "Yes" he continued "I was actually got a place in Cambridge economics"

"Wow" Lizzy replied, genuinely impressed "that's really impressive. I would love to attend Cambridge – I've actually applied for a scholarship" she told him, surprising herself even. That's something no one except her father and Aunt and Uncle were aware of. There was something about this guy, he was so easy to talk to.

"That's great!" he enthused. She nodded modestly and assured him that she probably wouldn't be accepted before swiftly turning the conversation back to him.

"So what changed?" she questioned "why didn't you go?"

"well" he gave her a sidelong glance "how close are you with Will Darcy?" this question, seemingly out of the blue, floored her.

"I … um.. well not very…." She mumbled

"I have known him all my life" he stated. Where was he going with this? "You asked the reason I didn't attend college, he's is the reason."

Her eye were like saucers, he took a deep breath and began.

"Darcy's father, you've probably heard was the owner of a very successful, extremely successful multi-million pound company. He was a really great man" Lizzy's stomach dropped, was? Did Darcy's father die? "Well he always said that he could never have been half a successful without the help of one man" George smiled "my father. My father was Mr Darcy Sr. driver for more years than I could count. They became best friends; Mr Darcy would consult my father on everything. Through that connection I too got to know Old Darcy, we really hit it off me and him. Me and Will were thrown together from a young age, we did everything together. We were like brothers, so much so that when the time came, Mr Darcy paid for me to attend Eton alongside Will. As a fair humble man, my father refused to accept a salary as lucrative as Mr Darcy offered, but he couldn't turn down the opportunity for me to get such an education. I was in my element in Eton. I loved school, I loved to learn, I was a straight A student. Seeing the work I was putting in Mr Darcy told me that if I put in the work, and got the grades, he would pay for me to attend Cambridge"

"That's incredibly generous"

"It was" he agreed "but for some reason, it always really bothered Will. As we grew older, we grew apart. It was common knowledge in school that I was a charity case" his voice was rueful "but it didn't bother the other in our class. They saw the work I put in and knew I deserved my place. Will on the other hand, distanced himself from me. He looked down on me, sneered at the fact that I wasn't wealthy, put me down in front of others. A part of me thinks he may have been jealous too." He paused as if struggling with what he was about to say next "he had a rather strained relationship with his father. In fact it's possible, probable that his father just liked me better" Lizzy's eyebrows shot up, unnoticed by George. That is a pretty big thing to say "that really bothered Will" he continued "understandably. As well as that, as smart as Will was, I was always top of the class, he could never quite catch me." There was a glimmer of pride in his eyes.

"Then two years ago, just before we began our final year of secondary school, the tragedy happened" he sighed "Both of Will's parents were killed in a horrific car accident" Lizzy gasped.

"Oh my God" she whispered. Poor Darcy.

"I know" he agreed "it was… it was awful. We continued school, as we had to but Will's grades took a serious nose dive. He was in a really bad place, he got caught up with some really bad people, involved in drugs… thank God his little sister never found out." He trailed off "anyway as the year progressed it came to light that we both wanted the same course, Economics in Cambridge. He was after all the Heir to his father's business. However, when it came down to it, I got a place, Will didn't." his eyes darkened.

"He was furious. He refused to give me the money Old Darcy had promised for my tuition. Without that, I couldn't attend Cambridge"

"but surely" Lizzy interrupted him "surely there is support systems in place, scholarships, I mean you're obviously very smart" He smiled.

"Yes, and that's what I started to look into. Until one day I got an email from the university. They had withdrawn my offer on the grounds of my involvement in illegal activities, specifically selling illegal substances in my school." Lizzy gasped "Yeah" he continued, sighing heavily "and to top it all off they told me my place had been offered to someone else…"

"Darcy" Lizzy breathed. He nodded.

"He had contacted the Uni, told them all these lies about me and then slipped nicely into place in my spot. He has just completed his first year in Cambridge and is obviously just popping over here for a nice holiday. I on the other hand, have not got two pence to rub together having spent to last of it on a plane ticket. Let's hope America welcomes another rock band" he finished bitterly.

"But how is this possible? If his grade had fallen, how could he just get in?"

"Ha" he laughed without humour "last I heard there was a new wing in the Cambridge library in the Darcy name" she gulped this was so much to process.

George sighed heavily and looked into her eyes.

"Look I'm sorry for dumping all this on you. I've probably turned this into the worst party ever" she shook her head "it's just I saw him with you and he seems to have taken an interest in you" Lizzy reddened and looked down. He took her hand gently and she lifted her eyes to meet his "you seem really nice. Don't let him fool you" he said softly.

When she didn't respond he stood up, "I'll leave you to your thoughts" bending he kissed her softly on the cheek, surprising her, and walked away.

Lizzy touched where he had kissed, she was in a daze. She put her head down on her knees in an attempt to stop her head from spinning.

How could Darcy be so cruel? But then again, he had lost both his parents. Lizzy couldn't even begin to understand the pain he must be feeling.

It really disconcerted her that both boys had warned her away from the other. Granted she had known Darcy a little longer but he hadn't given her any reason to abide his warning. George on the other hand… well he had many reasons.

She needed to talk to Jane. Honestly though, she already knew who to believe. She had seen the pain in George's eyes, and besides, she knew better than anyone how moody Darcy could be…

A.N *Gulps*