General AN: This is just a little PSA/note to anyone who follows my writing in general on ff dot net. My frustrations with some aspects of the site are causing me to switch permanently to ao3 as a means of publishing fics. I won't be publishing any new works on this site, so if you're interested in continuing to read my stuff, you'll have to switch over to my tumblr (jhoomwrites) or ao3 (jhoom) accounts. HOWEVER, because I have a number of unfinished WIPs and series on this site, I will continue to update those until they're complete. That means that the following stories/series WILL continue to be updated on ff dot net: The Mark; Academy Blues; love to hate; What's in a Name?; any fics related to Welcome to SKU. Anything new that I post that is NOT related to those stories will NOT be published here.


Lizzie wakes up in the morning to a pounding head and achy joints. Perhaps Jane was right and she shouldn't have pushed herself so hard yesterday, but the idea of staying cooped up (even with Jane for company) was insufferable. And though she would never admit it, her curiosity about Mr. Darcy may have influenced the decision.

Thoughts of the prior day have her wincing as the maid helps her get dressed and coiffed. Spending so much time with Caroline was aggravating in ways she can't quite pin down. The woman is an obvious sycophant and Jane's enemy, but there's nothing overtly rude in her demeanor. In fact, all Lizzie can really accuse her of at this point is being too keen on making friends with herself and Jane.

But still, the morning and afternoon were tiring. The walk especially was disappointing, wearing her out without even the added benefit of seeing more of the beautiful grounds. The rest of the day didn't prove any better. Caroline seemed to be trying quite hard to indulge what she knew of Elizabeth's interests, but sadly fell short of the mark each time. She spent a day in the vicinity of enjoyment without ever actually attaining it.

Worse, Lizzie started to sympathize with her mother's complaints about her nerves.

Fighting Caroline's suggestions wasn't worth the effort - all her energy was focused on staying awake and not sniffling too much - but she'd eventually gone upstairs with the intention of retiring to bed early. Only Jane's cajoling had gotten her to risk going downstairs to join the others for dinner.

A turn of events which was enlightening to say the least. The door was ever so slightly ajar as she approached the dining room and sadly Mr. Darcy's voice, deep as it was, carried quite well.

Well, she sighs to herself, to be perfectly fair, Louisa and Caroline seemed equally disapproving of our family. Though they've had the decency not to act upon those prejudices, unlike Mr. Darcy.

Given her experiences with the man to date, she's beginning to think his dislike of her is mutual.

She skips breakfast downstairs in favor of spending it with Jane. Her poor sister is not much better, and Lizzie feels slightly ashamed of herself for thinking only of her own headache.

Taking her sister's hand in hers, she pats it gently. "Mama will stop by today to check on us."

"I would very much like that." Jane gives a weak smile. "Perhaps we can go home."

"I highly doubt that." A rough edge sneaks in but she does her best to quash it. "Mama will want you here, with Mr. Bingley, as long as possible. And I do think you really are much too ill to travel right now."

"I'm not that ill-"

"You most certainly are," she teases as she moves some sweat damp strands of hair from her sister's forehead. "If Mr. Bingley doesn't mind the imposition, and I dare say he does not, you should stay put until you're feeling well enough to go home."

The slight coloring on Jane's cheeks shows how pleased she is to hear about Mr. Bingley, but Elizabeth does her the favor of not commenting on it.

"I'm sorry you're suffering in this, too. I know are more ill than you let on and I know that you dislike Caroline's company."

"I don't dislike Caroline's company. I distrust it," Elizabeth corrects with a sigh. "It's Mr. Darcy's that I'm finding more troublesome to manage."

"Oh Lizzie," Jane scolds her, though she leaves the rest unsaid. "Do promise me you'll try to enjoy yourself while you're here. And if you cannot, then perhaps you should accompany mama home-"

"Jane, Jane, Jane. As though I would leave you here alone. I will endure, you need only concern yourself with feeling better."


Endure is perhaps an optimistic way of phrasing it. The rest of the stay passes at a glacial pace. There are Mr. Bingley's and Caroline's well-meaning attempts to entertain her, Louisa's nagging on how to care for Jane and best provide for her comfort, and Mr. Hurst's insistence on playing cards as often as possible.

There is also, of course, the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy, who looks upon her family with a furrowed brow as Mrs. Bennet and the younger sisters arrive to check on Jane. Who can barely manage a coherent sentence when she tries to speak with him. Because as much as she would like to ignore him, his name emblazoned so boldly on her wrist means she must give him some small amount of consideration.

She honestly cannot make heads or tails of him. He's so proud and almost snide at times, clearly dislikes her family, and yet there's nothing openly hostile about the way he treats her.

Certainly not in person, she muses. He's more than comfortable with disapparaging my looks and my family when he believes me out of earshot. He has enough grace not to do so in front of me, so I suppose that is a small mark to his credit.

Aside from that, she notices that he has a tendency to state his opinion as a matter of fact instead of a personal inclination. More remarkably, he seems to not be aware of it, possibly because Bingley is so ready to go along with it. Even Louisa and Caroline often defer to him as the expert, regardless of the topic. Elizabeth observes this several times over the course of her stay at Netherfield until she can no longer contain herself.

Without meaning to, she finds herself rising to the occasion and challenging his views. She provides contradicting examples or an alternative viewpoint, defending the merits of both stances without claiming a side for herself. The first time she does so, the entire room seems taken aback (except for Mr. Hurst, who may not be aware that a conversation is happening outside of the game of cards he's orchestrated), no one more so than Darcy.

As the days pass, though, he becomes better at defending himself. Their discussions (perhaps more aptly described as 'arguments') become more heated as he grows confidence and as she recovers her strength. She almost enjoys it, to the point where she will purposely pick a contrary position just to see Darcy flustered in bewilderment as he tries to counter ridiculous statements.

If pressed, Elizabeth might even admit that she enjoys it.

(Though she is sure Darcy does not. He grows red right to the tips of his ears when he feels he's losing, especially if he cannot convince her to admit defeat in the wake of some very solid pieces of evidence. She can't quite parse the way he looks at her in those moments, but it does appear a mix of awe and distaste.)

On the day that Jane is finally deemed well enough to travel, Elizabeth breathes a sigh of relief. She can go home at last and free herself from the restrictive air of Netherfield. It is not as though the entire stay has been without enjoyment, but it has done little to answer her questions regarding Mr. Darcy.

His presence has started to grow on her, but mostly because she enjoys antagonizing him. But that's hardly the type of foundation for a marriage, muss less for soulmates. And she is sure, despite everything else she could overcome, that a man who cannot respect her family or show them their due deference as her kin, is not a man she could ever be prevailed upon to care for.


As the days pass, Elizabeth begins to call into question the very idea of not only soulmates, but enemies as well.

She sees Jane and Bingley smile at each other, and she's inclined to believe in the notion of a soulmate. Someone who fits seamlessly into one's life like a missing puzzle piece. The two are so happy together that it's obvious that they are made for each other, and although her sister's joy is her own, it makes her anxious.

Elizabeth has never been one to do as she's told. Or at least, not to enjoy it. She can only get away with so much open defiance when it comes to her parents' wishes, but there are been numerous occasions where she been quite open with her disdain for some of their choices regarding her and her sisters. And the idea that someone or something out there has picked out another person for her to bind not simply her life but her soul to... Well, she finds it unsettling.

Easier to focus on are the enemies that may be living at Netherfield. Caroline is very clearly meant to be Jane's, yet she is nothing but friendly to them. She seeks out their company and drops hints about how best to manage her brother. His likes and dislikes (though unsurprisingly, the former outweigh the latter), his past, his friends and acquaintances in London. All of it helping to flesh out the character of Mr. Bingley. And though Elizabeth is wary, she cannot pinpoint a single misstep in Caroline's behavior towards them.

Mr. Darcy further confuses her. She highly doubts he's the love of her life, to be sure, but that doesn't seem to make him her enemy either. They've settled into a type of banter that is a touch unconventional but not what necessarily inimical. Really, it falls short of what could be considered hateful. If they are rivals or enemies, it is almost disappointing how little they affect each other.

She comes to think that all the talk is blown out of proportion. Yes, on the scale of kings and queens and great lords, perhaps the term enemy really means something. Where murder plots and other conspiracies might lurk around every corner, it doesn't seem outrageous. But on the more mundane sphere that Elizabeth occupies, perhaps the difference between a stranger and a rival is more subtle.

There is no grand scheme where Caroline tries to throw Jane's life into disarray or where Mr. Darcy wants to ruin Elizabeth's reputation. They simply might have differing goals that in some minor way go against the goals of their 'enemies.'

Two added complications arrive within the same week, throwing all of Elizabeth's musings into chaos.

One Mr. Collins and one Mr. Wickham.


AN: Apologies for the late update. Aside from RL demanding my attention, I've been putting off this chapter. What I'd initially planned on writing seemed kinda boring, so I avoided working on it. Even once I forced myself to sit down and work on it, it was such a drag. So I re-structured it a bit to do the necessary exposition stuff I wanted and to set up for a more interesting chapter next time.