Chapter 19

The rapidly fading moon looked down coolly at the shadow-covered hills and forests that surrounded Hertfordshire. Slowly, individual stars blinked out of existence for the night, and to the east the first pink rays of sunlight were just now bathing the eastern walls of Netherfield in a ruby-red glow.

Standing on a particularly high hill that allowed him to view most of Hertfordshire with a neat sweep of his eyes, Fitzwilliam Darcy tightened his grip on the reins of his horse and hoped that Bingley was inside. Much as he detested the fact that his best friend had been turned into the very creatures that he had sworn to kill less than two hours ago, Darcy still couldn't bring himself to wish that Bingley was dead. A world where Charles Bingley didn't exist was a dark world indeed. A world without another vampire that was in his acquaintance, on the other hand…

"Are you plotting to kill me, Darcy?" Wickham asked mockingly from the shelter of a copse of trees.

Darcy sighed and turned back to face the man that he hated above all others.

"You and I both know why I can't, Wickham," he said resignedly. "Although right now I sincerely wish that I could."

Wickham smirked and leaned casually against an especially shaded tree trunk, careful to keep his skin out of range of the rapidly brightening sunlight.

"Too true, Darcy," he sighed with mock regret. "I guess that proves that you haven't forgotten about our first little rendezvous, then. What a shame, I was hoping to remind you…"

"Oh, so Caroline Bingley's transformation wasn't reminder enough?" Darcy snapped, his patience going dangerously low. "From what I recall, you did the same thing to my uncle before setting him on my father, and you attempted to do the same to Georgiana last summer."

"Miss Caroline was merely a warning, Darcy," Wickham said mildly. "If I wanted to remind you of what happened between us, I would no doubt use other, more effective means. I assume you remember my first attempt on your father's life?"

Darcy's jaw clenched at the reminder. Shortly after Georgiana's birth, Wickham had turned Darcy's mother into a vampire in an attempt to kill his father, Fitzwilliam Darcy Senior. Wickham had planned on Mr. Darcy's love for his wife to make him reluctant to kill the vampire as she attempted to kill him and his two young children. Mr. Darcy had killed his wife on sight. The experience had driven Mr. Darcy from vampire hunting altogether, and had later lead to his being unable to recognize Wickham as a vampire when he had showed up at Pemberley with a request for a job. Darcy's father had later died when his brother, James' recently turned father, had attacked him in front of Darcy and forced the young 15 year-old to kill his uncle with an improvised stake.

"I see from your expression that you remember quite well, Darcy," Wickham noted with amusement. "I wonder, Darcy, whether you would be able to kill someone so dear to you like your father did?"

"It would be hard for me to do so, Wickham, seeing as I do not have someone who means as much to me as my mother did to my father," Darcy said tightly.

Wickham's eyebrow rose and he sneered at Darcy.

"Really?" he whispered silkily. "I do believe the young Miss Elizabeth disagrees, Darcy. She must hold you in very high esteem… although, I wonder if she will admit it to herself yet…"

Elizabeth. Darcy's thoughts flashed back to the bite marks that he had seen on Elizabeth's neck at Bingley's ball. His lips curled in a snarl that rivaled that of Caroline's before she had been killed.

"Damn you, Wickham," he growled, his hands flying to the stake attached to his belt. "If you touch her again, I swear I'll-."

"You'll what Darcy?" Wickham asked dangerously. "Kill me? Do you not remember the agreement we made last summer? Or would you trade dear Georgiana's life for Elizabeth's?"

"The agreement, Wickham, was that you would not change Georgiana so long as I gave you some of my own blood," Darcy hissed furiously.

"And as you no doubt remember, the exchange of blood prevents you from killing me," Wickham jeered. "And if you try to kill me, Darcy, I'm afraid that the consequences would be very unfortunate for you and your dear sister after you are gone."

"Stay away from the Bennets, Wickham," Darcy snarled. "Or I will kill you, consequences be damned."

Wickham cocked his head and observed his long time enemy for a long moment, his eyes narrowing.

"We shall see, Darcy," he purred. "Have fun in London."

And with that, the vampire disappeared into the shadows and away from the risen sun.

The ballroom at Netherfield was emptying rapidly as all of the Bingley's guests stumbled out of the door in a state of pleasant semi-consciousness that could only come from a long night of dancing and drinking. Bingley leaned against the marble pillar in his recently deserted ballroom, only to jump hurriedly away from it as a stray sunbeam trickled through the thick curtains that had recently been drawn around the large bay windows that had been stupidly placed around the room. Mere hours after his transformation, his throat was burning like the fire crackling merrily in the hearth at the side of the room from the scents of so many peoples' blood.

"Hurry girls," Mrs. Bennet called to her three older daughters from the foyer, her strained voice easily audible to Bingley with his newly improved hearing. "Come on now, don't dawdle. Think of my poor nerves! I should be in bed by now; Lord knows why I let myself stay out this late… Come on, Jane!"

"Mother, Miss Bingley has requested our company at Netherfield for a few days," Jane said sweetly, her voice making Bingley smile even in the midst of his suffering. "Can we not please begin our stay tonight?"

There was a pause as Mrs. Bennet's thirst for the marriage of her daughters battled with her propriety. Apparently, the thirst for marriage won out.

"Very well, my dears," she simpered. "Mr. Bennet will send some of your things over once we have become settled at home, won't you Mr. Bennet?"

Mr. Bennet grunted; still not quite awake enough to argue with his wife.

There was a final shuffle of footsteps and the sound of the door closing and then all was silent in Netherfield.

Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary walked quietly into the ballroom. Bingley dismissed the curious servants with a gesture and turned away from the ever brightening windows.

"Are you sure that you want to stay with me?" he asked hesitantly, trying to keep himself from focusing on the blood that pulsed beneath their skin. "I still do not know if I am safe or not…"

"Neither do we, for that matter," Mary said bluntly. "That's partially why we are staying."

"Besides," Jane added hastily. "It wouldn't to leave you to deal with this alone. We are here for you, Mr. Bingley."

Bingley smiled tightly and motioned for one of the waiting servants to come forward.

"See that the Miss Bennets are situated comfortably," he ordered politely. "They may be here for a while."

Elizabeth glanced at the curtained windows of the ballroom, almost wishing that she could see past them to wherever Mr. Darcy was. She remembered Georgiana's offer to visit at Pemberley and bit her lip. How long would she be here?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, all of the credit goes to the amazing Jane Austen. Thanks again to all of the people who reviewed!