Chapter 2

Elizabeth Bennett was not in one of her best temperaments as she walked in the streets of Hunsford. Her stay had been considerably comfortable and enjoyable, she was delighted to meet and reconnect with her dearest friend, Charlotte. It made her happier to see her friend happily situated, even though she knew there lacked love, but that was something Charlotte opted for and somehow wanted. They had got the honour of dining in Rosings Park with Mr. Collins' prestigious Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Elizabeth decided she did not like the lady. She took up every opportunity to point out to Elizabeth how she was not the yet ready to be a 'bride' or how she was an unworthy 'lady' and how Anne would be better if her health permitted. Normally, such comments would have fallen to deaf ears in the case of Elizabeth but this time they hurt and made her angry because somehow they reminded her of Mr. Darcy and his comments and Elizabeth was frustrated as her thoughts lingered to Mr. Darcy more often than she allowed herself to admit. She had been always called impertinent, she had always known Jane was prettier than her and people never bothered to refrain themselves from pointing it out but it had never bothered her; she would not give it a second thought. And yet she had found that man's opinions about her hurting, it had wounded her, why? She did not know. Her mind slowly drifted from Mr. Darcy to Mr. Wickham, mainly because what her aunt had told about him, the whole week she had been thinking about it, her aunt had called him a mercenary. Elizabeth had to admit her aunt was rarely wrong when it came to identifying a person's nature, and most of the time Elizabeth believed she had the ability, too. Maybe because they had never disagreed before while interpreting someone, but here they disagreed over two. Unlike her father, Elizabeth's Aunt Gardiner, had not started to dislike Mr. Darcy when Elizabeth described him to her. Yes she had been mortified at his comment of Lizzy being just tolerable but believed that Mr. Darcy was an intensely private person. Elizabeth had resisted the urge to give a rather unladylike snort at that.

As Elizabeth was so lost in her thoughts, she did not look where she was going and she collided into something, something hard and warm. And that something was the object of her thoughts himself. In all honesty, when Mr. Bingley had all but fled from Meryton, she would have thought that she would not see his formidable friend again, but here they were, facing each other, standing awkwardly as brown eyes met green ones. Elizabeth was silenced and mortified as she was thinking about the very man, but why wasn't he speaking? Could it be that...? Elizabeth chastised herself for even thinking something along those lines, why would Mr. Darcy think about someone lower than his standards and who was barely tolerable. Again, she felt a pang, as she heard his words again, in her thoughts.

"I apologize; I was not looking where I was going." Elizabeth said, regaining her senses.

"Uh, I apologize, too," Darcy said, "I was lost in thought."

And then again they stood in uncomfortable silence.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Miss Bennett." Darcy said, finally, his voice soft.

"I am visiting my friend, Charlotte, or as she is now known as Mrs. Collins." Elizabeth replied, monotonously, she was still surprised and surprisingly shaken by Mr. Darcy's presence, even though she did not show it, she tried to maintain her best composure.

"Ah, I have heard about their union, of course from my aunt, Lady Catherine."

"How are you and your family, Miss Elizabeth?"

"We are fine, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said and was about to stop at it but then decided against it, "Jane is in London, maybe you may have crossed her?"

"I was unaware of her presence in London." Mr. Darcy said.

"She had been visiting my aunt and uncle; they saw her subdued spirits during Christmas and decided to raise her spirits." Elizabeth added, somewhat accusingly.

And they fell into another silence; Elizabeth finally excused herself and walked towards the parsonage, before Mr. Darcy could say anything.

Mr. Darcy looked at the disappearing form of Miss Elizabeth, her message though intoned in casual tones was clear, the eldest Miss Bennett had felt something when Mr. Bingley had left Meryton. Did he make a grave mistake?

Fitzwilliam made it back to Rosings Park without really noticing where he was going. He entered the estate, greeted his Aunt and cousin, Anne and went to the library without registering a word someone else had uttered, and thus Georgiana found him completely dazed.

"Brother?" she asked for the third time and her brother looked at her like he had first heard her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Georgiana looked at her brother for few moments and then gasped, "She is here, isn't she? You saw her?"

"How did-" Darcy began to say but was cut-off by Georgiana squealing like her five year old self.

"So you finally accept you are in love, brother?" She asked, smiling.

Darcy found himself smiling as he looked at her sister smiling. She had not smiled like that since... since Ramsgate incident, thinking about it made the smile vanish from his features, as he was brought back to reality.

"I never said that..."

"And I never said who you met, I just said 'she' but you knew who I was talking about." Georgiana said, triumphantly, "Brother, just accept it."

"Who is she? Tell me her name! How did you meet her? And how is she, is she beautiful? Do you love her?" She asked after a moment's silence.

Darcy looked at his sister for a long silent moment and Georgiana feared that he might be angry on her.

"Her name is Elizabeth Bennett. I met her while in Meryton," Darcy began softly, in a pensive tone, "she is the most handsome woman I have known, she is beautiful inside and out. She is unlike every woman I have encountered; she is opinionated, witty and does not hide it. She is ridiculed for that once in a while but I admire her for that... and I, Ana, I think I love her... but..."

"But?" Georgiana asked, as her brows knitted together, in distress.

"She has no connections or wealth. I cannot care less about wealth, I have enough, but it is her family that I fear. The mother is so loud and eccentric and does not control her youngest daughters, who are equally loud and flighty and their father hardly tries to control them and hides in his study. What will the society say when I make connections with such people?"

Darcy took a deep breath before continuing, but he was cut off a very angry Georgiana.

"Fitzwilliam!" she exclaimed, "I never expected this from you! You were never the one to care about what the society or Ton had to say about you, why now? You know you hold a prestigious position in the society and you can influence many. And most people would try to stay in your good books; they would not insult your wife or her family while they thrive to do that." Georgiana exclaimed.

Darcy looked at her surprised. Her usually quiet and silent sister was very angry on him and was not hiding it.

"What about you?" Darcy asked.

"Me?" Georgiana asked in a small voice.

"The effect their connections will have on you?" Darcy elaborated, as if that was obvious.

"Really, brother? A man worthy to marry me would have to accept my family first. And I think that will be the same for Miss Bennett, she would like a husband who would not insult her family instead respected them."

"But.."

"Look brother, you know her family won't influence me. Who knows, maybe you can change things in her family once you are a part of it! And maybe Miss Elizabeth is as mortified by her sisters' and mother's behaviour as you are, did you even talk to her?"

"Uh... well..."

"Oh no," Georgiana said, "You slighted her somehow, didn't you?"

"Ana," Darcy began calmly, "I was trying to fight it, the adoration I felt for her and I believed if I thought of the ways she was unfit for Darcy House I would be able to stop... stop loving her and insulted her in the process. I did not even realize it I was doing it until it was done... and... Oh no, Georgiana, I made a grave, grave mistake."

He said, putting his head in his hands, cursing himself and his actions.

His calm tone had turned to a frantic one by the end of his speech.

"Nothing is irreversible, brother." Georgiana assured her brother, standing up from her armchair from across him and putting a hand on his shoulder, "Firstly you need to accept your love for her and stop fighting it."

She looked at him and remained silent for a long while until he nodded and looked at her like a child waiting for an instruction from his mother.

"Then you need to start anew with Miss Elizabeth. I know you are a kind, soft-hearted person who would not hurt anyone intentionally, but she does not. You need to show her your other side." She said and Fitzwilliam nodded again.

The two of them remained silent as Darcy contemplated his actions in past and tried to plan them in future and Georgiana just being there to support him.

"Well... I learnt two new things today." A familiar, booming male voice said from the doorway, "One, the stone-cold Darcy has a heart and second, my little Georgiana is not a little girl anymore."

Thank you darlings, for your lovely reviews and follows. I am so glad you are interested in this story. Your encouragement made me write the next chapter in less than 24 hours. Note to LyDarcy, I corrected my mistake in previous chapter. And others, keep the reviews coming, it makes me super happy.

Again, constructive criticism welcome, hope you liked the chapter.