Mr. Collins' message had been forgotten for some time and Kitty had moved the conversation to talk about Lydia and her new home.
Finishing her dinner Lizzy stood and made her way to her father was leisurely finishing his dessert.
"Papa I am going to retire. I feel that the excitement of the last few days has been too much on me. I should go to sleep."
Lizzy bent down to kiss her father.
"Yes Lizzy I think we all should ready ourselves for bed." Mr. Bennet smiled up at his daughter and patted her hand reassuringly. "All will be well in the morning, I am sure of it."
Hill entered the dining room and began clearing the table, while Mrs. Bennet helped herself to another sampling of the pudding.
Lizzy looked back at her father who lovely observed his wife.
Entering the dim lit hallway Lizzy wished she, like her father, could find love in a marriage.
Taking the stairs Lizzy thought of him, Mr. Darcy.
Lizzy thought of Mr. Darcy all the way up the stairs, down the upstairs hallway, and into her bedroom.
Entering her room and closing the door firmly behind her Lizzy pressed her back up against the wall.
She desperately wished she knew how to fix the mess that was twisted between the two of them.
She knew that if she could just talk to Mr. Darcy then all would be rectified!
Lizzy sank down to the floor out of frustration, for she knew that she could not even write to him.
Propriety would not allow it!
Lizzy sat on the floor of her room for some time carefully removing the pins from her tresses.
Finally standing Lizzy ran her fingers through her loose hair and made her way over to the bedroom window she and Jane had spent so many nights gazing out of.
The night sky was filled with bright stars each one beaming back down at Lizzy.
In her current state of gloom Lizzy could not help but feel that they were mocking her, for their beauty was no match for her heartache.
Closing the drapes Lizzy began to disrobe and ready herself for bed. She knew she must sleep but she was afraid of the dreams that awaited her.
For if she could not have Darcy in the flesh then she refused to accept the images her unconscious mind wished to present to her.
Lying down in her bed Lizzy reached out for Darcy's gift that was stowed on her bedside table.
Holding the necklace above her Lizzy could see the glistening jewels even in the darkness of the room.
Pulling the necklace close to her heart and closing her eyes Lizzy accepted her fate, as images of Darcy ran through her mind.
The carriage ride from Town had begun to become quite uncomfortable Darcy professed, particularly since Fitzwilliam's snores overtook the sound of the horses.
Darcy sat, legs stretched out, wishing that sleep would take him as easily as it did his cousin.
Another loud snore alerted Darcy to a simple fact he had been overlooking until then!
Loudly Darcy declared. "If I would have sampled the cognac as effortlessly as you I too would be sound asleep!"
Fitzwilliam grunted and looked over at Darcy, but just fleetingly, for sleep took him again.
Darcy forced his eyes to close, and in his mind he began to construct his plan for when his carriage reached Longbourn.
After several minutes Darcy opened his eyes and sat back up.
"This will not do!" Darcy said to no one in particular, as Fitzwilliam sleep like a new born babe.
He would have to create another strategy for his entire plan so far involved Fitzwilliam drawing his sword and Dracy storming into the Bennet household to abduct Elizabeth.
Darcy sat rubbing his tired eyes, conscious that no great plan would be created under these constraints.
Opening the window shade, Darcy peered out and onto the rolling countryside.
He declared that the sky was filled with the most brilliant array of stars he had ever beheld.
Quickly pulling the shade shut, Darcy acknowledged that he was in no mode to see the wonders of the heavens.
For all he would have to do to see splendour was to close his eyes and think of her. Elizabeth.
Darcy laid his head back against the jolting carriage, all the while making his way closer to Hertfordshire, to Longbourn, and to her.