Your reviews have all been very helpful to me and I appreciate it. And while I was reading I realized that I'm seeing this Elizabeth as two different people. There's the Elizabeth we all know and love, then there's the Elizabeth who has not yet accepted her status. And there has been some confusion as to why she hasn't been standing up for herself. And I realize that's my fault. I had planned on covering this in a later chapter, cause I know you all want more Darcy/Lizzy interactions. I hope this chapter helps fill in some of the blanks about our Lizzy.

Also. I'm up for any advice on how to make my story better. Your responses have been overwhelming, and I'm really up for anything as soon as I get these characters rolling.. I will be putting up a poll on my user page, so you guys can vote, and maybe decide what happens next to all your favorite characters!

Please hang in there with me, as I correct some of my mistakes. I appreciate you all!

Chapter 5

Elizabeth Bennet didn't feel like a woman. She felt like a girl. A girl barely staying afloat in her place in society. She never cared for titles, or riches or money. Honestly all she wanted was love.

Now he was gone, and she was lost.

With the whirlwind her life had been in these last three years, Elizabeth barely had time to breathe. Her first months of marriage were a trying time for her, adjustments had to be made, manner corrected, poise perfected, and control exerted.

Even with all the lessons she had received, she never felt truly comfortable with her title or herself unless she was with William.

They had been married over a year when they attended, what would become, their last ball together. Together they were a striking couple, and never strayed more than a few feet from the other. He tall, and stoic, and handsome. She was graceful, and witty and beautiful.

They were the envy of many there.

William knew Elizabeth belonged there. Elizabeth did not.

No matter how reassuring William would be, or even her mother-in-law, the nagging feeling of "I don't belong here. I'm such a fraud." always crossed her mind. The company was always friendly to her, and in reality, she knew that she was overreacting, but the ton was far different from her childhood home.

Oh how she missed Longbourn.

Together they danced, and ate, and chatted with friends, and family. Some of whom they haven't seen since their wedding day. Whenever she laughed, she lit up the room.

She was his other half. Together they were one person.

And now he was gone.

Caroline's remarks last night had hurt Elizabeth something awful. They hit her right where she wanted. She was never truly confident in her title, and Caroline realized it. But she couldn't help but feel that maybe Caroline was right. Caroline saw in Elizabeth, what she saw in herself.

Elizabeth sighed and rolled over in her childhood bed. "Why do I make everything so difficult. Can there ever be a time where I feel truly comfortable around these people?" She wiped a tear away, listening to the first signs of morning outside.

Elizabeth could be tough. She had the temperament of her grandfather. She had been told that all her life. "So why am I so weak now?"

No matter how hard she tried, she never felt her place, and truth be told, it intimidated her. Caroline intimidated her.

Confidence. She needed confidence. She could no longer lean on her beloved when she felt weak. She had to move on.

Now if she could only find a way to do that.

Caroline was seething. She had just sat through a sit down by her brother and sister over her treatment of Elizabeth the night before.

"That little chit has you all under her thumb and I for one will not stand for it!" she rose indignantly and stormed off to her chambers, upstairs, several servants falling victims to her anger.

Darcy arrived downstairs, just as Caroline was fleeing the room. He didn't even ask what was wrong, for he already knew.

Darcy wasn't naive, something was off last night and it wasn't just Caroline Bingley and her rude remarks towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth wasn't herself.

He had only known her for a week, and he could already read her like a book. Each comment Caroline made towards Elizabeth, he could see a flash a pain in her eyes. He knew her pain. He felt her pain, and he wanted to take it all away.

He flashed back to when she was being introduced to his party at the assembly just one week ago.

"Mr. Bingley, this is Mrs. Bennet, and her daughters. This here is Miss Jane Bennet, and Miss Mary..." Mrs. Bennet had interrupted and pulled Elizabeth through by the hand.

"And this here is my daughter Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire. She is in town to visit family." Her eyes were the first thing he had noticed then.

The shock of actually meeting the well reputed duchess, at a small country assembly, was nothing to the shock at how sad her eyes were.

"To friends," she had said, "I'm just Elizabeth. Please do not trouble yourself with titles." With that she dropped into a small curtsy, smiled to each of them, making eye contact, then excused herself.

He knew how she felt. His family and status had made him some sort of prized dog in the ton. Wherever he went he was watched carefully, no matter what he was doing. He remembered saying the exact same thing to Mr. Bingley when they had first met at Uni. "I'm just Darcy, no need for formality."

He ate his breakfast quickly, and gathered his wits about him. Elizabeth would be arriving in two short hours, to check on her beloved sister, and he wanted to be mentally prepared. For she wasn't an ordinary woman. She was extraordinary.

Jane was feeling much better this morning, and she could all but here everything that was being said downstairs. It had been silent for a while when there was a soft knock on the door, and to her surprise Mrs. Hurst entered, with a cup of broth, and a smile on her face.

"How are you feeling, Jane dear? I do hope you're better, and that you're comfortable." She sat in the chair next to her and Jane accepted the broth graciously.

Louisa Hurst, found it impossible to sleep last night. The haunted look in Elizabeth's eyes as she quit the room last night, was an image that she wanted not to relive, and found herself in agreement with her brother this morning that Caroline needed talked to. Immediately. She could not continue to treat a duchess like that, for want of being recognized in public again.

Though Louisa didn't immediately take a liking to Elizabeth, she found that she had much to recommend. Elizabeth was a very sweet girl, who at times, just seemed lost. And Louisa could hardly blame her. Elizabeth was most comfortable among them when they were talking about her family, or books, or Jane.

She did not however, talk about her title, the ball she was to attend next month in the ton, or even her late husband.

Elizabeth was an enigma. Though at times she oozed confidence, most of the time she appeared lonely and lost.

Louisa smiled at Jane. "Jane dear," she paused and helped her sit. "you must tell me how I can help put your sister at ease, for this will not do at all."

Jane just stared at her. Shocked.