A/N: Once again, I must say how blown away and grateful I am for all the responses. They are very thoughtful, meaningful and plentiful so keep them coming. I especially love how detailed and insightful they have been so thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us. This story seems to have hit a real nerve. Jane and Lydia are quite the favorites, and I just know all you ladies are swooning over my Darcy. Just admit it, you know I'm right. And you men, well I'm one of you so what can I say.

Now I think I'll give you a spoiler about how I'm going to work this all out… NOT! You'll just have to suffer through it, but rest assured, unlike most of my stories, I DO know where this one is going, although not how long it will take to get there. This longish chapter will move it along just a bit. Time to play, 'guess the narrator', although this one's practically a gimme.

Wade

"You look absolutely lovely, my dear."

Those words nearly had me stumbling over myself and falling flat on my face, which I would almost certainly have negated the compliment. I did in fact look lovely in my own opinion, or as lovely as I ever did. I was wearing a silk dress of the lightest pink, with a green ribbon just below the bodice. I had made a sneak visit to the modiste some months past to have it made on a whim, so only the seamstress and my maid had ever seen it. Both of them had been sworn to secrecy under threat of the severest of penalties. Granted, such threats were not all that frightening, but our agreement was kept. I had a modest but not grandmotherly bodice that very tastefully displayed a very little bit of my charms, a small but elegant amount of lace, and long sleeves that covered the scars on my upper arms that resulted from overzealous bleeding from charlatans… er… physicians. I can never remember which is which, since they seem to be synonyms in my experience. My hair was done up in what I thought was a most becoming fashion, with two small ebony combs, and a couple dozen small pearls woven into it. I looked as well as I ever had in my life, if I do say so myself,

I was thus dressed because I was doing something brand new. I was doing something exciting. I was doing something extraordinary. I was doing something unprecedented and epic in its sheer enormity. I was to have supper at the parsonage with Elizabeth Collins, and I was determined to make the most of it. I had no idea how Mrs. Collins had arranged it, but did not care. Supper in a parsonage! Who would have thought!

What had me nearly stumbling over my own feet was the fact that I had actually heard two nearly identical compliments from the two last people in the world I would have expected them from at almost the same time. I grant you I rarely receive compliments that amount to more than empty flattery for a wealthy heiress from anybody; but in this particular case the rarity of the experience was greatly enhanced because I had received them from two people who rarely gave compliments, to anyone; at least not within my hearing.

The first was my cousin Darcy, "Anne, you truly look lovely. That dress is beautiful, and I am quite certain I have never seen it before. Accept my compliments, cousin."

I curtsied in confusion and answered, "Thank you Darcy. You surprise me."

He actually looked pensive at that assertion, and I thought I might ask him why, when we were away from mother. Darcy rarely spoke to me at all, let alone commented on my appearance. I suspected that was because my mother would jump on such an act like a hound. She was quite insufferable enough with her desire for me to marry him as it was, so he tried to keep the peace by ignoring me. I thought he believed I despised him, but the fact of the matter was I almost had no opinion of him whatsoever. We had never been close as children since I was sick most of the time. Once we grew up, I hardly ever left Rosings, and he had become so accustomed to wandering around with a big matrimonial target on his back that he ducked and hid instinctively. I had once visited town, and I am quite certain I got more emotion from a statue of Julius Caesar than I did from my cousin. His blank mask was particularly acute when in the company of obnoxious matchmaking mamas; of which my mother was the worst offender. I really wished he would just get married, so we might then see if we could be friends, but for the last few years it had just been easier to let him believe I disliked him. It prevented him from making things uncomfortable for me.

I almost missed his even more astounding reply, "I am lately becoming aware that my manners have room for improvement. Please do not be alarmed."

His declaration of my purported beauty would have been shocking enough, but it became extreme due to the fact that he was followed a heartbeat later by another very similar comment from the second least likely person to engage in such flattery!

"Fitzwilliam is right Anne. You do look lovely tonight. That dress suits you. It is very elegant, and you look beautiful."

"Thank you, Mother"

Yes, this was so extraordinary, I must repeat it a time or two, and possibly gather a dozen witnesses. My mother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, complimented me on my appearance on Friday, the 4th of December in the year twelve. The world had gone completely mad, and my mother and Darcy along with it. Now, just to be clear, my mother did frequently comment on my supposed good qualities which all purportedly were related to my breeding, but such statements were never made to me directly, and to be honest, they usually sounded like she was saying them by rote rather than out of any feeling. Tonight, she had looked at me carefully but not critically, and offered a sincere compliment at the same time as Darcy. Extraordinary!

As further proof of the insanity of the situation, my cousin was smiling, an act I would have wagered him incapable of; at least within the walls of Rosings. Whatever he had been doing the past week; and make no mistake, it was not happening at Rosings; was apparently good for him, and I wanted whatever it was to continue; and of course, I mean, it should continue after I got over the vapors it was likely to cause, as I would already have swooned like a heroine in a novel, except it would have wrinkled my dress.

Darcy turned to my mother and said most cordially, "I apologize for being absent most of this past week, Aunt! I have been quite occupied on nearby urgent business since my arrival and have neglected you; but I am happy to see you and Anne looking so well. Fear not, I will extend my stay long enough to see to any needs for you and Rosings."

My mother had even less idea what to do with a Darcy run mad then I did, so she simply nodded and thanked him for his compliment and declaration. She did not even jump on his apparent approval of my person. She just let it go.

Carrying on with his conquest, Darcy said, "I have a surprise for the both of you, if you would care to indulge me."

We both looked askance at his uncharacteristically un-Darcy like conduct. With a bit of a flourish, considering what a stick in the mud he was, Darcy swept back, opened the door, and presented his fait accompli. We both just stared at him as he opened the door without asking the footman, and showed two quite unexpected guests. I stared a moment, then shocked both of them with an enthusiastic greeting, which was not usually my mode of address.

"Richard! Georgiana! What a surprise! Welcome. We are happy to see you, are we not, Mother? We are just going out to supper, but I cannot wait to talk with you later."

Darcy was definitely a naughty boy, sneaking Richard and Georgiana into our midst with nary a word of warning. He had been here a full week and had made not the slightest indication that either of those were to be in attendance. I had no idea where he planned to stuff them while we went for our supper at the parsonage.

The Colonel made a sweeping bow, and greeted us with all the meaningless cordiality that was his trademark. Whereas Darcy never gave me a compliment, the Colonel appeared incapable of making a full and complete sentence in my presence without one. We had never actually spoken a single sentence of any real substance I could recall, but he certainly could lay out the flowery, pretty, and ultimately empty words with the best of them. Perhaps they taught that wherever he went to school to learn the art of war. Mayhap it was required on the battlefield to complement a man before you tried to slice him open with your sword or run over him with your horse.

Georgiana looked just as shy and timid as she ever did, which put her on about an even footing with me. Neither of us performed well to strangers, or to just about anybody when you came right down to it. We were not naturally voluble in the least, which was ordinarily of no particular concern since nobody ever spoke two words of sense in the presence of my mother anyway. I was genuinely happy to see her, because she was the only female relative I had that was any closer in age to me then my mother. I believe she rarely attended us at Rosings, mostly because she was frightened to death of my mother; a sensible enough attitude.

I thought it was insufferably rude for us to send them upstairs while we went off to the parsonage.

"Darcy, what are you about inviting them when we are just to leave for supper. It seems either the worst possibly planning, or at the very least a touch impolite to leave them alone after the journey."

Darcy smiled again and said, "I appreciate your concerns Anne, but all is well. They are invited to supper with us. I know you were looking forward to some time with Mrs. Collins, but there will be other opportunities, I assure you. I hope you do not mind?"

"Of course not!"

I might have shown a bit of disappointment, but I was content with his assessment that I would have another chance later. I was beginning to suspect that I was not the primary object of the invitation anyway. For that matter, I was not entirely certain my mother was; since Darcy had been acting very strangely since the start of his visit. I had found it most refreshing, since he was gone from Rosings most of the time, but when he was here he acted oddly. His mood had been shifting about on an almost daily basis from the foulest and blackest humor I had ever seen to tonight's display of schoolgirl giddiness.

His absence had been convenient, but on reflection it seemed unlikely he was spending all of his time in the haberdashery shop or the blacksmiths in Hunsford village, so the most likely location was the parsonage. Mr. Collins had once mentioned meeting my cousin Darcy when he went to Hertfordshire to find his bride (well, closer to a couple dozen mentions, but why quibble now), so perhaps Mrs. Collins already knew Darcy and he had been over doing something around the parsonage. It would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, and Darcy was nothing if not gentlemanly and diligent in any perceived duty that did not involve conversation with me. Mr. Collins was not in the best of health, apparently with one foot firmly in the grave, so Darcy would have been the only candidate for whatever she required. I did not mind in the least, because in a week or two Darcy would be gone and Mrs. Collins would still be here. I judged if I could get to know her just a trifle better during the supper or the following weeks, I thought I might be able to visit her from time to time with my phaeton. I had stopped by a few times during the year she was here, and she had always been cordial and civil, but there was a reserve I could not seem to get beyond. I thought I might like it ever so much if I could have a friend in the area, at least until her goat of a husband died. After that, who could say? We certainly had room for one more lady in Rosings.

Both mother and I were somewhat fanatical about being ready early, so it was still more than in hour before we actually had to go to the carriage. Darcy had either been incredibly lax about the scheduling of travel for my two cousins; her he had been very clever about getting them here just in time to clean up and go over straightaway without having to spend very much time in my mother's company. For all I knew, my cousin Fitzwilliam had timed the entire journey like a military campaign; with the objective being to minimize contact with the enemy, while maximizing chances of meeting up with friendly forces as soon as possible.

Either way, Georgiana and the Colonel hurried upstairs along with Darcy, and less than an hour later they all came back cleaned, flattened, combed and stuffed into the best clothes they had; ready to go over to the parsonage. Georgiana was dressed in a pale yellow silk dress that was of a style very similar to mine, with a blue ribbon and a different style of lace. Her sleeves were shorter than mine, which may have been the style that season I imagined. We looked almost like sisters standing next to each other. We were both so shy that a passing breeze would probably knock us both over on top of each other, so it really did not hurt that we looked so similar. I was not in the least bit put out or jealous of the girl, as I looked as well as I could, and she looked as well as she could. That was really all there was to it, and she looked quite as nervous as I felt. If she also managed to make friends with Mrs. Collins, I would not mind. Mrs. Collins seemed quite capable of managing two friendships at once.

The coach was out front at precisely the correct time to deliver us to the parsonage at precisely the appointed hour. Darcy offered one arm to me and another to his sister; while the Colonel performed the honors for my mother. Within a few minutes we had donned our wraps, been handed into the carriage, and made the short ride to the parsonage that we could have walked to in less time.

My cousins handed us out of the carriage in front of the parsonage, and Mrs. Collins was standing on the stoop in her wrap waiting for us. That seemed a bit odd, but not so unusual as to cause alarm. I imagined she did not have ladies like my mother to supper every week. Actually I am quite certain she never did, as I would have known about that eventually. Mother liked to think she knew everything that happened in the village, but she only knew about the half of it; but far be it from me to spoil her illusions.

Mrs. Collins said, "Welcome to my home, ladies and gentlemen. I am so happy you could attend."

Mother was acting most odd this past week as well. She had gone off in the carriage in a huff on Wednesday evening looking for my cousin, and had come back subdued, seeming a little bit confused, and somehow invited to the parsonage for supper. She had cornered Darcy in her office for well over an hour on Thursday, but came out looking unsatisfied. Darcy was a man who could keep his own council when he chose to.

Mrs. Collins escorted us into the entry hall, where there was nary a servant to be seen. This I imagined would send my mother into fits, but unaccountably it did not. She simply walked in front of Darcy, and he helped her off with her wrap and hung it up, while Mrs. Collins herself did the same honors for me. Richard performed the honors for Georgiana. Mrs. Collins was very cordial to my mother, but not overly deferential. She greeted her as something like an old and well-known aunt, rather than as her patroness. I reckoned she showed proper respect and deference, but none of the obsequious behavior her husband was famous for. Whether mother found this annoying or refreshing was difficult to tell, because she seemed subdued.

When we were all divested of our outerwear, Darcy stepped over to the door next to Mrs. Collins. There was not the slightest doubt they knew each other, and not just as indifferent acquaintances. He showed her the respect of the lady of the house as you would expect, but there was also an odd familiarity between them.

Mrs. Collins curtsied and said, "Lady Catherine, once again welcome to my home. I am very happy you accepted, and quite cognizant of the honor bestowed. Welcome."

Mother looked at her carefully and responded, "I thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Collins. Anne and I are quite looking forward to it."

Mrs. Collins nodded, and said, "I can see Mr. Darcy preparing to do his duty with proper introductions… eventually… but before that, I must inform you that I have introductions to make as well. Might we all retire to the parlor and simply perform the office all at once?"

Georgiana looked at her in confusion, which I imagined matched my expression while my cousin the colonel laughed and agreed to the scheme, while Darcy… well… Darcy smirked. I was ready for a lot of surprises in my life, but a teasing Darcy was beyond the pale.

Mother said, "A sensible plan, Mrs. Collins. We need not stand on ceremony or remain in the entry all night. Come Fitzwilliam."

Then she took my Cousin Darcy's arm without asking, but he was not put out by it. My other cousin offered an arm to Georgiana, and Mrs. Collins said very cordially, "Miss de Bourgh and I presume Miss Darcy. May I say you are both a vision of loveliness this evening! I most specifically welcome you to my home."

Then seeing my general level of confusion, she held out her hand to indicate the door that presumably led to either the parlor or a French dungeon, and walked in with me.

Inside the parlor, Darcy continued his annoying smirk, which I was beginning to either love or loath… it would take me some time to decide, and mother and I just stopped in shock.

The parlor was stacked from front to back, floor to ceiling, top to bottom, consuming all of the available space with young ladies. They were all pretty, all dressed in muslin, and all standing with their hands clasped in front of them in the most perfect ladylike poses you could imagine; straight from a deportment book. I presumed these must be sisters or cousins, as they all had a similar look to Mrs. Collins. My very first thought was one of fright, but then I caught the eyes of a tall light haired beauty, and something about her countenance, a certain gentleness, settled me down. I would never know why it only took a glance to know that neither this woman nor her companions would dream of doing me any harm, but I would have bet my life on it should the occasion demand. Darcy had taken his sisters arm and held her in a measure of brotherly assurance to show her that all was well; but he still had that subtle smirk on his face. Oh, he was enjoying this. He was enjoying it far too well.

In addition to the young ladies, I was most surprised to see Mrs. Hewes! She had been perhaps my favorite person in the world for much of my life before she left almost a year past, and I gave her a much bigger smile than my oaf of a cousin was ever likely to receive. She just smiled back at me then nodded back towards the rest of the assembled ladies, gently telling me that all was well, and I should pay attention to what I was about. I reached over and squeezed my cousins Georgiana's hand, just in case she had not seen such comforting sights, and she squeezed back in apparent appreciation… or annoyance. It was hard to tell with Georgiana.

Mrs. Collins said, "I apologize for the surprise ladies, but my sisters only lately arrived unexpectedly and I had not the time to have them properly introduced."

My other cousin, always short with a quip said, "How about us gentlemen?"

Mrs. Collins looked at him with a look that may have had a bit of amusement, and said, "You will live", which left him nearly howling with delight. She had not even been introduced, and had already taken his measure.

Mrs. Collins said, "Mr. Darcy, if you please?"

Some instinct told me that Darcy pleased to do whatever Mrs. Collins desired, but that thought would have to await another time as we were much too busy for such things.

I glanced at mother, and she seemed to be taking the surprise rather well. I gathered that Mrs. Collins had somehow convinced her that she needed to show more fortitude than her position indicated, because she looked and acted as if she met parlors full of young ladies in parsonages every day of the week, and perhaps twice on the odd Saturday.

Darcy did the introductions properly; well, more or less properly. He was the most fastidious man I had ever known a week past. Now, he seemed to be just enjoying some kind of lark. He managed to get the order of precedence about half correct, but otherwise just made the introductions in an informal but straightforward manner.

"Aunt Catherine, my apologies for not informing you of the guests. Plans have been somewhat fluid as of late. Allow me to do the introductions as instructed."

"Ladies, my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh."

All the ladies executed proper curtsies, and then Darcy apparently decided he did not wish to spend the rest of the evening in introductions and just executed the rest of them all in rapid succession, pointing at each person with a flat hand in turn.

"My cousin, Miss Anne de Bourgh. My sister, Georgiana Darcy. My cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam. Allow me the pleasure of introducing the Bennet sisters. Mrs. Elizabeth Collins, Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Mary Bennet, Miss Catherine Bennet and Miss Lydia Bennet. I believe you all know Mrs. Hewes, who now shares house with Mrs. Collins, and may I introduce Sergeant MacDonald who has been assisting the ladies with certain matters."

I had to admit, that my cousin introducing a pack of Bennet sisters, a former servant who appeared to be companion to Mrs. Collins, a sergeant and a sister had been done in surprisingly short order.

"Well met, Lady Catherine. Miss de Bourgh. Miss Darcy. Colonel", replied Mrs. Collins cordially, and her sisters echoed the sentiment.

Mrs. Collins was a difficult person to read. Being sick most of my life I made a study of people's reactions, but had to admit that my society was much too limited to ever claim a particular proficiency. The few times I met her, she seemed friendly enough, as if that were her basic nature, but she was more inscrutable than Darcy. I still found Mrs. Collins mostly thus, but the rest of the ladies were all open smiles and welcome manners. Miss Bennet the eldest came over directly to us, and very obviously set about making us comfortable. She was joined by the youngest, Miss Lydia and between them we were settled into pleasant conversation almost immediately.

Miss Mary joined, and pounced on Georgiana like a terrier when she found out she was a pianoforte player of no mean skill, and they launched into a discussion of composers and playing styles that left the rest of us completely behind within half a minute. Miss Bennet just watched them with a half-smile on her face, as if she had organized the entire arrangement.

Mrs. Collins made a very cordial greeting to me, and then encouraged her sister Catherine to join me in pleasant conversation, before easing herself out of it to go talk to my mother. She mostly ignored both of my male cousins, more studiously one than the other. For Darcy, she was pointedly ignoring him, and she seemed to have forgotten the colonel was present, if she had even noticed in the first place.

After perhaps fifteen minutes of conversation, Mrs. Collins looked at my cousin, and then at the door of the dining parlor, and he started us toward the table by offering my mother his arm without a word. No, they were definitely not indifferent acquaintances.

Mrs. Collins, who seemed to not have a single servant in the house, gathered up two or three of her sisters and went towards a stairway that I presumed, went to the kitchen, along with Mrs. Hewes. They returned a few minutes later bearing a set of serving trays just like a footmen, and started setting out a simple meal of beef, chicken and vegetables along with wine, water and ale on the table.

My cousin Darcy astounded me by going to a sideboard after he had seated mother, and taking a pitcher of wine, he poured for her. She stared at him in astonishment, but he seemed to think nothing of it. My cousin the colonel seemed to be in raptures, as might be expected with three men and nine women to table, at least four of them very pretty and eligible; six if you counted Georgiana and I. Yes, he had not the slightest cause for complaint, and I had to admit, neither did I.

Once everything was set out, Mrs. Collins went to the head of the table, Darcy went to the foot and he carved exactly as if they were Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, which when Mr. Collins died, did not seem to be entirely out of the realm of possibility.

This was turning out to be perhaps the most interesting and entertaining evening of my life, and it had only just begun.