7/2/17 Author's note: Hi everyone :) I have had a few people writing to me asking if this story is complete. It is complete and up on Amazon if you want to check it out. The link is on my profile page or you can just search amazon for the title. There have been others who have been reading here on FFN and for them I am posting weekly(sometimes more, like today) updates. I am doing my best to get a chapter up every Friday morning for those who are reading here :) I have really appreciated the awesome community of fellow Jane Austen fans here. I just wanted to say thank you for reading and letting me share my story with you all. Best regards to everyone...Janie(mj)

Chapter 13: Letters

After dinner, everyone discussed what they should all do for the rest of the evening. Both Darcy and Elizabeth went to the study to go through emails while the others watched old movies. Caroline protested that the two of them were spending their time working in the study instead of joining them. Elizabeth decided it was best not to say anything to her after Darcy made it clear that the study was the only room in the house that had decent internet connections and he had work that couldn't be ignored.

Once the two of them left, Caroline turned to her sister and whispered, "I don't understand why Elizabeth couldn't wait and stay with us to watch the movie. We both know that Darcy is always working, but I think Elizabeth is up to something?"

Louisa leaned in closer towards her. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is simply this, she wants Darcy for herself. I mean seriously, she's nothing but a little country photographer. She doesn't have to work as often as she has been. There is no other possible explanation. Eliza is trying to arrange to be alone with Darcy. She wants him for herself." Caroline whispered.

"You may be right," Louisa told her.

"I know I am, and I promise you I will not allow it to happen," Caroline told her as Charles finished setting up the movie. She looked over at Jane, "It's too bad that Eliza couldn't join us. I would have thought she would be the type to love a good old classic movie."

"Lizzy does love old movies, but she has been taking on more clients recently and has a lot of work to stay on top of," she told her. "I'm sure she would have joined us if she could have."

Charles walked over and sat down next to Jane, "I think it's marvelous that Elizabeth's business is doing so well," he told her. "There will be plenty of opportunities for us to spend time together later when she's not so busy. Besides, it's not as if she's the only one working. Darcy is always working too."

"Thank you for understanding," she whispered as he sat down next to her.

Charles leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Of course."

Caroline's eyes narrowed in frustration. She hoped Jane might go and demand that her sister come and watch the movie with them, but she didn't. She tried to think of an excuse to go and join Darcy in the study, but nothing came to mind. She would make sure to keep a closer eye on them from now on.

Darcy quickly cleared away his business emails then turned to his private mail. He was finding it difficult to focus as he and Elizabeth were the only two people in the room. He thought about the argument they had earlier on their walk. Why she got so upset was beyond his understanding. Everything he said was true, although he admitted he probably didn't need to bring up the things her mother said at the party. He knew she was very aware of her mother's embarrassing behavior and didn't need him to remind her of it. He thought over what Richard said to him just before he left, about not ruining the budding friendship between Elizabeth and his sister. He decided to choose his words more carefully from now on. Just as he was about to close his laptop, an email came in from Georgiana. She often wrote him quick notes when he was away, he leaned back and began reading.

Hello William,

I had such a wonderful day with Richard. He and I went shopping and then to lunch. I know that doesn't sound too terribly exciting, but for me it was. I found myself feeling more confident than ever. Elizabeth has been sharing with me not to be afraid to tell others how I'm feeling and today I took a small step in following her advice. I shared with Richard that I don't like that sloppy sandwich shop he always takes me to on our outings. I told him that I would prefer some place less crowded, less heavy, and not so unhealthy. He laughed because he said I sounded just like his mother who is forever lecturing him about eating right. I was relieved his feelings were not hurt. We ended up having a lovely lunch in that new little bistro near the park. I was so excited that I even ordered for myself without feeling the least bit nervous. I know for any other teenager this would seem like a truly silly accomplishment, but for me, it meant so much, as I know you will understand.

What about you? Are you taking some time to relax and enjoy the weekend with your friends? I was telling Richard how wonderful it is that this opportunity has come along and now you and Elizabeth will become good friends too! I do so like her William; she's such a kind person.

Your loving sister,

Georgiana

Darcy smiled, he was very happy for his sister, he knew how hard it was for her to tell Richard she didn't like the sandwich shop. She always was so eager to please and make others happy that she never considered that she could voice her opinions. He thought that might be one of the things that made her so vulnerable to the likes of George Wickham. He glanced over at Elizabeth and thought about what Richard said to him. He would try to get along with Elizabeth. He was genuinely happy for his sister and didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the growing friendship between Georgiana and Elizabeth. He needed to make more of an effort to be polite, he decided.

Elizabeth smiled as she finished reading over her email from Georgiana. She thought about how different she was from her brother. One thing was certain they were very loyal to one another. She glanced over in his direction; he was busy working on his laptop. She hated to admit it, but being so far out in the country did have its disadvantages at times. One of them being spotty internet connections. She decided to write Georgiana back and began typing:

Dear Georgiana,

I'm so happy for you in your accomplishment, but please don't ever consider what you are doing as silly or unimportant. We all have our mountains to climb and hurdles to overcome. Yours are no less real just because others don't share them. You should be proud of yourself for speaking with your cousin honestly about what you do and don't like. I think you will find your relationship with him only improves as you do. I know how hard it was for you and I'm very proud of you. From the way, you have described your cousin Richard I'm sure he was proud of you too.

I'm having a very lovely time with my sister and Charles. To see them together and so happy makes me glad for her. We have gone riding, swimming, and you know I never have my camera very far from me :) After I'm finished proofing, I will send you a few. The area around Netherfield is very lovely.

I have spent some time with your brother. He and Charles are close friends, and I agree with you, loyalty in friendship is another great quality to have.

Your friend,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth looked over at Darcy again; he seemed very content with whatever it was he was reading. She thought about her letter to Georgiana. She had to admit Darcy was a very good friend to Charles and that was an admirable quality to have. She thought about their argument from earlier in the day. Perhaps she had allowed herself to get more upset than she should have. She decided to try again for Jane and Georgiana to make more of an effort to be civil to him. She closed her laptop and turned toward him. He was just closing his computer down too. "Before you mentioned that maybe we could be a little less formal with each other, You said that I didn't need to call you Mr. Darcy all the time."

Darcy looked over at her. "I did mention that yes," he told her not sure what else to say.

"Well if you still feel that way, I thought maybe we could try to be less formal." Elizabeth offered as a way of trying to smooth things over between them.

"Maybe we could," he agreed. He thought Elizabeth looked particularly lovely just then with the soft glow of the fireplace behind her.

Elizabeth suddenly felt very nervous, she smiled and headed for the door, "Goodnight then," she said as she passed by him.

"Goodnight, Elizabeth," he said softly as she reached the door. He stood there for a few minutes thinking about her. She was beautiful, but it was more than just outward attraction that he was beginning to feel for her. She was intelligent, witty, charming, and he loved hearing her laugh. There was something about her, something special and unlike any other woman, he had ever met. He went up to his room and crawled into bed. His mind was filled with images of Elizabeth and 'what if' possibilities between the two of them. He closed his eyes and found himself wondering what if they were married, and what it would be like to take her in his arms, hold her close and kiss her soft, perfect lips. He suddenly stopped himself; it was clear he was attracted to her, and might even be developing some feelings for her. The thought frightened him. "Perhaps I better keep myself in check," he mumbled before going to sleep.

By the next morning, Darcy found that he needed a break from Caroline. Her constant flattering and endless questions about Georgiana were beginning to grate on his nerves. He decided this morning he would take a walk before anyone else was up. It was just past 6:00 so he knew there would be very little chance of Caroline following him. He headed down the side path, past the gardens and pool area to the pathway he and Elizabeth explored the day before. This time he was appropriately dressed for a hike and wanted to get a view of the countryside. Besides, he decided that a long morning walk was exactly what he needed to clear away some of the crazy dreams and lingering thoughts he had about Elizabeth. As he walked along, he thought about the conversation he overheard between Elizabeth and Caroline. He had to admit hearing the things that Caroline said did surprise him. He always knew she was interested in marrying someone who was wealthy, and from their circle of society. But he wouldn't have guessed that she would be willing to marry for only money.

He found himself thinking over what Elizabeth said. She wanted to marry someone who loved and respected her as much as she did them. Now that was his ideal marriage too. It was the kind of marriage his mother and father had. He wondered if he would ever find such a woman in his circle of friends. Not many of the women he knew desired those things. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that many of the women he knew would probably take Caroline's view of marriage.

He thought about his parent's marriage. The love they shared and the mutual respect they had for one another made his early childhood a pleasant and stable one. There was always love in their home. He never doubted his parent's love for each other. Darcy decided if he were ever to get married and have children, he would want that same safe and secure feeling for them that he had growing up. He was surprised to find himself thinking of marriage, the thought of marrying hadn't really come up before now. If he did marry, what would he look for in a wife? The girl he married didn't need to be as wealthy as he was, but he knew that it would help to have someone who understood what society at his business and social level expected. His future wife would need to have attended the best schools in the country, have strong family connections in the highest of London's social circles, and attend the same party and social functions that he was invited to each year. The truth was someone like Elizabeth Bennett would be lost in his world. The society elites would chew her up and spit her back out.

He laughed thinking of what Richard would say, "Darcy you don't care one bit about what all those snobs think anyway." Maybe he did care what they thought of him after all. He always said he didn't care that he was only thinking of Georgiana and her future when it came to dealing with the elites of London, but that wasn't true. He did find he was most comfortable around people who understood the challenges he faced coming from such a wealthy background. There was always a great deal expected of him. It wasn't easy having to grow up so fast and care for his sick father and younger sister. If he ever entertained the thought of marrying someone who wasn't from an acceptable family, he wondered how his other family members would respond. What would his Aunt Catherine, or his Aunt and Uncle Fitzwilliam think of someone like Elizabeth? Would they approve, and if they didn't, how would Georgiana feel about her family being at odds with one another? He decided it wasn't very helpful for him to be thinking this way since he had no intention of pursuing any kind of relationship with the lady anyway. He pushed all further thoughts of marriage from his mind and headed further down the path.

Elizabeth finally found the perfect spot for the pictures she wanted. Standing at this lower point, allowed her to look up at the property as the sun came up, setting off a magnificent glow around the house. She was just about to snap her photo when she lost her footing and began falling backward. She cried out, but much to her shock a pair of strong arms caught her. She turned her head to see who was there, "Mr. Darcy!"

He held her in his arms, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you just now. I was just taking my morning walk when I saw you trip."

Elizabeth tried to calm her racing heart, "It's alright. Thank you for catching me," she said waiting for him to put her down. "I'm alright now. You can let go of me."

Darcy grew red with embarrassment, "Oh..." he said as he placed her back on her feet, "Forgive me please."

"It's alright, really," she said softly. "Thank you again for catching me. I promise I'm not usually so clumsy. I was just trying to get a shot of the house from this angle to catch the sunrise, but I must have tripped."

Darcy nodded, "I'm just glad I was here to catch you," he told her.

"You are out early Mr. Darcy; do you enjoy morning walks?" she asked forgetting their agreement.

He smiled, "We did agree to be less formal with each other last night," he reminded her.

Elizabeth blushed, "We did agree to that, didn't we?" She said as she went back to taking her pictures.

"To answer your question, yes, I do like to get up early and walk when I can," he told her. "I wore the right shoes this time," he pulled up the bottom of his trousers to reveal a very reliable hiking boot.

Elizabeth laughed, "Yes those will do much better than the ones you were wearing yesterday."

He watched her as she worked, "So do you always get up at sunrise to take your photos?" he asked her.

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, I'm often up early to do my work," she explained. "I find I have fewer interruptions if I do."

"Oh," he said realizing that he was probably the kind of interruption she was trying to avoid. "Have you finished Georgiana's pictures yet?"

Elizabeth took several more pictures before answering, "We are almost done with them."

Darcy was beginning to feel uncomfortable, he wanted to stay and talk with her, but he couldn't think of what to talk about. He felt himself growing frustrated; he was usually in command of his conversations with people, he didn't like feeling as though he was not in control. He found communicating with her very difficult. She was in his employ and yet he was seeing her socially as a guest in his friend's house. He was attracted to her but didn't want to be. Then on top of all that, there were all those wonderful thoughts of her that he allowed himself to dwell on the night before. He searched for what to say next, but in the end, he couldn't help himself, and he fell back on his business skills. "Georgiana did tell you about the schedule that we are under, didn't she? You are aware of how important these portraits are?" he asked his voice sounding a little more formal than he meant it to. He struggled to keep his nerves under control.

Elizabeth turned to look at him. "She did mention it, yes." She couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to find something to criticize her for. For some unknown reason, he seemed to take great delight in criticizing her.

"That's good," he responded, "Then you are aware of how important it is that we have time to go over your work before a final decision is made?" he told her without thinking how his comments might have sounded to her.

So he was trying to find flaws with her work she thought to herself. "Mr. Darcy" she emphasized the formal use of his name, "I will have the pictures ready in plenty of time for you and Georgiana to go over. I promise you will have all the time you need to decide if they are up to your standards or if you would like to hire someone else. I take my work just as seriously as you do yours. I have never been late for a deadline. And I promise I won't be this time."

Darcy regretted the way he worded his questions; he could tell that she now believed him to be insulting her. He tried to think of a way to rectify the situation but decided that he would probably only make things worse. Besides, the knot in the bottom of his stomach was only tightening the longer he stood there. "Thank you," he said as he turned to leave and made his way back toward the house. He let out an exasperated sigh, "Well that went about as bad as it could have," he told himself.

Elizabeth watched him go. He was one of the most frustrating men that she had ever met. His arrogance and rude behavior were insufferable. How could he possibly be the same kind and generous man who Georgiana spoke about? Try as hard as she could she just wasn't able to reconcile the two. "So much for being more civil," she said out loud. She spent the rest of the morning finishing her work and doing her best to keep her mind off Mr. Darcy. But as hard as she tried, thoughts of him always seemed to have a way of creeping back in.