Hello, here I bring you three chapters in which I have been working, as you will see the story turns around and the magic manifests itself in different ways….

Let me know your opinions….

Enjoy reading…

Chapter 13

DECISIONS AND PROPOSALS

The days following the dance Darcy rethought the last conversation with Elizabeth, something about it bothered him, besides his eyes were different, they did not emit the emotions of the first dance, for a moment he thought he saw that it was she her irisurst, she couldn't help it he felt and perceived so many things for her…. That reminded him of his mother's words "when you are older you will have to make decisions, always decide with your heart, when your time comes to choose your partner, son, do not rush and I hope you can recognize your irisurst, she will come to you, but you must recognize, it only so both of you will be full and happy"

Could it be, her eyes could not detail them as before, could it be that she was bewitched?, she was developing a dangerous trust in Wickham, even though she was not his irisurst he felt that he should warn her and protect her in some way, Wickham was malicious and willing to do anything to make a profit.

Thoughts and analysis also towards Thomas Bennet about the dance and he was satisfied, the qualities of his daughters had not come to the fore and therefore he could travel a bit calmly, before leaving he instructed his daughters to stay at home, always go out accompanied and Avoid exposing yourself in his absence. He didn't like the officers around his daughters, some were wizards others were wolves and although they were of little ability, they were a threat, and he was the only one in Longbourn truly prepared to protect them.

He undertook his trip on Sunday noon to London, arriving at the end of the afternoon at the Gardiner house where he met his brother-in-law, Edward Gardiner, just like his sister was Lian, however he was very intelligent and became a successful merchant, with many contacts. and an excellent team of lawyers, Thomas had already written to him, updating him on the situation, and he was confident that despite his limited academic training, Gardiner would accompany him to establish himself in the Bennet estate.

There was no loss of time, the morning of his arrival in London after breaking his fast Thomas met with the team of Gardiner Lawyers, Mr. Percival communicated:

-Mr, Bennet currently the estate is made up of 4 properties, Stone house, Longbourn, Bennet Hills and Leonel Farm-

-If I already knew that, in fact I manage Longbourn directly- said Thomas, who was recently informed about the other properties by Collins, although he did not trust them because he did not know the certainty of the properties, investments or commitments. The Collins for 100 years were the ones who held the entire estate; Bennet, was informed of the political world, knew the position of his late uncle and also knew that some action led to the change of the magical house from Bennet to Collins, but he was unaware of such a fact.

After the first impressions, Bruce Henderson, as one of the most versed and with the greatest knowledge of the firm, accompanied Bennet on November 19 to the appointment as Man of the King, followed by the reading of the will and his first meeting with the King, principal administrator of the late Oliver Collins, He confirm the 4 properties, but Leonel Farm one of the two in Cambridge had been abandoned for about 20 years, Stone house was reportedly in good condition and was where the deceased commonly resided, the investments more important were in the naval market and a new property in Kent was being negotiated but the contracts had not yet been finalized.

The next day Bennet visited the Stone house, it was located in a good sector of high society, it was a fairly large and ostentatious mansion, something that Thomas did not like very much, he had never visited it before and it had been in the family estate for decades. He met with the butlers, met the staff and had 6 of the main rooms ready including the Lord's and Lady's, with the Lord's being the one to have ready immediately. Therefore, they had to remove the old possessions of his uncle since he himself would live there the next day, he was informed that both Collins and his father resided on the property, finding his cousin Carter confined in one of the rooms on the floor sick due to his illness.

He immediately met in the office behind closed doors with Mr. Henderson, among other things to learn about the alliances that they had to eliminate and retake or win. In that meeting, Henderson recommended him to diversify the patrimonial investments, since committing the capital in only the naval market could lead to losing it without possibility of recovery, he also named several of the prominent families and those who currently directed the other magical houses, when naming To the Darcys, Bennet interrupted him and said -Tell me a little more about them-

-The Darcy House is one of the oldest houses, currently it is one of the most influential at a commercial level, they dominate the entire market linked to sheep farming Mainly, they hold one of the current marquisates – Bennet nodded, he knew that – his current marquess is August Darcy, but he is very old, so it is expected that he will soon be succeeded by Fitzwilliam Darcy, current master of Pemberly and also soon to inherit the House Fitzwilliam in its entirety-

-That young man will then possibly be the Marquis and Earl- continued Bennet as if he had never heard of Darcy before

-Exactly the Fitzwilliam house, unlike Darcy, has other males, but the one with the highest magical rank is the young Darcy because he is Hilmen, he inherits everything that includes that house that would be the entire East Midlands, currently that area has made important inroads in the industry-

The Mr. Bennet open his eyes and think …. it was too much, before I didn't hear anyone who held so much, without being royalty…. -Can you tell me more about the young man?- ask

-Trained at Eton and Cambridge, he is 26 years old, he inherited at 18 to his father George Darcy, linked on his maternal side, although distantly with royalty, guardian of his 17year old sister, I would say that he is an intelligent gentleman, correct and without vices, at least not known, his current income exceeds 10,000 a year.

–What about your sister?- Bennet continued

–Miss Daarcy hasn't been introduced socially yet, she is Hilmen too, with an excellent dowry, as far as she is a talented girl, excessively protected by her brother. Whatwherever she goes and even he, it could be said that a security contingent mainly made up of werewolves or magicians, they look like princes, and well as I said they have ancestors in the Royal house but currently they move away from the lineage of the house-

Bennet was surprised, he was not being guarded or protected in Meryton. He took the badge as the King's man and began to move it magically while he watched it and thought about what he heard -What can you tell me about Charles Bingley? –

Mr. Henderson was surprised by the question, why ask about young Bingley? — Uhm this young man is not an aristocrat, he comes from commerce, quite wealthy, young Charles inherited his father 4 years ago, he was from Lancashire and Manchester where they made their fortune with the cotton trade mainly, I think they currently reside here in London, He has two sisters and, as far as I know, a close friendship, Mr. Darcy- he said, still curious, but he did not dare to inquire

Thomas, aware of the young man's expressions, looked at Henderson carefully and said– And you, young Henderson, what about you? —

-I, my Lord, well I am a Cambridge Lawyer and although I belong to the Winderford house, I have had to follow my own path just like my father- he said feeling questioned

-You are a multimage– he said without taking his eyes off the young man- What about your family?—

-Yes, I am, but my parents have no quality and my sisters are just magical creatures-

-I understand, I suppose that your Father, unlike me, was not blessed with wealth management—continued Bennet knowing I knew it was to be from a magical house and be marginalized in it, apparently the Hendersons were almost on the fringes of the line, so they had to make their way

-My father runs the firm-said the young man still uncomfortable by the question

Bennet nodded and looked at the young man and decided to release him -Okay, I think that's all for now-

The lawyer and adviser nodded, took the papers and left, Thomas turned his attention to the office and looked in detail the magic wand that was on the shelf and now belonged to him as head of household, he took it and continue he thought, he felt less threatened by the young people who were neighbors of Longbourn, ….although Darcy would obtain in the future a greater amount of power than he already had, everything indicated that he was an exemplary and honorable man; Bingley might be more interested in allying himself with my family, but he was not in himself a threat because even being outside the aristocratic circle he had no pressure to maintain a place; on the contrary he had to win it and the only easy way to do it was by marriage…..

He also thought of Collins who insisted on a commitment to his daughters, he did not hear anything unfavorable about him, but it was evident that Collins wanted to maintain the power with which he he was raised for it, he preferred to distance him from his daughters, he would finalize that purchase in Kent and give him the administration to distance him, Collins would be removed to this property with his father if he survived, he was determined.

Thomas had no desire for power and greatness, however, he did not like that being a Bennet, his house was named Collins, although the next heir to the House could be a Collins again, he was considering reinstating the Bennet name, as it should be. He did not know the cause of the name change, but he knew that there must be a background, because Thomas was the 4th generation after being the head of House a Hilmen, which indicated that the name should not have been changed yet. He decided to request an investigation into it and, if necessary, ask for a review in the royal house.

Back at the Gardiner house and after talking with his brother-in-law, Thomas Bennet decided that it was of vital importance to quickly establish the management of his daughters' situation, and said to Edward

- I consider it appropriate that my three oldest daughters would enter first, and the friendship with these young men would serve as an introduction to society.-

-I agree, and I think my sister was aware of her new situation. She would calm down a bit and stop making commitments for your daughters.

-I hope you are correct, in other way can Madeline find in a governess for Lydia and Kitty, they needed to be polished, they would have to have a governess for at least a few months -

-Yes, she can do it, don´t worry about that-

Thomas goin to rest, but is worried for Fanny and his two youngest daughters… Unlike his wife, Thomas did not want hasty or unsecured marriages, he had quietly kept over the years respectable dowries and they deserved a good marriage, his daughters were the future of the Bennet house.

He hopes Madeline Gardiner will take care of it. He knew that he could trust her with eyes closed, Madeline was a fire mage, belonging to the Devereux house, her status had lowered when she married, but she was a well-formed and educated lady, she knew society and its current movement much better.

In the following days with his brother-in-law Edward and Mr. Henderson, security personnel were hired to be available for the family's arrival in the city, if Darcy fiercely protected his sister it was for something; he hoped with all this to establish the older ones and keep them all still protected. Finally, Thomas decided to request the modification of the magical registry, even that scared him, but if they would be exposed, it was useless to hide what would be obvious.

Bennet never imagined that they were in fact already in sight of an expert hunter, Wickham. After meeting Darcy in the village and having observed the Bennets at the Phillips house, Wickham sensed that there was more to the Bennets than meets the eye.

Wickham had decided to approach and observe the ladies, he used his magic on Elizabeth, just because he saw that Darcy was interested, she also had a peculiar beauty and he liked what he saw, not only was all of them beautiful, some were magical creatures and others multiforms might not be the best magical qualities but they were the best in town, he investigated about the family, his gifts were not striking or so it was said, that's why they were not a direct target for him, but they could be for others.

Wickham's observation paid off and his final decision was made one morning when he saw her changing form and practicing spells, he observed her in detail and saw how in one of those spells she made 2 magical beings, he was surprised, at the magical beings alone they could be made by Hilmens, therefore she was not multiform, she was nothing more and nothing less than a Hilmen.

He thought - Well, the Bennets really have more to offer... I see Darcy, not only do you think she's beautiful, but you intend to take away a jewel... that is why it would be magical practice, Darcy wanted to win her over, but he wasn't a seducer, He didn't need her either, Darcy must have fallen in love….

-This time not Darcy, you will not take this jewel from me- he said to himself - ... this time I will be the one who will keep the prize, if this time I will be the holder of the jewel- as he detailed it so what he saw Elizabeth did not handle her powers well, she was still clumsy, like Georgiana, she was also trusting, she normally wandered alone around the property or read a book away from everyone, and then returned home, he already knew that if she went out in the afternoon normally she was accompanied, however for a few moments she used an escort.

Elizabeth would be excellent, if he couldn't seduce her for him then he would take her and trade. Whatever he needed her for, she was a fortune in herself, she was a Hilmen and he knew very well who could pay for her if he couldn't keep her for himself.

Wickham made his decision, others also made decisions after seeing the writing in the Hurts press, he passed it to his wife and indicated the page…

…among the last official acts of this year we find the appointment of the new Man of the King of the House Collins, Thomas Bennet, the changeling multimage rises as head of House Collins, a native of Hetfordshire and Cambridge-educated as one of the greatest thinkers of his day, could bring fresh ideas to the royal councilors…

Lousia looked at her husband, who was waiting. to digest the news, -You understand what I told him a few weeks ago-

Lousia agreed, Caroline had to be stopped, they were not in a position to underestimate the Bennets when their father was now one of the influential Men of the King.

Many in Hertfordshire also read the note and understood the automatic change of season of the Bennets, Collins, seeing the press release, made his decision, he had already seen everything necessary and even though everything he supposed was not so true in reality; he had correctly deduced that his cousins were not known for their magical qualities but for their beauty and even for their innocence, but that press release raised them in rank and having more valuable knights, he decided not to waste time and secure the hand of his Cousin Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet supported her cause and Mr. Bennet's absence gave her a small margin of action, so she did not wait any longer and after breakfast she requested a moment alone with her cousin.

Elizabeth refused, she sensed Collins's intentions, but her mother gave no escape and left him with the gentleman, expecting a commitment. Without wasting a second Collins doing his best began with his verbiage

- My dear Miss Elizabeth, your modesty must be added to your other perfections. I couldn't have found you any less adorable if you hadn't shown that little resistance. Let me assure you that your mother has given me leave for this interview; you must know what is the object of my speech; although her natural delicacy leads her to hide it; my intentions have been made too obvious to be misleading. Almost the moment I stepped foot in this house, I chose you for my future life partner. But before I express my feelings, it may be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying, and why I came to Hertfordshire with the idea of looking for a wife precisely here. ––

Elizabeth almost burst out laughing as she imagined him expressing his feelings; and trying to control his laughter, she didn't take advantage of the brief pause she made to prevent him from going on. Collins continued:

-Behold the reasons that move me, know that I comply and honor in a particular way the advice and recommendation of my grandfather the honorable and great Oliver Collins, as well as I follow the advice of the most noble lady to whom I have the I have the honor of calling my patron Lady Catherine de Bourgh, furthermore I am convinced that this will contribute mightily to my happiness as well as to yours and that of our family. Dear beautiful Elizabeth, our union will greatly benefit your family, I will have the honor of caring for and loving her. Together we will unite our qualities and guarantee the future of our house. Allow me, in passing, to tell you, beautiful cousin, that I do not consider as the least of the advantages that I can offer you, knowing totally and deeply everything related to our house, our alliance will strengthen our descendants with honor, exalting our noble status. Being as I am the heir to Longbourn at the death of yours honorable father, who may he live for many years, I would not be satisfied if he did not choose a wife from among his daughters, in order to lessen as much as possible the loss they will suffer upon the occurrence of such a sad event which, as I've already told you, I hope it doesn't happen for many years. Fair cousin, I hope you will not lower me in your esteem. And now I have no choice but to express, with the most emphatic words, the strength of my affection. As far as your dowry is concerned, know that I am absolutely indifferent to it, and I will not ask your father for anything that I know I cannot fulfill; so you won't have to contribute more than the thousand pounds at four per cent that will come to you on your mother's death. But I will not be demanding, and you can be sure that no self-serving reproach will come from my lips as soon as we are married.-

It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him immediately. —You are going too fast,- cried Elizabeth.- Forget I haven't replied. Let me do it without further ado. I thank you for your attention and the honor that your proposal means, but I cannot help but reject it.-

He smiled ––My dear, the future is unpredictable and you as young ladies are nothing more than little flowers (he magically brought a flower that he turned in his hands) that if not protected will be easily crushed, the street my dear can be very cruel (He crush the flower and look at it). That is why under my hand nothing will be missing neither you nor your sisters, your aroma my dear flower will be appreciated, I will adore you do not fear dear (he replaced the flower and extended it towards her), and if it is the case as I know plenty – ( Collins replied with a serious gesture of his hand) –– That among young women it is very common to reject the propositions of the man whom, deep down, they think to accept, when he asks for their preference for the first time, and that the refusal is repeated a second time. or even a third time. That is why I am not at all discouraged by what you have just told me, and I hope to walk you down the aisle before long. Reminding him not to push his luck to the extreme...

Since she did not receive the flower he magically placed it in her hair…. Her eyes widening in astonishment after the veiled threat, Elizabeth exclaimed, — I don't know what hope you can have after my answer! I assure you that I am not one of those women, if such women exist, who are so reckless that they risk their happiness at the chance of being asked a second time. My refusal is very serious. It could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you happy.-

––Dear cousin…..–– he was about to say but she did not let him continue and insisted

––Please, Mr. Collins, all the praise you give me will be unnecessary. Let me judge for myself and grant me the honor of believing what I tell you. I wish him to be very happy and very rich, and in refusing his hand I do everything in my power to see that it is not otherwise. In making this proposition to me you must consider satisfaction wiht the delicacy of your feelings towards my family, and when the time comes you may take possession of the Longbourn estate without any qualm of conscience. Therefore, let us leave this matter definitively settled.- While he finished saying this, he moved away and was about to leave the room,

But Collins without hesitation said -The next time I have the honor to speak to you on this subject again, I hope to receive a more favorable reply than the one I received. has given me now; although I am far from believing that you are cruel to me, since I already know that it is the incorrigible custom of women to reject men the first time they declare themselves, and you may have told me all that just to make my request more consistent as it corresponds to the true delicacy of the feminine character

-Really, Mr. Collins,-exclaimed Elizabeth somewhat heatedly, creating a wind in the room -You confuse me too much. If you interpret everything I've said so far as encouragement, I don't know how to express my revulsion so that you are completely convinced–– at the end of speaking the breeze stopped

He smiled sarcastically––You must let me show off, my dear cousin, that your rejection has been only lip service. The reasons I have to believe it are the following: I do not believe that my hand does not deserve to be accepted by you or that the position that I offer you is not highly desirable. My situation in life, my training and ability as well as my relationship with you are important circumstances in my favor. Also consider that despite its many attractions, it is not certain that you will receive another marriage proposal. Your lack of fortune will, unfortunately, nullify the effects of your beauty and good qualities, you will not receive another proposal like mine, I assure you. So, since I cannot deduce from all this that she was sincere in rejecting me, I will choose to attribute it to her desire to enhance my love with suspense, in accordance with the customary practice of elegant women. –– He said as he approached dangerously, and Elizabeth's eyes were filled with anger

––Sir... ––she went to speak to him but this time he silenced her by placing his index finger on her lips, she tensed, while he looked at her devouring her while gently touching her lips with the pad of his finger, for a moment she felt how he emitted something that made her fear, this Collins did not make her laugh

–– Elizabeth is always charming! – he whispered

She felt like something magical wrapped her from the flower that he had placed in her hair and it was not pleasant, so she immediately pronounced in her mind a protective shield over herself, counteracting the effect of his spells

Without stopping his enveloping enchantment He said – I cannot doubt that my proposal will be accepted when it is sanctioned by the authority of your excellent parents, you will be my wife Elizabeth. ––

He separated a little when he saw that his spell lost its effect, Elizabeth did not answer and looked at him indignantly sending him a wave of icy air, he gave a half smile and saw her leave without saying a word, Elizabeth would have to turn to her father and waited that her rejection be formulated in such a way that it would be unappealable and whose attitude, at least, could not be confused with the affectation and coquetry of an elegant lady.

Collins was not left long to silently ponder the success of their love; for Mrs. Bennet, who had been standing in the hall waiting for the end of the conversation, as soon as she saw Elizabeth open the door and hurried up the stairs, came into the dining room and congratulated Collins, congratulating herself on the successful project. from the nearby union. After accepting and returning these congratulations with the same glee, Collins proceeded to explain the details of the interview, with the result of which he was satisfied, since his cousin's firm refusal could naturally only stem from her timid modesty and the delicacy of his character. But his news startled Mrs. Bennet. She, too, would have liked to believe that her daughter had only been trying to cheer Collins up by refusing his advances; but he did not dare to admit it, so he assured his support for the party.

-The important thing,- she said, -is that Lizzy comes to her senses. I will personally speak with her about this matter. She's a very stubborn girl and she doesn't know what's good for her, but I'll let her know.-