As Bingley and Darcy walked away from Longbourn, Darcy's gaze lingered on Elizabeth bit longer . She felt the warmth in her cheeks as she quickly darted towards the house entrance.

Dwelling upon it in his thoughts, Darcy contemplated Bingley and Miss Bennet. He wondered what had transpired between them. As they set off on horseback, he glanced back at Bingley, who still appeared downcast and troubled.

Darcy could not help but feel a sense of frustration at Bingley's melancholic state. He feared that his friend's infatuation for Miss Bennet could lead to another Lady Eleanor-type predicament. Yet, something seemed amiss.

As they rode along the country lanes, Darcy noticed that Bingley seemed lost in thought. He was quiet and withdrawn, his demeanor uncharacteristically subdued. Darcy decided to break the silence and question his friend.

Darcy asked, 'What has troubled you, Bingley? Is there something amiss with Miss Bennet?' His tone was gentle but firm.

Bingley sighed deeply before replying, "I fear that I have made a grave mistake, Darcy. I thought that Miss Bennet felt the same way about me, but now I am not so sure."

Darcy looked at his friend quizzically. "What has changed?" he asked.

Bingley shifted uncomfortably in his saddle.

"Nothing that Miss Bennet did wrong," he said, "it's just that she was talking about her distant cousin Mr. Collins upcoming visit—he's apparently the heir of her father's estate."

Darcy continued to look confused. "But why is that upsetting you?"

Bingley released a forlorn sigh. "It seems that this cousin of hers is hoping to find a wife among his cousins... and Miss Bennet appeared quite eager for his visit. I had never observed such excitement in her voice; she usually appeared as calm as an angel."

Upon hearing the news, Darcy couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had hoped that Bingley's feelings for Miss Bennet would be fleeting, yet now it seemed that this time he was more invested than any of his previous infatuations. Darcy saw the pain etched on his friend's face and almost felt sorry for him, even though he could not help but also feel relief; he always thought Miss Bennet would not be a good match for Bingley and suspected her of only being interested in his wealth, as initially she had eyed both of them, but Darcy was just as disinterested in her silly smiles as he was in Miss Bingley's flattery.

Nonetheless, he thought that Miss Bennet was clever enough to focus her attention solely on his friend Bingley, who appeared to reciprocate her advances.

He wished that Miss Bingley was as astute as to direct her insincere words of praise and admiration to someone who could actually appreciate them.

Darcy pondered what could have possibly changed for Miss Bennet to suddenly show so much enthusiasm for the impending arrival of another potential suitor. Assuming that she had been trying to snare Bingley, he figured that Mr. Collins, even if he inherited Bennet's estate, couldn't be wealthier than Bingley since he knew Longbourn had an income of only two thousand pounds and it hadn't even passed down to him yet. He wondered why Miss Bennet would do such a thing – was she trying to make Bingley jealous?

Darcy shook his head, feeling confused yet again. Women were indeed a mystery to him.

"Undoubtedly, " he thought to himself," there is a meanness in all the arts that ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

He decided to leave the matter for now and focus on his own pursuit of Elizabeth. He was determined to win her hand, and he suspected that spending more time with her would only deepen his feelings for her.

As they continued on their ride, Darcy couldn't help but be curious about Mr. Collins. He had heard of him before but couldn't quite recall where. What kind of man would be so eager to marry his own cousins?

As they arrived back at Netherfield , Darcy bid Bingley goodnight and retreated to his chambers. He couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with anxiety. He wondered what the future held for him and Elizabeth.

In his London townhouse, Lord Alexander Fitzwilliam contemplated the black parasol in his hands. It seemed that Miss Bennet had a habit of leaving it behind. He put it on a nearby table and returned to playing the pianoforte. It soothed him after he'd finished with his duties for the day.

A letter from his brother had caught his attention, and he wondered why Richard wanted news of Greycastle's steward.

At least Mr. Jenkins sent all correspondence to him unopened; last time he tried to open one, Alec had sternly warned him.

As he caressed the keys of the pianoforte, his eyes were closed and he remembered a pair of stormy black eyes that seemed to penetrate his very soul. He sought to capture the tune Miss Bennet had been playing that day; however, he could not fill it with the same intensity she had. Was it cold anger she drew from the depths of Hades, or was it annoyance? He didn't know, but that tune had mesmerized him so much that he followed her like a madman, risking them both in terms of life and reputation.

"Lunatic?" That's what she'd called him.

Flashback:

When Miss Bennet stepped out of the carriage, Alec attempted to help her down, but she declined. Luckily, there were no witnesses around to see his blunder. Alec bowed his head in apology, but he was met with a cold stare from Miss Bennet.

He wasn't sure how to sort out the situation, so he said, "Miss Bennet, I understand that I have done something wrong and may have damaged your reputation. I give you my word as a gentleman that I will make it right. I will speak with your guardians and..." Suddenly, Mary cut him off before he could finish by making a hand gesture.

She looked him right in the eye before speaking. "My Lord, loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; one false step involves her in endless ruin; her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful. " Her voice trailed off before resuming again. "But I am a kind of woman who knows how to safeguard her own reputation. I have been in the shadows all my life, so it is not difficult for me to slip away unnoticed for a few hours. You are safe."

Alec gazed at her in disbelief. "You don't want me to propose to you?" he asked, unable to believe she would let him go, even after having the perfect opportunity to scream for a compromise.

Her response was simply "No."

Alec sighed in relief, but his curiosity still compelled him to ask, "But why?"

To which she replied plainly, "Because it wasn't solely your fault, and my morals won't allow me to take advantage of the foolishness of naive creatures."

Alec cocked his head, bewildered. "Naive?"

"Lunatics are simply a naive being who can't quite differentiate between right and wrong, I believe they deserve forgiveness for everything." She curtsied and walked away.

Alec stared at the girl's back until she vanished into the shadows. He blinked and thought about what she had said.

Alec laughed to himself as his memories came flooding back, until his footman informed him that a rough-looking individual had been waiting outside and requested an audience with him.