Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of your reviews. Several of you have expressed concerns about the dream theory and how that did not work with the scenes where Darcy was not present. I agree that is a problem. So, in this chapter, I added some bits where he refers to parts of his dream that he can no longer remember or are foggy. If I ever do go back and edit some of the earlier chapters, I will write that in. Your encouragement is greatly appreciated.

I have had to split chapter 9 into two chapters. It grew as they all have, and became too much for just one. So, chapter 10 will wrap up the reprisals. Then there will be a short epilogue.

The story is unbeta'd so all the errors are my own. I appreciate your reviews, but please be kind.

Chapter 9

October 9, 1812

Fitzwilliam descended the stairs at Darcy House and went directly to his study. Summoning the butler and housekeeper he glanced briefly through the correspondence on his desk. When the two senior staff members appeared, he said, "I will be at Gracechurch Street most of the day. If anyone from the Fitzwilliam family other than Colonel Fitzwilliam or Lady Agatha Fitzwilliam should appear on the doorstep, they are not to be allowed entry. Do not even open the door to them. Is that clear?" At a nod from the two servants, he continued. "More specifically, the Earl, Countess, and Viscount as well as any of my more distant aunts and uncles are to be turned away. Do not let them bully you. The Viscount has been known to come in through the servant's entrance, so make sure that a footman is stationed at each door."

Following their exit from his study, he called for his carriage. By the time he heard the equipage pull to the door, he and Mrs. Annseley were donning their outerwear to set out for the Gardiner's house.

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Due to the late night, breakfast at Gracehurch Street was a quieter affair than it had been the day before. Georgiana and her companion spoke softly at one end of the table. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth sat at the other end, while the other members of the household trickled in slowly. Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet were not in evidence.

Fitzwilliam noticed one of the groomsmen from the night before, pass through the foyer from Mr. Gardiner's study.

He and Elizabeth had been speaking of the events of the previous night and how closely they matched his dream. Elizabeth said quietly, "Fitzwilliam, I think that you have done the right thing in not disclosing your dream to my uncle or my father. My uncle is a very pragmatic man and will not believe you, and my father can be sardonic and scornful of anything that he would deem fanciful. Since my uncle has already begun his investigations, perhaps you could simply suggest areas where he might focus his resources. I do not think you should feel bad for not divulging all, for they will be very cynical of your story."

Fitzwilliam nodded in agreement, then tentatively asked, "Most parts of my dream were so vivid, while other parts are not as clear. Nevertheless, last evening began exactly as it did in my dream. The way the people were standing in clusters in the room as we came in, their appearance, what they said, and how they said it was all the same. Even your beauty was exactly as I remembered it. But thank God that it did not end in the same way. Be that as it may, I think we should reconsider our plans for our wedding. I feel this sense of dread as to what my family might try to do next." He gave her a pleading look, and asked, "Would it be possible to move up our wedding to next week? I am not saying that we need to make that decision immediately. But I am nervous about what the Fitzwilliams might attempt to halt or delay our nuptials."

She beamed at him in delight. "Yes, my darling. I could not bear to have anything come between us and am willing to become as tenacious as Caroline Bingley and do whatever it takes to become your wife."

He chuckled and raised her hand to his lips recognizing once again his good fortune to be in her presence and to be the recipient of her love.

After breakfast, Darcy entered Gardiner's study to find the two older men in conference with an unknown, nondescript man. Gardiner motioned him to join them but did not introduce him.

Continuing with their discussion, Gardiner said to the stranger, "My door will be open to you at any time, night or day. So, feel free to seek me out as needed."

He nodded his head. "Yes sir, I will be in touch."

When the door closed upon the man's exit, Gardiner turned to Darcy. "I did not introduce you to him in an effort to keep your name out of all of this. It could become a problem if too many people know of your connection to what I plan to do." Darcy looked a bit uneasy but nodded his head in agreement. Gardiner went on, "I have hired Mr. Harding to look into the Fitzwilliams and the Bramwells. He is very good at ferreting out all sorts of information."

Then Gardiner spoke with determination, "Let me apprise you of what we have learned so far. Harold and James, the groomsmen that I left at Matlock's last night, managed to uncover a few interesting bits of information. The servants below stairs at Matlock House were quite willing to share gossip about their employer. As we suspected, the evening had been planned as a way to throw Darcy into the arms of his old flame and break up the engagement. All of the Fitzwilliams and the Bramwells had been told what to do and say. It was very carefully staged. After we departed, Harold and James hung about until the end of the evening. Lisle saw Lady Huntingdon home in her carriage, accompanied her into her establishment, and has not been seen since. So, you were right, there is definitely a connection between those two. Why they wanted her to ensnare you, I do not know."

Fitzwilliam felt the horror of his nightmare all over again. The betrayal of his family coupled with his own failure to stay true to Elizabeth washed over him anew. Forcing himself to respond to Gardiner's report, he murmured, "It is all about money and power. I know for a fact that Matlock's finances are in a bad state, and everyone in the Ton is aware of Lisle's gambling and womanizing. It can be assumed that he owes several thousand pounds to various people around town. He has come to me for money on occasion. In addition, I suspect that you will find that Bramwell and Lady Huntingdon have not managed their fortunes as they should. If news of Lady Huntindon's and Lisle's dalliance were to become public knowledge, he would have to marry her. Yet, he needs a lady with a healthy dowry to dig the Fitzwilliams out of their money problems. Likewise, Lady Huntingdon needs a rich husband to help her recover her footing. I guess I would have been that rich fool. And should she be found to be pregnant with Lisle's child, I would have been the cuckolded fool." The despair of his nightmare came back with that thought, and he rubbed his eyes to dispel the negative feelings.

Forcing himself to concentrate on the subject at hand, he continued, "Furthermore, Matlock has been known to be self-serving in his parliamentary dealings. There could be a power play at work between the Earl and the Marquis. They both need to replenish their coffers. It would not be out of the realm of possibility that they have made a deal of some sort."

Gardiner narrowed his eyes as he digested Fitzwilliam's words. "Well, we can ensure that word of the scandalous behavior of the lady and your cousin is released directly." The older man handed him a sheet of paper. "This will be in the papers tonight."

Fitzwilliam's eyes widened as he read the paragraph before him, and he suddenly felt a bit dizzy. In his dream, he had seen the same type of gossip printed in the papers, except at that time, he had been the subject of the reports. He looked up at the two men in front of him, and before he could stop himself, blurted out, "It was you…"

Bennet, misinterpreting his outburst as disapproval, said, "Darcy, you must allow us to proceed. For if we can force them to wed, that will lessen the chance that they make another play on you, Elizabeth, or Miss Darcy. If we can get this out there quickly, it will put the Fitzwilliams in a more defensive posture. They will have to divert their attention to their own reputations, thus, leaving you and our ladies alone."

Glad that the two older gentlemen had not seemed to attach any importance to his unfiltered exclamation, Fitzwilliam nodded in agreement. "Normally, I detest the gossip that is spread in the society pages. However, to protect Elizabeth and Georgiana, I will go along with your plan." He once again looked intently at Gardiner and Bennet, unsure of how he felt about his newfound knowledge that they had been the ones to publish the scandal in his dream. Why could he not remember that part of it?

Gardiner said, "Would you and Elizabeth be amenable to moving up your wedding date? That would be another way to stave off whatever scheme they might come up with."

"Yes, Elizabeth and I spoke of that possibility at breakfast. Both of us agreed that it might be necessary. Nevertheless, I have not spoken with Bingley or Jane and know not how that would affect their plans."

Originally, they had all intended to return to Longbourn on Saturday with the double wedding scheduled for Wednesday, the twenty-first. Now they had to consider whether they should change their plans and return Monday. The wedding could then take place on the very next Wednesday, the fourteenth. Elizabeth, Jane, and Bingley joined them in the study, and it was decided that the wedding should indeed be moved up one week.

Bennet chortled, "Your mother will be at sixes and sevens. I will send an express informing her of the change and tell her that Darcy had business that required him to be back in London by the next week."

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After lunch, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam took the children for a walk in the nearby park with two nurses and two footmen in tow. He told her of the plans that had been made that morning to safeguard Georgiana as well as their nuptials.

"If this meets with your approval, I would like to return to London after the wedding before we go to Pemberley. I want to consult with your uncle to ensure that his plans are progressing well."

Elizabeth squeezed his arm and replied, "Yes, my love. That sounds perfect." She glanced over to where the children were playing, then said, "If you remember, Georgiana was to stay with the Matlocks for the first month of our marriage. However, that is no longer possible. So, to keep her safe, I think that it would be better if she was with us."

Fitzwilliam looked thoughtful before answering her. "Yes, that would probably be for the best. But she has said that she would like to give us privacy for our first month of marriage." He could not stop himself from grinning at her flushed cheeks, put hurriedly went on. "Therefore, I may have an alternative. There is a Fitzwilliam aunt that you have yet to meet. Lady Agatha Fitzwilliam is nothing like her siblings and I think she would be good for Georgiana." He told her about his aunt and her estrangement with the rest of the Fitzwilliams. "We can leave several of my larger footmen to protect her. I would like to take you and Georgiana to meet her tomorrow morning if that fits with your schedule." He then went on to tell her of his dream and how Aunt Agatha had helped Georgiana to thrive in the midst of the family chaos.

When they returned to the house, they discussed the arrangements with Georgiana. Her response was very positive. "Do you truly think that she will want me to stay with her? That would be so delightful, for I have always wanted to spend more time with her. She is such a kind and interesting person. I suppose that is part of the reason that the rest of the Fitzwilliams never have anything to do with her. Since the dinner Thursday night, I have found that they are anything but kind and probably cannot abide those who are." She said the last with a touch of impertinence that she had adopted since she had been spending so much time with her future sister.

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Later, Fitzwilliam joined Gardiner and Bennet in the study to receive a report from Mr. Harding. For Fitzwilliam, there were no surprises in what the man had discovered. But, the two older men were astounded at the complexity of the conspiracy that Matlock and Bramwell had launched against Fitzwilliam.

After Mr. Harding had left, Gardiner studied the list of Lisle's creditors. "I think that this is where I would like to start. I know this man listed here, and the Viscount owes him the largest amount. He is very tough on those who fail to pay, but he is consistently honest. We have a good working relationship, since he invested in my business ten years ago. I will send him a note and find out if he can meet with me."

Fitzwilliam recalled encountering the rough-looking man exiting Matlock's study in his dream. At the time he had assumed that the calling-in of that loan had been merely a coincidence. But now he knew different. Now he knew who had been responsible. He supposed that Gardiner's role was another part of his dream that he could not remember. He studied the man who was busily writing a note to the moneylender in question. Edward Gardiner, this mild-mannered, jovial, gentleman-like man, was so much more than he appeared. He was obviously a wily, well-connected man who could be ruthless when it was necessary.

Unable to keep from satisfying his curiosity, he asked, "Gardiner, are you not concerned that your actions could harm your business or family? The Ton is very unforgiving towards tradesmen that they view as not giving due deference to their betters."

Gardiner looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Worry not, for I am always careful. We in the trade class know how to stay ahead of these peers. Nevertheless, you are correct about the need for discretion. If the nobles suspected that one of my rank was conspiring against an earl, they would surely close ranks and ruin me. However, we tradesmen have learned to work together. Occasionally a member of the peerage refuses to pay their bill, and they bully the smaller merchants regularly." He gave Fitzwilliam a satisfied smirk. "But never fear, for we have developed very creative ways of extracting our pound of flesh."

October 10, 1812

Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth, and Georgiana were shown into the drawing room at Curzon Street to be warmly greeted by a middle-aged lady with a sweet, open smile. "Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, how delightful to see you. It has been far too long." Fitzwilliam gave her offered hand a kiss while Georgiana smiled shyly and curtsied. Then the vivacious lady turned to Elizabeth and said, "And please introduce this lady to me."

Fitzwilliam beamed at his aunt and gestured proudly toward Elizabeth. "Aunt Agatha, may I present my betrothed, Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire. Elizabeth, this is my aunt, Lady Agatha Fitzwilliam."

As Elizabeth curtsied, the elder lady looked Elizabeth over in a friendly manner. "My dear young lady, I am delighted to meet you. I am so happy that you will be joining our family." Then turning to her nephew again, she said, "I can tell just by looking into the liveliness of her eyes that she is perfect for you. She will tease you out of your reserve, dear boy."

Then motioning toward the chairs, she continued, "Sit and let me hear all of the details for the wedding while we wait for the tea to be brought in."

Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth told her what was planned for their nuptials and answered all of her questions. However, when they informed her of the plan to move up their wedding day, she interrupted, "I can only guess that it has something to do with the little dust-up at my bombastic, elder brother's house Thursday night. Yes, I heard all about that. Of course, I did receive an invitation, but only with the understanding that they would rather I not show up. Although, I was tempted to make an appearance anyway. You see, Miss Elizabeth, my siblings consider me a fool, and I, most heartedly, return the sentiment." She gave a conspiratorial wink to Elizabeth before saying with more seriousness, "Miss Elizabeth, I sincerely apologize for the abhorrent behavior of my family. I, for one, honestly welcome you to the family with no reservations."

The Matlock dinner was much discussed and decried. Then Fitzwilliam brought the conversation around to the main reason for their visit. "Aunt Agatha, in light of our break with the rest of the Fitzwilliams, we are faced with a quandary involving Georgiana. Originally, she and her companion were going to stay with them for a month after our wedding." Georgiana's embarrassed face conveyed to everyone just how miserable she was to be the topic of discussion. So, Fitzwilliam tried to give her a reassuring smile before going any further. "She has said that she wished to give us privacy during that time. So, I…"

Aunt Agatha interrupted with great excitement, "Oh, my dear niece, would you come and stay with me? It would delight me like nothing else to have you here. We could have such fun. We will attend concerts and lectures, go to art exhibits and so much more. Please, have mercy on your aunt and say that you will come."

Georgiana's face was lit with pleasure at the effusive invitation from her aunt and stammered her acceptance. They settled the dates and other details of the arrangements.

Aunt Agatha told them, "I shall attend the wedding if your Mr. Bingley could provide me with a bed for the night. Then after the wedding breakfast, Georgiana, her companion, and I will return to London in my carriage."

Fitzwilliam assured her that there was plenty of room since the Fitzwilliams would not be coming to the wedding. "I will have Bingley send you a note inviting you to stay."

Having dealt with those matters to everyone's satisfaction, she said to Elizabeth, "You mentioned your Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. Would that be Edward and Madeline Gardiner?"

Elizabeth looked pleasantly surprised, "Why, yes. My uncle is my mother's younger brother. I simply adore them both. They are such estimable people."

The older lady nodded her head in earnest agreement and said, "Yes, I think very highly of them also. Madeline and I serve on the boards of several local charities. And your uncle has advised me on some of my investments. Fitzwilliam, you are familiar with my estate in Staffordshire. Well, Mr. Gardiner is one of the associates of Brown and Associates. He has been instrumental in locating tenants for me when I have had a vacancy. What a savvy businessman he is."

Fitzwilliam looked at her blankly for a moment as another scene from his nightmare came back to him in sharp detail. His Uncle Matlock had been furious that Brown and Associates were poaching his tenants right out from under him. He bemusedly thought to himself, "So, Gardiner is indeed the fiend set on destroying Matlock."

Wrestling to bring himself back into the conversation, he found that it had already moved on to other topics. After a few more minutes, they made their farewells with plans to meet up again at Bingley's estate. While Elizabeth and Georgiana were distracted with donning their outerwear, Fitzwilliam apprised his aunt of the danger they suspected that the Fitzwilliams posed to Georgiana, as well as his intention to send along two of his largest footmen to serve as protection for the young lady. Aunt Agatha clucked her tongue in outrage at the audacity of her brother and assured him that she would see that no Fitzwilliam came within a mile of her niece.

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Upon arriving back at Gracechurch Street, the ladies alighted while Gardiner took their place in the carriage. Earlier, Fitzwilliam had volunteered to accompany Gardiner to the bank to deal with a business matter. So, they set off as soon as Elizabeth and Georgiana had entered the house.

Gardiner informed him, "I have an appointment with the senior partner at the bank. We have a very cordial relationship. He consults with me about various investments and business ventures."

Fitzwilliam gave the man a sideways look, wondering if his business with the bank official had anything to do with the Fitzwilliams. He remembered that in his dream Matlock and Lisle had been unable to secure loans with favorable terms leading to their near bankruptcy. Mayhap, that had not occurred by chance.

The articles that had run in the evening and morning papers appeared to be having an effect. For as they walked through the lobby of the bank, Fitzwilliam caught a few fragments of conversation concerning the Viscount and his merry widow. He grimaced at yet another memory of his dream when it had been he who was the subject of such gossip. He wondered if he would ever be able to dispel these feelings of guilt. On the other hand, perhaps the guilt would serve as a reminder to be on his guard and never commit the actions that had brought on such gossip.

When they arrived at the office of Mr. Trumball, Gardiner introduced Fitzwilliam. The venerable senior partner nodded respectfully at him and intoned, "Mr. Darcy, I was well acquainted with your late father. He was such a laudable gentleman. It is a great honor to meet his son."

Fitzwilliam responded, "I thank you for your kind words. I pray every day that I might live up to his legacy. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

After a few more pleasantries, the two older men withdrew into the inner office while Fitzwilliam found a comfortable chair in an out-of-the-way alcove in the outer room. He reflected on what the bank official had said about his father. Since awakening from his nightmare, he had in truth taken to praying that he would be the man that his father had taught him to be and that he would be the man worthy of Elizabeth's love.

A short while later and just as Gardiner was exiting Mr. Trumbull's office, Matlock and Lisle stepped into the outer office from the hallway. Gardiner acknowledged them with a nod, while they regarded him with disdain. He stepped aside to allow them to pass, but just before they began to move past him into the inner office, Lisle caught sight of Fitzwilliam.

He determinedly strode over to him and said, "Cousin, Father and I went to your house this morning on a very pressing matter and your butler had the nerve to deny us entry. You should have the man fired, for he was very disrespectful."

Fitzwilliam's face had turned to stone as he cast his eyes between his relatives' faces. Ignoring his cousin, he addressed his uncle, "I told you Thursday night that I would not be at home to you. You know I always mean what I say."

Matlock took on a conciliatory tone, "Darcy you have taken this misunderstanding and made too much of it. We are family, you cannot cast us off."

Lisle broke in, "I have found myself in a rather trying situation and I need you as my cousin to do what you can to help me."

The Earl spoke up with a touch of embarrassment, "Yes, one of Lisle's nasty money lenders is demanding immediate repayment of seven thousand pounds."

"A mere pittance." blustered Lisle. "We were coming to you to ask you to step up and help me out. I would rather not have to resort to taking out a bank loan when we have such an obliging family member."

Fitzwilliam stared his cousin down for several moments, then simply said, "No!" and headed out into the hallway.

Gardiner caught up with him and drew him into an empty room. "Let us wait a moment and see how things transpire for them with Mr. Trumbull. I think it will be interesting."

A half-hour later, they heard the Earl and Viscount stalking past them. "Terrible terms, it is outrageous. Mining rights to two of our estates, as well as the estate in Cornwall for collateral. Whoever heard of such a thing? I am an Earl, for heaven's sake."

Fitzwilliam leveled the man beside him with a knowing gaze. Gardiner laughed and said, "Rue the day, my boy. Rue the day."

He shook his head at the older man. As they walked toward the carriage, Fitzwilliam asked, "I see what you are doing with his finances, but what about the political aspects of this whole conspiracy? That is the catalyst for the whole mess."

Gardiner opened the door of the conveyance and followed Fitzwilliam into it. Once they had taken their seats and were underway, he answered him, "Two words: whisper campaign."

Fitzwilliam gave him a gimlet eye and queried, "A whisper campaign? How is that supposed to halt the passage of a bill in parliament?"

"It is easily done. The clerks of the peers are a veritable grapevine. One whisper to the right clerk, and it spreads like wildfire. The peers are a suspicious, distrustful lot. You give them a reason to doubt an ally, even one from their own party, and they will be very quick to distance themselves from said ally. For the peerage do not really like each other. Any excuse to betray one another is all that is needed. If Matlock's party thought he was conspiring with a peer from the rival party, then he would lose all of their support."

October 12, 1812

By Monday morning, news of the scandalous behavior of the Viscount and Lady Huntingdon had made the rounds and was spoken of in every drawing room and society event. But the inhabitants of Gracechurch Street had more pleasant and important things to contemplate. Bags had been loaded onto the carriages and soon a caravan of coaches made its way to Meryton.

All who were familiar with the Bennet household were not surprised at the level of excitement and chaos that ensued upon the return of the brides-to-be. With just two days until the wedding, Mrs. Bennet was at her most agitated. The lady's complaints ran long about the short notice she had received about the change in date.

On the night before the wedding, Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth were able to claim a quiet corner in the drawing room. He held her hand gently between his own. Deep in thought, he turned it over tracing the lines on her palm. Then with pain evident in his voice, he said softly, "I do not deserve you. For I am a very flawed man. I had such a vivid dream of failing you in the most horrible of ways. I bring this up now to give you one more chance to escape. To save yourself. You are my very heart and I only desire your happiness."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand and said quietly but with great vehemence. "Fitzwilliam, I have never considered you to be a man without fault. We all have faults. But neither have I thought that you were the type of man who could do the vile things that the man in your dream committed. That man in your dream was not the real you. Neither was the Elizabeth of your dream anything like me. If it had truly been me, I would have fought for you tooth and nail. I would not have allowed your relations to divide us and would have done whatever it took to save you. So, if that was not the true Elizabeth, then it most certainly was not the true Fitzwilliam. If that man had indeed been you, you would have done exactly what you did last week. You would have shaken off the cloying female, put your relatives in their place, and stayed by my side no matter what. That is who you are. If God sent you that dream as a warning, know this, we were meant to be together, and he simply meant to put you on your guard, to prepare you for the very dangerous situation that you were about to walk into. Yes, you are prideful. But it is a proper pride. Perhaps, your pride had caused you to become too complacent, and you needed this to show you how vulnerable you had become. Regardless, you are my heart. Without you, I am nothing. I will not give you up." She gave him a playful but stern glare, "So, stop trying to cry off. I simply will not have it."

The next day Fitzwilliam stood before God and man to speak his vows to Elizabeth. As he repeated the words from The Book of Common Prayer, his deep baritone voice rang with conviction. No one stepped forward to object to the wedding. The only Fitzwilliam in attendance was Lady Agatha Fitzwilliam who sat next to a delighted Georgiana. After signing the registry, they were all hurried off to the Wedding Breakfast.

Later, on the carriage ride back to London with his exhausted bride asleep next to him, Fitzwilliam tried to recall the forced wedding in his dream. However, it seemed to have been lost in a fog. The only thing that he remembered was feeling unhappy that he had failed Elizabeth so miserably, as well as the tired resignation that had settled on him as he sought to do his duty by Cassandra. Thank heaven that the wedding today had been in every way wonderful and memorable, and that in this reality, he was with his darling Elizabeth instead of the deceitful Lady Huntingdon.

The next several days after their wedding were as blissful as would be expected for a couple so in love. Fitzwilliam had never known that he could feel so happy. The war that the Fitzwilliams had launched raged around them, but they neither cared about what was occurring just outside their door nor thought to inquire.