Pride and Prejudice

AU not canon

Reminder: in this AU I have moved all estates within walking distances of each other

No Common Lady

Previously

"Mr. Bennet?" Mr. Barnaby pulled him to the opposite side of the room. "There is something you should know."

Talk with Mr. Barnaby/Lydia Awakens

Ch. 20

"Mrs. Fletcher's parents, I should say her father may have been of the working class; her mother was not." Mr. Barnaby then took Mr. Bennet out of the room. "Fortunately, for Anna, her parents were more concerned about her happiness then what society said. And allowed the two to marry without disowning her. When Aurelia grew up and married. They- meaning Aurelia's grandparents -had the foresight, when Mrs. Fletcher's husband turned into a rogue, to send for me and put her into their will - with certain stipulations. It helped they were friends with people you either know very well or have at least met."

"And that would be?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and Father Browning's relations. However, I was not visiting those men due to the Fletchers when you were at either place; it was totally unrelated business." Mr. Barnaby then continued to give Mr. Bennet the details of what Mrs. Fletcher's grandparents will said and also told him of Aurelia's own mother bringing some very expensive jewels -wedding presents she had been holding onto even with the mess with Ambrose Preston. "She too put stipulations onto the money but did not inform her daughter of what she had done and swore me to secrecy; I am not sure why -other than a great fear someone would take advantage of her only for the sake of her money- as Aurelia surely could have used at least some of it. Every now and then, even though I was not supposed to, I -outside my work- would slip her money without her knowing it was I. Like I just said, I do not understand why her grandparents- who had the foresight to make arrangements for her financial situation upon a remarriage did not have it for her present single situation. It boggles my mind." Again, he gave them to Thomas and wound down with saying. "I have only recently become aware of that particular scoundrel; I wish the Fletchers had not been such private people, I would have gone after him long before now."

"Who made you aware of him?"

"Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley." Mr. Barnaby grinned wide. "And the tales those two men told me is going to allow me to lock the Preston couple away for a very very long time. Your sons-in-law dug up so much information, not to mention Mr. Darcy convinced more than one family to come forward with their experiences, it will be impossible for the Ambrose and his wife to get off my hook." Carl then frowned a little and shook his head. "I heard rumblings at the party and wanted to assure you the only thing Mrs. Fletcher ever hid from anyone that might could be considered important is something she already revealed to you, which says a lot about what Aurelia Fletcher thinks of you."

"Her daughter?"

"Yes." Mr. Barnaby nodded. "She buried that one deep. I wanted to throttle her late husband's throat so badly over it." He turned to Mr. Bennet. "Mrs. Fletcher is not ever going to be the type to tell the whole world of her pain and hurt. The quieter she gets the more someone has hurt her. If she quits speaking to you; you will know you have messed up badly. I would watch your words with care. You have a precious lady there, but she needs a rock to lean on; someone who can help her properly heal."

"I will do all I am able." Mr. Bennet then shook the barrister hand and went back inside Lydia's room.

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Voices could be heard humming outside the room as Lydia opened up her eyes. She tried to sit up only cry out in pain. "Take it easy, Lydia." Elizabeth spoke as she stepped inside the room and the nurse attended her baby sister. "You took a horrible fall. You have a seriously broken leg and, clearly, muscle have been pulled in your back. However, the doctor says -with proper care and attention - things should heal just fine.

"Where is Aurelia? I saw her fall in the pond. I pulled her out, but there was a lot of blood. Is she alive?" Lydia was fighting not to panic, but was having difficulty and it showed by her breathing picking up.

"She is alive." Elizabeth hurried to her sister's bedside and sat down. "It is touch and go with her right now." Laying a hand on her sister's arm Mrs. Darcy spoke slowly. "She did speak your name. I think she is aware it was you who pulled her to safety. Therefore, do you not think, it is best you focus on listening to your nurse?"

"When do we get to go home?"

"Father, says he will send for you as soon as the doctor says it is safe to move you."

"And what of Mrs. Fletcher? Will she stay here, or can she be moved to Jane's? Is father still interested in marrying her? Will she be able to function as before?"

Elizabeth did not have to ask why the questions. Jane lived closer and Lydia was concerned about her friend. She did not have to wonder about the others. Lydia -even in her calmed down state of mind- seemed to be ask more than any of her other sisters. Therefore, she answered what she could.

"I am sure, when she is able, Mrs. Fletcher will be moved. Pemberly is really not to her liking. It is far too big." Elizabeth made a face and laughed, not one bit offended. "I am sure Jane would welcome her back, I have no idea on how her own fall has affected her and, yes, Father is still very much wanting Mrs. Fletcher as his wife. Now, is there any more questions?"

"Will I walk again?" Lydia had overheard a couple of servants talking outside the door and admitted as much: Elizabeth bit down her temper -she would talk to those two young maids later.

"We do not know." Elizabeth spoke again slowly. "However," She patted her sister's blanket. "You have a wonderful nurse who will be coming every day to father's house to take care of you. I happen to also know a talented doctor will be frequently checking on you. So, as long as you listen to them, I think there is a high chance you will walk again."

"What are you not telling me?" Lydia pressed for answers. "What is really going on with Mrs. Fletcher?"

"I do not know." Sighed Elizabeth. "She comes in and out of consciousness. Asks about you and asks for Father, but then slips back into sleep. I have a hard time getting Father to lay down and get some rest, but in between Jane and I we manage to convince him if he neglects himself and Longborne, he neglects Mrs. Fletcher and you." Again, Elizaeth let out a long sigh. "If you care about Mrs. Fletcher like you say you do, the best thing you can do for her is to listen to us."

"I will." Lydia set her own jaw hard, mimicking her father. "But I want to see Mrs. Fletcher. Can someone help me into a chair? Roll me into her room?" She looked at her nurse.

"When the doctor says it is not an issue." Nurse Anne put away her things.

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Aurelia's room was dimly lit when Lydia was rolled in by Mr. Darcy. Lydia bit her lip as she saw another nurse finish changing Aurelia's bandages. It was only after she stepped away was Lydia pushed up by the side of the bed where she could take a hold of her friend's hand.

"Hi, Aurelia. It is me, Lydia. I am doing better." She giggled. "If you call a busted leg and sore back fine. However, I am alive. That counts right? I am going to listen to Father, Elizabeth and Jane like you would want me to. However," Lydia started to choke up. "You need to pull through, I was supposed to have a new mother. Father is happy with you. He smiles with you like he never did with my own." She grew silent when footsteps she had heard her whole life walked up to the other side of the bed.

"Did I really not smile with your mother?" Mr. Bennet looked at Lydia and then down at Aurelia.

"Not like you do with Mrs. Fletcher." Lydia kept a hold of Aurelia's hand. "I understand, Father, honest I do. Mother was always nagging you. She never talked about things you liked or enjoyed. Always pressuring you into parties you had no interest in. Mrs. Fletcher is not one to do any of those things even if she does have laugh a lot and have a great sense of humor. Her ability to keep up with your conversations is far above my mother's or my own."

"You are not stupid, Lydia. I was wrong to ever make you feel that way."

"I have realized that by now." Lydia let go of Mrs. Fletcher's hand and leaned back in her chair. "I am tired. I think I need to go back to bed."

Mr. Bennet watched Lydia be taken away and then walked around to where Lydia's chair had been and pulled one up of his own. Sitting down he took a hold of Aurelia's hand himself. "I talked to a Mr. Carl Barnaby. There will be no problems in taking care of your medical bills." He paused and then continued speaking. "We are still making Lady Catherine pay for at least a year if for no other reason as to teach her a lesson on needing to speak up when she ought; we are letting Mr. Darcy deal with her audacity on getting back in behind his and Elizabeth's back in the first place." Thomas shook his head. "There were certain conditions to be met before any of your grandparents' money, or the money from your mother's jewels could be turned over to you, one of which was you remarrying, but even then, other criteria were to be met. And, I dare say, from the way it sounded, you knew nothing about your grandparents, or mother's, actions. Why they tied it to remarrying and left none of it to you single Mr. Barnaby, and I, do not know. That is, at the present time, beside the point. Nonetheless, I- unknowingly- met most those conditions for you simply by being willing to marry out of my class." He sighed again. "I do not know how the fall will have affected your thinking, or your physical abilities. Doctor Terry says he has seen odd things in his days when it comes to things involving the head." Thomas stroked the back of Aurelia's hand. "I do not know if you will even remember us." He let a tear drop off his check and onto the bed. "If you do not, I will love you from a far. I will not hold another in my arms. And I will not attempt to take your money, for I have talked to Mr. Barnaby about your situation; he seems to think he can get a bit of it for you even if we do not marry- considering this turn of events." Mr. Bennet stopped knowing what he wanted to say, but not how to say it without coming across wrong. Standing up he leaned over and whispered low. "Forgive me, my lady, if I do you wrong by showing you affection now." With that he kissed her on the forehead and paused before standing back up. He then set her hand upon the covers and walked out of the room.