Darcy planned to travel light. One night in London should be enough, and he did not need to travel in the carriage. He had not ridden his own mount this morning, so his horse should easily get him to London with only couple of stops to rest. He did not need the idle time in a carriage to arrange his thoughts. He needed to act as soon as possible.

Giving instructions to his valet to wait for his return, he picked up his gloves and made his way downstairs. In the hall, he found Elizabeth watching him. He paused to bid her farewell. He bowed over her hand and longed to kiss it. She pulled it away before he could consider acting on his desire. Instead, he watched her lovely eyes, slightly swollen from having cried. He hated that he was the reason for her tears and strengthened his resolve.

"If my mother were truly as mercenary as you believe, Jane would have been ordered to fawn over you and smile at you, rather than at Mr. Bingley. My mother did not imagine Jane's or Mr. Bingley's feelings when she hoped they would marry. She hoped Jane would fall in love, and Jane did, as did Bingley. It was written in every expression they shared. Jane is reserved and always has been. She feels deeply behind her mask of serenity and composure. Someone as reserved as yourself ought to understand."

Mr. Darcy nodded. "You have given me much to think over."

Confused that he would heed her words without argument, Elizabeth looked down and noticed his apparel. "You are going out?"

"I have a," He paused without finishing his sentence, wishing to explain his plan, but he held back. If he failed, then he would not be able to endure having raised her hopes. With a slight stutter, he explained, "Urgent business calls me to London." He paused again, hoping she would say something, but she did not. With a deep breath, he finished, "I will return on the morrow."

Elizabeth curtseyed and wished him a safe journey.

Unable to think of a reason to prolong his time with her, he walked past her and down the stairs.

Near the gate, he paused to look back at Rosings and found Elizabeth watching him from a window. He tipped his hat and was pleased to see her wave to him, even if she did not smile. With a small prayer for success, he continued on his way.

Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy until he was out of sight. She could not say why she had needed to see him go. She doubted many would listen to her arguments with such finesse. Mr. Collins never heard any criticism of himself, nor did any of the Lucas boys. Yet here was a man who had not only listened to her but had heard what she was telling him. He was not ignoring her as an ignorant female. It intrigued her. He intrigued her. She regretted Mr. Darcy's departure as she turned to the parlor and decided it was time for her to entertain her hosts.

Half an hour later, she played the pianoforte in the music room while Miss de Bourgh slept. As she finished her song, Elizabeth was startled by clapping in the doorway. With the colonel's approach, Elizabeth shuffled her music to avoid her nervousness.

"I see you have regained your equilibrium," the colonel began as he took the seat beside her. "I am sorry to have raised your ire. I thought..." With a sigh, the colonel finished with, "It does not matter what I thought."

"Colonel Fitzwilliam," Elizabeth interrupted him to put him at ease. "You have done nothing wrong, although I suppose you should not have shared a story told to you in confidence." Feeling her anger resurface, she huffed and changed the subject. "Let us not discuss the matter further. What shall I play next? I have no doubt I shall have to perform one of these evenings and I should at least attempt to improve my performance."

The colonel wished to praise her playing as not needing practice, but he quickly saw that was a pathetic line. Instead, he shuffled through the music to find his favorite piece. She played the song through twice before he suggested they move to the library and play chess. "Mrs. Collins is already there, reading with Miss Lucas."

Elizabeth shifted uneasily. "We should not abandon Miss de Bourgh."

The colonel chuckled quietly. "Mrs. Jenkinson will come sit with her before she wakes. You provide no benefit to her at the moment." He looked over to his cousin. "She is frail, however, most of her exhaustion is an act to keep her mother at bay." Turning back to Elizabeth, "A nap will improve her spirits. An early riser, she is usually alone in her room for some time before moving downstairs, therefore she tires easily after tea. We talk more openly when we ride with her in the phaeton in the mornings. She speaks often of how much she likes your conversation. Your energy is infectious, she says." He offered her his arm and she accepted.

Elizabeth whispered as they moved past Miss de Bourgh, "I cannot imagine I have spoken to her more than three times, and never with my usual ease and affability. Her mother is always ready to comment on anything I say."

"Not always, never always. You may not be aware, but my cousin has watched and listened to you most faithfully as you speak with others. Even tempered by the presence of my aunt, she has said there have been quite a few times she has had to fake a cough to hide a laugh." He closed the door behind them and requested a maid send for Mrs. Jenkinson before escorting Elizabeth to the library.

"I shall endeavor to speak to her more often, then. Thank you for telling me." She took her seat in front of the white pieces and played her first move. Fifteen minutes later, she claimed a victory and moved to sit with Charlotte and Maria. The colonel also claimed a chair near them and listened to Charlotte and Elizabeth take turns reading. It was the first time he realized how enjoyable such a pastime could be, and he began to envy his cousin for having met his match.

The evening was almost a quiet affair. Lady Catherine was put out by the absence of Mr. Darcy so she did not encourage conversation. However, Mr. Collins ensured there was no loss to the level of noise at the table. Elizabeth wondered if Lydia and Kitty's arguments over ribbons could compare to Mr. Collins' table etiquette. The bread was perfectly fresh. The soup was invigorating. The duck cooked to perfection. The napkins just the right shade of blue and without a single wrinkle. Mr. Collins spoke without end unless Lady Catherine interjected her thoughts which was rare.

After dinner, Elizabeth offered to play and enjoyed the chance to drown out her cousin's conversation. The colonel turned the pages for Elizabeth until she declared herself too tired. Lady Catherine seemed to be tired as well, for she announced her intent to retire at Miss de Bourgh's first yawn.

Elizabeth was not upset to be left to her thoughts in her room. All day, she could barely stop thinking of Mr. Darcy. Most of the time, she hated him for what he had done to Jane. Other times, she wondered if she would have behaved the same as Mr. Darcy if Bingley and Jane's roles had been reversed. Charlotte's warning itched at her, as she remembered her suggestion that Jane should show her affection more to help Bingley on. Perhaps Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy were not as horrible as she currently believed but had been truly blind to Jane's affections. It seemed impossible that Bingley had not seen Jane's affections, but she could easily see how Mr. Darcy had not seen it.

After an hour of thought, she had to light a candle and write a letter to Jane. She wrote a few lines about the parsonage fire and their stay at Rosings before she had to set her pen down to think. Should she tell Jane of Mr. Darcy's interference? No, surely that would not be necessary. She had no wish to make Jane aware of what must give her pain, nor did she wish to give Jane a reason to dislike someone so wholly unrelated to her. Besides, there was nothing to gain by opening an old wound. She finished with a cheery description of the daffodils that flourished on the west side of Mr. Collins' garden, despite the rubble from the fire all around them.

The following morning, Elizabeth sought out Miss de Bourgh and sat with her for an hour before Miss de Bourgh insisted she needed to rest before her maid would come wake her. "If the maid sees my flushed cheeks, she will think me ill, and the doctor will bring his vilest tonics on my mother's orders. He insists that I take them three times a day, and I will not be coherent for at least a fortnight."

Elizabeth hoped that Miss de Bourgh exaggerated, but knowing Lady Catherine, assumed the doctor was likely as ridiculous as Mr. Collins. "Very well, my friend. However, I must warn you not to think of me wearing trousers while you rest, lest you keep laughing in your sleep."

At this pronouncement, Miss de Bourgh erupted in a new fit of giggles. "I cannot believe you stole your father's trousers at sixteen and attempted to pass yourself off as a carriage boy." Her laughter turned to a cough, and Elizabeth brought her a cup of water.

"Rest easy. I shall come tomorrow, have no fear. It is time for me to take my morning constitutional." Elizabeth left Miss de Bourgh's chambers, delighted to have given her hostess such a pleasant morning.

Outside, she found the colonel taking a tour of the park and joined him. They walked while Elizabeth recounted her conversation with Miss de Bourgh. The colonel smiled. "She could use a good friend. I hope even after you return home, you continue to write to her."

With a devilish smirk, Elizabeth declared, "Of course. It is one thing for Miss de Bourgh to have such a mother, but when she marries Mr. Darcy, all conversation will be at an end."

The colonel stopped short. "You cannot think my cousins will marry. It is talked of incessantly by Mr. Collins and my aunt, but it shall come to nothing. They both agreed years ago they would not suit together."

"I assumed as much." Elizabeth admitted a little sheepishly, smoothing out her skirts. She could not decide if she were relieved at the news or not. "Though I wonder why they do not put a stop to the gossip. It cannot be pleasant to listen to year after year."

The colonel took her arm and continued walking. "For the first three or four years after my uncle, the former Mr. Darcy, passed away, they did deny the allegations and suggestions. It exhausted them both. Believe me when I say that it is easier to listen to the prattle year after year than to attempt to convince the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh that she does not know what is best for others."

Elizabeth laughed lightly at the thought. "I suppose then Mr. Darcy will have to find his own bride. With his exacting standards, it is no wonder he is eight and twenty and unmarried."

"Every man should have exacting standards when selecting a bride, as should every woman when deciding if she should accept a proposal."

"That is not Mrs. Collins' advice. She says it is better to know as little as possible about your marriage partner so that you have something to discover after the marriage." Elizabeth shook her head as she thought of the life her friend had chosen. "I do not envy her."

"Nor I, however, Mr. Collins was very fortunate to have found such a sensible person to marry. The advantages are all on his side."

"She has a companion and a situation many would envy. She has told me not to think she is unhappy with her choice. Indeed, she is one of the few with sufficient internal resources to do so well as she has in a marriage to such a f-," She quickly shifted her words, "such a person."

The colonel changed the subject as they passed the blooming lilac bushes. "My cousin need not have the same consideration. Many women have demonstrated how eager they are to become Mrs. Darcy. To marry a handsome man with a fortune and no family to intervene in the running of the house is the dream of many ladies of society."

Elizabeth shuddered. "But at the cost of being married to such a taciturn man! He is so pensive, and his countenance so foreboding, I cannot imagine evenings married to such a man to be any better than to sit with Mr. Collins. With Mr. Collins, there is at least some conversation, as simple as it is. Mr. Darcy and I once spent an entire half-hour in the library without saying a word to each other."

The colonel stopped again to observe Elizabeth. He had not thought her truly against a match with his cousin. He had assumed Mr. Darcy's attachment would have grown with Elizabeth's attachment. It appeared that his cousin had fallen in love without any encouragement. Had he been as obtuse as Mr. Darcy in reading the feelings of others? Unsure how to continue, he stared and stammered for a few moments before Elizabeth changed the subject. "How long shall you be in Kent?"

"Darcy wishes to stay long enough to…," he stopped before he stated that his cousin planned to remain until he was engaged to be married. Thinking quickly, he finished, "to see that the repairs for the parsonage are truly on their way."

Elizabeth scrunched her eyebrows in thought. She took a few steps so that they could continue on their way. "Is your regiment able to spare you for so long?"

The colonel readily agreed. "The majors have their orders to prepare to go to war in a year. Their training is well on the way, and my presence is not needed. As we get closer to our departure, there will be more of a need for my presence and guidance. I am at Darcy's disposal until then."

"You are very close, then."

"I wish he were my brother. We have always been close. My elder brother, the Viscount, has preferred social functions more than our company. While I can be comfortable in a ball room, it is not a preferred pastime, and my cousin absolutely abhors it."

Elizabeth laughed, "Yes, I have heard how he detests dancing. A pity really, for I have it on very good authority that he is an exceptional dancer."

"Oh! I know you met with him frequently in Hertfordshire, but he has told me little. How does my cousin behave amongst strangers?"

Elizabeth laughed as the memories of his coldness flashed through her mind. "No, I shall not give away our history unless he is here to share his side. I would not be such a gossip, even for his brotherly cousin. All I shall offer is this: he would do well to marry and be done with social niceties with strangers."

"That is his intent, I believe." The colonel said, looking eagerly at Elizabeth. "He has hinted that he has found a woman he admires enough to marry. Well, perhaps I inferred it based on his actions."

"Oh, how can he be unaware of whom he admires?" Elizabeth thought the statement odd.

"He is certain of his affections, believe me. It is only…," once again he paused. "I shall take a leaf out of your book and defer this conversation until he is here to give his side of the story, as you say. I will only add this, his wife would be very lucky. My cousin is very open and easy going in his behavior with his more intimate acquaintances."

"I cannot imagine him being either open or easy going." She laughed lightly. "Miss Bingley and the other ladies whom you say vie for his attention are welcome to him with all my heart."

"Oh, no. Darcy will ensure that no one of Miss Bingley's persuasion will ever trap him into marriage. Of that, I am absolutely certain. He has thwarted their designs for years." He laughed as he remembered being needed to follow his cousin as he retired at the end of a ball only to find two or three debutantes in the hall arguing about which one of them would compromise the fastidious Mr. Darcy.

"So, it will be only you and Miss Darcy to give him company until he decides to marry this paragon you say he has chosen."

"He does not want for company, though he has always preferred Miss Darcy's company and mine."

"I have heard much of Miss Darcy." Elizabeth latched on to the new conversation, and the colonel obliged her and listed Georgiana's many attributes.

"With such talent and beauty as you describe, it is a wonder she is not eaten up with pride." Elizabeth remembered Mr. Wickham's description of Miss Darcy, and she wondered if the colonel would confirm her statement.

"And yet, she is more like you in that respect. Beautiful and unaware of her beauty. Talented, but preferring not to show off unless it is necessary."

Elizabeth laughed. "Jane is the beauty in my family. I am aware that I am merely tolerable."

Once again the colonel stopped to stare at Elizabeth. "Your sister must be quite a beauty then, but how can you doubt your looks so completely?"

With another laugh, Elizabeth explained that she had heard this description of herself from the colonel's cousin. "We had not even met yet, and he spoke so clearly, there cannot be any mistaking his views." She coughed and lowered her voice to say, "She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me." Laughing, she returned to her normal voice. "While he was speaking to Mr. Bingley, he clearly did not mind that half the room heard him."

The colonel swore under his breath. "When was this, if I may ask?"

Confused, Elizabeth asked if the date would matter.

"It might. You met him after Michaelmas, when my cousin was recovering from a disappointment of a," He paused wishing he could confide more, before he finished with, "a personal nature. He is not at ease or comfortable with strangers at the best of times, but if Mr. Bingley forced him into company when he was not ready to be polite, he could have said some very dreadful things, which based on your narrative, he seems to have done."

"I imagine his friend had forced him to attend the public assembly, but I know your cousin is honest to a fault. He would not have said such a thing if he had not meant it." She sighed, knowing the colonel would be required to offer praise at this juncture. "I do not say such things to ask for a compliment." In an attempt to begin again, she asked more of Miss Darcy. "Mr. Darcy must enjoy having the choice of telling her where she will be and when he will spend time with her."

The colonel wondered how Elizabeth could have so misunderstood Mr. Darcy. "If he does enjoy deciding her plans, he must also share that honor with me, for we are co-guardians. My uncle knew his son would be overwhelmed and sought to ease his burden by adding me to her care."

Elizabeth asked how Miss Darcy fared having two such older men guiding her.

"She adores her brother and tolerates me." He flinched as he remembered the how that word had been used minutes ago. He would need to have a long talk with his cousin later. "She is very timid. She suffered over the summer a disappointing loss and her trust of others shattered. She has barely spoken to anyone who is not family or servant since. I wish she had someone like you to guide her."

"So, she has not been an ideal young woman? Miss Bingley would be disappointed to learn the paragon she had proclaimed Miss Darcy to be does not truly exist."

"You must know I speak in confidence with you. My cousin and I are agreed that Miss Bingley is not good role model for Miss Darcy to emulate. Nor would we wish her to know Miss Darcy's history."

Elizabeth laughed, "And yet Miss Bingley claims to be such good friends with Miss Darcy."

"Of course, she does. As the daughter of a tradesman, it is a feather in Miss Bingley's cap to be connected to the Darcys of Pemberley. If I had a sister, she would attempt to claim a connection to her as well. As I do not have such a sister, Darcy is as high as she can attempt to reach."

"She seems to think she is his equal."

The colonel snorted. "She was always blind to her faults, as is my aunt."

Elizabeth knew not how to appropriately respond, so she remained silent. It was not her place to speak ill of her hostess, especially as she had never been formally invited to Rosings. Instead, she looked around to see that they had traveled much farther than she normally walked on her own and suggested they turn around.

He agreed, and they turned amicably. The colonel asked after the Bingleys, learning more about his cousin's behavior in Hertfordshire without asking after him directly. He hoped that with more information, he would better be able to encourage Elizabeth to see the good in Mr. Darcy. He was careful not to reveal much, afraid he might speak wrongly again. They parted ways in the foyer with a promise to play chess again after tea.

AN: Thanks for reading!