Updated to added the last two paragraphs Chapter 8

Sunday, December 8, 1811

It rained on Sunday, meaning that Elizabeth and Darcy barely had a moment to speak. He did manage to slip her his note unobserved by everyone but Richard, who was standing guard to ensure they would not be noticed. After squeezing her hand, they separated, she to her carriage and he to his.

"Who was the man with Mr. Darcy?" Lydia asked as soon as she entered the carriage. "He was not as handsome as Mr. Wickham, though, from his insignia, he appears to be a colonel in the Regulars. Is he the one who visited you yesterday, Papa?"

"What!" that man asked. "Were Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam in the service this morning? I did not see them and cannot imagine why he would be visiting here. None of you girls are to have anything to do with either of those men, do you understand me? I wish they would return to London permanently." He fixed his two youngest girls with a hard look before glaring at Elizabeth.

Kitty and Lydia nodded and chorused, "Yes, sir." Elizabeth stubbornly glared back. Mr. Bennet was the first to break the eye contact.

"Mr Wickham escaped from the gaol yesterday," Mrs Bennet exclaimed, oblivious to the undercurrents in the carriage and her husband's statement. "They say he had promised marriage to three different girls, all under 16, and already had acquired debts in nearly every shop in town. He had scarcely been in town a month and was already nearly 15 pounds in debt, far more than he would have made as a mere leftenant in the militia. I am glad he did not attempt to engage himself to one of my daughters as they say he only promised marriage as a way to obtain favours from the girls. He had not yet managed it, or so the girls claimed, but he was softening them to the idea. Girls, you must remember that not all members of the militia are good men, and if any promise marriage without first approaching your father, you are to refuse them. Eloping may sound like a good idea, but truly, any man who will not approach your father to ask properly is a rake and a cad, and you should avoid such unsavoury men."

All five of her daughters looked at the matron in shock. Elizabeth and Jane because they had never heard such wisdom come from their mother, Mary because of the mention of "favours" and "elopement"—such scandalous ideas—and Kitty and Lydia because it went so much against what their mother usually said. Since the militia had arrived, their Mama had only spoken of how wonderful it would be to be married to a man in uniform, but now she was advising them to be wary of the gentlemen.

"Surely Mr Wickham could not have been so terrible," Lydia attempted to defend her favourite.

"He was, Lyddie," her mother responded. "I have not told you the worst of it; what is not for a maiden's ears. Suffice it to say, he is a most undeserving man, and you should be cautious. Mr. Bennet, Colonel Forster paid a call on you yesterday, did he not? Did he tell you the news of Wickham's escape?"

"He did and suggested he may not have gone far. I suggest all my daughters take care when leaving the house until he is caught, though I doubt such a man would not have gone as far away from here as he could manage. Only a fool would remain nearby as he would be much more easily caught," Mr Bennet insisted, feeling slightly petulant that his wife had forced him to share what he had not intended. He had not counted on the gossip or that Colonel Forster might have warned more than just him.

"Why did you not say something yesterday?" Kitty asked.

"I did not see any point," he admitted. "I cannot fathom an escaped prisoner remaining nearby when people are looking for him. I admit I did not speak to this Mr Wickham but cannot imagine him being so unintelligent as to stick around."

"As many have said before, 'angry people are not always wise'," Elizabeth stated. "The leftenant was angered by his arrest and holds a grudge against Mr Darcy and me for his arrest. I have been warned to take particular care until he is caught, and it was suggested that my sisters may also be in danger."

"Why does he hold a grudge against you?" Lydia asked.

"He attempted to take a liberty from me that I was not inclined to give, and I recalled what Mr Lucas told me when we were children about to protect myself when a man sought to importune me. It was effective and occurred at nearly the same time Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived. They pulled him away from me and took him to the gaol, and apparently, he was overheard speaking of his desire for revenge. You must not speak of this outside of this carriage, as it could ruin not only my reputation but all of yours. That is why nothing has been said before now, as the gentlemen were able to keep it from being known."

"Papa, if Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy protected our sister from such an awful man, why have you not welcomed them into our home? Why have you not mentioned that Mr Wickham is seeking revenge on Lizzy? This seems like something we need to know, and I cannot imagine why you felt it unimportant." It was Kitty who asked the question, but all five ladies, other than Elizabeth, turned questioning eyes on the gentleman.

"As I said, I doubted the veracity of the claim. And as far as not welcoming Mr. Darcy into my home, I have my reasons and do not need to explain those to any of you. Since Colonel Fitzwilliam is his cousin, he is likewise unwelcome."

"Is he a rake, Papa?" Lydia asked.

"I believe he is," Mr Bennet replied.

At the same time, Elizabeth cried, "Of course not!"

The same five pairs of eyes that had been staring at Mr Bennet turned toward Elizabeth. Again, it was Kitty who asked the question they were all thinking. "I thought you did not like Mr Darcy, Lizzy."

"Well, the fact that he pulled Mr Wickham off me when he attempted to injure me did much to improve my opinion of him. Besides that, he managed to apologise for the slight at the assembly and if you did not notice, he danced with me at the Netherfield Ball. If nothing else, we have become friends, and he is truly one of the best of men."

Such a statement was bound to make Mrs Bennet change her mind about the gentleman and consider the possibility of making a match between the stern, taciturn man and her most stubborn daughter. "Surely, though, she is too poor for such a man. He is wealthy and would provide for well, but just because she admires him does not mean he admires her equally. Perhaps he also just considers her a friend, and as Mr. Bennet has forbidden him from entering the house…" The thought trailed off there as she tried to make sense of all she had heard.

"Ha!" Mr Bennet cried. "You believe that now because you do not know him. Your first impression will prove correct, and I do not want to hear another word spoken about Wickham, Darcy, or Fitzwilliam again."

As soon as the carriage arrived, Mr Bennet hopped down first and strode into the house. The ladies slowly followed; the footman performing the office typically fell to Mr. Bennet. None of them had spoken since Mr Bennet's outburst, and they could hear his study door slam from where they stood outside. Mrs. Bennet had exited the carriage second and began wailing for her salts immediately as she entered the house. The five girls stood huddled together outside.

"Lizzy," Mary said quietly, putting her hand on her sister's arm, "do we have cause to be worried?"

Elizabeth looked around at all her sisters. "Let us change into more comfortable attire and meet in my room to discuss matters. However, if you cannot or will not keep what I tell you in confidence"— she glared at Kitty and Lydia in turn —"then remain in your own rooms. What I have to say is not to be shared outside the five of us."

All four of her sisters nodded and scurried quietly to their rooms to change into comfortable morning gowns. As it was Sunday, they did not expect any company. Since both their parents retreated to their rooms, it was unlikely anyone would be expected to come down for the meal. Elizabeth and Jane spoke briefly to the housekeeper, asking for a large tray of tea and pastries to be delivered to Elizabeth's room.

After everyone was settled into a seat with refreshments, Elizabeth looked around the room at her sisters and realised that, for the first time in years, they all seemed to be in sympathy with each other. She looked around the room and thought about how much she would miss them once she married William. Thinking about him made her smile, and it was that smile that prompted Lydia to begin to tease.

"Lizzy Bennet, I never expected to see you grinning like a fool. No one smiles like that unless they are in love, and given what you said in the carriage, it certainly is not with Mr Wickham. Who is it?" Lydia demanded teasingly, the girl she was shining through for once rather than the flirt she had become.

Jane patted her sister's hand. "Quiet, Lydia, as nothing we say here can be overheard by our parents. I know who has inspired such sentiment, although I am surprised. Had you met Colonel Fitzwilliam before yesterday?"

Elizabeth laughed. "You guess wrong, Jane, and I must admit that I have kept matters a secret even from you. In part because everything has happened so quickly, though you may all be surprised to learn that Mr. Darcy has proposed to me, and I have accepted. However," she stopped as she raised a hand to quiet the exclamations her words had inspired, "however, Papa has refused his consent. You heard him in the carriage earlier; he does not believe Mr. Darcy has honourable intentions toward me. I know he is wrong, and I will marry Mr. Darcy with or without my father's permission."

Jane and Mary gasped in surprise while Kitty and Lydia giggled. "You will elope?" Lydia laughed.

"No, we will not elope. We will marry from a church in London, either from my aunt and uncle's church or Mr. Darcy's. We will have the banns called, or Mr Darcy will purchase a license, but either way, we will not elope. My father wants me to stay close so I can continue running Longbourn for him. Since I took over, I began setting funds aside each year to provide dowries for all of us. It is not significant, but it is still more than you presently have. The longer you wait to marry"—she looked pointedly at her youngest two sisters—"the larger your dowry will be. The other day, we discussed Mr Darcy's proposal and my father's refusal, and he asked me to give him those funds to enlarge his library. Fortunately, they are tied up, so he cannot easily access them. Several years ago, without realising what he was signing, he signed paperwork turning those funds over to our uncles' control. They are the only ones who can release the funds — our father cannot access them. I have already spoken to Uncle Phillips about it, and he wrote an express to Uncle Gardiner. I would not be surprised if he arrives on the morrow."

"What will they do?" Kitty asked.

Elizabeth sighed. "I do not know what they can do or will do. It is my hope they will take the steps our father will not take to protect us all. Mr. Darcy has hired some men who will arrive later today to guard the house and us should we leave it since our father will not."

"Is Mr. Wickham truly a threat to us?" Lydia asked.

"He was not happy at being arrested for his attempt to assault me, and I know Mr Darcy holds a significant amount of his debt. There are a lot of bad feelings between the two, and Mr Wickham has treated Mr Darcy infamously. Mr. Wickham is not a gentleman," Elizabeth replied. "Besides, you heard the stories about him in town."

"But he hadn't done anything horrible," Lydia protested.

"Yet," Elizabeth stated rather baldly. "Lydia, if nothing else, he is an escaped prisoner, a deserter. If he is found, he will be punished, and his punishment will be far worse because of his escape."

Lydia seemed to ponder this for a moment. Then she asked another question she had been wondering. "Lizzy, how could the rest of us be ruined if word of Mr. Wickham's attack you became known?"

"Because women are often blamed for what men do. If a woman is assaulted, it is assumed by society that she is somehow at fault and not only is her reputation called into question, her sisters and the rest of her family are called into question. If it were known, it is possible I would be ruined and all of you along with me. We might all be considered unmarriageable in such an instance. It is unfair, but that is society's way," Elizabeth explained.

"Fordyce has much to say on feminine modesty, but it seems unfair that a woman is punished and blamed when she had no control over the circumstances," Mary said seriously.

The sisters continued to talk over the matters and discussed how to protect each other as long as Wickham was on the loose. If their uncles did come the next day as expected, they would also consult with them about what could be done. Lydia suggested they all travel to Pemberley with their aunt and uncle for company. This suggestion led to quite a bit of merriment, and the girls spent the rest of the day in a similar fashion, something they had not done in several years.

Darcy arrived back at Netherfield after the service and joined Bingley in the dining room. "Good afternoon," he offered in greeting to his friend.

"Darcy, help me understand something," Bingley began, looking petulantly at his friend. "How is it that we returned so I could further my relationship with Miss Bennet, yet you are the one who is engaged? You and Miss Elizabeth argued more often than not before we left for London, and you were determined to stay away. How have you managed this?"

Grinning, Darcy sat down at the table after making his food selections and pouring a cup of coffee. "Elizabeth and I have met the last two mornings atop Oakham Mount. My bride's tendency to walk in the mornings has made it easier for us to meet and speak privately. That, and the incident with Wickham, enabled us to come to an understanding. Honestly, I thought we would need to court for some time before I convinced her to accept me, but well … our conversations helped clear up our misunderstandings from my earlier visit."

"But I thought she did not even like you before," Bingley whined.

"Be that as it may, we have cleared up any wrong impressions and now understand one another. I apologised for my rudeness at the first assembly, allowing her to see matters differently."

"Should I ask Miss Bennet to marry me?"

Darcy sat back and let out a breath. "Bingley, I cannot answer that question for you. Since you are the one who has spent time with Miss Bennet, you will need to determine for yourself what Miss Bennet feels for you. Before we left for the ball, you believed she cared for you and were ready to offer for her. I know your sister argued that she did not care for you, and to my great regret, I did as well. However, I now know I should have never said anything as I am not qualified to advise anyone in this area. Seriously, man, what do the two of you speak about when you are together?"

"This and that. We talk about the weather, her sisters, my sisters, the neighbours …"

"Do you never speak of any deeper topics?"

"Like what?"

"Things that matter, Bingley! If you want to marry the woman, do you know if she wants to remain at Netherfield permanently? Does she want children? What does she imagine for your future? Does she prefer to live in the country or in town? Does she want the same things out of life as you? What interests do you share? Does she like to ride, to read, to knit? What do you know about her?" Darcy fired off his questions as he stared at his confused friend. Despite the fact that Elizabeth had not always loved him, in fact, she had not even liked him for much of their acquaintance, they had discussed quite a few topics and knew they shared many ideas and beliefs in common.

Bingley just sat and blinked at his friend as he listened to him list all the topics he and Elizabeth must have covered. "You have spoken to Miss Elizabeth about all of that?"

Darcy blushed a little. "No, not about all of those, though we have discussed our common interests and things that matter most to us. Of course, our courtship had been made more difficult due to her father's stubborn refusal to see reason, though that has only forced us to look at matters differently. Nonetheless, we know we are well suited to each other and will do well together."

"How do you know?"

Darcy thought for a moment. "I simply know, Bingley. We share many of the same values and ideals, and while our social status may not be the same, I believe Elizabeth will greatly benefit me more than I will be to her. Her ease of manner will temper my unease in society. You know I am not at my best in social situations—I am just as likely to offend as I am anything else—-but Elizabeth can speak to everyone effortlessly and naturally. My knowledge of the world may benefit her, but truly, Bingley, it is I who will need to prove myself to be worthy of her. She is by far the superior creature."

Bingley stared at his friend, having never heard him speak in such a way. "Never in my life would I have expected to hear you speak thus."

"Bingley, since I came of age, I have been responsible for hundreds of people under my care. Not only that, but countless women of the ton have pursued me and have been encouraged to think well of myself. Elizabeth has encouraged me to think of matters differently, and I admire her for it. I love her, Bingley, and without her, I do not feel complete. I need her. Think about that before you decide what to do about Miss Bennet."

When Darcy finished, Bingley sat silently for a few minutes, thinking about his friend's words. Eventually, he nodded in agreement and both men continued eating without speaking. After some time, they finished their meal and left for the billiard room to play a few games.

Later, Colonel Fitzwilliam joined them and they discussed their plans for the next few days, including a tentative departure for Derbyshire. They didn't bring up the topic of marriage again, but Bingley remained deep in thought for the rest of the evening.