A/N: Thank you for the well wishes. I got through Covid without much trouble.

Just something to consider about the last chapter: Darcy tried to pay Lizzy off, but, considering the double standards of the time, it's her reputation that would have been ruined if anyone found out what had happened. Darcy might not like to be the subject of gossip against his character but he wouldn't really be hurt by it.

FYI: The reason some reviews go up immediately and others don't is because guest reviews (anyone who is reviewing without logging in) go to moderation first.

Despite a letter Miss Bingley had written to Jane claiming otherwise, Elizabeth had been convinced that Mr. Bingley would soon conclude some business that had taken him to town and be back to renew his attentions to Jane. No one who had seen the two of them together could doubt the violence of his affection. And yet as the weeks went on she began to fear – not that Bingley was indifferent – but that his sisters would be successful in keeping him away. Could the united efforts of his two unfeeling sisters and his overpowering friend, assisted by the amusements of London, overcome the strength of his feelings? With these thoughts weighing on her mind, it was a great relief one morning as she was out walking to see Eleos flying in the distance.

She called out his name in greeting, not truly expecting him to hear her from such a distance, and was surprised and delighted when he changed course and landed nearby.

"Eleos you are back!"

He made a noise indicative of pleasure.

"I never should have doubted Mr. Bingley. He has returned after all."

A negative.

"He has not returned? You are here alone?"

A positive.

"It had not occurred to me you would come without him. But you must need to hunt."

A positive.

"So he let you come alone. Is it true then that he comes no more this winter?"

He made no reply.

"Oh, Eleos, I was so sure. I began to think I do not understand people at all. My good friend Charlotte Lucas has accepted an offer of marriage from Mr. Collins. I would never have believed it possible, that she would sacrifice every better feeling to worldly advantage. I can not believe he can deserve her or make her happy. And now Mr. Bingley of whom I was so sure… But I should not be going on like this, never mind. I am glad to see you."

She spoke with him a little longer, asking after Georgiana and wishing him good hunting before he flew off.

She then returned to the house wondering if she should mention the meeting to Jane or if the confirmation of what Jane already believed would only cause her more pain. Perhaps she would talk it over with Mr. Wickham. He would be glad to hear Georgiana was well. As much as it saddened him to think of Georgiana he was always interested to hear any news of her.

(0)

Darcy put down the paper he had been reading as his uncle walked into his club, took a seat across from him, and said, "Well, Kitty is fit to be tied."

Darcy's only reply was to raise an eyebrow and his uncle continued, "It seems you have deprived her of the honor of purchasing the Sire Right[i]."

"Lady Catherine has no use for it. I have already agreed to my cousin Anne's presence at the birth. She only wanted the Sire Right to keep it from being used. She wishes her daughter to be the only one present and I will not agree to less than three, it is not safe[ii]."

"Well, what do you want with it? You can invite whomever you wish[iii]."

"The heir of the sire's bonded is a Mr. Collins, the rector at Rosings, I did not consider him a suitable candidate and I would rather not take the chance on who might buy the right if Mr. Bennet sold to the highest bidder, I offered him enough to avoid all that." It was perfectly logical Darcy assured himself.

His Uncle nodded. "And have you decided who you will invite?"

"One place I have promised to Samuel Moore, my groom, the other is unspoken for."

"Your groom! Really, Darcy, I know your father always advocated for including the lower classes but that is taking things too far! What will he do if he bonds?"

"Live with his bonded at Pemberly and continue his work. He is a good man, diligent in his duties, calm in an emergency, and his experience with horses will serve him well."

The Earl shrugged his shoulders. "I think if he bonds you will regret it, but it is your estate. If you want to give hunting rights to your groom's bonded it is your affair."

"May I ask to what these questions pertain?"

"Yes. As you still have one place unaccounted for can I convince you to sell the sire right to me?"

"Who would you send?"

"Fredrick."

Fredrick, was the Earl's younger son, a Colonel[iv] in the Dragon Brigade[v]. Darcy was not surprised by the request. His uncle had often spoken with pride of the days when his father was alive and his sister, Lady Anne, still at home when the family could boast of having three griffin bonds including himself. When his eldest son had bonded he had not made a secret of saying, "Fredrick will be next, and then perhaps Maria or one of the Grandchildren" with more conviction than logic. But Darcy had no objection to his cousin. It would be helpful to Colonel Fitzwilliam's career to be bonded[vi] and Darcy had been considering him already. He said, "I would be glad to sell it to you for his sake. Shall we say five pounds?"[vii]

(0)

Bingley had been staying with Darcy since the two of them had returned to London. Before leaving Netherfield Darcy had discovered that Bingley's sisters shared his concerns regarding Miss Bennet. He had represented to Bingley the disadvantages of the match and had added his assurance that Miss Bennet did not return Bingley's feelings. Once Bingley was convinced of that, keeping him in town was easy.

They were having dinner one evening and Darcy had just dismissed the servants when Bingley said, "Eleos thinks you are wrong."

"About?"

"Miss Bennet. Eleos believes she cares for me."

"I see. But there is no reason he would have any particular insight into the Lady's feelings. It may be that your wishes are influencing him."

"If that were the case he would have thought so all along but it is only since yesterday when he met with her sister."

Darcy ignored the way his heart skipped a beat. He knew which sister Bingel must be referring to. "Her sister must be better acquainted with her feelings than I can be, but Eleos believes he understood her?"

"I know you do not believe she can communicate with them, but if there is any chance she cares for me I need to find out the truth. Despite the objections to her family."

"I take it you intend to return to Netherfield sooner rather than later." Miss Bennet's connections in trade would not be the degradation to Bingley that they would to himself but Bingley had been accepted in fashionable society and could easily make a better connection than Miss Bennet. If Darcy had a sister he might even have considered Bingley an appropriate match for her, once he purchased an estate. But, he had given Bingley his opinion and had no reason to press the matter further.

"I will be careful. I will not be in a hurry to believe myself the object of Miss Bennet's affections. I will not be so pointed in my attentions to her. I will take my time."

"I hope everything works out for your happiness. How soon will you leave?"

Bingley grinned. "First thing in the morning. Once I get there I will take my time."

It occurred to Darcy that things would soon be very different between himself and Bingley. They would see each other when they were both in town, they would invite each other for visits, but Bingley would be starting a new life with the woman he loved. His time and attention would naturally be more and more devoted to his family. Darcy would need to think of marriage soon himself. If his cousin Anne bonded with Georgiana's offspring he would fulfill his parents' wishes and do his duty to future generations by marrying her. If she did not, there was no reason to think her health would improve and he would not have her risk her life trying to give him an heir. He would not obtain Rosings Park at such a cost to his cousin. He was surprised Lady Catherine would consider the match unless she bonded. The thought of marrying his cousin left him feeling inexplicably tired but so did the thought of seeking another.

He was being foolish. Hertfordshire was not the only country that might produce a lady with a lively mind who could pay him the compliment of rational debate, according to her he need only stop offending everyone. No, he simply needed to find someone who wasn't so eager to take offense at the slightest thing, and while he was at it a lady who wasn't always running heedlessly into danger, and had an affinity to griffins… wait no, he meant who did not think she could communicate with another man's bonded and minded her own concerns, surely that was what he meant to think.

"Darcy?"

"Yes."

"I was just saying you are welcome at any time at Netherfield."

"Oh, yes, I thank you Bingley, but I do not think I will be coming soon, I have business here, things to attend to at Pemberley and then if all goes well, I will need to be at Rosings in the spring.

"Then it may be some time before we meet."

"Yes." Again he felt a sense of loss.

"A glass of port to wish me luck?"

"Of course."

(o)

It was a few weeks after Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield that Mr. Bennet folded a letter he had been reading, tucked it into his pocket, and said to his wife, "I hope the Milliner has some hats you like my dear, thanks to Daskalos, it seems, you are to have one hundred pounds for you and the girls to spend however you wish."

"One hundred pounds!" she exclaimed in delight, "that is the most we have ever gotten! And just when Mr. Bingley has returned. Jane, we must get you a new shawl before he comes to dinner."

"I do not need another shawl. I have hardly worn the one my Aunt Gardiner gave me."

"Oh, but Mr. Bingley has already seen you in that one. You must have another and a new hat as well."

"Indeed Jane," said Mr. Bennet, "You must not risk scaring Mr. Bingley off with an old shawl. For all we know he came back from London for the purpose of seeing you in a new one. We must not disappoint him."

He looked toward Lizzy, to catch her eye, as he said it but she seemed lost in thought. She was probably thinking that a new shawl or two was hardly worth giving up the Sire Right, but he knew she understood that he could not use it. Maybe he should let her in on the joke and tell her what Mr. Darcy had really paid, but that would deprive her of the greater surprise at a time when it would be most welcome and himself the enjoyment of thinking how his family would react when, upon his demise, they learned what he had saved. With the addition of what Mr. Darcy had paid him, he would be able to leave each of his daughters three thousand pounds plus add a thousand to his wife's fortune. An amount that would be far more welcome for its being unexpected than it would if it were anticipated. Additionally, it was easier to save money that his wife did not know he had. It was too easy to spend their entire income and it was only his love of independence that had kept them from exceeding it. No, he decided, he would keep his own council. Perhaps he could arrange things so that Lizzy would be the first to learn what he had done. It would be as if they were sharing one final joke.

i The right of the Sire's bonded to have someone present at the birth.

ii Having only one person present at the birth can give that person a much better chance of bonding but leaving only one choice could end up with the griffin not bonding at all. In such a case the griffin would not be considered tame and would most likely be put to death, if not at birth then in punishment for "poaching" or killing livestock later when it got older. Darcy could commit to letting the unbonded Griffin hunt at Pemberley but without being bonded Griffins do not understand human boundaries, so Georgiana would have to make sure her offspring only hunted on Darcy's land, and as it got older that would be difficult for her to enforce as her offspring would never understand or remember the rule on its own, nor would it understand the difference between domestic animals and game.

iii This is Darcy's right as Georgiana's bonded. It is likely he agreed not to have more than three in respect for his Mother's wishes regarding his union with his cousin.

iv Colonel Fitzwilliam. Anyone objecting to this choice for his first name can take comfort in the fact that this is the only time a family member who would use it will appear in this story. Despise me if you will but I will not name him Richard.

v At this time the Dragon Brigade was still a prestigious post even though it had been several years since a dragon had appeared in Britain. It wasn't until a decade or two later that the expression "The Dragon Brigade" came into use as an expression for a cushy job with nothing much to do. Half a century later The Dragon Brigade was disbanded and the resources allocated to other branches of the military. Many who use the expression today are not aware of the history.

vi Mostly because of the prestige but also because it would allow him to fly around and look for dragons.

vii Darcy would have paid considerably more than five pounds his asking so little is a sign that he doesn't care about the money. The purpose of selling the Sire Right at all, rather than just inviting Colonel Fitzwilliam himself, is that now if the griffin bonds with Colonel Fitzwilliam, it will be up to the Earl to provide adequate hunting grounds for his son's bonded, as Colonel Fitzwilliam doesn't have land of his own. Darcy is prepared to do this should his groom bond but is probably just as glad to have his uncle take on the responsibility in Colonel Fitzwilliam's case.

AN: Thank you again for reading and favoriting and especially for the encouraging reviews! I'm so glad people are enjoying this story.