Elizabeth Bennet

Longbourn, Hertfordshire

Elizabeth normally was the first person to wake in the mornings, and preferred the quiet of Longbourn's halls. After a fitful night of sleep, however, she awoke to an absolute ruckus in the downstairs living areas of the house. She had barely time to dress, a wide-eyed maid helping her into a gown and quickly pinning her hair up, and then she descended into the chaos that had erupted in the Bennet home.

"Aunt Gardiner," Elizabeth exclaimed, surprised to see the woman there, alongside of her parents. There was a shadow off to her left, and for a moment she didn't realize who it was-

Mr. Darcy stood in the morning room, next to her father who held a missive in his hands, the seal dragging one edge of the paper downwards. The expressions on the faces of Mr. Darcy and the rest of her family boded none to well for a peaceful morning of walking and book-reading in the fields. Her heart dropped into her stomach, not at the sight of Mr. Darcy in particular, because she felt an odd, delighted little flutter in her belly at his appearance. That she should feel such a curious thing shook her, as had she not denied the very man just the afternoon prior?

"My dear," Aunt Gardiner stood to greet her niece, giving her a quick embrace, despite Mr. Darcy's presence in the room. "My dear it is so good to see you, although perhaps I would wish it to be under better circumstances." Aunt Gardiner shot a look at Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, her lips pressed into a thin line. Elizabeth followed her glance and then chanced another look at Mr. Darcy himself. He looked so… solemn, which was not altogether unusual for him, but his eyes were dark and his mouth drawn. He looked as if he was the bearer of bad news, and a sense of foreboding in her gut chased the delicate flutter of pleasure that had sounded out earlier when she'd first seen him.

"I don't understand-" Elizabeth began but Mr. Bennet made a low noise in his throat, silencing her.

"We have received word from Mr. Darcy," he said, and from the way the Mr. Darcy in the room nodded his head and then glanced away, Elizabeth took it to mean they had received word from the elder, the other, Mr. Darcy. "We have received word… that he is quite prepared, at this point, to take action against the family for the slight that Jane has caused against him, and the cut against his son for her choosing another man."

Elizabeth felt her lips part in surprise, and she turned to stare at Mr. Darcy as he stood there. She thought, for a moment, that he had engineered this, which altogether puzzled her given his own proposal for her hand just the day before. Was it because of her refusal? Was he now interested in pursuing Jane? He had never expressed much interest in Jane beyond the polite acquaintance they had built. He had certainly not seemed to pursue Jane, and instead in Lizzy's mind, had encouraged a relationship between Jane and Bingley somewhat. Not to mention that morning when he had fairly strong-armed Mr. Collins out of the house so the girls could be left in peace…

"Surely he would not be so… cruel, as to do such a thing?" Lizzy asked, looking between the members of her family. She was grateful that the younger girls had not yet descended upon the morning room. "Mr. Darcy?" she asked as she turned to the one person there she was not related to, the one she was most likely to get proper answers from. Mrs. Bennet gave a muffled sob, and then turned to cry into her husband's chest as he held her.

"I assure you, he is quite serious in his threats," Mr. Darcy said, and Elizabeth noted that his eyelashes fluttered as he glanced at the floor in expression of… was he ashamed?

"It cannot be possible," Lizzy muttered and then shook her head. "But then… they have gone, they have surely married by now, if not, they will do so in the next few days-"

"Gretna Green is not so close," Aunt Gardiner said, "and while it is an unusual set of circumstances, it would seem that the elder Mr. Darcy is quite set in his intentions for our Jane to marry his son."

Mr. Darcy shifted on his feet, and discomfort radiated out from him that was palpable.

"We have decided, in light of this… letter, to send your Aunt Gardiner with Mr. Darcy to retrieve Jane," Mr. Bennet said. A flash of cold, and then hot anger coursed through Elizabeth's body."

"What?" she asked, rounding on her father, her eyes wide. "No, Papa, no! She is in love with Mr. Bingley!"

"Elizabeth," Mr. Bennet growled out, but Mr. Darcy cleared his throat, staving off an outburst from father at daughter. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, and while his discomfort was clear, he spoke with an even voice.

"I must do as my father bade me, and go to seek out Miss Bennet and offer for her," he said, making Lizzy's anger pop and fizzle in her belly.

"And you think she will accept your offer?" Elizabeth demanded, stepping up into the sphere of his presence, her chin lifted. "You would think that she would accept it when she loves another?"

"Lizzy, hush your tongue, girl," Mrs. Bennet hissed out, leaving the comfort of her husband's embrace to grab Elizabeth's wrist so she could tug her back.

"No, I will not. Not now, not when Jane has found her happiness, and we, her family, should be embracing it. Who is elder Mr. Darcy to tell us who she should love, and be loved by in return? To send his son out, chasing Jane down and bringing her back as if she were some sort of thief, or criminal? No. I will not hush my tongue, Mama. It is wrong, and you should be railing against it instead of capitulating," Elizabeth finished her speech, her chest tight.

"Perhaps if we were to go and simply speak to her, see if she will consider-" Aunt Gardiner paused and nodded to Mr. Darcy where he stood, his spine stiff, his expression carefully blank.

Elizabeth stared between all of her relatives, and her resolve wavered.

"I will go, and Mrs. Gardiner, if you would accompany me, should Miss Bennet wish to return to Longbourn as Miss Bennet, and not as Mrs. Darcy," Mr. Darcy said in a quiet voice, resignation in every line of his body. Elizabeth felt conflicted, and confused, at Mr. Darcy's behavior. It was at once as if he did not want to pursue Jane, that he knew of the very wrongness of the whole situation, but he was not in the mind to cross his father.

"Yes I think that should suit nicely, for her aunt to be there while she makes this decision," Aunt Gardiner said, although from her troubled expression she didn't think the situation was nice at all. "It is lucky I was on my way here for a visit when this whole incident transpired."

"Then it's settled," Mr. Bennet said with a decisive nod of his head, and Elizabeth felt as if the situation had slipped from between her fingers.

"My trunks are already packed for this visit, so it will be no great trouble to have them transferred onto the Darcy carriage," Mrs. Gardiner said, and Mr. Darcy gave a distracted, quiet, assent, his eyes resting on Elizabeth. She felt caught in his gaze, alarmed at the acute pain she saw in his expression.

She opened her mouth, as an idea struck her so suddenly that it nearly made her catch her breath,

"I will go too," she blurted out. Mr. Darcy's eye floated shut for a moment and then opened again, and he looked away from her, at Mr. Bennet, before the older man could protest.

"I would appreciate that, greatly, Miss Elizabeth, for I think that regardless of the outcome of this mission, Miss Bennet would be pleased to see her beloved sister," Mr. Darcy said quickly, silencing Mrs. Bennet as she moved to speak.

Elizabeth looked at her Aunt, who had a raised eyebrow, but had a… pleased expression on her face.

"That would work nicely with me. Lizzy can assist me in the evenings and mornings as I am not quite so spry as I used to be, and I do not think we will take a servant with us if we intend to travel lightly and quickly," Aunt Gardiner said, then moved towards the door. "Come, Lizzy, I shall help you pack for the trip."

Mrs. Bennet made another choked sound, and Mr. Bennet simply squeezed her arm, hushing her.

"I will wait for you here," Mr. Darcy said in a quiet voice again, his eyes on Elizabeth and no-one else.

"It might be some time," Elizabeth answered, "although I will endeavor to be quick about it."

"Please, take your time," Mr. Darcy said. "It will be good to sit, and speak with your father. Mr. Bennet? Shall we go to your library? I had wondered at the management of your field rotations, and thought I might query you on how you guide your tenants in the best practices to that regard."

Elizabeth let out a breath she had not realized she'd been holding as her Aunt guided her away, and into the hall. As they climbed the stairs, her Aunt murmured something so quietly that Elizabeth was not certain she had even heard it.

"Do not worry, Lizzy, we will not go to ruin Jane's happiness, but to coax it along. Your parents are facing down a great fear at the moment, and cannot see what truly matters. I am with you, Lizzy, each step of the way."

Dear friends,

I am traveling this week (again) so I am uploading this early. Sending you all my love and thanks for the kind reviews. Darcy Senior is quite the horrible man!

-Nora

New chapters uploaded on Tuesdays, but you may find it in its entirety on Amazon now by searching for 'Nora Kipling - A Required Engagement'.