Fitzwilliam Darcy

Netherfield, Hertfordshire

Mr. Darcy had been planning to spend the rest of his evening nursing a broken heart over Elizabeth's refusal to his proposal, however inelegantly worded or ill-timed it had been. Then he had planned to seek Bingley's blessing to ban Wickham from the Netherfield Park estate in its entirety.

Unfortunately his plans went awry from the moment he disembarked from his carriage at Netherfield's front entrance.

Mr. Hurst was there to greet him, face grave and drawn. Mr. Darcy alighted to the ground, concern growing in his chest as he walked towards the other man. He did not know Mr. Hurst all that well, and was surprised to see him outside.

"Mr. Darcy, your father wishes to speak with you immediately. He is in… quite the rage, if I might be frank with you, and the subject of his anger happens to be my brother. If he smashes another of the Netherfield artifacts I may be placed in the position to ask him to leave, and take the rest of his household with him," Mr. Hurst said, and Mr. Darcy felt his eyebrows hike upwards towards his hairline in surprise.

"My father? Is cross with Mr. Bingley? He has damaged Netherfield property?" It was such a surprise to him that he could not help the way the words wheezed out of his throat.

"Yes he is deep into his cups. If you could come quickly, it would be most appreciated. I have had Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst sequestered in their rooms lest his behavior startle and alarm them," Mr. Hurst said. As they entered the library, Darcy heard his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, speaking in a loud voice.

"Now Uncle, please, consider the ladies-"

"Damned relations of Bingley!" came the drunken response from the elder Mr. Darcy. When the two men came into view, Darcy was struck at how his father listed to one side, and had to hang onto a shelf to keep himself upright.

"I shall leave you to it," Mr. Hurst said in a tight voice from behind Mr. Darcy, and then he heard the library doors close. His cousin shot him a worried, exasperated look, and then turned back to his uncle.

"Uncle, please, the Bennet girl-"

"The Bennet girl was for my son, and that Bingley stole her, right from under his nose," elder Mr. Darcy said, scowling and swiping at the air in front of him with a hissing curse.

"Father," Darcy said as he entered the room, disappointed and in no small part mortified that his father and the patriarch of his family was behaving in such a manner. If he had one small thing to be grateful for, it would be that Georgiana was at home in the safety of Pemberley's walls, and not being exposed to their father's behavior. "Father, Miss Bennet was not the woman that I was interested in as wife-"

"She was meant to be your wife, Fitzwilliam," elder Mr. Darcy said with a lisping snarl, turning to his son with eyes that flashed, though whether that was from the drink or the anger, Darcy could not quite tell. "She was meant to be yours, and the Bingleys will not get away with this insult! Spiriting away the woman before you had the full opportunity to court her and offer for her?! It is not to be borne! I shall… I shall challenge him!" Elder Mr. Darcy wavered and went to lunge at his son, but Colonel Fitzwilliam shoved himself between them bodily.

"Uncle, please, take a moment and think upon who's halls you currently walk? You are here due to the hospitality and kindness of Mr. Bingley and his family. Jane Bennet is not-"

"I do not give a damn what she is not," elder Mr. Darcy snarled, and then cracked Col. Fitzwilliam across the face with one hand.

Shocked silence descended upon the room, and Darcy swallowed, waiting for his cousin to holler back, or lose his own carefully controlled temper. Instead, the other man stepped away, walked to the fire, and stared into it, a bright red hand-print on his cheek. When the senior Mr. Darcy breathed heavily and turned to his son, Darcy felt his whole body tense up.

"You will find that girl," his father said. "You will find that girl, you will challenge Bingley, and you will make that Bennet girl your wife, or by God I will throw you out of Pemberley and I will not recognize you as my son."

Darcy's blood ran cold at the serious tone in his father's face- into the spirits as he was, the old man meant his threat. But to hunt down Bingley and his bride-to-be as if they were dogs? His father had clearly taken leave of his senses… it was not what men of their status did, even if Darcy had been in love with Jane Bennet.

"Father, I have heard you now… and I must say, I cannot… I will not. I will not deny my friend his chance at happiness. I will not marry Jane Bennet. She is not the woman that I desire, and she is in love with the man I call so close as to almost be a brother to me," Darcy said, his throat tight, but fire burnt strong in his heart. He would do what was right by his friend, his best friend… and he would follow his own desires and offer for Elizabeth Bennet. He would be steadfast no matter what his father said, no matter what his father threatened-

"Oh you will not, will you then?" Elder Mr. Darcy swayed on his feet, and then took one step forward, and another. Darcy held his ground, lifting his chin up, when his father's next words took him by surprise. "Ruin the family name then? What shall you do, hmm, if not for your father, you will not do this even for me, then there is one you will do it for- if you do not get that girl back here and marry her, then Georgiana will be ruined, even if not by your actions, I shall put her out of house and home, out from the family and from the Darcy name."

Col. Fitzwilliam inhaled sharply, lifting his head to look at his uncle.

"That is madness. To punish Georgiana for what you regard as Darcy's lacking behavior. Do you honestly think that his actions are the ones bringing down ruination upon the Darcy household?" Colonel Fitzwilliam demanded.

"You will not speak to me, this does not concern you," the elder Darcy snarled, rounding on his nephew. A coldness had defended upon Darcy during the exchange between his father and his cousin. Georgiana, threatened? His father had truly fallen into madness. While his mind raced to find some sort of solution- surely his aunts and uncles would not abandon him or at least, not abandon Georgiana to the cruelties of the world with no protection, especially with Colonel Fitzwilliam vouching for them in the situation…

His father crossed the room and snatched a sheet of writing parchment of the secretary there, wetting a quill and inked a quick missive. In the quiet of the room, the scratching of the nib nearly echoed.

"You shall take this to Mr. Bennet," the elder Darcy said, as his trembling, knobbed fingers closed the letter and sealed it. Darcy stared at his father, incredulous until the man snarled,

"You will take it now!"

Darcy accepted the letter into his own hands and looked down at it, the wax still cooling on the parchment.

"I do not understand-" he started, but his father interrupted him.

"Mr. Bennet has failed, as a father, in controlling his daughter, and he shall pay for it unless the girl can be brought to heel. Take the letter, Fitzwilliam, or take yourself to Pemberley and remove your sister from it." The senior Darcy's voice was shaking, and he collapse into a chair by the fire, breathing hard. For a moment, Darcy was concerned with the old man's well being, but then he lifted his head, pointed one shaking finger, and shouted, "Go!"

Without another world, Darcy left the library, his mind awhirl with the best way to shelter his sister, protect his friend, and still have the love of his life… if she would even have him after having declined him.

I am so sorry my friends to have missed my upload day yesterday! I was traveling urgently and unable to get to my computer. I am home now, and anxiously watching what is happening in Florida. Prayers to everyone who has gotten out, and for everyone who has not been able to... may you be kept safe.

Nora