** COPYRIGHT PROTECTED **

I am going to try and upload another chapter or two before Christmas!

I am so happy this is being enjoyed as I had such fun writing this and again rediscovering it to post on here for you.

As always - please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! xx

Chapter 7

Elizabeth didn't sleep a wink that night. After she had managed to survive her mother's effusive praises of how she 'knew that her Lizzy could not be so clever for nothing!' Talking of all the nice things she would have and so on and so forth. Elizabeth felt that she deserved a medal, in truth they all did for bearing Mrs Bennet's enthusiasm over such an awful turn of events.

They had retired for bed just before midnight and had prepared to face Jane's interrogation, but to her surprise her sister was not asleep and did not interrogate her. Jane did the thing which she had needed most. She had held her and told her everything would be alright as she sobbed into her embrace, until Jane had eventually fallen asleep. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was not so lucky, she lay abed next to her sister listening to her even breathing and the occasional snore, as she watched the walls grow lighter and a new day gradually dawned.

Unable to be alone with her thoughts and having always been an earlier riser than her mother and sister, Elizabeth quickly dressed and made her way downstairs of her Aunt and Uncles home in the less fashionable Gracechurch Street. She had intended to sit in the drawing room and read until the rest of the house awoke but startled when she entered the room to find her Aunt Gardiner, sitting by the window watching the street come alive.

"Aunt, I did not think anybody else would be awake, particularly after having such a late night!" she said, managing the smallest of smiles.

"I had thought the same." she said, levelling her with a knowing look.

"I am sorry if I have upset you enough that you could not sleep." said Elizabeth warily. Would her Aunt Gardiner scold her over last night's events?

"There is no need for that Lizzy, you are not the reason for my rising early this morning." said her Aunt reassuringly. Elizabeth just nodded gently, coming to sit beside her on the window seat.

"Elizabeth, I wish to tell you something, but you must keep it a secret." seeing Elizabeth's worried reaction, she hastened to add. "It is nothing bad dearest. Quite the opposite actually. Your Uncle and I are expecting another child!" she gushed, grinning from ear to ear, her hand coming to rest gently on her stomach, which she could see now had already started to swell, but not noticeably so.

"Congratulations!" she said genuinely happy. Elizabeth and her Aunt Gardiner had always been close friends and confidents, and she knew that since their first child, her Aunt and Uncle had wanted more children but had been having difficulty conceiving.

"You know better than most of the struggle we have had this time around and we have decided to keep it a secret from all until it is too obvious to hide," she said, her happiness aglow upon her skin.

"Of course! I hope you did not feel you had to tell me although, I am glad you did. I was in desperate need of some good news!" she said, enveloping her Aunt in warm hug.

"I thought you might be. I am only up this morning due to my morning sickness! It is amazing how quickly you forget these things once your child is born, but then I suppose God made it so otherwise, a woman would not wish to have more than one child, if any!"

"It cannot be so bad!" she giggled.

"No and it is quite lovely, your Uncle is a very attentive husband and is very generous in his care of me when I am need of him. I cannot complain." she smiled dreamily.

They sat in companionable silence for a little while as the street outside became busier and households awakened ready to face a new day.

"How are you feeling Lizzy?" her Aunt asked quietly.

Elizabeth smiled weakly, "I am fine Aunt, I promise."

"Do not lie to me dearest. It is just you and me. Do not be afraid to speak your mind. I shall never judge you and in truth I should be worried about you if you were truly fine." she raised her brows and gave Elizabeth an assessing look.

"Well, no I am not fine." she admitted. "I am to be married to a man whose character I do not know. I keep playing everything that happened over and over. Everything should have been fine; we had just settled things satisfactorily between us. But then Mama burst into the room and began relentlessly demanding that we marry." Elizabeth frowned at her hands worrying at the skirt of her dress. "I do not understand why that made such a difference and why Papa would not fight harder for me. He does not usually have such difficulty standing up to Mama and silencing her hysterics…"

Mrs Gardiner placed her hands over Elizabeth to stop her fidgeting and calm her a little. "Dearest I spoke with your Uncle last night as I had thought the same thing. He said that your father had realised the moment he had said you would not need to marry, that he did not know enough ofMr Darcy's character or that of Miss Eloise's to ensure that they do not spread unsavoury gossip about if the staff or somebody had let something slip? Sadly, we live in a world where a man will simply be deemed a rake. It would do little to besmirch his reputation; a woman, however, would be tarnished forever, as would her family."

"But I know they would not have said anything!" she insisted.

"You cannot be certain; you have already admitted that you do not know much of Mr Darcy's character. I am afraid dearest that even if they did not say anything, a member of staff could. And once the scandal is out there it cannot be taken back. Society gossips would latch onto anything associated with a 'Darcy' and you would become infamous!"

Elizabeth's bottom lip trembled a little as she whispered, "It is not fair."

"Life rarely is for a woman, but it could be worse dearest, you would have to be blind not to see how handsomeMr Darcyis!" her Aunt teased.

"Aunt!"

"It is true, even with that scar – in fact I would say that without the scar he might not be quite so handsome!" They both started to giggle together until they were short of breath.

"I am scared Aunt. He can be so cold and aloof, and he barely speaks. I fear that we are not well matched at all, we shall end up making each other miserable." she said quietly.

"I am sure he is not so cold as he seems, Lizzy. Most men have a face they present to society and entirely different face with their family."

"How can you know that?"

Her Aunt shrugged, "I cannot imagine a cold and unfeeling young man can raise his siblings to be charming and amiable individuals. And if that were not enough to convince you, there was not one moment where either Hugo, Eloise nor Georgiana appeared frightened by him and to that point neither did the staff and that speaks volumes." she said assuredly and chuckling at Elizabeth's puzzled expression, before continuing, "As you know I grew up in the village of Lambton, which is not far from theDarcy's grand estate; Pemberly. I met the late Mr and Mrs Darcyonce or twice in my youth. I had never seen a more beautiful or couple as in love as them. I even metyour Mr Darcyon one occasion, and I can recall how he and his father were very close, laughing and teasing one another, whilst my mother andMrs Darcyconversed." her Aunt paused, gathering her thoughts carefully before continuing."When Mrs Darcydied, it shocked all the neighbouring villages surrounding Pemberly, she was very well liked, if not loved by all who knew her. She was generous and kind and we all mourned her and though we do not know exactly what happened, we do knowyour Mr Darcy,was present in the accident that killed his mother. He could not have been more than ten years old at the time, it must be how he got the scar above his eye. It was a rarity to see his father after her death and after seeing Mr Darcythis evening with his family and their interactions, one can onlyassume he took up the responsibility for his siblings long before his father passed. They do not just look to him as their older brother and he does not treat them as such." she finished, watching her niece's reaction.

Elizabeth sat quietly thinking over all her Aunt had said. She searched her memories spent with Mr Darcy and his family and it was true, she had not seen him utter a harsh or cruel word, but then she had only been in his company for a matter of hours. His siblings had all been at ease to tease and laugh at him, and he had taken it all in good humour. She then felt a great pain and despair for the poor young man who had had such an immense responsibility upon his shoulders from such a young age... But then it could equally mean he was a cold and unfeeling man, because he resented the hand he had been dealt in life, which in turn could make a person cruel in nature… She guessed only time would tell. Hopefully her Aunt was right in her measure of his character.

"Aunt, I -" Elizabeth's question was cut short as her Uncle Gardiner entered the room.

"Ah, good morning to you both," he said, bending to kiss his wife's forehead in greeting.

"Good morning," both ladies said in unison.

"I am glad to find you both up so early.I have just received a letter from Mr Darcyrequesting to call upon you early this afternoon at two o'clock." he sighed, seeing Elizabeth's complexion pale at the mention of her betrothed's name. "I must apologise Lizzy, for distressing you, but considering the events of last night; I have already sent my reply agreeing to the request. It would be best for all involved if you were to be seen in each other's company as much as possible in the lead up to the wedding to be sure to avoid any scandal."

Mrs Gardiner noticing her young niece's distress put her arm about her shoulders, "Lizzy, trust me, you should not upset yourself over seeing him. By the end of this day you will know him better and feel more positive about this whole situation! Please promise me you will try?" she asked her niece.

Unable to manage response, Elizabeth simply offered another weak smile, before she rose leaving them some privacy before the rest of the house awoke.

Promptly at two o'clock that afternoonMr Darcy, Eloise and Hugowere announced. The twins were impeccably dressed in the latest fashions with warm smiles upon their faces,Mr Darcy however, was dressed in his usual equally expensive but simple fine cut of his coat and the fit of his buckskin breaches accentuated a hard and lean muscular physique beneath. He was most undoubtably handsome in a mysterious sort of way, that one could simply not ignore. Like gazing upon a fallen angel.

His rich hair was windswept, with his face carrying its usual frown. The woodsy smell of him mixed with the faintest hint of leather invaded her senses as her gaze fell on his lips, causing a blush to stain her cheeks. She felt the heat of her embarrassment at the memory of their kiss engulfed and pulsed through veins. She forced her gaze quickly up to his, it took a second to know that he had caught her perusal of his person and knew exactly what she had been thinking to cause her to blush. He showed no signs of embarrassment, just a look of knowing intensified his gaze.Drat the man!

After the social etiquette was adhered to and everyone had bowed and curtsied and exchanged bland pleasantries about the weather and the compliments regarding the appointment of the furniture about the room, tea was ordered, and everyone took their seats.

Mr Darcyclaimed the seat nearest to Elizabeth, but instead of speaking as a gentleman should do in order to put her at ease, he simply stared at her. After what felt like an age of trying to actively participate and listen to Ella and Hugo happily conversing with her family (although Elizabeth did not fail to notice the worried looks, they threw atMr Darcyevery now and then), she turned suddenly levellingMr Darcy with her fiercest would not allow him to intimidate her. They stayed this way for a minute, maybe more, in a sort of staring contest, neither blinking. Elizabeth, impatient as ever, was the first to grow bored with this game and spoke into the tension, breaking the spell that had been woven about them and excluding everyone else in the room.

"Well?" she asked, with a small shrug, "Are you just going to keep gawking at me,Mr Darcy?"

His lips quirked a little at her quick temper, "What would you have me say Miss Bennet? I am your servant."

"Is that so? Well, Mr Darcy, if you were to ask my opinion, I would say that I think it is a bad omen that we have not even been engaged a day and we have already run out of topics to discuss." she said irritably.

"Am I correct in assuming you have a great many opinions, Miss Bennet?"Mr Darcyasked teasingly.

She simply arched a brow her lips pressing into a thin line.

"What a charming quirk to your personality, Miss Bennet. We are already learning much about each other." he drawled, relaxing back in his chair a little, watching the irritation flare once more in her eyes. Elizabeth looked beautiful this morning, dressed in a pale pink dress that was very becoming on her, in particular whenever she blushed prettily as she was now. He noted the faint dark circles under her eyes, which told him that she hadn't found much rest last night, like him. Although, this was not something out of the ordinary forFitzwilliam, he had suffered greatly after the fire in the cottage all those years ago. He had felt the compulsion to check all the fireplaces that had been in use each night three times before he could go to bed. Even now sometimes, though, he would never admit to such a thing, he would get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and that old compulsion would rear its ugly head. But as he had grown older it was more a compulsion that if he were ever upset or worried over something, he would either not sleep or he would be plagued by nightmares and he would awake drenched in sweat and extremely shaken.

"Mr Darcy?" he heard Miss Elizabeth's voice breaking through his thoughts.Where had he gone?she wondered… She had been about to ask him if he recalled ever meeting her Aunt in Lambton as a young boy in order to try to steer the conversation onto an easier topic. Remembering her promise that she would try, but he had suddenly grown distant and though he was looking at her, she noticed his eyes drift slightly and knew he had become lost in his thoughts.

"Forgive me. I was wool gathering." he said, still somewhat distracted.

"I am glad to know I can hold your interest."she quipped without thinking. Making him smile slightly. Fitzwilliam was pleased to discover he was correct,and Elizabeth was no simpering miss!

"Ella has just mentioned that we are to have an engagement ball!" she continued, saying with a pained expression upon her face.

"What joy! Ella, you always have such wonderful ideas." he said sarcastically, turning slightly in his seat towards Eloise, but his sister paid no heed to his mood.

"Yes, I was just saying that it would be a good way to introduce Lizzy, into society. Hugo agrees with me, don't you Hugo?!"she said,levelling her brother with a look.

"Hmm?" said Hugo, looking up mid-way from sneaking another biscuit from the plate. He almost dropped it when Ella ground her heel of her boot into the toes of his foot next to hers. "Gah! Yes, splendid idea!" he slightly squealed, trying to hide his wince as his eyes watered. When the pain had passed, Hugo looked up to find his brother and Elizabeth glowering at him.Fan- bloody-tastic!Hugo thought.Ella was going to owe him big time for this!

"I agree, a ball would be a wonderful way to announce your betrothal, Lizzy." said Jane, trying to encourage her sister with a bright smile.

My God, Jane is so beautiful!thought Hugo, smiling with her.

"Oh, yes girls! And we shall all go shopping for such a grand and momentous occasion, my dears!" clapped Mrs Bennet.

"I agree, we shall have such fun! And you must come over later this week so that we can decide the dances and the guestlists, etcetera." agreed Ella, becoming equally excited. "I am in my element when I am planning parties and balls! It will be a superlative affair and with your beauty, you shall be the belle of the ball Elizabeth!"

On second thoughts this was working out to be in his favour. He would get to spend more time with Jane! I wonder if I could convince Ella to have one of the dances as a waltz…thought Hugo.

"Well, I guess this is our indication to leave the ladies to do what they do best. Gentleman, would you care to join me in my study for a brief reprieve and to sample some of my brandy?" asked Mr Gardiner, to the gentleman present. After a mumbled murmur of agreement, the gentleman excused themselves.

The ladies had happily discussed the wedding preparations and what shops they would need to visit in order to get the necessary items for both the ball and for the wedding. They had agreed that the ball was to be held exactly a week hence on the following Friday and they would go shopping on Monday for their new dresses and accessories and have the invitations sent out no later than Tuesday morning, with Mrs Gardiner graciously agreeing to have the Darcy's over for dinner that same had sat there feeling somewhat overwhelmed but pleased that she had smiled and agreed in all the places she had been expected to. She sent up a prayer of thanks that her new friend and her family were taking over this was all happening faster than she was able to digest.

Before taking their leave over an hour later, Fitzwilliam had managed to claim a few moments of Mr Bennet's time in order discuss with him the marriage settlement for Miss Elizabeth. It had been decided that Fitzwilliam would bring the papers for his review the following week. Feeling better to have at least achieved something this afternoon, he requested if he could call upon Miss Elizabeth the following day to take her for a walk in Hyde park. He needed to speak with Miss Elizabeth as he hadn't managed to do so as he would have liked this afternoon, he knew that there was a chemistry there between them, but he wanted to at least be assured she did not take after her mother in personality! He assured Mr and MrsBennet, that Miss Jane was of course welcome, and Hugo practically barged him out of the way in order to ensure they knew he would be more than happy to act as chaperone with Miss Jane.