Pride and Prejudice isn't mine

The Rebound

Don't cry. Don't cry. Caroline Bingley told herself over and over as she watched Mr. and Mrs. Darcy walk out of the church. She hadn't cried when she'd heard of the engagement all those months ago, not in public anyway. Luckily her body hadn't let her down in the sitting room when Darcy and Elizabeth had all but skipped in to share their good news with her and Charles, it had had the good sense to wait when she was standing in the shower later and then she'd cried like she'd never stop crying, like she had rivers and rivers of water in her body. She hadn't cried at the double engagement party that was held a week later for Charles, Jane, Darcy and Elizabeth so she didn't intend to let a single tear drop escape now.

No. She was stronger than this.

The group in the church slowly made their way outside to take part in the family photographs and Caroline slowly joined them. She couldn't in good conscience not be part of her brother's wedding photographs however poorly she thought of his choice in a wife and she had to accept that Darcy was lost to her forever.

Who was she kidding? She'd never had him…not at all…she'd always hoped that he would see her as something more that Charles' sister but she had to admit to herself that he never had; he'd never actually shown any interest in her, however much she'd thrown herself at him.

She knew that most people thought her incapable of emotions especially love but she loved Darcy and seeing him touch Elizabeth's face, look at her like she was the most precious thing in the world broke her heart.

She loved Fitzwilliam Darcy and he would never be hers. Not when he looked at Elizabeth like that. She wondered if she'd ever find someone who looked at her like that.

She wished she could skip out of the reception but she knew that everyone would guess that reason for not attending and she didn't want to give anyone a reason to gossip about her. Thank God, she'd never actually voiced her intention to marry Darcy aloud; she'd never even talked of wedding dresses and the like unlike some of her friends. She still had some dignity left. Not much granted but some.

The photo session soon ended and she entered Louisa's car to go the reception. The party was being held in the gardens of the Longbourn, a five star hotel. She had been part of the preparations, of course, and was glad to see that the place looked was beautiful as they had been promised. Luckily, since they had to catch flights that evening, the reception wouldn't be long; she only had a few more hours before she could drown her sorrows. Not that she like drinking all that much.

She soon found their table – the siblings table where she was going to sit with all her sisters and their husbands, in fact the only single people at the ten-seater were to be her and Richard Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousin.

The reception soon began; the speeches were made, food was served, the cake was cut and then it was time for the dances. The brides and grooms were scheduled to leave shortly after that.

"May I have this dance?"

Caroline glared at Richard, who she'd ignored during most of the reception, she hadn't said much to anyone and had hardly eaten and certainly not taken any alcohol.

"Do we have to?" she asked him sourly when he left his hand out, waiting for her take it.

"Yes, I think we do," he told her.

"Why?"

"Three reasons, actually," he smiled, "I like dancing and I think you and I can out dance everyone on the floor right now."

"And the third reason?"

"Did I say three reasons?" he asked her.

"You know you did," she took his hand inspite of herself and allowed him to lead her to the floor.

"I'm glad you were listening," he said, "I thought you had somehow managed to block out my words when you refused to talk to me earlier."

Caroline snorted.

"I'm trying not to take it personally," he added conversationally, "but when a beautiful woman studiously ignores you for hours you can't help but feel very small."

"I doubt a person of your size can feel small," Caroline said. He was tall, much taller than she was.

"You'd be surprised at how many times I've felt small," he assured her, "but I'm glad to know that that wasn't your intention this afternoon."

"You dance very well," she told him.

"As do you."

000

Caroline looked around slowly. She was in bed.

Bed!

She sat up quickly and looked around the room. She didn't recognise it all. She wasn't at home, and it didn't look like the rooms at the Longbourn which she'd looked at as they booking a room for the bridal party to rest and change in before they left for their honeymoons.

It was a beautiful room, the bed huge and comfortable with a side table that had an antique lamp and French windows opening onto a beautiful garden with trees, grass and flowers.

She belatedly looked at herself; she was in pyjamas – silk ones, obviously not hers and her bag not that it had contained much was nowhere to be seen.

The door opened and Caroline jumped back into the bed and covered her head.

"You're awake at last," a man said, "I wondered if you'd sleep the whole day away."

She slowly lifted the covers and stared at the man. He was vaguely familiar. She had seen him before at least once or twice.

"Richard?" she asked haltingly.

"Yes," Richard Fitzwilliam smiled at her. "I wondered if you'd remember my name."

"What am I doing here?"

"Don't you remember?"

"Remember?" she asked. "Remember what?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Ah," Caroline touched head, it wasn't hurting. There's no reason for it to hurt, she told herself, she hadn't had a drink the day before, at least she hoped it was the day before. "We danced."

""You don't remember declaring how much your loved me?" he teased.

"I did no such thing," she was indignant.

"Of course not," he assured her. "You did no such thing."

"So, how am I here then?" she asked. "Where am I anyway?"

"You and I made an arrangement yesterday," he told her, "you agreed to be my pretend fiancée."

"No."

"Yes," he said. "And now if you don't mind, my dear, my parents are waiting to meet you downstairs."

000