This story begins upon Elizabeth Bennett's visit to see Charlotte after her recent marriage to Mr. Collins. From there, it's all just a figment of my imagination with Caroline Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam as the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice play out in the background...enjoy. :)

Chapter 1

Caroline Bingley strode into Rosings with all the grace of her status in life and all the arrogance that came with it. Head tilted slightly up, she followed the butler down the hallway and into the sitting room, flanked by her sister Mrs. Hurst and brother Mr. Bingley right behind her. Lowering into a smooth curtsey, she greeted the room. With no thought for anyone else, her eyes shot over to where the target of her attentions sat - Mr. Darcy. That handsome man looked no more thrilled to see her than usual, and she was no more bothered by that than normal. She was slowly working her way in past his hard persona, she was sure of it. She didn't need any affection from him really, just enough of a thought and assurance to crown her the next Mrs. Darcy some day in the hopefully near future. She was confident that she could accomplish that.

The hair on the back of her neck raised in ire to see the woman seated next to him - one Elizabeth Bennett of Hertfordshire. She couldn't seem to escape her since their acquaintanceship there, of which her brother's affections for the lady's sister had fortunately come to nothing. Not that she was entirely objectionable to Miss Jane Bennett herself, but the idea of being formally related to the rest of the Bennets was enough to send her into nightmarish fits.

The man's other side was occupied by another fellow of similar age and build to the man of her sights. Recognition tugged at Caroline Bingley's mind as to the man's connections with Mr. Darcy...was it a cousin? Or something of the sort? Regardless, his opposite side was the closest she would get to her target and there she went to settle.

"Mr. Darcy, how very wonderful it is to see you again. It feels so long since we were last acquainted...too long, really," Caroline simpered upon sitting. She turned her head so that her face may catch the light coming into the window at its most beneficial angle and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Miss Bingley," Darcy inclined his head towards her with no hint of enthusiasm and promptly angled his body slightly away from her and towards Miss Bennett and engaged her back in conversation.

Miffed, Caroline could not control the slight pout that come upon her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, the amused countenance of her neighbor in the room came into focus. Shooting him a cool glance before schooling her features, she straightened her spine.

"How do you do, sir?" she addressed passively.

"I am well, thank you. I feel that we have had the pleasure of being acquainted before, Miss Bingley, although it is long since," he responded, a frustrating light of amusement still twinkling in his eyes.

"Your face does bear some familiarity, although I must inquire of you to re-introduce yourself for memory's sake," she primly replied. She had a sneaking suspicion the introduction had taken place the same time as to Mr. Darcy, in which case this poor man had no hope of being remembered.

"Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. The Lady Catherine de Bourgh is my aunt, being the sister to my father, the Earl of -."

Ah, the youngest son of the earl, of course she did not remember him.

With this thought shooting through her mind, she was aware that the man still observed her and had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Tell me, Miss Bingley. We were just discussing the merits of sitting in the middle of a group of three as opposed to on the side. What are your personal opinions on the matter?"

Feeling that this question was directly aimed at his perception of her current frustrations in romantic pursuit, she did not deign to give him a direct answer.

"I am sure that the preference of placement varies from person to person and do not wish to be a judge of such a thing that one either might like or dislike," she responded.

"But of your own opinions, my lady?" he inquired with a quirk of his eyebrows.

"An intimate group of two is far preferable to one of three in terms of arrangement, I will say that. Now please," she curtly responded and bounded up to join her sister at the window across the room.

Unable to help herself, she glanced back over at the frustrating man, who was reclining as far as propriety allowed and leisurely watching her, still amused. Nearby, Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett had emerged from their annoying fog of absorption to look between the two of them with curiosity of what had caused her to move so quickly away. With a huff, she turned away and immersed herself in small talk about ladies' fashions.

As they readied to leave, she worked her way down the line of members departing, steeling herself as she reached the Colonel. His fingers pressed the underside of her wrist as he lifted her hand and brushed his lips lightly on her knuckles, murmuring his pleasure of their meeting. As his eyes swept up to catch hers, Caroline felt an unfamiliar fluttering sensation work its way through her stomach and across her chest, causing her to softly gasp against her will.

Annoyed at her strange response to this inconsequential man, she withdrew her hand rapidly, nodded coolly with narrow eyes, turned and strode away towards the carriage with his soft chuckles in the background.

Catching a jokingly withering glance from his cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam slid his eyes over to the man and smirked.

"Darcy, I'll not feel sorry for saving you from that lady's attentions. She's far too fun to tease and too good-looking to get bored from," Richard laughed good-naturedly.

"Not only do I owe you some measure of thanks, but I also joyfully await when you tire of her and remained baffled as to how you can enjoy her company to any extent," Darcy said with a rare smile.