A/N - hello lovely jane Austinites! so i have been a terrible author, barely written, allowed new plot bunnies to run around my head. All the while i have not been back to the site and read my reviews or messages. And im no further on my sequel i had promised! *ducks

So thanks to all of you who have read and revieved my previous stories, and for those of you still with me. i love you all!

so here is my "what if Mr B acted like most people back then and saved a dowry for his daughters..." My last attempt at this story was very dark, part of a self challenge. This challenge was to write a story in less than 10000 words. well *cough i am over that number already, but very nearly done, so i probably havent got too off my mark. Anyway, i hope you enjoy it...

Chapter 1, a very eventful day.

"Are you feeling quite well?"

The voice broke into her memories, which were flying through her head as fast as leaves tumbling with a strong wind. Her sister looking dejected, the tone of her letters lacking, all due to the interference of Mr Darcy!

"I apologise, a sudden headache, perhaps I have walked too far today."

She looked up at the kind gentleman next to her. She had been enjoying his company exceedingly well, until this revelation. He might not be as handsome as... But no, what was handsome to friendly and engaging manners? And the Colonel was handsome, in his own way. Not as tall as... some, with lighter hair. But he was still a man who stood like a soldier, tall and strong. He had an air of confidence about him that Elizabeth had to admit was appealing.

"Should we take the shorter way back?"

Elizabeth nodded and started in the direction of the parsonage, taking his offered arm. After a few minutes of comfortable silence the Colonel stopped her. They were in a shaded area and he directed her towards a bench and bid her sit.

"I apologise for detaining you. I must beg your indulgence of a few moments of your time, before I run out of chances"

Elizabeth nodded, temporarily forgetting her concerns about Jane and her anger at Mr Darcy. She watched from her perch as he nervously ran a hand through his hair and paced in front of her. She recognised his nervousness and waited quietly for him to speak.

"I am not exaggerating when I say these past few weeks have been the happiest I have know at Rosings park"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and the colonel chuckled.

"I know, the comparison may not be the most favourable but it is no less true. That enjoyment has been a great deal due to the company." He stopped pacing, looking in to her eyes "your company!"

Elizabeth held her breath, was he proposing? But they had not known each other long. She had vowed that nothing but the deepest love would induce her in to matrimony, she liked the Colonel a great deal but could not say she loved him. She also knew her fortune, whilst modest, was unlikely to be sufficient for her to marry the younger son of an earl.

Her father owned a country estate, worth about 2000 pounds per annum. He had, as was usual for gentlemen of the time, saved for his daughter's dowries. But there were five of them and they each only had about five thousand pounds, plus an equal share of her mother's fortune on her passing. Elizabeth had invested her fortune wisely and had accumulated almost eight thousand pounds, but she still did not think that would be enough of an inducement for someone such as the colonel, who would be used to the expenditures associated with living in the first circles of the ton.

She was brought back to the Colonel's words suddenly.

"I am hoping to talk to my parents about a small estate that is not part of the earldom, which would enable me to marry. I was hoping I might persuade you to enter a courtship with me?"

Elizabeth let out a breath she did not know she was holding.

"I have written to my mother, who would be pleased to host you for the rest of the season so that we might get to know one another better" he looked at her with such fondness that she was touched.

She smiled and stood, allowing him to hold her hand after he had aided her to her feet.

"Colonel, I confess I had no more thoughts of you considering me than Mariah might of. Did we not have a discussion about your requirements for a spouse?"

She said it with just enough archness and sweetness that he could not be offended.

"I am aware of your portion" she was surprised, who could have told him that information? Lady Catherine maybe? "But I am also aware there are characteristics more valuable than money, I would greatly like to enjoy my marriage and ..." He trailed off, seemingly embarrassed.

"Colonel, I have not given you an answer, let me do so now. I have greatly enjoyed your company and, although I cannot say for certain, I am very happy to enter in to a courtship to see if we may suit one another. But I must ask you to be aware that I will only marry for love. So I ask your forbearance; that if my feelings do not go beyond friendship that we can part as friends?"

He smiled and squeezed her hands "those are my thoughts exactly. So might I write my mother to expect you when you return to London?"

"Do you feel it is best I stay with her? I have my Aunt and Uncle in London?"

"Whilst I am more than happy to ensure we entertain your aunt and uncle, I feel it would be prudent to meet my family. Uh" he paused and grimaced "I should likely warn you. They are a bit much, sometimes, especially in private. They are all you would expect of an Earl and a Countess in public, but.."

Elizabeth couldn't help it, she giggled. The colonel smiled at her. "That doesn't concern you?"

"Colonel, remind me to give you a similar warning if ever you are to meet my family, however they don't contain their enthusiasm to private!"

He laughed as well.

"I shall bear that in mind."

"Oh," she exclaimed "I am to meet up with my older sister in London."

Elizabeth twisted her hands together, she did not like to be parted from her sister and they had been separated for over three months.

"If it would suit you, you may bring Miss Bennet to visit also. My mother had suggested you might be more comfortable with a sister staying, but I had not realised they were not all at home."

Elizabeth looked at him with gratitude. "It would not be too much trouble for you? Or your mother?"

He shook his head and then offered his arm "I have detained you from returning to your friends. I hope your headache is not worse for the delay?"

With those words all of her worries did, indeed, come flooding back, but she smiled and shook her head.

When she returned to the parsonage she did not have to try hard to convince Charlotte she was not up to travelling to Lady Catherine's for dinner that evening. She could not face Mr Darcy and she did not wish to allow any maudlin thoughts to intrude on her next meeting with the Colonel, she was going to have to try to see if they could suit, but not whilst she was so concerned for poor Jane.

Charlotte could see she was pale and was happy to go along with the story of the headache.

It was rather upsetting, therefore, when Mr Darcy was announced not an hour later.

"Forgive me for intruding, I hope you are feeling better!"

"I am" she paused, feeling awkward. "Will you not sit down?"

She sat but Mr Darcy paced, seeming agitated and Elizabeth could not but wonder why.

"In vain I have struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell you how much I admire and love you..."

He went on for some time, detailing many concerns about her situation and connections. Elizabeth sat in shocked silence until he seemed finished. She took a deep breath to reply.

"I believe the established mode is to express my gratitude for the sentiments, however unequal they are returned. If I could feel gratitude I would do so, but I cannot. I did not ask for or seek your good opinion and you have bestowed it most unwillingly. I will not, cannot marry you."

"That is the only answer I am to expect? Why, might I ask, am I rejected with so little attempt at civility?"

"Why did you chose to ask for my hand at the same time as insulting me? You chose to say you are deigning to ask me against your family, your expectations, your character even! Is this not an excuse for incivility, if I was uncivil?"

"Should I of concealed my struggles and flattered you? Would that have led to a different outcome, should I not have offended your pride?"

"Pride is not my failing, Mr Darcy. You are the one who has boasted to me of your pride. I have many a reason to think ill of you, your manner only spared me any concern I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner!"

Darcy started at that pronouncement, he then frowned in thought.

"You said you cannot marry me, why use those words?"

Elizabeth looked down "I have just today, entered in to a courtship with your cousin, the colonel."

"So I am passed over for a connection to an earl. I am far richer than he!" As the words left his mouth he knew not why he had uttered them.

She looked up incredulous "have you heard nothing I have said?" She cried "I would not marry you under any circumstances and I certainly would pass over a kind, gentlemanly man for one such as you! Never mind connections or fortune, they mean little to me. You have been the means of injuring my beloved sister by separating her from Mr Bingley, and on top of that I am aware of your history with Mr Wickham."

He scoffed. He knew his temper had got the better of him but he could not seem to make himself leave.

"Your derision for his situation only compounds my certain knowledge of your pride, your conceit and your selfish disdain for the feelings of others. I had not known you a month before I knew that you are the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."

At last reason intruded, he must get out of there, before he shook her, or kissed her, or both. A cool calm came over him.

"You have said quite enough. I perfectly understand your feelings and now feel only ashamed of my own. Good day"

And with that he turned and fled.

Elizabeth could not help but burst in to tears and it was not many more minutes before she had to retire to her bedchamber and lie down from weakness. It had been a very eventful day.