Saturday, February 29th, 1812

It was almost one o'clock when the first Bennet stirred the following day. It was a full hour later before she had found the will to arise and get dressed.

Lizzy had not been so incredibly tired in many years. Not since the last time an assembly at Meryton lasted until sunrise the next day.

Crawling out of the bed as slowly as possible, she cupped her temple with one hand, a splitting headache only just beginning to subside. In fragments she remembered Fitzwilliam pulling her into the hallway and placing a burning kiss on her neck, but when exactly that had happened, she could not say.

Guilt washed over her for a second. The way she behaved around Fitzwilliam scared her, made her stomach churn, and her hands shake. Even though she knew the feelings she experienced when he was near her, when he kissed her, were to be ignored - to be suppressed as much as possible, she couldn't help but enjoy it with a terrifyingly wanton fervour.

"What time is it?" a sleepy voice called out from the bed as Jane at last peeled away the blankets from her face and lay blinking gingerly in the bright light.

"Past one," Elizabeth replied as she washed her face with the freezing water from the jug in the corner of the room.

"What?" Jane exclaimed, leaping from the bed in a fright, "We are to be at Darcy House at seven!"

"And it shall take us a full six hours to get ready?" Elizabeth laughed, "You are still asleep, Jane, do not fret so!"

After a lazy luncheon, in which both Lydia and Catherine seemed more asleep than awake, the two youngest girls disappeared for yet another hour of rest in their room while Jane and Elizabeth sat quietly attending to the correspondence they had neglected during the days before the ball.

As promised, Elizabeth wrote to Charlotte, sharing as many of the details of the previous night's entertainment as she could manage on four sheets of paper, and in so doing reflecting on the many memories from the ball she would cherish for many years to come.

Thanks to Jane's foresight, the girls had packed their masquerade dresses in a wooden trunk and had it strapped to the carriage. Georgi had been so eager to see the costumes they couldn't very well forgo sharing the assembled outfits with her and thus they had happily piled their masks, dresses, and accessories into the box and let the footmen carry it down.

Thus, after a simple but filling supper, the Bennets abandoned Mr Darcy to the company of the Gardiners and disappeared into Georgiana's chamber.

"Oh, you must tell me everything!" Georgiana exclaimed, falling onto her bed as Jane and Kitty disappeared behind the makeshift dressing screen Georgi had had moved into the room.

"It was incredible! The entire room was decorated with variegated lamps of stained glass that made me feel as though I was walking through a cave of wonders!" Kitty exclaimed, squealing as Jane tightened her dress' bodice.

"I danced with the most charming gentlemen, and one who was so utterly droll I could barely manage not stepping on his toes to find some way to escape his company!"

"Lydia!" Jane and Elizabeth exclaimed in unison.

"You cannot possibly have been so rude!" Lizzy continued, "Think of the poor man's feelings!"

"La! You are acting as if he was a sensitive little girl!" Lydia retorted, rolling her eyes and plopping down next to Georgiana.

Elizabeth gave a small huff of annoyance, realizing Lydia would not see sense.

"What do you think?" Kitty interrupted, stepping out and giving a little twirl.

"Oh, I absolutely love it!" Georgi squealed, leaping to her feet and hurrying nearer for a better look, "And the little mouse is such a thoughtful addition! I can just imagine how delighted Lady Hundley must have been, she has such a penchant for animal costumes of all kinds!"

Jane came next, then Lydia, and for each of their costumes Georgi had similar reactions – awe, excitement, and eager exclamations over the ingenuity of their choices.

As usual, Elizabeth was the last to pull her dress on with Jane's help and give a small twirl for Georgiana's benefit.

"It's spectacular!" Georgi fawned, taking in the details as she slowly spun Elizabeth around.

"I hope Mr Darcy isn't too annoyed with the fact that we have left him alone in the drawing room," Kitty interjected, the thought of the gentleman sitting idly beside Mr and Mrs Gardiner only then popping into her head.

"If you like I can help Lizzy with her dress and you can return downstairs," Georgiana suggested, and all three girls readily agreed – Jane because she too felt guilty for leaving their host alone for such an extended time, and Lydia simply because she no longer was the centre of attention and therefore felt no need to remain in the room.

As the girls left, Georgi set to work on the buttons of Elizabeth's dress.

"Fitz came home in very good spirits this morning, which is unusual. He never enjoys balls of the calibre Lady Hundley puts on," Georgi commented suggestively, a mischievous grin on her face,

"Well, it was a marvellous event so I cannot see why he would not have enjoyed it," Elizabeth replied innocently, although she too shared Georgi's grin.

"He said Lord Hundley had taken quite a risk with the entertainment."

"Oh, yes!" Lizzy agreed, "There were firebreathers and dancers leaping about at the commencement, and indoors too! I feared they would set something alight!"

"Ah, that sounds very much like the hallmarks of a Hundley event. I have never attended a ball there, but Fitz once took me to a dinner and I was so thoroughly entertained I almost forgot to eat!"

Soon after, both girls returned to the drawing room where Fitzwilliam had made no attempt to hide his frequent glances at the door as he waited for Elizabeth's return. As soon as she and Georgiana stepped into the room, he visibly relaxed into his seat, a small smile once more creeping onto his face.

Monday, March 2nd, 1812

Sunday had been an incredibly idle day for all the girls. They had spent much of it sleeping, or sipping tea and reading quietly.

This meant that when Monday morning came they were all eager to once more make their way out into the now slowly defrosting city and enjoy as much of the time they still had left in London as possible.

Lydia had once more felt the slightest pangs of guilt over her behaviour the previous day although she valiantly tried to ignore them. She was in a desperate struggle with the shreds of her conscience that still remained to whisper its rather unwanted advice as she sat sewing a button onto one of her skirts.

"Shall we go to Hyde Park today, dears?" her aunt's voice interrupted her thoughts and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. An outing would be the perfect distraction from her troublesome thoughts.

"I daresay we shall regret it if we do not. It might be quite some time before we all return to London, and the weather does look particularly inviting today," Jane agreed, eager to make the most of her last few days in the city and hopefully run into the Viscount once more.

As suddenly as the turn of the weather she had found her affections now entirely devoted to the gentleman who had so carefully sought to win her heart. Although she feared, or rather found herself being left breathless, at the thought of discussing these feelings with anyone but Andrew himself, Elizabeth had somehow drawn them out the night before and had then proceeded to squeal in utter delight as she quite nearly suffocated her in an ecstatic embrace.

"Oh, Jane, I am so immensely happy!" she had sighed, falling back onto the bed her smile seemed to spread even wider.

"But what shall papa say?" Lizzy suddenly blurted, suddenly jumping upright and glancing at her sister with a curious look on her face.

"About what, dearest?" Jane had laughed as she sat brushing out her curls.

"First Mary, then me, now you, and soon Kitty too!" Elizabeth exclaimed, seeing no need for further explanation.

"Oh dear, he shall be quite taken aback at his daughters all leaving so suddenly."

"I believe he shall be even more dismayed at being left alone with only mama and Lydia!" Lizzy laughed, as Jane gazed at her disapprovingly.

"Do you not miss her? Mama, I mean?"

"I suppose," Lizzy said tentatively, "In the same way one might miss an aching tooth."

"Elizabeth Bennet!" Jane chided.

"You cannot possibly lament the absence of her constant nagging, or the fact that she seems to have an agenda for every social outing we are invited to!"

"Perhaps not, but she is still our mother and I cannot help but wish she too could enjoy London with us."

"Well, I am sure she will visit often once you are married to the Viscount!" Lizzy teased, wiggling her eyebrows slightly as Jane's cheeks turned pink.

"I am nigh to admitting you are worse than Lydia," Jane laughed, tossing a pillow at her sister's face.

Thus Jane had found her sister not only approved of her feelings, but shared in her happiness and in so doing only increased Jane's own joy at the way her heart fluttered when she thought of Andrew, or the way her smile brightened whenever she remembered the way he had looked at her at the ball.

Hyde Park was full to the brim when the Bennets arrived. Far more resembling a packed ballroom than an outdoor park the girls found it difficult to move more than a few steps at a time without getting stopped by an acquaintance or friend. It seemed everyone had come out to enjoy the very first signs that spring might soon be upon them, and it greatly improved the girls' already high spirits at finding themselves sought out by ladies and gentlemen alike who were eager to chatter on about the masquerade, or simply wished to speak to them for lack of anything better to do.

Thus, their afternoon passed pleasantly while, unbeknownst to all five women and the children who obediently remained within earshot, a young boy had caught sight of something he found most intriguing.

Young James had been sitting on a tree stump in a rather deserted part of the park when he noticed a very pretty girl walking with who he assumed were her sisters a short distance away. His eye had, at first, been caught by the way her hair bounced as she strode along the path but soon his attention was captured by something very different. He could not for the life of him explain why, but he was certain he had seen her before.

Could she possibly have been the girl Mr Thornton had asked him about? No, of course not. Such a lady wouldn't be caught dead alone on the streets at night, he reasoned with himself but still could not shake the feeling that it had most certainly been she.

I s'pose I could mention it to the inspector. I reckon no harm could come from it, he thought, leaping to his feet and hurrying out into the street.

Mr Thornton always reserved a coin or two for any information he could find and he would certainly never say no to a little something to add to his rather bereft coffers.

With no knowledge that she had possibly been found out, Lydia spent the afternoon greatly enjoying her time outside of the confines of the house on Gracechurch Street. Their last week in London promised to be full of her favourite things – shopping, outings, and gossip aplenty – and so she could find no reason to be anything but pleased with her current situation, her earlier worries having now forsaken her.

Tuesday, March 3rd, 1812

Miss Adele Emile came to call on Jane quite early on Tuesday morning. After the masquerade, which the two sisters were dismayed to have found they had not been invited to, the girl was eager to once more solidify her friendship with the Bennets, hoping that through such good association she might perhaps leave behind her sister's sour reputation and forge a more favourable one for herself.

It was no surprise to the girl when, only half an hour into her visit, the Viscount Fitzwilliam and Mr and Miss Darcy were announced.

Finding themselves treated far more as members of the family than guests, the three young people had been smilingly shown into the drawing room with very little fuss.

Georgiana had come to discuss the particulars of their plans for the remaining week before they would leave for Hertfordshire, and Andrew and Fitzwilliam had all too willingly offered their company – happy to find any excuse to see the Bennet sisters once more.

Catherine and Lydia had made themselves scarce at the sight of Adele, but now came creeping from their room as they were informed of the trio's arrival. In such a manner Miss Emile was given the chance to observe first-hand the rather brazen affection shown between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, and the much quieter care shared by Jane and the Viscount.

Adele's sister had insisted the gentlemen were simply being tricked, kept under the Bennets' spell only long enough so they may get married, but she could not help but admit such assumptions were quite obviously baseless.

Once Miss Emile had said her goodbyes, the atmosphere in the drawing room shifted from comfortable to downright homey.

Georgiana had, at some point, fetched a sheet of paper and now sat behind Catherine's art table and neatly listed the tasks they were yet to complete.

"You are all to visit Mrs Baudelaire once more for fittings, am I correct?" she asked dutifully, and the girls nodded.

"And then we are to dine with my aunt and uncle on Friday evening," she added, noting down the occasion as Mrs Gardiner wandered into the room and took a seat by the window, finding joy in simply observing the excited little group before her.

"What time shall we depart for Hertfordshire on Saturday, Fitz?"

"I believe ten o'clock should give everyone ample time to be ready," he stated matter-of-factly, his arm having found its way around Elizabeth's waist as they sat, being well hidden by her shawl and skirts.

"And you shall ride in our carriage, shan't you?" Georgiana inquired, grinning eagerly at the four girls.

"Of course," Darcy interrupted, leaving no time for the sisters to reply.

"Oh, and Catherine and I shall be visiting Lord and Lady Hundley on Thursday, so I suppose we ought to adjust our plans accordingly," Lizzy chimed in.

"Very well," was the general consensus.

Andrew had kept silent through much of the discussion, the idea of Jane leaving London so soon after his declaration creating a churning in his stomach he could not quite rid himself of.

Despite the fact that Jane had gladly agreed to his courtship, he could not help but feel uneasy having her return home where he would have no ability to offer reassurance should anything, or anyone – Fitzwilliam had divulged the particulars of Mrs Bennet's character to him some nights ago – give her reason to doubt his affection.

He would simply have to hope that she would trust him as fully as he trusted, and found comfort, in her.

Across town, Mr Mortimer Thornton had just been informed of a most delightfully intriguing, yet somewhat disturbing, development in his case. Young James had provided a rather appetizing morsel of information – he might have seen the girl from the club at Hyde Park – but as always, Mr Thornton did not assume anything to be correct until he had verified the claims with at least one other source.

The girl, as described by James, had dark brown hair and seemed to be accompanied by three of her sisters as she had roamed about the park.

Knowing nothing of the Bennets' notoriety, James could not provide the inspector with anything of greater use and so, after having received his reward for faithfully reporting anything pertaining to the case, he had been sent off with instructions to discover more about the woman in question.

Thus, he had, while once more earning his week's wages at White's, heard of a group of sisters that had apparently take the ton by storm – the Bennet girls.

Now there may have been no relation between the women he had seen at the park and these Bennets all the gentlemen seemed to mention at least once every hour or so, but the fact that there were only four different names mentioned – and four sisters to be accounted for – he believed there to be a good chance they were one and the same.

He would have to be sure before he went to Mr Thornton once more, however, that had been the gentleman's explicit instructions and he would abide by them.

Wednesday, March 4th, 1812

Wednesday was to be the final day for all four girls' dress fittings. Georgiana and Mrs Gardiner had already invited themselves along and spent much of the time fawning over the various dresses the girls paraded about Mrs Baudelaire's cozy shop. It was not surprising when Marianne shed a quick tear at the sight of Elizabeth's wedding dress, and despite the chaos and the constant chattering, Elizabeth found the voices about her fading away as she gazed at her reflection.

I cannot believe this is reality, she thought to herself. A few months ago she had been an emotional, impertinent, angry girl and now here she stood – still emotional and impertinent, while her anger had been replaced by a bubbling excitement and the overwhelming sensation of being head over heels in love.

Lydia's indecision over the morality of her actions meant her attitude varied greatly during the days preceding the fittings. On that day, however, she felt pleased, generous almost, and to Elizabeth and Aunt Marianne's surprise she took interest in not only her sister's wedding dress, but the thoughts and conversations held by those around her.

For a glorious hour the childish, immature girl was replaced by something altogether foreign – a kind, cheerful young woman who, for once, did not insist upon everything being centred around herself.

It took all morning for the girls to try on their dresses, and by the time Elizabeth had peeled off the last skirt and returned once more to her own clothing all six women were dreadfully hungry, and equally fatigued.

It was a great surprise then that, as soon as they stepped out of the shop, they were greeted by Mr Darcy's smiling face as he sat comfortably in his carriage.

Leaping from the door to greet the ladies, he grinned, "My meetings did not last as long as expected and, finding I now had more time on my hands than anticipated I could not find a better use for it than to join you." The latter was obviously aimed directly at Lizzy, who stood smiling by his side although her eyes belied her weariness.

"I insist you come to Darcy House for luncheon, and perhaps some rest," Georgi voiced, giving her brother a look that quite clearly meant 'help me convince them'.

"Yes, of course, we are much closer to my home than Gracechurch Street and I cannot possibly send you back so entirely worn out."

"Thank you, sir," Jane smiled and soon the party was on its way, the two carriages running in single file towards the centre of Mayfair.

Several cups of tea, and a veritable mountain of food later, and the girls were once more returned to their previous high spirits. As they sat comfortably in the drawing room, saying very little and enjoying the time they were given to simply breathe, light rain began to drizzle outside.

"Don't you simply love the rain?" Elizabeth breathed, leaning back against the sofa she was seated upon and closing her eyes as her hand rested in Fitzwilliam's.

"It brings such a sense of hope despite its rather dreary nature, and although it evokes conflicting emotions I cannot but enjoy it," she continued, her eyes still shut.

For once Fitzwilliam remained silent, simply enjoying his small chance to see Elizabeth so fully relaxed in his presence. London had seemed to put intense strain on her and he lamented the fact that she constantly needed to be wary of the things she said and the people she associated with.

"Lizzy, my love," he whispered suddenly, as if a thought had only just come to his head.

"Hm?" she breathed, her mid still wandering.

"I- I need to speak to you about a matter of some importance, but not here."

"Well, where else are we to speak?" she murmured lazily, her eyes still well and truly shut.

"Will you meet me in library in five minutes?" he hated the clandestine nature their meetings had taken lately but, as it stood, he had no other choice.

"Yes, yes, of course," she said, sitting up and now giving him her full attention, "is something amiss?"

"Not at all, we just need to discuss something rather sensitive and I doubt we will have a chance again once we reach Hertfordshire."

"Very well, I shall meet you there."

Fitzwilliam suddenly rose, announcing he had a letter to finish and that he would return as soon as possible. Although Elizabeth knew the real reason for her departure would be stupidly, if not painfully obvious, she too excused herself precisely five minutes later on the pretence of using the privy.

She had been so often to Darcy House that she had no difficulty finding her way to the library without the aid of a maid or servant. As soon as she spotted the ornately engraved wooden doors she paused for a moment before swinging it open.

Fitzwilliam was seated on a comfortable looking reading chair and motioned for her to take a seat opposite him.

His rather unnerved expression, and the slightest shake in his hand as he took hers made Elizabeth cold with fear.

"Has something happened to the Colonel?" she blurted, the thought suddenly popping into her head.

"Oh, heavens no. At least, I do not believe so. We have not heard from him since the last letter and in such cases I believe no news is good news."

"Ah," she breathed, a small smile of relief crossing her face, "Then what is it that has made you so obviously nervous to speak about, my love? I hope you have not changed your mind about our wedding," she teased, hoping to somewhat ease the tension.

Fitzwilliam did not seem to hear her, however, and suddenly spoke, "We will soon be returning to Hertfordshire, to your home. I – I fear we may not have much time to ourselves and I do not wish," he paused again, "I do not wish your mother or anyone else to fill your head with misconceptions or unnecessary fears. Not that I believe you would ever be susceptible to such things, I am merely aware of the fact that the coming days shall not be easy and -" his voice trailed off.

"Fitzwilliam, darling, do get to the point or I might soon be equally as nervous as you are," she laughed awkwardly, still not entirely sure what it was he wished to discuss.

"What do you know of, of the wedding night?" he finally asked as his face turned pink and he fiddled with the buttons on his coat. This nervous behaviour was entirely foreign to Elizabeth but at least now she could understand the reason for it.

"Enough to comprehend the basic," Lizzy paused, willing herself not to blush as it was after all only Fitzwilliam sitting across from her and he was obviously more disconcerted by the discussion than she was, "physics of it."

"And has anyone spoken to you about it yet?"

"No," she replied, and fell silent once more, unsure of how to continue.

"I wanted to speak to you, to reassure you, before anyone convinced you it would be a chore, or, or an obligation," Fitzwilliam began once more.

"I do not think it will be a chore, William," Elizabeth interrupted, "You and I both know the feelings we experience when we are near each other."

"I know, I just, I just don't want you to be afraid, Elizabeth. I will not hurt you, nor will I expect you to do anything you are not entirely comfortable with."

Now Elizabeth's cheeks turned bright red, and she lowered her eyes, not sure whether to laugh or hide her face in embarrassment.

Finally regaining her composure she nodded, "You could never hurt me, so do not fret over such things. I know my mother shall try to fill my head with mistruths but do not be despondent. I could never in any way believe you would do anything to cause me distress."

Fitzwilliam nodded, the awkwardness of the conversation washing over them as the silence grew.

Suddenly Lizzy let out a small snort of laughter, which quickly developed into a deliciously amused laugh.

"What do you find so humourous?" Fitzwilliam asked, slightly confused at the way Elizabeth was shaking with laughter before him.

"Oh, I simply do not know. I just suddenly felt if I did not laugh the silence would continue for a lifetime!" she exclaimed between chuckles.

Fitzwilliam's smile grew at the ridiculous scene before him.

"Oh dear, I was certain this conversation would end quite differently," she giggled once she finally started to calm down somewhat.

"Have I reminded you how utterly in love with you I am?" Fitzwilliam chuckled, shaking his head at his fiancée's antics but finding her liveliness and joy as infectious as ever.

"Just in every glance, every touch, every kiss," Lizzy replied matter-of-factly, her eyes still glistening with tears of mirth.

Standing up and walking over to his seat, Elizabeth placed her hands on the chair's arms and leaned down, her nose nearly touching Fitzwilliam's.

"I love you, Fitzwilliam Darcy," she whispered, before saucily placing a playful kiss on his nose and making her way to the door.

The gentleman could only shake his head in equal disbelief and amazement. He was about to make an utterly unpredictable, passionate woman a permanent part of his life and he could not be more thrilled.

A/N:
PLEASE DON'T HATE ME, PLEASE DON'T HATE ME, PLEASE DON'T HATE ME.

I know it's been absolute ages and I'm pretty sure most of you believed this story to be abandoned and I am so, so sorry. I have been going through quite a lot in my family over the past months, and I know it's not much of an excuse but I just sort of lost all will to write. I am back now, however. Covid-19 has definitely given me a hell of a lot of free time so I'm determined to finish the story and do it justice.

I put so much effort in I certainly won't just leave it as is.

Plus, I also find the writing-bug has gotten to me again, so I'm thinking of creating separate stories for Lydia and Kitty as well. Let me know what you think.

I am now just working on creating the best story I possibly can, then I will return to edit and shorten the chapters soon, and perhaps remove some of it to add to the separate stories.

I hope you can all remember where we left off, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Cheerio, and thank you for sticking with me. Also, the next chapter should be up within a day or so.

xx Sammy