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Chapter Thirty-one

Posted on Saturday, 29 September 2001, at 12:33 a.m.

Part One

Sometimes I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear And I cant help but ask myself how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer It's driven me before, it seems to have a vague haunting mass appeal, Lately I'm beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel. Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there With open arms and open eyes ~ 'Drive' by Incubus

Mary sighed. Fordyce was very interesting; there was no doubt about that. She really didn't want to read a scandalous novel. It was much better reading a soothing sermon about the evils of such novels. Really it was.

What shall we say of certain books, which we are assured (for we have not read them) are in their nature so shameful, in their tendency so pestiferoius, and contain such rank treason against the royalty of Virtue, such horrible violation of all decorum, that she who can bear to peruse them must in her soul be a prostitute, let her reputation in life be what it will. But can it be that any young woman, pretending to decency, should endure for a moment to look on this infernal brood of futility and lewdness?
To come back to the species of writing which so many young women are apt to doat upon, the offspring of our present Novelists, I mean the greater part; with whom we may join the common herd of Play-writers. Beside the remarks already made on the former, is it not manifest with respect to both, that such books lead to a false taste of life and happiness; that they represent vices as frailties, and frailties as virtues; that they engender notions of love unspeakably perverting and inflammatory; that they overlook in a great measure the finest part of the passions, which one would suspect the authors had never experienced; that they turn it most commonly into an affair of wicked or of frivolous gallantry; that on many occasions they take off from the worst crimes committed in the prosecution of it, the horror which ought ever to follow them; on some occasions actually reward those very crimes, and almost on all leave the female readers with this persuasion at best, that it is their business to get husbands at any rate, and by whatever means? , *

Mary sighed again. She threw down the book and looked around the room for some other occupation. The members of the household were not going out today, for Kitty was still abed and Mrs Bennet was still suffering nerves.

Just as Mary was deciding whether she should dare to play the piano, or whether she should just try Fordyce again, a secretive knock occurred on the door. The Butler, a romantic soul, poked his head around the door in a most covert manner and sidestepped into the room, closing the door very softly behind him.

"Miss Mary, this note came for you." He said in hushed tones.

Mary curiously held her hand out for the billet.

"Thank you, you may go." She said, crushing the butler's hopes and dreams. As the door closed she broke the seal. Not that she needed telling whom the note was from, the direction was enough.

To Just Miss Mary Bennet is fine.

Mary gulped as she perused the lines.

Dearest Mary,

May I beg the honour of your company this afternoon? I have a person that wishes to be introduced to you. He is most noble and respectable, and he has something of great import to tell you. If you don't favour me with your company I may be forced to do something most rakish. Meet me at the Library.

Christian.

Mary placed the letter down carefully on the table. She had two choices she could obey this scandalous letter, and allow Sir Christian to think that she was at his beck and call. Or she could ignore it and wait with baited breath to see what he was going to do.

It was a tough choice really. But Mary decided she would succumb to curiosity and attend the assignation. However she would make it entirely clear she was there on pain of sufferance and he would never wish to see her again. It was perfect.

* Ack Its the Fordyce. The feminist that he is :)

Kitty turned the pages of Belle Assembly bored out of her mind. There was only so much a girl could take of looking at dresses she couldn't afford to wear.

"Kitty." Annabelle's head popped around the door. "I'm not disturbing you?"

"No come in Belle."

Annabelle tripped into the room and curled up on the end of the bed, and pulled a mountain of lace out of her reticule.

"I've been trying to dress up this handkerchief but it will not work. So I thought I'd come and do it here and keep you company."

Annabelle half-heartedly tried to stab at the lacy handkerchief then looked at the discarded magazine.

"Ohh that is a really nice dress, I think it would suit you Kitty."

Kitty leant back against the pillows. "Yes, if I had a fortune."

"Oh don't be silly Kitty! Grandmamma will buy it for you! After all you are her guest."

"I don't think so Belle!" said Kitty flipping the book closed.

"Well it's your choice." Said Annabelle, thinking that most of her other friends would have expected her grandmother to buy them dresses if she had invited them to Bath. "But Grandmamma will buy you a dress and you won't be able to argue, because she wouldn't want a dowdy guest."

Kitty's mouth dropped open as she turned to snap at Annabelle, that is until she saw the laugh in her friend's eye.

"I'm not a dowd! If anyone were dowdy, I would say it would be you Belle! I mean look at that handkerchief."

Annabelle laughed.

"Why are you trying to sew it anyway, doesn't your maid know how to do such things?"

"Well when I'm a Prop I will need to know how to do such things."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Promise me something Belle?"

"Yes?"

"Do not talk of being a Prop when we are in Bath! You will enjoy yourself!"

"Okay, I promise." Said Annabelle.

Kitty picked up the Belle Assembly again and flicked through it.

"What should I wear this afternoon?"

"What are you doing this afternoon?" asked Annabelle surprised.

"I have asked Lord Holling to come see me."

Annabelle's mouth formed an 'O' of surprise. Then she closed her mouth and seemed to think.

"Oh you are going to tell him - "

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Stop saying that."

"I don't know what else to say. I wish you wouldn't break it off with him, simply because I want you to be a relation! But if you don't love him!"

"Well Belle, we can always be pretend sisters."

Annabelle giggled. "Okay sister of mine, I shall find you a garment that is perfect for the occasion!"

"I don't think I have a gown that is perfect for rejecting men in!" said Kitty.

"Oh every girl must! I had three!"

"Really?"

"Yes, I found that men asked me to marry them on only Monday's Wednesdays and Saturdays. So I planned my attire around that. I'd also refuse them under the 2nd tree from the right in our little courtyard garden. It was all very planned."

"How many men have you refused?!?" said Kitty shocked.

"Well..." Annabelle paused, counting on her fingers. "Too many. In fact an awful lot. Though most of them were after the Fitzwilliam Fortune, and the others were enamoured of my more physical charms. Though I do think it is a disgrace that I have had so many offers, when I know of plenty of girls who haven't had a single one and they are far superior to me."

Annabelle smiled. She was finally thinking it seemed. Before she would have never even dreamt of thinking about the amount of proposals she had received and how completely unfair and ridiculous it seemed.

Kitty shook her head. "Well you are probably much more adept at refusals then."

"You want some hints?"

"No thank you Belle I think I should work this out on my own."

"Sounds like the best idea. Now do what do you think of puce?" said Annabelle holding out one of Kitty's gowns in front of her.

Kitty scrunched up her nose.

Lizzy carefully looked over her letter from her Aunt Gardiner. Aunt Gardiner always made her smile, and her current enquires of details about the man who had stolen her dearest nieces heart made her alternately smile and blush.

Picking up a pen to compose her reply, Lizzy paused. What was she to write to her Aunt? The state of the family was not very convivial at the present, what with the hostility between the family and Mr Collins. Then there was Mary's increased reticence and her habit of disappearing, indeed Lizzy had no idea how Mary managed to find her way home from the picnic and with whom, for she did not come with the family or the Lucas'. Kitty's many engagements were also wearing on the combined nerves of the entire family. Then there was Lydia's strange behaviour, well more strange than normal.

At least she could write favourably of her own relationship with Darcy, although the events at Upton's party had shown her that her entrée into society as Mrs Darcy would not be easy it had strengthened the resolve of both parties to forge ahead together. No society gossip would tear them asunder.

Lizzy bit on the end of the pen and gazed out into the hall, what she saw made her bite down, painfully, in surprise on the pen.

"Jane?" she called over her shoulder to her elder sister who was knitting on the couch. Jane looked up.

"Yes Lizzy?"

"Did you just see a large Hat float past the door?"

"A large hat!"

"Yes a large hat!"

"Lizzy I fear you have been doing too much, you are starting to see things!" said Jane worriedly. Lizzy shook her head in confusion and tried to start composing her letter.

The large hat, was not an apparition of Lizzy's mind, it was in fact firmly planted on the head of her middle sister.

Mary on searching the attics had found an antiquated hat of the owners. It belonged to the era when hats needed to be spacious to accommodate the large powdered wigs that adorned their owner's heads. Thus it sat most strangely on Mary's unpowdered and unwigged head. She really appeared all hat. But this, along with the voluminous black coat she had adorned, was the point.

It was in part a ruse to humiliate Sir Christian, because Mary knew his type, he would be so ashamed to be seen with such a character as herself that he would leave her alone. It was also in part her disguise so nobody would ever suspect that the moral and upstanding Mary Bennet had deigned to meet a man, one that was no relation to herself, alone.

Mary on reaching the Library stood conspicuously outside on the pavement. She also doubted that in such a hat, Sir Christian would even recognise her. However she underestimated his ability.

"That hat looks awfully fetching on you." Came an amused drawl.

The Hat which fully covered Mary's forehead, and whose bow covered her face except her eyes, bobbed as she turned around, clutching the cloak to her even more firmly.

"Sir Christian." She said in a muffled tone.

"Not sure I like what it does for your voice though." He replied critically, "And could you not find a better colour than puce?"

Mary made a muffled exclamation that was only of four letters and was not at all what a young lady should say. Sir Christian clucked his tongue together in approbation, sweeping an arm around Mary.

Mary almost shrieked when his hand descended most firmly around her waist and he started to whisk her along the pavement.

"Where are we going sir?!"

"To visit my friend, I believe I told you of him in my note."

"Alone!"

"No I promise I will not leave you alone with him, I shall be by your side."

"That is not what I meant! I mean will we be meeting him in a private place? Not in public."

"At his house yes..."

"Then I will not go with you sir." Said Mary digging her heels into the ground. Surprisingly it made no effect and she just found herself stumbling forward, entirely supported by Sir Christian.

"Careful Mary, you don't want to fall and damage the hat."

"Let me go sir, otherwise I will scream and scream." Said Mary petulantly.

Sir Christian didn't respond.

Mary waited for his response, and waited and waited. She debated whether to scream or not and finally decided not to.

"See I knew you would never scream." Said Sir Christian.

Mary's mouth dropped open as they came to a stop. "Why you little - I will scream right now!"

"But I am no longer holding you, and we are at our location." Said Sir Christian bemused.

Mary's mouth clamped shut, and before she could quite protest, Sir Christian had dragged her up the steps.

"Come along, he won't wait forever."

Mary grabbed onto the column at the landing and did not let go. She looked mutinously at Sir Christian but did not say a word.

Sir Christian sighed. He pointed to a sign hanging next to the door.

Godfrey Brown - Solicitor.

"Do you think Mr Brown will let me ravish you over tea?"

Mary's hand flew out to slap Sir Christian, and fatally it was the one that had been clasping the column, it allowed Sir Christian the seconds he needed to hoist her into the house.

Mary gaped at the closed door. "Sir!" she gasped.

"You know as much as I admire the hat, I'm afraid it weighs quite a great deal." Said Sir Christian flexing his arms.

"Ah Sir Christian." Came a new voice into the mix. "This must be - " the voice broke off as it took in the appearance of Mary. "Your - "

"Fiancée. " replied Sir Christian calmly.

"I am no such thing!" shrieked Mary.

"You mean you are a young, single, unattached female, accompanying a man of rakish qualities, alone into a house of whose owner you know nothing?" asked Sir Christian, with a smile upon his face.

Mary's jaw dropped. Mr Brown the solicitor looked solicitously towards the couple.

"No." ground out Mary. "We are engaged, but it is an engagement of a peculiar kind, from our infancy the union has been planted, our mothers planned it in our cradles. And when I say in our cradles I am not speaking metaphorically. However I want out."

Mary smiled saccharinely at Sir Christian - let him get out of this one she though triumphantly.

"Ah yes, Miss Bennet, please come this way."

Mary swept up the corridor, followed by Mr Brown. Sir Christian calmly divested himself of his coat and hat, before following them.

In the poky little room Mr Brown called an office, Mary arranged herself over the entirety of the couch, Mr Brown provided for clients. Sir Christian was forced to stand, which suited Mary entirely, and suited Sir Christian as well, for the height gave him a good view, something it was best Mary was not aware of.

"So you wish to end the engagement?" said Mr Brown, having donned a pair of most interesting pince-nez and looking quite the old literary scholar.

"Yes." Said Mary at the exact time Sir Christian said "No."

"There seems to be some confusion?" said Mr Brown looking alarmed.

Mary wrenched at her reticule in her hand, but decided to stay silent, it was much better off to hear the enemy's argument first.

"I'm afraid Mary is quite legally bound to me, she has said yes to me twice. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes, then she reaffirmed this vow. She is quite undone I fear."

Mr Brown's forehead creased. "But sir the young lady is how old?"

"Mary is quite 18 are you not." Said Sir Christian with a smile.

"Very nearly 19 sir." Said Mary trying to overcome the impulse to choke Sir Christian with the strings of her reticule.

"Well in that case Miss Bennet cannot - "

"Cannot back out of the agreement, how very true Mr Brown." Said Sir Christian smoothly. "As I said she is quite undone."

"No sir, you misrepresent me, Miss Bennet can of course - "

"End the engagement?" said Sir Christian curiously.

"Yes, precisely what I was going to say because - "

"Because it is a lady's prerogative, but it would be most scandalous, as she is practically legally bound to me already. And I know Mary would never like to be scandalous."

"Or course not sir, I am not the scandalous type."

"No you just read scandalous novels, wear scandalous clothes and associate with scandalous men."

"You are presumptuous Sir Christian, I have said so ever since we met."

"And you 'Just Miss Bennet is fine' are adorable, and I have thought that since we met."

Mary shifted in her seat. "You think I'm adorable?"

"Of Course."

"Even in this hat?"

"Especially in the hat."

"I thought you would hate it."

"Oh but you forget I would have had many mistresses who would have worn such things, antiquated creatures that they are."

Mr Brown went a sort of purple shade - "You cannot talk of such things in front of a lady sir."

"But Mary favours bluntness." Said Sir Christian in a naïve voice.

Mary looked from under her brim at Mr Brown.

"You say that I am already bound by contract?

Mr Brown looked from Mary to Sir Christian. It was true that Sir Christian was a good client, but it would be unethical to lie to a young lady, to entrap her into a marriage that might be most unwise, Mr Brown had little faith in the reforming qualities in Sir Christian.

"Well, as you know the laws for marriage contracts state - " Mr Brown paused, seeing that although Mary had asked the question she did not seem to be in want of an answer. She had turned back to Sir Christian.

"In this hat?"

"In that hat." Replied Sir Christian solemnly.

Mary took a deep breath and stood up. "Very well then, I will marry you."

"You will?" said Sir Christian a little surprised.

"You will!" said Mr Brown, astounded.

Mary held out her hand. "Shake on It?"

Sir Christian took her hand, "Your very obedient servant."

"Right well, there are two conditions."

"Name them my dear." Smiled Sir Christian.

"One it must be a secret, and two we must elope." Said Mary quite seriously.

"Secret? Elope? God no!" said Sir Christian firmly.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"No, No!"

"What things must be done properly with the woman you are going to marry?" said Mary sardonically.

"Yes! No secrets! No Elopement."

"No wedding."

"No wedding?"

"No!" said Mary firmly. "If I'm going to marry a rake, I'm going to do it properly."

"My dear, you are shocking Mr Brown."

Mary turned to look at the little man. "Am I shocking you?"

"No ma'am. I was just thinking how well you and Sir Christian should deal together."

"See Sir Christian, we will deal perfectly."

But suddenly Sir Christian was not so sure.

Miles dusted the sand off a letter, he had dealt with his correspondence, a certain letter, being his most pressing correspondence, he chuckled when he wondered what the response to it would be. Miles then picked up an incoming letter, one from his Grandfather, that he had saved for last.

Miles scrunched his forehead into creases, as he tried to decipher his Grandfathers scratchings.

Boy,

Where are you? I have seen neither hide nor tail of you in months. This shall not be. I command your attention. I am a frail old man, if I do not receive a visit from my grandson I may well be forced to leave my fortune to my cook. Damn good cook he is too!

Lord Rupert Mayfield.

Miles considered the last time he had seen his grandfather; it was on the back of a hunter riding neck or nothing at a stonewall. Indeed not the actions of a frail old man. Lord Rupert was a jolly bluff fellow, could drink the young-un's under the table, and was not to be put off for all the world.

"My dearest son..." came a cooing voice.

"Mama..." said Miles cautiously, one eye upon his mother, the other still on his grandfather's letter.

"Lady Rockhaven and I..." Lady Upton paused, "Well we have decided your engagement should be posted in the newspapers."

Lady Upton got no reply, but a distracted "Hmmm?" Miles had found that what appeared to have been leakages from his grandfather's pen, was in fact a postscript to his letter.

"Right then, I will go and organise the insertion shall I?" said Lady Upton, quite surprised that her son was making no demur, but if he had finally gotten over the flighty Lady Annabelle, Lady Upton wasn't to argue. She quit the room in haste, before her son could argue.

Miles finally managed to work out that his grandfather's postscript was asking him to bring several bottles of port, up from Carlon Place when he visited. Miles was puzzled, his grandfather seemed so sure he was going to visit, yet he gave no reasoning behind why Miles should visit. Normally he summoned him up because he wanted company, but he hid it behind a request to oversee a harvest, or to come and organise a new drainage system, but this letter strangely did not. What did Grandfather want to see him for?

Miles looked up. Hadn't his mother just been in the room?

Part Two

It's too bad I'm not as wonderful a person as people say I am, because the world could use a few people like that. ~ Alan Alda, actor, 1994

Kitty smoothed down her dress as she waited for Lord Holling. She was not entirely sure what she was going to say. She could just simply be blunt, but she did not think that was fair on Lord Holling, after all he had rescued her from Collins...several times really.

Perhaps it would be best to just ad lib, Kitty always found that planning anything always ended up in disaster. The perfect example of this would be when she had planned, a year ago, to capture the attention of a certain new gentlemen in Meryton - the planning had not helped. She had always planned the conversation in her head, then when she saw the young man, it all came out garbled, and he thought her a fool. The last time Kitty had seen that particular gentlemen, was when he had left Meryton, with his new bride, a former Miss Gould, she hadn't planned what she was going to say, and she had found it had all come out perfectly, rather late, but still perfectly.

Kitty was so lost in thought she did not hear the door open. Looking up she saw Lord Holling poke his head around the corner.

"The butler did not show me in, he seems to think I should know my way."

Kitty stood up and curtseyed, "Your lordship."

Lord Holling shut the door after him. "So formal?"

Kitty bit her lip and looked down at the ground, not planning what she had to say did not seem to help the situation. Consequently she did not notice that Lord Holling seemed just as nervous and confused as her, and it was only after a deep breath and a gathering of resolution that he contained himself and tried to do what had to be done. A finger lifted Kitty's chin up, and she found herself looking straight into Lord Hollings eyes.

"W-Would you be very upset if I wanted to be released from our engagement?" Kitty blurted out.

Lord Holling dropped his eyes, and turned. Kitty stared at his back, wondering at his reaction. He threw his cane onto the nearby sofa, and his gloves followed. Kitty bit her lip again. What would be his facial reaction when he turned around? Lord Holling turned over a signet ring on his hand most quickly and nervously and Kitty became quite apprehensive of his reaction - would he be devastated?

Lord Holling appeared to take a deep breath, before he turned around, beaming with happiness. This was the first thing that threw her off balance; the second was the giant bear hug he scooped her up into, lifting her high about the floor and twirling her about.

"Teeeeddddddddddddddy!" Kitty shrieked, forgetting her prim and proper manner.

After he set her back down on the ground, Kitty put her chin in the air defiantly - "Well I never!"

Lord Holling laughed. It only had the bear traces of nervousness and confusion that had consumed both parties in the room only a few seconds before.

"What was that reaction for?" said Kitty somewhat bemused.

"I was wondering how I was going to be able to - you know - and then you did it for me."

"You wanted to be released?"

"Of course, I don't love you Kitty. Well at least like that, I do care about you, but you know all that lyrical poetic stuff? I don't feel that, not to mention - "

"Not to mention what?

Lord Holling, wished he had bitten his tongue, he could hardly just blurt out, 'I think my cousin loves you.' He had come into the room with a goal, which had been taken out of his hands and fulfilled, thus he had been thrown off balance and betrayed into making an unwise statement.

"Nothing."

"No tell me!" demanded Kitty, feeling much relieved that there was no animosity, and was quickly falling into the habit of treating him very much in the light of a brother, or how she thought a brother should be treated.

"Honestly Kitty it was nothing, just furthering my explanation that you are a very good friend, but nothing more, I wanted to rescue you from Mr Collins, and now I hope, well I have heard, that that particular problem has been removed - so I felt I should come clean."

Kitty's brow furrowed. "That is not what you were going to say."

"It was." Lord Holling tried to be forceful, but forcefulness was not in his nature.

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't. I demand you tell me the truth."

Lord Holling, stepped forward and opened his mouth, but instead of speaking, he closed it over Kitty's.

Kitty stepped back, moments later rather confused. "W-why?"

"Old times sake?" said Lord Holling himself a little confused over his action, and more than that he felt guilty.

Kitty blinked, confused, but not at all angry or upset, strangely.

Lord Holling still had his arms around her, so he gave her a squeeze and whispered in her ear "I had to do something to shut you up."

Kitty gave an involuntary laugh, which set Lord Holling off as well.

"We really are a strange pair aren't we?"

"Destined to be friends?"

"Quite possibly, in fact most definitely."

"I'd still rather marry you, then most men I have met in this world."

"Really?"

"You are so kind and honourable."

"So I'm above most men?"

Kitty gave a little blush. "Yes most men."

Lizzy was having a most frightful day, first there had been the letter to her aunt, then her visions of large floating hats, now she was doing something she had always promised never to do - spying.

She had heard the door open, and Lord Holling announce himself, however the butler had not taken him to the library to converse with her father, so that only left one person he could be coming to see - Kitty.

Lizzy did not think that Lord Holling and Kitty suited each other, and she was strangely curious to see how a couple that did not love, acted alone together. So as the sitting room that Kitty was receiving her beau in was connected via a curtained doorway to a most inconvenient smaller, pokier parlour, Lizzy was able to watch unseen. She could not hear what was said but she could hear, and she justified her actions by telling herself she was simply chaperoning.

At first Lizzy thought that Kitty had broken it off with Lord Holling, but then his subsequent actions seemed to contradict this, especially the most shocking kiss, and the sounds of laughter that did reach Lizzy's ears.

Lizzy's spying was interrupted by Jane.

"Lizzy!" came Jane's scandalised voice. Lizzy hurriedly dropped the heavy curtain and stepped backwards.

"How would you like it if Kitty spied on you with Mr Darcy."

"Well I love Mr Darcy Jane."

"Well how do you know she doesn't love Lord Holling?"

"Oh Jane!"

"No don't Oh Jane me Lizzy, you do not know the depths of Kitty's heart and unless you ask her which would be grossly rude. I know that you and I have never offered confidences to her, so asking for hers would be uncivil and un-sisterly."

Lizzy twisted a curl around her finger. "I know all this Jane, but I'm worried about her."

"So are we all, but it is her life. There is little we can do about the matter, we can only trust that Kitty knows what she is doing."

"How can she! She is just seventeen!"

"When you were seventeen, you were not just seventeen!"

"Yes well I was a lot more mature than Kitty." Said Lizzy mutinously.

"Of course you were." Said Jane.

"Where is the nice sweet older sister I used to have?"

"Oh she is still here but well I decided out of Charles and I one of us had to grow a spine, otherwise the ton will eat us alive."

"Now in Bath, Kitty, you will have to remember that you will be a Duchess soon, so you must not let any of those Bath Ladies snub you."

'And when my dear were you in Bath?' said Mr Bennet amused.

"Well, never my dear, but Lady Lucas's cousin has been, and she said there are such, I do hope I say this right, such quizzes in Bath! So Kitty I want you to remember that you will be a Duchess."

"Mama." Said Lizzy warningly.

"Oh hush Lizzy! But you would do well to remember what I say too! When Lady Lucas visited while Kitty was ill, you did not act at all like a Mrs Darcy would act! What would MR Darcy say."

"Well since, mother I am not yet Mrs Darcy, I don't think he would mind."

Mrs Bennet tsk-tsked then turned back to Kitty. "Now Kitty when you are a Duchess..."

"Mama!" interposed Lizzy again.

"Stop interrupting me Lizzy! When you are Duchess Kitty..."

"I'm not going to be a Duchess Mama." Said Kitty simply, not pausing in her sewing.

A deathly silence fell over the room.

"What did you say Kitty?" said Mrs Bennet.

"I said, I 'm not going to be a Duchess Mama." Repeated Kitty faithfully.

Mr Bennet had folded down his newspaper, and was looking most curiously at his fourth daughter.

"Oh." Said Mrs Bennet, looking thoughtful and then brightening up, "Yes of course my dear, how silly of me, you will only be a Marchioness until the Duke dies, but his life can not be worth much surely."

"No mother, you misunderstand me. I spoke with Lord Holling today, and we decided we would not suit."

Mrs Bennet's mouth dropped open, as did Lizzy's.

"You decided what!" she shrieked.

"We had a talk, and it was decided that we would not suit, thus I am not going to be Duchess, or any other form of married woman, anytime soon."

With this Kitty, calmly put down her sewing and left the room, leaving in her wake, a most dazed and confused family. Closing the door behind her, Kitty leant against it, wondering if she had done the right thing.

"So are you going to go?" asked Ash.

"I don't know. I seem to have been commanded to go, but well that means but little."

"Really? I thought if his lordship said'Jump', you asked'How high?'"

"Don't be facetious Ash." Replied Miles.

The men were lounging about Ash's rooms - a most untidy affair.

Smoke clouds were forming above the gentlemen, adding to the fustiness of the place.

"It has been a strange week has it not?"

"A very strange week yes."

There came a cough from the door.

"Yes Hayden?"

"His lordship is here to see you, my lord." Said Hayden cryptically.

"Don't be such a cryptic fellow." Admonished Lord Holling as he came through the door. "Here be useful take my things."

Lord Holling came up short, when he saw that Miles was with Ash. "Miles." He said curtly. "I thought you said Ash was alone?"

Hayden who had not withdrawn, paused before speaking "I did not think his lordship counted."

"What an odd fellow Ash, does he call everyone 'his lordship'?" Lord Holling queried of his cousin.

'Yes, except those who are not entitled to the epitaph, they are just gentlemen, or sir..." Ash looked over his cousin. "Was there something particular you wanted to see me about?"

"Yes, but I would rather speak to you - " Lord Holling paused looking at Miles in a speaking manner.

"Well I think that is my cue!" said Miles swinging his legs off the sofa. He shrugged himself into his coat, and placed his hat jauntily on his head, before sweeping up his cane.

"Your lordship. Your lordship." He said giving an elaborate bow in both directions. "Now play nice."

He left the room, but not before placing a hand on Lord Holling's shoulder and squeezing it gently, then placing his cigarillo in Lord Holling's waiting fingers.

"Well?" said Ash, looking up.

"You know what."

"No I don't know."

"Don't be dense Ash." Said Lord Holling viciously stubbing the cigarillo out.

Ash swung his legs down off the arms of his chair and ran one hand through his hair. "Okay suppose I do know what you are here about."

"Good then we can talk about it."

Ash stood up and turned towards the window. "What if I don't want to?" he said looking back over his shoulder at Lord Holling

"Okay, we will be forced to speak like men."

"Like men?"

"In Riddles."

"That I can cope with," laughed Ash.

"Okay, well without saying anything explicit....I am no longer engaged."

"You call that inexplicit?"

"No I call it the tactic of surprise. Well now I'm out of your way...."

"You think I'd let an engagement stand in my way of something I wanted?" said Ash returning to his seat curiously not looking his cousin in the eye.

"No, I think normally you are selfish enough to run rough shod over everything and everyone to get what you want. But I think maybe this time its different."

"I don't see that." Said Ash in a somewhat sulky voice.

"I'm your cousin. Didn't want to find out if you would do something like that to a relation?"

"No, cousinship doesn't count for anything." Said Ash, flicking lint off his shoulder.

"Really? Then what on earth is keeping you?" replied Lord Holling. Ash finally looked his cousin in the eye.

"Priceless!" laughed Lord Holling in a shot. "My brave cousin is terrified isn't he?"

Ash stood up sharply and advanced on Lord Holling, who caught his arm easily as it came up.

"It's never wise to bet against a dark horse." Lord Holling paused. "Didn't you teach me that maxim?"

Ash wrenched his hand away. "Damn you."

Ash shook out his hand and glared at his cousin.

Lord Holling just sat down and opened up a nearby newspaper ignoring his pacing cousin.

"Oh look here, Lord X - how mysterious - has been seen driving around a much deserted London - yes they are all down here in Brighton - in a yellow and green equipped curricle - ick what a combination, I always knew Xaviar had no taste."

Lord Holling finished his dissection on the social column, paused and looked at the date on the paper. "This is last weeks! I thought I was having a rather strange sense of déjà vu, either that or was becoming a mystic...oh lighten up Ash."

"Its very hard to lighten up, when the Angel of gloom and doom is in your rooms."

Lord Holling looked around, and then put an expression of hurt on his face. "You are talking to me?" He folded up the paper, cast it aside and stood. "Very well I'll leave."

He had almost made it to the door. When Ash's voice recalled him. "Don't leave like that!"

"How would you prefer me to leave? Out the window with your hands at my back?"

"Teddy!"

"No don't Ash, I know I'm not the interesting member of our family, or your set. I'm rather staid, I like numbers, I like sitting down and doing estate business and apart from that I'm rather stupid. I'm not a conversationalist or a wit. But in this I'm a lot smarter than you. And I'll tell you this for nothing - don't hurt her, or I will hurt you."

Lord Holling continued out the door. Leaving Ash gaping at the slammed door. Childishly Ash picked up a cushion and hurled it at the door in anger.

Part Three.

Newspapers are unable, seemingly, to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization. ~ George Bernard Shaw.

Sir Christian looked at the newspaper office and then up and down the street. He could go into the office and place his 'advertisement' - surely Mary didn't really mean that she wouldn't marry him if he announced their engagement. Sir Christian was nervous about an elopement, like all rakes he had constitutional dislike of fathers branding pitchforks, or at worst pistols. Now Sir Christian could hold his own in any form of fight, but somehow he had a feeling he was likely to be rather exposed at any time an angry father was likely to appear avec scary weapons - and Mr Bennet was an unknown quantity.

Then again he did like mysteries and intrigue, so perhaps an elopement with Mary would be nice. The idea of travelling all the way to Scotland with her, in a closed carriage did have certain possibilities, though if he knew Mary the only possibilities that would occur, would be that he would be much better educated in the works of Wollstonecraft before the trip was over. The more he thought about Mary and a trip to Scotland, the more it did not seem cohesive. Mary would be much more likely to demand he obtain a special license, even though it would be highly illegal, and her parents could easily force an annulment in such circumstances - unless.... Sir Christian restrained his thoughts.

"Christian what in the blue blazes are you doing?" Miles asked bemusedly. Unbeknownst to Sir Christian he had been watching, as Sir Christian absentmindedly wore a path up and down the pavement in front of the newspaper office.

All Sir Christian could do was sadly hold up his scrappy piece of paper with his planned insertion on. Miles' right eyebrow shot up dramatically, and wordlessly he handed it back.

"I'm not having second thoughts - it's just..."

"Just what?"

"She wants an elopement." Hissed Sir Christian.

"And you don't."

"Nooo" hissed Sir Christian in an even lower voice. "I want to do what's right."

"Boy you are caught in her trap aren't you?"

Sir Christian straightened out of his conspiratorial hunch and gave Miles a look that said it all.

"All right! Don't murder me with a look! Here I'll hold your hand and we will go into the newspaper office together!"

Sir Christian turned on his heel and stalked into the office trying to ignore with dignity the laughing Miles that followed him.

"I'd like to place an insertion in tomorrow's announcement column." Sir Christian said grandly.

Miles looked over the counter at the pile of papers that had obviously been brought in by clients.

"Wait a minute." Exclaimed Miles. "I know that handwriting."

Before the clerk could snatch away the confidential letters, Miles had grabbed the marked letter and read it. Sir Christian grew alarmed at the range of expressions that crossed his face and the way that Miles' eyes bulged out alarmingly.

"You are not printing this." He said to the clerk.

"I'm afraid sir, that this isn't your announcement." He replied imperiously.

"Yes it bloody well is, its got my name on it."

"Well I'm afraid your lordship, that it was not delivered by you, so I cannot stop its being printed."

"Don't you know who I am!!" Thundered Miles.

"Yes. A rather aggravating person, now if you don't mind sir..." Said the clerk snatching the letter back.

"I'm Lord Upton! That is my announcement and I demand that you do not print it, or I will have you up on LIBEL charges."

The Clerk was unmoved. "As I have stated before you did not bring this announcement to us, it was Lady Upton, and unless she states otherwise it is being printed. I mean what could happen if we pulled every article just because some fellow came off the street claiming to be the inserter of the article."

Miles turned a violent shade of puce. "Right. I will get my mother, and she will remove this offending article. Will that be all right with the newspaper authorities?" He gritted out before storming out of the office.

The Clerk gave a hmmph of satisfaction before disappearing with the pile of papers behind the curtain.

Sir Christian was befuddled. "Er - Excuse me?"

A kindly voice behind him spoke. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance in alerting the clerk to your presence, now what did you want to see him about."

"I must insert this in the newspaper."

Miss Smart calmly buttered her bread as she heard her mother rave on.

"I don't believe you Rosamund! All that money into your education and you want to help people!"

"Mother, I simply said I enjoyed being of use when Kitty fell in the lake. Though I think the word fell is what you would call - what is that word? Euphuism?" The word came difficultly to Miss Smart's tongue but she felt she was living up to her name by using it.

"Kitty is it?" said Lady Rockhaven dismissively. "She isn't worth a quarter of you Rosamund! And I will not have you be seen conversing with her."

"She will be a duchess Mama!" said Miss Smart surprised.

"Oh no she won't, there is an article in this mornings newspaper, declaring her to be free from harm after her little accident, and there is no mention of a fiancé and I assure you if there was one, that Mrs Bennet would make sure it was mentioned. "

Lady Rockhaven, passed over the paper for Miss Smart to look through.

"Oh and my dear, in the last column near the top, is something that will interest you greatly I think. It is a bit odd, the way things have been handled, but it is most satisfactory."

Miss Smart's forehead creased, as she searched the last column wondering what could be of interest to her, then it leapt out at her and her jaw dropped.

A little while later Miles was glaring at the same bit of print. Damn his mother. He should have known she would have picked last night to high tail it off to Worthing. He should have made her remove to the Dower House and out of his life, all those years ago.

"Ahem."

"Yes?" queried Miles of his footman.

'A Miss Smart to see you sir. Shall I show her into the parlour?"

"No you shall not show me into the parlour!" came an angry voice.

Miss Smart stormed into the room. "If I find you have had anything to do with this woe betide you!"

"Does it look like I did?" Snapped Miles back.

"Good. Right that is it then."

"What is it then?"

"I'm 21. I'm off to have this horrid announcement removed. At once."

"You find the idea of marrying me horrid?"

"Yes, utterly! You scare me to pieces. I'm such a twit around you, unless I'm in a rage, and its only mothers interferences that do that."

Miles blinked. It never occurred to him that Miss Smart might not want to marry him.

"But...But..." was all he managed.

"What?" said Miss Smart, feeling the anger of the last decade at least catching up with her. "Do you think I like acting like a stupid china doll? I'm not the most intelligent person, but I have always been told not to act intelligent, that I am useless for anything but being looked at! But when that doctor asked me to help him! He wanted ME!"

Miles took a seat as the full fury of a woman scorned for most of her life took hold.

"I'm much more useful than just being looked at! I mean what use is playing the piano I ask you?"

"It makes pretty music?" said Miles, rather stupidly.

"Men!" shrieked Miss Smart turning on her heel and stalking out of the room.

"Miss Smart!" Miles called, racing into his foyer.

"Yes." Said Miss Smart in her most imperious fashion, though truth be told, Lord Upton still scared her.

"Do you have identification? The newspaper office is very picky about advertisements, you may have some trouble inserting one."

Miss Smart snorted and left the building, leaving a rather bemused Miles behind her.

Where was Annabelle? Thought the Duchess as she walked through Annabelle's apartments. She needed to find Annabelle before Annabelle read a certain section of today's paper - a section that had puzzled the Duchess ten-fold.

The Duchess was on her way down the stairs to the breakfast parlour when she head a pained shriek. Oh dear she had been too late.

The Duchess hurried to the breakfast Parlour to see a paled Annabelle reading the paper.

"Annabelle are you all right?"

Annabelle jerked her head towards her grandmother and very quickly blinked back tears.

"Oh yes, I just stubbed my toe." Annabelle lied with the best attempt at a smile plastered on her face.

"Are you sure Belle?"

"Yes of course, it was so foolish of me to stub my toe. Now about Bath!" said Annabelle brightly, quickly tucking the newspaper out of sight.

The Duchess sighed. If Belle did not want to talk about it, it was best not to force her, at least not for the moment.

"Yes Bath, I thought we would leave as soon as possible. I think it is very important to put as much distance between Brighton and us as possible. I think we all have reasons not to stay here."

Annabelle bit her tongue checking the impulsive confession hovering on her lips.

"Yes. Bath is a very salubrious environment. How long do you propose to stay there Grandmamma?"

"Well I was thinking that we might as well keep Kitty in Bath until her sister's wedding which you know will be August - A nice end of summer wedding. So by my reasoning we shall have a month."

"Has Mrs Bennet consented to this scheme? I should think she would want Kitty around to help during the preparations."

"Nonsense. Mrs Bennet will want Kitty near single men. Which will not happen at Longbourn!"

"Will it happen at Bath?"

"Of course not, but Mrs Bennet will not know this."

Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief. She most certainly did not wish to be around unattached men, normally she flirted excessively with unattached men as long as they fulfilled her requirements and she just could not do that at present, which would excite some comment from her grandparent.

The Duchess pursed her lips as she watched her granddaughter start to play absentmindedly with the fringe of the sofa. Soon she would have her in Bath and then there would be no escape for Lady Annabelle Fitzwilliam, she would just have to speak to her grandmother.

Anne sighed with contentment as she strolled along the Steyne with her particular beau. She felt she could call him that now, although there had not been a declaration between them, it seemed to be unspoken but universally accepted by them and hopefully their relations.

"Ricky?"

"Yes Anne?"

"You are going to marry me aren't you?"

Colonel Fitzwilliam stopped stunned. "Marry you?"

"Yes I know we have not directly spoken of it...but I thought it was - "

"Oh my, look at that pretty shop Anne, let us go in." said Colonel Fitzwilliam quickly.

"Ricky?" said Anne in a pained voice refusing to be budged.

'Can we not talk about this here please?!" pleaded the Colonel, with his puppy dog eyes, which normally did not fail to persuade any female into doing as he wished. But Anne was not to be gainsaid.

"Why not? Do you not wish to marry me?"

"Well the subject has never come up!" said the colonel honestly.

"You have led me to believe that - "

"I did not mean for you to believe that. I think highly of you Anne and perhaps one day if no one..."

"No one else!" shrieked Anne. "If no one else!"

"Anne!" said The Colonel realising he had, without a doubt, made a monumental mistake. A mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life for Anne had turned on her heel and stalked away.

Part Four

"Was ever woman in this humour wooed? Was ever woman in this humour won? - King Richard III. Act i. Sc. 2."

Mary too was intently studying the newspaper and for the life of her Lydia could not understand why.

"Mary! I wish to read the newspaper! You have been looking at it for a least half an hour now! There cannot be all that much to interest you in there! I wish to read the parts about the military."

Mary paid her youngest sister no heed and began to scan the same column for the 100th time.

"Maaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry." Shrieked Lydia.

"Lydia please!" said Lizzy colouring as she gave Darcy a quick look. Darcy was not impressed she could tell, so it clearly behoved her to remove him from the area.

"Shall we not go for a walk dearest? Jane? Mr Bingley? You shall join us."

Jane made no demur and neither of the gentlemen seemed to object so they quitted the room to amble about Brighton and talk of the upcoming wedding.

This action however did not stop the argument that was brewing between Mary and Lydia.

"Mary! I want that newspaper."

"Get your own newspaper." Snapped Mary. This instantly shut Lydia up. She was not used to Mary snapping: Mary moralised. She didn't snap!

"Is anything the matter Mary?"

Mary slammed down the paper. "It's off! He didn't insert the announcement, so I will just go tell him it's off!"

Mary whisked herself out of the room in a quandary. She had told Sir Christian they should elope, but she had hardly meant it, and now it seemed he was taking her seriously! She would teach him to take her seriously!

Lydia was left in a most confused state. She had succeeded in her goal of gaining the newspaper, but it was a hollow victory, she had not really won it, and there was no one to see her triumph.

Her annoyance increased when she realised that everyone but herself must have plans for today. Where were all the officers? Surely they did not all have duties to attend to today? Surely they should be here, at her feet.

The butler interrupted her annoyance.

"Miss Bennet, there is a Mr Yeates wishing to know if the ladies of the house are at home? But Mrs Bennet is still upstairs and I do not know whether - "

"Oh pish-posh! I am at home!" Said Lydia eagerly, pulling her gown down to a scandalous level. Mr Yeates was better than nothing.

Mr Yeates feeling triumphant at gaining entry to the Bennet Bastion, checked himself on the threshold.

"I do beg you pardon, you aren't dressed yet."

Lydia's mouth dropped open. That was not how he was supposed to react!

Ash took at deep breath and tried to tie his cravat. Damn He threw the ruined cravat down, onto a pile of still more ruined cravats.

"My lord?"

"Hayden?"

"Would you like me to do that?"

"No!" snapped Ash. What would happen if he allowed his batman to tie his cravat, granted Hayden was much more like a valet than a batman, but still, he would be a laughing stock. But surely he was already a laughing stock to all his friends.

For he had done the stupidest thing in his life - He had fallen in love. And he had fallen into serious love, not the sort of calf-love one had when one was young, or the love one had for an opera singer, it was the kind of love that ended up turning you into a husband, and further along a father.

Ash had never thought of anyone but himself. Well this was not strictly true, he was a caring friend, brother and son, but he did not have to put anyone else's welfare before his if he chose not to. But he had succumbed to a pair of deep brown eyes, and he didn't know if he could stop the idea that he could come first? What if he was a terrible husband? Or a terrible father?

The idea did not bear thinking about. Of course he had known that he would have to marry at some stage and produce an heir, but he had assumed it would be to a girl of rank, who would not expect anything of him except money. He had a feeling that deep brown eyes would expect a great deal more than that, and what if he couldn't do it? And for twenty-nine years of his life he had not thought about it, and he wouldn't have except for those eyes.

The insecurities that were plaguing him were even disrupting his sleep. Then there was Teddy. Ash knew he was not as close to his cousin as he was to the rest of his cousins, but he could not have helped that surely? But the answer was he could have. Teddy was not naturally outgoing and fun, but he was an honest straight dealing man, and Ash should have taken more notice of that.

Was he just an insufferably dandy?

Damn. Another necktie joined its brothers on the floor.

Well there was only one person who could satisfy him on this account, and he wanted an answer now.

Kitty had high hopes. High hopes of her sister and Mr Yeates. They were together, alone, in the breakfast parlour, and although the butler had instructed her to join them, she decided against it. The butler Kitty felt was a little too scrupulous about such things, even though he did have a romantic soul, he used it rather haphazardly, and he felt Miss Lydia should not be left alone with anything wearing pants.

Instead Kitty sat stitching a handkerchief. She was going to Bath and she could hardly wait. In Bath she would have solitude! She wouldn't be alone of course, but all her relations and friends would not surround her and this would allow her time to sort out her feelings. The last couple of months had stretched all of Kitty's resources to the limit. She had grown up and grown up fast. She had sorted out her feelings for Mr Collins very quickly. Her feelings for Lord Holling had been more difficult to interpret but she felt they were sorted out as well. It was her feelings about herself, and then about herself and men, that she had not sorted out. Her heart, her hand and her mind had been handed about like some object d'art on sale to the highest bidder and she did not know what to think.

"Miss Catherine. Lord Ashbourne to see you." The Butler coughed nervously. Was he helping in a secret rendezvous? He felt he had already assisted Miss Mary to one, so was it wrong to facilitate two more? With Miss Catherine and Miss Lydia? The Butler was torn.

"Ash." Said Kitty cheerfully putting her sewing aside. "Before you say another word let me thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"T-Thank me?" said Ash much thrown.

"Yes, for saving my life."

"Of course! I'm sorry, its just with you looking so well it is hard to believe that less than a week ago you were pitch forked into water!"

Kitty smiled. This was what she liked - easy flirting.

"Thankyou. We are removing to Bath soon, your grandmother wishes to ensure I am fully recovered. You will visit her there will you not?"

"Is she the only one I will be permitted to visit?" Said Ash with a smile.

Kitty blushed, but hid her smile from him. "Of Course, you will wish to visit Belle!"

Ash turned to the window with a deep sigh.

"Yes you are quite right, I shall wish to visit my sister."

Kitty started at his tone. Something was wrong. Shaking this feeling off she tried to keep the mood light.

"Well there are many entertainments at Bath. Though perhaps not for gentlemen - after all Lord Upton was telling me about the Glee Club at the White Hart. Not his sort of thing - and I dare say not yours - "

Kitty noticed that Ash's attention was not on her. He was still engrossed looking out of the window. Kitty was not best pleased.

"Ash?"

There was no response he just continued to stare.

"My lord?"

This seemed to shake Ash out of his reverie. "I'm sorry?" he apologised sincerely but still sounded distracted.

"You seem distracted?"

"I am distracted."

Kitty blinked in confusion. "Well then it is very good you look confused then!" she said with a small smile.

It was a small smile, but she saw how it affected him. Was something on his mind? Was he worried that she had broken it off with his cousin? What was it? Something was not right though.

As Ash did not reply, Kitty hesitantly continued. "Did you come to see me about what was distracting you?"

"Yes." Said Ash, wondering if this was an intentional opening.

"Well I'm perfectly ready to listen to you." Said Kitty compliantly, wondering what could have happened.

Ash took a deep breath. "I am beginning to think that..."

He stopped. "You are beginning to think what?" asked Kitty confused.

"No What I mean is that, I know I'm so very old - "

"You are not that old!" said Kitty.

"Okay well I feel so very old when compared to - I mean I know I'm - "

Kitty blinked.

"Yes? Ash??"

Ash slammed his hand into the wall, making both Kitty and himself jump. He took a deep breath and turned around slowly.

"I am saying this all wrong Kit-Miss Bennet - yes - Miss Bennet. May I start over?"

"Of course Lord Ashbourne. Anything you want!" said Kitty trying not to let the mimicking tone slip into her voice, she didnt' think it would be appreciated.

"Right."

Kitty became slightly alarmed when he dropped, beside her, upon one knee. He took both his hands

"I think I love you Kitty. I cannot stop thinking about you. I assure you nothing like this has ever happened to be before. I just can't - and then with Teddy - and the toad - Kitty please Please Marry me. I don't think I can ever be myself with out - Become my wife?"

Kitty blinked. Marry Lord Ashbourne? Marry Ash? Marry him? Go from the future Mrs Collins, to the Future Lady Holling to the future Lady Ashbourne in a matter of weeks?

"Marry you?" she said in a whisper.

"Yes." Said Ash nodding emphatically.

Kitty blinked back a tear. Oh to be asked several months ago when everything in her brain was not swimming about in her head. She quickly withdrew her hands, stood and strode across the room. She wiped away the stray tears, but kept her back turned to him so he would not see.

"Kitty?" Said Ash, confused and abandoned.

"I can't marry you."

"What?" Said Ash in shock.

Kitty turned around. "I cannot marry you. I cannot become your wife. I just can't. Can't you see that? I - I - Oh you don't understand - I mean I can't.... I'm just...I can't! " Kitty's voice verged on hysteria.

Ash stood up either too upset or angry to even pick up on the slight hysteria in Kitty's voice. . "Right then. Well forget I ever asked."

He did not look at her as he marched out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Kitty dissolved into tears.

Chapter 32, Part One

Posted on Tuesday, 20 November 2001, at 7:46 p.m.

I put my trust in you / Pushed as far as I can go / And for all this / There's only one thing you should know... ~ "In the end" by Linkin Park.

Lydia watched enraptured as Mr Yeates read from an improving novel. Mary had entirely ruining the idea of reading the newspaper; so all Mr Yeates could read to Lydia was one of Mary's improving novels.

This was as close to active improvement as Lydia had ever come and to her surprise, improvement was quite enjoyable when it was being espoused by what Lydia now realised was quite an attractive man. Just as attractive as Wickham or Denny or any of the other officers - even if Mr Yeates was an impoverished artist.

Just as Mr Yeates was getting to the thrilling part of the novel where it was described how a young lady very remarkably saved her entire village from the plague, the outer door slammed. Not seconds later a wail permeated the house.

Lydia knew that wail; it belonged to her sister. Normally that particular wail was associated with Lydia's having stolen something of Kitty's. However, this time, Lydia had a feeling that something entirely different had been stolen from Kitty.

Lydia hurriedly shoved aside her chair and raced to her sister's aid. Mr Yeates was forced to choose between reading to no one or following Lydia: he chose the most attractive option.

When Lydia found her, Kitty was pacing around the room, tears flowing freely from her eyes. It didn't take a genius to discover the cause of her distress: from the door Lydia could easily see out of the window. There on the street was Ash glaring back up at the house. Lydia hurriedly backed out of the room, creating a nice sensation for Mr Yeates.

"Yeates " she yelped, not feeling too uncomfortable herself. "You look after Kitty." Lydia pushed Mr Yeates into the room and ran off down the hall, leaving a confused Mr Yeates.

"Lydia!!!" he wailed realising he was alone with a crying girl. He took a moment to collect himself, before stepping forward hesistantly.

"Miss Bennet." He said in what was hopefully his most soothing voice. "What has happened?"

Kitty stopped pacing and looked tearfully at Mr Yeates. "Why Mr Yeates? Why?"

"Well Miss Bennet your sister, she pushed me into this room, and I haven't the faintest idea why, except that you are upset?"

"No No Mr Yeates! Why did he .....I thought at least he'd give..." Kitty gestured madly towards the window, and finally Mr Yeates realised what was happening.

"Lord Ashbourne I presume is the gentleman to whom you refer?"

Kitty nodded allowing Mr Yeates to lead her to the sofa. Wiping away her tears Kitty continued.

"I need....I need time...I can't choose...I'm seventeen. How can I decide on the rest of my life..."

" ' Younger than she are happy mothers made.' * But surely you are older than seventeen!"

Kitty gave a small smile. "Well I'm almost 18" she confided in a whisper. Mr Yeates smiled.

Kitty's smile quickly turned into a frown. "Why!!! I mean could he not see that I wasn't even ready to consider..." She seemed unequal to continuing so Mr Yeates continued for her.

"Men don't often think, or see, Miss Bennet."

He offered her his handkerchief which she gratefully accepted.

"So stupid of him. " she smiled.

"He is stupid for admiring you?"

Kitty stopped sniffing. "No you misunderstand me. He is stupid in his timing. How could he have expected...

"Do I understand then that at a different moment, when you were less...er...burdened that you would have...?"

Mr Yeates paused not sure how to continue. Kitty looked blankly at Mr Yeates. Then gasped. "Oh." Before bursting into a fresh round of tears. Mr Yeates winced tears weren't his forte.

Lydia looked both ways and she saw Ash's tall figure striding away towards the direction of the Steyne.

"Lord Ashbourne." She called walking quickly in his direction. The figure did not stop.

" Lord Ashbourne." She yelled causing several people to state at her and one old matron to make a disparaging comment about Lydia's manners, or lack thereof. Still Ash didn't turn, so Lydia had to set off in a most unladylike run.

"Ash.!" She shrieked, finally catching up with him and yanking on his coat tails.

"What is it Lydia. " groaned Ash, finally turning around.

"You stupid, stupid man!" snapped Lydia.

Ash was taken back, by both Lydia's words and her anger. He drew Lydia towards the stone fence surrounding on of the houses, where they could continue the conversation or scolding, as it appeared to be, in some semblance of privacy.

"Why am I stupid?"

"You love my sister."

Ash blinked. "Ah yes of course I see how this would be foolish indeed. But you should be appeased by the knowledge she will not have me."

"Of course she won't. " said Lydia scornfully.

"Silly me of course she wouldn't!" said Ash making to walk away.

"Wait" said Lydia grabbing Ash's sleeved. "Stop being such a man! You address my sister just after she has disentangled herself from toad man and the Marquis and after she almost died! And you dare say you love her?"

Ash glared at Lydia, shook free of her hold and stormed off. Lydia stamped her foot and returned to the house in high dudgeon. Her anger at Ash and her feelings for her sister were so high that she didn't even notice Denny bowing to her or the other young officer who was declaring his heart the property of Miss Lydia Bennet.

Lydia also did not notice her sisters and their fiancé across the road. Lizzy's jaw dropped as she watched her younger sister racing after Ash.

"I would have never guessed." She gasped.

"Nor would I!" breathed Darcy.

"How could Ash? I mean Lydia continued Darcy in shock.

"You shall have to speak to him darling." Said Lizzy watching as her sister clasped Ash's arm.

"Yes I see I shall. " replied Darcy after a long pause. The party watched as Lydia returned to the house and Ash walked away.

"Well not now." Said Jane, propelling Lizzy and Bingley across the road forcing a slack-jawed Darcy to follow.

Lydia slammed the door, glaring at the butler. What was it about men that mean they didn't have any sense of romance or timing? Like Saunderson declaring his eternal love to her just as Madame Rosie had got a new delivery of fabrics. Or that time Mr Morecombe asked her to walk in the arbour just as Miss Gould was about to reveal just what Annie Quartor had done in the grove with Master Gould. Men had no sense of timing and Lydia hated it. Men should understand just when it was right to shower girls with gifts and when it was better for them to go away!

Lydia looked up and groaned. Mr Yeates was starting to come down the stairs and he had a sort of look in his eyes. She sighed. Great, now Mr Yeates would declare his love for her and this wasn't the time!

"Miss Lydia. Your sister has returned to her room to cry some more. I hope I shall see you at Mrs Foresters ball tomorrow. " and with that Mr Yeates took his leave by shaking her hand. Lydia stomped her foot. Men. They really have no concept of timing.

Ignoring the disapproving looks the butler gave her she made her way to Kitty's room.

"Kitty?" she queried, poking her head into Mary and Kitty's room. The first thing she noticed was how insufferably clean it was. The second thing she noticed was her sister crying on her bed. Lydia sat next to her on the bed. "Kitty?"

'Go...*sniff*...away Lydia"

"Lydia!" came Lizzy's voice as she burst into the room. "What is going on between you and Lord Ashbourne. We saw you."

Lydia stared jaw open at one sister, while the other sat up tearfully and gave Lydia a strong look.

"Lydia I warn you.." said Lizzy.

"Lizzy get out." Snapped Kitty.

"Kitty!" said Lizzy appalled.

"I need to talk to Lydia, please go away." Said Kitty moderating her tone. Lizzy gaped at both her sisters before stalking out of the room her dignity wounded.

Lydia looked at Kitty for once afraid of the anger that might be there.

"You talked to Ash." She said baldly.

Lydia nodded mutely.

" What did you say Lydia."

Lydia looked down at the quilt.

' What Lyddie?"

Lydia squirmed at the use of her childhood nickname. "All right! I called him a stupid, stupid man."

Kitty laughed and threw her arms around Lydia. "That was the best thing you have ever done for me Lyddie."

Lydia sighed. Love was such a strange thing, or maybe Kitty didn't love Lord Ashbourne.

"Sir she was most insistent." Implored Wadsworth, Sir Christians valet.

"Look Wadsworth, I'm a happily engaged man, no doxies, not anymore. Mary would kill me."

"But Sir ....."

" No Wadsworth. I'm not even dressed, now go and tell her now and then fetch my clothes." Said Sir Christian moving open his robe.

"Sir Christian." Mary pushed past an expostulating Wadsworth into the room. Startled Sir Christian snapped his robe shut and his jaw dropped.

"Leave us Wadsworth." Said Sir Christian

Wadsworth was puzzled but he obeyed his masters orders.

"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure Mary."

"There's no advertisement!"

Sir Christian had been moving slowly towards Mary with a lascivious grin on his face when he paused. "You said not to."

"You wretched man, you don't listen to what I say you do what I mean you to do."

"I'm afraid I am not a mind reader Mary, is this something I should apply myself to? Besides you said you wanted a rake's wedding"

Mary silently cursed herself. Why had she foolishly come here, into his own territory?

"Mary? You did want to proceed like a rake didn't you?" Sir Christian purred glancing at the bed and then at Mary.

Mary's jaw dropped, she stepped forward drew back her right arm and socked Sir Christian. Alarmed at her own strength, Mary watched as Sir Christian reeled backwards and fell against his dresser, crumpling to the ground.

"Christian!" she cried getting on her knees and started slapping him about the face. "Oh wake up! Wake up! Why didn't I read more circulating novels, those heroines always know what to do!"

"If you think this is the way to treat your fiancé you are sadly mistaken. " said Sir Christian groggily, grabbing Mary's hands and kissing them. "May I remind you that while you wanted a rakes wedding I wanted the proper approach. "

Mary glared at him. "Then why didn't you place the advertisement?"

"Well I didn't foresee you coming around here like this, or that definitely would have been my reason. But it wasn't. "

"Oh then what wa-" Mary was cut off as Sir Christian kissed her.

"Sir - oh - "

"Yes Wadsworth" said Sir Christian calmly as Mary turned bright red stood up and ran out of the room.

She was not falling in love with that man and she would - well she wasn't quite sure what she would do.

* Romeo and Juliet

Chapter 32, Part Two

I waited for her call / she always kept me waiting / and if I ever got another chance / I'd still ask her to dance / because she kept me waiting ~ 'The Rock Show' Blink 182

Miles alighted from his coach and looked at the newspaper office, no sooner than he had reached the footpath, than Miss Smart sashayed out of the office.

"You alarmed me Lord Upton, removing that advertisement was easy."

"Really Miss Smart? However did you manage to get them to remove it?"

"Easy, I simply said if they didn't it would make me very unhappy." Said Miss Smart, accepting Miles' proffered arm.

They walked a while in silence before Miles spoke. "It occurs to me that I quite underrated you."

"Not just you. Everyone did, even myself. Now I might not have bookish intelligence and I still think Romeo and Juliet would have been a much better play if no one had died, but it's as though after being of use to Kitty, then standing up to you, and well sort of doing the same to my mother - and nothing so very bad has happened because of it, the sky hasn't fallen in or anything of that nature...... " Miss Smart took a long breath.

"I see, and are they publishing a retraction, or did your skills only go so far?"

"Yes, they are, and at their expense." Said Miss Smart triumphantly.

"Formidable woman."

"All that training with boutique assistants, the only place a lady can be truly formidable."

"Perhaps I should have asked you to marry me?"

"I would have run away before the wedding."

"You wouldn't have just refused me?"

"I would have been too afraid of you, your mother or my mother."

"I see but in the end you would have run?"

"Yes, off with a half-pay officer. You see even a bubble-brain like myself doesn't want a husband who is madly in love with another woman."

Miles froze. He turned to Miss Smart to say something when they were accosted.

"My dear children." Cooed Lady Rockhaven and Lady Upton "how nice to see you both together."

Miss Smart stiffened as Miles sighed and rolled his eyes.

Annabelle lastly sat while her grandmother and Madame Celeste rammed another hat on her head.

"Belle what do you think of this?" said the Duchess really starting to worry, her granddaughter always reacted to hats.

"It's all right." Said Annabelle. "I mean it is lovely. " she amended seeing the shocked looks on both the women's faces.

The shop door tinkled and Misses Smart and Olsen, Mrs Olsen and Ladies Rockhaven and Upton entered. Madame Celeste, an avid scanner of the engagement notices sprung up.

"Mademoiselles, Madames, has Mademoiselle Smart come to look for bridal hats?"

Annabelle turned a shade of white and suddenly felt as if her legs wouldn't support her, so she remained frozen in her chair even though she wanted to run out of the room.

"Yes Celeste my dear Rosamund has accepted dear Lord Upton's proposal."

"I am very glad to hear it, you are infinitely preferable to one such as Mademoiselle Dew." Said Madame Celeste calmly.

Lady Rockhaven seemed inclined to bridle at this, but Lady Upton interjected smiling wolfishly at The Duchess and Annabelle. "Oh yes, just as Miss Dew was infinitely preferable to others."

The Duchess turned an interesting shade of crimson and opened her mouth to say something quite cutting when Annabelle interrupted her.

"I am very happy for you Miss Smart."

"Thank you Lady Annabelle, my daughter is very happy, I assure you." Replied Lady Rockhaven, "Aren't you Rosa?"

"Yes Mother of course I am, and I wish Lady Annabelle equal felicity in marriage. Also perhaps she would like to be informed that tomorrow's newspaper may hold an article that will warm her heart."

"Oh is it about puppies?" simpered Miss Olsen.

"Yes, well it's about one puppy specifically. A rather large, striking puppy." Replied Miss Smart with a meaningful look at Annabelle.

Annabelle blinked. Was Miss Smart trying to tell her something?

"Well Belle, we must be off lots to do before Bath." Said the Duchess sharply, removing the hat from Annabelle's head.

"Perhaps we shall meet in Bath." Said Miss Smart.

"Meet in Bath! Heavens what a notion child! It will be Paris with your husband for you. Or at least it would have been if for not this wretched war."

Annabelle gave Miss Smart a strange look and was certain that she was being given a coded message when Miss Smart embraced her in an uncharacteristic way and whispered in her ear "I know" before she was pulled back by a furious Lady Rockhaven who hissed "Think of what Lady Upton must think!"

Ash glared at Hayden. "Things did not progress well then I assume my lord?"

"Oh shut up."

Hayden, used to his lordships moods, wordlessly handed him a sealed letter. It was his father's seal; Ash frowned as he opened it.

Boy

Well that's certainly an opening that portends good, thought Ash.

So these Bennets must be an interesting breed? When do we meet her? You mother is starting to even knit little booties. Always like a woman to overreact. She just hit me, asking exactly who had been down in the wine cellar looking to see how the wine I put aside for my first grandchild is going. Am most disappointed that you didn't see fir to consult either of your parents on this matter but the heart is an unruly organ.

Affectionately your father,
Proud to have one horse at the starting gate at last, one out of three is not bad.

Lord Matlock.

Ash pursed his lips in Anger.

" Miles ." He spat.

"No its Darcy." Said Darcy confused as he was ushered into the room.

"Sorry Darcy, thinking of something else. Drink?"

"Yes please." Said Darcy his eye hardly helping falling on the discarded letter. His eyes widened as he looked at his back.

Ash handed him a brandy. "So what brings you to my humble abode."

"Well Ash, I know I'm not married to Elizabeth yet, but her family is under my protection."

"Mr Bennet isn't enough for them?" said Ash, trying to make light of what he could tell was about to be the beginning of a very probing interview.

"Very amusing Ash, but you know what I mean..."

"Yes I do Darcy, and I assume that this conversation is not about to be of a hypothetical bent."

"No it isn't. I need to talk to you most seriously about your involvement with Lydia."

Ash choked half spitting out his brandy, and the other half sliding down his windpipe. Was Darcy serious? A look out of watery eyes told him that he was serious.

"Well you are nothing if not blunt." Said Ash trying to work out there denial would be the best idea, before a wicked thought crossed his mind.

"Yes but it has to be asked."

"I totally understand and I assure you, you have nothing to worry about."

"So you have no marital intentions..?" said a confused Darcy, but a relieved Darcy.

Ash suppressed a smile. "I didn't say that."

Darcy's eyes widened further. "But...:"

"My intentions are honourable."

Darcy spluttered, "But, but...how could you possibly..."

"As my father says the heart is an unruly organ, now was that all Darcy?"

"Er ..Yes...right I'd be best getting back to Elizabeth then."

Ash burst out laughing the second Darcy left the room. God Kitty would have found that amusing. The laugh quickly died and Ash viciously kicked his dresser scarring the timber.

"So you were refused?" said Miles, to a distinctly more sober (in one sense of the word, and distinctly not sober in the other sense of the word) Ash.

Ash nodded glumly.

"I'm so sorry about the...you know...I thought you needed a kick in the pants. If I thought that she was literally going to..." Miles stopped talking.

"I know." Said Ash. "Though next time we are at Gentleman Jacksons look out."

"Ash, why don't you come to Grandfathers with me? It would definitely take you mind off..."

Ash shrugged. "When were you considering going?"

"Tomorrow...early."

"Tomorrow?" said Ash surprised.

"Lets just say I do not wish to face my mother tomorrow over breakfast, there is going to be a scene."

Ash looked even more confused, until Miles explained the situation.

"So you are going to leave Miss Smart to fend off the cannons."

"She will do a lot better if I'm not here. I can't 'offer' again if I'm not here."

"Okay, I will come with you. I will just have to write a letter to - "

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't write to her Ash, it would be a mistake."

"I was going to say I was going to write to Lydia."

"To Lydia ???"

"Yes that is what I just said, to Lydia."

"I am assuming you know what your doing?"

"Of course I do."

Miles gave his friend a wary look, not wanting to point out that Ash had thought he knew what he was doing where Miss Kitty was concerned.

"Anyway here is a letter I received from my aunt today, it mentions you, so I thought I should show you to warn you of what you are agreeing to."

Lord Upton,

My dear Miles, I was delighted not to hear from you; after all you are my favourite nephew, your solitariness in that category not withstanding. I hear too little from you lately, and the things your mother writes are disturbing. I am not at all pleased with the prospect of you marrying that Smart creature. Her mother is highly irritating; infinitely de trop as your grandmother would have said. Not that an irritating mother presupposes the child to be; your own situation as a case in point.

Are you seriously planning to visit Papa? He is making plans, large plans, for your visit. Do not I implore you, accede to his request for more Port. Under no circumstances are you to heed Julia's advice that it is good for him, insufferable girl. It is bad for his gout, and heaven knows he doesn't need any more problems with it. Julia may be unalarmed at her husband's condition, but I know my duty as a daughter. Bring him a nice burgundy, or a brandy if you're so inclined.

So Lady Annabelle is finally behaving herself, if I am to believe your mother's last letter and your short note to Papa. I can read between the lines adroitly. Surely it cannot come as a complete surprise that she is not the shallow chit you accuse her of being? I have always found her to be spoiled, but not without heart or spirit. Miss Catherine Bennet's accident must have given her much to think about, or were you in some way partly responsible for her melancholy? I think 'tis a pity that Lady Annabelle never really saw your true worth; I rather liked her spirit, and she would have given you beautiful children. Oh dear I am beginning to sound like the worthy Lady Catherine. Of course there was added attraction of you marrying someone your mother disapproved of. Yes, yes, I realise it's improper for me to mention how I find few people as irritating as your mother. I blame Papa's continued influence. He never did understand what you father saw in her. Or perhaps your mother was adopted?

How wonderful that Ash is finally besotted. Pity he doesn't realise it himself. You must bring him with you when you finally acquiesce to Papa's demand to visit, as I owe Lord Ashbourne several debts of teasing from when you were both boys. And I intend to collect..... Pity you cannot bring Miss Catherine with you since it would be ever so easier, much more fun, to annoy Ash in her presence. It would curb his predilection for storming out of the room shortly after I enter. You really should tell the lad that he is too easily annoyed.

I do hope to see you soon,

Your loving aunt Elli

"Julia?" said Ash when he had finished the letter.

"My new grandmother, well hardly new...but yes."

"Oh that's right the one who is...."

"Your age."

Ash nodded, it was hardly surprising that at the grand old age of sixty-five, Lord Rupert had decided to marry a twenty-four year old carriage-makers daughter. Lord Rupert had odd notions, but he was rich, and she apparently inherited a fortune from her carriage-maker father, so it was an understandable match, if not an entirely prudent match. Ash had not seen Lord Rupert or his new wife, in at least five years, so it would be interesting to see how everything had progressed.

"Well at least I will be distracted" said Ash folding up Elinor Mayfield's letter and returning it to Miles.

"Yes, you won't be able to get a word in edgewise, between Grandfather Aunt Elli and Julia. By the by it might be best to tell you that you will have to take sides."

"Take sides?"

"It's quite like a feudal war up there. Elinor and Julia. So who are you going to barrack for?"

Ash blinked. "Who do you support?"

"My aunt."

"Oh Well perhaps I should also support your Aunt, she seemed still quite cross with me."

"Not that aunt, my four-year old aunt. Millicent."

"Oh, Elinor makes no mention of her."

"Elinor finds her a sticky mass of nothing much to report, that is when she is secretly not feeding her."

Ash laughed. "Oh dear, perhaps your grandfather should not have remarried."

"Oh no, they love each other truly and it gives them something to do. If he hadn't, poor Aunt Elli would have had nothing but Hortense to tease."

"Hortense? I thought Elinor was..."

"It's the pug."

"Oh! I'm definitely coming with you tomorrow." laughed Ash.

Chapter 32, Part 3 and 4

Posted on Thursday, 13 December 2001, at 5:53 p.m.

Everything depends on what the people are capable of wanting ~ Enrico Malatesta

The Bennets sat silently after dinner in the cosy parlour. Lydia squirmed in her chair, not even La Belle Assembly could stop her fidgeting. It had been a bad afternoon. Lizzy and Jane had a very serious talk with both Lydia and Kitty, but more pointedly directed at Lydia about the right way of going about courtship and the proper behaviour of a lady, things had gone downhill after Lydia had snorted.

Lizzy was stitching a handkerchief for Georgiana the new little sister she had never met. Lizzy couldn't understand how in as many weeks, her younger sisters, Lydia especially could change so dramatically and become so secretive. Lizzy was so sure that Mary had something to hide.

Mary did have something to hide and her emotions were swinging wildly from excited to petrified. At last she was to be married. When and how she was to be married, paled in comparison to the fact that she was to be married no longer for her was the ignoble fate of being labelled an old maid. It was pure bliss, however Mary was unsure of whether the chosen partner of her fate was the best choice, and she had a disconcerting feeling that he had chosen her.

The Butler bringing in a letter broke the silence in the parlour; he crept in so as not to disturb the slumbering Mrs Bennet (the poor dear was worn out from wedding preparations). The Butler handed the letter to Lydia. The letter had a rather plain yet prominent seal, which easily announced itself as bearing the insignia of the family of Matlock, to be more specific from the house of Ashbourne.

Jane gave her father a look as if to say 'You will permit this?" Mr Bennet's eyebrows rose as he shrugged. Jane did no more but Lizzy was not so content. "Lydia you do know that only an engaged woman publicly and openly receives letter from a man who is in no way related to her?"

"Yes I know Lizzy." Said Lydia turning the letter over in her hands.

"Has he made you an offer?" Almost shrieked Lizzy before she quickly contained herself, fearfully looking at her mother stir in her sleep. Lydia looked at Kitty before replying.

"He has made and offer, yes..."

"And" said Lizzy on tenterhooks.

"He was refused."

Lizzy's jaw dropped, so what Darcy had said was true. She gave Jane a triumphant look.

"So this is a letter of apology?

"I can safely say yes, sister it is. I shall go read it in privacy if you don't mind.:"

Lydia had closed the door to the parlour not more than two seconds when Kitty sprang out of her chair. "I will go support my sisters nerves."

On Kitty's departure Lizzy started a pointed conversation with her father about how he should take more care of what was happening in his home. Jane however was not so sure...what had been the meaning behind those furtive looks between Lydia and Kitty?

"Yes Lizzy I agree my youngest three daughters may not be entirely fit for rational company, but have no fear I know a lot more than they know I know. Is this not true Mary?"

"What father?" said Mary springing out of her reverie.

Lydia read through the letter again, folding it up, smiling then looking at Kitty. "Strange that he addressed it to me, since the contents are entirely uninteresting to myself, but perhaps you would like to see Kitty."

"Oh no it is your own personal letter."

Lydia opened the letter out and held it in front of her sisters eyes forcing her to focus upon the page.

Dear Miss Bennet,

I lament the occasion of our meeting today. I was most abrupt and I apologise from hat I said, which has undoubtedly offended you.

I am quite a 'stupid stupid man' and will seek to remedy this in my upcoming visit to Scotland, where Miles' grandfather has an estate. However I digress, we leave early tomorrow, so I fear that I shall have no chance to see how my apologies have been received and whether they have been accepted. I feel at this time that all I can hope for is forgiveness.

However, although I apologise for the manner and mode of my speaking, I will not apologise from the emotions behind my words, they are both natural and just.

You, I hope, will be happy to know I am not a man known for his relinquishing a goal.

Your Servant
Lord Ashbourne.

"See Kitty. Dear Miss Catherine Bennet could be substituted just as well as Dear Miss Lydia Bennet. And he has little reason to point out his emotions to me."

Kitty nodded.

"Now sister dear you go off to Bath, sort out your feelings and wait for - "

"Don't be a jinx Lyddie."

"Fine. I wont be. But remember me in Bath won't you. You'll be doing the day after tomorrow and then soon after that I'll be heading back to Longbourne to rusticate before the wedding. My last piece of fun will be the Forsters Ball. It is such a pity you are not invited."

"Well you know I am not her particular friend." Kitty retorted.

"I want to go to Bath." Demanded Anne over dinner.

Lady Catherine paused in the middle of her salad. "Why Anne? You've never shown any interest in Bath before."

"That was before!"

"Before what?" replied Lady Catherine feeling she was missing some vital point of her daughters motivation.

"Before him. "

Ahhh, thought Lady Catherine. A man. Now it all made sense. "Well if you want to go to Bath of course I will accompany you."

"Mother that wasn't quite what I was thinking of."

"You were not contemplating going alone surely?"

"No but..."

"Then there is no problem."

Anne subsided into silence. She couldn't win this argument without coming out and saying that she would prefer to go to Bath in the company of her cousin Belle and the Duchess. Lady Catherine, at the present moment, did not approve of Annabelle or the way the Duchess was handling the situation. In Lady Catherine's view Annabelle should have been married off to Lord Upton for months now, regardless of either parties feelings.. This was why Anne did not want to further arouse suspicions. Her mother was entirely able to manipulate events with Rich- Colonel Fitzwilliam and while the outcome would be agreeable to Anne, she couldn't tolerate an unwilling husband nor one who did not love her.

"So we shall go to Bath?" said Lady Catherine.

"Yes mother."

Lady Catherine gave a small smile, she thought she might have a very good inkling as to what was causing Anne's distress, but well if Anne did not want to confide then Lady Catherine would have to just continue like...like...Lady Catherine.

"I'm glad, Anne dear, that Belle is going - it will take her mind off that announcement which is not all the thing."

"I think you need to be convinced that your matchmaking talents are nil or at least are not as powerful as you hope." Said Anne peevishly.

Lady Catherine glared at her daughter "Don't be entirely stupid, it is just that other females have stuck their extraordinarily long noses into business which does not concern them. Otherwise males are entirely biddable. "

"So the struggle is really between females?" queried Anne with a smile.

"Of course, no male ever knows his true mind until a female informs him of his wishes."

I tried that - thought Anne bitterly. I mentioned the M word and Richard ran a mile. Or rather he was so shocked that I ran a mile in anger.

"Hypothetically, if one was interested would merely a suggestion be enough?"

"It would set the wheels in motion. Why?! Interested in a certain male Anne?"

"No!" said Anne vehemently.

Lady Catherine shrugged - "Very well. Anyway I will see about hiring that house in Bath shall I? Perhaps Richard can accompany use from the horror of Highwaymen."

"Why can't Ash ...or ...or Darcy..." said Anne in a panic.

But Lady Catherine was too busy in a reverie to hear, she was wondering why Roguish gentlemen highwaymen, never held her up - Almost all her friends had experience it just not here. It was most vexing. Lady Catherine knew that she could easily deal with highwaymen.

Early the next morning a baggage coach containing two valets set off towards the Great North Road. Two well-bred stallions raced each other in front of the carriage, the early morning air making them difficult to handle.

"Isn't this nice." Called Miles as he easily passed Ash.

Ash spurred Count on, straining to urge him to outdo Balthazar. It was nice getting out of Brighton and riding through the serene Sussex countryside. All the cares in the world seemed to disappear. Suddenly women and all the problems attached were no longer foremost in their mind. All that was important was racing - and not becoming unseated.

Miles was glad he had made his escape his mother and her intimate little breakfast party. He didn't want to be around when they decided to read the society section of the paper. It would not be a pleasant sight. As it was it was not only his mother and her matchmaking ways that he wanted to escape from. It was also Annabelle.

Annabelle's strange behaviour since Kitty's accident had puzzled him. Her behaviour the day of Kitty's accident puzzled him most. Miles was not certain what was going on but he did not want to fall into the same trap as last time. That was not an option. So this visit to Scotland was perfect it would give him a chance to clear his head, because like it or not at some stage he would have to choose a wife. And despite his cutting comments to his mother he knew it would have to be soon.

Ash was glad of the trip, for similar reasons. He needed to clear his head but also the enforced separation between him and a certain young lady would have him sort out how to approach her and for her to sort out her feelings.

Count started to get a lead on Balthazar so Miles spurred his horse onwards towards Scotland and relief.

"Are you all packed Belle?" Asked the Duchess over a late-ish breakfast.

"Aren't we going tomorrow morning?" said Annabelle in surprise.

"Yes but I have seen how long it takes you to pack and I feel obliged to tell you that we shall be on a tight schedule tomorrow. So I suggest you pack well in advance of our leaving time."

Annabelle nodded absently gingerly fingering the newspaper un her hand.

"Are you finished with that newspaper Belle?" asked the Duchess fairly snatching it out of her hands.

Annabelle had hardly been reading the paper, her mind had been more engaged on the engagement notice of the previous day. She knew that something like this was likely to happen but if Miles - Lord Upton she should probably call him now - was in love with Miss Dew why was he marrying Miss Smart?

Whiles Annabelle mused, the Duchess actually read the newspaper. She subconsciously turned to the engagement section - it was her usual occupation - however after the last shock announcement the Duchess had little appetite for reading about ton engagements. However the first announcement caught her eye and he choked on her tea.

Annabelle looked up alarmed as her grandmother briefly went a crimson shade and then subsided back to normal colour. "What is it grandmamma?"

"Oh dear Almeria and Augustinia must be absolutely - " the Duchess broke off into a hearty chuckle.

She thrust the newspaper at Annabelle and pointed wildly at the announcement that had captured her attention. Annabelle blinked, not quite comprehending what she was reading:

The Brighton Chronicle would like to offer their deepest apologises to all parties concerned in the erroneous announcement of an engagement between Miss Smart of Rockhaven and Miles Carlon Earl of Upton. We would like to categorically state there never was an engagement and the Chronicle was acting on unreliable sources. Again our deepest apologies are attached to this full retraction.

Annabelle's jaw fell open.

"I see you are as shocked as I" said the Duchess.

"Why? What?"

"Cannot you guess who this is a compliment to?"

"It is without a doubt a compliment to Miss Dew." Said Annabelle seriously.

The Duchess refrained from rolling her eyes and let the point rest.

Annabelle squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. She wanted to be away from Brighton, in Bath she could detach herself and grow accustomed to the idea that there was something she could never have. It was an unique concept to Annabelle; she who had been petted and fussed over since birth that she couldn't have something. For once being a beautiful daughter of a rich earl couldn't guarantee her what she most wanted. Miles was hardly that new dress or a new necklace that could be easily purchased. And she was ashamed that she had ever thought of him as such. She'd instead had her chance and she had destroyed it.

Lady Upton preened herself over the select gathering of women in her breakfast parlour.

"Tea?" she asked pouring several cups.

"How was Scarbourogh my dear Miss Bingley?"

"It was rather pleasant, I only wish in the interim, my brother had realised what a foolish choice he had made."

The women alternatively tittered or tutted depending on their on their relative opinion of the Bingley sisters.

"Well it was probably as a result of gaining his inheritance too soon and not having a mother to guide his actions." Said Lady Grantley.

"True, you were lucky Lady Upton, Miles gained his inheritance early too did he not?"

"Yes when he was barely 17, but of course he understands duty." Said Lady Upton proudly.

"True, it has been difficult with Rosamund having no father to guide her, and also my preoccupation with trying to guide her brother as well, but I can celebrate my double success."

"Miss Smart is certainly a dutiful daughter" commented Mrs Olsen.

"I hope when I have a daughter she will be as dutiful. " said Louisa Hurst.

"And this engagement has certainly taken the wind out of some people's sails." Said Lady Rockhaven, with a knowing smile at Lady Upton.

"Yes her grace, shan't be so proud of her granddaughter now." Said Miss Bingley, always one to put in words what the rest would only insinuate.

The mood quietened after this more blatant attack on what was still a very important and influential member of the ton. To ease her sister's faux pas Mrs Hurst picked up the carelessly deposited newspaper to see if there was any ton news to divert the group, instead she gasped.

"Mrs Hurst are you quite well." Said Lady Upton coldly, privately wondering what had come over her to invite those whose near relations were in trade into her house.

Mrs Hurst bristled at the tone and passed the newspaper wordlessly to Lady Upton, delighting in the way Lady Upton's face drained of all colour.

The rest of the ladies were shocked at the rapid departure of Lady Upton from the room. However just as they were pulling at the newspaper to discover the cause of Lady Upton's distress, than Lady Upton returned. In quelling and frigid tones she read from the letter in her hand.

Dearest mother,

Have responded to Grandfather's summons will be some weeks in Scotland. As always my houses and servants are at your disposal.

Your loving son
Miles.

"And he makes not mention of that retraction! I am most seriously displeased."

Part Four.

you figured me out - i'm lost and i'm hopeless /bleeding and broken - though i've never spoken / i come undone - in this mad season ~ Mad Season by Matchbox Twenty.

Mr Yeates walked up the stairs to the Forster's Ball - he was late and out of place. He didn't belong at a military ball; the only reason he has been invited or was at all accepted in the military set was because of his late father and his remote connection to Mrs Forster. He admitted he was drawn to the ball and the Forsters set because of Lydia, he wasn't going to deny that, he had little reason to do so. She hardly deigned to notice him, so his feelings and thoughts were immaterial, though he doubted that any of Lydia's military beaux who she fawned all over could have dealt with a crying hysterical girl as tactfully as he seemed to have done.

Mr Yeates smiled at his acquaintance as he entered the ballroom proper. A few, rather snooty looking military types practically gave him the cut direct, which baffled him. However he was not given long to dwell on it as he spied Lydia sitting, as per usual surrounded by men, but wearing a great deal less than she normally did. Mr Yeates could not believe that even Mrs Bennet would allow Lydia to have exited the house in what she was currently wearing. It was gravitationally impossible for the neckline to have been any lower and he swore it had been dampened down. She was also fawning over one of the most dissipated men - Major Markby. What was Mrs Forster thinking? Surely there had to be some mistake?

Lydia fluttered her fan coquettishly about. She was enjoying herself prodigiously; she had received no fewer than 4 marriage proposals. She was very glad that Harriet had convinced her to change into one of Harriet's dresses for the ball. It was garnering her a great deal of attention, which was what Lydia enjoyed the most, and when she got more attention than all the other single girls put together it was even better.

"I was just saying Major Markby, what do you think of my protégé Miss Lydia Bennet."

"I think she has charms beyond compare." Said Major Markby leering. "It is most surprising that no one has commissioned a portrait of her."

This statement jogged Lydia's brain, and after cordially thanking the Major for his compliments and promising to take a walk in the courtyard with him - Lydia had been getting many of these requests she turned to Mrs Forster.

"Why, Harriet, you never told me that Mr Yeates was a penniless artist. I was most surprised when I found out?"

Mrs Forster looked alarmed. She had encouraged Mr Yeates as a familiar connection only because he seemed a gentlemanly enough man, and because he was a man of a certain age who could be relied to hopefully dote upon herself. The idea that anyone of her family could be a penniless artist never crossed her mind; neither had it crossed her vapid mind to make inquiries into his character and situation. It never crossed her mind to do that; hence she could be relied upon to encourage the most rakish of personalities, such as Major Markby.

"A penniless artist?"

"Yes, he told me so." Said Lydia.

"Gracious I had no idea, that is not the sort of person who I should wish to encourage as an acquaintance, even though we are related! He is not rich? I thought that .... What a vulgar mushroom he must be!"

"He is handsome!" said Lydia, thinking of the rather poor soldiers that Harriet encouraged all the time to dote on her, when her older husband was off being intellectual.

"You think so? I think a man looks nothing without regimentals, haven't I always taught you so Lydia?!"

"Oh." Said Lydia quietly suddenly remembering her penchant for uniforms. With that Lydia took the hand of the next officer to claim her and went to dance. Several dances later when she returned to her seat, she found Mr Yeates name being bandied about quite freely and with some derision.

"Harriet, why are you ..."

"Shush Lydia, It is working, he will be quite cut off and I shan't have to think about a shabby dirty dish hanging about working detrimentally against my fortunes and popularity." Giggled Mrs Forster.

Lydia could not help recalling the large sums of money that Harriet continually borrowed from friends, when she could hardly recall in her hazy recollections of Mr Yeates (before the time in the boat when he had finally made an impression on her) any time when he had even mentioned being even the smallest bit to let.

Her consternation at the rumours, embellished from the truth, that were circulating about Mr Yeates because of her, was only little since she was distracted by Major Markby.

She was giggling a particularly ribald joke that she didn't quite understand, but Major Markby, Captain Denny and Lieutenant Saunderson understood and found it amusing, so Lydia must do so too, when she espied Mr Yeates out of the corner of her eye. Lydia was about to give a small smile, when she noticed he didn't look impressed.

"Mrs Forster, Miss Bennet, Major Markby, Captain Denny, Lieutenant Saunderson." He said bowing quickly to all. All except Lydia gave him a cold look. 'Miss Bennet" Mr Yeates said quite firmly grasping Lydia's hand and pulling her to her feet.

Lydia was overcome by this show of manly possession went quite readily with Mr Yeates.

"Well Mr Yeates, if you wanted to dance, you only had to ask." Said Lydia fluttering her fan. "But what will we do with my reticule? You hardly let me put it down."

"You'll need it."

"To dance! Silly man!" laughed Lydia. However her eyebrows coming together abruptly as she realised she was being steered into the foyer. "You want to speak to me privately?"

"No." said Yeates shortly.

Lydia became slightly more confused as Mr Yeates asked which was her cloak. "It's upstairs why?"

Mr Yeates did not answer; instead he fetched his own coat and handed it to Lydia.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" said Lydia starting to become slightly annoyed at Mr Yeates.

"Put it on, isn't that what you do with coats?"

Lydia rolled her eyes, she wasn't going outside with Mr Yeates as there were far handsomer men in uniform back at the ball. She dropped the coat petulantly and started to walk back into the ballroom. She was stopped roughly by Mr Yeates arm, bundled into his coat and hustled outside.

"Sir you are abducting me." Lydia shrieked.

"No I'm sending you home. God you look like - "

"Look like what?" said Lydia looking down.

"Like a common - " Mr Yeates stopped before he said a rather derogatory word.

Lydia's eyes widened. No one had ever said she had looked like - that - before. Her fashion taste had always been respected; everyone had always said she was -. Lydia's eyes narrowed but before she could take him to task, she found herself alone in Mr Yeates coat, in a carriage setting off for the townhouse the Bennets had hired.

Kitty was sighing over her trunks. There never seemed to be enough room.

"Mary? Where is my locket?"

"What do I care about such baubles." Sniffed Mary with her nose buried in a book.

"Well you wore it last week!" countered Kitty.

Mary paused, grimaced at her sister before opening her bedside drawer and retriving the locket.

"There is something in here." Said Kitty, opening the locket.

"Don't look at that!" shrieked Mary, lunging for the folded piece of paper.

"Look what you have done to my dress Mary, it is completely creased! For that I will read your silly bit of paper." Kitty slid off the bed, dextrously putting the bed between her and an angry Mary. She managed to unfold the piece of paper with one hand, while fending off Mary with the other.

"Lady Montgomery?" said Kitty surprised as she read the words that were repeated over and over the piece of paper in different styles. "Who is Lady Montgomery? Couldn't you have something more interesting to write?" Kitty brought her hand down, which Mary had been straining against. Thus when Lizzy and Jane walked into the room they found the two girls sprawled laughing on the floor.

"Whatever are you doing." Laughed Lizzy.

"Nothing." Said Kitty surreptitiously passing the note back to Mary figuring if Mary had gone to the trouble of hiding it, it must be important to her, no matter how nonsensical it was to Kitty!

"Well if its nothing then." Said Lizzy sitting on the bed. "Now Kitty you cannot be serious in taking all these clothes."

"But I don't know what I'm doing! Jane, will you lend me your shawl - you know the one I admire so?"

"Of course Kitty." Said Jane placidly, exiting the room to find her shawl. Several moments later there was a shriek. "Lydia WHAT are you wearing?!"

Lydia burst into the room, still attired in Harriet's revealing ball gown and Mr Yeates coat. A horrified Jane followed her.

"I'm wearing Mr Yeates coat, what does it look like!" snapped Lydia.

"No I meant the dress Lydia you look like you look like - " Jane was lost for words.

"Yes I know I look like a - " Lydia paused before repeating what Mr Yeates had called her.

Lizzy's jaw dropped. "Lydia!"

"Well that is what Mr Yeates said I looked like, before MAKING Me leave the ball, and I was having such a good time, and I think you should speak to Papa about him being so free and easy with me. I mean who does he think he is making me leave a ball? I mean I shouldn't be seen unchaperoned with him! Not that he came back with me, but I have his coat! See how that could be misconstrued. And I don't see why he needed to come and interfere, I was having a perfectly lovely time; I was proposed to FOUR times, and I was about to walk in the courtyard with Major Markby, but he spoiled it all!"

"Lydia! We have much to thank Mr Yeates for! You cannot wear such a dress in public Lydia, you look like - well never mind what you look like, but you are a young lady Lydia! Think of the family."

"I was!" said Lydia sulkily. "I was thinking if I capture an officer's attentions then Mama will be pleased. But I am going to bed, and I am going to think of a few things to say to Mr Yeates when I see him next, of course I'd refuse to see him but he needs his coat." With that Lydia stormed out of the room, leaving a stunned Lizzy and Jane, a bemused Mary wondering if Sir Christian would have liked the dress and a giggling Kitty.

"Kitty how can you giggle! Can you not see that Lydia has done wrong? Whatever can Mrs Forster be thinking of? It must be her dress." Said Lizzy in dismay.

"I - hic - am thinking of poor Mr Yeates. He will be so abominably abused, and I can just see his face when she does it. And it is such a shocking dress."

"And you find this amusing?" said Jane surprised.

Kitty nodded through her giggles. "He - He - told her he was a penniless artist!"

"Mr Yeates is a penniless artist?" said Lizzy and Jane shocked. "Gracious!"

Lizzy and Jane both exclaimed that they would have never guessed, before leaving Kitty to finish packing, while they went to talk some sense into Lydia.

Kitty continued giggling into her pillow.

"What is so funny about the situation Kitty?" said Mary become annoyed that she wasn't appreciating the humour.

"I don't know. I mean I do, but oh dear, Can you imagine Lydia being pulled from a ball? Can you imagine it? And to burst in here, wearing Mr Yeates coat, when they think that Ash is courting her - oh it is too much."

Mary sighed and began to think that Kitty was a little too stressed over her upcoming trip.

Kitty watched as her baggage was loaded into the Duchess's baggage coach for their journey to Bath.

"You will be happy to note Kitty I have dispensed with Maria's services for this trip. " said the Duchess glaring at one of the hired postillions who was manhandling the baggage too much for her liking.

Kitty gave a small smile, and a small wave at Annabelle who was curled up in the travelling coach, looking quite small and sad.

"Well Kitty say your goodbyes." Said the Duchess before allowing herself to be handed into coach.

"Goodbye Papa." Said Kitty giving her father a hug.

"Behave yourself my silly daughter." He said affectionately. "Seriously though Kitty, have fun."

"Thank you Papa. Goodbye Mama."

"Oh my dear girl, take every opportunity to enjoy yourself. Now I knew you could not be so beautiful for nothing, go catch yourself an actual Duke."

Kitty smiled and passed onto Jane and Lizzy. "I will be at Longbourn for your weddings, now write to me often." She kissed both their cheeks and passed onto Mary. Leaning in to kiss Mary, she whispered in her ear "I hope I will find out who this Montgomery character is sooner or later Mary, you romantic you." Mary blushed and pinched Kitty's arm. "And Lydia!" said Kitty smiling at her younger sister.

"Kitty now you take care of yourself and no thinking about you know what." Said Lydia seriously to the surprise and bewilderment of all present who had little idea of what she was talking about. "Now I suggest a little word starting with J and ending in Y should be employed if you want a repeat performance, which you better want!"

Kitty rolled her eyes kissed Lydia's cheek and again employed the art of whispering. "As long as you give Mr Yeates what for."

"Of course I will!" said Lydia. "I will make him rue the day he spoiled any fun of mine."

Kitty gave a laugh, before almost tripping into the coach.

"What a joke Kitty! Don't fall and break your head before you start!"

The Postillion closed the carriage door, and Kitty leaning out of the opened carriage window, waved until the carriage was out of sight of the house.

"We are off to Bath!" laughed Kitty settling back on the cushions, life seemed to hold a great deal more charm than it had.

Continued in the next section