Posted on Thursday, 13 May 1999

"Mr. Darcy! Mr. Darcy! Please, wait!" exclaimed Caroline. She picked up her skirts and ran after him, into the garden. She finally reached him and stood there, out of breath. She had already watched and knew him to be alone.

"Yes, Miss Bingley?" he smiled at her disheveled appearance.

"I have been trying to get your attention." She panted and blinked her eyes. "I must speak to you alone."

He continued on with his walk and she followed. "Yes? What do you need?"

You...She thought to herself, as she closed her eyes and weighed her thoughts carefully. "I am.. uh, I am concerned for your well being. I am afraid you are not in health."

"Why would you think that? I am in the best of health." He stopped and stared.

"Well, lets say that you do not act the same as you did before." She looked away.

He felt sure he knew where this was leading. "Before I met Elizabeth?"

She faced him full front. "Yes! You have changed. She is dragging you down. Your color is so pale."

His eyes narrowed. "Miss Bingley, I will not have you talking about Mrs. Darcy in that manner. Please keep your comments to yourself." He started to walk away.

She moved around and stood in front of him. "No! You must hear me out."

He stopped and exhaled loudly, confirming his aggravation. "What?"

"You never talk to me anymore!" she whined. "Our friendship has suffered because of her. Why can't we go back to the way we were?"

He decided to try a different approach, purely out of respect for Bingley. "You are mistaken, Miss Bingley. I see no difference. Our friendship has remained at the same level as always."

She stepped forward and caressed his cheek and ran her hands across his chest. "We can change that, you know."

He could feel her stepping closer. The length of her gown brushed against his leg. Unconsciously, he looked down.

"You can still have your dear Elizabeth with the fine eyes but," she trailed off. "Oh! You understand me." She smiled seductively.

"Oh," he stuttered. "Miss Bingley."

She interrupted him. "I can be discreet. I know that she does not make you happy, but you have married her and that we can not change, unless you are of a mind to put her away. Whichever way you decide, I am willing and will settle for you in whatever respect you choose."

He took her arms and roughly push her back. "But I will not. There is no other woman, and please listen to me and understand, there is no other woman whom I want or would even consider. I love my wife and you could not even begin to compare to her!"

"Oh!" she groaned. "I would not be so sure."

He released her and stormed away, turning back for one more parting comment. "Only out of respect for Bingley, will you be allowed to stay, but mark my words, if this scene is even so much as mentioned in the house, I will personally take you to Lambton and put you on the next coach and you will never be permitted in Pemberley or Derbyshire again."

She grinned devilishly at him. "We shall see!"

"If you value your admittance into this house, do not try me! I am a man of my word!" he then turned and soon disappeared out of sight.

The next morning, Caroline walked briskly out of her room and down the hall. Her mind was in a torment. Mr. Darcy had not accepted her and she could not get it out of her mind. If only we had not gone to Hertfordshire, it would be I and not her sitting beside him at the breakfast table.

She came to her sister's room and stood in the doorway. "Are you coming, Louisa? I can not face them alone."

Louisa walked towards the door. "You have said that every morning. When shall you ever be over him?"

Caroline glanced away. "I do believe never! As long as my heart beats, I shall never be over him."

Louisa laced her arm through Caroline's and together they walked towards the stairs. "But sister, you must!"

"Why? Why should I give up?" snapped Caroline.

"Because he is married," whispered Louisa, harshly, "and he has been for a year now!"

"But that could change," replied Caroline

"I doubt it. I have watched them and do believe them to be in love as much as ever, if not more."

"You would!" Caroline scoffed. "Louisa, you are wasting your breath. No amount of convincing will ever lead me to accept the fact that a mere country girl can make Fitzwilliam Darcy happy! And just look at her family! Ha! What he as attached himself to!"

Louisa reached for the banister and started descending. "Caroline, I am worried about you."

"About me? Why?" spouted Caroline

"Because you persist in living this fantasy." Louisa stopped and faced her sister. "I was not going to tell you this because I thought that with time, you would move on with your life. But you are still as caught up in this as ever. Its time you knew the truth."

Caroline stared. "Well? Tell me now and stop this ridiculous speech!"

Louisa exhaled slowly. "Sister, Mr. Darcy has never loved you. He has never cared for you in that way. He only tolerated you because of Charles. In fact, he begged our brother to tell you to cease your attentions, but alas, Charles did not have the heart to tell you. He, like me, assumed that you would move on with your life."

"What are you saying?" whispered Caroline. "Mr. Darcy never loved me?"

Louisa looked down at the floor. "No, sister. Elizabeth is the only woman he has ever loved."

Caroline did not respond to the last comment from her sister. Instead, she turned and proceeded on to the breakfast room. Louisa followed her, hot on her heels. Caroline never broke her stride as she entered room and made her way to her chair beside Charles. The Darcys, including Georgiana, were already gathered in the room. Their brother and his wife, Jane, were there as well. A merry chatter rose from the group. Mr. Darcy, on seeing Caroline enter the room, ceased his conversation and avoided eye contact with her.

"Caroline!" exclaimed Charles. "How lovely you look this morning."

Caroline sat dumbly and stared at her plate.

Charles looked puzzled at her. "Caroline? Did you hear me?"

"Oh...yes, I did and I thank you." she smiled, weakly. She needed desperately to have the attention shifted from her, so she reached for the bread and jams and began with her breakfast.

Small talk once again started in the room. Caroline sat numb to any comments. She merely nodded to questions, if she answered them at all.

The breakfast dishes were soon cleared and all sat round the table. Darcy watched Caroline for a few minutes. It appeared to him as though Caroline had taken his advice and was holding her tongue. At Elizabeth's urging, he suddenly stood up.

"I would venture to say that now is as good a time as any." He smiled and looked at Elizabeth. He extended his hand to her and helped her to stand. "In about six months, another Darcy will be coming to live at Pemberley."

Georgiana looked confused, and turned to Jane. Jane looked at her with tears in her eyes. "A baby, Georgiana! Your brother is going to be a Papa!" she squealed, in delight. "Oh, Lizzy!" She jumped up and ran around the table to hug her sister.

All stood up to offer their congratulations. Louisa hugged Lizzy's neck and turned round to find Caroline, but she was no where in sight. Louisa rushed out into the hall.

"Oh no!" screamed Louisa.

Everyone rushed to her aid. Caroline lay at the foot of the steps. Mr. Darcy summoned a servant, who ran to fetch the doctor.

That afternoon, Doctor Mast came downstairs to the sitting room, where everyone was waiting word.

"Yes, doctor. How is she?" inquired Charles.

"I believe she will be fine although she sustained hard hit on the head, probably from the steps." he surmised. "She is awake and I suggest that she not suffer any form of stress for the next few weeks." All breathed a sigh of relief.

They watched as the doctor stood with them still. A puzzled look was on his face. He was not smiling.

"What is it?" asked Darcy. "Is there something that you are not telling us?"

The doctor paced and run his fingers through his hair. "Apparently, as a result of the fall, she has had an injury to her brain." everyone gasped. "Now, I think that as her head heals, this problem will disappear. But in her mind she is not Miss Bingley."

Darcy stepped forward. "And who does she think she is?"

The doctor looked at the floor. "Mrs. Darcy."

Chapter 2

Posted on Tuesday, 8 June 1999

"Sshhh!" whispered Jane.

"I will not!" exclaimed Lizzy. "This is my house and I will not be shushed like a child!"

"You are overreacting."

"Am I, indeed? And how should you act were you in the same position? " cried Lizzy, exasperatedly. "Jane, you know she feigns this!"

Jane took her sister by the arm. "I know no such thing and neither do you for I have not seen her and can not make judgement."

Darcy and Bingley reached the top step. Each took their wives by the hand and assisted them up to the landing.

"Now," began Darcy, "My suggestion is that Jane go in first and we follow. We can then better determine from there."

Lizzy huffed loudly. "This is ridiculous."

Bingley took Lizzy by the hand. "Please Lizzy?"

"Oh, very well, but I will say that I shall not stand for this long." she replied, following the others.

Once inside, all were startled to see Caroline propped up in Lizzy's bed, her hair, loose about her shoulders. She smiled weakly at them and raised her hands to Jane.

"Oh, Jane." she smiled.

Jane cautiously went to the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?" Caroline smiled and nodded at Jane.

Lizzy punched Darcy in the side and whispered harshly. "She has on one of my nightgowns!"

"Fitzwilliam, darling. What a clumsy oaf you must think I am!" She smiled sweetly, raising her hand towards him.

He hesitantly walked over and took her hand. "No, not at all."

Lizzy coughed loudly at the display. Caroline turned her attention to her. "Are you well? Can I send for something for you?"

"I am well, just a small tickle in my throat." She replied, clearing her throat once more for effect.

"I think not. You are very pale. I will not have you sick." Caroline twisted around in the bed and faced the servant waiting upon her. "Marie! Escort Miss Bingley to her room so that she might lie down, then fetch her some of this broth."

She turned back to Lizzy. "If you do as I say, you will be well by morning."

The servant eye's darted about. She looked at her master and mistress. The pleading look in Jane's eyes told her to respond in the affirmative.

"Yes, mistress." She curtseyed. "Follow me, Miss Bingley."

Lizzy huffed and cast a glance towards Jane. Jane arose and began to follow her sister.

"Jane? Where are you going?" replied Caroline.

"I thought that I would see to Miss Bingley. I agree with you. She does not look well."

"Jane, please stay. Let Mrs. Hurst accompany her sister. After she is settled, you can look in on her." Caroline smiled, looking at Lizzy. "Is that agreeable with you, Miss Bingley?"

Lizzy hesitated. "Oh, yes. Let it not be said that I am not agreeable." She turned to Louisa. "Are you coming, sister?"

Louisa followed the servant and Lizzy out into the hall. "I am sorry, Elizabeth. I fear she does not know what she is saying. Thank you for humoring her."

Lizzy walked on in silence. As the servant walked pass the stairs, Lizzy turned and began down them. Marie stopped and looked at her mistress.

"Now, Marie!" Lizzy smirked. "Surely you know that I am not ill. Miss Bingley was just mistaken. Go back and tend to her and when you are able, let my sister know that I will be in the library. Mrs. Hurst, will you join me?"

"Yes, Mrs. Darcy." followed Louisa.

After a short while, the gentlemen departed the room, leaving only Jane to remain with Caroline. When she saw that they had gone, she leaned close to Jane.

"Now, that they are gone I need to know if you talked to the doctor?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. He said that the injury to your head should subside in a few days and that you would make a full recovery. Why?" replied Jane

Later that afternoon, after Caroline was fast asleep, Jane went downstairs and joined the others. As soon as she entered the room, Lizzy approached her.

"How is she, Jane? Does she yet remember?" ask Lizzy, eagerly.

Jane shook her head and walked slowly to the divan and sat down. "She is sleeping now, however fitfully."

"Why?" asked Bingley

"She is troubled." sighed Jane. "She is worried about the baby."