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Chapter 36

Saturday London Darcy Townhouse

The following Saturday found Mr. Bingley at the Darcys' for dinner, seeing as the current Mrs. Bingley was busy shopping with her friends in town, and would probably not be back in time for dinner. Mr. Bingley, of course, was anxious to see Jane again - he hadn't been sure if he was dreaming when he had proposed to Jane, and she had accepted him. As far as he was concerned, he was the happiest man in the world at that moment, and he would be happier the day his marriage was annulled.

Mr. Bennet had been informed about his daughter's husband, and his daughter's fiancé. Mr. Bennet was all too eager to annul the marriage between Jane and Mr. Collins, and gave Mr. Bingley consent to marry Jane as soon as his annulment was finalized. Mr. Bennet decided that he and Jane could marry before her annulment was finalized, since it was not certain when Mr. Collins would be found to sign the paperwork.

Jane had snapped out of her depressions as quickly as she had entered into it. Jane was now playing the part of the wonderful mother, spending as much time as possible with her children. She had been overjoyed when Mr. Bingley had proposed to her, since she had always loved him, and was especially glad that her children would not be deemed illegitimate, since they would technically have a father. Jane would just have to be very particular not to tell them about Mr. Collins, their real father.

So that Saturday found Mr. Bingley, Jane, Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth and Darcy all having dinner at the Darcy townhouse. All Darcy and Elizabeth had wanted that weekend was peace, but with Mr. Bennet, Jane, and two twin daughters with very large lungs staying at the townhouse, they both knew they wouldn't get any peace and quiet for a while.

"I was thinking about having a small wedding at a nearby church, Lizzy. What do you think?" Jane questioned, before taking a bite of her dinner.

"How small are you thinking, Jane?" Elizabeth asked, knowing that if her mother somehow got involved, it would be a much larger number.

"You and William, father, and perhaps Mr. Bingley's sisters. Nothing to extreme - Kitty and Lydia won't need to be taken out of school, and Mary and Mama can stay at home." Jane replied quietly.

"I suppose that would do," Elizabeth said, nodding her head. "There's a small church nearby that would do. I'll see if you two can be married sometime soon there."

"You can pick out everything, Jane - as long as I don't have to sit and pick out china patterns all day, you can do whatever you want for the wedding," Bingley replied with a laugh, making Jane smile and blush. Elizabeth had to admit it was good to see her sister behaving so well after the previous days, but the manner was so shocking. For the two of them to be married, yet planning their own marriage, was shocking and unholy.

At that particular moment, the Darcy's butler entered the dining room, to announce that a constable was here to see Mr. Bingley at once. Constable Brown was shown in immediately, and decided to speak to the group as a whole rather than just to Bingley.

"Mr. Bingley, I presume?" Constable Brown asked, and Bingley nodded. "What I have to say will take no time out of your party, but I am afraid that it is bad news, sir."

"What? What has happened," Bingley asked, overcome with worry.

"Your wife was in a carriage accident, sir. It seems a branch crashed into the carriage near Gretna Green, killing Mrs. Delia Bingley and her companion, Lord Esselton, instantly, and injuring the driver very badly, it seems."

"Delia's ... dead?" Bingley asked in a whisper, his whole face turning pale.

"I'm very sorry, sir. Her family has been contacted, and I believe they will be planning the funeral entirely, if you wish to get into contact with them soon," Constable Brown added. "They gave me this letter to give to you, sir."

"Thank you," Bingley replied, as the Constable bowed and left the room. Bingley, in turn, opened up the letter and read it, during which his whole face turned an even paler white.

"What is it, Charles?" Darcy asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Bingley handed Darcy the letter, and slumped into the closest chair to him, putting his head in his hands.

Darcy and Elizabeth stood reading the letter, and when Jane demanded to know what it said, Darcy read it out loud.

"'Dear Mr. Bingley. As you have already heard, my daughter, your late wife, was tragically killed in a carriage accident with her fiancé. We would ask that out of respect you do not attend our daughter's funeral, or make any contact with our family in the future. As of now, we believe that you and Delia are released from your marriage bonds, and you may get on with your life. Sincerely, Sir Allen Woodright." Darcy read verbatim, and both Jane and Elizabeth gasped simultaneously.

"That is a very harsh and cruel thing for them to say at a time like this, Charles," Elizabeth replied softly. "I would pay no attention to their harsh words - they are obviously upset over the loss of their daughter, and are willing to blame anyone they can for her death."

"All I wanted was for an annulment," Charles muttered. "I never truly wished her dead - or her fiancé. I just wished that she would get out of my life - soon."

"Charles, it's not your fault." Jane said soothingly. "It was something that you couldn't control."

"And look on the bright side, Mr. Bingley. You and Jane can be married as soon as possible, now that you are no longer married," Mr. Bennet added, and Elizabeth shot him a silencing glance.

"I suppose you are right, Mr. Bennet, except that Jane is still married," Bingley stated.

"Oh, who cares about that. As far as I'm concerned, she and Mr. Collins are divorced," Mr. Bennet said shortly.

"Well, then. I guess the wedding is on for next weekend," Jane added quietly.

"Yes, and nothing can stop us from getting married," Bingley said shortly. Elizabeth and Darcy, however, exchanged a worried glance, wondering what else could possibly go wrong in the lives of Mr. Bingley and Mrs. Collins.

Chapter 37

The next week was spent planning the wedding of Jane and Mr. Bingley, who seemed to be in very low spirits that whole week. Elizabeth was wondering if he was having second thought on the marriage, but Darcy reassured her that he and Delia had been close, despite their outward appearance to society, and Bingley was still grieving over her loss. Mr. Bingley had been to Delia's grave the day after her funeral to put flowers on her grave, making sure to go at night when he wouldn't be seen by anyone of Delia's family. Mr. Bingley also visited her companion's grave, out of respect, although he didn't put any flowers on that grave.

The wedding plans had gone on after all, even with Elizabeth's concerns that the wedding would be unholy in the eyes of God, since Jane would be married to Mr. Bingley illegally (not considering the fact that she was still married). Mr. Bennet put her fears to rest by stating that he had heard some news from Mr. Collins' manservant, saying that Mr. Collins had found his first wife alive and was currently staying with her.

With this news, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bingley, nor Jane could find any reason why the wedding shouldn't go on, but Elizabeth and Darcy were still unconvinced. They believed that Jane and Bingley shouldn't jump into a marriage until Jane's marriage was legally annulled, but neither of them would listen to the Darcys.

Saturday came as quickly as possible, and so did guests. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were in attendance at the church, their children at home with one of their servants. Colonel Fitzwilliam was there at Darcy and Elizabeth's insistence, along with Georgiana, while William stayed at home with his nanny. Besides Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth and Darcy, there were very few people in attendance to see Jane and Bingley tie the knot.

Kitty and Lydia did not attend. Both were in separate schools, without contact with each other, and Mr. Bennet was sure that if they were in the same room together, Kitty would return to her previous behavior, which had been influenced by Lydia. Lydia was still wild as ever, but the nuns, at the Catholic school she was sent to, had straightened her out a bit.

Mary and Mrs. Bennet did not attend either. Mrs. Bennet was not in the condition to travel, and Mary, as her companion, was forced to stay with her. Elizabeth was glad that Mary did not come, because she knew that Mary would be most insistent that the wedding not take place, due to Jane's marital status. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips did not attend either, mostly because they did not know about Jane's marriage, since none of the family wished to tell them about it. Elizabeth, especially, knew that if they were invited to stay at the Darcy townhouse, they would never leave.

Saturday turned out to be a very beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly in the sky, and not one cloud threatened the marriage. It was more beautiful than the day Jane married Mr. Collins, and everyone commented how a cloudless day insured a happy, healthy marriage.

Jane was a bundle of nerves, and Bingley was very fidgety, pacing back and forth in front of the altar. Elizabeth was to be her maid of honor, and stand by her at the altar, while Darcy was to be Bingley's best man. All of a sudden the music started, and the wedding began in a blur of lace and flowers. Elizabeth walked calmly down the altar, followed by Jane and Mr. Bennet. To Elizabeth, it felt as if she was getting married all over again, and seeing Darcy standing next to Bingley made her remember her own wedding.

Jane took her place by Bingley, and Elizabeth stood by Jane, while the minister began to begin the ceremony. Jane looked absolutely radiant, and Mr. Bingley had the hugest grin plastered on his face. Elizabeth had to smile - it looked as if Jane and Mr. Bingley would finally be married - it seemed as if nothing could ruin their wedding for them.

"We are gathered here today, in the sight of God, to join these two into holy matrimony." The minister began, his voice echoing throughout the church. "If anyone knows a reason why these two happy people cannot be joined in matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Not a sound was made throughout the church, while both Elizabeth and Darcy held back the urge to say that Jane was already married. It was so quiet that if a pin was dropped, it would surely echo throughout the church. After a few moments of silence, the minister began to speak again.

"Jane Marie Bennet, do you take this..." The minister began, before being cut off by a loud yell.

"Stop the marriage! These two cannot marry!"

Elizabeth and Darcy turned around, their faces white with shock. Jane and Bingley turned around slowly, both of them looking at death's door, and Elizabeth was sure that Jane was about to faint. Mr. Bennet stood up and looked curiously to the back of the church, all the while looking ready to kill whoever had stopped his daughter's wedding. And at that moment, Mr. Collins hurriedly walked up to the minister.

"These two cannot marry." Mr. Collins puffed, out of breath from his short run.

"What reasons do you have for stopping this wedding, sir?" The minister questioned, raising his eyebrow.

"Miss Bennet is my wife! We were married over a year ago, and we have two children together!" Mr. Collins stated. "I have the marriage licence here, sir, if you need further proof." With that, Mr. Collins thrust a white piece of paper into the minister's outstretched hand. The minister looked over the paper very carefully, and then looked at Jane.

"Is it true, madam? Did you unlawfully try to enter into holy matrimony with this man?" The minister asked, gesturing to Mr. Bingley.

"Yes," Jane whispered.

"Did you know that to marry another while you are still married is against the law?" The minister questioned.

"Yes." Jane added. "But we had word from Mr. Collins that his first wife was still alive, which would legally mean that our marriage was invalid." With that, the minister looked at Mr. Collins.

"My first wife is indeed dead - she died three years ago. I have a copy of her death certificate, if you wish to see that too." Mr. Collins stated, thrusting another piece of paper to the minister, who read it and nodded.

"Well, Mr. Collins is indeed right - he and Miss Bennet are still legally married, and I will not sanction to a marriage between Mr. Bingley and Mrs. Collins." The minister replied, stepping down from the altar and walking towards the back of the church. Mr. Bennet stopped him.

"Sir, you must marry my daughter to Mr. Bingley. She and Mr. Collins are to get an annulment, so the marriage would technically be legal." Mr. Bennet pleaded, but the minister held firm.

"I will not go against the laws of God to marry your daughter to another, nor will any other minister in England. Good day, Mr. Bennet."

Meanwhile, Jane burst out into hysterics, while Elizabeth and Darcy slowly led her out of the church. Colonel Fitzwilliam followed with Georgiana, and the Gardiners also left. All that was left in the church was Mr. Bingley and Mr. Collins.

"How could you do this to Jane?" Mr. Bingley spat angrily.

"She's my wife, Mr. Bingley, and I wanted her back. Do you honestly think I'd let a beautiful girl like that get away?" Mr. Collins replied with a huge grin. Mr. Bingley felt like being sick.

"You're a monster. A dog, a pig, a beast - you name it, you're it." Mr. Bingley whispered. "How could you do that to your wife?"

"Oh, very easily, Mr. Bingley." Mr. Collins said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't think it's a laughing matter, Mr. Collins, and furthermore, I demand satisfaction for Miss Bennet!" Mr. Bingley argued, taking a glove and slapping it across Mr. Collins' pudgy face. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"You're on." Mr. Collins agreed. "Tomorrow at dawn, at the small park by the river. With shotguns."

"I'll see you there, Mr. Collins. And may the best man win." Mr. Bingley replied smugly, and Mr. Collins nodded. Finally, Mr. Bingley thought, he could free Jane from that pig.

Chapter 38

Saturday evening
Darcy townhouse

Darcy was very surprised to see Mr. Bingley at his doorstep that evening, especially after what had gone on that morning. Nonetheless, Darcy still invited his good friend into his house, wondering why he would be there. Bingley got straight to the point when he entered Darcy's study.

"I challenged him to a duel." Bingley said shortly, and Darcy just looked at him in confusion.

"You challenged who? The minister?" Darcy asked, thinking it was a very stupid thing for Bingley to do, especially to someone so holy.

"No, Darcy. Mr. Collins. Just after the ceremony." Bingley replied haughtily.

"You challenged Mr. Collins to a duel? Whatever for, Charles? You know that dueling is illegal in England, and can lead to death*!" Darcy said, shocked and aghast.

"Not if you sign the right papers, which I just had my attorney fill out this afternoon. Mr. Collins signs them, I sign them - it'll all be legal in the end, no matter who dies." Bingley said.

"You're willing to risk your life over something so trivial?" Darcy asked, speechless at what Bingley was going to do.

"It's Mr. Collins - I doubt he very well knows which way the bullet comes out of the gun. With any luck he'll shoot himself." Bingley said with a laugh. "Besides, I couldn't let him do what he did to Jane and her daughters without some reprimand."

"Bingley, are you sure you want to do this? What would Jane say?" Darcy questioned.

"You are not to tell a word of this to Jane, or Elizabeth, or anyone!" Bingley shouted. "If they were to find out, it would ruin everything."

"I promise. Just promise me that you won't get hurt." Darcy begged.

"On one condition - you come as my second." Bingley replied stoutly.

"I .... WHAT? I can't do that, I have a family to think of! I can't very well go out and perhaps get myself killed on your sake." Darcy argued back. "Over something as stupid as this!"

"Oh, Darcy, really. You won't even need to pick up a gun, with Mr. Collins there. Just come and be there for good luck." Bingley said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, fine. What time and where is it?" Darcy asked hesitantly, and Bingley's face lighted up.

"At eight in the morning at the small park outside of town. I'll be by at seven thirty, and we can ride over together." Bingley replied, before he turned on his heel and walked out of the door. "And Darcy, thank you."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Darcy muttered to himself, wondering if Bingley was right in the fact that he wouldn't get hurt. He knew that Elizabeth wouldn't survive if he died, and he didn't want William to have to go through life not knowing his father. Oh, why did he ever agree to this?

The next morning, Darcy woke early and quickly dressed, careful not to wake Elizabeth up from her slumber. He did, however, as he bent down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead before he departed, and her eyelashes fluttered open as she gave her husband a small smile.

"Fitz, get back into bed." Elizabeth grumbled into her pillow, and Darcy just smiled.

"I'm going out with Bingley. I'll be back in a bit, Elizabeth." Darcy said with a small smile, hoping it to be true.

"Fitz, this is no time to disagree with me. It's freezing out there, so get back into bed." Elizabeth argued, not once lifting her head off of the pillow. Darcy knew that she wouldn't let him leave while she was awake, so he cautiously sat back on the bed to make it seem as if he was going back to sleep.

"Goodnight Elizabeth. I love you," Darcy murmured, and Elizabeth just made a soft moaning sound. When Darcy checked a few moments later, Elizabeth was fast asleep, and Darcy softly retreated from the room, outside to where Bingley's carriage was waiting for him. And with that, Darcy and Bingley continued on into the unknown, uncertain of who would live and who would die that day.

Chapter 39

Early Sunday morning
Darcy Townhouse

"Mrs. Darcy. We did not expect you until tomorrow! How was your journey?" Elizabeth asked, surprised to see her mother in law.

"Elizabeth, where's Fitzwilliam?" Mrs. Darcy asked, looking grave.

"I do not know, since he left so early this morning. I believe he was going out to meet with Mr. Bingley. Why do you ask?" Elizabeth inquired, as Mrs. Darcy's face paled.

"I received this letter from him this morning, with some rather shocking news, dear, and my thoughts immediately went to you. I know that you would want to read it, knowing what it has to say," Mrs. Darcy replied, thrusting over a small piece of paper to Elizabeth, who read:

Dear Mother,

I am writing you this under strict confidence that you will not tell anyone of this letter's contents. Charles Bingley, a good friend of mine, challenged Elizabeth's sister's husband, Mr. Collins, to a duel, and I am to come with him as his second. I did not tell Elizabeth this, as I did not want to worry her, but there may be a possibility, in the death of Charles, that I would have to step in as his second and duel. I am writing to you to tell you that if I do die, you make sure to tell Elizabeth that this is not her fault, and that I love her and William very much. Hopefully I, and Charles, will be seeing you shortly this afternoon.

God Bless You,
Fitzwilliam

"Are ... are you sure this is correct?" Elizabeth asked, her voice wavering on the verge of a break down.

"I am positive. I received it early this morning, and I know that Fitzwilliam would not lie about something so serious as this," Mrs. Darcy replied.

"Do ... do you know where he is? We have to stop him!" Elizabeth said, getting her voice back, and Mrs. Darcy shook her head.

"No, I don't. But I am sure that in the end, all will be well. I know Fitz, Elizabeth - he wouldn't fight, even if he was forced to. He would rather disgrace his name than kill someone." Mrs. Darcy replied.

"I can't believe he didn't tell me about this," Elizabeth murmured. "Doesn't he care about me?"

"Yes he does. He cares enough to know that you'd worry yourself to death over him, and he doesn't want that," Mrs. Darcy replied softly. "Now, why don't we go out into town? I'm sure that it will rest your mind on the subject, until Fitz does come home." Elizabeth slowly nodded, but the whole time fearing that when she returned, she would be a widow.

"You're late, Collins." Bingley said angrily.

"I'm sorry, but I had a hard time finding my way here," Mr. Collins said nervously.

"You're ready to duel?" Bingley asked coldly, and Mr. Collins nodded his head in agreeance. "Good. Just sign right here, so we avoid any legal mishaps, and we can begin." Darcy watched as Mr. Collins nervously signed the paper, and whipped the sweat from his brow.

"Now what?" Mr. Collins asked.

"We duel. Here are the rules: we each receive a pistol with one bullet in it. We get one shot, after ten paces, and afterwards we can assess the, uh, damage." Mr. Bingley replied haughtily, and Mr. Collins just looked pale. "Agree?"

"I agree." Mr. Collins replied, as he walked over to his manservant, handed him a small piece of paper, and picked up his pistol, his hands shaking the entire time.

"Good luck, Bingley," Darcy whispered.

"Thank you, Darcy. You always were a good friend." Bingley replied, taking his place for the duel.

Both men turned and walked ten paces, Mr. Collins shaking the entire time. They slowly turned, both firing their weapons. Mr. Collins' gun seemed to shift during the firing, causing the bullet to go off direction towards the carriages, and Mr. Darcy never did see which way the bullet Bingley's gun fired went.

At that moment, a lifeless body hit the ground, and was dead on impact, while on the other side of town, Elizabeth and Jane both had sick feelings in the pit of their stomachs.

I have no clue about dueling, or anything related to dueling. I just made the laws fit with what I was going for in the story, so sorry if I'm a bit off in the procedure and punishments for dueling.

Chapter 39

Darcy Townhouse
London

Elizabeth sat in the parlour, looking helplessly out of the window, all the time watching, waiting, and hoping to see Fitzwilliam walked down the street. Until she saw him, she could only assume the worst, and that was that her beloved husband was dead. Elizabeth knew that it wasn't true until it was confirmed, but she still felt angry with her husband for making her worry so. And, quite possibly, for leaving her and her son, who would not even have one memory of his father implanted in his brain.

Meanwhile, Jane was upstairs when she heard a sharp knock at the door, followed by Mrs. Heward entering the room and placing a small envelope in Jane's hands. Jane turned the letter over and over in her hands, looking at the soft cream paper, and faintly recognizing the hand to be that of Mr. Collins. Curious and furious, Jane opened the letter to read what he had to say that could not be expressed in words.

My dearest Jane,

If you are reading this letter, which has been given to you by my manservant, it will be obvious to you that I have been killed during a duel with your beloved Mr. Bingley. I know that I never lived up to your ideals of the perfect husband, and that you regretted marrying me and not Mr. Bingley, but I hold no ill will to you. I pray that, not if but when you marry him, please do not let the girls forget about their real father. You do not have to glorify my picture - you may tell them anything you wish about me. Just tell them that I loved them will all of my heart - I honestly did, even if I did not express my love to them during the short time I knew them.

Do not regret doing anything in life without me. If you need my permission to ease your unsteady mind, I free you from all bonds of our marriage, and do allow you to marry again, if needed to provide for our children and as support for you. I hope that you will not forget me, though, as your first husband and the father of our two daughters. God Bless You.

Your Loving Husband,

William Collins

Jane had never thought she would miss Mr. Collins, as he had been a rat and a hog and a boar at some times. But now was one of those times when she really appreciated her first husband, and wished she had been closer to him.

This was how Elizabeth found her sister - her head in her hands, sobbing, the piece of crumpled paper lying next to her. Elizabeth immediately hurried over to her sister, wondering what could have distressed her so, and noticed the letter sitting there, with a few teardrops threatening to blot the ink.

Elizabeth slowly read the letter, and, in shock, reread the letter to see if it was true. Elizabeth could not believe it either, that Mr. Collins, the man that everyone had wanted dead a week ago, was dead. Elizabeth felt horrible that he was dead, for even though he was a mean, ugly pig, he was her sister's husband, and the only means of income and support for Jane and her two daughters. Elizabeth shuddered to think of what would happen to the family now.

"Jane, it will be okay, I am certain of that," Elizabeth said soothingly, and Jane just sniffed in reply. "Perhaps it has all been a mistake."

"His manservant," Sniff, "wouldn't just give this," Sob," to me, if it wasn't," Sniff Sniff, "True." Jane said hesitantly.

"Jane, perhaps he is still alive - maybe only wounded?" Elizabeth added. "You do not know yet."

"What if he is dead? What will I do? I have nowhere to go," Jane stated. "I admit that I might not have always been glad to have been Mr. Collins' wife, but at least it was a comfort to know that I was taken care of."

"Jane, you are welcome to stay here with us," Elizabeth corrected, and Jane shook her
head.

"I could not impose on you and William forever. You two want to raise your family here, and have more children. The girls and I would just be in the way," Jane answered.

"That is if William is still alive," Elizabeth grumbled unhappily.

"Oh, Lizzie, I am sure that he is alive and well. He's probably off comforting Mr. Bingley. Trust me - if he was dead, I'm sure that a constable would have notified you by now." Jane comforted between sobs.

"I'm sure you're right, but somehow I'm filled with a deep sense of the fact that I may never see Fitz again, and I don't know what I'd do without him," Elizabeth said, choked up. "And William too. The fact that he may never get to know his father ..."

"Elizabeth, please. Be calm - no news is good news, remember?" Jane said with a smile.

"You're right, Jane." Elizabeth added as another knock came at the door. Elizabeth hoped that it was Fitz, but it just turned out to be Mrs. Heward with another letter for Jane. Elizabeth looked at Jane curiously, who just shrugged her shoulders at the strange handwriting on the front of the envelope. Jane began to read the letter, and Elizabeth peered over her shoulder to see the neat penmanship.

Dear Mrs. William Collins,

I have been in charge of the estate of Mr. William Collins for over ten years now, as I have been his attorney all those years. I received a note this morning, informing me of the untimely death of my good client, and I felt it my duty to write to you with the information on the estate of Mr. William Collins.

Mr. Collins, to whom Longbourn Estate in Hertfortshire was entailed to, shall not receive the property, which will instead by left to the next oldest living male relative of the Bennet line, which would be Mr. William Bennet Darcy. Mr. Collins did, however, leave in his will a sum of one thousand pounds to his wife, Jane Bennet, and a dowry of two thousand pounds each to his daughters. The rest of his money will be used to pay off old debts. If you wish to see the will, you may stop by at my office sometime this week. I offer my deepest condolences to the death of Mr. Collins. God Bless You.

Signed,

Mr. Wallace Jorgensen

"Oh Lizzie," Jane sobbed, a new wave of tears cascading down her cheeks. "This is worse than I thought, but better than I expected."

"It is not that bad, Jane," Elizabeth comforted.

"One thousand pounds can afford a small house, perhaps one near the Gardiners. And if I get myself a job, I could easily afford to raise my daughters," Jane replied hopefully, but Elizabeth could see that she was torn apart inside.

"Jane, you don't have to do this. You can stay here, and everything will be fine," Elizabeth soothed.

"No, Elizabeth - I can't impose on you any longer. I must go speak to Papa directly on this matter." Jane said, wiping the tears from her eyes and walking towards the door. "I just hope that William is all right - I truly do."

"So do I." Elizabeth whispered to herself. No news is good news, she thought glumly. Ha. But as unhappy as Elizabeth was, she felt herself hoping that Mr. Bingley would propose to Jane again. Then at least one of the Bennet girls would be happy, for once.

Chapter 40

Darcy Townhouse
Sunday, late afternoon

Elizabeth was not the type to worry. In her childhood, she had never really had anything to worry about. Jane had usually handled anything that was a concern, and, according to their mother's ranting, that was finding a rich husband, securing an heir for him, and the worry of having Longbourn entailed away from the Bennet line. Elizabeth had already accomplished those things. She had found a husband, had William, and Longbourn was to stay in the family's line, as William would inherit it.

But still, Elizabeth was worried. It was growing dark, and there had been no contact from Bingley or, more importantly, Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth was giving up hope on ever seeing him again, alive. With this thought, she stood staring out the window of her bedroom, as tears began to fall freely down her cheeks.

"What are you crying about?" a voice behind her asked, causing Elizabeth to jerk sharply around. Her eyes looked up into the deep dark brown eyes of her husband, and Elizabeth was in shock that the only thing she could do was cry even more.

"Shhh...." Darcy murmured, engulfing his wife in a huge hug and slowly rocking her back and forth. "Everything's fine." After a few moments, Elizabeth's tears stopped, turned to look up at Fitzwilliam.

"I thought you were dead." Elizabeth whispered in a small voice.

"I'm surprised that I'm not. That stupid Collins' bullet was about three feet from hitting me. Hit a horse instead, but it wasn't from out carriage so it was no worry to Bingley and myself." Darcy cursed.

"Mr. Collins is dead," Elizabeth said blankly.

"Yes. I suppose Jane was already notified." Darcy asked, and Elizabeth nodded.

"Mr. Collins' attorney wrote to her, stating that she would receive one thousand pounds, and that Longbourn is now to be entailed away to William," Elizabeth added. "Mama will be pleased."

"One thousand pounds is nothing to laugh at," Darcy replied firmly. "She is very lucky, as the wife of a clergyman, to receive that amount."

"Mr. Collins wrote her a letter, too, which was delivered a few hours ago." Elizabeth responded. "He apologized for anything he ever did, said that he did not mind if Jane every remarried, as long as she kept the memory of him alive in their two daughters."

"That pig." Darcy spat. "Just like him to ask for forgiveness at his death."

"Jane was quite distraught at receiving it, and I could believe it. It was hard to comprehend, coming from Mr. Collins, after all he did to poor Jane and her daughters." Elizabeth said with a sniff.

"Now don't you start crying again. I've been trying to comfort Bingley all day, and I'm too tired to comfort you," Darcy said playfully with a laugh.

"Is Bingley okay?" Elizabeth asked with wide eyes.

"Besides being in shock, he is relatively well for a man who has just killed another in a duel." Darcy replied calmly. "It's been eating away at him, though. I had to stay with him to make sure he was well, or I would have been home sooner."

"It's all fine, now that you're home." Elizabeth responded. "I was just worried that William wouldn't get to know his father."

"Don't worry. I'd never leave you so foolishly, nor William." Darcy answered. "You're not mad at me for not hurrying home?"

"I'm glad that you stayed to comfort Bingley," Elizabeth said, resting her head on Darcy's chest. "He's lucky to be your friend."

"I suppose," Darcy replied with a mischievous grin. "He's here, if you wish to speak with him."

"Charles is here?" Elizabeth asked, astonished. This was perfect, she thought. Now all she had to do was find Jane...

"Charles is downstairs, in the drawing room. I practically had to drag him over here. He's still in shock, you see, after the death of Delia and the fact that he killed a man this morning. Bingley's wondering what else is going to go wrong in his life." Darcy said in a soft, gentle tone, and Elizabeth could tell he was generally worried over the condition of his friend.

"Perhaps we can make him feel a bit better, dear," Elizabeth replied, taking Darcy's arm as the two walked downstairs towards the drawing room. Nearing the room, Elizabeth could hear the laughter of not just Bingley, but of Jane as well. Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at Darcy, who just laughed.

"Elizabeth, let Charles be. He's had a turbulent day as it is, without having to put up with you pushing Jane at him," Darcy reprimanded sternly. Elizabeth just smiled.

"They were almost married, you know," Elizabeth pointed out. "Perhaps they'll marry now that there's no other spouse in the way."

"We'll let time tell us that," Darcy responded, opening the door to the study. Jane and Charles were sitting near each other, talking merrily, and looked at Elizabeth and Darcy unhappily, as if angry that their private conversation was to be broken up.

"Sorry if we're interrupting your conversation," Elizabeth apologized, and Jane shook her head.

"No, it's fine," Jane said meekly, but Elizabeth could see her eyes were enflamed with a slight bitterness at being interrupted.

"Besides, what I have to say can be said in front of you both," Bingley added with a huge smile. Elizabeth and Darcy both exchanged a confused look, along with Jane, who seemed to have no idea what was going on.

"What exactly would that be, Charles?" Jane questioned, giving Bingley a confused look.

"Well.... I mean, it is no secret that I do love you, Jane," Charles said, his cheeks reddening at each word.

"Yes, and I do love you to, but...." Jane began, before being interrupted by a smiling Charles.

"Well, then, Jane, will you marry me?"

Conclusion

The Darcy Townhouse

"What?" Jane exclaimed, obviously surprised by what Bingley had just asked her.

"I said, will you marry me?" Bingley repeated, slightly irritated by Jane's surprised tone and her lack of speechlessness, plus the fact that she had not jumped up into his arms, screaming 'yes' while careening his face with kisses.

"I'm sorry, Bingley, but you caught me by surprise. I had not expected you to renew your addresses so soon after my late husband's death," Jane said softly, but Bingley looked unmoved.

"I thought that you obviously would. You must remember that we were to be married only a few days ago," Bingley stated simply, and Jane nodded.

"But things were very different back then," Jane replied almost in a whisper.

"Different how?" Bingley questioned, then rambled on into his inquiries before she could answer. "You still have not answered me, Jane."

"Bingley, you do know that I care very deeply about you." Jane said after a few moments' pause.

"Yes, and you must know that I care about you." Bingley added, with a violence of emotion and affection.

"But I cannot marry you." Jane answered quietly, diverting her eyes to the ground. Bingley just looked at her as if she had grown three heads instantly. Elizabeth and Darcy were also looking at Jane in a state of confusion, since they had both assumed that Jane would wish greatly to marry Bingley, especially since there was nothing to stop the union now.

"Jane? Are you feeling all right?" Elizabeth asked with concern, and Jane nodded.

"I don't understand. Why ever not?" Bingley questioned his voice full of sorrow and confusion. Jane looked tearfully at Bingley.

"I am positive. There is no possible way that I can marry you now. To do so would be to go against my own conscious and morals." Jane answered mutely.

"Against your morals?" Bingley repeated softly.

"I'm sorry, Charles, but it is the truth. As much as it hurts, it would be impossible for me to enter into a marriage with you," Jane answered hesitantly.

"Well, do I at least have the honor of knowing why I am to be rejected?" Bingley asked angrily.

"I want with all of my heart to marry you, Charles. You must know that. But I would betray my daughters and our good name by doing so." Jane sobbed, unable to keep her composure any longer.

"What?" Bingley said angrily with astonishment.

"They'd look up to you as their father, Charles, and love you will all of the hearts. And I would encourage that relationship too." Jane said tearfully.

"You don't wish me to be their father?" Bingley questioned, bewildered and dazed.

"There is nothing that I want more than that, Charles," Jane said quietly.

"Then what is the problem?" Bingley pressed, very offended.

"Think of the day when they ask about their real father. When they ask me how he died, Charles. I cannot lie to them," Jane bawled. "How could I tell them that the man they've called their father all of these years is the reason their real father, their flesh and blood, is dead. They'd be crushed, Charles, and no matter what, I could never do that to them."

"Jane, they'd understand." Bingley soothed, but Jane shook her head.

"You don't know that, Charles, and I'm inclined to think that they wouldn't accept that bit of information with open arms. As much as I love you, I have to think of what's best for my daughters." Jane replied unhappily.

"So that it, then. After all of this, you're just going to walk away from what we had and push me out of your life?" Bingley retorted. "Is this how I am to be treated?"

"Charles, please don't do this. I know you're angry and hurt, but this is not the answer to your pain." Jane sympathized. "I hope that we can remain good friends in the future, and I do wish that you visit my girls every so often."

"Please. Just give me the smallest hope that I may still be able to become your husband and I'll be happy. Please," Bingley pleaded. "I'll wait forever if I have to."

"Charles, I can't. You must understand." Jane begged.

"Fine. Have it your way," Bingley angrily responded.

"Charles, for my daughter's sake, don't let it end this way." Jane implored. "They need some male influence in their life. Please let us remain friends, good friends, for their sake."

"So you're willing me to be their friend rather than their father?" Bingley retorted. "Do you believe they'll accept a family friend, instead of their new father, killing their real father?"

"Charles, it will be easier on them this way. Please, promise that we can stay friends." Jane begged, and finally, Bingley's resistance wore down.

"Yes, I promise." Bingley mumbled, and Jane rushed over to give him a hug.

"Thank you. You won't regret this promise." Jane gushed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on my daughters. Lizzy, will you come with me?" With that, Elizabeth and Jane hastily exited the sitting room. Darcy went to comfort his friend, who was not looking pleased with his recent conversation.

"Don't worry, Bing. It will be all right in the end." Darcy replied cheerfully.

"Don't worry about me, Darcy." Bingley replied with a grin. "I'm not going to give up until I've married Jane Bennet Collins, and that's one promise I intend to keep. You can be assured of that."

The End