Chapter 1

Posted on Friday, 13 August 1999

Will Darcy stared at the name he had written on the paper. Then he scratched it out. It wasn't a happy name to him. But it was a name he revered even underneath the anger and contempt he showed it.

Elizabeth Bennet. Two words that meant very much to him.

Will Darcy then went to his desk and sat down. Then he turned to the man of shadows and gave an order. After the man of shadows left he again began to pace the room, stopping at the piece of paper.

"Well Miss Elizabeth." He said, a grim smile twisting his handsome features, "Refuse my proposal. Well, if you really prefer Wickham's methods to mine, I can change."

Although at that moment he tried to be the perfect villain there was one thing wrong. His eyes did not match the hate of his actions and wept for "pretty Lizzy".

Chapter 2

The man of shadows was doing what he did best, being a shadow. Or more precisely being Miss Elizabeth Bennet's shadow. He knew everything about her. But her favorite color was not what he wanted. He wanted pay from the Master Darcy and would only get it with her ruination.

Now watch him step out from the shadows. Not with his real face. No, that one he would not let daylight see for fear of being caught. This one was a face made of make-up and false hair instead of flesh and blood. And it had a maniac's smile on it…

The coachman tried to grin at that face, but failed. There is a limit to what even alcohol can do. Instead he raised his beer glass and tried to toast the man.

"Well, Hen… Hen… Hen… God almighty I can do… do…Henwy! Tha's it! Henwy hea's tooooo yu!" However, instead of the man bring the glass up he brought himself to the floor in a drunken sleep. He did not wake up even when the smiling man kicked him.

The smiling man took some small tools of twisted black metal that looked like they had been forged in hell's furnace. He then fixed the carriage more to his liking. Stepping back into the darkness the man of smiles traded them for the shadows.

Chapter 3

"Come on Lydia!" Elizabeth screamed at her youngest sister. "We're the only ones not in the carriage. My god, even Mary's in there."

"But I'm not Mary, Lizzy." Lydia pointed out "And I must find the perfect hat in the hat shop."

Just then a piercing shriek rendered the air into two. "Let Lydie find a hat! Maybe she'll get married before you at this rate!"

"Yes mama." The both chanted back dutifully.

A few minutes latter (after fights about window seats and such like) everyone was in the carriage. And on their way to vacation. Elizabeth rested her head on the wall of the compartment. She frowned, for the little she knew of carts this one was making an odd noise. Then she heard a snap, the sickening kind commonly used for breaking bones. And then everything went crazy. The horses were running over a cliff! The lamp was lighting the whole carriage on fire! The axles were broken! Lydia was scratching and clawing to get away from the mad dog. Then as swiftly as it began, it was over with the carriage hitting the floor.

Elizabeth slowly crawled from the wreckage. She shivered as she saw a dark specter examine the bodies then stab them with a knife. She tried to go farther, but her legs felt full of knives. To her relief the shadow left and she could faint.

Chapter 4

Darcy paced and wrote and read. He wanted to know many things. But none of the books had that kind of information. Had Elizabeth gotten what she deserved? Was he right for asking for her ruination? How had it been accomplished?

But Darcy was unused to lying idle. He decided to ride instead. Although it was a stormy night it was better than thinking.

Darcy's horse seemed to be skittish. Curious, he pressed forward. Then he saw it. A mangled heap of corpses, blood, ash, wood, cloth and a wheel. Gasping, he looked for survivors. And he found one. Her name was Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Now the only Miss Bennet.