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M ary had found life extremely miserable after Elizabeth had left. The household was chaotic, and she found it difficult to handle questions about her sister’s disappearance amongst acquaintances.

The servants in Longbourn knew there was some connection between Elizabeth’s disappearance and Mr. Collins’s visit.

Most acquaintances of the Bennet family did not believe in the story about Elizabeth’s disappearance.

The only person who knew the truth about Elizabeth, apart from Mary, was Mariah Lucas.

Elizabeth’s letters reached Mary through Mariah. Though younger than Mary, Mariah was sensible and mature in guarding this secret.

Mary’s only comfort in her tedious life was the letters Elizabeth wrote. She was happy that her sister was somewhere safe. As months passed, she was convinced that Ashton Park was the best place for her sister.

Elizabeth wrote every single detail to Mary and disclosed her heart.

Mary understood that Elizabeth was deeply in love with Darcy.

She wrote to her sister to trust her heart and not be worried about the past. Mary was sad about her suffering because of her growing feelings for Darcy.

She did not know how to help Elizabeth and hoped her sister would find happiness soon.

The arrival of the Bingleys provided Mary with some distraction.

She found the Bingley sisters proud and unfriendly; however, Mr. Bingley starkly contrasted them.

She had met him thrice at social gatherings and enjoyed his company, and he seemed pleased with Hertfordshire.

He conversed with all young ladies amiably, and Mary felt he was drawn to Jane.

She heard her mother and Jane scheme tirelessly at home to make Mr. Bingley fall in love with Jane.

Mrs. Bennet knew he was wealthy, and Jane wanted to marry him for the same reason, but Mary fervently hoped Mr. Bingley would see her true nature and not fall for her charms.

Even if he does, what can I do about it? she had often thought.

Mary had formed a habit of walking to Oakham Mount every morning and felt comforted in spending time there, knowing how much her sister liked the spot.

This morning, she sat reading one of her sister’s letters and was still unaware of details about Darcy’s proposal.

She sat there musing about her sister’s prospective travel to Grovnor Park and was oblivious to the presence of Mr. Bingley and Darcy behind her.

Suddenly, Mary noticed some movement behind her and turned around.

She was surprised to see Mr. Bingley and another rider, and she immediately placed the letter inside her book and rose.

The men got down from their horses and approached her.

“Good morning, Miss Mary. It is a pleasure to see you again.”

“Good morning, sir. I hope you are doing well,” Mary said to Mr. Bingley.

She glanced towards Darcy, who looked confused and distressed.

“Allow me to introduce my dearest friend to you. This is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, my closest friend since my days at Oxford. He comes from Derbyshire.”

Mary could not contain her surprise and shock. It was now Darcy’s turn to scrutinize her expression.

“Darcy, this is Miss Mary Bennet. She is the daughter of Mr. Bennet.”

It took a moment for Mary to compose herself and greet Darcy.

And Darcy did not understand why she looked so uncomfortable at the mention of his name. To him, she somehow resembled Elizabeth. Though the likeliness was faint, and she was much younger, something about her reminded him of the dearest face that haunted him day and night.

“It is nice to make your acquaintance,” he said finally.

“You see, Miss Mary, my friend has traveled from Derbyshire to assist me with the affairs at Netherfield.”

“That is indeed very gracious of him. I hope you have a pleasant stay here, Mr... Mr. Darcy,” she said, unable to compose herself.

Darcy noted her hesitance in mentioning his name.

“I should be on my way home now,” she said.

“Oh, yes, of course. I hope to see you at Lucas Lodge today,” Mr. Bingley said.

They parted ways, and Mary’s heart pounded as she walked home.

Of all coincidences, how could Mr. Darcy be here? In her last letter, Lizzy never mentioned anything about him travelling here. This is all so very strange.

She knew Elizabeth’s letters always reached her with delay as they came through Charlotte and somehow felt concerned. She fervently hoped his trip would be short-lived.

On the ride back to Netherfield, Darcy felt unsettled. He did not know why Mary reminded him of Elizabeth, and he distinctly remembered her expression when his name was mentioned.

She looked startled, as though she recognized me from somewhere.

He could not sleep that night, and it had been so since his proposal.

He lay awake, tortured by his own thoughts.

Darcy was used to being in command of every situation in life; after the incident in Ramsgate, he understood he no longer had control over his life.

And now, his future looked uncertain. He had thought it wise to come to Hertfordshire as he needed a distraction.

Darcy had a miniscule hope of forgetting Elizabeth, but everything about Hertfordshire reminded him of her.

He felt her presence everywhere, and it made no sense to him.

He did not want to engage in social gatherings, but the next day, Mr. Bingley was persistent in his request. He wanted Darcy to accompany him for the evening.

Miss Bingley hoped that Darcy would stay in Netherfield so that she could keep him company.

However, Darcy was not thrilled by the prospect of spending the evening in Miss Bingley's company at Netherfield.

He finally decided to go, and Miss Bingley accompanied them, not wanting to miss her chance to spend time with him.

They were the second to arrive for the gathering, and his friend had already informed him that the Bennets were friends of Sir William's family.

As anticipated, the Bennets arrived first, and Mary tried to stay calm.

She could not help it, as it was too much to contain.

She was to spend time in the presence of the man her sister loved deeply; however, Mary was still unaware of Darcy’s proposal.

She assumed that Darcy was here to assist his friend and nothing else.

Meanwhile, Jane had dressed immaculately for the evening, and she intended to impress Mr. Bingley and openly declared to her sisters that Mr. Bingley would propose to her anytime, and her mother hoped for the same.

Mary had not discussed anything about the arrival of Darcy to her family and was still worried that his visit might put Elizabeth’s welfare in jeopardy.

When Mr. Bingley entered Lucas Lodge with his friend and his sister, Sir William hurried to welcome them.

He introduced the Bennets to Darcy. However, Darcy dreaded making new acquaintances and immediately spotted Mary amongst the sisters.

He noticed how Jane smiled at Bingley, and she immediately took his side. Within ten minutes, he found her flirting with his friend and sighed internally. He had seen him fall for many pretentious young women before and hoped it would not be the same case now.

Darcy was introduced to many other families, and Miss Bingley did not leave his side and constantly whispered sarcastic comments about the gathering.

Mary observed everything and stood with Mariah.

“Mary, I just learned Mr. Darcy is from Derbyshire. Isn’t that where Lizzy…” Mariah started.

“Shh!! Let us not discuss this here,” Mary stopped her.

“I understand; I am worried now.”

“Nothing will happen; do not worry. We have been able to safeguard this secret for so long. I am certain we can do the same.”

None in the gathering suspected that the two young girls had hidden such a secret for months.

As the evening progressed, Darcy waited impatiently to return to Netherfield. He found Mary glancing in his direction now and then, and the expression looked worried.

Lydia and the younger girls wanted to dance, and Mr. Bingley welcomed the idea and wanted Darcy to join them.

“I am in no mood to dance, Bingley. You know I detest it.”

“Don’t say that; there are so many pretty girls waiting for a partner.”

“They are better off sitting alone than dancing with me. Your partner seems to be waiting for you. Please go and enjoy her smiles.”

“She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

“You have said this many times before,” Darcy said and moved away to get some refreshments.

He found Mary standing near the coffee table, and she was startled when she came face to face with Darcy. On the other hand, Darcy did not know what to say to her.

Mary smiled faintly at him.

“Would you like some coffee, sir?” she asked, sounding unaffected.

Darcy hesitated, and Mary moved, giving him room to get his cup.

“Thank you,” he said.

“I hope Hertfordshire is to your liking,” she said, gathering the courage to speak to him.

“Yes, it is. It reminds me much of Derbyshire.”

“I hope you have a pleasant stay.”

“Thank you. I assume it will be short-lived, but I would not say the same about my friend,” he said, glancing at Bingley and Jane dancing together.

Mary looked at Mr. Bingley too, and felt sad to see him with Jane. Darcy noticed her expression.

“I meant he is delighted with Netherfield.”

“It is indeed a beautiful property, sir. We are happy to see it occupied again.”

Sir William joined them.

“Well, Mr. Darcy, I hope you enjoy Mary's company. She is one of the wisest I know for her age,” he said.

Mary looked embarrassed, and Darcy smiled at her, understanding that this was not the first time Sir William had said something like this.

“Why do you not dance, Mr. Darcy?” he asked.

“I have no intention of dancing, sir. I do not enjoy it much.”

“Oh! You must. You have so many pretty girls to choose from.”

Darcy politely declined and excused himself. Mary could see the truth in her sister’s description of him. He seemed proud and indifferent, but she caught a glimpse of his true self when he smiled at her.

I must write to Lizzy and ask her why he is here.

The rest of the evening passed swiftly. Darcy returned home tired and wanted to leave Hertfordshire soon.

However, he was also worried about his friend. From his observation of Jane and Mr. Bingley, he was pretty certain that his friend was falling for someone who did not have genuine feelings for him.

He hoped his friend’s interest would be short-lived, as in several previous circumstances, but to his worry, later that night, Mr. Bingley proved him wrong.

“I think I like Miss Bennet a lot.”

“Really?” Darcy asked with irritation.

“I know I have said this before, but she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I need to trust my heart and feelings from now on.”

“I say you trust your instinct.”

“I will. I love spending time with her, Darcy, and she is interested in knowing about me. She asked so much about my life in town.”

I bet it was to know how many houses you own there.

Darcy thought and retired, well aware that he would not get much sleep.

A few miles away in Longbourn, Mary sat down to write a letter to her beloved sister, with many questions about Darcy’s presence in Hertfordshire.