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the thought of seeing Mr. Darcy again, so much so, that I could not swallow more than a few bites at dinner. My appetite had waned since I learned of the circumstances of my birth. Three times the dressmaker had altered the waistline of my dress for the wedding, and it still hung upon my frame. I could not sleep for dread of the coming day.
    “This is insupportable!” I whispered to myself, rising from my bed. Walking to the window, I opened the shutter and stared at the full moon. I knew I must overcome the anxiety that dragged my presence down like an anchor thrown into the sea. The man was my brother; acceptance was the only answer. I would bury any other feelings I had ever felt for him and begin to think of him as I thought of Kitty or Mary.
    “You can do this, Elizabeth Bennet,” I said to myself. There, I had voiced my resolve, and I would carry through no matter what. From that day forward, Mr. Darcy would be of no more consequence than a distant familial connection, just as Papá had declared he was. I would be as I had ever been…before I loved him.
    With a determined set to my shoulders, I turned and quietly crawled back into bed, hoping to avoid waking Jane. The only problem that remained was what to do with the pain in my heart.

Chapter Three
    Jane’s wedding was lovely, almost as lovely as the bride herself. Kitty and Mary had placed plentiful bouquets of dried arrangements at the altar, and their colours provided just the right contrast to Jane’s white silk gown and Mr. Bingley’s starched neckcloth.
    I had attached myself to Jane’s side before the ceremony and remained with her above stairs until time to walk to the church. Neither of us could eat, although for dissimilar reasons. Inside the sanctuary, I was conscious of a number of guests as we walked down the aisle, but I kept my eyes upon Jane. If Mr. Darcy stood among the crowd, I did not wish to see him and thus cause my countenance to alter.
    Sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows as though God Himself beamed with joy at the union. As I listened to the bride and groom recite their vows, I fought the mist that filled my eyes. I was so happy for Jane—truly, I was—and yet, I could not help but wish I stood beside her, speaking those same words to the man I loved.
    Stop it, Lizzy! I told myself. I dug my fingernails into my palms to distract my thoughts. You have vowed to think of him as your brother. Do not forsake that vow. Silently, I repeated the words before God. Mr. Darcy and I are brother and sister. I renounce all prior feelings for him from this moment on.
    At the breakfast afterward, however, it proved impossible to avoid him. I felt his presence nearby rather than saw it, and with his greeting, I steeled myself to appear calm. Surprise overtook me when I turned and observed he was not alone. His sister stood beside him.
    “Miss Bennet, I am so pleased to see you once again,” she said with a curtsy.
    I responded in kind and searched my brain for something to say. What must she think of me now? I must have mumbled something coherent, for she moved closer, and I found myself standing between her and Mr. Darcy.
    “My sister has been anxious to speak to you,” he said.
    “Anxious?” I could not comprehend his meaning.
    “Perhaps ‘anxious’ is an overstatement. ‘Eager’ might prove the better description.”
    “Oh yes,” Georgiana said. “I have been eager to renew our acquaintance, especially in light of recent events.”
    “Recent events?” It seemed I could do nothing more than echo like an idiot.
    She drew close and whispered in my ear, “We are now something like cousins, are we not? My brother has told me the whole of the story.”
    I straightened my shoulders, afraid of what she would say next.
    “He says my aunt’s revelation has overwhelmed you, and I can readily understand that. To learn that the parents you have always honoured are not truly your parents must be difficult to accept. To realize