-Blows the dust off her story and is offered a handkerchief by a frowning Bennet family-

Hello everyone, welcome back to

Becoming Catherine

I have no real excuse to cover the shameful large gap of time between updates beyond the fact my muse took a lengthy vacation and left me with no forwarding address yet despite this I now put imaginary pen to paper and attempt to give you guys something in gratitude for the outpouring of support for this story

As promised this chapter is dedicated to these wonderful reviewers, Dear U. x. U, tarlily, joy98 who granted this story its 140th 50th 60th, 70th and lastly the anonymous Guest with the 80th reviews whew! Think that must be a record of apologizes if I missed someone in there I kept getting interrupted while counting.

I now have a Beta for this story so yay! Please welcome the brave hearted ElizabethAnneSoph who has stepped up to help slay my typo dragons beginning with this chapter and then the ones that have preceded it.

Now with all the formalities concluded I bring you the long awaited

Chapter 27 Vengeance

Skydancinghobbit

"Where people wish to attach [others to them], they should always be ignorant. To come with a well-informed mind is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others which a sensible person would always wish to avoid. A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.

Mary was quite vexed,

She had done all she could in the ensuring hours since her sudden disappearance to attract the attention of anyone who might be around or even on the road as they had passed by. She had called for the driver to halt in the best imitation of her mother, swooned like any good lady would and then checked the cushions and even the floor for any hint of aid in any form. Finding none she had scanned the lands that rolled by for sign of a living creature, evening was approaching fast and with it any hope of a farmer or another labourer. Then she had sadly given into her womanly frustration in a fashion her mother would have been proud of and had even thrown her slipper against the wall in a fit of temper.

Feeling foolish she had retrieved it and put it back in place and found herself drifting off into a trouble sleep from which she was awakened by a hand covering her mouth again as she was lifted bodily from the carriage by rough hands and then found her wrists neatly bound together with what looked like a gentlemen s cravat by another rather surly lout who grabbed a lantern and led the way into a building.

"If you value your pretty hide you will keep your remarks and exclamations to yourself, your host is not…. amenable to such pettiness"

The words did not inspire confidence or indeed any feeling of security in the least, her nose wrinkled at the scent that assaulted her nose, a mix of stale cigars and sour ale. Yet she nodded her consent for what else could she do, as she was propelled into a dark dusty room the scent of which spoke of an Inn or tavern. Woefully she had glanced at the moving shadows under the doors frame that spoke of occupants as they passed with quick steps. Not known to be either in league with those who wished her harm or good foke on whom she could call for aid she wisely held her peace. Mere moments later she found herself deposited in a chair looking at the back of a man facing away from her. A mere flick of a wrist and the other man departed after sending her a clear look of warning.

"Ah welcome Miss Bennet, I trust you are no worse for your rather speedy departure?"

Shock and amazement flooded her being as the figured turned, his features swiftly morphing from smooth confidence to an unpleasant mix pf great anger and distressed bafflement as his eyes drank in the sight of her.

"Mr. Collins?! You…...you are behind this?!"

He didn't speak a word but strode forward grasping her face in his hands with a horrible expression in his eyes before just as quickly released her an angry flush mantling his cheeks as he turned picking up the first object in reach, which turned out to be a tea pot and hurled it into the wall with a resounding crash before he stalked to the door, throwing it open with such force Mary feared for the object of his fury, though in equal measure grateful she was not to blame. From her position she could hear his voice in the next room her eyes never leaving the shattered remains of the sturdy china as an idea suddenly occurred to her, if only she could find the right moment!

"You mutton headed fool! You brought me the wrong Bennet! How can I get the vengeance on the man without the right girl?! You have ruined everything fool!"

"How was I to know?! I watched them fancy foke all day and heard her addressed sure enough as Miss Bennet…how many chits could such a mother produce?"

Mary heard sounds of a scuffle and with a string of curses that made her blush in mortification that quickly faded at the scuffle was interrupted by the sound of ringing steel. Seizing the moment, she moved with a frown as she considered her next action, if she could only reach a piece of that pot, without doing herself an injury and free her hands! After a breathless moment where the broken shard grazed her hand accidently bringing a sting of pain and she fumbled awkwardly knowing full well her time was limited and if she was caught, well it was best not to think about it.

"Ah ha!"

Her triumphant mutter was all noise she allowed as the rope began to loosen and then finally gave way. She was free! There was little time to celebrate this as a horrible cry rang from the outside court and thundering feet swept past in another ally toward the noise cries and alarms being raised all about the place accompanied with the welcome sound of pound hooves of an arriving party.

"Hold there! There is no duelling in my Inn! Sir!"

" Wound is done he's life is draining away."

"Hold there you scoundrel!"

"Catch him Fitzwilliam!"

"Look out there!"

"Ha, are you foolish enough to attack an officer?!"

"By God sir, It's the gallows for you! On my honour!"

Mary shaking violently let out of breath in a gasp, was that? She crept to the window and risked a look outside, and yes! Mr. Darcy and Bingley! Oh never had she been so happy to see another living creature! She knew not how to react wanting to at once laugh and weep in the same moment as the voices had faded to low murmurs before the sound of running feet heralded the arrival of one of her rescuers. Mr. Bingley with hair blown all akimbo with his haste gazed on her with an expression of relief so profound it warmed her.

"There you are Miss Bennet. I well to be frank we are here to fetch you back! Are you injured in any way?"

Mary only shook her head as she swallowed hard.

"I, well beyond where I was bound, and my hand."

He proffered a handkerchief and took her hand gently in his own inspecting the small scrape the broken china had left with care, she wondered at this for a moment before she recalled he had younger sister and had probably done this action many times growing up and relaxed.

"The good colonel will see to this, it is not deep, but you were lucky. Now if that is all let us depart this horrible place."

Offering his arm, she swept from the room glad to be rid of such a horrid place when an idea struck her.

"Oh Mr. Bingley it was not I he was after, he mentioned being brought the wrong Bennet, who do you think he meant?"

A dark flush mantled his pale cheeks and the hand that held his riding crop showed his knuckles through the leather of his gloves as they gripped the leather with force.

"This may be true but the idea he or any man would lift a hand to do any of your family harm is almost beyond my scope of understanding, once we are away I assure you that there will be time enough to find answers to this the fellow will answer for this any the numerous other crimes he is guilty of you have my word, Miss Mary."

As they rode away leaving a trail of dust behind them bringing the innkeepers wife to act as chaperon in the carriage with her, Mary believed him.

So, ends chapter 27- offers tea and cakes-

So, what think you gentle readers, who do you think Collins wants vengeance again and why, any guesses?

Thank you so much for being so patient this chapter went through 8 rewrites and I am still not entirely happy with it after having been so long away from this story I fear I have rather lost the thread of the original tale.

Whomever grants this story its 200th review shall earn chapter 28's dedication

Stay tuned therefore for Chapter 28. A man without principle

Skydancinghobbit

P.S. Please take a moment to check out my other stories they need love too you know