Beginning, Section III

Chapter 24

Posted on December 22, 2008

During the first part of their commute, Elizabeth told Jane all about the “swanky” cocktail party and gala. She had a way of telling stories that had Jane in stitches most of the time, especially when she got to the part about Carrie Bingley.

“I’m sure she can’t be that bad, Lizzy. Will is her brother’s friend, after all. She had to talk to him,” Jane surmised. She was always making excuses for people, unwilling to find fault in anyone.

A few minutes later, Charlie joined them, looking a bit worse for wear.

“Charlie, are you all right?” Jane’s concern was evident in her voice, as well as the way she reached up to brush the hair back from his forehead.

“How would you feel if your sister came barging into your room after midnight, waking you from a dead sleep for a psychotic rant about your ‘whore friend?’” he grumbled, but caught himself and looked up. Raising his voice, he suddenly and apologetically interjected, “Sorry, Lizzy.”

Elizabeth reached forward and patted his shoulder. “No offence taken.”

“Thanks.” He offered her a halfhearted smile. “She went on and on about how you clung desperately to Will all night.”

Elizabeth laughed. “If anyone was clinging desperately...”

“Oh, I know how she is, and I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. I had no idea where she was; she had only said she was going out with a friend.” He frowned.

The train began to slow, and Charlie appeared to get more upset, raking a hand through his hair. “I should have called out sick today... Or said I was going to work at home.”

“Why? Jane was worried again. “Are you really feeling bad? Maybe you should get off here and go back. Do you need help? Should I go with you?”

“No.” He shook his head slowly. “It’s just that Carrie really gets to Will. It always takes him a while to get over it, and until he does, he’s a pain to be around.” He turned to face Elizabeth. “You probably noticed last night.”

Elizabeth looked oddly at Charlie. “No? I mean, he was certainly uneasy when she was talking to him and Georgie, but once we left to dance...” She looked up and smiled as she noticed Will walking up the aisle.

Will was a little frustrated as the man in front of him seemed in no hurry to take a seat, but as soon as he spied Elizabeth watching him, a smile appeared. He claimed her hand promptly upon seating himself, and greeted her with his usual warmth.

When he looked up to see Charlie, he was shocked. “You look like hell.”

Charlie stared at Will, mouth agape. “And you don’t…” he finally uttered.

“Why would I?” It only took a moment to hit him though. “Carrie.” A single, low chuckle escaped. “I forgot about her.”

Charlie’s eyes widened; he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Will Darcy had always been predictable, at least, apparently, until he met Elizabeth. “Yeah, well, she woke me up when she got home, and ranted for almost two hours.”

“I’ve told you, she needs a place of her own.” Will replied calmly.

“You’re right; though given her mood, she’d’ve called or come over anyhow.” Charlie finished with a yawn.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you without sounding like a broken record,” Will replied. “But anyhow, will you be too tired, or are you still coming to dinner tonight? I need to tell Maggie if there’s any change of plans.”

“I’ll be there.”

Will returned his focus to Elizabeth, while Charlie and Jane began their own quiet conversation. All too soon, though, the train pulled into Suburban Station, and their pairings shifted as the guys headed in one direction, and the ladies in the other.

The foursome met again on the platform that evening, a little early for their train. “Rather than impose on you two, I’ll ride up to your house with Charlie,” Jane suggested to Will.

“It’s not an imposition,” he replied. “My car has plenty of room.”

“Maybe she thinks I’ll appreciate her company more...” Charlie looked from Will to Elizabeth and back. “And she’s probably right. Jane’ll be fine with me, and we’ll see you when we get there.”

When Will and Elizabeth entered his house 45 minutes later, they were greeted by Hershey, and shortly thereafter, Maggie.

“Dinner will be ready in about an hour, Georgie and Tiff are lying by the pool, and Ryan and Brian are out there, playing Xbox.” She smiled at the handsome young couple before heading back to the kitchen.

Will glanced down the hall toward the back of the house, then led Elizabeth to the room that had become his favorite, for the time being, at least. He turned to face her as he pulled her through the doorway, smoothly closing the door at the same time. Their gazes locked for a moment, and Will reverently whispered, “My Liz,” before dropping his head so his lips met hers.

Their kisses started soft, but heated up quickly. In seemingly no time, Elizabeth was pressed against the door, her fingers reaching into the back of Will’s hair.

Will’s hands were much more active. One moved from her cheek, down her neck, over her shoulder, and followed an indirect route down her side to her hip. The other slid from her waist to her bottom.

Hearing a small sound, and certain it was Elizabeth’s sweet moan, his hands tightened their hold upon her, and he pulled their bodies closer. At the moment, it was just the two of them, until he suddenly realized...

He froze, and then released her and stepped back quickly. What am I doing! I can’t be trying to seduce her.

“Huh?” uttered Elizabeth hazily, suddenly devoid of his embrace.

Will looked at her, then pulled her to him, keeping some space between their bodies. He kissed her hair. “Sometimes, when I’m with you, I forget everything else in the world.” He raised his head and looked down, meeting her eyes. “Let’s sit down for a few minutes before we go meet everyone out back.”

She nodded silently, and they moved to the sofa. When he sat down, she curled up beside him, and was quickly pulled against his side.

“I love you, Elizabeth.” He kissed her brow. Hopefully relaxing like this for a few minutes would clear his mind; and with luck, cool his desire for her, before they had to go out and join the others.

Will’s assertion had been correct. Neither he nor Elizabeth had heard the bell, or the voices in the hall as Maggie had led Charlie and Jane to the backyard.

“Charlie!” Georgiana jumped up as she spied the latest arrivals. Tiffany was only slightly less happy to see them. Both hugged him, and upon release, he introduced Jane to them. In turn, they dragged their boyfriends from their video game, and introduced them as well.

“Where are Lizzy and Will?” Jane asked. “Maggie said they had arrived.”

Georgiana could not contain her laugh. “If they are here, and we haven’t seen them yet, they must have stopped in Will’s study. They’ve been spending a lot of time in there the last few days.”

“I suppose it is only place they can get a few minutes of privacy.” Charlie added, his cheeks touched by hint of pink. Soon, the women were sitting together, chatting like old friends, while Charlie joined the younger men, playing Battlefield: Bad Company.

Will cleared his throat when he and Elizabeth walked out, as no one seemed to have noticed them. Everyone casually glanced at the couple, except for Tiffany, who eagerly greeted them, getting up and hugging Will.

“I’ve been wondering when you’d get here. Some host you are,” she teased.

“I didn’t know I was needed to play host. This is your home, after all.”

“Yes, but Brian is here, and now Charlie and Jane; and word is you’ve been hiding out with Lizzy.” She then hugged Elizabeth. “Of course, I’m not blaming you. I’m very happy you and Will are seeing each other. I knew you were perfect for him the moment we met.”

Will and Elizabeth sat down, and a few minutes later, Georgiana and Tiffany excused themselves to change from their swimsuits. Jane sat with them, but left most of the conversation to the couple until the other guys finished their game and joined them. Will introduced Brian to Elizabeth, and the group spoke easily.

Immediately after Georgiana and Tiffany returned, Maggie announced that dinner was ready. Everyone filed in, but only Jane was amazed by the table settings and the abundance of food. Maggie had prepared]veal saltimbocca, spaghetti, meatballs, hot Italian sausage, zucchini and yellow squash tian, and, of course, a large basket of garlic bread. Certainly no one would go hungry tonight.

Conversation flowed easily among the group, if a bit loudly at times. There was a time when Elizabeth would have been surprised by such an affair at the home of Will Darcy; but knowing him and his extended family better now, she expected nothing less.

They remained at the table for some time after they were done eating, but when they decided to return to the backyard, everyone helped clear the table. Maggie would not accept any further help with the dishes, but agreed to sit out with them as they drank coffee, and later ate tiramisu.

Brian was the first to leave, stating that his parents wouldn’t appreciate his “coming home for a few days” being just to use the bed. He said his farewells, and Tiffany accompanied him out, returning several minutes later.

Jane was the next to express a desire to depart. It was past ten, after all, and by the time Charlie dropped off her and Elizabeth and got home, it would be after 11:30.

Elizabeth offered Will a weak smile. “We probably should get going. I left my bag in Will’s study though, so if you’ll give me a few minutes…”

Jane and Charlie assured her there was no rush, and remained seated as Will and Elizabeth entered the house.

Again, the study door was closed, but this time they controlled their desires, exchanging only tender embraces and sweet kisses. “I shouldn’t have agreed to let Charlie take you home,” Will murmured.

“It makes more sense, Will. You have the girls here, and Charlie has to drive home anyhow. As much as I’d like to spend an extra half hour with you, it would be very inefficient use of your gas and time.” She reclaimed his lips.

A minute later, their faces separated by mere inches, Will asked, “Why do you always have to be so sensible?”

“It’s who I am, and you know it, Will. And most of the time you love it.” She smiled coyly.

“Most of the time…” he grumbled before engaging her in another series of kisses.

Finally, knowing they had spent far too long already, the couple emerged. Elizabeth joined Jane and Charlie in their goodbyes, and the threesome was soon on the road.

Will checked in the kitchen, and saw that Maggie was begrudgingly allowing Georgiana and Tiffany to help her with storing the leftovers and cleaning the dishes. As they were well occupied, he returned to his study and sat down at his computer. He was reading over an update on the Hilton Head project when he heard Georgiana tap on the open door.

“What’s up, sis?” he inquired.

“Tiff and I were talking. We had an idea,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Do tell,” he replied, pointing to the chair across from him and turning completely away from the computer.

“First, how long have Charlie and Jane been dating?”

He smiled with a small single chuckle. “They aren’t.”

“They’re not dating?” Georgiana responded in disbelief. “They certainly seemed like a couple... Either way… Anyhow, you know Ryan can’t come to the shore next month like we originally planned.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that a couple of weeks ago.” Will nodded.

“Have you invited Elizabeth?” She watched her brother’s expression.

“No, I’ve thought of it; but I haven’t made it that far.”

“You should, and Jane too. I know we only have one room, but Tiff and I can share if we have to. Of course, we have also agreed…” She was looking at his desk, not him.

“Hmm?” He watched her face as she slowly looked up.

“We’re both okay with the double standard if you and Elizabeth want to share. I mean, you don’t have to be apart just to set an example for us.”

“Both of you?” The words tumbled out quickly. He watched her closely, as she offered a small nod and blushed slightly. He was shocked, and had to slowly force himself to ask, “You and Tiffany discussed Elizabeth and me sharing a room?”

When she answered, “Yes,” his cheeks immediately flushed.

She continued, undaunted, “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but you’ve changed since you met her; not any one obvious thing, but if nothing else, you seem… more content.” Her voice grew a bit more defensive. “We like her too; and you’ve sacrificed so much for us. We couldn’t be happier for you, and anything we can do to help you guys is fine with us.”

When a hint of a smile appeared on Will’s face, Georgiana popped up and slipped around the desk to hug Will. “I love you, big brother.”

“I love you too, Georgie,” he answered quietly.

“Now make sure you invite her tomorrow; and make sure she knows it’s okay,” Georgiana said, then turned to leave. “Night, Will.”

“Good night.”

Will kept a smile on his face until Georgiana was out the door. The girls’ offer was surprising, but thoughtful in its own way. Still, once she was gone, he dropped his head in his hands. He would invite Elizabeth, but sleeping arrangements certainly would not be the topic. He’d be wary of suggesting it, no matter what, given that Charlie and Maggie would be there as well as the girls. Of course, there was a chance it would remain a complete non-issue, for though recent signs were promising, he wasn’t even sure he and Elizabeth would be sharing a bed by then.

Chapter 25

Posted on December 29, 2008

Elizabeth had just refolded the newspaper and was finishing her coffee when the house phone started ringing. “Don’t answer it!” she called up to Jane. “It can only be Mom, and she’ll just make us late.”

Still, she walked over to where she could hear the answering machine. “Lizzy! Jane! Answer the phone; I know you’re still there. I need to speak to you, Lizzy. It’s important... Elizabeth Christina Bennet, I know you’re listening to this. Pick up the phone!”

Heading back to the kitchen, she yelled upstairs, “Five minutes, and it looks like you’re driving.” Not surprisingly, her cell phone began to ring. “Morning, Mom,” she answered it.

“Why didn’t you answer the other phone? I know you’re still home.”

“Because we need to finish getting ready and be able to walk out the door in a couple of minutes.” She carried her backpack across the room and set it on the chair nearest the front door. “We’ll miss our train otherwise.”

“Oh fine. Fine. Anyhow, I really don’t know if I should be angry with you or thrilled. Have you no compassion for my nerves?”

“What did I do now, Mom?” Elizabeth sighed as she turned on the water to wash her cereal bowl and coffee cup.

“I had to find out from my sister. Yes, your Aunt Harriet called me this morning to ask why I hadn’t told her.”

“Told her what?” Elizabeth made a face as Jane walked into the kitchen. Turning the phone so the mic was above her head, she asked, “You ‘bout ready, Jane?”

“Yeah, just have to wash my cup, and I’ll be out.” She smiled sympathetically.

“You okay driving today?”

“Sure, no prob.”

“I’ll head out then.” Turning the phone correctly, she said, “Sorry, Mom, we do have a train to catch.”

“Well anyway, Harriet was going on and on about it… I can’t believe you haven’t told me.”

Elizabeth grabbed her backpack, and Hamlet immediately blocked her path to the door. “One sec, Mom.” She stopped and petted the dog, then kissed his head. “Be a good lug today.” With a quick ear tousling, she was outside.

“No wonder you don’t tell me anything. It’s plain the dog even ranks higher than me!” came the distressed voice from the phone.

“It’s his routine; he was blocking the door. I’m just about to get in the car, and I’m all yours.” She pressed the alarm button on her remote and opened the front passenger door of Jane’s Mini Cooper.

“So why haven’t you told me, Elizabeth? Why did I have to learn it from the paper after Harriet tells me?”

“Learn what, Mom?” her frustration now evident.

“About you and this Fitzwilliam Darcy. You’ve caught yourself a rich, eligible man, and I have to read about it in the Inquirer!”

“In the paper? Where?” Elizabeth extracted the Philadelphia Inquirer from her backpack.

“What’s up, Lizzy?” asked Jane as she climbed into the car.

“I have the paper, Mom. Where is it?” She didn’t acknowledge Jane as she opened the newspaper.

“E4, of course,” her mother said, as though it was obvious.

She pulled out the “Magazine” section – “Style and Soul” on Wednesdays – and turned to the page entitled “Social Circuit.” It hadn’t even crossed her mind to look at the page. There were several pictures from the event, but the largest and most prominent was the one taken when they arrived. The caption simply listed their names.

“It’s just a picture taken at the gala. I did attend with Will, but…”

Her mother interrupted. “There’s more on the next page, under the “Daily Dose.”

Her eyes drifted to the next page. “I’ll call you back, Mom,” she uttered in shock as she pressed the end call button. “Oh God!”

“What is it?” Jane glanced quickly at her sister after she pulled onto the street.

Elizabeth didn’t answer right away, but Jane knew she needn’t ask again. “There’s a large picture of our group, just after we arrived.”

Jane nodded, but didn’t reply.

“On the next page, in bold italics, it says, 'Is Fitzwilliam Darcy Off the Market?'” She was silent for a long moment before she began to read aloud. “Fitzwilliam Darcy seems to be full of surprises lately. First, he traded in his executive parking space for a TrailPass to encourage his employees to do the same. Monday night, he arrived at the Prince Gala, not with the typical statuesque blond dangling from his arm, but holding hands with the petite, brunette Information Technology Manager of CBL Investments.

“Darcy did not appear to be the only one charmed by Miss Elizabeth Bennet; she appeared to win over everyone she met. By the end of the night, it seemed the general consensus is that Fitzwilliam Darcy’s days as one of Philadelphia’s most eligible bachelors are numbered.”

Elizabeth did not lift her eyes, but continued to stare at the page.

“I can see why Mom freaked.” Jane tried to fill the silence. “But in all, it’s quite complimentary.”

“Will hates publicity, Jane. How can I look him in the eye after reading this?” She folded the newspaper in her lap, still staring at the bit about Will and her.

Jane reached over and patted Elizabeth’s arm without taking her eyes from the road. “You didn’t write it, Lizzy. It’s not your fault… He may not like it, but he won’t blame you. In fact, I suspect he’ll be just fine with you.”

“Maybe. I can hope. But then there’s still Mom.”

Jane shook her head. “You had to tell her sooner or later; so it’s been pushed up a bit.”

“I know. I’m just not sure he’s ready to meet her yet. I don’t know if he ever will be. I don’t know if I’m ready yet.” Elizabeth sighed.

“You’re not giving him much credit there.”

“I suppose not. But Mom...” Elizabeth’s phone rang again. “Hi Mom, I’m sorry.”

Her mother started right in. “So tell me all about Mr. Darcy! I can’t believe my little Lizzy’s going to marry a millionaire!”

“Mom! Will and I are nowhere near getting married. Yes, we have been dating, a little, but we’ve only known each other a month!” A month today! The realization took her by surprise.

“Oh, that doesn’t mean anything. A man as smitten as he seems to be is certain to propose soon,” replied the eager voice. “Your father and I had been dating only a little longer before he proposed.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re not to that point yet. We’ve only started dating, who knows where it will lead?” She wanted to completely avoid that potential line of questioning.

“Well, you should be trying to secure him, you don’t catch a man like that every day.”

“You know nothing about him other than he’s rich, and prominent enough to be considered an eligible catch. That’s not a lot of foundation for a relationship.”

“He’s also rather handsome. You two will have beautiful children.”

“Mom!” Elizabeth shook her head. “There’s more to life than looks and money.”

“Well, maybe if I had met the man! Or if you had at least told me more about him, I’d have more to go on. Maybe you should bring him to dinner tonight.”

“I can’t ask him to change his plans at a moment’s notice. I guess I will try to see what his schedule looks like though.”

“How about Friday? He can come over for the parade and stay for barbecue.”

“He has guests right now, and I’m sure they have plans.” She looked up, and was never happier to see the train station sign.

“I’ll see what we can arrange, Mom. We’re just pulling into the train station, and I really can’t talk about this while standing in a crowd” - not that Thorndale Station was usually very crowded - “I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Oh, all right. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

“Bye Mom, I love you.”

After she ended the call, she heaved a huge sigh. “She’s acting just as I predicted she would. We’ll have beautiful children...”

Jane laughed. “One day you’ll see the humor in this, Lizzy.”

Elizabeth glared at her sister as they climbed out of the car. “One of these days, I may accidentally start talking about Charlie in front of her, Jane.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Elizabeth grinned mischievously and began walking towards the platform.

Soon enough, the sisters were chatting quietly over the seat that divided them, and when Charlie claimed his seat beside Jane, they learned quickly that he – and Carrie – had seen the piece. “She was livid, ranting about writing to the paper and calling for the writer’s dismissal. It would have been funny if it wasn’t my sister.”

Elizabeth didn’t laugh, but looked down at her lap. “You okay, Lizzy?” Charlie asked.

“I’m just worried about Will. I just know he’s seen it, and I remember how upset he was when his picture was in the paper last month. And that was a positive news piece.”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Charlie answered. “He should be used to it by now, his picture usually shows up on “Social Circuit” after an event, but the other thing... I guess we’ll have to see. Though the fact that he hasn’t called either of us to complain gives me hope.”

She nodded and bit her lip in anticipation; whether good or bad, she didn’t know. Sitting back, she tried to breathe calmly until the train stopped at Paoli. She tensed at the train came to a stop, and a minute later, she saw Will walking up the aisle. He seemed to be wearing one of his sterner expressions, and appeared to be avoiding eye contact, even with her.

Elizabeth dropped her eyes to her lap, beginning yet another review of her morning thus far. Even when she sensed Will sitting down beside her, she didn’t look up; and she started when he took her hand. As she sat up, she raised her eyes to his worried ones.

“Are you all right, Liz?”

She forced a halfhearted smile. “I’ve had a very trying morning, but I’m fine.” She took a quick breath, and hoped he didn’t notice. “What about you?”

“I’m okay.” He looked down and began to play with her fingers. “So you saw the paper?”

“I would have missed it if my mother hadn’t called me. I’ve told you enough about her to imagine what’s going through her mind.” She tried to pull herself together more; she was supposed to be supporting Will. “But I’m used to her; I was just caught off guard.” She slid her fingers along his until they were intertwined. “I’m more concerned about you though. You clearly weren’t happy when you got on.”

“You know I hate these things... and also that I sometimes stomp around, offended, for a little while; but the moment I saw you...” What his voice lost in volume, it gained in intensity. “You’re all that matters.” He squeezed her hand.

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes. “I was worried about you.”

Small grins emerged on both of their faces, but Will’s only lasted a moment, and he gazed inquiringly into her eyes. “I’m glad some of the strain was so easily relieved; but there’s more.” He seemed to read her without effort. “Your mother...”

She interrupted him, her discontent quite evident. “My mother is just what she’s always been; exactly what I’ve told you. She saw the paper, and thinks I should get you to marry me and make her beautiful grandchildren. She refuses to see that I don’t want to run ahead blindly. Major life changes like marriage require time and consideration.”

Will nodded quietly as she spoke. He knew she was right, but had trouble thinking of the right response. Finally he asked, “So what did you say? How’d you leave it with her?”

“When we got to the train station, I told her I’d call her tonight, so I have until then to think how to placate her.” She tried to smile.

“I’m surprised she didn’t demand to meet me,” Will teased.

There was no way Elizabeth could stop the blood rushing to her cheeks. “She did... but I’ll try to put her off as long as I can. I know it’ll have to happen sooner or later, there’s no way around it.”

“Am I that embarrassing?” he asked, the corners of his lips trying to betray his jest.

“No!” Then she noticed his expression. She dropped her eyes, gazing at their locked hands. “But she can be... and my youngest sisters.” She sighed.

“I hope my sensibilities aren’t that delicate. Why don’t we invite them over to dinner at my house Sunday?”

“No!” She looked up to his face again. “We don’t need her inventorying your possessions or suggesting changes I can make when I’m your wife.”

“She can’t really be that bad, Elizabeth.” He truly thought she was exaggerating.

“Ask Jane.” She tilted her head toward her sister.

He glanced at Jane, but she seemed to be completely engaged with Charlie. “Okay, I’m still willing to meet her though. Maybe dinner out?”

“I’m game if you are. It should be interesting.” She rested her head against his arm, and they sat quietly watching their hands and fingers interact for the short remainder of the trip into the city.

Chapter 26

Posted on January 5, 2009

As Elizabeth walked in the front door of the office, she was greeted by the receptionist, always a nice woman, with a little more warmth and interest. Following the usual greeting was, “Lovely picture. Well done, Lizzy.”

She was stopped by another woman in the hall, but managed to shake her easily enough. It helped that she tried to avoid office gossip, overtly, at least.

When she sat down at her desk, she was not really surprised to see she already had nine voice mails:

“Good morning, Miss Bennet. This is John Davis with the Daily News…” Skip. I doubt he’s trying to sell me a subscription.

“Hi Lizzy. I don’t know if you remember me. This is Scott Connor, we had some classes together at Penn…” Skip, skip, skip… All junk

Fortunately, once she found her rhythm and was moving from project to problem, everything else melted away. Her lunch consisted of calling Will as she ate left over meeting food in her office.

Will and Elizabeth met up again that evening on the train platform. As they stood there, talking, Elizabeth sensed that people were watching them: a couple stealing quick glimpses, while another tried not to be obvious as she pointed at them and whispered to her companion. She knew she could not allow them to get to her, so she steeled herself and ignored them as best she could, focusing on her conversation with Will, who caught on quickly and followed her lead.

Once the train arrived and they found a seat, they relaxed a bit more, knowing it would be difficult for their audience to observe them there. They didn’t speak much at first, but as the train approached the city line, Will reminded himself of the promise made to his sister the night before.

“Liz, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but next month, the week of August 17th, Georgie, Maggie, Tiffany, Charlie and I are going down to the beach house in Cape May…” When she nodded her understanding, he continued. “Georgie and I were talking about it last night, and we’d like you and Jane to join us if you can.”

“It sounds wonderful, but are you sure there’s room? It sounds like a good sized group already,” she asked skeptically.

“Not at all. Right now we have one more room than people, since Ryan can’t make it. Georgie’s the one who suggested we invite both of you – of course, she thought Charlie and Jane were dating – but she and Tiff offered to share so each of you could have your own room. They want you to go with us.” His voice dropped considerably. “I most definitely want you to go...”

Elizabeth smiled. “I’d like that very much - though I will have to check with my boss. I don’t think it’ll be a problem though. I’ll mention it to Jane tonight, too, but you’ll have to ask her in the morning, okay?”

“That’s fine.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

They didn’t speak much more for the duration of the trip, content to simply sit quietly together until it was time for Will to disembark at Paoli. He was taking Georgiana to see the Philadelphia Orchestra’s All-Mozart Night at the Mann for a siblings’ night out, and as the train approached his station, he covered their joined hands with his other. “Have a good evening, my love,” he whispered. “Do you think I’ll be able to call you when I get home tonight?”

Elizabeth smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”

She watched him go, and sat alone for a few more minutes, until Jane joined her after Charlie’s departure. They talked about Will’s invitation to the shore and about their mother for the remainder of their commute home.

Once in the house, Jane went to change from her work clothes, as she did not have the luxury of wearing jeans, while Elizabeth went out to the backyard with Hamlet. She sat and watched him trot around for a while before finally resigning herself to calling her mother.

“Ah, my Lizzylu, I was wondering when you’d call.” It was most definitely not her mother.

“Dad! How’d you manage to intercept me?” She laughed.

“Your mother doesn’t know how to use call forwarding, and I do.” Mr. Bennet’s wide, teasing grin was apparent in his voice. “She said you’d be phoning back tonight, and I thought it a good opportunity to learn about my future son-in-law.”

“Daddy! I’ve only known Will a month!”

“I know, Lizzy. I know. But it does sound as though you rather like him. Are you sure he’s worthy of you?” he baited.

“He’s the best of men, Dad. He’s kind and generous, and he treats me like a queen. We spend hours just talking like friends, yet there’s more. Will may be the one, but it’s still too early to tell.”

“Always my rational little girl. So, has Mr. Wonderful agreed to a meeting?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, Dad. We were thinking that dinner out Sunday night would be good.”

“Your mother might agree to that, but you know how I hate going out to restaurants, especially since I have to watch my sodium. Is he not man enough to meet us here?”

“I’m sure he’d manage, but I’d be happier if he didn’t get exposed to the full effect of the Bennet family at once. Will is... reserved. He isn’t comfortable around new people, let alone those as vociferous as Mom and Lyddie. I’d really rather we keep this first meeting, at least, someplace neutral.” When he didn’t respond, she thought for a moment. “I suppose everyone could come to my house and Jane and I could cook.”

“I imagine that would work,” he answered. “Though you know your mother doesn’t like that horse of yours,” he added with a laugh.

“Hamlet won’t bother her. So it’s a plan then?”

“Sure. And don’t worry about your mother; I’ll handle her this time, sweetie.”

“Thanks Daddy. I love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Well, that turned out easier than expected!

Other than doing a load of laundry, Elizabeth took it easy that evening, watching America’s Got Talent with Jane and intermittently tapping away at her notebook until it was time to turn in. She was already in bed, albeit with the computer still open in her lap, when Will called. She started off telling him about her conversation with her father and their change in plans for Sunday dinner. Once that topic was covered, they chatted for a few more minutes and lovingly wished each other a good night.

The normalcy of Thursday morning was quite welcome; there were no frantic phone calls, and Will and Elizabeth greeted each other with smiles. Their commute was uneventful other than Will inviting Jane to the shore and Charlie encouraging her to accept.

By ten, both Bennet sisters had their vacation approved, and Elizabeth included the info in her reply to his midmorning text message.

They were unable to meet for lunch, but as soon as Will got a break, he called Elizabeth. “Any chance you could leave a little early today? Maybe catch the 4:08?”

“Probably. Why?” she asked.

“I have to drop by a store in Wayne, and thought I’d just take the train and get off there instead of driving back. If you go with me, we could walk around together a little, and maybe have dinner.”

“That sounds good. I’ll call you back if I can’t make it, otherwise I’ll see you on the platform.”

She did make the train, and by 4:40, they were walking down Wayne Avenue, hand in hand. The window display at The Pear Tree caught Elizabeth’s attention, so they stopped for a few minutes to browse in the upscale gift shop. Then they proceeded to Troubadour Music Shop, where Will purchased the sheet music for Mozart’s Piano Concerto 22, which Georgiana had thoroughly enjoyed the previous night.

Next was Will’s intended stop, The Readers Forum. The man behind the counter recognized him immediately. “Good afternoon Mr. Darcy. I’m glad you could come today. There are several interesting volumes in the lot we just received from the Smithson estate.” The gentleman led them to a back room, where several old volumes were laid out on a table. To Elizabeth, Will looked like a kid at Christmas; he was completely in his element. Will perused several and selected three to add to his collection.

Once he had paid, they walked down past a couple of shops to Christopher’s. They had to wait a minute for a table to be prepared, but were soon seated near the front of the busy restaurant. Will began telling Elizabeth about James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific, which he had just purchased. He’d been hoping to find a good copy for some time. She was interested, and hoped her expression relayed that, because she could not help picking up bits of the conversation from the neighboring table:

“While I adore Wentworth, and his letter is the ultimate, I find it a lot easier to write about S&S. Edward and Elinor make such wonderful leads...”

“I’ve discovered that readers really want angst. My one angsty story is the one people ask about; and remember that one that had everything, like the plague and a carriage accident and a fire...

“I really liked the way you handled Churchill in your story, Amy.” Well, that’s no help, there have to be at least twenty Amys. Who wrote about Emma?

She was not totally distracted from Will, especially as they began to speak of other books he sought to purchase. Still, as they were eating, one of the women pulled out her laptop, and the group began talking about some future fanfiction piece. Elizabeth was certain she should know who at least one of them was, but never had an opportunity to find out. I’ll probably have to smack myself in the head if I find out the gathering was posted on one of the boards - and plead ignorance if I ever do meet any of them!

After dinner, they slowly wandered back toward the train station, peeking in the windows of the few closed shops. Even so, they arrived at the empty platform well before the train was due, choosing to sit on a bench, under the shelter, with Elizabeth resting her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her waist.

“You’ll be coming over for the whole day tomorrow?” he asked, practically speaking into her hair.

“I wanted to get some things done in the morning, but there aren’t any parades I have to go see or anything, so I’ll probably be over before noon.” She smiled to herself.

Chapter 27

Posted on January 12, 2009

When Jane arrived downstairs, she followed her nose to the kitchen. As she expected, Elizabeth stood by the stove, coffee cup in hand, one eye on the folded paper on the counter, the other on the griddle. "You are such a geek, Lizzy!"

Elizabeth turned to face her sister. "And you really need to come up with a better 'insult,' Jane."

Trying to sound annoyed, Jane asked, "Besides Mom, do you know anyone who makes blueberry pancakes with strawberry syrup for the Fourth of July?"

As though insulted, Elizabeth retorted, "Maybe I know how much my dearest sister loves them! Did you ever stop to think of that?"

"While that may be true, you make them every Fourth, just like Mom." Both sisters began to laugh as Elizabeth removed the last two pancakes. Each taking a plate, they sat down to eat.

"How soon do you have to leave for Uncle Ed and Aunt Maddie's?" Elizabeth asked.

"Right after this. They have a full schedule. Aunt Maddie's helping Susan's Girl Scout troop in the parade, Sophie decorated her bike, and I'm pretty sure they're doing the stroller contest too." Jane replied happily.

"Are you sure they don't need me too? I could call Will and go over later."

"No, it's okay. I'm taking Charlie with me."

Elizabeth studied Jane for a long moment. "Charlie?"

"He said he needed to get out of the house, and practically begged to go with me. I hadn't intended it, but having him to help out will be nice."

Elizabeth just nodded and turned her focus back to her pancakes for a minute. "Aren't you afraid Mom'll find out?" she asked with genuine concern.

"We're just friends, and no one there'll have anything to tell her. But even if there was something, Aunt Maddie would never say anything to Mom."

"I suppose." Elizabeth answered.

They finished soon thereafter, and Elizabeth offered to wash the dishes so Jane could get going. When she was done, she went back to her room and logged into her computer for a while, amongst other things, scanning the fanfic boards for information on the gathering last night.

After breakfast, Maggie and Tiffany left to spend the day with Brian's family, and Georgiana and Ryan went next door to play tennis, leaving Will on his own. He had already read the papers and checked his email, so he had little to do at the time. He considered calling Elizabeth, but knew she would be arriving in a short while, so decided against it, no matter how tempting the thought was. Instead, he grabbed his copy of The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson and a cup of coffee, and followed by Hershey, went to sit in the backyard.

At 9:50, he turned on the television, not wanting to miss the Independence Day Ceremony at Independence Mall, even if he didn't intend to watch it attentively.

Shortly thereafter, Georgiana and Ryan returned, and Ryan flopped on a chaise near Will. "I'll get us a couple of drinks," Georgiana said. "Would you like more coffee, Will?" She disappeared with his cup when he accepted, and returned a few minutes later with their beverages and the concerto Will had given her, and settled onto the chaise next to Will. She began studying the music, stopping from time to time to watch the television.

The trio had sat thus for some time, when Will glanced at his watch. "Oh, that report from Toronto should be in my email by now." He closed his book and stood up quickly. "I'll be back in a little while, Georgie." He then proceeded directly to his study, turning the television on low, and settling at his desk to read his email. As expected, the new message awaited him.

Will did not read his report for long, however, as the front doorbell rang. He was swiftly on his feet, and in virtually no time, Elizabeth was nestled in his lap on the study sofa, the door behind them closed. Their lips spoke of their love wordlessly, while their hands communicated their desire. Both were walking the fine line between restraint and reckless abandon when the opening rhythms of YYZ came from Will's desk.

"Damn!" He gently pushed Elizabeth back. "That's the Toronto office, I need to take it." He helped Elizabeth slip to the sofa and then moved quickly to the desk. "Darcy," he answered. Then, "Hold on a minute, and I'll be right with you." He carefully pressed the mute button and made sure the display affirmed that status before carefully set the phone back on his desk.

Returning directly to the sofa, he offered Elizabeth his hand, and pulled her to him once she was on her feet. "Hopefully this won't take long, but it is important. Georgie's in the back, if you'd like to wait out there." He kissed her gently.

"Okay." She pouted – without intending to look as tempting as she did – and stated firmly, "Just remember it is a holiday here, and I expect you to finish quickly and to relax a little."

As seriously as he could, given the moment, he answered, "Yes, ma'am." With another quick kiss, he turned her around, and lightly smacked her derriere as he directed her to the door. He was back on the phone before she had grasped the handle. "Sorry for the delay, what's up?"

Elizabeth stepped through the door and closed it as quietly as possible, before walking the familiar route to the backyard. As she slid open the door, Georgiana turned.

"Elizabeth, hi." Georgiana grinned, then looked past her. "You've lost Will."

"He got a phone call he had to take, so he suggested I come out here."

Georgiana directed Elizabeth to the chaise Will had vacated, and offered to get a drink for Elizabeth, which she declined.

At the same time Ryan got up from his seat and greeted Elizabeth, then squatted down by Georgiana. "I think I'll go in and work on the piano while you two talk, if you don't mind, Gee." With her nod of approval, he kissed her temple and went inside.

For a long moment, the two women sat quietly, searching for a topic, before Elizabeth tried, "So Will said you enjoyed the Mozart on Wednesday..."

Georgiana grinned. "It was wonderful. I've wanted to see Leon McCawley for some time. The concerto was brilliant!"

"Will said you had particularly liked it." She glanced at the music on the table between them. "Did Ryan mind not going?" she ventured.

"No, I think he and Brian played Xbox all night. He doesn't care for Mozart; says his style is too flighty. He much prefers Tchaikovsky. He enjoyed the music last night though."

Elizabeth was pleased with the younger woman's response. "Then you went to the 'POPS on Independence' last night?"

"Yeah. It was pretty crowded, but I managed to drag him through the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall beforehand. I think the history's lost on him; music's the only thing that matters." Georgiana frowned a little.

"So I take it he wasn't impressed with the wedding."

"Not at all. I liked it though. Ben's so cool!"

Elizabeth grinned. "He's a great spokesman. The owner of our building had a big event last year and I met both of them. They're really nice."

"They were in costume?" Georgiana asked.

"Yeah, it was an official public appearance – Ben and Betsy." Elizabeth suddenly began to chuckle. "You know, I can't envision Ben in a suit and tie."

Georgiana began laughing too. "Well, we had great seats, and I enjoyed it. The concert was great too, but I'd have to say I preferred the Mozart."

"Would I be stereotyping to presume a trombone player likes Sousa?" Elizabeth asked.

Georgiana shook her head. "Probably. But in Ryan's case, it's quite true."

They chatted another twenty minutes easily, and were in deep conversation when Hershey jumped up and ran to the door, announcing Will's presence before he could even open it. When he did, both ladies smiled warmly at him.

He grinned back. "You two seemed so at ease, I almost hate to interrupt."

His sister answered immediately. "You're not. In fact, we've been worried about you working so hard on a holiday, so you'd better join us.

While talking to Georgiana, Elizabeth had pulled her knees and feet up close, leaving much of the chaise unoccupied. When Will sat down beside her, she turned, almost instinctively, just enough to slip her hand into his.

He quickly enfolded it, and asked, "So, what am I interrupting?"

"You never told me Elizabeth knows so much about music!" Georgiana challenged.

Will looked from his sister to Elizabeth and back. "I... didn't know. We've talked about some likes and dislikes, but we've never delved deeply into the subject."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth added. "I'm no expert. I've just had years of piano lessons and took Music Appreciation as an arts credit. I know you can run circles around me, Georgie.

They talked more of music, then moved on to other subjects easily until lunchtime, when Will grilled burgers while Georgiana and Elizabeth set the table with Maggie's already prepared condiments and potato salad. When all was ready, Georgiana retrieved Ryan, and all four remained together for the rest of the afternoon, though mostly inside as it sprinkled from time to time.

A little after five, Georgiana and Ryan excused themselves to get ready, as they planned to meet Tiffany and Ryan at Wilson Farm Park to see the Canal Street Hot 6 and watch the fireworks.

Will took this as an opportunity to lead Elizabeth to his study, but they only kissed for a couple of minutes before he led her to his desk, where he sat and pulled her into his lap. As such, they were forced to sit back from the computer, but Will could still reach well enough to move the mouse. A moment later, they were watching the radar loop.

Will turned the chair a little. "Would you please press that second button?" He pointed to the phone on his desk. "Georgie's room."

She pressed the button, and immediately heard a ring.

"Yeah, Will?" Georgiana's voice came over the speaker.

"Looks like the rain's really going to hit us. You sure this thing's still on?"

"Should be. How bad?"

"Light for a while, but it could be torrential when the fireworks should start."

"'kay. I'll talk to Ryan and Tiff, but I think we'll still try."

"Okay," he answered, and they heard her disconnect.

"Pretty snazzy phones," Elizabeth commented casually.

"They've saved us a lot of walking and yelling. It's one of my better investments in the house." He bent forward and kissed her, but after a minute, pulled back. "I should have asked before. Would you rather go down to the park?"

She shook her head, then laid it on his shoulder. "I think I'd prefer to stay right here. If we can see the fireworks without having to get wet and deal with the bustle, I'll be just fine."

"I love you, Liz." He kissed the top of her head. "So, what would you like to do now?"

Elizabeth lifted her head and grinned mischievously at him. "Well, since I seem to have you trapped here, this might be a good time to watch young Fitzwilliam videos."

"You don't really want to see them, do you? Georgie's are so much better."

"Maybe, but I'm not in love with her." She kissed his cheek. "I want to see you."

"No one but Georgie has seen these in years." He frowned, but grudgingly turned and reached for the mouse. "Piano or hockey?"

"I guess piano; unless there's something you like more… or dislike less." She rested her head against him again and watched the screen, and a few clicks later, she was watching a tall, dark haired boy in a suit walking onstage toward a piano. "How old?" she asked quietly.

"Twelve." He leaned his head against hers as the young Will sat at the instrument and began to play Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu.

Elizabeth recognized the piece, having practiced it a while herself, and as far as she could tell, the performance was flawless. She was surprised when Will's body tensed, and a moment later, she heard the off note. "You know, I'd probably have missed that if you didn't give yourself away." She reached up and touched his cheek. "I certainly never made it that far with that piece."

"Georgiana had it mastered at nine."

"Well, given that seems her talent… I wouldn't be surprised to hear you were learning at least one other language by that age."

He grinned. "Maggie taught me Italian."

"So what else do you have on here? You said hockey?"

They sat together in the desk chair for some time, talking and kissing occasionally as they watched video after video. Will became less self-conscious as they went along. Neither noticed the passing of time, or even Georgiana and Ryan's departure.

Will's stomach was their first reminder of the outside world, growling to get their attention.

"You should have said something, Will." Elizabeth patted his abdomen and kissed him quickly before climbing out of his lap.

"There's all sorts of leftovers, or I could throw something together." He looked at the clock on his desk as he stood up. "7:15 – of course Maggie should be home, and if she catches us, she'll at least insist on helping."

"She really seems to be the one in charge around here," Elizabeth teased as they walked out of the study.

"Shh!" He held his finger in front of his mouth, then he whispered, "Just the kitchen now. I've gradually wrested everything else away, but she's adamant about her kitchen."

They slipped into the dark room and quietly closed the door before turning on the light. They raided the fridge, and Will made ham sandwiches while Elizabeth made a couple of small salads.

Sitting at the kitchen table, they were just finishing their meal when Maggie walked in. "Oh Will, Lizzy, I could have made you something. You only had to ask."

Elizabeth smiled warmly, and resisted the urge to tease Will further. A few minutes later, they were ushered from the kitchen as Maggie prepared to wash their dishes.

They decided with only an hour until the fireworks started, if they weren't cancelled, to watch the Art Museum Concert in the media room. Elizabeth nestled at Will's side, and very little attention was devoted to the television.

They were a bit startled by a big boom some time later, but realized immediately what it was. They headed for the front door, along with Maggie, but realized that it was raining rather hard. Will looked at Elizabeth. "We could try my study, but with the trees, we'd get a better view upstairs… in my room." He fought the urge to bite his lip, and turned to the other woman, "What do you think, Maggie?"

The older woman nodded. "You're probably right, it would be your best view in that direction."

Elizabeth watched the other two for a moment, then despite never having been upstairs before, let alone in his room, added, "Well, let's go then; we're missing the show."

Will wrapped his arm around Elizabeth and said, "Let's go, Maggie." He then led the way, directing Elizabeth easily to a pair of windows in the corner of the room, even though the room was rather dark. The view of the fireworks was indeed unobstructed, and Will moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. A moment later, Maggie was standing beside them.

They watched the show, and after the finale, the small group went back downstairs. Maggie went off on her own, and Will led Elizabeth back to the media room, where the Philadelphia fireworks were just beginning on the television.

It only took a moment for them to resume their comfortable positions on the sofa, and they were still curled up together when a wet Georgiana walked in.

"Oh, I'm glad you're still here, Elizabeth," she said. "I was thinking that if it isn't still raining tomorrow, maybe we could all go over to Valley Forge. I guess the Mount Misery trail will be too muddy, but we could ramble the main paths and such. Maybe you could bring your dog too?"

"I have no other plans, but I wouldn't want to be in the way…" Elizabeth began to answer.

Will pulled her closer to him. "You could never be in the way, Liz," he practically whispered in her ear. Then looking up, said, "That sounds great, Georgie; it's a date."

Chapter 28

Posted on February 2, 2009

Elizabeth was just about to get into the shower when she heard her cell phone play Will's ringtone. She quickly reached in and turned off the water, then grabbed her phone from the counter. "Hi Will."

"Morning, love," he answered. "I was just relieved of having to take Georgie and Ryan to the airport tonight, so I thought I'd see if you'd like to stick around this evening after she leaves."

"I'd love to, but I thought you wanted to take her."

"I don't mind. I usually do take her, but Maggie apparently needs to visit her niece in South Philly, so the airport's on her way... I have this feeling like they're setting me up, but I don't know why."

Elizabeth's laugh tinkled over the line. "Now you're getting paranoid, Will. So, how soon should I come over?"

"Well, Brian just got here, and he and Tiffany will be leaving in a few minutes to go back up to Scranton. Georgie, Ryan and I are ready anytime after that. Since I've got the Jeep pulled out, I was thinking we could meet by Varnum's Quarters in about an hour."

"Sounds good," she answered. "I'll see you then."

His voice suddenly deeper, he said, "I love you."

"Love you too. Bye." She smiled absently as she clicked the end call button; then catching sight of herself in the mirror, she blushed. She quickly replaced the phone on the counter and started her shower.

Hamlet lay comfortably in the back seat as Elizabeth drove to Valley Forge National Park, but the moment she pulled her car into the parking lot, she felt a cold nose bump her ear and could hear his tail whipping the seat. Somehow he must have known Will and Hershey were there. She spied them a moment later and parked beside his Jeep.

Will opened her door and kissed her lightly on the cheek as she emerged, then held the back door as she attached Hamlet's leash and let him out.

The dogs greeted each other unreservedly, with wagging tails and sniffing noses.

Assured that both dogs were happy to see each other again, Elizabeth looked up. "Hi Georgie!" she said, then, noticing that Will and Georgiana were the only ones present asked, "No Ryan?"

Georgiana's face drooped a little, though she tried not to show her disappointment. "He decided at the last minute that he'd rather stay at the house and work on his composition. I guess that's just something I've come to expect. Anyhow, let me meet this huge dog of yours!"

Hamlet was quite pleased to meet Georgiana, and accepted her immediately as a friend. The group soon set off walking along the path through the "Grand Parade" toward Gulph Road and then past several rebuilt brigade camps. They passed the Welcome Center, but going in wasn't really an option since they had the dogs. To head back to the car, they followed Route 23, the main road through the park.

As they approached the Washington Memorial Chapel, Elizabeth remarked that she had never been inside, so Georgiana volunteered to rest with the dogs while Will and Elizabeth toured the building. When done there, Will took her back to the little secondhand bookstore at the back of the main building.

"They don't usually have much, but I always have to look around. Every once in a while, something unique shows up." Will said.

They perused, but didn't find anything, and a few minutes later, they were heading back to find Georgiana. Both were surprised to find her lying in the grass a bit away from the building. Both her head, and Hershey's, rested on the large dog.

"Comfortable?" Will asked as they approached.

Georgiana started a little, then sat up. "Actually, yes. Hamlet's a very convenient dog, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth laughed. "I never quite thought of him that way, but I do enjoy him." She patted her dog's head and took his leash back, as his tail whipped Georgiana's leg.

They then finished their long walk, heading back to the cars. Georgiana asked to ride with Elizabeth, and spent most of the five minute drive turned in her seat, petting Hamlet.

Once they arrived at the house, Georgiana proclaimed her desire to swim before lunch, and the suggestion was taken up by Will and Elizabeth, and even Ryan. Both couples swam and sat in the hot tub a bit before eating.

As they ate, Georgiana offered to play some of the pieces she had been working on, and asked Will if he would record her so that she could study the videos later. So after the meal, the entire group went to the music room, where Georgiana already had the camera set up.

Will and Elizabeth sat holding hands on the sofa, where he could see the display and operate the camera, while Maggie and Ryan sat in chairs on either side of them.

Georgiana seated herself at the piano, and when she was ready, signaled Will to begin recording. She started with the andante section of the Mozart Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
.

Ryan then joined her with his trombone, and Will adjusted the zoom on the camera to catch both of them. They played Sonata for Trombone and Piano and finished with one of Ryan's completed compositions.

When they finished, Elizabeth and Will could not help but applaud. "That was incredible!" Elizabeth gushed. "You two are amazing."

Georgiana accepted the praise with a becoming blush and modest grace, while Ryan simply accepted it with thanks. Ryan began to clean and pack away his horn, while Georgiana asked Will to archive a copy of the videos on his computer, then both excused themselves to pack.

Will and Elizabeth went to his study, but had to wait for the pair of dogs following them to enter before they could close the door. Once it was closed though, there was no time lost before Elizabeth was in Will's arms; it wasn't even clear whether he pulled her or she propelled herself into his embrace. Their lips met with the same urgency.

When Will began to slide his hand down her back, he realized he was still holding the video camera by its strap, and he began to laugh.

"What?" Elizabeth pulled back.

He stepped back as well, and held up his hand, and she also began to laugh.

"We are a sorry pair, if we're that desperate," she said. "Maybe we should put that down and get the files copied before we're too distracted."

"You're probably right," Will agreed, and took the camera over to his computer.

Elizabeth sat in the chair nearest his desk and looked around the room, noticing that the dogs were trying to curl up on a mat in the corner. There was plenty of room for a Labrador, but it had clearly not been selected for a Great Dane. She giggled, and had to point them out to Will when he looked up.

A few minutes later, Will got up, and leaving the camera on his desk, reached for Elizabeth's hands and helped her to her feet. It took little time for them to move to the sofa, where Elizabeth ended up on her knees next to Will as he sat. Their kisses were hungry, and their hands eager, though after only a brief time, his hands pulled back carefully, and he forced himself to cease his advances and slowly cool his passion. It was not easy, but he reminded himself, it was for the best.

In time, they sat side by side, Elizabeth curled against him. "I love you so much, Elizabeth," he said. "I thank God every day for bringing you into my life." He kissed her softly.

"I love you too, Will." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "So much."

They had paid no mind to how long they had been sequestered, but when they heard voices in the hall, they knew it was time to rejoin the others.

As Will put Georgiana's bags in Maggie's car, Georgiana pulled Elizabeth into the living room. "Before I go, I just had to thank you for everything, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth looked at the younger woman, confused. "Everything? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Will. He's always been the best brother, and he cares about everyone. I've don't recall ever seeing him so happy, and I know it's because of you."

Elizabeth blushed. "I haven't done anything special; and I've been happier since he came into my life," she said quietly. "I am glad we've had a chance to meet this week."

"Me too," Georgiana said, handing her a card. "This is my info. Would you keep in touch?"

"Of course. I'll email you my info."

A moment later, Will, Ryan and Maggie walked in. "You're all set," Will announced.

Georgiana rushed over and hugged him. "Thanks, big brother. You're the best!"

Will embraced his sister in return. "It's been good having you home, kiddo. I'm going to miss you."

"I'll be back in a month!" she retorted.

When they finally separated, Georgiana hugged Elizabeth. "Good luck with him, Elizabeth," she said.

Reciprocating Georgiana's hug, Elizabeth laughed, but replied seriously. "Have a safe trip back."

Will and Elizabeth each shook Ryan's hand, while Georgiana hugged and said goodbye to the dogs. They then followed the others out to Maggie's car and watched them depart, waving as they backed down the driveway. Once they lost sight of the car, Will closed the garage door, and they re-entered the house.

As soon as the door was closed, Will pulled Elizabeth into his arms and kissed her.

"This is nice," he sighed, loosening his embrace just a little.

Elizabeth leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder and nodding. They remained as such for a minute, but Hamlet's nudging finally drew their attention.

They let the dogs out in the backyard, and watched them ramble about together until Hershey brought a tennis ball to Elizabeth. This evolved into a game of fetch involving all four, until Hamlet flopped down, exhausted.

Will then led the group to the kitchen, where they fed the dogs. "I told Maggie not to cook us anything…" He opened the refrigerator. "But I see we have some antipasto pasta salad in here. Are you ready to eat?"

"Are you sure it's not meant for something tomorrow?"

"I'm sure. She always tells me if something is to be saved, and usually marks it too. This was made for us."

They ate at the kitchen table, then cleaned up after themselves before settling into the media room to find a movie.

Will sat on the sofa with the remote in his hand, and pulled Elizabeth into his lap while the dogs lay down in a corner.

He surfed through only a few channels before he was distracted by Elizabeth. His lips met hers softly, and they kissed sweetly for a short while before he pulled away and pressed the button once or twice. The process was repeated a few times until he stopped on Marnie. "Is this okay?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, holding back a sigh, and turned her head to face the television, though she didn't really watch; her mind was much more occupied.

Will set down the remote and relaxed more into his seat, pulling Elizabeth closer in the process. He spent the next several minutes dividing his attention between watching the movie, glancing at Elizabeth, smelling her hair and kissing her forehead. He was surprised when he heard her speak.

"Will?"

"Yeah, hon?"

In a quiet, but level voice, she asked, "Do you have any condoms?"

"Yeah, I do…" He suddenly realized what was asked and answered, and gazed at her closely. "Why?"

Elizabeth felt all her blood rush to her face, and it took her what felt like an eternity to fill the silence. She looked toward him, but could not make eye contact. "I've given it a lot of thought, and I know I love you… And lately there have been times when I haven't wanted to stop… but I knew we had to, being in your study, with so many people around."

"Oh, sweetheart," he uttered, and pulled her closer, rubbing her arm.

She turned her head so she was looking at his other shoulder. "I really did not expect you to seem so restrained tonight. I've been trying to figure you out."

"I had to be." He kissed the top of her head. "I've felt like we were approaching the edge, especially this afternoon. I was afraid…" He bit his lip for a moment. "I was afraid you might give in to our physical desires, but then regret it later… I couldn't live with myself if I thought…"

Elizabeth reached up and laid her hand on his cheek with her thumb crossing his lips as she pulled her head away to look him in the eye. "You truly are the best of men, Fitzwilliam Darcy." She smiled, her love filling her eyes, but only briefly as she moved her thumb and raised her face until her lips pressed eagerly against his. Somehow, between kisses, she uttered an, "I love you," which he reciprocated as his hands rubbed her hips.

When they had to stop to catch their breath, he met her eyes. "You're sure."

She nodded, and not breaking their gaze, uttered a quiet, "Yes."

Will gently, but firmly began to push her up and away from him, and somehow understanding, she used his assistance to stand. He then reached over and turned off the television before standing himself and pulling her to him for another kiss.

"Come," he whispered, and wrapping his arm around her waist, began walking toward the front of the house.

He stayed their progress at the bottom of the stairs – his room had never seemed so far away – and pulled Elizabeth to him, kissing her hungrily as his hands slid down her back.

As her hands also roamed lower, her mind decided to wage one last battle. Her body wanted him, there was no doubt there; but such a big step. Was she ready? Truly ready?

Elizabeth slowly broke the kiss, and looked anxiously up at Will, and biting her lip, pulled away and turned enough to climb the first stair, and nervously grabbed his now free hand. "I love you, Will."

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "I love you too," he whispered, and joined her in ascending the stairs.

They stopped again briefly at the top, kissing for a few moments before Will led Elizabeth to the end of the hall, and the door to his room. He reached for the handle, but before he turned it, he looked at Elizabeth, whose eyes met his as she smiled nervously and nodded her head. Taking that as approval, he opened the door, and pulled her slowly inside before closing it once again.

Needing to do something, Elizabeth reached up and rested her hands on Will's shoulders, pulling herself up to kiss him. She told herself to relax, and follow his lead – live in the moment. Her body melted against his, and she felt his hand slide down her spine to her waist, where they quickly slid under her shirt. How her skin tingled as his fingers moved across her bare back!

It was suddenly her motive to get her hands inside his shirt. She drew her hands down, backing away just enough to reach his shirt buttons, and found her fingers to be much more dexterous than she would have imagined, quickly working her way down until it hung open. She wasted not a moment, running her hands up from his stomach to his chest, savoring the feel of his warm skin and firm muscle.

"Liz." She heard his hoarse whisper, and pulled back to look up, and realized he had pulled up her knit top. Slowly realizing his intent, she pulled back her arms so he could slip it over her head. He somehow discarded his shirt, seemingly in the same motion, then pulled their bodies together once again.

They kissed and touched, and shortly thereafter, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He was gentle and affectionate, and even hesitant at times as they made love for the first time.

When their passion was exhausted, they lay on their sides, face to face. Will looked into her eyes, though it was nearly dark. "I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you too, Fitzwilliam," she whispered as she lay her head on his arm, "and I think I always will."

Chapter 29

Posted on February 5, 2009

Will could hear the alarm clock buzzing, but didn't want to move. Elizabeth snuggled closer and mumbled, "Too early. Turn it off." He resisted for a moment before turning and pressing the off button. Don't look! his mind screamed, not wanting to acknowledge the otherwise empty bed that greeted him each morning.

For the first time since he began dreaming of Elizabeth, he was glad he didn't listen. He smiled at the vision before him, and rolled back over, wrapping his arm around his love and kissing her behind the ear.

"Why ever do you have your alarm set so early on a Sunday?" she murmured.

"I usually go to church at 7:30." He tried to regain his perfect spooning position again.

"Oh... I should go then," she said quietly.

"Don't even think it. I intend to stay right here... all day if you'd let me."

"You know we can't do that. I have to be home this afternoon to get ready for dinner, and long before then, I'm sure the D-O-G-S will expect us to let them out."

"Are you always such a realist?" He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her brow.

"Pretty much," she replied, and rolled over to face him. "I can't complain about where it's gotten me." She kissed his lips lightly.

"I suppose I can't either." He smiled. "My reality is pretty good right now." He kissed her gently and began stroking her soft, bare skin.

She moaned softly, but suddenly stiffened and pressed her hands against his chest. Smiling weakly, she said, "Just a minute..." then kissed him, slipped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

A couple minutes later, she emerged, a blush on her cheeks, and she hurriedly slipped back under the covers, snuggling up to Will.

He leaned in to kiss her, possibly with more ardor than the quick kiss he gave her before. Noticing her minty fresh breath, he mumbled, "Perhaps that's not a bad idea. I'll be right back." He rolled over and sat up slowly, seeming to take his time getting up before he hurried into the bathroom.

As soon as the door closed, Elizabeth heard another movement in the room, and was not surprised to see Hamlet's face on the edge of the bed. "Not now, Ham-bone. It's too early." She leaned over and kissed the top of his head, and in a sterner voice, told him, "Go lay down." She could just see him walking towards the door in the early morning light, and laughed to herself as she heard him flop.

Will returned a minute later, and as he pulled Elizabeth to him, he asked, "Now, where were we?"

Elizabeth grinned slyly. "I think I recall." She leaned forward and began kissing his shoulder, and then began stroking the hair on his chest. "Mmmmm…." she purred.

In response, he began to kiss her neck as he slid his hand down her waist. "My Liz," he growled between kisses.

Gradually their hands began to roam and drift, and in time, they were making love once again.

When their desires were sated, they lay together, embraced. "I love you, my Will," she whispered.

After a brief silence, he answered her. "Words do not suffice, my love." He kissed her cheek lightly.

They remained thus, for some immeasurable time. As she glanced over his shoulder, Elizabeth began to giggle.

Will followed her gaze, and spotted the dark ears and wet nose just at the edge of the mattress. "Hershey! Go lay down!"

The dog disappeared immediately, but the jingle of his tags betrayed his movement across the room, toward where Hamlet lay.

Will couldn't help laughing then, and laughter being infectious, they spent some time trying to recover their senses. When they did, they were laying side by side, their faces mere inches apart.

Their lips met, and they engaged in several kisses until Will, his hand on her cheek, pulled away until their eyes met. "Ti amo, mia bella incantevole!"

Elizabeth smiled dreamily. "Je t'aime, mon cher."

Will pulled her close again, and they drifted back to sleep.

About an hour later, Elizabeth woke again, her own internal clock screaming. She debated for a moment or two, wondering if she could go back to sleep; she even closed her eyes and relished the security of the arms wrapped around her. No, she was awake.

She opened her eyes, and grinned as she gazed up on the sleeping countenance of the man she loved. "I'm glad I waited for you, Will," she whispered, more to herself. She couldn't resist, and touched his cheek lightly, which caused the corners of his mouth to raise a little.

A moment later, Will pulled Elizabeth closer, and raised his head to whisper in her ear. "I could get very used to this, my love." He kissed her cheek, then laid his head back on his pillow, so their eyes could meet.

They remained in such repose for some time, talking in hushed tones, simply enjoying their closeness and ease. Eventually, however, they were reminded of the world around them as they heard the soft clink of one of the dog's tags.

With a quick glance at the clock, Will resignedly admitted that they needed to get up. "Maggie's at mass right now; I'll let the boys out. Take your time, and I'll see what's for breakfast."

When Elizabeth nodded her concurrence, he kissed her lightly and quickly pulled on his clothes. Both dogs were at his side, the moment he stood, and with only a pause at the door for Will to say "I love you," they were gone.

Elizabeth sat up, pulling her knees to her chest, and smiled to herself as she rested her chin on her arms. She had never imagined she could feel so happy and so much in love. In fact, she was nearly to the point of thinking her life could be perfect, when something reminded her that after breakfast, she had to go home and make sure she, her house and dinner would be ready for her family's invasion that evening.

With a sigh, she slipped off the bed and walked over to the chair where Will had laid out her clothes the night before. When she spied her phone on the arm, she blushed, recalling the text message she had sent Jane, telling her not to expect her home; and worse, Jane's answer, kk – have a good time.

A few minutes later, Will dropped the Sunday paper the moment he spied Elizabeth in the doorway, and was on his feet a moment later, pouring a cup of coffee for her. "There are fresh blueberry muffins… or I can make us some eggs or omelets if you wish." He guided her to the table with a smile.

She had to resist the urge to laugh at him. "No, please. Muffins sound great." However she couldn't resist remarking, "You do live a charmed life, you know. Most people don't have Maggies looking after their kitchens." She smirked.

"Oh, I do know it, Liz." He smiled. "Most men would be lucky to have a woman like Maggie in their lives, and now I have you too. I am blessed, indeed."

They continued to tease as they ate their muffins and read the paper, but all too soon, Elizabeth knew she had to go. Responsibilities beckoned.

Will walked her to the door, where they kissed for a minute or two before putting on Hamlet's leash and walking out to the car. Once the dog was situated in the back seat, they shared another quick kiss, and she was soon on her way home.

Elizabeth was glad she had already addressed most of the dinner issues. The steaks had been marinating in the fridge since the previous morning, and Jane was making baked beans. All that was left was a slight detour to Highland Orchards to pick up some fresh sweet corn on the way home.

When she did arrive back at the house, Elizabeth found Jane already in "Mom's coming" mode, and busy making sure the clean house was even cleaner. The efforts were unnecessary, and Elizabeth felt bad that Jane felt compelled to make the effort, but for a moment, she was selfishly grateful that Jane was too busy to inquire about her… sleepover, or anything else, for that matter.

Elizabeth went up to her room and checked her email quickly, then followed Jane's lead, and did some vacuuming before going out to cut and prune her roses. When she was done, she divided the blooms between 3 vases, placing one on the picnic table and one in the living room.

She found her sister weeding one of the flower beds in the front yard a few minutes later. "Will's going to be here in about half an hour," she said. "I'm going to take a shower now. You should finish up and try to relax some before Mom gets here too."

Jane nodded. "I know."

Elizabeth then took the third vase of roses up to her room and placed them on the nightstand by her bed before taking a long, soothing shower. When she was done, she towel dried her hair as best she could and dressed in a neat pair of shorts and a sleeveless blouse. She checked the clock, then her email before running a brush through her locks and heading downstairs to greet Will when he arrived.

Like clockwork, he pulled in the drive less than five minutes later. Jane was nowhere in sight, but still they simply walked into the house, hand in hand, and did not kiss until the front door was closed behind them.

Chapter 30

Posted on February 10, 2009

Elizabeth was curled up against Will as they talked with Jane, oblivious to the large dog's head that rested on their laps. "I'll bet the theater was packed; I'd much rather catch an early matinee or wait a couple weeks to see a film."

Jane laughed. "I know you all too well, little sis. But Char was so eager to see Hancock, she talked me into it. You know she's a major [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith">Will Smith fan."

Will was thinking more about how perfectly Elizabeth fit, snuggled at his side, but he paid enough attention to ask, "So, what did you think of it?"

"I enjoyed it, though it was..." Jane replied, but Will suddenly shut out her remarks as he felt Elizabeth stiffen against him.

"Are you all right, Liz?" he asked. When she didn't respond, he looked back to her sister, and saw her flinch at the same time he heard a car door slam shut. He wrapped his arm tighter around Elizabeth and kissed her brow.

"I'll go," Jane said in a mechanical voice. She rose and headed for the back door, where Hamlet stood, wagging his tail, apparently the only eager member of the party.

"We should go too," Elizabeth spoke just above a whisper, but didn't move for several seconds. Finally, she extracted herself from his embrace and stood up.

Will was on his feet nearly as fast, and pulled her close for a quick hug and kiss before taking her hand and accompanying her into the house.

As they entered the hall though, they heard a woman's voice "…should be tied up in the back yard. Why she has to keep…" Elizabeth jerked her hand from Will's and took off running for the front door.

"Mother! I don't know what you have against Hamlet! He's only happy to have guests!" She took her dog's collar and pulled him away from her mother.

Will didn't move, quite possibly for the best, as he listened to the clear voices.

"Lizzy! There you are. I was just asking Jane. Now, where is this young man of yours?"

"Will's here, if you would just come in." She seemed to sigh, then he heard a forced happier, "Hi Daddy. Hey Kitty."

Will could hear quieter voices, and a minute later, he saw Elizabeth turn the corner into the hall, still holding Hamlet's collar. He walked toward her, meeting her halfway as the others began to appear. In what now seemed the most natural move, he reached for her hand, and was surprised when she jerked it away.

Elizabeth turned back to face the others. "Mom, Dad, Kitty, this is Will Darcy." Then facing him again, with a half-hearted smile, she continued, "Will, these are my parents, Thomas and Fran Bennet, and one of my younger sisters, Kitty."

Before Will could respond, Mrs. Bennet rushed towards them. "Oh, Will! It is so good to finally meet you. I can't believe Lizzy has been keeping you to herself!" She just as quickly turned her focus to Elizabeth. "Oh, Lizzy, he's wonderful! So tall and handsome, besides being rich! You've done very well for yourself!"

Will could see Elizabeth retreating into herself as she blushed furiously. Her mother apparently did not, however, as she continued, "I never expected it of you!"

"Good to meet you, Mr. Darcy," Mr. Bennet interrupted, leaning past his wife to hold out his hand to the younger man.

It took a moment for Will to shift his attention to Mr. Bennet, but then he recovered quickly. Grasping the offered hand, he answered, "Indeed, sir. And Will, please."

"Certainly. And call me Tom." He then looked to his eldest child. "Are we to stand in the hall all day, Janey?"

"No, sir," she replied with a smile as she made her way to the front of the group. "We're all set up in the backyard." She continued toward the back door.

As everyone else began to move, Elizabeth spoke up. "So, where are Mary and Lydia?" She nudged her mother's elbow, encouraging her to move, and guided her with one hand while still holding Hamlet's collar with the other.

Will and Kitty's eyes met curiously, and Kitty smiled bashfully as the tall, dark and handsome man made an "after you" gesture.

Mrs. Bennet's voice was clear enough to be heard by all as they approached the back door. "Lyddie's been at the Gouldings' all day. She's such good friends with Stacy, but I think she's sweet on Nathan. I was hoping she'd get home in time to come with us, but as you can see, she didn't.

"And Mary?" Elizabeth asked in a much quieter, but still audible tone.

"Oh, that child! I don't know what to do with her! She insisted she needed to stay at home. She's working on some difficult formula, she says; called it Nonfo L something." Her voice grew louder as she stepped out the door. "Thomas! What is it Mary's working on?"

Mr. Bennet turned to face his wife, but caught Elizabeth's eye as the corner of his mouth twitched. "She called it Non-fawn LBF. She said it was quite trying."

A moment later, a single chuckle escaped Elizabeth; though Mrs. Bennet never noticed as she resumed, "That girl is worse than you two. She never goes out. All she does is study and sit at the computer. The only guy she ever sees is that football player she tutors, Jeremy something..."

Elizabeth released Hamlet's collar and patted him on his hindquarters, sending him out into the yard, and was just about to sit down on the glider when Mrs. Bennet changed course. "Lizzy! Just look at your roses!" she gushed. "They're beautiful."

"You taught me everything I know about them, Mom." She stood again, and began to walk to the back of the yard with her mother, glancing back with an apologetic look.

Mr. Bennet watched his wife and Elizabeth walk away, noting that Jane had pulled Kitty aside, and that they seemed to be deep in conversation. He looked over the young man sitting across from him. After a long moment, just enough to put Will on edge, he said, "Well, knowing my Lizzy as I do, and being adept with Google, I don't have to ask if you're responsible; and I had better not have to ask about your intentions..."

Will listened intently and nodded as the elder man spoke. He'd never been so nervous about making a good impression.

"So, how 'bout those Phils?" Mr. Bennet continued, startling Will with his sudden grin.

"Well... they are in first place, but not by much; and you never know with a Philadelphia team. I can't really tell you much more though. Now, if you'd asked about the Flyers..." He smirked a little.

A couple minutes later, Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet returned. Elizabeth sat next to Will on the glider, folding her hands in her lap, while Mrs. Bennet took a chair by her husband. Elizabeth looked up at Will. "Mom loves gardening, and you already know that Jane's the one that took after her there; but I did get my love of roses from her." She smiled at her mother, hoping she would take the cue and keep the discussion to "safe" topics for a while.

This time, she was successful, and the effort was further aided when Jane brought over a phalaenopsis to show her mother and to get advice for its care. This allowed the others time to converse as well.

When Elizabeth excused herself to get the steaks, Will offered to start up the grill, and she accepted with a smile. As she walked into the house, she was not surprised to notice she was joined by her mother.

"Oh, Lizzy. He's wonderful. If I was twenty years younger and not married to your father, I'd be all over him! You must do whatever's necessary to secure him," she gushed.

While frustrated with her mother's comments, she was grateful that somehow her mother had managed to restrain herself and had not spoken such in front of Will. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth turned to face her. "Mom, I have no intention of 'securing' Will. I have only known him a little over a month, and as much as I like him, I am in no way ready to marry the man! I have a very good job, and can take care of myself; marriage is a choice and not a necessity, and we are nowhere near making such a decision."

"Why can you not be sensible, Lizzy?" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. "You'll never get another chance like this again. I looked him up on the internet. Do you know how much he's worth? He's the chance of a lifetime! And you have the bonus of his good looks. You'll make me beautiful grandbabies!"

"Mother!" Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and gritted her teeth. "I am not marrying Will, or anyone, anytime soon! I have not researched him. If our relationship does progress, it will be because we love each other, and not for a fat bank account." She turned her back on her mother as she uncovered the Pyrex dish of steaks on the counter. Balling up the plastic wrap tightly in her fist, she bit her lip. Then picking up the dish, she faced her mother once again. With fire in her eyes, she gritted out, "This conversation is over."

She marched past a gaping Mrs. Bennet and threw the plastic wrap in the trash can just before stepping out the back door.

Will couldn't help notice her expression as she walked toward him. Taking the dish and setting it on the grill's shelf, he reached to take her hand. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," she seethed, pulling back her hands to avoid his. She paced a couple small circles in front of him. "That woman infuriates me sometimes!" Taking a few deep breaths, she stepped toward him. "Let's get these steaks on the fire."

Mr. Bennet approached them as Will placed the last steak on the grill and closed the lid. He held open his arms, and Elizabeth fell into them immediately. "She's at it again," he grumbled, just above a whisper. He felt her nod against his chest, and tried to soothe her. "It'll be all right, Lizzybee," he said, and kissed the top of her head.

"I know, Daddy," she whispered. A minute later, without looking at Will, she left to help Jane get the rest of the food and set the table.

Mr. Bennet was touched by the look of concern on Will's face as they watched Elizabeth walk away. "She'll be fine," he said. "I've never known anyone as resilient as my Lizzy."

She found her mother sitting at the kitchen table, grumbling about the general ingratitude of her children while Jane worked at the counter and Kitty took plates and flatware out to the table on the patio. "What can I do, sis?" Elizabeth asked.

Soon thereafter, the table set and food served, everyone sat down to eat. Conversation was stilted, so Jane asked Kitty. "How's your summer class going?"

Pleased to finally have a share of the attention, she began speaking eagerly. "It's wonderful. I wish I could be an artist without having to hold a day job! We are getting to try so many things. I've learned a lot about composition, and just this last week, it was so cool. We had a nude male model, and let me tell you..." She stopped herself suddenly and blushed. Looking at her plate, a moment later, a small, "Sorry," was heard.

As she sat next to her, Jane patted her hand. "It's okay, Kitty," she said softly. "I enjoyed art too, though I had better luck with graphic design. Have you done much with that?"

Kitty bit her lip and looked up at her eldest sister gratefully. "I have a class in the fall. For now I'm just playing with the copy of Photoshop that Chris installed for me."

It was Jane's turn to drop her head. She knew all too well what was coming next.

"Now, there was an excellent young man!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. "I do not understand how you could let him go, Jane! He was always so nice and polite; and he had an excellent job. Oh, if you had only married him, I'd likely be a grandmother by now!"

"Mom!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"What, Lizzy? I always had such high expectations for Jane with her beauty. I can't believe she threw away a good young man like Chris; not unless she could get a catch like Will here!"

"Mother!" A suddenly standing Jane startled everyone. "Chris and I both decided we couldn't make it together. We have moved on. It's over and the subject is dead. I will not let you go on like this. If you cannot accept that Lizzy and I are adults and will live our own lives, I will have to insist you leave my house!"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "We love you, Mom, but enough is enough." Jane then looked at all the faces staring up at her, and in her normal, calm voice, asked, "Is everyone ready for dessert? I'll be right back." A moment later she slipped inside the kitchen door.

Elizabeth was the first to recover. "Jane found this great recipe for Peach Crumble. It's totally compliant with your diet, Dad, and it sounds delicious."

"It does," agreed Will. "I love peaches."

"Me too," chimed in Kitty, smiling at Will before she caught herself. Her cheeks flushed a little as she quickly turned away from him. "Maybe I should go see if Jane needs help with the plates." She got up and walked quickly into the house.

Just as quickly, Elizabeth asked, "So, Mom, how's Aunt Harriet? Did she come for the Fourth?"

Mr. Bennet almost scowled at his daughter, for Mrs. Bennet began to speak of her sister, including every one of her latest issues and ailments. Elizabeth shrugged; it beat some of the alternatives.

Mrs. Bennet continued her monologue, even as Jane and Kitty returned with dessert. Her only interruption came as Jane's phone began playing Wish You Were Here.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this." Jane said suddenly, grateful that her parents likely didn't recognize Incubus. "Jane Bennet," she answered as she slipped away from the table.

Will and Elizabeth glanced at each other, both intrigued by how she answered, fairly certain who was on the other end of the line.

When Mrs. Bennet finally paused, Mr. Bennet chose to take up the conversation, asking Will about his interests in literature, a topic that managed to keep the interest of everyone but Mrs. Bennet until it was time for them to depart.

After they left, Will insisted on staying and helping to clean up, even though Elizabeth and Jane assured him it was not necessary. With three of them, things went quickly, and when they were done, Jane fought to conceal a big yawn. "It's been a long day," she said finally, "I think I'll turn in."

Goodnights were exchanged, and she went upstairs, leaving Will, Elizabeth and Hamlet in the kitchen.

"I suppose I should get going too," Will gravely suggested.

"No, wait." Elizabeth blurted. She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling her head against his chest. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"Missed me?" He smirked.

"Well, it's not like any of us were being ourselves in the last few hours. I just want to be with you."

"Nothing would please me more, sweetheart," he said. "Should we go sit in the den or something?"

She shook her head no, and unsuccessfully fought her own yawn.

"What then?" he asked quietly.

Elizabeth pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes. She then slid her hand into his and said, "Come."

Chapter 31

Posted on March 5, 2009

Elizabeth woke to an unfamiliar beeping sound, like a cell phone alarm, but not hers. When the heavy arm securing her waist abandoned her, she was instantly alert. Even as the noise stopped, it took her a moment to comprehend the situation. "Will?"

"Morning, hon." He wrapped his arm around her again and kissed her ear. "I hope you don't mind that I stayed. You brought me up here, then I think you fell asleep the instant you touched the bed. I just couldn't leave you."

"No, I'm glad you stayed." She squirmed and rolled over so she faced Will, though she rested her head against his shoulder without ever meeting his eyes. "I needed you... I needed to feel your touch. I didn't mean to crash. I'm sorry..."

"Shh..." he whispered. "I watched you all evening, so I wasn't surprised that you were so exhausted. But when I saw you all curled up here, all I wanted was to hold you... In fact, I don't think I was awake much longer." He kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Will." She snuggled closer and ran her hand along his torso as she kissed his chest.

"I love you too," he answered, sliding his fingers down her back. At her waist, he changed course, slipping his hand under her shirt and up her stomach.

When Elizabeth felt Will's hand against her bare skin, she bit her lip, but the opportunity to tease him was just too much. "What happened to my bra?" she asked.

Will froze. After what felt like a long silence, he answered, "I, uh... I couldn't imagine it would be comfortable to sleep with it on... so... I took it off." He blushed.

"But I'm wearing a shirt. How'd you manage to get it off me?"

"It was tricky," was his quiet reply.

Elizabeth began to giggle. "An uncommon talent, Mr. Darcy." She then began kissing his neck and allowed her hands to begin exploring his body again.

"Minx," he growled, and began giving serious attention to her erogenous zones.

She tried to reciprocate the best she could, though his able hands and mouth demanded her attention. She had been lying back with her eyes closed, her limbs feeling like jelly, when she found the strength to reach for him. She pulled with all her strength, though she didn't seem to have much, and when he didn't give in, her eyes popped open. "Dear God, Will. Please tell me you have a condom!"

Will smiled at her, devouring the look of desperation on her face. "You are in luck, milady. I do have one." He quickly recovered it, quite willing to appease Elizabeth's needs.

He was attentive and loving, and when their desires were sated, they lay side by side with their hands intertwined. Neither spoke for a minute or two, until Will freed one hand and slid his fingers along Elizabeth's temple and through her hair. "As wonderful as it is making love with you, my dear. I can honestly say the best part of the last two mornings was waking up with the real you in my arms, instead of an empty bed and fleeting dreams." He raised himself and kissed her temple, and noticed her alarm clock. "Oh no! I've got to go home now if I'm going to make the train!"

Elizabeth turned and looked at the clock. "Oh wow. You are cutting it close." She immediately slid out of bed and grabbed a big black Firefox T-shirt that hung on her bathroom door. Pulling it over her head, she said, "Get dressed. I'll get you some coffee." She went back to Will and quickly kissed him on the cheek as she tried to get to the door, nearly tripping over Hamlet – as though one could trip over a dog whose back was almost three feet from the ground. "Come on Ham-Hock," she grumbled.

Will dressed quickly, and when he descended the stairs, he was met by Elizabeth with a travel mug of coffee and a banana. "Liz, you're the best," he said as he tried to pull her into his arms rather than take what she held.

She kissed his cheek and pushed him away. "Get going, and I'll see you in 90 minutes." She held up the cup and fruit, and as he took them, she added. "I love you, Will. Make the train, and we'll talk then."

"I love you too, my Liz," he said, and kissed her on the forehead before rushing out the front door.

As Elizabeth watched Will walking toward her on the train, she could see no indication that this morning was different from any typical Monday. His appearance was impeccable, and he wore that old serious mien, at least until his eyes met hers.

He greeted Charlie and Jane, then sat beside Elizabeth, grasping her hand immediately. They all chatted for a few minutes, before the other couple seemed to prefer a private discourse. Will wasn't about to complain, as he was more interested in Elizabeth than the others.

There was an awkward silence for a minute or two as both looked at their joined hands, trying to think of a topic of conversation that was safe for so public a venue. Finally, Elizabeth spoke. "It's not fair, is it? I spent the last week getting to know your delightful sister, then I turn around and subject you to my parents." She sighed. "I'm sorry about... well, everything my mother said."

Will smirked. "It's okay. I had an idea of what to expect, even if I had thought you were exaggerating. It took me a little time to figure you out though. I hadn't expected you to seem so different..."

"Defense mechanism, I suppose. I don't even think about it, really," she said absently. "Keep her occupied, and never let her see the real me. Under normal circumstances, she'd find too much to criticize, but if she'd caught a look between us or seen us holding hands, she'd have been a lot worse with her pronouncements over our future. That's why Mary didn't come."

"I caught that there was some sort of code in her message..." He looked to her for an explanation.

Elizabeth laughed. "Mary is always perceived as the serious Bennet sister. She applies herself assiduously to everything she does, and has really excelled in math and science. What very few people recognize is her unique sense of humor.

"She convinced Mom she was working on something, but the name she gave it, 'Non-fawn LBF,' was meant to tell me she didn't want to be subjected to Mom's fawning over you, Lizzy's boyfriend." She grinned proudly.

"I see." Will nodded his head. "So, you really knew just what to expect."

Elizabeth nodded. "She's been the same since Jane started dating." She glanced at Jane and Charlie, to see if they'd heard her last statement, but they seemed engrossed in their conversation, so she continued. "When Jane was 15, Mom caught her holding hands with Timmy Watkins... It was bad." She shook her head. "It may be hard to believe, but things could have been worse last night. Anyhow, I'd rather think about other parts of the weekend."

Will smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

They spent the short remainder of their commute thinking of more private topics and sharing secret smiles as their hands remained firmly joined.

Soon enough, each of them was ensconced in their own office, attending their business and solving problems only they could. Midmorning, during a brief moment of calm, Will logged into Instant Messenger.

WillJDar: After spending so much of the weekend together, its amazing how much I long to see you.
WillJDar: Can we try for lunch?

It was a couple minutes before Elizabeth answered, but he wasn't surprised.

Lizzy1011: Luv 2 try. Do you have a window
WillJDar: Probably 1-ish
Lizzy1011: call me then, we'll see
WillJDar: ok
WillJDar: Should have asked before. How about dinner?
Lizzy1011: No can do
Lizzy1011: Going to my friend Charlotte's
Lizzy1011: She's cooking then I'm helping with her website
WillJDar: oh ?
Lizzy1011: Yul b fine
Lizzy1011: I'll call you when I get home – k?
WillJDar: u better
WillJDar: I should get back 2 work
WillJDar: I'll call at lunch
Lizzy1011: me 2 Luv ya
WillJDar: Love you 2

As expected it was nearly one when Will called Elizabeth about lunch. Unfortunately, she was sitting in the middle of the Investment Center, working on a fund manager's computer. Both seemed to know that by the time she finished, he would be in a meeting. Disappointed, they each whispered a quick "I love you," and tried their best to look forward to their evening train ride.

A few hours later, as he was heading for the train, Will spied Elizabeth walking across the concourse of Suburban Station and waited for her by the top of the escalator. He smiled when she noticed him. "You are a sight for sore eyes, my love," he said when she was close enough to hear him without raising his voice.

"I could say the same about you," she replied as they stepped on the escalator together to go down to the platform. "It's been a long day."

"Mine too." He sighed.

Fortunately the train was on time, and they found a seat together in the last car. They settled in, and in no time, their fingers were laced together.

"Do you have plans for Thursday?" Will asked Elizabeth.

"No, why?" She looked up at him as her eyes glimmered with curiosity.

Les Misérables is playing at the [url=http://www.walnutstreettheatre.org/">Walnut Street Theatre. I had given a set of tickets to one of my executives, as she's a big fan of the show. She gave them back to me this afternoon because she has to go out of town for a family emergency. I thought you might want to see it."

"Jane and I saw it a few years ago at the Academy. I think I'd enjoy seeing it again. Of course, Jane was the one who went nuts over it." The corner of her lip rose in a bit of a smirk.

"Do you think she'd like to go? I have four tickets."

The grin broke fully on her face. "Let me ask her." She pulled out her phone. "Oh, what about the fourth?"

"What are the odds Charlie's with her right now?" Will teased.

"Likely." She tried to call Jane's phone, but it wouldn't go through. Service was always iffy until they passed Overbrook. "I'll have to try her in a few," she grumbled, resting her head on Will's arm. "I hope your associate's emergency isn't too bad," she added quietly.

"It's too early to tell, but I hope so too." He raised their hands a little, watching as he traced his fingers with his.

They didn't speak for a while, and a few minutes later, Elizabeth tried Jane again.

"Will has four tickets to see Les Mis on Thursday, and we were wondering if you want to go."

"Do you even have to ask? Of course I'd love to go!"

"I don't think I even need to tell Will!" Elizabeth laughed.

"But four? Who else is going?"

"We were thinking Charlie, but it's really up to you."

She could hear Jane and Charlie talking for a minute before Jane responded. "He's in. Thank Will for us."

"Okay," Elizabeth laughed. "But then you can thank him tomorrow."

"And we will. We're in the third car, by the way."

"I'll come find you at Malvern."

Elizabeth ended the call and put away her phone before resting her head on Will once again. "They say thanks."

"I gathered as much."

They talked of little more until Will got off at Paoli. Elizabeth leaned back and closed her eyes. Part of her wanted to run after him, begging him not to leave her. But there was more to life than Will Darcy, and she had neglected her friend long enough.

She was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't move forward to find Jane until they stopped at Exton.

Jane was still so excited about the prospect of seeing the show, and that was all she wanted to talk about until they got home.

By that point, Elizabeth was almost tempted to just drop her sister and leave, but she did decide to go in long enough to let out Hamlet and play with him for a few minutes before departing for her friend's.

Charlotte certainly made a point of teasing Elizabeth, scarcely allowing her in the door before she began complaining of abandonment and being forced to hang out with Jane.

Once they teasingly made their peace, they sat down to what Elizabeth thought an overly formal dinner of Lobster cake and medallions of beef. Afterwards, they set to work designing a website for Charlotte's catering business.

Tired, Elizabeth returned home about 9:30 and wasted no time calling Will. They had little to discuss, but spent nearly an hour talking. When her yawns became uncontrollable, however, Will told her he loved her and said goodnight.

She quickly checked her email and brushed her teeth, then climbed into bed. As tired as she was, it annoyed her that she couldn't seem to get comfortable. She tossed and turned for several minutes, refusing to admit her problem could be missing Will.

Finally, still denying a reason, she pulled her other pillow to her chest and buried her face in it, breathing in traces of Will's scent as she drifted easily to sleep.

Chapter 32

Posted on March 9, 2009

Will grumbled at his alarm clock, not wanting to wake from his dreams of Elizabeth. Without opening his eyes, he knew that the form in his arms was too soft, and it only smelled faintly of her. He sighed and took one last deep breath from the pillow before he released it and rolled over to turn off the alarm.

He came to terms with reality quickly, and set about his morning routine, making certain he would arrive at Paoli Station on time; missing their train was not an option.

As he boarded, Will was surprised to find that the feeling that flooded him upon seeing Elizabeth was relief. He made his way to her as quickly as possible, promptly stowed his attaché and sat down, grasping her hand before he even spoke. "Good morning, my love," he whispered.

With the kind of smile seemingly reserved only for him, she met his eye. "Morning, Will."

He had to fight the urge to tell her how much he had wished they'd spent the night together; probably for the best, as Jane and Charlie turned to face them.

They both thanked Will for the invitation to the show, and were eager to discuss other plans for the night. Charlie offered to buy dinner at Morimoto, which was an easy walk from the theatre, and Will offered to drive.

When Jane and Charlie turned away again, Will was quick to try amending the plans as they applied to him and Elizabeth.

"I can't ask you out tonight. I've had this dinner meeting that's been on the calendar for several weeks. Is there any chance you're free tomorrow night?" When Elizabeth nodded, he leaned in closer and dropped his voice. "It would be perfect if you'd spend the night. Then you could drive in with me on Thursday."

Elizabeth blushed and it was a long moment before she could respond. In a whisper, with her mouth close to his ear, she said, "But then Charlie would know..."

Will looked at her, surprised, then turned, pointedly looking from Charlie to Jane and back to Charlie before whispering, "You don't think he knows?" As more color suffused her cheeks, he leaned closer and quickly kissed her temple. "He at least suspects, but what does it matter? We're both adults, and we're building a solid, loving relationship. I realize all this is new to you, but there's no reason to be embarrassed."

"I suppose," she replied, looking at their hands and refusing to make eye contact.

Will turned his head so his mouth was practically on her ear, and squeezing her hand, he spoke in the quietest, but surest of tones. "I am completely in love with you, Elizabeth. I want you to spend the night with me because I want to be with you all the time. I won't lie; I want to make love with you... desperately." He paused briefly and took a deep breath. "But more than that, I want to hold you while we sleep and wake up with you, not a pillow, in my arms."

Elizabeth's cheeks were very red, but she couldn't hold back a small grin. "I'll think about it."

Will smiled. "Good. I'd also very much like your company while driving in. Last time we did this, I didn't see you until after work."

"Yeah," she whispered. "I missed you that day..." She finally looked up and into his eyes. "I love you, Will; and I promise I'll consider it."

Soon the train was pulling into Suburban Station, and once they were off the train, the guys took off in one direction and the sisters in another.

Will and Elizabeth each spent the morning working diligently at their jobs, and gladly, they managed to coordinate lunch together at Pietro's.

As they waited for their pizza, their fingers intertwined, and Will told Elizabeth about the email he'd received from Georgiana that morning. They continued discussing his sister while they ate, and all too soon, they found themselves walking hand in hand back down Walnut Street.

Elizabeth was sitting on the floor of the computer room a couple hours later when the receptionist called her.

"Lizzy, you have a package here that was just delivered by courier. I thought it might be important."

"Thanks," she answered. "I'll be up as soon as I can."

Ten minutes later, she was walking briskly back toward her office, carrying a large envelope so the prominent "DI" logo didn't show. Once she reached her destination, she closed the door behind her and began opening the envelope before she even sat down.

On top was a note, handwritten on Darcy, Inc. letterhead.

My Liz,

Love,
Will

Next, there was the August issue of the magazine. She wasn't sure when new ones hit the newsstands, but she knew she hadn't seen this one.

Elizabeth flipped it open to where a Post-It had been stuck. There were several pictures from the Prince Gala, and her eyes were immediately drawn to one in particular. In the foreground was a couple dancing and smiling at the camera. Behind them, she instantly recognized Will and herself. Even though the caption only identified the other couple, they were clearly identifiable.

Behind the magazine were two manila folders. She opened the first to find several pictures of Georgiana, Ryan, Will and herself from the event; mostly of them talking to others, and in every one with Will and her, they were holding hands.

When she opened the second folder, her jaw dropped. She knew in an instant what Will had meant by the photo. Perfectly centered and completely in focus were Will and she, dancing. Will held her close within his arms, and their gazes were locked with one another. Their small smiles would tell anyone who saw it just how much in love they were. Her eyes felt damp. It was true what they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Elizabeth could do nothing but look at the picture for a couple of minutes, not wanting to touch and damage the photo, yet almost compelled to run her finger along Will's sleeve.

She sighed. "I love you, Will," she whispered, then closed the folder and put everything back in the envelope. After she slipped it into her laptop bag, she turned to her computer and jotted off a note to Will:

From: ebennet@cblinvestments.com
To: fdarcy@darcyinc.com
Subject: Photos

Love,
Liz

She clicked the send button and gazed toward her Outlook Inbox as it faded out of focus.

A minute or two later, she collected herself and came back to the present. She read her new mail, then stood. With a quick glance back at her bag, she returned to the computer room and her server.

Elizabeth missed Will dreadfully on the train that evening. She tried reading, but when she started the same page for the fourth time, she knew the book would never hold her attention. Leaning her head against the window, she let her mind wander, first to Will, but that wouldn't do. She tried to push him away; she had to find something else.

A few minutes later, she found success in thinking of another tall, dark gentleman, Frederick.

At home, she made a light dinner for herself and Jane. After they ate and did the dishes, Elizabeth begged off watching TV with her sister and went upstairs to her room, followed happily by Hamlet.

She sat at her workstation and pulled up Trillian and was pleased to see her friend, Julia, online.

lizzy1011: Kinda late, isn't it?
julrcog: only a bit
julrcog: I wanted to finish this chapter and get it off to my beta
lizzy1011: Ooh! Looking forward to it
lizzy1011: do you think you'll have time to beta something for me in the next couple of days?
julrcog: 4u? sure
julrcog: u havent sent me anything in ages
lizzy1011: cool! Yeah, been distracted by RL lately
julrcog: things going well with the new bf then
lizzy1011: *nods* very well
lizzy1011: but he's working tonight and I got to thinking about my story on the train home
lizzy1011: I know the next phase and will try to get it written tonight
julrcog: sounds good. I'd best get to bed.
julrcog: send it and I'll give it priority
lizzy1011: Thanx nite
julrcog: nite

Elizabeth then checked her messages and opened Word to begin a new chapter.

Her next few hours were consumed by her writing. Her only break came when Hamlet asked to be let out. She saved her file to her flash drive, then took him downstairs. While he ran around the backyard, she made a cup of tea and talked to Jane.

When she returned to her room, she got ready for bed, then placed her Blackberry on the nightstand. She'd really expected Will to call by now, and felt a little sad, knowing he must be busy. With a sigh, she grabbed her flash drive and laptop and settled herself comfortably on her bed.

About twenty minutes later, her phone finally ran. "Hi Will," she answered.

"Hi love," was his immediate reply, followed by a moment of silence. "How's your night been?"

"Quiet," she answered. "I'm just sitting in bed, writing."

"Writing?" he asked.

Oops! "Yeah, I write a little bit of light fiction for an online group. I'm not very good, but it's fun."

"You'll have to show me sometime." His voice was warm.

She blushed. "Maybe someday... How was dinner?"

"Productive; though I can think of many ways I'd have preferred to spend the evening."

They talked for a good forty-five minutes, and just before hanging up, Elizabeth said, "Oh! Will?"

"Yes, my love?"

Elizabeth looked at his pillow as she stroked it endearingly. "I was thinking... I will stay with you tomorrow."

Chapter 33

Posted on March 23, 2009

To the surprise of neither, Will and Elizabeth each woke hugging the other's pillow, and after the initial disappointment, both smiled, knowing tomorrow morning would be different.

After checking her email, Elizabeth stowed her notebook computer in her backpack and moved over the contents of her smaller computer bag. She then added a pair of slacks, a blouse, a swimsuit and a few other necessities for her night away from home.

There was an inexplicable spring in her step as she got ready for work, and she found herself prepared to walk out the door a full ten minutes earlier than usual. It was probably for the best, she decided, as she took Hamlet out back to play for a while.

A short time later, Elizabeth kissed her dog on top of his head as he tried to block her passage to the front door. "You be good for Janey tonight, you lug." She tousled his ears and slipped past, setting the alarm and locking the front door as she left the house.

From the moment she climbed into the passenger seat of Jane's Mini, Elizabeth realized her anxiety, and she could only believe it was because of her plans for the night. Until she saw Will walking toward her on the train, she struggled to appear her usual, calm, happy self.

Will had scarcely sat beside her when she gripped his hand rather firmly.

"You okay?" he asked with great concern, gently squeezing her hand.

"I'm fine," she tried to reassure him. "Just mixed feelings about tonight."

Will fought the urge to frown. "You don't have to come over," he whispered.

Elizabeth looked up and met his eyes. "That's not an option. I want to." She took a breath without breaking their gaze. "I am eager for it, to tell you the truth... This is just so new..." A pink tinge suffused her cheeks.

Will relaxed and smiled, then raised her hand as if studying her fingers. "I don't know exactly what to say, Liz; but I love you, and will do whatever I can to make you happy."

She smiled, almost shyly. "I know."

They held hands and talked of the day's news and current topics until they parted ways at Suburban Station.

Elizabeth walked toward her building so briskly that despite her longer legs, Jane had trouble keeping up.

"What's the hurry, sis?" Jane finally asked.

"I guess nothing really." Elizabeth tried to slow her pace a little. "I just have something I'm nearly done with, and I want to tie a big red ribbon on it and send it off."

Jane giggled. "You have such a way with saying things, Lizzy. I swear you should write."

Elizabeth smiled as she shook her head. "Me? Nah, I'll leave that creativity to you, Miss Marketing."

Jane grinned, and both sisters were still laughing as they exited the elevator a few minutes later.

Once in her office, Elizabeth checked her voice mail and email. Certain there were no pressing issues, she inserted her flash drive in the USB port, and pulled up the chapter she had written last night. She read through it once more, making a few minor edits before sending it off to her beta.

When she was done, she slipped her flash drive back into her jeans pocket and turned her focus to her databases.

Over the next few hours, Elizabeth fielded only a couple of support calls, and of course, an email from Will, so she was pleasantly surprised to notice it was 12:15. With luck, Will would call soon and ask her to lunch.

She was still sitting there a few minutes later, lost in reverie, when her desk phone rang. "Shoot!" she exclaimed within a quiet sigh.

She glanced at the display. Conference Room 2, hmmm… "This is Lizzy, what's up?" She tried to sound cheerful.

"Lizzy, we need your help!" Jane sounded frantic. "David wants to make some drastic changes to the website. Some just don't make sense to me, and it seems like a lot of work for very little gain… We need your expert opinion."

"Okay." Elizabeth fought to keep her voice even. "I'll be there in a few."

"We have lunch, if that helps," Jane added as a quiet afterthought.

"Thanks, sis. I'll be right down."

Elizabeth hung up the receiver, then crossed her arms on the desk. Dropping her head to rest upon them, she resigned herself to her fate. Well, at least I'll have him to myself tonight.

Sitting up straight, she grabbed her Blackberry and sent a text message to Will, then got up and began walking to the far corner of the CBL offices to discuss web design.

Unlike her morning, Elizabeth's afternoon seemed long and tedious. She was very happy to reach a good stopping point just about 4:45, and promptly called Jane as she began tidying her desk.

Soon the sisters were walking to Suburban Station, enjoying an easy chat. Their happy expressions, however, could not compare to their own countenances just a few minutes later as they spied a certain pair of tall, handsome gentlemen standing together, talking, on the platform.

"You look tired," Will commented immediately upon Elizabeth's arrival at his side. He nodded to Jane and pulled Elizabeth aside.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," she replied. "Just a busy afternoon." Scooting closer, she added, "Nothing dinner, a hot tub and the company of a charming gentleman can't fix."

"Charming? I thought you were going home with me, not Charlie." Will tried to seem disappointed.

"You can be very charming when you want to be, Will." Elizabeth almost purred.

He answered in little more than a whisper. "Only for you…" He suddenly turned away from her, and while only a little louder, his voice was suddenly sharper. "Damn it, Elizabeth!"

Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Can we talk about Intel's newest processor or IBM servers or something?"

Elizabeth could feel his frustration, but still grinned up at him challengingly. "We could, but I enjoy talking tech…" Her voice dropped. "Very much."

When he emitted a small gasp, she continued, "Perhaps the stock market might be a safer topic. The Dow closed down almost 237 today."

So it was, they discussed safer topics during their ride to Paoli.

As the couple walked to the door, Elizabeth felt her sister grab her hand. "Don't worry about Hammie, I won't fill him up with table food. Have a good time tonight."

"Thanks, Jane," she answered, with no time to say anything more.

Once they disembarked the train, their moods seemed to shift once again. As if by unspoken agreement, they walked slowly to Will's car, holding hands, of course. Any other evening, they would have been like all the other commuters, trying to get out of the parking lot as quickly as possible. This way, however, by the time they reached his Audi, there was no one around.

Elizabeth was surprised, though far from disappointed, when it seemed as though in one fluid movement, Will set down his attaché, placed Elizabeth's backpack beside it, and pressed Elizabeth against the car door. "You are a wicked woman, teasing me like you did earlier. You shall have to pay, Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth looked up meekly, her eyes wide. "I shall accept my penance, sir," she whispered. If only she could have kept the corner of her mouth from turning up.

A heartbeat later, his lips were crushing hers in a searing kiss. "You undo me, Liz," he somehow murmured.

After a minute or so, Will forced himself to pull back. "I expect you to be on your best behavior when we get home." He opened the back door and picked up their bags. "Maggie most certainly has dinner ready, and whether she's there or not, I will not have her disappointed."

Elizabeth slid into the passenger seat, then just before he closed her door, her teasing eyes met his and she replied, "I can behave if you can."

Continued In Next Section