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December 3rd 1916-Base Hospital 23, France (cont.)

"What's up Delph?" Elizabeth rolled over and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"A letter just came for you......HAND delivered if you don't mind, and boy was he a handsome man."

"Rank?" Elizabeth took the envelope and tried to focus her sleepy eyes on the the address.

The words abruptly came into focus and seemed to leap out of the page at her, a familiar hand and a familiar style.

"Only a Captain."

"Then I don't know who he was." Elizabeth gave a yawn and finally opened the letter up, she now had no problem with focussing her eyes.

Miss Elizabeth,
This is just a quick appology for the abrupt termination our walk the other day, I had actually intended to say good-bye but I forgot. My excuse is of course the problem which took me away, and that was the fact that our current accomodation system abruptly ran into problems and the weather is not precisely appropriate for camping out. Unless you have objections I'll try to see you next time we are back. God Bless you and keep you safe,

Colonel D.F. Darcy, R.A.

"Well, what is it?" Philadelphia looked enquiringly at Elizabeth.

"Just a letter from a friend, he was appologising for abruptly terminating our walk because duty called him away."

"Him? Ooh, our Lizzie is involved in a clandestine affair."

"DELPH!" It was an outraged cry and a small pillow flew across at Philadelphia.

"Sure you don't want your pillow back Lizzie?" Philadelphia waved the small square above Elizabeth's bed.

"No thanks." Elizabeth rolled over and used her arm to sleep on instead.

"Help Lizzie, you're no fun at all." Philadelphia dropped the pillow onto Elizabeth's head, and Elizabeth promptly pulled it under her head.

"I'm no fun because I want to sleep, besides which I have this nasty feeling that tomorrow is going to be a horrible day." Elizabeth grumbled, and then pulled the blanket up over her head.

"Well if that's the case I'm going to bed immediately, your horrible days invariably are." Philadelphia promptly retreated to her bed and silence reigned in the drafty barn-like building.

December 25th 1916-Base Hospital 23, France

"Hey! Lizzie!" Philadelphia came charging into the dormitory where Elizabeth had just given up on attempting to sleep.

"Aye?" Elizabeth pushed up and smothered a yawn.

"You said you liked Cricket, well there's a rattle-trap out the front calling for audience volunteers for a match between the RFC and some Battalion which has just come back from the front."

"You going?" Elizabeth stretched lazily and rolled over to blink at Philadelphia.

"Only if you're going."

"Then move it." Elizabeth rolled off the hard camp bed and headed for the door with Philadelphia on her heels. Not too many nurses had gathered out the front and soon all of them were crushed into the decidedly rickety automobile and bouncing along the road towards some field a farmer had been kind enough, or mercenary enough, to lend out for the match.

The field was, as might be expected, some numerous inches or so of snow covered it and the pitch was being marked out by the simple method of stamping back and forth within a set area. The result was one of the slickest outfields in history, and a pitch which would redirect anything but a full toss, or a yorker delivered at mind-numbing velocity.

With the pitch finally compacted sufficiently to satisfy the former driver and some Major from the battalion, stumps were inserted. But Elizabeth defied anyone to send those stumps pin-wheeling, three rifles, buried by the full length of their bayonets, into ground as hard as iron would be very difficult to upset.

"Alright, Katt! Test out the wicket for bowling will you."

"O'right." The distinctly Cockney accent responded, and Elizabeth watched with a smile as the bowler charged forward and bowled, it bounced about mid-pitch and had there been a square-leg umpire he would have ceased his existance.

"Yer meant to hit the stumps!" The cry came from the depths of the battalion, but was ignored by the players on the field.

"Try again Katt, but try summat a bit longer." The ball flew down the pitch again and crashed dully into the wickets, but the stumps didn't even quiver.

"Looks like we'll need a stump umpire."

"Well it won't be me." The RFC Captain shook his head firmly as he resumed his attempts to straighten out his field. "And while I remember it, over the fence is six and out and the sucker what hit it has to fetch it!"

"Fair enough." The Battalion Major nodded agreeably. "Fielding side ready?"

"Yes."

"Right-oh! Batters up."

"Sounds like they're making a cake." Philadelphia mumbled her remark and Elizabeth promptly choked with laughter. The game passed much as expected, runs were few, injuries were frequent, and by the end of thirty minutes the battalion team had either got out, or retired injured. There was ten minute interval while the sides changed over and copious quantities of tea and coffee were handed around, tea which made the hospital stuff seem like tannic acid. Having seen the cup of tea Philadelphia got, which was closer to hot water with a faint brownish tinge, Elizabeth opted for coffee, but all she got was what looked like a mug of dirty dish-water, though it's warmth was welcome.

"Well who knows, with the Colonel declining to bat and the upper batting order and two best bowlers absent we might actually win a game for once." The voice came from the motor, and turning Elizabeth observed two Flying Corps Officers bending over something in the front seat.

"Don't you count on it." As the Officer straightened Elizabeth recognised them as the driver and navigator from that morning. "The Major will come out to bat if we manage to catch their first innings score.......and he'll come and bowl if we come too close to their second innings score."

"You actually think so? He was pretty adamant when Miles was trying to get him to open the batting."

"Trust me Pyro, Battalion honour aside you will never see the Darcy name attached to a losing team, and definitely not a losing Cricket team. Put Battalion honour on the line and I can guarantee that he will play, and he will smote us all over the field....which is why I introduced the six and out rule. Let him hit it once and we'll never see that ball again."

"Why didn't you demand the four law, boundary hedge is four?"

"Only had one choice and I used that on the six and out. Miles opted for the no LBW law, and I don't blame him, it's far too controversial a law to have when there are no umpires."

"So we could actually just go out there and pad away until we get sick of it."

"Correct, but we're not going to because a boring game of cricket is also highly likely to get the Major onto the field, and I'm aiming to keep him off." The RFC made a much more impressive innings, their first pair lasted nearly an hour, the second brought up the hour but after that it was just a repeat of the previous innings.

"I somehow doubt that first pair would have lasted the hour had that Captain not required so frequently to call a halt to proceedings." Elizabeth murmered softly.

"Well sixty-five is a much better score than fifteen. Now lets see what the Battalion produce, from what I've heard their trying to change their batting line-up slightly." Philadelphia was working on her second cup of tea at this point and the two sides were making repairs to the wicket during the interval.

"Hey! NO FAIR!!!!!!" The howl came up from the Captain, but even craning her neck Elizabeth couldn't see what the objection was about, though she guessed it concerned one of the batsmen.

"Ahh let it go Ashie, all we have to do is make sure he doesn't get hold of the bowling."

"Don't be so certain Pyro, I know the Major and he can damn well collar the bowling if he wants to." Ashie response was mournful in note and Elizabeth frowned speculatively at the immense figure which was following the diminutive Major out to the wicket."We'll be pasted now!"

"I wonder what Ashie knows that we don't know?" Elizabeth looked enquiringly at Philadelphia.

"Well it obviously must be about the big one, for the other Major was out before."

"He isn't a Major, he's a Colonel.....Ashie, now where have I heard that name from before?" Elizabeth settled back in her thoughts and settled into the snow to watch. The first over produced a single and Ashie was howling as Darcy took stand for the last ball of Katt's over.

KER-RACK!!!!!!!!!

The sound echoed dully, and Ashie swore viciously and very audibly. Elizabeth was puzzled until she realised where all the fielders were headed, that ball had gone over the fence on the bounce and as a result Darcy was not out, and neither was he limitted to four runs. The two batsmen were running at a steady pace back and forth, very quickly racking up their runs. Twenty had been completed when the ball finally came back onto the field, it was a wild throw, but it was collected with great speed and dexterity by Ashie and returned accurately to the bowler. Half a minute later and the field had settled again.

KER-WALLOP!!!!!!!!

Once again there was the dull echo and once again the ball sailed over the fence on the single bounce.

"Hell that chap's good." The voice had Elizabeth turning and she observed a Private crouching behind her.

"Is he?"

"You'll see how good he is in a minute." The response came with a laugh. "Ashie's most wisely covered those two spots and the Major's too soft-hearted to use them regardless of the fieldsman."

"Soft-hearted?" Elizabeth's brows shot up.

"A point." The Private laughed again. "No he's not soft-hearted in the slightest, infact he's a lump of cold iron. But he could just slam the ball through those players anyway, but I suspect he'll just go looking for other places."

"What's he doing?" Elizabeth watched as the score continued to mount.

"Well where a fielder has stood there's a nice sheet of ice, the only thing you can bounce off at all, so he slogs the ball at the bit of ice and lets nature and physics do the rest."

"Ah-haa!" Elizabeth refocussed her attention on the game. Overall the Battallion had a score of sixty-five or, to be exact, fifty runs had been made in the first fifteen minutes of the second innings.

"Jeez this is getting boring!" This time it was only a mutter and it came from the automobile, it was also a different voice. Elizabeth turned around and looking she observed the Captain was rifling through the back.

"A problem Captain."

"Why on earth do you ask?" Ashie's head jolted up and he stared at Elizabeth in amazement. "Remind me to talk to you later, there's a question I'll want to ask as soon as I stop thinking about Cricket." "Of course there's a problem, we're getting pasted! I knew I should have made a demand that the Major didn't play."

"Why shouldn't he?"

"Because Oxford Cricket Blues invariably make a mess of anything but world class cricket......and this certainly isn't world class cricket."

"Do you take advice?"

"If it can get the Major out I'll take advice from a Ack-Emma. Fire away, even though I may disregard it."

"Use the side of the wicket." Elizabeth turned to go, she had given far too much help already.

"Ehh." Ashie grabbed her arm again. "What was that Sister?"

"Use the side of the Wicket." Elizabeth repeated her remark, then qualified it as she observed the doubtful look. "Look you've absolutely packed the snow down over the wicket but there's an inch or so of untouched stuff right next to the wicket. Send a ball into that, he'll write it off as wide and will ignore it, while it will hit the snow and bite savagely back. You'll have chance or two to get it before he'll just advance and hit everything."

"I think you may have an idea Sister, I will talk to you after the match." Ashie turned and plunged back onto the field, leaving Elizabeth to return to her former position. Five minutes saw another ten runs and a bowling change, then Darcy was trudging off the field having paused first to make some observation to Ashie, for Ashie had got him first ball, but having bowled once Ashie promptly retired from the bowling lists and handed it back to the capable Katt who dismissed the rest of the team for one or two runs.

"Sister Bennet, did you know I object to the crowd conspiring against me?" Darcy's voice had Elizabeth spinning around.

"Oh, hello Colonel. And no I didn't know but I did guess you would probably dislike it."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because it is very boring watching the batsman make endless laps on a near empty field."

"Bad excuse, I'll be back in a minute." It was only as Darcy left that Elizabeth realised that he was still in the make-shift padding.

"You know him?" Philadelphia looked totally stunned.

"We've met a few times." Elizabeth parried in embarrassment, shooting a nervous glance after Darcy.

"Oh bother." Philadelphia shook her head in annoyance. "Of course you know him, he's the Colonel from the train." Philadelphia gave an annoyed sigh and tried to settle more comfortably on the oil skin sheet which protected her and several others from the snow.

Five minutes saw the return of Darcy and he had a few other officers in tow with him.

"Aren't you going to bowl?" Elizabeth teased lightly.

"I might." The enigmatic response came with the beginning of the RFC innings.

"Who are your opposition?"

"Cads of the Flying Corps, they're the worst cricket team in the Flying Corps, but unfortunately our battalion is even worse than they are today. It's totally degrading that Ashie can have such a deadly bowler up his sleeve, especially when he's no mean shot himself.....uhh, got to go." Darcy rose abruptly and brushed snow from his trousers as he jogged towards the field.

"Go away!" Ashie's greeting from the batter's end was not at all cordial.

"And the same to you." Darcy caught the ball easily as it came flying in from the outfield. Darcy bowled and a roar of laughter rose from the crowd, for Ashie had not even attempted to put his bat in the way, he had just removed himself from the wicket and watched as the stumps fell over from the safe distance of about ten yards. Philadelphia whistled in amazement.

"That man can bowl a ball."

"I suspect that's why he went out. The Cads have only two runs to make before they can win the match and I highly doubt that he intends to let them make more then one at the most." Ten balls later the last of the Cads came trooping dismally off the field with a second innings total of eight. Three minutes and the tea and coffee were circulating once more, though Elizabeth soon drifted to the small group gathered at the end of the wicket. The group consisted of Darcy who was working with a shovel, Ashie who was doing absolutely nothing other than making rude remarks, three privates who held rifles with no bayonets, and the Major whom Elizabeth had not been introduced to, but whom Darcy seemed to call Miles for the most part.

"Eee, your Brigadier will be most happy." Ashie was watching with dancing amusement as Darcy attacked the ice with a shovel.

"Ashie!"

"Yes?"

"Shut up, bugger off, and go talk to Sister Bennet since you have yet to thank her for getting me out." Darcy paused briefly in his attack on the ice. "Miles, it looks like we'll need some new Basing Pins."

"Don't know, I think we've run out of Basing Pins."

"I bet we could get you some Basing Pins." Ashie had shifted to stand next to Elizabeth.

"I'm sure you could, however I'm going to make certain sure we have no real ones before letting you loose to 'acquire' us some."

"Spoil-sport." Ashie grunted before leading Elizabeth. "Permit me to introduce myself, though the Major there would say it's the most dangerous thing you might ever consider. The name is Captain Lord James 'Ashie' Ashington-Frankston, I am the poor Squadron-Leader of Squadron 284. Pyro's my trusty second, but as he's not here right now I won't bother introducing him."

"Sister Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Bennet, Base Hospital 23."

"And now we're thoroughly introduced, permit me to ask if you are any relation of a Lieutenant F. K. 'Bennie' Bennet?"

"Sir, you are ever tactful. Bennie was my brother."

"Hah, no wonder you look like him. What's this? Sir? No I've never been called that and I certainly don't deserve it. Ashie, or the Major will have plenty to say."

"Then I had better call you Ashie, it would never do for the Major to have plenty to say."

"Ahh, great minds think alike.....Sure you won't marry me Sister?"

"Lizzie, and positive, I'd never marry a man who has yet to thank me for services rendered."

"You don't take a proposal as thanks?"

"Most certainly not when it comes from you."

"How depressing." Ashie pull a hangdog expression, then grinned again. "I observe the Major has retrieved the absent bayonets and now accordingly I will depart and annoy Miles." And so speaking Ashie moved off, leaving Elizabeth to look speculatively after him.

"Enjoy the cricket?" The enquiry came, as per usual, softly and from behind her.

"Is that what you called it?" Elizabeth turned around with a smile. "I thought it closer to a match of assasination."

"Then we will refrain from inviting you to the rugby matches." Darcy was rummaging through his pockets as he spoke, obviously in search of something which he seemed completely unable to find.

"Well if your rugby matches have any higher fatality rate then I'm thankful." Elizabeth bent down and started gathering together escaped pages and an assortment of nuts, bolts, spent bullets, shell fragments, and watch parts. The last items brought a frown to Elizabeth's face and she lifted an enquiring eyebrow as she returned the parts, Darcy having finally found what he was searching for.

"It broke three weeks ago and I was trying to repair it." Darcy rubbed his nose as he spoke and dropped the bits into his pocket.

"Oh." Elizabeth cast a somewhat speaking look at his hands, a move which brought a laugh from Darcy.

"Precisely Miss Elizabeth, I considerably damaged the internals and I doubt even a watchmaker could fix it without replacing at least half the parts."

"Who is Ashie?" Elizabeth asked the question as she bent down to pick up a piece of paper, but turning it over Elizabeth forgot completely about the question and frowned at the page. Some bell was ringing, some memory was desperately trying to be remembered.

Lydia

.......Futernshmo

Karatina...........Shellipti

.

......Maugerinimonsator

It had been scribbled roughly on the page. Elizabeth turned the page back over and it looked like someone had been counting or something, for Roman Numerals covered the page. Elizabeth caught a few other pages and a quick glance showed her that they were completely covered in Roman Numerals. The hand which had written them was undoubtedly Darcy's, likewise they had clearly been written in an extreme hurry and probably on a rough surface. Had he been copying something? or had he just been in a hurry over something? Elizabeth finally returned the pages to Darcy, who had been watching her with some discomfort, and lifted a questioning eyebrow.

"Side entertainment." Darcy's voice was somewhat sarcastic as he quickly flicked over the pages before stowing them in an inside pocket. "Likewise two are missing."

"These them?" Ashie was strolling up with the two errant sheets in hand.

"Yes thanks." Darcy calmly pocketed them with the others, having first given them a fairly close look.

"Say Major, you wouldn't consider spilling the beans would you?"

"No Ashie, I have no intention of spilling the beans." Darcy responded gravely.

"Such a pity, I wish other cooks were as careful as you." Ashie moved off again with this cryptic remark and Elizabeth looked up at Darcy in bewilderment. Darcy's eyes were gleaming in amusement as he watched Ashie's departure.

"Cooks indeed." Darcy shook his head and abruptly looked down at Elizabeth. "I believe he was complaining about indiscretions within the Flying Corps, and possibly within his own Squadron."

"But why beans?"

"Why not beans? They're fiddley blighters and most people scatter them all over the place."

"I'd think peas were more appropriate." Elizabeth responded somewhat distractedly, that nagging memory was not going away, but neither could she catch it.

"But beans you're less likely to pick-up again."

"I'd have thought them more likely to be picked up again."

"I disagree.....what is bothering you Miss Elizabeth?" Darcy tone abruptly sharpened.

"Just a memory I can't track down." Elizabeth shook her head and tried to focus on what they had been discussing, but for the life of her she could not remember.

"What about?" Darcy offered Elizabeth his arm and they slowly began a perambulating loop.

"Well that's my problem, I don't know, something has been nagging the back of my memory and I don't know why, or what for." Elizabeth shook her head.

"Pity." Darcy paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Looks like you'd best get back, Ashie's cranking up the motor and you don't want to miss the ride home." It took them less than a minute to recross the trampled ice and snow to where the rusting motor stood and leaving Elizabeth to be helped in by Ashie Darcy moved quickly to stand by the Major called Miles.

"Hello Lizzie, deigned to have returned have you?" Philadelphia was grinning from her spot next to the door. "Not very gentlemanly of him to desert you like that."

"Maybe I just ceased deigning." Elizabeth's mind was only half on the banter.

"Say, a Colonel, my she does climb the ranks fast." Philadelphia settled back to needle Elizabeth, a joy which was abruptly damped and destroyed by the intervention of the navigator.

"Not with that Colonel." It was a damping remark and it totally distracted Philadelphia.

"Why not?" Philadelphia leant forward with her enquiry.

"Because he is Colonel Darcy........and if that doesn't give you the answer then nothing will short of explaining that he's one of that interesting and supposedly mythical breed that can become so engrossed in any form of work that they ignore the rest of the world."

"Pyro will you face the front, I don't want to become lost.....AGAIN!"

"Is he really like that?" Philadelphia promptly leant across to speak to Elizabeth.

"Well I will certainly agree that he is not excessively sociable. I will also agree that he is prone to become engrossed in work to the point of disregarding everything....including his own livelyhood." Elizabeth gave a shrug.

"How do you know him?"

"He was my brother's company officer and due to some debt he seems to believe he owes the family he is polite to us." "Uhh." Elizabeth abruptly looked away and bit her lip.

"I believe..." It was Ashie who spoke. "That it is called a life debt Sister. It's one of those awkward things which crop up when someone saves your life at the expense of his own. Though most of us disregard it, or consider it repaid with minimal effort, Colonel Darcy does not let himself off so easily.....It's hardly his fault though, blame his father who was most archaic in his views. Most of us would consider a check that the family will continue to exist without the person. In the case of Colonel Darcy....? well he has to become, if possible, the vanished brother for the family. As a result you have probably already seen Colonel Darcy more then once, and you will continue to see him with a regularity which is either connected to a courtship......or a brother checking up on the well being of a little sister." Ashie's shrug corresponded with a woggle in the stearing. The rest of the trip was completed in silence and soon the Sisters were scrambling out of the back seat and filing quickly into the hospital. "Oh, Sister Bennet!" Ashie's call stopped Elizabeth just before entering and she turned around and went to where the two pilots were standing.

"Yes?"

"Bugger off for a minute Pyro, it's private." Ashie leant back against the bonnet and stared unblinkingly at the road until he decided that Pyro had retreated to an appropriate distance, he then abruptly turned and stared at Elizabeth. "I can't say I know what's happening, but I will say this Sister. The Major does not toy with anyone, and even for a sister he would not do what he has done. I don't know what's happening, I'll swear on anything you name that I'm not a nosey busybody, but be that as it may I have my concerns. I don't know how well you know the Major, I don't even know if that farradiddle of mine about the life debt was even remotely near the mark, though at a guess I'd say that it holds at least in part. He's a dangerous man Sister and simply as a concerned friend I don't want you near him if you haven't an idea about him.....or if you won't have me as a friend, then take this simply as a warning from a former friend of your brother's. Regardless of what people say I have no grudges with the Major, harsh he is, but he is also rigidly fair in all his dealings."

"Why are you saying this?" Elizabeth looked curiously at Ashie.

"Because...." Ashie paused, his attention clearly zoning away. "I have met the devil once in my life Sister and I never want to meet him again. If you go to the right parts of South Africa you will hear stories like which you've never heard the likes. You will hear of the giant who could walk with no sound, you will hear of the man who can, with his own two hands, kill six armed men and barely be touched himself, you will hear of the giant who never wearied and who had magic in his fingers. The Devil and the Priest, they were known far and wide and whatever the people back here say not one of those stories are exaggerated." Ashie paused. "Magic in his fingertips, it sounds so farfetched and incredible, and yet it was true. It is said by all the 'old-timers' that he could pick out likely copper hills from tens of miles away. A single glance would tell him whether gold was a reasonable prospect in a stream, or whether diamonds were to be found on that land. The 'old-timers' don't scare easy Sister, but not one of them didn't stand in awe of this man. Magreeta, one of the longest headed chiefs in The South, called this man 'de Duivel' and it wasn't just because he'd upset two of Magreeta's pet uprisings. Magreeta wouldn't call just anybody 'de Duivel' Sister, it takes one heck of a scary person to upset one of the local chiefs on that subject."

"I was aware that Colonel Darcy was called 'de Duivel' I'm also aware that though his relatives dispise him, they all hold him in extremely healthy respect.......though I suspect that some of them tolerate him better now. I'm also aware that my father was somewhat loosely acquainted with both father and brother. I have also met Colonel Darcy's devil.......Why have you told me this?" Elizabeth looked curiously at Ashie. "What is it you fear Captain?"

"Sister, what I fear is that the devil will be loosed." Ashie finally looked Elizabeth straight in the eye. "I've seen the Major on the battlefield, I've talked with people who knew the Major in the South, I'm well acquainted with people who knew Darcy growing up. There is only one thing which has never been observed and that is how easy he can be hurt. I speak from experience because I have seen it, Sister." Ashie paused again, clearly deliberating within himself whether to continue or not. "People will speak of how Darcy was always top of his class, how he excelled at cricket, how good he is on the hunting field, how great a shot he is......Have you ever heard any comments made about him in the social fields? Do you hear of them speaking of Darcy as a society figure? Do you hear of his conquests with the barmaids in these parts?.....Do year hear of him frequenting the bars at all?" Ashie cocked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"No, you don't hear anything of him, except on the battlefield." Elizabeth shook her head slowly.

"I certainly don't claim to be infallible, and I know for a fact that no one understands Colonel Darcy. Hell, I don't, and I know him better than Lieutenant Bingley ever did. If you were to hear that setup Sister, what conclusions would you draw about the person? Social life is at zero, work load at three hundred percent, sporting achievements...well they say if he hadn't been a Darcy he'd have played for England." Ashie tilted his head.

"I don't know what I'd think."

"Well what would you think if you heard of someone who had no social life and preferred things that way?"

"I'd say they'd probably had a rough introduction to society, or had been badly hurt by someone in society."

"So we'll now take the huge workload. What would you guess from that if you just heard of someone who could work such inhumane hours without keeling over?"

"I don't know."

"Well I'll tell you right now it just is an indication of the internal drive. The Major knows to the tick what his limitations are, and he keeps driving away right up to those limits and frequently beyond them."

"I was aware that he was of more than slight annoyance to those in the medical services who know him."

"I'll say slight." Ashie abruptly laughed, it was a fairly hollow bark. "Darcy drives himself until he is hospitalised and he starts going the second he can bully his way out of that bed. Now we'll take the last part, spectacular skill at sports and flawless work in the classroom...your guess?"

"Well I'd probably say off hand that it denotes an intelligent and fit person....but I suspect that isn't all of it."

"No it isn't, though the Major is both fit and intelligent. Darcy has the brains which make our image of the Wise Barn Owl look like a backwards clam in the mental activity rankings. People will say Darcy has everything, but take it from me Miss Elizabeth, Darcy is skating on the thinnest ice imaginable, one tap and he might fall through, but likewise that tap could also be the cold snap to thicken the ice. I'm both fit and intelligent, but I was useless at games, unless for some reason I was annoyed with the Games Master, and I was nearly always at the bottom of my class. The biggest difference between the Major and myself is that he fought, while I knew it was a useless effort and couldn't be bothered. You'll see it the whole way through my career, as soon as the going gets tough I just sit back and let the world drift for a bit before finding something else to do. My brother always was the focal point of our family, I was just the heir-in-waiting, the emergency spare as they say, I was of no interest to either of my parents." Ashie gave a shrug. "I realised early on that they didn't give a damn what I did as long as I didn't blemish the family name......and in that lay my power. Sure, no one likes being yelled at and threatened, but the ability to rouse my father to wrath was proof that I could get his attention, that I was not always completely forgotten about. Eventually skating the thin edge of decency became my way of life, my character. I do a minimum of work for a maximum level of fun." Ashie gave another shrug. "The Major sure as hell pulled me up rough with that. Darcy was the eldest son, it was his 'position' to be the centre of attention and boy did he know it......and yet the son of their steward held the prime position is 'papa's' affection. If Darcy failed something it was not his father who caned him, but the coachman, so unlike me Darcy does not fail. Not being allowed to fail, and full well knowing that mediocrity brings no rewards, Darcy decided to excel......and excel he did. Nothing is acceptable to Darcy but being the best. The result of this is a drive which can hospitalise him, a drive which means he can undertake workloads which the average human crumples under, he demands perfection........but only in himself. In one way Darcy was fortunate for he is what they call a 'natural' cricketer, he is not only very large, but he is correspondingly strong and enduring, he also has the intelligence, the brain power of several people, tucked away in his cranial cavity." Ashie paused once more. "This may have seemed pointless to you Sister, but what I'm trying to tell you is that behind that rock-like and seemingly impenetrable front is a man who has never had any trust in the world. He's there Sister, and he can be hurt, and badly. Now this is a warning from me, and a serious one. If you wantonly and heedlessly hurt the Major I swear I will come and murder you slowly with my own two hands, Sister. Darcy has been into the depths of hell, depths many times as deep as the depths he rescued me from, how he still manages to live I don't know. But Darcy is also returning from those depths, and I'll be damned if for the frivolous amusement of a woman he is sent plummeting back into them. I'm not saying you're playing him loose and free, infact I suspect you're one of the main reasons why he's even with us today, and I don't expect you'll even consider doing so. But I'm getting in first and giving the warning. Don't be afraid to jolt him, it's good, we all get somewhat anchored in our ruts, but please, if for no other reason than because you actually loved your brother, remember that the Major is a man, he is a strong man, but with that same strength comes a fragility which is so fragile he is terrified to even acknowledge it himself. You can hurt him Lizzie, you can hurt him more than anybody on the surface of this planet. You can rip the heart out of him and scatter it among the stars, Lizzie, you hold a life in your hand and you can hurt that life more than you would dream to be possible."

"Why are you telling me this?" Elizabeth spoke from stiff lips.

"I'm telling you this because even without knowing you, I count you as my sister and I don't want you to see what could happen." Ashie swallowed awkwardly. "Trust me, I've scraped his hell, faintly nicked the surface of it with my life. If you don't trust him tell him and run, run like you've never run in your life. But if you do trust him, try, try like you've never tried before, to bring joy into his world. Don't do it because I've asked you to, do it because you want to, don't do it because you think your brother might want you to, do it because you want to. And most of all, do not do it because you pity him. Pity to a man like Darcy is like acid on a cut, in particular the shallow grazes which leave all the nerve ends alive and active, the cuts that a drop of orange juice makes you want to cut your hand off. Ask yourself Lizzie, have you got it within you to do this? This isn't a job which can be left unfinished, either do it and complete it, or leave it." Ashie paused again and looked at Elizabeth, then abruptly he pulled her in and gave her a quick hug. "You know what? Your brother spoke the truth when he said you were the strongest person he knew. I'd be screaming liar at them if someone had just dumped all this in my lap. Remember, no matter what you decide the world will not blame you, and Darcy certainly won't. Also remember that I am relying on your discretion with this matter.....infact I'd really like you to forget all about it, for if Darcy gets wind that I've been spreading hideous rumours that he isn't the all powerful god he, and many others, likes to believe he'll probably come rip my brains out.....and that would not be any fun for me."

"Thankyou for your warning, your advice, your inside information, and your very morbid imagination. I highly doubt Colonel Darcy would even lay a finger on you if you stood up and spread his hideous secrets from a megaphone to the entire allied army."

"That is a depressingly accurate reading of his character. If I were to do that, he would growl to himself, he would look disappointed and he would observe to me that I am by far the worst bean cook he has ever met. Darcy will not murder for himself, but you lay one finger on one hair of a friends head and he'll rip you to shreds.....cell by cell." Ashie paused. "I hope to see you around Sister....do you think there'd be any interest in a hop sometime come January?"

"I think they would be delighted." Elizabeth gave a half-hearted laugh. "Good-afternoon Captain, and I hope the day's cricketing casualties are not too badly injured."

"The only thing injured is the Squadron Honour, and that is pulped beyond repair." Ashie responded with a grin and with a wave of his hand he brought Pyro back. "Then I'll see to getting a hop set up and arranging matters with your most intimidating Matron. Fare-the-well." The motor sprang to life with a bellowing roar and Elizabeth stepped to the side so they had a clear road ahead. There was a final wave and then the motor vanished in a cloud of dust.

"Sister Bennet." Matron was standing just inside the doorway.

"Yes ma'am." Elizabeth stiffened and saluted.

"Did I, or did I not see you fraternizing with Officers?"

"Yes ma'am." Elizabeth kept rigidly to attention, she had been expecting this.

"Do you have an explanation?"

"No ma'am." To say that the officer in question had known your brother and was issuing a warning concerning a mutual friend was not an excuse at all.

"Well see it doesn't happen again." Matron dismissed Elizabeth, and it was with relief that Elizabeth went leaping up the stairs. When charged with fratenizing with officers punishments varied from the warning, which Elizabeth had just received, through to deportation back to England, something which Elizabeth wished to avoid.

"'Lo Lizzie!" Philadelphia was sprawled sleepily on her bed.

"'Lo Delph." Elizabeth dropped onto her bed and buried her face in her hands, all she wanted to do was cry, and cry was precisely what she did. "Why were we never warned that growing up was so difficult?" Elizabeth spoke the words with a lot of feeling as she dried her face off.

"Somehow I don't think I want an explanation for that cryptic utterance." Philadelphia rose from the next bed. "You stay put Sister Lizzie, sick or not you'll be a liability if you go on shift tonight."

"Why were we never warned that growing up was so difficult?" Elizabeth repeated the words to the now empty room, she didn't want to think, she wanted to work, to forget, to bury her difficulties under instinctive habits.

January 8th 1917 - France

Elizabeth kicked dismally at a mound of snow on the side of the road, then tugged on an overgrown hedgegrow, depositing its load of snow onto the ground. It was a familiar rattling and grinding of an approaching bicycle which caused Elizabeth to step off the road completely and glance back over her shoulder. The bicycle was still a reasonable distance away, but it was fast approaching.....or it was fast approaching until it hit a bump in the road and deposited the rider head first into the nearby hedgegrow. The rider extricated himself with a few choice remarks.

"Colonel Darcy." Elizabeth waited until he had straightened himself up before she spoke.

"Oh damn!" The words were spoken with a lot of feeling, and Darcy bent down to pick up the bicycle.

"You have blood on your face." Elizabeth made the observation in conversational tones.

"I also have more snow down the neck of my coat then I care to think of." Darcy muttered another rude remark as he discovered that the kickstand had become inoperational in the last fall. "Hold this rattletrap while I get the snow out of my collar Miss Elizabeth."

"Nothing I'm better at." Elizabeth took control of the rusty machine and watched as Darcy pulled his jacket off and shook a large quantity of snow out of it, she then abruptly looked away as he tugged off his tie as well, he clearly had snow even further inside his attire then just inside his jacket.

"Thankyou Miss Elizabeth, you may now terminate your fascinated inspection of that hedgegrow." Darcy's voice was laughing as he retrieved his bicycle from her.

"It's all very well for you to laugh." Elizabeth pressed her hands against her heated cheeks.

"Isn't it just. How does today find you Miss Elizabeth? Home sick as ever?"

"Bored." Elizabeth frowned as Darcy started laughing. "Hey! Stop that!"

"I do appologise." Darcy choked, kept a serious expression for a few seconds, then dissolved back into laughter again.

"Hmphh!" Elizabeth stuck her nose in the air and sniffed, then proceeded to sneeze violently.

"I now see why you are bored." Darcy handed her his handkerchief as he spoke. "And you needn't eye it so suspiciously, it actually happens to be clean."

"Oooooh, shocking." Elizabeth quickly wiped her nose and frowned thoughtfully at it, but her dilemma was solved by Darcy taking it back and shoving it into his pocket.

"Precisely, and as a result you may not keep it."

"Did anyone tell you you were rude?" Elizabeth looked quizically up at him.

"Yes, your brother, my sister, my brother and yourself have all taken great pleasure in informing me of the fact at regular intervals." Darcy gave a grin before offering her his arm and pulling his bicycle free of the drifted snow in the ditch which edged the road.

"Did my brother actually call you rude?" Elizabeth gave Darcy a startled look.

"Don't you believe it, he seemed to have no greater pleasure than that of informing me at regular intervals that I was the most obnoxious, high-handed, arrogant, son-of-a-I-will-not-actually-say-what he had ever met. He usually produced that when I turned up at four in the morning for him to relieve the watch."

"I'm not surprised." Elizabeth gave a laugh, then sobered. "But what brings you out here, you said last week you wouldn't be around for a while."

"That was before we got moved, so I'm afraid that you will get a longer holiday then expected from my obnoxious presence. We're being sent out to some perishing corner which is a bit beyond a bicycle ride away.....unless I get close on a month off." Darcy gave a laugh.

"Hmm, you are a slow rider."

"Not at all. You heard anything from Georgiana?"

"Letter yesterday, other than complaining that it had been raining she had little to say.....something about a Little Nun and how your suspicions of the clergy were well founded, but I couldn't make head or tail of it."

"You're not the only one, do you remember the precise wording?" Darcy blinked and shook his head.

"Read it for yourself." Elizabeth delved into her pocket and then handed over the sheet of paper. Darcy flickered his eyes across it, then frowned when he reached the passage in question.

"How strange." Darcy read it again, then started to laugh. "Write back and call her a few names. She's just making an observation that Julia has foaled and that my suspicions about the father were accurate. Address the letter to the Riddlemaster if you like."

"And here I was thinking that I'd met a heretic." Elizabeth pulled a disconsolate face, then smiled. "Thankyou for coming the whole way out here again to tell me you wouldn't be able to come."

"No problem, to be honest I was already on my way over here anyway....which reminds me that I must be going."

"Goodbye." Elizabeth began to give a brief wave, then she abruptly stopped and suddenly gave Darcy a hug instead. "Thankyou for alleviating my homesickness." Elizabeth then released him and fled in embarrassment.

"Elizabeth." His hand caught her before she had gone more than a few tens of paces. Elizabeth bit her lip and stared at the ground. "It is more my position to thank you for company which did not talk shop and could let me forget, even if only for a short while, that there is a war on." Darcy pulled her in and hugged her back briefly before releasing her. "I hope.....I hope I can see you within the next year."

"So do I." Elizabeth kept a firm grip on her lip as she watched him mount his bicycle and ride away. For a long time after Darcy had vanished from sight Elizabeth kept staring down the road, then she turned and headed back to the hospital with hurried steps. She could not say when it happened, but Elizabeth knew now, beyond any doubt, that Colonel David Fitzwilliam Darcy was as important in her life as Folin had ever been......possibly even more important. It was a miserable realisation to have, but one Elizabeth was going to have to live with.

January 9th 1917-Pless, Germany

The debate had been raging for hours now and the Grand Chancellor had long since retired completely from the proceedings, it was no secret to the men there, and it was somewhat doubtful as to whether it was a secret to the country. The Kaiser and the Grand Chancellor were no longer in command, they were just required to sign requisite documents as placed before them by Field-Marshall von Hindenburg and General Luddendorf.

"So we are agreed?" The query was met with a general response in the affirmative and proceedings closed. Sliding from his seat at the back of the secretaries section the Count slid discreetly and silently into a nearby hallway and a few minutes later he was outside and walking swiftly away, in the company of four other secretaries whom he had joined at the gate. The evening had not, in the Count's opinion, been particularly informative, though the information that Germany was to renew unrestricted U-Boat warfare was not without interest, but it was fully expected. Having lost his escorts at the train station the Count slid back into the shadows and left the station, but not by train.

Ashie had been staring fixedly for the past minute and a half at the boundary hedge. That act in itself was sufficiently out of character that Thomlin settled onto the seat attached to one wall and alternated his watch between Ashie, and the part of the hedge Ashie was watching. Two minutes later Pyro was stunned to see Ashie staring at the boundary hedge and Thomlin alternately watching Ashie, and the same section of the boundary fence.

"What's up sir?" Pyro strolled lazily across to where Thomlin was seated.

"Haven't the faintest idea. But Ashie's now been watching the same point for three and a half minutes." Thomlin glanced up at Pyro.

"Then I'll go ask Ashie." Pyro turned and walked to where the Squadron-Leader was seated on a chock. "What's up Ashie?"

"Get Chris." It was a soft mumble. "Tell him to leave the aerodrome by the front and cut around to sector 42. There is someone crouched behind those bushes."

"Right." Pyro gave a nod and moved casually back to Thomlin. "He says there is someone behind the hedge there."

"Intriguing." Thomlin gave a nod as Pyro moved off to find his brother. Having delivered Ashie's request Pyro returned once more to the tarmac and it was in silence that he watched the silent tableau for the three minutes it took for Chris to get around. To those standing on the tarmac all that was audible was a faint mumble of conversation and then Chris appeared from behind the hedge, followed by a tall slim man dressed in a rather worse for wear black suit.

"Call off the watch Ashie, he's harmless to us......for the time being."

"Who is he?" Ashie had risen to his feet with a puzzled frown, to say the least the face seemed familiar.

"I am the Count Captain.......and I must admit that I was most surprised to even see you in France."

"The Count." Ashie's frown deepened and he unconsciously rubbed the back of his left hand.

"Think last February." It was supplied with a helpful nod.

"Ahh, yes." Ashie gave a nod as the right chord was struck and the puzzle solved. "What are you doing here?"

"I actually came to acquire a person who has been staying with you, namely him." The Count jerked his head at Chris. "By the way I'm counting that Uncle Mac's letter has arrived." This was addressed to Chris.

"Came a week ago." Chris gave a brief nod.

"Then we'll leave immediately." The Count gave another nod and then headed back for the boundary.

"Cheerio laddies, and keep the eyes peeled for my precious Budgie, Max can't go long without food." Chris gave a wave and with long strides rapidly overtook the still walking Count, the two men then just seemed to vanish off the face of the earth. Ashie stared at the boundary hedge, but not a leaf quivered.

"Well, here's hoping the Budgie pays a call before another two years pass." Pyro gave a sigh and finally turned aside. "What do we tell the rest of the Squadron?"

"That he went walkabout again." Ashie gave a shrug, then yawned widely. "Get Florrie, we'll take the afternoon flight. It's far too boring to sit around like this all afternoon."

"I wonder if we'll ever get quota pilots in this place." Pyro mumbled it to himself as he headed for the barracks, the truth that they had all already acknowledged was that interesting though life was, they were all going to miss the rollicking days as the outcasts and useless beings.

January 11th 1917-Washington D.C., U.S.A.

The air was freezing cold as Knightley cleared the final line of security and walked through the main gates and onto the darkened streets.

"You're up late...." The words were the only warning Knightley got, but they were all the warning Knightley needed and with an immense jump he leapt away from the voice. Having got to a position he liked for defensive reasons Knightley finally took a look around himself, searching for the voice. "My, my, can you ever jump."

"Who are you?" Knightley's eyes searched the shadows.

"Now, now, that would be telling." The voice chided softly from some nearby shadows and Knightley took a dark look at them. "Don't scowl, it doesn't look at all nice." It didn't take much for Knightley to realise his opposition was coming steadily closer. Faced with the option of staying put, or moving, Knightley chose to move. Having decided to move, Knightley did the job properly and put his best foot forward, that same foot which had smashed public school records over the middle distance for two consecutive years, and had then smashed University middle distance records for four consecutive years.

"Blast it George!" The explosive exclamation caught Knightley at the corner, but Knightley didn't bother halting for now he had a destination for his run. Knightley caught a cab after he had covered the first mile, and settled back into the seat having first given a destination in a quiet street to the driver.

"Mr Knightley." Isabella appeared agreeably surprised when Knightley appeared on her front step. "Do come in, would you like some tea?"

"Please." Knightley pulled off his heavy overcoat as he spoke. "John in?" The query came as he hung his coat up on a hook.

"No, he went out earlier for a late consultation concerning the trip to England and what he'll have to do."

"Well remind him he'd better remember to visit Aunt Nerys....he's bound to forget to."

"What brings you here?"

"Mostly to speak to John. Know when he's meant to return?"

"Well he seemed to expect he'd be back around now." Isabella cast a quick look at the clock. "Have you seen Emma and father lately?"

"Not since December....or at least I think it was December....fairly early December." Knightley accepted the cup of tea and settled into the indicated armchair.

"What's been happening to keep you so tied up?"

"The usual arguements, discussions and disapproved regulations." Knightley gave a shrug. "Basically I've been busy enough that I call my laziness business."

"Now that is indeed very rude. You going to do your brotherly duty and wave us off?" Isabella had settled comfortably in another chair.

"Possibly, provided I'm not hospitalised or some equally dire situation."

"Held hostage by your office?" Isabella offered Knightley's most frequent excuse.

"Not at all." Knightley finally remembered he was holding a cup of tea, so he took a drink. "My office only holds me hostage when I'm supposed to be at some social function."

"Ahh." Isabella gave a comprehending nod.

"What's puzzling you Izzy?" Knightley finally gave Isabella an enquiring look. "You've been considering whether to ask me something since I first came."

"Well John seems to think that this new Cabinet in England is a good thing, but he can't explain it."

"Well it's just a smaller, and less encumbered." Knightley gave a shrug.

"How helpful, that's what John said too." Isabella gave him a dark look. "How about you explain all that's happened in England, then maybe I'll understand. And if you fail I'll ask Emma, and if Emma fails....and she won't, I'll ask someone in England."

"Methinks she wants a coherent answer Mr Knightley. Evening Izzy." Emma spoke as she came into the room, and dropped heavily ito one over-stuffed and exceedingly ugly chair.

"Hello Emma, I thought you'd have been home by now." Isabella promptly set about making another cup of tea while Emma shook a mute head.

"Just got out actually, I'm thankful father trusted me with the car for I could not see a cab anywhere." Emma had cast one glance at Knightley, and had not looked once at him since for Knightley's expression more than answered the unspoken question, she was still unforgiven.

"What has been happening to the cabs, you use not to be able to move for cabs, and now you can never find one."

"You were querying the new Cabinet in Britain?" Knightley lifted an eyebrow and received a nod in response. "Basically what happened was that in about September or somewhere around then last year the general public in England were becoming somewhat dissatisfied with the situation. This led to the Smuts report, this was an analysis into the political system and where the problems were. The result of this report was that on December the 5th Herbert Asquith resigned from power, he was replaced on December the 7th by Lloyd George, who is, to say the least, a fairly firey character. On December the 11th Lloyd George sacked the entire Cabinet and replaced it with a smaller War Cabinet. This new Cabinet has no departmental cares and theoretically can devote its entire attention to winning the war. Infact it's little better than a dictatorship within the lines of democracy, we call it Democracy because the guidelines are there, but because of its compact efficiency it can be nothing more than a Dictatorship."

"But wasn't there a reshuffle back in may?" Emma creased her brows.

"Correct, Asquith had a reshuffle in the Cabinet back in may because public opinion was getting biased. The result of this reshuffle was to introduce some members of the opposition into the Cabinet." Knightley gave a yawn. "Problem with that is that the opposition believe it to be their duty to disagree with everything the leaders say, so it means things take a lot longer getting through, if they get through at all...."

"Oh, there you are." John's morose tones interrupted Knightley and caused two startled heads to turn towards him, Knightley calmly ignored his brother.

"Something the matter John?" Isabella rose and deprived her somewhat breathless husband of his overcoat.

"No, just that he took the only cab to be found in D.C. this evening." John growled in irritation as he crossed to make some tea.

"Poor you." Emma's brows creased. "How do you know he took the only cab, he always walks."

"Not always, he ran today and took the cab."

"I wouldn't even consider it John, the whole thing is much more embarrassing for you than me." Knightley spoke in a very bored tone.

"You're the one who brought it up." John glared darkly at his brother.

"What is going on?" Emma was looking curiously back and forth between the two brothers, one of whom was looking calm and more than slightly bored, and the other was in a decidedly heated condition.

"John can tell you, I'm going home." Knightley abruptly rose and departed leaving John faced with two pairs of curious eyes.

"You're more likely to get it out of Knightley then you are to get it out of me.....though I will say that George has not lost any pace." John turned and left the room as well and Isabella's eyes danced with laughter.

"Poor John, I suspect a joke backfired on him."

"Why do you think that?" Emma looked curiously back at her sister.

"Well look at them, John's behaving remarkably like a spoilt schoolboy and Knightley is rigidly holding to the bored attitude. Something happened, and I assumed that on John's side it did not come at all well."

"Well it did look like Mr Knightley had been running." Emma conceded the point gravely. "He was damp to the knees."

"Observant Emma, now dear sister, it's time you 'fessed up." Isabella switched chairs so she didn't have to turn her head to see her sister.

"About what?" Emma seemed to toy disinterestedly with her teaspoon.

"About what has happened between you and Knightley....usually he has at least something to say to you. Tonight he didn't and he only does that when you've managed to annoy him. Now 'fess sister."

"It's nothing." Emma shook her head in annoyance. "He's just annoyed at me because I've taken Harriet Smith in hand."

"Harriet Smith?" Isabella looked interrogatively at Emma.

"She was a junior reporter at the paper, assigned to me just before I left. Harriet had been with Mrs Goddard, but then they decided she would do better with the society pages than with story chasing. Harriet's nice, terribly unsure of herself but nice, she has the potential to go far......if only she would gain some confidence in who she is."

"And Mr Knightley disapproves of your attempts to instill confidence into her?"

"Mr Knightley disapproves of Harriet Smith period. It's all that British Public Schooling coming out in him I suspect, I never knew him to be so high-and-mighty before over the question of a person's parents before. Infact until I first mentioned her to him he has always seemed remarkably lax about it all, and now he pulls out the holier-than-thou attitude and gives me a half hour lecture on the subject."

"That does sound a bit rough." Isabella abruptly glanced at the mantle clock. "Terribly sorry Emma but I'm going to kick you out of the house. Go home and set father's fears at reast and assure him that you have not been abducted, or similarly fallen foul of willful fate. But feel free to visit again soon."

"Such a kind sister." Emma hurriedly drank off the rest of her now cool tea and followed Isabella to the front hall where she pulled on her coat and hat. "Bye Izzy, I'll visit sometime later this week, sorry to have taken my grumps out on you."

"Oh Emma." Isabella's voice caught Emma at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes?" Emma turned back.

"How's Mrs and Miss Bates, I've been unable to see them since we moved out."

"They were doing well last time I saw them, but I must admit that I have been avoiding visiting because Miss Jane Fairfax invariably seems to have written on the very morning I visit." Emma gave a sigh.

"Poor Emma. Well good-bye sister I'll see you anon." Isabella watched in silence as Emma retreated to the motor and drove off. Everyone seemed to be coming to the conclusion that they'd be at war before the year was out, and there was no doubt the Defence Forces had been steadily increasing in size for the past year. Isabella turned back into the house and abruptly realised that John had been watching her from the internal stairs.

"Something up Iz?" John finished coming down the stairs when he realised that he had Isabella's attention.

"I don't know." Isabella leant gently against him. "I don't want us to join this war John, as Emma says, it's bad enough having the rest of the world insane, we don't need to join this insanity."

"Unfortunately it looks like we'll join the insanity before the year is out Iz. Would you prefer I didn't take this England job?"

"No it's not that." Isabella shook her head gently. "I think I'm just having one of my scared days.....I just seem to be scared of everything and anything. Don't enlist John, I don't think I could bear it."

"Don't worry Iz." John slowly drew her into the living room and administered a cup of tea. "George is the active member of this family, nothing short of a consitutional draft will get me enlisted, and even that might not. Though yes, I probably would go if it weren't for you for George can't."

January 18th 1917-Squadron 284, France

Colonel D.F. Darcy of the 13th 'Midlanders' Division frowned thoughtfully around himself as he scrambled down from the runningboard of the Ambulance. The sheds made a dusty huddle at one end of the tarmac and stunted trees grew at either end of the field where the aerodrome was built.

"Can I help you.......uhh sorry sir. May I help you?" The voice caused Darcy to jerk and round and he found an incredibly nervous looking Lieutenant looking up.

"This Squadron 284?" Darcy calmly studied the Lieutenant, the Lieutenant had not yet reached his twentieth year....infact he didn't even look as if he had reached his twelth year, but Darcy had long since learnt that freckles and snub noses were very deceiving.

"Yes, sir." The Lieutenant was clearly fighting to hold his ground.

"I wish to speak to Colonel Thomlin."

"You can't." It came out as an abrupt rush.

"I beg your pardon?" Darcy brought his gaze back down and the Lieutenant went red in confusion and got hopelessly tangled up in his tongue.

"Ahh...errr.....ummmm......eeee...."

"Hop it Florrie. What can I do for you sir?" The first Lieutenant eagerly fled in response to directive and turning Darcy looked at the newcomer. This was another Lieutenant, and as discomposed as the first Lieutenant appeared, this Lieutenant looked like nothing short of a nine pounder could shift him. And as Darcy studied the square face he heard alarm bells jangle, he knew this Lieutenant.

"I wish to speak to Colonel Thomlin."

"I'm afraid the Colonel is currently unavailable, but if you care to wait until he is available I'm sure our mess could look after you."

"Any reason why he's unavailable?"

"Well conversation is rarely easy when it is conducted to a height of one thousand feet."

"If your hands were as ready as your tongue you would have killed us at the Cricket."

"Not at all." The response was cool. "It takes an entire team to win, we live off one batsman and one and a half bowlers."

"Half a bowler?" Darcy's brow shot skywards.

"Well Ashie is certainly only half the bowler he ever was before......infact we might have only one and an eighth of a bowler, but you know his former form better than any of the rest of us do."

"I'd say one and one sixteenth of a bowler......provided you chose Ashie when he was being consistent.....or totally cheesed at the Games Master." Darcy had been following the Lieutenant back to the huts at a slow stroll. "You're Pyro aren't you?"

"At your service, complete with ruffles. Ashie would probably be here as well, except that he's also up." Pyro gave a nod as he shoved the door of the mess open. "Beer Morgan and pronto."

"Two? Two beers and pronto upcoming." In a remarkably short space of time Darcy found himself seated at a table, just cleared, with a mug of beer in front of him.

"I didn't realise Florrie was such a nerve bag." Darcy thoughtfully eyed the beer, and then looked enquiringly across at Pyro.

"No equal, absolutely terrible. To see him on the cricket field is amazing."

"Look I already know that golden-headed laddie is your wicket-keeper, I also know he is Ashie's cousin and about as easy to rattle. So what the Devil has got into him?"

"I really don't think you want to know." Pyro emitted a large yawn and hastily buried his face into his mug.

"I'll find out for myself if you don't tell me."

"Damn!" Pyro emerged from his mug again. "Frankly he had been making some undiplomatic remarks and your arrival was just a whisker too surprising."

"I suspected as much." Darcy settled back into his beer again. "And do tell him he's wicket keeper for when we take on the french...if the game ever gets fully off the ground."

"You think it likely?" Pyro lifted an eyebrow.

"No possibility of it, but may as well be prepared just in case." Darcy abruptly drank off his beer and stood up. "Your superiors are incoming."

"What?" Pyro tilted his head and listened for a minute. "Damn it all your ears are too sharp." Pyro finished off his beer and then followed Darcy out to the edge of the tarmac.

"I knew there was a reason for not coming back." Ashie yanked off his helmet and goggles as he spoke and swung easily down from his cockpit. "What brings you here Major?"

"I've actually come to speak to your C.O.."

"Well if it concerns pictures or land, speak to Ashie, if it concerns cricket, speak to Ashie, if it concerns a dance, speak to Ashie, if it concerns Squadron paperwork then it's none of your business so go away." Thomlin spoke over his shoulder as strolled away.

"Meaning you're back to six pilots altogether and have to think up reasons so you can pry some new ones out of H.E.." Darcy fired the shot after the retreating back and the intake of breath was audible in the dead silence which followed.

"I appologise, you came here for a reason?" A flint-eyed Thomlin turned around and came back.

"Yes I did, it concerns some photographs which I would like taken."

"Then speak to Ashie." Thomlin turned to leave again.

"No." The response came flatly back and with an audible growl Thomlin turned to Ashie.

"Captain, show the visitor to my Office in five minutes." Thomlin stalked off, yanking off his helmet and goggles as he went.

"What on earth are you up too?" Ashie was staring up at Darcy in clear amazement.

"That is none of your business Captain." Darcy responded curtly. Ashie gave the immense figure an irritated look, and then turned his attention to the disposal of the two pups, the air in the aerodrome was tense and uneasy.

"If you'll follow me sir." Five minutes later Ashie approached stiffly, then turned and headed for one of the dusty buildings. Having shown Darcy where to go, an exceedingly puzzled Ashie returned to the tarmac. "Was he that touchy earlier?" Ashie turned on Pyro, who had been talking to Florrie.

"He was a bit edgy, but he wasn't that short." Pyro frowned at Ashie. "What do you think is up?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, maybe he's being shoved out onto a sticky front."

"Well don't ask me." Florrie grabbed a nearby chock and sat down. "I have never been so embarrassed in my life."

"You'd want to be embarrassed." Pyro responded curtly.

"What was under discussion?" Ashie glanced at the two pilots under fairly disinterested brows.

"Sister Elizabeth Bennet to be precise, curiousity there was trying to get something out of me as to who she was.....and I'd just told him to shut up when Colonel Darcy walked onto the aerodrome."

"You better not have told him what the subject was!" Ashie's brows shot skywards as he turned to his unfortunate cousin.

"Relax, I merely said that Florrie had been making undiplomatic remarks. He seemed to take it at face value."

"That's a relief." Ashie chewed his thumb and glanced speculatively towards the Office hut. "Provided that he actually did take it at face value." Ashie abruptly turned and headed across to the mess, leaving two frowning Lieutenants behind him.

"Frankly Florrie I do not believe that Ashie only knows Colonel Darcy from a few month stint in the same Company."

"Good reason not to believe it, but I ain't tellin' no more, dig it out of Ashie." Florrie gave a shrug and poked at the dust with the toe of his boot.

"You want something?" Thomlin looked up from his desk as Darcy entered.

"Well I didn't precisely come here to exchange pleasantries with you." Darcy dug into his pockets and soon retrieved a bulky file and dumped it onto the desk. "This was delivered to me a week ago and I was requested to deliver it to you in person, and in private."

"Who delivered it?" Thomlin flicked open the folder and studied the pages therein contained.

"He called himself Chris and he reminded me of a bland-faced monkey." Darcy settled silently into a nearby chair.

"Oh, him." Thomlin took another look at the pages, before finally shoving the file down into a large box beside his desk. "You mentioned 'planes as well?"

"Which is the other reason why I came here. I originally made the request to Squadron 83, but the response there was decidedly pointed. Mac advised me to ask here, citing that you were the only Squadron mad enough to do it. Bluntly we need some photographs of The Hill."

"Oh." Thomlin chewed on his lip for a minute before glancing thoughtfully at a nearby map. "I see.......DENNY!"

"Aye?" Denny's head appeared seconds later around the door.

"Get Ashie in here pronto."

"Right." Denny's head vanished and Darcy gave Thomlin a curious look.

"I was quite serious, Ashie deals with this place except for the paperwork....."

"And Denny deals with that." Ashie came into the Office with a yawn. "What's up?"

"The Major here wants some pictures of the Hill, and 83 most rudely refused to go." Thomlin calmly shoved a pile of papers to one side.

"Man Major, if you weren't a man and the Major I'd marry you." Ashie gave a yowl and then plunged out of the office, leaving Thomlin to start laughing.

"If I were you I would give thanks that you are both a man and The Major."

"I've given thanks many times already." Darcy rose too his feet and followed Thomlin out onto the tarmac where pups were being wheeled out wound up. "The whole Squadron?" Darcy's brows shot up as he viewed the pups.

"Well you want the pictures, five are just going to fight and one is going to photograph.....though all are carrying cameras." Thomlin crouched down onto a nearby block and blinked sleepily in the sunlight. Five minutes and the six pups were up and flying, then with no obvious exchange they all formed up and arrowed towards the lines. "Damn!" The pups had barely vanished before Thomlin leapt to his feet and swore. "Geordie! HI! GEORDIE!" The yell brought Geordie tumbling from the hangers.

"Yes sir?"

"Did you refuel Ashie's pup when we landed?"

"No sir, he wasn't meant to go up until this evening and there was the problem with the fuel lead."

"Damn him. Okay Geordie, excused......and no, Ashie's the caper-witted one." Thomlin shifted around muttering darkly as Geordie retreated to the hanger again.

"What was that about?" Darcy had watched in silence.

"The problem is that we were up flying before you came. Ashie's gone up with less than half a tank."

"I suspect that Ashie is fully aware of the matter and he's probably already nursing fuel." Darcy settled back and blinked up at the blue sky.

"Mmm." Thomlin grunted and eyed Darcy thoughfully.

"No, I am not a relative of Ashie's, no he is not even a friend of mine, but no I'm not yet up to slitting his throat yet."

"Ashie cited you as one of his fitness references.....care to explain how you came in on it?"

"I was in the right hospital at the right time." Darcy gave a shrug.

"One problem with that excuse. Ashie hadn't been in hospital for over a month and a half at that point."

"True." Darcy gave a grave nod, and then yawned again.

"Just back?"

"Nope, but we've been on the march for most of our time." Darcy gave another yawn.

"Where have you and Ashie met before?"

"School."

"Which is odd because everyone else seems to claim that your first meeting was at Shottley Downs, training camp."

"People may say many stupid things, ask Ashie, not me.....I suffer from selective amnesia which is about to cut in."

"In otherwords bugger out of business that isn't my concern?" Thomlin lifted a brow with the query.

"I couldn't have found a better way to put it." Darcy's face remained as bland as rice pudding without sugar.

Silence held the aerodrome in its thrall as slowly the minutes ticked past, and with a sigh Thomlin finally closed his watch after forty-five minutes had ticked past.

"Here's hoping." Another five minutes ticked past and then a soft rumble came which quickly developed into the full-throated roar of a Rolls-Royce Aero-engine. A minute later and Pyro was putting down smoothly, in a pup which looked like only magic could keep it in the air. Streamers of doped fabric trailed from each wing, shattered struts seemed to poke in every direction like a scared porcupine, and the empennage didn't seem to really exist at all.

"A bit rough." Pyro gave a yawn and began to put his pup away.

"Where're the others?"

"Well Katt should be incoming with Florrie in a moment. Cub went down straight away, stupid bugger collided with a Jerry. Pete might make it back, but that is somewhat uncertain considering his centre strut."

"Ashie?" Thomlin made the enquiry as he eased the pup's prop."

"I'm damned if I know, he vanished before we even reached the Hill and I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since."

"Great." Thomlin rolled his eyes and then stepped back as Geordie and Saine helped Pyro shove the pup into the hanger, Katt was already lining up to land, and Florrie was on his wing. Both Pups looked as bad, if not worse, than Pyro's and it was somewhat grimly that Darcy realised that Squadron 284 would have its work cut out if it intended to get even one flight off the ground tomorrow.

"Pete got nabbed by the Archie." Katt gave the news as he scrambled down from his pup. "And any photographs I thought I got are useless, some mugger put a shell into my cockpit." With these calm words Darcy realised that the whole underside of Katt's cockpit was missing, death must have missed him by millimetres.

"You seen anything of Ashie?" Pyro asked the question as he helped Florrie prepare his pup for the hanger.

"Last I saw of him he was headed to heaven by the express, and no, he was just climbing hard."

"Three out of six.....well at least we have enough for one flight. I hope Ashie manages to make it back......even if he doesn't have that pup." With the three pups back in the hanger and already undergoing repairs Thomlin gave a yawn and cast one last worried look up at the sky. "How utterly damnable, Ashie better bring his camera home for the other three are totally trashed and we can't run another trip out there for at least a fortnight after our new arrivals come."

"Which by our track record means you won't get any photographs for over two months." Pyro strolled up holding a needle which trailed close on a metre of thick twine. "Sir, do you think Florrie could take the Jimmy up for a look see?"

"No." Thomlin responded curtly.

"Oh, is that where Ashie's engine came from. No wonder you'd like him to bring the pup back intact." Pyro didn't seem disturbed in the slightest by the curt response. An hour ticked past in a staid manner, then a second hour ticked past and Darcy was starting to have concerns about getting back to his Battalion before curfew. The two hours had been occupied for all but Darcy and Thomlin with repair work. Pilots and ack-emmas alike, everyone was focussed on getting all 'planes operational before tomorrow at five in the morning.

Katt's cockpit was repaired with the boards from someone's bed, when canvas couldn't be found to the right shape a wornout flight jacket was stripped of its leather outing and the leather was quickly doped and sewn on instead. Had Darcy not been concerned by other things he would probably have admired the inventiveness of the Squadron when it came to repairs. Struts seemed to materialise from nowhere, but an inspection would have revealed that the interior structure of the hanger was starting to become suspicious as rafters abruptly became half as thick under the skilful application of Pyro's saw. With the mainframes now all secured attention was turned to a task which would have made the strongest pale, the task of sew each streamer of doped fabric back to the rest of the wing, and then doping the repair work all over again. As each strip was sewn down dope was applied immediately and soon the air of the aerodrome reeked with the pungent, eye-watering substance. As the third hour ticked past Darcy finally rose stiffly from where he had been painting on dope and he looked appologetically at Thomlin.

"I'm afraid I've got to be moving. Curfew'll come before I get back as it is."

"Right. Sorry we couldn't get those pictures for you." Thomlin gave a wave from where he was sprawled on one wing sewing away. As Darcy walked from the aerodrome he chewed a speculative thumb, it was so like them, and in particular so like the Cad's that they were sorry not to have forked out the goods, who cared if they had lost half their Squadron in the effort, they were sorry they hadn't produced. The rumble of a heavy truck approaching sent Darcy to the edge of the road, and a few seconds later he forced his way back through the hedge because he could hear the rustling scrapes as the load scraped the hedge on either side. As the truck came ponderously into view Darcy couldn't help but laugh. The truck was an empty munitions truck and attached to the roof were two wings, attached by a tow rope and trundling along behind was the fuselage of an aeroplane.

"HI!" The yell was more of a roar and the truck immediately came to a halt.

"What?" A head appeared from the front and frowned darkly back.

"Just a minute." The occupant of the fuselage scrambled down and crossed to where Darcy stood. "Hiya Major, jump aboard, I've got some lovely photographs for you."

"You also seem to have a wrecked aeroplane." Darcy calmly followed Ashie back to the fuselage.

"True, but that is beside the point." Ashie waved a dismissive hand as he scrambled up into the fuselage again. Darcy paused for a minute, and then climbed aboard the back of the ammunition truck. The return to the aerodrome took a little under five minutes, and Ashie was welcomed by a grunt from Thomlin who was inspecting the wrecked pup with distaste.

"You certainly have talent Captain.....I do not believe I've ever seen such a totally trashed aeroplane ever return.....even on the back of an ammunition truck." Thomlin had sent Denny off immediately to develop the film in Ashie's camera and now he was engaged in unloading the aeroplane from the ammunition truck.

"It really wasn't my fault." Ashie had dropped onto a block with a sigh. "I lost the wings when landing in a nice little field just this side of the lines, hence I was stopped by the hedge."

"And why did the wings decide to fall off?"

"Well I made a dive which was just a whisker too sharp while getting the pictures, I was a bit worried I'd lose them before I even got back across the lines."

"Fuel?"

"Ran out before I crossed the lines, had to glide back." Ashie stood up and started stripping off his flight clothes with clumsy and awkward fingers. After watching Ashie make three attempts to get his high-laced flying boots unknotted Darcy extended a hand and Ashie crossed to him with a grimace. Darcy silently undid the boots, and then by the simple act off lifting Ashie off the ground, he also removed the boots.

"Next time don't be so daft as to knot them so thoroughtly." Darcy returned Ashie to the ground with the stricture and then rose to his feet for Denny was coming back with wet prints draped over his arms and waving gently in the air. Darcy caught the nearest print and examined it eagerly, and a quick examination followed of the other five prints, all of which got an approving nod.

"They'll do?" Thomlin had watched the entire process in silence.

"I couldn't have asked for better ones." Darcy was inspecting them with great appreciation.

"Good. Is Mac on his way?" Thomlin turned to Denny again.

"Yep." Denny had resumed his sewing on a wing, and slowly everyone else returned as well, leaving Darcy the task of drying the prints, and Ashie to sit limply on a chock.

"You are a bloody fool." Darcy muttered the remark curtly.

"True, but at least I'm not the only one."

"That is also most regretably true." Darcy gave a sigh and looked back at the photographs. "I suspect your C.O. will have some questions to ask of you in the future."

"You never were communicative. But fortunately neither am I so we may scrape through." Ashie took one of the photographs and waved it gently through the air.

"Not with Colonel Thomlin, he's a bit too wily a bird."

"But by the same token he also knows how to hold his tongue." Ashie gave a yawn.

"That is a relief to hear." Darcy fell silent and by the time Mac had arrived with a Fee the prints were dry enough to be boxed for the trip home. Installed in the front cockpit of the Fee Darcy watched in silence as the ground fell away, one had to hope that Ashie's trust was well placed. An hour later, having been delivered to 198 Squadron, Darcy was back in the back of an empty ambulance and being bounced roughly up towards the front. Even with his mind turning to issues of more immediate importance Darcy found himself hoping that Ashie's trust was not ill-founded. Truth be known Darcy was of the opinion that that trust had not been ill-placed, especially if one considered where some of Colonel Thomlin's information concerning German aeroplanes came from.

Continued in Next Section