Beginning, Section II, Next Section
"Hey. Is Elizabeth ready to go? Oh! Fred! What's up?" Frederic shook Rick's hand, and then, nearly pulling Rick's arm out of the socket, he yanked Rick into the other room.
"OK, Rick, why are you here?"
"To get Elizabeth. We're going shopping." Rick informed him innocently. Frederic exhaled heavily.
"Rick, you know what I mean. Why are you in New York?"
"I'm on a job, Fred. Isn't it obvious? I mean, Army Intelligence and all that. What else would I be doing?" Frederic rolled his eyes at his favorite cousin's flippancy.
"Well, don't use Elizabeth for cover. Keep her out of this." Frederic's fierceness surprised the Colonel.
"Uh oh, is there any uh... prior attachment?" He sounded disappointed. Frederic really didn't want Rick within a mile of Elizabeth, but he had to be truthful.
"We were engaged, but I was a jerk and she broke it off. At the moment, we're just friends."
"At the moment?" Rick lifted one eyebrow. "What exactly did you do to the poor girl?"
"I insulted her family. She admits that they're kind of dysfunctional, but for me to comment was unacceptable, and I shouldn't have done it." Rick whistled.
"Whew!"
"Well, admitting your sin is a good step towards solving a problem." Elizabeth strolled further into the room from where she had been observing from the doorway. Both men drew in a breath at the sight of her. She was just wearing boot cut jeans with low black boots, a light green tee shirt, and her hair was braided loosely down her back. There were loose tendrils that curved around her face, and both men were, for the moment, struck dumb. Elizabeth was very amused. Speechlessness was obviously a trait that ran in the family. "Hey Ricky, what's up?"
"Ummm nothing, Liza."
"Liza?" Frederic said, looking from one to the other. "Ricky?"
"Yeah. She said Beth was already taken. I don't suppose it's taken by you, is it?"
"Yes. I hold the copyright, so don't even bother asking." Rick laughed.
"OK. You ready, Liza?" Elizabeth's eyes twinkled at Frederic as she patted her purse.
"Yup, all set. Let's go." She kissed Frederic on the cheek. "Have a nice day, Freddie. Don't fill up, I'm making a gorgeous dinner tonight." Frederic nodded his acquiescence and smiled at the envious expression on Rick's face. He grinned. There were some advantages to being an ex-fiancé.
* If you have Trichotillomania and/or want more information, call the Trichotillomania Learning Center at 1-831-457-1004
Elizabeth and Rick went to B.J.'s * Elizabeth was enchanted. They looked at books. (She bought the entire Left Behind series and the movie to watch with Frederic) clothes, (She bought some new socks, three new sweatshirts, some new leggings and wind pants and tank tops for running, and pajamas.)
Then they went to food. They walked up and down the aisles, putting stuff into the cart. They bought two carts full. Elizabeth was relieved that she had worked over the summer, because the total was almost $300. Rick drove them home and helped her carry in all the groceries. They overflowed the small kitchen.
"Whew! Thanks, Rick. That was fun." Rick looked at her in amusement. "Do you want to stay for lunch? I'll make spaghetti." Rick looked thoughtful.
"How 'bout we put these away and then I take you to my favorite cafe?"
"Sounds great. Thanks." They put the groceries away quickly and Elizabeth put her new things in her room. "Let's go."
They walked three blocks to a small French cafe. Rick ordered a Croque Monsieur, (a grilled cheese and ham sandwich) and Elizabeth ordered a Cobb salad (bacon, blue cheese, hardboiled eggs and chives all chopped up over top.) They had chocolate éclairs for dessert. By the end of lunch, they had become good friends. Elizabeth suspected that Rick might be interested in being something more, but she carefully steered them to neutral topics and tried to make it clear that this was all she wanted. Elizabeth was pretty sure that Rick got the idea, and she was very relieved. They walked home together, and Elizabeth invited him over for dinner the next night. He accepted with alacrity, and asked what she was planning on making. She winked but all she would say was
"Wait for it. I won't poison you, and you don't have to eat it if you don't want. I am really not sensitive about my cooking. It's not what I'm best at, but I'm not bad at it." Rick smiled reassuringly and promised faithfully to eat whatever she made. Elizabeth smiled and showed him out so she could start cooking.
"Thank you! I've wanted flowers for just ever!" She put them in a crystal vase that she had found in her travels and placed them as the centerpiece of the table. She insisted that he sit down at the table while she brought the chicken. She took it, steaming out of the oven and carried it in and put it on the hot platter. Frederic closed his eye at the scent and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. It smelled delicious. He couldn't wait. Elizabeth served them, and Frederic said grace.
Frederic was amazed. The house actually felt like a home with her there. This was what he wanted-- to come home and find her there. It was wonderful to know that she was glad to see him, that she had missed him. And her cooking wasn't bad either. They finished the chicken and salad as Elizabeth told him about her day. He laughed when she told him how addicting BJ's was, and how she wished they had something like it in England. He asked her what she had bought, and she told him. She couldn't remember all the food she had bought, but when they were cleaning up together she showed him the stocked cupboards and refrigerator and freezer. He laughed again and said he could tell she had enjoyed herself. Elizabeth put the kettle on for tea, and as she took out dessert, she suggested he change before they ate it because she wanted him to see a movie. He agreed.
When Frederic came out of his bedroom in drawstring pants and a tee shirt, he noticed that Elizabeth was also in her pajamas. She smiled and handed him a plate with two crepes on it and a huge mug of tea. She led the way into the living room and turned the TV on and put in the movie. As they waited for it to begin, she explained a little about it.
"It's about after the rapture, what it's like for everyone who's left."
(Authors Note: The Rapture is what Christians call the time when Christ will return to take all His followers to heaven so they won't have to endure what comes after. The Book of Revelation says that there will be a seven-year period in which those who are left have time to accept God.)
"Of course, no one knows what that will be like, but it's supposed to be really good." Frederic nodded, and they watched it with great interest.
When it was over, Frederic said,
"That was really good. Really good."
Elizabeth nodded, blown away. "Yeah. Well, now I'm going to have to read the books. I bought the whole series. You can read them, too, if you want." He accepted with alacrity. As they finished cleaning up, Frederic noticed that she was practically dancing around the kitchen, humming to herself. He supposed that this was a result of her day with Rick, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. However, he asked anyway.
"You seem happy."
She looked at him in surprise. "I am."
He swallowed. "Any particular reason for that?"
"Well, I'm having fun here already."
"With Rick?"
"Yes, among others."
"Oh."
She looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
"No reason. I was just wondering if it was because of Rick."
"In part, I guess. It's nice to have friends."
"Friends?"
She looked at him, more surprised. "Yeah. What else?"
"I thought you were interested in him for something else. Or at least, that he was."
"Well, I'm pretty sure he was, but I think I made it very clear that friends is all I'm looking for." Frederic breathed a sigh of relief, and she heard him. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just glad, that's all."
"Uh huh."
"No, really. Rick is my cousin, my favorite cousin, actually. However, he is also something else. I'm telling you this in strictest confidence, mind you. I know that I can trust you to keep your mouth shut; if I didn't, I wouldn't be saying anything. But I still need you to promise that this won't go any farther."
"Of course, I won't say anything. Wait- I should tell you, though, my policy with secrets. I will never tell a secret unless my keeping it will endanger someone in any way shape or form. If it won't, then go ahead."
"It won't. Rick works for Army Intelligence. He is one of their top agents, and he is not on leave right now." Frederic looked at her, waiting for her to catch on. He didn't wait long. Her eyes widened and she spoke,
"So he's on a job where living here is necessary."
"Right. So anyone he is seen with is liable to be watched by whomever he is tailing. And chances are, they know they are being tailed." Elizabeth nodded her understanding, and said,
"I'll remember that. Thanks." She rose. "I'll be back in a sec." She went up the stairs to the bedrooms, returning a little while later with a smallish box. She sat down again, and opened it. Inside, there were two small pistols that Frederic recognized as Lady Colt's. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. She caught his disbelieving stare, and smiled.
"My father taught me how to shoot when I was young- I wanted to learn because I thought it was glamorous, and he decided to teach me because he thought it was a good thing to know. My father," she explained, "was really paranoid about someone coming back to get him. He's much better now that he's been retired for a while, but he's still a little jumpy. He preferred that I know how to defend myself if someone came after me." Frederic was puzzled.
"Why would someone come after him?"
"Have you ever heard of Edward Gardiner?"
"The famous British agent? Of course. Who hasn't? Didn't he disappear about 25 years ago?"
"27. That was when he married my mother." Comprehension rose in Freddie's face.
"You mean your father..."
"Is Edward Gardiner? Yes. His real name is Thomas Bennet, but he changed it in anticipation of going back to it when he married and had children, for their protection. That is why he is so cautious around new people. He's still nervous." Frederic nodded, understanding.
"So why two?"
"Why do I have two or why did I bring both down?"
"Ummmm both I guess."
"I have two because one was Jane's, but she can't shoot to save her life, and my father decided that it was better that she not have an opportunity to hurt herself. So she gave it to me. It's probably just as well, because unless someone else's life was in danger, I doubt Janey would be able to hurt another person. She is very sensitive about that. I brought two down, because I'm lending you one." Frederic looked up in surprise.
"Me?! Why?"
"Because," Elizabeth explained patiently as though to a small child who thought very slowly, "You have already said that anyone who is seen with Ricky will be under observation. I'm not about to let you run around without some form of protection. So take it."
Frederic shrugged and chose one of the pistols. "OK. Thanks."
Elizabeth looked at him anxiously. "Oh- I forgot. You know how to shoot, right?"
Frederic almost succeeded in looking affronted. "Of course I do. Every boy in an English aristocratic family knows how to shoot. It's one of those things like riding, bowing, dressing, and seducing courtesans that is expected of a man of leisure." She looked at him, uncertain if he was joking or not. He looked at her perfectly seriously. When she looked closer, though, she saw the light of mischief in his eyes. She swallowed a smile, and nodded in serious understanding.
"Of course. I might have thought of that. A few of those, such as riding and dressing, are not taught to highborn young women. Perhaps you could teach me those arts?" Now it was his turn to look startled. His answer, however, was not what she expected.
"Really? I should be delighted. But maybe you could give me a few tips on the seducing bit. I have been given some good advice, but I've never tried it out."
"Naturally, I should be glad to be of assistance. Perhaps you need a little help in learning how to hold your liquor also?"
"Well, I could use a little practice. I've been blessed with a good head, but not as good as I should prefer."
"Ok, bring out the brandy. We can begin now." Nodding his acquiescence, Frederic rose and went to a cupboard. He brought out a bottle and two brandy glasses. He poured a little into each, and passed one to Elizabeth. He sat down opposite her, and they stared at each other over the brandy. Her eyes were twinkling, and her mouth was twitching. His answered hers, and they burst out laughing so hard that the brandy in the glasses swayed.
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, he is very interesting when he gets onto the subject of his cases. They're quite fascinating. I'm not sure he should tell me all he does- I'm sure at least some of it's classified- but I'm the only one who's interested. But it really is.... well, fascinating."
"Does Rick know?"
"No. I'll have to tell him now, I guess. I mean, if anything does go wrong he's likely to be thrown off his stride by his companion pulling a gun. What do you think?"
"Well, I think that Rick would be thrilled to hear some stories about your father. He is Army Intelligence, so I doubt they could lock you up if you spill."
"Don't you want to hear it, too?"
"Of course. But I'm not a government employee or anything, so I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"What, think you'll blab?"
"Course not, silly. But your father is not naturally paranoid- there must be a reason why he is so scared for all your lives. Going on that supposition, the fewer people who know, the better."
"Oh. Well, he never said I couldn't tell anyone, and I trust you. For Heaven's sake, I was going to marry you. I'd have to trust you a whole lot to even think of marrying you." Frederic nodded vaguely, looking at her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.
"Elizabeth..." He had just started when the phone rang. "Hello? Frederic Darcy." Elizabeth watched as the color slowly leached out of his face leaving it a greenish white. "What?" His voice was anguished. Suddenly the color rushed back and his face turned red. His eyes flashed fiercely, and he barked out instructions. "Call the four best Detective Agencies you can find. Call the police, call the Feds. Let the government agents know. I want every rock overturned until that bastard is found!" He slammed down the phone and dropped on the couch with his head in his hands. Elizabeth rushed over, burning with curiosity and concern.
She sat down close to him and put her arm around his shoulders, stroking his hair. She didn't speak, just held him. He turned to her and buried his head in her shoulder. She made vague murmuring noises that seemed to help. She could feel him sobbing. It disconcerted her somewhat; she had never seen a man cry. This man was stronger even than she was, and if he was crying.... She didn't want to think about what might affect him this much. All sorts of horrible 'supposes' were running through her head. Who was that close to him? Charlie? Rick? His sister? An icy qualm came over her- what if it was Charlie and Jane? What if something had happened to her sister? Elizabeth waited in horrible suspense as he raised his head. There was hell in his face.
"Freddie, what is it?"
He heard the terrified note of desperation in her voice and responded to it. "Nothing has happened to anyone you know."
Elizabeth sighed in relief, and then said, "What is it?"
Frederic groaned and put his face back in her shoulder. "Georgiana has been kidnapped."
Elizabeth gasped. "Oh! Do they know who did it?"
"He left a note."
"Freddie.... who was it?" He mumbled something into her shoulder. "What?" He raised his head slightly.
"George Wickham."
Elizabeth gasped again, one hand going to her throat like the heroines in cheesy romance novels. She realized this, and removed her hand with a wry smile. "Freddie, why would he do something like that? I didn't even know you knew each other." He shook his head.
"I don't know, I don't.... wait." He sat up. "That bastard. If that's why- grrrrrr" He didn't say this last, but it emerged from his throat.
"What?" He was pacing now. His hands were clenched, and growls were emerging periodically from his clenched teeth. Elizabeth stood and slipped away to put the kettle on. She was back in two minutes. He was staring out the window with unseeing eyes. She moved over to him softly and slid her hand into his. He turned his head slightly and smiled a little. She was shocked at how much older he looked. She smiled back, and turned him to face her.
"Do you want to talk now? If you don't that's fine."
Frederic shook his head. "Not now, Beth. Thank you. I'm still working it all out. When I know, I'll let you know." She nodded her understanding.
"I'll call Rick and tell him not to come get me. I'll call your office, too, and tell them you're not coming in today." Frederic didn't reply, but he gave her such a look of gratitude that she understood completely. As she left the room, he called her back with a request she was expecting.
"Elizabeth, will you pray with me?" She nodded, and walked back to him. They knelt together, and prayed.
When they were done, after about half an hour, she made the calls, made the tea, brought him in a cup, made some bread, and made Chicken Marsala for dinner. She tidied up, and did some laundry. Finally, there was nothing left to do. Reluctantly, she went back to the kitchen, made some fresh tea, and brought the pot into the living room. Frederic was lying on the couch, fast asleep. She smiled softly, and sat down next to him. She stroked his cheek and his hair. He stirred and murmured slightly. She bent and brushed his lips lightly with her own. To her intense embarrassment, his eyes opened when her head was only a few inches from his. He smiled a sleepy smile of delight. She blushed and pulled away.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't decide whether to wake you or not, but dinner's ready." Neither of them were sure exactly which offense she was apologizing about. Elizabeth thought both.
"Oh, great. But you've made dinner two days in a row- that's not fair. I'll cook tomorrow." Elizabeth smiled mischievously. "You mean it's not fair to you? Or it's not fair to me?"
"To you, of course."
"Well, thanks for the offer, but it'll take forever. I mean, you come home at about 6:30, and we want to eat soon after that. We wouldn't be able to eat until about 8 or so if you cook. It's good practice for me, so I'll do it." Frederic protested again, but she said, "You have my permission to bring me breakfast in bed any time you feel called." Frederic chuckled.
"I'll remember that." As they were laughing, a knock came on the door. Elizabeth went to answer it. It was Rick. She had forgotten the dinner invitation.
She invited him in, and waited for him to notice Frederic. She didn't wait long.
"Fred, old man, what is the matter with you?" Frederic and Elizabeth exchanged an expressive look. She explained,
"Ricky, Georgiana was kidnapped by George Wickham." Rick drew in a swift breath and looked at Frederic again.
"He did it to get back at you, didn't he." Frederic nodded dumbly. Elizabeth looked from one to the other, puzzled. Rick continued,
"The bastard. I knew he was a snake when we were in university, but this! I can hardly believe he would stoop this low. What are we going to do?" Frederic shrugged, a casual gesture that was totally belied by the stiffness of his shoulders and the firmness of his expression. No, not firm. Implacable.
"I've called the Feds and the four best Detective agencies; do you know anyone else who might take on the job?" Rick thought.
"I might take it myself."
Frederic sat up. "You would?"
Rick nodded. "Yes. My job here is almost done; the part that needs wrapping up, I think George Wickham can help us with." Elizabeth and Frederic stared at him in bewilderment. There were faint glimmerings of understanding on their faces, but they were faint. Rick declined to explain, and looked around for something to change the conversation to. The box of Lady Colt's caught his eye. "What... Who's...?" He looked at Elizabeth. "These aren't yours, are they?" She nodded, and laughed at his dumbfounded expression.
"Yes. One has always been mine, and one was my sister Jane's. She gave it to me because she won't ever be capable of shooting it." Rick still looked confused.
"So...why do you have them?" Elizabeth looked at Frederic, who nodded imperceptibly.
"Well, my father had reason to think that one of his criminals might come after him if they ever got out of jail. He changed his name back to the original one, but he still insisted that I learn to shoot, and then gave me my Lady Colt when I was eighteen."
"Aha. Who's your father? And why would he have criminals that came after him?"
"My father is Thomas Bennet, but you would know him as Edward Gardiner." Understanding flooded over Rick's face like the sun coming into a room when the curtains are swept away.
"Oh. I see." The fiddling of his fingers belied his calm reply. "Umm, I don't suppose you could..."
"You want to hear some of his stories?" Rick nodded.
"Please. Would you?" Elizabeth nodded. Frederic got up to leave, but Elizabeth said,
"No, don't go. I want you to hear them, too. We can talk over dinner." That was agreeable to everyone, and they walked slowly to the dining room.
They sat down. Elizabeth served them all, put water on for tea with dessert, and they sat down to eat. The men exclaimed over the deliciousness of the recipe and the tenderness of the chicken. Elizabeth laughed, and teased Rick about his just liking it because it was his choice. He just as quickly denied it, and attributed it all to her astuteness in choosing good meat. Frederic agreed,
"You should have tasted the chicken she made last night: absolutely delicious! She never has a bad day." Rick agreed,
"My dear, you will be a blessing to your husband in more ways than one." This might have made for a rather awkward moment, but Elizabeth smoothed over it easily.
"Well. Is there anything in particular you would like to hear about?" Frederic looked at Rick, who looked back at Frederic. They both shook their heads slightly, and Rick said,
"How much do you know?"
Elizabeth laughed. "Everything!"
"Then start at the beginning and go on until you come to the end. Please." She agreed.
"All right. Well, once upon a time, there was a young man named Thomas Bennet. He had, all his life, wanted to be an undercover agent. He was a little young to be an operative in the Second World War, but his father was the head of Army Intelligence during that time." She looked inquiringly at Rick, who thought for a minute, and nodded.
"J. Bennet."
"That's right."
"I always wondered- what did the 'J' stand for?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "Jehosephat. Can you blame the poor man?" The men laughed, and admitted that they could not. "Well, my father grew up with all that around him. When he was a young man, his father gave him an opportunity of going to France with our ambassador and an older operative to protect the ambassador from an assassination attempt by those who still had faint hopes of the old animosity coming to life. As it turned out, the older operative was killed in action, but my father was able to apprehend the assassin single-handed. That was the first step. Then, in the early 60's, when The Cold War was at one of its peaks, he was sent as an operative to Poland. Or anyway, what used to be Poland, as an attempt to rescue one of our agents there. During that time, he was beaten, imprisoned, almost executed at least twice as a spy, and finally had to swim six miles across a lake to escape. Really," she broke off, "You'll have to ask Daddy to tell you them fully; I'm not really sure exactly how to wring the last drop of suspense out of them."
The stories went on for hours. The men, in spite of the low suspense level, were absolutely fascinated; and not only by the stories. When the party finally broke up, it was after midnight. They realized that four six hours, they had enjoyed themselves and completely forgotten the worries that beset them.
"Liza, how much do you know about George Wickham?" Elizabeth was a little taken back by the question, but she answered.
"Pretty well. We went out for a few months, I'm sorry to say." Rick was surprised to say the least.
"Really. Well, why did you stop?" She sighed.
"Various reasons. For starters, I never really had any kind of romantic feelings for him. He seemed nice, he treated me right, and he wanted to pay whenever we went out. It's every girl's dream. He wasn't tall, dark, and handsome, nor was he fantastically funny or romantic. But he was OK. The thing that made me give him up entirely was that he kept pressuring me for sex. I'm a Christian, you know, and therefore I have several strong reasons other than common sense for keeping it for marriage. I explained all of that to him at the beginning of the relationship, like I do with every one, and he seemed OK with it. He agreed, didn't want to take back his offer of a date, and was a perfect gentleman for two months.
"The third month, he started being not so nice. He almost hit me a couple times; he did, eventually, but I walloped him so hard he had bruises for several weeks when he tried that. Basically, I kicked his ass. Guys who not only don't respect my decisions and pressure me to do something I don't want to, but also think they can hit me I'm not about to keep around. It really felt pretty good.
"Anyway, when I told him I was breaking up with him, he was pretty upset. That's when he hit me. After I whipped his butt, I didn't see him again."
"Is there any reason for you to think he might hold a grudge?"
"Apart from my messing up his pretty face and ruining his reputation as a Casanova? Nah. Well, actually, my friend Anne Elliot says that she heard him complaining to someone he called 'Tony' over the phone about my being engaged to Frederic. She says he wanted 'Tony' to do something to Frederic." As she finished this sentence, she gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Whirling to face him, she said, "You don't think...that's why? Oh, Gosh! Then it's my fault Georgiana... Oh, Lord!" She was clearly overcome, so Rick quickly disabused her of several mistaken notions.
"No, no. George has had it in for Frederic ever since Frederic had him kicked out of Oxford for cheating. You see, Frederic and George used to be best friends. Well, in a manner of speaking. George's father worked for Mr. Darcy, who was my uncle James, and was his close friend. George was Mr. Darcy's godson. Mr. Darcy thought him an angel, basically, and treated him like his own son. When Mr. Wickham died, Mr. Darcy sent George to Oxford with Fred and myself. Naturally, George roomed with us.
Rather early in our Oxford career, it became clear that George was bad news. He did drugs, didn't write his papers, brought girls back to our rooms, and basically did everything that is deadly at university. Fred and I put up with him for Mr. Darcy's sake, and even helped him write the papers he did trouble himself with. However, at the end of our first year, at our exam, Fred saw him take several papers out of his jacket pocket. He pointed it out to me. Naturally, we assumed that they were cheat sheets, and our suspicions were confirmed later on when we found them discarded in a wastepaper basket.
Naturally, we brought them right away to our professor, and both vouched for them being the same as the ones he had used at the test. The professor examined the sheets, and they were, in fact, photocopies of her answer keys. There was nothing to do but call him in, rip up his test, and send him down. He repeated the offense, and the professor herself caught this time. After that, he was expelled. He tried to get into other universities, but was, I understand, rejected. For some twisted reason, he must have decided to make good his threat to get even with Fred. I don't know why he has decided to do so through Georgiana; possibly because he knows it will hurt Fred more than if it happened to him personally. All I can say is that George Wickham is a seriously sick man, and I'm very glad you got rid of him." Elizabeth drew in a deep breath at the conclusion of this monologue, and said,
"Whew! So am I! I can't believe I kissed him! Ewww! I've tried to forget it- hell, I even tried to forget it while it was happening, but still!" She wiped her mouth as though to wipe away the memory. Rick looked on in sympathetic understanding.
"I have some idea of your sentiments. One day, I kissed this pretty girl that I'd never met before on a dare. She was a pretty good kisser, and normally I would have liked to get to know her. However, just as we finished, Fred showed up, and she went berserk. That was when I learned she was Caroline Bingley. Ughhh!" he shook his head in disgust at the memory. "I don't know if you've met her..."
"I haven't," Elizabeth inserted,
"But I would seriously advise you not to. She is a gold-digging, cold-hearted, manipulative little b****, and has made poor Fred's life a misery for years. I understand she broke poor Charlie's eardrum when he told her over the phone that Fred was marrying you. She has cherished the hope for years that someday he will ask her. He has never given her any encouragement, indeed- he is scarcely polite, but she just won't take the hint." Elizabeth laughed.
"Yes, that sounds like the description that my sister Jane gave me. She is marrying Charlie, you know."
"Oh, is Jane your sister? Of course. Bennet and Bennet. I never drew the connection. Man, and I thought I was passably intelligent!"
"My father would say that that was the army's influence!" Rick laughed.
"Yes, well, I have always believed that the phrase 'Military Intelligence' is as blatant an oxymoron as you can have." They laughed merrily at his joke, and walked home companionably.
"Hi, Dad? It's Lizzy. No, I'm at Freddie's. You'll never believe it, but he was sitting next to me on the plane." She paused as she thought this over.
"You don't sound very surprised. Dad, did you plan that?" Her father gave up all pretenses of denying this.
"Did he know?"
"Of course not." Elizabeth was satisfied.
"OK. I just called to let you know. I might be here for a while yet. Dad, if I tell you something it is in strict confidence, OK?" Her father agreed.
"All right. Freddie's sister, Georgiana, has been kidnapped by George Wickham." Her father was suitably shocked.
"What is being done to find them?" he asked, very concerned.
"Freddie has called four Detective Agencies, the police, the government agents, and his cousin Rick Fitzwilliam is also keeping his eyes and ears open.
"Rick Fitzwilliam? Is he the son of Jasper Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Seacombe?"
"Yes, I think so. Why?"
"Oh, we were in the service together years ago. Does he know about me?"
"Yes. We've become quite good friends. He's Army Intelligence. I told both he and Freddie last night. They were wondering about the Lady Colts."
"Ah, yes. Perfect little guns, those."
"Yes, Daddy. I quite agree."
"Well, I will see if I can pull influence and get a really good man on the job. Incidentally, you might want to call Mackenzie Connor's Detective Agency. Mackenzie and I were on a few jobs together. He is the best in the business, and the government uses his bureau constantly. He doesn't get much publicity, but everyone with connections knows whom to call in when the going's tough. Tell him you're Edward Gardiner's daughter."
"Thank you, Daddy. I will call him. Tell Mother and Jane and the others that I love them and I'm buying souvenirs for them."
"Oh, that reminds me. Charlie asked Jane to tell me to tell you to tell Frederic that Caroline Bingley is going to New York, and will almost certainly go after Frederic again. He just wanted Frederic to be on his guard."
"Thank you again, Daddy. I will warn him. Love you!"
"Love you too, darling. I miss you."
"I miss you too, Daddy. I'll call you again tomorrow. Bye!"
"Good bye, Lizzy."
"Freddie!"
"Hello, Beth"
"Did you have a nice day?"
"Yes. It was rather hectic, but everything is starting to fall into place. I'm forming relationships with all of Mr. Sparrow's people, and I think that we will all be able to work together very well."
"I'm so glad. I know you were worried."
"You did? How?"
"You get this funny little crease in your forehead, and the corner of your mouth twitches slightly." Frederic put his hand up to his mouth involuntarily.
"Does it? Dear me. That's not good." Elizabeth chuckled and led him into the living room.
"Dinner is almost ready. We're having spaghetti. It's simple, filling, and quick. I've been doing so much today that I need to tell you about." Elizabeth sat down on the couch, and Frederic went to the minibar in the corner and fixed them martinis.
"Shaken, not stirred." Elizabeth said, in her best Bond accent. "I always thought it was funny that good martinis are stirred, not shaken." She accepted the drink with alacrity and sipped it. "Thanks, I needed that." She sipped a little more, and then sank back into the soft pillows. "Anyway, I called my father. I told him about Georgiana, and he suggested that I call Mackenzie Connor's detective agency and tell Mackenzie that I am Edward Gardiner's daughter. Apparently they were good friends in the service, and though he doesn't get much recognition for the jobs he does, he is the best in the business. So I called. Mackenzie suggested that either we come to his office tomorrow and talk to him, or he can come here. I thanked him, and said I'd call back when I asked you." She looked at him, waiting for his answer.
"OK. We can make the appointment for 10:00, if that's all right. I don't need to be in tomorrow; everything is under control. I can postpone the renovations I was planning, and we can talk to him."
"Sounds good. I wanted to talk to you before, but when I called they said that you were in conference and could not be disturbed."
"Yes, I was. But they should have told me you called when I came out. I'm sorry."
"That's all right. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about was that.... hang on, let me get it right. OK. Charlie asked Jane to ask my father to ask me to tell you that Caroline Bingley is coming to New York, and she will almost certainly want to come visit." Frederic grimaced.
"Oh, great. Just what I need."
"Can't we avoid her?"
"We can try." Frederic got up and paced a little as he finished his drink. He stopped as an idea hit him, and looked at her. "Beth, I can think of two things- well, three, I guess, that we can do. One, we can just stay here and let her poke her nose into everything and slow me up and drive you nuts, which is something that I don't want to do, and I very much doubt that you will, especially once she finds out that you're staying with me. Two, we can go away. Most of the work that I need to be here for is done, and what is unfinished I can finish before Friday. There are lots of nice places. We could go to Virginia, or to Florida, or to...well, anywhere. Three, we can pretend we're engaged again. She would basically leave us alone. Apart from a few snide remarks to you and slight insults to myself, I doubt she would bother us. So," He clasped his hands together. Or, he tried to. The Martini glass made that difficult. "Those are the choices that I can think of. Any other ideas?" Elizabeth thought.
"Ummm I don't think so."
"So what's your pleasure?"
"I think we should pretend to be engaged. If she is really as awful as everyone says,"
"She is," Frederic interjected with a shudder,
"I would rather not do number one. And number two is impractical, because we need- or at least, you need to be here so you can know immediately if Georgiana is found. So let's do number three." Frederic nodded, a little pleased at her choice.
"OK. I think we should let Rick in on our secret, because he can help the charade."
"I'll call him now. He's been fishing for more dinner invitations, so I doubt he will, uh, quibble."
Rick had no objections.
"Mackenzie Connor? I think I've heard of him. My father, probably. I didn't know he knew yours. We'll have to have a reunion." They told him about Caroline, and their decision. "Oh no," he groaned. "Not Caroline. I can take anyone but Caroline."
"Will you help us?"
He started. "Wha...oh, that. Of course. The fewer people she can bother, the better." They sat down together and worked out all the details.
"Hi, Beth. What's up?"
"Mackenzie says that 10:00 today is no good. He has another client coming in. How about tomorrow at 10:00?"
"Umm yeah, I can make that. Oh, Beth?"
"Yes?"
"Don't cook tonight, OK? I'll bring something home."
"OK. Thanks."
"That's all?"
"Yes. I'll see you tonight."
"OK. Bye."
"Bye."
At 11:00, the phone rang. Elizabeth answered it.
"Hello? Frederic?" a voice screeched.
"No, he's at work right now. Can I take a message?" Elizabeth asked, holding in her laughter. She could guess who this was.
"Who is this?" the shrieking voice asked suspiciously.
"Elizabeth Bennet, his fiancée. Who is this?"
"Humph. Caroline Bingley."
"Oh, so you're Caroline! My sister is marrying your brother. Are you in New York? We should get together. Freddie will probably be glad to see someone else he knows other than Rick and me."
"Rick? Rick Fitzwilliam?"
"Yes, he lives next door."
"Oh. Well, actually, I was calling to see if Frederic had any room for me to stay with him."
"Well, I think that would be fine. We don't have any extra rooms, but you can sleep in the living room if you want, there's a big couch there."
"Ummm what about Georgiana's room?"
"That's where I am."
"Oh. Well, in that case, I think I'll probably stay at the hotel."
"OK, give us a call when you get in. You'll have to come over for dinner."
"Humph.... all right, thanks."
"Bye!"
Good bye."
Elizabeth hung up the phone and laughed her head off. She immediately called Rick and told him about it, and then she called Frederic.
"Oh no," he said. "Just what I need. Did you really invite her over for dinner?"
"Yes, I figured that we're going to be related, and it will be a good thing to show her that I am here permanently. Or at least, until she leaves."
"Well, you know you are welcome to do whatever you like in the house. I doubt you would do anything you didn't think was best, and I know you are sensible. But I hope you know what you're doing!" Elizabeth laughed, and reassured him.
"Good. Is Rick coming to dinner again?"
"I don't know. He might decide to grace us with his presence. Why?"
"I was hoping he wouldn't. I don't know if you've noticed, but the melting, heart-broken looks he keeps throwing your way often come close to making me sick. I wish he'd stop."
"Yes, but there's nothing I can do. Tell you what. I'll go out with Charlotte, and be careful not to 'bump' into him when I come home. I won't call and ask him, and therefore, unless he just shows up, we should be safe. OK?"
"Sounds good. Did you want to get another movie for tonight?"
"Yeah. Do you like old movies?"
"It depends on the movie. Is it a sappy love movie?"
"No, I'm not in the mood for that. It's a good one."
"OK, I'll trust your judgment."
"Are you sure? That might not be a good idea"
"Beth, what are you planning to do?"
"Oh, nothing. Goodbye, Freddie. I'll see you tonight."
"Goodbye, Beth."
That night, Freddie came home early.
"Beth? I brought pizza." She came out of her bedroom.
"Freddie? Great. Thanks."
"Did you get a movie?"
"Yeah." She held it up.
"You Can't Take It With You?"
"Yeah. You've never heard of it?"
"No."
"What's wrong with you? Jeez, it's one of the best movies ever. Come on," She took his arm, his hands being full of the pizza, and led him into the living room.
Freddie loved the movie.
"It's so funny!" he said. Elizabeth looked at him a little uncertainly.
"Did you really like it?"
"Yeah! Why, do you think I'd lie about that?"
"Yes, so my feelings wouldn't be hurt."
"Well, I'm being honest. Pick out another for tomorrow; I like your choices."
"Sure. Thanks. Have you heard anything about Georgiana?" Frederic sighed in discouragement.
"No. The detectives are still trying to pick up their trail."
"Well, we still have Mackenzie Connor. 10:00 is when our appointment is."
"Yeah. I think I'll stay home tomorrow morning; maybe even take tomorrow off."
"That would be nice. You can relax."
"Right. Don't get up tomorrow morning; I'm making you breakfast in bed."
"Sir, yes Sir!"
After an hour or so, there was a soft knock on her door.
"Come in." Frederic nudged open the door and walked in carrying a tray that looked like it weighed a ton. Not only were there every breakfast food on it from eggs to pancakes to French toast to bagels to cereal, not to mention kippers, bacon, sausage, and orange juice. She looked dubiously at the tray as he set it down on the desk and then whisked out quickly to return with the teapot and two cups. She smiled, and gestured to the bed.
"Won't you sit down?"
"Thank you." He bowed. They had a very enjoyable breakfast.
Promptly at 10:00, Elizabeth and Frederic presented themselves at Mackenzie Connor's Detective Agency. They were ushered in and shown seats, which they sat in, much to the surprise and indignation of the receptionist. They had not been waiting for five minutes when the door burst open and a man bounded in.
Elizabeth and Frederic stared at him. He was almost a caricature of a Scotsman. He was of middle height, with flaming red curly hair and a red beard and mustache. He had blazing blue eyes that seemed to make holes all the way through you.
Elizabeth and Frederic shifted a little uncomfortably; they were sure he could see all the way through them and was laughing a what he saw.
He was younger than her father, Elizabeth noticed, but he was obviously on the wrong side of forty, if not fifty.
Elizabeth and Frederic shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"So, you're Edward Gardiner's daughter, eh?" Elizabeth nodded.
"Yes, sir, one of five girls." Mackenzie gave a shout of laughter.
"Not a son among ye, eh? Aye, I thought that was how it would be. Ed was always saying how he wanted two sons. Never considered that he might have daughters. But when he called for the first time in almost thirty years to help you and your fiancé, I could tell that he was no longer wishing for sons."
"Thank you, sir. This is Frederic Darcy." Mackenzie looked at Frederic carefully.
"One of the Darcys, eh? Knew your uncle well, and your mother. And your sister's been kidnapped?"
"Yes, sir. Georgiana."
"And you know who did it to, eh?
"Yes, sir." Elizabeth broke in. "Unfortunately, the kidnapper, besides practically being Freddie's adopted brother, was at one time a boyfriend of mine- George Wickham." Mackenzie shook his head.
"Lassie, you need to be more careful. This one," he jerked his head at Frederic, "Is a good 'un. I'll take that as a sign that your judgment is improving." Elizabeth grinned.
"Yes sir!" Mackenzie laughed
"You and the laddie may call me Mac. Now, tell me what you know."
When they got home, Elizabeth asked
"Do you need to do anything in particular today?" Frederic shook his head.
"No, why?"
"Do you want to learn how to make bread with me?"
"Sure!" while they got out all the ingredients, Frederic continued. "I made bread with my mom when I was little. Well, I got a little loaf of my own to knead when she was done stirring, and then she baked it for me. It was so exciting." Elizabeth smiled.
"Yeah, my aunt makes bread, but I never took the time to learn properly. Chances are, it won't turn out the first time, but it's worth a try."
They spent the rest of the afternoon making their bread, which, to their delight, did come out. They went over with a loaf for Rick, and boasted about it until he was forced to escort them back to their own apartment. Giggling, they went back into the kitchen.
"Do you want to make cookies now?" Elizabeth asked, getting excited.
"Great! I'm in a cooking mood today."
"Yeah, me too. This is fun." They made oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and shortbread cookies. By the time they looked at the clock, it was 8:30.
"Oh, dear! It's really late and I don't have anything made for dinner!" Frederic looked at the mess around them.
"I have an idea. I know a really good Chinese food place; we can order and clean up while we wait."
"Sounds good. Let's get Orange Chicken and Walnut Prawns, OK?"
"OK, but we also have to get Lemon Chicken and dumplings."
"Oh yeah, I forgot the dumplings. Let's get Amazing Chicken, too- there's vegetables in that."
"Agreed. I'll call now." Frederic put the call through, and they were promised delivery within half-an-hour. They did a whirlwind cleanup of the kitchen, put the dishwasher on, did the pots, and set the table.
The next day, Elizabeth received a call from Mac. Eagerly she listened to what he had to say.
"Lass, Wickham has gone underground. My men are looking for him, but it could mean precious weeks. So you're engaged to the lad?"
"Yes."
"How far would you be willing to go to get the lassie back?"
"How far is necessary?" Mac told her. "I'm willing, but I need to talk to Frederic first." Mac concurred.
"Call me when ye've spoken t'him."
"I will. Goodbye, Mac."
When Frederic arrived home, Elizabeth had made dinner. He came into the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek."
"Hello. Did you have a nice day?" She asked absently. He took off his suit jacket and tie.
"Yes, thanks. Everything's coming together, and I can take a few days off soon." He looked exhausted. Elizabeth turned back to the stove and lifted the steak, fried onions and fried mushrooms onto the serving plate. She frowned, unwilling to put something else on his shoulders. When she turned around the frown was gone.
"Would you set the table while I finish up here, please Freddie?" He nodded and picked up the place mats and utensils. He came back for the water jug, and Elizabeth preceded him into the dining room, carrying plates and the steak.
As they were eating, Elizabeth put down her knife and fork and watched Frederic. After a few seconds, he put down his knife and fork and looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"What is it?" He asked curiously. She looked down at her plate. "Beth, what?" She took a deep breath, not looking up, and said,
"Mac wants me to be bait for Wickham. When George grabs me, his men will follow us and take all three of us back." Frederic stared at her, his face growing hard.
"No." Startled, she looked up quickly.
"What?"
"No. I won't let you." She stared at him.
"Why not?"
"Because. Don't you think it's hard enough with Georgiana kidnapped? I won't lose both of the women I love, especially to the same man. I won't have you put yourself in danger." She stood.
"I already told Mac I would. Come on, Freddie. There's very little risk. Mac's guys won't let me out of their sight. All we have to do is place a notice of our engagement in the society columns and he'll bite. It can't fail!"
"Yeah," Frederic muttered. "That's what I'm afraid of." Elizabeth sat, and leaned across the table, placing one hand over his. He turned his palm up and held hers.
"Freddie," she said gently, "Please let me do this. I'm the reason George went off the deep end like this. I know it's not really my fault, but I am involved. I feel guilty anyway. And I love you, and I hate seeing you like this. How much sleep have you been getting? Not nearly enough. If I don't do this, it will take weeks before Mac can find her, unless there's a lucky fluke. George has gone to earth, and this is the only way. Please let me." Freddie tightened his clasp on her hand.
"Beth. . . I. . . . all right. Someone is going to regret this, and I hope it's not us." Elizabeth squeezed his hand.
"It won't be."
Mac would have at least four armed men tailing her at all times. Rick was alerted, and promised to call in a few favors on her behalf. Frederic called the New York Times and arranged to have a notice sent in the next day. When he hung up, he clapped a hand to his forehead and asked,
"You don't have the ring still, do you?"
"Of course I do. Hang on a sec." She ran upstairs to get the ring out of her jewelry pouch. "Here it is," she called gaily as she entered the room.
She handed it to him, and he slipped it on her finger. They grinned at each other, and Elizabeth said,
"We'd better come up with a good proposal, because everyone is going to want to know." Frederic laughed, and concurred.
"All right. Let's see- did I get down on one knee? Take you out to a very expensive dinner? Take you to a Yankee game and have the scoreboard light up with "Beth will you marry me?" ? Or what?"
Elizabeth tapped one finger on her chin. "Leave that to me. I'll come up with a meltingly romantic story for me, and a dignified one for you. Let's see." She tapped her chin again. "I have it! I came home today from shopping to find the floor of my room completely covered by Hershey's Kisses. There was a note that said, "Now I have Kissed the ground you walk on." I went downstairs again, looking for you, and found two candles on a side table. There was another note that said, "Hide and Go Seek"- dining room table." On the dining room table is another note that says, "Kitchen stool". On the kitchen stool is a note that says, "Linen Closet". In the Linen Closet, there is another note and a box that says, "Front Hall Closet" In the box is a gold mechanical pencil. I open the door to the Front Hall Closet and find a paper taped to the inside with two boxes. Next to the two boxes are the words "Yes" and "No". In the note stuck up next to the paper, it says, "Living Room Sofa". On the living room sofa, you are sitting, and you get down on one knee, and say, 'Beth, I love you. Will you marry me? I want you with me all the time, when I come home, to have our children, to grow old with, to talk to, to argue with, to kiss, to have forever. Will you?' And then I take out the pencil and the piece of paper, and check 'Yes', and you grin and kiss me. Then we wrote up an announcement and sent it into the New York Times. There," she finished. "What do you think?" Frederic stroked his chin, pretending to be the stereotype of a Chinese philosopher stroking his beard.
"Hmmmm. I don't know if Charlie or Rick would agree that your proposal is particularly dignified. Rick would probably just say, 'How about it, baby?' and Charlie probably took Jane's hand and said, 'Will you marry me?' " Elizabeth laughed.
"Yes, but my proposal was invented by me. It's the kind of thing every woman wants- chocolate, and the man she loves asking her to marry him without a prenup." Frederic laughed.
"If I were marrying anyone but you, that might not be so. Especially Caroline Bingley." (Shudder)
"Freddie, be nice. I know you can't stand her and that she's been stalking you for years, but you're safe now." He laughed.
"Thanks for protecting me, Beth. I appreciate it." She laughed too, and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're welcome. I'm going to bed. Good night!"
"Who is this?" An unfamiliar voice demanded.
"Elizabeth Bennet. Who is this, please?"
"I am Lady Catherine DeBourgh. Is this not Frederic Darcy's residence?"
"Yes it is, but he's at work. Can I take a message?"
"Who are you?" Elizabeth almost giggled.
"I'm his fiancée. Who are you?"
"Young woman, I am his aunt! Kindly inform him of my call."
"I will, Lady Catherine. Does he have your number?"
"He should. Good day!"
"Good bye." As she hung up, Elizabeth wiped her forehead. "Whew! Staying at Freddie's puts me in an awful lot of weird telephone situations."
She dug out her personal phonebook and looked up Charlotte.
"Charlotte? It's Elizabeth. Do you want to go to the Met with me today?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll swing by and pick you up and we can do lunch first."
"Sounds good. I'll see you here in an hour?"
"Great. Bye."
Elizabeth raced around, called Mac and Freddie and told them where she was going. Mac promised to have the men at the apartment in 20 minutes for her to meet. She had a shower, dressed, and put on eye makeup.
When she went to answer the knock on the door, she saw Mac and four ordinary, inconspicuous men. She opened the door to find herself hugged enthusiastically by Mac.
"Good morning, Lassie. How are ye?"
"I'm fine, Mac. Come in." The five men entered and looked around. Elizabeth led the way to the kitchen. "Can I offer you some coffee or tea? Or maybe something cold?" They thanked her and accepted. Mac made the introductions.
"Elizabeth Bennet, John Donovan , Marc Burdock, Dane Medina, and Sam Chastain." They all shook hands.
"I'm very pleased to meet you." Elizabeth handed around the coffee and a plate of the cookies she and Freddie had made. They chatted for a few minutes, then Mac rose.
"Well Lass, I just thought you would like to know who will be looking out for you." Elizabeth smiled sweetly at him.
"Thanks. I'm sure they'll do a wonderful job." They shook hands once more and left. Elizabeth stopped smiling and picked up the phone.
"Daddy? I need you to investigate some men for me."
When she got off the phone with her father, a thoughtful look on her face, she went over and knocked on the door of Rick's apartment. He opened the door and ushered her in. She looked around and said,
"Do you check for bugs?" Surprised, Rick said,
"I do an electronic sweep twice a day, yes."
"And is it always clean?"
"So far, yes." More surprised by the minute, he added, "Why?"
Elizabeth leaned closer and whispered something in his ear. After a few minutes, she pulled back. Rick was staring at her incredulously.
"You're kidding."
"Nope. I'm going to have to ask you to come to the Met with Charlotte and me. Do you mind?" Rick shook his head.
" 'Course not, Liza." She hugged him.
"Thanks, Ricky. You're a pal." She used his phone to call Charlotte. "Sari? Elizabeth. Rick's coming with us-I'll explain later. We'll meet you at the Lexington Café in fifteen minutes."
Charlotte was waiting for them outside the café, a worried look on her face.
"Elizabeth, what on earth is this about?" Elizabeth looked around nervously, then dragged her friend into a corner and explained.
"You remember I told you that Freddie's sister, Georgiana, had been kidnapped? Well, the man that we hired to find her used to be an old friend of my father's. Or, at least the man we thought he was. I remember thinking that he looked like a caricature of a Scotsman-and I was right. I talked to my father this morning after they left, and Daddy says that Mac would never exaggerate his accent like this guy does. He was always unobtrusive- he had to be. He is a private detective, and he used to be a secret agent. They are trained to be unobtrusive-that's how they stay alive. This guy is the most flamboyant of flamboyant Scotsmen. He wouldn't last a minute. Besides that, the real Mac is black Scots--none of this orange hair and blue eyes stuff. I'm almost positive that he placed a bug somewhere." As Elizabeth finished, Charlotte was seen to be staring, openmouthed at her friend.
"Man! It sounds like a James Bond movie. Spies left and right. So what do you think this Mac character is going to do?" Elizabeth shrugged.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that he is in cahoots with Wickham. So here's what I'm going to do-I'm going to go through with my plan, except Rick here is going to have his men following us. He'll put one on you, too-and to keep up the fiction that he really is on my side, Mac will have to allow me to keep my cellphone. Daddy told me the best place to buy an automatic transmitter, and I'll put that behind my ear. That way, no matter what, you'll always be able to find me." Rick nodded slowly.
"Sounds good. I have twenty men at my disposal-I'll put one on you, Charlotte, and two on Elizabeth and two on Freddie." Elizabeth thought for a moment.
"Rick, would you go with Charlotte? I think it would be better if you stayed with her. It was really stupid of me to put you in this position, Sari. I'm really sorry-I can't believe I didn't think of that." Charlotte and Rick were staring at her. Elizabeth watched them, a smile slowly growing. Naturally, she had more than just her friend's safety in mind. "Charlotte? Rick?" They started and turned to look at her.
"Yeah?"
"Well? What do you say?" Charlotte turned to Rick again, and said,
"If you're the best, I want you on Elizabeth. She's going to need a hell of a lot more help than I am." Rick smiled, and said,
"I am certainly one of the best, but bodyguards are what Elizabeth needs. You need someone who can anticipate. If we do this, it's going to have to look real. If I move in with you, it will be because we're dating seriously, OK?" Charlotte nodded.
"OK. My neighbors don't know me well enough to know that I wouldn't do that. I have an extra bedroom, and I'll clear it out for you." Rick nodded.
"Great. Liza? We're all set." Elizabeth nodded, pleased, and said,
"Terrific. Let's eat."
"Mac? A bad guy? You're kidding. I thought your father recommended him?"
"He did-but he recommended the real Mac. The real Mac has black hair and eyes. That's a slight deviation from our Mac. So this is what we're going to do." She told him about the bodyguard situation. "Rick is going to get one of his men to go to the place Daddy told me about. That way, if anyone's tailing us, they won't know that I'll have a transmitter." Freddie wasn't pleased with her plan.
"Beth, I really didn't want you to do this before, when I knew that Mac was on our side, and I really, really, really don't want you to do it now. Please. I don't know what I'd do if both of the two women I love more than anything were lost. Please. We'll get Rick on it, find another investigator, anything. Money isn't an issue-but I won't play Russian Roulette with your life." Elizabeth, needless to say, was very touched by this.
"Freddie, darling, don't you understand that I would rather do this than see you so upset? I love you dearly, and that is a major reason I want to do this. I think it's the right thing to do. From what you've told me, Georgiana is likely to be so scared of George that she won't be able to do anything. I never panic, I'm extremely capable, and I'm very rarely at a loss. Please let me do this.
"I want you to get in touch with my father and ask him about other agents he knows. We can contact them through Rick, and much as I hate to say it, you have money and are influential-the feds will help. Use your resources.
"I have to go--Rick needs to take me home before he goes to Charlotte's." Frederick had more to say, but he replied,
"All right, Beth. Can we talk about this when I get home?" Elizabeth smiled, and said
"Of course, Freddie, if you want. I'll see you then. Bye."
Rick brought Elizabeth home and called one of his men over.
"I want you here until Frederick comes home. Understood?" The man, whose name was Denny, nodded.
"Sure, boss."
"You, Jimmy, and Saunderson will be living in my apartment next door. It had better be in good condition when I get it back. I want one of you in this apartment at all times when it's just Elizabeth. You and Saunderson will be on Elizabeth, and Jimmy is on Frederick. You should all get along just fine." Elizabeth smiled and thanked him.
"Denny, please call me Elizabeth. You can help yourself to anything; I really appreciate this." Denny, who had fallen half-in-love with her the second he laid eyes on her, blushed and thanked her. Rick left with Charlotte, bringing a suitcase from his apartment, and Elizabeth took Denny around both Frederick's and Rick's apartments. When Frederick came home, it was with two other young men. Denny introduced Elizabeth to Jimmy and Saunderson. It was with amused envy that Frederick noticed that all three were smitten.
The three men said good-night and retreated to Rick's apartment when it became obvious that the couple wished to be alone. Frederick put on water to boil for tea (he had fallen into Elizabeth's routine) and found some chocolate cookies in the cupboard, all of which he brought into the livingroom on a tray. Elizabeth gave him a tired smile, and he poured the tea and then went to sit next to her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They sat back holding their mugs and basked in each other's company. Elizabeth broke the silence.
"I know you don't want me to do this, Freddie, but please, consider it from my point of view. I'm positive that George kidnapped Georgiana to hurt you because of me. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let him get away with it." Freddie sighed and put his cup down to pull her close. He touched his nose on hers and said, looking straight into her eyes,
"I do see it from your perspective, Beth. And I understand that you blame yourself, even if I don't. George would have gotten around to this anyway. He's tried it before." Elizabeth sat up and stared at him.
"He has? Why didn't you tell me? When? Why?" He sighed again and pulled her back to him, resting his chin on her head.
"You know why he hates me. Well, there was another incident. Georgiana is seven years younger than I, and I've looked after her since I was twenty-one and my parents died. I was her guardian until earlier this year when she reached her majority. She's always looked up to me as more than a brother. And I would do anything for her." Elizabeth felt the pain in his voice and snuggled closer in an attempt to banish it. "Three years ago, Georgiana wanted to go to Europe. It's a tradition in my family that when one graduates from high school, one gets a trip to Europe. Of course, who am I to argue with tradition? And I thought it would be good for her. She is fluent in French, Italian, German, and Spanish, but she really wanted to visit St. Petersburg. So, as Rick and I were both unable to accompany her, I hired a woman who spoke fluent Russian from a well-known, reputable agency. She had exemplary references, and she and Georgiana got along well. So I sent them, by way of France, Italy, and Germany to St. Petersburg. They were to go to Spain on their way back east.
"Well, the story goes down-hill from there. Mrs. Younge, the companion, was in. . . in . . . cahoots, I guess, with Wickham. George wanted revenge on me for what he considered 'ruining his life' and knew that as Georgiana was the most precious thing in the world to me, the best way to hurt me would be to hurt her. So he met up with them in St. Petersburg. (She still adores the city, by the way; you two can talk when we find her.) I hadn't told her the whole story concerning Wickham; she only knew him as my childhood friend who had always been kind to her. She was persuaded that she was in love and to elope. She was seventeen.
"Luckily, before they had left, she had made me promise that I would to St. Petersburg for a week in mid-July. I met her at her hotel when she and Wickham were just about to leave to find a church. She was overjoyed to see me and informed me of their plans. Needless to say, it took a great deal of restraint to keep me from killing him right there. At least," he said with some slight satisfaction, "He was practically unrecognizable when I finished." Elizabeth laughed softly and he continued.
"He was, it turned out, intimately connected with Mrs. Younge-- they were lovers and had planned this. They were to split my sister's inheritance, which is 30,000,000 pounds." Elizabeth gasped at the sum. "Yes," Frederick said with a twisted smile. "They thought so, too-- they thought thirty million pounds was well worth the trouble they would have to get rid of her-- and they were going to." Elizabeth gasped again, this time in horror.
"Get rid of her?" Freddie nodded.
"Yeah. Get rid of her-- probably permanently; otherwise they'd have to give the money back." Elizabeth was staring at him, her eyes open wide in horror and her face white.
"This is getting blacker and blacker all the time!" she cried softly. "Oh, Freddie, I'm so sorry!" He smiled grimly.
"Yeah. Me too." He held her closer to him, and she rested her head on his chest and held him tightly to banish to fear she saw in his face. "Oh, God, Beth. I don't know what I'll do if she isn't OK," he said thickly, and she could feel him holding in the sobs. She sat up and pulled him so his head was on her chest and she was holding him close as he cried for his sister. She felt tears streaming down her own face as a grim determination built up in her.
She was going to get George Wickham. He was going to wish he'd never seen her; he was going to rue the day he ever tried anything on the Darcys. He would regret everything-- because Elizabeth Ariel Bennet would do anything to make sure Frederic never cried again. She smiled coldly as she thought of all the things she would do to George. Castration sounded good. Frederic looked up into her face to see that smile and it sent shivers down his spine.
"Beth, what are you thinking?" She looked down at him and the smile turned to one of heart-breaking tenderness. She smoothed back his hair and wiped the tears from his face. He chuckled ruefully. "I seem to cry a lot around you." She smiled again, this time in amusement.
"I'm honored that you feel comfortable enough with me and trust me." He wouldn't be sidetracked.
"What was that scary smile about?" She looked puzzled for a minute and then started to look guilty.
"Well, I was thinking of all the lovely things I'm going to do to George when I find him. I'm thinking a machete and a pair of pliers." Frederic winced.
"Ouch. I have to admit, though, I agree. When I find him he is going to wish he'd never heard of either the Darcys or Elizabeth Bennet."