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Bates pulled the limousine to a stop in front of the Soho restaurant where Richard and William were to meet Lizzy. William got out of the car immediately, but Richard hesitated.

"You go on in. I want to make a call." William nodded and went inside as Richard pulled out his phone. He paused and looked after William. Richard was convinced that he was up to something, although he couldn't say what it was. Richard was equally suspicious of Lizzy. She had never before allowed William to join them for their occasional lunches. In fact, she was downright insistent about not including William, even though Richard had assured her that he didn't mind having William join them. Yet, today she had agreed so readily... Richard acted on his hunch and sorted through the numbers stored in his phone's memory. He found the one he wanted and hit "dial."

Inside the restaurant, William approached the table where Lizzy and Olivia were having an animated discussion. William sighed and shook his head. He should have known that Lizzy would try to bring Richard and Olivia together again. Olivia looked up and saw William.

"Stud sighting on your six," she quipped. Lizzy turned around as William reached the table.

"Hello, Lizzy. Hello, Olivia, it's good to see you again," William smiled. Lizzy was about to ask for Richard when Olivia's cell phone rang. She dug her phone out of her bag and answered.

"Hello?"

"Olivia? It's Richard. Please don't say my name aloud."

"Why not?" she answered, and looked up to find that two pairs of eyes were gazing at her. She asked Richard to hold on and excused herself to take the call at the bar. "Where are you?"

"Look outside. See the limo out front?"

"A limo? I still prefer the Rover," Olivia asserted. "A limo doesn't suit you at all."

"The car belongs to William. What I'm trying to figure out is who'll claim ownership of this set up," Richard began, as Olivia looked over to her table, where William and Lizzy were talking. "I thought I smelled a rat when Lizzy agreed to have William join us for our regular lunch date."

"Your regular lunch date? Hmmm. I think that rat's initials are Lizzy Bennet."

"I thought as much. But I bet a careful search might reveal some cheese in William's pockets as well. You do realize that just because we've agreed to hold off on another date doesn't mean that anyone else thinks it's a good idea. I'm afraid that as long as you're in town, we're going to be thrown into each other's company," Richard apologized.

"Well, if that's the worse thing that happens to me while I'm in New York, I think I can deal with it. Are you going to come inside and get this over with, or do I have to deal with the rats on my own?" Olivia saw Richard emerge from the limousine and have a quick word with Bates. Meanwhile, at the table, Lizzy was asking after Richard.

"He's out in the car. He said he had a call to make," William explained. Lizzy's eyes lit up.

"A call? You don't think--?" She turned toward the bar, but Olivia was already on her way back to the table.

"Look who I found," she said brightly, and slid into the chair that Richard held out for her.

"Sorry I'm late, Bright Eyes. I had to call my office," Richard said before Lizzy could ask her question. "You didn't tell me that Olivia would be joining us," Richard remarked casually, although Lizzy found his engaging smile oddly disquieting.

"I...I thought that since you were bringing your best friend, I should bring mine as well," Lizzy managed, and no one at the table, including Lizzy herself, found her explanation convincing. Lunch proceeded fairly well, nonetheless. Any trepidations that Lizzy or Richard felt about having William present quickly dissipated as they shared an order of fried zucchini, a ritual they had indulged in since their first lunch date months earlier.

Throughout the meal, each member of the party surreptitiously observed the others. Lizzy and William focused their attention on Richard and Olivia. William derived some satisfaction in that he saw signs of an attraction on each side, although he felt that each side was being extremely careful not to reveal any sign of interest in the other. Lizzy, however, could discern no sign of any spark between the pair she had decided was fated to be together. Richard observed William; it was very unlike him to go out to lunch and enjoy himself while there was a crisis to be dealt with. Of course, there wasn't much that William could do about the current situation from New York. And then, of course, William never had someone like Lizzy in his life before, and if she diverted him from his workaholic tendencies, then his joining them at lunch was probably a good thing. Richard was rather pleased by the changes that Lizzy had wrought in William, which served to further affirm that he had made the right decision. Still, Richard couldn't shake the notion that William hiding something from him and Richard was determined to figure out what it was.

Olivia noticed that she was being closely watched by Lizzy and William and wondered what they were up to. She began to piece together a conspiracy-- first involving Charles, now with William's assistance--Lizzy had apparently ignored their earlier discussion about not trying to force a connection between her and Richard. Olivia shook her head, drawing the immediate concern of Lizzy and William.

"Don't you like the cioppino? They use less shellfish than some other places, but I think I really prefer it that way," Lizzy offered. "Don't you like yours, William?" William nodded, but he knew that Olivia wasn't shaking her head over the fish stew. His eyes met Olivia's, hers challenging, his slightly apologetic. She arched an eyebrow at him and he shook his own head almost imperceptibly. Olivia turned her gaze on Lizzy, who suddenly became very interested in her pasta.

Lunch ended as it began, with Richard and Lizzy sharing a dish, this time a dish of hazelnut gelato. William and Olivia declined to have dessert, William opting instead for an espresso while Olivia had a latte. William offered the women a lift back to Cherry Blossom. On the short ride back to the office, Lizzy meekly informed William and Richard that Olivia would be doing some work for Cherry Blossom that would extend her visit for a few more days. Richard didn't react to the news, but William asked about the project and asked for Olivia's business card. When they reached Cherry Blossom, Richard helped the women out of the car. Lizzy and William quietly took their leave, but Lizzy found an e-mail from William waiting by the time she had settled in to begin her afternoon's work.

I thought we agreed that you wouldn't interfere in Richard's love life?

I am not interfering in his love life! I just invited a friend to lunch!

Without informing Richard?

I didn't have time. Besides, Richard didn't seem to mind Olivia's presence.

Strange that you didn't find time to tell Richard when you called, especially when he ASKED you if he could invite me.

All right, I lied! But I knew he wouldn't mind if I brought her along.

Olivia didn't seem to be all that thrilled about your little surprise.

Oh, she's fine with it.

Lizzy erased her last entry. There was no point in having William catch her in yet another lie. As she pondered her response, Olivia poked her head into the room. She had a few questions about the project. As Lizzy dug out some file material to answer them, Olivia's eyes wandered to the computer screen. While Lizzy's back was turned, Olivia quietly slipped into Lizzy's seat and typed her own reply to William. Lizzy spun around when she heard the clicking sound at the keyboard, but Olivia hit send before Lizzy's yelp of surprise and lunge across the room.

"What did you write?" Lizzy demanded.

"Ask William!" Olivia laughed as she grabbed the file in Lizzy's hand and headed for the door. Lizzy slid into her seat and was about to look in her sent messages file when William's e-mail arrived. Lizzy quickly clicked on it.

Have at her! Lizzy could use a good lesson!

Lizzy scrolled down to read what Olivia had written.

You'd better try and curb Lizzy's penchant for surprising her friends or she may find herself on the receiving end of a few surprises herself! Lizzy smirked at William's reply. William, meanwhile, was still smiling at Olivia's comment when he shut down his computer and glanced at Richard, who was staring out the window as the limousine headed up Eighth Avenue.

"What's on your mind, Fitz?" William asked. Richard just shook his head. Then, as if changing his mind, Richard turned to his cousin.

"Do you think I'm depressed?" William looked at Richard for a moment.

"Perhaps, a little. What makes you ask? Do you feel depressed?" "I don't know; Charles seems to think that I am." Richard was quiet for a moment. "I don't know." William looked at Richard worriedly. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He made a mental note to consult a psychologist friend of his, hoping that Richard was not about to get worse before he got better.

Olivia kicked off her shoes late Friday night and fell face down on her bed. Committed as she was to her project, she had put in long hours over the past four days working with her exacting and sometimes exasperating client. She would have to put in several hours in the morning if she wanted to have everything done to Mr. Vega's satisfaction before she left town. Olivia had to admit, as she lay there, that she had missed the fast pace and excitement of New York City more than she thought. She had spent the last few days indulging in a fantasy about moving back to New York on a permanent basis, and she now believed that she could be persuaded to move back to the Big Apple, under the right circumstances.

She tried to convince herself that Richard Fitzwilliam would not be a factor in any such decision, but she couldn't seem to shake him from that prominent spot on her list of advantages to being in New York. Olivia had seen him again last night. She had been invited to dine at William's house, an invitation she would have happily declined had William not personally invited her. She knew that her presence in town had seriously cut into Lizzy and William's time together and Olivia have would just as well liked to spend the evening alone quietly in Brooklyn. But William could be as charming as his cousin, and Olivia was eventually talked into going to the Darcy townhouse for a very elegant dinner.

Halfway through Mrs. Reynolds' excellent consommé, Richard appeared unexpectedly, bearing two pints of pistachio Haagen Dazs and looking for Georgiana. His young cousin was out, and in spite of Richard's insistence that he wasn't hungry, Mrs. Reynolds insisted that he join the party for a proper meal. She confiscated the ice cream, and Richard reluctantly shrugged out of his Scottish grandmother's hand-knit sweater and sat down in the place she set for him next to Olivia. Thus began yet another round of observations, as Lizzy and William stole glances at Richard and Olivia, Richard observed William and Lizzy, and Olivia tried to concentrate on her lamb.

Lizzy tried to engage Olivia and Richard in conversation, but to her dismay she could only seem to get them to discuss business. Richard asked about Olivia's project, and Olivia talked about the way in which she liked to organize information on web sites. When Richard learned that Olivia dabbled in computer animation, he and William peppered her with a dozen questions. Richard smiled at Lizzy's frustration, but was otherwise rather subdued throughout dinner. When dessert was brought in, Mrs. Reynolds placed a small fruit tart before each person save Richard, who received a large bowl of pistachio ice cream.

"And that's all you'll be allowed, young man. I'll not have you making a pig of yourself at my table," she whispered as she set down the dish. Richard made a face at her and she stuck her tongue out at him when she thought no one but Richard was looking. Olivia, however, saw the exchange and smiled at Richard. He smiled back, until he noticed that Lizzy was smiling at them from across the table, and he turned his attention to his ice cream. But that smile had stuck with Olivia all evening, and it continued to haunt her even now. She abruptly slammed her fists on the bed.

"Get thee back to Elverson, girl, before you lose it entirely," she whispered as she rolled over. "Oh, @#$%! I just agreed to stay another night to attend Jane and Charles's party!" Olivia rolled back over and spewed a stream of curses into the comforter. Then she calmed herself and got up. "Oh, well. As long as I have to see him again...what should I wear tomorrow night?" she smiled, and headed for the closet.

"May I join you?" Richard looked up and stared blankly for a moment at the attractive woman who had addressed him. A wry smile crept over the edges of his lips.

"Sure, I could use a diversion, Black Widow," he said as he rose gallantly and held a chair for Caroline.

"Stop calling me that! I hate it, when you call me that!" she snapped. Richard reclaimed his seat across from her and apologized, his expression the epitome of sincerity. "Well, aren't you going to offer me a drink?"

"Have a drink, Caroline," Richard smiled, summoning his waiter with a gesture. "Should I offer you some food as well?" Caroline ordered a drink, but claimed she wasn't hungry. She nonetheless managed to scarf down nearly all the French fries on Richard's plate while he answered her questions, much to his displeasure.

"You know, Caroline, there's a reason why they call it fish and chips. You see, the diner--that is, the person who is actually supposed to be eating the meal--me, in this case, is theoretically supposed to get to eat both the fish and--." Caroline put down the fork with which she was carefully extricating the last sliver of potato.

"Must you always be so annoyingly impertinent?"

"Is there any other way to be impertinent?" Caroline sneered at him. "You know, Caroline, I'm not keeping you here." Caroline pouted and asked for another martini. Richard ordered refills for them both.

"I suppose you're here drowning your sorrows," Caroline assayed.

"Really? I thought I was here watching the Knicks game and having half a dinner."

"You know, Richard, if you weren't so gorgeous, I wouldn't even bother speaking to you."

"Just my luck," Richard rolled his eyes.

"You are gorgeous. But you're so...infuriatingly..." Caroline reached over and fingered the dial of Richard's watch. "A Swatch? Richard, why do you wear such things? A man of your wealth and status should be wearing a Rolex." Richard shook his head.

"My favorite cousin gave me that watch, and it tells time just as well as a Rolex." Caroline made a face.

"I suppose the same goes for the rest of your attire," she said with a slight wave at his button down shirt and cords. Richard looked down.

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing, if you were a public school teacher. But you're not a public school teacher. You're a man of wealth and power, a president of an important company." Richard smiled.

"Do you lecture Charles this way?" he asked, knowing that Charles went to work each day similarly attired. Caroline scoffed as she finished her drink.

"I suppose you heard about Jane and Charles," she said after a moment.

"Yes," Richard smiled. "Charles has asked me to be the best man." Caroline smiled suggestively.

"That means that I'll see you at the altar." Richard involuntarily cringed, but Caroline didn't notice. "Jane will probably make me her maid of honor."

"I believe she's asked her sister to play that role, Caroline." Caroline signaled the waiter for refills on their drinks. Richard raised an eyebrow, but he accepted the third beer.

"I guess it's only a matter of time before Lizzy tries to follow in her sister's footsteps."

"Tries? I think it's a foregone conclusion. In fact, if I know William...and I do...Lizzy's days as a single woman are numbered," Richard said, hoisting his glass in mock salute to the absent couple.

"What are you...what are you going to do about it?" Caroline asked, her speech faltering just slightly.

"Do about it? I'm going to sit right here and watch!" Richard exclaimed.

"Surely you don't mean that!" Caroline replied, grasping his arm dramatically.

"Of course I do! Well, no, actually...not right here. But, I do plan to watch," he concluded.

"You mean you're going to just sit there...or wherever...and just let William have her? Aren't you going to even try to get Lizzy back?" Caroline gasped. Richard leaned forward conspiratorially and Caroline leaned in to listen.

"I'm the one who brought them together, remember?" Caroline gasped again. Then she sat back and slapped Richard's shoulder.

"That wasn't very bright, Richard." Caroline paused to finish her martini. "Well, I don't know about you, but I don't intend to let it happen without putting up a fight. William and Lizzy aren't ever going to the altar, if I have anything to say about it." Richard propped his chin and looked into her eyes.

"You want Lizzy, too?" Caroline hit at him again, and Richard laughed when she missed.

"I love William, you know." Richard raised his eyebrows. Caroline raised her glass to order another round of drinks, but Richard shook off the order. "I really love him. He's not at all like you. He's handsome, he's witty...nothing like you. He wouldn't be caught dead in a Swatch. And he's a gentleman," she slurred. "William would give me his fries and he wouldn't whine about it, either."

"He is quite a guy, I'll give you that," Richard smiled. Caroline hit him again, and called the waiter over.

"Where is my drink?" Richard and the waiter exchanged a glance and Richard shrugged. He refused another beer and handed her a fourth martini. Caroline took it, but instead of drinking, she leaned toward Richard and propped her chin. She reached over and brushed her fingers over his hair.

"Why didn't you like me? I chased you for years, you know. You never liked me when I wanted you to. We could have been so good together. We could have been wonderful together, you and me." She smiled, and for a brief second she looked very appealing to Richard, in his slightly inebriated state.

"Nah. It wouldn't have worked: I was obscenely wealthy, you were obscenely mercenary..." Richard winked, but the joke was apparently lost on Caroline. She brightened and sat up.

"I'm wealthy now!" she cried a bit too loudly. "You could have me now. I wouldn't be mercenary, I promise."

"I thought you were in love with William and weren't going to give him up without a fight!" Richard replied, amusement evident in his voice.

"But she...that Lizzy...your Lizzy," she declared, poking him in the chest with her finger, "She's going to try and take him from me and you're going to stand by and let it happen!" Caroline pouted. "Then I'll be all alone. We'll both be all alone," Caroline said sadly, and she reached out and took Richard's hand. He couldn't laugh at that remark. He knew that Caroline wasn't really in love with William, but he understood what it meant to be alone. He'd felt all too alone for several weeks now. He looked at Caroline's small hand in his own and for the first time, found something to empathize with. For all that Richard teased her about her brief marriage, Caroline had buried a husband, and had spent the past year trying to evade the ensuing loneliness. Charles had told Richard about Caroline's bouts of depression after the funeral. Richard suddenly regretted his earlier treatment of Caroline. He called for the check and paid the bill. Then he helped Caroline to her feet and walked her outside.

"Will you see me home?" Caroline asked in a small voice. Richard nodded and hailed a cab. Caroline's apartment was only a few blocks from Richard's. He thought to drop her off and go on to his own place, but by the time he reached her building, Caroline was leaning heavily on him, the alcohol having taken full effect. Richard sighed. He paid the fare and helped Caroline out of the car. He took her up to her apartment, as Caroline murmured to herself about loneliness. Richard had to dig in her purse and find the keys. When they got inside the apartment, he put on a light and drew Caroline over to a sofa. He sat her down, peeled off her coat, removed her boots, and laid her down. Richard thought that Caroline was unconscious when he rose to take his leave, but Caroline suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't leave me, Richard!" she cried desperately. Richard squatted before her and peered into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Stay with me tonight," Caroline answered simply. Richard shook his head and carefully extricated his sleeve from her fingers. He rose and headed for the door, but Caroline got to her feet somewhat unsteadily and made to follow him. Richard turned and looked at her.

"Caroline, let's be honest. You don't want me and I don't want you. At another time in my life, that might not have mattered to me, but..."

"But what? You're saving yourself for Lizzy? She's probably in William's bed right now! And it's all your fault, 'cause you don't have the spine to go after her!" she spat. Richard took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger that suddenly welled up inside of him. "What has she got that I haven't got?" Caroline demanded. Richard's temper snapped.

"William," he said pointedly, and Caroline slapped him. Richard turned to walk toward the door, but Caroline grabbed his arm and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I'm sorry. Don't leave. Please don't leave me." Richard stopped, but he didn't turn around. Caroline moved around so that she was in front of him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Richard allowed the kiss, but when she came up for air, Richard gently pulled her arms away and put them down at her sides.

"No, Caroline. I'm sorry." He continued to the door and pulled it open. He turned back to say goodbye as Caroline, in a drunken rage, picked up the first thing that came into her hand and threw it at him. The last thing that Richard heard was the sound of Caroline screaming.

Georgiana and William rushed to the emergency room, summoned by a drunken and hysterical Caroline. Mrs. Reynolds had rushed into William's bedroom just twenty minutes earlier with the news that Richard was dead, and when he had calmed her sufficiently to hear her whole message, William called Caroline's number and learned that Richard was still very much alive. The paramedic who answered the telephone told him that Richard had been knocked unconscious and was being taken to the hospital for an examination. Richard lay on a gurney in an examination room at Lenox Hill Hospital, where it was quickly determined that he had probably suffered a concussion and needed a few stitches to close the wound on his forehead. The chief resident thought that Richard was receiving an inordinate amount of his staff's attention for a relatively simple injury, but the patient was oblivious to all the interest his presence had created. William and Georgiana found the chief resident who assured them that Richard was probably in no danger, but he wanted to keep him overnight for observation. William went along to see to his admission to the hospital, while Georgiana went to see Richard. He was still unconscious, and a lone nurse was standing over him.

"How is he?" Georgiana asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Dreamy," replied the nurse airily, before she remembered herself and assumed a more professional demeanor. "Oh, are you his girlfriend?" she asked.

"No, I'm his cousin. How is he?" Georgiana repeated patiently.

"Oh, the doctors think he'll be fine, but they're a little concerned about his still being unconscious."

"I think I may have an explanation," said the attractive young doctor who entered the room with a clipboard in her hands. She walked over to Richard and raised an eyelid. She smiled and shook her head. "Are you the next of kin?" she asked, turning to Georgiana.

"I'm his cousin, Georgiana Darcy. Richard's parents are in Connecticut. If you need them--."

"I doubt that will be necessary right now. I think Mr. Fitzwilliam is probably going to be all right, but we'll keep him overnight just to make sure."

"Why is he still unconscious?" the nurse asked.

"Well," the doctor said, looking at the chart. "His blood alcohol level is a bit high, although it's below the legal limit. I'd say your cousin," she said, directing her remark pointedly at Georgiana as the nurse blushed and quickly left the cubicle, "is sleeping off a nice buzz." William entered the examination room.

"Are you Doctor Fields?" William asked. The doctor nodded and William shook her hand. The doctor repeated Richard's prognosis and left to make arrangements for Richard to be moved. Georgiana went over to Richard and kissed his forehead. William was considering calling his aunt and uncle when Caroline entered the room. She lurched toward Richard's gurney, but William grabbed her arm, both to steady her and to stop her progress. Before she could say a word, William had dragged Caroline out into the hall and deposited Caroline in a chair.

"What the heck did you do to him?" he demanded with barely concealed rage. Caroline opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "Well?"

"I don't know," Caroline admitted. "One minute he was being so sweet and the next minute he tried to leave and then the next minute..." Caroline broke into tears, which only served to heighten William's anger. Caroline suddenly went very pale and began to cough. Doctor Fields quickly came over and led Caroline into another cubicle with an arch look at William. He stood by helplessly as he heard Caroline relieving the contents over her stomach. The doctor emerged from the room and went over to William.

"She's in no condition to talk right now," she said. "Aside from all the alcohol she consumed, she is suffering from trauma. Lover's quarrel, you think?" William snorted.

"Not bloody likely. In fact, I can't think of any reason why Richard would ever be in Caroline's apartment."

"Beer goggles," Doctor Fields quipped. William looked at her quizzically. "I hear that if a man drinks enough any woman begins to look good."

"I doubt there's enough beer in New York to make Caroline appealing to Richard," William laughed. Georgiana came out of Richard's cubicle as the orderlies went in to transport Richard to his room. William thanked Doctor Fields and followed the gurney up to Richard's room to see him settled.

"Oh, my goodness! Are they sure he's all right?" Lizzy said into the phone as Jane and Olivia lifted their heads and exchanged a glance. "What hospital is he in?"

"Relax, Lizzy. The doctor thinks he's probably fine, and if history is any teacher, he'll be as right as rain before you know it. In fact, I'll probably be able to bring him home with me this morning," William assured her.

"What about Caroline?" Jane and Olivia put down their forks and listened more closely.

"She went home last night to sleep it off. I think it was all Georgiana could do to keep herself from throttling Caroline on the way to her place."

"Well, I'm glad that Richard's going to be all right. Maybe we should come by your place later to see him," Lizzy suggested, including Olivia in her get well offer. "Call me when you know what's happening."

"What happened?" Jane asked, as Lizzy put down the phone and returned to the table.

"Richard had some sort of altercation with Caroline."

"Caroline?" Jane exclaimed.

"Who is Caroline?" Olivia asked. Lizzy hesitated to tell the story, but Jane and Olivia pressed her.

"As far as William can tell, Richard and Caroline--Charles's sister--were at her apartment," Lizzy began with a wary glance at Olivia. "They were drinking, and--."

"How did he end up in the hospital?" Jane asked. Lizzy looked at Olivia's expressionless face.

"Apparently she hit him." Olivia's eyebrows went up.

"Why?" Jane asked. "You don't think he--." Jane belatedly realized that Olivia was listening and fell silent.

"What are his injuries?" Olivia asked calmly.

"William said he has a concussion. But he had yet to regain consciousness. But William thinks it's likely that Richard will be allowed to go home as soon as he wakes up and gets checked over. I was just suggesting to William that we should go see him later," Lizzy said, trying to put a positive spin on the awkward situation.

"If he has a concussion, I doubt he'll want to see anyone," Olivia said rising. She left the kitchen and headed for the front hall closet.

"Where are you going?" Lizzy cried, following her.

"I have a few hours more work to finish the Vega project," she said calmly. "Call me if you hear anything about Richard," she said and left before Lizzy tried to join her and before the emotions she felt rose to the surface. Olivia walked along to the subway mumbling to herself. Hadn't she been the one to suggest that Richard see other women? What right had she to complain if he took her up on it? She thought she had prepared herself for that likelihood. Olivia had even considered the possibility that Richard might fall for someone else before the December 15th date when he would "officially" be allowed to call her. What she couldn't cope with, however, was what appeared to be an ugly and violent incident between Richard and another woman. Olivia didn't want to believe any of the disturbing scenarios that were flooding her mind as she descended the steps to the train.

Richard opened his blue eyes and looked into Doctor Fields' large brown ones. He blinked and smiled at her. She smiled back as she straightened up and wrote something on her chart.

"Good morning," said the doctor.

"Good morning," Richard replied.

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"Don't you know where I am?" Richard smiled angelically. The doctor rolled her eyes.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"You're in my bedroom...Doctor Fields," Richard said as he painfully lifted his head to read her tag. "Shouldn't you already know who I am?"

"Oh, a wise guy, eh?" Doctor Fields took Richard's pulse.

"If it's a little fast it's because you were the first thing I saw when I woke up," he smiled sweetly.

"Were you like this before you got knocked on the head, Mr. Fitzwilliam, or should I be looking for signs of brain damage?"

"I knew you knew who I was! Are you a psychiatrist?"

"Do you need one?" Doctor Fields raised her eyebrows.

"No, that's pretty normal for Richard," William said from the door. "If he's flirting, smart-alecky, and devastatingly charming, he's probably okay,"

"Well, If those are your standards, I'd say he's in perfect health," Doctor Fields smiled. "But I want to run a few tests just to confirm my diagnosis. If he passes, he's all yours," she said to William as she left the room.

"Where am I?" Richard asked William seriously.

"Lenox Hill. Do you remember what happened last night?" William asked as he sat on the edge of Richard's bed.

"Last night?" Richard's eyes glazed over slightly and he felt a wave of nausea as he tried to sit up. He gave up the effort and lay back down with William's assistance. "The last thing I remember, I was at Bob Creighton's office with Bill Collins working on his system failure." William nodded, trying to mask his concern. Richard needed to get up, and William helped him to the bathroom. While he was there, William went out into the hall and caught Doctor Fields' attention.

"Doctor, Richard doesn't remember anything about his injury." The doctor nodded.

"That's not so unusual." She followed William back into Richard's room, and when Richard was back in bed, she examined his head wound. Richard lay with his eyes closed while she looked him over. Doctor Fields asked Richard to open his eyes and she made a quick check of his vision.

"I've ordered a few tests for you, so someone will come for you in a little while. In the meantime, I want to ask you a few questions. Can you tell me your full name?"

"Richard Anthony Power Fitzwilliam."

"Power?"

"It's a family name."

"All right, Mr. Fitzwilliam. What's the name of your handsome friend here?" Richard looked at William.

"Fitzwilliam Michael Fitzwilliam Darcy."

"Are you kidding?" the doctor asked, with a sheepish glance at William.

"Afraid not," William said.

"And how long have you known him?" Doctor Fields asked, returning her attention to Richard.

"All my life. No, actually, I met him when I was five and visiting England. That's where Fitz spent most of his childhood." Doctor Fields looked to William for confirmation. He nodded.

"You have a female cousin. What's her name?"

"Which one? There's Georgiana, Lucinda, Maeve, Kathleen, Jennifer--."

"That's fine, Mr. Fitzwilliam. What do you do for a living?"

"I am the president of an Internet tech support company."

"Good. What's it called?" Doctor Fields listened to each answer with an eye on William.

"Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam." The doctor put her hand on her hips.

"Now I know you're kidding!" William dug into his wallet and produced a business card.

"I'm the CEO," William confided. The doctor returned the card with an arch look at William.

"How original," she deadpanned. "Okay, Mr. Fitzwilliam. What did you have for Thanksgiving dinner last week?"

"Humble pie," Richard said, closing his eyes at the memory. Doctor Fields looked at William once more. William nodded again.

"It was a particularly awkward family gathering, doctor," William admitted. Doctor Fields waited until Richard opened his eyes again and smiled at him.

"What did you have for lunch yesterday?"

"I didn't have lunch yesterday," Richard replied without missing a beat.

"Dinner, then?"

"I...I don't know."

"What time did you get off work?"

"Late, I think. I can't remember, exactly."

"What's the last thing you can remember?" Doctor Fields carefully observed Richard, who furrowed his brows as he struggled to form an answer. The doctor put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"It sounds as though you have a short-term memory loss. You can remember the past accurately, but the events immediately surrounding your injury are vague. It's not at all uncommon in a blunt head trauma."

"Will I recover my memory?" Richard asked softly.

"I can't say. Sometimes the memory comes back, sometimes it doesn't. You're probably missing just an hour or two of memory, the time immediately prior to the blow."

"In that case, will someone tell me exactly what happened to me?" Doctor Fields looked at William.

"As far as we can tell, Caroline Bingley threw a candlestick at you."

"What was it made of?" Richard asked as he lifted a hand to gingerly touch his stitches.

"Solid brass," William smiled. "And all this time I thought that there was no substance on earth harder than your head." Doctor Fields shook her head and left the cousins to visit, pausing to remind them that Richard was going off to be tested soon.

"All right, cousin, the truth," Richard said when they were alone.

"I've told you the truth," William said.

"But why? And how? Where was I and what made Caroline assault me?" William shook his head.

"Only Caroline can answer that, Fitz," he said.

"In that case, I only have one more question. Did I hit her back?"

Charles let himself into his sister's apartment long before she awoke from the medication Doctor Fields had given her and by the time Caroline crept out of bed and made her way to the living room, Charles had made more than a dozen phone calls.

"What are you doing?" Caroline cried as she saw Charles crossing a name off of Caroline's guest list for the engagement party.

"I'm canceling the party, Carrie. I called about half the list and I've given the rest to Jane."

"But why? I'm fine, Charles," she lied, reaching out blindly for a chair. "All right, I've got a bit of a hangover, but I'm sure I'll be as right as rain by...what?" she asked as her words were met with a stern glare from her brother.

"Okay. If you want to go on with the party, be my guest," he shot back, throwing the guest list onto the table beside her chair. "Jane and I won't be there, so it'll be up to you to explain why Richard's blood is on your carpet and why he's lying in a hospital," Charles hissed, in an intentionally harsh tone. Caroline flinched at his words and covered her mouth as the awful memory came flooding back into her mind. She could hear the dull thud as the candlestick hit Richard's head and a second thud as he hit the ground, lifeless. Caroline had screamed, until a neighbor came running to her aid. He called the police and called for an ambulance and it took some time for Caroline to recover enough of her wits to call William. All the while, as they waited for the ambulance, Richard lay there on the floor, blood slowly seeping from his wound. Her neighbor assured her that the wound was not serious and that head injuries always caused a large blood loss. But Caroline was convinced that she'd murdered her brother's best friend, a man who, had he not rejected her, might have been lying by her side that night. The medication had dulled the ache in her head and finally afforded her a restless sleep. Now, awake, again, the nightmare had returned.

"It was an accident...it was an accident. I never meant to hurt him, Charles, you must know that! It was an accident."

"How does one accidentally hit someone over the head with a candlestick?" Charles snarled.

"I didn't mean to hit him," Caroline replied in a near whisper. "I threw it, but I didn't mean to hit him..."

"Why?" Charles persisted. Caroline covered her mouth again, shook her head and rose and ran to the bathroom.

By the time Richard returned from his tests, Georgiana, Lizzy, and Jane were waiting with William to see him. Lizzy had impulsively decided to go to the hospital when Mrs. Reynolds told her on the phone that Richard had yet to be released. She ignored William's instructions; she wanted to be there for both men, and Jane accompanied her for the same reason. Georgiana arrived at around the same time, with a bag of things for Richard, including a pint of ice cream. Doctor Fields was amused by the fuss that Georgiana and the others made over Richard. She caught William's attention and called him over.

"Don't tell me," William smiled. "You examined Richard's head and found nothing." The doctor smiled back.

"I wish. I'm a little worried about this clot," she paused and led William into a consultation room and put up the x-ray of Richard's head. "See? Right there. It's small, but it bears watching. If it breaks loose and starts floating around at that size your friend could have some very serious complications. I'd like to watch him for another day. I think the clot will break up into harmless bits on its own, but just in case it doesn't I want him here where we can deal with it."

"No offense, but I'd like a second opinion."

"None taken. I've already discussed this with the chief resident, but you can bring in anyone you want." William accepted the doctors' diagnosis and they went to break the news to Richard. They found the patient eating ice cream with his eyes closed.

"Are your eyes bothering you, Mr. Fitzwilliam?" the doctor asked. Richard opened his eyes.

"I wish I could say that seeing two of you is a good thing," he smiled weakly. Doctor Fields removed the container from his hand and leaned over to examine him. When she was done, she suggested that Richard get some sleep.

"I'm sure your little harem will still be here when you wake up," the doctor smiled.

"Oh, they're not mine. Gee is my cousin, Jane is my best friend's fiancee, and Lizzy belongs to Fitz over there," Richard explained with his eyes squeezed shut. The doctor was a bit surprised.

"Where's yours?" she asked. Richard shook his head.

"Doc, you came in here to examine my broken head and you managed to find my broken heart," he said looking at her with soulful eyes. For a full five seconds, Doctor Fields was unable to speak. Finally, she forced herself to move.

"He's good!" she said to William as she left the room shaking her head. William shook his head as well. Doctor Fields had no way of knowing that Richard was only half-joking.

Olivia put the Vega project to bed and straightened up her workspace. She checked her watch twice as she did so; Charles had said he'd come by and sign off on the final product. It was nearly 3:00 p.m. and he was nowhere in sight. Olivia didn't have Charles's cell phone number so she dialed Lizzy's.

"Where are you, Livy?" Lizzy asked from the library at William's house, where the four had retired for lunch, since it was so nearby.

"I'm still at Cherry Blossom. Have you heard from Charles today? He said he'd come by, but I haven't seen or heard from him. Neither has Mina or Roger."

"He's probably with his sister." Olivia took a breath.

"How is Richard?"

"He's in a lot of pain. They've decided to keep him at the hospital another day."

"Is that where you are?" Olivia asked.

"I'm at William's. It's not far from the hospital and we came over for lunch while Richard gets some rest. Why don't you come up? By the time you reach the hospital we'll be back there and Richard will probably be awake." Great, Olivia thought. But she had no reason to refuse to go, and she was concerned for Richard's welfare. She wrote down the directions to the hospital and arrived a half hour later. Doctor Fields was leaving for the day as Olivia approached Richard's room.

"Is she his girlfriend?" the doctor asked William.

"Not yet," William smiled as he thanked the doctor and bade her farewell. Richard was still sleeping when Olivia entered the room. Georgiana and Lizzy were sitting with him, sharing a copy of The New York Times. Georgiana nudged Lizzy as Olivia entered and they both rose and left the room. Richard opened his eyes, awakened by the slight bustle that accompanied their hasty departure.

"You came," he said softly, without looking toward Olivia. Richard put a hand over his eyes, and Olivia instinctively went to turn off the lamp on the far side of his bed. As she did so, the door opened again and Caroline entered.

"Richard!" she cried and rushed to his side. She clutched his arm with one hand and stroked his hair with the other. "Are you all right, darling? I'm so sorry. I should never have let things get out of hand." Richard stared at Caroline blankly. Olivia, meanwhile, wished she could disappear. She was obviously in the midst of a scene she should not bear witness to, nor have any interest in. She shut off the lamp and started to move quietly toward the door. Richard turned his head toward her, but the throbbing in his head made his reactions slow and painful. As Olivia came around the bed, Caroline noticed Olivia out of the corner of her eye and picked up the bouquet of flowers she had dropped on the bed.

"Put these in some water, will you?" Caroline ordered as she thrust the bouquet at Olivia without a look. Olivia could not help but accept the flowers. She glanced at Richard, who was trying to lift his head. Olivia took the flowers and left the room hastily. Richard dropped his head and closed his eyes.

"Get out," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"What?" asked Caroline.

"Get out!" he shouted as loudly as he could manage, which was much louder than he thought. "I don't want you near me, I don't want to see you, and I don't want your @#$%^%&^ flowers. Get out!" Caroline recoiled at the vehemence of his tone and backed out of the room. Neither William nor the others, who were congregating at the end of the hall, had seen Caroline enter the room, but William saw Olivia leave the room and pause outside Richard's door, seemingly confused, as he heard Richard shout. William dashed toward the room. He couldn't understand why Richard would be yelling at Olivia like that and he was about to ask her what had happened when Caroline came barreling out of his room. She collided with William.

"There! He did it again! I came here to apologize for our little misunderstanding last night and he turned on me again!" Caroline cried, then she stalked off, brushing past Lizzy, Jane, and Georgiana, who had all come in response to the commotion. Olivia looked at William, who gave her a reassuring look and went into the room.

"Are you okay?" William put a hand on Richard's shoulder. Richard had his hands over his eyes. Even before William could summon assistance, the chief resident came into the room to examine Richard. He ordered everyone away and ordered complete rest for his patient. Outside the room, Lizzy tried to ask what had happened, but Olivia just handed her the flowers and told Lizzy she would be back at the house if she were needed.

"Aren't you going to stay and see Richard?" Lizzy called after her.

"Richard won't be seeing anyone else today," William said as he came out of his cousin's room. "Doctor's orders." Lizzy looked at the departing Olivia helplessly. She started to go after her, but William held her arm. He exchanged a glance with Jane, who nodded and ran to catch up with Olivia at the elevator.

"I've got my car," Jane said. "I'll give you a lift." Olivia accepted it gratefully. When they were well away from the hospital, she told Jane what had happened.

"Don't be swayed by anything you see or hear from Caroline," Jane reassured her. "She may be Charles's baby sister, but I wouldn't trust her word over Richard's."

"He didn't say anything," Olivia replied as she stared at her gloved fingers. "I mean...well, he didn't offer any explanation. Not that I'm entitled to one," she admitted.

"I'm sorry, Livy," Jane said helplessly. The pair fell quiet. When they reached the house, Olivia went up to her room and began to pack her bags. When she was done, she threw herself on the bed, feeling completely miserable. A tumult of emotions vied for her attention. Hurt, disappointment, disgust--Olivia fought hard to temper those impulses with patience, calm, and trust in her instincts about Richard. She thought back to that night when his kiss had sparked a small flame that she had since carried deep inside, shuttered against those who might try and exploit it for their own ends. And since that night, Olivia had nurtured a hope that someday she and Richard might...Olivia sat up and shrugged off those thoughts. She was very uncomfortable with where her heart was leading her head, of late. It was very unlike her to get so carried away with her emotions. No, it wouldn't do to start dreaming of Richard. Not now, at least. She'd go home and wait until the 15th. After all, it was only thirteen days away. She could hold out that long, Olivia sighed. Thirteen days-Richard's kiss had provided enough fuel to keep the flame alive until then. After that, she didn't care to speculate.

Georgiana raced down the stairs and threw herself into the arms of her uncle. Kathleen Fitzwilliam walked past her into the front parlor, where Jane, William and Lizzy sat staring somewhat dejectedly into the fire. William rose to his feet and hugged his aunt.

"Did you see him?" he asked.

"Only for a few minutes," Kathleen answered, as she slipped out of her mink coat and handed it to Mrs. Reynolds. "The doctor didn't want him disturbed, but he was awake when we went in and we talked to him," she continued, as she took a seat.

"He looked dreadful," Hugh Fitzwilliam grumbled, as he entered the room with Georgiana draped on his arm. "But the doctor seemed to think he'd recover rather quickly once he got a little rest."

"He's had a trying twenty-four hours," William acknowledged.

"You will bring him back here when he's released from the hospital, won't you? We were going to cancel our trip to Los Angeles tomorrow, but Richard insisted that we go ahead with our plans. I don't like the idea of him being home all alone, though," Richard's mother worried. William assured her that Richard would be entrusted to the capable Mrs. Reynolds as soon as he was released the hospital. Kathleen belatedly greeted Lizzy and Jane, apologizing for her poor manners.

"There's no need to apologize; we're all concerned about Richard," Lizzy readily forgave her.

"Where's Olivia?" Kathleen asked, looking around. "I thought she'd be here with you. Richard asked for her." William and Lizzy exchanged a glance.

"She's at my place in Brooklyn. She had to work today and was a bit tired," Lizzy explained as Hugh claimed a seat near William's.

"What do you make of this whole incident? Charles's sister hit him, you said?"

"Richard said he couldn't remember what happened," Kathleen put in.

"Well, I certainly want to get to the bottom of this," Hugh growled.

"You and me both," Georgiana added from her place beside her aunt.

"I assure you, I intend to investigate this matter fully," said William. The doorbell rang, and a minute later, Charles entered the room. Kathleen and Hugh greeted Charles somewhat awkwardly.

"How is Richard?" Charles inquired as he sought a seat beside his fiancée. "I went by the hospital but they wouldn't let me see him." Kathleen reported that her son was resting comfortably.

"Did Caroline tell you anything?" William's mind craved answers to the many questions that Caroline's performance at the hospital had inspired in his mind. But Charles shook his head.

"She didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, except that she threw the candlestick at him not intending to hit him, if you can believe that. She wouldn't say anything else about it." He looked at Richard's parents. "Believe me, I tried everything I could think of to wring the truth out of her."

"Let me get a hold of her," Georgiana muttered, and Kathleen took hold of her hand.

"Hush, child. More violence won't accomplish anything." She turned to William. "Isn't there anyone else who might be able to shed some light on this?" William thought for a second.

"Yes, there is. Would you excuse me for a minute?" He slipped out of the room and went into the library and sat down to his computer. He called up the Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam personnel directory and began a search. In the living room, Charles tried to think of some way to help. He snapped his fingers.

"I can try and talk to the night doorman in Carrie's building. I can't imagine that Richard would go to Caroline's apartment without a good reason. What if they were out somewhere and Richard brought her home? If they'd been drinking..."

"She was drunk as a skunk! You should have seen her at the hospital," Georgiana cried.

"All right, then; if she was drunk, Richard would have seen her home safely. That makes sense," Lizzy said. Charles nodded.

"But where did he find her?" In the library, William was trying to answer that question. He ran his finger down the screen and stopped at William Collins. William reached for the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" an elderly female voice answered.

"Good evening. I'm trying to locate William Collins," William began. Before he could continue however, the woman called her son in a tone so shrill that William had to hold the phone a foot from his ear. He could hear the smoker's hacking cough as she urged him to hurry. A few moments later, Bill Collins picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Mr. Collins. This is William Darcy."

"Mr. Darcy? Good evening, sir. Good evening. What can I do for you?" Collins replied obsequiously.

"Collins, I need your help again. I--."

"Whatever you need, sir. I always happy to be of use."

"Uh, yes. Thank you. Mr. Fitzwilliam has had an accident. Nothing too serious, but he'll be in the hospital for a few days."

"Oh dear! Should I go to the hospital? Where is he?" Collins gushed.

"No, no, that won't be necessary. In fact, he isn't even being allowed visitors at the moment," William added, grateful for Richard's sake. "Mr. Fitzwilliam--."

"We're on a first-name basis, sir," Collins informed him. William rolled his eyes.

"All right, then...Richard's accident is a bit of a mystery. He's suffered a concussion, but no one seems to be able to tell us how it happened."

"Holy Hannah! Where did they find him?"

"Collins!" William growled, his patience failing, "When did you last see Richard?"

"After work. We were in the field doing an investigation of a system failure. Seems some disgruntled employee who got fired for spending all his time looking at sex sites on the web left a nasty little virus as a going away present. Not too sophisticated. The guy was a rank amateur. We flagged it as a cheap knockoff of something that was fairly popular about four years ago. But their MIS guy thinks he knows everything and doesn't call us in right away, so by the time--."

"Collins! When did you last see him?" William repeated through gritted teeth.

"After work--like I just said. It was around eight, and we were both pretty beat. He wanted to have a beer and get something to eat, but I had to get home to... Well, I had the company van, so I dropped him off on 82nd and Second. I--."

"Thank you, Mr. Collins," William interrupted. "You've been a big help," he said as he absentmindedly hung up on the man who was still speaking. William quickly ran the names of several restaurants in the area through his mind on his way back to the front parlor.

"Well?" Hugh asked, as William returned with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

"I believe I may have a lead."

"Well, what is it?" Georgiana asked impatiently. William sat down beside Lizzy and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Richard was dropped off on 82nd Street and Second Avenue by one of his employees last night. If I know Richard, he went to that new sports bar for a bite to eat before going home."

"That's a start, but where did he pick up Caroline? She wouldn't be caught dead in a place like that," Jane blurted out. She looked at Charles a bit sheepishly, but he agreed.

"It's definitely not her style," he nodded.

"Well, maybe he left there and met up with her somewhere else," Lizzy suggested.

"Richard's not the barhopping type; he likes to go to a place, get comfortable, and settle in. Besides, Collins said he was tired. I'll look further into this tomorrow," William promised. The conversation shifted to a less unsettling topic, and Lizzy took the opportunity to ask Jane about Olivia. Jane didn't reveal what Olivia had confided to her in the car.

"She made something to eat and said she'd probably watch a little TV and retire early. She also called Amtrak and made a reservation for the trip home tomorrow."

"Oh, is she returning for Pennsylvania? Do you think she might have time to see Richard before she goes? He seemed to be a bit worried about her," Kathleen commented.

"Why?" Charles asked.

"Caroline came to the hospital and there was a scene between her and Richard. Olivia was in the room at the time," William revealed. Charles shook his head, as did Kathleen. Georgiana snorted her disgust and rose and walked out of the room. William glanced at her departing figure, but Kathleen reclaimed his attention.

"Oh, I do hope that there was no misunderstanding." Her natural instinct for diplomacy prevented her from saying what she wished to say about Caroline, but she asked Lizzy again if she might persuade Olivia to go to the hospital in the morning. "Even if it's just for a few minutes. I think it would make Fizz feel better."

"Fizz?" Jane and Lizzy said in unison.

"Only his mother calls him that," William warned.

Georgiana walked out into the front hall and grabbed her coat and bag from the closet. She opened the door to the townhouse as quietly as possible and gingerly closed it behind her. She put on her coat. She had forgotten her hat, but she didn't scruple to go back for it. She turned up her collar and walked over to Madison Avenue and hailed a cab.

She directed the driver to stop in front of a restaurant called Casey's. She got out, took a deep breath and entered the restaurant. When a waiter approached and asked if she wanted a table, Georgiana said she was meeting some friends.

"It's a couple. Richard is tall, my coloring, very handsome...you know the All-American type. Caroline is also tall, really thin, dark hair and eyes, pretty, always dressed in black with some outlandish piece of jewelry...I don't think they're here yet," she dissembled, pretending to scan the room. The waiter shook his head.

"There hasn't been anyone in here tonight who would answer that description, miss. But you know, last night there was a couple just like that here. In fact, you described them to a tee."

"Last night?" Georgiana feigned surprise.

"Yeah. I didn't think they were a couple, though. The guy came in alone and he was here for some time before the lady showed up," confided the talkative waiter. Georgiana's beauty was enough to make him spill all he could remember. "She showed up about twenty minutes, a half hour later. She refuses a table and sidles up to his. I thought...excuse me if she's your friend or anything, but I thought she was trying to pick him up. The lady was definitely on the prowl. She talked him into buying her a drink. She was all over him."

"That's Caroline all right. And they were here last night?" Georgiana whined as she made a show of digging out her appointment book and looking at her calendar.

"Yeah. They had a few drinks...she had more than a few, I'd say...then they left. He had to help her out." Georgiana smiled weakly.

"She does love to party. And you're right. I was supposed to meet them last night. I wonder why they didn't call me?"

"Well if you ask me," the waiter said sotto voce, "They weren't interested in having any other company when they left, if you get my drift." Georgiana smiled and backed out of the restaurant, disgusted by what she'd heard. She would not allow herself to even consider the possibility that what the waiter said might be true. Richard wouldn't...he was destined for Olivia. And he'd always had a rather low opinion of Caroline. Everyone knew it, even Caroline herself. It was impossible!

She pulled up her collar once more and decided to walk to Caroline's building, harboring no illusion that she would be able to get the doorman at her building to cooperate so readily. She stopped and examined the contents of her wallet. She could manage a reasonable bribe, she guessed. But she knew that in going to Caroline's building she faced the risk of encountering the subject of her inquiry. Perhaps she should leave it to Charles.

"Or maybe I should just march right up to her apartment and confront her myself," Georgiana muttered. "I want answers now!" She picked up the pace when she reached the block on which Caroline's building was located. As she entered the lobby she encountered an incredible stroke of luck. The night doorman was speaking to one of the maintenance men about the incident on the previous night.

"Yeah, she obviously had a few in her. He had to help her out of the cab, for Pete's sake! Guy says he's just gonna help her upstairs and see her to her door. Next thing I know, there's an ambulance pulling up out front and the same guy's being wheeled off with a lump on his head the size of a walnut!"

"Was he some one you'd seen before?" The doorman shook his head.

"Definitely a new one--clean cut, nice clothes--he might just have been a Good Samaritan helping her out of a jam."

"Then what do you think happened up there?" That was exactly what Georgiana wanted to know. But the doorman noticed her then, and the maintenance man walked away.

"I'm looking for Sophia Knightley," Georgiana smiled, picking a name out of the air.

"We don't have any tenants named Knightley, ma'am," the doorman replied.

"Oh." Georgiana looked at her trusty appointment book once more. "Is this 335 East 72nd Street?"

The doorman told her that she was in the wrong building and that number 335 was three doors away. Georgiana smiled and departed, with no hard facts, but enough information to give her heart some ease. She hailed a cab and was home in minutes. She slipped into the house, where she practically walked into William.

"Where have you been?" he asked suspiciously. "Aunt Kathy and Uncle Fitz left a few minutes ago. They wanted to say goodbye to you before they left for California."

"I had an errand to run," she replied somewhat defensively. "I'll call them at home, later." She pulled off her coat and followed William, who was on his way to the dining room, where Lizzy, Jane, and Charles were waiting. Georgiana slid into a chair next to Charles, who was trying to come up with a strategy for tracking down the truth behind what happened between Caroline and Richard.

"It's not as though Caroline doesn't know what happened. But I do believe that she was really traumatized by the incident. Maybe she'll have a clearer head in a day or two. I'll keep after her while you check out the restaurant angle." William nodded as he passed a glass of wine to Jane.

"Has anyone checked in on Richard?" Georgiana asked as she unfolded her napkin. Mrs. Reynolds came in and placed a plate before her.

"I called the hospital a little while ago. The nurse there said he was sleeping comfortably," Mrs. Reynolds reported. Georgiana smiled at the housekeeper, but she dug into the simple Saturday night fare--roast chicken, garlicky mashed potatoes, and green beans--with little enthusiasm. William noticed her somber expression.

"Gee? Are you okay?" Georgiana nodded. Charles put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. She sighed and put her fork down.

"Will, I...I went to Casey's. I mean, when I went out just now, that's where I was. And I went to Caroline's building, too," she confessed, with another glance at Charles. William opened his mouth. "I just wanted some answers," she asserted defiantly before he could speak.

"What did you find out?" William asked, impressed by his young sibling's initiative.

"Well, not much. The waiter at Casey's said that Richard came into the restaurant alone and Caroline joined him sometime after that. He didn't seem to be expecting her. She joined him, they had a few drinks," Georgiana looked cautiously at Charles, "And then they left. The waiter said that Richard had to help her out. I overheard the doorman telling someone that Richard and Caroline arrived at her place in a cab and told him that he was just going to see Caroline to her apartment. What happened after that, God only knows."

"Nice work, Gee." William said. He sat back and sipped he wine, deep in thought. He recalled Caroline's words to him at the hospital. What was she talking about? William was determined to find out.

Olivia selected a recording of Puccini arias from Lizzy's CD rack and slipped it into the compact disk player in the guest room. She went into the bathroom and ran a hot bath, into which she tossed a few drops of aromatherapy oil. Olivia lit the votive candles on the windowsill and, turning off the light, shrugged out of her clothes and slipped into the tub. She lay back and inhaled deeply.

Richard, meanwhile, pretended to sleep while the nurse checked his vital signs. As soon as she left, Richard slowly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and rose to his feet. His head still throbbed, but he found the pain to be quite bearable. He went to the small closet where Georgiana had placed all his personal effects and dug into his jacket pocket for his cell phone. He made his way over to the chair by the window and eased himself down. He found the number he was seeking and hit the dial button.

Olivia didn't hear her cell phone until the third ring. She briefly considered getting out of the tub to answer it, but the ringing stopped even before could come to a decision. She enjoyed another ten minutes in the tub and returned to her room twenty minutes later in her flannel pajamas. After going down to the kitchen for a cup of tea, Olivia slipped into bed with the latest issue of Gourmet magazine. Nearly a half hour passed before she remembered the phone. She reached for it from the nightstand and hit the call back button. Lizzy answered the phone.

"Hi, Olivia. I was just checking in to see how you were doing."

"I've had a hot bath, I've got something good to read, and a cup of tea. I'm all set for the night."

"Good. I'll be home soon."

"Lizzy, you don't have to come home on my account. Stay with William if you want to," Olivia urged.

"But you're leaving tomorrow! I want to spend some time with you before you go."

"Lizzy, if you come home now, I can almost guarantee you'll spend some time watching me sleep."

"Well, I'd be there with you tomorrow morning," Lizzy insisted.

"You just want my pancakes!" Olivia accused.

"Maybe...Olivia, Richard's parents came down from Connecticut this evening. They saw Richard and they said that he asked for you." Olivia wasn't sure how Lizzy expected her to answer that, so she said nothing. "Kathleen particularly asked me if you planned on seeing him tomorrow."

"I thought he wasn't to have any visitors," she reasoned, uncertain she was up to facing him again.

"That was just for today," Lizzy explained. "Kathleen seemed to think he was worried about you."

"Worried about me?" Olivia repeated. Lizzy ran her fingers through William's hair, as she summoned her courage to broach the subject of the incident in Richard's room. William looked up at her from where his head rested in her lap. He, too, was curious as to exactly what had transpired, but he was loath to press Richard for an explanation.

"Are you mad at him?" Lizzy asked gently.

"Why should I be mad at him?" Olivia answered a bit too hastily, belying her ambivalence.

"What happened between you two?" Lizzy prodded.

"Nothing. I'm not even sure that Richard knew I was there. I went in and he was lying there, very still. He said something, but I don't know whether he was talking to me or just mumbling to himself. He seemed to be reacting to the brightness of the room so I went to turn off the lamp. That's when she...Caroline, I guess...came in. I tried to leave as discretely as possible, and just as I left the room, I heard Richard explode. You know the rest."

"What did she say that set him off like that?" Lizzy wondered, half to herself. William sat up to better hear Olivia's reply.

"I don't know really...something about being sorry for letting things get out of hand. I was really trying not to listen; I'm not sure I want to know what went on between them..." Olivia ran a hand through her still-damp hair.

"I'm sorry, Livy."

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, but I've been doing everything under the sun to bring the two of you together," she paused as her eyes met William's, "I can't help feeling like I set you up for this."

"You did no such thing. No one did. Richard and Caroline are two consenting adults, Lizzy. They're free to do whatever they want to."

"Caroline wasn't free to assault Richard! Whatever they might have been about, Richard didn't consent to that. Listen, Livy. Richard specifically asked for you, so he must have known that you were there and what you saw. Why don't you go and see him tomorrow? I'm asking this as Richard's friend, not as your overzealous matchmaker. Will you at least consider it?"

"I'll consider it. No I won't," Olivia promptly reversed herself. "I tell you what--."

"But Livy!" Lizzy cried.

"I tell you what," Olivia repeated. "Why don't you spend the night at William's and come home tomorrow for breakfast. I'll make pancakes for both of you and then we'll all go see Richard." Lizzy relaxed and smiled.

"You've got a deal."

"Sweet dreams, you two," Olivia said, and hung up the phone.

Richard was awakened by the nurse who came in to check up on him some time later. She led him to his bed and tried to take the phone from his hand, but he wouldn't release it.

"I need to try one more time. I keep getting a busy signal."

"Mr. Fitzwilliam, it's after midnight. You can't call anyone now!" said the nurse as she pried the phone from his hand. Richard watched as she put in the nightstand drawer. When she left the room, Richard stretched out his arm and retrieved the phone. He hit the redial button.

Olivia grabbed for the phone blindly, jolted out of a sound sleep by the high-pitched ring. The phone eluded her and fell to the floor. Olivia cursed and switched on the light. After kicking the phone twice and fumbling to retrieve it, she finally uttered a breathless hello. But all she heard on the other end of the line was silence.

Continued In Next Section