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Feeling any better?

Yes, I had a nap and a hot bath...

Olivia erased the last three words.

Yes, I had a nap and I felt so much better that Lizzy and I went ahead and made the butter cookies.

Without me?

Afraid so.

I think that even I saw enough cookies today to last me a while!

I know I certainly did. (whew!) Can you believe that Olivia makes that many cookies by herself every Christmas? She always bakes cookies for her friends. In fact, I think she makes most of her Christmas presents every year. I can't make anything.

I beg to differ: You make me very happy.

I love you!

Then why haven't you bought me a Christmas present?

So will I get to taste those, too?

I suppose. I'm bringing some to your parents' house. By the way, will there be another large gathering at your house?

Small, by our standards--the evil twins, their spouses and children, Uncle Stewart, Aunt Marjorie and his sons, mom, dad, Grandma Bess, me, and the seven of you staying at William's house.

You call that small?

Only twenty? Yes!

And am I going to be in for another trial by fire?

I'd be lying if I said that I could guarantee you an easy time. If that doesn't make you run back to Elverson screaming right this minute, my suggestion is that we should just set a date, accept congratulations, and smile a lot!

I think that's a terrible idea!

Do you want to spend Christmas day repeatedly explaining yourself to people who aren't at all interested in the truth?

Why should I have to lie if they won't believe me anyway?

I have two words for you: Uncle Stewart. Olivia shuddered at the memory of his bone-jarring hug.

August 18th.

I did get you a present!

Really? What is it?

You'll find out on Christmas day.

That's not for a whole week yet!

You'll live, trust me.

Will I like it?

You'd better!

Why August 18th?

Why not?

Does that date have some special significance for you?

Other than it being the day I'm not going to marry you, no.

(Gasp!) You cut me to the quick! (Again!)

Olivia arrived at the Darcy Building on Monday afternoon to attend a hastily arranged meeting with a few of the principals involved in the Cook's Companion project. They were all likely to meet again at the DARCO party on Tuesday, but at the last moment, William decided that it might be best if he could properly introduce Olivia in a more formal setting. William met Olivia in his office and escorted her into the conference room. He made a brief presentation to the assembled group, and distributed folders containing duplicates of the information Olivia had given him, including her resume and preliminary concept paper. He then introduced Olivia to the Vice President in charge of the DARCO Division of the Darcy Corporation, the lead software engineer on the project, two or three other engineers and designers, and Lily Church, the head of public relations. Most of the project team was impressed by Olivia's credentials; however, Lily was quick to point out what she perceived as a major shortcoming.

"But who is she, William? What has she done? We should have gone for name recognition. We need a professional to be the lead on this project. She's going to be very difficult to promote," Lily said, dismissively tossing down the folder. William bristled, and Olivia did a not so slow burn.

"I am a professional, Ms. Church. My resume speaks for itself!" Olivia glanced at William and fell silent, afraid that she had spoken out of turn, but William took up her cause. He slowly rose and began to amble about the room as he explained his decision.

"You're right, Lily. I could have gone for name recognition. I could have gotten any number of chefs to put their stamp on the Cook's Companion project." William stopped and leaned on the table, his gaze fixed on the mature woman in the bright red suit. She had been with the Darcy Corporation for over five years. She was a difficult woman to work with, but William respected her talent. He also usually respected her opinion, but he was not to be gainsaid in this case.

"If I just wanted a computer with a chef's name on it, I could simply have had Ed here crank out a machine and slap some stickers on it. But I didn't want just another computer; I want to create an indispensable tool for professional and amateur chefs, caterers, and event planners. And that, Lily, doesn't take name recognition. That takes talent. That takes a certain perspective. And Olivia Crenshaw has both. She has the sensibility of a talented chef and the technical expertise to create a product that really works."

"That's all well and good, William," Lily boldly countered. "But who's going to buy a computer just because Olivia Crenshaw designed it?"

"Anyone who tries it," Olivia said before William could open his mouth. "A good product speaks for itself, and I'll see to it that the Cook's Companion does just that." Lily shut her mouth and averted her eyes, momentarily flustered by the woman's bold counter-offensive. Olivia glanced up at William and he winked at her. She had handled herself well in the face of her sternest critic. But he could see that Olivia's hands were trembling, so he broke up the meeting and suggested that the lead software engineer, Ed Ferrars, show Olivia to her office. William, meanwhile, retreated to his own office and made a mental assessment of the meeting and its outcome.

"Here, Miss Crenshaw," Ed said, showing Olivia into a small, comfortable office on the 38th floor.

"It's Olivia, and thank you," she said. Her New York office was the antithesis of her office at home. It was uncluttered and somewhat austere. A DARCO computer system sat on one arm of the L-shaped desk, which was otherwise barren, as were the shelves on the opposite wall.

"We'll be sending some things over...manuals and the like...they'll give an idea of some of the technical specs. We don't expect you to make much of them, but Mr. Darcy wants you to have the whole picture. If there's anything else you want or need, my office is two doors down on the left." Ed left Olivia to her own thoughts. She closed the door and collapsed into her chair. She leaned back and closed her eyes. She let her anger show then, murmuring oaths at Lily Church, for openly questioning her abilities, and herself, for rising to the bait. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She was startled by a soft knock on the door. She quickly found her voice and invited her visitor in.

"Lizzy! You're early."

"Charles let me leave a little early so I could pick up something for William. I lied and told him that I already bought his present, so I had to go shopping and get something to ease my conscience. Will told me where I could find you." Lizzy did a slow turn, taking in the office. "Nice...empty, but nice. And look at the size of that window!" Olivia just sat and watched Lizzy admire the view. She felt drained, but after a few moments, rallied herself and prepared to go down to the Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam party. She checked her face in her compact, and she slipped out of her blazer to reveal a little black sheath dress. Lizzy smiled approvingly and together they headed to the fifteenth floor.

Part 11

When the two women entered the reception room, done up for the occasion as a winter wonderland, they instinctively looked for their respective men. Lizzy saw William in a corner speaking with a woman off to one side of the room. Richard, wearing a bright red baseball cap emblazoned with the F/F logo, was in the middle of the room amid several of his employees. Richard saw the two women and waved them over.

"So how did it go?" Danielle asked. William shook his head.

"I'm afraid I overestimated Lily's social skills. She didn't even wait until she had finished reading Olivia's resume before she went on the offensive. But, I have to admit, Olivia handled her well; in fact, she managed to render Lily mute...for the moment, anyway."

"Now that issomething," Danielle smiled. But William looked less than pleased.

"Things didn't go as I had planned. I knew that Lily would have objections, but I had expected her to have the decency to wait until after the meeting."

"But I thought you were counting on Lily's disapproval. Maybe the shock of her blatant objections will make your next step even easier."

"I hope so, Danielle." William spotted Lizzy making her way across the room and brightened. "Come with me. There's someone I'd very much like for you to meet." He headed in Lizzy's direction with Danielle in his wake. Lizzy saw William coming and diverted from her original direction. Olivia continued toward Richard, only to find herself unexpectedly accosted by a stranger.

"Good evening madam. Bill Collins at your service." He offered his hand, but Olivia chose not to notice. She merely smiled politely. "May I get you a drink, my dear?" he wheezed.

"No...thank you, but would you mind getting off my foot?" Olivia smiled through gritted teeth. Collins removed the offending foot and Olivia began to move on. But she felt her arm being held back. She spun around.

"You aren't going to escape me so easily," Matt Fitzwilliam smiled.

"Hello, Matt," Olivia said, trying to gently extricate her arm. Matt kept a firm grip on it, much to her displeasure.

"You got away from me last week, but I have no intention of letting you escape this time."

"How interesting. I've never been taken hostage at a party before," Olivia deadpanned. She glanced in Richard's direction. He was still surrounded by people, but he seemed to be watching her. Olivia knew that he could not see Matt's grip on the lower part of her arm. "How are you, Matt?" Olivia continued, shifting her feet and sighing.

"I'm pretty good. But I'm still disappointed that you never returned my e-mail."

"I did...oh, never mind. I'm sorry I didn't return your e-mail. Will you let go of my arm now?" Olivia continued to smile, but her eyes flashed dangerously. Matt loosened his grip but didn't release her.

"I'll forgive you if you agree to have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"I have plans for tomorrow night."

"Wednesday, then?" Olivia shook her head.

"I have a date." Olivia glanced at Richard again, and Olivia could see a storm brewing in his handsome features. Olivia tried to pull her arm away, but Matt laughed and taunted her.

"Ah, ah, ah! I'm not letting you go until you agree to go out with me."

"You'll let her go right now," William said from behind Matt, who immediately dropped Olivia's arm. "Matt, Darcy Corporation's policy on sexual harassment is quite explicit on the subject of how employees should comport themselves. I suggest you read it first thing tomorrow." William's voice was low but menacing. Olivia silently thanked William with her eyes, and allowed him to lead her away without waiting for Matt to apologize. He brought Olivia over to where he had left Lizzy and Danielle talking.

"Danielle Lewis, I'd like you to meet Olivia Crenshaw, whom I've just contracted to do the concept design for the Cook's Companion." Olivia and Danielle shook hands. Olivia thought she recognized her.

"I saw you last week, I believe, in Richard Fitzwilliam's office," she smiled.

"Danielle is the chief financial officer at Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam," William explained.

"She's also the unofficial company deejay," Richard added, as he appeared at Olivia's side. He was smiling, but he gave Olivia a questioning look. Olivia shrugged. William saw the exchange and looked across the room at Matt, who was talking with a few F/F employees. He would have to have a talk with Matt, later.

As president of Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam, Richard felt obligated to circulate among his guests. So after only a few minutes of conversation, he began to think about moving on. Richard prided himself on the fact that he not only knew each of the 25 employees in the New York office on a first-name basis, he knew most of their families as well. Richard shot a look across the room at his cousin Matt, who was heading in Richard's general direction. Richard surreptitiously took hold of Olivia's hand and took her with him as he continued to make his rounds. When he reached Bill Collins and introduced Olivia as his date, Olivia was forced to admit that she had already made his acquaintance. Collins immediately apologized to Richard for hitting on his girlfriend.

"I was under the impression that you were dating Lizzy Bennet, but I see you've moved on to something better. Oh, well, we F/F men seem to have similar tastes in women. We always find ourselves around the prettiest women in the room." Richard quickly moved away, and waited until he was out of earshot to begin laughing at the distasteful expression on Olivia's face. He was still laughing when Matt appeared, brandishing a red baseball cap identical to the ones he and Richard were wearing.

"Why aren't you properly attired?" he asked Olivia. The hat he held out bore the F/F logo on the front and the words "Ho, Ho, Ho!" on the back embroidered in green thread. Matt smiled at Olivia, but she didn't return it. In fact, she rather wished he'd disappear so she could spend some quiet time with Richard.

"Look," Matt said, when he saw her expression, "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean any harm."

"What did you do to her?" Richard demanded. Olivia was taken aback by the tone of his voice.

"Nothing, Richard. It was nothing." She forced herself to smile at Matt, who took her smile as a signal to place the cap on her head. Olivia instinctively flinched as he approached, and at the same moment, Richard pulled another cap from his pocket.

"She already has one." Again, Olivia looked askance at Richard. She wanted no part of whatever was going on in his head.

"Thank you," Olivia managed. "Both." She took the two hats. "I think I'll go try the buffet," she added in a tone that warned both men not to follow her. Richard and Matt glared at each other for the briefest second, and then Richard strode away.

"Who's that?" Lizzy asked, when Olivia reached the buffet table, where she was already loading her plate. Olivia tucked the baseball caps under her arm and picked up a plate.

"Who?"

"Who? That gorgeous William Darcy look-alike you were just speaking to. He must be a Fitzwilliam."

"He is a Fitzwilliam," Olivia sighed, as she began to select items from the buffet. "And up close, he much more resembles Richard than his cousin."

"Methinks you're a bit biased, but I'll take your word for it." Olivia looked up.

"Well, he is a Fitzwilliam, with all the telltale characteristics, except for that tangle of dark curly hair." Lizzy let the remark slide.

"Where did he come from?"

"Remember Uncle Stewart from Thanksgiving?" Lizzy furrowed her brows. Olivia momentarily thrust her plate into Lizzy's free hand and covered her ears. "Uncle Stewart?" she repeated.

"Oh, yes," Lizzy laughed.

"Matt is his eldest. He's on leave from school and interning in William's office."

"Really? He didn't mention that to me."

"Maybe William was afraid you'd run off with him. You always did have a thing for dark-haired men with blue eyes," Olivia smiled with a suggestive wiggle of her brow. The women reached the end of the buffet line, and Olivia walked toward a banquette along one wall where she and Lizzy could squeeze in and eat comfortably. However, when she looked behind her, Lizzy was nowhere to be found. Olivia sat down and scanned the room. She saw that Lizzy had been captured by William, who was leading her in the opposite direction. Olivia leaned back against the high-backed banquette and began to nibble on a piece of chicken. A shadow crossed her path and she looked up to see Matt standing before her.

"May I sit down?" Olivia nodded. We can't seem to finish that conversation," he began.

"Perhaps we should start a new one. That other one was not going anywhere," Olivia replied.

"All it would take for us to finish the other conversation is for you to agree to go out with me," Matt persisted.

"Don't you think I'm a bit old for you?" Olivia stalled.

"No. Why should age matter, anyway?"

"How old are you?" she asked.

"I'm twenty-five." Olivia was surprised to learn that she and Matt were the same age. But she smiled winningly."

"You seem so much younger," she said smoothly, knowing that he wouldn't catch the implied insult.

"You're stalling," Matt countered. Olivia shook her head.

"I cannot go out with you, Matt. I'm kind of...seeing someone."

"Maybe I can change your mind."

"Please don't try. I'm afraid you'd be wasting your time."

"You know, we Fitzwilliams are amazingly tenacious," Matt countered with an amazing facsimile of Richard's smile.

"I know. I've seen them more than a few of them in action." Matt frowned, and his resemblance to Richard was beginning to make Olivia slightly uncomfortable. He started to say something, but at that moment she saw Charles and Jane enter the room. Jane looked distinctly unhappy. "Excuse, me Matt, but I have to speak to my friend."

"But--." Olivia rose from the banquette and, abandoning her plate on a nearby tray, rushed to Jane's side. She was standing beside Charles but her body language clearly conveyed that she was displeased with him. Jane smiled when she saw Olivia approach; she left Charles's arm and met her halfway.

"Hello, Livy," Jane said with a weak smile. Olivia quickly scooted Jane toward a quiet corner.

"Don't 'Hello, Livy' me. You look awful! What's wrong?" Before Olivia had completed her sentence, Lizzy and William were at her side. They too had noticed Jane's distress. Jane looked across the room, where Richard was speaking with Charles.

"You all may as well know now," Jane said, near tears. "My Christmas is ruined. Charles refuses to go to Connecticut." Lizzy and William exchanged a glance.

"What happened?"

"Did you quarrel?" Jane shook her head to both questions.

"It has to do with..." she glanced at Olivia, "Caroline. She doesn't want to spend Christmas in California with her sister and she doesn't want to spend Christmas alone in New York. Her parents are still in Europe and she won't go there either because she's estranged from her mom. She wasn't invited to Connecticut," Jane said with an apologetic look at William. She swallowed hard. "Of course, that would be insupportable after what's happened. But now Charles says that he feels obligated to stay with her." A single tear escaped Jane's eye and rolled down her cheek. Lizzy pulled a handkerchief from William's pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you. I do understand, of course. I wouldn't ever consider leaving Lizzy all alone over the holidays, but..." Jane wiped her eyes. "Charles thinks I'm being a bit unreasonable because I refuse to stay in town with him. I don't want to spend Christmas away from my sister and I don't want to spend Christmas with Caroline either." Olivia and Lizzy looked at each other helplessly. William suggested that Lizzy escort Jane to the ladies room. He and Olivia walked over to where Charles and Richard were standing.

"I suppose she's told you," Charles said. William nodded. Olivia averted her eyes. She found the subject of Caroline an uncomfortable one. She knew that Richard was looking at her but she couldn't bring herself to look back.

"Can't you work out a compromise? Spend part of the holidays with us and part with Caroline?" William suggested. Charles looked into his glass and sighed.

"You know how Caroline can be, Fitz. She'd see my leaving her alone even for a few days as some sort of abandonment." Charles glanced warily at Richard, who was intently observing Olivia. "She's been somewhat depressed lately." William nodded. Olivia turned away from the discussion on the pretense of fetching something to drink. Richard followed her.

"I hope this hasn't put too much of a damper on your evening." Olivia managed a smile.

"No," she said, lying just a wee bit. She smiled for Richard, not fooling him for an instant. "But I would like to change the subject." Richard picked up a glass of wine and led her to a quieter spot to talk.

"You never did tell me how your meeting upstairs went."

"Next question, please!"

"That bad, eh? What happened?" Olivia gave him a brief account of the meeting.

"It sounds as though you won."

"It sounds as thought I won this round. I know that, come the next round, she won't be so easily put off."

"You'll be fine. William backs you one hundred percent, and once you start showing them what you can do, all your doubters will be silenced." Olivia smiled.

"Thank you. I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome. If there's anything else you'd like to hear, I'm your man," Richard smiled dazzlingly, and a few dozen things Olivia wanted to hear from his lips popped into Olivia's head. She blushed and turned away, smiling. Richard was intrigued.

"What's going on in that beautiful little head of yours?"

Lizzy leaned against the wall of the ladies room and regarded her elder sister as she adjusted her makeup.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. It's not that I don't like her or anything..."

"Well, I certainly don't like Caroline," Lizzy retorted sharply. "Not after what she did to Richard! She has some nerve trying to make her brother decide between the two of you!"

"Lizzy, I don't think it was exactly like that," Jane began, but Lizzy was too fired up to let Jane finish.

"It's what it all comes down to in the end, isn't it? She's selfishly forcing Charles to decide whether to spend his time with you or her. And now Charles is forcing you to decide between him or me," she added for good measure.

"Oh, Lizzy don't! You'll make me cry again." Lizzy was immediately contrite.

"I'm sorry, Jane. Look, isn't there any way you could go down to be with Charles for a while, just the two of you? He's only going to be an hour away!" Jane shrugged her shoulders and Lizzy let the subject drop. Jane looked as though she might cry yet again. William and Charles, meanwhile, waited not far from the door to the ladies room.

"So what are you going to do?" William looked at Charles, who clearly looked as miserable as Jane.

"I honestly don't know." Richard had just minutes earlier privately told Charles what he had learned from Caroline. Charles didn't know whether or not William was privy to the information, so he chose his words carefully. "Caroline is my sister, no matter what. I cannot in good conscience abandon her in spite of anything she's done. I think...I hope that Jane understands that." Charles lifted his eyes and his face brightened when Jane emerged from the ladies room. She wore a conciliatory smile, which Charles matched with his own. They joined hands and walked off, leaving William and Lizzy to themselves. William shook his head.

"How is she, really?"

"Disappointed, but resigned, I think," Lizzy decided. "I'm glad I don't have to choose between you and Jane."

"Oh?" William smiled impishly. "And who would you choose?" Lizzy raised an eyebrow.

"If you think that I'm going to answer that here and now...and without a great deal of campaigning from your side, you're very much mistaken, sir!" Lizzy smiled enigmatically and walked off after her sister. She spied Olivia deep in conversation with Richard off to one side of the room and considered joining them, if only to find out what they were talking about. They appeared to be at ease with one another. At one point, Richard bowed his head to better hear what Olivia was saying, and Lizzy hoped for a moment that he might kiss her while he had such a perfect opportunity. She looked back and saw William engaged in conversation with a bunch of men in suits and headed toward the couple instead. She had not traveled five feet before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking that it might be William, she smiled as she turned her head. She was mistaken.

"Lady in red! You set my soul on fire!" Bill Collins fairly shouted above the music. Heads turned and Lizzy felt her face grow hot. She had no idea who this man was, but from the looks of the crowd, he was a known character. She took a step back to put some distance between herself and the strange man, who not only wore a red Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam baseball cap, but a red shirt, a green tie, and suspenders with Christmas decorations on them. Affixed to his pocket was a piece of mistletoe. Lizzy took another step back.

"I don't believe we've met," Lizzy managed, cognizant of the fact that, as the CEO's significant other she had something of an obligation to be accommodating of his employees. She unwillingly stuck out her hand, hoping that the man would shake it where it was and not come closer. Again, she underestimated him. Collins took her hand and brought it to his lips. He would have continued up her arm, but she quickly yanked it back. "I'm Lizzy Bennet."

"Bill Collins at your service," he said with an obsequious bow, and a leer that made Lizzy's skin crawl. "Oh! You're the woman that Richard used to go out with. He's here with his new girlfriend, you know."

"I know," Lizzy said, "I introduced them." Collins' face screwed up for a moment and Lizzy almost burst out laughing: Is he trying to think?

"Oh. Oh! I'm sorry I brought it up. I should have thought..."

If you could, you mean!

"I didn't mean to bring up a sore spot. Actually, I'm surprised that Richard invited you both to the same party. I guess he's like me."

"Like you?" For the first time, Lizzy was actually curious as to what the man might say.

"We both like to live on the edge," Collins leered.

Yes, Richard likes to live on the edge of adventure and you like to live on the edge of sanity...

"So, would you care to boogie on over to the buffet? Richard spared no expense to throw a great party. I've already filled two containers to take home to...my dog."

"I'm glad to hear that your...dog eats so well," Lizzy smiled. "But, if you don't mind, I need to have a word with Richard." Lizzy turned away, toward where Olivia and Richard were still talking.

"Remember, this is a party. No fighting! Although I do love a good cat fight. Rrrraaaooouuu!" Lizzy practically ran across the room to avoid the laughter and stares of those around her.

The party wound down shortly after 9:00, since everyone had to return to work the next day. Lizzy and Olivia rode home in William's limousine, along with Richard. Richard and Olivia sat opposite the other couple, and Richard made faces at Lizzy whenever she showed any signs of behaving in a romantic fashion toward William. She laughed at him, but she took the hint. When they reached the house, Richard escorted Olivia to the door, leaving William and Lizzy to say a more private goodbye in the car. Richard led Olivia to the door by the hand, and quickly kissed her forehead before he spoke. He knew that within minutes, Lizzy would be watching.

"So where are you going to be tomorrow?" Richard asked, as he played with a tendril of Olivia's hair that was flying in the evening chill.

"I think I'll be at DARCO tomorrow. I'm not officially on the books until next year but I want to spend some time with a few of the people I'm going to be working with and Ed suggested that I come by tomorrow and chat."

"Well, save your lunch hour for me, will you?" Olivia only had time to nod before Lizzy got out of the car. She was tempted to formally shake Richard's hand, but instead she whispered that she'd e-mail him later and went inside the house. Lizzy stopped at the door by Richard.

"Why didn't you kiss her goodnight?" Richard smacked his forehead.

"I knew I forgot something! Give her this, will you?" He lightly kissed Lizzy's lips and smiling, walked away. Lizzy entered the house slightly stunned. She walked over to Olivia, but thought better of her decision to try and somehow convey Richard's message. Lizzy went upstairs to change out of her work clothes and Olivia did the same. By the time Lizzy finished puttering about in her room and went downstairs, Olivia had already settled into an easy chair and was knitting as she watched Monday Night Football.

"What are you making?" Lizzy inquired after she put on water for tea.

"Richard's Christmas present," she replied, her eyes on the television screen. She held up her work, an almost four foot long scarf of soft merino wool. It was worked in an intricate pattern in a rich shade of burgundy.

"That's gorgeous! He'll look very handsome in it," Lizzy commented, still feeling awkward about having been kissed by Richard. "I wish I could make something like that for William."

"You know how to knit, Lizzy. I've taught you at least three times," Olivia chided.

"I know, but I have no patience."

"You did very well when you were down in Pennsylvania," Olivia reminded her.

"But there was no pressure then. I can't knit under pressure."

"Then you can't make William a scarf." Olivia cast a sidelong glance at Lizzy, who rose to the bait. She marched upstairs and returned shortly with a large plastic bag. She dumped its contents on the couch beside her.

"How much yarn do I need? Do I have enough of this?" She held up two large balls of beige wool. Olivia told her she could make a scarf, but it wouldn't be very long. Lizzy produced four small balls of pale gray. Olivia shrugged and examined the label to calculate the yardage. Lizzy dug into the bag and came out with a fifth ball of gray yarn and Olivia told her it would be plenty. Olivia talked Lizzy through casting on and Lizzy practiced knitting, ignoring Olivia's suggestion that she practice on another yarn before beginning William's scarf.

"But Christmas is a week away! I don't have much time!"

"Scarves don't take much time, Lizzy," Olivia pointed out, but Lizzy insisted. Thus, working in garter stitch until nearly midnight, Lizzy managed to get about six inches of the scarf done. She held up her work for Olivia to inspect. The bottom edge of the scarf was decidedly askew.

"Oh dear," Olivia remarked as tactfully as possible. As she had feared, Lizzy's tension had changed dramatically between the first row and the last. Lizzy was crestfallen, but Olivia assured her that she could fix it later by unraveling the scarf from that end and re-knitting it later. Heartened, Lizzy continued.

Olivia was about to turn off the light when she remembered her promise to e-mail Richard. She sat up and reached for the laptop she had placed on the table beside the bed. Richard might have already gone to bed, but Olivia wanted to keep her promise.

Sorry to be writing so late. I got caught up in the football game.

Richard replied almost immediately.

You rooted for the Eagles, didn't you?

You weren't expecting me to be a Giants fan, were you?

I can dream, can't I?

I understand that dreams play a big role in the lives of Giant fans!

And here, I thought I had found the perfect woman.

Nobody's perfect!

True; as an Eagles fan you'd know that.

Did you stay up late just to insult me?

I stayed up late to remind you about our lunch date. And to say goodnight.

I won't forget. Goodnight, Richard.

Good night my dear, misguided Eagles fanatic.

Sleep well, loyal fan of the LOSING Giants!

Ouch!

Olivia stepped into the elevator painfully reminded of why she hated working in New York. She had just emerged from a crushing experience in the New York City subway and was already dreading the return trip to Brooklyn. Of course, she was actually under no obligation to adhere to a 9 to 5 work schedule, or even to use her office at all. In fact, she had chosen to brave the trains at the hour she did only because she decided to ride into Manhattan with Lizzy. A veteran of the subways, Lizzy usually left the house as much as an hour earlier, but it seemed that she decided to get in a few more hours of knitting before she finally dozed off at 2:00. As a result, the women were forced to travel into Manhattan at the height of the rush hour. Because she worked in Tribeca, at Manhattan's southern tip, Lizzy's trip was relatively brief and painless. But the Darcy Building was in midtown, and thus Olivia had to not only withstand the crush of people, she had to change trains as she struggled to remember the myriad of subway routes that crisscrossed the city.

She entered the elevator with a serious case of frayed nerves, but her mood lifted when she looked up at the numbers over the door and fixed her eyes on the number fifteen. Olivia quickly decided that the ends justified the means--the subway at rush hour could never be too daunting if the prospect of seeing Richard Fitzwilliam was the reward at the end of the ordeal. Olivia rather liked the idea of being in the same building with him. Of course, it would probably prove to be a major distraction, but that was a risk Olivia was more than willing to endure. When the elevator stopped at the 15th floor Olivia was very tempted to forget about .her original destination momentarily and get off, just for a peek. But Olivia told herself she was getting carried away with her emotions again (which was happening with increasing regularity, she noted) and forced herself to stay put. She got off on the 38th floor and approached the DARCO reception desk, where a pretty young woman was fussing with her hair.

"Good morning," Olivia said. "I don't think we were introduced yesterday. I'm Olivia Crenshaw. I'll be working here over the next few months on a special project."

"I'm Lydia," the young woman replied, taking Olivia's extended hand. "Mr. Ferrars told me you'd be coming."

"He said he'd have a key made and leave it for me at the reception desk," Olivia said.

"Oh, he did, but Mister...uh, hold on a minute." Lydia looked down the corridor and then back at Olivia. "Your door's open. I suppose it's okay if you go in." Olivia gave Lydia a questioning look, but she walked down the hall and peeked into her room, where she found Richard standing on a chair hanging a wreath of princess pine and juniper berries in front of the window. On the desk was a poinsettia plant. Olivia waited until Richard got down from the chair before she spoke. He started and turned around at the sound of his name.

"I thought the place needed a little decorating," Richard explained sheepishly. Olivia smiled mischievously as she looked up at the top of the doorframe.

"No mistletoe?"

"Madam, this is a place of business! Besides, I can't be expected to spend my entire day up here guarding your door!" Richard declared with a shocked expression and his hand placed dramatically over his heart. Olivia put down her bag and pulled off her coat thinking that guarding the door was the last thing she had in mind for Richard. When she went to hang it behind her door she noticed that the secretary had come down the hall a ways and was watching the pair's interaction. She pretended not to notice and closed the door.

"This was very sweet of you, thank you." Olivia sat down at her desk and Richard took a chair opposite her.

"Hello," Richard smiled. "How are you this morning?"

"Relieved that I don't have to face the subways on a daily basis." She grimaced.

"Was it that bad?"

"It was brutal! How do you usually get to work?" Olivia asked as she opened the container of coffee she had picked up on her way in. She took a sip and then offered it to Richard.

"I usually grab a cab, or sometimes catch a ride with William. But we don't usually keep the same hours." He took a sip of coffee. "No sugar; a woman after my own heart." He handed it back to her. Olivia amusedly took another sip.

"A woman after your own heart! Who'd have thought it would be as easy as offering sugarless coffee?" she teased as she handed back the cup.

"Well, it's not quite that easy, but it definitely gets you bonus points."

"Gee, I probably would have done better had I brought you your own," she pouted.

"I kind of like sharing." Richard's eyes twinkled and Olivia felt her pulse quicken. "By the way, there's always a pot of coffee on at my office, although Anne switches me to cocoa when it gets really cold. She makes a wicked brew with cinnamon that keeps us warm for hours."

"I'll remember that." Richard glanced at his watch.

"I'm going to be late for a meeting if I don't get back downstairs," he sighed. He rose and headed for the door. "I'll see you at lunch. I'll introduce you to the executive dining room."

"Thank you, again, for the Christmas cheer," Olivia smiled wistfully as he winked and slipped out of her office.

Lizzy left Charles's office with a stack of folders. They had completed their review of their inactive clients and had mapped out a strategy for handling them. As she walked down the hall to her office, she was tempted to go back and ask Charles about Christmas. She had always made a point, to the extent possible, of trying not to bring up personal matters between Jane and Charles at the office. In fact, she knew that Jane wouldn't want her to interfere. But Lizzy couldn't bear to see her sister miserable and the pained expression on Jane's face when she revealed the situation with Caroline had haunted Lizzy's mind all night. Lizzy sighed as she sat down at her desk. She saw her phone flashing and checked her voicemail. William's dulcet tones were a balm to her soul.

"Good morning, beautiful one. I woke up this morning missing you terribly and I just wanted to hear the sound of your voice before I began my day. Your voicemail message will have to tide me over for now. I'll try to get back to you later in the day." Lizzy smiled and played the message over three times, until Charlotte's quizzical expression at her door made her blush and turn it off. Lizzy sighed as she turned to her computer. William had also sent an e-mail.

I'll be very busy this morning, but all my thoughts will be of you.

"Color? Sky blue, don't you think?" William suggested to his secretary.

"It's not what I think that matters. What's Lizzy's favorite color?" Jo responded diplomatically.

"Yellow, but I've never seen her wear it. She's got a yellow kitchen and a yellow bedroom..." William reddened slightly, but Jo pretended not to hear his last remark. "And this doesn't come in yellow, anyway...go with the sky blue, with the purple as a second choice."

"Very good, Mr. D." Jo turned and started for the door when William called her back.

"Jo; one more thing." He pulled a Tiffany catalog from his briefcase and tossed it on his desk. "There's a Post-It note on page 23." Jo picked up the catalog.

"Color?"

"Not a factor," William smiled, as did Jo when she caught a glimpse of the gold and diamond earrings William had circled. She closed the catalog and added it to the two others under her arm.

"I may be gone awhile," Jo warned.

"That's okay, Matt can cover the phones. Where is he, by the way?"

"He's outside. Do you want to see him?" William nodded, and within seconds Matt appeared before him. He slipped into a chair, smiling.

"Good morning." William regarded Matt for a moment, trying to decide how to proceed. He wanted to warn Matt off, but he didn't want to overstep his authority or interfere in matters that were really none of his concern.

"About last night," William began, ignoring Matt's greeting. "I--."

"I have already apologized to Olivia."

"Good. She deserved one. Look Matt, Olivia is going to be working at DARCO for a while and I don't want to see a repeat of last night's behavior. Do you understand?"

"I understand. And I did read the sexual harassment policy, as you requested."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other," William said, but he wasn't yet satisfied.

"I'll be a perfect gentleman in the office. Outside of it, however, I trust I'm free to pursue my interest in the lady." William raised an eyebrow.

"You do know that Fitz has been seeing her."

"I thought you told me that their relationship was all a misunderstanding."

"I said that there was a misunderstanding about the nature of their relationship at Thanksgiving, but they've been seeing each other since then."

"Really?" Matt mused. "Well, it can't be very serious if Olivia lives in another state and Fitz is seeing other women." William started.

"What other women?"

"Surely you heard about him and some woman getting into it a couple of weeks ago. That's how he ended up in the hospital. I would have thought that he told you about it, of all people."

"Look, Matt. I wouldn't go jumping to wild conclusions about that incident. And I certainly hope that you haven't been repeating such errant nonsense around here!"

"Of course not, cuz. But you don't really believe --."

"Matt! It's not for either of us to judge, especially in the absence of hard evidence."

"I think the facts speak for themselves. Why do you think she put him in the hospital?" William felt the beginning of a tension headache.

"Look...we weren't discussing Richard, Matt," William said, massaging his temple. "We were discussing you."

"And my interest in Olivia, I know. The way I see it, I have a chance with her, and why shouldn't I go for it?" William wanted to slap the complacent smile from Matt's face, but he didn't have a ready answer to Matt's question. He gave Matt his morning's assignment and sent him on his way. He sat for a few minutes trying to will headache to abate. Finally, he got up and strode out of the office. Matt called out to him from Jo's desk as he passed, but William was too consumed with his own thoughts to heed him. He headed for the elevator and Richard's office. Accustomed to walking in on Richard unannounced, William simply opened the door to his office. He found his cousin on the phone, his feet up on the desk. Christmas carols were playing in the background. William took a seat.

"Tiki Barber ran rings around your defense! He...but...he...but he..." Richard rolled his eyes and smiled at William, who rubbed his temple once more. "That call was dead wrong! The ref gave the game away! Look, we can continue to argue this over lunch. I've got a sick man in my office. Is 1:00 okay? All right, 12:30 it is. See you then, Livy."

"Livy?" William looked up.

"Would you believe it? She's an Eagles fan!"

"Eagles?"

"Sometimes your complete lack of familiarity with things known to most mortals astounds me, cousin," Richard smirked. But he abruptly stopped his teasing. "What's wrong? You look awful."

"Thank you," William said sarcastically, "I have a bit of a headache."

"You're not coming down with something, I hope?" Richard reinforced his display of concern by pouring out a cup of coffee for William and preparing it to his tastes. William accepted the coffee gratefully and took a sip while Richard prepared his own cup.

"I came down here on a matter of personal business." Richard looked at him expectantly. "It concerns Olivia." Richard sat down, awaiting enlightenment.

"I take it that you're seeing her."

"We're meeting for lunch today, we have a date tomorrow...I'd say that constitutes seeing her. You don't object?"

"No, no, of course not. I was just wondering...last time we spoke on the subject, you were somewhat reluctant."

"I am no longer 'reluctant,' I am happy to say. I think that I have expunged the demons of the past and am ready to move forward, if she'll have me," Richard smiled.

"The lady appears to be willing, from what I see," William replied. She had better be--after all the trouble I've put myself through.

"Is that all you wanted to know?"

"Actually...I wanted to give you a friendly warning. You may have a little competition."

"Competition? I think not!" Richard declared confidently.

"I think Matt would disagree with you," William warned.

"I know that Matt took an interest in Olivia and tried to ask her out, but she told him that she was seeing someone else...me."

"I don't think Matt plans on giving up so easily," William confided. He raised a hand as he saw Richard begin to bristle. "Personally, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I just thought I should let you know." Richard fumed for a moment. Then he calmed and sat back, smiling.

"You're right. I can guarantee that he won't be a problem for very long." William looked at him questioningly, but Richard's Cheshire cat grin was the only answer he received. "So what did you buy Lizzy for Christmas?" Richard asked.

"Well, I told her to choose her own present. She finally decided on a tennis bracelet, and I picked it up yesterday. I also found a few little things, you know--stocking stuffers and the like."

"Like what?"

"A cashmere robe, a pair of diamond earrings, a book of poetry...a few other things," A smile crept over William's face and his headache was a distant memory.

"Exactly how big is this stocking you're talking about?" Richard teased.

"What did you get for Olivia?" William asked, rising to refill his cup. A wry smile crossed Richard's lips, but he wouldn't say a single word on the subject.

Charlotte knocked on Lizzy's doorframe and poked her head into the office.

"Are you ready for lunch?" Lizzy looked up from her work and smiled.

"I'll be ready in a minute. I just want to go and use the facilities." Lizzy left the office for a few minutes and when she returned she was disappointed to discover that she had missed William again.

Your phone message is very nice, but hardly the same thing as hearing you say 'I love you.'"

Lizzy sighed, her heart aflutter. She dialed his number, but the man who answered the phone told her that William was out to lunch. Lizzy didn't leave a message with Matt. Instead, she typed a quick e-mail to William, repeating '"I love you" a dozen times and sent it off before she grabbed her coat and joined Charlotte.

Shortly before Richard planned to meet Olivia for lunch, William stopped in once more, with a large smile on his face and a shopping bag in his hand.

"What are you so happy about?" Richard questioned as William pulled a large box out of the bag and set it on Richard's desk. "What's this?"

"I went over to the sporting goods store to pick up a present for that nephew of Mrs. Reynolds'...what's his name...Colin? He wanted something with an American football logo, so I told Mrs. Reynolds that I'd take care of it for her. Anyway, while I was at the store I saw this and thought of you." William chuckled at his own joke. "I think it's rather self-explanatory..." Richard was mystified, but he began to unwrap the box. His jaw dropped when he saw that William had purchased an official NFL helmet. His face spoke his surprise.

"I thought it might come in handy if you ever encountered Caroline again," William smiled as he took a seat. Richard smirked and stopped peeling back the paper. He took a breath and thought for a moment before he spoke.

"I never did get a chance to tell you. I paid Ms. Bingley a visit." William was intrigued. He sat down, the package forgotten.

"She tried to be evasive, even tried to suggest that she could prove that she had hit me in self-defense. But I threatened to sue her for assault and she finally relented and admitted that she threw that candlestick at me because I refused to spend the night with her." William raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds rather odd."

"What, that I wouldn't sleep with her?"

"No, that she would try to kill you because of it," William clarified.

"Well," sighed Richard, "She was quite drunk and somewhat depressed and she insisted that she hadn't meant to hit me. She..." He thought better of telling William all that she had said about William and Lizzy. "She was rather pathetic." Richard's eyes grew distant, but they suddenly sharpened into focus and he broke into a smile when he looked up and saw Olivia at the door.

"Excuse me. Anne said you weren't busy. Hello, William." William rose and invited Olivia to join them.

"How did your meeting with the team go?" William asked. Olivia took a seat and briefed them on the morning's meetings with Ed Ferrars and other members of the project team. She turned her attention to the box on the table before her.

"What's this?"

"Fitz's idea of a joke. He thinks I need to better protect my head." Olivia peered at the still unopened box and began to laugh hysterically. William and Richard exchanged a bewildered glance.

"What's so funny?" Richard asked. Olivia opened the box and put the Philadelphia Eagles helmet on her head. Richard glared at William.

"You said Eagles, right?" Richard rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I think it's perfect, William," Olivia smiled. She rose and went around the desk and put the helmet on Richard's head. "Absolutely perfect." William seemed rather pleased with himself, although he hoped that Olivia didn't think too much about the reason behind the gift. The last thing he wanted was to remind Olivia about the incident with Caroline. William left the pair and headed back to his office while Richard showed Olivia the way to the executive dining room.

"I won't bring up football again, if you don't." Richard said as he escorted Olivia from his office. Olivia and Richard shook hands on the bargain and entered the elevator.

"So what should we talk about?" Olivia asked minutes later over her pumpkin soup.

"What's on your Christmas list?" Richard asked as he hefted his sandwich.

"My list?" Olivia pondered the question for a minute. "I don't really have a list," she shrugged.

"Come on! Everyone has to have a Christmas list!" Richard pleaded. Olivia smiled.

"Do you go and visit Santa, too?" Richard threw her a withering glance.

"You have no Christmas spirit, young lady," he concluded.

"I'm sorry. Christmas has never been a favorite time of the year for me. I told you about my dad...I lost my mother at this time of the year as well." Richard was deeply moved by her confession. He placed his hand over hers, oblivious to what others in the room might see or think.

"You will have a happy Christmas this year, Olivia, I promise. And if I have anything to say about it, Christmas will always be a happy time of year for you from now on." Olivia felt her emotions well up again. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Thank you," she managed. "Christmas is a special time for me, but it has always been bittersweet. I think I'm going to have to hold you to that promise," Olivia smiled, as a single tear flowed down her cheek.

Matt offered Bill Collins the remainder of his French fries, which the little man consumed noisily.

"So, you were saying?"

"Oh! I was saying that I thought Richard was involved with Lizzy Bennet, but now he's moved on to Olivia Crenshaw. She's a little too skinny for my tastes, but she's a real looker," Collins said with his mouth full. Matt ran a hand through his hair. He had made a point of meeting Collins at the Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam party the previous night, after he overheard the man gossiping about Richard's recent hospitalization. Out of curiosity, he had followed Collins to McDonald's during his lunch hour and plied him with a free meal in hopes of learning something that might be of use.

"Which woman put him in the hospital, do you think?" Matt prodded. Collin's face lit up and he leaned across the greasy table conspiratorially.

"Neither. I have a friend who does tech support at Lenox Hill and he looked at the hospital records for me." Collins seemed to be positively bursting to reveal the news. "It seems that there's yet another woman in Richard's life. He's quite the Lothario," Collins snickered, unaware that he was speaking to Richard's own flesh and blood. "The night of the so-called 'accident,' Richard was found in her apartment," Collins snorted, and Matt felt queasy.

"Whose apartment?" he managed.

"A woman by the name of Caroline Bingley. Who knows? Maybe Richard was involved in something kinky because they both ended up in the emergency room. She was treated for trauma! Maybe there was a third party, a little ménage action that got out of hand," Collins speculated. "That little doll Richard's chasing now looks like she might be into that kind of thing." But Matt had stopped listening.

Caroline Bingley? Why was that name so familiar?

Lizzy got back from a late lunch with Charlotte and found a handwritten note from William on her desk. She quickly unfolded it and read.

Sorry I wasn't with you at lunch today. You know, there are times when I can't bear to be away from you.

Lizzy felt her knees go momentarily weak But a moment later she had recovered her strength sufficiently enough to rush down the hall to the reception desk.

"Lisa," she cried. "When did this come?" Lisa innocently reached for the note, but Lizzy suddenly yanked it out of reach. "Sorry, it's very personal. When was William Darcy here?"

"William Darcy? I haven't seen him here in a week or more," Lisa replied casually.

"But he had to have been here! He left this note while I was out!"

"Well, he hasn't been here while I was here," Lisa replied. "You can ask Mina. She covered the desk when I took a break." Lizzy went down the hall to Mina's office. Charles, meanwhile, was smiling at his desk.

"What was in that note, anyway? Lizzy's running around the office like a mad woman!" he chuckled.

"You do realize that it's only a matter of time before she figures out that you were the courier," William warned.

"Not a problem. I'm on my way out of the office to meet with a client. With any luck, she won't see me again until your party tonight," Charles laughed.

"Thanks a lot Charles," William smiled.

"It's the least I could do after what you did for Jane and me. See you later."

Lizzy returned to her office mystified. Mina also denied having seen William. Lizzy thought unlikely that Mina--who never missed an opportunity to gaze on either William or Richard whenever they visited the office--was mistaken. Lizzy sat down at her desk and turned to her computer.

I miss you.

Lizzy quickly responded.

I found your note. I'm so sorry I missed you, too.

Lizzy stared at her screen for a while, until it became evident that an immediate response was not forthcoming. She reluctantly returned to work. About an hour later, Lisa appeared at her door. She bore a vase of yellow roses and a card.

"These just came for you."

"Thanks, Lisa." Lizzy inhaled the intoxicating scent of the blooms as she tore open the envelope. It had been a while since William had sent her flowers, not that he ever neglected her.

Absence may make some hearts grow fonder. It just makes mine ache for you.

When Lizzy turned back toward her computer, she found a message from William that simply said, "I love you." Lizzy felt tears well up in her eyes. She dialed William's number but his secretary told her that he wasn't taking any calls that afternoon. Lizzy she found it difficult to concentrate on her work for the remainder of the day. Though she couldn't account for William's sudden passionate declarations, she was as much frightened by them as she was moved. At 4:25 she could stand it no longer. She gathered up her things and caught a cab to William's office.

"Hi, Jo. Is the boss in?" Lizzy greeted the secretary breathlessly.

"Oh. He said that you were to go right in. He's in a meeting, but he should be back any minute." Lizzy smiled her thanks and went into William's office. She threw down her coat and bag on a chair and looked at a large box on his desk that read "OPEN ME" on its large tag. Lizzy was extremely curious. The box was turned in her direction, rather than toward the side of the desk that William sat on. Lizzy wondered if the box was meant for her. She touched it tentatively but then sat down to wait for William. A few minutes later, he walked in with Jo. He gave her a sheaf of papers from his desk and Jo retreated, a secretive smile on her lips.

"You didn't open it," William commented. He gestured toward the box. Lizzy started to speak, but her curiosity outweighed her desire to question him. She opened the box and found a small red lacquered chest inside, nestled in a bed of mistletoe. Lizzy raised an eyebrow. William sat back and waited, his face revealing nothing. Lizzy tentatively lifted the lid of the box, as though she expected it to explode. Inside she found more mistletoe and a half dozen Sterling Silver heart-shaped key chains, each unique. Lizzy looked at William as she lifted the key chains out of the box. Each key chain has a single key on it.

"Keys to your heart?" Lizzy assayed with a smile.

"Keys to my homes," William corrected, "Although they do say that home is where the heart is. That one is for the house in Vermont. That one, I think, is for Tokyo," he said as Lizzy picked up and examined another chain. "Oh, and that one is for the flat in London." Lizzy started to laugh.

"Why?" Lizzy looked into William's eyes and her smile faded. There was an earnestness in his gaze that gave her pause.

"I know you don't want us to rush things, so I'll only say this much," William began, as Lizzy came around to his side of the desk and sat in his lap. "I want to be with you every waking moment. I realize that's impossible, so I'll have to settle for letting you know that you're always welcome wherever I am, Lizzy. I want you with me always." William kissed Lizzy then, and for a long time he held her in his arms. Neither he nor Lizzy could find words adequate to the moment. Lizzy cried again; she knew, more than words or actions could say, that she and William would spend the rest of their lives together. Weeks ago, when he had hinted that a proposal might be in the offing, she had told William that it was too early to think about marriage or long-term arrangements. But William had not settled for waiting until she was ready. He had declared his readiness to commit to her unconditionally in a way that was impossible for her to refuse. She would have William and he would have her. It only remained to be decided when the inevitable union would occur.

William silently pondered his future with Lizzy as he stroked the silken curls of hair that lay close to his cheek. He thought about the extraordinary fate that had brought them together, and Richard's prescient declaration that William and Lizzy were destined for one another. If he had ever doubted his cousin's motives or his intuition, he was assured now that Richard had single-handedly given him his life. He had done no less than his parents had, thirty years earlier. William Darcy was happy and he was complete. Everything he needed in the world, everything he could ever want, was nestled in his arms.

The antique clock on William's shelf chimed the hour, and only then did the couple stir. William and Lizzy looked into each other's eyes. William smiled and delicately suggested that she look in a mirror before they went down to the party. Lizzy went into William's bathroom and shrieked at the state of her mascara. A few minutes later, they entered the party hand in hand, a half hour late and smiling. A few people speculated about their late arrival, but Olivia looked at Richard and said," Have you ever seen two people more in love?" Richard was forced to admit that he had not, and he watched William introducing Lizzy to members of the DARCO board feeling a bit envious of his cousin. Richard also looked upon the couple with deep satisfaction. He had tested the courage of his convictions and he had done the right thing by his cousin. He had never seen William happier.

William and Lizzy were rarely more than an arm's length apart all evening, and when they were they remained connected through their eyes. Richard felt like an intruder on an intimate scene as he quietly observed the couple; he wondered if their love was as apparent to everyone else as it was to him at that moment. He shifted his gaze to Olivia, the woman he was rapidly losing his heart to, although he had already conceded to himself that he was a lost man. He craved the happiness that William had found with Lizzy, but he knew that it would be some time in coming. The woman that Lizzy had described to him as her pillar of strength had shown herself to be quite vulnerable in his experience. Tomorrow was to mark the "official" beginning of their courtship and Richard was determined to take each step carefully, no matter what it took, no matter how long it took, to win Olivia's love. His eyes flared when he saw Matt approach Olivia. She was with Ed Ferrars and a few other DARCO employees, so Matt didn't stay with her for very long, but Richard struggled with an overwhelming urge to confront his cousin. Lizzy tapped him on the arm and, as if reading his thoughts, encouraged him.

"Why are you letting your cousin get so close to Livy? You should be over there keeping other men away." Richard stared at Lizzy blankly for a moment, then up into the eyes of William, who was standing behind her. William's expression clearly contradicted Lizzy's. Richard smiled, as much to convince Lizzy as to forestall his own thoughts.

"Livy doesn't need my help. She's already made it quite clear to Matt that she's not interested."

"Are you sure about that, cousin?" Richard whirled around and was face to face with Matt, who smiled slyly and strode away. Richard continued to smile, but inwardly seethed with anger. A few minutes later when Olivia approached, she noticed Richard's preoccupation. She asked about it, but Richard shook it off.

"Just thinking about tomorrow," he lied. Olivia raised a brow.

"Well, if it's that's distasteful to you, perhaps we should cancel," she teased. Richard's mouth fell open.

"I...I didn't mean that tomorrow! I...I" Richard gave up when he saw that Olivia was laughing at him. He allowed himself to relax a little. "I am very much looking forward to our date tomorrow," he beamed.

"Any hint as to what we'll be doing? Lizzy informs me that I'm absolutely insane not to demand details," Olivia admitted with a wry smile.

"Well, I'll tell you if you promise not to tell Lizzy," Richard began. Olivia solemnly crossed her heart. "We're going to dinner at a very nice restaurant. After that, you'll get that view of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree on our way to a little place I know where I fully expect to have every dance on your card."

"Every dance, hmmm? I'd better take a good look at my dancing shoes when I get home," Olivia smiled. Richard held her hand for the rest of the evening, when he knew that Lizzy and William weren't watching them. He didn't ride back to Brooklyn with her; William and Richard had a business engagement to attend and William sent the women home with Bates while they caught a cab.

Olivia retired early, visions of dancing in Richard's arm's weaving through her head. Lizzy stayed up to work on William's scarf. Olivia was just drifting off when Lizzy came running into her bedroom in a panic.

"Livy! Look!" Olivia sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.

"This had better be good," she murmured. Lizzy held up her knitting and Olivia saw the dropped stitch that, like a run in a stocking, had left a long, ladder-like void in the scarf. Olivia took the knitting from her horrified friend and rewove the dropped stitch in a matter of seconds. She handed it back, reached out and turned off the lamp, and fell back on the pillows without a word. Lizzy bent over the bed and kissed her cheek before she left Olivia to her dreams.

"Darn!" Olivia said aloud. Not only had Lizzy interrupted Richard's dip, she had reminded Olivia that she had to go out and buy William another present. When Lizzy expressed a desire to make William a scarf, Olivia didn't have the heart to tell her that she had already knitted him one. This was a scarf year for Olivia. During the summer she had knitted gossamer-thin stoles for Jane and Lizzy, and a soft grey wool scarf for Charles. After Thanksgiving, she had dug into her vast stores of yarn and produced a funky, colorful scarf for Georgiana and a sturdy scarf of heavy wool for William. She was almost finished Richard's scarf, which she had purchased special yarn for. And now, William was without a gift again. Olivia sighed. William's present would have to wait. Richard was ready to dip her again and she gave in to the delirious sensation of being swirled about by the man of her dreams.

"What are you going to wear tonight?" Lizzy asked Olivia as she slathered jam on her toast.

"It's barely 7:00, Lizzy. I have all of twelve hours to decide."

"What? You mean you haven't even thought about it yet?" Lizzy cried. "Girl, you'd better get a move on!"

"Actually, I--." Before Olivia could finish her sentence, Lizzy was halfway to the stairs. In seconds she was in Olivia's room digging through her closets.

"Did you bring anything with you?" Lizzy asked as she began to pull dresses from the closet and toss them on the bed. "No, no...no! Olivia, this is hopeless! Let's look in my closet, and Jane's. There must be something that suits the occasion." Lizzy headed for her own room with Olivia reluctantly following.

"This really isn't necessary, Lizzy. I--." But Lizzy was already burrowing into her own closet.

"What's going on? What's all the hubbub about?" Jane yawned as she poked her head into Lizzy's room.

"Olivia needs something really special to wear tonight. She has a big date with Richard," Lizzy explained as Olivia rolled her eyes. Jane instantly came to life.

"You're going out with Richard! Oh! I have a slinky new dress that's really to die for. I was planning to wear it to William's Christmas party, but you could borrow it instead. Before Olivia could respond, Jane had bolted out of the room and returned with the pale blue dress.

"It's very pretty, but it's not me. Besides, I really--."

"How about this?" Lizzy held up a long-sleeved black dress with a plunging neckline. Olivia looked at it and scoffed. Jane returned with three dresses in her hands.

"I can't wear that! That dress screams 'trophy date.' Just the sort of thing a woman draped over William Darcy's arm would wear," Olivia sneered. "Besides, I'd have to staple that to my shoulders to keep it up." Jane laughed at Olivia's complaints, but Lizzy demanded that she put the dress on.

"I wouldn't be so quick to knock it, if I were you. After all, you're going to be Richard's 'trophy date' tonight." With much teasing, cajoling and arguing, Olivia was finally persuaded to try on both dresses. As expected, the black dress that flattered every one of Lizzy's curves did little to enhance Olivia's more boyish figure. Jane's blue dress, on the other hand, fit her perfectly and even Olivia had to admit that she looked terrific in it. She stared at her reflection in Lizzy's full-length mirror.

"You have to wear it, Livy," Jane insisted.

"Yes, you must! You look fabulous!"

"But I already have something to wear," Olivia confessed.

"That black dress in your room? I'm sorry, but you are notleaving this house in that dress. You're going on a date with a man, Livy, not to the library. Richard is going to want to see a little skin."

"He's going to want to see a lot of skin!" Jane amended.

"Keep it up, you two and I won't show you what I intend to wear tonight," Olivia retorted.

"Let's see it!" Jane exclaimed. Lizzy begged for a peek.

"Stay right here and I'll get it." Olivia left the room and Lizzy and Jane looked at each other.

"We're going to have to make her wear the blue dress," Lizzy whispered to Jane, who nodded.

"I'll go find some jewelry to go with it." Jane rose and headed for her room.

"I think that those drop earrings you gave me last year would look great with it," Lizzy suggested as she went to her jewelry box. Olivia, meanwhile, ran into her room and grabbed her cell phone. Since there was no lock on her door, she locked herself in the bathroom and dialed Richard's number.

"Good morning," Richard said cheerfully.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"I'm halfway through my second cup of coffee. What's up? And what is that racket?" Richard asked as Lizzy and Jane, wise to Olivia's ruse, began to bang in the door and shout for Olivia to come out.

"Would you mind terribly if I met you somewhere in the city rather than your coming here tonight?" Olivia said as loudly as she dared. Richard laughed heartily.

"That bad, huh?" He couldn't hear Olivia's reply for the screams emanating from outside the room. After a moment he thought he heard Olivia say something about calling him back, but he wasn't sure.

"I'll be in my office after eight," Richard said, just before the phone went dead on the other end of the line. Richard stared at his receiver, hoping that Olivia survived the attack of the Bennet sisters.

When the elevator doors opened on the 38th floor a few hours later, Richard was a bit surprised to catch a glimpse of Matt chatting up the DARCO secretary. As the doors closed, he was inclined to think it was a good thing. Perhaps Matt had decided to turn his attentions elsewhere, he mused. But had he known Matt's true motives for approaching Lydia, Richard might not have been so complacent.

"Good morning. Is Ms. Crenshaw in her office?" Matt brandished the Fitzwilliam smile like a weapon.

"Who wants to know?" Lydia replied saucily.

"I do...on behalf of Mr. Darcy. I'm Matt Fitzwilliam. Is she in?" Lydia brightened perceptibly.

"Are you related to Richard Fitzwilliam?" Matt groaned inwardly, but his external demeanor never altered.

"Yes, we're cousins. Is Ms. Crenshaw in, Miss--?"

"Henson. Lydia Henson," the secretary replied with an emphasis on her first name. "And no, I haven't seen her today." Matt looked at his watch.

"It's after 9:30. She hasn't called?"

"Not since I got in this morning. May I be of any help?" Lydia asked suggestively. Matt leaned close to her and looked into her eyes. He could tell that he had her eating out of his hand. He took the pen she held in her fingers and wrote down his number.

"Would you call me when she comes in?" Lydia took the pen back and smiled up at Matt.

"Do you want me to have her call you?"

"No, I want you to call me," Matt smiled disarmingly. Lydia gazed into his eyes and Matt backed away toward the elevator. The doors opened and he was gone. Lydia looked at the number he had scribbled on her pad and sighed.

"I'd like to borrow the limo tonight, if you can spare Bates," Richard was saying to William, who didn't appear to be listening. His eyes were focused on the picture of Lizzy that sat on his desk. Richard eyed him for a moment. "And if you have time to get to the bank today, would you mind leaving a million dollars in unmarked small bills in a briefcase on the back seat for me?"

"Oh, of course, sure," William said, coming out of his reverie. Richard smiled and sat down.

"So when are you two getting married?"

"I haven't the foggiest notion. I brought up the subject a short while ago, but Lizzy said she thought we weren't ready yet."

"I find that hard to believe. No one who saw the two of you together last night would believe that." William shrugged.

"I'm willing to wait awhile. We've reached...an understanding. She's going to marry me. It's simply a question of when." Richard nodded.

"Glad to hear it, cuz.'

"I have you to thank for my present happiness," William reminded his cousin, but Richard shook his head.

"All I did was get you two into the same room. The chemistry, the magic, the passion...that's all your own doing." William's lips curled into a tiny smile. He got that faraway look in his eye again. Richard took it as a cue to leave, but William spoke again.

"So tonight's your big date? Where are you two going?"

"Dinner at Le Cirque, a walk over to see the tree, then a little dancing downtown."

"What time do you need Bates?"

"I'm supposed to pick up Olivia at seven, but she's kind of hesitant to have me pick her up at the house," Richard smiled, and William joined him.

"I'll see to it that Lizzy's not there. Jane will probably still be at the shop, so the coast will be clear."

"Thanks, Fitz," Richard said rising. "I'll give Bates a call." He headed for the door but William called him back.

"Fitz? Do you want that million in tens or twenties?" Richard shook his head and smiled as he left the office. William immediately returned to contemplating Lizzy's picture. He sighed after a few minutes and turned to his computer.

Are you free for lunch?

Yes. It's pretty quiet down here today. What are you hungry for and where do you want to go?

How about my place?

You want to have lunch at your office?

Did I say anything about my office?

Oh! Well, in that case, I withdraw my first question!

Go ahead and ask. I'd be more than happy to enlighten you later.

You know, Mr. Landlord, this building of yours has a very strange ventilation system. Sometimes it's perfectly fine and other times it gets very hot in here.

Really? No one has ever complained of that before. Exactly when does it happen?

I can't say exactly...usually when I'm on the phone and often when I'm working on my computer. Maybe the wiring in my office is defective.

Maybe it's just you!

Are you suggesting that I'm defective?

Perish the thought. There isn't a single flaw on you. I was just suggesting that perhaps the change in temperature might be internal rather than external.

Do you really think so?

Are you inclined toward running hot and cold?

Not lately...

????????

:)

Well, I'd be happy to send someone down to check the thermostat in your office, but I'd still put stock in my own theory.

That the excess of heat in here is my fault? I find it hard to believe that I could generate this much heat on my own. There must be another explanation.

I'd love to hear one.

I have a theory or two of my own. We can discuss it over lunch.

I'll send Bates to pick you up at 11:30.

I'll be ready.

Good. I'm already quite hungry.

There it goes again! *whew!*

Richard returned to his office and was handed a message from Olivia. He was forced to put it aside momentarily, because his phone was ringing. He took the call and confirmed his lunch date with Danielle, then he dialed Lizzy's house. He got no answer. Richard dialed Olivia's cell phone and she answered just as he was ready to give up.

"Hi, handsome! What's William's favorite color?"

"Today, I'd say it was Lizzy."

"What?" Richard chuckled as he explained.

"Just kidding. He's walking around in something of a Lizzy-induced fog today. Lizzy's his favorite color, his favorite flavor, the meaning of life..."

"Sounds like a hangover from last night," Olivia laughed. "But I'm serious. I'd like to know William's favorite color."

"Blue, I think...may I ask why?"

"I'm at a yarn store and I need to pick a color."

"You're buying him yarn for Christmas?"

"I'm making him a pair of mittens for Christmas," Olivia revealed.

"You make mittens? Are you making me mittens for Christmas, too?" Richard asked with such boyish enthusiasm that Olivia could picture the expression on his face.

"I don't know if I'll have time between now and Christmas day, but if you'd like a pair--."

"I'd like anything you made for me," Richard replied, and Olivia felt her heart flutter.

"Any color preference?

"Your choice. The only thing I ask is that they be good for a snowball fight." Olivia laughed and promised that Richard's mittens would be snowball-worthy. "Is that the only reason why you called?"

"No. I wanted to apologize for my frenzied call this morning. I was in something of a panic."

"I heard the wolves baying at your door. How did you ever escape them?"

"I surrendered. They dragged me into Lizzy's room, gave me a stern lecture, and demanded that I wear what they chose for me tonight. I simply agreed to everything and, amazingly enough, they left me alone," she laughed. "That's my real reason for calling you. I don't think I could bear to face them again." Richard was laughing so much that when Danielle arrived at his office, she peeked in to see what had provoked such mirth. Richard waved her into the room and she sat down, bemused.

"Fitz assures me that neither Lizzy nor Jane should be around to torment you later. But I can come by a little early if you like, just in case one of them manages to sneak home and you need rescuing." Richard waggled his eyebrows at Danielle, whose mouth fell open.

"The earlier the better!" Olivia pleaded.

"I'll try for 6:30, then. I'll see you later. I'm taking Danielle to lunch and she looks as though she's ready to start chewing my desk." Richard hung up the phone and met Danielle's smirk.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes; just let me finish this drawer," she deadpanned. Richard rose and grabbed his coat. He offered Danielle his arm and escorted her to an elevator. Within a few minutes the pair was ensconced in a cozy booth at a small restaurant in the theatre district. It was the habit of the two--friends since their days at Harvard Business School, where Danielle was a year ahead of Richard--to exchange their Christmas gifts at a private lunch, rather than at the annual Christmas breakfast with the rest of the staff.

"So what are you doing for the holidays?" Richard asked as he dug into his chicken potpie and offered Danielle the first taste.

"Mmmm!" she said and quickly wiped her chin. "We're going down to D.C. to spend the holidays with my husband's family. Then I'm going to escape for a couple of days to visit my sister in Fredericksburg."

"So you'll be away the whole week."

"Yes. Are you going to be in the office at all next week?" Richard was a bit indecisive.

"I won't be in the rest of this week, Christmas is on Monday, I've got plans for Tuesday," he smiled, thinking of his planned outing with Olivia. "I'm going to try and come in on Wednesday or Thursday, probably, just to check on things. But I guess I won't see you until next year."

"I guess not. I'll bring my CD's over to your office before I leave so you won't feel too deprived." Richard smiled. "Which reminds me..." Danielle placed a large shopping bag on the table beside Richard's plate. Richard smiled and pushed a small, beautifully wrapped box in her direction. Danielle raised an eyebrow.

"Did you wrap this?" Richard shook his head.

"But I did pick out what's inside. I hope you like it...open it, already, will you?" With great forbearance, he waited as she carefully unwrapped the pin.

"Oh, Richard, it's beautiful!" Danielle leaned across the table and kissed Richard's cheek. "You have a real talent for picking things I like." Richard was rather pleased that she liked his gift. He had always considered shopping for Danielle something of a challenge. She prodded him to open his own present.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes, finally! I was determined to get this thing done before Christmas if it killed me! Happy Birthday!" Danielle declared as Richard pulled a dusty blue crocheted afghan from the bag. He held it reverently and ran a hand over its soft, textured surface. "It's the right color for your apartment, right...you did say blue?" Richard looked up smiling.

"It's perfect. No, it's even better than perfect...I'm going to keep it in my office, though, for afternoon naps." He held the afghan up to his cheek and laid his head against it.

"Richard, you don't take afternoon naps!"

"I told you to take that camera out of my office, Dan!" he joked. "Seriously, it's beautiful and I am going to drape it over the couch in my office where I can see it and use it often." He leaned over and returned Danielle's kiss. "I love it when people make things for me," He said as he carefully placed the afghan back in the bag so he could continue his meal. "Olivia has promised to knit a pair of mittens."

"And you promised her to rescue her from Lizzy and Jane?" Richard laid down his fork and tried to explain as he helped himself to the French fries that Danielle had pushed to his side of her plate.

"Tonight is my first real date with Olivia and, to put it mildly, Lizzy and Jane are rather ecstatic about it."

"And Olivia?" Danielle asked, imagining that the lady she had seen twice in Richard's company would be no less than ecstatic herself. Richard smiled wistfully.

"I think she's looking forward to it," he said with a modest smile.

"By the way, if you want your Christmas present, it's at the bottom of the bag." Richard gulped down his mouthful of root beer and eagerly dug into the bag.

"Sirio? William Darcy. Come stai? Va bene, va bene. Sirio, I have a small favor to ask of you. My cousin Richard is bringing a date to your restaurant tonight...no, no, not Darcy. His name is Fitzwilliam...yes, Richard Fitzwilliam. His date is named Olivia Crenshaw. She's the woman I spoke to you about, the one heading up the Cook's Companion project...oh, no! I don't want you to discuss business tonight...well, yes, it is kind of a special date...heh, heh, yes, exactly. But if you can manage it, if it's not too much trouble, could you introduce her to the executive chef tonight? Yes, Jacques, too...that would be terrific...I'll be spending the holidays in Connecticut with my family...oh, yes, I wouldn't dream of leaving Lizzy behind...all of them? That should be a houseful! Oh, yes, give her my best; I'm glad to hear she's doing so much better...don't let all those grandchildren wear her out! You, too, Sirio...Sirio, one more thing: a gift to Richard and Olivia, let's say Moet and Chandon...I'll let you decide. Put it on my tab...yes...yes, you, too. Ciao." William smiled and sat back in his chair. He was still smiling a moment later when Matt entered his office. William frowned.

"Where have you been?"

"Data gathering, as you asked. Here's the latest from DARCO Japan." William perused the contents of the folder Matt handed him while Matt sat and looked on.

"What's this?" William picked up a Post-It note bearing a phone number. Matt quickly surmised that Lydia had stuck it to his folder. He reached out and took it.

"A girl," he smiled.

"A girl from the 38th floor." Matt colored slightly.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"That's where she works," Matt shrugged. "And before you ask, it was unsolicited and it's not Olivia's."

"I know it isn't. Tell me something, Matt," William asked, tenting his fingers. "Why are you so interested in her, anyway? There must be dozens of other women in this building you might have taken an interest in. Why Olivia Crenshaw?"

"I'm only in New York temporarily, remember? Olivia lives in Pennsylvania, where I spend most of my time."

"But you're too young to be contemplating a serious relationship. So why chase after someone who has already expressed an interest in another man, specifically, your cousin?"

"An interest, yes. Not a commitment; she might easily be persuaded to change her mind." William rolled his eyes. "Now you tell me something, cousin," Matt leaned forward, "Why is it that you seem to be more concerned about Richard's relationship with Olivia than he is?"

"I'm eager to secure his happiness," William said cautiously. He had a very bad feeling about Matt just then. He recalled Richard's edict against nepotism and wished he had heeded him.

"And not mine?" Matt replied, flashing the classic Fitzwilliam smile. William no longer cared to spar with his cousin. He didn't mince words. He leaned forward and fixed his glare on Matt.

"Quite frankly, I couldn't care less about your happiness at the moment. Listen, if Olivia decides that she's no longer interested in Richard, then by all means have a go at her. But if I hear that you so much as thought about trying to influence her affections, this earth won't be large enough to protect you from my wrath." William flashed his own rendition of the Fitzwilliam smile and Matt went pale. William rose.

"I'll be at lunch. You shouldn't expect to reach me for the next two hours." William strode out of the office leaving a stunned Matt to contemplate his words.

Against her better judgment, Olivia stopped in at Jane's shop on her way home. She had decided to treat herself to the bracelet that she had admired on an earlier visit. Jane smilingly informed her that the bracelet had already been purchased. Olivia was crestfallen, but Jane hinted strongly that Olivia might be seeing the treasured item again very soon. Olivia was purposefully obtuse to Jane's not so subtle hints. If someone had bought her the bracelet as a Christmas gift she would rather be surprised on Christmas day.

"Lizzy and I laid everything out for you on her bed," Jane informed Olivia. "All you have to do is get dressed. You're going to look fabulous and I know you'll have a wonderful time."

"Thank you, Jane," Olivia said patiently, "But as I told you earlier, I do have something to wear that I brought with me. Thank you both for wanting to make this night special. I really do appreciate it, but I am going to wear my own dress and my own shoes, and my own perfume, and my own jewelry." Olivia looked down at the display case, where the bracelet she coveted once sat, and sighed.

Continued In Next Section