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Part 25

While Olivia took William into her office and showed him even more old photos of Lizzy, Richard and Lizzy prepared a dinner of hamburgers and coleslaw. William and Olivia set the table and chatted about DARCO, while Richard flipped burgers and Lizzy shredded cabbage. They also talked about business: Richard discussed some of his and Charles's ideas for a future joint venture and Lizzy explained her vision for Cherry Blossom. But when the foursome came to the table, all talk of business ceased and dinner conversation was devoted to tales of Olivia and Lizzy's childhood in Elverson. After dinner, the friends repaired to the living room, where the reminiscences continued. When Olivia reached for the photo albums, Lizzy shrieked and insisted that William needed to see only a few of the pictures. William convincingly feigned disappointment, much to the amusement of the others. Richard and Olivia slipped into the kitchen and retrieved the champagne and a chocolate tart they'd brought down from New York. Richard opened the champagne and each person took a turn at toasting Lizzy.

"To my very dearest friend," Olivia smiled. "All the best on your new adventure. I am so very happy for you and extremely proud of you." Lizzy embraced her warmly as Richard took his turn.

"If you are as successful as you are beautiful and talented and intelligent, Cherry Blossom is destined for great things. Charles has often said that he is a lucky man to have you as his employee. I think he's even luckier to have you as his partner." He hugged Lizzy before she turned to William.

"Fitz is right--you are beautiful and talented and intelligent, and so much more...so much more to me. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met. I always thought--I always feared--that finding someone to share my life with meant compromising. But with you, not only did I not have to compromise, I have been forced to keep expanding my notion of what a truly complete woman is. Congratulations on your partnership, Lizzy," William said solemnly as he stared into Lizzy's eyes. Richard coughed after a few moments to break the spell. Everyone drank to Lizzy, and sat down to dessert. Olivia placed a package on the table and pushed it toward Lizzy.

"We didn't have a lot of time to look for a proper gift, but we thought this would look nice on your desk." Lizzy frowned in concentration as she unwrapped and opened the beautifully wrapped package. Inside, she found a tiny rabbit made by Steuben, carved out of lead crystal.

"Ooh, this is beautiful," Lizzy exclaimed. "I love rabbits," Lizzy explained to William. "I owned a bunch of them when I was a kid." She picked up the small sculpture and planted a light kiss on its face.

"I know," William said. "You spent a lot of your youth kissing rabbits, didn't you?" William asked with a twinkle in his eye. Lizzy gaped at him suspiciously. Then she looked at Richard, who gazed back at her, the picture of total innocence.

"All right boys, spill!" she laughed.

"Actually, I think I am the one who showed him the rabbit worship album," Olivia volunteered. "I think Richard only showed him the albums that contained your two years of braces and the Donna Summer Halloween outfit." Lizzy screamed "No!" and hid her face while the others laughed.

"I think that your fashion sense has greatly improved, if that means anything," Richard opined.

"It means absolutely nothing," Lizzy growled. "You're still going to pay dearly, you two. But thank you for my rabbit," she said and got up to kiss each of them. She returned to her place beside William. "And wipe that silly smile off your face, Mr. Darcy." He laughed again and placed a small box in front of her. Lizzy looked down and then up at him.

"Where did you get that?"

"Out of my bag," William replied. "Why?" Lizzy frowned and went in search of her own bag, leaving Richard, Olivia, and William confused and shrugging at each other. Lizzy returned a minute or so later with an identical package and placed it before William.

"I think we ought to find a new place to shop," Lizzy smiled. "I picked this up for you today."

"I picked this up for you today," William repeated. "Open it." They unwrapped their respective packages and laughed as they opened the boxes and revealed their pens. Lizzy's pen was one that she had not seen in Jane's shop. She looked up at William for an explanation.

"I knew that you had become interested in pens after looking at my collection, so when Jane told me about these I immediately had her set aside the best one." Lizzy shook her head.

"You know, I almost bought myself one of these last night, but then I got noble and decided to give one to you instead."

"Thank you," William smiled. "I did rather fancy this one, but I thought I'd be noble, too."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Richard rose from the table and began to clear the plates.

Olivia shrugged and joined him in clearing the table and washing up the dishes. William and Lizzy went into the living room.

"So, Donna Summer, eh?" William smiled as Lizzy made herself comfortable under his arm. She smiled archly at him.

"I'll wager that you don't even know who Donna Summer is."

"That doesn't make that picture any less embarrassing, does it?"

"Point acknowledged, Mr. Darcy. I don't suppose Richard explained to you that a group of us went to a costume party dressed as famous rock stars. Olivia chose Rod Stewart and I chose Donna Summer because I thought it would be easy."

"You mean you already owned those clothes and that wig?"

"What wig?" Lizzy said as she colored. "That was my own hair!" William laughed lightly and ran a hand over Lizzy's curls. Lizzy glared at him, but she couldn't keep up the pretense of being angry for long. She went to the shelf and found the album that contained the infamous picture. Lizzy stared at the picture for a minute as William observed her expression.

"Lizzy," he said as he took the book from her hands and set it aside. "Do you still have that outfit? I'd really like to see you in it." Lizzy hit him playfully. When Richard and Olivia emerged from the kitchen about ten minutes later, they found the couple wrapped in each other's arms, the open photo album on the floor.

"Well, I think Lizzy is coping with her embarrassment very well," Richard smiled. He took Olivia by the hand and led her upstairs, leaving the others in privacy.

Very early the next morning, Olivia slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When she had done, she dressed and went down to the kitchen, where Richard joined her about ten minutes later. As was his wont, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

"I told you I'd take care of breakfast. Why didn't you sleep in?"

"I'm not really tired anymore. In fact, I feel great this morning. Something about being out of the city, I guess," she said as she measured out flour and leavening into a sifter.

"What are we making?" Richard asked, pushing up the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"Scones."

"Cool! What do I do?" Olivia smiled.

"First, you make the coffee." Richard dutifully made coffee and then the pair made up two batches of scones and got them into the oven. Richard took his coffee and stepped out onto the rear patio and Olivia joined him, coming to sit beside him on the garden bench and cuddle in the crook of one arm. They gazed out onto their wildflower garden, which looked far better than either of them had dared to hope.

"I don't know what to do," Olivia said after several minutes of enjoying the scene in shared silence. "I find myself wanting to spend more and more of my time in New York with you--heck, I don't really have a choice anymore, do I? But there's still a tiny part of me that wants to hold onto this place even though common sense tells me that it's time to give it up." Richard remained silent and let her continue. "My family is here...my mom and dad, I mean...all my memories of them and my childhood." Olivia looked up at Richard. "Of course, I have found a new family to start a life with," she added with a smile and a kiss for the man with whom she had fallen hopelessly in love.

"You don't have to give this place up if you don't want to. I have really come to like it down here, even though we haven't been here a lot lately," Richard said.

"I know, but maybe it's time for me to break with the past and start focusing on our future. A couple of friends who are about to marry have expressed an interest in buying the house, should I decide to sell it. It would all be so easy, and yet so hard."

"Maybe it won't be so hard once we break ground on our own house. And maybe we should think about getting another place in Pennsylvania, maybe further north...closer to the city." Richard suggested.

"Maybe," Olivia shrugged. "Maybe we should check the scones first." She rose to go inside and Richard followed. They discovered Lizzy, fresh from her shower and wearing a tee shirt that obviously was William's over her jeans, pouring out a cup of coffee.

"Something smells wonderful," Lizzy smiled as she claimed a stool beside Richard as Olivia removed the scones from the oven. Richard set about cutting up fruit while Olivia began to whip cream by hand.

"So what's on tap today?" Olivia asked as she spooned fruit onto her plate.

"I don't have any firm plans," Lizzy replied. "What about you two?"

"Well, the way I see it, we have some weeding to do, then we should go see Aunt Marie and Squeaks, then some more weeding," Richard intoned as he poured out more coffee.

"I didn't know you knew Aunt Marie," Lizzy replied.

"Know her? They've become best friends. In fact, last time we were here, I sent Richard over to help her with something and he spent the whole day with her."

"Well, she's a sweet old dear," Richard explained.

"And Richard has never met a female who could resist his charm," Lizzy winked at Olivia.

"I thought you and William were going to take a walk down memory lane."

"Yes," Richard said helpfully. "You can show him your old rabbit hutches." Lizzy threw a chunk of honeydew melon at him.

"Maybe I will," Lizzy admitted. "Take a walk down memory lane, I mean. I can show him the farm, my old school, the area..."

"And after ten o'clock?" Richard teased. Lizzy reached for another chunk of melon to toss, but Richard disarmed her by removing her bowl with unexpected alacrity. She laughed and demanded the return of her breakfast.

"I suppose we should give George a call. He usually has us over for drinks when we're down for the weekend," Olivia said as she calmly took Lizzy's bowl from Richard and handed it back to Lizzy. Lizzy stuck her tongue out at Richard, who appeared to be shocked by Olivia's betrayal.

"I thought he was going to be in Europe this month," Richard replied absently. Olivia shrugged.

"Well, we should call just the same. If he's not back, he's not back." Lizzy made a face, remembering her last meeting with George Knightley, at William's Christmas party.

"Well, I for one, would be content to miss drinks with George. He kind of creeped me out at Will's party last Christmas," Lizzy admitted as she spooned whipped cream on her scone.

"Did he drool on you?" Richard sneered.

"Practically," Lizzy snorted. "Hey, you know he's a sleaze?" Richard shrugged.

"He's been known to come on a little strong with women. That's one of the reasons why I agreed to come down with Gee last year. He's never hit on really young girls to my knowledge, but I wasn't about to take any chances."

"He's never hit on me," Olivia said as she reached for more coffee. "Guess I'm not his type. I don't know if I should be relieved or offended." Richard wrapped an arm around Olivia.

"Don't be offended. First of all, you live too close for comfort. If he were to use you, he'd have you in the neighborhood haunting him. You're also smart as a whip, fiercely independent, and...and..." Olivia arched an eyebrow at him.

"So what am I, chopped liver?" Lizzy inquired as she crossed her arms defensively.

"No, Lizzy. What Richard is trying very hard not to say is that you are appealing to George where I am not," Olivia smirked. Lizzy regarded her with confusion. Olivia leaned across the table and whispered in Lizzy's ear. Lizzy looked meaningfully at Olivia's chest.

"Never knew that being like that could come in so handy," she smiled.

"Oh, yeah? I guess you've never worn a tube top you didn't have to adjust ten times an hour." It was Richard's turn to be confused, but Lizzy enjoyed the joke. "Well, anyway," Olivia said, "If we are summoned to see George you'll have William with you. I doubt George will try anything with him around."

"Speaking of Fitz, where is the big lug?" Richard asked.

"I thought I'd let him sleep late," Lizzy said. "But it's getting pretty late, even for him. Maybe I should take him up a tray." Olivia went to fetch one and helped Lizzy to arrange a tiny pot of coffee, a plate of scones and a bowl of fruit on the tray. Lizzy placed a cup and saucer on the tray and made her way upstairs. She balanced the tray on one hand long enough to turn the knob on the door and slipped into the room. William lay as she left him. Lizzy rested the tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. She lightly ran her fingers over William's damp curls and felt his cheek, which was warm from sleep. William licked his lips and mumbled something.

"Hmm?" Lizzy whispered as she drew closer. William mumbled again and Lizzy responded by bringing her face even closer. William began to turn over and stretch, nearly knocking her off the bed in the process.

"Hey, you!" William laughed, although his eyes were still closed, and wrapped his arms around Lizzy.

"Good morning, Lizzy," he said as he kissed Lizzy's hair.

"Hello, gorgeous," Lizzy replied as she maneuvered herself into a comfortable position in William's arms. "We were beginning to think you weren't getting up today."

"Oh, is it late?"

"Let's just say I left Livy and Richard discussing the lunch menu. Would you like your breakfast now?" she teased. William nodded and Lizzy reluctantly rose and placed the breakfast tray over his lap. William was delighted with the freshly baked scones and cream. As he sipped his coffee, Lizzy told him her proposed plans for the day.

"I am completely at your disposal," William said as he scooped the last of his fruit into his spoon. "I look forward to seeing your childhood haunts."

"Well, don't get too excited. They won't be anywhere near as interesting as the childhood haunts you showed me when we were in England." William handed Lizzy the tray and slid out of the bed.

"That's precisely what will make them interesting to me. They are your childhood haunts, not mine," William said as he pulled on a bathrobe and crossed the hall to the guest bath. Lizzy took the tray downstairs and after washing the dishes, she went out into the backyard, where Richard and Olivia were tending to the garden. Lizzy joined the couple and the threesome was quite engaged in weeding and replanting when William emerged from the house.

"Ah, here's Mr. I-Don't-Do-Physical-Labor," Richard quipped as William shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered out into the garden. Less than a minute later he paused and was caught up in a flurry of sneezes. "Oh, and he brought his excuse with him."

"A convincing one, at that," Olivia said as she rose. "If you're allergic to pollen, I strongly suggest you go back inside, Will. There are acres of hay and ragweed right across the fence on George's property." She escorted William toward the house. Lizzy rose and followed them.

"We are ready to leave, anyway," she said as she entered the kitchen and washed her hands. "I just need a sweater and then I'll be with you." Lizzy ran upstairs.

"Would you like something for your allergies?" Olivia asked. William insisted that he was fine and went to start up the Lexus. Lizzy joined him, and they took off. Lizzy directed William to a large farm about five miles from Olivia's house. She had him pull the SUV to the side of the road and they got out and looked across the fields.

"See that house there? That is where I lived for the first eight years of my life."

"Is this a working farm?" William asked as he surveyed the pair of neat outbuildings about fifty yards from the house.

"Well, it was once. My maternal grandparents owned a few hundred acres, many, many years ago. They grew feed corn and a few other cash crops. By the time my father took possession of the farm it was down to fifty acres and my father did more work for the county than for the farm." William smiled as he tried to imagine the little girl he'd been introduced to in photographs the day before running across the fields.

"Where are the rabbit warrens?"

"Rabbit hutches, Will," Lizzy corrected. "And they used to be in the barn. I don't know if the current owners keep rabbits. The property has changed hands several times since we left here. Let's go." They returned to the vehicle and Lizzy took the wheel. She drove William by the elementary school where she met Olivia, the huge market she used to accompany her father to on Saturdays to buy feed for the cattle and supplies for the farm, the nature reserve where she went camping every summer with Olivia and Jane, and the church where she was baptized. William took in each of the sights with great interest. He learned more about Lizzy's background in those few hours than he had in the previous nine months of their acquaintance.

"I hope you don't find all this boring," Lizzy said as they entered the Amish market.

"On the contrary, I have found this day most enlightening," William said as he followed Lizzy down the crowded aisle to the baker's booth. She bought cinnamon rolls and ginger cookies before moving on to the pretzel booth. William smiled as he recalled the gift basket Richard and Olivia had brought back to Brooklyn from an earlier trip. As he predicted, Lizzy next went to another booth and bought a couple of jars of corn relish and a jar of boysenberry jam. They returned to the car and headed back to the house. When they arrived, they found that they were alone in the house. Olivia left a note telling them that they went to visit Olivia's Aunt Marie.

"Shall I make us some lunch?" Lizzy asked as she dug through the refrigerator. A slow smile spread across Lizzy's face and she abandoned the refrigerator to search Olivia's pantry. She found what she was looking for and went to wash her hands. "Since we're on a nostalgia kick, I think we should have a lunch from my childhood. And consider yourself lucky; Livy wouldn't be caught dead with a can of Spaghetti-O's."

"What are Spaghetti-O's?" Lizzy smiled at William and began to make sandwiches with the boysenberry jam and chunky peanut butter.

"Have you ever had a PBJ?" she teased.

"If by 'PBJ' you mean that which you have in front of you, I have had several of those," William countered archly. He raised an eyebrow as Lizzy cut the sandwiches into fours. She gave William the plate of sandwiches to take to the table on the patio while she poured out two glasses of milk. "Couldn't I have that in a cup of tea?" William asked doubtfully.

"We didn't have tea for lunch when I was growing up," Lizzy smiled.

"Bloody savages," William replied haughtily, but he laughed when Lizzy punched him in the arm. They ate their sandwiches amid much laughter and teasing about Lizzy's childhood. When they were done, Lizzy went inside and came back with a plate upon which were a few of Olivia's oatmeal cookies.

"And now that we have feasted on this nostalgic repast," Lizzy suggested, after they had spent another twenty minutes laughing and talking about Lizzy's childhood, "I think we should indulge in another of my childhood rituals...the afternoon nap." William stretched his arms over his head and yawned expansively.

"Yes, I do feel a bit fatigued from this morning's exercise, now that you mention it," he said. Lizzy looked at him dubiously, but much to her surprise, William fell fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Lizzy sighed and curled up beside him. Her disappointment was short-lived, however. William awoke twenty minutes later and declared that, nostalgic or not, he could envision a better use for a bed on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Richard and Olivia returned from their outing about an hour later, and Lizzy awoke and came downstairs to join them.

"William's taking a nap," Lizzy explained as she sat down next Olivia, who was working on Richard's sweater. Richard looked up from his place at the hearth, where he was clearing out the ashes.

"He's been sleeping a lot lately. Is he all right?"

"He seemed to be fine when I last saw him. In fact, I'd say he's never felt better."

"Well, let him sleep if he's tired," Olivia said as she laid aside her knitting. "It's not as though he has a social schedule to keep. We came down here to relax. Does anyone want coffee?" she called as she headed for the kitchen. Lizzy and Richard said yes, and Lizzy told Olivia that she had been to the Amish market. So the threesome sat down to coffee and cinnamon rolls.

"You know, it's going to feel very strange being at the apartment alone," Olivia said out of the blue. Lizzy looked at Olivia and then at Richard.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I have to fly to Denver tomorrow night. I'll only be gone for three days," Richard replied easily. "You probably won't even have time to miss me."

"Are you kidding? I miss you when you leave me and go up to your office every morning," Olivia insisted. "And I have never spent a night alone in your apartment before."

"Not 'my' apartment--'our' apartment," Richard corrected her. Olivia smiled shyly.

"Well, I have never spent a night alone in our apartment, then."

"Invite Bright Eyes for a sleep over," Richard quipped. Olivia pouted and Richard leaned over and kissed her behind her ear. "Don't worry, I'll be home before you know it."

"I know how you feel, Livy. I hate it when William goes away," Lizzy concurred.

"Say the magic words and you'll never have to be apart from me again," William said as he entered the kitchen. William took a seat beside Lizzy and kissed her lightly on the temple as Olivia rose and poured a cup of coffee for William. Richard pondered the riddle for a moment.

"So long, Charles? Take me with you? Frequent flyer miles?" Lizzy laughed and Olivia shook her head as William glared at his cousin.

"I don't believe I was speaking to you, Fitz."

"Oh. So it isn't 'leg shackles,' then?" William shot Richard a look. "Just trying to help. Lizzy obviously doesn't have a clue," he teased. Lizzy colored slightly and changed the subject.

"I'd love to have a sleep over, Livy. We can spend the evening putting holes in all of Richard's underwear."

"Isn't that redundant?" Richard mused. William looked at Olivia and she silenced Richard with a look.

"So what is for dinner tonight? I'm famished," William said. Olivia rose and went to the refrigerator.

"Well, since George is not home, we can look forward to a quiet evening. I was thinking of a nice country dinner: fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes..." Olivia said as she began to pull things out. "What did you guys have for lunch?"

"PBJ's," William said. Richard looked up.

"Excuse me?"

"PBJ's," William repeated. "That's what you called them, right?" he asked Lizzy.

"Yes, Will. I treated William to a nostalgic Elverson experience: PBJ's, milk, oatmeal cookies, and a nap to top it off."

"Good. Since you two are so well rested, why don't you help Livy while I have an Elverson experience of my own," Richard said as he rose and yawned dramatically. He kissed Olivia and disappeared upstairs to take his own nap. The three remaining in the kitchen prepared dinner and after Richard rejoined them, ate on the patio. When the sun set, they took blankets and went to lay on the grass in George Knightley's field to look at the stars. After a quiet evening of good conversation and much laughter, they retired for the night.

The following morning Olivia and Richard treated their guests to a huge late breakfast after which they closed up the house and prepared to leave. Richard's flight was scheduled for late in the day so the plan was to return to New York by early afternoon. William accompanied Lizzy to Brooklyn while Olivia and Richard returned to their apartment. Richard had already packed his things, but spent the time before departing going over the paper he was to deliver. At precisely five p.m., a limousine arrived to take him to the airport. Olivia watched him go sadly, and after a long bath to calm her troubled spirits, she retired early and slept very badly.

Olivia opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. It read 5:34 a.m., and she sighed and closed her eyes. She knew was waiting in vain; for the first time since she had come to stay with Richard she woke up alone. Richard was in Denver at the tech security conference. He would not be there to nuzzle the back of her neck at 5:45, or to drag her out of bed and into the exercise room. She would have to manage that herself, just as she would have to manage getting to work, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, and doing the shopping, and reading the mail, and everything else all by herself. Richard had been gone for less than twelve hours and Olivia already missed him terribly. How would she survive the next two days?

Olivia rolled onto her back and embraced the emptiness that had overwhelmed her the minute Richard kissed her goodbye. He had not allowed her to accompany him to the airport for his flight. She had gone to bed early to avoid thinking about missing him, but now, as she stretched out her arm and touched the unused side of the bed she felt the true weight of his absence. Olivia felt tears well up in her eyes and quickly quashed them. There was nothing to cry about, she told herself. If she and Richard were going to spend the rest of their lives together there were certainly going to be times when they would have to be apart. It wasn't as though they hadn't been apart before; when Olivia first began to split her time between New York and Elverson, she was quite used to spending whole weeks without the sight of Richard. So why was it so hard now?

True, they had not been separated at all during the last two months, during which Olivia had been in New York for most of the time. And when she had gone back to Pennsylvania, Richard had accompanied her, just as she had accompanied him to Connecticut. Perhaps it was a sign that Olivia was truly ready to make a real commitment. When Richard returned, they would talk about her giving up the house in Elverson, and if he were ready, they would talk about marriage. It seemed like the right time to begin to map out a timetable. Richard and Olivia were to meet with Tineke to discuss designs for their house. After looking at her portfolio, the couple had decided that she would be their architect, but under the influence of her sketches, they had completely changed their minds about their earlier design and were eager to see what Tineke might create for them. Perhaps when they had an idea of when their new home might be finished, they might decide on the right time for a wedding.

Wedding! Olivia made a mental note to call Charles when she got to the office to confirm her meeting with him and Jane for later that afternoon. Olivia rolled over to check the clock: 5:43. She sighed and hugged her pillow. She missed Richard terribly. The phone rang and she nearly jumped out of bed. She clutched her chest as she scrambled to Richard's side of the bed to grab it.

"Good morning, Angel."

"I was just thinking about you," Olivia smiled, unable to stop the tears. "I'm miserable."

"Me, too," Richard sighed.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? It's like 3:45 in Denver!"

"Yeah, but I'm still operating on New York time. Besides, if I was asleep who'd wake you up this morning?" Richard reasoned as he stretched out in his hotel room bed and stared out at the dark sky.

"I'll have you know I was wide awake. I was just lying here thinking of you."

"Ditto. So, are you on your way to the exercise room? I put up your schedule for the week before I left."

"You're so kind," Olivia said sarcastically.

"I also left you a couple of surprises."

"What sort of surprises?"

"Get out of bed and find out. Go on, I'll wait." Olivia scrambled out of bed and padded down to the exercise room in her bare feet. She turned on the light in the exercise room and saw that Richard had placed her sneakers on the workout bench. "Put your sneakers on," he said at the precise moment she spotted them. Olivia smiled and sat on the bench to do as she was told.

"How did you know I'd come down here barefoot?"

"Well, I usually make you put your sneaks on before you go to the weight room, don't I?"

"True." Olivia stood up and turned to look at the small bulletin board where Richard had posted her training schedule. Pinned to the board was also a card. Olivia opened it and sat down to read it. Richard's declaration of love made her begin to cry once more.

"What am I going to do without you for two more days? How will I manage?" Olivia whispered tearfully.

"I took the liberty of organizing a few things for you. I knew you'd be hopelessly lost without me," Richard said in a cocky tone.

"Really! What have you organized?"

"You'll see. Go do your workout so you don't lose track of time and run late. I'll call back before you leave."

"I love you," Olivia said wistfully.

"I know," Richard quipped before he hung up. Olivia laughed and wiped her eyes before she began her workout. She diligently did all the exercises Richard has assigned to her, good-naturedly teasing about the retribution he would have to pay on his return. When she was done, Olivia went down the hall to take her shower. When she came out, she went into the guest room and threw open a closet, where she found three cards taped to the inside of the door. They were marked "Monday," "Tuesday," and "Wednesday" respectively, and she plucked the Monday card from the wall and opened it.

Not to worry, Angel, I have thought about what you should wear to work this week. Since you have that meeting with the Darcy Group today, why don't you wear your red suit? You always look really sharp in it and William likes red so maybe you'll be able to keep his mind off Lizzy for the duration of the meeting. MAYBE! For Tuesday, it's back to business casual, maybe one of your sweater sets and pants--any pants except the black leather ones! For Wednesday, I think you should wear a skirt-your legs are the first things I want to see when I get to the office Wednesday afternoon. No-maybe your mouth, or your eyes...but that's Wednesday's card. I'm getting ahead of myself. Have I mentioned yet how much I love you?

Olivia sat on the edge of the bed and held the card to her heart.

William went down to the kitchen and took his usual seat at the breakfast table. However, when Mrs. Reynolds placed a cup of coffee before him, he felt oddly uninterested in eating.

"You should have something," Mrs. Reynolds clucked. "A coddled egg and some toast, perhaps?" William shook his head, but was finally coaxed into taking some toast. "You look pale, if you don't mind my saying so. What have you been eating all weekend?" William smiled.

"Well, Richard did do a fair amount of the cooking. It is possible that I have been poisoned," he smirked as he reached for the phone in his pocket.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Lizzy answered.

"Hello, beautiful. How are you feeling this morning?" William said pleasantly.

"I feel great, but then I always feel great when I speak with you."

"No queasiness, no green in your complexion?" William prodded. Lizzy laughed.

"All right, what's the joke?"

"Just wondering about the after effects of Richard's cooking."

"I feel fine, William," Lizzy responded seriously. "I thought Richard cooked very well, and beside, he was under supervision the whole time. You aren't feeling ill, are you?" William hesitated to answer. In truth, he did feel a bit odd when he woke up this morning, and he had noticed his pallor even before Mrs. Reynolds mentioned it. Perhaps he was coming down with something, but he didn't want to alarm Lizzy unnecessarily.

"No, no, I am okay, but I am somewhat immune to Richard's machinations. I was just concerned for you."

"You're so thoughtful. But perhaps I am developing an immunity, too."

"Must be from hanging around all those Fitzes."

"Must be. But I hope I don't become completely immune to the...uh... 'machinations' of Fitzes--at least not all of them."

"Here, here! It's hard having to come up with new ones, you know," William said as he looked at his toast and wished that Mrs. Reynolds had not buttered it.

"Mr. Darcy, you are positively silly this morning."

"Must be from hanging around all those Fitzes," William smiled. "So are we having dinner tonight, or are you going to keep Olivia company?"

"Jane said that she and Charles are meeting with her this afternoon to discuss wedding stuff and they plan on going to dinner, so I am available."

"Lucky me," William said as he pushed away the half-eaten toast and looked at his watch. "Shall I pick you up and we'll eat somewhere downtown?" Lizzy agreed and they continued their conversation while William rode across town in the back of the limousine and Lizzy walked to the train station. When William arrived at the office he rushed for the elevator. He caught it just as it was about to close. Olivia held the button as he entered.

"Good morning, William," Olivia smiled. He returned her greeting and thanked her again for a great weekend in Pennsylvania.

"So are we on for 9:30?" Olivia said yes as she stepped off the elevator.

"How about a pre-meeting in your office? I want us on the same page about going forward with Ken Hunt." Olivia agreed and headed toward her office. When she entered, she was surprised to find her assistant, Amy, at her desk.

"What are you doing in so early?" Amy looked up and smiled shyly.

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to say," she admitted as she rose and followed Olivia in to the office. Olivia paused in her tracks and took in the scene. There was a vase of sunflowers on her desk, a full pot of coffee and a plate of pastries awaiting her on the tray, and a card on the desk. Olivia turned and looked at Amy questioningly.

"I hope the coffee is all right; I followed Richard's instructions to the letter." Olivia smiled as she put down her bag and fingered the nearest sunflower.

"How did he convince you to come in an hour early?"

"Tickets to Aida if I made coffee for three days," Amy explained. "My boyfriend has been trying to get tickets for ages with no success, so it was an offer I couldn't refuse." Olivia went to the tray and poured out a cup of coffee. It was perfect.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that Richard had brewed this," Olivia smiled. Amy grinned in relief as she retreated to her own desk. Olivia sat down and read her card from Richard before she began reading her email. She responded to Richard's email first, naturally, and then settled in to her normal routine. An hour passed before she knew it, so she was surprised when Amy knocked on her door.

"William Darcy is outside," she said nervously.

"Oh," Olivia cried, checking the time. "Send him in!" William entered the office with an amused glance at Amy.

"I think your assistant is scared of me," he said as he drew up a chair and sat down. Olivia raised an eyebrow, but she thought better of explaining to William that it was not fear but another emotion that made the young woman so nervous.

"May I offer you some coffee?" William declined the coffee and the pastry Olivia subsequently offered and the pair quickly got down to business. This would be Olivia's first meeting with the venture group since her sites were launched and she would be sharing preliminary figures on all business activities to this point at the meeting with her investors. William and Olivia also discussed her idea about bringing Ken Hunt in to replace Jade Ng, even if it meant that he would be working from home for a few months. That would be a major point of discussion in a later meeting, and they had discussed it over the weekend, but William wanted to let Olivia know that he had spoken with Ed Ferrars and give her his impressions.

When they were agreed on various key points, they rose and went up to the conference room down the hall from William's office. The meeting went well, although it occurred to Olivia that she had never been at a meeting of the full board. Richard had been conveniently absent each time she met with the Darcy Group and wondered if it was by design. Nonetheless, William had Richard's proxy vote, and the group approved of Olivia's progress thus far. When she left the meeting, Olivia spoke with Christopher in the hall briefly before she got into the elevator to return to her office. Her mind was on that discussion and she completely forgot to push the button for her floor. When the elevator reached the lobby, therefore, she sheepishly pushed the button and was pleasantly surprised to see Georgiana get into the elevator.

"What brings you here?" Olivia smiled.

"I came by to take a tour of Christopher's office and then we're going to lunch," Georgiana revealed. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't go out of your way to mention it to William," she added with a significant look. Olivia smiled.

"He certainly won't hear about it from me," Olivia promised.

"How is my gorgeous cousin?" Olivia pouted.

"He's in Denver at a conference. I miss him terribly," Olivia admitted.

"Bummer," Georgiana said, "But if I know Richard--and I do--he won't give you much of a chance to miss him." Olivia laughed as she stepped off the elevator.

"That's true enough!"

William was sitting at his desk reading when his phone rang. He was glad of an excuse to lay aside the stack of correspondence, even if it was just temporary. He picked up the phone and smiled when he recognized Richard's voice.

"Hey! Did you slip something into my breakfast yesterday? I've been feeling sick all day, and Lizzy and Olivia seem to be fine."

"If I were going to bump you off, I'd buy up a bigger chunk of Darcy Corporation first. What's bugging you?"

"I don't know. Some stomach thing...are you sure you haven't poisoned me?"

"Fitz, you know I love you far too much to use a slow-acting poison." William laughed.

"How are things in Denver?"

"Going well. I got my first panel out of the way. By the bye, the buzz about the Companion is very good. A lot of press coverage here."

"Yes, I spoke with Ed this morning. He's been in touch with the account reps we sent to the conference. By the way, you'll want to know that the Darcy Group meeting went well. Olivia acquitted herself very nicely."

"Good, and speaking of Olivia, I called to see if you did that favor I asked of you." William looked at the small package that sat on the edge of his desk.

"Sorry. I completely forgot about it this morning. But we do have another meeting this afternoon. I'll make sure she comes up a little early and I'll give it to her then."

"You do that, Fitz." William hung up the phone and slid the package to the edge of the desk next to the folder for the meeting later in the afternoon. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as Jo entered his office.

"Are you feeling all right? You look awful," she said without preamble.

"Thank you," he said crossly, as he took the folder she handed him. He immediately felt contrite. "Actually, I am not feeling at all well today."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks, Jo. Maybe I'll skip lunch and lie down for a while before my next meeting."

"Will you call Mr. Jennings or should I?" William asked Jo to make the call and went to lie on his couch. Roughly an hour later, Olivia stopped by.

"Has the boss got a minute, Jo? I have something I wanted to speak with him about before our meeting." Jo checked her watch and buzzed William. She had meant to wake him a bit earlier, but decided that he was probably better off resting a bit longer. When William didn't respond right away, however, she grew concerned.

"Wait here a minute, please," Jo said as she gently pushed open the door to the inner office. She saw William lying on the couch. "Mr. D? Mr. D?" Jo went further into the room. One look at William's soaked shirt told her that all wasn't well. She called Olivia as she rushed to his side. William was burning with fever and he wasn't responding to her calls. Olivia ran to the phone and called the medical office. In minutes the staff nurse was on the scene. She quickly evaluated William and asked Jo to call an ambulance.

"Unless I am greatly mistaken, he's got acute appendicitis." Olivia told Jo she'd accompany William to the hospital and quickly dialed Lizzy's number.

"Lizzy? It's me--."

"Oh, hi, Livy. Listen, I'm with a client right now. Can I call you back?" Olivia didn't mince words. She knew that Lizzy would want to know the truth and hear it immediately.

"It's William, Lizzy. He's got appendicitis and he's on his way to Lenox Hill Hospital."

"Omigod! I'll be there as soon as possible. Someone should call his family..." Olivia could hear the panic rising in her voice.

"I'll take care of it. I'm going to the hospital with Will. I'll see you there, okay? The ambulance just arrived so we'll be leaving right away. If there's any news I'll call right away."

"Take care of him for me, Livy," Lizzy whispered. She hung up the phone, her hands shaking. Charles looked at his client, then at his partner.

"What's happened?"

"William has appendicitis. Livy just called to say that he's on his way to the hospital." Charles told her to go, and Lizzy hastily apologized to her client and raced outside in search of a taxi. Olivia, meanwhile, accompanied William to the hospital. He mumbled groggily on the short ride, and upon arrival he was whisked into an examination room, where it was determined that he'd require immediate surgery. Olivia pulled out her phone and put in a call to Georgiana, thanking her lucky stars that Richard had preprogrammed her telephone with all of his family contacts. Kathleen and Bess were in the city and Olivia was able to locate them quickly. They all arrived at the hospital quickly--Georgiana in the company of Christopher.

"He'll be fine, the doctor said," Olivia reported to the assembled clan. "His appendix hasn't burst so the removal will be routine, whatever that means."

"Corrine had her appendix removed several years ago. It's not a difficult surgery as such things go," Kathleen assured her future daughter-in-law.

"Oh dear! Has anyone thought to call Lizzy? I am sure William will want to see her when he gets out of surgery," Bess said.

"I called her and I imagine she's on her way," Olivia replied. "That was nearly forty-five minutes ago. I can't imagine what's keeping her." Olivia reached into her purse and pulled out her phone to call Lizzy again. Her back was turned when the elevator door opened and Jade stepped out. Olivia turned back to look at the new arrival and didn't bother to mask her surprise. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"When I arrived for the meeting, William's secretary told us that it had been canceled because he'd taken ill. I understand that he's been brought here." Kathleen and Bess continued to stare at Jade expectantly. "I just thought I might be of some help," she added meekly.

"Oh, are you a surgeon?" Kathleen asked dismissively as she turned away. Jade looked at her as if stung.

"You are very kind to worry about your employer, dear," Bess said, "But as you can see, none of his other employees found it necessary to make the trip. Perhaps you should go back to work. His family will take care of him." Jade looked at Olivia and then at Christopher, who had an arm around Georgiana's shoulder and was speaking to her in hushed tones a short distance away, but the tone of Bess's voice prevented her from saying whatever was on her mind. Jade reddened and turned to rush into the elevator as the doors opened, pushing her way past Hugh in the process. Hugh paid her no heed; he was more concerned about the condition of his nephew. Jade, meanwhile, was forced to endure a long ride all the way to the top floor and down again. When she finally reached the lobby she stepped out, only to come face to face with Lizzy.

"So sorry about William," Jade said sadly, her hand to her mouth. She rushed past Lizzy and left the building. When she was out of Lizzy's sight she doubled over laughing at the shocked expression on Lizzy's face.

It took Bess and Kathleen several minutes to reassure Lizzy that all was well with William. Lizzy didn't bother to explain to them why she was so upset when she came off the elevator, but she silently vowed to get her revenge on Jade. Olivia was the only one she confided in, and Olivia was even angrier than Lizzy herself. Their concern for William, however, outweighed all other concerns and the family waited impatiently for word from the surgery. Olivia was the first to see the surgeon coming down the hall. She rose and introduced Georgiana, the Fitzwilliams and Lizzy as William's next of kin and the entire group huddled around the doctor for a brief update.

"Mr. Darcy is out of surgery and resting comfortably. He came through like a champ," Doctor O'Neill reported.

"How long will he have to remain in the hospital?" Kathleen asked.

"I'd say no more than a day's stay is common, but that depends on how he does in recovery."

"May I see him?" Lizzy asked. Georgiana also appealed to the doctor, who was a bit overwhelmed by the sentiments echoed by Kathleen, Bess, and Hugh.

"Well, you can't all see him at once," he said hesitantly. It was immediately decided that Lizzy and Georgiana would go in and see William first, and the others would wait until later. Olivia moved a short distance away from the group and pulled out her phone once more. She dialed Richard's number, hoping that he was out of his panel and free to answer his phone.

"Hello, Angel," he replied.

"Hi, Richard."

"What's wrong?" he asked, instinctively sensitive to the worry in Olivia's voice.

"William has taken ill and had an emergency appendectomy."

"What? When did all this happen?" Olivia told him the whole story, including the part about Jade's cruel joke on Lizzy. It angered Richard, but he was relieved that Olivia was able to tell him that William had come through surgery with flying colors. "Well, he did say he wasn't feeling well when I spoke to him. In fact, he accused me of poisoning him."

"Well, I guess you're off the hook, then." Richard smiled.

"Give him my best when you see him. I'll try and see if I can get out of here a little early. And let me know if there are any changes."

"Of course," Olivia replied. "I'll call you later. Love you."

"Ditto." Since things seemed to be under control, Olivia announced that she would return to the office. Christopher offered her a ride, and both promised to return after work. Lizzy and Olivia exchanged a meaningful glance when Christopher walked a few steps away with Georgiana to have a private word before they left. He kissed Georgiana on the forehead and joined Olivia at the elevator. Then Georgiana took hold of Lizzy's hand and they followed the nurse who came to take them to the recovery room.

He looks so pale, Lizzy thought as she looked into William's face. He was unconscious and she instinctively reached out and tried to put some order to the unruly mass of dark curls at his brow. Georgiana covered her mouth and squeezed Lizzy's hand.

"He's all right, Gee. Just still feeling the effects of the anesthesia," Lizzy whispered. William licked his lips and mumbled something. Lizzy reached out and lightly stroked his cheek. William mumbled again and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times before he was able to focus on his younger sibling.

"What are you doing here?" he said hoarsely. Georgiana couldn't resist a giggle, a combination of her relief at seeing William revived, the strange expression on his face, and the absurdity of his question. "I think I'm late for a meeting, we'll have to talk later," he said as he closed his eyes. Georgiana and Lizzy exchanged an amused glance.

"William?" The patient's eyes flew open at the sound of his beloved's voice. "Do you know where you are?" He stared at her for a moment and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh. I'm in hospital. Right." He raised a hand to run through his hair, and saw that an intravenous tube had been taped to his forearm. "How am I?"

"You tell us," Lizzy smiled. "The doctor said you came through surgery like a champ."

"Then why do I feel like I've been on the losing end of the prize fight?" Georgiana smiled and bent over to kiss him.

"You're fine, Will. You just need to get some rest." William nodded, more from a wish to reassure his sister than because he believed her. Georgiana slipped away so that he and Lizzy could have a bit of privacy.

"You gave me quite a scare," Lizzy said with a shaky voice. William reached out and took hold of her hand. "You almost had me convinced that you were invulnerable, you know." William smiled and reached up with his free hand to wipe away the tear that escaped and ran down her cheek.

"I am not invulnerable, Lizzy, although I often feel that way with you by my side. I feel more alive, more human, more whole knowing you love me."

"That's high praise from a man in an embarrassing backless gown," Lizzy smiled.

"I'm serious!"

"I know!" Lizzy said through her tears. She was so happy to see him and hear his voice that she couldn't stop smiling or crying. William reached up and brushed away more tears.

"I do believe you're delirious. Perhaps I can talk the nurse into admitting you and letting you share my room."

"They don't usually allow the loonies to stay with the sane people, you know," Lizzy countered.

"Then perhaps you'd better behave," William said gently as he continued to stroke Lizzy's cheek. "I love you, Lizzy Bennet."

"You're going to make me start crying again," she whispered, as the words caught in her throat.

"I'll have to risk that. It suddenly seems important to me to tell you exactly how I feel. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance?"

"Don't say that, William!" Lizzy said as she put her fingers to his lips. "We have the rest of our lives together.'

"Promise?" Lizzy smiled at William, knowing that he had ensnared her in a trap and not caring.

"I promise." William sighed then and closed his eyes. In less than a moment he had fallen asleep. Lizzy watched him, smiling at the peaceful expression on his face, and started when Bess touched her lightly on the shoulder.

"How's our dear boy?"

"He's going to be fine," Lizzy said. She leaned over and kissed his brow, and went out into the hall. Kathleen immediately asked after her nephew and she gave him a good report. Then, as exhaustion and pent up emotion spilled over, she began to cry. Hugh enfolded her in his arms and held her until she quieted. After about a half hour, when William was settled into his room, she went to sit with him. He opened his eyes at her touch, and they smiled at each other until William grew too weary and fell asleep once more.

"How's the patient?" Olivia asked into the phone as she accepted a stack of papers from her assistant.

"Oh, Will's fine. I've never seen anyone come out of surgery looking so darned good in my life," Bess teased.

"I'm glad to hear it. How's Lizzy holding up?"

"Now she's the one who looks like she should be in bed."

"Lizzy has issues, GB. She..." Olivia hesitated for a moment before she sighed and explained Lizzy's fear of losing those she loved. "It's kind of the reason why she's commitment-phobic, if you can believe that."

"I understand. But don't worry about her. Hugh has gone back to work but Kathleen and I will stay with her a while. There's no need for you to come back tonight."

"Thanks, Bess. Any messages for your grandson when I speak with him later?"

"Just tell the big lug I still love him and it would be nice if he'd visit me once in a while. Oh, and tell him he's picked a fantastic lady to be his wife. Goodbye, dear." Olivia was smiling broadly when she realized that Amy was still standing by her desk.

"Is there something else?"

"I...I heard that Mr. Darcy got sick today and that you went with him to the hospital," she said shyly. "I was just wondering if there was any news."

"Oh, yes," Olivia smiled reassuringly. "He's fine. Will--Mr. Darcy just had to have his appendix removed. He came through surgery fine and will probably be released sometime tomorrow." She saw relief wash over her assistant's face.

"He's a nice guy," Amy said sheepishly as she headed for the door.

"Yes...nice." Olivia smiled. She waited until the door was closed before she picked up the receiver and dialed again. She took a deep breath and waited for Charles to answer his phone.

"Charles Bingley."

"Hello, Charles, it's Livy." She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

"Hello, Livy. Any news on William?"

"Came through surgery with flying colors. I left Lizzy at the hospital with him and came back to work."

"That's great to hear."

"Have you told Jane about the surgery?"

"Yes, I told her when she called a little while ago. She's on her way over here and, frankly, I don't think she really feels up to talking about weddings tonight. Her heart and mind are with Will."

"I can understand that, Charles, but we're on a deadline. Look, Adam and I are on our way downtown, okay? We should be there, barring traffic, in about a half hour. We'll try to get this thing over with as quickly as possible."

Georgiana and Mrs. Reynolds came off the elevator and went to the lounge area to meet Kathleen and Bess. Georgiana had run home to pick up some things for William, and when Mrs. Reynolds learned that her employer was ill, she insisted on coming back to the hospital with her.

"Is there any news?" Georgiana asked as Mrs. Reynolds went to a table, opened up a small hamper and poured out steaming cups of coffee for the two women. Kathleen accepted the cup gratefully, but refused the sandwich that was offered.

"William was asleep when I last checked in. He seems to be resting comfortably," Kathleen reported.

"Lizzy's still in there," Bess said. "Try and see if you can pry her out of there. She needs a break." Georgiana smiled and promised to try. She signaled for the housekeeper to follow and went to William's door and peered in. They entered the room and saw Lizzy sitting in a chair close to William's bed. She appeared to be asleep, until Georgiana realized that she was staring at William, who was resting. Georgiana touched her lightly on the shoulder so as not to startle her.

"Oh, hello," Lizzy said as she rose to hug her lover's sibling.

"How is he?"

"He says he's fine, but then he said that this morning, and now look at him," Lizzy said, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears. Mrs. Reynolds extended her arms toward Lizzy and enfolded the younger woman. Whispering words of comfort and reassurance, she gently ushered Lizzy to the lounge and convinced her to have something to eat. Bess sat with Lizzy as she nibbled on her sandwich. She laid it down suddenly and reached out and ran her fingers along the edge of the old picnic hamper.

"William and I had a picnic with this hamper once. It was the day after our first date and he took me to an antiques fair," Lizzy said wistfully.

"And he'll probably drag you to a dozen more of those things before the summer's out," Bess said casually. "Loves them. Something he acquired from my daughter, undoubtedly." She glanced at Lizzy to gauge her reaction. Lizzy brightened almost imperceptibly. "Lizzy, William just had very minor surgery. Your biggest worry right now should be whether or not the scar will show when he wears a bathing suit. And let's face it; in that package, who'll even notice?" Lizzy managed a genuine smile.

"I get the picture, GB."

"'GB'? You confuse me, child. Fizz and Livy call me that. You and William have always called me 'Grandma Bess'."

"Sorry," Lizzy smiled. "Will and I spent the weekend with those two. Something must have rubbed off." Lizzy made a face. "You know, if I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't have believed that William called you 'Grandma.'" Bess laughed.

"Oh, for a long time, he didn't. He spent most of his early childhood in England, and whenever he visited us in the states he was always very proper and formal in his address. He didn't even call me 'Bess,' just 'Grandmother.' He was so formal that Fizz and Matt teased him mercilessly. Of course, Fizz had a 'Grandma Bess' and a 'Grandma Maeve.' Eventually, William came to me and said, 'I mean no disrespect, Grandmother, but would you be terribly offended if I called you Grandma Bess like the others, henceforth?' I nearly split my sides trying to contain myself," Bess laughed, smoothly moving into and out of a British accent to punctuate her story. "I've been 'Grandma Bess' to all my grandchildren since then."

"I saw childhood pictures of Will when we were in London over the winter. He must have been quite a target for his cousins, with his long hair and serious expression." Bess laughingly dismissed her theory.

"Oh, don't let appearances fool you. Fizz may have called Will 'Little Lord Fancy Pants' but Will was as rugged and wild as the rest of them. He regularly whipped Fizz soundly, you know, well into their teens." Lizzy laughed at the notion of William tormenting Richard, but recalled occasions where Richard had admitted as much. She sighed and reached for the Thermos bottle and poured out more coffee. Bess continued to watch her carefully.

"He is going to be fine, Lizzy," she said as she reached out to steady Lizzy's shaky hands.

Olivia sat between Jane and Charles and reviewed the menus the couple had gathered in their interviews with the caterers she had recommended.

"Any of these would be good, but this is my personal favorite," Olivia concluded.

"I agree," Charles said. "Jane?" He reached over and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about Will," she admitted sheepishly. "Let's get this photo shoot over with so we can go and see him, all right?" Charles turned his gaze on Olivia, who turned her gaze on the photographer, who was still checking the lighting.

"How much longer do you think we're going to be, Adam?" she asked patiently.

"Ten minutes, tops," he said. "I'd like just one more shot with you all looking down at the menus." Olivia sighed and looked at Jane apologetically.

"All right. Let's make this one count, gang." Adam finished fiddling with the light meter and took a few more shots. Finally, he announced that he was done.

"Great," Jane said as she leapt up from the couch in the Cherry Blossom reception area. "Let's get to the hospital." Olivia followed her down the hall to Charles's office.

"Jane, I know that you and Will are really close, but would it be...I mean..."

"What?" Jane asked, her eyes alert with concern.

"Would you mind terribly if we didn't go to the hospital tonight?" Olivia managed finally.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Livy. I forgot how much you hate being in hospitals after your dad's death. And you've already been there once today. Well, if you don't want to go, why don't you and Charles go on to the restaurant and I'll join you there after I've seen--." Olivia shook her head.

"No, Jane. I don't think any of us should go to the hospital. It has nothing to do with me. I was talking to Bess earlier and it sounds like Lizzy isn't coping well with William being ill. I thought that maybe she should have some time alone with him. According to Bess, William will probably go home in the morning. You can visit him at home tomorrow." Jane put down her bag and sat heavily in Charles's chair. Olivia saw the crestfallen expression on her face and felt a pang of guilt. "Hey, this is just my humble opinion. You don't have to agree with me or anything...if you guys want to go to the hospital, far be it from me to stop you--."

"No," Jane said softly. "You're right. I hadn't thought about how Lizzy might be taking all this." She looked up at Olivia and smiled, albeit it sadly. "You're a good friend, you know that? Only I have to wonder...Lizzy's there for William. Who's there for Lizzy?"

"Bess and Kathleen have that covered. Gee is there, too." Jane sighed.

"Then I suppose we may as well go out and eat," she said brightening suddenly. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

"I know he's going to be fine, Grandma Bess," Lizzy sighed. "It's just that..."

"You got the scare of your life today. You panicked for a moment and thought you were going to lose him, didn't you?" Lizzy blushed and nodded sheepishly. "Good Lord, girl! I can't remember the last time I heard of anyone dying during an appendectomy, but I'll wager it was prior to the Nixon Administration," Bess replied incredulously.

"I know," Lizzy said, her eyes focused on the hands in her lap. "But--."

"But you're a woman in love and you don't want to lose him. Now that's a very rational sentiment," Bess declared.

"I love him so much," Lizzy said, teary-eyed once more. Bess reached out and took Lizzy into her arms.

"Anyone with eyes can see that," she said softly. "But if you go back in there with your eyes looking like that, you'll scare the poor boy." Lizzy smiled in spite of herself.

"I love you, too, Bess," she said. "In fact, I think I'm crazy about the entire Fitzwilliam clan," Lizzy confided as she leaned over to kiss Bess's cheek.

"I hope that doesn't make you cry more." Lizzy squeezed the Fitzwilliam matriarch.

"Now I know where Richard gets his sense of humor," she said as she sniffed away the last of her tears.

"Oh, dear! I have to take credit for that, do I?"

"Uh huh." Lizzy wiped her eyes and looked at Bess seriously for a moment. "What did William get from you?" Bess pretended to think for a minute.

"Hmm, Will has so many good qualities, I wish I could claim all of them...he got that funny accent from his father, though..." Lizzy laughed again as she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up to see Christopher.

"How is the patient?" he asked with a worried glance at Lizzy's tear-stained face.

"Oh, William is fine. Don't be mislead by this dreadful apparition," Bess said with a nod toward Lizzy. "Go on in and see him. Gee is in there with him." Christopher smiled and went down the hall.

"I think that Gee has a slight crush on him," Lizzy said as she pulled out her compact and attempted to repair her face.

"If you think that crush is slight, you probably still believe in the tooth fairy," Bess deadpanned.

"Do you approve?" Lizzy asked. Bess shrugged.

"I think he's good for her: mature, considerate, and a gentleman...quite a looker, too. The girl could do far worse, and there is something to be said for an older man. My husband was a good ten years older than me. But if you breathe one word of what I said to Will, I'll deny it with my dying breath."

"Hello, there," Christopher said as he entered William's room. The patient looked up and smiled wanly.

"Hello, Christopher," Georgiana replied as he approached the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Christopher asked William.

"I've been better," William replied. The two men made small talk for a few minutes, comparing appendectomy stories. "What's this?" he asked when Christopher placed a small gift bag on William's lap.

"Open it." William pulled out the tissue paper at the top of the bag and smiled his thanks.

"What is it?" Georgiana asked. William pulled out a large bag of jellybeans and his sister's eyes widened.

"You now know your brother's secret vice," Christopher confided.

"Really!" Georgiana smiled. "I had no idea."

"There's no reason why you should," William sniffed as he pushed his treasure back into the bag. "And I'll thank you not to go spouting off about this to--." William fell silent as Lizzy entered the room.

"What's going on?" she asked pleasantly. William looked at his sister warningly.

"Nothing," Georgiana smiled. "I was just leaving," she said with a grin. She leaned over the bed to kiss William. "I'll see you tomorrow, big brother." He squeezed her hand and sighed.

"May I offer you a lift?" Christopher asked smoothly. William opened and shut his mouth as Lizzy shot him a look. Georgiana accepted the offer and left the room after she hugged Lizzy. William frowned as the pair departed.

"He's making moves on my sister," William said evenly.

"He offered her a ride home, Will," Lizzy reasoned.

"I bet he has no intention of taking her straight home."

"Good. She hasn't eaten all day. You know she--." Lizzy broke off. No point in fueling William's jealousy by telling him that Georgiana and Christopher were forced to abandon their lunch earlier to come to the hospital. "She hasn't eaten since breakfast."

"I'm sure Mrs. Reynolds has something prepared for her at home."

"Good, maybe they'll eat there." William pouted and Lizzy couldn't resist a smile.

"She's twenty-one, William--old enough to make her own choices. And Christopher is a wonderful guy. I'm glad she has his friendship to help her through this."

"Do you think they're just friends?" Lizzy shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed.

"To tell you the truth, right now I could care less about your sister's love life." William glared at Lizzy. "Well, excuse me for being a tad selfish, but I have a love life of my own to worry about, you know!" Lizzy smiled.

"Your love life is not in question," William retorted, smiling in spite of himself.

"I certainly hope not," Lizzy said as she began to fuss with William's pillow. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she turned her attention to organizing the unruly mass of curls at his brow.

"I feel wonderful."

"Really?" The nurse told me a little while ago that you asked for an ice bag because your abdomen was sore."

"That was before I looked into your eyes. You know, if I could bottle that look of love, I could do a great service to humanity." Lizzy rolled her eyes and rested her head on William's shoulder.

"I like you on medication," she teased.

Lizzy awoke the next morning to the sound of Mrs. Reynolds's voice. It took her by surprise; she had never known Mrs. Reynolds to enter the master suite without knocking. She opened her eyes when she felt Mrs. Reynolds touch her shoulder. And then she heard William's voice in her ear.

"You'd better get up now, Lizzy," he whispered hoarsely. Lizzy turned to look into William's eyes, but instead of resting there they went on to take in her surroundings. She was not in the master suite of the townhouse. Rather, she was curled up at William's side in a cramped hospital bed. She had no memory of climbing onto the bed beside him, nor of throwing a light blanket over herself. Lizzy's spine protested as she awkwardly clambered off the bed. She tried to stretch, feeling every kink in her back as she did. Mrs. Reynolds watched patiently and William eyed her with amusement as she ran her fingers through her hair. Suddenly aware that she probably looked a sight, she grabbed her purse and rushed into the bathroom. William smiled at her as she fled and chatted with his housekeeper while Lizzy made quick reparations. As she returned to William's side, the nurse entered with a thermometer.

"Decided to wake up, did you?" she said to Lizzy. "You know, we don't usually allow guests to share patients' beds around here," she said in a brusque tone that belied the wink she gave to William. "I would have thrown you out if he hadn't had you in a death grip." William smiled at the nurse, but Lizzy looked at Mrs. Reynolds and blushed.

"I was afraid she'd fall off the bed if I didn't."

"Well, it's a good thing Dr. Nicholas plans on releasing you today, lover boy. We don't tolerate trysting on this floor." The nurse passed close by Lizzy as she left the room. "I can't say I blame you for staking out your turf," she said with a sly smile. Lizzy laughed at the nurse as she left the room and turned back to Mrs. Reynolds, who was speaking to William.

"...Brought a change of clothes for both of you," she was saying. I took your suit home yesterday. I didn't think you'd want to wear it home. And since you had abdominal surgery I brought some sweat pants that won't interfere with your bandages."

"Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds," William said as he took hold of Lizzy's hand.

"Did I just hear you say that you brought me a change of clothes as well?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure what to bring--I didn't know whether or not you were going to go to work today," she said apologetically. She went to the duffle bag she'd brought in and pulled out a simple t-shirt dress and a change of underwear.

"Mrs. R, you're a treasure," Lizzy said as she accepted the items gratefully. She reached behind the housekeeper and plucked William's toilet kit out of the duffle and returned to the bathroom. When she emerged, she was alone with William, who was drinking a cup of coffee and staring at a bowl of oatmeal indecisively.

"Aren't you going to eat that?"

"It's not Irish."

"Snob!" Lizzy laughed. William smiled and extended a hand toward Lizzy, who went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Mrs. Reynolds went to procure some breakfast for you. Dr. Nicholas should be here within the hour and if all goes well, I'll be released," he said. Lizzy raised his hand to her lips and kissed it.

"That sounds wonderful," she said.

"You look nice," William said as he lifted his hand to stroke Lizzy's cheek.

"You're only saying that because you're glad to be alive," she teased.

"I'm only saying that because you're the most beautiful woman on the planet."

"What was in that IV they gave you?" Lizzy said, eyes wide. "I want to take some home!"

"I don't need medication to tell me how much I adore you," William replied seriously. Lizzy rested her head on his shoulder, and the two sat that way for a time in companionable silence. "Are you going in to work today?" Lizzy shook her head.

"I spoke to Charles last night and he told me to take off whatever time I needed. I figure that if you're released today, I'll be able to get some work done at your place." William nodded, and turned his head to kiss Lizzy's brow. She raised her mouth to his and the couple was engrossed in a kiss when Mrs. Reynolds coughed to signal her presence. Lizzy leapt to her feet so that Mrs. Reynolds could place a small Starbucks bag on the tray besides William's untouched oatmeal. William inhaled the scent of fresh brewed coffee and immediately dug into the bag. Mrs. Reynolds left the room to await her employer in the lounge area. Lizzy, meanwhile, snatched the bag from William.

"I thought this was supposed to be my breakfast!"

"There are two cups of coffee in there!" William reasoned. Lizzy took a few steps away from the bed and peered into the bag.

"So there are," she smiled. She pulled one of them from the bag and handed it to him.

"Thank you," William said smugly. "Now may I have a scone?" Lizzy sighed and handed him one of the warm scones that Mrs. Reynolds thoughtfully provided. She pulled out the second and bit into it.

"It's not as good as Livy's, is it?" William shook his head.

"But it is a considerable improvement on this," he said as he lifted a spoonful of oatmeal and watched it pour back into the bowl. Lizzy lifted the tray from the table and placed it on the nightstand and resumed her seat on the bed.

"Gee, if only we had the Times between us, it'd be just like any other morning, huh?" Lizzy said lightly.

"Hardly," William replied. "I never lay down at table, under normal circumstances," he said cheekily. Lizzy shook her head as she lifted a napkin to wipe a crumb from his lips. "I like this," he smiled.

"Crunchy scones?" Lizzy quipped.

"Your taking care of me."

"Don't I usually?"

"Not like this."

"Well, you've never been hospitalized before. That brings out my maternal instincts."

"Good lord, I hope not!" William cried. "The last thing I want is for you to start behaving like my mother!" Lizzy smirked.

"There's no pleasing you, today, is there?"

"You have infinite ways of pleasing me. I only need a few days' rest so I can resume my count." Lizzy raised an eyebrow in question.

"You've been counting?" William took a turn at wiping his partner's lips.

"Yes. It's a rather exhaustive list of all the things you do that make me happy."

"What's on this list?" Lizzy asked. William waggled his eyebrows, but the mood was broken by the arrival of his doctor. Lizzy retreated to the lounge while the surgeon reviewed William's chart and gave him a brief examination. The doctor declared William fit enough to leave the hospital and signed the release form. When Lizzy returned to William's room, he was nowhere to be seen.

"William?" she called out.

"I'll be out in a minute," he called from the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later, attired in a black sweatshirt bearing the Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam logo and matching pants. William sat on the bed and reached for the sneakers Mrs. Reynolds had brought for him.

"You've been released!" Lizzy smiled as she bent to help William into his shoes. He seemed to be having difficulty bending over.

"Thanks. Yes. Will you let Mrs. Reynolds know while I go to sign my papers?" Lizzy threw her arms around William and hugged him, albeit it gently. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "I'm glad, too. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of here before the doctor returns and changes his mind." Lizzy reluctantly released her hold on him and let him go down the hall to the nurse's station. She packed up his remaining things with the help of Mrs. Reynolds, and by the time William returned, they were ready to leave. The smart-alecky nurse returned to say goodbye to William and wish him luck. Bates had the limousine waiting out front and in a very few minutes William was home and resting in his own bed.

Olivia got into the cab that the doorman had called for her and laid her briefcase down beside her on the seat. She tore open the envelope and extracted Richard's card. She read it over three times before she reached Broadway, but by the time she reached her office she had recovered sufficiently to greet Amy with a smile. Olivia closeted herself in her office with a cup of coffee and a croissant. She pulled out her card and read it yet again. What was the meaning of Richard's cryptic message? The phone rang, startling Olivia from her reverie.

"Olivia Crenshaw, good morning."

"Good morning. This is Jo, up in Mr. Darcy's office."

"Hi, Jo. What's up?"

"I was wondering if there was any word on Mr. Darcy's condition. I called the hospital when I got in, and all I was told me was that surgery was successful."

"Well, I spoke to Lizzy last night and she seemed fairly confident that he would be released today. He'll probably have to stay in bed for a few days after that. I think the surgery was done laprascopically or something, so instead of a large incision they just punched a bunch of holes in him. Supposedly, that really minimizes recovery and down time."

"I've read about that, although I didn't know they did appendectomies that way. But it's good to hear. I guess that means I should expect a phone call from Mr. D sometime today," Jo surmised.

"Very likely," Olivia concurred.

"There's something else. When the dust settled yesterday and I straightened up Mr. Darcy's office I saw that you'd left a package up here." Olivia frowned.

"Package? I didn't bring any package up to William's office," Olivia replied.

"Oh? Well, there's a package here with your name on it."

"Really?" Olivia said, brightening.

"Yes, the tag says...oh, it's from Richard."

"I'll be right up."

William stretched gingerly and winced as a wave of pain gripped him momentarily. He cautiously looked to his right, where Lizzy slept under his arm. She had fallen asleep minutes after he had, and he wanted her to get some rest. He knew that Lizzy had not slept well, squeezed into the narrow hospital bed beside him. He carefully slid to the edge of the bed to put some distance between her and himself and reached for the phone. He dialed his office and smilingly ran a finger over Lizzy's cheek while he waited for Jo to answer.

"Hello, Jo," William said softly.

"How are you feeling, Mr. D? I was just asking about you."

"Asking whom?" William frowned.

"Oh, I just spoke with Olivia Crenshaw. I found a package on your desk yesterday that was for her."

"I hope you gave it to her," William said. "Fitz left it for her and I was supposed to give it to her yesterday. In all the confusion, I forgot."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you, sir. In fact, she's on her way up here to retrieve it now."

"Thank you, Jo. You're priceless."

"Aren't I, though," she replied saucily. The two discussed business matters for a minute or two, largely revolving around the need to clear William's schedule for the next few days. When Olivia entered Jo's office, she looked up. "Ms. Crenshaw is here, Mr. D. Would you like to speak with her?" William said yes, and Jo handed Olivia the phone.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel like a new man," William replied meekly. "I can't believe how badly I felt yesterday at this time. I want to thank you for all your help, Olivia," he added as he glanced to his right and noticed that Lizzy was awake and watching him intently. "Between you and Jo I knew I was in good hands yesterday."

"Glad to be of service, Will," Olivia replied modestly. "And speaking of hands, I've just had a box placed into mine from Richard. Where did this come from?"

"Oh! Richard left that with me and gave me strict instructions to deliver it yesterday. I completely forgot about it--."

"I'm sure you were preoccupied with more important things, Will. Is Lizzy still with you?"

"Yes," he said, glancing at the subject of his discussion. "She hasn't left my side since she arrived at the hospital yesterday." He looked at her lovingly and extended a hand to stroke her cheek. Then he winked wickedly. "Sort of like a personal Saint Bernard--with incredible legs." Lizzy threw a pillow at him and when he instinctively ducked, he gasped in pain.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you're in such good spirits. I'll let you get back to your rest. Tell Lizzy I'll give her a call later, will you?"

"Will do, and again, thanks Olivia." William hung up the phone and turned to look at Lizzy, who was on her knees staring at him. "What?"

"Are you all right? I just heard you gasp in pain."

"Yes, I'm fine. I just moved funny is all." Lizzy was unconvinced.

"Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't be sitting up like that." William smiled.

"I'm fine, Lizzy. Trust me." Lizzy observed him for a minute and then stretched out on the bed once more. Then she rolled over and got up. "Where are you going?" William asked.

"I want a word with Mrs. Reynolds. She's had more experience with this sort of thing."

"Lizzy!" William sighed and lay back.

Olivia returned to her office with her gift from Richard and sat down at her desk to open it. Inside the box she found a Sterling silver pendant on a black silk cord. It was a heart-shaped Celtic knot. Olivia wasted no time in slipping it over her head and planting a light kiss on the heart. Then she smiled and reached for a tissue with which to restore its shine. The phone rang and she abandoned her task.

"Hello, Angel."

"Hello, Richard. It's beautiful."

"Come again?"

"The heart pendant: I love it."

"Oh. Good. Wait a minute: you just got it?"

"Yes. It was in William's office and... Well, in all the excitement yesterday I never got the package. That explains why I so confused this morning when your card said that I should wear your heart close to mine today."

"That unreliable little--!"

"Richard! You can't fault William for getting sick yesterday!"

"He was supposed to give it to you yesterday morning after the Darcy Group meeting. I gave him very specific instructions," Richard said with mock asperity.

"Well, I forgive him, and I like the idea of having your heart with me."

"My heart is always with you, Angel. You know that."

"Yes, I do, just as you know that mine is always with you. And speaking of love, Grandma Bess sends hers."

"How is the old girl?"

"She misses you."

"Well, I have a little free time this afternoon. I'll give her a call."

"You may want to call William, too. He's home and resting comfortably."

"Already on my "to do" list. So what should I bring you back from Colorado?"

"How about a tall, ruggedly handsome blonde with strapping muscles, gorgeous blue eyes, and a winning smile?"

"You want me to bring back John Elway?" Richard asked incredulously. Olivia laughed until she cried. Adam peeked into her office and Olivia waved him in.

"I have to go, Richard," Olivia laughed. "Duty calls." It was several minutes before she was able to focus her attention on the photos Adam spread out before her.

Continued In Next Section