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By the time Lizzy, Will, and her father rode back into the yard near the horse barn, she was aching and sore in places she didn't even know could be sore. It didn't help that everyone was in dismal spirits. After an hour's worth of searching, they'd come up completely empty-handed. They hoped that the others would be more successful, but they weren't getting their hopes up. It was a good thing they didn't. Mike and Don were already there, unsaddling their horses. They shook their heads at Will's questioning glance.

Tom saw the way her daughter had limped her way off the horse and was now stretching out her legs as she stood by her horse. "Why don't you go on back to the house?" he suggested. "I'll take care of Buttercup for you."

"Oh," Lizzy looked up surprised. She didn't think anyone had seen her. She'd been hoping no one would. "That's all right. I can take care of her." She was already reaching for the saddle as she spoke.

Will glanced around at their commotion. He'd forgotten all about Lizzy in his worry over his sister. He came over and took the saddle from her. "You're father's right, Lizzy. You do look tired." And that was partly his fault, he knew. She hadn't gotten a moment's rest before Fanny had roused them from bed. "You head on back first. We'll be right behind you. I just want to wait for Denny and Sandy."

"Speak of the devils," Mike said, nodding towards the wide, double-door of the barn.

Will didn't need to ask the question that was on everybody's mind when he saw them return empty-handed, no Georgiana following behind.

"Why don't y'all all head on back to the house?" Don asked, feeling the same acute sense of disappointment he knew Will was feeling. He'd watched Georgiana grow up from a little baby. He'd help put her on her first horse. He'd cut off his right arm rather than see her go through any sort of harm. Like the others, he was praying that everything would be all right. "We'll take care of y'all's horses for ya. Bet the Sheriff's come, waitin' to speak to ya. Thought I saw his truck parked out front of the house when we rode on back."

"All right," Will said resignedly. "You guys try and get an hour or two's worth of shut eye. We'll do another search first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir," they chimed after him. Lizzy and Tom followed Will from behind.

They met the Sheriff, waiting for them with his hand in hand, on the porch. "Will."

"Danny. I appreciate you coming all the way out here." They shook hands.

"No problem." He waited for Lizzy and Tom to approach. "Lizzy. Tom. How do?"

Lizzy nodded politely, acutely aware of the last time she'd seen the Sheriff. Not comfortable with remembering that night with her father standing next to her, she avoided his eyes, said a muted greeting, and headed for the door. The men followed her in. "I'll go and help Momma with the coffee," she called behind her.

Will and Tom showed Danny into the living room. They all crowded around the coffee table. "I guess y'all were searching outside just now?"

Will nodded his head. "I had the men search to the east and the west. We took the north. No one found anything. Not even a damned clue."

"But there's a lot of acres to cover and it's dark out," Tom reminded him.

"I spoke to Fanny before you got here. She filled me in a little bit. But I'd like to go over it all again, maybe one of you can fill in a gap she might have missed."

"All right." Will sounded weary as much as he did worried.

Fanny and Lizzy entered the room, the former with a tray of cookies and the latter with a tray of hot, piping coffee. She took one mug of black coffee and handed it to Will, just how he liked his coffee, and then asked the Sheriff how he took his.

"A spoonful of sugar will do me just fine, Lizzy. Thanks."

Fanny passed around the plate of oatmeal cookies she'd made fresh just that afternoon while Lizzy finished passing around the coffee. When they finished, they took seats next to the men. Fanny perched herself on her the arm of her husband's chair while he wrapped a comforting arm around her waist. Lizzy took a seat next to Will on the sofa. She slipped her hand into his and Will took it without question. It spoke loudly that no one in the room said anything though everyone took notice.

The Sheriff consulted his notes. "Fanny, you said that Georgie went over to Lucas Lodge around four-thirty?"

"Something like that, yes." She turned to Lizzy. "Wasn't that right, dear?"

"Gosh, I guess so." She thought about it a little more, but then gave up. "I don't really know. It was a crazy afternoon. She was helping the others to get me ready for the date I had with Will, and I didn't take note of the time when she left us upstairs."

The Sheriff latched onto that. "Us. Who else was with you?"

"My sister, Jane, and Charlotte."

"Charlotte Lucas?"

"That's right."

"Why didn't she leave with Georgie?"

"Georgie was invited over to the Lodge for dinner and then she and Mariah Lucas were going to hang out afterwards. Watch a movie. At least that's what she told me," Fanny explained. "It really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The girls are good friends and they do this often on the weekend."

"That's what she told me too," Lizzy said. "And Charlotte didn't leave with her because she wasn't going home after here. She also had a date tonight, with Richard Fitzwilliam, so she was going to go straight from here to his place."

"Okay." The Sheriff consulted his notes again. "And you've called over to the Lodge, is that right, Lizzy?"

"Yes. I spoke with Mrs. Lucas. She said that Georgie left there around ten-thirty."

"Jennifer called back after you left the house," Fanny informed the others. "She spoke with Mariah some more and asked if she knew where Georgie might have gone, but Mariah swears that for all she knew Georgie was headed back here. They'd like us to call them as soon as we have word. They're worried as well. They send along their prayers, Will."

Will nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"How was Georgie supposed to return to the ranch?" Danny asked.

"Oh my gosh." Fanny's jaw dropped. "I can't believe I didn't think of it." A simple detail, but one they'd overlooked in the bigger and more immediate concern of not being able to find Georgiana. Everyone looked expectantly to her. "Georgie's supposed to call home for a ride. She knows what time her curfew is and it's up to her to call. She never called. I mean, I know I fell asleep, but surely I would've heard the phone ring, wouldn't I?"

"Then who could have picked her up?" Lizzy wondered aloud. "The Lucas's say she left at ten-thirty. That gives the implication that someone must have picked her up, no?"

"I didn't send anyone over there to pick her up," Fanny said. She shot a questioning glance at Tom. But he shook his head and held up his hands, saying, "Not me."

Danny turned to Will and Lizzy and raised his eyebrow in question. "We were out. Together. We didn't even get back home until around eleven or so," Will answered.

That line of questioning wasn't helping, so Danny decided to try a different tack. "Who drove her over to the Lodge earlier in the evening?" he asked.

"Well, I was supposed to," Tom said. "But then something came up and I couldn't go."

"So I asked George to take her," Fanny added on. "He stopped by the house on his way into town, so I asked him if he wouldn't mind making a brief detour to stop at the Lodge. He said he didn't."

Will glanced sharply at his housekeeper. "George? You sent my sister off in a car with George?" A sick feeling began to pool at the bottom of his stomach. He remembered how George was the only one of his men that hadn't shown up earlier when they'd done the search outside. "Somebody get me the phone."

Fanny watched him share a sharp glance with her husband. She wondered what that was all about. Had she done something wrong?

Meanwhile, Danny asked, "Who's George?"

Tom did the honors of answering Danny's question while Will dialed the Lucas's phone number on the cordless phone Lizzy had quickly brought him. "George Wickham. We hired him on earlier this summer, but he's no stranger to these parts of town. George grew up here as a child. His dad was Ol' George, a good friend of mine, and Will's pa. George, he left Pemberley after his daddy died, and went and joined the rodeo circuit. Hadn't heard from him in years, since he left at eighteen, actually. Then, he randomly showed up one day this summer, out of nowhere. Claimed he needed a job. So, Will hired him on for the summer."

"And this George? What kind of a character is he?"

Tom seemed uncomfortable answering the question and evaded it by looking down at the floor. "Will might be a better person to tell you."

They all looked to Will, who was now talking on the phone with Jennifer Lucas. The poor woman was as frantic as the rest of them on the other end of the phone. "I just feel terrible, Will," she said. "I feel like we've failed you."

"It's not your fault, Mrs. Lucas. As it is, I appreciate you helping us out like this."

"I should've walked her to the car, seen who was driving," she continued. "I just assumed it was someone from Pemberley though the way Georgie just ran out of the house as soon as she saw the car. It seemed like she, at least, recognized it."

"She probably did," Will said, thinking about George. The more he thought about it the more it seemed likely. Georgiana didn't know George like he did. She had no reason to distrust him. Like he did.

"I didn't think anything was out of the ordinary. At ten, Georgie promptly made her phone call to ask someone to pick her up. And then half an hour later, her ride came. That's how we always do it whenever she comes over."

"I know."

"I wish I could describe the car for you, at least."

"You didn't see it?"

"No. I was in the den, folding laundry when the girls came down and said good-bye. From the sounds of it though, it sounded like a truck," which she and Will both knew was not a whole lot to go on. Everyone and their cousin owned a truck in a ranching town like Lambton.

"Oh, wait. Hold on," Jennifer said into the phone. Will could hear some whispering in the background. Then, she was back. "That was Mariah and Charlotte. They heard the phone and came in. Mariah just told me something she neglected to mention before."

"Oh yeah? What'd she say?"

"Georgie called George for a ride home. Is that George Wickham? I'd heard he was back at Pemberley. But, I never saw him at the Barbecue."

"Yeah, one and the same. That's George all right."

"Oh, well good. It was someone from the ranch." While Jennifer Lucas sounded relieved, Will was far from feeling so. He knew George's real character while his neighbor did not. "Something must have happened to them en route, maybe their car broke down. You should send someone out there to check. I was so afraid that Georgie might have been abducted by some sick, stranger from my own home! I'm so glad that's not the case."

Without definite proof, Will wasn't willing to dispel her notions. At least, not yet. "Thanks for all your help, Mrs. Lucas. I really appreciate it."

"Your welcome, Will."

"I'm sorry about all the phone calls, especially at this hour."

"Think nothing of it, dear. If you need to bother us again, don't hesitate! It's more important that we keep our girls safe. Do give me a call once Georgie's safe and back at home. And next time she comes over, Will, I promise we'll keep a more watchful eye as to who picks Georgie up."

"Thanks. And I'll call you as soon as I have word."

"Good-night, Will."

"Good-night, Mrs. Lucas."

He got off the phone and handed the phone back to Lizzy. She hugged the cordless to her chest. Everyone looked at him, but they'd all heard enough of his conversation to know what he was going to say. He said it anyways. "George has her."

"I don't understand," Fanny shook her head moaning. And she truly didn't. "There must be some other explanation. Maybe their car broke down on the way home or they got into a car accident. They probably need our help and they have no way to reach us."

"That's what Mrs. Lucas thought."

"See?" Fanny grasped onto that. "I'm sure that must be it."

The men looked at one another. Their minds obviously thinking the opposite. "I'll send one of my deputies to travel the route in between the ranches. And I'll put a call into any of the local hospitals to see if they've turned up in any of the ER rooms," Danny said.

While the Sheriff left the room to make the call, Tom turned to his daughter. "Lizzy. Why don't you take your mother upstairs? Help her get to sleep?"

"Oh, I couldn't go to bed at a time like this," Fanny protested.

"We already know where she is," Tom reminded his wife. "I'm sure she'll be home in no time. Danny and his men will find her." At least, he hoped. The truth of the matter was, he was not as optimistic as he sounded. Yet, he could tell that Fanny was tired and worn down, bordering on the hysterical. Eventually, she'd need to be told about George's real character. But not right now, when she dead on her feet. She was already upset and feeling a weight of guilt that she hadn't protected one of her flock, and would only be more upset her when she found out the danger of George Wickham.

"Come on, Momma." Lizzy gently pulled her mother to her feet. "I'll clean up the mess in here. You go and get some rest. Everything's going to be all right now. I'm sure the Sheriff will find her now that we know where to look."

"Well, all right. I suppose a little nap couldn't hurt."

As soon as Lizzy had her mother tucked into her bed and sleeping, she returned downstairs to rejoin their conversation. "I've put in the call," she heard Danny say to the others. "My men are out looking for their car and persons as we speak. Now, why don't you tell me what you really think about George?"

Chapter 18

Posted on Wednesday, 5 May 2004

The Sheriff closed his notebook and tucked it back into his front pocket. "Well, thanks for all the information. I'll check in with my men, see how their search is going, follow up and get back to you in a couple of hours, let you know how things are going."

"Thanks, Danny." Will shook the Sheriff's hand. "I appreciate your help."

"It's my job, Will. Just . . ." the Sheriff hesitated. "Just don't get your hopes up too soon," he said finally. "We have a pretty good idea of who your sister's with, but we could still be wrong. Maybe someone abducted the both of them, we have to consider that." Will nodded his head, giving credit to the Sheriff's words for form's sake. "Add to that, we don't know where they've gone. If they've left town, they could be anywhere by now. And, if they've stayed around here, from what you've said, it sounds like George knows the area real well. He could be hidden some place close and it will still take us a while to flush 'im out."

"All I ask is that you do your job," Will said gravely. "If you need anymore man power or anything else, don't hesitate to call upon us, here at the ranch. I'm anxious to get my sister back as soon as you can."

"I know." He turned to Tom and shook his hand, then Lizzy's. "Good day to you both."

"I'm going to go check on your mother," Tom said to his daughter. "It might be a good time too to tell her all about George."

"All right, Daddy." Lizzy leaned up and kissed her father on his stubble-covered cheek. He patted her fondly on the face, relieved and extremely grateful that his daughter was home, safe and sound. By his side.

Her father left the room and Lizzy turned back to Will and the Sheriff's conversation. "It'll be at least a couple of hours before I get back to you with any sort of preliminary report," the Sheriff was saying. "You've had a rough night. Why don't you try and get some rest in the meantime, hm?"

"I don't think I could sleep at a time like this," Will said, walking the Sheriff to the door. As it was, it wasn't easy for him to sit back and let the Sheriff take control like this. Will was more used to handling the reins himself. He was showing an inordinate amount of restraint in letting the Sheriff and his men go about their business without compromising the situation by trying to find his sister by himself.

"It wouldn't hurt to try." With a half-smile, the Sheriff headed for his car.

When the door closed, Lizzy approached Will. She took him into her embrace; he hugged her back gratefully. "G-d, Lizzy," he moaned into her hair.

"I know."

"I'm so worried."

"You don't have to worry alone."

"What if something happens to her? What if he does anything to her? I'll kill myself!"

She was shaking uncontrollably now too. "Nothing bad will happen to Georgie. He won't do anything to harm her. We have to believe that. We have to trust in our faith and pray. She's a sweet, innocent girl. She's never done anything wrong, but loved with all her heart. G-d would never be so cruel as to let something terrible happen to her now."

"I hope you're right, Lizzy. I hope you're right."

"I hope I am too," she whispered, biting her bottom lip.

They lapsed into silence.

"Will?" Lizzy pulled away ever so slightly to peer up at him. And into his weary, worried eyes. "Why don't you get some sleep, like the Sheriff suggested?"

"I really don't think I could." Will ran a hand through his hair for the thousandth time since Fanny had woken him up from Lizzy's bed.

"You could at least lie down, rest a while."

"I wouldn't feel right, lying in my bed while who knows where my baby sister is."

"You can't do this to yourself," Lizzy lashed out, feeling a little angry at him. For the hurt he was imposing upon himself, making things worse. "Do you think Georgie would want you to be this way? To act like this?

"You can't do anything right now, Will! You heard what the Sheriff said. We only think George has her. We don't know where they've gone. He's doing everything he can to find her, and there's nothing for you to do in the meantime. You have to get some rest while you can. It won't help Georgie to come home and find her big brother run ragged."

"If she comes home . . .."

His words put a hitch in her stride. And her tone softened. "Oh, Will. I can't bear for you to think like that. You can't. We can't. She will come home. We have to believe that. Please." She reached for him and they hugged each other, out of fear and for support.

"I'm sorry," Lizzy said in a muffled voice. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I'm just so worried. For Georgie. And for you."

Will peeled her from his chest and wiped the tears from her cheeks before kissing them dry. He hated seeing her tired, sick with worry, and crying just as much as she hated seeing him in the same state. "All right. You win. I'll go lay down, for a little bit at least. But on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to come with me."

"You know I'd go anywhere with you."

They walked hand-in-hand up the stairs. But, when Lizzy would have turned left at the top of the stairs, Will tugged her to the right. "This time, we sleep in my bed," he told her, leading her down the hallway. "Not only is it farther from your parents' bedroom, it's got a bigger bed." And it felt right, knowing that Lizzy would be installed in his bedroom, in his bed. He couldn't wait to see how she'd look, sprawled out in the middle of it.

When they were both tucked into his king-sized bed, with the covers pulled up as high as they possibly could be, Will found that he was a lot more tired than he had originally thought. He stared at Lizzy who was lying halfway on top of his chest and smiled lazily at her.

"What?" she asked, poking his chest.

His eyes memorized every feature of her face. He wanted to carry her image with him always. "I was just thinking how beautiful you are. And how very glad I am that you're right here, next to me." He'd never brought another woman into his home and into his bed like this, he thought to himself. And after seeing Lizzy in it, he didn't think he'd ever be able to share it with anyone other than her.

Lizzy didn't have any words to give him. Everything she felt, she said with her eyes. She kissed him and then snuggled down into his embrace. When she heard his even breaths, she raised herself to watch him. Despite his protests, he'd fallen asleep. For his sake, she was glad. He would need all the rest he could get in the face of the days to come.

She traced a pattern on his chest, watching him while he slept, and thinking about the conversation they'd had with the Sheriff. Together they'd mused over what kind of a motive George would have had in taking Georgie away from the ranch. Will seemed convinced that it had to do with revenge. She remembered what Richard had told her that night at the Cattlemen's Barbecue. "It's like he purposely sets out to hurt Will," Richard had said. It seemed then that revenge was definitely a viable motive. At the same time though, Lizzy wondered if it didn't have to do with something more.

She fisted her palm and laid her head upon it to think. She wracked her brain and came up with nothing. Then, out of the blue, she remembered the argument she'd had with Will just before the Barbecue. The root and cause of it had been George. Will had been upset to see her returning from their early morning meeting down by the barn. He'd suspected her of having a tryst with George. But it hadn't been like that all. In fact, Lizzy well remembered the reason for her early morning meeting with George. How could she not? He'd wanted her to help skim from the ranch accounts. He needed money, he'd said. Lizzy wondered now if that wasn't the real reason behind everything that had happened within the past twenty-four hours.

Lizzy knew then that she'd have to tell Will about it. Her promise to George to keep his secret about his woeful financial state had gone out the window the minute he'd snatched Georgie from her home. She only hoped that Will wouldn't be too angry with her when she revealed everything she knew. From keeping information about George from him. George Wickham was, she knew, a particularly sensitive subject for Will.

"I have to tell him," she told herself. Even though she would have rather forgotten about it and kept it to herself forever, she knew she couldn't. She had information that was potentially important. Key.

"I'll tell him first thing in the morning."

Even if it meant risking the wrath of Will.

Will came to a sharp awakening. He stared confusedly at the ceiling for a moment before reaching for the clock. His hand grabbed the top of the bedside table a couple of times before reaching purchase. Bringing the clock to his face, he squinted at the hands, trying to make some sense out of the time. Nine o'clock in the morning! He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in so late. Usually, he was up with the crows.

Something unfamiliar kept jarring his senses. Something other than the late hour. He glanced to his right and found Lizzy tucked under one arm. She slept the sleep of the dead. He smiled fondly. He'd found what it was that had seemed so peculiar to him, and he was glad she was there. He would have laid back down and pulled her into his arms, except that everything from the night before came crashing down on him suddenly.

He remembered what had happened in the wee hours of the morning. And now understood why it was he'd slept so late. He reached for the phone and even went so far as to pick it up. But then he dropped it back into place. As much as he wanted to call Danny and see what the Sheriff and his men had found, he knew that Danny would call him as soon as he had something new to share. Still, it was hard forcing himself to sit and do nothing. He was a man of action, and he was finding it very difficult to cede control to someone else.

Will pulled himself into a sitting position, gathering his legs in front of him. His head drooped over his knees as he hugged them close to his body. What was he going to do?

He looked up and saw a picture of his parents placed on the mantle over the fireplace. It'd been taken right after Georgiana's birth. The small bundle they held in their arms was his baby sister. Small wonder that was how he always pictured her. Small. Tiny. Swaddled. And in need of constant care and protection.

He remembered the first time they'd ever been introduced. His father had let him sit in his lap while together they'd peered at the precious bundle in his mother's arm. "Meet your baby sister, Georgiana, Will," his father had said.

"She's so tiny," he'd replied.

His mother had smiled and asked if he wanted to hold her. Then, she'd taught him how to hold out his arms. When Georgiana had been safely tucked into his arms, she'd explained to him how Georgiana would always be younger and smaller than him. That's why it was up to him, as her elder brother, to always be there for her. To protect her.

She'd repeated the same words to Will on her deathbed. "I'm sorry to leave you such a large responsibility, Will," she'd said. "But you're strong and dependable. And I know you'll be the best big brother there ever was. Take care of her for me, Will. Georgiana's not as strong as you. But, I'll be resting easily in heaven, knowing that you're watching over her."

His mother's words still echoing in his ears, Will unfolded himself and crawled across the top of his comforter to reach over the end of his bed for the picture. Grabbing the frame, he tucked it under his arm and crawled back into bed. He leaned against the headboard and held the picture out in front of him. He studied the three individuals forever captured in that instant. Georgiana, not even an hour old, was yawning and waving her tiny pink fist in the air. Their mother, dressed in a spotted hospital gown and lying in bed, had captured it and was kissing it. Looming over them was the powerful presence of their father. His face was beaming with pride.

Will felt as though he'd let them all down.

That was how Lizzy found him, slumped over the family photograph, when she woke up a few minutes later. The minute her eyes opened, she remembered what she'd told herself before she'd fallen asleep. She mentally cringed, wishing she could procrastinate, but knowing that she shouldn't. In the end, it was Will's despondent demeanor that helped her to make her choice. He looked so forlorn; perhaps she wouldn't broach the subject just yet.

She scrambled out of bedcovers and touched his back. "Hey. Is everything okay?"

Will didn't respond. He continued to hold the picture. To look at the smiling faces staring back at him. Lizzy hugged him with one arm and touched his hand with her other. Closing her hand so that they held the picture together, she peered at it from over his shoulder. "That's a really nice picture. I don't think I've seen that one before."

She wouldn't have. He'd always kept this one in his bedroom. Near to his heart. "It's one of my favorites," Will's deep voice rumbled, filled with emotion. He traced their happy expressions with his finger. "I've let my parents down."

"No," Lizzy hastened to contradict, kissing him on his cheek. "You've done everything right, Will. You've kept this ranch running. More than that, you've made a home for your sister and your employees. You've done everything you were supposed to. They would be proud of you. They are proud of you."

"And yet, I've somehow managed to lose my sister."

Lizzy leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "That wasn't your fault. You can't keep blaming yourself."

"I suppose not," he reluctantly agreed. She snuck a peek at him though and she could see the storm still warring in his eyes. Maybe that would be a good thing. It would give him the strength to go on in these difficult times, keep him focused, and determined. And more importantly, it would give him purpose, and with that hope.

For a brief second though, he let himself indulge in worry and doubt. "I've got to get her back, Lizzy. She's all I've got left."

She wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders, not about to correct him when she understood what he meant. "We'll get her back, Will."

They lapsed into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Will was thinking about his sister, wondering where she was, and whether she was hungry or cold. He hoped George would have the decency to at least see her fed and clothed. Because he knew his old nemesis as well as he did, Will didn't think George could be that baseless or cruel; he hoped it was so.

Lizzy on the other hand was thinking about what she'd promised herself she'd do before she'd fallen asleep the night before. The time was right and she might as well grab the bull by the horn. She just hoped Will wouldn't be too harsh when he heard what she had to say. After all, it wasn't as if she'd deliberately set out to withhold information from him. At the time, it hadn't been a problem.

Until now.

And that was the crux of it. A tiny worm of guilt nibbled through her heart, making her consider whether things might have happened differently if she'd come forward with her information earlier. Now, she'd never know.

"Will?" He turned at her voice, which had turned serious. And just a little bit guilty too. He recognized it from years of hearing it. His eyes narrowed in preparation.

She swallowed hard. "I have to tell you something."

He braced himself, but Lizzy was saved by the bell. A knock at the door had them both turning their attention.

"Enter." Will barked out the order, forgetting to consider who was sitting next to him. In his bed.

When the door opened, he wished he hadn't.

"Sorry to barge in on your, Will. But I thought you'd like to see this . . ." Tom broke off as he lifted his head from the sheaf of papers he held in his hand and encountered the sight of his daughter in Will's bed. At least she was wearing a t-shirt, whatever small comfort that brought him. It was a true testament of his strength that the papers did not go fluttering to the floor. "I . . . ." he choked on his sentence as he found he was still at a loss for words.

While Lizzy shrunk lower into the bed and made sure that the cover was pulled as high as it could possibly go, Will wisely ignored what was on everyone's mind at the moment and directed Tom's attention back to whatever it was that had brought him to his room in the first place. "Tom? The papers?" He inclined his head in the direction of Tom's hand.

"What? Oh, right. The papers." Tom nervously picked his way to Will's side of the bed and handed him with shaky hands the autopsy report he'd picked off the fax machine that morning. "This came in this morning. I thought you'd want to see it immediately. Good call on requesting that the vet do a toxicology report on Daffodil. Blood showed traces of poison, probably fed to her through her food."

Will snatched the report from Tom's hand, his eyes scanning the report quickly. Tom made sure he kept his back to the bed while Will read - out of sight, out of mind.

"I'll be damned," Will whistled under his breath. "I knew she couldn't have just up and died on me like that. She was sick, but not that sick. I'll be damned," he repeated.

He jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans. "I'm going to go speak to the men, and we should probably call Danny and tell him about this."

Tom nodded his head in agreement. Though it hadn't been said, their minds were sharing the same track. "I already put the call in. He said he'd be round later this morning."

"Good." The men walked out of the room together, their heads bent together as they tried to figure out how this could have slipped by them and happened. Lizzy watched them leave with mixed relief and remaining awkwardness. Once she was positive they'd gone downstairs and left the second floor altogether, she slipped out of Will's bed and returned to her own room where she showered and dressed.

When she came downstairs, she thought about avoiding the kitchen altogether but then decided to be brave. Her mother was sitting at the table, a mug of coffee clutched in between her hands. She was still wearing her robe and her hair was in disarray. There were no wonderful smells of breakfast permeating the air. Lizzy couldn't remember the last time she'd woken up and not found her mother at the stove, cooking up a storm.

"Mom?" she tentatively spoke.

Fanny looked up, her eyes vacant. "Lizzy. Good-morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "As well as could be under the circumstances. How about you? You feeling okay?"

"I guess. Your father told me all about George. I had no idea! If I had, I never would have had him drive her over to the Lodge in the first place!" Fanny's eyes immediately puddled over with tears. "Oh, what have I done?"

Lizzy positioned herself behind her mother's back and kneaded her shoulders. "Shh, it's okay, Momma. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. Nobody blames you."

Fanny held a tissue to her nose and sniffed. "My poor baby. If only we knew where she was."

"They'll find her, Mama. We have to believe in that. And if we do, it'll help Will believe it too. We have to be strong for him, Mama, just as he's always been strong for us."

Fanny twisted around and caught her daughter's hands in her own. The memory of Will coming out of her bedroom the night before came back to her. "Lizzy, sweetie."

Lizzy didn't need a crystal ball to know what was on her mother's mind. "Yes, Momma. He makes me happy."

"Truly, sweetie?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I don't know why you have to sound so surprised. I know we've been ugly to one another in the past, but we've both changed these past few weeks. I see things, understand things, that I didn't always before. He's a good man, Momma."

"I know he is, honey." Fanny came and sat beside her daughter, brushing the wisps away from Lizzy's face as she spoke. "And I love him like he were my own son. You know your father and I think of Will and Georgie as part of our family, and not just as our employer. That's why I want to make sure that you both know what you're doing. Nothing would make your father and I happier than if you truly loved him. But, I don't want to see either one of you hurt either."

"I love him, Momma." The simple truth of her answer surprised her as much as they did her mother. She gasped and held a hand to her mouth; she couldn't believe she'd just said the words. "Oh my gosh. Momma. I love him. Will. I really do! Oh my gosh."

She started to panic and fanned herself with her hands. She'd never felt more flustered in her life. Fanny rose from her chair and embraced her daughter from behind with fresh tears in her eyes. "Oh, my dear, sweet baby girl. I'm so glad you've found someone to love. Will's a good man. You couldn't have chosen a better man. I'm so happy for you, dear. Oh, my dear child, I always knew how it would be."

Lizzy offered a watery smile of her own. Trust her mother to get a jab in at a time like this. She would need to rub it in.

And though she smiled at her new revelations, her face quickly dimmed as she remembered what she still had yet to do. She needed to talk to Will and she dreaded wondering whether their conversation would change things forever. She prayed that they wouldn't.

Tom chose to walk in at that moment. He wiped his feet and removed his hat. He was glad to see his women safe and sound in the homey kitchen, but his heart was heavy with what he needed to do next. "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but Lizzy-bear? I need to see you for a minute, if that's all right?"

It came out as a question, but the request was more of a demand.

Lizzy figured her time for reckoning had come.

From the look on her husband's face, Fanny had an idea as to what the conversation was going to be about. She squeezed her daughter's hand for support. "It'll be all right," she whispered for Lizzy's ears only. And in her heart she knew it to be true. Her husband loved and respected Will just as much as she did.

Lizzy followed her father into the family room. The minute her foot was in the door, he whirled around and faced her head on. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Censure she'd expected. But, anger? It made her angry too. She raised an eyebrow and said impertinently, "Having a conversation with Momma?"

"Don't be cute and funny with me, Lizzy-bear! This isn't the time to be flippant and I'll take no sass from you!"

"Sorry," she answered contritely.

"Now, that's a little better," Tom nodded his head approvingly of her apology. "I'll ask you again, though: what the hell do you think you were doing?"

"I'm guessing this is about what you saw this morning?"

Tom answered in a growl. He couldn't yet put into words his thoughts and opinions on the matter. How could he be expected to? He was a father! Not some objective observer.

"I love him, Daddy." It was a simple answer to his multi-layered question, but it was the honest truth. It was the same answer she gave her mother, and somehow that made it easier, having already said it once.

Tom turned his head and looked at his daughter, his baby girl. His eyes glistened with tears. He'd already lost one, and he was on the verge of losing another. At least his father's heart had the comfort of knowing that he'd lost his daughters to good men. Men he could trust and depend upon to take care of his daughters once he was gone. His heart sighed, knowing it would have to be content with that.

Lizzy's heart crumbled at the sight of her father's vulnerability. "Oh, Daddy. Don't. Stop. Please don't cry."

It was too late.

They hugged each other as they both cried silent tears. "This is ridiculous," Lizzy chuckled after a while, her nose crushed against her father's chest.

"I know."

"I love you, Daddy. I always will. And you'll always be the first love of my life." She grinned into his grizzly, wizened face.

Tom framed her face with gratefulness. She always knew just what was on his mind. On his heart. "You've picked a fine man, Lizzy. I couldn't be prouder. Though you could've been a little bit more discriminate in your choice of, ahem, certain activities," he added sternly.

"Daddy," Lizzy groaned loudly. Pre-marital sex was something she did not want to get into with her father.

"Hmph," Tom grunted loudly. "Out of sight, out of mind," he told her. And Lizzy got the hint.

Will came in through the front door and caught sight of Tom and Lizzy hugging in the open doorway to the living room. It appeared that they'd had their discussion and worked everything out. He was glad. He didn't want his foreman hunting him down with an axe, especially since he didn't need any other distractions at the moment.

"Hey." He kicked the front door shut with the heel of his boot and came in the rest of the way.

"Did you get through with the men," Tom asked.

"Yeah. None of them had any idea about the poison and I'm inclined to believe them. They have no reason to lie nor did any of them have a reason to go after Daffie like that."

"George?"

He nodded his head. "I think so. And Danny thinks it's pretty likely him too." Tom made some swearing noises. "I agree."

He sounded so tired. It was too much to come crashing down on him all at once. "Come on in and I'll fix you a drink." Lizzy led him into the room and put him into his favorite armchair. Will let himself be led. Though he didn't normally indulge in spirits this early in the day, he felt rather entitled to a glass at the moment.

Lizzy brought him a snifter of his favorite brandy and then sat on the edge of the coffee table right in front of him. She rubbed a soothing hand up and down his thighs. Tom took one look at the pair, felt something roll in the pit of his stomach, coughed and said, "I think I'll go and check on Fanny. See how she's holding up."

Will sipped the brandy and felt the liquor burn a trail down his throat to his stomach. He tipped his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. His right hand touched his temple as he let the rest of his body swim in the sensations of the alcohol and Lizzy. "Christ. What a mess these past twelve hours have been."

Lizzy couldn't agree more. She could see the stress, the worry, and the responsibility of making sure the ranch was still running according to business stacked high upon his shoulders and wished she could do something to ease his burden. She gnawed her bottom lip, knowing that she would only be adding to the weight when she divulged her bit of information.

"Will." Her voice was timid and beset with hesitation.

His voice thick with laziness and weariness, he opened one of his eyes. "Yes?"

"Can we talk? I have something I need to say to you."

"Okay." He dragged his other eye open and kept them open by blinking rapidly. Then, he shifted his body so that he was sitting at an attention and no longer lounging. Momentarily back in control of his mind and body, he asked, "What's up?"

"Um."

Will tried to be patient, but his mind was starting to shut down again. He knew that if Lizzy didn't start soon, he'd be zoned out again. "You had something you needed to tell me?"

"Yes."

"I'm waiting."

"I know."

He rolled his eyes, "Lizzy . . ."

"It's about George," she blurted out.

That got his attention. "What about George?"

Already his eyes were starting to narrow. That made Lizzy extremely nervous. "You have to promise you won't be mad at me."

"Lizzy," he interrupted, growing impatient and leery by the nanosecond, knowing that nothing good ever came out of something where the sentence began with, 'promise you won't get mad.'

"Okay, fine." She took a deep breath, feeling as though she were about to take a plunge off the deep end. "I think I might know why George took Georgie, other than because he wanted to hurt you."

Will crossed his arms. "Why?"

"He needs money."

He cocked an eyebrow. Was this it? He was already starting to relax. "That's not news, Lizzy. George always needs money."

"Not like this."

There was something in Lizzy's voice. Will's body went back on alert.

"Remember when you caught me talking to him the other morning?"

He made his brain think. "Down by the barn. Yes, I remember."

"George wanted me to do him a favor, that's why he called me down there. He didn't want anyone else to know and he was desperate. He ran into some trouble with some loan sharks couple of months back, and they've been on his back ever since. He came out here to hide from them and make some money in the process. The rodeo circuit's not always as certain and he wasn't winning any big purses."

"So he came out here? To Pemberley?" Will was out of the chair. He paced back and forth in front of the fireplace.

Lizzy swiveled in her seat to watch him. Keep an eye on him. "Yes."

"Why?" his hands fluttered questioningly in the air. "He must've known I wouldn't have given him the money."

"He didn't come here to ask you for money. He came to hide from the men who were after him. But it didn't work. The men found him anyways and started up with his threats again. He grew desperate."

"So he approached you?" Will whirled around to continue his interrogation, catching Lizzy by surprise.

"Yes."

"Why? You don't have any money either."

"That's what I said. But I have access to money."

"You have . . ." Will broke off, understanding dawning. "Son of a . . .."

"I told him 'no way,'" Lizzy hurried to tell him, not wanting him to think that she might have even entertained the idea for a second. "He wanted me to doctor the books, just for a little while, he said, and then he'd pay me back and everything would be just as it was. No harm done and no one would ever have to know about it. But I told him no, Will. I told him I didn't want a part of it, that it was wrong, and that I could never cheat you like that. You have to believe me. I would never betray your trust."

"Why?" Will asked.

His one-word question came out loud. Harsh. It was frightening. It stumped Lizzy. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret it. "Why what?"

"Why am I just hearing about this now, for the first time?" His words lashed out like a whip.

Lizzy winced. This was the part she knew she'd have a harder time explaining. She knew she'd have to be careful in how she answered his question. "I didn't think it mattered. He asked and I declined. I told him he'd have to find a way to get the money some other way. I thought the matter over. I didn't think he'd resort to this!"

"You didn't think," Will taunted. You didn't think! Well you're not thinking has resulted in this, Lizzy! Are you happy now?"

"NO!"

"You told him to find another way to get the money. Well, by G-d, he did. He took my sister! My sister! G-d! How could you be so stupid?"

Lizzy bounded to her feet so that they could fight face-to-face. There was no way she was going to take his shots sitting down. She might have made some mistakes, but she wasn't the only one at fault here, and she would defend herself. There was no way she was going to be left shouldering all the blame.

"How dare you! I made a judgment call, just as you made a judgment call when you hired George on for the summer. How was I to know what he really was? As far as I knew, he was just another kid who grew up on the ranch with us. Someone we used to play with when we were younger. Growing up, he was no different than you. How was I to know that he'd changed? That he'd become a cheat and a liar? Did you ever see fit to educate me, enlighten me, confide your fears about him in me? No!"

"And what if I had?" Will threw back. "Would you have listened? You with your thick skull and your obtuseness?!? Do you think I could live with you all these years and not know the way your mind works? He came back here, all swaggering and cool, with his blue rodeo ribbons tucked under his belt, and you lapped it all up. Ribbons and all. Followed him around like a dog with her tongue caught between her teeth. Are you going to try and deny it? Try. I dare you." He mocked her with a look. "Got nothing to say do you? Of course you don't, because you know it's true. You think I should have told you what he was really like? Yeah, right! Give me some credit, Lizzy. I'm not that stupid. If I'd done that, you would have gone flying into his arms. Just to spite me!"

Lizzy hissed. Recognizing some truth in his words, mores the pity. "And what would you have done, if I'd come to you and told you that George was hurting for money and wanted to borrow some, albeit in some unconventional manners."

"I would've thrown his scrawny little butt out of this ranch and out of Texas!"

"Exactly! Because I knew you! Though I didn't understand then, as I do now, the reasons for your intense dislike of the man. All I knew was that if George had come to you, asking to borrow money, you would've refused him."

"Damn straight. I'm not going to keep cleaning up after him. And I told him as much the last time I kicked him out of Pemberley."

"But he had loan sharks after him, Will! Big, powerful, scary men. And I could see the fear in his eyes. I looked at George and I saw pity. What was I to do? I still believed him to be an honest person, even if I did think him incredibly pathetic. So, yeah. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone about our conversation. And because it was a promise, I stuck by it, and then I forgot about it. Because it didn't seem all that important."

"A man comes to you, asks you to steal from your job. To embezzle. And you don't think it was important?"

"I thought he was just speaking out of desperation! As a man on his last leg! We've all done stupid things when we're desperate, haven't we?"

"Which is why you should've been even more alert," Will told her. "You of all people should know what desperation can do to a man. Or was Billy Collins's lesson not good enough for you?"

Lizzy sucked in a breath. "That was low. Even for you."

"It was the truth. Get used to it." He started to exit the room. The conversation was over from his point of view.

"Will? Where are you going?" Lizzy called after him.

He stopped, but Lizzy got the sense that it was only because he felt he had to. Not because he wanted to. "To call the Sheriff. It seems I have to update him with some breaking news, thanks to you."

"But we're not finished here. We still have to work things out." Her voice sounded weak even to her ears. "Please. You can't just walk away from our conversation."

"That's where you're wrong, Lizzy. As far as I'm concerned, it's over."

He didn't look back as he stormed out of the room, and from the tone of his voice, Lizzy didn't think their conversation was the only thing that was over. Lizzy's legs trembled so she sat back down on the coffee table. "Well. That didn't go very well, at all?" she asked the room. A tiny laugh that bordered on the hysterical escaped.

Lizzy put her head down and cradled it in between her knees. She couldn't believe how badly that had gone. She didn't think it could've gone worse.

In the same morning that she'd found love, she'd lost it as well.

Chapter 19

Posted on Wednesday, 19 May 2004

Georgiana lay curled up on her side, shivering as she'd been shivering ever since she'd been abducted the night before. Her face was streaked with tears, but her eyes had ceased to cry an hour before. She'd simply run out of tears. She brought her tied up hands up to her nose and wiped it against her knuckles. He'd also bound her at the ankles.

She was so cold in that practically empty cabin, high up in the mountains. A whimper unwittingly escaped.

"I told you to shut up!" George growled from the other side of the room. Boy was he tired of hearing her snivel and cry. It made him want to ram his head repeatedly against the cabin wall. George leaned his head against the windowpane and stared out into the sun-filled daylight. What a contrast it was to the insides of his cabin.

It wasn't really his cabin. It was an old, abandoned cabin that he and his father had used to visit when they'd gone hunting together when he was little. He hadn't thought about it in years. It was only by chance that he'd remembered it when he'd panicked the night before and wondered where he should go. He didn't think anyone else knew of this place and he was fairly confident that his new hideaway would give him plenty of time to think and plan before he made his next move.

Stealing Georgiana Darcy had been a stroke of genius that had been totally unplanned. It was like an opportunity that had fallen into his lap, ripe and for the picking. He hadn't been able to resist once he'd seen how easy a task it would be.

It had started with Fanny asking him to give Georgiana a ride to Lucas Lodge on his way into town. He'd been happy to do the favor. Anything to make himself look like he was an easygoing, agreeable person. Eager to do his share of the work on the ranch.

The car ride itself had been a trip. Anyone with half an eye could see how infatuated the young girl was with him. Georgiana had chatted the whole way to her friend's house, telling him anything and everything. And, oh, how she'd laughed. Laughed until her crystal blue eyes twinkled and her golden curls bounced.

Well, she wasn't laughing anymore.

He'd dropped her off in front of the Lodge. As she'd made to get out of the car, he'd turned to her and graced her with one of his famous, lazy smiles, guaranteed to make a woman's heart melt on sight. "You have fun now," he'd told her, "and when you're ready to come on home, you just give me a call and let me know."

"Oh, but I don't want to call you away from your fun, your night off," Georgiana had protested.

"Nonsense. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to escort a pretty little lady like you home," he'd said in his most charming voice. "It's more important to me that you get home safe and sound."

"Well, all right. If you insist."

"Good. Then it's settled." He tugged on one of her golden curls playfully, and then read off his cell phone number while she wrote it down on a piece of paper and tucked it into her pocket. "Don't forget to call me when you're ready to leave!"

He hadn't been sure at the time why he'd been so insistent on being the one to drive her home. Now, he realized, it had been providence.

He'd picked her up a few minutes after Georgiana had called him for a ride. He'd asked her how she'd enjoyed her evening and she'd replied that she and Mariah Lucas had had a blast. When he noticed that she wasn't saying anything more, he looked over and found that she'd fallen asleep. He'd already been halfway back to Pemberley before it occurred to him that perhaps this was the chance he'd been waiting for. Georgiana Darcy was the princess of Pemberley. He had a feeling his old nemesis, Will, would be willing to part with any amount of money to see his sister home safely. And with Georgiana sitting next to him, asleep and buckled in, trusting as a lamb, it wouldn't be any work at all to kidnap her and hide her some place where no one could find her. But where would he go?

His heart had pounded from the knowledge of the crime he was about to commit. And that's when he'd remembered the old, abandoned cabin he and his father had used to stay at on their many father-son hunting trips. George remembered it being hidden in the hills, and his father once telling him that other than the two of them, he doubted if anyone else knew of its existence. The cabin, his father had said to him, would be their little secret. Recalling his childhood memories, George gave a few words of thanks to his father. For the first time in his life, he'd felt grateful to his father for something. And, with any luck the cabin would still be standing with no one living there. As it turned out, the night was turning out to be George's luckiest night ever. The cabin was not only still standing and abandoned, it still had a few furnishings. Like the old, metal bed on which Georgiana now lay.

But that, it seemed, was where his luck had run dry.

George left his window and went to stand at the door. He watched a family of squirrels glance at him with suspicion before they bounded away, hording their supply of nuts and berries. His stomach grumbled, but he ignored it anyways. It didn't need to be said that there was no food in the cabin. And everything had happened so quickly the night before that he hadn't given any thought to bring any food and supplies with him before coming to the cabin. Luckily, he had some fishing gear in the cab of his truck and some other tools that no cowboy ever left home without. He'd see about catching some fish for breakfast from the stream he remembered to be nearby. He watched a squirrel inching its way towards him. Just to be mean, he kicked a pebble in its direction. The squirrel went nuts, chirping madly at him before running away.

Maybe, he thought to himself, he'd shoot a squirrel and make a meal out of it.

Lizzy lay prostrate on the living room couch. Her head still pounding from the run in she'd had with Will earlier. She groaned and covered her closed eyes with her arm. That was how her sister found her half an hour later.

"Lizzy, is everything all right?" Jane asked, coming into the room and putting her purse down on an empty chair.

When Lizzy didn't answer, she believed her sister to have fallen asleep. She was just about to exit the room when she heard Lizzy's toneless voice say, "Just this morning, I thought I'd fallen in love with him, Jane. But now I wonder how I ever could have thought that when he is so determined to always think the worst of me. No matter what I think or what I do, no matter what I say, it's always wrong."

"Oh, Lizzy." Jane's heart broke for her sister

"I'm tired of being the one that's always wrong, Jane." And indeed she did sound tired and drained, her voice flat and devoid of any sort of emotion.

"There, there. Everything will be all right, Lizzy." She sat back down on the couch and Lizzy made room for her by sitting up. Jane took one look at the silent tears coursing down Lizzy's face and took her sister into her arms. "Shhh, everything is going to be all right."

"I don't think so, Jane," Lizzy whispered. "He was really mad at me."

"He'll get over it," Jane predicted. "He always does."

"Not this time. He hates me, Jane. I heard it. In his voice. It's over. He's lost to me forever now."

Jane didn't know what to say. Her mother had briefed her on the way in. She couldn't believed that so much could've happened in between the short span between the Barbecue and now. Things, it seemed, just kept getting worse and worse. She didn't dare ask, what next?

Eventually, Jane was able to put her sister to bed. It hadn't been hard to do. Lizzy had responded to her gentle prodding like a person stuck in a trance. "Sleep well, sweet Lizzy," she whispered as she bent over and kissed her sister's cheek. Then, she went downstairs to find her mother. Having gotten over the worst of the shock from all the recent revelations she'd had to endure within that past twenty-four hours, Fanny was now directing all her pent-up emotions towards her cooking. She had chili bubbling on the stove, cornbread in the oven, pie dough cooling on the windowsill, and now she was measuring out the fixings to make the filling for the pie. She thought she'd make a lemon meringue.

Jane fell in beside her and fetched the lemon juice from the refrigerator.

"Where's Lizzy?" Fanny asked.

"I sent her for a nap."

"Poor dear. She hates naps."

"I know. And she didn't even put up a protest when I insisted."

"Poor dear," Fanny repeated. That Lizzy didn't even protest being put down for a nap was a true testament as to her state of being.

"She's drained. Emotionally and physically. It's been rough on all of you."

"When I think of poor Georgie . . .." Fanny started to cry again and had to sit down at the kitchen table.

Jane came over to hug her mother and pat her on the back. "There, there. She'll be home soon. It does no good to cry, Momma." She handed her mother a tissue.

"I know," Fanny sniffled. "I wonder if she has anything to eat. She must be so hungry by now." That seemed to rev Fanny back into her cooking craze. It was as if she believed that her cooking a lot of food would somehow nourish Georgiana, wherever she was.

Tom and Will came in through the backdoor. "Lord, we're starved, Fanny. Make us a couple of sandwiches, will ya?" Tom caught sight of his other daughter and brightened. "Jane! What a surprise. I didn't know you were coming over today."

She walked over and kissed his bristled cheek. "I heard the news and couldn't stay away. I thought I might be of some help." She then looked past her father to ask, "How are you doing, Will?"

"As good as I can be under the circumstances, I suppose." Chomping at the bit, was what he really wanted to say. "It was good of you to come."

"I didn't know of any other way to help. Charlie wanted to come too, but he was tied up at the ranch."

Will rewarded her thoughtfulness with a small smile. "I appreciate the thought."

"Fanny, those sandwiches?" Tom reminded his wife.

The mixer with the lemon filling for her meringue was still going, the chili was starting to bubble, and the timer on the oven went off. Fanny didn't know which one to attend to first. And now her husband was calling for sandwiches. Her eyes threatened to overrun with a fresh batch of tears. Jane quickly stepped in. "How about I make the sandwiches today. Daddy? What do you want on your sandwich? Will?"

Tom gave his order and then sat down to wait for Jane to finish putting everything together. He looked around the room and asked, "Where's Lizzy-bear?"

Will looked away while Jane and Fanny looked at each other. "She went upstairs to take a nap," Jane answered.

"Lizzy-bear doesn't like taking naps. Never did," Tom grunted. "Used to be a pain getting her down every afternoon when she was little."

Will coughed and said, "I'm going to go check on fences we were talking about yesterday, Tom. Bring me my sandwich when you're done?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Tom looked at him leave with curious eyes. Clearly something was going on. And it no doubt involved his daughter and Will. He'd been afraid of something like this. "What's going on," he immediately demanded once he heard the screen door slam shut behind Will's back.

Jane briefly outlined everything she'd learned from her mother that morning and then described how she'd found Lizzy earlier. As Tom listened, his eyes grew narrower and narrower until they were verging on outrage. "Will mentioned the new bit of information regarding George's financial situation, but he didn't tell me how he got that information. Slighted my Lizzy-bear, did he? I'm going to have a talk with him about that!"

That wasn't the only thing he was going to confront Will about, Tom thought, as he turned in the direction of the door. There was still that little matter about what he'd walked in on earlier that morning. It hadn't seemed so bad when he'd talked to Lizzy and learned about what she thought about the young man, but things had apparently changed between then and now. Already working up a lather, Tom couldn't wait to get his hands on Will.

He was prematurely stopped.

"Oh no you won't," Fanny stood in between her husband and the door and shook her spatula at him. "You let the children work out their differences themselves."

"But I won't have him hurting my Lizzy-bear! And besides, do you know what that young whelp has been doing with your daughter?" Fanny pierced him with a sharp, warning glare that had him withering on sight. "Oh, all right. Fine." His voice was filled with gruff reluctance, leaving his wife and daughter in no doubt as to how he felt about Fanny's edict, as he sat back down heavily onto the bench.

Jane plopped his finished sandwich down in front of him, and trying to brighten his darkened mood, cheerfully said, "Here ya go, Daddy."

Tom looked at the sandwich first and then his daughter second. When he looked at his sandwich again, he sighed and shoved it aside. His appetite was already gone.

When Lizzy came back down much later, her father had already returned to the fields, taking Will's sandwich with him. She was glad to find her mother and sister alone.

"I can't believe I actually slept," she yawned.

"You were more tired than you realized," Fanny told her. "Here, dear. Have a cookie." She handed her from the perpetually stocked cookie jar, and then looked in it. It was running a bit low, maybe she'd bake some cookies next.

"Thanks."

"Are you feeling better?" Jane asked, taking a seat next to her sister.

"Yes, I am. A little. Thanks." Lizzy reached out and gave Jane's hand a grateful squeeze.

They lapsed into silence. Lizzy munched on her cookie, eating it in tiny bites. Jane tapped her fingers on the table and stared out the window. Fanny finished her filling and was now working on the meringue part of her pie.

"Jane, will you fetch me cream of tartar? You'll find it in that cabinet over there, second shelf."

"Sure, Momma. Here it is."

"Thanks, dear."

It sounded so mundane, Lizzy thought. Sitting in the kitchen with her mother and sister, cooking and working together. It was like nothing was wrong. Except that everything was wrong. Georgiana was still missing and Will was still mad at her. And truth be told, now that she'd taken a nap, calmed down, and had time to think things over, she was feeling not a little mad at Will now too. Now, she feared the worst, that she and Will would never make up, and it made her sick to her stomach that, at that moment, she was more worried about them not making up than finding Georgiana.

Jane, who was standing next to her mother holding the cream of tartar, looked at her sister and seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. "Oh, Lizzy," she said. "Don't feel guilty about that. It's just because you know, deep down in your heart, that Georgie's unharmed and will be found that you're not as worried about her right now. So much has happened since last night, of course your brain is feeling stretched and overwhelmed. Don't feel bad."

But, Lizzy was not to be consoled. "I am a wretched person!" she wailed, burrowing her head in her arms.

Fanny and Jane looked at one another. Fanny immediately turned off the mixer. So what if her meringue went flat. There were some things that were more important. They each took a side and sat down next to Lizzy. "Lizzy," Fanny called out softly, as she combed her daughter's hair with her fingers. "You're not a wretched person. Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because I am! It's just like Will said. I kept things about George a secret, I contributed to his kidnapping of Georgie, and now I'm more worried about my relationship with Will than I am about bringing home Georgie safely. Georgie! Who's like my own sister. How can I be so callus towards her?"

Fanny pulled Lizzy's tear-stained face towards her and brushed away the dampened hair that was covering her eyes and the sides of her face. It wouldn't help anybody, lease of all Lizzy herself, were she to go out of control. "Lizzy," she snapped sternly. "Look at me. Look at me! You're starting to border on the hysterical, so you have to listen to me! All right? There is nothing that has happened that is your fault. Do you hear me? None of this is your fault!

"If it were, then we'd all be at fault. Think about it. Will is the one that hired George, bringing him back into our lives. I'm the one that sent Georgie off with George Wickham in the first place! The truth is, Lizzy, we were both taken in by George's charming manners, but Will wasn't. He knew what George was about. But that doesn't make him at fault either. The real person that's at fault is George, himself. He's the one that's taken Georgie off to who knows where. Not you. Not me. Now Will. He did. He's the one at fault. And there is nobody who helped him other than his evil heart, and I think you know that Lizzy. You're just not thinking clearly right now, just like Will's not. He's frantic about his sister, so he's not in his right mind at the moment. You'll see. Once his sister's home, safe and sound, he'll come around."

Lizzy slumped over her mother's shoulder, the tears still running in streams down her face. "I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't."

"You'll go on, as other women have before you," Fanny predicted, trying to sound like it wouldn't be a big deal, but knowing that she would also be hurt if Will turned against her baby girl like that. Will. The grown man she'd known ever since he used to run around in diapers, and helped to raise. "If Will can't see the truth for what it is, then he doesn't deserve you."

"I suppose so." Lizzy sniffled and wiped her nose with the nearest thing available, the back of her hand. Jane handed her a tissue. "Thanks.

"I'm sorry," Lizzy continued. "I'm not usually so high-strung."

"A lot has happened in the past 48-hours," Jane reminded her. "It's understandable, Lizzy."

"Everyone's feeling out of sorts, right now, dear. Don't you fret. Have some tea." Fanny set a cup of steaming chamomile tea in front of her daughter, hoping that the herbal mixture would help soothe her nerves.

"Thanks." She managed a watery smile for her mother and sister.

The phone rang, and everyone leapt for it at once. Jane was closest. "Hello?" She listened for a minute and then turned to her mother saying, "It's the Sheriff. He's looking for Will."

Her mother was already up and moving. "I'll call down to the stables and see if anyone knows where he is."

Fortunately, Fanny was able to get in touch with her husband immediately. "I don't know where he went, Fanny. He just took off on his horse. Said he was going to go check on the fences, but I don't know which fences he was talking about, or if he really went to ride the fences. Since he didn't take a CB radio with him, I can't get in touch with him. The boy's got stuff on his mind, that's for sure. He hasn't been talking to anyone all day long."

"Well what are we going to do?" Fanny wailed. "The Sheriff's on the phone wanting to talk to him. Can't you send someone out for him?"

"And look for him where, Fanny? You know the ranch is huge. Could get lucky and find him in a snap, but for all I know he could be hiding somewhere and not riding the fences like he said he was going to. In fact, I'm damn near sure that's what he did. Mike says he saddled up his horse and rode on out of here like someone had lit his fire." Fanny sighed audibly on the other end of the phone, and truth be told Tom pretty much felt the same way too. "Why don't you patch the Sheriff through to me?" he continued in a gentler tone. "I'll talk to Danny, and take a message at the very least."

"All right." She felt better putting everything into her husband's capable hands, and then hung up, instructing her daughter to do as Tom had asked.

The women all sat back down again around the kitchen table. "Do you think he's found out anything new?" Lizzy asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Jane answered truthfully, "but he didn't sound very excited over the phone, so I don't think so. He was probably calling to give an update or something."

Lizzy nodded. "He said he would do that."

Fanny sighed and was joined by the others. It was beginning to feel like an interminable wait.

Tom hung up the phone and turned just in time to see Will trotting into the stable on his horse. He went and stood at the doorway of his office and waited for Will to come closer. The man looked tired, as he let his horse do all the leading and the work. Whatever Will had been up to, it hadn't been riding the fences.

"Have a nice ride?"

Will shrugged. He'd taken Thunderbolt out, needing a hard ride to vent his frustrations and pent up emotions. Usually it helped, but this time, the only thing it had succeeded in doing was sucking out all his energy. It was amazing, he thought, that he could even manage to still sit up straight in his saddle.

He slid off the horse and began the rituals for unsaddling his horse. Tom followed Will and the horse to one of the stalls, and stood behind them at the fence, resting his arms on top. He watched Will reach for the bridle and thought about how there was so much he wanted to say to this young man, who was both his employer and his friend. More, Will was like a son to him. But Lizzy was his daughter and he wasn't about to let Will get away with what he'd done to her, regardless of who he happened to be. His daughter might not have been right to have done what she'd done, but her heart had been in the right place, and Will had no right to treat her as he had. Especially when he hadn't been entirely blameless either.

Tom promised himself that, when it was appropriate, he'd have a little chat with Will, and make sure his wife didn't hear about it. But for the moment, he forced himself to put it aside because there were more pressing things to think about, like finding Georgiana and bringing her home. Tom pushed himself upright and said, "I just had a call from Danny."

Will paused in his motions for the briefest of seconds. I will not get my hopes up. he told himself. "Oh yeah? Did he have anything new to report?" he asked casually, as though he were asking about something as ordinary as whether their order for new fencing supplies had come in.

"Unfortunately, no," Tom shook his head. "But, he did say that it was almost certain that George hasn't left town."

"Why does he think that?" Will was now in the process of brushing his horse's shiny coat. He bent over to check Thunderbolt's front leg, to make sure that he hadn't somehow injured it during the long ride they'd just taken together.

"Well, seeing as how there are really only two ways out of town - you either go north or you go south - Danny and his men checked along those roads and asked if anyone had seen a description of George's car going by last night. Nobody had. Now, that doesn't mean George couldn't have slipped by, but with that many people . . . it's unlikely, Danny says. Danny has a feeling that George is hiding out."

Will snorted. Like that made things any better. "Doesn't he know that's like trying to find a needle in a haystack? George could be anywhere. Has he taken a minute to look up from his paperwork and noticed the hills and mountains that surround us?"

Tom didn't appreciate Will's sarcasm, but he could understand it. "I think he's aware of the difficulties of his job, son. But it's a start, at least. Now they know where to zero in on. They can centralize their focus without having to worry about George maybe having traveled out of the county, or out of state."

"I suppose." It was hard staying optimistic when he didn't feel the least bit optimistic. What he really wanted to do was go to bed and then wake up with his sister standing over his bed, telling him it had all been one horrific dream.

But then, that also meant he wouldn't have had his date with Lizzy, and they wouldn't have had their special night together. He banished that thought from his mind though. She'd betrayed his trust and there was no way he was ever going to forgive her for that.

"I just wish we knew where George was hiding out, like whether he had any favorite hangouts in the mountain," Tom was still rambling on in the background.

Will shook his head to clear his thoughts. He finished brushing his horse and then patted Thunderbolt on the rump, sending him into his stall. He poured a pail of oats for Thunderbolt to munch on before closing the gate and turning. "I don't know," he answered. "George always did like to do things on his own."

"Yeah," Tom sighed. "That's the damn truth."

"What else did Danny say?"

"Not much else. Just said he'd call again later and let us know if he'd found out anything new."

"Great," Will said, not feeling very great at all.

Georgiana lay listless on the metal bed, her arms and legs still tightly bound. He'd bound her mouth earlier too when she hadn't been able to control her whimpering, and now her throat was dry. At least he hadn't thought to bind her eyes, so she could still see what was going on in the room. Not that there was anything to see. George had left a while ago, though Georgiana couldn't be sure how long ago that had been, and hadn't yet returned. She almost wished he'd go away and disappear forever, except that she was afraid that without him, nobody would find her, and then she'd stay tied up forever, and she'd die bound on the bed.

She tried to muster up the energy to flip herself over. Maybe if she got close enough to the edge of the bed, she'd find something sharp to cut the ropes on. That always seemed to work in the movies she'd seen or the books she'd read. But it was hard finding the energy and the strength. She'd been bound for so long, and she was so tired. She wasn't sure how long it'd been since George had abducted her on the way home from the Lucas's.

Georgiana had just managed to sort of flip herself over when George came strolling through the cabin door, several pieces of fish, hanging on a string. "Don't even think about it," he told her. He knew what she was thinking. "I rustled us up some dinner. What do you think? You like fish?" He held up his prize for her inspection, but he didn't care whether she answered or not. She'd eat it anyways, and if she didn't like it, then he'd eat her share as well. It was nice of him to feed her at all, he thought to himself.

He'd already cleaned and gutted the fish when he'd been down by the stream, so now all he had to do was start a fire and begin the roasting. He hoped the smoke from the fire wouldn't be big enough to attract any attention. Rustling around in the cab of his truck, he found what he needed and then headed on out to begin his task of cooking lunch.

"Don't try any funny stuff while I'm not watching," George warned on his way out. "If you do, I'll be forced to eat all the fish myself. I never was any good at sharing, you know. I'm surprised you didn't know, actually. Your brother sure did though!"

Georgiana's eyes grew wide as George begin to chuckle, only she could've sworn it sounded more like a cackle. After that, she didn't dare make any more attempts to free herself. She just stayed laid down on the uncomfortable mattress. After all, fish was better than starving to death. Right?

He came back a few minutes later, swearing some as he'd managed to burn both the fish and several of his fingers in the process. Still, Georgiana's mouth watered at the smell of food. He walked over and put the pan down so that he could remove the gag and the ropes that bound her hands together. George wasn't taking any chances though, so he left her feet bound.

"I'm only doing this because you have to eat, you understand." He didn't want her thinking that he was actually a nice person. That might encourage her to try out her charms on him, and he didn't want to have to suffer through that. "Besides, I figure your brother will probably pay me more if I return you home healthy and in one piece than sick and weak."

Georgiana's eyes widened again. At least she knew George was planning on returning her to her brother now. There was some relief to be found in that. "Don't get your hopes up kid," he told her. "I don't know when that's gonna be. I still gotta figure out a way to get the ransom note to him." George was beginning to think that this kidnapping thing was not as easy as it looked.

"Here," he shoved a piece of fish in her direction. Georgiana took it from him, careful that their fingers should not touch. Then, she nibbled at it while George took chunks out of his. He wiped the juices from his mouth with the back of his arm and then looked at her watching him. "What?" he asked, his mouth still full with food. "You ain't hungry?"

Georgiana shook her head. She lowered her eyes and began to nibble again. From time to time, she'd dab at the corner of her mouth with the edge of her sleeve. George caught her in one of those times and sneered. "Why am I not surprised that a Darcy would be so prim and proper? You really are a princess, aren't you?"

Georgiana took exception to that. "I am. . ." was all she got to say before her voice croaked at "not." Silent for too long and then her mouth gagged, her throat was now too dry.

George got up and rustled around in the gear he'd brought back with him from the stream. He brought back a canteen. "Here. I fetched us some water when I went fishing." As he held the canteen out at her, he practically dared her with his eyes to clean the mouthpiece before taking a drink. Georgiana took the proffered container and held it to her lips. Knowing what her captor was thinking, she took a healthy swig from the water bottle and almost drowned.

"Easy now," George said, taking the canteen back as Georgiana choked and coughed. "Don't want to shock your systems."

After they finished their meal, George cleaned up the mess. He took one look at Georgiana and decided to leave her as she was. She was just a little slip of a girl, and she wasn't causing any trouble. Still, that didn't mean he trusted her either. "Just 'cause I'm not tying you back up doesn't mean that I'm not going to be watching out for any monkey business either." Georgiana rolled her eyes at that one. He'd already said that how many times now? And had she ever shown any inclinations of trying to get away from him? No. She wasn't stupid. She knew he was at least twice as large as she, and was much stronger. Adults. Sometimes they were so stupid, especially this one.

"And if you start yammering or crying like you were earlier, I'll tie your mouth back up again," George had continued on with his warnings.

Georgiana nodded her head to let him know that she understood what he was saying, and that he could expect her to behave with the proper decorum. It helped to know that he wasn't some sort of a sexual deviant. She scooted backwards on the bed until her back was propped against the wall and then watched as George removed himself to the far side of the cabin. From his pocket, he extracted a piece of wood and a carving knife. The sight of the knife's sharp blade should've scared her, but it didn't. George went to work on his small piece of wood. He'd glance up occasionally and catch Georgiana watching him. He found it a little unnerving as sometimes it seemed as though she were looking through him, into his soul.

"You thirsty, or something?" he finally asked. Georgiana shook her head. George grunted and went back to work.

"Why are you doing this?" Georgiana asked after a while. Her voice was so small that he almost didn't hear her. He looked up from his woodwork and stared at her. The sun was going down outside and her faced looked paler somehow in the late afternoon sunlight. "Is it because you hate my brother so much?"

Georgiana hadn't known that there was such enmity between the two men. Back when they'd all be on the ranch, she'd picked up on the vibe that her brother didn't approve of George, but she hadn't paid it any mind. Her brother didn't approve of many people, particularly if they were men who paid her any attention. Her brother was simply over-protective like that. Yet, she hadn't noticed that George might feel negative towards her brother. Until now. And now, looking back, she felt she should've noticed it before.

"I've got my reasons," George answered gruffly. "And I don't need to share them with no girl."

"But. . ."

"I told you what I'd do if you started yapping again."

Georgiana immediately shut her mouth. She didn't want to be bound and gagged again. Instead, she closed her eyes and thought about what she would be doing if she were back at Pemberley. From the way the sun was setting, she knew the day was coming to a close. She imagined that the cowhands would be trickling in from the fields, her brother and Tom included. She often went out and greeted them, helping them to unsaddle their horses and put them down for the night. A tear slipped from her eye as she thought about all the times she'd come running out of the house and her brother had caught her up in his arms, swinging her about. She had to believe that he'd twirl her around like that again one day; George had all but said he would return her to her brother whole.

Arm-in-arm, the siblings would return to the house. Lizzy would probably be in her brother's study, where she could be found often these days. Sometimes, Georgiana would slip in to visit with her during the daytime. Lizzy never minded the interruptions; in fact, she seemed to welcome them. She'd ask Georgiana about her day, and whether she was up to any mischief. They were like sisters, and Georgiana desperately hoped that one day they would be sisters in fact. She may have been only fifteen, but she wasn't stupid or blind either. She knew the way her brother and Lizzy were looking at each other. Georgiana hugged that memory to herself.

After picking Georgiana up from the study, they'd all head into the kitchen. Fanny would probably be putting the finishing touches on dinner. Georgiana could practically smell the delicious food Fanny cooked, and her mouth watered. Fried steak, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh baked rolls, and carrot cake for dessert. It was Georgiana's favorite dinner. The smell would call everyone to the table. After everyone washed up, they'd all sit down to dinner. Her brother. Fanny and Tom. Lizzy. Don - good ol' scruffy Don. He was like an uncle to her. Oh, how she missed him!

Georgiana wondered what they were up to, whether they were sitting down to dinner right now, whether they were thinking about her. She brought an arm up and wiped away the tears that were now running down her face en masse. She was careful though not to make a sound. George hadn't liked it when she'd whimpered and cried at the same time.

Hugging her knees close, she put her head down to hide her tears. She didn't want George to look over and see her crying either. Pretty soon, exhaustion took over, and Georgiana fell asleep sitting. She dreamed of the dinner table at home, where fried steak and mashed potatoes flowed freely, and everyone sat around the table talking and laughing.

Back at the ranch though, the atmosphere was far from happy. Jane had returned to Netherfield, so Lizzy had helped her mom set the table. Chili was on the menu for dinner, with warm cornbread, and lemon meringue pie for dessert. The only problem was nobody had an appetite.

Will sat down for only a second before declaring he wasn't hungry and removed himself to his study. Lizzy sat down long enough to poke at some beans and crumble her cornbread all over her plate before whispering that she wasn't hungry either and went up to hide and pray - for both Georgiana and herself - in her bedroom. Don then coughed loudly and said he thought he'd join the other cowhands in the bunkhouse for dinner, if Tom and Fanny didn't mind. Tom and Fanny didn't mind; they were too upset to mind. They picked at their foods and they ate, but they didn't really taste anything. About halfway through her meal, Fanny's face collapsed and she left the dining room in a bucket of tears. Only Tom was left at the table. He put his fork down and pushed away from the table, giving up the pretense of eating. He picked up his coffee and sighed at the empty table in front of him.

He sure hoped Georgiana would be found soon.

Continued in Next Section