Section I, Section II, Section III, Section IV, Section V

Chapter 6

Alexander awoke early the next morning, the sound of unfamiliar voices drifting into his room. For a moment, looking around at the walls (which were painted blue), the unfamiliar carpet on the floor, and most of all, the scene he could see from outside his window--was it his imagination, or did that blue carriage just speed by at such an incredible speed that he had no chance to see the horses?--he became disoriented. The lingering headache, which was not as bad as it had been the evening before, but still present, forced him to remember.

He was in the future. He was in Kelsey Chandler's house. And he had to remember what he had come for.

That settled, he walked out of the room in search of more of those tablets that Kelsey had given him yesterday, in order to get rid of his headache. On his way, he passed the room where the pictures were. Emma Chandler sat on the floor, her legs crossed, staring up at a box where a man and a woman were talking. It was the strangest thing, however, for the man and woman were only in black and white. There was no color to them at all.

"Most peculiar," he whispered.

The little girl had heard him, for she turned her head to look at him. "Hi," she said.

"Hello," he said, his voice a little rusty.

"Shh," she said, pointing to a large chair. "Mommy's still asleep."

Alexander looked at the form sprawled in the chair and nearly gasped. Dear God, has the woman no decency? He had never seen a sleeping outfit like this, except in...well, less-respectable places. And not even those were like this. The top was a loose-fitting shirt with tiny holes that showed her skin, and the bottom...showed far too much of her legs.

A woman would never be caught out of her room in such an outfit, and yet Kelsey Chandler had fallen asleep where anyone could see her.

"Can you turn this movie off?" Emma whispered. "I'd rather watch Animaniacs. They're on right now."

"Movie?" he asked. "What is a movie?"

Emma's confused look could have been a miniature duplicate of her mother's. "I don't know what it's called, but Mommy loves it. She fell asleep watching it."

"How do I turn it off?" Turn what off? he wondered.

"I don't know. Mommy knows how. Maybe we should wake her up."

"No, no...that is probably not a good idea. Your mother must have been extremely tired to fall asleep in a chair."

"She does that a lot. She has trouble falling asleep, and so she comes downstairs to watch a movie and then I find her in the morning. Do you like movies?"

Alexander decided that he should just play along. "Yes, I do."

"What's your favorite?"

"Uh...this one, actually. I like...this one."

"What's it called?"

"Um...It's a surprise. How about if we watch it together, and find out."

"But I wanna watch cartoons."

Cartoons?

A plaintive note in Emma's voice--even hushed as it was--caused Kelsey to stir. Stretching out her arms, she yawned loudly and opened her eyes slowly.

At the first sight of Alexander, she bolted upright and almost cried out in fear. But then she remembered who he was.

"Oh, it's you."

"Mommy, can I watch Animaniacs?"

"No...oh, well, yes. Are they on now?"

"Uh-huh."

Kelsey glanced at the clock...just after ten. "Are you sure, sweetie?"

"It's Saturday."

"Oh, right. Okay." Kelsey hunted for the remote control, found it on the floor next to the lamp, and pushed the off button.

Alexander's eyes widened as the two people in black and white disappeared, and colorful, surreal...what were those creatures? They did not appear human, or animal.

Whatever they were, they entranced Emma. She resumed sitting in front of the box.

"Emma, don't sit so close to the TV. You'll go blind."

Emma stood up and sat on the couch.

"How did you do that?" he asked softly.

Kelsey sighed. So much for him getting his memory back this morning. Well, what can you expect? It's only been a day. These things take time.

"Come on. I'll fix you breakfast and explain television and the movies," she replied.

"All right, but first..." Alexander trailed off, uncertain of how to ask this question. But he felt like he was about to die.

"Yes?"

"Where may I find a...ahm, a..."

"A what?"

"There was no...chamber pot in my room. I could not find one."

"A chamber--oh! Right this way." Kelsey led him back down the hall to his room, but instead of continuing to the end of the hall, she made a sudden turn. A room suddenly filled with light. "Tah-dah."

Alexander peeked into the room. It was small and painted white. There was a bathtub to one side, with a curtain made of some strange material to one side. There was a basin with a cabinet underneath, and in between the bathtub and the basin...

"Most unusual," he said. "And where shall I take it once..."

"Nowhere. You take off with my toilet and I'll shoot you. It's bad enough I had to pay two hundred bucks for the stupid washer." Kelsey, with a slightly red face, proceeded to explain to Alexander how the toilet worked, including a strong lecture on the toilet seat. Alexander's face was equally red. When she finished, she shut the door behind her.

"You'd better get your memory back soon," she mumbled as she headed for the kitchen. "I'm not sure I can take anything more like that."

After asking Kelsey for more aspirin, which she cheerfully gave him with a fresh cup of coffee (most unusual flavor, but not unpleasant, he thought), he said, "You were going to tell me about movies and..."

"Television," she said when he couldn't remember what it was called.

"What was that...box that Emma was watching?"

"That's the television." Oh, Lord, how do you describe television to someone who doesn't remember it? "And before I woke up, we were watching a movie."

"Ah. What was it called?"

"The movie? It's called The Shop Around the Corner."

"Why were the two people in the box only in black and white, and when you...stopped the movie, it was in color?"

"Because the movie is an old movie, made back when they didn't have color film...well, they must've had it, because it was made after Gone with the Wind, and it's in color."

None of this was making much sense to Alexander, but he did not say so.

"It's one of my favorites."

"Yes, Emma said as much."

Kelsey smiled as she took down the oatmeal. "James Stewart is my favorite actor. Of course, to Emma, he's just a man in a movie that doesn't have singing teapots and is therefore boring."

"Teapots do not sing."

"They do in animated movies."

"Animated?"

"Oh, Lord. This is going to be harder than I thought. Look, if you're really interested in movies and television, then a library really is the best place to take you, because it has books that would explain things better than I could."

"I see." Alexander smiled. "Then I suppose it is my good fortune that we shall be going to a library today."

"Maybe. If I can get my mother to watch Emma for the day, we'll go. Emma's a little too rowdy for the library."

Just at that moment, the phone rang, and Kelsey walked over to get it. "Hello?"

"Kelsey! It's me."

She almost groaned. "Hi, Mom."

"You sound like you just woke up, dear."

"I did."

"Oh, did I disturb you?"

"No...no, I was awake. I'm making breakfast."

"Good. Madeline wanted me to ask you if you would be able to go into the bridal shop sometime today for another fitting. She says that the dress still isn't quite right."

"How can one mess up a hoop skirt?"

"Now, Kelsey, you know how much Maddie wants this day to be perfect. She only intends to get married once."

Kelsey felt the cut, the unspoken words between them that had lain there since she had announced that she was getting divorced.

"Oh, honey, I didn't mean it the way it sounded--"

"Forget it, Mom. It's..." Kelsey wanted to say that she had meant it. Exactly as it had sounded. Instead, she said, "I might be able to make it. Would you mind taking Emma for the day?"

"No, not at all! I love to see my darling little angel."

Little angel? I wish I saw a little more of that around here.

"Good. Then I'll drop her off in about an hour or so."

"I'll be waiting for her. Kelsey, I meant to tell you this the last time I called, but Maddie didn't know for sure if he was coming--"

"Not another set-up, Mom, please. I'm not interested in dating anyone right now."

"But this is Ben's brother, Kelsey. The one who lives in California and makes plenty of money as an accountant or some such thing."

"I don't care if Ben's brother turns out to be a Tom Cruise look-alike, I'm not interested."

"Well, all right, Kelsey. But how do you ever expect to find another man if you--"

"I don't--" Kelsey looked at Alexander, who was staring at the phone in amazement. "As a matter of fact, I was just about to tell you something."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I know this is last-minute, but I wanted you to add another guest to the list."

"As this is Maddie's wedding, I can't add--"

Please. This is your wedding just as much as it is Madeline's. I ran off to Vegas to marry John, so this is all you're getting.

"Then tell Madeline to add him."

"Him? Did I hear you correctly, Kelsey Angelica?"

"Yes, you did. Him. Alexander Darcy, to be exact." Alexander was startled to hear her mention his name. He thought her quite mad to be carrying on a one-sided conversation, as though she were honestly talking to someone.

"When did you meet this man?"

Kelsey smiled. "Oh...I don't know. But he's just arrived in town, and he'll be around for a little while, so put him on the list."

"All right, dear. Maddie is going to have a fit, since she spent so long figuring out the seating, but she can do it for you."

"Thank you."

"How serious is this relationship?"

"He's just a friend, Mom. Nothing more."

"Does John know him?"

Kelsey did groan.

"Now Kelsey, that is no response to an innocent question."

"I have to go, Mom. Emma's hollering from the living room."

"All right. I'll be expecting you soon."

Kelsey hung up the phone and noticed Alexander's look.

"What?"

"Why were you talking to yourself?" he asked.

"I wasn't. I was talking to my mother."

"Oh? And where was she?"

"She was on the other end of the line. See, I have a number--a specific telephone number--that she can call if she wants to talk to me. Come here." Kelsey showed him the phone. "This allows me to hear her when she talks, and this allows me to talk to her."

"A most wondrous thing," he breathed. "You can speak to someone at the very moment you wish to."

"Yeah. It's pretty neat, when you think about it." Kelsey almost felt amazed herself.

"How does everything work in this time?" he asked.

Kelsey laughed. "Explaining my house alone would take a lifetime and a half, and that wouldn't help your mother at all."

"Quite right."

"How about if we skip breakfast and just have an early lunch? Mom can feed Emma lunch, and I'll treat you to McDonalds. I don't suppose you have any money, do you?"

"No. I do not carry money when I am in my own home."

It was on the tip of Kelsey's tongue to remind him that he was not in his own home now, but she didn't.

"Then it'll be my treat. Hey, Emma, how would you like to go to Grandma Madison's house?"

"Yea!"

"Okay, then. I'll get you dressed and we'll go."

"And what shall I wear? These..." Alexander looked down at his outfit.

"I'll get you some more of John's clothes."

"Would you mind not giving me breeches such as I had yesterday? They were most uncomfortable."

"The jeans? Oh, no problem. I think John left some other pants around."

Kelsey headed out of the room in order to get clothes. Alexander sat at the table. Who is McDonald? And why are we going to have to pay to eat at a person's house?

Chapter 7

Almost an half an hour later, the trio was ready to go out into the world. Kelsey had to admit--only to herself, however--that she was very reluctant to bring Alexander out into the open. After all, he wasn't in his right mind, and who knew what kind of gaffes he'd make in front of the rest of the world. In the end, she decided to take the risk to make him happy.

And almost immediately started regretting it.

When they stepped outside, a green car drove by at a fairly slow speed. Alexander, however, ran to the end of the curb to look at it.

"Where are the horses?" he called to her. "I see the carriage moving, but I see no horses."

"There aren't any horses," Kelsey replied. "People haven't needed horses to get around for quite some time."

"Have they not? Then what is that contraption?"

"It's called a car," Emma told him cheerfully. "This is so weird, Mommy. It's like he's never seen a car before."

"As a matter of fact--"

"He has, pumpkin, but not one like that," Kelsey interrupted before Alexander could finish. "Now let's get in the car and go to Grandma's."

Emma accepted the explanation easily. Kelsey opened a rear door and Emma hopped in, excited at the prospect of a visit to her grandmother's. Shutting the door, Kelsey started to get in the driver's door. Alexander, however, stayed outside.

She stepped out of the car. "What's the matter?"

"Uh, well, I am not certain I wish to ride in such a thing."

"You've never done anything out of the ordinary? Not that a car is like an airplane or skydiving, but I suppose you think...that a car is something bizarre."

"I do, and I also have reservations about a woman driving one."

"A wo--look, I have a driver's license," she said. "I've been driving for ten years. I know more about that machine than you do. So get in."

Alexander smiled. "You are quite right, Kelsey. I am sorry for what I said."

That made Kelsey stop. Rarely had she heard a man apologize for making a casual, yet sexist, comment. John and her father had never hesitated to say them, and could have cared less about their impact. And here was this half-insane man, apologizing to her!

"It's okay," she said. "But we need to get going."

"Right, right." Alexander looked at the door for a moment before grasping the handle and opening it himself.

If he had had any idea of what an insane driver Kelsey was, he would never have agreed to get in the death machine. Alexander clutched a strap above the door for dear life as Kelsey practically flew by houses and other vehicles. The child in the back seat seemed to think nothing of her own safety, for she was contented to sit in the back, singing along with the voices coming from nowhere--a radio, Kelsey had said it was called when he'd asked where she kept the orchestra in such a small place.

She came to a stop at another small cottage about fifteen minutes later, pulling into a driveway. Before she could say anything, a woman came at a brisk pace from the house--a somewhat younger woman than he was expecting. The other thing which startled him was how much she looked like Kelsey.

"Hi, Kelse! Hey, Emma! How's it going, squirt?" the woman said.

"Hi, Aunt Maddie!" the child said.

Aunt. So this woman actually was Kelsey's sister. The woman picked Emma up and swung her around, making her scream in delight.

"Hi, Madeline," Kelsey said.

"Mom's insi--" She stopped short at the sight of Alexander still sitting in the car. "Who's that?"

Kelsey turned to look at Alexander, wondering how she was going to explain him. The old friend story wouldn't work with Madeline, who knew every single one of her friends.

By then, Alexander had managed to get himself out of the car. On shaking legs, he walked toward them.

"That's Alexander Darcy."

"Oh, the guy Mom said you wanted to add to the wedding list. By the way, Kelsey, I thought that was a little last-minute, even for you."

"No, last minute would've been telling you the day of the wedding."

"How do you know this guy, anyway? Mom and I were trying to figure--well, we didn't know him."

Alexander looked at the two women, uncertain for a moment which one was Kelsey, for they were wearing almost the same outfit--jeans and white blouses.

"He's a friend of mine," Kelsey said, deliberately being vague.

"Come on, Kelse. How do you know him?"

"I just recently thought about buying the house near hers," he said before Kelsey could answer. "It's quite a lovely home."

Madeline wasn't quite buying it. "And you just happened to meet my sister?"

"Well, it is quite embarrassing how we met," he said with a grin. "See, I came up to the wrong house by mistake, and she, thinking I was entering her home to pillage, struck me with a cane."

Kelsey wanted to groan. Good Lord, was he going to tell her how he happened to show up next?

Her sister started laughing. "Only you could meet a man in such a way, Kelse," she said. "By the way, I'm Madeline Madison, Kelsey's twin sister."

So they were twins as well as sisters.

"Alexander Darcy," he said with a bow.

Kelsey sighed at the gallant but out-of-place gesture on Alexander's part. Madeline, however, smiled. "And he's a gentleman to boot. Shame on you, Kelse, for smacking him."

"Well, what would you have done if he had entered your home unexpectedly?"

"Probably the same thing. So, Alex, where are you from originally?"

"Derbyshire, England," he replied.

"And did you end up buying the house for sale?"

"I am still deciding."

"We really need to get going," Kelsey said before Madeline could keep asking questions. "I'm glad you're here, though. You wouldn't happen to have your alumnus card with you, would you?"

"I do. Why?"

"Because Alexander was wanting to do a little research and I thought a college library would be a better place to do it at."

"Sure. I'll be right back. Come on, Emma. Grandma's got some cookies for you."

Emma eagerly ran into the house, calling, "Grandma! I'm here!" Madeline followed her.

"Madeline Madison?" he asked softly.

"The greatest bane of her life--and all because my mother always loved the name Madeline, and didn't care what last name went with it. She's so excited about next Saturday that she's already got business cards printed up with Madeline Geiger on them."

"You somehow managed to escape such a fate."

"Kelsey was my mother's maiden name. Since she was an only child, she felt she was honoring her parents by naming me Kelsey."

"I have two cousins named Darcy, and my own father was named Fitzwilliam. Such a practice is not unusual."

Madeline came out of the house, carrying a small card with her. "Here it is." She handed it to Kelsey.

"Thanks."

"Mom wants to know when you're coming back."

"Oh...I don't know. I'm not sure how long our research is going to take," Kelsey replied. "Maybe before supper?"

"Mom's invited both you and Alex to dinner--if that's all right."

"Uh..."

"Terrific. I'll let her know they'll be two more. And don't forget to stop by the bridal shop for another fitting."

"Right," Kelsey said. "We have to go."

"It was nice meeting you, Alex."

"It was...nice to meet you as well...Madeline."

Kelsey pulled into a parking place at McDonald's and turned off the engine. "Come on, you're going to like this," she said when Alexander looked askance at the building.

"What sort of house is this, anyway?"

"It's not a house. It's a restaurant. I know they have those in England, so come on."

"We do, but they are not...they--"

"Fast food? You're trying to tell me you've never had a hamburger? You're sure to regain your memory once you've had a Big Mac."

"A what?"

Kelsey grinned. "You'll see."

Alexander walked into the restaurant, holding the door open for Kelsey. She entered, then headed for the counter to order. Alexander followed close behind.

"Where are the menus?" he asked as they waited in line.

"They're up there."

Alexander looked up to see prices and food items listed--such things called "french fries," "sodas," and "McNuggets."

"What is a McNugget?" he asked.

"It's something totally tasteless, so you don't want to eat it."

"Oh. Then what shall I get? French fries?"

"Sure." By then, it was Kelsey's turn to order. Before Alexander could say anything, she said, "We'll have two Big Macs, two orders of large fries, a medium Coke, and a medium diet."

As the young woman behind the counter figured up their total, Alexander took another look at the place. It was rather clean, not too busy at the moment. The people who passed him by, however, still astonished him. There were young girls wearing short pants that were shorter than the ones Kelsey had been wearing that morning, with skimpy blouses. Some girls even had the immodesty to show their midsections. The young men he saw were dressed in sloppy outfits, usually some checked material with plain white shirts underneath.

Kelsey picked up their tray. "Where would you like to sit?"

"It does not matter to me."

Kelsey chose a window booth and sat down. Dividing the food between them, she said, "Do you mind being called Alex?"

"I do not think anyone ever called me that."

"Really? Not even your parents?"

"No. I have always been Alexander, and Darcy to my school friends." Alexander took one of the "french fries" and popped it into his mouth. Other than being rather hot, he thought it quite good.

"Good?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Try the hamburger."

Alexander unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite.

Kelsey took a bite of her own hamburger, waiting for his pronouncement--and who knew, even his memory returning.

"Most peculiar," he said. "Interesting flavor. I wonder if, when I return, I could get Cook to make me something like this?"

"Not unless she's the one who invented the secret sauce," Kelsey replied. But there was not mention of remembering having it before.

"You did not mention having a twin," he said.

"Well, it's not something I think about every day of my life."

"You are not close to Madeline?"

"We are, just not as close as we were before I married John. I dropped out of school, and Madeline got her college degree. And things...just sort of went in those directions."

"Why did you ask for her...alumnus card?"

"Because we'll be asked for ID to use the library, and I didn't graduate. Madeline did, and she's active in the Alumni Association, and thus she has access to the library." Kelsey smiled. "Being an identical twin has its advantages."

"When shall we go to the library?"

"When we're finished with lunch. So, what do you think of the twentieth century...thus...far?" Kelsey's voice faltered at the end. Dear God, I've got to get a grip! What am I saying? I'm not starting to believe him...am I? Of course not. I'm just playing along.

"It is rather unique," he said. "That's probably the best way I could put it."

"Unique," Kelsey repeated. "I suppose it is." With a smile, she continued eating.

Chapter 8

Kelsey hadn't been on the campus of Wallis University since she'd dropped out at the end of her freshman year, and her sense of direction was slightly off. But very quickly, she was able to find the library and keep Alexander from wandering off to get a better look at some of the things he'd seen, including a student whose hair was bright blue.

"Some strange mutation in this generation," he said when Kelsey had dragged him away by the arm.

"No, just some hair dye or Jello--that's what I hear they're using these days to color their hair."

Kelsey led him past the grand doors and into the air-conditioned sanctity and silence of the library within. The first thing Kelsey came to was a young lady asking her to sign in. Showing Madeline's card, she signed her sister's name to the register.

"Hi, Madeline. How's the wedding coming?" the woman asked.

"Very quickly," she replied, hoping that the woman wouldn't expect her to remember her name, because she didn't.

"And who is this?"

Oh, God. What if she tells Ben that "Madeline" was with another man?

"He's a friend. We're just here to look something up."

"Oh, well, okay. Go right ahead."

"Thanks."

"See you next Saturday."

"Right," Kelsey replied. "Come on, Alexander. We've got to get started."

They walked into the heart of the library. Alexander stared around at all the books.

"What? Don't tell me you don't have books. According to the book, Pemberley was known for--"

Alexander swung around to look at her. "You believe me."

"I didn't say that."

"Then why does it seem as though you are starting to?"

"I am merely going along with your misguided belief, that's all. I still think you're from this century. But I don't want to upset you, so I'm pretending as though you're sane."

Alexander didn't say anything, but his look said it for him--he was disappointed with her answer. He had clearly been hoping that she would believe him.

"To answer your question, I have seen books--many books--but not quite this many in one place."

"And you haven't even seen the other three floors," Kelsey replied. "That's all that's on them, books."

"How many books are there?"

"I don't know. I think something in the vicinity of a couple of million."

Alexander let out a strangled gasp. "How shall we ever find the book which will help my mother?"

"In all likelihood, there are several books written on health and medicine--several thousand, even. I'm sure we're not going to have a problem finding one which might hold the key to your mother's illness."

"However shall we find it in a library of this magnitude?"

"Using computers, of course."

"Using what?"

"It's easier to show you than to explain. If I remember right, the computers are this way." Kelsey walked toward where she remembered the computers to be--and was rewarded by the sight of the entire right side of the room being taken up with computers. Quite a few of them were taken up by students, more than Kelsey expected for a Saturday.

"Finals week must be coming up," she said quietly. "That's the only time I really remember sitting in front of a computer."

"Finals? Oh, you must mean exams. I remember when I had exams, it was a terrible time. All of that studying when most of it was entirely useless. I tried convincing my father of that, but got the standard lecture of all Darcy men had completed university studies for generations, and I was not to be the first to not do so."

Kelsey turned to look back at him. "Your father said that?"

"He did. You sound surprised."

"It's an awfully...autocratic thing to say. Arrogant, even. I thought...well, the story was..."

"My father was not like that often, do not mistake me. I had several friends whose fathers were much worse than mine. One bloke in particular, his father was excessively overbearing. So I never considered my father's actions to be out of the ordinary way."

"What was your father like?" Kelsey asked softly.

"It is a story for another time, perhaps. For now, we need to get to work."

Kelsey sighed. "Of course." Kelsey walked over to a free computer and sat down, motioning to Alexander to pull an empty chair over.

The screen was blank, so Kelsey tapped the mouse to make it come to life. Alexander nearly jumped when the screen went to black to bright green, with icons on one side.

"How is all this accomplished?" he asked.

Kelsey turned to him. "I have no idea. Like I said before, there are books which would explain how technology works a lot better than I can."

"Could we borrow these books? Would the person who owns all of this mind?"

"There is no one person who owns the library. It's owned by the school. And as for whether or not we'd be allowed to check out books, well...I don't know. I suppose I could call Madeline and ask if it would be okay. She would know."

"Would you call her, please?"

"Sure. But first, we need to look at whether or not there's anything to look up." Kelsey punched some buttons and a screen came up. She typed in a word, waited for the responses to come up, chose a few, and printed it out. Alexander did not leap out of his seat when the printer suddenly turned on, to Kelsey's surprise, but he did take an active interest in the machine, especially when the paper came out with printing on it.

"This is astounding," he said. "Almost like having a small printing press."

"It's not quite the same thing, but the same idea," Kelsey replied.

"Would you mind doing something for me?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Would you put in Pemberley and see what you get?"

Kelsey looked at him strangely.

"I would like to see what has happened to my family's estates. This...computer would be able to help us, would it not?"

"It might, but it might not. I suppose we could try, though." Kelsey typed in the word he'd requested. There were several hits--mostly fictional accounts written by modern authors, all of them atrocious, or so Kelsey had heard.

"We must look these up," he said.

"No, Alexander, you don't want to do that."

"Yes, I do. That is why I asked you to look it up. After all, it is my family's history."

"It isn't your family's history," Kelsey hissed. "It's made up."

"Please," he said. "May we please look this up?"

Kelsey thought for a moment, realizing that this could be the break she was looking for. She would let him read the horrible versions, which wouldn't match his own "family's" story, and he would realize that he wasn't from the past, he wasn't the son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, and most of all, that he was somewhat disturbed.

"Okay. We'll look it up. But let's find these other books first--they're what we came for, remember?"

"Right," he said.

Kelsey sat him at a table and told him to stay put while she went to get the books on the list. Alexander was no longer looking around at the world around him, because he was thinking of his mother. He had an alternative reason for wanting to see the other books.

He wanted to know when his mother would die. After all, this future seemed able to predict everything else about his mother and his father, so it should be able to tell him when his mother had died. Family historians would be able to tell him, at the very least. And perhaps, if she had lived past her illness, it would give him a hint of where he should look for the cure.

Lived past her illness, but not now. For the first time, a flooding sense of loss shot through his brain. He was standing one hundred and fifty years in the future. Everyone he knew was dead...his father, mother, sisters, brothers, even his nieces and nephews who had just been babies. They were all gone...and yet just yesterday, he had seen them all, all alive and well, except his mother.

Alexander was on the verge of breaking down when Kelsey reappeared, a thick stack of books in her hands. "These are just the tip of the iceberg," she said, setting them on the desk with a thud. "Why don't you stay here and look through these while I go call Madeline to ask if we can check some books out with her card?"

"All right," he said.

"You might want to start with this one." Kelsey help up the top book. "It lists the illnesses by symptoms, not just generally. And by the way, I picked up one of those other books."

"You did?"

She pulled one out from the middle of the stack. The title was Pemberley written by some woman named Tenant.

"Another descendant?"

"The Austen family sincerely hopes not," Kelsey mumbled. "I'll be right back."

Kelsey walked away again, leaving Alexander to stare at the thick stack of medical books she had brought him, and then at the thin volume containing his family's history. He decided to look at that one first.

Kelsey returned not ten minutes later, after having to talk not only to Madeline, who had insisted that it would be okay to check out books with her card, but also to Emma, who had wanted to tell her what Grandma had let her do (finger-painting). Then Kelsey's mother got on the phone to insist that she bring Alexander to dinner, which Kelsey tried to get out of but couldn't.

When she got back to the table, Alexander wore a look of complete shock on his face. It was unlike the looks he'd had for the telephone or computer, or even the look he'd had on his face when they'd gotten out of the car. This was ten times more frightening.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately. "Did you find out what was wrong with her, and there's no hope at all?"

"No, no...it is not that. I did not even look at those books. It is this." He held up Pemberley.

"Oh, God. I knew I shouldn't have given you that book. It's completely stupid, but I thought..."

"I cannot believe that a woman would make up such lies about my family," he said. "Insinuating that my father ever became cold to my mother...and my brother! My mother never had any troubles at all having children..." Alexander blushed. "My Grandmother Bennet always said that she'd bred five healthy daughters, born to give their husbands sons. And my Uncle and Aunt Wickham did not have that many children in such a short time! They only have four children altogether, the youngest just fourteen. And my Uncle Bingley...it is just too dreadful to think about! Why would such a woman write this? What has my family done to her?"

Chapter 9

Kelsey sighed. "She doesn't have anything against your family," she finally said. "She never knew them as well as a lot of people think she should."

"It would seem to me that...that she never knew them at all."

"She probably read the book quite a lot. But when it came time to write the sequel, she thought it should be more Gothic...or something like that."

"Did she continue writing about my family?"

"Oh, no. No way I let you get your hands on the sequel to this book. It's even worse than this."

"I fail to know how it can get worse than this." Alexander looked down. "I am beginning to wonder if perhaps you are right--that I am insane."

"Oh, God." The guilt Kelsey felt was increased by the look of complete misery in his eyes. Why did I give him that? Why couldn't I have started out with something a little more harmless?

"But my parents existed, Kelsey. They were Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy...just like in this book. And they had all the right relatives, and...how can it all be possible?"

"Alexander..." Kelsey was trying very hard to figure out how she should put it. "Do you believe that they aren't real?"

"No, of course not! How else would I be here?"

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I wish I knew."

"I wish you would believe me," he said.

Kelsey looked into his dark eyes, almost feeling herself drowning. "I almost wish I could."

With a playful smile, he murmured, "Almost?"

Kelsey had not realized how close they were to each other until she felt his breath near her cheek. She thought that she could close the distance at any moment with a simple kiss...

Put your head back on, kiddo! What are you thinking? You don't even KNOW this guy!

"I..." Kelsey cleared her throat and deliberately moved away from him. "I think we should check out these books and then get Emma. I can tell my mother that you're still woozy from being hit yesterday, and that'll get us out of dinner with her. After finding out this, the last thing you want to do is be grilled by my mother."

"All right," he said.

Emma was furious over not getting the promised meal of lasagna, but had settled down enough to accept the plate of spaghetti and meatballs with two small slices of garlic bread which Kelsey gave her that night. She managed to eat most of what she'd been given.

Alexander, on the other hand, had very little appetite. He stared out the window, looking at the backyard.

"Is something out there?" Kelsey asked.

"The maze is gone," he said.

"What maze?"

"The one I came through to get here. It is gone."

"I'm sure it'll open up again when you find the cure," Kelsey said.

"A cure for what?" Emma asked. "Are you sick, Alex?"

"No, I am not unwell."

"Oh. Aunt Maddie said that Mommy scrambled your brains yesterday. Did you do that, Mommy?"

Kelsey closed her eyes and mentally cursed her sister for saying that in front of Emma. "No, I didn't scramble his brains, in spite of what Aunt Maddie might have said. I accidentally hit Alexander in the head when he came in, honey, because he came into the wrong house."

"You thought he was a bug--a bug--a booger?"

Kelsey coughed in an attempt to keep from laughing. "A burglar, sweetie."

"That's what I said. A booger."

Alexander chuckled.

"Grandma said that she was sad that you couldn't stay for supper, Alex. She wanted to know who you were and stuff."

I can just imagine, Kelsey thought.

"Why would she want to know that?" Alexander asked.

"Grandma says that you might've known Mommy before Daddy left, for all she knows."

Kelsey felt her cheeks burn as her mother's implication came clear.

"Grandma shouldn't speculate so much," Kelsey snapped before thinking. "Are you almost finished, Emma?"

"Mmm-hmm." Emma nodded her head emphatically.

"Then let's wash up and go to sleep, okay?"

Kelsey took a washcloth and wiped off Emma's hands and face, then took her upstairs to get dressed for bed.

Alexander subconsciously began picking up the plates of half-eaten food, something he had never done back home. But this was a different time, and besides, Kelsey had seemed rather upset when Emma had mentioned her father. He thought he'd be nice and help her out.

He found the place where Kelsey had thrown away dinner remains the night before and scraped the plates into there. Placing the dirty dishes in the sink, he then took the damp washcloth Kelsey had used on Emma, got it wet again, and wiped off the table.

Alexander was about to look for some soap to wash the dishes with when Kelsey came back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"You didn't have to do that," Kelsey said.

"I wanted to."

Kelsey smiled. John had never helped her clear the table. He had considered that her work to do.

"Thanks."

"I was going to find some soap for the dishes."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll put them in the dishwasher."

"What's that?"

Kelsey smiled and proceeded to show him the dishwasher, careful to tell him about not putting too many dishes in and not overfilling the containers the soap went in. When it started, she walked outside onto the porch. The sun was setting, a bright orange fireball on the horizon. Kelsey loved sunsets, because of the beauty and color they brought. She sat on the porch swing.

A moment later, Alexander joined her outside. "What did Emma mean when she said that your mother..."

"Hmm?"

"About our knowing each other, before your separation."

"Oh...something I really don't feel like talking about."

"If I told you about my family, would you be willing to tell me about yours?"

"It's a pretty long story. How long do you think you have?"

"It seems as though I have forever." Alexander smiled. "Do we have a bargain then?"

Kelsey slowly smiled. "I guess we do."

Chapter 10

Alexander sat down beside Kelsey on the porch swing and said, "Ladies first."

"I asked you to tell me about your family first."

"I was under a great deal of stress at the time, so I cannot be held accountable for what I might have said."

"Typical," Kelsey said with a laugh. "All right, I'll go first. What do you want to know about the Madison family?"

"Why did you become upset about what your mother told Emma?"

"If she'd known Emma was listening, she probably wouldn't have said anything. But then again, she might have." Kelsey sighed. "My mother once heard a saying about identical twins that goes, 'They are two halves of a whole, two parts of a soul.' I don't know where she heard it, or why it stayed with her after she found out she was having twins, but that's where my relationship with my mother begins.

"She repeated that quote to me many times during my childhood. When I was old enough to understand, I thought it meant that because Maddie and I were identical, we were exactly alike. You know, we had the same emotions, feelings, thoughts, almost like we were sharing one mind. And for a time, we did. But my mother didn't concentrate on the two halves part, but the two parts of a soul. She thought that meant that because we were once only one in her body, when we divided into two, we divided characteristics."

"That is the most inane thing I have ever heard," Alexander said.

"I know. But it was the way she believed it went. She thought that if one was good, the other had to be bad. If one was courteous, the other was rude. Plus, she was nearly thirty-five when Madeline and I were born. She was set in her ideas of what made a good girl. 'A good girl,' she would tell me, 'does not get into fights on the playground. A good girl does not tell the boy down the block that he's a poophead. A good girl does not come home with her pretty little dress dirty because she played baseball with the boys in the sandlot.'" Kelsey's voice rose in pitch until it became a mimicry of her mother's. "Madeline was the designated good girl in my family, leaving only one role for me."

"As the bad girl," he said quietly.

"Right." Kelsey didn't say anything as she gazed out at the yard. Finally, she looked at her toes. "Do you have any idea of what it's like, to be pigeonholed by the time you're seven? To have your mother tell her friends, 'I wish Kelsey could be more like Madeline. For a pair of girls who look so much alike, I've never seen two girls so different'? And it didn't stop there. Then there were all the groundings and the lectures and the frustration. And the times when you tried to be a good girl so hard that you wanted to scream, you were acting just as good--even better--than your so-called good girl twin sister, and not getting any credit for it."

Alexander's heart squeezed for the sad picture Kelsey was painting with the anguish in her voice, the pain in her eyes.

"Finally, when I was thirteen, I think, I decided to give up pleasing my mother. I realized that she was never going to budge on her ideas of what identical twins should be like."

"What did you do then?"

"I started enjoying life a lot more than I had up until that point." Kelsey gave him a small smile, which quickly faded. "Which only gave my mother more cause to find fault with me."

"Do you get along well with your sister?"

"Oh, sure. Madeline understood the way it had to be a lot sooner than I did, and even though I scorned her pity we got along well. I'm closer to her than I am to anyone else. I never resented her for what happened."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Well, I suppose I sometimes resented her. It hurt especially when we reached certain times in our lives--such as grade cards. We'd have identical grades, but Mom would always praise Maddie to the heavens and I would always get a small pat on the head and an amazed look, as thought we didn't have the same IQ's and she couldn't understand how I did so well."

"It goes along with the rest of her theory. If you have one smart sister, the other must be dumb."

Kelsey thought on that for a second. "You're right. I never saw it that way."

"What about your father during all this? Did he not care at all?"

"He was too busy. My father's a lawyer with some rather demanding clients. He was always at his office or out of town. He always managed to make it home for breakfast and supper, but..."

"But what?"

"My mother was resentful, especially when I hit adolescence. I...well, I wasn't always the perfect angel. In fact, I got in trouble when I was sixteen, for being out after curfew and for underage drinking. I was trying to live down to my reputation, you could say. She would become enraged at what she saw as his abandonment when she needed him around to instill firm values in me, and if not that, then to give me a good sound spanking. And my father, disappointed that he never had a son, could care less. They fought whenever he was home, in front of both me and Madeline. They finally divorced when the two of us went to college."

"You are hardly a problem to your parents now. What changed for you?"

"John did, indirectly. But really, Emma was the one who changed my life."

Alexander thought, Ah, now we come to her husband.

"It's funny. When I met John, my mother hated him. She said when we eloped that marrying him would be the biggest mistake of my life. And she was right. But now that we're divorced, she keeps trying to get us together. And Madeline! She tried warning me, too, with just as much success. In fact, we had a bitter argument...and we didn't speak to each other until Emma was two."

Alexander waited for her to continue, but she turned to him and said, "And now you, Mr. Darcy. What was life with your family like?"

Alexander could not deny the small feeling of relief and disappointment he felt. He had wanted to know more about her relationship with her husband, but at the same time, he had not.

"It was far more peaceful," he said. "My family was--is--do you realize that since I'm in this time and place, they are all dead?"

"I was hoping you--" Kelsey sighed.

"Would give up the idea that I am from the past," he said, frustration creeping into his voice. "Or is it that I would finally admit that I am not the son of who I say I am?"

"I'm sorry, Alexander. You have to understand that this is just too difficult to be believed. If I wandered into the past, insisting I was from the future, would you believe me?"

"I would."

"No, you wouldn't. You'd send me to a mental hospital."

"No, I--" But he knew she was right. If she had gone back in time, he would have insisted she was insane.

"Thank you," Kelsey said, knowing that he was admitting the truth to himself.

Alexander had just had one too many upsets that day. He could not explain it, but her insistence that he was not--that he could not--be real was driving him insane. He had no proof, no real way to be able to show her who he was.

"I think I am tired," he said. "Would it be all right if we put this conversation off until another time? It is pointless to tell you about my family, as you doubt their existence."

"Alexander, please--"

"No. Do not say anything. If you would be so kind as to tell me how I can get water for a bath, then I shall be bathing and going to sleep."

Kelsey almost blushed again. For heaven's sake, you'd think you'd never thought of a man bathing before! Kelsey Chandler, you should be ashamed!

But she couldn't help picturing him in the shower...even as she said that to herself.

Kelsey went back outside, the only light coming from a light bulb on the ceiling of the porch. Alexander was, as far as she knew, asleep, having spent nearly forty minutes in the shower ("A fountain in your own home. Enchanting.") and only leaving when the water turned icy cold.

She wandered out into the yard, illuminated only by the moon.

Could Alexander have been telling the truth? Could he really come from another time? Would that be easier to accept, if he were merely from another time, than accepting that he is the son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy?

Kelsey walked past Emma's swing set towards the fence which separated her yard from her neighbor's yard.

It would have been impossible for him to come from the backyard without the Thomasons noticing him, she thought. Unless, of course, he'd tried the front door and I just didn't hear him.

It suddenly caught her notice that even though her yard was lit up by the moonlight, her neighbors' yard was dark. There were no trees in their yard, and yet it was like the light wasn't touching anything there.

It was then that Kelsey noticed that the neighbor's house was gone completely...and in its place was a massive maze, opening up into her yard.

"The maze is gone." Alexander's words echoed in her mind.

Seeming to have little will to turn back, Kelsey walked into the maze. Although she would swear that she had never been in it before, she knew her way through it as sure as she knew her way through her own house. She soon found herself on the other side, in bright sunshine, as though it were the middle of the day.

And almost immediately, she came face-to-face with a man who was the image of Alexander...in about thirty years. He wore clothes much like those Alexander had worn when he first walked in her door.

He was staring at her in amazement, as though she had appeared from thin air. Which was not impossible at this point, she thought to herself.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Where did you come from?"

Kelsey froze. "I--I'm Kelsey Ch--Madison. Who are you?"

"I am the owner of this estate you trespass on, madam. I am Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

Chapter 11

Kelsey felt her legs nearly collapse underneath her. Darcy quickly came to support her, saying, "I did not mean trespass in such a negative light."

"It's not that," she said. "You...you have a son named Alexander, don't you?"

Almost immediately, his grip changed from supporting to grasping. "You have seen my son? When did you see him?"

Dear God, Alexander was telling the truth! But how could this be real? How can he be real? How can I be here?

"I...I saw him..."

"Please, you must tell me, madam. He has been missing for almost two days, without his horse and without a carriage...even without money. He left yesterday morning with no explanation, and my youngest daughter swears all he intended to do was take a walk."

He walked in my door yesterday, thinking that he was still on his estate. And what did I do? I clubbed him in the head! And if this is true, then...

Kelsey had little time to think. She had to come up with a plausible story for Alexander's disappearance, and she had to get back to him. He was in the twentieth century alone! He'd get in so much trouble without her!

And Emma! Oh, God, my baby! That maze has to lead back to my home! Please, God, please!

"Yesterday, I saw him. Late in the morning, he stopped at my...cottage--" Taking a look at Pemberley, Kelsey swiftly understood why Alexander didn't consider her house a real house.

"He did?"

"Yes. He said that he was too far from Pemberley to go back just for a horse, and he wanted to get to London as soon as he could. So my father loaned him our best horse and some money, and he left for London."

"Why did he go to London with his mother..."

"I had heard of Eliz--er, Mrs. Darcy's illness, sir, and my family's prayers are with her and you. Alexander went to London to see if perhaps there was a doctor there who could cure her."

"But we have sent for doctors from everywhere."

"Alexander insisted that he had to try again. And my father...well, he could not refuse him. After all, it might be able to save Mrs. Darcy's life."

"You are certain that he was going to London?"

"Yes, sir."

Darcy gave a sigh of relief. "Why did you not come to tell us this before?"

"Well, I thought you knew. He was supposed to send word when he reached London--he promised."

"Perhaps, in all of his worry, he forgot."

"Forgive me for saying so, Mr. Darcy, but it's pretty understandable."

"Of course, of course. Miss--"

"Madison," Kelsey said.

"Miss Madison, will you come to the house? I want you to tell my children and wife what you have told me. Elizabeth has been extremely worried. How she knew Alexander was gone, I do not know, as she has rarely been awake."

"Mothers know these things," Kelsey said with a certainty in her voice.

"And then you must allow me to repay your family for what you have done for Alexander."

"Oh, no, sir. That isn't necessary." What are you saying? Of course it's necessary! Let the man pay you!

"Of course it is. Alexander owes you for the horse and the money your father gave him, and I shall dispatch his debts."

"Well, thank you." Kelsey smiled.

"May I ask a question of you?" At her nod, he continued. "Does your father mind you wearing such attire?"

Kelsey looked down at her outfit. A blue tank top and baggy jeans. Demure in the nineties, scandalous here.

I wonder what Alexander thought, she thought with a smile.

"No, he does not. He's a modern father, though, one who believes in movement of the body and the ability to breathe in clothes."

Darcy smiled. "I once knew a young woman who would have gotten along with your father famously. But come. We must not delay."

Kelsey was led into the great hall of Pemberley, where a servant took Darcy's cane and didn't bat an eye at Kelsey's outfit.

"This way," Darcy said, leading Kelsey through a maze of doors until he came upon his family.

"Father," a young woman said softly. "Is Mamma..."

"There is no change," he replied. "Miss Madison, I would like you to meet my daughter, Jane." He motioned to the woman who had spoken. "My youngest child, Victoria...my eldest son, William, and my second son, Edward. Children, this is Miss Kelsey Madison."

"Do you happen to be related to a Thomas Madison? I was at university with him," William asked.

Kelsey almost said that yes, she was, because Thomas happened to be her father's name, but she said, "I do not think I am."

"Miss Madison has brought information about Alexander," Darcy said. "He is in London, hoping to find a cure for your mother."

"But we've tried every doctor around!" Edward exclaimed.

"Your brother remains convinced that he can find one who can help."

"We should not think badly of him," Jane said. "He shall surely bring someone back, at least."

"But how is he ever going to get to London? He has no horse, no money..."

"That is where Miss Madison and her family enters. Her father loaned Alexander money and a horse to get there."

"I did not know we had new neighbors," Edward said, a little suspicious of the newcomer. "When did you move here?"

"It was not long ago," Kelsey said glibly. "In fact, it was very recent."

"Edward, you should be grateful for her, not quizzing her," Victoria said.

"Quite right, sister. Sorry, Miss Madison."

"I am taking Miss Madison to see your mother, so if you would excuse us..."

His daughters and sons made their bows, to which Kelsey made a hasty curtsy before following Darcy out of the room.

Up the stairs they went, and into a bedroom where a single figure lay on the bed. Kelsey walked over to her immediately, as did Darcy. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her, tenderness and fear in his eyes.

"I had not realized she was so ill," Kelsey said. "Much worse than we thought."

"This is one of her worse days," Darcy replied. "She has good days and bad. Lately, they have been getting worse."

Elizabeth heard the voices over her bed and slowly opened her eyes. Kelsey felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"William? Who...have...you brought to see...me?" Elizabeth asked, her voice weak.

"This is Kelsey Madison, Lizzy. She has news of Alexander."

Elizabeth's eyes brightened a little. "Is he...all right?"

"He's fine." Or at least, he was the last time I saw him. By now, he could be in all sorts of trouble.

"Where..."

"He is in London, looking for a doctor who can cure you."

Darcy explained again how Kelsey had helped their son. Kelsey longed to tell this woman the truth, because she believed Elizabeth would have loved the tale, but she knew she couldn't. She probably wouldn't have believed her.

"Excuse me, Mr. Darcy, sir?" a servant came into the room. "Smythe said it was urgent."

"Of course...if you would excuse me, Elizabeth...Miss Madison."

"I should be going, too," Kelsey said.

"Please...stay a moment," Elizabeth whispered.

Kelsey couldn't say no. Darcy excused himself, and Kelsey took his place on the bed.

"There is more to this than you are saying," she said so softly that Kelsey had to lean over to hear.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Alexander...is not in London."

"Of course he is. Where else would he go?"

"I do not know, but I just know that he is not...there."

"I can assure you, Mrs. Darcy, he is not wasting his...time."

And yet isn't that what you did today? He wanted to find a cure, and you handed him that book written by that horrid woman so he couldn't concentrate. And yesterday, you kept insisting that he was insane! You've done more to hinder his search than anyone else!

Elizabeth's eyes dimmed. "You are not saying anything."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say. Just believe me when I say that your son is well, and he's busy searching."

Elizabeth gave a ghost of a smile. "I believe you, Kelsey. Are you married?"

"I...I was."

"Widowed?"

Kelsey remembered Alexander's reaction to the news that she was divorced. "Yes."

"Then why do you keep your maiden name?"

Oops. Way to stick your foot in it, kiddo. "I...well, it is complicated. Suffice it to say that I prefer not to keep my husband's name."

Elizabeth nodded. "I understand. Did you have children?"

"One."

"What is her name?"

"Emma Caroline."

"It's a beautiful name."

"Thank you."

"Miss Madison?" Darcy had come back into the room. "Excuse us, dear. We need to settle some accounts, and then I shall return."

"Of course."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Darcy."

"It...was nice to meet you as well...Miss Madison. Thank you. And...make sure to...take care of my son."

Kelsey nodded. Darcy was confused, but Kelsey didn't say anything.

"She thought he was with you, did she not?" he asked when they reached the Pemberley library.

"I believe she did," Kelsey replied.

Darcy reached into a safe and pulled out pound notes. "How much should I give you?" he asked. "A good horse costs...and how much did your father give him?"

"I don't know how much my father gave him. A few shillings, probably." Shillings? Is that the right term?

Darcy took out a heavy bag and handed it to her. "There should be enough in the pouch to make up for whatever your father gave Alexander, plus the horse."

"I cannot--"

"I insist, Miss Madison. Accept it with our thanks."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy."

"I should be thanking you, Miss Madison. And should you see Alexander again before we do, tell him that we love him and that we hope he returns home soon."

"Of course," Kelsey said. Just then, a terrifying thought occurred to her. What if the maze is closed? What if I can't go back? Oh, God! What if I'm trapped here? And Emma's alone with Alexander?

Alexander awoke suddenly. It was most unusual for him, because he was a heavy sleeper by nature. But something called to him, something he could not identify, telling him to wake up.

He sat up in bed, looking around. It was still dark outside, and the small clock Kelsey had set beside his bed said it was midnight. Kelsey. Without knowing the problem, he knew it had something to do with her.

He threw back the covers and nearly ran down the hall, hoping that Emma would stay asleep. Kelsey was not sleeping in the chair he'd found her in. He could search upstairs, but he might wake Emma up, and he did not want that. Besides, he had a strange feeling that Kelsey was not there, anyway.

He headed outside, into the backyard. No Kelsey. Without thinking, he called, "Kelsey!" Fear coursed through his body, causing his heartbeat to speed up. Kelsey was missing--and he was alone in her world, knowing next to nothing about it.

"Where could she have gone?" he mumbled to himself. He walked into the front yard only to find that her car was still where she'd parked it earlier that day. "Oh, God."

She would not have left Emma alone. She would not have left without telling him where she was going. She...

Alexander ran back into the back yard, calling, "KELSEY!"

She reappeared from almost nowhere, right before his eyes. Her gray eyes were stunned, as though she had seen something she still couldn't quite believe. She was clutching a large bag.

"Kelsey," he whispered.

She looked right at him, taking small steps forward. He did not hesitate. Without regard for the heavy bag she dropped on his foot, he pulled her into his arms.

"Thank God you are safe," he said. "What happened?"

But before she could explain, he found himself being drawn closer to her. And before either of them knew what they were doing, he kissed her.

Continued in Section III