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A few scenes in this story appear similar to a novel by Chris Rogers, but the title is a bit risqué for this board for any repetition of it.

Chapter 58 - Rat Pack

Posted on Saturday, 2 October 1999

"Charlotte, have you heard from Lizzy?"

"What time is it?" she groaned.

"Lizzy's gone! Have you heard from her?!"

"No I haven't," she whispered. "What's this all about?"

"She overheard some things..."

"What things?"

"Caroline was spouting off! For the life of me, I don't know how..."

"Will!" she exclaimed.

"Is that..." mumbled a voice from the other side of the phone.

"Shh, go back to sleep," she whispered. "Now slowly, Will, tell me what happened?"

"Lydia's children are all fathered by Wickham." Charlotte gasped. "Caroline found out somehow and made it known..." Which reminds me I have someone to kill! "Lizzy heard it and left in the middle of the night."

"Oh dear!" sighed Charlotte.

"What am I going to do?!"

"I don't know, Will." Charlotte shook her head. "Maybe she went to the house?"

"I thought about that, but she'll know that's the first place I'll look, so she won't go back there."

"Think about it... she might turn your assumptions around, figure you've already surmised that she won't go home and you'll probably look elsewhere."

"So, you think I should go there anyway?"

"Why not? What else do you have to go on?"

Darcy sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"Do you remember where it is?"

"I drove from there to the hospital, so I think I can make my way back."

"Okay."

They hung up.

Somewhere in Texas

I'm not going to do this anymore! She wiped the 5-hours worth of tears off her face and kept her bleary eyes trained on the highway. I can't! She gripped the wheel tighter, pushed full force on the accelerator and sped off to destination unknown. I can't go back to Granbury, that's the first place he'll look. I can't go to my family; they were probably in on it as well... Aunt Maddie and Uncle Ed keep a spare key to their condo in their office, but they'll trace me there as well. I'll just stop at the bank, take out a few dollars... Wait! I still have my money, my passport and Amex card in my bag! She felt free. I'll rest when I'm good and damn tired, but first I gotta stop at McDonald's...

The drugs were affecting her as well. Elizabeth in her half-lucid state noticed a posse of black limousines parade by her one-by-one on the two-lane bypass just west of Beaumont.

"Must be a funeral for some big wig?" she mused. "But it's not even 8:00 a.m.!"

Her thoughts quickly returned to their bitter and disappointed state and the tears came flooding anew. She trusted him! He lied to me! How many others knew about it? If that witch knew, then probably everyone else knew! Fitz? Yes, him too! He did mention knowing Lydia! Why were they hiding the truth from her? If I had known, I wouldn't have stopped choking him...

Wallowing in her misery, she did not notice that traffic had come to a standstill until almost the last possible second. Elizabeth slammed on the brakes, swerved to avoid the other cars, side-swiped the guardrail, and finally came to a screeching, sickening, grinding halt against a concrete barrier. Such a sudden deterrence threw her forward; then she was flung backwards from the powerful blast of the airbag, knocking her into an unconscious condition.

What woke her up was not the smell of spewing gas, nor the spiraling fumes, nor the knock on the glass... it was the almost simultaneous 'ka-chunk' or the loading of cartridges from multitudinous high-powered automatic weapons and pointed with deadly accuracy at her personage.

She startled, but did not move as the car door flung open. She groaned, but did not squeal as a hand lifted her by her hair. She blinked, but did not speak as she was manhandled, pulled out and dragged to a limo.

Chapter 59 - Taming The Shrew

Posted on Sunday, 3 October 1999

In Austin

While Bingley called the Weston's and Elizabeth's other friends, Darcy called the Gardiners. Then he went to see his sister.

"Gina, I have to go away for a while."

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't really have the time to discuss it."

"It's Christmas, Will!"

"I'm sorry."

"I need you here with me! I just got home!"

"I have to do this Gina," tears forming in his eyes. "Please understand?"

"I don't understand! Why do you have to leave?!"

He sat for a long moment, contemplating what he might say. "Liz is gone."

"Charles took her home already?"

"No, Charles is still here."

"Will," she touched his arm. "Please tell me what's going on?"

Darcy breathed in and out deeply. "Caroline upset her and she took off."

"What in the world did that witch say?!"

He shook his head. "She was ranting and raving about how she thought I was going to marry her, and that I should throw Liz out of the house and..."

"I can't believe Lizzy took all that seriously?"

"No, she would've torn Caroline apart had she heard all that." He let out a bitter chuckle. "Caroline spilled the beans about her sister and..."

"Jane?"

"No, Liz has 3 other sisters. Caroline found out that Liz's youngest sister had 3 children by..." he held her hand, "...George Wickham." Georgiana gasped. "And that I was paying for all their living expenses."

"What?!?!?!" Georgiana snatched her hand away.

Darcy hung his head and told the entire story. It took him quite a while to calm his sister down.

Mrs. Reynolds led the way. "They're in here, Mr. Bennet." She knocked.

"Come in."

Bingley stood up from his chair as he entered, but Darcy continued to stare out of the bay window overlooking the rose garden. The housekeeper quietly closed the door behind her.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bennet." Bingley went to embrace his father-in-law.

"I took the first plane out." They released each other after a few pats on the back. Then Mr. Bennet walked over to Darcy and placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "How can I help?"

Darcy turned slightly, confusion, grief, resentment, and fear all donned in his features. "Thank you," his voice cracked. "But I'm not sure what anyone can do."

Bingley went towards the desk. Once there he pressed a button. "Mrs. Reynolds could we have something to eat... some sandwiches, etc.?"

"Yes, Mr. Bingley, I'll send them in as soon as possible."

"Thank you." He pressed the button again to hang up.

The gentlemen sat quietly, the only interruptions were the entrance of the staff to bring in food trays, etc.

Mr. Bennet finally broke the muteness. "Is Caroline still here?"

"Yes," answered Bingley.

"Good! Then I'd like to give her a piece of my mind!"

"No Mr. Bennet, let me do the honors." It was not a question.

"Will, you're not in the right frame of mind... let me?"

"Charles, I assure you that I am. I need to be able to tell Liz that I straightened the whole thing out... and apologize." He got no response. "Anyway, this all has to do with her fantasies of me."

Bingley nodded, as did Mr. Bennet.

Suddenly Mrs. Reynolds voice was heard from the phone. "Mr. Darcy, Charlotte is here."

Another delay!!! He sighed aloud. "Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. Let her in."

"She's on her way, Sir."

"Charlotte! What do you do here?" Darcy strode quickly to the door as it opened. "I didn't expect you to come down." He tightly embraced her.

"We wanted to help out."

"We?" asked Darcy, but just as soon as he released her, he noticed his cousin standing in the doorway. "Fitz," he nodded stiffly and spoke coolly.

"Fitz, let me introduce you to Mr. Bennet," interrupted Charlotte. She pulled the Colonel over to the other side of the room while Darcy turned to stare.

The introduction was made and all stood silent for a few moments.

The Colonel broke the reticence. "Could you all leave us alone please?"

All, except Darcy, left the room without a syllable spoken.

The door closed. "Will..."

"Come to gloat? Have the last laugh?" snapped Darcy.

"No. I came to offer my services."

"You wanted to see me?"

"Come in, Caroline. Please sit down?" He lead her to a chair and headed for the bar cart. "Drink?"

"No," she smiled. "Thank you."

He gulped down the last of the whiskey in his glass and sat down across from her at his desk. "Yes, I wanted to talk to you... There have been some things left unsaid between us and I'd like to fix that right now."

Her smiled widened. "I agree completely!"

"Now, about you and me..." Caroline leaned in eagerly. "There never was a you and me. There never will be." She tried to speak. "Don't interrupt me!" he snapped. "Whatever twisted fixations you have in your head about me marrying you should stop right now. I have never attempted to court you. Never even asked you out on a date. I have been nice when you insinuated yourself in my company, only because you are Charles' sister. That will cease as well." He leaned back in his chair. "There is a car waiting outside to take you home tonight." Now I can get out of here! He waved his hand in haughty dismissal. "That will be all."

Caroline stood up, slowly. "You think I'm going to give up that easily?"

"Don't push me," he sneered deliberately.

"Ha!" she sniffed. "I've invested too much time in you, Will Darcy, to just walk away into the sunset without a fight."

"There is no fight," he tightly gripped the desk to control his anger.

"Oh, there will be, when I get my hands on that skinny low-life slut of yours!!!"

Darcy pushed the huge oak desk forward across the floor a few feet. "You leave Liz out of this! She has nothing to with anything!" He squelched the desire to stand. "I never wanted you. Not in my car, not in my house, not in my bed, and definitely not in my life. You're bad news, and I knew it from the very beginning... I just didn't know how low you could go."

"Low?!" she cackled. "Low?! If I have to get down and dirty with the scum to get what I want, then I'll do it!" She leaned over the desk and purred. "You need me Will. You and I are one in the same."

"You're wrong there, Caroline. I do my business on the up and up. I don't try to bury people. I don't dig up dirt on them either... I could have you arrested!"

"I did what I thought was necessary," she shrugged in a regal sneer.

"You're cruel, vicious and despicable. And that makes you ugly."

Caroline gasped in shock. No one had ever called her ugly! No one had even dared! "Ugly?!" she shrieked. "Have you taken a good look at your fine-eyed bimbo lately?!"

"Merely scars. They'll heal with time."

"And plastic surgery!" Caroline was losing the war, so she tried another strategy. "But, if that's what you want... I can do a few enhancements to make my eyes just as fine as hers."

"But no amount of surgery can improve your personality."

He's weakening! She smiled. "Oh, I can be the sweetest little country nobody, if that's what you want. It's obviously the qualities you can't seem to resist," she purred.

"I will always be able to resist your charms."

Caroline gathered herself up to an imperial height after that insult. "Then resist this if you can!" she pulled her dress over her head in one fell swoop.

"HA!" he laughed and stood up. "You have absolutely nothing compared to Elizabeth Bennet."

"Then I'll make it hard for you! I'll destroy you! I'll scream sexual assault and then..."

Darcy was all bent out of shape with loathing. He brushed past her and opened the door. "Go ahead!" he spat, "Go right ahead!" The offended expression on her face spilled the fury that burned within him. He finally let it out. "And when you're finished trying to seduce me, get your $#*^ and get the hell out of my house!!!!!"

He slammed the door so violently that it snapped back open, revealing a half-naked Caroline, in tears.

Chapter 60 - You Know You Make Me Wanna SHOUT!

Posted on Monday, 4 October 1999

Saturday, December 26, 1998

"I was told that a Mr. Brinkley was staying here?!"

Mr. Reynolds, the butler nodded, then opened the door further, "Wait right here." He closed the door behind him and went into another room and closed that door. Within moments Darcy and Bingley appeared in the hallway with the butler.

"Any news detective?"

"Are you Mr. Brinkley?"

"No, I'm Mr. Darcy, this is Mr. Bingley... any news?"

"We've found your car."

"Where?" asked Bingley in uneasiness.

"Outside of Beaumont."

"Beaumont?!" exclaimed Darcy.

The detective handed Bingley some pictures.

Bingley nodded slowly as he looked at the seriously damaged auto. "You haven't found her have you?"

"Right."

"Oh God..." lamented Darcy as he felt around for something to lean on. A wall was the nearest thing.

"We can't find the driver, er, Ms. Bennet, anywhere." Darcy quickly left the house. "But we haven't given up."

"Are there any witnesses to what happened?"

"The Beaumont P.D. are broadcasting it on TV and going door-to-door in the area the car was found."

"Thank you, Officer..."

"Detective Eliot... William Eliot."

"Eliot. Yes." Bingley shook the man's hand. "Thank you."

Tensions were at an all-time high at Pemberley. It surely was not a Christmas that any of them would soon forget. Georgiana was sick with worry and feeling guilty for setting all this off in the first place. Bingley was afraid for his sister-in-law's life and for what his wife might do to him. Charlotte and the Colonel called all their contacts. Mr. Bennet cursed and paced. Darcy held an inquisition of the security team and household staff, then he called in Stan Weston. On her way home, Caroline plotted revenge.

Later that evening they all assembled for what would normally be called dinner, except rarely did a utensil scrape the plate nor did a tongue slurp the crystal. What at first was anger, now had turned to dread.

Just as Darcy, Mr. Bennet, and the Colonel prepared to go to Beaumont, a knock came to the front door. Detective Brandon entered the dining room and the butler closed the door behind him. Everyone stood up at the grim features that passed across the officer's face. He handed Darcy a missive. The man tore it open as everyone gathered round.

It read:

I don't think I can possibly describe the chaos that erupted in that room, but it was pandemonium to the extreme. With all the shrieks, screams, cries, expletives, groans, etc. that went spewing around, one would have thought that there was a whole camp full of Mrs. Bennets having a fit of nerves at the same time. Panic, I could scarce say, bounced simultaneously. Frenzied would be a better word, but not quite. It was more like hysteria! Georgiana fainted, Charlotte wept, Bingley sobbed, Stan paced, the Colonel cursed towards hell and Mr. Bennet towards heaven, while Darcy barked commands to his staff. All until Detective Brandon put his fingers to his mouth and blew; he whistled a bone-chilling rendition of a police siren. All activity ceased.

"This is a good sign!" he exclaimed. He looked around at all the disbelieving faces. "At least we know she's not dead." Yet...

Darcy, Stan, the Colonel and Charlotte all had to agree for they had just been through this.

"Who's A. C.?" they all asked Darcy.

Of course, under the circumstance, he was at a complete loss. His muddled befuddled central processing unit could no more power up a clue than he could utter a single comprehensible syllable.

Sunday, December 27, 1998

Darcy slept, or rather, he did not sleep. He walked the length, breadth, and width of the house. When he finally emerged from his suite of rooms, it looked as though someone stole into the night and pummeled him mercilessly. He felt it deserved and did nothing to disguise it all day.

The phone rang off the hook. Police were in and out. Gears cranked, fingers clicked, and brains thunk, yet no one had a hint as to who the kidnapper could be. Oh, there were theories thrown about left and right; assumptions scattered here and there; and postulations sprinkled to and fro, yet no one could fathom A. C.

Mr. Gardiner joined the fray.

"Mr. Darcy."

"Yes, Mrs. Reynolds."

"There is a Mr. Wentworth on the phone for you."

"Thank you." Darcy picked it up. "Hello, Mr. Wentworth."

"Mr. Darcy, sorry to bother you. I know what's going on, so I'll be brief. I need copies of the checks you wrote to and for George Wickham."

"I don't have them here. Stop off at my office tomorrow. My secretary should be there. No, wait! She has the week off. Call her at home. Her number is 555-3733 and her name is Anne Eliot."

Anne?! My Anne?! "Uh... yeah. Um, thank you."

They hung up.

During dinner it was noted that the Colonel was not present. However, around midnight he returned.

He pulled a ragged piece of paper from his pocket. "Will, I need you to take a look at this?"

Darcy flattened it out as everyone gathered round. "What's this?"

"It's a list of names of the purchasers of the bug Lizzy found in your office."

"We all know that it was Wickham who planted the bug!" exclaimed Mr. Bennet.

"Actually, no we don't," inserted Charlotte. "Sarah Jarvis admitted to searching Will's apartment to find out where Gina was and that's all."

"Wickham didn't have the kind of money to hire a hit man," the Colonel said. "We've been working on other angles since we left San Antonio."

"You mean someone else was involved with Wickham?" asked Bingley.

"No. At least we don't think so," answered the Colonel. "We believe the shooter, or the person that hired the shooter, was independent of Wickham."

"How did you get this list?" asked Mr. Gardiner.

"Most exclusives keep really good records in case they want to blackmail in the future." The participants stared confused. "I have contacts worldwide."

"Ah!" said the collective brain trust.

The Colonel began to scratch out names with a pencil. "We've eliminated these 9. They're either dead, out of commission-nearly dead, out of money, or retired."

Darcy peered closer. He poured laboriously over every name and sweated profusely over every letter. Two names stuck out: Cordobe Inc. and G.H. Leon. But he couldn't put a finger on why they were familiar to him.

Monday, December 28, 1998

By morning, Darcy, exhausted to the hilt, had hit upon something. Minor at first light-the local and county police were called in, as well as the witnesses to Elizabeth's accident had come forth. Increasing toward middlin' or afternoon-the state police were advised. A full head of steam by dinner-the FBI were on alert.

"Can I speak with you?"

"Yes Sir, Mr. Darcy!" Mrs. Annesley followed him to his study.

She waited for him to ask her to sit, but he did not. "Your services are no longer required here."

"Wh, wha... What?"

"You were always around weren't you?" he sniped. She stood; confused. "When Gina was kidnapped you were there! You even made the recommendation for Ramsgate!" he sneered. "In my apartment, you were there!" he paced. "When Liz disappeared, you were there!" he glared. "I thought I knew you, but according to your fingerprints, I don't!! But what we..." Two uniformed officers stepped through another door. "...really want to know is who the hell you're working for?!?!?!"

By late evening, Darcy was on his private plane and receiving instruction to the minutest detail.

Chapter 61 - Windy City Blues

Posted on Tuesday, 5 October 1999

Tuesday, December 29, 1998

The frigid wind from far off Lake Michigan slapped at his coat as he stood on the rooftop facing God only knows what. "Let her go, Anne."

Anne looked at Darcy in a dreamy daze. "I love you, Will."

He shook his head. "You don't love me."

"I do love you," she pouted and stomped her foot.

"No. If you did love me, as you say, you wouldn't be holding my friend hostage."

"She's your lover, and I want her gone!"

"She is not my lover, but I do hold her in high esteem."

"No!!!" screamed Anne. "No!" She unhooked the safety latch on her gun. Elizabeth cringed and whimpered from the cold and fear.

"Anne," soothed Darcy, but in a harried manner. "Do you really think I could ever love you if you killed someone?"

"You'll forget her soon enough. Time will make you love me. Time heals all wounds..."

"Anne. This is not you. These are not your words."

"They are my words. Whose would you have them be?"

"Catherine's."

Anne waved her gun wildly in the air. "You leave my mother out of this!"

Darcy did not back down. "You're just doing whatever Catherine thinks is best. I know you. I know you couldn't do this."

"You don't know me at all!" Anne pointed the gun at Darcy. "You never knew me!"

"Yes I do. At least I thought I did. I remember a sweet quiet girl who brightened whenever she spoke of traveling and exploring. I remember her, don't you?"

"She's long gone."

"She couldn't be. I spoke to her last year. She... you had such plans. First to the jungles of South America, then on to the bush country in Africa..."

"I..." Anne wavered a bit. "I, my mother, she..."

"Think about it Anne... This is your opportunity to do what you want to do. What you've always wanted... to get out from under your mother's thumb."

"I, I...I have to."

"No you don't."

"My mother made me promise..." whined Anne. "She said the only way you'd marry me is if I got rid of your whore."

"She is not my... She..."

"But you lived with her!"

"She was protecting me from a hit."

"Well, how were we to know that she was going to be in your apartment that day?"

"You, you mean you were the shooter?" his voice cracked.

"No, not me. My mother hired someone to do it."

"Why Anne, why?"

"You were supposed to run to my mother for help, then I could keep you with me. Forever."

Darcy shook his head. "Anne..."

"But then she showed up and all our plans flew out the window!"

"Anne," sighed Darcy. "You don't need your mother to make plans for you. You're a beautiful..." In his own way, he was not telling an untruth... I mean, some people think Kate Moss is beautiful. "...intelligent woman and I'm sure there is someone out there waiting for you who will love you and take care of you in the way that you deserve and want to be treated. Not someone you had to bribe, cajole, or coerce into marriage."

"You really think so?"

"I do. Now could you please let my friend go?"

"Your friend? She means nothing to you at all?"

"Nothing," he said with conviction. "She hid me out when I thought I was being hunted, she rescued my sister and I am forever grateful to her and will remain in her debt for the rest of my life. But other than that... Nothing."

Elizabeth let out a muffled scream from behind her mouth gag, but the warning went unheeded, because less than a moment later, Darcy was on the ground unconscious; the butt of a sawed-off shotgun, the weapon; Billy Collins, the perpetrator.

No, that's not how things really went down, only a simple-minded whimpering fool would dream of such convoluted balderdash such as that... Let's try that again shall we?

Elizabeth let out a muffled scream from behind her mouth gag, but the warning went unheeded, because less than a moment later, Darcy felt the butt of a sawed-off shotgun slap him on the shoulder. If it had been any other man, or woman even, the blow might have caused serious injury, perhaps death. However, Billy Collins swung like a left-handed 3-year old at tee-ball practice. Therefore, the pansy blow only surprised Darcy, wherein he flung Collins to the ground in a slimy heap.

"What did you do that for, you imbecile?!" screamed Anne.

"He, uh, he was trying to confuse you," simpered Collins (the simple-minded whimpering fool).

"You idiot! You weren't supposed to reveal yourself, now I'll have to kill you too!"

"But, but Anne!" whimpered Collins.

"Anne," spoke Darcy. "There will be no killing here. Give me the gun?"

"No Anne, don't do it?!" pleaded Collins, stupidly.

"Give me the gun, Anne?" Darcy held out his hand.

She hesitated. "But what will happen to me?"

"I'll make sure no one hurts you," smoothed Darcy.

"He's lying Anne, don't believe him!"

"Anne, have I ever lied to you before?"

"No."

"Then give me the gun?"

Anne slowly gave the weapon over to Darcy, then all of a sudden a helicopter swooped in, a swarm of armed squadrons of SWAT teams pounced, and a bevy of men in black surrounded them. A few of them hustled Elizabeth and Darcy down the stairs to separate rooms, while the rest took care of an hysterical Anne de Bourgh Corleone and a pile of crying goo named William Collins.

In a furious sequence of events, Darcy was stripped to his waist, alleviated of the hidden microphone in one room, and praised for his good deeds. "Good job! We got it all on tape! Now we've got all of 'em! We caught the mother trying to leave through the basement!"

While in another room, Elizabeth was unbound and questioned. "You're pretty scarred up, did they hurt you? Who hit you? Don't cry? How long have you been here? Are you hungry? Do you want us to call your family? You want some Kleenex? We have a plane waiting for you, but you have to answer a few more questions..."

What possibly was 3 hours of the question/answer game seemed interminable! Elizabeth was completely exhausted. After all was said and done, everyone piled out the room.

"She's in here." An FBI/MIB agent opened the door.

Darcy saw her pale weeping form huddled in a chair by the fireplace. "Liz, I..." he hesitated.

Elizabeth blankly looked at him. She pulled herself out of the chair, walked around him and out the door.

Elizabeth and Darcy were driven to the airport in one of those unmarked, but obvious Federal/State/FBI cars.

"Liz, I didn't mean anything..."

She hissed something indiscernible.

"I was acting."

She sneered a mumbled response.

After that, every time Darcy opened his mouth to speak, Elizabeth would cover her ears and turn away.

"Here's your bag, Miss Bennet," one of the FBI/MIB handed her that same overnight bag from Mexico.

"Thank you," she sniffed and stomped away.

Darcy hurriedly shouted a 'thank you' to the men and followed behind Elizabeth. He kept his distance until she turned the wrong way. He grabbed her arm, but she snatched it away.

"My plane is this way," he pointed.

They walked through the busy O'Hare airport terminal in a deadly silence.

A man in a steward's uniform walked beside him. "Mr. Darcy, it'll only take us a few minutes to gas up and then we'll be on our way."

"Thank you, Bates," answered Darcy, absent-mindedly. "Liz..." She turned and glared. "Are you hungry?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow in a 'What do you think?' attitude. Darcy mumbled to himself, "Stupid question! Of course she's hungry!" Bates walked away.

Darcy led the way this time. His hand barely touching the small of Elizabeth's back to guide her down another bustling corridor, to the front door of a private club.

He turned to address the tuxedoed man. "Two."

"Two?" asked the maitre d'.

"Two," insisted Darcy. The maitre d' looked around Darcy and raised an eyebrow. Realization set in quickly. "Damn it! She did it again!" Darcy ran off, weaving and bobbing through the throng. "Liz?! Liz!! Liz!!!"

Chapter 62 - Too Late, Baby! Bye, Bye!

Posted on Thursday, 7 October 1999

"Mr. Darcy! Your plane is ready!"

"Not now Bates, I've lost her!"

"Can I help?"

"Yes. You go that way, I'll go this way!"

"But Sir, what if I find her and she doesn't want to come with me?"

Darcy shook his head. "Uh, we'll meet back here in 15 minutes. If you're not back then I'll assume you've found her, then I'll try to find you."

"And if you're not back in 15 minutes?"

"Then I'll... I don't know!" Darcy ran off again. I will conquer it this time, I will.

Elizabeth had hidden in the 'Employees' lounge of the airport for more than an hour, trembling from recurrent threats tossing in her mind; threats that occurred little more than two days ago. And with so much time spent in a dark dank dismal dungeon, one does not forget so easily...

"You can be at no loss, Ms. Bennet, to understand the reason for your being here," she sniped. Elizabeth's look of confusion was genuine. "Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why you're here."

"I have no idea why I'm handcuffed, but for the great honor of meeting you..." she replied sarcastically.

"Ms. Bennet," she replied in an angry tone, "you ought to know that I am not one to be trifled with! But, however, insincere you choose to be, you will not find me likewise. My character is much celebrated for coming straight to the point, so let's get down to business, shall we?" Elizabeth slowly nodded her head. "A report of a most alarming nature reached me a few days ago. I was told by my sources that you, Ms. Elizabeth Bennet, and William Darcy have been living together for these past 2 months in some backwoods trailer park and doing God knows what! That's not the worst of it, mind you, I was also informed that you are engaged to him! Although I knew it all to be a scandalous falsehood, I instantly set off to bring you here and make my sentiments known!"

"If you believed it to be impossible, I wonder why you took the trouble of kidnapping me?"

"At once to have the report universally contradicted."

Elizabeth stated coolly. "Then you must also know that I had just left Pemberley when I was... detained by your thugs."

"I'm not ignorant of that fact. Although my original intent was to scare you off, however, there are some things I need to know first." Elizabeth raised and eyebrow. "Did you sleep with him?"

"I won't dignify that question with a response!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "You may ask the questions, but I don't have to give the answers!"

"This is not to be borne! Ms. Bennet, I insist on being satisfied! Are you engaged to Will Darcy?!"

"You just declared it to be impossible."

"It damn well should be! It is beneath him to reduce himself to such flights of fickleness! But your arts and allurements may have drawn him in. Made him make promises to you that he cannot possibly keep. We might be able to pass it off as a moment of infatuation. Undoubtedly he has forgotten what he owes to himself and his family..." This last, she mumbled to herself. "For the last time... did you sleep with him?"

"If I had, I would be the last person to confess it."

"Ms. Bennet, do you know who I am?! I'm not accustomed to smart-mouthed trollops, only those who know their place and will do my bidding! He is very important to me and I'm entitled to know all his business!"

"But you are not entitled to know mine, nor will dragging me across the country against my will, induce to me to tell you."

"Let me be rightly understood, so that you won't have a doubt in your empty little head! If you want more than a roll in the hay from William Darcy, it won't happen! Any marriage to which you have the presumption to aspire can never take place! No, never! He is engaged to my daughter! What do you have to say to that?"

"Only this! If he is already engaged, then you should have no reason to think that he would ask me."

Catherine hesitated for a moment. "Their engagement is of a peculiar, old-world kind. From their youth, they have been intended for each other. It was the wish of his father and myself. While Anne was in her pre-teens we planned the match; and now to be prevented by a young woman of questionable parentage, no real money to speak of, an not even in our social circle!"

"What does my background have to do with anything?"

"He is a man of class and old money. What he does every second of every minute is public knowledge and watched very carefully by those 'in the know'. You will be censured, slighted, and ridiculed by everyone that associates with him or has dealings with him. It would be a disgrace for all concerned!"

Elizabeth enjoyed seeing Catherine's face twist up in anger, so she teased her further. "These are heavy misfortunes, indeed, but the wife of Will Darcy would have such extraordinary sources of happiness..." she smiled and raised an impertinent eyebrow, "...that, withstanding everything else, she could have no cause to complain."

"You're an obstinate, pig-headed girl! I'm shocked that you would throw your seductions in my face! But I'm in the habit of getting my own way and..."

"That should make me pity you, but it doesn't..."

"I will not be interrupted! Hear me in silence, or you'll wish you had! My daughter and William Darcy are destined for each other. They descend from the noblest of families. The hallowed voices from their dead parents confirm it and so does every living member of their respective houses! And what is to separate them? The upstart pretension of a young woman with connections of ill-repute and no fortune! Is this to be endured? No, it will not be! If you were sensible of your own place in this world, you would not wish to quit the sphere you had been brought up in!"

"If Will doesn't have a problem with it, why should you?"

"Ugh!" Catherine put her face within a millimeter of Elizabeth's. "I've tried to reason with you..." Her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed, the large vein in her jaw constricted. "Tell me once and for all, are you engaged to him?!?!"

Elizabeth hesitated, then spoke. "I am not."

An audible sigh spewed forth and Catherine's countenance changed to sweet and motherly. "And will you promise me never to do such a thing?"

"I can't make that promise..."

"I'm not going to let you go until you promise."

"Even if I promised... even if I left him alone, moved away, changed my name, would that induce him to marry your daughter?"

"At least he will be free of you. Then he can be persuaded to make his choice..."

"Not even you can make Will Darcy change his mind once it's set upon something, someone..."

"Once he finds out about your sister, he'll be persuaded. Yes, I know all about your family! I know about that patched up marriage of your youngest sister to a man not even worthy enough to shine my shoes! Are the shades of Pemberley to be polluted by the entire Bennet clan?!"

"You've held me here without my consent, starved me, badgered me, and insulted me, all to find out if I'm engaged to Will Darcy? I've told you what you wanted to know, now let me go!"

"You haven't given me the one promise that I desperately wish for..."

"If he pursues me, I have no idea what I would do, but I can't promise you something that I might have a hard time keeping."

"Then you are resolved to have him?"

"I didn't say that. I'm only resolved to act in a manner that will constitute my own happiness, without regard to you or anyone else. My heart rules me."

"I am seriously displeased!" she sneered.

Elizabeth raised her chin in archness, but said not a word.

Catherine stiffened regally. "Then I know what I must do." She walked towards the door, but before opening it she turned back. "How long do you think William Darcy will chase a ghost?"

Sweat beads began to form on Elizabeth's brow, she trembled at the intensity of Catherine's stare and the fervor of the veiled threat; she did not utter a sound.

"Yes, yes. I believe a permanent change of scene and society for you, will do William a lifetime of good... I'll get Anne right on it!"

Elizabeth gulped.

"With a blink of an eye or a simple nod of the head, Ms. Bennet, I could have you wiped off the list of the living... So, run away, change your name, dye your hair... you still won't be able to get away from me! As I stated before, I'm not one to be trifled with." And with that Catherine de Bourgh left the dingy vault hidden below the basement.

Elizabeth choked out a sob.

The lights were turned out and Elizabeth whimpered in the pitch-black darkness; the only sound, a drip-drip from a leak somewhere to keep her company, but not enough to keep her mind off her troubles.

After slinking from the lounge, Elizabeth shifted to a locker room, a shoeshine stand, and the baggage lift area. Then she purchased a ticket to Phoenix, then Las Vegas, she hopped a train to L.A., and off to Provo on a bus before flying back to San Antonio. All this to keep them off her trail.

Wednesday, December 30, 1998

In Austin

"She ran... again!" sighed Darcy as he fell heavily into a chair.

"Maybe, she'll come home?"

"Mr. Bennet, whether she comes home or not, it's apparent that she doesn't want to see me... ever."

"I don't know, Will, I just can't see her holding you entirely responsible. It was our doing as well," inserted Mr. Gardiner.

"I believe Lizzy doesn't know what she wants right now. She's confused and just needs time to think. She's not the type of girl to runaway from things," spoke Mrs. Gardiner, who had flown down that morning.

They all nodded in agreement.

"Well, what do you suppose we do now?" inquired Mr. Gardiner.

"Go home and wait," answered Mr. Bennet.

They all reluctantly agreed and soon enough packed their belongings, bid their farewells and drove off from Pemberley to destination-home.

Chapter 63 - It's Now Or Never!

Posted on Friday, 8 October 1999

Somewhere in between her travels, Elizabeth had her cast removed for a slimmer sleeker model, greeted the Westons, played with her dog, and before Mabel could dial 911, she left.

With her newfound freedom, she went to Alpine to visit with the Jarvis' for a few days. Then her flights of fancy took her to the healing mineral waters or therapeutic treatments of some far-off resorts.

She did not call her family. But just to let them know that she was still alive, Elizabeth sent postcards to her father, Jane, Charlotte, the Gardiners, and the Westons from the town, city, or village, depending on how she felt at the time. After more little than 2 weeks, she ventured home.

Friday, January 15, 1999

He crept through the house; there was no sign of life within. He searched the back porch, again, no one. He had been here before, but the tell-tale signs of occupation made him giddy with excitement. There were hardly any places she could go without her car or truck, one place would be the brook. He walked the mile or so and saw the dog; Bud bounced happily.

"Hiya girl!" he whispered. "Where is she?" Bud whined and pointed her head in the correct direction. He walked over towards the shoreline and saw her resting in the water, face down.

"Oh God! Liz?! Liz?! Liz!!" he tread hard in the water, rushed to her side and swooped her up by the shoulders. "Liz!!!"

"Ayee!!" She back-fisted him across the face to which he plummeted sideways into the cold reservoir. Elizabeth turned around quickly and readied herself for the battle with the interloper.

He emerged, but his face was hidden by his hands as he wiped it; she took her stance. In a blink of an eye, a flurry of expletives flew from his mouth, then he followed with language more conducive to this board. "What was that for?! That's the thanks I get?!" She stood motionless as he massaged his jaw. "Damn!" Darcy stumbled toward the rocky shore. "I was trying to save your life!!"

"I didn't need saving!" Elizabeth followed and picked up her clothes from a nearby boulder.

"I see that now! But how many times have you come upon someone face down in the water?! I thought you had drowned!" he glared.

She glared back. "As you see, I'm fine!" Elizabeth furiously pulled her jeans over her wet bathing suit. "Now what are you doing here?!"

"I came..." he exhaled, then spoke in his normal lilt. "I came to talk to you."

"There's nothing you can say to me that I want to hear!" she spat.

Elizabeth ran blindly through the forest with Darcy and Bud hot on her tail.

It was kind of hard to run in wet clothing but after a half-mile or so, he managed to grab her arm. "Liz, please?!"

She snatched it away. "You're the last person I want to talk to!" Again, Elizabeth set to running.

"Damn it, Liz!" he followed. "It's time you knew the truth about Lydia and George! At least listen to it?!"

"Truth?! Truth?! It's too late for the truth! Everyone has been hiding this from me for so long... Why tell me now?!" she growled from the porch.

He stood on the bottom step and panted. "Because it's time."

"No, last year was the time! Five years ago was the time! But now is not the time!" Elizabeth locked the screen door.

Darcy approached the door. "All right, if you don't want to hear it, at least let me dry off?"

"No dice! Sit it the sun."

"The sun is going down, it'll take hours," he whined.

"You have heated seats in your car, don't you?"

"I'll be electrocuted!"

She stared at him, unconvinced. But what could she do? She wasn't cruel or heartless, although... "All right!" she unlocked the door and backed up as he came inside. "Your bags are still here, I'm sure you'll find something suitable to change into," she sniffed.

He stood dripping in the doorway, surveying the room. "Thank you."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You do remember your way around, don't you? Or is that selective short term memory loss of yours coming around again?" she smirked.

Darcy almost laughed, but wisely did not. He nodded, walked past her and went upstairs to his former bedroom where he showered and changed. He looked into the mirror to see his jaw purpling from her punch and a reddening scratch from the padded steel splint now on her forearm. He hurried back down stairs to where he knew she would be: the kitchen.

"Liz, I..."

"I made you a sandwich," she stated coldly and with her back to him. "You can eat it here or take it with you when you leave."

Darcy was not deterred from his task; with a determined air he approached her, gently grasping her shoulders. Elizabeth nearly melted from his touch, nigh ready to give into him, but held on to the counter for support.

Suddenly her conversation with Catherine de Bourgh blazed across her mind's eye, especially that last threat. "Let me go."

He held firm, but she did not struggle or fight. "Not until you listen to what I have to say."

She bit down on her contempt. "All right, but you don't have to touch me to talk."

He released her. "Let's sit down?"

"I'm fine where I am, thank you."

"At least turn to face me?"

"Why?"

Darcy had several answers, but they were all selfish, so he shrugged instead. "Let's go back 11 years to Jane and Charles' wedding. You may or may not remember that it was I who brought Wickham to the reception. He was his old charming self and ingratiated himself with your family. After the wedding, you went off to college, Lydia was only 11 or 12 then and probably already infatuated with him. Four years later, or by the time you started law school, Lydia was pregnant."

Elizabeth hung her head as the memory, all fresh and bittersweet, haunted her; she wanted nothing to do with her self-involved, spoiled-rotten, now-ruined half-sister.

"No one had a clue who the father of the baby was, and your sister wasn't giving up any information. I wasn't involved in your family's affairs during that time though. But a couple of years later, I got a call from him letting me know he was back in town. I had been trying to locate him to give him the inheritance my father left him. I went to his apartment and saw Lydia, but still I didn't recognize her or know about their past. I found out through your Uncle Edward..." Elizabeth gasped. "He and I were finishing up on a condo project in Arlington and I was having dinner one night at their house. Your father called, and although I tried not to listen, I did overhear your uncle's part of the conversation. Lydia had left her child in your parents' care to go to a party, but hadn't shown up in a week's time. Just then it hit me. I didn't want to get your family's hopes up, because it had been a few months since I saw them, so I said nothing and left quickly. With my cousin Fitz's help we were finally able to track him down again, for he had moved once more, and, as I suspected, there was Lydia. We made up some excuse as to why we were there and left as fast as we had come. I called your uncle and we negotiated a marriage. Since Lydia had just had her 18th birthday, we didn't need your father's consent."

Elizabeth still had her back to him, but one could hear her grinding her teeth.

"Why? You probably ask, would we negotiate a marriage just because a young woman had left home? This is the 90's, is it not? Well, I found out that night that not only was her first child by him, but that another one was on the way. You must understand that I had given him more than 2 million dollars and that the rumors were coming in fast and furious about his dissolute and licentious behavior and his debts were huge. I knew he was going to run off and leave her without a penny towards his children and I felt responsible for the whole thing in the first place. It was my fault entirely and so must the remedy."

Elizabeth had finally turned to face him, but said nothing.

"So we put them up in one of our new condos and I made sure that regardless of what happened to him in the future, Lydia and her children would be properly looked after, but letting the credit fall to your uncle in case the story came out."

Elizabeth swallowed hard and turned away again.

"As far as everyone knowing... No one else in your family knew about it, until that night... not even Charles. Caroline, well," he chuckled. "I've taken great pains to make sure that type of thing never happens again. Ever." Darcy waited for her to say something... anything, but she did not. "Liz, I wanted to tell you, but I needed to speak with your uncle first," he pleaded his case. Elizabeth shook her head. "Liz, I..."

In embarrassment, shame, and vexation, Elizabeth quickly exited the kitchen towards the living room. When Darcy appeared in the hallway, she held open the front door.

"Liz..." he leaned down to kissed her on the cheek, but she decidedly moved away. "I hope someday you'll forgive me?"

They stood immobile for several awkward moments. He was too busy wallowing in his own misery to see the shaking of her shoulders; he felt too dejected to notice the trembling of her lips and the soft sobs emanate therein; he was so occupied trying to not to kiss her again to discern her tears. There was so much she wanted to convey to him, but she said nothing, and at length, he left.

Hours after he had left, Elizabeth could still hear the wheels of Darcy's car churning out the gravel from beneath it. She shuddered at the thought of a lost love, but dismissed it entirely as a life-preserving measure. What was done was done and done for the best.

Saturday, January 16, 1999

She heard the crumbling of gravel on her driveway, alerting her that a car was approaching the house. Elizabeth peeked out from behind the living room blinds and groaned. "Aw damn!"

Chapter 64 - Illusions

Posted on Saturday, 9 October 1999

Bud barked. Car doors slammed, indicating to her that the occupants were exiting it, then a knock on the door, notifying her... Do I really need to expound further? Elizabeth froze, wanting to open the door, yet not wanting to.

"Elizabeth open the door!" she knocked furiously.

"We know you're home, so open up young lady!" he demanded.

She breathed in and out deeply, checked her face in the mirror that hung above the fireplace, squared her shoulders... "Auntie M, Uncle E! What an unexpected pleasure!"

"Cut the crap, Lizzy." Mrs. Gardiner kissed her on her cheek as she walked in. "You know why we're here."

"I don't have the slightest..." she protested.

"Sit down, dear?" offered Mr. Gardiner. "Let's talk."

Elizabeth shrugged and complied, so did Bud.

"Lizzy," Mrs. Gardiner sighed. "I'm very surprised at your attitude." Elizabeth was mute, but looked pointedly at her aunt. "Do you blame us as well?"

She looked down. "No."

"Then how can you blame Will?" inquired Mr. Gardiner.

"I don't blame anyone!" she defended. "I know you were only doing what you thought was best for all concerned and I love you for it, but..."

"But why did it have to be George Wickham?" finished Mrs. Gardiner.

Mr. Gardiner shrugged. "How could we have known? You want the best for your family, and when one of them makes a mistake, you do all you can to make it right."

"She loves him, Lizzy," inserted Mrs. Gardiner. "She always has and claims she always will. No matter what you or I, Gina or the courts say, she loves him."

"When we ventured into this project, Will told us all about Wickham, and we left it up to Lydia... she didn't care."

"We submitted other options to her, but all she wanted was a ring on her finger and his name." Mrs. Gardiner just shook her head. "Will made sure that Wickham was at the church on time and that all his debts were paid off, without taking away any of what was left of his inheritance."

"We all figured that if George didn't have to run, he wouldn't." Boy, were we wrong! Mr. Gardiner twisted uncomfortably in the chair. "All seemed well for a while, but just as we were ready to tell the family, he ran off."

"Lydia was devastated, but she still defended him."

"And throughout the years, she saw him off and on, obviously, although he never stayed long."

"Just long enough to keep her happy and quiet."

"I'm surprised she was able to keep such a secret all these years," Elizabeth smirked.

"She was sworn to secrecy," shrugged Mrs. Gardiner.

"That never stopped her before!" Elizabeth stood and paced. "But then again, she did drop little hints whenever I saw her."

"Like what?"

"Like she would be the next daughter married after Jane. Sometimes I noticed the tan line on her finger." Elizabeth stopped. "You think Kitty knew?"

"It's possible. You and Jane were thick as thieves, and Mary was off on her own tangents, while Kitty and Lydia were left to their own devices. They were very close. Yes, Kitty would've been the one out of all of you," surmised Mrs. Gardiner.

Elizabeth waxed sadly nostalgic. "I could've been a better sister..."

"What could you have done?" asked Mr. Gardiner.

"I don't know."

"What are you going to do about Will?"

Elizabeth flopped back in her chair. "I don't know!"

"Well, you can't stay here moping!" offered Mr. Gardiner.

Mrs. Gardiner looked around the room. "And eating McDonald's french fries."

Elizabeth looked down sheepishly. "They make me feel better."

"Or fatter," Mrs. Gardiner mumbled under her breath. "Why not come to Tahoe with us?" she smiled.

"Are all my cousins going to be there?" she brightened.

"Oh no!" chuckled Mrs. Gardiner. "They're back in college, or work, or with their families."

"Plus, our condo is way too small for all that noise!" laughed Mr. Gardiner.

"You really need to be around loved ones, Lizzy."

"And we want you with us."

"All right," she sighed.

"Great!" exclaimed Mrs. Gardiner. "Hurry and pack your bags!"

"Now?! You're leaving today?!"

"Of course, dear! After the frantic happenings of the past two months, we're outta here!"

"But I don't have anything to wear... that's clean."

"Whatever you need, you can buy there."

"I spent way too much money last month. Plus, I'm saving for my retirement."

"Saving... for retirement?!" laughed Mr. Gardiner. "With 10 million dollars in the bank?!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, I forgot!"

"I guess that's something else you have to think about."

"What?"

Mr. Gardiner raised an eyebrow. "Early retirement."

Elizabeth nodded absent-mindedly. "What about Bud?"

"The Westons, I'm sure, will take her once more."

"While you pack," Mrs. Gardiner waved Elizabeth away. "I'll call the Westons. Just put a few necessities in a bag!"

Elizabeth smiled and ran upstairs.

Elizabeth sat staring out of the twin-engine jet window. "How's Will?"

"Miserable," answered Mrs. Gardiner.

"He's taking some time off and going on vacation," chuckled Mr. Gardiner.

Elizabeth stuttered in surprise. "But I, I thought Gina was back in school... He needs to be there with her!"

"Gina's the one that's sending him away!" laughed Mr. Gardiner.

"Huh?" asked a confused Elizabeth.

"Will has drilled all of her teachers on proper care of their students, the principal on the correct running of a school, and the security staff on... security!" he guffawed.

"He even pages Gina immediately after every class," snickered Mrs. Gardiner.

"Can you blame him?" defended Elizabeth.

"No," sniffled Mr. Gardiner. "But there is such a thing being overly protective."

"Gina wants to stand on her own," implied Mrs. Gardiner.

Elizabeth smiled at the memory of her conversation with Georgiana on the balcony at Pemberley. You go girl! "The first step is the most important."

Elizabeth returned to stare out the window and dream of days gone by, while the Gardiners busied themselves with their reading.

After an uneventful flight and cab ride from the airstrip, an exhausted threesome hit the early hay.

Sunday, January 17, 1999

In Lake Tahoe

"Lizzy, why don't you go downstairs to the bar? There 's no need to hang around us old folks all day long."

"I hear there's some sort of party going on down there," insinuated Mr. Gardiner.

"Go! Dance! Have fun!"

"Sure." Elizabeth plodded to her room to shower and change.

It was true. Elizabeth had been with them all day long. Bored to tears and wishing she was home; even when they went shopping for clothes. She was listless yet anxious. Her gut was trying to tell her something. But what?

"Auntie! Could you help me with my make-up?"

"Sure honey." Mrs. Gardiner ran into the room. "You don't need that much on. Here," she wiped the mess off with a tissue. "Go wash your face again." Elizabeth did as asked and returned to the vanity. "You're healing nicely, dear." She patted on concealer with a delicate fingertip. "You don't have to cake it on. This is not one of your jobs where you have to look cheap." Elizabeth laughed as her aunt lightly smeared foundation on her face and blended it in. "See?" Elizabeth nodded. Mrs. Gardiner kissed her on her cheek. "Now, please try and have fun?"

Elizabeth stepped into her new crimson-colored silk sheath. "Hmpf!"

Mrs. Gardiner zipped her up in the back. "Promise me?"

Elizabeth grabbed her purse off the bed and checked herself in the mirror once more. "I'll try." And with that she left the condo.

On the elevator down to the Arcade Level, there were several people around her age, all chatting happily. She smiled politely whenever anyone acknowledged her presence, but that was the extent of it. Almost everyone exited the lift on that particular level, Elizabeth followed them into the room, but at a distance.

As she entered the party room, she scanned it for a dark corner. Thankfully, the room was not yet crowded, so she stealthily maneuvered her way over to that safe, secure, isolated haven.

A bit later, a waiter came up to taker her order. Deep in thought, she managed to say 'Courvossier'. It seemed within moments that the waiter returned with her drink. She paid him, tipped him, and he left. Slowly the room packed up around her; Elizabeth felt shielded by the invisible wall she built, protected under the guise of anonymity, and alone.

The music blared, people danced, others chatted, but she saw none of that. Her mind replayed all of the events of the last two years as though she were in a vacuum. Tears glistened in her eyes as she absent-mindedly swirled the drink in front of her. As she lifted her head to sip, she gasped at what she thought she saw; one tear fell. Hurriedly she wiped it away, then the vision was gone. I must be seeing things... She quickly convinced herself of that.

"Excuse me, can I buy you a drink?"

Elizabeth did not even look up, she just shook her head and the man walked away.

Time slipped slowly by. Her drink nearly gone; she contemplated getting another or slipping out into the cool night air. Elizabeth checked her watch. Another hour, then I'm gone... Three hours was a reasonable enough amount of time to convince her relatives that she actually had 'some' fun. She managed to get a waiter's attention and ordered a lite beer. In time, the waiter returned with her drink, she paid him, she tipped him, and he left.

Elizabeth tipped her head back to enjoy the first taste of malt and barley slide down her throat when the vision appeared again. She blinked and nearly choked on the brew, but by the time she regained control of her near-nauseated self, the vision was gone. That's it! Enough! Her mind screamed as she pushed the drink aside, stood up and brushed past the madding crowd. She slipped past the bar, headed out through the lounge towards the elevators in a hazy blur.

"Of all the bars in the world, you had to show up in the same one I was in." Elizabeth skidded to a screeching halt at the voice. "I came here to get away from you," it slurred.

Chapter 65 - I'm Going Down, Since You Ain't Around

Posted on Sunday, 10 October 1999

Elizabeth recognized the voice... It was so infuriatingly uncanny that he always sensed her nearness, yet her heart skipped several beats. "I, I, had no idea... that you were here," she stammered.

"When did you get here?" he asked, not turning around.

"Last night." She did not turn to him either.

"How long are you staying?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well," he stood up from the lounge chair. "Don't worry about running into me again." Darcy left her there in a trembling state.

In her confusion, Elizabeth did manage to make it back up to the condo.

As he looked into the mirror of the men's bathroom, Darcy pondered. Was she really there? Did I have too much to drink? Or was it just another one of my dreams? He gripped the porcelain until his knuckles turned white. No, I could feel her this time... smell her. Bile started to rise in his throat and he silently prayed for God to stop tormenting him.

"Lizzy, did you have a good... What's wrong?! You look like you've seen a ghost!" Mrs. Gardiner followed her niece into her bedroom. "Lizzy?!"

"He, he's here!" she croaked and plopped on her bed.

"Who's here?"

Her lips trembled and she whispered, barely. "Will."

Mrs. Gardiner gasped. "Oh dear!" Elizabeth sat comatose, her aunt sat beside her. "It didn't go well?"

"It didn't go at all!"

Mrs. Gardiner pulled her niece's head to her shoulder. "What's going on?'

"I wish I knew!"

"You know. You're just not willing to let it all out."

"Oh Auntie! How can you live with someone and not be affected by him?! How can you see someone everyday, tell them your innermost secrets yet withhold the truth?!" Bitter tears fell.

"Think about it Lizzy," she soothed. "If Will had told you, he would've betrayed us. He is a man of his word. But you should be discussing all this with him, not me."

"What would I say?!" she wept.

"Examine your heart Lizzy. Stop listening to your head for once and ask him. Tell him."

"How can I ever face him again?! I never even turned around!"

"Face him like you've done with everything else in your life... head on."

"He probably hates me now!"

"No, he doesn't." Mrs. Gardiner squeezed her niece tighter. "He called and asked us to make sure you were all right. Gave us directions too! He was really worried when he left your house."

"He was?" she sniffled.

"Yes dear. I'm sure if we called him, you could set everything right again."

"No! No! Don't call him!"

"Why not?"

"I just... can't!!!"

It would seem that Catherine de Bourgh's threats remained forever present in Elizabeth's mind.

"How is she?"

Mrs. Gardiner shook her head and sighed. "This is so unlike her. She's in love with him but refuses to admit it. I wonder why?"

"Time will tell, dearest."

"I was hoping that this little interference of mine would fix things."

"I know." Mr. Gardiner patted her hand. "Come to bed darling?"

Once safely inside his condo, Darcy leaned against the door, confused and trembling. His heart ached to touch her, to caress her, to kiss her, but she seemed so confused, so torn, that he did not want to interfere with her inner wrestling. He surprised himself that he, at least, was able to speak to her; he was going to fight the feeling, but his gut churned in angst and he just could not let her walk by.

Now, however, his last words to her were like a knife to his throat. Yes, Darcy believed that those were his last words to Elizabeth, no matter what we know might happen in the future. The memory of it stung, and he regretted his harshness. The steel point from the blade of regret pierced his skin, and blood was now seeping down to the collar of his shirt. Poor Darcy! Why did she have such an affect on him? Why could he not forget her? God knows he tried!

Then it hit him! It wasn't just her physical beauty that attracted him; it was the space she occupied. Not the space in the condo, this state, country, planet, or even the galaxy, it was that space within him. It was that emptiness, that void that existed each time she went away. Suddenly, clarity came walking in. The tangibles he was searching for do not exist in matters of the heart. There was a hole that no amount of crazy glue, plaster, or cement could patch up. He had a chance and blew it. Now that she was gone, he realized that he loved her with all his heart, mind, and soul. He hung his head in remorse.

His shame spiral, however, did not deter him from packing his bags and slipping out into the dark night.

In Lake Tahoe

For the next few days, Elizabeth moped about. She barely left her room let alone the condo, even at her relatives' begging and pleading to join them on their outings. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner shopped, skied, swam, golfed, played tennis, and sailed, without their niece's companionship. Finally, on fourth day after the 'accidental meeting', they sent her packing back to Granbury.

In Austin

For the next few days, Darcy moped about. He barely left his suite let alone the house, even at his sister's urgings and supplications to join her for a meal or two. Georgiana went to school, visited with friends, shopped, and played the piano, without her brother's companionship. Finally, on the fourth day after the 'incidental encounter', she sent him off to Dallas.

Thursday, January 21, 1999

Finally, Elizabeth settled down in her quiet little corner of the world, Granbury. First thing she did was to close off the tantrum room. She had resigned herself to giving up the house, because of its history. I mean, how could she possibly go in that room again knowing that Wickham slept there? Or for that matter, stay in that house! Darcy had occupied the only other bedroom... She slept on the couch.

With the briefest of conversation she let her family and friends know that she was back in her beloved state of Texas, but did not, I repeat, did not want or desire company. Before the pleadings began, she hung up.

Of course, Darcy was notified of Elizabeth's whereabouts. Almost everything in him: every bone, every muscle, every corpuscle, and every blood cell wanted to run to her. However, his heart told him not to, and there in Dallas, he stayed. Although he promised himself not to see her, he did send a single rose on the first day with a note:

And each passing day he added an additional rose to the number, but the same note. He felt encouraged when the florist advised him that his flowers were not returned. It was a good sign!

Initially she was bored, so she slipped down to San Antonio to see the Westons and Bud and just as quickly left. Poor thing! Elizabeth was not in a good way; she was not even inclined to take her own dog with her. She had no clue as to her future. Everywhere she went in and around that house, every thing she saw reminded her of Wickham and Darcy. To forget, she contemplated throwing herself back into her work, but that thought did not currently thrill her.

Elizabeth had, indeed, received the flowers. Her mind had not yet been made up to forgive and forget, but by a week's time, she was darn nigh unto a decision. However, Catherine de Bourgh, although firmly ensconced in a maximum-security prison cell, and her threats, loomed large.

Wednesday, January 27, 1999

A huge spray of roses sprinkled with lupines, birds of paradise, lilies, sweet william's, and forget-me-not's inserted for effect, was delivered on this day. Of course, the usual card was enclosed. I should call him. At least to tell him, I don't blame him anymore... But she never did, she was too busy packing for her next move. And really, what good what it do?

Chapter 66 - Spur Of The Moment

Posted on Monday, 11 October 1999

Thursday, January 28, 1999

"Lizzy!"

"Hiya Mabel!" They embraced. Bud came tearing around the corner. "Hiya baby girl!!" Bud jumped up, putting her paws on Elizabeth's arms for her customary greeting. "Did you miss me?!" Bud barked and dropped to all fours. "I know you did!" Elizabeth scratched the dog's crown. "I missed you too!"

"Well! It coulda only been one person that'd make Bud leave her Frisbee in mid-air!" Stan teased. "Welcome home Lizzy!" He kissed her on the cheek.

"Have you eaten?" asked Mabel.

"Yes Ma'am," she smiled coyly. "Only some fries 'cause I knew you'd have something going on in the kitchen."

"Go wash up!" exclaimed Mabel as she swatted at Elizabeth. Elizabeth ducked the swing and ran to the upstairs bathroom.

"Will!"

"Hello Jane," he kissed her on her cheek.

"Come in! Come in!" Jane squeezed him tight. "How have you been?"

Darcy followed her in. "Fine. Just fine," he answered a bit absent-mindedly.

"Charles didn't tell me you were in town."

"He doesn't know. I thought I'd surprise him." He'd kill me if he finds out how long I've been in town without a word...

"He'll definitely be surprised, but he's out looking at some old building or something." A maid brought iced tea, cheese and crackers. Jane offered. Charles is pretty pissed that you've been here and not called him... "Business or pleasure."

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were here for business or pleasure."

"Business, of course," he grimaced as he smeared Camembert on a cracker.

"And how long will you be staying?"

"I'm not sure. A couple of days more, maybe... a week."

"Should we expect you for dinner sometime then?"

Probably every night... "I'll call first."

"Where are you staying?"

"Adolphus," he stated as casually as possible. "My penthouse is still not livable."

"Ah." Jane sipped her tea. "And Gina... How is she?"

"Good. Fine. She loves her old school and is happily right back into the thick of things with her friends."

"I'm happy for her." There was silence. "I heard that you saw Lizzy in Tahoe."

"Yes. Briefly." He looked away; there was obviously something of interest over on the mantle piece.

"Give her time, Will."

He stood up quickly and took a closer look at whatever it was near the fireplace. "Where are the kids? Shouldn't they be home from school by now?"

"They're with Caroline."

Darcy almost stumbled. "Caroline?"

"She's been coming around since the New Year."

"Why?"

"I think she's sorry for all the mischief she's caused."

Mischief?! "Jane," he sighed. "Never mind."

"I know what you're thinking and I'm being careful."

"Good!" Darcy exhaled and sat back down.

"I just know she's sorry."

"Has she said it? Has she actually said the words, 'I'm sorry'?"

"It's not so much in her words, it's in her actions," she defended.

"Jane, just watch your back. Please? I don't believe she's changed her stripes that fast."

"I will, I promise."

"How often does she come up here?"

"Every other week. She stays with different friends."

She doesn't have any friends! "Hmm?"

"I couldn't eat another bite!" Elizabeth wiped her mouth. "Thank you."

"Well now you've got some color to you! I thought you were going to Tahoe to lay out in the sun?"

Elizabeth blushed. "I did, but um, not that much."

"So whatcha do out there in the land of milk and honey?" asked Stan.

"I, uh, played a little handicap golf, a little one-handed tennis. You know... the usual life of the rich and famous," she chuckled uncomfortably; Elizabeth hated lying.

"Boring stuff," he huffed. "What do ya plan to do now?"

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"I need a li'l help with my files before I hand the business over to Sanderson."

Elizabeth scrunched up her face. "Sanderson?"

"I offered it to ya first Lizzy, so don't be frownin' on my choices."

"I'm sorry. It's just... Sanderson? Well, whatever."

"There's still time to change ya mind."

"Nah. I made up my mind a long time ago, Stan."

"What will you do?" asked Mabel.

"I'm not sure. Maybe do a little consulting. Something not so dangerous."

"I understand," nodded Stan.

"I'm happy for you!" exclaimed Mabel. "I wasn't too happy about you going back to work."

"What about teachin' at the Dojo?" asked Stan.

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Uh, no. I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not? It'll keep ya busy...."

"And you could see Will everyday," winked Mabel. "My, my, my, he's a good looking man!" Elizabeth reached down to scratch her dog's belly. "I think he's sweet on you, Lizzy."

Quickly, Elizabeth wiped a stray tear. "I doubt it,"' she whispered.

"Really?" questioned Mabel. "He seemed to ask a lot of questions about you when he was down here."

She looked up. "He was... here?"

"He came by to drop off the reward money and play with Bud."

"He stayed and ate lunch with us and everything," Stan added. "A right regular guy."

"That was nice of him," admitted Elizabeth. "He could've very well sent a check."

"I told him that over the phone, but he insisted on dropping it off himself."

"Hmm?" was the only response Elizabeth could come up with.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here until you make up your mind and even after that."

"Thanks Mabel, but all I need to do is make an appointment at the hospital and see if I can get this splint off permanently... so maybe I'll stay a few days."

"If ya get antsy, I'm gonna need some help in wrapping up a few cases before I retire..."

"I'm not gonna be here that long. And after I leave, I'm going to visit my family, pack up my house, then go home to Dallas."

"Why didn't you call me?!" queried Bingley, excitedly.

They embraced.

Darcy shrugged his shoulders. "Spur of the moment."

"Will, you don't do anything spur of the moment... What's up?"

"Nothing." Bingley raised an eyebrow. "Really! I had some things I needed to get done up here. Which, I admit, have been neglected for far too long. So I'm here."

"What things?"

"Um, uh, the Dojo. The condos. Business. You know... things." Darcy hated lying.

"Do you need to go back to the office right now?"

"No."

"Ah." Bingley and Jane exchanged a quick knowing glance. "Why don't you and I go into my study? I'll let you in on my new business venture."

"Jane said you were looking at an old building."

"I'm thinking of restoring a few buildings downtown, but I need some major capital..." Bingley slapped Darcy on his back, "...and some very generous investors."

"I'm all ears," smiled Darcy.

"Jane honey, could you have some refreshments sent in?"

"Yes dear."

"Oh, and sweetheart," he kissed her on the cheek and whispered. "Don't let Caroline know he's here."

She nodded.

The men went one way and Jane went the other.

Chapter 67 -- I Got Ants In My Pants And I Need To Dance

"They can't see me until Monday!" she slammed down the phone. "I knew I should've called earlier."

"Well now, you can help me out at the office."

"I guess so," Elizabeth shrugged.

"How did they behave?"

"Just lovely Jane!" exclaimed an exhausted Caroline as she flopped into a chair. "I never knew boys could play quietly."

"I thought you were taking them to the Aquarium?"

"Oh yes, we went there. But they were so good that I treated them to ice cream sundaes at some... parlor, and then we went to the park."

"Sounds like you had a full afternoon."

"I did, but I enjoyed it immensely. I like being Auntie Caroline." And all the men that paid attention to me!

"I'm glad you had fun. They are available each weekday after school, you know?"

They both laughed.

"I'd better go. Louisa and I have plans for this evening."

"Who's Louisa?"

"One of my best friends in all the world. Louisa's like a sister to me. She just moved up here from Houston." Caroline shook her head, sadly. "She just went through an ugly divorce from a genuine pervert who's been thrown in jail for doing God knows what. But more importantly, now that she's got a nice settlement, she wants to party."

"Have fun!"

"I will!"

"Stan, you can't turn this case over to Sanderson!"

"Lizzy, I don't have time..."

"But Stan, he'd screw it up, royally!"

"Oh really! And who'd ya think I can give it to?!"

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "I'll take it." Stan blinked, but said nothing. "I'll take it," she sighed.

Friday, January 29, 1999

Darcy managed to get through a little business on this day, but not much. His mind was on none other than Elizabeth Bennet. What was I thinking?! It was a pretty ludicrous idea, absurd really, to come to her hometown, surround himself with her family and not think... hope, to see her. By accident, of course!

This afternoon, he would be having lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Oh joy! Mrs. Bennet would most likely monopolize all conversation. Not a sensible word to be heard in the place! And with the hangover headache he was carrying with him... What was I thinking? Last night, he sat up with Bingley until an ungodly hour, drinking anything in a bottle, anything in a can, anything that had a lid, anything that had a bottom, and was very tempted to cry in his beer about his sorry state of mind.

Regardless of what he might have done in the dark, he was a habitual early riser when his mind was set on work, or the pretense of it. Except in Granbury. It actually felt good to sleep in!

Elizabeth woke up feeling refreshed. She had a goal! Something to do, a challenge! There is nothing better than waking up, when you have something to wake up for. She woke up singing, hummed in the shower, and bounced a happy tap dance down to the breakfast table.

"Good morning!" she sang.

"And how does your sister do?"

"Fine, Mrs. Bennet," smiled Darcy. "And getting better everyday."

"Are you certain that leaving her alone won't detract from her progress?"

I may have been wrong about Mrs. Bennet... She seems positively enlightened! "I'm absolutely certain. In fact, Gina's the one that suggested I go away, um, I mean get on with my life as it used to be."

"I suppose it's very brave of her, but so much can happen to a young girl in a big city. I mean just look at what happened to my poor Lydia!"

No! I was not wrong. Darcy hoped Mr. Bennet would get off the phone soon or Mrs. Bennet might be hanging from the chandelier. Perhaps the lynch mob will stop by?

"... If we hadn't moved here and she hadn't met up with that awful man, nothing like that would've happened to her. She was not brought up that way... It's those Forster's fault! Such a wild child that Emily child is! Marrying that old man... I'm sure she was very persuasive to my baby...!" she wailed.

"Fran, I can hear you from the patio." Mr. Bennet flopped down in his chair. "I'm sure Will doesn't want to hear about our family foibles. Let's just have a nice lunch... Can we do that?"

She sniffled. "Well, of course we can, dear." She winked at Darcy. "Whatever you say."

The conversation during that part of the day was still carried by Mrs. Bennet. Soon afterwards, the gentlemen left for the Dojo.

Elizabeth and Stan drove her truck and her car back to Granbury. She packed some work clothes and a few items for her trip north and then they made their way back to San Antonio in her car.

"I see Lizzy has taught you a thing or two, eh?"

Darcy smiled slightly. "Yes Sir. We had a lot of free time."

"I believe you did." Mr. Bennet raised an eyebrow. "What else did you do while in seclusion?"

Darcy flustered, blushed, and blubbered, but could not manage more than a few choked out words. "Nothing! Nothing... out of the ordinary."

"Don't mind me, son, just an old man and his curiosity."

January 30 and 31, 1999

Elizabeth studied the profile, gathered her information, deliberated over a map, and talked to some key people. Now all she needed to do was find this individual. It's not like she was going to a new city; she had lived there for quite a stretch, but this is something she always did. It kept her mind focused and she could play out certain scenarios. Always be prepared! When she kept herself busy with the task ahead, Elizabeth did not think of him, but in those lazy moments her mind drifted to what might have been.

Elizabeth placed her clothes on the bed for a possible meeting.

Darcy played a little golf with Bingley and Mr. Bennet and another business associate, a Mr. James Benwick. He played with the Bingley children. He even ate at the Bingley household, both nights, without seeing hide nor hair of Caroline. The gods must have been with him, or her. However, thanks were contributed to the wrong deity; all this avoidance was perfectly orchestrated by, none other than, Jane.

She noted that the planets were in the correct alignment, the air was crisp and clear, and it was nearly spring-time; Jane would do all that was required to see that things ran smoothly for a possible development. And if other things should happen, like love blossoming, she would be happy as well, but she would not press it.

Monday, February 1, 1999

"Lizzy!" shouted a voice in the hallway.

Chapter 68 - Head Games

Posted on Tuesday, 12 October 1999

Elizabeth turned towards it. "Doctor... Emma!"

They walked towards each other and met somewhere in the middle.

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to see if I could get this thing off my arm for good."

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No. I just got here."

"Come with me. I'll check you out."

Elizabeth happily followed Dr. Knightley.

In the x-ray room, the good doctor did a thorough examination.

"You're healing quite nicely. I hardly see any of the scratches."

"I'm hoping they'll be gone before long," she smiled happily.

"How's your head?"

"Intact."

"Any swelling? Headaches? Blurred vision?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, no, and no."

"Have you seen Will lately?"

"No. I mean, yes. A couple of weeks ago."

"Oh. The last time we talked to him, he was in such a hurry. I thought... well, anyway, we didn't have a chance to see him over the holidays." Elizabeth looked away. "Are you in town for a while?"

"Yes. Well, as soon as I settle a few things." Elizabeth pointedly looked at the splint on her arm.

Emma went over to the table and took out her prescription pad and scribbled a few lines. "Here's our address. Come for dinner?"

"I'm not sure if I'll be available, Emma."

"Call, if you are." Emma pressed the slip of paper into her hand. "You have to keep that splint on." Elizabeth tried to protest. "You're not healed enough."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Does that mean I have to come all the way back down here to have it removed?"

"You can have it done in Dallas. Just make sure your records are forwarded to us."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I think I'll go back home tomorrow." Darcy sipped his wine as they luncheoned at The Bizu.

"Why Will? I don't see you as much I'd like to. Jane misses you. The boys adore you, and Melinda's just now getting to know you."

"I enjoy being with all of you too, but I do have responsibilities at home. You and Jane and the kids can come stay with me, just as easily."

Bingley laughed. "You have no clue as to the amount of stress it takes to pack up an entire family, take them somewhere, unpack, get them settled, only to pack up again and leave, do you?"

"Apparently not." Darcy chuckled. "I understand Caroline has been playing the good Aunt lately."

"Yes. She's trying. I'll give her that much," admitted Bingley.

"Hmpf!" Darcy tucked into his plate to avoid anymore talk of the twisted sister.

She looked at the neon sign above her head 'Dick's Last Resort' and chuckled at the irony. Here she was, near dark, leaning on a dirty windowsill, in the middle of the red light district in San Antonio waiting, hoping...

"Can I bum a cigarette?"

"Yeah, sure." She flipped the pack of Salem Light's, so that one stood out.

The young lady, still in her teens, looked at her splinted and bruised arm and cringed. "Thanks."

"Sure."

"Are you new?"

"Nah," she puffed. "I quit. Cold turkey. Just wanted to see if I could come here and not get that old feeling back."

"Really?!"

"Why... you thinkin' of quittin'?"

The young lady, let's call her Candace, looked down and away. "Yeah."

"You see this scar?" She pulled her hair back and leaned over; Candace gasped. "Threw me out the second floor window."

Candace shrank in horror. "Oh my God!"

She looked critically at the young woman. "You ain't got no marks on you. You must be new."

"I just started about a month ago."

"Why?"

Immediately Candace got defensive. "Why did you start?"

"Family," she dismissed.

"Me too," frowned Candace.

"I was totally wrong though." She chuckled bitterly. "My mom was there for me in the hospital and even took me in afterwards. She came all the way up from Jacksonville."

"Really?!"

She nodded. "We had plenty of time to talk. No shoutin', just talkin'. I got to tell her how I felt... I mean really felt. And she told me things that I probably woulda never known."

Candace listened intently to her tale.

"We cried and talked and cried and talked for days... at least it seemed that way. But now she's back in Jacksonville and I started my new job last week."

"Wow!"

"Yep. Things are good! Too bad it took a cracked out pimp to bring us back together..."

The two women stood on the corner, talking, for almost 2 hours, while unhappy johns blew their horns in dismay. Then they walked up the street into an all-night diner and conversed more freely, openly.

Tuesday, February 2, 1999

Early that morning; before the sun rose, before the rooster crowed, before the dew did, Candace called home.

As she stretched, Elizabeth smiled the smile of someone who had just been born, or reborn, in the world. God, that felt good! The vigor and flash in her persona was a sign of a renewed spirit and nothing was going to put a damper on it.

"Mabel, Stan, I'm off."

"Ya only got a few hours of sleep, if that!" blustered Stan.

"I'm fine, I'm packed, and I'm ready to go."

"Goodbye darling!" Mabel embraced her. "I'll miss you," she sniffled.

Stan stood near the door. "Ya don't have to leave, ya know that, right?"

Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek. "I know."

"Thank you for helping me out."

"You're welcome. Candy's a good kid from a decent family. She just needs to get her head on straight..."

He pulled her in his arms. "Don't be a stranger."

"I won't," she mumbled into his chest.

"And when you get tired of them there Bennets, just roll on back down here for some damn fine country vittles and your second family!"

Elizabeth smiled as he let her go. "I'll be seeing you." And with that she went out the door.

Darcy woke up feeling listless. It was useless to delay this any longer. Elizabeth was mad at him, her family, and probably the whole world or at least the world she thought she knew. So why do I keep praying I'll run into her here?! If he did not have a lunch date with his cousin and Charlotte, he would leave in the blink of an eye. But there was always that small glimmer of hope. And when the Colonel rang him last night and said he had good news, Darcy was beside himself with anticipation.

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