Jump to new as of December 2, 1999
Posted on Monday, 29 November 1999, at 3 : 33 p.m.
He'd been in tighter squeezes before. The only thing different about this one was the vise that Meilleur was using as his torture device of choice. Having survived snakes, pits, chains, whips, and a really nasty run-in with an Amazon named Diamond Lil, our hero thought that he was pretty resourceful and resilient. This vice was of course only a temporary thing.
Meilleur saw the smile on our hero's face, and lost his temper.
"That is enough of your cocky attitude old friend! You are not going to escape this time!"
He laughed in a very spooky manner and told his henchmen to keep squeezing.
"Perhaps this will be a good vintage, eh?"
Our hero was getting pretty tired of Meilleur's dumb jokes. The vise WAS beginning to get a little tight and he needed a cigarette desperately. Bellowing from pretended pain he shouted,
"Meilleur, no! Stop! You rat b- of a fake archaeologist!"
Meilleur came toward him, as our hero slowly worked a hand loose behind him. He clenched a fist, ready to plant it in Meilleur's face, when Meilleur stopped. He got a silly grin on his face, and our hero could see blood beginning to seep down his neck. He fell on his face, and his nasty little henchman stared at his body in wonder.
Our hero was surprised, to say the least. "What the...?"
He heard a whip crack, and looking overhead, saw a figure disappearing rapidly down the corridor of the castle.
The henchman came toward him and our hero hit him with the fist intended for Meilleur. He fell to the floor with a resounding SPLAT and our hero quickly freed himself from the vise.
He ran up the stairs, and rapidly eluded Meilleur's henchmen coming at him from all directions. A burst of adrenaline served him well as he remembered the treasure that had been in his grasp until Meilleur had shown up. Now it was to be his once again.
His long legs carried him up and up again. A small wooden door faced him down a long hallway. He walked slowly, on the lookout for any more evil people. Finally, he was in front of the door, and to his surprise saw that it was ajar. He walked in, searching for anyone in the room. It was empty. He felt along the wall, underneath the woolen tapestry, searching for the loose stone that would signify the hiding place. There it was! The stone came loose under his hand, and he moved it out slowly. The treasure was so close! He felt around in the small hole, waiting at any moment to feel the links of a chain, or the amulet that was attached to the necklace. His dark eyes widened in shock when he realized it wasn't there.
"That idiot Meilleur! He must have it on him!"
He was about to walk out of the room when the sound of a boat outside drew him to the window. Again he saw the figure of a man, face buried under a large hat. The man looked up toward his window, and our hero thought he saw him smile. Then the figure was gone, speeding away into the night.
A few days later....
Dr. Fitzwilliam Darcy sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on grading the pile of midterm exams in front of him. He had never gotten used to the grind of grading papers, teaching classes and meeting with students. He much preferred to be out in the field, pursuing the great treasures of the past rather than teaching about it in Archaeology 101.
A light knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
Elizabeth Bennett poked her head around the door. Her eyes enlarged by the thick glasses that she wore.
"Dr. Darcy, your 2:00 appointment is here. Shall I show her in?"
Darcy sighed. He had forgotten that Lucy Biedecker had wanted to come by and discuss the ancient Macedonians.
"Yes Miss Bennett. Please send her in."
Elizabeth nodded and saw the book open on Darcy's desk. She saw the picture of the Amulet of Vichysoisse and smiled slightly.
"You can go in now, Miss Biedecker."
She sat down at her desk, and looked at the closed door to Darcy's office. Making sure that the coast was clear, she unlocked a drawer in her desk and pulled out a small pouch. Shaking the contents out, she pulled the phone toward her and dialed a number.
"Hello, Miss De Bourgh? Yes, this is Elizabeth Bennett... Yes, I have something for you... I found the Amulet of Vichysoisse."
Posted on Wednesday, 1 December 1999, at 4 : 59 p.m.
After the phone call Elizabeth slipped the amulet back into its pouch. She slid it into the desk and turned to her typewriter. For a long time, all that could be heard was the sound of her fingers on the keys.
After Miss Biedecker and the Macedonians were gone, Darcy sat at his desk, once again contemplating the pile of papers awaiting him. No, he just could not do it.
He picked up the book that lay open, on the picture of the Amulet. It was a very rare piece, made by the first Duc du Vichysoisse for his bride. The piece had supposedly been lost during an attack by a neighboring aristocrat, and buried with it's owner under the ruins of a castle. Darcy had done extensive research on the amulet, and had just found the hiding place when Meilleur had shown up, bent on making Darcy really really uncomfortable.
Darcy was still mystified by the appearance of another person (archaeologist? He wondered) on the scene. Of course, being Fitzwilliam Darcy he could have gotten out of the vise, overpowered Meilleur who was really a big bully and taken the amulet for himself. Perhaps the mystery man had gotten the archaeologist and not Meilleur, who had surely died from the blow to the head that the mystery man had given him.
The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.
"Darcy."
"Hello, Fitzwilliam! How is the antiquities business today?"
"Anne. Lovely to hear from you as always. What can I do for you?" He looked longingly at the Amulet.
"I wanted to invite you to dinner. I'm having a small celebration tonight. Can you come?"
Darcy checked his calendar. Nope, no way to get out of this one. "Of course. What is the occasion?"
"Well, I've just come in possession of a wonderful new piece of jewelry. I wanted to celebrate. I think that you'll be very interested in this piece, Darcy."
Darcy rolled his eyes. "Anne, you have a gift for being vague. I suppose that's all you're going to tell me?"
Anne's laughter almost obscured her words-"For now. There will also be a very important person there tonight. Dinner is at six. I'll see you then." She hung up, leaving Darcy to wonder if this was yet another of Anne's efforts to get him to meet the "right girl".
Another knock on his door.
"Come in."
Elizabeth poked her head around the door frame. "Mr. Darcy, if you have nothing else for me, I think that I'm going to leave early. Is that alright?"
"Yes, Miss Bennet. That's fine. See you tomorrow morning."
"Of course, Mr. Darcy." She smiled, but he was already engrossed in the Amulet book. Elizabeth wasn't sure that Mr. Darcy would be able to describe what she looked like to anyone. He rarely gave her more than a glance, even on the day that she had first come to work for him.
She shook her head, removing her large glasses, and taking her hair out of the tight bun that she kept it in.
It wasn't a long walk to the apartment that she shared with her sister, Jane. She let herself in, and could hear soft music from the radio, a sure sign that Jane was somewhere about.
"Jane! Are you here?"
"I'm back here-in my bedroom."
Elizabeth opened the door and saw Jane brushing her hair, looking lovely as usual. Jane was of course the most beautiful of the Bennet sisters, and much sought after by the professors at the university. She had a reputation for being very no-nonsense, though Elizabeth, who knew her best could see right through her act to the very large and soft heart that she kept hidden. She was currently an assistant to Professor Knightley, in the English department.
"Elizabeth! You'll never guess!"
"What Jane? I don't think I've ever seen you so excited. "
"The department head has decided that I am to be the assistant of the new English professor. Charles Bingley!"
"What happened to Professor Knightley?"
"Emma Woodhouse is going to take over for me. She's wanted to work with Dr. Knightley for ages."
"Have you met Dr. Bingley?"
"Yes, this afternoon. Oh Elizabeth, he's wonderful!"
"That's why you're so cheerful. Well, do you have a date with him tonight?" She ducked as Jane threw her brush at her.
"No! You know my rules! I don't date Professors!"
Elizabeth laughed, opening the closet and beginning to look through the dresses in her closet.
"Somehow Jane, I feel like this one might be an exception. Now, what should I wear? I'm going to a dinner party tonight."
Jane got up and pulled a red silk dress from the back of the closet. "This!"
"Jane, I-I don't know. That's awfully daring."
"You know you look beautiful in it, Lizzie. You can wear your hair down, and leave those dreadful glasses at home, and..."
"Now Jane, please. I think that I shall be perfectly suitable in this moss green velvet. It's such a nice peaceful green!"
"Elizabeth, will you please stop pretending to be a frump? Honestly! Wear the red!"
Elizabeth put the green back, and again dug into the closet. She pulled out a long black dress with long sleeves.
"Of course, there's always my favorite black!"
Jane grabbed the dress and thrust the red one at her. She took Elizabeth's arm, and propelled her toward the bathroom, "Elizabeth, you are going into the bathroom with this dress, and I won't let you come out until you have put it on, brushed your hair, used a little of the makeup that I know if sitting in your cabinets and that you have never touched, brushed your teeth, found suitable stocking and shoes and come out again wearing a smile. Is that clear?"
Darcy stood in a corner, watching the other people that Anne had invited mingle. His boredom was almost to the point that he was considering escaping through the window, and making his excuses to Anne tomorrow. She was a sucker for a dozen roses.
"Fitzwilliam! There you are!" He turned in surprise and saw Anne walking toward him, blonde curls bouncing with every step.
"You cannot keep hiding in the plants, Darcy! You frighten them. Come, mingle." She took his arm, preparing to introduce him to some gentlemen that were only a few feet away.
"Of course, Anne, you're right. I was just on my way to get some champagne. If you'll excuse me." He dodged away from her, and walked rapidly toward the bar. Grabbing a glass of champagne, he made his way over to the french doors, and opened one just enough to slide through. He spotted a bench just ahead, half-hidden by some plants. He walked over, and without looking where he was going, he sat down, taking out a cigarette as he did so. He jumped at the contact that he made with two legs, and looked into two large dark eyes.
"Oh!" An amused look came into them, and the mystery woman said wryly,
"Sir, would you be kind enough to get off my lap?"