You are such a romantic, Cassandra, and that makes two of us! I am very fond of that scene when Lizzy and Darcy meet on the stairs.(Can't imagine why!) Very well done. I do so hope Anne will like it in school. It is your story Aylet, Lady Catherine will never know...! Glad Anne had that gardener for a friend. Was he the one who cut all the hedges and bushes in funny shapes? Young Fitz found them odd, remember?

Wonderful Ann! I love the use of the hmmm! You've recreated that scene from the ball perfectly.

Ann2, I love the way you get into his mind!

CRISIS AT PEMBERLY CHAPTER EIGHT "Miss Fitzwilliam are you aware that most all of your relations are seeking your whereabouts? We supposed that you had left the country," admonished Mr. Collins. "Richard and I are just now returned from Plymouth. Miss de Bourgh, Anne, requested a means of travel to meet her fiance, Colonel Fitzwilliam, to thus enable their departure. Consequently, we postponed our sailing from London. We subsequently discovered that a general military alert had been issued for Captain Denny which necessitated hiding by day and travel only at night." she responded. " I have a letter from Anne which I promised to deliver personally to Lady Catherine. After that we must make our wa to the coast and ten days hence are planning to leave England forever." "But your dear family..." Charlotte objected. "Yes they are dear to me, but Richard and I will be a family as well, " Georgiana was resolute. Seeing that argument was futile and cautious of causing further adversity, they acquiesced to escorting her to Rosings the next day. In the mean time Charlotte secretly wrote a letter to Elizabeth informing her of the developments and delivered it to the housekeeper for immediate posting once they were out of sight. Caroline Bingley was excited to see Georgiana but was outraged at her decision to continue with the elopement. Georgiana was patient, insisting on her course in life, that she had a right to create her own happiness. Eventually she was shown to Lady Catherine's room. The elder woman reacted immediately to her entrance and demanded to know what role she had played in the disappearance of her daughter. At that point the door closed. Caroline and Charlotte could only imagine the letter's content as the soun s of censure soon changed to sobbing. Then a hush fell over the room. After 45 minutes Georgiana emerged, shaken from the experience, and requested a brandy. "Is Lady Catherine well?" Charlotte asked. "Does she understand Miss de Bourgh's reasons for leaving?" Mr. Collins was quite agitated, "I should attend to her and provide the comfort of a church blessing." Things were not going well for Captain Denny. It had been agreed that he would proceed to London to secure passage on the "Merryweather" bound for Lisbon on the 17th. This was the first leg of their intended voyage to escape possible pursuit. He would then return to Rosings for Georgiana once she had delivered Anne's letter. What he had not counted upon, however, was the surprise encounter with the militia at a nearby pub. Traveling by night he had reached London, located secure lodging until morning and hen paused for food and drink at a local tavern. Even then he would not have been noticed except for his decision to join a man slouched over the table, thinking it would provide disguise from attention. Despite several pint glasses about testifying to an inebriated condition, the man straightened when Denny sat down. It was Charles Bingley! The two stared at each other for sometime before speaking, "Captain Denny, I believe. Did Jane send you to take me home?" Denny was puzzled. "Don't look so surpris d. I know that all of you are aware of the mess which I have created in the Commons. I have condemned Lady Catherine to a state of homelessness." Captain Denny was not about to expose his mission to those yet informed, hence he decided to play along. " You should not cast blame on yourself, I am sure you were of good intentions." Bingley was determined not to accept any excuse, " I have heard it said that 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'... If only Jane would forgive me I could then face Darcy." "But why should she not?" countered Denny. "Would you not do the same for her? And if you were in her place would you not wish to console her and understand her motives? Is your friend Darcy also not a just man? Why should your mistake bring an end to the friendship. Has he never caused grief to someone as formidable as Lady Catherine?" The arguments sounded encouraging to Bingley, "Perhaps you are right. If you could help me to my room at the Hampton House, I will prepare myself for the trip home tomorrow." They left the Inn with Denny supporting Charles, at times staggering under his weight which was often propelled in random directions. It was this behaviour which called attention to three militia also exiting from the establishment. Their offer of assistance to Denny resulted in recognition by an infantryman of former acquaintance. After a brief scuffle, Denny was forced to flee, leaving Bingley to find his own way home. Elizabeth had not slept well in many nights. She longed for the situation of Georgiana to be resolved. William was absent again and she wished him to be with her. Word of the new threat to Rosings and Bingley's role in it had reached her the previous day. At first she was outraged that he could have been so insensitive for the sake of his own advancement. But it was so unlike his usual behavior that she was certain of extenuating circumstance. Besides the thought of Lady Catherine inconvenienced, despit her kindness to Kitty, was not wholly without justice. However, she dreaded any idea that this could lead to a residence at Pemberly. Jane, on the other hand, was so concerned over Lady de Bourgh's plight that she never mentioned the part her husband had taken in it. It was unfortunate that two expresses arrived at Pemberly at nearly identical moments. Lizzy, hoping for word from William, opened first the letter posted at Newcastle. It read: "Madam, an accident has occurred on the road near Dunbar in Lothian. Mr. Fitzwilliam was thrown from his horse and has been taken by cart to the Edinburgh infirmary. At this time the extent of his injuries is not yet known, but prior to his discovery he apparently lay in a basin below the trail for many hours." "Oh God no!" gasped Elizabeth. "I must attend to him at once!" She hastily pocketed both letters, called for a carriage and ran upstairs to pack some essentials. Upon the rapid departure she directed Thomas to send word to Jane. Within fifteen minutes the carriage was on the road headed North. The second letter from Kent had not been opened.

Inko (topic 192): Thanks for your help I was trying for a generic term and confess my ignorance. It really is an education.

Tom, is this Mr. Fitzwilliam or Mr. Darcy?? "Madam, an accident has occurred on the road near Dunbar in Lothian. Mr. Fitzwilliam was thrown from his horse and has been taken by cart to the Edinburgh infirmary." You also referred to Georgiana as Miss Fitzwilliam instead of Miss Darcy, I have changed that for the Guild.

"Miss Fitzwilliam are you aware that most all of your relations are seeking your whereabouts? Also the first line...

Ann: Thanks. Mr. Darcy is correct (trying to be too familiar leads to confusion); the latter, Georgiana, I should have caught it. Thanks again.

Tom, I made the corrections for the guild.

Ann: Thanks again to both you and Dina for such a quick response. It is nice to receive the attention.

Ann2, you have really caught just what Darcy was thinking throughout the Netherfield ball. I hope you'll continue, tell us what he was thinking while he was actually dancing with Lizzie, what he thought when Mr. Collins approached him at supper (was he trying to suppress a smile at this peculiar little man?) and did he overhear Mrs. Bennet saying "Mr. Collins has been particularly attentive to Lizzie and I don't think he will find a better wife"!! Tom, oh what a tangled web you weave!! I hope you will be able to sort it all out sometime!! Warning - more Little Fitz coming, probably tomorrow!

It is coming Inko, and probably more than you wished for ;-) Continued... BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED or OTHERWISE ENGAGED? Part 2 The musicians introduced Mr Beveridge�s Maggot and the music filled the rooms. Darcy bowed with elegance and when at last Elizabeth moved towards him, her eyes looked straight into his as their hands met for the initial figure. Her touch was electrifying and it took a lot of his concentration to proceed with the steps and move in the predetermined turnabouts. He could sense the perfumed warmth of her body, as she passed him during their dance, and it added to the severe attack on his composure . She made an observation and he managed to answer her and was then silent again. She reproached him on this, telling him that he ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room or the number of couples. He smiled and assured her that whatever she wished him to say should be said. Later they got into some verbal combat, as he gathered that she considered them both to be unsocial, taciturn and unwilling to speak if they could not amaze the whole room. He argued that this was not a good description of her and that he could not say whether it was near his own character, but that she undoubtedly found it accurate. She answered :� I must not decide on my own performance�. His answer after some reflection was inward : �No, you can leave that to me, Miss Bennet, I would tell you, I enjoy your performance ; as a matter of fact I find it to be utterly enchanting. You are fresh air to me.� He experienced another breathtaking moment as a richness of dark ringlets swept dancing past his eyes and an impulse to pull her close to him and bury his face in her hair, had to be firmly subdued as he struggled to become his own man again. His inner lecture went:� What is this.. I feel..so ... a lack of ...sense. I�ll admit she is attractive, but that is no reason for me to feel so akward...I�m no schoolboy... Hope to God she did not notice... anything.� He endeavoured to look all ease and formed a q estion on the frequency of her walks to Meryton. He felt relieved as she answered him, thinking that he now had a conversation going. That hope was dashed when Elizabeth could not resist to mention a new acquaintance, hinting on the meeting with Mr Wickham. Darcy was annoyed, it was intolerable to have this man reappearing in one�s life again and again! It was not to be endured. He made a constrained remark, questioning Wickham�s ability to retain his friends once he had so easily got them. Elizabeth replied that he would probably suffer from the loss f Mr Darcy�s friendship all his life. Darcy did not answer and wanted very much to change the subject. Shortly afterwards Sir William Lucas complimented them on their dancing and he went on with an allusion to �a certain desirable event�. Saying this he looked at Jane and Bingley. Darcy followed the direction of his gaze and watched the couple with a grave expression. �So it has come to this already! It is a matter of gossip then. Bingley does not understand his own interest. I�ll have to give him some advice on this business. And I am sure she is only accepting his attention to please her mother. That calculating vulgar woman. Bingley is pleasant of course and it is clear that Miss Bennet is enjoying his company. But she does not appear to be at all seriously involved. It�ll be just another love affair of his after a few weeks . He does look rather committed, so there is no time to lose. I�ll deal with this tomorrow. � When Sir William left him to� his fair partner�, he recovered himself and proposed a discussion on books. But though he was smiling and even gallant, Elizabeth was thinking of George Wickham and declined the subject. She could not refrain from asking Darcy if he had ever allowed himself to be blinded by prejudice.�I hope not�said Darcy rather surprised at this and other questions �May I ask to what these questions tend?She had an earnest look and admitted that she was trying to understand his character.In flattered amazement he asked if she was making any progress, but her expression was worried and slightly embarrased, when she confessed having such different accounts on his person as to puzzle her exceedingly. Darcy , soberingdown, could imagine from where some less favourable reports might originate and adviced her not to sketch his character at the present moment. Elizabeth objected that she might not get another opportunity to do so. Suddenly realizing that they were not likely to meet much in the future, he felt lost, and his confused feelings made him answer quite coldly: �I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours�. The dance was coming to an end and they parted. She did not appear to be in high spirits and he was displeased at first, but watching her now and then across the room, he was soon more favourably inclined and directed all his anger towards another.

and the last part... And even more so when Miss Bingley informed him that she had recently had a report on Mr Wickham and Miss Eliza Bennet. They had been noticed to enjoy each others company. Darcy had no wish to let Miss Bingley know to what extent her tidings affected him and just muttered something about confined country manners and uninteresting small town gossip. He was, however, displeased to know that Wickham was performing his tricks in the neighbourhood. But how was it to be prevented? Painful exposure would be invo ved and probably without reason.The man was bound to be more careful now. It was highly unlikely that he was persisting in his immoral conduct. Darcy wished to forget him completely. As the evening progressed, Darcy felt that is was almost as if he was provided with the necessary tools to break some spell he had been under. It was undeniable that the younger members of the Bennet family were sorely lacking in sense and that their manners suggested no carefully exercised education. Their behaviour was such as to be looked upon with contempt and disapproval. It was easy to percieve from where the bad example was emanating, since Mrs Bennet was frequently betraying a total want of modesty as well as propriety. Her relatives were of little consequence in the world; a brother in Cheapside doing God knew what, and a sister married to the lawyer in Meryton ! But these circumstances alone could have been overlooked. Had it only been this lack of connections, the insignificance of their relations...Well, that could not be so great an evil to Bingley as it...might be to others. Had she only been a sensible woman with decent manners and some judgement...The Bennet family must however be regarded as a most unhappy conne tion. Darcy admitted to a certain degree of compassion for the two eldest daughters. Their manners were pleasing and they were perfectly well behaved, apparently sensible and tolerably well informed, thus being remarkably different from the other daughters. But this could not improve their possibilities much, as every decent man of some intelligence would be discouraged at the prospect of such relatives. Then their silly cousin , without a proper introduction, imposed himself upon Darcy, to inform him that his noble patroness , Lady Catherine De Bourgh was in good health. Mr Collins� manners had exactly the ingratiating tune to fill Darcy with disgust though he kept an air of distant civility, while listening to the production of a long rigmarole about the countless virtues of his aunt . At the first opportunity he made a slight bow and moved another way. When they sat down to supper Mrs Bennet rambled on about �the sensible Mr Collins who had taken quite a fancy for Lizzy.�Darcy, who was sitting near enough to hear it, was disgusted :(Horrible.No wonder the poor girl was blushing.) She went on to reveal that �he had favoured Jane at first...but Bingley was there before him�( I do not believe my ears...why it is almost indecent). She then rejoiced on this happy match and how it would �throw her younger daughters into the path of other rich men� ( I�ve know such undignified speculations to exist...but never in my life did I expect to hear them spoken out aloud. Total want of propriety!) His earlier resolve to save Bingley from such low connections was strengthened by the minute. He noticed that Elizabeth Bennet, cheeks blushing , was endeavouring in vane to persuade her mother to describe her felicity in a less audiable whisper.( Most akward predicament for a young woman.) Miss Mary Bennet had in a somewhat forward manner placed herself at the pianoforte in order to entertain the company by playing and - unfortunately - by singing. For though her playing did not reveal any true feeling, it was to be vastly preferred to her vocal efforts , which were not at all fit for anything but family diversion. And alas she did not possess the necessary self-criticism, and made an attempt to let her first song be followed by another. She was then , in a much to obvious way, tactlessly cut short by Mr Bennet, who told her to let the other young girls exhibit!( No real sense of propriety to be found in this man either). Darcy saw Lydia Bennet fooling around with an officers sword. The younger girls behaviour was rather improper. Their unguarded manner was now more understandable. They seemed to have been left without guidance and a correcting hand, hence those deficiencies in their conduct. Darcy glanced at Elisabeth Bennet and saw that her face had an expression of humiliation. She... and her sister were indeed to be pitied. But it could not be helped. Bingley must be brought to reason, and as he was going to London in the morning, it would be for the best if they were all to leave Netherfield. Bingley intended to be back in a few days, but Darcy was confident that he could convince his friend to change his plans. If the certain evils of his choice were pointed out...And when I assure him of Miss Bennet�s indifference...He usually depends on my judgement. I honestly believe that our stay in Hertfordshire must come to an end. ******

Marvelous, Ann2 -- it was well worth waiting for. Capital, capital!

Thank you Ann2, you have, indeed, made my day. I'm so glad our ideas of what Darcy was thinking coincide!! I still don't see him as an insufferable snob - it's just that Lizzie's relations are such boors that anybody would hesitate to be closely connected to them!;-)

Ann H - Thanks for "maintaining" the Guild. and thanks for asking about Mr Fitzwilliam, I didn't catch it but did get Georgiana. I usually save files, but don't always have time to reread these stories carefully for several days. Thorpe - are you going to be able to untangle this web?:-) Mr Darcy had better not be hurt badly!!:-) Ann2 - (and Inko) thanks for a different side of Darcy I always thought of him as a rich, spoiled snob! But in a Regency sort of way.:-)

AnnR, you wove quite a spell in your bewitching story! Inko, I admire your persistence of vision! Cass, Ann, in fact EVERYONE on this and the other fan fiction thread, all have been most prolific in imagination and deserve some sort of Austen Award for creative writing!

AnnR, you wove quite a spell in your bewitching story! Inko, I admire your persistence of vision! Cass, Ann, in fact EVERYONE on this and the other fan fiction thread, all have been most prolific in imagination and deserve some sort of Austen Award for creative writing!

And I am sure she is only accepting his attention to please her mother. Now, that's an interesting thought.

Anne, The Real Story Chapter 9 Anne packed her things, besides the clothes, she took her doll, Helen, Anne was extremly fond of this little china doll, it was a present from Lady Anne for her sixth birthday, and when Anne felt sad, angry or even happy, she spoke about it with Helen, and pretended she's answering, therefore, Helen had very firm opinions of Lady Cathrine and Mrs. Jenkinson. In a fortnight her mother sent her in the Barouch to school, the school was in Derbyshire, and it was a day-long trip, Anne enjoyed the trip, she saw wonderful views of amazing places: Hills, lakes, mountains, fields, estates, all beautiful and new to Anne's eager eyes, Anne liked them so exceedingly she decided to try and draw them, the result was poor indeed, but at least occupaid her mind and hand, for otherwise she would have began to dance, just to use her extra-energy. At last she came to school, it was already dark, and she only had time to read her prayers and go to bed, without even being intoduced to the other studants, she had only enough time to glance curiosly at the other girls, All of them were tall, slim, pretty and about eleven years old, all except one. That certain girl was younger than the rest, about Anne's age, and she looked quite plain, but there was something in her mysteryous expression, that made Anne quite sure that despite the fact she did not hav the fair share of beauty, she got, instead, a kind and gentle humor, she wished to know her better. At last Anne drew her glance to the teachers direction, they seemed nice, but somewhat strict, she didn't wish to displease them, so she returned her eye immidiatly to her prayer book. To be continued...

ANN2-you've got me pegged alright! I loved your story and thank-you for the "unexpected sensation of heat" and hmmmms! Tom and Ayelet-Great! Looking forward to more.

Tom, did she really ask for a brandy?! Georgiana sure is coming of age. I enjoy Bingley and Denny stumbling about the streets of London, and am much concerned for Darcy, injured, in a ditch for hours... Nice touch with that china doll, Aylet! Thanks to all above for comments. And Inko, pleased to have a fellow 'from the beginning and all over' Darcy-lover , he has his faults, but then who doesn't and deep down inside him there is a treasure awaiting for 'someone' to find and appreciate.Did you find his reaction to Mr Collins too haughty? Eagerly awaiting news of Young Fitz, the dear boy ;-)

Dearest Ann! Thank you for your newest additions, it's so good to "hear" your voice again! ;-)

CRISES AT PEMBERLY CHAPTER NINE Following two days of hard travel, Elizabeth arrived in Edinburgh. She had hoped to stay with Lydia in Newcastle for a brief respite during the traverse but received word that the entire party was now in Scotland. Upon her arrival at the infirmary a nurse escorted her to Darcy. He was conscious with one leg wrapped in a splint, several bandages around his midsection and a bruise still evident on his forehead. He was conversing with a doctor as she burst in, "William, thank God you are alive!" She rushe to embrace him as he grimaced with the pressure on obviously tender ribs. Tears welled up as the relief of finding him could not be held in abeyance. "Dear Lizzy, I am of good health, except for a leg broken in two places. My horse stumbled and I remember briefly flying to earth. My next account is of waking in this room. The gentleman who is responsible for transporting me here sent you the express, and he has tended to the horse. It was an unfortunate accident and I apologize for the distress and inconvenience to you. But what news have you of Georgiana? The Wickhams' had left Newcastle when I first arrived there. Their party was on the way to Edi burgh according to the housekeeper." "I have little to relate on that score." She responded and then described the incidents in Parliament. After some thought William answered, "I cannot believe Bingley was responsible for this importunity without coercion. I must make some inquiries to ascertain why Rosings is considered a candidate for confiscation. Has Lady Catherine made her views known?" Elizabeth was reminded of the second letter from Kent. She quickly retrieved it and upon opening exclaimed, "Good God, Georgiana is at Rosings!" She handed Darcy the letter from Charlotte. After a quick perusal he sat upright, "the 17th is less than a week, we must be off at once." The doctor still within the room now stepped forward, "Mr. Darcy I would not advise the rough ride of a hasty journey in your condition." Darcy grimaced as he tried to lift himself off the bed. Elizabeth interjected, "Perhaps I can secure a boat of some kind in Leith. We could sail to London within a few days." The doctor shrugged and William smiled, "You are right! We j st might make it then." After a few minutes Lizzy was on her way to the Port of Leith to search for any available vessel. "Aye, she does not look like much, but for o'er 20 years I have fished these waters in her. We 'ave been to London now two years past," was the grizzled old man's offer. " I imagine she's the only boat in port, what with the fishing season at hand. We can be ready by first light on the morrow." Although she was not favorably impressed with the apparent condition of the boat, Elizabeth was grateful to have secured passage for them. It remained for her to return with the news and prepare William for trans ort to the docks. As she walked through the cluttered streets little attention was paid to the ominous clouds forming above. It was difficult to negotiate a pathway through the construction equipment and building blocks for the new Waterloo Place in the fading light of late afternoon. However, she looked forward to a night with her husband. The morning gloom was accentuated by a heavy mist. The fisherman had greeted then with long heavy coats, boots and slippery hats. The thirty foot scow now had several containers of provisions and boxes were stacked in front of the tiny cabin to give Darcy a seat with his leg propped up. The boat stank of fish and the well worn planks creaked constantly as they pulled out into the harbour. The silence of the early morning was broken only by an occasional coo of a passing gull. As they drifted out from sho e the cold dampness made Lizzy thankful for the heavy coat and she huddled next to William. He was in some discomfort but kept a reassuring smile whenever Elizabeth looked at his face to check his condition. They drifted quietly with the current as the shoreline cliffs of the Firth of Forth occasionally could be made out looming in the mist. Elizabeth's thoughts drifted as well in the dreamlike setting. She wished they could have had time to find her sister Lydia and George, and uncovered the identity of their mysterious "mutual friend." The carriage and horse had been sent back to Pemberly. She wished they could have traveled by road for she was not fond of the sea. As a young girl she remembered several trips to Brighton, but aside from the shoreline beauty, never indulged in water sports. The boat was gaining speed now as she turned to th old man, "How long until we make the sea?" The fisherman was sipping ale when he glanced at Lizzy. He too was wearing heavy clothing, his face nearly covered with eyes set on a distant yet unseen milestone. "Won't be long ma'am. The current 'ardly demands a sail. We may do well without one once the sea current is felt, I expect a bit o' weather to be bothersome." Indeed, the morning mist had turned to light rain and the boat began to pitch somewhat signaling open waters ahead. "Darling are we assured of the right course? " she inquired of William. "We must trust a man who knows the sea" was his reply. "No, I mean to say, are we convinced that Georgiana has no chance at happiness with this elopement? Perhaps we are selfish in wanting her to remain in Derbyshire." "Georgiana does not have the slightest idea of the hardships facing her in a life with Denny," William countered. " Why throw away a position of influence and culture for one of the meanest survival? It is a life without purpose." "But surely each person should have opportunity to make of life a world of their own choosing. And if this be a mean existence then happiness indeed may be found in daily improvement," She continued. "Industry at any level may benefit mankind and who is to say our lot in life will provide the greatest worth?" "My dear, the estate of Pemberly provides for hundreds of our people," he answered. "The economy of England is measured by the well being of her men of influence. Surely the policies we decide upon provides the greater worthiness. Industry, indeed may be found at all levels of society, but so can sloth. We are not at liberty to pursue idleness while maintaining the cost of Pemberly." "Yet the masses are in want. Have we lost compassion for those who are hungry because they are not men of station or influence?" She wished for a solution, "And is Captain Denny of such low demeanor that he may not have potential for some success? Surely his military experience may serve him well in foreign land. And if this match be destined for ruin cannot Georgiana be yet rescued?" "It is a risk I am unwilling to endeavor upon," William responded with less conviction than he portrayed to her. The boat began to pitch more violently. Sea spray could be felt with every rise and fall of the bow. Rolling waves were now several feet in height as the boat worked its way further from land. The wind swirled with rain hitting them horizontally, square in the face. Between the splashing and howling little else could be heard even the creaking of the boat was drowned out by the noise. Clingi g to each other, Elizabeth fervently wished the voyage to be at an end. She tried to see the old man, seeking some reassurance for the menacing situation, but she could not stand with water streaming everywhere about the boat. The mast groaned with every sway as the waves intruded more and more onto their deck. Suddenly, a crash was heard over the din, a six foot section of the port side railing was gone! Elizabeth screamed.

YOUNG FITZWILLIAM DARCY--Part 18 Sir Lewis de Bourgh, seventeen years older than his wife and very frail during the past year, died a few weeks before Fitz' tenth birthday. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy travelled to Rosings for the funeral but decided to leave Fitz at home; they agreed that he need not be exposed to such a cheerless time. Fitz did not regret missing this visit nor did he grieve very much over the loss of Sir Lewis; he had known him very little and only felt sympathy for Anne who would no longer have her father's leavening wisdom to combat the unrelenting care of her mother. When his parents returned from Kent and London they presented him with a very welcome birthday present, his own light weight gun made especially by the best London gunsmith. "Thank you, thank you both. Will you teach me how to use it, father?" Fitz asked; he was delighted with this present. "Yes, Fitz, I will teach you to shoot, but first you must learn the safety rules; how to carry it, load it, clean it, and lock it away with the other guns. You have got to be responsible about its use," his father told him. The summer months sped by as Fitz learnt and practised his shooting skills. He was very proud when he first brought home a rabbit he had shot instead of the usual trout caught in the stream, receiving Mrs. Reynolds' and the cooks' congratulations with a big smile before running off to find his parents to tell them of his latest feat. The usual shooting parties arrived at Pemberley in August and Fitz was often allowed to go out with them, in particular when Pierre arrived to spend six weeks at Pemberley. His English had become quite fluent in the past year, but Fitz insisted on learning more French, and even George picked up a few words when he joined them to ride or fish. Fitz was glad of Pierre's company, especially when George left the area in September to go to Berkshire School near Reading. George was excited about the new adv ntures ahead of him; and Fitz, while he had Pierre's company, did not miss him. During the horse chestnut season, Fitz again rode into Lambton nearly every day. He had just dismounted from his horse, one afternoon, when he saw three large boys surrounding a much smaller boy, beating and taunting him. Fitz ran to help the little boy and save him from his persecutors. In the ensuing melee Fitz landed a few successful punches on the bigger boys who fled the scene, shouting curses at him and the name of Darcy. The younger boy stood close to Fitz, stammering his thanks to his rescuer "There is no need to thank me; I only did what I thought was just; please do not mention this to anybody. But tell me, why were those boys beating you?" asked Fitz. "They said I was not allowed to collect the horse chestnuts; that they were their property alone" replied the boy, "but I need them; I want to try some experiments with them." "That is nonsense! The chestnuts are free for everybody. What is your name? How old are you? And what is your experiment?" Fitz asked a whole string of questions without stopping. "I am Joe Miller; I am eight years old; and I was going to try and grow a tree from one of the chestnuts. If I take all the coverings off the nut and plant it, it might grow into a tree." "Do you like to experiment with plants then?" asked Fitz. "Oh, yes. I like growing things; plants, flowers, vegetables, anything that will grow in the garden." "And you have a garden here, in Lambton?" Fitz asked. "We have a very small one where I grow some flowers and vegetables. I was going to plant the chestnut at the other corner of the green over there so that there would be another fine tree like this one," Joe told Fitz. "Well, Joe, when you are older, if you still like cultivating plants, come out to Pemberley; perhaps my father will hire you as a gardener. We have a vast amount of space where you can experiment and grow flowers and vegetables as much as you like," said Fitz. He collected some chestnuts, handed them to Joe, mounted his horse again and rode back home, rather pleased with his afternoon's adventure. He had never before had the chance to test his courage against such ruffians, larger and older than himse f, and was glad that he had not faltered. Two days later Fitz again rode to Lambton and, approaching the chestnut tree, saw Joe waiting near by. Joe ran over exclaiming, "Darcy, you must allow me to tell the villagers what you did for me on Tuesday; the other boys have spread it about that you are very disagreeable and ill-natured, and I know there is no truth in it." "Never mind, Joe. You may tell your parents, if you wish, but as to the others, just let it be. You and I know better, and I care little what the other villagers think," replied Fitz. "All right, Darcy, but I think it most unfair that those boys can spread such lies about you. I hope that one day the truth will be known to all," Joe said as he ran off down the street.

YOUNG FITZWILLIAM DARCY--Part 19 Mr. Stone knocked on the door of Mr. Darcy's study whilst trying to compose his face. It was the day after Christmas and, unlike his frown and somber expression of the previous year, he was smiling broadly and his eyes were shining. The only barrier between his present and future happiness lay in the ensuing interview with his employer, although he felt reasonably secure of a favorable outcome "Mr. Darcy," Mr. Stone began, "if you could spare me a few minutes of your time, I have a serious matter to discuss with you." "Of course, Mr. Stone," Thomas replied while noticing the slight smile and happy light in Mr. Stone's eyes; "but I do not know what can be so serious while you look so very cheerful." "I am happy, Mr. Darcy. Miss Field has done me the great honour of consenting to become my wife." "Congratulations, Mr. Stone. Lady Anne and I were hoping that the two of you would find happiness together and, I must admit, lately we have only been wondering when the announcement would be made; we have long held suspicions that this was only a matter of time," Thomas said with a smile to equal that of Mr. Stone. "When is the happy day to be?" "That is what I want to discuss with you, sir. As you know, when I marry I must give up my fellowship at Cambridge; I would then like to take orders and enter the church. We are willing, however, to wait until Fitzwilliam goes to Eton." "I would not want you to wait too long, Mr. Stone; that would not be fair to either of you." Thomas Darcy considered for a moment and continued, "the living at Kympton is filled at the moment, but the one in Lambton will be vacant in June when Mr. Cooper is raised to bishop. I feel sure he would welcome you as his curate at any time and you would then be in a position to take over the rectory when he leaves. Would you like the living at Lambton?" "Mr. Darcy, that would be the perfect position for us. Miss Field's family lives in Matlock, as you know sir, and she hoped we could remain in the area," Mr. Stone replied, happy at the thought of remaining in Derbyshire, a country he had grown to love. "Let me speak to Mr. Cooper on your behalf then, Mr. Stone," Thomas Darcy continued; "also I think we could send Fitz to Eton this spring, for the start of the Easter-Trinity term. It would only be one term earlier than we had intended. Do you consider him to be ready?" "Yes, academically Fitzwilliam is more than ready; but socially he may have some difficulties. He is as yet quite shy and does not mix easily with strangers. Perhaps he will overcome this when he is living and learning with other boys of his age and rank." "Will you announce your intentions to my wife and Fitz or do you wish me to tell them?" Thomas asked before continuing, "as soon as our Christmas visitors leave in January, you and Miss Field must join us for dinner and a real family celebration." "Thank you, sir. I would be happy if you could apprise Mrs. Darcy and Fitz of our plans because, as you know, we are going to Matlock for the next week and we do not want to interrupt your family or guests with our personal concerns. We will look forward to a family celebration on our return to Pemberley," Mr. Stone said as he prepared to leave the study. Two weeks later Fitz, unusually distracted during his Latin lesson, suddenly asked his tutor "what made you and Miss Field decide to get married?" Mr. Stone, startled by the question thought a minute and decided to be perfectly open with his pupil. "Because we love each other. That is usually the reason people decide to get married, Fitzwilliam." "Oh, I thought it was to carry on a great estate, and you do not have one, do you? How do you know when you love someone? What is it like?" Fitz asked, very curious about loving someone other than his parents. "It is difficult to describe. Love is a very personal feeling, different from one person to another. For me, it is the knowledge that my life would not be complete without Miss Field beside me every day in the future. It is like coming home to the other half of my being." "I've never felt anything like that. Do you think I will find that kind of love when it is time for me to marry?" Fitz was still rather puzzled and very curious. "I certainly hope you will not marry unless you do love your intended bride," Mr. Stone told Fitz. "But you are too young, as yet, to worry about such things." "My aunt Catherine once told my mother that I should marry my cousin Anne, but I do not like her at all. She is so insipid, she never speaks, and she is always ill. My aunt can not make me marry her, can she?" "Whatever she may wish for you and her daughter, she can not force you to do what you do not wish to do," Mr. Stone reassured Fitz; "come on now, back to these Latin verses."

YOUNG FITZWILLIAM DARCY--Part 20 The season of courtship passed uneventfully for Mr. Stone and Miss Field; they remained in the school room by day, and only when Fitz was otherwise occupied and in the evenings did they spend private time together. At the end of March Mr. Stone returned to Cambridge, where he resigned his fellowship and received his ordination. On his return, Fitz and his parents witnessed the marriage in Matlock church; the bride and groom left immediately for their new accommodations in Lambton, whilst the Darcys ret rned to Pemberley for a day before they travelled south. Fitz was quieter than usual on the road to London. He was thinking of a recent conversation with Mr. Stone, trying to understand its meaning. Two days before his marriage Mr. Stone had found Fitz sitting by the trout stream and sat down beside him asking, "are you excited about going to Eton and your new life at school, Fitz?" "Yes and no," Fitz replied; "I am excited but also a little apprehensive. What if the other boys do not like me? Will I be able to make friends?" "I think you will have no trouble making friends, Fitz," Mr. Stone reassured him. "You will have your lessons together, live in the same house, eat the same meals, and play the same games; you will have much to talk about; and remember your classmates will come from similar homes to yours and their young experiences will be like yours. Only members of the best families go to Eton. It is one of the oldest schools in England." Mr. Stone paused, thought for a moment, and continued "the best way to make riends, Fitz, is to be a friend. They will accept you if you are open with them." "I will try to be open and talk more," Fitz determined; "I want to have many friends." "That is good, but most of all, and heed this well Fitz, do not be afraid of making mistakes, provided that those mistakes do not hurt any other person. This is the time in your life when it is acceptable to make mistakes, or else how will you ever learn. Remember that you do not have to be perfect at everything you do; try the different sports and whether you excel or not is of little matter; attempt some different course work whether you are first or last in your class. If you do not sample different ways, you will never learn to appreciate what you really can accomplish well and what gives you the most enjoyment." "Do you mean that mistakes do not matter?" Fitz asked, very puzzled. "I mean that you should not be so afraid of making a mistake or not excelling that it would stop you from attempting something new," Mr. Stone explained. "I advise you to be open to new ideas, new people, and new adventures; in that way you should have no problems at school." Fitz was considering these words when his father asked him why he was so quiet. When he told him about Mr. Stone's advice, his father replied "that is excellent advice, Fitz, and something I should have told you long ago. Mr. Stone has been a good friend to you." "We certainly want you to enjoy yourself at school, William, but remember that you must never disgrace the Darcy or Fitzwilliam names," his mother cautioned; "politeness and propriety are expected at all times in society, no matter how many new adventures you might attempt." Fitz continued to puzzle this contradictory advice--try new things, make new friends, do not be afraid to make mistakes, be polite, be proper, enjoy himself and have fun--how could he manage to do all that? "I will have to ask Edward for some guidance on our way to Eton," Fitz determined to himself, and settled back to enjoy the remainder of the journey to London.

Inko - Mrs. Field Stone. Cool!

Katy, you're sharp! I hadn't thought of that, since using your maiden and married name is a very modern, American thing! But, Mrs. Field Stone might have been the origin for the north England drystone walls once the enclosure laws were passed!;-)

Inko -- nicely done. I am enjoying watching (y)our young man grow up.

If I had time (and motivation), I would love to hear of how Bingley and Darcy first met. Anyone wanna try this one?

Becks, it's going to be part of Little Fitz! Just have to wait a while!!

Inko, your Fitz makes it difficult to me to write how Anne and Darcy disliked each other ;-) Anne, The Real Story Chapter 10 In the bedroom, after the other girls were asleep, Anne had a talk with Helen: "Helen, do you like this place?" "Yes, Anne. I'm quite fond of it, I think these girls are extremely nice" Anne said, holding the doll. "But Helen, don't you feel lonely? I do miss Miss Williams so" "It's hard to get used to new places, but I love this place, and it would not be long till you would, too. And as for Miss Williams, I miss her as well as you do, but every time you feel lonely, remember her whisper: "Be brave", if you want to give her a reason to be proud of you, you ought to be brave, this was the only thing she asked, don't fail her." With this sentence, Anne knocked herself down in the argument, so she kept silent and soon fell asleep. After breakfast, Anne was introduced, and put in the second grade, with five other girls: Miss Wilson, Miss Lane, Miss St. John and Miss Hills, to describe them, it is best to use her description to Helen: "Mary Wilson is rather pretty, but she's SUCH a snob, she didn't even look at me, only because I'm younger than her! Diana Hills is nice, but she is so contentrated in her lessons, I couldn't change a word with her, as much as I tried, but I'm sure I'll succeed, you can't get rid of me easily. Caroline St. John is very tall and long-necked, Diana calls her fondly "swan", but she doesn't mind, I think she rather likes it, I would like it, if I were her, she and Diana are best friends. As for Anna Lane, she is very plain, but I like her despite of it, everybody likes her, she is such a dear! She is silent, but when she sees somebody needs any kind of help, she is the first to offer it, it was her who introduced me to the other girls, and asked if I may sit next to her, and made me feel welcome, I like her so!" To this Helen replied sharply: "I'm glad you are, and if you'll kindly shut your mouth, I'll be more grateful than words can express" But Anne was not in the mood for listening to the advice she gave herself, and went on: "And my teachers are almost as nice as Miss Williams, they are so kind and nice and teach so perfectly, but one teacher causes me a great deal of trouble: Mrs. Johns, my drawing teacher, she doesn't see that I try my best, and declares I'm a horrible artist, that my way is totally wrong, I do wish that instead of telling me what not to do, she'll tell me what to do, it would be much better, don't you think?" "I think it would be a great deal better if you'll manage to keep quiet" To be continued...

Cass, re: E&D, Part 8 one word - hurrah!

Great Inko! What great work you have done!

Ann2, Ayelet, Cassandra, Inko and Tom - You all have wonderfully entertained me yet again. Keep up the great work!!

Wow, I come home, and three stories await me! fantastic!thank you, all! Inko, do you have plans for Joe Miller and Phil?

Caroline, Joe Miller is Hanna's brother (I think that's her name, the servant at the Lambton Inn?) and Joe is the gardener she mentions at Pemberley!! But Phil??? Don't remember one! Do you mean Pierre? No major plans for him at the moment - he may come back in later. He was useful for the moment for teaching Wickham how to say "Au Revoir", as the French would have it!!

Inko -- marvelous, a good story as well as foreshadowing P&P2! I love it more and more. :-)

Chapter 11 As Anne told Helen, Anna Lane was an angel, she was quiet and thoughtful, but woke from her dreams the minute she sensed somebody needed help, she was friendly and talented, therefore, it was only natural that she and Anne would become best of friends. They sat and talked at the evening, changing information about books and dolls, but mostly about their estates. They talked about them so much that each had a picture of the other's estate in her mind, with every tree and leaf placed carefully, each knew th names of all the people, each knew the names of the dolls and dogs, each knew every detail about the other. And when they learend enough painting to paint a tolreable picture of what she had in mind, they amused themselves in painting hundreds of pictures of people, trees, bushes and lakes they learend about from their long talk, and fixing each other's tiny mistakes, for an instance, Anna would draw the cherry tree near the door, and Anne would observe: "No, Anna, this would not do, you drew ten branche coming out from this branch, don't you remember there are only nine?" And Anna would lift her eyes from her work and say: "You are quite right, I forgot. Anne, look at the picture you're drawing of my doll Elizabeth, you needn't draw lace on her dress, she hasn't got any. Here's Elizabeth, you can use her for a model if you wish" and with those endless talks, a few weeks passed. One morning, Mrs. Wood told Anne that she has to be sent home, nobody told her why. Anne parted from Anna and all the other girls with tears, they all grew fond of each other, and even Mary Wilson had gone as far as telling Anne she was sorry. to be continued...

CRISIS AT PEMBERLY CHAPTER TEN Elizabeth was certain that the boat was disintegrating, but William yelled to hang on. He tied the two of them to a large beam at the base surrounding the ship's hold as they were thrown sideways with each rocking motion. The little boat was lost among swells now reaching over ten feet in height. As they were thrashed about with each crash of the bow it felt as if the timbers weakened. The cabin was the next to go. A huge wave tipped the boat nearly on its side, when it uprighted the tiny structure was mi sing along with it the old man who had apparently retreated inside. Shortly thereafter the mast broke with the upper piece narrowly missing Darcy before taking more of the boat's siding into the water. The icy wind galed and the sound was deafening. All they could do was hang on and hope that enough of the boat would be left to stay afloat. By evening the storm seemed to subside but the pitching and rolling lasted through most of the night. As morning came they lay exhausted, dripping, chilled through but the boat was still upright and both were grateful to be alive. Jane heard the approaching horse. It was Charles at last! She ran to the door and embraced him as he entered. "Can you forgive me, Jane?" he began. "I hope sincerely that Lady de Bourgh will not lose her home. All I can offer her is the fact that I have quit Parliament and will do everything in my power to repair the damage to our relationship with the Darcys." He then provided a description of the events leading to his speech before the Commons. Jane reacted, "Those scoundrels!" But after a moment's pause, "Perhaps they meant well, but were given misinformation regarding the estates." "I have spoken with Lizzy. We both had felt that there must have been extenuating circumstances," Jane reassured. "I am afraid Mr. Darcy is too much distracted with Georgiana's elopement to attend to Lady Catherine's predicament. In fact Elizabeth and William have now left Edinburgh by boat to intercept them in London. Their carriage returned yesterday with a note arried to me by the driver." "Edinburgh?" Binkley stared blankly. "Yes we received word from Kitty of a former friend from Meryton visiting Newcastle with an intention to travel to Scotland. We concluded it must be Captain Denny with Georgiana. William was enroute to Edinburgh when an accident occurred. He was thrown from his horse and suffered a broken leg. Elizabeth then joined him with news from Kent that Georgiana was at Rosings intending to depart from London with Denny on the 17th," she finished. "Good God, what a mess!" he replied. "I hope Darcy has recovered. Tomorrow is the 17th. I hope they make it in time. It is clear to me that I should remain in Staffordshire in the future. But perhaps we should travel to Kent to apologize and explain the consequences of the Writ to Lady Catherine. I believe my sister is still at Rosings; it would be good to see her again." "I have some other news to keep you near home," Jane offered, "in seven months we shall be a family of three!" They embraced with Charles feeling that he was now where he belonged. It had been several days since the storm had struck. As the remains of the boat drifted without means of control or propulsion, Elizabeth was becoming forlorn, "Are we to die at sea then?" Despite the tin of biscuits that William had salvaged, they both were thirsty and hungry. "Stay calm Lizzy, I am certain the southward currents will take us to shipping routes near the Thames, or even to the Netherlands," he smiled weakly. "It may be a little longer, but I feel we should see land presently and then be able to determine our whereabouts." The waves constantly lapped against the sides of the slanted hulk. There was little to be seen as far as the horizon in any direction. Aside from the sea there was quiet all around. Nor was conversation much attempted given the difficulty of parched throats. Time past slowly. Lizzy reflected again upon the elopements. How different the perspective of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne de Bourgh, now on their way to America, when compared with Georgiana and Captain Denny's irresponsible actions. Both fled what they perceived to be impossible circumstances brought on by a stifling society. Yet the Colonel had taken a course of action, without regard to the sentiments of Lady Catherine, which Darcy felt was a measure of logical thinking and which would probably achieve a successful con lusion. Captain Denny, with little resource, had acted impulsively, without question, but by a similar plan was doomed to pursuit and inevitable disaster. Was Denny of so little merit as not to be considered worthy of Georgiana? Was there not a course available similar to the one which had raised the status of both Jane and herself to bring him to a gentleman's position of affairs? Could not William help them to achieve a life of happiness under the auspices of Pemberly? Perhaps the experience with Wickh m had permanently affected his judgment when it came to Georgiana. Elizabeth was determined to make the situation right if only they recover the errant couple. All at once Elizabeth noticed a glint on the horizon. It was difficult to make out with the sunlight dancing off the waves. She squinted. There it was, the sail of a ship! "William look!" she shouted. In a few moments the mast of a merchantman under full sail could be seen coming in their direction. They were on their feet, yelling, waving, trying to draw attention to themselves. The ship was moving to the south of their location but was now near enough to make out the three masts with billowing sails It was a beautiful sight! At last an end to their ordeal! As the barquentine hove to and fro, cutting through the water, Darcy could make out below the foresail her name, "M..R..H..ER", ... "MERRYWEATHER" he informed Elizabeth, relieved to identify any ship. It was now passing near a half mile south of them. Figures could be seen moving about as the ship was making at least 20 knots. As the mizzensails came into view it was apparent that they had yet to be discovered. Jumping and yelling they conti ued to motion towards the remains of their boat. But the unyielding motion of the ship continued. The ship was now receding from them without acknowledgment. Their hearts sank. The means of rescue was disappearing. The Merryweather had not stopped.

Tom, Tom, You cannot just LEAVE them like this! Have pity, please!The North Sea is not forgiving, ever!

Chapter 12 After Anne got home, she asked her mother: "Why?" silently. "Because Lady Anne died and she wished you'll be in her fernual" "Lady Anne! Dead! Why? How? When?" Anne was shocked, if there was somebody in her family she liked, it was Lady Anne. Lady Anne was fond of her, and if she knew how Anne suffered from the engagements with a child she did not see in her life, she would not have orginized them in the first place, she did everything in belife she was doing only good. Anne knew she shall miss Lady Anne. "She was very sick" "Don't you miss her? I shall always miss her! I liked her!" Lady Catherine made a confession she never thought she would make to her child, she said: "I do miss her most exceedingly, she was a dear friend of mine" This had made Anne understand, in a sudden flash, that her mother was a person as well as her, she cared for people, she truely liked her sister. In this moment, Anne forgave Lady Catherine everything, and made a new plan: She shall not stay at home forever, nor marry that "Darcy", but she would not lecture her mother, someday, when she will be a big girl, a woman, she would just announce that she is going, and go, she made up her mind to act so, when she'll grow up, and silently hugged her mother. At the fernual, she saw a child, two years older than her, crying near the grave, she went to him, and asked: "Was it your mother?" "Ye-e-s" weeped the child "So, are you Darcy?" "Ye-s" said the child, surprised "How do you know?" "I heard much about you, you probably heard as much of me from your dear mother, oh, Aunt Anne!" Anne began weeping as well "Are you Anne?" asked Darcy "Yes" "Why, you are so young! How old are you, pray?" "Six" "Is that all? Aunt Catherine can be somewhat silly! I'm years older than you, I'm eight, almost nine!" "Listen, Darcy" Anne said "don't you think I want to marry you! I've got the rights to choose my own husband, if I'll marry!" "I know, and feel excactly like you" he smiled "So let's agree never to be nothing more than cousins, all right?" "Fine" Now Anne smiled too "Let's shake hands" After the handshake, they decided that Lady Anne would be pleased to see them playing together, so, just to please her, they played catch for a while, and then parted, each pleased to see the other shared his view of things. To be continued...

Ayelet, I really like what you're doing with Anne---she will never be "poor Anne" to me again! Keep up the good writing!:-)