Okay, I'll be first! Isn't the "on foot" scene the one that Simon Langton wrote: "has an erection"in the margin? ROTF Evelyn!

Okay, I'll be second! Isn't the "on foot" scene the one that Simon Langton wrote: "has an erection"in the margin? ROTF Evelyn! Might be one among many situations where this "stage-direction" fits...LOL,

I personally thought the scene where Darcy is just out of the bath and watching Lizzy play with the dog would be much more fitting for that 'stage direction.'

I personally thought the scene where Darcy is just out of the bath and watching Lizzy play with the dog would be much more fitting for that 'stage direction.' That particular scene may have been even more so, since he has a perfect view of her ankles and calves, enough to drive any Regency gentleman to lustful distraction!!;-D

Hanne, you made a comment on one of the chapters of my story 'Wedding Singer' on DWG that it was steamy and I could take it to the gate or drool. Obviously I know what drool is but I am not familiar with the gate. What is that? BTW, I may rewrite that chapter here but it won't be until after I've finished the story. Thanks for your nice comments.

Gail, Hanne might have meant that if your story was very steamy, you might want to check it with Karen or me before posting. We try to keep a liberal policy here but have to check some of the more vivid sexual descriptions or language at "the gate" due to the fact that this is not a private board. All inquiries can be sent to nomdedrool@yahoo.com

Gail, Hanne might have meant that if your story was very steamy, you might want to check it with Karen or me before posting. In fact I think that we talk past each other here...I don't think that a bit of enhancement would make it steamier than what has been presented here before arhm ... the request... What I meant was The Gate, A Writing Community where you indicate the rating (PG17) and if it's language(L), violence(V) or adult(A) descriptions that set the rating. Another site for Dwiggies, one that Dawn ao created at http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb752769 I guess that many of the visitors there may be the same as here, and yet.... That was my reason for suggesting it!!

Sorry it's taken me so long. I've been incredibly busy with night classes and rehearsals for the new show. Thanks for the promptings, Hanne! :) Parallels  Chapter Three �Please tell me I didn�t hear you correctly.� Elizabeth met his gaze steadily. �Your daughter is pregnant.� Will stared at her. �Kathleen.� he said tonelessly, then looked away and paced the length of the room. At the window he turned back to face his wife. �But she�s not much more than a child!� �She�s sixteen, Will.� She�s just a baby! He shook his head, anger beginning to bubble to the surface. �Who is he? Who the hell did this to her?!� Elizabeth crossed the room to take his hands and attempt to bring some calm to his wounded feelings. �Take a deep breath and settle down, Will.� �Settle down!? You tell me my baby girl is going to have a baby of her own and you expectme to stay calm?!� He walked away from her again and prowled the room, muttering under his breath. �Will, this is going to get us nowhere.� Elizabeth saw him come to a stop in the middle of the room and look at her. �We have to talk about this rationally.... before you speak with Kathleen.� He continued to stare at her, jaw clenched, his lips forming a thin, straight line. �Who... is.... he?� he said slowly and quietly. Elizabeth sighed. �Jason Whitaker.� The angry expression left Will�s face to be replaced by one of puzzlement. �I don�t recognize that name.� �Neither did I. Rebecca, however, did.� Will straightened up and rolled his shoulders back. �I want to see him here, in this house, tomorrow.� he stated flatly. �Will �.� Elizabeth began. �Tomorrow, Elizabeth!� Will stood firm. Elizabeth let out an exasperated sigh. �It�s not so simple as that. You can�t dictate terms here, Will. Besides, he won�t be back home until next weekend.� �Back home?� Will repeated. �What do you mean? Where is he?� �Edinburgh, at university� Will�s eyes widened. �University! Just how old is this.... man?� His tone grew angrier and his voice rose in volume. �And how dare he lay a finger on .... she�s just a child! I�ll kill him! I swear to God I�ll kill him!!� �Fitzwilliam Darcy!� Elizabeth�s voice sliced through the haze of his anger. �Don�t you dare lay all the blame at that boy�s feet! I know you think of Kathleen as your sweet, innocent little girl. She�s had you wrapped around her little finger for years! But you have to face the fact that if she�s old enough to play the game, she�s old enough to take the blame.� Her voice softened as she added, �She�s scared Will, and I well remember how that feels.� Her husband stared at her, his anger warring with the old guilt which rose from the depths of his conscience. �That was different. You were older.� he said defensively. �Don�t be foolish. Single and pregnant.... it doesn�t matter how old you are. It�s just as frightening.� Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as she watched him. �She�s also scared of your reaction.� Will let out his breath explosively. �And well she should be! Or at least this Jason what�s-his-name should be! Elizabeth, I now have an even greater respect for your father. If he felt so much as half the outrage that I feel right now, I�m amazed that he didn�t pound me into the pavement that night outside the hospital!� Elizabeth watched him pace the room once more. �Kathleen is in her room. She doesn�t want to see you without me being there, too.� �What does she think I�ll do?� he said with a frown. When his wife merely looked at him patiently, his anger faded into the background, allowing the hurt to surface. �I need time to absorb this first.� he quietly said. Elizabeth nodded. She turned to the door and paused with her fingers on the handle. �She needs all of our love and support, Will.� His eyes were filled with sadness as he met hers. �Did you think I would offer her any less?� �No.� Lowering her eyes, Elizabeth opened the door and left the room. *** Rebecca shook her head as she offered another tissue to her sister. �How could you have been so stupid, Kath? I mean, we all had the same sex ed classes! Weren�t you paying attention?� Kathleen wiped her nose with the tissue. �Of course I paid attention.� �So you just forgot that little bit about using birth control, then.� Rebecca said sarcastically. �Why are you giving me so much grief? Mum didn�t harp on at me as much as you are!� her sister snapped. Rebecca rolled her eyes. �As if Mum and Dad are ones to criticize! Of course she wouldn�t go on at you about your inability to use your brain.� She looked at Kathleen for a moment. �What are you going to do, Kath? Are you going to keep it?� Kathleen nodded her head. �That�s about all I know right now. Jason hasn�t told his parents yet.� �Well, you�d better hope that Dad isn�t the one to break the news to them, then.� Kathleen turned a horrified gaze on her sister. �He wouldn�t do that, would he? Oh, no!� Rebecca sat down on the bed opposite Kathleen. �Who knows? He�s going to have a fit about this, Kath. You know how he�s been about Anna being on her own. You really blew it big time, girl. And not just for yourself. Do you think he�s going to let me go off on the circuit now?� �You didn�t ask them yet?� Rebecca let out her breath in a rush. �Have you heard any explosions recently? I knew it was going to be hard enough to convince them to let me skip university and ride in Europe. Now it�s going to be impossible, I�m sure.� �I�m sorry,� Kathleen said in a small voice. Rebecca suddenly felt ashamed of herself for being so selfish when her sister was in real trouble. �No, I�m the one who�s sorry, Kath. Is there anything I can do? Run interference with Dad?� A tiny smile appeared on Kathleen�s face. �Not with Dad. I think I might need some at school though.� �School! Eeee! I never thought of that. You can count on me there.� There was silence as both of them were suddenly at a loss for words. Then Rebecca got up. �I guess I should go to bed, now. I have to be at the show for seven tomorrow. I�ve got a couple of horses to tack for the early classes.� She paused at the door, leaning against the frame. �Everything�s going to be okay, I�m sure.� With a faint smile of encouragement, Rebecca left her sister alone. *** Anna frowned at her brother. �What are you thinking?� Ben crossed his arms over his chest and looked his sister in the eye. �I think Dad�s going to kill me.� �Why?� �Have you forgotten who he left in charge of the kids while they were away? It�s my fault Kathleen is in this mess. I didn�t keep a close enough eye on her.� He stared angrily at a point just beyond his feet. Anna rolled her eyes in exasperation. �Don�t be an idiot, Ben. Of course it isn�t your fault, and Dad won�t blame you either. I was here, too. The only place she ever went was the library. At least that�s what she always told us. I guess we were too trusting.� �Did you see Mum�s face after she told Dad?� Ben would have preferred to be back at his flat right now, rather than have to face the breakfast table in the morning. �Did I ever!� Anna replied. �I think she had a tough afternoon. First she found out about Kathleen, then they talked about what to do, and finally she had to stew about it until Dad came home.� She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Ben. �How do you think Dad took it?� Ben turned to face her. �I think he�s going to kill me.� �Ben.� At the sound of his father�s voice, Ben nearly leaped out of his chair. His head craned about to look toward the door. �I gather you two know.� Anna gave him a grim smile. �Mum told us after she�d spoken with you.� Will sat in one of the armchairs next to Anna. �What do you know of this Jason fellow?� Anna looked to Ben and shrugged her shoulders. �I never met him, Dad.� she said. �Me neither.� Ben added. �Then how did this happen? Where did they meet?� Will slapped his hand against the chair arm. �Damn it, who the hell does he think he is, messing about with a fifteen year old girl, because they didn�t just get together after her sixteenth birthday! This had to have been going on for a while already!� He jumped up from his seat to angrily pace to the window and back again. �I could just ring his bloody neck!� He stopped and looked at Ben. �What do you have to say about this?� �Me?� Ben�s eyes opened wide in alarm. �Yes, you. She�s your little sister after all!� Will continued his pacing. �You must have some opinion on the matter. Wouldn�t you like to get your hands on the.... I can�t believe you�d just calmly accept your sister being messed about like this!� �Dad,� Ben quickly replied. �I�m not accepting anything! If I�d had an inkling of what was going on you can rest assured I would have been all over that fellow!� �Just listen to you two!� Anna snapped. �Did either of you consider asking Kathleen how she feels about him? Whether she�s in love with him or not?� Will snorted. �Oh please, Anna! I�m willing to consider Kathleen suffering from an infatuated affection for this boy, but she�s too young for real love.� �Dad�s right.� Ben nodded his head. �This bloke probably spotted her as an easy target for his sweet talk and moved right in.� Anna glared at them indignantly. �Is that what you think? Well, I guess you should know, Ben. You must use that method on all the girls in your harem!� �Anna!� Will said sharply. �No, it�s okay, Dad.� Ben squinted at his sister. �I only said that because I�ve seen it happen too many times. The quiet, naive girl who gets sucked in by the smooth, charming snake. This fellow was heading off to university, too! It�s typical.� Anna watched their father walk back to the window and look out, the tension visible in the set of his shoulders. �You�re really doing a great job of calming Dad�s fears, Ben!� she hissed at him. �I�m just being honest,� Ben hissed back. Anna stood up. �I�m going upstairs. You two can argue about this until dawn if you want to.� She glared at her brother on her way out. *** The breakfast table was silent but for the clinking of knives and forks against the china. Anna glanced at the faces around the room. Aaron appeared to be the only one unaffected by the previous day�s news. He was his usual sullen self. Everyone else was quietly eating, occasionally meeting someone else�s eyes across the table. Anna watched her parents as they sat at opposite ends, not looking at one another. Obviously, her father had not yet cooled down enough for the two of them to be able to talk about Kathleen�s situation. Anna was still angry with Ben for his attitude the night before. Between her brother and their father, Kathleen and her boyfriend were in for a rough ride, the latter more than the former. �Is everyone planning on coming to see Rebecca ride today?� Ben couldn�t stand the silence any longer. �I am!� Rich answered quickly. He nudged Aaron in the ribs. �Me, too.� Aaron added with little enthusiasm. �Kathleen?� Ben turned to his little sister. �I thought you said you wanted to come today.� Will looked up. �The fresh air will do you good, Kathleen. Go and enjoy the day. I know how much you like to see your sister compete.� He looked down at his plate once more. Anna frowned. �You�re coming too, aren�t you Dad? Mum?� �Of course, Anna!� Elizabeth smiled. �This will be Rebecca�s first international class. We wouldn�t miss it.� Will remained silent. Ben pushed his chair back and stood. �Well, I�m going to go and get ready. We should be leaving in about a half hour if we want to find a parking spot.� Immediately the rest of the children excused themselves from the table and escaped with Ben. Georgiana remained with her brother and sister-in-law. With her eyes on Will, she cleared her throat. �Have you spoken with Kathleen yet, Will?� He brought his eyes up to meet his sister�s. �No. Today is a big day for Rebecca. I�d like to concentrate on her this afternoon.� Will�s gaze shifted to Elizabeth. �I�ll speak with Kathleen tonight.� �Don�t wait too long, Will.� Elizabeth�s eyes were filled with concern. �She�ll only become more anxious with the delay.� �I know.� They finished their breakfasts and were ready to leave when the rest of the children were piling into Ben�s car. Will pulled his car out behind his son�s and they set off for the show grounds. Ben had been correct about parking, but they were fortunate enough to find two spaces that weren�t too far from the entrance. The crowd was already thick as people jostled their way to their seats in the grandstand. Rich was the first one to spot Rebecca near the in-gate, as she leaned over the fence while talking to a young man beside her. �Dad, may I go tell her where we�re sitting?� Will told him he could go and shook his head in amusement as he watched his youngest hurry off. Rich dogged his sister�s every move when it came to her riding. It would make Rich very happy if Rebecca were to ask him to act as groom for her own horse. She, however, viewed his interest in a different light, and regarded him as more of a hindrance than a help. Today was another story, though. Rebecca was pleased to see her younger brother and eagerly scanned the faces in the grandstand where Rich indicated their family was seated. �What time is it supposed to start?� asked Aaron. �There�s an open jumper class before the Grand Prix, so I should think it will be another hour or so.� Elizabeth replied as her eyes followed the figures of her two children weaving their way through the crowd. She turned to her nephew. �Would you like to take a look around the site until Rebecca�s class begins?� Aaron nodded his head. There was a spark of curiosity in his eyes. �I�ll go with you, Aaron.� said Ben. �Me, too.� added Anna. All three left their seats and started down the steps, passing Rebecca and Rich along the way. They stopped to talk for a few minutes, then Rich joined the other three as they continued down the stairs. Rebecca wore a big smile when she arrived at her parents� seats. �Oh, everybody came!� she said delightedly. �I�m so excited!� �I hope you calm down before you go into the ring,� Will laughed. �I have no desire to see you catapulted over an obstacle.� �Oh, you worry too much.� Rebecca also laughed. �Trixie would never place me in such an undignified position!� She turned to her mother. �Mum, you simply have to come and see this absolutely beautiful stock pin I found. It�s the most gorgeous thing you�ve ever seen!� �I hope you brought some money, Elizabeth,� Will chuckled. �Sounds like I�ll need it, doesn�t it? Okay, Rebecca. Do you have time now?� �Only about fifteen minutes. Then I have to start warming up.� �May I come, too?� Georgiana asked. �Sure!� Rebecca was excitedly chattering as they walked away. An awkward silence descended on the two remaining Darcys. Will glanced to his left. Kathleen sat with her hands in her lap, head bowed as she picked at a fingernail. She looked nervous, and very young. Oh, my little girl, why did it have to be you? We have such a long road ahead of us. He watched her fingers fiddling away. Your life is going to be taking a different path, now. Will reached out and placed his hand over hers. Wordlessly, he met her inquiring gaze and closed his fingers with a gentle squeeze. �Oh, Daddy.� Her eyes were brimming with tears. �You�re not alone, sweetheart,� he said softly. �I won�t let you go through this alone.� Kathleen sniffled loudly and gave her father a brave smile. �We can talk more tonight, Kathleen. I want you to enjoy yourself this afternoon.� �Thank you, Daddy,� she whispered as she fumbled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her nose. Will put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. Lord knows you won�t be enjoying the months ahead. *** �Elizabeth, sit down. You�re going to wear a path in the carpet.� Elizabeth frowned at her husband. �How can you sit there so calmly? Jason will be here any minute.� �I�m saving my energy for more important things.� Will�s eyes narrowed as he lowered his gaze to study a point on the far side of the room. Elizabeth�s eyes widened and she slapped her hand against the back of his chair. �You�ll do no such thing! I won�t stand for any intimidation by you, Will.� The door suddenly opened and Ben popped his head inside the room. �Is he here yet?� �No!� Will and Elizabeth said sharply. Ben uttered a meek �oh� and quickly retreated. He stood in the hallway after closing the door and looked thoughtfully toward the front entry. Casting a quick glance back at the closed door, Ben straightened his shoulders and started down the hall. It was chilly outside. The wind blew from the north, around the side of the house and swept across the front steps. Ben wrapped his arms around his body for warmth, refusing to go inside to get a jacket. He thought that the more uncomfortable he was, the more miserable he�d be, and the less likely he was to be swayed by any smooth talking this Jason would probably try. Ben was determined not to like this fellow. Anyone who would seduce a fifteen-year-old girl was very low in his estimation. Ben had his share of girlfriends, most of them just a quick bit of fun, but he had never entered into any relationship without a full understanding on both sides. The crunching sound of gravel drew Ben�s eyes toward the long stretch of driveway that wound along the front of the lawns. There was a car approaching, and an eager smile appeared on Ben�s face. He already knew what to expect. He imagined this Jason getting out of his car, sauntering arrogantly across the car park with a smug look on his face, his swagger that of the narcissistic athlete with an ego the size of Buckingham Palace! And Ben was waiting to instruct him on just how misplaced was that enormous ego of his. The car was now pulling into one of the spaces, and Ben stepped forward to meet the driver as he got out. When he turned around, Ben stopped in his tracks and stared at the figure before him. *** �I heard the door.� Elizabeth hurried to a chair and sat down. Just as quickly she rose again and stood facing the doorway, her chin held high, but her hands nervously playing with the fringe of a pillow resting on the edge of the chair. The handle rattled on the door and they could hear Ben�s voice as it opened. �They�re in here.� Will would not rise from his chair. He refused to even look at the newcomers. He sat in his chair, staring at the opposite wall and said in a low voice �If you think that anything you have to say will induce me to think well of you, you flatter yourself.� �Will.� said Elizabeth quietly as she looked upon the young man beside her son. �I�m not finished, Elizabeth. I have hardly even begun.� Will�s tone was steady, but there was an edge to it that invited no opposition. �You cannot comprehend the contempt I feel for the man who would defile my daughter, who would have so little worth himself as to disregard the boundaries of common decency and seduce,� Will slammed his hand down on the table beside him, �a young girl, barely a child.� Will began to rise from his seat. �I can hardly contain the wrath I feel. I hardly know how to restrain myself from �.� �Will!� �I will be heard, Elizabeth!� Will�s voice rose in volume, and he began to pace the floor in front of the windows. �Kathleen is a mere child. She was hardly old enough to fully understand what she was doing, what she was risking. But you!� The words rattled a vase on the mantle. �You should have known better! She was probably just another in a long line of girls you�ve strung along. How many others fell for that charming facade of yours? That slick exterior? Hmmm? I don�t hear any words of explanation from you.� He growled out the next sentence. �Just what do you have to say for yourself?� Will turned to finally face the offensive creature standing on his carpet. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. �You�re Jason Whitaker?� he asked in a hoarse voice. The skinny boy looked about to run from the room in terror. His eyes were nearly bugging out of his head. He had no wits left about him to either nod in acknowledgment or deny his own existence. Will stared at him. He stared at the pitiful excuse for a human being, shaking like a leaf as he stood facing the wrath of a complete imbecile! Feeling suddenly ashamed of himself, Will took a step toward the boy with his arm outstretched. If it was possible to make his eyes get any bigger, Jason managed to do it. He nearly tripped over Ben as he stepped away from Will in alarm. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to say something, anything, to stave off the attack. Elizabeth stepped between her husband and the boy. �Please come and sit down, Jason. Ben? Would you go and ask Kathleen to come down, please?� Jason�s gaze darted to follow Ben as he left the room. He looked at Will once more, unsure if he could believe that the woman in the room would be able to stop that man from doing him grievous harm should he so choose. Elizabeth took the boy�s arm and guided him to a seat. Will was silent now. He could find nothing more to say. Looking at the sad figure of Jason he wondered how he could have ever thought his daughter would have fallen for the insidious charms of a teenage womanizer. This poor lad in front of him was by all indications just as quiet, just as studious as Kathleen. He was surprised to find that he found it oddly comforting. �Jason.� Will saw the lad flinch at the sound of his voice. �Is there anything you�d like to say?� he asked in a softer tone. Jason shook his head and the room lapsed into silence once more. A few moments later the door opened to admit Kathleen and Ben. Jason scrambled to his feet and Kathleen paused halfway between him and the door. She looked at Jason, then at her father. For a moment her sad eyes were fixed on Will�s, then she lowered her gaze and stepped closer to Jason. The boy shot an anxious glance at Will, moving toward Kathleen to take her hand in his. His chin came up and he met Will�s gaze bravely. �We... uh.. I would like to do the right thing, Mr. Darcy... sir.... I do love Kathleen, and I would like to marry her, that is, if you have no.... objections.� Will thought he would laugh outright. The idea was ludicrous. Then he realized that the pair was serious and he frowned. �That is out of the question. No.� �But Daddy!� Kathleen interjected. �No.� Will repeated sternly. �Marriage. You�re both too young! And pregnancy is no excuse for it.� Kathleen looked away from him, afraid to show him her tears of disappointment. She blinked her eyes and said bitterly �That�s not what you�ve always told us about you and Mum.� Will�s head came up sharply. �What?� Defiantly, Kathleen stood her ground. �You�ve always said that you would have married Mum sooner if you�d known she was pregnant with Ben. Isn�t that the same thing?� �No it is not!� Will stared at his daughter in disbelief. Where did she come by this stubbornness all of a sudden? �The situation between your mother and I was far more complicated than a simple inattentiveness to �.� �Will.� Elizabeth placed a hand on his arm. �Kathleen, that is totally irrelevant. We are here to discuss your situation, nothing else. I agree with your father. Marriage is out of the question.� �But why?� Kathleen looked from one parent to the other. �Other kids have done it.� Shaking his head, Will turned his back and walked away from them. �Kathleen.� Ben spoke up from where he had been quietly standing by the door. �How long do you think you would stay together if you married now?� She looked at her brother thoughtfully, but said nothing. Jason looked down at his feet. �You know it wouldn�t work,� Ben continued. �So why risk it? Especially when you would be able to stay at home, have your baby and still see Jason without either of you risking your futures.� �Kathleen�s future has been changed already,� Will said harshly. �She will never be able to go back.� �Changed, yes, but not necessarily for the worse.� Elizabeth stepped closer to her daughter and took the couple�s joined hands. �Kathleen, you know that we will always be here for you. We will support you through all of it. Please consider your brother�s words. It really is better for you both this way. Jason can finish university, and you can finish school. Wherever it goes after that will be up to you two.� Kathleen nodded slowly. She looked to Jason, who inclined his head in resignation. Swallowing painfully, she released their hands and crossed the room to stop just behind her father�s turned back. �Daddy?� she whispered. Will�s shoulders rose and fell, then he turned to face her. They stood facing one another for several seconds, until Will held out his arms and pulled her into his embrace. He stroked her hair as he closed his eyes. You�ll always be my little girl. ***

Will�s shoulders rose and fell, then he turned to face her. They stood facing one another for several seconds, until Will held out his arms and pulled her into his embrace. He stroked her hair as he closed his eyes. You�ll always be my little girl. *sigh* Beautiful, Teg!

*sigh* Beautiful, Teg! *sniff* Ain't that the truth!

well, while we wait for Teg's next heart-wrenching installment.... here's a bit of silliness- Enjoy. :-) Arabella's Conception, or; Lizzy Gets Stuck. "Papa?" Darcy looked up from his correspondence to see his eldest son standing at the doorway of his office, shifting from foot to foot and studying the floor. "Yes son? What is it?" he inquired. Thomas hung his head and mumbled something in to his jacket collar. Darcy sighed. "Take your chin off of your chest and speak clearly, please." "It's Mama." Well, he understood that clearly enough, however the lad seemed unwilling to add anything else to the message. Striving for patience, Darcy drummed his fingers on his thigh and inquired, "Yes, what about your mother? Does she require my assistance in some manner?" "Yes sir." Thomas answered, speaking toward the floor again. "Where is she?" Darcy asked rising, realizing he hadn't seen his wife since breakfast that morning. Thomas drew a deep breath, then confessed. "She's stuck." "Stuck?" Darcy drew to a halt in surprise, and Thomas looked up at his father with twitching lips and a hint of laughter lurking in his eyes. Really, Darcy thought, the lad found amusement in the oddest things. But still, if Thomas thought Elizabeth's predicament to be amusing, then it wasn't likely to be serious. "Ahem," Darcy cleared his throat, and eyed his offspring. "Stuck where, precisely?" "In the tree." Thomas nearly had to run to keep up with his father's long strides as they headed toward the grove of trees where he had left his mother and younger brother some minutes ago. He was quite enjoying his father's mumblings regarding foolish women and wives in particular. Unfortunately he could not understand it all, for the mumblings were being uttered in Latin, a language adopted by his father whenever he was obliged to say something aloud that he did not want his children or wife to understand. Mama said it was Papa's way of relieving his spleen, without resorting to curses. However, Thomas felt it only fair to remind his father, "Mr. Corbett is teaching me Latin this year Papa." Daringly, he clucked his tongue with disapproval, then gave his father, what his mother called 'his Darcy Look', over the bridge of his nose. Darcy looked startled for a moment then broke into a wide grin. He reached over and riffled his hand through his son's hair and asked, "Which grove is it?" Thomas pointed toward a group of trees near the northern pasture and the two continued on companionably. As they drew near, Darcy heard his youngest son's clear voice calling out, "The minister's cat is a ridiculous cat." "The minister's cat is a rambunctious cat." His wife replied. "The minister's cat is a suspicious cat." Jack went on to the next letter in the game, as Darcy and Thomas arrived at the tree. His serious young face clearly showed his relief at his father's appearance. "The minister's cat is a sanctimonious cat." Elizabeth replied, from somewhere in the leafy boughs above them. "Then he must belong to Mr. Collins." Darcy announced. This caused his sons to fall about in fits of laugher and Elizabeth muttered a shriek of surprise. The foliage around her shook and Fitzwilliam worried that she would lose her grip on the limb upon which she was perched. "Mr. Darcy?" "Yes, Mrs. Darcy?" he inquired, gazing upward. "I appear to be stuck Sir, and require assistance." "So I was informed by our oldest son." "Well?" Lizzy asked expectantly. "Well, what, my dear?" Darcy asked hiding his amusement. Although he could not see her, he had no problem visualizing Elizabeth rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Would you please climb to my aid?" "Elizabeth, I have not attempted to scale a tree in twenty years at least. Could not one of the lads climb up?" "No!" Elizabeth cried out urgently. "It is best that you, and you alone, are the one who rescues me." Darcy raised an eyebrow at this, then with a sigh decided that if he ever wished to see his wife again, he had best go up the tree after her. He paused a moment to remove his coat and hat, then after a slight hesitation, he braced himself against the trunk of the tree. "Pull." He instructed, sticking out his booted foot toward his son. Thomas eagerly grabbed hold of the boot and pulled with all his might. The tight boot gave suddenly, and Thomas went tumbling to the ground. The process was repeated with the other boot and Darcy turned to eye the nearest limb. "Elizabeth, how on earth did you get up there?" The nearest limb was far to high for her to have reached without assistance. "We helped, Papa!" Jack answered for his mother. "We cupped our hands like this and lifted her foot. Do you want us to help lift you too?" Darcy eyed the eager lad, while the sound of muffled laughter waffled down from Elizabeth's perch. "Hmm, I think not." He managed to get out, without betraying his amusement, "Thank you just the same." He clasped the lowest branch, and with a slight grunt, pulled himself upward, and began to climb. He hadn't gone more than four feet, when a set of very familiar toes were suddenly before his nose. Noting that they were standing upon a very sturdy looking branch, he wondered why Elizabeth could not proceed on her own. That thought was driven out of his head the moment his eyes moved upward. Not only were her toes bare, but her legs were as well. More astonishingly, they were exposed to him, almost in their entirety, as her dress was hiked up well past mid-thigh. "My dress is caught behind me." Elizabeth whispered, seeing her husbands astonished expression. "It is snagged on a branch, and I cannot reach backward to loosen it without losing my balance." Darcy's eyes swept upward, enjoying the view until he reached his wife's disgruntled face. "Do hurry Fitzwilliam, my arms are growing weary." She added, as he made no move to attend her. He could image she was quite uncomfortable. The limb she clutched with her hands was both above and behind her head, forcing Elizabeth to bow her back; chest and torso thrust forward. It was a view to stimulate any man's senses, and Fitzwilliam Darcy was no exception. Climbing upward, he joined her on the sturdy branch. His new position afforded him a view of Pemberley through the treetops and he squinted his eyes and groaned when he took in the view of the front drive. "Thomas, Jack," he called down to his sons, still guarding the base of the tree. "We have company arriving. Run up to the house and greet our guest. Your mother and I will join you presently." "It is only Richard," he assured Elizabeth, seeing her concerned look. "He will take no offense to being received by two lads, rather than Pemberley's master or mistress. Now," he instructed her, "bring your arms down and hold onto my shoulders." He clasped one arm around her waist, and with his free hand braced himself on the branch that Elizabeth had been clutching. Elizabeth let out a groan as her aching arms were at last lowered, and she wrapped them securely around her husband. "Now what?" she questioned. "Can you reach the branch and free my skirts?" Apparently not, Darcy decided. He was out of available hands. What to do? He pondered for a moment, brain working feverishly as he tried to ignore the fact that his wife was half-naked and plastered to him as closely as she could manage. He eyed the branch holding Elizabeth hostage, and suddenly had an idea. Maneuvering them, until his right leg was between hers, Darcy shifted his arm downward from Elizabeth's waist, until it was under her buttocks. He then had her wrap her legs around his waist and he moved his right foot out to rest upon the branch behind her. With Elizabeth now balanced on his thigh, arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, Darcy was able to reach out and free her dress. "Alright then, you're free." He grinned down at her and smiled widely when she batted her lashes and declared him to be her hero. "You know," Elizabeth murmured, running her fingers slowly down his chest and toward the waistband of his breeches. "It is traditional for a lady to reward her hero with kiss, or some other prize, when he has rescued her from danger." Elizabeth had been far from oblivious to her husband's state upon seeing her stretched out, so scantily clad, before him. Darcy looked at his wife in astonishment, "In a tree?" he croaked. "Hmmm" Elizabeth nibbled on his neck as she quickly undid a button on his breeches and found him with her hand. Knowing exactly how to tease him, she ran her fingers from the tip to the base and felt him respond, even as he protested; "We can be back to the house in behind our bedroom door in no more than ten minutes." "No we cannot, we have company." Elizabeth reminded him, "Richard will commandeer you the moment we return and I won't have you all to myself again until you retire tonight. Which," she added, "will be several hours after I retire, because on the first night of his visits, Richard inevitably convinces you to spend the evening with him in the billiards room." He was hard and hot in her hand now, and she let go of him momentarily to pull her skirts completely up and out of the way. "I want you Fitzwilliam" she whispered, and wrapped her arm back around his waist and with her other hand, brought his head down for a searing kiss. Her fingers tangled in his curls as Fitzwilliam's tongue swept in and invaded her mouth. He moaned and tightened his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. "Alright." He agreed, passion and pleasure making ashes of his good intentions to see them safely down, and in a private spot before continuing this activity. Elizabeth reached for him again, and finding him more than ready, positioned him to enter her. One arm still braced above him, and the other around her waist, he began to lift and lower her on his shaft. After a few moments, he realized that his was not going to work. He wanted, he needed both of his hands on her. Slowly, he began maneuvering sideways along the wide branch, until he reached to trunk of the tree. Turning, he leaned back against the trunk and let go of the higher branch. With both hands now free, he clasped Elizabeth's bottom firmly and began working her up and down along his length. Elizabeth's fingers dug into his shoulders as she felt Darcy's strong arms lifting her over and over-again, bringing her closer and closer to fulfillment. She didn't realize she was crying out until his mouth covered hers and his tongue began thrusting and etreating in an action that mimicked the motions of his body below. Suddenly, a growl issued forth from Darcy. He jerked his head back as he exploded deep inside of her. His release triggered her own, and Elizabeth immediately followed her husband, shirking his name. Darcy wrapped both arms around his wife, and slowly lowered them downward until they were sitting on the wide limb. Elizabeth was snuggled contently in his lap as he leaned weakly against the trunk of the tree. He rubbed her back gently and asked, "alright love?" "Hmmm, it was wonderful." Elizabeth sighed. "You are wonderful." She leaned back to look up at him, and smiled. Darcy let out a light chuckle, "I'm glad you think so." He said, then grimaced, "I think I must have struck my head against the tree trunk at some point." He paused to rub the back of his head. "Well, it's nothing less than I deserve for risking both our lives. I can't believe I just made love to you in a tree." "I suppose we had best go and greet your cousin, before he decides to come looking for us." Elizabeth said as she adjusted her bodice. Somewhere along the line she had spilled out of the top of it. Darcy agreed, and before long they were both safely on the ground and headed for Pemberley. As they walked along companionably, Elizabeth's hand tucked securely into the crock of Darcy's arm a thought occurred to him. "Elizabeth," he questioned, "what was it that prompted you to climb that tree?" Lizzy just smiled at her husband and remained mysteriously silent on the subject, no matter how much he questioned her.

Very cute Esbee! I wonder - would that really work? Hmmmm.....

....would that really work? Hmmmm.. It did for them.....and we're the beneficiaries. Delightful story, Esbee.Very creative.Who said we were running out of ways for L&D to go at it ;-)

(Evelyn) Who said we were running out of ways for L&D to go at it lol! Nevah!! Actually Marcia (my editor extraordinaire) deserves partial credit for the idea... she suggested I get them out of doors and while we were brainstorming trees kept coming up. so.. I decided to put them up a tree. ;-) glad it was enjoyed-

Hello everyone. I have VERY important CF info for those of you who live in the US. On your local PBS station, Master Piece Theatre will be showing "The Turning of the Screw" on this Sunday at 9pm (at least they are here in NY on channel 13). CF is one of the main characters. So check out your local listings for your PBS station! Good luck finding it, and happy viewing!!! ~Liz K

Cute Esbee! I loved it! Parallels Chapter Four �There he is!� The taunting voices echoed across the schoolyard. Aaron ignored them. He always ignored them. Briskly walking across the open space, he had nearly made it to the entry doors when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. �Where are you going so fast?� The speaker was a good six inches taller than Aaron, and very unhappy not to receive an answer to his question. �I was talking to you, Yank.� Aaron shot him a look that said precisely what his opinion was of this bully. The other boys gathered around the bigger one as if they could gain strength from his mere proximity. They were blocking the entryway now, and Aaron had no choice but to stop and face them. �Outta my way.� The bigger boy laughed. �Make me.� The doors were suddenly pushed open from the inside and shoved into the bully�s back. �No blocking the entrance, please,� said Mr. Evans as he eyed the group closely. Aaron took advantage of the opportunity and slipped past the teacher and into the school. The other boys slouched away. Mr. Evans followed Aaron to his locker. �How often do they try that?� Aaron didn�t look up as he replied. �Often enough. I can handle them.� He tossed his backpack into the locker and pulled out his books for the first class. The teacher watched him for a moment and then turned to leave. �Just keep your eyes open, lad.� He walked slowly back down the hall to exit the building. Aaron slammed the door shut on his locker and spun the lock. Tucking the books under his arm he made his way to the stairs and took them two at a time up to the next floor and his first class. The day was like any other, boring. Aaron dutifully attended his classes. He�d learned his lesson early on that his uncle would not tolerate his skipping school. Although he couldn�t care less what Uncle Will said, there really wasn�t anything else to do anyway. The town was boring, the kids were boring, making even school more interesting for him. As the last class was let out, Aaron shuffled down the hallway to his locker, grabbed his things and headed out to the carpark to meet his cousins for the trip back home. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the group of boys that made up the local gang. Aaron snorted in disgust. They call themselves a gang! Ha! They wouldn�t last five minutes back home. Home. Aaron still clung to the belief that his stay in England was just temporary, and that any day now his mother would announce that it was time to return to New York. He angrily kicked at a rock in his path as he thought about how much he hated being in England, at Pemberley... with his uncle, aunt and cousins. There was nothing to do, no baseball, no hockey, only soccer and that incredibly boring cricket! Well, he conceded, the horses are kind of interesting. That�s something I never tried at home. Aaron looked up when he heard someone calling to his cousin Rich. �We�re going for a game of footie in the gym. Are you coming?� Aaron saw his cousin confer briefly with Rebecca, then toss his bag into the car and set off after his friend with an excited smile on his face. Glancing at his watch, Aaron frowned. They were going to be late getting home if Kathleen didn�t arrive soon. He glanced around at the parked cars and back toward the school building. Then he spotted Kathleen walking on the south side of the building on her way to the car. He was about to climb into the car to wait when he heard Rebecca�s voice. �Oh, no.� Glancing quickly at her, Aaron saw that her gaze was fixed on her sister�s progress across the yard. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Kathleen surrounded by the group of boys who called themselves a gang. Dropping his backpack Aaron set off at a run in their direction, Rebecca�s voice ringing in his ears as she called for him to come back. The voices reached him from several strides away. Aaron�s temper flared as he heard the names the boys were using. He could see Kathleen was near tears, her books clutched tightly to her chest as she tried to shove her way past the group. The bullies jostled her right and left, bumping her until she stumbled and nearly fell. All the while they were calling her �tart� and �slut� and a whole slew of other titles reserved for the very low class. The flames of Aaron�s anger were fanned higher. He grabbed the shoulder of the first boy he reached and spun him around. Slamming a fist into the lad�s face, Aaron turned to tackle the next one. He�d taken out three of them before the first punch landed in Aaron�s midsection. He doubled over and another fist came down on the back of his head. He could hear Kathleen yelling, and he struggled against the bodies trying to hold him down. From somewhere in the back of his mind he could suddenly hear his father�s voice...... It�s an inner strength, Aaron. That�s what makes the difference between doing your best and just doing. He gritted his teeth and reached deep down inside of himself for that strength...... *** The late November sun was deceptive, Elizabeth was thinking as she stared out of the window. It certainly looked warm and cheerful outside, if one didn�t notice the bare branches of the trees. �Isn�t it getting late? The kids should have been home by now.� Will was staring at the clock, comparing it�s display with the one on his watch. Elizabeth smiled. If their daughters had thought him over-protective before, they must be suffering terribly now. Whenever Kathleen was out of his sight for any longer than was necessary for her to complete the school day, Will was pacing the front hall waiting for their arrival. He had spent the last month making sure that she followed the doctor�s directions explicitly. Elizabeth couldn�t recall him being this concerned during any of her pregnancies, although he had certainly been attentive. But then again, this was his grandchild, and he had become rather excited at the prospect as the weeks passed. The telephone rang, and Will crossed to the desk to pick it up. Elizabeth turned back to look out of the window. She had never tired of the view over the years. No matter the season, it was just as beautiful a sight to behold. She heard the receiver replaced forcefully, and Will called her name. �That was the school. Aaron�s been involved in a brawl in the yard.� Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, but Will continued impatiently. �I knew it was only a matter of time before something broke. Where�s Georgiana?� �She had an appointment in town. I don�t think she�ll be long.� Elizabeth followed her husband out into the hall. Will snatched a set of keys from the rack and pulled his coat on. �I�ll send the girls home when I get there. The headmaster said Aaron was fine, but I�ll wait to see for myself. There were five other lads involved, but I doubt that any were on Aaron�s side.� He opened the door and started to step outside. �Will,� Elizabeth called. Her husband paused and looked back. �Don�t be too hard on him.� Will smiled grimly. �I should think those five lads did that already, Elizabeth.� he said as he hurried down the steps. *** Kathleen spotted Will�s car and tapped her sister�s elbow. Rebecca held her breath as the vehicle came to a stop with a short screech of the tyres. �Oh, he doesn�t look very pleased.� Rebecca whispered. As he climbed out of the car, Will called to his daughters, �You two can go home, now. I�ll take care of Aaron.� The girls looked at each other. Kathleen turned back to her father. �But, Dad �.� Will�s head snapped around and he looked at them icily. �Am I required to repeat myself?� �No,� Rebecca said hurriedly and grabbed her sister�s arm, pulling her toward their car. Before getting in, they watched Will angrily stride away until he disappeared through the doors and into the school. The hallways were empty and silent. Will had never been inside the school except for teacher interviews and student recitals. His children had never been cause for him to be called here after hours, or during school hours for that matter. The headmaster�s office was not difficult to find. Will knocked on the door and stepped through when he heard an answering voice telling him to enter. A quick glance at Aaron assured him that the boy wasn�t seriously injured, although the icepack he was holding to his face didn�t bode well for his future appearance. The headmaster was sitting behind his desk and there was one other man in the room; a teacher, Will surmised. �I�m Will Darcy.� Will stepped forward and extended his hand across the desk�s surface. �Jim Reynolds.� The headmaster rose from his chair and shook Will�s hand. �Please, have a seat.� He indicated another vacant chair opposite Aaron, then nodding toward the other man, added, �This is Gary Evans, one of our teachers.� Will nodded to them both and sat down. �What happened?� �Aaron was involved in an altercation with five other boys in the yard after school today. They have apparently been tormenting him on a regular basis, according to Mr. Evans, here.� Will was hardly surprised by this news. His nephew seemed to have gone out of his way to make people dislike him. �I apologise for the trouble he�s caused.� Will shifted his gaze to Aaron, sitting silently across the room. �I assure you that his attitude will be making a severe change for the better.� �Oh, you misunderstand me, Mr. Darcy.� Reynolds said. �The other boys fancy themselves the school bullies, and Aaron certainly isn�t the only target of theirs, although being new, and being a foreigner he is a more obvious one. Aaron has been no trouble at all up to this point, apart from his earlier truancy problems.� Will was a little astonished to hear this. He had assumed that his nephew was as miserable and uncooperative at school as at home. �Your nephew wasn�t precisely what I wished to speak to you about,� Reynolds continued. Will raised an eyebrow. �What precisely did you wish to speak to me about, then?� �The reason for today�s occurrence was that the other boys had decided to pick on Aaron�s cousin.� Will suddenly recalled that he had not seen his youngest son when he had arrived. �Rich?� Reynolds shook his head. �Kathleen actually. There seem to be some rumours circulating about your daughter. Now, don�t be alarmed. Rumours are always circulating about someone or other in a school. It�s just that I thought you should be apprised of it.� �What rumours?� Will asked tentatively. �That she has been engaging in promiscuous activities.� Reynolds held up one hand as he saw the anger reflected in Will�s expression. �Please do not overreact. The boys naturally picked up on this and, as bullies do, began taunting her in the yard after classes today. Aaron took matters into his own hands when he took offense at this attack on his cousin.� Will looked at his nephew in surprise. �You took on five others to defend Kathleen?� �He did.� Mr Evans spoke up at last. �I was the first staff member on the scene after Rebecca came in calling for help. I thought Aaron was in big trouble until I reached them. He�d managed to inflict a fair bit of damage in his own defence and wasn�t any worse for wear than any of the other boys.� �Not that we condone any aspect of their behaviour,� the headmaster was quick to point out. �We were just very relieved that no serious damage was done to anyone involved.� He leaned on his desk and said very seriously, �Mr. Darcy, there will be severe repercussions for what has happened here today. Not for Aaron, but for the other boys. Their behaviour has been most inexcusable and I hope you believe me when I say that they will be dealt with first thing in the morning.� Will said nothing for a moment. His thoughts shifted from anger for what Kathleen had been through to amazement that Aaron would have come to her rescue. Finally he looked at the headmaster and stood up. �Thank you. I wish to know the end result of your meeting with the boys responsible for this.� Reynolds also rose from his seat. �I will call you after I see the boys and their parents.� Turning to his nephew, Will said simply, �Aaron, let�s go.� The walk back to the car was the longest of Aaron�s life. He followed his uncle wordlessly, afraid to utter a sound. He knew that he had been pushing the limit with Will�s patience since they had come to Pemberley. Up until now he had thought it wasn�t important, that he didn�t care what his uncle thought or said. Now he wasn�t sure. Aaron realized that he�d spent the last few months feeling quite envious of his cousins, and very angry that they still had parents; parents who took them places, parents who did things with them... parents who cared. A sudden anguish rose up inside him as he remembered the little things that he used to do with his father. The little things that were now lost to him. He forgot himself for a moment and slammed his fist against the side of the car. Will looked up, startled at the thump when Aaron hit the car door. Their eyes met over the roof of the vehicle. �Sorry.� Aaron looked away as he mumbled his apology. He wasn�t sure if he could handle seeing his uncle�s disappointment in him. �Aaron.� Will waited until he had his nephew�s attention once more. �Aaron, I�m not going to lecture you. I�m not your father. You don�t even know me, really. I wish we�d been able to get to know one another under better circumstances.� Will looked away for a moment, examining the finish on the car�s surface. �Thank you for standing up for Kathleen.� He ran out of words. �Uncle Will?� Their eyes met again over the car. �Thanks for putting up with me.... and for taking care of my mom.� Will started to smile as he unlocked the car. �Hey, it is you, Dad!� called a voice. Aaron and Will both turned their heads to see Rich approaching them. �I thought it was your car, but Rebecca was supposed to be coming back to pick me up.� he continued. �Whoa, Aaron! What happened?� Rich was staring in amazement at his cousin�s swollen face. �You can hear all about it on the way home, Rich.� Will ushered the boys into the car and they set off for Pemberley. *** Georgiana was not at all pleased to see her son�s condition when they returned home. Neither she nor Brian had ever approved of fighting, difficult enough to avoid when their son grew up in one of the largest cities, and Aaron had been strictly informed from day one that it would not be tolerated. Will�s smile and obvious pride in her son�s behaviour only aggravated her further. Still, she had to admit that Aaron�s attitude had changed for the better since that incident at school. He was almost cheerful in the mornings, and actually expressed interest in what the others were doing after school. Georgiana was also encouraged to see Aaron spending more time with Will, and with Ben when he was home on weekends. With a pang, she realized that Christmas wasn�t far away. The holiday had always been one of her and Brian�s favourites, and she was not looking forward to this one. Georgiana knew that Elizabeth and Will would do their best to make herself and Aaron feel comfortable. It had been far too many years since she had spent a Christmas at Pemberley. Georgiana smiled as she recalled it was the one just before her own wedding, twenty years ago. Twenty years! It seems like only yesterday. And it seems like forever since you�ve been gone, Brian. Memories began to flood her mind, images of Brian, of their time spent together. Intimate Christmases, curled up together before a warm fire, making love until the wee hours of the morning and falling asleep snuggled in his arms. Closing her eyes, Georgiana could imagine him here beside her, could almost feel the brush of his lips on her cheek. His hand rose to caress her face, the whisper of his voice in her ear reassuring her of the love that still beat strongly in his heart. �I miss you so much, Brian.� Her voice was choked with sobs she refused to let go. �I�m always with you, Georgie. Always,� he soothed, his lips joining with hers. �I would never leave you so utterly alone.......� The sudden slam of a door brought her back to the present with a start. Georgiana suddenly realized that she had given no thought at all in the last five months to the business that her husband had built. Her brother and cousin, Richard, had been taking care of the company ever since Brian had died. Since the two of them were major shareholders, and had set Brian up financially at the beginning, it was only natural for them to take on the responsibility to keep the operation going. Georgiana acknowledged that it was now time for her take on the role that Will was performing in her absence. She resolved to speak to him about it before the new year began. As for the immediate future, shopping was on the agenda. Georgiana had promised to take her nieces out to look for Christmas gifts. Actually, it was more like the nieces would be taking the aunt out, but they all thought it would be fun. Elizabeth was not invited, since the object of their search was primarily gifts for that set of parents. Georgiana had a few ideas, and a few more that she thought would be just perfect for her brother�s girls to get for him. She laughed to herself as she thought about those. �Aaron?� she said when she caught sight of her son passing the doorway. �I�m going into Leeds with Rebecca and Anna. Would you like me to pick up anything for you?� Aaron popped his head around the door. �No thanks, Mom.� �What are you up to?� �Uncle Will is going to teach Rich and me how to play billiards.� Georgiana laughed. �Aaron, your father taught you how to play that long ago! We called it pool back home.� Aaron looked thoughtful for a moment. �Oh.� Then he smiled. �Well, I guess Uncle Will doesn�t have to know that.� Georgiana laughed again as she remembered the first time her husband had played that game with her brother. He hadn�t bothered to inform Will that he was quite skilled at it then, either. It wasn�t long before Rebecca and Anna came by her room to tell her that they were ready to leave. The three ladies gathered up their bags and headed out to the car. On the way out they passed Ben, also home for the weekend before his final exams, as he ran up the steps to the front door. �Hey, where are you off to?� he asked, smiling. �Leeds, to the shops,� answered Anna. �Would you like to come with us?� She grinned at his expression of disgust. �I thought not. Have a nice day, Ben!� He ran up the remaining steps and into the house. Once inside, he made straight for his father�s study. Peering into the room, he smiled upon seeing it vacant and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Crossing to the desk, Ben picked up the phone and quickly tapped in a number. �Hi,� he said when it was picked up at the other end. �I made it home.� He listened for a moment. �I know, but I�ll be back on Tuesday. I have three exams next week and then I�m done.� More silence as he listened. �I�m sure I can put them off until Sunday, then I�ll have to come home for the rest of the holidays.� Ben looked toward the door as he heard voices in the hallway. �I�ll have to go. I�ll ring you back tonight. How�s ten o�clock?� He smiled at the reply. �You just want to torture me, don�t you?� The voices were coming closer. �Got to go. I�ll talk to you later.� He replaced the receiver as the door opened and his mother came in, followed by two of the maids. �Oh, Ben! I didn�t know you were here!� Elizabeth exclaimed. �Why didn�t you tell me you were home already?� Ben flashed her a charming smile. �I was just about to come look for you.� Elizabeth gave him a warm hug. �When is your last exam? When will you be home for the rest of the holidays?� �I�ve got three next week. I�ll be home on Sunday.� �Sunday!� Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. �But surely you�ll be finished before then.� �My last exam is on Thursday,� he said. Upon seeing his mother about to speak again, he added, �but some of my friends want to get together before we all go home for Christmas. I�ll be home after that. Sunday at the earliest.� Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. �I suppose I could hardly begrudge you that, Ben. After all, this is your last year.� Ben smiled inwardly. That was easier than he thought it would be. Maybe he could squeeze another day or two out of it. �Thanks, Mum. I knew you�d understand. Where�s Dad?� �He�s in the games room with your brother and Aaron.� Elizabeth rolled her eyes. �Perhaps you could make it a foursome. Even the odds a little?� Ben grinned. �Not this time, Mum. Sorry. Dad�s on his own, I�m afraid. I have a few things to do this afternoon.� He made his retreat, leaving his mother to whatever task she had in mind for the maids. *** �Hello.� �Oh, it�s you again.� Ben grinned as he lay back on his bed, the telephone beside him. �And I thought you liked me!� �You know I do,� she said in a husky voice. �Or haven�t I made that clear enough yet?� Drawing in a sharp breath, Ben replied quietly, �Oh, very clear, my dear. Very clear indeed.� �Will you be back tomorrow? I�ll have the house to myself for the afternoon.� �I doubt I�ll be able to make it back that early. I�m sorry. I wish I could, but we�ll have all next week won�t we?� He smiled to himself as he pictured her in his mind. �Oh, yes. I took the week off from work. And I have a lot planned for us to do, too.� Ben heard her giggle. �Will you be able to stay until Sunday?� �Most definitely!� Ben chuckled. �I might be able to finagle another couple of days on top of that if I�m lucky.� Her laughter sent goosebumps up his spine. �Well, you are a very lucky fellow, aren�t you? Or perhaps I should say that I am the one who�s lucky, or will be!� He heard someone in the background. �Oh, I�ve got to go Ben. He�s woken up. Ring me tomorrow when you get back?� �I will. Goodnight.� �Ta ra, babe.� Ben put the telephone back on the side table and lay back again to stare up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Sighing happily, he rolled over and turned out the light. *** to be continued....

SB! Loved it! Reminded me of that old childhood song... Lizzy and Darcy sitting in a tree. #-^-@-%-I-N-G! Ok, not excatly like that song. *sigh* Teg! �Oh, I�ve got to go Ben. He�s woken up. Ring me tomorrow when you get back?� I remember the anguish I went through trying to figure out who was 'he'!

"Oh, I�ve got to go Ben. He�s woken up. Ring me tomorrow when you get back?� (Danielle) I remember the anguish I went through trying to figure out who was 'he'! me too, Danielle. :) Teg - wonderful as always! Looking forward to more-

Ack! tags -sorry!

So Esbee, this would be the conception scene for Child # ? Funny and clever.

We were chatting a short time ago about CF's 'stage directions' for P&P2. As I watched it again (for the 25th time, yes I keep count), I looked for all the places where the stage direction could have applied and it led to this little bit of silliness. The Stage Direction - Part One Scene I - Lucas Lodge �Allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner.� Thank you Sir Lucas. Very desirable, yes indeed she is. Oh No! Breathe deeply...calm down. �I would be very happy if you would do me the honor of dancing with me Miss Bennet.� Luckily I�m wearing these dark trousers tonight and not those tight breeches. Maybe no one will notice my predicament. What? She won�t dance with me? Well that fixed one problem anyway. Phew! Look at her. Her eyes are so beautiful. See how they sparkle when she smiles. Oh No! Why does this keep happening to me? I haven�t had this problem since I was a teenager. �I believe I can guess your thoughts at this moment.� Phew! Thank you Miss Bingley. You would be amazed at how you have helped me! I better sit down before it happens again. Scene II - The Grounds at Netherfield Park �Miss Bennet!� Oh No! Not again! �I came to inquire after my sister.� She is so beautiful. Her windblown hair looks like she just rolled out of bed. I wish it were my bed. Her face is flushed becomingly and her fine eyes are bright from the exercise. You are a vision of loveliness, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Look at the way her curls bounce on the back of her neck. The back view is just as enticing as the front. I�m glad I�m wearing this greatcoat! Scene III - The Netherfield Breakfast Room �I�m afraid she is quite unwell.� Bingley is inviting her to stay! I�ll get to see her beautiful face and lovely form all the time! Oh No! However will I control myself? I�d better stand behind this chair before someone notices. Scene IV - The Netherfield Billiard Room What is that vision before me? She is enchanting in the candlelight. Her skin glows and her eyes sparkle. Look at how that dress shows off the swell of her beautiful breasts. How I�d like to run my fingers around that neckline. Mmmmmm. Oh No! She is leaving. Concentrate on hitting the ball. That�s it. Phew! Now if I can just control myself for the rest of this night. Scene V - Darcy�s Dressing Room at Netherfield Whew, that bath water was warm. The cool air from that window feels so good. Let me get closer. There�s Miss Bennet! Oh No! Look at her playing with that dog. She is so lively and playful. The perfect companion for my bed. How I long to have her there! Why am I having these thoughts? Yes, she is beautiful and I lust after her but this is indecent. I can never marry her and I shouldn�t be thinking like this. She is pure and innocent and doesn�t deserve this. I have to get these thoughts out of my mind. I am an honorable man. I am an honorable man. I am an honorable man. To be continued

LOL Keep going,Gail...with your "Oh No, Not Again" vignettes...you have a few more episodes to go.And when it comes to the wedding scene....well, it's pretty obvious:-)

Heide - this is baby number 3 (of 5 ...there were only four, then i realized i called Annabella, Arabella half of the time -oops. Can you say 'blond writer'?) ;-) Gail - LOL! i love it, what a hoot. post more!!!

The Stage Direction - Part Two Scene VI � The Netherfield Drawing Room �Would you care to take a turn around the room with me Miss Bennet? It is so refreshing.� Look at her! She looks so much better in orange than Miss Bingley! Join them? And miss this view? I think not. Walking certainly does show off her fine figure! Oh No! The blush on her beautiful face is so becoming. �A man without fault?� If I didn�t have my legs crossed she would see one very big fault indeed. No, I�m not bragging � I was referring to the fact that I cannot keep my mind out of the gutter! �Every disposition has a tendency to some particular evil.� Yes, I have to admit that I do have a particular evil hounding me at this moment. �Yours is a propensity to hate everybody!� Oh, if she only knew! Scene VII � The Netherfield Ball She looks exquisite tonight � the ribbons and flowers in her hair � that beautiful ivory dress that shows off her assets quite nicely. Look at how her curls bounce as she dances. Oh No! Thankfully I�m wearing these dark breeches. I hope my affliction isn�t obvious! Breathe deep. Calm down. �Why, I had not...I thank you, yes.� She�s going to dance with me! Miss Elizabeth Bennet is going to dance with me! She is standing across from me � I can stare at her loveliness all I want! Oh No! Please Miss Bennet, keep your eyes on my face! The touch of her hand, the smell of her perfume, the feel of her brushing past me! Oh Miss Bennet, what you do to me! Luckily she is looking at my face. Yes, keep talking please � don�t look down! �Allow me to say that your fair partner does not disgrace you and I hope to have this pleasure often repeated when a certain desirable event takes place.� Desirable event? What does he mean? Phew! Thank you Sir Lucas, you�ve been more helpful than you�ll ever know! Scene VIII � Hunsford Parsonage, first visit by Darcy, joined by Col. Fitzwilliam Look at her smiling and laughing with my cousin. Her eyes haven�t lost any of their sparkle in those months we�ve been apart. Oh No! I thought I had gotten over this! The minute I am in her presence my body loses all control! Keep legs crossed. Keep talking, Mr. Collins � that should help my dilemma! It�s no use � I can�t listen to that man. I have to speak to her. Miss Bennet, please don�t notice the bulge in my pants! Oh dear. I cannot stand in front of her any longer. Mr. Collins � please speak to me again! (I swear in this scene in P&P2 when Darcy walks away from Lizzy, CF was following the stage direction! Watch and judge for yourself! I watched it over and over again myself!) Scene IX � Rosings Park Her playing and singing are wonderful. Listening to her gives me great pleasure. Pleasure? Oh No! I can�t sit here and listen to my aunt. At least the pianoforte will hide my distress. She is always so beautiful in the candlelight. Move over Colonel � you�re much too close for comfort! My comfort that is! That dress is so becoming � so low in front. What a view from this position! �We neither of us perform to strangers.� I�m so grateful you cannot see my performance right now! Scene X � Hunsford Parsonage, second visit by Darcy �You find me all alone this morning.� Darn. Hee, hee, hee. I think this is the longest polite conversation she and I have ever had! Her smile lights up the room. �I think it is possible for a woman to be settled too near her family.� Oh yes! Say you�ll settle with me at Pemberley! Share my life and my bed! Oh No! Keep those legs crossed! I better get out of here before she notices and calls the constable! But how shall I ever stand up without her noticing? Yes, that�s it, my hat - hold it in front of my pants. That will do the trick. �Good day Miss Bennet.� I have to marry that woman before I go out of my mind! Scene XI � Pemberley Gardens �Miss Bennet!� �Mr. Darcy!� Oh No! Oh, I love her! As hard as I�ve tried, I could never forget her! Do I have a chance Miss Bennet? Please say I do! I never will if she notices the state I am in. How fortunate that I am so informally attired � at least my shirttails hide my condition! But I am so informally attired! I have to get out of here - quickly! Scene XII � Pemberley Music Room She is the epitome of loveliness! Her voice is so sweet and pure. Look at how her breasts swell up with the high notes! Oh No! Quick � cross those legs! She looks at me with love in her eyes � I can scarce believe it! Maybe I do have a chance after all. Please relieve my suffering Miss Elizabeth Bennet! Please consent to be my wife! Do I dare hope? Do I dare stand up ever again? Epilogue �Elizabeth, you do not know what you do to me,� he murmurs as he kisses her neck. �Dearest Fitzwilliam, do you mean this?� Lizzy asks as she lightly runs her fingers over the bulge in the front of her new husband�s trousers. �Is this what I do to you?� �Yes,� he groans. �From the first moments of our acquaintance you have had this effect on me! But at least now I am able to find relief for my suffering!� Darcy takes his wife�s hand and leads her to their bedchamber where his suffering is relieved over and over again. THE END!!

lol Gail! are you not going to continue this "Darcy takes his wife�s hand and leads her to their bedchamber where his suffering is relieved over and over again."? ...you know how much we delight in reading all the ways that Lizzy finds to relieve Darcy's suffering. ;-)

�A man without fault?� If I didn�t have my legs crossed she would see one very big fault indeed. No, I�m not bragging � I was referring to the fact that I cannot keep my mind out of the gutter! �Every disposition has a tendency to some particular evil.� Yes, I have to admit that I do have a particular evil hounding me at this moment. �Yours is a propensity to hate everybody!� Oh, if she only knew! LMAO Gail! ...I�m wearing these dark trousers... Now I know why Darcy mostly wore black... And he looked sooooooo good! (SBR) ...you know how much we delight in reading all the ways that Lizzy finds to relieve Darcy's suffering. ;-) *slurp* INDEED!

We neither of us perform to strangers.� I�m so grateful you cannot see my performance right now! ROTFLOL Oh Gail, don't think I can ever look at those scenes again without wondering about "Oh No". Esp the ones where he has his legs crossed. This was a gem.Thanks.

Applause!! Gail, I haven't laughed this hard since....well, it's been a while. You were inspired and like Evelyn, this will be in my head the next time I watch these scenes. Oh dear. I cannot stand in front of her any longer. Mr. Collins - please speak to me again! (I swear in this scene in P&P2 when Darcy walks away from Lizzy, CF was following the stage direction! Watch and judge for yourself! I watched it over and over again myself!) And what a perfect excuse to watch this scene again. I always noticed he did wear a rather "pained" expression. Now we know why.

Okay, I'm back (somewhat) and moving right along. Been a while since I posted. The other chapters are at http://home.hiwaay.net/~icappleg/Darcy/darcy.html for those that want a blast from the past. Actually, I needed one to pick up where I left off! Chapter 33 of "Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose" coming up next!

Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose, Chapter 33 After a miserably fitful night, Darcy bathed himself, dressed, and went for a walk. Everyone else had arisen by the time he got back. And Elizabeth looked so pale. Darcy caught her eye from across the room, and made a slight motion toward the empty library. Elizabeth nodded, and they both subtly slipped away. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Darcy's waist and sagged against him. Darcy rested his cheek on the top of her head; lightly rubbed her back. "I don't feel well at all." Elizabeth buried her face against Darcy's chest. "I'd like to just stay here, right now as we are, and just have everyone else forget we're here." Not remembering much from the night before, Elizabeth wondered if Darcy had gotten any sleep. "Are you well?" Elizabeth whispered. Darcy didn't want to answer her. Frankly, he was annoyed and disgusted -- at her family. A simple graveside service had been planned, but apparently no service could be planned simple enough for the Bennetts to handle with decorum. Upon inquiring of the servants, Darcy learned that Mrs. Bennett would not be at the funeral, as she was still in the throes of swooning and hysterics at Longbourne -- and still demanding complete, constant attention from her husband and anyone else with the misfortune to be nearby. It was questionable whether even Mr. Bennett would show up, and this galled Darcy even more. Mr. Bennett had indulged his wife's and his daughters' silliness, and indeed had the nerve to even be amused by it, that his wife and daughters had run roughshod over too many people for too long -- and now, just to indulge his wife's silliness, he was not going to be there for the daughter who needed him. Even Lydia Wickham, whom Darcy had not seen since their arrival, seemed determined to keep to her rooms. Just as he did at Pemberley when he told Elizabeth of the tragedy, Darcy decided to stick with the facts. He told her he was tired. Then he changed the subject. "Have you seen Mrs. Bingley this morning?" "Yes." Elizabeth put her hand in Darcy's coat pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. She looked up at him through her tears. Not knowing what else to say, she played with the handkerchief. "Jane is not well at all," was all Elizabeth could manage. "I did speak to Bingley, ask him about arrangements for Mrs. Bingley considering her . . . well, her physical condition. It is difficult for her to move, and it the service might be too distressing for her. Bingley has arranged, and Mrs. Bingley has agreed, to stay in her room, at the window overlooking the gravesite, and attend that way." Elizabeth disengaged herself from Darcy, dabbing her eyes. "Good. That's good." "Well, yes. I think it would be most helpful to have someone with her, other than the servants. Bingley and I were hoping you would consent to staying with your sister." Elizabeth nodded and turned away. She took a few steps toward the door, then turned back. Standing on her tiptoes, she put her hand behind Darcy's neck to pull his head down, and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Then she was gone, on her way upstairs to her sister. Darcy stood alone in the library for a few minutes. He heard Mr. Bennett's arrival and glanced at the wall clock. Fifteen minutes. Darcy glanced into the sitting room. Only one person not accounted for -- Darcy gritted his teeth, headed upstairs to Lydia Wickham's chambers.

Irene, this is So Sad! However, I am very eager to read what Darcy will say to Lydia. Post more soon!

(SBR) Irene, this is So Sad! However, I am very eager to read what Darcy will say to Lydia. Perhaps it might be another scene like the one at Pemberley... maybe, Darcy will have to drag her down the steps... kicking and screaming! hee hee. Whatever it will be, I'm sure Irene has something incredible in store for us.

(Evelyn)[I] don't think I can ever look at those scenes again Neither can I, and I will love them the more!!! These last posts are indeed a roller coaster of emotions to return to. (I have just been in London where I saw CF as Shakespeare in "Blackadder, Back and Forth" truly funny!!!! Blackadder socks Shakespeare in the eye on behalf of all the youngsters who have suffered reading Shakespeare, hmmm! CF was as always a handsome sight for sore eyes!) Delightful reading, be it funny or sad!! Hilarious, Gail! Esbee, delicious, so we have still one left ... nice prospect!!! Irene....this is so sad, unbearable even, and Darcy is such a pillar of strength!! Seeing to everybody else's needs before his own!!!! Teg, you know what I think of "Parallels" .... great story!!!

Have any of you read the new P&P sequel 'The Bar Sinister'? I saw it advertised on the Colin Firth Drool page a few days ago and ordered it. It arrived yesterday and so far it is great fun! I managed, in spite of many family interruptions (whadya mean you want supper? OK, OK I'll drive you to the party. Yes dear, I do realize we are home alone. Mmmm, that's nice dear, but can I just finish this chapter?), I did manage to read the first 75 pages (out of 467) and love it. It starts with a hilarious chapter about Lydia going to Longbourn (without her new husband) for Lizzy and Jane's wedding and she takes it upon herself to explain the wedding night particulars to her innocent sisters. When I read this section on page 9 I knew I was hooked: Copulation as recreation would have bumfuzzled Mrs. Bennet, for although her mother thought of Lydia as the daughter most truly after her own heart, she did not share Lydia's concupiscence. (Lydia knew that their mother had to have consummated relations with their father, but was it not for the undeniable existence of herself and four sisters, she would have argued that possibility to the death.) Lydia sought amorous congress just as studiously as her mother avoided it. And whatever Wickham's drawback as a provider, he was a prolific and masterful lover. As it happened, Lydia knew this as fact because he told her so emphatically and often. snicker, snicker The book goes into very satisfying detail on Darcy and Lizzy's sex life and enumerates Darcy's premarital experiences. I'm not sure if the rest of the book will provide as much entertainment, but the first several chapters have made it worth the price for me. According to the back of the book, there is supposed to be childbirth, scandal and tragedy so I am hopeful the fun will continue. Well I must be off to read some more but wanted to share this with the only people I know who might possibly be as enamored of this book as I am.

I haven't ordered The Bar Sinister yet, Gail, but I think I will. None of us are going into this expecting great literature but this sounds like a fun story in the vein of The Diary of Henry Fitzwiliam Darcy. Wouldn't it be great to be able to make a living from writing Austen sequels?

I only glanced through The Bar Sinister,(well, more than glanced I was delivering Ann W. copy and I read it on the plane to London), but I thought some of the stories on our own FF were just as good.

"The Bar Sinister"???? Who is it written by?? What is the story line, I mean being a sequel I know the main characters??

Hanne, Bar Sinister is by a Linda Berdoll. Here is a link to the book on Amazon.com:  Bar Sinister This is the short synopsis on that page: "The Bar Sinister is a witty furthering of the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice through the Napoleonic Wars. Although historically accurate and true to her characters, this book is not, however, prim. Therefore, reader discretion is advised." (I've ordered a copy, but since I'm a little poor at the moment, and the exchange rate isn't so good, I opted for surface mail -- which probably means my copy's currently paddling its way across the Pacific in a kayak!) Coincidentally, though, I picked up a modern (not-quite-)sequel the other day, called Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field (linked to Amazon.co.uk). It's by Melissa Nathan and it's a bit Bridget-Jones-esque. I found it really funny, and worth a quick read! Magazine columnist Jasmin Field has landed a role in a one-off charitry performance of "Pride and Prejudice", directed by Oscar winner Harry Noble; obnoxious, egotistical and handsome.

The Bar Sinister is now available from Amazon? She must be doing well now. Have no worries, Leanne, nothing really goes "surface" anymore. It will come in the same amount of time as "airmail." ;-) Another really fun one is Lions and Liquorice by Kate Fenton. I noticed a used copy available for A$6.50 in NSW on the abebooks website. Here's the info: Dee Why Books , 17 Howard Avenue , Sydney , NSW , Australia , 2099 Phone +61 02 99720227 , Email smidyb@ihug.com.au http://deewhybooks.com.au/

Hi all, my first attempt - spent all afternoon reading Irene's take on Darcy & Lizzy - fun stuff - compounded with Playmaker & The Advocate last night I guess you have a pretty good(bad) idea about me already . LOL! Hope to post here every now and then but don't expect miracles. Had fun with some of you back in January at the Donmar - hope to repeat this experience again

Welcome Sylvia! I guess you have a pretty good(bad) idea about me already... We all have it bad! hee hee! Sounds like an interesting read Gail. I'll have to give it a whirl!

Thanks, Karen, I've had a copy of Lions and Liquorice for a while now. You're right, it is a fun read! And, thanks for the encourgement on surface mail! I order a lot of books from o/s -- both from the US and the UK, and I know how to wait! Amazon's "surface mail" takes about six weeks to get to me. Which is usually fine, except when it's something like Lois McMaster Bujold's A Civil Campaign, for which I sprung for the extra to get it here within a week! (and this is completely off topic! <grin>) Welcome Sylvia! Happy reading! Ladies, you *know* how to get this board back on topic... write!! (please?)

Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose, Chapter 34 The burial basically flew past Darcy. He spent the time staring at the ground, glancing up at Elizabeth and Jane, and maintaining his iron grip on Lydia Wickham's arm. In her chambers, Lydia Wickham actually had the nerve to tell Darcy she wasn't going to the funeral service. Darcy thought otherwise. Although Darcy never hit a woman, and never would, he had implied to Mrs. Wickham that he would throw her out the window if she didn't come with him. She would attend the funeral, he told her: whether she chose to walk or fly was up to her. Lydia chose to walk. Darcy had positioned her in the front, next to Bingley, directly in front of the grave. Every once in a while, Lydia would try to casually maneuver herself to the back of the group, or at least hide behind Darcy so that she didn't have quite a graphic view of the hole in the ground; wasn't so uncomfortably close to the tiny casket. Darcy would have none of it and held her in place. At the final "amen" after the casket was lowered into the ground and buried, Darcy abruptly let her go and walked away without a word. As far back as he could remember, Darcy would occasionally get the sudden urge to get by himself and just hide. From what, he did not know. He would simply get through the situation at hand, then get to his chambers as soon as possible and curl up under a blanket in the dark. Many times, when he knew he had to go out again, the urge had not passed, and Darcy would steel himself -- force himself to do what he had to do. Actually, Darcy was secretly afraid that if he didn't force himself out when he felt this way, one day he would go into "hide mode" and never come out. Today, though, that possibility didn't seem so bad. On the way to his room, Darcy stopped and peeked in at Elizabeth and Jane. They were both still sitting by the window as they had been for several hours now. Darcy slipped away and closed himself in his room. Taking off everything except his shirt and pants, Darcy stretched out on the bed. A short time later, Mr. Bingley took over sitting with Jane, and Elizabeth took dinner in her and Darcy's quarters. Neither said much; neither had anything to say. After dinner, Darcy built up the fire for the night and they both went to bed. Elizabeth fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning, occasionally kicking Darcy. Darcy didn't think he would be able to sleep at all, and considered getting up and finding something to do, but eventually he slipped into a light doze. As the clock downstairs struck one-thirty in the morning, Elizabeth kicked Darcy yet again, and then rolled away. Suddenly finding himself fully awake, Darcy rubbed his eyes and squinted to adjust to the light pouring into the room from every direction. He sat for a few minutes, considered laying back down, but decided instead to get up and dress. Adjusting his shirt cuffs and draping his cravat over his shoulders, Darcy crossed the room and looked over at Elizabeth. She had fallen into a dead sleep. *** That's good. I'll not wake her, even if she misses breakfast. We'll order up brunch or something. *** And then Darcy turned to the mantle, looked at the clock. It was not quite two o'clock. In the middle of the night. Darcy felt fine until he noticed that his pocket watch said the same thing. Darcy's stomach sank, then churned, as he glanced around the fully-lit room. Lit so brightly that the colors seemed to bounce out at him. Darcy could feel the hair standing up on his arms as he lunged at the bed, as he grabbed his wife. "Elizabeth!" No response. Darcy shook her, called out to her trying to wake her, each syllable of her name emphasized as if it were a separate word: "E-liz-a-beth!" "Hmmmmmm . . . . mmmmmmm?" She buried her head into his shoulder, draped an arm so that it hung limp down his back. "You must wake up." Despair started to gnaw at Darcy as Elizabeth mumbled something indistinguishable, snorted, then went completely limp in his arms, oblivious. Darcy tried and tried in vain to wake her, periodically glancing around the room in the hopes that there were candles lit and he had just missed them, to glance at the fire to make sure it really wasn't dying, to stare out the window at the starless dark night outside. He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the limp bundle he was holding start to snore. Darcy put Elizabeth down, choking back blind panic. Not knowing what else to do, he opened the door to their chambers, stepped out into the hallway. The hallway was illuminated with the glaring light also. Except by now Darcy had grown accustomed to the brightness. At the end of the hall, Darcy froze. It was Jane. She had her back to him, was facing the source of the light. Darcy cautiously stepped forward until he was next to Jane. Then his legs gave out; he fell to his knees. In front of them was a beaming pillar, floating a few inches above the floor. It turned, and turned into a little girl, in an opalescent green dress, her blond hair shining in glorious ringlets down her back. It was Elizabeth. "Go . . . get . . . Bingley," Darcy managed to rasp. "I can't." Jane couldn't tear her eyes away. "I tried, I tried everything I knew to wake him, but he just will not wake up." As if some invisible being behind the child were moving her, Elizabeth floated toward Darcy. She hovered for a second in front of him, beaming at him with the same unconditional adoration she always had for him. She pointed at the loose cravat lying around Darcy's neck. "Pretty," she said. Elizabeth had always loved to play with Darcy's silk cravat. Probably because it was soft, long enough to play with, but small enough to carry. Darcy, mouth hanging open, pulled the cravat off, folded it mechanically in half, and tried to place it in the baby's outstretched hands. It fell straight through her hands to the floor. As if she had pulled off some marvelous joke, she put her hands over her mouth and giggled. She then floated up to her mother, hovering so that they were face-to-face. Elizabeth reached out to stroke Jane's cheek, to wipe away the tears freely falling over Jane's sad smile. "Happy, Mommie," she said, looking intently into Jane's eyes. "Lizzy happy." "I know, Baby," Jane whispered. "And I'm so glad. I love you so much. And I miss you so much." They smiled tenderly at each other. "Lizzy wait for Mommie and Daddy," the child was drawn back. "Love you, Mommie," And then she was gone. Darcy blinked several times, still not able to get off his knees. Jane sank to the floor next to him. They both looked around, but the hall was dark again. They were both found there, still in the hallway, the next morning. Jane told Bingley privately what she had seen. Still sad and grieving, she seemed now to possess an inner certainty she didn't have before. Jane was going to be all right. Darcy didn't talk about it at all. But he did suddenly refuse to sleep in the dark anymore.

OHhhhhhhhh Irene.Jane will be alright now, she know he daughter is happy and wants them to be so.

LOL -- yeah, I thought I'd posted enough depressing stuff. No point in dragging everyone down -- forever (snicker)

Thank you, Leanne. (Karen) I have read Lions and Liquorice, I agree very funny , love their bantering!! Awesome, Irene!!! But glad the sadness has come to a "happy" end!!

And welcome Sylvia!! Good to see you here too;-DD

Irene! i'm so glad you posted another chapter! :) When the light first appeared in the Darcy's bed chamber, at first i thought there was a fire- (just in case the Bingly's hadnt suffered enough ;P) but that was so sweet with Baby Lizzy. Maybe Darcy will be alittle more open to believing in the afterlife now, eh? :) Excellent as always - looking forward to more SOON! -EsBee

IRENE!!!!!!!!!! I am all astonishment! What a gripping and spellbinding chapter! Glad Jane is going to be fine. Loved the Lydia walking or flying bit! And nearly jumped out of my skin at baby Lizzy saying that she is happy. EsBee, I thought Netherfield might be ablaze as well, but I am SOOOOOOOOOOO glad it wasn't. And since Darcy may now believe in the hereafter, what will he do with this bit of inspiration? Only Irene knows....

Intriguing Irene, as always. I too thought fire and was relieved when it wasn't. Maybe Darcy's revelation makes him a bit more open emotionally? Can't wait to read more. I just finished The Bar Sinister and I LOVED IT!! The sex stuff kinda waned as the story went along (just like in real life I suppose) but the story remained interesting and there were lots of surprises and funny bits along the way. (An especially funny part with Mr. Collins trying to participate in the hunt. He ends up being the one to get the fox but I won't spoil the surprise by telling you how he does it!) The editing was very annoying - missing words, added words, places called by the wrong name - not what you'd expect from a professionally published book. But that did not take away from my enjoyment. I highly recommend it. I have read most of the P&P sequels but I liked this one the best, I think because it was so long (I was able to read the others in a couple hours - this one took several spread out over 4 days) and because the sex stuff was pretty steamy. Probably R rated by DWG standards. Darcy as husband is just as I always imagined he'd be - loving, generous, protective and VERY sexy (and large, but not too large - you'll have to read the book to understand that one). And there was never a dull moment. Darcy and Lizzy went through more things in the six or so years the book covers than 100 people go through in a lifetime. I liked it so much as soon as I finished I went back to page 1 and started reading it again!

Gail, what a promo for a book! Sounds wonderful... definately on my list of books to buy. I've never read any of the P&P sequels- But as i'm going on vacation for 3 weeks (starting tomorrow -Yahoo!) i'll need something like the Bar Sinister to keep me from feeling to FanFic deprived. :-) btw- it's available in the UK, right?

No, it wasn't a bookstore book. Had to be ordered from small-time publisher. If you're going to be in England, try to get Lions and Liquorice or Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Fields, neither of which is available in the US.

Thanks Karen, those are both on my list. :-) Do you, (or Gail,) have the publisher info for The Bar Sinister?

I think Gail posted that it was now available from amazon, but you can order directly here: http://www.thebarsinister.com/ (just checked and the "purchase here" option doesn't seem to go anywhere). Amazon's price is $18.50, but I thought it was $18 directly from the author. if you buy through amazon, use the link below! ;-)

Thanks! if you buy through amazon, use the link below! But of course!! :-)

Thanks Gail! Of course, I'm going to order from the link below!

I found a link to buy it from the Colin Firth drool page. It was US$15 plus $3 or $4 shipping in US.

The link is on http://www.firth.com - and it's not a drool page, it's a fan site if you please, thank you very much. :-)

The link was also posted about 5 messages above. and in case anyone isn't sure, you are currently in Drool

Whoops, sorry. If you go into Spring.net and then into Drool, it lists a bunch of sites including the Colin Firth fan site so I just assumed these were all "drool" sites. Excuse my ignorance!

Don't worry - it is very closely associated, of course... :-)

Sorry about the delay. Haven't had much time to be online lately. Parallels Chapter Five �Ben?� Anna called down the stairs. �Ben, are you still here?� �Yes!� Her brother stuck his head out of the doorway to the music room. �But not for long. I want to make it back home before dinner.� �Oh, good,� Anna said as she came bounding down the staircase. �I need to ask you a favour.� Ben raised an eyebrow. �Okay, what is it this time?� "Can I get a lift home with you next weekend? I don�t want to drive if I don�t have to.� At his hesitant expression Anna quickly added, �There�s no need to change any plans of yours. Just let me know when you�re leaving and I�ll be ready. Please? You know how much I hate driving in the winter.� Ben nodded his head. �Sure. But I�m not planning on leaving Cambridge until Sunday at the earliest.� �That�s fine. Thanks, Ben!� She smiled and scooted back upstairs. On her way to her room she found Rich and Aaron in the one of the window alcoves. Aaron had his arm inside a very large vase, fishing around the bottom for something. �What on earth are you two doing?� Rich looked up guiltily, but Aaron continued with his search. �Rich dropped something in here. I�m trying to get it.� Aaron replied absently. Anna looked puzzled. �Why don�t you just tip it upside down and let it fall out?� The boys looked at one another. Rich shook his head. �Can�t do that.� �Why not?� She looked from one to the other. Impatiently, Anna reached out for the vase. �Let me do it.� �No!� they cried. Anna stared at her brother. �Alright, Rich. What did you put in there?� �A can of Coke.� Rich said quietly. Eyes wide in disbelief, she said slowly, �And it�s open, isn�t it?� The boys nodded. �Oh, Rich! What a stupid � why would you do such an idiotic thing?� �We wanted to see if we could get it out without spilling it.� Anna rolled her eyes and slapped her brother on the arm. �You great pillock! Two days away from school and you�re that bored already? You�d better get that can out of there before Mum or Dad catch you like this.� She started to walk away. �Anna!� Rich called. �Aren�t you going to help us?� �No way! I�m not having any part of it. You can cut your own throats.� She didn�t look back. Rich looked at Aaron, still with his arm in the vase. �Can you reach it yet?� Aaron shook his head, still concentrating on stretching his arm as far as he could. �Rich? Aaron? Are you boys up there?� Will�s voice floated up to them. Rich stared at his cousin in horror. �Yes, Dad.� he called, hoping his father wouldn�t come up looking for them. �Well get your skates on! I thought you wanted to go down to the stables with Rebecca? She�s leaving in a few minutes.� �Be right there!� Rich waved frantically at Aaron to hurry up, but try as he might, the other boy could not reach the can. He shook his head and withdrew his arm. �It�s no good. Let�s just leave it until we come back. Maybe we can figure something out then.� Rich agreed and the two of them raced to the stairs to see who could make it to the front door first. *** Elizabeth had bustled about all week, getting the house ready for the holidays, finishing her shopping for gifts, and stocking up the pantry for Ben�s extended stay. There never seemed to be enough food around when he was at Pemberley, no matter how much she managed to put away. As the week progressed she completed the unfinished projects on her desk so that she could enjoy some time off with the family. Will also worked hard to make sure he had no outstanding business that would interfere with their time together. Georgiana had approached her brother about becoming more involved in her late husband�s company. It was time that she took an interest, she told him, and Will had agreed. He was very happy to hear her request. Immediately, he had telephoned Richard to begin sending him the information that Georgiana would require to familiarize herself with the company�s operations. Then he arranged with his solicitor in Leeds to draft up the papers allowing his sister privileges to take over some of the areas he was currently overseeing. That would give her a starting point, and she could take on more as she felt comfortable. Early in the new year he would sit down with her to go over everything in fine detail. Will gathered up the papers on his desk and stacked them into a neat pile. It was nearly time for tea, and he had one call to make to Ben while he was sure to catch him at home. *** �Mmmm. You are so nice and warm.� Brenda snuggled herself closer, wrapping her arms around Ben�s waist. �I wish I could stay here all night.� �So do I.� Ben kissed the top of her head. Brenda raised her face to meet his lips with hers. They were still hot from their passionate activities moments before. She ran her tongue along his cheek until she could whisper in his ear, �We might have time for a little more before I have to leave.� Ben�s growl was throaty as he rolled Brenda onto her back and pressed himself down on her. Her lips parted readily with the merest touch of his tongue and he explored eagerly. Surprised at his body�s willingness to perform after such a short interval, Ben felt Brenda�s arch toward him, then her legs wrapped around his, drawing him close. The warm wetness of her was teasing him. He could feel her heat and ached to be inside once again. �Come on, Ben. Give me more of what you do so well.� The hungry look in her eye, combined with the demanding tone of her voice, was more than sufficient invitation. He slid into her, but only just.... waiting for her next plea. The ringing of the telephone startled them. Ben groaned, then both of them laughed. He reached for the receiver. �Hello, yes?� Then he gasped as Brenda sharply nipped his neck. �Did I call at a bad time?� Will asked. "No, Dad. Not at all.� Ben replied quickly, eyeing her reproachfully. �What�s up?� �You�re picking up Anna on Sunday to bring her home with you?� �Mmm, yes,� Ben replied absently as he felt Brenda�s hands grip him and pull his hips to hers. He slid into her and bit his lip to prevent the low moan from escaping. �Would you mind delaying your departure until Monday so that you can stop in Leeds to pick up some papers for me? I know it�s out of the way for you, but it would save me a trip. Ben?� Ben opened his eyes again, seeing Brenda�s laughing gaze, and plunged inside once more. �Uh, yeah Dad. No trouble. I�ll pick them up for you,� he said as he increased the pace of his thrusts. �I am calling at a bad time!� Ben could hear the amusement in his father�s tone. �Well, I�ll leave you to whatever it is I interrupted. I�ll ring you tomorrow with the details. Goodbye, Ben.� �Bye, Dad.� He hung up, nearly dropping the receiver on the floor. �And hello my lovely!� Ben grinned, lowering his mouth to capture Brenda�s lips with an impassioned kiss. She gently nipped his tongue and wrapped her legs around his, rocking with his movements. �Don�t stop. Don�t you dare stop this time, Ben!� she warned with a growl. He raised an eyebrow in mock innocence, well aware of the numerous times he�d bring her to the edge, only to pull himself free of her throbbing recess seconds before she could achieve orgasm. The dangerous look in her eyes now, however, convinced him not to play mischief this time. �Oh, don�t you worry my dear. I�m going to make you work for this one!� Brenda growled again, this time it sounded far more satisfied. �That�s more like it.� Her mouth sought out his with all the urgency of a woman driven. She pushed her hips up to meet his downward thrust. Ben hadn�t expected that, and he let out a groan of pleasure at the sensation as he plumbed her depths again and again. Suddenly Brenda let loose a moaning cry and Ben felt her constrict around him, squeezing him to his own release. His own groan came from his toes as he pumped his issue as deep inside her body as possible. For several minutes they lay together, sweaty skin clinging where their bodies touched. Then Brenda drew in a sharp breath as she glanced at the clock. �Damn!� Ben watched her slip out of the bed and hurry across the room to retrieve her clothes. He frowned slightly, then licked his lips at the sight of Brenda wiggling her jeans over her slim hips in a fashion guaranteed to make any man salivate. He waited for her to pull her shirt over her head. �Do you have to leave now?� She gazed at him apologetically. �It�s getting late. It�s nearly tea time, and I�ve told you before what Kevin�s like if I don�t have his tea ready when he gets home.� �Ah, the tyrant.� Ben crossed the room to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. �I suppose that will have to last us until tomorrow then, I guess.� His eyes met hers, and he smiled. Brenda smiled too, running her hands across his bare chest and up along his shoulders. �I guess it will. What time tomorrow?� She pressed her lips against his ear. �Ah, my exam is first thing in the morning. It�s the last one. I should be finished before noon and then I will be free until Monday morning when I leave for Pemberley. Shall we meet at the usual place for lunch?� �Sounds delicious to me.� Her lips were still toying with his earlobe. �I�ll see you there.� she whispered, and stepped away from him. Eyeing his naked body she raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, �Don�t bother to see me to the door, love.� Then she gave him a saucy wink and left. *** By the time Sunday rolled around, Elizabeth felt ready to face the final days leading up to Christmas. All of her preparations were complete, and all that she was waiting for was the arrival of her two university children. Ben had agreed to postpone his departure from Cambridge for one more day, so that he would be retrieving his sister, detouring to Leeds to run an errand for his father, and then finally arriving home in the late afternoon. Elizabeth went to bed that night anticipating the morrow to bring her entire family together for the holiday season. The next morning, following breakfast, Elizabeth and Will had retreated to the morning room for some quiet reading. They had been enjoying the peaceful atmosphere for an hour when Will looked up from his newspaper. �Don�t you have to take Kathleen to her appointment soon?� Patiently, Elizabeth put down her book and gazed at her husband. �Jason is home now. He�s coming to pick her up so that they can go together.� �Oh.� His eyes returned to the newspaper, but his mind wasn�t on the words in front of him. Within one minute he looked at his wife again. �Are you going with them?� �No.� Will fell silent again. He tried to concentrate on reading the paper until he heard the arrival of Jason. The door to the morning room opened and Kathleen entered, followed by her boyfriend. �We�re off in a minute,� she said. �Is it that time already?� Will asked, glancing at his watch. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. �Mr. Darcy, sir?� Jason said nervously. When Will looked at him expectantly, he continued. �My parents wish to invite you and Mrs. Darcy over for dinner one night this week. If it�s convenient.� Elizabeth smiled. �I�d like to see them again. Will, do you have any commitments in the evenings the rest of this week?� �No.� �Well, that�s fine. I shall give your mother a call, Jason.� She put her book down on the table. Jason smiled at Elizabeth. She didn�t make him half as anxious as Kathleen�s father did. �I�ll let her know.� �Okay,� Kathleen said, taking Jason�s hand. �Let�s go.� From the corner of his eye, Will watched them leave the room. �Why is that boy always so jumpy?� Elizabeth laughed and came over to sit on his lap. �Why are you always so stern around him? You scare the daylights out of him.� �Elizabeth, be careful where you sit.� Will said in assumed annoyance. �How will I be able to read this paper with all the creases?� �This paper?� Elizabeth asked, raising herself high enough to pull the newspaper out from under her. �The very one.� Elizabeth folded it carefully, then shoved it down the front of her blouse. �Now read it.� Will opened his mouth and closed it again without saying a word. He curled and uncurled his fingers. �You just may regret that action.� �Oh, I doubt it.� Elizabeth leaned back slightly to peer at her husband with a gleam in her eye. �Are you going to give that back to me, or do I have to get it myself?� She placed one finger against his lips and gave him her most innocent look. �What exactly do you want me to give you?� Will bit off the retort he was about to make. A wicked grin lit up his face as he wrapped one arm around Elizabeth�s waist and pulled her closer. He brought up his other hand to slowly finger the top button of her blouse. �I�m not finished with that, yet.� �I�m not finished yet, either.� Will gave a low chuckle, slipping the button open. His finger dropped to the next one. �Are you done yet?� Elizabeth lowered her voice to a husky whisper. �Are you?� The second button was undone. Will started to pull the newspaper free but his wife grabbed his hand. �Mum, I forgot to tell you......� Kathleen came to a sudden halt just inside the door. Jason nearly tripped over her as he followed on her heels. They both blinked, then looked away, anywhere but at her parents. Elizabeth pulled the sides of her blouse together hurriedly. �What were you going to say, Kathleen?� she said in a high voice. �Um, Jason and I are going out for lunch while we�re in town.� Kathleen was staring at the floor, trying not to laugh. �Then we�re going to do some shopping after that. I�ll be home for tea.� �That�s fine, Kathleen. Take your time.� Will was trying not to laugh, himself. The look on Elizabeth�s face was priceless. He glanced over toward the doorway to see the young couple smiling at each other. �Oh, and Kathleen? Close the door on your way out this time, please.� Elizabeth glared at him even after they had left. �Will, you are still incorrigible. But I think that you�ve lost your power over that boy now. He�ll never see you as quite so threatening after today.� She jumped up from his lap and started across the room. �Wait. My paper, Elizabeth.� He held out his hand. She turned back to him, fingers on the doorhandle. �You�ll have to come and get it!� Then she ducked out of the room. *** Dinner with the Whitakers went very well. Helen and Jack were pleasant, hard-working people who had only the one child, Jason. When the Darcys had first met them, under rather strenuous circumstances, they had been nothing short of supportive, both of their own son and of Kathleen. Both Helen and Jack had agreed that their children should not be entertaining the idea of marriage at this tender age. All in all, the four parents had gotten on extremely well in light of the situation. Elizabeth was quite pleased to know them, and she knew that Will felt the same way. The Christmas season was usually a busy one. Family and friends dropped in on a daily basis Jane and Charles, with their children, visited on the day before Christmas Eve. Their plans were to spend the following week at Lydia�s home in Southampton, with Mrs. Bennet, Mary and Mary�s husband, Frank. Will and Elizabeth had declined all invitations, preferring to spend a family holiday with Georgiana and Aaron. There were no more small children in the house, but Elizabeth enjoyed putting out the stockings for everyone, and filling them with candy and small gifts. Georgiana had accepted her invitation to participate in this ritual, scheduled to take place after the children were in bed. �Although I have no idea what time that will be! These days they all stay up later than I do!� Elizabeth complained. Ben and Anna, however, shuffled the others upstairs around midnight so that their parents and aunt could have the drawing room to themselves. Sitting close to the fire, Elizabeth watched Georgiana closely. �How are you coping with this first Christmas without Brian, Georgiana? Is there anything that Will and I can do to make it easier for you?� Her sister-in-law smiled slightly. �You have both been wonderful to me and Aaron for the last several months. I don�t know how I would have managed without you.� She looked up at Elizabeth. �Thank you both so very much.� Will gazed at his sister from his chair in the corner of the room. She had come so far from the shell she was five months earlier. He was also not blind to the fact that she had taken young Kathleen under her wing recently, giving herself a new purpose to look forward to each day, lending her niece support and encouragement on the tough road that she was travelling. It also felt very good to have his sister at Pemberley once more. She was �home� again, and he hoped it would be to stay. There was more room in this old house than his family of seven could occupy alone. Eight, he reminded himself. It will be eight soon. Elizabeth was pulling out the bags she had brought down from their room. These were filled with all the things she intended to stuff into the stockings. She emptied the contents and spread them on the floor around her. Georgiana joined her on the floor and helped to sort out the stockings by name. �Does it matter what goes in which stocking?� she asked Elizabeth. �Oh, yes. The small gifts are marked with names, but the candy is just evenly distributed. Except that Rebecca doesn�t like anything with raisins in it, so the chocolate bars there,� she pointed to a pile of Cadbury bars, �go to everyone but her.� Will simply watched as his wife and sister stuffed the stockings. Every year for the past twenty it had been his job to just observe Elizabeth giggling and sighing while she sorted the candy and gifts into their appropriate piles. Oh, and he had to make sure her wine glass was always full. This evening he had two glasses to monitor. The stockings done, the ladies sat back and enjoyed the crackling fire in the grate, sipping their wine and softly singing carols. �Will. Will?� He opened his eyes to see Elizabeth watching him with her eyebrows raised enquiringly. �You�re falling asleep. Why don�t you go on up to bed?� she said. �I think I will.� Will drained the last of his drink and said goodnight, leaving the ladies to the quiet of the low fire and the last of the wine. He went upstairs and noted the lights still on under the door of Rebecca�s room. The girls always gathered in the room of his middle daughter when they had a conference. Will smiled as he recalled Elizabeth saying that she and her sister, Jane, used to have similar conferences when they were young. Ben�s room was dark, but a dull light crept out from under Rich�s door. Over the last few weeks, Rich and his cousin had become much closer. Will had been very relieved to see that happen. He concluded that the two boys were likely having a meeting of their own, not wanting to be outdone by the girls. Will looked back at his eldest son�s door. Ben had been behaving differently lately. Nothing he could put his finger on, just an odd, vague feeling that he had changed somehow. He shook his head and chuckled. You are getting old Will Darcy. They�re all growing up and moving on. Some too fast, but they�ll all get there eventually. Will continued down the hall to his own room. Tomorrow would be the excitement of the children, never waning no matter how old they were. At least they don�t get up at the crack of dawn anymore, dragging us out of bed to join them. He knew that Elizabeth would not be much longer. She just wanted to assure herself that Georgiana was fine, then she would be turning is as well. Christmas day was to be a full one. Elizabeth had planned quite a dinner for them all, and she and their daughters were doing all of the cooking. The staff had been released to spend the holiday with their own families. *** to be continued....

Well, I bet Will realised he phoned at a bad time! He would recognise that preoccupied state of mind, I suppose. Made me blush though; I felt as if I was snooping about with that telephone call and all! Highly entertaining!

Elizabeth pulled the sides of her blouse together hurriedly... Will was trying not to laugh, himself. The look on Elizabeth�s face was priceless. He glanced over toward the doorway to see the young couple smiling at each other. ROTF! You are so cruel, Teg! I'm wondering how many times, over the years, L&D were 'interrupted' by one of their children! hee hee!

Kids do always seem to know when the worst (or should I say best?) time is to interrupt and that doesn't improve as they get older. Take it from someone with 2 teenagers - Teg's story is quite realistic on that score!

Ahhh... one more week and the show will be done. Then I shall have more online time. :) Parallels Chapter Six Whoever said that holidays were relaxing didn�t have to spend them with eight kids! Elizabeth sighed as she put down her book yet again. Although most of her children were old enough not to require her attention to every detail of their day, her youngest seemed determined to involve her in each activity he planned. Either that or she was to be his unwitting pawn in the practical jokes that Rich and Aaron had suddenly become fond of pulling. What had she found to date? Cats in the shower, Rebecca�s spurs on her chair at dinner, and the unfortunate maid who had tried to empty a flower vase of its mysterious contents and ended up with a mess to clean up instead. Elizabeth had hauled both boys upstairs to repair the damage and apologize to the poor woman. Thank goodness my older ones have more sense than to get into such mischief! She saw Will pass the open door and called out to him. He stuck his head around the door. �Are we going for that ride soon?� Will had suggested that they get out of the house, taking a couple of the horses out instead of driving like they usually did. They still kept a few horses at Pemberley, although the show horses were boarded at a training facility. �Just give me a few more minutes, dear,� he replied. �I was looking for Ben. Have you seen him?� Elizabeth shook her head and Will disappeared to further his search. He heard his son�s voice from behind the closed door of the study as he made his way down the hallway. Will pushed the door open to see Ben at the desk, speaking to someone on the phone. He stood there for a moment, thinking Ben would notice him. �My Mum and sisters made dinner, so it was really good. My Mum is an excellent cook. I wish you could come to dinner some time when she makes it. It�s not often enough for me.� Will smiled at this praise of his wife�s abilities. He�d always had the same high opinion of her skills. �And I missed you terribly this past week, too. It�s still one more before I return to Cambridge.� Will grinned and backed out of the room, realizing that this was not a conversation to be overhearing. The door clicked softly and Ben looked over his shoulder. �No, there�s no-one here. I thought I heard the door, but... Where was I?� �You were telling me how much you miss me, and want me, and can�t wait to fall into my arms again!� Brenda teased. �That�s right. It will be too long anyway,� he complained. �Not necessarily,� Brenda purred. �We�re going to visit some family on the other side of Manchester tomorrow. We�ll be there for a few days. I can probably manage to escape for an afternoon by myself....� She paused. �If you�re interested?� Ben smiled eagerly. �When and where?� �Tuesday? I�ll find a place and ring you when I get there. How�s that sound?� �Perfect. Don�t eat any lunch. We can have a meal together. Just be sure to pick somewhere that has a good restaurant!� Brenda laughed. �I hardly need reminding about that, Ben! Oh, I can�t wait to see you again.� �Brenda, I�ve been going crazy the last week without you. I�m here and you�re in Cambridge with �.� �Ben,� she interrupted. �I thought we were in agreement on this. You know where I stand. You were the one who chased me, remember? I told you why I wouldn�t go out with you, yet you pursued me until I said yes. Don�t push me now until I�m ready to move ahead.� �I�m not pushing.� Ben frowned as he tapped his fingers on the desktop. �I�m just reminding you of how I feel. I will not give up. I love you and I want you, Brenda. I won�t let anyone get in my way.� �Ben,� she sighed, �you know it�s more complicated than that. I don�t want to see anyone hurt.� She waited for him to respond, but there was only silence. �I�ll see you on Tuesday, then?� �Of course.� �I�ll ring you around eleven. Ben?� She paused. �You trust me, don�t you?� �Yes, I trust you. Do you believe that I won�t give up?� �Oh, yes! I know you well enough by now. I never said there was no hope, just that it would have to take time.� Ben smiled. �Until Tuesday, then. Goodbye, Brenda.� �Ta ra, love.� He hung up the phone and sat back in the chair, staring at the wall in front of him. Tuesday wasn�t that far off, and he figured that seeing her then would tide him over until he returned to Cambridge. Then they could meet every day at lunch, like they had been doing for the last month. Ben never thought he�d see the day that he would be glad to be leaving Pemberley and his family behind him, but this overwhelming power that Brenda held over him made him itch to see her whenever, and however he could. He got up from the chair and left the room. In the hallway, he was surprised to see his father leaning against the opposite wall. �I was waiting for you. I thought you�d seen me come in, but I suppose not. Anyway,� Will went on, oblivious to the look of consternation on his son�s face, �I wondered if you would take Rebecca�s car into town to the garage. She�s been having trouble starting it again, and I made an appointment for one o�clock this afternoon.� �Sure.� Will grinned at him. �I talked your mother into going out for a ride today. We�ll be leaving in a few minutes.� Ben grinned in return. �Have a good time.� He well remembered the many times his father had managed to persuade her to go riding, only to have them both return on one horse. Rebecca most definitely did not get her riding ability from her mother! �At least there�s snow on the ground to cushion her fall.� Will was still chuckling as he disappeared into the drawing room to fetch his wife. *** The following week Georgiana and Aaron went to visit Brian�s family in Chelmsford. She had spent very little time with any of them since her return to England. Now that she was feeling more like herself, and with the holiday making her more reminiscent of past years, Georgiana knew it was time to take her son to meet his other cousins. It was also time to put some of her demons in their place. This would be the last hurdle on her path. She had avoided the Osbornes all this time because they were too painful a reminder of Brian. With her newfound resolve to face her future, she needed to also face this part of her past. With Georgiana and Aaron gone, and Ben off to see a friend for the day, Will took advantage of the opportunity to check on the progress of some business deals that he�d gotten underway before Christmas. He peered into the hallway to make sure it was empty, then walked swiftly to his study. His surprise upon seeing Elizabeth there already was great indeed. She sat in his chair facing the doorway, as if expecting him, which she did. �I knew it. You just couldn�t stay away, could you?� �You caught me. Now what?� Elizabeth threw her hands in the air. �I�ll have to think about your punishment. You were supposed to be on holiday for a full two weeks! Shame on you, Will.� She sauntered across the room toward him. �But since you�ve been caught, you might as well do what you came here to do. I�ll leave you in peace now..... and punish you later.� The grin on her face as she walked past him was enough to make him laugh. �And how do I know that you won�t go and do some work yourself, while you know that I�m occupied here?� Elizabeth turned in the doorway to face him. �I�m going out for a walk. That will give you an hour at the least. And an hour is all I�m granting you!� �Then I�ll get started right away!� Will settled himself at his desk and Elizabeth grabbed her coat and headed outside. It was barely twenty minutes later when Will heard feet pounding on the stairs. He put his pen down in annoyance and went to the door. Before he could open it he heard a shout. �MUM?� Will winced and stuck his head out of the door to the study. �MUM!� �Rebecca! How many times must I remind you not to yell like a banshee in this house?� His daughter looked at him, eyes wide with fright. �Where�s Mum?� �What�s wrong?� Will asked, all thoughts of his interrupted work forgotten. �It�s Kath. She�s just laying there, moaning. She won�t answer me when I talk to her!� His own eyes now wide with fear, Will ran up the stairs two at a time, calling to Rebecca, �Your mother is outside. Get her immediately!� Will ran to Kathleen�s room and flung open the door. His daughter was laying on her bed, curled up into a ball. Her eyes were closed, but her face was contorted with pain. Kneeling at her side, Will stroked her face. �Kathy, honey, what�s the matter?� Kathleen�s eyes opened and focussed on him briefly. �Oh, Daddy! Please make it stop. Please make the pain go away!� Will cradled her head against him. I wish I could, Kathleen, but it�s not like when you were little. I can�t kiss the hurt away this time. He pulled the blanket back from around her form and stared in shock at the blood that had collected under her. �Oh my Lord,� he whispered. He wrapped the blanket around her once again and lifted her from the bed. Carrying her into the hallway, he had only gone a few steps when Rich appeared . �What are you doing, Dad?� �Rich, bring one of the cars around to the front,� Will said hurriedly. �RIGHT NOW!� Rich took off at a run down the stairs and out of the house. �Will?� Elizabeth�s voice echoed in the front entry. �Will, what on earth is going on?� She stopped in her tracks as Will reached the bottom step, Kathleen clutched to his chest. �Good Lord, what is it?� �We�re taking her to the hospital. I think she�s hemorraghing.� he replied in a shaky voice. �Oh, no. Please, no!� Elizabeth raced ahead of them to the doors. The car was at the bottom of the steps, Rich standing by the open rear door. Will tucked his daughter into the back seat while Elizabeth climbed in the other side. He rested Kathleen�s head on her mother�s lap. Then he jumped into the driver�s seat. �We�ll ring you.� he said to his son before pulling away. Rich and Rebecca stood on the step and watched the car speed off. *** �Mummy?� �Shhh. I�m right here.� Elizabeth said softly. Kathleen licked her lips and cracked open her eyes. �Where�s Daddy?� �He�s just outside in the hallway. Do you want me to get him?� �No,� she whispered. �No. I don�t want him to see me like this.� Kathleen was silent for a few minutes. �Mum? Did I � is the baby �?� Elizabeth stroked her hand against her daughter�s cheek. �It wasn�t to be, sweetheart. I�m sorry.� She pulled the young girl to her and gently rocked her as Kathleen sobbed quietly. The door opened a little and Will peeked in. Elizabeth met his eyes and shook her head ever so slightly. Will lowered his head and retreated. He�s hurting almost as much as his daughter, Elizabeth thought sadly. Thank you, God, for saving Kathleen, at least. Her daughter had lost a lot of blood, and the premature labour had forced her to deliver her baby far too early. The poor little girl had not survived more than an hour after birth. Her lungs were far too underdeveloped to permit her to breath, and she had died in her grandfather�s arms. Will had not wanted to let her go, holding on to the tiny form until one of the nurses finally managed to convince him to relinquish her. Then he�d had to turn his attention to Kathleen, and tried to ignore the fact that his daughter had come perilously close to dying as well. Elizabeth knew that the doctor had already spoken with her husband, and that the news was not good. One look at Will�s face told her that. As she held onto Kathleen, trying to soothe her daughter as best she could, her heart was with her husband, too. In the hallway, Will couldn�t stop pacing. The day had been emotionally devastating, and what he had to look forward to was equally crushing. Once more he glanced toward the lift doors, hoping and not hoping to see Jason and his parents. Anna had been the one to call Jason in Edinburgh. Remarkably level-headed in an emergency, she managed to bully her way through the bureaucracy and have him located in his class. Once he�d heard the news, Jason had caught the first train to Manchester. But it was all for nothing. He was too late to offer any support to Kathleen, and too late to see his daughter while she was still alive. Will leaned his back against the wall and lowered his head, closing his eyes. The Whitakers would arrive any moment now, and he would have to impart the bad news to them. He had hardly managed to deal with it himself. He looked back at the closed door to his daughter�s room. How will I tell her? How can I bear to see her hurt even more? �Mr. Darcy?� Will�s gaze shifted to the source of the voice. �Jason.� He met the eyes of the boy�s mother and father. �Let�s sit down over here.� Will gestured to a small waiting room that, by some miracle, was currently unoccupied. They all sat and Will struggled in his mind to form some words. �How�s Kathleen?� Helen asked. �She�s fine.� Will shook his head. �No, I mean she�s ........ The labour had progressed too far to be stopped. I�m sorry to have to tell you this. Kathleen delivered a girl about two hours ago.� There was a small gasp from Jason�s mother. �And?� she asked faintly. �There wasn�t anything to be done. She was just far too early.� Will could still feel the tiny baby as she rested in his arms, struggling to breathe. He bowed his head and stared at the floor. �What about Kathleen?� came Jason�s strained voice. Will took a deep breath and met the boy�s gaze. �She lost a lot of blood. We nearly lost her, too.� The colour had drained from Jason�s face at Will�s words. �I�m sorry.� he whispered. �I�m so sorry. It�s all my fault.� �No,� Will said, shaking his head and placing a hand on the boy�s shoulder. �No it isn�t. Don�t blame yourself.� �May I see her?� Jason�s eyes were wide with sorrow. �I�ll ask if she�ll see you. Elizabeth is with her now.� Will rose from his chair and left the three of them alone. At the door to Kathleen�s room he paused with his hand on it. He schooled his features into what he hoped was a less distressed expression and took a deep breath. Then he opened the door slowly. Elizabeth looked up when she heard the door open. Kathleen was laying back in the bed, her head turned toward the window, staring out blankly. Elizabeth got up to meet Will in the doorway. �Jason is here. He asked to see Kathleen.� Will peered past his wife to see his daughter�s reaction to this news. With her face still directed away from them, Kathleen said, �I�ll see him.� Elizabeth looked back at her daughter. �I�ll wait outside with your father. You and Jason can be alone.� She followed Will from the room. They joined Helen and Jack in the waiting room, but there was little to be said by anyone. A few minutes later, Kathleen�s doctor appeared. �Mr. Darcy, I see you are both free now. Would you like to have that discussion now?� Will nodded to the doctor. He looked at his wife. �There are some things you need to know.� Elizabeth grew alarmed. She followed her husband and the doctor out of the room, casting a quick look back at Jason�s mother. Helen tried to smile reassuringly, but she was just as worried, now, as Elizabeth. Once inside the private room, Will closed the door and sat down beside Elizabeth, taking her hand in his. �Mrs. Darcy, we ran a few tests on your daughter to try to discover what triggered this premature labour. We discovered a few abnormalities that I�m afraid are quite serious and will affect her future.� Elizabeth held onto Will�s hand tightly. �What do you mean?� �Firstly, the shape of Kathleen�s uterus is irregular. It resembles the shape of a pear, wider at the bottom. This prevents the muscle from expanding properly in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Once the baby reaches a certain size, it acts as a trigger for labour to begin since there is no more room for it to grow.� Elizabeth blinked away tears. �You said a few abnormalities. What others?� �Because the fallopian tubes enter at the narrower end of her uterus, they protrude farther inside than normal. The chances of a tubal pregnancy are far greater in her case.� The doctor watched the couple closely. He had already had this conversation with Will. �Is there any surgical option to correct this?� Elizabeth asked softly. �Your husband asked me the same question, Mrs. Darcy. As I told him earlier, the condition is not that common. I need to do a little more research on it myself before I can give you an answer.� Elizabeth looked up hopefully. �But you will find out?� �I will keep you informed as I get new information.� The doctor looked at them both. �There�s nothing more I can say at this point. If you have no further questions at the moment, I have some other patients to see. You may stay here to discuss this with each other in private if you prefer.� �Thank you, doctor.� Will said quietly. He turned to Elizabeth when they were alone. �How do we tell Kathleen?� �I�ll do it.� Elizabeth stared at their joined hands. �I�ll tell her.� Will drew her face up to meet her gaze. �I said how, not who.� He didn�t need to say anymore. His eyes said the rest. Elizabeth leaned her head into his shoulder and began to cry. Closing his eyes, Will held her tightly, aware that the pain had only just begun. *** The frivolity of the previous week was forgotten in the aftermath of Kathleen�s tragic loss. Will had come home by himself to inform the rest of the family. Elizabeth didn�t want to leave her daughter alone overnight at the hospital. Will found the rest of his children gathered in the upstairs sitting room waiting for him. After briefly relating the terrible news, he excused himself to retreat to his own room. He needed to be alone, to deal with his own emotions before Elizabeth and Kathleen returned home. Anna watched him go, noticing the way he seemed to be carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. She glanced over at Ben, wondering if he had observed how much their father had aged in the last six months. Her brother didn�t seem to be paying any attention, and she hoped she could have a private talk with him later, after the others had gone to bed. Rich and Rebecca finally said goodnight and went to their own rooms, leaving Ben and Anna alone. Ben noticed his sister looking at him. �What is it?� Anna�s gaze dropped to her hands in her lap. �I�m worried about Dad. He doesn�t look well.� �Anna!� Ben said impatiently. �Of course he doesn�t look well. He just lost a grandchild. How did you expect him to look?� �I meant he�s been looking unwell for a while now, Ben. Haven�t you noticed?� Her worried expression gave him pause to think. �Dad has aged since last July.� For the first time in weeks Ben thought about someone other than himself. He pictured his father as he remembered him from the summer, before Uncle Brian had been killed. Then he compared it to the man who had just left this room not more than a couple of hours before. Sure, he looked tired, maybe a little older. But unwell? Ben shook his head. �You�re overreacting, Anna. Dad�s been working hard, that�s all. He�s had his own affairs to look after, plus Aunt Janna�s as well. Add to that the problems with Aaron and Kathleen.... He�s been under a lot of stress.� �Exactly! He�s not so young anymore, Ben. He�s fifty-two for goodness sake! He shouldn�t be taking on more, he should be starting to let some of it go.� Ben smiled condescendingly at his sister. �Are you talking about the same Will Darcy that I am? And you think he�d ease up on his workload, do you? You poor, deluded girl.� Slapping him on the shoulder, Anna laughed. �I was serious! Stop making fun of me.� �I know you were. I�ll keep an eye on him, Anna.� She smiled at him gratefully. �Thanks.� *** to be continued....

*sniff* This part... Will drew her face up to meet her gaze. �I said how, not who.� He didn�t need to say anymore. His eyes said the rest. ... always gets me! Actually, the whole thing makes me weepy. Thanks Teg!

Gee, it's so quiet around here lately..... Parallels Chapter Seven �I�m going out.� Rebecca stood at the bottom of the stairs with her riding hat in hand. Elizabeth was too tired to argue. She had spent the last few days helping her youngest daughter deal with her grief, while postponing her own. Her husband had said very little, but she knew that he was keeping more in than he let on. �Go on with you, then. Just make sure you�re back in time for dinner.� Rebecca looked at her mother, exasperated. �It�s New Year�s Eve, Mum! There�s a party at my friend Dan�s place after we ride.� �Oh, yes.� Elizabeth waved a hand impatiently at her. �Of course. Have a nice time, Rebecca.� Rebecca shook her head and left the house. Elizabeth retreated to the library to hopefully find some quiet time. Anna and Ben were in there, however. �Don�t you two have some party to go to as well?� Anna smiled at her mother. �We do, actually. I was trying to convince Ben to come along. He�s being a stick-in-the-mud.� �Go with your sister, Ben.� Elizabeth saw him about to object. �I�m sure there will be a pretty girl or two that will catch your eye.� Ben relented, but unwillingly. �Alright, but are you sure you wouldn�t rather I stay home? You and Dad could use a break, and I could keep Kathleen company.� Elizabeth shook her head. �No. Kathleen is asleep, and your father will likely be turning in soon, too. He wasn�t feeling well earlier.� Ben and Anna exchanged glances. �Mum?� Anna asked tentatively. �Is Dad okay?� �What do you mean?� Elizabeth looked at them, perplexed. �You�re not keeping anything from us, are you? Dad isn�t ... he�s not.....� Their mother almost laughed at the worried expressions on the faces of her eldest children. �Don�t be daft, you two. There�s nothing wrong with your father.� She smiled as she recalled his playfulness only that morning. �Nothing wrong at all.� Physically, anyway. We still have some sorting out to do emotionally, though. �Well, if you�re sure,� Ben said reluctantly. �I�m sure. Off you go.� Elizabeth smiled at them. Anna grabbed her brother�s arm. �Come on, then. You have to drive, remember?� She hauled him from the room. The party that they were attending wasn�t far from home. Some friends of Anna�s, who had also been away at university for the last year and a half, were hosting the event. By the time Ben and his sister arrived there were already at least twenty cars there. �I�m sure you�ll know a few people, Ben. They�re pretty much all from school. It hasn�t been all that long since you left.� Anna scooted into the house and proceeded to search out several friends she hadn�t seen in a while. Ben stood just inside the door for a moment, then spotted someone he recognized. He spent a good hour in conversation with the young man, who had also been dragged unwillingly to the party by his girlfriend. Then the two of them set out to find a drink and the food. Along the way, several young ladies tried to catch Ben�s attention. He noticed their attempts, but ignored them. His companion was amused at his popularity, and only wished he could attract as much attention simply by walking through a room. The rest of the evening Ben spent primarily observing others. He saw Anna every once in a while, and even took note of the crowd of young men that followed her for a good part of the night. He made sure that he always knew her whereabouts after that. Since she knew she wasn�t driving home, Anna was quite liberal with her acceptance of the drinks offered to her by her admirers. Ben knew that their father would be appalled to see how much his daughter could put away in the form of alcoholic beverages when the mood suited her. At one point he noticed Anna slip into the kitchen with Perry and, when it was apparent that they wouldn�t be coming out again any time soon, Ben made his way over to the kitchen door. He pushed it open carefully, not attempting to conceal himself, but he was unsure of what he might find on the other side. Anna�s back was to him. She was sitting on the island counter, Perry standing between her knees, his hands freely roaming over her back. Ben frowned. Neither of them had noticed his entrance, so engaged were they in exploring each other�s mouths. When Perry�s fingers began to pull Anna�s blouse from where it was neatly tucked into her skirt, Ben gritted his teeth. He started to step forward but Perry suddenly shifted his attention to nibbling behind Anna�s ear and finally caught sight of her incensed brother. He blinked. One glance at the expression in Ben�s eyes convinced the younger man to step back from his near conquest. Anna opened her eyes. �What is it?� she asked in bewilderment. Perry shook his head. �Anna, this isn�t the place,� he said quickly, not wishing to draw her attention to Ben. He knew Anna well enough to know what sort of scene would ensue if she realized that her brother had scuttled this little tryst. �Oh, come on now,� Anna murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her. �No-one will know a thing.� Out of the corner of his eye Perry watched Ben back out the doorway, knowing that he would be waiting just on the other side for them to reappear. �Anna, you�re too drunk to know what anybody else has seen!� He tried to laugh, but it sounded forced to his own ears. He was as frustrated as she was at this interruption, but there was no way that he was willing to face Ben Darcy down for the sake of a quick � �Let�s go somewhere else, then.� Anna was not making it easy for him. He pried her mouth from his neck and lifted her down from her perch. �You�d better tuck your blouse in again.� He waited impatiently for her to accomplish this in her impaired state, all the while his mind on the man waiting for them outside the door. Finally presentable, Anna followed him out not even noticing the presence of her brother a mere three feet away. She sidled her way to the dance floor, beckoning to another young man to join her. Ben sighed as he leaned back against the wall and raised his glass to his lips. When it finally came time to go home, well after the new year had been ushered in, everyone said their goodbyes and Ben poured his sister into the car. He couldn�t escape her commentary all the way home, though. �Jennifer was really miffed that you wouldn�t dance with her, Ben. Why were you being so snotty tonight?� �I wasn�t being snotty, Anna. I was keeping an eye on you.� Anna giggled. �I�ll bet you didn�t see me in the kitchen with Perry.� �Yes, I did.� Ben smiled to himself. �Why do you think he didn�t want to go somewhere else?� She laughed. �If it�s not Dad, it�s you, Ben. How�s a girl ever supposed to get anywhere with a fella when her male relatives keep getting in the way?� �That�s exactly the point, Anna.� Anna peered at him hazily. �You could have had your pick tonight, Ben. Why so unsociable? You practising to be a monk?� Ben�s smile disappeared. �Not everyone is as anxious to play around as you, Anna.� �Hey,� she pouted. �That wasn�t very nice.� �Sorry. It�s just all this stuff that�s happened with Kathleen,� he said. �It�s made me think.� He told himself that it wasn�t entirely untrue. It had prompted him to realize how important some people were to him. �Yeah,� Anna hiccupped. �I know what you mean. I sure won�t get caught,� hiccup again, �caught like she did.� She put a hand on Ben�s arm. �And I�ve got my big brother making sure, don�t I? Ah, you�ll never do wrong, will you Ben?� Anna leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. �You�ll never,� hiccup, �.... never disappoint Mum and Dad. Women throwing themselves at you, and you�re always so proper, never taking advantage.� She cracked an eye open and smiled. �But I have heard a few tales.....� Ben stared at the road ahead. �I wish I could say the same about myself,� Anna sighed. Then she giggled. �I mean, that I�ll never disappoint them. Ben, I�m going to do something stupid one of these days, I just know it.� �No, you won�t, Anna.� �Yes, I will! I�ll get kale-eyed at some party and wake up with a bloke I�ve never seen before.� She was starting to whine. �Hardly,� Ben said, beginning to lose his patience. �I did it before.� �What!� Ben slammed on the brakes and stared at his sister. �You didn�t?!� Anna was nodding her head. �I did. Okay, I had seen him before. We�d even gone out a few times.� She was still nodding. �And I don�t even know if we did anything. I only remember drinking far too much and waking up next to him in the morning. Ben? I don�t feel very well.� Ben put one hand on her chin and stopped her head from bobbing up and down. �Anna, just shut up,� he said and drove on. *** The first morning of the new year was not necessarily a good one for some members of the Darcy household. Ben and Will were up early as usual, Rich joined them at the breakfast table soon after, but the ladies weren�t as enthusiastic about participating in the morning meal. Although Elizabeth felt quite rested, she preferred to spend an extra few hours in bed, taking advantage of the rare opportunity. Kathleen, not unexpectedly, chose to keep to her room. It seemed that Anna had experienced a bout of sleeplessness in the wee hours, judging from the number of times that her light came on and went off. She would likely be sleeping until noon or later. But Rebecca was simply not to be found. To say that Will was not happy to come to the conclusion that his daughter had not returned home last night was an understatement. On one hand, he could be pleased that she made the right choice not to drive if she had consumed a little too much alcohol. On the other, she wasn�t old enough to be drinking in the first place, and his mind shuddered to contemplate just where and with whom Rebecca may have spent the night. �Any idea where this party was, that Rebecca went to last night?� Will asked his eldest son. Ben looked up from his plate. �I think she mentioned a Dan.� �That would be Dan Pritchard. He�s one of the grooms.� offered Rich between mouthfuls of his cereal. Ben cast a cautious look at his father. �She isn�t home yet,� Will muttered as he stabbed at his own breakfast with his fork. Ben knew that look. He also knew his sister, and that she, of all of them, was the one who would never do anything stupid. �Don�t worry, Dad. I�m sure it�s just because she was too tired to drive home. She�ll probably be here before long.� His father merely grunted in reply. Ben applied himself to his breakfast. He wanted to make sure that Will didn�t go storming out of the house in search of Rebecca. He was a little relieved when his mother joined them a few minutes later, for he knew that she trusted Rebecca�s judgement at least. �I thought you were going to spend a lazy morning in bed?� Will asked. �I changed my mind.� Elizabeth filled her plate and took a seat next to her husband. �I remembered something I forgot to tell you last night.� Will�s eyebrow rose. �Oh?� Elizabeth calmly spread butter on her toast. �Yes. Rebecca called to say she was staying at Heather�s house for the night.� Will�s fork clattered to the table. �You forgot to tell me? Elizabeth, I was ready to �.� He paused, glancing at Rich staring open-mouthed at them. Will frowned. �You�re finished, aren�t you Rich?� He stared hard at his son. �Aren�t you?� Rich hurriedly put down his spoon and excused himself. Will turned his attention toward Ben. �I�m going,� he said, and left as quickly as his younger brother had. �Elizabeth,� Will began in a clipped voice. �I�m sorry I forgot to tell you, Will. It just slipped my mind.� Elizabeth concentrated on her food. Will took a couple of calming breaths. �It just slipped your mind. You knew how I�d feel about her not coming home.� Elizabeth placed her hand on his and looked into his eyes. �That�s why I came downstairs to tell you now. I didn�t want you to do anything..... um....� �Rash? You consider my wanting to protect my girls as rash behaviour?� �You�re blowing it way out of proportion, Will.� He let out a derisive snort. �I don�t think so. Have you forgotten your reaction the first time Ben stayed out all night? And he didn�t even call to let us know. You must think I�m a simpleton, especially after what happened with Kathleen!� �Don�t be ridiculous, Will!� Elizabeth snapped. �I don�t think anything of the sort. We�re not talking about Ben or Kathleen. We�re talking about Rebecca. Both she and Anna have had a scare with what happened to Kathleen. Don�t you go thinking that they are simpletons, either!� Will was silent. He picked up his fork once more and continued eating. Neither of them said another word through the meal. Rebecca sauntered in the front door just before eleven o�clock. She popped her head around the library door, expecting to see her parents in there so that she could let them know that she was back. She was, therefore, not surprised to see them sitting side-by-side on the sofa, both with books in their hands. �I�m home,� she called. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and smiled. Will looked over his shoulder and frowned. Rebecca sighed. They never change. �Did you have a nice time last night?� Elizabeth enquired. �It was great!� Rebecca enthused. �Dan�s dad is a chef and he made all the food! It was fantastic! Dan had invited everyone from the stable, and there were a lot of riders that I don�t get to see because they�re riding when I�m at school. I heard so many stories of their experiences on the circuit, it was incredible! We�re all going for a hack later this afternoon, if that�s okay?� She looked more at her father for the answer. �What time, and when will you be back?� Will asked. �We�re tacking up for two o�clock. Dan�s dad is making something for us to eat when we get back, so I won�t be home until after dinner.� Will saw his wife giving him prompts with her eyes. He sighed. �Just remember that your aunt is due back tonight.� �I won�t be late, Dad.� Rebecca skipped out of the room and ran upstairs. Will watched his wife as she opened her book once again and resumed reading. �Who is this Dan fellow all of a sudden?� Elizabeth stared at him. �It�s not all of a sudden, Will. They�ve worked together at the stable for months.� �But she hasn�t mentioned him by name very often.� he argued. Elizabeth gave an exasperated sigh. �Have you heard her mention many of them by name?� Will gave that some thought. �No,� he said slowly. �There you are, then,� Elizabeth said tersely as she looked back at the book. �Relax, Will. You don�t need to hover.� �I like to hover,� he grumbled.. �It will give you gray hair.� Elizabeth peeked at him and saw the faint smile on his face. �Then I�ll look more distinguished.� Will leaned against her, closely inspecting her earlobe with his lips. �I seem to recall that you rather like me looking more distinguished,� he whispered. Elizabeth let out a giggle and turned her face to meet his. Between kisses she managed to say, �Perhaps I may convince you to come back to bed for a little while this morning?� �Hmmm... maybe....� Will mumbled, his lips busily engaged with hers. Suddenly Elizabeth gave a squeal and jumped up from her seat. �Will Darcy!� She glared at him. �That was positively evil of you!� Will grinned, holding up one hand and flexing his fingers. �All�s fair my dear, in love, war and tickle matches.� Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, then narrowed her gaze. A sly smile crept across her face and she began to circle the sofa where he was seated. �Then I might know a few places it would be a pleasure to tickle you. However, I�m not sure you�d share my enthusiasm.� She chuckled. �You intrigue me, Elizabeth.� Will manoeuvred himself around the sofa, keeping his wife within reaching distance. �I usually share your enthusiasm for everything. I cannot imagine what you would mean by this.� The sparks in his eyes danced dangerously. �I�ll just bet you don�t!� Elizabeth grinned herself, but then she made a grievous error. She leaned toward him intending to offer a teasing sample of her threats, but Will was too quick for her. He reached forward with lightning speed and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her over the back of the sofa and into his lap. There she lay, head in his lap and her legs splayed in the air. To add insult to injury, her skirt had fallen forward exposing a pair of very lacy, and tiny, panties. �You see, my dearest,� Will said as he ran a teasing finger up the inside of one thigh. �I know a few places myself.� �Oh Will, stop it!� she laughed. �Let me up. What if someone comes in?� �Like who?� �Don�t be obstinate! Let me up,� she persisted. �I should think that the number of times Ben interrupted us over the years you�d not be so tempting of fate.� �Alright, you have a point,� he relented, pulling Elizabeth all the way onto the sofa and allowing her to straighten her skirt. �But don�t think I�ve given up.� �I would never be so foolish.� She leaned back to lay across Will�s lap and look up at his face. Will leaned down to kiss her and Elizabeth brought her arms up around his neck. He couldn�t resist the opportunity, however, and brought his own hands up to plant his fingers in the most sensitive area under her arms. Elizabeth let out a screech and attempted to twist away from his hands, but to no avail. Will had her firmly trapped and he continued the torture until she gasped for mercy. �Are you two quite finished?� Both heads snapped around to see Anna in the doorway. �I came to tell you that lunch is ready.� Their daughter rubbed at her temple with a pained expression on her face. �Do you know how much noise you were making?� Will looked away, biting his lip in an effort not to laugh. Elizabeth smiled patiently. �Thank you, Anna,� she said. �We�ll be along shortly.� The door clicked shut and laughter filled the room. *** to be continued....

�I came to tell you that lunch is ready.� Their daughter rubbed at her temple with a pained expression on her face. �Do you know how much noise you were making?� Will looked away, biting his lip in an effort not to laugh. Elizabeth smiled patiently. ROTF! Another interruption! thanks Teg, it seems you're the only one making noise around here...

Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Thanks Teg for another enjoyable chapter.

Teg! I'm glad you posted another good chapter! I�m looking forward to more soon!!! Thanks

Parallels Chapter Eight With Georgiana and Aaron�s return from Chelmsford the house was a bit more full, but no less sombre. Georgiana took the news about Kathleen very badly. She had become so close to her niece during these last difficult months that she felt terribly guilty about not being there for Kathleen at such a devastating time. Even Aaron seemed to be very much affected. Elizabeth thought it was perhaps because it reminded him of his father�s death, a pain he was only recently beginning to deal with. School would resume in a few days. Elizabeth hoped that Kathleen would be up to returning, but had no qualms about keeping her home for another week if that was what she needed. So, on a bleak and gray day Elizabeth watched as her two eldest children drove off on their way back to university. She turned back to the house, stood facing the imposing front of the stone structure, and decided to go for a walk. From the car Anna could see their mother wander away toward the open expanse of lawn below the house. She watched until the trees beside the road finally obscured the view, then she settled back in the seat for the long ride. When they reached the motorway it was only to discover that it was very congested with heavy traffic so soon after New Year�s. Ben manoeuvred the car through each roundabout with a precision borne of experience. �You�ve driven this route for the last four years, haven�t you Ben?� Anna asked as she stared out the window at a passing car. �Mmm.� Ben replied absently. Anna turned to look at her brother. He seemed very distracted lately. It wasn�t because of what happened with Kathleen, she knew that. And even at the New Year�s Eve party they had gone to, he had been very distant, hardly speaking to any of the girls who were trying to attract his attention. Could he be concerned about Dad? she thought, then dismissed the idea. Their mother had assured them that all was well there and he had certainly looked much better by the time she and Ben had been ready to leave. Then Anna looked at Ben in sudden understanding. �I don�t believe it!� �What?� he said, glancing briefly in her direction. �Oh, you�ve been caught,� she grinned. �You�ve finally been caught!� Ben steadfastly kept his eyes on the road ahead. �I don�t know what you�re talking about.� Smugly, Anna asked, �Who is she?� When Ben said nothing, she laughed. �Oh, come on. You can�t keep it a secret forever. If I figured it out, so will everyone else eventually.� She shook her head, amused. �Ben Darcy, ladies� man, finally falls in love. Mr. I�m-not-going-to-get-tied-down-until-I�ve-finished-having-fun is parading around with a sappy look on his face!� �I do not look sappy.� Ben grumbled. Anna laughed again. �Alright, not sappy. But you do seem very preoccupied lately. There�s a lady on your mind and you can�t deny it. Who is she?� Sighing in resignation Ben said, �Her name is Brenda.� �Brenda.� Anna gave the name some thought. �You haven�t mentioned her before. So, when do you bring her home to meet the folks?� Ben looked a little uncomfortable with that suggestion. �I�m not ready for that, yet. And don�t you go mentioning her to Mum and Dad, either!� �Okay.� Anna watched him in puzzlement. �Is there some reason you don�t want them to know?� �I didn�t say I don�t want them to know. I�m just not ready to have them meet her, yet.� He paused before going on. �I think Mum may have a problem with the situation.� �Ben, Mum will have a problem with any girl who�s set her sights on her baby boy!� Seeing her brother�s serious expression, Anna changed her tone. �You know that both of our parents will love her if you do. What is it you�re not telling me?� �Anna,� Ben looked in his sister�s direction as they stopped at a traffic light. �I�d like you to meet Brenda first. I know you�ll like her. Then you�ll know what I mean about Mum�s reaction.� �Ben, you�re making this sound more ominous than I think it warrants, but I�d love to meet her. Can we get together next week sometime?� Ben nodded. �Sure. I�ll check with Brenda, but I�m sure that Wednesday will be fine. We�re supposed to be going to dinner that night anyway. How�s that day for you?� Anna agreed. By the time they reached her flat, and Ben had dropped her off, they had worked out the details of where they would meet. Ben waved goodbye to her and continued on his way back to Cambridge. He didn�t return to his own flat straight away. Instead, he took an exit on the other end of the city and drove through the town until he pulled up to a large two-storey house in a well-to-do neighbourhood. Hopping out of the car, Ben jogged up the flagstone path to the front door. The door opened in answer to the bell and Brenda stood in the opening. She gave him a huge smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down for a kiss. �I missed you,� she said in a low voice when they moved apart. �Would you like to come in?� Ben peered around the half-open door. �You must be alone.� �Yes. Until tomorrow evening.� They both grinned. Ben took her hand and they slipped into the house, the door closing with a definitive click behind them. �So, we have all night?� Ben licked his lips and grabbed Brenda around the waist. Backing her up against the wall, he pressed himself so close against her he could feel her hip bones digging into him. �Hours upon hours....� she sighed, placing her mouth on his and searching for his tongue. There was no room for more words as their tongues sparred for several moments. Brenda worked his shirt loose from his jeans and drew it up over his head, their kissing briefly interrupted for the passage of the garment. She then ran her open palms over his bare chest and shoulders, groaning her appreciation of his body and delving further into his mouth in her mounting desire. Ben pulled back slightly, his hands fiddling with the buttons of her shirt. �Shall we take this to another room?� he said with a crooked grin. �Which one today?� she asked, running the tip of her tongue over her lips. Ben laughed at her words, pushing her shirt over her shoulders and trapping her arms behind her back. �Oh, which haven�t we tried yet? The kitchen?� He grinned and his eyes lit up. �Yes, the table in there is rather sturdy, isn�t it?� �Table?� Brenda looked doubtful. �It will never hold both our weights, Ben.� �That wasn�t what I had in mind!� He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. Quickly clearing the table�s surface, he laid out a cloth and then turned to face Brenda. �Oh, you�ll need to get rid of those.� He motioned to the rest of her clothing. Excitement building, she hurriedly removed them, as Ben did likewise. Once fully naked, he boosted her up onto the table. �Oh, that�s cold!� Brenda laughingly cried. She wiggled her eyebrows at Ben. �Although I�m sure you�ll warm me up soon enough!� �Just lay back,� Ben grinned. He gently pushed her shoulders until she rested on the table�s surface, her legs dangling over the edge. Then he lowered himself to his knees and gently took one of her feet in his hands. A soft kiss, a tentative probe with his tongue and her little toe was drawn into his mouth, caressed and sucked before he moved onto its neighbour. With a quiet moan, Brenda let him know just how delightful she found this activity. By the time Ben had attended to the five toes of this foot she was already squirming on the tabletop. He moved his mouth to the arch of her foot, gently nibbling and bestowing wet kisses along its curve. Then on to her ankle and slowly up the length of her calf. He paused at the knee to lightly push her legs apart so that he could trail his tongue along the soft skin on the inside of her thigh. Feeling her quiver with anticipation as he neared the top of her leg, he turned his head to focus his attentions on the other leg. A faint groan of frustration emanated from her throat. Ben smiled to himself. Knowing she was ready, he spent less time here than on the first leg, and soon his mouth was once more approaching the moist opening that she so graciously displayed to him. His tongue teased at the lips, then he traced the edges of her, tasting the wetness. Thrusting forward, he felt her pushing her body toward him in an effort to make him go deeper. But he was by no means ready to assuage her appetite yet. He withdrew his tongue and laid it flat against the hot, engorged area just above. Slow lapping movements brought forth more low moans from Brenda, and her hands grasped for him, but they couldn�t quite reach. As her moans grew more intense Ben judged it time to move on. He brought his lips up to kiss her navel, then up further along the flat surface of her stomach and further still until he found an erect nipple and slowly drew it inside the warmth of his mouth. �Ben... Ben....� she groaned. �How you tease me so. You want me to beg for it, don�t you? Alright, I�m begging. I want you inside me. Please! Give it to me, now!� Ben brought his face level with hers and pressed his lips to her mouth. Brenda responded with a devouring hunger, her fingers raking up his back as her frenzied kisses were transferred to his throat. Ben raised his hips level with her body and grasped her hips with his hands. Then he slid inside in one swift movement. Brenda�s sharp gasp caused her to release her hold on him, and Ben straightened up so that he was standing at the table�s edge, her body laid out before him. He had pulled her far enough over the edge of the tabletop to allow him to thrust in and out with ease, and his grip prevented her from sliding away with the force of his entry. Each time he thrust forward, his hands pulled her toward him, ensuring that he drove as deeply as possible. Brenda writhed and cried out with pleasure, then brought her legs up to rest her heels on Ben�s shoulders. This new angle of entry sent a whole new array of sensations along the length of Ben�s hardened shaft, and his moans joined in with Brenda�s until they both cried out in the ultimate release of their bodies, each convulsing with waves of pleasure and physical indulgence. After such effort, Ben couldn�t remain on his feet. He sank to his knees, his head coming to rest on Brenda�s thigh. He opened his eyes briefly, smiled and sighed as Brenda continued to murmur her appreciation. *** �Come on, Becks what kind of an approach was that? You were lucky he�s so honest or you would be laying on your back right now!� Dan scrambled down from the rail of the obstacle where he was sitting and paced out from the centre of the jump that Rebecca had just gone over. �Here,� he said, stopping and pointing to the dirt in front of him. �You should be straight here already to allow your horse to see the jump, instead of plunking him down in front of it with less than a stride to spare. You turned way too soon. The object is to keep the rails up, my dear. You�re not going to be entering any speed classes, you know.� �I won�t be entering any classes at this rate,� Rebecca mumbled. �Did your parents agree to you coming with us over to Europe in the summer?� Dan asked as he walked back to his former position. �I haven�t even been able to ask them, yet,� Rebecca whined. �All this mess with my sister has put the rest of us on the back burner.� She clucked to her horse and urged him into a trot. �You�d better do it soon.� Dan watched them come up the outside track along the opposite wall and pick up the canter into the turn. �Deeper, Becks. Don�t let him cheat you on the corner.� Her approach was much better this time. Dan applauded as her horse sailed over the jump and continued to complete the line faultlessly. �Take him down the long side and try the diagonal this time. Remember it�s three strides between.� Dan watched her bring the animal around the top end, going deep into the corner to negotiate the turn properly and line up the two jumps in her sight. �Excellent!� he called when she was over the second part of the combination. �So, when are you going to tell them you want to go?� Rebecca reined in at the A marker and looked down the length of the arena at her friend. �Next month?� He raised an eyebrow. �Okay, next week. But I have to pick my time carefully. My Dad isn�t going to go for this, I�m sure. I have to catch him in a really good mood.� Nudging the horse up into a walk, she circled to the left and brought him onto the centre line to walk down to where Dan was sitting. �We�re going to have to work on those oxers a bit more, I think.� Dan smiled up at her, perched above him. �He hasn�t quite got the width covered, but we have plenty of time to fine tune before shipping out in June.� �I can fine tune all I like, but if my Dad says no, that�s it,� Rebecca pouted. Grinning, Dan slipped off his seat and stood at the shoulder of her horse. �I could have a word with him if you like?� Rebecca laughed. �Oh, that would seal my fate, for sure! He already believes the stables are a haven for sex-starved teenage boys. He gives me that look every time I say I�m coming here.� �Then I�ll leave it to you to charm him into letting you join us in Europe. Come on, now. Let�s get this brute cooled down and put him away.� Dan helped her down from the saddle and together they left the arena. An hour and a half later Rebecca dropped Dan off at his house and continued on to her own. She parked her car and sat for a moment, mulling over Dan�s suggestions for ways to broach the subject with her parents. Deciding that she would play it by ear, and only if the opportunity presented itself, she would try one of his ideas. However, the most important factor would be making sure that her father was in a mood to talk about it. Rebecca gathered up her hat and boots and entered the house. There was laughter coming from the open door of the music room, something she hadn�t heard in the house for a couple of weeks. Curious, she went to see who was inside. �Oh, Lizzy, if you could have seen Mary�s face when she opened it! I thought she would burst a blood vessel!� It was her Uncle Charles and Aunt Jane! Uncle Charles was still laughing so hard he couldn�t continue his story. Rebecca saw her mother and father were also laughing, but Aunt Jane was typically smiling rather than laughing outright at someone else�s misfortune. �How like Lydia to buy something so... deviant.... for one of her sisters,� Elizabeth gasped out. �But Mary!!!!� �Oh, but that�s the best part, Lizzie!� Charles wiped at his eyes. �It wasn�t Lydia, it was Frank who bought it!� �Frank?? Mary�s husband, Frank???� Elizabeth squawked. That brought fresh peals of laughter all round. Rebecca stepped into the room. �What�s so funny?� Elizabeth and Will looked toward her. �Never mind, Rebecca,� Elizabeth snickered. �Just some boring old family stories.� Rebecca frowned. �Sure. Are we eating soon, or do I have time to shower?� �You have time,� Will said with a smirk. �But only if you run along now.� Rebecca nodded, but as she left the room she was sure she heard something about whips, then the laughter once more. She shook her head on the way upstairs. *** Elizabeth gazed fondly upon her sleeping husband. This had become a more regular occurrence, lately; his falling asleep in the study while reading in the evening. It was certainly quiet enough to allow it. Everyone knew better than to disturb him once he�d retreated to this room. Elizabeth placed her hand on his shoulder and spoke softly. �Will? Will, come up to bed now. You can�t sleep down here.� His eyes slowly opened and Will looked sheepishly at his wife. �I�m going to have to find something more stimulating to read at night.� He shuffled the papers from his lap and set them on the table beside him. Elizabeth glanced at the pile. �I thought you were relaxing, Will. Don�t you get enough of work during the day?� Smiling, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her palm. �Those documents are for Georgiana. I needed to go over them so that I can fully explain it to her.� �Can�t it wait? You shouldn�t be spending all of your time with your nose buried in business papers.� Will nodded. �Yes, it can wait. There is still another packet yet to arrive. Until it gets here, I can�t turn over the job to her.� Elizabeth played with his curls. �Come upstairs, then. I�m turning in now, too.� �I�ll be along in a few minutes.� Will picked up the pile of papers. �I�m just going to put these back in the file.� Kissing the top of his head, Elizabeth crossed back to the door. �Only a very few minutes, my dear, or else I�ll be coming back down to get you.� She smiled and left. Will sat for a moment. Slowly, he stretched his legs out in front of him and carefully rose from the chair. Suddenly, he drew in a sharp breath and gripped the chair�s arm tightly. Eyes closed, Will forced himself to take a steadying breath, then another one. With each breath his features began to relax, although his grip on the chair did not lessen. Opening his eyes, he focussed them on the desk across the room and took a step toward it. One step at a time, he walked to the desk. He concentrated on breathing steadily and by the time he had reached his destination, a mere twelve feet away, the pain had faded into a dull memory. Will put the papers into their designated file and closed the drawer. He let his breath out in a long, slow puff and walked cautiously out of the study, down the hall to the foot of the stairs. There he paused and gazed up the length of the staircase. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he put his foot on the first riser and went up. *** to be continued.....

Thanks Teg. At least someone is still alive around here! Poor Darcy - it's tough getting old!

Well, i just arrived home yesterday, and this is the first site i've visited- Teg! all those wonderful posts to read... thank you! Cant wait for more. :) Now to catch up on the last 3 weeks of drool at the other topics! EsBee

Ben is getting it on with Brenda... Can Will get it up for Lizzy? hahahahahahaha! I know she's ready! or will there be more interruptions? No more tragedies for the Darcy's, Teg... PLEASE?????

Dani-i-i!!

Hanne!!!!!!!

I'm using this message as a test because last night I couldn't post anything here. :(

Aha! It worked! Daniiiii!!!! Hannnnnne!!!!! Like you two think I'm going to change anything that drastically???? hehehe Next chapter coming up right after I do my tags and stuff.....

Parallels Chapter Nine �Well?� Rebecca made a face. �Not yet.� As Dan frowned at her, she made an attempt at defending herself. �I just haven�t found the right moment, yet.� She went back to brushing her horse. �You�re just spineless,� Dan said as he tightened the girth on his saddle. �Why don�t you forget about your Dad and ask your Mum instead? She sounds easier to convince than him.� Rebecca laughed lightly. �You sure don�t know my Mum! Anyway, it�s easier for me to talk to Dad than to her.� She tossed the brush back into her tack box and reached for the saddle. �Spineless, like I said.� Dan smiled at her. �If you don�t do it soon, I�ll come over and tell them myself.� �You wouldn�t!� Rebecca stared at him, then smiled when she realized he was teasing her. �Okay, okay. I promise. This weekend.� They both finished tacking up their horses and headed into the arena. A tough hour of training and all four were hot, sweaty and tired. When the horses were finally cooled down, cleaned up and put away, Dan and Rebecca headed into town for a drink before going home. Despite the cold January evening they both ordered cool drinks. Sipping on hers, Rebecca listened to Dan�s stories from last year�s summer in Europe. �Stop, Dan,� she said finally. �You�re making me impatient to go!� �That was my idea,� he said with a grin. �So you�ll go home, find your Dad and make him say yes!� �Yes!� she said laughingly. �Actually, it�s my sister�s birthday this weekend, so everyone will be home and in a good mood. I suppose I�d better just go to it.� They finished up their drinks and parted company. Rebecca glanced at the clock on the car radio and noted that it was unlikely that her father would still be up. When she got home, she simply went up to her room to shower, then climbed into bed, planning to catch him first thing in the morning. There was a crowd at the breakfast table the next morning, as Anna and Ben had come home the night before. Everyone wished Anna a happy birthday, her twentieth, and Elizabeth reminded them all about the special dinner celebration that evening. With most of them finished their meals, Rebecca stayed behind, waiting for an opportunity to speak with her father. When her mother finally left and only the two of them remained in the room, Rebecca opened her mouth to speak. �Dad, I wanted to ask you something.� Will scrutinized her over the rim of his coffee cup. �And that would be?� She took a deep breath. �I was hoping you would give me permission to go to Europe for the summer shows.� He raised an eyebrow. Rebecca looked down at her fingers, playing with the edge of the tablecloth. �I would also,� she began slowly, then rushed out the rest of her sentence, �like to stay in Europe for the winter circuit.� She glanced up cautiously to see the reaction. Will sat watching her silently. He glanced down, and carefully placed his cup back on the saucer. Then his eyes met his daughter�s once more. �I thought as much.� �You what?� Rebecca was staring at him, mouth open. Will smiled. �Your life is horses, Rebecca. You�ll be finished with school this term, and I didn�t see any indication of you wanting to study anything else.� He chuckled. �You are a lot like your grandmother. My mother. She was the horsewoman. Not that I remember much myself. She had the opportunities to go on, but she married your grandfather and decided to stop there, although there were always horses here at Pemberley. You should have the chance if it�s what you want. I only stipulate two conditions.� Rebecca was still having difficulty believing what she was hearing. �Two conditions?� �Yes. First, that you sit you�re A-levels, and you pass every one of them!� �But I won�t need them if I�m going to keep riding,� she observed. �Oh, yes you will,� Will stated flatly. �You can�t ride your whole life. You will need something to fall back on if your first option doesn�t work out. You have the opportunity and the means to pass the A-levels now and you are going to do it. No pass, no Europe. Is that clear?� �Yes,� she said meekly. �The second condition is that you work hard. I expect to see you improve over the time you spend there. You�ll have one year to train, gain experience and decide if it�s really what you want to spend your life doing.� He paused, waiting for her to comment. �But I already know it�s what I want to do!� �You might change your mind after you�ve been in the thick of it. And if you do, then you�ll need to consider what other careers might interest you.� Will watched her as she digested what he�d said. After a few moments, Rebecca looked up at him. �Thanks, Dad. I was so worried that you�d say no. I guess I should go talk to Mum, now.� Will shook his head. �I�ll speak with her. We�ve actually had this conversation a few times already. I was just wondering when you�d get around to asking me.� He frowned slightly as a sudden thought occurred to him. �Rebecca, how many of you are going from your stable?� �Six. Heather, Jim, Randy, Ann, Dan and me.� She smiled, her eyes sparkling. Will mused over the names. �Alright. Remember, Rebecca, you pass all of you�re A-levels or you don�t go.� �Yes, sir!� Rebecca jumped up from her chair and ran around to his to plant a kiss on his cheek. �Thanks so much, Dad. I love you.� Then she ran out of the room and upstairs to call Dan. Almost immediately Elizabeth entered the room and sat down in a chair next to Will. �She finally asked you?� Will nodded. �I know you don�t want her to go, Elizabeth, but we did agree that if she asked, the answer would be yes, on the conditions we decided upon. Now we�ll see if she pulls it off.� They were both silent for a moment. �There is one thing I�m concerned about, though,� Will added. �It�s this Dan she keeps mentioning.� �Oh, Will,� Elizabeth chuckled. �You aren�t going to start that again? Once she�s in Europe she�ll forget all about the boys back home.� Will�s gaze never wavered from his wife�s face. �He�s going with them.� Elizabeth�s eyes widened. �Oh.� *** The wine had flowed, the food was eaten and Anna had opened her gifts. The evening was coming to a close with everyone relaxed and laughing. Anna was still admiring the beautiful ruby necklace she�d received from her parents, and the matching earrings that Ben had given her. The younger members of the family were now making their way upstairs to bed, leaving Anna and Ben with their parents and aunt to finish off the wine and cakes. �Anna, have another one.� Ben offered her the plate. �I couldn�t eat another bite!� she laughed. �You finish them,� Elizabeth suggested with a smile. �You know you will, anyway.� She glanced over at her husband, sitting quietly opposite her. �You�ve not said much, Will.� He gave her a small smile. �I was just musing on the events of twenty years ago, when Anna was born.� Elizabeth�s smile faded slowly, and Georgiana�s gaze alternated between her brother and sister-in-law. �Now, Will, don�t go getting all gloomy on us.� Georgiana poured him another drink and held out the glass. �It was twenty years ago, and you and Elizabeth have had many long, happy years since.� Ben and Anna looked at each other questioningly, then both shrugged their shoulders. Will sipped at the glass his sister had given him. �You were only twenty then yourself, Georgie,� he said wistfully. �Where does the time go?� Elizabeth patted his leg. �Feeling old, my dear?� She chuckled. �Well, if you want to reminisce, I think you should choose something a bit more cheerful. How about my first visit to Pemberley?� �Oh, yes,� Anna exclaimed. �Would you tell us about that?� Will cleared his throat. �I don�t think there�s much of that I�d care to tell, or would dare to repeat, Elizabeth.� �Oh, you mean how you sent me flying into the rose garden?� Elizabeth looked at him in a way that said she knew exactly what he meant. Georgiana smiled at them. �Oh, yes. I remember that.� �Thank you, dear,� Will said sarcastically. �I had wished to forget that particular moment.� Anna leaned forward eagerly. �But I�d like to hear it.� �Your father looked so handsome,� Elizabeth told her. �And so embarrassed!� �But what happened after that? Where was this garden? Did you fall in love instantly?� Anna sighed. �I can�t believe you�ve never told your children that story, Will,� Georgiana said, then added in a suggestive tone, �I should think Ben might be interested in it especially.� Will stared at her. �I can�t believe you even know that story! I didn�t tell you.� He looked over at his wife who glanced away quickly. Ben raised his eyebrows at his parents. �Is this something I would be interested in?� When his mother blushed and turned away, he grinned as he realized why they must have kept it quiet. �Ah, I understand.� �I don�t.� Anna looked at them, puzzled. She met four pairs of staring eyes. �Oh.� She blushed. *** Ben returned home unexpectedly in the middle of the next week. It was unusual for him to appear at any time other than a weekend. �I had a free day, and thought I�d pop in to see my family,� he explained to his parents. He really wanted to do as he�d promised his sister; keep an eye on their father. Ben had noticed that Will wasn�t his usual self on the weekend. He took advantage of the opportunity of his free time, much as he would have loved to spend it with a certain lady, and travelled home to make sure his father was alright. Elizabeth was sceptical of her son�s story, but happy to see him nonetheless. Will managed to persuade Ben into driving into Derby to a jewellers to pick up an anniversary gift for his mother. Ben had chuckled when his father had asked him. He remembered that Will had never waited until the last minute to find a gift for his wife on their special day. As a matter of fact, he often purchased several gifts, not always waiting until the day to present them to his wife. Will was grateful that Ben agreed to make the trip to Derby in his stead. He had finally compiled all of the necessary files for Georgiana and had arranged to go over the information with her that afternoon. When Ben appeared out of the blue, it was a golden opportunity for him. He hadn�t relished the thought of driving all that way on a simple errand, only to come back home to sit for several more hours in his study with his sister. Ben seemed eager to do him the favour and Will was quite happy with the arrangement. He was about to take the files up to Georgiana when the telephone rang. Quickly picking up the extension on his desk, he heard a breathy female voice reply to his �Hello?� �Hello darling. You left some things at my place this morning. If you like, you could stop by and pick them up on your way home again. I�m missing that gorgeous body of yours already.� Will smiled. �I think you�ve mistaken me for someone else.� �I did? Oh, I�m so sorry.� The woman sounded embarrassed. �I was sure I�d dialled the right number.� �Who are you looking for?� Will already knew what the answer would be. �Ben?� Bingo! �He�s not home at the moment. I sent him into town to pick up something for me. Would you like to leave a message?� This was rare. One of Ben�s girlfriends actually ringing the house! The woman laughed lightly. �You sound just like him! He didn�t tell me he has a brother.� �Well, he does,� Will laughed in reply. �But I�m not him. I�m his father.� �Oh. You sound just like him.� she repeated. �So, would you like to leave a message?� Will asked again. �Oh.� She laughed once more. �Just tell him I called, thanks. Ta ra!� She�d rung off before Will could ask her name. He hung up and went in search of his sister. When Ben returned later in the day, just before tea as it happened, he quickly sought out his father to make sure the parcel in his possession was put away safely before his mother saw it. Will grinned like a little boy as Ben placed the item into his hand. �Did you see it before they wrapped it up?� he asked. Ben whistled. �It�s beautiful, Dad. Mum�s going to love it.� �I hope so.� �Dad, has she ever not liked anything you�ve given her?� Will grinned again. �No, but that little bit of apprehension only heightens my pleasure when I hear her express her satisfaction with my choice!� He clapped a hand on Ben�s shoulder and steered him down the hall. �Let�s go down for tea. I�m hungry, and you always are.� Laughing, Ben said, �I have to admit that you�re right!� �Oh, I almost forgot,� Will said, giving his son a quick glance. �Someone telephoned for you. She said you left a few things at her place.� Ben stopped in his tracks, but Will kept walking. �Brenda called here?� Ben asked. Will looked back over his shoulder. �Is that her name? She didn�t tell me. But I suppose you�d know whose house you were at this morning,� he said with a smirk. �At least, I hope so.� Will stopped and turned around. His son�s complexion had changed to a shade of red that he had rarely seen. Oh, now this could be fun! he thought. �She thought I was you, at first.� Ben�s eyes grew rounder. �She did? What did she say?� �Well, let�s just say I�m glad your mother hadn�t picked up the extension to hear another woman saying things like that to me!� Will was hard pressed to contain his laughter as Ben�s face now drained of all colour. �It certainly surprised me, though. But not as much as it did her!� �Excuse me, Dad.� Will waited until Ben was out of sight before he let the laughter go. *** Having seen nothing to alarm him as far as his father was concerned, Ben came to the conclusion that his sister was a worry-wart, and left Pemberley immediately after dinner that evening. He was still smarting from the teasing that Will had inflicted upon him, for after he�d spoken to Brenda he knew that he�d been set up. Time and again on the long drive back to Cambridge he relived the scene at the dinner table as his father would look at him and chuckle, and his mother watched them, trying to figure out what was going on. Ben had never made any secret of the numerous girlfriends he�d had over the years, but he had not considered any of them seriously enough to warrant introducing them to his parents. It hadn�t seemed to bother his father, and his mother just learned to live with it. Brenda, however, was different. Ben really wanted to be able to bring her to Pemberley, to make her a part of the family picture, and to show her what a wonderful family he had. Unfortunately, life wasn�t that simple. He sighed. In the end it would all work out, he knew. He and Brenda would be together, his parents would accept her and love her like he did. It would just take time. It was late when he finally walked in the door of his flat, threw his keys on the table and checked his messages. There was nothing that couldn�t wait until the next day, so he decided to ease his sister�s mind and picked up the phone to call her. �Hi, Anna,� he said when she answered. �I went home today like I promised.� �And how was Dad?� she asked hurriedly. �Fine. I really think you�re overreacting, Anna.� �Well,� she said hesitantly, �if you really believe that.....� �I do.� Ben paused. �I�m sure you�d know it, too, if you�d seen him today. I was a source of great amusement for our father this afternoon.� Anna giggled. �What did you do?� �Actually, it was Brenda. She called and mistook Dad for me when he answered.� Ben heard Anna laughing. �He just loved it, Anna. All those years of me embarrassing him and Mum, and he got his revenge in one day.� �I doubt that!� Anna was still laughing. �I�m coming home with you next time. I�m not going to miss this!� �Just be sure you keep your comments to yourself,� he warned. �I know a few things about you that might not go over all that well.� �Advice taken, Ben. When are you going home again?� �Probably not until next month,� he replied. �I�ve got some assignments that I�ve neglected. I have to pay a little more attention to those. I�ll plan for Mum and Dad�s anniversary. Mum said that Aunt Jane and Uncle Charles will be coming the weekend before, so they�ll likely celebrate it then.� �I�ll see you then, I suppose.� �Okay. Bye, Anna.� Ben put the phone away and pulled out his books. Opening the first one, he turned to the paper he had partially completed and began to read it over. *** Elizabeth woke early and slipped out of bed carefully so as not to disturb her husband. Quickly dressing, she went downstairs to the kitchen to get herself some breakfast before the others surfaced. Elizabeth had plans for the day. With one week before their wedding anniversary, she still had to finalize the menu she had prepared, and confirm the number of guests for dinner. She smiled when she thought of how Will would be surprised to see his cousin, Richard, and his wife Laura, when they arrived on the Friday. Georgiana knew they were coming, and had been a tremendous help in arranging everything as well as making sure that her brother didn�t find out. One more trip into Leeds to pick up her new outfit and Elizabeth would be ready for next weekend. She planned to leave right away to be able to complete that task and be home again before lunch. Finishing up her breakfast, she deposited the dishes by the sink and went to her office, looking for her keys. On average, she misplaced them twice a week, and today was no exception. Standing in the middle of the room she tried to think of where she may have left them this time. Snapping her fingers, Elizabeth left the room to hurry back upstairs. She opened the bedroom door very quietly and crossed to her night table. Just as her hand closed around the key ring she heard the bedclothes rustle. �Where are you off to so early?� Will mumbled as he peered at her through slitted eyes. �Shopping.� She sat down next to him on the bed. �Hmm,� he said, snaking a hand around her waist to pull her closer. �Can�t it wait?� �No,� Elizabeth laughed as his other hand rose to cup the back of her neck and draw her face down to meet his. Their lips met and her mind briefly toyed with his suggestion. Then she drew back and grinned at him. �Of course, you could come with me. We could spend the day away from here.� �An attractive prospect,� Will said thoughtfully. �I think I will! Can you wait until I�m ready to go?� �Of course. But you�d better make it quick!� Elizabeth clapped her hands together twice, sharply. �Yes, ma�am,� Will said with a smile and threw back the blankets. He had only made four steps from the bed when he suddenly stumbled and reached a hand out to grab the nearest piece of furniture for support. �Will!� Elizabeth cried, rushing to his side. His breathing was laboured and his face contorted with pain. Already beginning to double over, he was slowly sinking to his knees as she reached him. �Will, what is it? Oh my �!� She put her hands on either side of his face and anxiously waited for him to open his eyes. A heart attack! He�s having a heart attack! she thought wildly. �I�ll call 999!� she said tearfully and started to get up from where she knelt beside him. Will�s hand suddenly gripped her wrist. His pain-filled eyes were locked on hers. She could see him struggling to control his breathing. �No,� he managed to gasp. �It..... will.... pass,� he finished between breaths. Elizabeth stared at him in indecision. In a matter of seconds, however, he had his breathing under control and she saw that the tenseness was leaving his expression. She waited, hardly breathing, herself, until he took a deep breath and sat back on his heels. �I told you it would pass,� Will said, smiling weakly at her. Elizabeth felt relief wash over her, followed in quick succession by heated anger. �What do you mean, telling me it will pass? Has this happened before?� Will nodded. �How many times?� Elizabeth demanded. �Four or five.� �Four or five??� Elizabeth was furious. �And you didn�t tell me??� She grabbed a shirt from the closet. �Get dressed. I�m taking you to the hospital right now!� �No.� �No? Don�t you dare you say no to me, Will Darcy!� Will was smiling at the angry flash in her eyes. �There is no need, Elizabeth.� She stared at him, aghast. �No need! I�m not about to argue with you on this, Will. Get dressed, now, or I�ll take you there without any clothes on!� �Elizabeth.� Will would have laughed if he thought it wouldn�t hurt. �Liz, I�ve already seen my doctor.� �When?� she asked, clearly not believing him. �About a week ago, after the third time I�d experienced one of these attacks.� Will slowly got to his feet and waved off his wife�s attempt to assist him. �What did he say?� Elizabeth was hovering near him, wanting him to go back to bed and lay down. �He sent me for some tests. I have an appointment on Monday to see what the results are.� He began walking around the room, gradually moving more easily. �Shouldn�t you be laying down?� Will took her hand and squeezed it. �No, I feel better as I move around more. Don�t worry, dear. I�m not going to die on you. The pain is just damned inconvenient, that�s all.� �Inconvenient, you say? That�s all? You need your head examined as well as your body!� Elizabeth followed him around the room. �When is your appointment on Monday? I�m going with you.� �Ten thirty. Now, Elizabeth, this is why I didn�t tell you. You�re getting yourself all worked up already.� Will stepped around her to walk through to the shower. �I wanted to be able to tell you exactly what the problem is, so you wouldn�t have to wonder.� �Oh, that�s so considerate, Will.� Her reply was laced with sarcasm. �And if you�d died in the meantime?� �I am not dying, Elizabeth!� �It certainly looked like you were not five minutes ago!� Elizabeth stalked into the room behind him. Will opened the shower door and turned the water on. �Go do your shopping, Elizabeth.� �And leave you here alone?� she asked incredulously. �Not bloody likely!� Will shook his head. �I�m hardly alone. The house is filled with staff, my sister and four teenagers!� He met her determined gaze with one of his own. �Go!� The war waged in the air between them, their eyes fixed on one another. At last Elizabeth let out an infuriated �Argh!� and whirled around to stomp out the door. She did not go far, however. Plunking herself down into a chair, she crossed her arms over her chest and waited while her husband took his shower. ***

Marvelous as always Teg! :) Loved Darcy tormenting Ben - what a hoot. (And just what he deserves after teasing his parents all those years!) Eagerly awaiting more! EsBee

The beginning of this story you've seen before - it's the infamous carriage ride. :-) Go ahead, read it again. And then find out what happened next. It's rather long, so settle back, grab your diet coke (or whatever your addicted to) and enjoy. Thanks Marcia for editing- *SMACK* you're the best! One winter morning approximately a year after her marriage to the very handsome and rather dashing Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth passed the time by taking a stroll through Pemberley's extensive grounds. Not long after observing that all she lacked to make the morning complete was the presence of her husband, she spotted him making his way toward her on his magnificent stallion. Elizabeth sighed audibly as he approached her, appreciating his fine figure. 'No one sits a horse so well as that man.' She thought, then sighed again. So distracted was she by the sight of his thighs stretched across the back of his stallion, that he was almost upon her before she realized a distressed look marred his handsome features. "Fitzwilliam, whatever is the matter?" she inquired, reaching up to lay a hand upon his thigh. "I've received a letter from Georgiana with distressing news in it." He replied, reaching into this pocket to pull out the post. He handed it to Elizabeth to read while he dismounted. Convinced that something ill had befallen Georgiana, Elizabeth hastened to read the letter, whilst Darcy began pacing back and forth beside her. Scanning the post for some tragic news, Lizzy was completely puzzled by the time she reached the end. Hesitant, she questioned her husband, "Is this not just a cheerful letter, informing us of the wonderful time she had at a dinner party given by Jane and Charles?" "Major Monroe, Elizabeth! Read the part about Major Monroe!" Elizabeth returned to the letter and located the portion that had so upset her husband. Major Monroe was very attentive to me all evening. I must admit I was pleased with his attentions, and am eager for both you and Elizabeth to make his acquaintance. "That is what has you so green around the gills? Her eagerness for us to meet Major Monroe?" Elizabeth asked in astonishment. "Green around the gills?" Darcy said puzzled. "Elizabeth, this is no time for you to begin speaking like a sailor. Some... Major, has designs on my baby sister! We must leave for town at once!" Elizabeth valiantly controlled her desire to laugh, knowing that her husband was very much in earnest, and managed a supportive: "Of course my love, we will leave this afternoon." Satisfied that his wife understood the danger facing Georgiana, Darcy quickly lifted Elizabeth up on his horse, then swung into the saddle behind her. He gathered Elizabeth closely to him with one hand and held the reins with the other. For her part, Lizzy snuggled in closely, appreciating the feel of his firm thigh under her legs. The wind began to pick up as they made their way back toward the house, and Elizabeth was grateful for husband's warm body, particularly his broad back and shoulders, which blocked a great deal of the chilling wind. Feeling her shiver slightly, Darcy hugged her tighter to him, and leaned down to press a kiss to her hair. Realizing that her hands and arms would be warmer if they were closer to his body, Elizabeth undid the front buttons of her husband's coat and wrapped her arms about him. Immediately feeling his delicious warmth she reached up to press a kiss on his neck, just above his perfectly starched, white cravat. "Better?" he asked distractedly, his mind on the situation in London. "Yes, thank you." Elizabeth was torn between amusement and annoyance. They had only been married a year, surely the novelty of having her in his arms had not worn off to this degree. Determine to deter his thoughts from Georgiana, whom Elizabeth was certain was fine, and bring them back to herself, she once again reached up and kissed his neck. Only this time she did not let go. Rather, she drew a bit of his skin into her mouth and began to suckle, successfully drawing her husband's attention back to the present. "Elizabeth," he admonished, "let go love, you will mark me." Thinking that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, Lizzy sucked harder. It was now Darcy who was torn between amusement and annoyance. Amusement won out, and he decided to tease her. "I can produce any number of witnesses that will testify that you promised to love, honor and OBEY me, Elizabeth. If you do not choose to honor your word, as your husband I will be forced to teach you to do so, and you will find yourself making the rest of this trip in a wholly unpleasant position." Shocked Lizzy drew back to stare at her husband. Seeing the twinkle in his eye, she smiled seductively and moved to return to his delectable neck. Before she reached it however, she found herself being picked up, flipped over, and re-positioned to lay draped over his thighs. From her new position she had an excellent view of his impeccable black boot, the stirrup and the snow covered ground. Squealing with outrage, Elizabeth tried to rear up, only to feel the flat of Darcy's hand on her posterior. It rested there while the horse continued to plod steadfastly through the snow, drawing them closer and closer to home. Darcy started to whistle. Elizabeth ground her teeth. He then began to caress the tempting mounds that jiggled under his hand with each step the horse took. Eyeing the hem of her gown, he considered drawing it up and running his hand underneath to caress and perhaps view the jiggling as it occurred in its natural state. Regretfully he acknowledged that the weather thwarted any such actions, but made a mental note to bring his wife out riding on the first warm day of spring. Having recovered somewhat from her initial shock, Lizzy inquired of her husband, "And how long do you propose to keep me in this position?" Darcy considered a moment, then informed her in a cheerful tone, "Until you concede to call me lord and master." He admired another jiggle then brought his hand for a second smack. Lizzy, who had no intention of admitting any such thing, knew that they were drawing close to Pemberley and merely commented; "Are these new Hessians, dear? I don't believe I've ever seen these particular boots before." Darcy was forced to admit defeat, and he laughingly rearranged his wife, just moments before they came into view of the house. As much as he enjoyed teasing her, he was by no means going to allow the mistress of Pemberley to be seen in such an undignified position. Resettled, Elizabeth drew one gloved finger up to his neck and pressed it against the red mark there. "I did mark you." She said, feeling rather proud of herself. Then, because she could never willing cause him distress or embarrassment, which the mark was sure to do, Lizzy adjusted his cravat to cover the spot. The carriage ride to London was proving to be colder than Elizabeth had anticipated. "Comfortable darling?" Fitzwilliam cuddled his wife closer to him under their wool blanket. Feeling her shiver, he apologized, "I'm sorry Elizabeth, we should have waited for the weather to warm up before setting out on this journey." Elizabeth laughed and ran her fingers down his arm, until she captured his hand in hers. "Fitzwilliam, you would have paced a hole through the library's fine Aubusson carpet had we remained at Pemberley a single day longer. Truly, you are acting more like a doting Papa, and less like a brother by the day. Georgiana will be fine. She is highly cautious, and Jane would not invite a gentleman to her home that was not of the highest calibre." "I know Elizabeth," Fitzwilliam sighed. "It is just that she has grown into such a beauty this past year, and I am at a loss as to how to handle the attention she is receiving from gentlemen. I know she is not truly comfortable in the presence of men from outside our small circle. I feel I have left her to the wolves." "You have done nothing of the sort, my love." Lizzy reached up and cupping his cheek brought his head down for a kiss. "We have only been gone a week, I am sure she is fine." "Umm," Fitzwilliam murmured into her mouth. "I have made this trip countless times, but never have I enjoyed it more than when I am alone with you." Elizabeth nipped his bottom lip gently, then moved slightly lower to enjoy his dimple. Feeling Darcy's hands tighten on her waist, she drew back a moment stare into his eyes. "Are you attempting to distract me from my worries, Elizabeth?" he asked smiling. In response, Lizzy leaned forward and captured the tip of his nose with her teeth for a moment, causing her husband to laugh. "Actually, I was thinking to repay you for your kind attentions this morning and perchance even forgive you for your unkind attentions whilst we were on your horse." Elizabeth's announcement produced a chuckle from Darcy, and he shifted to lift her on his lap. She wiggled around until she was straddling him, her skirts riding up indecently around her legs. Capturing her lips in an ardent kiss, Darcy securely held her legs with his hands, gentle rubbing the silky smooth skin just above her knees with his thumbs. A suddenly jostling of the carriage caused them to part. Feeling suddenly embarrassed by their activities; Elizabeth reached down and drew the wool blanket up over her shoulders, then around them, tucking the ends behind Fitzwilliam's shoulders till only their heads stuck out. Seeing his amused look, she cut him off before he could begin. "I know we look ridiculous Fitzwilliam. But if someone were to see what we are doing I would die of mortification." "Rest assured Elizabeth, if there were any possibility of our being observed, you would never have left the seat." Leaning forward Darcy ran his tongue over his wife's full lips, while she wove her fingers into his dark curls. "We are quite in our own little world here. Unless," he began to nibble, "you should lose your head and cry out, loud enough for John Coachman to hear." Lizzy was saved from answering by his hot mouth once again capturing hers. Darcy's hands slid higher up her legs, causing Lizzy to shiver in anticipation and excitement. She could not believe her reserved husband was engaging in such activity in a carriage. On a public road no less! Her hands dropped from his shoulders to move down to his chest where she began working on the fastenings of his shirt. "Elizabeth, look at me." Darcy's voice broke through her passion-clouded senses and Lizzy looked up to meet her husband's eyes. Silently they gazed at each other for a moment, then Lizzy audibly caught her breath and tightened her hold on his shirt as she felt his hands move to the juncture of her thighs. Then, as his finger slipped inside her, she shut her eyes and moaned eagerly. "Keep your eyes open Lizzy." The command brought Elizabeth's eyes open in surprise. "Tell me how that feels." He rubbed against her gently, then firmly applied more pressure. Biting her lip, Lizzy enjoyed the sensation for a moment, then answered, "a little smaller than usual." Darcy let out a shout of laughter. Lizzy clapped her hand over his mouth, fearing that the coachman would overhear. Not dissuaded, Fitzwilliam continued his seduction by running his tongue across her palm, then slipping a second finger inside her. The carriage jostled again, causing Lizzy to squeal. Darcy removed his hand and pushing her gown up past her waist, wrapped his arm tightly around her. His other hand he brought up to the fastenings of his breeches and fumbled to quickly undo them. Freeing himself, he instructed Lizzy to adjust her weight, so that she was kneeling upright, knee on the carriage bench on either side of him. Then, gently he maneuvered her down, entering her slowly, whilst enjoying the expression in her exquisite eyes. "Have I told you yet this day how very beautiful you are?" the question went unanswered by Elizabeth, who had been rendered incapable of speech. Darcy was soon beyond speaking rationally himself and before long was given the very great pleasure of watching his wife come apart beautifully in his arms. His own release quickly followed, and he spent the next few minutes cradling Elizabeth gently to him. Smiling when he realized she had fallen asleep, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and settled back to enjoy the rest of the trip to London. The Darcy coach pulled up to a spacious townhouse on Park Lane some 20 minutes before the dinner hour. Elizabeth and Darcy hastened up the front steps and out of the biting wind. They were met by Harrison, their stately butler, who looked delighted (or as delighted as an arthritic gentleman of more than seventy years could possibly be) to see them. "Miss Georgiana and Col. Fitzwilliam are in the drawing room, Ma'am, Sir." He informed them, with a low bow, squeaking slightly. "I do not believe your arrival is expected." "No, I shouldn't think so." Darcy replied. He was tempted to rush to Georgiana at once and reassure himself of her well being, but instead put his arm around his wife and began to usher her up the sweeping marble staircase. "Please inform them of our arrival and that we will join them in the dinning room presently." "Very good Sir." Harrison executed a second deep bow, in a style more befitting a gentleman of some fifty years ago, rather than what was currently fashionable. He didn't release any squeaks or creaks this time however, much to Lizzy's relief. Once in their rooms, Elizabeth remarked to her husband, "Dearest, can you not persuade Harrison to let his son take over his position? He should be spending his later years in comfort, being coddled by his children and grandchildren. I know he is often in pain as he goes about his duties." "I have tried Elizabeth, and on more than one occasion. He simply outwits me by looking vastly affronted, and apologizing profusely for failing to perform his duties in an acceptable manner. By the time I've finished reassuring him that I am not dissatisfied with him, he has managed to secure my approval for another year of service." Fitzwilliam sounded rather baffled and Elizabeth did not attempt to conceal her amusement. "Well I shall leave you with only another month to obtain his agreement for retirement." Elizabeth placed her hands on his shoulders, and standing on her toes reached up to press a quick kiss on chin. "Then I shall take matters into my own hands and see that the gentleman is done rightly by." Turning she made her way to across the room to her dressing room and called over her shoulder: "I'll only be a few moments freshening up, then we can go down and you can see for yourself that Georgiana is well." Dinner that evening was a lively affair. Darcy had taken one look at his sister and known she was happy, in truth she fairly glowed. She and Elizabeth hugged and kissed one another as though they had been apart for months, rather than less than a fortnight. Whilst his cousin slapped him heartily on the back and insulted him in high good spirits. Conversation flowed around the table as Elizabeth matched wits with Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam. The chef had prepared a lovely spread, a mouthful of which Darcy was enjoying when he happened to look up and see Georgiana conducting what appeared to be some sort of silent conversation with their cousin Richard. Astounded, Darcy watched as her cheeks grew red and her eyes sparkled some mysterious message across the table. Turning his head he caught Richard's response of a raised eyebrow and twitching lips. A swift glance back at Georgiana showed her eyes opened wide in what could only be an amused warning. Suddenly the tasteful food turned a distinctly unpleasant flavor in his mouth. Swallowing painfully he starred blankly at the beef on the plate before him. Georgiana and Richard! Why had he never seen it before? He had never even considered it! He had always assumed that the affection between them was that of cousins, not of� Suddenly the beef he had just swallowed threatened to make a second appearance. Good God, they had been living together in the Darcy townhouse for nearly a fortnight without any type of chaperone. An underage young lady and her guardian dwelling in a fully staffed townhouse would not require the presence of an older female relation. Richard had already secured the agreement of his mother, to take up residence in the townhouse once Georgiana was introduced to society, leaving Elizabeth and Darcy free to move between Pemberley and London as they pleased. In truth, the Countess of Matlock was greatly looking forward to launching Georgiana into British society. Surely Richard would not have taken advantage of such a situation. Darcy shot his cousin a look of such malice that the poor Colonel dropped his fork and said with a mixture of concern and confusion, "Darcy, are you unwell?" The genuine concern he read on Richard's face immediately prompted Darcy to offer an apology with a muttered reference to his sudden intolerance for beef. Catching Elizabeth's anxious glance, he smiled reassuringly and she resumed her conversation with Georgiana regarding which flowers should be planted that spring in the lower west garden at Pemberley. Taking a sip of wine, he considered that he just might have been jumping to conclusions. Certainly Richard would never behave in a disrespectful manner toward Georgiana. Rather repentantly, Darcy glanced again at his cousin, only to find him gazing at Georgiana with an unmistakably tender expression in his eyes. Catching Darcy's eye on him again, Richard smiled and asked, "She looks happy, does she not?" "Indeed, she does. I have not seen her this lively in good length of time." Darcy replied honestly. Throughout the remaining courses Darcy considered a match between the Colonel and his sister, and rather to his surprise found the idea quite to his liking. The Colonel would never be rich, but with Georgiana's dowry, he could certainly afford to purchase a small estate, mayhap-even one in Derbyshire. Pleased with that notion he cast about in his mind, to recall if he knew of any properties that would be coming available near Pemberley in the none-too-distant future. Attacking his dessert with relish, he considered the possibilities. Once they were wed, Richard would be obliged to sell out or at the very least retire from any sort of active duty. That alone would put the Earl and Countess of Matlock in favor of the match. It wouldn't do to have Richard stationed on the continent while that little French madman was running about, determined to conquer the world. Yes, Darcy decided, a match between Georgiana and the Colonel was an excellent idea. Elizabeth watched her husband curiously as he vigorously consumed his dessert. Moments before, during the last course, he had appeared to be worried about something. Apparently he had resolved in his own mind whatever it was that distressed him, for he current displayed the look of a man who was congratulating himself on solving the world's problems. He glanced up, caught her eye upon him and smiled widely. Momentarily distracted by his adorable dimples, Elizabeth suddenly realized that he was telling her something with his eyes. He glanced briefly at his sister, then his eyes darted to Col. Fitzwilliam, and he tilted his head inquiringly. Elizabeth's eyebrows rose in astonishment. While it had occurred to her in the past that the Colonel occasionally showed more than simple familial concern toward his young cousin, she was certain that Georgiana regarded her cousin Richard with no romantic affection. Shaking her head gently at her husband, she conveyed her disagreement. Elizabeth watched curiously, as it appeared that Darcy was about to pout, when he suddenly crossed his eyes at her. Caught off guard Elizabeth laughed, causing Georgiana and Richard to look at her inquiringly. "Whatever are you laughing at, Elizabeth?" Georgiana ask. "Have you been teasing her again, Fitzwilliam?" she continued, turning toward her brother. "He's been settling that you and I should marry, and Elizabeth is disagreeing with him." Richard put in with some amusement. He had been following the silent communication between the two with curiosity. "Perhaps now is a good time to introduce the topic of a certain Major�" Col. Fitzwilliam broke off as Georgiana turned pink and shook her head wordlessly, looking pleadingly at him then Elizabeth. Taking her cue, Elizabeth announced, "Actually I believe it is time for the ladies to adjourn to the drawing room. We will see you gentleman shortly." Darcy watched his sister follow Elizabeth out of the dining room with troubled eyes. Turning to face his cousin he stated bluntly; "You're in love with her." Richard hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Have been for awhile." Darcy considered this as he rose and walked to the sideboard and retrieved a container of port. Pouring two glasses he inquired of his cousin, "And what do you plan to do about it?" "Do?" Richard took the offered glass and stared meditatively at it for awhile. "See that she is happy and well taken care of. What else is there to do?" "Well I suppose the obvious thing would be to marry her." Darcy put in, eyeing his cousin with interest. It wasn't often that the Colonel was so serious-minded. Richard's lips twitched and he snorted in amusement. "You think I wouldn't do that immediately if it were a viable option? Marrying a man she does not love would not make Georgiana happy." He pointed out, then added for good measure, "and I'm hardly in a position to provide for her." Seeing Darcy was opening his mouth to protest, he hurried on, "I could hardly ask her to set up house in my suite of rooms here, or in my parents townhouse. Nor would my officer's quarters be acceptable." He shrugged, and grinned at his cousin. "Don't trouble yourself over it Darcy. We'll continue on as we have in the past, and if I feel melancholic over my situation, why then I'll take a page out of that chap Byron's book and take to writing poetry." This was finished with a flourish, Col. Fitzwilliam raising his glass of port in a silent salute to unrequited love. Darcy looked at him thoughtfully, then moved to fill his cousin's now-empty glass. The gentlemen sipped their drinks silently, each lost in their private thoughts, when Richard suddenly remembered a purchase that he had made not long after leaving his club that morning. His face lit up and at Darcy's questioning look, he began fishing around in his pocket. "You'll never believe what I picked up at auction today." Grasping the item he pulled it out and displayed it to proudly to his cousin. Darcy took one look and started choking on his wine. "Will you look at the size of that thing?" Richard commented as he leaned over and helpful pounded Fitzwilliam on the back with one hand, the sheep gut condom held in the other. "Don't worry it's not for me" he added when it appeared Darcy had gained control of his faculties once again and was very likely to lunge for his throat. "I picked it up for a fellow officer," he explained with a smile. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he went in for the kill, "a chap named Monroe." Elizabeth heard her husband's roar of outrage resounding throughout the interior of the townhouse. "Oh dear," she grimaced at Georgiana, "that didn't appear to go over very well." Georgiana twisted the material of her skirt nervously. "If that is how he reacted when Richard told him of the carriage ride in the park, however will he respond when I tell him that I've accepted Major Monroe's offer to stand up with him for the first two dances at the Bingly's next dinner party?" "Hmm," Elizabeth considered. "Perhaps it would be best if we allow your brother to meet the Major, and determine for himself that the man is not a dangerous villain, before we spring that piece of information on him." "But would that not be deceptive?" Georgiana asked worriedly, "I would never purposefully deceive Fitzwilliam." Elizabeth bit her lip as she decided how to respond to that rather remarkable statement. "We'll not deceive him, no. You're quite right, that wouldn't be at all the proper thing to do." Georgiana looked relieved, and Elizabeth fought back a grin. "However, we will delay in telling him everything that has occurred in your life since he last saw you, until a later time." Georgiana looked undecided for a moment then nodded her agreement. Elizabeth could no longer contain her amusement. Laughing she stood up and pulled Georgiana to her feet. "Come along, you're tired and should retire early. I'll walk you to the stairs." Georgiana's eyes widened. She wasn't used to having anyone other than her brother, inform her she was tired and going off to bed. Bemused she allowed Elizabeth to escort her into the hallway, not questioning the decision, for it suited her plans perfectly. "Georgina, who is that man?" Elizabeth asked curiously, pointing to an Elizabethan painting hanging toward the back of the hall. "That's one of our ancestor's the Earl of Wessex, isn't he handsome?" Georgiana replied. "Yes, rather." Elizabeth agreed, thinking he looked remarkably like her own husband in costume. "There's some family scandal attached to him," Georgiana continued, "but Fitzwilliam won't tell me what it is. Richard knows though, for I've heard him and Fitzwilliam joking about it." "What did they say?" Elizabeth asked curiously. "Hmm?" Georgiana asked distracted, certain she heard footsteps in the general vicinity of the dinning room. "Oh, something to do with Shakespeare, I believe they were friends or something." Without a pause she added, "I believe I will retire now." And with a quick kiss on Elizabeth's cheek she was gone. Elizabeth watched her sister-in-law's retreat with interest, wondering what had prompted it; questions about the scandalous Earl of Wessex or her brother and cousin's decamping from the dining room. Deciding her husband had had enough time to come to grips with the fact that Georgiana may one day fall in love with a man and; horror of all horrors, actually consider leaving the shelter of his protective wing; she made her way back to the drawing room.

Tempest in a Townhouse, Part II: "Fitzwilliam?" Both Darcy and the Colonel looked up, rose to their feet and in perfect unison responded, "Yes?" Elizabeth blushed, and walked over to take her husband's hand, indicating which Fitzwilliam she had been referring to. Before they could sit down, the Colonel inquired; "where is Georgiana?" "She decided to retire early, as she was quite tired." Lizzy explained. "Ah�" he replied, setting back down in to his chair and pulling out a pipe. He lifted his eyebrows and motioned his pipe in Elizabeth's direction, silently inquiring if she minded the habit. She smiled and shook her head, indicating it was fine with her. Watching him light it, she decided that the first time he pulled out his pipe to smoke when Her Fitzwilliam was not in the room, she would respond with a "Thank you, don't mind if I do." And take the pipe from him to try a puff for herself. Lizzy was distracted from her scandalous thoughts by her husband's voice asking suspiciously, "You took Georgiana shopping today, didn't you?" Elizabeth looked at her husband in surprise, then turned to see his cousin squirming in his chair. "God's teeth! Richard, I thought we had decided enough was enough." Darcy growled, getting to his feet and beginning to pace back and forth in front of the mantle. Elizabeth looked at her husband in astonishment. Seeing her confused look, Richard explained; "That's why she's gone up to bed early." "Because you took her shopping?" Elizabeth asked, more confused than ever. "Yes. You see�" "You spoil her!" Darcy interrupted. "Me?" Col. Fitzwilliam replied in a tone of outrage, "You're the one who buys her sheet music by the pound and a new pianoforte every year!" "Come now, every year?" Darcy asked sarcastically. "Well, certainly at least every other!" the Colonel replied indignantly. Since Darcy couldn't refute this he decided to hurry over that point. "At least music is edifying. Those novels you buy her are pure claptrap! No educational or redeeming value at all!" "Their redeeming value is that Georgiana likes them!" Elizabeth watched her husband and cousin with amusement, fairly certain that they had forgotten her presence in the room. Their verbal battle rather reminded her of the skirmishes that her parents used to get into, before her mother had taken to proclaiming her nerves were being ill-used by such events. "You two are like a couple of old hens." She announced, fighting back laughter. The couple of old hens turned and glared at her. "I beg your pardon." Darcy said stiffly, somewhat mortified at having behaved so abominably in the presence of his wife. His cousin was one of the few people on earth with whom he freely voiced his opinion, and he and Fitzwilliam frequently involved themselves in lively debates. Particularly in regards to Georgiana's education and upbringing, as both were certain they alone knew what was best for her. Col. Fitzwilliam recovered his good humor quickly and laughingly agreed with Elizabeth. "Darcy and I do forget ourselves on occasion when we are in private. Pray forgive me for behaving so boorishly." Elizabeth assured him that she was not offended in anyway, then inquired of her husband, "Whatever is wrong with Georgiana reading novels?" "It is not a novel here or there that I am opposed to," Darcy replied, looking rather indignant. "But rather the sheer number of them that she consumes on a regular bases. If she wants to spend her time reading she should study the classics." "Such as Greek tragedies and Latin text?" Elizabeth wondered aloud. "Actually, I was referring to the English classics," Darcy replied. "We have been blessed with many great writers; Milton, Johnson, Chaucer�" "Shakespeare," added the Colonel, who then wiggled his eyebrows at Darcy. "Speaking of Shakespeare," Elizabeth began hoping distract Darcy from adding a comment to the disgruntled look he shot his cousin, "Georgiana was telling me something about his being a friend of your ancestor." "Or ancestoress�" murmured the Colonel, then immediately got up and studied a painting on the far side of the room, when his cousin glared at him. "However, perhaps Georgiana should familiarize herself with certain Latin and Greek texts." Darcy added, wanting to draw Elizabeth' attention from the Bard. "Ah, such as Catullus?" put in Elizabeth, innocently; causing Col. Fitzwilliam to inhale a large quantity of smoke. Darcy scowled at his coughing cousin a moment, before turning his gaze to his wife. "And what do you know of Catullus?" he inquired. Elizabeth blushed slightly, darted a glance at Col. Fitzwilliam, whom seemed to be recovered from his coughing fit and had returned to studying the painting with a great deal of interest; then glanced back to her husband. He raised an inquiring brow, and she smiled and said; "Then let amorous kisses dwell On our lips, begin and tell A Thousand and a Hundred score A Hundred, and a Thousand more." Darcy lifted his wife's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Deciding that he was definitely an unneeded member of the party, Richard excused himself, and made to leave the room; claiming he needed to make his escape before Darcy started spouting poetry, and he was moved to tears. Darcy earnestly denied having put any poetry to memory, much to Elizabeth's disappointment, but the Colonel called out; "remember your Latin lad" over his shoulder as he quit the room. Merely laughing when Darcy called out, "Thanks coz!" after him. "Well?" Elizabeth asked expectantly. With a groan Darcy attempted to disoblige himself of quoting poetry to his wife. "I'm not good at this sort of thing, my dear�" he broke off, realizing Elizabeth would not be content until he had quoted a bit of poetry for her. With a mental shrug, he decided that if his Elizabeth wanted poetry, she would get poetry. Gallantly he swept her up into his arms and looking deep into her eyes, whispered dramatically the poem he and Richard had learned as school lads. "Amo, amas, I love a lass, As cedar tall and slender; Sweet cowslip's grace Is her nominative case, And she's o' the feminine gender." Lizzy burst into laughter as he carried her out of the room and headed up the marble staircase. Once she had quieted, he continued in a passionate vein; "Can I decline a nymph so devine? Her voice like a flute is dulcis; Her oculus bright, her manus white And soft, when I tacto, her pulse is." Reaching their room, he entered and shut the door behind them. Fitzwilliam carried Elizabeth to their bed, then set her down gently, and draped himself so that he lay across her. Pressing tender kisses along her face and throat, he concluded; "Oh how bella, my puella I'll kiss in secula seculorum; If I've luck, sir, she's my uxor, O dies benedictorum." "I just have one question, love." Elizabeth murmured drowsily later that night. "Hmm?" Darcy questioned as he curled spoon fashion around her, his arm wrapped snugly around her, hand cupping her breast. "What in God's name is an uxor?" Darcy awoke early the next morning, well rested and eager to be about his day. Gently easing himself out from under Elizabeth, he quietly slipped out of bed and drew the covers up around her, tucking her in snuggly, so that she would not easily miss his warmth. Striding into his dressing room, he rang for his valet then applied himself at his writing desk as he awaited his man's arrival. Thirty minutes later he slipped back into his bedchamber and left a note on the pillow beside his wife, as well as a gentle kiss on her smooth cheek. Elizabeth awoke sometime later to find herself alone in their large bed. A piece of parchment caught her eye, and she was delighted to see her name scripted in her husband's bold writing across the note on the pillow beside her. Snuggling back down in the warmth of the quilt, she broke the seal and with a smile read; 'My beloved, I am sorry I am not there to kiss you awake; but trust that you will excuse my brief absence, as I have business at my club, which I felt should not be delayed. Be assured that I would rather spend the morning in your company and to that end, might I request that you abide in our chambers until I have rejoined you? Expect me by eight. Your maid has orders not to wake you, but will come if you ring. May I suggest, however, that you refrain from eating -as I have every assurance from cook that your favorite sweet buns will be removed from the oven even as I cross the threshold of our doorway with my return. With great anticipation I remain, Your devoted husband A soft smiled hovered around her lips as Elizabeth brought the note up to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss atop her husband's bold signature. Glancing at the wall-mounted timepiece she observed it was half past seven, absolutely perfect. At three minutes past eight, the door swung open and Darcy entered, carrying a large tray. Elizabeth eyed him in amusement. "Are you employed as a footman these days, Mr. Darcy?" He grinned widely at her and set the tray on a low table near the bed, and leaning over dropped a quick kiss on her eager lips. Pulling himself away, he turned and strode over to the door to his dressing room, and locked it, then circled the room, locking both the main door, as well as the one to Elizabeth's dressing room. Having secured them in their own little world, he turned back to face his wife. He paused for a moment to admire the picture she made, lying on her back in his bed, raised up a bit on her elbows. As he began stripping off his jacket, then vest, Elizabeth sat up in bed. The bed sheets pooled around her a waist, baring her breast to Fitzwilliam's eyes. His attention was immediately drawn to them, and he unconsciencely licked his lips and took a step toward her. Elizabeth shivered in anticipation. Apparently taking this as a sign that his wife was cold, Darcy deterred, and made his way across the room and bent to stir up the fire. Elizabeth watched impatiently as he added several logs and ensured that the bright blaze was steadily putting off heat. Finally satisfied, Darcy turned back to his wife and said, "get back under the covers Elizabeth. I don't want you to catch a chill." "Come and warm me Fitzwilliam." Elizabeth's plea prompted Darcy to quickly cross the room back to her side. Shucking off his breeches and shirt, he pulled back the bed covers and climbed in to snuggle down with his wife. Elizabeth curled her arms around his neck and attached her lips to his throat. Gently rolling her over so he was atop her, Darcy reached back and capturing her hands in his, brought them forward to lie on either side of her face. He brought his mouth to her ear and slowly traced the outline of it with the tip of his tongue, pausing every few moments to whisper tenderly of his love for her. Elizabeth shivered at the delicious sensations he was provoking. Eager to caress her husband she tried to free her hands from his firm grasp. "Darling release my hands. I wish to touch you." "Not yet love." Darcy chuckled and held them fast while Elizabeth tugged. "I'm going to ravish you," he bit her earlobe gently, and tugged. "Just as soon as I feed you breakfast." He released one hand to reach across to the tray, and chose a warm sticky bun from a plate. Ripping off a portion of the sweet bread he pressed it to her lips and urged her to try it. Elizabeth brought her free hand up to hold his in place while she nipped and licked at the offered treat, and then the fingers holding it. Fitzwilliam found he could not take his eyes off his wife's lips as they caressed his fingers. His breath shortened as her tongue swept out and moistened one finger after another, then darted back into her mouth again. Ripping off a second helping of the sweet treat, he offered her a small bite, then leaned down to enjoy the taste of it on her lips. Elizabeth moaned and wrapped her arm around his neck, holding him tightly. "I thought you were going to ravish me," she whispered. "I plan to," he assured her, with a slowly forming grin; framed by two deep dimples. "Just as soon as I finish feeding you." Kissing her again, he traced the outline of her lips with his tongue, before probing a bit to be let inside. Elizabeth obligingly opened her mouth and he swept in to plunder its depths. Drawing back, he found Elizabeth's arms still wrapped tightly around him, holding him in place. "I'm not hungry anymore," Elizabeth assured him. Two hours later, the bed was a sticky mess, with the remains of Elizabeth's breakfast scattered from one end to the other. Its former occupants were now in a large tub in front of the fireplace. Lizzy held a damp cloth over her eyes while her husband scrubbed industriously at the mountain of soapy curls atop her head. "I cannot believe you went in search of Major Monroe first thing this morning!" Darcy ignored his wife's comment and reached over the side of the tub for a pitcher full of fresh water. "Tilt your head back, darling." The water cascaded down through her locks, rinsing the soap away. "And I didn't hunt down the man this morning, merely dropped in at my club." Elizabeth peered at him from under an upturned corner of the cloth. "And is he a member there?" She lowered the cloth from her face and watched his actions curiously while he ignored her question. Picking up a fluffy towel Darcy wound her damp hair in it, then secured atop her head, turban style. "Where ever did you learn how to do this?" She inquired. Darcy's cheeks pinkened a bit, and she leaned forward to run her fingers along his ribs. "No." He batted her hands away, "I'd best not tell, for it is not only my secret to keep." Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "It had better not have been from a lady, whom you found occasion to bathe." Darcy snorted at the idea, but was secretly amuse that his wife was so quick to jealousy. "If you must know, the other party is Charles Bingly." Considerable pleading and tickle treats resulted in his sharing the basis of his turban forming knowledge, whilst he soaped her feet. 'How,' he wondered, 'was he to have known the sweet buns would leave such a sticky residue on her toes?' "It's all Bingly's fault, if you must know." He informed her. "Miss Bingly and the Hursts had gone away for a houseparty, given by some matron, in the country. I was invited to dine with Bingly one night while they were away." "Go on," Elizabeth prodded, as he finished with her right foot and began work on her left. "Between us, we consumed enough wine and after-dinner port for four men. And well, the topic under discussion eventually made its way around to ladies headwear. Bingly and I agreed that bonnets were a logical choice, as they shaded a lady's complexion from the sun. However, we were somewhat perplexed by ladies turbans. We could determine no beneficial use for them, and soon the conversation turned from why they were worn, to how they were designed. Charles had the grand idea of absconding one of his sister's and so we did, and with great precision and care, we took it apart and put it back together again." Lizzy nearly drown herself laughing. The picture of her husband and Charles tipsy and playing with Caroline's turban was too much. Fitzwilliam got a hold of her elbows and caught her before she slipped beneath the water. He raised her until she stood, then turn her to face away from him, so he could begin scrubbing behind her knees. Those sweet buns were amazingly sticky. Dinner that evening was a merry party, as Jane and Bingly were free to join the Darcy household. Elizabeth even found occasion to tease her brother-in-law on his turban making skills, much to his embarrassment and Jane's confusion. Once the ladies had adjourned to the drawing room however, their conversation immediately turned to Major Monroe. "How did you meet him Jane?" Lizzy inquired eager to know everything possible about the man who had captured Georgianna's attention. "He is an acquaintance of Charles, and a fellow officer of Col. Fitzwilliam's and ever so pleasant." Jane replied. "I believe I met him first at Drury Lane. Charles had taken me to see a production of Twelfth Night, and he was occupying the same box as we, with a lady friend. Whom," she added with a slight smile for Georgianna, "Charles told me he is no longer seeing." Georgianna blushed happily at this news, though it was no surprise to her. Major Monroe had told her himself at their last meeting that he had restricted his socializing with single young ladies to herself alone. Unbeknownst to the ladies, a similar conversation was going on amidst the gentlemen over their port. "So, Bingly. Tell me what you know of this Monroe chap." Darcy commanded nearly the instant the dinning room door closed behind Elizabeth. "How are you acquainted and what do you know of his family and character? All I can pry out of Fitzwilliam here, are his military exploits and physical description." "Why we met at a hunting party, given by the Duke of Argyle, at his estate in Scotland." Bingly replied. Darcy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How do you know the Duke of Argyle?" "I don't." Bingly said. "Or rather I didn't, the invite was via Hurst, whose," Bingly paused to thing hard for a moment, "mother's cousin's uncle was some sort of relation to the last duke -brother-in-law I believe, but I'm not absolutely certain." Darcy grunted in amusement. "And how did Monroe arrange to be included in the hunting party? Or was he employed in some manner on the estate?" He could just envision Bingly forming a friendship with the master of the horse or the second son of the estate manager. Fitzwilliam snorted in amusement at this, and Bingly gaped at him in astonishment, mouth opening and closing apparently at will, with no sound escaping. Finally, recovering his speech, Charles exclaimed, "Argyle is Monroe's grandfather! And he's quite a favorite of the duke's, though he's only the second son of a second son. The man's a warrior through and through! You should have seen the demonstration he and his brother put on with their claymores!" Bingly enthused, "and when they had concluded, Monroe stood there holding the tip of his claymore between his index finger and thumb, and with a flick of his wrist flung it high in the air, end over tip. Then the man stood there, not blinking an eye, as it came rushing back down at him. I though it would skewer him through, but at the last moment he stepped away, and 'Thunk' the claymore embedded itself point down in the very spot where he had been standing! Most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Bingly concluded, flushed with the excitement of telling the darin tale. Darcy sipped his port with a grimace. Lovely, Georgianna was enamored with a daredevil. Darcy's mood improved considerably when his cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam stopped by the next afternoon with news that Major Monroe's regiment was expected to be deployed to active duty on the continent before the month was complete. His mood deteriorated considerably however, when Georgianna was made aware of the news the next day. The Major had come calling that morning and was finally introduced to Darcy. Darcy, prepared to dislike the man on sight, was disappointed to find him agreeable, courteous and clearly in love with Georgianna. Monroe had brought her sheet music and in no time at all, had convinced her to play for them. He wore such a look of adoration as he watched Georgianna play, that Darcy felt almost as though he were intruding upon a private moment, by looking at the man's face. Knowing that the other couple was oblivious to their presence in the room, Elizabeth snuggled close to her husband and taking his hand in her own, whispered softly to him. "I remember when you used to look at me like that." Darcy nearly snorted. There was no way he'd ever gazed at Elizabeth with such love-struck, puppy eyes. Well, at least not in public, where others could see his emotions so clearly. The visit ended shortly after Major Monroe informed Georgianna that he would be leaving soon for the continent. Her tears, which the poor man was obviously distraught over, could not be quenched. Alarmed at his sister's tears Darcy suggested in his iciest tone, that Monroe leave. Upon hearing this, Georgianna through herself into his arms and disregarding all propriety wrapped her arms around his neck and wept. Elizabeth, very much afraid that Darcy was planning to physically remove Georgianna from Monroe's embrace, quickly latched herself onto his arm. She needn't have feared however, for Darcy merely informed Monroe that he would meet him in his office in five minutes. And with Elizabeth at his side he stiffly quit the room. Outside in the corridor, Elizabeth reached a hand up and gently cupped her husband's cheek. "They are in love, and he is going to war." She said softly. Darcy placed his hands on her elbows, and squeezed lightly. He took a deep ragged breath and dropped his head down, so that his forehead rested atop Elizabeth's. "I know that love. It is why I did not kill him." Elizabeth smiled wiry. "I will stay and comfort Georgianna, while you have it out with him in your office." Darcy's talk with Major Monroe did not go well. To begin with, the man was wealthier than Darcy, and had the financial papers to prove it. To make matters worse, he owned two estates, whereas Darcy only owned one. And to cap it off, Monroe stood a full inch and a half taller then Darcy and out weighed him by several pounds. Unable to find any reason why should not be allowed to court Georgianna, Darcy reluctantly issued an invitation to return the next week and dine with them. The invitation was accepted with all due courtesy, and the Major departed. Elizabeth sighed and put down the letter she was attempting to read. The rambling missive from her mother was a trial to follow in peaceful circumstances, but her attempts to do so while her husband paced up and down before her, were a wasted effort. "Come away from the window dearest. Our neighbors will begin to wonder what you are about." Darcy turned from his position by one window and went to study the view from another. Then, changing his mind he went to join Elizabeth. He knew she was finding his need to shelter Georgianna somewhat extreme. But he could not find the words to explain to her how keenly he felt his failure to protect her in the past. The thought of Georgianna retreating once again into that silent shell of uncertainty in which she had dwelled after the debactacle with Wickham, left him shaken. Never would he allow his little girl to experience the heartache of such betrayal again. His little girl. While it was true that Georgianna was his sister, he had long ago assumed the role of parent in her life. It was a position he had felt ill qualified at the time to fill. And if he failed Georgianna yet again� he glanced down at Elizabeth as she read her letter. How would Elizabeth feel, how could she trust him to shield and protect their own daughters, if he failed to protect his sister? Sensing his gaze upon her, Lizzy gave up on her mother's letter and gave her attention to her husband. "They will return soon" she assured him, and squeezed his hand, hoping to instill some comfort. "The park is doubtless crowded today, as the weather is remarkably pleasant for this time of year." Darcy gently traced the line of her jaw from ear to chin, before dropping a gentle kiss on her brow in acknowledgement of the attempted solace. "You are looking particularly lovely this morning Mrs. Darcy." He informed her. "Is that a new gown?" Elizabeth's eyes glinted with amusement. "They are very nearly all new gowns. I have only recently had access to a very generous clothing allowance." Darcy's finger skimmed across her lips, then moved lower when she tried to nip it. "An allowance which you do not make use of to its full extent." He chided gently, while trailing his finger down the creamy expanse of her throat and further, to the lace encased mounds before him. Experimentally he tugged at the d�collet�, while easing her down on the lounging chair. Elizabeth's sitting room was quite empty, but for their presence and he was determined to enjoy it, and put all thoughts of Georgianna and the Major temporarily out of his head. "I did not marry you for the clothing allowance I would receive." Elizabeth whispered, even as her fingers moved to his waist. "Ah," he paused to kiss her, then drew back as she tried to deepen the kiss. "And why was it that you decided to marry me?" he inquired in a teasing tone. Elizabeth's hands slid down from his waist to cup his backside a moment, before moving over his hips in a feather-light touch to explore the prominent bulge she found there. "I believe it was the fit of your trousers." "Elizabeth!" Darcy's head jerked up and he starred down at his wife in amazement. For her part, Lizzy tried to look up at him innocently, but ruined it by giggling. Fitzwilliam captured her lips once again in a burning kiss, drawing a deep moan from Elizabeth. Her hands sought the buttons of his breeches, nearly overcome with her need to feel his hot length in her hands. Darcy in turn, had managed to free her breasts from their confinement. He was feasting on the pink tip of one, when the door of the sitting room flew open, and Georgianna rushed in. "Elizabeth!" she exclaimed, "you will never guess�" her voice trailed off in a squeak of horror as she took in the sight before her. The couple on the lounging chair froze. Then Fitzwilliam recovered sufficiently to meet his sister's eyes, and say "Out." Georgianna complied, with all due haste, and Darcy found himself somewhat hesitant to return his attention to his wife. The mood had definitely been broken. Looking down, he realized Elizabeth was struggling to adjust her bodice. He watched disappointedly as the twin mounds of his favorite temptation were once again hidden away from his view. "I'll go and see to Georgianna," Elizabeth said, as they rose, and Darcy ensured that his trousers were fastened correctly. "She will be mortified and no doubt in need of reassurance." Relieved beyond belief that that responsibility was not one that he would have to take on, Darcy murmured his agreement and decided to retreat to his library. Any hope for a peaceful morning there was destroyed however, when he discovered that Major Monroe was waiting downstairs to speak with him. And damned if the bloody man didn't ask for Georgianna's hand in marriage.

Oh LOLOLOL!!! Poor Georgiana! What a shock to the young lady's system! *grin* Esbee, that was positively priceless!!

Esbee! You have a mini-series going here! I loved it when Darcy said GO! How will E explain? Continue soon please.

Oh, what a shock for poor dear Georgiana!! It will take some time for her before she can see her brother and sister-in-law again without getting this picture in her head! Hilarious! And Teg, I love your story! Brenda mistaking Will for Ben... Yeah, got his revenge for some of the embarrassing moments over the years!

Teg, I forgot about Brenda mistaking Darcy for Ben! LOL! Revenge was sweet this time around! EsBee! Sticky Buns and marriage proposals? Will the Regency ever recover from this scandal? ROTF!

Loved it Esbee! Hope there's more - don't leave us hanging with G and Major Monroe. Loved the sticky buns, references to Lord Wessex (yes he does look like Darcy, doesn't he?), and G walking in on D&E. Fun, fun, fun! IRENE - WHERE ARE YOU???????

Ooh, how nice!! The stories seem now to pour in.....hmmmm....almost, still missing Irene's, though... Missed your stories Esbee, nice to see them back,...nice bathing scene...mmmmm...!! Teg: Of course I remember the story line...and the agony of not knowing, but it doesn't help when I'm reading the story here!! ..and of course I don't expect you to change anything...much;-))

Almost forgot where I left off.... okay, I did forget! ;) Parallels Chapter Ten Several pairs of eyes met across the width of the dining table, their owners not daring to say a word. The silence at either end of the table was deafening, and none of the observers could understand what had happened to suddenly turn Will and Elizabeth into wordless combatants. Rich glanced from one parent to the other. He met Aaron�s gaze across from him and nodded. In a crisp, steady voice he addressed his father. �Dad, may Aaron and I go into Manchester to the pictures, tomorrow?� Will�s gaze swept past his wife�s end of the table to come to rest on his son. �How do you propose to get there?� �I�m not taking you,� Rebecca stated flatly. �I have plans tomorrow that don�t put me anywhere near Manchester.� �Then I suppose I�ll drive you,� Will said. �Is it a picture I might enjoy? I may stay to see it, if it appeals to me, too.� �Oh, sure!� Rich enthused. �It�s a great action flick, Dad. You�ll love it!� �Lots of blood and gore and death!� Aaron added with a huge grin. �Terrific!� Will saw and ignored the glare that Elizabeth was sending his way. She didn�t want him out of her sight until after Monday�s appointment, and he knew it. He smiled at the two boys. �Then I�m definitely staying to see it with you!� He caught her gaze briefly and saw she was furious with him, but that didn�t stop him from smiling smugly in her direction. He was quite aware of how juvenile that was, but he had no intention of spending the next two days under Elizabeth�s thumb. Will also had no intention of listening to her harangue him later, so after dinner he offered to help Kathleen with a particularly difficult school assignment with which she had been having trouble. This left Elizabeth to the company of Georgiana, who must have borne the brunt of her frustration, for his sister came to his study looking for him later in the evening. Kathleen had just finished the main body of her paper, and was quite pleased with it so far, when Georgiana knocked on the door. �Will, have you got a minute?� She smiled at her niece, but looked at her brother insistently. Kathleen retrieved her disk from the computer. �I can finish the rest without any help, now. Thanks, Dad.� Georgiana closed the door following Kathleen�s exit. She crossed the room to sit in the chair that the girl had just vacated. �Alright, Will. What childish game are you two playing now?� A wan smile appeared on his face. �I�ll admit to being childish.� His sister rolled her eyes. �So, Elizabeth has a legitimate complaint?� �She has a legitimate concern,� he corrected. �But one she has blown out of proportion.� Will tapped his fingers on the desktop. Meeting Georgiana�s gaze, he said, �It�s nothing you need to worry about. It will all be sorted in a couple of days.� �A couple of days?� Georgiana looked sceptical. �Oh, I see. This is all one-sided, is it? Elizabeth doesn�t want you to take the boys to Manchester tomorrow for some reason, and you are doing it anyway for spite.� She shook her head, dismayed. �I hope you know what you�re doing, Will.� With that, she got up and left the study. Will contemplated picking out a book to read, so that he could stay in this room, but he negated that idea, and instead, went upstairs to their room. The week had been rather busy and he was more tired than he would like to admit, even to himself. He settled himself under the blankets, pulled the book that he always left on the night table toward him, and flipped through the pages to find a suitably dull passage to put him to sleep. Will never heard Elizabeth enter the room, didn�t see her turn off the light, nor felt her remove his book from his fingers and crawl under the blankets to snuggle up to him. He did, however, wrap an arm around her, and in his sleep he murmured her name. *** �Then, it�s what you suspected?� Dr. Walker looked very seriously at his patient. �So far, every test has shown that it is not atherosclerosis. Nor did they reveal any other arterial blockages. From the information that you gave me, namely when these attacks occurred and your symptoms, plus the stress test that was performed last week, this has confirmed my original suspicions.� �And just what are those suspicions?� Elizabeth asked impatiently. �Let me explain more fully,� the doctor said as he leaned across the desk�s surface. �The walls of the arteries are surrounded by muscle fibres. Rapid contraction of these muscle fibres causes a sudden narrowing, or spasm, of the arteries.� He used his hand to demonstrate by first splaying his fingers, then closing them to make a fist. �When the coronary arteries experience a spasm, it reduces blood flow to the heart muscle and causes angina. This particular form of angina, resulting from a coronary artery spasm, is called "variant" angina or Prinzmetal's angina. Typically, Prinzmetal's angina occurs at rest, usually in the early morning hours, which ties in with the information you originally gave me.� �What can be done about it?� Will felt Elizabeth�s hand gripping his as she steeled herself for the answer. �Medications are available. Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets, which you place under your tongue, and nitroglycerin sprays all relieve angina by reducing the heart muscle's demand for oxygen. Nitroglycerin also relieves the spasm of the coronary arteries and can redistribute coronary artery blood flow to areas that need it most. The use of nitroglycerin is limited, however, by headaches and light-headedness as it causes an excess lowering of blood pressure. �Calcium channel blockers also relieve coronary artery spasm, but they reduce the heart rate as well. There are side effects. Swelling of the legs, excess lowering of the heart rate and blood pressure, and also depressing heart muscle function. This last would cause an increased shortness of breath.� �Which medication would you recommend?� Will�s expression was unreadable, but it was now his hand gripping Elizabeth�s. Dr. Walker looked directly at Will. �I would suggest you start with the nitroglycerin tablets and see how that suits you.� He went on to describe the dosage and frequency of use for the medication. Elizabeth sat silently throughout, her thoughts racing with her emotional response to what she was hearing. Will�s always been so strong, so healthy. I can�t get used to the idea that there is something wrong. It frightens me. It forces me to realize that he�s only mortal, that he will die someday. She closed her eyes and her mind shuddered at the thought. Oh, God, please don�t take him from me too soon. Twenty-one years is not enough...... a lifetime is not enough! They left the doctor�s office, Elizabeth still numb, Will clutching the slip of paper with his prescription on it. They filled the prescription at the chemist, then found the car. For a few moments they sat in silence, staring at their feet. Then Elizabeth looked up. �Let�s go somewhere.� Will didn�t take long to think about it. �I know the place.� He started the car and threw it into gear. The place he had in mind was only fifteen minutes away. When he pulled into the parking spot, Elizabeth smiled in remembrance of the last time they had been there. Will took her by the hand and led her into the lobby of the swank, expensive hotel. Bypassing the reception desk, they walked to the lifts and took one to the restaurant on the top floor of the building. Despite it being the noon hour, they were immediately seated at a quiet table near the window overlooking the city. Elizabeth gazed out at the view. She wasn�t ready to talk, yet. Still sorting out her feelings, she continued to watch the flow of the traffic on the streets below them. Will ordered for both of them. Elizabeth always ate the same thing whenever they came here. When the waiter had brought the bottle of wine, poured it and had left again, Will attempted to gain her attention. �Elizabeth,� he said softly. She turned her head toward him. �I love you.� Elizabeth felt all of her inner strength flee with those three simple words. She had to close her eyes, struggling to maintain some sort of composure. At last she found the courage to face him again. �I�m scared, Will.� With a small smile, he took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her fingers. �It�s not so bad as all that, Liz. It�s a manageable condition. You heard the doctor say that.� She shook her head and sniffled briefly. �That isn�t going to make me feel any better whenever I see you have an attack, whenever I see you in such pain.� Elizabeth placed her other hand on top of his. �You don�t know how terrified I was the other morning, to see you collapse like that.� �That�s what the tablets are for, to ease the pain and lessen the severity of the attack.� Will paused as the waiter returned to place their salads on the table, then he continued. �Elizabeth, I�ve done some thinking over the last few weeks. I was just as frightened by what was happening to me as you were. It made me realize just how much time I spend on business, maintaining and monitoring an assortment of companies and corporations. I was very relieved when Georgiana told me she wanted to take on my role in Brian�s company. Offloading that responsibility made me feel so much better, and I started looking at what other responsibilities I could safely relinquish.� �Will.� Elizabeth was looking at him in astonishment. �Are you thinking of selling off your stock in some of the companies?� �No,� he said, shaking his head. �but I do need to slow down, and curtail my involvement. Ben will be finished university this spring, and I had hoped to bring him in and begin grooming him to take over some of it. I�d start him in the simpler areas, and then move him up when he�s ready. The only problem is that I know he wanted to do some travelling when he�s done, before settling into work.� Elizabeth was confused. �What gave you the idea he wants to travel?� �He told me last summer, actually. Just before we left to go overseas to be with Georgiana.� Will cast an apologetic glance at his wife. �Ben really wanted to go instead of finishing up his final year of study. I told him no.� �I see.� Somehow, Elizabeth couldn�t work up any anger that Will hadn�t told her about this before now. �I think your idea is a good one, Will. Ben has always been level-headed and interested in what you do.� �He also did a fine job looking after everything here while we were in America last year.� Will met her eyes and smiled. �Might I suggest that after we�ve eaten, we go for a walk along the canal and talk of anything but my health?� Elizabeth returned his smile with one of her own. �Agreed.� *** Over the next two days Elizabeth debated whether she should tell Will about Richard and Laura�s expected arrival on Friday. The original intention was to surprise him, but she was having serious doubts about the possible repercussions now. Thankfully, the party she had planned didn�t include anyone outside of the immediate family with the exception of Richard, Laura, Jane and Charles. Although she had wanted to let the children know what was happening with their father, Will insisted that they not say anything, at least until after the weekend. He didn�t want to be treated with kid gloves. This party was for the both of them, and he hoped to enjoy it without everyone telling him to sit down and relax, fretting over his every expression, or plaguing him with a thousand enquiries as to how he was feeling at any given moment. Concern won out over her previous plan and Elizabeth informed her husband that his cousin was to be joining them at the end of the week. Will was delighted. Elizabeth, however, was in a state of frazzled nerves by Friday. Fortunately, Georgiana and the children attributed it to her anticipation of the party. Elizabeth was very reluctant to allow Will to go to the airport to pick up Richard and Laura. She hadn�t let him out of her sight for more than ten minutes at a time all week. It was fortunate that Ben and Anna arrived home shortly before her husband was to depart, and she coerced her son into accompanying his father on the trip. Will had given her one of his looks, frustrated with the constant supervision of his day. One bright point was that Will had not suffered any recurring attacks since the previous Saturday morning. This both encouraged and worried his wife. She was sure that her constant vigilance had played a role in this, and concerned that, once distracted from her duty by her responsibilities as hostess, something was going to happen. Elizabeth was equally sure that her husband would take care not to let her know until much later, if at all. As the time grew nearer for Will and Ben�s return, most members of the household were loitering near the front entry, either in the hallway, or in one of the front rooms. Aaron was the first to spot the car and let out a tremendous whoop of joy, running out the front door and down the steps to greet them. Rich was close on his heels, but the others stayed inside where it was warm, content to watch from the doorway. There was much hugging and kissing of cheeks when Richard and Laura finally made it into the house. They were exhausted from the flight, but not too tired to appreciate the enthusiasm of their family. It had been several years since they had seen the Darcy children, and Richard shook his head in wonder at how Anna had blossomed in that time. He had already been shocked at the airport to see Ben, a spitting image of Will at that age. Having settled her guests into their rooms, served dinner and retired to the drawing room with their coffee, Elizabeth finally relaxed long enough to sit back and enjoy the company. The younger children had disappeared as quickly as usual after the meal, Anna and Ben choosing to keep the adults company for a short time before they, too, grew bored with conversation and went to find amusement elsewhere. It wasn�t long before Richard and Laura could no longer suppress their yawns and said their goodnights as well. Elizabeth led the way upstairs to their room, Laura following, but Richard hung back for a moment. He pulled his cousin aside just as they exited the room. �Are you feeling alright Will? You look a little tired.� Will drew himself up straighter. �It�s been a strenuous week.� �Oh, I understand.� Richard laughed as he started toward the stairs. �Well, we aren�t as young as we used to be, Will. You watch yourself. Get that grown up boy of yours to do the dirty work from now on.� He grinned and took the stairs two at a time. Will watched his cousin go, feeling a twinge of envy for his freedom. He thought about Richard�s observance that he looked tired. Tired of having my every move dogged! Still, he would have to make more of an effort to appear his normal self, and to get Elizabeth to stop her hovering. Even if no-one else suspected, Will recalled that Laura was a doctor, and she would be far more observant than anyone else in the house. With a sigh he returned to the drawing room to wait for Elizabeth to rejoin him. *** Late into the following evening the laughter still rang through Pemberley. Jane and Charles had joined them early that afternoon, bringing their two children, Robert and Beth. Their daughter was the same age as Rebecca, and the two had always been close. When the teenagers grew tired of listening to their parents recite stories from their own childhoods they all ran off upstairs, likely to tell stories of their own. Robert caught Ben�s eye and indicated a desire to leave their present company as well. Excusing themselves, they announced their intention to play some billiards and retreated to the games room. Instead of picking up a cue, though, Ben grabbed two bottles of lager and handed one to Robert as they made themselves comfortable. �Were you getting bored with the conversation, Rob?� Ben grinned at his cousin. Rob smiled, too. �I�ve heard my parents tell those so many times! Mind you, the version that your Mum and Dad have is interesting, but in the end it�s all the same really.� He took a sip of his beer and leaned forward. �Ben, I have to tell you something.� �Oh, this sounds serious.� Ben leaned forward, smiling mischievously. �My Mum and Dad know about you and Brenda.� Ben sat back again, the smile faded from his face. �Not much!� Robert said hurriedly. �It was my fault. I left some of my photos laying around and my Mum came across them when she was tidying up. One of the photos was of you two, from that party we were at in December.� �The one you were going to give to me, but kept forgetting?� Ben asked. Then he sighed. �Well, at least it was the nice photo of us. What did she say?� �Not much. She just wanted to know who the girl was. I gave her Brenda�s name, that�s all.� Robert said apologetically. �I suppose I�ll have to tell my parents now, before your mum does.� Ben grumbled. �Although, if they don�t know anything else, I could probably get away without saying much more than you did. My Dad�s already aware of her.� He chuckled. �Brenda called here one day and thought my Dad was me when he picked up the phone!� Robert laughed. �I�d love to have seen his face!� �Oh, he tried to get me going, actually had me believing him for a moment, but Brenda assured me she hadn�t said anything incriminating. He had a good laugh at my expense for the rest of the day, though.� Ben got up and grabbed a cue from the wall rack. He tossed it over to Robert. �Well, let�s play, then. Maybe it�ll keep my mind of Brenda until I can ring her later.� Robert grinned and joined him at the table. *** �That went over rather well,� Elizabeth sighed as she put her feet up and stretched her arms over her head. She glanced at her husband, looking so relaxed in his armchair with his newspaper open. �You seemed to enjoy it after all.� Will looked up. �I did enjoy it. Especially when you finally left me alone to enjoy it.� He smiled at her teasingly. She shot him an annoyed expression. They had just seen Richard and Laura off to visit his parents, and Jane had left earlier that morning with Charles and their children. The house was now back to normal; crowded and noisy with the sounds of teenagers racing about the place. �I was only making sure you felt alright.� she said defensively. �Elizabeth,� he said with patience, �you asked me at least fifty times.� Will put aside his paper and joined her on the sofa. �But if you really want to make sure I�m feeling fine.....� he whispered in her ear. She giggled, then stopped and looked at him with alarm. �But we can�t do that, Will. What if....?� Will looked up at the ceiling. �Elizabeth, I thought we established this already. The angina attacks occur after resting, not exertion. If you hadn�t noticed, you�re making me rest!� He hadn�t meant that quite the way it came out, but it was too late. Elizabeth looked horrified. She had been so concerned for her husband�s sudden fragility that she hadn�t stopped to consider that she was ensuring he do exactly the opposite of what was best for him. Now she was torn between her natural tendency to baby him, and this sudden guilty feeling that she may have inadvertently paved the way for another attack. �Liz, I�m sorry.� Will reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. �I know you�re worried about me, but we can�t completely alter our lifestyles just like that! Were you not listening in the doctor�s office? There is no need to change anything other than to be more aware of what my body is telling me. Each of the attacks I�ve had has either been in the morning or after I�ve fallen asleep down here a couple of times. I�m careful in the mornings not to suddenly rush about, and my medication is always close at hand.� He pulled her around to face him. �Liz, I love you. I love our children and I love the way we live our lives. If I can�t have any of that I may as well be dead.� �Oh, don�t say that!� Elizabeth whispered hoarsely. �Don�t ever say that, Will.� Smiling, he gently kissed her. �We already agreed that I�ll be easing up on my workload. That�s all I�m willing to give up, Elizabeth. And I�m only exchanging it for more time spent with you and the children.� Elizabeth sniffled. �Oh, and I know how you plan to spend that time!� She laughed at the way his raised eyebrows wriggled on his forehead. Slapping him playfully, she reprimanded, �I meant with the children!� Will grinned. �So,� he said after a moment. �Are you still interested in finding out how well I feel?� Trying not to laugh, Elizabeth sighed. �You just won�t give up.� �The day I give up is the day I die, Elizabeth,� he laughed. There was the distant sound of a door slamming and feet racing down the stairs. �MUM!� they heard and both rolled their eyes in unison. Will raised a finger to his lips. �Maybe they�ll go away,� he whispered. �MUM? DAD?� Another voice joined the first one. �What�s the matter with you, Rich? You know better than to yell in the house.� That was Anna. Will and Elizabeth suppressed their laughter at how much she sounded like one of them. �I can�t find them. I wanted to ask Mum something.� �Well, where did you look?� Anna sounded somewhat irritated. �On second thought, Rich, don�t bother looking. They probably don�t want to be found. Can you wait, or can I answer your question?� There was a short pause before Rich replied. �It�ll have to wait, I suppose.� They could hear footsteps receding, then the door opened. �Oh!� Anna exclaimed upon seeing her parents. Then she smiled. �I guess you didn�t want to be found, then.� �No, that�s alright Anna.� Elizabeth gestured for her daughter to sit down. �We don�t have that many opportunities to talk to you anymore now that you�re away at school.� Anna glanced at her father, then back at Elizabeth. �Actually, I did want to talk to you before Ben and I left today.� Will immediately got to his feet. �That�s my cue to leave, I think. Have a lovely chat, ladies.� He left them alone, closing the door behind him. Elizabeth waited for Anna to speak. �Mum,� she began slowly. �How did you know you were in love with Dad?� The question more than surprised her mother. Elizabeth thought that her children were well versed in how she and Will had gotten together. They knew that it was several years after Ben�s birth, and that the road hadn�t been particularly smooth, although the sad details had been left out. �You�ve heard all of this before, Anna. What could I possibly tell you now?� �You�ve told us that you loved each other, and that circumstances separated you and finally you managed to get back together, but I want to know more. I want to know how you knew, deep down inside that Dad was the man you loved. What made him different from anybody else?� Anna seemed so sincere and so very desperate to hear the answer. Elizabeth could only think of one reason for her interest. �Do you think you�ve fallen in love, Anna?� she asked softly. Anna shook her head. �No.� The word sounded less wistful than frustrated. �I just don�t know what I should expect, what to watch for when I meet someone. I mean, what did you think of Dad when you first met him?� She looked at Elizabeth with an innocently enquiring expression. Elizabeth had to choose her words carefully before she answered. �Your father did not make a very good first impression on me. It took a long time for me to appreciate his true worth.� She sighed. �Anna, you can�t go around looking at every man you meet and thinking a bell will go off in your head when the right one comes along. He could be someone you�ve known for years, but you haven�t realized it yet. Then again, you might meet him in the market after you crash your trolleys together.� Anna giggled. �Or he might offend you right off the start, and you spend the next seven months wishing he never existed before you realize what you�re missing and regret the time you�ve wasted.� Anna narrowed her gaze while she considered Elizabeth�s words. �What did Dad do to offend you?� she finally asked. Her mother laughed rather than replied, but Anna was not deterred. Elizabeth frowned, then smiled and sighed. �We met for the first time at a party hosted by your Uncle Charles. He was new to the neighbourhood and invited practically everyone. I overheard a remark your father made to Charles regarding the calibre of the company. He was not impressed with us, and neither was I with him. Things went rapidly downhill from there.� Anna raised her eyebrows, waiting for more, but Elizabeth shook her head. �Mum, why haven�t you told us any of this before? It sounds like a great story. We always thought the two of you fell in love at first sight and some quirk of fate kept you apart.� �Oh, Anna!� Elizabeth laughed. �You are such a romantic! The only thing that kept us apart was our own pigheadedness. But never mind that. I want to know what�s prompted these questions.� �Nothing really. I�ve just been noticing everyone around me pairing up and feel a bit left out I suppose.� �Everyone?� Elizabeth asked with a smile. Anna grinned self-consciously. �Well, maybe not everyone. Mum, I�ve dated a few different chaps but none of them struck me as particularly special. There is one fellow I like, but he�s got a girlfriend.� �Then he�s strictly off limits, Anna.� Elizabeth said sharply. �Chasing after someone else�s boyfriend, or girlfriend, is intolerable.� �Oh, I would never do that!� she exclaimed. �I know that some people do, but I�m not one of them.� �I�m glad to hear it. We�ve raised all of you well enough I hope, to expect you not to make that kind of a mistake.� Elizabeth looked intently at her daughter. Anna blushed slightly. �Well, thanks Mum. Maybe you could tell me more about you and Dad another time? I�d really like to hear it.� �I might be persuaded,� Elizabeth smiled. �But as for now, I promised to spend some time with your father, and I should go and find where he went.� Anna watched as she left the room, her curiosity aroused with what little her mother had revealed about her parents� early days together. She thought that perhaps her Aunt Jane could enlighten her on the subject. With a smile, Anna made her way upstairs to finish packing up her things before she and Ben were to leave later in the afternoon. *** There were candles in the room. The warm glow flickered with the puff of air as Elizabeth opened and closed the door when she entered. For a moment she allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Before they could, she heard the splash of wine being poured into a glass, then into another. A light �ting� and the rustle of soft material accompanied the approach of a figure. Elizabeth took the offered glass and sipped. She smiled. �My favourite from the cellar. But where�s the �?� She smiled again as the quiet strains of music reached her ear. �May I request the honour of a dance with the most handsome man of my acquaintance?� A low rumbling laugh and he removed the glass from her fingers before putting them aside and settling his arms about her waist. �Will, what is that cologne you�re wearing?� �You like it? It�s the one your sister gave me for Christmas.� Will placed soft kisses along the side of her neck below her ear. �Mmmm, yes. I do like it. Which sister of mine has such exquisite taste?� she asked, tilting her head back to encourage him in the direction of her throat. �Mary,� he chuckled, obliging her and applying his tongue in addition to the lips. Surprised, Elizabeth had no reply, which was just as well since her mouth was almost immediately more agreeably engaged. Their bodies swayed together, heedless of the music. Years of intimacy had melded their souls, the physical simply came together naturally. Elizabeth�s hands slipped inside the robe Will wore, sliding over his warm skin. She could feel his arousal grow, pressing against her as it grew harder with every kiss they shared, knowing that her own desire for him increased equally. It had been too long since they had made love, she realized, and chided herself on her foolish behaviour. Leading him to the bed, Elizabeth laid him down on his back, opening the folds of his robe to expose his chest and noticing that the matching briefs were no longer able to contain him. She smiled and began to remove her own clothing. Slowly, sensuously, she undid the buttons of her blouse and slipped the garment from her shoulders. As it fell to the floor, she turned her attention to her skirt, allowing Will to touch her wherever and however he pleased. His caress was always gentle and always stimulating. At last she was nude, sliding onto the bed beside him and running her own hand over his chest. Elizabeth loved the feel of his chest. She could close her eyes and feel his skin under her fingers forever. Will�s warm touch as he traced his fingers up the length of her leg made her shiver with delight. �Oh, I�ve missed this. I was so foolish, Will. Why didn�t you say something earlier?� He didn�t reply. Instead, his hand rose to place a finger along her jaw and tilt her head toward him. His lips met hers and Elizabeth relaxed into the kiss. Warm and romantic, they expressed their love for one another softly, tenderly. Their bodies met, joined and moved together in a rhythm of long practice, forever exciting, never disappointing..... and always the whispered murmurs of devotion throughout. As he brought her to climax and she cried out softly, Will released himself into her body, burying his face against her neck and reaffirming his love for her in more than words. ***

She's a clever girl,...our Anna. Of course with her parents we'd expect her to be....and...Teg, what a wonderful closure to this chapter...*sigh*

So sweet and romantic! Thanks Teg.

*swoon* You know, sometimes less is more! This was wonderful, sensual... Not that I don't like the steamier parts, I do!, but this was really nice.

*sigh* simply romantic Teg. I loved it.

Teg, I'm sticking my head out of the closet (eventually the rest of my body will follow *grin*) to tell you how much I love this story! Brilliant... ;)

Parallels Chapter Eleven The phone�s ringing continued long enough for Elizabeth to conclude that no-one else was going to answer it. She put down her paintbrush and picked up the phone. �Lizzy?� Jane sounded surprised. �I didn�t expect you to answer. What are you doing?� Elizabeth looked at the brush resting on the edge of the paint can. �Painting a chair.� �You were what?� Jane asked. Elizabeth could almost see her shaking her head in disbelief. �You heard correctly, Jane,� her sister laughed. �What�s up? Did you or Charles forget something here on the weekend?� �Not this time,� Jane replied. �I need to talk to you. Could you and Will come for dinner on Wednesday?� That caught Elizabeth�s attention. �I�m sure we can,� she said, sitting down. �You sound serious, Jane. Is something wrong?� �It�s just some information that Charles recently received. We need to discuss it with you and Will.� With her own husband�s condition prominent in her thoughts, Elizabeth enquired, �Charles isn�t ill, is he? You�re both alright?� �Oh, nothing like that, Lizzy. You know I�d tell you right away if that were the case,� Jane assured her. Her sister felt a twinge of guilt. �Thank goodness. Wednesday will be fine, then. We�ll see you around six?� �Perfect. I�ll let you get back to your painting, Lizzy,� Jane chuckled. �I wouldn�t want you to lose the motivation.� They said their goodbyes, and Elizabeth returned to her task. A few hours later she heard the sounds of the children returning from school. Already, Rebecca was calling her name. Elizabeth poked her head out into the hallway. �I�m in here.� Rebecca was speaking before she even entered the room. �I forgot to tell you this morning, but then Kathleen said she wanted to come, too.� �What are you talking about, Rebecca?� Elizabeth patiently asked her daughter. �We�re going to Dan�s for our tea. He asked me yesterday, and Kathleen asked if she could go with me. Is that alright, Mum?� Dan, again, Elizabeth thought. �That�s fine, but you mustn�t be late. It�s a school night. Do either of you have homework?� Kathleen, standing in the doorway, shook her head. Rebecca said, �I did mine at school on my free period. We won�t be late. Thanks, Mum!� Both girls raced out the front door before Elizabeth could say another word. With Will and Georgiana at the solicitor�s going over more papers, that would leave her and the boys alone for their tea. Elizabeth set about cleaning up her workspace and put away the paint cans. Then she went upstairs to get cleaned up herself. Aaron and Rich were already into the food before she appeared in the dining room. Elizabeth shook her head. Ben�s appetite as a teenager was something to behold, but having two such voracious appetites in the house at once was something else! Rich looked up guiltily when he saw her enter. �Sorry, Mum. We were hungry.� Elizabeth waved off his apology and sat down. �Rich, you�ve met your sister�s friend, Dan, haven�t you?� Rich nodded as his mouth was full. �What can you tell me about him?� Rich reached for his glass of milk and took a large gulp. �He�s one of the grooms at the stable.� Elizabeth suppressed the urge to sigh. �That much I know, dear. Do you know anything else about him?� Rich shrugged his shoulders disinterestedly. �He�s a nice chap. He�s got a really nice car! I think he bought it with the money he earned last year in Europe. Well, I think that�s what he said.� �Oh, Dan went to Europe last year, too?� Elizabeth tried to sound casual. �Yep.� Elizabeth cringed slightly at her son�s use of that word. She knew he�d picked it up from Aaron, along with a few others she wasn�t very fond of. �Actually,� Rich continued, �I think he�s been over a few times.� �A few times?� Elizabeth asked, her curiosity piqued a bit more. �How old is he?� Rich looked up thoughtfully. �Oh, he�s got to be at least twenty-one!� he said in a tone which indicated he thought that was very old indeed. Elizabeth thought it best to drop the subject at that point. Rebecca would be the one to answer the rest of her questions, and Elizabeth planned to ask them as soon as possible. *** �Rebecca?� Elizabeth�s middle daughter paused on her way past the music room door. Popping her head into the room, she smiled. �Yes, Mum?� �Would you come in here, please. I�d like to speak with you for a few minutes.� �Well,� Rebecca began and stopped. She looked behind her quickly, then back at her mother. �Okay.� As she entered the room, Elizabeth asked her to close the door. Rebecca complied and took a seat on the sofa beside her mother. �I�ll come straight to the point,� Elizabeth said, �before your father does. What is going on between you and Dan?� Rebecca stared at her mother in silence. Then she smiled. �There�s nothing going on, Mum. We�re just friends.� �Just friends.� Elizabeth pursed her lips thoughtfully. �Is this your opinion, or Dan�s?� �Both.� Rebecca frowned. �Mum, he�s twenty-five. Besides, he�s not interested in me that way.� �Oh, really. And you�re sure about that?� Elizabeth looked sceptically at her daughter. Rebecca laughed. �Yes, I�m sure! He�s not interested in any of the girls.� She could see her mother still didn�t believe her. �Mum, he�s not interested in girls!� Elizabeth was speechless, her mind at first refusing to grasp what her daughter was saying. He doesn�t like girls? He�s..... he�s a....... She had to think about her reply before she dared to open her mouth, and then all that came out was one word. �Oh!� �So you see,� Rebecca said with a smirk, �he�s not out to corrupt me. He�s not trying to steal me away, nor is he going to sell me into a white slave ring! He�s just a really good friend who has been a tremendous help to me in my training.� Recovered from her surprise, Elizabeth didn�t take kindly to her daughter�s remarks. �Don�t belittle our concerns, Rebecca. After what we went through with Kathleen, you should be more understanding of our feelings.� �I�m sorry,� Rebecca said sincerely. �I just didn�t want... Well, I mean, I know how Dad is about the time I spend at the stable, and who is there.� �The boys.� Elizabeth laughed softly. Rebecca smiled. �Yeah, the boys. I hope you and Dad realize that I�m not interesting in finding a boyfriend at the moment. I want to concentrate on my riding, and I have to concentrate on my studies if I expect to pass the exams and go to Europe. I really, really want this, Mum! A boyfriend would just get in the way right now.� Elizabeth shook her head in amusement. �Well, your father will be relieved to hear that at least. I wish you had told us this earlier, Rebecca. It would have saved us a lot of unnecessary worry.� *** Wednesday had been a quiet day, and both Elizabeth and Will were looking forward to dinner with the Bingleys. They left Pemberley early since it was still at least an hour�s drive to Jane�s place. Conversation over dinner consisted mostly of family; what their respective children were up to, the latest gossip about their sisters and, of course, Mrs. Bennet. Will had very little to add to this discourse. Even after twenty-one years of dealing with his mother-in-law he had never found much patience with her annoying habit of interfering in her daughters� lives. Elizabeth was a particularly favourite target of her mother, something that had never changed, and that woman�s interest in his wife�s domestic satisfaction irritated Will to no end. Still, Elizabeth managed to keep her at bay, and no longer let her mother�s insensitive remarks upset her. Having had enough of sitting, Charles and Will went to look at Charles� new car following dinner, while their wives viewed Jane�s latest undertaking at decorating in the upper sitting room. �This is lovely, Jane!� Elizabeth looked around in appreciation. �When are you free to come to Pemberley and help me? There are three or four rooms I�ve neglected for too many years!� Jane laughed lightly. �Well, if you like, I�ll help you get started this summer. I thought you were finally beginning to enjoy those domestic chores, Lizzie, when I caught you painting when I rang on Monday!� �Oh, that!� Elizabeth grinned. �Well, it wasn�t much of a job, even if it did take me most of the afternoon to finish. It hardly qualifies as an accomplishment.� She looked at her sister seriously for a moment. �Jane, what was it you wanted to talk to Will and me about?� Jane glanced away briefly. �I need to show you something first,� she said and crossed to the small table next to the sofa. Pulling open a drawer, Jane withdrew an envelope. She returned to her sister�s side and removed a photo from it. �Lizzy, I found this photo that Rob took,� Jane said as she handed it to her. �You know how he�s forever taking his camera everywhere.� Elizabeth looked at the photo. She looked at Jane again. �This is Ben.� She shrugged her shoulders and held out the photo. �Look closer, Lizzy. That�s Ben�s girlfriend, isn�t it?� Jane watched her puzzled expression. �Ben has lots of girlfriends, Jane, but none of them serious.� Elizabeth shook her head. �I don�t see what you�re getting at.� �Lizzy, when I found this photo I thought that Ben and this woman looked rather cosy, so I asked Rob who she was. He said that she�s Ben�s girlfriend and her name is Brenda McIntyre.� Jane paused, waiting for her sister to respond. �He must have been mistaken, Jane. Ben�s never mentioned anyone named Brenda, and he hasn�t said anything about a girlfriend.� Still, Elizabeth studied the photo once more. Ben did look pretty cosy with the woman. She was sitting on his lap, and his arms were wound tightly around her waist. �What is your point, Jane?� �Charles recognized her.� Elizabeth met her gaze. �What do you mean, he recognized her?� Jane took a deep breath. �Charles went to a conference a year ago and was partnered for one of the sessions with a young man from Cambridge. They became rather friendly over the four days, and often met in the evenings for dinner or a drink.� �What does this have to do with Ben?� Elizabeth asked impatiently. �I�m coming to that.� Jane took another photo from the table beside her and handed it to her sister. Elizabeth glanced at it. In it there were Charles, another young man and a young woman. Elizabeth looked from one photo to the other, comparing them. �The women look similar.� Jane sighed. �That photo was taken at the conference. The other man is Ian and the woman is his wife. Brenda.� Elizabeth looked up sharply. �You expect me to believe that the women in these photos are the same? That my son has a girlfriend that he hasn�t told us about, and that she is married? Is that what you�re telling me, Jane?� �I didn�t want to believe it either, Lizzy, but it was Charles who recognized her. And it was Rob who said she�s Ben�s girlfriend.� Elizabeth laughed out loud. �You amaze me, Jane! The idea is so absurd. I can�t believe you would even think it!� Frustrated, Jane closed her eyes. She hadn�t thought that Elizabeth would be willing to accept what she had to say. Despite her own reluctance, she had been forced to concede the possibility in light of the evidence before her eyes, and Charles� own assurance that the women in the photos were one and the same. Once Jane had realized its likelihood, she knew that telling Elizabeth would be a difficult and dangerous step. But she could not let her sister be left in the dark, not when she, herself, knew what Ben was up to. Elizabeth would be devastated if she believed her now, and even more so if she discovered it on her own later. Elizabeth was still laughing, although it sounded more cynical than amused, when the door opened and Charles and Will joined them. �What�s so funny?� Will asked with a smile. Jane and Charles glanced at one another. Elizabeth picked up the photo of their son and handed it to Will. �That is your son�s girlfriend, I�m told.� Elizabeth smirked. Will raised an eyebrow and examined the item. He chuckled. �So, that�s Brenda, is it? I hadn�t pictured her quite like that from the sound of her voice.� Elizabeth stared at her husband. �Did..... did you say.... Brenda?� she asked quietly. �Yes,� Will said cautiously, his gaze flitting between his wife, Charles and Jane. �Why?� �You knew that Ben was seeing her?� Elizabeth�s gaze hardened. Will put his hands up in front of him as if to ward her off. �Wait a minute, Elizabeth. I don�t know anything yet. All I did was answer the phone one day and a woman asked for Ben. He told me her name was Brenda.� He looked at the other three again. �What�s going on?� �She�s married!� Elizabeth spat out. �Married?� Will refused to believe that. �Don�t be ridiculous. Ben would never involve himself in that sort of situation.� �Brenda is married, Will.� Charles looked guilty just saying the words. �I met her and her husband about a year ago at a conference.� Will studied his friend closely. Charles would never have mentioned this if he didn�t really believe it to be true. He sat down wearily on the sofa. �Alright, tell me everything you know, Charles.� Elizabeth joined her husband on the sofa, while Jane and Charles sat on the opposite one. �A year ago last October,� Charles began, �I was at a conference in Cardiff. My partner for most of the week was a young chap from Cambridge. He was a nice fellow and we got on rather well. We spent many of the evenings together. On the Saturday, his wife drove down to get him, so that he wouldn�t have to take the train back. The three of us had dinner together that night.� Charles passed the other photo over to Will. �That�s the three of us on Sunday morning before we all left. If you�ll look at the woman in the photo with Ben, I think you�ll agree with me that they are the same woman.� Will studied the two photos. He had to admit that Charles was right, they were the same woman. �Rob took the photo of Ben and Brenda at a party before Christmas,� Jane explained. �I found it quite by accident a couple of weeks ago when I was tidying up downstairs. Rob often leaves his photos laying around. I didn�t think too much of it at the time. Other than idle curiosity about this woman, and what relationship she had with my nephew, I wasn�t suspicious. It was when Charles saw it and said that he recognized her that we started to become concerned.� �Rob would only tell us her name and that she and Ben were seeing one another.� Charles glanced at Elizabeth. �I�m sorry, Lizzie. I don�t know what else to say.� Will slammed the photos down on the table beside him. �What the hell is he doing?� he roared. �I�m going round to see him tomorrow. First thing tomorrow I�m leaving for Cambridge and I�ll get an explanation from him if I have to shake it out of him!� Elizabeth put her hand on his arm in an attempt to restrain him. Will shook it off and sprung from his seat to angrily pace the floor. �Wasn�t it just last week that we were saying how responsible he is? How trustworthy?� Will blew out his breath forcefully. �And to think I was going to allow him some real responsibilities! To take over for me in a couple of corporations!� �What?� Charles looked at him in surprise. �When was all this to happen?� �After he finished university,� Will said between clenched teeth. �I thought he was ready. I thought he was mature enough to handle it! It seems I was wrong.� Elizabeth brought her head up. �You can�t change your mind, Will. You have to do it.� �I know what I said I�d do, Elizabeth,� Will snapped. �But this puts things in a whole new light. How can I possibly trust Ben to make rational, competent business decisions when he�s preoccupied with running around with some other man�s wife!?� �Wait a minute,� Charles interrupted. �What did Lizzie mean, �you have to do it�? Is there something else going on here?� Will met his wife�s gaze and held it. His anger with his son seethed on the surface, but the unspoken communication with Elizabeth said it was time to let the Bingleys in on his condition. �I�m trying to pass on some of my obligations, Charles. I need to ease up a bit.� Charles looked at him in alarm. �What do you mean? Are you ill?� Jane leaned forward and touched her sister�s knee. �Lizzie, tell us.� �It�s nothing serious � � Will began. �Like hell!!� Elizabeth interrupted. Will glared at her. �It�s manageable,� he said sharply. �What do you mean it�s manageable?� Charles asked. �What is it you�re talking about?� �Angina.� Elizabeth shot a sideways glance at her husband. �He�s suffering from angina.� Charles furrowed his brow in thought. �Your heart? You haven�t had any heart attacks, have you, Will?� Will shook his head impatiently. �No, Charles, I haven�t! I told you, it�s manageable. I have medication for the attacks and it works very well indeed.� Elizabeth�s eyes widened and she stared at him in outrage. �You�ve had attacks since we were at the doctor�s and you never told me???� Will closed his eyes and prayed for patience. �What good would it have done to tell you? I am not one of the children, Elizabeth. I can look after myself. I am not an invalid.� �Yet,� Elizabeth grumbled. �Lizzie,� Jane ventured in a soft voice. �Tell us honestly Will, how serious is this condition? What are the risks of something more critical, like a heart attack, happening?� �As long as I keep my medication on hand at all times, that risk is minimal.� �Bull!� Elizabeth shot back. �The medication is only a stopgap.� �It is not a stopgap, Elizabeth!� Will was growing quite frustrated with her negative outlook. �The medication controls the intensity of the angina attack and that�s the key to preventing anything more serious from happening.� �Will,� Charles said worriedly. �Should you be getting yourself all worked up like this?� Throwing his hands up into the air, Will paced the room. �I�ve had enough talk about me! The real question here is what Ben is doing. I�ll tell you again, I�m going to Cambridge first thing tomorrow morning and knock some sense into that boy!� Will�s eyes darted around the room, daring any of them to contradict him. *** �Ben..... oh, Ben....� Brenda�s whispered words and closed eyes brought a smile to his lips. Ben�s hands caressed her sides, rose to cup her breasts as she moved rhythmically above him. He could feel her every move stroking him, luring him to completion. The muscles in his body tensed, his own eyes closed as he moaned her name with his release. Brenda�s mouth joined with his and she increased the speed of her motions, bringing her own body to a shuddering conclusion. There was a pounding on the door to the flat. �What the hell?� Ben�s eyes flew open. The pounding sounded again. Ben scrambled from the bed and grabbed his trousers from the floor. He was still pulling them on as he stumbled into the other room but managed to get them fastened by the time he reached the door and opened it quickly. �Dad! What are you doing here? Is something wrong?� Will stormed into the room and whirled around to face his son. �Just what sort of game are you playing, Ben?� Ben looked at him in confusion. �What are you talking about?� Will took in Ben�s state of undress and his eyes darted toward the open door of the bedroom. He looked at his son once again. �What are the two of you playing at?� Ben was taken aback at his father�s tone, but he wasn�t beyond defending himself. �I�m not sure I know what you mean,� he said cautiously. �You, carrying on with a married woman! Ben, what happened to everything we taught you? Have you no decency? What is she, that you would engage in such behaviour?� Will�s eyes bored holes in Ben, he was so angry. �Dad, you don�t understand.� �Oh, I understand perfectly!� Will retorted. �I was your age once, although I never thought I�d see my son taking up with a .... a....� His tirade ground to a halt as he caught sight of Brenda in the bedroom doorway. She was wearing Ben�s robe. His eyes narrowed and he drew himself up stiffly. �I see we shall not be having this discussion this afternoon.� �I don�t think we�ll be having this discussion at all.� Ben crossed his arms over his chest. Will stared at his son, unwilling to believe what he was seeing and hearing. �Have you lost complete control of your senses?� Ben refused to answer. �Very well,� Will said as he moved to the door. His gaze flicked from Ben to Brenda, looking for an answer from her at least. �How can you live with yourself?� He looked back at his son. �How can either of you?� Ben stepped toward his father, but Brenda put a hand on his arm. He stopped, continuing to glare at Will. �I�ll pretend I didn�t hear that. I�ll pretend you didn�t come barging into my flat accusing me, us, of immoral behaviour. And,� he said, dropping his voice down into a low growl, �I�ll ignore the fact that you nearly accused the woman I love of being a cheap tart!� Will�s head snapped around and he looked away for a moment while his thoughts raced. Finally he drew in a deep breath and faced Ben. �Unless you�ve come to your senses,� he said, teeth clenched, �don�t bother to come home.� He left the room as quickly as he�d entered it. Ben followed as far as the doorway, calling out after him, �I won�t!� He slammed the door forcefully. When he turned around, Ben saw that Brenda was still standing where he�d left her, tears sliding down her cheeks. �Why did you let him go?� she asked. �Why didn�t you tell him the truth? You let him leave here thinking the worst of you... of me!� �Did he look as if he�d believe anything I had to say?� Ben was seething with anger for the accusations his father had thrown at them. �He won�t listen to me until he�s cooled down anyway.� �He came here to listen!� she pointed out. �He came here to find out what was going on and you virtually confirmed his worst fears!� �He came here to lecture me,� Ben argued. �He�d already decided that what he�d heard was true, that you and I are having an adulterous affair, and he hoped to talk me out of seeing you again!� �And you are just as bad as he is!� Brenda stormed into the bedroom and began throwing her clothes onto the bed. �You are too pig-headed to listen to him, to tell him that he�s wrong, because you,� she swung around to point a finger in his face, �are too arrogant for your own good! You�ve charmed your way through life so far, but let me tell you, Ben Darcy! Your charms aren�t going to work in this instance. Your father, and most likely your mother, too, are not going to sit idly by when they think you�ve hooked up with some lowlife tart out for a good time!� Brenda tore off the robe she was wearing and began putting on her clothes. �Thank you so much, Ben. You�ve made it practically impossible for me to ever face your parents in the future.� As she shrugged her shirt over her head Ben caught her arms in his hands. �Let me go,� Brenda said irritably. �No. I�m not letting you leave like this.� Brenda shook her arms free. �It�s your father you should never have let leave, Ben.� �It�s you I love, Brenda. It�s you I don�t want to let go.� Ben said defensively. She moved past him and grabbed her bag from the chair. At the door, she paused and without looking back, said, �Grow up, Ben. Grow up and then come find me.� Then she was gone, and Ben was left standing alone and confused. ***

So it's pay back time, barging in on intimate moments. The difference being that this ended in hostility,....but you'll make it right eventually, I know!!! The scene when the Bingleys learn about William's condition is soooo well-written!! Powerful chapter, Teg.

Hmmm!! A bit quiet and for so long!!!! So instead I have to suffer dividing my time between This Year's Love and the Secret Laughter Of Women. You don't know how I have suffered!! Hopefully, Teg is on the point of relieving my suffering!!!! I dare not hope for Irene or Gail or EsBee or Danielle or any of the other contributors...yet .....I'm an addict, and I need my ddt (daily drool, thankyou)