Hellooooooooooooooooooooooo! Glad you're around Hanne or this house would certainly be empty. Lately I've been tossing a story idea around in my mind. We'll see if it develops into anything over the weekend. Irene WHERE ARE YOU? You have left us hanging for too long!! EsBee I hope you are going to add onto your story - what's up with Georgie? We're dying to know!!

Now you're here, Gail, what happened to the Wedding Singer???? On DWG! You never finished it.... As my mom always says, check before you speak and I just did ...you must have done it while I was away...hmmm *crawling back in my hole* BUT should you decide on a little enhancement...I don't think we'll object...*looking over the sea of nodding heads*.....too much (*_*)

...*looking over the sea of nodding heads* If you think it's because they're falling asleep, it's time to wake them....!!!

From another list I'm on,. Just to show you the difference between men and women! HER STORY: He was in an odd mood when I got to the bar, I thought it might have been because I was a bit late but he didn't say anything much about it. The conversation was quite slow going so I thought we should go off somewhere more intimate so we could talk more privately. So we went to this restaurant and he's STILL acting a bit funny and I'm trying to cheer him up and start to wonder whether it's me or something else. I ask him, and he says no. But you know I'm not really sure. So anyway, in the cab back to his house, I say that I love him and he just puts his arm around me. I don't know what the hell this means, because you know he doesn't say it back or anything. We finally get back to his place and I'm wondering if he's going to dump me! So I try to ask him about it but he just switches on the TV. Reluctantly, I say I'm going to go to sleep. Then, after about 10 minutes, he joins me and we have sex. But, he still seemed really distracted, so afterwards I just wanted to leave. I dunno, I just don't know what he thinks anymore. I mean, do you think he's met someone else? HIS STORY: Lousy day at work. Tired. Got laid, though.

Funny story, Hanne. Moral is women think too much and men not enough. ;-) Or....women think with their hearts and men with their... well, you get the picture.

Uhmmmmm, that was what I though!!!!

women think with their hearts and men with their... ...brains.

women think with their hearts and men with their... ...brains. LOL Then they have got a completely different anatomy from human beings! Is that why they have a name for their...brains...to be on familiar terms with their most important organ, the one which makes all the decisions?,-DDD

You got that right Hanne! OK enough male bashing! How about a nice sexy story. Anyone? Anyone? Hmmmmm. I wonder what body part that came from?

Gail, Please!!! Post "The Wedding Singer". I would love to read the version here.

Ahhh... it's been so long! I hope this is where I left off! *snort* Liked that little snippet, Hanne. And it's sooooo true! We ladies do think far too much! I wonder what it's like to be so base in one's outlook on life? ;) Parallels Chapter Twelve �He wouldn�t deny a thing, Elizabeth.� Will leaned his head against his hand as he held the phone to his ear. �And she was there, too. Bold as brass, in his flat.� �What did he say, Will?� �He said I didn�t understand, then he refused to discuss the situation.� Will sighed. �He also said he loves her.� �Oh, Will.� Elizabeth�s voice was heavy with emotion. �We�re not going to lose him over this, are we?� Her husband grimaced as he remembered his parting remark to their son. �I hope not.� �Where are you now?� �I took a room in a Bed and Breakfast around the corner from Ben�s flat. I�ll go back tomorrow and see if he�s more willing to talk.� If he even lets me in the door, Will thought grimly. �I�ll call you after I�ve seen him tomorrow, my dear.� �Will, you have to make him see reason. He can�t be in love with her. She lives with another man!� Will could hear the sobs that his wife was trying to hold back. �Elizabeth, please don�t upset yourself. I�ll deal with him in the morning. I promise you won�t lose him, Liz.� But I can�t make that promise for myself. �I know you�ll do everything you can, Will,� Elizabeth said in a stronger voice. �Goodnight.� �Goodnight, Liz.� Will put the phone down and lay back on the bed. Thanks, Elizabeth. You just gave me some ammunition for tomorrow. Ben has always been more afraid of your disapproval than mine. *** Brenda came through the door on a tide of angry emotion. She let the door slip out of her hold and it closed with a loud thunk. �Brenda? Is that you?� came a woman�s voice from the front room. �Yes,� she called, adding under her breath, �It�s just me.� �I didn�t expect you back so early.� The other woman appeared in the front entry. She was around twenty with short blonde hair and a freckled face. She noticed Brenda�s troubled expression. �What happened? Did you and Ben have a row?� �Oh, yes, did we ever!� Brenda whipped her shoes off. �After he finished arguing with his father!� She peered through the house to the window that looked out on the back garden. �Where are the kids?� �Sarah is playing in her room and Kevin went to Jared�s house. He�ll be back soon.� Brenda went into the front room and threw herself into a chair. �Oh, Andrea, what a mess!� Andrea sat down on the sofa and flicked the television off. �Tell me all about it.� �Ben�s father showed up at the flat, all of a sudden. He was livid! He had found out about Ben and I seeing each other, but he was under the impression that I was married! He thought Ben was having an affair with a married woman!� �But Ben set him straight on that, right?� �No!� Brenda huffed. �He practically told him to mind his own business. His father said Ben isn�t welcome at home until he comes to his senses. Then he stormed out of the flat. I could have strangled Ben for letting him go without telling him the truth.� �Is that what you argued about?� Brenda threw her hands in the air. �I can�t believe he would be so stubborn! That he would deliberately let his parents believe that I am some cheap whore corrupting their little boy, just because he is too proud to let his father know what is really happening. Ben would rather let his father find out his mistake on his own and then have to apologize!� Andrea looked puzzled. �I don�t quite follow you on this. First of all, why would Ben�s father even think you are married?� �I don�t know, but Ben has never told them about me. I can only imagine what a shock it must have been for his parents to find out.� �Especially in light of what they�re thinking the situation is.� Andrea was silent for a few minutes, her mind formulating an idea. �Brenda, what if you talked to his parents yourself? You could straighten everything out.� Brenda put a hand to her forehead. �I don�t know. I thought of that, too, but I�m not even sure they�d want to see me, let alone listen to anything I have to say.� She sighed and looked at her friend. �I suppose it�s worth a try.� The front door slammed. �MUM?� �Later tonight,� Brenda whispered, then called out over her shoulder, �I�m in here, Kevin.� A nine-year-old boy ambled into the room and stationed himself at Brenda�s elbow. �I�m starved, Mum. What�s for tea?� Brenda tousled her son�s hair. �How about you get your sister and all four of us go to the chippy?� �Yeah!� Kevin�s face lit up and he raced from the room. His feet could be heard pounding up the stairs. �Have you said anything about Ben to your parents, yet? Or Ian�s?� Andrea enquired. �If you haven�t, I don�t think you should be quite so hard on Ben for keeping it to himself.� �I told my parents at Christmas that I was seeing someone. I didn�t elaborate.� Brenda looked away. �Ian�s parents are another matter. I�m not sure how they will react to the news. After all, it hasn�t even been a year since Ian died, and you know how they are.� A thunder of feet announced the return of Kevin with his sister. �Come on, Mum!� Kevin yelled as he opened the front door. �My son, the bottomless pit,� Brenda sighed as she got up from the chair and followed her children out the door. Andrea was right behind her. *** Brenda pulled her address book closer and flipped it open to the B�s. Ben......home.........Pemberley....... She reached for the telephone. After three rings it was answered by a woman. �May I speak with Mr. Darcy, please?� �I�m sorry. He�s not in at the moment,� the woman replied. �Oh. Is this Mrs. Darcy?� There was a giggle from the other end. �No, I�m Rebecca. Just a minute and I�ll get my Mum.� Brenda waited anxiously, debating whether to hang up or not. Suddenly there was someone on the other end again. �Hello?� Brenda swallowed nervously. �Mrs. Darcy? This is Brenda McIntyre. Please don�t hang up on me. I need to speak with you.� There was silence. Brenda thought she�d lost her audience. �I�m listening,� the other voice said. Brenda suddenly had no idea what to say, how to start. �I�m Ben�s girlfriend.� Idiot! She knows that. �I mean... you know that already. Oh, where do I start? I�m not married. I don�t know where your husband got that idea, but I�m not married and I�m not having an affair with your son. I mean, I am having a relationship with Ben, but....... oh!� �Brenda.� Elizabeth�s voice was cautious. �You had a husband. What happened to him?� Wondering again how they could have possibly found out these things, Brenda replied, �He died about ten months ago.� �Oh.� Elizabeth said. She couldn�t quite work up any sympathy at this news. �So you see, I�m not married. Not anymore.� �Then why all this secrecy about your relationship with my son?� Elizabeth went on. �Ben should know we would have no objection to him becoming involved with a widow.� Brenda bit her lip. �There�s a little more to it than that.� Once again the only thing Elizabeth could say was, �Oh?� �I have two children.� �Two children.� Elizabeth repeated. �You�re a widow with two young children.� She was starting to see a different motive here, and it wasn�t a pleasant alternative to her previous belief. �And I�m older than Ben,� Brenda added tentatively. �I�m thirty. I wanted you to know everything now, to avoid any more confusion.� Thirty! A widow with two children and she�s thirty? Oh, Ben. What have you gotten yourself into? �Brenda, I�m not sure what you expect me to say. Assuming everything you�ve told me is the truth, why didn�t Ben tell his father that this afternoon?� �I think it�s because we, I mean, Ben was caught by surprise. They were both angry and Ben was stubborn.� Brenda made an effort to keep the defensiveness out of her voice. �I hoped Ben would go after him and set him straight, but I have no idea what happened after I left.� �I see. Well, Brenda, thank you for calling and letting me know the truth.� There was an edge of finality in Elizabeth�s tone. Brenda took the hint. �I felt I had to. I don�t want to be the wedge that drives Ben apart from his family.� I�ll bet you don�t, Elizabeth thought. �I hope Ben and your husband settle it between themselves soon.� Brenda continued. �I�ll let you go, now. Thank you for listening to me, Mrs. Darcy.� �Goodbye Brenda.� Elizabeth replaced the receiver thoughtfully. She sighed and raised her eyes upward. �Ben, I thought you were smarter than this.� Elizabeth went to her office and picked up the telephone there, punching in Will�s mobile number. When he answered, she told him everything that Brenda had related to her. �What a fool!� Will growled. �A stubborn, pig-headed fool! If he�d only said as much to me this afternoon! This changes everything.� �It certainly does,� Elizabeth said. �Now instead of a jealous husband she�s got two little kids. Will, I�m afraid she�s using him as her ticket to a nice, comfortable life.� Will sat up straighter. �You don�t really think she went after him for money, Elizabeth?� �Will, think about it,� his wife said testily. �She�s got two small children and no husband. Add to that the fact that she�s thirty years old.� �What does her age have to do with it?� �Ben is only twenty-three, Will! How could she go after him, knowing he�s so much younger than she is, unless she had an ulterior motive?� Will rolled his eyes. �Elizabeth, aren�t you being a little presumptuous? Ben may have been the one chasing her.� Elizabeth snorted. �Ben�s never had to chase a girl in his life! You know that, Will. They flock to him.� Probably why he found Brenda far more interesting than all the others, Will thought, but he would never dare say that to Elizabeth at this moment. �I�ll have a long talk with him tomorrow, my dear. I�ll pop round to his flat first thing in the morning and catch him before he leaves.� �You do that,� his wife said sharply. �And you�d better get him to see what she�s really up to. I�ll expect him home on the weekend, Will. He needs some enlightening.� After she hung up, Will gave a whistle and shook his head. �Heaven help you if your mother is right, Ben.� *** Standing outside the door to Ben�s flat, Will felt like a fool. He glanced at his watch and knocked once more. Where is he? It�s too early for him to have left for class. Will considered that his son may have gone to Brenda�s house when there was still no answer at the door. He flipped open his directory and called up her name, but he immediately rethought paying her a call. Instead, he decided to wait out the morning at a caf� down the street, in the hope that he could catch Ben before too long. Three hours later the result was the same, and Will resigned himself to going home without seeing his son. Elizabeth was not happy when she learned that their misunderstanding had not been straightened out, and that Ben would not be making the commanded appearance the next day. She was convinced that her son was making the worst mistake of his life, and that if she could only see him, and speak with him, she would be able to make Ben see that. Will was far from agreement with her on the subject. He knew better, however, than to arouse her ire by criticizing her zeal in the protection of her offspring. There weren�t many felines on the plains of Africa that could match his wife for tenacity in that regard! Elizabeth was quite stable when dealing with her daughters, but when it came to the boys, and Ben in particular, she could be very irrational. Will mused that at times he could see some aspects of her mother in her personality, more discernible as the years passed. Several times he tried to reach Ben, but there was no answer at his flat. If he is anything like me, Will thought, he�s probably taken himself off somewhere to think until his mind is numb. He wasn�t far wrong. Following his argument with Brenda, Ben had hopped into his car and driven until he found a place in the countryside where he could sit and brood. He knew that she had been right, that he should never have let his father walk out of the flat without a proper explanation. Now that he�d admitted it, though, how was he to go about correcting the problem? His father wouldn�t be taking this situation lightly, as he saw it anyhow. He had issued Ben an ultimatum, and despite the facts of the situation having changed, Will Darcy was not a man to back down easily. Ben knew that if he appeared at the front door of Pemberley, the first words out of his mouth would have to be what his father wanted to hear or he wouldn�t be granted an audience. Still, if he didn�t make some sort of effort to mend the breach then Brenda wouldn�t speak to him either! Or would she? he thought, a smile slowing spreading over his face. It was too late to make it back to Cambridge in time to put his idea into action. Besides, he wanted to give her a couple of days to stew about it and come to the realization that she couldn�t live without him. Ben grinned to himself as he climbed back into his car. With a plan to formulate, he put the car in gear and drove off in the opposite direction from which he had come. *** �Hello?� �Anna, have you spoken with Ben lately?� Elizabeth waited tensely for her daughter�s reply. �Uh, no.� Anna sounded surprised. �Why? Is something wrong?� �You could say that,� her mother muttered. �There�s been no answer at his flat for two days.� �Well, maybe he�s at �.� Anna stopped. �Brenda�s?� Elizabeth finished for her. �No, he�s not there. And how did you know about her? Were your father and I the only ones not told?� �Well, I..... I guessed one day and Ben had to tell me.� Anna was suddenly afraid that her brother�s relationship with his girlfriend was at the heart of this telephone call. �I have met her, Mum. She�s really nice.� �I�ll bet she is,� Elizabeth snapped. Anna was shocked at her mother�s tone. �Really, Mum. She�s very nice and she cares for Ben a lot. I can tell.� Elizabeth laughed harshly. �And you are such a woman of the world, Anna! You can�t even discern your own feelings, how can you tell what someone else�s are? Never mind. If you hear from your brother, tell him to come home immediately. I�m going to straighten this out before it�s too late.� Anna stared at the phone after her mother hung up. What happened? Where are you, Ben? She thought for a few minutes and then grabbed her directory. Keying in a number, she waited for an answer, fidgeting nervously with the telephone cord. �Rob!� she said quickly when it was picked up. �Is Ben with you?� Her cousin answered cautiously. �Yes, Anna, he is. But he�s not in a mood to talk.� �I don�t care,� she interrupted. �Put him on!� She listened to voices in the background until finally Ben came on. �Ben, what�s happened? Mum rang here looking for you.� �Don�t worry about it, Anna. I�ll have it all sorted on Monday.� �You�ll have it all sorted? What will you have sorted?� Anna was confused. �Ben, why haven�t you been at your flat?� �Anna,� Ben said impatiently. �I really don�t want to get into it. I�ve got to get back to Cambridge today so that I can do what I need to do tomorrow.� �Did you argue with Mum and Dad about Brenda?� Ben gave a short laugh. �I argued with Dad, that�s for sure! Anna, they don�t know Brenda at all, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.� He took a deep breath. �Anyway, I don�t care what they think. I have to make it up with Brenda. That�s all that�s important to me right now. Once Brenda and I are back on track, then I�ll consider what needs to be said to Mum and Dad.� �But, Ben �.� �I don�t want to talk about it anymore, Anna,� Ben said sharply and hung up the phone before his sister could say anything else. Ben turned around to see Rob looking at him, one eyebrow raised. �So, when are you leaving, then?� �In about an hour. I want to be sure that I miss Brenda�s call at home. She usually rings me Sunday night when the kids go to bed.� Rob looked at him curiously. �You want to miss her call?� A lopsided grin from Ben was his reply. �Oh, you aren�t playing games with her, are you? Don�t be an idiot, Ben.� �Now don�t you start, too!� Ben huffed. �I know what I�m doing, Rob. By this time tomorrow everything will be fine. Brenda and I will be tucked up cosy once again and I couldn�t be happier.� �But what about your parents?� Rob persisted. �Aren�t you going to let them know you�re okay? They must be worried sick!� Ben grunted. �Brenda comes first.� You mean you come first! thought Rob. �I think you�re going about this all wrong.� �What?� Ben stared at him. �I don�t have to listen to this! I can just as easily spend an hour at a pub than be insulted.� He grabbed his keys and coat and headed for the door. �Ben, wait!� Rob called, but his cousin was already halfway down the walk to his car. Rob stood in the doorway and watched him drive away. *** Will looked up at the sound of a knock at the door. Georgiana smiled at him. �May I come in?� At her brother�s nod, she came and sat next to him. �What are you reading?� she asked, glancing at the front of his book. Will shook his head. �I�m not really reading. I think I�ve been sitting here for the last half hour staring at the words on the page.� Georgiana smiled, then looked serious. �Will, thanks for filling me in on what�s been going on with you and with Ben. Now I understand why Elizabeth has been so much on edge the last few weeks.� �I think everyone has been staying out of her way for the most part. Everyone but me, unfortunately,� he grimaced. �Oh, Will. She loves you, and she wants to make sure you�re around for a few more years at least.� Georgiana appeared a little saddened with this comment. Will put his arm around his sister�s shoulders. �It�s been a very tough year for you Georgie. I�m sorry it�s been one thing after another since you came home, too.� Georgiana bit her lip anxiously. �Actually, Will, it�s home I came to see you about.� She looked up to meet his gaze. �I�ve decided to go back to New York.� �New York!� Will�s shocked expression told her how he viewed her leaving. �But this is your home, Georgie. I thought you were going to stay here!� Shaking her head, she said, �No, Will. I never intended to stay. If you�ll remember I said I�d only come for a visit. I�ve stayed a lot longer than I had planned. Don�t mistake my meaning. I love you and Elizabeth and all of your children, but my home is in New York now. The home that I built with Brian and lived in with Brian for twelve years. It�s where Aaron was born and raised.� Georgiana met her brother�s gaze, hoping he understood why she was doing this. �I need to go back and face what�s left. To build again from there, with Aaron.� �You know that you are always welcome here, Georgie, if you change your mind.� Will looked and sounded so hopeful that his sister felt a pang of remorse. But she had made up her mind and they were going. �I�ll let Aaron finish out this school year, then we�ll leave. And, of course that means I�ll be here to see Ben graduate, and Rebecca.� Will frowned. �Rebecca I have no doubt about, but Ben?� Will shook his head. �I don�t know what that boy is up to, Georgie. I thought I knew him. I thought he had his head screwed on right!� �He does, Will. I think he�s just having a little trouble focussing at present.� She gave him an enquiring look. �Don�t tell me you don�t remember what that was like?� Will only grunted in reply. Georgiana patted his arm and left him alone with one final comment. �Don�t let him stay away too long, Will.� *** to be continued...

Hah! And sooner than you thought, too! :) Parallels Chapter Thirteen Brenda picked up her belongings and left the office. It had been a lousy day at work, and her mind had kept wandering from the task at hand, puzzling over Ben�s whereabouts. Even her supervisor had noticed her preoccupation. Brenda sighed as his words of reprimand echoed in her head. It had been four days since her argument with Ben at his flat. Although she felt terrible about some of the things she�d said, Brenda knew that he had to settle his differences with his parents before she could allow Ben back into her arms. That was going to be the hardest part of all. She didn�t want to be the cause of any estrangement between him and his family. Ben needed his family, and Brenda wanted to make sure he realized it. So, she�d come to a decision that afternoon. Brenda picked her way along the sidewalk to the bus stop and waited with the crowd just beginning to assemble. The bus arrived, and the people arranged themselves in an ordered line to get on. Once seated, Brenda merely stared out of the window, her mind still very far away. Her stop appeared. She got out and pasted a smile on her face as the school building came within sight. Kevin and Sarah would be waiting for her just inside the wall of the schoolyard. Brenda rounded the corner and halted in her tracks. �Ben!� she cried in surprise. Ben was holding Sarah with one arm while he kicked a football back and forth with Kevin. He glanced up at Brenda and grinned. �Hi there.� His tone was nonchalant, as if nothing unusual had happened only three days ago. As if he hadn�t disappeared in the intervening time. As if she had no reason to be angry with him! Brenda finally found her voice. �What are you doing here?� Ben used his most charming smile and aimed it at her. �I missed you and the kids. I thought perhaps I could take you three out tonight.� �All right!� Kevin cried excitedly. Brenda felt her blood boil. How dare you, Ben! How dare you come back here and try to ignore everything that�s happened? And to use my children to get to me!! �Have you spoken with your father, yet?� she asked in a tightly controlled voice. Ben�s smile faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly. �No, I�ve been away.� �Mummy, can Ben stay for tea with us?� Sarah�s wide-eyed expression made any refusal heartbreaking. But Brenda had made her decision earlier. �Not today, sweetheart.� She met Ben�s gaze with a hardened one of her own. �He has to finish up something with his father before he can come to our house.� Ever again, she added silently. Ben�s smile faded. He looked as if he couldn�t believe what she�d just said. �Aw, Mum!� Kevin whined, kicking at a stone on the ground. �But he was going to take us out tonight!� He looked up at Ben. �Couldn�t you come over after you talk to your father?� Ben tried to smile at the boy reassuringly, but he felt far from assured himself. His entire plan was falling apart before his eyes. �I guess it won�t be tonight, Kevin,� he said, eyes never leaving Brenda�s face. �It will take more than a telephone call to work things out with my Dad.� Kevin grumbled and complained while his mother and Ben continued to eye one another cautiously. Finally Brenda moved to take Sarah from Ben�s arms. �We must be off now, so that I can get these two their tea.� Ben relinquished his hold on the little girl. Brenda felt a pain in her heart at the hurt expression on his face. �Could I call you tonight?� he asked faintly. For a moment she wasn�t sure what the answer should be. Then, dipping her head, Brenda nodded. She gathered her children to her and left the schoolyard, not daring to look back at the lone figure who stood watching them go. Several hours later, the children had been put to bed and still the phone had not rung. Brenda sat next to the stubbornly silent thing and stared at it. Why did I say he could call? He�s only going to try to break down my defences. She went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She couldn�t help recalling the picture of Ben and the kids in the schoolyard that afternoon. He had looked so relaxed with them, so natural. He�d certainly come a long way since first meeting Kevin. Brenda chuckled at that memory. Ben had expected an angry, brooding boy. His own cousin had recently lost his father, and Ben�s experience with Aaron�s hostility had caused him to anticipate the same in her son. But Kevin had surprised him by taking to Ben almost instantly. So much so, in fact, that Ben was hard pressed to find time alone with Brenda. Kevin was constantly crying for his attention. Brenda sighed as she stirred her tea. Her son�s attachment to Ben was a troubling item for her. Although she was pleased to see how well they got along, she was nonetheless apprehensive about Kevin getting hurt in the current crossfire. And even Sarah was already firmly devoted to Ben. They both missed their own father, but Ben was more than just a substitute for Ian. Ben had made them all laugh again. The telephone rang and Brenda raced into the other room to pick it up. The voice that greeted her was Andrea�s. Swallowing her feeling of disappointment, Brenda confirmed the times she would need her childminder�s services for the rest of the week and they said goodbye. She returned to the kitchen for her tea, then resumed her position in the chair next to the telephone. Sipping her warm drink, Brenda glanced at the clock. Where is he? Don�t play this game with me, Ben. The voices warred in her head. Stop being so eager to hear from him. You should be angry! I am angry! Not enough, apparently. He should never have used my children to get to me! That was low. That was what I warned him I was afraid would happen, when I refused to date him in the beginning. But he promised you he was different, that he would never do such a thing. Yeah. He lied. No he didn�t! He�s hurting. I hurt him. His Dad hurt him. And now I�ll have to hurt him some more...... The clock chimed and startled her from her thoughts. Ten o�clock and still nothing. Where are you, Ben? The phone rang. �Ben?� Brenda berated herself for sounding so hopeful. �It�s me,� Ben said quietly. �I was....� she paused, not wanting to say that she was worried about him. �.... wondering if you were really going to call.� �I went out. Down to the pub.� Ben�s words sounded a bit slurred. �Brenda, I love you. I�m sorry I did that this afternoon. You were right. I�m too arrogant for my own good. Can you forgive me?� Of course I forgive you. I love you, Ben. �Why haven�t you spoken to your parents yet?� �My parents?� Ben was having trouble connecting this question with his own. �What do they have to do with it?� Brenda closed her eyes. This was going to be far more difficult than she had thought. �Ben, I already told you. I�m not coming between you and your parents. Until you�ve worked out your differences with them, don�t count on seeing me.� There, I�ve said it. Oh, Ben.. Please do as I ask. He was silent for so long that Brenda began to wonder if he�d had more to drink than she had thought at first. Then he finally spoke. �I don�t like ultimatums, Brenda. I didn�t like it when my father gave me one, and I don�t like it coming from you, either. I made my choice. I chose you over my family, and if you aren�t willing to accept that, then.......� his voice trailed away. Then what? �There was no choice to be made, Ben,� she said sharply. �It�s all or nothing. I�m not going to be used like a pawn in a power struggle with your father. If that�s your idea of love, then you can keep it.� Brenda bit back the tears in her words. Why are you being so difficult about this? �Brenda.....� �Yes?� She tried to sound cool. �Do you love me?� With all my heart! �Ben, you�re drunk. Go sleep it off, then go to Pemberley and call me when you get back.� �When I get back....� he repeated, uncomprehending. �Yes, now go to bed, Ben.� She heard him take a deep breath. �I love you Brenda.� �Goodnight, Ben.� She couldn�t bring herself to say goodbye. That was too final, and she still held out hope. There was a click on the line as he disconnected. Brenda held onto the receiver like it was a lifeline. �I do love you, Ben. More than you think. How else could I risk letting you go?� She put the phone back and went upstairs for a good cry. *** The silence was disturbing. Ben lay in the dark, wishing his mind was as hushed as the room. One day. All it took was one day, and his world had come apart. What was he thinking? Why had he been so stupid? Brenda may never forgive him now, and without her he suddenly had no idea which direction to turn. He couldn�t even ask his father for advice. He�d burned that bridge already. Then again, he wasn�t sure he even wanted to face either of his parents at the moment, nor any of his family. He wanted to be alone. Utterly alone. *** Anna wasn�t, by nature, particularly patient. So when Wednesday evening rolled around and she still hadn�t heard from her brother she began to make enquiries. Since there had been no reply at his flat the dozen times she had tried there, she next called Robert Bingley, where Ben had last been. �Sorry, Anna,� Robert told her. �I haven�t seen him since Sunday. He left here in a mood, and I doubt he�s coming back anytime soon.� She thanked him and said goodbye, not wanting to spend too much time when she could be continuing to look for him elsewhere. Anna and Ben had always been rather close. She tagged after him as a child, forever into her big brother�s toys and wanting to do everything that he did. A pest she may have been, but Ben hadn�t minded altogether, and as they grew older they had grown closer. Which was why Anna was worried now. It simply wasn�t like Ben to hide himself away like this. The quickest way to find him would be the university, she decided. And with that in mind, Anna didn�t waste any time. She drove straight to Cambridge and sought him out in class. �What are you doing here?� Ben hissed as he joined her in the hallway outside the classroom. �As if you have to ask!� Anna hissed back. �Where have you been?� �Around.� �Don�t be smart. Mum is worried sick about you. How can you be so inconsiderate?� Anna pulled on his arm, turning him to face her. �What happened on Monday, Ben?� He looked away, then brought his eyes around again to meet hers. �I screwed up. I screwed up big time.� �Oh, Ben.� Anna felt her brother�s pain just looking at his face. �Are you sure? Can�t you make it up?� �I doubt it. I did everything that I promised her I wouldn�t do. How could she trust me again?� Ben shook his head and started walking down the hall. Anna trailed along beside him. �You can�t just give up, Ben. Isn�t Brenda worth fighting for? Isn�t your relationship stronger than that?� Ben came to a sudden halt and spun around to glare at his sister. �I don�t need any lectures from you, Anna! I feel like a jerk and I deserve to feel that way. Don�t give me any condescending reassurances because I don�t want them. Just leave me alone.� �But �,� Anna began. �I said to leave me alone!� *** �Let me go. Let me go, Jason!� Kathleen yelled. Jason laughed but wouldn�t release her. �Are you two at it again?� Rebecca grinned. �I�m glad I�m not so ticklish as my sister!� Kathleen screeched as Jason�s fingers drove into her ribs. �It�s not fair. It�s not fair! You�re bigger and stronger than I am. Oh, Rebecca, HELP!� she beseeched her sister. �Don�t do it, Rebecca,� Jason warned. �You know you�ll hurt me!� Rebecca laughed. He was right! His scrawny build was no match for her muscles, toned from years of riding. �Have no fear, Jason. I�ll leave you both to your tickling match. I have some homework to do anyway.� She sauntered off across the lawn, enjoying the warm spring sunshine on her face. Entering the house, Rebecca paused at the door to the music room, glancing in to see her mother seated at the piano. Elizabeth was halfheartedly picking out a tune on the keys. Rebecca sighed. The atmosphere at home had been so tense for the last month. It had been longer than that since her elder brother had been to Pemberley. Not since Mum and Dad�s anniversary, she recalled. Rebecca had seen, if not been privy to, what Ben�s actions had done to her parents. Her brother�s lack of communication with them was particularly hard on her mother. Ben spoke with Anna regularly enough, only because Anna tracked him down repeatedly and demanded he speak with her, but he had yet to contact either mother or father in the last five weeks. Continuing on up the stairs, Rebecca found her father in the gallery, sitting in one of the chairs that lined the wall facing the family portraits. He seemed to be studying the one of her mother. �Dad?� she said tentatively. Will�s head turned toward her and he smiled. �Yes, Rebecca?� She felt a bit easier once she saw the smile. �We were making shipping and stabling arrangements for the horses for June. I need to talk to you about the costs. I know my going isn�t final for quite awhile, but the details have to be worked out before April.� �Rebecca,� Will said seriously. �I�m sure you�ll pass your exams, and that you will be going. When do you need the money?� She smiled. �Not for a few weeks, yet. Thanks, Dad. I appreciate your confidence in me.� Will rose from his chair and stood facing his daughter. �You haven�t given me any reason not to be confident of your success.� He placed a kiss on her forehead. �Did you happen to notice where your mother was on your way up here?� �She�s in the music room.� �Thank you.� Will nodded and left her in the gallery. He took the stairs quickly, noting the time on the hall clock as he passed it on the way to his wife. When he looked into the room and saw Elizabeth�s dejected state, his heart sank. She was taking Ben�s rejection of them very badly. Not surprising, of course, but it did nothing for Will�s current opinion of his son. Will walked over to the piano bench and sat down next to Elizabeth. She maintained her focus on the keys until he placed his hand over one of hers. He heard a heavy sigh and then felt a tear drop on the back of his hand. Will placed his finger under her chin and pulled her face around to look at him. �Don�t let him do this to you, Liz.� He wiped the other tears away with his fingers. �You know he�ll be back. He�s just being selfish and childish, but he�ll be back.� Elizabeth�s eyes met his, but there was little hope in their depths. �When, though? Why is he being so stubborn?� Will knew perfectly well the answer to that question. It was because both of his son�s parents were stubborn, and he certainly had inherited that quality in double strength! �Liz, we can�t take this so personally. He hasn�t even been in contact with Brenda in all this time.� �How do you know that?� she asked, sniffling. �I spoke with her yesterday.� Will smiled tentatively. �You see, I have been doing some checking despite our agreement to wait for him to come to us. I just wish I knew where he was. He�s obviously taken a room somewhere else, because he hasn�t been at his flat for weeks.� Will rubbed his temples with his fingertips. He had a headache building up. �You�ve been talking to Brenda?� Elizabeth�s tone was sharp. �Yes, I have,� Will replied in the same manner. �I thought that she, at least, might have some clue to his whereabouts.� �And what did she have to say for herself?� Will frowned at the scepticism in her voice. �She�s not what you thought, Elizabeth. She sent Ben on his way and told him not to come back until he�d reconciled with us.� Elizabeth narrowed her eyes disbelievingly. �And you think she was telling you the truth?� �I have no reason not to believe her. Look Liz, whether you want to accept it or not, Ben has fallen in love with her. And he�s behaving like a complete imbecile at the moment,� he finished in a growl. Elizabeth pursed her lips thoughtfully. �Well, perhaps if he�s not even seen her, then his feelings are not as strong as you suppose. There might be hope, yet.� Will had no answer to that. *** �Mum, can I call him now?� Brenda bit off a sharp reply. �Kevin, for the last time, Ben isn�t at home. You can�t call him. Just drop it!� �It�s not fair!� the boy whined. �He promised to take me to see the new �.� �Kevin! He�s not home! I can�t change that, and you can�t change that. Go and find something to do.� She watched as her son stomped away, slamming the front door on his way out. Then she looked at the telephone beside her. Her resolve had been good so far, but it was so tempting to pick it up and dial his number. Unfortunately, Brenda knew he wouldn�t be there. She hadn�t spoken with Ben since that horrible night she�d told him not to come back until he�d seen his parents. And she knew that he hadn�t been to see them yet. Brenda leaned her head against the chair back and stared at the ceiling as she recalled her rather heated conversation with Ben�s father. Will Darcy, she thought, is just like his son. Or perhaps I should say Ben is just like his father. Not only do they sound alike and look alike, but they are both hard-headed and strong-willed! Surely he must have asked her at least five times if she�d heard from Ben! Did he think she was lying? His tone had been bitter, his questions demanding. But surely he must have realized that she was just as worried about Ben as they were? A sudden terrible thought entered her head that perhaps they didn�t believe that she cared about their son at all. After everything she had said, all of her self sacrificing declarations to Will Darcy, it was all for nothing. They blamed her for Ben�s retreat, and now she had not only lost any chance of gaining their good opinion, but she quite likely may have lost Ben as well. Brenda pulled one of the pillows over and hugged it to her chest. She lowered her face into it and fought back the tears. She had never intended to become so involved with him. It had never occurred to her that it would be possible! But now that he was gone, Brenda felt an emptiness she hadn�t felt since Ian had died. All she wanted was to see Ben again, to tell him that she was sorry for all that she had said and done, but now it was too late. Angrily, she threw the pillow across the room. It knocked over a china ornament, smashing it to bits on the floor. Brenda spat out a curse and crossed the room to pick up the pieces. Holding the shattered remains of the figurine between her fingers, tears fell drop by drop onto the carpet at her feet. It had been a gift from Ben. *** to be continued.....

Teg, thanks for posting more! Ben can be such an idiot (like most men i know...) oops, i'm slipping back into the male bashing, arent i? :-) for those wondering, yes -there is more to my story. i just have to finish writing it. :-) Unfortuanatley i'm a SLOW writer ...but i'll try to hurry it along. In the meantime, somebody else (Irene, Danille, Gail, anybody) post something!!!! Thanks again Teg! What would we do without your regular posts???

Gee, if you call those regular..... Maybe some more fibre is called for. ;)

Okay, I couldn't post this last night for some reason. I kept getting an error message.. something about an invalid command. So, I hope it works tonight! Parallels Chapter Fourteen It was time. Brenda was tired of waiting around, unable to do anything, merely fielding repeated enquiries from Ben�s father to no advantage for herself. The children were at a neighbour�s, so there was no better time to place a call to Pemberley. �Mr. Darcy, please.� Brenda waited, tapping her foot on the kitchen floor. �Mr. Darcy? It�s Brenda. I think it�s time we had a talk.� She listened. �No, here in Cambridge. At my place. I want you to know everything, no more misunderstandings between us.� Again she listened to the voice that sounded so much like one she sorely missed. �Great. I�ll see you tomorrow, then.� As she thoughtfully replaced the receiver, Brenda let out her breath and then turned her attention to making her children�s tea. She spent the following morning going over her house with a fine tooth comb, making sure there was nothing out of place. After all, the Darcys were accustomed to impeccable surroundings, maintained by an efficient staff. Brenda had no desire to give them cause to find fault with her situation. By noon, she was satisfied that all that could be done had been done. There was nothing left to do but wait. The bell rang promptly at three o�clock. Brenda showed her guests into the front room and when they were seated, asked if they would like any refreshments. �Yes, please, � Will began. Elizabeth shot him a look. �No, thank you,� she said pointedly. Brenda paused, glancing at Will to see if he really did want something. He nodded and smiled slightly. �Tea? Or could I get you something else?� �Tea would be fine.� Will turned to his wife when Brenda was safely out of the room. �Elizabeth, you promised to at least hear her out before rejecting her as unworthy of our son. I expect you to live up to that promise.� Elizabeth did not appear contrite in any way. She was determined not to like this young woman. Watching Brenda as she rejoined them, Elizabeth took in the appearance of her son�s girlfriend. Brenda was not what one could consider beautiful, nor even pretty for that matter. She had a rather plain face, and did not appear to use much in the way of makeup to accentuate the attractive aspects. Her hair was straight and shoulder length, the light brown locks currently tied behind her head and held in place with a clip. This was not the woman Elizabeth had expected to see. She was not a polished, primping prima donna, nor was she a dolled up fancy piece. Brenda was a plain looking, plain speaking woman who looked younger than her thirty years. Not for the first time did Elizabeth wonder what her son saw in this woman. As Brenda fussed with the tea things, Elizabeth noted an absence of jewellery, most notably any rings, and sighed imperceptibly. Will accepted the cup with a smile, and Brenda settled into the chair opposite them. �I thought it was time we met,� she said nervously. �I think you deserve some sort of explanation for what has been going on.� Elizabeth�s lips set in a thin line, but she left it to her husband to carry the conversation from here. It was Will who had insisted that they accept Brenda�s invitation, after all. She would much rather have preferred to dislike the woman from a distance. �I suppose I should start at the beginning,� Brenda was saying. �You know that I was married. My husband died about a year ago. Actually one year ago next week. It was a factory accident. Anyway, that left me suddenly alone with two small children to support. Although the compensation package and the insurance money was considerable...... this house is paid for, and my children have trust funds set up in their own names..... I still had to find myself a job for our day to day needs. I had few qualifications, but still managed to land myself a position with an investment firm downtown. It�s nothing impressive, but it pays the bills. That�s where I met Ben.� Elizabeth had been studying a photo of a smiling, attractive young man on a nearby shelf. This, she assumed, was Brenda�s late husband. Her attention was drawn back at the mention of her son�s name. �Ben had approached my employer regarding research for an assignment he was doing. I was appointed to assist him by pulling any records he might require. We worked together for a couple of weeks. Ben was charming and polite, and he often asked me out for lunch, but I always declined. I wasn�t ready to start dating yet, and thought he was far too young for me anyway. Besides, I had my children to consider. They were still trying to deal with their father�s absence, and I didn�t need them becoming attached to a man who wouldn�t be around very long, for I was sure that once Ben realized what the package included, he wouldn�t be as eager to get involved with me. So, I kept him at bay.� �For two weeks.� Elizabeth couldn�t stop the words from escaping. Will frowned at her. Brenda met the other woman�s gaze. �Yes, and for three more after that. Ben was persistent. I finally agreed to meet him in the local for a drink and that night I made sure he clearly understood my position.� �You told him about your children?� Will asked. Brenda nodded. �Yes. I told him that they were my number one concern, and I didn�t want to see them hurt. If he had any intention of hooking up with me, then he had to accept Kevin and Sarah as well.� She paused, meeting first Elizabeth�s gaze and then Will�s. �He assured me that he had no problem with the situation. He promised me that he would never do anything to hurt my children. I believed him.� Elizabeth looked down at her lap. She wasn�t sure she liked what Brenda was implying. If Ben had gone so far as to become attached to these children, and to allow them to become attached to him..... Oh what have you done to these kids, Ben? How could you stay away from them for so long? �How old are your children?� Will asked. Brenda�s motherly pride brought a smile to her face. �Kevin is nine, and Sarah has just turned six.� Elizabeth felt a lump rise in her throat as she thought of those two young ones losing their father so early in life. She closed her eyes, remembering how very close her own children had come to losing Will all those years ago. �They just adore Ben, and he�s been so good with them.� Brenda sighed. �Yes. Well that brings us around to the point of the matter, doesn�t it?� Will said sternly as he placed his cup down. �Where is Ben?� �I�ve heard nothing from him in nearly two months. I�ve tried not to call, but it hasn�t been easy.� Brenda looked at them plaintively. �I guess he took me at my word when I said not to come back until he�d made things right with you.� �But why hasn�t he come home?� an exasperated Elizabeth asked. �We know why,� Will growled. �He�s pigheaded and stubborn and doesn�t want to admit when he�s wrong. Not to mention selfish.� �Don�t be so harsh, Will,� Elizabeth retorted. �Harsh?� Will asked incredulously. �I thought I was being generous. If it wasn�t for Anna then none of us would even know he was still alive! He�s been thoughtless and inconsiderate and I, for one, am sorely disappointed in him!� �Oh, please don�t be!� cried Brenda. �It�s as much my fault as his. We should have been far more open about our relationship from the beginning.� �Yes, you should have,� Elizabeth muttered. Will scowled at his wife. �That�s irrelevant at this point, Brenda. His current behaviour is inexcusable.� They were all silent for a few minutes, then the bang of the front door brought everyone�s eyes around to the entryway. �We�re home, Mum! Who�s car is that outside?� Kevin said breathlessly. Sarah and Andrea were right behind him. Sarah took one look at the two unfamiliar faces in the room and promptly crawled up into her mother�s lap to peek shyly from behind her hands. �Kevin, Sarah, Andrea, this is Mr. and Mrs. Darcy,� Brenda said. Kevin looked at Will. �You look like Ben. Are you his dad?� he said with the typical forwardness of a child. Will smiled. �Yes, I am.� �I thought so.� Kevin turned his attention to Elizabeth. �You must be his mum.� �Kevin!� Brenda whispered, worried that her son was being a little rude. Elizabeth merely smiled as she nodded at the boy. �You like Ben, do you?� Kevin�s head bobbed up and down eagerly, then his expression saddened. �But he hasn�t visited us in a long time. Mum says I can�t ring him �cause he�s not home. Is he at your house?� �No, I�m afraid he�s not.� Elizabeth�s tone suggested she was as sad as the young boy. �He didn�t go away like my dad, did he?� Kevin�s lower lip began to tremble. He valiantly fought to keep it still. Elizabeth struggled to keep her own voice steady. �No, Kevin. He didn�t go away like your father did. He�ll be back, I�m sure of it.� Her heart went out to the boy, replacing the steadfast belief she�d held that her own son was doing the right thing in staying away. Kevin attempted a smile, then moved toward the kitchen. Andrea followed him, pausing in the doorway to tell Brenda that she would find him something to eat. �He�s a nice boy.� Will smiled at Brenda. �Thank you.� Sarah shifted on Brenda�s lap and lowered her hands from her face. She was feeling a bit braver now that her brother had spoken to these two strangers. Her round eyes were focussed on Elizabeth. �Sarah,� Brenda whispered. �Why don�t you run along into the kitchen and see what Andrea�s found for you to eat?� Sarah shook her head. She continued to stare at Elizabeth. Suddenly she clambered down from her seat and crossed the room to stand at Elizabeth�s knee. �My Mummy�s been very sad,� she said in a tiny voice. �Can you tell Ben to come back? I miss him.� Thinking her heart would break at the expression on this little mite�s face, Elizabeth drew in a breath against the tightening in her throat and pulled the little girl to her in a hug. She stroked Sarah�s hair and said softly, �I�ll tell him, sweetheart. I�ll tell him.� *** �Anna, you must have some idea where he�s staying!� �Mum, I don�t. The only contact I have with Ben is when I make a trip to Cambridge and lie in wait for him to come out of class.� Anna grimaced. �He�s never very happy to see me, either.� �Well, the next time he isn�t happy to see you,� Elizabeth said in a heated tone, �tell him to get his behind to Pemberley before I send the police to find him!� �You wouldn�t!� Anna said incredulously. �I mean it, Anna. I want him here yesterday. When are you going to see him next?� Anna consulted her calendar. �I was planning on going Thursday.� �Make it Tuesday instead,� Elizabeth ordered. �That�s tomorrow! I have a lecture in the afternoon.� She quickly rethought her reply during the ensuing silence from the other end of the phone. �I guess I could ask someone to take notes for me.� �Let me know how it goes.� Elizabeth quickly said her goodbyes and the line went dead. Anna let out a low whistle. �My goodness Ben. What have you done this time?� She dutifully made arrangements for a classmate to take notes at the lecture, and the next day set off for Cambridge to face her brother. Ben was, as predicted, not quite thrilled to see her. �You just can�t take no for an answer, can you Anna?� �I told you, Mum insisted I come and make sure you know that if you don�t get yourself home immediately then there is definitely going to be trouble.� She followed him to an empty table and put her glass down beside his. Peering closely at his tired, bloodshot eyes she asked, �Have you been spending every night in this pub, Ben?� �No.� He raised his glass and drank down half the pint. Anna frowned. �Why are you doing this?� she asked for the hundredth time since his exile began. �When are you going to put an end to it?� Ben looked down at the tabletop and fingered the watermark left by his glass. �I�m going to see Dad on Saturday. I promise.� He looked up to meet his sister�s earnest gaze. �Don�t say anything to them. Please?� Anna considered his words. �Mum is going to want to know one way or the other. I can�t put her off.� �Just tell her you gave me the message and I�m considering it.� �That might do,� she shrugged. �You�ve let this go too far, you know.� �Yeah, I know.� Ben looked so dejected that Anna nearly forgot how angry she was with him for this whole mess. �I�ll never be able to make up for it.� His sister had nothing to add to that comment. They sat silently for awhile until Ben rose from his seat, offering to get Anna another drink from the bar. She accepted and when he returned, Ben tried to turn the conversation to more cheerful topics. �How are your classes going?� �Very well. I feel much more confident than I did last year at this time.� Anna reflected that she would be glad when the personal stress was over so that she could concentrate on her upcoming exams unimpeded. �Good.� Ben stared into his glass of beer. �How did you make out with that chap.... What was his name?� �Peter,� Anna supplied. �Make out is a good choice of words, Ben.� She grinned at his shocked expression. �Anna, I hope you�re only having me on here, because if Mum and Dad ever got wind of what you get up to....� He left the sentence dangling, hoping for a contradiction. She merely shrugged her shoulders. �Well, since I know you�ll never say anything, and I�m far too careful to get caught, then there�s no danger, is there?� Shaking his head, Ben shifted into big brother mode. �You�re playing with fire, Anna. As careful as you claim to be, you�re going to get burned one of these days.� �Just get me another one of these, would you Ben?� She handed him her empty glass as her eyes drifted about the room. Ben took the glass but before leaving the table he said in a low voice, �You�re not going home tonight, are you?� It was more a statement than a question. �You can stay at my place, you know.� �Oh yeah. I don�t even know where that place is these days, Ben. Anyway, I have plans.� Her smile widened as her eyes rested on a tall blond haired man at a far table. �Um, Ben? About that offer....� Ben followed the direction of her eyes. �I meant the place I�m staying now, Anna. Not the flat.� �Oh well.� She tossed her head. �I�m sure I�ll find something.� Ben made his way to the bar, his mind formulating a plan to get his sister away from this place as soon as possible. He wasn�t quite quick enough however, for when he returned to the table Anna was already making the acquaintance of the young man who had caught her eye. Ben put the glasses down somewhat forcefully and strode across the room to retrieve her. But when he grabbed her arm, the blond man looked up sharply and addressed Anna as he glared at Ben. �Do you know him?� Anna shrugged her arm loose and smiled weakly. �Yes, he�s my brother but pay him no mind. He�s just a bit full of himself tonight.� �Anna,� Ben said warningly. She tossed her head, effectively dismissing him, and turned to the object of her fancy. �I�d like to dance. Would you?� �Love to!� the young man said, smirking as he rose from his seat and brushed past Ben to escort Anna to the dance floor. �Arrogant sod,� he said to Anna as he drew her close. �Is he always like that?� Anna chuckled. �He�s not so bad. He just likes to think he�s saving me from myself. Usually gets in the way, though.� She snuggled closer to her partner, the music�s rhythm encouraging a slow grinding motion of their hips. �Don�t give him another thought. I�m sure he�ll be on his way home soon and then I can have my own fun.� The man�s eyebrows rose and an eager grin spread over his face. He dropped his face down close to Anna�s and kissed her. Bringing her arms up around his neck, she returned the kiss then leaned back to look at him, almost as if contemplating his skill. �Not bad. Not bad at all.� She grinned at him. �But how good are you at this?� Anna met his mouth with her open lips and pushed her tongue forward. His response was immediate. His arms tightened around her waist and she could feel him hardening against her as he drove his own tongue into her mouth. Coming up for air, Anna said, �Mmmm..... I�m not sure yet. Perhaps I need a little more sampling.� He grinned at her again and they resumed their kissing. Ben was fuming as he observed the spectacle that his sister was making of herself. However, he knew that he wasn�t going to be able to get her to leave yet. He would just have to bide his time until she was too drunk to be able to resist. Making his way over to their table, he sat down to await her return.... for return she would. It was only a matter of time. Anna completed two dances with the attractive blond man before she merrily rejoined Ben. �Oh, it�s hot on that dance floor!� she exclaimed before gulping down half of her drink. �No doubt,� Ben said drily. She laughed. �Oh Ben, don�t look at me that way! Come on, there are lots of pretty ladies here tonight. Have a little fun, too.� Ben said nothing. Anna made a face at him and turned her attention to searching the room for a new dance partner. She spotted another likely candidate a few tables away. Catching his eye, she smiled invitingly. He appeared a bit surprised, then nodded, motioning for her to join him. Anna sprang up, patting Ben�s arm before leaving him. �Don�t bother to wait around for me brother dear.� �I�ll be waiting anyway, Anna!� he called after her, the scowl on his face reflecting the way he felt about himself. He may have mucked up his own life, but at least he wasn�t going to abandon his sister to muck up hers. Anna slipped into a seat beside her new interest and placed a hand on his leg. He put his own over it and slid them further up the inside. Anna giggled and moved her chair closer to block any view of their activities. To Ben it appeared as if the two were having a conversation, but he might not have been entirely surprised to hear what they were saying. �Some fun is what I aim to have tonight. Do you think you�re up to the challenge?� Anna stroked one finger along the bulge at the top of his leg. He gave a short laugh. �Why do I get the feeling that I�m not going to find it as much fun as you will?� He moved his hand from his own leg to Anna�s and slipped his fingers under the edge of her skirt. �I could do something about that, though.� His hand slid higher up her thigh until he could feel the satiny smoothness of her panties. One finger explored along the legband, teasing the sensitive skin. �I could make you beg for me.� Anna laughed delightedly. �You give it your best and we�ll see which of us begs first!� �Now that�s a challenge I wouldn�t dare refuse.� They gazed at one another, part of the contest in being able to maintain a detached outward appearance while they exacted their torment upon each other. So to the rest of the room they seemed to be carrying on an intense conversation while under the table their hands were busily exploring and teasing. Anna felt that since he had already crossed into the realm of bare skin she should set to equalling the score. Her finger drew circles along his growing bulge as she traced a path up the length of the zipper of his pants until finding the button at the waist. It was tricky to undo it with one hand, but Anna had practised this a few times before so it was only a matter of a few seconds and she could turn her attention to the zipper. The only reaction from her victim was a raised eyebrow and then he was moving his own fingers along the edge of her panties. Slipping them under the satin he gently caressed the flat skin of her lower stomach, just teasing where the hair began. With careful proficiency, Anna slid the key of the zipper up and over the solid swells until it was laid open. Her hand moved over the soft material of his underwear to grasp him, feeling him pulsate under her fingertips. His eyelids fluttered briefly and Anna smiled. Her victory was short lived, however, as he grinned back at her and renewed his own attack. His fingers slid lower and one in particular teased at the top of that cleft. Anna lifted an eyebrow at him, daring him to try harder. At the same time, she slid her hand even lower to cup as much of him as possible and gently kneaded the soft roundness. She felt his hand shift slightly as the exploration pressed further, his fingers examining in minute detail every curve, every crevice of her. It was all Anna could do to sit still. In an effort to stifle any vocal response to his expertise she redoubled her efforts and finally pulled him free of the confines of his clothing. Stroking the tip with her thumb, her fingers squeezed and began a slow up and downward motion along the length of him. He was ahead of her, though. With one agonizingly slow movement, he glided a finger inside, reaching as deeply as he could. Anna was startled to realize she had been sitting there staring at him without saying a word for at least thirty seconds as his finger performed an incredibly adept dance within her. �Your eyes are begging, even if your lips aren�t,� he whispered. �Another few seconds and there won�t be any need for me to........ ooohhhhhh....� Anna groaned as her body began the familiar contractions of orgasm. She tensed and drew her legs together, trapping his hand in place. When at last she opened her eyes it was to see him watching her with an enquiring expression. Anna smiled mischievously. �It should be a lot easier to make you beg, now.� �Oh now, wait a minute,� he objected. �I�ll just pop to the ladies and be back in a sec.� Anna rose from the table before he could say another word. Ben, however, had seen her leave and was waiting for her reappearance. He had witnessed enough and wasn�t going to waste any more time arguing with his sister. They were going home now, if he had to sling her over his shoulder and carry her there! Before Anna could focus her sights on yet another quarry, Ben grabbed her by the arm and propelled her out of the pub. *** �Here, get this down you.� Ben held out a glass filled with some noxious looking substance. Anna peered at it warily. �Do I apply this manually?� �You drink it!� Ben laughed. Her grimace of distaste made him laugh again. �Do as I say, young lady. It�s for the best.� Disbelievingly, she held the glass up to the light. �I can�t even see through it! What�s in it?� �No. Don�t ask. Just drink it.� She shook her head and put the glass on the table. �No way. I�ll just live with my hangover, thanks.� Anna favoured him with a particularly annoyed glare. �You spoiled my fun last night.� �I saved you from being stupid yet again,� Ben corrected. She shrugged. �Have it your way.� Frowning, Ben sat down and leaned across the table. �You have it your way far too often. I can�t stop you from doing whatever you want when you�re at your own place, Anna, but I hope you realize that I�m only looking out for your best interests when you�re here.� �Spoil sport.� �This isn�t a game, Anna!� he snapped. �One of these days you�re going to make a really bad decision. I don�t want to be the one to pick up the pieces, or worse..... to try to explain to our grieving parents how their dear daughter ended up.... well.. you get the idea.� �Don�t mess with my head this morning, Ben. I�m not up to it.� Anna rubbed a hand across her eyes. �I can�t believe how stupid you can be! You didn�t even know any of those chaps last night. Hell, if I hadn�t been there �!� �Stop it. Just stop it, Ben!� Anna snapped. �What�s the difference? I mean, you wade through the women like they�re an endless stream! How many have you had, or have you lost count? They�re all over you, all the time. So what�s wrong with me enjoying the attention? Men find me just as attractive as the women find you.� �They find you a hell of a lot more attractive with the way you slaver all over them! Show some restraint, Anna. Show a little discernment. Don�t you want them to want you for who you are rather than what you�re offering?� She looked a bit surprised at his suggestion. �Isn�t that what you were most interested in with the girls you went out with?� Ben shook his head sadly. �No, Anna. Sure they offered, and I took some up on their offers, but that�s not a real relationship.� He felt the pain as he thought of Brenda and the relationship that they had enjoyed. �You will never find one if you continue in this fashion. All you�ll gain is a reputation. Believe me, that�s not what you want.� Anna was silent as she mulled over his words. Then she looked him straight in the eye. �Ben, why don�t you just marry Brenda and make yourself, and her, happy? You�re so miserable.� He dropped his head into his hands. �I wish I could, Anna. I wish I could.� *** to be continued....

Thanks Teg for continuing your wonderful story (and keeping pressure off the rest of us). I do have a story in my head but unfortunately no time to get it out!

(Gail)(and keeping pressure off the rest of us). But....but.....but I don't see that, why is that, why should that be.... you can't hide behind Teg, tsk tsk!! Teg....Anna really is a bad girl,... how did that happen, don't give me "equal rights", neither of her parents has ever been promiscuous, except Darcy in the parking lot at Jane's and Charles' wedding, and that was only because he was out of his mind!! Keep it up and make her see what she's doing to herself;-))

(Hanne) except Darcy in the parking lot at Jane's and Charles' wedding, and that was only because he was out of his mind!! ROTF Hanne! I remember that hot moment as clearly as if it was me that Darcy was... well, anyway... Bad, Bad Anna! Thanks a bunch Teg! I've been away far too long... You've kept this place hot and steamy and i'm all appreciative to read so much in two nights! Umm... as far as having a story... I have several. However, they are all in my head and i haven't had the time to write them down. Not even a jot or two. *sigh* Irene! Gail! Esbee! Save us! Parallels is nearing the end!!!

Yikes! Anna needs to get smacked up side of the head! (maybe it would knock some sence into her) Thanks Teg, Cant wait for the reconcilation between Ben and his parents!! Since nobody else seems to have anything close to ready, i'll try to get mine done this weekend... *warning* dont hold your breathe :-)

uuuuuuwwwwwwwp *holding breath Esbee!*

Well, Dani, now that you have some air (oxygen) under pressure as nourishment for your brain, you could think out/up some story.....I mean you don't have to use your hands for that, they are free to type;-DDD!!!

Hanne, all I really need are a dictaphone and someone to decipher my cluttered and confused ideas and post them. Since I don't have those luxuries, I'll do my best to get something down soon... *i'm still holding my breath, Esbee!*

Hey, there! I just wanted to thank everybody for the e-mails asking about the next chapters of "Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose." Unfortunately, I've just been very ill lately. I've told the folks who have e-mailed that I have an outline for the rest of the story, though, that I can leave behind so a friend of mine (I thought about my sister, but then changed my mind) can finish the story for me if necessary. So hopefully we can move forward soon. Thank goodness I have the previous chapters on a web site, so my friend won't have a terrible time catching up. . . Again, thanks for the mails . . . although I've been slow in responding.

Oh dear, Irene. I hope you feel much better soon. Don't let us pressure you about the story - just concentrate on getting well!

Oh dear, Irene. I hope you feel much better soon. Don't let us pressure you about the story - just concentrate on getting well! Ditto Irene. Hope you are feeling better. We do miss you. Hanne - you are anxious for any of us to write a story - how about you?

Irene, while we would love more of your story, we would much rather have you recovered and feeling well. *hugs* Umm, Danielle.... you'd better let out that breath and take another big gulp of air. :-) I did work on my story this weekend, but to be honest, it still needs alot of work. (Understatement of the year) So somebody else Please relieve our suffering and post some good drool.

*whistling*

Irene! Glad you were able to stop in just to say Hi! I hope you'll soon be feeling like your old self again... We miss you. *ppppphhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww* Esbee, I was turning BLUE!!! And Gail... Hanne - you are anxious for any of us to write a story - how about you? YOU ARE WASTING YOUR BREATH!!!

And Gail... Hanne - you are anxious for any of us to write a story - how about you? YOU ARE WASTING YOUR BREATH!!! LOL I couldn't have put it better myself!!!;-) And hey, I have given you some titbits (using the British spelling) on special occasions like Christmas and Easter and...and...so on!!!

Here I am again. Like a dirty sock, I keep turning up. ;) Parallels Chapter Fifteen 3:52 am. Ben rolled over onto his back and laid an arm across his eyes. At this rate he would never get any sleep! For hours he had lain in bed, unable to shut off his thoughts, his feelings. Seeing his sister�s frivolous attitude toward sex and relationships had driven the point deep. He was not proud of his actions where Brenda was concerned. She deserved far better, he reflected, than the spoiled rich brat that he had shown himself to be. That was why he�d stayed away from her for so long. On one hand, he wished she had come looking for him, but he realized that was just his ego talking. Women were always looking for Ben. Brenda was the only woman he was looking for. And oh how he missed her! Kevin and Sarah were not far behind in his estimation, either. Ben adored those two children, and only the knowledge that he could cause them further pain by showing up on Brenda�s doorstep kept him away. I�ve ruined everything. *** �Here you are! I thought we were going to the park for some football?� Rich sat down on the grass beside his cousin. Aaron tossed another stone into the water and watched it hit the surface with a resounding �plunk�. �Sorry. I forgot.� �Oh.� Aaron�s head came up and he looked Rich square in the eyes. �We�re going back to New York.� �Who is?� Rich was hoping it wasn�t what he thought. �My Mom and me.� Aaron resumed his tossing of stones into the pond. �She told me this morning.� �When are you leaving?� Rich asked quietly. Flinging his stone as far as possible, Aaron replied, �July. After school�s out.� Rich rummaged around in the grass for some stones of his own. �Is it final? I mean, do you think she might change her mind?� �No, it�s final. Once Mom makes up her mind, that�s it. We�re going.� The two boys were silent for a while, tossing their small missiles into the water. Finally Rich turned to face the other boy. �I have an idea!� His face reflected his enthusiasm for the plan. �You won�t get her to change her mind, Rich.� Aaron shook his head dismally. �I didn�t mean that. But perhaps my Dad will let me go with you, for the summer at least. Before school starts again!� The idea was sounding better to him now that he�d said it aloud. �Then you can teach me some more about baseball and hockey and stuff!� Aaron�s face lit up. �Yeah, that sounds great! I can show you all the great places in New York. You won�t believe the stuff to do!� �Right, then. Let�s go find my Dad and ask him right now.� Rich scrambled to his feet. Aaron followed suit and they raced each other across the grass to the front steps of the house. Flinging open the front doors, they pounded through the lower hallway to come to a skidding halt outside the door to Will�s study. �I�m not supposed to bother him when he�s working, but I don�t think he�ll mind.� Rich smiled at his cousin. �This is important, after all.� Will was on the telephone when his son pushed open the door and peered in. Looking over his shoulder, Will frowned slightly, then returned his attention to the call. After a few moments, accompanied by an impatient shuffling of feet from the two boys, Will finished his conversation and swivelled his chair around to face his son. �Yes?� he asked simply. �Dad, I had a great idea, and you just have to say yes!� Rich said as he approached his father. �I do?� Will narrowed his gaze. �And this idea would be.....?� �I could go with Aunt Janna and Aaron when they go back to America. Just to help Aunt Janna get things sorted, mind. I�m sure she could use some help since the house has been closed up for almost a year.� Will did not look convinced. �Rich, would you mind starting that again? Only, this time, give me a plausible reason for you going.� �Um.� Rich glanced at Aaron, then back at his father. �I�d like to spend the summer with Aaron, Dad. There�s all kinds of things to see and do in New York, and I promise not to be any trouble for Aunt Janna while I�m there..... please?� Will�s gaze was thoughtful. Rebecca will be in Europe, Ben is nowhere to be found, Georgiana and Aaron off for America, and if Rich goes with them that will leave Anna and Kathleen at home. This house is emptying quickly! �I�ll need to discuss this with your mother and your aunt, Rich.� The boy�s smile beamed. �Thanks, Dad!� he cried. In his eyes it was as good as settled. He would be going to New York! Will watched the two boys race from the room. He shook his head in amusement. They are as thick as thieves, now. Who could have predicted that after the wretched beginning last summer? He turned his attention back to the tasks on his desk. *** �Kathleen?� She looked up at the sound of her mother�s voice. �Yes, Mum?� Elizabeth sat down on the bench next to her youngest daughter. She glanced at the book in Kathleen�s hands. �It�s a lovely day to be reading in the garden.� Kathleen frowned in puzzlement. Elizabeth gazed around them at the blooming flowers and smelled their sweet fragrances, then she turned back to her daughter. �It�s time we discussed some things.� �Oh.� Kathleen suspected she knew to what her mother was referring, and she had already made up her mind. �I called Dr. Wilson�s office today to see about a consultation for you. We can see what your options are, if there are any.� �Mum....� �I know it�s a lot to take in at your age, and you�ve been so brave through everything.� Elizabeth took Kathleen�s hand in hers. �Dr. Wilson researched your condition and he sounded as if he�d found something promising.� �Mum,� Kathleen persisted. �I don�t want to see him. I don�t want to hear about any options.� Her mother stared at her, speechless. �Mum, I�m only sixteen. What if he tells me there�s nothing that can be done? Will I go through the rest of my life wishing things were different and feeling miserable that they aren�t?� She shook her head sadly. �No. If I accept it for now, and wait another ten years to see what treatment options are available, there may be more hope for me. Think what they may discover in ten years� time!� �But Kathleen,� Elizabeth said incredulously. �You could be throwing away the chance to correct it all now! I know you�re frightened, sweetheart, but at least hear what the doctor has to say.� Kathleen shook her head again. �No, Mum. I�m not ready for that. I don�t want to hear the facts, recited coldly, about why my baby had to die, and why I may never be able to have another one.� Tears were slipping down her cheeks. �I need more time.� She repeated in a whisper, �I need more time.� Elizabeth pulled her daughter close and held her tightly. As a mother she could understand Kathleen�s pain. Although she had been fortunate to have never experienced the loss of a baby, Elizabeth had comforted her own sister when Jane had suffered two miscarriages. This new facet of parenthood was not one she had anticipated, nor wished to repeat with any of her children. �I�m sorry to have upset you, Kathy. If that is your choice, then I won�t bring up the subject again.� Kathleen sniffled. �You didn�t upset me, Mum. I know you�re just looking out for what�s best for me. I really appreciate everything you and Dad have done for me and Jason.� Elizabeth bowed her head. �We love you dearly, Kathleen. There is nothing we wouldn�t do for you, or any of our children.� They sat together on the bench, in the sunshine, not saying any more. *** Anna squinted into the mirror, trying to put her lipstick on straight. �Blast these contacts!� she grumbled. In fact, it wasn�t the contact lenses, but that her eyes were in no condition to be open at this hour of the morning. A tired looking Christine, her roommate, appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. �What on earth are you doing up so early? You came in well after I did last night. Or should I say this morning?� �This morning would be more accurate,� Anna grinned. �I believe it was around four.� Christine ran a hand through her blonde mane. �I don�t know how you do it, Anna. And you manage to make it to class every day, too!� �Well, I have to do that! I need to keep up with my studies or I�ll have to live at home again! My parents would be so disappointed in me if I didn�t pass this year.� Anna smiled slyly at her friend�s reflection. �Besides, I�d never have any fun living at home under my father�s ever vigilant eye. Oh, I dread to think of how boring the summer is going to be!� She returned to applying her lipstick, although the task was rendered more difficult by her pouting expression. The telephone rang, and Christine ran to pick it up. Anna could hear her from the other room and knew the caller wasn�t for her. She finished her makeup and went to the kitchen for some coffee. By the time she�d poured two cups, Christine had joined her. �Was that Phil?� Anna asked as she handed one to the other woman. �Yes,� Christine blushed slightly. �We�re going out to dinner tonight.� She sipped at her coffee. �Who were you with last night? I didn�t see you leave the pub.� �Ed, Ted... something like that.� Anna waved her hand dismissively as she popped a pain reliever into her mouth. �Doesn�t matter what his name was. I won�t be seeing him again! He was no fun at all.� �What are your plans for tonight?� �Oh, I don�t know.� Anna peered at Christine and smiled. �Ah, you�d like me to vacate the place?� �Not at all!� Christine protested. �Actually, I�d rather you didn�t. I wouldn�t want to be tempted.� Anna rose from the table and put her cup in the sink. On her way out of the room she patted her hand on Christine�s cheek and said, �You don�t know what you�re missing, my dear!� *** Will sank into an armchair with a sigh. Elizabeth looked up from her book. �Tough day?� she asked, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. Her husband paused before answering. �Not really. Just tedious.� He studied her face as Elizabeth returned her attention to her reading. He loved to watch her absorbed in a task. Her expression was unguarded, and many times while she read, that expression would change in reaction to the content of the novel; as now, she smiled, frowned and chuckled at various points in her perusal. He finally spoke up. �Elizabeth?� �Hmm?� she said, looking at him once more. �I need to ask you something regarding our son. Rich,� he amended before her frown could deepen. �What about Rich?� she asked. �He�s asked about going with Georgiana and Aaron to spend the summer in America.� Will tensed, waiting for her reaction. �That would be nice for him.� Will stared at her in disbelief. Reaching across the distance separating them, he lightly pinched her arm. �Are you the same woman I�ve been living with for twenty-one years? You look like her, but....� �Oh, Will!� Elizabeth put down her book and moved to sit on his lap. �Just think of it as me finally coming to the realization that our children don�t need their mother hanging onto them forever. What about you? Are you ready to set them free yet?� She twirled a finger in his hair. �Free? I don�t think that�s quite what you meant, was it?� Elizabeth�s smile faded. �No, you�re right. I�m just trying not to think about our eldest son.� �Ah.� Will wrapped his arms about her waist and pulled her against his chest. �Shall we discuss the relative merits of each of our children?� Elizabeth nodded then laid her head on his shoulder. �Reverse order, then. Rich. He and Aaron have become very close. I think he�s going to take it rather hard when it�s time for them to say goodbye. I agree that it will be good for him to go to New York for the summer. I hope Georgiana is of the same opinion.� �I think she will be. It will keep Aaron out of her hair while she gets herself organized, too.� Elizabeth snuggled a little closer. �Kathleen. I had a talk with her in the garden earlier. She�s decided that she�s not ready to deal with her medical options. I understand her feelings.� Will looked a little puzzled by this, but he wasn�t about to argue the point. This was his daughter�s decision, not his. �She has experienced something no child should ever have to go through. I wish there was more we could do for her. Kathleen has surprised me with her resiliency.� He brushed some hair back from Elizabeth�s face. �Now, Rebecca is very serious in her pursuit. I know she�ll do well on her exams, then we�ll have to start getting her ready for Europe.� Elizabeth let out a sigh. �I�m still not reconciled to her going, Will, but if you have no real objections.... or worries....� �Well, I wouldn�t go so far as to say that exactly, but we�ve allowed our two eldest to pursue the studies they prefer. It seems only fair to let Rebecca follow her heart as well.� �True.� Elizabeth smiled. �That brings us to Anna. You�ve done well, my dear. You haven�t been nearly so oppressive with your attentiveness to her interests as you could have been. I was afraid for a while that you were going to be a tyrant father, demanding she follow a curfew and come home every weekend.� �Oh, now that�s not fair!� Will cried. �You know I�ve never begrudged our children the freedom to make their own friends and the opportunities to make their own mistakes. Anna has nearly completed two years at university and has managed to keep out of trouble. I know school has never been easy for her, she�s always seemed to struggle, but I�ve tried to keep my nose out and let her go about her business on her own.� �I was only teasing, dear.� �Hmm. I see.� Will pursed his lips. �Well, as for Ben.....� He stopped. There was no cause for offhand remarks where this child was concerned. Both he and Elizabeth were greatly worried about what their firstborn was up to, and where it was going to lead him. �As for Ben, I don�t know what else to say. We�ve talked through his situation seemingly on a daily basis. Quite frankly, I�m tired of waiting for him to come to us. I�ve made up my mind. Next week I�m going to find him and shake some sense into him.� Elizabeth sat up. �Oh, Will! You�ll do that? I know that Anna told him he�d better present himself here soon, but I�d feel so much better if you could find him first. This nonsense has gone on long enough.� �It�s gone on too long,� Will grumbled. �I should have taken that boy down a peg or two when I had the chance.� He smiled ruefully. �Of course, he�s a lot bigger than me now, and could take me down a couple of pegs instead!� �You know you wouldn�t do anything so drastic.� �I�ll use whatever method I have to, Elizabeth, to make Ben see sense! How could we have raised him to be so self centred and arrogant?� Will shook his head regretfully. Elizabeth didn�t reply, merely settled herself back into her husband�s embrace and wondered how it would all turn out. *** Ben fingered the letter in his hand, flipping the folded pages open once more. He read it, probably for the sixth time, then carefully refolded the paper and placed the letter in the envelope. His brow furrowed as he contemplated the contents again. �No, it�s better this way,� he said aloud, rising from his chair. �It�s better for everyone.� Briefly he saw Brenda�s face before him. He winced, thinking of the pain he had caused her already, and knowing that he was about to cause more. She�ll get over it. She�ll forget me, and get on with her life. He gathered up the letter and left the flat. The sun had disappeared behind the tall downtown buildings by now, and the dimness of the dusky twilight suited Ben�s mood perfectly. He walked quickly down the lane to the corner where the pillar box stood. For just a second he paused, the letter in his hand, wedged into the slot. Then he let it drop. His only thought was to wonder what would become of Anna without her big brother watching over her every move. Ben continued walking down to the next corner, ducking inside the familiar pub. Tomorrow he would set off for Pemberley. He still had some loose ends to tidy up before his letter made it to its destination. *** to be continued....

Aaaaaaarg, Teg,...with all the tender talk between E&D, you leave us with this frustration!! What is it with him???? He hasn't got a clue about the heartache he causes!!

OK, I finally got this story out of my brain and onto my PC. Well part of it anyway. It's a short story (2 or 3 parts only) and it's about a subject of which I never grow tired. If you are sick of D&E wedding night stories don't bother reading any further. Not very original but I just like writing about the sex! Surrender, Part I Darcy sat on a sofa in front of the roaring fireplace, legs stretched towards its warmth, an empty wineglass in the fingertips of his right hand. He was casually dressed in black woolen trousers with the sleeves of his fine lawn shirt rolled up to his elbows. He had earlier discarded his confining neckcloth and opened the top buttons of his shirt in an effort to breathe, which was becoming more difficult by the minute in his anticipation for what was to come. His steadfast gaze into the flames did not reflect his thoughts, which were tender and wistful. In his mind�s eye he could see his beloved as she stood radiantly beside him earlier that day, her eyes shining as she looked up at him through tears of joy. Her dark tresses were hidden by a pristine white bonnet save for a few unruly curls peeking out from the edges. He had longed to twirl them in his fingers but that would have been most inappropriate given the setting. Her small gloved hands clutched a modest bouquet of winter roses and greenery, hich released an intoxicating aroma that he could still smell in his imagination. Her voice as she spoke her vows was soft but steady while his own had quavered with the realization that all of his dreams had finally come true. For this was the day his dearest Elizabeth had become his wife. His countenance settled into a frown as he recalled what had transpired after the wedding breakfast. The ride from Longbourn to London had seemed interminable. They had been awkward with each other and tongue-tied. While this was not a new experience for Darcy, he was surprised at his bride�s reticence. She had never before in his presence been at a loss for words. He remembered her at Rosings, professing that her courage always rose to any occasion but perhaps the emotionally charged nature of the day had been, for once, more than her pluck could cope with. It discomfited him a bit that Elizabeth had been dauntless at the church in front of their families and friends but quiet and uneasy when alone with him. Their tension turned into exhaustion and both dozed off and on during the trip. Elizabeth did not appear any less anxious upon reaching the townhouse and scarcely touched her dinner. Conversation was stilted and he couldn�t wait to leave the table behind. He then left Elizabeth to her maid an set himself in their bedchamber to await her, quickly downing a glass of wine to quiet his own nerves which had grown with her apprehension. It had been a long difficult struggle to reach this point. He had loved and longed for her for more than a year, frequently despairing that she was lost to him forever. His joy at their reconciliation and her acceptance of his hand had been great. Their engagement passed blissfully with the blossoming of their love and the ever increasing certainty that their marriage would be the envy of the world, for surely no two people were ever more suitably matched than they. Their stolen kisses warmed his blood as she eagerly responded to his advances, fueling his passion to such a degree that his dreams of her became shockingly explicit. Fortunately their engagement came to an end before he lost control in her presence. Now tonight he could finally show her the depth of his love and passion. He hoped he wouldn�t disappoint.

But you stopped there!!! AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Gail, how could you do that to us????? ;)

I second that!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH ..... She was drowning in unfamiliar and overwhelming sensations but she didn�t want to come up for air. She let herself float on a wave of desire until she became caught in Darcy�s whirlpool of passion. Wonderful, these two sentences make way for a really....ahm.....heated next part!!! Aren't you supposed to relive your life when drowning???;-))LOL. That would be awkward!!

Teg!!!!!!! Get on with it! Get Ben back to Pemberley and fis this mess! How long has it been? Months since he's seen his parents or Brenda? ARGH!!! Darcy�s whirlpool... Gail, you left me hanging and I can't help but think of the 'laundry' that is piling up! Sad, I know... Now, get to it! So that I can start thinking more on the lines of a jacuzzi or just something hot and steamy!!

Surrender, Part II Elizabeth pulled back slightly, looking at Darcy in wonder and desire. Wrapping her hands around his neck she brazenly kissed him firmly on the mouth. Her boldness greatly pleased her new husband. Pulling his mouth away from hers, Darcy spoke huskily, �Lizzy, I must have you now.� Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down gently on the soft coverlet. Climbing up next to her, he pulled her into his embrace, partially covering her body with his. Breath quickening, Elizabeth ran her fingers through his hair. Darcy pressed his lower body tightly against her and pulled her nightgown down freeing her breasts. Panting heavily he lowered his mouth to one aroused nipple, teasing it with his tongue while he caressed her other breast with his fingers. Elizabeth closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. NO!!! I will not listen to my mother�s voice now!! She willed her mouth to stop grinding and her eyes to open. Her interest was caught by Darcy�s actions, effectively stopping her mother�s voice from ringing in her ears. She purred at the delicious sensations his attentions were affecting. Of their own accord, her hips began to rock, repeatedly pushing against the hardness contained in Darcy�s trousers. She moaned softly as she continued to play with his curls, completely enraptured by these new ways of expressing love. Elizabeth�s movements, sounds and the soft velvety texture of her skin combined to drive Darcy wild. His body stiffened suddenly and he gave one firm push into Elizabeth�s nether region causing his body to release, spilling his seed wastefully into his pants. A strangled sob escaped his throat as he laid his head on her chest desperately attempting to catch his breath and calm his pounding heart. It wasn�t what he had intended to do, but after months of longing for his woman he had surrendered to his lust and lost all control. �Lizzy,� he whispered shakily, �Lizzy, I love you.� Having no comprehension of Darcy�s rapture, Elizabeth was surprised by the sudden cessation of activity. The look on Darcy�s face a moment before had been one of pain and she hoped she hadn�t hurt him in some way. Now he was a mass of quivering, heaving flesh lying heavily on top of her. He spoke so softly she had to strain to hear his endearments. �Is something wrong my love?� she queried. �No, no, I am well. Elizabeth, I�m going to go change. I�ll join you in a few minutes. Please relax sweetheart.� To Elizabeth�s astonishment, Darcy leapt out of bed and headed toward his dressing room, pausing to add, �Please remove your nightgown my dear.� The door closed behind him. How could he leave me now? And like this? Elizabeth wondered. She had been primed to accept her husband totally and now he had abandoned her. How could he? She laid back against the pillows, puzzled as to why he had left her alone so suddenly and wondering what would happen when he came back. Evidently there was more to come as he had asked her to remove her gown. She did and then slipped between the cool sheets. Other than bathing, Elizabeth had never spent any time without her clothes and her nakedness made her feel wanton. When she imagined her husband returning to find her thus she blushed a deep red. Unsure as to how to greet Darcy�s return, Elizabeth experimented with different positions. Sitting up with the covers pooled at her waist, her breast covered by her cascading hair a la Lady Godiva. No�more seductive than she was comfortable with at this point in her marriage. Laying flat on her back, covers pulled tightly up to her chin. No�too stiff and uncomfortable. Not inviting enough. Elizabeth recalled in younger days glimpsing various animals around Longbourn in the process of procreation. The male had always entered the female from behind. Perhaps on her hands and knees then? On top of the bed or under the covers? She blushed even redder. No�much too brazen. And she really wasn�t sure that human sexual contact was conducted in any way resembling animals. Better to not chance making a mistake. Her husband expected to be innocent but she was loathe to appear totally na�ve. She finally settled on sitting with her arms around her knees, modestly covered but with bare shoulders peeking thr ugh her tresses. Comfortable, inviting and not too shameless. Now what was keeping her husband? To be continued

Uuuuuuuh, how could you??? Tease!! �Is something wrong my love?� she queried. She really doesn't have a clue, does she?? Elizabeth's contemplations are so hilarious... so sweet! Good that she chose the demure position!! Comfortable, inviting and not too shameless

Oh yes, indeed! On her hands and knees, LOL!! Ahhh.... poor Darcy. Nothing quite so battering to the ego as to lose control at that stage. ;) Danielle! Okay, I know I've been remiss... I must correct that this weekend.

Arh well Teg, no harm done, since our innocent heroine doesn't know any better, and now there's another chance for Gail to stir our feelings!!!LOL!

Parallels Chapter Sixteen �I�d love to bring Rich along with us!� Georgiana exclaimed. �There�s no want of things to do in New York, and it will be easier on the both of them this way, I think. I was really dreading our departure day, but if Rich comes with us it won�t be so difficult. I mean, Aaron won�t be so difficult!� Elizabeth gave a small laugh. �Well, don�t expect me to envy you! Two thirteen-year-old boys! Thanks for the vacation Georgiana.� �If you�re going to put it that way....� Georgiana smiled at her sister-in-law. �I think you could use a break after the last year, anyhow. I don�t know how you and Will have managed to hold onto your sanity with everything that�s happened.� Elizabeth shook her head. �I don�t know either, Georgie. We�d better get things worked out with Ben soon. I�m not sure how much longer I can let Will keep up this pace. He is adamant about not giving up anything until Ben is ready to join him.� �Oh, that�s not good,� Georgiana said, eyes wide. �It can�t possibly be good for him. Let me help you show him the error of his ways.� �Oh, he�d love that!� Elizabeth chuckled. �You may be forty-one, Georgiana, but to Will you�re still his little sister.� �I assure you, Elizabeth, I do have some means left at my disposal. My brother can be putty in my hands with the right approach.� Elizabeth laughed. �Now, that I�d like to see!� Georgiana grinned as well. �Then let�s go find him.� They left the morning room in search of Will, and found him outside with a book under a tree. He looked up at the approach of his wife and sister. Seeing the determined expressions on their faces, Will�s own changed to one of foreboding. �Ladies,� he said cautiously. �Brother dear,� Georgiana practically sang as she plopped herself down next to him. �About my taking Rich with us to New York. If I do this enormous favour for you, what do I get in return?� �What do you get in return? What do you mean, you�re doing me a favour?� Will was looking extremely puzzled. �I thought Rich was going with you to keep Aaron occupied so that you could get things done?� �Oh please, Will!� Georgiana laughed. �I know you only agreed so that you and Elizabeth could spend more time alone in the summer. With only Anna and Kathleen here you should be able to manage that quite easily.� �What?� Will spluttered. �So,� she continued, blithely ignoring his protestations. �I expect you to put aside some of that work you have your nose buried in, stop neglecting your wife so terribly, and spend some quality time romancing her. Or have you forgotten how to do that?� �Excuse me?� Will glared at his wife. �You put her up to this, didn�t you?� Elizabeth looked at him in wide-eyed innocence. �I think you both could use a nice vacation somewhere,� Georgiana was saying. �Anna could take care of things here, and you and Elizabeth can plan a trip to someplace exotic. Just think! Warm tropical nights under the palms.... Oh, it would be just like Tahiti!� Her eyes narrowed and she peered at her brother slyly. �You remember Tahiti, don�t you?� Will�s face reddened. �You�ve been working far too hard, Will. All of this stress with the kids isn�t good for you either.� Georgiana winked at Elizabeth. �Why don�t you just take some advice from your little sister and spend a couple of weeks away from here on a romantic holiday with your wife?� Will appeared to be considering her suggestion. He glanced up at his wife. �Elizabeth?� She smiled. �I like the idea.� �It�s not really a good time right now, though.� Will frowned slightly. �Not until we get this mess with Ben out of the way.� �We can still make plans,� Elizabeth pointed out. �You need the time away, Will.� �You can�t wait forever for Ben,� Georgiana added. �You have to look after yourselves first. When was the last time you took a vacation, Will?� �Okay, I admit it�s been a while,� he relented. �And I intend to see this thing with our son resolved before the end of next week!� Will suddenly smiled. �Tahiti sure sounds tempting.� He looked up at Elizabeth again. �Go ahead and see about making arrangements. I�ll organize my schedule around whatever dates you choose.� Georgiana stood up. She grinned at her sister-in-law. Elizabeth bent down to give her husband a kiss. �Thank you, Will. This will be a well-deserved holiday, and one I�ll make sure you never forget!� As the ladies returned to the house, Elizabeth whispered, �I see you haven�t lost your touch, Georgiana. Thank you.� *** Anna put her glass down and checked her watch. It�s too late to start driving home now. Not that she was particularly bothered by that fact. Although curious to see what her brother had in mind in confronting their parents, she was equally eager to avoid any subsequent fallout, as there was sure to be a plentiful supply of it! I�ll just call and tell Mum I�m not coming home this weekend. Satisfied with her decision, Anna stretched her legs out across the length of the sofa and picked up the phone. �Hello, Mum?� �Anna, haven�t you left yet? You�ll never make it here in time for dinner now.� �That�s what I was calling to tell you,� Anna replied. �I got distracted with some research and lost track of the time. I�m not going to come home after all.� �Hmm,� her mother said. �I hope you�ll remember to look at the clock once in a while next weekend, just so you�ll make it home one time this month.� �Do I sense Dad�s disapproval in your tone, Mum?� Anna snickered. �Well, you know he worries about you,� Elizabeth said. �I realize it must be far more entertaining there than coming home all the time, but could you make an effort next week to put in an appearance? For your Dad, not me.� Anna frowned and sat up straight, swinging her legs to the floor. She didn�t quite like the sound of that. �Mum? You�re scaring me. There�s something wrong, isn�t there?� �No, Anna,� Elizabeth replied quickly. �With Ben shutting us out, and everything else that has happened to this family over the last year, both of us are feeling a bit more concerned about all of you children. Please think about what I�ve said. Your father won�t ask you.� Anna still couldn�t help thinking there was more to it, but knew her mother wasn�t going to say any more on the subject. �Okay, I promise I�ll be home next weekend for sure, Mum.� �Thanks, Anna.� �And Mum? Don�t worry about Ben. I�m sure he�ll come home soon.� �It had better be soon. He�s just about run out of time.� Anna puzzled over that remark long after she had hung up. *** Ben crossed the hallway and peered into the study. Empty. He stood for a moment, musing over his father�s habits at this time of the day. He glanced at his watch and then headed for the library. The hour was late, and Ben knew that his father often read in the library in the evenings. He slipped quietly down the length of corridor, not wanting to disturb anyone else in the house if at all possible. He needed to have this out with Will before he talked to his mother. The library door was closed. Ben tapped lightly. When there was no answer, he pushed the door open and stood in the opening. A slight smile touched his mouth when he saw Will sprawled in one of the chairs, sound asleep. A book was open in his lap. Ben closed the door softly and crossed the room to sit in a chair opposite his father. He frowned, wondering just how he should wake him. He had rehearsed his lines all the way to Pemberley from Cambridge, but now that he was here, it didn�t seem quite so clearcut. I�m going to New York, Dad. Uncle Richard�s lined up a job for me and I�m leaving right after I�ve finished my last exams. Ben shook his head. That wouldn�t do. Too blunt. I can�t stay in England anymore, Dad. There�s nothing for me here. No. He was still puzzling over it when he saw Will stir. �Dad?� he said softly. Will�s eyes cracked open. He blinked in surprise. �Ben? Ben, when did you get here?� �Only a few minutes ago.� Ben took a deep breath. �Dad, I needed to talk to you.� Will shifted his position carefully and placed his book on the table beside him. He waited for his son to continue, eyeing him warily. Ben�s eyes were glued to the floor. He squared his shoulders and met his father�s gaze. �I know I�ve behaved like a complete imbecile over the last couple of months.� He gave a short laugh. �Brenda told me to grow up, and she was right. I�ve been acting like a child, a spoiled child. I should have come to you long ago and cleared this up, but I was too stubborn.� �So what brings you here, now?� Will asked drily. �I felt I should inform you of my plans.� Will sat up. �Your plans? What is this?� Avoiding his father�s piercing glance, Ben said in a calm, cool voice, �Uncle Richard has helped find a position for me over in New York. I�m leaving for America as soon as I�ve completed my final exams.� �America!� Will exclaimed. �America? And just what do you think your mother will have to say about this? Have you no consideration for her feelings? You�ve hidden yourself away for the last two months, not deigning to speak with any of us, and now you show up just to announce � no, not announce � you sneak in here to tell me, so that I can do your dirty work for you! Well, I�m not going to do it, Ben. You�ll have to face your mother on your own!� If Ben was surprised by his father�s outburst, he didn�t show it. �Very well. I knew you wouldn�t just accept my apology and my decision, too.� �What apology?� Will said in a steely voice that matched the look he levelled at his son. �I heard no apology for the weeks of heartache you inflicted on your mother, as she worried about whether you were dead or alive. You thought of no-one but yourself, Ben. Not even Brenda, who you claim to love more than your own family!� Ben�s expression hardened. He looked down at his hands as the fingers clenched and unclenched, thus he failed to see the brief grimace of pain that crossed Will�s face. �I love Brenda more than you can imagine.� Not more than I can imagine, I�m sure! Will thought. �And that�s one of the reasons I�m leaving.� Ben sighed. Will attempted to keep the pain out of voice. �I don�t get it, Ben. You love her, so you�re leaving?� �She�s made it clear that she doesn�t want me. The only way I can even try to forget her is to get as far away as possible.� Will blew out his breath sharply and stood up. �How can you be so thick, Ben? Running away? Do you honestly think that�s going to solve anything?� �I�m not running away!� Ben�s eyes narrowed as he drew himself up straight and faced his father. �Oh, right!� Ben paced back and forth angrily. �Call it whatever you like, then! I can�t stay here anymore. You have no idea what torture it is for me! At least by going to New York I can start over again. It will only be for a few years anyway, and by that time you might be ready to start taking things easy.� �Years? You have given that much thought to it, then?� Will�s voice was strained, but the anger in it was unmistakable. �In all this time you�ve never once called Brenda to speak with her, to find out how she is feeling. You�ve thought only of yourself and your own wounded pride! So now you�ll just saunter off to New York and expect everyone will be just fine with that? You insinuate yourself into this woman�s life, toy with the affections of her children and then think you can just walk away from it all?� Will felt like spitting on the floor at his son�s feet. �Yet you claim to love her. You know nothing of love! And what makes you think I would turn over any responsibilities to you after this? I am ashamed of you.� Ben started at the words. �I am ashamed to call you my son!� Ben looked away. His mind was struggling with his emotions. He thought he�d had it all worked out, all justified. He hadn�t figured on the man he most admired being ashamed of him! He turned back to face his father, but Will was no longer maintaining the angry stance that Ben expected. Instead, he had fallen back into his chair, his face contorted with pain. His son could see him struggling to breathe. �Dad? Dad!� Ben knelt by his side, panic in his voice. �Dad, what is it? What�s wrong?� He waited anxiously for Will to say something, but his father was silent, his eyes closed and hands trembling. �Talk to me, please Dad! Say something!� Ben glanced around wildly. He ran to the door, flinging it open and came face to face with his mother. �Ben!� she cried, then saw the expression on his face. �Mum!� He grabbed her arm and dragged her into the room. �It�s Dad!� He couldn�t bring himself to say what he was thinking, what he was fearing. Elizabeth rushed toward her husband. �Will, where are your tablets?� Her head turned side to side as her eyes scanned the room. She spotted the bottle on the desk in the corner, and raced over to grab it. Pouring them out into her hand, she quickly brought them to Will and placed one in his mouth. Anxiously, she waited, watching his face for the signs that the medication was working. It seemed an eternity before Will�s facial muscles started to relax, and his breathing became more regular. Elizabeth sat down next to him, taking his hand in hers. �Better?� she asked softly, her brow still creased with concern. Will nodded, not trusting his voice. Ben was standing near the door, well away from where his parents were sitting. His thoughts were racing, but uppermost in his mind was the horror at what he had caused. He was positive that what had just happened was all his fault. And if his father had........ No! I won�t think about that! �Ben.� His head jerked up at the sound of Will�s voice. His mother was watching him closely. Ben swallowed and came forward a few steps to stand at his father�s side. �Dad, I�m.... I�m sorry.� Ben lowered his head, unable to meet either of their gazes. �Please, Dad, forgive me.� He looked up at Elizabeth. �Mum? Is he going to be alright?� She looked away briefly, then met his gaze. �Yes. This time. Just go if you�re going, Ben. Don�t stay because you feel guilty about your father�s condition. We�ll get along without you. We have for the last two months.� Ben winced at the bitterness in his mother�s voice. He knew he deserved all that she had said, and more. �I�m sorry, Mum.� He didn�t know what else to say. �It�s not good enough.� �Elizabeth,� Will said softly. �No, Will,� she snapped angrily. Her eyes blazed at her son. �As if I didn�t have enough to worry about with your father and his attacks, not knowing whether you were alive or dead or contemplating one of them was sure to rob me of any peace of mind! I�m sorry just isn�t going to cut it, Ben! You�d better come up with something better than that.� Ben�s eyes grew fearful as he watched his mother tapping her foot impatiently. His father�s disapproval was one thing to endure, but his mother�s! And this went far beyond disapproval. She was livid. �I have no excuses, Mum. I was so wrong. I know that Brenda could never possibly forgive me, but what can I say, or do, to redeem myself in your eyes?� This was the opening Elizabeth had been waiting for. �You can get back in your car, drive straight back to Cambridge and beg Brenda to forgive you.� Ben gaped at her. Will chuckled. �What are you waiting for? I told you how you can redeem yourself, so go!� �But... but....� Ben shook his head, trying to understand what she was saying. Elizabeth sighed. �Ben, you are obviously miserable without Brenda. She�s miserable without you. Stop torturing yourself, and her, and go back to Cambridge to see Brenda!� Ben looked from his mother to his father. She was still tapping her foot, he was watching his son with raised eyebrows and amusement in his eyes. Ben suddenly realized what his father found humorous in this situation; his mother�s anger and attention was focussed away from her husband for a change. �But what about Dad?� he asked, worriedly meeting his mother�s gaze. �Go,� Will said. �I�ll still be here when you get back.� Ben paused for a moment, then started for the door. �I�m on my way,� he said, then stopped in midstride. �What did you mean... Brenda is miserable without me, too? How would you know that?� �We went to see her last week, Ben. She asked us to come meet her.� Elizabeth waved her hands at him. �Stop wasting time!� For the first time in weeks, Ben felt like grinning. So he did. He left the house with a smile fit to burst, hopped into his car and set course for Cambridge. He had a long road ahead, not just the one on which his car would travel, but he would use that time to plan out how to best effect his grovelling apology to Brenda. *** to be continued...

Surrender, Part III Darcy slowly unbuttoned his shirt, lost in contemplation of his recent behavior. Though abashed by his lack of self-control, he was inclined to forgive himself. After all, it had been many years since he had lain with a woman (his obsession with privacy overshadowed physical desire once out of his teenage years) and he had greatly desired this woman who was now his wife for more than a year. He thought of her soft skin and womanly curves and renewed stirring in his loins caused him to hasten his movements. He rapidly finished undressing, washed away the stickiness and donned his silk robe, his mind filled with reflections of his beautiful wife now laying in his bed. ******** As he opened the door to the bedchamber, the vision before him caused him to catch his breath. Elizabeth sat, arms encircling her knees where her head rested, her eyes closed in dreamy rumination. Earlier Darcy had been surprised and delighted when he saw her hair loose for the first time. He had not realized it was so long and curly. Now his fingers itched to lose themselves in it luxuriousness and he wanted to bury his face in its fragrance. The sound from his throat alerted Elizabeth that she was no longer alone and as she looked up at him, a luminous smile spread across her face. At that sight, Darcy strode quickly to her, shucked his robe and so swiftly slid under the covers that Elizabeth caught only a suggestion of naked skin. However once in the bed, he pulled her into his arms, hot flesh pressing hot flesh. �Elizabeth you are so lovely, so soft,� he murmured. �I love you darling. I want you.� Once again fully aroused, he pushed her flat onto her back and gently caressed her from stomach to thigh. Elizabeth shivered with the sensations and closed her eyes in bliss, her previous dismay at his departure now completely forgot. Darcy�s fingers played magically on her most intimate spots and she parted her legs to welcome his further exploration. Darcy was gratified by her reaction to his ministrations. Judging her ready to receive him, he placed himself between her thighs and slowly began to push inside. �I love you sweetheart. Your skin is so silky and warm. You are so beautiful. I love you so much, Lizzy�.my Lizzy. He caught her mouth in his and plunged his tongue in at the same time that he pushed forcefully against her maidenhead. As her mouth opened to permit his entry, her body surrendered to his insistent thrust and a groan of pain escaped her throat. The barrier removed, Darcy pushed in as far as he could do and stilled his motion, waiting for her to recover from the initial assault before he resumed his attack. He pulled his tongue from her mouth and gently kissed her lips, cheeks, nose, brow. �Lizzy, you are so warm and tight. You feel so very good, my love, so good. Lizzy my wife, you are mine. You belong to me.� His soft murmurs caused Elizabeth�s blood to heat and unconsciously began to move against him. Her pain and di comfort gave way to the most pleasurable feelings she had ever experienced. �Fitzwilliam, I love you,� she whispered. �Are you all right my love?� Darcy asked as he responded to her motion with his own. �Does it still hurt?� �No, no love,� she breathed, �it�s�it�s�lovely.� Darcy slowly, deliberately, rhythmically thrust into her as he planted little kisses all over her face. �So good Lizzy. So warm, so soft, so tight. Lizzy my love, you feel so good. I love you Lizzy. I love you. I love you.� Elizabeth felt her body respond to his with a tightening and a delicious building of tension. Wanting him closer, deeper, she wrapped her legs around his waist. The sensations he was causing were so exquisite she couldn�t help softly moaning in delight. Now she knew what the term �wedded bliss� really meant. She opened her eyes and caught her husband watching her. Running her fingers through the damp curls on his forehead, she kissed his cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. �I love you Fitzwilliam.� As the tension built to a dizzying height, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Darcy�s neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. A release so sudden and strong caused her whole body to quiver in ecstasy as she felt her innermost place grab onto her husband and pull him in deeper. Her moans became louder and her eyes closed in rapture. Darcy felt her contractions and her reaction caused his control to give way. As she pulled him tighter, he buried his head in her neck and pressed harder until he could hold off no longer. Exploding into her he cried, �Oh G-d Lizzy, Lizzy.� She continued to hold tightly onto him as she felt his throbbing within her. When he was finally spent, he collapsed onto her, panting heavily. Elizabeth loosened the grip of her legs and Darcy rolled off, gathering her into his arms and kissing her hair and forehead. �My beautiful darling wife. How I love you.� Elizabeth snuggled happily into his arms, exhilarated by the fulfillment she had experienced. �Husband, I never imagined,� she gushed. Darcy looked into her shining eyes and couldn�t help chuckling in his happiness. �Never imagined what my love?� �I never imagined it would be so wonderful. I thought I would lie back and allow you to take me. I never realized that I would be a participant and that it would be so lovely!� She smiled broadly at him and his kissed her with passion and joy. �My dearest wife, you are mine now and forever,� he uttered huskily, hugging her tightly. �Husband, do you think we could do that again sometime?� Elizabeth asked coyly. Darcy laughed out loud in glee. �Any time you wish my love, any time at all.� Elizabeth ran her fingers seductively over her husband�s chest and arms, caressing his muscled form. �Husband you are so strong and handsome, you leave me weak,� she flirted and attacked his long neck with her lips. Making her way up to his mouth, she paused to ask, �Would now be all right?� before gently nibbling on his lower lip. Darcy replied by pushing her onto her back and plunging his immediately firm member into her soft warm body. �Your wish is my command dearest,� he murmured as he once again surrendered to the loveliness of his wife. The End

�Would now be all right?� *chuckle* so typical of Lizzy, and so sweet. We have waited for so long and now....we were indeed rewarded, thank you, Gail,...lovely...*sigh*... delightful...*sigh*....delectable.....*sigh*

Teg! I like it when your stories wrap up... I feel all warm and cozy. Do you have something in store for us in the next chapter or so? Ben and Brenda have to make up, don't they? *hint, hint* L&D have to get to Tahiti, don't they? No pressure though, I'm sure you'll think of something... hee hee! Gail! Gail! Gail!!! �I never imagined it would be so wonderful. I thought I would lie back and allow you to take me. I never realized that I would be a participant and that it would be so lovely!� Lovely? Not the words that came to my mouth as I read this, but then I have been known to utter a few gutteral... well, never mind! Anyway... thanks Gail!

This just gets better every time Teg. Great goiong Gail

I have had some requests to redo my Wedding Singer story here. At first I was reluctant to do so, been there done that, but as time has elapsed I find it more difficult to resist the temptation to "fix" some things in the original version that I'm not happy with. I also had a different ending in mind that may play better to the more open-minded readers here. And who can resist the urge to spice things up a bit? And frankly I don't have the time to develop a new story idea right now so this one would be easier to do. And Teg has given us a fine example of how a rewrite can work. There, I've talked myself into it. OK, here goes: The Wedding Singer The inspiration for this story comes from the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie. While I have taken some ideas from it and used a few scenes (which I will give credit for), overall this story is quite different from the movie. Prologue Spring 1993 Lizzy and Jane were enjoying their spring break in Daytona Beach, Florida. Lizzy, age 19, was a freshman and Jane, age 21, a junior at Hertfordshire College in upstate New York, both in the education program. Jane planned on becoming a kindergarten teacher and Lizzy wished to become a high school guidance counselor. Their vocation stemmed from their father's example. Mr. Bennet was a tenured professor at the college. "Tonight is our last night of fun, Jane, before we go back to the grind," said Lizzy. "Let's go to that club down the street and do some serious dancing." "Sounds good to me, little sister," agreed Jane. The girls dressed in their tightest jeans, shimmering tank tops and dance shoes (sandals, sexy but with low heels - both girls were athletes and concerned about injury). Simple but effective in turning quite a few heads in their direction. The nightclub, crowded with college students, was very noisy and smoky. Lizzy and Jane pushed their way to the bar and ordered virgin Bloody Marys. They were soon asked to dance and enjoyed the next several hours moving to the music of the rock band with various partners. Around 11 p.m. Lizzy was approached by a tall, handsome man conservatively dressed in Dockers and a white shirt with a button down collar and rolled up sleeves. He was enchanted by the curvy, curly-haired woman in the sparkling red top that moved so sensuously to the music. She eyed his neat appearance, athletic build, dark hair and smoldering eyes appreciatively and agreed to dance with enthusiasm. As it was too loud to talk, they just started dancing and found they enjoyed each other's movements. Each thought the other was the best partner they had ever had the pleasure of dancing with. They stayed together through several fast dances and then the band played a slow song. The handsome stranger took Lizzy in his arms and she felt incredibly content, like she belonged there, and she pulled closer to him. The feel of her body moving with his and the sweet smell of her hair intoxicated him. It felt like she was made to fit in his arms. He played with the hair that tumbled down her back and turning his face to hers, he gently kissed her lips. Before realizing what she was doing, Lizzy kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was delightful. Abruptly Lizzy came to her senses and looked up at him in surprise. Seeing the passionate look in his eyes, she turned and left him on the dance floor, gaping at her. Lizzy spotted Jane and motioned for her to exit the club. "Lizzy, what's the matter?" asked Jane when they got outside. "Some very handsome man just made a move on me and I panicked," said Lizzy, shaking her head ruefully. "Although I enjoyed dancing with him, I didn't want him to think I put out." "What did he do to you?" "Nothing really, just a kiss. And a fairly chaste one at that, but I returned it most willingly. What must he think of me? He was really a gentleman and I overreacted." Lizzy sighed with memory of the feel of his sweet lips against hers. "I'll never see him again so it's of little matter." "Didn't he ask for your phone number?" asked Jane. "No, we didn't even exchange names. It was too loud to converse so we just enjoyed the dancing. He was quite good. Nice body and he moved very well indeed. Slow dancing with him was heavenly. The way he looked at me made me melt." 'It sounds like you should have stayed longer and found out more about him. Why did you run away?" "I don't know. Now I wish I hadn't but it's too late. I guess I was embarrassed that I returned his kiss so willingly. He probably has a girlfriend back home anyway. Someone that gorgeous has to be taken. It's after midnight so let's just go back to the hotel and forget about it." But Lizzy knew that she would always cherish the memory of the handsome stranger. To Be Continued..

Yessssssssss *unlady-like gesture*.........ooooohh I'm looking forward to it, thank you, Gail! *hopping in my seat*

YAHOOO!!!!!!!! Glad you're bringing it over here Gail! Can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve!

The Wedding Singer Chapter 1 June 1997 The Bennet sisters were practicing their act in the garage. While their father enjoyed hearing his daughters sing, he insisted on peace and quiet in his home and relegated them outside. The girls had been performing together for more than three years and were quite proficient. Four of the sisters sang with Jane accompanying on keyboard and Kitty and Lydia on guitar. Lizzy was the emcee and lead singer, only playing her acoustic guitar during an occasional solo number. Mary played the drums and would like to sing with the others, but she couldn't hold a tune and threw off their 4-part harmony. She sang all the songs anyway but, as she didn't have a microphone, fortunately no one could hear her. The band was called The Bennet Sisters (how original) and had become very popular in Meryton and the surrounding area. They often played at dances at the local schools and lately had landed several gigs at weddings and other large parties, which were financially lucrative. They liked to play current pop songs by artists such as Backstreet Boys, Paula Cole, and Jewel, with some oldies thrown in. For weddings and anniversary parties, they included several classic romantic songs. The girls� trademark was their jeweled-toned attire, each with her own personal hue. Lizzy favored ruby, Jane sapphire, Mary amethyst, Kitty amber and Lydia emerald. The style of apparel varied with the gig; it could be tee shirts with white shorts for a summer outdoor party, tank tops and blue jeans for a school dance or slinky cocktail dresses for an elegant wedding, each girl always wearing her signature color. In appearance the Bennet sisters portrayed the full array of gene combinations of their parents. Lizzy and Lydia were rather short (at 5�3� and 5�2� respectively) and voluptuous like their mother, but their coloring and abundant curls favored their once dark-haired father (now a distinguished steel gray which was cut very short disguising its curliness). Lizzy�s eyes were brown and Lydia�s blue. Lizzy�s athletic endeavors kept her curves firm where Lydia�s more indolent lifestyle made her softer and rounder. Jane, Mary and Kitty had inherited their father�s leanness and height, with Jane the tallest at 5�10� and Mary and Kitty both at 5�8�. Jane�s straight golden blonde hair and blue eyes came from her mother. Kitty also had blue eyes but with sandy colored, wavy hair. Mary had brown eyes and her hair was a shade lighter than Lizzy�s but perfectly straight like Jane�s. All the girls wore their hair very long, except Mary whose chin length pageboy was more becoming to her rather thin face. Jane taught kindergarten at the Meryton elementary school. Lizzy had just received her Master�s degree in guidance counseling and had applied for a job at various area schools. She was also a substitute teacher at Longbourn Regional High School where Lydia was finishing her junior year. Jane and Lizzy shared an apartment in Meryton. Mary and Kitty were in undergraduate programs at Hertfordshire College, having recently completed their junior and freshman years respectively. The daughters received free tuition at the college because of Mr. Bennet's position, which was quite fortunate for the parents of the five girls. The income from the band was used to fund room and board (all the girls had elected to experience dorm life during college even though their home was only 15 miles away), books and spending money. Because of their success, they had built up a healthy bank account for the benefit of the younger sisters and planned to disband the group at the end of the summer. Jane and Lizzy had lost interest i performing as a group some time ago but agreed to stay until all of their financial goals were met. Mrs. Bennet served as the band's manager. She made sure the girls practiced and updated their repertoire with the latest songs. She marketed the group and booked the performances. While it was a challenge balancing five busy calendars, it was easier now that Jane and Lizzy were no longer competing in organized sports. "Girls, girls," sang Mrs. Bennet, interrupting the practice session. "I have just received a most advantageous booking for you. A Mr. Darcy has requested your services at a 'Sweet 16' party for his younger sister. They live in Lambton and Mr. Darcy is very wealthy. His parents were killed in a plane crash six years ago and he is raising his sister alone even though he appears to be a young man himself. I guess it's easier when you have several servants to help. Just think girls, this will throw you in the path of other rich families for bookings! And maybe you'll find rich husbands, too! "The sister's name is Georgiana and she goes to a private, all-girls school called Netherfield. I understand that she heard you sing at the wedding of one of her friend's older sisters and liked you very much. She requested that her brother hire you for this party. Apparently Mr. Darcy cannot deny his little sister anything, which is fortunate for you." "An all-girl's school, yuck," commented Lydia. "How dull. I hope there will be boys at the party." "Oh yes, my dear," replied her mother. "I understand that several of Miss Darcy's friends will be bringing brothers, cousins and other male friends." "Well this could be fun then," said Lydia. "A whole room full of boys my age watching me sing! Maybe I can snag some dances during our breaks." "How are you going to dance when there is no music, Einstein?" asked Mary. Maybe she couldn't sing, but she was no dumb bunny. "Oh, yeah. Well maybe they'll play CDs or something. At the very least I can talk to some of them and maybe get a date," Lydia consoled herself. ************************* Chapter 2 The drive up to the estate was breathtaking. After turning off the main road, they were allowed entry by a security guard in a booth by the gate. They drove almost 3 miles along a paved road through the trees. Suddenly the view opened up ahead and they saw a large brick mansion nestled against the side of a mountain, its lush side lawns leading down to a small lake. A massive dock with a gazebo, diving board and slide was surrounded by several small watercraft, including canoes, jet skis and motor boats. The sun was still high in the early June evening sky, causing the still water to sparkle invitingly. "To think this is less than 10 miles from our house and we've never seen it!" remarked Lydia in wonder. "It will be such fun to mingle with the rich and famous!" The girls pulled up in front of the mansion in their beat-up old van. They poured out as servants approached to help them with their equipment. Used to doing for themselves, the girls were delighted to have someone else lugging the heavy amplifiers and musical instruments. A petite 60ish woman came out to welcome them. Introducing herself as Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, she led them to a sitting room. Wide silver basins filled with ice contained a variety of soda and juices. Trays held a wide selection of cold cuts, breads, cheeses, condiments and pastries. Comfortable chairs were scattered about the cheery room. Floor to ceiling windows faced the lake. "You may take your breaks in here," explained Mrs. Reynolds. "It has been set up for your use. There is a powder room through that door and the ballroom is at the end of the hall. Feel free to use the telephone. Dial 9 for an outside line and dial 12 for a staff member if you need anything at all." "Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds,� responded Lizzy. "You are too kind." The other girls were too stunned by the lavish surroundings to speak. "Mr. Darcy insists that all visitors to his home are well taken care of," replied the housekeeper. "He is the best of men. Now let me take you to your equipment. The staff will be happy to help you set everything up. Several of them are experienced with audio equipment." The ballroom where the party was to be held was massive. The girls had sung at many weddings in rooms smaller than this. They gazed in awe at the high ceilings and sparkling chandeliers. Festive decorations were everywhere. "Wow," breathed Lydia, visibly impressed. "And I got to have Chinese food for my 16th birthday." A tall, good-looking man entered the room and walked up to the band. "Hello, I am William Darcy. You must be the Bennet Sisters." Lizzy walked up and shook his hand. "Yes sir, at your service." I'll do anything you desire Mr. Darcy. "I am Elizabeth. And there is Jane, Mary, Kitty and Lydia." Lizzy pointed to each of her sisters as she said her name. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Darcy. I hope you will be pleased with our performance." "I'm sure I will be delighted, Elizabeth. And please call me William." Darcy was surprised at himself at this bit of informality, so unlike his usual self. He couldn't comprehend his immediate ease with Elizabeth Bennet. Something about her seemed familiar. Elizabeth gave him a dazzling smile and he felt his knees go weak. He managed to say huskily, "I will leave you now to set up and see you at the party." Yes, Elizabeth, I do want to see more of you! There was something about this man that seemed familiar to Lizzy. Tall, athletic build, curly dark hair, very handsome, smoldering eyes - yes, that was it - the eyes. They reminded her of a somewhat faded memory of a fine looking man she once danced with while on spring break. Could it possibly be? Certainly it was just a resemblance. It would be too much of coincidence to find that man she met so far away actually living within 10 miles of her home. Putting her mind back to the business at hand, she helped her sisters set up for the party. ********** By eight o'clock the room was filled with teenagers. William brought his sister Georgiana over and introduced her to Lizzy. "Happy Birthday Miss Darcy," said Lizzy. "We are so happy that you chose us to share this celebration with you. I hope you and your friends enjoy the music." "Thank you Miss Bennet," said Georgiana shyly. "I have heard you play before and I liked your music very much." "Why don't you join your friends now dear," said William, "and let me finish some business with Elizabeth so she and her sisters can start playing." Lizzy was impressed at how gentle William was with his sister. She had always thought brothers were supposed to be either teasing or lording over their sisters. But never having had a brother, she guessed there were some good ones too. William must be one of those. "Elizabeth, I have plans for a birthday cake to be brought in at 10:30. Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper you met earlier, will give you a signal and then I would like your group to lead us in singing 'Happy Birthday' to Georgiana." "Certainly, sir," replied Lizzy politely. "Any other instructions?" "Yes, please keep to mostly fast songs. I'm sure the kids with dates would like some slow dances but as Georgiana is extremely shy, I wouldn't wish her to feel too uncomfortable. If you could keep the slow songs to a minimum, I would be most appreciative." Although I'd love to slow dance with you, he thought, imagining how wonderful her body would feel in his arms. "No need for gratitude, William. You are paying us so you will get what you want." He thought,Oh, if you only knew what I want! but said, "Thank you. Now let's begin before these kids start climbing the walls!" "Yes, sir!" ********** The party got underway. The music was lively and most of the kids were soon dancing. Lizzy noticed that Georgiana stayed talking with a small group of girlfriends and politely refused any boy that asked her to dance even though she watched the dancers with apparent envy. I guess she is shy, thought Lizzy. She noticed that William walked around the room casually, but kept a vigilant eye on the guests. He often looked at Georgiana and his concern was evident, but he kept his distance. During a break the kids swarmed to the tables laden with goodies and Lizzy sought out William. "I noticed that Georgiana is not dancing at her own party William," Lizzy began. "Do you know of any favorite song that might induce her to accept one of her many admirers?" "I'm afraid I am at quite a loss Elizabeth," William replied. "I thought this party might help her come out of her shell. I was hoping she would feel more comfortable in her own home and she was so eager to have your band play. I'm trying not to be the hovering elder brother, but I am feeling very inadequate at this moment." Lizzy touched his arm in sympathy. "Well if you think of anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask. Georgiana seems like a very sweet girl and I would like to see her enjoy herself on this special day." "Thank you Elizabeth. You are very kind." Darcy was surprised that this stranger would show such concern towards a girl she barely knew. He was moved by her caring attitude. And she was certainly beautiful with her long curly hair, sparkling eyes, sensuous body. Stop that, he lectured himself, Now you're getting carried away. There was something about her, though. He wished he could figure out what it was. ********** At 10:30 Lizzy received a signal from the housekeeper that the cake was to be brought in. "I'd like to have your attention please," Lizzy spoke into the microphone. "The reason we are all here tonight is to celebrate a very special day for a very special young woman. Happy Birthday, Georgiana." The kids began clapping, cheering and whistling as the enormous cake ablaze with 16 sparklers was wheeled in. William brought his sister to the center of the room as the band started to sing. The guests joined in and Georgiana turned scarlet with embarrassment. She hid her face against her brother's sleeve. When the sparklers ran down, Mrs. Reynolds removed them and asked Georgiana to cut the first piece of cake. Mrs. Reynolds then took over the job and servants distributed slices to the partygoers. Georgiana quickly returned to her little group of friends. The band took a short break as they had one last set to play before the party ended at midnight. After freshening up, Lizzy noticed someone was missing. "Has anyone seen Lydia?" she asked her sisters. No one had but Kitty thought she might have stayed in the ballroom. With a bad feeling in her stomach, Lizzy hurried to the ballroom where music was blaring from a stereo. To her embarrassment, she found Lydia dancing a sexy bump and grind with one of the high school boys while several others looked on with great interest. To add to her humiliation, Mr. Darcy was watching with disapproval. Not wanting to cause a scene, Lizzy approached her sister and said calmly, "Lydia, we need you in the other room to go over some music, please." She grabbed Lydia's arm firmly and pulled her out of the room. Once in the hallway, she pinched Lydia forcefully. "Owwww, what's the matter with you?" yelped Lydia. "What were you thinking?" Lizzy cried. "That is totally inappropriate behavior. What must Mr. Darcy and his sister think? How could you, Lydia?" Lydia pulled away and ran to the sitting room mumbling something about older sisters being a pain and not getting to have any fun. Lizzy shook her head in exasperation and went to get the others to begin the last set. ********** When the dancing was again underway, Lizzy observed a rather gangly, plain looking young man approach a group of fashionably dressed girls who were talking and giggling together. He tapped the shoulder of a leggy, long-haired blond who turned around in surprise. He spoke and she shook her head. He walked away with his head down and sat on a chair by himself. The group of girls all turned to look at him and then laughed together. Lizzy felt sorry for the boy who looked like he had just been crushed. By the time the song ended, Lizzy had a plan. �When I was in high school I was called a nerd,� she said into the microphone, getting the attention of the teens who listened in disbelief. �Straight hair was in and I had this big mess of curls. I took my studies seriously and since I was active in sports I wouldn�t party. I was not very popular, I tell you. But as I got older I realized that it didn�t matter what others thought of me as long as I was comfortable with myself. That gave me the confidence to make the most of what I had. Another thing I noticed was that some of the guys that were considered geeks in high school later matured into really good-looking men. So whenever my sisters and I play at a dance or party for teenagers we vote among ourselves for one boy that we think has the potential to be a real hottie some day. Tonight our choice is�� Lizzy jumped off the stage and went over to the boy. Sammy Jarvis looked up in surprise as the sexy, attractive lead singer of the band approached him. A smattering of applause came from the stunned crowd. To Sammy�s amazement, Lizzy asked him to dance. After his humiliation by Nancy Watson, he was pleased to comply. The band played a fast song, but he danced close to Lizzy, enjoying her body movements. She smiled at him and took his hands. She noticed that several of the kids, including that group of girls, were watching them. When the song ended, she returned to her sisters while Sammy was slapped on the back by several of the young men. To her delight, at the next number Nancy walked over to Sammy. She saw them talk and then dance together. Lizzy smiled a satisfied smile and saw William looking at her approvingly. ************************* To Be Continued

Oh, that was so sweet! And I can feel the electricity crackling between L&D already! Thanks again Gail!

Hi I've been lurking around for awhile reading your wonderful stories. I am hooked. I believe the stories here and at BOI are superior to some of the published material out there. I am eagerly awaiting to read the rest of The Wedding Singer and Having Nothing He can Lose (PLEASE write more). I wish i was as talented a writer as y'all are.

Welcome Sarah! There is also a FF drool archive you should check out. Can someone add the link?

....please. I need it too. Spring cleaning (no pun intended ;-))

...and of course...how negligent of me... welcome Sarah!! Sit back and enjoy!!

Leanne has archived three years of stories for our reading pleasure at: DroolFic Index

Thank you very much for the link. These are very impressive stories. KUDOS!! What has happened to Irene? I would love to read the rest of her story. It took me an hour to read it and when I got to the "end", it wasn't finished. AHHHH!!!

The Wedding Singer Chapter 3 The party ended quickly as parents arrived to take their children home. Lizzy and her sisters were busy taking apart their equipment when William approached. Lizzy pulled him aside and began apologizing profusely for Lydia's behavior. "Do not trouble yourself, Elizabeth," he began, "my experience with my own sister has taught me that teenagers are not so easily controlled. You handled the situation and there was no harm done." "Thank you for your understanding." "Not at all. Georgiana was tired and has already gone to bed but I know she was very happy with your music, as was I." "I hope she enjoyed herself. I didn't see her dance once." William sighed deeply. "She claimed to have a good time but I saw little evidence of it. Things did not work out as I had hoped." Lizzy compassionately laid a hand on his arm. William felt an electric shock at her touch. He wanted to get to know her better and didn't want her to leave so soon. In an uncharacteristically bold move, he asked her to stay for a drink. "I would be happy to drive you home later." "I don't drink much, especially this late at night, but I'd love a bowl of ice cream! Let me tell my sisters to go on without me." The staff was just beginning to lug the electronic equipment out to the van as Lizzy spoke to Jane. William saw the tall cool blond look at him questioningly, then smile at Lizzy and leave the room with the rest of her sisters. ********** Darcy began rummaging through the freezers in the huge kitchen looking for ice cream. When he finally found the correct repository, he offered Lizzy her choice of several flavors. "This is better than Baskin Robbins," laughed Lizzy. She chose chocolate chip cookie dough. William filled two bowls with generous servings of the icy treat. He then led Lizzy to a room with several easy chairs and sofas. Some allowed viewing of a wide screen TV housed within an enormous entertainment center containing various audio and video equipment, while others faced a huge fireplace. Throw pillows and blankets were strewn about on the furniture making it look comfortable and inviting. The walls were covered in rich wood paneling and the floor in a deep pile carpet. The warm, casual room was much to Lizzy's liking and she said so to William. "Yes, Georgie and I spend most of our time in this room. It's the least formal room in the house and we can be totally at ease here." He motioned Lizzy to sit on one of the smaller sofas. She relaxed at one end, curling her legs up under her. William spread a blanket over her and lowered himself beside her. They sat in a comfortable silence, eating their ice cream until William asked Lizzy to tell him about herself. Putting her bowl down on a nearby table, Lizzy began her life history. She told William what it was like growing up with 4 sisters and a frivolous mother, how she was her father's favorite and how his study was a refuge for both of them from the rest of the family. She and Jane have always been very close and they share an apartment. She is interested in psychology and loves working with teenagers so she hopes to become a high school guidance counselor now that she has her Master's degree. But nothing has helped her learn to deal with Lydia and she worries a great deal about her youngest sister. Her parents seem to have given up and let her run wild so Lizzy tries to keep a close watch on her, but Lydia does not appreciate the attention. Lizzy talked for over an hour about herself and told William everything there was to know about Elizabeth Bennet except for one important fact - she is engaged to be married. While Lizzy talked (and talked and talked), William sat fascinated by her. Her life was so different from his and he listened attentively while at the same time assessing her. He thought her very lovely as her eyes sparkled when she spoke. He could hear the love and concern in her voice when she mentioned her family and her passion for her chosen career. Her long curly hair begged to be touched and her lips invited him to taste their sweetness. He longed to take her in his arms, to hold her, caress her, kiss her, but instead he said, "It is getting late. I should take you home." "Yes, it is late. Thank you for dessert. But I've spent all this time telling you about me and you haven't been able to get a word in edgewise. That's not fair, you know. I have learned very little about you." "Then I propose we remedy the situation and spend some time together tomorrow. Do you like to horseback ride?" "I adore it. My best friend Charlotte's family owns a farm and I spent many happy hours there as a child. It was Charlotte's responsibility to groom the horses and muck the stables and I helped her in return for the privilege of riding whenever I chose. Charlotte and I spent many summer roaming the area on horseback." "Then riding it is. I'll pick you up around 11:00?" "Sounds wonderful." William drove Lizzy home in his Jaguar. Always the perfect gentleman, he opened her door and walked her to the apartment. Taking her hand in his, he brought it up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her fingers. "Until tomorrow then. Good night." Lizzy watched in a daze as he walked back to his car and wondered what the heck she was doing. Driving home William thought of the pretty, dark-haired woman and wondered, What the heck am I doing? ************************* Chapter 4 Lizzy's alarm clock woke her up at 10:00 a.m. After a shower she dressed in comfortable jeans, a tight white tee shirt and riding boots. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail with a scrunchy, she entered the kitchen where Jane was relaxing with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. Lizzy helped herself to a cup and put 2 slices of bread in the toaster. "Good morning Jane. What are you doing today?" "Charles will be here any minute. We're going to Mom and Dad's for a while and then to lunch and a movie. Would you like to come along?" "No, but thanks. I'm going horseback riding with William Darcy." "Lizzy, what are you doing with William? You stayed at his house until very late last night, or should I say early this morning, and you're going out with him today. What's going on?" "Jane, he's a nice guy and we're getting to know each other. It's harmless." "But Lizzy, you are engaged." Jane was not particularly fond of Lizzy's fianc� but was concerned about propriety. "I am well aware of that fact but George is working today and I'm just going for a horseback ride. George hates to ride and William will be good company. Hey, how are things with you and Charles?" Lizzy was trying to get the subject off of herself and knew Jane would take the bait if she asked about her new boyfriend. "Oh, Lizzy. I really like him. He's very different from anyone else I have dated. So gentlemanly and kind. I know it's only been a couple of months but I already feel very close to him and I think he may be 'the one'. Do you suppose it's too soon to think like that?" "Not if that's how you feel. People fall in love at first sight all the time. Do you think Charles feels the same?" "I think so. He hasn't told me he loves me yet but all his looks say he does. By the way, what are you doing two weeks from today? I'd like you to go to Charles' sister's wedding with me." "Go to a wedding when I'm not singing? Don't I go to enough weddings?" "Please Lizzy. I'm not going to know anyone there and Charles will be walking his sister down the aisle. I just want someone to be with until he's done with the ceremony and pictures. Then you can leave. Please, for me?" Lizzy couldn't refuse her sister anything. Jane has always been there for her. "OK, I'll go for a little while. Where is the wedding?" "I'm not sure, but you can follow us in your car. The wedding is being held at the home of a friend of Charles. I understand it's not too far from here." Just then the doorbell rang and Jane jumped up to answer it. Lizzy was buttering her toast when she heard Jane yell from the living room, "Bye Lizzy. See you later." Lizzy took her toast and coffee to the table and picked up Jane's discarded newspaper. ********** Promptly at 11:00 the doorbell rang again. Lizzy opened the door to find William standing there wearing jeans and a navy polo shirt. Looking good! she thought but said, "Good morning William. Would you like a cup of coffee? It's all made." "Good morning Elizabeth. No coffee, thank you. I've already had a couple cups this morning. Are you ready to go?" "Yes, just let me grab my purse." "Why don't you bring a change of clothes with you? After we ride you can have lunch with Georgiana and I. That is, if you are available." "Sure. Hold on while I get some stuff." William waited by the door while Lizzy hurried to her bedroom. She stuffed some clothes, loafers and toiletries into a gym bag and in a couple minutes was ready to go. "That was quick!" laughed William. "I'm not used to women who can be ready in under an hour!" "Surely Georgiana does not primp! She doesn't strike me as that type at all!" William just smiled and let the comment pass. He wasn't thinking of his sister. After a few minutes in the car, Lizzy realized they were heading to William's. "Are we going to your house now?" "Well that is where the horses are." "Oh. If I had known that, I would have driven myself over and saved you the trouble. I thought we were going somewhere else to ride." "It's no trouble. My parents instilled in me proper manners and that includes picking up a woman when you ask her to go somewhere with you." That made it sound suspiciously like William was thinking of this as a date. I guess I should tell him I am engaged before he gets the wrong idea. Lizzy looked over at William and noticed his damp hair curling very becomingly over the collar of his shirt. He looked at her and smiled, showing two very cute dimples. Well maybe I'll tell him later. As they passed the entrance gate William waved to the security guard. He drove up the long driveway and stopped his Jag by a large stable. In the front were two saddled horses tied to a post. The got out of the car and a man walked over to them saying, "Your horses are ready, Mr. Darcy." "Thank you Max." "No problem, sir." William helped Lizzy mount her horse and jumped up on his before leading her down a path towards the woods. The June day was comfortably warm and sunny. "How much land do you have here William?" Lizzy asked. "You can't even see your house from here." "It's about 1500 acres altogether. The house isn't too far but we're riding in the opposite direction now. This side of the property abuts the State Park so we can ride for many miles if we want." "I think an hour or so will be enough for me. It's been a while since I've ridden and I think I may get sore if we stay out too long. And you did promise me lunch." As they rode companionably through the woods, Lizzy asked William to tell her about himself. William explained what life was like growing up in a wealthy home - private schools and privilege. While his parents were loving, they were also very strict and made him always conscious of his place and what was expected of him. They were killed in a private airplane accident 6 years ago when Georgiana was only 10 years old. As he was 22 then, he was given guardianship of her along with his cousin Rick. He loves his sister dearly but has had a difficult time trying to raise a young girl. She is so shy and he worries about her constantly. He also inherited the family business, which is actually made up of several different companies. His father had trained him well, but he was unprepared for taking on so much responsibility at a young age. It made him grow up very quickly. Other than a brief vacation with his cousin four years ago, he has had to devote all of his time to the business and his sister. He doesn't want o complain because he knows he is privileged, but it's been difficult and lonely at times. But now he's at the point where he has a good handle on the business and can back off a bit. He can often work from home and trusts his management team to run things with minimal instruction from him. He made it a priority to get to this point so he can be with Georgiana more often. She's at a difficult age and he feels the need to spend more quality time with her. But deep down what he thinks she really needs is a woman who can act the big sister. "Elizabeth, I know we have just met and hardly know each other, but would you mind spending some time with Georgie? I was immediately struck by your caring attitude last night. Plus you have four sisters and work at a high school in addition to your guidance counselor training. Georgie doesn't confide in me anymore. She needs a big sister to talk to. Someone to get advice from who can relate to what she is going through. Am I asking too much?" "William, I would be delighted to get to know your sister better and spend some time with her. She seems like a sweet girl and I understand your concerns. My sister Lydia is about the same age but she is just the opposite of Georgiana. She is too wild and maybe could benefit from a stern older brother. Perhaps the four of us could do things together once in a while. It might be good for both girls. But I will also spend some one-on-one time with Georgiana." "Thank you Elizabeth. I really appreciate this and I would be happy to plan some outings for the four of us. We can discuss the details later but we've been poking along for long enough. Let's ride." They had come to an open field and William prodded his horse into a gallop. Lizzy chased after him, trying to catch up. She didn't notice when her scrunchy fell off. After a while, William pulled up to wait for her and caught his breath at the sight of Lizzy with a big grin on her face, eyes sparkling, hair flying around her like a cloud. What a vision! She is so beautiful. Lizzy pulled up beside him laughing. "This is so much fun! Thanks for taking me here today William. I had forgotten how much I love to ride." "You are welcome to come and ride anytime. I feel I owe you something for agreeing to spend time with my sister so I hope you will take advantage of my offer. Just call the house and speak to Mrs. Reynolds and she'll arrange everything." "You are very sweet. I want to become friends with Georgiana and don't expect payment for that, but maybe I will come and ride sometime, although it would be much more enjoyable to ride with you." Elizabeth surprised herself with her boldness. "I would like that too Elizabeth. Let me know when you are coming and I'll join you whenever I can. Now the stables are just over that hill. Let's head back to the house and have lunch." ********** William stood at the door of the guestroom, hair dryer in hand. His knock was not answered and he wasn't sure if he should go in. Deciding Lizzy was probably still in the shower he opened the door. Just then Lizzy walked out from the bathroom with one towel wrapped around her and drying her hair with another. He crossed the room and took the towel from her hands. "Let me do that." He gently caressed her curls with the towel then dropped it to the floor. He reached out and pulled the other towel away from her body. "William?" she spoke softly, looking at him with those dark sparkling eyes. He pulled her into his arms and marveled at the feel of her naked body against him. He ran his hands over her silky skin before bending his head to kiss her deeply. "William?" her voice broke through his reverie. He started and blushed and handed her the hair dryer. "I'm s-s-sorry. I j-j-just wanted to give you this." He turned and practically ran from the room. Lizzy smiled. Georgiana isn't the only shy one, she thought. The way William looked at her sent a shiver through her. Not for the first time she wondered what it would be like to be his girlfriend. Then she slapped herself. Wake up girl! He's way out of your league. He's just being nice for his sister's sake. Plus you are engaged. Stop this right now! Lizzy shook her head and got dressed. Then she went downstairs to meet William and Georgiana for lunch. ********** After lunch William went to his office to do some work, leaving Georgiana and Elizabeth to get to know each other. An hour later he went downstairs to find them and heard laughter coming from the music room. Georgiana and Lizzy were seated together at the piano trying to play a duet. One or the other kept messing up and they couldn't stop laughing. William leaned on the doorway smiling at them. It was nice to see Georgiana not being shy and having such a good time. He felt very good about asking this favor of Elizabeth. He knew she would be a good influence on his sister. "How about some ice cream?" he asked. The girls had not noticed William at the door and were startled. They both jumped and yelped then burst into laughter. William grinned. They went to the kitchen, helped themselves to Pecan Praline and sat at the butcher block table. �So tell me Lizzy,� said Georgiana (she and Lizzy had quickly become informal with each other), �were you really a nerd in high school? None of my friends believed that.� �Well I was,� she replied. �I concentrated on my studies and sports and had very few dates. I had a nice group of girlfriends and we enjoyed ourselves together in spite of how much we were put down by the popular kids.� �Wow, if those snobs could only see you now!� They laughed and William thought, If only I had known you then, I would have protected you. �I was kind of geeky too,� William admitted. �I was taller than everyone else and really skinny. But fortunately I went to an all-boys school so I didn�t have to suffer from the cruelty of teenage girls!� �There � it�s just like I said last night � the geekiest boys often turn out to be the hunks!� Ohmigod, I can�t believe I just said that out loud! Lizzy�s face turned bright red. William was embarrassed by compliments and tried to cover it up by quickly changing the subject. �That was a very nice thing you did for that boy last night. I�m sure he�ll never forget it.� And I�m sure you are now the main subject of his wet dreams! �Do you really do that at all the dances and parties?� �We had never done it before last night but I think we might now. I was pleased to see that girl ask Sammy to dance after she had made fun of him.� �That Nancy Jarvis is a big snob anyway. Sammy can do better than her. Will you please excuse me? I promised Ashley I�d call her today.� When she left the room William said, "Thank you Elizabeth. Georgiana seems very comfortable with you." "It's funny because one-on-one she is not shy at all. In fact, she has a very wicked sense of humor!" Lizzy responded. "Especially when directed at her elder brother I think. What exactly has she been telling you?" Lizzy smiled at him slyly and declined to comment. Georgiana had only good things to say about her brother but she wouldn't let William know that. William was mesmerized by Lizzy�s smile, her eyes, her hair. He leaned closer and wrapped his finger around a curl before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Lizzy closed her eyes and lost herself in his touch. He kissed her again and then again. Coming to her senses, Lizzy jumped up. What was she doing? "William, I'm sorry. We shouldn't be doing this. I am engaged." Just then a shrill voice was heard in the hallway. "William! William, dear, where are you?" The door to the kitchen burst open and a statuesque impeccably dressed woman came into the room. "There you are darling!" She strode over to William and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Noticing Elizabeth she said politely, "Oh, hello. Who is this William?" "Hello Caroline. This is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, may I introduce you to Caroline, my fianc�e." *************************

Awesome!!! Can't wait until the next installment. I love that they are both engaged to someone else; it adds conflict that I'm happily waiting to be resolved. But Lizzy and Darcy will end up together? Won't they? They better!!!

Cute Lizzy/Darcy twist, Gail. Thanks. Don't leave us hanging too long;-)

Welcome Sarah! Gail, I always hated that last part, but love the little inward comments from both L&D!

The Wedding Singer Chapter 5 After the movie, Charles and Jane returned to his home. He had inherited the stately Tudor mansion from his father when he died the year before, along with $200 million. His two older sisters were each left a like amount of money and some valuable pieces of jewelry. His mother had died when he was a teenager and his sisters had tended to baby him. They were once very close but lately all were busy with their own lives. Charles was not an idle millionaire. He had started his own business after graduating from college five years ago and was now a successful entrepreneur in his own right. He was hardworking and his cheerful, amiable demeanor made him very popular with both his clients and employees. Jane was surprised when she discovered that Charles was so wealthy. It wasn�t until their fourth date when they rented a video and went back to his house to watch it. Prior to that she figured he had some money as he drove a BMW convertible and took her to very nice restaurants, but she had believed him merely moderately well off due his business. She was stunned when they drove up to the mansion and even more so when she overheard a conversation where it was mentioned that his net worth was over $500 million. Jane would have expected someone so rich to be a snob and look down on people, but Charles treated everyone with dignity and respect. The money meant much less to him than the satisfaction he drew from building a business from nothing but his own ideas and sweat into a very successful enterprise. When Jane remarked on his lack of pretension, he merely replied that it was all relative. His friend Billy was worth at least 10 times more than Charles and he was just a �regular guy�. Charles� theory was that growing up wealthy led you to take it for granted and therefore you paid less attention to it. His parents had been strict and raised him with good values and that was a much more important legacy than the money. This attitude helped Jane to be not so intimidated by his status. Charles and Jane met at a wedding. A friend of his from school had married a friend of hers from school. He was immediately attracted to the angelic golden-haired woman and, after getting to know her better, found her heart was just as beautiful as her countenance. Charles was falling hard. They had only been dating a little over two months but already he felt closer to her than he had to any other woman. Charles had dated a lot but nothing had ever felt like this. �What should we do tonight sweetie?� Jane asked. He loved her affectionate manner and pulled her into his arms appreciatively. �Let�s stay in for dinner. I�ve asked Mrs. Brown to arrange something simple. Then we can just hang out. Do you want to go by the apartment later and see what Lizzy and George are up to?� Charles was very fond of all of Jane�s family, but especially Elizabeth. She was fun to spend time with and even though he knew Jane wasn�t fond of George, Charles thought he was always good for a few laughs. �I�d like that. You�re so good to me.� Jane wrapped her arms around Charles� neck and kissed him. �What time is dinner?� �Oh not for an hour or so,� he replied, nuzzling her ear. He liked that Jane was only a couple inches shorter and he could easily reach all her best parts from any position. �Mmmmmm�what should we do in the meantime?� �I have a couple ideas.� Charles grabbed Jane�s hand and pulled her up the stairs and into his bedroom. Before the door closed behind them, Charles already had his hands under Jane�s blouse and was fumbling with her bra. �Darn thing,� he muttered, �don�t know why you wear it anyway.� Jane giggled and reached back to help him out. Charles pulled her blouse off over her head and flung the offending undergarment across the room. Although Jane was slender, she had ample breasts and Charles loved to feel them against his chest. He held her close and kissed her passionately. �Oh Jane, you�re so very beautiful,� he murmured. He began moving towards the bed, pushing Jane backwards as he continued kissing her. Reaching his goal, he laid her down and quickly pulled off the rest of her clothes and then his own. Soon he was in his very favorite place to be � inside the tight, warm confines of his beautiful girlfriend. �Jane, I love you,� he breathed in her ear. �Oh Charles,� she sighed happily, �I love you too.� ********** Lizzy found herself alone in the back of a limousine headed toward home. Apparently Caroline was not expected until Sunday, but had shown up a day early to surprise William. Lizzy bristled at the memory of how William introduced her as the band singer from Georgiana's birthday party and explained her presence at the house as her coming to receive payment for the job. There was no mention of horseback riding or befriending Georgiana. Then William couldn't wait to shuffle her off. Guess he really was just looking for a friend for his sister and nothing more. As she was leaving, he did try to apologize for sending her home alone in the limo but then Caroline came outside and he stopped talking altogether. But Lizzy couldn�t help remembering the way he had looked at her and how his kisses felt. Why did he do that if he was engaged? Of course, so was she. It was all too confusing. Perhaps it was for the best that Caroline showed up when she did. It got everything out in the open. The chauffeur jumped out and opened the door for Lizzy when they arrived at her apartment. She thanked him and he drove off. Turning to go inside she was startled by George sitting on her front step. �Well, well, what is this?" he asked. "My little Lizzy in a limo?" "Hello George." Lizzy gave him a quick kiss. "I had some business to attend to regarding a gig we played last night and the client was kind enough to offer his limo." Lizzy wasn't sure George would understand the horseback riding with another man. He wasn't the jealous type, but why ask for trouble? Suddenly she was a bit more understanding about William�s behavior. They entered the house and George pulled Lizzy into his arms. "I missed you girlfriend." He kissed her ardently as his hands wandered over her body. She slapped his hands away and stepped out of his embrace. "George, stop it. Do we have to go through this every time? You agreed that we should wait until we are married but yet you insist on trying to start something every time we are together. Now what would you like to do tonight?" George just grinned at her. "Sorry Lizzy, I get carried away. I've been thinking, it's about time we set a date don't you think?" Lizzy threw herself back into his arms. "Really? Are you finally ready to commit? We've been engaged six months and have yet to set a date or get rings. Are you finally serious?" She gave him a big kiss. "Pfft. Pfft. Can't you tie that mess of hair back? I always end up with it in my mouth." George made a big production of pulling a hair from his lips. "Yes I think it is time we set a date. How about I go home and freshen up and I'll come back in a couple hours with a movie. You can cook dinner for me and we'll have a quiet night in. And we will get a calendar and decide on a wedding date. Does that sound OK?" "Sure George. Go on then. I need to run to the market. I'll see you in a while." George gave Lizzy a quick peck and headed out. Once in his silver blue Corvette convertible, George made a phone call. "Hey babe, I'm on my way home. Can you come over for a couple of hours? I'd really like to see you. Good, I'll see you in a few minutes." ********** Edward Gardiner was dying. He had come to terms with it soon after being told his fate several months ago. He was 80 years old and had lived a very good life. His dear wife had passed on before him, almost 20 years ago now. Her sudden death from a brain aneurysm had devastated him and only with the help of his loving family was he able to move past the pain. His only daughter was a bit too silly and self-absorbed to provide comfort, but his two eldest granddaughters, even at the ages of 5 and 7, made him want to keep living. Little Lizzy called him every single day for the first few years to make sure her Papa wasn't lonely. Even when adolescence gave her more important things to do, like hanging out with her friends, she still remembered to call him at least twice a week. Those simple phone calls where she would share the little details of her day made Edward grateful for his life. Lizzy was very precious to him and Jane, with her gentle loving manner, was nearly as dear. Now he was suffering from lung cancer brought on by a lifetime of smoking. Amazing really that it hadn�t caught up with him until now. He didn't share this news with his family when he found out but soon it would become apparent. The end was near and he needed more and more medication to handle the increasing level of pain. He had already surpassed the doctor's expectations of longevity and wouldn't be able to hide his condition much longer. He wanted his family to visit him because they loved him not because they felt sorry for him. Jane and Lizzy tried to see him at least once a week even though he lived almost 40 miles away. The younger girls only came with their mother when she made her monthly visits. Even then, Edward sensed they visited him from a sense of duty as much as from affection. His son-in-law he saw the least but Tom Bennet emailed him frequently and both men enjoyed their philosophical cyber discussions. Edward had an inkling that Tom suspected what was happening but respected his father-i -law's wish to keep it to himself. Perhaps the biggest surprise to his family would occur after his death. For many years Edward had a private law practice. He didn't make a big name for himself, but he did have a very successful business in the small city of Gracechurch. Shortly after his wife's death, he was appointed as circuit court judge. Frugal living and wise investing had made Edward Gardiner a very wealthy man. His simple life style fooled everyone and he knew there would be great shock when his will was read. Edward was leaving his daughter Frances Bennet and her husband $2 million dollars. This would provide a comfortable retirement nest egg on top of Tom's pension. Each of his three younger granddaughters would receive $1 million dollars in a trust fund to be controlled by their father. Tom could release the funds at his discretion when he felt the girls were mature enough to handle the money wisely. The rest of the estate would be split between the two older granddaughters. They would become wealthy women, each inheriting $10 mi lion dollars. Edward almost wished he could see the faces of his family when they discovered his generosity. Edward was happy that the two girls had both found nice young men before he died. He didn't want them to be subjected to fortune hunters. Lizzy was engaged to that nice George who tried to visit him a couple times a month. Since he was a stockbroker, he could help Lizzy manage and invest her money. Edward was very comfortable with that situation. Jane's new boyfriend was wealthy in his own right and seemed very much taken with his granddaughter, so Edward didn't have cause to worry about him either. Charles had visited with Jane a few times and Edward was certain they would soon be engaged. He could die peacefully, knowing 'his girls' would be well taken care of. His only concern was that Frances and the other girls would be upset at Lizzy and Jane's share. He knew Tom would understand and support his actions. He thought perhaps he would warn Tom of his plans and then they could discuss how to handle the situation. Edward felt Tom would be able to smooth things over eventually, he just hoped Jane and Lizzy wouldn't suffer too much abuse from their siblings in the meantime. And he wasn't concerned enough to change his will. It was his money and he would do with it as he pleased. He said as much in the videotape he had made, which would be shown at the reading of the will. Edward looked forward to a visit from his girls and Charles the next day. He wondered if he should break the news of his impending death to them or wait a while longer. He looked in the mirror and decided he looked healthy enough that he could wait until next week, or maybe even longer. The pain medication was making him sleepy so he went to bed. ********** George Wickham felt like he was on top of the world. He had a girlfriend who satisfied him, a fianc�e who adored him and he was going to be rich. What more could a man want? Yes he had a few gambling debts, his car payment was past due and his credit cards were maxed out, but soon all that wouldn't matter. He just hoped that Lizzy's grandfather didn't linger too long or his creditors might start coming down on him. You see, George worked for a large brokerage firm in New York City that had for a client a certain Edward Gardiner. George was good friends with John Page, who just happened to be Mr. Gardiner's financial advisor, and they frequently went drinking together. After a night on the town, a client's confidences might slip out and one night George, who could hold his liquor better than his friend, found something out that would change his life. He found a way to get rich quick. Yes, that did mean marrying Lizzy Bennet. She wasn't at all his type and had some annoying habits, but he turned his considerable charm on her and was able to get the hook in. He had tried for the lovely Jane first, but she didn't buy his act so he settled for the sister. And Lizzy was pretty in a wholesome sort of way even though she refused to sleep with him until they were married. But Julie Nelson, his girlfriend, was more than willing to share his bed and she was glad that Lizzy was a prude. It would get interesting when he did marry and was sleeping with both of them. Julie was a fantastic lover and he wondered how Lizzy would compare. Now Julie was his type in spades. Voluptuous, blond and leggy and liked to show it off. They shared a love of casinos, good whiskey and fast cars. Julie loved George and was not happy about sharing him with Lizzy but knew it was the means to an end and wouldn't be for long. George had a plan. He would marry Lizzy and soon good old Gramps would die. He had done a good job of sucking up to the old man and knew Gramps approved of him. Lizzy would be devastated by Gramps' death and overwhelmed by her sudden wealth so it would only be natural for her experienced husband to take over for her. He would then invest the money in a myriad of ways that she would never be able to figure out. By the time he divorced her (he figured within a year), she would have no idea that most of her money had been siphoned off to accounts in the Cayman Islands. Being a kind man, George wouldn't take it all. He'd leave her with a couple million and felt she'd be more than happy with that. Then he and Julie could head to the Caribbean and live the life of leisure. It was all so easy because Lizzy was so trusting. George rented an apartment in Meryton but spent the week in the city. It was a two hour train ride and too far to commute every day. Lizzy thought he kept an apartment near work, but he actually stayed at Julie's place. Lizzy also believed his frequent business trips, working Saturdays, and Sunday golf games were part of his job, but they were really ways for him to spend more time with his girlfriend and less with his fianc�e. He got word from his friend that Edward Gardiner was close to death so it was time to set a date and make the final preparations for his plan. The only hitch now was Lizzy's eagerness to buy a house. He wormed his way into Lizzy's good graces by playing to her dreams. The first time they met, he kept her up all night talking about herself and found that she craved a home, family and security above all other things. George led her to believe these were his aspirations as well. He made it appear that he was financially independent by telling her he owned the apartment and his car outright. He promised that once they were married he would sell both and let go his apartment in the city. Then they could buy a family car and a home in between Meryton and the city so he could come home every night. Of course George had no intention of doing this and kept coming up with excuses as to why they should wait. Once Gramps died, he'd talk Lizzy into having a home custom built and that should take long enough to keep things as he wanted them until he was ready to divorce her. Julie would never stand for him staying with Lizzy all week and above all, he did not w nt to lose Julie. She was so sexy that one whiff of her perfume caused instant arousal. His doorbell rang and he opened the door to pull Julie inside. Pressing her against the wall, he kissed her passionately. "Come on babe, let's go to bed. I gotta be back at Lizzy's in two hours. But if you want to stay here, I'll be back by midnight. How about we take a trip to Connecticut tonight and hit the casinos?" Julie nodded eagerly and led him to the bedroom. ********** Lizzy was making dinner when the phone rang. "Hello?" "Hello, Elizabeth?" "How are you William?" Why is he calling? "Uh�OK. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. You see, Caroline is very jealous and I wasn't prepared for her arrival. I couldn't think of anything else to say off the top of my head. I hope you're not angry." Lizzy sighed. What difference did it make anyway? Suddenly she felt very weary. "No, I'm not angry. You don't owe me anything. You're engaged, I'm engaged and you just want me to be friends with your sister. One thing I don't understand though, is why did you kiss me?" "Oh� well�, I'm sorry about that too. Actually I'm not sorry about it at all. It was very nice. It was just something that happened. It seemed like a good idea at the moment. I shouldn't have done it and I apologize." "It's OK. Look, I gotta go. I'm making dinner for my fianc� and he'll be here soon." "Wait. Just one more thing. I don't want you to just befriend Georgie. I would really like for you and I to be friends as well. I enjoyed spending time with you last night and today and I would like for you and I and our sisters to do things together. Do you think that would still be possible?" "Sure, I guess that would be OK." "Great. Well I'll let you go then. I'll call you. Bye." "Bye." Now what was that all about? He is the most confusing man. But he sure can kiss! ********** The oven timer buzzed and Lizzy pulled out a casserole dish and two baked potatoes just as the doorbell rang. "Just a minute!" she yelled. Removing the oven mitts, she rushed to the door and let George in. "Good, just in time. Dinner's almost ready. I just gotta grab the steaks off the grill. Pour the wine and make yourself comfortable." After a quick peck on the cheek, Lizzy hurried out to the back deck to retrieve the steaks from the barbecue. After placing the food on the table set for two, Lizzy found herself pulled onto George's lap. He kissed her deeply. "I love you Lizzy." "I love you too." They kissed a little while longer until Lizzy pulled away. "Your dinner is getting cold." "I'm sorry. I know you worked hard to make my favorite meal. I just can't resist you." George winked at her and gave her his most charming smile. Lizzy had always liked George's smile but now noticed it lacked dimples. Where did that come from? As they ate, they talked about their respective plans for the next day. Lizzy planned on visiting her grandfather in the morning with Jane and Charles. Afterwards would be the traditional Sunday dinner at her parents. Then the band was to play at a wedding reception in the early evening. "I wish you had told me you were visiting your grandfather. I would have gone with you but now I've committed to a golf outing with some clients in the morning. Then I have to head back to the city. I have a proposal to finish up before an early Monday meeting. Please give my best to your grandfather and tell him I'll try to visit soon." "He'll appreciate that honey. He likes you very much." When dinner was finished, they sat together on the couch poring over a calendar looking at potential wedding dates. "How about September?" he asked. "Does that give you enough time to plan a wedding? I was hoping for something small anyway." "I think that's enough time for everything except maybe renting a hall for the reception. That may be a problem with such short notice. And small is fine with me. Just family and very close friends." "Let me check on the function room at my complex. It can only be reserved by residents so it's less likely to be already booked. I'll check August, September and October and see what's available and we can set the date around that. I'll inquire about it first thing tomorrow and give you a call." "That sounds good. Now how about music?" "Lizzy, I'm not good at this stuff. I trust your judgment and you like organizing things so why don't you make all the arrangements? Just let me know what I need to do and when. Maybe Jane or your other sisters would like to be involved. And I'm sure your mother would be very pleased to do so." "Well, OK I guess. I was hoping we could do this together. But I know your job is very demanding and I have the whole summer free other than some gigs with the band." "That's my girl. I know you'll arrange the best wedding ever held and I'll be the happiest man in the world on our wedding day." He pulled her closer and kissed her passionately. After a few minutes thus engaged, he pushed her down on the couch and rolled on top of her. His kisses became more urgent and his breath quickened. He held both of her hands over her head and pressed himself tightly against her. Lizzy squirmed under him, trying to push him off but he was too strong for her to move. She tried to yell at him but his mouth was locked onto hers and her shouts sounded like moans, which only made George even more excited. Suddenly a key was heard in the lock. George quickly sat up and straightened his clothes. Lizzy looked at him wide-eyed and did the same. The door opened and Jane and Charles walked in, greeting them, "Hi you two, what's up?" I am. George thought, but instead said, "Hey there. Lizzy and I were about to watch a movie. Like to join us?" They agreed and Jane went to make some popcorn. Charles made small talk with George and then went into the kitchen to help Jane and get drinks. Lizzy was livid and hadn't spoken a word. She stared daggers at George. "Lizzy, I'm sorry babe. You're just so beautiful, I can't resist." "You scared me George. I thought you were going to rape me." Lizzy started shaking. "Maybe you should leave." "Oh come on babe. I am truly sorry that I scared you. You must know that I would never do anything to hurt you or without your consent. I love you and I want you so badly that sometimes I find it difficult to control myself. But I would have stopped before it got too far. I didn't realize you were scared. I thought you were enjoying it as much as I was." He put his arms around her and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me darling." Lizzy calmed down and kissed him back. "OK George. Just don't do it again. We only have a couple of months to go until our wedding. Surely you can wait that long. Let's go tell Jane and Charles our good news." "Sure honey." George was glad she had calmed down. Even though Julie took good care of him, he found it more and more difficult to resist Lizzy. She was always dressed in those tight jeans and she sure looked good in them. He loved Julie but having an excuse to have another woman was pretty exciting. But he had to be careful or he'd blow his whole plan. ************************* To Be Continued

George was glad she had calmed down. Even though Julie took good care of him, he found it more and more difficult to resist Lizzy. She was always dressed in those tight jeans and she sure looked good in them. He loved Julie but having an excuse to have another woman was pretty exciting. But he had to be careful or he'd blow his whole plan. GAH! GAAAAAH!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I changed my mind Gail, I hate THIS last part!

The Wedding Singer Chapter 6 A couple days later, Lizzy pulled her old but reliable brown Volvo to a stop in front of the Darcy mansion. She and Georgiana had a shopping trip planned. Mrs. Reynolds was waiting to meet her at the front door, having been alerted by the guard. Not for the first time, Lizzy wondered at the level of security at the estate. Lambton was such a sleepy town, it hardly seemed warranted. "Welcome back Miss Bennet," said the housekeeper. "Miss Georgiana will be with you in a few minutes, but Mr. William asked if I would show you to his office first." Lizzy could only nod her head in agreement. She had not planned on meeting William and was a little nervous. Why should I be so nervous? He's a friend, nothing more. William responded to Mrs. Reynolds' knock and Lizzy entered his office. He stood to greet her and walked over to close the door after motioning her to the sofa. He came to sit beside her and looked at her earnestly. "Elizabeth, I once again want to apologize for my behavior the other day. It was unpardonable and I can only hope that your kindness will allow you to forgive me." "I forgive you William, but we were both at fault. Neither of us was open with the other about our personal situations and that led to some awkwardness. But now everything is out in the open and I share your desire to continue our friendship." William was visibly relieved. "Thank you. For my own sake as well as Georgie's. I have enjoyed our conversations and would like them to continue. I understand you and my sister are going shopping today." "Yes, Georgiana said she had a special event coming up and wanted some help picking out a dress." "It is my wedding." "Oh. I might wonder then why she didn't ask Caroline to help her. She appeared quite well dressed." "Unfortunately Georgie and Caroline are not the best of friends. Caroline would like to be closer to Georgie but my sister is resistant. You see, Georgiana thinks I could do much better than Caroline. She doesn't believe Caroline really loves me." "And what do you think?" After all, she was a friend and friends can ask these questions. "I think Caroline loves me as much as I do her. She has money of her own so I know she's not marrying me only because I'm wealthy. Is it an all-encompassing, deep passionate love? No, but I think we were meant to be together. We are of the same social class and we have both been very lonely. Marriage meets both of our needs - hers for a suitable companion and mine for a family and children." "It sounds rather cold William. I'm not surprised at Georgiana's reaction. You are too young to have to 'settle'." He shrugged. "I have had to be responsible for a great many things since my parents died and have matured far beyond my years. It's just that I am tired of being alone. I am ready for a family. Caroline is a good person and I think we will be relatively happy together. I am in the fortunate position with my business that I can work from home and thus can be very involved in raising our children. Caroline will be able to keep her career, which makes her happy. I think it will work out for everyone. Georgiana will come to see that in time." Lizzy was not about to give William any advice. It wasn't what she herself would want from a marriage but she hardly knew him. If they were going to be friends she would have to accept William's decision. "So what does Caroline do?" she asked to change the subject to one less personal. "She is the editor of Fashion World magazine. It's a very demanding job but she loves the glamour and excitement. She is in her element at a fashion show and adores having access to the very latest designs." "I've never heard of that magazine, but then again high fashion has never been my thing." She motioned deprecatingly at her typical outfit of jeans and a tee shirt. "I'm sure she could help Georgiana select a much nicer outfit I could." "Georgiana's taste runs more towards the Gap than Versace. I think Georgie made the right choice of shopping partner." He said, smiling. Lizzy laughed. She was starting to feel more comfortable with William now that they had cleared the air. Evidently he was also for he surprised her with his next question. "So when are you getting married?" "Actually we just set the date recently. We're getting married September 6th. George, my fianc�, has a very demanding job as a stockbroker on Wall Street so I'm left to make all the arrangements myself. I have a lot to do but I'm looking forward to it." "Well I have recently completed making wedding arrangements myself so I would be happy to help you." "But you are getting married in less than two weeks. What will your wife say?" "Caroline's job keeps her in New York much of the week but since school is out for the summer, I want to stay here with Georgie. Caroline will be here weekends and in the fall I'll start spending more time at our penthouse in the city. So you see, I have plenty of time to help you. We aren't even taking a honeymoon until winter." Georgiana poked her head in the office. "Hey Lizzy, Mrs. Reynolds said you were here. Are you ready to shop?" "Sure let's go." She turned to William. "I would appreciate your help. We'll see you later." "Bye." William waved to the girls as they went out and smiled at the closed door. He thought he would enjoy the summer very much. ********** Georgiana and Lizzy giggled at the mannequin in the shop window. "What a hideous dress!" laughed Lizzy. "It looks like something Caroline would wear! I wonder if it comes in orange." "Orange?" "Yes, that is Caroline's favorite color." Georgiana was laughing so hard tears were running down her face. "Fortunately William selected everything for the wedding so there is not a speck of orange to be found!" "So what color do you want to wear? How about orange? It would get you in good graces with your new sister-in-law!" "Orange - Nevah!!" After several hours of trying on clothes, Georgiana ended up with a lovely light blue sundress. It complemented her blond hair and blue eyes very nicely. Lizzy also found a dress she liked and bought it to wear to Charles' sister's wedding. The emerald green, low-cut, sleeveless sheath showed off her curves and played up her dark hair and eyes. "That's a very elegant dress Lizzy," remarked Georgiana. "I think William would love to see that on you." "He would be surprised to see me in something other than jeans and a tee shirt," she laughed. "But the chances of him seeing me in this are pretty much nonexistent. I can't imagine us going somewhere together where I would dress like this." "Well maybe you should just wear it over to our house some day then. It would knock his socks off!" "Yeah, sure. Hi William, like my dress? OK, now let's go horseback riding. I can see it now." Lizzy and Georgiana went off into another fit of laughter. "Lizzy, I have had so much fun with you today. I have always longed for an older sister to do things with. I'm so thrilled to have you for a friend." Lizzy took her hand as they walked down the street. "I am happy to be your surrogate sister. You can call me any time if you want to do something or just to chat. I enjoy your company." Georgiana was thirsty and suggested stopping for a soda. Lizzy agreed as long as her soda contained ice cream and soon they were happily ensconced in a booth at the local ice cream parlor, sipping their sweet treats. "You're quite addicted to ice cream," Georgiana observed. "My favorite food. Now tell me dear girl, just between us friends, why don't you like your dear sister-in-law to be?" Georgiana turned grave. "Lizzy, I think William is making a big mistake. Caroline is such a cold unaffectionate person and William is just the opposite. I don't see how he can be happy with her. He thinks he can devote his life to their children but I'm not even sure Caroline will have any. She says she will but I can't see her being pregnant, wiping snotty noses or changing dirty diapers. She doesn't have a maternal bone in her body. I think she is just humoring William and will try to change his mind once they are married. He will be miserable. You know, they never even kiss. Caroline doesn't want him to muss her make-up. She'll only let him peck her cheek. I'm sure she will want separate bedrooms too. Lizzy, he thinks he's getting married to dispel the loneliness, but I think he'll be more lonely than ever. But what can I do? I have tried to talk to him, but he is determined." "I'm sorry Georgiana, there really is nothing you can do. He is a grown man and will make his own mistakes. Just be there to support him no matter what happens. He loves you dearly and maybe your affection can somewhat compensate for the lack of it from his wife." "I suppose you are right. Who's going to listen to a 16 year-old kid? So tell me about your George. What's he like? Are you head over heels in love?" Lizzy smiled at her romantic friend. "George is very nice. He is reliable and has a good, stable job. He'll be a good husband and father, I think. He will take very good care of me." "What do you like best about him?" "That I can trust him completely. He is a good sort of man and I don't think he would ever do anything to hurt me." Lizzy quickly brushed aside a memory from the other night when she wasn't so sure. "And he is very handsome. Tall, though not as tall as William, with dark hair and blue eyes." "He sounds dreamy! What does he do that drives you crazy?" "Boy you are nosy! Hmmmm. I guess I'd have to say he is a perfectionist. I want to buy a house now but he thinks it's not the best time. He wants to wait until after we are married. It took him 6 months to decide the time was right to set a wedding date because he had to be at a specific place in his career. And I still don't have an engagement ring because he wants the perfect one and hasn't found it yet. I would settle for things being a little less perfect, you know? But he does mean well." "Now for the important stuff - how does he kiss?" "What kind of question is that from a 16 year-old?" Lizzy laughed and poked Georgiana good-naturedly. "He kisses just fine, thank you, even though it's none of your business!" The girls finished their drinks and Lizzy drove Georgiana home. Georgiana invited her in but Lizzy had plans with Jane and left without encountering William. It would be several days before she saw him again. To Be Continued

Just wanted to let you know that this will be the last chapter for a few days. I am running away. No husband, no kids, no work, no laundry, no cooking, first class airline tickets....... Too bad it's only for 5 days!

have fun Gail! and I liked this latest chapter! Why don't I remember Georgie and Lizzy having this conversation in your DWG version? anyway, hurry back, but have fun! Teg!!! where's Parallel's??

*drumming fingers*...yeah!! Where is it???? Thanks, Gail, I hope you'll enjoy your little sojourn in "freedom"...we'll make it last until you return! So if Teg or anybody else amongst our talented authors will tide us over( too thick , too much butter), I'm sure the rest off us will be much obliged!!!;-))

Teg!!! where's Parallel's?? Good question, Danielle... Teg? *tapping screen* Ohh, Teg... ;)))))

By the way, has anyone heard from Irene? *a bit worried*

Sharla, Irene posted a while back to say she was not feeling up to par... I've emailed her a few times too! Nothing cheers up someone more than knowing someone else out in this big ol' world cares about them... email her!

ARGH! I hope this gets rid of MY italics this time!

YES! hee hee!

Thanks, Danielle, I'll do that.

Sorry for the delay in posting. Yes I've been back from my trip for a week but haven't been able to find the time to write. I'll try to do better the next couple of weeks before my next vacation. The Wedding Singer Chapter 7 "Lizzy, hurry up. We are late. What's taking you so long?" Jane cried to her sister. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Lizzy shoved on her new green heels and hurried out to the kitchen. "OK, I'm ready. Let's go." The girls went out to Lizzy's car. Since Charles had to be at the wedding early, they decided it would make more sense for Jane to ride with Lizzy. Then Charles could take her home if Lizzy decided not to stay. "OK, where do we go?" Lizzy asked Jane, who had the directions. Before too long it became apparent to Lizzy they were headed towards William's house. Her suspicion was confirmed when Jane told her to turn off the main road onto the gated driveway. Recognizing her car, the guard waved the girls through without checking their invitation. "Jane, do you remember this place? We are going to William Darcy's house." "What? Charles told me his sister is engaged to his best friend Billy but he never mentioned the last name. I can't imagine William ever allowing anyone to call him Billy. Maybe Billy is also friends with William and he offered his home for the wedding." Lizzy knew it couldn't be so. After all, William was getting married today too. She had a funny feeling in her stomach. "Jane, what is Charles' sister's name?" "Caroline." "Oh no. Jane, Caroline is marrying William. William introduced me to Caroline but didn't say her last name. I had no idea she was Charles' sister. I don't know how Billy fits into this, but William is marrying Caroline today." Lizzy had no desire to see William get married to Caroline but she had promised Jane so she was stuck. She could feel a very bad headache coming on. When they reached the end of the driveway they were directed into a parking area arranged for the wedding guests. Then ushers led them down a path towards the lake. Rows of white wooden chairs festooned with flowers had been set out for the guests. The gazebo was completely covered with white roses, lilies, baby's breath and white satin ribbons and a minister stood at the entrance speaking quietly with William. Even though Lizzy and Jane selected seats in the last row, she had an unobstructed view of William. Boy he looks good in a tux! It seemed the wedding was late getting started but no one appeared concerned. Lizzy remembered William's comments about the time it takes women to get ready and figured he was speaking from experience with Caroline. It could be a long wait. Just then Georgiana turned around from her seat in the front row and spied Lizzy. "Lizzy!" she called and waved. William caught his sister's yell and turned around in surprise. Lizzy stood up and waved to both of them sheepishly. What is Elizabeth doing here? Wow does she look great in that dress! William thought. Stop it - you're at your own wedding, you idiot! Stop ogling the guests! Well just one guest, but she is a vision! That color certainly becomes her. Several minutes passed and still the bride did not appear. William paced and kept checking his watch while looking towards the house. After a half-hour he sat down beside his sister and they spoke privately with their heads together. It was another few minutes before Charles came out and motioned to William to join him in the gazebo. A conference took place between the minister, Charles, William and Rick, the best man and William's cousin. Suddenly, William broke away and strode quickly toward the house, clearly angry and upset. Georgiana jumped up and ran after him. Whispered speculations arose from the guests. As the buzz reached a fever pitch, Lizzy and Jane just looked at each other in wonder. Rick shook hands with the minister then exited the gazebo and stood in front of the assembly. Silence came over the crowd immediately. "I apologize to everyone but it appears there will be no wedding today. William wishes to thank you all for coming and hopes you haven't been too inconvenienced." Without another w rd he took off towards the house, closely followed by Charles, while excited chatter filled the air. Charles spied Jane on his way and grabbed her arm saying, "You and Lizzy, come with me." They moved toward the mansion as the other guests began to leave. Once inside, Jane asked Charles what happened. "I was waiting for Caroline to come out her room. It was getting later and later and I knew Billy would be upset. I kept knocking on the door and Louisa, my other sister (he added for Lizzy's benefit) and matron-of-honor, just kept telling me to wait a minute. I was afraid something was wrong but they wouldn't let me in. Finally Louisa came out and said Caroline had changed her mind and was gone. I asked what she meant by gone. She said Caroline was almost ready to make her appearance when she suddenly tore off her wedding dress and changed into another outfit. Then she left the room by another door, went down the back stairs and took off. It seems her car had been stored in a remote garage since she hadn't planned on using it for a few days. That allowed her to sneak down and drive off without anyone noticing." "Did Louisa know why Caroline left? Did she give any reason?" "All Caroline said was she couldn't go through with it and she hoped William would forgive her some day. Oh Jane, what a mess!" Jane was very concerned for Charles. He was obviously very distressed by the situation between his sister and his best friend. "What do I do now? How can I ever face William again?" Jane put her arms around him and he clung to her. "Do you want to come home with Lizzy and me? William is probably in shock and won't want to talk right now. Give him some time and you can come back and see him later. I'm sure Georgiana and Rick are taking good care of him." Lizzy felt helpless. She knew William must be in terrible pain but their friendship was still too new for her to feel comfortable speaking with him right now. The look on his face when he left the wedding caused her heart to ache for him. Realizing Jane was right, Charles decided to leave with the sisters. First he went to find Louisa to see what her plans were but Mrs. Reynolds said she had already left with her husband. Charles hugged Mrs. Reynolds and said he was so sorry for what happened but she shushed him. While she was hurting for William, she was not fond of Caroline and felt this was for the best. Better heartache now than later. But she wouldn't say that to Charles. She just patted him on the back sympathetically and sent him back to his girlfriend and that lovely Miss Elizabeth. ************************* Chapter 8 That evening Lizzy and Jane were still trying to calm Charles down. He couldn't stop talking about what his sister had done, wondering if he could have prevented it, fearing William would never forgive him. Jane and Lizzy repeatedly assured him that William would not hold the actions of his sister against him, but Charles was inconsolable. Trying to get his mind off of this fiasco, Lizzy asked him why he called William Billy. "William and I met at Andover." Jane and Lizzy recognized the name of the exclusive preparatory school in New England. "It was the first time either of us had been away from home and we were roommates. When I first saw his name posted on the door, I immediately assumed he would be called Billy, as had all the other Williams I had ever known. You can imagine how horrified he was when I called him that! Well I couldn't help it - I called him Billy from then on. No one else ever dared to but for some reason he let me get away with it. He did get me back though - he started calling me Chuckie!" Charles laughed for the first time in hours. "Now that we consider ourselves mature adults, we try to refer to each other by our proper and preferred names, but I must confess we do lapse occasionally!" Relieved that Charles was smiling again, Lizzy continued to tease him. "How can it be Charles that you had not introduced your best friend to your girlfriend before today?" "It wasn't intentional. We had planned on meeting a couple of times but one thing or another got in the way. I wasn't hiding either one of them." "And I had met William Darcy," Jane threw in. "I just didn't know that he was also Charles' best friend Billy." Just then the phone rang and Lizzy answered it. "Is this Lizzy?" asked a female voice. "Yes, who is calling please?" "Hi. You remember George's friend John Page?" "Yes." "Well I'm John's girlfriend," Julie lied. "John and George landed a big account today and they went out after work for what was supposed to be a celebratory drink before George headed out of the city. However that turned into several drinks and John called me to pick them up. They are way too drunk to take the subway home. John has told me that George always takes the train on Saturdays to see you so I wanted to let you know that there's no way he's going to make it tonight. I'm sure he'll call when he's sobered up." "Oh. Well thanks for letting me know. Where are you calling from? There's an awful lot of noise in the background." "I'm at the bar and it's very crowded." Julie hoped Lizzy couldn't hear the sound of the slot machines. "I'm just waiting for a couple of the bouncers to help me load these bad little boys into my car. They can barely walk and I can't handle them by myself." "I'm sorry that George is so much trouble. I thank you for making sure he gets home safely." "No problem. Well I gotta run. Take care." "Yeah, thanks again." Julie hung up the phone and George hugged her. "Thanks babe. Let's hit the blackjack tables!" Lizzy hung up the phone thoughtfully. "Was that George?" Jane asked. "I just realized it's getting late and he's not here." "And he won't be, at least not tonight. That was the girlfriend of a friend of his. It seems they landed a new client today and went out to celebrate. She said he is so drunk he can't even walk. I don't understand it. He told me he rarely drinks and he almost never does when we are together." Charles added helpfully, "Then he probably got drunk without meaning to. He's not used to the effects of alcohol and a few drinks were too much for him." "Perhaps you're right. He was supposed to come with us to see our grandfather tomorrow. Papa will be so disappointed." "Oh Lizzy, I forgot to tell you. Dad called this morning and said he was going to come with us. That might make up for George's absence. And I'm sure George will try to come next week since he's missing this one." "You're probably right. If you guys will excuse me, I think I'm going to go to my room and read." "Sure honey. Goodnight." "Goodnight Charles." "Goodnight Lizzy. See you tomorrow. I think I'd like to go home now Jane. Will you drive me or should I take your car and bring it back in the morning." "I'll take you sweetie. I'm not ready to say goodnight to you yet." "Good. I was hoping you'd say that." Charles and Jane left hand-in-hand and Lizzy went to her room. She changed into her sweats and picked up the book she was reading. A couple hours later she fell asleep having not read one page. Her thoughts were full of William and George.

Hey, why did my post come up all in italics?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh, that was nice...I thought that you had gone away for a longer time than planned. It's been so quiet here, and soon everybody will be away on holiday...well, I will at least!! In two weeks' time I'm off to "our" island! Nice to see you back!!

Btw only "to be continued" was in italics on my screen!!

Hmm, that's strange. Both my PC at home and at work show my entire post in italics. How does that happen? I'll never understand this technical stuff! Yes it sure is quiet around here. Teg - WHERE ARE YOU??? I'm away again the first week of July and again the last week - yeah summer!!!

Okay, okay!! Here I am! :) Hanne pestered me on icq so here's one (and soon to be two) to keep you lot sated. Heh! (I should know better. 'Droolers' are never sated.) :p Chapter Seventeen Ben waited in his car just down the street from Brenda�s house. From here he could see the front door. There was a car parked in the driveway, and he knew it was her father-in-law�s. Most Sundays Ian�s parents came to take their grandchildren to church, while Brenda would alternate between accompanying them, and going to the service in the church around the corner. Ben hoped that this was the Sunday she wouldn�t be going with them. It had been late when he had left Pemberley, and far too late to be calling on Brenda when he had finally pulled into the city. He had used that time on the motorway to collect his thoughts, determine a course of action, and marvel at how his mother had commanded him to go. In between all of those thoughts, the image of his father laying back in his chair, gripped with pain, kept intruding. Ben had never felt so terrified in his life. Afraid that his father was dying before his eyes, all of his selfish thoughts had fled. He knew he couldn�t go to New York. There was no way that he would leave his father now. A sudden opening of the door drew Ben�s attention to the front of Brenda�s house. A man and woman appeared, taking the stone path toward the parked car. Kevin ran out of the house and made it to the car first, pulling open the door and hopping into the backseat. Then Brenda was there, Sarah holding her hand. Brenda walked her daughter to the car and settled her into the seat beside her brother. Ben held his breath, waiting to see if she was going to join her children in the back of the car. Brenda stood up and pushed the door closed. The car began to back out of the driveway, the two children waving to their mother. Brenda smiled and waved back until the car was out of sight, then the smile faded from her lips. Head downcast, she picked her way back along the walk to the front door. Ben waited until the door had closed before he made his move. *** Brenda gathered up the coffee cups and took them to the kitchen. As she put the cream away in the refrigerator, her eyes caught the calendar fixed to the door with a couple of magnets. Two dates of significance sprang to mind. Tuesday will be one year since Ian died and tomorrow will be eight weeks since I last spoke with Ben. �Oh, stop it!� she said, irritated with herself. �Just stop it!� Closing the door a little more forcefully than necessary, she leaned her back against it and lowered her head to stare at her feet. Brenda stood like that for several minutes, until the persistent knock at the front door brought her back to the present. �Oh who could that be?� she grumbled. �It�s Sunday morning for goodness sake!� Shaking her head, Brenda pulled open the door. At first she saw nothing, and frowned, thinking someone was playing tricks. Then she looked down. �Ben!� He was on his knees, head bowed. Without looking up, he said, �I�m so sorry, Brenda. I was thinking only of myself. I hurt you, Kevin and Sarah, and it was inexcusable. Is it too late to beg you to forgive me? Please say it�s not too late.� Brenda stared at the top of his head. Ben had never raised his eyes to meet hers, he continued to focus on her feet. �Ben,� she said again. �Oh, come in the house!� He scrambled to his feet and followed her through the door and into the front room. Taking a seat on the sofa facing her favourite chair, Ben wasted no time repeating his earlier apology. �I love you so much, Brenda, but I handled everything so badly. You were so right in telling me that I needed to grow up. I hope that I have. It�s certain that my feelings haven�t changed, and perhaps have grown stronger in light of what I fear I�ve lost.� He met her eyes for the first time, trying to read what was reflected in their depths. �I should never have brought Kevin and Sarah into our dispute. I love your children as much as I love you, and hate myself for hurting them.� Brenda was silent for several minutes. Ben grew anxious as he restrained himself from pressuring her to reply. Finally she took a breath and spoke. �I must admit that when you used my children to try and work your way back into my life I was more than angry. You had promised me in the beginning that nothing like that would ever happen, that my children would never become pawns on your gameboard. I could forgive you just about anything, but.....� She bit her lip, searching for the right words. �Both Kevin and Sarah have been heartbroken at your absence. Kevin more than his sister, and he has been quite difficult to live with.� Once again Brenda paused, her gaze flitting about the room, unwilling to meet Ben�s eyes. �This Tuesday will mark one year since Ian died. When they came and told me he�d been killed in an accident at the factory, I thought my life was over. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that my two children were depending on me to get them through the heartache of our loss. Somehow I found the strength I needed to be there for them. Life got easier as time passed, and I fell into the routine of work, home and sleep. I kept going because there was no other option. �Then you showed up. You made me laugh when I thought I didn�t know how anymore. I felt as if I had woken up after a long sleep, and to see Kevin and Sarah laughing as well brought more joy to me than you can ever know. I wasn�t sure if what I was doing was right. You are so very much younger than I am, and have seen so little of what the world has to offer. I was selfish, too, Ben. I wanted to hang onto you. I didn�t want to share you with anyone, with anything. I played along with your game of secrecy because it was to my advantage, not yours. You were merely afraid of your parent�s disapproval of our relationship. I was afraid you�d realize I wasn�t what you wanted, or needed.� Brenda moved to sit next to him on the sofa. Ben took her hand in his and held on. �I don�t want to lose you, Ben. But neither do I want to hold onto you against your will.� �I�m hardly here against my will, Brenda.� Ben glanced down at their joined hands, then looked into her eyes. �I have a confession to make, though.� �A confession?� Ben nodded. �I wasn�t planning on coming here today. I went home yesterday to tell my parents that I would be leaving for New York following my exams. Another example of my self-centred thinking. I just assumed you would never forgive me, that you wanted nothing more to do with me. So, I made arrangements with my uncle to find myself a job and that would be that! I was all ready to pack up and leave the country, leave my family, friends and... you.� Brenda�s voice trembled slightly as she asked, �What made you change your mind about coming here?� �My mother.� �Your mother?� she said incredulously. Brenda thought back to the tight-lipped woman who had sat on this very sofa less than a week ago. Hardly my staunchest ally! �Believe me, I was surprised by her suggestion myself. Ha, suggestion! She ordered me to come here.� He brought Brenda�s hand up to press it against his lips. �My mother rules the roost at home. She is a force to be reckoned with, and not one that I have ever dared to cross. I am eternally grateful for her iron fist, for she has forced me to see myself in a different light, the way others see me. I didn�t like the picture.� �But I still don�t understand why your mother would send you back to me. I didn�t think she was very impressed when she was here last week.� �She said you were miserable without me, and told me to come and beg you to forgive me.� With those words, Ben moved to kneel on the floor at Brenda�s side. �I�m begging you, Brenda. Please forgive me.� *** �Don�t move.� Elizabeth placed a hand on her husband�s chest and pushed him back to a reclining position. �Stay very, very still.� She slowly reached her hand across him and WHAM!! �Got it!� She smiled in satisfaction as she flicked the bug away with a finger. �Now, what were you saying?� Will shook his head, amused. �I was about to ask you why you thought Ben would be returning today? He left only last night. I should think if Brenda was willing to forgive him that he�d be remaining in Cambridge for a while at least.� Elizabeth chuckled. �If she�ll forgive him? Of course she will. And then Ben will want to bring her here right away, so that everyone can meet her now that it�s pretty much out in the open.� �If you know our son�s mind so well, why didn�t you do something about this weeks ago?� Frowning, his wife handed him a cup of tea. �It�s not that I know his mind, but I wasn�t in possession of all of the facts, earlier.� She caught Will�s smile before the teacup obscured it. �You�re laughing at me! Stop it, or I�ll be tempted to do something I shouldn�t.� Will�s eyebrows rose in invitation. His wife leaned forward and, with her lips close to his, whispered softly, �Now, you wouldn�t want me to do something I shouldn�t, would you?� He brought his arms up to encompass her waist, nuzzling just behind her ear. Rebecca suddenly appeared at the open french doors leading back into the house. �May we join you out here?� She gestured behind her to Kathleen. Elizabeth straightened up in her chair. �Certainly! Bring your breakfasts out and keep us company.� She cast an apologetic look at Will, who sighed regretfully. The girls disappeared back inside and returned a few moments later with their plates. �It�s a bit early for you two to be up, isn�t it?� Elizabeth asked. �Not for me,� Rebecca pointed out. �Actually it�s a bit late for me, but I thought I�d skip the early lesson this morning.� She looked behind her at the view of the lake. �It�s nice out here. Why haven�t we eaten out here before?� Will glanced at Elizabeth. �We do regularly, Rebecca. At least, weather permitting. We have done so for many years.� �At least twenty-one,� Elizabeth added, smiling warmly at her husband. �I think we�re intruding,� Kathleen said quietly. �Not in the least!� her mother quickly replied. �It�s nice to have you girls join us this morning. I think Rebecca has a point, though. Perhaps all of us should eat out here once in a while.� Will raised an eyebrow in her direction, years of quiet, intimate breakfasts together uppermost in his mind. �If that is what you would like, my dear, I�m sure we can arrange it.� �I did say once in a while,� Elizabeth said with the sort of smile she reserved especially for him. Somehow, Will couldn�t imagine breakfast out here being quite as relaxing once Rich and Aaron were added to the picture. �Special occasions, then?� he ventured doubtfully. �Birthdays!� added Kathleen, fully aware that only she and Ben were lucky enough to have birthdays during tolerable weather. Elizabeth laughed. �Birthdays it is! Ben�s is coming up in a few weeks. I think we should plan something for then. We may have a few things to celebrate by that time.� Kathleen and Rebecca exchanged confused looks. �Your brother payed us a visit last night,� Will explained. �But, Elizabeth, do you really want a breakfast celebration? Dinner would be more appropriate I should think.� �Ben was here?� Kathleen squeaked. �Is he upstairs?� Elizabeth shook her head. �No, we sent him back to Cambridge last night.� �Oh, now I�m really confused,� Rebecca muttered. �What are we celebrating?� Elizabeth put her teacup down and patiently addressed her daughters. �Ben went back to Cambridge to see Brenda. I expect that he�ll return home with her today.� �Oh, we finally get to meet his girlfriend??� Kathleen�s smile lit up her face. �Don�t get excited yet,� Will cautioned. �Your mother may be getting ahead of herself, here.� �Nonsense,� Elizabeth countered. �They�ll be here. You�ll see.� Will wisely said no more on the subject, while the ladies began planning the afternoon. *** �When will the kids be back?� Ben asked. He took another bite of the crepes that Brenda had made for them. Neither had eaten any breakfast that morning. She glanced toward the clock on the wall. �Another hour I think. John and Marian were taking them out for lunch after church.� �I�d like to take all of you to Pemberley this afternoon, so the rest of my family can meet you.� �Today?� Brenda looked at him in surprise. �But it�s a long drive there and back. Do we have enough time to do it in one day?� �We can stay there tonight. Don�t worry about school and work. It won�t hurt the kids to miss one day, and you can call in sick or something.� Ben twined his fingers with hers. �Please?� Brenda hesitated only long enough to smile at him. �I�ll need to ring Andrea about the change in plans for tomorrow, then.� �Great!� �And you can help me pack up some clothes for Kevin and Sarah after we�ve finished eating.� Ben grinned. �Yes, Ma�am!� Less than an hour had passed when they heard a car pull into the drive. Brenda looked at Ben apprehensively. Ian�s parents knew nothing about him, and she was unsure of their reaction. The front door opened and Kevin rushed in. �Mum! Mum, I saw Ben�s car out front! Is he here?� The boy�s footsteps could be heard pounding through the downstairs rooms. Brenda came down, Ben behind her, just as John, Marian and Sarah entered the house. Kevin materialized through the doorway from the kitchen. �BEN!� he yelled, and launched himself toward the man. Ben caught the boy and lifted him up. �What have you been eating, Kevin? You must be twenty pounds heavier since I last saw you!� Kevin laughed. �Don�t stay away so long next time.� Sarah now came forward eagerly for her share of his attention. Ben lowered Kevin to the floor and knelt beside the little girl. �How�s my sweetheart?� he said, giving her a hug. �Have you been good for your mum?� �I missed you, Ben,� Sarah said. �Are you staying with us forever, now?� John cleared his throat loudly, startling Brenda. �Ben,� she said, drawing his attention to the couple still standing in the front entry. �This is John and Marian McIntyre. John... Marian..... this is Ben Darcy.� John grunted something that Ben assumed passed for a greeting. He extended his hand to the older man, but there was no response. Ben nodded his head toward Marian, who merely pursed her lips and remained silent. �Would you like to come in for some tea?� Brenda enquired tentatively. �No, thank you,� John replied abruptly. He cast a glance in Ben�s direction before turning to Brenda once more. �Perhaps a word with you......?� Ben caught his meaning. �Come on you two,� he said to the children. �Let�s go out in the back garden. It�s too nice a day to be inside.� They didn�t need to be asked twice. Kevin took one arm and Sarah the other, the two of them dragging Ben out the back door. Brenda led the way into the front room, her mind devising and discarding ways to broach the subject with her late husband�s parents. All three were silent for a moment after sitting down. Then John spoke up. �Are we to assume that you have become involved with this Ben person?� Brenda frowned. �I mean no disrespect, John, but could you please refrain from referring to him as �this Ben person�? I know this is a difficult matter for you to discuss, but eventually I was going to become involved with someone.� �Ian hasn�t been gone a year, yet!� Marian spat out. �And here you are, flaunting your affair in our faces!� �I am not flaunting anything!� Brenda cried. �Ben showed up unexpectedly this morning. He�s not been around for quite a while.� �So we gathered from Kevin�s little speech.� John remarked sharply. �Is this good for the children, this man popping in and out of their lives like this?� Brenda narrowed her gaze. �I�ll thank you to remember that they are my children and I do know what�s best for them.� Marian suddenly rose from her seat. �Come along, John. I can see she�s not willing to listen to common sense.� She turned to her daughter-in-law. �It�s obvious where your priorities lay. He�s a very attractive young man but sex isn�t everything, Brenda. He�s just a youngster and sooner or later he�s going to come to the conclusion that an older woman with a couple of kids is hampering his lifestyle. Do yourself, and the children, a favour and send him on his way before it goes too far.� She marched out of the room without waiting for a reply. John stood up and followed her out, without another word to Brenda. She sat silently fuming until the sound of the back door opening and closing brought her attention back to the present. �Brenda?� Ben�s voice was very quiet. �Are you alright?� Sighing heavily, she turned to look up into his concerned face. �I�m fine. I suppose it could have gone better, but I have to remember that this is a very emotional time for John and Marian. That�s the only reason I�ll excuse them for their rude and insulting remarks.� She wearily dropped her face into her hands. �They don�t seem to realize that whatever my involvement is with you, I am still hurting over Ian�s death, and the memories are just as painful for me with the anniversary of his death so close.� Ben knelt down beside her and placed a gentle hand on her knee. �Would you rather we put off going to Pemberley for a while?� Brenda sniffled and met his gaze bravely. �No. Let�s leave now. I want to meet your sisters and brother. I want to feel a part of your family at last.� Smiling, and eyes shining, Ben disappeared through the kitchen to call Kevin and Sarah in from the garden. Within minutes all four of them were tucked into Ben�s car and on the road to Derbyshire. *** to be continued....

Hey Teg! Welcome back and thanks for the nice long post. Hooray for Ben! Here's some more to keep the fans happy: The Wedding Singer Chapter 9 After a restless night, Lizzy rose early feeling not at all refreshed. In an attempt to wake up, she took a brisk walk, which helped somewhat, and relied on caffeine to do the rest. Jane entered the kitchen and found her sister sipping coffee, staring off into space. "Good morning dear sister!" Jane was altogether too bright and cheerful for Lizzy's mood. Lizzy looked up with bleary eyes and noticed her sister was wearing the same clothes she had on the night before. "Are you just getting home? And why are you so danged cheerful?" "Oh Lizzy, I have wonderful news!" Jane dropped into the chair opposite Lizzy and smiled broadly. "Charles asked me to marry him last night!" Lizzy jumped up and grabbed her sister in a bear hug. "Jane, congratulations! I am so happy for you! Tell me everything!" This news revived Lizzy more effectively than did exercise or artificial stimulants. She poured Jane a cup of coffee and sat back down to hear the details. "He is so wonderful Lizzy! I am so happy! When I drove Charles home last night, we didn't speak the whole way but he kept looking at me in a funny manner. I must have asked him a dozen times what was wrong but he just shook his head and didn't say anything. I finally gave up, thinking he was just still upset about Caroline. When we got to his house he led me to the family room, sat me on the couch and knelt in front of me. He took my hands in his and said that he realized today, meaning yesterday of course, how much he needed me. He said it meant a lot that I was there for him and that my kindness helped him get through the pain and embarrassment of what happened. He said I gave him hope and made him feel much better. He said he wanted me to always be there to share the good times with him and to help him through the bad. He said he loves me more than life itself and asked me to be his wife. Oh Lizzy, I was so surprised and happy! Of course I said yes and then I attacked him! He carried me to his room and w made love all night long!" "You SLEPT with him?" Lizzy couldn't believe her sister. "Of course Lizzy. It wasn't the first time. We've been intimate since our 5th or 6th date. Why are you so shocked? Haven't you and George been..." "NO, OF COURSE NOT!!" Lizzy shouted. Forcing herself to calm down she added, "I'm waiting until I'm married. Mama always drilled that into our heads didn't she?" "Lizzy, you never listened to Mother on anything! Why this? Do you really feel that strongly about it? Are you still a virgin? I must say I am surprised, in this day and age! I certainly don't sleep around but Charles was not the first. I love Charles too dearly and desire him too greatly to deny ourselves this pleasure." Jane had a note of defensiveness in her voice. Lizzy was suddenly embarrassed. "Jane, I am not passing judgment on you. If this is what is right for you, then I have no wish to make you uncomfortable about it. I was just surprised, that's all. You're right, I never did take too much of what Mama said to heart. I had a bad experience with a boy in high school and I think that is what caused me to believe I should wait until marriage. Anyway, enough about me, congratulations to you and Charles. I know you will be very happy together. Have you set a date yet?" "No, we didn't want to interfere with your wedding plans so we're going to wait until spring. We thought we'd announce our engagement at dinner today and then discuss possible dates with Mother and Dad." Their plans for the day included Sunday dinner with their family after visiting their grandfather. "Are you going to tell Papa this morning?" Lizzy inquired. "Yes, which means Dad will get the news before the rest of the family as he is coming with us. In fact, I better go take a shower and get ready. He and Charles will be here in less than a half-hour." ********** Lizzy and Jane thought Papa hadn't looked very well today. Papa had requested some private time with their father so they went for a walk and discussed it. "Do you thing there is something wrong with him?" Jane asked, concerned. Charles held her hand in sympathy for her distress. He wanted to show his support as she had for him the day before. "I don't know. I wonder what he wanted to discuss so secretly with Dad. It's giving me a bad feeling." Lizzy replied. "I'm sure he'll be fine," assured Charles. "After all the man is 80 years old. He's entitled to a bad day now and then." "Maybe you're right." Jane wanted to believe Charles but couldn't help feeling uneasy. "At least we were able to bring him some cheer with our good news." She tightened her grip on Charles' hand and smiled at him. Lizzy remained thoughtful as they walked back to the car. ********** Sunday dinner was a hectic affair at the Bennet house. Not only were the seven members of the family always in attendance, but there were usually several more friends and relatives present. In addition to Charles, this Sunday's guests included Mr. Bennet's sister and brother-in-law, the Phillipses, and a college friend of Mary's. Food was plentiful and various conversations could be heard all around the table. "How was my father today dear?" asked Mrs. Bennet of her husband. She was too busy with dinner preparations on Sundays to join her daughters' visits with her father. "He seemed a little under the weather today I thought," Mr. Bennet replied. A pained look passed his countenance so quickly that no one at the table noticed. He had some dreadful news to share with his family but would do it later in privacy. "The dear man tries to do too much for his age. I must go visit him this week and see if he needs anything." "Yes, do that Fran. I know he would like to see you." Mr. Bennet quickly changed the topic of conversation to something else. When the main meal was finished and dessert and coffee served, Charles stood up. All conversation ceased as he cleared his throat. "I have an announcement to make. Last night I asked the beautiful Jane Bennet to be my wife and she accepted, making me the happiest man on earth!" Pandemonium broke out as all rushed to congratulate the couple. Charles beamed and Jane cried, as did her mother. Lizzy watched the blissful couple with happiness and a little envy. George was rarely at her side for these family gatherings and she wished he were there to share her joy. She hoped his hangover hadn't been too awful. She would call him later to see how he is feeling and relate the good news. She was positive that once they were married, he would make more of an effort to spend time with her family. ********** Summer was a good time of year for the Bennet family. Since all except Mrs. Bennet were either attending or working at a school, they all shared the good fortune of having a nice long summer holiday. The band engagements provided the girls with a good income while leaving them with lots of free time. After dinner all the company left except for Mary's friend Amy who was spending three weeks with the Bennet family before flying home to Oklahoma. Charles had gone to his sister Louisa's house to see if Caroline had appeared and to share the news of his engagement. Jane had offered to go with him, but he felt Louisa might want some private time to discuss yesterday's debacle. Jane was not unhappy to spend her afternoon lazing by the pool at her parents' home with her sisters. Charles would return for her later. The six girls chatted happily about their summer plans. The band was engaged at least one day every weekend during July and August, but they had all of their weekdays free except for a gig coming up on Friday at the Meryton July 4th Carnival. Lizzy would spend much of her summer on wedding arrangements and Jane was most eager to help as she could get ideas for her own wedding at the same time. Mary was looking forward to spending lots of time at the Meryton Public Library and Kitty had plans to visit several of her college friends. Lydia had no fixed plans and would go wherever a good time was to be found. Lizzy was concerned that Lydia's idea of a good time would include questionable (and possibly illegal) behavior and resolved to include her sister in activities whenever possible. Tom Bennet was struggling with the news his father-in-law had shared with him that morning. He would have to tell his family but didn't know when to do so. He had waited until after Jane make her happy announcement at dinner and then for the guests to leave, but now the laughter coming from the backyard made him reluctant to spoil his daughters' enjoyment. Well it couldn't be helped. He would have to break the news today. Edward felt that he would not live more than another week or two and Tom wanted his family to have time to accept the inevitable and spend time with their grandfather while he was still lucid. He knew his girls, especially Lizzy and Jane, would want to be with their Papa as much as possible until the end. Edward had also informed him of the contents of his will and that was weighing heavily on Tom's mind as well. After his amazement at the size of his father-in-law's legacy had subsided, he realized trouble would be ahead. While he was very happy for Lizzy and Jane, and knew they deserved heir grandfather's largesse, he was concerned about the reaction of his wife and younger daughters. And he was afraid that Lizzy and Jane would feel guilty when they had no cause to. Tom hoped that Edward's videotape would explain his reasons sufficiently for the method of distribution of his wealth to calm everyone's emotions. Tom feared this would be a very trying summer. ************************* Chapter 10 Rick was tired of William's moping about. He'd come to spend a month with his cousin and was not having fun. He and Georgie tried everything to improve William's mood to no avail. Well today was the 4th of July and he and Georgie were going to enjoy the town's celebration, William or no William. They had arranged to meet Charles near the bandstand since the Bennet Sisters were playing at the event. Even though it was only 6 o'clock in the evening, William was already well on his way to being drunk. He had sunk into a deep depression after his failed wedding, which only got worse as the week went by. While not usually much of a drinker, he could no longer stand the pain of loneliness that wracked his body every second of the day and night and was attempting to numb it a little by emptying a bottle of the finest french brandy. Rick burst into his cousin's office. "William, this has gone on long enough. You have to come out of this room. Georgiana and I are going to the 4th of July carnival and we would like you to come with us." William looked up at him and smiled goofily. "Hey there, cuz. 4th of July? Carnival? Sure, let's go." He stood a bit unsteadily and wove his way to the door. Rick looked at him in amazement. His cousin was drunk! Rick never thought he would see this day. Fortunately William was a happy drunk and Rick was almost relieved at this change of attitude even though it was artificially induced. If William didn't get any more to drink maybe he'd sober up a bit and enjoy himself. They met Georgiana by the front door. "Oh William, I am so glad you decided to come with us. It will be fun," she said happily until she saw her brother stumble and giggle. A look of astonishment came over her face. Rick took William's arm and led him out the door. "He's had a little bit to drink. Don't worry, it will do him good to get out and get some fresh air. And it's better than letting him stay here to drink more. I'll take care of him." Georgiana nodded mutely and followed them outside. The chauffeur opened the car doors for them and they settled into the back of the limousine. Since a large crowd was expected at the carnival, they had decided not to drive themselves and have to search for a place to park. This way they could be dropped off near the town common and call on the cell phone when they were ready to be picked up. Rick's family did not have nearly as much money as the Darcys did and he enjoyed these little niceties that came along with wealth. "Hey cuz, open the bar and gimme some whiskey," slurred William. When Rick ignored his request, William took out the bottle himself. Georgiana went to stop him, but Rick laid a hand on her arm. "Let him be." He'd had enough experience with drunks to know how to handle this one. William attempted to pour himself a drink but spilled it all over the counter. Rick calmly wiped it up with some paper towels. William tried again and spilled some more. Rick cleaned it up. Then the motion of the car made William feel queasy. He put down the bottle and collapsed on the seat groaning softly. Rick smiled at Georgiana's grimace. "Don't worry, once we get outside he'll be OK. We're almost there." He corked the whiskey bottle and returned it to the liquor cabinet and put the unused but dirty glass in the sink. By the time he was finished, the car had stopped at the carnival and Rick helped William get out. The crowd was already large as the carnival had started hours ago. The afternoon had been devoted to family activities - games and a picnic - and the evening events were now beginning. The Bennet Sisters were setting up in the bandstand and carnival rides had started to operate. A large area by the bandstand had been roped off for dancing and a huge fireworks display was set to go off at 10:00. Rick noticed Charles waving at them and he waved back. It took a few minutes to navigate through the crowd to the bandstand, mostly because William could hardly walk. "Chuckie!" yelled William when they reached their goal. "How's it hangin'?" Charles grimaced at the sound of his nickname. William gave his friend a big bear hug and almost pulled him to the ground. Rick went over to help Charles steady him. "Hey Chuckie, congrats on your engagement! You're gettin' a great girl there. Jane is a great girl. She's Lizzy's sister ya know. Hey there's Lizzy! Hi Lizzy!" Lizzy heard her name being shouted and looked in the direction of its origin. She was surprised to see William smiling broadly and waving at her enthusiastically. She waved back and continued with her preparations. William started to walk (rather, stumble) in her direction but was stopped by Rick and Charles. "Lizzy. I wanna go say hi to Lizzy," William whined. "She'll come over when she's ready," said Rick. "Let her get set up first. Don't bother her." William plunked himself on the ground, pouting. Georgiana sat down next to him and rubbed his back soothingly. "Wow!" Charles remarked in surprise. "He is drunk! I've never seen William drunk before. Not even in college." "I know," Rick agreed. "Fortunately he's happy at the moment. It's the first time I've seen him so since the wedding. Speaking of which, have you seen Caroline?" Charles winced. "No, it seems she has taken off to Europe. I think she's hiding from everyone. But she does talk to Louisa. I found out that she went back and apologized to William." Rick looked at him in surprise. "She did? William never said a word about it. Of course, he hasn't said much of anything to anyone all week. He's been holed up in his office and Georgiana has been out of her mind with worry. I was determined to drag him here with us tonight but found him drunk and very willing to come. Although I am a little afraid of what he'll be like once the alcohol wears off." Lizzy and Jane came over to say hello to their friends. Charles took Jane in his arms and gave her a big kiss. "I wish you didn't have to play tonight. I'd like to ride the Ferris wheel with you and dance too." She smiled at him lovingly. "We're going to have a couple of breaks so we can take in a ride or two. I'm afraid we'll have to dance some other time though unless Lizzy will sing for us!" Lizzy smiled at them. "No way! I'm gonna ride the Zipper. Any of you guys game to ride with me?" "Count me in," said Georgiana. "How about you Rick?" "Not me. I get sick on that stuff. I'll baby sit the big guy here." He motioned to William who was peering up at them with a dazed and confused look on his face. "Lizzy? That you Lizzy?" William tried to stand up but fell back down. Rick and Charles put out their hands to help him. Lizzy looked at them questioningly. "He's drowning his sorrows today," explained Rick. "He's not one for the booze and I'm afraid he's been a bit affected by it." Seems to be contagious these days, Lizzy thought. Once William was able to stand by himself, he toddled over to Charles and Jane and put his arms around both of them. "So happy for you guys," he slurred. "I know you'll be happy. Better'en me and Caroline." Lizzy thought her heart would break hearing his words. She had thought of him often during the week and picked up the phone to call him several times but felt it wasn't her place to interfere. She felt so sorry for him. No wonder he was trying to drown his sorrows. William then turned his attention to Lizzy. "Hey Lizzy. Where's Georgie boy? Couldn't make it again? If I was your boyfriend I woddit let you out of my sight for a minnit." He stumbled over to give her a hug but fell down. He laid on the ground and laughed uproariously. Lizzy turned away, red with embarrassment. It was such a pitiful sight. And the comment about George hurt. He had a business trip to Las Vegas and decided to leave early to spend the weekend there. He said he wanted to take in some shows and see the sights as he had never been there before (should we doubt his word, dear reader?). Lizzy was hurt that he once again would be gone for the weekend, and a holiday weekend at that. Truthfully she was getting tired of his excuses. They would have to have a serious talk when he returned. "Well we better get ready to begin," Jane said hurriedly, taking Lizzy by the arm. She blew Charles a kiss and led her sister to the bandstand. "I wanna ride the Ferris wheel," William shouted suddenly, still flat on his back. Rick sat down beside him and put a hand on his chest to keep him from trying to get up again. "Hey William. Lizzy's band is going to play in a minute. Let's stay and listen." "Lizzy's band. Wanna hear Lizzy. Hear Lizzy sing. Lizzy sings like an angel." William smiled and closed his eyes. In a minute he was asleep (or, I should say, passed out). "It's going to be a long night," Rick mumbled. ********** It was amazing that William could sleep for two hours with the crowd milling all around him. Once someone even spilled a drink on his leg but all he did was moan and turn over. Rick and Charles took turns sitting with him and taking Georgiana on the rides (well they watched as she rode). When William finally opened his eyes, the band was on a break so Rick was tending him as Charles was with Jane and Georgiana had gone off with Lizzy, Kitty and Lydia to ride the Zipper. "Oh," he moaned. "Where am I?" "Hey William. We're at the carnival." "Carnival? Oh, my head. Oh, I think I'm going to be sick." Rick pulled William up and hurried him to some bushes at the edge of the common. There were no people in this area and it beginning to get dark so William was able to be sick in relative privacy. "I don't feel so good Rick," he moaned. "How much did I drink?" "I have no idea cousin. Enough, I dare say. Let's go sit back down and I'll get you a cold drink and something to eat. And some aspirin." Rick had the foresight to bring some with him. "Can't we just go home?" "No. We are staying for the fireworks. You've been a jerk all week and you're not going to spoil Georgie's time tonight. She is having fun." "Georgie is with us? Where is she?" "She's taking in some rides with Lizzy and her sisters." "Elizabeth? She's here too? Oh, my head hurts!" "You don't remember do you. Yes Lizzy is here. Her band is playing but they're on a break right now. Here we are. Sit down and I'll get you fixed up. Then you can enjoy the music and let Georgie have her good time. You owe it to her." "OK, Rick." William sat down, resting his head on his knees. Rick was soon back with a drink and pizza. Once William had four aspirin and some food inside of him, he began to feel a bit better. The band was back preparing for their next set and Lizzy looked their way. She had noticed earlier that William was comatose and was glad to see him looking somewhat revived. She gave a little wave and he returned it weakly. She wondered if he remembered his earlier actions. She hoped not. The blare of the music didn't help William's headache much but he liked listening to the Bennet Sisters sing. He thought they were truly talented. Especially Elizabeth, with her sweet alto voice. He closed his eyes and let the music envelop him. A short time later a song Lizzy was singing made him sit up and pay close attention. Oh what a night! Late that spring break back in '93. What a very special time for me As I remember what a night. Oh what a night! You know I didn't even know his name But I was never going to be the same. What a fella, what a night. Oh I, I got a funny feeling When he walked in the room. And I, as I recall it ended Much too soon. Oh what a night! Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me He was everything I dreamed he'd be Sweet surrender, what a night. I got a rush like a rolling ball of thunder Spinning my head around and Takin' my body under. Oh what a night! Oh what a night! Why'd it take so long to see the light? Seemed so wrong but now it seems so right. What a fella, what a night.* At that moment William knew. Lizzy was the girl he had met in Florida. He put his head down into his arms and sobbed. If only he had known sooner. Even though he hardly knew her, he had always felt that his lady in red (which was how he always thought of her) would be perfect for him. It was love at first sight. He had been desperate to discover who she was all those years ago. He had tried to find out at the nightclub but no one he questioned knew her. He never did know why she ran away. But now he knew who she was and what did that get him? She's engaged to someone else. William felt Rick pat him on the back as he continued to sob. He knew Rick was thinking he was crying over Caroline but Caroline was history. Now that he knew who his lady in red was, he was totally over Caroline. Now if only he could do something about George... *Lizzy's version of "Oh, What a Night! (December 1963)" by Frankie Vallee and the Four Seasons *************************

Hehe...it worked...yippeeee, thank you, Teg!

Gail!!! Teg!!! Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! Ben got back with Brenda! William found his Lizzy in red! Yes! I seem to remember Esbee promising us a story... hmm? See you Wednesday night, Teg!

NO NEED TO WHISPER, DANI!! SO DO I!! *envious glare*

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to drop a note thanking everyone for their e-mails and posts of concern. I've had some hard decisions to make in the last few weeks, and I've basically decided not to continue with all the drugs, etc. However, there is a clinical drug study starting in the fall that I might be a part of. My doctor in Birmingham wants me to do it . . . The upshot is that we first knew something was wrong when I started going through menopause at 17. Finally, only a few years ago, a specialist in Birmingham (I'm in Huntsville, AL) found out the problem. They did a genetic study and found that I've got genetic problems that have given me a pretty destructive endocrine system. Destructive, that is, to other organs like the liver and heart, etc. We've tried to get things under control for about three years now, and that puts us where we are now. With the problem I have, I'm not expected to live to be old (I'm 32 now). We were stretching things out to 45 or 50 with aggressive treatment, but by not continuing, we don't know what is going to happen, or when. But you know how it goes. It's a guessing game, and the doctor is guessing. Let's just say I haven't dived into my 401K account yet . . . BUT, I wanted to thank everyone at Drool for their concern. Especially the person who sent me the e-card of CF (there was no return e-mail address). Irene

Irene, my prayers are with you. Have you tried a holistic doctor? There is a book called, "My Beautiful Life, How Macrobiotics brought me from Cancer to Radiant Health", by Milenka Dobic. She was in the fourth stage of cancer with just months left to live and it is amazing what changing her diet was able to do.

Very sorry to hear of your problems, Irene. My wishes and hopes are that something will be found to be effective for you. Good luck.

Yessssss, what a treat, two fictional works to enjoy all in the same day! Thanks Teg and Gail. Irene, I've enjoyed you through your writing so much. I'm very sorry to hear of your illness. Please take care of yourself. It sounds like you are. I'm sure you're getting tired of people's medical advice, but I do have some information to share. I hope you don't mind this from a stranger? I'm healthy, but I live with the possibility of being declared "terminal" (I'm just turned thirty), and if that were ever to happen, I would contact Carolyn Myss (the author of Anatomy of Healing) who is a medical intuitive and can diagnose illness and treatment along the lines of Edgar Cayce. I understand that she lives in Chicago. I have pretty much walked away from the medical model of healing, myself, towards a more holistic and spiritual approach. As others on the board have said, my prayers are with you.

Irene, with today's good news on the gene mapping project, we can only hope that something will be discovered in the next few years to extend your life expectancy. I cannot imagine what you are going through but I admire your courage in sharing something so personal with us. I add my thoughts and prayers to everyone else's.

Folks, Thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers. I appreciate them very much. I will also be looking into the alternatives suggested in the posts. HOWEVER, Chapter 35 of "Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose" is available, and will be posted next. But it's been a long, long time, and for those who need a refresher of the story line, the whole thing is at http://home.hiwaay.net/~icappleg/Darcy/darcy.html (Does three in one day mean SadieR is going to flip out?) Irene

Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose, Chapter 35 Darcy stared at the clouds overhead, flat on his back in the middle of the road. It was just too much. First, the funeral. Then the night after the funeral . . . he still wasn't sure he saw what he thought he did, although there was no explanation he could give himself. Then Mrs. Wickham . . . although she kept to her room most of the time, whenever he saw her, he felt an angry chill overtake him, and he knew it showed fully on his face. He couldn't even bring himself to speak to her, although she instinctively shied away from him and didn't attempt a conversation with him either. Then three weeks of being in the same house with Mrs. Bennett. Mrs. Bennett, the morning after the funeral, apparently decided she wasn't getting enough attention from Mr. Bennett and the servants, so she took up residence at Netherfield, "to take care of my poor, dear Jane," as she put it. In actuality, she spent all her time making unreasonable demands of the staff, monopolizing everybody's attention, and constantly trying to flatter Darcy by making constant references to his wealth. Annoyed, Darcy ignored her as much as he could. But this morning, he just had to get away. He couldn't handle any more. And now the damn horse had thrown him. The horse, having a deep personality conflict with its rider, seemed to bide its time until its master's attention lapsed. Then it bucked forward forcefully, ejecting its burden without ceremony. *** We must get away from here. As soon as possible. Now. *** Darcy raised his head, and met the horse's eyes. The horse regarded him coolly. *** Maybe not now. *** Darcy let his head drop back to the ground. *** In a few minutes. But soon. *** Elizabeth met Darcy as she saw him coming across the field, walking in front of his horse holding the reins. As usual, Darcy didn't have much to say, which bothered Elizabeth to no end, but she was determined to be patient with him. It was difficult; she needed him for support, especially with Mrs. Bennett around, but he just shut down on her as he always did. Probably another result of Mrs. Bennett's company. When Elizabeth wordlessly reached out to take Darcy's hand, he stopped. "Elizabeth . . ." He didn't know how to broach the subject. But Elizabeth somehow knew what he was thinking. She felt the same way. Instead of torturing him by making him express his feelings, she gave his hand a squeeze and stared walking again. "You know, Will," Elizabeth interrupted. "Jane and Charles are doing much better, very well indeed, considering the circumstances. And they have mother to take care of them . . ." Elizabeth almost choked, trying to say the words about her mother seriously. But she pressed on. "I think -- if it's convenient -- I'd like to leave for Pemberley." Darcy followed next to his wife silently. Glancing over, she found his expression unreadable. "And it must be really difficult to handle all of Pemberley's business through the post as you have been all the time we've been here," Elizabeth rambled on. "I know Jane and Charles will agree that you have business at Pemberley, and . . ." she ran out of reasons why they should leave. And she still hadn't gotten to the truth. Darcy stopped and looked down at her. "Aaaaaand?" Darcy stretched out the word, as if he were adding a comma at the end of Elizabeth's last sentence in place of the period. "And," Elizabeth sighed. "I fear my mother is severely taxing my sanity." "Really?" Darcy raised his eyebrow. "Such a pleasant woman! Are you entirely positive?" Elizabeth didn't look amused. "Very well," he continued. "We shall leave tomorrow, if possible." As they reached the house, however, a hysterical servant who had apparently been waiting at the door for the Darcys to return, ran toward them frantically. She was waving a piece of paper. "Mrs. Darcy," the servant panted as she reached them. "I was changing the linen in Mrs. Wickham's room, and I found this, and oh! I didn't know what to do . . . I didn't want to upset the Bingleys, and Mrs. Bennett . . . I just didn't know what else to do." Darcy took the paper from the servant and scanned its contents as the servant caught her breath. When he finished reading, he crumbled the paper in his fist and tipped his head back, staring at the sky. "Will, what is it? What is it?" Elizabeth was so startled and concerned she forgot that she called her husband "Will" in front of the servant. Darcy blew out a deep breath. "It seems, Mrs. Darcy, that Mrs. Wickham is feeling remorse for the events of three weeks ago, and decided last night to depart from our company. To travel to London, alone, in the hopes that her husband has his business affairs in order, and that she might rejoin him."

Oh Irene, thank you for sharing with us. As always my prayers are with you. And I'm glad to see this story back! You've brought me a little sunshine, I wish I could do so for you...

Thank you for sharing! I'm thinking of you! I'm glad that my CF card cheered you up a bit! It was not that I chose to be anonymous, but I suppose it just came out that way!! This is the first time I have had that experience!!

I have a lousy memory, Irene. The title I mentioned was Anatomy of the Spirit. Three postings! I'm on the other side of flipped!!! Or as Bridget might say, v.v.flipped, board's activity is bloody brilliant! :-) Now all that is needed is a snappie of you-know-who!

Actually, in this Sunday's paper (in the U.S.) there was a feature on Jennifer Ehle . . . did you know she is an American? Let's hear it for the Americans!

Yahoo Americans!!! Thanks Irene for another chapter of your always interesting story. We have missed it greatly. Which paper was the feature about JE in? I live in New England but if it was in Parade, we get that with the Boston Globe. I did not know that she is an American. Of course we can't take credit for CF but we can love him anyway!

Having Nothing, Nothing Can He Lose, Chapter 36 The ladies sat in the parlor near the library, sans Mrs. Bennett who had hysterically taken to her bed upon hearing of Lydia's unexpected departure. Jane, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Gardiner first tried to amuse themselves by reading aloud, but they knew they couldn't keep their minds on the book, and they were only fooling themselves to continue. So Jane held the book on her greatly expanded belly, but wasn't paying any attention to it. She stared out the window into the night. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner were making pillows, but every time they thought they heard a noise, they both made mistakes. It would all have to be taken out and done over anyway. Finally, they heard the library door jerk open, and all three ladies shot out of their chairs. Sewing and books fell to the floor, unnoticed. Darcy strode out, firmly closing the door behind him, and went outside. The three ladies stared at each other, shocked but terribly curious. Without a word, Elizabeth went outside to find Darcy. She couldn't find him. She stopped outside the door and looked around, but could not see him anywhere. Squaring her shoulders against the darkness, she was about to head away from the house, when she heard Darcy say her name. She spun around, and then saw him. He had his back against the side of the house, leaning against it, smoking. She knew that was a bad sign. Darcy hardly ever smoked, unless he was terribly upset or terribly bored. Both were very rare. But one look at his face told her that Darcy certainly wasn't bored: he had the same look of disgust, affront, and insult he had given her as she rejected his first proposal at Rosings so long ago. Elizabeth joined Darcy against the wall, and waited until he snuffed out the small cigar and threw it on the grass. "Want to tell me about it?" Elizabeth asked calmly but firmly. "No." "Tell me about it anyway." Darcy glanced at his wife, then glanced away. It was getting cold outside, but Elizabeth was obviously determined not to leave until she got what she wanted. "Your father and your uncle Gardiner were of a mind simply to send word to London confirming your sister's safe arrival, and that she is reunited with her husband. Bingley agreed. I alone had the contrary opinion. I believed -- believe -- that someone should go to London at once. Me, if necessary." Elizabeth pondered the information. "But, she has such a head start, no one will be able to overtake her. And once she is there . . ." "Once she is there," Darcy interrupted coldly. "She will look for her husband and not find him. She will have nowhere to go. No friends. No prospects. Nothing." Elizabeth hoped Darcy was only forecasting doom for Lydia because of his bad feelings toward her. But . . . he said it with entirely too much certainty, and not enough conjecture. "And how do you know this?" Elizabeth asked as a chill overtook her. Darcy took off his heavy overcoat and wordlessly handed it to his wife. She wasn't about to argue; she took it. He waited until she had wrapped herself in the much-too-large coat, and then he turned to her. "I know that because I have contacts in London who would occasionally send me word of Mr. Wickham. In time, he gambled and swindled his way out of . . ." Darcy stopped. There was no need to be so blunt with Elizabeth. He paused and started over. "In time, Mr. Wickham put his business affairs in order, and left the country. To Scotland." Darcy paused. "With another woman." When Darcy heard Elizabeth suck in her breath sharply in shock, he regretted mentioning Mr. Wickham's infidelity. "When?" Elizabeth finally croaked. "Wickham left the country about three months ago. As Mrs. Wickham was taken care of, and with her parents, I had no reason to impart what I knew. Until now. Now your father and uncle are angry with me for withholding the information, and Bingley is shocked insensible." "What are we going to do?" Elizabeth sounded far away. He knew she was about to cry. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth . . . your father and uncle have forbidden me to get involved. They are going to London, leaving immediately. Your father in particular believes this to be a 'family matter' -- and he does not consider me to be family." She started to cry. He knew it. And he knew he wouldn't be able to stand it. "It just never stops, does it?" Elizabeth sobbed. Darcy reached into his pocket and handed Elizabeth a handkerchief, which she used to dab her eyes. "Lydia insists on making a mockery of us, all of us, because of her own selfish determination. And now . . . and now, she's arriving in London destitute without knowing it, and I'm so angry . . . and hurt . . . but I don't want her to . . ." She couldn't continue. Darcy knew it was time to take charge. "Look," he took Elizabeth by the shoulders and pointed her to the entrance to Netherfield as a carriage sped through the gate. "That is your father and Mr. Gardiner. They will find her. They know we are going back to Pemberley, and I know they will send us word. If they do not find her at once, I will find her. Elizabeth," he took her chin and tilted her head up so she was looking at him. "We found her once. We'll find her again. And she must have had a little money with her, is that not right?" Elizabeth pulled herself together, wiping her nose. "Yes. Perhaps a little. Father gave her an allowance . . ." "Well, there! It's not nearly so hopeless as it seems." At this point, Darcy would say anything to get her to stop crying. He took her by the arm and led her toward the house. "And we'll leave tomorrow, if you are up to it, and Miss Bennett said she would come with us. I had opportunity last week to speak to your father about the possibility of her returning with us for a long visit, and he agreed, you remember." Darcy walked Elizabeth up the stairs, deposited her in her chambers, and started to back out, using the excuse of finding the maid. "You shall see, it will be well. We will ensure Mrs. Wickham is well, and we will enjoy a long visit from your other sister at Pemberley. It will be well." Darcy closed the door behind himself, and leaned heavily against it. *** It's going to be bloody hell, you mean *** Darcy thought, recalling Mr. Bennett's angry words in the library. Shrugging, he started looking for Elizabeth's maid.

Chapters 37 and 38 are at the following site: http://home.hiwaay.net/~icappleg/Darcy/nchl/nchl.html Chapter 37 is a pretty intense chapter, and 38 may not meet the . . . ummmm . . . standards of the board. I'm not sure if it does. I don't think it's THAT bad. But that's why I haven't posted it. You can skip these chapters and still be able to follow what happens next, however.

You can skip these chapters and still be able to follow what happens next, however Nevah!!!

*skip*???? Have you ever met a drooler who skipped any of your chapters??;-)) They are delightful!!

I'm just heading off for vacation. (Boyfriend wants me to try camping --- I told him I prefer to commune with shopping districts in big cities, but I'll give it a try.) What a nice treat before leaving. We leave in an hour, if boyfriend stops asking, "hey where's the--". . .More to read. What are men to fictional men and drool? Skip? Skip? I do not skip! I flip, Sadie I am. All the best to everyone. Talk to you when I get back. :-)

Wow Irene! 3 chapters in one day - I'm in heaven! Have fun Sadie. My husband got me to go camping very reluctantly over 20 years ago when we first met. Now we go all the time and I love it.

Ladies.... :) Irene, my thoughts and prayers are with you as well. How could any illness resist the force of our combined energies? :) Danielle and I are off to Chicago tomorrow, so here's a chapter to keep you somewhat sated until I can return and finish it off. You know, there's only a couple of them left! Chapter Eighteen To the first time observer, the approach to Pemberley was breathtaking. The immense stone structure rose up from the green expanse of lawn, thrusting its way into the bright blue sky. Trees lined the laneway leading to the house, the dark foliage a stark contrast against the gray stone of the gates separating the private park from the more publicly accessible property of the estate. �Oh, Ben. It�s so beautiful!� Brenda didn�t know where to look first as the car swept through the front gates. The wide lawn drew the eye up toward the lake, then across to the gardens that bordered the west side of the house, finally taking in the towering design of the residence itself. Ben felt an unfamiliar rush of pleasure course through his veins with Brenda�s words. Many of his friends had voiced similar praise upon first viewing Pemberley, but somehow it was very different coming from the woman he loved. A flash of colour on the lawn transformed itself into the figures of Aaron and Rich as the two boys raced alongside the drive ahead of Ben�s car. �Hey, Ben!� they yelled, waving as the vehicle passed by on its way to the carpark beside the house. Kevin opened his sleepy eyes as they came to a halt, immediately sitting up to peer out the window at the strange surroundings. �Are we here?� His eyes opened wider when he spotted the other two boys approaching the car. Aaron and Rich skidded to a stop just short of the open driver�s door. �Ben!� panted Rich. �It�s about time you got here.� �What?� �Mum�s been expecting you all afternoon. Dad said you wouldn�t be coming, but Mum �.� Ben was shaking his head. �Slow down, Rich.� He pulled open the rear door to let Kevin emerge. �Kevin, this is my brother, Rich, and my cousin, Aaron.� �Hi Kevin.� Aaron remembered his manners. �Hi,� Kevin shyly replied. �And,� Ben continued, waving a hand across the roof of the car, �this is Brenda.� Rich nodded in her direction. �Hi Brenda. Ben, can we take Kevin down to the lake with us?� �Not yet, Rich. Just wait until he�s had a chance to come in the house and meet our sisters. Then I�m sure you three can go and find some amusement away from the girls.� Disappointed, Rich grudgingly agreed and the two cousins led the way to the main doors. Brenda lifted her still sleeping daughter from the back seat and passed her to Ben. Together, they followed the boys into the house. The first thing on Ben�s mind was to see how his father was. He had been somewhat reassured that nothing was seriously wrong by the fact that Rich and Aaron hadn�t said anything. Still, if his parents had kept Will�s condition quiet so far, there was every possibility that they may have continued to do that. Stepping into the front hall felt a little strange, since his absence from home had been so prolonged. The memory of the scene in the library the previous evening did nothing to help settle Ben�s apprehension, either. Sarah shifted in his arms as her eyes opened and she gave a great yawn. Brenda was gazing about in awe. She stepped closer to Ben at the sound of a door opening further down the hall. �They�re here!� they heard Rich call out. �Everyone must be in the music room,� Ben said quietly, taking Brenda�s hand and leading her toward that room. Kevin and the other boys were already making themselves comfortable when Ben brought Brenda to the open doorway. Everyone�s eyes were turned toward him. �Hi.� he said. His eyes travelled over the faces arrayed around the room, coming to rest on his father�s. Will appeared no different than Ben was accustomed to seeing him, and he sighed a little in relief. �Come in, come in,� his mother was saying. �Ben, introduce Brenda to everyone.� Ben smiled broadly and stepped into the room, bringing the woman at his side forward with him. �I�d like you all to meet Brenda, the woman I am trying to convince to marry me.� *** Will put his book down on the night table and looked across the room at his wife. �I think Ben caught Brenda by surprise with that remark.� �I know he did.� Elizabeth paused in brushing her hair. �I�m sure she was well aware of his intentions long ago, but didn�t expect him to tell the whole family like he did. He really put her on the spot when he said that.� Will grinned. �He sure did.� Elizabeth crossed the room and climbed into bed next to her husband. �You approve of what he did!� �I do indeed!� �Will!� She frowned slightly. �He�s putting pressure on her, and making sure she feels it all the more by having to justify herself to all of his family as to why she won�t say yes to him. It�s not fair!� Shaking his head, Will chuckled softly. �That�s true enough. And I wish him the best of luck in attaining his goal. I would hate to see him as miserable as I was if he loses her, like I lost you all those years ago.� �And you think his ploy is going to work? You believe that Brenda will give in and marry him.� She looked on incredulously as her husband nodded his head. �So what you�re telling me is, if you had it to do all over again, you would have done the same thing? Pressured me into marrying you by embarrassing me in front of family and friends until I gave in?� Will rolled over to face her and wrapped his arm around her waist. �I would have used every means at my disposal to make sure you became my wife.� He drew her closer, nuzzling at her ear. Elizabeth placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. �And what makes you think I would give in?� Will stared at her in surprise. �Tell me! You honestly believe I would have bowed to that sort of underhanded, devious... arrogant sort of blackmail?� Throwing herself onto her back, Elizabeth laid on the pillows and crossed her arms over her chest. Will looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. �Then you would rather I�d been miserable and unhappy, condemned to a life of loneliness and depression?� he asked softly. Her defiant posture wilted in an instant. �Oh, Will.� Large, round eyes were focussed on him. Her arms unfolded and reached out. Will allowed himself to be drawn into her embrace. As she buried her face into his neck, he wrapped his own arms tightly around her and grinned. �I would have been just as miserable without you,� she snuffled into his shoulder. �No, my dear,� Will countered, measuring his words carefully. �For you had your beauty, your lively personality and your son to take you out into the world. You would soon have met a charming young man, captivated him entirely, and lived a peaceful, contented existence in a country cottage.� Elizabeth�s gaze narrowed as she began to catch onto his game. Still, she wasn�t prepared to let him know his tricks were so transparent... yet. Assuming as innocent an expression as possible, she pulled back from him, sniffling slightly, and looked up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. �Yes, you�re likely right. I couldn�t have gone on for much longer as I was. As soon as I was settled in a job I�m sure I would have met someone. I needed the stability, especially for our son. He needed a man�s influence in his life.� She stole a quick glance at her husband�s stunned expression. Leaning back against the pillow, Elizabeth directed her eyes at the ceiling as she continued. �Come to think of it, Jane was always after me to get out and socialize. Oh, what fun we would have had!� she laughed. �Jane could always spot the men who most suited me.� Aware of the silence beside her, Elizabeth gave a soft sigh and turned to face Will. His face was impassive, but the hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. �She tried to convince me from the first that you and I would make an excellent pair.� She raised a hand to stroke his cheek and placed a soft kiss upon it. �I wish I�d listened to her then. What a lot of nonsense we�d have saved ourselves.� Her eyes were twinkling. �What a lot of nonsense, indeed!� Will pulled her to himself forcefully and growled out his next words. �I trust you have been well satisfied with your lot in life, Elizabeth?� �Immensely,� she sighed, running a hand down the length of his body. �Oh, yes... very much gratified.. Er, satisfied!� A deep chuckle from Will and he rolled Elizabeth onto her back, stationing himself on top of her. He was already fully aroused and it took but a few moments to bring his wife to a panting, groaning plea with his vigorous, masterful strokes. She quivered under him, her body squeezing him, enticing him. But he was far from finished. The grin on his face confirmed that he had only just begun! He paused his thrusts as he reached deeply into her, bringing his face close and joining lips with hers. Slipping his hands under Elizabeth�s body, Will rolled onto his back, pulling her close so as not to lose contact. Her warm, soft breasts pressed against his chest as Will�s lips moved to caress her throat. Elizabeth tipped her head back and shifted her hips forward and back very slowly along his length. As she continued this hypnotic rhythm, Will�s kisses moved along her collarbone and over the gentle curve of her breasts. Taking one of her nipples into his mouth, his tongue lightly stroked it while he listened to her breathing grow more laboured. The long slow strokes were bringing her to the edge. Elizabeth could feel her body tense in anticipation, waves of pleasure building in her, and as she drew nearer, her muscles gripped Will tighter, heightening the sensation for both. A sudden intake of breath and she let loose a low, gasping moan, her head falling forward to lay on Will�s chest. He wound his arms about her, pulling her tightly to him as he took over the rhythm of their movements, her body pulsing around him. Continuing the slow stroking while his wife regained her breath, Will brought himself steadily closer to release. The warmth of Elizabeth�s body, the sound of her harsh breathing and the scent of her drew him inexorably closer. Gently, he rolled her onto her back, following with his lips on her throat. Elizabeth ran her hands across his back, drew his face up to hers and met his lips. The kiss was deep and warm, with all the passion of a woman in love. Will�s motions became faster, his desire for her building. Elizabeth moved with him, encouraging him, whispering his name. With a rush he felt himself go and Elizabeth cried out as he brought her to orgasm for a second time. They lay joined together, spent, for some minutes, enjoying the feel of one body against the other. Later, they would pull up the blankets, wrap their arms around one another, legs twined, and drift into a comfortable, deep sleep. *** �Where did you say the exit was?� Ben glanced over at Brenda who was nervously tapping her fingers on her leg. �It�s just a couple of miles further,� she said, waving a hand in the direction of the road ahead. She looked at Ben worriedly. �Are you sure you want to do this?� Brenda shook her head. �What am I saying? Of course you want to. Do I want to do this?� Ben chuckled. �Come on, they can�t be that bad! What are you afraid they�ll say?� Sighing, Brenda glanced into the back seat to see Sarah asleep and Kevin with his headset on listening to music. She turned back to Ben. �It�s what you�re going to say that worries me! Remember that my family knew Ian for a lot of years. Please don�t go talking about marriage while we�re there.� �I promise to restrain myself.� Ben pointed to the sign ahead. �Is this the road we want?� �That�s it!� It was only another twenty minutes until Brenda indicated a street and Ben guided the car down the laneway to pull up in front of a modest home with a trim garden in the front. Kevin was the first out of the car and raced up the path to the front door. Brenda roused Sarah, who gazed sleepily around and then smiled. She scrambled from the car and set off along the path just ahead of her mother and Ben. Brenda stopped just outside the front door. Her children had already run into the house looking for their grandparents. Brenda turned to face Ben. She fussed with the collar of his shirt and patted down the shoulders. �Okay, I told them at Christmas that I was dating somebody, but I didn�t give them any specifics. When I called this morning, I warned them I was bringing you, so don�t be surprised if they�ve invited my brothers over, too.� �Should we just turn around now and go home?� Brenda gave him a resigned smile. �Smart aleck. Let�s go in then,� she said, taking his hand and leading him through the doorway. She called out to her parents as they entered the house and, hearing an answering voice from the direction of the kitchen, led Ben along the passageway toward the back of the house. Kevin and Sarah had already settled themselves into chairs and were happily munching away on biscuits, each with a glass of milk on the table in front of them. �Mum, Dad,� Brenda said to the other couple in the room. �I�d like you to meet Ben Darcy. This is the man I told you I was seeing at Christmas.� Wayne Johnson stepped forward and shook Ben�s hand. �Nice to meet you, Ben. Darcy, you say? Not any relation, I presume, to the Darcys of Pemberley?� He laughed. �Oh, that would be something, eh Barbara? Imagine, our little girl being a part of that old-money family!� Brenda giggled. �Actually, Mr. Johnson,� Ben began. �Oh, call me Wayne, please!� �Alright, Wayne.� Ben smiled at Brenda. �We just came from Pemberley, as a matter of fact.� �You what?� whispered Barbara. �No, no. You�re having us on,� she laughed. �Wayne, you remember when we took that tour of the estate? How long ago was that?� �Oh, yes,� he replied. �That was at least twenty-five years ago, now. Alan was only ten at the time, I believe.� Ben smiled. �You were there before me, then.� �I don�t think they�re joking, Wayne,� Brenda�s mother said quietly. �No, we�re not.� Brenda was grinning. �We were at Pemberley last weekend visiting Ben�s family.� �Really?� Barbara took Ben�s arm and urged him to sit down. �So, is your father.....?� �Will Darcy, yes.� Ben dutifully took a seat next to Kevin and Sarah. Barbara sat opposite him and shook her head. �Well, isn�t that amazing? And how did you two meet, then? Brenda hardly socializes in the same circles that you do!� �I told you, Mum,� Brenda replied for him. �I met him at work while he was doing research for an assignment.� �Oh, yes. That�s right, you did.� Wayne spoke up. �Well, you two are just in time! We were about to start getting dinner ready.� He turned to Brenda. �Your brothers and their families should be here soon, and Alan is bringing the meat to grill.� Brenda looked at Ben. �Didn�t I tell you they�d invite my brothers, too?� He grinned. �You did. And I�m looking forward to meeting them.� Giving him a warning look, Brenda sighed, resigned that the meat wasn�t going to be the only thing grilled that night. *** People were milling about the common area following the convocation exercises in the main hall. It had been unbearably hot and stuffy indoors, and the speakers long-winded. Elizabeth breathed in the outside air and revelled in the freedom of being able to move her arms without knocking someone next to her. She felt an arm around her waist and looked up into Will�s face. �Shall we gather up the kids and make a quick escape?� he asked. Elizabeth nodded and scanned the crowd, looking for Ben. �I think we�ll all be happy to get out of this oppressive heat. Oh, there he is.� She pointed across the common where Ben�s curly hair was visible above the sea of heads. �You stay here, then,� Will said. �I�ll go and bring them over.� Elizabeth watched him disappear into the crowd. A few minutes later he returned with Ben, Brenda and her two children. �Congratulations, Ben,� his mother said, her eyes misting just a little. �I�m so proud of you.� Ben smiled broadly and hugged her to him tightly. �Thanks to both you and Dad. You two have been my inspiration. I�ve never seen two people who�ve worked harder to get where they are. I actually remember your convocation ceremony, Mum, even though I was such a wee lad then.� �Must have been the huge crowd that stamped it on your memory.� Will stooped down to pick up Sarah. �And what about you, little one? Are you and your brother ready to come stay at Pemberley for a few days?� She nodded her head eagerly. Will looked at Ben. �Shall we get their things from your car while Brenda and your mother sort out the details?� Ben nodded. Will passed Sarah over to Elizabeth, and the two men walked off in the direction of the carpark. �There you are! I thought I�d lost you.� Georgiana suddenly appeared at Elizabeth�s elbow. �Oh, hello Brenda,� she added cheerfully, then smiled at the children. �My it�s going to be a busy place at home with you two added to the mix. Aaron and Rich are looking forward to you joining them in their mischief, Kevin.� �Oh, dear,� Brenda said. �Kevin, remember what I told you; be on your best behaviour and stay out of trouble.� �Yes, Mum,� her son replied tiredly. Brenda frowned, but Elizabeth laughed. �Don�t worry, Brenda. He�ll be just fine. There�s nothing he can get into that my boys haven�t already thought of.� Brenda still looked sceptical. Georgiana also laughed. �You�ll have to ask Ben sometime about his childhood misadventures. That should set your mind at ease. If Elizabeth could survive all of that without any lasting damage, there�s not much that Kevin can do to surprise her.� �Ben was that bad, was he?� Brenda grinned. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. �I narrowly avoided heart failure more than once, I�ll tell you! You know, it�s the ones that are quiet and well behaved for the first few years that are the worst. You think you�ve got them trained, and then all of a sudden they�re off and making up for lost time.� Elizabeth sighed. �And the time just flew. Look at him now.� �Ben looked very handsome up on the stage this afternoon.� Georgiana nodded at her sister-in-law. �Mmmm.. yes, he did,� Brenda agreed, her tone somewhat distant. She shook her head and smiled self-consciously. �Where are you two going this weekend?� Georgiana enquired. �I�m not sure. Ben wouldn�t tell me exactly where this place is.� Georgiana glanced at Elizabeth. �Just like his father!� They laughed. �Well,� Elizabeth said with a smile. �In that case, you are in for a treat. Ben probably asked Will for some suggestions on where to take you. I think I have some idea of where my husband may have recommended.� A few minutes later, Ben and Will rejoined them. �Well, shall we be off, then?� Ben looked at Brenda. �I guess so!� she said. Brenda placed a kiss on Sarah�s cheek and hugged Kevin. �You two be good,� she reminded them yet again. �Goodbye,� Elizabeth said. �And don�t worry about the children!� �Bye, Mum.� Ben took Brenda�s hand and led her away to the car. Elizabeth was chuckling. Will looked at her and raised an eyebrow. �Ha! I�ll bet you have conveniently forgotten how I had to drag you away from the children the first time we left them with Jane and Charles to go away for a few days on our own.� Will favoured her with an amused grin. Elizabeth made a face at him, and turned to his sister. �Come on, Georgiana. We have a party to start planning.� They began to walk away, Georgiana glancing over her shoulder at Will and giving him a haughty �so there� look. �Wait a minute!� he called after them. �What party? When?� *** to be continued...