Beginning, Previous Section, Section III
Jump to new as of February 27, 2002
The next few days went well. Frederick had a little difficulty explaining Jimmy's presence, but they liked one another and each enjoyed the other's company, so it was believed when people were told that Jimmy was an old friend who was writing an article on Frederick.
Elizabeth and Denny and Saunderson were similarly well matched. When all three were together, they got along very well. When Elizabeth went out, Denny always accompanied her and Saunderson, as he was good at being inconspicuous, followed them, keeping an eye on things. Elizabeth almost forgot the reality of the threat after a few days, but it was brought home to her in a very unfortunate way.
It happened thus: a man bumped hard into Denny, tearing him from Elizabeth's arm. The crowd emerging from the subway cut her off from Saunderson and the man had his arm around her and a gun unobtrusively to her back within seconds. Denny was left groaning on the sidewalk and Saunderson tried desperately to force his way through the crowd of Japanese tourists. By the time he reached Denny, Elizabeth and her captor were long gone.
The two tore up and down the streets, searching for Elizabeth's distinctive red coat as Saunderson used his cell to call Rick. Rick, needless to say, was very upset, but he didn't say anything but,
"I'll be there," and hung up. The two men clung to this as they searched and searched, getting more desperate. They were well trained, and they tried to be as professionally detached as they could, but they were both very attached to Elizabeth. Rick was there in record time. He called Jimmy and told him to keep Frederic at the office all day until Rick, Denny, and Saunderson came for them. He had dropped Charlotte off at Frederic's office building, only telling her the basics.
When Charlotte arrived at Frederic's door, white-faced and scared, Frederic almost had a heart-attack. As it was, his heart hit the soles of his feet as he asked in a near whisper,
"Beth?" Charlotte shook her head.
"They got her." Under different circumstances, Frederic would have laughed at that melodramatic phrase. As it was, he slumped into his chair and with jerky movements covered his face with his hands. Jimmy came up,
"Rick and ten of the men are looking for them. If they can be found, they will be. Fred, you and Charlotte and I are not to leave the office until Rick and Denny and Saunderson come for us. Understood?" The two nodded dumbly. "I'm going to ask your secretary if she will get us all some lunch and hot, sugary coffee." The other two shuddered. "I know you feel like you can't eat, but you're both in shock, and you must have food and sugar to stabilize," he explained patiently. He went to the door and gave the instructions, then went to a cupboard and retrieved two fleece blankets. He put one around Frederic, sitting in his chair, and motioned Charlotte over to the window seat where she sat with her feet up and put the second blanket over her. The food arrived and they sat and waited.
Elizabeth was having a very interesting time of it. She wasn't scared, she knew she had her Lady Colt in her ankle holster and the transmitter was still (most uncomfortably) transmitting behind her ear. She sighed. She was sitting on a bed in a bare room without windows and a very thick, formidable door on the other side of which sat a very large guard with a very large gun. She considered her options.
The only one she could think of that didn't involve her dying a rather nasty death was to just sit and wait to be rescued. She sighed again. She hoped it wouldn't be too long of a wait.
Elizabeth looked up quickly as the door to her room was opened loudly. She could hear a woman sobbing and stood as someone was tossed into the room and the door closed again. Now the sobbing woman was in her room with her. Elizabeth knelt by her and said softly,
"Georgiana?" The other woman looked around wildly, saw Elizabeth and sat up quickly.
"Who are you?" She asked warily.
"I'm Elizabeth Bennet."
"Oh-- the one my brother--" she stopped, embarrassed.
"Yes," Elizabeth laughed, "The one your brother was engaged to. Did you have something to do with the two of us sitting next to each other on the plane?" Georgiana giggled, her tears gone.
"I did. But it was your father and Jane's idea." They laughed together. Georgiana sobered, and asked, "How is my brother?" Elizabeth sighed.
"He's fine physically, but he's been worried sick over you. We both have." Georgiana was confused.
"Wait. Why are you here?" Elizabeth sighed yet again, and began the whole story. "So," she finished, "You see why I'm here?" Georgiana shook her head. Elizabeth nodded and went on. "It's partly my fault, you see. George felt that Freddie stole me from him, and it just blew his top off. So I offered to be the bait. Unfortunately, the hook wasn't ready when he bit. But they'll find us. I'm sure they will." She didn't say anything that wasn't common knowledge; Mac would have told George everything she had communicated to Georgiana; if he had the room bugged, he wouldn't learn anything new. She sighed again. "I think we should get some sleep. Do you want the wall?"
The next morning, they awoke; cramped but refreshed to a certain extent. Georgiana was no longer despairing, and she clung to Elizabeth's reassurances that they would be rescued. Elizabeth, meanwhile, was busy determining how well they were guarded. She pounded on the door until she heard a lazy, irritated,
"What?"
"I have to go to the bathroom!" The guard laughed.
"Tough. I'll bring you a jar later." Elizabeth and Georgiana stared at one another, not expecting the crudeness. Then they began to giggle.
"What!" She and Georgiana kept their hands over their mouths to keep the giggles in. The guard sounded very upset.
"We're hungry and thirsty. Do you intend to starve us?" There was a pause, and then the guard said gruffly,
"All right. I'll call." They could hear a telephone being picked up and cursed silently. If they were to escape, they would have to take out the guard before he could use the phone. It was getting harder and harder; but they didn't give up hope.
"Here's what we'll do," Elizabeth explained in a whisper. "If the guard takes the tray and brings it to us, we just have to jump him before he can get out or yell. We can use the tray to hit him on the head." Her face lit up suddenly. "Oh! Georgiana, lie down there and pretend you're dead. When he comes in, I'll . . . no, wait. We'll do that if this plan doesn't work for some reason. OK, I'll stay here where the door will hide me. Come with me. When he doesn't see anyone, he'll come in and investigate."
The guard did take the tray to them, but, to their delight, did not enter the room. He dropped the tray and ran up the staircase opposite the room shouting,
"The women are gone! They're gone!" Elizabeth grabbed Georgiana and they made a mad dash for the stairs that went down. Elizabeth stopped for a second and got out her Lady Colt. Georgiana was confused, but Elizabeth grabbed her arm and they hurtled out of the door. They were in an alley, and there didn't seem anywhere to go. Elizabeth took the way that was lighter and they soon ended up on a street labeled 125th Street.
"Great," Elizabeth thought, "Right in the middle of Harlem." She grabbed Georgiana and they began walking briskly down the streets.
"I know a really cute cafe that isn't too far once we're out of Harlem, and I have some money. We can call Rick from there." Georgiana's head snapped up.
"You know his number?" Elizabeth stared at her.
"His cellphone number? Yeah. But it won't do us much good until we find a phone." Georgiana's face lit up and she dug in her pocket, coming up with a very small red phone. Elizabeth stared at it.
"Does it work?"
"Yup; I turned it off so when I needed it, the battery wouldn't be dead." Elizabeth threw her arms around her friend.
"You're a genius!" She grabbed the phone, turned it on, and dialed Rick's number, picking up the pace with her feet. They were almost out-- 119th was behind them. Rick picked up, saying,
"Yes?" In a hurried voice.
"Ricky? Elizabeth. Georgiana and I escaped. We're on 117th and heading for your cafe. Can you meet us there?" Rick was dumbfounded, but his speechlessness passed quickly.
"Liza? Are you and Georgiana all right? Hurt at all?" Elizabeth laughed.
"No, we weren't raped or beaten. We're hungry and thirsty and I have to pee, but physically we're fine. I left my transmitter in our room. It was in an alley off 125th." Rick breathed a sigh of relief.
"Great. I've sent ten men over. Denny, Saunderson and I will meet you at the cafe in five minutes." Elizabeth thanked him and hung up. She kept the Colt in her coat pocket, close at hand as they hurried their steps to the cafe.
They didn't make the appointment. They were just even with a sign reading '122 Street' when they were grabbed. They began to scream, but hands were clapped over their mouths and they were very capably and smoothly shoved into a white van. Elizabeth and Georgiana stared at each other in consternation and fear. They knew George Wickham had to be a little crazy; who knew what he would do to them? The van drove for a few minutes and then stopped, and one of the guards got out. Elizabeth, using her stomach muscles, jackknifed into a sitting position and managed to peer out of the window. She snorted with annoyance when she realized that they had stopped at a deli. However, her disgust soon turned to appreciation when the guard returned and untied their hands. He handed them each a large sandwich and a bottle of water.
"Here." Unfortunately, they were not afforded any chance of escape, as the same guard sat in the back with them and ate keeping one eye on them. The sandwich was really good. It was ham, but a little spicy, and so was the cheese-it tasted like cheddar, but it was a little spicier than cheddar. The roll it was on was thick and chewy, and the lettuce was crispy. Curious, she asked,
"What kind of sandwich is this?" The guard looked up.
"Capacola ham and Provolone cheese with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and a little mustard. Why?" Elizabeth shrugged.
"It's really good, and I didn't recognize it." The guard, surprisingly, chuckled.
"Lady, you may be English, but you're in New York City-the deli capital of the world. Anywhere in New York is the best place for deli food. It's because of all the Jews-they have the best taste and making things kosher makes them taste better." Elizabeth was a little puzzled, but ignored it.
"I see. Well, thank you."
"You're welcome."
When they finally started on their way (whatever way that was) again, Elizabeth bent her mind to the task of considering the situation. As far as she could see, it was hopeless. At that point in her thoughts, she was jostled against the side of the van and felt her Lady Colt in her pocket. She almost laughed with relief. Now if only she could get her hands free!
Their guards backs were turned to them. Elizabeth began to strain at her bonds. Her hands, tied in front of her (amateurs, she thought happily) were quite secure-- but the knot they had tied was simple. She raised her wrists to her mouth and began to pull at the ropes with her teeth. She blessed all the time she had spent making jewelry, a task which had often required her to use her teeth to untie a knot. As a result, her mouth knew what to feel for, and in a matter of moments, her hands were free. She picked up a log of firewood, which the back was littered with, and hit the guard in the passenger seat hard on the temple. If it killed him, oh well.
He fell against the window without a sound. The driver, at first confused, soon caught on, and yelled at her, trying to get at his gun while keeping the van on the road. Child's play. She held her gun to his temple, and said,
"Stop the car and put your hands on your head. Don't try anything funny-- I have no conscience when it comes to killing cockroaches." The guard, realizing that she meant business, pulled the van to the side of the road. Elizabeth untied Georgiana and instructed her to get the guard's gun. She did so, and trained it on the guard also, as Elizabeth pulled out the cell phone.
"Rick? It's Elizabeth again. They grabbed us. Can you send a squad out to the Bronx River Parkway please? We're just outside the Bronx, at the side of the road. We've got everything under control." Rick, surprised, agreed, and promised a nearby squad within ten minutes. "Thanks. We can handle it until then."
Elizabeth took the gun from Georgiana and told her to tie the two guards up. "Put their hands behind their backs, and use sailors' knots to secure them. Don't get in my line of fire." To the conscious guard, she said, "I warn you, don't try anything-- my father was an agent, and he has major connections. Besides the fact that you kidnapped us, and it would clearly be self-defense, I almost certainly wouldn't go to court. If it makes it any clearer, Georgiana's cousin has carte-blanche in this affair-- and that covers me. Any questions?" The guard, clearly scared out of his wits, had no questions. "Good."
When Georgiana was done, the girls made themselves comfortable. They didn't have to wait long. A truck pulled up and SWAT team members jumped out.
"Are you ladies all right?" The leader called. Elizabeth waved, and Georgiana jumped out to explain the situation. Four men carried the guards out and untied them, only to clap them into handcuffs.
"He isn't dead," Elizabeth said, motioning to the unconscious guard. "I had to hit him with the wood so he couldn't pull a gun." The SWAT men were all looking very impressed, and demanded a full recount of the story. Georgiana, knowing Elizabeth would downplay it as much as possible, did the honors, making Elizabeth out to be a real hero. Elizabeth blushed at her praise, and repeatedly said that without Georgiana, nothing would have happened, and that it wasn't nearly as dramatic as it sounded.
"Oh, but it was," Georgiana insisted. "I never would have had the nerve to tell him that "I have no conscience when it comes to killing cockroaches" and made it sound so convincing. I wouldn't have had the nerve to escape the first time, either." Elizabeth laughed, and hugged her.
"I guess we make a good team, huh." Georgiana hugged her back.
"Yup-- I'm glad you're marrying my brother."
Some of the SWAT men looked disappointed at this.
"You weren't to blame. Those circumstances were extraordinary."
Elizabeth could see their exhaustion and called the waiter over, insisting on treating them all to lunch. Or rather, she tried. Rick, Denny, and Saunderson wouldn't hear of it. They hadn't done their job; it was their fault the two girls weren't safe at home, and besides, it was their turn to treat them. The men were pleased to sit down, it was plain, and they all ordered coffee to keep them awake. The lunch was delicious, and most of the food was gone when Rick clapped a hand to his forehead.
"Oh, no! I forgot to call Fred!" Elizabeth started.
"You what? Georgiana, can I have your phone again?" Georgiana handed it over, and Elizabeth dialed Frederic's work number. "Freddie? It's Beth. We're OK; Georgiana and I escaped this morning and Rick, Denny and Saunderson are with us." Frederic was speechless, but that didn't last.
"Beth! Darling, are you hurt? How's Georgiana? How did you escape? Where's Wickham?" Elizabeth laughed.
"One question at a time. I'm fine, Georgiana's fine. We'll explain the escape when we've got you all together. You'd probably like to talk to her, so here she is. You can ask Rick about Wickham after." She passed the phone to Georgiana, and there was a joyful reunion between brother and sister. They talked for ten minutes, and then Georgiana gave the phone to Rick. He said,
"Fred? How's it going? No, the girls did it all. Yes, I'm very proud of them. No, you can't leave yet. We'll swing by on our way home. I have men searching the address the guard gave me. I don't know if he'll still be there, but we'll find him if he is." That was the end of the conversation. Rick promised that they'd be there soon, and Frederic said he'd send a car for them.
When they reached Frederic's office, the five of them burst in, Elizabeth at the head followed closely by Georgiana. Frederic stood and Elizabeth flew to his arms. He bent his head and kissed her the way he'd been meaning to for quite some time. To his delight, and that of all those present, she kissed him back. She nestled in his arms for a minute, then pulled away so Georgiana could hug her brother. Charlotte, who had been hugging Rick, grabbed Elizabeth and hugged her so hard Elizabeth thought her ribs were cracked. They laughed and cried a little, and were generally overjoyed to see everyone. When the greetings were over, they all sat. As everyone was so relieved to see them, uninjured, Georgiana and Elizabeth were wrapped in the blankets and waited-on hand and foot. They quite enjoyed this for a while, but when it was suggested they be carried down to the car, they drew the line. They were perfectly capable of walking, they informed the group. Hadn't they just escaped from kidnappers twice in one day? They could walk. However, the men wouldn't take no for an answer. Frederic carried Elizabeth and Jimmy carried Georgiana; the other three too tired to risk it.
Elizabeth, as she was being whisked away, was pleased to note that Charlotte and Rick were following, arm in arm. She put her arms around Frederic's neck and rested her head on his chest, and fell asleep. Frederic, looking down at her, knew he'd never seen anything more beautiful.
When they arrived at the apartment, Rick ran a test for electronic bugs and found four. Surprised at the number, he ran another test, and found another. He tested three more times before he was satisfied that there were no more. Frederic, meanwhile, had carried Elizabeth into his bedroom and placed her on his bed. Georgiana was asleep in her bed, and he couldn't put her on the couch. He called Rick and Charlotte and told them that they were going to make dinner for the eight of them. Spaghetti. Frederic made three batches of noodles, Charlotte formed meatballs, and Rick, the cooking whiz, made spaghetti sauce-- that he'd bought from the corner market. He endured a lot of teasing over that one, but it was really surprisingly good spaghetti sauce. New York is the place for good Italian and Chinese food. (Those are my favorites, anyway-- I wouldn't recommend trying English food at a New York restaurant-- they've been known to boil roast beef--shudder)
When Elizabeth and Georgiana awoke, they took turns having showers and came out in their pajamas. They were very good friends now; being kidnapped together can do that to people. After dinner, they all sat in the living room. Denny and Saunderson were really amazingly funny, and they inspired the others to new lengths. Elizabeth told one of her favorite jokes.
"OK, OK," she said, to calm people down. "So there was this office that needed a new secretary. And a dog came in to answer the ad. The guy who was interviewing candidates said,
'Umm, we need someone who can type.' The dog jumped up to the computer and typed a perfect letter. 'And one who can write shorthand.' The dog got a pad and pen and wrote out a limerick in shorthand (Don't ask). 'Well, we need someone who is bilingual.' The dog looked at him calmly and said,
'Meow.' " There was a moment of silence, and then everyone erupted into laughter. Georgiana, who was playing with Elizabeth's hair, tugged it and said,
"I don't understand how you do it. That was a really stupid joke, but it was hysterical." Elizabeth laughed and took a mock bow.
"Thank you kindly, sir she said. No, it's easy. You try." Georgiana thought for a moment, and then began to grin.
"A blonde was driving down a highway and listening to the radio. The announcer was making a lot of blonde jokes, and the blonde was getting madder and madder. Then she passed a blonde in a rowboat in the middle of a cornfield. She got out of her car and went to the edge of the field and yelled,
'It's blondes like you that give the rest of us a bad name! And if I knew how to swim, I'd come out there and give you what's coming to you!" She paused and there was silence for a minute. Then the room erupted again.
Elizabeth, wiping tears from her eyes, said,
"There. That was marvelous, and it wasn't hard, was it?" Georgiana shook her head, and the night ended with laughter.
The fake Mac was not seen again.
Elizabeth, despite her desire to go back to England with Frederic and Georgiana, had to go to Columbia. She sighed, and cried as she saw them off at the airport. Rick had requested permanent operations in the New York area, because he and Charlotte were getting married. Charlotte, Rick, and Elizabeth were going to fly back to England at Christmas for their wedding. Elizabeth was to be Charlotte's maid of honor. Frederic had asked Elizabeth to stay at the apartment for the week she had left before her classes started, and she had agreed, thanking him. She and her roommate, a girl named Anne Elliot, became good friends, as Elizabeth was stopping by the campus often to learn her way about. Elizabeth didn't want to matchmake (yeah, right) but she could tell that Anne and their neighbor, Frederick Wentworth, really liked each other. But they seemed to have a history. They were both seniors, like Elizabeth, but they avoided each other even while they stared at each other hungrily when the other wasn't looking. Elizabeth was determined to do something about it.
On her day in the apartment, she came in tired at three o'clock and sprawled on her bed to sleep. (She slept in Frederic's room-- it made her want to cry, but she couldn't help it.) When she woke, it was seven, and she got to her feet wondering at the candle that flickered on the dresser. She pinched herself, wondering what kind of a dream this was. But it wasn't a dream. A budding hope rose in her, forcing her heart into her throat. She could feel it beating faster. Was it . . .
She padded down the stairs after blowing the candle out, following the light into the kitchen where there was another candle and . . . yes, a note! Her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was jumping out of her chest, she picked it up and read-- linen closet. She laughed joyfully and ran to the linen closet. There was another note and a gold pen. Without reading the note, she ran to the hall closet, where she found a piece of paper with YES and YES boxes. Laughing harder at his cockiness, she grabbed the note next to it and raced for the living room. Skidding to a halt, she stared at the man who sat on the couch, a look on his face that was both hopeful and tender. She stood still watching him as he came to her and seated her in a chair and then knelt before her. She could see his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed convulsively, and smiled softly at him, her eyes shining. He smiled back shyly, and then said,
"Elizabeth Ariel Bennet, I love you more than anything on this earth. I want you to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing at night. I want to spend the rest of my life hearing what you'll say next. I want your children to be my children. I want to grow old with you and see our grandchildren. Will you marry me?" She had started to cry as she looked down at him, and he stood quickly and gathered her in his arms, sitting down with her on his lap. He held her close and hushed her tears. "Darling, if you don't want to, say so. First and foremost, always, I want your happiness. I just would like that happiness to depend in a small part on me." Elizabeth was grinning through her tears and said, as she faced him,
"Oh, it depends on you a great deal more than that!" as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. He was surprised at first, but he certainly had no objections, and kissed her back. They stayed holding each other for a while yet. Finally, Elizabeth pulled away a little and laughed at him. "What will you tell your friends now? Rick, especially! The one who would have said, 'How about it?'
Frederic laughed.
"That reminds me. How did he propose?" Elizabeth laughed.
"Oh, it's a very funny story. Apparently, he proposed on Dutch Courage." Frederic stared at her.
"He was drunk?"
"Oh, just a little. But Charlotte says that it was a good thing, because otherwise he never would have gotten around to asking her!" They laughed. "Oh, and when he did, it was very romantic. He kissed her, told her he loved her, asked her to marry him, and then had to bolt for the bathroom." Frederic was roaring.
"Rick?! He's never had any trouble holding his liquor. He can drink almost everyone under the table."
"You, too?"
"No, I had too much practice in college. I'm the only one who can beat him."
"Really," Elizabeth said with a sly grin. "Well, I'm pretty good at it myself. We'll see. Anyway, Charlotte says that it was nerves that made him vomit, because he's never even thrown up with a hangover." But Frederic was bored with his cousin's affairs, and got back to kissing his fiancee, a project in which she was an enthusiastic participant.
Elizabeth enjoyed her time at Columbia; she was there until the spring (April, to be precise) and left just after she was informed by a very, very happy couple (Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth) that they too were getting married. Elizabeth, again, was asked to be maid of honor; she agreed, feeling that as she had been the one to vacate their rooms (to visit Freddie, but still . . .) and to insist that Frederick W. sit with them at times, she had to be maid of honor. But unless they hurried, she would have to be matron . . .
Frederic (Darcy) very much enjoyed being engaged. He was sure marriage would be even better, but engagement, besides the delights of being able to kiss Elizabeth whenever he felt like it, made it necessary for Caroline Bingley to keep her distance. Or rather, Elizabeth made it necessary for Caroline to keep her distance. Elizabeth, not wanting to cause family brawls, always made it very clear that she knew what Caroline was up to, and that Caroline had better stand aside or Caroline would regret it, without being rude or undiplomatic. There was nothing in her manner that Caroline could complain about (without being laughed at). Good job, Elizabeth!
Frederic stayed in New York, in his apartment until Elizabeth finished her quarter at Columbia; something she was pleased about. When it was over, there was Easter break and Elizabeth packed up with Frederic and flew back home.
She got a joyous welcome from everyone except Caroline (what a surprise) and was pulled headlong into wedding plans. All in all, it was a good thing that she had to go back to school after two weeks; Frederic would never have gotten his affairs into order quickly enough. Charlotte and Rick's wedding was in June. Frederic was best man and Elizabeth was maid of honor (but not for long!) and everyone kissed and cried and said what a beautiful wedding it had been. The bride and groom didn't stay long at the party; just long enough to have lunch and thank Elizabeth for insisting that Rick move in with Charlotte.
The Frederic-Elizabeth/Charles-Jane wedding was to be in early July. Elizabeth just had time to get herself together after graduation and to pack her things for removal to her husband's house and for their honeymoon in France. New York was suggested, but for some reason the bridal couple didn't seem too keen on that idea. (I wonder why?)
The ceremony was beautiful; the brides looked ethereal, the grooms suitably smitten. It was said later that there had never been a wedding so full of laughter, tears, and smoldering looks. It was pronounced, and was probably true, that these two couples had clearly been made for each other. And when the brides and grooms left almost indecently soon after the service, it was remarked indulgently that they were very much in love; a fact that the couples certainly did not dispute.