Beginning, Next Section

Chapter 1

Posted on Monday, 11 December 2000

Elizabeth stepped on the gas pedal as the light turned yellow, speeding through the intersection. The man in the seat beside her gripped the armrest, his knuckles turning white. Once through, she let the car cruise to its original speed and looked over at him with a grin. "Didn't think I'd make that one, did you?"

His laugh was threaded with irritation. "Nope, can't say I did." He took a few deep breaths, then asked in annoyance, "Can't you ever drive normally?"

"What's normal?" she questioned, and he grimaced.

"Normal is following the laws and not getting pulled over by the police."

She shook her head, her grin broadening as she flipped on her turn signal. "It's only wrong if you get caught. And it's the beginning of the month, so all the cops are out eating doughnuts. I won't get stopped," she said decisively.

"Famous last words," the man murmured, then grabbed the OSB as the car swung around a tight corner at about 35 mph. "What the hell are you doing?" he screamed.

"I'm trying to get us there on time," she replied calmly, straightening the car, then slowing down for the red light.

His jaw clenched. "I don't think I care anymore if we get there on time, as long as we get there in one piece."

She looked over at him, her gaze sharpening. "What's wrong with you, Derrick? You've been like this since I picked you up."

"I just don't like your driving," he retorted.

"You've never complained before. So why now?"

The car was silent as she stared at him. He refused to meet her eyes, looking instead out the front at the windshield wipers, working furiously to push the pouring rain to one side or the other. At last, she turned her eyes back to the road and slammed angrily on the gas when the light turned green. A short while up the road, she leaned over and turned on the radio, then hit it with her hand when she remembered it was still broken.

"Getting upset at it won't make it work," Derrick bit out.

She turned her angry green eyes on him. "Well, maybe it makes me feel better."

His lips thinned into a sharp line, but he didn't respond. He stared out the passenger side window, watching the cars they passed and the pedestrians on the sidewalk, their multicolored umbrellas bobbing up and down. Suddenly, his pager beeped, and he took it off his belt and glanced at the message.

"Who's that?" Elizabeth asked, watching the flush rise into his cheeks at her question.

He cleared his throat, putting the pager back on his belt. "Uh...no-one."

She raised an eyebrow. "No-one? Yeah, right. I get messages from him all the time," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I mean," he said in a rush, "it was Jeff. But it's nothing; probably about the project at work."

"I thought that was finished," she said suspiciously.

"Uh, well...yeah, it was. But the boss didn't like it, so we have to start over again. Luckily, the client doesn't need the drafts until Thursday."

She nodded. "Oh."

They drove in silence for a few minutes before Derrick spoke again. "Do you think we could just stop here for a second while I call him?"

Elizabeth didn't answer, but only pulled the car into a gas station, then sat waiting as he went over to the pay phone under the overhang of the building. She tapped a beat on the steering wheel, humming along with the song playing in her head as she watched him pick up the receiver and put change into the slot. It was pure idleness that caused her to try to figure out which of Jeff's many phone numbers he dialed. 5-5-5...3-7-9-5. She sat up in her seat and looked more sharply out the window at him as he turned his back to the car, his shoulders hunching over slightly. She sat back after a moment, biting her lip. She had thought she had known all of Jeff's numbers, but that wasn't one of them.

She was planning on how to ask him whom he had called when she glanced over at the seat next to her and saw that Derrick's pager had fallen off his belt and was now lying temptingly in the middle of the seat. After a short--very short--hesitation, she picked it up and glanced at the last call, and the message that had been left. Her jaw tightened, and she looked back up as Derrick hung the phone back on the receiver. He came back to the car and opened the door. He sat down and looked at her with a smile, which faded as soon as he took in the tight expression on her face. He didn't even need to ask, because she threw the evidence right into his lap.

"It's not what you think," was the first thing he came up with.

Her expression didn't change, as she replied wryly, "So you and Jeff aren't carrying on behind my back? Oh, ok, that makes me feel so much better."

"Elizabeth..." he protested, but she shook her head sharply. "I don't want to hear it, Derrick. But just out of curiosity, what's her name?"

He looked out the side window for a few minutes, then looked back at her, his jaw clenching. "It's Jennifer, if you must know."

Her eyes widened slightly as she took in this little bit of information. "Jennifer? Ohhh, I see. Jennifer. You don't, by any chance, mean my secretary?"

By his silence, she knew she had hit the nail on the head, and she turned and curled her fingers around the steering wheel, trying to get a grip on her riling emotions. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out harshly. At last, she said, in a low, lethal voice, "Out."

He turned to her, his expression shocked. "Out? You can't be serious."

"Out, Derrick. Get out of the car."

"And how am I supposed to get home?"

Her expression was stony as she replied sarcastically. "Oh, I don't know; why don't you call Jennifer? In fact," she said, grabbing her purse and digging through it, "here's thirty-five cents to make another phone call." She threw the coins at him.

"Wait, Liz, let's talk about this," he said pleadingly.

"What's there to talk about, Derrick?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. "You've been cheating on me--for however long--and I just found out. There's nothing complicated here. Now, get out of the car."

He stared at her for a moment more before he got out of the seat and into the pouring rain. He leaned over and said in a voice as cold as the rain rolling down his forehead, "I'll be over tomorrow to pick up my stuff."

She didn't answer, just waited for him to close the door before she shifted the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. As she shifted again into drive, she looked over to see him standing there in the rain, his black hair now plastered to his tan skin, his clothes getting even more soaked every second, and felt a twinge of guilt for leaving him there like that. But she squashed it before she did anything stupid and drove away as quickly as possible.

Now where was she to go? she wondered as she drove down the street, not paying as much attention to the road around her as she perhaps ought to have been. She didn't feel as devastated as she probably should have by Derrick's betrayal; she just felt angry. She had been suspecting something was going on for a while now, but this seemed like such an anticlimax. She felt as if someone had just taken a pin and pricked her ego just enough to let it begin to deflate slowly. Of course, was her damaged pride due more to the fact that he had cheated on her, or the fact that he had done it with, of all people, her secretary?

At the next red light, Elizabeth pulled her cell phone out of her purse and speed-dialed her sister's number. "Jane?" she said as soon as the phone was picked up, and a greeting was heard.

"Lizzy? Is that you?" came the voice on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Where are you?"

Elizabeth looked up at the street signs. "Um...54th and Lisbon."

There was a short silence, then a very puzzled Jane asked, "Why?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth replied with a shrug. "I just left Derrick at a gas station after I found out he was cheating on me, and I've been driving around ever since."

"Derrick's been cheating on you?" came the astonished response.

"Uh-huh. With Jennifer, my secretary."

"Ouch, that's harsh. So...what are you going to do?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I've already dumped him; I'm not a sucker twice, Jane. But...I don't know. He's going to clean his stuff out of my apartment tomorrow, and probably leave mine in the process. Maybe, just to piss him off, I'll change the locks. What d'ya think?"

There was a slight pause. "Well, I was more asking about right now. Are you going to go to Pieces of Eight anyway?"

"Alone?" Elizabeth scoffed. "Oh, yeah; that sounds like the best way to spend the rest of this miserable day. No--I'll cancel the reservations. You know, as I think about it more, it only makes me angrier. On our nine month--can you believe it?"

"It was rather unkind of him, I think..."

"Unkind? Jane, you must be the queen of understatement."

The conversation lulled at this point, and finally Jane broke it by asking, "Why don't we go shopping?"

"Shopping? I don't know if I'm in the mood," Elizabeth responded morosely. "I just found out I've been blind for the past who-knows-how-long, I got four outstanding bills in the mail, I'm seriously PMSing, and you ask me to go shopping? It's not that much of a cure."

"Well," said Jane in a comforting tone, "then think of it as a favor to me. I have to find a present for Charles--it's his birthday in a week, if you remember. It would be a big help if you could help me pick out something."

Elizabeth harrumphed. "Oh, just get him a pair of socks. He'd be happy with anything, as long as it came from you."

"Lizzy..." her sister said it in the tone of a long-suffering individual. "You are cranky today, aren't you?"

"Cranky doesn't even cover a tenth of it, Jane."

Jane sighed over the phone. "I'm sorry to hear that Lizzy. So...shall we go to the Grand Avenue or Southridge?"

"I don't care."

"Alright, Southridge it is. I'll meet you in the Food Court in half an hour. Do you think you can make it, or is traffic bad down there?"

"No, it's fine."

"Then see you then. Talk to you later, hun."

"Yup." And without another word, Elizabeth hit the "End" button, and threw it onto the seat next to her. As she drove until she found the freeway, she tried to sort out her feelings. It was a jumble of emotions, the most dominant one anger. She simply felt incredibly upset at what Derrick had done to her: treated her like an object. Something he could use and then discard. And though it was somewhat comforting that he actually tried to keep her, that she wasn't completely undesired, the ultimate issue is that he cheated on her. With her secretary. Granted, Jennifer was a gorgeous woman--but she was also not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. The only reason she got the job was because all of the other applicants were worse--and she was the CEO's niece. She wondered idly what exactly Derrick and Jennifer could possibly have to talk about.

What was she thinking? Of course they didn't talk--Jennifer wasn't there for that purpose. That's why Derrick was cheating on her with Jennifer, and not the other way around. Of course, that thought made her ego suddenly deflate even more--so she was intelligent and could string more than three words together, but obviously she wasn't as desirable as she had been lead to believe. What a depressing thought.

She was in a much better mood. Perhaps not the greatest, because she still was forced to remember she had to return to her apartment soon and pack up Derrick's stuff, but at least she finally stopped thinking about Jennifer and Derrick together--ugh.

Jane pointed to their left at a store across the way, and they waded through the crowds until they stood in front of the large window through which they could see gorgeous crystal figurines, statuettes, and other odd little trifles. Elizabeth smiled over at her sister. "Should we go in?"

Jane agreed, and they entered. It was fifteen minutes before they emerged again, another bag in Elizabeth's hands, amidst the ever-growing number. "Cathy will love it," Elizabeth said happily. "I can't believe you spotted it! A one-of-a-kind, and in the shape of a unicorn."

"Luck," Jane replied modestly. "But we'll have to wrap that carefully when we get home. After all, graduation isn't for another month, and I'd rather not break it before then."

Almost as if on cue, a man came around a corner, obviously in a hurry, and ran straight into Elizabeth. The impact sent her staggering backwards, and the bags flew out of her grasp. She stared as she sat on the ground, stunned, and the man dusted himself off, mumbling a quick "sorry," as he disappeared into the crowd. Her mouth hung open in shock as she turned to look up at Jane, who was staring in the direction the man had disappeared. A trio of nice old ladies were trying to collect Elizabeth's bags. "What a nasty young man," one said sympathetically.

"The least he could have done was apologize correctly and help you up," said another as she herself helped Elizabeth to her feet.

"Oh dear," said the third.

Elizabeth didn't like the sound of that, especially as the lady was looking into the bag from the figurine store she had just left. "Oh no...don't tell me."

The little old lady looked over at her apologetically. "I'm afraid this little thing is smashed."

Elizabeth buried her face in her hands. "I'm not sure this day can get worse, Jane. Please tell me we can return it."

Jane looked uncomfortable when Elizabeth glanced over at her. "They have a no-return policy, Lizzy. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal."

No one spoke for a while, until Elizabeth, in a tired voice, declared, "I think it's time to cut my losses and go home. Any objections?"

The light definitely knew she was sitting there, waiting. Otherwise, it wouldn't be red for so long. It had to know she was waiting. The rain continued to fall on the windshield, and she wished again that her radio worked, so that she wouldn't have to try to sing along to the steady beat of the wipers. She glanced in the mirror to see a black Jaguar sitting behind her. She couldn't see much of the driver, but she had the feeling he was male. And rich. And most likely forty years old, going through some mid-life crisis.

She sighed, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel in impatience. Just as the perpendicular street's light turned yellow, she heard a screeching noise behind her, and glanced in her mirror in time to catch a glimpse of the car behind her smash into the back of hers. Her car was pushed forward into the intersection, and a car speeding through the yellow light braked and swung wildly to the left, but managed to clip her front end. Her car spun in a circle, and the next thing she knew, she was staring at her slowly deflating air bag.

Elizabeth sat in shock for minutes, simply staring in front of her. At last, she was brought back into the present by her car door being opened and a male voice asking if she was ok. "Yeah, fine," she managed to murmur dazedly. The voice asked if anything was broken, or if she could get out of the car. She nodded in response, and continued to stare out the window, suddenly feeling extremely cold. She was vaguely aware of the man then yelling to someone else for a blanket.

Suddenly, inexplicably, she began to cry. She began to sob uncontrollably as someone placed something warm around her shoulders. In the distance, she could hear the sounds of emergency vehicles, but all she could think was, "Why? Why me?"

It wasn't until the paramedics arrived that she began to take hold of herself again. She slowly got out of the car and stood in the pouring rain, looking around at the damage. People stood by their cars as the police examined the scene. One policewoman was looking at the damage to Elizabeth's front and rear end, shaking her head and writing down notes. She at last came over to where Elizabeth was standing and asked a few questions. Elizabeth answered as best she could, but her responses were somewhat limited. "Why did the car in back of me hit me like that?" she asked when the woman was finished.

The policewoman glanced at her notes and grimaced slightly. "I've already got your statement, so I guess it doesn't matter much. Do you see the truck there?" She pointed to where a large pick-up with a dented side sat crushed against the back of the black Jaguar. "The man driving it was a few sheets to the wind. Unfortunately, combine that with the weather, and let's just say he spun out of control. A pity. That's a very nice car." Elizabeth could only agree. "Not that you fared much better."

Elizabeth glanced in dismay at her crumpled back end and the smashed left front corner. How she was going to deal with this new development, she had no idea. It seemed like today was a huge mess of accidents. And none of them with positive outcomes.

How long she stood, pondering her car, she wasn't sure, but suddenly, she realized someone was standing next to her, looking at her car, as well. "It doesn't look like you'll be getting anywhere in that, either," he said ruefully. "I've called a taxi for myself on my cell phone. Would you like me to do the same for you?"

"Thanks," she replied, "but I have my own. It's in my purse."

"I'd suggest calling now, if you don't want to stand in the rain for a few more hours."

She glanced over at him now. "Thanks, Mr--"

"Darcy. William Darcy, that is." He saw her wary expression and interpreted it correctly. "I'm one of the victims, too. I don't drive a truck."

Her mouth formed into an "o" of surprise. "That was your Jag?"

He grimaced. "'Was' being the operative word, of course." He turned to look at his damaged car, and she finally got an opportunity to assess him without being noticed. He was tall and well built. His hair was dark and plastered to his head as rain ran over his tan skin. She could hardly but notice how his clothes stuck to his body, leaving very little to the imagination. She was only happy that she had the blanket to cover up her white blouse. And yet, somewhere in the back of her mind niggled a feeling that she had seen him somewhere before--and very recently.

He turned back to look at her, and caught her gaze. "Uh... we're trading insurance information, so...could I get yours?"

Elizabeth nodded, and took the pen and paper he offered as he pulled out his license. After they traded, she went over to the others and did the same. The woman who had clipped her front end was still rather nervous, completely apologetic, and a bit on the garrulous side, but gave the required information. The drunk was no help at all. She found out his name and number, at least--but insurance was obviously far from his mind. She rolled her eyes and returned to her car as the tow trucks arrived. The man--Mr. Darcy, if she remembered correctly--was standing talking to the driver. When she approached, her turned to her. "Neither of our cars is salvageable, I'm afraid. They'll just be taken in and used for spare parts. So if you want, I can take care of things from here. Why don't you take my cab?" He gestured towards where a taxi waited. "You've got my name and number, and I've got yours. We'll work things out from there."

Elizabeth was hesitant, but finally agreed. She went over to her car and pulled out her bags, then went over to where the taxi was waiting. As she sat down and gave the driver directions, she heard the tinkle of the broken crystal in one of the bags, and suddenly remembered where she had seen Mr. Darcy last. He had been the jerk to run into her at the mall. As the cab drove away, she glared out of the window at him until they were finally out of sight.

Well, she reflected, at least she had his number--she could call him up and make him pay for the damage. At least something good had happened.

Chapter 2

Posted on Sunday, 17 December 2000

"A party?" Elizabeth sighed, slouching further into the plush couch that sat in the living room of the sisters' tiny, two-room apartment. "I don't know if I feel like going to a party, Jane, even if it is for Charles. Granted, I love him to death, but some of his friends..."

Jane sat down on the end of the chair across from her sister. "There'll only be a few people there. Me, Charles, you--if you come--perhaps his sisters, Louisa's husband, Richard, and I think Will. It'll be only a small dinner-like thing. It's not like those parties you go to."

"I take offense to that," Elizabeth murmured half-heartedly as she got up and grabbed a soda from the fridge. "So instead, this'll be a boring, family-and-close-friend-get-together. Who are these people, anyway? I know you and Charles, of course, but I think I've only met his one sister--that stuck-up ditzy blond chick. What was her name? Kelly?"

"Caroline." Jane flushed when she realized what she had said and tried to amend it: "You met Caroline, I believe. And she's not that bad, really, if you get to know her."

Elizabeth smiled wryly. "Yeah, but only those not faint at heart get through the first hundred days."

"Lizzy," Jane admonished, then changed the subject: "You've not met Louisa, his other older sister. She's married to George. He's nice..." she trailed off.

"But?"

Jane blushed slightly. "He's very...uh...appreciative of liquor."

"So he's an alcoholic," Elizabeth supplied helpfully. "As long as he doesn't throw furniture around while I'm there, it's fine, I suppose."

"Really, Lizzy, where do you get your ideas?" Jane said in slight exasperation.

Elizabeth shrugged. "An old boyfriend. You remember Jason?"

Jane bit her lip and nodded, then quickly continued with her description of the guests: "Richard is an old friend from college. He and Charles have been pretty close, and now that Rich has moved from Ripon to Waukesha, it's a much shorter commute."

"And what is Richard's vice?" Elizabeth asked with a grin. "I'm sure there is at least one; I can hear it in your voice."

"Well, he's very...amorous towards women."

Elizabeth burst out laughing. "Oh, Jane, you are too funny. So I can assume that he's very good looking, and very charming?" Jane nodded. "Well then, at least we'll have a bit of interesting conversation. And who is this last person?"

"William," Jane replied. "He's Richard's cousin, as well as a good friend of Charles. I can't say that I've met him, though. He's rather wealthy, and is constantly on business trips, which is why he's never been at Charles' place since we've been dating. Charles says he's very nice, though, so I'll take his word for it."

Elizabeth cast a wry glance at her sister. "Everyone is 'nice' to you, aren't they? Even when they're alcoholics or players or snobs."

Jane glanced down embarrassedly at her perfectly manicured hands. "Well, I guess so. I've just never found anyone who was truly mean at heart."

"What about Derrick?"

"You have to admit, Lizzy, that he was always polite, always on time, and never was cruel to anyone."

"Yeah, but that was just a façade, Jane! He was actually a sleazebag who cheated on his girlfriend with her own secretary!" Jane looked so troubled by this that Elizabeth sought to reassure her: "But I guess you're right. He never actually hurt me. It was pretty much over by that time, anyway."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Jane got up to open it, but a blond, curly-haired head had already popped around the door. "So, has she agreed to come to the party?"

Jane smiled and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the lips before turning back to Elizabeth, who had grabbed the remote and was flipping through the channels. "I don't know. She hasn't agreed, but..."

"Yes, I'll come," Elizabeth called to her without taking her eyes from the set. Jane clapped her hands happily at this and Charles gave it his hearty approval. Elizabeth shook her head in mock severity. "Remember, I only agreed to come, not to have a good time."

"Oh, that's alright," Charles replied. "We just needed another female to make up the numbers."

"O-ho, no," Elizabeth cried, jumping from the couch and turning to face him. "You are not trying to pair me up again. The last time that happened, I was stuck for four hours listen to that idiot describe in intricate detail the satire behind Star Trek."

Charles flinched. "Ok, I grant that Steve wasn't exactly the best choice I ever made, but we all make mistakes...and besides, we're not exactly pairing you up...just, uh, strategically arranging everyone."

Elizabeth held her head in her hands and groaned. "I never should have agreed," she muttered.

"But you have!" Charles cried happily. "So you'll come. Just be sure to look your best."

"Perhaps I'll come in my pajamas," Elizabeth declared with her hands on her hips.

Charles and Jane exchanged a glance. "I don't think that's a very good idea," Charles said slowly. "I mean, Richard might like that a bit too much..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Elizabeth said with an airy wave of her hand. "I'll dress nicely. Just for you two, if anything." She pointed her finger at him menacingly. "But mark this, Charles Alexander Bingley: I will not agree to date any of these bozos. You got that?"

Charles nodded meekly. After a moment of silence, he turned to Jane with a smile. "Are you ready for our date?" Jane nodded, and she kissed her sister on the cheek before going out the door in front of him. Charles put a hand up in farewell, and closed the door behind them both.

Elizabeth stood there for a little while longer before turning back to the television. She flipped again through the channels before finally settling on The Crocodile Hunter. She drank her soda for a while before getting up to grab a bag of chips, as well. She figured she had the right to pig out. After the week she'd had, she deserved a lot more than just a bag of chips and a soda, but right now, she'd settle for anything.

Just as she was returning to the living room, she heard the phone ring. She put down the chips quickly and began digging through the seats of the couch, trying to find the cordless. At last she found it under the recliner, and quickly pressed the "power" button. "Yes?"

There was a hesitation on the other end of the line. "Is Elizabeth Bennet there?"

"That's me," she replied, trying to think who the owner of the sexy male voice possibly could be, and why he could possibly be calling her. Multiple possibilities passed through her mind, like he was about to tell her she won some big sweepstakes and that he was her date on a cruise, or that she had forgotten about some really hot, really rich, perfect guy she gave her number to, and now he wanted a date, or maybe he had the wrong number, but would fall in love with her voice and take her on a date anyway.

Her next words shattered her hopes: "This is William Darcy. Do you remember me?"

"I'd be hard pressed not to," she muttered disappointedly.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. So you got my call?"

His reply was in the affirmative. He went on to explain what had happened after she left, and told her that he had a check for her in the amount her car had been worth. "Did you want me to run that over to you?"

She shrugged, a useless gesture over the phone. "I guess. And you know my address?"

"Yes. I'll be over in a few minutes--as long as it takes to drive over. See you then."

"Uh-huh." She hung up the phone, then stood there, staring at it for a few moments. She then quickly began cleaning up the living room, throwing odd bits of clothing into the clothes hamper, dusting crumbs underneath the couch cushions, and picking up empty soda cans and dishes. She had barely finished vacuuming the floor before she heard a knock on the door. She went over to it and looked through the peephole. With a sigh, she opened it and stood back.

The expression on his face was almost comical as he looked her up and down in surprise. She suddenly remembered she was still wearing her old, oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts, and that she hadn't brushed her hair since she got home from work. Compared to him, still in his suit and tie, she might as well have been wearing a bikini, she was so underdressed. At last, she gestured behind her. "You wanna come in?"

He stepped into the apartment and looked around. She couldn't tell by his expression whether he approved or disapproved, but she didn't really care, either way. "So, you have the check?"

He nodded and removed it from his breast pocket. She took it from his outstretched hand and looked at it. "Hm. Less than I thought, but I guess it's something. At least it'll go a little way towards a new car."

He chuckled at that. "Yeah. Maybe towards one wheel." He moved further into the room, and when she sat down again on the couch, he took the chair across from her. "So how's the fight with the insurance coming?"

She shrugged. "Not too badly. I'm just grateful this Collins had collision. Otherwise, I would've been pretty POed." She was silent for a moment, then looked up. "Did you want something to drink?"

He considered her offer, then asked, "What do you have?"

She rambled off a short list of drinks, and he agreed at last on some coffee. She went into the kitchen and started the coffee machine, and while she was there, she noticed a shopping bag still on the counter. Her lips thinned, and when she returned to the living room, she brought the bag with her. He sat up when she entered and smiled. "The Crocodile Hunter, eh?" he said with a laugh, then sobered when he noticed her tight expression. "What's wrong?"

She dropped the bag on the coffee table, and he flinched at the sound of broken glass. "You owe me seventy-five bucks."

He stared at her for a few seconds. "You have to be joking," he replied with a nervous laugh. "If that has anything to do with the accident--"

"Oh, it was an accident, all right, but it wasn't in a car. Think back. You were at the mall yesterday, right?"

He nodded, still not comprehending.

"When I bought this gift for my sister, it was completely whole. Not five minutes later, I'm part of a hit-and-run, where the jerk who ran into me barely managed to stop long enough to mumble an apology, while I sat on the ground. Ring any bells?"

A deep flush stole over his cheeks. "Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh' is right," Elizabeth said angrily. "This was a one-of-the-kind item, and it was perfect for my sister--for whom, by the way, I've been trying to find a graduation gift for over a month. Now it's a bunch of little pieces of crystal, and I can't return it. So what do you suggest I do?"

"I'll pay for it," he said quietly. "I didn't realize--"

"No! You didn't even stop to ask if I was alright. It was up to some nice old ladies to do what you should have done, which was help me to my feet and pick up my bags for me."

"Look," he said, standing up. "It was an accident, and I can't do anything about it now. I'll pay for the gift, but that's the best I can do."

Elizabeth glared at him. "The best you can do? You haven't even apologized."

"Fine, then! I'm sorry!" He said in exasperation.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to deliver a scathing retort about the insincerity of his admission, but was interrupted by another knock on the door. She went over to it and looked through the peephole, then cursed. After a quick, apologetic glance back at her guest, she opened the door. "Derrick, what a surprise."

"You knew I'd be here to pick up my stuff today," he replied testily. "Have you packed it up, or do I have to go searching for it? Or is it already in the dumpster?"

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'll go get the box."

She turned and went towards her room, leaving the two men to stand there, sizing each other up. When she returned carrying a large box, Derrick sneered. "Didn't take you too long to find a replacement, did you? Or was I not the only one cheating?"

"It's not like that," she said tiredly, "and don't even get me started. Do you still have my key, Derrick, or do I have to change the locks?"

He pulled out his keys and slipped one off the ring. He handed it to her as she gave him the box. "And where's my stuff?" she asked.

He gestured towards the box standing beside him in the hall. "Yes, it's all there, and yes, I'm certain."

They stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Finally, Elizabeth broke the silence: "You've probably got somewhere to go..."

"Yeah," he said awkwardly, then turned and walked down the stairs. Elizabeth picked up the box left in the hallway and brought it into the apartment, closing the door behind her.

"Old boyfriend?"

She looked at him for a second, then turned away to find a place to put the box. "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah, he was. Now, did you still want that coffee?"

He shook his head. "No, I think I'd rather not stay." He walked towards the door and opened it before turning back towards her. "I'll send you the check for the crystal in the mail. And...good luck with the insurance. Any problems, just call me."

"Uh-huh," she murmured absently as she set the box down on the counter. She stood there for a moment with her hands resting on the box top, as if in thought, then turned towards Darcy, who was standing with one hand on the doorknob, looking at her. "Look," she said, running a hand through her hair, "I'm sorry for blowing up on you like that."

"It's no big deal," he said, taking a step towards her, though he still retained his hold on the door. "I can understand it. It was inexcusable for me to have done what I did. Yes, I was in a rush, but that gave me no excuse." He grinned suddenly, lighting up his whole face. "In fact, it's kind of funny. My friends always say I'm a throwback from the age of chivalry. Apparently, they don't know how wrong they are."

Elizabeth smiled genuinely at this, and she felt herself warming to him. He really wasn't that bad, she reflected, and he managed to apologize--something most guys wouldn't even know how to do. And when he grinned like that...

"But I will definitely send you a check in the mail to cover for the gift," he continued, opening the door. "If there's anything else I can do..."

"If I ever think of anything, I'll let you know," Elizabeth replied with a cheeky grin. "And trust me, I'll find something--remember, I've got your phone number!"

He laughed. "And if I skip town, you'd probably come after me with the feds, eh?" They both laughed at this. "Well, uh...I had better be going. And despite what it's going to cost me, I'm kind of glad I ran into you--two times."

She smiled and walked over to the door, holding it open as he went out into the hall. He lifted a hand in farewell as he turned to go down the stairs, and she responded in kind. "I'm glad you did, too," she murmured after his retreating figure. "I'm glad you did, too."

Elizabeth smoothed her hands down the front of her black skirt as she huddled under the overhang of the front porch. Once again, it was raining. Elizabeth cursed Wisconsin Springs for the thousandth time in her life as she rung the doorbell again. She was sure she must look like a drowned rat by now. Surprise, surprise, it had been an extremely miserable day. And now she would have to sit around at a dinner party with people she was sure she wasn't going to like and try to make conversation about the convoluted state of politics and the last episode of Buffy, which she never watched anyway. Why her?

It's not as if anything else bad happened today. No, of course not; it wasn't Elizabeth who had gone to work to find out that Jennifer had decided, on the spur of the moment, to go on a weeklong cruise with her boyfriend. No, it wasn't Elizabeth who had found that her department's budget was getting cut again, and that she would have to lay off three people (hmmm....difficult choice here--Jennifer?). No, it wasn't Elizabeth who had gotten outside to her rental and found that she had locked her keys inside at lunch. No, it wasn't Elizabeth whose umbrella had torn by the high winds whipping around the skyscrapers downtown as she waited for the car rental agency to arrive with an extra set of keys. No, it wasn't Elizabeth who drove less than five miles on the freeway for two hours, trying to get home in rush hour. And no, it definitely wasn't Elizabeth, standing on Bingley's front step in the pouring rain with no umbrella, waiting for him to move his butt and open the door for her.

"Oh, the doorbell's broken. You might want to try knocking," said a voice behind her.

Elizabeth turned in surprise. "Oh!" she cried. "Where did you come from?"

The man before her grinned and gestured towards the curb, where a silver Sebring convertible sat. She whistled softly. "Wow. That's some car."

He laughed. "It usually gets that reaction. I'm Richard Fitzwilliam," he said, extending his hand. She put her own in his, but instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it gallantly. "You must be the Elizabeth that Charles was talking about when he invited me."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Let me guess, He puffed up my accomplishments and claimed I was 'a goddess among women, only second to my angel Jane,'" she said, mimicking Charles' baritone voice almost perfectly.

Richard laughed. "Almost. I think he had said, 'beautiful angel Jane,' but you got the gist of it."

They shared a laughing, commiserating glance, then Elizabeth turned to knock on the door. It was only a few moments before the door opened wide, and the hall light spilled out onto the porch. "Oh! Have you been standing out here long?" Charles asked in his usual jovial manner. "I forgot to tell you that the doorbell's been broken these past few days. And I guess I should turn on the light, too." He flipped a switch beside the door, bathing Elizabeth and Richard in the warm glow of the porch light. "Oh! Richard's here, too! I guess you two have already introduced each other?"

Richard smiled at Elizabeth. "As a matter of fact, we have, Bingley. So do you mind getting out of the way so we both don't stand here on your porch, catching colds?"

"Oh!" cried Charles, blushing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry." He stood back and allowed the two to come inside. Elizabeth went before Richard, and stood in the middle of Charles' foyer, dripping all over the parquet floor. "Oh, dear," Charles' murmured, taking in her appearance. "Um...Jane?" he called.

Jane appeared in the doorway of the dining room, a vase full of flowers in her hand. When she saw her sister, she nearly dropped the vase on the floor, but Richard caught it just in time. "Oh, Lizzy! What happened?"

"What didn't happen?" Elizabeth muttered wryly.

"Well," Jane said worriedly, ignoring her sister's question, "I don't know if you'll fit in anything I have here..."

"I do have my gym bag outside in the car," Elizabeth offered with a mischievous grin, "and it's all clean."

Jane bit her lip. "But, Lizzy...that's for the gym. A t-shirt and sweatpants aren't exactly--"

"Come, come, Jane," Richard interjected smoothly with an amused glance at Elizabeth. "It's better than letting your sister freeze her patooties off. Besides, she'll probably look just as gorgeous--maybe more, if it's possible--in her sweat socks as she does now. And anyway, you've achieved your purpose: I've already seen her in her good clothes."

Charles and Jane both flushed as they exchanged a glance, embarrassed at being seen through so easily. Charles cleared his throat. "Well, I guess you have a point. I could run out to your car, Liz, if you wanted me to."

She waved a hand at him. "Oh, I'm already wet enough, Charles. There's no sense making you run out in the rain." She turned and went back out the door before he could object, and as she ran down the steps, she ran smack into somebody. She stumbled, but the person she had run into caught her arm and held her upright as the other held an umbrella over their heads. She heard his chuckle and looked up in surprise. "I think we've had enough accidents as it is," he said.

"What are you doing here?" she said in surprise, and then light dawned. "Wait--don't tell me: you're Charles' friend Will."

He smiled. "And you're Jane's sister Elizabeth." When she looked at him in puzzlement, he explained: "Charles said his girlfriend's sister Elizabeth was coming. And since his girlfriend's last name is Bennet, and he would only invite someone single if he was inviting Richard, I could only assume...so let's just say I wasn't surprised when it turned out to be you."

She nodded slowly, then looked up at him. "If you don't mind, though, I'm soaked through as it is, so could I get around you? I need to get to my car."

"Oh!" He released his hold on her arms and stepped back, allowing her to go around him. When she got to her car, she opened the trunk and pulled out her bag, only to have it taken gently from her hands. She gasped in surprise and stepped back, putting a hand to her heart. "Don't ever do that again. You scared the death out of me. I thought you went in."

"No, I didn't," he said, stating the obvious. "I thought you might like to stay dry under my umbrella." She snorted as she glanced down at her soaked outfit, and he blushed and asked her embarrassedly: "Is this a rental?"

She looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "Yeah. One car for one person suited me just fine. I couldn't exactly drive more than one car at a time, so what would be the point of having it?"

William sent a quick glance back at his own dark blue Mustang parked by the curb, then cleared his throat and followed her up the path towards the house. "So what are you thinking of getting for your new car?"

"I don't know," she said over her shoulder as she bounded up the stairs. "Depends on how much I have saved, and how much I get for insurance. I'd like a Bug, though."

"A VW Beetle?" William asked, his distaste apparent.

"Yeah," she replied, turning around to face him. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

William stepped back. "Well, uh, no. No. It's a...great car."

She smiled. "It's cute. I think I like it in vapor."

"In what?"

"Vapor. The color."

William just nodded and reached around her to open the door. She glanced back at him in amusement, murmuring the word "chivalry" as she went ahead of him inside. When they got into the hall, she took the bag from his hands and proceeded to go up the stairs as he folded his umbrella and set it in the stand by the door. Suddenly, there came a familiar, high-pitched tone from the hallway below, and she turned around to see Caroline walking towards the new arrival. "Ah! William! So wonderful to see you again! I've missed you so much."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose as Caroline gave William a kiss, then stood back and smiled up at him. If that sight didn't put her off supper, she didn't know what would. But she could only raise her eyebrow at William when he glanced up and saw her standing on the staircase. It wasn't as if he was the first, she reflected as she turned and went to the bathroom to change her outfit. At least she had found out now.

Chapter 3

Posted on Monday, 15 January 2001

Elizabeth sighed and flipped the channel again, praying that she'd finally find something better. Amazing. Eighty-something channels, and still not a single thing on. What was the use of cable if it was no better than regular TV?

After another fifteen minutes, she finally gave up and threw the remote down on the coffee table, leaning back in the couch and rubbing her eyes tiredly with her fingers. It was only six o'clock in the evening, but with the day she'd had, she was beat. She sighed again and stared drearily at the blank television set in front of her, telling herself she should get up, but her arms and legs refusing to move an inch. She felt so exhausted...like she had just run a marathon. She would just rest her eyes for a minute...just a few seconds...

"You look mahvelous, dahling, simply mahvelous," Richard drawled as he took her hand in his own and kissed it gallantly.

She laughed. "You are pathetic, Richard, simply pathetic. And you're wasting your charm on me. I was able to glance in the mirror before I came down. Reebok's a bit less modish than Versace, I'm afraid."

"On you," he replied with a grin, "no one could tell."

She rolled her eyes in response, but allowed him to lead her over to a love seat on one side of the family room. Richard let her sit down, then asked if she wanted anything to drink. She agreed to a soda, and he went off to find them both something. As he left, she glanced around at the other people in the room. Charles was sitting next to Jane, his arm draped comfortably around her shoulders, and Elizabeth felt a slight pang of jealousy before she mentally shrugged and looked away. Louisa Hurst was sitting across from them, in easy conversation as her husband slouched slightly beside her, a half-full wine glass in his hand. Elizabeth smiled to herself as her gaze swung to where William was sitting somewhat uncomfortably in a chair nearby as Caroline prattled to him from where she sat as close as she could possibly pull her own chair. Elizabeth found her gaze slowly traveling the length of him, from his perfectly polished black shoes to his dark slacks, to his light blue shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and dark sport coat. She noted his broad shoulders, and lean body she could tell was under those clothes. His hair was trimmed nicely, though a shock of dark hair curled temptingly over his forehead...

It took her a few moments to realize that he had caught her staring--or had she caught him? Their eyes met for a few moments, until he looked away, a slight flush stealing into his cheeks, under his tan skin. Elizabeth regarded him for a few seconds longer before Richard returned with their drinks. He handed her the soda and sat down beside her. "So, what exactly do you do?"

"I head the advertisement department at Longbourn Banking."

"Really? At the corporate headquarters downtown?"

She nodded. "I've been moving up in the company since it established itself here in Milwaukee."

He seemed thoughtful. "I think someone I know works there--or at least, she got a job there a few months ago. Maybe you know her--Jennifer Jankowski?"

"Jennifer?" Elizabeth repeated with an eyebrow raised. "Wow. What a small world. She is my secretary--or was, I should say."

He laughed. "You finally got sick of her?"

"Perhaps. How did you know her?"

His cheeks stained slightly. "She...uh...was a neighbor of mine a few years back."

Elizabeth smiled archly. "Uh-huh. I won't ask. So where do you work?"

"Family business. Ever heard of Pemberley and Sons?"

"Oh, sure. I think everyone's heard of them. They just took over that electronics company--"

"Lambton, Inc.," he supplied.

She nodded. "That was it. Quite a profit, from what I hear."

Her comment seemed to unnerve him somewhat. He took a sip of his drink and looked across the room at the others before nodding. "Yeah. It was a profit."

Conversation lagged here. Elizabeth searched for something to say, but was so caught up in trying to figure out what she had said wrong, that she couldn't think of a single thing for a few minutes. She floundered. "So, uh..."

He turned to her with an apologetic grin. "I'm sorry. That was really rude of me. Where's my charm now?" His self-mocking tone was so disarming that she laughed. "So...what kind of food do you like?"

The question was so expected that Elizabeth had no idea what to say--again. "Well, um...er...why?" she finally asked suspiciously.

"I just wanted to know where to take you on our date." He lifted an eyebrow. "That is, as long as you haven't sworn to Bings that you wouldn't date any of the bozos he set you up with."

Elizabeth blushed at that, recalling the same words she had said to Charles. "I didn't swear..."

"Well then, Chinese or Italian? Or Thai, maybe?"

She was saved from answering by Jane's timely interruption--"Well, I believe that dinner should be ready. Why don't we all go into the dining room while I check on the chicken?"

Elizabeth gave Richard a shaky smile and stood up, automatically smoothing down her t-shirt in her old nervous high school habit. He must have sensed her uncertainty, for he offered his arm to her in that charming, nonsensical way she was finding that he had, and she took it without hesitation. They walked together, arm in arm, towards the dining room, and when there, Richard continued his chivalrous gallantry, drawing her chair out for her and waiting for her to be seated before he took the chair beside her.

George Hurst sat himself on her other side, his wife across the table, beside William, who looked extremely uncomfortable with Caroline's chair pulled somewhat closer than it had originally been set. Charles sat at the head of the table, and after Jane set the dishes on the table, she took her place at the foot.

The dinner went extremely well, the conversation interesting and never lagging noticeably. Elizabeth enjoyed herself immensely, discovering that Richard actually had intelligence to go along with his charm, and that though George enjoyed drinking, he was not averse to political debates, either. She occasionally glanced at Jane and found her smiling in delight at the success of the evening. The only thing that bothered Elizabeth slightly was Caroline's overly possessive attitude towards William, and that gentleman's annoying habit of staring moodily at her, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't--or wouldn't.

Afterwards, the group all rejoined in the family room. Charles brought out Pictionary, and they all broke into teams to play. It was tough competition, with Jane, Charles, Elizabeth, and Richard on one team, and Louisa, George, Caroline, and William on the other. Elizabeth and Richard were a force to be reckoned with, especially as both of them were obviously the only ones who knew how to draw.

As Caroline went up to the board to begin her turn, Elizabeth leaned over to Richard and whispered, "How long have they been going out?"

He looked over at her in confusion. "Louisa and George? Didn't anyone tell you that they were married?"

She shook her head. "No. I knew that. I was talking about William and Caroline."

"Who told you they were going out?"

"No-one," she replied. "I saw them in the foyer together as I was going up to get changed, though--and that was quite a greeting."

His brow furrowed, and he turned his attention back towards the other team. Elizabeth watched him contemplate the other team for a while, then returned her attention to the game. Soon after, when the game was over, and Elizabeth's team had finished reveling in their victory, Louisa and George announced their intention of leaving, and the party began to break up.

As Elizabeth was walking out the door, her gym bag in her hand, Richard came up to her. "Could I call you some time?"

She turned with a smile. "Sure. Do you have my number?" He shook his head, and she put down her bag and searched in her purse for a pen and paper. She quickly jotted it down and handed it to him.

He grinned. "You'll be hearing from me soon."

She laughed. "I'm sure I will--"

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open at a sudden knock on the door, nearly simultaneous with the first ring of the telephone. She sighed and picked up the phone beside her as she got up to open the door. "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Richard."

"Oh, hi."

"So, are you busy tonight?"

Elizabeth looked through the peephole and sighed. "Actually, it looks as if I am. Could you hang on for a sec? Someone just came to the door."

She opened the door and smiled at the two people who stood on the doorstep: a petite, smiling, curly-blond woman wearing a knee-length multi-colored skirt with a bright red sweater and a conch shell necklace, and a taller, slimmer woman with straight, dark, shoulder-length hair, wearing long black pants and a black dress jacket over a royal blue blouse, a pearl choker around her throat. The shorter one laughed as she hugged her friend. "We're back!"

Elizabeth smiled as she hugged her other friend. "Could you guys just come in and find something in the fridge? I've got someone on the phone. You know where everything is."

The taller one nodded, a slight smile appearing on her lips before disappearing again. "No problem, Liz. We'll stay out of your way."

The two wandered off into the apartment as Elizabeth put the phone up to her ear again. "Sorry about that, Richard.

A few friends whom I haven't seen in a while just showed up."

"So you'll be busy the whole night, I'm sure," he replied somewhat disappointedly. "That's ok--I guess friends are a bit higher on the priority list than that weird guy you just met last night at a party."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. But seriously, I'll try and clear up my schedule for later this week, if you'd like."

"How about Friday night?"

"Sounds good," she replied with a smile. "What kind of restaurant have you decided on?"

He laughed. "You'll just have to wait and see. It'll be a surprise."

"Well, that's unfair."

"Not at all. How do reservations at seven sound? I'll be at your place at six-thirty."

"Do you know where my place is?"

"Already got it from Charles," he replied. "I'll see you on Friday, then?"

"Of course." They exchanged good-byes, and she hung up the phone.

"And who was this?"

Elizabeth turned in surprise to see the two women standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching her. "Oh, a friend of Charles."

The taller one rolled her eyes. "As if that man has any friends that are less than complete losers."

"Now, Aria, that's unfair," the shorter one said. "Charles is very nice, and I'm sure he has very nice friends."

"Yeah, right, Kim," Aria replied. "And how many of these 'very nice friends' have you met?"

Kim looked a little nonplussed at that, so Elizabeth stepped in on the argument. "Kim is right. Charles does have some very nice friends. This happens to be one of them. Richard is charming, and gallant, and very intelligent."

Aria walked further into the room and sat down on the end of one of the chairs. "And I'm sure he's rich, and handsome, to boot, hmm?" She ate a bit of the chocolate chip ice cream from the bowl in her hand and looked up at her friend, who was blushing hotly. "I thought so. You know, Liz, much as I love you, you are horrid at finding yourself good boyfriend material."

Kim sniffed at that. "And you know what good boyfriend material even is?"

"Just because I'm not interested in men doesn't mean that I don't know what the qualities of a good one are," she replied seriously. "And I don't think you have anything to talk about. Anyone who could call Andrew 'good boyfriend material' ought to get her head examined."

"Andrew is a good boyfriend, and you know it."

Aria wrinkled her nose as she took another spoonful of ice cream. "Oh, ok, I didn't realize that standing your girlfriend up five times in one month, cheating on her, 'borrowing' five hundred dollars of her savings and not paying her back, and forgetting about her birthday is normal boyfriend behavior. I guess I'll have to do some reading up on that. Seems I'm a little backwards. See, I thought that guys were supposed to care about their girlfriends."

"You know," Elizabeth said in exasperation, "if I didn't know that you two were sisters, I'd think you were mortal enemies. Would you stop that?"

That led both of them to return to the previous subject: "So, when did you two meet, and what happened to the other one, uh--"

"Derrick," Aria supplied dryly.

"I knew that," Kim shot back.

Elizabeth sighed. "I found out that Derrick was cheating on me so I dumped him. And Richard and I met last night at Charles' party."

Kim smiled. "Oh! That's right--it was Charles' birthday, wasn't it. How is he?"

"He's fine. Did Jane tell you that they're engaged? I think you left before that happened."

Aria nodded as she polished off the last of her ice cream. "She called us while we were still in New Jersey. I swear my ears were still ringing for days."

Kim laughed. "She was definitely excited. And whatever you might say, Aria, I think it's cute. Charles and she are so perfect together."

Her sister held up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm not arguing."

"Speaking of New Jersey, how was your trip?" Elizabeth asked.

Aria shrugged. "It was fine. Grandma was difficult, as usual. Insisted on giving me a fifty dollar gift certificate to Sears, despite my insisting I didn't need it. Mom and Pop were good. Still fighting, but good."

Elizabeth laughed. "I'd expect nothing less. And you gave them my present?"

Kim nodded. "They loved the vase. It was perfect for the table in the front hall. Mom put carnations in it and set it there, in front of the mirror."

"And Pop said that it looked hideous there and moved it to the buffet in the dining room," Aria inserted. "But he loved it too. They send their love." She stood up and went to the kitchen to put her bowl in the dishwasher. "So, Liz," she continued, "you want to go to the mall on Friday so I can spend that stupid certificate?"

"I can't," Elizabeth replied. "I'm going out with Richard."
Aria came back in the room, her hands on her hips. "I think I hate the man already. Fine, when are you going out?"

"He's picking me up at six-thirty."

She nodded. "Then why don't you meet me--you think you can convince everyone you need to leave at three?--at the Grand Avenue, in front of the Kilbourne entrance. I'll help you pick out something for your date. We'll be done before five-thirty, at the latest. Sound good?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I suppose. Are you coming, too, Kim?"

"No, I can't," Kim replied regretfully. "I've already agreed to a lunch/dinner thing with Jane. We could probably be back here before six, though--I want to see what you pick out. Just don't let Aria help too much, or your date'll take one look and turn around, running."

Aria sent her sister an evil glare, then turned back to her friend. "On the contrary, we'll probably have to mop up his drool. I do know fashion, hun. Never fear."

"We'll never find anything," Elizabeth said with a sigh. "Maybe I should just wear my lavender cocktail dress."

Aria shook her head. "Don't give up yet. We've still got forty-five minutes before I said you'd be home. Which means a half hour until we absolutely have to leave."

The two were still walking through the stores at the Grand Avenue Mall after nearly two hours of shopping. Elizabeth had found a few things to buy, as did Aria, but neither had seen anything for Elizabeth to wear on her date. And the way things were going they never would.

"Well, our last hope is JCPenny's," Aria said as they stopped before the entrance. "Shall we?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "We may as well."

They went inside and found that the women's department was on the top floor of the tri-level store. Passing up the escalator, they took the elevator instead, which already had three people in it. Just as the door was closing, someone quick stopped it and allowed a young blond to step in before he entered, as well. When he looked over at the occupants of the elevator, his mouth dropped open slightly. "Elizabeth?"

Aria looked over at her friend. "Please don't tell me this is Richard," she muttered with an eyebrow raised.

Elizabeth flushed slightly. "Hi, William. Where's Caroline?" she asked, glancing pointedly at the blond.

William at first looked at her curiously, then realized what she was saying and a blush crept into his cheeks. "Uh, this is my sister, Georgiana," he said, indicating the young lady who was still looking at Elizabeth in confusion. "Georgiana, this is Elizabeth Bennet. She was the one I was in an accident with."

The expression on Georgiana's face cleared up and she looked at Elizabeth now with a speculative eye. Aria, on the other hand, now looked confused. "What accident?"

The elevator stopped on the second floor, and the other three people got out. Elizabeth shook her head at her friend. "I'll tell you later."

The group was silent as the door closed again, and the elevator began to move upwards again. Darcy was the first one to speak: "So, how have you been since--"

There was a sudden jerk of the elevator, and the lights shut off. Elizabeth grabbed a handrail as she heard someone else--or was it her?--shriek in fright. Suddenly, everything was still. The elevator remained in pitch black.

"Um...is everyone ok?" asked William from somewhere on the other side of the elevator.

"I'm fine," came Aria's calm, prosaic answer.

Elizabeth nodded, then shook her head at her stupidity. "I'm ok, too," she said aloud.

Georgiana asked, her voice trembling a little. "What happened?"

"I don't know," William replied. "Do you think we should use the emergency telephone?"

"It's over by me," Aria replied, and Elizabeth heard her move some bags around, then a click as Aria opened the little door. There was a short silence before they all heard the short conversation:

"Hi. What's going on? Why are we stopped?

"Really? All over? I didn't realize the storm was that bad.

"Ok. When do you think we'll get out of here?

"Somewhere between the second and third floor.

"Thanks. We'll be fine until then."

"So?" Elizabeth asked when they heard Aria hang up the phone.

"Well, it's going to be a little while," she replied. "The storm knocked out power lines and stuff all over the place. Usually, that wouldn't matter much. Except the generator here had just gotten busted a few days ago, and they were fixing it, and it's not done yet. So the mall's out of power, and we're stuck here for a few hours until they can manage to do something."

"A few hours?" William asked.

"A few hours?" Elizabeth echoed in shock. "Richard's picking me up at six-thirty!"

"Richard?"

Elizabeth glanced in the direction of William's voice. "Yes, as in Richard Fitzwilliam, your cousin. Did you have a problem with that?" There was silence in the elevator, and Elizabeth leaned her head back against the wall. "Could this possibly get any--"

Aria slapped a hand over her friend's forehead--obviously missing the intended target. "Don't even say it, Liz. There's no wood to knock on. Now, just everyone sit back and relax. Sing songs in your head. Twiddle your thumbs. Contemplate your navel. Honestly, I don't care what you do. Just don't go hysterical. We'll get out of here soon."

"Hopefully..."

Chapter 4

Posted on Saturday, 20 January 2001

The first few minutes of sitting on the floor in the dark of the elevator felt like hours. No one spoke; all Elizabeth could hear was the sound of her own breath: in, out, in, out...

"I don't believe this."

It took a few moments to realize that the words had come out of her own mouth. "I mean, how could this possibly happen? I didn't even think the storm had been that bad. And do you ever remember this happening before?"

"I don't think it's ever happened here," came William's voice from across the elevator on her left. "But there's a first time for everything."

"Yeah, but did the first time have to happen now?" Elizabeth let out an unhappy sigh. "Of all the days, of all the elevators in the world...I had been having a wonderful week before this. And now..."

"Is it really so bad?" asked Aria. "After all, this gives you a chance to relax, think about your life. Do some yoga."

"Yoga? Sounds like some frozen dessert."

A giggle came from the other side of the elevator, and Elizabeth found herself smiling. "I guess you're right...I should count my blessings. At least we're not plunging down to the bottom of the elevator shaft."

Silence.

"Look, I was joking."

Silence.

"That was a really bad joke," Aria said. "Especially in these circumstances. Why don't we do something constructive...like introduce each other. I'm Aria, by the way--Arianna Hengals."

"I'm William Darcy, but my friends call me Will. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aria. And this is--"

"Georgiana. You can call me Genie, though."

"So we've got a song, a final testament, and a bottled spirit," Elizabeth said dryly. "Wow. I feel so left out."

They all laughed at that, but when it died down, the silence was as oppressive as before. Finally, Georgiana hesitantly asked, "What should we do?"

No one said a word in response, until Elizabeth said, "We could play 'If.'"

"If?" William repeated.

"Yeah, 'If.' Basically, it's where people ask each other 'if' questions. Kind of like truth or dare, except it's just truth, and the questions are like...if...if your house was burning down, and you could only save one thing from it, what would it be? Or, if you were to lose one of your five senses, which would you give up? Or, if you could choose any time in history to live in, which would it be? Just stuff you can think up off the top of your head like that."

"So do you want to start?"

"Sure...ok, um...if you were about to die, and had to write your will tomorrow, who would be your principle beneficiary?"

"Eeew, that's so morbid," Georgiana said.

Elizabeth smiled. "But that's the fun of it. It's stuff you would never think about. But it's fun to respond to, because you actually do have to think about it then."

"I think my sister," William responded.

"My sister wouldn't get a dime," Aria put in. "I think I'd give it all to some charity. Like the American Cancer Association, or an environmental group."

Georgiana was confused. "Don't you like your sister?"

"Well, sure," Aria replied without hesitation. "But she's well-off enough. I'd rather have it do some good somewhere else, instead of lounging around in her bank account."

"Maybe that's what I'd do, too, then. And what about you, Elizabeth?"

She thought. "I'm not really sure. Probably my sister Jane. But then again, she's marrying Charles, so she probably won't need it. Maybe I'd put it away for my sisters' college."

"How many sisters do you have?" asked William.

"Four. You know Jane, then there's Mary, who's in college right now, and Catherine, who is a senior in high school, and then my youngest sister Lydia, who is a junior."

"Wow," said Georgiana in awe. "What's it like to have so many sisters?"

Elizabeth shrugged in the darkness. "I don't know. It's not really as great as it sounds. Jane is a wonderful older sisters, but my younger ones can be, well, a pain."

"I'd give anything to have a sister."

"Would you really?" asked Aria. "Ok, then, if you could have anyone you know as your sister, who would it be?"

There was silence as Georgiana pondered this. "I'm not sure I know anyone really well that I'd like as my sister. Maybe you two."

"Well, you're only supposed to choose one..." William said doubtfully.

"Oh, let her choose both, Will," Elizabeth said playfully.

Georgiana interrupted: "Then I think I'd choose Elizabeth. Not that I don't like you, Aria, but you're kind of...serious."

Aria laughed slightly, an odd, half-bitten off chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Genie. I've heard it said about me before."

"Ok, then: if your friends were to describe you with one word, what would it be?"

Aria considered this. "Rock."

"Rock?" Georgiana asked with a laugh. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Aria responded, "that I have the emotion, expression, immutability, and sense of humor of a rock." Georgiana giggled at that. "And what about you?"

"Shy, I think," she replied. "I'm not really very loud or opinionated."

"Unlike my sister."

"Tell me about her..."

The conversation went on like this for quite some time, and Elizabeth was content to simply listen to the two of them talking, coming up with new questions to ask each other based on the comments they made on the last one. It was rather interesting to hear what they said, and she found herself not only learning new things about her friend, but also getting a glimpse of both Georgiana's and William's characters.

"I think they're getting on well together," came a low voice next to Elizabeth's ear. She shuddered at the delicious feeling that ran up her spine as his breath tickled her cheek. She didn't respond, though, for fear her pounding heart would come the last few inches up her throat and burst out of her mouth. "What do you think?" he asked after a few moments.

She nodded. "They do seem to," she said at last, when she had gotten her composure together.

She could feel him now, sitting on the floor beside her, and she wondered when he had moved, and why she hadn't noticed before. He had such a...presence was the best word for it. You simply knew he was there. Or maybe it was just her...

"I have an 'if' question for you." She didn't respond, hoping he would take the hint and go back to the other corner. Somehow, he made her feel uncomfortable, not sure of her own reactions to him. She'd rather he stayed far enough away, so that she wouldn't have to worry about that. But of course, he didn't. "If someone saw something happen, and completely misinterpreted it, what would you do to correct their misapprehension?"

"Depends on what it was," she said, trying to figure out where this was leading.

He hesitated. "Ok, suppose someone saw another man kissing you, and believed that you were dating him, but you weren't, and you really wanted the other person--" he broke off.

"Yes?" she said at last, wanting to know what he was about to say, yet dreading knowing it at the same time.

"Um...wanted the other person to...know that you weren't, what would you do?"

She felt a strange sense of disappointment curl up in her belly, but she ignored it, trying to decide instead what to say. She thought she knew what he was referring to, but she wasn't sure if she would acknowledge it. "I would tell him."

"Tell him? Would you have the courage?"

"I don't believe that was part of the question, but yes, I believe I would."

"So you would just say it flat out."

"Yes, flat out."

"Just say, 'I'm not going out with Caroline?'"

She felt her breath catch slightly, but forced herself to respond calmly: "Yes, except that I would, if it were true, use a different name."

He was silent for a while, and Elizabeth went back to listening to the other two near the front of the elevator, who were still plying each other with questions. She knew exactly what he had been trying to say, but despite the fact that her heart believed him, her mind told her he was a liar; there had to be something between them. Even best friends do not greet each other that demonstratively, no matter if they hadn't seen each other for years.

And it's stupid, she told herself, that she was even thinking about it, that she even had to convince herself. She didn't like him--not really. Yes, he was very handsome, and yes, he was very polite, and yes, he was very...perfect, but he just wasn't right for her. And besides, she wasn't ready for another relationship yet; she was still getting over Derrick and his betrayal. It would be suicide to hurt herself all over again, and she knew, that with William, it was inevitable. Somehow, she just knew.

Yet, her heart asked her, why is she going out with Richard? Isn't that the same thing? Of course not, her mind argued. Richard is simply a short fling--something to distract her. There's nothing long-term in that relationship. He's simply a charmer, a romancer, and definitely not, as Aria said, "good boyfriend material." She hadn't told either of her friends that. She hadn't wanted to admit it to them, knowing what their response would be. Despite how they would argue it, she knew she needed that kind of quick, bounce-back relationship, just to make her feel a little better. Her ego had taken a definite hit with Derrick.

And now, with William sitting only a few inches from her, in a dark elevator, she wondered how in the world she had gotten there, how she had gotten herself into this kind of situation. If she had had any sense, she would not have encouraged him in the first place--if she had even done that. His behavior seemed to indicate that she had, in some way. But now she was stuck with the problem of trying to push him away. She was never overtly cruel. She could never simply tell him to scram; that wasn't in her character. And anyway, if she tried, it would end up sounding arch and flirty. And men, in her experience, didn't pick up well on subtlety. So what exactly was she supposed to do?

"Georgiana doesn't have many friends," William was saying to her in a low voice, "and even fewer adult role models, people to ask advice from. I feel really bad for that; it's really my fault, I think."

"And how could it be your fault?" Elizabeth found herself replying defensively.

He was silent a moment before responding: "Our parents died in a car accident when she was younger. My grandfather took us in for a few years, but then he died, and since I was old enough, I decided to take on the task of raising her myself."

"You must have been young--"

"I was twenty-one when my parents died. By the time my grandfather died, I was almost through college, and ready to accept the responsibility of taking care of the two of us. But I also had a responsibility to my company, and I couldn't be with her as often as I would have liked. She had always been shy, but our parents' death was hard on her. I don't think she's ever fully recovered from that, and it closes her off from making friends easily." He stopped for a moment, then sighed. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I rarely tell anyone this."

She shook her head. "It's this; it's the situation we're in. There's some sort of connection that brings people together. There are no faces, no real people; just thoughts and voices. It fairly begs confidences like that."

"I guess...I had really wanted to ask you if you thought encouraging that friendship--between Georgiana and Aria, between Georgiana and yourself, would be a good thing. I mean, Bings has told me a lot about you, and I've met you before--I know, for the most part, what you're like--"

"And do you approve?" she asked out of pure perverseness.

He paused before responding. "Yes. I approve of you."

The tone in which he said this sent shivers up Elizabeth's spine, and she warned herself again that she couldn't really trust him, that she shouldn't trust these feelings he caused in her. But her heart still skipped a beat, and she knew that inevitably, she would anyway.

"My real question was about Aria. Do you think I should?"

It took a few seconds for Elizabeth to figure out exactly what he was talking about, but before she had a chance to reply, there was a pounding on the ceiling above them. Elizabeth looked up in surprise, and she felt William stand up beside her. Suddenly, there was a flashlight shining down through a hole where a ceiling panel had been only a few moments before. "Is everyone alright down there?" came a voice.

Everyone in the elevator had stood up and began talking at once. Finally, the man laughed. "Good--we haven't lost anyone. We're going to try to get you out of there--the elevators right below the opening for the third floor, so we'll just help you out of the elevator car, and through the doors, ok?"

Elizabeth was practically cheering as a man dropped down into the elevator and began helping them through the hole in the ceiling, where another person waited to help them out the doors to the third floor. When she had been helped out of the elevator shaft, she sat down on the floor of the department store and, leaning her elbows on her knees, put her head in her hands.

She sat there for a few minutes before she was approached by William, who squatted down beside her in the dark. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled without raising her head.

"Sorry to be out of the elevator?"

She looked up at that. "You have to be joking. No matter how safe anyone may claim that to be, I still felt like any moment it was going to plunge down to the bottom."

"Well, at least we're safe now, and they decided to help us out instead of letting us sit in there until the electricity came back on--which that guy told me would've been another few hours, at the least."

"I don't think I could have bore sitting in there for that much longer."

He was silent for a few moments, contemplating this. At last, he said, "And what about my question. Do you think I should?"

This time, Elizabeth knew exactly what he was talking about. She had been thinking about how to respond since he had asked the question, and had debated with herself about the answer she had come up with. Even now, she hesitated. "I, uh...I'm not sure I could answer that. It all depends on you."

He seemed puzzled by this. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I really don't know how Aria would feel about me telling you this, but I figure, since she isn't usually too closed about it..."

"Yes..." he prompted.

"She doesn't like men."

He was definitely confused now. "What do you mean? She wasn't overly mean to me, or anything."

"No," Elizabeth said impatiently, "she doesn't like men."

"Oh."

Elizabeth wondered if she had perhaps offended him in some way by the way she said it, or perhaps he had just been completely disgusted by what she said--she couldn't tell. A one-syllable, two-letter word, delivered on a single, flat note can't exactly convey a lot of description as to the feelings of the person upon the subject. She waited for him to say something...anything. But he didn't. And so she began to stand up, figuring there was nothing left to say, when she was arrested by his hand on her arm.

"But you do, don't you? I mean, like men."

She was surprised, to say the least by this calm, simply curious response--she hadn't expected this question at all, and honestly, it rather shocked her. She had been expecting disgust, condescension, even repulsion. But definitely not this. From what she had seen of his personality so far, she had never thought to expect this kind of acceptance, this open-mindedness from him. Perhaps she had better readjust her view of him.

It took her a while to realize he was still waiting for her response. "Like them? Certain ones, yes." She then took pity on him and answered: "If you're asking if I'm homosexual, no, I'm not."

He didn't respond, and she got up the gall to ask, "So will you prevent Georgiana from getting to know Aria better?"

She knew, from the pressure of his hand on her arm, that he was looking at her reproachfully. "I'm surprised you would think me so narrow-minded, but I suppose there's enough people like that to make you suspicious of others' views towards it. And no, I won't prevent her. She has the right to make friends wherever she chooses, and to open her mind to other ways of thinking is best for her, if she's going to get anywhere in this world."

This left Elizabeth speechless--he seemed to be surprising her a lot today. She had been expecting anything but this. Surprised as she was, she couldn't help warming to him a little, despite the fact that she still didn't trust his motives.

After a few minutes, she realized that his hand was still holding her arm, and she gently tugged it, and he let go. She unconsciously held it to her stomach and rubbed it absently, as if it were broken. She would have turned and walked over to where there was a small group of people with a lantern, most likely brought from the sporting goods section, had he not stopped her again with a question: "Wouldyouliketogooutforcoffee?"

It took a few moments for Elizabeth to understand what he said, and she looked back at him sharply. All she could make out in the dim glow from the distant lantern was a fuzzy shape, and she could almost picture his worried, nervous expression as she saw him shift his weight from one foot to the other.

"I mean," he began again, "if you're not doing anything, we could go out to Webbs after this, and get some coffee...or tea, if you're one of those people, but I think you're more of a coffee person...or cappuccino, or if you're hungry, they've got stuff there, too...I mean...um..."

She couldn't help it--the situation was too funny for her not to suddenly burst out laughing. She never would have imagined him, reduced to begging her to go out to have coffee with him, trying to extol the virtues of George Webbs. And once she had started laughing, she just couldn't stop. It wasn't until her conscience finally screamed loud enough for her to hear it, and she realized how her laughter must have sounded to him. She looked up guiltily at him in the darkness, and her heart dropped the last few feet to the floor. "I'm s-so s-s-sorry. I didn't mean--"

"No, that's quite alright," he interrupted, and she froze at the icy aloofness that she heard in his voice. "It was too much to ask. After all--my cousin has first priority."

That brought her up short, and she opened her mouth to respond hotly, but he was already walking back to the group of people circled around the lantern. Richard. She had completely forgotten about him. What time was it, even? How late was she? She glanced at her wrist, but realized she couldn't read the face in the darkness, and glanced enviously towards the light, where she could just make out William standing beside his sister. He glanced in her direction, and after a moment, she looked away, feeling extremely guilty for being so callous.

"Looks like you blew that one," came a voice from behind her.

Elizabeth turned in surprise. "You heard all that?"

"How could I not, Liz? Besides," Aria said, approaching her, "I was trying to get the arm off the mannequin here. I figured I deserve at least something for being stuck in their stupid elevator for so long."

"And did you get it?"

A cold, plastic thing came down lightly across her shoulders. "You're darn tootin' I did."

Elizabeth shrugged off the mannequin arm and glared in her friend's direction. Aria sighed. "Look, Liz, yeah, it was stupid, but what are you going to do? Deal with it, as I like to say; you made your choice back when you tried to scare him off with that 'my friend is gay' tactic."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Are you mad at me for that?"

Aria didn't answer for a second. "No. Of course not. In fact, I'm kind of glad you did; if he couldn't deal with that, I don't think he'd be worth the effort."

"But you think he is, because he could deal with it?"

There was another pause as Aria considered her answer. "I didn't say that," she said at last. "And I'm not about to make you feel even more guilty for what you undoubtedly are kicking yourself over. But just remember: you've already got something on your plate. And right now he's waiting back at your apartment for you, if he hasn't already given up and left."

"You know, we never did get anything for me to wear on my date..."

Continued In Next Section