Posted On: Wednesday, 5 March 2003, at 10:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Bennet removed the package from the trunk of her car and gently carried it into the house.

"Janie! Wait til you see-"

"Lizzie! Guess what? I was-"

"-what I bought-"

"-sitting in the den when-"

The two sisters burst out laughing. "All right, Little Sister, you go first." said Jane.

"Little Sister, my- Oh, well, I'm too excited to argue." Just a year younger than Jane, Elizabeth was her elder sister's best friend. Smiling, she tore the wrapping off her purchase.

"What do you think?"

Jane stared at the framed antique print. "Something about it looks familiar."

"It looks like the parlor in Great-Grandmother's house. Remember the family legend?" asked Elizabeth as she placed the print on a chair in the living room and stepped back to admire it.

Jane nodded.

The picture showed three ladies in Regency dress. One was seated at a small table in front of a window, and the other two appeared to have just jumped up from their seats. All three ladies wore delighted expressions on their faces as they looked toward a young man, who was striding into the room through an open door.

Elizabeth continued, "Great-Gran loved to tell the story of how her grandmother thought her young man was gone forever and then he came back to her. When I saw it, I just had to have it. Silly, I know, but somehow it spoke to me."

Pleased with herself, Elizabeth sat on the living room sofa and said, "So, Janie, now tell me your news."

"Oh, Lizzie, I'm so happy. Charles came to see me today. We sat in the den and talked and talked. He apologized for leaving suddenly last summer and asked me if I could forgive him and go out with him again."

"And will you? I mean he and Darce just waltzed out of our lives without a backward glance."

"Oh, Lizzie, I thought I was over Charles, but one look and I realized that I still love him. Who knows, if Charles came back, maybe Darce will, too. Come on, Lizzie, you'd take him back. I know you would."

"It isn't a matter of me taking him back. I don't think he'll ask. I said some pretty terrible things back then. No man who's been turned away like that would come back."

"I don't know. Charles did ask after you. Maybe he's been talking to Darce." She took another look at the picture. "This could be an omen."

Elizabeth shook her head, "Janie..."

Jane continued, "Mom always says that bad things come in threes. Maybe good things do, too. You found this neat picture, Charles came back-" she was interrupted by the doorbell.

Jane opened the door, and there stood a tall, dark, handsome man. "Lizzie!" she called over her shoulder as she beckoned for the man to come in. "Good luck, Darce," she whispered.

Jane smiled and picked up the picture. "I'll just take this into the den." As she walked out of the room, she looked again at the picture. For the first time, she noticed the title. It was called "The Return."