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Chapter 17

"So, William, I finally get to see you after hours at last," Jessica said after a few minutes.

"How did you come to be out here?" William asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "You said something about going to the Hamptons." Jessica coolly gazed at Lizzy as she replied.

"Oh, the party in the Hamptons is tomorrow tonight. Diana and I are good friends. We met in California a few months ago. I was on my way here to take my current job and she had just moved out there. She looked me up when she returned to the east coast and invited me out for the weekend." William just nodded. In all likelihood that meant that he would have to endure her company for the next couple of days. "And I finally get to meet the famous Lizzy," Jessica continued. "William has spoken of little else but you over the last few months." Anne's ears perked up at that.

"That's highly unlikely," Lizzy said. "We haven't been together that long."

"Oh, so it's still fresh and new. Don't you love the first blush of romance?" Lizzy just looked at her, as did Jane and Georgiana. William was assiduously looking away. He was seething with anger; it occurred to him that in all likelihood, Jessica was well aware that she would be spending the weekend in close proximity to William and her attempt to stir up a misunderstanding between his mother and Lizzy had been deliberate. He noticed his grandmother and Edward coming up the walk toward the terrace and rose to greet them, abandoning Lizzy for the moment. He knew he'd regret it later, but he needed a moment to compose himself.

"Hello, my beauty," Bess said as she raised her cheek for William's kiss. "What are all you young folk doing just sitting around like this on such a beautiful day? You should be out enjoying yourselves."

"Well, we were enjoying ourselves on the terrace," William said meaningfully. Bess surveyed the scene.

"Then Diana showed up," she nodded with a knowing frown. "Who's the other one?"

"A friend of hers; she's also a coworker at my firm." Bess took in William's expression and smiled.

"So she's as welcome as Diana," she surmised. William smiled. "Come Edward; we have some meddling to do." By the time Bess and Edward, followed by William, reached the others, Jessica had shifted into the seat William had vacated. She was talking animatedly to Lizzy and Jane, frequently mentioning William's name and implying that their relationship was much closer than it was.

"Hello, young people," Bess said as she waded into the crowd. William introduced Bess to Jessica.

"I'm always pleased to meet a friend of William's," Bess said as Lizzy rose and offered her chair. "You simply must tell me all the dirt you've got on him. Edward, take Lizzy and William over there so we can speak freely." Jessica laughed at the remark, but one look from Bess sent the trio to the other end of the terrace where there was a pair of lounges.

"You have to forgive my grandmother," William said as he sat on one lounge and pulled Lizzy into the seat with him. "She likes to stir up trouble."

"And here I thought it was simply attracted to her," Edward said lightly.

"Could be, you never know with Grandma Bess," William said. He was obviously more at ease now, and Lizzy wondered at his earlier discomfort. Her questions would have to wait. The threesome began a conversation about museums in Great Britain, about which both Edward and Lizzy had excellent knowledge. William had only been to a few of the places they discussed, so he just lay back in the lounge with Lizzy in his arms and listened to their lively discussion.

Jessica looked over at the pair and glowered at Lizzy. She was determined to make use of this opportunity to study her rival for William's affections. Jessica was also determined to ingratiate herself with the Darcys. Anne already seemed inclined to like her; it should be a simple matter to win over William's grandmother as well.

"So, Mrs. Darcy--."

"My name is O'Donnell, although it's destined to become Gardiner shortly."

"Oh; Mrs. O'Donnell, are you very close to your grandson?"

"Of course, I'm close to him," Bess said as she reached out to caress Richard's cheek with obvious affection. "Isn't he a sweetie? Look at those big blue eyes." Richard took hold of her hand and kissed it.

"I think she was speaking of Will, Grandma Bess."

"Who cares? You're still a sweetie." Richard gave his grandmother a reproachful look. "Of course, I'm also fond of William. Oh, and Matt and David have turned out very well, too. I love all my grandsons; hunks, the whole lot of them."

"What about your granddaughter?" Georgiana protested.

"She's a scamp, but she's growing on me," Bess said with a wink. Georgiana smiled back at her and resumed her conversation.

Diana was put out; she was unaccustomed to being ignored by the men in her company. Richard was holding hands with someone Anne had introduced as his friend and William had taken off to the other end of the terrace with another woman. She was very tempted to join them but too afraid of Bess' sharp tongue to make her move. The first time she or Jessica expressed a notion of moving from their seats, Bess had told them to stay put so William could get better acquainted with his new grandfather. So Diana fumed, refusing to take part in the conversation between Bess and Jessica. Jane, however, was under no such edict, so she rose and wandered over to where Lizzy and William were listening to Edward talk about his travels in Europe and India.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked. No one had any objections so she sat on the deck and leaned against Edward's lounge, plunging into the conversation with tales of her own experiences. Lizzy decided that she liked Jane, dismissing all her earlier fears as she listened to her speak. In time, Lizzy completely forgot about William's odd reaction to the arrival of the other women. She was comfortable and happy and in the arms of the man she loved. What was there to worry about? She glanced at the sky and had her answer. Dark clouds were rolling in and everyone headed into the house before the inevitable downpour came.

Richard took the opportunity to get Marina away from the crowd and took her to the basement game room, where he found his parents and Uncle George already relaxing in the vast space. The men were engaged in a game of pool and Kathleen was knitting. He and Marina settled in to watch a movie with her in the entertainment area. Marina curled up in Richard's arms and fell asleep within minutes. Georgiana soon came down and joined the pair. She, too, dozed off while Richard and Kathleen continued to enjoy the movie.

When Lizzy went into the house she headed straight for the lavatory. When she came out she saw William ensconced between Jessica and Diana. Having spent the previous few hours being needlessly jealous over Jane, Lizzy decided that it was time she stopped worrying and learn to trust what she and William had built between them. So she smiled serenely at William and disappeared in search of a book to read in the library. Diana needed no more incentive to try and corner William, while Jessica slipped out of the room to follow Lizzy.

"What are you looking for, ma'am?" Jessica froze in her tracks. She turned and confronted her inquisitor. Mr. Reynolds gazed at her evenly.

"I'm looking for the little girl's room," she lied.

"It's this way," Mr. Reynolds replied. He led Jessica down the hall and showed her the door. Jessica had no choice but to thank him and go into the tiny half bath. She checked herself in the mirror and waited about half a minute before stepping out. She looked down the corridor, and seeing no sign of the butler, she began her search for Lizzy.

"Looking for something?" Jessica spun around for a second time and smiled. Lizzy was standing there with a couple of books under her arm.

"Oh, I was just looking around. This is some house, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Lizzy replied. "Anne was just telling me how it was built in the early part of the twentieth century to resemble a sixteenth century Tudor manor." Lizzy stopped herself from saying more. She had a tendency to go into what she called "curator" mode, and this was hardly the time for it. Nor was Jessica a person she was particularly interested in talking to. She smiled thinly and turned back toward the living room.

"Perhaps you can give me a little tour," Jessica suggested.

"Oh, I don't really know the house. I'd probably just get us both lost. Besides, I'm not sure Anne and George would appreciate our snooping about," Lizzy said archly. "But if you're really interested in seeing the house--."

"I should ask William," Jessica suggested.

"I was about to suggest that," Lizzy smiled graciously. She turned and left Jessica where she found her.

"Sure you were," she said.

Anne had been a quiet observer throughout all the afternoon's machinations. She said very little on the terrace after her chat with Lizzy, preferring to study Richard and Marina as they chatted with Georgiana and Jane, and to carefully monitor Lizzy's reaction to Diana and Jessica. To her credit, Anne decided, Lizzy didn't fly into a jealous snit over the obvious interest both women had shown William. Anne took that to mean that Lizzy was confident in her power over William, a matter that still didn't sit completely well with her. William's behavior had troubled her, however. For a while he had seemed preoccupied and worried about something and she wondered if he was upset with her about their earlier discussion about Lizzy. Anne resolved to give Lizzy the benefit of the doubt for his sake and endeavor to reserve judgment till they became better acquainted. She smiled when she looked up and saw the object of her last thought enter the room. Lizzy returned the smile and settled on the sofa to read. William joined her and they decided to read together. Bess and Edward, seated on the adjoining sofa, smiled.

"It's become our habit to read together in the evenings," Edward said as Jessica returned to the room and sat beside Diana.

"Yes, we both have a great love of the classics and enjoy spending an hour or two reading together in the evenings before we go to sleep," Bess said.

"That's not what I heard was going on in the guesthouse," Richard said as he entered the room. Bess glared at him but offered no denial. "I don't suppose I could interest anyone in a game of pool? Dad and Uncle George have quit on me, mom's knitting, Emmy and Gee are asleep and I'm bored." Lizzy glanced at William and smiled.

"You can have William if he wants to play," she volunteered.

"I thought we were going to read," he complained.

"Oh, like you really want to cuddle up next to a beautiful woman and read when what you'd really rather do is beat me senseless at pool," Richard taunted.

"Hey, it could happen," William said, even as he rose. "Why don't you come downstairs with us?" he asked Lizzy. "We can read later." Lizzy did a quick scan of the room. Other than Bess and Edward, she saw nothing that could influence her to stay.

"Sure," she said rising. "If you'll all excuse me..." As she passed Bess the older woman reached out and took her hand for a moment. Lizzy looked down and Bess gave her an encouraging smile.

Lizzy giggled at the sight of what Richard called the "sleeping beauties" stretched out on the sofas. Kathleen sat at one end of the longer sofa, knitting rapidly as she watched the large-screen television. Lizzy followed Richard and William over to the pool table and took a seat at the bar, where Hugh and George had already settled in.

"May I offer you something to drink?" George asked. Lizzy nodded. "Name your poison: beer, wine, or one of those girly drinks."

"I'll have a beer," Lizzy replied.

"Make it three," Richard said. William nodded.

"May I play the loser?" Lizzy asked as George handed her a glass.

"Shouldn't that be the winner?" Hugh asked.

"I'm no dope," Lizzy countered. Hugh and George raised their glasses to her in confirmation. William beat Richard handily and then sat to watch Lizzy play him. He was impressed with her skill with the cue, although he didn't hesitate to try and distract Richard as he shot.

"Why don't you go and ogle Marina while I deal with Lizzy, cousin." Richard said as he reconsidered his shot. Jane appeared in his line of vision and he straightened up and waited for her to take a seat at the bar.

"It's stopped raining," Jane announced as she accepted a beer from George.

"Are our other visitors gone?" William asked after Richard deftly sank two balls.

"Why do you think I came down here?" Jane replied.

"Will someone please explain to me why all conversation ceased when Diana and Jessica arrived?" Lizzy asked. Richard chuckled.

"Conversation ceased, birds stopped singing, the skies darkened and unless I'm greatly mistaken, my iced tea clouded over as well."

William and Jane laughed, as did George.

"So what's the story?" Lizzy persisted.

"Well, I can tell you about Diana. She was my neighbor for ages," Jane said. "William will have to explain Jessica, but I suspect their story is the same. If I said that Diana has a desperate crush on William it would be a gross understatement. She's had a thing for him since she took her first breath."

"She didn't seem so hot for William when she propositioned me last weekend," Richard snorted derisively.

"She propositioned you?" The comment came from several voices at once: Kathleen, George and William all said the same thing.

"I could see that," Lizzy teased. William poked her in the ribs.

"You are so going to pay for that later."

"You should have done what I asked this morning," Lizzy said as she rose to take her turn. Richard looked at William quizzically, but he refused to acknowledge his silent question.

"So, they're both hot for your body, William," Lizzy said as she lined up her shot.

"Yes; apparently everyone around here is, except you," he quipped. Lizzy lost her concentration as she giggled.

"Are you going to shoot or are you going to flirt with this guy?" Richard asked.

"In a hurry to be beaten, are you, pretty boy?" Lizzy challenged. She took her shot and then another and another until she had won the game.

"See? I told you; the man's all surface, no substance," William told Lizzy as he gave her a congratulatory kiss.

"I distinctly recall you characterizing Richard quite differently this morning," Lizzy laughed as Diana and Jessica came into the room with Anne.

"Watch your beer go sour," Richard muttered. The little group at the bar laughed, although they tried to suppress their mirth as the others approached.

"We wondered where everyone disappeared to," Diana said. "It's very bad manners to leave your guests all alone, William."

"I was under the impression that you'd come to see my mother," William replied. "She was with you when we left."

"Yes, but you're always leaving for somewhere or another whenever I come over. It's enough to make a girl feel unwelcome." William did his best to keep silent and not betray his true feelings with his expression. Jessica was looking around and noticed the two women on the sofas.

"Don't they have enough bedrooms?" she said to no one in particular but loud enough to disturb both Marina and Georgiana, who began to stir. Lizzy caught the remark and grit her teeth as Marina sat up and stretched.

"Hey, Emmy," Richard said with a sweet smile. "Did you have a nice nap?" Marina nodded drowsily and he sat down beside her. She leaned against his shoulder and smiled as he wrapped an arm around her. Others began to wander over and sit on the sofas and chairs in the entertainment area. William walked over to the other sofa and unceremoniously kicked it to awaken his sister.

"Brute!" Georgiana muttered as she sat up. "I bet you didn't wake Lizzy that way this morning!" Lizzy blushed slightly.

"Actually, no," William admitted. "That's probably why she overslept." He noticed Jessica glaring at him and pointedly ignored her. Lizzy, on the other hand, watched Jessica with unabashed curiosity. Her interest in William was apparent and Lizzy assessed her rival as William selected another movie to put on.

"Want to take a walk?" Richard asked Marina. "The rain is gone." Marina nodded.

"Let me go up and get my camera; I'd like to take some pictures." Richard nodded and settled back to wait.

"That's the hazard of becoming involved with an artist," Lizzy observed. "Everything is a potential subject for a work of art, I guess."

"Oh, I'm used to it. Emmy's been doing this to me for as long as I can remember," Richard said as he stood. "I'm going to meet her upstairs. See you all later," he said as he bent to kiss his mother. George and Hugh also abandoned the game room and Jane, pleading fatigue, followed them upstairs as soon as decorum allowed, leaving Kathleen, William and Lizzy, Georgiana, Diana and Jessica behind. William was less than thrilled with the remaining assembly. Georgiana had always been indifferent to Diana under the best of circumstances, and she showed no interest in being in company with her now. She paid neither Diana nor Jessica any attention as she watched the movie. Lizzy was more interested in Kathleen's knitting and the two of them struck up a conversation, leading Lizzy to abandon William's side and sit closer to the older woman. Jessica wasted no time in attempting to fill the void, even as Diana sidled closer on his other flank. He sighed deeply and braced himself.

"Where are you two off to?" Bess asked pleasantly as Richard and Marina headed toward the French doors.

"We're going to take a walk."

"It's very nearly dinner time, Richard," Anne warned. "Don't go too far."

"We won't," Richard said. He smiled at his aunt and winked at Edward and Bess as he closed the door behind him.

"Anne, I'd like a word," Bess said. She patted Edward's knee and rose to draw her daughter away from where George and Hugh were settling into comfortable chairs. "What on earth are you doing encouraging Diana?" she asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I am doing no such thing!" Anne cried.

"Aren't you? Inviting her over here knowing full well that she's the last person William wants to see. And with that shrill little piece of work, to boot! Where'd you dredge her up?"

"Mother! I didn't invite Diana over. I was walking on the beach and found her heading to the house. What was I supposed to do, tell her to go away? As for her friend," Anne said distastefully, "I don't care much for her, either. If anything she's even worse than Diana with her William worship. If I had known--."

"And he has to work with her? Poor dear!"

Anne looked up sharply.

"Oh, my!"

"Indeed!" Bess concurred. Anne grabbed her mother's wrist.

"No, no; I just thought of something." She sat down heavily and shook her head.

"Are you all right, my darling?" Anne nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine."

Richard took Marina by the hand and led her away from the house toward a small copse at the edge of the estate. Marina pulled her hand out of his when they reached a small clearing and raised her camera to shoot a storm-ravaged tree. Richard shook his head and leaned against the trunk of a tree that had remained dry in spite of the recent shower.

"Emmy?"

"Hmm?" she murmured as she drew closer to the tree and shot up through the mangled and twisted branches.

"I thought we should take this opportunity to talk."

"Okay. What would you like to talk about?"

"Us."

"I thought we did that yesterday."

"You never answered my question." Marina turned around and pointed the camera at Richard, who crossed his arms patiently. He was used to being considered a work of art in Marina's eyes. "What do you want?" She lowered the camera.

"I told you last night; I love you."

Richard smiled at her. She had said the words matter-of-factly and resumed shooting. After a moment he pushed himself away from the tree and walked toward her as she continued to shoot.

"Emmy, that was a declaration not a plan of action." She paused to quirk an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I want to know what you want from me," Richard said with a tinge of frustration.

"I want you to love me in return. That's all I've ever wanted." She lowered the camera and smiled radiantly.

"So that's it? We're done here? Heck, we could have had this conversation back in the game room," Richard teased.

"What do you want, a task list? Instructions?" Marina countered, blushing as she did so. "I...I wouldn't know what to put on it. You know more about dating women than I do." Richard smiled and wrapped his arms around Marina.

"So, do you want lessons?"

Marina nodded. Richard pulled her closer and kissed her.

By the time Richard and Marina returned to the house Diana and Jessica had departed and the others had come up from the basement in preparation for dinner. Marina went up to put away her camera and freshen up. Lizzy followed her upstairs, leaving William at loose ends for the moment. He sat down with his grandmother, who patted his leg and leaned against his shoulder.

"So, how are you doing, handsome?" William smiled.

"Just fine, Grandma Bess," he replied as he watched Richard sit down with Edward. "I like your Edward," he observed.

"He is a treasure, isn't he?" Bess agreed. "Of course, I'd like him even better if he had your looks..." Bess completed her remark was a tiny poke at one of William's dimples. He promptly blushed.

"Grandma Bess!"

"Hey, I'm old but all my parts still work. And my parts work their best when--."

"Do you carry on like this with Richard?"

"Naturally; he's even hunkier than you."

"Oh, now I'm insulted!"

"Oh, nonsense! You haven't taken anything I've said seriously since I told you that I was taking you out of my will because you'd never need a dime from anyone as long as you had your looks," Bess teased, and William found himself coloring anew.

"What are you saying to my son?" Anne asked as she entered the room. "William, you look like a beet. Come away from that dirty old lady and escort me to the table." William happily complied with his mother's request, ignoring his grandmother's pinch on his bottom as he left her. Dinner passed pleasantly and everyone spent a quiet evening on the terrace.

The following morning began pretty much as the previous day, with George and Marina joining Richard and William at the pool. Lizzy came down a short time later in a newly purchased racing suit and swam laps with William while Marina had her lesson. When they were all done they went up to change. They came down to a sumptuous breakfast in which pancakes figured prominently in the menu. William caught his mother's eye and to his surprise, she gave him a wink. They had spoken briefly the previous evening and agreed that Jessica had probably been the source of the misinformation that led to Anne's misunderstanding. She was still concerned about how fast William's relationship with Lizzy was moving, but she resolved to wait and see what developed.

"I'm beginning to think that our little contest was a complete waste of time," Anne told her sister as she watched Lizzy and William lead Marina and Richard down to the beach. "Both our boys managed to find someone without our help. I just hope that they've chosen well."

"I for one have confidence in both their choices. You know how I adore Marina and I can't say enough about how Lizzy has made William come alive. I can't remember the last time I saw so much of those amazing dimples."

"You're beginning to sound like our mother, Kathy."

"Well, what's the old saying? Mom knows best! She certainly knows a gorgeous man when she sees one."

"You're talking about my son!"

"Gloating, are you?"

Anne laughed.

"Listen to the two of you; you're regular Mrs. Robinsons in training," George teased. "Why don't you stop ogling those young pups and spend a little quality time with a real man!" Anne smiled as he took hold of her hand and gallantly led her down the steps. George winked at his sister-in-law and took his wife for a walk in the woods.

Lizzy spent the rest of the lazy Sunday attempting to get over her paranoia about William's mother. She accepted an invitation for a tour of the gardens and then watched Anne make a sumptuous flower arrangement for the dinner table. Anne, an accomplished gardener, also filled a vase with sunflowers for Lizzy to take up to her room and another for Marina. Kathleen, concerned and more than a little curious, joined the two women and the threesome talked as they arranged the blooms. Lizzy began to feel more relaxed in Anne's company, but she was grateful for Kathleen's presence nonetheless. When William came looking for Lizzy, having returned from an outing with Richard and George to a boat yard, Lizzy was eager for his company. He was more than happy to whisk her away for a while and the pair went for a walk on the beach.

Meanwhile, Marina spent the day wandering around the property photographing architectural elements and sketching anything and everything that caught her interest. She finally settled on the pier next to George's boat gazing out over the water. That's where Richard found her on his return. Seeing that she was deep in thought he merely sat down on the pier beside her and was pleasantly surprised when she leaned back and settled against his shoulder. She fit him like as comfortably old shoe, Richard thought to himself, recalling the countless hours they'd spent slumped against each other like that. Why didn't I know?

"What are you thinking?" Marina asked quietly. Richard turned slightly and wrapped an arm around her.

"I was just wondering why I never figured out how you felt about me," he admitted. Marina squirmed uncomfortably.

"Don't make yourself crazy, Ricky," she replied. "I never wanted you to know how I felt. Over the years I became quite adept at hiding in plain sight."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I should have taken you for granted."

"You never took me for granted. Lord, there were times when I wished you did. You'd come by and try to draw me out of my funk and all I'd want to do is slug you," Marina chuckled. "Or you'd bring me a present of art supplies and get me all excited about working again when all I wanted to do was lay in bed and stare at the ceiling." Marina sat up. "Remember the time I said that and you actually taped paper to the ceiling and attached a piece of charcoal to the end of a yardstick?" Richard laughed. "You made it so hard to be angry with you at times like that."

"Did you want to be angry with me?" Richard asked as his smile faded. Marina nodded and Richard pulled her into the security of his arms again.

"There was a time when I really wanted to hate you. No; I wanted you to hate me so you would go away and leave me in peace. I thought it would be less painful to have a crush on you if you weren't such a good friend." Richard sighed and Marina squeezed his hand. "Don't," she said.

"Don't? How can I not? You tell me things like this and all I can feel is guilt," Richard said miserably. Marina shifted around to face him and pulled him into a hug.

"That's in the past now. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It still hurts, Aunty Em. It still hurts both of us." Marina nodded and squeezed Richard tighter. After a moment she realized that she was crying and quickly wiped away her tears. Then she smiled.

"You promised never to call me that," Marina said before she bit Richard's shoulder.

"And you promised not to bite," Richard said as he yelped and pulled away. He immediately noticed her red eyes and sighed. He reached out and caressed her cheek.

"I'm all right, Ricky," Marina hastily assured him. But Richard pulled her into his arms again, stroking her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry, so sorry."

Marina pushed away and got to her feet.

"Stop saying that!"

Before Richard could respond, she ran off. Richard watched her go, his face twisted in confusion. He turned and looked out at the water and tried to figure out what had just happened.

"So did you find whatever it was you boys wanted from the store?" Lizzy asked as she strolled along the surf arm in arm with William.

"Hmm?" William's mind was not on his recent outing.

"You were looking for some mechanical doohickey," Lizzy explained helpfully.

"Doohickey? I don't recall going doohickey shopping," William said with amusement. Then his smile brightened. "Legs."

"Legs...you went shopping for legs?"

"Nice ones."

"For what?" Lizzy was growing confused and she was a bit concerned when she saw the dopey smile of William's face.

"Aha..."

"William?"

"Lizzy," he sighed with a smile.

"You didn't happen to bump your head while you were out, did you?" William stopped and looked at Lizzy, his vision suddenly sharp and focused.

"What are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about?"

William shrugged.

"I wasn't talking about anything. I was just thinking about you."

"Oh."

William smiled and Lizzy returned the compliment, sufficient provocation in William's mind to draw her into his arms and kiss her. Lizzy wisely didn't resist.

Marina ran up the path toward the terrace, mounted the stairs and headed for the French doors. She ran right into Hugh's chest. Surprised, she looked up. Hugh reached out and she melted into his arms.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Oh, Mr. F," she sighed. "I don't think this is going to work." He didn't have to guess what she was talking about. He held her a moment longer before taking her by the hand and leading her to a seat.

"Has something happened?" Marina shook his head.

"I've made a terrible mess of things."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"It's true. When Ricky told me he loved me, instead of accepting the news happily I tore into him and let him know exactly how I've suffered over the last twelve years. And now every time he looks at me, all he can think about is the pain he inflicted on me. I never meant--. That wasn't why I told him. I never wanted him to look at me and associate my face with years of pain," Marina said. "And that's all he does now. I see it in his eyes."

"It probably would have been better if the two of you had gone about things differently, but things don't always work out very neatly. Suffice to say, Marina, that when Richard looks at you he sees a great deal more than pain. He sees someone he loves."

"He sees his own guilt."

"That, too, undoubtedly...but you have to understand, honey. The boy has had to come to grips with what was probably the biggest surprise in his young life. You've got to give him a little time to adjust. Heck," Hugh laughed, "I'm willing to bet that realizing he's in love with you is making him doubt his own reason."

"You weren't surprised, were you?" Marina asked. Hugh shook his head.

"I knew that Richard had feelings for you some time ago. I remember the last time he visited you in Pennsylvania. He came home and groused for days about some guy he thought were paying you a little too much attention. Kath assumed that the guy was interested in you and told him so. She never saw Richard's reaction." Hugh laughed again. "He nearly imploded on the spot." Marina was stunned.

"I don't even know who you're talking about."

"No, you wouldn't; you were always completely oblivious to any man who wasn't my son. Richard was always hypersensitive to any guy who came within ten feet of you. I daresay he effectively stunted whatever potential you had for a decent love life in high school with that glare of his." Marina raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't have a love life in high school because I didn't want one that didn't include Ricky."

"It was a moot point," Hugh said knowingly. "No boy in his right mind would come near you with Richard hovering. I tried talking to him about it once and he backed off...for a day or two." Hugh laughed again. "It's little wonder that he's confused and struggling with all this. Give him some time to digest everything. He'll get past the guilt and all the rest. Richard does love you, Marina. But at the moment his mind is in such a boondoggle he doesn't know where to begin."

"Let's go back to the house," William suggested in Lizzy's ear.

"Oh, but it's so beautiful out here."

"We can still see the view from inside." Lizzy looked up and smiled. William took her hand and led her back to the house.

"There you are," Bess said as the pair reached the terrace. "William, Mrs. Reynolds has been looking for you. Something about a package arriving, I think."

"On a Sunday?" William frowned, but Bess detached his hand from Lizzy's and gave him a gentle shove. He stumbled forward and went into the house, sparing his grandmother a dark look as he went. Bess turned to Lizzy and smiled.

"You can join him upstairs in a minute," she said, smiling at Lizzy's blush. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm so happy William found you. You are the very woman I wanted him to meet and fall in love with. If you have an ounce of sense, you'll marry him at your earliest convenience." Lizzy was stunned by Bess's remark. "Now, go upstairs and make yourself pretty for him." She gave the shocked woman a little push. "That should take all of six seconds," she said with a wink.

Chapter 18

William woke Lizzy up before dawn and took her out on the Sound to watch the sunrise on the water. It was a chilly morning, and Lizzy wasn't terribly keen on the idea of a pre-dawn sail until she saw the sun creep over the horizon and rise into the sky. She sat with her back to William, her hands tucked into the fleece pullover he'd lent her, and enjoyed the most beautiful morning she'd ever seen. William decided to greet the day with a kiss, which quickly escalated into something more until he jokingly realized that they stood an excellent chance of capsizing the small craft if they weren't careful.

"We could continue this on dry land," Lizzy suggested. William sighed and reluctantly began to steer the sailboat back to the house. When Lizzy hopped out and helped him to drag the boat out of the water, he heard voices in the distance.

"Oops," William said as he checked his watch.

"What?" Lizzy asked.

"I'm a bit late for my session with Richard," he said as he walked up the path towards the pool.

"So, you're going to go swim," Lizzy pouted.

"I'm going to go give Richard my apologies," William smiled and he picked up the pace. Lizzy hurried to keep up with him, giving his hand a slight squeeze to slow him down. They reached the pool and saw Richard swimming his laps. George was also in the pool taking his daily exercise. Marina was on the deck working on a drawing.

"Hey there," Lizzy said as she reached the deck. Marina looked up and quickly hid her work. "Let me guess," Lizzy teased, "you're planning to do something with a merman." Marina blushed, but she shook her head.

"It's not Richard I'm drawing."

"Oh, so you want a pudgy merman," William said as he sat down on the adjacent lounge. He drew Lizzy to him and they curled up on it together. "My dad is the perfect prototype."

"Your father is not pudgy," Lizzy said in George's defense.

"Yes, he is. I've been trying to talk him into losing some more weight. The doctors got him to drop twenty-five pounds, but I think he could stand too lose another ten."

"He looks fine to me," Lizzy said.

"Well, Marina can shave off a few pounds with her eraser," William smiled.

"I'm not drawing Mr. D," Marina admitted with a smile. "In fact, I'm not drawing either one of them."

"Well, now you've aroused my curiosity," William said, "and you know how I get when I'm aroused." Marina looked up sharply and Lizzy gave him a vicious poke in the ribs. "Well, maybe you don't," he said sheepishly.

"Hey! Where were you twenty minutes ago?"

William looked up and saw Richard glaring at him.

"I was out on the Sound showing Lizzy the sunrise," William replied easily. "Lizzy insisted on seeing it before she left."

"I did no such thing! He dragged me out of a comfortable bed at five o'clock and didn't tell me anything about the sunrise until it came up."

"She thought I'd grown tired of her and was burying her at sea," William teased. Lizzy glared at him.

"So I take it you're not swimming this morning," Richard deadpanned.

"Are you kidding?" Lizzy cried. "It's freezing!"

"Oh, it's not that cold if you're not out on the water," Richard said as he slipped out of the pool and sat on its edge. "Besides, the pool is heated." He turned his gaze on Marina. "Are you ready?" Marina closed her sketchpad and began to pull off her sweat shirt.

"You don't have to listen to him, you know," Lizzy said when she saw Marina shudder. "He can't make you."

"Just like you didn't listen to William when he suggested taking a boat out before dawn this morning?" Richard countered. Marina walked over to the edge of the pool and jumped in. Lizzy and William stayed on the deck and watched her lesson for a while before they became absorbed in each other. Lizzy soon forgot about the chill in the air as she snuggled in William's arms. Both of them were completely oblivious to their surroundings until they heard George's voice.

"Will!" William abruptly looked up. "Why don't you take it inside, hmm?" William blanched and Lizzy blushed. She slid off the lounge and onto the one Marina had recently vacated. It was then that she noticed the expression on Marina's face.

Marina had been doing kicks across the shallow end of the pool when she caught a glimpse of William and Lizzy necking. She abruptly lost her rhythm and stopped, her eyes riveted on the pair.

"What happened?" Richard asked as he swam over.

"Nothing," Marina said, averting her eyes. She turned and went back the way she had come. George had seen what had distracted Marina and put a stop to it. Now Marina was looking distinctly uncomfortable and Lizzy, unaware of the role she'd played in upsetting her, asked if she was okay. "I'm fine," Marina replied. But Richard lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. He knew better.

"Let's stop for now."

"We've only been at this for ten minutes!" Marina protested, to Richard's amusement.

"I know. We can come back to this later," he said.

"But this will be our last chance to practice. We're going back to the city tonight."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that. I've already got plans to enroll you in a swim course at the Y." Marina made a face and Richard smiled. "Emmy, you are going to finish this."

"But..."

"No, buts."

"I'd rather learn with you."

"That's going to be difficult once we're both working. I usually swim during my lunch hour a few times a week. If you want me to give you lessons, we'd have to find a pool with an open swim time either early in the morning or after work, and it's likely to be crowded and--."

"All right, all right," Marina grumbled. "Let's just finish this lesson then before you send me off to swim with strangers." Richard smiled again and kissed Marina's forehead. She glanced over at Lizzy and William, who were both watching, and pulled on her goggles.

"What happened?" William asked. Lizzy shrugged.

"Maybe she got spooked."

"Kicking in the shallow end of the pool? I doubt it." Lizzy reached out and took hold of William's hand. "Let's go inside," he said. The couple rose and headed for the house. In the pool, Marina looked up and again momentarily faltered.

By noon, the house was filled with O'Donnells and Darcys as the clan assembled to celebrate the holiday. The day had warmed up considerably, so Lizzy had gone up to change out of her jeans and into something cooler. She came out of the bathroom and was standing in front of William's bureau adjusting the tie on her halter-top when she noticed a small rectangular box. It looked as though it had been casually tossed onto the dresser and its lid was askew. Lizzy's curiosity got the best of her and she reached for it. The door opened at that minute and Lizzy quickly retracted her hand.

"Nice!" William said as he ran his hands down Lizzy's arms and nuzzled her neck. "But as much as I'd like to keep you to myself there is a bunch of people downstairs who'd like to meet you." Lizzy smiled at William's reflection.

"Will, what's this?" she said, reaching for the box.

"Oh, it's nothing you need bother about," he said as he drew Lizzy toward the door.

"Is that what was delivered yesterday?" William sighed.

"Yes." He was at the door and ready to leave, but seeing Lizzy's curiosity, he went back to the bureau and retrieved the box. "Take a look."

She opened the box and to her surprise, it contained an invitation. The box was filled with confetti and colored tissue paper and the invitation itself was written on a tag attached to a pair of sunglasses. Lizzy looked up questioningly.

"It's an invitation to some party Jessica and Diana were going to Saturday night," William explained as he tossed the box back onto the bureau and headed for the door again.

"But the invitation arrived a day late."

"As if it mattered; I had no intention of going, anyway," William replied tersely. He didn't bother to mention the note that accompanied the box. He had destroyed Jessica's little "wish you'd been here" missive as soon as he saw it. William's mood improved as soon as he reached the living room and he happily introduced Lizzy to his family and friends.

Outside, Richard and Marina were down at poolside with Georgiana and a few of the large extended O'Donnell family. Richard glowered at his male relations, who openly fawned over Marina. She paid them little mind, having eyes only for Richard. Hugh and Kathleen observed the scene with interest.

"Poor Richard! If he doesn't get a grip soon, he's going to pop something," Hugh laughed.

"Such as Matt's nose, or David's," Kathleen quipped.

"Who's going to try and ruin my grandsons' beautiful faces?" Bess asked as she and Edward took seats beside Hugh.

"Your other grandson," Kathleen drawled.

"Richard seems to be a little jealous over the attention Marina's attracting," Hugh explained.

"Oh, for goodness' sake! Richard!"

Richard promptly responded to his grandmother's call.

"You bellowed, dear?" he smirked.

"Sit down, blue eyes," she said. Richard sat on the edge of her lounge. "What's with the brooding face? And what's this nonsense about you--." There was a scream and a splash and Richard turned in time to see Marina fall into the deep end of the pool. He slipped out of his topsiders and smoothly dove into the water. Hugh ran around to the side of the pool to help lift Marina out. She had sunk like a stone, but Richard had her head above water before she could fully panic. He spoke soothingly to her as he brought her to the edge of the pool, where Hugh and his nephews reached for her. She eschewed the assistance of all but Hugh. Kathleen brought towels in which to swath the shivering woman while Bess and Edward hovered anxiously.

"Are you all right, honey?" Hugh asked as he enfolded Marina in a bear hug. She nodded and allowed Hugh and Kathleen to take her over to a seat. Richard, meanwhile, climbed out of the pool and glared at his cousins.

"Which of you idiots is responsible for that?" he demanded angrily.

"Oh, dear," Bess said. "Hugh!" She nodded toward where Richard was bearing down on his cousins Matt and David. Hugh went running, as did George and William, who'd observed the scene from the deck. They were on Richard before he knew what hit him.

"Let's go inside, son," Hugh said as he and George led a furious Richard into the house.

"What's eating him?" David asked.

"You nearly drowned his girlfriend, you fool," William said. "She can't swim."

"How was I supposed to know that?" William cuffed him hard on the side of his head and followed his father to the house. Lizzy was speaking to William's aunt and uncle and she looked up as William stormed past her. Curious as to what was eating him, she hastily apologized and followed on his heels, stopping just in time to prevent having the door to George's library slammed in her face. She let out a cry and the door opened as suddenly as it had closed. An apologetic William regarded her sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't realize you were behind me."

"William?" Lizzy asked tentatively. "What's going on?" William closed the door behind him and led Lizzy away.

"I'm sorry," he repeated as he kissed Lizzy's brow. "I just lost my temper for a moment."

"Why? What happened between you and Richard?" William shook his head.

"There's nothing going on between Richard and me; we're on the same side in this. One of my cousins just pushed Marina into the deep end of the pool. Dad and Uncle Hugh dragged Richard in there to stop him from killing David, and I..." he averted his eyes and muttered something Lizzy didn't hear.

"William?"

"I said I hit David for him on my way in here," he said meekly. Lizzy was stunned momentarily but she smiled and pulled him into a hug.

"You guys stick together, don't you?"

"Yeah; I wouldn't cross me if I were you," William teased as he wrapped his arms around Lizzy. Inside the library, however, Richard was still fuming.

"He could have killed her! You know she's afraid of deep water! I'd just begun to build her confidence and that jerk comes along and undoes three days of work."

"Richard you can't just go postal every time someone does something stupid," Hugh shouted back. Richard was momentarily disarmed by the comment.

"Did you just say 'go postal'?"

Hugh shrugged.

"I got it from the kids at school," he admitted, "but my point still stands. I remember having this conversation with you before."

"Yes, sir," Richard glowered as he folded his arms in defiance. George opened the library's bar and poured Richard a brandy.

"Here, sit down and calm yourself."

Richard took the drink, but remained standing in deference to his uncle's leather upholstery.

"You're not to go back outside until you get a hold of yourself," Hugh said.

"I'd rather get a hold of David's throat," Richard muttered darkly.

"Do you think Marina would appreciate your behaving this way? As I recall, last time someone pushed her into a pool and you carried on like this she was angrier at you than at the boy who pushed her."

"This has happened before?" George asked.

"It's part of the reason why Emmy's afraid of the water," Richard explained. "She used to come down to the pool where I worked and hang out while I was on duty. She never went near the water, never even put on a suit. One day, a few of the boys decided it was time she got wet and threw her into the pool. I was helping a small kid who was having as asthma attack at the time so it was a half a minute or so before I got to her. She wouldn't even go near the pool after that."

"He punched out one of the kids and nearly lost his job," Hugh added. Richard's glower darkened and he put down the glass untouched.

"I'm going up to change."

"Did you hear what I said before?" Hugh asked sternly.

"I won't go near David. In fact, I'll just go up and pack my stuff and take Emmy back to the city," Richard said as he headed for the door.

"You don't have to leave, Richard," George said. "Anne would be very upset if you left before the festivities got into full swing."

"And what if Marina doesn't want to leave?"

Richard shrugged.

"I'm sure William will be kind enough to give her a ride, then. I'm out of here." He left the library and headed for the stairs before either man could protest. He strode past Lizzy and William without a word and went straight to his room.

"I see he's calmed down considerably," William deadpanned.

"Maybe you should speak with him," Lizzy suggested. "I'm going to check on Marina."

"I'm fine," Marina said shakily. Bess continued to rub her hand as Kathleen held her tightly. She was sitting on the lounge vacated by Hugh and surrounded by Kathleen, Anne, Bess and Edward. "Where's Ricky?"

"He went inside," Kathleen said cryptically. Marina turned to look back toward the house and saw Hugh and George leading him inside. She also caught a glimpse of William storming into the house and Georgiana giving her cousin a piece of her mind. Marina sighed and gently pulled free of all the hands that supported her as David began walking toward her.

"I'm really sorry," he said as he drew closer. "Will told me you didn't swim."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Anne said. "It wouldn't have been okay even if she could swim, David. Haven't I always told you boys about rough housing on the pool deck?"

Bess looked at him sharply.

"He hit you," she said bluntly. David shrugged.

"Guess I had it coming," he said. "I'm really sorry Marina." She nodded, but didn't meet his eyes.

"I think you should get out of those wet things," Edward suggested gently. Marina nodded and rose to her feet. Kathleen went with her, noting that she gave the pool wide berth as she made her way around it to reach the path to the terrace. She encountered Lizzy just inside and Kathleen left Marina in her care.

"Are you all right?" Lizzy asked as the pair reached the bedroom.

"I wish people would stop asking me that," Marina said as she stripped off her wet shorts and tank top. "I'm fine."

"Good," Lizzy replied, unconvinced but willing to play along. "Why don't you take a shower and get that chlorine off of you? I'll see if there's a dryer downstairs and deal with these," Lizzy said, picking up the discarded garments.

"Thanks. A shower sounds good." Marina went into the ensuite bathroom and started the water. She stepped out a few minutes later and heard a knock on the door. "Come on in, Lizzy," she called as she dried her hair.

"It's not Lizzy," Richard said. He sat on the edge of her bed. "Are you okay?"

"Aside from the fact that I was scared out of my wits and swallowed a gallon of water you mean? No!" she said as she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath sheet. "Excuse me, I have to get some dry clothes," she said as she went to the dresser and pulled out underwear and another outfit to put on. She disappeared into the bathroom again as Richard lay back on the bed to wait for her. She emerged a few minutes later, dressed. "Thank you," she said. No words of explanation were necessary.

"My pleasure," Richard said as he sat up and watched Marina towel her hair.

"You didn't have to hit him, you know. He was only playing."

"I didn't hit anyone." Marina turned to glare at him. "I didn't! Dad and Uncle George dragged me away before I could get a hold of David."

"Then who did?"

"I don't know; but I'm glad someone did. Playing or not, you could have drowned." Richard scooted over so that he was next to Marina. "Want to go back to town early? We can have that dinner you were planning to make me and have a quiet evening to ourselves." Marina smiled briefly.

"Won't your family object?"

"They'd object more if I stayed, believe me. I'm in no mood to play nice."

"Then maybe I should stay here," Marina said archly. Richard rose to his feet.

"Suit yourself. I'm sure you can get a ride with--." Marina reached up and yanked him back down by the hand.

"Okay, okay. I have to pack, though." She rose and went into the bathroom to collect her things and Richard stretched out on the bed once more. The door opened and Lizzy paused in the doorway when she saw Richard.

"Come on in. Emmy's in the bathroom," he said. Lizzy came in reluctantly.

"I'm not interrupting something, am I?" Richard looked around the room.

"I don't think so." Marina came out of the bathroom with an armful of toiletries.

"Your clothes are in the dryer. Are you going somewhere?"

"We're leaving," Marina replied with a shy glance at Richard.

"Because of what happened?" Lizzy found herself torn between wanting to talk them out of it and leaving with them. The strain of being put on display for William's family was beginning to wear on her. "Marina, you shouldn't let one little--."

"It's Ricky who wants to leave," Marina corrected. "I want to go with him," she added matter-of-factly. "Would you do me a favor and bring my stuff home?"

"No problem," Lizzy said. She looked at Richard, suspicious that he'd talked Marina into leaving. "If you really want to go, that is."

"I do want to leave," Marina insisted as she threw things into her bag.

"I'd better go square things with Aunt Anne," Richard said, rising and moving past Lizzy to the door. When he was gone, Marina turned to look at Lizzy.

"What's wrong?" she asked bluntly. Lizzy chose her words carefully.

"Marina, you're a little in awe of Richard. Just be careful that you don't...never mind. I'm out of line here.'

"No, what were you going to say?" Marina sat down to listen.

"It's...well, I just want you to be careful. After seeing the two of you together all weekend and listening to you, I can see great things ahead for you guys. Just don't lose yourself in the process. You've wanted him so much, for so long--." Lizzy was surprised when Marina laughed.

"You needn't worry about that. I think Ricky's even more in awe of me than I am of him," she said with a slight coloring of her cheeks. "Don't worry; I don't think either of us is going to rush into anything." She spontaneously pulled Lizzy into a brief hug and then rose to continue her packing.

"I wish I was going with you," William said as he walked Richard to the entranceway. Neither Richard's parents nor William's were very happy with Richard's announcement. Nor were William's parents amused to learn that William had hit David.

"Yeah, well..." Richard paused as Marina and Lizzy came down the steps. He took Marina's bags and she went out to say her goodbyes to the family while William and Richard walked out to Richard's car.

"Call me tomorrow."

"Sure, Will; and thanks," Richard said with a tiny smile.

"Any time." Richard leaned against his vehicle and watched William turn to go back inside. He waited patiently for Marina, feeling somewhat guilty about leaving her to face everyone alone. He'd already said his goodbyes and didn't want to deal with another round of glares from his mother and grandmother. But at that moment, both women were all smiles as they took turns hugging Marina.

"Good luck on your first day at your new job tomorrow," Kathleen said.

"Take care of the big lug, will ya?" Bess added after she also wished Marina well. "He's a good man and there's a diamond somewhere under the coal dust." Marina smiled and promised to take care of her grandson. She hugged Hugh and Edward and was just slightly more formal with her hosts. Anne apologized for the way the visit had ended, but Marina assured her that she'd had a good time. Finally, after speaking with Georgiana, Jane and Lizzy, she came through the front door. Richard checked his watch.

"Well, that took long enough."

"Shut up and get in," Marina said pertly. Richard smiled as he obeyed her edict. In minutes, they were on the highway and heading west.

"You aren't sorry we left early, are you?" Richard asked as he fiddled with the radio. Marina shook her head.

"A nice quiet, relaxing evening is just the thing I need before my big day tomorrow."

"Oh, yes, the new job; I nearly forgot."

"I haven't. I'm beginning to get butterflies just thinking about it," Marina confided. Richard reached out and took her hand.

"You'll be fine. You'll have Lizzy there with you, too," he reminded her. "She's nice."

"Yeah, she really is. And she is great for William, don't you think?" Richard was pensive for a minute.

"Yes, I have to say she is. She's perfect for him. You've got pretty good matchmaking skills, Escher." Marina blushed at the compliment. Richard reached out and caressed her hand.

"I don't know. I've always thought I had lousy taste in men," Marina teased.

"That's a very bold statement for someone who probably doesn't feel up to walking back to the city."

"And sleeping in my car?"

Richard laughed.

"Your clothes are at my place, too."

"You wouldn't."

Richard gave Marina's hand a squeeze.

"No, I wouldn't. I promised Grandma Bess I'd take good care of you."

"I promised her the same thing." The pair exchanged a glance and smiled.

Lizzy was only too happy when William suggested that they head back to the city. She'd packed her things earlier, right after Marina and Richard left, so she was ready within minutes.

"Did you have fun?" William asked as they sped down the road toward the highway.

"Yes," Lizzy was forced to admit, "I had a very nice time." Although I could have done without a few things...

"I'm glad. I know my mother takes a little time to warm up to--."

"We got on well. I think she would have liked me better if I'd been part of a threesome with Richard rather than your roommate," Lizzy laughed.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't like you better if you were," William pouted. Lizzy leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But I know she was a bit reserved with you. She'll loosen up in time."

"If you say so," Lizzy sighed. "Your father and grandmother warmed up to me right away."

"Well, dad is rather easygoing; mother's the paranoid one in the family," William smiled.

"And your grandmother?"

"My grandmother," William said with a significant look, "is an excellent judge of character."

"Is she? Then you'll be interested in hearing what she said to me last night."

"I'm all ears."

"She said that I was the woman she'd always hoped you'd find and fall in love with," Lizzy smiled. She omitted the last part of Bess's pronouncement.

"I told you she was brilliant!" William exclaimed. "She sees you exactly as I do." Lizzy smiled and much to William's amusement, she blushed.

"Can I help?"

"Richard Fitzwilliam, you're only useful in a kitchen as a taster."

"I've learned to cook over the last five years or so," Richard replied, slightly offended.

"Well, so did I. Why don't you set the table while I make dinner?" Marina pushed Richard out of the kitchen and prepared a Salad Nicoise for the two of them. She brought it to the table and called Richard. He didn't reply and after a few minutes of looking she realized that he was not in the apartment. Marina was shocked to learn that he'd snuck out, but almost as soon as she made her revelation, he returned with a shopping bag.

"I got dessert," he announced, and handed her the bag. "I found a baguette as well. You mumbled something earlier about needing bread." Marina smiled and kissed his cheek. Richard opened a bottle of wine and the pair sat down to eat. Squeaks sat by Marina's ankle to beg for bits of tuna and olives. The conversation flowed easily and the pair laughed through much of the meal. When they were done, Richard cleared the table and returned with a small fruit tart. He also placed a small box on the table in front of Marina's plate.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Open it." Marina did as she was bidden and found a Sterling silver business card case engraved with her initials. She smiled and looked at him questioningly.

"I figure you could use it for your new job," Richard explained. "Or, I guess you can use it with your personal cards," he shrugged. Marina smiled.

"My personal cards are in the other case you gave me." Richard frowned and smacked himself on the forehead. "It's all right," Marina laughed. "I'll have a case for museum business and one for calligraphy business and both of them will make me think of you."

"Mr. Originality." Marina rose out of her seat just enough to lean across the table. She was about to kiss Richard when he flinched slightly. She drew back. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I...I wasn't expecting..."

"It's all right," Marina said although it clearly wasn't. "Next time, I'll announce my intention first. Is a handshake okay?" Richard took the offered hand and pulled Marina out of her seat and drew her into his lap.

"Emmy--."

"If you apologize again, I'll brain you."

Richard chuckled.

"That's okay. You can do whatever you want to do to me, as long as you don't leave again." He pulled Marina into a brief kiss and then she buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's not fair, you know. You can kiss me whenever you want but when I try to kiss you, you act as though we're playing dodge ball." Richard chuckled again and lifted Marina's face.

"Kiss me."

"No."

"Please?" Marina shook her head and Richard tried to kiss her but she kept her face out of reach. They fell out of the chair, laughing and wrestling on the carpet till Richard straddled her and pinned her down. Then his face went pale and he abruptly pulled Marina to her feet. "You probably don't want to go to work with a broken spine on your first day," Richard said awkwardly. Marina pulled her hands away and picked up the plates.

"I'll do the dishes."

"That's okay, Emmy, I'll do them," Richard said as he took the plates from her. She sighed as he took them and was surprised when he bent his head and planted a kiss on her lips before he left the room. Marina set the fallen chair to rights and sat down glumly.

"So when will I see you again?"

"Well, that depends on you, William; what's your tolerance for separation?" Lizzy asked teasingly.

"From you?" William pretended to think for a minute. "With or without phone calls?" Lizzy sighed.

"Why don't you call me when you have an answer?" she yawned. William frowned and she smiled sweetly. "I'm going to fall asleep where I'm standing, Will."

"I can take a hint," he said as he took a step away from the door. "I show you a good time, lavish attention on you all weekend and what do I get? 'Call me when you have an answer,' oh, and a day of listening to you lust over my cousin." Lizzy folded her arms.

"Hey, it's not my fault he's so hot."

"Oh, right; I must make a remind myself to register my complaint to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Hugh." Lizzy burst out laughing and pulled him into her arms.

"I love you, William Darcy. You're a gorgeous, wonderful, absolutely loony man." She kissed him before he could comment and by the time she released him he'd completely forgotten his planned remark. "Call me tomorrow?" William nodded.

"I'll just leave now," he said, but he remained where he was and kissed Lizzy for several minutes more. "How do you feel about a wake up call? I'm getting the feeling that my tolerance for separation has weakened over the last few days."

"I look forward to it." William reluctantly let Lizzy go and walked to the elevator. He yawned hugely as he waited, as did Lizzy, who watched him till the door closed. She went inside then, and after taking care of a few things, she went to bed to dream of William.

By the time Richard finished the dishes, Marina had retired to the bathroom for a long, relaxing soak. He went into his room and unpacked his bag. Then he'd kicked off his shoes and was lying on his bed reading the Times when Marina came in, bundled in his royal blue robe.

"You did bring clothes of your own to wear to work, I hope?" Richard deadpanned.

"Yes, I brought clothes. In fact, I have a whole suitcase full in your closet. I left it here when I went back to Northampton." Richard hadn't known that; he'd assumed that when she left with his cat she'd taken everything except her trunk. "Well, I'm going to turn in. I'm tired and I want to rest up for the big day."

"Are you going to kiss me goodnight or am I--." He looked at his robe and aborted the question. Wrestling with Marina again was out of the question. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. "We're going to have to work on this," he said as she leaned in to kiss him. He felt ridiculously inept and adolescent, not knowing quite where to put his hands and unsure how far to take things. Richard felt more relief than anything when Marina pulled away after a brief but warm kiss.

"We're pretty pathetic, aren't we?" she said bluntly, remembering how William and Lizzy seemed so at ease with one another.

"We definitely need practice," Richard agreed as he toyed with a strand of her wet hair.

"One of us has already had a lot of practice," Marina observed. Richard caressed Marina's cheek.

"I was thinking that we needed to practice on each other. It's different with you; and before you try to slug me, that wasn't an insult."

"I know. But I wish you'd stop treating me like I'm a snowflake. I won't melt. I really am just a woman, Ricky." She rose and left the room. Richard watched her leave and shook his head.

"There's nothing 'just' about you, Emmy."

Chapter 19

William entered his office Tuesday morning and checked his messages. He'd left his door ajar so Jessica walked in without knocking.

"Good morning, William," she said with a somewhat expectant look.

"Jessica," William said curtly as he wrote down a phone number.

"You missed a great party Saturday night."

"So you said. Did you want something?"

"Oh, no; actually, I was just going to tell you how nice your parents are--very gracious people."

"Thank you," William said. Unlike their son, they suffer unwelcome intrusions rather well.

"And your Lizzy is very pretty. Didn't it bother you that she was flirting so much with your cousin, though?"

"No," William smiled at the memory of his early morning conversation with a drowsy Lizzy, "not at all." Jessica was taken aback by William's remark and he turned away from her, reaching for the phone. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to return a few calls." She continued to gape at him for a moment as he dialed a client. After a few seconds, William looked at her pointedly and she left the room.

Marina entered her new workplace and took a deep breath. Lizzy was already at her desk and she rose to officially welcome her new colleague.

"Good morning!" she said as she gave Marina a brief hug. "And may I be the first to welcome you to your new digs?"

"Oh, I was hoping to be the one to say that," Charles Bingley said as he entered the room. "I brought you a few flowers to brighten your desk," he said as he placed a small vase filled with pale roses on Marina's desk. "And some for you, too, Lizzy," he added as he stepped out into the hall momentarily and returned with a second bowl.

"Very politic, Charles," Lizzy smiled as she bent to inhale the scent.

"Welcome," Charles said to Marina, ignoring the tease. "Why don't you get settled in? We'll have a meeting to get you oriented in half an hour."

Marina nodded shyly and sat down. She'd brought in a box containing a few personal items, including a small stone gargoyle she'd bought in France.

"That's cute," Lizzy said as she picked it up and examined the face. "Is this an antique?"

"Yes, it once sat on the eave of an old chateau. It was given to me by my--well, there was a guy I was sort of seeing for a while in Paris," Marina revealed. Lizzy was frankly surprised.

"And here I thought you were a one-man woman." Marina blushed deeply.

"I was. The relationship didn't last very long," she said. Lizzy nodded and quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, I collected a few basic supplies to add to what we found in your desk last week."

"Thanks," Marina said as she pulled a framed piece out of the box. "Do you think I could hang this?" Lizzy took the painting and sighed at its beauty.

"Oh, I insist! This is beautiful." She rose from her desk and went around to Marina's side of the office and found a perfect spot. "I think you should put it here. That way, you'll have Richard watching over you while you work." Marina blushed again, but Lizzy promptly went to get the proper implements to hang the framed illumination and much to her embarrassment, she returned with two women and showed them the picture of Marina's love interest.

"So, did you and Sven have a nice time in the Adirondacks?"

"Richard! The man's name is Jonas!"

"Oh yeah; Jonas. How was the trip?"

"It was great! We did a lot of biking and hiking and we swam every day."

"Sounds like our weekend--except that we didn't hike and I haven't seen a bike at Will's house in I don't know how long." Tineke rolled her eyes and walked around to her side of the office. "But Emmy and I had a pretty good time."

"Emmy?" Tineke stood up and peered over the partition. "As in the--?"

"Yes, Emmy as in the woman I'm in love with, Emmy."

"Way to go!" she cheered as Richard smiled crookedly. "So it was a very romantic weekend." Richard's smile faded.

"Well, it was a start." He picked up the phone to check on Marina, taking the opportunity to ask her out to dinner.

"Okay, but I need to make a stop on the way," she replied in response to his suggestion.

"May I ask why?"

"I need to pick up a few things. I can stop on my way home. Lizzy has already offered me a ride."

"All right. I'll see you when you get home then."

"Okay."

"I love, you, Emmy."

"I know!" she said pertly and hung up before Richard had a chance to reply.

Jessica carried a package into William's office and placed it on his day one morning about a week later. William looked up from the work on his desk.

"Jessica, I'm rather busy at the moment."

"This just came for you. But if you don't want it..." William sighed and took the large flat parcel.

"Who is it from?" William asked suspiciously. Jessica shrugged. William was very tempted to simply put it aside but Jessica hovered expectantly. He sighed again and tore away the brown paper. Inside he found another layer of brown paper, but there was an envelope taped to it and he paused to open it.

"Read that later! I want to see what it is!"

William raised an eyebrow, but he went along with Jessica's demand and carefully tore away the paper. He smiled at the face that peered up at him and traced the wistful smile with a finger. Jessica frowned when she recognized Lizzy's face. William laid aside the framed portrait, sketched in pastels and framed in brass, to open the envelope.

Dear William,

Here is your Lizzy, as promised. I hope I captured something of her beauty. Alas, she looks her best only when she's looking at you.

Marina

William was delighted. He held up the portrait once more and smiled at it, Marina's words playing in his head. He hoped they were true.

"I know just where to put this."

"In the trash?" Jessica muttered. William looked up sharply. "Well, it isn't very good. The lines are sloppy and it's very loose--."

"It's perfect," William said as he rose and crossed his office. He took down a map that had hung on the wall since the days of his predecessor and replaced it with the portrait. "Perfect." Jessica rolled her eyes and walked out of the office.

"Yeah, if you like fuzzy pictures of your girlfriend, I guess."

But William could not be dissuaded from his opinion. He stole glimpses at the picture all morning and was very pleased that visitors to his office---other than Jessica, that is--complimented the addition. As soon as he finished with the morning's pressing business, he picked up the phone and dialed Lizzy's office.

"Hello, gorgeous," Lizzy said when she heard his voice.

"Hello, yourself."

"To what do I owe the pleasure--not that you need any reason whatsoever for calling," Lizzy cooed.

"Actually, I'm not calling you. Would you give me the number to Marina's office? I'd like to speak with her."

"I can do better than that. We share an office and she's right here. But first I'd like to know your intentions," Lizzy said with mock suspicion.

"I intend to thank her for the present she sent me," William said cryptically. Lizzy raised an eyebrow and regarded her office mate, who was poring over a list of items in the department's inventory.

"Are you trying to steal William back?" Lizzy accused lightly. Marina looked up with a "who me?" expression. Lizzy pointed to the phone and Marina picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Marina," William said.

"William!" Marina said, voicing her surprise and showing it on her face.

"I just called to thank you for the lovely portrait of Lizzy you sent over. It's even better than I expected."

"Oh, I'm very glad you liked it. I think it turned out well, not that I had much to work with," she said before she stuck her tongue out at Lizzy, who was shamelessly eavesdropping on the other line.

"How come I didn't get to see this portrait?" Lizzy pouted.

"You'll have to come down to my office if you want to see it, my love. I found the perfect spot for it opposite my desk and it's not moving."

"If you brought it home I could see it and you'd be able to enjoy it on weekends instead of just five days a week."

"I get to enjoy the original on weekends."

Marina blushed slightly and cleared her throat.

"I think I'm done here. I'm glad you liked the portrait, William. It was a pleasure to make it for you." She quickly hung up the phone and grabbed up her manifest. "I need to go and check on this." With that, she left the room.

"Uh oh," Lizzy said. "Marina's still in blush mode. I expected her to be past that by now."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? William, you've seen her; she blushes every time someone even remotely brings up the notion of S-E-X." William laughed.

"She's always been shy, Lizzy."

"I realize that, but you'd think that after living with the man she's in love with for nearly three weeks she'd be over it."

"They're taking things slowly, I hear."

"Yes, but ... oh, never mind," Lizzy said as Marina returned to the room with another manifest to review. "I'll talk to you later. It's almost lunch time and Marina promised to show some of us how to do calligraphy borders after we eat." William said goodbye and checked his watch. He had a lunch date of his own. As if on cue, Jo buzzed him and told him his guests had arrived. He rose and opened the door just as Bess and Edward reached it. He shook hands with Edward before warmly embracing his grandmother.

"You didn't tell me I'd have to share you today," William grumbled, with a wink at Edward. "I fully intended to have you all to myself."

"That was my plan, hot stuff, but he insisted on trailing along," Bess said with a sigh. "There go my plans to wow them at the Tribeca Grill."

William laughed as Edward looked around the office. His eyes alit on Lizzy's portrait and he smiled.

"William, this is lovely," he said enthusiastically.

"Isn't it?" he said as Bess turned to admire the piece, "Marina did it when we were out at the house."

"That girl has more talent in her left toe than most people have in their whole families," Bess muttered as she moved closer to the picture to look at it closely. "And Lizzy looks radiant. Too bad Marina didn't capture her expression when she was looking at you." William was surprised by the remark and smiled.

"That's what Marina said," he replied.

"Figures; she's smart as well as talented. How are things going between her and Richard?" William shrugged.

"I haven't spoken to either of them about it lately, but last time we talked Richard said he was planning to take things slowly."

"How slowly? That girl's been waiting forever for him and she's not getting any younger, you know."

William clucked at her and suggested that they leave if they wanted to make their reservation.

Richard was already home and working on dinner when Marina arrived with a bag of groceries.

"Oh. I was going to cook tonight," she said.

"I thought I'd surprise you. Sorry," he said as he bent to kiss Marina. She sighed and put away the groceries.

"Can I help?"

"Sure, if you want to. I'm roasting a chicken and could use some help with the salad."

"I'm all over it. Say, did you notice that someone is moving in?"

Richard nodded and glanced at the ceiling.

"Yes, right upstairs. When I came in Squeaks was hiding under the bed because of all the noise."

"Did you see who was moving in?" Marina asked. Richard shook his head. "You know, Ricky, I didn't even realize there was a vacancy here."

"You aren't interested in buying an apartment, you couldn't afford that one if you were, and most importantly--and I'm really getting tired of saying this--you're not leaving. Get used to the idea!" Marina looked up at Richard and smiled. She leaned into him a little and he bent his head to kiss her. But a few minutes later she raised the issue again.

"Things might be easier if we lived apart, you know."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, since we're not, you know...lovers and all."

"Yeah ... so, where are you going with this?" Richard asked hesitantly.

"I get the feeling you're not comfortable with me here."

"Don't be ludicrous. You're welcome here whether or not we're lovers. And we won't always not be ... lovers," Richard said, confused by the distorted structure of his sentence. "You know what I mean."

Marina merely sighed. It would be easier for her if they lived apart, even if it wouldn't seem that way to Richard. She found his close proximity a constant torment that wavered between desire for greater intimacy and fear of realizing that goal. But she turned the subject back to the prospect of new neighbors and soon forgot her frustration, at least for the evening.

A few days later she met the occupant of the apartment. They met in the lobby as they jostled for position at the mailboxes. The two women struck up a conversation, and Marina ended up inviting the newcomer down for dinner. She called Richard, who was out with William playing ball. He endorsed the scheme and made sure to arrive home early enough to help Marina cook.

"Ricky, would you mind if I went out and bought a chest?"

"What's wrong with the one you have now?" he asked with a significant look at Marina's blouse. She frowned and threw a clove of garlic at him.

"I'm talking about a piece of furniture, you twit!"

"Oh. Sure, why should I object?"

"Well, I have to put it somewhere in your apartment and I don't want to bring in something like that without your permission. And, quite frankly, I'm getting tired of living out of a suitcase."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Marina. I didn't think. Yeah, you can buy a chest. Why don't we go out and look for one tomorrow?"

"That'd be cool. We can get something small, maybe even one of those stacking storage things and put it in the closet."

"Whatever you want, but I'm not opposed to finding something you can put out in the room, Emmy." Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. Richard went to open it and found himself face to face with a tall, attractive brunette. "Hello."

"Hi, I'm Olivia, your new upstairs neighbor. You must be Richard." He smiled and gestured for her to enter.

"I'm pleased to meet you and welcome. Emmy, our company's here."

"Emmy?" Olivia turned to Richard in confusion.

"Sorry, pet name. Won't you come in and have a seat?"

"Thanks! It's great to see a version of my living room with furniture in it instead of stacks of boxes." Marina came out of the kitchen to greet Olivia but soon returned to her labors, leaving Richard to entertain their guest. She occasionally commented on their conversation, speaking through the pass-through as she fussed over the entree. Olivia's attraction to Richard was obvious to Marina and she couldn't help but notice the ease with which Richard chatted with her. The sight of the pair sipping wine and laughing at Squeaks' antics brought back vivid memories of all the times she'd seen Richard flirt with other women in her presence.

Dinner was excellent and Richard was justifiably proud of Marina's prowess in the kitchen. He also spoke warmly of Marina's talent as an artist and with some prompting he convinced Marina to show Olivia some of her work. The evening ended early, in spite of the fact that it was a Saturday night. Olivia pleaded fatigue from a day spent sorting out her belongings and made her apologies. When they were alone again, Marina went into the kitchen to clean up.

"Oh, no you don't. You're taking it easy for the rest of the evening," Richard insisted as he steered her to the sofa. "Kick back and relax," he said as he kissed her brow. "I'll clean." Marina was too tired to argue. And, truth be told, her mind was rather full. She felt all her old insecurities rising to the surface, even if Richard's behavior had been above reproach all evening. He'd shown Olivia no more attention than propriety demanded and he'd talked about Marina almost the whole time. So why did Marina feel threatened?

"Did you speak to him about it?" Lizzy asked when Marina told her about the dinner party the following Monday.

"No. He would have just laughed at me, especially since it was my idea to have her over in the first place."

"Well, if you know he'd react that way why are you worried?"

"I don't know. I just think ... maybe he'd be better off without having to deal with--."

"With you? He loves you, remember?" Lizzy was about to say more, but the phone rang and she was called into a meeting with Charles. Marina sat and pondered her last words. She knew they were true; Richard did love her. But then he'd always loved her and it had never been enough. Would things turn out differently this time?

"Hi." Marina looked up and saw Olivia entering the laundry room with a large purple basket full of laundry.

"Hi," Marina said as she pulled wet sheets out of the washer. "How's the unpacking coming along?"

"Pretty good; you know, it's always strange. I'm at the stage where I'm unpacking things I don't remember ever packing in the first place."

"Tell me about it," Marina laughed. "When I came back from Paris I found things I'd swear I never took to Europe."

"When were you in Paris?" Olivia asked as she dumped her laundry into a washer.

"Oh, I lived there for three years. I got back a couple of months ago."

"Wow!" I've never been out of the U.S. It must have been interesting." Olivia began to measure out detergent.

"It was," Marina admitted, "Although I must say I'm glad to be home, though." Olivia smiled knowingly.

"And back with your boyfriend?" Marina smiled but didn't answer. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Oh, since we were in the fourth grade."

"Sounds like the classic boy next door, childhood sweetheart kind of stuff; I kind of figured that."

"We weren't childhood sweethearts and we--why do you say that?" Marina asked curiously.

"Say what, that you look like childhood sweethearts? I don't know; you just do."

"We're just friends, actually; well, more friends than anything."

"Just friends." Olivia eyed Marina suspiciously.

"Yes."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Why doesn't anyone believe me when I tell them that?" Marina asked rhetorically.

"Maybe it's because they can see the obvious chemistry between the two of you. Maybe because they know you two share a one-bedroom apartment. Maybe because no one can actually see willpower," Olivia laughed.

"Excuse me?" Marina was confused.

"Maybe Richard sleeps with a Tazer gun?"

Marina smiled weakly, but she was still lost.

"You're going to tell me that you and Richard live together and he's still available?"

"Well, not exactly..."

"Aha! I knew it!" Olivia turned back to the machine and adjusted the settings. She put her basket on top of the machine and sat down. "What is this, some kind of integrity test?" Olivia smiled. "If so, next time you ought to give it before allowing the woman anywhere near him. Otherwise it's just not fair." Marina frowned. "I'm only kidding; I'm not the type to go hunting on someone else's turf."

Marina averted her eyes.

"Besides, he only has eyes for you, anyway."

"You think so?" Olivia nodded emphatically.

"I don't know how you could doubt it! I'd give my right hand to have a man look at me just once the way he looked at you all evening."

"I think you're exaggerating."

"Well, if I am, not by much," Olivia assured her as she opened her magazine.

"Your apartment is fabulous, William. Why have you always offered to come over to my place?" Lizzy asked after William had given her a tour of his home.

"I like your place."

"You do realize that most of it can fit in your living room."

"Uh ... yeah."

Lizzy smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, where's this gourmet dinner you promised me?"

"Right this way, madam." William led Lizzy to the dining table and held her chair as she sat down. He poured her a glass of wine and sat down. Lizzy smiled as William disappeared into the kitchen and emerged moments later with a platter. "I hope you like lamb." Lizzy looked at the platter which contained two small grilled racks of lamb on a bed of wild rice, with a side of green beans and baby squash.

"You made this?" Lizzy said as she inhaled the rich aromas.

"You needn't sound so surprised," William sniffed. "Mrs. Reynolds taught me how to cook years ago." He served her and sat back to wait for her reaction. She closed her eyes and smiled as she savored the taste of the perfectly cooked lamb.

"Aren't you going to have any?" Lizzy asked a few minutes later when she realized that William was only observing and not eating.

"Oh," William said sheepishly as he started to fill his plate. He laid aside the serving spoon and picked up his fork as he watched Lizzy carefully lift a baby squash and bite into it.

"William, at the pace you've set you're never going to finish your meal."

"What's the rush? It's Friday night, I've got a beautiful woman that I'm head over heels in love with to entertain me--."

"With my amazing feats of ingestion?" Lizzy teased. "Come on, eat! This is delicious!"

"Can I help it if you're so distracting?"

"I'm ruining your appetite?"

"I didn't say that," William laughed.

"Eat." William did as Lizzy bade him, but if asked he wouldn't have been able to say that he tasted anything. After dinner, the pair retired to the terrace to enjoy the cool September evening air. They talked for a long time about places they'd been to and things they'd done, inspired by the many points of interest that could be seen from them their vantage point. When Lizzy took a chill, William brought her inside and brewed a pot of coffee while Lizzy kicked off her shoes and made herself comfortable. William joined her in the living room with a tray of coffee and cookies.

"I would put in that movie I brought for us to watch, but I can't seem to find a television in this joint," Lizzy said playfully.

"Well, first of all, you're in the wrong room..." William took Lizzy by the hand and led her to the bedroom. He opened an armoire and revealed the sought after entertainment center. "Shall I make popcorn?" Lizzy shook her head and the pair cuddled up among the pillows to watch the movie.

Lizzy was in a happy mood when she returned to work on Monday morning. Marina observed her expression with a smile of her own.

"I see someone had a good weekend."

"Yes," Lizzy said with a sigh. "I spent it at William's place doing absolutely nothing and having a great time."

"Oh."

"So, what did you do this weekend?"

"We went shopping for a small chest for my things. We found one I liked at an unfinished furniture store and I spent all day yesterday painting it."

"All day?"

"Yeah, well, it's not like I just slapped on a coat of paint, you know."

"Okay, I'll bite. What did you do?" Lizzy was sure she'd regret asking but she couldn't resist.

"Well, we decided to put it in the foyer so I primed it and did a faux finish to make it look like old leather. Then I painted the--." Marina fell silent when Lizzy shook her head.

"You turn everything you touch into a work of art, don't you?"

"I try."

Lizzy laughed at that and sat down to work on a new exhibit they were putting together for late autumn. The two women worked very well together and Lizzy smiled as she remembered her first impression of the younger woman sitting opposite her.

"You know, I have great instincts about people."

Marina looked up.

"You do?"

"Yes; I knew the moment I saw you that you'd be a great addition to the museum. And I was right, wasn't I?"

"I guess, but my instincts are just as good."

"Oh, you think so?" Lizzy challenged.

"Uh huh! I saw your potential with William in a heartbeat." Lizzy smiled, but even though more than a month had passed since their fateful meeting she still felt a pang of guilt. "I know what you're thinking, Lizzy. Let it go."

"I can't! I know that you and Richard have finally gotten together and that's what you really wanted all along, but I can't just forget that in the process of achieving our current happiness, I hurt you. Both of us did, even if it was unintentional." Marina smiled.

"It was worth it, wasn't it?" Lizzy had no choice but to smile at that.

"Yes, it was. I'm absolutely crazy about William and we're really happy. I hope you and Richard are just as happy," Lizzy said tentatively.

"We're working on it," Marina said cryptically.

"And you've gotten over your insecurity about your neighbor?" Marina averted her eyes and made a face that showed her continued ambivalence over her situation. "Marina, you really ought to talk to him about it."

"And tell him what--that I'm jealous of every woman he doesn't give a flying fig about because I think he'd be better off with one of them instead of me?"

Lizzy was shocked by Marina's outburst and stared at her for a moment.

"Is that how you really feel?"

"Yes ... I don't know. I just know that I've never seen Richard behave so tentatively in my life and I know it's my fault. He's trying so hard to make things right with me that he's driving me crazy!"

Lizzy looked at Marina empathetically. Marina winced under the scrutiny and busied herself with her work. Lizzy took the hint and dropped the subject.

"You know, we ought to arrange a double date." Lizzy immediately dialed William's office and got him on the phone. She commanded Marina to call Richard and between the four of them, arrangements were made for a movie and dinner that evening. "This ought to be fun. I haven't gone on a double date in ages." Lizzy decided that an evening out with Richard and Marina would give her an opportunity to speak with her coworker's cautious paramour. Hopefully, a word in his ear would help put things back on course. The phone rang, distracting her from her thoughts. "Hello?" She listened for a minute then hung up the phone. "I've got to run down to acquisitions for a moment. I'll be right back."

Marina nodded and continued to work on the program materials for a new exhibit. Charles had encouraged her to design the layout for the brochure and she was making the most of the opportunity. The phone rang again and Marina absently picked it up.

"Hello? No, she's out of the office at the moment, may I take a message?" Marina reached for a pencil and scribbled down a number. A minute later, Lizzy returned and Marina handed her the message.

"This number is in New Hampshire," Lizzy said as she reached for the phone.

Lizzy worriedly dialed William's office for the second time in ten minutes. The first time she'd been cut off just as she was about to leave a phone mail message. Apparently, William's box was full. She hoped that this time she'd be able to reach him. If not, she'd have to try again once she was in New Hampshire. The phone was answered on the second ring and Lizzy felt instant relief.

"William Darcy's office."

Lizzy was surprised to hear a voice other than William's but she was glad to have reached anyone at all. She needed to let William know that something had happened and that she would be leaving town immediately.

"Hello, is he there?"

"I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment. May I take a message?"

"Yes, yes. Would you tell him that Lizzy called? Tell him," Lizzy paused to listen to the announcement of her flight, "No time...please tell him that I've had a family emergency and had to fly to New Hampshire. I'll call him tonight."

"I'll see that he gets the message."

"Thank you." Lizzy put away her phone and grabbed her bag. She ran toward the gate relieved that she managed to get a message to William before she left. Meanwhile, Jessica put William's receiver back in the cradle and smiled. She sat back and waited for William to return.

"You had a call," she said vaguely when William took his seat a moment later.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I let phone mail take the message."

"Thanks. Let's look over these figures, shall we?" William pulled off his jacket and got down to work. Twenty minutes later, Jessica reached across the desk to look at his watch.

"See? You thought this would take all after noon!" She smiled and collected her papers together. 'Thanks a lot, William."

"Glad to be of assistance," he said sincerely as he turned to his phone.

"Why don't you let me buy you a drink after work, just to let me show my thanks for your helping me out with this?"

"Sorry, but--."

"I know; you're involved with Lizzy. I just meant a friendly drink, no strings attached." William rewarded her with a tiny smile

"I have a date tonight."

"Well, my loss," Jessica said with an innocent smile. "Maybe tomorrow, then. Have fun with Lizzy tonight." She left the office and closed the door. William punched in his password and retrieved his messages. One was from an old friend thanking him for lunch. A second one was from his father just calling to say hello and suggesting that they get together later in the week when he'd be in the city. The others were all from clients. William sighed and began returning the messages.

Continued In Next Section