Section I, Next Section
Part 1
Elizabeth Bennet, successful, beautiful, and single, burst through the door of her apartment and dropped an armload of groceries, junk mail, and papers on the couch. All would have to be dealt with, of course, but first she had to get out of the hose and heels. Another day of pounding against the glass ceiling in the world of high-tech applications had left her exhausted, as usual.
Elizabeth peeled off the offending professional wear and put on some leggings and a T-shirt. Her cat, Emma, jumped on the bed and began yowling for attention. Elizabeth sat down and cuddled her baby for a minute, then Emma sprang out of her arms and scampered away. Of course Emma was not the best name for a cat, but Elizabeth often said that if she had to live with the name of a Jane Austen character, so did her cat!
The blinking light of the answering machine caught her eye, and she played the messages. Billy Collins, asking her out, no thank you. Her mother, checking on her love life, delete. Her father, begging for a visit, she'd think about it. Two hang-ups, probably telemarketers. Finally, the last one. Elizabeth smiled when she heard Jane's voice, but frowned at the urgent tone.
"Lizzy, it's Jane. Could you call as soon as you get in? It's kind of an emergency."
Was she crying? Elizabeth's blood ran cold. Had something happened to one of the kids? Jane Bingley and her husband Charles had two children, four-year-old Beth and two-year-old Alec. Elizabeth loved her niece and nephew dearly. Her one regret about her job was that it required her to live several hours from them. Please don't let it be Beth or Alec, she prayed.
Elizabeth quickly dialed Jane's number. She was relieved when her sister answered, for if anyone was injured or ill Jane would likely be at the hospital. "Jane, it's Liz. What's wrong?"
None of Elizabeth's wild imaginations could have prepared her for what Jane announced tearfully. "Lizzy, it's Charles. He's left me and the kids."
Part 2
Elizabeth could hardly believe what she had just heard. "Jane!" she cried out, horrified. "When did this happen?"
"I don't know, he just told me today." Jane was really crying now. "He said all this stuff about not wanting to be second-best anymore, he deserved better than a wife that didn't love him, being empowered to live his life to the fullest -- Lizzy, I don't know what he's talking about! I've devoted my whole life to Charles. How could he say I don't love him?"
Elizabeth had no ready answer to that one, but she realized that there were some very practical problems that needed attending. "Jane, what did he take with him?"
"Just a few of his clothes, a shaving kit. He said he was staying at a friend's house!" Jane burst into tears again. "Do you think it's some other woman?"
I think we have a pretty good idea of what Charles has "empowered" himself to do, thought Lizzy. Out loud she said, "Try not to think about it right now. I'll be there in five hours."
"But Lizzy, it's a 7 hour drive!"
"That's what radar and laser detectors are for," Elizabeth said grimly. "Oh, and Jane? I'm calling Charlotte. When she comes over, do whatever she tells you. Do you understand?"
At first Jane protested at Charlotte Lucas being informed, but she finally agreed, realizing that keeping the situation hidden was futile.
Elizabeth was packing furiously while on the phone with Charlotte. "Lizzy, don't you have a job to go to?" Charlotte asked, concerned.
"I'll tell them my brother-in-law died. When I find him, it may not be a lie," said Elizabeth as she angrily stuffed some clothes into an overnight bag. "But Charlotte, do go and help Jane. She's so distraught she can't even think straight. And I don't want to see her in trouble financially on top of it all."
Charlotte laughed. "Lizzy, remember who you're talking to," she said. "I can be as sleazy a lawyer as they come. And as for the money, well, I can only say that Charles' honey had better be worth it, because this will be the worst financial decision of his clueless life. I'll get Mary to help out with her, uh, creative bookkeeping skills."
"Thanks, Charlotte, I knew I could count on you," said Elizabeth hurriedly. She left a message on her boss's answering machine informing him that a family emergency had arisen, a matter of life and death. She didn't specify whose life/death was hanging in the balance.
Jane Bennet Bingley sat in the den of her large suburban house. Fortunately Beth and Alec were used to going to bed early, so she did not have to deal with their questions. There was a fire going, and Jane stared into the flames, remembering.
It was their first night in their new home. Charles had not wanted to move in until everything was completely finished, inside and out. The new furniture had not yet been delivered, so Jane and Charles ate dinner on a blanket in front of the fire. They did not leave that spot until the next morning. Nine months later Beth was born.
The radio was set on a country music station -- Jane's favorite. Charles like it too and would often sing along. But lately he had seemed embarrassed by it. The Dixie Chicks' latest hit come on, and Jane began crying as she realized how much the sad song applied to her.
I can't find a reason to let go,
Even though you've found a new love
And she's what your dreams are made of
"Is that what happened, Charles? A new love?" asked Jane aloud.
I'll do anything for you," Charles said. "You are the one love of my life. Please marry me."
"I have to wait. I promised Dad I'd finish school," Jane protested.
"For what? So you can work at some job you hate? I know you, Jane. You were meant for this," Charles declared as he gestured toward one of Jane's paintings. "And I'll work my tail off to make your dreams come true. I love you!"
Of course Jane had given in. Who could resist her sweet Charles?
I can find a reason to hang on.
What's been done can be forgiven,
Without you it ain't worth livin' anymore.
How could he say she didn't love him? She would do anything in the world for him!
"Tell me what you're thinking, Jane," he begged the morning after their wedding.
Jane was too shy to tell her new husband what she was really thinking, so she made some remark about the view from the hotel room. Charles looked away in disappointment.
"Tell me you love me," he said one evening as they walked hand in hand through the mall.
"I love you," Jane said softly.
Charles stopped walking and looked Jane earnestly in the eyes. "Tell me again and again," he pleaded.
"I love you I love you I love you," Jane said quickly, feeling uncomfortable in such a public place.
Sometimes I wake up crying at night
And sometimes I scream out your name.
Jane dreaded sleep, though nothing could be worse than the nightmare she was going through.
What right does she have to take you away
When for so long you were mine?
Who is she, Charles? Jane wondered. What could be worth what you're doing to our family?
The song went on to talk about the wedding day of the ill-fated couple. Jane remembered "a time of love and laughter", just as the song described. But her last shred of composure was destroyed by the bridge of the song:
I can give you two good reasons
To show you love's not blind.
He's two and she's four
And you know they adore you
So how can I tell them you've changed your mind?
"No!" Jane cried. "Just like Beth and Alec! How can I tell them we'll never be together again?" The doorbell rang and she ran to it, hoping against hope to see Charles.
Charlotte Lucas and Jane's sister Mary stood at the door.
Part 3
Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet, attorneys-at-law, both felt an unusually deep wave of compassion as they saw Jane's tear-stained face. They knew the job that had to be done, but first some comforting was in order. Mary gently guided her sister over to the couch and held her like a little child. Charlotte, not wanting to bother them any more than necessary, headed straight for the study.
Bingley's desk was a disaster, of course. Charlotte rolled her eyes at his obvious ineptitude and began trying to make some order of the chaos. She knew what she was looking for -- records of any and all bank accounts, investments, etc. She only hoped that Charles had put things in both his and Jane's names. Otherwise the task would not be impossible, but rather difficult.
Jane was stretched out on the couch, her head in Mary's lap. "Please don't tell Mom," she pleaded. She looked for all the world like a small girl, with her blond hair in a ponytail and no makeup.
"Of course not," Mary said soothingly. "Maybe this is all some misunderstanding. Maybe Charles took some kind of weird medication."
"I'm afraid it's real, Mary. He has been acting strangely for several weeks, so distant. But I still didn't see this coming!"
Mary had seen enough of straying men not to be too surprised. Her good-hearted brother-in-law would have been last on the list of suspects, however. "See if you can think back, Sis. If we can figure out what is wrong with him, we might be able to straighten this all out."
"One event does stand out," Jane admitted. "It happened about six months ago, I think. Will had invited us all to Pemberley for the weekend. . . ." Her voice trailed off as she remembered....
Charles was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his hands were turning white. "Why do we always have to go to Pemberley?" he asked angrily. "Isn't our house good enough for Will to come visit?"Jane stared at Charles in amazement. "Darling!" she exclaimed. "Why this sudden resentment?"
"Sure, go ahead, take up for our rich friends. And I guess he will have some new model there with him, probably showered in jewelry. Between Will's girlfriends and his sister, I'm surprised even he isn't bankrupt." Charles' voice was full of contempt, something Jane had never heard before. "And here you are, wearing department store clothes and only that tiny diamond from your engagement ring. They'll either think I've neglected you or I just can't afford to buy you decent things."
"Charles, we have so much to be thankful for! I don't feel deprived at all! And I love my ring," Jane added softly.
"Yeah, that's me, Charlie Bingley, supposed to take whatever I can get with a smile on my face and groveling in gratitude."
Jane did not know how to reply. Why this sudden resentment of Will? Or was it really so sudden?
Charles was a jerk the entire weekend.
"You think Charles left you because he felt jealous of Will's money?" Mary was confused upon hearing Jane's story. "He's jumping from the frying pan into the fire. He'll think poor with a capital P when Charlotte and I get through with him."
Jane did her best to put on a strong face. "No, I don't want his money! I can make it without him, I'll get a job."
"What about Beth and Alec? What are they going to do, languish in day care ten or twelve hours a day? They're already losing one parent." Mary liked to listen to Dr. Laura when things were slow in the office. "Come on, Jane, just because Charles is being an idiot doesn't mean you and the kids should have to struggle financially. He's the one in the wrong, he should have to cough up."
"Yes! Pay dirt!" Charlotte exclaimed as she finally dug through the pile of papers to some bank records. Checking account, savings account, mutual funds, everything a divorce attorney's dreams are made of. She frowned when her eyes landed on the credit card bills. "Living beyond your means, are you, Charlie?" she muttered. But her eyes grew wide and she began chuckling softly. While all the bank accounts were held jointly by Charles and Jane, the credit cards were apparently only in Charles' name. Talk about stupid. Charles Bingley, we're going to bury you!
"So that's how it started, and then what?" Mary wondered.
"Charles became obsessively jealous of Will. Nothing we had was ever good enough. Charles started complaining about his job, how demeaning and unfulfilling it was. I suggested he take some classes, try to get into a different field, but he said it wouldn't work, he had too many responsibilities." Jane remembered this being spoken contemptuously by Charles.
At that moment Charlotte appeared in the doorway. "Jane, are your bank cards in your purse?"
Jane nodded, and Charlotte continued. "I need to take you to an ATM. Mary will stay here with the kids. Now don't look at me like that. Someone has to think about these things."
Jane shrugged and got her purse and jacket.
Elizabeth was doing 90 mph down the highway, pretending that the space under the accelerator was Charles' face. What had gone wrong with her sister's seemingly perfect marriage. "I knew Jane should have waited awhile," she said out loud. But there had been no convincing her sister. And Charles had been in such a hurry as well.
It was a wonder that Charles and Jane ever found each other. They had moved in quite different social circles. They had met at an amusement park. Jane was there with some younger cousins, Charles was goofing off with some fraternity brothers. One look, and they were both lost.
How long ago had that been? Close to eight years? Elizabeth supposed it was a case of the seven-year-itch. One thing she was sure of -- Charles would live to regret this.
Part 4
Charlotte took Jane to the nearest ATM where they made the maximum withdrawals from both checking and savings accounts. Back at the house, Mary got on-line and sold out all of the mutual funds, ensuring that none of Charles' investments would be of any use to him. She also began drafting a lawsuit for Bingley vs. Bingley that would claim fifty percent of Charles' earnings until Alec turned eighteen.
A few small doubts trickled through Mary's mind. What if they were moving too fast? Should they be trying harder to locate Charles and reconcile the couple? It might not be too late. Mary's experience with divorces, however, kept her from being too hopeful.
At 11:30 p.m. Elizabeth pulled up in the driveway. Charlotte and Mary were still working fast and furiously. Jane was sleeping with the condition that Elizabeth would wake her immediately upon arriving.
Charles Bingley drove aimlessly in his Ford Expedition. What should he do now? His intention when leaving the house was clear in his mind, the key Rebecca had given him was burning a hole in his pocket. What's stopping you, man? he asked himself....
Rebecca approached Charles after the meeting. Her every move spoke of seduction. "Charles, I think you and I are working through some of the same difficulties in our lives. Maybe we should get together and talk about it sometime, away from the rest of the group?"Charles could only stand and gape like an idiot. So he wasn't wrong! She had been coming on to him the last few weeks! Rebecca was staring at him with more passion in her eyes than he had ever seen from Jane. Apparently his lack of speech did not bother her, for she slipped her apartment key into his hand and whispered, "I'll be home every night this week."
The memory still made Charles' head spin. Rebecca was gorgeous, and she did not try to hide it the way Jane seemed to. A guy could really feel like a man with a woman like that.
Poor Charles! At least that is how he was seeing himself. Forever in Will Darcy's shadow, never as good-looking or as smart or as rich. He was stuck on a treadmill of responsibilities while Darcy got to live an adventurous life. He was passed up for the more exciting promotions because the positions required so much travel. Everyone knew old Charlie Bingley was the family man.
Caroline had suggested therapy. It was a self-esteem issue, she said, probably stemming from the womb. Maybe that is why he had settled for marriage to Jane, rather than looking for true love.
There was a time when Charles would have told Caroline to go take a long walk off a short pier. But he did have this constant feeling of inferiority nagging at him. So for once he took Caroline's advice.
"Good heavens! Charles is in therapy?" Elizabeth had great respect for the counseling profession and could not blame anyone for needing a psychologist's guidance. But her brother-in-law was the last person Lizzy would have suspected of feeling any sort of depression or other psychological difficulty.
"He said he was trying to work out some self-esteem issues from his childhood," Jane explained. "I was willing to go along if it would get him out of these moods. He seemed to resent anything that had to do with me or the kids."
Mary snorted. "Self-esteem comes from fulfilling one's responsibilities and keeping one's promises."
"Save it for the judge, Mary," said Elizabeth impatiently. "Charles isn't asking any of us for advice right now." Lizzy felt instant remorse for snapping at her sister and apologized.
"Lizzy, I'm a lawyer - my skin is very thick," said Mary. "We need to make some discreet inquiries among Charles' friends to find out what he is doing. And Jane, do you happen to know the name of Charles' therapist?"
Charles cursed himself for his weakness as he ignored Rebecca's key and checked into a hotel room. Why did he always have to live for others and not for himself? he wondered. For whatever reason, his self-esteem problems would not turn loose of him enough for him to act on what he really wanted to do. (Author's note: That's sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell.) Charles was sure a few more sessions with Dr. Wickham would do the trick.
Part 5
The next morning Elizabeth woke up more than a little groggy and slightly disoriented. What a crazy dream, she thought. Then she looked around and realized she was in Jane's guest room. It had not been a dream after all.
The Vamps of Vengeance had also stayed over, and were already in full gear. Jane had insisted that Elizabeth be allowed to sleep in after her long drive.
Lizzy made her way downstairs, and found Mary getting the children dressed. Charlotte was cooking breakfast, giving instructions to Jane the entire time.
"Now Jane, what you don't want to do is go in there looking like anything is wrong," Charlotte advised. "Wear your favorite outfit and fix your hair. You'll feel better about yourself and people will be too intimidated by your looks to ask very many questions. Oh, good morning, Lizzy."
Elizabeth was still rubbing her eyes. "It will be better when I get some caffeine," she mumbled.
"Coffee's brewing," Charlotte said brightly. "It should be ready in about two minutes."
"Ugh! The idea of something that hot in my mouth this early! Jane, are there any cold Diet Cokes?" Lizzy pleaded.
Jane nodded, and Elizabeth made her way to the refrigerator. Passing Charlotte, she whispered, "How can you act like you're enjoying this?"
"Act is the operative word. We have to help keep a positive attitude around here."
"Whatever." Elizabeth found a can of Diet Coke. Drinking it almost immediately made her feel more like herself. In fact, she wondered if she was addicted to aspartame rather than to caffeine.
"So, General, what are my orders?" she asked Charlotte as her head cleared.
"Jane and I are going to the bank to clean out the accounts, then on to my office to draw up some papers. Mary is gathering up all Charles' belongings to stash at her place."
"Charlotte!" Jane was shocked. "What if he comes back?"
"I'm surprised you didn't say Mary was taking them to the Salvation Army," Lizzy commented wryly.
"If he's not back in a week, that's exactly what we're going to do," said Charlotte as she expertly broke an egg and began beating the yolk. "Anyway, Lizzy, I hope you don't mind kid duty."
"A chance to spend time with my favorite niece and nephew? I'd love it!"
Charles called Dr. Wickham's office from the hotel room.
"Dr. Wickham's office, this is Miss King speaking, how may I help you?" came the voice on the other end.
Charles identified himself, and the voice switched to very unprofessional tones.
"Charles! Sweetie! How are you doing?"
"Fine, I guess," Charles stammered. "Could I speak with Dr. Wickham?"
"Well, sure you can," Miss King cooed. "He's with another client right now, but he should be finished any minute now. Would you like to hold?"
Charles agreed. After all, he had nothing better to do, having slept too late to bother going in to work.
Lizzy's morning passed as uneventfully as a preschooler and a toddler will allow. About 10:30, Charles' boss called wondering why Charles had not reported to work. Elizabeth felt no need for mincing words.
"Sir, this is Mrs. Bingley's sister. Mr. Bingley has not been seen since last night. I believe he is off trying to find himself or some such nonsense. Perhaps you should obtain a directory of bimbos and call those numbers until you find him."
The boss was understandably taken aback, and excused himself from the call quickly.
"Charles, my boy!" exclaimed George Wickham as he answered the phone. "What's going on in your life?"
"I guess you know that as well as anyone," replied Charles.
"Ah, so you told her then? How did she take it?"
"Pretty well, I guess, but she seemed shocked."
"But no screams, threats, flying objects? See, Charles, I told you it wouldn't be so bad. So, where did you stay last night?"
"At a hotel," Charles admitted.
"What?" Wickham laughed. "Charles, I was sure you had a more pleasant option than that."
"You knew about Rebecca giving me her key?"
"Charles, Charles. You forget Rebecca is my client also. Now I don't think it would be breaking doctor-patient privilege to tell you I've known for some time of her feelings for you." And her feelings for me and everyone else with a Y chromosome, but Wickham saw no need of informing Charles of that.
"Tell you what, Charles. Why don't you come in this afternoon. I have an open spot at 4:00. We can talk about your next steps."
"Okay, Dr. Wickham, I'd like that. Yes, I'd like that very much." Charles did his best to make his voice sound confident.
Charles hung up the phone, feeling grateful for the extra session. Now on to the more pressing problem of where to stay. He mentally ran over his list of friends. Darcy was out of the question. Rebecca, well, he was not quite ready for that. The simplest would be Caroline. She would understand and not ask too many questions.
At 11:30 the phone rang again at the Bingley house. Elizabeth answered with only a "Hello" without identifying herself.
"Jane? It's Will. Is Charles around?" came an impressive male voice. "I tried him at work, but they said he wasn't in. I was going to try to set up something for lunch."
"Will Darcy?" The nerve of this man calling here!
"How many Wills do you guys know?" Darcy laughed. "Jane, what's up? Your voice sounds strange."
"Mr. Darcy," Lizzy began. "This is Elizabeth Bennet, Jane's sister. You may remember me."
Darcy searched his memory. Maid of honor at Bingley's wedding, right? Cute, but very young and very opinionated.
Elizabeth did not wait for an affirmative from Darcy. "How dare you call here after what has happened? This is some kind of joke, right? Bingley may be your friend, but does that give you any right to take his side and hurt my sister?"
Darcy was stunned. Was Jane's sister a madwoman? "Miss Bennet," he said impatiently as if talking to an irrational child, "might you give me some clue as to what you are talking about?"
"Don't pretend you don't know Charles Bingley has deserted my sister?"
"Miss Bennet, I have no intention of pretending anything. I am sorry to have bothered you." He hung up the phone in disgust. This Elizabeth Bennet must be a lunatic! Charles would never leave Jane. He shrugged. He would try the Hursts.
Part 6
Charles stayed at the motel as long as he could before having to pay for another night. He then left without having any destination until his appointment at 4:00. The idea occurred to him to go back by his house and pick up some more things. As he approached the house, however, he recognized Elizabeth's car in the driveway. Normally Charles felt a great affection for his sister-in-law, but given the circumstances, his affection was overshadowed by fear, and he drove by quickly.
What will I do now? Charles wondered. He decided to get some cash. He had used nearly all he had for the motel room.
He went to an ATM, but it was not working. The machine repeatedly told him, "Insufficient funds." So Charles went inside the bank.
"I need to make a cash withdrawal from my checking account," he told the teller.
"There is an ATM outside," the teller said impatiently.
"Well, it's not working."
"Really? That must have happened in the last hour. What is your account number, sir?"
Darcy called the Hursts' house, but no one was home. With great reluctance, he dialed Caroline's number.
Caroline was thrilled to hear from him, of course. "Will? What can I do for you?" she purred.
Jump off a bridge, woman, as soon as you tell me where to find Charles. "I was wondering if you had heard from Charles. He's not at work, and I tried his house, but only Jane's sister was there."
Caroline shuddered at the thought of any of Jane's sisters. "Which one?"
"The one from out of town. Elizabeth, I think. Did you ever hear of her having mental problems?"
"Not specifically, but nothing from that family would surprise me. Why?"
"She started ranting about how I was only trying to torment them and how Charles had run off and left Jane. Completely irrational, don't you think?"
He did it? Charles left that little simpering blonde nincompoop? Caroline was overjoyed. Dr. Wickham must have done a marvelous job with him. "Oh, didn't Charles tell you they were splitting up? I'm quite sure it was a mutual decision. You must be right. That sister of Jane's is off her rocker. But why don't you come over here and wait for Charles? He should be here any time now. He's always known he has a place here when it's necessary."
"No, I have some errands this afternoon. I'll try calling back later." Darcy's mind was still reeling. Bingley, I think you've destroyed my last bit of faith in true love.
"What do you mean, the account has been closed?" cried Bingley.
"What else could I mean?" asked the bank officer. "The customer came in this morning and withdrew all the funds from this account. If you did not know that, then I question your business with this account at all."
"But I am Charles Bingley!" He thrust his driver's license in front of the officer. "See, here is my identification!"
"I'm truly sorry, sir, but when two names are on the account, either party can withdraw the funds at any time."
Jane?! How could she do this to me? Charles was shocked as much by the fact that Jane obviously thought of cleaning out the accounts as he was by the apparent lack of caring on her part. I was right, he thought angrily. She was only out for what she could get from me.
Jennie Darcy closed her book with a sigh. There was nothing better than a sweet ending to a romantic story. Jennie felt rather like a bum for doing nothing, but Will had insisted on her taking a real break. "It's bad enough you're going to summer school," he said. "But don't spend all of May working. Come on up to Pemberley and relax. I forbid you to do anything that requires more thought than playing the piano for fun.
"You're too good to me, Will," Jennie had said, and she meant it. After what they had gone through last summer….
Jennie decided just to be completely lazy, and she turned on the TV, hoping to find a brainless show. Instead she saw the one face she never wanted to see again.
"Where's the kitty, Aunt Lizzy?" Beth wanted to know.
"Yeah, where that cat?" said Alec gruffly. "I'm gonna eat you cat!"
"Silly boy, you'd get a furball," said Elizabeth. "Emma's probably sleeping. We should be very quiet and not disturb her."
"Aunt Lizzy, I want a mo-mo!" announced Alec.
Elizabeth's eyes widened. Apparently the recent events had been traumatic enough to drive Alec back to the bottle. She knew Jane had said earlier that he no longer needed one.
"Well, Alec, I'll try to find one, but I'm not sure we have any. There aren't any babies here anymore, you know."
Elizabeth rummaged through the cabinets, but if Jane had saved any bottles, they were nowhere to be found.
"That cat got my mo-mo," said Alec grimly. "Hey cat! You give me back my mo-mo!"
Elizabeth sighed. Alec needed a nap. So did she.
Jennie stared at the TV screen, frozen in fear, certain this had to be her imagination.
"Don't hold your problems in," said Dr. George Wickham. "Come and talk to me. My training and experience combined with your own personal wisdom will reach the perfect solutions to your frustrations."
A number flashed on the screen to call for an appointment.
How can he still be in practice? After he nearly destroyed us? Jennie was distraught with rage and fear. She went to the phone to page her brother.
Part 7
"So Charles," said Dr. Wickham, "in summary, you need to put aside all these irrational fears. Move beyond this middle-class idealistic morality that has kept you trapped for so long. Life is too short to spend it with someone who won't make you happy."
"You're right," agreed Charles. "Besides that, you were right about Jane just wanting money and security. She cleaned out my bank accounts and I only have five dollars left in my wallet."
"Well, I'm sure you have a lot to do and think about for the next few weeks, so why don't you think about what I've said today, see what happens, and make another appointment for next month some time." The last thing George Wickham needed was a client who couldn't pay.
Jane and Charlotte finally returned late that afternoon. "Where were you guys?" Elizabeth asked. "Mary and I were wondering what was keeping you."
Jane smiled guiltily as she held up a large package. "Charlotte talked me into it," she admitted.
"Yes I did," said Charlotte proudly. "I told Jane she needed to do something for herself to get her mind off all this mess."
"So what is it?" Mary questioned.
"Just some stuff to start painting and drawing again," said Jane as she pulled out some items from the best art supply store in town.
"I see," said Elizabeth. "I don't suppose you would have a bottle in there, would you? Your son has apparently fallen off the wagon, and has been demanding a mo-mo."
Beth and Alec, hearing their mother's voice, ran into the room and pounced on Jane. "Mommy!" they cried excitedly. "Did you bring Daddy with you?"
Jane squeezed her eyes together tightly as if in great pain. More than anything, she hated dealing with this with her children. "Daddy has to stay away for a little while," she explained, hoping it was not a lie. Fortunately they were satisfied with this answer and began rummaging through her bags.
"I was going to cook something," Elizabeth began.
"But I rescued all of us and talked her out of it," finished Mary. Elizabeth was not known for her cooking skills.
"Let's not even mess up the kitchen," suggested Jane. "I'll buy Chinese if someone else will go pick it up."
Elizabeth, glad for a chance to get out of the house, volunteered.
Darcy frowned as he saw Jennie's personal number on his pager, especially when he saw the message, "I saw Wickham." He nearly tripped running for the phone.
"Jennie? You saw him? Where? Did he bother you?" Darcy had so many questions he could hardly get them out in a coherent manner.
"I saw him on TV," Jennie explained. "He was running an ad for his counseling services."
"I knew I should have shot him," said Darcy. "Why did he come here to start up business?"
"I don't know," Jennie said, almost crying. "But do you think he knows we're here? He threatened us, you know, implying that he had recordings of my sessions."
"Please try to be calm, sis," Darcy pleaded. "I'm leaving right now, I'll pick up some dinner on the way, and we'll spend the evening together. Don't you worry about that low-life, we're Darcys and we can take care of him. Now, Chinese or pizza?"
Jennie chose Chinese, and hung up the phone gratefully. Having no living parents, Will was the most important person in her life. George Wickham had tried to destroy that relationship as well as to ruin Will forever. Jennie would always hate him for that.
Caroline Bingley was thrilled to see her little brother on her doorstep, and even more elated to hear that Darcy had heard correctly about the breakup of Charles' marriage.
"See, Charles, I knew going to Dr. Wickham was just the thing for you!" she cried. "Now we are finally rid of those Bennets. You can find someone more in our social class. My goodness, ladies everywhere will be happy to know that you're available again."
"Caroline, this has been very difficult for me," Charles protested. "And I'm worried about the kids, too."
"Charles, dear, that enormous Bennet clan will take care of them," Caroline said reassuringly. "Now you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to. Do you have an attorney yet?"
Charles admitted that he had not even thought about it. "Although right now I don't have any money," he explained. "All the bank accounts have been cleaned out."
"Oh my poor brother! And you refused to make Jane sign a pre-nup like I advised. And one of those Bennet girls is a divorce lawyer! Oh dear," Caroline fretted, but not for long. "But I'm sure everything will be cleared up soon. We'll talk to Will about it, I'm sure he knows plenty of lawyers. He's already heard, you know. Apparently he called your house looking for you and talked with Elizabeth." She said the name as though it were an obscenity.
Charles groaned. "I saw her car there when I drove by. She's going to kill me, you know. Or worse." He shuddered as he thought of ways an enraged Elizabeth Bennet might avenge her sister.
The doorbell rang. "There now, Charles, here comes someone to cheer you up," said Caroline with a wink as she opened the door and let Rebecca in.
"Jane, I got some movies we can watch after Beth and Alec get in bed," Mary said. "We can have 'girls' night' and try to forget about Charles for a while."
"Sounds nice, if it's possible," agreed Jane. "What movies did you get?"
"Well, here's A Time to Kill."
Jane turned pale. "Please, no Matthew McConaughey. Haven't you ever noticed the resemblance?"
"All right. Now I haven't seen this one in a long time. How about you, Charlotte?" Mary asked, holding the movie out to her.
"Ooh, Thelma and Louise! It's been forever!" squealed Charlotte.
"Ugh, I hate that movie!" said Jane with unusual force. "Even after the events of the past two days, I don't consider myself a man-hater just yet."
"Jane, I'm not a man-hater," protested Charlotte. "Men are like Microsoft: an overall good concept with great packaging that rarely works like it's supposed to."
Jane threw up her hands. "Tell me there's something else in that bag."
"Well, if you insist," said Mary teasingly. She pulled out the last video and handed it to Jane.
"A Room With a View! My favorite!" Jane looked at her sister suspiciously. "You intended this one all along, didn't you?"
"Would I be a little sister if I didn't play with your mind?" asked Mary.
"I wonder where Lizzy is with the food?" asked Charlotte.
Elizabeth never saw the black Mercedes coming. One second, she was pulling out of the driveway of the restaurant, the next, she heard a sickening crash and felt her car spinning across the road. Oddly enough, her first thought was to check the bags of Chinese food, which were splattered all over the inside of her car.
Could this week get any worse? she wondered. Elizabeth knew the accident was her fault. She could only imagine how her insurance rates would skyrocket. Quit it, you're lucky not to be hurt, she scolded herself. Her car door wouldn't open, so she scooted across the passenger seat, through the fried rice and duck sauce, and opened the passenger door. She made a very unladylike exit from the car only to see the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on standing over her with a concerned look on his face.
"I'm so sorry, I was going way too fast," the man began apologizing. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," answered Elizabeth. "Although the same can't be said for my car, obviously. And since I was pulling out, legally the accident is my fault. I'll just go back into the restaurant and call the police."
"There's no need for that," the man said graciously. "I have a phone in my car. I need to call my sister to let her know I'm running late, and she can call the cops for us. I'm afraid things like this usually take a while, though. Do you need to call anyone?" Like a husband or boyfriend? I hope not, Will Darcy thought, noting what a beautiful lady he had plowed into. Plus the fact that she was willing to take the blame spoke well for her.
"If you don't mind, I should call my sister as well. I was taking dinner back for all of us," Elizabeth explained.
Darcy made his call, and then offered the phone to Elizabeth. When she heard her sister's voice, Lizzy said, "Jane? I think you had better order a pizza." She explained the situation. Then after hanging up quickly, she handed the phone back to the beautiful man, as she was referring to him mentally.
"I have a suggestion," he said. "We should go ahead and exchange information so it will take less time when someone gets here. I can also call a tow truck for your car."
Elizabeth looked at her pathetic vehicle and agreed that it wasn't going anywhere. "Just a minute, let me get my wallet from my purse."
She returned and dug her driver's license and insurance card out of her wallet. "This should be everything," she said, as she traded cards with the other driver.
They reacted simultaneously as they looked at the cards.
"William Darcy?"
"Elizabeth Bennet?"
Part 8
Darcy could hardly believe that this beautiful woman was the irrational Elizabeth Bennet he had spoken with earlier. She had certainly changed since age nineteen. Seeing the fury in her eyes, he decided to counter her attack before it began.
"Miss Bennet, I had nothing to do with the breakup of your sister's marriage," he insisted. "In fact, I only found out about it when you told me on the phone this morning. Besides, why would you blame me? I understood it was a mutual decision...." His voice trailed off as Elizabeth crossed her arms, ready to do battle. Okay, so it wasn't a mutual decision. How stupid could I get, believing Caroline?
Elizabeth was still mentally kicking herself for not recognizing Darcy. Even after eight years, she should have remembered the man who had slighted Jane. She remembered the remark she had heard him make at the wedding rehearsal dinner to another of Charles' friends.
"Well, Rick, I guess we've lost Charles. And to who? A little princess who smiles too much. Good heavens, can he even talk to her? She might be plotting to kill him behind that smile for all we know."
"How can I believe you?" Elizabeth demanded. "You never liked Jane. You're probably glad to have Charles back in your bachelors' club. No doubt you have a string of your discarded women lined up waiting to meet him."
"What?!" Darcy was astounded at this accusation from a virtual stranger. "Did I miss something here? Why didn't anyone tell me about these women? I haven't had a relationship since college," he said in self-defense.
This was a point Elizabeth had not expected him to debate. "Come on, Mr. Darcy, I've heard about how you always have a different model up at your house whenever your friends are visiting."
Darcy laughed. "Do you know Charles' sister Caroline at all?"
"I'm afraid so," replied Lizzy as she made a face and wondered what Caroline had to do with anything.
"Then can you understand why I might have a strong motivation for making sure there is always a lady at my side when she's around? My dates are always either trusted employees or clients from a talent agency run by a friend of mine. It's all done on a strictly platonic level, I assure you."
Elizabeth could hardly blame any man for avoiding Caroline, but this revelation made her suspicious. "Are you that opposed to relationships with women?" she asked.
Darcy sighed, wondering why he felt the need to explain himself to this woman. "Yes, unless I intend for that relationship to culminate in marriage. Unfortunately, with every woman I've met so far, I'm able to eliminate her as a potential wife within five minutes. So pursuing a relationship is a waste of time."
Elizabeth laughed in spite of herself. "I suppose you disqualify most of them on the basis of looks or style alone."
"No, I always make a point of talking to them to see whether or not I could imagine living with them. And within five minutes I can see that it would be impossible."
"How amazing! You could make even more money by marketing this remarkable talent. Please explain it to me."
"I don't think it's something that can be explained," Darcy protested.
"Nonsense! You even have an example standing here. Tell me what you have discovered about me in these last few minutes which makes me impossible to live with."
Darcy thought. Well, she's very outspoken, not to mention nosy. But her conclusions were understandable given the circumstances. She's beautiful, intelligent, witty, and interested in finding out about me rather than fawning over my money. He took a deep breath before answering.
"I'm afraid you make for a poor demonstration. So far I have discovered nothing."
"Coming from you I suppose that's tantamount to a proposal," Elizabeth answered sarcastically.
"No, I'm a little bit more romantic than that. I'll at least wait until after the cops are come and gone," Darcy replied.
Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief. Doesn't he know that's nothing to joke about? she wondered. But her annoyance was pushed away by the realization that his eyes were even more gorgeous when he was teasing her.
However, Will Darcy was not so sure he was teasing. Take your time, he mentally instructed the police. I don't want to let this woman go yet.
Part 9
Darcy had to fight an urge to slap himself on the forehead as he realized what he was doing. "Please forgive me for being so insensitive," he requested. "My best friend is destroying his marriage with your sister, and that's what I should be concerned with right now, not flirting with a stunning woman."
"I couldn't agree more," Elizabeth said.
"About what I should be concerned with or about your being stunning?" asked Will.
"Mr. Darcy!"
"Sorry, couldn't resist that one. Now what did Charlie-boy do?"
"I haven't put together all the pieces yet. Even Jane isn't sure what went wrong. But he seems to be having a very early mid-life crisis, feeling trapped and unsuccessful and inferior to certain rich single friends." Lizzy looked meaningfully at Darcy, whose eyes widened as if to say, "Who, me?"
"On top of it all," Elizabeth continued, "he started seeing some shrink who appears to have convinced him that Jane doesn't love him and that he should look for happiness elsewhere."
Darcy groaned. "He's like a brother to me, so I can say this: What an idiot!! So this is why he's been avoiding me lately. If anything, I should be jealous of him. He has two precious children, he's married to a gorgeous woman whose last name used to be Bennet…." His voice trailed off as he looked at Lizzy and grinned.
"I'm going to quit addressing you respectfully if you are going to keep this up. Which do you prefer, Billy-boy, Slick Willie, or Sweet William?"
Darcy grinned. "Just call me Will."
"And you may call me Elizabeth or Lizzy."
Will gave an old-fashioned bow. "It is an honor, fair Lizzy."
Fortunately the police car pulled up then, so Elizabeth did not have to think about how adorable Will Darcy was.
"Rebecca!" Charles exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Didn't you? Well, we have Caroline to thank. She certainly knows how to make things happen," Rebecca whispered.
Charles was taken aback by the woman's boldness. She did look good, though, he decided, with her long dark hair flowing like a gypsy. And her dress, well, it was certainly like nothing his modest wife would ever wear. Enjoy the evening, he instructed himself. You don't have take any steps you're not ready for.
"You know, Charles, I was in Dr. Wickham's office when you called," purred Rebecca.
"Isn't Dr. Wickham wonderful!" cried Caroline. "We should drink a toast to him tonight. I think he has done so much in all our lives."
"Well, I know he's done a lot for my life," agreed Rebecca, looking at Charles adoringly.
Elizabeth had received her ticket, and a wrecker had towed away her car. Now she was stuck with no ride and no dinner.
"Elizabeth, I have plenty of food that didn't get thrown around in the car," Darcy said. "If you would like to come back to my house and eat, I would appreciate it very much."
"Go to the house of a man I've just met? What do you take me for?"
Lizzy could not help noticing that Will actually turned red. "No! I'm sorry to imply anything of that sort. My sister will be there, I promise! And I'll have you home before midnight," he added, in case his mind was not playing tricks on him and she really was Cinderella.
"I don't know. I generally make it a rule not to get in a car with a man I've just met, either. A girl can't be too careful these days, you know."
Will had to think fast. He grabbed the cell phone out of his car and dialed a number quickly. In a moment Lizzy heard him say, "Jane? This is Will. First, I want to say that Charlie's being a jerk and I'm going to beat this foolishness out of him when I see him. Second, I'm the guy that plowed into your sister's car. Will you please tell her I'm not dangerous so she'll agree to go back to Pemberley and have dinner with me and Jennie?" He paused a minute before giving the phone to Lizzy. "Your sister wants to talk to you," he said with a grin.
Elizabeth took the phone. "So, sis, your love life's doing better than mine for a change," teased Jane.
"What put you in such a good mood?" Lizzy wanted to know. She hoped Jane had not been drinking.
"Mary rented A Room With a View, and we're going to watch it later. Hurry and get back from your hot date so you don't miss the make-out scene at the end."
Lizzy could hear Mary in the background. "Hot date, huh? Maybe she won't miss it anyway!" She then heard Jane explaining, "She's going out with Will Darcy," followed by some very unladylike whistles and catcalls from the peanut gallery. Then she heard Charlotte say, "Hey Jane, let me talk to her."
A minute later Elizabeth handed the phone back to Darcy. She was nearly purple from trying not to laugh. "Let me in on the joke," he asked her.
Elizabeth, mortified, could only shake her head no. There was no way she would repeat to Darcy or any man what Charlotte had just said.
As they were driving, Darcy suddenly remembered something. "You said Charles was seeing a shrink," he reminded Elizabeth. "Do you happen to know who it was?"
Lizzy did not. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, there is at least one very disreputable so-called therapist in the area. I have some first-hand knowledge of his methods. They go way beyond incompetent to the point of evil."
"Maybe Caroline would know who it is," Elizabeth suggested.
Part 10
"So, isn't it a little pretentious to have a name for your house?" asked Elizabeth, only halfway teasing. "Does the car have a name also?" She patted the dashboard.
Darcy was surprisingly unbothered by Elizabeth's impertinence. "My grandfather built Pemberley and named it," he explained. "My grandmother was from England, and had grown up at an estate called Pemberley. So Grandpa spent years trying to duplicate Grandma's ancestral home so she would not miss England so much."
"What a sweet romance!" Elizabeth cried. "How she must have loved him to leave her native land to be with him!"
"And how much he loved her to go to so much trouble and expense for her happiness and comfort," Will said softly. "I was never able to imagine such love until...."
Elizabeth interrupted quickly. "How did they meet?"
Curses, foiled again, thought Will. "Grandpa was actually in England tracing his genealogy. In the course of his research he discovered he was distantly related to some Darcys living in Derbyshire. He visited them to see if they had any additional information about his family history." Will laughed. "Turns out they had an enormous influence on his future family history."
"So your grandmother was a Darcy also?" Elizabeth guessed.
"Right," said Will. "And don't look at me like that! They were about twenty-third cousins, so I'm not exactly a product of inbreeding."
"Well, that would explain some of your behavior," commented Elizabeth.
"My conduct is ruled by the vision of your loveliness."
"Are we almost there? I'm about to lose my appetite."
Jennie was happy to see her brother and surprised to see a lady with him. "Let me guess, you're the victim of Will's reckless driving," she said after introductions were made.
"To be honest, the accident was my fault. I was the one turning left," Lizzy admitted. "And your brother was so moved by pity for me that he set aside his 'five-minute test' and invited me to eat with the two of you."
"I am very glad not to be alone this evening," said Jennie. "I had a little scare this afternoon. But I'm all right now," she reassured them. "And so you are Jane's sister? I'm surprised we never met before. Will, we should invite Charles and Jane for dinner sometime. I haven't seen them in ages."
"Uh, Lizzy, do you mind Jennie hearing why that might be a problem?" Will asked.
"Not at all. Jane certainly doesn't have any reason to be ashamed."
Darcy explained Charles' strange behavior. "Which reminds me, I need to call Caroline to find out which therapist he's been seeing."
"Oh, Will, you don't think -- " Jennie shuddered and she couldn't finish her sentence.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out right now." Will turned and went to his study.
"Excuse me for a moment, Elizabeth," Jennie said.
She followed Will. As soon as they were out of earshot, she hissed, "You told her about your test? I'm surprised she even talks to you."
"What can I say? She passed with flying colors. How would you like a sister?" And Will winked at his stunned sister.
"Jennie, I think this food is rather cold. If you'll point me in the direction of the kitchen, I'll heat it up in the microwave," said Elizabeth when her hostess returned.
"Here, I'll go with you," Jennie offered. "Pointing won't do you much good in this museum."
"It is a gorgeous house. I thought we would never get here. The driveway itself seemed to go on for miles."
"You'll have to see the grounds by daylight sometime. It's like being in an old-fashioned English romance," Jennie laughed. "It seems like a waste just for me and Will, especially since I'm away at school so much."
The discussion then turned to Jennie's music studies in New York. As Jennie talked to Elizabeth, she began to agree with Will's decision. I hope she likes him, Jennie thought. Jennie was about to hint such a thought when Will burst into the kitchen angrily.
"I'm going to kill him!" he exclaimed.
Elizabeth was confused. "Who, Charles?"
"No, I'm afraid we have someone worse than Charles to blame for this," he answered.
"Oh no, Wickham!" Jennie cried.
"Could someone explain? Who is Wickham?"
"He's the disreputable therapist I mentioned earlier," Will said. "We have to get Charles away from him."
"Why can't you just tell Charles what he's like?" asked Jennie.
"He won't talk to me," Will said sadly. "You were right, Elizabeth, he's holding a grudge against me. Of course, now I know Wickham probably gladly poisoned him against me."
"Well, let's eat," suggested Jennie, eager to put memories of Wickham out of her mind. "We can figure out what to do later."
"All right, but we had better figure it out quick," Darcy warned. "Caroline has one of her flaky friends over there as well as Charles. She implied that there is something going on between them."
"Poor Jane!" Lizzy sighed.
By the time dinner was over, Will had a plan. "Charles would talk to Rick," he said. "If Rick can get Charles out of the claws of those women and Wickham, we might be able to de-program him."
"That's a wonderful idea!" Jennie said excitedly.
"Now if only I can get hold of Rick at home on a Friday night."
Miraculously, Rick Williams was home and dateless for once, but he had a hard time following his buddy's frantic phone call. "Use shorter sentences, Will, and talk slower. It's been a rough week," he pleaded.
"Okay. Wickham's back. He's been counseling Charles. Suddenly Charlie's left Jane. He's having or about to have an affair with one of Caroline's friends."
"Yikes! What am I supposed to do about it?"
"I was thinking of The Truman Show. You know, how Jim Carrey's friend always showed up with a six-pack in time to prevent disaster? Take Charles up to my lake cabin for a weekend of male bonding or something."
"I'll have to cancel a date!"
"She'll forgive you. They always do. This is an emergency. I'll show up tomorrow when he can't escape and talk some sense into him."
Part 11 A
Will hung up the phone and turned cheerfully to Jennie and Elizabeth. "Well, ladies," he announced, "that's all that can be done for tonight. It's in Rick's hands now. Jennie, maybe you could play for us."
"My pleasure," Jennie replied. "This way, please."
Jennie led them into the music room. "Look what a good brother I have, Elizabeth," she said as she gestured toward the piano. "It was waiting for me when I got back from school this spring."
"A nine-foot Steinway. I'm impressed. What will you be playing for us?" Elizabeth was looking forward to listening to someone with Jennie's talent.
"Play something romantic, Sis," Will suggested. "For luck." He paused. "I mean, good luck for Charles and Jane, of course."
"Of course," Jennie said archly, as she sat down and began a piece by Franz Liszt.
Elizabeth was transfixed. "Come on," Will whispered. "You'll enjoy it more sitting down." He gently led her to a sofa conveniently located on the left side of the room. "Here we can watch her hands without being a distraction."
"The piece is so beautiful," Elizabeth said. "What is it called?"
"Benediction of God in Solitude."
"I see. The composer had in mind a spiritual theme rather than a romantic one."
"The music stirs deep emotions," Will conceded. "But I must confess that right now I'm too distracted by what I see here to be able to have my mind on higher things." He was pleasantly surprised when Elizabeth did not rebuff his remark. Encouraged by her silence, he slipped his hand under hers and clasped it.
"I want to know more about you," he whispered.
"Such as?" Lizzy whispered back.
"What music do you like to listen to?"
Elizabeth decided to give him her own quick test. "Vince Gill and Gil Shaham." Most men she knew would make fun of Vince Gill's high tenor. As for Gil Shaham, most of her male acquaintances had never heard of the renowned violinist.
Darcy answered, "I like Faith Hill and Hilary Hahn."
Lizzy was astounded. He had passed her test of musical taste, matched her answer with another country singer and another violinist, and continued her play on names. Can this be real? she wondered.
"I'd like to make a bet," said Darcy.
This sudden turn in the conversation startled Elizabeth. "A bet?"
"Yes. I will bet my own future happiness that Charles and Jane get back together."
"How can you bet your future happiness?" Elizabeth asked skeptically.
"Very simply. If Rick and I don't succeed in bringing Charles to his senses, you never have to see me again."
"And if you do succeed?" Elizabeth was almost afraid to ask, but her curiosity got the best of her.
"Then you marry me."
Chapter 11B
Elizabeth tried to jump up and bolt from the room. However, she forgot that Will was holding her hand. "Are you insane?" she whispered, trying not to disturb Jennie's playing.
Darcy shook his head. Without letting go of Elizabeth's hand, he stood up and began to lead her out a glass door in the corner of the room.
"What about Jennie?" Elizabeth asked.
"You're in worse trouble than you thought. She's in on it. Why do you think she played this piece?" Darcy said with a wink.
Something propelled Elizabeth out the door.
"Now that we don't have to whisper," Will said as they stood in the garden, "let's discuss the bet. Are you in or not?"
"William Darcy, you cannot propose marriage like this! You've only known me a few hours. I'll make a bet of my own," she said, pointing a finger into his chest, "that you thought I was crazy when I lit into you on the phone this morning. How can you go from that to asking me to marry you?"
Will caught her finger and pressed her hand to his heart. "You obviously have never been a man," he said. Then looking her over carefully, he repeated, "Quite obviously. We tend to make snap decisions. I would guess that most men know immediately upon meeting their wives that they want to marry that particular lady. I happen to have the nerve to act on my decision.
"I'll admit that I was taken aback by your behavior on the phone today. But now that I understand the circumstances, I find it admirable. Just as I admire the fact that you took responsibility for the accident, and the fact that you treated me like a normal guy and not some freak with dollar signs on his forehead. That, combined with the way your sister has spoken of you over the years, convinced me that you were all I would ever need or want. Oh, and did I mention your stunning beauty?"
Keep control, girl, keep control, Lizzy instructed herself. "Yes, I think you did mention it. And I will concede that you have some method to your madness. But why on earth should I take you up on this bet?"
"Because I'm a nice guy."
Oh, he is maddening! thought Elizabeth. She had every expectation of him giving reasons to do with his wealth, status, looks, and so on. At the very least she thought he would threaten to withdraw his help with Charles and Jane. Lizzy decided to explore this possibility.
"And I suppose that if I don't, you'll let Charles continue to be stupid?"
Darcy grinned. "No, I guess I couldn't do that. You've found me out, Elizabeth. I'll do my best to fix their situation no matter what you decide."
"And so our bet is only on whether you'll succeed." Elizabeth paused. "I'll think about it." As she turned to go back into the music room, she thought of one last question. "Will, why did you disapprove of Jane when she and Charles got married?"
Will looked ashamed. "I didn't know her well," he explained. "She seemed hard to get to know -- as if it was impossible ever to know how she felt about anything. I wasn't sure if she was capable of loving anyone. Over the years I've come to see that I was wrong, but only after a long acquaintance."
"It is Jane's only fault," Elizabeth admitted. "I think she may be coming to realize it soon."
Elizabeth sat in the music room without hearing one note of music. Her mind was too consumed with conversing with itself.
He is a nice guy -- nothing like I would have guessed. He doesn't approve of what Charles is doing, that's a good sign. He's willing to stick his neck out for a friend. He's generous, though that would be more impressive if he could afford it less. His sister obviously adores him. He knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go after it. He is drop-dead gorgeous. Jane obviously approves of him. He's smart, quick-witted, adorable.... Elizabeth searched her memory for anything that could be a red flag. She remembered one thing and, as Jennie's piece ended, found herself hoping that it could be easily cleared up.
Jennie turned from the piano. "Elizabeth, are you all right?" she asked, seeing Lizzy's pale, expressionless face.
Elizabeth looked up quickly, startled. "Does your brother often threaten to kill people?" she asked.
"No! Why would you ask such a thing?" Jennie wondered.
"Well, he mentioned that he was going to kill the therapist, what's-his-name, Wickley or something like that."
"Wickham! Elizabeth, I promise, that's the only person I've ever heard Will threaten to harm. And it's completely justified, I assure you. Right, Will?" she asked, looking toward the doorway where her brother stood.
"Yes, Elizabeth, I promise I'm no homicidal maniac, if that's all you've been able to find to worry about. Jennie, I think we have a story to tell our friend."
Elizabeth was eager to hear about this mysterious villain who had affected Charles as well as Will and Jennie. "How are you acquainted with this man?" she asked them.
Will sighed. "Where to begin -- let's see. I met him in college. He was a friendly guy, and on the surface there was nothing wrong with him. As I got to know him better, though, I realized that he was someone who would do anything or use anyone in order to get by without actually working. It was disgusting, the way he would brag about cheating on exams or flaunt his conquests of unsuspecting young women.
"After graduation, Wickham came to me hoping to use our supposed friendship to get a job in my dad's company. I told him to forget it, he wasn't trustworthy. Many times I've regretted that decision."
"But why? And how did he end up as a therapist?"
"I have no idea. Some diploma mill, I guess. But years later he saw an opportunity for revenge."
"Let me tell her," Jennie broke in. "Elizabeth, what happened next was partly my fault. I was too trusting. But I've moved on -- we've both recovered."
Jennie continued. "Dad died last year -- while I was a freshman. It was just more than I could handle with the pressures of school. I came close to dropping and coming home. But my resident advisor encouraged me to seek counseling instead and took me to Dr. Wickham.
"He was very kind and sympathetic. He said that my anxieties probably went beyond just simple grief for the loss of a parent. He suggested that I go under hypnosis to uncover the cause of my anxiety.
"After the hypnosis, I began having horrible nightmares. Dr. Wickham said that was a sign of repressed memories trying to escape. He put me under hypnosis again, and when I awoke from it...." Jennie's voice broke and she couldn't go on.
Will finished for her. "Jennie had been made to 'remember' things that never happened. That animal planted false memories of heinous abuse that supposedly happened to her years ago. Abuse at the hands of a brother who would kill to protect her." Darcy's voice was murderous as he remembered. But as Elizabeth looked at his face, she saw that he was fighting back tears. I could love this man, she realized.
"The day Jennie called and confronted me with this was the worst of my life, even worse than when either parent died. Yes, there were suddenly legal matters to deal with. My attorneys were busy trying to keep me out of jail, while I was trying to get my sister back. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that last summer was something I would rather forget."
Jennie had gathered her composure enough to finish the story. "I was so miserable that I finally agreed to check into an in-patient clinic. I saw qualified psychiatrists who were experts in false memory syndrome, and they helped me come back to reality. Wickham apparently fell off the face of the earth, but he sent me a letter saying that he had tapes of my 'confessions', and that he would use them when the time was right to destroy us."
Elizabeth did not know what to say. She simply walked over to Jennie and gave her a long hug. Then she saw Will with his arms outstretched, waiting for his turn.
Lizzy thought about it, then shook her head no. Instead, she took his hand and shook it.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Our bet, Mr. Darcy. You're on."
Part 12
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. Mercifully, Jennie did not ask any questions about the bet, and she retired to her rooms early.
After Jennie left, Elizabeth became uncomfortable under Will's silent gaze from across the room. "What are you thinking?" she demanded.
"That I would give all of Pemberley for us to be closer together," was his answer.
"Good heavens, why do you have to be so dramatic? Come sit beside me, silly," Elizabeth laughed.
Will obeyed and joined her on the sofa. This time she took his hand in hers and began stroking his hand with her thumb. Will responded by gently tickling her palm with his fingers. Elizabeth felt like she could die right then. How could she be so affected? Was it because she had not held hands with anyone in six years? Or was it because this man was who she had been waiting for all this time?
They sat and tried to hold normal conversation, each pretending that their minds were not on what the two hands were doing. As Darcy was talking, Elizabeth just stared at his lips, imagining what it would be like to kiss him....
"So what do you think?" Will asked.
Elizabeth started like a kid caught daydreaming in class. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Never mind." Will smiled. "Beautiful Lizzy, don't you know I can't say anything intelligent when I'm this close to you?"
"That's good because I can't listen anyway." Elizabeth could stand it no longer. She reached over with her free hand and ran her fingers first through Will's dark hair, then back down along his face. She had no time to contemplate whether such an action was appropriate, because suddenly she was being kissed.
I'm going to wake up, Lizzy thought. Any minute now I'll hear a "meow" and Emma will jump up on me demanding to be fed. As if Will could read her thoughts, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and intensified the kiss so that Elizabeth would have no doubt that this was real.
Elizabeth would have preferred to sneak into Jane's house quietly. Unfortunately, because she had no key, she had to knock on the door and wait to be let in. Of course Will insisted on staying with her until she was safe inside the house.
Both of Lizzy's sisters and Charlotte were waiting for her. "Come on, girl, we want details," Mary insisted.
Elizabeth groaned. "I had very little sleep last night. I baby-sat all day today, I wrecked my car, and now it's already fifteen minutes into tomorrow. Can't the details wait?"
"No!" said all three interrogators in unison.
"Not when you were just out with that fine thing," added Mary.
"You two," Lizzy said, "are pathetic. I never saw women who thought of men as meat the way you do. And the details can wait," she went on stubbornly. "Will Darcy's on our side. Charles' shrink is a villain, and Caroline Bingley is in on the plot. Pemberley is fabulous, Jennie Darcy is a sweetheart, and Will is the best kisser ever born." She waited for that to sink in before dropping the bomb. "And he asked me to marry him. Good night, ladies."
Saturday morning Elizabeth woke up very late, since she was once again allowed to sleep in.
"Lizzy, are you all right?" Jane asked concernedly upon seeing her sister.
"We didn't expect you to be down this early," added Charlotte. "I thought you would be sleeping off your hangover."
"What hangover?" asked Lizzy. "I didn't drink anything last night."
The trio looked at each other. "Then what was all that crazy stuff you were spouting off last night?" asked Mary.
Lizzy shrugged. "You wanted details. I gave you the Reader's Digest version."
The lawyers now took over. "You said Mr. Darcy was on our side. What does that mean?"
"Just what I said. Like he told Jane over the phone, he thinks Charles is being a jerk. He's going to try to help work things out."
"What about the shrink? What does 'villain' mean?"
"It means he has a vendetta against the Darcys and probably brainwashed Charles just for the fun of it."
Charlotte was clearly enjoying herself as she got to the "good" questions. "The best kisser ever born?"
"If that's not self-explanatory, I don't know what is," Lizzy said dryly.
Jane finally had to get in on it. "So if everything else is true, then did he really propose?"
"Well, yeah, sort of." Elizabeth explained the bet.
It takes a lot to shock two divorce lawyers into silence, but Elizabeth succeeded.
When Mary recovered enough to speak, her first words were, "You didn't sign anything, did you?"
"No, but we shook hands."
"Any witnesses?"
"Just Will's sister."
Mary looked at Charlotte, who shrugged. "We can get around that," she assured Elizabeth.
"But Lizzy, what were you thinking?" Jane asked, horrified. "You know I would never expect you to do something like that for me. Why, it's like selling yourself!"
"I don't know, Jane," said Mary. "Look at those starry eyes. Somehow I don't think she feels too sorry for herself."
Elizabeth blushed furiously and hid her face in her hands. "Jane, I promise, I didn't mean for this to happen," she said. And the stress of the previous thirty-six hours finally took its toll on her and she began crying.
Part 13 A
Mary and Jane had rarely seen their sister cry, and they were not sure how to react. Charlotte was always ready, though.
"Don't worry, Lizzy. We'll make sure you never, ever have to see him again." In a very serious tone she went on. "You'll never have to look into those eyes or hear that voice or feel those lips or be held in those arms. And you definitely will never have to marry him – oh the horrors of all that would entail! And you'll never have to live in that disgusting house. Have no fear, dear friend, we will protect you!"
"Charlotte!" Elizabeth said rather sharply from behind her hands.
"What?" Charlotte asked innocently.
"Stop it before I scream!" And Lizzy showed her face, streaked with tears, but now from laughing rather than from crying.
"Okay, you've found me out. I am extremely infatuated. But you're right, I was crazy to enter into such an agreement. I feel so stupid!"
Now Jane had reached the end of her patience. Elizabeth had come supposedly to help, and now she was being irrational. "Lizzy, you're my sister and I love you. But I'm hoping for Will to win this bet, because I love my husband and I'd prefer to have him back. In my opinion, marriage is more than some Vegas casino game!"
Elizabeth, Charlotte and Mary all had one thought between them – a certain region somewhere in the universe had just frozen over. Jane lost her temper! They stared blankly at her.
Elizabeth shook her head vigorously in an attempt to bring herself back to reality. "Okay, Jane, I think you just shocked me back to normal. Here's the deal. If the plan has gone correctly, Rick Williams took Charles up to the lake cabin last night. This morning Will goes up there, and between the two of them, they will try to help him get over all this nonsense."
"I only hope that will be enough to do the trick," said Mary. "Obviously he's been brainwashed. Otherwise he would never say something crazy about you not loving him!"
Jane sighed. "I don't know. I have always been too inhibited – at least that's what I've been told. Charles is so different. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. Many times his feelings have been hurt by my reserve. I'm beginning to see that I've been just plain silly. Why should I hide my feelings for my own husband, after all?"
Part 13 B
Jane's admission came as a relief to Elizabeth, who had been seeing this for a long time. "Well, Jane," she said, "now you just have to decide what you're going to do about it."
"Right now, I'm going to play with my kids." And Jane disappeared to the children's playroom.
Rick Williams was not making much progress. Charles had reluctantly agreed to go with him, but was unwilling to admit to any wrongdoing. So Rick had to be content just to spend time listening to his friend spout off about how he refused to be trapped any longer.
Now is just as good a time as any to explain about the Darcys' "lake cabin". A lodge would be a better name, for it had accommodations for up to twenty people. The building was cleverly designed to look rustic while possessing every modern convenience.
Unbeknownst to Rick, Charles made a call to Caroline early Saturday morning.
"Rick's got me trapped up here," he complained. "I'm bored out of my mind with no way of escape."
"Charles, I can't help you now," insisted Caroline. "Rebecca and I have a whole day of shopping planned. But we could show up there tonight and then take you back down tomorrow."
"Okay," Charles said, resigning himself to a day of ESPN and fishing. He smiled as he hung up the phone, realizing that he and Rebecca would be under the same roof tonight. This time, he promised himself, he would not be chicken.
"I can't believe you made such an insane bet," Jennie scolded her brother as he prepared to leave Pemberley.
Will shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"
Jennie wasn't so sure. "What if you don't win?"
"Little sister, I didn't turn my ten million dollar inheritance into real money by concentrating on the negative side of the what-ifs."
"Brother dear, if I ever meet a man with an ego to rival yours...." Jennie began.
"What? You'll marry him?"
"Maybe," Jennie giggled, "but only after cutting him down to size. Otherwise I couldn't take him anywhere because his head wouldn't fit through the door."
"And to think, I was afraid you were too emotionally fragile for me to leave you today," Will teased.
"I am a little worried," Jennie admitted. "I can't help but wonder what Wickham is up to."
"Well, call me if you need me. Why don't you give Elizabeth a call? Maybe you could visit with her and Jane and the kids today." Will made the suggestion casually, but it was actually the result of a call he had received earlier that morning.
"Great idea." However, Jennie was thinking about ways to stop Wickham from ruining any more lives.
Jane was glad to have Jennie come over. Due to the circumstances, though, the visit was more business than social.
"My goal," Jennie explained, "is to put Wickham out of business, and destroy anything that he could use against anyone."
"Hey, I'm always up for that," agreed Charlotte. "But what's your problem with him?"
Jennie explained her ordeal with false memory syndrome. "He said he has tapes of my so-called confessions. Obviously, I'd like to see those tapes ground into dust."
Mary was appreciative. "Jennie, you have the makings of a great lawyer. Let's get to work."
"Mary, what are you up to this time?" Elizabeth asked doubtfully.
"Just let your future sister-in-law and Charlotte and me take care of this," Mary said mischievously. "I've got a plan that should make everyone happy. Or at least the beginnings of a plan."
"Whatever. Just try to stay out of jail. Y'all are the only lawyers I know."
Elizabeth made no protest against the quip about her future sister-in-law. This fact did not go unnoticed.
George Wickham was feeling very pleased with himself as his last client of the morning left. True, seeing clients on Saturday morning cramped his party style on Friday night, but the few hundred dollars were worth it. And he would make up for lost time on Saturday night.
Wickham laughed softly as he pondered again the simplicity of his career. It was so easy! Just stroke people's egos, figure out what they really want to do, and give them permission. It was what Wickham was born to do.
He heard the outer office door open. Miss King did not come in on Saturdays, so he went out to see who was there. Three figures faced him, dressed in black, their faces hidden. His eyes widened as he saw that one of them was pointing a gun at him.
"My turn to give advice," said a voice that was strangely familiar. "Do exactly what we tell you and keep your mouth shut."
Chapter 14 A
Wickham did not particularly enjoy looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel. He raised his hands slowly and flashed his most charming smile. "Now, gentlemen," he said, "I think we can work out these difficulties without resorting to violence."
He heard the click of the gun being cocked. "You're starting off on the wrong foot already," said the person holding the gun. "We're not here for a counseling session."
Wickham began laughing. "And you are definitely not a gentleman, Miss Darcy, though I can't be sure about your companions." Of course, that was how Jennie, Mary, and Charlotte had intended it when planning their disguises.
Jennie was not bothered by Wickham's recognition of her voice. "Whoever Miss Darcy is, I can assure you that you would be better off in her hands than in ours." To Mary, she said, "Tie him up. We need to get to work."
After making sure Wickham was secured to the chair, the women in black produced black plastic bags and began dumping files in them. Charlotte, knowing that nothing can ever be completely erased from a computer, simply opened up the computer and removed the hard drive.
Wickham tried frantically to think of a way to stop them, but came up with nothing. If only he had been willing to pay for office space in a more secure building! Perhaps he could outwit his captors.
"You know I have extra copies of all this at home," he taunted them.
"No you don't," Jennie stated calmly.
"Of course I do!"
"No, Dr. Wickham, Miss King was very obliging. You can imagine how she felt at seeing your very pregnant wife show up at the apartment. She was glad to give your wife all the materials she asked for. Very stupid of you, Wickham, mixing business with pleasure."
"But I don't have a wife!" Wickham exclaimed.
"As far as Miss King knows, you do. And by the way, she said she quits, so don't expect her to come in and rescue you Monday morning."
"You're going to leave me here? Jennie Darcy, I'll have you arrested on more counts than you can even think of!"
"I'm sure Jennie Darcy is busy with other people who can vouch for her whereabouts. You should forget about her and worry about me."
As they finished gathering all of Wickham's records, Charlotte pulled out a videotape. "I'm glad to see you have a VCR, Dr. Wickham," Jennie said, since Charlotte and Mary were remaining silent. "Here's a little something for your viewing pleasure. We even put it on a continuous loop so you can watch it the whole weekend."
As the Teletubbies began dancing across the screen and singing, Wickham screamed a Luke Skywalker "NOOOOOOOO!" The ladies walked out with their loot, laughing.
Chapter 14 B
Darcy had decided that the best approach would be to pretend that he knew nothing about Charles' problems. He arrived at the cabin acting very happy, trying to think mainly of Elizabeth.
Charles greeted his friend coldly, but Will pretended not to notice. He leaned back in a chair and put his feet up on a table. "I just had to tell you guys," he said. "I'm in love."
Rick and Charles both looked at Darcy in stunned silence. What's the punch line? they both wondered.
Finally Rick spoke up. "Okay," he said slowly. "Anyone we know?"
"Not unless you know the most beautiful, vivacious woman in the whole world," Darcy replied. He wasn't about to mention the name Elizabeth Bennet in front of Charles right now.
"Good grief, you do have it bad," said Rick, astonished. "When and how did you meet her?"
"Last night. We had a wreck. Her car and my heart got totaled."
Charles rolled his eyes. This was definitely a new side of Darcy.
"Charles, you can't imagine how happy I am," Will said, grinning. "All these years I've been jealous of you for having such a wonderful wife, thinking I would never find someone. And now I have. Now I know how you felt after meeting Jane."
"Yeah, Will, whatever," mumbled Charles.
Will did a great job of acting surprised. "Well, what's with you?"
Charles stuck out his chin defiantly, looking for all the world like a pouting five-year-old. "Jane and I are finished," he announced. "I have my freedom again."
"WHAT?" Darcy yelled. "Bingley, you are an idiot. My word, Caroline said something about that, but I never believe anything she says."
"Why do I always have to be the responsible one, while you two are out having a good time?" Charles asked. "And don't talk about my sister behind her back. If you want to insult Caroline, do it to her face when she and Rebecca get here this evening."
"Charles! You didn't invite them up here?" Rick groaned.
Charles glared at Rick. "Why not?" he asked. "You practically forced me up here. I'm entitled to enjoy myself."
"Who's Rebecca?" Darcy asked.
"A friend of Caroline's that I met at Dr. Wickham's office," explained Charles, with apparently no guilt.
"And she would be the reason you left Jane?" asked Darcy.
"If she is, it's none of your business."
Darcy suddenly looked at his watch. "Excuse me, guys, I have to call my lady-love," he said.
"Oh brother, we've lost him! We've really lost him!" said Rick, thinking all his friends had suddenly gone crazy.
Darcy went to make a phone call, but not to his lady-love.
Caroline and Rebecca arrived at 10:00 p.m. The men were sitting around watching TV, drinking heavily. Well, Charles was drinking heavily, Rick was pretending to drink heavily, and Darcy was not pretending anything, since he was known not to drink alcohol.
"Sorry we can't be more accommodating, ladies," said Darcy, trying to be cheerful and friendly to his least favorite person and the woman who was fast becoming a close second. "Make yourselves at home, though," he added, waving his arm to include the whole cabin. "Maybe we'll be more sociable tomorrow."
Caroline had been chasing Darcy for years, but she knew when he meant what he said. She sighed and led Rebecca to some empty rooms. Rebecca was not phased at all. She knew what she had come for.
At midnight, Charles stumbled up to his room. Rick and Will knew enough of Charles' ability to handle alcohol to skillfully bring him to the point of heavy confusion without unconsciousness.
He was about to fall asleep when his door opened. A dark-haired figure stood in his doorway. "Charles," she whispered. "Hasn't this silliness gone on long enough?"
Charles was intoxicated beyond his ability to resist. He beckoned her into the room.