Beginning, Section II, Next Section

Chapter Four

Posted on Thursday, 22 July 1999

"There he is!" The taunting voices echoed across the schoolyard.

Aaron ignored them. He always ignored them. Briskly walking across the open space, he had nearly made it to the entry doors when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

"Where are you going so fast?" The speaker was a good six inches taller than Aaron, and very unhappy not to receive an answer to his question. "I was talking to you, Yank."

Aaron shot him a look that said precisely what his opinion was of this bully. The other boys gathered around the bigger one as if they could gain strength from his mere proximity. They were blocking the entryway now, and Aaron had no choice but to stop and face them.

"Outta my way."

The bigger boy laughed. "Make me."

The doors were suddenly pushed open from the inside and shoved into the bully's back.

"No blocking the entrance, please," said Mr. Evans as he eyed the group closely.

Aaron took advantage of the opportunity and slipped past the teacher and into the school. The other boys slouched away.

Mr. Evans followed Aaron to his locker. "How often do they try that?"

Aaron didn't look up as he replied. "Often enough. I can handle them." He tossed his backpack into the locker and pulled out his books for the first class.

The teacher watched him for a moment and then turned to leave. "Just keep your eyes open, lad." He walked slowly back down the hall to exit the building.

Aaron slammed the door shut on his locker and spun the lock. Tucking the books under his arm he made his way to the stairs and took them two at a time up to the next floor and his first class.

The day was like any other, boring. Aaron dutifully attended his classes. He'd learned his lesson early on that his uncle would not tolerate his skipping school. Although he couldn't care less what Uncle Will said, there really wasn't anything else to do anyway. The town was boring, the kids were boring, making even school more interesting for him.

As the last class was let out, Aaron shuffled down the hallway to his locker, grabbed his things and headed out to the carpark to meet his cousins for the trip back home. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the group of boys that made up the local gang. Aaron snorted in disgust. They call themselves a gang! Ha! They wouldn't last five minutes back home.

Home. Aaron still clung to the belief that his stay in England was just temporary, and that any day now his mother would announce that it was time to return to New York. He angrily kicked at a rock in his path as he thought about how much he hated being in England, at Pemberley... with his uncle, aunt and cousins. There was nothing to do, no baseball, no hockey, only soccer and that incredibly boring cricket!

Well, he conceded, the horses are kind of interesting. That's something I never tried at home.

Aaron looked up when he heard someone calling to his cousin Rich.

"We're going for a game of footie in the gym. Are you coming?"

Aaron saw his cousin confer briefly with Rebecca, then toss his bag into the car and set off after his friend with an excited smile on his face.

Glancing at his watch, Aaron frowned. They were going to be late getting home if Kathleen didn't arrive soon. He glanced around at the parked cars and back toward the school building. Then he spotted Kathleen walking on the south side of the building on her way to the car. He was about to climb into the car to wait when he heard Rebecca's voice.

"Oh, no."

Glancing quickly at her, Aaron saw that her gaze was fixed on her sister's progress across the yard. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Kathleen surrounded by the group of boys who called themselves a gang.

Dropping his backpack Aaron set off at a run in their direction, Rebecca's voice ringing in his ears as she called for him to come back.

The voices reached him from several strides away. Aaron's temper flared as he heard the names the boys were using. He could see Kathleen was near tears, her books clutched tightly to her chest as she tried to shove her way past the group.

The bullies jostled her right and left, bumping her until she stumbled and nearly fell. All the while they were calling her 'tart' and 'slut' and a whole slew of other titles reserved for the very low class.

The flames of Aaron's anger were fanned higher. He grabbed the shoulder of the first boy he reached and spun him around. Slamming a fist into the lad's face, Aaron turned to tackle the next one.

He'd taken out three of them before the first punch landed in Aaron's midsection. He doubled over and another fist came down on the back of his head. He could hear Kathleen yelling, and he struggled against the bodies trying to hold him down. From somewhere in the back of his mind he could suddenly hear his father's voice......

It's an inner strength, Aaron. That's what makes the difference between doing your best and just doing.

He gritted his teeth and reached deep down inside of himself for that strength......

The late November sun was deceptive, Elizabeth was thinking as she stared out of the window. It certainly looked warm and cheerful outside, if one didn't notice the bare branches of the trees.

"Isn't it getting late? The kids should have been home by now." Will was staring at the clock, comparing it's display with the one on his watch.

Elizabeth smiled. If their daughters had thought him over-protective before, they must be suffering terribly now. Whenever Kathleen was out of his sight for any longer than was necessary for her to complete the school day, Will was pacing the front hall waiting for their arrival. He had spent the last month making sure that she followed the doctor's directions explicitly. Elizabeth couldn't recall him being this concerned during any of her pregnancies, although he had certainly been attentive. But then again, this was his grandchild, and he had become rather excited at the prospect as the weeks passed.

The telephone rang, and Will crossed to the desk to pick it up. Elizabeth turned back to look out of the window. She had never tired of the view over the years. No matter the season, it was just as beautiful a sight to behold.

She heard the receiver replaced forcefully, and Will called her name.

"That was the school. Aaron's been involved in a brawl in the yard." Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, but Will continued impatiently. "I knew it was only a matter of time before something broke. Where's Georgiana?"

"She had an appointment in town. I don't think she'll be long." Elizabeth followed her husband out into the hall.

Will snatched a set of keys from the rack and pulled his coat on. "I'll send the girls home when I get there. The headmaster said Aaron was fine, but I'll wait to see for myself. There were five other lads involved, but I doubt that any were on Aaron's side." He opened the door and started to step outside.

"Will," Elizabeth called. Her husband paused and looked back. "Don't be too hard on him."

Will smiled grimly. "I should think those five lads did that already, Elizabeth." he said as he hurried down the steps.

Kathleen spotted Will's car and tapped her sister's elbow. Rebecca held her breath as the vehicle came to a stop with a short screech of the tyres.

"Oh, he doesn't look very pleased." Rebecca whispered.

As he climbed out of the car, Will called to his daughters, "You two can go home, now. I'll take care of Aaron."

The girls looked at each other. Kathleen turned back to her father. "But, Dad -."

Will's head snapped around and he looked at them icily. "Am I required to repeat myself?"

"No," Rebecca said hurriedly and grabbed her sister's arm, pulling her toward their car. Before getting in, they watched Will angrily stride away until he disappeared through the doors and into the school.

The hallways were empty and silent. Will had never been inside the school except for teacher interviews and student recitals. His children had never been cause for him to be called here after hours, or during school hours for that matter.

The headmaster's office was not difficult to find. Will knocked on the door and stepped through when he heard an answering voice telling him to enter.

A quick glance at Aaron assured him that the boy wasn't seriously injured, although the icepack he was holding to his face didn't bode well for his future appearance. The headmaster was sitting behind his desk and there was one other man in the room; a teacher, Will surmised.

"I'm Will Darcy." Will stepped forward and extended his hand across the desk's surface.

"Jim Reynolds." The headmaster rose from his chair and shook Will's hand. "Please, have a seat." He indicated another vacant chair opposite Aaron, then nodding toward the other man, added, "This is Gary Evans, one of our teachers."

Will nodded to them both and sat down. "What happened?"

"Aaron was involved in an altercation with five other boys in the yard after school today. They have apparently been tormenting him on a regular basis, according to Mr. Evans, here."

Will was hardly surprised by this news. His nephew seemed to have gone out of his way to make people dislike him. "I apologise for the trouble he's caused." Will shifted his gaze to Aaron, sitting silently across the room. "I assure you that his attitude will be making a severe change for the better."

"Oh, you misunderstand me, Mr. Darcy." Reynolds said. "The other boys fancy themselves the school bullies, and Aaron certainly isn't the only target of theirs, although being new, and being a foreigner he is a more obvious one. Aaron has been no trouble at all up to this point, apart from his earlier truancy problems."

Will was a little astonished to hear this. He had assumed that his nephew was as miserable and uncooperative at school as at home.

"Your nephew wasn't precisely what I wished to speak to you about," Reynolds continued.

Will raised an eyebrow. "What precisely did you wish to speak to me about, then?"

"The reason for today's occurrence was that the other boys had decided to pick on Aaron's cousin."

Will suddenly recalled that he had not seen his youngest son when he had arrived. "Rich?"

Reynolds shook his head. "Kathleen actually. There seem to be some rumours circulating about your daughter. Now, don't be alarmed. Rumours are always circulating about someone or other in a school. It's just that I thought you should be apprised of it."

"What rumours?" Will asked tentatively.

"That she has been engaging in promiscuous activities." Reynolds held up one hand as he saw the anger reflected in Will's expression. "Please do not overreact. The boys naturally picked up on this and, as bullies do, began taunting her in the yard after classes today. Aaron took matters into his own hands when he took offense at this attack on his cousin."

Will looked at his nephew in surprise. "You took on five others to defend Kathleen?"

"He did." Mr Evans spoke up at last. "I was the first staff member on the scene after Rebecca came in calling for help. I thought Aaron was in big trouble until I reached them. He'd managed to inflict a fair bit of damage in his own defence and wasn't any worse for wear than any of the other boys."

"Not that we condone any aspect of their behaviour," the headmaster was quick to point out. "We were just very relieved that no serious damage was done to anyone involved." He leaned on his desk and said very seriously, "Mr. Darcy, there will be severe repercussions for what has happened here today. Not for Aaron, but for the other boys. Their behaviour has been most inexcusable and I hope you believe me when I say that they will be dealt with first thing in the morning."

Will said nothing for a moment. His thoughts shifted from anger for what Kathleen had been through to amazement that Aaron would have come to her rescue. Finally he looked at the headmaster and stood up. "Thank you. I wish to know the end result of your meeting with the boys responsible for this."

Reynolds also rose from his seat. "I will call you after I see the boys and their parents."

Turning to his nephew, Will said simply, "Aaron, let's go."

The walk back to the car was the longest of Aaron's life. He followed his uncle wordlessly, afraid to utter a sound. He knew that he had been pushing the limit with Will's patience since they had come to Pemberley. Up until now he had thought it wasn't important, that he didn't care what his uncle thought or said. Now he wasn't sure. Aaron realized that he'd spent the last few months feeling quite envious of his cousins, and very angry that they still had parents; parents who took them places, parents who did things with them... parents who cared. A sudden anguish rose up inside him as he remembered the little things that he used to do with his father. The little things that were now lost to him. He forgot himself for a moment and slammed his fist against the side of the car.

Will looked up, startled at the thump when Aaron hit the car door. Their eyes met over the roof of the vehicle.

"Sorry." Aaron looked away as he mumbled his apology. He wasn't sure if he could handle seeing his uncle's disappointment in him.

"Aaron." Will waited until he had his nephew's attention once more. "Aaron, I'm not going to lecture you. I'm not your father. You don't even know me, really. I wish we'd been able to get to know one another under better circumstances." Will looked away for a moment, examining the finish on the car's surface. "Thank you for standing up for Kathleen." He ran out of words.

"Uncle Will?" Their eyes met again over the car. "Thanks for putting up with me.... and for taking care of my mom."

Will started to smile as he unlocked the car.

"Hey, it is you, Dad!" called a voice.

Aaron and Will both turned their heads to see Rich approaching them.

"I thought it was your car, but Rebecca was supposed to be coming back to pick me up." he continued. "Whoa, Aaron! What happened?" Rich was staring in amazement at his cousin's swollen face.

"You can hear all about it on the way home, Rich." Will ushered the boys into the car and they set off for Pemberley.

Georgiana was not at all pleased to see her son's condition when they returned home. Neither she nor Brian had ever approved of fighting, difficult enough to avoid when their son grew up in one of the largest cities, and Aaron had been strictly informed from day one that it would not be tolerated. Will's smile and obvious pride in her son's behaviour only aggravated her further.

Still, she had to admit that Aaron's attitude had changed for the better since that incident at school. He was almost cheerful in the mornings, and actually expressed interest in what the others were doing after school. Georgiana was also encouraged to see Aaron spending more time with Will, and with Ben when he was home on weekends.

With a pang, she realized that Christmas wasn't far away. The holiday had always been one of her and Brian's favourites, and she was not looking forward to this one. Georgiana knew that Elizabeth and Will would do their best to make herself and Aaron feel comfortable. It had been far too many years since she had spent a Christmas at Pemberley. Georgiana smiled as she recalled it was the one just before her own wedding, twenty years ago.

Twenty years! It seems like only yesterday. And it seems like forever since you've been gone, Brian.

Georgiana suddenly realized that she had given no thought at all in the last five months to the business that her husband had built. Her brother and cousin, Richard, had been taking care of the company ever since Brian had died. Since the two of them were major shareholders, and had set Brian up financially at the beginning, it was only natural for them to take on the responsibility to keep the operation going. Georgiana acknowledged that it was now time for her take on the role that Will was performing in her absence. She resolved to speak to him about it before the new year began.

As for the immediate future, shopping was on the agenda. Georgiana had promised to take her nieces out to look for Christmas gifts. Actually, it was more like the nieces would be taking the aunt out, but they all thought it would be fun. Elizabeth was not invited, since the object of their search was primarily gifts for that set of parents. Georgiana had a few ideas, and a few more that she thought would be just perfect for her brother's girls to get for him. She laughed to herself as she thought about those.

"Aaron?" she said when she caught sight of her son passing the doorway. "I'm going into Leeds with Rebecca and Anna. Would you like me to pick up anything for you?"

Aaron popped his head around the door. "No thanks, Mom."

"What are you up to?"

"Uncle Will is going to teach Rich and me how to play billiards."

Georgiana laughed. "Aaron, your father taught you how to play that long ago! We called it pool back home."

Aaron looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh." Then he smiled. "Well, I guess Uncle Will doesn't have to know that."

Georgiana laughed again as she remembered the first time her husband had played that game with her brother. He hadn't bothered to inform Will that he was quite skilled at it then, either.

It wasn't long before Rebecca and Anna came by her room to tell her that they were ready to leave. The three ladies gathered up their bags and headed out to the car. On the way out they passed Ben, also home for the weekend before his final exams, as he ran up the steps to the front door.

"Hey, where are you off to?" he asked, smiling.

"Leeds, to the shops," answered Anna. "Would you like to come with us?" She grinned at his expression of disgust. "I thought not. Have a nice day, Ben!"

He ran up the remaining steps and into the house. Once inside, he made straight for his father's study. Peering into the room, he smiled upon seeing it vacant and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Crossing to the desk, Ben picked up the phone and quickly tapped in a number.

"Hi," he said when it was picked up at the other end. "I made it home." He listened for a moment. "I know, but I'll be back on Tuesday. I have three exams next week and then I'm done." More silence as he listened. "I'm sure I can put them off until Sunday, then I'll have to come home for the rest of the holidays."

Ben looked toward the door as he heard voices in the hallway. "I'll have to go. I'll ring you back tonight. How's ten o'clock?" He smiled at the reply. "You just want to torture me, don't you?" The voices were coming closer. "Got to go. I'll talk to you later."

He replaced the receiver as the door opened and his mother came in, followed by two of the maids.

"Oh, Ben! I didn't know you were here!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me you were home already?"

Ben flashed her a charming smile. "I was just about to come look for you."

Elizabeth gave him a warm hug. "When is your last exam? When will you be home for the rest of the holidays?"

"I've got three next week. I'll be home on Sunday."

"Sunday!" Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. "But surely you'll be finished before then."

"My last exam is on Thursday," he said. Upon seeing his mother about to speak again, he added, "but some of my friends want to get together before we all go home for Christmas. I'll be home after that. Sunday at the earliest."

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I could hardly begrudge you that, Ben. After all, this is your last year."

Ben smiled inwardly. That was easier than he thought it would be. Maybe he could squeeze another day or two out of it. "Thanks, Mum. I knew you'd understand. Where's Dad?"

"He's in the games room with your brother and Aaron." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Perhaps you could make it a foursome. Even the odds a little?"

Ben grinned. "Not this time, Mum. Sorry. Dad's on his own, I'm afraid. I have a few things to do this afternoon." He made his retreat, leaving his mother to whatever task she had in mind for the maids.

"Hello."

"Oh, it's you again."

Ben grinned as he lay back on his bed, the telephone beside him. "And I thought you liked me!"

"You know I do," she said in a husky voice. "Or haven't I made that clear enough yet?"

Drawing in a sharp breath, Ben replied quietly, "Oh, very clear, my dear. Very clear indeed."

"Will you be back tomorrow? I'll have the house to myself for the afternoon."

"I doubt I'll be able to make it back that early. I'm sorry. I wish I could, but we'll have all next week won't we?" He smiled to himself as he pictured her in his mind.

"Oh, yes. I took the week off from work. And I have a lot planned for us to do, too." Ben heard her giggle. "Will you be able to stay until Sunday?"

"Most definitely!" Ben chuckled. "I might be able to finagle another couple of days on top of that if I'm lucky."

Her laughter sent goosebumps up his spine. "Well, you are a very lucky fellow, aren't you? Or perhaps I should say that I am the one who's lucky, or will be!" He heard someone in the background. "Oh, I've got to go Ben. He's woken up. Ring me tomorrow when you get back?"

"I will. Goodnight."

"Ta ra, babe."

Ben put the telephone back on the side table and lay back again to stare up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Sighing happily, he rolled over and turned out the light.

Chapter Five

Posted on Monday, 26 July 1999

"Ben?" Anna called down the stairs. "Ben, are you still here?"

"Yes!" Her brother stuck his head out of the doorway to the music room. "But not for long. I want to make it back home before dinner."

"Oh, good," Anna said as she came bounding down the staircase. "I need to ask you a favour."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Okay, what is it this time?"

"Can I get a lift home with you next weekend? I don't want to drive if I don't have to." At his hesitant expression Anna quickly added, "There's no need to change any plans of yours. Just let me know when you're leaving and I'll be ready. Please? You know how much I hate driving in the winter."

Ben nodded his head. "Sure. But I'm not planning on leaving Cambridge until Sunday at the earliest."

"That's fine. Thanks, Ben!" She smiled and scooted back upstairs. On her way to her room she found Rich and Aaron in the one of the window alcoves. Aaron had his arm inside a very large vase, fishing around the bottom for something. "What on earth are you two doing?"

Rich looked up guiltily, but Aaron continued with his search.

"Rich dropped something in here. I'm trying to get it." Aaron replied absently.

Anna looked puzzled. "Why don't you just tip it upside down and let it fall out?"

The boys looked at one another. Rich shook his head. "Can't do that."

"Why not?" She looked from one to the other. Impatiently, Anna reached out for the vase. "Let me do it."

"No!" they cried.

Anna stared at her brother. "Alright, Rich. What did you put in there?"

"A can of Coke." Rich said quietly.

Eyes wide in disbelief, she said slowly, "And it's open, isn't it?" The boys nodded. "Oh, Rich! What a stupid - why would you do such an idiotic thing?"

"We wanted to see if we could get it out without spilling it."

Anna rolled her eyes and slapped her brother on the arm. "You great pillock! Two days away from school and you're that bored already? You'd better get that can out of there before Mum or Dad catch you like this." She started to walk away.

"Anna!" Rich called. "Aren't you going to help us?"

"No way! I'm not having any part of it. You can cut your own throats." She didn't look back.

Rich looked at Aaron, still with his arm in the vase. "Can you reach it yet?" Aaron shook his head, still concentrating on stretching his arm as far as he could.

"Rich? Aaron? Are you boys up there?" Will's voice floated up to them.

Rich stared at his cousin in horror. "Yes, Dad." he called, hoping his father wouldn't come up looking for them.

"Well get your skates on! I thought you wanted to go down to the stables with Rebecca? She's leaving in a few minutes."

"Be right there!" Rich waved frantically at Aaron to hurry up, but try as he might, the other boy could not reach the can. He shook his head and withdrew his arm.

"It's no good. Let's just leave it until we come back. Maybe we can figure something out then."

Rich agreed and the two of them raced to the stairs to see who could make it to the front door first.

Elizabeth had bustled about all week, getting the house ready for the holidays, finishing her shopping for gifts, and stocking up the pantry for Ben's extended stay. There never seemed to be enough food around when he was at Pemberley, no matter how much she managed to put away.

As the week progressed she completed the unfinished projects on her desk so that she could enjoy some time off with the family. Will also worked hard to make sure he had no outstanding business that would interfere with their time together.

Georgiana had approached her brother about becoming more involved in her late husband's company. It was time that she took an interest, she told him, and Will had agreed. He was very happy to hear her request. Immediately, he had telephoned Richard to begin sending him the information that Georgiana would require to familiarize herself with the company's operations. Then he arranged with his solicitor in Leeds to draft up the papers allowing his sister privileges to take over some of the areas he was currently overseeing. That would give her a starting point, and she could take on more as she felt comfortable. Early in the new year he would sit down with her to go over everything in fine detail.

Will gathered up the papers on his desk and stacked them into a neat pile. It was nearly time for tea, and he had one call to make to Ben while he was sure to catch him at home.

"Mmmm. You are so nice and warm." Brenda snuggled herself closer, wrapping her arms around Ben's waist. "I wish I could stay here all night."

"So do I." Ben kissed the top of her head. Brenda raised her face to meet his lips with hers.

The ringing of the telephone startled them. Ben grinned as he reached for the receiver. "Hello, yes?" Then he gasped as Brenda sharply nipped his neck.

"Did I call at a bad time?" Will asked.

"No, Dad. Not at all." Ben replied quickly, eyeing her reproachfully. "What's up?"

"You're picking up Anna on Sunday to bring her home with you?"

"Mmm, yes," Ben replied absently as he watched Brenda slip out of the bed and walk across the room to retrieve her clothes.

"Would you mind delaying your departure until Monday so that you can stop in Leeds to pick up some papers for me? I know it's out of the way for you, but it would save me a trip. Ben?"

Ben tore his gaze away from the distraction of Brenda wiggling her jeans over her slim hips. "Uh, yeah Dad. No trouble. I'll pick them up for you."

"I am calling at a bad time!" Ben could hear the amusement in his father's tone. "Well, I'll leave you to whatever it is I interrupted. I'll ring you tomorrow with the details. Goodbye, Ben."

"Bye, Dad." He hung up and waited for Brenda to pull her shirt over her head. "Do you have to leave now?"

She gazed at him apologetically. "It's getting late. It's nearly tea time, and I've told you before what Kevin's like if I don't have his tea ready when he gets home."

"Ah, the tyrant." Ben crossed the room to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. "That will have to last us until tomorrow then, I guess." His eyes met hers, and he smiled.

Brenda ran her hands across his bare chest and up along his shoulders. "What time tomorrow?" She pressed her lips against his ear.

"Ah, my exam is first thing in the morning. It's the last one. I should be finished before noon and then I will be free until Monday morning when I leave for Pemberley. Shall we meet at the usual place for lunch?"

"Sounds delicious to me." Her lips were still toying with his earlobe. "I'll see you there." she whispered, and stepped away from him. Eyeing his naked body she raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Don't bother to see me to the door, love."

Then she gave him a saucy wink and left.

By the time Sunday rolled around, Elizabeth felt ready to face the final days leading up to Christmas. All of her preparations were complete, and all that she was waiting for was the arrival of her two university children. Ben had agreed to postpone his departure from Cambridge for one more day, so that he would be retrieving his sister, detouring to Leeds to run an errand for his father, and then finally arriving home in the late afternoon. Elizabeth went to bed that night anticipating the morrow to bring her entire family together for the holiday season.

The next morning, following breakfast, Elizabeth and Will had retreated to the morning room for some quiet reading. They had been enjoying the peaceful atmosphere for an hour when Will looked up from his newspaper.

"Don't you have to take Kathleen to her appointment soon?"

Patiently, Elizabeth put down her book and gazed at her husband. "Jason is home now. He's coming to pick her up so that they can go together."

"Oh." His eyes returned to the newspaper, but his mind wasn't on the words in front of him. Within one minute he looked at his wife again. "Are you going with them?"

"No."

Will fell silent again. He tried to concentrate on reading the paper until he heard the arrival of Jason. The door to the morning room opened and Kathleen entered, followed by her boyfriend.

"We're off in a minute," she said.

"Is it that time already?" Will asked, glancing at his watch. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Darcy, sir?" Jason said nervously. When Will looked at him expectantly, he continued. "My parents wish to invite you and Mrs. Darcy over for dinner one night this week. If it's convenient."

Elizabeth smiled. "I'd like to see them again. Will, do you have any commitments in the evenings the rest of this week?"

"No."

"Well, that's fine. I shall give your mother a call, Jason." She put her book down on the table.

Jason smiled at Elizabeth. She didn't make him half as anxious as Kathleen's father did. "I'll let her know."

"Okay," Kathleen said, taking Jason's hand. "Let's go."

From the corner of his eye, Will watched them leave the room. "Why is that boy always so jumpy?"

Elizabeth laughed and came over to sit on his lap. "Why are you always so stern around him? You scare the daylights out of him."

"Elizabeth, be careful where you sit." Will said in assumed annoyance. "How will I be able to read this paper with all the creases?"

"This paper?" Elizabeth asked, raising herself high enough to pull the newspaper out from under her.

"The very one."

Elizabeth folded it carefully, then shoved it down the front of her blouse. "Now read it."

Will opened his mouth and closed it again without saying a word. He curled and uncurled his fingers. "You just may regret that action."

"Oh, I doubt it." Elizabeth leaned back slightly to peer at her husband with a gleam in her eye.

"Are you going to give that back to me, or do I have to get it myself?"

She placed one finger against his lips and gave him her most innocent look. "What exactly do you want me to give you?"

Will bit off the retort he was about to make. A wicked grin lit up his face as he wrapped one arm around Elizabeth's waist and pulled her closer. He brought up his other hand to slowly finger the top button of her blouse. "I'm not finished with that, yet."

"I'm not finished yet, either."

Will gave a low chuckle, slipping the button open. His finger dropped to the next one. "Are you done yet?"

Elizabeth lowered her voice to a husky whisper. "Are you?"

The second button was undone. Will started to pull the newspaper free but his wife grabbed his hand.

"Mum, I forgot to tell you......" Kathleen came to a sudden halt just inside the door. Jason nearly tripped over her as he followed on her heels. They both blinked, then looked away, anywhere but at her parents.

Elizabeth pulled the sides of her blouse together hurriedly. "What were you going to say, Kathleen?" she said in a high voice.

"Um, Jason and I are going out for lunch while we're in town." Kathleen was staring at the floor, trying not to laugh. "Then we're going to do some shopping after that. I'll be home for tea."

"That's fine, Kathleen. Take your time." Will was trying not to laugh, himself. The look on Elizabeth's face was priceless. He glanced over toward the doorway to see the young couple smiling at each other. "Oh, and Kathleen? Close the door on your way out this time, please."

Elizabeth glared at him even after they had left. "Will, you are still incorrigible. But I think that you've lost your power over that boy now. He'll never see you as quite so threatening after today."

She jumped up from his lap and started across the room.

"Wait. My paper, Elizabeth." He held out his hand.

She turned back to him, fingers on the doorhandle. "You'll have to come and get it!" Then she ducked out of the room.

Dinner with the Whitakers went very well. Helen and Jack were pleasant, hard-working people who had only the one child, Jason. When the Darcys had first met them, under rather strenuous circumstances, they had been nothing short of supportive, both of their own son and of Kathleen. Both Helen and Jack had agreed that their children should not be entertaining the idea of marriage at this tender age. All in all, the four parents had gotten on extremely well in light of the situation. Elizabeth was quite pleased to know them, and she knew that Will felt the same way.

The Christmas season was usually a busy one. Family and friends dropped in on a daily basis Jane and Charles, with their children, visited on the day before Christmas Eve. Their plans were to spend the following week at Lydia's home in Southampton, with Mrs. Bennet, Mary and Mary's husband, Frank. Will and Elizabeth had declined all invitations, preferring to spend a family holiday with Georgiana and Aaron.

There were no more small children in the house, but Elizabeth enjoyed putting out the stockings for everyone, and filling them with candy and small gifts. Georgiana had accepted her invitation to participate in this ritual, scheduled to take place after the children were in bed.

"Although I have no idea what time that will be! These days they all stay up later than I do!" Elizabeth complained.

Ben and Anna, however, shuffled the others upstairs around midnight so that their parents and aunt could have the drawing room to themselves. Sitting close to the fire, Elizabeth watched Georgiana closely.

"How are you coping with this first Christmas without Brian, Georgiana? Is there anything that Will and I can do to make it easier for you?"

Her sister-in-law smiled slightly. "You have both been wonderful to me and Aaron for the last several months. I don't know how I would have managed without you." She looked up at Elizabeth. "Thank you both so very much."

Will gazed at his sister from his chair in the corner of the room. She had come so far from the shell she was five months earlier. He was also not blind to the fact that she had taken young Kathleen under her wing recently, giving herself a new purpose to look forward to each day, lending her niece support and encouragement on the tough road that she was travelling. It also felt very good to have his sister at Pemberley once more. She was 'home' again, and he hoped it would be to stay. There was more room in this old house than his family of seven could occupy alone. Eight, he reminded himself. It will be eight soon.

Elizabeth was pulling out the bags she had brought down from their room. These were filled with all the things she intended to stuff into the stockings. She emptied the contents and spread them on the floor around her. Georgiana joined her on the floor and helped to sort out the stockings by name.

"Does it matter what goes in which stocking?" she asked Elizabeth.

"Oh, yes. The small gifts are marked with names, but the candy is just evenly distributed. Except that Rebecca doesn't like anything with raisins in it, so the chocolate bars there," she pointed to a pile of Cadbury bars, "go to everyone but her."

Will simply watched as his wife and sister stuffed the stockings. Every year for the past twenty it had been his job to just observe Elizabeth giggling and sighing while she sorted the candy and gifts into their appropriate piles. Oh, and he had to make sure her wine glass was always full. This evening he had two glasses to monitor.

The stockings done, the ladies sat back and enjoyed the crackling fire in the grate, sipping their wine and softly singing carols.

"Will. Will?"

He opened his eyes to see Elizabeth watching him with her eyebrows raised enquiringly.

"You're falling asleep. Why don't you go on up to bed?" she said.

"I think I will." Will drained the last of his drink and said goodnight, leaving the ladies to the quiet of the low fire and the last of the wine.

He went upstairs and noted the lights still on under the door of Rebecca's room. The girls always gathered in the room of his middle daughter when they had a conference. Will smiled as he recalled Elizabeth saying that she and her sister, Jane, used to have similar conferences when they were young.

Ben's room was dark, but a dull light crept out from under Rich's door. Over the last few weeks, Rich and his cousin had become much closer. Will had been very relieved to see that happen. He concluded that the two boys were likely having a meeting of their own, not wanting to be outdone by the girls.

Will looked back at his eldest son's door. Ben had been behaving differently lately. Nothing he could put his finger on, just an odd, vague feeling that he had changed somehow.

He shook his head and chuckled. You are getting old, Will Darcy. They're all growing up and moving on. Some too fast, but they'll all get there eventually.

Will continued down the hall to his own room. Tomorrow would be the excitement of the children, never waning no matter how old they were. At least they don't get up at the crack of dawn anymore, dragging us out of bed to join them.

He knew that Elizabeth would not be much longer. She just wanted to assure herself that Georgiana was fine, then she would be turning is as well. Christmas day was to be a full one. Elizabeth had planned quite a dinner for them all, and she and their daughters were doing all of the cooking. The staff had been released to spend the holiday with their own families.

Chapter Six

Posted on Thursday, 29 July 1999

Whoever said that holidays were relaxing didn't have to spend them with eight kids!

Elizabeth sighed as she put down her book yet again. Although most of her children were old enough not to require her attention to every detail of their day, her youngest seemed determined to involve her in each activity he planned. Either that or she was to be his unwitting pawn in the practical jokes that Rich and Aaron had suddenly become fond of pulling. What had she found to date? Cats in the shower, Rebecca's spurs on her chair at dinner, and the unfortunate maid who had tried to empty a flower vase of its mysterious contents and ended up with a mess to clean up instead. Elizabeth had hauled both boys upstairs to repair the damage and apologize to the poor woman.

Thank goodness my older ones have more sense than to get into such mischief!

She saw Will pass the open door and called out to him. He stuck his head around the door.

"Are we going for that ride soon?" Will had suggested that they get out of the house, taking a couple of the horses out instead of driving like they usually did. They still kept a few horses at Pemberley, although the show horses were boarded at a training facility.

"Just give me a few more minutes, dear," he replied. "I was looking for Ben. Have you seen him?" Elizabeth shook her head and Will disappeared to further his search.

He heard his son's voice from behind the closed door of the study as he made his way down the hallway. Will pushed the door open to see Ben at the desk, speaking to someone on the phone. He stood there for a moment, thinking Ben would notice him.

"My Mum and sisters made dinner, so it was really good. My Mum is an excellent cook. I wish you could come to dinner some time when she makes it. It's not often enough for me."

Will smiled at this praise of his wife's abilities. He'd always had the same high opinion of her skills.

"And I missed you terribly this past week, too. It will still be one more week before I return to Cambridge."

Will grinned and backed out of the room, realizing that this was not a conversation to be overhearing.

The door clicked softly and Ben looked over his shoulder. "No, there's no-one here. I thought I heard the door, but... Where was I?"

"You were telling me how much you miss me, and want me, and can't wait to fall into my arms again!" Brenda teased.

"That's right. It will be too long anyway," he complained.

"Not necessarily. We're going to visit some family on the other side of Manchester tomorrow. We'll be there for a few days. I can probably manage to escape for an afternoon by myself...." She paused. "If you're interested?"

Ben smiled eagerly. "When and where?"

"Tuesday? I'll find a place and ring you when I get there. How's that sound?"

"Perfect. Don't eat any lunch. We can have a meal together. Just be sure to pick somewhere that has a good restaurant!"

Brenda laughed. "I hardly need reminding about that, Ben! Oh, I can't wait to see you again."

"Brenda, I've been going crazy the last week without you. I'm here and you're in Cambridge with -."

"Ben," she interrupted. "I thought we were in agreement on this. You know where I stand. You were the one who chased me, remember? I told you why I wouldn't go out with you, yet you pursued me until I said yes. Don't push me now until I'm ready to move ahead."

"I'm not pushing." Ben frowned as he tapped his fingers on the desktop. "I'm just reminding you of how I feel. I will not give up. I love you and I want you, Brenda. I won't let anyone get in my way."

"Ben," she sighed. "I love you, too, but you know it's more complicated than that. I don't want to see anyone hurt." She waited for him to respond, but there was only silence. "I'll see you on Tuesday, then?"

"Of course."

"I'll ring you around eleven. Ben?" She paused. "I really do love you. You believe me, don't you?"

"Yes, I believe you. Do you believe that I won't give up?"

"Oh, yes! I know you well enough by now. I never said there was no hope, just that it would have to take time."

Ben smiled. "Until Tuesday, then. Goodbye, Brenda."

"Ta ra, love."

He hung up the phone and sat back in the chair, staring at the wall in front of him. Tuesday wasn't that far off, and he figured that seeing her then would tide him over until he returned to Cambridge. Then they could meet every day at lunch, like they had been doing for the last month. Ben never thought he'd see the day that he would be glad to be leaving Pemberley and his family behind him, but this overwhelming power that Brenda held over him made him itch to see her whenever, and however he could.

He got up from the chair and left the room. In the hallway, he was surprised to see his father leaning against the opposite wall.

"I was waiting for you. I thought you'd seen me come in, but I suppose not. Anyway," Will went on, oblivious to the look of consternation on his son's face, "I wondered if you would take Rebecca's car into town to the garage. She's been having trouble starting it again, and I made an appointment for one o'clock this afternoon."

"Sure."

Will grinned at him. "I talked your mother into going out for a ride today. We'll be leaving in a few minutes."

Ben grinned in return. "Have a good time." He well remembered the many times his father had managed to persuade her to go riding, only to have them both return on one horse. Rebecca most definitely did not get her riding ability from her mother! "At least there's snow on the ground to cushion her fall."

Will was still chuckling as he disappeared into the drawing room to fetch his wife.

The following week Georgiana and Aaron went to visit Brian's family in Chelmsford. She had spent very little time with any of them since her return to England. Now that she was feeling more like herself, and with the holiday making her more reminiscent of past years, Georgiana knew it was time to take her son to meet his other cousins. It was also time to put some of her demons in their place. This would be the last hurdle on her path. She had avoided the Osbornes all this time because they were too painful a reminder of Brian. With her newfound resolve to face her future, she needed to also face this part of her past.

With Georgiana and Aaron gone, and Ben off to see a friend for the day, Will took advantage of the opportunity to check on the progress of some business deals that he'd gotten underway before Christmas. He peered into the hallway to make sure it was empty, then walked swiftly to his study. His surprise upon seeing Elizabeth there already was great indeed.

She sat in his chair facing the doorway, as if expecting him, which she did. "I knew it. You just couldn't stay away, could you?"

"You caught me. Now what?"

Elizabeth threw her hands in the air. "I'll have to think about your punishment. You were supposed to be on holiday for a full two weeks! Shame on you, Will." She sauntered across the room toward him. "But since you've been caught, you might as well do what you came here to do. I'll leave you in peace now, and punish you later."

The grin on her face as she walked past him was enough to make him laugh. "And how do I know that you won't go and do some work yourself, while you know that I'm occupied here?"

Elizabeth turned in the doorway to face him. "I'm going out for a walk. That will give you an hour at the least. And an hour is all I'm granting you!"

"Then I'll get started right away!"

Will settled himself at his desk and Elizabeth grabbed her coat and headed outside.

It was barely twenty minutes later when Will heard feet pounding on the stairs. He put his pen down in annoyance and went to the door. Before he could open it he heard a shout.

"MUM?"

Will winced and stuck his head out of the door to the study.

"MUM!"

"Rebecca! How many times must I remind you not to yell like a banshee in this house?"

His daughter looked at him, eyes wide with fright. "Where's Mum?"

"What's wrong?" Will asked, all thoughts of his interrupted work forgotten.

"It's Kath. She's just laying there, moaning. She won't answer me when I talk to her!"

His own eyes now wide with fear, Will ran up the stairs two at a time, calling to Rebecca, "Your mother is outside. Get her immediately!"

Will ran to Kathleen's room and flung open the door. His daughter was laying on her bed, curled up into a ball. Her eyes were closed, but her face was contorted with pain. Kneeling at her side, Will stroked her face.

"Kathy, honey, what's the matter?"

Kathleen's eyes opened and focussed on him briefly. "Oh, Daddy! Please make it stop. Please make the pain go away!"

Will cradled her head against him. I wish I could, Kathleen, but it's not like when you were little. I can't kiss the hurt away this time. He pulled the blanket back from around her form and stared in shock at the blood that had collected under her.

"Oh my Lord," he whispered. He wrapped the blanket around her once again and lifted her from the bed.

Carrying her into the hallway, he had only gone a few steps when Rich appeared .

"What are you doing, Dad?"

"Rich, bring one of the cars around to the front," Will said hurriedly. "RIGHT NOW!"

Rich took off at a run down the stairs and out of the house.

"Will?" Elizabeth's voice echoed in the front entry. "Will, what on earth is going on?" She stopped in her tracks as Will reached the bottom step, Kathleen clutched to his chest. "Good Lord, what is it?"

"We're taking her to the hospital. I think she's hemorraghing." he replied in a shaky voice.

"Oh, no. Please, no!" Elizabeth raced ahead of them to the doors. The car was at the bottom of the steps, Rich standing by the open rear door.

Will tucked his daughter into the back seat while Elizabeth climbed in the other side. He rested Kathleen's head on her mother's lap. Then he jumped into the driver's seat.

"We'll ring you." he said to his son before pulling away.

Rich and Rebecca stood on the step and watched the car speed off.

"Mummy?"

"Shhh. I'm right here." Elizabeth said softly.

Kathleen licked her lips and cracked open her eyes. "Where's Daddy?"

"He's just outside in the hallway. Do you want me to get him?"

"No," she whispered. "No. I don't want him to see me like this." Kathleen was silent for a few minutes. "Mum? Did I - is the baby -?"

Elizabeth stroked her hand against her daughter's cheek. "It wasn't to be, sweetheart. I'm sorry." She pulled the young girl to her and gently rocked her as Kathleen sobbed quietly.

The door opened a little and Will peeked in. Elizabeth met his eyes and shook her head ever so slightly. Will lowered his head and retreated.

He's hurting almost as much as his daughter, Elizabeth thought sadly. Thank you, God, for saving Kathleen, at least.

Her daughter had lost a lot of blood, and the premature labour had forced her to deliver her baby far too early. The poor little girl had not survived more than an hour after birth. Her lungs were far too underdeveloped to permit her to breath, and she had died in her grandfather's arms. Will had not wanted to let her go, holding on to the tiny form until one of the nurses finally managed to convince him to relinquish her. Then he'd had to turn his attention to Kathleen, and tried to ignore the fact that his daughter had come perilously close to dying as well.

Elizabeth knew that the doctor had already spoken with her husband, and that the news was not good. One look at Will's face told her that. As she held onto Kathleen, trying to soothe her daughter as best she could, her heart was with her husband, too.

In the hallway, Will couldn't stop pacing. The day had been emotionally devastating, and what he had to look forward to was equally crushing. Once more he glanced toward the lift doors, hoping and not hoping to see Jason and his parents.

Anna had been the one to call Jason in Edinburgh. Remarkably level-headed in an emergency, she managed to bully her way through the bureaucracy and have him located in his class. Once he'd heard the news, Jason had caught the first train to Manchester.

But it was all for nothing. He was too late to offer any support to Kathleen, and too late to see his daughter while she was still alive.

Will leaned his back against the wall and lowered his head, closing his eyes. The Whitakers would arrive any moment now, and he would have to impart the bad news to them. He had hardly managed to deal with it himself. He looked back at the closed door to his daughter's room.

How will I tell her? How can I bear to see her hurt even more?

"Mr. Darcy?"

Will's gaze shifted to the source of the voice. "Jason." He met the eyes of the boy's mother and father. "Let's sit down over here." Will gestured to a small waiting room that, by some miracle, was currently unoccupied.

They all sat and Will struggled in his mind to form some words.

"How's Kathleen?" Helen asked.

"She's fine." Will shook his head. "No, I mean she's ........ The labour had progressed too far to be stopped. I'm sorry to have to tell you this. Kathleen delivered a girl about two hours ago."

There was a small gasp from Jason's mother. "And?" she asked faintly.

"There wasn't anything to be done. She was just far too early." Will could still feel the tiny baby as she rested in his arms, struggling to breathe. He bowed his head and stared at the floor.

"What about Kathleen?" came Jason's strained voice.

Will took a deep breath and met the boy's gaze. "She lost a lot of blood. We nearly lost her, too."

The colour had drained from Jason's face at Will's words. "I'm sorry." he whispered. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

"No," Will said, shaking his head and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "No it isn't. Don't blame yourself."

"May I see her?" Jason's eyes were wide with sorrow.

"I'll ask if she'll see you. Elizabeth is with her now." Will rose from his chair and left the three of them alone.

At the door to Kathleen's room he paused with his hand on it. He schooled his features into what he hoped was a less distressed expression and took a deep breath. Then he opened the door slowly.

Elizabeth looked up when she heard the door open. Kathleen was laying back in the bed, her head turned toward the window, staring out blankly. Elizabeth got up to meet Will in the doorway.

"Jason is here. He asked to see Kathleen." Will peered past his wife to see his daughter's reaction to this news.

With her face still directed away from them, Kathleen said, "I'll see him."

Elizabeth looked back at her daughter. "I'll wait outside with your father. You and Jason can be alone." She followed Will from the room.

They joined Helen and Jack in the waiting room, but there was little to be said by anyone. A few minutes later, Kathleen's doctor appeared.

"Mr. Darcy, I see you are both free now. Would you like to have that discussion now?"

Will nodded to the doctor. He looked at his wife. "There are some things you need to know."

Elizabeth grew alarmed. She followed her husband and the doctor out of the room, casting a quick look back at Jason's mother. Helen tried to smile reassuringly, but she was just as worried, now, as Elizabeth.

Once inside the private room, Will closed the door and sat down beside Elizabeth, taking her hand in his.

"Mrs. Darcy, we ran a few tests on your daughter to try to discover what triggered this premature labour. We discovered a few abnormalities that I'm afraid are quite serious and will affect her future."

Elizabeth held onto Will's hand tightly. "What do you mean?"

"Firstly, the shape of Kathleen's uterus is irregular. It resembles the shape of a pear, wider at the bottom. This prevents the muscle from expanding properly in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Once the baby reaches a certain size, it acts as a trigger for labour to begin since there is no more room for it to grow."

Elizabeth blinked away tears. "You said a few abnormalities. What others?"

"Because the fallopian tubes enter at the narrower end of her uterus, they protrude farther inside than normal. The chances of a tubal pregnancy are far greater in her case." The doctor watched the couple closely. He had already had this conversation with Will.

"Is there any surgical option to correct this?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"Your husband asked me the same question, Mrs. Darcy. As I told him earlier, the condition is not that common. I need to do a little more research on it myself before I can give you an answer."

Elizabeth looked up hopefully. "But you will find out?"

"I will keep you informed as I get new information." The doctor looked at them both. "There's nothing more I can say at this point. If you have no further questions at the moment, I have some other patients to see. You may stay here to discuss this with each other in private if you prefer."

"Thank you, doctor." Will said quietly. He turned to Elizabeth when they were alone. "How do we tell Kathleen?"

"I'll do it." Elizabeth stared at their joined hands. "I'll tell her."

Will drew her face up to meet her gaze. "I said how, not who." He didn't need to say anymore. His eyes said the rest.

Elizabeth leaned her head into his shoulder and began to cry. Closing his eyes, Will held her tightly, aware that the pain had only just begun.

The frivolity of the previous week was forgotten in the aftermath of Kathleen's tragic loss. Will had come home by himself to inform the rest of the family. Elizabeth didn't want to leave her daughter alone overnight at the hospital.

Will found the rest of his children gathered in the upstairs sitting room waiting for him. After briefly relating the terrible news, he excused himself to retreat to his own room. He needed to be alone, to deal with his own emotions before Elizabeth and Kathleen returned home.

Anna watched him go, noticing the way he seemed to be carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. She glanced over at Ben, wondering if he had observed how much their father had aged in the last six months. Her brother didn't seem to be paying any attention, and she hoped she could have a private talk with him later, after the others had gone to bed.

Rich and Rebecca finally said goodnight and went to their own rooms, leaving Ben and Anna alone. Ben noticed his sister looking at him.

"What is it?"

Anna's gaze dropped to her hands in her lap. "I'm worried about Dad. He doesn't look well."

"Anna!" Ben said impatiently. "Of course he doesn't look well. He just lost a grandchild. How did you expect him to look?"

"I meant he's been looking unwell for a while now, Ben. Haven't you noticed?" Her worried expression gave him pause to think. "Dad has aged since last July."

For the first time in weeks Ben thought about someone other than himself. He pictured his father as he remembered him from the summer, before Uncle Brian had been killed. Then he compared it to the man who had just left this room not more than a couple of hours before. Sure, he looked tired, maybe a little older. But unwell?

Ben shook his head. "You're overreacting, Anna. Dad's been working hard, that's all. He's had his own affairs to look after, plus Aunt Janna's as well. Add to that the problems with Aaron and Kathleen.... He's been under a lot of stress."

"Exactly! He's not so young anymore, Ben. He's fifty-two for goodness sake! He shouldn't be taking on more, he should be starting to let some of it go."

Ben smiled condescendingly at his sister. "Are you talking about the same Will Darcy that I am? And you think he'd ease up on his workload, do you? You poor, deluded girl."

Slapping him on the shoulder, Anna laughed. "I was serious! Stop making fun of me."

"I know you were. I'll keep an eye on him, Anna."

She smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks."

Chapter Seven

Posted on Sunday, 1 August 1999

"I'm going out." Rebecca stood at the bottom of the stairs with her riding hat in hand.

Elizabeth was too tired to argue. She had spent the last few days helping her youngest daughter deal with her grief, while postponing her own. Her husband had said very little, but she knew that he was keeping more in than he let on. "Go on with you, then. Just make sure you're back in time for dinner."

Rebecca looked at her mother, exasperated. "It's New Year's Eve, Mum! There's a party at my friend Dan's place after we ride."

"Oh, yes." Elizabeth waved a hand impatiently at her. "Of course. Have a nice time, Rebecca."

Rebecca shook her head and left the house. Elizabeth retreated to the library to hopefully find some quiet time. Anna and Ben were in there, however.

"Don't you two have some party to go to as well?"

Anna smiled at her mother. "We do, actually. I was trying to convince Ben to come along. He's being a stick-in-the-mud."

"Go with your sister, Ben." Elizabeth saw him about to object. "I'm sure there will be a pretty girl or two that will catch your eye."

Ben relented, but unwillingly. "Alright, but are you sure you wouldn't rather I stay home? You and Dad could use a break, and I could keep Kathleen company."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. Kathleen is asleep, and your father will likely be turning in soon, too. He wasn't feeling well earlier."

Ben and Anna exchanged glances. "Mum?" Anna asked tentatively. "Is Dad okay?"

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth looked at them, perplexed.

"You're not keeping anything from us, are you? Dad isn't ... he's not....."

Their mother almost laughed at the worried expressions on the faces of her eldest children. "Don't be daft, you two. There's nothing wrong with your father." She smiled as she recalled his playfulness only that morning. "Nothing wrong at all." Physically, anyway. We still have some sorting out to do emotionally, though.

"Well, if you're sure," Ben said reluctantly.

"I'm sure. Off you go." Elizabeth smiled at them.

Anna grabbed her brother's arm. "Come on, then. You have to drive, remember?" She hauled him from the room.

The party that they were attending wasn't far from home. Some friends of Anna's, who had also been away at university for the last year and a half, were hosting the event. By the time Ben and his sister arrived there were already at least twenty cars there.

"I'm sure you'll know a few people, Ben. They're pretty much all from school. It hasn't been all that long since you left." Anna scooted into the house and proceeded to search out several friends she hadn't seen in a while.

Ben stood just inside the door for a moment, then spotted someone he recognized. He spent a good hour in conversation with the young man, who had also been dragged unwillingly to the party by his girlfriend. Then the two of them set out to find a drink and the food.

Along the way, several young ladies tried to catch Ben's attention. He noticed their attempts, but ignored them. His companion was amused at his popularity, and only wished he could attract as much attention simply by walking through a room.

The rest of the evening Ben spent primarily observing others. He saw Anna every once in a while, and even took note of the crowd of young men that followed her for a good part of the night. He made sure that he always knew her whereabouts after that. Since she knew she wasn't driving home, Anna was quite liberal with her acceptance of the drinks offered to her by her admirers. Ben knew that their father would be appalled to see how much his daughter could put away in the form of alcoholic beverages when the mood suited her.

When it finally came time to go home, well after the new year had been ushered in, everyone said their goodbyes and Ben poured his sister into the car. He couldn't escape her commentary all the way home, though.

"Jennifer was really miffed that you wouldn't dance with her, Ben. Why were you being so snotty tonight?"

"I wasn't being snotty, Anna. I was keeping an eye on you."

Anna giggled. "I'll bet you didn't see me in the kitchen with Perry."

"Yes, I did." Ben smiled to himself. "Why do you think he didn't try to get you to go somewhere else?"

She laughed. "If it's not Dad, it's you, Ben. How's a girl ever supposed to get anywhere with a fella when her male relatives keep getting in the way?"

"That's exactly the point, Anna."

Anna peered at him hazily. "You could have had your pick tonight, Ben. Why so unsociable? You practising to be a monk?"

Ben's smile disappeared. "Not everyone is as anxious to play around as you, Anna."

"Hey," she pouted. "That wasn't very nice."

"Sorry. It's just all this stuff that's happened with Kathleen," he said. "It's made me think." He told himself that it wasn't entirely untrue. It had prompted him to realize how important some people were to him.

"Yeah," Anna hiccupped. "I know what you mean. I sure won't get caught," hiccup again, "caught like she did." She put a hand on Ben's arm. "And I've got my big brother making sure, don't I? Ah, you'll never do wrong, will you Ben?" Anna leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. "The prodigal son.... you'll never disappoint Mum and Dad. Women throwing themselves at you, and you're always so proper, never taking advantage." She cracked an eye open and smiled. "But I have heard a few tales....."

Ben stared at the road ahead.

"I wish I could say the same about myself," Anna sighed. Then she giggled. "I mean, that I'll never disappoint them. Ben, I'm going to do something stupid one of these days, I just know it."

"No, you won't, Anna."

"Yes, I will! I'll get kale-eyed at some party and wake up with a bloke I've never seen before." She was starting to whine.

"Hardly," Ben said, beginning to lose his patience.

"I did it before."

"What!" Ben slammed on the brakes and stared at his sister. "You didn't?!"

Anna was nodding her head. "I did. Okay, I had seen him before. We'd even gone out a few times." She was still nodding. "And I don't even know if we did anything. I only remember drinking far too much and waking up next to him in the morning. Ben? I don't feel very well."

Ben put one hand on her chin and stopped her head from bobbing up and down. "Anna, just shut up," he said and drove on.

The first morning of the new year was not necessarily a good one for some members of the Darcy household. Ben and Will were up early as usual, Rich joined them at the breakfast table soon after, but the ladies weren't as enthusiastic about participating in the morning meal.

Although Elizabeth felt quite rested, she preferred to spend an extra few hours in bed, taking advantage of the rare opportunity. Kathleen, not unexpectedly, chose to keep to her room. It seemed that Anna had experienced a bout of sleeplessness in the wee hours, judging from the number of times that her light came on and went off. She would likely be sleeping until noon or later.

But Rebecca was simply not to be found. To say that Will was not happy to come to the conclusion that his daughter had not returned home last night was an understatement. On one hand, he could be pleased that she made the right choice not to drive if she had consumed a little too much alcohol. On the other, she wasn't old enough to be drinking in the first place, and his mind shuddered to contemplate just where and with whom Rebecca may have spent the night.

"Any idea where this party was, that Rebecca went to last night?" Will asked his eldest son.

Ben looked up from his plate. "I think she mentioned a Dan."

"That would be Dan Pritchard. He's one of the grooms." offered Rich between mouthfuls of his cereal.

Ben cast a cautious look at his father.

"She isn't home yet," Will muttered as he stabbed at his own breakfast with his fork.

Ben knew that look. He also knew his sister, and that she, of all of them, was the one who would never do anything stupid. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm sure it's just because she was too tired to drive home. She'll probably be here before long." His father merely grunted in reply. Ben applied himself to his breakfast. He wanted to make sure that Will didn't go storming out of the house in search of Rebecca.

He was a little relieved when his mother joined them a few minutes later, for he knew that she trusted Rebecca's judgement at least.

"I thought you were going to spend a lazy morning in bed?" Will asked.

"I changed my mind." Elizabeth filled her plate and took a seat next to her husband. "I remembered something I forgot to tell you last night."

Will's eyebrow rose. "Oh?"

Elizabeth calmly spread butter on her toast. "Yes. Rebecca called to say she was staying at Heather's house for the night."

Will's fork clattered to the table. "You forgot to tell me? Elizabeth, I was ready to -." He paused, glancing at Rich staring open-mouthed at them. Will frowned. "You're finished, aren't you Rich?" He stared hard at his son. "Aren't you?"

Rich hurriedly put down his spoon and excused himself. Will turned his attention toward Ben.

"I'm going," he said, and left as quickly as his younger brother had.

"Elizabeth," Will began in a clipped voice.

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, Will. It just slipped my mind." Elizabeth concentrated on her food.

Will took a couple of calming breaths. "It just slipped your mind. You knew how I'd feel about her not coming home."

Elizabeth placed her hand on his and looked into his eyes. "That's why I came downstairs to tell you now. I didn't want you to do anything..... um...."

"Rash? You consider my wanting to protect my girls as rash behaviour?"

"You're blowing it way out of proportion, Will."

He let out a derisive snort. "I don't think so. Have you forgotten your reaction the first time Ben stayed out all night? And he didn't even call to let us know. You must think I'm a simpleton, especially after what happened with Kathleen!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Will!" Elizabeth snapped. "I don't think anything of the sort. We're not talking about Ben or Kathleen. We're talking about Rebecca. Both she and Anna have had a scare with what happened to Kathleen. Don't you go thinking that they are simpletons, either!"

Will was silent. He picked up his fork once more and continued eating. Neither of them said another word through the meal.

Rebecca sauntered in the front door just before eleven o'clock. She popped her head around the library door, expecting to see her parents in there so that she could let them know that she was back. She was, therefore, not surprised to see them sitting side-by-side on the sofa, each with a book in their hands.

"I'm home," she called.

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and smiled. Will looked over his shoulder and frowned.

Rebecca sighed. They never change.

"Did you have a nice time last night?" Elizabeth enquired.

"It was great!" Rebecca enthused. "Dan's dad is a chef and he made all the food! It was fantastic! Dan had invited everyone from the stable, and there were a lot of riders that I don't get to see because they're riding when I'm at school. I heard so many stories of their experiences on the circuit, it was incredible! We're all going for a hack later this afternoon, if that's okay?" She looked more at her father for the answer.

"What time, and when will you be back?" Will asked.

"We're tacking up for two o'clock. Dan's dad is making something for us to eat when we get back, so I won't be home until after dinner."

Will saw his wife giving him prompts with her eyes. He sighed. "Just remember that your aunt is due back tonight."

"I won't be late, Dad." Rebecca skipped out of the room and ran upstairs.

Will watched his wife as she opened her book once again and resumed reading. "Who is this Dan fellow all of a sudden?"

Elizabeth stared at him. "It's not all of a sudden, Will. They've worked together at the stable for months."

"But she hasn't mentioned him by name very often." he argued.

Elizabeth gave an exasperated sigh. "Have you heard her mention many of them by name?"

Will gave that some thought. "No," he said slowly.

"There you are, then," Elizabeth said tersely as she looked back at the book. "Relax, Will. You don't need to hover."

"I like to hover," he grumbled..

"It will give you gray hair." Elizabeth peeked at him and saw the faint smile on his face.

"Then I'll look more distinguished." Will leaned against her, closely inspecting her earlobe with his lips. "I seem to recall that you rather like me looking more distinguished," he whispered.

Elizabeth let out a giggle and turned her face to meet his.

Chapter Eight

Posted on Thursday, 5 August 1999

With Georgiana and Aaron's return from Chelmsford the house was a bit more full, but no less sombre. Georgiana took the news about Kathleen very badly. She had become so close to her niece during these last difficult months that she felt terribly guilty about not being there for Kathleen at such a devastating time.

Even Aaron seemed to be very much affected. Elizabeth thought it was perhaps because it reminded him of his father's death, a pain he was only recently beginning to deal with.

School would resume in a few days. Elizabeth hoped that Kathleen would be up to returning, but had no qualms about keeping her home for another week if that was what she needed.

So, on a bleak and gray day, Elizabeth watched as her two eldest children drove off on their way back to university. She turned back to the house, stood facing the imposing front of the stone structure, and decided to go for a walk.

From the car, Anna could see their mother wander away toward the open expanse of lawn below the house. She watched until the trees beside the road finally obscured the view, then she settled back in the seat for the long ride.

When they reached the motorway it was only to discover that it was very congested with heavy traffic so soon after New Year's. Ben manoeuvred the car through each roundabout with a precision borne of experience.

"You've driven this route for the last four years, haven't you Ben?" Anna asked as she stared out the window at a passing car.

"Mmm." Ben replied absently.

Anna turned to look at her brother. He seemed very distracted lately. It wasn't because of what happened with Kathleen, she knew that. And even at the New Year's Eve party they had gone to, he had been very distant, hardly speaking to any of the girls who were trying to attract his attention. Could he be concerned about Dad? she thought, then dismissed the idea. Their mother had assured them that all was well there. And he had certainly looked much better by the time she and Ben had been ready to leave.

Then Anna looked at Ben in sudden understanding. "I don't believe it!"

"What?" he said, glancing briefly in her direction.

"Oh, you've been caught," she grinned. "You've finally been caught!"

Ben steadfastly kept his eyes on the road ahead. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Smugly, Anna asked, "Who is she?" When Ben said nothing, she laughed. "Oh, come on. You can't keep it a secret forever. If I figured it out, so will everyone else eventually." She shook her head, amused. "Ben Darcy, ladies' man, finally falls in love. Mr. I'm-not-going-to-get-tied-down-until-I've-finished-having-fun is parading around with a sappy look on his face!"

"I do not look sappy." Ben grumbled.

Anna laughed again. "Alright, not sappy. But you do seem very preoccupied lately. There's a lady on your mind and you can't deny it. Who is she?"

Sighing in resignation, Ben said, "Her name is Brenda."

"Brenda." Anna gave the name some thought. "You haven't mentioned her before. So, when do you bring her home to meet the folks?"

Ben looked a little uncomfortable with that suggestion. "I'm not ready for that, yet. And don't you go mentioning her to Mum and Dad, either!"

"Okay." Anna watched him in puzzlement. "Is there some reason you don't want them to know?"

"I didn't say I don't want them to know. I'm just not ready to have them meet her, yet." He paused before going on. "I think Mum may have a problem with the situation."

"Ben, Mum will have a problem with any girl who's set her sights on her baby boy!" Seeing her brother's serious expression, Anna changed her tone. "You know that both of our parents will love her if you do. What is it you're not telling me?"

"Anna," Ben looked in his sister's direction as they stopped at a traffic light. "I'd like you to meet Brenda first. I know you'll like her. Then you'll know what I mean about Mum's reaction."

"Ben, you're making this sound more ominous than I think it warrants, but I'd love to meet her. Can we get together next week sometime?"

Ben nodded. "Sure. I'll check with Brenda, but I'm sure that Wednesday will be fine. We're supposed to be going to dinner that night anyway. How's that day for you?"

Anna agreed. By the time they reached her flat, and Ben had dropped her off, they had worked out the details of where they would meet. Ben waved goodbye to her and continued on his way back to Cambridge.

He didn't return to his own flat straight away. Instead, he took an exit on the other end of the city and drove through the town until he pulled up to a large two-storey house in a well-to-do neighbourhood. Hopping out of the car, Ben jogged up the flagstone path to the front door.

The door opened in answer to the bell and Brenda stood in the opening. She gave him a huge smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down for a kiss.

"I missed you," she said when they moved apart. "Are you coming in?"

Ben peered around the half-open door. "You must be alone."

"Yes. Until tomorrow evening."

They both grinned. Ben took her hand and they slipped into the house, the door closing with a definitive click behind them.

"Come on, Becks what kind of an approach was that? You were lucky he's so honest or you would be laying on your back right now!" Dan scrambled down from the rail of the obstacle where he was sitting and paced out from the centre of the jump that Rebecca had just gone over. "Here," he said, stopping and pointing to the dirt in front of him. "You should be straight here already to allow your horse to see the jump, instead of plunking him down in front of it with less than a stride to spare. You turned way too soon. The object is to keep the rails up, my dear. You're not going to be entering any speed classes, you know."

"I won't be entering any classes at this rate," Rebecca mumbled.

"Did your parents agree to you coming with us over to Europe in the summer?" Dan asked as he walked back to his former position.

"I haven't even been able to ask them, yet," Rebecca whined. "All this mess with my sister has put the rest of us on the back burner." She clucked to her horse and urged him into a trot.

"You'd better do it soon." Dan watched them come up the outside track along the opposite wall and pick up the canter into the turn. "Deeper, Becks. Don't let him cheat you on the corner."

Her approach was much better this time. Dan applauded as her horse sailed over the jump and continued to complete the line faultlessly.

"Take him down the long side and try the diagonal this time. Remember it's three strides between." Dan watched her bring the animal around the top end, going deep into the corner to negotiate the turn properly and line up the two jumps in her sight. "Excellent!" he called when she was over the second part of the combination. "So, when are you going to tell them you want to go?"

Rebecca reined in at the A marker and looked down the length of the arena at her friend. "Next month?" He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, next week. But I have to pick my time carefully. My Dad isn't going to go for this, I'm sure. I have to catch him in a really good mood."

Nudging the horse up into a walk, she circled to the left and brought him onto the centre line to walk down to where Dan was sitting.

"We're going to have to work on those oxers a bit more, I think." Dan smiled up at her, perched above him. "He hasn't quite got the width covered, but we have plenty of time to fine tune before shipping out in June."

"I can fine tune all I like, but if my Dad says no, that's it," Rebecca pouted.

Grinning, Dan slipped off his seat and stood at the shoulder of her horse. "I could have a word with him if you like?"

Rebecca laughed. "Oh, that would seal my fate, for sure! He already believes the stables are a haven for sex-starved teenage boys. He gives me that look every time I say I'm coming here."

"Then I'll leave it to you to charm him into letting you join us in Europe. Come on, now. Let's get this brute cooled down and put him away." Dan helped her down from the saddle and together they left the arena.

An hour and a half later Rebecca dropped Dan off at his house and continued on to her own. She parked her car and sat for a moment, mulling over Dan's suggestions for ways to broach the subject with her parents. Deciding that she would play it by ear, and only if the opportunity presented itself, she would try one of his ideas. However, the most important factor would be making sure that her father was in a mood to talk about it.

Rebecca gathered up her hat and boots and entered the house. There was laughter coming from the open door of the music room, something she hadn't heard in the house for a couple of weeks. Curious, she went to see who was inside.

"Oh, Lizzy, if you could have seen Mary's face when she opened it! I thought she would burst a blood vessel!"

It was her Uncle Charles and Aunt Jane! Uncle Charles was still laughing so hard he couldn't continue his story. Rebecca saw her mother and father were also laughing, but Aunt Jane was typically smiling rather than laughing outright at someone else's misfortune.

"How like Lydia to buy something so... deviant.... for one of her sisters," Elizabeth gasped out. "But Mary!!!!"

"Oh, but that's the best part, Lizzie!" Charles wiped at his eyes. "It wasn't Lydia, it was Frank who bought it!"

"Frank?? Mary's husband, Frank???" Elizabeth squawked.

That brought fresh peals of laughter all round. Rebecca stepped into the room.

"What's so funny?"

Elizabeth and Will looked toward her.

"Never mind, Rebecca," Elizabeth snickered. "Just some boring old family stories."

Rebecca frowned. "Sure. Are we eating soon, or do I have time to shower?"

"You have time," Will said with a smirk. "But only if you run along now."

Rebecca nodded, but as she left the room she heard the laughter once more and shook her head on the way upstairs.

Elizabeth gazed fondly upon her sleeping husband. This had become a more regular occurrence, lately; his falling asleep in the study while reading in the evening. It was certainly quiet enough to allow it. Everyone knew better than to disturb him once he'd retreated to this room.

Elizabeth placed her hand on his shoulder and spoke softly. "Will? Will, come up to bed now. You can't sleep down here."

His eyes slowly opened and Will looked sheepishly at his wife. "I'm going to have to find something more stimulating to read at night." He shuffled the papers from his lap and set them on the table beside him.

Elizabeth glanced at the pile. "I thought you were relaxing, Will. Don't you get enough of work during the day?"

Smiling, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her palm. "Those documents are for Georgiana. I needed to go over them so that I can fully explain it to her."

"Can't it wait? You shouldn't be spending all of your time with your nose buried in business papers."

Will nodded. "Yes, it can wait. There is still another packet yet to arrive. Until it gets here, I can't turn over the job to her."

Elizabeth played with his curls. "Come upstairs, then. I'm turning in now, too."

"I'll be along in a few minutes." Will picked up the pile of papers. "I'm just going to put these back in the file."

Kissing the top of his head, Elizabeth crossed back to the door. "Only a very few minutes, my dear, or else I'll be coming back down to get you." She smiled and left.

Will sat for a moment. Slowly, he stretched his legs out in front of him and carefully rose from the chair. Suddenly, he drew in a sharp breath and gripped the chair's arm tightly. Eyes closed, Will forced himself to take a steadying breath, then another one. With each breath his features began to relax, although his grip on the chair did not lessen. Opening his eyes, he focussed them on the desk across the room and took a step toward it.

One step at a time, he walked to the desk. He concentrated on breathing steadily and by the time he had reached his destination, a mere twelve feet away, the pain had faded into a dull memory. Will put the papers into their designated file and closed the drawer.

He let his breath out in a long, slow puff and walked cautiously out of the study, down the hall to the foot of the stairs. There he paused and gazed up the length of the staircase. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he put his foot on the first riser and went up.

Continued In Next Section