Life is Better With Animals

Chapter One

Elizabeth sat behind the wheel of her truck and turned on the ignition.
When the engine started, she drove her car to the Lucas Farm. She was in a
hurry. Mr. Lucas had called her five minutes ago with an emergency. One of
his cows had gone into labour and Elizabeth's help was required as soon as
possible.

Elizabeth, or Lizzy, as she was called by her friends, was a local vet, and
such emergencies were nothing new to her. Today was no different. It was
7:30 p.m., but during her two years of practice she had found out that
animals rarely took ill during office hours, so she got used to odd working
hours. She didn't mind it at all, she loved animals and loved her job, and
she was happy to help her patients whenever they needed her.

This time, though, she was a little anxious. Tonight's patient was a young
cow giving birth to her first calf, and her labour could be more difficult
due to the youth and inexperience of the mother. Elizabeth hit the gas pedal
and sped up.

The weather was typical for late September. It was 5 degrees Celsius[i] and
a slight chilly rain was falling, obscuring the vision through the
windscreen. It was getting dark quickly, but Elizabeth drove fast. She knew
the roads very well, she could drive with her eyes closed and it was not
likely that many cars would be on the country roads at this time and with
this weather.

She passed Meryton, and turning into a narrow road outside the town, she
almost collided with a black BMW. She hit the breaks, unfastened her
seatbelt and jumped out of the truck, mortified, ready to apologise for her
carelessness. The driver of the BMW also got out and was walking her way.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" Elizabeth asked with concern.

She looked at the man and stifled a gasp.  The man standing in front of her
was the embodiment of "tall, dark and handsome." He wore an elegant, long,
black coat and obviously very expensive shoes, which were currently getting
covered with dirt on the muddy road.  She couldn't see much in the fading
September light, but she noticed that his hair was black and curly and his
expression, though very handsome, undeniably brooding.  What she observed,
however, was enough for her to realize the contrast between his impeccable
appearance and her less than perfect attire. She wore a pair of faded jeans,
an old jacket and wellingtons[ii], her long, dark hair in a dishevelled
ponytail on top of her head. She felt a little self - conscious, but all her
insecurities disappeared, when the man spoke, "Are you out of your mind
driving at this speed in such weather!? Were you trying to kill yourself? If
you want to die, why don't you just shoot yourself and not involve other
people in your scheme!"

Elizabeth's jaw fell at this speech. Never had she been spoken to in such a
manner. The man spoke with an angry contempt, looking at her coldly. He was,
by all accounts, the most arrogant, the rudest person she knew. But she wasn
't one to be easily intimidated by such behaviour. She pursed her lips,
raised her head, stared defiantly into the stranger's face and said with all
the coldness she could muster:

"If I was planning a killing, right now it would be you, rather than me.
But you're lucky, because killing is not on my agenda for tonight. Excuse
me, I need to go birth a cow."

With that she turned on her heel, returned to her truck and drove past the
BMW and the stunned man.

***

When four hours later Elizabeth parked her truck outside her house, three
miles from Meryton, she was still fuming. While she was taking care of the
cow, she was able to forget about the rude stranger. However, when her
patient delivered a healthy calf, Elizabeth was again free to mull over
their short conversation in indignation. How dare the man speak to her like
that?

She went into the house, where she was instantly greeted by Cassandra, her
cat, and Jack, her white labrador. She patted and cuddled the animals and
then headed for the bathroom. After the shower she dressed in a warm robe
and went to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

A couple of minutes later, Elizabeth sat on the couch in the sitting room,
sipping her tea and listening to her messages. The first one was from her
sister:

"Hi, Lizzy, it's Jane. I'm calling to remind you about tomorrow's dinner
at Netherfield. William has come today and we would like him to have a good
time during his stay here. Remember what we talked about? I'm counting on
you, Liz. Bye."

Elizabeth sighed. She'd completely forgotten about that dinner. She didn't
feel like going at all. She loved Jane and Charles, but right now she didn't
feel any inclination to entertain Charles' friend.

Charles Bingley was a doctor in Meryton. He'd lived and worked in this town
for a year. Jane was a kindergarten teacher and she met Charles when one of
her pupils sprained his ankle one day. Elizabeth didn't believe in love at
first sight, but what connected her sister and the handsome doctor was as
close as it gets. The day after they met, they went on a date, and six
months later, Jane moved in with Charles. Elizabeth was happy for her
sister, but now that she lived alone in the house she used to share with
Jane, she felt a little lonely at times. Jane, two years older than her, had
always been her favourite sister and best friend. Elizabeth would do
anything for her sister, so when Jane asked her to help entertain Charles'
friend when he came for a visit, she agreed to it. She was, however,
slightly apprehensive. She knew very well that, for some reason, Charles and
Jane thought that Elizabeth and William were perfect for each other and
hoped to get them together during William's visit. Elizabeth insisted that
she wouldn't have any of their matchmaking and they promised to attempt
none. In return, though, they exacted a promise from Elizabeth that she
would try to get to know William. She agreed to that, thinking that nothing
would come of it anyway. After all, William Darcy was a famous neurosurgeon,
with a doctorate from Cambridge University, who worked in St. Bart's
hospital, the best in London. And who was she? A mere country vet. Make no
mistake about it, Elizabeth was proud of her accomplishments, she loved her
life and knew her worth. But she also knew that she wasn't one who would
usually catch the fancy of the likes of William Darcy.

***

As Elizabeth was preparing for the evening the following day, she couldn't
help but feel a little nervous. Rationality aside, she was really curious
about this William Darcy. Charles has spoken very highly about him and the
knowledge that her sister's boyfriend thought her and his friend perfect for
each other, as well as William's fame as one of the best neurosurgeons in
the whole country, all of this raised her expectation about the evening and
the man himself.

Charles talked to her about William, and Elizabeth knew that they met at
Cambridge. Both of them studied medicine, but Charles, with his friendly and
open manners and love of people, became a general practitioner, while Darcy
made a career as a neurosurgeon. However, the difference in their
dispositions and characters, or the careers they'd chosen, didn't preclude
them from becoming close friends. Even several years after graduation, they
still maintained their friendship. Now William had come to visit Charles on
an extended holiday. Charles said he was going to stay at least for a month.
Elizabeth was surprised at the length of his time off - she'd always thought
that doctors were extremely busy and from Charles' description, William
seemed like a true workaholic. Well, maybe she was going to solve this
mystery tonight.

With a last look into the mirror, she decided her appearance was
satisfactory and made for the door.

***

"Lizzy, how good to see you again!" said Charles Bingley as he opened the
door and let Elizabeth in.

"Hi, Charles, how are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, kissing Charles on the
cheek. He took her coat and led her through the hall into the sitting room.

"I'm great, thanks," he said, smiling. Then, looking at Elizabeth, he added
appreciatively, "You look amazing."

"Thanks," Elizabeth smiled. Charles was one of the nicest people she knew
and, being the gentleman that he was, he never failed to compliment her. He
and Jane were very alike in that respect. They both loved people and thought
only good of them. They were all that was friendly and amiable. Charles was
quite tall, slender, with curly reddish hair and merry, blue eyes. No wonder
all of his female patients, from the age of three to eighty three were head
over heels for him. He was, however, a lost cause, for he had eyes only for
Jane.

Charles led her into the sitting room and excused himself saying he needed
to help Jane in the kitchen. It was still early and there were not many
guests yet. She noticed her friend, Charlotte Lucas standing by the wall.
She smiled and crossed the room to say hello.

"Well, Liz, when you take off your overalls and wellies you actually look
like a woman," said Charlotte teasingly.

"Good to see you, too, Char," Elizabeth responded dryly and hugged her
friend.

"I haven't seen you in ages! I was beginning to suspect you preferred the
company of cows to that of your friends," Charlotte exclaimed.

Elizabeth felt a pang of guilt. "Sorry, Charlotte, I've been busy lately,
working both at the clinic and the farms. But now that Maria has joined me,
it'll all be easier. Plus, the winter's coming and there will be much less
work then."

"I know, Liz, don't worry, I don't blame you. I'll tell you what, why don't
we meet for lunch on Monday and catch up?"

"Sounds great. So tell me, what's new?" Elizabeth asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "Nothing much. You know my work isn't as exciting as
yours," she replied.

Elizabeth laughed and observed dryly, "Oh, yeah, you don't have any idea
how exciting my work is. Why, just yesterday evening I met a mysterious
stranger on an empty road to Meryton," she said in a dramatic whisper, as if
sharing a secret.

Charlotte looked at her curiously. "Really? What was he like? Was he
devastatingly handsome and incredibly hot?" she asked with a leer, wiggling
her eyebrows.

Elizabeth sighed theatrically. "Oh, yes, he was. He was tall, dark and
handsome. But here end the advantages. He was also rude, arrogant and
haughty. Can you imagine he told me that I should shoot myself?" Elizabeth
was getting furious again as she recalled the man's behaviour.

"No! Did he really? Why would he say that?" Charlotte inquired with
disbelief.

Elizabeth looked a bit sheepish. "Well...um...he didn't say exactly that I
should shoot myself. I was driving a little too fast, because I was in a
hurry to Lucas Farm and I almost collided with his BMW. It was after that
that he told me that if I wanted to get killed I should shoot myself rather
than involve other people in my plan."

"Lizzy, I'm sure he was just upset and nervous. After all, he almost had a
car crash, so it was natural to take his anger out on you."

Elizabeth scowled. "He didn't have to be so boorish. I tried to apologise,
but he behaved like a total prick and don't try to justify him! After all,
you're my friend, you should be on my side!"

"Well, it's not like it matters. You won't probably ever see him again,
anyway."

"I sure hope not!" said Elizabeth with disgust. Then, struggling to stop
thinking about this man and his rude behaviour, she added,  "I'm thirsty,
let's get something to drink."

"You go ahead, Lizzy, I have to go and talk to Maria, I've just seen her
come in."

"Ok," Lizzy shrugged and walked in the direction of the dining room.

***

William Darcy stood in the far corner of the dining room and sighed
resignedly. It was going to be a long and tiresome evening. He knew Charles
meant well, but William couldn't find it in his heart to be grateful. Not
with Caroline fawning over him in the most annoying manner and a house full
of people he didn't know. He came to the country in order to find peace and
solitude, but it seemed that instead he was thrown into a whirl of social
engagements.

He should have known this whole trip was a bad idea, but he really needed
some time off and Charles had been nagging him to visit for months, so
William finally gave in.

It started very badly when he almost crashed with some crazy woman speeding
in a truck on the country road. He got justifiably furious and told her what
he thought about such behaviour. Maybe he overreacted a bit and he regretted
being rude to her, but she deserved it. William had seen too many victims of
such recklessness to be cool about it.

But then it got even worse. When he reached Netherfield House, he found
out, to his utter horror, that Caroline was there as well. Caroline Bingley
was Charles' younger sister, and she had been chasing him constantly for
years now. He never wanted anything to do with her, but she just couldn't
take no for an answer. He didn't want to be offensive in his refusal, after
all she was his best friend's sister, but he was beginning to loose his
patience.

Add to this that Charles seemed determined to set him up with Jane's
sister, who, supposedly, was perfect for him. For one thing, William
despised being set up in general, but he felt strangely suspicious about
this whole Elizabeth thing. Jane and Charles had both had very quizzical
expressions on their faces when they talked about her. Something akin to
amusement and mischief. He suspected Elizabeth was some kind of a wild
country girl, dressed in wellingtons, with unkempt hair, spending all her
days in cowsheds and barns. William shuddered at the thought of being with
such a woman.

And now this. It seemed that Charles and Jane invited all their friends to
a dinner party to celebrate his visit. It was very kind of them and William
couldn't even feel angry. Charles had always dragged him to all kinds of
social functions. He was a very sociable person, while William was reserved
and a little shy. He didn't feel comfortable in a crowd of unknown people.
This was part of the reason for becoming a surgeon. He felt more at ease
with people who lay unconscious on the table, than interacting with awake
patients.

At the moment he enjoyed a rare minute of peace. Caroline was still
upstairs dolling herself up. If he was lucky, he could escape the harpy for
some time, at least until dinner. William anticipated his stay at Charles'
to be horrible. Charles was genuinely embarrassed by his sister's behaviour
and tried to keep Caroline out of William's way, however, it had all proved
useless. Somehow she managed to find out that he was going to be at
Netherfield and, naturally, she felt an overwhelming desire to see her
brother and his girlfriend. It didn't matter that on many occasions she had
professed her contempt for Meryton and countryside in general. It was
completely irrelevant that she couldn't understand what had possessed
Charles to settle in such a place. All of these considerations were
forgotten as soon as she found out William was going to be there.

Suddenly he heard footsteps. In a complete panic he jumped and quickly hid
behind a rubber plant, fortunately big enough to conceal even someone as
tall as him. Cautiously he peered at the room. Looking around he didn't
notice anyone except for a few people who had been there all the time.
Puzzled, he scanned the crowd again, berating himself for his stupidity and
cowardice when his eyes fell on the door and he forgot to breathe at the
vision he saw there.

Clad in a knee-length, clingy skirt and a well-fitted, sleeveless, cowl
neck top with glitter print, she was simply stunning. William started
breathing again and his heart rate increased as he studied her form - from
incredible legs, gentle curve of her hips, slender waist, supple chest,
graceful neck, rich, long, brown, curly hair, to the lovely face in which
was set a pair of the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They were dark,
deep, sparkling with vivacity and mischievousness. William felt he could
easily drown in them.

He stared at her, unable to turn away. He became aware that he wanted to
get to know her. He wished to find out if she would be as delightful as she
looked. He needed to talk to her, to hear her voice, to see her glorious
eyes turned to him. But above all he desired to touch her creamy skin. He
yearned to run his fingers through the thick mass of her hair. He looked at
her soft, red lips and wondered what they would taste like. He craved to
experience her with all his senses.

But something started bothering him. She seemed strangely familiar. He was
sure he had already seen her somewhere. Those eyes, the halo of dark curls,
those, oh, so perfect breasts. But where?

William turned cold as a sudden realisation hit him. Of course, how could
he have forgotten?  Obviously, yesterday she looked different. Her hair had
been in a rather untidy ponytail, she had been dressed in working clothes
and she hadn't worn any make up, but it was her. William moaned softly. It
was just his luck! He finally met a woman whom he felt attracted to and he
insulted her before he even knew her name! What was he to do now? Should he
apologise to her? Or maybe behave as if nothing happened? Maybe she wouldn't
recognize him. After all, it was dark yesterday. He almost didn't recognize
her himself. After a moment of deliberation he decided to walk closer to her
and examine her reaction to him. Surely, he would determine then if she knew
him or not and whether she was mad at him.

He slowly stepped away from his hiding place and moved in her direction.
She smiled at several people in the room, said hello to a couple of
acquaintances, and walked to the bar, which stood by the opposite wall.
William was close behind her.

Elizabeth poured herself a glass of wine and turned to walk away when
suddenly she crashed into something warm and hard.

"I'm sorry..," Elizabeth mumbled, as a pair of strong hands held her by the
arms, restoring her balance.

"It's all right," answered a deep voice, which seemed oddly familiar to
her. Slowly, she raised her head and took in the man before her.

A nice, dark suit and an expensive tie. A broad chest, which, as she
recalled, was extremely well-muscled and delightfully warm. Broad shoulders
and a nice neck, which begged to be released from the restriction of his
tie. A strong jaw, full lips, straight nose and a pair of dark, smouldering,
intense eyes. And this absolutely gorgeous face was surrounded by a cloud of
black curls, which, despite obvious attempts of their owner, could not be
made to behave and a lock of hair falling down his forehead made him look
like a little boy.  A very naughty little boy. God, he smelled good, too.
Elizabeth dropped all thoughts of children and fought the urge to fan
herself. Was it getting hot in here?

William, for his part, was faring no better than her. The collision with
his vision woman and the feel of her soft curves moulding into his body
nearly made him lose all control. She was even more beautiful close - up.
Her voice, although muffled by his chest and her embarrassment, was rich and
smoky. He noted with an inward groan, that her skin was warm and silky and
her scent was intoxicating. He felt the urge to grab her by the waist and
pull her to him again, to feel her body against his, his lips crushing hers.
'Oh, God! What's wrong with me? I don't even know her name and all I can
think of is taking her here and now...'

It was Elizabeth's voice that pulled him out of his daze. "You!" she
hissed, her beautiful eyes flashing. William winced. Damn, she recognised
him. It was obvious that she was mad at him. If looks could kill, William
would have been lying dead on the floor, slain by the daggers in Elizabeth's
eyes. Could this get any worse? Apparently, it could.

"I see you two found each other!" Charles exclaimed gleefully, as he
appeared by their side, as if out of nowhere. They looked at him in
confusion, proving to him that they in fact hadn't introduced themselves
yet. He was happy to oblige.

"Lizzy, this is William Darcy, my good friend. Will, this is Elizabeth
Bennet, Jane's sister."

William, dumbfounded, stared from Elizabeth to Charles in utter
embarrassment. He dearly wished the earth would open and swallow him. He had
to fight a childish impulse to hide under the table. Astonishment swiftly
made its way to his brain.  This was Elizabeth Bennet? This gorgeous,
stunning, breathtaking, sexy woman was Elizabeth Bennet? Oh, God. Not only
did he underestimate and judge her without even setting his eyes on her. He
insulted her in the rudest possible way. He told her to shoot herself! 'Way
to go, moron! You've just ruined your chances for something with her.'  This
was going to be the most awkward holiday in his life!

"Hello, William," Elizabeth said coolly. She was quite surprised herself at
the discovery that the boorish stranger from the night before turned out to
be the great William Darcy. She was even more amazed that Jane and Charles
considered him a good match for her. Oh, he was handsome, beautiful if she
was to be honest with herself, however his personality left a lot to be
desired. He stood there, staring at her, no doubt in contempt and
disapproval, not answering her greeting. Elizabeth felt really incensed. The
nerve of this man!

William struggled to pull himself together. He moved his mouth, but found
that he could utter no sound. He cleared his throat and looked over her
head, her dazzling eyes distracting him too much.

"It's nice to meet you, Elizabeth," he replied softly, savouring the feel
of her name on his lips.

"It's nice to meet you, too, William," Elizabeth answered in a cold tone.
She was tempted to retort flippantly, but she remembered Jane's request.
'Give him a chance, Lizzy.' She would be polite for Jane and Charles's sake,
but it was so difficult. The man was so arrogant, he didn't even look at her
face when he spoke to her. He clearly didn't want anything to do with her.
'Well, it's all the better,' thought Elizabeth.

"Williaaaam!" a piercing female voice sounded in the room. Elizabeth
glanced at William and noted with a good deal of surprise and some
amusement, too, that the man was clearly in a panic. He looked around as if
searching for a way to escape, but to no avail.

"There you are, William, I've been looking for you. Where have you been
hiding?" said the woman as she approached them with a pout. She kissed
William's cheek and took his arm. William looked very uncomfortable.

"Lizzy, this is my sister, Caroline. Caroline, this is Elizabeth Bennet,
Jane's sister," Charles introduced them. Caroline nodded slightly, her whole
attention concentrated on William, who looked as if he wanted to disappear.

Caroline Bingley was an attractive woman of about thirty years old. She
wore an orange, ankle - length dress, which was more appropriate for a New
Years Eve celebration at Buckingham Palace than a simple dinner party at her
brother's house. The dress was hugging her rather skinny figure in quite an
unflattering way, her black hair was in a stylish french twist, which
accentuated the very sharp contours of her face, a long nose, thin lips and
small, shrewd eyes. She also obviously overdid her make-up. Although
Caroline was not an ugly woman, she could be even considered pretty, it
seemed that unknowingly, she was doing her best to look as bad as she could
possibly manage.  Choosing the most expensive and fashionable clothes,
cosmetics and hair styles, with no regard to what looked well on her, she
emphasized her flaws, rather than accentuated her advantages.

Her ensemble was embellished by a very fashionable accessory - a chihuahua.
Elizabeth instantly felt sorry for the poor animal.

"Excuse me, I'll go and see if Jane needs my help," said Elizabeth and she
retreated from the awkward situation, followed by William's wistful gaze. He
couldn't tear his eyes from her, looking longingly at her shapely derriere,
as she walked out of the room, her hips swaying gently, but in a most
tempting manner. 'Oh, God,' William thought, 'How am I going to survive
this?'

***

"Lizzy, what are you doing here? I thought you were in the dining room
talking to William," said Jane as she spotted Elizabeth standing in the
doorway of the kitchen. Elizabeth winced involuntarily.

"Why would you think that?" she asked with distaste. On seeing Jane's
disapproving face, however, she sighed and answered, "I was, but that
Caroline woman showed up and things got a bit awkward. I escaped and came
here to talk to you. You look fabulous, by the way."

Although such praise was completely redundant, as Jane, with her classic
beauty heard it quite often, still Elizabeth couldn't help it. It never
ceased to amaze her how her sister managed to look so good all the time. She
was tall and slender, with arm-length blond hair and beautiful blue eyes.
The dress she was wearing was very nice and very sexy, too. It was made of
red lace with a V - neckline, the hem started just above Jane's knees.
Elizabeth thought wistfully that she would never be as gorgeous as her
sister. Oh, she knew she was attractive, especially when she dressed up,
made up and managed to make her hair behave. But Jane was a goddess. Not
only beautiful, but also smart, kind, self-confident and generous.

Jane smiled. "Thanks, Lizzy. Come, let's go. I've finished here. Help me
with those platters."

"But I was hoping we could talk for a moment," replied Elizabeth, not at
all willing to go back to the dining room, Prince Charming and the Ugly
Duckling... err... Duck.

Jane was unmoved by her pout. "Sorry, sis, there's no time for that now.
You're coming to Longbourn for dinner tomorrow? We'll talk there, OK?"

Elizabeth sighed and agreed reluctantly. "All right," she said resignedly
picking up two platters to take to the dining room.

"You look gorgeous, Liz. I'm sure you've made quite an impression on
William," said Jane slyly.

Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, I'm sure I have."

Jane raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Come on, let's go before your guests starve to
death." Before Jane could ask another question, Elizabeth was out of the
kitchen.

***

"My dear Jane, everything looks delicious! Doesn't it, William?" Caroline
cooed in a voice honeyed enough to give one a toothache.

William fought the urge to roll his eyes.  "Yes, it does."  Caroline
simpered, delighted to have William agree with her.

"Thank you." Jane smiled sincerely.

The whole party was sitting in Netherfield's dining room, by a big, oval
table. Charles sat at the head of the table, Jane opposite to him. On
Charles's left sat Caroline, with William across from her. It was bad enough
for Caroline that she couldn't be near William, but her distaste was
increased by the presence of Elizabeth, who was placed on William's right.
Caroline was desperate, but she was by no means blind and she had noticed
from the very beginning the looks that William was casting in Elizabeth's
direction. She was determined to prevent that nobody from ensnaring her man.
Ignoring Elizabeth, she turned to her sister.

"Oh, Jane, I admire you so. To think you cooked all this alone, without a
professional chef. How refreshing! I do so love home-made food! Don't you
agree, William?"

"Indeed, Jane is a wonderful cook and hostess," William smiled genuinely at
Jane.

Charles joined in the praise of his girlfriend, "Jane is exceptional in
everything she does! You should see how great she is with her pupils. They
just love her!"

"Why Jane, are you a teacher? That is so sweet! I could never work with
kids."

"Why not, Caroline?" asked Jane.

Charles laughed. "Because they would ruin her hair and damage her
manicure!"

Caroline looked at her brother icily. "I have no patience for children."
She cut short. "And what do you do, Eliza?" She turned to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked Caroline in the eye and answered easily, "I'm a
veterinarian."

Caroline was not very much surprised. She suspected this Eliza didn't have
a respectable profession. And now William would see it, too.

"An animal doctor? Well, then you and William have something in common.
William is also a doctor. Did you know that? He's a brain surgeon," Caroline
said smugly.

"I know that, Caroline. His fame has even reached this far end of the
world." William looked at his plate, very uncomfortable with the turn of the
conversation. Elizabeth saw that and couldn't resist torturing him a little
more. "Who am I to be compared to such a specialist?"

Caroline didn't like the gleam in Elizabeth's eye as she spoke the words.
She didn't seem as humble as she sounded. "My dear Eliza, you underestimate
yourself. I am sure you do much good here. The cows and pigs must love you."

Charles suddenly started coughing very violently. Jane looked at Elizabeth
with concern, William with embarrassment, the rest of the party with
curiosity.

Elizabeth grinned at Caroline. "You have no idea. Animals are so genuine
and natural, there is nothing artificial or false in them, like there is in
so many people."

Charles snorted, extremely amused by the way Elizabeth was thwarting
Caroline's attempts to intimidate her. William gazed at Elizabeth, intrigued
and full of admiration for the ease with which she dealt with Caroline.

Caroline didn't know how to answer this, so she responded stiffly,  "Yes,"
and turned her attention away from Elizabeth.

It was Charlotte, who spoke next. "Caroline, I saw that you brought your
dog here with you."

"Yes, I did. Louisa is a champion and I take her everywhere with me. She
needs very attentive care," she said proudly.

Seeing an opportunity to enter Elizabeth's good books, William observed,
"Then you are lucky that Elizabeth is a vet. She may help you with your
dog."

"Oh, William, how thoughtful of you! I am sure that Eliza is an excellent
vet, but Louisa has a private veterinarian, Dr. Christopher Brandon. Do you
know him, Eliza?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he was my professor in college."

Caroline was all astonishment. "Really? Which college?" she asked
suspiciously.

"The Royal Veterinary College, at the University of London," answered
Elizabeth casually.

William was impressed. "That is a very good school," he said softly.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, not quite taking his meaning. "Yes, it is,"
she said defensively.

"Elizabeth was an honorary student," announced Jane proudly.

"And she works very hard," added Charles.

"I can attest to that,"  agreed Charlotte. "I was just saying to her today
that I haven't seen her for ages. Soon we would forget how she looks."

Elizabeth looked at Charlotte, laughing. "Stop it Char, I feel bad enough,
you don't have to make me even guiltier. Besides, I wasn't neglecting you
that much. Maria has been seeing me quite a lot." She winked at her.

Maria rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh yes, too much for my comfort."

Elizabeth feigned hurt. "Whatever do you mean? Have I been that horrible?"

Maria grinned sheepishly. Charlotte said, "Lizzy, you know we all love you,
but you will agree that sometimes you are a little..." She paused in search
of a word.

"Bossy?" prompted Charles helpfully.

"Perfectionist," added Maria.

"Stubborn," piped in Jane.

"More like obsessive," grinned Charlotte.

Elizabeth covered her face with her hands in mock despair. "And here I
thought you were my friends. How wrong was I?"

"Come on, Liz. All we tell you is the truth, after all that's what friends
are for," Charlotte said.

"Well, I would hate to think that they are for support," she retorted
dryly.

"Oh, stop teasing Lizzy," Maria defended her friend and colleague. Turning
to William, she asked, "William, how long are you planning to stay here?"

William felt slightly uncomfortable with this sudden attention focused on
his person, but he managed a smile and a polite answer. "I don't know for
certain yet, but I believe I'll stay for a couple of weeks."

Elizabeth fixed her eyes on him with a controlled curiosity. "However did
you manage to convince your boss to give you such a long leave?"

Although still uncomfortable, William couldn't help but feel delighted at
being able to talk to her directly. "I haven't had a holiday in several
years, so it's accumulated," he answered.

"Oh, I see," replied Elizabeth, not quite satisfied with his answer. After
all, he was a brilliant surgeon, she was sure he was pretty indispensable in
the hospital.

"William is a true workaholic," interjected Caroline, very much put out
with the conversation in which she couldn't participate, and even more
incensed at seeing Elizabeth talking to William. She was determined to
thwart every attempt this little upstart made on her William. "But now that
he is here we will make sure he has his rest. I will see to it personally."
Caroline looked at William with a flirtatious expression, which told him
that it wasn't rest that she had on her mind. Again he felt like running
away screaming, but Elizabeth's presence next to him prevented that.
Caroline or not, he didn't want to quit Elizabeth Bennet's company.

Elizabeth observed this whole exchange in silent amusement. It was clear as
crystal that Caroline Bingley was hot for William Darcy, but it was even
more apparent that he wanted nothing to do with her. She wondered how it was
possible that the fact was obvious to everyone in the room save the lady
herself. Caroline batted her eyelashes and smiled sweetly at William,
fighting for his attention like a randy fifteen-year-old. Even her sister
Lydia could learn from her. Elizabeth felt somewhat sorry for both William
and Caroline. But they surely deserved each other.

***

The rest of the dinner passed in a similar manner. Caroline was throwing
herself at William, simultaneously trying to discredit Elizabeth in his
eyes. Elizabeth was alternating between feeling angry at Caroline and
bemused at her desperate attempts to put her down. William was exceedingly
frustrated at having to tolerate Caroline's attentions and not having
Elizabeth to himself. The rest of the party observed and enjoyed the show,
extremely intrigued. It was visible that there was something between William
and Elizabeth, much as they tried to deny or disguise it.

At half past ten, the guests started to leave. Elizabeth stayed to help
Jane with the dishes, while Caroline hovered around them, causing more
trouble than benefit. At eleven Elizabeth finally said good night to
Caroline, Charles and William and left. Jane walked her to her car.

"Did you have a good time, Lizzy?"

"Surprisingly enough, I did," answered Elizabeth. "Although not everybody
felt the same way, I think."

"You mean William, I assume. I noticed you weren't particularly nice to
him, Lizzy. What has he done to offend you?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "It wasn't exactly something he has done, it was more
about what he's said. I'll tell you the whole story tomorrow. The only thing
I am sure now is that you and Charles were utterly wrong in presuming we
would fit together. I'm asking you not to try playing a matchmaker, all
right? We are both adults and can take care of our social lives."

Jane looked at her doubtfully. "Uh huh, I've seen how you are taking care
of yours, Lizzy, and, if what Charles has told me is true, William is also
not very adept at taking care of his." Seeing Elizabeth's expression, she
quickly added, "All right, all right. I promise I won't try any matchmaking.
But..." she raised her hand, silencing Elizabeth. "You promise me to give
William a chance."

Elizabeth sighed and laughed resignedly. "Jane, you never give up, do you?
OK, I promise to give him a chance. Satisfied?"

Jane grinned happily. "You won't regret it." Elizabeth could only roll her
eyes at this statement.

***

William stood by the window in his bedroom gazing at the women talking by
the car. His eyes never left Elizabeth. He saw her smile at her sister and,
a moment later, scowl in distaste at something Jane said. They talked for a
while with serious expressions, but it was not long before he saw Elizabeth
laugh and the faint sound of her laughter reached his ears. It was rich and
resonant, like ringing of the wind chimes.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She was beautiful, vibrant,
sparkling and so alive. Her intelligence and wit were enchanting. He smiled
in remembrance of the way she put down Caroline throughout the dinner. She
was certainly not easily intimidated by the likes of her... or him for that
matter, he thought gloomily.  She clearly detested him and he knew why. If
only he had kept his big mouth shut!

Yes, she hated him, there was no doubt about that. But, hatred or not, he
wanted her. She had managed to enthral him so completely within the short
few hours he spent in her company, without even trying to. He knew that she
was someone special and he longed to really know her, to be with her. He
didn't dare go any further, but one thing was clear: he would not rest until
he gained her good opinion. And maybe with time, he could attempt at
something more....

William Darcy went to bed with a firm resolution. 'No matter how long it
takes I will have her or my name is not William Darcy!'

[i] About 40 degrees Fahrenheit
[ii] A boot having a loose top with the front usually coming to or above the knee

Chapter two

All her life, Elizabeth had loved Sunday mornings. This sentiment had
increased even more since she moved out on her own and didn't have to be
subjected to her mother's whining or her sisters' quarrelling.  She would
sleep in until the outrageous hour of 8 a.m., take a nice, long, warm bath
and enjoy the feeling of not having to hurry. Then she would make herself
breakfast, a real breakfast, not what she usually had during the week -
cornflakes with milk, washed down with a coffee hot enough to ensure gastric
ulcers. On a Sunday she would treat herself to an omelette, french toast
with home-made marmalade and coffee she actually tasted. After breakfast,
she would dress in casual clothes and spend some time with her animals.
Sunday morning was a time when she could devote her whole attention to them.
She would bathe and brush them, go for walks with her dog, or for a ride on
her horse.

Elizabeth really loved Sunday mornings and always looked forward to them.
Usually, they allowed her to rest mentally and prepare herself for the
upcoming week. Usually. But not today.

She had gone to bed in a state of confusion and emotional exhaustion. Her
head had been full of William Darcy and the previous evening. Her thoughts
alternated between admiration for his gorgeous looks and outrage at his rude
behaviour. She couldn't sleep for a long time, mulling over their whole
acquaintance and considering its probable development. She had promised Jane
to give William a chance. That meant they would be meeting again. Elizabeth
wasn't sure she wanted to.

When she had managed to fall asleep, she slept poorly. She dreamt about him
all night. About his smouldering eyes, his disturbing closeness, his
infuriating manners. He was unsettling her altogether too much for her
liking. And now her own brain plotted against her, making her suffer his
presence even in her sleep.

It was no wonder, then, that on this particular Sunday morning Elizabeth
woke up tired and in an awful mood. Neither the bath, nor breakfast managed
to pull her out of her sulk. Her last hope was her animals and they didn't
fail her.

She took a brush and started brushing Cassandra's coat. The grooming soothed
both her and the cat. She felt better almost instantly. Taking care of
animals had always calmed her and soothed her nerves. What she had said the
previous evening to Caroline Bingley, however intended as a gibe, was true.
The sincere and unconditional love of her four-legged friends comforted her
and warmed her heart.

After diligently brushing Cass' and Jack's coats, she put on her old, wool
jacket and boots, and went outside. She headed for the shed that stood in
the yard. It was not very big - enough to hold one horse and a few animals
that took shelter with her for the duration of their treatment or until they
found someone willing to take them in. At the moment, there weren't many
residents in the shed - a deer that was brought to Elizabeth a week before,
found on the verge (1)  with a broken leg; a hedgehog bitten by a dog; and a
crow with a broken wing.

As she entered the shed she was welcomed by a whinny from Triss, her
chestnut mare. She greeted the horse warmly and then proceeded to check her
patients' state. She changed bandages, fed the animals and then left them
alone, perfectly aware of the fact that wild animals should have as little
contact with people as possible.

She took a brush and approached Triss. "Hello, little one. How are you this
morning?" she talked to the mare as she brushed her. Elizabeth loved all her
animals, but this horse was particularly dear to her. Triss used to be a
racing horse. She had been quite successful until an unfortunate race in
which she fell down and broke her leg. The fracture was serious enough to
prevent the mare from a complete recovery. She could never race again and
her rehabilitation was to be very expensive. Her owner decided not to invest
more money in a horse that would only be a sponger and sold her to a
slaughterhouse. When Elizabeth heard the mare's story from her friend,
Eleanor Dashwood, who treated Triss after her accident, she felt very sorry
for the poor animal. It took her no more than an hour to decide that she was
going to buy the mare from the slaughterhouse and rehabilitate her. The next
day, Triss was already a resident of the shed in Elizabeth's yard. Through
the year she had spent there, she had repaid tenfold for her new owner's
care. She was the gentlest, the sweetest-tempered horse Elizabeth ever had
the pleasure of working with.

Elizabeth's reverie was interrupted by Triss gently nudging her. Elizabeth
laughed. "You want carrots? How do you know they're in my pocket? There,
here you go," she gave the mare a carrot.

Elizabeth put some oats and poured fresh water into the mangers. Then she
went to a corner of the shed and brought out a saddle and a bridle. It was
time for Triss to stretch her legs.

***

When Elizabeth walked her mare outside, she noticed a small, grey bundle
darting across the yard and running in the direction of the fields on the
right of the house. It stopped about 15 yards further and stood, looking at
Elizabeth. It was a dog, no bigger than 10 inches. He looked very dirty,
very hungry and very scared.

"What are you doing here, buddy?" she addressed the dog, "Are you all alone?
Where's your owner?" The dog obviously made no reply, but kept looking at
her, listening attentively. "Are you hungry? Come here."

She tied Triss' reins to a nearby tree and went a little further. The dog
was probably afraid of the horse. She crouched and proceeded to call out to
the animal, but in vain. He stood motionless, too terrified to come closer,
but desperate enough not to run away. Instinctively, he knew that this human
could help him.

Elizabeth gave up on convincing the dog to come closer. Instead she returned
to the house and brought some food, which she placed in some distance
from the house. She left it there, returned to Triss, untied the reins,
mounted the mare and rode away. When she was quite far away, she looked
around and saw the grey dog warily approaching the food she'd left for him.

***

Elizabeth was galloping through the fields. She never felt as free as when
she sat on the back of a horse and raced, feeling the wind in her hair and
speed of the run. She savoured these feelings, before she had to slow down,
slightly breathless. She looked around and took in her surroundings.

It was a lovely autumn day. The sun was shining brightly, warming up the
crisp air and cheering up the world. The tall grass on the meadow flowed
gently with the breeze, which smelled of pine, moist soil and autumn. The
distant line of the forest beckoned to her, inviting with an array of
colours, shapes and textures. Slowly she moved towards it, enjoying the
warmth of the sun on her face and the soft gust of wind playing in her hair.

After riding for some minutes in a relaxed and lazy manner, admiring the
beauty of this place, her eyes skimmed over the line of the wood and she
noticed a figure of another rider emerging from the forest. Surprised, she
looked closer, unaccustomed to such meetings. Not many people rode for
pleasure anymore around Meryton.

As he neared her, she made a startling discovery, that she knew him.

"William," she said as he approached her. He stood still, looking very
surprised himself.

"Elizabeth," he answered, quite unable to say more, due to the shock and
delight he experienced at seeing her so unexpectedly. Gone was his
determination to make a good impression. All he could do was stand there and
stare in awe.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, even more than the day before. At
Netherfield she was an elegant, refined and sophisticated lady. Today she
was Epona(2)  - powerful, strong and confident, as striking as the goddess
herself. Her hair was a mass of curls, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes
sparkled. When he saw her galloping through the fields, she seemed one with
her horse. Once again, William found himself in a position of being
completely mute in her company. Mute and not a little aroused.

Elizabeth could not help but admire the dashing figure he cut on his black
stallion, she was, however, getting increasingly annoyed at his ignoring
her. Well, he was not exactly ignoring her. He was staring at her very
intently. [i]I must look like hell,[/i] she thought self-consciously, [i]I'm
sure he'slooking at me like that because he's never seen anything so awful
before. Insolent man! I'm not some damn monkey in a ZOO![/i]

"It was nice talking to you, William," she said archly, before turning Triss
and riding back to the house.

***

Longbourn, the house of the Bennet family, stood three miles from Meryton.
It was a typical middle-class, English countryside house, built of red brick
and with a small garden overflowing with pretentious, imported flowers,
among which perched several bearded, plaster gnomes.

Elizabeth remembered that growing up in Longbourn was a warm, happy and
interesting, if sometimes a little frantic, experience. Her parents,
although certainly not perfect, were loving and supportive. Having four
sisters made her childhood all the more amusing. She had always had someone
to play with, to borrow toys, later clothes, and to argue with.

Thomas and Fanny Bennet were both in their late fifties. Their marriage was
tolerably happy. As different as their tastes and pursuits were, they had
one thing that connected them - their daughters, whom they both loved above
anything.

Apart from that, they were as different as night and day. Thomas was a
serious, slightly cynical man, whose main pleasure in life was books. He was
the headmaster of Meryton High School, with a degree in English. Fanny
never worked, she had devoted herself to running the house and raising her
children, which was no simple task with five very spirited girls. Her life
passions were parties, guests and her daughters, whom she indulged too much
for their own good, especially the two youngest - Kitty and Lydia. She was
extremely proud of all her children, if not slightly disappointed that
Elizabeth had chosen so unrefined a profession.

Elizabeth drove to her parents' house with mixed feelings. She was glad she
would be able to talk to Jane and see her family, but in her present mood,
she feared they would only manage to irritate her more. She loved them all
dearly, but sometimes they were just too much. She was therefore grateful
for her independence. One afternoon a week in their company was bearable,
without Elizabeth having to get angry and fall out with her mother or one of
her sisters.

The problem was, that today she already felt more than a little irked, her
perfect frame of mind ruined by her encounter with William. It was a true
blessing Jane was going to be there to temper her reactions.

She knocked at Longbourn's door. A moment later, Thomas Bennet arrived to
open the door and he hugged Elizabeth tightly.

"Hello, sweetheart."

"Hi, daddy," Elizabeth answered, kissing his cheek affectionately. "How are
you?"

He chuckled, "Well enough. My back aches a little, but you know what they
say about old people like me. If you get up in the morning and feel pain,
it's a good sign. It means you're still alive."

Elizabeth shook her head in amusement. "Oh, dad, you're 58, that's hardly
old. Have you talked to Charles about your back aches?"

"There's no need for that, Lizzy. I'm sure Charles has a lot of work with
people who are really sick, he doesn't need my pestering him. I'll be just
fine," he patted her hand reassuringly.

Elizabeth looked at him, suddenly serious. "Dad, please don't disregard it.
I really think you should make the tests. I'll talk to Jane about it."

"Talk to me about what?" asked Jane, as she appeared in the doorway to the
sitting room, where Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet sat.

"Nothing," said Mr. Bennet quickly.

"Dad's backache," Elizabeth spoke simultaneously with her father. "Dad's
been having problems with his back and he doesn't want to talk to Charles
about it. I thought you should talk to your boyfriend and maybe he'll
convince him to make the tests," she said, ignoring Mr. Bennet's scowling
expression.

"Dad, how could you not have said anything? Charles would have helped you. I'll
make an appointment for you and you will come to it! If not, I'll tell
mum that you are sick and refuse to be examined," Jane threatened.

"Oh, all right," Mr. Bennet agreed, sensing that all his resistance was in
vain here. "I can't fight the three of you! Children! Why do we need them
anyway? They are nothing but trouble!" he grumbled, but it was obvious he
wasn't really angry.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Fanny Bennet walked into the room.

"Oh Lizzy, you're here. How are you, dear?"

Elizabeth embraced her mother. "I'm fine, mum. Where are the girls?"

"Kitty and Lydia are changing and Mary is in her room, working on some
project."

"What kind of project?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Oh I don't know, something about Pluto?" Fanny replied uncertainly.

"Plato, Fanny, Plato," corrected her husband repressing a smirk.

Mrs. Bennet brightened. "Oh yes, that's right. You know I can never figure
out this whole philosophical stuff Mary is talking of."

"We know that very well. Thinking has never been your strong point."

"Oh Tom, will you stop teasing me? Come, I need your help in the kitchen. I
can't open this jar on my own."

When their parents left, Elizabeth turned to Jane with some relief. She had
always felt uneasy about the way her father made sport of his wife.

"I thought Charles was going to come with you?"

"No, he stayed with William, they have a lot to catch up on."

Elizabeth raised her brow in surprise. "What about Caroline? Won't she getin
their way?"

"No, Caroline went to a dog show with Louisa."

"She left so soon? I thought she wouldn't want to leave William alone."

Jane giggled. "She's coming back tomorrow. There's no way for William to
escape her claws. Poor man!"

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, at least he managed to escape her this morning."

Jane looked at her curiously. "How do you know?"

"I saw him on my morning ride."

Jane suddenly became very interested. "Did you talk to him?"

"Well, you could call it talking, I guess," stated Elizabeth mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

"Lizzy, Jane! Dinner's ready!" their mother's shrill voice was heard from
the hall.

"Coming, mum!" Elizabeth shouted back. "We'll talk later," she said to Jane
and her sister nodded.

***

"Jane, why haven't you brought dear Charles with you?" asked Mrs. Bennet
with reproach as the whole family sat at the table.

"Because William's at Netherfield," answered Jane.

"You could have brought William along. I would love to meet him," gushed
Mrs. Bennet. There was nothing she loved better than mingling with 'the
upper class' and William Darcy, with his fame and family fortune was
certainly someone she'd die to meet and later tell all her friends about it.

"William and Charles haven't seen each other for a long time, mum. They
wanted to stay and talk," she explained patiently. "I'm sure there'll be
another opportunity for you to meet him."

Kitty looked from her mother to Jane in confusion. "Who's this William you'
re talking about?"

This question was answered by Lydia. "Oh Kitty, don't you remember? He's
this hunk we saw in Charles' graduation pictures."

"The cute blond one?" asked Kitty, still not getting it.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "No! The tall dark one," she exclaimed exasperated,
"The one who's entire appearance seemed to shout: 'I'm a wild beast!'"

Elizabeth could not repress a giggle at such a characterisation of the
unapproachable William Darcy. Lydia looked at her reproachfully.

"Why are you laughing, Lizzy? He is hot, you have to admit it. You saw him
in person, what is he like?"

"Why don't you ask Jane? She's seen more of him than I have," replied
Elizabeth with amusement.

Lydia snorted. "Jane? What's the point? She thinks Charles is the only cute
guy in the world."

"Hey, that's not true! I never said he's the only cute guy in the world. I
only said he was the cutest," replied Jane, grinning.

"See, I told you," said Lydia pointedly, "It's no use asking her."

Mr. Bennet shook his head. "Girls, don't you have other topics save William
Darcy?"

"No," Lydia cut short. "Now, Lizzy, you were telling us about William."

"Was I?"

"Come on, Liz, stop taunting us!"

Mary joined in, irritated. "For heaven's sake, the man is a brilliant
surgeon and you're talking about him like he was a piece of meat!"

Lydia leered. "He's a very yummy piece of meat," she said suggestively,
waggling her eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind devouring him, at all." As if to
prove her point, she attacked the roast beef on her plate with doubled
ferocity.

"Lydia, you are going a bit too far!" snapped Mr. Bennet.

"Your father is right, Lyddy. There's no need to be vulgar," admonished Mrs.
Bennet. "William Darcy comes from an old and very rich family and we won't
gain his favour by such behaviour."

Feeling tired of the subject of William Darcy, Mr. Bennet asked Elizabeth,
"Lizzy, how's work?"

This was a sign for Lydia that the subject was over. She rolled her eyes,
but kept quiet.

"Good," replied Elizabeth, "We've applied for a grant in the DeBourgh
Foundation and a couple of days ago we got a message that they'll send
someone to assess our situation. If we are lucky, we may be able to get the
money we need to fit the operating room in the clinic."

"That's wonderful, Lizzy! I know you'll get the money. And you won't have to
send the animals to London for the operations anymore," said Mr. Benent.

Elizabeth smiled. "I hope so. Until we know for sure, keep your fingers
crossed."

"We will," assured Jane. "Mary, mum said you were doing some project?"

Mary nodded. "Yes, it's for my thesis."

"How is it coming along?"

"Ugh, don't even ask! I'm going to go crazy before I finish it." Mary was a
very hardworking student, but enough was enough, even for her.

"You're going to do great, I know that," reassured her Elizabeth.

"I really don't understand you, Mary. I would hate to be forced to slave
away at the computer and in the library, like you do," said Lydia with
disgust.

"And I'm sure you don't, Lyd. Your results speak for themselves," retorted
Mary.

"After all, everything you and Kitty do in college is party. It's a pity,
though, that your partying costs me so much in tuition," added Mr. Bennet
sarcastically.

"Oh Tom, they're young, when are they to have fun if not when they're in
college?" Mrs. Bennet defended her daughters.

"I don't begrudge them their fun. I just wish having fun was not all they
did. They might do some learning by chance."

"We let Mary do all the learning for us and we have fun for her," said
Lydia, grinning smugly.

"Lydia, you are such a shallow, self-centred brat," Mary had had enough of
her sister's gibes.

"Shut up!" cried Lydia. For a moment, Elizabeth feared that the contents of
Lydia's plate would end up on Mary's face. Fortunately, Mr. Bennet
intervened in time.

"Lydia, you will behave yourself or you can forget about your trip to
Brighton."

For a second, Lydia looked scared, but she quickly got over it and replied
her father rebelliously, "You can't forbid me to go. I'm an adult."

"No, but I won't give you the money and you don't have your own, because you
're too indolent to work!"

"That's not fair!" Lydia whined.

Elizabeth joined in the conversation, annoyed at her sister's behaviour,
"Lydia, if you want to be treated as an adult, behave like one. You can
start with finding yourself a job. Of course, that also goes for Kitty."

Kitty's eyes widened. "Work? Where would I find work?"

"At the employment agency?" suggested Elizabeth, exasperated with Kitty's
foolishness.

Lydia, however, didn't intend to even consider this whole ridiculous work
idea. "Forget it! I won't let myself get tied up at some miserable
workplace, instead of having fun and enjoying life!"

Mr. Bennet sighed, resigned. "All the colleges in the world won't change the
fact that we have the pleasure of having two silliest daughters in the
neighbourhood."

And the family dinner at Longbourn continued in this typical manner.

***

At eight o'clock, Jane and Elizabeth were sitting in Elizabeth's kitchen,
sipping tea. The place was warm and cosy, with a large window overlooking
the garden. The light wooden furniture, colourful curtains and many
flowerpots created a cheerful and friendly atmosphere.

Jane put her teacup down on the table and looked at Elizabeth with barely
concealed curiosity. "Lizzy, tell me everything. What's going on? William's
behaving very strangely since yesterday."

Elizabeth sighed. "Jane, nothing's going on. But I'm afraid you and Charles
will have to give up this notion of setting us up. This has never had any
chance to work out."

Jane frowned. "Lizzy, you don't even know him."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Jane, it's not about me. I don't think he's
interested in me at all."

"What makes you say that?"

"Let's just say that from the very beginning of our acquaintance his manners
towards me have been nothing less than rude," Elizabeth pointed out.

Jane was astonished. "What are you talking about? He was perfectly polite
yesterday."

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Jane, you don't know half of it."

"Enlighten me, then."

Elizabeth proceeded to relate the events of Friday evening. When she
finished, Jane's face expressed shock and disbelief.

"Lizzy, this is unbelievable." Seeing Elizabeth's face, she added quickly,
"Of course, I believe you. But I'm sure there must be some logical
explanation for his behaviour. He must have been very shaken with the whole
accident and didn't mean what he was saying."

"You may think that, Jane, if it comforts you. Maybe he was upset, but that
doesn't explain the way he treated me yesterday. Yes, he was civil, but
seemed so cold and scornful. He hardly said ten words together, but that
didn't stop him from staring at me."

Jane's face lit up. "It means he liked you."

Elizabeth was doubtful. "If he did, he sure had a strange way of showing it.
And then he had the nerve to appear in my dream!"

Jane burst out laughing. "Lizzy, don't you think you're overreacting? You
can't blame the man for what happens in your dreams!"

"Why not?" Elizabeth pouted, "Oh, you're right, I admit," she stopped for a
while, then continued thoughtfully, "The thing is, I was willing to put his
behaviour down to embarrassment and shock at seeing me. I was quite taken
aback myself when I recognized him. But I met him again today and the story
was repeated. He kept staring at me without a word. What am I to think of
that?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't know, Lizzy. It's hard for me to figure William out.
He's so reserved and reticent. Yet, he's been acting strangely since
yesterday evening. He has been kind of distracted... and today, when he
returned from his ride he seemed quite agitated."

"I'm sure he's not used to seeing such revolting sights and such wild
behaviour," she stated with distaste.

"I think you read too much into his actions. It's not like you at all. The
Lizzy I know would not get incensed over such a trifle. She would laugh it
away in an instant."

"I don't consider it a trifle at all," replied Elizabeth defensively.

"See, that's just it. You become all livid and refuse to see any sense. I
think you are not as indifferent to William as you would like me to
believe," Jane pointed out and then quickly said good night and left
Elizabeth to ponder on what her sister had said.

***

William Darcy was lying on his bed, cursing himself. More than twelve hours
had passed since his last encounter with Elizabeth, but he still had a lot
to say to himself.

[i]You fool. You hopeless, sad, miserable fool![/i]

He had wasted a golden opportunity to get closer to Elizabeth today. They
had both met, riding. A perfect setting to begin a polite and friendly
conversation, 'Hello, Elizabeth, what a fine horse. Do you ride often?',
'Good morning, Elizabeth, what a beautiful day for a ride. May I join you?',
'Hi, Elizabeth, I see that you enjoy riding as much as I do. Maybe there are
more things we have in common?'

Damn it! To think that now he could come up with several good openings for a
conversation and when he really needed them, his brain had been empty.
Idiot!

But she had looked so alluring. It was all he could do prevent himself from
throwing himself at her. Thank God he sat on a horse! Come to think, maybe
it was better he had kept his mouth shut. He was afraid that had he spoken,
he might have said way too much.

But he would be damned if he let himself meet her again unprepared. [i]Plan,
Darce, a plan is what you need.[/i] As his father had always said, 'Planning
is the key to success.'

So he became a stammering, drooling oaf in her presence. But, on the other
hand, he had always met her unexpectedly. His reaction to her stemmed as
much from his mindless lust as from the shock at seeing her. Maybe, if he
knew he was going to meet her, he would be more ready for the experience and
would be able to control himself better.

He sighed deeply. There was a slim chance of that. He had it bad and he knew
it. He blushed in remembrance of the very pleasant and stimulating dreams
that had haunted him throughout the night. He had woken up in a haze of
arousal and desire, extremely tormented. He had risen quickly and left the
house before he got caught by Caroline. Borrowing a horse from Mr. Lucas -
Charlotte had told him the previous evening that her father lent his
horses - he had gone for a long ride in an attempt to clear his head of the
thoughts of Elizabeth Bennet.

And whom had he met on this ride? Elizabeth Bennet herself, looking all rosy
and dishevelled, just like she had in his dreams. The unexpected meeting
with the object of his desire had turned out to be his undoing. Instead of
charming her he had again managed to make a perfect ass of himself.

He had returned to Netherfield, hoping to find peace there. No such luck!
Charles had become extremely talkative and while he had never said anything
directly, he had hinted on it repeatedly. Every time he had mentioned
Elizabeth's name - which was often - he had a smug, sly smile on his face.
Every time William heard Elizabeth's name mentioned, his stomach lurched,
his pulse quickened and his desire to strangle Charles grew.

[i]I'm going to go insane. I have to do something or the next couple of
weeks are bound to be torture.[/i]

Yes, a plan was a good thing. He would create a plan and try following it.
This had always been his way for dealing with challenges. And Elizabeth
Bennet was a superb challenge.

(1) US - shoulder
(2) Celtic horse goddess

Chapter Three

When next morning Elizabeth was returning to the house from her everyday
duty of grooming and feeding Triss and examining the other inhabitants of
the shed, she saw the small grey dog again. He hovered around the house, not
wanting to come closer and desperate enough to stay in his place. Once again
Elizabeth tried to induce him to come closer, but to no avail. Giving up,
she decided to leave the dog alone. However, she brought out some food,
which he eagerly snatched away as soon as she left.

***

It was 8.30 when Elizabeth entered the vet clinic on High Street in Meryton.
Her grandfather had established it in 1961 and had worked there for forty
years. When she was a little girl, she would often accompany him when he was
working, observing with awe and admiration how well he had dealt with
animals. Arthur Gardiner had always been her hero. She had decided to become
a vet when she was three years old and her grandfather had always supported
her decision. She had hoped to finish college and work for a couple of years
under his guidance. Unfortunately, her hopes had been destroyed by Dr.
Gardiner's untimely death, two years ago. Elizabeth had been very grieved
but soon realised she had to put it behind her. She had work to do. She
couldn't let her grandfather's life's work go to waste. She took over
running the clinic, as well as Dr. Gardiner's other clients - the farmers.
It took some time before they had accepted her and believed her abilities,
but she gradually won their respect and trust. Now, after two years, she had
managed to earn a reputation as a reliable, competent professional. She
still missed her grandfather greatly, but her work and the knowledge that he
would be proud of her, was of great comfort to her.

She had not changed much in the clinic since Dr. Gardiner's death. She had
the walls painted white and she bought some new equipment, but the place
remained the same - bright, clean and orderly, with colourful pictures of
all kinds of animals.

In the waiting-room, Elizabeth was greeted by the receptionist.

"Hello, Lizzy."

"Hi, Pete. What do we have for today?"

The young man perused his notes. "Not much for now. Here are the cards of
all the patients for today."

Elizabeth smiled and took the cards. "Thanks, Pete. Is Maria here already?"

Pete nodded. "Yes, she came a couple of minutes ago. I think she's in the
office."

"I'd better join her. If there are any problems..."

"I know where to find you," answered the young man with a smile. He had been
working with Lizzy Bennet for more than a year, but her over-protectiveness
still amused him.

"All right... if you need me, I'll be at the office," said Elizabeth and
left the man shaking his head in bemused wonder.

She found Maria Lucas making coffee.

"Make that two, Maria," she said, grinning. As was her expectation, Maria
jumped, startled by her sudden appearance and spilled the coffee all over
the table. She spun around and pointed an accusing finger at her friend.

"Dr. Bennet, I will thank you not to scare me like that again! I almost had
a heart attack and look at this mess! I expect you to clean it right away."

Elizabeth could not help a giggle. "Yes, ma'am." She took a cloth from the
cupboard drawer and wiped the table clean. "I'm sorry, Maria, but I couldn't
help myself. I promise I won't do it again."

Maria snorted. "How come I don't believe you? I know, because you've
promised not to taunt me a gazillion times and you haven't kept that
promise!"

Elizabeth grinned sheepishly. "This was the last time, I swear."

"Yeah, whatever." Maria shrugged, not at all convinced. "You want that
coffee or not?"

"Yes, please," answered Elizabeth. She sat down and looked at her friend,
who busied herself with making coffee, showing no signs of irritation
anymore. She was never angry for a long time and this made her a perfect
target for Elizabeth teasing. She knew that Maria would forgive her
anything. This sometimes made her ashamed of herself, but the temptation was
too great to pass.

The both of them enjoyed their coffee and talked about their weekends.
Before long, they heard the bell signalling that someone opened the door and
their first client entered the office. A second later, Pete stuck his head
into the crack of the door and announced, "Mrs. Dashwood and Maggie are
here."

Elizabeth and Maria rose. "Let them in."

They greeted a middle-aged woman, an adolescent girl and a very exuberant
golden retriever.

"Hello Mrs. Dashwood, Maggie," Elizabeth smiled at them. "And how's Angus
today?" she asked, stroking the dog's head. The animal wagged its tail
vigorously and smiled a big doggy smile at her.

"He's fine, but we brought him for a check up and vaccination."

Elizabeth nodded. "Sure. Now let's get the big guy on the table." With
Pete's help, Angus was soon standing on the big table in the middle of the
room, looking quite confused. Then Elizabeth proceeded to measuring the
dog's temperature, ausculateding his lungs and heart, and checking the state
of his teeth, ears and paws. When she was sure the animal was healthy, she
vaccinated him against rabies and other diseases. While she was busy
examining Angus, Maria was filling out the dog's health card and a
vaccination certificate. A few minutes later, Angus got restless and jumped
from the table. He was still a puppy, despite being over one year old. His
youth, combined with a friendly and lively temperament typical of the breed,
made him quite a handful.

"He seems to be in great health, though you should make sure to limit his
contact with other dogs for a couple of days."

The dog wagged his tail as Elizabeth bent to pat him. His two mistresses
smiled in thanks. "Thank you, Lizzy, Maria. Give my regards to your
parents," said Mrs. Dashwood.

"Thank you, I will. Good bye." Elizabeth walked the ladies to the door and
waved good-bye, as the two of them walked down the street.

The next several hours weren't very busy. Elizabeth dealt with a cat wounded
in a battle for territory with another feline, a pregnant bitch, a bunny
with an ear infection, and even a chameleon with a skin disease.

She still had half an hour until lunch, but there were no more appointments
scheduled before that, so she asked Maria if she could stay alone for the
time remaining until the break. Her friend agreed instantly and Elizabeth
soon found herself walking the streets of Meryton.

Meryton was an old market town situated on the Lea River. It was lovely and
quite serene in comparison with the bustle of London. The High Street was
fairly busy, but if you turned into one of the streets crossing it, you
found yourself transported several centuries back, with the quiet atmosphere
and a beautiful Georgian architecture. Every few yards this impression was
broken by a car driving by or standing parked on the curb, a shop selling
electronics, or a passer by in modern clothes. To Elizabeth, this town was a
perfect mixture of history and modernity.

The town had no more than 10 thousand residents and, although it was
impossible to know everybody, she was in fact acquainted with a lot of
people. As the town was not big, its inhabitants were bound to meet each
other in one of the few shops, pubs and restaurants. Her job also helped her
in meeting her neighbours, everybody in Meryton knew Dr. Bennet. This was
another aspect of her work that she loved.

With the extra time for the lunch break, Elizabeth decided to take a stroll
by the river. She left her car in front of the clinic. Meryton was small
enough to walk from one side to the other in an hour. The river was not far
away, so Elizabeth set off at a leisurely pace, enjoying the crisp air and
the warm rays of autumn sun. After five minutes of walking, she found
herself on the bank of the Lea. This part of the river crossed Meryton Park
and it was left in its natural state. Elizabeth sat on a bench facing the
water and took in the beauty of her surroundings, feeling the calmness
envelop her. How she loved this place! In the summer the park and the river
bustled with activity. It was a favourite picnic area of the people of
Meryton. On the weekends the place swarmed with families and tourists from
London or sometimes farther parts of the country. Children and teenagers
played football on the pitch at the other side of the park or volleyball,
badminton and other sports on the large, grass-covered area. The river was a
very popular sailing route, and during the summers, people literally lived
on the barges that cruised the Lea.

Now, in late September, one could hardly believe that this quiet and
peaceful park could be so busy in other parts of the year. As she gazed
around, she noticed that the place was empty, save for herself and a few
ducks swimming in the river. Or so she thought.

"It's very beautiful, isn't it?" she heard a voice next to her. She turned
her head and saw William standing near her bench. She was instantly
irritated by having her solitude interrupted and by this man at that. Her
curiosity, however, prevailed and she looked at him, wondering what this
conversation would lead to this time.

"Yes, I've always thought so," she answered. Hesitating a moment, he sat
down next to her. She noticed that he looked very handsome in a pair of
jeans, a brown turtleneck and a leather jacket. If only he weren't such a
prick, she mused thoughtfully.

William's heart had been beating madly against his chest when he had spotted
her sitting on the bench facing the river, her face turned to the sun, her
eyes closed. Again he was in danger of making a fool of himself, but he
managed to get a grip. He stood unobserved for some time, trying to calm
down and think of something to tell her. Remembering his plan, he thought it
was a good idea to start putting it into effect. Step one: get to know as
much as possible about Elizabeth Bennet. This part was a tricky one, he
couldn't be too inquisitive or someone would suspect something. He had to
tread lightly. A question here, an enquiry there, combined with careful
observation of her in her natural environment. William knew that spying on
her was not a very honest and gentlemanlike approach, but his goal was more
important than the means.

"Do you come here often?" he asked in a polite, friendly tone... at least he
hoped his tone was polite and friendly, because his feelings at the moment
were far from amicable and certainly not from well-bred.

"Yes, quite often, it's my favourite place in the whole town." As soon as
she said these words she wondered what made her say that. After all, here
was the man with whom she never had a civil conversation and suddenly she
was revealing her private thoughts to him. Her anger at herself was soon
replaced with shock and wonder when he smiled genuinely at her reply. She
had never seen him smile before and the slight, gentle smile he gave her
made her insides lurch. His eyes were warm and a pair of the most adorable
dimples adorned his face. Good God, but he was handsome! Elizabeth found
herself in the unusual predicament of being speechless for several seconds.

"It must be quite stunning in the summer," he remarked.

Elizabeth pulled herself together and answered him, "Yes, it is. Very
beautiful, but also pretty noisy and crowded. I usually prefer to escape to
the woods around the town." Again she would have regretted her openness, but
was once more awarded by his smile. I would say anything to make him keep
smiling at me like that!

"I understand that very well. I also don't like the crowds. There is nothing
I like better than the quiet solitude of nature."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Wow, you must suffer a lot then,
living in London."

He smiled and shook his head. "I got used to it. Though I need an escape
from the city from time to time. Everyone needs to rest and recharge the
battery sometimes. I hope to be able to do it here," William explained
easily, while inwardly reeling. Everything was going so well! He had managed
to involve her in a conversation and they hadn't argued for more than two
minutes!

"You're in the right place, then. But I'm afraid you won't be able to enjoy
much peace and quiet at Netherfield," she said teasingly.

William rolled his eyes. "Don't even remind me. That's another reason to
spend my days in the wild. If the situation gets desperate, I intend to
borrow Charles' tent and move permanently into the forest."

Elizabeth laughed. "Wouldn't she follow you?" My, my, it appears that Mr.
Darcy does have a sense of humour after all!

"Oh no, she's too accustomed to luxury to do that. Sleeping on the ground,
with no bathroom, cooking for herself? Caroline? Never!" he said, disdain
audible in his voice.

"I think she might sacrifice herself for your sake," countered Elizabeth,
mirth dancing in her eyes on seeing William wince in annoyance at someone
else than her.

"Can we please stop talking about her?" he pleaded.

"All right, as you wish." She was silent for several moments.

William was screwing up his courage. Until this point their conversation had
progressed quite satisfactorily. They talked, they joked like a pair of
friends. He could try and ask her to lunch. Not a date, he thought
regretfully, just a meal between two friends. Yes, that was it.

He started tentatively, "Elizabeth?"

She raised her head and looked at him. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if I could ask you to eat lunch with me. It's almost one
now and I..." but Elizabeth interrupted him, her eyes wide with surprise.
"I'm sorry, but I promised Charlotte to eat lunch with her today. I hadn't
realised it was so late. I have to go."

With this she stood and started running. William leapt after her, shouting,
"Elizabeth, wait!" But she only waved to him and shouted, "Bye!"

"Fuck!" he swore emphatically, sinking back on the bench and ruffling his
hair in frustration.

***

Elizabeth was hurrying through the streets of Meryton, laughing to herself.
The expression on William's face as she ran from him was priceless. His
features registered a dismayed frustration and just as she was passing the
park gate, she heard him utter a very inelegant word. Elizabeth was sure it
wasn't often that William Darcy had a woman run away from him. From what
she'd observed so far in his interactions with Caroline, it seemed that it
was the other way round - it was he that had to salvage himself from them.

Her feelings of amusement were mixed with a sense of puzzlement. He was so
different today she'd barely recognized him. Not only wasn't he rude or
contemptuous, but his behaviour was in fact quite charming - he talked with
her politely, he smiled, heck, he even invited her to lunch! What a
surprising change! She couldn't help but wonder what had brought on such a
dramatic transformation in the man. Surely it couldn't be her? She pushed
away that thought and laughed at her own silliness.

She was a bit late when she entered the Swan Inn where she was to meet
Charlotte for lunch. It was a cosy, rustic place that served fantastic food.
Elizabeth spotted her friend sitting at a table by the window, looking
slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Char, I got delayed," said Elizabeth apologetically.

Charlotte waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, I know. What was it this time?
A rabid dog? A cat with haemorrhoids?"

Elizabeth grinned wickedly. "William Darcy."

Charlotte gaped at her. "No way! But then again, he does have something
animal in himself," she said with a leer.

Elizabeth burst out laughing, but quickly covered her mouth on seeing a few
faces turned her way in disapproval. She lowered her voice and accused
Charlotte playfully, "Char, you're awful! Do you want to make a scandal? I
have a reputation, you know."

Charlotte snorted. "Oh, don't give me that. Better tell me what's the story
with you and the great William Darcy."

Elizabeth grew serious at her friend's words. She shrugged and answered
uncertainly, "I wish I knew, Char. The guy confuses me to no end." She
knitted her brows and became pensive.

Charlotte looked at her intently, her humour faded at the sight of her
friend's anxiety. "Start from the beginning and we'll try to figure it out.
Just like we've always had," she said comfortingly.

Elizabeth sighed. "You already know part of the story. Remember when I told
you of the guy whom I met on Friday? The one advising me to shoot myself?"
Charlotte nodded. "Well, it was William."

"What?!" Charlotte exclaimed and again several heads turned their way.

"For Christ's sake, Char, keep your voice down," admonished her Elizabeth.

Charlotte managed to cool down a bit. "What did you say?"

Elizabeth was beginning to get angry. "What did you hear I said? You know,
Char, sometimes you really are slow."

Charlotte opened her mouth to retort, but was prevented by the appearance of
a waiter. The women ordered and resumed their conversation.

"Thank you very much for your nice words and I'm sorry if I'm not as
brilliant as you, Miss. Einstein," said Charlotte sarcastically.

Elizabeth regretted her hasty words. "Look, Charlotte, I'm sorry. I got
carried away."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, but nodded in acceptance of the apology. She knew
that with Elizabeth's quick temper, she often said things she didn't really
mean. "Continue," she said.

"You remember my reaction to the guy. I got angry and then at Charles' he
seemed so cold and, I don't know, disdainful. So I got even more angry."

Charlotte shook her head and fought hard to repress laughter. It was so like
Lizzy!

"Then I saw him on Sunday and he barely said two words to me, but kept
staring like I was a lizard in a terrarium. You know, it's ugly and
repulsive, but you just can't turn your eyes away."

At this point, their food arrived and both of them stared at it for some
time, having lost their appetite thanks to Elizabeth's vivid comparison.

"And then," Elizabeth resumed her story, "I met him today and he's been all
nice and friendly. He even wanted to take me to lunch!"

"Why didn't you go?" asked Charlotte.

"I had a date for lunch - you," reminded Elizabeth.

"You declined a date with William Darcy because you were to eat lunch with
me?" inquired Charlotte disbelievingly. "I wouldn't hold it against you if
you'd gone. After all, it's the William Darcy!"

Elizabeth stared at her friend in disbelief. "Char, have you heard a word of
what I've just said? On Friday the man was an arrogant bastard, yesterday a
disdainful snob who's too much above his company to talk to them, today a
funny and friendly guy. For all I know, tomorrow he may turn out to be an
axe murderer."

At Elizabeth's speech, Charlotte couldn't contain her laughter anymore and
burst out into a fit of giggles. Her friend glared at her in indignation,
while Charlotte tried to calm herself several times, but every time she
looked at Elizabeth's scowling face, she began to laugh again. Finally, she
somehow managed to settle down and reply, more or less calmly, "I'm sorry,
Liz, but I just couldn't help myself at the mental image of William Darcy
chasing you with an axe." Once again, Charlotte had to stifle a chuckle.
"You do have a vivid imagination."

Elizabeth frowned at her friend. "You know I didn't really mean it. It was
just a metaphor. I know virtually nothing of this guy and his every action
puzzles me. I can't figure him out. Which is the real William Darcy? The
rude, the silent, or the friendly?"

Charlotte looked at her earnestly. "I don't know. But the question is: do
you want to find out?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "It seems that the man has more layers than
an onion. I hope I won't cry when he's peeled to his core."

"Oh, I very much doubt that. From what I've seen his 'core' is not something
to cry about. I'm sure the woman who peels him will have no cause to
repine," said Charlotte, grinning wickedly.

Elizabeth shook her head and admonished her playfully, "Char, do you ever
think of anything except sex?"

"Hey, I'm a single thirty-year-old woman. What else can I think about?"

Seizing an opportunity to steer the conversation away from the topic of her
and William, Elizabeth started inquiring her friend about how she was doing.
Her motives weren't entirely selfish, however. Charlotte was her great
friend and being four years older, she'd been a great support to Elizabeth
in difficult moments. She and Jane had always been her closest friends, but
Charlotte was one of the invaluable people who always told you the truth if
they thought you'd benefit from hearing it. Beating around the bush was just
not her style.

"How are you doing, Char? All we've talked about today was me and William.
So now tell me how are the things with you?"

Charlotte shrugged. "I'm OK. There's nothing really to talk about. Same
boring job, same annoying family, no relationship."

Elizabeth felt concern for her friend. Charlotte was an accountant in a bank
in Meryton and still lived with her parents. She considered her life in this
little town as boring and confined. Although Elizabeth didn't share her
sentiment, she could understand Charlotte's need for something more in her
life. Dissatisfaction with her existence caused her to grow somewhat bitter
and cynical.

Elizabeth squeezed Charlotte's hand comfortingly. "Char, I wish there was
something I could do." Charlotte just shook her head sadly. Knowing her
friend, Elizabeth knew that she wouldn't tolerate pity. So she forced a
smile on her face and said teasingly, "Fortunately, the circus just came to
Meryton and I expect outstanding entertainment."

"What are you talking about?" asked Charlotte intrigued.

Elizabeth giggled and motioned to the window. "Look!"

There on the street stood Caroline Bingley, dressed in a mink coat, a black,
wide-brimmed velvet hat and precariously high heels. She sauntered the
street regally, with one hand holding Louisa on the leash and the other
exacting a possessive hold on William's arm. The picture they presented was
so comical that Elizabeth and Charlotte looked at each other and burst into
a fit of giggles. Finally, after a few moments, Charlotte wiped her eyes and
quipped, "Circus indeed!"

***

William thought he was going to die of embarrassment. First Elizabeth had
run away from him and left him standing like a fool in the empty park. He
still couldn't quite recover from their meeting, subsequent conversation and
eventual parting. This was the longest and most polite exchange they had
ever had. William couldn't believe that he'd survived it, without again
putting his foot in his mouth. He could also pride himself on his
self-restraint. She had looked truly tempting when he encountered her,
sitting on the bench, the sun caressing her face. So lovely and tranquil he
almost forgot his resolution and stood, staring in silent admiration.
Fortunately, he remembered that this was not the way to gain Elizabeth's
favour. She was clearly a verbal person and, while often just looking at her
provided him great pleasure, talking to her was a delight. She was
intelligent, funny and possessed a razor-sharp wit, which was most
enchanting, even when directed at him.

Caroline pulled him out of his reverie, remarking, "I know what you're
thinking." Her tone was blatantly flirting and William felt distaste at the
implied intimacy. I doubt that very much! he thought. He didn't condescend
to answer her. Caroline, however, continued, not in the least discouraged by
his silence.

"You're thinking about what a hole this place is and how unbearable it would
be to spend your entire life here and with such people," she said, curling
her lips disdainfully.

"You're wrong. It seems you don't know me as well as you thought," replied
William, reaching the limits of his patience.

Caroline pouted. "Really, William, can't you be nice? Why, you've been
sulking all morning."

"I wasn't sulking. I was merely admiring the view." At seeing Caroline's
pleased face, he became terrified, that he had unintentionally encouraged
her attentions, and added as a means of explanation, "This is a beautiful
old town with the most interesting architecture."

Caroline's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she huffed, "Really, William, you
astonish me sometimes."

Now it was Caroline's turn to sulk. William hoped she would be offended and
walk away, but he didn't have such luck. She just raised her head as high as
she could and proceeded to parade him through the streets, followed by
amused glances and repressed chuckles from the passers-by. William thought
he was going to burn with shame.

***

Elizabeth finished her lunch with Charlotte and returned to the clinic. As
she walked in, she was stopped by Pete, who handed her a telephone number
and said, "There was a call for you. Some guy from Medex."

Elizabeth looked at the unfamiliar name and phone number. "Did he say what
he wanted?"

Pete nodded. "He said he's the new sales representative for our area. He
asked if we needed anything, but I told him he should speak to you about
it."

"Actually, it's a good thing he called. We do need a few things. I'll ask
Maria to make a list and then call him back tomorrow."

Elizabeth went into her office and put the card into her notebook. After a
few seconds, however, she realized that this way it would probably get lost
soon. Taking her pen, she opened the notebook instead, and wrote down:
George Wickham, Medex, tel. --------------.

Chapter Four

For the next few days the situation repeated. Everyday before Elizabeth went
to work the dog was there outside her house, hovering, waiting. He seemed to
have chosen her in a way, for he remained in the environs of her house. She
fed him everyday and, little by little, he seemed less petrified of her, but
still didn't trust her enough to allow her to touch him, or even get close.
Elizabeth was becoming increasingly worried. Although it wasn't October yet,
the nights were already quite cold, with occasional frost. She wondered
where he slept. It was unlikely that he would survive the winter. Something
needed to be done.

Elizabeth wasn't a person to get overly emotional over a homeless puppy. Her
heart certainly was in the right place, but her job required a certain
detachment, else she would go crazy with grief over the lot of animals in
this world. When she first started working as a vet, she couldn't pass an
animal in need. She wanted to take in every cat or dog from the streets.
Soon, however, she realised that this way she would quickly change her house
into a ZOO and the problem would still remain unsolved, for she couldn't
possibly take in every animal in England. Since that time she had been
trying to help them however she could. She treated homeless animals, fed
them and tried to find them homes. And this was what she needed to do now.

She decided that the dog must have gotten lost somehow. Maybe somewhere
there were people who were missing him and looking for him. She rather
doubted it, because lately there weren't any notices of a lost dog. In
addition, the animal wouldn't be so afraid of people if he were merely lost.
It looked like he had had some really bad experiences with humans to date.
Yet, you never know until you try, so Elizabeth decided to put up
announcements about the found dog. She could also try calling the RSPCA (1)
and ask if anyone had been looking for a lost dog lately and put a notice on
their website. If all this failed, the shelter was her only hope. There, he
could spend the winter and get rehabilitated. He could even find a new home
where he would be loved and well taken care of.

***

These musings had an additional benefit of steering her mind away from the
thoughts of William Darcy. She couldn't figure him out and that irked her.
Elizabeth was a studier of people and, while the most intricate characters
are also the most amusing ones, William's seemed like a real challenge. She
didn't know if she was up for it.

Having a highly analytical mind, Elizabeth was used to scrutinizing the
people she met and then putting them into very convenient pigeon holes. When
a person got their label and a place in Elizabeth's file, they rarely were
allowed to leave it. This approach had proved very handy until she met
William Darcy. The man was a mystery to her. Her every encounter with him
had surprised and puzzled her. He had continually escaped her every effort
of classifying, which piqued her curiosity as well as anger.

She thought about her conversation with Charlotte. Her friend had made some
good points. Did she want to find out who the true William Darcy was? She
didn't know. Yes, he was handsome and his mystery intrigued her. But she
could also live if she were never to see him again.

The question that really bothered her was not what she wanted from him, but
what he wanted from her. What would William Golden Hands of British Surgery
Darcy want from Elizabeth So Beneath Me Bennet? Elizabeth knew what it was
and she didn't like it in the least. She didn't care how hot he was, she was
not going to be his, or any other man's, plaything. She refused to be just a
great fuck. She was determined to never let anyone take advantage of her.
Never again.

***

Tuesday, Elizabeth left Maria alone in the clinic. She usually spent
Tuesdays on the various farms in the neighbourhood. Elizabeth was available
24/7, but the work never seemed to end. She spent the entire day examining
the animals, treating illnesses, dressing the injuries and removing
parasites. She ate lunch at one of the farms and proceeded on to the rest of
her tour. At every house she asked if someone had lost a dog, but,
unfortunately, the owner of the animal was not to be found.

Finally, around 3 p.m. she was done with her work. She meditated on going
back to the clinic, but abandoned the idea, realizing that after hours spent
in cowsheds she probably wasn't the cleanest and most appealing company.
Instead of Meryton, she went back to her house. As she was driving, she
remembered that she had forgotten to call this guy from Medex. What was his
name anyway? Winston? Walton? Wickham! Yes, George Wickham. She had to call
him and soon. They were running out of vaccines, bandages and a few other
things. She resolved to call him as soon as she came to work the next day.

***

"Yes...sure...what time?... OK, I'll be there... bye." Jane hung up and
turned to the rest of the Netherfield party.

"That was Lizzy. She asked me to help her put out the announcements about a
lost dog tomorrow after work."

Charles instantly offered, "I'll help you, too. The more people the faster
it will go."

"Really, Charles. Is it really necessary that you run around the town for
some dirty dog? Let Eliza handle it, it's her job, after all," drawled
Caroline with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"It's no problem at all. Lizzy's my friend and I'll gladly help her. You don
't have to help if you don't want to," replied Charles.

Caroline shrugged indifferently, "As you wish. Just be sure not to bring
fleas home," she said, holding Louisa, as if to protect her from invisible
insects.

Jane corrected her gently, "We're not going to look for the dog, Lizzy only
wants us to put out notices in Meryton that may help find its owner."

"What time are we needed on our posts?" asked Charles.

"At four at the clinic. There we'll get further instructions," replied Jane
with a smile.

"Are we the only victims of your sister's plan?" inquired Charles jokingly.

Jane chuckled. "Nope, she's got a full army at her disposal. Apart from us
there's Charlotte, Maria, Pete and whomever else she manages to recruit."

"I'll come, too." All heads turned in the direction of the voice that had
spoken these words. All three faces expressed surprise, although Jane's also
showed gratitude, Charles' amusement and Caroline's horror.

"William, you cannot be serious!" she exclaimed with shock.

William's expression was unreadable as he spoke, "Why not? I want to help,
too."

"William, you don't have to do it," said Jane tentatively.

"But I want to," he stated firmly.

Charles grinned and slapped William's shoulder. "Great, you'll be of some
use at least."

Caroline looked at her brother reproachfully. "Charles, what are you talking
about? William is of extreme value to us, he doesn't have to be 'of use'.
His mere presence is enough." She gave him an adoring look. William
shuddered inwardly. Caroline continued, "Yet, William, do be serious. Is it
not enough that Charles is going to waste time in this useless way, running
around the town, putting out notices? You will be exposed to public
ridicule!"

William stood up with the aim to walk away, unable to stand any more of
Caroline's rubbish. "Nevertheless, I'm going."

Caroline pursed her lips. "All right, I'll also come then."

The remaining people looked at one another, Charles shaking his head in
amused disbelief. William just stalked out of the room, resigned. After a
moment of hesitation, Caroline left as well. A room without William in it
had little appeal to her. Jane and Charles were left alone, looking after
the retreating two.

"What was that all about?" asked Jane furrowing her brows in confusion.

Charles grinned. "That, my dearest, was my sister's jealousy of your
sister."

Jane looked at him sceptically. "Why would she be jealous of Lizzy?"

Charles walked to Jane and took her in his arms. "Because Will's attracted
to Liz and Caroline sees it." He started to nuzzle her neck.

"Mmmm... but how do you know that? I haven't seen any signs of his interest
in Lizzy."

"Love, I've known Will for years. I've observed him in different situations
and I know his reactions. Believe me, he's got it bad for her," he stated
and then proceeded to kiss her neck.

"Lizzy thinks he doesn't like her...maybe we should do something to make her
realize..."

"Sweetheart, we promised them not to interfere."

"I know, but we could just arrange for them to meet..."

"I believe they are meeting quite often."

"Yes, but I was thinking of something else. Something a little bit more
romantic. Like going dancing."

"Janey, you can do whatever you want. Frankly, right now I don't give a damn
about my friend or your sister. I have a much more important business to
discuss with you."

Jane giggled. "What do you have in mind?"

Charles growled, "I'll show you."


***

The next morning just as she arrived at the clinic, Elizabeth found herself
doing the forgotten phone call. She picked up the receiver and dialled the
number. After a few seconds a voice answered, "George Wickham."

"Hello, this is Elizabeth Bennet, I'm calling from Meryton."

"Ah, yes, Dr. Bennet! I've been trying to reach you." The man's voice
sounded nice and polite.

"Yes, I know. I understand that you're the new Sales Representative of Medex
for this area?"

"That's true. Mr. Forster has just retired and I was given his position. I
understand that you've been his client for many years."

"Yes, from the beginning of my work here. Before me my grandfather was his
client."

"Oh, I see, so it's a family business. I assure you that you can trust me as
you trusted Mr. Forster."

"Thank you."

"All right. When can I come to Meryton, then?"

"I thought you'd just fax the price list and we could fax our order later."
Elizabeth felt a little confused by the man's unusual idea.

"Dr. Bennet, I make it a point to introduce myself personally to all my new
clients. I find that personal interaction is very helpful in any business
relationship."

Elizabeth could not fault this logic. "All right then, can you come sometime
next week?"

"Of course. Will Monday about 11 a.m. be convenient?"

"Yes."

:"Wonderful. See you then.'

"Goodbye."

Elizabeth hung up and stared into space pensively for some time. This George
Wickham sounded nice enough, but something in his manner unnerved her. She
couldn't quite put a finger to it, but he seemed too smooth. Under the
circumstances she was actually glad he'd come to Meryton, as her curiosity
was piqued. Another specimen to examine.

***

At 4 p.m. sharp Elizabeth's little helpers gathered in the waiting room of
the clinic. Caroline was barely able to conceal her discontentment at being
there and being forced into performing such an embarrassing task as putting
out announcements about some dirty dog for the hated Eliza. She looked
around, pressing Louisa to her bosom, as if sheltering the animal from this
abhorrent place and people.

William looked around the place curiously. He was extremely grateful for
this opportunity to see Elizabeth's workplace and spend some time in her
company. The possibility that by helping her he could not only gain her
approval, but also aid some poor animal was his additional, though minor,
incentive. William Darcy might have seemed completely selfish, but the truth
was he possessed a compassionate heart. After all, he was a doctor and his
choice of career wasn't dictated only by the material or prestigious
considerations. Now as he took in the place where Elizabeth Bennet spent so
much of her time, he liked what he saw. They were waiting for her, while she
was dealing with her last patient. William noticed Caroline holding her dog
in a protective embrace. Does she really have to drag this animal
everywhere with her? Or better yet, does she always have to tag along with
me? One of these days I won't bear it and tell her something....

His musings were interrupted by the entrance of Elizabeth. And what an
entrance it was! She was dressed in brown trousers and a caramel turtleneck,
over which she wore a crisp white doctor's gown that reached the middle of
her thigh. William felt himself flush as a vision of her wearing nothing
except for the gown appeared in his mind's eye. Control yourself or you'
ll again manage to impress her with your command of English! he
admonished himself.

Elizabeth opened the door of the office and they saw a man holding a fierce
looking Rottweiler on a leash. At this sight Caroline gasped and held Louisa
closer. Seeing this, Elizabeth reassured them all, "Don't be afraid. Bandit
may look like a killer, but he's as gentle as a lamb. Aren't you, old boy?"
she crouched next to the dog and proceeded to scratch him behind the ears.
The animal received her caresses with visible delight. William found himself
quite jealous of the attention Elizabeth bestowed on the dog and once again
scolded himself for his idiocy.

After a while, Bandit's owner spoke, "We have to go, Lizzy. Good luck in
your search."

Elizabeth stood up and shook the man's hand, smiling, "Thanks, Jay. I'll see
you around."

Jay and Bandit left and Elizabeth proceeded to order her minions.

"All right. There are eight of us. I think it's best if we split into pairs
and each pair will take a different part of the town."

Caroline beamed at this sudden opportunity for some time alone with William.
"Marvellous idea! I'll go with William," she announced, standing next to
him.

But William was not going to let Caroline have her way this time. He had an
excellent excuse at hand. "I don't think it's practical, Caroline. Neither
of us knows the town and we would probably succeed only in getting lost."

Charles rejoined quickly, "Will's absolutely right, Caro. You have to go
with someone who knows the town. Let Will go with Lizzy and I'll go with
you."

Jane's eyes lit at this suggestion. "That's a wonderful idea! You will have
some time for a brother and sister conversation," she said, grinning slyly.

Caroline lost the battle and she knew that it would be useless to insist.
She would have to deal with Eliza being alone with William... for now.

William could not be happier at this turn of events. He managed to escape
Caroline and he would be able to spend time with Elizabeth alone. He
could hardly believe his good luck.

Elizabeth, for her part, was feeling very suspicious. She didn't like the
smug looks on both Charles' and Jane's faces, nor the amused smirk on
Charlotte's countenance. But the displeased expression on Caroline's visage
was enough to convince her to go along with the idea. Let her mope and
rage a little. I'll sure enjoy tormenting her! she thought meanly. She
looked at William to see his reaction to the plan, but couldn't discern
anything from his impassive face.

"Great, let's go then," she said briskly.

***

The team divided into four pairs - Elizabeth and William, Charles with
Caroline, Jane and Charlotte, and Maria with Pete. Each couple set off in a
different direction, armed with a handful of notices, a pair of scissors, a
stapler and a tape. And although their tasks were identical, the mood and
conversation of each were extremely diverse.

Caroline walked beside her brother with a morose expression. She couldn't
believe she was actually dragging herself through the streets of some hole
on the end of the world. And what for? To put on announcements about a lost
dog! What was worse, William was at that very moment in the company of that
Eliza Bennet. Caroline gritted her teeth and kept pace with Charles, almost
breaking a leg in high-heeled boots in the process.

"Charles! Could you slow down a bit?" Caroline exclaimed.

He stopped and stood waiting for her to catch up. "Sorry, Caro. But we have
to hurry, we have to do as much as we can before it gets dark."

"I don't understand why we have to do it anyway!" she retorted angrily.

"Because Lizzy asked us to help her. And friends help each other," he said
as if he were speaking to a child, while attaching a note to a lamp post.

"She's not  my friend!" Caroline spat. Why was it that everybody
loved Eliza and happily did whatever she told them to do?

Charles' eyes narrowed as he stared at his sister. "No one asked you to
help. You volunteered yourself. Now, kindly stop whining and hurry up or you
can walk back to Netherfield alone!"

With this he turned around and started walking down the street in a quick
pace. Caroline stood for a while, speechless with shock. Her brother had
never spoken to her like that! It was all Eliza's doing! Resolving to think
of a way to put that chit in her place, she ran after the hastily walking
away figure of her brother.

***

"Do you think it was a good idea?" asked Charlotte as soon as she and Jane
were out of the hearing distance from the rest.

"What was a good idea?" enquired Jane in some confusion.

"Leaving Lizzy alone with William. It seems she's bent on disliking him and
her every meeting with him provides her with more reasons for it."

Jane giggled. "You're right. But they  are perfect for each other. I
hope that she will understand it when they spend more time together."

"I tried to talk some sense into her the other Monday, but she just wouldn't
listen."

"You know her, she's the most stubborn person I know. The more we push her,
the more resistance she'll put up. I think it would be best not to tell her
anything about William anymore...but orchestrate as many meetings for them
as possible."

Charlotte grinned and observed dryly, "You know, they are adults and here we
're talking about them like a pair of kids unable to take care of their own
lives."

"They may be adults, but they're behaving like children. Char, they need our
help," said Jane seriously.

"You probably know best, Jane. After all, you're the teacher here, you have
the biggest experience with petulant children." They both laughed and went
on with their task.

***

"So...um... Maria...I wanted to ask you something," said Pete as he and
Maria walked in the direction of the train station in Meryton.

"Yes? What did you want to ask me?"

"Would you...can I... do you... want to put this notice on this tree?" he
finished ungracefully.

Maria looked up at him in confusion. "Sure."

"Oh great," he said and kept standing there, looking at her.

"Pete."

"Yes?" he asked eagerly.

"You didn't give me the note," she motioned to the piece of paper he held in
his hand.

"Oh, sorry..." he mumbled, giving it to her. Maria put up the notice and the
couple resumed walking. After a few minutes of silence, Pete spoke again,
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something else."

"You did?"

"Yes, I did... I... well...." He closed his eyes as if to gather his
courage. "Would you like to go out with me sometime?" he blurted out.

Maria blushed and looked at the ground. "Yes," she replied softly.

Pete heaved a big sigh of relief. "Thank you! I'm sorry, but I'm really
terrible at asking girls out and stuff like that..."

Maria smiled. "You weren't that bad. In fact, I think there are even some
men who might learn something from you." She giggled at the recollection of
William Darcy staring at her boss every time he saw her.

***

For a couple of minutes Elizabeth and William walked in silence. She was
beginning to wonder if he was back to his old self and she wanted to test
her theory.

"You know, William, I was a bit surprised when I saw you today at the
clinic. I wouldn't think you were the boy scout type."

She thought he would get angry at her words, but he only smiled and replied
cryptically, "Six years."

She looked at him raising her eyebrows in confusion. "Care to elaborate?"

He shot her a devastating smile. "I was a boy scout for six years.
Scoutmaster Darcy at your service, ma'am!"

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at this. He was really disarming. Still,
she didn't intend to give up on teasing him. "So you are a boy scout at
heart. Tell me, do you do this often? Sneak out and stalk through the
streets of London in a quest for a chance to do a good deed?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, now I just go to work and the opportunity
finds me there."

"Oh, that's right. That's a lot more convenient. And cleaner," she added,
looking in disgust at her hands that got dirty from touching dusty poles,
lamp posts, trees, notice boards and  God knows what else.

"Not cleaner, I assure you. It's a bloody work," said William jokingly. He
was surprised at the unusual ease with which they conversed. No doubt the
distraction of their task helped him to overcome his customary awkwardness
in her presence.

"But you like it all the same," she stated what was obvious to her when she
looked at him.

"Well, I confess I don't mind getting dirty from time to time," he admitted,
glancing at his own hands. They were as soiled as Elizabeth's.

Elizabeth noticed it and smiled. "I'm glad you 'got dirty' to help me. I
really appreciate that."

"Don't mention it. Tell me more about this dog whose owner you're looking
for."

Elizabeth shrugged. "There's really not much to tell. He's a homeless dog
that's been hovering around my house lately."

"And you decided to find a home for him?" he asked.

"Yes. You may think I'm crazy, but when I see a creature in need, I just can
't pass it by indifferently." She stopped to put up one last notice, then
turned to William and saw him looking at her earnestly.

"I don't think you're crazy," he said softly. "I think you're a generous,
kind-hearted woman. I really admire you."

Elizabeth was taken aback by this sudden praise and couldn't stop a wry
comment, "So you don't think I should shoot myself anymore?"

William flinched, feeling as if someone poured a bucket of cold water on his
head. It was clear that she still hadn't forgiven him for his rude comment
on that fateful evening. He was slightly discouraged, but not dejected.
Hopeful, he attempted an apology, "Elizabeth, I'm sorry for this stupid
remark. I was angry and upset and took my irritation out on you. I shouldn't
have said that.  I haven't told it to many people, but I want you to know.
My parents died in a car crash when I was twenty. Since that time, I've been
very sensitive where car accidents and reckless driving is concerned."

Elizabeth's hand flew to her mouth in shock and mortification. "Oh God,
William, I'm so sorry! It's I who should be apologising, not you. I can
understand your reaction now."

He looked so sad. She wanted to embrace and comfort him, but she didn't
dare. Instead she just took his hand and squeezed it consolingly. "Thank you
for telling me this," she said softly.

He shook his head. "There's no need thanking me. I wanted you to know."

"But why?" she looked at him, her eyes serious, searching.

"Because I care about your opinion. I would like us to be friends." He
wished dearly he could say more or better yet, take her in his arms and
speak to her without words. But he sensed it was too soon for that.

Elizabeth felt a pang of disappointment at his mentioning he wanted her
friendship. Well, what did I expect? And it's not like I want anything
more...do I? She smiled at him, "I'd like that also, William."

To this he grinned, showing off his perfect teeth and those, oh, so
adorable, dimples. One more smile like that and I'm ready to swoon. Thank
God he doesn't know what he does to me!

William looked at the notice board where Elizabeth had attached the notice.
"It's the last one. What do we do now?" he asked.

"Walk back to the clinic. I left my car there."

After walking a few minutes in companionable silence, William spoke,
"Elizabeth, I'd like to ask you a favour."

"Yes," she said, intrigued about what he might ask about.

"I would like to explore the countryside a bit while I'm here. I know that
you enjoy the outdoors as much as I do. Could you show me some good hiking
or riding trails? I'm aware of the fact that you work and probably don't
have much free time, but I'd be grateful if you could spare an hour or two
for me."

Elizabeth smiled at his earnest face as he pleaded for some of her precious
time. "I'd be happy to show you some of the countryside. I usually don't
work on the weekends, so I can spare more than an hour or two."

He grinned again. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

They continued to walk, chatting amiably about where they'd go on their
first expedition, until they reached the clinic. There they parted, each
heading for their own car and driving home, heads filled with thoughts of
the other.


(1) RSPCA - Royal Society for Preventing Cruelty to Animals

Chapter five

He was sitting on a bench by the riverside. It was a perfect morning, jus
t like the one where he had met with Elizabeth here before. The sun was shin
ing, the birds were singing and the air was filled with the sweet scent of f
lowers. Wait a minute...flowers in October? Oh well, it was very warm, maybe
even 25 degrees Celsius (1). It must be one of those weather anomalies. Yes,
that would explain flowers in October. Elizabeth was right, it really is
beautiful here in the summer. He inhaled deeply and gazed around the par
k in a relaxed manner, admiring the beautiful scenery. The place was empty,
save for himself. Now all I need is Elizabeth to complete the picture.

But it seemed he was lucky today, because just as he thought this, he saw th
e object of his thoughts galloping towards him on the same chestnut mare he
had seen her riding before. She looked beautiful, just like she had the last
time he had seen her like that. Her hair was down on her shoulders and back
in a mass of unruly curls and she wore a white outfit, thanks to which she w
as visible from a long distance.

As she neared him, he noticed her legs were bare and her outfit turned out t
o be her doctor's gown, nothing else. He felt a surge of heat course through
him at the sight and the realization that she seemed to be wearing nothing a
t all beneath it.

She came to a halt next to him and he rose to greet her. Elizabeth smiled sw
eetly at him and spoke, "Hello, William. I was hoping to find you here." She
kept smiling at him as her gaze left his face and travelled down his body in
an unhurried perusal.  At her scrutiny he made the mortifying discovery that
he was completely naked. Furthermore, he found, to his utter horror, that th
e combination of her appearance, his current state and all his past dreams a
nd fantasies about her resulted in a violent and uncontrollable reaction of
his body, which was now for everyone to see thanks to his state of undress.

Elizabeth smirked at him. "Well, well, you are one fine stallion, William Da
rcy."

She swung one bare leg over the back of the horse and jumped to the ground.
William noted with some regret that her gown was buttoned decently, but than
kfully, it was shorter than he remembered, he could see all of her magnifice
nt, long legs.
She approached him, her eyes still fixed on the one part of his body which r
eacted so powerfully to her presence. He saw her reach into the pocket of he
r gown and produce a piece of paper and a tape.

"I need to put on this notice," she explained, answering his questioning rai
se of eyebrows. William looked at the note. It said, "Found, a man, 6'3'', b
lack hair, dark eyes, answers to the name of William Darcy. The owner of the
lost man is asked to call the number ------------."

"Now, where would be the best place to put it?" she wondered as she perused
his body thoughtfully. She looked at his erection for a while, but then shoo
k her head. "No, this won't do. I wouldn't want other people ogle you. Ah, h
ere would be the best choice." She took the tape and tried to attach the pos
ter to his chest. Unfortunately, his chest hair made it very difficult, the
note kept ungluing and falling down. Exasperated, Elizabeth gave up.

"I can't do this. This way we'll never find your owner. I'll have to keep yo
u."

William felt enormous joy at her words. He was going to be hers from now on!
He wouldn't be homeless and lonely anymore! Filled with rapture he gathered
her into his arms and swung her around. Elizabeth giggled and held him tight
er. When he put her down, they were both breathless. Gazing into his eyes, E
lizabeth touched his cheek and smoothed his hair away from his face.

"I'm glad you're going to be mine," she said, looking at him with tenderness
in her eyes. William bent down to kiss her softly. Her lips felt luscious -
hot, sweet and yielding. He kissed her harder and felt her return the kiss w
ith great eagerness. She tightened her arms around his neck and pressed hers
elf to him, to which he reacted with a shiver. Groaning, he pulled his mouth
away from her lips and buried his face in her neck, letting her enticing fra
grance - the scent of her hair, her perfume and her skin wash over him. Pres
sing hot wet kisses along her face and the line of her neck he heard her moa
n and felt her tip her head back in delight. Her hands stroked his back as h
e slowly sunk to his knees before her and started unbuttoning her gown, with
each button admiring her beauty more and more. When the gown finally fell to
the ground he wasted no time before his mouth took possession of her breast.
He felt a shudder go through her body as he suckled her and her soft whimper
s of pleasure inflamed him even further. She sunk her fingers in his hair an
d held his head to her, as if begging for him not to stop.   William's mouth
left her nipple and travelled south over her abdomen. She was trembling, so
much that when his hand rose to cup her sex her legs gave in and she slowly
sunk down beside him. With her face on the same level with his, he took adva
ntage of it by returning to plunder her mouth, his hands exploring her whole
body, stroking her back, massaging her breasts and cupping her buttocks, eli
citing moans from her. She clung to him, cradled his head in her hands and p
ressed her hips to his in a manner that drove him wild. He felt his arousal
growing and knew he could wait no longer. Looking deep into her eyes he sile
ntly asked   permission. She only kissed him and pressed herself harder agai
nst him. This was all the consent he needed. With great impatience he lowere
d her to the ground and poised himself above her, ready to enter the gates o
f Heaven. Then, suddenly, he heard a screech, "Wait a minute! What are you d
oing with my William? William, I was looking all over for you."



Caroline approached them, waving a piece of paper in her hand. They rose to
their feet.

"This is my man. He got lost a few days ago, but it is always so with him. C
ome, William," said Caroline as she  put a collar and a leash on him.

"Elizabeth!" he cried, reaching out to her.

Elizabeth smiled regretfully. "I'm sorry, William, but you belong to your ri
ghtful owner," she replied, waving to him as Caroline dragged him away, the
collar nearly choking him.

"Nooooooo!!!!!"

William woke up with a start. His whole body was covered with cold sweat. He
sat at the edge of the bed and ran his hands down his face.  Good God, wh
at a dream!  He was just about to make love to Elizabeth when Caroline i
nterrupted them, claiming he was hers. William shuddered at the sheer though
t.

William wasn't superstitious and he didn't believe in dreams. Usually he did
n't dream at all or didn't remember his dreams. But this one had been except
ionally vivid and just as crazy. He attributed it to the recent events and h
is obsession with a certain sexy vet. Is this how going mad feels? he
wondered bleakly.

He got out of the bed and dragged himself into the showe