Chapter twelve

The next morning, Elizabeth had an unexpected patient. She and Maria were
just completing the paperwork that had piled up during the last few days,
when William entered the room with Hurst on a leash. Elizabeth smiled
broadly at the cute picture the couple presented: one tall, dark and
handsome, the other small, grey and not the most beautiful representative of
his kind. The external contrast between them couldn't be greater, yet it was
clear they belonged to one another.

"William!" she greeted him with a smile. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"He needs to be vaccinated and I wanted the best vet I know to do it,"
William replied with a smile.

Elizabeth laughed at his flattery. "Well, that's some opinion I have to live
up to. I'll try to do my best."

Maria noticed Hurst and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, is it him? He's so cute!"

Elizabeth laughed and William grinned. "You should have seen him yesterday
before we managed to get him cleaned up - all dirt and fleas. But today he
looks very well." The dog looked at her and wagged his tail in recognition.
He was still a little nervous and wary of strangers, but nothing like the
terrified creature they had found under that bush the day before.

"OK, let's get to work. William, can you put him on the table?"

Without effort, William picked the animal up and put him on the table.
Hurst, suddenly disoriented, gave a wriggle trying to break free, but
William held him tight and soon calmed him down.

Elizabeth took the syringe Maria had prepared and turned to her patient. "It
may hurt him a little. You should hold him tight," she told William. He
nodded and she grasped the skin on the dog's neck and gave him the
injection. As she suspected he would, Hurst struggled at the feeling of the
shot, but William held him in place until Elizabeth finished.

"There, all done," she said. "He's going to be fine. I'd advise you to have
him neutered, though. I can do it if you want to."

William looked at her in confusion. "Neutered?"

"Yes, you know, spayed. Sterilized," she clarified.

"You mean.castrate him?" asked William in a choked voice.

Elizabeth glanced at Maria knowingly and both women stifled a giggle. He
looked positively horrified. She tried to assume her most professional voice
and expression, as she replied,
"Yes, you can call it that as well. It is really a safe procedure and very
useful. It minimizes roaming and aggressive behaviour. Not to mention, it
will prevent him from getting into the sort of trouble he had with Louisa,"
Elizabeth tried to joke, but it was lost on William.

"Is it necessary? He's not aggressive and I'm going to make sure he stays
away from other dogs."

"No, it's not necessary, but it'll make looking after him a lot easier,"
said Elizabeth, though she already knew it was pointless trying to convince
William. He was still a little green on the face and hadn't snapped out of
the shock yet.

"Then I don't want him to be.well, you know," he said, unable to speak the
horrific words.

"Of course, as you wish." Elizabeth had had this conversation with owners
too many times to be surprised by his reaction, so she just shrugged and
turned to Hurst instead.

"It's all over now," she said and stroked the dog's head. "You've been very
good. You deserve a reward." She opened a drawer, took out a packet of dog
biscuits and gave one to Hurst.

At that moment Pete opened the door. "Sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Bates has
just called. Her cat has caught a bird again and she would very much like
Maria to have a look at it."

Maria sighed heavily. "Not again! I thought Fluffy was too old for that
already," she grumbled, though in her heart she liked the old cat and his
mistress, who rarely left her house because of her age. She was, however,
very fond of Maria and, as Ms. Bates had no family, the young woman visited
her often and kept her company.

"My dear, you are indispensable, and you'd better get used to it," Elizabeth
replied with a teasing smile and Maria rolled her eyes. There was nothing
for it, she had to go.

When she left, William turned to Elizabeth with a satisfied smile on his
face. He wished for nothing more than a few moments alone with her and now,
thanks to some old woman and her cat, he had his wish. Although he didn't
know them, he felt at that moment that he loved both of them.

He looked at Hurst, who happily consumed another biscuit Elizabeth offered
him. "Am I not going to get a reward?" he asked with a playful pout.

Elizabeth laughed at his banter. "And why should you deserve one? It wasn't
you that got the shot!"

"Aha, but I was subjected to an appalling conversation, as you no doubt
remember. Not to mention I had to watch my dog getting an injection. And I
hate needles!" he said with a mock shudder.

"Don't all men?" she asked with an arch of her brow. "But you're right,
you've been very good, you didn't faint or even get sick. You deserve a
reward as well."

"Good." He grinned smugly.

"So," she turned around and picked something up, "Have a biscuit." She
offered it to him with a bright smile. He smiled back at her, taking hold of
her hand in which she clutched the treat.

"Thank you, but it's not exactly what I had in mind," he said huskily,
leaning down and claiming her lips. The biscuit fell out of Elizabeth's hand
as William's warm mouth explored hers, his hands burying in her hair. The
kiss was slow, hot and electrifying. She put her hands on his chest and
savoured the feel of his hard muscles beneath her fingers. His touch, taste
and scent were making all rational thoughts flee her brain. It was only when
Hurst whined at being left ignored on the table that she remembered she was
at work. Reluctantly, she broke the kiss and pulled away a little, yet her
hands didn't leave his chest. He grasped her hands and squeezed them,
looking at her with dark, fervent eyes.

William was startled by the strength of his feelings. His desire for her was
unlike anything he'd experienced. From the moment he had seen her today when
he walked through the door, he had wanted to kiss her, and it was only
Maria's presence that had stopped him. When she had left, however, he had
been powerless to resist the temptation any longer. She was the most
luscious thing he had ever tasted.

"That's more like it," he murmured, grinning rakishly. Then, realizing that
she probably had work and patients waiting for her, he unwillingly let her
go.

"Thank you," he said, as he took Hurst down. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, it's on the house," she replied.

He looked at her sincerely. "I'm serious. You did your job and I have to pay
for the service."

She set her jaw and answered defiantly, "William, don't be silly. You are my
friend and have already taken Hurst in. You've done more than enough."

He still didn't give up. "Elizabeth, I can't let you do this."

His stubbornness was irritating her. Why couldn't he just accept a gift?
"You have no choice. I won't take money from you and if you say one more
word about it I will take offense."

He sighed, but relented. "All right, as you wish. But you will let me take
you out to dinner instead. I was immensely disappointed we couldn't make it
the other evening," he said in a light tone, knowing that he was probably
bringing up unpleasant recollections in her.

Elizabeth pushed aside the memory of that dreadful evening, concentrating
instead on the present and the man before her. "I would be happy to have
dinner with you, William," she replied, smiling sweetly at him.

He answered her in kind. "Great!" he exclaimed excitedly. Elizabeth was
making him feel like a pimpled teenager who won a date with the most
beautiful girl in school. He kissed her again, but soon enough she had to
pull away from his embrace.

"I'll walk you to your car," she said and he nodded.

His car was parked on the street outside the clinic. William opened the door
and put Hurst on the back seat. Then he turned to Elizabeth. "I'll call you
tonight."

"All right," she answered him. Throwing a glance at the street and noticing
it was quite empty at the moment, William leaned down and kissed her one
last time. She reciprocated, sliding her hands up around his neck and
holding him tight, while his arms encircled her waist. They kissed for a
while, neither willing to let the other go. Finally, reluctantly, William
released her, got into his car and drove away, leaving her standing in the
street in a blissful haze.




Caroline Bingley was driving through Meryton determinedly. During her stay
here she had come to loath this place, and now, after the abomination of the
day before, she was resolute to leave it and never come back. If Charles
wanted to see her, he would have to visit her in London, because there was
no way she would set her foot here again. It was even probable that very
soon he'd get bored with this place and that chit he called his fianc𔡮d
return to London for good.

She only had to pack her things and convince William to come back as well.
She was quite sure he was as sick of this place and these people as she was
and wouldn't need much persuading. After all, there was nothing that was
keeping him in Meryton.

Her complacence was shaken at the sight she saw while driving through High
Street. To her utter shock and horror, on the street by his car she saw
William . . . kissing Eliza Bennet! No, that couldn't be! She slowed down in
order to look more closely. Yes, it was him with that hussy! They were so
involved with each other that they didn't even notice her! What was the
meaning of this? Indignant, she sped up to get away from the disgusting
view. William will have lots of explaining to do when he gets to
Netherfield!

William reached Netherfield in a state of blissful exultation. During the
last few days things between him and Elizabeth had been progressing
wonderfully. Their relationship, though still very new and fragile, was
promising. He was hopeful, but every now and then a thought of London
flashed in his mind, leaving him restless and uneasy. Yet, he pushed all the
thoughts of his leaving aside, trying not to think beyond the next couple of
days. He would deal with their separation when the time came.

When he parked his BMW, he saw something that suddenly turned his cheerful
mood into irritation. A silver Porsche Boxter stood in the driveway in front
of the house. Caroline. He knew that the confrontation was now inevitable.
The thought didn't give him any pleasure, but he realized that this was
necessary. In fact, he had been putting this off for entirely too long.

He strode purposefully into the house, leaving Hurst in the living room,
unwilling to expose him to Caroline's wrath. He could hear noises coming
from the back of the house and figured it must be her, but what she was
doing that was making so much clamour, he could not fathom. He stood in
front of her bedroom door for a while, hesitating whether he should go in.
Luckily, he was spared making the decision, when the door suddenly swung
open.

"You're here at last," Caroline stated the obvious fact. He could see she
was angry, but managed to contain it.

"Caroline. What are you doing?" he asked, surprised by her behaviour.

"I should think that was obvious. I'm packing. I'm not staying another day
in this place and if you knew what's good for you, you'd leave too," she
snapped, then turned on her heel and went back inside her room. Reluctantly,
William followed her.

The room was in a state of complete mess. The closet was wide open and
everywhere on the bed, on the bedside table, on the vanity and all the
chairs lay scattered different pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories.
Did she take all of her wardrobe on this holiday? thought William,
amazed and disgusted at the lengths to which some women were willing to go
in order to impress men and put their rivals to shame.

Let's get this over with. William took a deep breath and started,
"I'm sorry you don't like it here, Caroline, but I do and I'm staying."

She spun around and eyed him spitefully. "It's her, isn't it? She's
brainwashed you so completely that you no longer know what you are doing."

William's suspicions rose instantly, but he decided to bluff. "What are you
talking about?"

Her eyes narrowed and she hissed, "Do you think I'm a fool? I saw you
kissing her today!"

There was no way he could get out from admitting the truth now and he knew
Caroline would hit the roof, but he needed to put down all her hopes. Hell,
he should have done this years ago!

He replied coolly, "I don't see what business it is of yours."

She gasped in indignation and retorted, "I've sacrificed years of my life
for you! I could have married many rich and distinguished men, but I've been
waiting for you to come round and realize we were fated for each other!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Caroline, I've never promised anything to
you. You've never been anything else than my best friend's sister to me.
I've tried to make you understand it subtly, because I've never wanted to
hurt you."

She didn't give up. "So you are saying now, but none of your girlfriends had
you for long, while I'm still here."

"They didn't seem to bother you then, so what's made you so mad now?" he
asked distrustfully.

She looked at him with a disdainful expression on her face. "They were at
least women of some fashion and consequence. Now, though, you're meddling
with a common tart!"

William's anger flared at her words. "That's enough! I've tolerated your
interfering in my affairs for far too long, but I will not have you
offending Elizabeth!"

"Oh, I see she has you wrapped around her finger! She's not good enough for
you, you'll see it soon. She's just using you!"

"Where did you get that idea from?" he asked incredulously.

"Have you met her family? Her mother and younger sisters? They are all
ignorant, shameless gold diggers!"

"What does it have to do with Elizabeth?" He was losing his patience.

"You are so naive," she hissed, "Haven't you ever heard the saying 'Like
mother, like daughter'?"

"What are you implying?" he asked with deadly calmness.

"She, her mother, her younger sisters, even Jane, they are all greedy,
unscrupulous women. She's just after your money and position."

Disgusted beyond belief, William drawled, "Since you are so fond of the old
sayings, let me tell you that your maligning Elizabeth's name is nothing but
an example of the pot calling the kettle black."

Speechless with shock, she stared at him in disbelief. Astonished by the
fact that he actually got her silent, he continued, emboldened, "I'm not as
naive as you think, and I realize perfectly that you're only interested in
my money," he said coldly. "I have tolerated your behaviour for Charles'
sake, but I have no intention of letting you meddle in my private affairs
anymore."

Caroline opened her mouth to protest, but at that moment Hurst, who was
quite bored all by himself in the living room, decided to make an
appearance.

"What is that monster doing here?" she cried in anger and revulsion. Anger
at William and revulsion at Hurst, as if he were a rat rather than a dog.

Calmly, William bent down and picked Hurst up. "This monster is
staying here with me. I've decided to take him in. Do you have a problem
with that?"

It was a severe blow for Caroline. William had substituted her for some wild
country hussy, spoke to her in an infamous manner and said he wasn't, and
never had been, interested in her. He accused her of being mercenary, and
she had to admit it was the truth and that made her even more angry, because
nothing hurts so much as the truth. The last straw for her was his mocking
her by taking in that mongrel that had assaulted her baby. She wouldn't stay
here a moment longer than it was necessary.

As he was turning to leave the room, she couldn't resist the last, scathing
remark, "You are a fool! You and Charles, both of you are fools to be so
taken in with these Bennet bitches!"

William didn't deign to reply to her; instead, he turned to the door with
the intention of leaving the room, where he was startled seeing Charles
standing in the doorway, his face red with fury. Caroline noticed her
brother and paled at the thought of what he might have heard.

Charles looked coldly at his sister and stated in a voice full of
barely-contained anger, "You will pack and leave Netherfield right away. You
are no longer welcome here."

With this, he turned away and left, William followed him, leaving Caroline
standing in her room in stunned shock.

William took Hurst to his bedroom and went in search of Charles. He needed
to find his friend and see if he was all right. It wasn't every day that a
man throws his sister out of his house and William suspected that somebody
as amiable as Charles would take it really hard. He decided to start looking
from the study and was rewarded when he entered the room and found his
friend sitting in an armchair with a glass of scotch in his hand, glaring
angrily into space.

"I'm sorry," William said, not quite knowing what else he could say in such
a situation.

"How could she have said such a thing about Jane?" Charles demanded, turning
to face him.

William took a seat opposite his friend and replied after thinking for a
moment, "I'm afraid it's my fault."

"Why should you be guilty of my sister abusing my fianc??e asked
incredulously.

"I had provoked her to say it. I hadn't meant to do it, but we had
quarrelled and she had started insulting Jane and Elizabeth."

"What does Lizzy have to do with it?"

William didn't really feel like revealing the true extent of his
relationship with Elizabeth to Charles, but he owed his friend an
explanation.

"She's got everything to do with it," he admitted reluctantly. "Caroline saw
Elizabeth and me kissing and she just flew off the handle."

Charles was tired and still in shock, which was probably the only reason
why, instead of raining William with questions, he just said calmly, "Yes,
that would explain why she was so pissed off. But why were you kissing Lizzy
anyway? I didn't know you were dating."

William shifted in his chair uncomfortably and, not meeting Charles's eye,
answered, "Well, we aren't dating in the strict sense of the word, but we've
been in each other's company a lot."

"Yes, you have," he mused thoughtfully. "I might have known there was
something between you two."

He sat for a moment in silence, thinking. Then he turned to William again.
"What are your intentions towards Lizzy?"

"What?" William blurted out, completely taken aback. Which century was
Charles from?

"You heard me. I've encouraged you to get to know her and I'm happy you seem
to hit it off. Nevertheless, let me give you a piece of advice."

William listened in suspense, though he could imagine what Charles would
say. "Lizzy doesn't have a brother, but if you ever hurt her, I will assume
this role and beat you to a pulp."

It was enough, William was offended. "Is this what you think of me? Who do
you think I am, man?"

Charles raised both his hands in surrender. "Don't take it so personally.
I'd issue the same warning to any man in your place. I love Lizzy like my
own sister." His face grew sombre again at the mention of the word "sister".

"Have you had to warn off many men?" William asked sourly, feeling a sudden
stab of jealousy at the thought of Elizabeth with other men.

"Oh no, not at all." William breathed a sigh of relief.

"In fact," Charles continued. "Lizzy hasn't been seeing anyone in a very
long time. Jane was concerned about her and as I know you've been alone as
well, we thought you could do well together."

"I figured as much. But if you wanted to get us together, why did you
threaten to beat me just a few minutes ago?" William demanded, still quite
irked at his friend.

Charles smiled embarrassedly. "Just doing my brotherly duty. I'm sorry,
Will. Don't be angry with me. Instead, tell me about you and Lizzy."

William shrugged. "There's not much to tell. I like her very much and enjoy
her company greatly. I.I care about her and I'd never hurt her."

"You'd better not! Otherwise Jane would get really angry and I'd be forced
to beat you," he said with a smile and William knew he was joking. Or was
he?

Charles considered his duty fulfilled. His thoughts flew again to Caroline
and her awful accusations of Jane and Elizabeth. William saw that his friend
was feeling down again and he tried to console him.

"Why can't she be happy for me, like a normal sister?" Charles asked
rhetorically. William didn't have an answer to that.

"You are very lucky, Will. You have a wonderful sister who's never given
you a moment of distress."

William winced involuntarily at Charles' mentioning Georgiana. If only his
friend knew!

"How is Georgiana, by the way?"

"She's well," William replied cautiously.

"Is she enjoying the Royal?" asked Charles.

"Yes, she is. At first she had some trouble fitting in, but now she seems to
be adjusting," said William, feeling not a little pride at the thought of
his little sister studying in the illustrious Royal Academy of Music in
London.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Charles. "She's always been an excellent pianist. You
must be so proud of her."

"Yes, I am," William admitted softly. He was indeed very proud of his
sister. She was a very diligent student, but besides studying hard, she
spent many hours every day practising. Although it was her first year at
college, she had already received much praise from her professors. William
suspected that aside from his sister's natural assiduousness, part of the
reason for her working so hard was the desire to forget about her recent
past.

"So, you and Lizzy," Charles said unexpectedly, turning a mischievous gaze
at William. He rarely had the opportunity to tease his friend about
something and now he had the perfect excuse.

William sighed in resignation, knowing he'd have no peace from now on. "Save
yourself your jokes, ok? Better put your mind to some use and help me
organize the most romantic date for Elizabeth."

Charles grinned and said, "William, my friend, I thought you'd never ask!"

With the greatest contentment Elizabeth settled herself on the couch,
dressed in her pyjamas and warm woollen socks her grandmother had knitted
for her many years ago, but which were still her favourites. She had had a
delicious dinner of tuna casserole, a nice, hot bubble bath, and a dessert
of her mother's cheesecake. Right now, sitting on the couch with a glass of
wine in her hand, a lovely fire blazing in the fireplace and Norah Jones
playing softly, she felt extremely complacent. What more could she ask of
life in that particular moment?

Some good company,  she thought wistfully, as the image of William
Darcy's deep brown eyes and handsome face appeared before her eyes. Soon,
the visual stimulus was joined by sensory and aromatic ones. She remembered
how it had felt to be in his arms and kissing him, and his masculine scent
filling her lungs and tickling her nostrils.

She had to admit that she liked him very much indeed. He was intelligent,
had a dry sense of humour that appealed to her very much, could be charming
when he tried and had a compassionate heart. And the way he kissed.Elizabeth
sighed at the memory. The way he kissed made her long to experience what
other talents he possessed.

The sound of a telephone ringing broke her reverie. She picked up the
receiver, which stood on a small table next to the couch.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi Elizabeth, it's William," she heard a familiar voice on the other side
of the line.

Elizabeth grew warm at the sound of his deep, rich voice. It was a little
strange talking to him now when she had just been fantasizing about him, but
quite arousing as well.

"Hi William, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I'm calling to invite you out to dinner. You
promised me today you'd go out with me, remember?"

She smiled, hearing the eagerness and uncertainty in his voice. "Yes, I
remember."

"You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

"Do you think I'm so fickle?" she asked reproachfully.

"No, of course not," he amended hastily. "I just can't believe that you
agreed in the first place, I'm so lucky," he added playfully.

Elizabeth laughed. "Good recovery."

"So how about tomorrow evening? Is six p.m. all right?" he asked, coming to
the point.

"Yes, it's fine," she agreed, already feeling a pleasurable anticipation.

"Great! I'll pick you up at six, then."

"Where are you taking me?" she asked excitedly.

"Well, there aren't many options in Meryton, are there?" he asked ruefully.

Elizabeth giggled. "No, I'm afraid there aren't. But we do have a few good
restaurants here."

"Yes, you do."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" she enquired.

"No," he replied. He sounded very smug.

"Well then, how am I supposed to know what to wear?" she asked with a
playful pout.

"I'm sure I'd like you in anything," said William huskily, the impersonal
quality of telephone conversation making him say things he wouldn't usually
dare say.

To her irritation, Elizabeth felt a blush. She was hardly an innocent girl
to get discomfited by such, let's face it, blatant flirting.

"I'm sure you would, but what about the rest of the people who'll see me?
Can you at least give me a hint?"

He pretended to think for a while and then replied, "Wear something nice;
elegant, but simple. Oh, and I'd advise something warm. Is this enough for
you?"

Elizabeth sighed in mock resignation. "If it's all the hint I'm going to get
then I suppose it must suffice."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night, Elizabeth," he said in a low,
intimate voice, as if he were whispering in her ear.

"Good night, William," she replied softly.

Chapter thirteen

Once again Elizabeth found herself dressing up for William, only this time
she had enough sense to admit it. She was quite mystified by his advice on
what she should wear. Something elegant, but simple. Oh, and warm too. Where
was he taking her that she needed clothes that combined all the features
mentioned? He wasn't planning a barbecue, was he?

No matter, she would find out about it soon enough. The real question was,
where to find the suitable attire? The search in her wardrobe proved
fruitless, she could find nothing that fit his description. All her clothes
were either elegant or warm. She was near regretting she had agreed to this
date on such short notice, but couldn't really make herself be sorry because
of it. The dress crisis notwithstanding, she was still going on a date with
a gorgeous, sexy hunk of a man.

After an hour of the hunt and realizing she had a good chance of running
late, she decided to turn to her last resort - calling Jane. Her sister, the
epitome of sense and elegance that she was, was sure to help her in her
present predicament. If she knew Jane, her sister would be delighted with
the task. There was a substantial possibility that she would have to put up
with "I told you so" looks and words, but she was prepared to deal with them
gracefully. She was lucky Charlotte wouldn't be here, she'd never hear the
end of it!

As Elizabeth had suspected, Jane was thrilled with her request and, not half
an hour after their phone conversation, she appeared on the doorstep, armed
with a suitcase. Elizabeth, still in her robe, opened the door.

"Are you moving in?" she asked, puzzled at the sight of her sister's
baggage.

"Of course not, silly! I brought some dresses for you to look through," Jane
replied, as she moved past Elizabeth and entered the house. Elizabeth closed
the door and followed her sister to the bedroom.

Jane put the suitcase on the bed and proceeded to opening it. Elizabeth was
surprised to see not only clothes, but also shoes.

"You forgot about jewelry," she accused her playfully.

"Oh no, I didn't," replied Jane and, as if on cue, they heard a voice from
the hall.

"Did someone call fashion emergency?" Charlotte strode into the room
confidently, carrying a small vanity case.

"Hi Char," Jane called to her over her shoulder, busy laying out different
items of clothing on Elizabeth's bed. Elizabeth decided not to get
astonished any more this evening.

"Char, I'm so happy the locked door wasn't any problem to you," Elizabeth
said sarcastically.

"Remember I've been coming here since I was four, I know that the spare key
is under the stone by the spruce next to the porch," replied Charlotte,
putting the case on the vanity and settling herself in the chair in front of
it.

"So good of you to have used it and not bothered us with ringing the bell,"
Elizabeth teased her friend, feeling an awful urge to laugh at the way Jane
and Charlotte took over the preparations.

"Not at all," Charlotte answered indulgently. "But now we should get to
work. We have about an hour to prepare Lizzy for the date of her life with
the most gorgeous doctor in the whole of Great Britain."

Jane shot her a black look, and she Charlotte laughed and corrected herself,
"One of the two most handsome doctors in Britain then, at least."




Exactly fifty four minutes later Elizabeth turned around and asked, "Well?
How do I look?"

Jane and Charlotte both looked at her with visible admiration and not a
little pride.

"Gorgeous, just gorgeous!" gushed Jane.

"Not bad at all," stated Charlotte. "I'm sure William's going to have to
pick up his jaw from the floor when he sees you."

"Char!" Elizabeth scolded her half-heartedly, but could not help turning
again to the large mirror that stood in the corner of the room, in which she
could see herself from head to toe. She had to admit the result was
satisfactory. In fact, she believed she had never looked so well in her
life. She wore a black velour asymmetric skirt, which was of ankle-length on
the right side and ended in the middle of the calf on the left side. It was
half-plain, half-plaited, the plait starting just over the knees. The top
was a black, front-buttoned lace blouse with wide cuffs. The clothes seemed
custom made for her, they clung in just the places they should, emphasizing
the curves of her hips, the slimness of her waist and the swell of her
breasts. She left the top three buttons opened to reveal a bit of her creamy
neck. After a few minutes of debating they decided to limit the jewelry she
would wear to a pair of ruby drop earrings. Her dark curly hair fell down
her back gracefully, tamed by Jane's patient styling and she had to admit
the Charlotte did an excellent job with her make-up.

"Is it really me?" she wondered a bit disbelievingly.

"Come on Liz, this is no time to be coy. You know you're beautiful, though
you sometimes try your best to hide it," Charlotte chided her.

"Sweetie, you look beautiful. You're going to have a great evening and are
going to swipe William off his feet," added Jane.

Elizabeth smiled widely and hugged her sister and friend. "Thanks guys! I
don't know what I'd do without you."

This affectionate scene was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, which
was followed, as usually, by Jack's barking.

"It's him. I'd better go open the door," said Elizabeth, moving to the door,
but she was stopped short by a hand seizing her arm.

"You stay where you are," Jane pronounced authoritatively. "You will appear
to the greatest advantage from a distance, walking down the stairs. I will
answer the door."

In a flash, she was gone. A few moments later they heard Jane calling,
"Lizzy! William's here!"

Elizabeth snorted at her sister's scheming and proceeded out of the room,
feeling a knot of anticipation tightening in her stomach. When she reached
the top of the stairs, she saw William in a black coat - the same he was
wearing on the first day she saw him, she remembered dimly. How much had
changed since then! He looked so handsome standing there, holding a bouquet
of red roses and looking up at her with his eyes wide with, she hoped,
admiration.

To William she never looked lovelier. He had seen her dressed up on Charles'
party and the night of the dance, but this was the first time she dressed
for him. His eyes devoured her hungrily, drinking in the sight of her
alluring body in this conservative, but very enticing outfit. He licked his
lips at the sight of her shapely ankles and calves and her graceful creamy
neck, her tempting curves hugged beguilingly by the black skirt and blouse.
Her clothes hid more than they revealed, yet in some strange way he found
that more arousing than any revealing dress she could wear. His imagination
worked full blast as his eyes glided over her form. He could picture what
was under these clothes with delicious and painful detail. He now understood
the allure of a few small glimpses of skin and how they could drive men
crazy not eighty years ago.

Elizabeth approached him with a smile on her beguiling lips. Magically, Jane
had managed to disappear, but neither of them noticed her walking away, so
involved were they in each other.

"Good evening, Elizabeth. You look beautiful," William said softly.

She blushed at his compliment and smiled even more widely. "Thank you."

"Um.these are for you," he said awkwardly, handing her the flowers. "I know
they're clich?R>She stopped him, putting a hand on his arm. "They're beautiful," she said
sincerely. She took them from him and bowed her head to smell them.

"Thank you," she answered, looking him in the eye. He could resist no longer
and bent to kiss her. The kiss was brief, both of them bearing in mind the
company in the house, but it was no less delightful for its shortness.
Elizabeth broke away and said, "I'll have them put in water. Jane! You can
come out of hiding now."

Jane reappeared by them, smiling sheepishly. She took the flowers from her
sister, while William held the coat for Elizabeth to wear. Charlotte came
down the stairs as well and together with Jane watched the couple preparing
to leave.

"Thanks again for your help. Don't wait for me, though," Elizabeth said
teasingly. William opened the door for her and they both stepped out of the
house.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Charlotte called after them. Elizabeth
turned around and stuck her tongue at her, before she got into the car.
William laughed at this exchange as he sat behind the wheel and drove away.

Charlotte and Jane stood in the doorway, looking after the car. Finally,
Jane turned to Charlotte with a twinkle in her eyes. "You owe me ten quid!"

Charlotte snorted. "I swear, this sister of yours is going to be my ruin. I
didn't think she'd give in so quickly! And to think I actually helped you in
this!"

"You should know better than to bet one sister about another sister." She
held up her hand, palm up. "Now, my ten pounds, please."




They drove in silence for some time. Finally, unable to stand the suspense
anymore, Elizabeth asked, "Are you going to tell me now where we're going?"

He smiled mysteriously, not taking his eyes from the road. "No. You have to
be patient for a few more minutes."

"Can you at least tell me if I'm dressed properly?" she asked, somewhat
exasperated.

"You're dressed perfectly. Couldn't you tell from my reaction?"

"Men aren't always trustworthy on the fashion issue," she replied
sardonically.

"Don't worry, you won't have anybody to impress. Except for me, that is," he
added, smiling with satisfaction.

She looked at him closely. "Now you've really made me curious."

"Just a few more minutes and you'll know it all."

Deciding that she could manage a few more minutes of waiting, she turned to
the window to see the direction in which they were going. She couldn't make
out much from the darkness surrounding them for a while, soon, however, they
drove into Meryton. She watched the way they were going, wondering at his
destination. He drove past a few pubs and restaurants and, surprising her
greatly, turned into a parking lot near the river.

He stopped the car and left it, then walked around and opened the door for
her.

"What are we doing here? Are we going to have a picnic?" she asked in
astonishment.

"You'll see. But first you have to close your eyes." She looked at him
blankly. "Close your eyes," he repeated patiently and she obeyed.

William took her hand and led her on. She couldn't see a thing, but from the
faint sound of the water humming, she surmised they walked in the direction
of the river. This temporary loss of sight sharpened the rest of her senses
and she savoured the night enveloping them. The cool breeze on her face and
in her hair, the sweet smell of the river and the night, the sound of the
water and the wind playing in the bare branches of the trees on the
riverside entered her consciousness and created an unreal, almost magical
atmosphere around them.

At length they stopped and William told her she could look. She opened her
eyes and gasped in surprise. There, on the river, adorned with colourful
lights and lanterns, rolled a small barge. She looked at William with
disbelief and he only smiled in response, before he took hold of her hand
again and led her on board.

They stepped on the deck and William opened the door leading inside the
barge. The entered it and again Elizabeth gasped in astonishment. The room
was small, but very cosy. Dark-wood walls and floor, pretty red curtains on
the small windows and a luxurious rug in the middle the floor. There were
two small pictures on the walls. In the middle of it stood a table covered
with white linen and set with elegant tableware and a vase with lavender
roses. Two chairs stood on the opposite sides of the table and next to it
stood a small trolley set with a number of dishes covered with lids that
prevented them from cooling down. The cabin was lit by a few candles, stuck
in several candlesticks on the table and the walls.

"William!" she exclaimed. "Did you do all this?"

He smiled with satisfaction. "Well, I admit Charles helped me with the
arrangements, but it was my idea. Do you like it?" he asked somewhat shyly.

She turned to him, her eyes shining with affection and gratitude. "I love
it! No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"They were all fools, then," he replied and bent to kiss her. When the kiss
ended, he led her to the table and pulled the chair for her.

"My, my, you are the perfect gentleman," she observed teasingly. "Are you
going to serve me now?"

"Oh yes. I hope you're hungry."

William sat opposite her and reached for the bottle of white wine that stood
on the table. He opened it and poured the wine to their glasses.

"To an uninterrupted evening," he toasted playfully, raising his glass. She
laughed and they drank.

With anticipation, Elizabeth saw William raise the lid of the first plate
and reveal beautifully served stuffed mushrooms.

"Here, try these. They are mushrooms stuffed with mixed crabs, shrimps and
cheese."

She took a bite and, indeed, they were delicious. A very fine start of a
tasty meal. She loved both mushrooms and seafood and was inordinately
curious about the next courses.

But, as it turned out, he wasn't going to just consume the food, he intended
to converse as well.

"I wasn't really sure whether you liked seafood, but Jane assured me that
you do," he started the conversation.

"I love seafood. Did you tell Jane about your plans for this evening?" she
asked.

"Yes, I told her and Charles," he admitted.

"I'm going to kill her. To know of such a thing and never to tell me!" she
exclaimed in mock disapproval.

"Don't be too hard on her. I asked them to keep this a secret. I wanted to
surprise you."

She smiled. "Well, you certainly managed to do it. But don't worry, I'm
going to forgive her this time."

"That's good," he answered. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She looked at him
questioningly. He got up and went to a small cabinet, which, after William
opened it, revealed a stereo. He hit the play button and returned to his
seat. The first notes of soft, sensual music filled the cabin. Elizabeth
recognized it instantly.

"Norah Jones? How did you know?" she looked at his face and noted an
embarrassed grin. "Not Jane again!" she put her head in her hands in mock
despair. "She's the most meddling, overbearing and overprotective sister in
the whole world! What else did she tell you?"

"She seems to be very proud of you and loves you very much. She's talked
about you quite a lot."

"And you listened?" she accused him good-naturedly.

"It was very interesting, how could I not listen? Besides, I've longed to
learn more about you ever since I met you," he admitted.

"And what did you learn?" She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him
inquiringly.

William turned from her gaze and proceeded to pour the soup into their
plates. His actions momentarily distracted Elizabeth and for some time she
gave in to savouring the delicious spicy fish soup. His strategy failed to
divert her attention for a long time, though.

"Well?" she insisted.

"Well," he repeated, leaning back in his chair and thinking for a while. "I
learnt that you love roses for one." She smiled and reached her hand to
gently touch the lavender petals of the lovely roses in the vase. "You like
seafood, but you adore sweet things even more and have a particular weakness
for chocolate. You enjoy listening to music and you can sing beautifully,
though not many people are fortunate enough to have had the privilege of
hearing you. You hate getting up early, but don't like sleeping in till
noon. Your first pet was a hamster called Dexter and you decided to become a
vet when you were three."

She raised her brows. "Impressive! But I'm at a disadvantage here. You know
all the intimate details of my life, whereas I know so little about you."

"Anything you want to know, just ask," he told her, looking into her eyes.

"All right. There's something I've been wondering since the dinner at
Netherfield. Why did you take such a long holiday, and how did you manage to
persuade your boss to let you off for so many weeks?" she looked at him with
daring in her eyes.

He was taken aback by her question. Could he tell her the truth and not make
a fool of himself at the same time?

"It was suggested to me after I fainted in the operating room," he finally
confessed, deciding to be truthful. He was almost sure she wouldn't make fun
of him.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Elizabeth exclaimed, terrified. She didn't
expect such an answer to her teasing question. She reached over and grabbed
his hand.

"It was nothing serious, just fatigue and stress," he assured her. "I'm much
better now."

"I knew you were not fine. You didn't look well when you first came here,"
she said, looking sincerely concerned. She stroked his cheek tenderly. "I
shouldn't have taken you out on that ride last Saturday. Why didn't you say
anything earlier?"

William covered her hand with his and kissed her palm. "I'm fine now. All I
needed was some rest and I've had plenty of it here. The healthy exercise is
recommended in such cases as mine. Trust me, I'm a doctor," he added
smiling.

She let the matter drop for some time and turned her attention to the new
dish that appeared before her. The fried trout and creamy mashed potatoes
literally melted in her mouth. She didn't know how he'd managed it, but each
dish turned out even tastier than the last one.

"A propos healthy exercise." he started, taking a sip of his wine. "I was
wondering if we could go somewhere tomorrow. It's Saturday and I enjoyed our
last outing very much. It doesn't have to be anything as demanding as a 20
mile bike ride. What do you say?"

"If you're sure it's safe for you, we could go horse-riding tomorrow. I've
already seen you on horseback and I know you ride very well. How about it?"

He smiled widely. "Sounds wonderful! I'll borrow a horse from Mr. Lucas and
come by your house."

They continued to talk about anything and everything, enjoying each other's
company. Both had never felt so well and so at ease before. William felt
that he could tell her anything and she would understand. He had known
almost from the moment he saw her that he wanted her. Now she seemed the
only woman for him. He had never been so bewitched by a woman before. He
looked at her, sitting opposite him, bathed in candle light, shadows moving
across her face, eyes shining, her chocolate curls glowing from the light of
the flames. She looked almost like an unearthly creature, a fairy who
condescended to live among humans. He longed to see the elf turn into a
flesh and blood woman in his arms, her warm, luscious body writhing under
him in ecstasy.

"Everything was so delicious," Elizabeth interrupted his thoughts by
speaking up. "I don't know how you did this. You chose all my favourite
dishes," she said with some wonder.

He smiled lightly. "As I said, I've had help. Besides, it's not wise to
praise the day before the sunrise. Wait for the dessert with your final
assessment."

"I'm not sure I can manage to eat more," she responded, leaning back and
putting her hands on her belly.

"I think you'll think differently when you see what's for dessert," he said.

"You're very sure of yourself! All right then, relieve my curiosity. What is
it?"

He put a bowl before her and raised the lid triumphantly.

"Chocolate mousse! This is most unfair! You know I can't resist that!" she
accused him with a pout.

"Why should you?" He took a spoonful of his helping and offered it to her.
"Come on, try it. It's delectable," he tempted and she succumbed.

"Mmmmm, yummy," she murmured, closing her eyes in bliss. When she opened
them, she had mischievous sparkles in her eyes. "Your turn now," she said
and fed him from her spoon. They continued to feed each other in the same
manner for some time. William couldn't get enough of the sight of her lips
when they enclosed on his spoon and the soft pink tongue that darted now and
then to lick the remains of chocolate from her lips. All the time, she was
sighing and moaning her appreciation for the dessert. The erotic picture she
presented and the almost orgasmic sounds she was emitting caused him to
imagine her thus in a quite different setting and without the vile clothes
that covered her from his sight. He felt a growing tightness in his trousers
and shifted uncomfortably. This idea of feeding her proved tricky after all.

Elizabeth wasn't at all aware of the lustful thoughts on William's mind, she
was too much occupied in pondering how his eyes seemed almost black in the
faint light of the candles. They were like two obsidian pools; she felt she
could drown in them so easily. She admired his long lashes - thousands of
women would envy them, they were so thick and dark. His straight, noble
nose, high cheekbones and wide forehead with black curls falling over it,
curls she longed to brush away from his handsome face. And his lips.she knew
they were soft and sensuous and she could feel her own lips tingling at the
thought of his kisses. He had a bit of chocolate on his lips and she wanted
very badly to remove it with her tongue. He was the most beautiful and sexy
man she had ever seen.

Their trance was broken by the sound of a new song starting to play.

Like a flower waiting to bloom
Like a lightbulb in a dark room
I'm just sitting here waiting for you
To come home and turn me on

"I love this song," Elizabeth sighed.

William took her hand. "Dance with me?"

She beamed at him. "Yes."

Once more they were dancing together and it was every bit as wonderful as
the last time. Elizabeth embraced his neck and his arms encircled her waist,
pulling her close to him. They swayed to the music, together with the gentle
rock of the boat. Elizabeth put her head on his chest, so lean and muscular,
so warm and comfortable. She inhaled his stirring scent and closed her eyes
in bliss. She could feel William's hands slide up and down her back slowly,
his mouth on her hair.

William felt a burning sensation in all places where their bodies touched.
Her soft breasts pressed gently against his chest were making him crazy. Her
rich, luxurious curls tickled his neck and face and her sweet fragrance
intoxicated his senses. His hands rested on her lower back, but itched to
touch her more intimately. Unable to resist the temptation, he let them
slide lower and caress her backside. Even through layers of clothing, its
supple curves felt heavenly and he softly and pressed her closer to him.

Elizabeth could feel his hands on her rear and trembled at his rousing
touch. As he pressed her more tightly to him, she could feel the
unmistakable evidence of his passion and the feel of it filled her with a
deep, flaming need. She raised her head from his chest and, placing her
hands on his face, kissed him hungrily. Although startled, he wasted no time
in returning the kiss and for the next couple of minutes they were involved
in a heated exchange, tongues clashing and duelling, mouths touching and
caressing, hands stroking, wandering and exploring. Elizabeth slid her
fingers through his silky curls, enjoying the way they felt under her hands.
He, in turn, wove his fingers in her tresses, losing himself in the touch,
taste and scent of her.

They finally broke for air and she rested her head on his shoulder, both
were panting.

"Mmmmm, you taste of chocolate," he murmured against her hair. She giggled,
giddy from his closeness.

"So do you."

"And you smell wonderful, too," he inhaled her fragrance, filling his lungs
with her scent.

She leaned away from him a bit and slid her hands under his suit jacket. She
caressed his chest temptingly, until he groaned. He leaned down and
whispered in her ear, "If you don't want to be ravished here and now, I
advise you to stop this teasing."

She blushed at his playful caution and stopped her caresses. Instead, she
kissed him again. A few minutes later, he broke off and said, unsteadily, "I
think we should go now. I'll drive you home."

She nodded and followed him out of the barge. She shivered in the cold night
air, feeling strangely bereft without his arms around her. They drove back
to her house in silence, holding hands in a quiet understanding.




William stopped the car before the driveway to her house and turned to her,
his face hidden by the darkness. They looked at each other in silence of a
long moment, before he bent down and claimed her lips. At first, the kiss
was gentle and tender, but it soon grew in intensity that spoke of passion
and a deep need. She returned the kiss eagerly, winding her hands in his
hair and nibbling at his lower lip. He leaned forward, his body hovering
over hers, his hands all over her back, then travelling to the front,
searching, sliding into the folds of her coat, one of them on her backside,
the other descending to caress her thighs, then going down, down to her calf
where it took hold of the hem of her skirt and proceeded to lifting it.

William was surged in a haze of desire, the feeling of her leg in a silk
stocking burning his palm, he caressed her as his mouth left her lips to
trail kisses along the line of her jaw and the graceful curve of her neck.
She arched her neck to allow him better access, his passionate kisses and
caresses igniting a fire within her. Her hands slid inside his coat and she
once again explored his chest, marvelling at the hard muscles she felt under
her fingers, to his back and broad shoulders, eliciting a deep moan from
him, which excited her own ardour even more.

Feeling as if she were floating on a cloud, she was lost in the sensations
he was creating in her, barely aware of where she was anymore, fervently
receiving and reciprocating his advances. His hands continued their search,
moving up to take hold of her breast. When he captured it with his hand, her
senses began to return to her. Thoughts started penetrating her dazed mind,
unwelcome and not a little disturbing.

Elizabeth dimly started to reflect on the evening and its meaning. She had
had a wonderful time, had revelled in his company, enjoyed their
conversation, and the memory of their dance still made her heart pound. His
kisses and caresses were exhilarating and she had to admit she wanted him,
but what now? Was she ready to take the next step? Did he even want to take
the next step? Oh, she knew he had wanted her as well, his remark about
ravishing her and his visible excitement spoke for themselves. But was there
anything beyond them? How much of his attraction to her was based on
affection and how much on lust? No, she couldn't do it, she couldn't commit
herself to a man she wasn't sure of, she thought regretfully.

"William." she said. He was kissing the skin of hr cleavage now, having
unbuttoned a few more buttons. He seemed not to hear her, because he didn't
react in any way, nor did he stop his caresses. "William, wait," she
repeated more clearly, pulling herself away from him a little. He stopped
his attentions, raised his head and looked at her. He tried to read her
face, but the only thing he could make out in the darkness were her eyes,
which were now shining with a kind of strange light.

Breathing heavily, he straightened his back and leaned on his own seat.
Elizabeth longed to know what he was thinking, was he angry with her? The
silence was unbearable, she had to break it. "I'm sorry." she mumbled not
very coherently. "I like you William, I really do." she stopped.

"But?" he prompted, looking at her intently.

"It's just too soon.I mean, today was technically our first date! I'm just
not ready yet," she explained softly, with her eyes on her hands that
fidgeted nervously in her lap.

William breathed a silent sigh of relief. For a moment he had feared she'd
say she had boyfriend or that she only wanted them to be friends, or
something else that would prevent him from furthering and deepening their
relationship. He was disappointed with her withdrawal, but heartened all the
same that she had, implicitly, implied that they were headed to further
intimacy.

Elizabeth waited for his response in some agitation. He'd have every right
to call her a tease after she'd responded to his advances and then pushed
him away. When his answer came, though, it filled her with the deepest
relief.

"It's all right.I understand," he said slowly. "But I think you'd better go
now. There's only so much a man can take," he added ruefully. She nodded in
understanding. William bent down and kissed her forehead, allowing himself
the last draught of the scent of her skin and hair, before he let her go.
"I'll see you tomorrow."

She opened the door and was just about to step out when a thought entered
her head. She turned to him and said seductively, but with impish gleams in
her eyes, "Good night William. I hope you'll sleep well."

"Teasing woman! Get out of my car before I get you!" he shouted in mock
anger. She laughed and nimbly got away from his reach. She ran to the house
followed by his gaze. What a woman! To arouse him so unbelievably,
disappoint him painfully and then tease him so that he couldn't really be
angry at her! He shook his head in bemusement. I can wait, Lizzy. Her
nickname came naturally to his thoughts. But please, God, not too
long!

*"Turn Me On", J.D. Loudermilk, performed by Norah Jones, 2002 Capitol
Records, Inc.

Chapter fourteen

The next morning turned out to be not what William had hoped for. Dark and
heavy clouds were covering the sky and, from the speed at which they
traveled, it could be assumed that the wind was fairly strong. William
checked this assumption during his morning walk with Hurst and it proved
quite true. The morning was cold, but the strong wind made it seem freezing.

William cursed the uncooperative weather. He had hoped for a lovely ride
with Elizabeth and it could be difficult in these conditions. At least it
didn't rain, he comforted himself with this thought. Elizabeth hadn't
called to cancel their outing, so she probably didn't think the weather
would disturb their plans.

After breakfast, he drove to Lucas Farm, where he borrowed a horse and left
his car. Then he rode on to Elizabeth's house, observing the sky with
growing apprehension. It didn't rain yet, but it looked like it could start
anytime. He got to his destination a few minutes later heartened, because
it was still dry. He jumped down, tied the reins to a tree and went in the
direction of the main door, but was stopped by Jack, who ran to him and
pounced at him, delighted. William greeted the dog warmly.

"Hello big guy, where's your mistress?" he asked, scratching the Labrador
vigorously behind the ears. He looked around and saw Elizabeth going out of
the shed, leading Triss by the reins. She smiled and waved to him and he
waved back. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans that showed off her
perfect legs and lovely derriere, a warm-looking, woolen brown jacket and a
pair of boots. Her hair was in a bun again and he couldn't help but admire
the way her face looked in this hairstyle, with the small tendrils
surrounding it and her features not obscured from his view. Even though she
looked completely opposite to her yesterday's appearance, to William she
was incredibly sexy, and his feelings on beholding her were as powerful as
if she were dressed in the sexiest and most transparent negligee.

He got to his feet and walked to her, sweeping her in his arms and greeting
her with a passionate kiss. After some time, when they broke for air,
Elizabeth said impishly, "Morning, William. Sleep well?"

"What do you think?" he snorted. "Well enough, thank you. Though not as
well as I could have. Thoughts and dreams were keeping me awake. I expect
some kind of recompense from you today."

She laughed. "I will happily ensure that you have no problems falling
asleep tonight. Not after our ride."

William's brows shot up, and he leaned down to nibble at her earlobe.
"Mmmm, I can hardly wait."

"I meant horseback ride, as well you know," she scolded him, even as
she shivered at his touch.

"Of course you did, my dear. Let us get to it, then," he said and,
abruptly, released her, turning around and walking back to his horse.
Elizabeth stood startled, looking after him in surprise. So this is your
revenge, William Darcy,  she thought with some amusement. The feeling
of Triss' muzzle poking her gently on her back shook her out of her
reverie. She took Jack by his collar and led him to the house, where she
locked him up, despite his protest. She then mounted the horse and let her
trot through the gate, with William behind them, trying to catch up.

Elizabeth made no effort to escape him, so William leveled with her
quickly. He looked at her with slight disapproval and she had to laugh
again at his discontented face.

"If you want to ride with me, you should try keeping up with my
pace," she said teasingly.

"You think I'm incapable of keeping up with you?" he asked in mock offense.

"I never said that! I just think that you may be out of practice, that's
all," she answered with an impudent smile.

William opened his mouth to protest, but his words were swallowed by the
gust of wind that hit them at that moment. The weather wasn't getting any
better, if anything, it was getting worse.

"Me, out of practice? Wherever did you get this idea?" he inquired.

"Well, you're the big city boy, aren't you?" she asked, rather rhetorically.

"So?"

She rolled her eyes. "So? I should think that was obvious. City boys would
rather rely on the horsepower of their cars than the backs of these noble
animals," said Elizabeth as she leaned down and patted Triss' side. "I
wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't tell the horse's head from the
tail," she added with a laugh.

"Well, maybe that's the case with most of them," William admitted grudgingly.

"But not you?" she voiced his unspoken thought, looking at him intently.
They were riding side by side now, the howling of the wind making the
conversation impossible if they were separated by a greater distance.

"Look at me. Do I look like this was the first time I sat on a horse?" She
ogled him and had to admit to herself that no, he didn't - far from it. "I
admit I've neglected sport in the last couple of months, but, come on, this
is like sex - once you learn it, you never forget how to do it."

Elizabeth laughed out loud, grabbing the lapels of her jacket and bringing
them together as an unexpectedly strong gust hit them.

"But you know what they say, an unused organ withers," she looked at him,
smiling wickedly.

He leaned in her direction and whispered in her ear, "I can assure you
there is nothing withered in my body."

"That's what you're saying," she dismissed him with a wave.

"You don't believe me? All right, I'll prove it to you," he said firmly.

She turned in his direction with a curious look on her face. "And just how
are you going to do it?"

"I propose a race. I'll show you just how withered I am," he said
pointedly, his eyebrows raised.

This was a dare she had to take. "All right. As you wish, but don't ask me
to bandage your hurting organs when you lose."

"We'll see who'll need bandaging," he answered her, as they leveled,
preparing to start. In a moment they started, Elizabeth quickly overtaking
him. She galloped through the field and soon rode into the forest, racing
through a rather narrow path between the trees. The wind howled in her
ears, the branches moving rapidly, the tree tops bending dangerously.
Elizabeth relished the speed and the knowledge that William was far behind
her. With a feeling of triumph, she laughed and kicked Triss' sides. The
mare instantly sped up and they were galloping along the path, when
suddenly Elizabeth heard a cracking sound and seconds later, a large pine
branch fell to the ground just in front of the horse's hooves. Surprised
and startled, Triss neighed and reared, Elizabeth tried to grab her by the
mane, but her hands missed it and, before she realized what was happening,
she fell to the ground. She winced, all of the air escaping her lungs at
the painful blow, and faintly registered the sound of Triss' hooves running
away, even as she heard William's terrified yell and his own horse nearing
the place where she was lying.

"Elizabeth!" William cried, as he brought his horse to a halt, jumped down
and ran to her, falling to his knees beside her. "Elizabeth, are you ok?"
he asked with audible fear in his voice. When he had seen her falling down,
he could swear he had felt his heart stop for a moment. He touched her
tentatively, not daring to move her, in case she had some serious injury.

"I think so," she said with some difficulty.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked. She lay on her back on the ground, not
moving, her eyes closed in pain, and he was beside himself with worry and
guilt.

"Everywhere," she replied, wincing. "But my ankle most of all."

"Which ankle?" he asked, moving down her body to examine her legs.

"The left one," she told him and inhaled sharply as his hand raised the leg
of her jeans and touched her ankle lightly. He untied her boot and took it
off as gently as he could. Elizabeth remained lying down, with her eyes
firmly shut in pain, but she didn't make any sound. He took her foot in his
hand and moved it slowly a few times. She moaned quietly, but otherwise
kept her dignity.

"I don't think it's broken, but you still should get an X-ray," he
pronounced after a moment, the professional routine settling down some of
his worry.

She shook her head. "No, it's not necessary. It doesn't hurt so much
anymore," she protested, but it sounded weak even to her ears.

"Elizabeth, I'm taking you to Charles's clinic and you're getting an X-ray.
I don't want to hear any protests," he said categorically.

"Oh, all right," she conceded, then started getting up, leaning on her elbows.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting up. You could help me," she stated.

"You're not getting up on your own," he protested.

"Yes, I am," she insisted and sat up.

"No, you're not," he cut short and, not waiting for her reply, scooped her
up in his arms.

"Hey, put me down!" she cried in indignation.

"Oh, will you shut up at last?" he yelled, completely out of patience with
her and too anxious to master his emotions. He shut her up all right, she
was stunned at his referring to her in such a disrespectful manner and
vowed never to speak to him again. He sat her in the saddle and mounted the
horse, sitting behind her.

"I advise that you hold on to me, unless you want to fall down again," he
instructed her matter-of-factly.

"Bully," she grumbled, pointedly looking ahead and not even glancing in his
direction, but embraced his waist and held on tight as he took the reins
and made the horse trot towards the Lucas Farm. After a moment, however,
she looked around and asked with fear, "William, where's Triss?"

"I saw her run away after you fell," he replied.

"William, we need to find her!" Elizabeth exclaimed, having quite forgotten
her own pain and annoyance with him.

"Elizabeth, you need to get an X-ray now. As soon as you're done with it,
I'm going to take you home and look for her," he replied patiently.

"But what if something happens to her?" Elizabeth asked in a small voice,
as tears filled her eyes.

"Nothing is going to happen to her, I promise," he reassured her. She
sighed tremulously and hugged him closer. William embraced her as tightly
as he could while holding the reins at the same time and kissed her
forehead gently. She was clearly in a shock and still scared by her fall,
hence the unusual swinging moods, from fury to despair in a matter of minutes.

William couldn't help but blame himself for all this. After all, wasn't he
the one who had proposed this stupid race? If it weren't for him she
wouldn't have fallen down. If something serious had happened to her, he'd
never have forgiven himself.

Elizabeth calmed down somewhat by the time they reached the Lucas Farm,
where William left his horse and put Elizabeth into his car. He drove to
Meryton, hoping that Charles didn't have many patients and could examine
her properly as soon as they got there. Elizabeth was silent during their
drive, looking out of the window with a dejected face. It was all his
fault! William wondered if she'd ever forgive him if something happened to
Triss.

A few minutes later they reached the clinic and William once again carried
Elizabeth inside. This time she didn't even try to protest. This apathy
worried him more than anything else. William brought her inside, shutting
the door loudly. The startled receptionist raised her head from her
paperwork and looked at them in astonishment.

"Is Dr. Bingley in his office?" William asked.

"Yes, he is," replied the receptionist. William nodded his thanks and went
straight to the office, the stunned woman not bothering to stop him. He
knocked on the door and, without waiting for a reply, entered the office.

Charles was just having a coffee break, when William barged into the room
with Elizabeth in tow. He looked up and exclaimed, "What's happened?"

"She fell off her horse," William explained, as he laid Elizabeth down on
the examination table. "I think she sprained her ankle, but she should have
an X-ray done to make sure the ankle's not broken or splintered."

Charles nodded. "Why is she so quiet?" he asked William as he started
taking off her boot.

"I think she's in shock," William replied.

Charles removed the boot from Elizabeth's foot and she hissed as much from
pain as from anger, "I'm not in shock! I just don't want to talk to you!
It's the second time today I'm tortured like this....ouch! Would you cut it
out? Bloody doctors," she muttered under her breath.

"She'll be fine," said Charles with a roll of his eyes. "Now, let's look at
the ankle."

Elizabeth snorted, but allowed Charles to examine her. He soon pronounced,
"I don't think it's broken, but we need to make an X-ray."

She exhaled in irritation. "Tell me something I haven't heard before."

"Will, the X-ray machine is in the other room. Can you carry her?" Charles
asked, ignoring Elizabeth's angry mutterings.

"Sure." William scooped her up and carried her to another room, where he
placed her on the table, under the X-ray machine. Elizabeth bore the
ministrations patiently, only now and then looking blackly at both men.

A few minutes later, she was transported back to the main office, where she
was left by herself, while William and Charles developed her X-ray. After
some time, they walked into the office.

"We were right, the ankle's not broken, only sprained," said Charles.

"I could tell you that myself," she mumbled with irritation.

"Sure you could," Charles cut short. "You'll have to wear a brace for a week."

"What? Oh, no, no way!" she protested.

"And no working for at least 7 days," he continued, ignoring her
whining.

"You can't do this to me!"

"Oh yes I can, and I will. You'll sit at home and spare this leg for a
week. No work at the clinic or the farms and only a minimum of work at
home. It's the doctor's orders," he stated firmly.

"And how am I supposed to survive this week sitting on my butt? You know
very well I live alone!" she pointed out in annoyance.

"You could move back to your parents for the time being" Charles suggested.

Elizabeth's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "You've got to be kidding me!
There's no way I'm moving back with mum, Kitty and Lydia. I'd only get
worse from it."

"I think you might have a point here," Charles agreed and then thought for
a while. "Jane and I will help you. You could ask Charlotte, your parents
and the rest of your sisters for help as well."

"Will you come and muck Triss' stall, too?" Elizabeth asked sarcastically.
"This is not just regular housework help I'm going to need. I have sick and
injured animals in the shed, I need to take care of them."

"Maria will take over your work at the clinic. Can't she help you with
other animals as well?" Elizabeth nodded grudgingly. "See, it'll all turn
out well. It's only one week."

Elizabeth huffed in irritation, but stopped fighting. She knew Charles was
right, but she hated having to depend on anybody and asking for help. She
lowered her head in resignation.

"Can I go home now?" she asked, tired of all this fuss over her.

Charles looked questioningly at William, who shook his head in the
negative. "I'd like to examine your head first. You could have hit it
received some internal injury."

"I didn't hit my head," said Elizabeth.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I don't think so..." she said hesitantly. "At least I don't remember
doing so. I think the pain in my leg was too strong to let me notice
anything else."

"I don't think there's any serious danger then, but I'd still prefer to
make sure." Elizabeth nodded, resigned to her fate. It seemed that she was
destined to be poked, nudged and jabbed for the whole of the following week.

William felt her head carefully for any signs of bumps, shined a light in
her eyes and hit her knees and elbows with a small hammer to check her
reflexes.

"Do you feel any pain in your head?" Elizabeth shook her head. "Any nausea?
Seeing disturbances?" She answered all his questions negatively.

"Then I think nothing's wrong. You don't need to get a head scan. Unless of
course you have any disturbing symptoms."

"Thank goodness, I've had enough radiation for the day," Elizabeth grumbled.

Charles put her foot in a brace, then gave her some pills in case the ankle
hurt her. He also went to the storage room and brought a pair of crutches
for her. Elizabeth looked at them with horror, but he assured her she'd
only need them temporarily.

When all was taken care of, William drove Elizabeth back to her house.

When they reached her house, William left Elizabeth inside and went out to
look for Triss. He hoped she hadn't run far. He still felt really bad about
what had happened. His stupid ego had brought Elizabeth nothing but
trouble. A sprained ankle, not a little pain, problems with work,
inconvenience with housework and, if it weren't enough, her beloved horse
had gotten lost. Nice work, Darcy, he berated himself.

He hadn't gone far into the woods when he heard a rustle among the bushes.
He whistled and called the mare's name. Instantly, Triss appeared, chewing
on the remains of grass as if nothing had happened. William breathed with
relief, it seemed as though she was all right. He approached the horse and
took her by the reins. He preferred not to try riding her, although she
looked calm enough, he wasn't eager to find out on his own skin that it was
only an appearance. Instead, he took the reins and led her, and she
followed willingly.

Elizabeth sat on the couch with her feet propped at a stool, staring glumly
into space. The day didn't turn out the way she thought it would. She had
hoped for a nice ride and a chance to be with William and instead she ended
up with a sprained ankle and lots of practical problems on her hands.

What was she to do? Going back home, even for a short time, wasn't an
option. She relished her independence and would prefer anything to going
back to her mother's clutches. She'd have to swallow her pride and her
cherished autonomy and ask for help.

But, on the other hand, why shouldn't I? she asked herself angrily.
She had only herself to blame for her present situation. It was her own
recklessness and irresponsibility that had brought her to this place. But
why must other people suffer together with her? Elizabeth was certain her
friends and even her family wouldn't mind helping her in the least, but she
felt really bad to be forced to take advantage of their kindness. She hated
having to be a burden to anybody and it seemed that for the next week she
would be just that.

Suddenly she could hear the front door open, and seconds later William
walked into the room. She looked at him expectantly, nervous.

"I've found her," he reassured her, before she managed to ask the question.
"She's safe and sound in her stall right now."

"Thank God!" Elizabeth exclaimed, extremely relieved. "Thank you so much
for finding her," she said to William with a warm, grateful smile.

"You're welcome," he answered. "Now, what can I get you? Something to eat
or drink, a book or a magazine?"

"Nothing, thank you, I'm ok," she assured him.

"Are you sure? It's almost one and I'm hungry. I'm sure you must be, too."

"I don't want to inconvenience you even more, you've already done so much
for me today," she replied.

"Nonsense! I'll make you a sandwich and a nice cup of tea and you'll eat
it," he told her.

"Ok, but only if you'll eat as well," she agreed. He smiled and went into
the kitchen. After a few minutes he returned with a tray laden with tea and
sandwiches. He put it on the coffee table, but didn't sit next to her.
Elizabeth looked in surprise as he went to the other side of the room and
picked up a blanket lying on an armchair. Without a word, William spread
the blanket over her legs, which rested on a small stool, and then sat
beside her.

"There, are you comfortable?" She nodded. They started eating.

"It's the second day in a row that I'm serving you. Though today's meal
isn't as fine as yesterday's," he quipped.

"It's fine," she said, not looking at him. He looked at her sharply,
surprised by her strange behaviour. Such changing moods as he'd witnessed
in her today, he was sure were not easy to be found. Strangely enough,
these swinging moods only made her all the more intriguing to him. He
understood that she'd had a very hard day, hence her strange temper. Now,
though, something was clearly bothering her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

She shrugged, looking at her hands. "I feel so stupid. You've been so
wonderful to me and I've behaved like a bitch...."

William leaned toward her and took her hand in his. She looked up into his
face, her eyes questioning. "That's not true. You've had a very stressful
day and I understand it."

She lowered her head again. "I'm sorry. I've been so stupid. I behaved
recklessly and now everybody has to pay for my foolishness."

She looked so dejected that William couldn't stand it. Gently, he took her
chin in his hand and made her look at him. "Elizabeth, you're too hard on
yourself. It wasn't your fault. If anybody is to blame in this situation,
it's me."

She furrowed her brows in confusion. "You?"

He let out an annoyed sigh, still angry with himself. "Yes, me. I was the
one who suggested this whole race, remember? If it wasn't for me, this
would never have happened."

"But that's ridiculous! You didn't put a gun to my head, and I'm
responsible for my own actions."

"Still, I feel guilty. I want to do something to make it up to you," he
said, taking her hand again.

"William, you've already done enough for me," she protested.

"That was no more than I should have done. I want to do more. I want to
help you during your convalescence," he uttered, looking at her earnestly,
as he stroked her hand with his.

"That's very generous of you, but you don't have to do it. I'll ask my
friends and family to help me."

"I know that, but they are busy, they have jobs, school and their own
problems. While I'm sitting idly at Netherfield. Don't you think it would
be reasonable if I was the one to help you with everything?" he tried to
convince her.

"But you're on holiday! I can't let you waste this time for me."

"I enjoy spending time with you," he said, leaning to kiss her. "And since
you can't go out anywhere right now, my only choice is to come over here."

"In that case why don't you just move in?" she suggested in jest.

For a moment he looked as if he was struck with an idea. "You know what?
That's not a bad idea." Did I just say it?

She gave a short laugh, but grew solemn on seeing his face. "You're kidding
right?"

He hesitated for a moment, as if considering her question. He said it
without thinking, but now, as he thought about it, the idea appealed to him
very much indeed. "No, I'm not. Wait, before you say anything, just listen
to me, all right?" She nodded.

"I'd like to move in for a few days, if you'll allow it. I'll be much
calmer if I'm nearby when you need me, also at night."

Elizabeth looked at him with a doubtful expression on her face. She wasn't
sure she liked this idea. "I don't know William, I'm really grateful for
your concern, but I can't ask this of you," she replied, "We hardly know
each other...."

"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the couch," he assured her.

"That's not what I'm worried about. Besides, you wouldn't have to sleep on
the couch, I have a spare bedroom. No, what I'm afraid of is how it's going
to look to other people and how I'm going to feel about it. I'd feel
uncomfortable with this situation, wouldn't you?"

"Well, I admit it's quite an unusual circumstance, but it would be just
temporary. I'd be more like a nurse to you than anything else." Unless
you want me to be otherwise, he added silently, but didn't dare to
utter the words out loud.

Elizabeth didn't respond for a while, so he tried a different approach.
"Come on, you'll do me a favour. Now when Caroline's gone I feel like an
odd-man-out at Netherfield. I'm starting to feel very uncomfortable in
Charles and Jane's love nest," William said jokingly.

Elizabeth giggled at his description of their sister and her fianc񚼂R>relationship, it was right on the mark. Suddenly, though, something else
occurred to her.

"Caroline's gone?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, she left a few days ago. I thought Jane told you."

"No, I haven't spoken to her since Wednesday. But what happened? Why did
she leave?"

William shifted uncomfortably, knowing he would have to relay the story to
her, but not at all looking forward to it. "It's a long story and you
haven't answered my question yet," he reminded her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but considered the matter for some time. She
decided it wasn't so unreasonable. She really needed somebody nearby, at
least until she learnt to use these bloody crutches. And she could even
convince her mother that the only reason William lived with her was because
she needed the doctor's help. Of course, that wouldn't stop Mrs. Bennet's
hopes that he might fall in love with her, but at least it would prevent
her from informing the whole town that Elizabeth and William were getting
married.

"All right, I accept your offer. Thank you," she said finally.

"Great! You won't regret it! I'm very good with the housework and I can
cook a decent dinner, too," he gloated, very happy about her decision.

"You're a man of many talents, I can see," she responded, somewhat cheered up.

"Of course I am," he admitted not very modestly. "And let's not forget the
bonus you'll get from my being here."

"What's that?" she asked, intrigued.

"I'm a doctor. If need be, I can take care of the animals, change a
bandage, give a shot and so on," he said proudly.

"You would do that?" she asked, incredulous, but very much pleased.

"I'd do anything to help you," William assured her, brushing her hair away
from her face.

"I'd be very grateful for that. But you need to promise me something."

"Yes?" he looked at her expectantly.

"Promise me that you won't treat them carelessly, because they're animals.
You have to take as good care of them as if they were people," she said,
looking at him with serious eyes.

"I promise," he swore earnestly and Elizabeth smiled. He put his arm
around her shoulders, pulling her body to him. With a sigh, Elizabeth
leaned her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead gently, marveling
at their closeness.

"Now, let's see if there's some match on TV," William said, as he took the
remote and turned the TV set on. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Hey, just because I let you hang around here doesn't mean you can have the
TV all to yourself. Now give me that remote," with that she quickly grabbed
the remote and changed the channel to one showing reruns of "The Eastenders."

"I'm always too busy to watch it. Now I finally have some time. Something
good came from this accident, after all."

William groaned and Elizabeth laughed, but mercifully changed the channel
and for the next couple of hours they watched Discovery Channel in perfect
harmony.

Chapter fifteen

Maybe being injured is not such a bad thing after all, thought
Elizabeth, as she nestled comfortably in William's arms. She was feeling so
snug and cosy under the warm blanket and in the strong embrace of a
handsome man, that she had no wish to be anyplace else. Her leg hurt a
little, but the pills Charles had given her served their purpose very well
and soon all the pain was gone. Elizabeth was feeling so contented that she
found herself dozing off on the couch. She couldn't remember the last time
she felt so relaxed and peaceful....

The rude sound of the doorbell roused her from her sleep. Elizabeth groaned
and covered her face with her hands. "What now?" she asked in a pitiful voice.

William looked at her sympathetically. "I'll go and see." He carefully
disentangled himself from Elizabeth, left her lying on the couch and went
to answer the door. She closed her eyes again and was just about to fall
back asleep when the voice she heard from the hall rendered her fully awake.

"Where is my little girl?! I must see her now!"

Dismayed, Elizabeth sat up on the couch. "Mum?" The instant she said it,
Mrs. Bennet walked briskly into the room, carrying four bags and almost
knocking over a vase in the process. Elizabeth's shock at seeing her mother
was great indeed, she was really not fit enough to face her right now. Plus
she had the additional mortification of having William there to witness her
absurdity.

"Oh Lizzy, my dear child, what has happened to you?" She sat on the couch
next to Elizabeth and touched her forehead. "Honey, I was so worried. How
are you feeling? Does it hurt a lot?"

Elizabeth shook her head in bewilderment. "I'm ok." Mrs. Bennet turned to
William, who stood in the doorway, not sure whether he should leave the
women alone or join them.

"William, thank you so much for helping my baby. You've saved her life!"
cried Mrs. Bennet.

William walked into the room and sat in an armchair next to the couch. On
Mrs. Bennet's addressing him, he smiled uncomfortably. "I didn't do
anything special."

Fanny shook her head emphatically. "Oh yes, yes you did! If you weren't
there, she'd still be lying in some ditch, unable to move or call for help."

"Mum," Elizabeth tried to stop Mrs. Bennet's melodramatic discourse. Her
mother turned to her.

"Lizzy, lie down and don't talk, you should be resting. She's such a
reckless and heedless creature, William. She'd always get into all kinds of
trouble when she was a child. Her father and I just didn't know what to do
with her. Jane was always such a good, calm girl, but Lizzy was a little
devil. You just never knew what kind of crazy ideas were going to pop into
her head!"

"Mum!" Elizabeth interjected, beet red with embarrassment.

"Shhh, rest, child. Where was I? Ah, yes, she had all manner of insane
ideas and I swear it, more than once I thought she was going to drive me to
an early grave! I will never forget how she fell into a heap of horse dung
when she was four years old."

William glanced at Elizabeth and noticed her face was red and apprehensive.
He smiled at her and winked, then turned all his attention to Mrs. Bennet.
Her monologue was getting really interesting and William was left with no
choice but to listen and occasionally nod his head in understanding.

"We were here, eating dinner with my parents. It was Sunday. We used to
have Sunday family dinners at this house, you know. So we were eating
dinner... no, actually we'd just finished dessert and were drinking coffee.
The children were all playing outside, the girls and their cousins, the
Phillipses. Did you know I have a sister, Amanda? She married Alan
Phillips and they have two boys. I also have a brother, Edward, but he
moved to London. But anyway, what was I saying? Yes, the children were
playing outside and we were drinking coffee, when suddenly we heard a
shriek. We ran outside and found Lizzy on the heap of horse dung behind the
stable - my father was a vet, but he also bred horses - in her lovely, new
dress. It turned out the Phillips boys had climbed the stable roof and
Lizzy followed them, only they were ten and twelve then and she was only
four! It was a miracle she didn't fall on the ground or she could have
killed herself! But it was always the way with her. Always the worst tomboy
you could imagine; climbing the trees and running around with boys. I can't
tell you how my nerves have suffered because of that girl."

"Mum!" Elizabeth was getting tired with her mother talking about her as if
she wasn't present. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here? What kind of a question is that, child? Jane told me you
had an accident, shame on you for not informing your own mother. All the
nights I sat by your side when you were ill, not sleeping, fearing you'd
not survive until the morning." Mrs. Bennet sniffed and closed her eyes
theatrically. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her mother's display. "But no
one can understand how great is a mother's sacrifice!"

Fanny sighed and shook her head thoughtfully. She quickly snapped out of
her pensiveness, her sharp eyes resting on Elizabeth, who was becoming more
and more nervous. "But now I've taken matters into my own hands. I'm going
to stay with you until you get better. You won't have to do a thing, just
lie down and rest and I'll do everything. Now, I've brought you some soup,
I'm going to heat some of it. Would you like some as well, William?"

Before William managed to reply, Elizabeth interjected in a highly agitated
manner, "Mum, I'm very grateful for your concern, but you don't have to
stay with me."

"Nonsense, child! I'm going to stay and take care of you, just like when
you were small. Who will take better care of you than your own mother?"
Mrs. Bennet cooed, patting bewildered Elizabeth on the cheek.

"Really, mum, this won't be necessary!" said the young woman, casting
William a desperate look that asked him silently: help me!

"And why not?" demanded Mrs. Bennet, offended that her ungrateful daughter
was rejecting her gracious offer of help.

"Because I'm going to be here," said William clearly. Both women turned
their heads to look at him, one completely stunned, the other relieved and
grateful. "I am sure that no one can take better care of Elizabeth than her
own mother, Mrs. Bennet, but you are very busy, with many responsibilities
- your other daughters, your husband, the housekeeping - I simply can't
allow you to exert yourself so much when I am perfectly able to help.
Elizabeth is a very close...err....friend of mine and I'd be happy to take care
of her. Besides, if she ever needs professional help, I'll be nearby to
assist."

For some time Fanny Bennet was quite speechless. At first she was too
surprised to say anything, her brain working hard to make sense of the fact
that William Darcy, the famous and rich neurosurgeon, wanted to act as a
nurse to her daughter. Then, gradually, an idea started forming in her
head. She looked at Elizabeth, then back to William and smiled knowingly.
"William, dear, this is very gracious of you! I really do have a lot on my
hands, being a mother and a wife is a full time job, you know. In fact, I
think I should get back home right now, there's always so much to do."

She pecked Elizabeth's cheek and rose from the couch. "Take good care of my
girl, William!"

"I will, Mrs. Bennet," William assured her.

"Fanny, please, let's not be so formal! Take care, Lizzy, I'll call you
tomorrow to see how you are. Goodbye William." And with the same flurry
with which she arrived, Hurricane Fanny left the house.

Elizabeth looked at William and heaved a huge sigh. "And you were wondering
why I didn't want to move back home?" She fell back on the couch and put
her hand to her forehead.

"She's not that bad... she's just worried about you," said William, but
somehow it didn't sound convincing even to himself. Elizabeth just looked
at him skeptically.

"I'm sorry for her babbling, when she finds a willful listener, she can go
on and on."

William smirked. "I didn't mind that in the least. Actually, I rather
enjoyed her story." He rose from his place and sat beside her. "I could
just imagine you as that mischievous little girl. You haven't changed
much..." he murmured as he leaned down to kiss her. It started as a slow
kiss, his mouth teasing her lips lazily, as her hands slid around his neck
to bring him closer to her. When his torso finally made contact with her
chest, it was as if a jolt of energy ran through both of them. Their kisses
grew wilder and hotter and their hands weren't idle at all. Elizabeth
glided her hands down William's strong back, urging him even closer,
caressing him through the material of his sweater. Soon, however, she found
it wasn't enough, so she let her hands slide under his jersey where the
feel of his warm skin ignited a fire inside of her. Feeling her delicate
hands on his bare skin, William moaned and proceeded to raise her own
sweater in a desperate attempt to touch her skin. While his hands were
occupied in this way, his mouth left hers and slid down her jaw line to the
graceful curve of her neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses in its wake.
Elizabeth gasped and arched her head to allow him better access. She felt
dizzy from the feel of his hands on her, his strong body against her and
his stirring masculine scent filling her nose. Her hands roamed over his
back, occasionally sliding under the waistline of his trousers, but the
tight jeans he was wearing didn't allow her much scope for exploration.
William's hands finally managed to make their way under her sweater, and
were now stroking her belly, while his mouth was eagerly sucking every
portion of skin of her neck they could reach, sending shiver after shiver
through Elizabeth. Impatient desire welled up in her and her hands left his
back to grip his head almost fiercely and draw his mouth to hers. She
kissed him hungrily, to which he reacted with a sudden shift of his body,
his knee parted her legs, sending one of them to the floor. Elizabeth cried
out in pain and he froze in her arms. Breathing heavily, he rose a little
and looked at her, for a moment unable to understand what had happened.
Then it hit him.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" he breathed, looking with horror at her leg in a
brace, which he had so clumsily thrown to the floor. In a flash he was on
his feet, gently picking up the injured appendage and placing it carefully
on a pillow. "Does it hurt very badly?"

"No, I'm ok," Elizabeth panted, still very much awed by what had just
transpired between them and what would surely have happened had it not been
for this small accident.

"I think I'd better go and heat you some of this soup your mother brought,"
William suggested.  The atmosphere is so hot right now that I'm not sure
if it needs any more heating!  thought Elizabeth wryly, but she nodded
her assent.

When William returned with a tray laden with a bowl of chicken soup and
some bread, he said, smiling ruefully "Some nurse I turned out to be."

"I don't have any complaints," she assured him with a smile. "In comparison
with my mother, you're much preferable."

He laughed, looking at her fondly. "Thank you...I think."

Elizabeth took a spoonful of the soup and blew on it. "Aren't you going to
eat?" she asked him.

William shook his head. "No, I think I should go back to Netherfield to
take some of my stuff and...oh damn it!" he swore, at which Elizabeth looked
at him quizzically. She wasn't sure she had ever heard him curse, other
than that day on the riverside when she had run from him.

"What's wrong?" she inquired in surprise.

"I've completely forgotten about Hurst. I guess I'm just not used to being
a dog owner. What am I supposed to do with him? I don't want to dump him on
Charles and Jane."

Elizabeth brightened up. "Bring him here, it's no problem at all, one pet
more, one pet less."

He looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure? How will your pets react to
him?"

"Jack is going to be delighted to have a playmate and Cass is probably
going to ignore him, if he leaves her alone."

"Then I'll bring him back with me. You stay where you are, finish your soup
and try to get some rest. I'll be back in an hour or two." He kissed her
more chastely this time, mindful of what their last kiss had turned into,
and left the house. When he was gone, Elizabeth continued to consume her
soup, but her mind was more busily engaged.

Oh God. Well, that did change the situation a bit. How could she not have
foreseen it? Here was this gorgeous, sexy man who attracted her more than
anyone ever had and who, she had it on good authority, also found her
attractive. More than once had they started something that she had to
interrupt before it went too far. She still didn't feel entirely
comfortable with their relationship, nor did she really know what kind of a
relationship they had. And she had just agreed to his moving in with her.
Oh God.

She put the bowl away and let her head fall into her hands. She must have
been crazy not to have realized all this before. Elizabeth sighed. It's not
that she didn't want him. She did, very much, but the problem was not so
much with him, as with her. Her last relationship had ended badly, it had
been several years since that incident, but she still hadn't recovered from
the hurt completely. True, William had said he would sleep on the couch,
but that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to insinuate himself into her bed.

Forget the bed! What she feared most was that he'd insinuate himself into
her heart. While in most areas of life Elizabeth considered herself a
modern woman, in the love department she was, in her heart, as
old-fashioned as they came. She wasn't one to seek easy gratification;
casual sex was definitely not for her.

Am I not getting a little ahead of myself?  she thought. So far she
didn't have any reasons to doubt his respect. She had backed off a few
times and he had always deferred to the boundaries she had established. Was
it possible that he intended to use this week to make her change her mind
about having sex with him? It wasn't entirely improbable, but she didn't
believe he was like that. After all, he was Charles' friend and Charles and
Jane had a very high opinion on him. Besides, she flattered herself she had
also gotten to know him to some extent. Were two weeks too short a time to
really get to know a person? Most people would say so, but she had known
Sean for more than a year and look where that relationship had gotten her!
It turned out she hadn't known him at all!

Elizabeth took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing thoughts. It's
only a week, she tried to reassure herself. Then he'll be gone. At that
thought she felt as if a cold hand was gripping her guts and her eyes
stung, tears threatening to spill from them. Get a grip, you fool! It's
not like he's going to the North Pole, he'll only be an hour's drive
away! But her heart couldn't be comforted so easily. She knew that
despite her efforts, she was fighting a losing battle. She was falling for
him despite herself, and the thought of his leaving Meryton made her
exceedingly depressed.

She will have to try making it work! She decided to make the best of their
last week together and try to lay groundwork for their relationship without
losing her heart completely and irrevocably. She was honest enough, though,
to admit that she was already in the middle without even realizing she had
begun.

William took Hurst and a small bag with clothes and a few useful things and
left Netherfield. Escaped would be a better word, though. He fled Jane's
curious glances and Charles's knowing smirks. This was what he disliked
exceedingly; he was a reserved, private man and the thought that everybody
around him knew all about his most personal affairs didn't sit well with
him. Of course, being William Darcy he couldn't completely avoid falling
prey to the gossipers, but now the situation was different.

William's experience with women wasn't meager by any means, but in the last
few years it had been visibly decreasing. Ever since he had reached
puberty, William had noticed that, for some reason, girls had found him
very attractive. His classmates had stared at him, giggled and whispered
with their friends, smiling at him and calling him Willie, which he had
hated. A shy teenager he had been then, these attentions only embarrassed
him. As he had grown up, girls stopped being bothersome brats and became
fascinating and mysterious creatures. Thus started the dating period of
William's life. He had had two or three girlfriends, before he realized the
fact that was to change his entire attitude towards women and love. All of
the women he had been with were only interested in him because his name was
William Darcy, he had a big and beautiful estate, rich parents and it
didn't hurt that he was also handsome. None of them was interested in the
real William, his dreams, his goals, his pursuits. They didn't care to get
to know him, it was enough to be seen at parties with William Darcy and to
get a few lovely and expensive gifts from him.

This realization had had a great impact on William. He had been very bitter
for some time, forswearing women forever. His cousin Richard had tried to
talk some sense into him, he convinced him that such a state of affairs was
in fact very desirable, as it allowed him to have female company whenever
he wished it, without breaking any hearts. "They are using you, so you are
completely justified in using them. They'd not mind it at all, quite the
contrary!" Richard had said. But William had been too honorable and
principled to even contemplate his cousin's suggestion. Instead, he had
preferred giving up women to compromising his own values and principles.
His cousin had called him a hopeless romantic, but William hadn't cared.

Then his parents had died and he had been too crushed by grief and too busy
taking care of Georgiana, to even think about a relationship. He had
finished university, started working and had put his ideals away. He had
had a few girlfriends then, but they were few and far between. They were
mostly the women from his social circle; intelligent and educated, suitable
dates for all of the formal parties and dinners he had to attend and
accomplished lovers. He had enjoyed being with them, but none of the
relationships lasted a long time. None of them had managed to hold his
interest, to intrigue and enthrall him. Until he met Elizabeth.

William smiled when he thought of her. She was so different from all of the
women he had known! With her intelligence and sparkling wit, she had
captivated him, and he was drawn to her warmth and kindness. There was a
quicksilver quality to her, she had spirit, a spark that he longed to
capture, but above all, there was not a bit of artifice in her. She was
honest and open and he knew for certain that she was not in the least
impressed by his high and mighty public persona. He felt that she was
interested in him, not his money, name or status. William knew from
his own painful experience that such a woman was not easily found and he
was incredibly lucky to have met her. Of course, it didn't hurt that she
was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, either. William
chuckled at that thought.

He finally arrived at Elizabeth's place. He left Hurst outside, while he
went inside to get Jack for a walk. It was late in the evening and both
dogs needed to walk before the night. He was happy to observe that, after
carefully sniffing each other, the animals started wagging their tails in a
tentative, but decidedly friendly manner. He walked with them for about
half an hour and when he brought them back home, they were already the best
buddies in the world. Cass was more suspicious of the stranger, as
Elizabeth had guessed she would be, but other than hissing at Hurst
menacingly, she left him alone, deciding probably that this creature was
beneath her notice.

Then, William walked to the shed, but seeing that everything seemed to be
fine with its occupants, he didn't do anything, deciding to wait
Elizabeth's orders.

Having accomplished his self-imposed duties, William finally entered the
house, his heart skipping a beat at the thought that she was inside,
waiting for him. He went into the living room and found her sleeping on the
couch, her hair disheveled, her cheeks rosy and her lips slightly parted as
she breathed softly. She lay on her back with her injured ankle propped up
on a pillow. One of her hands was resting on the blanket that covered her,
and the other was above her head, tangled in her tresses.

William looked at Elizabeth as a strong feeling of d? vu overcame him.
This was the second time he had found her like this, sleeping on the couch,
so fresh and lovely after a particularly hard day. Last time it was
Collins, now her fall. He felt a sudden surge of tenderness, as he bent
down and scooped her in his arms with the intention of carrying her
upstairs. Elizabeth stirred a little and unconsciously cuddled to him, but
didn't wake up. William breathed deeply, her enticing scent and closeness
were making his heart beat wildly and he swallowed hard, trying to compose
himself. It wouldn't do to drop her now! He went out of the room, into the
hall and up the stairs.

He was really getting a hang on this! He had been carrying her the whole
day, but his worry about her had served to distract his mind from the
feeling of her warm and supple body in his arms, the sweet smell of her
skin and the tickling of her hair on his face. Not to mention the feel of
her arms around his neck. Now though, his thoughts more at ease over her
condition, he could appreciate all the fine aspects of her closeness and he
did, deliriously so.

Finding her bedroom, he went inside and put her on the bed. He was
reluctant to relinquish the hold of her in his arms, but he knew that if he
didn't release her now, he'd not let her go at all. It surprised him that
she didn't wake up during the whole route, but he suspected that the day
had really taken a toll on her. As he watched her lying on her bed, he
realized that he was faced with a dilemma. Should he leave her now or
rather undress her first? He looked at her body dressed in jeans and tight
sweater. She probably wouldn't be comfortable in them. Yet, he was loath to
wake her when she was sleeping so peacefully. William sighed and reached a
decision. Gingerly, he sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to take
off her sweater. He managed to roll it up a bit, but realized he'd not
proceed any further without any cooperation from her. He raised his hand to
her face and stroked her cheek.

"Elizabeth," he whispered, as she stirred. She looked at him in confusion.
"William? What's going on?"

"I'm putting you to bed. You should change into your nightclothes, you
can't sleep in jeans and a sweater."

Elizabeth sighed and nodded. Still half-asleep, she sat up and allowed
William to take off her sweater, raising her arms and feeling a static jolt
as he pulled the blazer over her head. William was fighting hard with
himself to behave like a gentleman and not to stare at her breasts, covered
only with the thin material of her bra. Instead, he picked up a t-shirt
from a chair next to the bed and handed it to her. Elizabeth accepted it
gratefully and put it on. Then William assisted her in removing her jeans,
a task that would have been impossible to perform with the brace on her
foot, had not Charles cut the jeans when he had been putting it on her
injured leg.

After that task was completed, Elizabeth fell on the bed and almost
immediately dozed off again. William arranged the covers around her and
should have left the room, but somehow he couldn't make himself do it. He
gazed on Elizabeth, thinking about the next week. He wasn't sure what to
expect from his stay here. He had told her it would be a rather platonic
relationship of the patient and the nurse, but their tryst from the
afternoon, reminded him how difficult sustaining this status was going to
be. He felt his body tingling at the mere thought of their last amorous
assignation. God, how he wanted her! It would be so easy to kiss her right
now, to caress her tempting body, until she woke up in a state that
rendered her unable to resist him. But it was unthinkable, he pushed that
thought firmly away. No matter how much he suffered from deprivation, he'd
not violate her trust. When they finally made love, it would be fueled by
desire and passion, and both of them would want it to happen. William
sighed in frustration. It would be so much easier if he only knew what she
wanted!

William looked at the sleeping woman beside him. She was everything he had
longed for his entire life. She had all the qualities that made her perfect
for him; wit, intelligence, charm, sincerity, sparkle and beauty. I
don't want to ruin this. I'm going to make the most of this week and try to
build the foundation for our future together. Reassured in his
decision, William bent down and kissed Elizabeth's sleeping lips.

William had never felt like this before. That was why he'd rather not
analyze the last words he whispered to her.

"Good night, my love," he said and left Elizabeth wondering if she dreamt
it or not.

Chapter sixteen

Elizabeth concluded that she was satisfied with her present living
arrangement very much indeed when she woke up to the smell of coffee and
eggs being fried in the kitchen downstairs. She stretched under the covers
and looked at the alarm clock. It read 9 am and she marveled at having
slept in so late. Even on the weekends she usually got up around 8, as
there was always so much to do. She wondered how William was handling
everything and felt a sudden pang of guilt for leaving so much on his hands.

She sat up, her train of thought swiftly changing direction, as William
entered the bedroom, carrying a tray with coffee, omelet and bread rolls.

"Good morning," he said, smiling at her charmingly.

"Good morning," she answered in kind, moving on the bed and making room for
him. "You have been busy!"

He put the tray carefully on the bed next to her, perched on the edge and
occupied himself with pouring coffee. "Well, I'm here to help out, am I
not? I figured if I lay in bed lazing around, you'd kick me out for being
good for nothing," he replied dryly.

"You're damn right, I would!" she said with mock sternness, taking a bite
of a roll. "They're fresh! How did you do that? The bakery's closed on
Sunday!" she exclaimed with wonder.

"I baked them," he said.

"You baked them?" Elizabeth stared at him with incredulity.

"Yes. Mrs. Reynolds taught me how to bake bread when I was a kid. It's very
easy," he said nonchalantly.

"Wow, that's a surprise! I knew you could cook something quick and easy,
but I never suspected you actually could bake bread!" She was impressed.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, grinning devilishly. "You're right, I can cook, but
I'm not that good. I can't believe you fell for that, though."

Elizabeth glared at him angrily and punched his arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For lying to me," she pouted, not looking at him.

"I was only pulling your leg a little. Where's your sense of humour, darling?"

She couldn't help but smile back at his unrepentant grin. "All right, I'll
forgive you, but only if you tell me who Mrs. Reynolds is and where in the
world you got fresh rolls from on a Sunday morning."

"Well, if you want the truth, I didn't make up so much. I put the old stale
buns into the oven for a few minutes, that's all. After such treatment
they're as good as new. Here, have some omelet," he took some of the dish
on the fork and offered it to her. She took a bite and chewed it with
deliberation, before she judged, "It's delicious! You're spoiling me!"

"I'm glad I found a way to get on your good side." He smirked.

"I don't have a bad side, as you well know," she answered, smiling sweetly
at him. "But you watch out. You keep pampering me like that and I might
want to keep you!"

"Is that a promise?" he murmured seductively into her ear. His breath
tickled her face and she giggled, even as she put her arms around his neck
and brought his mouth to her lips for a slow kiss.

The location couldn't be better thought William, as he deepened the
kiss. All thoughts of not pressuring her flew out of his head as he felt
her hands in his hair and on his neck, with tauntingly light touches that
only aroused his desire even more.

Elizabeth slowly lay down and William followed her, lying on top of her
body. He let his hands roam all over her as his mouth eagerly kissed,
sucked and nibbled every inch of her neck. But she wasn't idle either. The
feel of his hard body so close to hers thrilled her and his scent was
making her dizzy. She raised her good leg and threw it over his hip, at the
same time sliding her hands slowly down his back. She felt his erection
through the layers of clothing and couldn't stop herself from pressing her
hips against it. William groaned and moved to turn over, reversing their
positions and bringing her on top of him, this time trying to be mindful of
her leg. Instead of the soft bed, though, his back landed on something
hard, which upon contact with his body clinked loudly and startled them
both from their passion-induced trance.

"What was that?" asked Elizabeth, raising her head and looking at William
in surprise.

"I've no idea. Wait, let me see." He sat up and looked behind him. He heard
her gasp and then laugh at something she saw behind his back. Twisting his
head, he noticed the reason for her mirth - the coffee mug lay knocked over
on the bed and coffee was quickly soaking into the covers. The now cold
rolls lay scattered on the sheets (buttered side down, obviously), but the
worst part was the omelet, completely crushed, some of it into the bed and
the rest into William's shirt. His annoyed expression only prompted new
fits of laughter from Elizabeth. Her laugh was so contagious that, despite
his ruined shirt, not to mention the amorous dalliance, he joined in her
amusement and soon they were laughing so hard that tears were falling from
their eyes.

When Elizabeth finally managed to calm down, she said, "Well, if that
wasn't a sign, I don't know what is."

"And what would that sign mean?" he asked with curiosity.

"Why, that breakfast in bed is a dangerous decadence!"

After they cleaned up, Elizabeth got dressed and went down to the kitchen
to have a proper breakfast. They ate in a relaxed atmosphere, from time to
time one would remember the incident upstairs and start giggling. Then the
other would follow and so the whole breakfast was spent to the
accompaniment of chuckles.

Later that day Elizabeth told William all he needed to know about the care
of the horse and the sick and injured animals. There was feeding, watering,
mucking stalls, grooming, changing bandages, applying ointments,
administering drugs and making shots. Some of the patients were less
cooperative than others and William reemerged an absolute wreck from the
shed after more than an hour.

Elizabeth was reading on the couch in the living room when she felt a
distinct and very unpleasant smell. She raised her head and looked around,
wrinkling her nose with disgust. Soon the source of the stench entered the
room, leaning on the doorjamb and looking quite worn out. She looked at him
with sympathy.

"How do you manage to do this all by yourself each morning and go to work
afterwards?" he asked disbelievingly.

"It's a matter of practice. Is it too much for you? I can ask Pete to come
over and help you with the dirty work," she suggested.

"No, there's no need for that. I'll manage everything, I'll get used to it,
I guess," he said weakly. "I'll go and take a shower now, I must smell like
a pigsty."

Elizabeth looked after him and tried not to think about how he must look
in the shower, without the benefit of clothing, under the hot water
spray, the drops clinging to his naked, wet body....She closed her eyes and
imagined what it would be like to join him there, to be able to see his
body in all his naked male glory. She could almost see herself taking her
favourite cat-shaped sponge, applying the lavender-scented soap and
lathering him from head to toe, paying special attention to his gorgeous
hair. Then, gently, she would rinse him off, dry him carefully, and then
take him to her bedroom, where she would finally care for his poor, sore
body in her own way....

Fifteen minutes later William was back downstairs, dressed in clean jeans
and sweater, his hair still damp from his shower. He felt little better
after the shower. His muscles were sore, his back and arms especially hurt
him from mucking the stall. He groaned, massaging his shoulder with one
hand and rolling his head in a vain attempt to loosen the muscles of his neck.

He looked so pitiful that Elizabeth felt her craving from a while ago
diminished somewhat by guilt. Remembering her daydream, she had a sudden
idea. She took her leg down from the stool it had been lying on and patted
the chair. "Come here," she said.

He looked a little confused, but heeded her order. As he sat down on the
stool, he felt her hands on his shoulders. She had delicate and skillful
hands and he felt the tension ebb away from his muscles as she expertly
massaged his neck, kneaded his shoulders and rubbed his back. William
moaned with delight at her ministrations and leaned his head against her,
closing his eyes in bliss and sighing with pleasure.

Elizabeth could feel knots of tension in his muscles and worked expertly to
remove them. She had to admit that though the wish to alleviate his
discomfort had been her major motivation, desire to touch him had been
almost as an strong incentive. His broad back and wide shoulders simply
begged to be touched and the feel of his body, even through his clothes,
was heady to say the least.

As he leaned against her, his head propped against her breastbone, she
couldn't stop herself from resting her chin on the crown of his head. His
beautiful, damp hair tickled her face. She inhaled his clean, fresh scent
and felt her insides churn with want. She slid her hands around his neck
and embraced him. He sighed and she giggled when she thought she had
actually heard him purr in deep contentment.

"Hmmm...."

"What is it?" she asked in amusement.

"It feels so good...," he murmured. "If I had known you were such an
accomplished masseuse, I'd have offered you help with mucking the stall a
long time ago," he said playfully.

She chuckled softly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, but let me tell you something...."

"Yes?" he prompted her, glancing around in her direction.

She lowered her head and spoke seductively into his ear. "You haven't seen
anything of my talent yet. What you've experienced today is just the tip of
the iceberg."

He sat up and looked at her in shocked disbelief. Then a lazy smirk
appeared on his face, as he asked, "You wouldn't have any more stalls to
muck and horses to groom, would you?"

Their life soon settled into a pattern. William got up early, walked both
dogs and did his work around the animals. Then he took a shower, after
which Elizabeth massaged him. Even though with time he found the work
easier and less demanding, he invariably came to her demanding his massage.

After the first mishap with breakfast in bed, they decided to give up the
idea and had all meals in the kitchen. Elizabeth learnt to use crutches
quite well, and William didn't have to carry her around anymore, to his
extreme dissatisfaction. She only allowed him to carry her upstairs, as she
doubted she could attempt climbing the stairs encumbered by her bad leg,
and crutches did little to help.

They prepared the meals together; Elizabeth was responsible for cutting the
produce and all the jobs that could be done while sitting down, and
William's task was standing over the boiling pots and running errands
around the kitchen to get her a knife, a carrot, a bowl or anything she
needed. They worked well together and usually had much fun during cooking.
William was indeed a decent cook and what he lacked in skill, he made up
for in creativity. Elizabeth would never forget the breakfast he served her
on his second day of his stay: omelet with marmalade. While she didn't
particularly care for such mixtures of flavours, she had to commend his
inventiveness.

In the free time they read, listened to music, played games, watched TV or
simply talked. They conversed about different things: their childhood,
their youth, the books and films they enjoyed, their political views and
their work. They talked about hundreds of topics, but there was one that
was forbidden; they didn't talk about them. They didn't discuss
their relationship, nor did they speak about what would happen to them when
William left Meryton and returned to London. They were both so content at
present, in the happy bubble they had created, that they feared breaking
the spell by bringing up potentially contentious subjects.

Elizabeth reproached herself for her immaturity, such an approach -
avoidance attitude was unlike her, but she was afraid of spoiling
everything, so every time the conversation steered towards their
relationship, she rushed to direct it to a different course.

Not that they had many opportunities to talk alone; everyday Elizabeth had
visits from her friends and family. Jane popped in on a daily basis, always
bringing some tasty delicacies for the convalescent and her "nurse".
Charles also dropped in quite often, sometimes with Jane, sometimes alone.
Both had an eager interest in Elizabeth and William's living arrangements
and how the two were getting along. Charles was very much amused at his
friend playing Florence Nightingale and couldn't stop himself from making
good-natured sport of William. He thought it was a jolly good idea though,
and was glad to see how much his friend loosened up during such a short
time. He couldn't believe how much happier, younger and healthier he
looked. Elizabeth seemed to be working wonders for William's physical and
psychological well-being. Jane, while more demure in showing her feelings
than her fianc⁠was secretly very pleased with the situation. Even though
she wasn't sure about the seriousness of her sister's relationship with the
handsome doctor, Elizabeth seemed happy. Jane only hoped it would last
after William left Meryton.

Another frequent guest at Elizabeth's house was Maria, who missed her
friend, having been accustomed to her daily presence at the clinic. She was
doing fine by herself, but still came by often to ask for advice, offer
help or just see how her boss was doing. More often than not, Pete would
tag along, professing his wish to help with the stable work, but Elizabeth
knew better than that. Pete and Maria had become quite inseparable during
the last weeks and Elizabeth suspected that he simply couldn't bear to be
parted from his love for so much as half an hour. She found it amusing, but
quite sweet as well. She wondered if she would ever be loved that much by
somebody. She hoped that she and William... but she'd rather not dwell on
that idea, lest it came to nothing.

Then there was her mother who usually came flying through with containers
of food, a handful of good tips and a portion of knowing looks and
sug