Chapter 23

Saturday, August 4, 2001

It was shortly after 9 when Elizabeth and Jane pulled back on to the battlefield and found a parking spot. The field, which had been mostly empty the night before, was now full of cars parked in long rows, with a wide space in between them, for those who had camped out the night before.

Sweat appeared on their brows, as Elizabeth and Jane exited the heavily loaded Volvo, each carrying two cups of coffee, one for themselves and one for their knight. As they walked towards the road crossing, passing cars, van and trucks, one vehicle caught Elizabeth's attention. It was a Ford Truck 350, in dark navy blue. Elizabeth craned her head to look at the plate behind the driver's side wheel, and she saw what she expected: silver letters & numbers reading V-10, XLTSuper Heavy Duty. The truck had a large enclosed trailer behind it, but the cars on either side made it difficult for her to see it clearly. The truck screamed testosterone. It was all about size and power. The hood came up to her nose. It was only after she had fully stopped to admire it that her eyes passed over the license plate. It read DARCY.

Laughing at herself, she nudged Jane and pointed out the truck. "I think we found them," she said.

"Oh my!" Jane laughed at the huge vehicle. "Do you think he's compensating for something, Lizzy?"

Elizabeth grinned bawdily, "No, I don't think so!"

"You mean you hope not!"

"Jane!" Lizzy laughed as she blushed. "I'm sure it's just a case of big shoes, big truck, big . . . you know."

"I know what?" a rich voice asked.

Elizabeth's eyes flew open wide. 'Why does he keep doing that!' she asked herself as she spun around in the grass to face William, who was looking at her with an amused smirk. "I was just commenting on the size of your truck," she said, blushing a betraying beet red.

"I'm so glad you approve," he said with a slow, sultry drawl.

"Hi Will!" Jane said brightly, ignoring her sister's distress.

"Good to see you, Jane. He's in the truck," William said, his eyes never leaving Elizabeth's.

With a cheerful "thanks" Jane trotted to the truck, while Elizabeth fidgeted. What was she supposed to do? Should she kiss him? Should he kiss her?

William watched Elizabeth. She was wearing a Pennsic 29 tee shirt tucked into navy shorts, that showed off her shapely legs to perfection. He was suddenly at a loss of what to do. Should he kiss her? Did she want to be kissed? Shake hands? Hug?

Their mental anxiety was relieved by a sudden shriek of giggles, as Jane, laughing uproariously, was pulled into the cab of the truck and the door slammed shut. Elizabeth smiled at the sight, then looked to William, to see him also smiling. She offered him the coffee in her hand.

"Thanks," he said, taking it from her and swallowing a large gulp. Suddenly, she felt at ease with him.

"What time did you get in?" she asked.

"6:35 this morning."

"That's pretty good, from Boston," she offered.

"Just over 12 hours," he shrugged.

"Have you checked in yet?"

"No," he shook his head, "We just pulled in and fell asleep." He looked at her and was suddenly embarassed, "I'm sorry I didn't call you this morning."

"It's okay," she grinned. "I figured you were sleeping."

He smiled back. "I guess we had better get going."

Elizabeth nodded, and William walked to the driver's side of the truck. The door was locked. Elizabeth laughed as he scowled and banged on the window. "Charles! Come on! We have to check in."

The tinted window rolled down two inches and Charles called out, "No!"

"Charles," William said exasperatedly.

"Go away," the voice called back out, with Jane's giggling audible in the background. The window slid back up.

William looked at Elizabeth who had covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smirk. "I guess they don't have to be there." she said. "I mean, you're the land agent for Pemberley, right?"

William's eyes flicked from the truck to Elizabeth and back to the truck. "Yeah, I guess so." He banged back on the window, "Charles, I need the measuring tape and the spray paint." The window came back down with a whine of the small motor powering it, and a canvas bag was thrown out, then the window shut again.

While William picked up the duffle, Elizabeth took a moment to examine him. She noted that she had never seen him so casually dressed. He was wearing a black t-shirt that had red letters that read : I SERVE EVIL- on toast, gray running shorts and sandals.

Elizabeth fell in step beside him as they walked across the parking lot. She smiled shyly when she felt him take her hand, and he looked to see how she accepted it. The smile he returned made her heart melt and she moved a half step closer to him.

"I missed you," she said softly.

"I missed you, too. You can't imagine how much."

Elizabeth stopped them both, and turned to face him. She looked up at him, her expression patient, yet he knew exactly what she wanted. He dropped the bag he was carrying and placed one hand on her soft check, tilting her head up towards his, then he slowly closed the distance between them and kissed her. Elizabeth closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers and his scent filled her nostrils. Her heart gave a little jump when she felt his mouth not pull back, but instead work her lips, first the top one, then the bottom, pulling them gently into his mouth, then slowly sliding them out again. She sighed quietly, and he took that opportunity to taste her, his tongue parting her lips and fluttering against hers before retreating.

When he finally pulled back, Elizabeth wobbled slightly, and he quickly brought his other hand up to steady her. "Are you all right?" he asked in a low voice, his head still close to hers.

"Yes," she smiled slightly, "Just a little woozy." Her eyes lifted to his and were caught there. She bit her lip, as she felt his hand gently caressing her cheek. "We should probably be going," she said, her voice uncertain.

"Yes, you are right," he said, the closeness in his eyes pulling back slightly. They returned to crossing what Elizabeth was sure had to be the longest parking lot she had ever been in. After checking William in, they walked to the barn, where several hundred other people were waiting. They received their packets from the Land office, just as the Baroness in charge of it all called the meeting to order. They stood together, listening, their hands joined and both were struck by the naturalness of it. The aching that had plagued their hearts for the past month seemed to be forgotten, and they relaxed in the familiar sensation that was the other. The meeting ended quickly and Elizabeth and William separated.

Elizabeth quickly found the E01 group and greeted the land agents for the other groups on her block. The land system at Pennsic had been developed organically over time. The way it worked was that people were encouraged to preregister in the months before Pennsic if they were planning on attending. Preregistration closed on June 1st. At that point, the land office received a count of how many people had reserved for each camp. Each camp was given an allotment of 250 square feet of space for each prereserved person.

Camps requested the block they wanted to be on and were assigned to the blocks based on the number of years they have been there and the size of the group. Some groups had land that they had held for twenty years or more, and so they were basically guaranteed their spot. Longbourn had been on the same block, in roughly the same place for three years, and Elizabeth knew all of the land agents for her block. She was confident they would get their traditional space.

When the land agents had all gathered, they walked to the block and remeasured it. The roads separating the blocks were unpaved, and tended to move from year to year. Once the measurements were taken, the agents started sectioning off the land, arranging the boundaries so that every camp got the amount they were entitled too. Longbourn, with 20 campers, was average sized for the block, and got its usual spot, with Camp Urso on its right and the Barony of Dun Crag on its left. Elizabeth was once again amazed at how fortunate she was to have had just picked, at random, a block with such nice neighbors.

It was during this time that Jane reappeared with Charles. Charles was wearing blue denim shorts and a shirt that read 'Knights of the Dinner Table'. They were joined at the hip, and had brought Elizabeth some Gatorade, which she appreciated.

Looking across the road, Elizabeth could see William working with his neighbors, measuring and marking off territory. Every now and then their eyes would meet and Elizabeth would find herself grinning. In about two hours, all the camps where placed on the block, the boundary lines were marked with spray paint and a map was drawn.

Jane and Charles had been moving back and forth between the two blocks, carrying messages and updates. Both blocks finished at about the same time and the land agents walked back to the barn to turn in their paper work and get their pass to drive onto the site. Charles and Jane decided to get lunch for everyone from the camp store, while Elizabeth and William went to get their cars.

Elizabeth brought her Volvo to the Longbourn spot and parked the car on the grass. Charles and Jane met her there, and they quickly set up the dining fly and chairs to get some relief from the sun. While they were doing this, Elizabeth saw William's huge truck drive to Pemberley's site. Elizabeth could now see the trailer plainly. It was a perfect match for the truck: navy blue and huge. 'Pemberley' was painted on the side in gothic letters and the household's arms were painted below the name. When Elizabeth asked Charles about the custom paint job, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that William had done it.

William joined them for lunch and the foursome talked about their plans. Jane and Elizabeth had a relatively simple list of duties for the day. They needed to unload the Volvo and set up their tents. The kitchen dining fly was already up, so then it was just a matter of running the water for the camp, digging the sump hole for the waste water, and digging out the fire pit. After that, all they had to do was set up the interior of their tents, and they were set.

Pemberley, on the other hand, required much more work. Not because it was a larger household. In fact, Pemberley had half the population of Longbourn. But it was a grander household. And because everyone in Pemberley was single, they needed more tents than Longbourn, which was made up predominately of couples and families. Elizabeth and Jane's eyes got wider and their jaws hung lower as Charles and William discussed their chore list: first and foremost was putting up their tents, following that, they had to put up the commons and set up the kitchen, fire pit and sink/sump area. Then they needed to put up the rest of the tents and the rope wall.

"Why are you putting up tents for people who aren't here yet?" Elizabeth asked disbelievingly.

"Oh, because we just do that," Charles shrugged.

"Otherwise the camp would look messy," William agreed.

Elizabeth was amazed, but she resolved to never feel bad about the squires serving her dinner again. If William and Charles could set up the whole camp for these guys, they were clearly not being abused for cheap labor.

Following lunch, Elizabeth and Jane set to work, while William and Charles went across the street to Pemberley. It was sufferingly hot and sweat dripped from their bodies, but in less than an hour, their tents were up, and the car was unpacked. They decided to leave the rest of it till later in the day, when the sun wasn't so strong and went to find Pemberley.

Walking across the field, they were both shocked at how little progress had been made. Longbourn, while still being mostly empty, was clearly a functioning camp. Pemberley was merely a pile of bundles and two hot, grouchy men. The sisters had a moment of silent communication, and Elizabeth quickly went to the camp store to get cold drinks while Jane tried to help.

When Elizabeth returned with her bag of drinks, she found the situation was not improved. William was sulking and Charles was pounding stakes into the ground while muttering darkly to himself. Elizabeth tossed Jane two bottles, then went to William.

"You are going to sit and drink something now," she informed him as she gave him a bottle of sports drink.

"I'm okay," he said angrily.

Elizabeth ignored him and pushed on him until he sat down on the grass. She sat beside him and watched him drain the bottle in less than a minute. "I'm o-kay," he asserted.

"I know," Elizabeth assured him, lying blatantly, "but you have been up all night and you had that long drive. You must be very tired and it is very hot," she said soothingly.

"Yeah," William said fuzzily, his tone changing from angry to submissive.

"Do you want to take a break?" she asked kindly.

"No," he said slowly and thoughtfully. "I want to get at least one tent up, so we have some shade."

"Okay," she nodded. "That makes sense." Elizabeth rose with William and she could see Charles starting to get up too. They decided to put Charles' pavilion up first, because if offered the best shade. The tent was a long oval pavilion, made by Tentmasters, one the best of the cottage industries that made such things for sale. The rooftop was supported by two poles in the center that were spaced 6 feet apart and had a ridge pole running between them. The poles were ten feet long.

With a couple on each pole, they were able to lift the rooftop up and into place. Then Elizabeth and Jane held the poles upright while Charles and William quickly staked out the long guy ropes. This made the top stable, but the girls held on to it until the guys had several of the perimeter poles up. The pavilion had 18 six and a half foot long perimeter poles, that were spaced three feet apart around the tent. Working in two teams, they had the poles all up and staked in a half hour. Then they took a break in the shade of the tent, before hanging the walls up.

"How big is this?" Elizabeth asked, walking the length of the tent.

"13 by 18 feet," Charles answered proudly.

Elizabeth flashed him a look of disbelief. "Why did you get a tent this big just for yourself?"

"Well, um." Charles floundered as William chuckled softly.

"Tell her, Charles," he said mockingly.

"Well, when I bought it, I figured I didn't want to have to replace it in a couple years, so I got a tent that is big enough for two." His eyes traveled nervously from Elizabeth's to Jane's.

Jane smiled warmly at him, while Elizabeth muttered, "Charles, you could fit a whole family in here."

"Yes, that's the idea," Charles said while walking dreamily to Jane. Jane reached up and kissed him soundly, while Elizabeth's eyes wandered slowly to William's. He said nothing, but gave her a meaningful half smile, that told her he appreciated the humor of the situation as much as she did.

"Charles," William said loudly, "come on, we have to get my tent up too."

William's pavilion was a completely different style. Called a 'wagon wheel', it used one center pole, on which sat a hub from which 12 six foot long poles stuck out, like the spokes of a wheel. The first step in puting the tent up was laying down a marked ground cloth that indicated where the stakes needed to be driven. Working together, they had the stakes in quickly, then came the hard part: lifting the center pole, with the weight of the whole tent on it. While two men could do it together, it was much easier with four people. Once it was upright, Elizabeth and Jane held the pole in place, while Charles and William used the advantage of their height to insert the spokes, which held the tent walls out from the center pole. Once that was done, it was fairly quick work to slip the loops at the bottoms of the tent walls around the stakes, stabilizing the whole structure. That done, the group retreated back under Charles' rooftop for more drinks.

"Did you make that?" Elizabeth asked William, indicating his tent, while the sweat ran down her face.

"No, I bought it," he answered, laying down on the grass. "I did do the painting, though," he indicated his arms on the panel next to the tent's entrance.

"It's a very nice tent," Elizabeth offered. "Big too."

William smiled up at her, "Well, I'm used to a lot of space."

"Oh, no story about buying it in anticipation of a future bride?" she asked sarcastically.

"Nope," he simply. "I never anticipated anyone like you." He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. He sat up and took in her shocked expression. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I shouldn't have said that," he said quietly.

Elizabeth nodded, and looked away, her insides churning. 'Oh my God!'

"Look," William said softly, "Are you okay?" Elizabeth nodded, still not able to look at him. "I'm going to go and set up my tent now. Why don't you just rest here in the shade?" He didn't know what she was feeling. He cursed his stupidity. Why had he said something so obvious? "Elizabeth?" he questioned, his voice carrying a note of desperation.

Elizabeth looked up at him then, her face close to his. The look in her eyes blew him away. She was not angry, or upset, but hopeful. Her face shined with happiness and love. William found it was the easiest thing in the world to take her into his arms. They were both hot and sweaty and dirty and he didn't care at all. His Elizabeth wanted him!

"Elizabeth," he said in that slow way that made her melt. Then he said nothing more, because his lips were too busy with hers. He could lose himself forever in kissing her mouth, her taste was a part of him now, a longing he could never fulfill. He gasped as her arms slid around his waist and she pressed herself close to him, her chest rising and falling against his and the need to touch and hold the other overwhelmed them both. Floodgates that had been tightly shut for two weeks burst open and were ripped from their hinges. Together they laid down on the grass and dirt, their sweat mingling. Forgotten was Charles' half completed tent in the heat of their passion.

William found his fingers tangling in her hair as he kissed her again and again. Over the passionate caress of her lips, his heart filled him with a sensation that this was right. The rightness of it all lifted his spirit and brought him a euphoria he had not known sinse childhood. He was giddy with the rightness of it.

He knew in this moment that everything would be fine. He would win her. She wanted to be his as much as he wanted her. Their path was clear, and their journey easy, even if it would take them the rest of their lives. Their hearts, which had made those promises all those months ago, found each other anew and the possibilities before them were dizzying.

Alertness slowly returned to them when they noticed the light changing. William and Elizabeth separated slowly, then quickly as they realized they had been making out in front of Charles and Jane on the floor of Charles' tent. Luckily for them, Charles and Jane had a greater wisdom and had ignored their behavior, understanding it perfectly and had moved on to start hanging the walls of the tent. The walls hung like curtains from D-hooks and tied onto the perimeter poles. Jane and Charles were working together as a team, talking and laughing softly. Elizabeth was distracted from her embarrassment by the picture of happiness that the other couple presented. She wondered if she and William looked like that, when they weren't fighting or misunderstanding each other.

Her eyes turned shyly to William, who was watching her with a look of love and desire that made her flush and hide her face, giggling. He rose and offered her his hand, which she took and let him lift her to her feet. He brusted the grass off her back and turned to let her to the same. She was tempted to go back into his arms, to the comfort and pleasure she found there, but it wasn't the time. They both knew this, so with a soft kiss, they separated and walked out of Charles' tent.

"Can I help you with your stuff?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.

"You don't have too," he said easily.

"I know, but I want too."

"Then you have to allow me the pleasure of taking you out to dinner," he challenged.

Elizabeth stared at him questioningly. "I don't know where you got this idea that it's difficult for me to let you take me out? Believe me, you can take me out anytime."

"Anytime?"

"Oh yes, I love going out to eat. Probably more than I should."

"I'll remember that," he said, his voice low and sexy.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I remember everything that brings you pleasure," he said, moving closer to her, "it's my job."

"Your job?" she asked, as her head tilted up towards his.

"Umm, pleasuring you," he said, his lips brushing her as he spoke. "I take it very seriously."

"I admire your attention to detail," she murmured letting her lips play with his.

"Yes," he breathed as he finally kissed her soft, swollen lips, "I'm very detail oriented." He kissed her again, until a bubble of laughter poured out of her mouth and distracted him. "What?" he asked, suspiciously.

"I think we have a problem," she said, merriment warming her voice.

"What's that?" he said, his arms still locked around her appealing form.

"We haven't even set up the beds yet," she laughed.

William bit his lip, then laughed along with her. The humor was the brake he needed to pull his desire back in check. They hadn't set up the beds yet, but more importantly, they hadn't set up things between them yet either. William wasn't going to bed her until he made sure that everything was right between them. It was still too soon.

He released her and said in a joking puzzled tone, "Beds?"

Her fine mouth curled up into a rueful smile. As they started walking towards the trailer parked in the middle of the encampment. William realized he had a problem, while he was ready to wait until they had said everything that needed to be said, clearly Elizabeth wasn't. She was physical, he recognized, and it was in her nature to express herself physically. Perhaps before she was even mindful of what she was feeling.

In this way, they were very different people. William always struggled to be in control; to be thoughtful and let his judgment guide him. Elizabeth was instinctual. She let her feelings and her body direct her. She wasn't stupid, certainly not. William had never had such a clever or mentally challenging sparring partner, but her operating system, he thought, taking comfort in a metaphor that he was familiar with, was different form his. She was Yin to his Yang, Anima to his Animus, Apple to his Unix. He recognized that he would have to handle this very carefully as he would have to try and find common ground for them.

Then he stopped himself. 'Wrong!' He would have to be careful with how he treated her, but any common ground they would have to find together. He recognized that he couldn't manage her feelings for her. He had to step back and let it happen. A huge challenge for him, but the benefits! He mentally licked his lips as he watched her shapely body moving carefully through the field of bundles. For the first time he wondered if perhaps her way was right. Maybe they should fuck first and talk later? No, as tempting as it was, he wouldn't be true to himself if he did that.

'Time' his mind told him, time, that was the answer. And it annoyed him. Would he never be easy with time? Would it always be his nemesis? His mental wanderings were interrupted by Elizabeth.

"How can only eight people need so much stuff?" she asked, her tone mocking, as she surveyed the truly staggering amount of gear that was spread out on the ground.

"It's not that much," William argued defensively. "I'll bet if you put all of Longbourn's stuff in a pile, it would be even larger," he grinned.

"Yes, but Longbourn's stuff doesn't arrive in one giant heap. It's spread out, over time."

William directed her to the pile that was his possessions. Together they moved over his furnishings, including his large camp bed. "You never told me what your surprise project is," he reminded her.

"Oh!" she blushed.

"What?" William was intrigued by her reaction.

"It's no big deal," she said dismissively. "I made a bed."

William stopped what he was doing to look at her. "Excuse me?" he asked politely.

Elizabeth smiled, "I made a rope bed."

William worried about how he was going to maintain his self control as his pulse rate climbed. "Tell me about it."

"It's nice. I made it based on a period design, from a viking bed they found in an archaeological dig. It's queen sized," she added, flushing slightly. "You made this?" It was his turn to be impressed.

"Yup!" She grinned, pleased at his reaction. "The Larrson's had a wood shop set up and I did the sawing and drilling there, then I finished the chiseling at home," she explained. "I didn't paint it yet, I ran out of time, but I did oil it. I'm just looking forward to being up off the ground. The air mattress was getting old."

William's mouth dried as he had a strange, yet powerful reaction to the idea of Elizabeth working with power tools. He didn't understand it at all, but he liked it. "I'm very impressed. I had no idea you were so talented."

Elizabeth laughed, "Don't go crazy here. Wait 'til you see it." She pulled her hair away from her face, "It's the first woodworking project I've done since wood shop in high school," she grinned.

"I am looking forward to seeing it," he said proudly. His admiration for her continued to grow.

"Maybe you can help me set it up," she hinted.

"Elizabeth, don't you know you don't have to ask?" he said, disturbed at how far apart they still were. "I will do anything for you. Anything." He looked at her intently, then hesitated, as if considering something. "Elizabeth, I want you to know, clearly, that I am here for you. I am your servant, milady."

Elizabeth was slightly embarrassed by his declaration. She was troubled by their conversations. They would be fine for a moment, and then they would slip down to another, deeper level. A level she was still very uneasy with. But William's eyes told her he meant this. 'Trust me' they seemed to be asking her, begging of her. She tried to lighten the mood by saying, lightly, "Aren't you supposed to be on your knees when you say that?"

William dropped to his knees without a thought.

Elizabeth gasped. She grabbed his hands and tried to pull him up. "William! I was only joking!" she exclaimed.

"I know, but I'm not. I need you to know that, Elizabeth."

"William, please!" Elizabeth said, her cheeks reddening.

It was unfortunate that this was the moment Charles and Jane came out of his pavilion to see the scene. "Oh!" they said in chorus.

"It's not what you think!" Elizabeth exclaimed quickly. William realized his little demonstration was having exactly the wrong effect he was hoping for, so he quickly rose and suggested they break for dinner. Elizabeth quickly agreed, her eyes still a bit freaked.

"Let's take the truck," William continued calmly.

"We get the back seat," Charles claimed, his arm around Jane's waist as they walked across the grass.

"Can I drive?" Elizabeth asked casually.

William frowned, "Have you ever driven a truck like this before?"

"No, but I'm a good driver. How hard can it be?"

William was looking very unhappy. He loved Elizabeth, but this was his truck. "It's a little tricky, Elizabeth, maybe I had better drive."

Jane and Charles were enjoying the show, as Elizabeth drew herself up slightly. "You let me drive the Porsche!" she argued. "That must have cost twice as much!"

"You let her drive the Porsche?!?" Charles asked disbelievingly.

"Shut up, Bingley!" William snapped. "Elizabeth, I'm not saying you are a bad driver. Not at all. It's just the Porsche requires subtlety and finesse, which you have in spades, but the truck needs brute strength," he explained, but he knew he was losing this. "I worry it might be too much for you."

Elizabeth fixed him with a hard stare. It had been a mindless request, but he had made it a challenge she couldn't back down from. "William, did you just tell me you would do anything for me?"

William was a dead man. He knew it. He resolved to lose as gracefully as possible. "Yes, milady."

"Did you mean it?"

He took his keys out of his pocket and handed them to her. "It would be my pleasure for you to drive my truck, milady," he said as convincingly as he could, which wasn't very.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said sweetly, then handed the keys back to him, "But I'm tired. Why don't you drive tonight?"

William's jaw dropped. His confusion over the ways of women increased ten-fold, but so did his love for her. She had tested him but she was also merciful. "Anytime you want to drive it, Elizabeth, it would be my pleasure," he told her with complete sincerity.

"I would like that at some time. I've always been curious about these big babies," she grinned.

"Come on!" Jane encouraged them, "I'm hungry, let's go."

Elizabeth scrambled up onto the front passenger seat. She was glad she had given the keys back. This was a big truck, and she was amazed at how high up she was.

She bent down to adjust the seat when she felt something against her hand. She discreetly pulled out a pink, lace thong that she immediately recognized as being Jane's. She stuffed it into her purse, before anyone could see, but she resolved to have a chat with Jane later.

William took them to a large, family style restaurant in New Castle. Elizabeth had been there before and approved of his choice. The food there was hot and plentiful, and the service pleasant.

Dinner conversation was enjoyable, dealing mostly with their plans for the next day. It was noticeable that the guys were tiring, as their yawns were becoming more and more frequent. Elizabeth knew when they got back it would be an early night for them all.

It was after 7 when they arrived back to Pennsic. William parked the truck at Pemberley and walked with Elizabeth to Longbourn. She was eager to show him the bed she made. It consisted of four 4 foot long posts that she had chiseled out for the rails to go into, and four rails, that had small holes evenly spaced every six inches. With the help of a rubber mallet, she got the rails into the posts and she and William wove the rope through the holes, in a crosswise fashion. The headboard slid down vertical groves in the two top posts, which Elizabeth explained, would help keep the pillows from falling off the bed when she slept. William took the opportunity to show off his strength in tightening the ropes, so that the rails were just starting to bow inward. On top of this, Elizabeth put a mattress from her sleeper sofa. In period times, they would have used a bag filled with hay, but Elizabeth worried about vermin, and decided in this case, modern was better. The bed sat very high off the ground, so Elizabeth could store the tucker totes that contained her garb under it unseen.

Click here, to see Elizabeth's bed

When it was finished, Elizabeth invited William to try it out. The bed creaked loudly, prompting them to laugh nervously, but once they were on it, it was surprisingly comfortable.

"This is going to be so much better than sleeping on the air mattress on the ground," she said happily. "What do you think?"

"It's very nice," he agreed. "Are you sure you made this yourself?"

Elizabeth grinned. She was pleased he could tease her, "I'm sure! You want to see my calluses from chiseling?" She held out her hands.

"No, I believe you," he said. He knew if he started holding hands with her things might go astray. "I'm very impressed with the Bennet bed," he told her smiling. "It just fits in this tent, though."

Elizabeth nodded, "Yeah, it's tight." They both had the same thought: it would fit perfectly in William's tent, but they weren't willing to even discuss that yet. They laid silently side by side for a few minutes, and Elizabeth chuckled slightly when she noticed William's breathing had changed. She smiled brightly and watched him sleep, examining the way his face relaxed as the tension left him.

But after a few minutes she realized she had to get up. She still needed to bring her clothes into the tent, and she could hear Jane moving around outside. She also knew she had no chance of climbing out of the bed without waking him, so she leaned over and kissed him slowly on the mouth, "William, wake up."

"I'm not asleep," he asserted.

"Of course not, sweetheart," she assured him, grinning. "But I think it's time you went back to your camp." Her eyes offered an invitation to stay, but William did not accept it.

"You're right," he said rising, and stretching his long frame until his arms touched the top of the tent. "I'll see you in the morning?"

Elizabeth smiled and walked him out of her tent. "Good night," she said, kissing him.

"Good night, Elizabeth," he breathed, kissing her one more time.

****

Sunday, August 5, 2001

Elizabeth woke up early the next day and lay quietly, waiting. It took her a few moments to realize what she was waiting for. Her mouth curled up into a slow grin as she told herself there would be no phone calls from William this morning. She figured he was probably still asleep in his tent. She rolled over and went back to sleep for a few hours.

What she couldn't know was that William was awake at the same time, his body responding to the same internal prompting. Telling himself that Elizabeth was still asleep, he tried to go back to sleep, but his mind instead engaged in the agreeable task of meditating on yesterday, on how she had looked, and felt, and tasted. The erection that tented up his sheet made it clear he wouldn't be doing any more sleeping, and instead he used the quiet of the hour to make love to her once again in his mind.

When she got up, Elizabeth was surprised to find that Jane had slept in her tent alone. But she figured that Charles had probably been as tired as William, and fairly useless to her sister last night.

Elizabeth pulled out the underwear and held it up. "Look at what I found in the truck last night."

"Oh!" Jane said happily. "I was wondering about those," she giggled. "I figured Charles had eaten them."

"Okay! That's oversharing!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Have you no shame?" she asked with mock severity.

Jane considered a moment, then shrugged and answered, "No." She smiled, "Why should I feel shame for being with the man I love?"

Elizabeth smiled back. "I'm so happy you two have gotten back together, Jane," she said, hugging her sister affectionately.

"Me too, Lizzy." Jane smiled. "Thank you for helping us." Jane looked down. "I love him so much. Now that we've gotten back together, I know I could never be apart from him again."

Elizabeth regarded her seriously, "Jane? Is there something you aren't telling me?"

Jane blushed and looked away, "Nothing yet, but we, I don't know, it's like we don't have to say it, Lizzy. It's just a feeling of completeness that we have when we are together."

Elizabeth was struck by that phrase. 'A feeling of completeness.' It was undeniably what she felt around William: complete, happy, loved. Why didn't that threaten her anymore? Why could she accept it now? William loved her, and that didn't frighten her anymore, it made her happy and hopeful.

The foursome spent the morning setting up the remaining tents at Pemberley. Other than the commons, none of the other tents were as large or as difficult to set up as Charles' and William's. When it was done, Elizabeth had to admit that Pemberley, like it's namesake, was one good looking camp. William's and Charles' pavilions were on the right hand wall, the squires' and man-at-arms' five tents were in a neat row along the back, looking like monopoly houses, then Richard's and Georgianna's rounds were along the left hand wall. The commons and the kitchen were against the roadside, providing some privacy for the interior of the camp. The fire pit had yet to be dug, and the rope walls and gate still waited to be put up, but overall, it looked very elegant and complete.

They broke for lunch and decided to make a supermarket run after that. While walking Pemberley's cooler to Longbourn, Elizabeth was stopped by her neighbor. "Girls," the Baroness of Dun Crag beckoned, "just so you know, we got a flash on the radio. A big storm is coming in tonight."

There was something about Pennsic that required at least one major thunderstorm every year. The area was a flat plain, and with the heat of August, big storms weren't unusual for the location. Elizabeth and Jane had plenty of experience on what to do. They thanked the Baroness and continued to the Volvo.

Lunch was simple fast food, followed by a trip to the large Home Depot in Butler. Elizabeth and Jane could not keep a straight face as they watched Charles and William revert to children in the huge home center, running through the aisles, showing each other their 'treasures' and proclaiming loudly "We needthis!" The quick stop to pick up some hose and fittings stretched into an hour, and would have gone longer, if Elizabeth had not announced loudly that they were leaving. She was glad she had taken her car today, otherwise she wasn't sure when they would have escaped.

When they exited the home center, they noticed the sky had darkened with a heavy cloud cover. But it was still hot and muggy. They knew the signs, they were in for a good storm, but there was still a few hours before it would reach them. The supermarket was in the same complex as the Home Depot. While Elizabeth and Jane kept fairly close to their list of planned meals, they were astounded at the quantity of junk food the guys were picking up.

"Pop Tarts?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

William looked at his feet uncomfortably, "I only get them when I'm at Pennsic, and it's something quick to eat in the morning."

"Did you have to get the ones with purple icing?" she giggled.

"Purple tastes better," he told her contritely, which caused Elizabeth to howl.

No one felt like cooking yet, so they grabbed some sandwiches for their dinner later and headed back to the camp. Elizabeth and Jane took the time to make sure their tent windows were closed up and that nothing was touching the sides of their tents, which would cause a leak.

Jane's tent was older than Elizabeth's. It was a left over from a Bennet family vacation 10 years back. The less Elizabeth thought about that trip the better, but it suffice to say when the trip was over, it was clear the Bennet's would never go camping as a family again. Jane had since claimed the old tent. It was still in good condition 5 years ago, when they started attending Pennsic, but it had aged and Elizabeth could see that Jane would have to replace it next year. 'Or maybe not,' she pondered, glancing casually towards Pemberley.

When everything was secure, the girls sat down in their camp chairs and relaxed. It had been another busy day, and they were ready for a break. The temperature was falling and the winds had picked up. The trees along the edge of the camp ground were changing to a pale green, as the updraft was turning their leaves over.

Although it was only 7 when the rain started to fall, it was already full dark, due to the clouds. Elizabeth and Jane had gone over to Pemberley to have dinner with Charles and William. Their spirits were lifted by the coming storm. There was something deliciously exciting about it, and Elizabeth and Jane ran out from underneath the commons tent to feel the first drops on their skin.

The rain came down fast and they quickly retreated, giggling, to the shelter of the commons. William asked, "Now who's being childish?" to which Elizabeth stuck out her tongue. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed that impudent tongue, thoroughly beating it into submission.

A strong gust of wind rattled the tent and interrupted their kissing, causing Elizabeth to start and William to smile. "Don't be afraid," he told her protectively.

"I'm not," she replied. "It's just the noise." The thunder began a moment later, and William held Elizabeth tighter. Not that she needed the reassurance, but she delighted in his embrace. The lightening show was spectacular, lighting up the whole sky with bright blue flashes. Elizabeth leaned into the warmth of William's embrace and trailed her fingers along his neck and ears, nuzzling his flesh with her lips, becoming excited by the powerful, natural display surrounding them. William's eyes grew dark as he pulled her body closer to him, kissing her in quick, fiery attacks, not wanting her to miss the lightening she seemed to enjoy so much.

Then the moment was broken when Charles said sharply, "Will!" and took off through the rain towards Longbourn. William followed him, while Elizabeth tried to figure out what was wrong. Then she saw it: Jane tent's had ripped in the wind and pieces of it were blowing apart. Elizabeth and Jane rushed to Longbourn to help. William was yelling over the rain to Charles, "Drop it!" while Charles told the sisters to get in the car.

Elizabeth followed their directions and took Jane to the Volvo, where they sat while the men dropped Jane's tent, covering what they could of her belongings. Jane's face was worried, and Elizabeth tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, we'll go and get you a new tent tomorrow. You can stay with me tonight, and in the morning, we'll take all your stuff to the Laundromat. You garb will be safe and dry in the tucker totes, anyway."

"I don't care about my stuff, Lizzy," Jane interrupted her, "I'm worried about Charles."

When the guys had done all that they could, Charles and William joined them in the Volvo. "Are you okay?" Charles asked water streaming off his body.

"We're fine," Lizzy told him. "What about you?"

"Just a little wet," he told them, as Jane quickly switched seats to be in the back with him. William sat in the front passenger seat, next to Elizabeth, trying to dry himself off a bit. "Can Jane sleep with you tonight?" he asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth answered as Jane said "No." Everyone turned to Jane, who said softly, "I'm going to stay with Charles." Charles nodded, and held her loosely, trying unsuccessful to keep her dry.

Elizabeth said nothing. "I checked your tent, Elizabeth, it seems to be dry," William told her.

Elizabeth nodded and thanked him. She was careful to waterproof her tent every year and had never had a problem with leaks.

"Ready to go?" William asked Charles. He nodded.

"Where are you going?" Elizabeth asked. The lightening had stopped, but the wind and rains were still bearing down on them.

"We are going to see if anyone else needs help. We figure since we're already wet, we might as well do something," he said shrugging.

"Won't you be cold?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, it's not cold out there, and we'll keep moving." He looked at Elizabeth thoughtfully, "When the rain stops, why don't you two go to Pemberley and we will meet you there, okay?"

She bristled a bit at his telling her what to do, but she was mature enough to recognize that it was a good plan, and that he was asking her. "All right," she agreed. "Be careful."

"I will," he promised, as he and Charles exited the car.

A second wave of the storm passed over them, so Elizabeth and Jane sat silently in the car, each busy with they own thoughts. Elizabeth's were, of course, on William. She was touched by the way he was giving up his own comfort to help other people he didn't even know. He was a knight, she realized. A virtuous man of honor who was always willing to use his strength to help others. When he told Elizabeth what to do, she realized, he wasn't trying to be selfish, he was only trying to help. It was his nature to be a leader and protector, even at the expense of himself.

She thought back to the day she had met him so many months ago. How different he had seemed them. Now she could recognize that he had been shy at that place where he didn't know anyone and didn't have a clear role to play, no duty to do. A sudden realization came upon her then, a mundane epiphany. When William had told Charles harshly that they should be in Canada with the royalty that night, it wasn't because he was being arrogant. It was because they were retainers, and ought to have been with the rest of the Queen's guard that night.

Again and again, she had to face the fact that William was more than just a good man. He was the man. The one whose personality best complemented hers. She opened herself up to the fact that she wanted him. Not in a physical, sexual way, although she did want that too, but she wanted him for her own. For her companion, for her lover, for her mate.

"Lizzy," Jane said softly, "the rain has almost stopped. Let's go."

Elizabeth nodded, not trusting her voice yet. They inspected what had been Jane's tent. "Do you want to bring anything over to Charles'?"

Jane shook her head, "Not tonight. I'll clean it up in the morning," she said softly, her feelings muted.

Elizabeth nodded, and grabbed something before they quietly made their way to Pemberley. When they got there, Charles and William were nowhere to be found. Elizabeth went to the kitchen and fired up the camp stove to warm some water, while Jane opened some chairs that had been closed up against the rain.

"Are you okay, Jane?" Elizabeth asked her, worried about her silence.

"I will be when Charles gets back," she sighed. "I don't know if I like needing him this much, Lizzy."

Elizabeth nodded, but was relieved from having to answer by the return of Charles and William. "Hey," Elizabeth said softly.

"Hey," William responded. "I'm going to go and dry off. " Elizabeth watched as the lantern illuminated William's soaking form. He was dripping water everywhere, from his shirt, his hair, his long straight nose.

"I've heated up some water for you to wash up with," she said softly.

"Thank you, that was very thoughtful," he said.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked.

"No, thank you," he said simply. "Caffeine keeps me up." Elizabeth nodded. "I'll be right back."

Elizabeth put some milk over the stove to warm while she got mugs ready. Jane had attached herself to Charles as soon as he had entered the camp and they disappeared into his tent. Their tent, she amended. Charles had been granted his wish, and the Casa Bingley was no longer a bachelor pad.

When the milk had heated through, Elizabeth turned off the stove and prepared two mugs. Walking to William's tent, she announced her presence.

"Come in," he bid her.

She entered, "Here, I made you something," she said as she handed him a steaming mug.

"Thanks," he said, looking curiously at the cup. 'What is it?"

"It's steamed milk with a little sweet almond syrup in it," she said as she took a sip of hers. "Try it."

He took a sip, and nodded, "Nice," he said appreciatively.

"It's good when you want something warm, but nothing that will keep you up," she agreed.

"Have a seat," he said, indicating a chair. Elizabeth sat and looked at her host discreetly by the soft lantern light. He had changed to a long soft tunic that fell to his calves. His hair was damp and he looked intensely cuddly.

"So, what did you do out in the storm?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable with the silence.

"Oh, mostly we helped a couple camps whose tents had blown down and needed to get them back up, but we did find a bunch of kids who had gotten lost on the serengetti."

"Kids?"

"They were teenagers, but they couldn't remember the location of their camp."

"I've gotten turned around back there," Elizabeth concurred. "It's hard, because you can't see the usual landmarks," she paused to take another sip. "So, what did you do?"

"We walked them to security, who were going to take them back to their camp." He looked at her and smiled as a thought occurred to him.

"What?" she asked warmly.

"Nothing," he said with a shake of his head. He was thinking about how perfect this was. Like a dream, her and him in their pavilion, sitting and talking by lamplight. It was a fantasy he had had too many times to count. But he couldn't tell her that yet. "Where's Charles?" he asked.

"In his tent with Jane," she shrugged, "Jane was pretty freaked out when Charles was out in the storm. I suspect we won't be seeing them for a while."

William lifted an eyebrow at this. "Were you freaked out, too?" he asked quietly.

"No," she smiled. "Not that I wasn't concerned for you. It's just I trusted you not to get into trouble." She smiled shyly, then moved to sit on the bed with him. "You are my big strong knight, as you always tell me, and I knew you would be safe."

William lifted his arm, and let her snuggle next to him before dropping his arm over her. "Thank you," he said, his voice hitching a tiny bit.

"You can say it," she told him gently.

"What?"

"My lady," she answered, her eyes holding his. "After what you did tonight, you definitely earned it," she paused. Once again, their conversation had dipped from the surface level to something deeper and more meaningful. "I do think of you as my lord."

"You do?" his eyes were open and vulnerable.

Elizabeth nodded, her lip caught between her teeth. "You are my lord and protector. You even have the shining armor," she smiled slightly. "And I want to be your lady."

William's eyes studied every feature of her face, before answering in an earnest voice, "Elizabeth, you are my lady. You are the one who inspires me in all things. Everything I do, I do to please you." His hand came up and gently rubbed her cheek. She closed her tear-filled eyes and rubbed her head against his hand.

"Say it," she breathed.

"My lady," he said in a rough whisper.

The tears she had been holding back escaped as he captured her mouth with his in a kiss that spoke to him of her feelings for him. She grasped him tightly, holding on to him with all her strength, as if he were a life preserver, keeping her from drowning in the ocean. But she was drowning, she was drowning in him, in all the sensations that were him. He moaned softly as he tilted his head to better pleasure her mouth with his own. His kiss was not about lust, or romance, it was about need. It was about needing her more than any other person he had ever known. It was about claiming her and never letting go.

"Elizabeth," he breathed. It was so much more than her name, it was his prayer. "My beautiful Elizabeth," he murmured as he kissed her eyelids and her nose and her forehead and then her beautiful lips again.

She couldn't see, he was too close and she could only sense him by touch. He held her close and she knew she never wanted to let go. She lost herself to the feel of him, his body pressed to her, "William" she moaned, her need clouding her voice. "William, touch me," she begged.

He pulled back, his chest heaving. "Elizabeth," he struggled, "are you sure?" His eyes searched hers desperately for reassurance.

She slowly opened her beautiful eyes fully to stare into his. She let her feelings, feelings she had never named, fill her eyes while she searched his. What she found there in his eyes broke her heart. He was so loving, so needing, so vulnerable as he reached out to her. He needed her so badly, she could see it was tearing at his soul, yet she knew if he found any hesitation in her at all, he would pull away. But there was no going back for them. You couldn't go back after you stepped off a cliff. She realized in a flash of insight that there had never been any going back with him, only delays. Their destination had always been assured. In that moment she understood: She was not going to give herself to him now, she already had.

Priorities had changed then as trust replaced Elizabeth's doubts, love replaced her fear, and truth replaced the lies she had told herself. Words like 'need' or 'desire' became pale and meaningless. Being with William, being one body with him now, physically expressing their love, was a requirement, a necessity. As needful for life as the air her lungs were gasping for or the blood that was pumping through her body. She opened her mouth and the words spilled out like rubies, "I love you, William." Her chest heaved as she watched for his reaction, "Make love with me."

His eyes closed and the last of his pain bled out of him. "Elizabeth," he gasped. "My beautiful Elizabeth, I love you. Please believe me, I love you," he spoke with such solemn joy as he kissed her again, pulling her body close to his. With trembling fingers, his slipped his hand down her spine to her waist, and touched her skin there. He could feel her smiling against his lips as he kissed her.

Her skin was like living satin, so soft, so smooth. Touching it awakened a hunger he couldn't express, much less deny. Her shirt was removed quickly, and he sat back to look at her, her eyes were slightly glassy with need, her hair was wild from the rain, and her lips were open. With a strangled cry, he fell back on her, his hands touching every part of her he could reach.

The urges and promptings they had felt and suppressed earlier had not dissipated. Rather, they had waited, like a massive shark, just under the surface. Now, all their longings were set loose like a huge predator, overwhelming and devouring them whole.

Her hands frantically explored his back, the muscles she had admired and longed for under her fingers, yet she was frustrated by the cloth that limited her touch, she began drawing up his tunic, like a curtain, pulling it up the length of his body.

He paused in his desperate kisses to jerk the offending garment over his head. Elizabeth almost did not have time to see her prize, but a prize he was. His body was everything she had dreamed of and more. She lay limp, watching him move in awe as he swiftly divested her of her remaining clothing.

William took her back into his arms and held her close under the bedclothes. Her warmth was like fire against his rain chilled flesh, and her soft, smooth body fit perfectly to his, confirming his knowledge that she was made for him.

Elizabeth kissed him, sucking on his lower lip, then probing his mouth, again and again until she was dizzy. He devoured his way down her neck to her breast. His mouth worshiped it, licking it and blowing on it so that the nipple hardened. It was perfect, full and round and so soft against his face. Elizabeth's hips were rocking involuntarily, expressing her longing, but he was not ready yet. He took the nipple completely in his mouth, suckling like babe while he fondled its mate with his fingertips.

Elizabeth whimpered softly. His mouth was so warm on her tit and when he swirled his tongue over it her insides throbbed with a need so strong, it was almost painful. She wanted him so badly, she wanted to feel him inside of her, possessing her with his magnificent body. "Please. Please. Please." She beseeched him.

He released her nipple. "Please what, my love?" he asked darkly.

Elizabeth eyes were screwed shut, preventing her from seeing the desire in his eyes that surely would have stolen her breath. "Let me touch you." Her hands slipped down to his manhood. She was surprised by what she found. He was greater than their prior encounters had led her to believe. His breathing was ragged was she stroked his length, stopping to grasp him at the base, then sliding up to the damp velvet tip.

Now it was his turn to beg, "Elizabeth, please!"

"Please what, my love?" she asked as she stroked him again.

A desperate whine was her only response. "Please make love to me?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, oh god, Elizabeth." Elizabeth released him and he flung himself off the bed to find a box he had secured earlier. He rushed back to her, holding a package, which he quickly opened. Elizabeth stroked his back as he sat on the bed and prepared himself, purring in her throat as she rubbed her breasts against him.

She didn't question the fierce power of her desire because it was clear to her. She was with him, the one, the man she loved, and would always love. She was safe, she was home. It was him, the one who was made for her. She wanted to give herself to him and she wanted to pleasure him in every way. It was natural, it was meant to be, it was sacred.

With a loud growl he turned around and took her close in his arms. "Elizabeth, I love you so much," he told her between kisses.

"Show me," she told him.

He laid her down and paused a moment as reality blurred with his dreams. How many times had he envisioned her in his bed, naked, her hair flung like a halo on his pillow? Then he saw the burning in her eyes and he knew this was no dream. In his dreams she had been warm, loving and compliant, but in reality Elizabeth was so much more. She was bold, skillful and demanding. She called to him to take her on a level he had never dreamed of. She was here, and real, and their joining would be one of fire. Each leading the other to places they didn't know existed.

He captured her mouth as he pressed his body to hers. They kissed until the fire was too great, then he entered her. That release only started the next fire. Elizabeth relished the sensation of him filling her, his weight pressing down on her. As he began slowly stroking in and out of her, she was lost to the power and pure strength of his body as it was completely focused on pleasing her.

Her hands gripped his back, urging him on. She whimpered as he pushed her, filling her and burning her with his passion. He was lost to her wanton cries. Her pleadings had unlocked all the chains he had put on his darkest self and he was unleashed. Fiercely he rode her, her body rising to meet his every thrust, building with him to the goal they sought together.

Then it happened. Her bodied stilled for a long second and then she drew in a great breath and screamed as powerful convulsions overtook her. He rode the waves that shook her, buried deep in her center, until he was there with her. Growling her name, he covered her mouth with his as he emptied himself into her.

****

When it was over he noticed she was trembling. Tenderly he gathered her into his arms, holding her close and stroking her hair. "Love?" he asked worriedly.

Words took a moment. Then she whispered, "So strong. So, so strong." Her voice was shaking. "My love, I've never felt ..."

"Shhhhh, I know. Me too," he smiled. "Rest." Her trembling stopped and she relaxed against his body. He pillowed her head with his shoulder and rubbed her sweaty back. It had been strong. It had been everything that was promised and more. It had been more than a mating, it was a joining.

"William?"

"mmm?"

"You've won," she smiled dreamily.

"What?"

"Remember, back at Netherfield, when Jane hurt her leg? You told me then you didn't want to be caught. That you wanted to win a woman's heart." She lifted her head to look into his eyes. "You've won me, my love. I'm yours."

His heart swelled with joy and love until he thought it would burst. He kissed her tenderly and together they snuggled into the blissful haven they had created. Sleep wrapped warmly around their relaxed bodies and they stayed as one till the morning.