Chapter 13

Friday, May 4, 2001

After such a stressful weekend, Elizabeth was glad to lose herself in her work. Her students were starting to get antsy, but frequent reminders of the upcoming Regents exams were enough to keep them focused and on track. Elizabeth was also grateful for the space to try and understand what had happened between her and William.

And something had definitely happened. She could not deny that. Every time she was alone, she found herself recalling his embrace. The way he kissed her, and held her, his hand on her face, the look in his eyes. That memory alone could make her shiver on a hot day.

William seemed to have made a commitment to her. "You are my lady," she could hear his voice saying. But what did that mean? He told her she was special to him, and she had to admit, he was special to her too. Her novels would say she had 'tender feelings' for him. She smiled at that thought, holding it close to her heart, where it warmed her.

She was still a bit annoyed that he hadn't told her he was leaving for two months until that night. Elizabeth hadn't learned it from Jane either, and it was clear that she knew, so Elizabeth was feeling more than a little out of the loop. Of course, communication with William had never been the strong point in their relationship. Perhaps he was caught off guard by his feelings as well? She was certainly surprised at how fast, and how intensely her feelings for him had grown.

She was surprised to find a large Fed Ex package waiting on her doorstep when she got home. Carefully, she opened it, to find a securely wrapped and padded frame. She tore away the wrappings, and found her scroll, elegantly framed in a rich looking, dark wood, with a pale purple mat surrounding it. Elizabeth grinned. Jane had told her she was going to get the scroll framed. It was clear that William had recruited Jane to be in on this surprise for her.

There was also an envelope with her first name on it. She opened it and read the letter, written in his small rolling hand:

Elizabeth,

I hope you approve. This scroll is but a poor reflection of your beauty and your accomplishments, but I give it to you freely, in hopes of pleasing you. Please know that you have given me the greatest pleasure, by allowing me to call you 'my lady'. I will miss you, but while I'm away, I will keep your memory close to comfort me.

Your lord and devoted admirer,

William

Elizabeth caught the tear that had escaped one eye and wiped it away. She took the letter, and put it away safely in her bedroom. She was admiring the scroll when Jane came in.

"Look at what I got!" she said proudly.

Jane gasped, "Lizzy, oh, it's so beautiful!" she put down her things, and together they sat down and closely examined the scroll. "Look, Lizzy," she said pointing. In the margins of the four corners, were tiny wyvens amongst the frolicking black cats. "Aren't there wyvens in Fitzwilliam's arms?"

Elizabeth smiled, blushing wildly. "Look," she directed, while pointing. On closer inspection, she had noticed that the line separating the two columns of writing was actually a very thin tower with three tiny spires on top. "He's worked elements of his arms in with mine."

"That's so romantic!" Jane sighed, looking without realizing it towards the phone.

Elizabeth noticed. Jane has been quietly hovering near the phone all week. Elizabeth knew this was going to be a long two months until Charles and William came home. "Do you want to go and see a movie?" she asked.

"No," Jane shook her head. "I'm tired. I just want to stay in tonight."

"Jane," Elizabeth said firmly, "He's going to be gone for seven weeks, you can't spend the whole time waiting for the phone to ring."

"Six weeks," Jane corrected her absently. "It's not that," she said. "I'm just tired. It has been a long week." Elizabeth regarded her skeptically. "How about we rent a movie and get some chinese take-out? Would that be social enough for you?"

Elizabeth smiled, "That's a good idea. I'll call Charlotte and see if she can join us." Elizabeth dialed her friend, and left a message on her machine. That was odd, Charlotte was usually home by now, but Elizabeth shrugged and moved on. "What kind of movie do you want?"

"Something funny, I think." Jane smiled, "Or a really violent action film." Elizabeth nodded. That was Jane's taste in movies: sweetness, light, and big explosions. "See if they have that new Bruce Willis movie in."

Elizabeth frowned, "Wait a minute, your not going?"

"I thought I'd call in the food order and wait for the delivery," Jane said innocently.

Elizabeth pursed her lips, it wasn't worth arguing to try and get Jane out for 15 minutes. "Okay, I'll be right back. Get some crab rangoon, okay?"

"'kay."

They spent the night quietly, eating and watching manly men blow things up. Neither Charlotte or Charles ever called. At 10:30 Elizabeth said goodnight, went to her room, and read a Cadfael mystery till she fell asleep.

******

Saturday May 5, 2001

The next day Elizabeth, Jane and their father went to the Maritime Center for the Annual Shad Festival. Shad is a ocean fish, that swims up into fresh water rivers to spawn every spring. It was only available a few weeks of the year, and Elizabeth treasured it, because like lilacs, it was one of the joys of spring.

Elizabeth's mother disliked the fish, and Lydia couldn't be bothered to spend the day at some boring old museum, so Jane and her were lucky to have this time alone with their dad. The Hudson River Maritime Center was a small museum, struggling to preserve some of the vital history of the river and the people who have lived alongside it.

The Shad Festival was a fundraiser that helped the museum get by. Students from the Culinary Institute of America, which was located nearby, would volunteer to cook the freshly caught fish and its roe, while local crafts people manned small booths and local politicians were seen hobnobbing with their constituency.

For ten dollars, you got a traditional shad dinner, with shad, roe, potatoes, bacon and lemonade, plus admission to the museum. Elizabeth loved the rich, slightly oily fish, and its roe. Because the Hudson had been so heavily polluted, fish from it were generally not considered safe to eat, but the shad were only there a brief time, during the spawning run, and so one serving a year was considered safe.

After eating their dinners, the Bennets walked along the dock, admiring the booths and the boats moored there. Elizabeth was pleased to see the Clearwater Sloop. The sloop was a fantastic wooden sailing vessel, whose purpose was to educate students and the public about the importance of the river as an ecosystem and support it's clean-up.

"So, tell me what you have been up to," Mr. Bennet said. Robert Bennet, at age 59, was still handsome enough to turn heads. He had that sophisticated, distinguished look with his silvered hair and tall figure. He was unspeakably proud of his two oldest daughters. Jane and Elizabeth were everything he felt a young woman should be: intelligent, well-educated, independent and beautiful. Though he took only passing credit in them. He was a firm believer in his own style of laisser-faire upbringing, preferring to allow his daughters to make their own mistakes and find their own voice. He did, however, take great pleasure in their company.

"Not too much," said Elizabeth casually. "Jane's met someone."

"Oh really, Jane?" Mr. Bennet asked pleasantly.

Jane smiled beautifully. "His name is Charles," she glowed.

"Charles Bingley," Elizabeth added.

"Oh, really?" said Mr. Bennet, his interest peaked. "The same Charles Bingley who has been the darling of the county legislature? The same man who has received an astonishingly large amount of tax breaks for what is at best a questionable proposition?"

"The very one," Elizabeth agreed.

"I don't care about that, Daddy," Jane objected. "His company has opened up a new division at Tech city, yes, but you know that isn't what I care about."

"Oh, I do know that very well, my dear. There isn't a mercenary bone in your body and I would never suggest otherwise," he patted her arm affectionately, "Still, it is nice to know my daughter isn't associating with two-bit scoundrels and thieves. No, indeed, Mr. Bingley would be at least an 8 bit scoundrel."

"Indeed," Elizabeth agreed, laughing while Jane shook her head despairingly at them both. Jane knew her sister and father well enough to understand their odd, and sometimes rough sense of humor.

"So, when do I get to met this young man?" he asked.

Jane signed, "Not for a while, I'm afraid. His business has taken him away to Europe for six weeks." No one could miss the sadness in her usually cheerful voice. "But he isa wonderful man. I know you will like him."

"I'm sure I will," Mr. Bennet agreed. "And what about you, Lizzy?"

"Lizzy's met someone too," Jane volunteered, happy to do the same service her sister had done to her.

"Really Lizzy?" Mr. Bennet sounded surprised. He was closest to Elizabeth, so it seemed unusual that she would keep this from him.

Elizabeth looked away, "Well, it's true, but it's not like Jane and Charles." At Mr. Bennet's confused look, Elizabeth explained. "I met this man. He's nice, kinda." She recalled the 'kitchen girl' comment. "He's actually a friend of Charles Bingley's"

Robert Bennet could tell Elizabeth was hiding something. "His name?" he asked mildly. Elizabeth flushed. Bingo! there was something more to this.

"William Darcy."

Mr. Bennet stopped a moment and considered his daughter, then with a slow nod of his head, they resumed they walk. He had always considered his daughters to be exceptional, so it only took a brief moment to reconcile in his mind that they should be involved with these exceptional men. "I am familiar with that name, of course," he said slowly. "He has an excellent reputation for being very intelligent, and very successful. I am surprised, I must admit, to find that he would turn up in Meryton, of all places, but nonetheless, I must compliment him on his excellent taste."

Elizabeth sighed. 'Well, at least he didn't called him a criminal'. "It's not that serious, daddy."

"Yet," Jane piped up.

Elizabeth glared at Jane, then continued. "We met at an SCA event. He's a Knight and we're kind of seeing each other."

"Could you be more specific, my dear?"

"Not really," she confessed, "it's one of these weird SCA relationships. We get along well at events, but don't really have much contact outside of them."

"She's his lady," Jane countered.

Mr. Bennet had attended only one SCA event, at the behest of his daughters. He found the society was not his thing, but he had no objections to it, and by listening to his girls, he had learned quite a bit about it's workings. He understood what the girls were saying, possibly better than they did, but he kept his own counsel, and only said, "Well, keep me informed, Lizzy. I would very much like to met both of these men, if I have the chance."

"Yes, father," Elizabeth agreed, glad to put the subject to rest.

*****

When the girls got home, Jane rushed right away to the answering machine. It's condition was unchanged from when they left. She was putting her bag down and looking at the mail when the phone rang. Jane sprung like a tiger and grabbed it. "Hello!" she said breathlessly.

Elizabeth could hear Charles' voice from across the room, "Jane!"

"Charles!" Jane took the phone and went into her bedroom closing the door. 'Finally!' Elizabeth thought with some relief. As tiny bits of envy nibbled at her mind, she wondered if and when William would call her.

A half hour later, Jane's door opened and she returned, saying into the phone, "She's right here, hold on."

Elizabeth took the phone, slightly puzzled. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth," William's dark, rich voice wrapped around her, and settled deep inside her hidden places.

"William!" she gasped. "I had no idea. Are you with Charles?"

"Charles is with me," he corrected her. "We're at my home in Boston working." He paused a moment, "Did you get your scroll?"

Elizabeth smiled widely, "Yes! It's so beautiful," she gushed. "Thank you, William. I've never been so touched by a gift before."

"I'm glad." He struggled for something more to say. "Um, How have you been?"

"Fine, you?"

"Crazy," he sighed. "We've been working 15, 16 hour days all week, trying to get ready for this trip. We're just taking a supper break now. It's been our first chance to call. Sorry," he added awkwardly.

"It's okay," she shrugged.

"Listen," he continued. "We may not get a chance to call again before we leave, so I want to make sure we have everything set up." She recognized his business voice. "Take down this number," he read it out too her, Elizabeth wrote it and repeated it back to him. "Okay, we're going to be traveling every few days, and I don't know when we will be able to call. Also with the time change, I am not sure if we'll be able to reach you with your work schedule. So we decided we would contact you this way. This number is Caroline's office. We will leave messages with our current number for you there, and you and Jane can call us when it is a good time for you."

"What about you. I don't want to wake you up."

He smiled, "Don't worry about that. It is not like we will be sleeping much this trip," he said ruefully. "And don't worry about the charges, we'll pay your phone bill when we get back."

"That's not a problem," Elizabeth assured him. Elizabeth struggled for what to say. Why was this so hard? "Um, where are you going first?"

"Rome, then Vienna, then Berlin," he sounded tired just reciting the list.

"It sounds very exciting," she offered.

"If we were going for pleasure, it would be," 'if you were there, it would be' "But, we are just going to be working. It is not at all glamourous, and I doubt we will be able to do any sightseeing."

"I'm glad you called," she said softly.

"So am I," his voice was deeper, warmer. "I am going to miss you very much, my lady."

She smiled, moved, "and I you, my lord." She wished she could reach through the phone and touch him.

"Elizabeth," his voice was rough. Then he paused, and it cleared. "Charles is here. I think he wants to talk to Jane again," he sighed. "Take care, my lady."

"You too, my lord," she said, noticing for the first time that Jane hadn't left either. "Here's Jane, bye William."

"Bye Elizabeth," she heard, then she passed the phone to Jane, who disappeared into her room again. Elizabeth took the phone number she had been given and hung it on her fridge.

Then she laid down on the couch and thought about his voice. Why had it been so difficult to talk to him? At Coronation it hadn't been that hard. They could've talked all night. But on the phone, it was awkward. Maybe she needed face to face contact with him, to see his expressions and know what he was feeling. She snorted at that thought. It wasn't like seeing his face had ever helped her understand him before.

She missed his eyes. She missed the way they would tenderly hold her. She hadn't realized how hard this was going to be until now, as she felt a deep sadness wrap itself around her heart. When had she come to feel so much for him?

*****

The next afternoon the phone rang and Jane lunged for it again. It was clear from the disappointment in her voice it wasn't Charles. Elizabeth wasn't surprised. William had pretty much made it clear they would hear anything more for at least a week. Elizabeth was pleased when Jane handed her the phone.

"Hello."

"Hey!"

"Charlotte," she said happily, "I was wondering where you were?"

"I went away for the weekend," she offered vaguely.

"What'cha do?"

"I was just visiting a friend down in the city."

"Have a nice time?"

"Yes. What did you do?" she seemed eager to change the topic.

"We want to the Shad Festival."

"Oh, I forgot that was this weekend," she exclaimed. "Sorry I missed it. Did you have fun?"

"Yup, it was nice. Just me, Jane and Dad."

"That does sound nice," she agreed. "Hear anything from Sir Fitzwilliam?"

"As a matter of fact, he called yesterday," she could not hide the pleasure in her voice.

"Oh really?" Charlotte asked. "What did he say?"

"Hm, not too much. He's not much of a talker."

"Well, there's a news flash."

"He sent me my scroll. He had it framed. Oh Charlotte, you have to see it, it's beautiful."

"I want to. You said he did it himself?"

"Yes! I had no idea he could do calligraphy."

"I did," Charlotte said smugly.

"That's because you were in on the secret." Elizabeth paused. "How did he come to do the scroll anyway? Was it just assigned to him?"

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "Exactly the opposite. As soon as he heard you were getting your Maunch he called the Signet clerk and demanded to do it. It had already been assigned to a different scribe, but he wouldn't have any of it. He insisted he be the one to make it for you."

Elizabeth couldn't believe her ears. "Really?"

"Really," Charlotte said confidently. "And you thought he wasn't interested in you."

Elizabeth shrugged, "I guess I was wrong." She pushed thoughts of William away. "What are you doing next weekend?"

"I don't know, why?" Lizzy could swear she was hiding something.

"I want to do something with Jane. She'll go nuts waiting in the house for Charles to call."

"Well, let me think about it. Hey, maybe we could go up to Albany and do some power shopping?"

"That would be good. I'd like to check out the huge JoAnn's up there for fabric for field garb."

"What? Miss Stuffy-Garb-Maunch isn't going to wear her silks on the field?"

Elizabeth laughed. "I'll talk to you later Charlotte."

*****

Charlotte wasn't available the next weekend. Elizabeth was disappointed, but Charlotte said she had a training day for work. Elizabeth and Jane went to Albany on Saturday, and bought cheap fabric for field garb that would be easily washable and could get destroyed without breaking any hearts. They also ate some lunch, and shopped for clothes and shoes, having a pleasant time.

Elizabeth tried to keep Jane distracted, but she knew her sister's mind was someplace else, flying over the ocean with Charles.

The next morning, Elizabeth had to practically hide the phone to keep Jane from calling. She didn't know why she was trying to delay Jane, she just was afraid of Jane's being disappointed if Charles hadn't left a message yet, and she suspected with the rigors of the trip, he wouldn't have had a chance to call Caroline yet.

At noon, Jane eagerly called the number she had memorized. Her face was full of anticipation, which flowed into disappointment as a recording come on the line:

You have reached the offices of Caroline Bingley. Our office is closed at this time. If you wish you may leave a message after the tone.

Jane frowned and hung up the phone. "I'll have to call on Monday," she said, her voice crestfallen.

Elizabeth could see the worry in Jane's eyes. "Why don't you take my cell phone tomorrow, that way you can call during your break, okay?"

Jane's face lit up. "Thank you, Lizzy! That's a great idea. I know I won't be able to call Charles, but I'll feel better if I can get his number."

Elizabeth smiled and suggested they go see a movie, to take Jane's mind off the waiting.

****

Claire Gates was a petite blonde woman with a cultured voice and an obvious nose job. "Ms. Bingley's office," she said blandly as she answered the phone.

A pleasant female voice replied, "Hello, my name is Jane Bennet. Charles Bingley is a friend of mine and he said he would leave a message for me with Caroline, is she in?"

Claire rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, Miss Bennet. Ms. Bingley is in an important meeting right now." 'With her beautician' she failed to say.

"Oh," the voice hesitated. "Um, do you know if there are any messages from Charles?"

"I'm sorry, I don't go though Ms. Bingley's personal messages," she lied. "If you would like, you can call back later. I'm sure Ms. Bingley will be able to talk to you then."

"Thank you very much," the voice said politely and rang off.

Claire had seen a message from Mr. Bingley for Jane Bennet, but Claire would be damned if she was going to risk her job by relaying such a message to anyone without Caroline's permission. Caroline and her had a special relationship. Claire had made her bed with the woman, and she wasn't going to risk any sign of disloyalty, otherwise, she knew that losing her job would be the least of her worries. In return, Caroline had rewarded her loyalty with lucrative information, which Claire had used to improve her personal financial position substantially.

*****

Elizabeth knew Jane hadn't heard anything the moment she walked through the door. It was in her posture. Jane's face was mildly pleasant, but Elizabeth knew it was nothing more than a disguise.

Jane moved carefully around the apartment. Deliberately taking off her shoes and putting them away, then going into her room to remove her work clothes and changing into something casual. When she returned to the living room, she carefully reviewed the mail, inspecting the contents of a few bills, then she sat down slowly on the couch.

Elizabeth waited until Jane had stopped moving to speak. "Nothing?" she asked.

Jane silently shook her head. She sat and watched the clock, not moving until it read 4:00, then she carefully got up and walked to the phone in the kitchen, dialed the number posed on the fridge and waited for someone to answer.

"Ms. Bingley's office," Claire said crisply. "Oh, Miss Bennet. Yes, Ms. Bingley has been waiting for your call. Hold on."

Jane waited for a few moments, then she heard, "Caroline Bingley," Caroline said in her most pleasant voice. "Jane, sweetheart," she oozed.

"Hello, Caroline, I was wondering if you've heard anything from Charles yet."

"Charles?" Caroline said vaguely. "I got a message that they reached their hotel, but nothing more than that." She smiled in an unpleasant way, "Were you expecting something, Jane?"

Jane faltered, "Charles said he would leave his number at the hotel for me with you."

"Did he?" Caroline asked in a surprised voice, "Well, he didn't say anything, but I'm sure he was just tired from the trip and it slipped his mind."

"Oh," said Jane quietly.

"Look Jane, I'm expecting a call from him soon. If he says anything, I promise I'll call you right back, okay?"

Claire stuck her head in the office. "Ms. Bingley, that call you are expecting is on line 3."

"Jane, I'm sorry, I have an important call I've got to take. Gotta go, talk to you later, Jane." She rang off and switched to the other line, "Charles? I'm so glad to hear from you. I was just thinking about you."

"No," she frowned, "Was Jane supposed to call me? I haven't heard a word from her."

"Yes, I'll tell her if she calls," she paused, "I won't forget. Bye Charles." Caroline hung up and addressed Claire, who was waiting patiently.

"There are no messages for Jane Bennet from my brother, and none from her to him." She looked at her secretary in the eye, "Is that clear, Claire?"

"Perfectly, Ms. Bingley," she replied agreeably. "How should I handle Miss Bennet?"

Caroline considered a moment, "Be polite to her this week, sympathetic, but unable to help." She frowned, "If she doesn't get the hint by next week, we will be a little firmer with her."

"Very good, Ms. Bingley," Claire answered as she exited the office. Claire had no idea who this Jane Bennet was, nor did she care. Caroline clearly wanted her to be cut off from her brother, and Claire was much more interested in keeping Caroline happy than in the interests of some dumb girl she'd never met.

****

Tuesday afternoon was a repeat of Monday. Jane waiting as quietly as possibly, then calling and getting politely told there was nothing for her from Charles. Elizabeth was becoming worried. Jane's eyes were getting very scary. Every moment they were growing more haunted, more fragile, as a terrible idea was gaining strength in both of their minds. He wasn't going to call. He had dumped her.

Elizabeth's brain knew that this meant that William was also gone from her life, but she didn't think about this. Jane was much more important now. She would deal with that unpleasant thought later.

That night was the Barony fighter practice and Elizabeth had to practically drag Jane out the door. She hated doing it, but she wasn't going to let Jane sit all night waiting for a call that Elizabeth feared might not come. If Charles or Caroline called, the machine would get it and faithfully record whatever message they might leave.

Fighter practice was good for both of them. They were warmly greeted and Elizabeth was congratulated on her Maunch. Jane proudly displayed Elizabeth's scroll, which was widely admired.

When Jane was safely ensconced in a circle of friends doing embroidery, Elizabeth motioned to Charlotte and pulled her friend aside. She needed to talk to someone.

"Heard anything from Sir Fitzwilliam yet? " Charlotte asked, getting right to the point.

Elizabeth had long grown use to Charlotte's ability to know Elizabeth's biggest worry without any hint from her. "No," she sighed, "and nothing from Charles either." She looked over Jane, "I'm really worried about Jane."

"Oh Shit!" Charlotte said with feeling. "Wow," her eyes widened as she considered the meaning of this news, "I can't believe that. Poor Jane."

Elizabeth nodded, concerned. "She's on the edge, I've never seen her like this. I really worry that if he doesn't call, she's gonna fall apart."

Charlotte agreed, studying Elizabeth a moment. "What about you?"

Elizabeth brushed Charlottes concerns away, "I'm fine. I'm use to William not calling. I'd be more surprised if he did."

Charlotte didn't believe Elizabeth, but she wasn't going to mess with her friend's coping mechanism. "All right, I'll do what I can to keep Jane occupied, but you know, it's only going to be a temporary fix. If he has dumped her, she's-"

"I know, Charlotte, I know," Elizabeth interrupted her, not wanting to hear what she was fearing so greatly. "But for now that may be all we need. Hopefully Charles is calling right now and leaving a message for her on the machine."

Charlotte squeezed Elizabeth's hand and went over to talk with Jane. Elizabeth sat alone to pull herself together. She didn't notice she had company for over a minute.

"Lady Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked up onto the friendly blue eyes of George Wickham. "Am I," he lifted up his hands, "interrupting you?"

Elizabeth pulled herself out of her thoughts, "No, I was just thinking." She smiled in a friendly way towards him. "Please, sit," she said as she indicated the chair next ot her. "I didn't see you at Coronation," she said conversationally.

"I didn't go," he explained. "I had to work at the last moment, and also, I worried that situations might occur that would be uncomfortable to more than just myself."

Elizabeth thought a moment, then decided to call him on it, "You mean between you and Sir Fitzwilliam?"

George smiled uneasily, "That was my meaning, my lady." He chuckled, "I forgot you have no trouble speaking freely."

"I say what I think, my lord, I prefer it," she said bluntly. "So, tell me, what reason do you have for avoiding my lord?" she waited to see his reaction.

His eyebrows rose, "Your lord? my lady," he nodded in a thoughtful kind of way, "I didn't realize your relationship was so close."

Elizabeth watched him, not volunteering anything. George smiled again, "Forgive me, I meant no offense."

"I took none, my lord. I simply asked you a question."

George took her all in, and then spoke, "My lady, your lord and I have known each other since we were boys. We had a falling out a few years ago, and there is really nothing more to it."

Elizabeth accepted this and nodded in understanding.

"Where is Sir Fitzwilliam, may I ask?" George said as he looked around.

"He's in Europe, away on a business trip," Elizabeth replied mildly.

Wickham's eyes flared, and he barked out a burst of hard laughter which he just as quickly surprised. "Europe, eh? Hmm, business trip to Europe. Oh my, I thought he would have given up on that by now, " he said mostly to himself.

"Given up on what?" Elizabeth asked.

George shook his head, "It's nothing, my lady." He looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry . . . he's away. You must miss him."

Elizabeth was sure that was not what George meant to say, but she let it go. "I do. I'm waiting for a call from him soon."

George looked away angrily. Then he got up and started pacing.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," he snapped. "Forgive me, Elizabeth." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's just, I can't stand to see a kind and honest person like you being taken advantage of."

Elizabeth waited a moment, then asked "Do you want to explain that statement?"

George looked torn. "I really shouldn't be telling you this," he looked around to see if they were being listened to, "but I strongly suspect he's not away on business."

Elizabeth regarded him skeptically. "And why, would you think that?" she asked, plainly not ready to believe him.

"Because I know something about him that you do not," George said gravely.

Elizabeth was once again reminded of how little she knew of William's past. "Oh really? What might that be?"

George sighed. "I really didn't want to tell you this," he said, sitting down beside her. "William's father was my father's partner in D-tech. They started the company together. Willie and I grew up together. We were close friends as boys, because neither of us had any siblings, until his sister was born," he explained. "When my father died, Mr. Darcy took me in, and paid for my college education. Willie and I went to MIT together."

Elizabeth nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Anyway, while we were at school, our lives took . . . different paths. Willie continued at MIT, but I found I wasn't suited to spend my life in front of a computer screen. I left to study art. I saw Willie occasionally, at the holidays, family gatherings, things like that. I was still very close to Willie's father, and Mr. Darcy supported me in my studies." George sighed. "When his father died, I thought I would never see Willie again. But I was painfully wrong."

"I met Maria at Parson's." His voice grew wistful, "She was studying design, just like me. We fell in love, and became engaged." George smiled at the memory. "I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. Then I made a fatal mistake," his voice hardened. "I took her to Pennsic one year, as a vacation. Maria wasn't really interested in the society, but I thought it would be something she would enjoy."

Elizabeth listened politely, wondering where this story was going.

"I was surprised and pleased to meet up with my old friends, Willie and Georgie Darcy there. Of course, I was proud at being able to introduce my beautiful fiancé to them, and they seemed pleased to met her."

Wickham's face took on a bitter smile. "Oh yes, Willie was very pleased to meet her," he observed sarcastically. "I don't quite know how it happened, but one night Maria and I got separated. She was going to spend the evening with Georgie, and I was seeing some old friends. It doesn't really matter how it happened. The point is, Maria never came back to my camp that night. In the morning, I was worried, of course. I went looking for her, thinking she might have gotten lost or something." George's voice grew soft as he stared at nothing. "And I found her, in Willie's bed."

Elizabeth's face changed from being guardedly curious to a closed mask.

He looked at Elizabeth, and colored slightly. "I'm sorry, I had to tell you that. "

Elizabeth gave her head a tiny shake. "No matter, go on."

Wickham shrugged. "What more is there to say? Maria couldn't face me, she wouldn't even talk to me. She returned that week to Rome, and I never saw her again." He looked to the floor, "I heard about her, though. William made sure he told me about her every time I saw him, which was much too frequently for my taste. As far as I know, he's still carrying on the affair. He sees her a couple times a year, when her husband goes away."

Elizabeth was watching the floor, then she looked at him. "I find this very hard to believe. He has always been very honorable around me."

"Always?" George eyed with a raised eyebrow. "It is hard to believe, I know. He acts all proper and somber here, the great Sir Fitzwilliam, but it's all just an act." He frowned and turned away, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but he's just a liar and a cheat. I'm sorry you got involved with him."

George walked away, projecting an air of saddened disgust, which changed when he entered the parking lot to a malicious smirk.

******

Elizabeth sat with her head spinning. 'Was it possible?' Elizabeth shook her head. No, not William. She couldn't believe it. The fears that she had repressed when William hadn't called sprung up full-blown in her mind. George had every detail of William's life right: D-tech, MIT, everything, and William had said they had known each other a long time ago.

But she couldn't imagine William, who was so shy, having a long term affair with a married woman. And what about Wickham? Both William and Charles has warned her not to believe him. What he had said wasn't possible, was it? She tried to dismiss the idea outright, but a cold lump of doubt had settled in her stomach.

A lump that grew larger when she returned home with Jane, to find no message from Charles on their machine.

Chapter 14

Saturday, May 19, 2001

William Darcy had a big problem. It was time. Time had always been William's nemesis. He had never in his life lacked for money or resources, but time, time he could never beat. Whether it was the length of time it had taken him to complete his studies at college, or the lack of time he had spent with his parents before they died.

Now he found that he was battling time again. He needed time to go faster. He needed to get back to the states, to her. And he needed something to kill the time when they weren't working. The time during which Charles had nothing to do but wonder why Jane hadn't called.

Charles had been all right during the week. They had been busy with meetings and presentations, lunches and dinners. His mind had been kept busy and he was required to remain focused on his work. But now the weekend was here, and Charles was like a caged tiger, stalking the phone. He was pacing their suite, restless, yet unwilling to leave.

On top of that, William had a terrible burden he was carrying. Caroline had told him last night that she had actually called Jane at her home and given Jane Charles' number, because he seemed so anxious. Every moment that passed brought a horrible certainty to him. Jane had their number, but she wasn't going to call.

William didn't know why. He had no idea why Jane would be doing this, but he knew what was happening. He had seen it so many times before. Charles was being dumped, thrown over, given the heave-ho. It turns out, she didn't love him after all and Charles was going to be hurt again.

William couldn't tell Charles yet. There was still a chance he was wrong. Perhaps something had happened that prevented Jane from calling, maybe a sick relative, or something. He couldn't bring himself to share the terrible news, so he had to wait. He was fighting time, again.

*********

Friday, May 25, 2001

Elizabeth drove her big Volvo up the Thruway while lost in her thoughts. She was going to the War of the Roses. This event was always held on Memorial Day weekend, and was the first camping event of the summer. It was held at a hunting club grounds, a bit north and west of Albany. It was an easy drive of an hour and a half.

But Elizabeth was distracted and unhappy. This was the first time she was attending this event alone. In the past she had always gone with Jane and Charlotte. The three of them were companions, a team, a close cadre' of fearless women. And now she was alone.

Oh, she wasn't worried about being alone. She was a part of the Lucas's camp and was comfortable there. She had numerous friends and acquaintances to hang out and party with. It wasn't loneliness that was disturbing her, it was change. Her life was changing, and Elizabeth didn't like it.

Something was definitely going on with Charlotte. For her to be missing War of the Roses was inconceivable. But Charlotte had quietly, yet firmly said she wasn't going, that she had other plans for the weekend. Elizabeth had asked her about her plans, but Charlotte had said very little, only that she was seeing someone and that she wanted to spend the three day weekend with him. When Elizabeth pressed her on who this man was, Charlotte told Elizabeth that he was no one she knew.

It was an unsettling surprise to Elizabeth that Charlotte had gotten involved with someone Elizabeth didn't know. How was that even possible? They shared everything, every detail of their lives, to be carefully discussed and analyzed. And now Charlotte was spending a weekend with a man ELizabeth didn't even know? Elizabeth felt guilty that she had been so wrapped up in William, and Jane, that she had neglected her friend.

Then there was Jane. Elizabeth's brow contracted as she thought of her sister and a soreness burned in her chest. Jane had finally accepted that Charles was not going to leave a message for her. He wasn't going to call.

Caroline had kindly explained to Jane after a week of her calling daily, that Charles was, as she put it, 'flighty' and he had told Caroline not to give Jane his number. Caroline was sorry, but she suspected that her brother had moved on.

Jane never said anything, but Elizabeth knew she was devastated. The laughter and joy that had been a part of her had left her sister's eyes. She remained friendly and smiling with others, but at home, she was silent, and withdrawn, spending hours staring into space. Elizabeth didn't need to guess where her thoughts where.

When it was time to pack for this weekend, Jane had begged off, telling Elizabeth she had too much school work to do. Elizabeth hadn't pushed Jane. She knew Jane needed some time to adjust to the fact that Charles was gone.

Elizabeth couldn't believe it, for her part. When they had parted at Coronation, Charles looked to her like a man completely in love, and he seemed heart broken at being separated from Jane. She never would have guessed he would have dumped her so soon. But, Elizabeth had to conceded, there were many things she hadn't foreseen.

'William' her mind whispered. Elizabeth was using the long, solitary drive to finally let herself think about him. She needed to. She had put if off, focusing on the nightmare that was Jane's life, but she couldn't avoid it anymore.

Charles wasn't only avoiding Jane, William was avoiding her. That hurt, badly, but she couldn't give up on him. If Charles had lot interest in Jane, she could understand why William would be avoiding her. Their last phone call had been damn awkward, how impossible would it be when his best friend and traveling companion was in the process of breaking the heart of her sister and roommate. She was willing to believe he just couldn't call.

Unbidden, Wickham's word returned to her. "But I strongly suspect he's not away on business." She didn't believe George, aka Lord Slick. Both Charles and William had warned her not to trust him.

But, her mind argued, George had said the same thing about William, and Charles had dumped Jane, thus blowing his credibility. No one was currently inspiring her trust. Could William be having an affair? She didn't think so. She remembered the way he had looked at her, the way he had held her so firmly. His words when he left Coronation. Those were not the words of a man who was going off to some Roman bimbo.

Yet George had known so much. So many details: William's school, his sister, his father's death, the family company. He clearly knew more about William's past than she did. It was hard not to believe some part of his story.

And the fact remained that William hadn't called, even though he promised he would.

Was she wrong about him? She didn't know anymore. She didn't know anything about him and it made her crazy. She felt so very vulnerable. She wanted to trust William, to believe him. She couldn't help but remember the night of Coronation, when he had held her close. She had felt so happy, so contented there in his arms, like she never wanted to leave. William had touched her heart that night, with his shy smile and the tender way he looked at her.

She began to cry for the first time since he left. She missed him so much. She missed his voice, and his touch, and the intense way he looked at her, like she was the most important thing in the world to him. She just wanted him to come back to her, to take her in his arms and sweep away all these horrible rumors and make everything right.

She pulled the car on to the shoulder and let herself cry out her sadness. Afterwards she left better. There was nothing to do for the situation. William and Charles would be gone for another month, it couldn't be helped, so she might as well have a little fun while she waited.

Arriving at the site, she checked in at the troll and drove up the narrow road to the hilltop location that was traditionally the Barony's spot. There she saw the familiar large oval shaped pavilion that was the Lucas's home away from home. (picture here) Painted on the side of it were the blue and white arms shared by the Baron and the Barony.

"Lizzy!" Maria Lucas welcomed her happily. Maria was the youngest of the Lucas clan. A year younger than Lydia, she was a sweet, friendly girl who looked up to Elizabeth as another big sister. Elizabeth hugged the girl and walked with her to the large tent.

There she was warmly greeted by the Baroness, who told her where she could set up her tent and invited Elizabeth to dinner, which the Baroness was cooking in an iron pot over the fire.

With Maria's help, Elizabeth soon had a tent set up. Elizabeth had a large modern nylon tent. A Hilary that was designed to comfortably sleep 5 backpackers was just the right size for one SCAdian lady. Elizabeth would love a fancy canvas pavilion like the Lucas's had. They were large, airy and comfortable. She could put four of her nylon tents inside of one. But Elizabeth knew from past experience that big pavilions took a minimum of two people the better part of an hour to set up, and lord help you if you ever put the canvas tent away wet. Your $2000 tent would be a huge pile of mildew in a matter of days.

Someday Elizabeth would have a fine pavilion, but for now she was happy with something she could easily put up herself and that wasn't as fussy in its care.

Maria talked a mile a minute as Elizabeth blew up her air mattress and changed into a warm woolen gown. It was the end of May, but the site they were at was always windy, and Elizabeth knew she would want the extra warmth once the sun set. Elizabeth tried to get Maria to talk about Charlotte's new lover, but the girl very deliberately had nothing to say on the matter. When Maria's mother announced dinner was ready, the two girls exited the tent and Elizabeth closed it up tightly against the dew that would soon be appearing.

Dinner that night was a rich beef stew, with a red wine sauce, and onion sops with bread. The sops, which were the Baroness's specialty, were 5 pounds of onions, chopped coarsely and cooked over a low fire for hours with butter, white wine and bacon, until they caramelized in to a sweet, gooey mass that was scooped onto bread. It was a heart attack on a plate, but Elizabeth loved it.

She sat on a chair around the campfire, enjoying her dinner and chatting pleasantly with the other barony members present. Gossip on who was seeing who was flowing richly between the small group. Elizabeth enjoyed the stories and was careful to avoid feeding anything new into the mix or being coming a topic herself. She was enjoying herself, but couldn't help feeling like there were two holes in the conversation, one Charlotte shaped, the other shaped like Jane.

As the sun set, a bottle of mead appeared, and soon it was joined with others. Elizabeth drank some, letting a warm buzz soften her mood, but not enough to impair her. Mead, being honey based, could pack a hell of a hangover, as most SCAdians could attest too.

Maria, who was not drinking (publicly) was eager to move along and visit the other campfires, where she wouldn't be under her parent's watchful eye. Elizabeth was begged and finally agreed to accompany her. Elizabeth didn't mind, she wanted to see her friends and would make sure that Maria didn't drink too much.

They started at Contessa Isabella's camp. The lady was proudly offering tours of her new pavilion and the party around her fire was well underway. Amongst her many other talents, Isabella was a master brewer and loved to host grand events. Her "Ladies Night Out" party at Pennsic was famous. "Lizzy!" Isabella called. "Come here, my dear!"

Elizabeth went and received a warm embrace from the woman. "What are you drinking tonight?" Izzy asked. 'Lizzy and Izzy', the nicknames happened one night when they were very drunk, and they stuck.

Elizabeth held up her empty goblet. "What are you serving tonight, my lady?"

Isabella leaned closer to Elizabeth, "Do you like sweet drinks?"

Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically.

"Really sweet?" the Contessa verified. "Come here," she led Elizabeth to her kitchen/bar and poured an inch of liquid into Elizabeth's glass. "Try that."

Elizabeth sipped. It was very good. "Pears?" she asked, her tone indicating she was impressed.

The Contessa nodded and filled her glass. "I made that three years ago. It's perfect now."

Elizabeth had to agree and warmly complimented her friend. Then she sat with Maria and listened to the topic at the fire, which was Pennsic stories. It is an unwritten rule that all Pennsic stories must start with "No shit, there I was..." no matter how fantastic or mundane the story. Elizabeth laughed at a particularly funny story about a man who had gotten so drunk one night he couldn't find his way back to his camp. He finally collapsed at the first camp he found, which was already settled down for the night. After a time, the man became cold from sleeping on the bare ground, so he wrapped himself up, mummy fashion with whatever he could find on hand: a roll of paper towels, and fell back to sleep. When the sun rose, the man woke up, and broke out of his paper cocoon, and made his way home no worse for wear, but he always wondered about the camp he had crashed at, and what they must have thought, finding this empty shell in their common area.

After a while, Elizabeth and Maria moved on to the next campfire. This one was in the Clan Campbell encampment. Elizabeth took her mandatory swig of scotch and found a comfortable place by the fire. No one was telling stories here, rather people were conversing in small groups. Elizabeth spoke with Rosamund, who she was sitting next to. The lady had a business making and selling garb and was an old acquaintance of Elizabeth's.

Rosamund was attempting to talk Elizabeth into working for her, making garb over the summer, when Elizabeth felt someone touching her shoulder. She turned to find George Wickham stroking her shoulder along her collarbone.

"Hello, my lord," Elizabeth said politely as she moved her shoulder out from under his hand.

"It's good to see you, my lady," he said. "I was hoping you would be here."

Elizabeth noticed the bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand and quickly surmised he was on his way to getting lit. He took the chair Rosamund had vacated and looked intently at her. "Is your lord, here my lady?" he asked.

Elizabeth answered simply, "No, he's still away."

George stroked her lower arm, back and forth, "He shouldn't have left you, Elizabeth." His eyes were dark as he spoke with a slow, drunken slur. "You're too pretty to leave alone. I'd never leave you alone Elizabeth."

"Could you please stop," Elizabeth said firmly looking at his hand on her arm.

"Of course, my lady," he said in a hurt tone. "I guess I'm not fine enough to touch Sir Willie's lady, am I?"

Elizabeth knew this wasn't going well. She looked over at Maria. "You ready to go?" she asked the girl.

Maria had clearly been watching the whole exchange, because her eyes were the size of saucers. She nodded quickly.

Elizabeth stood up and said, "Good night, my lord," to George as she turned away.

"My lady?" George was up and behind her. "May I walk you back to your camp?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "That's not necessary, my lord," she replied as she kept walking towards her camp.

"Nonetheless, I am a gentleman and would not be able to live with myself if I didn't accompany you safely to your door," he said as he followed them.

Elizabeth ignored him and quickly made her way back to her campsite. Maria said goodnight and went into the large pavilion. Elizabeth saw that the campfire had been doused and everyone had either gone to sleep or to another party.

She turned to George. "Well, you've done your duty, goodnight my lord," she dismissed him.

George stared at her, then lunged forward and kissed her. Elizabeth had been expecting this and put her hands on his chest and pushed him off. "No," she said firmly.

"What?" George slurred angrily, "You saving it for Willie? Cause let me tell you, my lady, he's not saving it for you," he hissed.

Elizabeth flinched, but held George away. "I said no," she repeated.

George reached up to touch her hair, "Are you sure, my lady Lizzy?" he purred. "It's going to be a cold night. I could keep you warm."

Elizabeth had had enough, "George, get your hands off of me and leave!" she said in a low, commanding voice that made it clear she was neither angry, nor afraid.

George pulled back, "Well, if you are sure, my lady."

Elizabeth nodded.

"I don't believe in forcing myself on women," he said lamely and left with an air of hurt pride. Elizabeth sighed, and shaking her head, got cleaned up and put herself to bed.

****

The weather on Saturday was warm and sunny. Elizabeth relaxed with her campmates over a lazy breakfast of danish and coffee. It was not period, but it was also not labor intensive.

Elizabeth loved camping out. It relaxed her to be outside all the time and escape from the stresses of her life. When she was camping she never thought about her house, or her job, or all the other thousands of tiny worries that bothered her all the time. She found comfort in the million year old rhythm of the sun rising and setting, and the stars shining overhead.

Around 11am she left the casual conversation of the camp and went down to the archery field. The range was open for practice and Elizabeth spent an hour working on her aim. She had neglected her bow and hadn't shot since the fall. She needed to rebuilt the strength in her arms for the summer tournaments.

While she enjoyed the practice, Elizabeth missed Jane. She wandered over to the list field, were the fighters were getting ready for the large melee, reenacting the Battle of Bosworth field. Elizabeth accepted a white rose token from the Baroness of the host Barony, Concordia of the Snows.

The War of the Roses was a civil war fought between the house of Lancaster against the house of York for control of the British throne. The Yorks' had a white rose for its symbol, the Lancasters' a red rose, hence the name. As Elizabeth watched the fighting from the comfort of the Baroness Meryton's canopy, she wondered what color rose William would wear. She smiled privately as she thought on the question. She suspected he would be a Lancastrian, rather than support the ambitious York house, but she didn't know. The event took place long after his persona's period, but she would enjoy discussing it with him.

The melee was well fought, but Elizabeth wasn't paying enough attention to even know which side had won. Not that it really mattered, but she felt bad that she wouldn't be able to give a full report to Jane. Elizabeth rose from her seat and strolled with Baroness Lucas to the merchants.

There were only 6 booths set up. Elizabeth walked passed the Armor without stopping. The next booth had weapons: swords, daggers and knives. Elizabeth looked for a few moments. She needed to get a new feast dagger, but everything she saw there was too fantasy in nature for her taste.

The next booth had soaps, jams and preserves, as well as loose herbs. Elizabeth smiled at the two sisters running the booth and bought some lavender soap for Jane.

She passed by Rosamund's garb booth with a friendly wave and spent a few minutes examining the trim at the next booth. It was an common obsession in the SCA. Good trim was hard to find in your local fabric store, as Elizabeth well knew, so merchants found they could make a fair living by selling a wide assortment of it. Elizabeth thought about the fabric she bought for new garb and did her best to match the colors she already had. She also splurged on a beautiful blue and gold pattern. She didn't know what she would use it on, but she knew she would find something. She passed by the last booth that had jewelry quickly, not being a big jewelry person.

Elizabeth returned her purchases to her tent and sat down in the shade of the Barony pavilion. She took a long drink of water and watched the activity around her. A group of children and a dog were noisily playing with a kite on the hillside, while a young couple walked arm in arm towards the apple orchard behind the site, clearly looking for privacy. Elizabeth smiled. She'd been back in that orchard herself and had spent a few happy hours making out back there. There was something undeniably romantic about the society, walking on the arm of a handsome lord, wearing a long, flowing dress, the sun shining down while the wind blew through your hair. Just the atmosphere was seductive and it appealed to her poetic nature.

She must have been smiling because she was interrupted from her musings by a voice asking, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Elizabeth was not normally this spacy. It bothered her very much that she had been snuck up on so much. It was George Wickham (again.) Elizabeth wondered when this guy was going to get the hint.

"I was just letting my mind wonder, my lord," she said politely.

"I see," he replied, nodding his head slowly, "Would you like a drink, my lady?" He offered her bottle, this one was unlabeled, but she could smell the alcohol coming off of it.

"No thanks," she said. "I'm having water," she indicated her glass. "Besides, don't you think it's a bit early?' she thought.

George lifted up an eyebrow, "Oh, but I think you will like this quite a bit more than water, my lady," he pressed.

"No thank you, my lord," she said cooly.

"Suit yourself," he said. "I believe I owe you an apology, my lady. My behavior last night was shameful," he said sincerely.

"I'll add that to the file marked 'D'uh'," Elizabeth commented dryly while looking at away.

George looked at her, his expression surprised and slightly amused. "I was trying to apologize, my lady," his tone was gently mocking.

Elizabeth finally looked at him and gave him half a smile. "I know," she sighed. "I accept your apology, my lord."

George smiled, "That's better. Now, you and I are going to sit together and have a nice conversation."

"We are?" she asked skeptically

"Yes," he assured her. "You are much too charming and witty a woman to leave alone. If other people are willing to miss the pleasures of your company, that's their business, and their loss, but I am not going to pass up such a delightful opportunity." He grinned broadly as his pulled his chair closer to hers.

Elizabeth smiled in the face of such blatant flattery. "Are you sure, my lord? Some people may argue that my tongue is too sharp for their ears."

George nodded, "Ah, yes, I have been on the receiving end of some of your sharp words," he tilted his head towards hers. "But I believe that I am immune, because I speak only the truth, and any sharpness you might have for me, is actually directed to the content of my words, and not to my actual person."

Elizabeth frowned. "And there we must disagree, my lord." She shook her head eloquently. "Because I do not believe you, so my words should, and I hope do, cut you to the quick."

"You would trust the man who has left you, over the man who remains by your side?" He asked, his blue eyes open and close. He tilted his head to the side, and Elizabeth noticed his full lips.

Elizabeth licked her lips distractedly, "I do," she answered softly.

"And there is nothing I can do to convince you otherwise, lady?" his voice was soft, and intimate, as he ran a featherlight finger along her jaw bone, awakening feelings which surprised and disturbed Elizabeth greatly.

"Nothing, my lord," she answered. Elizabeth straightened herself slightly, pulling away from him. "After all, your behavior has not spoken well on your behalf."

George clucked his tongue, "Ah, but you said you forgave me that, my lady."

"Forgave, yes," she nodded, "but I do not forget, my lord."

"I see," said George. He looked over her shoulder and saw the Baroness and Maria Lucas returning. "Perhaps we will have a chance to discuss this later, my lady? I must go now."

Elizabeth nodded and watched him leave the camp, as a cold feeling settled over her. What the hell was she doing? Why was she even talking to that jerk? She had to get out of there. Elizabeth could feel that a piece of her precious self-control had slipped, and she would be damned if she was going to stay here and let herself be seduced by that nightmare.

Quickly she packed up her gear and threw it into the car. She didn't even care if she had everything, she just had to leave. She raced down the Thruway pushing ninety the whole way home. When she parked in her spot, she sat for a long time, her hands clutching the steering wheel.

What was wrong with her? She didn't want Wickham, she didn't even like the man. But she couldn't deny that for a moment there she had been attracted to him, and he knew it. He was a predictor, and had chosen her as his prey.

It wasn't hard to guess why. Elizabeth hadn't been with anyone for a very long time, and with William being gone, she was feeling very needy. She was an easy mark, so he thought. Elizabeth entered her house to Jane's surprise. She let Jane get her a glass of water and then Elizabeth told her the whole story. She included what Wickham had told her at the fighter practice about his fiancé 'Maria', which she had previously kept to herself, not wanting to hurt Jane any further.

Elizabeth believed that Jane always thought the best of everyone, but there was one large exception that she didn't know about. Jane had no peace for anyone who would hurt her sisters. Wickham had crossed that line, and without knowing it, had made himself a big enemy. Jane listened sympathetically to everything Elizabeth said, comforting her and assuring her that she did the right thing.

Elizabeth didn't know it, but Jane was also carefully recording every detail in her mind. Wickham would someday find himself in a very bad situation because of this, Jane would make sure of it.

When Elizabeth had talked herself out, and they had agreed that the best way to handle this was to ignore it, Jane suggested dinner and a movie. The holiday weekend had brought with it the usual plethora of new films and Jane wanted Elizabeth to forget about her worries.

*****

It turned out that it was a good thing Elizabeth had come home early. Late Sunday night the phone started ringing. Elizabeth was in a deep sleep, but Jane heard the ringing and was able to reach the phone, but not before the machine picked up. As Elizabeth came to full awareness, what she heard on the machine made her heart stop.

"Jane! Jane?" It was Charles' voice. He was hysterical. "Angel? Are you there? Why Jane? Why?" His voice was horrible, the pain in it ripping into you like a dull knife.

Jane rushed to the phone, crashing into the wall but not caring. She picked up and desperately said, "Yes, yes! I'm here!"

As she did, William's voice came over the machine and softly said, "I'm sorry," then the line went dead as Jane cried "No!"

Elizabeth stood there shaking as Jane slid down the wall, still holding the phone tightly. Jane looked at Elizabeth as the tears welled up in her eyes, "It was him, wasn't it? It was him! You did hear him, didn't you?" her voice was that of a frightened child, seeking reassurance that Elizabeth couldn't give.

Elizabeth could only nod her head as her throat tightened up. Jane began sobbing then, and Elizabeth knelt down beside her. It was the only time she had ever saw Jane cry over Charles.

"It was him," she kept repeating over and over between sobs. Then Jane looked at Elizabeth with such pain, Elizabeth could feel her heart break, "Oh Lizzy, I never told him I love him, and now it's too late!"

Elizabeth could doing nothing but hold Jane tightly. Eventually, she got Jane back into her bed, and Elizabeth sat with her until she fell into a restless sleep. Then Elizabeth went to her own bed, and cried herself to sleep.