The girls didn't waste their time when the first day at the show was over; they rushed to the hotel to wash the horse smell from their bodies and prepare themselves for the Olympia's gala. Jumping over clothes and suitcases, Jane and Elizabeth readied themselves for what they expected to be the social event of their lives.

"Well?" Jane twirled around, showing her sister her evening dress.

"You are looking beautiful! Charles won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Elizabeth smiled.

Jane's expression brightened. "Do you think so?"

"If he does not kidnap you out of the room and declares undying love he is either blind or stupid."

"Oh Liz, he is such a great guy," Jane sighed happily. "So sensible and respectful. I feel so safe with him."

"Well, that's more than one can say about most men these days. You really like him, don't you?"

Jane bit her lip. "More than just like him. I know it's too soon, we never talked seriously about how we feel about each other but I know I can fall in love with him. I'm just not sure of how he feels about me."

"I'm sure that he likes you much more than you think. Now," Elizabeth smiled sweetly. "How are we going to fix that hair?"

Jane twisted her hair up, exposing her graceful neck. "What do you think of this?"

Elizabeth nodded appreciatively. "He'll love it."

A hard knock was heard on the door.

"Darcy!" Bingley opened the door. "You said you would meet me in the lobby at 7!"

Darcy eyed his friend up and down. No shoes, opened shirt and no tie. He should have known it. He only pointed at the clock on the nightstand. It was 7.20.

"That's impossible." Charles exhaled. "It was 6.30 just ten minutes ago."

"Yes, yes. You have two minutes or I'm leaving without you." Darcy smiled at his friend's impossibility to be ready on time.

"Why is that you never are late for anything?" Charles sighed in frustration and looked around his room for his tie. It was a complete mess. "I bet your room is in perfect order."

"Impeccable."

He rolled his eyes as he slid his feet inside his shoes. "I'm sure you even ironed your socks, too." Charles put his jacket on and walked to the door. "Twice." Darcy slapped his back and pushed him out of the room.

The Olympia's ball was THE social event of the British equestrian calendar. It was the place where riders found new sponsors, where top horses where sold at the higher prices and where the major gossip about the sport circulated. If there was a horse with an injury or a rider whose career was going down the hill, this was the place to learn or spread the news. But tonight, Darcy's interest was not caught by this advantageous exchange of important information. Since he entered the salon, his attention had been centred in finding the only person that was on his mind at the moment: Elizabeth Bennet.

He thought he was going to find her at the ball on his arrival but it seemed that his assistant's timing was even worse than his friend's. But then, women were never expected to arrive on time. His eyes were drawn to the entrance every time someone came in and he endured the succession of greetings and introductions without showing any interest in the people he was meeting. Half an hour and a scotch later, Darcy was bored to death. He was tired of Charles talking about Jane, of Caroline babbling with Louisa and that ridiculous little man that was following him around, telling him that he worked at Rosings with his aunt. He needed to get out of there.

That was how his feet took him to entrance hall. To get some air, he told himself, though it was not true. The truth was -though he would never admit it- that he wanted to see Elizabeth's arrival. So he walked up and down the hall a couple of times, his anxiety growing with every step. It was then when he realized how stupid he was being. The girl would think he was waiting for her if she saw him pacing the hall like a groom waiting for his bride and he could not let her raise expectations that were completely out of place. No, he should leave immediately.

He glanced at the entrance and saw Elizabeth and Jane descending from a taxi. Now he was trapped in his own indecision. Go greet her or walk away with indifference. He made the wrong choice, obviously.

Elizabeth was climbing the stairs when she saw Darcy walking down the hallway. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second and then he turned away, as if pretending he didn't see her. But he did. Arrogant jerk. Why should she expect anything different? Anyway, she didn't come for him; she was here to enjoy herself, learn more about the horse world and find George. She would have the best night of her life despite William Darcy.

The place was elegant, tastefully decorated and a little crowded. Men were in black tie, women in their best fashions, an obscene buffet, and musicians. The perfect ball. The girls walked around, helped themselves to drinks and went to greet the Lucases, who introduced them to some acquaintances. Charles soon came to greet Jane and Elizabeth suddenly found herself alone, wandering about the salon.

"You look absolutely stunning," Denny approached her from behind.

"Denny!" Elizabeth startled. "How are you?"

"Great party, isn't it?"

"It's fabulous."

"Your team did great this afternoon. Everyone is talking about Darcy and Tuareg. They say that is the best pairing they had seen so far."

"They are." Elizabeth looked around with curious eyes. "And George?"

"He couldn't make it."

"Oh," she pouted.

"But he said he's coming tomorrow. He wouldn't miss the Olympia's finals for anything in the world."

At that moment, Charlotte joined them. Denny stayed for a couple of minutes, conversing with them, and then left to talk to some friends. Charlotte eyed him up and down with a frown.

"Where is your Romeo?" She asked Elizabeth.

"He couldn't come."

"Why?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know, Denny didn't say."

"Strange. He and Denny are inseparable."

"Perhaps it has to do with Darcy, he ..."

"Young Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth winced. That was Wilbur Collins.

"My dear," Wilbur took Elizabeth's hand and kissed it. "You are positively ravishing tonight! And who is this pretty friend of yours?"

"Charlotte Lucas, pleased to meet you." Charlotte shook his hand.

"My pleasure. I am absolutely delighted to meet my dear Elizabeth's friends."

Charlotte raised an amused eyebrow and Elizabeth made a face. Politely, Charlotte asked him if he was enjoying the ball and Collins used the opportunity to tell her about himself, about his work at Rosings, how advantageous it was to work with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who, quite surprisingly, happened to be William Darcy's aunt. Charlotte followed him with interest while Elizabeth tried to come up with an excuse to leave. Unfortunately for her, the music changed into a slower song and Collins blurted out the question she was dreading to hear.

"Would you do me the honour of dancing with me, darling Elizabeth?

Darling? "I ... well ... I ..." Elizabeth stammered, desperately trying to think of an excuse to fled.

"You cannot deny me that pleasure!" Wilbur put his hand over his chest dramatically. "I must confess that I came all the way from Kent thinking only of this moment."

Elizabeth sighed, resigned to her bad fortune. "All right."

Wilbur led the way to the dance floor and Elizabeth followed him, grateful that the place was so crowded. This way, no one would see her dancing with this man. But fate seemed to be against her tonight. The song ended and the moment she was effectively trapped between Wilbur's hands, it changed into ... Tango.

At this point, the evening could not turn any worse. First Darcy ignoring her at the hall, then George not showing up, and now Wilbur's tango. She had never danced a tango in her life and she suspected that Wilbur's expertise wasn't better. To make things worse, the rest of the couples -save one- had left the dance floor and all the attention was centred on them. Wilbur made his most dramatic face, crushed her to him, straightened his and her arm ahead of them, and walked energetically across the room as if he were a dancer from some Rudolf Valentino movie. He just needed a red carnation in between his teeth to look completely ridiculous.

Wilbur dragged Elizabeth all around the dance floor, spun her around and stepped on her feet twice. Elizabeth couldn't feel any more embarrassed. Her only wish was to vaporize and disappear. But soon her mortification turned into anger. On one of the rather rough turns Wilbur forced her to do, she saw Darcy looking at them. The idiot was smiling. He was not just smiling, he was smiling at the ridiculousness of her situation. England's hottest horseman was laughing at her.

After some of the most embarrassing minutes of her life, a flushed Elizabeth left the dance floor and excused herself to go to the restrooms. She was lucky that Wilbur was engaged in conversation with some other people when she came out and didn't see her escaping from him. Hiding behind the crowd and furniture, she joined Charlotte near the buffet where she continue to acquaint her with everything she heard about Darcy.

"Again, Lizzy?" Charlotte rolled her eyes. This was the third time Elizabeth told her the story.

"I didn't tell you the part about the will."

"You did, last week." Charlotte said in earnest, "I can't imagine Darcy doing that and if he did, it's his problem and George's, not yours. So cut off with that crap."

"I'm sorry, but I can't pretend it didn't happen. The man has no scruples."

"How can you be so sure? Who's this George Wickham anyway?

"George is a great guy. He wouldn't lie to me, and he gave me proof."

"What kind of proof?"

"Well, that thing about the will is something very easy to check. Isn't it?"

"Did you check it?"

"Why should I? I believe him!"

"C'mon, you've known George for, how long, Liz, three weeks? It sounds like a cheap melodrama to me."

"Not for me. What about Miss D's hasty retirement? That mare had a brilliant future. Isn't it a very suspicious? Suddenly she becomes ill and is retired without explanation."

"Oh, no," Charlotte huffed, "don't start with that again."

Elizabeth ignored her friend's fastidious expression. "You know how information can be manipulated, Charlotte."

"That's ridiculous. Darcy is rich enough to buy some of the best horses in the world. He doesn't need drugs to make them win."

"Oh, come on, Charlotte! But what if they don't perform the way he wants? Every horse can have a bad day."

"Aren't you becoming a little obsessed with him?" Charlotte smiled teasingly. "I bet you that you are crazy about him. How is that they say? Love, hate ...."

"Charlotte!" gasped Elizabeth.

"Oh, come on, Elizabeth!" Charlotte laughed at her astonished face. "What's wrong about liking him? The man is gorgeous!"

"Stop it!" Elizabeth couldn't believe her stupid friend was saying this. "I don't like him. I hate him, I..."

"Liz!" Charlotte's eyes widened upon seeing who was approaching them. Darcy was barely four steps behind her friend.

Elizabeth saw Charlotte pointing at someone behind her and turned around, almost colliding against Darcy's chest.

"Elizabeth, Charlotte." He nodded politely at them.

"Hi." They both replied at unison.

The girls remained silent, waiting for him to speak. If he came all this way, it was surely to tell them something. But he didn't, he stared at Elizabeth for a moment and blurted out a,

"Elizabeth, will you dance with me?"

Elizabeth stared at him, too astonished to make a reply. Charlotte, on seeing that her friend was not reacting to Darcy's invitation, pinched Elizabeth's back, making her step forward.

"Yes, thank you." She had no choice but to accept.

Darcy nodded and headed directly towards the dance floor.

"Oh no, this is a nightmare." Elizabeth breathed out. "I hate that man and now I have to dance with him."

Charlotte couldn't believe she was so obtuse. "Liz, don't be childish. This is William Darcy. Anyone would kill to be in your place."

Muttering a curse, Elizabeth followed him and joined him at the dance floor, throwing sending daggers at his immutable face. She was furious. Furious that Darcy asked her to dance and Charlotte's stupid insinuations. Crazy about Darcy! She absolutely hated him!

He extended his hand to her and she took it. Gently, he pulled her towards him and she found herself standing very close to him, staring at his chin. His other hand came to rest on the small of her back. The cut of the back of her dress was low, barely above the waist, and Darcy's hand felt so hot on her skin that she felt it was burning a hole on her back. Her pulse quickened and provoked new unsettling sensations.

They began to move, rather stiffly. He was looking over the top of her head, his eyes scanning the room while Elizabeth looked at the other couples. After some minutes of uncomfortable silence, Elizabeth felt she was about to explode. If they were going to dance like puppets, at least they could talk.

"What a lovely salon." She looked around.

"It is." He nodded.

"The organization of this show is impeccable." She continued.

"Absolutely."

Silence. She made two attempts to conversation and he only responded. He could really do better than this.

"Are you always this quiet?" She looked at him.

"I've never been very talkative."

"Even less when you dance." She affirmed.

Darcy gazed at her with a puzzled expression. "I rarely dance."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip. He rarely danced, he rarely spoke so why did he chose her to change his boring habits? Perhaps there was some kind of conspiracy tonight. A 'let's ruin Lizzy's night' contest or something like that. Or no, for some superior design, her one time opportunity to attend the Olympia's gala had to be a complete failure and Collins and Darcy had been chosen as the instruments of such malevolent plans. Someone up there hated her. She sighed and stared blankly at nothing, a bored expression on her face.

"Do you want to talk about something?" He asked her suddenly.

"It's odd to be so near someone for a long time and avoid conversation." She said. "But seeing it in a prudential light, I think it's better if we say nothing at all."

He couldn't decipher her tone and that made him frown. "Do you prefer it that way or do you think that's what I want?"

She shrugged. "Well, you said you aren't very talkative and I don't like idle conversation. We are similar in that. As there is nothing relevant we can talk about, let's remain silent and enjoy the music."

Darcy let out an amused chuckle. He would never be able to understand women's minds. And this one in particular had the ability to drive him crazy. "I don't think you are that kind of person. But it seems you already decided I am."

"Are you not?" She raised her eyebrow at him. She saw no fun in this.

"What do you think?"

She hated people that answered questions with other questions. "I'm not sure."

He remained silent for a while and then asked. "How are you enjoying the evening?"

"Fine." She replied briefly, looking at the couple dancing next to them.

"Good." His eyes went from her hair to her ear, wondering what that earlobe would taste like. It looked so tempting.

But his pleasant observation of her ear was interrupted when Dr. Lucas addressed them. "William, Elizabeth, what a lovely couple you two make."

The young dancers startled on hearing the veterinarian's voice. Darcy nodded and Elizabeth smiled a weak 'thank you."

"Ah, to be young again. A night for romance, isn't it?" Lucas smiled knowingly.

Darcy inhaled sharply, uncomfortable with that statement and Elizabeth blushed intently. "I don't think so."

"Well," Dr. Lucas inclined his head to the right, pointing at another couple of dancers. "Perhaps not you, but some of the other members of the team are becoming quite close. I bet those two will end the evening together."

It was automatic. Darcy and Elizabeth looked at Charles and Jane, who were dancing at the other end. They were glued to each other: Charles' had his eyes closed, his cheek leaning against Jane's hair, and the hand on the small of her back moved occasionally to bring her closer, if that was possible. Jane, from her part, had one hand on Charles' shoulder and the other holding his hand as he led the dance. She was smiling pleasantly, but when Charles whispered something in her ear, her attitude changed. She lowered her hand to his chest and adopted a position more proper for their surroundings. Charles took the hint, smiled down at her -a smile that she returned- and put some distance between their bodies. They continued to dance as if nothing had happened.

Neither Darcy nor Elizabeth could believe what they just saw. Elizabeth, though happy for her sister, was a little shocked by the exhibition and the speculations that their behaviour was arousing in Dr. Lucas. At least Jane had the decency to stop Charles before he had an erection there on the dance floor. As for Darcy, he became instantly concerned about his friend's imprudent conduct. Charles never measured the consequences of his acts and was capable of doing the most idiotic things when he in love. He hoped that this was not the case.

A huff from Elizabeth brought Darcy's attention back to his dancing partner. "Sorry."

"Never mind." She replied with some irritation.

As if suddenly recalling that they were in the middle of the dance floor and, most of all, why he asked her to dance, Darcy adjusted his hold on her and moved their bodies with the tempo of the music.

"I noticed that you like to attend the shows."

"Aha." She said with indifference. And then, as a sort of provocation, she added. "Especially when I'm able to meet new friends."

He glanced at her, not getting her meaning. "Friends?"

Elizabeth knew she had peaked his curiosity and continued in a casual, almost innocent manner. "Yes, friends, like George Wickham."

The effect was immediate. Darcy's shoulder tensed under her hand and he looked away, his jaw clenching visibly. But he didn't say a word. Elizabeth was desperate to go on now that she had managed to upset him, but she couldn't bring herself to add more on that subject. She cursed herself for her lack of imagination. At length he spoke.

"So you have became friends with him."

"Yes, he has become a good friend of the family."

His tone was of controlled anger when he spoke. "He has this ability to make friends easily but it seems he can't retain them for long."

"He lost yours in a rather dramatic way."

Darcy inhaled slowly in an attempt to keep his temper in check. Any pleasure he could feel about this dance disappeared and all what he could think now was when this damn song would end.

Elizabeth saw him swallow visibly and stare glacially at some point behind her. He wasn't dancing anymore, only balancing his body, as if counting the seconds till the song ended. She was in no different state. She succeeded in disturbing him but now that she knew him to be angry, she wanted to flee.

Thank God the song ended and Darcy escorted her off the dance floor.

"Would you like something to drink?" His tone was polite, but inexpressive.

Was he going to stay next to her all night long? Wasn't it enough with the awful time they had while they danced? "No, thanks."

"Then please excuse me; I have something to do."

"Certainly."

He nodded slightly. "Thank you for the dance."

Darcy was already walking away when she muttered a 'you're welcome, idiot."

The only thing that Darcy needed at that moment was to get some air. He headed towards the terrace but was interrupted by that man Collins again. For nearly ten minutes, Darcy heard Collins' babbling about his aunt, the great prospects they had at Rosings and how much he would like to have his advice when Darcy visited the stables. When he finally got rid of the little man, Darcy went to the terrace but what he saw there only darkened his mood even more. There they were, Charles and Jane Bennet, kissing on the terrace.

Elizabeth's luck was not better than Darcy's when she parted from him. She succeeded in avoiding Collins' stalking but instead she bumped into Caroline. Surely she was slightly drunk because there was no way Caroline would talk to her on her own will. She endured her alcoholic enhanced amiability and listened patiently when she told her how great Darcy was, how kind of Dr. Lucas to invite them to the ball and some other things that Elizabeth didn't care to register. With her night now completely ruined, all what she could think about was returning to the hotel.

Both for Elizabeth and Darcy, the Olympia's Gala became a night to forget.

The Stadium was pure adrenaline. These were the Olympia's finals, the most important equestrian event in the United Kingdom and one of Europe's top ten. Around the Midland's camp everything was excitement. The girls were a bundle of nerves around the horses and the riders, especially Darcy and Louisa, who had had the most brilliant first round that morning and were busy giving interviews to the specialized reporters. Elizabeth had never seen Darcy so concentrated and Tuareg so inspired. She felt that nothing could go wrong that day, that this would be one of the best days of her life. The best day save for ...

"There she is! Lizzy! Lizzy!"

Oh no, her mother was there. And her father and Kitty, she noticed as she turned around. Elizabeth greeted her family with a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, mom; dad, Kit."

"We've been looking for you all around the place. Where were you?"

"Our camp is over there." Elizabeth pointed at the section destined for the horses. "On the other pavilion."

Fanny linked her arm with her daughter's. "Show me. I'm dying to see it."

Elizabeth took her family to the pavilion where the horses were and showed them around. Once at their camp, she introduced them to the horses.

"Tuareg, Papillion, Gin Tonic and Sonata." She pointed at each one of them. "Mr. Hurst didn't qualify so Gin Tonic is not jumping today.

Fanny watched Charles' mare closer. "She looks very much like Liddy. Just imagine if she were not so headstrong. She might be competing at the Olympia!"

"Maybe one day, Fan," said Thomas. "Liddy is as good as any of these horses, isn't she, Lizzy?"

Elizabeth would have liked to share her father's optimism but she understood Liddy's and her own limitations. "I wish I had the time and the experience to train her correctly. She's good but sometimes I feel I'm going nowhere with her. You must see these horses working, dad. They are incredible. After hours of training they jump with the same eagerness. They just love it."

"That is one of the secrets of horse training, dear. Make them work for the fun of it. So this is the horse we heard do much about," Thomas observed Tuareg with critical eyes. "An impressive animal."

"I had the chance to ride him yesterday. You won't believe it, dad, he floats in the air."

"You did? I thought you said you would never ride him." Thomas teased her.

Elizabeth pushed him away. She then spotted Darcy and Charles coming and introduced the riders to her family.

"Gentlemen," said Thomas as he shook his hands, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, sir," said Charles. "Jane told me you used to jump in the past."

"I did," Mr. Bennet smiled proudly, "but that was a long time ago. I even jumped here once."

"Oh yes?" Charles asked with interest.

That opened the door for Thomas to tell them about his jumping career and how it ended abruptly after a fall that injured his back. He spoke for nearly fifteen minutes uninterruptedly and Elizabeth wondered when he would stop.

"Thank God he didn't break his back like that Christopher Reeves fellow." Fanny commented with a big sigh, "I don't know what would have become of us."

Neither Charles nor Darcy were superstitious, but they both felt the urge to knock wood. That was the kind of accident that a rider would never mention before a show.

"And he was so good at it," she added, "I'm sure he would have done much better than he did had we been able to afford a good horse for him to compete with."

"Fortunately, we have sponsors today." said Charles. "Most of the horses that are competing today don't belong to their riders. They had turned so expensive lately that it's almost impossible to acquire them."

"And that mare you ride, is it yours? I mean, completely yours?"

"Uh, well, yes, Sonata is completely mine." He replied, visible uncomfortable with the question.

"How much did you pay for her?" As Fanny spoke, Elizabeth covered her eyes in embarrassment.

"Well, she wasn't an expensive animal, given her aptitudes," Charles doubted. That question was indeed an indiscretion.

"Because Lizzy has this mare that looks just like yours and I was wondering how much we could get for her if we sell her."

He glanced at Elizabeth and asked, "The chestnut mare I saw you riding the other day?"

Elizabeth barely found her voice to reply. "Yes."

Charles was all diplomacy when responding, "She's beautiful and seems to be quite good, though we all know that the price might vary a lot depending on how high the horse is jumping and the experience gained on the arena. Sonata had a two year career in international shows when I bought her so I can't compare them."

"But, how much would you say? Twelve, thirteen thousand pounds?"

"Even more, if she's jumping over four feet."

"Do you mean more than twenty or thirty thousand pounds? If someone would give us that sum for her I would be selling her right away. I would even sell one of my girls if someone would give me thirty thousand pounds!" Fanny laughed at her own joke, but no one laughed along.

"Yes, Lizzy," said Mr. Bennet, half teasing, half serious. "Thirty thousand pounds is an interesting sum, for Liddy, of course. What do you say?"

Elizabeth never hated her parents so much. This whole conversation was so embarrassing. Charles seemed disconcerted and Darcy looked so ... upset with the topic in discussion. "I don't think so, dad. She's not ready and no one would offer that amount for her anyway."

"I knew that good things would happen when the girls said they would work with the Midlands Team. I knew it! I'm sure they can share some of their contacts and help us to introduce some of our horses into the national circuit. What do you say Mr. Bingley?" Fanny continued.

"I wouldn't mind ..." Charles hesitated. Fortunately, Kitty saved him from replying.

"Look mom, this one likes candies!"

All eyes turned her. Kitty was giving Sonata some sweets.

"Kit, she can't eat that!" Elizabeth tried not to sound irritated with her youngest sister.

"What's wrong with a little sugar? It's not that I'm drugging her." She walked towards the next stall and was about to feed Tuareg with candies.

"No!" Elizabeth and Darcy cried at unison.

"I don't understand why you are making such a fuss over this." She walked away with a wave of her hand. "I always feed the horses at home and there's nothing wrong with them."

Elizabeth stared at her sister in disbelief. She fed the horses with candies every day?

"Elizabeth," Darcy spoke sternly, "I think it would be better if we start to ready the horses. We don't have much time ahead." With a glance at the others, he added. "If you would excuse us, we have work to do."

The Bennet clan realized that they had just been dismissed. Fanny was about to protest when her husband grabbed her arm. "Let's find a good place to watch the finals, Fan. These people must get ready for the show. Good luck, gentlemen."

"Hello, Thomas."

"George!" Mr. Bennet startled. "I thought you weren't coming. At least that's what Elizabeth told me."

"I told you I was coming to the finals. " George patted Mr. Bennet's back.

"Let me buy you a cup of coffee." Thomas pointed to the cafeteria on the other end of the pavilion. "No one will bother us there."

"Great."

They circled the arena and headed towards the cafeteria. "What do you have for me?" Mr. Bennet asked.

George smiled. "A winner."

Sitting atop his horse, Darcy saw a familiar face in the crowd. It was George Wickham, walking with another man. He could not see him clearly, he was with his back to him, but when they made a turn, Darcy recognized Elizabeth's father walking with George. He hoped this was not what he thought, because Wickham's presence in this place could only mean trouble.

Elizabeth thought that she would burst with anxiety. Excited, with her fingers crossed, she saw Bingley entering the arena. He crossed the timer clock and headed towards the first vertical. Good. The double corral came next. He overcame it successfully and galloped towards the centre of the arena, to the water jump. Excellent time. He then headed towards the triple combination. Clear jump again. Sonata touched the rail of the last vertical of the course but it did not fall. The round was completed with 0 faults.

Darcy came right after him. His performance wasn't different, only a little faster. But this round wasn't the final one. There was a play-off for all riders with 0 faults with obstacles at 5.4 feet to decide the winner.

From the twenty riders that reached the finals, only eight remained. Unfortunately, Louisa didn't have the same luck as the rest of her team as Papillion dropped the so-dreaded last vertical. She did great anyway and rushed to watch her team mates as soon as she dismounted the horse.

As the final progressed, the knot in Elizabeth's stomach tightened even harder. Bingley did his second round in 1'25" minutes. A good time; no, an excellent time. Next was Kelly Mitchell, one of England's top horsewomen. In front of a deadly silent multitude, she made a clear double corral, clear water, galloped the curve around the wall and jumped a perfect triple combination. She sprinted towards the last vertical and made a clear round in 1'20" minutes.

Elizabeth was chewing her nails when Darcy was announced. In absolute control of his horse, he entered the arena. He made a turn, and waited for the judge's permission. When it was granted, he increased the speed and crossed in front the timer. With excellent time, he jumped the first obstacles with no problem. An 'Oh!' was heard when Tuareg's hooves touched the oxer but the rail didn't fall. His rhythm was perfect, finishing his round in 1'20" minutes, too.

When Darcy re-entered the arena for the final 'jump-off' the tension was palpable in the air. The hurdles were a few inches taller, adding more difficulty to an already complicated course. Kelly had made a 1'22" minutes clear round and he would have to improve that time if he wanted to win the Masters Championship of the London International Horse Show -The Olympia- and a £60.000 cash prize. Followed by a deafening silence, Darcy galloped towards the first vertical. Clear. The double combination, clear. All that Elizabeth could hear was her own heartbeat and Tuareg's snorts every time he jumped. Her heart stopped when he touched the top of rail of the vertical fence. As he landed, Darcy turned his head to see if he'd dropped it but the hurdle was still in place. He jumped the next combination and, in a very unexpected move, Darcy turned the horse's direction as soon as he touched the ground, passing in front of the wall towards the next obstacle, saving a few precious seconds. When he finished in 1'15" minutes the whole stadium exploded in applause.

For the first time since she met him, Elizabeth saw William Darcy's open grin. Leaning forward, he eagerly patted Tuareg's neck and then stood on his stirrups, saluting the crowd that was cheering for them.

Unable to contain her joy, she ran down the stairs and reached the entrance by the time they were announcing the winners:

"1st Place: William Darcy, aboard Tuareg, from the Midlands Equestrian Team. 2nd Place: Kelly Mitchel, riding Emerald, from Wessex Riding club. 3rd Place: Charles Bingley, riding Sonata, from the Midlands Equestrian Team."

Elizabeth's heart was about to burst out in pride and happiness when she saw them receiving their trophies. Under the incessant light of the flashes, a big silver cup went to Darcy, two smaller ones to second and third place and the horse's bridles were adorned with rosettes. The riders complimented each other, the committee and the judges. Once the protocol was over, they were surrounded by a multitude of attendants and the press. Flashes, hands shaking and euphoria. Darcy dismounted and answered everything that was being asked him and thanked everyone for their compliments.

The pressure around them eased and the two winners from the Midlands were able to congratulate each other the way they wanted. They embraced and patted their backs enthusiastically, both overwhelmed by the important victory they had just obtained. As they walked together out of the arena, horses on heels, they were congratulated, one by one, by the rest of their team. They were kissed, embraced, patted and squeezed by everyone.

"You did it, cork head, you did it!" Elizabeth was on the verge of tears when she embraced Tuareg's neck.

Darcy was still in some kind of daze after the win. Everything was so noisy, so unreal around him that he thought he was in another world. He was talking to a reporter when he felt Tuareg's reins being pulled from his hand. He turned to see what was happening and saw Elizabeth holding the horse. And suddenly, they were just the two of them.

"Congratulations." Elizabeth was beaming with happiness.

He smiled broadly, in a way she never saw him smile, his eyes with an intense glow that she attributed to his victory. He came closer and in only an instant they were embracing, both carried away but the euphoria of the moment. Then the sounds faded, the crowd disappeared. There were a million things Darcy wanted to say right there and then but he was too overwhelmed to speak. He pulled back and smiled directly into her eyes.

"Thank you. Thank you for all you've done."

Elizabeth looked at him with her heart beating madly inside her chest. He was gazing at her with such intensity that she thought he would say something else. But the instant lasted only a second, when Darcy was pulled away from her by Dr. Lucas. The crowd surrounded him and the moment was gone.

Darcy was still on cloud nine when it became time to leave. He did it. He won the Olympia, he was now among England's top ten.

His life passed in front of him in one second. Leaving home, his family, the loneliness, but it had been worth the sacrifice. He couldn't be more proud of his performance. And of his horse. Tuareg was unique, the best horse he had ever rode. Half a ton of pure energy, of eagerness, of fearless desire to jump and to please. They had this incredible connection between them that made their relationship so special. It was as if they could read each other's minds, as if no commands were necessary, as if one knew exactly what the other was about. Exceptional.

As he walked, he recalled the last time he jumped the Olympia, three years ago. Miss D made a most inspired round. She was so young and inexperienced but she faced the course bravely and jumped oblivious to the lights and noises around them. She wanted to please him and, as always, she did.

He sighed as memories of old times came to his mind.

"What do you think about her, Will?"

"She is the finest piece of coal I've ever seen, dad." Darcy looked at the field, where Melody, the big chestnut mare, the first horse he ever competed with, was showing her little daughter how to give her first steps into the world.

"Coal?" James Darcy laughed. "She will turn as white as snow, you'll see."

William grinned as the little filly walked around under the careful watch of her mother. Her ears moved back and forth as she inspected the new territory, smelling, observing everything that caught her attention.

"Choose a name." His father said.

"Well," he thought for a while and added in a teasing tone, "I threatened Georgiana that I would name Mel's first foal after her if she didn't improve in grammar."

"You can't, William, your sister will kill you."

At that moment, the black filly showed them the most delightful display of energy that a two day youngster could bestow. Unstable in legs that were too long, she tried her first gallop and stopped to eye curiously at the two men that were observing her. And then, after a couple of kicks and a clumsy prance, alert ears, raised tail, she proudly trotted back to her calling mom.

"No, I will name her Miss D."

Darcy smiled sadly, in the way he always smiled when he recalled that moment. 'Dad was right, he thought,'you turned white in the end'.

Everything was so different now, that time seemed so far away. His father wasn't here anymore, Georgiana was in college and Miss D, well, she couldn't jump with him anymore. He couldn't complain, at least she was still alive, though he could never tell for how long. Why was it that good moments didn't last?

How he missed home. Pemberley. He missed those long rides through the estate, walking the woods with his dogs, the smell of the garden, the homemade meals. But he still had a long road ahead, so it would be better if he forgot about that melancholy and focus on the upcoming Nations Cup. Brussels would be his next stop.

Head down and pensive eyes, he walked in the direction of the restrooms to change from his riding clothes.

".. and Charles! I found him so handsome and charming." Fanny said as they came out of the restrooms with her daughters and Charlotte Lucas. "I'm so proud of you, Jane. You really got yourself a good man this time."

"I didn't get anything, mom. There's nothing between us." said Jane, in an attempt to stop her mother's fertile imagination from scheming about a possible relationship with Charles. It was too soon to think of that.

"Come on, Jane!" cried Charlotte. "You two danced together all night long."

Both Elizabeth and Jane glared at Charlotte with fulminating eyes.

Too late. Fanny's antennas perked up. "Really? You danced with him? Tell me, Jane!"

"There's nothing to tell, mother, we only danced." Jane said lightly.

"Yeah, yeah," Charlotte said, "that's why you went to the terrace with him. I saw you, you were ..." Miss Lucas was silenced by Elizabeth's kick.

"Okay," Fanny faced Jane squarely and held her daughter's shoulders. "This is important. So you went to terrace with him. What happened next? Did you go to his room? Did you have sex with him?"

"Mom!" Jane protested. "Of course not!"

"I don't see anything wrong about that. He's leaving in a couple of days. It's now or never."

"Yes, Jane," Charlotte interjected, "And for what I saw, the man is desperate for a ..."

Elizabeth shot her a fulminating look and mouthed a 'STOP IT' but Charlotte only shrugged.

"So he IS interested in you!" Fanny beamed. "I noticed the way he looks at you, he's spellbound! But who wouldn't be with your beauty? Now we only have to plan how to hook him!"

"Mom, Forget about this. I ..."

"Forget? Rich men don't grow I trees, Jane. We can't let him go just like that. Just imagine the possibilities we'll have once you become his girlfriend!"

Girlfriend? Her mother was going too far with this. "Mother," said Jane, trying to find some calmness in front of Fanny's matchmaking schemes "I don't like him in that way, we're just friends!"

"So? You don't need to be in love with him, that may come later. What matters here is how much HE is attracted to you."

Jane rolled her eyes. Perhaps she should agree with her mother. Hopefully, she would forget about this in a few days.

"Now, When did you say he was leaving?"

"On Wednesday," Jane sighed in defeat. "He leaves on Wednesday."

"Fabulous!" Fanny clapped her hands. "That will give us a couple of days. Oh, Jane I can almost imagine your wedding, it will be fantastic!"

On the other side of the sign that was right beside the restrooms, Darcy stood, still in shock by what he just heard. This woman didn't know the meaning of tact or sensibility. Such vulgarity, such machinations! And Jane's response. It was now clear that she was not interested in Charles at all. He had suspected that Jane didn't like Charles that much, at least not as much as he seemed interested in her, but now his suspicions had been confirmed. He would have to warn Charles to be more careful about this, lest his heart would get truly broken, again.

The days that followed the Olympia became some of the worst of Elizabeth's life. No, perhaps saying those were the worst was too much, the day her father sold her first pony to pay a gambling debt was still the most disappointing and frustrating one she recalled, but these days were pretty close to it because of the sentiments they provoked.

It began when she arrived at Netherfield on the following Monday and learned that Darcy and Bingley weren't there anymore. One of the grooms told her that, without explanation or excuses -or goodbye note- they had left early in the morning, that the horses would depart on the following day and that the job she liked so much would abruptly come to an end. She, who had been wishing to congratulate them once again for their win! She, who had been expecting to hear Col. Forster discussing the show with them! To see one last practice before their departure! But no, they left, just like that, leaving a forlorn Jane and an angry Elizabeth to wonder why the haste.

The Hursts and Caroline didn't stay much longer after that. Without their coach and with half of the team away, there was no reason to stay. They packed and left for home with nothing more than a unfelt adieu to those who collaborated two months with them.

Jane's state was no different from Elizabeth's, only that her disappointment went in another direction. She couldn't understand what had happened, why Charles left without a word. She had thought that he liked her, that they had reached to some kind of understanding during the ball, but his sudden departure only proved that he did not share the same sentiments she did. His kisses, his words, everything seemed senseless now that he was gone. So she was nothing more than a fling for him, a pretty girl to pass time. She had thought him special, different, but he was just like everyone else.

But absolutely the most desolating part for Elizabeth was seeing those horses she liked so much depart. She had grown so fond of Tuareg and Sonata that she could barely hold back her tears when she prepared them for their trip.

"Behave, you big cork head." Elizabeth embraced Tuareg's neck as a great feeling of emptiness possessed her. "Show them how fabulous you are."

Tuareg smelled her face and then her pockets with the hope of finding one of those treats he used to receive.

"I'm sorry, no carrots today," Elizabeth sniffed. The horse made one more attempt and then stood still as she checked on his travelling boots.

"Time to go, Lizzy," Charlotte called her.

Elizabeth grabbed the lead rope and took the horse to the trailer. When all four horses were loaded, she lifted the ramp and secured the latches. With her vision blurry with tears, she watched the large white trailer pull away until it was out of sight.

At home, what awaited for her wasn't better.

"Lizzy, my dear, look who came to see you," sang Fanny.

All she wanted to do was to go to her bedroom and cry until she had no more tears and now she would have to entertain the last person she wanted to see: Wilbur Collins.

"Elizabeth, darling. Here you are." Wilbur rose to greet her. "I was so concerned. I didn't find you after we danced and I looked for you all day on Sunday."

"I'm sorry; I was busy." She had had a hard time avoiding him on Sunday but here he was now, when she could not escape.

Fanny rose abruptly and excused herself from the 'couple'. "I've just recalled that I have something in the oven. I'll leave you young people on your own."

Wilbur sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to his so he and Elizabeth would sit together. She did it reluctantly and only after an angry glare she threw at her mother for doing this to her.

"Pity we couldn't watch the show together, I would have loved to discuss it with you."

"Yes, a pity."

"What an outstanding performance of Mr. Darcy. I have never seen such magnificence. Lady Catherine de Bourgh was delighted with her nephew's achievements at the Olympia."

"Yeah, he did great." Elizabeth smiled faintly and placed her hands over her lap.

"Elizabeth," Wilbur began solemnly. "We need to talk."

"About?"

He moved forward towards her. "Young Elizabeth, I ..."

"How rude of me," Elizabeth moved backwards. "I didn't offer you anything to drink. Would you like a cup of coffee? A refreshment?"

"No, thanks, your mother already offered me one."

"Are you sure? I can get you something." She moved further back on the couch. Whatever he wanted to tell her, it could be said from a more appropriate distance.

"Indeed, darling, I am all right. Elizabeth," he turned serious. "You must be aware by now of how deeply interested in you I am." Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, I am. I have been enchanted by your charms since I met you, your lovely personality, your," his leered at her bosom, "delightful figure and of course, your talent with horses."

She showed him a quick, nervous smile.

"As Rosings Stables' manager, I am faced with many responsibilities. But" he made a dramatic pause, "the reward I receive for my dedication is high."

"Good for you."

"Yes," he added with a small chuckle. "I know that it's wrong of me to say this, that I may sound conceited, but this circumstance makes me very eligible for marriage purposes."

"Wow." Elizabeth's retreat was stopped by the armrest of the couch.

"I knew you would be interested, darling, that's why I'm here, to make you an offer that I know you wont' be able to refuse."

Elizabeth gulped. What kind of offer? Where was her father? Or Mary? Or Kitty? Where was her mother to interrupt when she needed her? "As I was saying, I have a very good position, an appealing income and, I dare say, a nice house to live in. But I find myself quite alone in the performance of my duties, as I am in other areas of life as well." He took a deep breath and said, "I think I have reached the age in which a man needs something else, someone else, a companion with whom I could share my responsibilities, my life."

"Really?"

"As I told you once," Wilbur continued. "I strongly believe that a family that works together grows together. That is what I admire about your family. If this farm is progressing it's because the entire family is concentrated in making it the best property in country. That is what I want for myself, too."

Longbourn? Progressing? This man didn't have the slightest idea of what he was saying.

"So that's why I'm here today, young Elizabeth. Or should I call you Lizzy?"

"Elizabeth would be okay." She looked desperately at the door. She could reach it in two seconds if it weren't for the riding boots.

"Of course, it sounds more distinctive. Elizabeth, then. You are everything I have always desired in a woman: young, strong, healthy, beautiful, and a talented rider. What I'm trying to say is that we can join our talents and work together at Rosings as partners, as companions, together. We cannot only save ourselves a lot of expenses in sharing all the accommodations, but as well combine our salaries with our mutual society." He inhaled sharply. "Will you come to Rosings with me, Elizabeth?"

If this was a job offer, it sounded quite weird. Elizabeth began to sweat. "I ... I don't think so. I'm flattered, really, you ... you are being so generous, but I can't accept it."

Wilbur squeezed her cheek. "Ah, these modern girls, always saying no when they want to say yes."

"No, I'm serious. I can't. I'm looking for a job near home."

"A job?" He laughed at her naiveté. "That's not what I'm offering you, my dearest."

"No?" Now she was becoming really scared. What was this pervert suggesting?

"I'm talking about something more serious. I want you to come with me."

She swallowed hard. "You?"

"Yes. If you prefer to do things more formally," Wilbur continued, "we can marry immediately; you decide."

Marry? "I-I can't marry you, I don't want to marry you."

"I see." He nodded in understanding. "Do you prefer a long engagement? Or perhaps you would like to move in with me? There is no problem with that. You can move to Rosings and we can see how we get along together." He eyed her up and down. "Though I'm quite sure that we'll do just fine."

"No, Wilbur; I said no."

"No?" He frowned. "Why?"

"We don't know each other. I don't even like you."

"You don't know me? But I've been coming to this house these past weeks only to see you. I called you every two days only to be better acquainted with you. We are not exactly dating but we have a relationship, don't we?" He said with a puzzled expression. Then his frown disappeared. "Oh, I get the point. We haven't even kissed."

Oh no. Elizabeth's eyes widened when he moved even closer and his lips formed a disgusting pout. She put her hand on his chest to stop his advance. "I don't think you understand, Wilbur."

"Believe me, sweetheart, I do understand, we just need some time together for you to understand."

Elizabeth contorted her body and escaped, standing up quickly. "Don't think it's personal, you seem quite ... normal, but I don't want to marry you, Wilbur. Really, I don't want to move in with you and I don't want to work with you. Now excuse me." She rushed towards the front door.

"Elizabeth! Please wait!" he cried.

"Dad!" Elizabeth sighed in relief when she saw her father coming into the house. "You must help me."

"What's wrong, Lizzy?"

"Wilbur Collins wants to marry me!"

"What?" he laughed.

"I'm serious, dad! He wants to make me his partner in saddle and bed!"

"Well, at least the idiot has taste." Mr. Bennet found the situation quite amusing.

But Elizabeth didn't. "It isn't funny dad. He proposed!"

"Did he?" Fanny Bennet came trotting from the kitchen. "Oh, Lizzy, I'm so happy for you!"

"Mom, I refused him!"

"What?"

"I can't accept him! He wants an assistant he can shag!" Elizabeth was becoming hysterical. What kind of parents were these?

"Don't be ridiculous, girl. The man needs help in his job and a woman to look after him. It's a very interesting proposal."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Interesting? Mom! He is some kind of perverted jerk that wants a wife to save him from paying another salary!"

"What's wrong with that? You can't refuse that offer, Lizzy. I demand that you accept him"

"No!"

Wilbur appeared at the parlour door with a crestfallen expression. "Fanny, you said she would accept."

"Wilbur, darling, don't worry, my husband and I will convince her. Just a moment, please. Now," Fanny turned to her husband and daughter. "You tell her, Thomas, tell her that she must accept Wilbur's offer."

"I'll never ask her to do something like that, Fanny." Mr. Bennet responded, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes you will, Thomas, you will convince her to go with him or I will never speak to either of you again." Mrs. Bennet raised her voice.

"That would be a blessing indeed, Fanny. So, as I am not intending to ask Elizabeth anything of the kind, I expect you to keep your promise and remain silent for the rest of your life." He patted his wife's shoulder and walked away.

"Thomas! Come here!" cried Fanny.

"This is the most unusual circumstance I have experienced in my life." said Wilbur. "I have never been so unintelligently refused."

To make things even more chaotic an already crazy moment, Charlotte Lucas appeared at the front door. "Hey, Lizzy, I came to see if you were all right, you were so upset after the horse's departure. Oh, hi Wilbur." She smiled at the visitor.

"Thank you, Charlotte," Elizabeth shifted her weight from one foot to another. "I'm all right, I was just ..."

"All right, then. I can come back at some other time, if you are busy." Miss Lucas hesitated, everyone seemed so distressed, especially Mr. Collins. "How are you doing, Wilbur?"

"Awful," he replied while glaring at Elizabeth. "I have just had the most traumatic of experiences. I am too perturbed to drive home right now. I would appreciate your company for a cup of coffee ..." and with an annoyed glance at the others, he added "... elsewhere."

Charlotte looked at Elizabeth, who was gesturing her to take Wilbur away. "Of course. I know a nice place. Come."

"Thank you, young Charlotte." He walked towards the door, but stopped before leaving to say one last thing to Elizabeth. "I don't hold any resentments towards you, Elizabeth, I've come to realize that you are just an immature girl who has no vision of the future. You have just let go of the greatest opportunity of your life and I assure you that you will come to regret this decision in the future."

The couple departed and Elizabeth closed the door behind them. "I can't believe it!"

"I can't believe this happened, Elizabeth! You refused him!" Fanny spat angrily. "And this is absolutely your fault, Thomas!" She shouted at her husband. "I will never forgive you for this!"

"All your life, Fanny," Mr. Bennet warned his wife before closing his study's door. "You said silent for the rest of your life."

Charlotte Lucas had always been a practical girl. Since her childhood, she knew what she wanted. She wanted a nice life, a nice job, to find a nice husband with whom she could have nice children and live a nice and normal existence. Nothing complicated or pretentious. A plain, simple life. But things do not always come out the way people want and sometimes life gets complicated by its own will. She realized that she couldn't find a nice job without a basic education and that nice husbands didn't grow in her backyard.

Her complications began when her widowed father remarried when she was about seventeen years old. A very difficult age. She disliked her step mother right from the beginning and she formed a tense relationship with her. Her only escape from her homey nightmare was college, but that didn't work either. She was too lazy to study and dropped it during the first year. So that's how she saw her dreams shattered at the age of nineteen. And now, eight years later, she found herself without a nice job, nice husband nor boyfriend and no prospects of finding them at all.

So, when Wilbur Collins appeared at her door -or perhaps, she at his-, she found the perfect escape from her boring existence, and most of all, from her bitchy stepmother: getting married. In an arrangement that satisfied them both, practical Wilbur asked practical Charlotte to be his 'partner in life and work', and solve both their problems at the same time. After a short engagement -Charlotte wanted the agreement to be legally documented-, the newlyweds departed to Rosings to build their happiness together.

"I can't believe you are doing this, Charlotte." Elizabeth visited her friend when she learned of her engagement.

"Why, Lizzy, because you refused him?" Charlotte gave the matter little importance. "Now that I have the opportunity of knowing him better, I realized that he is quite nice, very agreeable I must say."

Elizabeth shuddered at the thought of Wilbur touching her friend. "But you don't love him."

"No, but I like him." Elizabeth was about to protest but Charlotte silenced her. "Liz, I'm almost 28, I didn't go to college and the only decent job I found in the last three years was helping my father with the horses. I really want to get out of here; my step mother is driving me crazy."

"But, marry him?"

"What's wrong with that? I am moving in with him anyway so it would be better if we make things legal so I can have some rights if it doesn't work."

This was unbelievable. "You will have to see him every day for the rest of your life!"

"So? Listen Elizabeth, these days since our engagement have been wonderful. Wilbur might look odd to everyone but he is very kind and attentive and I really like him. You know I've always been practical. Right now what I want is some stability and a change in my surroundings." She glanced at Mrs. Lucas. "I know we can get along well together and if we don't, we can always divorce in the future."

"If that is what you think," Elizabeth knew it was pointless to argue with her friend, "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Charlotte."

For the following two months, Elizabeth learned about the Midlands Team on TV and in horse magazines. They were competing all around the continent, jumping at every important show and obtaining excellent results. Darcy had an outstanding performance in Jerez World Championships, obtaining the 2nd place after top rider Karl Weber from Germany, Charles was third in Cross-country and Ted and Louisa also had very good showings individually. As a team, the Midlands obtained third place in the team competition.

The Nations Cup was held on July 5. On that date the Bennets were expecting a visit from the Gardiners, who would stay with them for a couple of days. As both families were rinvolved in the horse business, they had planned a big gathering to watch the show that ESPN would transmit live from Brussels. Elizabeth invited George and Denny to come along too and as popcorn, chips and sodas were readied, everyone was strategically situated to watch the equestrian event.

The Gardiners were a couple in their late thirties with four children that went from the age of five to ten. Joe Gardiner, Fanny's youngest brother, owned a very prestigious riding school outside of London and some of his students were beginning to compete in juvenile championships with very good results. Maddy, his wife and once a very good horsewoman, was now dedicated to raising their children and, always involved in horse sports, used her free time to write columns for horse magazines.

"So he left just like that? Poor Jane. She must have been very disappointed." Maddy asked Elizabeth while they were preparing coffee during the break before the transmission began.

"Very." Elizabeth affirmed angrily. "Men are bastards."

"Not all of them, Lizzy. It's strange, because you said this one seemed different."

"I was wrong," said Elizabeth with a huff. "He had a good time and then fled."

"Well, these things happen," Maddy placed the cups and plates on the tray. "Young men do not always know what they want. Pity it broke Jane's heart."

"Yes," Elizabeth sighed, "she has been desolate lately."

"And who is this George?" Maddy arched a teasing brow. "He's so nice!"

Elizabeth smiled. "He is."

"Tell me about him. Where did you two meet?"

Elizabeth then told her aunt everything George had told her about Darcy and how Darcy's 'unexpected' departure had annoyed her so much. Needless to say, Maddy was quite surprised with the information.

"Lizzy, I don't think this can be true. William Darcy is very well known, his reputation is impeccable and Pemberley is one of the best and most respectable stables in the country. There is no way he could do something like that without raising suspicions."

"Why would he lie? He looked so sincere when he said this."

"I refuse to believe such thing. First, he wouldn't pass the anti-doping tests and second, I heard that Darcy was devastated when Miss D was retired. If I'm not wrong, he almost retired himself."

"He was feeling guilty, I'm sure."

"Liz." Maddy looked at her seriously. "As a columnist, I hear every kind of gossip, but I assure you, I never heard anything of the kind. He is a very respected person in the show jumping and breeding circles."

"I don't know, Maddy. Everything is so strange about this case."

"I know what I can do. I have a friend at Devonshire's Pony Club. I'll give him a ring and ask him if he knows anything about this. After all, the mare got ill at that show."

"Would you do that?" Elizabeth smiled.

Right then they heard Fanny's voice announcing the beginning of the transmission. They poured the coffee into the cups and hurried towards the living room.

During the first hour of transmission, the family watched a review of the previous day's events. All four Midlands team members qualified with excellent scores and a total of 25 riders were competing in the famous Samsung Nations Cup quarter final round. The semi finals came right after it and only eight riders remained for the final jump off. The hurdles were raised up to 6 feet and the course reduced to nine strategically placed obstacles. Elizabeth had never seen a course so difficult in her life.

The silence in the living room was maddening when the jump off began. Darcy and Louisa Hurst were the only British riders that qualified. They were competing with some of the world's top riders and just to participate in this final was considered an honour. With her heart about to jump out through her throat, Elizabeth followed the first rider galloping inside the arena.

Enrique Gonzalez, from Spain had a good time, but dropped one of the hurdles of the double corral. Then came Louisa Hurst. She began calmly, slowly, and did a clear run, but was penalized for exceeding the time. The next two riders finished with 2 faults each, so, while having points against her, Louisa was still the winner of the event so far. Elizabeth was biting her nails when Darcy entered the arena, so handsome and neat in his red jacket. Her heart began to beat at a furious speed as he galloped towards the first obstacle.

"He is really good." Joe Gardiner commented when he jumped the vertical. "And that horse is a beauty. Is he as stunning as he looks on TV, Lizzy?"

"The best horse I've seen in my life." Elizabeth replied.

"Look at him, he floats in the air."

Everyone agreed with him and they all followed Darcy's course until he left the arena. His time was excellent, 45.22 seconds and left the ring with 0 faults.

The following rider had faults during the course so she was out of competition. Now it was the turn of top rider Rodrigo Paença, from Brazil. He made an excellent ride, 0 faults in 44.45 seconds, so, if the last competitor made one misstep, Darcy would be the winner.

When Karl Weber entered the arena, Elizabeth thought she would explode. This guy had won Jerez and was considered one of the world's best riders. His riding was impeccable, so was his rhythm and if he continued at this pace, he would win the Cup. Her stomach made a turn when he headed towards the last vertical but when he dropped it, she screamed her happiness.

"He won!" She couldn't believe it.

Everyone clapped in the room, except for George, who said, "Another win for him. Just imagine the size of his ego right now."

Elizabeth glanced at him over her shoulder. That really sounded envious.

The cameras immediately focused on Darcy and Paença, who were waiting by the entrance for the results. Elizabeth could see Darcy release his breath and lower his head as tension left his body. Five seconds later, grinning, now relaxed, he was surrounded by people that patted him and the horse enthusiastically.

A few minutes later, the winners were announced and Darcy, Paença and Louisa walked towards the podium to receive their trophies. Elizabeth found herself watching it on her own, as the others had moved to the other end of the living room to drink some refreshments. She saw the riders congratulating each other and the judges with prideful expressions. Soon the crowd surrounded them. As the narrator closed the transmission, Elizabeth could see people walking all around them, photographers, journalists making interviews and a very attractive and tall blonde hanging from Darcy's neck.

Who the hell was she?

During the next weeks, with no other job to distract her from her daily activities at the farm, Elizabeth dedicated most of her time to finish the training of their clients' horses. Though most of the money they obtained went to pay Longbourn's debts, she managed to save a little for her career plan. It wasn't much, but that encouraged her to try harder and find a way to pay for her education.

George continued to be a frequent visitor at the house. Elizabeth, though, could not figure him out yet. She still found him attractive; she even thought that he might find her attractive, too, but there was something about him that didn't seem completely right. He spent a lot of time with her when he came and there were times when she was almost certain that he was flirting with her. But then, nothing happened. If it was not attraction, what else could it be that made him come to see her almost every day?

"Excellent, Lizzy, that was very good," George observed after she jumped the corral.

"You know I hate it when you call me Lizzy." She rode back to him.

"I like it," he replied teasingly. "It's cute, just like you."

"Thank you." She smiled, a slight blush spreading over her cheeks.

He caressed Liddy's neck. "She is working much better now. She just needed a little discipline."

"Yes, you have helped me so much; I know I couldn't have done it without you."

"You were doing great by yourself, you only needed a little guidance." George glanced over his shoulder and saw Denny's car entering the farm. "I guess my lift is here. I'm sorry, honey, I must go."

Elizabeth waved at Denny from the saddle. "All right, thank you anyway. You've been of great help."

"I'm glad to be of use. Give my regards to your parents." he said as he left.

She sighed and took the mare to one last trot around the arena. George didn't have romantic aspirations towards her.

George leaned back in his seat as they drove into Meryton. "Could you collect old Jones' money?"

"Just 200. The bastard said he couldn't get all of it," Denny kept his eyes on the road.

"We can't accept any more delays. Perhaps it's time to show him that he can't do that." George replied lightly.

"He asked for a couple of days. He'll try to sell a few things and promised that by Friday he would have it all."

"All right," sighed George, "until Friday. If not, we'll pay him a visit."

"And you? How was your luck today?"

"Fine. Great. Good clients need personal attention."

"Yeah, don't tell me you are doing this only because of the old Bennet man." Denny huffed. "You could collect his bets over the phone. I think it's Lizzy who moves you to come almost every day."

George laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."

Denny seemed upset. "You pay her too much attention."

"Jealous?" George asked teasingly.

One of the things Denny detested about their relationship was George's sexual ambiguity. They were together but George would never miss the chance to flirt with a girl when he realized that she felt attracted to him. For some reason, women had always found him attractive. He was handsome and still virile in his homosexuality. And George liked to play with them, make them feel they have a chance with him, see them display their seduction arts only to embarrass them by confessing he was gay. The main problem was that Denny didn't know how far he would go before telling them the truth. George had a bisexual past and though he was -hopefully- in a gay phase right now, he knew he would have no problems in shagging a woman if the compensation was appealing. And sometimes, just for the fun of it.

"No," Denny pouted, "I just don't like what you are doing."

"Come on," George patted Denny's thigh. "You know that my heart belongs to you."

Elizabeth sat on the couch, her knees suddenly weak after her aunt's disclosure. "So he did drug her."

"I didn't say that, Lizzy," Maddy's voice came through the phone. "I only said that Miss D's illness was not the product of a virus or a bacteria."

"That can only mean one thing, Maddy."

"Do not jump into conclusions, Liz; we are not sure. My friend didn't know the case directly, he heard something from a friend who knows Dr. Durham, the vet that attended Miss D at the time. He was not acquainted with the particulars, he never saw the mare or the results. He only heard something about positive blood tests and tissue damage."

"What else could produce tissue damage if not stimulants?"

"I don't know, I'm not a vet. I only know that the case was handled with utter discretion and that Miss D was not able to compete after that."

Elizabeth was speechless. All this time she had known about this, she had wanted to be proven wrong, to confirm that Darcy was not the bastard she thought he was, but now she knew that George told the truth. Darcy doped Miss D. "Thank you Maddy. I ... thank you."

"Be careful with the information, Liz, we are not sure of what really happened. Please don't tell anyone about this. We can't destroy someone's reputation basing ourselves in third hand gossip."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about this."

"Bye, darling, I must see after the children."

"Bye."

Elizabeth hung up the phone and remained seated, in a daze. The phone rang again, startling her from her reverie.

"Hello?"

"Liz! Hi!"

"Charlotte!" Elizabeth replied, "How are you doing?"

"Great, well ... almost."

"Why?" she laughed at Charlotte's overdramatic tone, "what happened?"

"I had a fall the other day and broke my wrist."

"Oh, Char!"

"It isn't serious, but I won't be able to ride for a few weeks. I talked to Wilbur and suggested to him that you could come and help us. We have six horses that must be sold by the end of the season and we won't be able to get them ready without some help."

"But ... are you sure it will be fine for him? After what happened ..."

"Oh, forget about that, I don't even think he remembers. And that way you will be able to keep me company, I'm kind of bored here."

Bored newlyweds? They had been married for only two months and they are already bored? "Sure, I'd love to come."

August found Elizabeth in Kent working with her long time friend Charlotte Lucas, now Mrs. Collins. She was staying with them at their cottage, a lovely old house that was situated at a good distance from the stables.

The Collinses lived comfortably, the house was large, well equipped and with a very nice garden. They received her warmly, Charlotte with great relief and Wilbur showing no resentments for her past refusal of his proposal.

Elizabeth concentrated on her job immediately after she arrived. There was a lot of work to do, six horses that were initiating their training so she spent most of her hours on a saddle, coached by Wilbur. And, where handling horses were concerned, she had to bow her head and swallow her words about him because Wilbur could be silly, but he was a bloody good horse trainer. He had method and technique. Perhaps he was a little obsessive about things and he lost his patience quickly -not very recommendable when handling horses- but it was clear that he knew how to obtain the best from a horse.

Rosings Stables was everything Elizabeth expected it would be and more. The estate was magnificent, the facilities impeccable and the horses outstanding. She was working with superior animals, she was learning new riding, training and grooming techniques, but, above all that, she was having the opportunity to learn more about the subject that was her passion: horse reproduction and breeding. Since her arrival, she spent almost all her free time studying the bloodlines, breeding programs, the characteristics of their stock and how they were introducing embryo transfer in their plans to improve it. She was also amazed to know how much Pemberley and Matlock stables were related in all the breeding programs. It was not unusual to see mares and stallions from either estate in the pedigrees and she was amazed by the influence they had in the results.

By far her favourite trainee was Petticoat, a beautiful mare with a dark reddish coat and four white boots, who was showing great jumping aptitudes. She had the spirit that every youngster her age should have but was docile and eager to please and learn. Working with her was a pleasure, more than a task. If she had to compare her with Liddy, Elizabeth would say that she had obtained better results in these two weeks with Petticoat than after 3 months of working with her headstrong mare.

Another part of their work was to acquaint the honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh with the progress of her trainees. Every two or three days, they met her at the mansion for tea and gave her a complete report about the stables. Her Ladyship wasn't an easy person but Elizabeth had to admit that she was tough and that she knew perfectly well what she was doing in the management of the stables.

"Bennet, Bennet." Lady C studied Elizabeth through narrowed eyes. "I have heard that name somewhere. Are you related with the Bennets of Horsham?"

"No, I fear I'm not." Elizabeth replied.

"Elizabeth's father used to jump in the past." Wilbur offered, noticing that Lady C was still trying to figure it out. "Though he didn't compete internationally."

"Indeed? How long ago? How high? Was he successful? Which cups did he win? What an interesting coincidence, though I don't think I know the name from there. I am not acquainted with all the riders, only with the best ones."

"He was competing at 4 feet when he retired, 10 years ago."

Lady C continued, oblivious to what Elizabeth was saying. "Equestrian sports are the most of refinement and class. We always see such distinguished and superior people practicing them. Polo, jumping, dressage, hunting; not so many other sports can reunite so many highly ranked people. But of course, it couldn't be in any other way. Not everyone can afford a good horse."

"Yes, of course, this is a highly expensive sport and only..." Wilbur agreed but was interrupted by his 'patroness'.

"And your sisters, Elizabeth, do they ride?"

"Only for pleasure. Though my eldest sister, Jane, has just graduated as a veterinarian. She who specializes in horses."

Lady C raised her eyebrows. "That is very interesting."

"She's an assistant of Dr. Lucas, Charlotte's father. They are working with Thoroughbreds right now, at the racing course." Elizabeth responded patiently.

"Oh, Ascot," sighed Lady Catherine, "that is what I call class and refinement indeed. I remember when my late husband and I used to attend the races." The old lady continued, obviously in love with the sound of her own voice. "I used to have the most superb collection of hats for the occasion. There were few ladies that could exhibit more style and elegance than myself at that time, not even in the Royal Family."

"Madam, I'm sure you were one of the most ..." Wilbur was quick to interject but she didn't allow him to continue.

"I particularly remember one special hat that was the talk of society during a long time." She said with dreamy eyes. "A very exotic and unique design."

I bet it had a dead parrot. Elizabeth thought of asking but then she thought it wise not to say that aloud.

"So how's everything going with George?" Charlotte asked Elizabeth as they took Petticoat to the stables. "Did he ask you out at last?"

Elizabeth pouted. "No. Sometimes it seems he's about to do it and then ... nothing."

"I never told you this before," Charlotte reclined herself on the wall while Elizabeth removed the saddle, "but I think he's gay."

"George? Impossible! What makes you think that?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Collins shrugged, "the way he walks, those tight t-shirts ... his weird friendship with Denny ... and I never saw a straight man dress like him. George combines every single piece of his outfit."

Elizabeth closed her mouth when she realized it was open. Charlotte was right, one of the things that impressed her about George was how impeccably he dressed. Though sometimes a little 'unconventionally' for her taste. "That doesn't mean anything. George isn't gay."

"If you say so ..." Charlotte didn't insist on the matter. When Elizabeth blindfolded herself to reason it was pointless to argue with her.

"Hey," Elizabeth observed with a frown. A large, grey Mercedes was approaching the house. "That car over there, isn't it Darcy's?"

"Oh, yes," Charlotte looked at where Elizabeth was pointing. "I heard he always comes to Rosings at this time of the year. But he wasn't expected until the end of the week."

Elizabeth's mind began to reel. Darcy was here. What was she going to do now? She hated him! "He's coming? You didn't tell me anything!"

"No? I thought I did." Elizabeth seemed suddenly altered and Charlotte couldn't understand why Darcy's presence would bother her so much.

"Do you think he'll stay for long?"

"A few days, I believe, perhaps more. He and Lady C are partners, they co-own several horses, and he always comes to help her pick the best ones before the annual auction."

Darcy didn't come alone, for another man descended from the car. The butler greeted them at the door and Darcy opened the trunk of the car for a servant to carry their luggage. Two large suitcases. They were staying for more than a few days.

Petticoat was released inside her stall and Elizabeth and Charlotte headed towards the house. On entering, they saw Wilbur hanging up the phone with a troubled expression.

"Charlotte, thank God you are home! Guess who is coming to visit us?"

"I don't have the slightest idea."

"William Darcy and his cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam! They've just arrived at Rosings and a maid called me from the house saying that they are on their way here!"

"We saw his car," said Charlotte, not imagining why Darcy would come directly to their cottage.

"He's here and the house is a complete mess!" Wilbur ran about the living room, trying to put some order in the place.

"Strange, Lizzy, isn't it?" Charlotte smiled at her friend as she fixed a cushion. "Why would Darcy come here right after his arrival? Certainly not to see me."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, brows knitted.

"Come on, Liz! He danced with you, he embraced you at the Olympia, why else would he come here?"

Elizabeth gasped and was about to insult her stupid friend but there was a knock at the door. Wilbur ran to open it.

"Mr. Darcy! What an unexpected pleasure! This is indeed an honour! And Mr. Fitzwilliam, it's so good to see you again, we've ..."

The gentlemen greeted Wilbur quickly and walked towards the ladies of the house. "Charlotte, Elizabeth," said Darcy with a serious nod.

That was the most emotionless salute Elizabeth had ever heard. "Hi."

"Richard Fitzwilliam," the other man moved closer to shake their hands. "I'm pleased to meet you. So you are the famous Elizabeth?"

"Famous?" Elizabeth giggled.

"Yes, I heard so much about you." Richard inclined his head towards his cousin, indicating that he was his source of information.

Elizabeth glanced at Darcy, who was now intently studying the carpet. "I hope you heard good things."

"Only good things, believe me."

Darcy suddenly lifted his eyes and glared at his cousin. Richard didn't pay him attention and continued with his conversation with Elizabeth.

"So you are training my aunt's horses. I always liked to see how a new prospect is born. You'll see me quite often at the practices." Richard continued.

"That would be wonderful."

"When did you arrive?" Darcy asked Elizabeth.

"A couple of weeks ago. Charlotte broke her wrist and I came to help her and Wilbur with the horses."

"Oh yes, I heard about your unfortunate accident." He nodded at Charlotte and turning back to Elizabeth he asked, "So, how's everyone?"

Everyone? Charlotte was here -with a broken wrist- she was here, the others at Netherfield were his acquaintances, not hers. "Jane is fine."

"Great."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip and elaborated her next phrase. She really needed to say this, really. "You left Netherfield rather unexpectedly."

His expression didn't change a bit but he shifted his weight from one foot to another before replying. "Yes, something happened and we had to leave."

"Yes, sure."

A slight frown hardened his countenance. He didn't reply and walked towards Wilbur.

"It's nice to have a bigger party while in Rosings," said Richard. "You already met my aunt and William, well, he never talks much while we are here."

"That wouldn't surprise me. I never heard him say more than five words together."

Richard laughed. "He isn't that bad. You'll see."

That was something she was not looking forward to see.

As promised, Richard Fitzwilliam became a frequent visitor during the daily practices. Richard liked to discuss the progress with them and many times their chats were more focused on personal matters than on their work. That was how Elizabeth learned that he was a pilot retired from the Royal Air Force and that this handsome bachelor with grey eyes and almond coloured hair was now the administrator of Matlock Stables. His knowledge about horses was impressive, he was raised among them, and he confessed being a rider who preferred riding for pleasure than the vertigo of horse sports.

Unlike his cousin, Darcy never stayed one minute after the training session ended. He only studied them during the practices and, without saying a word, left. Elizabeth found this behaviour particularly annoying. She felt scrutinized, criticized and then ignored. If he was there to measure progress, couldn't he at least share his opinion with them? He was supposed to be one of the best riders in the country! His knowledge could certainly be used inside the schooling pen. But then, she didn't know if she would be able to stand his direct criticism over her work. After all, she was riding five horses a day, one hour and a half each and she knew she would feel irritated with two people pointing out her mistakes hour after hour, horse after horse. It was enough with Wilbur. Yes, it would be better if William Darcy kept his opinions to himself.

Darcy usually was never present when the Collinses and Elizabeth gave their report to Lady C, but on his second week at Rosings, quite unexpectedly, he showed up nearly at the end of the chat. He spoke very little, save for a few remarks when asked directly and briefly pointed out things that he thought should be corrected. Lady Catherine, always interested in his opinion, invited her employees to stay for supper and the entire week of training was analysed and discussed openly. Elizabeth only could hate him even more because of this. His advice was positive but couldn't he have pointed out those things when they were still in the ring?

Supper ended, they were having coffee in one of the sitting rooms and Elizabeth escaped Lady C's endless babbling with the excuse of having to use the restrooms. Instead of joining the rest at the sofa, her curiosity took her to the adjoining room, where Rosings' trophies were on display.

"Impressive, aren't they?" Richard joined her.

Elizabeth smiled at him. "I've never seen such a collection of cups and rosettes. Is this an Olympic medal?"

Richard moved closer to see it. "A copy. The rider has the original but he had a copy made for my uncle for lending him Prince Regent for the Moscow Olympics, in 1980."

"Wow."

She observed the shelves full of trophies and then walked towards the wall where the pictures were hung. That wall was the history of Rosings Stables itself. There were many pictures of horses jumping during competitions -some of them very important-, the classic photos of owners receiving their trophies, pictures of horses, and a group of family photographs.

Elizabeth bent to look closer a photo of a group of children together. Four boys and two girls, with ages that may go between 8 to 15. She recognized immediately Darcy and Richard but didn't have a clue of who were the others. They were all laughing mischievously, except for Darcy. The look in his eyes was unmistakable. It was pure sadness.

"Is that you?" she asked Richard.

"Yes, that was a long time ago."

"And I suppose that's William. He was so skinny."

"He was." Richard laughed. "We used to tease him mercilessly when he was younger. Sometimes I believe he gained weight just because of that."

"How old were you?"

"I was twelve, Will was nine. These are all the cousins from the Fitzwilliam side, well, except for Georgiana, who was a baby at the time. That's Annie De Bourgh, my cousin, my elder brothers, Edward and James, and my sister, Sylvia." He pointed at the other girl. "Annie lives in London. She's the black sheep of the family."

"Why?" Elizabeth laughed.

"She's a completely urban person. Hates riding, she hates horses and anything related with them, except for Will's professional career, that is. She's his agent."

Darcy had an agent? She never imagined riders needed those. It sounded so snobbish. "Really?"

Richard felt the need to explain that comment, perhaps because of the way Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "I know it sounds ridiculous, riders having agents, but this is how it works today. Shows have turned into marketing events, not merely competitions. You would never imagine the amount of money a sponsor can invest on its rider or the things they do to be at the top."

Oh yes, she knew perfectly well. Especially what Darcy was capable of doing.

v "Richard!" Lady Catherine called her nephew, "you are not smoking, are you?"

He rolled his eyes before replying. "No, aunt, I'm not."

"You better not, young man. Smoking is not allowed in this house!"

"I know, Kate."

"Miss Bennet!" continued her ladyship. "What do you think of our collection of trophies? Outstanding, isn't it?"

"Yes, Lady Catherine." Elizabeth answered. Did she really have to shout like that?

"Not too many stables in England can sport so many wins as Rosings does." Her Ladyship proceeded with her conversation with the others. "I used to ride when I was younger and I was pretty good at it, though I never competed. The competing arena was not for me."

At that moment, Darcy joined them at the trophy room and Richard didn't miss the chance to tease his cousin.

"Escaping from the old Lady, Darcy?"

"At least I'm not sneaking out to succumb to my vices."

Richard snorted. "I didn't know you have any. I wouldn't dare to smoke so close to her. She would smell it even from this distance. I'm dying for a ciggie, though. Kate is being particularly dense today."

Darcy smirked but said nothing. Elizabeth turned towards the pictures and could feel him looking over her shoulder, probably wondering what she found so interesting about that series of photographs. They all looked very much alike. She turned abruptly and realized that he was much closer than she thought.

"Do you like them?" he asked her.

"Yes, they are great. Very good pictures." She turned her eyes towards the next line of pictures and one of them caught her attention. "Is that you?"

Darcy moved closer to see it. "Yes. That's the first show I won."

Elizabeth arched her brows in amazement. Darcy could not be more than 16 years old and that hurdle was at least four feet high. In the background, she read East Anglia regional Championship. "How old were you?"

"Fifteen," Richard was the one who replied. "He was a little precocious."

Elizabeth knew she was nourishing even more of his ego but this was a compliment he deserved. "Well, it's impressive. At that age I was still trying to overcome two feet courses without droppings."

"I think you're being too modest. I'm sure you were much better than that," Darcy smiled at her.

Elizabeth gasped, then smiled. "Richard, your cousin had just accused me of being a liar. Should I retaliate?"

"It's up to you, though I think it's time for someone to settle him properly. Darcy has been having his own way for too long."

"Thank you, Richard." Darcy rolled his eyes.

"Well, what can I say about him that you already don't know?" Elizabeth found her most playful voice to reply. "Let's start with his behaviour in Hertfordshire. I know he's not talkative but he took that to an extreme during the first weeks there. And that night, at the pub ..."

"Will, in a pub? I'm sorry, but I can't imagine him there, really." Richard laughed.

"He went and danced with Caroline Bingley!" Elizabeth laughed too.

"What? No, that's too much. You and Carrie Bingley?" Richard teased his cousin. "That was something I would have paid to see. Wills, what got into you?"

"I had no other chance, believe me." Darcy crossed his arms over his chest. "As for you, Elizabeth, I warn you, I have information about you, too."

Though there was playfulness in his eyes, she couldn't stop herself from challenging him. "Are you trying to intimidate me?"

Darcy raised his eyebrows at that comment. He had never imagined that Elizabeth would be one to be easily intimidated and certainly that wasn't his intention. Or maybe it was. "Is that what you think?"

"Why, that is what it looks like." she retorted.

"At this point I don't think it matters what I'm thinking. You already decided I was."

She arched an impertinent eyebrow. "Great, now you are accusing me of being prejudiced."

Darcy chuckled and shook his head. "You have a talent for misunderstanding me."

Colour rose to her cheeks. "And you don't?"

"I hope not."

His half smile puzzled her. His eyes were fixed on her and they had a warmth she had never seen before. For a moment, she thought that he was about to say something else but just then Lady C called them back to the other room. Both gentlemen gestured her to walk ahead and then escorted her all the way back to the others.

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