One week after Kitty's condition was revealed, Phil Saunderson, her new boyfriend and the father of her child-to-be moved to Longbourn. At the beginning, Thomas had certain reserves about have the two of them sleeping together in the same room but soon he realized there was no other choice. They were only kids, yes, too young to be living together, but if they were going to be parents, it would be better if they assumed their responsibilities and learned what meant to be a couple from the beginning.

Even though he had limitations, Phil was a good boy. He wasn't brilliant or educated, he was only a good man, with good principles and the best of intentions. He came from a poor family from Hatfield and was the second son of a widow with 6 children. His life back home was not pleasant so he was more than desirous to leave their humble house -as was his family- and live together with the girl he loved. Because Kitty and Phil were truly in love -or so they believed-, even if everyone thought they were too young to know what they were doing.

Slowly, this quiet, respectful young man gained his place in the household and once the awkward phase with his future father-in-law was overcome, he began to build his place as a new member of the Bennet clan.

On a fine October morning, Elizabeth was finally fulfilling one of her lifetime dreams -- competing with her own horse, trained only by her. She was very nervous about it. This would be the first time she would enter the ring without the support and guidance of a teacher and she was suffering those natural fears any competitor would feel under the circumstances.

Surprisingly, loading Liddy in the trailer had been easier than she expected. Only ten minutes of struggles and no kicks to avoid. Once the mare was tied up and the gate was secured, she said good-bye to her family.

"Good luck, Lizzy." Phil patted her back after loading the saddle. "Don't be nervous, you'll do great."

She smiled. "Thank you, Phil. I feel as if I'm going to be sick. I only hope she behaves."

"She will," Kitty embraced her sister, "You trained her very well. Call us as soon as you have the results, will you?"

"I'm sorry we can't go with you," he smiled apologetically, "but there is a lot of work to do here. We have students today and I must help your father with the horses. Though we would have liked to go and see you jump."

"Thank you," she gave him a quick hug.

"Lizzy!" Thomas called to her as he walked in their direction.

"Dad."

"Good luck, sweetheart. Bring us a nice trophy." He squeezed her cheek.

"Thank you, Dad." Elizabeth kissed him and climbed into the truck.

"Now son, let's ready everything for the class. We have nine students coming today." Thomas patted Phil's shoulder as they walked towards the stables.

Towcester wasn't a big show, nothing compared to what Elizabeth had seen lately with the Midlands team but neither the simplicity of the course nor the level of the competition helped to put her mind at ease. She felt that Liddy wasn't ready, that she wasn't ready, and that things would not come out as she expected. But she also knew that she could not delay this any longer. It was now or never and Towcester was the best place to make a start.

The Gardiners were already there by the time she arrived. They helped her to unload Liddy and they set up a nice little camp near the horses as they waited for the kids to come. One by one, all dressed in their cute competing outfits, Joe Gardiner's trainees descended enthusiastically from their parent's cars and ran towards their teacher, bombarding him with questions about the show. Patiently, Joe calmed them down and soon they were beginning the warming up for the first round.

"Lizzy?"

Elizabeth felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the sound of the familiar voice. She turned around to see George Wickham. "Hi, George."

"How are you? It's been a long time." George bestowed his best smile.

"Fine, great. What brings you here?"

"I wouldn't miss Liddy's debut for anything in the world. Your father told me you were competing this weekend."

So her father was still in touch with him. "Oh, how nice of you to show up."

"She is looking great." he walked over to the mare and caressed her snout. "I'm sure she will do it fine. How was your stay at Rosings? Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, great. It's a very nice place."

"I really missed you during that time. How did you like the infamous Lady Catherine de Bourgh?"

"She is quite bossy but I found her very agreeable." In a very casual voice, she released the bomb she was holding. "William Darcy was there too."

The effect on him was evident but he rebuilt his smile in two seconds. "Really?"

"Yes, he was visiting his aunt with his cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam." she held his gaze bravely.

"Richard? What a coincidence."

Elizabeth smiled. It was so interesting to watch him change colour so quickly. "Yes, isn't it?"

"I hope they didn't stay for long."

"A couple of weeks. They were selecting some horses for Rosings annual auction."

"Poor you." he smiled. "Once you get rid of Darcy, you have to endure his presence again."

"It wasn't that bad."

"No?" George released ironic laugh. "Why? Has he improved in the last months? That would be indeed a miracle."

"Improve?" said Elizabeth in a sweet, innocent voice. "I don't think so. I think that, in essentials, he's pretty much the same. Only that now that I know him better, I realized that he is not as bad as I thought. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

George didn't catch her meaning, but doubted that it would have a positive connotation on his side. "William had always been very attached to his Aunt Catherine; they have business together. Ann, Lady Catherine's daughter, is William's lawyer and agent. Annie was the one who annulled his father's testament in my favour."

Elizabeth was in no mood to hear him complain about the misery that William Darcy brought into his life. "Really? Listen George, I must go and start the warm up."

"Yes, of course, go. I'll see you later." he exhaled. "Good luck."

Elizabeth grabbed Liddy's reins and passed by him feigning a cordial smile. "Thank you."

George lit up a cigarette, wondering how much she knew. "So Lizzy met Ricky and spent some time with Willy. I bet that was some hell of a ménage a trois."

Liddy's debut wasn't brilliant but it wasn't bad at all. Though Elizabeth struggled to control her spirited mare all through the course, she managed to obtain an honourable 3rd place in her category. She knew she could have done much better than this but she couldn't ask more with the limited training her mare had. While she made all clear jumps on every run and had excellent times, Liddy refused the downhill jump the first times she was faced with it. This was expected to happen. Not having that obstacle at home, she was unable to prepare her to overcome it. But Elizabeth was satisfied with her and Liddy's performance so far -- not only had Liddy not been intimidated by the real competition but she had finally accomplished one of her goals.

The students of the Gardiner Riding School also obtained good results in their categories. Becky, won her category and Paul was 3rd in novices. Everyone had the time of their lives. By the end of the day, excited kids, proud parents and even prouder teachers loaded the equipment for the return back home.

"Liz," Maddy linked her arm with Elizabeth's as they walked to the trailer that would take her and Liddy back to Longbourn. "Becky's mother is very enthusiastic about the results. They are thinking of getting Becky a horse of her own."

"Can they afford it?"

"Money isn't a problem with them. They even asked if you are selling Liddy."

"Liddy?" Elizabeth was very surprised with this question. "I am not planning to sell her now but I don't think she is the horse for someone her age."

"I know," Maddy patted her arm. "But I didn't want to tell her that until I had talked to you. Liddy is too spirited for her. I was very impressed with her, Lizzy. You can jump her higher."

"Me too. I am satisfied with the results she got today, though she is still too difficult to manage. Sometimes I can't even hold her still!" Elizabeth laughed.

"She did great for her first show and you did too." They stopped by the trailer and Joe joined them to help them to load Liddy.

"We are planning to look for horses while we are visiting Maddy's sister." Joe lowered the ramp for Liddy to climb. "We need a couple of horses for the students and maybe we can look for Becky's while there. There's a very good place in Bakewell where we can find jumping horses."

"Do you want to come with us?" Maddy smiled at her niece.

"I'd love to." Elizabeth beamed.

"I was thinking that we could visit Matlock and Pemberley stables while we are there. Pemberley is not far away from Helen's house." added Maddy.

Pemberley? "That would be nice, yes." she replied, not sure if she meant it.

"Anyway, it's just to take a look. I don't think we can afford a horse from any of those stables."

"Are you sure I won't be a bother?" Elizabeth began to regret her decision. "I wouldn't wish to impose on your sister's hospitality."

"You know she doesn't mind, it would be great if you could come with us. Come, say you will." Maddy insisted.

Pemberley. Just the mentioning of his house made her pulse quicken. "All right, I'll go."

On a cold November morning, Elizabeth found herself sitting in the back seat of her uncle's car, heading to Lambton to visit her aunt's sister. She was feeling enthusiastic about this trip but at the same time apprehensive. The change of air was well needed and deserved but she was a little afraid of what would she find at her destination. The visit to Bakewell would be interesting as she had heard that many breeders sold their horses there, it was the announced trips to Pemberley and Matlock what were unsettling her.

Once at Helen's, Maddy called both stables to mark an appointment. Matlock was hosting a huge party that weekend so Maddy was informed that they were not receiving any visitors until the following week. On the other side, Pemberley told them they would receive them in two days time. And the only thing Elizabeth could wish for at the moment was that William Darcy wasn't at home.

The visit to Bakewell wasn't very productive. None of the horses they saw served their purposes. Nonetheless, they made lots of contacts with small breeders and dealers in the area who promised they would help them with their search.

That night, Elizabeth slept restlessly, anticipating, with a great deal of anxiety and nervousness, the visit to Pemberley on the following day.

The Fitzwilliams were famous for hosting the most fabulous parties and their forty-fifth anniversary party obviously wouldn't disappoint. One hundred guests, the finest catering, French champagne, class and refinement were gathered at the magnificent house in what was considered the party of the century in the county of Derbyshire.

"William!" Richard entered the library and found his cousin leaning on a window frame, looking outside with pensive eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a break from all that noise." he looked at him over his shoulder. "And you?" he chuckled on seeing the cigarette between Richard's fingers. "Don't tell me you still hide that from your mother."

"No, Vicky gave me an ultimatum."

"If you light that up now, I'll tell her." Darcy pointed at the offending item.

"Traitor." Richard put the cigarette away. "Quite a party, isn't it? I wonder when they are going to leave. It's nearly three in the morning."

Darcy smiled sadly and looked out into the night again. "It's a lovely party. Nobody would want to leave yet."

Richard observed him for a while. He knew his cousin well enough to know that he had not been in his best spirits for some time now. Darcy wasn't expressive or talkative, he never talked too much about himself, but he was transparent and it was easy to guess when there was something wrong with him. For the last few weeks he had been dull, evading everyone's company and the few occasions Richard had the chance to talk to him, he showed an irritation very uncommon in him.

"Will, you have not been yourself lately. Is there a problem? Anything I can help you with?"

He sighed and spoke without taking his eyes from the window. "I'm fine."

"I don't think so."

"Rich, it's none of your business." He almost growled.

"Would you like a drink?" Richard changed his tactic. If Darcy was all locked up inside himself, he knew the best way to make him open up. Without waiting for a reply, he walked towards the bar and poured two whiskeys. He joined him at the window and handed him one. Smiling in resignation, Darcy took the glass.

"I'm fine, Rich."

The cousins had always been very close. With two elder brothers that adored torturing their youngest cousin, Richard became very protective towards William. This had produced a good number of fights among the Fitzwilliam brothers but had created a very strong bond between Richard and Darcy as time passed. Knowing him the way he did, Richard knew he only needed to have a little patience and he would finally know what was bothering him.

"Will, I will not give up until you tell me what's wrong with you. Now, what happened?"

"Nothing happened." he said in an irritated tone. Two seconds later he was regretting his harshness.

Darcy walked across the room and sat in a big armchair. He leaned back in the seat and sipped his drink. Silently, Richard joined him in the opposite armchair. After a couple of minutes -and sips- he spoke.

"I made a mistake, Richard."

Richard was puzzled. His cousin had always been a very serious and responsible person, maybe a little obsessed with perfection, but a good man, noble, and incapable of doing anything really wrong. Either he was acting this way because he made a really serious mistake or he was being melodramatic because of his inability to admit his own failure. Whichever was the reason, he was quite intrigued by it.

"Involving what?" Richard refilled Darcy's glass.

"A woman." his eyes were fixed on his drink.

He raised his eyebrow. Definitely the kind of problem he would never think his cousin would be involved in.

"You got a woman pregnant?" Richard asked tentatively.

"Christ, no, Richard!" Darcy exploded, much to the other man's amusement. "Don't be ridiculous! Who do you think I am?" He couldn't believe his cousin could even think of that possibility.

He chuckled. "So, where is the problem?"

"I didn't say there was a problem, I said I made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

"She hates me."

"Who?"

"Elizabeth." he took a long gulp of pure whisky. He gasped when it burned his throat.

"Elizabeth Bennet?" She could be the only cause. She was the only woman he knew that had caught Darcy's interest. Richard recalled that conversation while they watched the practice, his teasing and Darcy's shy evasive. So his cousin was in love. He had to be in love. "Right. She is a lovely girl, it was obvious that you liked her. I just don't know why it was that you didn't ask her out while at Rosings."

"I did." Darcy raised his glass in front of his eyes and slowly twisted it.

"Aha." Richard leaned back on the armchair, preparing for the show. "And?"

"She said no." He took another very long gulp.

"No?" he bit his lip. He would have paid to see that.

"You heard me." Darcy emptied his glass in one shot.

"And when was that?"

"The day before we left Rosings."

Richard held back his mirth, trying not to increase his cousin's mortification. Elizabeth didn't go to the house because she was feeling ill. When the Collinses told them that, Darcy suddenly disappeared.

"You went to see her that evening?"

"Yes."

"When she was sick?" he asked with a crooked smile. That was really inopportune.

Darcy left the glass on the floor and rested his elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. "Yes."

He smiled in a very paternal way. "And you asked her out."

"Yes."

"And what happened?"

"It didn't come out as I expected."

That could only mean that his cousin had totally screwed it up. "Will, what did you say?"

Darcy rubbed his face with his hands, as if wanting to rip the pain from his mind and body. "Everything you shouldn't say to a woman."

Richard began to pity Darcy's situation. He could imagine the internal conflict his self repressed cousin went through before asking Elizabeth out. Darcy had always been this way, especially with women. He was always reluctant to permit anyone near because of this senseless fear of being hurt. And he had never been in love before. He had allowed a few women near him, perhaps just for the physical company, but never formed a serious relationship with any of them.

Darcy's life had always been sad and lonely, Richard was very aware of this. Losing his mother at nine, a stepmother that put him through hell, and assuming many responsibilities at a very young age had made him extremely reserved with people from outside his circle. Richard had seen him retreat into his shell many times, suffering in silence the great losses that occurred in his life and repress his emotions in a way that some people would call dangerous. Disappointment, loss, abandonment, betrayal. All those things terrified him, because they had been part of his life. Only the love and support of the other members of his family had helped him to open up but it was still difficult for him to interact with people he didn't know well. But Richard also knew that Darcy was very passionate and sensible and when he crossed the barriers he had set for himself, this side of him could arise in an intense way. He saw him hold back his tears when his mother died, steel himself from pain when his father followed her and when his adored Miss D became ill because of George's mess, he repressed his anger until he released it in the most explosive way.

"Tell me." No matter what occurred that night and given his cousin's present state, Richard knew that he had to make him talk and take out this pain from his heart. The sooner, the better. Only opening his heart would help him to overcome this situation.

Darcy proceeded to tell him what occurred on that fateful evening and the letter he wrote her. Richard listened, refilled his glass, lectured him, and finally helped him to make peace with himself.

"I never thought that you would be able to do something like that after being around me for so long. Didn't you learn anything from your cousin?" he teased him.

"It isn't funny, Richard." Darcy bent over. He was exhausted.

"Wills," Richard leaned his elbows on his knees, mirroring his cousin's posture, "it wasn't that bad. I've said things like that a couple of times myself --when I was twenty-- but I was lucky that the girls were willing to agree." He shrugged when Darcy shot him a dark look. "Okay, I didn't insult their families nor ask them to go to bed right away. I always waited until I was halfway through dinner. They respond better with a little food and wine in their stomachs."

Darcy shook his head and cradled his face on his hands.

"Did you try apologizing to her?"

"What?" Darcy raised his head.

"Apologize. Did you apologize for what you said to her?"

"No."

"I think you should."

"She will slap me if she sees me again."

"I don't think so." Richard smiled. "Anyway, you are lucky that she didn't do it the first time."

"You are not making this any easier, Rich." Even in his alcohol daze, Darcy recognized Richard's teasing.

"Will, I know you. You're not going to feel better until you talk to her." Richard said in a very soft but commanding voice.

"I can't."

"Try." Though relieved that Darcy had talked this out, Richard knew that his cousin was going a little too far with this brooding attitude. "If your letter said what you told me, she has probably softened her opinion of you."

"Do you think so?"

"I think you should at least try."

"I can't face her." Darcy shook his head in despair.

"Then forget about her!" Richard couldn't believe he was this obtuse.

"I love her, Richard. I love her. What will I do?" His frustration, pain and alcohol level were getting the best of him.

Richard stood and put his hand on Darcy's shoulder, urging him to stand up. "Come, cousin, go to bed. You are too tired -and drunk- to resolve this now, you'll feel much better in the morning."

Darcy slept long and restfully that night. No dreams, no pain, no anguish, no Elizabeth, just the kind of sleep that came after taking a great pain from inside, from making his peace. He woke up late, rested, renewed and with a sense of hope as he had not had in a long time. With a smile, he had lunch with his family and parted for home with the strange feeling that something would soon change in his life.

That morning was reserved for a small country tour. Joe Gardiner drove his wife and niece to Leek, where they had lunch at a nice restaurant and then they departed for the long awaited tour of Pemberley.

Elizabeth held her breath when they crossed the iron gates of Pemberley. The park was simply magnificent. They drove for about half a mile on a paved road until they reached the lake and then, as they drove around it, the manor appeared before her eyes.

The building, about a hundred years old, stood proud on higher ground. It was impeccably maintained, large, but still not overwhelmingly over-dimensioned. Despite the size and its classical architecture, it was welcoming. The hilly background, the lake and the beautiful park completed the breathtaking picture. Elizabeth had never seen a house so happily situated.

Directed by a gardener they found near the entrance, the visitors followed the road to the stables, where they would meet the stable manager. Once again Elizabeth was impressed by the facilities. There was an older wing with accommodations for about twenty horses and a new one that respected the original architecture but that was definitely more practical and that could house some thirty horses more. The training arena on one end could be used in any professional circuit and the smaller indoor arena would be the envy of any pony club she had seen. She could envision Darcy in this environment, practicing, jumping with that concentrated brow of his or riding back after a relaxed tour of the estate. Undoubtedly, Pemberley was Darcy and Darcy was Pemberley.

At the stables they were received by Samuel Reynolds, the manager. He was a large, middle aged man, possessor of contagious good humour. He told the visitors that he arrived at Pemberley at the age of 15, when his mother, Mrs. Margaret Reynolds -current housekeeper- was hired to take care of the four-year-old William while his parents took a 'grand tour' around the continent. Sadly, a few years later, after Mrs. Darcy's sudden death, she became the governess of the Darcy children until she became the housekeeper, several years later. Sam continued to work in the stables and became the late Mr. Wickham's favourite and most skilled apprentice, taking his place as manager and the young master's right hand after the previous Mr. Darcy's death. He had only praise for his boss and his love for the place that he was so proudly showing them was so evident in every word.

After quickly showing them the older wing, Sam -he insisted to be called that- led the way to the new building. On their way, they were surprised by three enthusiastic Dalmatians that appeared running from nowhere and followed them during the rest of the tour.

"Hey you." Elizabeth patted the dogs' heads. "What beautiful dogs you have, Sam."

"They are Mr. Darcy's dogs. They are always around the stables when he isn't home."

Elizabeth smiled with a sense of longing. Darcy wasn't home. Though she wasn't ready to face him, she had fantasized of being somehow close to him.

"Is he away right now?" Maddy asked the question that was tickling Elizabeth's tongue.

"At Matlock, attending a big family party. We expect him this evening, though he has been in London for almost two weeks."

"I am impressed by the horses you have here, Sam," Joe commented as he looked inside every stall, "excellent quality."

"We have a couple of fine prospects for sale. They are at the end of the building. We keep the horses for sport in this section while the other is used for the breeding stock. "

Elizabeth glanced at the other building, wondering which stall was the famous Miss D's.

"Do you have any stallions here?" Joe asked.

"Only one. The other two stallions are at Matlock at the time. We usually transport the mares when we want to breed one of them. They have bigger accommodations there."

"Petticoat?" Elizabeth grinned as she recognized her trainee. The young mare walked closer to her and popped her head out over the door. "Hey, lovely, what are you doing here?" She caressed her velvety snout.

"Do you know her?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I trained her while working at Rosings." Elizabeth responded while caressing the mare's head. "She's great."

"Will ... Mr. Darcy acquired her from his aunt this August. They have a few horses in co-ownership, but he wanted to own her fully. You trained her really well."

'So Darcy bought Petticoat'.Elizabeth wondered why, owning so many outstanding horses, Darcy would want this one in particular. "Thank you. I worked with Tuareg too when the Midlands were training for the Nation's cup. I met William there."

"Really?"

"Yes." she smiled back.

"He was quite pleased with all the crew during his stay in Netherfield. I'm sure you made quite an impression, as it's usually impossible to extricate more than two words together from him." he laughed heartily.

She blushed instantly.

"Elizabeth also met George Wickham while he was in Hertfordshire. I understand he worked here too." Maddy commented.

Sam's smile disappeared. "He did. But he isn't here any more."

Maddy would have sworn that Sam had purposely omitted the word 'fortunately' somewhere in that sentence. She looked at her niece, who was carefully studying the ground, and changed the subject. "Where's the famous Tuareg?"

"Over here." He pointed to the next stall. He whistled and Tuareg popped out his black head. The horse accepted a caress from Sam and then turned to Elizabeth, alert to anything she could give him.

"Hello, cork head." Elizabeth was happy that the horse recognized her. "How are you?"

"He is a fabulous horse." Joe commented. "I saw him on TV."

"Yes, indeed. He is the finest horse I've seen in my life. That tour around the continent was quite a trial for him; for both of them. Very stressful but they did an excellent job."

"They are not competing now, are they?"

"Not in the past weeks. I believe they'll attend a couple of shows before the end of the year and then take a break until that big show in South Africa in March. Mr. Darcy is very careful with his horses and he preferred to allow Tuareg some rest. I believe he is a little tired too."

"It's perfectly understandable." Maddy said. "It is really exhausting to travel from one place to another, sleeping in hotels, plus the nervousness of competing every weekend. That can really fatigue anyone."

"Yes, it is. Come, let's see the horses for sale." Sam gestured.

Elizabeth was about to follow them when she noticed that one of her trainers was untied and she almost fell by stepping on it. While the others walked away, she knelt and tied the laces failing to see the grey Mercedes heading to the stables, momentarily disappearing in the curve behind the trees.

As she tied her shoelaces, three very playful Dalmatians accosted her. A lick here, a sniff there and suddenly all three dogs turned away and ran in the direction of the road. Elizabeth raised her eyes when she heard one of them barking.

And then she saw it. The large, grey Mercedes that she knew too well was parking some twenty yards away from her. As in slow motion, she saw Darcy opening the door and descending from the car. In a daze, she observed him as he pulled his sunglasses over his head and raised his arms as the three dogs jumped excitedly around him. He didn't see her and walked around the car to get something from the trunk, pulling a large bag from inside of it. Her heart began to beat madly after a long pause.

Oblivious to the fact that he was being observed, Darcy swung the bag it over his shoulder walked towards the office while talking to the dogs. One of them ran away and his eyes followed it until it stopped in front of a figure he had not seen in a long time. For a couple of seconds he was speechless and looked at her with an unmistakable face of surprise.

"Elizabeth!"

"William!" Elizabeth answered in similar state.

Simultaneously, they both looked at their shoes, then to one side and then back at each other.

"Hi, I ... what ... how are you?" he stammered.

"Fine." was all she could manage.

"Visiting the stables?"

"Yes." She felt herself blush intensely. What must he think of her? She was at his home after she said all those things to him.

After a pause where he didn't know what to say, he finally asked. "I ... how's everyone?" He regretted that instantly. It was the only thing that came to his mind and the last thing he should ask, given what had happened during their last meeting.

"Fine." She realized she was being rude but she was too tongue tied to think of something to say. "And ... how are you?"

"Fine." He swallowed and looked down. "So, are you looking for horses?"

"No ... yes ... well, my uncle wants to buy some horses for the school."

"Have you seen something you liked?"

"Actually, we arrived only a while ago and we haven't seen the horses yet. Sam was about to show us."

"Right." he coughed slightly. "I've just arrived myself."

"I see."

"And how's ..." he was repeating himself clumsily, "... Jane ... and everyone?"

"They are great, thank you."

"Good." Unable to collect his thoughts and compose another decent phrase, he decided to take his leave. "Well I ... I must leave this over there ... excuse me." He swallowed visibly and disappeared into an office beside the stables.

"Bye." Elizabeth said to the empty space.

"Liz?" Maddy called her as they returned from the stables, noticing that she was standing with a very strange look on her face, staring at nothing. "Wasn't that William Darcy?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Mr. Darcy is here?" Sam commented on seeing his car. "Where did he go?" he asked Elizabeth.

She pointed at the office.

"Please excuse me, I'll be back in a couple of minutes." He hurried into it.

"No, please, we wouldn't wish to distract you now that he is here." Joe commented. "We can leave now."

"Just a second, I'll be right back." Sam said as he reached the office's door.

"He looks taller than on TV, don't you think?" Maddy asked the still petrified Elizabeth.

"Oh God!" she whispered. "He's here!"

"Liz," Maddy became worried at her niece's unusual behaviour, "is there something wrong? Did he say something to upset you?"

"No, he was very nice." She was still shocked for the sudden meeting, "It's just that I ... he ..."

"Do you wish us to leave?" Joe asked on seeing her flushed face.

"No! I'm fine, great!" she said with agitated calmness. "Sam asked us to stay and ... I'm ... fine."

The next five minutes were like a torture to Elizabeth. Her mind was reeling, she was sweating and her anxiety growing with the knowledge that he would appear in front of her at any moment.

"Uncle Joe," Elizabeth reconsidered her previous statement. "I guess you are right. It would be better if we ..."

But Darcy was already walking towards them. "Please forgive me for leaving so abruptly. I had to leave something inside the fridge." He said smilingly. The little time he had by himself helped him to regain his composure. He extended his hand to shake the Gardiners'. "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm William Darcy."

The couple shook his hands with Darcy as Elizabeth introduced her family to him. Darcy recognized the name immediately.

"Madelaine Gardiner?" He smiled broadly. "I read your article about financial problems of small riding clubs in Horse & Hound. Excellent point of view. And Mr. Gardiner ..."

"Joe," he corrected.

"Joe. Elizabeth told me you are looking for horses for your riding school. Did you find something you liked?"

"You have fabulous horses here but I'm afraid they exceed our needs. Ours is a small riding school."

"I see." Darcy immediately recognized the economic barrier. "Sam, did you show them Solstice?"

"No, not yet. He is in the field. I'll go for him." And he trotted away before anyone could say anything.

"I think that's a good horse for you. He's very docile, ideal for children but a little small for the higher obstacles." He showed the way. "I was keeping him for my nieces and nephews but it's a pity not to take him to the ring. Let's go."

Darcy and Joe walked ahead while Maddy linked her arm with Elizabeth as they followed them.

"I can't believe this is the same William Darcy you told me about. He's so nice!" Maddy commented.

Elizabeth smiled at the gentleman's back. "I've never seen him so ... relaxed."

"Well, perhaps he is more at ease when at home. Or ..." Maddy looked at her suggestively, "... he's being nice for another reason."

"Yeah," Elizabeth said teasingly. "He wants to sell you a horse."

Maddy burst out in laughter and Elizabeth giggled. The noise caught the gentlemen's attention, who glanced over their shoulders to see what was causing the ladies' mirth. For an instant, Darcy's eyes met Elizabeth's but soon he averted them to answer something Joe was asking him.

Sam entered the big pen in front of them and walked towards one of the horses that was nibbling the grass. He approached an almond coloured gelding and bridled him to take him out of the pen.

"He isn't that small, William." Joe commented. "I think he is an excellent size."

"Would you like to ride him?" Darcy looked at Joe and then at Elizabeth.

"What do you think, Lizzy?" Joe turned to her.

"I ... I ..." her eyes went from one man to another. "Yes."

Darcy, with an almost imperceptible move of his head, asked Sam to saddle the horse.

Maddy and Joe walked after Sam and Elizabeth was left behind with Darcy. There was an uncomfortable pause where neither of them knew what to say until they both talked at the same time.

"No, please, go ahead." Darcy said politely.

"What a lovely place you have here." Elizabeth looked around.

"Thank you. Have you seen all of it?"

Elizabeth met his eyes and smiled. "Only the stables."

"We keep the mares over there. That large, white one is Miss D." He continued with a smile that combined pride and shyness. "Do you want to see her?"

"Sure." her smile broadened.

He opened the gate for her and they entered the field where the mares were pastured during the day. Darcy the led the way to a small group that was nibbling the grass a few yards away. Miss D observed them for a while and then walked in their direction at a very lazy pace, stopping right in front of Darcy.

"Hello DD." Darcy spoke softly while caressing the mare's forehead. "Look at you. How can you see under all that hair? We'll have to talk to Sam about this, won't we?"

Elizabeth giggled when the mare rubbed her head on his chest, pushing him one step back. Not every horse had this relationship with their owner. "She is beautiful. Though she does have a very long mane."

He chuckled when the mare began to nibble his face. "She does, but I like how she looks. We only brush the coat and take care of the hooves of the breeding mares, so they tend to look like this. It's not very neat but they don't need more grooming."

Elizabeth looked at him with a tender smile as he talked, she liked the way he said 'we' referring to their work. "Have you bred her already?" There were several foals in the field, but neither followed the mare.

"No. I don't think she would make it through it. I would like to do an embryo transfer in the future but I didn't decide yet. I only want her to be OK."

She regretted the question instantly. "Yes, of course."

"That's Melody," He pointed at a chestnut mare that was approaching them. "Miss D's dam. She's 20 years old and the matron of the group. Let's move away or we'll be trapped in the fight."

Darcy took Elizabeth's arm protectively and they walked away at a prudent distance. Horses are very social animals and the ranks are very well established in the group. Melody approached Miss D and bit her on her hips. Miss D's ears went back and after a slight hop of her hindquarters, she trotted away. Satisfied for returning the group to its original order, the eldest mare walked towards the couple and allowed them to caress her neck before shaking her mane and returning to her previous activities, letting everyone know that SHE was in charge.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Quite authoritative, isn't she?"

"She is. She loves to demonstrate her power over the others. And DD is always the victim of her exhibitionism. Let's go. Solstice must be ready by now."

"I met a friend of yours." Elizabeth commented as they headed towards the stables.

"Who?"

"June ... I don't remember her last name. She said something about visiting Pemberley during the summer."

"Oh, yes, June." Darcy nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. "We were friends, some time ago. I haven't seen her in years."

Elizabeth immediately compared his reaction to June's when the connection was mentioned. While June was all effusiveness, Darcy was all sedateness. Perhaps this was him, calm, inexpressive and she had always mistaken his reserve with pride and hauteur. How could she be so wrong in her judgement?

"How is she?"

"Uh?" Darcy's voice distracted from her reverie. "Oh, fine. Her daughter is one of Joe's students."

"Her daughter?" Darcy raised his eyebrows, "but she can't be more than two or three years old."

"She's six."

He smiled and shook his head. "I guess it's been longer than I thought. The last time I saw her was for her daughter's christening."

By then they had reached the schooling pen, where Sam was waiting with Solstice.

"How old is he?" Joe patted the horse's neck.

"Nine." Sam adjusted the stirrups. "Who's riding?"

"I will," Elizabeth took the reins. "Any precautions?"

"No. Don't worry." Darcy moved closer.

Elizabeth then found herself sandwiched between Darcy and the horse. She looked up, flushed and nervous, not sure of what he wanted.

"May I?" He pointed at her leg, on seeing that she was not reacting.

Oh, dear, what a silly creature she was. He wanted to lift her onto the horse. She bent her leg and in the next second she was riding Solstice.

Solstice proved to be a wonderful horse. Really docile and a good jumper, he demonstrated to the Gardiners that he was exactly what they were looking for. They still had to discuss the price and other selling conditions but Darcy assured them he wasn't an expensive animal and that he was sure they would arrive at a good deal, whether they would acquire him for the riding school or for one of their students. When they were done with the horse, Darcy invited them to have tea at the house. The Gardiners promptly agreed, increasing Elizabeth's uneasiness and nervousness about the recent meeting even more.

The interior of Pemberley house was even more impressive than the exterior. In general, the decoration was sober, tasteful, and not as pompous or overdone as Rosings. The colours were soft and warm, the combination of modern furniture and antiques matched perfectly and the homey atmosphere that Elizabeth liked so much about the exterior was also present on the inside.

Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, alerted to the presence of the master by her son, was waiting for them at the door when they arrived. Once again, Elizabeth was surprised with the familiarity that Darcy had with his staff. Mrs. Reynolds received him with a kiss on the cheek and looked genuinely happy for having him at home after so long.

"Any news?" Darcy asked her on the way to the living room.

"No, nothing I didn't tell you on the phone." She looked at him critically. "You have not been eating, have you?"

His only reply was a warning look.

The housekeeper made no further comments but it was obvious that it was only because he was entertaining guests. "Georgiana arrived half an hour ago. She is a little upset because you left so early and didn't wake her up."

"It was past noon when I left."

Mrs. Reynolds looked at him pointedly. "But you said you would stay at Matlock until tea time. Didn't you?"

"Yes, but, aren't you happy that I'm here earlier?"

The housekeeper was disarmed by his charming smile. Of course she was and she showed her appreciation when she patted him on his arm. As they entered the living room, she addressed their guests. "Tea for everyone?"

The guests agreed and walked inside the spacious living room. The Gardiners sat on the sofa and Elizabeth wandered about the room while Darcy had some final words with his housekeeper.

For what Elizabeth could see, this wasn't the room where they would usually receive guests. It was too familiar, too intimate, despite the size. There was a nice sitting area near the window, a medium sized bookcase on one side, and many photographs placed on different tables and shelves. There were no trophies, no competing pictures, just family photographs.

Elizabeth walked towards a piano and bent to observe a series of photos that were neatly placed over it. One of them in particular caught her attention. Darcy was sitting on the floor with a little girl beside a Christmas tree. He couldn't be older than 19 in that picture. The girl was sitting cross-legged between his legs, his arms were enveloping her and they were both laughing so happily that it made her smile. Next to that one was one that made her turn serious. He was in a tux, gorgeous to say the least, with his arm around the waist of the dazzling tall and attractive blonde she saw embracing him on TV.

She was trying to decipher who she felt a presence behind her. She turned abruptly and her heart began to pound loudly when she realized it was Darcy standing too close to propriety. She walked a step away from him and smiled nervously. He smiled back.

"You have a lovely house."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

After all that had happened between them, she wanted to make it clear that it wasn't her intention to show herself in front of him or importune him in any way.

"We weren't expecting to find you home. Sam told us you weren't here."

Darcy was confused. Did that mean that she would have preferred not to see him? "I was attending a party at my uncle's. I always go directly to the stables when I return after a long absence. To check on everything."

She nodded, as she always lost her capacity of thinking rationally when he looked at her in that way.

"So, what do you think of Derbyshire?"

"It's beautiful."

His smile broadened. "And how did you enjoy returning to the arena?"

"Pardon?" Her eyebrows shot up.

"I ..." he looked at her with confusion written all over his face. " ... didn't you compete in Towcester about a month ago?"

Her astonishment increased. "How do you know that?"

"I ... read it on the Internet."

"The Internet?"

"Yes. I read the results on the Internet." He blushed. "I ... we sold a horse that was competing that weekend so I wanted to check on him and I saw your name."

"Oh."

"Congratulations." he smiled. "You did great."

"No, I didn't." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I had a couple of refusals but in the end we made it."

"You jumped that mare I saw you training?"

"Yes." she smiled brightly. "That was her first show. It's the first time I jumped my own horse."

"That's an excellent result for a first show. I'm sure you'll do very well together in the future."

Elizabeth was saved from making conversation by Mrs. Reynolds' entrance with a tray with tea and pastries. Darcy gestured to her to join the others and they took their places, Elizabeth next to her aunt on the sofa and Darcy in an armchair on her right. Five minutes later a young girl appeared and Darcy introduced her as Georgiana, his sister.

Like her brother, Georgiana Darcy was slim and tall, but with fairer countenance, auburn hair, the same intense brown eyes, pretty, but not as striking as him. Definitely not the tall and attractive blonde girl of the picture that Elizabeth was expecting her to be. Elizabeth liked her immediately.

"Will told me you are a fabulous rider, Elizabeth." Georgiana said smilingly.

Elizabeth's eyes danced from one Darcy to the other. When did he talk to his sister about her? "Well, not that great. I do what I can."

"If he says so, you are." Georgiana picked up a roll. "He never lies."

"Thank you." Elizabeth caught him looking at her and blushed. His ears were pink, too. "But I believe he is exaggerating a little this time."

"What?" Georgiana laughed. "We are talking about William Darcy, here. The only time I think he exaggerates is when he praises my music. The other night I gave an awful performance and he liked it anyway. If he weren't such a good piano player himself I would swear he is deaf."

"Do you play the piano?" Elizabeth asked Darcy.

"I used to play, but that was a long time ago. Georgiana is the musical genius of the family."

Elizabeth eyes went to the youngest Darcy sibling. "What instrument do you play?"

"Piano, harp, guitar ..."

"Anything that can produce sound." Darcy added proudly. "She's a gifted interpreter."

"See?" Georgiana waved him off. "He exaggerates."

"The ideal brother, then." Elizabeth smiled.

"Well, not quite the ideal." Georgiana said pointedly. "He is a little overprotective, you know, and sometimes he turns authoritative, he likes bossing us around, but we indulge him because he is the man of the house after all."

Darcy cleared his throat and changed the subject. "When did you say you were returning to Aylesbury, Joe?"

Elizabeth held back a chuckle when Georgiana mouthed a 'he is'.

"The day after tomorrow, after lunch."

"Great!" Georgiana said happily. "Why don't you come have lunch with us tomorrow?"

"I would love to," replied Maddy, "but we have an engagement with my sister, a family party. But why don't you come, Elizabeth, there is no reason for you to get stuck with us."

Elizabeth looked up and her eyes went from her aunt to Georgiana and then to Darcy. She felt caught in their stare. "I ... well I ... yes, of course, that would be nice."

Darcy exhaled visibly. "I can pick you up in the morning and we can ride through the estate, if you like."

Elizabeth began to feel unusually agitated. "All right."

"If you are not busy in the afternoon, William, I would like to talk about Solstice. He is just what we need."

"Sure, no problem." said Darcy.

"Then you must stay for dinner." Georgiana invited them. "Charles, Caroline and the Hursts are coming too. Wouldn't it be great to have a larger party?"

"Yes, of course," assented Darcy. "I'm sure that Charles will be very happy to see you again, Elizabeth."

The couple looked at each other and quickly looked away, both still sensitive on that subject.

"What do you think, Maddy?" Joe asked his wife.

"I shall be delighted." said his wife.

Darcy's hand was moving in lazy circles, making the ice rocks spin inside the glass of scotch. He raised it to his lips to sip another bit and savoured the cold and slightly watery whiskey inside his mouth before swallowing it. With a loud sigh, he tilted it slightly to glance at the place where Elizabeth had been seated this afternoon.

It was still difficult to believe that she had been there today. As he closed his eyes, the scene when they first saw each other came to his head. The surprise, the awkwardness, the butterflies he felt in his stomach every time he laid his eyes on her. She also seemed tense and nervous about the meeting -he knew he was- but at least she did not show any signs of hostility towards him anymore. Perhaps there was still hope?

'I shouldn't be speculating about the future', he thought with a slight shake of his head, 'the meeting was completely accidental. She wasn't even expecting to find me at home when she came.'

"Will, what are you doing here?" Georgiana asked from the door.

"What are you doing here, if I may ask. It's past midnight." He replied from his armchair.

"I asked first." She approached him.

"I'm the eldest."

"I'm twenty-one so I'm emancipated."

"But I am the man of this house, as you so intelligently phrased it today," his voice was playful. "so you tell me why are you up this late."

Georgiana sat on the sofa and folded her legs under her body. "Sleepless again?"

Darcy shrugged and leaned his head back. "No, just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing you should be aware of."

"So that was Elizabeth," Georgiana sighed. "I was wondering when I was going to meet her."

Her brother only raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, come on, "William!" Georgiana laughed heartily, "Do you think you can fool me? It's her, isn't she?"

"Who?" He couldn't be this transparent.

"If you think I don't know that something happened between you and Elizabeth, you are underestimating my intelligence."

He fixed his eyes on the ceiling. "And how did you arrive at this conclusion?"

"It's obvious. You should have seen your face when you looked at her."

"Why, what was wrong with it?" A frown wrinkled his forehead.

"There was nothing wrong with it. But you smiled, William, something I have not seen in months, and you blushed, several times. I've never seen you blushing in front a woman before."

"I didn't blush."

The girl was becoming frustrated. "All right, let's have it your way. You didn't blush, you didn't smile, you didn't look at her with enamoured eyes."

"Enamoured?" he had to chuckle at this.

Georgiana rolled her eyes. When her brother was trying to avoid a subject, he could be utterly irritating. If he only spoke of his feelings more openly, everything would be so much easier. "My suspicions have another source."

Darcy's expression darkened. If Richard opened his big mouth, he would kill him. "Oh, yes? Which one?"

"You, William. It's been ages since I heard you talking about a woman. And you mentioned her while you were in Hertfordshire --more than once, which is quite a record for you-- and then later while you were at Kate's. When you returned from Rosings in that mood, I suspected that something happened there, because when I asked you about the 'Elizabeth' that was doing such a great job with the horses, your mood darkened even more. I am not stupid, you know."

"I know you are not, darling." his voice was low.

"So, what happened between you?"

Darcy looked down and shook his head. "Nothing happened."

Something happened, his expression betrayed him, but she preferred not to push him if he didn't want to share it with her. "How old is she? She seems quite young."

He shrugged. "I'm not sure, 21, perhaps 22."

"She is my age!" Georgiana gasped. "Isn't she a little young for an old guy like you?"

"Hey! I am not that old!" he was offended.

"Then you admit you like her?" she asked slyly.

"That's absolutely none of your business, young lady." his eyes brightened.

If that wasn't an enamoured smile, then enamoured smiles didn't exist. Georgiana extended her hand to him and he took it. "Wills?"

He looked at her hand on his. After a shaky sigh, he admitted it. "All right, I do."

"Good." She rose and kissed his forehead. "It's good to see you acting like a normal person for once. It's about time." You need someone by your side, Will.

Darcy slapped her bottom playfully. "Get out of here."

"I will. And you go to bed, or you'll be acting like a zombie tomorrow. We wouldn't want that in front of Elizabeth, would we?"

"All right." .

"It's good to see you smile, Will." Georgiana studied her brother's face, wishing she could see him smile more often.

"Go to bed." He whispered.

Georgiana stroked his cheek and parted to her bedroom. "Oh, Will," she stopped by the door.

"Mmmmmmh?"

"I like her."

"Thank you. Good night, Gini."

He looked at the place where Elizabeth had been sitting that same afternoon and smiled. Fate had reunited them and he wouldn't ruin his chance this time.

Elizabeth overslept that morning. It was past nine when her aunt called her -someone turned off the alarm clock and she suspected who- so she ran frantically about the room in search of a decent change of clothes for after the ride. She then rushed to the shower only to realize that she had run out of hair conditioner. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. William Darcy was coming for her in a few minutes and she was still trying to untangle her hair.

God, she was so nervous. How could she sleep this late? She knew how. She remained awake half of the night thinking of him. About how nicely he behaved, about his beautiful house, his sister, his dogs, his dimples, that shy smile she was beginning to adore. And then, when she managed to get some sleep, she dreamt about him. Damn William Darcy. Damn the blonde in that picture.

"Lizzy, may I borrow that pink sweater I saw in your bag for today's party?" asked Angie, Helen's fifteen year old daughter. "As you are not staying for lunch because you have to go to Pemberley ... I thought I could wear it. You don't need it, do you?"

'So it was you who lurked in my bag'. Elizabeth glared at the teenager. She had shared a room with Angie for the last three days and the girl had tried her patience in every possible way. "OK, just try not to spill anything on it."

"Great." Angie grinned triumphantly. She already decided that she would wear it with or without Elizabeth's consent but she didn't want to endure her mother's lecturing after that so she preferred to ask first. "Are you going to Pemberley dressed like that?" She eyed Elizabeth up and down.

"Yes, why?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrow while brushing her wet hair. Her jeans and jumper weren't a bad choice.

"Oh, nothing, I would be more careful in my appearance if I'm having lunch with someone like William Darcy." she shrugged.

"We are going riding and I'm taking something to change into for the evening, just in case." Elizabeth answered with a slightly annoyed voice. This girl was really overstepping her limits.

"You are lucky that he pays attention to you. He's gorgeous."

"Mmmmm."

"And he has a fabulous car. I would kill to ride in a car like that." Angie continued.

"Mmmmm." Elizabeth was quite fed up with her and preferred to end the subject right there.

"He's kind of old, but hot."

"Mmmmm." The girl had probably seen him around Lambton and she was just showing off.

"If I had a man like him coming for me I wouldn't keep him waiting for so long."

Elizabeth stopped her brushing. "What?"

"I said that I wouldn't keep him wai ...?"

"He's here?" her eyes opened wide.

"Yeah."

"How long has he been here?" she asked, alarmed.

"About fifteen minutes." Angie smiled in satisfaction.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her alarm was turning into anger.

"I did." Angie shrugged.

"You didn't!" Elizabeth was becoming hysterical. She ran towards the window and saw Darcy's car parked outside.

"Yes, you were in the shower and I knocked on the door and I said: Lizzy, Lizzy, William Darcy is here." Angie said in a very silly voice. "Maybe you didn't hear me."

She stared blankly at the girl, pondering if she should kill her right there or not. "Fifteen minutes? I came out of the shower twenty minutes ago!"

Angie pretended to think. "Well, perhaps it was half an hour ago. You know how time flies when you are having fun."

Good God, she had kept him waiting for half an hour. Elizabeth grabbed her bag and hurried towards the door but stopped abruptly before opening it. It would be quite embarrassing to run down the stairs like a freak for him to see. She took a deep breath and pondered if she should allow Angie to use her sweater after this. She decided not to make things worse between them. She still had one night in her bedroom and wanted to live another day. Elizabeth turned around and shot the girl a warning look.

"Be careful with the sweater."

Angie grinned triumphantly.

Elizabeth couldn't feel any worse when she found Darcy sitting in the living room with her aunt and Helen, making conversation while waiting for her. He looked at ease but she couldn't be sure as she was too nervous herself. After saying their good-byes, he walked her to his car.

"Moving?" He took the bag from her hand. It was quite heavy.

She detected amusement in his tone but blushed anyway. "No, actually I brought something to change into just in case I can't come back to change for dinner. I wouldn't want to smell like a horse."

He opened the car for her. "All right." 'You can move in if you want'.

Elizabeth sat and fastened the seat belt while she waited for him to enter the car. "I'm sorry that I kept you waiting, William. Angie chose to tell me that you were here while I was in the shower and I didn't hear her, so I took my time getting ready. It wasn't my intention. I'm sorry."

"It's OK." he said without raising his eyes from the wheel. "I came early."

Elizabeth wasn't sure he accepted her apology. "Really, William, I'm very sorry."

"No, Elizabeth, you don't have to apologize." His eyes remained downcast. He took a deep breath and faced her. "I ..." Maddy's appearance by Elizabeth's window stopped him.

Elizabeth's heart was beating furiously inside her chest on seeing his intense eyes looking at her. She almost jumped when she heard her aunt.

"William, you forgot these." Maddy handed him his sunglasses through Elizabeth's window. "Enjoy yourselves!"

"Thank you." he smiled at the elder woman. "Let's go."

"Yes." Elizabeth exhaled. She didn't know what he was about to say but whatever it was, he was quite in earnest about it.

He drove in silence for a while. "Do you want me to turn the heat on?"

"No, I'm fine. It isn't cold." She knew she was nervous but she wasn't trembling visibly.

"Your hair is wet and I wouldn't wish you to catch a cold." he glanced quickly at her.

Elizabeth melted into a puddle. That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard in her entire life. "I'm fine, thank you."

His eyes returned to the road as he tried to bring up something to talk about. Nothing seemed to be right.

"I didn't bring my riding boots with me." Elizabeth broke the tense silence. "Are we going very far away?"

"Not far, don't worry, we have boots at home. I'm sure there will be a pair that fits you."

"I don't have breeches either, just jeans." she bit her lip.

He glanced in her direction. Perhaps she didn't want to ride at all. "Would you prefer if I just show you around in the car?"

"No." she said quickly. "I'd love to go on horseback, it's just that ... I wouldn't wish to be a bother."

He swallowed. God, it was so difficult to act casually when with her. He just wanted reach the stables and relax on his horse, if that was possible. "No, it's OK. We'll find you something."

'Why am I so nervous?' "Is Georgiana coming with us?"

'Heavens, no'. "I don't think so. I believe she has something to do. But I'll ask her when we get home."

Elizabeth exhaled. 'A whole morning alone with him. How am I going to survive it?'

"I beg your pardon?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" she felt the blood drain from her head. She was sure that she didn't voice that aloud.

"Nothing, it's just that ..." he shook his head, "never mind."

To their relief, they were entering the grounds of Pemberley. Darcy stopped the car in front of the house and they walked in. Georgiana came to greet them and Darcy asked her if she could find Elizabeth some riding clothes that would fit her.

"Do you want to come with us?" Darcy asked his sister. His eyes were begging her to say no.

Georgiana noticed it immediately. "Thank you, but I must see to some things for tonight. You two go and enjoy the ride."

Elizabeth could swear that she heard him sigh. After they both changed into riding clothes, they parted towards the stables. Tuareg was already saddled and Sam was waiting for instructions for Elizabeth's horse.

"Which one would you prefer to ride?" asked Darcy.

"I don't know. What are my choices?"

"Well, there is Petticoat, you know her, and she is in good need of a stretch to her legs. You can ride Solstice so that way you can assure your uncle that he is making a good choice," he said with a sly smile that made her pulse quicken, "there's Amethyst, she is very good, but will surely keep you alert and Clover, too dull for my taste."

She was delighted that he allowed her to choose. "Petticoat. Let's walk on known ground."

He looked at Sam and he went to get the mare. Once Petticoat was saddled, they were ready to go.

The first fifteen minutes of the ride were silent and rather uncomfortable. Neither of them was at ease enough to say anything that didn't sound stupid to their own ears or that wasn't a repetition of the quite inarticulate conversation they made until that moment. Darcy resembled very much the Darcy Elizabeth met at Netherfield and Elizabeth was as nervous as she had ever been when in his company.

"I was very surprised to find Petticoat here." Elizabeth said as she rode by his side, his three dogs following them.

"She's good." His eyes remained on the road.

"Yes she is. And has a very comfortable gait, don't you think?"

"I don't know. I haven't ridden her yet." 'I bought her for you.'

Elizabeth was surprised with that knowledge, wondering why someone would buy a horse if he wasn't going to ride it. But she also knew that owning so many horses it was impossible to ride them all.

"Well," she laughed, "I wouldn't be riding another horse if I owned Tuareg. He's looking great. It's amazing how tranquil he is when he is not about to compete."

Darcy patted his horse's neck with affection. "He is. He's the perfect horse for a leisure ride. He enjoys the ride as much as I do and we both can relax and have a good time."

Another awkward pause followed that. "Your dogs are pretty active." She observed as two of them ran after a group of birds. The third one was chasing a butterfly.

"Yes, they are, and sometimes very destructive too." he smiled at her as he began feel at ease. "One of them chewed my shoes the other day and I'm still trying to figure out which one it was."

Elizabeth grinned. "What are they called?"

Darcy pointed at each one of running Dalmatians. "Bono, Mick and ... Geri." He almost mumbled the last one.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow. The ex Spice Girl didn't fit in the picture.

"Blame Georgiana for that one." his dimples showed up in an embarrassed smile.

"You must be very proud of your home," Elizabeth was impressed by the spectacular view, "this place is fabulous."

"Thank you."

"Do you live here all the time?"

Darcy shrugged. "As much as I can but not as much as I would like. Sometimes a championship can keep me away for weeks, apart from my other obligations. The Nations Cup tour and the world Championship kept me from home for nearly four months."

Elizabeth remained pensive for a while, wondering what those 'other obligations' were he was referring to. She knew he was very rich but she also knew that maintaining an estate of this size should cost a small fortune, so he surely had some income other than the horses. He mentioned a company in his letter and she also read about the sponsorships in the magazine but she suspected there was more. It was quite odd to know this man's most intimate secrets and at the same time know so little about his life.

"You are very quiet," his voice was soft, "are you all right?"

"Yes," she smiled at him, "just thinking."

"About?"

"How many horses do you have here?" Elizabeth evaded the answer.

He noticed it. "Forty two between riding horses and breeding mares. We are training five to sell next summer."

"That's a number." she was impressed. "You have some outstanding horses here. You are doing an excellent job."

"It's not mine, it's my father's." he gazed at the road ahead. "I've been in charge only for the last three years and the products of my decisions are only two years old." "Oh, come on!" she laughed at his modesty, "don't tell me you weren't working with him on this?"

He grinned shyly at her spontaneous tease. "OK, I won't deny that I've been helping him out for the last ten years, but these stables were his dream. He built them for my mother."

"For your mother?" she was surprised.

"Yes." he turned his eyes to the trees as many images came to his mind. "The Fitzwilliams had been actively involved in horse breeding for many generations and my mother was a huge horse fan. When my parents got married and she moved to Pemberley, they decided to found the stables and establish the bloodline. They wanted to breed the best horses for sports in England. Fortunately she lived to see the first results jumping in the arena."

She couldn't answer, she just nodded. This man was the same sad boy she saw in that picture. He looked so vulnerable and at the same time so strong when he spoke about his home and his family.

"But my father continued with her dream, their dream."

"You mentioned embryo transfer. Did you use it already?" she preferred a change of subject.

"A few times. We have a 12 month-old filly born by that method here at Pemberly and another one at Matlock, we co-own them. They are out of Tuareg's dam, Sahara. She's too old to carry on a pregnancy, but too good to stop breeding her." he paused. "Are you still planning to study animal reproduction?"

Elizabeth was surprised that he remembered this. "Yes, I already applied to four universities."

"Really?" he was truly interested in this. "Which ones?"

"Reading ..."

'Too far'. He bit his lip.

"... Sheffield," she continued.

'Good. Short drive.'

"... Nottingham ..."

'Excellent, not twenty miles away. Good choice, Elizabeth.'

"... and Aberystwyth."

His mind screamed a silent 'Wales?!?' He cleared his throat. "I would like to build an embryo transfer lab here at Pemberley ... "

Elizabeth interrupted enthusiastically. "I know there is only one centre for horses here in England and I always thought that this method isn't used as it should be. Embryo transfer always improves the quality of the stock, but of course horses aren't as easy as cows to manipulate. Artificial insemination is still new in horses and ..." She realized she was getting carried away, " ... it would be great if you do it. I would love to see it."

He smiled at her spontaneity. "Maybe you can come and operate the lab for us once you graduate."

Elizabeth blushed. She knew he was just being polite by making such an offer, but she found it nice all the same. "There's still a long time for that."

They looked at each other, both enveloped by the magic of the moment. She held his gaze until it became too much for her and they both looked away. It was then that Elizabeth turned her attention to the landscape around her, in an attempt to put some order in her thoughts. It was simply beautiful. They had been riding for nearly an hour now, at a very lazy pace, but they were still inside the grounds of Pemberley, for what she could see. The view was magnificent.

"Come, I would like to show you something." Darcy called her out from her reverie.

She followed him as he entered the woods through a small path. The road was narrow and dark and the branches of the trees were making their advance uncomfortable. As much as she tried not to, Elizabeth suddenly began to panic for being alone with him so far from everything. This was a very secluded area, nothing in sight, not even a small cottage, and if he wanted to ... No. He has behaved nicely and properly until now, so there was nothing to fear. He did kiss her without her permission in the past and invited her to a hotel but that didn't mean that he was the axe murder or a rapist or anything of the kind. But she knew that no one would hear her screams if he ...

"What do you think?" he smiled as he patted Tuareg's neck.

The trees opened in front of her and she faced the most magnificent view she had ever beheld. The landscape was coloured by a million greens and greys. A rocky stream crossed sinuously the fields cascading then into a lovely pond. The snowed covered tops of the peaks framed the beautiful sight.

"Oh, William, this place is incredible!"

"That's Pemberley's limit." he pointed out at a dry stone wall not far away.

Elizabeth saw him descend from his horse and did the same, following him to the pond. "It's lovely. Thank you for showing me this, William."

He turned when he heard her saying his name. "No. Thank you for coming."

She stood by his side, both looking at the horizon while the horses nibbled the grass behind them. Elizabeth soon became uncomfortable with the -his- silence. He was twisting his ring around his finger over and over again with his eyes fixed on the water. A couple of minutes later, her uneasiness turned into fear. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that he looked harmless, the fact that she was alone with him in the middle of nowhere scared her. Her fear increased when he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth." he didn't raise his eyes.

Elizabeth felt her stomach tie into a tight knot. What was he talking about? What was he about to do? She stared at him, eyes wide, her heart thundering inside her chest.

Darcy turned to face her. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but I did. I was rude, insulting, I treated you without respect and I said things that I should have never said back at Rosings. It was very wrong of me."

Elizabeth just stared at him, speechless. He was apologizing to her and all this time she was thinking he was some kind of psycho.

He looked at his hands. "I don't know what happened to me at the time. I didn't mean for it to happen that way, I didn't mean what I said, not in the way I said it," he raised his eyes to meet her astonished ones. "I ...please forgive me."

She swallowed, not knowing what to say. But she knew she had to say something. The man was opening his soul to her -again- and she couldn't leave him like that.

"It's okay, William. Just ... just forget about it. I had my share in the argument too and ..."

"No," he interrupted, "don't. It was my fault, don't apologize for my mistakes, I led you to that situation and it was all my doing."

She smiled and accepted his apology. "All right."

"Thank you." he smiled back.

Darcy felt, at that moment, that an enormous weight was removed from his shoulders. Relieved by her acceptance, he helped her up on her horse and mounted his, silently commencing their ride back to Pemberley.

A great obstacle was overcome that day.

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