That Thursday found all the Bennet sisters at Longbourn. It was unusual to have the four of them at home at the same time on a weekday afternoon, especially with Jane busy with her patients and Mary working at the grocery store, but this day was one of those rare occasions when Longbourn was blessed with a house full of women. Kitty was knitting, Elizabeth was reading, Mary was writing and Jane was trying to put some order in her samples. They were all very quiet until Mary broke the silence.

"What do you think of 'Invasion of Babylon V'?" She asked her sisters from the armchair where she was sitting, pencil tapping her chin, revising the last chapters of her untitled story.

"What for?" Kitty asked without raising her eyes from her knitting.

"My story."

"Isn't there a TV series or movie called Babylon V or VI or something?" Elizabeth asked from the couch, where she was reading next to Kitty.

"Epsilon V?" Mary asked tentatively.

"Is this the story of the voluptuous queen of the Iced planet that is kidnapped and 'defrosted' by the muscled prince of the Volcano?" Kitty asked quizzically. Mary's plots were sometimes so silly.

"No." Mary was annoyed at her sister's inability to appreciate her art. "This is the story of the virgin amazons of the lost planet that is invaded by the men from Pyston solar system and they fight for their liberty." She cleared her throat. "Then they come to an understanding. A very ardent understanding."

"Virgin amazons." Elizabeth raised her eyebrow, "If they are only women, how did they reproduce until they were invaded?"

"That isn't the point, Lizzy." Mary hated when her sister marked that kind of details. "The point here is that I don't have a title for my story."

"I bet they'll lose their 'virgin' status after the invasion." Elizabeth muttered.

Kitty left the knitting on her lap. "The Feisty Vulcanettes." She said after some thinking.

"The planet is named Org." Mary corrected.

"Org like in ...?" Kitty bit her lip.

"The Feisty Orgettes." Elizabeth winked at her pregnant sister. Kitty's face lit up.

Mary looked down at her notes and wrote the name. Elizabeth couldn't believe she even considered the suggestion. "If I don't come up with something better, it's a possibility. Though I prefer 'Invasion of Epsilon 6'."

"Why Epsilon 6 if the Planet is named Org?" Elizabeth asked with a frown. "It doesn't make sense."

Mary gulped, she was right; fortunately she found a quick excuse. "Org is the 6th planet of Epsilon solar system."

Elizabeth shook her head. That didn't make sense either.

"Wait, wait!" Kitty chuckled. "Diaphragm 8. That sounds better."

Mary raised her eyes. Her sister was being stupid. Again.

"Condom 9!" Jane's voice came from the study. She couldn't let this one pass.

"No!" Elizabeth said in a fit of giggles, "Inserting Tampax 5!"

"Voracious Virgins of Vega!" cried Jane.

"The planet is Org." Mary insisted.

"I've got it," laughed Kitty. "Orbiting Org's Orifices!"

Mary rolled her eyes. This was really getting out of hand.

"Conquest of the Black Holes!" Elizabeth was rolling on the couch.

Kitty was holding her belly, giggling and stamping on the floor. "Oh, God! I'm going to pee! Please stop!"

"You are so childish," Mary glared at her sisters, who were laughing hysterically.

"Cosmic Climax!" cried Jane.

Someone knocked the door and Mary rose to answer. "I can't believe I'm even asking you for advice on this subject." She said as she opened the door. Two gentlemen stood in front of her. "Yes?"

The tall, dark haired man hesitated on hearing giggles coming from inside the house. "Hello ... I ..."

"Spaceshafts!" Elizabeth's laughing voice was heard.

He raised his eyebrow and asked. "Is Elizabeth at home?"

"And Jane." The blonde man added quickly.

Mary's eyes went from one man to another as the perfect revenge came to her mind. "Lizzy!" She shouted, "There's a guy here for you!"

"Oh yes? Who?" Elizabeth replied carelessly. She was sure that Mary was making fun of her.

"The guy that's in every picture of your show jumping album!" The tall man raised his eyebrows and Mary smiled at him. "And his friend is asking for Jane."

"Ha, ha, ha, Mary. That was soooo creative of you." Elizabeth responded laughingly. "You should keep this inventive for your stories." She wouldn't fall for that one. The sisters began to laugh again.

"What's your name, Sir?" Mary winked at the tall man.

He smiled in understanding and played along. "William Darcy." His voice was loud enough to be heard from the living room.

The other man grinned and added quite loudly too. "And Charles Bingley."

The giggling stopped instantly and the noise of hurried steps could be heard coming from inside the house. A glass fell and someone cursed under her breath.

"Would you like to come in?" Mary asked in a very sweet -and loud- voice. The steps hurried even more.

The gentlemen looked at each other and entered the house, following Mary to the living room. Kitty had disappeared, Jane had just emerged from somewhere while tucking her shirt inside her trousers and Elizabeth was four legged on the floor, drying the water that was spilled all around.

"Hi." A flushed Elizabeth greeted the newcomers.

"Hi, we ... we were in the neighbourhood and stopped to say hello," Charles said while looking at Jane.

Darcy looked down at Elizabeth, who was about to stand up. "If it's a bad time we'll come back later."

"No!" Jane said hurriedly. "It's OK. Do you want to sit down?"

"I ..." Charles looked at Darcy.

Darcy wasn't paying attention. He walked towards Elizabeth and extended his hand to help her up. She took it and rose, holding the dripping cloth she used to dry the floor with the other hand. When she released him, they both looked at their wet palms and then wiped them on their respective trousers.

"Please, come in, I mean, sit down." Jane fixed her hair. "So, what brings you here?"

"Yes, actually, we ... it's been so long and we ... we were here. That is, Darcy here has business in St. Albans, and I came with him as I thought it would be nice to stop and say hello as we didn't say goodbye properly the other time so we decided to stop by and say hello so ..." Charles realized that he was making very little sense and looked at his friend, "... here we are, aren't we, Darce?"

"Yes." His eyes never let Elizabeth's.

"Sit down, please." Jane insisted.

Charles and Darcy sat on the couch, Jane on their right, Elizabeth on a chair on their left and Mary pulled a chair in front of them to observe the show. Everything was too awkward between them to allow conversation to flow. There was a brief row of polite questions and replies, carried on mostly between Jane and Charles, until they fell again into an uncomfortable silence. Darcy's voice was hardly heard and Elizabeth was too busy studying the carpet to join the chat.

For a second, the thought that Darcy had returned to Longbourn to see her brought a smile to Elizabeth's lips. But it didn't last long. Nothing in his attitude told her that that was the case. He didn't open his mouth, he wasn't looking at her so perhaps he wasn't here because of her. Yes, perhaps he came only on business and he would be gone once he was done with it.

Darcy was in no different state. He saw her smile and then turn serious almost one second later. It was obvious that she wasn't comfortable with his presence. She was flushed and most of all, avoiding his eyes. That made him wonder if she was happy to see him at all. Discouraged, it became his turn to study the carpet.

"Do you want something to drink, coffee? Tea? Chocolate? A soda?" Elizabeth lost her nerve and stood up.

Darcy looked up at her. "I ... err ..." He turned to his friend and then back at Elizabeth. "Yes, coffee, please."

"Coffee would be great, thank you," added Charles.

Elizabeth disappeared into the kitchen and Jane remained with the gentlemen. Ten minutes later she reappeared with a tray with the coffee.

"It was so nice of you to stop by," Jane smiled at Charles, "are you staying for long?"

"I depend on William's plans. He is the one who has to resolve some business here, but I think I'll stay in London after that for a while, it's closer, that is," Charles' cheeks reddened, "but I believe we will stay in St Albans until ..."

" ... Saturday." Darcy finished the line before Charles embarrassed himself any further.

"Great." grinned Jane.

Quietly, Elizabeth began to serve the coffee. Charles drank his while looking at Jane with adoration. Darcy took his cup from Elizabeth's hands and smiled up at her, saying a soft 'thank you' that made her blush. She averted her eyes quickly, which made him look down and they remained staring at their cups for a while, much to Mary's amusement. When Elizabeth gathered the courage to look back at Darcy, she found him frozen, staring at the door with an astonished expression.

"Look who's here! Why didn't you girls tell me?" cried Fanny from the door. "My dear, Charles! What a lovely surprise! How are you doing?" She walked into the room.

"Hello Mrs. Bennet." Charles stood to greet her, his eyes fixed on Fanny's head.

"And Mr. Darcy too, how nice." Fanny added not as pleasantly.

"Mrs. Bennet." Darcy rose too.

Elizabeth blinked twice. Her mother was in her robe ... and dying her hair.

Forgetting altogether that she was wearing a maroonish violet dye on her hair and eyebrows, Fanny took a seat in front of the newcomers. "It's such a pleasure to have you here. We were desolated when you left the other time, it was so unexpected. The girls missed you so much, well Jane did; Elizabeth mostly missed the horses, but ... well, we all wondered what had happened to you."

"We ... had to leave." said Charles.

"Did you know that we almost lost one of our horses recently?" Charles shook his head and Fanny went on. "Yes, Liddy, our best horse, we almost lost her, but she is back. Elizabeth is training her. She wants to take her to shows, but I don't think she'll be able to do it anytime soon."

As soon as Fanny pronounced the word Liddy, Elizabeth fixed her eyes on her cup, unable to look at Darcy, so she didn't catch his reaction.

"That's great. In which class will you jump her?" Charles asked with a smile. "We can see each other at the shows in the future."

"Two feet, I think. She's not ready to go higher. I went to a show at Towcester and we ..."

"And she only obtained the third place," Fanny continued for her, "but she is working her harder now. I'm not very optimistic, though; Liddy is a very difficult horse."

"Third is very good for a beginner. I'm sure she will do better in the future." Charles smiled.

"She doesn't have the time that you professionals have, but she is not that bad at it. She also did an excellent job while working at Rosings, she told me they were all very pleased with her. It's a pity she didn't accept Wilbur's ..."

"Mom, aren't you ..." Jane interrupted her mother before she produced further embarrassment. She touched her hair, wishing that Fanny would realize how she was looking and would leave, " ... late for that appointment with the doctor you told me about?"

"Doctor? Jane, where did you get that from? I don't have any ..." Fanny raised her hand to her head and felt the still fresh Autumn Leaves by L'Oreal on her fingertips. "I can't believe I forgot! It has been a pleasure, gentlemen, better dash. Bye!" And she stormed out of the room.

Darcy and Bingley were on the process of sitting down again when Mary announced her leave. They rose again.

"I think it's time to go," announced Charles. "William?"

"Oh, yes, sure."

Charles gestured for the ladies to walk ahead and Jane took the lead with a shy smile. They walked to the car and on the way out, Charles obtained their acceptance to dine out with them on the following day.

As soon as they were gone, the girls walked into the house, each absorbed in their own thoughts about the meeting with the top riders of the Midlands Equestrian Team.

"How nice of them to come, don't you think?" Jane asked quietly, trying to control the excitement she felt for seeing Charles again.

"Mmmmm." All that Elizabeth could think about was why Darcy came this far if he was not going to open his mouth.

"And they invited us to dine out with them, isn't it great?"

"Yeah, great."

"Charles was tanned. Perhaps he has been travelling."

"Mmmmmm."

"But I won't be very optimistic about this visit. Let's see what happens during dinner. I'm not even sure why he's here. Perhaps he came just to say hello, nothing else, so it would be better if I think of him as a friend. Yes, just friends, that's what we are." Jane was trying to convince herself.

Elizabeth looked at her sister with a teasing smile. Jane was becoming hysterical. "Yeah, let's dine out with your friend Charles."

"Stop, it, Lizzy! Do you think I'm in danger again?"

She laughed and linked her arm with his sister's as they entered the house. "I think that he is in great danger of falling madly for you."

Jane Bennet had always been comfortable with her own body, she had a figure to be proud of, but on this evening, in particular, she was having doubts about what to wear. She didn't want to consider this a date with Charles; his friend and her sister were coming along, too, but, though not absolutely certain, she knew that this was more than a simple dinner between friends. Should she dress provocatively and show him that she was willing and available? Or maybe a proper but alluring outfit would be better? She was only sure that this was a chance she could not let pass. Beige leather trousers and her pink angora turtleneck. Yes, Charles will not be able to take his eyes from her.

In the neighbouring room, Elizabeth was having the same doubts. She was completely at a loss as to what to wear. She didn't know which could be Darcy's preferences, if he would like her hair loose, if he preferred women dressing skirts or trousers or ... Why was she thinking about this anyway? Who said that the man was here because of her? Probably, he was just passing time, trying to entertain himself while he looked after his 'business' in St. Albans.

But even though she wasn't sure if he had come to see her or not, Elizabeth knew perfectly well what worked for her. She pulled on a long, knitted skirt and a matching sweater. She secured her hair with a thin hair band to keep it away from her face and carefully combed her long eyelashes. If the man didn't like it, then it was a hopeless case.

Dinner was a little tense at the beginning. Though everything was perfect, the place, the food, the wine, it took them some time to break the ice. By the second course, though, Jane and Charles were back to the old times, as the easiness they always felt around each other was there again. They were all tender smiles and knowing glances and the feeling that this time things would work out for them always present in their hearts.

As for the other couple, they were carrying too much weight on their shoulders to be completely at ease with the other. Darcy was still concerned about Elizabeth being resentful towards him because of what happened with her father while Elizabeth found his aloofness frustrating and discouraging. For them, dinner was a succession of repressed emotions and failed attempts to read the other's sentiments. When they parted, all their doubts were still there.

Charles, decided to restart his relationship with Jane on firmer ground, asked Darcy if he could stop at Longbourn on the following morning to say good-bye properly. Darcy agreed immediately, not only to help him in this crusade but also to see Elizabeth one more time and make this last attempt to decipher her feelings towards him. But fate would be against him once again.

When the grey Mercedes crossed Longbourn's gate, Elizabeth was exercising one of the polo ponies they were housing for the winter. She felt that her luck couldn't be worse. She was wearing working clothes, her boots were muddy, her hair was a mess and she ...she just wasn't ready to face Darcy like this.

"Hey," Charles descended from the car with his usual good humour. "We are on our way to Derbyshire and we stopped to say good bye."

"Hi," said Elizabeth as she stopped the horse. Her eyes went to Darcy, who was also approaching her. She returned the smile he showed her.

"Is Jane home?" inquired Charles.

Elizabeth tied the horse to the fence and answered a quick, "I'll go for her."

The men remained there, looking around, until Elizabeth returned with Jane. In her haste to see Charles, Jane didn't even pull a jacket on.

"I didn't expect to see you this morning." said Jane.

Charles walked her slightly away from the other couple so they could converse in privacy. When he thought they were out of reach, he said, "I wanted to say goodbye properly."

"How thoughtful." Jane said in that soft voice that always made Charles crazy.

He made a step forward and tucked her hair behind her ear as he spoke. "I must stay in Derbyshire for a couple of days, but I'll return as soon as I can. May I call you? I would really like to see you again. Soon."

"Sure, I'd like that too."

"Great," he grinned.

The only thing that Charles wanted to do at that time was to kiss her. And he could tell that Jane wanted it, too. He glanced towards his friend to see if he or Elizabeth were looking but realized that, tactfully, the other couple was walking towards the stables, leaving them by themselves. That was encouragement enough. He lowered his head but the horn of a car entering the property interrupted him.

The lovers pulled back and they both smiled at each other with apologetic expressions. It was not meant to be.

"Oh, Charles!" cried Fanny as she descended from the car. "What a wonderful surprise!"

"Mrs. Bennet." Charles greeted her.

"Do you want to come in? Jane, did you offer him some coffee?"

"No, thank you, Mrs. Bennet," said Charles, pointing at Darcy, who was standing close to Elizabeth, "we must leave for Derbyshire in a minute."

"What a pity. I just arrived from the supermarket. I went with Kitty. Kitty! Kitty!" Fanny shouted. Kitty had just descended and was carrying some of the shopping bags. "Leave that in the car, girl, and go for Phil. Let him do the heavy work!"

"I can do it!" Kitty shouted back.

"Do you need any help?" Charles offered.

"Oh no," Fanny laughed, "we can handle it. Phil! Where the hell is this boy when we need him? PHIL!"

By then Darcy and Elizabeth were already back. Kitty was walking towards them with the shopping bags in her hands.

"Oh, hi," smiled Kitty, "William, isn't it?"

"Yes." Darcy dropped his eyes to Kitty's swollen belly, blinked and raised them again. "Hello, it's nice to see you again."

"I saw you on TV, on that commercial. I wouldn't remember your name otherwise." she snorted.

He showed her a faint smile. "Do you need any help?" He moved closer to take the bags from Kitty's hands.

"No, thanks, here's Phil."

Elizabeth felt her cheeks go warm with embarrassment. Phil came running from the stables, looking younger than ever, his clothes stained with some green substance that she suspected was manure and breathlessly pecked Kitty's lips. Anyone who didn't know him would say that he was barely sixteen.

"Hi, lovely," Phil took her bags and some more from the back seat of the car. He eyed Darcy standing close to Elizabeth.

"Phil, this is William Darcy. William, this is Phil, Kitty's ... boyfriend."

If Darcy was affected by this knowledge, he didn't show it, though Elizabeth would say that he looked a little confused. He extended his hand to greet Phil and the boy dropped the bags on the ground to shake it. From the noise they heard, they could tell that he had just crushed a jar.

"I saw you jumping the Nations Cup, on tape, that is, Elizabeth has a copy. That was fabulous." said Phil.

"Thank you." Darcy smiled.

"Phil! Phil! Will you bring that into the house?" Fanny's piercing voice called their attention. "Hurry up, boy!"

Phil grinned and shook his head. "Must go now or Fanny will kill me. Bye!" He parted together with Kitty.

"I think we should be going, Charles," Darcy said to his friend and then turned to Elizabeth. "Good-bye."

Elizabeth thought that he had never been so cold with her, though everything was coming out so wrong that she couldn't expect anything different. "Good-bye." She forced herself to smile.

She walked them back to Darcy's car, thinking that things couldn't get any worse on this day. But yes, of course they could, because when she looked up, she saw her father approaching them.

"What an unusual pleasure, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are back." Thomas extended his hand and shook the gentlemen's.

Elizabeth observed Darcy's face, searching for any kind of reaction on seeing the man he risked his life for, but, of course, his unreadable mask was there, not giving her a clue of what his thoughts might be. Her own nervousness about their meeting was sufficient to block any ability she could have to read his expression (she had never been good at it anyway), so she decided not to torture herself imaging all sort of dreadful scenarios going through Darcy's mind. If she had to guess, she would say that he wasn't smiling (very much), that he seemed a little tense (for her taste) and that he looked anxious to leave (it was getting late indeed, and if it was their intention to reach Derbyshire by noon, they would never make it).

Darcy's discomfort was growing with every second. Elizabeth's muteness and her obvious uneasiness around him, now increased by her father's presence, was a clear sign that she was still blaming him for not warning them about the kind of danger her family was being exposed to. This was doing very little to lessen his guilt on the matter and only increased his sense of responsibility for what had happened.

He loved her too much to give up on her this easily, but he also knew that this wasn't a good time to try anything, not even friendship. Everything was too recent, the fear and the sorrow were still present. The best thing he could do now was to allow her some time and return when things were forgotten. If everything worked out as he expected, Charles would be soon dating Jane, and he would have an excuse to come back in the future. But, until then, he would have to content himself with the memory of something that never happened.

He allowed Charles to do all the talking, answering only when addressed directly. Fortunately, Charles decided it was time to leave some five minutes later. They said their good-byes, Charles promising he would come back in a few days, Darcy not giving any indication that he would return in the immediate future.

Elizabeth was all disappointment and resignation. Darcy was lost for her. From now on, the only chances she would have to see him would be on TV or at a future show, where he would go accompanied by his tall and attractive blonde.

But her ability to interpret Darcy's feelings and actions had never been good, and today it wouldn't be different, as what happened next left her in total confusion.

After saying her good bye to Charles, Elizabeth accompanied Darcy to his door while Jane walked with Charles. Darcy opened the door of the car and glanced at Elizabeth's father to check that he was in fact returning to the house. He then turned to her and they looked at each other, he with serious eyes and Elizabeth with nervous, unsure ones. For a second, Elizabeth thought that he would say something, but he didn't. He stepped closer, put hand on her waist, pulling her into a gentle hug. He lowered his head to her ear, whispering a soft 'goodbye' that made her whole body tingle. Then he kissed her cheek, a soft kiss that made her hold her breath and he pulled back to give her the most intense, heart-melting parting glance she had ever seen in his brown eyes.

Elizabeth was incapable of speech or reaction during and after this unexpected embrace. She could only stare at him, mute, as she tried to understand what had just happened. Her mind was reeling, her whole body was like a puddle, her arms, instead of embracing him back, hung on her sides and no response would come out from her lips. The only thing she could do was to look at him with big eyes, flushed and breathless while his eyes searched hers for an answer.

But he didn't find any, just an astonished look that told him that he had overstepped his limits, again. He smiled faintly, an 'I'm sorry' smile that almost extracted tears from her eyes and then sat inside the car.

He drove away without looking back.

Charles Bingley had always been a very impetuous person. He knew what he wanted and when he found it, he usually went for it. More than once he banged his head against a wall because of an impulsive decision, especially where women were concerned and only the balance of his friend's advice had helped him to overcome the disappointment.

During the drive back to Derbyshire, Charles and Darcy had a very long, very serious conversation. A friends' conversation. Darcy had confessed, with a good deal of regret, of the wrong advice he gave him after the Olympia that provoked their premature departure from Netherfield. Charles knew that Darcy wasn't a man that would usually interfere in other people's matters, that his actions had not been ill-intended, that he was just protecting their interests and, in some way, understood his reasons. He also admitted his fault in the matter, recognizing that he took the easy route, and that he allowed others to decide over his life without giving the matter much consideration. This made him realize that his behaviour towards Jane was pitiable at the time. She deserved better than that and no matter how right Darcy and his sisters were in their advice, he should at least have called her to say good-bye.

Once in Brussels, he allowed himself to be carried away by the madness of the tour. The training was intense during the day, they were travelling constantly and the easiest thing to do was to postpone the matter until the tour was over. As if women and feelings could be postponed.

Then came the tragedy. His father, senior partner at Bingley, McIntyre & Wexler, died from a heart attack a week after the Nations Cup. It was a shock but Charles would be lying if he said that he didn't see it coming. His father, the most stubborn man on earth, had survived two strokes in the previous ten years and that didn't stop him from working 18 hours a day, smoking and enjoying the pleasures of his third wife. Executing the will followed and after a dispute that lasted months and that had consumed the last traces of patience he still had for his sisters, he finally returned to his normal rhythm.

But now he was here, sitting across from the only woman who had the ability to move him, that made him feel comfortable, calm and safe. Jane. And this time, Charles promised himself that he would do things right.

God, he had missed her so much.

Dinner was lovely, Jane was lovely. They conversed about the things that happened during their separation. She told him about the sorrow and disappointment she felt when he left without word; he, about his senseless doubts, the madness that his life had turned into after his father's death and his wish to make things right for her now. They realized how much they had longed for each other during these months and how they were willing to start anew.

"I must leave for Manchester tomorrow morning, just for a couple of days," said Charles as they sat inside his car. The evening was coming to an end, though he didn't want to part from her yet. "I'm trying to fix matters there so I can stay longer in London and see you more often, but it's not that easy."

"Don't worry; we can see each other during the weekend."

For a moment, Charles pondered his next move. His plans were to have a proper start, to drive her home and part with a good-night kiss but his body was not on the same wavelength. He wanted more than that, he wanted to take her to his hotel and love her all night long but he was afraid that he would ruin it all by suggesting it. But then, he was impetuous and true to his nature, he kissed her.

Jane's response surprised him, for she kissed him back with unexpected ardour. He embraced her completely, she curled herself around him, and in only a couple of minutes, the car became too uncomfortable for their activities.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Charles asked breathlessly, allowing her to choose.

"So early?" Jane nibbled his earlobe.

He grinned broadly. "Where would you like to go?"

Jane didn't hesitate. "Your hotel will be fine."

He turned the engine on and drove away.

Almost two weeks had passed since Darcy's last visit to Hertfordshire. At Longbourn, save for Jane's blossoming relationship with Charles Bingley, things were pretty much the same. Charles became a regular visitor at the house, the couple went out together very often and everything was progressing so quickly for them that there were practically no doubts that those two were heading towards the altar.

Elizabeth, though happy for her sister, couldn't stop the feeling that things were progressing for everyone but for her. Jane had this perfect boyfriend and was looking for an apartment, Mary had finally found her vocation, Kitty was about to be a mother and Elizabeth was still there, stuck in that farm, exercising horses around and around, over and over again, every day of her life. The universities she had applied to never called her and the man that was once crazy about her never came back. Her life sucked.

"Lizzy!" Mary called her, "there's someone on the phone for you!"

"Who is it?" Elizabeth came from the sewing room, where she had been looking at her show jumping album, starring William Darcy, for nearly an hour.

"A woman; I didn't ask her name."

She quickly took the phone. It could be a Uni. "Yes?"

"Is this Elizabeth?" the voice asked with an aristocratic accent.

"Yes."

"Hello, my name is Ann McIntyre, you don't know me but I'd like to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About William Darcy."

Elizabeth remained silent. Who was this woman?

"Hello? Are you there?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I am."

"This is important, we need to talk, in person. Can we meet in Meryton, somewhere?"

She hesitated for a second. "All right, where?"

"You know Meryton better than I," Ann replied.

Elizabeth settled the place and agreed to meet her in a coffee shop in one hour. She hung up the phone and readied herself for the meeting that would change her life.

Elizabeth arrived at the cafeteria earlier than the appointed time. She had planned it this way so she could choose a table near the window and have a good preview of the person she was to meet. Something inside of her was telling her who this Ann McIntyre was and it only made her more nervous. And then, she saw her. Her heart stopped, her world collapsed when she saw the tall and attractive blonde that had been the object of her nightmares emerging from the black Rover that had just parked across the street.

The woman looked even taller, more beautiful and more intimidating in person than in pictures. She had a certain air about her, she had class, her movements were graceful, and she looked damn strong and confident. Elizabeth saw her enter the cafeteria and scan the room with an air of a lioness that was looking for her prey. And she found her. After quickly dismissing the other people, she walked directly towards Elizabeth.

"Hello, I'm Ann McIntyre." she extended her hand with a smile.

"Hello, I'm Elizabeth Bennet." Elizabeth shook it.

Without previous ceremony or invitation, Ann deposited her splendid figure in a chair across Elizabeth's. "I see you already ordered something," she glanced at Elizabeth's tea and waved for a waiter. She ordered a cappuccino and eyed her silently for a while. "You must be asking yourself who I am and why I asked you to meet me."

"You are right."

"I shall be very direct, Elizabeth, do you mind if I call you that?" Her voice was friendly and nice, despite her snobbish accent.

"It's OK." If it weren't for the extremely weird situation, Elizabeth would have liked her.

"I've been told that you and William are seeing each other and I wanted to confirm if this rumour was true."

"William?" Elizabeth felt her face go warm.

"William Darcy," Ann took a cigarette from her purse and lit it up. "Don't tell me you have nothing to do with him."

She blinked. "Where did you get that from?"

"I know everything, my dear." Elizabeth was too stunned to elaborate a reply so Ann proceeded, "Will was quite charmed by you while you worked for him before the Cup. I didn't consider it dangerous at the time, so I allowed him to go on with it. I didn't want to put any more pressure on him with the championship so near. I thought of it as a harmless infatuation at the time; but now it's getting a little out of hand. I don't want him distracted, if you understand what I mean." Elizabeth shook her head. "You know how it is, double dates, Charles and your sister, you and Will, one thing leads to the other, and sometimes a man can be tempted to do things he shouldn't do."

"And what is it precisely what he should not do, if I may ask?" Elizabeth was becoming annoyed with this.

"To become involved with you; though, frankly speaking, I think it's impossible."

"Impossible?" Elizabeth sounded rather offended, "If it's so impossible, then, why are you so worried about it?"

"I'm not worried, but, as you already know," Ann sat back, "William is a very good catch. He doesn't always know what is good for him."

"And you are good for him."

Ann just smiled.

Elizabeth held her stare. "I think he is old enough to know what he's doing."

She chuckled elegantly. "Yes, but in a moment of weakness he can be tempted to do things that he doesn't have to do. Men are very voluble in that aspect, they can succumb more easily than you think."

"I don't understand why are you telling me all this."

"Because I care about him, because we are very close and I don't want him to be distracted from his obligations."

"If you are so close to him, then why are you worrying about me?"

Ann crossed one long, perfectly shaped leg over the other and rested her hand on the table. "Our relationship is of a very special kind, we allow each other certain liberties, but I fear that this one is exceeding the limit."

Elizabeth's couldn't get her eyes away from the biggest engagement ring she had ever seen in her life. Her heart broke. "Then you should talk to him, not to me."

"William is a very independent person, his own master, and doesn't always listen to others' suggestions. That's why I'm here; to ask you to keep your distance."

This comment puzzled Elizabeth. If this woman's relationship with Darcy was as close as she said, what was she doing here? Why was she asking her this? Elizabeth wasn't doing anything wrong, she had barely seen him in months and nothing happened between them since Kent. Her courage rose. "Listen, I don't know what you are talking about or why you are thinking that I have anything to do with William, but if you are so afraid that he would do something that is not convenient for you, then you bridle him and tie him up at home."

Ann smirked, the image of a bridled Darcy too funny to pass without a reaction. "So, you are not seeing him?"

Elizabeth knew she didn't have to answer but also she had nothing to hide. "I am not." she replied, chin up.

"Good. Now we must keep him away from temptation. I would ask you not to encourage him further."

"Why should I do as you ask?"

"I told you, I know what is good for him."

Elizabeth couldn't take any more of this. Her temper got the best of her and she couldn't hold back any longer, all her emotions surfacing intently. "You may think that you know what is good for him but I don't think you are considering his feelings on this matter. Do you think that if I don't accept him, it would make him stay with you? That is ridiculous!"

"Perhaps it won't," Ann replied calmly, "but it would help if you stay out of the way."

She was indignant after this comment. "You have no right to ask me anything or tell me how I must live my life. I will only act in a way that makes me happy. If he is doing this, it's because this is what he wants, because it makes him happy. William is an excellent man, the most wonderful person in the world, and I will not give up on him for any reason. Now, if you think that he is doing something he shouldn't, something that might jeopardize your special and liberal 'relationship', you go and talk to him, because I will not push him away if he comes." Elizabeth finished angrily.

"Okay" Ann smiled slowly, "that's exactly what I am going to do." She turned out her cigarette and rose. "It was very nice to meet you, Elizabeth, I hope we'll see each other again very soon."

This last statement left Elizabeth absolutely confused. Ann didn't look angry or displeased with her and that puzzled her even more. She followed the tall woman's graceful walk out of the cafeteria until she entered her car. There was someone inside waiting for her, another woman, but Elizabeth couldn't discern her features from where she was. She lowered her eyes and stared at her untouched tea. Her lower lip began to tremble, and suddenly, all her anguish, all her pain and longing exploded in one loud sob. She couldn't hold back any more and she began to cry.

"Well?" Lady Catherine de Bourgh asked the tall and attractive blonde as she sat behind the wheel. "How did it go?"

"Excellent."

"Annie, tell me." Her ladyship asked anxiously.

"She is absolutely in love with him, it's obvious, Mum." Ann grinned proudly.

"You are not my daughter in vain, darling," Lady Catherine laughed and patted her daughter's hand. "I'll talk to him."

"No," Ann took her mobile and dialled, "I'll do it." She waited until she heard a masculine voice on the other end. "Hello, Fitz."

"Annie?" he answered.

"How are you?" she bit her lip, anxious to tell him everything.

"Fine, and you?"

"Fabulous. Where are you?"

"London, why?"

She leaned back on her seat and grinned broadly. "Now, guess where I am."

"I suppose that you are at Rosings. You said you were going to Kate's."

"Wrong, darling, I'm in Hertfordshire, more precisely, Meryton."

"Meryton?" William Darcy felt the blood drain from his head. Why on earth had he told Ann about Elizabeth? He should know by now what she was capable of.

"Yes, and you wait for me there, we'll be at your flat in an hour."

"Annie, what did you ...?"

"An hour, bye." She closed her mobile and drove off.

Darcy waited for Ann to come with a feeling that could be described as dread combined with anxiety. Ann was like an elder sister to him, she would hate to be called that as she was only a few months older than him, but they had been very close since they were children. But Ann was crazy and, combined with Lady Catherine, she was absolutely dangerous.

The bell rang impatiently. Only Ann could ring the bell in that way. He opened the door and glared with fulminating eyes at the two women who were grinning in front of him.

"Are you not kissing your aunt?" Lady Catherine asked him innocently.

He kissed her reluctantly and then he kissed Ann's cheek before they entered the apartment.

"Now," he followed them until they sat on the sofa and sat opposite them in his armchair, "what were you two doing in Meryton?"

Ann crossed her legs. "Talking to this Elizabeth of yours. Mum was right: spirited, lovely girl. Just what you need."

Darcy leaned his elbows on his knees and rested his face in his hands. She did it. Ann went to speak to Elizabeth. How was he going to fix this?

"Annie, when will you learn that you just can't do things like this? And you Kate, I can't believe you helped her."

"Oh, please, Fitz, you can't be so dramatic about this, we just wanted to help you." Ann laughed. "Now, do you want to know what happened?"

He leaned back on his seat with a loud sigh. "I'm not sure."

"OK, as you wish." Ann stood up. "Let's go, mum, he doesn't appreciate our help."

Lady Catherine rose too and Darcy stopped them. "All right, don't play cat and mouse with me. What happened?"

Ann grinned broadly and sat down. "This Elizabeth is a lovely girl, really smart, and God, she knows what she wants!"

"What happened?" Darcy said slowly, with his severest voice.

That would never intimidate her. "I played this little psychological game with her."

"Oh no, what did you do?"

"I just asked her to stay out of your way."

"You did what?!?" Darcy exploded. He rose paced the living room. "Bloody hell Annie, you just can't ..."

"Do not raise your voice in that way, William." Lady Catherine stopped him.

By now Darcy's feelings were escalating from frustration to anger.. He walked around the room while running his hand through his hair.

"Will, darling, you've been suffering for that girl for months. The other day, when you returned from Meryton, you were absolutely depressed. I told you that maybe you weren't interpreting her attitude correctly and now I can prove that I was right. That girl is crazy about you."

"Annie please!" he retorted, "you weren't there, she was so uncomfortable around me, I know she doesn't want me."

"Trust me, she likes you," she said convincingly. "I'm sure that you went there with that self-sufficient and grave expression you insist on always wearing on your face and she just didn't know how to act."

"Indeed, darling," Lady Catherine interjected, "you can be really exasperating when you act that way."

"I don't know," he sighed as he calmed down. "Everything went so wrong, and when I said goodbye, she was so ... shocked. I know I did something she didn't like."

"How old is she?" Ann asked him.

"Twenty one, I think."

"She is quite young, too young for an old guy like you anyway," she said archly.

"Have you talked to Georgiana lately?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Will, I know how women's minds work and I'm sure that this is all a misunderstanding, that you are misreading her attitude and that she is misinterpreting yours."

"Do you think so?"

"You are a very imposing man and your Elizabeth isn't exactly a mundane person. She may be very spirited, very clever, but I don't think she has an idea of how to deal with someone like you." Ann stood and walked to him. "Did you try to talk to her while you were there?"

Darcy shook his head.

"Fitz, I know you, I know how to make you open up, but I don't think she knows how it works, or how you work. You can be unreadable sometimes. You two had a terrible fight in the past and perhaps she thinks that you would never want her again. Didn't it ever cross your mind that she might be unsure of your feelings for her? What if she thinks you resent her for that argument?"

"I apologized and she accepted." he stared at his hands.

Oh dear, he could be so obtuse sometimes. She had to make him understand. "And what about the other matter you told me about?" Ann wouldn't betray Darcy's confidence about Elizabeth's father's problem in front of Lady Catherine. He had asked her for legal advice before going after Wickham. "She could be embarrassed about that too."

Darcy glanced up at her with a frown, the possibility that Elizabeth could be embarrassed because of what happened with her father never crossed his mind.

"Will, she hardly knows you. How many times have you talked to her, really, really talked to her?" Ann saw his struggle and went on. He was getting the idea. "Don't you think that perhaps she doesn't know how to act around you? Did you ever give her the time to think or react? Think, William! You are you! You are this grave, imposing, big man! You are an icon of your sport! You can be very intimidating sometimes! If you went to see her with that stupid serious face that I'm sure you had on, I bet you that you scared the poor girl off," she finished vehemently.

"Elizabeth? Intimidated?" For him, Elizabeth was absolutely fearless. "I grant you, she wasn't intimidated when we argued at Rosings."

"Come on, Fitz, you can't base her reactions on an argument, because that was exactly what it was: an argument. You provoked her, she responded, but this is different. Did you try smiling?" he shook his head. "I can positively assure you that she likes you and that she wants you back."

Darcy didn't reply. He was trying to process the information he had just received. Perhaps Ann was right. His own attitude towards Elizabeth wasn't the cleverest one, since the beginning. But he couldn't handle it in another way. Maybe he just caught her off guard when he kissed her goodbye, perhaps he misunderstood her expression during dinner; perhaps he got it all wrong all this time. For the first time, hope began to grow inside his chest.

"And what did she tell you when you asked her to stay out of my way?" he asked finally.

"That's my boy." Lady Catherine said proudly.

Ann grinned. She knew that Darcy's biggest enemy was his own structured mind and she was glad that he was finally seeing the light. "She said no, obviously."

"Annie, what did she say? Exact words if you don't mind." He had to hear it for himself.

She thought for a while. Would it be wise to tell him the absolute truth? Ann decided to tell him only the good part. She couldn't risk his anger again by telling him how she extracted the truth.

"Well, she said something like 'I'll do as I want, what makes me happy' and that she would not give up on you for any reason."

"Really?"

"Does 'William is the most wonderful person in the world' mean something to you?"

"She said that?" He almost smiled.

Ann put her hand on his shoulder. "William, that girl is crazy about you, believe me. Go to her and ask her out and show her your real self." She thought better of that. "Well, not your serious and aloof self, the one you show everyone; the other one, the one we all know, that your friends know. Your charming self, when you are nice, smiling. That will absolutely melt her."

"I'll think about it." he sighed.

She grinned. It was done. "All right, think about it. Just don't take too long, another man might get to her first."

Darcy smiled sadly.

"Now, we must go," Ann patted his cheek, "or Max will kill me. I promised him that I would cook something for him today."

"Does he know you are doing this?"

"Are you crazy?" laughed Ann.

Darcy accompanied his cousin and his aunt to the door. "I will never forgive you for this, Annie. This is the last time you mess with my life or anyone else's life, is that clear?" he glanced towards Lady Catherine. "And this goes for you too, aunt."

"Call me and tell me how it went, will you?" Lady Catherine kissed his cheek.

"Forget it," was his answer.

The ladies said their goodbye to a very pensive William Darcy.

"Do you think he got it right, darling?" Lady Catherine asked Ann as they reached the car.

"Mother, if I know Fitz as well as I think I do, he'll be knocking Elizabeth's door tomorrow first light." Ann replied with a huge grin.

Elizabeth was desolate when she returned home after her meeting with Ann McIntyre. She sat, in tears, at the cafeteria for ten minutes, then locked herself in the loo to cry for more than half an hour and then washed her face to go home, crying all the way. She went directly to her room, closed the door and curled up in bed to continue to cry until she fell asleep.

Darcy was engaged. He was not only engaged, he was engaged to the tallest, most beautiful, classy woman she had ever seen. The woman looked like a damn model from Chanel. There was no way that she could compete with a stick insect like that one, it was too much for her. Elizabeth knew she was pretty in her own way but she was exactly the opposite of what that woman was. She was short, strongly built, chesty, her hair was dark and curly, she had two freckles on her nose and she had treated Darcy awfully in the past. What man would prefer her over a goddess like that? No one. But Darcy liked her once. No, he was crazy about her once, so perhaps this Ann wasn't his type and their relationship wasn't as close as Ann suggested. But if it wasn't, why did he give Ann that engagement ring? Easy: he wanted to have a little 'escapade' with her before marrying his tall and attractive blonde. She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. Darcy wasn't that kind of person, she should know better by now. So, if he was returning to her, it was because he still liked her and she didn't have to be afraid of the T&A B. Yes, perhaps he did like the compact, impertinent type against the leggy, close to perfect, trendy one.

But Darcy had left almost two weeks ago and never came back. He hadn't called and he didn't give her (or anyone) any indication of when he would come back in the future or IF he would ever return, and that was making her miserable.

It wasn't until the following morning that Elizabeth emerged from her room. She dragged her way to the bathroom and looked, horrified, at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen, her hair was an absolute mess and she had odd lines across her cheek that the wrinkles of the pillow had produced while she slept. She couldn't go on like this. It was then when she decided not to drown herself in her self-pity and go on with her life. It was time to forget, once and for all, about William Darcy.

That morning she was quieter that usual. She did all she had to do very quietly, had lunch quietly and quietly marched to her appointment with the dentist. No one in her family dared to ask what was happening to her, her humour forbade it.

When she returned from the dentist, Elizabeth's spirits were somehow restored. No cavities, everything was OK with her teeth and she was free to kiss anyone she wished. But she had no one to kiss. Damn. Damn William Darcy.

As she entered Longbourn's gate, she saw Charles' car parked in front of the house. Damn. Now she would have to endure Jane's deliriously happy life and pretend that everything was going fabulous with her while her heart ached for William Darcy. Damn, damn.

"I'm home," Elizabeth sang with false cheerfulness as she hung her jacket on the rack by the door.

"Hi, Liz, we're in here!" Jane responded from the living room.

Elizabeth went to join them while untying her hair. She put on her fakest smile and readied herself to greet Jane's boyfriend. But Charles didn't come alone, right there, sitting on the sofa, was ...

Darcy rose in front of her and Elizabeth thought she was going to faint. She felt her cheeks go warm and repressed the 'William!' that almost blurted out from her lips.

"Hello, Elizabeth." Darcy was not smiling, just looking at her with those eyes that made her palms sweat.

"Hi, I ... I didn't know you were coming." She walked in and sat on a chair. Her knees were shaking.

"Sudden business," Charles interjected, "Will has this contract in St. Albans that he has to see after. He'll be around for a couple of days, won't you Darce?"

"Yes." Darcy's eyes left Elizabeth's face for only a second.

"Liz," said Jane, "we are dining out tonight, do you want to come with us?"

Elizabeth flushed instantly. She looked at Darcy, then at Jane and back at Darcy who never averted his eyes from her face. "Sure, that will be very nice."

"Great!" Charles slapped his knee and rose as the time to leave arrived. "I'm coming for you two at 6 sharp. Be ready." He pecked Jane's lips and the gentlemen left.

Elizabeth's mind was in total turmoil when she dressed. What was he doing here? Did he come to see her? Had he spoken to Ann? Why was he looking at her in that way? What was she going to do if he insinuated something? What if he didn't? What on earth she was going to wear?

Charles came for them with a fifteen minute delay. He informed them that Darcy would be waiting for them at the restaurant in St Albans because he had some matters to attend and couldn't make it in time to come with him. This made Elizabeth sigh in relief, as it would postpone their meeting for a few minutes and perhaps she would stop sweating by then.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Darcy was leaning on the bar, staring at his glass. He didn't see them right away and Elizabeth had the opportunity to observe him for a while and try to read his attitude. God, he was handsome. Handsome and pensive. He was dressed casually, his eyes were fixed on his drink, moving his finger around the edge, round and round, over and over again. She saw him sigh and then he looked up. Their eyes met immediately and she smiled. He smiled too and her knees went weak.

The spirits of the party were high that night. Charles, with his usual cheerfulness, endured Darcy's teasing about his lack of punctuality and responded by throwing some teasing of his own, exposing to the ladies some of his friend's obsession for perfectionism. For Elizabeth, only the shadow of Ann McIntyre prevented this evening from being a perfect one. Charles and Jane were like two turtledoves and Darcy looked relaxed and was very attentive to her. His eyes were always on her, he talked more then she had ever heard him talk in her life and though he always had this somehow distant air about him, she could tell that he looked comfortable for being there.

"Why don't we go dancing? I heard of an excellent place here in St. Albans." Charles suggested during coffee.

Simultaneously, Charles was bombarded with Jane's enthusiastic 'sure!', Elizabeth dubious 'I don't know' and Darcy's categorical 'no'. The four of them exchanged glances until Darcy cleared the way for the other couple but most of all for him and Elizabeth.

"Why don't you two go, I'm rather tired. I can drive Elizabeth home." He glanced in her direction.

"Well, I ..." Elizabeth hesitated, her eyes going from Jane to Darcy.

"That is so nice of you, William," Jane said cheerfully, "I would really like to go and I'll be more at ease if you take her home."

Darcy looked at Elizabeth for her approval. She nodded shyly. Once they finished dinner, the gentlemen helped the girls into their coats and they left the restaurant.

"My car is not far away. We can walk there so Jane and Charles can leave from here." Darcy offered to Elizabeth.

She nodded, suddenly nervous about being alone with him.

"Great." Charles grinned, patting his friend's shoulder.

They said their goodnights and one couple headed in one direction as the other climbed in Charles' car. Darcy shoved his hands in his pockets and Elizabeth braced herself as they walked silently to Darcy's car, parked not too far away.

"Are you cold?" she was hugging her coat tightly around her body.

"No." Just panicking. She smiled nervously. "Would you like a cup of coffee before going home? I mean, if you are not tired or ... something."

"No, I'm fine." Elizabeth's stomach shrank.

"There is a nice café over there."

"Let's go."

Not far away was the cafeteria. It was a nice place, rather dark, the music was soft and there were little candles at every table. The perfect place to end a romantic evening, or begin it, depending on which was the goal.

Darcy helped her to remove her coat and moved the chair for her to sit down. He sat across her and began to scan the menu.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked her.

"Just coffee." she fiddled with her fingers over the table.

He ordered their coffees and they felt into an uncomfortable silence. There was an awkward pause, Elizabeth too nervous to open her mouth and Darcy, sensing a certain reluctance from her part, was thinking of what to say. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and made some comments about the place. Elizabeth agreed with him, they smiled at each other and turned silent again.

Elizabeth thought she was about to explode if they continued like this. She was there, alone with him, he was being nice and attentive and she was behaving like an idiot. There were so many things she wanted to tell him and ask him but she couldn't gather the courage to begin. She took a deep breath and started from the beginning: thanking him for helping her family.

"William," she began, "I can't go on with this without thanking you for recovering Liddy and helping my father. I know you went through a lot of trouble and I want you to know that I really appreciate what you did."

Darcy felt as if he had just been punched in the stomach. "I ... it was supposed to be a secret. I never imagined that your aunt and uncle were so little to be trusted."

Elizabeth noticed that he was really distressed because of this and reached out to touch his hand over the table. "Oh no, please don't blame them. The truck driver who brought Liddy home mentioned your name so I called my aunt and asked her about it. She told me that she couldn't talk on the phone so I went to Aylesbury and asked her personally. I was very insistent. Thank you, you saved us all. I don't know what would have happened had you not helped us. We are all indebted to you. Thank you, on behalf of all my family."

His turned over his hand and captured her fingers, squeezing them gently. He swallowed visibly and spoke while looking at her hand in his. "No, there is no need of that. I did it for you."

"For me?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers and smiled. "For you, just for you."

Her heart fluttered after his confession. She smiled too, but soon the confusion slowly faded the smile from her face. Why was he telling her this if he was seeing another woman?

Darcy didn't know how to interpret this sudden change in her attitude, she looked troubled but she didn't withdraw her hand either. He preferred not to press her and decided that the best would be to allow her some time to process all this. As much as he wanted to tell her how he felt, he knew it was too soon for that. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and only let go of it when the waiter arrived with their order.

They talked for a long time that night. She asked him about his life at Pemberley, he about her expectations for the future and, slowly, they became more at ease with each other, they began to really know each other. Darcy loved her spontaneity, her enthusiasm and intelligence. Elizabeth was moved by his serenity and balance. With every minute they spent together, Elizabeth was able to see a completely different Darcy blossom in front of her eyes. She realized how little she knew him, how calm, how strong he was and was amazed by his good humour. She had always thought him ill tempered or even disagreeable once but now she understood a little better his true nature. She noticed a certain difficulty to open up but when he wasn't hiding behind that stern mask, he showed himself as a very smart and charming person. They conversed for hours until they realized that they were the only ones sitting at the cafeteria.

"I think we should go," he said with a smile, "it's really late."

"It can't be that ..." Elizabeth didn't want the night to end. She looked at her watch and gasped. Two in the morning. "I can't believe it!"

He chuckled. "Come on, I promised Jane that I would see you home safe. I fear that your father will send a search party after us if we don't get back."

Darcy paid the bill and helped her into her coat. The temperature was freezing outside and the cold hit them hard when then came out. He turned to her and checked that she was well bundled up.

"It's cold, are you OK?"

Elizabeth nodded. He was standing so close, his hands were adjusting her scarf around her face and neck and he was looking intently into her eyes.

"Come on, or you'll freeze. My car is over there."

During the drive to Longbourn, conversation was a little strained; Elizabeth was worried about what would follow next and Darcy was thinking how to secure her OK for another date without sounding desperate. He parked in front of Longbourn and turned the engine off.

"This was a lovely evening, William, thank you." Elizabeth managed to sound normal as she reached out to open the door.

Darcy held her forearm. "Elizabeth, I had a great time tonight. I was wondering if ..." he cleared his throat, "I'll be around for a couple of days and I thought it would be nice if we can see each other tomorrow."

Her heart was fluttering. He was asking her out, so politely, so nicely that she wanted to shout her acceptance. She could barely contain herself when she answered. "That would be lovely."

Darcy's delight was visible. "Fine, I'll come for you at seven, is that OK?"

Elizabeth nodded.

He raised his hand and moved her hair away from her face. Elizabeth felt her pulse quicken when she though he was going to kiss her. But he didn't.

"All right then. I'll walk you to the door."

Darcy accompanied her to the door. The night was cold and clear and he could see little puffs of hot air that were coming out of her mouth as she breathed. She looked absolutely lovely, with her big eyes looking at him in wonder and anticipation. He stepped closer and Elizabeth's heart began to race.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," he kissed her cheek, very softly, "thank you for saying yes."

She nodded, so dazed by the magic of the moment that she almost forgot about Darcy's supposed engagement to Ann McIntyre. She smiled at him and her smile grew broader when he touched her cheek one last time before stepping back.

Elizabeth entered the house and Darcy returned to his car. He smiled all the way back to the hotel.

Darcy adjusted the collar of his shirt with a huge exhalation. The last time he felt this nervous, he was facing the Nations Cup's chronometer. Unbelievable. A man of nearly thirty, all nervous about a simple date. But he knew that this wasn't an ordinary first date with an ordinary woman. It was his first date with Elizabeth Bennet, and given his past experience with her, he had every reason to be apprehensive about the possible outcome.

He pulled the jumper over his head and he thought of Ann's advice about how to handle the situation. Show his real self, smile, be charming. She made that sound so easy. If only it would be as easy for him. He wasn't sure if Ann told him the entire truth about her meeting with Elizabeth so he had good reasons to feel apprehensive.

With a shake of his head, he dismissed the thought. Ann said that Elizabeth liked him. But she also said that Elizabeth barely knew him -which was absolutely right- and warned him about her youth. Those were details that he could not overlook this time if he wanted to make a good start with her. He would have to move slowly and take one step at a time. Win her trust and then move on.

"Show my real self, smile, be charming." he said as he pulled the cuffs of the shirt out of the sleeves of the jumper. "Courtship. Why don't they teach that at school?"

Elizabeth checked her reflection in the mirror and liked what she saw, but she didn't smile. She was so nervous. Going out on a date with William Darcy had been her ultimate wish, for weeks, but now that it was finally happening, she wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. Yes, she was crazy about him, she thought about him all day long, she dreamed about him every night but would she be able to enjoy his company knowing that he was engaged to another woman? Was she ready to be his 'other' woman?

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. The best she could do was to wait and see what happened tonight. She would have fun, enjoy her date and see what happened. But of one thing she was sure: as crazy as she was about him, she would never be one of William Darcy's liberties.

Darcy went for her at seven sharp. Fortunately, her parents weren't at home so Elizabeth had only to endure Kitty's remarks about dressing up for the man she hated so much. But it didn't take long before Kitty realized Elizabeth didn't dislike him any longer, that it was exactly the opposite and the teasing began. By the time the man knocked the door, Elizabeth was on the verge of hysterics and more than desirous to leave the house.

At the beginning, the conversation was scarce. Darcy said a quiet, 'you look very pretty' comment that Elizabeth replied with a shy nod and a smile. Then she said something about the weather, which was acknowledged with a 'oh, yes, quite unusual at this time of the year' by her partner. They fell silent again, until Elizabeth said,

"Nice car."

"Thank you. It's comfortable."

She glanced at the panel. "I would never learn what all those lights are for."

"Well," he said with a smile, "I'm not acquainted with all of them either, only with those that are essential for the car's functioning."

"Really? Didn't you read the manual?"

"Hmmmm ... no."

"What's the point of having a car with this technology if you are not going to use it?"

"It came with the car." he shrugged.

"So that means that the car might explode at any moment and you'll never know because you can't recognize the warning light?"

"No, I know that one." Darcy pointed at the air conditioning command. "There, the self destruct switch."

She shot him a sideway glance. "I know I would have to take a week course to learn to drive something like this."

"It doesn't take that long; I took a two day course to learn how to use the computer."

She gasped. "Two days and you don't know what those lights are for? What did you do, cheat on the exam?"

He laughed. "I know the essentials anyway. But there are commands I never o used."

"Such as?" she grinned. He had an infectious laugh.

"The maps and red thingy over there. It never lit up so I guess that whatever it commands is working fine. But I'll try to find out the next time, if that worries you."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip. Was he already planning a next date? They didn't even start this one yet! "So, where are we going?"

"Stafford. I heard of a very nice restaurant, by the river. Is that all right with you?"

restaurant by the river. That sounded so romantic. "Yes, fine."

He glanced quickly at her and noticed that she had turned serious. "Don't worry, I know the way."

She smiled briefly, too nervous to say anything else. To her surprise, Darcy reached out to squeeze her cheek. She almost jumped at the contact of his hand on her skin, so he withdrew quickly, leaving her longing for his touch.

Dinner was very much like the previous night. Darcy was relaxed, charming, making every effort to make her feel comfortable. Elizabeth, in spite of how much she loved being there with him, was beginning to feel apprehensive as the evening progressed. His whole attitude was giving her every indication that this wasn't a simple date between friends, that this was the beginning of something else and that scared her somehow. Twice he reached out to hold her hand over the table, he made a few flirting comments and when the dessert arrived, he suggested a walk by the river. But why was he doing this if he was engaged to someone else?

They took their leave and he helped her into her coat. This time he stood very close behind her, placing his hand on the small of her back all the way out of restaurant. By the time they reached the river, Darcy couldn't hold back any longer. He stopped and faced her.

"Are you cold?" he adjusted her scarf around her neck.

"I'm fine." she whispered.

The moment was perfect, the setting was perfect. The moon was bright and her huge, expectant eyes were shining at him. The magic was there, surrounding them, and Darcy knew it was right.

He took her face in his hands and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Elizabeth, you are so, so lovely."

Elizabeth saw him lean down. She almost gave in, she almost surrendered to her love for him, but as she closed her eyes, the image of Ann McIntyre blinded her.

He heard her sigh and felt her coming in too. She was accepting him, the moment he wished for and dreamed of for so long was finally happening. He almost reached her lips, he was almost there but, before he could kiss her, Elizabeth abruptly pulled back and removed herself from his grip.

"I can't do this."

Darcy felt as if a bucket of iced water had been tossed over him. He turned to his side while running his hand through his hair. How could he be so wrong about her feelings for him? Why did he trust Annn?

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, it wasn't my intention to upset you, I ..."

"Why are you doing this to me?" She couldn't hold back her anguish anymore.

He turned to look at her. "I thought that you wanted this too, forgive me, I thought that ..."

"What? That I would go out with you when you are engaged to someone else?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You know what I mean." Her tears of love and deception were threatening to fall at the first blink.

"Elizabeth," he said slowly, "what are you talking about?"

"You are engaged to Ann McIntyre!" she cried. "And here you are, being this nice, making me fall for you when you are engaged to her!"

"I am engaged to whom?" he couldn't conceal his astonishment.

"Ann McIntyre."

"Where did you get that from?" his cousin couldn't invent something like this. No, she couldn't.

"I knew you two were together, I saw you embracing her, but that was some time ago and I thought it was over. But then I saw that picture back at your house and ..."

"You saw me embracing her?"

"Yes! At the Cup!" she accused.

Darcy blinked and stared at her in total confusion. Elizabeth wasn't even there. "At the Cup."

"Yes." Elizabeth couldn't believe that he didn't understand. Her anguish turned into irritation and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"And you think I am engaged to her?"

She nodded, glad that he was getting the idea.

Darcy frowned and then chuckled two seconds later. This could not be happening to him. He was in the Twilight Zone.

Elizabeth began to observe him carefully. He didn't look guilty or remorseful; he didn't even look as if he had been caught. At the beginning, he looked surprised, but now, he seemed amazed, almost diverted with this situation. She began to doubt her own information and decided to go directly to the point.

"She told me."

"Who?" he raised his eyebrow.

'Your tall and attractive blonde, you idiot'. She looked at him challengingly. "Ann."

"Ann told you I was engaged to her?" He would kill her if she said that.

At lightning speed Elizabeth reviewed her conversation with the object of her nightmares. "No, but she showed me the engagement ring you gave her." She tried to sound defiant.

"So Ann told you I gave it to her." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Well, not exactly," her voice was losing conviction with every word, "she told me about your special 'relationship' while showing me the ..." She shut her mouth. The idea that she had been wrong all this time began to form in her mind. God, perhaps that special 'relationship' Ann mentioned wasn't of the kind she had thought.

Darcy smiled at her bewildered expression and bit his lower lip. This would be the last misunderstanding between them. He took her hands in his and stepped closer, looking directly into her eyes.

"Elizabeth." his voice was tender but decided. "I am not engaged to Ann. I am not engaged to anyone. I am not seeing anyone. There is no other woman in my life. I am here with you because I want to be with you."

"With me?" she whispered hopefully.

"Yes, with you, only you." he touched her cheek.

Elizabeth looked down and wrinkled her forehead. All her wishes, all her dreams were coming true. He was here, with her, wanting to be with her and now that he was, she didn't know what to do.

Darcy cupped her chin and raised her face to him. "Will you not trust me?"

His words hit her hard. He was right, she had never trusted him. From the beginning, she was ready to think the worst of him, believing Wickham's lies, jumping always to the worst conclusion, thinking the worst about him. Even when he went after George, recovered Liddy, faced the mob and then confessed doing it for her and only for her, she had doubted him. It was time to, once and for all, trust him.

"I trust you." she smiled. "I believe you."

"Thank you. Now," he moved his face closer to hers, "may I?"

She nodded shyly and saw him leaning down. She closed her eyes and all her fears and doubts vanished at that same moment. She loved him, she trusted him and she would open her heart to him, completely.

Their lips met in the loveliest, longest and most intense kiss that Elizabeth had received in her life. Darcy was amazed at how perfectly she fit in his arms, how her figure naturally moulded into the shape of his body. She was small without being fragile, passionate but at the same time fresh, innocent. He held her close to him, warming her from the cold, learning the silkiness of her hair, feeling the softness of her skin as he savoured the sweetness of her acceptance for the first time.

Elizabeth's hands slid around his waist inside of his coat as he pulled her into his embrace. She felt so comfortable in his arms that she didn't want to ever let go of him. His body was lean and firm, strong but at the same time so gentle, loving, His kiss spoke of tenderness; he was not demanding or insistent, he was just showing her that he loved her.

"I can't believe this is happening," he left her lips to hold her tight. "I have wished this for so long."

"So have I." she smiled against his chest. "I thought you didn't want me."

"Why would you think that?" his voice was soft against her hair.

Elizabeth could almost hear him smiling. "You were so silent and grave when you first came. I thought you ..."

"I was silent?" Darcy pulled back, but his arms remained around her. "You were barely looking at me."

Elizabeth gasped. "How could I? Did you see the mess the house was when you arrived? I was four legged on the floor and my mother showed up while doing her colours. Don't you think that that's enough to make anyone die of embarrassment?" He chuckled and nodded at her vehemence. "Anyway, you weren't exactly talkative during dinner either."

"I thought you were still angry with me." he turned serious.

"Angry? Why would I be angry with you?" she knitted her brows.

"I thought you were blaming me for what happened to Liddy. I still feel responsible for that."

"William!" she cried, "that's not your fault!"

"I know, but I still think I should have done something to prevent it. But the worst came on the following morning."

Elizabeth rested her forehead on his chest. "Yes, that was awful. My mother shouting like that, and then you saw Kitty and Phil and I was so embarrassed, and when my father appeared I ..."

"Wait, why were you embarrassed?" he tilted his head to look at her.

"Well, Kitty is pregnant in case you didn't notice it." her tone was a little defensive, because he did notice it.

He felt horrible as he realized how much his comments about her family had affected her. "Elizabeth," he lifted her chin up so she would look up at him, "you think I was upset because your sister is pregnant?"

"Aren't you?"

"No, absolutely not. I was just surprised, that's all."

Oh dear, why was she always jumping to conclusions? "Everything went so wrong that morning; I really don't know how I survived it."

"Neither do I. I think that was one of the worst moments of my life." He pulled her closer to him and he rubbed her back. "And when you looked at me in that way after I kissed you goodbye, I thought that was the end."

"Oh no!" she looked up at him, "I was so confused! I thought you hated me and then you kissed me but I didn't know what to do and then I saw your eyes and I realized that I hurt you but you left before I could do or say anything and I ..." She was silenced by his kiss.

He left her lips and smiled at her. "We are helpless, aren't we?"

"Yes we are." She hugged him tightly and allowed him to rock her body. "But now it's over."

Darcy sighed in happiness, she sighed too and they remained embraced some time, just feeling the comfort and warmth of the other.

"William?" Elizabeth asked, her voice dreamy.

"Mmmmmh?"

"Will you tell me who this Ann McIntyre is?"

"Now?" Telling her that his cousin had messed with his and her life wasn't in his plans right now.

"Yes, now."

"You are some sceptical little creature, aren't you?"

"Please?" She begged.

"Only if you promise you will not be angry at me. I didn't know what she was doing until she came to see me two days ago."

Elizabeth nodded.

Darcy sighed, hoping that she wouldn't be upset that someone in his family had interfered in this manner. "She is my lawyer, my agent and most of all, my meddlesome and absolutely crazy cousin Ann de Bourgh, Mrs. Maxwell McIntyre for the last three months. Max is one of Charles' associates. I only hope that she didn't hurt you when she talked to you, because it wasn't her intention, she was just trying to help me and learn about your true feelings for me."

Elizabeth's face transformed with every word. She had expected him to tell her that Ann was some kind of psycho ex-girlfriend, someone he had dumped and who just couldn't give up on him and who was scaring every new girl off in this 'Fatal Attraction' sort of way. And this made her feel completely stupid. For the last months, she had been torturing herself with her own invented fantasy that he was having an affair with his own cousin only because she saw a picture of them together back at his house.

"Your cousin?"

He frowned on seeing her expression. "Elizabeth, what did she tell you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. She just ... nothing." She hugged him again.

Darcy kissed her hair and gently moved his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her. He knew that Ann could be quite intimidating when she wanted. He did this for a long time until he heard her sigh and snuggle against him.

"Elizabeth?" he said very close to her ear.

Elizabeth giggled as his breath sent tickles all through her body. "Mmmmmmh?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mmmmmmyes," she purred. He had this wickedness in his voice that she found absolutely adorable.

His smile broadened as he tightened his hold on her. "Do you really have a show jumping album?"

Elizabeth was in some kind of daze when she returned home. Darcy drove her back to Longbourn, both smiling dreamily all the way back, stealing happy glances every five minutes, parting with a soft, very proper kiss on the lips.

Darcy called the following morning and asked Elizabeth if she wanted to have lunch with him, Charles and Jane, once Jane finished with her work at the racing course. Elizabeth immediately agreed and hurried with the horses so she would be already freshened by the time he came for her.

When Darcy arrived at Longbourn, he was received by the inquisitive eyes of Thomas Bennet and Phil. After bringing Elizabeth back home well past midnight twice, Darcy knew that his presence surely would be raising speculations among Elizabeth's family, and decided to ignore the intense scrutiny to which he was being submitted, especially from Phil. Elizabeth appeared only a minute later, saving him from further discomfort, and after a polite greeting, they departed for their destination.

Though both Darcy and Elizabeth were desperate for a kiss, everything was too new for them to be sure of how to act. He was driving, she was fussing with her purse and the moment just didn't seem right.

"Did you manage to get some sleep?" she asked him. It was quite late when he left, and he had a half an hour drive back to St. Albans so she doubted he had much time to rest.

"Yes, you?"

"I overslept so I had to rush to help Phil with the horses."

"Who answered the phone when I called you?" Darcy asked her, the smile that had been on his lips since he first saw her still there.

"Kitty. Why?" She could imagine why. Kitty made some very silly remarks about him calling her so frequently, their late arrival on the previous nights and Elizabeth's sort of dreamy state during the morning.

"Nothing, just that she seemed ... amused that I was calling you."

"What did she say?"

He chuckled. "To me? Nothing, but I heard her teasing someone."

She bit her lip, she would have to speak with her sister later. "You didn't hear the reply, I hope."

He made no answer but repressed a grin.

"Oh no, you heard it."

Elizabeth had told Kitty (quite loudly) that her pregnancy was turning her really stupid and that perhaps the amniotic fluid had gone into her brain and drowned the only brain cell she had left and that, if she insisted on continuing with this, she would undo everything she knitted, which wasn't that bad an idea as it was a very bad work anyway. Of course her sister only giggled and continued to taunt her all morning.

"When are you returning to Derbyshire?" she preferred to change the subject.

"Tomorrow. Unfortunately I must be in Manchester Monday morning."

"Because of that contract you mentioned?"

"No, the offices of DW Constructions are in London. I'm meeting with Richard and his father. I'm planning to attend a few international shows this season and we are deciding the schedule."

"Ah." she bit her lip. This was the right moment to clear another doubt. "Richard has a brother named Edward, doesn't he?"

"Yes, his eldest brother. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged and looked down. "Nothing really, it's just that there is an Edward Fitzwilliam in the board of our bank, the Bank of Development and Investments for the South East."

He frowned, as if trying to recall the connection. "I believe that bank belongs to the Midland's bank. My family owns part of it. Edward is the financial director."

Elizabeth studied him. He had turned very serious, and drove with his eyes fixed on the road. "Our mortgage is with that bank."

"Really?" he mumbled and looked away to observe the countryside.

At this point of their relationship -after all, they'd been dating for only 12 hours- Elizabeth wasn't that at ease with him as to insist on it and she didn't know him well enough as to read his reaction. But from his countenance, she would guess that he either didn't feel comfortable speaking about his wealth or he had something to do with the refinancing of their mortgage and didn't want her to know it. If that was the case, she would respect his silence and allow him to keep the secret, at least until they knew each other better.

"Will you stay away for long?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps I'll be able to come back the following weekend. I must begin the training for the season. We are jumping in Lincoln in two weeks."

She tried not to pout. He wouldn't be able to come very frequently if he was busy training. "And that contract? You will be coming often to check on it, won't you?"

A slight blush came to his cheeks. "To be honest, I was never needed there, not in this phase. I used that as an excuse to stay around."

"You used it as an excuse to see me?" she beamed.

"Yes," he admitted with one of his devastating smiles.

She couldn't resist it and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him soundly and he managed to kiss her back while keeping the car on the road.

Half an hour later they were in Stevenage, entering the restaurant where Charles and Jane were waiting for them. Darcy was a reserved, private man, not one to demonstrate his affection in public. As much as Elizabeth would have liked to hold hands with him and kiss him on the way to their table, she was not going to do the first move and walked towards their table at a prudence distance. There were many things she would have to get used to, this was one of them, and she was just beginning to understand his nature and to respect this aspect of his personality. Or maybe he just needed a little push to change it?

Jane and Charles were already waiting for them at their table. Jane wasn't home when Elizabeth arrived on the previous nights so Elizabeth had not yet acquainted her with what happened during her dates with Darcy. The eldest Miss Bennet had already guessed that her sister had feelings for the man -though Elizabeth never admitted them openly- but she wasn't aware of what the current situation was between them. But Jane was no fool and immediately noticed that something was going on between the other couple and wasted no time in finding out.

"I need to go to the restroom," Jane announced after they ordered the meal. "Will you come with me, Liz?"

"Sure." Elizabeth stood and they parted together.

"Why is it that women always go to the loo in packs?" Charles asked Darcy.

His eyes followed the sisters until they disappeared from sight. "To chat about the latest news, I guess."

"But what could be so important? They are sisters, they can converse about their private matters at home." Charles looked at his friend. He noticed Darcy's expression while he played with his fork. "Am I missing something?"

"Sorry?" Darcy tried to remain unreadable, though his dreamy smile betrayed him.

"Will, what is going on?" Charles inquired. He had noticed the other couple's interaction when they entered the restaurant but he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Elizabeth and I went on a date last night."

"You and Elizabeth?" Charles smiled broadly.

"Yes."

"And how did it go?"

Darcy sat back on his seat and smiled slowly. "Fine."

"I'm sure it did, look at you." Charles pushed him away. "Are you planning to repeat it?"

He nodded in self-satisfaction.

"Is that all what you're going to tell me?" laughed Charles, delighted with the news.

"Yes."

Charles slapped his back. "Congratulations, old chap. It is about time."

"What is going on here?" Jane asked Elizabeth as soon as they were inside the restroom.

"Lunch, I suppose," Elizabeth responded innocently.

"Elizabeth, I want to know. You and William were going out last night. What happened?"

"Nothing. We dined together and he invited me to have lunch with you today." she flushed.

"So you are dating?" Jane said flatly.

"It's our second date. I suppose we are."

"Now, sister, I want details."

"Well, we dined and walked by the river and then he kissed me and ... that's all."

"So you two finally decided to put your differences aside." Jane smiled at her sister. "You used to dislike him so much in the past. Though I always thought he was very nice."

Elizabeth smiled dreamily "Oh, Jane, I was so wrong about him. He is wonderful and so sweet and attentive. It was just ... lovely."

"Are you comfortable with this?" Darcy wasn't exactly like the teenagers that Elizabeth used to date in the past. "No 'I'm crazy about you' and odd propositions?"

She shook her head. "No. Since I saw him at Pemberley he has been so nice and proper. Though sometimes I feel a little, I don't know, intimidated by him. He is this important rich man, so imposing and handsome that I don't know what to do."

Jane rested her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder as she tried to comfort her. "Lizzy, you shouldn't feel intimidated by him! Anyway, you put his wealth aside, his fame and what's left? Just this imposing, gorgeous, super sexy big man!"

"I'm serious! It's just that he's so much older than me and men of his age expect things that I don't know if I'm ready to do right now. I'm just a little scared, that's all."

"Elizabeth," Jane spoke earnestly, knowing her sister's tendency to overreact but also understanding her fears. "You two are just beginning to know each other, so take one step at the time. If it's necessary, talk to him, I'm sure he'll understand."

She smiled at her sister. "I guess you are right."

"The only thing that's important here is you. Are you happy with this?"

"Yes, very happy." She grinned.

"Good." Jane kissed her sister's cheek affectionately. "Let's go back now."

After lunch, they went to Hertford and stopped at a flea market that they saw on the road. It was more a succession of kiosks than a flea market, there were mostly hand crafted goods and flowers but the girls were very interested in seeing what they had to offer, especially Jane who was looking for a new apartment. She and Charles walked ahead, always embraced, paying little attention to anything but themselves, while the other couple followed behind walking side by side.

Elizabeth stopped by table covered by silver hand-crafted rings. She loved rings, especially when they were strange, different, like these ones that this Bob Marley copycat was selling. Her eyes were dancing over the dozens of rings resting over the black velvet when Darcy approached her.

"Aren't they beautiful?" she asked him.

"Quite nice, yes."

She picked up a large one, with an oval turquoise and tried it on her middle finger. She adored turquoise. She tried a few more on different fingers, but always comparing them with the large, oval one.

Darcy noticed her interest in the ring and asked the vendor how much it cost.

"Oh, no, please, you don't need to ..."

He was already introducing his hand on his pocket. "It fits you perfectly. It would be a pity not to take it. Come on, let me buy it."

"No, William, really ..." she flushed instantly. God, couldn't she stop acting like an idiot in front of him? They were dating for Christ sake! "All right, thank you."

Darcy paid the ring and moved closer to admire the contrast of the colourful stone against her pale skin. "Looks lovely on you."

That was enough to make her stomach flutter. His smile was so warm, his eyes so intense on hers. She didn't know if this gift had a special meaning for him but for her it had, for she would cherish this £18 ring as if it were her most valuable possession.

"Thank you." she rose to her toes and pecked his lips with hers.

To Elizabeth's surprise, Darcy didn't end the kiss right there. He held her by the waist and prolonged the kiss, more intently that she would have expected. He then released her and they continued their walk, now with his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist.

The afternoon ended with a tour around the countryside. By the time they returned to the cars, they were hungry and Jane suggested that they could have some dinner before heading back home. Charles and Elizabeth were fond of junk food and talked the other two into eating at a not so fancy restaurant they saw not far away.

"I don't understand how you convinced William to eat in a place like this, Elizabeth." said Charles while sending teasing glances at his friend. "You must have some strong influence on him to do that."

"Do I?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows.

"As if you have never seen me eating hamburgers, Charles." Darcy retorted.

"I saw you, but I also heard you complaining about it." Charles laughed.

"Why, don't you like hamburgers?" Elizabeth asked her 'boyfriend'.

"I like them but ..."

"But he hates eating with his hands." Charles finished the phrase for him. "Do you know what he did in Jerez? The day prior to the show was pure madness. There were so many people there that the restaurants were all crowded and we couldn't find a decent place to eat. We were famished, Louisa and Caroline were complaining so Hurst bought some hot dogs. But 'Invincible' here refused to eat them. He starved all day."

"My problem with those hot dogs was the fact that the place where Hurst bought them was violating every hygienic norm that existed. I'm sure that the green thing that was covering them wasn't mustard." Darcy replied.

"Since he became a celebrity, he has turned into such a sissy. I told you not to shoot that commercial."

"You say that because you are jealous. You would have killed to appear on TV." Darcy teased back.

"Oh, William, don't tell me you don't like that commercial. I think it's fabulous!"

"I feel so stupid when I see it," said he.

"He hates it," Charles continued with his teasing, "more than he hates eating with his hands. And now that the girls are asking him for autographs, well, that makes him crazy, speaking in Darcy's terms, obviously."

"Autographs?" Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. Her boyfriend was signing autographs?

Darcy was quick to clarify the mess his friend was making. "No, really, Elizabeth, it only happened once ... or twice ... actually, I think the girl took me for someone else. I ...."

"Why did you do it if you dislike it so much?" Jane insisted.

"They offered me a fortune. I refused it, but my agent, that is, my cousin Ann, called me every five minutes for two weeks until I accepted. She can be very insistent."

"I like it," Elizabeth smiled at him lovingly and held his hand over the table.

"Really?" Darcy smiled back.

"Yes. Very much."

Their eyes met in a look of pure adoration, so obvious that Jane and Charles preferred to look away to give them more privacy. But at that moment, their hamburgers arrived and the young waitress placed their plates in front of them. She addressed Darcy directly.

"Excuse me, sir, aren't you the guy in the commercial? The one of the horse racing the truck."

"Well ... yes." Darcy hesitated.

"I knew it! The girls were betting that you weren't, but I won. May I have your autograph?"

Darcy rolled his eyes and they all erupted in laughter.

It was already dark when Darcy took Elizabeth back to Longbourn. He parked the car in front of the door and turned off the engine to say good-bye. Elizabeth was a little fidgety, it was supposed that they would kiss but he was not making the first move, just looking at her with those eyes that always made her stomach turn upside down.

"Well," she sighed, "good-night. Thank you, for everything. I had a great time."

He didn't reply, he moved closer and gave her a soft, warm kiss. She thought he would pull back quickly, but instead he parted only for a second and returned with more intensity. Her lips parted under his, he deepened the kiss, but not that much, as he could still sense traces of shyness in her reply.

"Do you think we could to see each other tomorrow before I leave?" he asked her.

"Huh?" she was too dazed to understand. He was so close, and his finger was brushing the side of her neck, something that she found utterly distracting.

He chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was still flushed. "If you think that I could come to see you tomorrow before I leave. We can have coffee somewhere."

"Coffee?" she came back to earth. "I don't think so. Tomorrow it's my mother's birthday. My whole family is coming and I must help mom with everything. I'm sorry."

"Never mind." he looked unaffected but he wasn't. "It will be until the next weekend, then."

Was this as difficult for him as it was for her? "Okay."

"Then, it's good night," he brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

"Yes," Elizabeth felt her air faltering. Did this man have any idea of how attractive he was?

This time she couldn't resist him and moved closer to kiss him. And he kissed back, with a hunger he had not shown before. They clung to each other trying to imprint in their senses the scent and taste of the other, with the hope that this kiss would help them to fill the emptiness and longing that the separation would surely bring.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Another kiss and he was gone.

When Darcy crossed Longbourn's gate, they were already missing each other, badly.

Continue reading Belén's story here