This is a modern P&P story based in Texas.

Heather B.

Chapter One

[i]What a fool I've been! I actually defended my snobby Aunt over
Elizabeth. No wonder she left my sorry ass. I don't deserve her
but I'd do anything to get her back. God, it's been a month and I'd
do anything just to see her again.[/i] William Darcy was oblivious
that his lunch companion was silent and viewed him with an
inquisitive look on his face.

He and Charles Bingley met once a week for a long lunch at Eddie's,
a popular sidewalk café in Lambton. Usually William could be found
discussing the happenings of Darcy and Son, the chain bookstore he
inherited from his father, or talking about Elizabeth, his fiancée.
Today, however, he sat listening or at least trying to appear to be
listening to Charles. Charles, rather than discussing the legal
happenings of D&S, of which he was lead counsel, was predictably
gushing about his darling wife Jane, who was Elizabeth's sister.
His Elizabeth, whom he had not seen since their explosive argument
little over a month ago.

"Bings, I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I just asked if you talked to Lizzy."

[i]Damn, why did he have to ask about her?[/i] "No," he said
dejectedly. "She obviously doesn't want me to have any contact with
her. Anyway, I don't deserve her after what I said."

"No, you don't." William's head snapped up and he looked at Charles
oddly, shocked he would agree. "But I still think you should try
and contact her again."

"Why? She won't answer the phone. Especially if she knows it's
me." He sighed, almost in defeat. "I wish Jane would tell me. She
knows where Elizabeth is." Charles squirmed nervously in his
seat. "What? Do you know where she is? Charles, you have to tell
me," he said anxiously.

Charles hung his head. "I can't. As much as I want to help you,
Jane would kill me if I did. I will say though, she is not far
away."

"Not far away. Fat lot of good that does me," William snorted.

"Sometimes you just have to look outside you window," Charles said
enigmatically.

"What are you talking about? Look outside my window? That makes
absolutely no sense Bings."

"That's all I can tell you. Look, [b]you[/b] have to figure it out
on your own." He hesitated then spoke again. "I overheard Jane and
Lizzy on the phone the other day. Apparently, Lizzy went to the
doctor last week. They found something, William."

William's eyes widened. "Found something?! What do you mean? Is
she okay? God, I hope nothing happens to her."

"I don't know what is wrong. Jane won't tell me. I guess Lizzy
wants to tell everyone herself."

"Maybe she will contact me then if it is serious. I hope she does.
I am in hell without her." He lowered his head onto his steepled
fingers and took two deep breaths. Slowly, as if coming to a
decision, he raised his eyes to Charles's. Catching the renewed
determination glinting dangerously, Charles suddenly had the urge to
flee before he revealed too much.

"Maybe she will. I've got to get back to work. I'll call you if I
hear anymore," Charles said nervously.

"No, Charles, you will tell me [b]now[/b]. You can't keep something
like this from me. It's too important to hide."

"Darce, I can't tell you. I just can't. I really want to, you know
I do. But I have to think about Jane here. She's six months
pregnant. I can't upset her like that and you know anything that
concerns Elizabeth can and will upset her."

"Yes, but that's not the point. Charles, this is the love of my
life we are talking about here. She is my world. I had everything
with her and I screwed it up big time. I have to make it right. I
can't sleep until I do. And [b]you[/b] will tell me where she is so
I can fix it."

"And I won't upset the love of [b]my[/b] life. Oh, come on Darce,
just give it time. She'll come back," Charles said defiantly.

"NO, Charles! I can't just sit back and wait for her to show up,
while there could be something wrong with her. You have to tell me
where she…"

"Will, come on, let's go. I'll talk to Jane and see what I can do.
Let's go back to work," Charles interrupted.

"Charles, that's not good enough!" He stopped, attempting to calm
his anger lest it get out of control, as it was prone to do. Then
he pleaded. "Charles, [b]please[/b]. I can't stand it anymore.
Night after night, I lay awake wondering where she is. Now, knowing
something could be wrong with her, I… I don't know what…" He
stopped, unable to bring himself to finish that thought.

"Will, I know this is hard for you but…"

"Do you really? Has Jane left you recently? You have no idea how
hard this is." William said sarcastically.

Charles closed his eyes and sighed. He gave up trying to be
understanding. "Listen Will, I can't and won't tell you anything
without Jane's permission." He rose from the table. "I have to go
to work. I'll see you later."

After he paid the tab, William sat there for a few more minutes
thinking about what Charles had said. [i]Damn him! How dare he
keep this from me? If he wasn't my best friend, I'd…well; Jane
wouldn't be able to brag about his golden boy looks anymore.[/i] He
smirked then turned thoughtful. [i]God, where is Elizabeth? What
did Bings say? Out my window. At work? At home? No that's not
possible. She's not in the guest cottage. Why did she go to the
doctor? If anything happens to her, I don't know what I will do.
[/i] The ringing in his pocket brought him back to reality.
Checking the caller id, he saw it was his secretary. With a sigh,
he answered his cell phone and made his way back to work.

Throughout the rest of the week, William continued to be mystified
about Charles's comments. He looked out his bedroom window at
Pemberley and all he saw was Lake Grapevine in the distance. Still
he could not figure out what Charles meant.

Friday found him at the same sidewalk café he and Charles had eaten
at earlier in the week. This time he was eating alone. Alone with
his thoughts. He snorted to himself. [i]That's all I have without
her. My bloody thoughts.[/i]

He started watching the people pass by and began to make up stories
as Lizzy used to do. What a storyteller she was! She would make a
wonderful mother to their children. Their children. Would that
ever happen now? He was brought out of his thoughts as the object
of them passed by.

He jumped up and yelled, "Lizzy!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, not wanting to believe she had heard
correctly. [i]No, this isn't possible, how could he see me? The
sidewalk was too crowded. He was not supposed to see me![/i]

The last month had been hard for her. Very hard. She missed him
terribly. There had been nothing she could do to stop the ache that
resided in her heart. Nevertheless, she could not go back. Her
pride and stubbornness were too strong. They would not let her give
in to her despair and rush home to him. That is until last week.
She knew she could not keep this to herself. He had a right to
know. She just had to find the courage to face him. Would he still
be angry? Would he still agree with his Aunt Catherine? It was
such a stupid argument. Something easily solved but with their
tempers, it flared out of control.

She recognized that deep voice and stopped on the sidewalk. Slowly
she turned around to see the face of the voice that called her.
There stood her fiancé, the love of her life as gorgeous as ever.
She looked into his eyes and all she saw was sadness mixed with
regret. [i]Dear God. My courage found me.[/i]

"Lizzy," was all he could say.

Chapter 2

Elizabeth Bennet sat in her car too stunned to move. She had
prepared herself for calling William and meeting him in a planned
location, however she had just driven past him sitting at their
favorite table in their favorite restaurant. It was too much. She
wasn't ready for that. While trying to gain control over her
emotions, her mind drifted to their last encounter.

<i>"As the wife of Fitzwilliam Darcy, it is imperative that you not
work. You must be constantly available to fulfill the social
obligations that are certainly to come about," stated Catherine de
Bourgh, William's aunt and self-proclaimed head of the family.

"I am a writer. I make my own hours. In fact, I work from home so
there would be no conflict with `social obligations'." Elizabeth
Bennet stated.

"It makes no difference. No wife of a Darcy has ever worked and
they certainly will not work now. I forbid it. You must raise the
children as well as be available to attend to the numerous social
obligations."

Elizabeth was shocked. Catherine was telling her how she should
conduct her life. "<b>You</b> forbid it? How can you, a person who
is not even a member of the Darcy family, have a say in how a Darcy
wife runs her life? I do not see how it is any of your business
what I do."

"Impertinent girl! I am not accustomed to being spoken to in such a
manner. I may not be a Darcy but I am Fitzwilliam's nearest and
dearest relation. I am entitled to have a say in all his concerns."

"You may <b>think</b> you have a say in his concerns but you most
certainly do not have a say in mine."

"I see you are not going to obey. Therefore, I shall know how to
act. I shall tell Fitzwilliam of your disgraceful attitude. He
will certainly change his mind on marrying the likes of you. I take
my leave of you. Good day…though you deserve no such courtesy from
me." Catherine then turned and abruptly left the house.

After she left, Elizabeth thought no more of it. She knew William
would agree with her and there was no need to dwell on the matter.

Later that evening however, William did bring the incident up.

"My aunt informed me that you two had a disagreement today while
planning the wedding."

"Yes, we did. Though I have no idea why she was so upset. It is
not as if the matter is of great importance. For goodness sakes, I
work from home. I am always available."

"Well, she did exaggerate somewhat. There is no need for you to
give up your writing now. You won't need to do that until we decide
to have children." He said this as if it was the most natural
thought in the world.

Lizzy was immediately angered at this presumption. She tried to
calm her temper before she spoke. "What do you mean `when we have
children'? How will my writing interfere with my ability to raise
our children?"

"Our children will not be just ordinary children. They are Darcys
and therefore will require more attention and care from their
mother. My mother did it as well as every Darcy mother before her.
I see no reason why it should be different for you."

Her breath hitched at his elitist, sexist attitude. Where was the
kind, sensitive man she fell in love with? This was the arrogant,
unfeeling man she had met before Jane and Charles's wedding.

"Why should I be the only one sacrificing to raise <b>our</b>
children? That idea is so 1950s. No self-respecting woman would
agree to that. You should know by now that that is not the type of
person I am. And what is your role going to be in raising these
children? Or is just up to me to make sure they turn out right?
Are you going to be one of those fathers that comes home, pats the
kid on the head and then sends them on their way? Will you even try
to learn their names? Or will it be my duty to distinguish them?"
She finished, spitting out the last words in near disgust.

At this sudden onslaught of questions, he struggled to make sense of
all she was throwing at him. Before he could grasp them all, she
was at it again.

"Why are `Darcy' children different from all the rest? They are
kids just as I was, as you were and everyone else was. The only
thing that is different is the parent's bank balance."

By now, William was beginning to get angry. "Well, isn't it the
woman's duty to raise the children? Isn't the man supposed to go
out in the world and `bring home the bacon'? Darcy children are far
above regular children. It is the breeding, the very name that
makes them better!"

"Oh, so you are saying that since I was a normal kid, I am inferior
to you. Simply because my parents drew middle class salaries."

"No, that is not what I said. I thought we moved past that
Elizabeth."

"You may not have said it but you certainly implied it! I should
have known your ideas had not changed. It was simply all a front so
you could get what you wanted."

"Elizabeth, don't be ridiculous. You know that is not true." He
was growing very frustrated. "Why are you acting like this? You
knew this was how it would be when you agreed to marry me!"

"No, I didn't. When I agreed to marry you, I thought I would be
marrying a man who would respect me and not try to erase my identity
for a new one! I will not be a Stepford Wife*!"

"Well, if you feel that way maybe we should not get married."

She was shocked that he would even suggest such a thing. This could
be worked out. `No, you know that is not true Lizzy! He will
always be a demanding, controlling jackass!' "Maybe we shouldn't.
Its obvious we are not going to work this out."

He fell back in the chair. He had not meant it. It was only said
in frustration. Finally, his temper got the best of him and he knew
he had to get out of there and cool off before it got worse. He
stood up to leave. "I am not going to argue about this right now.
I am going to the office. We will <b>discuss</b> this later." With
that, he left.

Lizzy sat there stunned. `How did this happen? Why did they get so
worked up so fast?' Then she decided it really did not matter. He
had never changed. He never would. She could not marry a man who
thought so little of her. As the tears welled up in her eyes, she
made a decision.

She had to leave. For good.</i>

She shuddered as she choked back the sobs that threatened to
overtake her body. The memory of their fight brought back too much
pain too fast. Looking over to her passenger seat, she noticed the
prescription the doctor had given to her. It reminded her of what
she had decided to do in the first place. She had to contact
William and tell him the news. Now was as good a time as any.

Her news only reminded her of when they first became a couple. They
had met three months before Jane and Charles' wedding. Many had
commented that it must have been love at first sight for William and
Lizzy. She laughed at the possibility that it might have happened
for him that way, but certainly not for her. Sure, she thought he
was handsome but that was before he opened his mouth. The first
words out of his mouth were nothing but arrogant dribble, which he
later admitted were false. He never thought her `tolerable',
rather, he thought her the most beautiful woman of his
acquaintance.

Lizzy however, having no knowledge of his true thoughts, despised
him with a passion especially after George Wickham filled her head
with his malicious lies. George was the son of the store manager of
Darcy and Son's Lambton store. William's father had been good
friends with Robert Wickham and looked after George nearly like he
was his own son. Because they grew up nearly as brothers, William
was especially saddened to learn the truth about George's character
in high school. The behavior he showed only increased after the
death of Mr. Darcy soon after William's graduation from SMU**. In
Mr. Darcy's will, George was left a small amount of money, not the
manager position he was expecting. George of course, blamed William
for his `misfortune' and silently vowed revenge. Revenge he had yet
to take.

<i>"Char, what do you think of this book? It should help me with my
story," Lizzy asked holding up a book on the regency era.

Charlotte leaned over to look. "Yeah, it looks like it might. Hey,
the man on the cover looks a bit like William Darcy, don't you
think," she asked.

Lizzy looked at it carefully. "Yes, they both look like arrogant
pricks."

An eager associate of the bookstore unfortunately overheard her easy
comment.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear you remark about Mr.
Darcy. Are you very familiar with him?" The man was about thirty,
slightly good looking.

Lizzy did not hesitate before answering, failing to note the
predatory glint in the stranger's eye. "Oh no, he is definitely no
friend of mine. I can't imagine anyone wanting to be a friend to
him."

The man held out his hand. "I'm George Wickham. I have known
William since childhood."

Lizzy looked contrite. "I am sorry. I didn't realize that you were
friends."

"Oh, we used to be but not anymore. Listen, I have to finish off
this shift but would you like to meet for coffee or something later?"

Charlotte attempted to gain Lizzy's attention but held no success as
Lizzy was delighted to find a fellow participant in the Anti-William
Darcy Society in this charming stranger.

"Sure, my friend Charlotte and I are just doing some research for my
book. What time are you off?"

"Four. How about we meet at the coffee shop around the corner about
four-thirty?"

Charlotte interrupted before Lizzy could agree to go off with the
stranger alone. "That sounds great. <b>We</b> will meet you
there." She thought she noticed that the man looked slightly sorry
it would not be Lizzy alone.

"That sounds great. See you then," he said before he went back to
the cashier's desk.

Later that afternoon, when they met for coffee, George told Lizzy
his sob story concerning his ill treatment at the hands of William.
According to George, after the elder Mr. Darcy's death, William had
refused to honor the will and give him the manager position his
father once held. Instead, all he received was a paltry sum of
money and a lowly job as a late night cashier. He then went on to
tell, how he left on principle after discovering rumors that several
female employees had accused William of sexual harassment.

Of course, Lizzy was quick to believe the easy words of George. It
just fit with her perception of William. After George had left, she
wasted no time in dissing William to Char.

"See, I always knew he was like that. I finally have justifiable
proof," she said excitedly.

Charlotte was more skeptical. "Lizzy, you have only just met this
man. How do you know he is being truthful? The truth could be
something completely different."

"Oh come on Char! George is completely honest. Just look at his
friendly face."

"Lizzy we have to go. Why don't we talk about this later?"</i>

One day, two weeks before the wedding, after spotting Lizzy with
George at a coffee shop, William took her aside and told her the
truth about George. At first, she had not wanted to believe him.
However, after reviewing her conversation with George, she realized
he had revealed too much too fast. Looking back, she saw no reason
why he should have done that. Except one. He must have perceived
her attraction (it was there no matter how much she tried to fight
it) to William and his to her. She had been just another pawn to
hurt William. How could she have been so foolish as to believe him?

They did not see each other for these next week until the rehearsal
dinner at Pemberley, William's ranch near Lambton just outside of
Dallas. Their meeting was something out of a regency novel. Lizzy
was admiring the grounds by the stables with her Aunt and Uncle
Gardiner, when William walked around the corner of one of the
buildings. He had just arrived from the city and was making his way
to the main house when he lifted his eyes to see Lizzy staring at
him in shock. He wasn't supposed to be there until the next day.
One smile later and their hearts were set. They had been together
ever since.

Lizzy smiled at the memory of their reunion and the days spent
learning about each other, becoming a couple. It had been the
happiest time of her life…up until their fight.

Across the street at Eddie's, William sat at their table remembering
those awful moments after their fight. He had been too consumed
with rage to stay and continue the conversation. Their anger had
escalated too fast for him to handle. On his way back to the
office, he thought about what had started the argument. His
knuckles grew white as he tightly gripped the steering wheel.
Catherine, it had all been Catherine. He had never let her run his
life before but he had just let her idiotic ideas overtake him and
possibly ruin the best thing that had ever happened to him. Why had
he acted like that? He did not believe that Lizzy had to sacrifice
who she was to raise their children. What had made him react that
way?

Then it hit him. It was that abominable family pride that he
thought he had curbed. Instead, it had lurked underneath the
surface waiting to be unleashed. The car jerked as he hit the wheel
and swore. Gaining control of the car, he steadied his breath. He
knew what he had to do. He had to return to Lizzy and beg for
forgiveness. Hopefully she would forgive his momentary lapse of
stupidity. However, he knew he could not go back yet. Lizzy's
temper was no doubt still in full steam. No, it would be best to
wait a few hours and let her cool off. Yes, that is what he would
do.

Of course, she had not been home when he had returned and the
nightmare had begun. <i>Nightmare indeed,</i> he thought. No
longer able to bear the crushing weight of his thoughts, he turned
his attention to the sidewalk.

Back at her car, Lizzy was trying to force herself out of the
vehicle. <i>It is now or never,<i> she thought. Taking two deep
breaths, she opened the door and got out. She walked over to the
restaurant but at the last moment, she panicked and walked past
him. However, she did not get very far before he saw her.

"Lizzy!"

*A novel and two movie adaptations, the most recent starring Nicole
Kidman. The story involves the men of Stepford replacing their
wives with compliant domestic sex robots and one woman's attempt to
escape that fate.

**Southern Methodist University. A private university in Dallas,
Texas.

Chapter 3

"Will…um…I…how?" The words formed on her tongue
yet she could not speak. Like a recurring nightmare, the memory of
their fight still played in her mind.

Gaining his nerve and his voice, William spoke tentatively. "How
are you?"

"Um, I'm good… and you?"

"As well as can be expected I guess." The clatter of
silverware reminded William of where they were and impatient to
create any type of contact with her, asked. "Have you had lunch
yet?" She shook her head. "Would you care to join me?"

"Um, sure."

"Excellent, I'm just over here at our… usual table,"
he said sheepishly as he led her to the table. Unable to resist
touching her, he lightly placed his hand on her back.

They sat in contemplative silence. Both wanting to speak, yet at
the same time not wanting to risk upsetting the other. Finally,
William took the initiative.

"I'm really glad to see you, Lizzy. I've missed you so
much."

She couldn't speak. Not that she was upset to hear this. She
just didn't know how to respond. Her heart was still fluttering
fiercely, since she wasn't able to get past the restaurant
without discovery. She was however, saved from fashioning a reply
by the waiter who came to take their orders.

William's eyes grew wide as she ordered a deluxe cheeseburger
with fries instead of her usual Caesar salad. He ordered his
regular roast beef club. "Well," he said, "you've
always had
a healthy appetite."

She smiled, "Yes, but you've never complained before."

Inwardly he cheered for making her smile. [i]Maybe she's not
angry anymore.[/i] "It's not a complaint. You know how I
feel about your curves." [i]Don't push it man![/i]

"Well, you might see more of them soon," she mumbled and then
blushed after realizing she had spoken out loud.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

Confused by her furtive responses yet encouraged that she joined him
for lunch and of course her smile, he made the decision to attempt
to turn the conversation to their recent troubles. He wished he
could be sure of her response though. Risking it anyway, he pushed
ahead.

"Lizzy…I want to apologize for what I said and the way I
behaved that day. I should have defended you, not my aunt."

Shocked that he apologized but nonetheless grateful, she offered her
own apology. "I'm sorry too, Will. I never meant for
something so…
so easily solved or at least easy to discuss, to blow up into such
an inferno. But she is your family; you should support her and what
she says."

He shook his head intensely. "No, you're going to be my
wife. You
will be my nearest and dearest relation and your opinions will
always take precedence over hers." He stopped and lowered his
head as if forming his thoughts into words. "I didn't mean
what I said. I don't believe you should stop doing what you love
in
order to raise our children. I was angry and therefore stupid. I
wasn't thinking and didn't listen to what I was saying. It
isn't
what I really believe. I realized what I had done before I came
home and found you gone."

"But…"

"No, buts," he grabbed her hands. "You are the most
important person in the world to me. I don't want to lose
you." His voice cracked with emotion. "I know I can't
offer enough
apologies to make it up to you. But I can promise you though that
if you find it in your heart to forgive my thoughtlessness and
choose to give me another chance, I will spend the rest of my life
trying to make it up to you and make myself worthy of that
forgiveness."

"Oh, Will." She sniffed, barely able to contain her
emotions. The
waiter suddenly appeared with their lunch. To keep from making a
scene, she began eating, forcing William into an uncomfortable
silence therefore delaying their conversation.

The closer she got to finishing her meal, the more nervous she
became. The closer he got, the more determined he became to take
her home to finish talking. When their plates were cleared William
spoke.

"Lizzy, I really would like to talk some more. Can we… I
mean,
would it be alright with you if we go somewhere more private
to talk?"

Lizzy looked at her hands and took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, I would like to talk more. I think some privacy would be
best."

"How about home? I'll call into work and take the rest of
the afternoon off."

"Well, if you are sure."

"Lizzy, nothing is more important than you." He pulled out
his phone and dialed the office. "Margaret, something important
has come up so I need you to reschedule everything for this
afternoon. Yes. Okay. That's great, see you Monday." He
turned
to Lizzy. "Ready to go? Where are you parked?"

"Just down the road. I'll meet you at the house."

"May I walk you to your car?"

Not in a mind to argue, Lizzy agreed. [i]Let him walk me if he
wants.[/i]

When they reached her car, William turned to her and quickly kissed
her cheek. "I'll see you in a minute," he whispered
before walking
towards his car.

On the way home, Lizzy took the opportunity to decide how to tell
him. Should she just come out and say it? On the other hand,
should she go about it slowly? Will he be shocked? Or angry? Or
disappointed? [i]Stop it Lizzy! When the moment comes, decide then!
[/i]

When she reached the property, she went through the large iron
Pemberley gates. The long curved drive took her through groves of
centuries old trees until she came into the clearing and saw a sight
that still continued to astound her. There stood Pemberley in all
its glory, stately and elegant before a lovely large pond. To think
she lived there… or rather she hoped she still lived there.

Out of habit, she parked in the garage and was halfway to the living
room before she realized she had let herself in. Upon reaching the
house, William smiled as he saw her car parked beside his. [i]Good,
maybe it will stay there.[/i]

When she heard the door open, Lizzy stood up and began pacing. [i]
You can do this. Just breathe. In and out. Come on girl, get a
grip![/i]

"You know, you'll make an excellent Darcy. You already have
the basic mannerism down," he said entering the large room. Then
remembering what Charles said, he spoke again. "Lizzy, Charles
said that you went to the doctor last week and you had some tests
run. He didn't know why. Will you tell me please? I've been
out of my mind with worry," he said with genuine concern.

"Yes, I will. Would you please sit down?" she asked
nervously.

He nodded as he sat down on the large leather sofa.

"A few days after I…left, I noticed I had missed my period.
At the time, I didn't think much of it. I just attributed it to
all the stress I had been under because of our fight. I also began
to feel fatigued often as well as nauseated." She stopped to see
if
any of this was registering with him. His face was blank.

"My nausea became more frequent in the mornings." She looked
again. Nothing. I decided to talk to Jane and we both agreed to
what was wrong. I went to the store and purchased a test, well I
bought a few of them actually. They were all positive."

As she sat down in a chair, William became impatient. He rushed to
her side and knelt in front of her as he grabbed her hands.

"Positive for what?"

She looked at him queerly. "You seriously don't know?"
He shook his head. She began to giggle. [i]He really is clueless.
[/i] Then she sobered.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

She couldn't make herself meet his eyes. If she had, she would
have seen a look of confusion, then surprise, and finally heartfelt
delight cross his face in a matter of seconds. Sensing her shyness,
he put a finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. The love
contained in those brown depths was undeniable.

"Oh love. A baby, we are going to have a baby?" It sounded
more like a question than a statement.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded her head and smiled. He smiled
his full dimpled smile as he hesitantly placed his hand on her
abdomen.

"Right there?" he asked.

"Yes, right there," she answered placing her hand over his.

"Oh, Lizzy!" He pulled her into a passionate embrace.
Capturing her lips with his, he gently nibbled, tasting their
sweetness. Seeking entrance, his tongue softly traced her bee-stung
lips. When her mouth opened in acceptance, he tenderly explored
what was now open to him. When they both required air, he pulled
away and caressed the side of her face while staring into her
expressive green eyes. "You must think me a perfect idiot. I
had no clue. When Charles said you went to the doctor, I assumed
the worst. I never imagined something so… so wonderful. I
don't
know how else to describe it."

"Well, I thought that you being an educated man, you would
recognize the symptoms. Did you miss sex ed in prep school?" He
blushed. [i]Why miss an opportunity to tease him?[/i] "I confess
I realized what it was the second week I was gone, or rather, I
hoped what it was. That's why I bought the tests. I then went
to
the doctor to confirm the home pregnancy tests and to get the
vitamins."

"How far along are you?"

"The doctor said about 8 or 9 weeks. I went to the same doctor
as Jane."

He leaned his forehead against hers as he whispered. "I am so
happy. I love you so much, Lizzy." He turned serious.
"Please
don't go. I need you so very much."

"I love you too. I'll never leave you again."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

William leaned down to place a tender kiss her abdomen and laid his
head against her stomach. Suddenly, he realized they now had a
timing problem.

"Great. We have loads to do now. We have to move the wedding
up. We have to get the nursery ready. We need to get your things.
By the way where were you staying?"

She smiled at his eagerness. "I was at Chuck's house on the
lake."

His eyes widened. "So that's what he meant by look out your
window."

"What?" She looked utterly confused.

"Bings wouldn't tell me where you were. He just said,
`Sometimes you have to look out your window.' He wanted me
to look
out my window, see Lake Grapevine in the distance and think of his
lake house. I can't believe I missed that." He thought for
a
moment. "Do we need to get your things?"

"No, I had planned on moving to Netherfield with Jane and
Charles, so I have everything in my car."

He smiled, overflowing with happiness. "Wow, I can't get
over it. We're going to have a baby. Have you told anyone?"

"Just Jane. I thought that the father ought to be one of the
first to know."

He grinned. "Do you want to tell anyone?"

"Well, since I'm so early in the pregnancy, I think we should
wait a little while longer. I had really hoped we would be married
before we told anyone."

His face brightened even more. "I would marry you tomorrow if
you want."

"Well, maybe not that soon. But maybe sometime within the next
month or so. It would not be too scandalous to [i]my[/i] mother
since we have been engaged for three months."

He thought for a moment. "Today is September 24. Why don't
we plan on the end of next month? It'll give us a month to plan
and you won't be showing much, will you? Then we could wait until
after the honeymoon before we tell everyone."

"Honeymoon? Let's make it somewhere cold. That way I
don't have to worry about swim wear. I will have a pudge by
then."

"Nonsense. You will be beautiful no matter how big you get.
Besides, we'll go somewhere private where no one can disturb us.
Anyway, we'll decide that later. Right now we have a wedding to
plan."

At that moment, the phone rang. William crossed the room to answer
it. At hearing the caller's voice, his face first expressed
astonishment, then settled into his customary mask of indifference.

"Aunt Catherine, what a surprise."

Chapter 4

After what seemed like an eternity, William ended the conversation.
Lizzy's curiosity had been instantly piqued at the mention of his
aunt's name. <i>What could she possibly want now? She's
already
split us up once</i>, Lizzy gulped and winced, <i>hopefully not
forever. She can't possibly have found more faults to the
already
long list that she had already enumerated.</i>

As he slowly walked back toward the couch, he looked like he was
deep in thought, almost as if he was weighing the best way around a
difficult matter.

"Well," she asked.

"Well what?" he hedged.

Lizzy grew impatient. "What did she want?"

William smirked. "She wanted to offer her services to help us
plan
the wedding again." He shook his head, smiling.

"Why would she want to do that? She's never approved of our
marriage in the first place."

"True, but she doesn't want her great niece or nephew to be
labeled
a bastard."

Lizzy's eyes grew wide in shock. "How does she know about
the
baby? I haven't told anyone."

"Evidently, she had someone keeping a close eye on you this last
month, or at least when you were in town." Lizzy rolled her eyes
in
disgust. "Yes, I know," William said. "I will speak
with her to
ensure it doesn't happen again." His jaw tightened as he
spoke. "Apparently, he somehow found out why you went to the
doctor
and reported to her immediately like the dutiful schmuck he is. She
offered the use of her `personal' clergyman for the
ceremony."

"Oh."

He looked at her in surprise. "That's it? No righteous
indignation?"

"Well, what do you want me to say? I would never have expected
less
from her especially now that I'm carrying the Darcy heir. Of
course, she's going to sing a different tune. Although I'm
surprised she didn't try to label me a scheming gold-digger."

"Oh, she did. I advised her it would not be favorable for her to
repeat that word ever again." He paused. "She just
doesn't want
any possible blemish on the Darcy name. However, as I told her, you
and I are the only ones in the future that will handle the welfare
and make all decisions for the Darcy family."

"Well, what are we going to do?" Lizzy asked.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"It depends on whether or not you want her involved in our
wedding.
I know you weren't particularly thrilled that she was involved at
all. I realized a little too late that you only agreed to it to
make me happy and I will not put you through that again. You
don't
need the added stress she would bring."

Lizzy thought for a moment. "Truthfully, I would like for just
the
two of us to plan it this time. We don't need some big,
elaborate
ordeal. We both want it simple and understated."

"You know she won't be satisfied unless she gets to make her
share
of the decisions," he said regretfully.

"She won't be happy unless you marry someone she has picked
out for
you. But since that's not ever going to happen, why don't we
offer
her something else? Perhaps she could plan the reception with my
mother." She watched him raise a puzzled brow. "Don't
look at me
like that. You know my mother will also demand a say in something.
We won't have any peace unless she does. And forcing Catherine
to
work with my mother will be a fit punishment for her creating this
mess in the first place."

William thought for a moment. "You're right. We'll
definitely need
peace, especially you. Moreover, Aunt Catherine should be punished
for her interference." He sighed deeply, "I'll call her
in the
morning."

Suddenly, William heard a low rumble coming from Elizabeth's
midsection. When he looked at her, he couldn't help but laugh at
the sheepish expression on her face. "Hungry?" he asked.

Blushing, she nodded a definite yes.

He wondered if she was having those peculiar food cravings that he
had always heard expectant fathers talk about. "What would you
like?" he asked anxiously.

She thought for a moment. "Um, I think I would really like some
pizza from Ralphie's."

<i>Nothing too strange… yet.</i> He wondered if he would have to
have Mrs. Reynolds stock the pantry with bizarre things or if he
would have to prepare odd combinations of ice cream and pickles for
their late night snacks. "What kind of pizza would you like?"

"Oh, I would really love a pepperoni."

As William went to order the pizza, the added responsibilities that
would soon be his started to weigh so heavily in his thoughts that
it made him dizzy with fear. Was he ready for fatherhood? Would he
be a good father? Perhaps now was not the best time to think about
it.

When he made it back to Lizzy, he found her with a silly grin on her
face. Curious he asked, "And what amuses you so my dear?"

She giggled. "I was just thinking that one good thing about this
pregnancy is I can eat pretty much whatever I want and you must
indulge my every whim."

He laughed and kissed her soundly. "A task I will gladly
undertake. You won't want for anything if I can help it."

"I should probably call Jane to let her know where I am. I
don't
want Charles on my case for making my sister worry," Lizzy said
mockingly.

William laughed as he went to get the phone for Lizzy. While she
was talking to her sister, William went down to his study to look at
the mail Mrs. Reynolds had left for him. As he sat down at his
large antique desk, he looked up at the face of his great
grandfather. Throughout his life, he had always been drawn to this
portrait, though he had no memories of the real man.

"Am I ready for this?" he suddenly asked the portrait.

"Am I ready to be a husband, let alone a father? Can I handle
this
awesome responsibility? Can I be strong for her? Be there for
her? Protect her? Can I really do all of this?"

The portrait stared back at him, giving no answers to his
questions. Placing his head in his hands, he sighed. "I
can't
screw this up. I won't screw this up."

Raising his head, he looked at the portrait again. "How did you
do
it? Were you scared as well? Did you have doubts?"

<i>Trust in yourself.</i>

He jumped. "Lizzy?" He looked around, but she wasn't in
the room.
Puzzled, he sat back down. "I'm making myself crazy,
worrying about
this. But what else am I supposed to do? I can't let Lizzy know
I
have doubts about this. She doesn't need to hear that."

<i>Trust in her.</i>

He could have sworn the voice came from somewhere near the
portrait. Could it be his great-grandfather? No, that was
impossible. It had to be in his head. He eyed the portrait again.
<i>Trust in yourself, trust in her. Trust in your love for each
other.</i> As if a light went off in his head, he understood. Yes,
this was going to be hard and scary. It was going to be new. There
were going to be difficult times. But as long as he trusted in
himself and most importantly trusted in Lizzy and their love,
everything would be fine. They would be okay.

He smiled.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

When he returned to the living room, Lizzy had just finished her
conversation with her sister. Jane was overjoyed that Lizzy was
home and had told William her news. She was also given permission
to tell Charles, and only Charles the news.

When the pizza arrived, they opted to forgo both the formal and
casual dining areas and ate while relaxing in the master bedroom.
Lizzy immediately dove in. Or at least she tried to. William
grabbed her hand before she could reach a slice. She looked at him
queerly.

"There's no need for you to do that. Here, let me." He
then
proceeded to take a slice and carefully cut it into bite size pieces
as one would do for a child. <i>What on earth is he doing that
for? I can feed myself or at least I could last time I checked.
Where did he get that silverware?</i>

"What are you doing? I'm pregnant, not impaired William."

He looked at her like she was crazy and then continued to cut her
slices.

When she reached for the plate in order to eat, he again stopped her
hand. "No, let me feed you." <i>What?! What is wrong with
him?</i>

Instead of using the fork to feed her as she expected him to do, he
picked up the bite size piece of pizza and carefully placed it into
her open mouth. A bit of tangy tomato sauce clung to her lips as
she swallowed and he watched her pert tongue slowly lick her upper
lip clean. His own mouth watered in anticipation and his breath
hitched but he struggled to regain his composure before she noticed.

That was not likely as her eyes were trained on his handsome visage,
watching his every move. Inwardly she smiled. She was going to
make him go crazy with desire.

As if to begin her seduction, she opened her mouth slowly, awaiting
the next bite. William forced those wildly running erotic thoughts
out of his head at the sight of her parted lips and placed the next
bite in her mouth. Carefully he watched her, not wanting to miss a
minute. When she was done he found another piece and slowly put it
in her eager mouth.

"William, the doctor said I could continue with all the
activities
of my daily life," she said with a tinge of exasperation.

Startled, for a moment, all he could do was look at her. Taking
advantage of his surprise, she quickly pulled his finger in her
mouth. Slowly drawing it in and out, her tongue caressing every
inch of his finger.

"All activities, Lizzy?" he asked pointedly, with a slight
leer
gracing his face.

Nodding she reached up to unbutton his shirt. "Right up until
the
eighth month."

Staring at her intently, he weighed his options.

"What?" she asked.

"You are absolutely beautiful. Do you realize that you have this
light about you?

She reddened. "Even more so when you blush." He thought for
a
moment and decided to act. "Are you blushing again? Hmm,
I'll have
to investigate further."

Lizzy screamed as he lunged toward her, intent on discovering
whether all of her was a delicious shade of crimson. To his delight
she was. This discovery led to an eager exploration by William of
her body. Before she knew it, he had most of her clothing off.

"Sir, if I may ask, why do you feel the need to explore my body
now? It's the same as it was before only slightly swollen."

William ceased his ministrations and looked up at her through the
valley of her breasts as he laid his head gently on her bare
stomach. "That's exactly why I must do it. Your body is
changing
and I want to experience those changes along with you in every way I
can."

Lizzy's eyes filled with tears as she tried to form a coherent
response. <i>Can he say anything more perfect</i>, she thought.
"I
don't know what to say." She reached down to cup his cheek.
"That
is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

As the tears began to fall, he gathered her in his arms and held her
tightly. He didn't know whether the tears were of happiness or
relief. It really didn't matter. He was going to hold her as
long
as she needed him.

Her raging pregnancy enhanced hormones aside, Lizzy struggled to
make sense of what she was feeling and why she was feeling it. She
had missed him so much while they were apart. Adding to that fact,
she found herself even more in love with him than she had ever
possibly imagined. Now that they were together again it all was a
bit overwhelming. Crying seemed like the natural thing to do. It
was the only thing she could do.

If they had not had this short separation would she love him this
much? Would the desire she felt consume her as it did? Would she
ever react like a normal person again? Holding him tighter, she
tried to calm herself and act more like the woman she once was.

As her sobs subsided, William continued to stroke her hair as he
spoke softly. "I know this isn't going to be easy for you
but I
want you to know that I'm going to be there for you and the baby
every step of the way. If you need anything, I'll get it for
you."
He paused here but Lizzy could sense that there was more he wanted
to say. "I never realized how dependent I was on your love until
you left. Now that we're having a baby, I know my world; my life
is
completely wrapped in yours forever." He whispered brokenly,
"I
love you so very much."

Lizzy lifted her head to look him in the eye. Taking his face in
her hands, she gently kissed his lips. "You are a wonderful
person. I know you'll be an extraordinary husband and father.
I'm
so lucky to have you with me and I love you more everyday." With
that, she engaged his lips in a kiss that spoke of love and pent up
longing.

While her lips were otherwise engaged, Lizzy let her hands fall down
to urgently unbutton William's shirt. When he felt her hands on
his
chest, he gasped and opened his eyes. "What are you doing?"
he
asked incredulously.

"Since we made a baby together, I would have thought that was
quite
obvious," she said with a hint of archness in her voice.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know what you are doing. Why the
hurry?" he asked.

"Why not? I want you. I know you want me. Besides, don't
you
think your explorations would be carried out better if you were as
bereft of clothing as I am? It only seems fair," she said with a
pout for good measure.

He saw the pout and was nearly drawn in. "Oh God, Lizzy,
it's been
so long. I want to enjoy every second I have pleasuring your
luscious body."

She stopped, stunned by her actions. "Oh, Will I… I'm
sorry. I
didn't think. I guess I just got caught up in the thought of
finally being with you again. I couldn't help myself."

"Don't be sorry. It's just that I have wanted you so
much it
hurts. This last month, I've only gotten by on the memories in
my
head. It wasn't enough. I needed you, not the memory of you. I
want to savor you and the moment again."

She saw that he had been hurt by her departure but before now, the
depth of his pain escaped her. <i>Oh, God. What have I done to him?
</i> She reached for him as the tears began to fall. She wrapped
her arms around his shoulders and held his head to her breast. She
gently rocked him as her tears flowed. Suddenly she felt a wetness
on her breast and looked down to see tears streaming down his
cheeks. He raised his eyes to hers and looked deeply in hers. The
moment they connected, she knew everything would be all right. The
healing process had begun.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I never meant to
hurt you. How
could I have been so selfish? How can you not hate me?"

"Hate you? I could never hate you. I love you. I was put on
this
earth to love you. Forever. No matter what."

He leaned in to kiss her, savoring her luscious lips like it was the
first time. He'd been miserable without her. Now that she was
back, he didn't intend to ever let her go. He couldn't
survive
without her a second time. He broke away from her lips to remove
his clothing. As he stood before her, she gave his body a lingering
once over.

"Like what you see?" He asked when he saw her eyeing his
body with
uncontrolled desire.

"You know I do…stud."

He raised an eyebrow seductively. He crawled across the bed to join
her. When he got within inches of her face, he spoke. "Stud,
eh?
I'll show you what stud means."

"Oh really? I thought you already did." Unable to contain
her
mirth any longer she burst out laughing. Soon after William joined
her in her amusement. When their laughter subsided, they were left
gasping for air.

"Yes, I believe I already have."

"Come here." She crooked her finger. He brought his face to
hers
and gently began nibbling on her lips. That soon evolved into
William gently pulling her lips into his mouth and lightly sucking
on each one. Lizzy couldn't contain her low moans of desire.
Hearing her sounds of pleasure increased his need tenfold. Before
either knew what was happening, William had Lizzy on her back and
was embarking on a siege against her lips.

Hands began desperate searches of bodies. When William's right
hand
reached her slightly curvy abdomen, he froze. Carefully, he placed
his hand where their child growing.

He gently traced circles on her abdomen. Slowly he leaned down and
kissed her stomach, trying to express his love for the new addition
in every way. Lizzy was so taken with this simple display of
emotion; she could not help the single tear that drifted onto her
cheek.

William began a slow, teasing return back up her body, kissing every
inch of her. When he reached her breasts, he carefully placed a
kiss on the stiff peaks before massaging them with his lips. Lizzy
shivered from the sensations his lips caused on her sensitive
breasts. Her pleasure seemed amplified.

After bringing her to one peak, he decided it was time to move
lower. Before he could move, Lizzy grabbed his face and forced his
lips to meet hers. "But…"

"No, I want you now."

Unable to find fault with her request and filled with a desperate
wish to be buried inside her, he quickly placed himself over her.
Slowly, gently he entered her. The sensation of finally being one
again was overwhelming. In order to keep from exploding, William
had to stay still to regain control over his body. Though the urge
to let go was strong, his love for Elizabeth was stronger.

The familiar rhythm she was expecting did not come. Instead, a
slow, easy pace was created. Though she enjoyed it, it was not what
she craved. She placed her hand gently on his hips to guide them to
a faster pace. Suddenly, he found himself on his back as she looked
down at his handsome face. Now in a position of control, she
encouraged the pace to a more satisfying rhythm. If he was
surprised by her boldness, he allowed no more than a glance to
escape.

Her moans soon became deeper and more frequent. Before long, he
could feel her pulsing surround him as she began her wild ride of
pleasure. He looked in wonder as their every movement caused her to
spiral uncontrollably. When she finally came back down, she lifted
her hips slightly to allow him even deeper.

As he began to feel the tension inside him grow, he rolled her back
over and quickened his pace. With each thrust, she edged closer to
her second peak. When she called his name in her final release, he
could not hold back any longer. Seconds after she began, he
followed in a mind-numbing release groaning her name.

Gently he collapsed atop her. He held her close as they regained
their breath. They had made love countless times but it had never
been like that. Nothing could have prepared him for the experience
of loving the mother of his unborn child. His happiness was
complete. He was awakened from his reverie by gentle hands
caressing his face and he looked down into the eyes of an angel. As
cliché as it was, that is how he thought of her. Smiling he
leaned
down to kiss her swollen lips.

At that moment life was perfect.

Chapter 5

"I love you Elizabeth."

Tears welled in her eyes but she fought them back as she said, "I
love you too Will, so much."

Realizing his weight might be oppressive; he rolled to the side and
gathered her in his arms. "I know we haven't said the words
yet but
I do think of you as my wife. I have for a long time. The church
blessing and the marriage license are only things that are lacking.
Other than that, you're my wife in every way." He said
breathlessly.

"And you are my husband. My most beloved husband." He
smiled at
her words and held her tighter.

She thought for a moment then spoke. "Well then, it appears
we've
survived our first marital spat. If this is how we resolve our
fights in the future, I think married life will be quite
enjoyable."

He chuckled at the logic. "That's true but I don't plan
on fighting
with you often. But I do plan on reaping the benefits of making
up." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She chuckled. "Oh, you do, do you? Well, won't those
benefits
depend on my participation? Besides, us not disagreeing often? Is
the sky pink? Do pigs fly?" She shook her head. "I'm
sure you'll
try but you know as well as I do that we're prone
to [b]occasional
[/b] differences of opinion. After all, we spent the first few
months of our acquaintance sparring over everything."

"But that was before you fell in love with me. I had to argue
with
you so you would speak to me. No matter what it took to put me
there, I wanted to be in your presence every minute."

"Well, we certainly fixed our misunderstandings by the wedding,
didn't we? It's hard to believe that in 3 months Jane and
Charles
will have been married a year: they'll be parents and we will be
married. If you think about it, it's a near miracle that we
actually got together; a year ago I didn't like you at all."

"It wasn't your fault though. I made that stupid comment and
that
left you vulnerable to George's poison. I'm just glad I
realized
what was going on and told you the truth before you completely
despised me."

"I hate to think of myself falling for everything he said. It
all
seems so obvious now. He spoke too freely and openly to me after
such a short time. Looking back at it now, I can't see how I
failed
to notice that. I could have missed all of this," she said as
she
placed their entwined hands on her abdomen.

"All that's in the past and this is our future." Slowly,
he stroked
her abdomen. "Nothing and no one will come between us again. I
promise you that." After he said it, he wondered if that was a
promise that life would let him keep.

She smiled and snuggled closer to him and soon she was drifting off
to sleep. Suddenly, a rumbling in his stomach woke her up. She
looked up at him to see his sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I guess I'm the hungry one now."

Shaking her head and laughing, she reached for the pizza box that
had been unceremoniously pushed off the bed in their passion for
each other. She smiled inwardly. [i]Guess we were a little hungry
for other things at the time.[/i]

"Aren't I supposed to have cravings at odd hours of the
night?" she
asked with a crooked smile.

Chuckling slightly he answered, "True, but now that I have these
new
responsibilities I need to keep my strength up." He thumped his
chest in an overly masculine gesture.

Lizzy laughed. "Well, you know, I have heard that some husbands
do
tend to gain as much weight as their pregnant wives."

His eyes widened in shock, the pizza halfway to his mouth.
"You're
joking, right?" Will grimaced and his nose twitched in
repugnance
as if the pizza smelled of stale fish. He slowly lowered the slice
back to the greasy pizza box.

Barely controlling her laughter, she shrugged. "I have no idea
truthfully. But as much time and care as you spend on your body, I
doubt that should be a problem."

Relief washed over his features as he again reached for a
slice. "What about you? You're still going to exercise,
aren't
you? It wouldn't hurt the baby, would it?"

"As long as I don't go overboard and consult the doctor it
shouldn't. I plan to look into one of those pre-natal yoga
classes. Jane attends one and loves it."

"Good, good. Will it help in weight loss after the birth?"

"I don't know. It might help but I don't know for
sure." After
eyeing the pizza for a moment, she reached for a slice.

"Yes, eat up," he said.

"Why? Do you want me to get fat?" She gave into the urge to
tease
him.

"No, of course not. Nevertheless, I do want you to be good and
healthy for the baby. If that means you have to 'get fat' so
be it."

That being said with utmost tenderness, she couldn't help but
smile. "Aww, you're so sweet."

William blushed then inflicted a tease. "Of course, I am. I am
a
Darcy after all and the Darcy men are known for being sweet and
utterly romantic." As he finished, he took another slice of
pizza
and smiled his best boyish smile.

Unable to contain herself, Lizzy fell back on the bed laughing
hysterically. After a few moments of trying to regain her composure
she spoke. "Oh, you are, are you? I never noticed it
before."

He raised an eyebrow at this and calmly spoke, "Well, in that
case,
you will be furthermore subjected to the most sickly sweet displays
of romance ever witnessed. Besides, I think it's very romantic
to
eat cold pizza in bed, still naked after a session of passionate
love making."

He said this so seriously, Lizzy struggled to keep from laughing.
That is until Will started chuckling too. As the pizza was now
gone, they snuggled together and quietly whispered words of love to
each other. Before long, both drifted into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A pair of gorgeous brown eyes watching Lizzy awakened her the next
morning.

"Stop it," she said without opening her eyes.

"I can't help it. You're so beautiful to look at."

She rolled over to face him. "If you put it that way, how can I
deny you the pleasure? Now kiss me, handsome."

Smiling adoringly, he leaned down and slowly kissed her lips. He
shifted his body and she immediately felt his passion pressing
against her leg. "As much as I would love to partake in some
more
of your love, I am afraid I require some nourishment."

Blushing slightly, he urged her to stay in bed while he fixed
breakfast. "Is there anything that you don't want?"

"No eggs. I can't stand the sight of them."

"Oh, I'll be back in a few."

Smiling slightly she laid back and reached for the remote. If she
was getting breakfast in bed, she was going to enjoy it.
Unfortunately, as she laid back, she visualized eggs; scrambled,
eggs fried, eggs poached, soft boiled, hard-boiled, deviled. Even
knowing she wasn't going to eat them, she couldn't contain
the wave
of nausea that suddenly overcame her. By now, quite familiar with
this feeling, she raced to the bathroom, her hand covering her mouth
the entire way. When she was finished, she brushed her teeth and
quickly cleaned up a bit. This was one aspect of the pregnancy she
wasn't ready to share with Will just yet.

When he came back, Lizzy, though over the bout of morning sickness,
cautiously began nibbling on the fruits and pastries that Mrs.
Reynold had left in the pantry.

After finishing a pastry and reaching for some strawberries, she
noticed he was watching her again.

"You know, you really must stop that," she said as she bit
into a
strawberry.

"Stop what?" he asked.

"Staring."

"Staring?"

"Yes, staring. You've always done that. No wonder I once
thought
you disliked me. I thought you were only looking to find fault with
me."

"Fault with you?! I couldn't help but look at you. You
were, are
gorgeous."´ Again, she blushed at this. "I was drawn to you
like a
bee to a flower. There was no fighting it."´

"When did you know that you were in love with me?"

"Lizzy, you know this."

"I know, but indulge a pregnant woman."

He looked at her in mock annoyance. "Maybe I should just write
this
down so you won't bug me about it so often."

She pouted. Unable to continue his teasing, he turned serious.

"I can't remember the exact day or hour when it began but the
realization hit me full force at Charles's party."

"The engagement party?" She asked.

"No, the Halloween party. I had wanted so badly to ask you out
for
a long time but I was just scared you would turn me down. But when
you questioned me about George a few weeks before the wedding at the
Christmas party, I realized you believed his lies and didn't
think
kindly of me. I didn't realize how much, until I saw you and
Charlotte with him at that coffee shop two days later."

She inwardly cringed. That was the second time she had met with
George. [i]Thank goodness Char was there again. Who knows what may
have happened otherwise.[/i] "Why didn't you tell me that
day?"

"I wanted to, but I thought it would be better to do it in
private.
A week before the wedding rehearsal, I saw you in Lambton and I
followed you, intending to ask you to a private meeting but then I
saw you meet George and I immediately called Charles. He found some
last minute errand that we both could be involved in and the rest is
history. I was never more grateful to my best friend than at that
moment."

"A very nice history indeed."

"You know, you've never told me when you fell in love with
me."

"I believe I was in love with you all along but didn't know
it."
Slightly taken aback by this revelation, he raised his
eyebrows. "After you told me the truth, I realized the feeling I
thought was dislike, was actually love. I was just too blinded by
hurt from your comment and so stubborn in maintaining that hurt that
I misunderstood my feelings."

"Yes, well I was a fool."

"Yes, you were."

"Hey!" He reached for a pillow and threw it at her.

Laughing, she reached for a pillow and began to hit him. Even
though he joined her, he refused to hit her hard, knowing her
delicate condition. So Lizzy easily won, as she harbored no doubts
about his delicacy or rather his lack thereof.

~~~~~~~~~~

Later that morning, William finally worked up the nerve to call his
aunt. He knew that politely refusing her help in planning the
wedding would not go over well and hoped she would heed his strongly
worded suggestion and temper her reaction.

"Hello, Catherine de Bourgh speaking."

"Aunt Catherine, this is William."

"And what is your decision, Fitzwilliam?"

He cringed at the use of his full name. "As much as we
appreciate
your offer of assistance, we would like to plan the wedding
ourselves." He waited nervously.

"I see," she said shortly.

"However, we would like for you to help plan the reception with
Mrs.
Bennet." He quickly added.

"You want me to associate myself with such low-born country
upsta..."

"Aunt," William said threateningly.

"Well, if that's what I have to do to be part of your
wedding, so be
it. Just don't expect me to like it."

"I would never presume to do so. I will call you later to
arrange a
meeting."

"Goodbye, Fitzwilliam."

"Goodbye, Aunt Catherine."

Lizzy walked into the room as he hung up the phone. The relief on
his face was apparent.

"How did she take it?" She asked.

"Better than I expected. But I do think we should be at all
meetings between your mother and her. Just to keep Catherine from
strangling your mother."

€"And stopping my mother from brown-nosing you aunt to death. I
hope
that mother won't bring Lydia with her. I doubt your aunt will
take
too well to my mother's dog."

"Maybe we should call your mom and set up a meeting."

She sighed. "I guess you"re right. Hand me the phone. We
might as
well get this over with."

When she got off the phone an hour later, her ears were ringing from
the combined sounds of her mother's shrill voice and Lydia's
high-
pitched barks. As was expected, Mrs. Bennet was thrilled to be
planning 'such a joyous occasion with such a wealthy person.'


Lizzy sighed as she thought of the meeting that was to take place on
Tuesday. Catherine would not react well to her mother and Mrs.
Bennet would be oblivious as ever. This was not going to be fun.

~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday found William and Lizzy at the Hilton DFW Lakes Boardroom
Patio restaurant, listening to Mrs. Bennet go on and on about how
wonderful it was that Lizzy and William had finally set a date.

"You know October -- is much too soon. You must push it back
so we
can plan a much bigger wedding. Oh! Why not a Christmas wedding?
We could have Christmas trees, holly, [i]mistletoe[/i]." She
wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Your colors could be red and
green of course. Kitty would look just lovely in a red bridesmaid
gown. Lydia could have the cutest little matching gown. You could
weave green and red silk through your hair, Lizzy. William, you
don't want such a small wedding do you?"

He opened his mouth to speak but she continued on without paying him
a bit of mind.

"And to save money, William, you could have a combination
reception
and Christmas party for your staff and business associates. That
way no one would be offended by not getting an invitation to the
wedding. You would like that wouldn't you, William dear?"

"Actually mother, he doesn't like that idea. And neither do
I.
Besides, you're not planning the wedding. We are. You're
here
because you're going to help us along with William's Aunt
Catherine
in planning the reception."

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, Lizzy. Still I think you should
increase
the guest list by at least a hundred. William must have so many
business associates that must be invited."

"Actually, Mrs. Bennet, I want this to be a simple wedding
consisting only of family and close friends. There will be no more
than 100 people at this wedding. Ah, here is Aunt Catherine. Now
we can get down to business."

Catherine approached with her trademark scowl on her face. [i]Oh,
yes, this was going to be very pleasant[/i], thought Lizzy.

William stood to greet his aunt. "Aunt Catherine, thank you
for
coming."

"Of course, Fitzwilliam. It is what your poor, dear mother
would
have wanted me to do. As I have told you before, since I lost my
poor Anne when she was so young, I helped your mother plan our dream
wedding for you since you were knee high to a grasshopper. However,
since you have refused my assistance in planning the wedding, I
shall have to settle for this." She said brusquely.

He reluctantly introduced his aunt to Mrs. Bennet, who was
surprisingly too much in awe of such an impressive person to utter
more than a few words.

With their last conversation in mind, Lizzy attempted to remain
civil to the one person who had nearly been the means of separating
them. "Mrs. de Bourgh, what do you have in mind for a
location
of
the reception?"

"Why the Crescent Hotel Gallery Ballroom*, of course.
It's
where
anyone who is anyone has their wedding...reception."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be lovely."

William looked at Lizzy oddly, surprised that she would agree so
quickly to someone she despised.

Suddenly, Lizzy felt something move against her leg. Looking down
casually, she saw her mother's large handbag. She calls
that a
handbag? Looks more like a suitcase to me. Peering inside, she
silently gasped at what she found. There in all her prissy glory
was Lydia, her mother's Chinese pug. [i]God, why did she
bring
that
mutt? Is she just trying to embarrass me?[/i]

Casually she leaned over to her mother, politely interrupting her
conversation, not that Catherine seemed to mind.
"Mother,"
she
whispered. "Why did you bring her?"

"Who?" Mrs. Bennet answered.

"Lydia," Lizzy hissed.

"Oh, she didn't want to be left alone, so I brought
her."

"Keep an eye her, Mother. I don't want her to ruin
this."

"Oh, Lizzy, don't fuss so. Really dear, nothing
will
happen."

Yeah right. Nothing ever happens when Lydia is around.

Turning her attention back to the conversation. She heard William
and Catherine discussing wedding cakes. William turned to Lizzy to
get her input.

"What do you think Lizzy of these cakes? They're
from a book
Aunt
Catherine brought."

She opened the book to a silk bookmarked page. The cake on the page
was obviously Catherine's choice. It was seven layer six
foot
tall
concoction with marzipan flowers, ribbons, and lace. Quickly
turning the page, she ignored the obvious suggestion. Lizzy browsed
until she was taken by one cake in particular. It was a five-tiered
white cake with an intricate transfer ware design done in chocolate
surrounding each layer. She checked where the cake design came
from. [i]Martha Stewart. I should have known. They are both bossy
and controlling.[/i] She looked at William. "This one.
It's
perfect."

He leaned over to look at the picture. Smiling he replied.
"That
was my favorite too. It really is perfect."

"Lizzy you must have a large wedding. It simply will not do
to
have
William married in such a simple ceremony. By marrying into such a
wealthy family, you must show off." Mrs. Bennet said.

Catching the look of distaste in Catherine's eyes, Lizzy was
quick
to react. "Mother, we are here to plan the reception not
the
wedding. William and I will take care of that. For now, all you
and Catherine need to concentrate on is the reception. Nothing
else. Is that clear?"

"Oh yes dear. Fine, have it your way. But mark my
words..."

"Mrs. Bennet, have you given any thought to the menu for the
reception?" Catherine interrupted, surprising both Lizzy
and
William.

Flustered that such an important person was addressing her
personally she stuttered for a moment. "Um...I...well...no. I was
hoping
we could discuss the options here."

"The Crescent has a wonderful catering department that can
easily
customize their menu to fit the tastes of William and...
Elizabeth.
What would you prefer William?"

He looked to Lizzy, both noting the slight made to her.
"Well,
I
know we would prefer something simple. Maybe Italian?"

"You cannot have Italian. It's much too ethnic for
a Darcy
wedding. I think French would be an excellent choice for the
menu," Catherine said with a decidedly haughty tone.

"Oh, no you just can't have French or Italian.
French
cuisine
relies too much on animals that live in dirt. Those rich sauces
will not help my two younger daughters with their figures since they
need to gain the attention of wealthy men as well. Besides Lizzy
will be wearing white. Those sauces could easily stain the
dress."
She turned to Lizzy. "You will be wearing white
won't you
Lizzy?"
Her mother asked.

Mouth gaping, Lizzy sat there for a moment stunned. Not sure how to
answer, she mumbled gritted teeth, "Of course,
Mother."

"Yes well, no matter what the circumstances of the wedding,
the
bride must wear white. It is simply not done to wear any other
color. Only the lower circles select inappropriate colors."
Catherine stated.

William was about to respond angrily when he felt Lizzy's
hand
lightly squeeze his, telling him to remain calm.

"Well, thankfully there are no circumstances forcing us to
marry
quickly," he said sarcastically. His gaze told Catherine
once
again
to watch her words.

"Of course there are no circumstances forcing you to marry
quickly.
It's not as if she is pregnant. Just eager young lovers
wanting
to
hop on the good foot and do the bad thing, eh Catherine?" Mrs.
Bennet snickered as she roughly elbowed a disgusted Catherine.

The rest of the table collectively gasped though Mrs. Bennet could
not hear them over her laughing. Lizzy only wanted to hide while
William wanted to strangle his future mother-in-law. [i]Odd[/i], he
thought since Lizzy and he being there was to prevent Catharine from
doing the same. Catherine only smirked, firm in her belief that
this family was a complete disgrace. [i]William will soon regret
his choice.[/i]

Desperately wanting to change the topic of conversation, William
made his own suggestion. "Why don't we just have an
old-fashioned
Texas bar-b-que for the reception?"

Catherine and Mrs. Bennet gasped and turned ghostly white. William
crooked his head to keep from laughing. He always thought it was
funny to tease his Aunt speechless. Now he could do it to Mrs.
Bennet too, an added bonus to marrying Lizzy.

Just when Lizzy thought that it couldn't get any worse, it
did.
They were dining on the terrace, the people on the sidewalk and the
cars on the street were easily visible. As were the squirrels.
Before Lizzy realized what was happening, Lydia had jumped out of
Mrs. Bennet's purse and was bounding towards the nearest
squirrel.
Barking and turning over everything in her path. She breathed a
sigh of relief as a waiter quickly intercepted and grabbed Lydia
before she could cause more mayhem. When she was returned, the
entire restaurant turned and glared at Mrs. Bennet.

She had the nerve to look amused. "What? She was just
having a
bit
of fun."

[i]Yes[/i], Catherine thought smugly. [i]William will soon regret
his choice indeed.[/i]



*www.emarketing360.com/HiltonDFW/eBROCHURE/Java/J20.html

*www.crescentcourt.com/gallery.cfm Hotel Crescent Court is located
within walking distance of the art, culture and energy of Dallas,
the hotel consistently wins hearts and accolades as one of the best
hotels in the United States.

Chapter 6

The entire way back to Pemberley, Lizzy pensively watched the
scenery pass by her window. Instead of thinking about all the
decisions made during the meeting, all she could think about was the
embarrassment that her mother had caused. <i>Why would anyone want
to marry into this family? We are a bunch of loons.</i> Sighing,
she leaned her head against the window.

William quickly glanced over at her waiting for some type of
response. <i>I know she is upset but why? Is she regretting not
eloping?</i> She sighed again. Wanting to help, yet not knowing
how, he pulled the car over and turned to her. "Lizzy...Elizabeth
what's the matter?"

Startled by the sound of his voice, Lizzy nearly jumped in her
seat. "William! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to scare a
pregnant woman!? Goodness, my heart is racing." She looked
around. "Why are we on the side of the road? What are we doing
here?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You just looked
a little
lost over there. I thought it would be easier to talk if I pulled
over. Is anything wrong?" he asked with sincere concern.

Not wanting to reveal the direction of her thoughts, she attempted
to turn the conversation. "Oh no, everything is fine. Don't
you
just love the cake we picked out?"

He shook his head as he laughed. "Lizzy, I know you better than
anyone else. You"re a horrible liar. I know something is wrong.

Now tell me."

She sighed. She knew she could never suppress her emotions, every
variation between joy to sadness showed on her face. Why did she
ever attempt it? "Will, are you sure you want to marry me? I
mean
look at my family. Most of us are headed for the loony bin, my
mother especially. I bet they already have a padded cell picked out
for her, complete with a tiny padded dog house for Lydia."

He reached over to take her hand. "Elizabeth, I want to marry
you
because of you, not your family. Yes, your family is a bit... odd
at
times but they are just that--your family. They are a part of you
and if having them for in-laws means that I get to be married to
you, I think I will survive."

She became all misty-eyed. <i>Silly pregnant tears. God, am I
going to be an emotional basket case for the next six months?</i>

"Hey, what are these tears for?" He reached over to wipe her
cheek.

She smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing, I'm just happy."

He hesitantly smiled back, not sure if everything was really okay.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~</center>

"Have you talked to Georgie lately?" Lizzy asked later that
evening
as they sat cuddled on the couch.

For the last month and a half, Georgiana Darcy had been
participating in an intern program run by Ramsgate University for
recent high school graduates. The program was designed to allow
students thinking of entering the school counseling field to gain
practical experience before choosing their college majors.

"Georgie! I'm afraid I've been a rather terrible
brother. I€...well;
I haven't talked to her since before you left." He said
wretchedly. "I couldn't talk to her. What if she had asked
to talk
to you? What was I supposed to tell her?"

"Oh Will."

"And I knew she would tell me what an idiot I was if I talked to
her. I was doing that enough myself so I really didn't want to
hear
it from my baby sister as well." He smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, she would have done that. I've been a bad influence on
her,
haven't I?"

"Oh yes, truly terrible," he said in mock seriousness.

Suddenly she burst into tears. Not sure what was going on, William
froze for a moment. What had he said? He was only kidding, he
hadn't really been serious. Attempting to console her, he
wrapped
his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace weeping.

"I'm sorry. I was only trying to tease you. I didn't
mean to make
you cry. Don't you know that I think you have been the best
thing
that has happened to Georgie... and me? I love you Lizzy. I'm
sorry." He whispered to her gently.

She looked up at him. "No, I'm sorry. I guess this
pregnancy has
made me a little emotional. Okay really emotional. You'll just
have to bear with me."

"It's okay sweetheart. I'll just have to walk softly and
watch what
I say."

Not wanting to let go of each other just yet they held on until the
phone rang a little while later. When Will answered the phone, he
quickly pulled it away from his ear to escape the verbal explosion
from the other end. Grimacing and rubbing away the ringing in his
ear, he mouthed 'speak of the devil' to Lizzy. Gathering
that it
was Georgie, she motioned for him to come back over so they would
both speak to her.

"Hang on a minute Georgie; I'm going to put you on the
speaker
phone."

<i>"Where have you been? I have left 2 messages a week for 4,
count
them 4, weeks. Not even Mrs. Reynolds would tell me what was going
on. I have been out of my mind with worry, Will! Has something
happened to Lizzy?"</i>

"Sorry, Georgie. We've been uh...a little busy
lately." Will mumbled.

Rescuing her tongue-tied fiancé and also wanting to change the
subject before Georgie could probe further, Lizzy spoke, "Hey
Georgie, how is the school program going?"

Her enthusiasm for her work overrode her concern. <i>"Lizzy!
It's
so great. All the kids are so great. I never realized how much fun
it was to be a student counselor. I get to meet all of the awesome
kids and become involved in their lives in so many ways."</i>

"That sounds great Georgie. How much longer will you be
there?"
Lizzy asked. She smiled at the young girl's eagerness.

<i>"Oh, another three weeks at least. The program lasts another
two
and a half. Then we have clean up and planning for the
spring."</i>

William breathed a sigh of relief for getting past a possibly
difficult moment and decided to get involved in the
conversation. "Georgie, with all this planning, make sure you
leave
the weekend of Oct 30th free. There's a very important wedding
you'll want to attend."

<i>"A wedding? Who is getting married in a month?"</i> She
thought
for moment and then gasped. <i>"It's not you, is it?
You're
getting married in a month. Wow, that's awesome! I was
beginning
to think you would never set a date. This is great. I am so
excited!"</i>

Lizzy and William smiled at each other, touched by Georgie's
excitement.

"Well, Georgie, you better come up soon so you can be measured
for
your gown. You are still going to be one of my bridesmaids,
aren't
you?" Lizzy asked.

<i>"Oh, yes, of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything.
I'll see
if I can come up this next weekend to help. I can't get over it.
I
am going to have a sister in a month."</i>

"Well, as I see it, Lizzy is your sister now. Next month is only
a
formality." William said.

<i>"True. Oh, guys I gotta go. My supervisor is calling a staff
meeting in ten minutes. I'll talk to you later. Bye."</i>

"Bye," they said in unison.

After the line disconnected, William turned to Lizzy. "I am so
proud of her. She really has grown these last few weeks since she
started at that children's school. When she first said she
wanted
to wait a semester before starting college, I was a little
skeptical. But now that she's involved herself in this program,
she's definitely found some direction for her college path."

Lizzy smiled, happy that the siblings had established again their
normally easygoing relationship.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

Even though they had decided together to wait until after the
wedding to tell everyone about the baby, Lizzy was beginning to feel
uncomfortable not telling her father. They had always been close
and never before had she kept something so important from him.

Later that evening as they sat on the couch while watching
television and waited for Jane and Charles to arrive with dinner,
Lizzy scooted as close to Will as she could get. Slowly she ran her
finger along his jaw line, gently caressing his face.

"Will," she drawled in her sweetest voice.

He recognized that tone. She only used it when she really wanted to
wheedle something out of him. "Yes?"

"I think that maybe we should tell my father about the baby."

"But I thought that we decided to wait until after the
honeymoon."

"I know, but I feel... I don't know... badly about not
telling him. I
mean, I've always been close to him. I think he has a right to
know
beforehand."

"Well, if you think we should, that's what we'll do, I
think we
should. When do you want to tell him?"

"I thought maybe we could go over to Meryton tomorrow. My mom
will
be with her ladies group all day so it would be a good time to speak
privately with my father."

"Let's do it."

She smiled. "I'll go call Daddy, maybe we can meet for
lunch."

<center>~~~~~~~~~~</center>


<i>"Hello,"</i> Tom Bennet said.

"Hi Daddy," said Lizzy smiling.

<i>"Hey my Lizzy girl! How are you?"</i>

"I'm good Daddy. William and I are fine."

<i>"That's good to hear. How is the wedding planning
going?"</i>

She sighed. "Well, we've gotten a lot done but we still have
much
to do."

<i>"Good, Good. You know if you need anything I'm here,
Lizzy
girl."</i>

"I know Daddy, thanks." She paused for a moment.
"Daddy, I'we were
wondering if we could come over tomorrow. Maybe have lunch with
you."

<i>"Sure, honey. I'll let your mother know you're
coming."</i>

"Well, we actually just wanted to have lunch with you.
Mother's
been a little...well, stressful this past week."

He laughed. <i>"I completely understand that, Lizzy. What time
should I expect you?"</i>

"We should be there around noon."

<i>"Okay, Lizzy girl. I'll see you then. Bye."</i>

"Bye Daddy."

While she was on the phone with her father, the doorbell rang and
William left to answer it. Jane and Charles walked into the living
room behind William.

"Jane, Charles! You're finally here. What did you bring for
dinner?" Lizzy jumped up to hug her sister.

"Your favorite, Lizzy. Chinese." Charles held up a large
bag of
take out.

Lizzy rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Yummy! Come on you
guys, I'm starved. Let's eat. You did get extra fried rice
and
pork dumplings, didn't you?"

Jane laughed at Lizzy's eagerness. "Of course, Lizzy. We
all would
like to get some this time."

Sticking her tongue out at her sister, Lizzy led the way to the
dining room. Later, after the food was eaten, Charles handed out
the fortune cookies.

"Hey, I'll go first. Hmm, it says 'An opportunity will
present
itself to discuss an important matter'." He wrinkled his
nose. "Well, that's exciting."

"Mine says 'Stop searching forever, happiness is just next to
you'." Lizzy said. She looked at Will beside her. "I
think for
once it might actually be right."

Will reached for her hand and squeezed it. The two stared intently
at each other until Charles cleared his throat. "What does yours
say, Will?"

"Umm...it says 'You seek to shield those you love and
provide for
their welfare.'"

"Ha! That's you, Will! They really picked them today. What
does
yours say Jane?" Charles said excitedly. He always loved
fortune
cookies.

Breaking the cookie, she looked at the paper. "You are filled
with
life's most precious treasure."

Immediately, tears came to Lizzy and Jane's eyes. "Oh, Jane.
Yours
is beautiful."

"Yes, it is." She laid her hand on her bulging stomach.
"And
literally true! Maybe you should have gotten this one as well
Lizzy."

Charles knew Jane would want to speak with her sister, so when she
threw him a meaningful look telling him to make himself and William
scarce, he interrupted the ladies' conversation.

"Hey, what do you know? My fortune happens to be true too. I
just
remembered there was a contract I wanted to talk to you about
Will." Charles stood up.

"Um, sure Bings. Why don't we go to the study" Will
said as he
rose from the table.

When they were gone, Jane turned to Lizzy. "So Lizzy, how are
you
really?"

"Oh, Jane. I'm so happy. I was miserable without him and
now that
we're together again, I can't imagine feeling any
better."

"Yes, but how do you feel about the baby? I know we talked about
it
when you found out but now that William knows, do you feel any
differently?"

"Before I was just scared of telling him. Now that he knows, the
reality of the situation has hit me. I am more than a little
scared. I mean, I'm 22 years old and I'm going to be a
mother. A
mother. I don't know if I can do it. Am I ready for it? What
if I
screw up?"

Jane reached out to take Lizzy's trembling hands. "Lizzy,
you'll be
fine. With such a wonderful husband to help you, you won't be
alone. I'll be here to help you as well. Don't forget,
I'll have a
few months head start on you. This is going to be a very big change
for you but you'll do just fine."

"Are you scared, Jane?"

Jane smiled at her sister. "Of course I am, Lizzy. I would be
crazy not to. I do worry if I will be a good mother. I worry that
I'm not ready for this. Will I make a mistake that could
possibly
ruin this child's life? However, I know that I have all the
support
and reassurance I need sitting in that other room over there. I
know that when I'm at my worst and doubting myself to no end,
Charles will be there to pick me up and tell it'll all be okay.
And
I know that William will do the same for you, if you should need
it."

Lizzy sighed. "I hope you're right, Jane."

"I am, Lizzy. I always am," she said cheekily.

Lizzy laughed. "Of course you are dear sister, of course you
are."

Suddenly an idea occurred to Jane. "Lizzy, you know what may
help
you sort out your everything out?"

"What Jane?"

"A journal. It could give you an outlet for your thoughts and
emotions. You could even use it in the future for a story."

Lizzy thought for a moment. "I've been thinking about doing
that .
I've used one in the past and it really helped. I don't know
about
a story though. That might be a little too personal."

"Well, you can think about that later. At least use the journal
to
help you now."

"Okay, Jane. Thanks." She mumbled as both sisters grabbed
chopsticks and started plowing into the extra fried rice with gusto.

<center>~~~~~~~~~</center>

"So Darce, what's up?" Charles asked lightheartedly when
they
reached the study.

William looked at him and chuckled. "Oh, not much, just the
usual.
My fiancée came back and told me I was going to be a father. You
know, it happens all the time."

They both laughed nervously. "So, how do you really feel about
it?" Charles then asked seriously.

William opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again.
"I...I...am
happy. You know I love children."

"You don't sound so sure."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad this happened. I'm
more than ready
to have a family and be a father." He said trying to reassure
himself as much as Charles.

"But..."

"But I never expected this to happen so soon. It took me by
surprise. I thought we would be married a little while before we
discussed children."

Charles smiled knowingly. "You have doubts."

"Yes, but I received some sage advice from...a distant
relation."
William said as his eyes briefly shifted to his gr
eat-grandfather's
portrait.

"And what would this advice be?"

"To trust in myself, Lizzy and most importantly our love."

Charles nodded. "Good advice. Will, you do know you can come to
me
if you have any questions or just need to talk? I'm always here
for
you as you were for me when I had the same doubts."

"Thanks Charles. I'll definitely remember that."

"It's the least I could do after...well, after the last
month."

"Oh, about that Charles. I'm sorry if I was such a... a
well, jerk."

Laughing Charles clapped him on the shoulder. "It's okay,
Darce.
If Jane had left me, I'd probably have acted the same way.
Besides
I'm used to your brooding moods."

"I don't brood." William said dryly as he absently
fingered some of
Lizzy's unfinished articles that were on his desk.

Charles replied. "Of course not, Darce, of course not."

William rolled his eyes. "Come on Bings, let's go join the
ladies
before they finish eating all the food you brought."

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

When Jane and Charles were leaving later, Jane pulled Lizzy aside as
Charles spoke to William. "Remember Lizzy, you'll be fine.
You
have a wonderful man in there who is going to be by your side.
Don't forget that. Talk to him about your fears, he'll
understand.
Who knows, maybe he has a few himself."

Lizzy looked into Jane's eyes and nodded solemnly. After seeing
her
to their car, she kissed her cheek and waved goodbye as the car made
for the main gate. After the car was out of sight, she turned, took
a deep breath, grasped William's hand and went back into the
house.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

Mid-morning the next day found them on their way to Meryton. Though
they both agreed to tell her father their news, Lizzy was still
nervous as to what his reaction would be. As long as she could
remember, she had been her Daddy's little girl. Smiling
nostalgically, she remembered an all too familiar scene.

<i>She was six years old, running through the yard barefoot.
Pigtails flying wildly behind her. Daddy was home!

Turning the corner, she nearly bounded into him as he walked to the
front door.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed as he picked her up and swung her
around.

"Oh, my Lizzy girl! How I missed you! Have you been good for
your
momma?" He asked though he already knew the answer.

Blushing, Lizzy replied. "Well, I tried Daddy, I really did. I
tried to make up for knocking over the table but I don't think
momma
liked the frog I gave her."

Chuckling, he set her back down on the ground. He doubted Lizzy and
her mother would ever fully get along. "Come, Lizzy girl,
let's go
see how everyone else is doing."

Holding his hand tightly, she smiled, her two front teeth missing.

Later, after dinner, he would always go to his study. A few minutes
later, the fast, determined patter of Lizzy's step could be heard
heading towards him in the hallway. Soon the door was flung open as
Lizzy barreled into the room. Reaching her daddy, she hopped onto
his lap, book in hand. Opening the book, they began reading
together.</i>

Of all his children, he had held the highest hopes for her and she
had always tried to live up to them. She just hoped he would not be
too disappointed in her.

Meanwhile, William was having similar thoughts. Since the death of
his own father, he had only been close to Bingley and his cousin
Richard. Since his relationship with Elizabeth began, Mr. Bennet
had taken him under his wing and treated him like a son. He
remembered the first time Lizzy had brought him home as a suitor.

<i>"Mr. Bennet, it's a pleasure to see you again."
William said
formally.

"William, my boy, we don't stand on formality here. Call me
Tom,
please." He turned to Lizzy. "Your mother is waiting in the
living
room. I believe she would like to talk about Will here. She said
something about getting the details. Now that Jane is married,
she's working on you."

Lizzy rolled her eyes as William stiffened. "This is why I never
brought anyone home before. Does she think she needs to remind me
how to keep Will from getting tired of me?"

Tom laughed. "By the look on this young man's face, that
isn't
likely to happen."

Looking back at Will, she smiled. "I don't think so either,
Daddy."

"Now off you go, Lizzy. Besides, you know the protocol for
bringing
home a boyfriend is a man to man talk." He looked to
William. "When you're...done here, just come down to my
study."

As Tom walked towards the study, William caught Lizzy's hand and
pulled her close. Glancing down the hall to see if it was clear, he
quickly kissed her; happy they shared the same thought.

He smiled down at her. "I needed some moral encouragement."
After
one last kiss, he walked down the hall.

Reaching Tom's study, he knocked on the door. At the 'Come
in', he
entered.

"Sit, please. You know from the looks of it, I'm likely to
lose
another daughter soon."

William's eyes widened. "Um... I well... no offence sir,
but I hope
so."

Tom laughed heartily. "None taken, son. As long as my Lizzy
girl
is happy, then I'm happy."

"Thank you€... Tom. I was going to wait a while before asking
for
your blessing. But it's good to know I already have it when I
decide to..."

"Propose?"

William blushed. "Yes, sir."

"I doubt that it will be too long before you do."</i>

It had been nice to have a father figure again. Now he hoped Mr.
Bennet wouldn't be too infuriated with him. <i>Of course, if
were
my daughter or even Georgiana, that came home and said she was
pregnant; there would be no question about my reaction.</i> He
gripped the steering wheel tightly. <i>The boy better run for his
life because there was a 10 gauge shotgun coming after him. And I
wouldn't be aiming very high either.</i>

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

After graduating from college and marrying his college sweetheart,
Tom Bennet began his dream of working on an offshore oil rig as a
chief engineer. The hours were demanding. Two weeks away from
home, working 12-hour shifts every day. He relished the two weeks
he got to spend at home with his wife and later his children as they
came along. It was a dangerous job, but it provided very well for
his growing family. And he was always proud to note, that it gave
him plenty of free time to enjoy his books.

If he was truthful, his job had probably saved his marriage and
cemented his relationship with his daughters. Especially Lizzy.
She was his little girl through and through. There is next to
nothing that he wouldn't do for her. He protected her when she
was
a child and now that she was a woman, he would do the same.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

Upon arriving at Lizzy's childhood home in Meryton, a small town
east of Dallas, William carefully handed her out of the car. They
shared a nervous look and clammy hand in hand walked towards the
house. Knowing Mrs. Bennet was not at home and Mrs. Hill was off
for the day, they entered without knocking and headed for Mr.
Bennet's study.

Finding the door open, Lizzy hurried inside to see her father. He
was as usual, sitting at his large oak desk reading a favorite
novel. "Daddy!" Lizzy exclaimed as she threw her arms
around his
neck.

"Lizzy girl, it's good to see you. And you as well, William
my
boy." He said as he shook William's hand.

William smiled, hoping this ease and friendliness would last.
"It's
nice to be back again, Tom."

"Let's move into the breakfast nook. Mrs. Hill prepared a
cold
lunch for us before she left for the day."

Over lunch, the conversation naturally turned to the wedding.
Because it was going to be a simple wedding at Pemberley, many of
the details and cost had been cut considerably. Though William
could easily pay for it, knowing it was traditional for the
bride's
family to pay for the wedding, he conceded to let Mr. Bennet pay for
the wedding without much protest.

After lunch was over, William and Lizzy knew the time had come to
tell him the news. They found themselves in the family room seated
on the sofa facing Mr. Bennet. Nervously, Lizzy began. "Daddy,
as
much as we enjoy your company and love spending time with you, there
was something William and I wanted to tell you. I hope our news
won't upset you. Really, it is very good news..."

"Well, if it's such good news, why don't you just tell
me?"

Lizzy looked to William, drawing strength from his eyes.
"I'm
pregnant. We're going to have a baby." Both Lizzy and
William held
their breath, waiting on his reaction.

Mr. Bennet was resting his chin on his folded hands, looking lost in
thought. "Well, this is a little fast, don't you think?
Jane and
Charles at least waited to get married first. I assume this is the
reason for the wedding being moved up."

"Mr. Bennet, I can explain..." William attempted to say
something
disarming.

Frowning, Mr. Bennet interrupted. "Wait a minute young man. As
the
father of four, I'm well aware of how it happened but I would
think
that you, coming from the respectable family you do, would at least
take some sort of precaution. If I'm not mistaken, there are
many
ways to prevent such occurrences."

"Now what a minute Daddy, there are just as many things I could
have..." Lizzy attempted to reason with her father.

"Hush Lizzy. William knows just as well as I do that it was his
responsibility to deal with." Mr. Bennet interrupted her.

"But, Daddy..."

"Lizzy, he's right. It is my fault. I should have taken
better
care of you. There is no excuse for my recklessness. He has every
right to be angry with me for what I have done." William said
remorsefully.

"What you have done?! As the old saying goes, it takes two to
tango. I am just as responsible as you are! Or have you two
Neanderthals forgotten that women can take care of themselves, make
their own decisions, and mistakes."

"While that is true Elizabeth, William is older, wiser, more
experienced. You shouldn't have to take the responsibility of
such
matters on yourself. It's a man's duty."

Lizzy sat stunned. Never had she though her father capable of such
thoughts. Gaining her voice, she spoke sarcastically. "A
man's
duty? Did we cross a time portal back to the 1950's when we
walked
through the front door? How can you be so...so sexist?"

Inwardly, Mr. Bennet smiled. He was just trying to get a rise out
of them. Having succeeded in Lizzy, (not that it was hard), he
moved onto William.

"Lizzy, would you please excuse us for a moment? I'd like to
have a
chat with young William here. Don't worry, I'll try to leave
him in
at least two pieces."

Seething from the way her father was treating her, she spoke
harshly. "No, father, I would rather stay."

"Lizzy, please." William grabbed her hand and looked in her
eyes,
pleading. "I think it would be best if I spoke to your father
alone."

Eyeing both of them angrily, Lizzy stuck her chin out, stood up and
marched out of the room like a prima donna making a grand exit.

When she was gone, William turned to Mr. Bennet. "Sir, I know
what
I've done is unforgivable, but I do love Elizabeth, very much.
You
can be sure that I'll do my best to make this as easy as possible
for her. If I could, I would take this on myself. But as I
can't,
I will do my utmost to make sure that she and our child will want
for nothing. I will be there for her every step of the way and
beyond." He nervously awaited Mr. Bennet's response as he
eyed the
large gun closet in the corner and remembered his own heated
thoughts on the subject.

"Not to worry, my boy. I suspected this the moment I laid eyes
on
my Lizzy girl here. She absolutely glows and I already knew you
would own up to your responsibilities. Truthfully, I was just
trying to get a little rise out of you two. You'll have to
forgive
an old man his foibles. I will say this though, if you should hurt
my little girl in anyway, I will personally feed your balls to the
coyotes."

Gulping at that visual image, William nodded slowly. "I promise
you
sir, I will never hurt her."

Mr. Bennet chuckled. "I guess we should call Lizzy back in here.

No doubt she's steamed up the foyer with her indignation."

Rising from his chair, William went to the door and motioned opened
it.

It was clear that she had been pacing in the hallway the entire time
and when finally allowed back into the room, like the fireball she
was, Lizzy immediately lashed out. "So, did you two finish
deciding
this child's future as well as mine? Or did you just call me in
to
fetch you some beer and tobacco?"

"Lizzy-girl, please sit down." She complied, scowling the
whole
time. "Now before you try to bit my head off, I want to offer my
congratulations." She looked shocked. "Don't look so
surprised,
Lizzy. You should know better than to believe I would really act
that way. After living with three of Texas's silliest women, I
have
to get some fun somewhere."

"Then you're not upset?" she asked unsurely.

"I'm not, Lizzy. I love you and William too much to get
upset over
this. Though I think this is a bit rushed, I'm very happy for
the
two of you. I know you'll be excellent parents." He reached
down
into his desk drawer and placed a small velvet covered box on the
table. "I was going to wait until closer to your wedding to give
you this but as long as you're here, I think you should have them
now."

Taking the box, Lizzy opened it slowly. When she saw what was
inside, she gasped. A pair of sapphire and diamond earrings
sparkled at her.

"They belonged to your great grandmother Bennet. She received
them
from her husband as a belated wedding gift. You see, they were
rather poor when they married and he couldn't afford to give her
jewels and other finery, no matter how much he wanted to. Well, as
you know, he eventually made something of himself. So, on their
fiftieth anniversary he presented her with five pairs of earrings,
each a different gem. Before she died, she left them to me to give
to you and your sisters. She said she wanted her great
granddaughters to know how special these were to her. She also
wished for you to wear them on your wedding day so that even though
she was no longer with us, she could at least be there in some small
part."

Unable to contain her tears, Lizzy moved to her father, flung her
arms around his neck, and sobbed quiet, happy tears. "Oh, Daddy.

Thank you. I would be honored to wear them. I'm so glad
you're not
angry. I was afraid I had disappointed you."

"Elizabeth, you could never do that. You and William are taking
responsibility for your actions. I'm very proud of you for doing
that. Besides, now I shall have two grandchildren to spoil rotten,
though if your child is anything like either of you, I may already
have a favorite."

Lizzy laughed.

He added teasingly, "Though if you tell anyone I said that, I
shall
deny everything."

William stepped up and was surprisingly pulled into a hug then given
a hearty slap on the back. "I trust that you want me to keep
this
to myself until after the wedding."

"Yes sir. We would prefer to wait until after the honeymoon
before
we tell the family."

"Excellent idea, my boy. I think I'd prefer to defer
listening to
my wife€'s raptures until after then anyway."

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

Being nearly seven months pregnant was not as much fun as Jane once
thought it would be. Oh, she loved knowing there was a baby growing
inside of her but the constant karate moves that were being
practiced in her stomach was a little less than pleasant. And not
to mention that the swelling of her hands and feet along with her
enlarged tummy, were making her look like a small-beached whale.

Elizabeth cringed as she listened to Jane describe what she had been
going through the last few weeks. Suddenly, she was not sure if she
wanted to go through all of that. It didn't sound too pleasant.
Catching her sister's look, Jane was quick to respond.

"Stop it right now Lizzy. You and I both know you want to have
this
baby. Yes, it's going to be uncomfortable for a while. Yes,
you're
going to look like someone stuck a beach ball up your shirt. But in
the end, you'll have a wonderful new life to care for. It will
be
worth it in the end."

Lizzy thought for a moment. "How do you know, Jane? I mean, you
still have two months to go."

Jane reached over as far as she could and held Lizzy's hand.
"I
just know Lizzy. Even though the baby hasn't been born yet, I
know
in my heart that I would do almost anything for this child. You
will too if you just give it time."

"You always know what to say, Jane."

Jane chuckled. "Just one of the perks of being a big sister."

Suddenly a loud screeching noise could be heard over the busy hum of
the crowd filling the mall. Lizzy and Jane looked at each other and
cringed. They had been enjoying a leisurely chat as they waited for
their mother and two younger sisters to arrive. Today, they were
completing the last task of the wedding; finding bridesmaids dresses
for Jane, Mary, and Kitty as well as the mother of the bride dress.
With her mother involved, Lizzy was sure this was going to be a
Herculean effort. <i>I wonder if Lydia will have to have a dress
that will match the mother of the bride dress.</i> Lizzy laughed
quietly. She wouldn't put it past her mother.

"Lizzy, Jane! How wonderful to see you again." She kissed
the air
somewhere in between their cheeks. "Mary, Kitty, hurry up. You
know Lydia hates to dawdle!"

Lizzy rolled her eyes. <i>Does that mutt ever stay at home? Two
weeks. This will all be over in less than two weeks.</i>
"Hello,
Mother. Mary, Kitty."

"Hi Lizzy," Mary answered. "You're looking very
well."

"Thanks Mary. How is school going?" Mary was majoring in
Religion
and minoring in Women's Studies at TCU*.

"It's going very well. I passed all my mid-terms." Mary
said
nonchalantly. "I'll probably make the president's list
at the end
of the semester."

"That's great Mary. What about you, Kitty?" Lizzy asked.

"Oh, its okay. We had a great pep rally for the football team
last
week. They're going to state Coach Brown said. Of course,
that's
what he's said for the past three years." Kitty said.

"Oh, that's nice." Lizzy really had nothing in common
with her
youngest sister who was sports mad or more likely, madly in love
with the jocks. Sometimes she just couldn't figure her out.

"Lizzy," Mrs. Bennet chimed in, "Have you gained some
weight?
You're looking a bit on the heavy side. If you expect William to
go
through with this wedding, you had best lose five, no ten pounds.
You know if I didn't know better I would say you're pre..."

"Oh Mother, Lizzy looks gorgeous." Jane interrupted before
their
mother could embarrass Lizzy further. "Did I tell you what the
doctor said the other day? He told me that the baby was developing
great. Oh and I shouldn't be surprised to start feeling some
false
labor pains."

"Oh, that's wonderful Jane! My first grandchild, I can't
wait. I
remember the false labor pains. Seems like I had them most with
Lizzy. Jane, don't forget to have the suitcases in the hallway
closet for easy access. And Charles must carry his cell phone and
pager at all times. Better yet, it might be better for him to just
stay home. Maybe I should just come stay with you until after the
baby is born. No, I couldn't leave then you'll need me..."

Deciding it was time to get on with the task at hand, Lizzy
stood. "Well, we had best get started. Those dresses won't
pick
themselves you know."

"Kitty, Kitty! You simply must hold Lydia for me. My back is
hurting me so lately and your evil father refuses to do anything
about it," Mrs. Bennet whined. "You'd think I had the
false labor
pains."

Lizzy sighed. Clearly, this was going to be a long afternoon.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

"No, Mother. I <b>am not</b> having Lydia walk down the aisle as
the flower girl. You can dress her up to match your dress if you
want but she is <b>not</b> going to be in the wedding!" Lizzy
was
beginning to get very frustrated with her mother.

"Oh, Lizzy how can you? She's your little sister after all.
Mary
and Kitty are in the wedding, why can't Lydia?"

"Because she is a dog. A D-O-G. Dog. Walks on four legs.
Sniffs
other dogs' rumps. And most importantly, because I can't
stand her!"

Behind them, Jane, Mary and Kitty were barely controlling their
laughter. The dresses had been selected and now they were standing
in the middle of a 'doggie' store looking for the perfect
dress for
Lydia to wear to the wedding. Or rather, Mrs. Bennet was looking
for one. Lizzy on the other hand was trying to get out of there as
quickly as possible.

Suddenly, she noticed something was missing. Throughout the whole
ordeal, Lydia had been laying on a pile of silk doggie dresses,
chewing on a small dog shoe. Anytime, an associate would attempt to
remove the shoe, Lydia would growl, causing the person to jump back
in fright. But when Lizzy turned toward the spot she last saw her,
Lydia was nowhere in sight.

"Mother, where is Lydia?"

"Lydia? Why she's right there...LYDIA! Where is my Lydia?
Quick,
someone call security! My baby is missing. WE must find her.
She's too delicate to stay on her own." Mrs. Bennet nearly
fainted
in her hysterics.

"Calm down Momma." Jane said. "I'm sure we'll
find her soon."

Lizzy, Mary, and Kitty set off immediately in search of Lydia. Jane
of course, was trying to console her distraught mother.

Lizzy, on the other hand, was glad for the break from her mother.
She loved her mother but sometimes, she was just too much. Plus
Lydia didn't help matters at all. Starting out as a family pet
for
the girls, Mrs. Bennet spoiled and pampered her so much that now
Lydia only listened to Frances.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shape very similar to
Lydia, walking from behind a large decorative bush in a far corner
of the mall. Edging closer, Lizzy saw another dog following closely
behind. <i>She didn't! Oh God, she did! The little slut. In
the
mall. With a true mutt.</i> She started laughing. <i>Where is a
water hose when you need it? Mother is going to flip. I wonder if
anyone heard them.</i> The mutt trotted over to a man dressed in a
soldier's uniform. Then man was oblivious to the fact that his
dog
had just ahem...done the bad thing with another dog. "Oh
George.
There you are. What have you been up to?" The soldier patted
the
dog on the head.

Catching up with Lydia, Lizzy reached down and grabbed her before
she could get away. Shaking her head, Lizzy took Lydia back to her
mother. The look on Mrs. Bennet's face was one of great relief
when
her 'baby' was safe. <i>Safe? I wouldn't be too sure
about that.
She certainly wasn't practicing 'safe sex'. Well...for a
dog
anyway.</i>

"Umm, Mother. I found Lydia with another dog."

"Oh, what does that matter? She's here now."

"No, Mother you don't understand. She was with a <b>male</b>
dog."

Mrs. Bennet looked confused. Jane and Mary were quick to realize
what happened but preferred to keep silent. Kitty on the other hand
had no such qualms.

"You mean Lydia was going at it in the mall?" She burst out
laughing. "Who needs biology class, I get a daily demonstration
everyday at home!"

"Kitty!" Lizzy, Jane and Mary all yelled at once.

"Oh dear me, what am I going to do? My baby has been raped!
Lizzy,
you must call the cops! We need DNA! Jane! What shall I do?"
The
stress becoming too much, Mrs. Bennet fainted.

Lizzy sighed. <i>Little Lydias. Just what we need.</i>

Eventually they calmed their mother down, which Jane had begun to
think was impossible, and convinced her that they couldn't hunt
the
other dog down and have it arrested. <i>No matter how colicky it
is, a baby would be just as difficult as my mother,</i> Jane thought.

With her mother secure, Lizzy walked back into the store and went to
the sale rack. Finding Lydia's size, she picked a dress and
purchased it. Coolly walking out of the store, she handed the bag
to Kitty. Wearily she bid them goodbye and headed home to the
loving arms of William. She smiled. <i>That's just what I
need.</i>


*Texas Christian University

Chapter 7

<i>"Lizzy," Mrs. Bennet said seriously as she sat down next
to her
daughter. They had just finished some last minute wedding
preparations and Frances thought it a good time for `the
talk'.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Do you want to ask anything about the wedding night?"

"No mother, I already know about that." Lizzy said
uncomfortably.
She knew where this was headed and as she was already pregnant, the
conversation was irrelevant.

"Well, there are some things I wanted to tell you that a new wife
must know."

"Um…okay."

"An important part of your marriage will be persuading your
husband
to," she tried to think of the appropriate words," get what
you
want."

"Are you trying to tell me how to manipulate my husband?"

Frances thought for a moment. "Well…yes."

"And just how would I do that?" Lizzy asked seemingly
engrossed.

"You must use whatever it takes. I've found tears to be the
best
tool. A man can't stand to see a woman cry, especially if he is
the
cause of it. He will then do whatever it takes to make you
happy."

"Tears…" Lizzy pretended to consider it.

Frances nodded her head. "Yes, tears, Lizzy. Guilt is an
excellent
method as well. Men don't like guilt. It pricks their
conscience.
And as we all know, men don't like to think. For an even greater
impact, you could use guilt and tears together."

"Hmm…"

"But if those don't work, you can always `dangle the
carrot'." She
wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"And what kind of carrot is that, mother?"

"Oh, you know Lizzy." She looked around to make sure they
weren't
being overheard. Leaning in she whispered. "Sex, Lizzy. A man
will do anything for it."

Lizzy had to fight to hold back her laughter. Her mother was just
too funny.

"But there is a way to keep them at bay when you're not in
the
mood." At Lizzy's questioning glance, she continued.
"Just say you
have a `headache'."

"Works does it?"

"Like a charm."

"Huh. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"No…but there is one thing I wanted to ask about the
wedding."

Inwardly, Lizzy groaned. "And…"

"I think we should invite more of William's business
associates.
The wedding would be grander that way. It would definitely be the
talk of society."

"Mother, William has found nothing wrong with a simple wedding.
In
fact, it is what he wanted. He doesn't need an extravagant
affair
to marry me."

"Of course not Lizzy but…"</i>

However, as she stood before the mirror in her wedding gown, Lizzy
thought about the simplicity of the wedding. She couldn't help
but
wonder if she should have done more. <i>Was William happy with the
wedding or was he just humoring her, trying to keep her hormones in
check? No, if he was unhappy he would have told me.</i> Something
sparkled and caught her eye in the mirror. Placing her hand on her
throat, she gently fingered the sapphire and diamond Tiffany
necklace William had given her as a wedding present. He had bought
it to match her great grandmother's diamond earrings that her
father
had given her.

Thinking of William only caused a smile to appear on her face. The
sparkle of the gems he gave her matched the sparkle in her eyes when
she thought recalled last night. What a night. Despite Mrs.
Bennet's protests, William and Lizzy had decided to defy
tradition
and spend their last night as a bachelor and spinster together after
an evening out for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. By the
end of the night, the necklace was all she wore.

Lizzy was relieved, more than ever, that the wedding day was here.
She didn't mind being pregnant but she was tired of concealing it
from the world. She wanted to shout from the roof tops that she was
having William's baby. However, there was only one person she
wasn't looking forward to telling about the baby (well other than
her mother). Caroline Bingley. Thank goodness, that witch had been
in Europe at the `best spas and resorts' the last few months.
She
couldn't have handled that…well she should be nice.

A knock on the door brought Lizzy back from her mental wanderings.
At her `Come in', the door opened to reveal Jane in her
maternity
bridesmaid dress. Lizzy had always wanted Jane as her matron of
honor but was skeptical that it would be comfortable for her sister
in her condition. Nevertheless, Jane, the angel that she was, would
not hear of any objections and swore she would, with a brief
ceremony and sitting down at frequent intervals, persevere.

"Oh, Lizzy. You are simply breathtaking."

She wore a strapless white dress with a delicate lace trim at the
bottom. The layered edge of the dress opened up into a short
train. Because the dress began to flow at the waist, the obvious
pudge in her stomach was safely concealed.

Blushing, she smiled shyly. "How did you do it Jane? How did
you
survive your wedding day?"

Smiling, Jane reached for her sister's hand. "I remember
being
extremely nervous. Much like you're feeling now. As much as I
wanted to marry Charles, I couldn't help but think that I was
making
a mistake. Not in marrying Charles but in taking care of him, in
loving him. Thinking about it now, it seems unreasonable that I
felt that way. But I did feel that way until someone gave me some
sage advice. She said, `Trust in your love for him and his for
you. Everything will work out as it should if you promise to do
that.' She was right. Everything has been perfect because I
trusted in our love." She touched Lizzy's cheek. "You
should learn
to follow you own advice, Lizzy."

Lizzy smiled. "What would I do without you, Jane? You always
make
me see sense in my crazy world."

"Oh, Lizzy, I think you'll be just fine. You always are.
Come,
let's finish getting you ready."

After carefully placing the veil on her head, Jane stepped back to
get a good look at the dazzling picture Lizzy created.

"Lizzy, you are going to knocking his socks off."

<center>~~~~~~~~~~</center>

Meanwhile, William stood in front of his own mirror in his dressing
room at Pemberley. To a casual observer, it would appear he was
nonchalantly fussing over his attire. But he was a man in love and
he knew that Lizzy was the best thing that had ever happened to
him. Now that she was about to become his wife and the mother of
his child, he could imagine nothing but happiness ahead of him. He
impatiently checked his watch. Forty-five minutes to go.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Expecting Charles, he
called for the person to enter. Instead, his Aunt Catherine stepped
into the room. <i>Lord, just what I need now</i>.

"Fitzwilliam."

He cringed. Would she ever call him William like he
preferred? "Aunt."

"I won't waste words. You know I disapprove of your marrying
that
girl but as you have gotten yourself into a bit of a…situation,
it
cannot be helped."

He scowled at her as he fixed his tie. "As I already know your
thoughts on the subject, why are you here?"

"Don't you sass me, Fitzwilliam. What would your poor mother
say if
she saw the manners you display? I have no doubt that she would not
approve of this marriage either."

"Don't speak to me of my mother. You knew nothing about her
or her
hopes and dreams for me. She begged me not to follow your example
and asked me to marry for love above all else. She did and her life
was happy and fulfilled."

"Your dear mother must have been delirious on her deathbed. She
obviously knew not of what she was speaking."

"NO! Enough. Was there a particular reason for this visit other
than to insult the memory of my mother and I?" he said harshly.

"Indeed there is, Fitzwilliam. It's bad enough that your
child
started its existence illegitimately but you really must insist that
Elizabeth stop working. She must devote all her time and energy to
raising your children and attending to your needs."

"Aunt, I will tell you what I assured Elizabeth after she
graciously
gave me another chance to share her life again. Only Elizabeth and
I make decisions concerning the Darcy family. Your opinion does not
signify, Catherine, and never will. Elizabeth will be free to work
and do as she pleases."

"But you agreed with me before, Fitzwilliam! How can you change
your opinion so fast? She must have used her charms to make you
forget your own upbringing."

He turned to look her square in the eye. "I never agreed with
you."

"Of course you did. Why else would Elizabeth have left you in
the
first place? You knew I was right. She knew I was right."

"No, I never agreed with you. I just foolishly allowed myself to
be
caught up in our argument and expressed opinions that were not my
own. Call it a momentary lapse of sanity if you will. I acted no
better than a caveman and nearly ruined the best thing that ever
happened to me. And it all comes back to you. If you had not
interfered, all the grief that followed would never have
happened."

Catherine was shocked. "You blame me for interfering? If I
interfered, it was only for my…your benefit. Don't you see
how she
has corrupted you?"

He interrupted, "Speaking of your interfering. If you ever so
much
as try to have Lizzy followed again, I will personally see to it
that the police arrest you on stalking charges. I don't know who
you think you are to pull a stunt like that, but I warn you, never
mess with my family again, Catherine. I promise you will regret
it."

"Well I never! I am your nearest and dearest relation
Fitzwilliam.
You cannot cast me off as if I was nothing."

William laughed. "You may be blood but you were never my nearest
and <b>dearest</b> relation. That title falls to Elizabeth and
Georgiana. You never came close. Now, I hope I've made my
position
clear and the subject is forever closed." He moved toward the
door,
opened it and turned back to her. "I'm getting married
shortly and
would like to spend the next few moments anticipating the sight of
my beautiful bride." He turned his back to her to further his
demand.

Stunned that he would speak to her so harshly and nearly boot her
out of the room, Catherine turned and fled the room angrily.

When she was gone, William let out the breath he had been holding
and let his head sink onto the still open door. Hopefully that
would be the last time he would have to deal with Catherine.

A knock on the other side of the door caused him to jump. Could
Catherine have anything left to say to him? On his `enter'
the best
man, Charles walked in and smiled.

"No good hiding now, Darce. Are you ready to be leg shackled old
man?"

William smiled. "Bring on the ball and chain."

"Come then. Your bride awaits."

<center>~~~~~~~~~~</center>

As Jane and Lizzy finished preparing for the wedding, Mr. Bennet
knocked at the door. Upon seeing Lizzy, tears formed in his eyes.

"Elizabeth, you look beautiful." Tom Bennet rarely cried but
seeing
his favorite daughter in her wedding gown, brought out the tears he
was trying very hard to hold back.

He walked over to her and clasped her gloved hands. "Lizzy, you
already know how proud I am of you. You're about to become a
wife
to an excellent man and very soon a mother, but I want to remind you
that you're still my baby and I'll always be here if you need
me."

"Oh Daddy." Lizzy struggled not to cry because she knew the
waterworks would be flowing later on.

As he moved to hug her, the door opened and Mrs. Bennet entered, a
reluctant Lydia in tow. "Tom, NO! You'll just ruin her
dress. You
can't do that with so many of dear William's wealthy family
here.
If Lizzy looks bad, it won't bode well for Kitty and Mary. They
need to find wealthy husbands as well you know."

"Frances, this is Lizzy's day, not Kitty or Mary's. You
will not
ruin her wedding by trying to marry off our other daughters. There
will not be one mention of either of their marriage prospects until
Lizzy is on the plane for her honeymoon. Besides, they are entirely
too young to be looking for husbands. Am I understood?" Tom
raised
his eyebrow.

Instead of acknowledging Tom, she turned to Lizzy. "I've
brought
your bouquet. It's so simple Lizzy. I could add some lace to
it.
It would look so much better."

Lizzy rolled her eyes. "No, Mother. The bouquet is fine the way
it
is." She quickly took it from her mother. She noticed a note
tucked into the middle. Unfolding it, she saw it was from William.
Naturally, a smile came to her face.

<i>Dearest Lizzy,

Words cannot express the happiness that fills me right now. Knowing
that in a short time you will be my wife is nothing short of
amazing. I love you more everyday and wish for nothing more than to
see your beautiful face as you walk down the aisle to me and our new
life together.

Love always
William </i>

Tears came to her eyes as she read his beautiful words. So
engrossed in his note as she was, she failed to notice her mother
sneak up behind to read the note as well. Only when her mother
emitted a rather loud sigh did she realize her presence.

"Mother!"

"Oh, Lizzy! He is so romantic. You are such a lucky girl."

Noticing the time and wanting to stop her mother, Jane
spoke. "Lizzy, it's time."

Nodding slightly, she took her father's arm and proceeded out the
door behind Jane and her mother.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~</center>

The wedding was being held in Pemberley's grand
`ballroom' that
easily held over 250 people. Descending from a wealthy line in
England, William's great great grandfather had modeled his
Pemberley
after his ancestral home. Not surprisingly, Pemberley was one of
the largest ranch homes in the state if not the country.

Waiting at the end of the aisle was the very anxious bridegroom. He
knew Lizzy would never jilt him at the altar. No, he was eager for
the moment he could call her his wife. <i>His wife</i>. He had
known, almost from the first moment her eyes sparkled at him, that
she was the one for him and he held to this belief in the long
months of misunderstandings in the beginning and recently, the
agonizing pain of separation.

Movement at the end of the aisle combined with music from the string
quartet, caused William to draw out of his reverie. Slowly, Kitty,
Georgiana, Mary, Charlotte, and Jane walked down the aisle. A soft
rustling occurred as people stood when the doors opened once again.
Finally, Lizzy appeared on the arm of her father. William gasped,
she was breathtaking. Never had he seen a more beautiful sight.
The thought that she was his and he hers, overwhelmed him.

At last, Lizzy reached William. After saying his part, Mr. Bennet
placed Lizzy's hand in William's. Before he turned to walk
to his
seat, Lizzy tenderly kissed his cheek. When she turned toward
William, they smiled shyly at each other as the ceremony began.

<center>~~~~~~~~~~</center>

Before she knew it, the ceremony was over. Truthfully, all she
could remember was the presence of the man beside her. The man that
was now her husband. <i>My husband. God that sounds wonderful!
</i> As they walked back down the aisle, she grasped his hand
tightly. Feeling him squeeze in return, she smiled, happier than
she had ever been.

Mrs. Bennet had decreed a fashionably late entrance to the reception
by the bride and groom, so after working their way threw the throng
of well wishers and having pictures made in the garden, they headed
to one of Pemberley's guest rooms that had been made into a
resting
room for the bride and groom. Closing the door, William leaned
against it as he admired his bride. His intense stare caused her to
blush furiously. Two long, quick steps later, Lizzy was on the
receiving end of a very ardent kiss. Wrapping his long arms around
Lizzy, he pulled her closer. Slowly, his hands snaked their way up
and cupped her face. Tilting his head slightly, he took h