Throes Of Passion

Part One

William Darcy was sitting at his desk poring over the quarterly financial statement when his office door was thrown open. He looked up in shock as Lizzy Bennet strode into his office.

"Ms. Bennet?" he said tentatively as Lizzy closed and then locked the door.

"Mr. Darcy," she replied as she turned and bore down on him. She reached the massive desk and rested her fists on the mahogany surface.

"Is there something...uh, wrong?" he asked warily. Lizzy reached out and swept her arm across the desk, sending a lamp, china cup and saucer, the report and several photographs of William's parents and beloved dog Thrasher crashing to the floor. William recoiled like a frightened child, but he couldn't tear his eyes away as Lizzy leaned forward across the desk.

"I want you," she said bluntly.

"Excuse--?" William was grabbed by his expensive silk tie and dragged forward.

"I said I want you," Lizzy repeated before she closed the distance between their mouths and gave William the most ardent kiss of his life. When she released him he was breathless.

"Have you any idea what it's like being your assistant?" she said as she began to pace, kicking the picture of Thrasher out of her way.

"That's--!" William pouted when the glass on the silver frame cracked.

"All these weeks; you come in, you leave, you come in, you leave. Occasionally stopping to talk. Never stopping to touch. It's 'Did Mr. So and So call?' or 'What time is that meeting?' or 'Would you get me a reservation at Nobu?' or 'I need two tickets to the theatre tonight.' It's never 'Are you free tonight, Ms. Bennet?' or "Did you dream of me, Ms. Bennet? I dreamt of you again.' Or, 'What's your favorite color, Ms. Bennet?' 'I'd like to see you in something black with a plunging neckline, Ms. Bennet.'"

William's eyebrows rose when Lizzy walked around the desk to his side. She turned and looked out of the window as he admired her trim figure. If he was pressed to admit it, he'd confess that he'd already forgotten what she was talking about and was torn between contemplating her legs and bemoaning the damage to Thrasher's portrait. It was the only picture he had of the late, much lamented Airedale.

"I have needs, too. You have no idea how difficult it is to see you walking back and forth past my desk." Lizzy spun around. "A woman can take just so much!"

"Ms. Bennet--."

"Lizzy!" the frustrated woman cried. "It's Lizzy! I'm not just the woman who answers the phone outside your office. I'm the woman who spends her days sniffing the air to get another whiff of your cologne, the woman who won't wear pale suits and ordered a black chair because I've damn near come in my pants at the sight of you more times than I'd care to mention!"

William's mouth fell open and all thoughts of Thrasher fled his mind. Lizzy had his undivided attention.

"No wonder your other assistant quit! She was probably driven insane with lust!" Lizzy said as she ran her hands through her hair. It gave her a wild, feral appearance that turned William on, just a little.

"Mrs. Carpenter quit because she was 65 and wanted to move to Phoenix to live with her son," William corrected. Lizzy dove at him and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket.

"Damn you, William Darcy! Will you listen to me?" she said as she hauled him to his feet.

"Uh--," he managed before he landed on his back on the desk. Lizzy tore at his tie, loosening it and pulling it off. Then she tore his shirt open, sending buttons flying everywhere. "Ms.--."

Lizzy pushed back his shirt and jacket and reached for his belt.

"Ms. Bennet!" William cried when Lizzy drew down his pants. "Please don't violate me here."

Lizzy paused for a second and frowned at him. Then she yanked his pants to his knees and knelt down. She took him into her mouth and quickly brought him to full hardness before she stopped to admire William's erection.

"Aren't you a healthy boy?" she said wiping her chin. William, whose eyes had been shut tightly, tried to sit up. The desk was as hard as he was and it hurt his back.

"Ms. Bennet!" he croaked as Lizzy pushed him back down on the desk. She tore open her jacket to reveal a silky, lace trimmed brassiere. She hiked up her skirt to show a pair of dark silk stockings and a garter belt and G-string to match the bra. "Ooh!" William squealed in spite of himself.

He cried out again when Lizzy climbed onto the desk and mounted him. She rode him hard and fast, bringing herself to her peak several times before she let him come. William tried his best not to scream when he did, although he realized that decorum was probably a moot point when a man's secretary laid him out his own desk and used him like a cheap trick.

Lizzy scrambled off the desk and straightened her attire. She squirmed a little as she stepped into the shoe that had fallen off and looked a bit sheepish.

"I'm going to finish that, uh...the Carson report. You wanted that by four, right?"

William straightened his jacket and realized that he'd have to change his shirt. He stood and pulled up his pants.

"Yes," he said, clearing his throat. "And see if you can find me another lamp before the meeting. The shadows are awful here in the afternoon."

"Yes, Mr. Darcy," Lizzy said as she bent and picked up the photograph of his parents that was unscathed. "Sorry about Thrasher."

"It's quite--."

"I'll have it repaired," Lizzy said hastily as she picked up the pen and the report and placed them on the desk. She picked up the mangled lamp. "I'll call housekeeping," she said as she hastened to the door.

William went into his private bathroom and changed into one of the spare shirts he kept hanging behind the door. He washed up a little and then returned to his desk. Housekeeping had already come by and picked up the broken china and a fresh cup of tea was on his desk.

William smiled contentedly and sat down to finish his report.

**

"What the hell?" William cried when he'd finished reading the tale. Lizzy rushed into his office.

"Mr. Darcy? Is something wrong?" she said. William looked up at her and she saw something in his expression she'd never seen before. She couldn't place it, but it gave her a tiny thrill nonetheless.

"Are you responsible for this?" he said as he turned the computer screen in her direction. Lizzy bent forward to look at the screen. William caught a glimpse of Lizzy's cleavage and swallowed hard. He promptly reconsidered his actions and turned the screen back to himself.

"I didn't see it," Lizzy said.

"Never mind; I'm sure that if you did you wouldn't be standing there like...that." he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, would you get me that Carson report?"

"Right away, sir," Lizzy said as she headed for the door.

William sat back and tried to figure out where the story came from. He was certain Lizzy hadn't written it. She was new to the office and she seemed to be a bit in awe of him. He propped his chin and frowned thoughtfully as she returned with the promised report.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No," William replied pensively as thoughts of being taken by Lizzy danced in his head. He caught himself and glanced at the paper in his hand. "You're done with this already?"

"Yes, I worked through lunch. I knew you'd want to read it before your four o'clock." William nodded. "Oh," Lizzy said, pausing at the door. "Speaking of lunch, Mr. Fitzwilliam was by while you were at your luncheon meeting. He said he'd leave you a message," she said looking around the desk.

"I got it," William said. Lizzy nodded and returned to her desk.

William reread the story and was able to laugh at it the second time around. He was tempted to call Richard, if only to chastise him for his misdeed (and to ask where he came up with a name like Thrasher for William's imagined beloved dog), but in truth, the story had made him far too pensive. And he knew how Richard's mind worked. Richard was apparently trying to make William think. No; calling Richard was a bad idea. William wouldn't speak to him again until he was able to answer all the hard questions Richard would most assuredly throw at him.

William returned to his quarterly report and worked on it till his four o'clock appointment was a few minutes away. There was a knock on the door and William rose to greet his guest.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Darcy," Lizzy said. "Your four o'clock just called. He's still stuck at the airport and wants to know if you'd rather reschedule for tomorrow."

"Yes," William said. "Ask him to call in the morning and we can set up lunch. I am free for lunch tomorrow, aren't I?" Lizzy nodded and left. She buzzed a few minutes later to confirm the lunchtime meeting had been scheduled.

"Good," William said. "Would you come in here, please? No, better yet, I'll come out there."

He rose and started to put a few things into his briefcase but thought better of it and left it behind as he strode out to Lizzy's desk.

"Yes, Mr. Darcy?"

"You said that you worked through lunch. Why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off?"

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy," Lizzy replied gratefully.

"And do I have dinner plans for tonight?"

Lizzy checked the schedule in front of her.

"No Mr. Darcy."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do you have dinner plans, Ms. Bennet?" William asked as he leaned forward slightly and placed his fists on her desk.

"Oh; no."

"In that case, will you have dinner with me this evening?"

Part Two

William held the door open as Lizzy emerged from her building. She looked amazing, William thought, but he didn't trust himself to say so out loud. He silently observed her as she walked the short distance from her apartment building to his car.

"Good evening, Lizzy," he said somewhat breathlessly.

"Good evening, Mr. Darcy," she replied as she slid into the passenger seat of the low-slung Mercedes. William swallowed hard and bent to look through the window as he closed the door.

"William," he said. Lizzy looked up at him and the sight of large brown eyes took his breath away--again.

"Mr. Darcy?"

"William," he repeated. "You're off the clock, Lizzy; I forbid you to call me 'Mr. Darcy' tonight." He walked around to the driver's side of the car and slid into the seat. When he glanced over at Lizzy she was frowning.

"Mr.--. William, is this a date?"

"Absolutely," William said as he put the car into drive.

"Should I be going on a date with my boss?"

"Too late to reconsider now," William said mildly. "You've already gone."

Lizzy swallowed hard and straightened in her seat. Now was definitely not the time to tell her how great she looked in a little black dress with a plunging neckline. Not that it plunged to a less than tastefully low... William rolled his eyes and vowed to kill Richard at his earliest convenience.

Ever since Lizzy had agreed to have dinner with him, Richard's little scenario had played over and over again in his head. And it wasn't bad enough that it was now firmly etched in his memory. William had printed it out and taken a copy of it with him. Even now it was burning a hole in his pocket. It was all he could do to try to forget about it as he waited for Lizzy to come downstairs. And she just had to show up in a little black dress with a V-neckline that showed off just enough perfect rose-scented skin to drive him insane.

William stole another glance at Lizzy. The black pearls she was fingering slid over the curve of her breast and William forced his eyes back to the road.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked suddenly.

"Heaven," William whispered. "Uh...Havana," he said louder. It's a new place my friend Charles has been raving about."

"I just read a review of it in the Times," Lizzy said. "It's supposed to be fabulous." She leaned back in the soft leather seat and closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. She opened her eyes and saw William's in the rear view mirror and sat up self-consciously. But William smiled indulgently and she relaxed a bit. All too soon they pulled up in front of the restaurant and William parked the car right across the street.

"This must be my lucky day," he said softly. Lizzy found herself blushing as he walked around and opened the door for her. He offered his arm and led her across the street to the restaurant.

"Good evening, Mr. Darcy," the hostess said. "Your table's ready." She picked up two menus and led them to a quiet table that nonetheless afforded them an excellent view of the room. William held Lizzy's chair for her before he sat down and smiled.

"Would you care for a cocktail?" a waiter asked. William looked at Lizzy inquiringly and she nodded.

"May I recommend a mojito? They're particularly good here."

Lizzy assented and the drinks were ordered and the couple began to discuss dinner options. William glanced up and swore under his breath. Lizzy lowered her menu and pouted.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No," William sighed. "Twenty thousand restaurants in New York City and I'm sure he's been in at least 10,000 of them. Yet he decides to come to this one tonight," he muttered to himself. Lizzy frowned and then turned to see who William was staring at. Richard Fitzwilliam was standing at the bar, smiling back with an absolutely smug grin on his face. He lifted his drink in a silent salute and turned away.

"Oh, dear," Lizzy said softly. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"This was an excellent idea," William replied firmly, even if the idea was Richard's.

"Good evening," Richard said suddenly. William nearly jumped out of his skin. Richard clamped a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Ms. Bennet you look amazing, but I'm sure William's already told you that. You know, I think I've only seen you in black or navy; dark colors are a great contrast with your beautiful complexion."

"Thank you, Mr. Fitzwilliam," Lizzy said modestly as she shot a glance at William, whose eyes were tightly shut.

"Please, it's Richard."

"Go away," William said curtly.

"Going," Richard replied. "Have a lovely evening you two." Lizzy stared at William as Richard strode away, chuckling. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled sheepishly when he caught sight of Lizzy's worried expression.

"Slight headache," William lied as he reached for his drink. "This should help." He took a gulp just as the waiter returned for their orders. Lizzy was completely flustered by this point, unsure that it might not be a better idea to bail before things became more awkward. But William rallied and suggested the steak. Lizzy braced herself and suggested that he order for the two of them, being too frazzled at that point to concentrate on the menu. William placed an order in flawless, beautiful Spanish and turned to Lizzy smiling.

"Where did you learn to speak Spanish?" she asked.

"In Madrid; my father spent a few years there when he was the ambassador," William replied. Lizzy was intrigued and the ensuing conversation made them both forget their brief awkwardness, till William saw out of the corner of his eye that Richard was still at the bar, watching them.

A tall, beautiful woman walked into the restaurant, and William heaved a sigh of relief. She had to be Richard's date. She was everything Richard could possibly want in a woman, in William's estimation: she was female, beautiful, long-legged, and not on the arm of another male. But, to his horror, the woman walked right past his cousin and he barely spared her a glance, although she eyed him like he was a special on the menu. William sighed and swore under his breath.

"...Madagascar."

William blinked. Lizzy was looking at him expectantly and he had no idea what she'd just said. He floundered about for a second, hoping to dredge up something to say that would not expose him as a neglectful idiot, but she smiled at him sympathetically.

"Here I am droning on about my travels and you still have that headache. Is it any better?" she asked, reaching out to touch his hand.

"Madagascar?" William blurted out before he could grab onto the out she'd just offered him. "When were you in Madagascar?"

"Next November."

William's face fell.

"I am truly sorry, Lizzy. I--."

"Your head hurts. Perhaps we should cut--."

"No, no, actually," William said with a smile, "it's your beauty that's distracting me at the moment." His words had the desired effect. Lizzy smiled shyly, a warm blush suffusing her cheeks in a most charming way. William felt himself relax for a moment, and their conversation was smoothly back on track.

Their dinner arrived and William encouraged Lizzy to try his mussels. She, in turn, fed him from her own plate. William was in heaven, till he looked up and saw Richard passing his table. He didn't get a glimpse of his date, but he didn't care. Any woman in his cousin's company would probably be able to occupy enough of his attention to allow William to enjoy his meal in peace.

"Isn't that William?" Richard's companion asked. "Who's his date? She's rather extraordinary."

"Will seems to think so," Richard said with a smug grin. "She's his secretary."

"No! He's dating his secretary?"

"Scandalous, isn't it? Maybe I should have a word with him."

"You're a wonderful man, Richard, and undoubtedly a great friend, but I doubt that you are the proper person to advise William on affairs of the heart."

"Why not?" said the offended man.

"Trust me, dear--you are not the right person."

"I do have a heart, you know. And I am his closest friend."

"Indeed, you are," she said, caressing his cheek. "But Richard, you're also an incorrigible troublemaker. And I know you'd make your cousin's life a living hell."

"Who me?"

"Save it for someone who hasn't seen you do it before. And don't pout at me, young man."

"You know, you're not as much fun as you used to be."

"I'm plenty of fun. I'm just not letting you have any at William's expense."

"...Not tonight, anyway..."

"Richard!"

Across the room, Lizzy noticed that Richard was seated at a table and said as much to William.

"Yes, his date finally arrived."

"Excuse me for saying this, but she seems a little old to be his date."

"Oh, Richard's an equal opportunity womanizer. I believe he'd date his own mother if she wasn't happily married," William said insouciantly. He refused to let his cousin ruin his evening. But Lizzy continued to look at the couple across the room.

"How old is his mother?"

"She's--." William glanced back and then did a double-take. "Oh, lord!"

"See what I mean? That woman can't be his date. She looks old enough to be his grandmother," Lizzy said. Although he was very tempted to make another disparaging remark to the effect that his cousin was a part-time gigolo, William was forced to admit the truth.

"She is his grandmother."

"Oh!" Lizzy said, more than a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did."

"Oh, that's perfectly all right. It's just Richard."

"What does that mean?"

"The man seems to create bad impressions wherever he goes."

"I always thought he was very nice."

William stared at her momentarily, disbelief writ plain on his face. Then he realized that she had no idea what Richard's mischief had wrought. He pasted a smile on his face and tried to modify his tone.

"Well, he's quite the scamp."

"Mr. Fitzwilliam?" Lizzy said ingenuously. "He's a bit of a charmer, but a scamp?"

William stared into his plate, unable to distinguish the difference between a charmer and a scamp. He was certain that his cousin was a scamp, if not worse. He was also a charmer, the most obvious evidence of that being Lizzy's good opinion of the man. He sighed and dug into his mussels. He wanted to be discussing more important things, or inconsequential things, anything other than his cousin sitting across the room with his grandmother, who was staring at him and Lizzy with great curiosity. William lost interest in his appetizer.

**

"Who is she? Where did she come from?" Bess asked Richard. "Please tell me she's not trying to marry into money, is she?"

"I don't know," Richard replied. "I kind of got the impression that William was looking to marry down."

"Oh, behave yourself, you rapscallion! I know you're just trying to provoke me," Bess replied. "And I know you know more about this than you're letting on."

"Who, me? I had nothing to do with this?"

"Why did you invite me to dinner tonight?"

"I take you to dinner twice a month! We always go out the second Wednesday," Richard said defensively.

"And our being here tonight when William is here with his secretary is just a huge coincidence?"

"Yes."

"You know, you didn't even flinch just now," Bess said curiously.

"That's because I'm telling the truth! I was even here first! He just happened to show up."

"I don't believe you," she replied. Richard sighed and threw up his hands.

"I'm wounded."

"Oh, horse shit!"

"Grandma Bess!" Richard gasped.

**

"William," Lizzy said as the main course arrived, "is Richard's grandmother--?"

"Yes?" he asked with mounting trepidation. He'd noticed Lizzy looking in their direction several times during the appetizer course.

"Oh! I don't know what she just said but Richard just about spewed his drink across the room," Lizzy said with a smile. William didn't dare look.

"Well, Richard's a scamp because it runs in her side of the family. How's the skirt steak?"

A large party was seated at the adjoining table, providing a welcome distraction, as well as an impediment to the continued snooping of his relations. William began to eat faster, hoping to disappear before his kin could see him again.

"I know a lovely place in the Village where we can have dessert. We can walk there if you like; stretch our legs after this great meal."

"Oh," Lizzy pouted. "That sounds lovely, but I read that the orange flan here was ethereal. I'd really like to try it."

"Orange flan?" William asked, weighing his sanity against the lure of one of his favorite desserts. Not to mention the fact that the opportunity to watch Lizzy savor the delicacy held its own appeal. William sighed. He was doomed. "And here I thought that no woman could resist the lure of chocolate," he assayed desperately. "That place in the Village has a chocolate dessert tasting."

"Another time, perhaps?"

"Absolutely," William said gamely. "I'd like that."

**

"Why should I tell you anything? You're apparently not going to believe me," Richard pouted.

"Richard," Bess said warningly. The harried man sighed.

"Her name is Elizabeth Bennet and she's been working with Will for a couple of months now."

"What happened to his other assistant?"

"Lizzy poisoned her," Richard replied sarcastically. "Ow! I don't know!" he added when Bess kicked him under the table. "She was just there one day!"

"Where did she come from?"

"Why don't you grill Charles Bingley? He's the head of personnel."

"He's not here and I know you already have all the answers I need," Bess said knowingly.

"All right, all right. Do you mind? I have to wear shorts at the gym in the morning," Richard said petulantly. "She's a local girl, she attended NYU--."

"And became a secretary?"

"Maybe her title is more like "executive assistant."

"What was her major?"

"Who knows?"

"I assume you do, and you'll tell me before I--."

"I don't know, Grandma Bess. Would you like me to go over and ask?"

"No; I'd like you to tell me how you managed to contrive this."

"Come again?"

"I'm not stupid, Richard. You're responsible for this."

"I told you; I had no idea they were going to be here tonight! Honest! I was as surprised as you were to see them."

"You have your hand in this somewhere," Bess replied. "And don't give me that innocent look. It only works on your mother."

"I--. All right; I confess I knew William was pathetically in love with Lizzy and I sort of encouraged him to go for it."

"Sort of?"

"Tacitly."

"You?" Bess snorted. "You're incapable of subtlety."

"I--!"

"Save it for your next visit home. I'm not buying it."

**

Across the room, Lizzy excused herself to use the ladies' room. William considered trying to convince her to skip dessert, but decided against it. Things were going well; he only needed to hold on for twenty minutes or so more.

"William?"

His luck had run out. In point of fact, unbeknownst to William, she'd just left the restroom and passed Lizzy a moment earlier.

"Grandma Bess," he said rising to his feet to kiss her cheek.

"I saw you earlier, but I didn't want to interrupt your date," she replied mildly, but he heard the accusation and felt the full weight of her reproach. He knew he'd been remiss in not going over to see her and said so.

"She must be hot stuff," Bess said in her typical way, neither forgiving William nor holding him to account. "Richard told me she's your assistant."

"Uh, yes," William said awkwardly. He wondered if he should dissemble, but discarded the notion as quickly as it came to him. If there was anyone on the planet he was less able to dissemble to than Richard, it was his grandmother. So he skipped the planned line about it being Lizzy's birthday and just smiled.

"She's very beautiful," Bess said, presenting him with a second opportunity to explain himself. William failed to take the bait yet again, but he realized that if he didn't do something, Bess would never leave.

"May I escort you back to your table?" He breathed a sigh of relief when Bess nodded and allowed herself to be taken back to where his cousin waited, staring daggers at William as he crossed the room. "What's wrong with you?"

"Go away," Richard said. Bess thumped him on the back of his head before she sat down.

William was only too glad to make his escape; Lizzy had already returned to the table. He could feel two pairs of eyes on his back all the way to his seat. He also heard his cousin's snicker. But he forgot about that and cringed when he saw a sheaf of papers in Lizzy's hands. She was frowning at the sheets as she straightened them. William went pale and surreptitiously felt his pocket. It was empty.

"Are these yours?" she said when he reached the table. "I found them on the floor."

"What is it?" William asked nonchalantly. He extended a slightly trembling hand and took the papers, wondering what she'd made of them. She must have read something of it, based on the heightened color of her cheeks. William made a show of scanning the first page and frowned. He swallowed hard and looked up at Lizzy, doing his best to adopt an expression of innocence, much like the one Richard seemed to assume with such ease.

"What the--. He looked over at Richard and shook his head. "I told you he was a scamp." William folded the papers and tore them into pieces. "Shall we order dessert?"

"You think Mr. Fitzwilliam wrote that, that..."

"I know he wrote it," William said confidently. "He writes trashy romances as a hobby. He's even published a few stories under an assumed name," William said maliciously. "I suppose this was his idea of a joke." He signaled for the waiter. "Don't let it bother you, Lizzy. I wouldn't take Richard's ramblings seriously. And I would never contemplate doing any of the things he wrote in that sordid tale."

If he'd meant to reassure Lizzy, he'd failed; for the next several minutes she wore an unreadable expression. William ordered the flan and a round of brandies. When Lizzy spoke again, her voice was somewhat sad. William would have said disappointed, had he known what could possibly have disappointed her. Nonetheless, he blamed Richard for it. Yes, Richard would be made to pay for whatever it was that had taken the glow out of Lizzy's cheeks.

**

"How's your paella?" Bess asked. Richard was frowning at something across the room and ignored him. "Oh, please don't tell me you're interested in Lizzy, too." That got his attention.

"No; actually, I've met someone recently," he said absently. He frowned again, and seemed to stare even harder.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm reading lips, or trying to," Richard said, giving up and turning his attention back to his plate. "The paella's very good; Cuban paella is somewhat different from the kind we had in Madrid or Lisbon, but very good."

"All right, out with it," Bess said with a glance over her shoulder. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Richard said, frowning again. "Things seemed to be going well, earlier. Now, I don't know."

"Oh dear."

**

He couldn't even enjoy his flan. All the light seemed to have gone out of Lizzy's eyes. She smiled gamely, but she was clearly distracted. The moment William suggested calling for the check she answered so quickly he concluded that she couldn't wait to get away from him.

"You aren't still bothered by that story, are you?" he asked. "You seem to be--."

"No, no, I'm fine. I guess I'm tired," Lizzy said, though it was obviously an excuse. "I haven't been sleeping well these last few days and had actually planned on going to bed early till you asked me out."

"I'm sorry; if I'd known--."

"No! I've enjoyed this, very much."

"Good," William said, slightly relieved. "I do hope you'll join me another time."

Lizzy looked up, trying to ascertain whether or not he meant it. Men often made vague offers of future invitations they never intended to follow through on. She'd thought that William would be different.

"In fact, if you're well rested by the weekend, we can try again on Saturday night," William suggested. Lizzy smiled.

"I'd like that very much," she replied, but William still sensed a bit of hesitation. He wished he knew where things had gone awry.

"It's a date, then." William signed the check. "Let's get you home. I want you wide awake come Saturday." Lizzy seemed to rally a bit. She smiled warmly as she rose and allowed William to place her wrap around her shoulders.

He led her to the door, his upbringing forcing him to pause to acknowledge his grandmother, if not his cousin. Richard looked unusually sober, William thought. He must be sensing impending doom, he concluded as he ushered Lizzy through the door.

Part Three

Richard had just emerged from the shower and was shaving when his cousin pounded on his door. He sighed and set down the razor before going to answer it.

"Do you always answer your door in the nude?"

"I don't usually have visitors when I'm shaving. Besides, I knew it was you."

"Do you always shave in the nude?" William asked as he followed his cousin back to the bathroom.

"Look, did you come here to critique my morning ritual or was there something else?" Richard said testily before he resumed shaving.

"I came here to punch your lights out," William said firmly.

"Or try," Richard said, setting down his razor and turning to face him. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"You can do better than that," Richard said with a chuckle. "If things went sour last night it wasn't my doing."

"How do you figure that?"

"You know, I'm tired of being the scapegoat here. First Grandma Bess and now you; what makes you guys think I'm responsible for your inability to get laid?"

"I was not out to get laid," William replied distastefully. "I--."

"Spare me," Richard said as he returned to his shaving. "So what happened?" William shrugged and sat on a stool in the huge bathroom.

"I don't know. One minute things were fine and the next..."

"What?"

"Could you put some clothes on? That's... You're very distracting," William said sheepishly, self-consciously sucking in his gut.

"Who the hell asked you to come in here?" Richard said as he reached for his robe. He shrugged into it and continued to shave. "So what happened?" he asked again. William slumped a bit and Richard felt a pang of sympathy. "Will?" He quickly rinsed his face and toweled it dry.

"I don't know," William said. "I don't know what happened. Everything was fine till dessert. Then--."

"What did she have?"

"The flan," William said immediately. "No, it wasn't the dessert," he spat exasperatedly. "It was something--. Damn! Why didn't I realize it last night?"

"What?"

"That stupid story of yours! Lizzy saw it!"

"And that's my fault?" Richard shook his head and reached for a jar of moisturizer.

"If you hadn't written it--."

"...You would have been home alone last night instead of out on a date with her? You're welcome."

"Why should I thank you? I'm the one who asked her out."

"After I gave you a push in the right direction," Richard said smugly.

"I didn't need directions, Richard," William spat back. "My only problem was that Lizzy saw the story and it ruined our date!" William cried.

"Wait a minute; why would you show Lizzy that story? It was meant for your eyes only."

"I know! But she found my printout."

"You printed it out and left it around for her to see?"

"Well, I didn't leave it out, per se. It fell out of my pocket--."

"You know, I would beat you senseless if I thought you had a brain in your head. What the hell were you thinking, carrying that around?"

"I wasn't thinking," William admitted glumly. "I just stuck it in my pocket before I left the apartment..."

"I hope it was dry," Richard said archly.

"Dry? I--. Richard, you're not helping!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know," William sighed. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "I love her." Richard set the jar down and leaned against the counter.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you aren't planning to stay here all day, are you?"

**

Lizzy slipped into the office at 7:30, just about the same time William was making his confession to Richard. She quickly stored her purse and lunch in her desk and took a deep breath. Knowing that he never arrived before eight o'clock, she stole into William's office and brought up his word processor.

She looked through his document files and didn't find anything that resembled the story she'd seen the previous night. Disappointed, she closed the processor. That's when she noted an icon on the desktop. It was among the other project file shortcuts, but she'd never heard of a project called "Thrasher." Curious, she opened it and found the story. Lizzy quickly printed it out and restored the machine to its previous state before returning to her desk.

**

"I told her you wrote it, by the way," William said matter-of-factly as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He cringed inwardly as he spoke, expecting Richard to take the revelation badly.

"Well, that's something, at least," he replied as he took the pot from William and poured out a cup. "She'll think that I'm the sexual deviant in the family."

"You are the sexual deviant in the family," William shot back. "By the way, she doesn't know we're family, unless you told her. And if you haven't, I'll thank you not to do so."

"Why?" Richard asked suspiciously.

"Humor me, will you?"

"So tell me what happened after she read the story," Richard said, shooting him a dark look.

"She didn't read it. There wouldn't have been enough time."

"Willy, there's enough on the first page to give her a pretty good idea of where things were headed at a glance."

"Oh, lord," William sighed, covering his eyes. He abruptly looked up. "And don't call me 'Willy'!" Richard chuckled and opened the refrigerator.

"Breakfast?"

"Who can eat?"

"I can," Richard replied as he pulled out juice, eggs, cheese, butter and a package of sausages. "Sure you aren't hungry?" he asked as he searched for English muffins.

"Well, maybe..."

"So tell me; what happened after she saw it?"

"She got quiet."

"Bad quiet or good quiet?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

Richard sat down and folded his hands on the table. He spoke slowly and patiently.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

"I thought you were making breakfast," William protested.

"I thought you wanted my help!"

"Can't you multitask?"

"I don't have to; you could stop for an Egg McMuffin on the way to your office," Richard threatened. William checked his watch.

"Will you cook if I talk? I'm running late."

"Give me strength," Richard muttered as he rose and returned to the counter. "Everything."

"All right."

Richard cooked the sausages and made cheese omelets while William gave him the details of the latter part of the evening.

"I'm not sure," he said. "She was somewhat subdued, but she seemed to liven up a bit after we made a firm date for Saturday."

"The girl's a masochist," Richard muttered. "Where did you go after dinner?"

"I took her home. It was a work night."

"Of course it was. Make yourself useful and toast the muffins, will you?" Richard said as he deftly folded William's omelet. "Did you kiss her?"

"No," William sighed as he reached for a fork. "I didn't think it was appropriate." Richard snickered and William looked up sharply. "What? I thought you were supposed to cut an English muffin with a fork in order to preserve the nooks and crannies."

"Why didn't you kiss her?" Richard asked with no small amount of restraint.

"You think I should have?"

"I'm almost positive she did."

"What makes you say so?"

"Years of experience with the opposite sex."

"Which means what, exactly?"

"She'd just seen something racy--something that got her hot and bothered..."

"...Or something that completely revolted her," William frowned.

"Well, if she's revolted by the thought of wild sex with you, my friend, you're doomed." Richard sat down at the table with his plate. "Eat up."

William stuffed a piece of muffin into his mouth.

"I'm doomed."

"Will, she agreed to see you again, didn't she?" Richard said, rolling his eyes. "You're not doomed." William smiled crookedly.

"Right."

"Life is short," Richard said wisely. "Don't blow your second chance."

**

She read the story, and then read it a second time. She was still fanning herself when the door opened. She quickly shoved the papers under her and sat down again. Fortunately, it was just her friend Alva, who distracted Lizzy for the next several minutes with coffee and donuts. She'd nearly regained her composure by the time William arrived a few minutes before nine o'clock.

"Good morning, Lizzy. Alva, may I have some of that, please?" he said amiably as he strode by. Alva smiled archly.

"Can I have some of that?" she whispered conspiratorially. "How do you deal, girl?"

"I manage," Lizzy said. "Do me a favor and take this to the mailroom on your way out?" she said, pushing an envelope across the desk.

"I can take a hint; you want him all to yourself," Alva said. "Just for that, you can get his coffee!"

"Alva!" Lizzy cried. "Lower your voice!"

"Yeah, yeah... lunch?"

"I'll call you," Lizzy said, praying that she'd leave before William came out of the office again. Alva left and Lizzy quickly rose and gathered up the crinkled up pages. She pressed them out, folded them neatly and shoved them into her bag before Alva returned.

"You want to take it in or may I approach his highness?" Alva asked. Lizzy took the cup from her. Alva left smirking, but Lizzy promptly regretted letting her go. She would be forced to face William and she wasn't sure she could do that at the moment. The intercom buzzed and she flinched. Steeling herself, she knocked and then entered the office.

"Oh, you didn't have to bring it yourself," William said. "I was just calling to see if you'd heard from Carson this morning."

"Not yet," Lizzy replied, unable to meet his eyes. "Would you like me to call him or should I give him some time?" William checked his watch. When he looked up he noticed that Lizzy was frowning at his desk.

"Give him a half hour. Is there something wrong?"

"Where's--." Lizzy glanced up self-consciously. Her eyes met William's and she smiled. William returned the smile, rather dreamily in her estimation. "Your lamp is broken."

"What's wrong with the lamp?" he asked, reluctantly tearing his eyes away to look at it.

"One of the bulbs is out, I mean," Lizzy dissembled. William reached over and pulled the chain. The light came on and Lizzy blushed. "Oh." She tried to compose herself and took a step backward. "I have your schedule for the day."

"Please," William replied and then watched her retrieve it. As always, she read it out to him before handing it over, but she perched on her seat looking somewhat nervous. William decided to try and put her at ease. "Lizzy, I hope you don't feel uncomfortable around me after last night."

Lizzy looked up sharply.

"After..."

"After our date," William said. "I know interoffice relationships can sometimes be awkward and if you feel uncomfortable seeing me--."

"Oh, no!" Lizzy said a little too eagerly. "It's not that--."

"I generally frown on them myself, but I must confess that I'm more than willing to overlook my own rules in this case. You're--."

"...I."

"Forgive me," they said in unison.

"Look, perhaps we should discuss this another time," William suggested, reaching for the ringing phone.

"Saturday?" Lizzy asked archly. William smiled and she rose and left to give him some privacy.

"William Darcy," he said into the phone.

"Yes, I recognize the dulcet tones. Hello, dear."

"Hello, Grandma Bess," William said, trying hard not to roll his eyes, not convinced that she wouldn't know if he did.

**

Lizzy, meanwhile, went back to her desk, mentally slapping herself in the forehead for being such an idiot. It was just a work of fiction. William told her that Richard Fitzwilliam had written it... Lizzy sat down.

If Richard Fitzwilliam wrote the story, why was it on William's desktop as a shortcut? And if Richard Fitzwilliam had sent William the story, why would he bother to save it? Shouldn't it just have been in an email? Come to think of it, why had William lied about it in the first place? Lizzy distinctly recalled seeing it on William's computer the previous day--well, before he abruptly turned the screen away. There was more to this story Lizzy wanted to know--such as why William was so dismissive of the story after printing it out in the first place. Lizzy saw enough of the printout to know it had come from William's printer. It had those dots on the upper right hand corner that always made Lizzy crazy. She made a mental note to call the tech office and arrange to get a new machine for William's office.

What did it all mean?

**

William was too busy to wonder what Lizzy was thinking. He was too busy getting an earful from his grandmother.

"Are you sure you've considered what you're doing? For your sake and hers, be very sure of what you're doing."

Bess's words echoed in William's ears long after he'd hung up the phone. He mulled them over in his head until Lizzy buzzed him to let him know that she had Carson on the line. The day moved fairly quickly after that. Carson arrived for a meeting at the office, after which the two men went to lunch. From there, William attended two meetings in the field and didn't bother returning to the office afterwards. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have second-guessed his decision not to go back but this time, he had to wonder how much of his motivation had to do with avoiding Lizzy.

For her part, Lizzy was relieved. She found it easy to speak to William on the phone, but seeing William aroused all sorts of inappropriate thoughts that distracted her at the most inopportune times. So she was relieved when he called to let her know that he would not be back that day and she was even happier when he suggested that she take off a little early. If she was going to daydream about her boss, she was better off doing it at home, where she wouldn't embarrass herself, imperil her job, or bump into sharp-cornered furniture.

Getting out of work a half hour early meant that Lizzy got across town before the rush hour. She decided to run a few errands in the neighborhood before going home. She went to the supermarket for some milk, picked up some garlic and lettuce at the green market and finally stopped at the bakery for some bread. When she came out she couldn't help but smile at an Airedale sitting at the curb. It reminded her of the story she'd read earlier in the day and since Airedales were a fairly rare sight in New York, she couldn't resist taking a closer look at him. His lead was tied to a parking meter and he sat up smartly as Lizzy approached.

"Hello there," she said as she bent to let it sniff her hand. The dog sniffed cautiously then practically forced her to scratch his head, leaning into the welcome touch. "Aren't you a cutie?"

"Lizzy Bennet!" a voice behind her said. Lizzy spun around and found herself looking into the startlingly deep blue eyes of Richard Fitzwilliam.

"Mr. Fitzwilliam," Lizzy said, quickly averting her eyes and blushing furiously, as she recalled the story she'd read that morning.

"I see you've met Thrasher," he said as he bent to untie the lead.

"Thrasher?"

"Yeah; he's my girlfriend's dog. Sam is out of town so I'm babysitting till she gets back," he said as he wrestled with the leash. "Thrasher seems to be more interested in becoming better acquainted with you than going home."

"He's very friendly," Lizzy said. She was clearly uncomfortable. Richard took firm hold of the leash and brought the dog to heel.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Look, Ms. Bennet... Have you got a few minutes to grab a cup of coffee? I heard what happened last night and I want to try and fix things if I can."

"I'm sure it's not necessary," she began but she found Richard to be as persuasive as her boss when he turned on the charm. She agreed to a cup of coffee and allowed him to lead her to a little outdoor café across the street.

"Thanks for agreeing to this," Richard said once they'd ordered. Thrasher settled at Richard's feet and Lizzy bent to pet him.

"He's a great dog," she said conversationally.

"Yeah, he is," Richard agreed, reaching down to scratch him behind the ears. "His mom's something else, too." Lizzy looked a bit confused. "...His human companion, not his dam." Lizzy nodded and smiled.

"Oh," she said as coffee was placed in front of them along with a plate of biscotti. "You said you wanted to try and fix things, Mr. Fitz--."

"Richard, please," he replied. "I only let my lawyer call me Mr. Fitzwilliam."

"Well, you needn't bother, Richard," she corrected with a smile. "There really isn't anything to fix."

"I think so; I wrote that story as a joke; I never intended for anyone but William to see it. I was shocked to hear that he actually printed it out and took it with him to dinner."

"Took it with him? He led me to believe... Never mind. It doesn't matter."

"What did you think?" Richard asked with a curious smile. Lizzy found herself returning it, which made a bit easier to ask a question.

"You didn't really write that story, did you? William said that you wrote trashy romances as a hobby and that you even published a few stories under an assumed name."

Richard laughed heartily, causing Thrasher to sit up and gaze at him quizzically. He picked up a cookie and broke it, sharing half with the dog.

"If Sam asks, you saw nothing," he said conspiratorially. Lizzy could only giggle as she watched them share the treat.

"My cousin is quite the wit," Richard said after a sip of coffee.

"Your cousin?"

"You didn't--. Oh, that's right; he asked me not to tell you," Richard said impishly.

"Why not?"

"Who knows why the guy does anything? He's certifiably weird," Richard said instantly. But he quickly recanted, realizing that he needed to set things right for William. "Actually," he said, sitting forward and speaking earnestly, "Will is always anxious to give the right impression. He's a very...it's the way he was brought up--everything by the book, cross the t's, dot the i's... You know how it is."

"No," Lizzy said bluntly. "I don't." Richard sighed, clearly amused by her response, but also slightly at a loss as to explain himself.

"William's the mature one in the family. I'm the clown. He plays by the rules, I play it by ear."

"You're an engineer," Lizzy interjected.

"I'm the funniest engineer you'll ever meet," Richard said seriously. Lizzy promptly burst into laughter. "See?"

"And you write smutty stories in your spare time?" she asked.

"One or two..."

Lizzy arched her eyebrow doubtfully.

"Okay, I only wrote one, but I rewrote it for William."

"I still don't believe you, Richard."

He sighed and reached for the leather bag that sat at his feet beside Thrasher. He pulled out a laptop and booted it up.

"See for yourself," he said, turning it around to show Lizzy the screen. "Click on the one called 'Free Willy.'" When she began to laugh again, Richard smiled. "Told you I was a funny guy."

"Yes, but that doesn't--." Lizzy frowned at the menu, which offered choice of "Free Willy" and a file listed as "Sam." She looked up and Richard shrugged.

"Open it," Richard challenged. She did, and saw the story she'd printed out. "And if you open the other one you'll see the original story."

Lizzy clicked on the second story--noting that the date it was saved preceded the one on William's computer by a month--and saw a slightly different story, one in which Sam walked into Richard's office and ravaged him. Lizzy looked up sheepishly.

"Sam is a veterinarian who travels to dog shows as part of a special program. She was away for a week and I missed her. So I wrote that and sent it to her as an incentive to come home early."

"And did she?" Lizzy asked boldly.

"No, but she did skip the next two shows," Richard said with a wink.

"Okay, so you did write the story."

"I did. William would never write such a thing."

Lizzy sighed.

"No, I don't suppose he would," she admitted. Richard saw the regret in her eyes.

"You look disappointed."

"Well..." She decided it was safer not to reply to the statement. She looked up. "How did your Sam react to the story?"

"She knew me well enough not to be offended and we were already involved when I sent it to her. She's the daughter of a family friend and we've known each other since we were kids. We lost touch when we went off to college but we met again at a party about three months ago." Richard smiled. "She loved it. But as I said, she knew who she was dealing with."

"Truth be told, I was more amused than offended by the story. I was just shocked to find it at the restaurant."

"May I ask an impertinent question?"

"I suppose," Lizzy said as Richard pushed the plate of cookies toward her.

"How do you feel about William?"

"I--. I like him a great deal," she said carefully.

"Just as I suspected. You're just as besotted with him as he is with you," Richard said astutely.

**

Lizzy had a lot to think about after her talk with Richard. He'd hit the nail on the head; she was besotted with William Darcy. She'd fallen for him the moment she first laid eyes on him. The only thing she was unsure of was what to do about it.

As she pondered the situation, her mobile phone rang and she dug into her purse for it as she made her way up the stairs to her apartment.

"Where are you?" Alva demanded. Lizzy gasped.

"Omigod! Alva!"

"So you do remember me," her friend quipped.

"Oh, Alva, I'm so sorry. William called and told me I could leave early--."

"...So you left early."

"Yes; I'm so sorry! I forgot all about our plans."

"Man, when that guy speaks all rational thought flees from your head, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"Never mind. I've got a pair of shoes to buy, all by my lonesome."

"I just got home. I can dump my stuff and jump in a cab--."

"...Or you can just stay there and think about your boss. You got it bad, Lizzy."

"Am I that obvious?" Lizzy asked.

"You keep your cool at the office--which makes you a far stronger woman than I am," Alva teased. "I wouldn't be able to work for that man and maintain my composure all day. But the minute you step out of the building, or out of his sight, or out of--."

"All right, all right," Lizzy said. She laughed a bit uneasily. "Do me a favor, Al; would you call me when you get home tonight? I'd like to discuss this with you."

Perhaps it would be better, she decided, if she confided in someone... Well, someone other than a funny engineer who, as it turns out, was a blood relative of the man she'd fallen in love with.

**

"You're covered in dog hair."

"You know, it's pretty damned hard to achieve perfection. Most of us wonder how you manage it," Richard sighed from behind his menu.

"You don't own a dog!" William replied.

"And yet, there it is," Richard said as he signaled for a waiter. "Beer, please. Bring a pitcher." The waiter eyed him oddly and explained that the restaurant only offered bottles. Richard laughed and properly ordered two bottles. When the waiter left he sighed and propped his chin.

"Trouble?"

"No," Richard said, "just incredibly thirsty."

"I hope you're not so thirsty that you won't share," William replied, setting down his menu.

"Of course I'll --. You're making a funny. Cute; stop it."

"You're in a mood."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Isn't it fortunate that you invited me to have dinner with you," William teased.

"Isn't it?"

The waiter returned and the two men placed their orders.

"So what's up?" William asked.

"Oh, I just miss Sam," Richard said.

"Sam? Sam who?"

"Sam Douglass."

"Sam Douglass? Why on earth would you miss Sam Douglass?"

"I'm dating Sam Douglass," Richard replied evenly.

"You're dating Sam Douglass? Since when have you been dating Sam Douglass?"

Richard rubbed his forehead before he answered.

"We've been seeing each other since I ran into her at Marc's party a few months back. You remember me mentioning that, don't you?"

"Yeah; she'd just moved back to New York," William said as he gnawed on a breadstick. "Isn't she a vet?" Richard smiled and held out his hands. "Wait a minute. You're covered in dog hair and she's a vet..."

"Remind me to never play charades with you," Richard said as the waiter returned with their appetizers. "I have the Shanghai street dumplings. He's got the ribs."

"I miss Lizzy," William admitted several minutes later as he stared at his last rib.

"You saw her today," Richard reminded him.

"Briefly; I was either in meetings or out of the office most of the day."

"But you saw her. You didn't wake up alone in your apartment with nothing but a fleeting memory of--. Wait a minute; you did." Richard smiled and reached for a dumpling.

"Thanks for reminding me," William said dully. He discarded his rib half eaten.

"Hey, you have the big date tomorrow night. Know where you're going to take her?"

"I made a reservation at Per Se. But I haven't given much thought about what to do afterward."

"I'm going to skip over the part where I ask how you managed to get a reservation to a restaurant with a six-month waiting list overnight," Richard said as the waiter cleared their plates. "Let's see... What does Lizzy like?"

"I have no idea."

"You must know something about her."

"I--."

"Don't," Richard interjected. "If you start waxing rhapsodic over her again I'll never be able to hold down my dinner."

"This was your idea. You're paying, by the way."

"Fine; I'll throw in an extra dessert if you promise not to babble on about the perfection of Lizzy's complexion--again."

"All right, smart ass; any ideas?"

"The Rangers are in town."

"If you're going to just sit there and make fun--."

"Hey, it's what I do best," Richard shot back. "I'm thinking," he said seriously.

"What do you and Sam like to do?"

"We go out to eat, catch a movie, check out a gallery or museum exhibit...sometimes we just cuddle up with Thrash and watch Animal Planet."

William gave him an odd look; Richard just shrugged.

"Thrash?"

"Thrasher; he's Sam's dog."

"Sam Douglass has a--.

"Please don't start that again. Yes, she has a dog named Thrasher and yes, he's an Airedale. His name's actually Rothery's Jubilant Conqueror, but he's retired from the show ring."

"How sad for him," William deadpanned. The waiter passed by and Richard signaled for another beer, as did William. "So? Lizzy?"

"The jazz hall is in the same complex as the restaurant," Richard suggested.

"I don't know if she likes jazz."

"How could you work with someone for months and learn absolutely nothing about her?"

"I've learned a few things," William said defensively. "Just nothing about how she'd like to spend tomorrow night."

"Let me hazard a guess: in your arms, alone in the dark."

"I can't--!"

Richard held up a hand.

"You take a walk along Central Park South, hail a hansom cab and take a carriage ride through the park."

"That could work."

"If you go to Per Se you're going to be there most of the evening anyway. It's more of a destination than anything. Which reminds me--how did you manage it?"

"The chef is a client," William said with a wink. "If you'd ever like to take--." Richard cut him off.

"I'll know who to ask."

**

The following day was relatively normal for Lizzy and William. He was extremely busy, first at a general staff meeting, then at a series of meetings with project groups. Lizzy was content to keep a low profile. She'd come to a decision and only had to wait until the right time to reveal it to William. When he came out of his office with a tired smile and asked her to order in a late lunch, she felt it was the right moment.

Except that William went right back into his office when the phone rang; he was on the phone for the next forty minutes with a client in Munich. Lizzy entered the office and was surprised to find William sprawled in his chair, his tie and jacket abandoned on the club chair near his desk. His feet were up and he smiled when he saw the bag in her hand. William smoothly ended the phone call and sat up as he hung up the phone.

"You haven't eaten lunch, either, have you?" William said as realization set in. "You should have told me--."

"It's all right. I ordered something for myself when I called the deli," Lizzy said hastily. William smiled and sat back.

"Why don't you bring your lunch in and eat with me?"

Lizzy smiled and fetched her lunch. When she returned, William had moved around the desk so he could sit closer to her. Lizzy blushed self-consciously as she sat down.

"Did your father spend time as the ambassador to Germany?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" William replied, confused by her question.

"You were speaking German just now."

"Oh; no, I learned that in school."

"What else did you learn in school? What was your major in college?"

"I majored in business administration in college," William said, unwrapping his sandwich. "I knew that speaking other languages would be a valuable skill so I took as many language courses as I could."

"So in addition to Spanish and German--."

"I speak French and a little Japanese," William said proudly. "How about you?"

"Languages were never my forte but I can get by with my college French and Italian."

"Italian--there's a language I wish I knew better. I began taking a course but had to drop it when I got too busy with work." William noticed that Lizzy averted her eyes at the mention of work and he wondered at it, especially when she set aside her sandwich and reached for something in her pocket. "What's that?" he asked.

"It's--. William," Lizzy said, looking up and meeting his eyes. "I'm tendering my resignation." He promptly began to sputter, but she held up a hand to forestall his response. "Please, hear me out before you say anything."

"Lizzy, I--!"

"Please, William! This is very important--for both of us."

William sat back, but he firmly gripped his sandwich, now forgotten in his hands. His mouth formed the word "why," but no sound came out of his mouth. Lizzy gently prized the sandwich from his hands and set it down. She took his hands and held onto them.

"I should never have taken this job. I knew that I would eventually have to leave it; the only questions were when and under what circumstances," she began. William shook his head and Lizzy gave his hands a squeeze. He licked his lips and sighed. "I fell hard for you the first time I saw you. I can recall it vividly. Mr. Bingley told me that you wanted to meet me and sent me up here," she said, looking around the office. "I walked in and there you were." Lizzy took a quick breath, a spontaneous gasp that belied her emotions. "Before you spoke a word I knew I'd fallen in love with you."

A crooked smile formed on William's lips, but he promptly frowned.

"Then why--?"

She silenced him with another squeeze of her hands.

"Don't you understand, William?" she said earnestly. "I was either destined to love you unrequitedly or else be forced to make a choice between my job and the possibility of a--."

"...Not a possibility," William interjected. "A certainty; I love you, too, Lizzy. I'm sorry to say that I don't know when it began. I can only say that it's not likely to end during this lifetime." He withdrew one of his hands from Lizzy's and caressed her cheek. "You don't have to leave."

"I do!" Lizzy said, recovering her focus after nearly swooning at his touch. "Don't you see? I can't be your assistant and your lover."

"My lover, my wife, my--. No; you can't give up your job because of this," William said fiercely. "I understand that you're worried about appearances. You could be moved to another office, perhaps."

"...And people would assume that you just moved me to put them off the scent. It would never work, William," she said with a smile. "It's all right. I--."

"It's certainly not all right! I don't want you to feel that just because--." He swore under his breath as the phone rang. Lizzy stood and reached across the desk to answer it.

"It's Mr. Rohwolt again."

"I'd better take this," William said regretfully. "But this discussion is not over."

Lizzy nodded and sat down, feeling much better after having said her piece. She continued eating her lunch while William conducted business on the phone. He reached for his sandwich and Lizzy handed it to him, along with his drink. William smiled his thanks and stared at her dreamily, till he was forced to focus on the conversation.

Lizzy finished her sandwich and tore herself away, returning to her desk just in time to be at her desk when an unexpected visitor arrived. She quickly composed herself and smiled.

"Good afternoon," she said to the familiar face.

"Good afternoon. I'd like to speak with my grandson."

Part Five and Epilogue

"Your grandson?" Lizzy gasped. She quickly rose and went in to William, interrupting his call.

"I'm still on this long distance call," he said, looking up.

"I realize that; you have a visitor," she replied. William frowned, covering the receiver.

"I'm not expecting--."

"It's your grandmother," Lizzy explained. William froze and his face went pale.

"Here? Grandma Bess?" he said meekly. Lizzy turned and looked back toward the outer office. William tilted his head and peered through the door and then shut his eyes tightly. "Would you ask her to give me a few minutes, please?" Lizzy nodded and reluctantly returned to her desk. She instinctively knew that the presence of William's grandmother meant trouble of some sort. She just wasn't sure why.

"Please have a seat, Ms...."

"I'm Bess O'Donnell. Isn't he alone in there?" Bess said, peeking into the inner sanctum.

"He's on the phone, Ms. O'Donnell," Lizzy said as she tried to calm herself. "He asked that you give him a few minutes to finish his call."

"Very well," Bess sighed. She looked around the room while trying to study Lizzy. She, in turn, looked everywhere except at Bess. Lizzy knew she was being scrutinized, but she couldn't do anything about it. She decided to take the offensive and focused on Bess's sharp blue eyes.

"You bear a striking resemblance to your other grandson," she said with a smile, "although I should probably say that Richard resembles you."

"Do you know him?" Bess asked ingenuously. "He gave me the impression the other night that he didn't know you."

"I wouldn't say he does; we've met a few times. He's got your eyes."

"That's not all Richard picked up," William said at the door. "Come in Grandma Bess."

Bess rose and walked over to him. He bent his head to receive her kiss before stepping aside to allow her entry. William sighed before he closed the door, leaving Lizzy with no small amount of curiosity.

"What else of mine did Richard acquire?" Bess asked archly.

"Oh, your sense of humor, your curiosity, your inability to resist the temptation to meddle in other people's lives..."

"Richard meddles in other's lives? My grandson? I'm horrified."

"You're proud, you mean," William said, holding a chair for Bess. "What are you doing here?" As he'd done earlier with Lizzy, he took the chair next to his grandmother's.

"Can't I visit my favorite grandson? I was in the neighborhood."

"Hah! I haven't been your favorite grandson since Richard was born," William snorted.

"Actually, I didn't know I had a favorite grandson till Richard was born. You won't tell him, though, will you? The poor dear dotes on me."

"The 'poor dear' emulates all your scariest traits. Your acolyte works just up the block, you know. Why aren't you over there meddling in his life?"

"I'm not here to meddle, William," Bess said honestly. She reached out and took hold of his hand. "I was concerned about you after our conversation on the phone this morning. I was left with the distinct impression that--."

"Hold that thought," William said. He reached for the phone, answering it before Lizzy could pick it up. He said hello and then began talking in German, giving Bess an apologetic look. After a minute, Bess rose to her feet. William said something into the phone and then placed the call on hold. "This shouldn't take much longer. We have a crisis in--."

"You deal with your crisis," Bess cut in, gently placing two fingers on his lips. "You're obviously very busy and I've taken up enough of your time." She withdrew her fingers, but William grabbed her hand and kissed them, then bent to kiss her cheek. "I do trust you, Will," she said. "I just wanted you to know that."

Lizzy was cleaning out her desk when Bess emerged from William's office. She paused to look at the heart-shaped crystal paperweight Lizzy carefully placed into a box. Lizzy looked up.

"Leaving already, Ms. O'Donnell? I was just about to offer you some coffee."

"William seems to be very busy this afternoon," Bess replied. "I think I'll go bother my other grandson." She gave Lizzy a wink and left the office. William came out of his office a moment later. Lizzy looked up at him and saw his face fall.

"You're packing," he said as his eyes took in the pile of things on her desk. "I haven't agreed to accept your resignation." Lizzy smiled at him.

"You can refuse it if you want to," she said. "But you can't really keep me here against my will. That only works in the movies."

"Lizzy you don't have to go," William said, walking to the door to the suite and peering out to make sure no one was within earshot.

"I disagree."

"At the very least, let's discuss this before you come to a decision."

"I've already made my decision, William. But if you want to talk about it, I'm willing to help you understand why things have to be this way."

"I doubt that anything you say will convince me."

"You've already said a few things that convinced me," Lizzy replied. She picked up a box and set it next to her desk on the floor.

"Look, will you stop that? Come back into my office and let's talk," William pleaded. Lizzy shook her head.

"Not here."

William nodded.

"All right."

William returned to his office and threw a few things into his briefcase. He grabbed his jacket and met Lizzy in the outer office, where she was putting things into a tote bag.

"Lizzy, please don't," he said with a wince.

"William, my mind is--."

"Humor me," he insisted. "You can always come back for your things later. Besides, I'd insist upon two weeks notice, anyway," he said, aiming for lightness and falling short. Lizzy nonetheless smiled and set the shopping bag aside. She bent to open a drawer.

"I will take this, though," she said holding up an umbrella. "It's raining outside."

"Is it?" William frowned, realizing that he'd taken his umbrella out of his briefcase a day earlier. He looked back toward his office wondering if he had a spare.

"I'm willing to share," Lizzy said with a smile.

"Thank you," William said, returning it. He held the door for her and they left the office. When they got to the building's front doors they saw that the city was being pelted with heavy rain.

"I told you so," Lizzy said wryly. "Shall we go?"

"Perhaps we should wait a few minutes," William replied.

"Oh, don't be silly. It's just a little water," she said gamely. She stepped outside and opened her umbrella.

"Getting a cab is going to be impossible," William shouted over the din. "I really think we ought to wait."

Lizzy ignored him, raising her hand to hail a cab. She caught a taxi immediately, but when it pulled over to the curb she was splashed with a drenching spray as the car moved through a huge puddle at the curb.

"It's just a little water, hmm?" William teased as she got into the cab.

"Sorry, lady," the driver said, stuffing a few napkins through the pay window. "Where to?" William looked at Lizzy, who was trying to peel dripping wet hair off her face.

"I think you need to go home and change," he said evenly.

"I agree," Lizzy said with a sigh.

William unsuccessfully stifled a smile as he gave the driver Lizzy's address. She glared at him and he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped her face. When it was cleaned to his satisfaction, he gently cupped her chin and gave her a brief kiss. The romantic gesture worked its magic. Lizzy was mollified, if a bit soaked. William attempted to dab at her suit with the napkins, but she pushed his hand away and told him not to bother. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"William, I'm soaking wet," she warned him.

"I don't care," he said with a sly smile. Lizzy smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. But far too soon they came to a stop in front of her building. William paid the driver and helped her out. It was still raining hard and they were both quite wet before they were safely indoors. "Now we're both soaking wet," he William said as they made their way to the elevators.

"So we are," Lizzy said archly. She led the way to her apartment and unlocked the door. "Stay here," she commanded as she peeled off her jacket. "And take off your shoes!"

William leaned against the door and carefully removed his shoes. Lizzy returned a minute later wearing an ankle-length terrycloth robe. She was carrying an armful of towels.

"Here," she said, holding one up to wipe William's face. As he had done earlier, Lizzy dried his face before leaning in to kiss him. But William wasn't satisfied with the relatively chaste kiss. When she pulled away, he moved with her, catching her mouth again and wrapping his arms around her. Lizzy dropped the towels and held onto his jacket as she deepened the kiss.

William was so totally absorbed in kissing Lizzy it took him a moment to realize that she was undressing him. Lizzy pulled at his jacket and let it fall to the floor, then started to tug at his tie. William stared into Lizzy's eyes as she slowly undid the knot and drew the length of silk from around his neck. She let it drop to the floor and began to unbutton his shirt. She wore a tiny smile and glanced up at him as she bared his chest inch by inch. When she paused to run her hand over his lightly furred chest, William sighed and closed his eyes. He opened them again when she pushed the shirt off his shoulders and raised his hands to show his wrists.

Lizzy sighed dramatically and bit her lip before attacking each of the cuffs. When she was done, she carefully laid the pair of silver cufflinks on the table by the door. William's shirt went the way of his jacket. Lizzy nipped at his chest and he bent his head to her throat, pushing the collar of her robe out of his way. And then it was only a matter of time before the robe slid off her shoulders, revealing her lacy lavender underwear. Lizzy reached for William's belt and he caught her hands. Gazing into her eyes, a question formed in his mind; Lizzy answered it with a smile and a nod. She drew him to her bedroom.

William didn't spare any time admiring the tasteful décor. He reached for Lizzy's waist and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. Lizzy wrapped her arms around his neck and indulged a longstanding desire to run her fingers through his curly hair. She was surprised to find that the lustrous curls were even silkier than she'd imagined. Pulling off her robe, William, also indulged his fantasy, sweeping Lizzy off her feet and laying her on the bed.

William sat on the edge of the bed and for a moment simply stared at the beautiful creature before him. He'd fallen in love with her months ago, never imagining that things would come to this, that he would ever have a chance to caress her face, to touch her, to taste her lips. He couldn't believe that she was his to claim. Lizzy reached up and touched his cheek, an enigmatic smile dancing about her lips. William bent to kiss it, only belatedly realizing that she'd wiped away a tear.

Lizzy took charge of things, rolling William over onto his back and straddling him without breaking their kiss. She finally released him to catch her breath and sat up, giving William an excellent view of her as she tied back her hair.

"Don't," he said, reaching up to pull the elastic band from her hand. She began to protest but he pulled her down and kissed her again. He tried to roll her over but she grabbed his hands and pinned them to the bed. William didn't fight her as she laughed and bent to kiss him again. Then she slid back so that she could undo his pants. Lizzy pulled off his belt and tossed it on the floor; then she slid back farther and bent to kiss his ribs. William closed his eyes in anticipation of what was to come. His breathing became ragged when she kissed a spot just below his navel, then moved lower, following the fine line of hair that led to his groin. His eyes opened when she slipped off the bed and abruptly tugged his pants off.

Lizzy laughed at his expression and climbed back onto the bed. She reached across him and opened the nightstand drawer, coming back to him and lowering her mouth to his before he could speak. William's hands found Lizzy's hips and began to explore. He ran his hands up her torso, allowing the tips of his fingers to play along her spine. When they made contact with her bra, he expertly undid the clasps and removed the impediment. But Lizzy thwarted him, sliding down his body again and leaving him with a wisp of scented lace.

Lizzy took him into her mouth and quickly brought him to full hardness before she stopped to admire William's erection.

"Aren't you a healthy boy?" she said, sitting up and wiping her chin. William's mouth fell open and she threw back her head and laughed heartily.

"You--!"

Lizzy crawled up his body again. She stopped short of his hips and sat up to tear open a condom package. She carefully rolled it onto him and ran her hand up the length of his erection with a look of satisfaction.

"He's full of good ideas, that Richard," she said as she moved off of William to peel off her panties. "But he should be aware of safe sex practices."

"You read it!" he gasped.

"You were rather tame in that story," Lizzy said as she repositioned herself over him. "I hope he wasn't drawing from life."

"No," William said firmly. Before Lizzy could demand that he prove it, he did just that. Taking control of the situation, he rolled Lizzy over and proceeded to make ardent love to her. He reveled in the sight, the sound and the scent of her, the sensations she aroused in him, the taste of her skin. He willed himself to slow down, to draw out the experience, to memorize every touch, every gasp, every kiss, but it was too much. Lizzy looked into his eyes and he saw his entire future in their depths. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, gasping as an orgasm overtook her. William had never seen anything more beautiful. His eyes rolled back in his head and he let go, riding the crest of his own orgasm.

When he opened his eyes again, he heard humming. He shifted a little and saw the top of Lizzy's head, resting on his chest. She was humming a tune that was vaguely familiar to his ears, but he couldn't place it. He took a deep breath and the sweet serenade came to an abrupt halt and a pair of smiling eyes turned toward him. William reached out and brushed aside an errant lock of hair.

"You're in a good mood," he said amusedly.

"I am," Lizzy confessed. "Shouldn't I be?"

"You should be deliriously happy," William agreed. "I am." Lizzy scooted up a little so she could kiss his mouth.

"We were supposed to talk," he said. Lizzy pouted at him, and he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Don't you think--?"

"I think," William said, shifting her aside and sitting up, "...I know I love you, Lizzy. And I can't let you leave your job for me. You told me you--."

"Shh, William," Lizzy said, placing two fingers over his mouth.

"Shh, William?" he replied indignantly. "I don't want to be 'shushed.' I want to talk about this."

"I've already made my decision," Lizzy said firmly.

"Well, unmake it, then. I won't accept the idea of you giving up your job over this. You just began at the company! How will it look on your resume if you only held your job for a few months?"

"William--."

"Besides all that, you're marvelous in the office! It took me ages to find you; now I'll have to conduct another search. You have to at least promise me that you'll stay on till I find a decent replacement. It wouldn't be--."

"William, I've already taken another job."

"You what? How? Where? You can't just walk out on--. Wait a minute? You planned this!" he accused. Lizzy shook her head.

"In my wildest imagination I couldn't have planned anything that happened this week. But it did, and I have to--. This is for the best, William," she said. "If you want us to be together, it has to be this way." She tried to say more but once again, William interrupted.

"But can't just leave your job--."

"I start on Monday."

"How could you possibly--?"

"It's simple; I was offered another job yesterday and, knowing that I couldn't be involved with you while I was your assistant, I accepted," she explained. "But don't worry; I've already found my replacement. She's well-qualified, poised and ready to start next week."

"But I don't want you to leave me, Lizzy," William said softly. She smiled and caressed his cheek.

"I'll never leave you, William. I'm only changing jobs." She leaned in to kiss him and he allowed himself to be distracted, but only briefly.

"I suppose you won't let me dissuade you..." he assayed. Lizzy shook her head.

"I need to do this. And you need it, too; you'll realize it when you've had more time to think."

"I'm only worried about you," he replied, kissing her hair.

"I'll be fine, William," she said softly. "I have everything I need."

"You always will," he assured her.

**

William awoke sometime later, completely alone. He sat up and looked around, momentarily disoriented till he recalled how he'd come to be in Lizzy's bed. He laid back among the pillows smiling, thinking of the beautiful woman he loved. After a few minutes, he wondered where she was and rose to go looking for her. He found her in the kitchen, where she was humming to herself as she stirred something at the stove. William leaned in the doorway and stared at her.

Lizzy was wearing a short silk robe, exposing a pair of what, to William's eyes, appeared to be perfect legs. He allowed his eyes to trail down along the curves, his smile broadening as he spied the fluffy hot pink slippers on her feet.

"What's so funny?"

William looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Nice feet; very stylish."

"I think so," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. "And for the record, you look pretty hot yourself." William glanced down and only belatedly realized that he was naked.

"Thanks," he said, glancing over his shoulder toward the entrance to the apartment. "Where are my clothes?"

"They were wet. I hung them up," Lizzy replied.

"Ah; so what should I..."

"Oh, you needn't put on anything on my account," Lizzy said impishly. She set down the spoon and went to him. William enfolded her in his arms. He nuzzled Lizzy's throat, inhaling her scent and reveling in the feeling her body pressed against his own. She moved her head slightly to allow him better access as she let her hands wander over William's shoulders and down his back. When they found the curve of his buttocks, she smiled as William wriggled in reaction to her touch. "Don't tell me you're ticklish!"

"I won't tell you I'm ticklish," he replied as he made a grab for her hands. Lizzy tried to elude him, but William was too fast for her. He managed to wrap his arms around her and pin her arms to her side.

"Looks like you've got me exactly where I want to be," she said playfully. William's hold gave just a little when she squirmed and she took advantage of the opportunity to stand on her toes and claim a kiss. But William soon pulled away and sat her on the counter.

"We should talk," he said.

"We probably should," Lizzy conceded. "How about over dinner? I've heated up some of my homemade ravioli."

"I love ravioli," William said with a boyish smile. "I should, uh..." He gestured vaguely at his torso.

"I think I can find something for you to put on," Lizzy said, slipping off the counter and heading to the bathroom. "This is a unisex robe."

"You can wear this?" William asked incredulously as he tied the cord. The robe fit him perfectly.

"Yes," Lizzy said with an appraising look at William. "And I'm really glad I didn't go for the long version at the moment." She led the way back to the kitchen and served up the ravioli. The couple settled in at the dining table and had a long talk.

**

"Honey, what's this?"

"Hmm?" Richard asked absently as he stirred a big pot of soup at the stove.

"What's this?" Sam repeated. Richard turned around and Sam pushed the laptop across the counter so he could take a look. She needed to check her email and Richard offered her the use of his laptop, which was open on the counter. When she went to close his word processor she noticed an interesting filename. Richard smiled when he saw what she was referring to.

"Long story," he said as he reached for a loaf of crusty bread and began to slice into it.

"I'll be around for hours," Sam replied challengingly. Richard leaned across the counter to kiss her before resuming his task.

"Read it," Richard suggested. Within a few minutes, she was laughing hysterically.

"Whatever possessed you?" Sam asked. "Do you even have a picture of Thrasher on your desk for me to knock over?"

"Nope; creative license," he said with a wink.

"This still doesn't explain why you've written a pornographic story about us."

"I was bored," Richard said with a shrug.

"I don't believe you."

"All right," Richard said. He wiped his hands and walked around to Sam's side of the counter and sat on the adjoining stool. "It's like this. My cousin William fell in love with his secretary--."

"What does that have to--?"

Richard placed a finger over her lips.

"William fell in love with his secretary. You know how he is--painfully shy around the opposite sex..."

"Are we talking about William Darcy?" Sam asked. "That description doesn't jibe with the man I know."

"All right, maybe he's just that way around Lizzy. Anyway, he was desperately in love with her but he was afraid to speak up."

"Okay, so--."

"So I decided to give them a hand."

"And this was supposed to help?" Sam frowned. Richard leaned in and kissed her.

"You're so cute when you do that. Of course, two years from now you'll be looking for botox injections to take away those lines--."

Sam punched him in the arm.

"Talk."

"I wrote this story to get William off the fence. Worked like a charm, too. Within an hour of reading it, he asked her out."

"I still don't see how a story about you and me getting it on--."

"This isn't the story he read."

"Oh, thank goodness; I'd never be able to look him in the eye again," Sam admitted. "Wait a minute! You just said--."

"Here, read this." Richard reached across her and clicked on "Free Willy."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to look William in the eye now," Sam said a few minutes later. Richard beamed.

**

Monday morning, William arrived at his office early. He stared wistfully at Lizzy's empty desk. On Sunday morning, they'd stopped by to clear out Lizzy's things. Much to William's pleasant surprise, Lizzy suddenly attacked him, spreading him across her desk and taking him just as her character in the story had done. He chuckled at the memory and bent to examine the desk closely to make sure they'd cleaned it thoroughly. He didn't want to create a bad impression with Lizzy's replacement.

William was at his desk reading his email a while later when he heard sounds from the outer office. He looked up and saw a petite, red-haired woman enter his inner sanctum.

"Good morning, Mr. Darcy. My name is Carmo. I believe Lizzy told you to expect me."

"Good morning," William said pleasantly. "And welcome to the company."

"Thank you. I've made some coffee," she said with a hint of an unidentifiable accent. "Would you like some?"

"You made coffee? We have a communal kitchen down the hall where the--."

"No offense, but I find most coffee to be bland swill. I prefer a good, robust Brazilian blend with--. I hope you don't mind my bringing my own coffeemaker..."

"Not at all," William said with a wry smile. He could already see a hint of his new assistant's fire and knew immediately that they'd get on fine.

"Would you like a cup?"

"I would love one." He watched her leave the room. "Carmo..." When she returned with the coffee, William inhaled deeply. "Carmo, I think you just made my morning."

"Once you try it you'll never go back to that crap down the hall," she said. William took a sip and smiled.

"I believe you're right." The coffee was perfectly made. William imagined that Lizzy had left Carmo strict instructions. "Tell me, Carmo, why does your name sound so familiar?"

"I used to be your uncle's personal assistant. We've probably spoken on the phone a few times," Carmo said, accepting William's silent offer of a seat.

"May I ask why you left Uncle Hugh's office?"

"I loved working for him. Those Fitzwilliams are a lovely bunch," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "But when they renovated the offices I became allergic to something they used and I literally couldn't stay there anymore. Mr. F even sent me to three doctors; they all agreed I had to quit. Then Richard called last week and told me he'd found me a new job."

"Yes, I'd heard about Richard's little deal." William recalled his conversation with Lizzy, during which he'd learned of Richard's scheme to hire Lizzy for his dad to replace his former secretary. "Well, I think you're going to be a great addition," he said aloud, "as long as you don't mind sharing your coffee."

"My coffee is your coffee," Carmo said as she rose. "I'd better get to work. Lizzy left me a long list." William nodded and she left the room, only to return a minute later. "Oh; Richard asked me to give this to you." She placed a silver frame on his desk and left again. William looked at the picture of the "beloved Airedale" she'd placed next to the picture of Lizzy he'd brought in that morning and laughed.

The End

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